New Ocean 新海: Saucy KL-style pork noodles & clean-tasting fish soup in Toa Payoh
KL's beloved pork noodles come in both dry and soup form, often boasting a luxurious mix of minced meat, pork slices, innards and more, tied together with either a clear broth or a deeply savoury and sweet soy-based gravy. In Singapore, this dish is still pretty under-the-radar, so I was excited to try New Ocean's rendition!
It was love at first sight when I laid my eyes on a picture of their dry, gloppy noodles on Facebook, instantly entranced to make the trip down (I only fall this hard for food, promise). Naturally, I went straight for their Signature Pork Noodles (Dry)(S$6.80) without a second thought.
The noodles were as hypnotic in real life as they were online: a glossy bowl of my new go-to noodle combo — guo tiao mian, or kway teow with yellow noodles.
This sauce was the highlight of my trip down. Thick, umami-packed, and slightly sweet, it clung to every last strand of noodle and delivered a wallop of fragrance with each bite. Texture-wise, the noodles had just the right bite, the sprinkle of spring onions and crispy pork lard adding a layer of richness and crunch.
The pork slices were ultra tender and had such an addictive mouthfeel. My only quip is that there weren't enough! Albeit puny, the meatballs were decent with a QQ texture. I just wish they were a little bigger for a) an easier grip on my chopsticks and b) a more piquant, meaty punch.
Just to preface, I'm not the biggest fan of offal. I know, I know… how can I be a food writer who doesn't eat innards? What I am, though, is objective. Both my dining companion and I agreed that the liver tasted a little too metallic, bordering on funky. Not jarring enough to ruin the meal, but definitely pulled me out of the experience.
That said, the small intestines and pig skin fared better. The intestines were surprisingly clean-tasting with a slight chew, while the pig skin had a soft, gelatinous bite that soaked up the soup nicely.
With a broth pack filled to the brim with pork components, you can imagine how rich it was. It remained pleasantly sweet with mellowed umami notes that instantly warmed my stomach upon first sip.
Hong Soon Pork Soup Noodles (鸿顺猪肉粉): Hidden gem serves up comforting bowls of KL-style pork noodles loaded with ingredients
To balance out the richness, I got the Red Grouper Sliced Fish Soup (S$8), New Ocean's other signature item featured on their signboard. Ordering the larger portion would be an additional S$2, and adding on noodles is another S$0.50.
Unfortunately, this one didn't quite live up to its title. The soup was light and clean, but tasted closer to water with a hint of fish than a robust broth. I can imagine it being an easy fix on a sick day, but the soup just felt like a filler — something to sip on, not something I'd crave.
The sliced red grouper was reasonably fresh but thinly cut, leaving it almost tasteless and lacking the rich, oceanic depth I was hoping for. On the other hand, the minced pork was surprisingly the most flavourful element in the bowl, tender and well-marinated with a much-needed savoury punch.
The lettuce and seaweed combo added a touch of freshness and texture, which were okay, though nothing impressive. While each ingredient had potential, the dish as a whole lacked the depth and flavour I would've expected from a 'signature' dish. For the price, it felt a little underwhelming.
New Ocean 新海 is a bit of a mixed bag. As much as I really enjoyed the dry noodles, the fish soup was forgettable at best, especially at its price point. I came with high hopes and left feeling a little… catfished.
Still, I can see why Toa Payoh residents would keep this place in their rotation. The pork noodles are a solid pick for something hearty, flavourful, and different from the usual hawker fare, though it wouldn't be one I'd travel out for.
