When Wok & Barrel closed, regulars lamented over the loss of a hang out place, but all the more a restaurant which was able to reinvent our local delicacies. The good news is, you are able to get the taste back at Restaurant Ujong Raffles Hotel.

Chef Shen Tan, more commonly known as Madam Tan, has made a timely comeback at Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel, filling a void from Ah Teng Bakery.

Some of the Wok & Barrel favourites will still be found at the new restaurant, such as the Nasi Lemak ($16.90-$19.90) and Ba Chor Mee Pasta ($25.90), except that it will cost a few dollars more.

The new dishes unique to Ujong include Yusheng Slmon Ceviche and Salad ($25.90), Singapore’s Claypot Rice ($19.90), Hae Bee Hiam Mentaiko Capellini ($25.90) and Prawn Flavoured Har Zi Meen ($17.90).

Restaurant Ujong’s standout dish is easily the Nasi Lemak. After all, Madam Tan made fame for this dish since her days at Maxwell Food Centre.

The fragrant rice is still painstakingly cooked by twice steaming over a three-hour period, ensuring a fluffy texture and a lemak taste which is not too heavy. This is complimented with its unique brands of both home-made sambal belachan and sweet nasi lemak chilli.

The Beef Rendang version ($19.90) we had offered chunks (we counted four) of fork-tender meats.

My next favourite dish was the Har Zi Meen ($17.90), a dish of prawn flavoured noodles in an Indomie-inspired dressing of kicap manis (sweet soy sauce), onion and garlic.

Its verdict was divided among our table though. While I like the springiness and tasty marinate of the thin noodles, the crispy pork’s batter might have went too heavy in flour, thus giving a powdery outer layer. And we wondered why the oil did not taste fresh.

Similarly, while we generally liked the hint of prawn paste in the crispy Chicken Wings ($16.90 for 6), but the oil was not well-drained and left a weird lingering after-taste.

We suspect this could be a case of creative innovation faced with inelegant execution. (Madam Tan wasn’t in the kitchen anyway, and we understand that the restaurant is still very new.)

Both the signature desserts, the Puloh Hitam Pudding with Gula Melaka Butterscotch ($15.90) and Shendol Coconut Pannacotta with Gular Melaka Syrup ($15.90) were inventive takes on familiar desserts, but presentation could be enhanced.

The ice cream melted in one, and wasn’t aesthetically well-scooped in the other.

Service was excellent, in typical Raffles Hotel ‘gentlemanly’ style. While taste-wise is uneven at its start, the team would probably need some time to iron out the details. And to fans, it has probably been a long wait.

Ujong at Raffles Hotel
328 North Bridge Road, #01-10 Raffles Hotel Arcade Singapore, Singapore 188719 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 9107 3028
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm Daily

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Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre has been one of Singapore’s favourites, and in fact the the first modern market to be built in a housing area in 1955.

Several well-known food items have in fact been synonymous with the name “Tiong Bahru”, from chwee kueh, pao, porridge to roast pork. Talk about best stalls, and there are too many to choose from, such as Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roast, Long Ji Soya Bean Drink, Tiong Bahru Fishball, Tiong Bahru Pau Yi Sheng Hokkien Mee to Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup.

I thought I should just document some 10 favourite stalls from Tiong Bahru, since this is the food centre I grew up with. The decision is tough though.

Jian Bo Chwee Kueh #02-05
Many Singaporeans would agree that Jian Bo offers one of the best chwee kueh around, a simple dish of smooth and soft steamed rice cake topped with oily preserved radish. While quality has dipped over the years, Jian Bo’s ‘cai po’ remains robust and tasty, matched with tasty chilli with hints of dried shrimps. They should go easy on the oil though.

Hui Ji Fishball Noodles and Yong Tau Foo #02-44
Not a widely publicized shop, but its queue in the morning easily beats many of the other popular stalls. One word – the sauce. The old uncle whips on a bowl of QQ noodles basking in an extremely delicious and unique-tasting sweet and salty sauce with crunchy pork lards. This is a handmade fishball noodle stall I would almost return to again and again. And again.

(Okay, kind of regret now. Those reading this, don’t queue okay? Cos I don’t want to wait so long for my noodles.)

Zhong Yu Yuan Wei Wanton Noodles #02-30
Never mind that auntie always look grumpy in the morning. They are famous of their ‘bu jian tian’ char siew, literally roast pork that doesn’t see the sky. That is because the meat is taken from the arm pit of the pig, thereby being tenderer than the other parts. The charred roast pork is indeed on of the best. Do queue early before it’s sold out.

Lor Mee 178 #02-23
The signature is the deep fried shark fritters with crispy batter bits. Yes, shark meat. The boss of the stall take special pains to entire the shark meat is not overly fishy. I also like that the gravy is not overly starchy or rich, yet slurp-worthy.

Tiong Bahru Teochew Kueh, #02-02
This Teochew kueh stall sells a wide variety of traditional cakes, such as peng kueh (glutinous rice cakes), soon kueh (rice flour cake with turnip), ku chye kueh (rice flour cake with chives), and the rare ou kueh (rice cake with black bean). Since its opening in 1974, the stall has been using the recipes handled down by the owner’s mother. Their offerings are very homely-tasting, as though it’s made by your favourite aunties. Tip: request for pan-fried versions of the cakes.

Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk #02-69
Uncle knows my order already. I am regular because their ‘tau hway chwee’ is so fresh and smooth tasting, laboriously prepared in the wee hours of the morning by the friendly husband and wife team. Their ‘Michael Jackson’, the combination of soya bean milk with glass jelly is very popular too. Their queue is long, but it moves fast.

238 Coffee #02-81
There are so many coffee stalls at Tiong Bahru Food Centre, and you wonder why people would choose to queue at 238. After all, it’s just kopi right? Their kopi is especially aromatic, and the blend is stronger and sharper than usual stalls. After sips, the coffee-bitterness would linger in your tongue. Watch the skillful auntie in action.

Ru Yi Vegetarian Stall #02-26
Ru Yi vegetarian bee hoon looks so plain and simple, that you wonder why the long queue. It being more than 30 years in the business should mean something. Then you would realize it is not as oily as many other bee hoon stall, clean-tasting and doesn’t make you feel bloated. The mild gravy and pickled cut green chilies complete the plate.

Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow #02-11
$2. Yes, still $2 per plate. Fried by an old uncle since the old Tiong Bahru market days of more than 40 years, uncle keeps his kway tiao quite ‘unoily’, better for them who wants a ‘healthier’ and drier version. The $3 and $4 versions are better in my opinion, with more generous portions of cockles, sliced fish cake and Chinese sausage, matched with a tinge of spicy chilli sauce.

Tow Kwar Pop #02-06
The ‘tow kwar pop’ (like a beancurd puff) is grilled on charcoal upon order, filled with cucumber and beansprouts, and served with cool turnip and pineapple slices on the side. The winning ingredient is the sweet prawn paste sauce poured over, with a dash of peanut. Very old-school!

Which is your favourite stall from Tiong Bahru Food Centre and why?

Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre
30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898, 10-15 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT
Buses: 5, 16, 33, 63, 123, 195

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5 Favourite Zi Char Places in Singapore

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We Singaporeans just cannot live without our chilli and chilli sauces. The hotter, the better. We are also very fortunate to be staying in a cosmopolitan city where we can experience the spiciness of different cultures, from sambal belacan and Thai chilli, to Mexican chilli peppers.

Many foodies go in pursuit of “delightful pain”, in search of the stinging sensation in the tongue, sometimes the burning within the body, only to find that we need an iced cold drink to wash it down.

Here are some of the 10 favourite spicy foods in Singapore that we love.

Mee Goreng
The Chinese and the Malays have their own version of this fried noodles dish with egg and seafood, sometimes sweet, salty and tangy. But it is the Indian Mee Goreng with added ketchup, chilli sauce and sometimes chopped green chillies that can make you break out in sweat.
Spicy Level: 3 out of 5 (Maybe I can skip the teh tarik and grab a can of Coke)

God Fire Ramen
Ikkousha Hakata Ramen by Kousuke Yoshimura has a God Fire ramen specially created for the Singapore market. There are 4 different levels of spiciness. Level 1 is manageable, 2 is tough, 3 is very challenging, 4 don’t even go there.
Spicy Level: 4 out of 5 (I needed my glass of Coke with loads of ice!)

Sate Ayam
The Indonesian version of the satay is charcoal-grilled, glazed with sweet soy sauce and dressed in a slightly hot peanut sauce.
Spicy Level: 1 out of 5 (For beginners)

Buffalo Wings
Some wings can go up to Level 35. If you want some kick in your life, or crave to challenge with friends, go straight for the Wingstop Atomic chicken (they have 4 levels). After having them, I felt my tongue burning up and had some tears in my eyes.
Spicy Level: 4 out of 5 (Keep your Coke can near even if you are only trying a Level 2.)

Laksa
One of Singapore’s most popular local food, which is said to be from the Peranakan culture. It is believed that the name “laksa” means “spicy sand” in Chinese due to the use of grounded dried prawns which gives a gritty texture, and coconut-based curry soup.
Spicy Level: 2 out of 5

Tom Yum Soup
They are deceiving. Sometimes the lighter the colour, the more spicy they get. This Tom-Yum Soup at Spicy-Thai Thai Restaurant (the name is already spicy) is served in a traditional steamboat style, using charcoal to keep the broth simmering hot consistently. Hot – checked. Sour – checked. Spicy – definitely.
Spicy Level: 4 out of 5 (Coke is needed especially if you are sitting outdoors. Hot lah!)

