Remember when we wished that Singapore would have our very own JB Dai Tao Lala Pot?
Thankfully, someone has heard our prayers and brought Malaysia’s famous charcoal claypot lala to our shores. Punggol has apparently been chosen as the place of honour.
And I can see why.
Their location at The Punggol Settlement lets you enjoy their extremely generous serving of fresh clams just beside the sea, which is perfect since there is only outdoor seating here.
As a Westie, I’ll admit that I had groaned at the thought of travelling there. Like I’m geographically closer to Johor Bahru than to my own home. However, upon exploring the place and trying out the food, I actually intend to bring my family here during the weekends.
Yes, that’s how much my taste buds were satisfied.
The Dai Tao Signature Soup (S$28) is the star of the show. A kilogram of lala will be flambéed right in front of you, so make sure to have your phone ready to capture the blazing fire.
Just make sure to not stand too close!
You can also choose from two other soup options: Pork Stomach with White Peppercorns (S$28) and Double Boil Coconut Soup (S$28).
However, regardless of which soup base you go with, you’ll be given a bottle of Shaoxing wine, which you can freely use to adjust the flavour to your liking.
Further customise your soup by mixing up your very own sauce to pour into it. Head over to the DIY sauce section, where you’ll find condiments like sesame oil, chilli, garlic and even more Shaoxing wine.
Do feel free to drink the soup to your heart’s content as it’s entirely refillable — exactly what we need when it’s raining out.
Here’s an expert tip: allow the lala to be brewed in the soup for around two to three minutes before scooping them up into a separate bowl to be enjoyed on the side. This ensures the lala does not shrink and become overcooked.
Of course, you gotta spice up your soup with other ingredients, which there are over 50 to choose from.
For those who want to go big or go home, you can opt for the Live Crab (seasonal price) if you aren’t afraid of getting an umami overdose. Otherwise, the Red Grouper Fish (S$12) and Handmade Prawns (S$8.50) make for good seafood alternatives.
Meat options include the likes of Australian Beef Slice (S$4.50), Kampung Chicken (S$6.80), Pork Tripe (S$5.20) and Dai Tao’s Signature Beef Ball (S$3).
Don’t forget your daily fibre by adding some vegetables to your soup, such as Chinese Cabbage (S$2), Enoki Mushroom (S$1.80) and Corn (S$2).
As the ingredients are cooking, tuck into their variety of side dishes. I went for the Stir Fried Lala with Sambal Chilli (S$6.90) but if that’s too many clams for you, you can go for the Crispy Chicken with Shrimp Paste (S$6.90) or Sweet & Sour Pork (S$6.90).
For drinks, the Fresh Thai Coconut (S$6) is best for those sweltering days but their Homemade Ice Lemon Tea, Barley and Luo Han Guo (S$3.80 each) should not be missed.
The reason? The drinks come in a fire extinguisher bottle, which you can use to put out the fire once you’ve finished your meal.
As my stomach was close to exploding by the end, I skipped dessert but you can surely dig into their Homemade Mango Pudding (S$5), Aiyu Jelly (S$5) or Cold Peach Gum with Red Dates & White Fungus (S$5) if you’re up for it.
So, the next time you’re craving for lala, you know where to go!
JB Dai Tao Lala Pot
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📍500 New Punggol Road, #01-01 The Punggol Settlement, Singapore 828617
🕐 11am–2pm, 5pm–11pm (Mon to Fri), 11am–11pm (Sat & Sun)
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Photos by Sheree Chua