Expected damage: S$4.80 – S$10 per pax
We tried Singapore's best-rated fish soup
The post New Ocean 新海: Saucy KL-style pork noodles & clean-tasting fish soup in Toa Payoh appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
5 hours ago
- CNET
Professional Chefs Beg: Don't Buy These 20 Pointless Kitchen Gadgets
As long as we have kitchens, brands will continue to pump out tools. Many are essential, while others just collect dust or don't perform their duties any better than a great knife or pair of kitchen shears. Instead of chasing every buzzy new appliance, it pays to stick with gear that's versatile, reliable and actually makes your life easier. To help you sort the essentials from the excess, we asked chefs and kitchen pros which gadgets are worth the hype -- and which ones are better left behind. Because when decluttering your kitchen, knowing what not to buy is just as important as knowing what to keep. These career cooks are the ultimate authority on which kitchen gadgets should get the boot -- especially when cupboard, counter and drawer space is limited. Each one listed their least favorite kitchen tools and offered their preferred method or tool for completing the cooking task that they're meant to do. Masaharu Morimoto Celebrity chef, restaurateur Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Stringer/Getty 1. Mandolin Chef Morimoto encourages beefing up your knife skills to make thin and uniform vegetable slices. Milk Street Why: "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, hard to clean and risky if you're not extremely careful. Relying too much on a mandolin, or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter or a tomato corer can hold you back from developing real technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you in almost every recipe." What to try instead: Mac 8-inch Japanese chef knife. Lead chef-instructor Institute of Culinary Education, Los Angeles Culinary instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. Institute of Culinary Education 2. Onion holders Why: "These look like a weapon for Wolverine wannabes; it's meant to help you hold a whole onion and "chop" it. Instead, cut the onion in half to create a flat surface so it won't roll away. If you're trying to cut rings, save the $14 and stick a fork in the root and hold the fork." What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. 3. Onion goggles Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles. Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Why: "A waste of money, as they don't form a great seal around the eyes to prevent the sulfur compounds from getting to your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp and open a window or turn on a fan instead." What to try instead: CNET's Peter Butler shares tips for cutting onions without crying. 4. Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards Glass, stone and metal boards are OK for serving but when slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go. David Watsky/CNET Why: "Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly." What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options. 5. Chicken shredder Why: "I can't think of anyone needing a tool devoted to shredding chicken outside a restaurant and even restaurants don't use it. This item only has one purpose so I'd skip it." What to try instead: Two forks. 6. Herb stripper Why: "I love thyme but hate stripping it. When I was young I got suckered into believing this tool would help me … It's been sitting in my cupboard, laughing at me for almost a decade now." What to try instead: For heartier herbs like rosemary and thyme, just use your fingers to slide down the stem, opposite to how the leaves grow. 7. Bluetooth wireless probe thermometer Instant read meat probes work fast and don't require a fussy Bluetooth connection. Chris Wedel/CNET Why: "These are a great tool but can be very expensive. I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals." What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer Cookbook author and lifestyle expert Cookbook author Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. Peter Som 8. Electric can opener A manual can opener is cheaper, works great and is less likely to break. Nelson Aguilar/CNET Why: "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity. They take up space, can be a hassle to clean and often struggle with irregularly sized cans. A good manual opener is compact, reliable and gets the job done without needing an outlet or a user manual." What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener. Richard Ingraham Personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My Love Expressed Through Food Richard Ingraham avoids certain kitchen tools when cooking for celebs like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. John Parra/Gett 9. Avocado slicer Why: "A knife and spoon do the job just as easily and the specialized tool rarely fits all avocado sizes properly. It's a one-trick pony that clutters drawers." What to try instead: A good paring knife like this $35 Wusthof. 10. Egg separator Separating an egg by hand isn't so difficult that it requires hardware. Yipengge/Getty Why: "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks." The only exception may be this one, and even that is just for yolks. Err, I mean yucks. What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well. 11. Garlic peeler tube Why: "Rolling garlic cloves in a silicone tube may work but requires storing a single-purpose gadget." What to try instead: Smashing garlic cloves with a chef knife is quicker and more reliable. 12. Pizza scissors Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. Zoranm/Getty Why: "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean and take up more space than they're worth." What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel. 13. Herb scissors Why: "They're hard to clean and don't offer a huge advantage over a sharp chef's knife. Plus, they tend to crush delicate herbs more than slice them." What to try instead: Made In's 8-inch Chef Knife. 