Chef Benny Se Teo of Eighteen Chefs is one of the most prolific, and recognizable chefs in Singapore.

The story on how he continues to help troubled youths and people to reintegrate back into society, by giving them jobs and opportunities, is an inspiring one.

This is his latest project – Seng Kee The Black Seed By Chef Benny, not to be confused with the kidney mee sua stall at Kaki Bukit.

You can say it is a kopitiam version of Eighteen Chefs, located at the prominent ground level of Bugis Junction (opposite Honeymoon Desserts).

It seems like the concept continues to target at the youths, with modernized local delights and beverages on its menu.

You can expect items such as their signature 63 degree sous vide runny egg ($2.50 for 2), Chee Cheong Fun ($3.20 – $7.80), localised Sandwiches ($6.50 – $7.80) and Curries in Bread Bowl ($5.20 – $6.60). (Also reminding us of Kokomama Marketplace)

In terms of offerings, it is a positive move to incorporate some of the familiar favourites such as Hainanese Chicken, Beef Rendang, Hae-Bee-Hiam and Sambal Sotong in sandwiches and cheong funs.

But if you are expecting the same type of spiciness or robustness as those served in the hawker centres, let us just say it is not quite the same.

A friend said Seng Kee was “Eighteen Chefs standard lor”. An apt summary.

There were some interesting drinks on the menu, such as Kopi-Guyu ($3.00, $3.20) to pay tribute to the older way of drinking local coffee, and Pandan Teh ($3.00, $3.20). A small suggestion would be to provide siu-dai (less sugar) options for drinks, as most went on the too-sweet side.

The Eggs ($2.50 for 2) still turned out well.

Here’s the little story behind those eggs: Benny used grants to invest food technology such as a sous vide machine, creating one of his current signatures – an egg toast set with a 63 degree sous vide runny egg which proves to be a hit with customers.

“Most of my boys didn’t get much education, but every single one of them can cook every single dish on the menu with the technology. I want to empower them. When they have confidence in cooking, they will have confidence in their lives as well.”

Seng Kee The Black Seed By Chef Benny
Bugis Junction #01-71/72, 200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10:30pm

Other Related Entries
Eighteen Chefs (Orchard Cineleisure)
Kokomama Marketplace (SOTA)
New Rasa Singapura (Tanglin)
Truly Test Kitchen (Kampong Ampat)
KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)

The post Seng Kee The Black Seed By Chef Benny – Eighteen Chefs Starts A Kopitiam Concept appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The struggle between having delicious meals vs healthy ones is real. Those on diet (like me) may feel that salads and eating little are the ONLY options. Noooooooo… Here is something exciting that has come up.

46 restaurants, 95 dishes, 1 aim. It is all about healthy eating for this year’s Singapore Restaurant Month.

The culinary teams have spent time to create these locally inspired dishes, to also prove the point that healthier dishes can be appetizing too.

The Singapore Restaurant Month 2016 (1 July – 31 July) organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) in collaboration with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), is about the creation 95 healthy dishes, ranging from Chinese, Fusion, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai to Vegetarian and Western cuisines.

I was so keen to find out what was created. Here are some…

What is so healthy about these dishes?

Calories checked. Each of the 95 dishes contains either 500 or less calories and/or made up of at least 8% wholegrains such as brown rice, oatmeal and wholemeal bread, and are approved by certified HPB nutritionists.

Health checked. Keep a lookout for the red labels with “Healthier Choice” on the menu, which could be as tasty.

After trying some of the dishes, I would personally recommend include the Coca De Higos Y Foie Con Vermouth ($26) from UNA at One Rochester.

Topped with foie gras and grilled figs on a crispy Spanish flatbread with vermouth reduction, alternating sweet and savory taste. Delightful.

For your info, this is only 384.1 calories, which is less than 2 bowls of white rice.

The Double-boiled White Fungus in Pear Vessel ($15) from Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant was another crowd pleaser with its theatrical entrance.

Dry ice pew-pewing out of the bowl to reveal a boiled Korean Pear, which contained the white fungus. Soothing for the throat and good for the skin (ladies alert!)

Heritage Restaurants – Date of availability of dish 1 to 31 July 2016
The following 10 are heritage restaurants that had been around for decades.

Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant
Braised Sea Cucumber with Mustard Greens & Chinese Mushrooms
Chicken Treasure Wrapped in Lettuce

Fatty Weng Restaurant
Prawns in Mushroom Sauce
Curry Pork Loin
Scallops with Singapore Chili Crab Sauce

Gim Tim Restaurant
Fried Brown & Short Grain Rice with Tobiko

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant
Steamed Cod Fish with Jin Hua Ham in Rice Wine

Islamic Restaurant
Grilled Fish Beryani
Butter Chicken with Plain Naan
Chicken Beryani

Moi Lum
Golden Coin Beancurd
Mixed Brown Rice Fried with Taiwanese Sausage

Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
Jade Potage with Multigrain Crispy Rice
Shredded Scallop with Fish & Egg White
Steamed Crystal Ball with Chinese Yam

Qian Xi Lou – Carpenter 29
Prosperity Abalone Rice
Double-boiled Abalone & Chicken Soup with Black Garlic
Mushroom & Tofu Soup in Chicken Broth

Red Star Restaurant
Stir-fried Celery with Sliced Fish
Fish Head with Mustard Leaves & Tofu Soup

Zi Yean Restaurant
Farmer’s Six Mix & Matches
Wok-fried Sliced Fish, Snake Marrow and Fungus
Abalone, Dried Scallop and Figleaf Gourd Soup

General Category – Date of availability of dish 1 to 31 July 2016

Bali Thai
Basil Leaves Chicken Lettuce Wrap
Tom Yum Soup with Seafood
Braised Glass Noodles with Seafood

Big Street
Ocean Heaven (Oven-baked Teriyaki Salmon served with Lobster Fruit Salad)

Crystal Jade Dining In
Double-boiled Sea Whelk Soup with Chicken & Morel Mushroom
Poached Prawns with Herbal Soup & Chinese Wine
Baked Crab Shell stuffed with Seafood Paste

Crystal Jade Golden Palace
Pan-fried Cod Fish with Black Truffle Sauce
Double-boiled Morel Mushroom Soup in Coconut
Braised Mustard Green with Fish Maw & Crab meat

Crystal Jade Palace
Steamed Egg White with Conpoy and Diced Chicken
Braised Homemade Beancurd with Honshimeiji Mushroom
Sauteed Kailan with Assorted Fungus

Earle Swensen’s
Baked Hoisin Cod Fish

Georges
Grilled Salmon Fillet

iSTEAKS Diner
iSTEAKS’ Grilled Pacific Dory

JPOT – Hotpot Singapore Style
Silky Porridge Soup Broth

Kampong Café @ BM
Nasi Briyani with Curry Barramundi Fish & Achar

Lao Beijing
Beijing-style ‘Zhajiang’ Noodles

LingZhi Vegetarian
Black Truffles and Organic Sweet Corn Bisque with Smoked Beancurd

Mamanda
Royal Laksa Lobster

Nara Thai Cuisine
Yum Som O (Pomelo Salad)
Pla Kra Pung Nung Manao (Steamed Whole Sea Bass with Spicy Chili and Lime Sauce)

Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
Fragrant Tofu

Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant
Grilled Fillet of Sea Perch with Olive Oil and Poached Broccoli
Chicken Breast Superior Soup with White Fungus & Gingko Nuts
Steamed Organic Brown Rice with Sweet Corn and Black Fungus

Pies & Coffee
Beef Rendang Pie
Charcoal Crust Curry Chicken Pie
Black Pepper Chicken Baked Pasta

Prata Wala
Chappati with Dal Gravy
Idli with three Chutneys and Dal Gravy
Prata with Dal Gravy

PUTIEN
Pan Fried Tomatoes with Minced Pork
Stir Fried Yam with Fruits

Seoul Garden Hotpot
Bap-Assorted Korean Mushroom
Bap-Marinated Chicken

Seoul Yummy
Korean Mushroom Pot with Tuna
Grilled Eel Hot Stone Bibimbab
Kimchi Soup

Shin Yeh Restaurant
Eight Treasures Box

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
Premium Truffle Salad
Double-boiled White Fungus in Pear Vessel
Healthy Eight Treasures Rice

So Pho
Summer Roll with Prawns and Lemongrass Chicken
Vietnamese “Pho” with Sliced Beef, Beef Brisket and Beef Balls
Mango & Papaya Salad with Crispy White Bait

Streats Hong Kong Café
HK Shrimp Dumpling Noodles
Stir-fried Six Treasures
Sauteed Chicken & Mushrooms with Thick Gravy on an Omelette with Steamed Rice

Sufood
Sufood Shaker Salad

Sushi Tei
Salmon Chasoba
Salmon Don
Nabeyaki Don

Switch by Timbre
Nicoise Salad

The Manhattan FISH MARKET
Fiery Hot Cherry Snapper
Island Grilled Cod

The Orange Lantern
Vietnamese Char-Grilled Chicken Satay and Sugarcane Prawn serve with Vermicelli & Salad
Hanoi Tumeric Fish with Dill & Rice Vermicelli

The Soup Spoon Union
Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Rice
Grilled Cod Fish with Cauliflower Rice
Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Cauliflower Rice

Timbre (@The Substation, @The Arts House, @ Gillman)
Grilled Peach & Prawn Summer Salad

Tim Palace
Steamed Cod Fish with Black Garlic Sauce

UNA at One Rochester
Cogollos Con Idiazabal Y Anchoas Ahumadas (Grilled Spanish Sucrine lettuce, Idiazabel cheese form, smoked anchovies and promegranate)
Coca De Higos Y Foie Con Vermouth (Foie gras and grilled figs on a crispy Spanish flatbread with vermouth reduction)

Yam’s Kitchen
Yam’s Kitchen Soya Bean Curd
Homemade Meatballs with Double Mushrooms in Bean Paste
Sliced Fish with White Cabbage Soup

Zaffron Kitchen
Naan with Dal Makhani
Biryani Rice with Chana Masala and Jaipuri
Tandoori Fish Tikka with Salad

So if you do go to these 46 restaurant concepts, keep a lookout for these 95 wholesome dishes containing less than 500 calories or with wholegrain.

