The Food Law

Scrambled Egg Omelete with Tomatoes

2009-07-05T23:24:00.005+08:00

**Picture is abstracted from internet.**

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, diced it.
Tomato sauce (5 tbsp).
Sugar (1 tsp).
Spring onion, finely chopped. (optional)

Egg Mix

3 eggs, beat until bubbles are formed on the yellow liquid.
Sugar (1 tsp).
Water (1 tbsp).

Cooking Method:

Heat frying pan and add oil.
Poured in the diced tomato cubes. Add in 1/4 tsp of salt.
Stir-fried until a little watery.
Poured in the egg mix and let it heat for a while (still watery).
Turn and flip the egg omelete while it is still half-watery.
Add in tomato sauce and stir a while more.
Serve while the omelete is still in the half-liquid state.
Garnish with spring onion sprinkled onto the omelete as desired.

Soya Sauced Chicken Wings (Revised)

2009-06-26T20:42:00.002+08:00

Ingredients:

6 mid-joint chicken wings.
Spring onion (optional).

Sauce Mix

Premium (thick) soya sauce (100ml).
Water (400ml).
Ginger (5g), sliced.
Rice wine (2 tsp).
Sugar (1 tbsp).

Cooking Method.

Pour in sauce mix into the saucepan.
Place the chicken wings in the sauce mix and marinade for about 5 minutes.
Heat up the saucepan with the chicken wings in it for 20 minutes.
Serve with sprinkled spring onion as desired.

Cod Steak

2009-06-25T23:05:00.002+08:00

Ingredients:

Cod steak (300g).

Cooking Method:

Heat the frying pan and add oil.
Pan-fried the cod steak until it turns golden brown.
Serve with 1 tbsp of Japanese soya sauce.

Recommendation:

Alternatively, you can separate the cod skin and cod meat before cooking. Pan-fried the cod skin until it becomes crispy. Remove it from frying pan. Then, cook the cook steak as instructed above. The crispy cod skin can serve as a delicious snack.

Pan-Fried Bacon Rolls with Asparagus

2009-06-25T22:57:00.001+08:00

Ingredients:

6 slices of streaky bacon strips. (Back bacon is recommended if you prefer less fat)
Baby asparagus, cut into 18 sticks of 6 cm length.

Marinade Mix

Oyster Sauce (2 tbsp)
Sesame Oil (1 tsp)

Cooking Method:

Mix bacon slices with marinade mix.
Put 3 asparagus on each bacon strip and roll it up.
Heat the frying pan and add oil.
Pan-fried the bacon rolls until the bacon turns golden brown.

Stir-Fried Scallop & Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

2009-06-24T22:47:00.001+08:00

Ingredients:

Scallops (200g), sliced.
Broccoli (250g), cut into pieces.
Carrot (25g), sliced.
Celery (25g), sliced.
Garlic (1 tsp), finely chopped.

Sauce Mix

Oyster flavoured sauce (2 tbsp)
Corn starch (1 1/2 tsp)
Water (4 tbsp)

Cooking Method:

Cook scallops in boiling water until done. Drain.
Cook broccoli, carrot and celery in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Drain.
Heat up frying pan and add oil.
Add in garlic and cooked until golden brown.
Add in this order scallops, broccoli, carrot and celery. Stir and heat until it is done.

Creamy Mixed Mushrooms

2009-06-23T20:37:00.001+08:00

Ingredients:

1 packet (375g) of golden mushrooms, washed and chopped away the roots.
100g of almond oyster mushrooms, sliced.
30g of chinese winter mushrooms, washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Sliced it.
1 can (500g) of cream mushroom soup.
1 tsp of garlic, finely chopped.
a pinch of salt

Cooking Method:

Heat up the frying pan and add oil. When the frying pan is heated up, add in the garlic.
Stir the garlic until it turns golden brown.
Add firstly the almond oyster mushroom, then winter mushroom, and lastly golden mushroom. Stir and cooked until slightly golden brown.
Pour in the can of cream mushroom soup and follow the instructions stated on the can to cook the soup.
Serve in bowl when it is done. Garnish it with chopped spring onion if desired.

Sugisawa Japanese Restaurant

2008-08-16T14:12:00.005+08:00

Name: Sugisawa Japanese Restaurant

Address: 30 Robertson Quay #01-16

Tel: 6235 0212 [Advise to make reservation if you intend to dine there]

Operating Hours: 1130am-3pm; 6pm-10pm (Mon-Sun)

Speciality: Bento sets / Sushis / Sashimi

Things I ate: Bento set #7 - Grilled Cod Fish, Pork Cutlet with Egg Rice, Shrimp Roe Sushi

Comments: This place is run by a Japanese sushi chef with his Singaporean wife. They have plenty of regulars, mostly authentic Japanese expats and businessman who lives nearby. This gives me the confidence that their food is pretty close to the authentic Japanese cuisines, a cozy queit place tucked away in the midst of the Robertson Quay fine dining culture...

The menu is mainly in Japanese and English. There is a great variety of Japanese food to choose, ranging from affordable bento sets (S$15-22), high quality sushi maki sets (S$5-10), and unique types of sashimi (S$10-40). I will highly advise you to choose their bento set as the portion is huge, the appetiser consists of many different kind of authentic Japanese food like fish cake, Japanese mash potato etc that you don't get often in other Japanese restaurants. The rice usually come separately with sesame and other seasoning sprinkled on it.

Its ambience is very typical of any Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar and cloth curtain at the entrance. The space inside the shop is very small although it is air conditioned, it feels a little stuffy and quite noisy as it gets crowded. So I was seated outside along the corridor most of the time and it feels pretty good as you get to enjoy the view of the other pubs and restaurant around. So far, it has been pretty windy for me as I sat ouside. =)

The food is fantastic, very fresh and the seasoning used is just nice. The portion is really big, so ladies you can consider sharing with another partner. Love their sashimis and appetiser the most so far! *wink* If you are going there for the first time, you should just take the bento set as it will only cost about S$20 after all the GST and service charge...very very worth the value! =D

The only negative issue is that the staff is not very friendly...or they only treat you well if you dress up and look rich. For all the times I went there so far, they hardly smile at all and the lady, I supposedly the female boss, give you a rather strict and aggresive face when you ask for water or change of your seat or stuff. Well, hopefully she just happens to be on a bad day on those days I went...or else I think no matter how great her food is, it will not be as satisfying after all!

Marvelous Cream!

2008-07-30T17:18:00.007+08:00

The toppings to be mixed in the ice-cream...quite a variety!The staff will make your ice-cream on the spot after you have placed and paid for your order. You can choose to customise your own ice-cream too...starting from S$4.30 per cup...

All is mixed and ready to be served! (Picture: #10 Saison de Fruit)

Shop: Marvelous Cream

Address: 1 Raffles Link #B1-04 Citylink Mall

Operating Hours: 10am - 10pm

Tel: 6238 1683

Specialty: Japanese-French ice-cream & parfaits

Average price: Starting from S$4.90 (ice-cream junior cup) and S$5.90 (parfait)

Flavour I tried: #10 Saison de Fruit

Comment: The shop is girlishly decorated with pink and black wordings...very classy and french-feel. The staffs are quite friendly, greet the customers with wide smiles, and ready to recommend you to the popular flavours and according to you likings.

Saison de Fruit is the flavour recommended by the staff and I give it a try. It is ice-cream consist of strawberry and apple ice-cream, and stirred together with fresh cream. Added and mixed to the product are fresh berries and apple bits and some maracon biscuit pieces. Just the presentation of the ice-cream looks very delicious.

The ice-cream melts very fast so you gotta finish it quick. The fruit aroma is strong and very sweet. I feel refreshed after eating it. The fruit bits and biscuits make it taste like a fruitty sundae without the syrup. Must try!

Highly recommend to those ice-cream lovers who love sweet stuffs yet want a slightly 'healthier' diet for ice-creams! *wink* =)

Island Creamery

2008-07-30T15:43:00.001+08:00

Shop: Island Creamery

Address: Bukit Timah Serene Centre (2 shops away from the MacDonald)

Speciality: Customised and unique flavours of ice-cream such as Puluo Hitam, Apple Pie, Tiger Sorbet (Tiger Beer!)

Flavour I order: Apple Pie & Puluo Hitam, and a Mudpie

Comments: The shop's wall is decorated with numberous photographs taken by the customers who had been there. There is a photo printing machine at the counter where you can print your photos instantly, decorate it with the marker provided and leave it in the box placed next to the machine, and the staff will help you paste it on the wall eventually so you can see it next time you patronised the shop! Very friendly and sweet idea for you to remember the good times you have there ya? *wink* =)

I love my Puluo Hitam ice-cream the most. It taste like the local dessert...but in the form of ice-cream. Not too sweet, very fresh and chewy. Apple-pie flavour, however, I find it a little too sweet. But still the apple smell and taste is very strong. You are sure to fall in love with them!

Mudpie is the disappointment I had so far. Unless you are so crazy about chocolate, you will find the chocolate taste is very strong. In fact, TOO strong. Though I love chocolate a lot too but still after some time, it becomes too sweet and strong and just a bit sick of it. The oreo biscuits are alright, make it more crunchy.

Highly recommend to those ice-cream lovers who dare to try out new flavours and those who are already bored with the common flavours around here. This is certainly a good place with its really special flavours that they should be proud of! *thumbs up for the great inventions* =D

Fried Omelette with Prawns

2007-11-28T16:45:00.001+08:00

Fried Omelette with Prawns

Ingredients

4-6 medium prawns (peel off shell)
2 eggs (beaten)
Finely shredded garlic
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (optional)
Olive oil or other oil

Cooking Method

Preheat the wok. Pour and spread the oil around wok.
Put in the shredded garlic and fry till it is golden brown.
Pour in the prawns and fry till they are almost cooked.
Pour in the egg paste and add salt to taste. Spread the prawns over the egg and let them stay in position.
Flip over the egg and fry on the other side till it is golden brown.
Garnish the omelette with black pepper. It is now ready to serve.

Comments: This is the easier dish ever and it is very hard to go wrong. Make sure the prawns are fresh or else it is very easily detectable. Serve together with stir fried vegetables and a bowl of rice and a healthy set of meal is complete!

Prawn Soup for Noodles

2007-11-28T16:16:00.001+08:00

Prawn Soup for Noodles

Ingredients

1. 4-6 medium size to large prawns (separate the prawn heads and bodies with skins on)
2. 1 packet of noodles of your choice (For here, I use mee suan)
3. Seasonal vegetables
4. Finely shredded ginger (fried crisp)
5. Finely shredded garlic (fried crisp)
6. Finely shredded spring onions

Cooking Method

1. Fry the shredded ginger and garlic separately in the oil till golden brown.
2. Pour in and fry the prawn head till golden brown, crushing the prawn head as you fry.
3. Add water and salt to taste and put in the prawns (with skins) to boil. When prawns are cooked, take them out and shell them.
4. Add vegetables to the soup.
5. Put the noodles (mee suan) into the soup and cook till it is soft and tender.
6. Place the noodles in a bowl; ladle over the soup and vegetables.
7. Garnish with prawns, crispy fried onions and shredded spring onions.
8. Add a few drops of light soya sauce to taste.

Tips

1. It is crucial that the prawn heads are fried till they are aromatic and golden brown. Otherwise you will not get the rich reddish looking soup. The distinctive flavour of this recipe is dependant on the prawn heads being fried just right.
2. The crisply fried onions and spring onions as garnish also give additional flavour to the soup.

Comments: It is fast and easy cooking for one or small group of people. Instead of eating instant noodles most of the time, why not try something healthier like this ya? :)

Carrot Tomato Soup

2007-08-26T21:24:00.000+08:00

*Picture not by me!*

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients

Carrots, chopped
2-3 pieces

Onions, sliced
2 pieces

Tomatoes, chopped
2 pieces

Potatoes, chopped
2 pieces

Pork spareribs, chopped
150 grams

Sweetcorn (Optional)
1-2 pieces

Celery, chopped (Optional)
1 stalk

Salt
2 1/2 teaspoons

Water
500 ml (or make sure the water level is slightly more than enough to submerge all the food ingredients)

Cooking method

Wash and boiled the pork spareribs for approx 5 minutes.
Drained the pork spareribs and leave it aside.
Add in water into a new saucepan to boil.
Add in salt.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including the pork spareribs, to boil.
When the water is boiled, turn off the heat to small flames.
Heat for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours before serving.

Comments: The fire need to be monitored during the boiling stages as it can easily be overflown. Except the carrots, other food ingredients can sometimes do without if you don't like it. Some people may like to add pepper or soup base cubes to taste but I personally prefer the more natural taste and strictly NO MSG... :P

Pan-fried Salmon Fillet

2007-08-26T21:04:00.000+08:00

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

Salmon Fillet

Garlic, chopped
2 cloves

Rice wine
2 tablespoons

Oil

Cooking method

Pour the rice wine over the salmon fillet and marinate for 2-3 minutes.
Preheat the frying pan.
Add in oil and garlic.
Add in the marinated salmon fillet.
Cooked for about 15 minutes, and keep turning the fillet over till it is slight golden brown.

