Listen up, brunch fans and friends in the West, for there’s a new kid on the block! Located next to the Pasir Panjang MRT, The Kins boasts an open and minimalistic space which comprises an indoor and outdoor seating area. Expect sleek white counters and concrete-style walls inside, and a more natural and casual vibe outdoors.

The special burnt cheesecake here is an absolute must-try. This delicious dessert originates from a humble bar in San Sebastian, Spain, called La Viña. The city is located in Basque Country in Northern Spain, hence the name of the cheesecake. La Viña guards their recipe heavily. And there have been many who have attempted to recreate it. The Kins have worked with a baker  for a few months before finally perfecting their own recipe. While this cake may not look like much at first, it’s definitely far from that.

Beneath the browned, almost blackened, top lies one of the most delightful cheesecakes. The cheesecake is smooth and custardy in the middle, and the parts closer to the edge have a pillowy texture. I would say it has the fluffiness and flavour of Japanese cheesecakes! Just a bite of the fluffy cheesecake with the caramelised top sent me to dessert heaven. While some cheesecakes tend to get a little cloying, this slice of goodness did not.

If you’re there and you’re a fan of Houjicha, you HAVE to try their hot Houjicha Latte ($6). I was blown away by how fragrant it was, and it’s probably the best Houjicha Latte I’ve had. Another must-try beverage would have to be the White Cold Brew ($7), a special cold-brew concoction created by them. It was super smooth, and paired perfectly with the cheesecake.

We also got their Tom Yum Pasta ($16) with mixed seafood and shimeji mushrooms, as well as a Smoked Duck with Miso Dressing ($13). The pasta was pretty decent, but I would’ve preferred it to be slightly saucier so that the Tom Yum flavour is more pronounced. Thankfully, the prawns were really fresh and sweet!

Their smoked duck is sourced directly from their own farm in Malaysia. The very tender smoked duck breast is seared before it’s served, and tasted a little like bacon.

I would say that the food isn’t particularly mindblowing, but they do have some pretty interesting Asian-fusion offerings. Even so, the burnt cheesecake and amazing drinks are already worth making a trip for! Do note that there’s no hot food served from 4 to 6pm if you’re planning on visiting.

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After a multimillion-dollar facelift, The Orchard Cafe is now a stylish, and chic and spacious outfit dressed in vibrant hues.

The Orchard Cafe captures the essence of a botanical orchard, revealing a sprawling garden-lounge that imitates an inviting garden oasis.

The Orchard Cafe will be serving up mouthwatering ethnic cuisines in their enticing Signature Class Buffet. Expect heritage-inspired local creations and chef-curated dishes from all around the world!

From now till 19 August 2019, enjoy a Lunch or Dinner Buffet (Weekdays and Weekends) where 1 dines free with every 3 paying adults, by quoting “Miss Tam Chiak”!

Whenever I pay good money for a premium buffet, I expect the fresh seafood to be amazing. Naturally, the first station that caught my attention as I walked into The Orchard Cafe was the seafood on ice station which promises premium Alaskan King Crabs, Blue-Lip Mussels, Fresh US Oysters and Fresh Poached Prawns!

Fresh and plump oysters will be the downfall of me. Before adding any condiments to my oysters, I had one au naturel to truly appreciate its fresh and robust flavours. After nudging each oyster loose from its shell, I bit into it and was greeted by a burst of sweetness and a distinct taste of the sea. I’m not going to tell you how many oysters I had. Too many, just too many.

Another station that looks exceptionally inviting is the Japanese section! There are 4 types of Assorted California & Maki, served on a rotational basis, alongside a live bar serving freshly cut slices of Salmon, Tuna, Tako and Izumi Dai on ice! I especially love the bite-sized Kani Sushi and smooth sashimi.

After making my money’s worth by gorging myself silly at the seafood and Japanese section, I moved on to upscale versions of heritage-inspired local dishes such as Wok-Fried Madagascar Tiger Prawn in Sarawak Black Pepper Sauce, Stir-fried Snapper fish with black bean and young garlic, and Singapore Local Mussel with Deep Fried Man Tou!