Roti Prata
Correction. It is never the roti prata, but the accompanying curry which is hot. It can come in fish, curry or chicken gravy. The more, the merrier. More kick than just sugar.
Spicy Level: 1 out of 5

Indian Curries
Indian curries are world famous for their lip smacking taste and fieriness. For something milder, a Murg Makhani Chicken Tikka has a more creamy taste, while a Machichi Curry will provide a good spicy kick.
Spicy Level: 3 out of 5

Pan Mee
The famed Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee from Kuala Lumpur is mixed with minced meat, crispy ikan bilis, fried scallion, meatballs, and tossed with their signature special formulated slow-roasted dry chilli flakes. The flakes are the ones that make a difference. It’s your choice to add or not to add.
Spicy Level: 2 out of 5

Chongqing Hotpot
The Chongqing Hot Pot takes the crown of pepperiness. Fat Bird at Bugis has a customisable spicy level, and you could be asking for it if you ask for their maximum level. Not for the faint-hearted (or tummy).
Spicy Level: 5 out of 5 (I like to drink a can of Coke to wash the chilli stock down!)

What is your favourite spicy food?

*This post is brought to you by Coca-Cola®. Follow @cokesg on twitter to get more cool information on similar articles.

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Kopitiam is a common part of Singapore, where a typical drink stall would sell coffee (kopi), tea (teh), milo and other soft drinks along with breakfast items of kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs. This is our way of life!

After posts on new cafes and more new cafes in Singapore, I wanted to do something local as well which is true to my heart.

The Singapore local café culture is also an interesting one, because growing up, there were no Toast Box, no Wangs, no Kaffe & Toast. I had my Yakun at Far East Square, and Killiney Toast at… Killiney! Now you see these local kopi shops everywhere, including Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia – which is something we Singaporeans should be proud of.

I know of many foreign friends who find slurping half-boiled eggs with pepper and dark-soya sauce, both disgusting and delicious. How about drinking coffee from a saucer?

Here are some of the 20 favourite Singapore local cafes – some found in chains, some found in solo coffee shops which we should treasure.

Tong Ah Kopitiam
35 Keong Siak Road

Tong Ah has moved away from the iconic building in the corner of Keong Siak (which Potato Head Folk took over) but it’s iconic crispy kaya toast still remain. The toast is thrice-toasted, with charred parts scrapped off by the lid of a condensed milk can (very skilful), sliced into two (very thin) and sandwiched with iconic kaya and salted butter from New Zealand. One of the very few around that still does it the old school way. Love their kopi – smooth, fragrant, lingering.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast
Various locations: Far East Square, Suntec City, Paragon, PoMO, Golden Shoe Car Park, People’s Park Centre, Bugis Junction, 313@Somerset, Raffles City etc

Ya Kun Kaya Toast is probably THE shop that started the entire wave of local kopi toast chains. Founded by Loi Ah Koon in 1944, one of its most original shops is at Far East Square. After they started franchising in 2000, Ya Kun never looked back. Many Singaporeans love their thin, brown crispy grilled bread, spread with homemade kaya comprising of coconut milk, sugar, eggs and fragrant pandan. Franchising causes differing standards, but at least their eggs and beverages are one of the most consistent around, comparatively.

Killiney Kopitiam
Various Locations: Killiney Road, Sim Lim Square, Upper East Coast Siglap, Marina Square, Lucky Plaza, Changi Airport, Ion Orchard etc

This Hainanese Kopitiam was founded in the late 1919, and was eventually bought over by a regular customer of the shop in the 90s. Killiney Kopitiam has many branches, but the main outlet at at Killiney Road remains as one of the best, if not the best in taste and quality. Some of the other branches are questionable. Their freshly homemade kaya and rich kopi concocted from Columbian Arabica coffee beans remain their main selling point. My other personal favourite dish is the fragrant curry chicken with crispy prata.

Good Morning Nanyang Cafe
Hong Lim Park, 20 Upper Picking Street

Although relatively new to the market, Good Morning Nanyang Cafe’s kopi made with freshly roasted coffee beans is one of my favourite cup for being aromatic and smooth, yet not overly sharp. Other than the traditional toast and thick toast, I would most recommend the Orange Ciabatta set – the breads are baked with caramelised orange peel, evenly toasted with a spread of kaya within.

Toast Box
Wisma Atria, 313@Somerset, United Square, Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, Marina Bay Sands, City Square Mall etc

Toast Box owned by the Bread Talk Group started as a drink stall unit at Food Republic Wisma Atria in 2005. Less than 10 years down the road, it has more than 60 outlets locally, and found its way to Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and China. They are most known for their Peanut Butter Thick Toast, though toppings of Butter Milk, Floss, Tom Yum Garlic, Otah and Hebi Hiam have proven to be popular as well.

Coffee & Toast
Raffles Xchange, Citylink Mall, Millenia Walk, Changi Airport, Tanjong Pagar Xchange, Tampines Mall, Singapore General Hospital Blk4, Esplande Xchange, 111 Somserset, CPF Building, Singapore Post Centre

This does not sound right, but I always end up eating Coffee & Toast whenever I am in SGH (not that I love going there.) They also survive well near the central MRT stations, selling affordably priced beverages and lunch specials such as mee siam, laksa and chicken rendang (at certain outlets). My favourite sets there are the mackerel otah bun (easily one of my regular eats) and chicken ham with cheese croissant. Kaffe & Toast is their halal subsidiary.

Chin Mee Chin Confectionary
240 East Coast Road

The Hainanese coffeeshop along East Coast Road, presently owned by Mr. Tang See Fang, was founded by the owner’s father in 1925. There is a certain nostalgic charm in this little shop, with mosaic blue/white tiles, marble top tables, a mixture of wooden chairs and ceiling fans. My favourite is the French Toast with the thick slab of butter and sweet aromatic kaya hand-made in traditional style. Other than kaya toast, this confectionary offers pastries like custard puffs, curry puffs, swiss rolls and fruit cakes, lined up in aluminium trays within old-looking metal shelves.

Wang Your Local Café & Heavenly Wang
Orchard Gateway, Suntec City Mall, Funan Digitalife Mall, Clifford Centre, Marina Bay Financial Centre 3, Harbourfront Centre, Changi Airport T2 & T3, Rivervale Plaza

Wang Your Local Café and Heavenly Wang (the fully-fledged version) services traditional toast sets and local favourites such as mee siam, laksa, mee rebus, and chicken curry. I think their toast and mee siam are o.k.a.y at some places. Consistency is probably missing – you may end up with burnt bitter kopi at some branches. You probably don’t know this – Wang Café is a subsidiary of NTUC Foodfare.

Café O
IMM Jurong East and Woodlands MRT

One of the newer ‘chains’, and probably most promising. Café O wishes to embrace all the 4 races in Singapore – they sells prata, murtabak, chicken curry and nasi lemak sets, and have 4 languages in their logo. Surprise, surprise. They are owned by Soup Restaurant. Yah, the same guys who sell Samsui chicken.

Coffee Kaki
Ang Mo Kio Hub, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital,313@Somerset, Changi Airport

Another kopi chain offering the usual such as brown bread, traditional bun and “kaki sandwich” filled with roasted chicken, egg mayo, sardine or ham & cheese. The kopi is not too bad, needs greater consistency, and slightly on the bitter side.

Kopi Alley
Icon Village, Woodlands Civic Centre

The kopi offspring of Jollibean, which is too off the radar, and should need some serious marketing and repackaging. Many office workers come for their mee siam or nasi lemak. Toast wise other than the usual offering, they have slightly more varied toppings such as chicken floss mayo, spicy shrimp floss and chocolate fudge with chopped peanuts topping.

Owl Café
Star Vista, Bedok Point, Republic Plaza

One of Singapore’s most familiar coffee brand Owl has its developed its first Owl café, which serves toast and an array of Asian-fusion delights such as Hainanese Curry Chicken, Assam Mango Chicken, Chicken Meat Ball Soup and Soft Shell Chill Crab Pasta. The Toast is unexpectedly tasty, with crispy evenly toasted sides, and generous topping of kaya and fragrant butter. Both the Kopi and Teh I had, unfortunately, were bad – one too thick and saccharine sweet, the later diluted and watery thin. Depends on your luck I guess.

Hill Street Coffee Shop
Gardens By The Bay, Chinatown Point

Go for their steamed bread, fluffy and pillow-soft, served in dim sum baskets. The ice versions of kopi and teh are served in ‘double happiness’ retro-looking metal cups. Laska, kampong rendang chicken nasi lemak and iced desserts are available. I suspect their Chinatown Point branch is much much better than the other one. By Select Group also behind Chinatown Food Street.

Old Town White Coffee
Jurong Point, JCube, Yew Tee Point, Orchard Cineleisure, Square 2, City Square Mall, Big Splash, Bedok Mall, White Sands

A franchise from Malaysia, both of the food and beverage are surprising a few notches higher in terms of prices than all the other kopi cafes. Quality – debatable. Customers still go there anyway. Some of their food is decent. Some, but be prepared to wait for quite some time.

Fun Toast
One Raffles Place, Liang Court, One Shenton, Star Vista, International Plaza, Citylink Mall

Where are they from? Suddenly I see Fun Toast everywhere. Their Kaya Butter Soft Bun is not too bad, Gula Melaka Kopi interesting. Fun Toast’s kopi is probably the most ‘por’ (diluted around), good for those who don’t like their coffee too strong.

Toast@Work and Toast Junction
Century Square, Great World City, Harbourfront Centre, Junction 8, Lot One, NEX, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Sembawang Shopping Centre, United Square, Yusof Ishal House NUS, Bugis Junction

No pun intended, Toast@Work may still need some work. Their toasts are messy and needs more fillings, and eggs sometimes over or under cooked. If you go early enough in the morning, try their beehoon with chicken wings and sambal chilli.

