Entree Kibbles: Isshin Machi Taiwanese Restaurant (一心一町) @ 224 E Coast Road [Singapore]

It's no secret I relied heavily on Google reviews nowadays and when I found out that there's a Taiwanese restaurant, Isshin Machi (no, not Japanese), along East Coast road with a pretty high review score of 4.3 from 280 reviewers; I decided to check it out since I was in Bedok and the interchange hawker centre was then closed for cleaning.

With wooden chairs, cement screed flooring and white walls drawn with contrasting images of just blue red, it was simple interior design yet created a deep impression, at least for me.

And I absolutely adored this wall that was decked out with portrait images of famous people but without any facial features. Isn't it fascinating that we can recognize those people without even needing to see their nose, eyes, eyebrows and mouth?

Waiting for our food after filling up the order form (shall share it at the end of this post) and passing it to the service staff. p.s. the restaurant was empty because we arrived at an ungodly timing of about 4.00 pm.

Brown Sugar Caramel Milk Tea - this had the rich, refreshing milk tea flavor that I enjoyed with a sweetness that strangely tasted like grass jelly. Might be a bit too sweet for some and rule of thumb; don't stir too much if you can't stand the excessive sweetness.

Shrimp & Pork Wantons with Fiery Chilli - this dish is common but it's rare to find a good one. While this was better than most; filling that married the goodness from both pork and prawns, and complemented by spicy hotness, crystal jade is still ranked higher. p.s. the texture hardened quite fast and it's recommended to eat them quickly.

Moon Shape Prawn Cake - the first time I had this was at Feng Taiwanese Food @ Northpoint and commented it wasn't moon shaped; and it's the same scenario right here at Isshin Machi.

Batter was chewy and taste didn't impress. You absolutely need the sauce placed in the middle to enjoy the 'cake' as it would provide your taste buds with sparkles of sweetness, spiciness and a vinegarish sourness.

Hakka Style Braised Meat Rice - I can't resist luroufan although I must learn my lesson when it comes to Hakka style braised meat rice. A search on my blog revealed that I have had hakka style luroufan, and I didn't like it!

Likewise, this version had porky tasting meat and a marination that wasn't the braised sweetness I personally prefer. Even the pickles failed in its attempt to make me feel better. I need to drive into my brain that I have to give this a miss in the future. There will be come who will like this style, but it's definitely not me.

Three Cups Chicken with Mushrooms - this was the only dish that I would reorder in the future! The aroma was the first thing that perked up my attention; the kind that would step me in my footsteps if I happen to smell it when walking past.

Chicken was tender and likely fried before being stir fried with the rest of the condiments, seasoning and ingredients. General flavor was like chinese wine chicken; appetizing with the basil leaves further elevating the palatability!

You know what I was most shocked by? The fact that I actually liked the thin slices of stir fried garlic in the dish! They were delicious, didn't that their signature pointed spiciness and it's mind boggling that they could taste so insanely good!

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Would I return? Definitely for the Three Cups Chicken with Mushrooms. As there are many other options, I guess there will be some hits too. More research is required but if you have tried Isshin Machi before; I will appreciate and welcome any recommended dishes too!

Address

224 East Coast Rd,