A popular dish among Singaporeans, Popiah, is a common snack in both Malaysia and Singapore. At The Orchard Cafe’s Popiah Station, especially thin, homemade Popiah skins which sit in bamboo steamers are rolled with rich ingredients to make excellent rolls of Popiah! The Chef ensured that the jicama was well pressed before being rolled together with other ingredients. Hence, my popiah was not soggy at all, and was chewy and crunchy!

Noodle fans will be pleased to know that The Orchard Cafe’s renowned Live Noodle Bar has made a comeback as well. Expect bowls of slurp-a-licious Asian favourites such as the Singapore Laksa with Cockles!

• There is also Bak Chor Mee, Fried Sliced Fish Noodles, Penang Chicken Curry Noodles, Satay Bee Hoon, Hokkien Lor Mee, and Prawn Noodle Soup on rotation.

The buffet also has a Kou Rou Bao (扣肉包) station. Each bun had just the right amount of flavourful gravy, and a slab of fatty stewed pork belly which was tender and juicy. I was so happy to find this at The Orchard Cafe, as it’s a treat that I only get to savour during Chinese New Year, when my family has time to make it. No prizes for guessing how many I had!

Another local favourite served at this Signature Class Bicentennial Heritage Buffet is the Oyster Omelette! The aroma halted me in my tracks, off my intended path, and drew me towards a giant wok. I had to place an order before making my way to the other stations.

Fresh from an enhancement, The Orchard Cafe unveils tech-savvy amenities such as the automated touch-panel barista machine (as part of the Bicentennial Heritage Buffet menu there are three local heritage drinks on offer: Bandung, Soya Bean with Grass Jelly, and Traditional Pineapple Drink), charcoal-grill with adjustable grilling panels, and the AUSCA (Automated Service Chef Associate) egg-chef robot which cooks up perfect sunny-side-up eggs or omelettes at the breakfast buffet!

The top-of-the-line flame and charcoal grill allows the chefs to perfect flame-licked barbecue items such as Chicken & Mutton Satay, Sambal Whole Sotong on Banana Leaf, and Grilled Otar Otar!

For those who fancy their meats char-grilled to perfection, you’re in for a treat. Tasteful morsels of house-cured and marinated meats are also a new feature of the all-new buffet! Right beside the charcoal grill is a dedicated area for Western-style carved meats showcasing a rotation of premium beef and pork cuts alongside seasonal greens. Think Braised 5 Spices Beef Short Ribs served with Garden Vegetables, Grilled Angus Striploin, and Grilled Lamb Chop.

Diners are encouraged, or rather, challenged, to match their dishes with The Orchard Cafe’s selection of eight fiery, yet mouth-watering, Signature Class Sambal dipping sauces — Sambal Udang Kering, Sambal Belado, Sambal Ikan Bilis, Sambal Ijo, Sambal Balachan, Sambal Mango, Sambal Nanas, and Sambal Calimansi.

The specially curated selection of spices and herbs used at The Orchard Cafe is prepared according to decades-old, tried-and-tested recipes.

Diners also get to savour signature dishes such as Oven-baked Farm Fed Chicken Thigh and Crispy Ginger in Teriyaki Jus, Wok-Fried Sliced Kurobuta Pork in XO Sauce, Braised Soy Chicken, Steamed Pandan Chicken, and Crispy Pork Belly!

The buffet’s delectable grilled lobster was one of the dishes that I gobbled down the moment I got my hands on it. The fleshy meat, which was unbelievably tender and juicy, came off the shell easily! You also have the choice of either Laksa Sauce, Sweet Sambal or Gong Po Sauce to go with your grilled lobster.

Heeding the national call to keep Singapore’s unique heritage alive, The Orchard Cafe also presents a revival of golden favourites.

Fans of roast meats will also find a mouth-watering selection of dishes including Crispy Pork Belly and Braised Soya Sauce Chicken accompanied by Fragrant Chicken Rice, on rotation. Personally, I have loved chicken rice ever since I was little, and the chicken rice served at Orchard Cafe really brought me back to my childhood days.

