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I first heard of Braissers Rice Bowl in Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre through its established rival, Meat & Rice. A colleague of mine was raving about the latter’s “dreamy”, “melt-in-your-mouth” braised meats — which, of course, made me curious about how this newer contender would stack up.
Braissers Rice Bowl’s owner, Wei Jie, is a professionally trained chef who has clocked time in fine dining eateries including Iru Den, Birds of a Feather, Bam! and Le Bistrot du Sommelier. He even cut his hawker teeth at Meat & Rice first, where he helped develop their braised pork rice recipe alongside his friend’s father.
Now, here’s where Braissers takes a different path from Meat & Rice: instead of sticking to a fixed bowl format, Wei Jie lets diners call the shots. At his stall, every bowl starts with a base of short-grain rice, a sous vide egg, tender meat, and salted vegetables, before you customise it with your choice of protein and sides.
Not to stir anything up but I just had to find out: could Braissers hold its own against the OG? And more importantly, would its braised meats live up to the hype I’ve been dying to taste?
What I tried at Braissers Rice Bowl
I kicked my day off with one of the stall’s bestsellers, the Braised Pork Jowl Rice Bowl (S$5.80), and WOW, this bowl looked so good, I could feel my drool threatening to spill over as I was snapping photos.
Instead of politely sampling each component one by one, I dove straight in to mix everything together so the rice, meat, and shiitake mushrooms were lightly coated in that glorious, creamy sous vide egg.
The pork jowl itself was indeed melt-in-your-mouth tender (who else cheered)! It struck that magical balance of meat and fat that’s hard to pull off, and coming from someone who usually picks every scrap of fat off her meat, the fact that I was wolfing this down without hesitation says a lot. The braising sauce was deep, rich, and luxuriously savoury, clinging to each bite with the kind of slow-cooked intensity that can only come from hours on the stove.
The salted vegetables were a clever counterpoint, cutting through the richness with a bright, tangy lift in between mouthfuls, while the add-on thick-cut shiitake Mushrooms (S$1) brought an earthy heft that soaked up every last drop of that braising sauce. They were hearty without being overpowering — just enough chew to break up the softness of the pork and egg.
In one line, I’d describe this dish as lu rou fan on steroids. Amped up with premium cuts, a luscious sauce, and add-ons that take it beyond your average braised rice bowl. I just wish they hadn’t run out of fried wanton skin that day; still a little bummed I missed that extra crunch.
Bold x Braised: Tender braised pork belly rice bowls with unique mentaiko version
For a more ang moh take on it (as per the owner’s words), I went for the Wagyu Beef Bowl (S$9.90) next.
Presentation-wise, this one was absolutely gorgeous — the kind of plating that made me pause mid-reach for my chopsticks. Before me lay a neat bed of rice crowned with slices of wagyu, flanked by paper-thin sheets of carrot, radish, and (I think?) pea sprouts. It’s this kind of attention to detail that instantly betrays Wei Jie’s fine dining past.
The wagyu slices sat obediently over the rice, gleaming under the light, and for a moment I genuinely couldn’t bring myself to break the picture-perfect arrangement. I did, eventually, and was rewarded with beef so tender it made me wonder how many synonyms for “tender” I could get away with in one review. Yes, it leaned more towards well-done than medium, which made the softness all the more impressive, especially at a $9.90 price point. Unreal, really.
And then came the twist. The beef itself was clean-tasting, free from any gamey notes. But somehow, the rice carried a gamey flavour that caught me off guard. It wasn’t gamey in a rice-gone-bad way; it just tasted very much like BEEF. The seasoning was savoury with a hint of sweetness, but that underlying taste became all I could focus on after a few bites. I eventually found myself gravitating back to the pork jowl, leaving the rice in the bowl looking pretty but mostly untouched.
Final thoughts
Braissers Rice Bowl truly delivers a level of finesse that you rarely find at hawker stalls, thanks to Wei Jie’s fine dining roots.
The Pork Jowl Bowl stole the show for me — rich, melt-in-your-mouth meat, hearty mushrooms, and a balance of flavours that’s perfect for those who love strong flavours.
The Wagyu Beef Bowl was undeniably beautiful and tender, though the rice had a gamey note that I’m personally sensitive to, which could be something others might not notice or mind at all. Still, for under $10 a bowl, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and generous portions. You best believe I’ll be back for the chicken and duck next!
Expected damage: S$5.80 – S$9.90 per pax
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