Qiji
Bugis Village, Century Square, Changi General Hospital, Funan DigtaLife Mall, Hougang Mall, Heartland Mall, Raffles Link, NEX, Tiong Bahru Plaza

Most famous for their popiah, Qiji’s nasi lemak, mee siam, and laksa are all above the average, reasonably priced and quite consistent. Kopi and teh are reliable (especially their teh si peng), but their toasts are sad, sad.

YY Ka Fei Dian
37 Beach Road

YY Ka Fei Dian near Purvis Street serves some pretty neat Hainanese fare zi char style, such as pork chop, chap chye, and chicken rice. But many come here for their soft kaya bun, baked in the shop, lightly toasted and quite firm yet fluffy. Probably one of the best soft buns around.

1983 A Taste Of Nanyang
Changi Airport T1, JEM, The Shoppes at MBS, Republic Polytechnic, AMK ITE, NTU
This is the kopi I have most often since it is near my workplace. Opened by Koufu, the coffee has a bitter aftertaste (which I got used to), teh is weak on the other hand. The nasi lemak and curry with soft buns are somewhat delicious, especially with the crispy chicken wings. Mee Siam is weird.

Socks & Pans
50 Market Street #01-23

Not the traditional local café, Socks & Pans sells full-bodied local kopi brewed with traditional filter sock. This is matched with kaya toasties, butter sugar cinnamon toasts, and Asian-inspired thin crust pizzas.

A fun coffee-ordering guide (I took a picture off the wall from Fun Toast) – you would get a hang of it somehow.

Just to let you know, I insanely tried every single place featured here and more. Some I left out because their kopi or service gave me a nightmare. It’s really subjective, but which is your personal favourite kopi and toast place?

Other Related Entries
5 Best Singapore’s Old School Cake Shops from the 60s
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10 Stalls To Try At Chinatown Food Street
10 Favourite Stalls From Tiong Bahru Food Centre

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Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House 香港锦田, which some fans proclaim to serve the best roast meats in Singapore, has reopened at Zion Road!

This is ironically surprising on some levels.

Flashback some months earlier, scores of customers were lamenting the loss of our heritage food – Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House at Tiong Bahu, and Nasi Padang River Valley at Zion Road announced their closures.

Both gave up their businesses on the premise of rental hikes.

Madam Yip from the popular roast meat shop revealed that rental increased to $12k (from $8k) per month over at the old corner space at Seng Poh Road; while the Nasi Padang River Valley said goodbye after a rental increase to $11k.

Somebody work out the Maths here.

It doesn’t make sense for Jin Tian to take over the present shop space (which I think has less traffic), unless the former landlord couldn’t find anyone and lowered the rent.

I was half expecting a bistro, mid-end restaurant or some ‘hipster’ café (by a chain) to open there, because only they can absorb such exorbitant rent. Until a drive across made us all in the car exclaimed “The char siew shop took over the Nasi Padang shop!”

River Valley folks, this is probably as cheap as it gets for food (other than Zion Road hawker centre). The Roasted Duck Rice, Noodles and Porridge are at $4, Char Siew Rice at $3.50, Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles at $3.50, and Soup at $3.50. Don’t forget about their ‘Duck Leg Wrap’ ($2.80) which is in limited quantities.

“How? So cheap! Nasi Padang close down, this can survive? What are they thinking?” Unfortunate thoughts running through our minds.

If I can divide the taste of the food into two parts, their meats are still of respectable quality – tender slightly charred char siew, soya sauce chicken with such well-marinated slipper fatty skin, roasted meats with good proportion of crisp top and lean inner layer. After all, the chef was from Hai Tien Lo.

My only main gripe is that meats can be chopped to larger pieces. I like to savour chunks.

The peripherals on the other hand, were due for improvements. Noodles were soggy, rice too wet and vegetables raw-ly blanched and almost tasteless.

Take note this is a self-service concept. One of the workers was rude, kept getting my order wrong, and gave a ‘tsk’ as if it was my fault. I told myself: patience, patience.

Anyway, Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House, welcome back! I hope you stay.

Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House 香港锦田
55 Zion Road (Opposite Great World City)
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm Daily (May change)

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The truth is, I knew Willin Low can cook. But I didn’t know he can really cook. My very frank reply to Willin after trying out the revamped Wild Rocket was, “So much better than what I expected.”

Wild Rocket reopened after a 8-month hiatus, initially facing some rent issues, and this break seemed to have done our celebrity Mod Sin chef some good.

I first met lawyer-turned chef Willin in an interview over his love for Hokkien mee years back, tried Wild Rocket, Relish and the defunct Burger, Bench & Bar.

We became friends (but he knows I try to objective when it comes to food , so…), the previous Wild Rocket was rough on the edges, and didn’t impress too much. Another friend thought celebrity chefs made it on TV for looks and gift of the gab more than actual skills.

The reinvention of Wild Rocket saw the introduction of an omakase menu ($118++ for 8 courses) at the Chef’s table, where Willin would personally introduce the dishes and concept. This guy is an auntie-charmer I tell you, making all the ladies (and some guys) laugh at the 8-seater table.

To be thoroughly honest, I was impressed with 7 out of the 8 dishes, of which 3 were exceptional. Only 1, the Grouper with Spring Onion with Ginger Milk, was kind of average and flat in taste.

The Thai-inspired starter, a Pomelo Salad with Frozen Coconut Dressing was already uplifting and invigorating. The mishmash of hot spiciness contrasting with coldish sweet felt like a dose of attack on the senses, and kept me in anticipation on what else was to come.

My personal favourite dish was a Laksa Risotto & Pesto with Seared Hokkaido Scallop. The coconutty-laksa base bizarrely reminded me of a long-forgotten taste, a particular laksa gravy tang that I was fond of as a child (can’t remember if it was Malaysia’s). To have that taste resurface on creamy risotto perfectly matched with plump scallop was like eating a dream.

Equally mouth-watering was the 48 hour sous vide Beef Short Ribs in Rendang Sauce with Ketupat, which is like breathing new life to a traditional dish. Almost impeccable, otherwise marred by dry ‘packed rice’.

Each dish in the omakase menu has a captivating story, inspired by Willin’s travels, childhood in Singapore or love for hawker food.

For example, dessert was a Matcha Sugi Cake with Coconut Ice Cream, served on a plate with dancing Vanda Miss Joaquim motifs (that’s Singapore’s national flower).

The Pineapple Sorbet with Salty Soy Sauce and Chill Padi was what he used to eat as a child, though we don’t common find fruit combinations like this anymore in modern Singapore.

It is necessary to mention that Wild Rocket isn’t a one-man show, and Willin’s team is attentive in service, knowledgeable in its offerings.

There are glimpses in the new Wild Rocket which reminds me of Alvin Leung’s Bo Innovation, and you suspect that Willin will get even better. We hope this is the start of greater food and things to come.

Wild Rocket
The Hangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, Singapore 228119
Tel: +65 63399448
Opening Hours: 12.30pm – 3.00pm Lunch, 3.00pm – 6.00pm Coffee, Cocktails and Cotta, 6.30pm – 10.30pm Dinner (Mon-Sat, Closed Sun)
Reserve Online Now

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Punggol Settlement. The truth is I have not heard about this area at all, until a friend recommended that it is “seafood dining heaven” in Singapore.

You would have thought that this ‘ulu place’ would be unoccupied, but a weekend visit to a briskly popular House of Seafood 螃蟹之家 for crabs revealed that, yes, Singaporeans can travel anywhere for food.

There are several dining places at Punggol Settlement near where the old Punggol Jetty was, many of which are seafood restaurants. The area is charming and beautiful. Families bring their children there for recreational activities such as cycling and jogging, elderly can be seen taking slow walks by the waterfront.

Of course we were there for the crabs!

We have heard that House of Seafood’s Black Pepper Crab was voted the best by readers of another website.

Their Black Pepper Crab base was indeed quite different – more saucy, moist and pasty, a recipe said to be specially created by their chefs, whereas some of the other versions I tried were drier and more peppery. Comparatively, this is a milder Black Pepper.

Our table also ordered the recommended Salted Egg Crab. Between the two, we chomped this version down much faster. My advice: Eat it while it’s hot, sweep the fleshly crab meat across the creamy salted egg yolk sauce, and let it linger and suck the sweet juices before swallowing.

If you need some carbs, we happened to like their House Special Fried White Bee Hoon with XO Sauce ($8, $12, $16) a lot. It was unanimously our favourite dish of the dinner.

There is something about wet bee hoon, simple in aesthetics but mouth-watering tasty after absorbing the flavourful sauce, complemented by fresh prawns and sotong.

The other signature dishes at House of Seafood:

Pork Ribs with Special Sauce ($15, $20, $25)

Mee Goreng ($8, $12, $16)

Crispy Beancurd with Chef’s Special Sauce ($15, $20, $25)

Pan Fried Chicken Cutlet with Special Sauce ($12, $16, $20) garnished with quail eggs

Of all the main dishes recommended, our favourite was the chicken cutlet evenly coated with sweet savoury sauce, slightly crisp on the outside, tender yet lean which somewhat reminded us of pork chop.

The other varieties of crabs available include Chilli, Stewed, White Pepper, Steamed, Ginger & Spring Onion, Bee Hoon, Indonesia Baked, Golden Creamy Butter, Sweet & Sour, Claypot Tang Hoon, Pumpkin, and Alaksan.

If you need to find somewhere away from the hustle and bustle, for a relaxing time with your family, consider heading over to Punggol Settlement for a meal of crabs.