The restaurant’s tech-driven enhancements also make an appearance in the dessert department. A soft-serve ice-cream machine features well-loved flavours such as Horlicks, Milo, and Pandan Kaya!

On top of being able to twirl your own cone of ice-cream, you may also bedazzle your ice-cream with fanciful sweet toppings from marshmallow and waffle wafers to rainbow sprinkles and chopped nuts!

The Orchard Cafe recognises our love for Gula Melaka, and the ingredient takes centre-stage at the new dessert bar, in the form of Peranakan and Malay cakes and kuehs.

The chefs have also taken dessert to Signature Class level, with creations such as Gula Melaka Crème Brûlée, Kaya Pandan Swiss Roll, and an indulgent, must-try Chendol featuring Gula Melaka-flavoured ice shavings!

From now till 19 August 2019, enjoy a Lunch or Dinner Buffet (Weekdays and Weekends) where 1 dines free with every 3 paying adults, by quoting “Miss Tam Chiak”! On top of that, each group of 4 may either choose to share a free bottle of Orchard Hotel’s house wine, or have one free milkshake each! Please note that for High Tea dining, only the former promotion is available on the weekends. This offer is not valid in conjunction with ongoing promotions, offers, on the eve of, and on public holidays, unless otherwise stated.

On National Day, diners dressed in Red and White clothing items can dine in at a special price of $54 (Aug 9, dinner only).

There are 5 new and decadent milkshakes. If you’re a fan of Milo, go for the Milo Mudslide milkshake which is topped with whipped cream, pretzels, and brownies. The Kar-Mel Buttercup, Saccharine Gula, Creme Matcha, and Nutella S’mores Overload are great options as well. There are also two special cocktails that are only available as a part of the Bicentennial Heritage Buffet Promotion – Gula Melaka Mojito, and Laksa Sour, both priced at $15++ each.

The Orchard Cafe has so much to offer, so be sure to check out their new space, and the spanking new heritage buffet!

Signature Class Buffet Pricing

ADULT
Breakfast: $32.00
Lunch: (Mon – Fri) $58.00
Lunch: (Sat, Sun) $62.00
Dinner: (Mon – Thu) $78.00
Dinner: (Fri – Sun) $88.00
High Tea: (Sat & Sun) $42.00

CHILD (5-12 years old)
Breakfast: $16.00
Lunch: (Mon – Fri) $29.00
Lunch: (Sat, Sun) $31.00
Dinner: (Mon – Thu) $39.00
Dinner: (Fri – Sun) $44.00
High Tea: (Sat & Sun) $21.00

All prices are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.

Available only in the months of July and August up to 19th August 2019, enjoy their Bicentennial Heritage Buffet which is a celebration of Singapore’s rich history. In addition to the existing Signature Class buffet, there are promotional items such as Oyster Omelette, Char Kway Teow, Popiah, Kueh Pie Tee and Fried Carrot Cake.

Operating Hours

Open Daily: Monday – Sunday: 6.00am – 11.00pm
Breakfast Buffet: Monday – Sunday: 6.00am – 10.30am
Lunch Buffet: Monday – Sunday: 12.00pm – 2.30pm
Dinner Buffet: Monday – Sunday: 6.00pm – 10.00pm
High Tea: Saturday and Sunday: 3.00pm – 5.00pm

For reservations or further enquiries, please call 6739 6565 or email orchardcafe.ohs@millenniumhotels.com.

This post was brought to you by The Orchard Cafe.

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The porridge from this hawker stall in Tahoe Garden Food Centre was recommended by one of MissTamChiak’s readers!

Chong Jia Food 張家 is a humble family business run by two siblings, Mr and Mrs Chong (centre). After finding out more about their signature and speciality dishes, I was surprised as to how much R&D was done before they opened for business. Mr Chong told me that the research was essential to create something unique so as to stand out from the other stalls in the hawker centre.

I don’t believe that porridge can be really amazing because it’s a dish so plain and simple. Instead, I believe that every bowl of porridge is comfort food so as long as the porridge is good enough to fill my tummy and provide some warmth and comfort, I am happy with it.

