C-Jade Express

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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!!!

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

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

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)

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

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

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.