Remember, they are only available till the end of July!

* Written by Nicholas Tan. This entry is brought to you in partnership with Restaurant Association of Singapore. For more information, head over to http://www.singaporerestaurantmonth.com

The post Singapore Restaurant Month 2016 – 46 Restaurants, 95 Tasty HEALTHY Dishes! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Somehow, claypot food and local zhi char favourites hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). So when the group of us learnt that a local home-grown restaurant Wok Master has opened at City Square Mall, we were SO looking forward to the meal.

And the food didn’t disappoint at all.

Though Wok Master is still considered under-the-radar, the dinner crowd was healthy when we visited. I also learnt that several customers have already made return visits.

While this is a NEW restaurant, the team is not unfamiliar to the F&B industry, set up by the people behind local coffee chain Coffee Hive – known for their coffee, toast and local delights.

This is THE place to bring daddies and mummies (colleagues and friends), for affordable, actually delicious comfort fare.

Most of the food items are value-for-money in the $8 – $12 range, considering this is a sit-down, air-conditioned restaurant with service.

Signature claypot dishes include the Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28 or $38), Claypot Curry Chicken ($8), Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($12), Claypot Seafood Horfun ($9), Claypot XO Crayfish Tanghoon ($14, $28), and Claypot Tofu ($12, $18).

Some of the other local favourites include Golden Salted Egg Pork Ribs ($12, $18), Coffee Spare Ribs ($12, $18), Boxing Chicken ($8, $12), Braised Superior Chicken ($8, $12), Sambal Kang Kong ($8, $12) to more east-west dishes such as Baked Miso Cod Fish with Champagne ($38).

Oh yah, I HEARD that the Har Cheong Wings ($8) was very NICE!!! (with 3 exclamation marks, according to @PinkyPiggu)… I won’t know because the plate was swept clean before I came. LOL.

Braised Superior Chicken ($20 half, $38 whole)
One of our table’s favourite dish. Farm fresh chicken braised in a herbal superior stock with fish maw, black fungus and shitake mushrooms and tofu.

The chicken was so tender, flavoursome as the meal soaked up the herbal stock which should contain fragrant Chinese wine (not-China-wine).

This reminded me of one of grandma’s dishes, that she so lovingly cooked because it was nutritious and good for the body.

Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28, $38)
This one, we also like. Superior claypot with fresh prawns, scallops, clams, fish slices, fish maw and broccoli, braised in a special stock.

My advice is, don’t spend too long on the photos, eat this while the stock is still bubbling in heat.

Loads of wholesome, fresh seafood ingredients, with zup-zup sauce that you would pour all over your bowl of rice.

Boxing Chicken ($8, $12)
As several of the chefs from Wok Master are from Malaysia, they also brought in this delectable dish commonly found at dinner banquets in Malaysia.

Boxing Chicken is so named because chicken meat is pushed to one end to look like a boxing glove or hand. So all the meat is concentrated on the side.

Glazed in sweet and savoury sesame sauce, this starter should be a favourite among children.

Golden Salted Egg Pumpkin ($8, $12)
Slices of pumpkin coated with salted egg yolk paste and fried with curry leaves and chilli. The pumpkin was soft, and outer layer crisp. Good stuff.

Wok Master Special Beancurd ($12, $18)
Homemade tofu with mayonnaise and topped with special crispy pork floss.

Miso Cod with Champagne Sauce ($38)
Snow cod marinated with miso and baked till golden brown, served with greens and root vegetables.

For some of the Instagram effect, sparkling champagne sauce is poured over after serving.

While some of the rest on the table thought that the dish could be fleshier and more moist, I liked the slight tinge of saltiness from the miso balanced with bitter-sweetness from the champagne.

Prawns Fruit Mayo ($18)
Deep fried prawns in crispy batter and cooked in a fruit mayonnaise.

Signature Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($10)
Thick rice vermicelli simmered in a claypot with spicy coconut broth with sliced fish cakes, fried bean curd and whole crayfish.

I am more indifferent to this dish, wished that the gravy had more of that coconuty-oomph.

Sizzling Chilli Crayfish ($25, $35)
Whole crayfish fried and simmered with a sweet and spicy sauce, served in a sizzling hotplate.

Pine Nut Squirrel Fish ($28)
The Squirrel Fish, otherwise known as Song Shu Yu, is a well-known Jiangsu dish which resembles the fluffy tail of a squirrel.

Wok Master’s version is a whole seabass lightly battered and deep fried till golden brown, topped with pine nuts and a spicy-sweet-tangy sauce.

This is popular among diners, not only because the fish is de-boned (which makes it really easier to eat), but because the meat was fresh and sweet beneath the crisp outer layer.

Royal Three Eggs Spinach ($12, $17)
Spinach braised with three types of eggs – salted egg, century egg and egg whites in a light herbal sauce. Not bad, I generally liked the sauce base here.

Mango Pomelo Sago ($5.50)
Diced mango and fresh pomelo in a chilled mango soup for desserts.

Wok Master has quite an extensive menu. While it won’t be right to say every item was delicious, we concluded that about 80% of what we had tasted above average with a few stand-outs.

Plus, given that it is a zhi-char restaurant, surprisingly several dishes didn’t overwhelm in terms of salt level. Would certainly make a return trip. Now, who should I jio?

Wok Master
City Square Mall #02-51, 180 Kitchener Road Singapore 208539
Tel: +65 6835 9096
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Wok Master.

The post Wok Master – Fans Of Claypot Food And Local Zhi Char Should Make Your Way There (Soon) appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

This question keeps popping up. Some international guests and friends (I shall call them collectively ‘kakis’ here) arrive at Singapore for a holiday and visit.

Where should we bring them to experience some Asian and local delights, other than the hawker centres (and Michelin starred restaurants)?

An all-you-can-eat buffet offering some of the best local delights is one of the most obvious choices. Also, why not a hipster wanton noodle shop, or a modern European restaurant with local influence in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown?

Here are some 7 restaurants you can bring your foreign kakis (and local friends of course) to.

The better news is: Make a reservation at Chope to dine at one of these restaurants and get $10 off your bill when you pay with your VISA credit or debit card. (Minimum spend of $30 to redeem, only reservations made from this page eligible for the VISA $10 giveaway.)

StraitsKitchen
Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road, Lobby Level, Singapore 228211
Opening Hours: 6:30am -10:30am, 12pm – 2:30pm, 6:30 – 10:30pm (Mon-Fri)
6:30am – 11am, 12pm – 3pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Reserve Online Now – StraitsKitchen

Popular Halal-certified buffet with the best of local cuisine
StraitsKitchen is a familiar name to many Singaporean foodies, and is where we would bring foreign guests to have all the best of local delicacies in one place.

The Laksa, Tandoori and Butter Chicken, Satay, Beef Rendang, Carrot Cake, Hainanese Chicken and Pandan Kaya Cake (just naming some) continue to be my favourites.

The live theatre kitchen will also allow you to catch some of the action especially at the Satay and Naan sections.

Don’t miss the chicken satays, grilled right in front of you with charcoal, then served with slurp-worthy peanut sauce.

Buffet Lunch goes for $52++ (adult) and $28++ (children 7 – 12), and Buffet Dinners is at $62++ (adult) and $35++ (children 7 – 12).

Flavours at Zhongshan Park
Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park, 16 Ah Hood Road, Singapore 329982
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 10:30pm
Reserve Online Now – Flavours at Zhongshan Park

Modern Asian cuisine buffet with Hawkerlicious offerings
Flavours at Zhongshan Park churns out Asian flavours infused with Western cooking techniques, bringing varied items from Baked Miso Cod (must-have), Flavours Asian Club Sandwich, Slow-Cooked Pork Cheek, to Pandan Tiramisu; and local hawker favourites of Fried Seafood Hokkien Mee, Dry Mee Siam, Assam Fish Curry with Vegetables, Wok-Fried Oyster Omelette and Mutton Rendang.

What caught my eye was an “Ah Hood” stall offered during the ‘Hawkerlicious’ Dinner Buffet, where you would see a display of fresh seafood on ice, to be paired with their home-made signature sauces.

Choose from prawns, clams, mud crabs, snapper fish and squid, and get the chef to wok-fry the seafood with salted egg yolk sauce (is this calling your name?), Assam curry sauce, black pepper, or ginger and onion sauce.

Your choice, whatever sauce you want, fresh, with wok-hei.

