Does chef Junda Khoo’s zest for reinvention have any limits? Not if the Town Hall branch of his flourishing Ho Jiak empire is any indicator. Nicknamed “Junda’s Playground”, the humming 160-seater is pushing even more buttons and boundaries on its still-sprawling menu, which kicks off with a newly minted line-up of killer snacks. Granita with the sweetly sour flavour of asam laksa casts raw kingfish in a (much-needed) new light, served on a shiso leaf and dabbed with pineapple salsa. Minced pork, duck breast and shiitakes join forces in a sharp take on sang choi bau, while a deep-fried bao bun makes a comfortable home for chilli-smothered blue swimmer crab. Rest assured, ironclad classics like the brilliant beef satay and five-spice-fragrant roast chicken still hit just as hard, and service remains as hyper-attentive and jovial as ever. There’s always been so much to love here, and now there’s even more.
