I was at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to pick up my Dad who was getting discharged. We headed to the food court for lunch and saw that the place had undergone a major facelift and is now a 2-storey space that sports a clean, bright and trendy outfit.
The number of food stalls has probably decreased from last time as the middle area is now a tray return station. There are lots more Healthier Choice meals to choose from though and I like that the calories of each dish is clearly stated on the menu board at every stall so I know what to go for if I want something light and healthy.
Besides the usual fare of mixed rice, chicken rice, yong tau foo, nasi padang and ban mian, there are also The Soup Spoon on the 2nd level and this new Japanese Tea Rice that I’ve not come across in other food courts.
When the lady at the counter saw me taking pictures, she told me that this Japanese Tea Rice (a.k.a. ochazuke in Japanese) was the first in Singapore. I’m not so sure about it though I seldom see Tea Rice in Japanese restaurants here but this is highly likely the first food court stall that serves it.
The base of brown rice and sides of egg, spinach, pickled daikon (radish) and potato salad are the same for all sets so you just need to pick your protein from what’s available with the option to add on extra ingredients. You can also swap the brown rice for white rice or soba noodles at additional charges.
And this is exactly what I’ve mentioned earlier – all the calories are stated on the menu for reference.
The lady will ask you first if you would like the green tea to be poured over your rice, otherwise, she will serve the green tea separately in a bowl. This is how it looks like when the green tea is combined with the rice.
The Tuna Ochazuke Set (S$6.80) came with slices of lean tuna that had been pan-fried. They were thoroughly cooked and hence had a firm texture. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the green tea that wasn’t too overpowering or bitter unlike some Hakka Thunder Tea Rice soups with strong grassy taste. The green tea was like a dashi stock infused with aromatic green tea and it was very much like a broth rather than a tea. It was light, not overly salty but it was comforting and delicious.
The potato salad is worth a mention too. Creamy and nicely flavoured. Could taste mayonnaise in it.
And this was the Tori Chicken Ochazuke Set (S$6.80). Absolutely loved this as the chicken was moist and had a nice smoky flavour to it. You might think having this is equivalent to eating a porridge but it really keeps you satiated for a long while.
So far I have had this ochazuke twice. The egg during my first visit was overdone just like a regular hard-boiled egg but the second time I was here, the yolk was still a little runny which was just yummy.
A healthy and comforting meal. Worth coming to the hospital to try this new stall out. ??
Foodfare @ KTPH
90 Yishun Central
#01-12, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
Singapore 768828
Opening hours: 7.00am to 10.00pm daily