I am happy to say that the Minced Meat Porridge ($3 only so affordable hor?) from Chong Jia Food 張家 has earned my stamp of approval! It was smooth, warm, and comforting! The porridge came with 5 delicious meatballs which fell apart nicely in my mouth when I chewed into them. There are also other variations of porridge with century egg, pork slices, or shredded chicken!

Don’t forget to stir in the egg and add the condiments (soya sauce, pepper, sesame oil)!

Next, I tried their Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice ($4.80). Look at that mountain of braised pork! The meat was as moist and succulent as it looked. Unlike most cai fan stalls which leave their dishes out the entire day causing the meat to turn stale and tough, the braised pork meat from Chong Jia Food 張家 was fresh and extremely easy to chew through.

Mr Chong explained that he travelled to Taiwan himself to learn this recipe from his Taiwanese relatives, making the taste of it uniquely Taiwanese. Moreover, he has improved on the meat ever since he returned to Singapore. To better cater to the local market, Mr Chong’s braised pork meat has lesser fat and more lean meat!

For side dishes, they serve Braised Peanuts ($1) or Mirin Zucchini Salad ($1). I shan’t comment on the braised peanuts because I love braised peanuts (even those that come out of a can). The latter is basically sliced Japanese cucumbers which are excellent palate cleansers.

This is their Special Marinated Drumsticks Steamed Rice ($4.50)! At first, it just looked like a taller and more exquisite rendition of fan choy. But upon further enquiry, I learnt that Chong Jia Food 張家 marinates their chicken in a special homemade sauce, allowing the fragrant rice they import from Thailand to absorb the sweet flavour of the meat. Yummy! This is also a dish that is unique to their stall so you won’t be able to find it anywhere else in Singapore!

Mr Chong spoke about garlic sauces which lack a strong garlic taste with disdain, and revealed that Chong Jia Food 張家 makes their own garlic sauce! They add ingredients to enhance the overall garlic taste of the sauce. Mr Chong mentioned that customers have even requested to buy their garlic chilli in bulk before.

The stalls at Tahoe Garden Food Centre are all just 7-8 months old. According to Mr Chong, this is because of a fire that broke out in 2018. If you’re in the vicinity or craving for a nice warm bowl of porridge to start the day, check out Chong Jia Food 張家!

P.S. every meal comes with a bowl of free soup and oh, contrary to their business profile on Google, the stall is closed on Fridays! I would know because I popped by on a Friday previously.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Chong Jia Food 張家. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Chong Jia Food 張家 – Comfort Food to Have and Tahoe (to Hold) appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Most people visit Sim Lim Square for its wide variety of electronic goods and services. Well, here’s another reason for you to pop by. There’s a stall called The Rice Bowl Gold on the 2nd floor that offers rows and rows of dazzling cai fan dishes! If you work or study in the area and are looking for a quick bite at Sim Lim Square, pop by Rice Bowl Gold!

While I was there on a Wednesday afternoon, I had the privilege of meeting all 3 of the restaurant’s co-owners — Allan, Royal, and Fenny. They are young adults who have taken on the challenging task of marketing and rebranding this traditional F&B business just last September 2018. While Fenny and Allan manage the accounts and operational aspect of the business, Royal handles finance and sales.

The Rice Bowl faces heavy competition from a neighbouring stall which specializes in Salted Egg dishes. Hence, the owners continually encourage their chefs to innovate and experiment with new ingredients in order to create new dishes. Next time, instead of joining the queue for cai fan, maybe consider heading straight to the counter to order one of their mini woks!

First and foremost, I present to you, their Signature Salted Egg Chicken ($5.50)! Keeping things simple, without compromising on the quality of their dishes, The Rice Bowl minimizes the use of seasonings and marinates all their ingredients from scratch. This means that they process and prepare real salted eggs instead of ordering wholesale from a supplier.

I have yet to try their competitor’s Salted Egg Chicken but some have mentioned that this is the better Salted Egg Chicken Rice at Sim Lim Square. This is definitely one of the best salted egg dishes for me.