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekday Lunch Buffet (Mon – Fri, 12 – 2:30pm)
$28++ per adult, $14++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekday Dinner Buffet (Mon – Thurs, 6 – 10pm)
$45++ per adult, $22.50++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekend Lunch Buffet (Sat, Sun, PH, 12-2:30pm)
$45++ per adult, $22.50++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekend Dinner Buffet (Fri – Sun, PH, 6-10pm)
$49++ per adult, $24.50++ per child

21 on Rajah
1 Jalan Rajah Singapore 329133
Opening Hours: 6am – 10:30pm
Reserve Online Now – 21 on Rajah

Mediterranean cuisine, Asian delights, Halal-certified buffet
Interesting. A Mediterr-Asian theme buffet with Mediterranean favourites such as Spiced Basmati, Sultana Saffron Rice, Fattoush Salad with Sumac and Olive Oil, Buffalo Mozzarella and Roma Tomatoes with Pesto Sauce.

After going through a recent update, there is a new station featuring items such as Seafood and Chicken Paella, Tortilla de Patatas Espanola (Spanish Omelette with Potatoes) and assorted pizzas (for the kids).

The buffet also caters to those craving for familiar street Asian food, with the likes of Barbecued Chicken with Sambal Squid Rings, tender Braised Lamb Shank, and savoury Clams in Assam Chilli.

Literally having the best of both worlds.

Breakfast (Mon – Sun, 6:00am – 10:30am)
Adult: $18++, Child: $9++

Lunch & PH Eve (Mon – Fri, 12pm – 2:30pm)
Adult: $30++, Child: $15++

Brunch (Sat, Sun & PH, 12pm – 3pm)
Adult: $40++, Child: $20++

Dinner (Mon – Thurs, 6 – 10pm)
Adult: $40++, Child: $20++

Dinner (Fri – Sun, PH Eve & PH, 6pm – 10pm)
Adult: $44++, Child: $22++

Restaurant Ember
Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089158
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm (Mon-Fri), 6-10:30pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Reserve Online Now – Restaurant Ember

Modern European with an Asian and Japanese influence
Located on the hipster stretch of Keong Siak Road within Hotel 1929, Restaurant Ember is known for serving modern European cuisine with Asian and Japanese influence.

Helmed by new Executive Chef Alex Phan, the restaurant has gone on to initiate more collaborations with home-grown producers. Thus, you would see mains such as Ah Hua Kelong Sea Bass with Tomato Butter ($32) appearing on the menu.

The long standing favourite of Restaurant Ember has been the Sakura Ebi Cappellini with Konbu, Chilli & Crustacean Oil ($32), while other items not to be missed are the Market Balsamic-Glazed Pork Belly with Enoki, Parsley & Cashew ($34), and desserts of Tiger Beer Sorbet with Lap Cheong & Pineapple ($14), and Kaffir Lime with Coconut & Pandan ($12).

WANTON, Seng’s Noodle Bar
52 Amoy Street Singapore 069878
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs),
11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 11pm (Fri)
11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm (Sat), Closed Sunday
Reserve Online Now – WANTON

Singapore local wanton noodles goes upmarket
From humble wanton mee stall at Dunman Food Centre (operating since 1968 by the way), to hipster noodle bar on Amoy Street.

The Char Siew Mee ($7) comes with aburi slow cooked pork belly instead of the typical char siew with wontons, spring onions, fried shallots on thin, springy noodles.

During weekday and Saturday dinners, you can order a bowl of Seng’s plain noodles for a dollar, matched with bites and sides such as Batalong Egg ($9), 18 hours slow cooked Aburi Pork Belly ($13), Salted Duck Egg Chicken Wings ($10) and Gangster Baby Kailan ($10).

Do add some of those *secret recipe* Seng’s ‘infamous’ chilli sauce.

Baba Chews
86 East Coast Road #01-01 Katong Square Singapore 428788
Opening Hours: All Day Dining 11:00am – 10:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm – 10:30pm, Bar Bites 11am – 11:30pm, Weekend Brunch 10:30am – 3:00pm (Sat = Sun)
Reserve Online Now – Baba Chews

Modern Peranakan Neighbourhood Café In Heritage Katong
Katong is already known for its heritage shophouses, many with Peranakan influence. Housed within the former Joo Chiat Police Station, Baba Chews looks set to attract hipsters with its modern meets Straits Chinese cuisine.

Other than the recommended Chilli Crab Cake with Mantou Chips ($15) and Foie Gras Tau Kwa Pau ($20), the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($18) looks intriguing enough.

This consist of chicken patty doused in a special buah keluak sauce, with achar (pickled vegetables) in a multigrain ciabatta burger. It is a creative take, and I hope they will expand on this selection.

For more Asian and local favourites, there is a variety from Penang Char Kway Teow ($15), Nonya Fried Rice, Hokkien Mee ($16), Nonya Laksa ($18) and Hainanese Chicken Rice ($17). Portions surprisingly quite satisfying.

1933
15 Stamford Road, Capitol Piazza #01-83 Singapore 178906
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm, Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Reserve Online Now – 1933

Local ‘kopitiam’ Toast Box with a difference
Craving for local breakfast, Nanyang style kopi and Singapore cuisine at City Hall area? 1933 by Toast Box is a two-storey outlet offering local food, mostly with a modern take.

Some of 1933’s mains include Laksa Pasta ($13.90), Nanyang Curry Chicken ($11.90), and Hainanese Chicken Rice ($12.90). End the meal with a Gula Melaka Pandan Cake ($7.90) – soft pandan chiffon served with Gula Melaka syrup.

There you have it. Remember if you want to dine at any of the above restaurants, make a reservation at Chope to get $10 off your bill when you pay with your Visa credit or debit card.

Visa Flash Giveaway TnCs:
1. Reservations must be made and fulfilled by 31st August.
2. Minimum spend of $30
3. Bill has to be paid using a VISA credit/debit card to qualify.
4. Limited to one redemption per reservation.
5. Cancellations or no-shows will result in the giveaway being forfeited.
6. Not valid in conjunction with ongoing promotions, offers, discounts and/or vouchers.
7. The giveaway is not exchangeable for cash or vouchers.
8. No multiple Chope vouchers can be used at the same time.
9. In case of disputes, the restaurant’s decision is final.

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Chope.

The post 7 Restaurants To Bring Your Foreign Kakis For Modern Local Fare. Plus Get $10 OFF Your Bill! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

There is NO MENU at the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Anthony Bourdain recommended Sin Huat Eating House at red-light district of Geylang Lorong 35.

”The fish is $150 per kg ah. I tell you. Don’t order and then complain against me…”

Chef Danny Lee mentioned that in a tone equal in candidness and seriousness, as if he was many-times bitten, many-times (not) shy.

Sin Huat Eating House had received complaints and negative feedback from exorbitant prices, rude service and long waiting hours.

The group of us only experienced the last, and we didn’t quite mind waiting (while chatting and FYI Sin Huat is between two Pokestops.)

This is almost a ONE-MAN SHOW restaurant. Chef Danny takes the orders, cooks, and then two aunties will send the food to our table.

They were quite chatty by the way, ”Are you all inspectors? But they should be ang moh… One came and asked what Otah was in English… ”

If you are at the last table, perhaps you literally have to wait-long-long before Chef would make his rounds. Tip: Order the Otah ($12 per piece), that was the fastest to come.

I can imagine some diners may be offended by Chef Danny’s straight-talking, no-nonsense style. In a greatest faux pas (and lack of research), I asked if he served Har Cheong Gai… Mistake.

”Hello? We are a seafood restaurant. Is chicken seafood? I almost wanted to bury my head under the table. My friends had a good laugh.

He went to comment that seafood restaurants which sell everything under the sky, shouldn’t be called “seafood restaurants”. ”Don’t get me there… I was more amused than anything.

Be very precise in what you want to order and not. I mentioned ”Zhong yu” which meant “finally” in Mandarin, he thought I wanted a medium-sized fish.

My heart stopped a beat when I realized that could have cost me an additional $300.

Our orders were the legendary Crab Bee Hoon ($160 for 2 crabs), Prawns ($84 for 14 pieces), Scallops ($50 for 2 kg, that was like 12 pieces?), Frogs’ legs with essence of chicken ($26 for 2 frogs), and Vegetables ($20).

A word of caution: The kitchen was heavy-handed in using garlic. If your nemesis is garlic or you are a Dracula, stay far-far away from Sin Huat.

We all had our personal favourites.

Mine could be the Otah ($12 per piece) which Chef Danny described as “size of your handphone”. Should be a Samsung Note 7.

The handmade piece was spicy-sweet-juicy, served on banana leaf with chunks of fish which my friend described as “better than Muar’s”.

We were divided on the Scallops ($50 for 2 kg) cooked slathered with black bean sauce. The scallops were fresh, but the sauce and abundant use of garlic kind of covered the taste.

While some others thought otherwise and scooped up the sauce till there was not very much left.

I had a love-hate relationship with the vegetables ($20). Chef Danny said he had greens there ONLY because he ”yi si yi si” needed a token vegetable dish.

The dish was deliciously over-salty in oyster sauce. Try it to know what I mean.

Of course the star of the dinner had to be the Crab Bee Hoon ($168) had rice vermicelli drenched in this impossible-to-resist sauce, with wok-hei and crabs so fleshy-sweet you wave your diets goodbye.

