WESTLAKE STEWED PORK BUN

While I was at Plaza Singapura Basement 2 and deciding what to have for lunch today, I came across the Xi Hu (www.westlake.com.sg) "kong bah bao" 扣肉包 (stewed pork buns) 西湖小吃 stall. What attracted me to the stall were the big and small food models. There was even a gigantic "kong bah pao" food model (at least 10 times the actual size) displayed at the stall front. When I asked for permission to take photos of the food models, the stallholder told me that approval granted only if I ordered a dish from the stall. I told myself "why not give it a shot?".



I ordered a plate of rice with "kong bah" (stewed pork) and stewed salted vegetable, plus a "kong bah bao" and a cup of lime juice. The "kong bah" was really soft and tender, simply melts in your mouth. I find it much sweeter than other versions I ate previously. The "kong bah" (a big piece and a few small pieces) and stewed salted vegetable went well with plain rice. The combined taste of "kong bah" and lettuce sandwiched between the "bao" was very delicious.


After lunch, I proceeded with photo-taking. Other than the usual "kong bah bao" food models, other food models comprised of spicy beef rice, "chee cheong fun" (rice sheet rolls), sweet and sour soup, glutinous rice and popiah (fresh spring rolls). All the food models were of good quality and looked quite realistic. From my observation, customers could easily identify with the food models and order their food choices accordingly. According to the stallholder, the food models have boosted sales for the stall, and attracted many onlookers. Few pieces of food models were even stolen!


I believe presently, Westlake is one of the very very few local food stalls which believes strongly in food models. Most local food companies/stalls and restaurants still believe that food photography for menus and lightboxes can do a better and cheaper job. I hope that the usage of food models in Singapore will grow significantly in the coming years.

• Food & Beverage 7.5/10 • Ambience 7/10 • Service 7.5/10