House of Seafood 螃蟹之家
Punggol Branch: The Punggol Settlement #01-01 & #01-02, 3 Punggol Point Road, Singapore 828694 (Near Punggol Jetty) More than 200 carpark lots
Tel: +65 64669000
Opening Hours: 5pm – 11pm Daily

Joo Chiat
1 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427739 (Behind Joo Chiat Complex)
Tel: +65 64425180
Reserve Online Now

Tanjong Katong
315 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437098
(Behind City Plaza, turn in after Caltex Petrol Station)
Tel: +65 67469000
Reserve Online Now

Serangoon
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, 756 Upper Serangoon Road #03-33
(Opp S’Post, next to Hotel81)
Tel: +65 62859711
Reserve Online Now

House of Seafood National Day Giveaway
Since it’s Singapore’s 49th Birthday, DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 49 x $10 vouchers for you to enjoy dining at House of Seafood! It’s a little discount if you already intended to dine there.

Step 1: LIKE Daniel’s Food Diary on Facebook
Step 2: LIKE and SHARE this entry
Step 3: COMMENT below on your favourite crab style (eg chilli, black pepper etc).
(Do include your email so that it is easier for me to reach you.)

*This entry is brought to you by House of Seafood

The post House of Seafood 螃蟹之家 – Crab Paradise at the Beautiful Punggol Settlement appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Selecting 10 ‘national dishes’ representative of Singapore is a tough and contentious one. While many of these dishes may not have originated from Singapore, they represent our colourful blend of cultures and varieties of flavours.

What cannot be denied is Singaporeans love our food, and it’s not difficult to find affordable and delicious food all around here.

Chilli and Black Pepper Crabs
Why we are so proud of these two dishes – the Chilli and Black Pepper Crabs can be said to have originated from Singapore, created by different restaurants in East Coast during the 1950s.

What makes the Chilli Crab distinct is the thickened sweet savoury sauce, tasting somewhat like a cross of chilli and tomato sauces. Don’t worry, it’s not too spicy. Scoop the sauce with crab claw or deep fried mantou, and you will understand why we love it so much. Hot fleshy crabs and iced cold sparkling Coke – yes, they can go well together.

Where to get: No Signboard Seafood (414 Geylang Road), Long Beach Seafood (1202 East Coast Parkway), House of Seafood (Punggol Settlement), Mellben Seafood (232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3), Jumbo Seafood (East Coast Seafood Centre), Redhouse Seafood (East Coast Seafood Centre), Eng Seng Restaurant (247 Joo Chiat Place)

Hainanese Chicken Rice

The definitive Singapore National Dish. Adapted from the early Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, we love this deceptively simple dish for many reasons – the aromatic rice cooked in chicken stock, tender juicy white chicken, and ‘power’ chili sauce along with dark soy sauce.

One of the favourite stalls to get Hainanese Chicken Rice is from Tian Tian at Maxwell. Anthony Bourdain loves it, Gordon Ramsey ‘lost’ a competition to it. Purvis Street is also full of Hainanese restaurants which serve it the old good way.

Where to get: Tian Tian (Maxwell Food Centre), Boon Tong Kee (399 Balestier Road), Sin Kee (Mei Chin Road Market), Five Star (191 East Coast Road), Heng Ji (Chinatown Complex), Chatterbox (Meritus Mandarin Hotel), Wee Nam Kee (United Square), Yet Con (Purvis Street)

Char Kway Tiao
In the good old days, food peddlers used leftovers from meals to whip up this dish also known as ‘stir-fried rice noodles’ with multiple ingredients.

While Char Kway Tiao is not exactly photogenic by looking black and oily, the dish is extremely delicious, fried in dark soy sauce, complimented by ingredients of egg, Chinese sausages, beansprout and cockles. A test of a good plate – it has ‘wok hei’, an indescribable ‘heat’ which you would feel as you take your first bite.

Where to get: No 18 Fried Kway Tiao (Zion Road Riverside Food Centre), Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (Bedok South Market and Food Centre), Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Food Centre0, Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Tiao (Tiong Bahru Market), 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee (Golden Mile Food Centre), Day Night Fried Kway Tiao (Bukit Merah Central Food Centre), Lao Fu Zi (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

Bak Kut Teh
Many international celebrities love having Bak Kut Teh for supper in Singapore. You can spot them when you notice someone in shades having supper with an entourage.

There are many versions of the’ pork rib tea’. The Hokkiens have a stronger version with dark soy sauce added, the Cantonese with more medicinal herbs, whereas the Teochews like them peppery. I enjoy both the claypot herbal types and those with peppery soup bases. Best enjoyed on a cooling night, with tender ribs dipped into dark soy sauce, and crispy ‘you tiao’ dunked in hot steamy broth.

Where to get: Ng Ah Sio (208 Rangoon Road), Outram Park Ya Hua (PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex), Sin Heng (439 Joo Chiat), Founder (347 Balestier Road, 154 Rangoon Road), Hong Ji (Ang Mo Kio Ave 4)

Laksa
One of my favourite guility pleasures, Laksa is noodles or thick vemicilli cooked in rich and creamy spicy coconut milk gravy. The famous ones are found in Katong, where some shops DO NOT serve them with chopsticks. You have to slurp the noodles off the soup.

Where to get: 328 Katong Laksa (216 East Coast Road), Min Ji Laksa (Bendemeer Road Market and Food Centre), Depot Road Zhen Shan Met (Alexandra Food Village), Terry Katong Laksa (Bt Timah Market and Food Centre), 48 Roxy Laksa (East Coast Lagoon Food Village)

Roti Prata
Interestingly, Singaporeans love Roti Prata both as a breakfast and supper dish. Evolved from a pancake recipe from Pakistan and India, the crispy fluffy ‘flat bread’ is commonly served with curry, or some love them with a spoonful of sugar.

Watching the cook make prata with flips and tosses in the air is always fun. The variety of pratas in Singapore also just gets more and more exciting, from the initial egg, onions and cheese, we have seen fillings from fruits such as durian and banana, ice cream to chocolate. I am sticking to my crispy egg prata.

Where to get: Casuarina Curry Restaurant (136 Casuarina Road), Thasevi Famous Jalan Kayu Prata (235 Jalan Kayu), The Roti Prata House (246M Upper Thomson Road)

Satay
Considered as one of the most popular Malay dish in Singapore, these skewered meat comes with choices of chicken, mutton, beef (some stalls offer more such as prawns and duck), barbecued over charcoal. The outer glazed layer is slightly charred, while the meat is sweetish and tasty.

Most often ordered in 5s or 10s, the sticks come with rice dumpling (called ‘ketupat’), onions and cucumber, all can be dipped in spicy-sweet peanut sauce. An occasional stall, usually the Chinese ones, may mix pineapple pulp within the sauce.

Where to get: Alhambra Padang (Makansutra Gluttons Bay), Chuan Kee Satay (Old Airport Road Food Centre), Fang Yuan Staya (Toa Payoh Lor 5 Food Centre), Old Punggol Satay (Kaki Bukit Food Centre), Warong Sudi Mampir (Haig Road Food Centre), Satay By The Bay (Gardens By The Bay)

Bak Chor Mee
While hawker centres and coffeeshops in Singapore offer many types of noodles, the Bak Chor Mee has somehow been considered most uniquely Singaporean. This is especially so for the ‘mee pok’, which can be considered the local version of fettucine.

Affectionally known as BCM, this noodle dish is usually ordered dry, coming with pork slices, pork liver, minced meat, stewed sliced mushroom, fried sole fish and an occasional fishball. We love it tossed in a sauce made with homemade chili sauce, vinegar and pork lard oil.

Where to get: High Street Tai Hwa (Blk 466 Crawford Lane), Xin Ji Rou Cuo Mian (Blk 85 Fengshan Centre), Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee (Hong Lim Food Centre)

Nasi Lemak
Some foreigners may find it weird that Singaporeans can have rice wrapped in banana leaf for breakfast. Yes, the Nasi Lemak, which is coconut rice, can be savoured anytime of the day.

The Malay version can contain fried ikan bilis, nuts, fried fish, egg, cucumber, not forgetting a quintessential sambal chilli sauce. The Chinese version sometime includes other ingredients such as chicken wings, pork chop and otah otah. Some versions can get slightly dry, and and will taste great with a cool refreshing can of Coke.

Where to get: Selera Rasa Adam Road No 1 (Adam Road Food Centre), International Muslim Food Stall (Changi Village Food Centre), Haji Maksah Barkat (Boon Lay Place Food Village), Ponggol Nasi Lemak (965 Upper Serangoon Road), Chong Pang Nasi Lemak (447 Sembawang Road)

Rojak
‘Rojak’ is such a special food in Singapore, its name has been used as an adjective in Singlish. Case in point, “Your dressing is very rojak”, “What you speak is very rojak”, and “Singapore has a rojak culture”, which briefly means ‘mixed’.

The usual type would include fried dough fritters, taupok, sliced pineapple, cucumber, radish and beansprouts mixed in a dark thick sweet sauce with peanuts. Some varieties include fruits such as green apple and raw mangos. The Indian rojak is variably different, containing food such as potatoes and egg deep fried in batter. So many varieties, that’s why it’s so ‘rojak’!

Where to get: Balestier Road Hoover Rojak (Whampoa Food Centre), Brothers Rojak (Clementi Ave 3 See Lam Hern Coffeeshop), Eat May Know (Bendemeer Road Food Centr), Lau Hong Ser Famous Rojak (Dunman Food Centre), Toa Payoh Rojak (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

What is your Idea of Singapore’s National Food?

*This post is brought to you by Coca-Cola®. Follow @cokesg on twitter to get more cool information on similar articles.