Elsewhere you might get crabs so dry and shriveled, and without SO MUCH roe, that you wondered if they had lived in vain, or been cooked in vain.

I wished for MORE bee hoon per crab, but got reminded that this had to be done so that every strand would get wrapped with the essence and flavours.

The Singapore Michelin Guide listed the price at Sin Huat to be between $20 and $40. They could have come in a big big group and ordered only 2 dishes. Anyway… expect to pay anything between $50 to $100 and beyond per person.

Anthony Bourdian did name Sin Huat as one of the “13 Places to Eat Before You Die” alongside Per Se, elBulli, The French Laundry, Le Bernardin, and Sukiyabashi Jiro… which showed how worthy he thought the food was.

I think Sin Huat should provide you a unique local dining experience (may just return again for the bee hoon, otah and vege). Bring extra cash to pay your friend (they accept cards), wet towels, patience, an appetite, and throw your pride out of the window. And DON’T order chicken.

Sin Huat Eating House
659/661 Lorong 35 Geylang Singapore 389589
Opening Hours: 7pm – 12am

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
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29 Singapore Michelin Starred Restaurants & Stalls
10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore
A-Z List Of Where To Eat, Where To Go Around Singapore

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

The post Sin Huat Eating House – Awesome Expensive Crab Bee Hoon, One Of The Places To Eat Before You Die appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Though New Ubin Seafood has its beginnings from a restaurant Pulau Ubin’s north shore, they really made its name when it moved to the rustic Sin Ming area, where the décor is still maintained kampong-style.

It is one of my Top 10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore.

New Ubin Seafood has also been recently included into the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016.

Not the typical zi char dishes, you would find US Ribeye, Chocolate Alexander, Fish Roe Masala, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Satay Foie Gras, and BBQ Pork Collar among the top selling dishes.

How I look out for dishes to order is the floor-to-ceiling chalkboard where they would indicate their most popular dishes – Heart Attack Fried Rice, Chilli Crab, Crispy Pork Knuckles, Boss Style Bee Hoon, Great Shovel Nose Ray, and Hei Chor.

Some customers call this the ‘ang moh’ zi char restaurant, and order the US Black Angus Ribeye Steak ($12 for 100 grams), served together with caramelised onions, Idaho potato wedges, sea salt flakes, and my favourite… fried rice cooked with beef drippings.

Super flavoursome.

Part of my personal must-order is their version of Hokkien Mee, cooked in rich prawn stock so that the entire plate would become wet and gooey, almost sticky, also full-on in wok-hei.

And so the announcement…

New Ubin Seafood will MOVE OUT of its current venue at Sing Ming Road.

It’s last day of operation is confirmed to be 30th October (Sunday).

The NEW New Ubin Seafood venue will be at Lam Soon Industrial Building No. 63 Hillview Avenue, which is anticipated to start operations on 1st November.

While I cannot comment on the new location yet, I will kind of miss the old-school kampong feeling, which you really do not get any more in Singapore.

Oh well.

New Ubin Seafood
Block 27 Sin Ming Road (behind Block 26), #01-174 Sin Ming Industrial Estate Sector A, Singapore 575680
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Tue-Fri), 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Sat, Sun), 5:30pm – 10:30pm, Closed for lunch on Mon.

Moving To Lam Soon Industrial Building No. 63 Hillview Ave from 1st November 2016

Other Related Entries
A-Z List Of Where To Eat, Where To Go Around Singapore
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore
Por Kee (Tiong Bahru)
KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)

The post New Ubin Seafood – Kampong Style Zhi Char Restaurant Moving Out Of Sin Ming End Of Next Month appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

You don’t get many of these around anymore. A noodle eatery focusing on just 5 types of nodles, with occasional specials.

NOW Noodles + at Novena Square 2 Level 2 offers Dry Laksa, Dry Mee Siam, Fried Mee Tai Mak with Century Egg, Heng Hwa Noodle Soup and Vegetarian Mee Goreng.

All at $9.80. No service charge. No GST.

Get a trace of home-style cooking, as though your mum prepared this for you, with many ingredients such as the rempah made from scratch.

Hard to find such places now, as many F&B would rather pick the easier-way-out with ready-made-pastes. But cannot blame them. Every new business owner will have to weigh that priority.

First timers to Novena Square 2 would probably need to navigate a maze before finding this location. But it is all fine – some indie, amazing buys around.

My friend quipped, ”All the servers here go to gym one, is it?” I suppose a good enough reason to keep the OLs coming. #justsaying

Many of my blogger friends from MissTamChiak, Camemberu and SgFoodOnFoot have gave a thumbs up to the Fried Mee Tai Mak with Century Egg.

Special. I don’t remember seeing this dish around elsewhere.

The ‘mouse noodles’ were fried with home-made belacan and generous proportion of century egg. The spiciness was really quite something, and reminded me of what my grandma would cook for a Sunday afternoon feast.

Just a minor comment: overall, I felt quite ‘heaty’ after the dish. Which will bring to my next point.
Both the Dry Laksa and Dry Mee Siam were worthy to try, especially the later which had that taste of the mee siam sold at the swimming pool canteen. Those were the days.

For the Dry Mee Siam, there were touches of spiciness and tanginess, without that overpowering taste. Evenly coated, a trace of wok hei.

On the note of ‘heatiness’, I thought that the bean sprouts on the Dry Laksa were overcooked, and lacked that juicy crunch. (Like how a plate of Pad Thai would have fresh sprouts and spring onions to balance the whole dish.)

Then I realised the entire menu might have lacked of some cooling elements… more vegetables incorporated, some salads as side (maybe achar?), homemade drinks such as lemongrass, barley or wintermelon.

All in all, the Heng Hwa Noodle Soup turned out to be my favourite, surprisingly.

Tender chicken, delicious mee sua which absorbed some of the broth, and a light yet flavoursome soup base.

NOW Noodles +
Novena Square 2 #02-65, 10 Sinaran Drive Singapore 307506
Tel: +65 6251 0177
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm Daily

Other Related Entries
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KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)

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

The post NOW Noodles + – Home-Style Dry Mee Siam, Dry Laksa And Fried Mee Tai Mak At Novena Square 2 appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh is going places, recently opened downtown at both Raffles City and Takashimaya Shopping Centre basements.

I am all for our hawker delicacies moving from humble stalls and shops into swanky commercial malls, provided if they can keep the taste more or less consistent.

Consider this one of the ways to preserve this Singapore food heritage, and for more international diners to know about the local food culture.

Bak Kut Teh is one of those foods which have found relative success, and it is not exaggerating to say there is one new BKT eatery opening up in Singapore every other week.

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh has its humble beginnings in Outram Park estate, founded by Madam Gwee Peck Hua, with the recipe developed with sister Madam Gwee Guek Hwa.

I do go to both the Havelock Road flagship and Keppel Road branch when I need a Bak Kut Teh fix, when I have supper cravings for the pepper, clear Teochew style soup base matched with tender pork ribs.

The shiokness!

Incidentally, the children of the founders of Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha has set up Tuan Yuan Pork Rib Soup at Tiong Bahru, which was actually not too bad an attempt.

Now, as for the restaurant at Raffles City…

The signatures are the Prime Cut Ribs ($10.50), Ribs ($7.70) with other combinations such as Kidney Soup ($7.70), Mee Sua with Minced Pork Ball ($8.80), Intestine Soup ($7.50) and Stomach Soup ($7.50).

As diners, I don’t think we would expect a 100% when it is more mass-produced. At least 70-80% close to the original?

I am not sure if it is an attempt to suit the broth to a larger, more mass audience.

Somehow, the soup base just lacked the ‘oomph’ – not as peppery, not as robust, not as flavourful, just a mild, rather forgettable attempt.

My friend commented that the ribs were not as tender or tender as Song Fa’s, which I unfortunately had to agree at that point of time.

It is inevitable that when a shop is set up in the city, the menu would be diversified to cater to families and larger groups.

Actually, I still found the Bak Kut Teh overall acceptable, though not as good as the original.

BUT the side dishes pulled the overall experience down.

The Fried Prawn Rolls ($7.80) were starchy in the fillings, deep fried till dry and shrivelled (you can tell from the pictures); and the Steamed Otah ($6.5) somewhat mushy and uninspiring.

So Ya Hua, I love your Bak Kut Teh, but really hope something is done to keep that taste consistent.

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh
Raffles City #B1-44B, 252 North Bridge Road Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 6264 7066

391 Orchard Road, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, #B2-32 Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238872

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh Eating House
593, Havelock Road #01-01/02, Isetan Office Building, Singapore 169641
Tel: +65 6235 7716
Opening Hours: 11am – 2am (Tues, Thurs), 11am – 3am (Wed, Fri, Sat), 11am – 10pm (Sun), Closed Sun

Outram Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha Restaurant
No 7 Keppel Road #01-05/07, PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, Singapore 089053
Tel: +65 6222 9610
Opening Hours: 7am – 3am (Tues – Sat), 7am – 1am (Sun), Closed Mon

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

The post Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh – Goes Market At Raffles City and Takashimaya. Hope They Can Keep Standards Consistent appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee in Singapore has found a new competitor just down the road, on 476 MacPherson Road (somewhere near Boon Tong Kee, opposite Stamford Tyres Motor).

KL Traditional Chilli Ban Mee sounds similar to Kin Kin, and offerings are more or less the same.

