There's this very famous white bee hoon that I have been hearing for over a year and finally I set my chopsticks on it!



Once again it's just a low res photo taken by my iPhone and it's not doing even 2% justice to this legendary dish. Ok at one look it's pretty blah blah... Like a alternative to mui fan.. No exciting ingredients spotted.. No surprise other than some innocent looking prawns, sotongs and veg that painted a pretty serenading picture. Yes it's this very serenading presentation that sets the tone for what that is entering your mouth.

The noodles are very well flavored by the gravy without losing it's bite



Joe

I have since became more productive with blogging after owning an iPhone :)

Today's subject is one if my favorite local food- dry mee kia. This is a dish I can eat 7 days a week and 3 meals a day... I like it spicy and with extra helping of vinegar! Best if they have a few pieces of crispy pork lard :p I can hear my arteries screaming for help but I turned a deaf ear ALWAYS.

What make a good minced meat mee kia (dry)? To me the noodle CANNOT MUST NOT be overcooked! I like it a little hard.. Al dente ;) must have spicy chili, extra vinegar, and nice braised shitaje mushroom's sauce. It should not be too soupy as I really like it dry with the seasoning enrobing the mee Kia. I like mixed pork.. That means those that serves pork liver.. The mince should be tender pink... Lean meat should still be juicy. It suddenly seems to me I like thing undercooked... Noodle.. Meat....

To finish the dish... Sprinkle a generous helping of fried spring onions or/and lard. This is the traditional taste that send me asking for more and more.

Eugene hate me eating noodle.... Imagine if he knows there's lard and sometime I even order a bigger bowl... All these made this dry mee Kia one of the mist frequent thing I ate behind his back:)

This is the most recent cheat... ( 2 weeks ago at amk)








This stall has super long queue when I visited and I was famished to a point that I can feel my chest sticking onto my stomach.... So of course ordered a big big one :)

I queued cause I see queue... So it was only after I was up close to the stall when placing my order that I see news articles on their famous mee kia and how they cook it. There is a rhythm the cook goes by when he dips the noodle in the boiling water. Off it to the cool water, draining it and into the hot water again. It's a dance.


Then he places this crispy round sheets which I recognize as wanton skin onto my bowl after a good mix of sauces ( which is again a dance). The noodle then rest on the sauces and over it went was the pinkish mince and lean meat... No liver :( he sprinkles the spring onions and off I go with my noodle after 15 of queuing time.

I pretty much like what I put into my mouth but I will definitely ask for more chili the next time... Other than the round crispy wanton sheet... The taste is quite forgettable for someone that prefer 重口味.

Worth a try but I'm not sure if you will see me in that long queue the next time.



Joe

Hidden in an unassuming building is a dim sum heaven for many... It actually is taking a hell lot from me to share this place cause it getting too crowded and with more people knowing, it's just gonna get worse for my hungry stomach.

Still, i'm sharing it cause I'm one nice glutton:)

So here I present Victor's Kitchen at Sunshine Plaza * drum roll*



I dun know who is victor and if he is a hongkie but they serve really nice and unique dim sum that is one of a kind( maybe I mountain tortise but I really dun see some of it elsewhere)

Like most of my food trips, this is done behind his back and with Thomas chan as accomplice;p

Some of my all time favorites:

Chicken and sausage glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves

This is super yummy cause I like my glutinous rice soft and retain it's natural fragrance....The chicken and sausage is tender like mad and it's meat juice is the only flavoring for the glutinous rice... And not forgetting the salty egg yolk that gives it a creamy kick! This babe here is light but satisfying


Siew mai is a must have dim sum for me... It's a simple things that tells alot. I hate it when it's all mashy with no texture, I hate it when you can taste the seasoning so well... Over here at Victor's kitchen, it's not super yummy but it's quite a good bite to tide over the waiting time when it's crazily crowded. The siew Mai is crunchy with it's prawn bits, the minced meat is still juicy and pretty firm. Nothing to complain about other than the skin which I find a little starchy...


Another of my fav dim sum...... But not the best here. The difference here is the taste, I really can't tell what is the sauce they used cause no signs of black beans..... And it taste a little spicy.... Spicy as in hot and spicy As in spice-y. If you like your chicken feet very soft, this number suits you.








Joe

Cheesecake in a Museum?!

