Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
The popular Taiwanese cafe, Abundance, has been attracting a crowd since its inception in 2021.
Known for their fusion flavours that fixate primarily on Taiwanese cuisine, the restaurant-bar has done well in attracting loyal customers seeking for Taiwanese food. Staying around the Redhill area, I’ve always noticed its long queues by the HDB block as I drive past. Now that they’ve opened a second outlet in Jalan Besar, those that have been finding difficulty getting a seat at their first outlet would be able to try their luck at their new outlet that serves to many more people!
Abundance at Jalan Besar sits a larger number of people, in comparison to the Lengkok Barhu outlet that has a squared interior that sits patrons closely to one another.
If I were to give a recommendation, try out their Gua Bao (S$7.90), which Abundance is famously known for. The Taiwanese restaurant includes a thick slab of tender pork belly sandwiched between the lotus leaf bread, as well as having roasted peanuts and pickles for its condiments. It adds a sour taste to the savoury flavours from the pork belly.
Alternatively, Abundance’s CCB (Crispy Chicken Bun) was my personal favourite, not only because of its crude name but the inclusion of mango slaw in the bun. For S$7.90, the fried chicken patty is accompanied by a refreshing mango slaw and peanut butter Thai sauce— modern sauces that are not usually added in Taiwanese buns. The mango gives an eye-opening bite and elevates the gua bao to another level, eliminating the jelak-ness that comes with fried chicken.
Something I’ve never come across is the inclusion of Western ingredients in Asian vegetables. Bacon cooked with Chinese cabbages, have you heard of that? Their Bacon Cabbage (S$9.90) makes an interesting rendition of stir-fried cabbage. Usually, stir-fried cabbages are overcooked till the vegetables lose their crunch. However, at Abundance, they retain the crunchiness of the cabbage and the bacon adds a layer of saltiness. They also include chilli oil, which seasons the whole dish to savoury perfection.
A new addition to Abundance at Jalan Besar is the Braised Beef Rice (S$16.90)— a rendition of the traditional braised pork rice. However, instead of braised pork, they incorporated tender beef cubes sprinkled with garlic chips.
To end of your meal, be sure to try out their Peanut Ice Cream Roll (S$6), a dish that I truly love to order whenever I drop. As an avid popiah lover, their ice cream roll reminds me of popiah— except with ice cream!
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