Even the whole look and ingredients sounds alike, the noodle bowl added with crispy ikan billis, minced meat, meatballs (the generic machine-made type), poached egg, lastly topped with the signature homemade dry chilli flakes.

The “Top 10 dishes” at KL Traditional Chilli Ban Mee include Signature Chili Ban Mee ($5), Signature Abalone Combo Ban mee ($13), Signature Hand-Made Fresh Fishball Mee ($5), Minced Pork Mee ($5), Scallop Chili Ban Mee ($8), Abalone Chili Ban Mee ($10), Signature Hand-Made Fresh Fishball Soup ($4), Porkball Soup ($4), Fish Dumpling Soup ($4), and Signature Abalone Combo Soup ($13).

Prices are considered reasonable, taken in account the amount of ingredients.

I ordered the Signature Chili Ban Mee ($5) which was acceptably-tasty. The ikan billis fried till light and crisp brought out a more layered texture upon biting.

The highlight to me was the fried chilli flakes, which were indeed terrifically spicy, and gave a needed shiokness to the Ban Mee.

On a side note, the soup cooked with vegetables made good accompaniment – tasty, has depth, not salty.

Personal preference, I wished that the noodles could have been cooked with more springy-bite, ie more QQ.

The question that many will ask: How does this compare to say, Kin Kin or Face To Face Noodle House?

I liked the overall combination at Kin Kin better – it has more ‘taste’; and Face To Face’s noodles had a more layered seasoning and bite of the noodles.

The shop is related to the Aroy Mak Mookata next door, and thus you can order drinks such as Thai Iced Milk Tea ($2) here.

KL Traditional Chilli Ban Mee, KL 传统辣椒板面
476 MacPherson Road Singapore 368191 (Opp Stamford Tyres Motor)
Tel: +65 9052 0555 (for ordering takeaway)
Opening Hours: 11am to 7pm (last order 630pm)

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

The post KL Traditional Chilli Ban Mee – Another Ban Mee Shop Hits MacPherson, Near Kin Kin appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

In the dark lanes of Geylang Lor 23 (no red lanterns around), the likes of white peppery crabs are waiting to be devoured.

Dingy back alley, where round tables get laid out for all to be served, only after the sun starts to set at 5:30pm onwards.

This is also where a Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant can be found, that even the Ang Moh inspectors take pleasure in.

JB Ah Meng originated from Singapore, and has nothing to do with Singapore’s favourite orangutan.

Accordingly, the chefs from JB Ah Meng are from across the causeway, and cook in feisty Malaysian style with wok-hei.

The recommended dishes: JB San Lou Meehoon, White Pepper Crab, Salted Egg Prawn Roll, 3 Delicacy Beancurd.

We heard a statement that “If JB Ah Meng’s White Pepper Crab is 2nd best nobody will claim to be the 1st.”

Is that even true?

After chomping down those sweet crab meat tossed in piquant kick of white pepper, we think there is some truth in that statement.

The crab could be of bigger sizes, boosting more succulent meat, but the power sauce would make you overlook that. Hate using this phrase, but those were finger-licking-good.

The JB San Lou Mee Hoon (($7/$11/$14) looked like a plate of flat mess (simi lai?) or a pancake gone wrong, but you know, the taste is quite the opposite.

Fried with shrimps, egg and vegetables at the bottom, there was a play of textures of both thin crisp and moist. Also, the darker the colour of the vermicelli, the more flavours it had absorbed.

The Salted Egg Prawn Roll ($20/$30/$40) didn’t arrive exactly how I would have imagine… ”Where’s the roll? Is this it? So little?”

BUT, this was a version where the salted egg yolk merged beautifully with the crisp batter.

The two are totally different in personally like Yang Guo meeting Little Dragon Girl, but coming together wrapping around prawns and corn kernels, that would be swept away clean fast.

JB Ah Meng has announced its closure on 15th December 2016 at its current location, and will be moving to Geylang Lor 30 in 2017.

I will probably be there. I miss the white pepper crabs so much.

JB Ah Meng
2 Lor 23 Geylang, Singapore 388353
Tel: +65 6741 2418
Opening Hours: 5:30pm – 2:30am

New Location: 534 Geylang Road Lor 30 (from 1st Jan 2017)

Other Related Entries
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New Ubin Seafood (Sin Ming)
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KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)
Orchid Live Seafood (Bah Soon Pah Road)

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

The post JB Ah Meng – Famous For White Pepper Crabs And Bee Hoon, Moving By Year End appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[REVIEW] The Coconut Club got into the foodie limelight recently with their $12.80 Nasi Lemak, served at the hipster district of Ann Siang Hill.

$12.80 Nasi Lemak.

Ex and gimmicky, or real good stuff? I am all for the local delicacies moving into restaurants, bistros and cafes.

In fact, this can be a way our humble hawker food can be elevated up, and perhaps attract more young ‘hawkerpreneurs’ to enter the tough and challenging industry.

Just like say, Singapore’s very own Michelin Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle which gone from hawker to restaurant. Hopefully, many more to come.

If we want a cheaper version, there is always the hawker centres. For convenience, there is Crave and Qiji. Of course, some say the best rendition of Nasi Lemak will be at home. But that is the very beauty of Singapore.

Of course, there will always be some who complain Nasi Lemak for $12.80 (nett) in a restaurant is expensive, but emmm… Baked Riced with ham at $12.80 is cheap.

The Coconut Club was packed to the brim during a weekend visit. (Okay, didn’t help they are only opened limited hours per day.)

They specialise in serving up plates of fragrant Nasi Lemak ($12.80), coupled with traditional local sides such as charcoal-grilled Otak Otak ($8.50), Ikan Goreng (market price) and Cendol ($3.80).

Prices are inclusive of GST and service charge. That is a bonus.

Here is what’s so special about the rice: Old crop Thai Jasmine Rice is used. Coconuts are from one specific plantation in Sabak Bernam, and type is called the MAWA (The Malaysian West African strain).

This coconut milk is squeezed in-house, and has a creamier, richer texture.

The verdict: The rice was lovely and fluffy, with that undemanding aroma that didn’t overwhelm. I don’t always finish my Nasi Lemak rice as it could be both oily and heavy.

This – I cleaned out. It was sedap in an understated sort of way.

The chicken was the other tasty element, rubbed with lemongrass, galangal and turmeric, carrying with it Asian flavours rather than just a generic fried chicken. The bad: could not stop eating the skin.

The Cendol ($3.80) was a creamy, milky version, and didn’t stinge on adding good gula melaka. The ‘cannot-have’ if you are watching your cholesterol levels.

Would be happier if it was a bigger portion with beans added. Personal preference.

The fellow customers I talked to came from various backgrounds. Two aunties longed to eat for a good plate of Nasi Lemak, some brought their children here because they never had Nasi Lemak is their lives.

Good food like Nasi Lemak, brings people together. The Coconut ‘Club’, is an appropriate name indeed.

The Coconut Club
NO. 6 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069787 (Chinatown MRT)
Tel: +65 6635 2999
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Tues – Sat)

Other Related Entries
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Good Chance Popiah (Jalan Besar)

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

The post The Coconut Club – $12.80 Nasi Lemak At Ann Siang That Got People Queuing appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

New Ubin Seafood has moved out of its venue at Sing Ming Road, to Lam Soon Industrial Building No. 63 Hillview Avenue.

Happier news for the Bukit Timah folks.

The new location can seat about 280 people, and has maintained the old kopitiam style mood and furniture. More or less.

As the NEW New Ubin Seafood is located at a “canteen” of the industrial building, it will also offer lunch time sets.

Finding this place can be challenging for those who don’t drive (and not good with GPS).

Located next to the carpark on Level 6, almost the entire restaurant was shone in dark yellow light.

Food bloggers/instagrammers, can keep your cameras already and just concentrate on eating. Some areas, especially those near the carpark, could feel warm, stuffy and cramped.

If you are seated in a big group, then perhaps you could land up in the cooler, more spacious ‘VIP’ rooms inside.

That is where most of the décor still retains.

New Ubin Seafood is one of my Top 10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore.

And it has also been recently included into the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016. (Any chance of a star coming year?)

Will food remain the same standard over at Lam Soon?

What I like about this place: The breath of its variety, even Masala Chicken, which reflects our unique Singapore culture.

You won’t find just the typical zi char dishes, but US Ribeye, Chocolate Alexander, Fish Roe Masala, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Satay Foie Gras, and BBQ Pork Collar among the top selling dishes.

How I look out for dishes to order is the floor-to-ceiling chalkboard where they would indicate their most popular dishes – Heart Attack Fried Rice, Chilli Crab, Crispy Pork Knuckles, Boss Style Bee Hoon, Great Shovel Nose Ray, and Hei Chor.

US Black Angus Ribeye Steak
Some customers call this the ‘ang moh’ zi char restaurant, and order the US Black Angus Ribeye Steak ($14 for 100 grams, we paid $84), served together with caramelised onions, Idaho potato wedges, sea salt flakes, and my favourite… fried rice cooked with beef drippings.

Super flavoursome.

The fried rice is probably the most tongue-pleasing, yet artery-clogging dish to look out for.

Fried Hokkien Mee Prawn Noodle Special
My personal must-order is their version of Hokkien Mee ($14), cooked in rich prawn stock so that the entire plate would become wet and gooey, almost sticky.