Comments: I cooked mine with a big fire and hence it kinda burnt the salmon fillet. So watch out to the flame! :)

Mei Heong Yuen Food Industries (Dessert)

2007-08-16T08:32:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 3 December 2006

Passed by the stall again when I was at Chinatown and I really wanted to try again, remembering how good it tastes. Yet, it was closed by the time I finished my dinner. The last time I only tried their Mango Sago. Nevertheless, I will still leave some comments on it since I still remember how it tastes like. :)

Comments: Their Mango Sago is unique with the pieces of Pomelo meat inside, bringing out a little sour taste to neturalise with the sweetness of the mango fruit. Hence, you won't feel sick of the strong sweet smell of the mango. I also enjoy chewing the little bits and pieces of Pomelo meat in my mouth. Together with the QQ sago, the dessert overall feels good and chewy.

Location

味香园 Mei Heong Yuen Food Industries (Desserts)

67 Temple Street

Operation Hours: 10.30am - 8pm (Open daily; Saturdays till 10pm)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5

Variety: 3.0

Cleaniness: 4.0

Quality: 3.5

Price: $$$ (S$3-S$5)

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: The desserts here has slightly less variety compared to the other famous dessert stall at Liang Seah Street. Yet this place is less crowded and I like the clean and air-conditioned environment. It is perfect for resting after a long walk under the sun around Chinatown.

Oversea Special: MACAU! > 顺德公酒楼

2007-07-27T00:27:00.000+08:00

顺德 (Shun De), a town in Guangzhou, is also the homeland of a big percentage of the Hong Kong ancestors. Hence, from the name of the restaurant, you can tell that it is selling the traditional Cantonese cuisines, that even in Hong Kong, you will probably cannot find such traditional cuisines anymore due to the rapid urbanisation and the ever rapid-changing taste of the Hong Kong residents. This restaurant has also been in business for a few decades, according to my dad who used to study in Macau University for a year.

禾虫芙蓉蛋 (Shredded egg with corn worms)

The name of it sounds a little scary for those who don't get used to the 'exotic' Chinese cuisines. Yet it was my parents' favourite dish as it reminded them of their childhood where corn worms are edible and crunchy. I had a few mouths of this as I was still psychologically rejecting the dish.

Comments: If you don' t know the name, you probably won't even notice that they are corn worms because they are so tiny that are hardly visible as worms but tiny little strips of meat. Overall, the egg with the corn worm taste a little salty. The worms do not feel crunchy at all as they were supposed to be. But because of the saltiness, it goes well with the plain rice.

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5
Ingredients: 4.5 (you don't always get such rare ingredients such as corn worms these days!)
Quality: 4.0
Presentation: 3.0 (It looks normal like any shredded egg, but because I know what it contains, it looks a little scary to me...)
OVERALL: 4.0

生菜焖西柚皮 (Stewed lettuce with Pomelo skin)

This is quite an ancient dish in the present society, meaning that you hardly able to find chefs who know exactly how to cook it. Because the ingredient used is Pomelo skin! Well, the fruit is commonly seen especially during Mooncake Festival, but so far this is the first time I seen it being used in cooking. And I must admit I don't even find such dish in Hong Kong or the modern parts of China...only Macau has it so far. The taste is just so unique and...yummy. :)

Comments: I guess for the lettuce, I need not say much about it because it is just like any other oyster sauced lettuce we ate in the restaurants. The highlight here is the Pomelo skin. As said by my parents, it is a very difficult dish to prepare as the Pomelo skin has to be dried up for cooking yet cannot be totally dried or it doen't taste good. When I try to pick up the big piece of the skin using my chopsticks, it easily breaks into two. You can tell how soft it is. I put it into my mouth. The skin feels a little spongy and very easy to chew. It does NOT taste at all like the Pomelo fruit we ate, but more like a very special seasoning used...a little bittersweet. It after-taste is strong and hence compliments the mild taste of the lettuce. Thumbs up for this dish...you MUST really give it a try! *wink*

Ratings

Taste: 4.5
Ingredients: 5.0
Quality: 5.0
Healthiness: 4.5
OVERALL: 5.0

椒盐炸鱼嘴 (Deep-fried salted fish mouth)

It looks kind of weird to me when the dish was first presented. It was like showing half of the fried fish head there. Yet the taste is pretty good though. Like you are having the fish head in those fish head bee hoon stalls...except you are eating a fried salted ones.

Comments: The fish meat is not much but yet quite soft and crispy. Honestly speaking, I have no idea how to eat the fish head. So I only bite off the meat on its cheeks. A bit wasted. But it was indeed a very unique dish. Hahaha...lol

Ratings

Taste: 3.0

Freshness: 3.5

Quality: 3.5

Presentation: 2.0 (It looks a little scary to me with those halved-fish heads...)

OVERALL: 3.0

鱼翅羹 (Shark fin soup)

Macau is pretty famous for having shark fin soup as there are quite a number of stalls there selling this. I don't really have the idea why it is so...probably because they are of good qualities yet at a much lower price?! Or perhaps, that's because since Macau is a place well-known for its casinoes everywhere, people who won their bets would come to celebrate, and like the Cantonese sacarstic saying goes “鱼翅捞饭” (shark fin soup mixed with rice) -- meaning that you are just super rich. :P

Comments: I guess there is nothing much to say about shark fin soup as they taste about the same everywhere. The difference is probably just the different qualities of shark fins you are ordering...and also the price you are paying for it. :P

Ratings

Taste: 3.0

Ingredients: 4.0

Quality: 3.5

OVERALL: 3.5

炸鲜奶 (Deep-fried milk)

This dish is actually still able to be found in most Chinese restaurants these days as it is not that hard to make. I don't really fancy this dish though, probably because it is deep-fried and also with the milk inside. It makes me feel fattening and oily.

Comments: It can be treated as a dessert as the fried milk taste quite sweet. For this restaurant, this dish does not taste as fattening and as oily as the others. The creamy milk part taste milder and hence you won't get sick of it so fast. Yet still, this dish is very filling and you will probably need more people to share with you.

Ratings

Taste: 3.0

Ingredients: 3.0

Quality: 4.0

Presentation: 3.5

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: The menu has lots more other dishes that you don't always see at the other Chinese restaurants. It provides a wide range of traditional Cantonese cuisines. And I even notice that the restaurant still maintain its traditional practice as well -- by using the elevator, specially for food items and utensils, to deliver the food and dirty dishes up to its kitchen which is on the second floor. It was quite entertaining for me as this is the first time I saw it in real life...and probably other times in those movies that use the ancient times as their main theme.

Han's Cafe

2007-05-02T16:55:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 1 May 2007

Came here to have lunch with mum. We ordered the Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce and Grilled Dory Fish set meals. We both like their ambience as well as the affordable prices they offer for a set meal. It makes me feel so comfortable to eat at this place. :)

Comments: The chicken chop is nice, tender and juicy. It comes with boiled baby carrots and hashbrown as sides. However, there is slightly pink colour in the meat as I ate, indicating that it was not thoroughly cooked. As for the grilled dory, the meat is so soft that it comes off automatical even before you cut it. The meat is firm and fresh. Yet maybe the seasoning to get off fishy taste (鱼腥味) is not strong enough, I can still feel the natural stinky taste of the fish. But I am also glad that they have provided us with the lemon that makes the fish smell pleasant once again after you squeeze the lemon juice on it.

Location

Han's Cafe (Century Square)

2 Tampines Central

Singapore 529509

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5

Quality: 4.0

Presentation: 4.0

Ingredients: 4.0

Price: $$$ (S$7.80-S$13.80 nett for a set meal--soup of the day, coffee/tea or orange juice, fruits)

OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: There are many Han's Cafe all over Singapore and they all offer reasonable prices for a good quality western meal. I have scanned through their menu and I realise their best bargain seemed to be on their breakfasts, which comes with a toast and drink at only S$4.80...even cheaper than Mac for a true English breakfast like scrambled egg and omelete. Sounds good isn't it? *wink* ;) Hahaha...think I will have it soon some day... :P

Ichiban Boshi

2007-05-02T16:16:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 30 April 2007

The last time I had tried Ichiban Boshi was like 2 years ago and there was nothing much special about it. Yet today when I tried it again, I realised that they have come up with so much more varieties of sushi that I couldn't really decide on which to take! And their design and presentation looks juz so yummy! Hahaha...if not for the discount I have from Sakae, maybe I would consider chaning to Ichiban from now on whenever I have a craving for Japanese food...lol

Comments: The sushi is fresh and their designs (the way they present on the plates) look very attractive. Some of the maki come in a bigger portion and it is more value for money if compared to its close competitor Sakae, which offer sushi at the same price but for those special maki it will be at $6.50. There are lots of combinations of sushi to choose from as well. This is one of the Japanese restaurants that I have found to have such a big range of sushi. To me, it is like Sushi Tei kind of sushi (also lots of variety and of super good quality) combines with Sakae price (affordable reasonably low prices for sushi).

My mum and I have ordered their Salmon Sashimi as well as their new Pork Mushroom Soup. The soup taste great with the fresh big pieces of mushroom in it. It makes my body feel so warm after eating all the cold sushi. However, the salmon sashimi is not as fantastic as I thought it would be. No doubt that the salmon used is very very fresh and of good quality, it wasn't totally cleaned off from its scale as I have chewed on a few pieces. If you like your salmon meat to be fat and juicy like I do, Ichiban Boshi ones are slightly less fat compared to Sakae. Their prices are actually the same if you do your maths: Sakae red plate S$6.50 (for 5 pieces); Ichiban Boshi sashimi (S$5.30 for 4 pieces; S$9.00 for 7 pieces). Hence, both calculated to be = S$1.30/piece. So it is just more of your preference on which restaurant you like more. :)

Location

Ichiban Boshi (Esplanade)

8 Raffles Avenue

#02-14 Esplanade Mall

Singapore 039802

Tel: 6423 1151 Fax: 6423 1011

Business Hour:

Sun - Thurs: 12.00nn - 10.30pm (Last order at 10.00pm)

Fri & Sat: 12.00nn - 11.00pm (Last order at 10.30pm)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Variety: 5.0

Presentation: 5.0

Quality: 4.5

Freshness: 4.0

Price: $$ (S$1.90++ for normal plates; S$5.30++ for special plates)

OVERALL: 4.5

Other remarks: The other restaurant I have been to are at Wisma Atria and Suntec. Yet I find this one at Esplanade the best because of its beautiful night view of the Singapore river and the CBD area. They also have big cushion sofas for the big groups at the bigger table. You can expect a very cozy and comfortable dinning experience here... :)

Lai Lai Family Restaurant

2007-04-29T23:54:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 28 April 2007

I like beef as you don't feel the fattening taste that you would get from eating the pork or chicken. It always makes me feel slim with his lean read meat. And I like Taiwanese food as they come with lots of new, unusual unique variety, changing the traditional Chinese cuisines in a modern yet fun way.

Location

Lai Lai Family Restaurant

20 Liang Seah Street

Singapore 189041

Tel: 68371556

Last order at 10.30 pm everyday except Sunday which closes at 3pm.

Lai Lai Stewed Beef Noodles

As seen on its menu and even its signboard along the street, you can tell that the shop is promoting its signature stewed beef noodles. Thus, why would I want to miss it? :P

Comments: The soup is strong with its beef and herbal taste and the noodles are just right and not soggy at all. However, the whole beef noodles overall is super spicy. Maybe I someone who is oversensitive with chilli and I cannot take spicy food at all, I could understand why such a normal beef noodle soup can become so spicy (with probably just one slice of red chilli as shown in the picture).

Well, that's not until I found a Szechuan pepper inside my soup. I recognise this pepper as the special ones from Szechuan because I have seen it on the herbal chocolate at Vivo before (Read my previous entries). Those pepper are really spicy and hence make the soup untolerable for me. However, for those spicy and chilli lovers, I bet you guys are excited and smiling away at the thought of this beef noodles by now...hahaha...lol

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5

Tenderness: 3.5

Quality: 3.5

Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$$ (S$12.20 nett for a meal of noodles, drink, and one side order; S$7.90 for alar carte)

OVERALL: 4.0

Chicken Cutlet with Rice

It looks kinda like a Western Chicken Chop Rice to me when the waitress serve it in front of me, except it looks nicer with the black sesame on top of the rice. :)

Comments: I quite like the crispy chicken as it remains me of the famous Taiwanese deep-fried salted chicken pieces (盐酥鸡). The skin is really very crispy but slightly thick with the corn flour used. You might want to order a drink to go along with this rice dish as your mouth may go dry eating it.

Ratings

Taste: 4.0
Ingredients: 3.5
Quality: 4.0
Presentation: 4.0

Price: $$$ (S$6.90)
OVERALL: 4.0

Lychee Freeze

Their menu seems to be promoting their freezes as well. Looks like the stall owner has total confidence in their freezes...do you wanna get one? :D

Comments: The Lychee Freeze is marked as a recommended drink in their menu. Placed on top of the drink is one big lychee meat and a few colourful chewy jelly pieces. The lychee blended ice is very fresh and has a strong lychee fruit smell and taste. The presence of the jelly and the fruit enhances the chewing sensation. I really appreciate this drink. They have lots of other fruit freezes like pineapple, peach, kiwi. Maybe I will try them some other day ba...lol

Ratings

Taste: 4.5

Ingredients: 3.5

Freshness: 3.5

Presentation: 4.0

Price: $$ (S$3.80)

OVERALL: 4.0

Fried Beancurd

Beancurd is good as it is a healthy food with low calories. Hence, for any ladies who are on diet, you won't have to worry to eat lots of beancurds.