Cheesecake at The Cheesecake Cafe

Cheesecakes are abundant in Singapore and i have a love-hate relationship with it... i love it for the variety...for the omg rich and velvety texture but but but... its one of those things i hope i can have more if not for its richness.... i can take 4 slices of cakes.... but when it comes to cheesecake, im only able to down 2 the max and so i kept having the UNSATISFIED FEEL!

One day love suddenly told me we could go try some cheesecake at The Cheesecake Cafe... it came as a shock...bf?? Trainer?? cheesecake?? fattening?? his suggestion didnt really sink in to me for the first few minutes... but heck... i should jump at the chance.... maybe he was in a good mood or sort and forgotten that his gf is fat (in his eye and only his only).

This place is in the far east of singapore.... we trained then changed to a cab and finally got to the place... it is quietly sitting at an corner... a little rundown on the outside..and may pass off as an ordinary cafe that lingers alongside many singapore street...especially in the east.. took some photos on the outside and as we walk to the entrance... a lady told us..."no photography inside".... i was carrying a small digital camera and a digital SLR then.... and what she spotted was the bulky SLR...so i thought ...i can still steal some shots with my small digi cam...no issue... or worst come to worst...i dun take lo...

But but but.. i cannot refrain as the interior is really amazing... with sculptures..chandelier..water fountains.... this place is like a Victorian museum... a feast not just for my tummy but also my eyes!

Cheesecakes and cake

They have quite a good variety of cheesecakes and cakes and it is really difficult to make a choice.... im torn by the lovely sweet pink of the strawberry oreo cheesecake and my all time favorite oreo cheesecake..... in the end i gave in to the sweet pink as i thought it was something different but still contains my oreo! Love is not a cheesecake fan due to the fat contents and the very strong milk taste so he ordered a non cheesecake...choc banana.

i love love love my strawberry oreo.....it has a very subtle sweetness that accompanies the sourness of the cheese.... also there tint of sourness from the berry goes well with cheese...the strawberry part has a texture that you might mistook as a marshmallow but softer and it just goes so well with the creamy cheese and the oreo base.... making it less "ni". of course since its a strawberry oreo, there must more oreo other than just the base... there is a whole oreo that is broke into halves..one on the top and one stuffed in the cake... nice suprise between bites!

Choc banana is a pretty common cake and i cannot think of how it could surprise me.... over here

i find the choc overpowered the banana...... so more of a choc cake than a fine choc banana cake... the good part of the cake is, it is bittersweet .... nice for someone like me who dun have a sweet tooth=)

After two cakes, we still have room for one more cake so we asked for recommendation... the lady who forbid us to take photo recommended the vanilla choc chip cheesecake and so we had that. This is the richest cake we had and i believe it will having better comments from me if we had it first and not last... the cake has a generous amount of choc chip and i really mean alot of it... personally i find it too rich and has too much choc chip... not a right balance in terms of what i had in my mouth. But like i mentioned, i might like it better if i have this at the start.

Overall Taste Rating:

Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake 8.5/10

Choc Banana 7/10

Vanilla Choc Chip Cheesecake 6/10

Customer Service

Maybe its due to the fact this place is not open for photography and we came in with two cameras..... i feel that we were watched all the time....haha maybe i was too paranoid but i really cant help they were making sure we were not taking photos..(which we did anyway). The servers here refill water pretty often... and many of them are guys...quite good looking =p

Price

Cakes are a little more pricer here, ranges from $6 to $8 for a slice. Tea is strongly recommended...have one with honey by paying a little extra.

Shop atmosphere and cleanliness

The interior of the cafe is like a museum, filled with sculptures and antiques..for a min you might think you are out of Singapore. Seats are mostly velvet sofas that are spacious and sitting in it with the victorian decor makes the whole experience luxurious. Great place for a chillout session with girlfriends!

Overall Experience Rating: 7/10

Operating Hours: Sun 3.30pm - 12am Wed-Thu 4.30pm - 12.30am Fri Sat Eve P.H. 3.30pm -12.30am Mon-Tue Closed

Address: 685 East Coast Road Singapore 459054 (Near Siglap Centre)

*there is one more rule for dine in....no sharing....

Peace in City Hall..