My first impression upon receiving the Salted Egg Chicken was that they were really generous with the meat. The skin of the meat was crispy and was coated with an even and glistening layer of smooth, flavourful, and robust salted egg sauce. The meat was also thick and I felt that the overall flavour was enhanced by the mild spiciness that the chilli padi lent. I didn’t even have to order a drink as I found the spiciness very tolerable. Moreover, I felt that the amount of sauce was just right, as too much sauce may cause the entire dish to get jelak after a while.

Instead of riding the trend, Royal explained to me that The Rice Bowl aims to create products along the lines of the Salted Egg flavour. Thus, the Butter Milk Chicken ($5.50) was born! The Butter Milk Chicken tastes similar to the Salted Egg except that it is less dense and does not contain salted eggs.

It is also notable that a premium grade curry spice from England is added to the Butter Milk’s creamy base in order to enhance the sauce’s overall flavour! Moreover, as you can tell, the eggs served at The Rice Bowl are crispy at the edges, with a glorious and golden runny core. I absolutely love the taste of rice soaked in egg yolk.

The third dish I had was their Cereal Chicken ($5.50)! What really captivated me was the cereal. The flakes are crispier and less greasy than the normal flakes you find with cereal chicken at other cai fan stalls. I couldn’t stop myself from indulging in the sweet crispy cereal flakes. Fenny divulged that the cereal flakes are made using mainly eggs and that the cooking process for this dish is extremely tedious. Temperature control is one of the most important aspects — if the wok is not hot enough or too hot at any given time, the taste and texture of the entire dish could be ruined.

Lastly, I tried their Chicken Cutlet with Lemon Sauce ($5.50). For those who enjoy something crispy and refreshing, this is the dish for you! As with all the other mini woks I tried, this dish didn’t have too much sauce. The amount of sauce was just right for each mouthful of meat, rice, and egg to go well together.

Located on the 2nd floor of Sim Lim Square, The Rice Bowl Gold is the first stall in a chain of air-conditioned eateries you won’t miss. If Sim Lim Square is out of the way for you, The Rice Bowl Gold will be opening a new outlet in Marsling soon. Stay tuned to their FaceBook page for updates!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to The Rice Bowl Gold. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post The Rice Bowl – Golden Dishes that Wok the Talk! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Incessant chattering, long queues, and the clanking of beer bottles – these are usually telltale signs that a HDB coffee shop is in the vicinity. However, after alighting at a bus stop along Bukit Batok Street 52, I walked along the main road feeling slightly perplexed. Although lunch hour was approaching, the neighbourhood was as quiet and peaceful as any other HDB estate at 11AM in the morning, and Sin Eating House was nowhere in sight.

After a little deliberation, I decided to trust GoogleMaps and found Sin Eating House tucked away in a little corner of the estate. Featured on The Strait Times, and having received stamps of approval from various food bloggers, Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 and Mian Wang 1971 麵王 obviously seemed like must-tries.

The two stalls have been passed down through three generations. With more than 4 decades of culinary experience under their belt, the Chua family has not only retained the quality and authenticity of their food, but they have also begun to innovate and improve on them. Mr Chua (left) is the owner of Lao Cai Curry 老蔡, while his brother, Alvin Chua (right), is the owner of Mian Wang 1971 麵王. Mr Chua’s son, Shane Chua, markets the business.

This is Mr Chua’s Fried Breaded Chicken Curry Rice ($5.50). Needless to say, the chicken skin was hella crispy! The Chua family’s secret homemade seasoning is definitely something. Shane did mention that his uncle, Alvin, had spent quite some time studying the recipe of KFC’s chicken to perfect the crispy element as much as he could. The vegetables were fresh with crunchy stems and the potatoes soft, tasty and curry-soaked!

Waking up at 3am every day, Mr Chua makes his famous curry from scratch to ensure that the quality is consistent. Shane mentioned that it surprises him how taxing setting up the curry can be, as some ingredients such as lemongrass can be very troublesome to deal with.

The stall is famous for its curry so I was naturally very excited to try it. The curry was more creamy and coconut-ty than it was spicy, which I think makes it perfect for people who are a little more averse to spicy foods!

