Tender braised pork belly rice bowls with unique mentaiko version

I’m HUGE on lu rou fan. My personal record? Devouring 10 bowls on a trip to Taipei — rookie numbers, perhaps, but you get the gist. However, in my obsession with Taiwan-style lu rou fan, I’ve found myself a little guilty of neglecting the local rendition otherwise known as kong bak png. 

To give it the love it deserves, I figured that there was no better stall to patronise than Bold x Braised. Located in the ever-popular Maxwell Food Centre, the stall serves up a range of local-style braised pork rice bowls.

Bold x Braised made headlines in Mar 2024 for its weekend-long pop-up in collaboration with Chef Dario Cecchini of “World’s Greatest Butcher” fame. Although the signage is still intact, the event-exclusive paninis are no longer for sale, of course.

What you’ll find, though, is a line-up of braised meat bowls with a preparation process that utilises every part of the pig. Mr Alvan Chew, the mastermind behind Bold x Braised, firmly believes in nose-to-tail cooking and minimises waste wherever he can. 

Oh, Mr Chew himself has been the subject of various feature articles, too. Formerly a Singapore Airlines air steward, he left the airline industry in pursuit of a career in the hawker field. With the culinary experience he gained from helping out at a friend’s braised meat stall, he kickstarted Bold x Braised as a home-based lor bak business. 

He later set up shop in Amoy Street Food Centre before shifting to Maxwell Food Centre where the stall still stands today. Located along the same stretch as chicken rice powerhouse Tian Tian Chicken Rice, it’s not a difficult find.

What I tried at Bold x Braised

Having done a little research prior to my visit, I was all set to order the bak kut teh and deep-fried pork belly. Alas, the former was struck off the menu with an ‘Unavailable’ sticker, while the latter was nowhere to be found.

Alright then. I proceeded with the one bowl that I had been meaning to order anyway: the Mentaiko Belly Bowl. I opted for the Set (S$8), which includes braised tau kwa, tau pok and a whole braised egg in addition to the mentaiko-laden pork belly served with rice and cucumber slices.

For the record, the bowl without add-ons costs S$6. I was in it for a heartier meal and—I suppose—a more well-rounded review, though.

The bowl’s most striking feature was definitely the mentaiko sauce that blanketed the braised pork belly. The coral pink layer sported a glossy sheen, its surface dotted with tantalising brown flecks. Clearly, it had been flame-seared — much to my delight.

As much as the mighty mentaiko pleases the eye, the idea of combining it with braised pork belly might admittedly raise some eyebrows. Well, I’m here to tell you: don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

The creamy, piquant mentaiko rendered a suitable contrast to the earthy and slightly sweet braised pork belly. However, the tangy profile got somewhat overwhelming with the copious amount of sauce, drowning out the flavours of the braise. Nonetheless, this issue was easily remedied by pairing it with a spoonful of rice doused in the mildly herbal gravy.

The stand-out element of the dish was the pork belly. These succulent and tender hunks of meat had a perfect balance of leanness and fattiness, requiring minimal jaw action to work through. To top it all off, the portion offered excellent value for my money.

While the quality of the braise was certainly discernible in the braised meat, it was the tasty add-ons that truly made the dish shine.

I particularly enjoyed the braised tau kwa. The dense beancurd held a soft firmness that was almost pillowy; each slice had a mildly nutty flavour profile, wonderfully infused with the sweet and herbal notes of the braise. The delicate and spongy tau pok absorbed the gravy nicely, too.

One minor gripe I had was with the hard-boiled egg. Leaning a little toward overcooked, its grainy yolk and rubbery white texture certainly weren’t the best complements to the dish. It would’ve been perfect if Bold x Braised had used a jammy onsen or soft-boiled egg instead.

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Moving on, I got the Belly Bowl (S$6) — a classic kong bak png without the mentaiko sauce and add-ons, because we could always use some good measure. Served in a disposable paper bowl, the dish paled appearance-wise in comparison to its Mentaiko counterpart; it lacked the pop of pink from the sauce.

That aside, I could now admire the pork belly in its full glory. There the slices sat, glistening in thick brown gravy.

Bold x Braised clearly knows just the right cut to pair with each bowl. I noticed that the pork belly here was of a fattier cut than that in the Mentaiko Belly Bowl, which I presume utilised leaner cuts to better hold the sauce. Wow, talk about knowing your meat!

Each morsel was a hefty 3 layers — tender meat sandwiched between alternating layers of fat. While I’m usually (very) averse to thick layers of fat, I found myself shovelling the pieces down with ease. Here, the fat was of an exceptionally creamy melt-in-the-mouth quality, devoid of any unpleasant oiliness and gaminess.

I also very much appreciated that I could savour the braised meat in all its unadulterated glory here in comparison to the Mentaiko version.

Final Thoughts

My meal at Bold x Braised was nothing short of hearty and I definitely left with a rekindled appreciation for local-style kong bak png.

Although the unconventional combination of mentaiko and braised meat in the Mentaiko Belly Bowl worked better than I had expected, I felt that the good ol’ Belly Bowl better showcased Bold x Braised’s braising prowess. I guess I very much am a lu rou purist.

Expected damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax

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