The post 10 Singapore National Dishes – Must Eat Local Food From Our Sunny Island appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

While Singapore is moving up the ranks of being “The Most Expensive Cities in the World”, finding that cheap and good lunch is being an uphill task. Or is it not?

Food prices are increasing but Singapore is still a place where we can still discover affordable food in our hawker centres, coffee shops and canteens. Some of us may want to watch our pocket when it comes to that 2nd meal of the day. We just need to uncover.

Can $5 buy you a great lunch? These are some of my favourite cheaper lunches around town.

Orchard
The basement of Tang Plaza (many still prefer to call the building CK Tang) has been partly converted to Tangs Market, selling local and Malaysian favourites such as Redhill Teochew Fishball Noodle, Satay, Popiah & Kueh Pie Tee, Chee Cheong Fun, Peranakan Kueh, Laksa and Malaysian style Hokkien Mee.

My favourite dish there is the Fishball Meepok ($4) , which include 4 plump bouncy yellow tail fishballs, and one mixed with pork. The noodles are evenly tossed in a mixture of fish sauce and chilli, and has a flavour of its own compared to other typical food courts.

A 5 min walk away will bring us to Far East Plaza or Lucky Plaza (for cheap Yong Tau Foo). These older malls along Orchard Road both contain plenty of affordable eateries, some shops having been around for many years.

Hainanese Delicacy at Level 5 of Far East Plaza is a childhood favourite for many, serving chicken rice the old school way. A set is at $4!

There are several eateries on this floor such as Ayam Penyet Ria, Delicacy Food Centre, Puncak Best Noodle, Yusof & Arni Café, Tasty Treats and Tanjong Pinang – and you should be able to come across food that is wallet-friendly.

If I am craving for Nasi Lemak or Chicken Chop Rice, Punggol Nasi Padang outlet at Far East Plaza sells them a $4-$4.50. Okay, but the taste here can be rather inconsistent, and I wished that the food served was warmer.

Somerset
If you are meeting friends in town and feel budget-conscious, take a 3-5 minutes walk from Somerset MRT to Killiney Road or to Cuppage Plaza.

Office workers’ favourite is the hidden basement of SingTel canteen (Oh, have I let the secret out?), or shops along Killiney Road.

A new kid in the block is Nana Teh Tarik, a 24-hour Halal shop which sells Prata ($1, $1.50 for egg, $2.50 for cheese) , Nasi and Mee Goreng ($4.00, 50 cents more for egg) , and Briyani ($5) .

Some of the dishes can get quite spicy, so a drink of iced-cold Coke will do the trick.

One of my favourites along that stretch to get a quick fix is Chicken Rice Express, which still keeps it prices low. A plate of Chicken Rice is $3.80, Wanton Noodles at $4.20 and the workers there are fast and efficient if you are in a hurry during lunch.

The famous original shops of Killiney Kopitiam and Killiney Curry Puff (which also sells mee soto, mee rebus, mee siam) are where you can find lunches for $5 as well.

City Hall
I used to work around this area, and Qiji has been a reliable source for many to satisfy their Mee Siam ($3.90), Nasi Lemak ($4.20), Laksa ($4.00) and Popiah ($2.10) cravings.

Available at Funan DigitaLife Mall, Shaw Towers and Raffles Link .

Bugis
You may notice a short queue outside Jai Thai Restaurant at Purvis Street. Some of the authentic Thai favourites such as Phai Thai, Beef Soup, Pineapple Rice and Olive Rice are all at $5.

There are many other Thai restaurants around the vicinity, but I do not think any is as economical as Jai Thai, and the taste is not too bad.

Another one of my regulars is Supreme Pork Chop at 67 Beach Road. This may be harder to locate because you have to enter via a short flight of steps that goes to the basement.

The stall serves Taiwanese style Noodles with Fish Fillet, Chicken Chop or Pork Chop at $4.00. A dish of Pork Chop with Fried Rice, Coleslaw and Egg is at $4.50!

Raffles Place
The Salad Corner at Golden Shoe and Amoy Street Food Centre is THE salad stall of the OLs (office ladies). You will not miss the long snaking queue if you go during lunch time.

The winning factor is in its affordability – $4.90 for a basic salad with 5 toppings (yeah to Japanese cucumber, cranberries, kidney beans and tofu) and salad dressings (16 to choose from!). Fresh, cheap and delicious.

Those working nearing the Boat Quay area can visit Macpherson BBQ Seafood (don’t be confused, it’s not at Macpherson but 34 South Bridge Road). Their signature popular Sambal Stingray Rice is at $4.90. Even if you top it up with say fried chicken, sotong, or beef with a drink of Coke, it shouldn’t cost more than $10.

Just because you plan to eat cheap doesn’t mean you can’t have a great meal. For a start, you don’t have to settle for the same boring drinks and can opt for something with a bit more taste – an ice-cold Coke! And Coke can make the meal of your choice even better.

Note: Prices are correct at time of publishing. Do recommend other cheap and good food around town.

*Brought to you in partnership with Coca-Cola®. Follow @cokesg on twitter to get more cool information on similar articles.

The post 10 (And More) $5 Pocket-friendly Lunches Around Town appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Auntie behind me asked, “Oh, only sell two noodles… Beef noodles and Assam Laska. What can I eat here?” I was amused, also wondering if this is what most customers feel.

GRUB after setting up FIX Café has made a bold foray into setting up a modern noodle bar, something I feel much lacking in the Singapore market. Sure, we can pay $15-25 for ramen, but would we be willing pay that for Beef Noodles (‘Gu Bak Mee’ lah), especially one cooked with quality 150-day grainfed Angus ribeye.

GRUB Noodle Bar is no Wagamama yet, but one can see its potential.

The number of noodles here – Two. Just two for the moment. One Beef Noodles and One Assam Laksa. If you don’t take beef, it’s highly likely a sayonara.

Side dishes such as Kang Kang Salad ($7), Chicken Drumlets ($9), Tiger Prawns ($15) and Venus Clams ($13) are available.

The Beef Noodles come in variety of “pasture-fed brisket” ($12), rump ($15), angus sirloin ($17), and I-think-they-need-to-emphasize-this “100% Hormone & Antibiotic Free 150 Days Grainfed Angus Ribeye” ($19).

Auntie probably didn’t care much about that. “Hao bu hao chi?” (Nice or not), she continued.

Noodles are freshly made daily, which had texture similar to the Chinese la-mian – chewy and floury. Topped with minced beef and mushroom stew, the experience almost felt like having zha-jiang mian. Add some of their awesome chinchalok for flavours.

A pity the beef balls, all dry and shrivelled, were a let-down.

The best part was its soup, light but comforting, flavours coming beef bones and slight sweetness of vegetables. Beef was thinly sliced and tender, generous in portions, including the weightage used was almost half of a regular steak.

We did feel that the regular customers might have preferred a soup base with more intensity. Then, we realised what could have been missing… Ah, MSG. Healthier better lah!

Many local stalls dabble with authentic Penang food but cannot quite get the flavours right. We thought GRUB’s Assam Laksa ($13) all sweet, tangy and spicy together with its fish gravy and pineapple chunks, was a decent attempt and we could return for this.

GRUB Noodle Bar currently functions as a dinner and supper haunt, only opening evening onwards.

On my wish-list, a greater variety in its menu such as pork rib prawn noodle and handmade fishball soup (Is it a lot to wish for?). And they should really consider selling their chinchalok in bottles.

GRUB Noodle Bar
221 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218459
Tel: 6341 5631
http://www.facebook.com/GRUBNoodleBar
Opening hours: 7pm – 12:30am (Tues-Sun), Closed Mon & last Tuesday of the month

Other Related Entries
Noodle Stories (Orchard Central)
Ujong (Raffles Hotel)
Paradise Dynasty (Vivocity)
HonGuo (NEX)
Noodle Star (Bugis Village)

The post GRUB Noodle Bar – Noodle Supper Place At Rangoon Road appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

What happened to Hock Lam Beef Noodles? One may wonder. And who’s the real deal?

An “Original Hock Lam Beef Noodles” restaurant opened at the glamorous Ion Orchard, up the high level scale with the offering of Australian ribeye slices with humble Teochew style beef noodles.

This particular Hock Lam also has branches at Far East Square and Alexandra Retail Centre, said to be more than a century in history with the business started from 1911 when the owner’s grandfather used to sell the noodles on foot in Chinatown.

There is another different shop calling themselves “Authentic Hock Lam St Popular Kway Teow Pte Ltd”, operating since 1921.

Whatever it is, all I know that the old old Purvis Street shop had one of the best tasting beef noodles, and sadly none can quite replicate the taste.

To be fair, I liked the braised Australian Angus Beef ($15.90 for set meal), quite tender and covered in a rich tasting dark black sauce.

The same style of beef can also be found in the Angus Beef Bun ($2.50 for 1 piece, $9.90 for 4 pieces).

The Hock Lam Beef noodles ($9.90) with hand sliced beef cuts, tripe, brisket slices and beef ball suffered from the fate of commercialisation.

While the herb based soup and chilli sauce were the saving grace, some parts – sauce not warm enough, dry generic tasting beef balls, and clumpy noodles made me miss the good old taste of Beef Noodles I had while growing up.

I think it is an okay bowl. But what is stopping customers from having something similar, at half its price in the food courts?

Maybe that was why the brand needed to choose to use a higher quality Angus Beef.

ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn, #B3-18 (Orchard MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

Other branches: Far East Square
22 China Street, #01-01 (Raffles Place MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon-Fri), 11am – 5pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Alexandra Retail Centre
460 Alexandra Rd, #02-24 (Labrador Park MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 9pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Other Related Entries
Grub Noodle Bar (Rangoon Road)
Noodle Stories (Orchard Central)
Ujong (Raffles Hotel)
Paradise Dynasty (Vivocity)
HonGuo (NEX)

The post Original Hock Lam Beef Noodles – Restaurant at Ion Orchard, Not Quite The Real Deal appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has almost become a institution to visit for tourists in Singapore. Walk into any of the New Bridge Road branches (they are just located few doors away), and you see people, people, people. Tourists from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea… all come armed with tour guides to try our local delicacy Pork Rib Soup. They swear by the good taste.

Funny that when we talk about “Best Bak Kut Teh” in Singapore, the usual suspects pop up… Ng Ah Sio, Outrum Ya Hua, Founder, Leong Kee, Hong Ji Bak Kut Teh but somewhat less of Song Fa.

Perhaps diners have the perception that it is over-commercialised. And by the way, the brand has suddenly expanded to venues such as Chinatown Point, The Seletar Mall Mall and UE Bizhub East. (Must be investors coming in.)

A bit of Song Fa Song Fa Bak Kut Teh’s history, founded in Singapore in 1969 by a Mr Yeo Eng Seng who learned his skills as a stall assistant. He subsequently opened a shop at Victoria Street selling a clear peppery Teochew take of this dish and complementary side dishes, and found popularity. His son eventually took over, modified the recipe by having more tender pork ribs.

This branch at Chinatown Point continues to pack the crowd, selling a variety of items from Pork Ribs Soup ($7.00), Pig’s Kidney Soup ($6.50), Pig’s Stomach Soup ($6.00) and Sliced Fish Soup ($6.50).

Side dishes include Braised Pig’s Intestine ($6.50), Peanuts ($3.50) and Braised Chicken Feet with Beancurd Skin ($4.00).

I asked what the difference was between the Premium Loin ($9.50) and normal Pork Ribs Soup. The answer, “Geng ruan loh (more tender)”.

Had it, but thought the pork could be less tough though, as I imagined it could found off the bones easily. Unfortunately, Singapore’s supply of pork is not as fresh as it used to be back my growing up days.

But I still liked the clear peppery and garlicky aromatic soup, when hot and piping, gave a high as you sipped the broth down.

Though it seemed unconventional, I would sometimes order the Sliced Pork ($6.00) or Sliced Fish Soup ($6.50), which would make a comforting, easy to eat without messy fingers meal.

Despite being more commercialized, Song Fa still manages to keep its prices relatively affordable, and service staff was prompt in filling up my soups. Jia tang, jia tang.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
Chinatown Point #01-04, 133 New Bridge Road Singapore 059413
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm, Last order 9:15pm Daily

Other branches
11 New Bridge Road #01-01 Singapore 059383
Opening Hours: 9am – 9:30pm (Tues-Sat), 8:30am – 9:30pm (Sun), Closed Mon

17 New Bridge Road #01-01 Singapore 059386
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:45pm, Last order 9:30pm, Closed Monday

UE BizHub East (North Tower Office)
6 Changi Business Park Ave 1 #01-38 Singapore 486017
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm, Last order 9:15pm Daily

The Seletar Mall – 33 Sengkang West Ave #01-39/40/41
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm, Last order 9:15pm Daily

Other Related Entries
10 Singapore National Dishes
Founder Bak Kut Teh (Rangoon Road)
Lau Wang Claypot Delights (Serangoon)
Hong Ji Bak Kut Teh (Ang Mo Kio)
Lim Soup (Bt Merah)

The post Song Fa Bak Kut Teh – Popular BKT Expands To Chinatown Point appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

This review could have actually been out 2 months earlier, and perhaps could have helped this restaurant get some good publicity. But it took us 4 visits to write this, of which 3 were unfruitful.

Never have I given any restaurant 4 chances. The most for my personal limit, was 3 times. Though even twice is uncommon. There are just too many choices in Singapore to give a restaurant a second chance. But there was something within me that urged me to try I Want My Noodle.

I Want My Noodle is located at the revamped extension of Shaw Centre, next to Xi Yan, specialising in home-made egg noodles with a twist.

First visit, opening day. Noodles went “mee-sing” because after a 45 minute wait, it was still not there. Other orders were mixed up, even though there were only two tables of customers.

Second visit. I realised there was NO INFORMATION on opening hours on their facebook or website. Texted (presumably the boss) who said they were ready to serve by 11am. Nope, I went down and they were still not ready by 11:30am.

Boss apologized, “We were actually ready by 10:30am. I believe my manager has forgotten to turn on the lights.” There, I was, standing outside their still un-ready shop, feeling stupid about wasting my precious Sunday waiting.

Third visit. Went at 9pm because closing hour stated 10pm. No last order timings stated. The restaurant already closed.

Fourth visit. Finally.

In short, I would not be bias, and say that their noodles were tasty, kind of special, and worth a try (if you get too.)

Their specialities are the Lor Bar Noodle ($12.90) topped with braised pork belly made with the owners grandma secret recipe, and Noodle with crunchy Double Roast ($12.50).

The noodles are made fresh in-house every day, without using any additional preservatives and colouring. It reminded me of a thicker version of Indomie (and I was not the only one who thought the same way).

This version could be best described as local Bar Chor Mee meets Indonesia Bakmee with a Japanese style egg (though the yolk could be softer), tossed tastily with unique seasoning. Thumbs up.

The Homemade Meatball Soup ($7.90) indeed felt ‘homemade’, as if a loving ah-ma cooked that for her grandchildren. The soup base tasted somewhat like Peranakan Bakwan Kepiting, except the meatballs could have a firmer outer layer.

The Flourless Fried Chicken Wings ($7.90) served with homemade fresh sambal – I would be bold enough to say, better than IKEA’s.

You see, there are so many promising elements about I Want My Noodles, that I feel angry.

Angry that they could have made use of earlier opportunities to sort out their operations and marketing plans. No point designing a fanciful website which still does not state operating hours – isn’t that one of the basics? With that said, I hope they do well. I really liked their noodles.

I Want My Noodle
Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road, #03-14/15, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: 10.45am – 10.00pm, Last order 9.00pm

Other Related Entries
Grub Noodle Bar (Rangoon Road)
Noodle Stories (Orchard Central)
Guksu Noodle House (Suntec)
Original Hock Lam Beef Noodles (Ion Orchard)
BaaMee Bangkok (Syed Alwi Road)

The post I Want My Noodle – The Noodle Shop That Made Us Visit 4 Times appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

DIY Hokkien Popiah shop Good Chance Popiah from Blk 149 Silat Ave has opened another branch at New World Centre, replacing well, McDonalds.

3rd generation owner “Ah Boy” says it is a good chance (pun not intended) and opportunity for the restaurant to expand after being around for 30 years. I am quite ‘suaku’ as it is my first time here despite hearing so much about this heritage restaurant.

Wrapping your own may be more expensive than your usual hawker stall prices (or Qiji) outside – 4 rolls are at $16.80, 6 rolls at $22.80, 12 at $42.80, and 18 for $59.80.

Chinese sausage, prawns and crab meat at additional cost – $5.80, $7.80 and $7.80. If you throw in all ingredients, and using the 4-roll combination as a reference, it would have cost $38.20 to wrap your own popiah, almost $10 for one!

Help. Good chance, why no good price.

Being a first-timer, I asked auntie about the ‘bang kuang’ (yam bean) which came in a claypot, she quickly commented, “Not just bang kuang, okay?” Then I learnt there were more than 7 ingredients in the fillings which included cabbage, carrot, long beans, bamboo shoots, garlic and shrimps.

The taste was rather old school, which reminded me of what my grandmother used to cook. Yes, I remember wrapping popiah together with her, and so I can *ahem* wrap quite a generous portion without breaking the skin. (Come, come, who knows how to wrap popiah here?)

I looooove the chili and tasty ‘bang kuang’ at Good Chance, the fillings are moist and yet does not cause breakage easily.

The thing about DIY popiah is the fun, bonding, and interaction it creates with fellow diners. You can always anyhow anyhow wrap, and include your favourite ingredients and sauces in the proportion you want.

I had no space for more, but will be back for the Pork Trotters Bee Hoon ($16.80) and Fried Hokkien Mee ($9.80).

We spotted several MediaCorp artistes dining next table, including Xiang Yun, Jin Yinji, Richard Low, Henry Thia and Harley Woo. I asked boss Ah Boy why he wasn’t taking a photo with Ah Jie Xiang Yun, he said, “Take before already. These are regulars.” I see.

Good Chance Popiah
No. 1 Jalan Berseh #01-15 New World Centre Singapore 209037
Tel: +65 96229445
Opening Hours: 11.00am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm

Blk 149 Silat Ave #01-58 Singapore 160149
Tel: +65 62710698
Opening hours: 11am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm. Closed Mon

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for restaurants reviewed, unless otherwise indicated.

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True story. We sacrificed Kok Kee for Ponggol Nasi Lemak. Both are opposite each other along Jalan Besar. And Kok Kee had NO queue, which my friend quipped, “Last time got queue we want, now no queue we don’t want.”

Ponggol Nasi Lemak goes upmarket, like a local version of a fast-food restaurant. Good for them. It also reminded me of fellow Nasi Lemak makers Qiji, which turned from humble hawker stall to a chain of shops.

Fully air-conditioned, two storeys, red and white decor (the typical fastfood colours), self-service food ordering system, and kitchen in sight at the back.

Many hawker stalls have attempted to ‘upgrade’ themselves by turning into modern eateries, though they meet with varying degrees of success. Some have plummeted sales due to inconsistent qualities, while some others transformed passionate hawker food to soulless machine-churned items.
 

