When I am overseas, I don't normally miss Singapore food because I am eager to explore the local cuisine. But, I know many people who crave for the taste and smell of Singapore food, especially people who have to be away for long periods of time. I would be keen to try Singapore food overseas too, if I am abroad for a long time.
For people in Ho Chi Minh City who are missing Singapore food, you can get them at Reboot Bistro, which is steps from Saigon Centre at Pasteur Street, District 1.
Reboot Bistro has three floors. The dining hall and bar are at the ground level.
Patrons can play pool and darts at the first and second upper levels.
Today, we were just at Reboot Bistro for "sit, sit" to catch up over a bit of makan (food) and beer.
Reboot has laksa, bak chor mee, chicken rice, nasi lemak and bak kut teh. All familiar comfort dishes for Singaporeans. Missing were char kway teow, roti prata, prawn noodle, Hokkien mee, etc. What Reboot, which opened just two months ago, offers is already commendable.
Reboot Bistro is the brainchild and baby of Augustine and his team of partners, all Singaporeans.
But is Reboot's food any good for home sickness? We shall find out by tasting two dishes - chicken rice and bak chor mee.
The bak chor mee or minced pork noodle consists of blanched mee pok noodles with sauce topped with pork balls, pork slices, minced pork, stewed mushroom, fried shallot and lettuce.
The fresh fried shallot caught my attention as more and more bak chor mee stalls in Singapore have given up on frying shallots themselves and resorted to factory fried shallot (which are woody and tasteless).
The mee pok noodles were done a little soft but we were both pleased with the sauce which was quite interesting with layers of savoury, tangy, and spicy (but no lard).
The toppings were good too, especially the springy crunchy juicy savoury sweet pork balls, though they were factory made.
Okay, the chicken seemed slightly dry, the skin somewhat parched and the dressing sauce didn't lift its flat tired look.
But, the chicken was tender, sweet, and better than at many chicken rice stalls in Singapore.
I like the rice. It was tender, nutty, slightly firm and discrete. Well greased but not overly oily. The smell and taste of chicken stock was nice.
Going by the rice and chicken, this chicken rice is a winner though it is not as juicy and tender as the best in Singapore.
The accompanying soup which was made with a lot of vegetables was tasty too.
Crunchy greens, fresh and blanched nicely.
Though we tried only two dishes today, we enjoyed ourselves. Reboot Bistro could save you when you crave Singapore laksa, chicken rice, bak chor mee, nasi lemak or bak kut teh. Prices are competitive locally and actually slightly cheaper (with currency conversion) than in Singapore hawker centres even though this is a bistro (not an apple to apple comparison but just for your reference).
Some of you may recognise my makan kaki Jabez, the founder of Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh in Bedok. Soon Huat's Bedok outlet has closed while the outlets at Kinex Mall and Jalan Kayu are run by Jabez's family.
Jabez is the vice chairman of Lien Hoa Group in charge of their F & B ventures and spends his time between Singapore and Vietnam.
Restaurant name: Reboot Bistro
Address: 116 Pasteur Street, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Tel: 090 238 1220
Hours: 10am - 3am
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Written by Tony Boey on 5 Mar 2024
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