Tamagood Singapore: New fusion rice bowl concept by MasterChef Singapore’s second-season winner

When one thinks of food enclaves with a variety of dining options, you may be inclined to gravitate towards the usual suspects of Joo Chiat, Tanjong Pagar, (and lately, Raffles City) and so on. 

That’s because the bulk of popular, viral establishments — including new concepts — tend to set up shop there, where the streets are bustling and footfall is the heaviest.

So imagine our surprise when we caught wind of a new F&B concept, Tamagood Singapore, at Singapore Polytechnic. It’s helmed by MasterChef Singapore’s winner from Season 2, Derek Cheong, no less! 

Its location is a refreshing change of scenery, as most well-known chefs would typically lean toward launching a brick-and-mortar space in a sleek, refined setting, where they can best showcase their craft. 

Not Tamagood Singapore, though, as the concept mainly caters to budget-conscious students and diners residing in the west (yes, the space is open to the public!). Prices are kept affordable and the menu is straightforward. 

To Derek, he sees no need for all the pizzazz when his flavours speak for themselves.

Who is Derek Cheong?

Fans of the cooking show (or fellow foodies) will recognise Derek — he’s the bubbly, spirited chef who clinched first place during television show MasterChef Singapore’s second season back in 2021.

Not only does he presently run a successful private home-dining experience, Twelve Flavours, but he’s also the proud owner of the newly minted Tamagood Singapore — a unique fusion rice bowl stall at Singapore Polytechnic.

It’s a team effort for the whole Cheong family; Derek is joined full-time at the stall by his parents, who man the cashier, while he tolls behind the scenes to whip up dishes, one after another.

What is Tamagood? 

For those who’re wondering how Derek came up with the name “Tamagood”, he quips cheekily that it’s a play on words — so those who get it, get it. 

It reads as “ta-ma-hao” — 他妈好 —  in Mandarin, which directly translates to “dang good”. It also cleverly references tamago (eggs in Japanese), which is a huge focus on the menu here and also one of his specialties!

At Tamagood Singapore’s core are tantalising Japanese rice bowls elevated with ooey-gooey eggs that melt in your mouth. And no, we’re not exaggerating — we tried it for ourselves. 

There are also baked rice dishes on the menu — these are inspired by Derek’s fond memories of dining at wallet-friendly western food chain Eighteen Chefs when he was a teenager. 

Derek also adds that Tamagood’s concept is influenced by both Japanese and Chinese cuisines, since they boast rich and bold flavours.

It’s not your run-of-the-mill rice bowl stall here — expect bits and bobs of both cuisines weaved into its dishes, though they’re all spruced up with Derek’s culinary flair.

What’s on the menu? 

Derek strongly recommends the grilled chicken rice bowl set (S$5.50), which comes with a jiggly onsen egg on the side. This is the creme de la creme at Tamagood Singapore — the set sells like hotcakes, and come noon, it’s completely wiped out. 

That’s because all the ingredients are made from scratch and in limited quantities daily, so it runs out fairly quickly during the lunch crunch. Preparation work for the grilled chicken is especially tedious as it needs to soak in a special housemade brine for a day to attain its tender, juicy body. 

When it arrived at our table, it had a gorgeous, even sear and crisp crust. With the help of a handy grill press, Derek is able to achieve perfectly charred skin, which in turn imbues the protein with a heady smokiness. And underneath, it’s every bit as succulent as he promised — all thanks to the brine.

All rice bowl sets at Tamagood Singapore come with a jiggly original onsen egg on the side, though if you prefer a tad more kick to your dish, there are three other onsen egg flavours to choose from: Mala, truffle and smoked chilli. These are premium options and are available with a 50-cent top-up.

We personally found the mala onsen egg to be our favourite. Thoroughly peppered with a fiery mala seasoning of 20 different spices, it also swims in a hot pool of chilli oil — and another secret sauce — for added heat and aroma. 

It’s not just a plain ol’ egg, but rather a nuanced, bite-sized dish that’s meticulously designed to bring out the familiar heat, flavours and even numbness, that are iconic to Chinese cuisine.

If you like your eggs tinged with a smoky hue, then the smoked chilli onsen egg is another good pick. 

As we watched Derek deftly prepare the black truffle carbonara baked rice (S$6), the fragrant aroma of cheese and truffle wafted in the air, tantalising our tastebuds. We couldn’t wait to dig into it and were left impressed when it later arrived at our table piping hot and with a lightly charred crust. 

It’s topped with a crisp, albeit slightly melted, layer of creamy, gooey cheese that pulls apart to unveil a bed of rice infused with carbonara and truffle. It’s the ultimate flavour-bomb dish that’s jam-packed with umami and we couldn’t stop shoving spoonful after spoonful into our mouths.

Hungry patrons craving a light bite can pick from the range of sides on Tamagood Singapore’s menu. We tried the barbecued mala squid (S$4.80) — it’s definitely not for the fainthearted, solely because of how spicy it is. 

It’s a hulk of a squid that’s evenly grilled and torched for a smoky skin, then generously coated in mala seasoning (the same powder that goes on the mala onsen egg). It’s exuberantly spicy, yet so addictive. 

If you’re not good with spice, perhaps you can choose the milder options, such as the crispy prawn tempura (S$4.30) or fried snow crab cream croquette (S$1.50).

Our thoughts

Overall, the trip to Tamagood Singapore was a win for us, because we left with full, satisfied tummies. We can imagine the journey to the west may be a tad out of the way for some, but it’s worth the visit, if you’d like a switch-up from your average rice bowls in town. 

Derek also has plans to launch a new Japanese kebab concept in Singapore Polytechnic’s Food Court 1 soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

This was a hosted tasting.

For the latest eats, read about the new Korean fried chicken restaurant Daily Chicken at Bugis Junction and pan-fried bun specialist Ging Sun Ho at Tampines Mall. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Tamagood Singapore is on the GrabFood Delivery Service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off with GrabUnlimited). 

You can also book a ride to Tamagood at Singapore Polytechnic to check out its rice bowls and baked rice dishes.

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.