I have tried this same dish for about 5-6 times over the last 2-3 years.

However, this was kind of the most lacklustre version – lack of wok-hei, noodles a tad soft (perhaps over fried) and tasted off from the usual. Hope they can maintain some consistency.

Boss Beehoon
New found favourite dish of Boss Beehoon ($9) which seemed to be fried with an appetising and addictive black sauce (probably some fats added, because it was quite fragrant).

Warning: Could be ‘heaty’.

Chicken Satay
The satay ($8.50 for 10) ended up to be the most predictable, safest, yet one of the best dish of all we tried for its juicy meat, sweet glaze with a slight char.

Chye Poh Kway Teow
One of those seldom-seen before dishes in Singapore. The Chye Poh Kway Teow ($10) contained thin rice noodles (almost like Pad Thai’s width) fried with preserved radish.

Still, I liked it way better the first time I tried this, than over at this new location.

Chicken Masala
Quite power. The Chicken Masala ($24) tasted almost like the fillings of many spicy curry puffs came together into a pot.

Thick, greasy, appetising, spicy shiok, but won’t burn your tongue kind.

Though New Ubin Seafood has its beginnings from a restaurant Pulau Ubin’s north shore, they really made its name when it moved to the rustic Sin Ming area.

I still like this current New Ubin Seafood, and would place this as one of the places you can get the most unique “Truly Singaporean” zhi char dishes.

However, I couldn’t help feel that the last location was more ‘kampong’, airier, and food just somehow tasted 10%-20% better.

Perhaps the team is still getting used to the premises, and hope they can keep up with the consistency.

New Ubin Seafood
Lam Soon Industrial Building No. 63 Hillview Ave
(Hillview MRT, 15-20 min away. Bus numbers 176, 963, 970)
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5:00pm – 10:00pm (Mon – Sun)
Reserve Online Now – New Ubin Seafood

Other Related Entries
A-Z List Of Where To Eat, Where To Go Around Singapore
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10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore
Por Kee (Tiong Bahru)
KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)

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

The post New Ubin Seafood – New Location At Hillview, Truly Singaporean Zhi Char Fare appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[NEW] From hawker stall to restaurant. Popular prawn noodle stall Wah Kee from Pek Kio Food Centre has expanded, with its first restaurant at The Esplanade.

There are recent signs of hawkers going upmarket. Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle at Smith Street is one of the most obvious example.

The benefits are clear – more room for expansion into many outlets, economies of scale, opportunities to go international, and very possibly as the inspectors are making their round… The converted Michelin Star or at least the Bib Gourmand.

The choice of The Esplanade as Wah Kee’s first flagship outlet, also signals a location that is more internationally recognised, with traffic from both locals and travellers.

Here’s the catch 22 situation, and Nasi Lemak makers The Coconut Club can possibly identify.

A portion of local customers will still expect the same good taste as at the hawker stall, YET still at low affordable costs, PLUS the restaurant type of service.

Let me paint this scenario: Customers can go to Wah Kee the hawker stall, get ‘scolded’ by auntie, wait long long, but it would likely to be ‘okay’.

However, if you are Wah Kee the restaurant at The Esplanade, expected treatment and service will be different.

How to manage that? Certain mindset of consumers needs to be changed first. One step at a time. I am personally for paying more from a customer’s point of view, due to higher rental, labour cost, air con and service at a restaurant setting.

So the good news. In an air-conditioned setting, Wah Kee manages to keep their basic Prawn Noodles at $6, just a dollar more than at the hawker stall.

The signature Wah Kee Prawn Noodle With Large Sized Prawn (Dry/Soup) is priced the same at $20 both at Pek Kio and The Esplanade.

If I were to recommend, get the mee kia.

The noodles are specially made for Wah Kee and all base sauces such as the sambal chilli sauce and special spicy sauce are made in-house daily, using Wah Kee’s 65-year recipe.

The mee kia was long and thin with a pleasant chewy bite. My only reservation was that sauce could have been a tad much (maybe 20-30%?) in proportion to the noodle serving, and could be scaled back so that the combination mix won’t be so salty.

Soup was tasty and robust in flavours, yet not over in saltiness and sweetness (like some other prawn noodle stalls). Thumbs up.

However, after a 1.5 hours wait, my first bowl of prawns… turned out to be mushy and tasted undercooked. (There was another online review that also commented prawns were undercooked.)

Initially, I thought ”How could this be?”, took another bite, and went ”Oh no.”

I had to return the bowl. It was then explained that their large sized prawns were first cooked about 75%, and the returning 25% would be cooked after the hot broth was added in the pot.

Obviously, the last 25% wasn’t managed well.

So advice for customers, let your prawns soak in the soup even longer (This is coming from a food blogger who had to take a photo or two before eating.)

With that said, not many things went well for Wah Kee’s Day 1. The Singtel internet outage has affected Wah Kee’s ordering, processes and payment, and situations went kind of haywire (extremely long waiting, wrong orders etc).

Back to my earlier point, a hawker stall would have managed it by continuing to let customers queue for eternity or just say “Sold out!”, but customers would have different expectations for a restaurant.

Here are some recommendations if any restaurants face a similar scenario (Again, I am saying this from a customer’s point of view, and understand operations would have certain constraints):
– Get waiting customers seated inside, rather than stand in the heat.
– Communicate the issues with customers, both physically and on Facebook, because people not knowing would wonder, “What happened?”
– Serve customers in an order – the earlier customer should get served first than those who arrive later.
– Get waiting customers in the restaurant a complimentary drink, or least some water.
– Communicate expected waiting time, and perhaps leave the blaming game out from customers. They don’t need to know “it’s the government’s fault”.
– Communicate to people in the queue or even put an end to the queue line if key food items are already sold out.
– Not be afraid to be truthful with customers, especially if it is a legitimate reason. For example, if food items are likely to be delayed due to challenges, let customers understand than give an excuse “Sold out” when they have eyes to see that it was obviously not.

I genuinely think Wah Kee Prawn Noodles has what it takes to make it work, to present out local heritage food to broader horizons. But they probably got to iron out everything very soon.

Note: To better handle customers, Wah Kee Prawn Noodles at The Esplanade will only be serving the signature Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle and oysters from Canada till further updates.

Wah Kee Prawn Noodles
8 Raffles Avenue Esplanade Mall #01-13C Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63279187
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 2:30pm Last Order 2pm, 5pm – 10:30pm Last Order 10pm (Sun – Thurs)
11:00am – 2:30pm Last Order 2pm, 5pm – 11:30pm Last Order 11pm (Fri, Sat, Eve PH)

Other Related Entries
Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle (Smith Street)
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Crawford Lane)
Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty (Mei Ling Food Centre)
Wok Master (City Square Mall)
Kam’s Roast Singapore (Pacific Plaza)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated. Food photos were taken in separate media session.

The post Wah Kee Prawn Noodles – From Hawker Stall To Restaurant At The Esplanade appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

ROOST is a chicken rice concept restaurant found at The Centrepoint, Orchard Road.

Great to find our humble local food moving into upscale restaurant formats. Wah Kee Prawn Noodles, Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh and The Coconut Club (Nasi Lemak) are some of the more recent of such openings.

The 1500 sq ft, 60-seater casual dining Roost offers popular local and Asian delights, with its main feature on Singapore’s national dish – Chicken Rice.

The special thing to note is that Roost cooks and serves chicken used the world’s first patented automated poultry cooking machine – the Singapore-made iKook.

That will make duplication easier. But can technology replicate the taste? (You can try and let me know, yah?)

Good to know: ROOST offers Poached or Soya Sauce Chicken Rice ($8.90), cooked with Canola oil and packs less than 500 calories a plate.

Not sure which to pick? Get the Yin Yang Chicken Rice ($8.90) which contains a platter of both.

I say, the Soya Sauce Chicken was a tastier choice. The Poached Chicken was decent, though not spectacular. It did not come close to some of the more famous brands out there in terms of succulence and the alluring X-factor.

The one thing the restaurant probably had to work on, would be the rice, coming across as dry and lacking in the taste element. Perhaps some areas had to be compromised due to the 500-calorie imitation.

Oh well, give and take, consumers choose between health and taste.

Other Asian fare such as Chicken Laksa ($7.90), Tom Yum Fried Rice ($8.90), Chicken Sushi ($4.90), Crispy Chicken Rice Balls ($4.90), Chili Crab Dip ($5.90) and a unique local desserts such as Durian Creme Brûlée ($5.90) and Nanyang Coffee Panna Cotta ($5.90).

The Chicken Sushi ($4.90) probably needed a side serving of chilli, and Singapore White Bee Hoon ($7.90) as what my friend would term…. ”Food court standard LOR.”

Another great challenge I anticipate, is the branding itself.

Many dedicated chicken rice restaurants start from somewhere – a famous hawker stall for example. The marketing team of ROOST will have this big hurdle to clear for this unknown name.

Roost
Centrepoint B1-17/18/19, 176 Orchard Road Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6909 0411
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 9:00pm Mon – Sun

Other Related Entries
Wah Kee Prawn Noodles (The Esplanade)
New Rasa Singapura (Tanglin)
Fu Lin Bar (Telok Ayer)
Char Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Hotel Boss)

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

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[Bangkok] Singaporeans going to Bangkok to eat Hainanese Chicken Rice. Strange, right?