Comments: The fried beancurd taste just like many other stalls selling this dish as well because you can't really change the natural taste of the beancurd. So the key thing to look out for here is their sauce for dipping the beancurd, as well as the tenderness and freshness of the beancurd used.

Their sauce was pretty average to me but it has a unique taste. The beancurd used are soft, and the crispy skin on the outside makes it firm overall so you won't have a hard time picking it up using your chopstick. However, for me, I would still prefer the Japanese fried tofu (at Sakae) the most. This one is good if you want to have a healthier meal or if you just simply love beancurd.

Ratings

Taste: 4.0

Tenderness: 4.0
Quality: 4.5
Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$ (Less than S$5)

OVERALL: 4.0

Fried Squid

I would simply named this side order as "Chinese style calamari". So I guess everything is simply well-said and direct? :P

Comments: My friend recommend me to try the fried squid without the special tomato sauce given. It tastes great even without the sauce! The sauce, when dipped, will provide you with a little sour taste so that you won't have the usual oily feeling after eating all the deep-fried food. The squid used is very tender, soft and chewy too. It is a very good hot snack if you intend to just sit down with your friends for a chat...and probably over some fruit freezes as well...hahaha...lol

Ratings

Taste: 5.0

Tenderness: 4.0

Quality: 4.5
Presentation: 4.5
Price: $$
OVERALL: 4.5

Braised Three Pork Slices

It is the usual 3 layers of the pork that is most popular among the Chinese. Yet because they contains lots of fats, some people would reject this dish for healthy reasons. Our mums would probably always cooked it once in a while, so sometimes I actually wonder if I should try something less common instead. But then, if they can't even make a simply dish tastes good, then what else can they cook better as a restaurant standard?!

Comments: I like their sticky sauce on top of the pork slices. Maybe the chef cut the pork meat into really very thin layers, you don't feel that fattening even if you eat the fats on the meat as well. The pork meat is firm and their bone is so soft that I am actually able to crush it into tiny pieces with my teeth and swallow it down. Worth ordering! :D

Ratings

Taste: 4.5
Tenderness: 4.5

Quality: 4.5
Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$
OVERALL: 4.5

Grilled Eel

It is just like the unagi you get at other Japanese restaurant. Even the sauce used is the same!

Comments: Well, nothing much to say about it if you have tried the unagi dishes at the Japanese restaurants. They are really all the same to me. Even the sauce they used are pretty identical. The only thing I guess that people still ordered this Grilled Eel is that we just LOVE eating unagi! :D Especially when you go with rice, it makes the taste even more stand out. Hahaha...lol

Ratings

Taste: 3.5

Tenderness: 4.0

Quality: 3.5

Presentation: 3.5

Price: $$

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: It is a 2-level restaurant and so there should be quite sufficient of seats around. Their meals are quite good bargains with a maincourse, a side order and a drink at $12.20 nett. I mean, if you dine out at other restaurants, the price may probably come higher with all the service and GST charges. :)) Liang Seah Street is a street that I really love manz...lol

Emicakes -- Ultimate D24 Durian Puffs

2007-04-28T00:54:00.000+08:00

Last eaten: 28 April 2007

We passby this shop because of Botak Jones...they were just located besides each other! :D Since I am not a fan of durian stuffs, I don't really know how famous this shop is. But for those people out there who love durian, you probably would want to bookmark this shop in your list of Favourites. :D

Comments: We picked the Ultimate D24 Durian Puffs and there are two types they offer: 1) More durian paste and less cream; or 2) More cream and less durian paste. Hahaha...well, of course is choice 1 right? *duh!* :DD Well, what can I say about it? It taste just like a good quality D24 durian meat...with some puffs pastries on? :P Hahaha...lol Yet probably because we ate it some time after we bought the puffs from the shop, it started to taste less fresh and a bit sour. So next time, eat the puffs on the spot and avoid bringing it home! *big grin* :D

Location

Emicakes Shop Clementi
Blk 325
Clementi Ave 5
#01-143
Tel: 6775 1361

Operation Time:
Mon-Fri: 10am-8.30pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am-8.30pm
http://www.emicakes.com.sg

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5
Quality: 4.5
Ingredients: 4.0
Presentation: 4.5
Price: $$ (S$5.50 for 4 puffs)
OVERALL: 4.5

Other remarks: The puffs are good and I love them! :D Durian is a really unique local fruit and turning it into a high quality pastries is just such a wonderful thing. You have to try it...if you want to be a true local Singaporean...hahaha...lol

Botak Jones

2007-04-27T23:21:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 27 April 2007

I feel so gian of eating at this place after two days of discussion with my friend, and also two failures of delivery by their Tuas branch as the motorbike used for delivery was spoilt (ever since last Saturday). So here we are, 4 of us share a cab and went down to the Clementi stall instead. You will be surprised by how popular it is at the little Kopitiam there, where most of the people are having the Botak Jones burger or steak, and a super long queue (2nd photo above) at the counter...woohoo... :D

Location

Botak Jones Clementi

Chuan Seng Eating House

Block 325

Clementi Ave 5

Tel/Fax: 6774 1225

http://www.botakjones.com

The Double Botak

150 grams of hand formed beef. All the burgers are supposed to come out medium well, which, if done correctly, will leave them very juicy. If you like yours customised according to your favour, you can inform them as well.

Comments: Just the look of the burger in the picture should be quite tempting. You can see the slices of cheddar cheese now melted on top of the thick, juicy layers of beef patties. I have add on the sautee mushrooms and they enhance the good quality taste of the whole burger. It is just so filling. After eating this, I juz wanna say "I don't mind being a carnivore now." *grinz* Hee...lol

Their fries are sprinkled with very unique spices...taste a little spicy but it is acceptable even for someone like me who can't that hot stuffs at all. You wouldn't really want to leave out the fries on the plates for sure...even if it means you are on diet...hahaha... :P

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5

Ingredients: 5.0

Quality: 5.0

Presentation: 5.0

Price: $$$ (S$9.50 for a double beef patties set meal--with coleslaw and fries)

OVERALL: 5.0!

Fish & Chips

This is premium pacific dory (not the cheap one), season it then bread the fish with Japanese bread crumbs. It is always fresh because they try to make only enough to sell in one day.

Comments: The fish is really fresh and bread layer isn't too thick. The tartar sauce is of very good quality, making the oily feeling you get eating the deep-fried stuffs away with its sour taste. No wonder this is yet another of their popular dish around! :D

Ratings

Taste: 4.5
Freshness: 4.5

Quality: 5.0
Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$ (S$6.00 for set meal)
OVERALL: 4.5

NZ Ribeye Steak

They state that they trim the whole ribeyes, hand marinate and tenderize them (without chemicals), then cut them into different portions of 200gm, 300gm and 400gm. These are fresh, fun and flavorful, providing their very own Botak Jones brown gravy with black pepper...cool... *wink* ;)

Comments: The meat today could have probably overcooked a little as it is slightly harder. Praises are to be given to the sauce that comes with it as it is not very concentrated, hence didn't overcome the natural essence of the steak itself. Well, it is worth eating for sure as you can hardly get such good quality of steak in many places in Singapore without a high price tags...not to mention you are eating at just a normal neighbourhood coffee shop. :)

Ratings

Taste: 4.5
Ingredients: 5.0
Quality: 4.5
Presentation: 5.0
Price: $$$ (S$19.50 for 300 grams)
OVERALL: 4.5

Other remarks: The stall has its own waiters to serve you while you are waiting for your order to arrive. And even after your food is served, they actually come around to ask how you find your food and if you have any problems with anything there...really GREAT service they have manz! *thumbs up* :) I feel more like I am eating a high quality American food today, well-served by waiters of a high class restaurant standards, and in a completely friendly local neighbourhood coffee shop background...how odd this can be! :D Hahaha...you must really go for this stall if you are around any of them manz...*wink* ;)

Rockery Bubble Tea Shop -- Mango Tango

2007-04-26T15:03:00.000+08:00

Last drank: 25 April 2007

Even though the bubble tea bubble is already gone, I still love to drink it once in a while. My most favourite bubble tea is stall is here -- Rockery at Bugis Junction. And as always, I will order the same old drink, Mango Tango. I have tried a few other places selling the same thing, but they are just not the same. THIS is still the best to me... :)

So ready for a tango...with Mr Mango? *bleah* :P

Comments: Love the freshness of the mango inside this drink. The owner gives quite a thick layer of chunks of the mango fruit on top of the drink. The ice blended mango smoothie below is pleasantly sweet and refreshing. However, this drink is just a little more costly (S$3.50) than the other bubble tea as well. There are also other Tango drinks such as Kiwi Tango, Watermelon Tango...I have yet to try them though...maybe till I get sick and tired of this mango first ba... :P

Location

Rockery Shop

230 Victoria Street

#01-61 Bugis Junction

Singapore 188024

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5

Quality: 4.0

Freshness: 4.5

Presentation: 4.0

OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: Ever since the bubble tea bubble has gone, those stalls that are still surviving are actually the really good bubble tea stalls around. Hence, this stall has been standing for quite many years already. Thus, their drinks are all pretty up to the good standards. :)

Causeway Bay Cafe

2007-04-26T12:21:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 25 April 2007

Went to eat dinner again before cell. This is pretty popular and they sell really traditional Hong Kong Cafe food. Even their shop design, furnitures are pretty close to the Hong Kong Cafe style. It makes me feel like I am not in Singapore but back in Hong Kong.

Location

铜锣湾茶餐厅 Causeway Bay Cafe
32 Liang Seah Street

Tel: 6338 4148

Beef Brisket Noodle Dry

Beef brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow. It is considered to be one of the eight beef primal cuts. Most of the tenderness from this normally tougher cut of meat comes from the fat cap often left attached to the brisket. The brisket is almost always placed with the fat on top so that it slowly dissolves down into the meat as it cooks, turning the toughness into juiciness and tenderness rivaling all other cuts. (quoted from Wikipedia on Beef Brisket)

Comments: As you can see from the picture, this beef brisket does not have much fat on top, hence it becomes tougher and not so tender. The meat becomes quite hard to chew. Yet beef brisket normally comes with soup, but this stall choose to have it dry. The sauce used compliments the beef well and the noodles is springy. Overall, the beef brisket noodle dry is still good and unique. Worth trying... :)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.0

Quality: 4.0

Tenderness: 3.5

Gravy: 3.5

Price: $$$ (S$6.50)

OVERALL: 3.5

HK Cafe Instant Noodles (Luncheon Meat, Vegetables, Fried Egg)

In Hong Kong, instant noodles taste really good at all these cafes. It is always one of the most popular dishes there. In Singapore, however, there is a stereotype of mindset that eating instant noodles outside is not worth our money since we can get it at home. This is probably due to the pricing for such food which are normally only available at slightly more expensive cafes. But, if you really want to have the true Hong Kong feeling, you should try order one next time.

Comments: There is nothing much to comment on an instant noodles. Hahaha...lol So what is the usual style of a true Hong Kong Cafe Noodles? Well, fried egg is a MUST ingredient to make up this instant noodles as Hong Kong people generally loves to eat eggs. Second, the other ingredient (luncheon meat or hot dog) must also be fried before they were put into the soup. It will taste different from just boil luncheon meat or hot dog.

Because there is a thin crispy layer of the meat after you fried, along with some oil and the unique fried smell. Yet when you put it back to the soup, the water body will wash away the oil on the meat and neutralise with the natural fried smell. Hence, you won't feel so heaty when you eat these fried food and the soup taste is enhance as well.

Ratings

Taste: 3.5
Quality: 3.5
Ingredients: 3.5
Price: $$ (S$4.50)
OVERALL: 3.5

Chicken Chop Mushroom Baked Rice

The presentation of this dish is like "Wow!". It has no bowl, but a bowl-like container that is totally made from aluminium foil. Hence, very easy to dispose it after used. The rice is covered with garlic, spring onions and other chinese spices and vegetables instead of the usual thick layer of cheese we get for baked rice. Very unique indeed... :)

Comments: The presence of the garlic, spring onions and other chinese spices make the baked rice very "Chin-na" (Chinese feeling). It tastes very much like the traditional Chinese rice.

Yet, there is a layer of cream on top of the rice as well. This layer contribute a slight western taste, and it feels a little like a substitute for the usual cheesy layer for the baked rice. It gives the rice and the other food ingredients a sticky feeling, yet doesn't interupt with the original Chinese taste of the whole dish. Hence, to me, it appears to be quite a well-balanced Western-Chinese baked rice...love it! :D

Ratings

Taste: 4.5
Quality: 4.0
Ingredients: 4.5

Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$$ (S$8.00)
OVERALL: 4.0

Deep-Fried Glutinous Rice Ball (Hot)

Who could have the idea to fried the glutinous rice ball, a traditional Chinese dessert in which a sweet paste (usually sesame, red bean, peanuts) wrapped in a layer of glutinous rice! It feels like Muah Chee to me...hahaha...lol Maybe I will try to do some myself at home some day... :)

Comments: The glutinous rice ball is as chewy as it normally used to be. Except because of the deep-fried layer on the outside, it feel crispy. The deep-fried layer also add in a strong aromatic taste of the sweet glutinous rice, making the whole rice ball overall more delicious. The paste inside feels soft and hot as it flows out from the opening that you bite off. Yummy! :)

Ratings

Taste: 4.0
Quality: 3.5
Feeling: 3.5
Presentation: 3.5
Price: $$ (S$3.00)
OVERALL: 3.5

7-Up Ribena

The container is just cute. Hahaha...lol They put the drink in an air-tight container...it actually looks nice with the lighting effect!