Bab Noodle@ Millennia Walk

i discovered this place while i was working with Godiva at its millennia walk outlet...that is like 4 years plus ago and i am still going back till today. Serving Korean, Jap, Thai and Local cuisine, i believe there is something for everyone =) As for me... for the last 4 year, i have been eating the same 2 old things.... one is kimchi chicken soup and the other is beef teriyaki set =) Being a greedy me, i normally do adds on when eugene is not around..... with thomas i will have their calamari.... they also use to have thai style sambal kangkong (now removed)... if i am seriously hungry....or feeling generous, i will have a big set that combines two of my favourites - Kimchi Chicken Soup with Teriyaki Beef set =o

Good food and wide variety are not the only things you find here. Bab Noodle has two other "plus points"that are hard to find in town..... one is reasonable pricing and the other is NO CROWD! Remember once when maia and i went for the IT Fair across the street (less than 200m)it was so crowded everywhere.... the foodcourts are jam pack, there are simply no place to rest our tired feets... its like suddenly a fairy kissed my forehead and i remember Bab Noodle is just across the street.....

We went and ... yay!!! only 4 tables are filled and we were brought to a 4 seater =) we chilled out for 2 hours with no noise...or rushing crowd.... love this peace.

Kimchi Chicken Soup Set

The soup is super yummy and suitable people who likes strong flavours. It has a good balance of sourness and spicyness... i like! also the ingredients you may find in this small pot are pretty satisfying, with tofu, vermicilli, spring onions, sliced chicken, mushrooms, tonnes of kim chi etc etc.... i personally likes to add in more kim chi that comes as a side dish in the set meal, the taste is OMG!

A set comes with a bowl of rice, a side and also a small plate of cut fruits, definitely a satisfying meal =)

Teriyaki Beef Set

This is my second favourite. The serving is the main thing that is catching my heart =p for such a reasonable price, they actually serves quite a considerable amount of sliced beef. The beef is well-cooked, not too tough and unlike what i normally had, the teriyakin sauce is not poured over it, over here, its stir fry together and so the beef totally absorb the sauce. The beef is served with shredded "gao li cai" (sorry i dun know the english name) and they drizzle thousand island sauce...this might be where this set loss some points.... cuz the veg might be a tad too bitter.........not all the time..but out of 10 visits, maybe i will get this bitterness 3 to 4 times....

The set is served with rice, a bowl of miso soup, a small side that is either Jap pickles or kim chi. Also not to forget, there is a small plate of cut fruits too =) another satisfying set.

Overall Taste Rating - 7/10

Customer Service

Expect warm and prompt service from the team here! Due to the fact that there isnt too many customers (except lunch time), the team is pretty attentive to the customers. Just look at them for less than 10 seconds, you can expect them walkin to you and attend to your request. Water is frequently refilled and orders are served pretty fast.

The team is friendly and they do not make you feel uncomfortable when you stay on for hours after completing your meal =) BIG LIKE!

Prices

Prices are reasonable here, set meals starts from as low as 6.90. Value for Money!

Shop Atmosphere and Cleanliness

The place is bright and unlike other place in town, it is more peaceful. Seats are spacious and most of the time the service staff will lead you to a bigger table with more seating than what you actually need. Generally clean and till now i do not have a problem with it =)

Overall Experience Rating: 8.5/10

9 Raffles Boulevard #01-20/21/22, Millennia Walk

6336 6770

Opens 11:00am- Closes 10:30pm

Singapore Salad - Rojak

Rojak @ Admiralty Station

I tried going on diet and making salad my lunch and dinner...but time and again it failed. I have a problem with the sauce and biting into raw veg, the whole thing doesn't felt like i was eating at all, i was literally dieting and felt like i was eating grass...like a cow. It is a different story when it comes to "Singapore Salad" - Rojak! I love rojak and don't mind having it for meals. Its a pleasent surprise that i found one pretty good stall at Admiralty Station =)

Mix

The mix in this rojak is more than what i had in other place.. The basic stuff are there, like the tau pok, yu tiao, pineapple, bean sprout, sha ge, cucumber etc.... the rojak auntie is quite generous with the basic ingredients... the more special ingredients will be green apple, green mango...... i think there are more... but cause i have been having this and only this for like 3 years plus, i dun really know what a normal rojak is like... at times when i have other rojak... i feel that its too plain or have no "liao". But i think this rojak is really more fruity and refreshing. My bf dont take yu tiao due to healthy reasons... i normally dun have it too...cuz he normally place order for US... so once in a blue moon, when i order alone (with him at the back), i will tell auntie i want yu tiao softly....... =p

