No Milk Bistro Tasting Session
18 Pahang Street
24 Raffles Place
#01-15 Clifford Centre
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 11am - 10pm
Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/nomilksg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended on separate occasions with representatives from WhiteLabel PR, Chubby Botak Koala, Purple Taste, msginginly, Her Pen And Fork, Wish Upon A Tart, SG Cafe Hopping, and Qin Loves Macaronsss.
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| Mixed Fish Soup & Condiments |
Delicious Traditional Fish & Seafood Soup + Modern Pasta
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $8 / $27 per person.
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Although No Milk Bistro opened its doors in January 2019, it's origin can be traced back to 1992, when a group of 4 childhood friends worked for the master fish soup hawker at The Marketplace @ 58 Bedok South Food Centre (58 New Upper Changi Road, Singapore 461058) - Bei Chuan Ting Yu Tang. Sometime in 2012, after having gone about their own lives in the interim, these 4 friends decided to reunite and train under the master hawker, finally setting up No Milk Bistro by combining their various experiences in business, finance, and food & beverage.
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| No Milk Bistro Signage |
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| Standee |
Ambience at No Milk Bistro differs depending on the level. On the 1st level, the place is designed to be modern casual, with marble-topped furniture neatly arrayed in a plain, white, air-conditioned seating area that is brightly lit. The 2nd level is a bar, closely packed with wooden and metal furnishings, lit by vibrant blue and red neon lights. The outdoor seating on the 2nd level overlooks the roof of the 1st level, and offers a view of the street. There aren't any barriers surrounding the rooftop, which led my dining companions to remark on the possibility of drunk patrons falling off.
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| No Milk Bistro Exterior |
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| No Milk Bistro Interior |
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| Bar |
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| Splash Of Colours |
Service at No Milk Bistro is friendly and efficient. Staff are quick to greet and seat guests. They display good product knowledge on the menu, able to describe dishes and offer recommendations on both food and drinks. I note they quickly clear and clean up when diners are finished, and also proactively offer more drinks. Staff can engage in conversation, and I like that they'll check for feedback on your dining experience. Order fulfillment during peak periods can sometimes take longer than usual, and the kitchen team could improve on this.
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| Display Counter |
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| Seating Outdoors |
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| Seating Indoors |
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| Seating Bar |
Food at No Milk Bistro is made with fresh ingredients, with nearly everything on their menu being handmade. The 'day' menu is traditional in nature, focusing on hawker classics, particularly Fish Soup and Seafood Soup. True to their name, Head Chef Hoe Gern does not use any milk whatsoever, because his handmade soup stock is really flavourful. True to form, as taught by the master hawker, who signed off on each dish prior to it going on the menu. Portions are sized for individuals, and prices are affordable, budget about SGD $8 per person.
The 'night' menu is Modern Fusion in nature, with strong elements of Mexican cuisine, courtesy of the bartender's prior working experience in a well-known Mexican restaurant. Here, the team displays their creativity by deconstructing and recreating familiar flavours in inventive new ways, combining the tastes of Southeast Asian, European, and South American cuisine. Most of these dishes pair well with drinks. Portions are sized for individuals, and prices are cheaper than other bistros, budget about SGD $27 per person with drinks.
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| Menu 'Day' Traditional Dishes |
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| Menu 'Night' Modern Dishes |
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| Menu Beverages & Cocktails |
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| Pop It Like It's Hot Signage |
The Calamansi Juice (SGD $1.20) is fairly affordable for the portion, and has a bold zesty tangy sweet sour flavour.
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| Calamansi Juice (SGD $1.20) |
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| Calamansi Juice |
This was novel. The Utakata Yuzu Sparkling Sake (SGD $18) has a fizzy bubbly texture, with a delicate fruity sweet flavour... though I wish it was more zesty in nature. Alright.