Third generation owner Edmund Ang does a half-and-half. He invested in automated machines to speed food preparation, while continues to undertake the laborious task of preparation of signature items and guarded sambal recipe.

For convenience, there are four sets. I foresee many would order the Set 3, a double chicken wing and ikan bilis (anchovies) plate at $5.

All time favourites are available as add-ons, such as crispy wings, fried fish, egg, luncheon meat, long bean, spicy shrimp floss, homemade archar and lady’s fingers.

Word of caution: If you happily point point point, each plate could easily end up to be about 10 bucks.

There are some house specialities which can also be found at this Jalan Besar outlet – crispy chicken skin with curry leaves ($1.50 per serving), ngoh hiang ($1.50 per piece) and seafood dumpling ($1.60 for 2 pieces). Regretted ordering the last one though. The centre was rather hollow.

Thai Hom Mali grain is used for the rice, which did give it an edge – long grained, aromatic, resonating with flavours of coconut milk. The overall feel was dry, compared to some other nasi lemak rice which could be more moist and fluffy. Personal preference. I do like the Punggol Nasi Lemak’s rice.

The winner is really in its home-made sambal chilli sauce, which brought the chicken wings (and other items) to another level. The wings on their own were crispy, but if I were to nit-pick, could be juicier with more flavours. So adding chilli did the job.

This Ponggol Nasi Lemak would become a favourite supper haunt for many. Judging from its popularity, it won’t be long before they open more.

Ponggol Nasi Lemak
371 Jalan Besar #01-01 Singapore 2089998
Tel: 65 6293 0020
Opening hours: 12noon – 11pm Daily, Closed Thurs

Upper Serangoon Road
965 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534721
Tel: +65 6281 0020
Opening Hours: 5.30pm – 3.30am

Tanjong Katong Road
238 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437026
Tel: +65 6287 0020
Opening Hours: 5.30pm – 2.30am

Other Related Entries
Madam Kwan’s (Vivocity)
Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint (Suntec City)
Truly Curry Rice (Telok Blangah)
Rice Garden (Chinatown)
Lau Wang Claypot Delights (Serangoon)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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1933 pays tribute to the original year the iconic and historical Capitol Theatre building was completed.

It is also a 2-storey restaurant right outside the reopened Capitol Theatre (currently staging Singapura the Musical). The food is said to be influenced by local cuisine in the 1930s, with the offering of the likes of Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice ($16.80) and Nanyang Curry Chicken ($14.90).

The price is of course, not very 1933. A Kopi O here is $5. $5 could buy meals to feed families then.

I am not really complaining. After all, the revamped Capitol Piazza is pitched with a higher-end (aka atas) branding, and 1933 may be able to offer a ‘reasonably priced’ meal in comparison with other restaurants in the mall.

In case you are wondering, 1933 is opened by the BreadTalk Group, and it won’t be very wrong to say this is an upscale version of Toast Box. The group is also behind a multi-restaurant in a foodcourt concept Palette at the basement. Food Republic 2.0?

The BreadTalk Group has a track record of being brilliant in branding and interior design. This is also apparent in 1933. Relaxing music, elegant furniture, service staff in neat uniform, even the paper napkins are of the higher quality.

Its signature Nanyang Curry Chicken ($14.90) served in a crusty bread bowl looked promising though. But when served, it happened to be a situation of warm-gravy and cold-chicken. Let us not speculate what happened, but we had to return the dish to the kitchen.

The 2nd time it arrived, the bowl was of course much better.

The 1933 Breakfast Platter ($12.80) could satisfy those who would fancy a combination of local-meets-West, think scrambled eggs with sautéed mushroom and luncheon meat. (We think it was Ma-Ling but wasn’t completely certain.)

Overall a crowd pleaser, though the egg could do better with more creaminess and an additional tinge of salt.

We liked the Handmade Yam Cake ($7.20), with an old-school flavor after being pan-fried and topped with aromatic shallots and served with sambal chili. The cake was still soft and moist, and was pleasurable to bite into pieces of dried shrimps and mushrooms within.

There were some items on the menu we didn’t quite understand though, such as Signature Miso Cod ($28.90) and Fish and Chips ($24.60) – both not quite fitting to the 1930s theme and well, price.

No desserts were available, but milkshakes were.

1933 has played up to some of its strengths, offering breads and pastries such as Curry Chicken Croissant ($2.50) and Nonya Otah Bread ($2.50).

While the food is not out of this world, 1933 has had certain good elements put together.

1933 Singapore
15 Stamford Road #01-83 Singapore 178906 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 6348 3660
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

Other Related Entries
Restaurants at Capitol Piazza
Ponggol Nasi Lemak (Jalan Besar)
PappaSan (Dorsett Hotel)
The Sleeping Rhino (Klapsons Hotel)
Good Chance Popiah (Jalan Besar)

*Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food review unless otherwise stated.

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Those who are in the know would be familiar with Lucky Plaza’s very popular My Favourite Café Yong Tau Foo stall, attracting long queues during lunch time.

Well, it has opened another branch at Bugis Cube! (My food radar is all over the place yah?) Bugis Cube is this mall of sorts opposite Bugis Junction (from Baker & Cook, Honeymoon Dessert side), filled with manicure salons and random shops.

Fans of this Yong Tau Foo stall would know they are known for TWO signature items – the handmade meatballs and Korean mushrooms.

All their items are at 60 cents each. The rest are the standard beancurd, chili, bitter gourd, seaweed wrapped chicken, mushroom ball, kang kong… nothing very special in that aspect.

True story. I went and saw probably two dozen deep fried meatballs in the tray, there was no queue, so I went to the washroom first. Came back in minutes, ALL the meatballs were sold out. Uncle told me to wait at least an hour for the next batch. Boohoo.

The next time I went back, the lady in front of me ordered 10 meatballs to go with noodles. TEN. Nothing else. Then, I figured out why. She was not the only one doing so.

The meatballs are slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, deep fried till crispy while the inner is filled with minced meat. Rather substantial and meaty. Get the freshly fried batch, and you would be in cloud nine. Some if left in the open for too long, would taste ‘over-rated’.

Unlike the Lucky Plaza branch, sauces are kept separate from the noodles. My mee kia was surprisingly tasty, tossed in fragrant oil, flavoursome enough that you do not need to add too much of the sweet sauce.

Avoid the peak hours at both branches as it will get crowded. Go too late also meatballs get sold out.

My Favourite Café
Bugis Cube, 470 North Bride Road #02-10 Singapore 18874 (Opposite Bugis MRT)
Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Road #06-46/47 Singapore 238863 (Orchard Road MRT)
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Closed Sun)

Other Related Entries
Grub Noodle Bar (Rangoon Road)
Original Hock Lam Beef Noodles (Ion Orchard)
Segar Restaurant (Chinatown Point)
Hong Kong Jin Tian Eating House (Zion Road)
Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint (Suntec City)

The post My Favourite Café – Lucky Plaza’s ‘Meatballs’ Yong Tau Foo Opens At Bugis Cube appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

10 years ago in 2005, BreadTalk Group opened a higher end food court at Wisma Atria, gathering some well-known hawker and restaurant fare in the same place.

The rest is history. Food Republic is now almost everywhere around Singapore, also establishing its brand in some regional countries. I remember the ‘novel’ food court created some excitement then, with extremely long queues, and aunties dressed in retro gear pushing dim sum on push-carts.

Do you know that Toast Box has its beginnings there as well?

10 year later, BreadTalk Group went a step further with the opening up of Palette at Capitol Piazza, an even higher-end food court. Food Republic 2.0 it seems.

Would Palette spell the direction of the future food scene in Singapore? Hawker fare in air-conditioned restaurant-like environment, where food gets served to you, of course at a much more expensive price.

Here’s the difference.

I actually got served to a table, then given an iPad to take orders, choosing from a variety of restaurant-stalls. Staff would provide service to help, pour water.

The initial customers around were office executive and tai-tais (some with their husbands) it seems.

Some of the stalls there include
– Ah Koong Restaurant. A 28-year-old noodle joint from Johor Bahru famous for its handmade fishballs.
– Hok Kee. A wanton and beef brisket noodle shop from Hong Kong.
– Balestier Bak Kut Teh (Okay, I will find out about the origins of this, since the most famous Balestier BKT is Founder. They have a stall within Ion Orchard’s Food Republic though.)
– Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant. Locals should be familiar with Ah Yat, known for its seafood dishes and abalone.
– Yong Xin Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles. Has more than 10 outlets around Singapore, familiar name with Food Republic.
– IndoChili. A family style Indonesian restaurant first establisehed at Zion Road. I quite like its food.
– 90 Gastro Bar. Offers cocktail and Asian-inspired desserts.

What I like: Cool air-conditioned environment, without the need to queue. Best suited for customers who rather pay more than join in a line.

What I think can be improved: The price. I ordered a dry mee kia with fishcake at Ah Koong, and that cost $11.90. Plus service charge and GST, that set me back by $14! I recognised that there was some service provided in the delivery of food. But many restaurants which use the self-service iPad would do away with the tax.

I have read several positive reviews about Ah Koong Restaurant’s fishball and fishcake, though that magical taste did not surface from what I ate.

There were some stalls which are repeats from Food Republic. I wonder if Palette could have been different in the first place to create a more unique and upscale branding.

Will be back to try more food. Post will be updated in time to come.

Palette
13 Stamford Road Capitol Piazza NEUE #B1-20/27 Singapore 178905 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 6384 3359
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm Daily

Other Related Entries
Restaurants at Capitol Piazza
1933 Singapore (Capitol Piazza)
Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant (Capitol Piazza)
Spizza Mercato (Capitol Piazza)
Dazzling Café Singapore (Capitol Piazza)

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This is such a meaningful initiative. SG50. 50 Restaurants. 50 newly created dishes.