Comments: It is really 7-Up mixed with Ribena. Somehow, I don't like the 7-Up taset in it. It taste a little strange as it is not totally sweet. Maybe, the drink will be better off with Sprite and Ribena instead. *shrug*

Ratings

Taste: 2.5
Presentation: 3.5
Price: $$ (S$3.50)
OVERALL: 3.0

Blended Fresh Green Fruit (Plum, Vegetables, Pineapple)

This drink is really TOTALLY GREEN! It looks a little scary, and erm not say very appetizing. Hahaha...well, that is, unless you like green! :P

Comments: the taste is unique for this drink because of its ingredients used: Plum, Vegetables, and Pineapples. It tastes like normal vegetable drink, yet there is a slight sour and sweet taste (contributed by the plum and the pineapple). It makes you feel very refreshing and healthy. It would also be quite a good appetizer for a start!

Ratings

Taste: 3.0
Presentaion: 3.0
Price: $$ (S$4.50)
OVERALL: 3.0

Other remarks: Liang Seah Street is certainly a place with lots of great food. Love this stretch of cafes and restaurants! Causeway Bay Cafe overall is still good...and makes me feel like in Hong Kong too... *grinz* :)

Ah Chew Desserts

2007-04-26T01:13:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 24 April 2007

I had came here when they just started business in Singapore. My impression of the desserts is just average or even slightly below because I grew up eating the Cantonese desserts back in Hong Kong. Seriously, even now, no stall can be compared to those there.

Yet the second time I came here was right after I finished examinations in the last semester with my hall friends. Their standards of desserts have improved significantly. I tried the Hong Kong Ice Red Bean because of my nostalgic craving for the dessert that I ate as a child. To many others, it taste normal. Yet to me, it taste very close to the true Hong Kong Ice Red Bean style, which amazingly not many dessert stalls so far can follow.

Today I came here again after cell group meetings, and certainly I still recall how good it taste for the mango sago my friend ordered the other day. Hence, I give it a second try for my favourite mango sago this time. :P

Location

阿秋甜品 Ah Chew Desserts

1 Liang Seah Street (Bugis)

#01-11 Liang Seah Place

Singapore 189022

Tel: 6339 8198

Closed on mondays

Mango Sago with Pomelo

What makes this stall stands out in its mango sago is the pomelo meat inside. A signature dessert that you should not miss out.

Comments: The pomelo meat inside the mango sago enhances the feel of eating it (口感). The slight sour taste of the pomelo neutralises with the strong sweet taste of the mango. Hence, you won't feel sick of too much of the sweetening. The mango used is fresh and juicy. The sago used by the stall is of good quality as well in which the sago are slightly larger than most other dessert stalls or at restaurant. It gives the QQ feeling -- a chewing sensation like those of the black pearls used in the bubble tea. Love it! :)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5
Quality: 4.5
Variety: 4.5
Cleaniness: 4.0
Price: $$ (S$3.80)
OVERALL: 4.5

Other remarks: It is a small shop yet it has many customers. You cannot really stay long at the place after you finished your dessert. Hence, if you intend to get a place to catch up with your friends and stay longer for chats, this is not a food place for you.

The other desserts like Steamed Milk and Steamed Egg taste as good too, with the importance that the steamed milk and egg doesn't give the consumer a very filling feeling. The desserts taste just alright, not too sweet and not too plain. Good. :)

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon

2007-04-24T00:19:00.001+08:00

Last visited: 23 April 2007

I came to know of this place through my hall orientation camp whereby this was one of our game stations in the game "Makan Express". Our OG missed this stop and hence we made our pact to come back together to try their fish head bee hoon. For someone like me who don't really fancy fish (except Sashimi), this is one of the rare few fish cuisine that I LOVE so much! :D

Comments: Like I mentioned before, the essence of a good fish head bee hoon is in its soup. This XO fish head bee hoon is special because, like its name, it contains the liquer XO inside the soup. Even though the stall owner uses probably only one or two tablespoon of the XO, the whole fish soup taste become aromatic. The taste is like...HEAVEN! :DD I just don't know how to describe it to all of you manz... *paiseh* :P

The selected fish meat, according to my mum (who loves fish a lot), is fresh and of very good quality as you can tell from the texture and the thickness of the fish slices (well...it looks more like fish chunks to me! :P). My mum's speculation of the type of fish is Sea Bass, an expensive but juicy fish that is popular in most Chinese restaurants, because the meat we ate is not really tender, but firm and a little rough. But whatever kind it is, it certainly is a GOOD fish. Hahaha...lol

We also ordered their Prawn Paste Chicken Wings as our snack. The chicken wings are deep-fried until golden brown, totally soft and crispy. The owner uses just a very small amount of the corn flour on the chicken wings for deep-frying purpose and hence their original taste is well-maintained. This dish is really good and you probably would not want to miss it when you visit their stall next time. *Thumbs up!* d(^o^)b

Location

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon
Blk 46
Holland Drive
#01-359
Singapore 270046

Operation Time:
Mon-Fri: 11.30am - 2.00pm
Sat, Sun & Public Holiday: 12.00nn - 2.00pm
Evenings: 5pm - 11pm

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

XO Fish Slices Bee Hoon

Taste: 5.0
Ingredients: 5.0 (Got XO inside wor...lol)
Quality: 5.0
Presentation: 4.0
Price: $$$ (S$8 for portion of two + S$3 for XO; Take-away container is S$2 but refundable when you return it back to the stall)
OVERALL: 5.0!

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings

Taste: 4.5
Quality: 3.5 (some of the drumstick parts are not fully cooked)
Presentation: 3.5
Price: $$$ (S$6 for 6 pieces - equivalent of 3 complete chicken wings)
OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: I was amazed that even on a weekday lunch like today, the coffee shop is still packed with people, in which practicall ALL are having the XO Fish Head Bee Hoon. However, the service from this stall was, supposedly, notorious as the owner (the uncle) either pushed you to buy more from him or he would go black-faced like 包公. This is more obvious if you order from the stall in a big group. (Usually, not much of such special service for groups of one or two persons...)

Yet my friend told me that for lunches, the aunties will take over the ordering jobs (the uncle takes over at some nights). And they are really nice ladies. Hence, if you ever find the stall's services are not up to your expectation, well, take it easy coz they are already 'famous' for it. But then...remember you came here for their food and not for the owners k? So who cares! :P *Don't forget you are also dining at a coffee shop that has no service charges...*

Starbuck Coffee -- Java Chips

2007-04-21T02:43:00.000+08:00

Last drank: 20 April 2007

Drank this because my neighbour strongly recommended it to me. Hahaha...we are just two big chocolate lovers, and as always if there is any good chocolatey food, we will definitely share it out manz...yeah...lol Hence, today I finally get to pass by a Starbuck Coffee to satisfy my chocolate cravings. It certainly is my hot favourite thing to eat during high stress period! :P

Comments: This coffee is not cheap at all at S$6 a cup for Tall size. The other normal coffee at Starbuck only sells around S$5. BUT this is all worth it if you LOVE chocolate! :D Mixed with the ice blended coffee are tiny little pieces of chocolate inside the drink. So like the Godiva Chocolixir, you can feel and chew the bits of chocolate inside your mouth as you drink it. The chocolate, of course not as fantastic as Godiva, is very good enough for enhancing the coffee. Hence, with the good quality of coffee by Starbuck, the strong bitter coffee taste blends in perfectly with the sweetness of the chocolate. It is just another chocolate addiction for me...oh manz...lol

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 5.0

Richness (Coffee and chocolate): 4.5

Quality: 5.0

Price: $$$ (S$6 for Tall size)

OVERALL: 5.0!

Other remarks: I start to love the coffee at Starbuck because it just taste fantastic. Hence, with this chocolate combination, it seems like a coffee-chocolate heaven to me. Hahaha...my newest addition to my list of chocolate favourites! :DD

Tong Shui Hong Kong Cafe

2007-04-21T01:45:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 20 April 2007

Went here with my friends for some chats before my cell meeting. This is the 3rd branch (the other two are at Zion Road and West Coast) and the newest addition to the food places along the Liang Seah Stree, a street famous for its numerous good dinning places. I saw this cafe online and what interested me are their weird combination of food. And I really mean WEIRD. Even their food prices are all ended with S$0.88. What a weird concept! :P

The three of us tried to order the weirdest combination of food that we can find on the menu. There are really lots of variety for us to choose from. Here is a few food that we ate and either we recommend it or...well...there is nothing special about it. So be my guest and read on if you are interested... :))

Location

Tong Shui Hong Kong Cafe

1 Liang Seah Street

#01-05/06 (Opp. Mos Burger at Bugis Junction, and along the Phin's Restaurant side)

Official Website: http://www.tongshuicafe.com/

Ice Cappuccino with Coke （冻咖啡可乐）

The name of the drink really attracts our attention -- Can coffee mixed with coke??? It is just odd as they seem to be just two different beverages in most people eyes. Yet the owner can come up with this idea...zai! :P

Comments: The drink is really drink-able and so far I don't have any upset stomach yet...Praise the Lord! :P Hahaha...juz kidding...lol Well, have anyone tried making Coke float at home by putting ice cream in your coke or anywhere else outside? To me, this drink taste very much like a Coke float with Coffee flavoured ice cream already totally melted into the coke. Hence, you can't really taste the coke taste at all, but a strong, very milky coffee taste. It doesn't sound too bad to me though...so give it a try yourself! *wink* ;)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5 (I quite like it actually... :P)

Presentation: 3.5 (it looks normal in the big glass container)

Price: $$ (S$3.88)

OVERALL: 3.5

Ice Milk Tea with Grass Jelly（冻凉粉奶茶）

There is no more weirder drink other than the Ice Cappuccino with Coke. Hence, I choose what the waiter recommended as a popular drink in the shop -- its Ice Milk Tea. Well, I decided to try the one that goes with Ching Chow, the grass jelly, which just sounds slightly different than the common ice milk tea I guess...hahaha...lol

Comments: Their Ice Milk Tea taste really good. The portion of milk and tea is just nice, in which you can have a balance taste of both. It may taste slightly sweeter with the Ching Chow though. Yet, the presence of the grass jelly enhance the feeling of the milk tea, kind of like drinking the bubble tea with pearl. I like it! :)

Ratings

Taste: 4.0

Presentation: 4.0

Price: $$ (S$3.88)

OVERALL: 4.0

Fried Rice with Wolfberries and Salted Fish （咸鱼枸杞子炒饭）

We ordered this because of the less common food ingredients used in fried rice -- Wolfberries, a traditional Chinese herbs and salted fish, a Chinese style preserved fish that is super salty. It sounds like a very Chinese traditional fried rice to us...kinda interesting...lol

Comments: It tastes like any other Chinese fried rice. The wolfberries don't really carry a very strong taste anyway. Unless you put a piece of the salted fish into your mouth, the rice won't really taste THAT salty at all.

Ratings

Taste: 3.0

Presentation: 3.5

Price: $$$ (S$7.88)

OVERALL: 3.0

Macaroni with Gingko and Sunset Egg （银杏鸡蛋通心粉）

The only that interest me is that it uses Gingko, another traditional Chinese herbs that is normally used on desserts, in its macaroni. Sounds like a Chinese-Western mixed cuisine to me. :P

Comments: The macaroni tastes very normal, like the macaroni soup that most of us can cook back at home. The special thing about it is the presence of Gingko wrapped inside a lump of pork meat. The pork meat tastes a little fattening and oily to me and the Gingko is tasteless. Other ingredients used in the macaroni are winter mushrooms, and the house special fish cake with crabmeat and vegetables in it.

Ratings

Taste: 3.0

Presentation: 3.0

Price: $$ (S$5.88)

OVERALL: 3.0

CCF (Chee Cheong Fun) with Traditional Sauce and Sunset Egg （甜酱蛋肠粉）

This is another funny dish we find -- Egg on the Chee Cheong Fun! :P I mean, you don't really see that in other places, especially when the CCF comes with sweet sauce! They just don't sound right to me. *shrug*

Comments: Either the three of us are quite full, or the CCF is not really very appetising, I found this dish so-so only. The CCF, probably left on the table for some time, taste cold and the sauce has sort of 'solidified'. I guess if you eat it hot or warm, it would taste like any other normal CCF you get at any other places in Singapore. There is actually nothing special about the egg because they serve it serve aside. It's just like you get to choose to eat a fried egg besides your CCF.

