Entree Kibbles: Nic & Tom Eatery - Tuckshop Rice & Big Prawn Cheese Bee Hoon @ Serangoon Garden [Singapore]

Wednesday, October 06, 2021

Nic & Tom Eatery - Tuckshop Rice & Big Prawn Cheese Bee Hoon @ Serangoon Garden [Singapore]

I mentioned in my post for Pa Bul Lo Korean Charcoal BBQ that my friends and I arrived too late to check out a popular eatery and the long wait was the trigger that made us turn to the Korean restaurant for our dinner.

That dining establishment with a long queue is Nic & Tom Eatery and for this visit, I specifically made it a point to stop my work on time, and took a cab down to Serangoon Gardens with Alex and the Great Kon.

Result - we managed to beat the crowd and stepped into the restaurant immediately after arrival. Despite the large, eye-catching signboard, the interior design was comparatively muted. Does it matter to me? Obviously not since I prefer that operators spend their funds improving their food offerings than on decorations.

Nic & Tom are the names of the founders (they are cousins) and despite being incredibly young (Mr Nicholas Lim is 21 years ago whereas Mr Tommy Pang is just three years older); they have proved to everyone that age is just a number when it comes to good food!

Let's now review what we had.

Meat Cake - with such a name, I expected this to be uniquely meaty. Turned out it was no difference from a fish cake that was sliced up and then braised lightly. It was quite a disappointment as we assumed the meat would be pork / chicken and I am not particularly a huge fan of fish cakes.

Tuckshop Rice - indicated on the menu as a must-try, it was priced affordably at just S$1.90 a bowl with a limit of just one bowl per customer and restricted to dine-in only. I will put this as a die-die must try!

Ingredients are simple and the portion was small; rice, with a sunny side up, fried pork and seasoned with spice and a special sauce that tasted similar to luroufan. The combined flavor was insanely delish after a good mix and it reminded me of my childhood when an unassuming plate of white rice with fried egg was sufficient to keep me contented.

One bowl of the tuckshop rice, however, was not enough!

Big Prawn Cheese Bee Hoon - Nic & Tom Eatery is famous for their cheese bee hoon, which isn't commonly found in Singapore. My sister recommended one before but it's all the way in Melaka and given the current pandemic, doubt the border would open for tourists until maybe next year.

Given the addition of cheese, I was expecting a broth that's thicker but it turned out to be a soupy consistency. Thankfully, it was still flavorful, with an appetizing aroma. Cheese lover might find it not cheesy enough but for someone who isn't into cheese, it's honestly good enough for me.

Another highlight was the cluster of big prawns; comprising three in total, with each sliced into half. Prawns were fresh and crunchy with a sweet flavor. Those craving for a more luxurious set can consider the royal cheese beehoon that includes abalones!