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| Utakata Yuzu Sparkling Sake (SGD $18) |
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| Utakata Yuzu Sparkling Sake |
Love the Jinro Green Grape Sake (SGD $16), which is served with a Yakult mixer. I prefer drinking it straight though. Has a robust fruity sweet flavour on its own, which you can choose to combine with the earthy sweet notes of the Yakult.
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| Jinro Green Grape Sake (SGD $16) |
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| Jinro Green Grape Sake |
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| Jinro Green Grape Sake |
The signature Mixed Fish Soup (SGD $7) is the star of No Milk Bistro, served throughout both day and night. Made with fresh fish, the soup stock is robust and clear, without any milk, as their hawker master believes that the purity of the flavourful broth is sufficient. Garnished with crunchy cabbage, juicy tomatoes, silky tofu beancurd, flaky fresh mackerel fish slices, chunky fried sea bass fish pieces, wispy fried egg floss, and a crisp Japanese nori seaweed sheet. Delicate sweet savoury flavours here, very appetizing. Choose between a variety of 8 staples to accompany. Highly recommended!
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| Mixed Fish Soup (SGD $7) |
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| Mixed Fish Soup |
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| Mixed Fish Soup |
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| Mixed Fish Soup |
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| Variety Of Staples |
The Home Made Black Char Siew (SGD $12.80, Tasting Portion) has a distinct black coat, from the caramelisation of honey on the fresh pork meat. This has a tender, juicy texture, with bold sweet savoury flavour. The Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $12.80, Tasting Portion) has a Asian 5-spice powder and cumin profile, having been spice rubbed then grilled. It has a moist, bouncy texture, with smoky savoury salty spice flavour. The Home Made Ngor Hiang (SGD $2, Tasting Portion) is their hawker master's own recipe, which has a firm binding of vegetables to the fresh pork meat, meaning it doesn't break apart easily. Paired with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce, the use of fresh ingredients gives this a much brighter, more delicate taste than elsewhere.
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| Home Made Black Char Siew, Home Made Ngor Hiang, Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly |
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| Home Made Black Char Siew (SGD $12.80, Tasting Portion) |
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| Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $12.80, Tasting Portion) |
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| Home Made Ngor Hiang (SGD $2, Tasting Portion) |
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| Home Made Black Char Siew, Home Made Ngor Hiang, Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly |
The Tagliatelle With Thai Red Curry & Breaded Tiger Prawns (SGD $18.80, Tasting Portion) features handmade tagliatelle pasta noodles, using only egg and flour, giving this thick flat pasta noodle a more dense and chewy texture compared to other versions. The homemade Thai red curry is infused with prawn stock, lending a bold crustacean note to the savoury spicy herbal flavours of the gravy. Garnished with deshelled prawns (which I think were previously frozen), and breaded tiger prawns which are fresh and juicy sweet.
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| Tagliatelle With Thai Red Curry & Breaded Tiger Prawns (SGD $18.80, Tasting Portion) |
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| Tagliatelle With Thai Red Curry & Breaded Tiger Prawns |
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| Tagliatelle With Thai Red Curry & Breaded Tiger Prawns |
Most unanimously chose the Tagliatelle With Beef Rendang (SGD $16.80, Tasting Portion) as their favourite dish. This features handmade tagliatelle pasta noodles, using only egg and flour, giving this thick flat pasta noodle a more dense and chewy texture compared to other versions. Instead of being tossed in a wok, their beef rendang is slow-cooked in a pot over 12 hours, which serves to lock in the moisture and flavour, making it incredibly juicy, succulent, and tender, with bold meaty savoury salty spice flavours. The beef is so soft it almost falls apart, and lends well to the pasta, almost seeming like a ragu. Really good. Highly recommended!
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| Tagliatelle With Beef Rendang (SGD $16.80, Tasting Portion) |
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| Tagliatelle With Beef Rendang |
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| Tagliatelle With Beef Rendang |
The Mexican inspired Tequila Marinated Angus Beef is served medium rare, and on its own, has a moist chewy texture with a distinct boozy savoury flavour. The creamy thick sour cream is properly sour milky in taste, while the pico de gallo salsa is fresh and bright, with vegetal sweet sour notes. I felt the tortilla wrap was unwieldy though, a little too thick, and difficult to wrap, although it was soft and chewy with a light grainy sweet flavour. The hand made mashed potatoes was the best thing here; rich, smooth, and creamy thick, with bold earthy sweet starchy potato flavour. So good we wanted more!