Ratings

Taste: 2.5

Presentation: 3.5 (it still looks interesting when it first arrives)

Price: $ (S$2.88; the serving is equivalent of that of a main course)

OVERALL: 3.0

French Toast with Mango, Strawberries, Kiwi and Maple Syrup （芒果草莓奇异果多士）

Well, the first look of it was like "How can fruits go with toasted bread!" But the picture and the food look very appetizing and nice. It is really colourful -- Yellow, Red and Green -- like what you would see on the traffic lights! :P Thank God we ordered this because it is the one that makes our day! :D

Comments: It really looks very attractive and appealing to all of us. The fruits look so fresh and delicious on top of the french toast. I actually tried the bread with each fruit separately. When I took it with mango, both compliments each other very well. Sweet and nice with the maple sauce. As for strawberry and kiwi fruit, probably because these two fruits are sour in nature, it taste not as good as that of the mango, but yet the sourness makes it more refreshing and probably neutralise the sweetness of the mango parts. The bread alone is delicious with the maple sauce. Both of my friends even like the slightly burnt bread, as they say it feels much more crispy. Hahaha...we love it and I think you should give it a try yourself too...thumbs up! :D

Ratings

Taste: 4.0

Presentation: 4.5

Price: $$ (S$6.88)

OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: I like the decorations of the cafe, carrying out a very rich Chinese traditional ambience. It is pretty spacious for a small cafe like that, making its customers feel very comfortable and cozy. There is also a plasma TV on the wall playing the old Hong Kong movies, and surrounded by many magazine articles, which are framed up, featured about the cafe. All the utensils used to present the food are made of clear glass. Well, it is quite a cool theme yet a little unsual. For example, it used a big clear glass bowl for my macaroni soup...and it looks just so much like those that used to breed goldfish inside. Hee hee...lol *dots*

C-Jade Express

2007-04-21T01:07:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 20 April 2007

Today I need to go town to settle some stuff for my trip, I will of course enjoy a little break from my exam stress. Every time I pass by this restaurant at Wisma Atria, I always want to have a chance to try out their food. And today is the day...Yeah!

Since it is under the famous Crystal Jade Food Holdings, I expect their Chinese food to be of a certain higher standard compared to many others. Maybe my expectation is a little too high or maybe this restaurant are mainly targeted at a broader customer base providing more affordable food, the food quality has dropped a little compared to its main chain of Crystal Jade Chinese Restaurants. I went there at about 3pm...just nice for their Hi-Tea sets which only offered from 2.30pm to 5pm.

Comments: The Hi-Tea set I ordered was Beef Brisket Noodle Soup with Ice Lemon Tea. It only cost S$4.50, pretty cheap for a meal located at the heart of Singapore, one of the most expensive places to dine here. The key to a good beef brisket noodle soup is that its beef brisket has to cook for quite a long time so that it won't be too hard to chew. If not, the meat will get easily stuck to your teeth. For C-Jade Express, the beef brisket here is soft and just nice to chew. The noodle is pretty okay as well. However, the soup somehow taste a bit bland. Well, maybe for those who are don't prefer food with strong taste or wish to feel 'healthy', this noddle will be a good choice as it is complimented with a balance portion of vegetables too. :)

I have also ordered my favourite Swiss Style Chicken Wing. THIS is my favourite so...YES it tastes FANTASTIC! :D It is pretty like the normal soya sauced chicken wings but it is not very wet so you won't get a mess out of it, especially for those ladies who have their make-ups on. The wing is completely cooked so you need not worry for any bloody parts you might get from the wings (this is something I don't like about, which is most commonly seen when you bbq wings with your friends). The chicken meat is soft and easy to bite. The strong soya sauce taste will leave in your mouth even after you swallow your meat...very satisfactory. :D

Location

C-Jade Express

435 Orchard Road

#B1-18 Wisma Atria

Singapore 238877

Tel: 6733 6326 Fax: 6733 0530

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5

Quality: 3.5

Variety: 4.0

Cleaniness: 4.0

Comfort: 4.0

Service: 3.5

Price: $$$ (approx. S$5 for Hi-Tea sets; S$8 for lunch sets; S$10-S$12 for dinner sets; S$3-S$12 for alar carte)

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: The food is not as good as its main chain so don't expect too much from it. It is pretty like a normal foodcourt-standard kind of food or slightly better. But the price for its lunch or dinner sets and alar carte is not very cheap compared to foodcourt but just cheaper than at the restaurants. So I would recommend you to take their Hi-Tea sets as I find it as the best deal you can get at Orchard. The place is rather comfortable too and service is not too bad either. They also offer quite a wide range of the Hong Kong style food, hence you have quite a lot to choose from. :)

Big Eater Seafood Restaurant

2007-04-19T20:16:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 19 April 2007

This is another Zhu Cha stall nearest to NTU and also City Harvest Church Main Building. I love the 月光河 (seafood hor fun with a raw egg) from this zhu cha ever it was recommended by my friend. It used to be crowded on weekends and some weekdays nights when the main service of CHC is held there. Yet after they were shifted to Expo Hall 8, their main customers are left with the students, and also the residents nearby. On weekend nights where there is English Soccer matches, the whole coffee shop is simply packed with Ah Beks in the middle of the night, roaring with cheers whenever there are goals or exciting stunts performed by any of the players. What a happening coffee shop!

Comments: The 月光河 is smooth and wet due to the presence of the raw egg. Sometimes, fried hor fun feels dried because of their stir-fried and oily nature. Hence, the egg kind of acts as a lubricant and enhance the texture of the hor fun. Nice!

Besides the zhu cha, the coffee shop also famous for its 鱼片面线 (fish slices mee suan). The soup taste just nice and the mee suan is not over- nor under-cooked. The fish are fresh and seasoned with a little peppery taste. It was a very popular food among the NTU students living nearby.

Location

Blk 964 (Beside Nanyang CC and City Harvest Church)

Jurong West Street 91

#01-342

Singapore 640964

Tel: 6397 0480

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5

Ingredients: 3.5

Freshness: 3.5

Quality: 3.0

Price: $$ (S$3 for a bowl of fish soup noodles; S$3-5 for zhu cha)

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: Since it operates 24-hours, it is also a popular supper place. However, at late night the inner part of the coffee shop (away from main road) does not operate business. Only the Western Food, Fish Noodles, and Zhu Cha stalls oeprate late at night. Other food popular here are Hainaness Chicken Rice, Hong Kong Roasted, and Char Kway Teow.

NTU Hall 2 Canteen

2007-04-19T15:50:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 19 April 2007

Came here to have breakfast with my neighbours this morning. Hall 2 Canteen is the closest food place, mainly catered for Hall 2 residents and students, nearest to our Sports and Recreational Centre (SRC). It is quite a popular place with its wide variety of food, ranging from Western, Chinese, Malay, and Vietnamess. The canteen was run by 3 NTU Alumnis. There are also other smaller push-cart stalls at the side selling hot snacks such as waffles, hot dog and pastries.

Comments: The stall owner mainly used pandang and kaya for the kaya toast, which is different from the famous Ya Kun kaya toast in which they used butter and kaya. Today's toast was good, fresh and crispy. Unlike the other day in which the toast was soggy and cold.

However, for the half-boiled egg, it is still a little disappointing. The key point to a good half-boiled egg is how cooked the egg was. For this case, the egg seems to have overcooked a little and not so watery anymore. Geez...I guess I like it more in liquid form. :P It just does not taste as good as I would have expected it to be, even with the black sauce. In general, eating in NTU, even for breakfast is still cheaper than outside where it would offer you the same food items. So it's still worth trying... :)

Location

NTU Hall of Residence 2 Canteen

41 Students Walk

Singapore 639549

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 2.5
Quality:2.5
Cleaniness: 3.5
Comfort: 3.0 (Air-conditioned with TV broadcasting mainly Channel 8 programmes)
Price: $ (S$1.80 for a set of breakfast with kaya toast, half-boiled egg, coffee/tea, and fruit)

OVERALL: 3.0

Other remarks: It has a super long queue today as there are students taking their breakfast before the exams. Glad that I feel pretty relax because my paper is just not today...hee... :P

Mos Burger - Fried Garlic 'n' Lemon Mussels

2007-04-18T18:13:00.000+08:00

Last eaten: 17 April 2007

I love this finger food at Mos Burger ever since I studied at their outlets when I was in JC. It was a nice delicious finger-licking-finger-food back then for a poor student. :P You only need to pay $3.10 for 5 pieces of mussels wor...not too expensive for such quality of food isn't it?

Comments: Until now, I still cannot really taste if it is fresh. But I can say that if it isn't, then it won't feel chewy at all. The garlic and the lemon taste is mild yet just nice for the mussels. Hence, you can taste the essence of the mussels without having the garlic and lemon smell to cover it up.

Location

Any Mos Burger outlets in Singapore

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5
Freshness: 3.0
Quality: 3.5
Price: $$ (S$3.10 for 5 pieces)
OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: I also love Mos Burger fries and their Ice Milk Tea. Their fries are specially thick and less salty compared to many other fast food outlets. Their ice milk tea is sweet and very japanese style, very different from our Teh Bing (ice milk tea) that we have in the coffee shops.

Tiong Shian Porridge Centre

2007-04-18T01:52:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 17 April 2007

Since my mum and I doesn't have a nice meal before this and not filling at all either, we carry on our eating journey to this coffee shop. It was one of the well-known places in Singapore for its Frog Leg Porridge. But due to some childhood phobia, I vow I will never eat frog leg ever again. And while everyone's eyes are on its porridge, I notice it also offers Claypot Fish Head Bee Hoon. Hence, I give that a try.

Comments: While it was famous for its Cantonese style porridge, its Claypot Fish Head Bee Hoon taste as good as well! The essence of Fish Head Bee Hoon is in its soup in which it contains a little coconut milk and it should not carry with it the typical natural seafood smell (鱼腥味). This soup taste perfect! It is pretty comparable to the very famous Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon, just without the XO sauce. The noodles are chewy and the fish head is fresh. I love it! :D

Yet one thing to take note is that it DOES NOT offer a very good side dishes...or at least the two dishes I have tasted so far, Fried Hoon Cheong (fried large pig intestine) and Loo Dou Fu (braised beancurd), are pretty bad. The fried hoon cheong taste burnt and is super hard to chew. The tofu sauce taste weird and doesn't compliment the tofu at all. Moreover, the tofu is not fresh and not tender and soft at all. But I have heard from my friend that their Sotong You Tiao is good...I would have to tell you again when I have tried it.

Location

265 New Bridge Rd S088745
Time: 0700 - 0230 (Off on Mondays)
Owner: Mr. Lim Wong Kee
Handphone: 9628 2002
Outlet: 6221 1596

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5

Ingredients: 4.0

Quality: 4.5

Cleaniness: 2.0

Price: $$$ (approx. S$5 for normal porridge and claypot fish head bee hoon; S$8/16 for claypot porridge - portion for two or more)

OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: It has been awarded with many rewards and recommendations -- Green Book Best Food Award 2003, Food Glorious Food 大小通吃, LianHe WanBao 联合晚报, Yummy King 优选美食王, FoodTrain 食在必行, FBI 好吃情报. Chinatown is indeed a place full of good food...HAO LIAO! :D You may want to check out on other recommended places at Chinatown yourself at this link: http://www.sbestfood.com/newbridge.htm.

Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee Restaurant

2007-04-18T00:47:00.001+08:00

Last visited: 17 April 2007

Went with my mum to try something new at Chinatown, a place well-known for its numerous stalls and shops with good food. Yet, I never could have come to know there ARE exceptionals...and this restaurant is one of them.

Comments: It would be a nice place to dine at in Chinatown with its cozy decorations that kinda reminds people of the Sarawak nature. It specialises, like its stall name, the kolo mee and its fish soup. So both of us take each item to try.

For the recommended fish soup (fish and prawn soup), it tastes fine with the seafood inside. The fish was a little not fresh though and the prawns seem a little tasteless even though they are fresh.

For the recommended kolo mee (prawn, char siew, wanton with noodles), I would say don't try even it is on the recommended list by the stall owner. The prawn is fresh but totally tasteless. The wanton is average and the only good thing I found is that their char siew isn't too bad. Yet the noodles, I must say, it is the worst one I have ever tasted. It is not only not springy, yet it is also not soggy. They all stick together. When I ate it, I feel like I am putting a whole lump of flour into my mouth. Since it is a dry noodle, it tastes very plain as it comes without any sauce. Well, or maybe the owner expects the customer to put in the chilli sauce placed on each table when you eat the noodles...and probably just happened that I don't take chilli at all...so you can try that out for me! :P

Location

Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee (Branch)
271 New Bridge Road
Singapore 088748
Tel: 6557 0780 Fax: 6377 0271

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 1.0
Ingredients: 2.5
Quality: 2.0
Cleaniness: 2.5
Ambience: 3.0
Price: $$$ (S$5.90 for a bowl of kolo mee; S$7.90 for a bowl of fish + prawn soup)
OVERALL: 2.0

Other remarks: There are so many good and recommended places in Chinatown that you can try on, you can leave this as your final stop. Unless you are looking for a cozy place, this is the place for you...but don't expect too much other than it. Somehow, I just don't really understand why there are many photos taken with all the celebrities coming here to eat. So it could also be just that I have a different taste bud. :P

Ricciotti Italian Deli & Pastry

2007-04-15T19:35:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 23 March 2007

I came here to have my birthday celebration again with another friend...hahaha...or else I wouldn't want to spend much nowadays as I am saving money for my Europe trip. :P It was a very classy Italian restaurant with racks and shelves of Italian wine bottles on all sides of the wall, and of course except for the side with the ceiling-to-ground clear glass window where you can enjoy the nice river view of the Singapore River. Sounds pretty romantic ya? :P

Comments: I had ordered Pollo Panini, which is grilled chicken, zucchini and roasted tomatoes served with Ricciotti's signature bread (the wrapped sandwhich in the photo); while my friend ordered Gorgonzola Cheese & Spinach Scrambled Eggs, in which it is served on freshly baked and toasted Ciabatta bread.