The name of this Singapore style chicken rice shop is called “Boon Tong Kiat”, and one may just wonder if it is a ‘cheong’ (copy) version of the famous Boon Tong Kee back home.

I only went to try after asking for food recommendations from the baristas at The Commons, who all pointed to the direction of this eatery serving ‘khao man gai’.

They knew I was Singaporean. “It’s good…”

The shop wasn’t that difficult to find, on the main road of Thonglor Soi 16, and it looked like one of those old-school coffeeshop I used to go to during my growing up years.

Chopping and preparation of food was done outside, eating inside.

Boon Tong Kiat was originally founded by a Singaporean. However, he has left the business and it is now run by a Thai family who used to work in the restaurant.

The menu offers a splattering of familiar Singapore local favourites, from Chicken with Garlic Rice (65 baht), Duck with steamed rice (79 baht), Red Pork with steamed rice – that’s char siew (69 baht), Red Pork Noodleswith Dumpling Soup (69 baht), Singapore Fried Carrot Cake (115 baht), Fried Rice (120 baht), and Hokkien Mee (120 baht).

There is also a dish more commonly known as ‘Singapore Som Tam’ here, which is our Rojak (105 baht). Don’t go near there.

Waiting took a while. 20 minutes, as the person in front ordered a hundred packets and the server decided to go by sequence.

The moment of truth. The Chicken with Garlic Rice (65 baht) arrived with oily and richer coloured looking rice than the usual, complete with poached chicken glistering in a soy sauce and oil combination.

The plate was actually legit.

There was this pleasant bite and garlic ‘fragrance’ to the flavoured rice, the chicken unexpectedly tender and moist.

However, if I were to do a side by side comparison, I would still prefer the fluffier, moist rice back home as this turned out to be slightly on the dry yet oily side.

While the Red Pork Noodles was nothing to scream about, the top-up of Crispy Pork with that signature layer of crunchiness and fats, turned out to be the saving grace.

Interesting to note that other the signature chilli sauce and garlic paste, Thai style chili was also provided – which I dropped into the egg noodles to add some taste.

If you are Singaporean and crave for home, I think Boon Tong Kiat is a worthy alternative.

Boon Tong Kiat บุญตงเกียรติข้าวมันไก่สิงคโปร์
440/5 Thonglor Soi 16 (located on the main street, opposite J Avenue)
Tel: +66 02 390 2508
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily
Google Maps – Boon Tong Kiat

Other Related Entries
Raan Jay Fai (Mahachai Road, Bangkok)
Thip Samai Pad Thai (Bangkok)
Baan Glom Gig (Bangkok)
Bamee Gua (Bangkok)
Polo Chicken (Wireless Road, Bangkok)

The post Boon Tong Kiat – Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice In Bangkok Is Quite Legit appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Almost too pretty to eat, these deconstructed savoury cake-sized items from Food Anatomy are Instagram-able down to each colourful layer.

Catering directly to the calorie-counting OL crowd at Tanjong Pagar Centre (just outside the MRT gantry), I find the prices surprisingly affordable too.

The cosy 14-seater is their first standalone outlet outside of Timbre+.

Prices are 2 cubes for $6.80, 3 cubes for $9.90, 18 cubes for $39 or 24 cubes for $75. You have the option to replace cubes for salads; and they cost slightly cheaper during breakfast.

(Till the end of December 2016, the cubes are going at an insane price of 3 for $5, so hurry and take this chance to try more flavours!)

Jumping on the promo price, I went for the recommended Teriyaki Chicken, Laksa Pasta and Thai Basil Rice out of the lot displayed.

My first taste of the Teriyaki Chicken sent a ‘Wow’ out of my mouth; perhaps I wasn’t expecting much flavours packed into its petite package.

The meat was a little dry, but nevertheless, I knew I was in for a flavour ride after that.

The next one was easily my favourite out of the three.

My two lady friends and I unanimously agreed that the Laksa Pasta cube was the most balanced, perhaps elevated by the generous sprinkle of laksa leaves on top of a tasty paste.

However, the miss among the hits came in the form of the Thai Basil Rice. It was a tad dry to my liking, and just did not pack the punch like the previous two.

But lo and behold, the surprises didn’t end there.

The friendly counter dude decided to treat us to two ‘hidden’ flavours not displayed out that day (probably because we were the only customers on a Sunday afternoon?).

It turned out that the colourful Bacon Potato and Nasi Lemak were the best ones we had (he shouldn’t have hidden them!).

With a delicious drizzle of cheese on top, the Bacon Potato was a hearty and satisfying cube of soft, mash-potato-like western delight.

The Nasi Lemak – complete with chili and ikan bilis topping – was beautifully constructed with otah, coconut rice and egg. A sumptuous and fragrant treat which could be a hit if marketed properly.

Additional note: After the Nasi Lemak cube still tasted not too bad after takeaway and microwave.

Other wacky flavours include Rice Dumpling (yes, bak zhang), Yuzu Salmon Rice and even Thai Cod Fish Rice.

This is so innovative stuff – local food turned into aesthetically pleasing savoury cubes for your next takeaway party.

Pros: The colours, the cost, the creativity.

Cons: The amount of carbs, some cubes may not be as delicious, the mental barrier to eat in cubic forms.

Quality over quantity might be what The Food Anatomy is going for, and you can always still complete your little meals with coffee or tea that is also served there.

Food Anatomy
Tanjong Pagar Centre, #B2-04, 1 Wallich Street, Singapore 757492 (Near Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 7.30am-10pm (Mon-Fri), 11am-10pm (Sat-Sun) (may close earlier on Sundays)
https://www.facebook.com/foodanatomy.sg

Other outlet: Timbre+, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent #01-31 Singapore 139957

Other Related Entries
Crave (ION Orchard)
Big Street (Jalan Besar)
Two Wings (Essen Pinnacle)
Big Lazy Chop (Short Street)
New Rasa Singapura (Tanglin)

* Written by Wilson Ng @wilsoniscurious who spends his time between cafe hopping and writing Little Short Stories. Photos partly by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Popular Singapore zi char restaurant JB Ah Meng has move from Geylang Lor 23 to Geylang Lor 30.

Gone are the seating area at a dingy back alley where you may not be able to see your food clearly (and have to feed mosquitoes), to a bright, white-lighted corner coffeeshop that is more spacious and comfortable.

If you are curious, yes, the prices remain the same. Still as ‘chaotic’. LOL

During peak-dinner time, it is still like a ‘war-zone’ and EVERY staff has that hurried, kancheong look.

JB Ah Meng originated from Singapore, and has nothing to do with Singapore’s favourite orangutan.

Accordingly, the chefs from JB Ah Meng are from across the causeway, and cook in feisty Malaysian style with wok-hei

The eatery was listed under the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – even the Ang Moh inspectors take pleasure.

Just in case you are a tourist to Singapore, Geylang is considered a ‘red-light’ district, but an area which promises loads of good food.

JB Ah Meng recommended dishes: JB San Lou Meehoon, White Pepper Crab, Salted Egg Prawn Roll, 3 Delicacy Beancurd.

If you are a first timer here, you should order at least one of the above.

I heard a statement that “If JB Ah Meng’s White Pepper Crab is 2nd best nobody will claim to be the 1st.” Is that even true?

As I wanted to leave space for other dishes, I ordered one crab which cost me $42.

Note for food instagrammers: these crabs are not as photogenic as the usual ones, coming messy coated in a grey coloured sauce, not properly plated.

The crab was of a smaller-than-the-usual-Sri-Lankan-crab size.

After chomping down those sweet crab meat tossed in piquant kick of white pepper, I think there is some truth in that earlier statement. What I liked was that the white pepper did not overcome the sweetness freshness of the crab meat.

The crab could be of bigger sizes, boosting more succulent meat, but the power sauce would make you overlook that. Hate using this phrase, but this was finger-licking-good.

The JB San Lou Mee Hoon ($7/$11/$14) looked like a plate of flat mess (simi lai?) or a pancake gone wrong, but you know, the taste is quite the opposite.

Fried with shrimps, egg and vegetables at the bottom, there was a play of textures of both thin crisp and moist. Also, the darker the colour of the vermicelli, the more flavours it had absorbed. $7 of goodness.

The Salted Egg Prawn Roll ($20/$30/$40) didn’t arrive exactly how I would have imagine… ”Where’s the roll? Is this it? So little?”

BUT, this was a version where the salted egg yolk merged beautifully with the crisp batter.

The two are totally different in personally like Yang Guo meeting Little Dragon Girl, but coming together wrapping around prawns and corn kernels, that would be swept away clean fast.

Good to announce that JB Ah Meng still presents the same good signature dishes, at the same prices, at a more comfortable environment.

Come earlier (say before 6pm), or reserve via phone during say 2 – 3pm. Do not telephone after 5:30pm because nobody will pick up your call.

JB Ah Meng
534 Geylang Road Lor 30 Singapore 389490
Tel: +65 6741 2418
Opening Hours: 5:30pm – 2:30am

Other Related Entries
New Ubin Seafood (Hillview Ave)
Sin Huat Eating House (Geylang)
Orchid Live Seafood (Bah Soon Pah Road)
KEK Keng Eng Kee (Pandan Gardens)
Kok Sen Restaurant (Keong Siak Street)

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

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PO at newly restored The Wardhouse Hotel at Havelock Road, can be considered a tribute to food from our “Popo” – an affectionate way we call our grannies.

