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| Moc Quan |
Thank you very much to Jeff Koh the Owner / Chef of Moc Quan for the
invitation.
Jeff is a self-taught Chef who believe that the best way to
experience Vietnam is through their street food. Each of the
dedicated Street Food Chefs, spend their whole life mastering /
perfecting their craft in delivering their own version of their dish.
Over the past three years Jeff has explore Vietnam and learnt from
these Chefs their secret recipe and found love and passion for
Vietnamese street food along the way. After several years of
learning, he finally feels that he is ready to bring back the
flavours of Ho Chi Minh for us to savour in Singapore.
Located near Robertson Quay, Moc Quan look to capitalise on the
office lunch crowd and popular after work masses in Robertson Quay
area.
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| Entrance from the Mall - So New, the signage still not ready |
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| Vietnamese Umbrellas |
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| Table Setting - Indoor |
The decoration of the restaurant is heavily influenced by traditional
Vietnamese elements with many antiques décor that the owner took
much effort in sourcing and importing from Vietnam. The many
interesting décors are the Vietnamese Trishaws outside the
restaurant, Vietnamese Traditional umbrellas, utensils, bamboo food
covers on each tables and even traditional milkmaid's yoke (a.k.a.
Carrying pole) on display. To serenade you during your dining here,
Vietnamese's oldies music are played in the background. The
atmosphere kind of remind me of one Anthony Bourdan Travel Series
Episode when they visited the last Vietnamese Emperor Villa in
Vietnam.
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| Outdoor Seating |
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| Vietnamese Trishaws |
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| Milkmaid's yoke (a.k.a. Carrying pole) |
While waiting for LD to come, I started with Ca Phe Sua Da
(Vietnamese Coffee with Condensed Milk (Ice) - $3.50). The coffee is
thick and smooth. It really perked me up.
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| Ca Phe Sua Da |
For starters, we had Goi Cuon and Bo La Lot. Both are fresh
Vietnamese spring roll filled with herbs and rice, with different
fillings. Goi Cuon has Prawn and Pork fillings and served with
homemade black bean sauce, while Bo La Lot with beef and pork served
with special homemade sauce. ($8 for 4 pcs each). The fresh spring
roll (also known as rice paper roll) has a slightly springy texture,
but the freshness of the ingredients really shines here, especially
with each of their unique dipping sauce.
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| Goi Cuon |
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| Bo La Lot |
Next on
the menu is Banh Canh Cua (Thai Rice Noodle in Crab and Pork Broth
served with Crab Meat - $9.90). We are really glad that Chef Jeff
serve this dish. The broth is rich and sweet, with similar taste
profile as Singapore Prawn Noodle Soup. The rice noodle is springy,
and the condiments of crab meat, fried bean curd, pork and bean spout
gave a good mix of texture. Watch out for the chilli, which will give
you a slow after burn according to LD.
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| Banh Canh Cua |
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| Banh Canh Cua |
Banh Mi
Thit (Baguette with Vietnamese Sausage and Ham, homemade pork pate -
$6.50). To make this baguette, they brought the oven and flour from
Vietnam. The result, the amazing crisp and light texture of the
baguette. Unlike the French version, the baguette is not dense in the
middle. The homemade pate is good, with a meat loaf texture. We only
find that the pickle vegetables is slightly timid, as not to
overwhelm the Singapore palate. We hope they can be bolder with the
pickle.
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| Banh Mi Thit |
From the
seafood selection, we had Tom Nuong (BBQ King Prawns Marinated in a
special homemade Sauce - $16.00). The prawns are fresh and huge. It
is cut through the middle and the intestinal track are removed. The
marinate is just right and the grilled perfectly. Delicious, but
presentation is too simple. Salads or pickled vegetables on the side
will help to improve the presentation of this dish.
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| Tom Nuong |
Of course
the tasting in a Vietnamese Restaurant won't be complete without
trying the Pho. We tried Pho Bo (Fresh Vietnamese Rice Noodle –
Mixed – $9.50). The ingredients looks good and generous, but the
broth is on the sweet side (a bit too sweet to LD's liking). It is
unfortunate the broth is not steaming hot enough when its poured to
the rice noodle, resulting the sliced beef took quite a while to cook
and turns chewy. The brisket is slightly tender, but it can use some
more cooking time. We find the Pho can be improved.
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| Pho Bo - Mixed |
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| Pho Bo - Mixed |
Overall,
we are very happy with some of the dishes we tried, especially the
Banh Canh Cua and Banh Mi Thit. With a little bit more of fine
tuning, the rest of the dishes will be equally good. So if you are
looking to experience Ho Chi Minh food, give this place a try.
Cheers!!
Food
& Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service:
N/A
Ambiance:
7.5/10
Moc
Quan
81 Clemenceau
Avenue,#01-23 UE Square Shopping Mall
Singapore 239917
T: +65 6736 0123 W: http://www.mocquan.com.sg/ F: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moc-Quan/650215378386398?fref=ts OH: Everyday, 9am to 11pm
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