Wow...I tell you the italian sandwiches are simply SUPE-FAR-BU-LOUS! I truly think that they import the bread from Italy just like a the day before it was served. When you take your bite, you can feel the crispy outmost layer of the bread cracked in your mouth, followed by a spongy and soft layer right below, before your toungue is even able to touch the saucy, tender meat in between the layers of the bread. It is just way too delicious! :D Usually, sandwiches to me is not filling at all. Yet this sandwich, somehow, satified my hunger very well, and not because I have any heavy lunch or snacks before that. I guess it is the bread they used that is very filling, which is different from most other bread we used to get from the bakeries in the neighbourhood. Oh manz...I can't wait to go Italy! :P

Location

Ricciotti Italian Deli & Pastry
20 Upper Circular Road
B1-49/50 The Riverwalk
Singapore 058416
Tel: (65) 6533 9060 Fax: (65) 6535 5915
http://www.garibaldi.com.sg/r.htm

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Ingredients: 4.5 (they use really good quality of bread, vegetables, and even spices for your sandwiches...which I believe some of them are really imported from Italy)
Taste: 5.0
Quality: 4.5
Service: 4.0
Ambience: 4.0
Price: $$$$ (approx. S$10 just for sandwiches -- but this is what they are famous for; S$15-25 for pastas)
OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: The place is cozy but just actually a little cramp. Overall, it makes people feel very relax and classy to dine in the restaurant. It is perfect for couples, and for some catching up gatherings with your one or two friends over some nice sandwiches and coffee on a sunny afternoon...hahaha...*wink* :)

Jia Le (H.K.) Roasted Cuisine

2007-04-15T00:15:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 14 April 2007

I love to eat char siew (roasted pork meat) ever since young. Still remember those times when I would follow my grandma to the wet market, there was this stall that sold roasted food. The uncle was very friendly and generous, and since my grandma was his usual customer, he would always chopped a big piece of char siew just for me. It was my happy moments as a kindergarden kid, holding the big piece of char siew in my little hands and strolled triumphantly down the street. Guess this is how I started to love roasted food and hence I can pretty well tell you what to consider as a good roasted food.

For char siew, the best is to cook it in the most traditional method -- charcoal grill. The pork meat selected should contain at least 50% of fats. This is important in enhancing the taste of the char siew. If lean meat is used instead, the taste would become a little dry. This is the same rule as to roasted duck, pig, meat and goose. For these 4 roasted food, the presence of the fats would make the skin much more crispy. Hence, roasted food certainly doesn't sound very healthy. You just have to remember to remove the fats before you eat them.

Comments: This stall sells true Cantonese style of roasted food, and even the more rare items like roasted pig, goose and squail which you normally only get them in the more classy Chinese restaurants. It is rare to find such good quality of roasted food among the foodcourts and hawker stalls level. This stall certainly has a standard of those of the restaurants and even hotels, yet selling at much lower prices compared to them. I strongly recommend you all to try its roasted duck and char siew.

Location

6 Raffles Boulevard

#04-101 Marina Food Loft Stall 6

(Marina Square Food Court)

Operation Time: 11.00am - 8.30pm

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5

Texture: 5.0

Variety: 5.0

Quality: 5.0

Price: $$ (S$5.50 for a plate of roasted duck and char siew with rice)

OVERALL: 5.0!

Other remarks: It usually has long queues even for weekdays lunch. On weekends, you may even need to wait up to 30 mins. Yet it is all worth it to pay such affordable prices for roasted food of high quality...you will get satisfied with it! *thumbs up*

Macau Express

2007-04-13T20:57:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 10 March 2007

I have been to Macau for 2 days and 1 night during the Chinese New Year. The Macanese food there is really special and I LOVE them juz so so much (I shall have an entry later on to introduce to you all the food in Macau and what you all should look out for if you are going to visit there). So when I know that Singapore Expo has a restaurant or cafe called Macau Express, I am really excited about it. The food that they provide are truly the Macanese food that were offered back in Macau. Yet, I have to admit that probably because I have tasted the true Macanese food back in Macau, my expectation is somewhat a little higher. Seriously, it may not be as good them, but its quality of food isn't that bad after all too.

Comments: So far, I have tried their Seafood Baked Rice, Porkchop Bun (it is super popular in Macau), Milk Tea, and 马克休 (Fried Potato Fishcake, a popular Portugese side dish in Macau). All of them taste good to me so far, especially the Milk Tea which comes in a huge container (2nd photo above) and taste just nice. The prices are affordable too and the place is neat and comfy. I kinda like the map of Macau that they shown there on the walls. It makes me feel like I am back in Macau.

Yet, the Porkchop Bun is quite disappointing. Back in Macau, porkchop bun is a must-try there and you can see it selling almost everywhere. What makes the porkchop bun SO popular there is just the BUN itself, and NOT the porkchop. A good porkchop bun has a bun that is crispy on the outside, and totally soft and spongy on the inside. Trust me, even for someone like me who doesn't really like to eat bread (I have my reasons), you will not get sick of eating this bread. However, Macau Express seem to ignore this important factor to make a good porkchop bun. They focus more on the porkchop, adding some onions and other seasoning along. Yet the bun was soggy and hard to bite. I may have been a little picky on just the porkchop bun but you have to understand that it is the most popular food there. And this kinda tells me that if they don't understand the selling point of the most popular food back in Macau, I doubt they truly know the essence of the Macanese food. Sorry if I sound a little offensive and harsh here because I am just a little disappointed... :P

Location

Singapore Expo

#01-43

Hall 4 Atrium

Tel: 6822 7883

Operation Time: 11.ooam - 10.00pm

Ratings (for the food in overall)

Taste: 3.5

Ingredients: 3.5

Cleaniness: 4.0

Coziness: 3.5

Price: $$$ (S$5 - <10)

OVERALL: 3.5

Other remarks: There are not many Macanese food in Singapore and hence this also makes Macau Express here special. For the price and the range of the food they provide, I believe it is a good deal for us to give it a try.

Best Coffee Shop -- Ban Mian (Maggie Noodles)

2007-04-12T23:59:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 12 April 2007

Best Coffee Shop is the second closest food place to my hall in NTU. They have quite a variety of different kinds of food provided. I guess due to their location which is further away from the main road, the food here is actually slightly cheaper compared to the other coffee shop, next to City Harvest Church building. So far during this 3 years of my stay in NTU, I haven't really gotten bored with their food yet. Food that I would recommend are Hokkien Prawn Mee, Chicken Chop Rice, Ban Mian, Chui Kueh, Nasi Lemak, and Salad/Lemon Chicken Rice.

What I find more unusual for this coffee shop is that the Ban Mian (handmade noodles soup) stall offers Ban Mian which you can change to Maggie noodles. Most of the Ban Mian stalls in Singapore have a range of Ban Mian (thick noodles), You Mian (thinner noodles), and Mee Fun Kway (flat noodles). But to change to Maggie noodles, the one we usually eat at home, is pretty rare.

Comments: With the maggie noodles, the whole "Ban Mian" actually tastes pretty like the instant noodles we cook back at our homes. Except that while we normally use the seasoning provided, the Maggie noodles here tastes more naturally and healthy with the home-made soup, ikan bilis, and the vegetables given by the stall owner. Hence, you may want to drink this soup down as you eat your noodles as well.

Location

The Best Coffee Shop
Block 959
Jurong West Street 91

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.0
Variety: 3.0
Cleaniness: 2.5
Service: 3.0
Price: $$
OVERALL: 3.0

Other remarks: Compared to the coffee shop near the main road, this one does not have plasma TV installed. Hence, it is less crowded and if you want to watch TV, you might just have to go for the other coffee shop.

Ben & Jerry's -- Free Cone Day!!!

2007-04-11T20:03:00.000+08:00

Free Cone Day: 17 April 2007 (Tue)

Time: 12pm - 7pm

Participating outlets: Downtown East, #01-08 / Great World City, #02-40 / Suntec City Mall, #01-152 / Raffles City, #B1-80 / The Cathay, #02-12 / United Square, #02-40 / VivoCity, #02-135 / White Sands, #01-36

Conditions: ONE cone per person, while stocks last!

More details: http://www.benjerry.com.sg

I AM a BIG FAN of Ben & Jerry's ice cream...and THAT is a super good news manz...woohoo! :D I LOVE it so much that it is always hard for me not to get a cup of B&J ice cream whenever I passed by any one of its outlets (THANK God that they don't have one in Punggol or Sengkang or Boon Lay...yet! :P) Hahaha...lol I SUPER love their New York Super Fudge Chocolate, Cherry Glacia and Strawberry Cheesecake...wooh...YUMMILICIOUS! :DD

Comments: This is absolutely TRUE info given by my neighbour and I have verified it with their official Singapore website! It only happens once every year...so DON'T miss it! Whenever I think of Ben & Jerry, I can still feel that sensation of the ice cream in my mouth, and those bits and pieces of chocolates, or real cherries, or cheesecake, or brownies, or......(depending on which flavour you order) in the ice cream as they start to melt in my mouth. The ice cream is fresh and the after-taste is strongly, leaving behind a heavenly smell in your mouth...how can anyone resist that??? :P

So MARK this date down in your diaries IMMEDIATELY! Hahaha...lol Well, poor me, I still have my FIRST exam paper on that day, which ends at 1530h. Even if I make it to the nearest outlet (which is at Vivo...but you need to know how crowded that place can get... :S), everything should be gone by then...AHHH!!! *madness* I feel so so much like crying out loud now...*sobz* :( Haiz...can't they have it on any other days or juz one day later?! @#$%^&... :X

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Richness: 5.0
Ingredients: 5.0
Taste: 4.5
Healthiness: 2.5 (Super milky and even more fattening than many other ice creams...but then who cares when it is B&J?! Hahaha...lol *bias*)
Price: $$$$ (For a price of S$4.50 for a scoop, it's one of the most expensive brands in Singapore for the ice cream category)
OVERALL: 4.0

Other comments: Would anyone be kind enough to help me get a free cone? :P

Canadian Pizza - Smoked Salmon Pizza

2007-04-11T14:51:00.000+08:00

Last eaten: 11 April 2007

Sometimes, especially during the exam period, I would like to order home deliveries when I don't feel like getting out of my room. Pizza deliveries and McDelivery are my two favourite orders. You may think it will cost lots for deliveries compared to getting out to eat...well, I guess not really. If you are ordering together with friends, as you guys divide the costs among the group, I can say it will cost only about S$5-S$10 person (the more number of people sharing, the cheaper and better varieties you get). If you order alone, you can split your pizza into several meals. I have tried once splitting it into 3-4 meals...so that will probably cost me S$5 per meal? Hahaha...about the same price you may pay outside isn't it? Oh well...that applies if you have a bigger appetite...or just as lazy as me...hahaha... :P

Comments: I suppose most of us would have tried Canadian Pizza at least one time in their life up to now. What I come across this afternoon is that they have this pizza called Smoked Salmon Pizza. The words "smoke salmon" really sounds appealing and expensive to me, so I decided to give it a try. Well, I take a look at the salmon pizza, thinking "Hmm...it looks pretty good to me." Then I take my bite...it IS nice! Unlike many other pizzas that have thick layer of cheese on top (oohh I love that! :P), this salmon pizza doesn't. The smoked salmon is nicely spread all over the pizza and taste really yummy. It consist more of vegetables like capsium and tomatoes. Yet they contribute much to a fresher taste, a taste that won't make me feel that oily and guilty after eating. So if you a meat-lover, I guess this pizza may not be suitable for you.

How to order

Canadian Pizza
Tel: 6241 0241
http://www.canadian-pizza.com

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.5
Ingredients: 4.0
Freshness: 3.5
Healthiness: 2.5
Waiting time: 1.0 (I waited for 1 hr 10 mins for the pizza to arrive)
Price: $$$ (S$21.90 nett for 2 regular pizzas)
OVERALL: 3.0

Other remarks: Maybe this pizza is not new to some of you, yet I would still recommend to you all to consider ordering it next time when you have the cravings. I mean, smoke salmon is the more expensive ingredients and they only charged you for the same price with the other pizza...isn't this is a good bargain? Besides it is SLIGHTLY better for those who love to eat pizza yet want to feel healthy at the same time.