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| Tequila Marinated Angus Beef, Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico De Gallo, Hand Made Mashed Potatoes (SGD $24, Tasting Portion) |
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| Tequila Marinated Angus Beef, Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico De Gallo |
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| Hand Made Mashed Potatoes |
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| Open-Faced Wrap |
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| Tequila Marinated Angus Beef, Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico De Gallo, Hand Made Mashed Potatoes |
The Spicy Fragrant Hand Made Egg Noodles With Battered Fish Belly (SGD $8, Tasting Portion) features handmade egg noodles, with a bouncy, chewy texture. Believing that no part should go to waste, the fish belly is marinated, crumb battered, then fried, giving it a light crisp chewy texture with bold savoury spice salty flavour. The mala Sichuan / Szechuan peppercorn sauce is special too; it has a sharp spicy bite with a medium fiery heat that fades quickly, and doesn't numb the palate as strongly as other versions. Good!
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| Spicy Fragrant Hand Made Egg Noodles With Battered Fish Belly (SGD $8, Tasting Portion) |
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| Spicy Fragrant Hand Made Egg Noodles With Battered Fish Belly |
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| Spicy Fragrant Hand Made Egg Noodles With Battered Fish Belly |
Personally, I loved the experience at No Milk Bistro. Their regular 'day' menu is as affordable and wallet-friendly as most coffee shops or food courts, but the quality of their dishes is a notch above in taste. Their 'night' menu has delicious, creative modern dishes that pair well with drinks. Besides the tasty food, the casual ambience and friendly service make No Milk Bistro a place worthy of return visits. I will surely return for more!
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Returned a few days later to No Milk Bistro on our own, this time as a regular, paying customer. Wanted to see if there was any difference. Everything we ordered was served in regular portions. The Home Made Warm Barley (SGD $1) was nicely balanced in taste, with a delicate grainy sweet flavour. Seems no extra sugar was added to this.
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| Home Made Warm Barley (SGD $1) |
The Brown Rice (SGD $1) was fluffy and warm, with a smoky grainy sweet flavour. Good choice of staple for those looking to be healthy.
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| Brown Rice (SGD $1) |
The Fish Soup Fresh (SGD $6) features the same clear, robust soup stock, without any milk. Garnished with flaky fresh mackerel fish slices, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cabbage, silky tofu beancurd, wispy fried egg floss, and a crisp Japanese nori seaweed sheet. Delicate sweet savoury flavours, as tasty as I remember. Perhaps it's diminishing returns, but I felt it's comparable to other hawker versions, but not 'wow' or mind-blowing... just a decent, straightforward rendition.
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| Fish Soup Fresh (SGD $6) |
The Fish Soup Fried (SGD $6) features the same clear, robust soup stock, without any milk. Garnished with chunky fried sea bass fish pieces, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cabbage, silky tofu beancurd, wispy fried egg floss, and a crisp Japanese nori seaweed sheet. Delicate sweet savoury flavours, as tasty as I remember. Perhaps it's diminishing returns, but I felt it's comparable to other hawker versions, but not 'wow' or mind-blowing... just a decent, straightforward rendition.
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| Fish Soup Fried (SGD $6) |
The Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $6.90) was served in a smaller and cheaper portion. It still retains that smoky savoury salty spice flavour, and moist bouncy texture, from the use of Asian 5-spice powder and cumin spice rub. This increasingly reminds me of Thai style grilled pork, especially when paired with the sharp spicy chili dipping sauce that has a bold fiery kick.
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| Secret Recipe Grilled Pork Belly (SGD $6.90) |
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CONVERSATION