Coming from a humble background with limited education, Mr Chua did not have the means to spread the word about his curry dishes which were raved about wherever he went. Mr Chua used to own several F&B businesses in schools, but he was catering to a fixed, and limited, audience. Now, together with his son, Shane, Mr Chua is able to market his business to a way bigger audience.

Fried, flipped and fried for a little longer, the whites of the over-easy eggs served with every Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 dish are cooked through and sported with slightly brown edges. I did not think much of the egg at first because of the thicker film on the yolk, but the moment I broke into the yolk, runny golden goodness came oozing out!

Another dish I tried from Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 was their Braised Pork Curry Chicken Rice ($6.50)! The tender Braised Pork which had equal amounts of juicy lean meat and chewy fat was so delightful. The succulent chicken was also covered in a generous mixture of the signature curry sauce. Every mouthful was packed with flavour!

The recipe of the Chua family’s Hokkien Mee (especially the stock) was created by Shane’s grandfather in 1971. Inheriting the recipe from grandpa Chua when he was just 16, Alvin has been improving on it ever since, ensuring that there is a great amount of ‘wok hei’ in his Hokkien Mee! Also, respecting each other’s professional opinions, Shane does not argue with his father or Alvin if he senses that they are not keen on his new ideas. However, this plate of Salted Egg Calamari Hokkien Mee ($5.50) is an example of a successful experiment. Shane proposed the idea of incorporating contemporary elements such as the Salted Egg into a classic dish like Hokkien Mee.

The salted egg sauce complemented the Hokkien Mee’s gravy very well, making it immensely rich! And that was before I mixed in the chilli. The chilli was only mildly spicy, elevating the temperature of each mouthful momentarily. There were 8 calamari rings, 2 prawns, 2 normal squids, 2 slices of pork belly, and a generous amount of eggs stir-fried into the noodles! For just $5.50, I think it’s very worth it!

This is their newly released Sambal Calamari Hokkien Mee, another product of Alvin and Shane’s collaborative efforts. It is no surprise that no matter how experimental they get with their ingredients, the end product always tastes excellent.

Lastly, I got to try their Mala Calamari Pork Belly Hokkien Mee, which will be released soon! This creation is another testament to the versatility of Hokkien Mee. The mala-infused ingredients had that familiar numbing sensation and spiciness. Will it pair well with the Hokkien Mee? Head down to Mian Wang 1971 麵王 and try it for yourself!

Hokkien Mee has always been part of the menu no matter where Alvin went in the past, be it cooking at hawker stalls or canteens. It was only 3 years ago that Shane finally managed to persuade him to focus on his grandfather’s 1971 Hokkien Mee recipe. Shane thought it was a good idea because of the great reviews his uncle’s Hokkien Mee has received, and the possibility of new pairings.

I’ve noticed that most Hokkien Mee hawkers fry their pork lard bits in batches, keeping them in a Tupperware at their stall front. Left overnight or over a period of days, the fried pork lard bits lose their crunchiness. This is not the case at Mian Wang. At Mian Wang, their fried pork lard is cooked fresh every morning, maintaining the consistency and crispiness of the ingredient!

During my afternoon at Sin Eating House, I noticed more food delivery riders than actual customers. When asked about the difficulties the family business faces due to its secluded location, Shane mentioned that their aim was never to bring home a huge bucket of money. He only hopes that the culinary prowess of the two chefs whom he admires and learned so much from will be recognized and appreciated. If you’re in the Bukit Batok/ Gombak vicinity, do show them some support!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 and Mian Wang 1971 麵王. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 & Mian Wang 1971 麵王 – Gluttony Is My Biggest Sin! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

National Day is coming up, and I’m sure many of us are ready and preparing for the festivities. This year’s National Day is more significant because not only does it mark Singapore’s 54th birthday, it also represents the bicentennial anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival. Many restaurants are gearing up for the occasion, and have come up with special menus or promotions. Here are ten places that we think you should visit!