14. Electric egg cooker Why: "Boiling eggs in a pot is straightforward and flexible. The electric version just adds clutter unless you boil eggs constantly and hate using a stove." What to try instead: This 1-minute hack for making poached eggs in the microwave. 15. Butter cutter and dispenser A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance. Williams Sonoma Why: "It slices sticks of butter into pats … but why? A knife works instantly and you don't have to load and clean a plastic gadget for it." What to try instead: Williams Sonoma breakfast butter blade. 16. Pasta measurer Why: "It's a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. Just eyeball it or learn the rough weight by experience. It's not worth the drawer space." What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements. 17. Oil mister Why: "Often clogs, sprays unevenly and requires constant cleaning. A small spoon or brush does the job with less frustration." What to try instead: World Market's olive oil cruet. 18. Electric potato peeler A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes. Capelle.r/Getty Why: "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler. Plus, it's overkill unless you're peeling dozens of potatoes at once." What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler. 19. Bagel guillotine Why: "Sold as a safer way to slice bagels but takes up a ton of space and is awkward to clean. A serrated knife does the job just fine." What to try instead: Opinel's 8-inch bread knife. Jackie Carnesi Executive chef, Kellogg's Diner Jackie Carnesi StarChefs 20. Oven mitts There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts. Webstaurant Why: "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen! A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job, and odds are, it's more likely to be washed regularly. I don't know many people who wash their oven mitts frequently enough ... it seems many have deemed it an item that doesn't warrant regular cleaning. It does." What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
NDP 2025: 25 bus services to be diverted, skip some stops on Aug 2 due to preview show
SINGAPORE – Twenty-five bus services plying routes around the city will be affected by road closures for the National Day Parade (NDP) Preview 2 on Aug 2. The affected services will be diverted in phases to travel on alternative routes and skip some stops along Nicoll Highway, Marina Bay and the Civic District, said transport operator SBS Transit in a statement on July 31. The list of affected bus routes are: 10, 14, 16/16M, 32, 51, 56, 57, 63, 70/70M, 80, 100, 107/107M, 111, 124, 130, 131, 133, 145, 166, 174, 195, 196, 197, 851 & 851e. Affected bus stops include those at some exits of Bayfront, Downtown, Marina Bay, Nicoll Highway, City Hall, Promenade and Raffles Place MRT stations. Stops at other prominent destinations, including Suntec Convention Centre, Capitol Building, The Esplanade, The Float @ Marina Bay, Fullerton Square and Shaw Towers, will also be affected. Some bus stops will be skipped from 8am to 11.59pm, while others may be bypassed intermittently throughout the day or for its entirety. Bus service 195 will skip the stop at Supreme Court from midnight Aug 2 to 7am on Aug 3. Commuters can find out more from the SBS Transit hotline on 1800-287-2727 from 7.30am to 8pm daily or visit for more information. The NDP on Aug 9 will be held at the Padang and Marina Bay. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Over 50 safety lapses found at Air India by the country's aviation watchdog
India's aviation watchdog found 51 safety-related faults at Air India during its annual audit. A total of 263 safety-related lapses have been identified across the country's airlines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Wednesday. Twenty three were found at the largest carrier IndiGo, while 51 were found at the second largest Air India, the DGCA said, cautioning that higher number of findings are normal for airlines with bigger fleet sizes. Lack of adequate training for some pilots, the use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, were some of the failures highlighted at Air India. The audit was conducted as part of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements and was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad. A preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released earlier this month into the crash suggested the fuel switches were turned off just after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel. The plane is believed to have lost thrust and crashed around 30 seconds later, killing 241 on board and another 19 people on the ground. 52 Britons died in the crash. It remains unclear why the switches were moved. In the cockpit, one pilot was heard asking the other, 'Why did you do the cut-off?' The other responded that he had not. The report does not identify which pilot said what. Families of the victims have spoken of their anguish following the release of the preliminary report, as they demanded 'action should be taken against those responsible for the incident'. Ayushi Christian, whose husband Lawrence Christian died in the crash, told the BBC: 'It has been one month since the crash, but no action has been taken by the government so far.' The DGCA said it had also found 14 deficiencies at SpiceJet and 17 at Vistara, which is now part of Air India. The regulator found 25 lapses at Air India Express, Air India's budget carrier. Akasa Air is yet to be audited. It did not detail what kind of lapses were found but divided the list of breaches into "Level I", which are significant breaches, and "Level II", which are other non-compliances. In total, 19 "Level I" breaches were found at Indian airlines, the DGCA said.