Food served includes family-style dishes inspired by grannies’ recipes, and humble local classics which are given an updated twist.

The chef-consultant behind PO is no stranger to modernised local food.

Chef Willin Low behind Wild Rocket, is one of the first to introduce Mod-Sin food in Singapore in a bigger way.

Disclosure: I had this meal with Willin himself, who wanted to dine at PO as a regular customer for the first time, instead of testing food in the kitchen. Yes, he came sort of disguised, but people recognised him anyway (except me who didn’t initially.) Anyway, I told him I would be frank in this writeup – he totally understands (though not everyone does. LOL, oh well.)

The highlight at PO is interestingly the POpiah, which Willin said he ‘pursued’ a granny so hard till he got a glimpse of her secret recipe.

Popiah skin is specially ordered from Kway Guan Huat, a 3rd generation family business at Joo Chiat.

The Popiah comes in options of Classic Platter ($28), a more luxurious Prawn Platter ($38) featuring fresh tiger prawns, and Fresh Flower Crab Platter ($58) with handpicked crabmeat.

So my question to you: Dear Singaporeans, will you pay $28 to wrap 4 Popiah yourself, while knowing you can get a $2 (x4) version easily elsewhere, all wrapped?

I personally think it is about time that Singapore’s very own local street food can go upmarket, to be served on different platforms. We cannot just expect cheap-cheap-cheap as cost of living go all the way up.

Wrapping Popiah could be a way to introduce our local cultures to foreign guests as well, provided you know some history about this dish. My own Popo used to make a superb version almost every weekend, and doing it all over again brought back lovely memories.

Back to PO’s Popiah, I liked the freshness of the ingredients, especially the prawns used. Crispy shallots added gave the fillings a light crunch as you bite through.

The stewed grated turnip fillings wasn’t the usual type I was used to, and I wished it included some dried shrimps and well, pork belly or lard (That’s just me). To be objective, I thought portion of the turnip could be more, as it seemed just enough to wrap 3 sufficiently.

I also ordered a Truffle & Duck Pie Tee ($19 for 6) because I was intrigued enough.

A moment of surprise as I popped the entire shell (always eat this all in a mouthful, and not in separate bites). There was an unexpected bottom layer of mash with truffle, which provided a big contrast to the topping of savoury tasty braised pulled duck.

I suspect this would be an either-you-like-it, or you-don’t option. Let’s just say I may not order this again.

My favourite dishes were the Carabinero Prawns and Konbu Mee ($32) and Kurobuta Char Siew ($19).

The former is another ‘atas’ version of the familiar Hokkien Mee. Surprisingly with wok hei, cooked in rich prawn stock giving the noodles an intense flavour, with sakura ebi adding delightful crisp every spoonful.

The Kurobuta Char Siew ($19) was beautifully charred with caramalised finished. As the pork collar was sous-vide for 24 hours, the bite was soft and tender. (Another worthy char siew other than Char’s.)

Other highlights include the Barramundi Salad ($19) inspired by local yu sheng, Charcoal-grilled Iberico Satay ($20), PO’s Ngoh Hiang ($15) and Paper Spring Chicken ($49).

PO does some pleasing renditions and updates on our local food. It is somewhat inventive, but doesn’t go overboard. Price is on the high side, but understandably because of the ingredients used, and the type of customer base it will possibly attract.

PO
The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay Singapore 169628
Tel: +65 6828 0000
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11.30am-2.30pm Last order 2.30pm, Dinner: 6:00pm-10:00pm Last order 10:00pm

Other Related Entries
Wild Rocket (Upper Wilkie Road)
Char Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
Mo’mor Izakaya (Tanglin Road)
CreatureS (Desker Road)
National Kitchen by Violet Oon (National Gallery)

The post PO Singapore – Updated Local Classics At The Warehouse Hotel, Popiah And Hokkien Mee Goes Upmarket appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

There are some things I don’t quite understand. Why would any restaurant call itself WTF? You can imagine the type of jokes that would arise from the name alone.

”Dear, shall we have WTF for dinner?”
”Am craving for WTF tonight…”
”Let’s have fish. WTF?”

WTF in this case stands for “We Talk Food”, though there is another WTF We are The Furballs pets café in Singapore.

The Coffee House & Bar is located at the ground floor of Innotel Hotel. Inno-where?

Innotel Hotel is just a few minutes from Orchard Road, between Singapore Shopping Centre and Park Mall. Walking from Dhoby Ghaut MRT station will be your best bet if you count on public transport.

Otherwise, WTF Coffee House & Bar is like an old school bar with both indoor and outdoor seating, where you can have some drinks while watching LIVE English Premier League matches.

The menu is presented in a clear folder with printed A4 sheets within. Old school all right.

I went for dinner, and food offered was an unpredictable mix from Curry Chicken Baked Rice ($13.90), Gyu Don ($13.90), Carbonara Pasta ($13.90), Fish and Chips ($15.90), Smoked Duck Hoisin Sauce Tortilla Pizza ($12.90) to Pork Trotter’s Braised Vermicelli ($25.90).

The type that I would flip the pages front and back, and know not what to order. I share with you my dilemma.

Looking at the side dishes, I wanted to order a Cream of Mushroom soup, but it was priced at $11.90. When it comes to mushroom soups, the risks involved can range from tiny bowls, watery texture to missing mushrooms. Decided to skip due to the price.

Truffle Fries was $13.90, Chicken Nanban $14.90, and Potato Chips with salted egg sauce at $14.90? Back to the mains page, a Gyu Don was priced $13.90. Hmm…

Had the “Wok Hei” Seafood Aglio Olio ($15.90) because it sounded intriguing enough. Won’t mind pasta which is wok fried. When the dish arrived, pardon the offensive word/pun, my friend went, ”WTF?”

It was the presentation – spaghetti haphazardly served on clear plate. But to be fair, the pasta didn’t taste bad at all, but ironically perhaps lacking in ’wok hei’. (I guess because we were the only customers, and the wok wasn’t heated up enough yet.)

Most come here for the Barachirashi Don ($18.90) served in an wooden bowl, considered value-of-money with the number of ingredients thrown in, including ikura, shrimps and baby scallops.

The rice was warmer than usual, drizzled in a sweetish sauce, while the cubed sashimi had more marinate going on which would please local diners who would prefer a heavier touch.

Looking at some positive reviews online, there should be some bright sparks here and there in its menu. Perhaps WTF requires is more coherence in both pricing and organisation of food types in its menu.

Still not sure about its name though.

WTF Coffee House & Bar
Innotel Hotel, 11 Penang Lane Singapore 238485
Tel: +65 6545 4818
Opening Hours: 7am – 12am Daily

Other Related Entries
Mo’mor Izakaya (Tanglin Road)
Fat Lulu’s (River Valley)
Meat N Chill (6th Avenue)
Coo Bistro (Outram Road)
Little Bastard (King George’s Avenue)

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

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If my PT knows that I had 2 Roti Prata, she would probably scream or tell me to carry heavier weights the next round.

ONE Roti Prata Egg is 288 calories with 14g of fats. Just FYI.

Resistance was futile on my part, so much so that I made my way to Enaq The Prata House at Ghim Moh Block 21. The shop is just next to Ghim Moh Food Centre, which is another treasure trove of food.

Enaq, with another outlet at Jurong East Street 32, has been popular with supper-goers for its crispy-style Roti Prata.

For those who do not know what that is, Roti means ‘bread’, and prata or paratha means ‘flat’ in Hindi language. It is South-Indian flat bread made by frying stretched dough flavoured with ghee (Indian clarified butter), typically served with fish or mutton curry.

Enaq took over the space and some furniture from Flock Café, which explained a part-hipster interior. (I find that our local prata can be very instagrammable anyway.)

The offerings include a variety of Prata, Murthabak, Thosai, Goreng, Roti John, Biryani and Rice Sets.

I gave in to a Maggie Goreng, and the struggle was real. Portion was generous and the plate probably contained 2 packets instead of 1, with visible pieces of deep fried chicken meat. Finished half, good enough – had to watch the diet.

While there are some fanciful fillings for the Prata such as Kaya, Hotdog Cheese, Peanut Butter and Milky Gem (?), it doesn’t go overly extensive.

The star was the Plain Kosong Prata ($1.20). Eat the piece fresh and hot, before it gets soggy.

Somehow the exterior was just thinly crisp contrasted with fluffy interior. Tasty on its own, with faint sweetness. The sensation was almost like having puff pastry.

Not overly oily too.

Interestingly, they also included sambal chilli along with curry as dips. Mixing both added another dimension.

Once in a while (okay more than once), we would like to indulge in guilty treats. At least I felt I didn’t waste my calories on this.

Enaq
Blk 21 Ghim Moh Road Singapore 270021
Tel: +65 6899 0842
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm Daily (Closed every last Tuesday of the month)

Enaq
Block 303 Jurong East Street 32, Singapore 600303
Tel: +65 6899 0842
Opening Hours: 24 Hours Daily

Other Related Entries
Roxy Laksa (Timbre+)
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Crawford Lane)
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Chinatown Food Complex)
Liang Zhao Ji (Whampoa)
Chey Sua Carrot Cake (Toa Payoh Lor 1)

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

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