Sauce

I normally have the rojak without sugar in the sauce... well that is because my boyfriend has it this way and he is usually the one who places the order. The auntie knows us so well and can remember what our special requests are, so even if i order on my own, she will have it done without sugar. Without the sugar, the sauce may be a little more salty cuz no sweetness to balance it, but still very nice. She is extremely generous with the chopped peanuts, so that makes the sauce more yummy and sticky. The stickiness of the sauce is vital as i hate my rojak watery and soggy after i reached home (forget to tell you all, its a kiosk/small stall, so no sitting space).

Overall Food Rating: 7.5/10

Customer service

The stall is ran by 3 aunties and all three are pretty nice, with one being exceptionally nice. She remembers our orders and thank us for patronizing everytime we pay.

*Expect queues...

Price

Rojak is from $2.50 to $5

Other things such as tau pok with bean sprout, cuttlefish etc ranges from $0.90 to $1.50 each

Shop atmosphere and cleanliness

The stall in on a bridge with people passing by all the time, so no much atmosphere, but i dun think need la. The place is generally clean and tidy, things are laid out properly or taken out of the chiller upon ordering, so no issues till now.

Overall Experience Rating: 8/10

Opens 11:0oam - Closes 10:30pm (sometimes even later)

The bridge next to Admiralty Mrt Station, the stall next to the escalator at the end of the bridge

Mini Oil Spill in a Ramen?!

Nantsuttei Maru-toku Negi Chashu-men

Taking a closer look, you might see spots of black oils floating on the rich broth... it looks like a mini oil spill but i am pretty sure petroleum doesn't smell this good! I tried the Maru-Toku Negi Chasu-men which has everything in it, a good choice for first timer to Nantsuttei =)

Broth
To me, broth is the most crucial part of a ramen. I am not very knowledgeable with ramen broth but having tried the different base - salt, soy sauce, miso, meat and bone extract, i must say i prefer the richer meat and bone extract soup base. Nantsuttei took the soup to a new level by having roasted garlic oil in it.... when the bowl was first brought to me, the black garlic oil and the thick broth dun mix, but in a little while, after slurping a few mouth of noodles, the oil ring blends into the broth and gives it a nice light brown color. The broth is made from pork bones that are crushed and boiled 24 hours in a pressure cooker to create a thick but smooth consistency... the taste is nothing but rich and it seems to cling onto every strand of noodle that goes into your mouth...marvelous! Unlike other ramen soup that may just have the "meat "or "marrow" taste, this has garlic aroma and makes you crave for more.... if your stomach has space after finishing the noodle, you can try pour in some rice to the soup.... (the thing is , i bet the soup is so yummy that you won't have any left) it is one of the best ramen broth i tried =)

*the soup might be a tad too salty for some....

Noodle

The noodle is homemade straight noodles that reminds me of wanton noodle. Unlike the famous ramen chain in Singapore, this is not so hard and more springy. The serving is hearty and is properly proportion to the soup.

Chashu

Super nice!!! The rounds of pork is so tender and well flavored that you will be begging for more and more! It is different from other chashu i has in other ramen place, over here it has a more robust taste. Maximise the experience by letting it soak a little while longer in the soup... heavenly!

Negi

This is Japanese spring onion, for those who dun like spring onions, i think it is ok to give it a miss as it doesn't change the overall taste too much. It is a little spicy but it is the crunch that provides the bonus for the overall texture. Refreshing and provide a good balance for the saltiness of the broth.

Gyoza

This is not as good as the ramen and unless you are famish, not recommended. The one served to me is not laid out nicely and the skin is a little soggy, not the crisp i expected. The main difference over here is the use of garlic as a key filling in the gyoza.

Overall Food Rating: 8.5/10

Customer Service

Attentive and ice water is refilled promptly

Price

Prices range from $12 to $17 for ramen

Shop atmosphere and cleanliness

Like a true blue Jap ramen place, the place is clean. For an autentic Japanese ramen experience, sit at the counter and look at how the chefs whip up your ramen

Overall Experience Rating: 9/10

Open 11:30pm - Closes 10:30pm
#03-02 Millenia Walk 9 Raffles Boulevard, Parco, Singapore 039596