If you are to compare it with Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut offers less variety of pizzas but more variety of other main course and side orders. It is more ideal if you are super hungry and cannot wait anymore as their delivery time is definitely much faster than Canadian. Yet Canadian pizza has a wider range of choices for you to choose. But then again, there are many more other pizza deliveries around in Singapore like Oishi Pizza and Rite Pizza that you might like to consider too ya? *wink* ;)

Bedok Blk 85 Hawker Centre

2007-04-10T20:07:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 6 December 2006

This entry is gonna be a super long one because I know this place way too well. I may not have frequent this place as much as last time, but one thing for sure, if it has no major change, I still know it as much as the back of my hand. Why so? I practically grew up here the first 10 years while I was in Singapore. Not only my house (Blk 78) is only 5 minutes away, my previous church (All Saints Church at Anglican High School; 2nd photo above) is located right next to it on top of a hill slope. So I almost have my meals here for everyday throughout that 10 years. And seriously, I never knew how blessed I was till I moved out from there. This entry you can certainly trust me with the food and the stall I recommend here. I just miss those days living there and patronizing that market everyday so so much...sigh... :/

[NB: Sorry I forgot most of the names of the stalls, so I can only try to describe you the location of the stall which are famous there. Will try my best to take pictures of the stalls again when I can go and visit it again next time, meaning that it would not be so soon...hahaha...lol]

Comments: For Blk 85, you practically have nice stuffs to eat throughout the whole day. The front part of the hawker operates mainly in the morning, while the back part, which is the main bulk of the whole hawker centre operates from evening till early morning. Hence, this hawker centre is basically 24-hours daily, in which most stalls will take their break only on Monday. So if you intend to go there, Wed or Thu nights will be the most ideal because from Fri-Sun night it will be super crowded. Since most of the tables are placed outside where there is no overhead cover, you can only come on the sunny days. Of course, you can still sit inside with those proper hawker centre tables and stools, but in general most people would rather choose to sit outside near the road, as it is much more cooler and truly the "Blk 85 hawker style". The food that this hawker is famous for: (Morning) Rojak; (Afternoon) Newton Hokkien Prawn Mee; (Night) BBQ Seafood, BBQ Chicken Wings, Porridge, and of course the best Bak Chor Mee in Singapore!!! :D

How To Get There

Block 85 Hawker Centre
Bedok North Road
Singapore 460085

Bus: Take 14 or 222 from Bedok interchange and alight at the bus-stop right after the Bedok Police Station (on the left side). The ride will only take about 10-15mins.

MRT: The nearest MRT is Tanah Merah MRT but it will take about 20-minutes to walk there. You just walk back to the Bedok Stadium direction, and walk straight along the Bedok North Road till you see the hawker centre. This method is more troublesome and hence you may consider the bus as a better choice.

Car: You just need to get to Bedok North Road. However, parking lot is limited especially over the weekends. Hence, you might want to park your car at the back of the hawker center, which is the Blk 90 carpark there.

BBQ Seafood

The BBQ Stingray is usually the most popular dish among the others. The well-known stall there is The Chan's Seafood, located right in the middle of the hawker centre. However, I haven't tried this stall yet as their BBQ Seafood is famous because of its sambal sauce, a super spicy chili sauce that I cannot take. So normally, I would order the BBQ Seafood from the stall at the front (Forgot its name; 2nd row nearest to the bus-stop). To me, this stall is one of the few stalls in Singapore who knows how to cook bbq seafood WITHOUT chilli. The stall owner will use garlic to grill the stingray, which works to take away the stench on most seafood. The stingray meat is soft and the bones can be eaten too. Adding some lime juice will help to enhance the taste much better.

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 4.5
Sauce: 4.0
Freshness: 4.0
Price: $$ (approx. S$10 for a normal stingray)

OVERALL: 4.0

Bak Chor Mee

The main reason Blk 85 Hawker Centre is famous for is its unique Bak Chor Mee (minced pork with meatballs soup noodle). The meat is so soft and shredded that you probably "drink" the soup and the meat together down your throat. Unlike most stalls in Singapore, it is absolutely different from those big, chewy minced pork you get. The soup is plain and is enhanced by the crispy onion and the spring onions sprinkled on top.

There are a total of 3 stalls there, with the stall right in the middle (next to the Porridge stall) the newest. The original one which started the fame all over Singapore is the stall right at the back, 2nd from the side. This stall wins for its springy noodles and its soup which is taste slightly stronger but yet not appear to have lots of MSG in it. The stall right next to it (the outermost stall in the last row) is very much the same too. I have make a comparison last time and realise the difference is only the noodle slightly soggy and the soup is milder in taste. But these are almost unnoticeable difference unless you purposely make such a comparison like me. It is faster than the 2nd stall with only 30mins of waiting time on weekend nights. The 2nd stall (the most famous one) will take close to 1 hour and 30mins on weekends and weekdays respectively. As for the newest stall (Ka Po Bak Chor Mee) in the middle, it is the fastest on all days. This DOES NOT mean it tastes the worst ya? In fact, I usually order from the stall just to save time. The Bak Chor Mee tastes about the same to me from all 3 stalls. Except that for those who came all the way from very far ends of Singapore, they still prefer to wait for a long time just for those two stalls that are famous -- for their stall names.

Ratings

Taste: 5.0
Soup: 4.5
Portion: 3.0 (Guys with big appetite can probably eat up 2-3 bowls; hence that's why you can eat many other side orders like chicken wings and stingray with it)
Ingredients: 3.5
Price: $ (Only S$2 per bowl!)
OVERALL: 4.0

BBQ Chicken Wings

It is a habit that Singaporeans like to add one or two pieces of BBQ chicken wings to their meals, especially for dinners when you are eating at the hawker centres. The BBQ Chicken Wings here is very much popular as well. If you are thinking of getting one, try to buy from the stall right behind the Western Food Stall (only have ONE western food there). The chicken wings is just tanned and nicely done. But if you rushing time and you happens to be there on the weekend nights, don't buy from this stall as you can take hours just to wait for it. There is one more stall right at the back of the hawker centre. However, it offers slightly burnt chicken wings. Yet because of its less competitive location compared to the other stall, sometimes it will offer Buy 5 Get 1 Free promotions. So if you come in big groups, maybe you can consider getting from them to save some money.

Ratings

Presentation: 3.5

Cooked: 4.0

Taste: 4.0

Price: $ (S$1 per piece)

OVERALL: 4.0

Porridge

The porridge stall is located right opposite of the Western stall in the middle section of the hawker centre. It sells Cantonese style porridge. The rice is boiled till it is in gravy form and hence it is soft when you eat it. The essence of its ingredients simply mixed with the porridge due to the long cooking time for the porridge. However, you may have to take some patience as it will take about 40 mins to be done after you have placed your order, even on normal weekdays.

Ratings

Taste: 5.0 (Strongly recommended by my uncle when he came here to visit us from Hong Kong)

Variety: 3.5

Freshness: 4.0

Price: $ (S$2.50 per bowl)

OVERALL: 4.0

Other remarks: There are many other food such as Western Food, Ah Boling (Rice dumplings dessert), Wu Xiang, Oyster egg, Char Kway Teow and Otah which are nice and cheap. You will be amazed by the number of awards and certificates awarded by the TV food shows and media you get to see over there. It simply look like EVERY stall has been awarded or recommended. You certainly won't be able to find THAT many of stalls with awards elsewhere in Singapore in a single hawker centre.

And if you are confuse by my verbal instructions of the locations of the stalls, don't worry coz I will try my best to visit it again...and this time taking down photos of the different stalls as I have mentioned. :)

MOF My Izakaya (Ministry of Food)

2007-04-10T10:58:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 17 March 2007

Come across this Japanese restaurant at MS while my friends and I are searching for a place to celebrate my birthday. :) The restaurant's name is pretty eye-catchy with the word "M.O.F.". Hahaha...not the Ministry of Finance I mind you, but the Ministry of Food! Cool...lol They offer a wide range of Japanese food, and what made them stands out from other is their unique Japanese desserts with ingredients imported all the way from Hokkaido.

Comments: I have ordered the Salmon Sashimi, Seafood Touji bento set and Macha Zen (the green tea ice-cream with rice cakes in red bean paste; 6th photo from top). Gee...it was my birthday celebration so I ate more than I am supposed to. :P Anyway, the seafood touji (tofu on hotplate) was special and taste really good. And they use really good food ingredients--scallop, big fresh prawns, sotong...something you don't normally get it from other restaurants at the price of S$20 for a seafood bento set. Well, at most they will offer you the cheaper seafood like fish and crab meat.

The salmon sashimi is in a big portion and just the look at it makes me drool. The meat taste really fresh and sweet and meaty. You can actually leave the dish for a long time while you enjoy your other food or to continue chatting with your friends as there is a huge ice pack below it to keep it cold. But the most important of all is that you MUST try their desserts! The ingredient, stated by them, are mostly imported especially from Hokkaido, hence you won't usually get them around anywhere else in Singapore. As they strongly recommend you to try their Macha Imo (last 2nd photo from the bottom), it is vanilla ice cream with red bean paste and deep fried sweet potato. Though it may sounds like a strange combination, it tastes superb together! Thumbs up for it! ;)

Location

Ministry of Food Pte Ltd

MOF @ My Izakaya

6 Raffles Boulevard

#02-138E Marina Square

Singapore 039594

Tel: +65 6334 2202

www.ministryoffood.com.sg

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Seafood Touji Bento Set

Ingredients: 5.0

Taste: 4.5

Freshness: 4.5

Variety: 4.0

Price: $$$$ (S$17.90-S$27.90 per set; alar carte ~ S$10)

Overall: 4.5

Desserts

Ingredients: 5.0

Taste: 4.5

Variety: 5.0

Presentation: 5.0

Price: $$$ (S$5.50-S$7.50)

Overall: 5.0!

Other remarks: The place is suitable for big groups gatherings and normal celebrations. It will be also the perfect place if you just want to have a nice decent dessert. Yet for couples who are looking for a romantic spot, it is definitely not recommendable as the open restaurant concept makes the place a little noisy and less cozy. When I visited there, its main customers appear to be young teenagers and adults...who probably are attracted by its special desserts too. :)

NTU Hall 4 Canteen

2007-04-09T21:15:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 9 April 2007

Had lunch today with my hall buddies back here again. Frankly speaking, I love Hall 4 Canteen much more than my own hall canteen. The zhu cha dishes they offer is really great and with more varieties. The aunties are very friendly and they remember me most of the time and will chat with me while I wait for my lunch. I like their chef too for he seems to know how to cook everything. Like their famous dish Sambal Kang Kong, my friend asked the aunty to change the sambal sauce to oyster sauce, the pork to chicken, the rice to fried rice...and he has no problem cooking the best way of it! How amazing...hahaha...lol

Comments: Eating at NTU is always the best bargain you can ever get in Singapore. It is cheap and the food is nice too. I ate the Fish in Garlic Sauce (1st two photos above) this afternoon, one of my most favourite dish there. The fish is deep-fried till it is crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The garlic sauce may be a little too oily but it smell super good and it taste good with the vegetables given. You can never get enough of it. Other dishes I strongly recommend here are the Salad Crispy Chicken, Seafood Tofu, Sheng Mian (4th photo above), French Herb Chicken, and Sambal Kang Kong.

Location

NTU Hall of Residence Four Canteen

Nanyang Avenue

Singapore 639798

Tel: 6791 4937

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Variety: 4.5

Taste: 3.5

Service: 4.0 (value added service -- you can call in to order before going)

Waiting time: 2.0 (peak period -- 12-1pm; 6.30-7.30pm)

Price: $$

Overall: 3.5

Other remarks: The only negative comment on this stall is that you will have very long waiting time of up to 45 minutes during the peak periods, which are usually the lunch and dinner time. So if you are in a rush, it is not advisable for you to eat here. But good thing is that you can call them to order your food before going down to queue up. It is a value-added service that they provided, originally offer mainly for their usual customers. Yet sometimes the two aunties there can get so busy that they won't pick up your call. So well, the extra service is not that efficient after all. :P

Royce Chocolate

2007-04-09T21:04:00.000+08:00

Last eaten: Late March 2007

Bought it because of my growing cravings for good chocolates (not again! :P) and the numerous praises that I have heard about Royce chocolate. Even though it was just a small stall at Takashimaya Basement 2 outside the Cold Storage supermarket, it appears to have quite a large customer base, mainly the tertiary students, the young working adults, and as always the tai-tais league. It offers a range of high quality chocolates imported from Japan, a country that emphasize a lot of quality.

Comments: When I received the chocolate from the sales girl, I am totally in awe of the packaging of my choclate. Wrapped in a heat insulator bag, the chocolate instantly looks super classy. Can't wait to open the box, I realise the shop actually provides an ice pack on top of the box of chocolate to keep it in cool and perfect condition. And in the box, there is a small fork and a brochure on the details of the chocolate. All these preparations and packaging already impress the consumer. When I put the piece of chocolate in my mouth, it instantly melt inside by the heat of my body, not staining any gaps in my teet. Within seconds the chocolate is completely gone, leaving behind the unforgettable taste of the rich chocolate. Bittersweet.

All these only cost S$12.80 for a box of 20 pieces! Well, of course it is not considered cheap. But considering for such a high quality, delicious rich chocolate, and the luxury packaging and good customer service(the ice pack and heat insulator bag which you can keep for other uses as well), this price is very much lower if compared to many other big brands that provide such level of standards like Godiva, and only slightly more expensive than those other brands that offer cheaper range of chocolates like Ferreoro Rocher, Lindtt etc.

Location

Takashimaya Basement 2

(Outside Cold Storage and next to Godiva)

Royce Chocolate

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Richness: 5.0

Taste: 5.0

Variety: 4.5

Presentation: 4.5

Price: $$$ (S$12.80 per box/20 pieces)

Overall: 4.5

Other remarks: Actually this Royce chocolate is pretty similar to one of the chocolate from Meiji that so far I cannot find any in Singapore yet. Apart from the richness in cocao, the Meiji chocolate that I am referring to also melt instantly once put into your mouth. I had lots of that chocolate when I was in Hong Kong as it is very much cheaper compared to Royce (only about S$4.00 per box). However, I had tried to bring that chocolate back to Singapore and due to the high temperature here, it melts very soon after and it cannot be put into fridge or else it will become too hard and lose that instant melting sensation. Whereas for Royce, the chocolate is still in excellent condition after putting into the fridge. This is truly what we called "you pay for what you get". So take note: Good chocolates usually melt above 20 degree celcius.

