+886 Bistro 八八六
+886 Bistro (八八六) is a Taiwanese restaurant located on Jalan Besar, opposite ARC 380 (an office building in the Boon Keng area). It is situated on the ground floor of a 2-star shophouse hotel, The Noble Hotel. While the Bendemeer MRT station is the nearest station from the eatery, Boon Keng and Farrer Park MRT stations are only 15 minutes walk away. Though no parking is allowed along the street outside the store, ample public and commercial carpark spaces are available in the vicinity.
The bistro started its business during the pandemic in mid-2021 and has since garnered a strong following among youths and aunties. It has a seating capacity of around 30 persons and is usually full during dinner hours.
+886 Bistro Menu
Below are its menu items and prices:
Mains 主食
- Ah Bao Braised Pork Rice 阿寶魯肉飯 – $5.80
- Add-on: Quail Eggs 加鹵鳥蛋 (3 pcs 3顆) – +$1.50
- Add-on: Pork Floss 加豬肉鬆 – +$1.00
- Add-on: Miso Soup 加味增湯 – +$2.00
- Truffle Scallion Udon 松露烏龍面 – $7.80
- Scallion Chicken Rice 雞肉飯 – $5.20
- Chicken Meesua 雞絲麵線 – $5.50
- Upgrade to popcorn chicken 升級鹽酥雞 – +$2.00
- Ah Bao Braised Stew 阿寶魯味 – $7.80
- Add Udon 加烏龍面 – +$3.00
Signatures 招牌菜
- Ah Bao Braised Pork Fries 阿寶魯肉薯條 – $9.80
- Imperial Pork Chop 禦品豬排 (2 pcs 2塊) – $7.80
- Honey Glazed Crispy Chicken 火焰蜜汁雞排 (2 pcs 2塊) – $8.80
Sides 配菜
Choose Flavor 口味選項 : Truffle 松露 (+$1.00) / Mala 麻辣 (+$1.00) / OG Salt & Pepper 椒鹽 / “+65” Slightly Spicy 微微微辣 / Plum 梅子
- Popcorn Chicken 鹽酥雞 – $6.80
- Fried Braised Intestine 炸鹵大腸 – $7.80
- Chicken Skin 鹽酥雞皮 – $5.80
- Tempura 甜不辣 – $5.80
- Crispy Chicken 香脆雞排 – $8.80
- Fried Shitake 炸香菇 – $6.80
- Crispy Enoki 炸金針菇 – $5.20
Sides 配菜
- Cold Tofu & Century Egg 皮蛋豆腐 – $4.80
- Cold Poached Spinach 涼拌菠菜 – $4.50
- Plum Fries 梅子薯條 – $4.80
- Sweet Potato Fries 地瓜薯條 – $5.80
- Fried Braised Taiwanese Rice Cake 炸米Q糕 (5 pcs 5塊) – $4.80
- Poached Beansprout 燙豆芽菜 – $4.50
- Cabbage Dumplings 高麗菜水餃 (6 pcs 6顆) – $5.80
- Chives Dumplings 韭菜水餃 (6 pcs 6顆) – $5.80
Beverages 飲料
- Yakult 養樂多
- Lychee Yakult 荔枝養樂多 – $5.80
- Peach Yakult 水蜜桃養樂多 – $5.80
- Mango Yakult 芒果養樂多 – $5.80
- Passionfruit Yakult 百香果養樂多 – $6.00
- Lemon Yakult 檸檬養樂多 – $6.00
- Earl Grey Tea 伯爵茶
- Lychee Earl Grey Tea 荔枝伯爵茶 – $4.80
- Peach Earl Grey Tea 水蜜桃伯爵茶 – $4.80
- Mango Earl Grey Tea 芒果伯爵茶 – $4.80
- Passionfruit Earl Grey Tea 百香果伯爵茶 – $5.00
- Lemon Earl Grey Tea 檸檬伯爵茶 – $5.00
- Yakult Earl Grey Tea 養樂多伯爵茶 – $5.80
- Black Tea 紅茶
- Lychee Black Tea 荔枝紅茶 – $4.60
- Peach Black Tea 水蜜桃紅茶 – $4.60
- Mango Black Tea 芒果紅茶 – $4.60
- Passionfruit Black Tea 百香果紅茶 – $4.80
- Lemon Black Tea 檸檬紅茶 – $4.80
- Soda 蘇打
- Lychee Soda 荔枝蘇打 – $4.80
- Peach Soda 水蜜桃蘇打 – $4.80
- Mango Soda 芒果蘇打 – $4.80
- Passionfruit Soda 百香果蘇打 – $5.00
- Sour Plum Soda 梅子蘇打 – $4.80
- Honey Soda 蜂蜜蘇打 – $4.80
- Yakult Soda 養樂多蘇打 – $5.80
- Yuzu Soda 柚子蘇打 – $5.00
- Milk 奶
- Yam Milk 芋泥牛奶 – $5.80
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- Brown Sugar Milk 黑糖撞奶 – $5.20 *
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- * Brown sugar items include boba
- Yam Milk 芋泥牛奶 – $5.80
- Milk Tea 奶茶
- Milk Tea 奶茶 – $4.60
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- Honey Milk Tea 蜂蜜奶茶 – $4.80
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- Earl Grey Milk Tea 伯爵奶茶 – $4.80
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- Brown Sugar Milk Tea 黑糖奶茶 – $5.20 *
- Add Boba 加波霸 – +$0.50 / Add Jelly 加椰果 – +$0.50
- * Brown sugar items include boba
- Milk Tea 奶茶 – $4.60
- Others 其他
- Wintermelon Tea 冬瓜茶 – $3.50
- Sour Plum Lime Juice 梅子酸甘汁 – $3.50
- Iced Hojicha 冰焙茶 – $3.00
- Hot 熱飲
- Hot Yam Milk 热芋泥牛奶 – $5.80
- Honey Yuzu Tea 蜂蜜柚子 – $3.50
- Hojicha 焙茶 – $2.00
- Ginger Tea 薑茶 – $3.50
- Can / Bottle 罐、瓶裝
- Coke 可樂 – $2.50
- Coke Light 健怡可樂 – $2.50
- Oolong Tea 烏龍茶 – $2.50
- Mineral Water 礦泉水 – $2.00
- Beer 啤酒
- Asahi 朝日啤酒 (330ml bottle) – $10.00
- Sapporo 札幌啤酒 (330ml bottle) – $10.00
- Hite 韓國麥酒 (355ml can) – $8.00
- Taiwan Beer 台灣啤酒 (330ml can) – $8.00
- Lychee Beer 荔枝啤酒 (330ml can) – $8.00
- Grape Beer 白葡萄啤酒 (330ml can) – $8.00
Desserts 甜點
- Sweet Potato Taro Balls 炸地瓜芋圓 (5 pcs 5顆) – $5.80
- Yam Brulee 炸芋蕾 – $5.20