The inaugural Singapore Restaurant Month organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) has gathered some of Singapore’s 50 Best Restaurants to create dishes to celebrate the country’s birthday.

What I really want to highlight is the common theme – that all the restaurants have to use local produce. Yes, support local!

You may be thinking, “Does the land-scarce Singapore have that many farms anyway?” Singapore produces 3 main types of food – fish, leafy vegetables and eggs (along with taugeh, mushrooms, and milk too).

The reasons for using local produce are aplenty. That includes supporting local farms, increasing our food security (in case anything happens) and enjoying fresher food. All of the dishes featured use at least one ingredient direct from the farms.

I have tried some of the dishes, and the ones I would personally recommend include the Fried Baby Barramundi from Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant. It is priced at the cost price of $18 for 500g of fish. $18!

The Chef explained this is priced to support our local fish farmers and the industry, and celebrate the country’s birthday in a meaningful way. (Do you know that there are more than a hundred fish farms in Singapore?)

The fish was moist and succulent, drizzled over with a spicy-tangy sauce and crispy shredded cuttlefish which were like fried vermicelli.

The other that got me clearing my plate clean was the 3 Grain Laska Risotto with homemade Pulau Ubin Seabass Fishcake from Portico (part of a 5-course $50 menu) which was kind of a deconstructed dish incorporating creativity.

I liked the laksa sauce that was cleverly integrated, which adds a beautiful notch of the local factor.

Putien’s “Cityscape” inspired by the Singapore skyline (check out ‘MBS’ & ‘The Flyer’ on the dish) makes a photogenic dish to remember the year as well.

Heritage Restaurants – Date of availability of dish 17th July to 2nd August 2015
The following 12 are heritage restaurants, which are at least 30 years old.

Bee Heong Palace Restaurant
Steamed Premium Barramundi with Cordia Seeds

Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant
Shark’s Fin Scrambled Egg with Lettuce

Chin Lee Restaurant
Passion of Garden City

Fatty Weng Restaurant Reserve Online Now
Crispy-fried Barramundi with Asparagus

Gim Tim
Fragrant sauce with Wild Mushroom and Chinese Kai Lan

Hua Yu Wee
Yuan Yang Lala Hor Fun with Fresh Prawns

Islamic Restaurant Reserve Online Now
Islamic Fish Biryani with egg

Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
Sautéed Bird’s Nest with Egg White

Red Star Restaurant
Omelette Crispy Noodle with Prawns

Spring Court Restaurant Reserve Online Now
Yam Ring with Sweet and Sour Prawns

Westlake Reserve Online Now
Steamed Tilapia with Fried Garlic

Zi Yean Restaurant
Wok-Fry Egg-White with Conpoy Top on Crackers

General Category – Date of availability of dish 1st July to 10th August 2015

Brewerkz Reserve Online Now (Riverside Point)
Satay Seafood Angel Hair Pasta

Café Iguana Reserve Online Now
Pibil Pescado in Red Chile sauce

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine
Teochew Oyster Omelette “Gooey Style”

First Culinary Restaurant
Braised Seabass with Cordyceps Flower In Soya Bean Milk

Forest
Sri Lanka Crabmeat with Egg White

Hard Rock Café Reserve Online Now
Sea of Love

JPOT
Local Bayam

JUMBO Seafood
Braised Barramundi Fish with Bitter Gourd and Black Bean Paste In Claypot

Lao Beijing
Sliced Fish in Tomato Broth

LingZhi Vegetarian
Vegetarian Singapore Rojak

Malcolm Bistro
Classic Laksa “Singapore”

Mamanda Reserve Online Now
Ikan Bakar Temasek (Grilled Fish)

Osia
62°C Hen’s Egg

Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
Fried Baby Barramundi

Peach Garden Restaurant
Lobster Laksa

Portico
3 Grain Laksa Risotto, Homemade Pulau Ubin Seabass Fish cake

Pu Tien Restaurant
Singapore Cityscape

RedDot Brewhouse
Laksa Italiano

Restaurant HOME
Steamed Grouper with Crispy Soya Bean Crumbs

Saha Signature Indian Restaurant & Terrace Bar Reserve Online Now
Stir Fried Tofu & Asparagus with Cumin & Turmeric

Seoul Garden
BBQ & Steamboat Buffet (The restaurant will also be serving local eggs for the Singapore Restaurant Month.)

Seoul Garden Hotpot
Beef Bulgogi Bibimbap

Seoul Yummy Korean Casual Dining
Korean Kare Stew

Shin Yeh Restaurant Reserve Online Now
Taiwanese-style Steamed Barramundi with Salted Pineapple

Si Chuan Dou Hua Reserve Online Now (UOB Plaza)
Poached Vegetables with Mushrooms, Bean Curd and Sliced Pork Belly Served in Paper Pot

SUFOOD
Starry Pancakes

Swensen’s
Kicap Manis Glazed Grey Mullet

Syun
Uni Chawanmushi

The Flying Squirrel Reserve Online Now
Golden Onsen Egg

The Scholar Chinese Restaurant
Oven Baked Spicy whole Sea-bass Coated Otak wrapped in Banana leaf

The Soup Spoon Union
Hainanese Fish Maw with Barramundi Noodle

Tim Palace
Black tilapia with Hot and Sour thick soup in Claypot

Timbre @ The Substation, @ The Arts House, @ Gillman
Laksa Marinated Crispy Barramundi on a bed of Bee Hoon Crackers

Tunglok Seafood
Mix Seafood and Broccoli with Crab Roe served in Yam Basket

TungLok Signatures Reserve Online Now (The Central)
Fried Barramundi with Shanghai-style Chilli Sauce

Tunglok Teahouse
Sweet & Sour Chrysanthemum Fish

Yam’s Kitchen
Lion City Hometown Fish Tail

Yum Cha Restaurant at Chinatown
Stir-fried Crocodile Meat in Tropical Sauce

Even though this is an SG50 project, I do hope to see this Singapore Restaurant Month being carried out in a yearly basis to promote local produce, and try out innovative dishes with a local spin.

One example is the use of fishes from local farm Kuhlbarra. Their fishes are being served at several participating restaurants such as Tung Lok, Jumbo Seafood, Palm Beach, The Soup Spoon and Timbre.

Which dish from the 50 restaurants are you most keen to try?

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS). More information about the initiative at http://www.singaporerestaurantmonth.com

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I would start by stating that my stars probably didn’t align with Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar at Amoy Street. Being a huge fan of wanton noodles, I wanted to make a beeline for this local modern noodle bar, but was disappointed again, and again.

There is a part of me who is always rooting for a noodle bar in Singapore: If Momofuku can achieve such success, why not a version of our very own hawker food?

Kudos to the marketing team for making the brand prominent, that even my friend who is usually not in the know commented, ”Even I have heard about this atas wanton noodles.”

The same friend asked why I would visit a restaurant, after meeting hiccups the first three times. My reply, “I am persistent. I wanted to give this another chance.” Reviews have been positive anyway.

1st visit: The noodle bar was sold out by 2pm or so. Even though the Facebook stated opening hours as 11am – 11pm. “Nothing left” was their reply. Fair enough.

2nd visit: Closed for photoshoot (suddenly). Went down early enough, and their Facebook was updated some time only AFTER the shop was closed. At least an effort to inform.

3rd visit: Facebook says “Closed for lunch until 1:30pm. See you then” And then I went down at 1:35pm or so, and was (quite rudely) told to go away as they were “closed for lunch already.”

My 4th visit. Apparently, the noodle bar was short-handed, and the wait for the noodles could take anything between 10-15 minutes. Another customer told me while I was queuing up, “I am Customer Number 1. It is about 20 minutes.”

You know, after coming for so many times, 15-20 minutes was nothing. The char siew noodles took about half hour to come in the end. (No worries, I am generally quite patient. Read: My 4-times experience at I Want My Noodle)

Back to review proper. 3 sets are usually available during lunch – Wanton Noodle with Char Siew ($5.50/$6.50), Wanton Noodles with Roasted Pork Belly ($6/$7), and Power Wanton Noodles ($9/$10). I use the word ‘usually’ – some may not be available. Served in IKEA bowls anyway – if you are interested to know.

Let’s just say we liked the texture and the taste of the noodles, especially when the special chilli sauce was added. It kind of reminded us of ‘Fei Fei’, in a good way. Promising.

BUT, unfortunately, the shrimp dumplings were sour. In dialect, we call that ‘chao sng’ meaning ‘not fresh’. 4 of us on the table didn’t quite believe it would happen, until we took a bite and had to spit the rest out. You could imagine the taste, wasn’t very pleasant.

Both the roasted pork belly and char siew were dry, unfortunately for us (and them).

The waiter from Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar asked for our receipt without giving a reason, which we were quite perplexed about. In the end, they waived the charge of the dumplings.

Well, the good thing is, I am confident that they will do something about customer feedback, and you should land up with fresher tasting dumplings in future.

Good hawker food is not carved out in a day or week, and we look forward for better things to come.

Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar
52 Amoy Street Singapore 069878
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Mon-Thurs), 11am – 1am (Fri) Lunch Hours from 11am – 3pm (or till sold out); 5pm – 1am (Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
I Want My Noodle (Shaw House)
Royal Noodle (Circular Road)
Kok Kee Wanton Mee (Lavender Food Hub)
Grub Noodle Bar (Rangoon Road)
Original Hock Lam Beef Noodles (Ion Orchard)

*Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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