Godiva Chocolixir

2007-04-08T23:44:00.000+08:00

Last drank: 8 April 2007

I had seen this drink in many of my other friends' blogs and none of them gave a single negative comments about it. They simply praise the drink so much so that I wanna give it a try myself. And today, right after the fellowship with my church friends, I passed by the Godiva shop at City Link. With the urge and craving for chocolates (again!), I bought a cup of the Dark Chocolate Decander Chocolixir.

Comments: When I received the cup of ice blended chocolate drink from the staff, I thought "Well, it just looks like any other cup of chocolate drink to me!". So I started to think that maybe it is not worth to pay such a high price (S$8 per cup) for it when you can probably get it somewhere else. So I took my first sip. THAT sensation I get is beyond description. The chocolate tastes so rich that it seems like I am "eating" the normal Godiva chocolate! While the chocolate ice starts to melt in my mouth, I realise there are another particles inside the drink -- the tiny bits of Godiva dark chocolate!!! They are not big but enough for me to fill my mouth with the chocolate taste.

So the whole cup of chocolixir makes me feel like I was eating the chocolate and at the same time, drinking a mild taste ice blended milk chocolate all together! Since I ordered the dark chocolate (without the whipped cream), the staff actually put a layer of dark chocolate fudge on top of the ice. And this layer contributed largely to the aromatic smell of the chocolate drink. I guess the word "Chocolixir" simply means "chocolate elixir", which normally seem to be a medicine that make human feels like they are in heaven. Well, to me, this drink certainly has brought me to the chocolate paradise.

Location

CityLink (Opposite Flash & Splash)

Godiva Chocolate Shop

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Dark Chocolate Decander Chocolixir (without whipped cream)

Richness: 4.5

Ingredients: 5.0

Quality: 5.0

Presentation: 4.0

Service: 4.0

Price: $$$$ (S$8.00 per cup)

Overall: 4.5

Other remarks: Just the brand "Godiva" already tells the quality of the chocolate inside the drink. To me, it is quite a luxury item to be indulge in because my allowance or income is not that much. Hence, for a price of S$8 for a cup of the chocolate drink, it is definitely worth drinking, but only depends whether you have a fat wallet with you there.

NYDC @ Suntec

2007-04-08T21:58:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 8 April 2007

Went there to celebrate my friend's birthday. I used to frequent this shop when I was still a JC student. It offers great oven-baked dishes and its signature mudpies at affordable prices. The restaurant comes with a toy theme in which you can actually find soft toys around the shop. The menu is presented in a comical way as well. For me, I have ordered the Three Amigos baked rice and have tried a few bites of the mudpies my friends ordered, the Jedi Muster and the Grandma Goes Nuts. Hahaha...lol

Comments: The oven-baked rice comes in a pretty big portion for girls and hence if you have small appetites, you may probably want to share it with your friends. One thing I love about the oven-baked rice at NYDC is that it offers quite a thick layer of melted cheese. Hence, for a cheese lover like me, it looks very appealing and appetizing. The mudpies are still as great as before with its thick chocolate sauce and rich ice cream. The menu also offers a wide variety of the mudpies.

Location

Suntec Fountain Terrace

NYDC Cafe

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Oven-baked Specialities

Taste: 4.0

Ingredients: 4.0

Variety: 3.5

Presentation: 3.5

Price: $$$ (S$9.95++)

Overall: 3.5

Mudpies

Richness: 3.5

Variety: 3.5

Price: $$$$ (S$9.95++ per slice)

Overall: 3.5

Other remarks: NYDC is a place suitable for big groups. Even though its mudpies are the main products of NYDC, for me the Muddy Mudpie offered by the Coffee Club is pretty much similar to that of NYDC, but serves in a bigger portion and for a cheaper price. Yet I love the wide range of mudpies that you can choose from NYDC. And one thing I notice from the shop is that it offers quite a number of liquer mudpies compared to many other cafes. So if you are a alcoholic person or loves to have liquer in your desserts, NYDC may just happen to offer the mudpie of your choice.

Changi Airport T2 Staff Canteen

2007-04-08T01:02:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 7 April 2007

Went here with my cell group members after the Easter service from Expo. Thank God the canteen closes only at 9pm on the weekends and public holidays. For me, I ordered the Katsu curry (pork) bento set as shown in the picture above from the Japanese stall at the staff canteen. Hence, I can only comment on it in this entry.

Comments: Just the look at the bento set is pretty attractive and delicious. I like the japanese curry sauce, in which the stall owner set it aside for you to dip your food in. I didn't really drink the miso soup as I dislike miso soups in general. The pork cutlet is average and not really as crispy as it should have been too. Well, this I believe could be a reason that we came around 8pm in which the stall owner is probably preparing to close the stall. The salad tastes normal with the small amount of mayonaise given but still fresh. There is also a slice of the japanese appetizer (the yellow colour piece in the middle of the bento set). I never try it though as I don't like it. Overall, the bento set is pretty good with a good bargain at only S$5.90 (Airport staff price is S$4.90).

Location

Changi Airport Terminal 2

Staff Canteen at Level 3M

(you can take the lift from the carpark outside the departure hall level)

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Presentation: 4.0

Taste: 3.5

Quality: 3.5

Variety: 3.5

Price: $$

Overall: 3.5

Other remarks: Most of the stalls at the Changi Airport Terminal 2 Staff Canteen sell great food at low prices. Even though it is located at the extreme east of the Singapore island, it has been a favourite makan place in Singapore. The place is usually packed with people during the meal times and especially on weekends. Hence, even though it appears to be big, there is not many seats during those peak periods. It is a place that is only more convenient to those public who stays in the east and owns a car.

Ah Fang Coffee Shop

2007-04-07T23:42:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 7 April 2007

Went there with my hall friends for lunch. This coffee shop has been one of our main food source during the 3 years of my campus life, providing good lunches, dinners and suppers. It is very populare among the NTU students as a supper place, especially to those who stay in Hall 1, 4 and 5, and sometimes the army guys staying in Jurong Camp as well because it is very near the camp site. Their prata is very famous among us for supper, and their zhu cha is good too. The actual name for the coffee shop is Lai Lai Coffee Shop. Yet we all called it as Ah Fang. Well, I don't know the reason behind this though. It operates 24-hours and hence you need not worry you will go hungry anytime.

Comments: I love the zhu cha stall here as their dishes taste really good. The chef is quite flexible as you can make small adjustments to your dishes such as to add vegetables to your normal sweet & sour pork rice for only S$0.50. They have some unique dishes like chilli-crab-sauce chicken rice, fried hokkien prawn mee (dried). The prata stall is especially popular for during the supper time. Even though the prata may not taste as good as the well-known prata stalls at Jalan Kayu and Upper Thomson Road, the prata here can be considered at above average with a very normal price at S$0.80-S$1.20. At least, I don't think you can get prata at this price at those famous stalls right? The coffee shop also sells other food such as bak chor mee and western food. The stall owner also offers home-made ice lemon tea at only S$1.00, in which most of the other coffee shops sell theirs at S$1.20-S$1.30.

Location

Lai Lai Coffee Shop
Block 907
Jurong West Street 91
Singapore 640907

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 3.0
Quality: 3.0
Service: 3.5
Cleaniness: 2.5
Price: $$

Overall: 3.0

Other remarks: The coffee is more packed during the dinner and supper time. The drink stall aunty will only serves you up to midnight 12am, after which you will have to go to the counter to get the drinks yourself. Most of the stalls, EXCEPT the zhu cha stalls open 24-hours. But the zhu cha stall also operates till about 12am midnight on most days. The usual customers to the coffee shop are NTU students who stay in hall and the army guys in Jurong Camp. It feels good and cozy because most of time I get to see many familiar faces there or the same group of people.

White Char Kway Teow

2007-04-06T14:58:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 29 March 2007

I have come across this stall in Chinatown at the hawker centre behind the Pearl's Centre. I cannot recall the stall number but it is located in between a drink stall and a local zhu cha stall. The stall is easily recognised as it specialises in all kinds of char kway teow (local fried rice noodles with clams, bean sprouts, egg and sometimes prawns), ranging from Penang style, Indonesian style and the local hokkien style. But the style that caught my attention is the White Char Kway Teow, in which it EXCLUDES the use of soya sauce in its cooking process (the use of soya sauce is what distinguishes the local char kway teow from the normal fried hor fun). Hence I gave that a try.

Comments: Without the soya sauce, the char kway teow is quite tasteless. It loses its uniqueness of the local char kway teow that most of us like. You may think that it appear to be healthier without that soya sauce. I think the same way as well but after trying it out...it is NOT! It is still as oily as the other char kway teow that you tasted else where. But I have to comment that the stall owner is VERY generous in the portion of clams in the char kway teow. I suppose I had close to 10 over clams in my small plate, consisting of close to a quater of the content of the kway teow. The prawns are quite fresh as well. Hence, if you are a clam lover, you may probably want to give this stall a visit some day.

Location

Pearl's Centre (the hawker centre is behind the main building)

100 Eu Tong Sen Street

Singapore 059812

Ratings (Total of 5 points)

Taste: 2.0

Ingredients: 3.5

Presentation: 3.0

Price: $$

Overall: 3.0

Other remarks: It is worth trying as I seldom come across a char kway teow that is without the black soya sauce in Singapore. You might also want to try out other kinds of char kway teow from this stall too as the pictures there looks pretty attractive. Yet I have to say that the white kway teow is really too plain, even for me who is a person that prefer food with milder taste.

Red, White & Pure

2007-04-06T03:07:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 1 April 2007

Had this with mum on Sunday. [Clockwise from top right: Lime & lemongrass, Szechuan pepper, Sesame, and Ginger] It is very unique as the chocolates are herbal chocolates, meaning that besides having cocao as one of the ingredients, it is mixed with chinese herbals such as ginger, szechuan pepper, red dates etc. In this way, the chocolate will appear to be a healthier choice for the consumers.

Comments: The chocolate is not the smooth rich kind that you can get from those from the European countries. But it tastes really unique and the chinese herbals is of high quality from the well known brand Yu Ren Sheng (余仁生) herbal retailer. For example, the Sesame chocolate taste very much similar to those sesame paste that you get from the chinese dessert stalls. I like the Szechuan pepper the most as it has a strong aftertaste. The Ginger and Lime & lemongrass taste normal and kinda lose its uniqueness. The price is high as they are sold at S$4.65-S$5.25 per piece, so it is pretty much a luxury item to have. I would recommend you to give it a try at least once because its herbal taste is what differentiate them from the well known chocolates that you can get from Europe and other famous chocolate outlets.

Location of shop

VivoCity level 2 (next to the Earl's Swensen)
Red, White & Pure Restaurant

Ratings (Total 5 points)

Richness: 3.0

Herbal taste: 4.0

Packaging: 3.5

Variety: 3.5

Healthiness: 3.0 (the chocolate is still in the form of fudge)

Price: $$$$

Overall: 3.5

Beverages:

Life & Beauty (mango and passionfruit tea) -- 4.5

Live & Wellness (apple and raspberry tea) -- 3.0 [cannot recall the exact name; the tea is quite sweet]

Other remarks: The shop is also a 2-level cafe and restaurant facing the Sentosa island. You can enjoy the nice sea view of Harbourfront while you have a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of chocolate there.

Coffee Bean @ Changi Airport T2

2007-04-05T14:19:00.000+08:00

Last visited: 31 March 2007

This is my very first entry so let me introduce you to the purpose of writing this blog ya? :)

This blog is purely created out of my passion to eating!!! Hahaha...lol And mainly for my own pleasure to reminisce on those wonderful delicacies that I have tasted. So I can be thankful to God and all the chefs for making our lives such a wonderful place to live in. :D

But always remember that these are juz my personal point of views. You are free to leave me comments or recommendations...but pls don't judge or criticize me for everyone differs in their appetites and likings for food .

So back to the topic, I have my first breakfast at Coffee Bean @ Changi Airport T2 last Saturday morning. I ordered the set meal with the sausage, scrambled egg, toast and a complimentary cup of coffee; while my friend ordered the salmon scrambled egg muffin. I haven't tried the salmon scrambled egg mufffin so I would not comment on it.

Comments: The sausage taste about the same compared to many other sausages that I have eaten before at outlets like Cold Storage. The scramble egg is slightly tasteless, if I don't add the salt and black pepper provided. The toast must have been left unattended for some time so it was no longer warm and cruchy when I had it. But I like the salad that comes along with it is FANTASTIC with its thousand island dressing, cherry tomatoes and the butterhead lettuce. The coffee tastes fresh and good...the trademark for coffee at Coffee Bean. :) So overall, the breakfast is healthy and can be considered above average, but for the price you pay (S$6.50), I think it is worth for this English breakfast.

Location

Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure Hall Level

Coffee Bean Cafe

(Opposite Burger King)

Ratings (Total 5 points)

Sausage: 3.0

Scrambled egg: 2.5

Salad: 4

Toast: 2.5

Drinks: 4

Price: $$$

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Other remarks: The cushion seats are very comfortable and the environment still cozy despite of its open cafe concept right at the centre of the airport mall. It is enjoyable and relax to have your breakfast at such a place, giving you a good start for your day. :)