A Taste of Taiwan: Discovering Braised Pork Rice at Lavender

A few days ago, I made a post showcasing various chicken dishes from different cultures that I’ve experienced in recent weeks. It made me realize that if I truly pay attention to the variety of cuisines available in the city, it feels like we have a representation of food from many countries around the world. This highlights the incredible diversity of cultures that have found a home here in Singapore. It also reflects how welcoming we are to the food cultures of other nations.

I had a wonderful time exploring the many ways chicken can be prepared, so I decided to do the same with pork. Starting tonight, I’ll be discovering the variety of ways pork is cooked. Let me begin by featuring Taiwan’s braised pork and rice!

This is a dish I only tried recently, and I’ve come to appreciate it more and more. The reason for this is that whenever I crave a pork dish, I usually go for either Char Siew or roasted pork. These two dishes are what I would say suit my palate the most. For me, anything roasted tastes amazing because of the smoky flavor. Pair it with a spicy and tangy sauce, and it gets even better. The eating experience is very different from Taiwanese braised pork, though.

While the Taiwanese braised pork dish already comes with a rich, thick sauce, you can add chili sauce for an extra kick of flavor.

For this meal, I decided to enjoy it as it was, without adding any additional sauce.

The dish has two sides: a boiled egg and fermented vegetables.

I got my food from one of the popular food courts in the city, Koufu! After a quick Google search about this food court brand, I discovered that they already have around 70 outlets across the country.

I arrived at this outlet around 7:30 PM, which is considered the rush hour for almost any food court in the city. At this time, it’s usually crowded, and since this food court is adjacent to the Lavender MRT station, it’s a convenient spot for people exiting the station.

Despite having so many branches, I rarely visit this food court chain, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to find unique cuisines like this Taiwanese stall called Alishan Taiwanese Cuisine.

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The stall caught my attention as it seemed to be the most unique among the variety of cuisines in this food court. Although other dishes, like the braised beef noodles, looked intriguing, I wanted to stay consistent with the theme I had planned for my post, so I opted for the braised pork rice instead.

What makes this dish so enjoyable is the generous amount of sauce, which is more than enough for both the meat and the bed of rice underneath. I also appreciate the type of rice they used—plump short-grain rice that perfectly absorbs the flavor of the sauce.

The addition of fermented vegetables also brings an interesting taste and texture to the dish. They’re slightly tangy and crunchy, which adds more depth and contrast to the overall texture of the dish.

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Exploring dishes like Taiwanese braised pork rice has been such a delightful way to discover the rich variety of cuisines available in the city. It’s a reminder of how food connects us to different cultures, even within our local neighborhoods. I can’t wait to continue this journey and share more flavorful experiences with you all!

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After my dinner, I took a short walk around the Lavender area to capture some photos of the lively atmosphere. This area seems quite busy at this hour, which I noticed as many people were passing through the building’s corridor on their way to the nearby apartment buildings.

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