- Churro 吉拿棒條 – $5.80
- Upgrade dipping to yam 升級芋泥蘸料 – +$1.00
Seasonal 时令菜
- Oden 關東煮 – $7.80
+886 Bistro Review
+886 Bistro is a restaurant offering popular Taiwanese street food and snacks along Jalan Besar. It is situated on the ground floor of a shophouse hotel, The Noble Hotel, and can be reached conveniently from Bendemeer MRT station. However, as there is no shelter from the station exit or to any high-rise buildings to the eatery, patrons are advised to bring an umbrella just in case it rains.
After learning about the eatery online and seeing its 1-for-1 Ah Bao Braised Pork Rice offer on The Entertainer app, we made a visit to the store on a Friday evening at around 6:30pm. The restaurant was 80% full at the time of our visit. As we entered the bistro, a female staff greeted us and led us to an empty table near to the bar counter. Subsequently, she informed us that we could make our orders by scanning the QR code on the table. We highlighted to her that we will be utilizing The Entertainer’s promotion and she told us to proceed with the order on our phones. They will apply the discount when we check out later on.
Upon scanning the QR code, we were asked to register an account with the ordering platform before being able to browse the menu. Mobile phone number and email address were mandatory fields. There was also a SMS verification process after entering our mobile number. We find the need to provide contact details to make an order at an eatery unconventional and intrusive as we did not have to do so from all our visits to eateries to far. As privacy freaks, had we known about this process prior to our visit, we may not have patronised +886 Bistro.
Since we were already there, we proceeded with the registration and ordered two Ah Bao Briased Pork Rice 阿寶魯肉飯 (2 x $5.80) and a Honey Glazed Crispy Chicken 火焰蜜汁雞排 ($8.80) to share. Both the dishes were served after a 15-minute wait. We attempted to chat among ourselves while waiting for our food, but the voices and echoes from the conversations of the other diners made it hard for us to communicate.
As the two bowls of braised pork rice were served, we were taken aback by their portions. The diameters of the bowls were only slightly more than half the size of the cutleries and their depths were rather shallow. The dishes came with strong aroma of the braise though, and is served with a generous amount of pork. In Taiwan, more fats than lean meat is usually served in their braised pork rice, but perhaps to accustom to Singaporeans’ dietary preference, there was more lean meat than fats in +886 Bistro’s rendition. The taste of the braised pork was fragrant, sweet and savory at the same time, and paired perfectly with the moist Japanese short-grain rice. Although we find the regular price of $5.80 a little high for its small portion, we would still recommend diners to try this dish.
After having a few mouths of the braised pork rice, we went on to try the Honey Glazed Crispy Chicken. The chicken was very crispy on the outside, generously glazed with honey and sprinkled with white sesame seeds. The fresh chicken leg meat was very juicy and tender with a strong garlicky taste. While its taste was fine, we did not find it to resemble any of the fried chicken we have had in Taiwan. Its overbearing garlic taste has also overshadowed the taste of the chicken and honey. The selling price of $8.80 for this dish is also too high as we could have a Chicken Cutlet set at stalls like 5 Star Corner Western Food, while paying for something less.
In summary, we give their food quality a 3.8/5, their value-for-money a 3.5/5 (considering the 1-for-1 offer we had for the rice), their service a 4/5, and environment a 3.5/5. Their Ah Bao Braised Pork Rice was authentically Taiwanese though they could improve on its value by enlarging its portion or throwing in side dishes for free. For the Honey Glazed Crispy Chicken, they need a revamp on its recipe. The environment of the restaurant could also be improved by adding sound absorbing panels so that it is more conducive for chats.