Orchard Cafe at Orchard Hotel

Available till 19 August 2019, Orchard Cafe’s Bicentennial Heritage Buffet is a celebration of Singapore’s rich history. Don’t miss out on the stunning array of ethnic cuisines – Chinese, Japanese, Indian and more. In addition to the existing Signature Class buffet, there are also local favourites such as Oyster Omelette, Char Kway Teow, and more, only available for a limited time. Expect Alaskan King Crabs, Blue-Lip Mussels, Fresh US Oysters, Fresh Poached Prawns, roast meats and more!

Coming out of a multimillion-dollar facelift, The Orchard Cafe is now a stylish, and chic space dressed in vibrant hues that’s perfect for this occasion. And! On National Day itself, diners dressed in Red and White only have to pay a special price of $54 (dinner only).

Creamier

Creamier has lined up two delicious and nostalgic treats for National Day. The Little White Rabbit ice cream is back again, complete with the edible glutinous rice paper! Their version encapsulates the nostalgic candy, and I wish I could get a scoop as I’m writing this.

New on the menu is the Creamier Chendol Float that’s layered with thick gula melaka syrup, sweetened red beans, chendol jelly and a special homemade pandan-infused coconut milk. Finally topped off with their signature Sea Salt Gula Melaka ice cream and more Gula Melaka, this is one indulgent treat. It launches on 1 August.

HANS IM GLÜCK

HANS IM GLÜCK has launched a special “Die Die Must Try” menu available from now till 31 August 2019 to commemorate the bicentennial. This limited edition menu features burgers and a tropical mocktail with a local twist. The KRABBE Burger is a fusion between their signature burgergrill and soft shell crab with a fragrant chilli sauce,  while the BEEF RENDANG Burger comes with a thick and juicy grass-fed beef patty topped with caramelised onions and an aromatic Rendang sauce. Aptly named the Singapore Rose, this beautiful pink mocktail is made with coconut milk, mango, Gula Melaka and rose syrup, coconut shavings and an edible flower garnish.

Grab your family and friends to enjoy the National Day Special bundle set which comes with four special burgers and one pound of steak fries ($54++).

Bar Canary

Located on the fourth flour of Grand Park Orchard, Bar Canary is serving up the ultimate creation — Bubble Tea Cocktails. There’s the Paradise Pop, a housemade Osmanthus sencha tea paired with gin, simple sugar syrup and finally topped with lychee pearls. The Smooth Criminal is a little more naughty. It is made with a lavender and earl grey tea and mixed with sweet caramel jelly. The base is whisky, angostura bitters, caramel syrup, fresh milk and Frangelico liquer (an Italian hazelnut liquer). Both drinks are priced at $17++.

I’ll love to just relax on one of their cosy lounge chairs, sip on a delicious cocktail and watch as the sun sets in the horizon. HSBC, UOB, DBS cardholders and Park Rewards Members can enjoy these bubble tea cocktails at a special price of S$15++ each, or S$28++ for two.

Mitzo

For a more refined treat, why not indulge in a five-course National Day Set Menu at modern Cantonese restaurant, Mitzo. Priced at $88++ per person, this menu was curated by executive chef Nicky Ng, and will be exclusively available throughout August.

Chef Nicky takes local flavours and reimagines them in his Prawn with Red Yeast Mayonnaise, Spicy Chicken Otah stuffed with Lotus Root, and Abalone “Bak Kut Teh”. Finish off the entire experience with a Longevity Tea served with Sesame Ball. Also available is a refreshing tipple named the National Treasure ($21++). Only available from now till 31 August, the drink consists of chamomile-infused whisky, dry curacao, marschino bitters, grapefruit bitters, cream, lime juice, egg white and cranberry soda.

Starbucks

Starbucks has brought back the iconic local Shiok-ah-ccino, and also introduced an all-new menu featuring reimagined Singaporean flavours. Interesting takes on our local dishes include a Laksa Croissant Bowl ($6.50) which sees a soft croissant bowl filled with laksa soup (sans noodles) and topped with a prawn, hard-boiled egg and laksa leaves. For an on-the-go snack, why not try the Satay Chicken Roll ($6.90).

An ode to our childhood dessert, the ice cream sandwich, the Cheesecake Sandwiches come in three flavours — the Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Sandwich, Raspberry Swirl Wafer Cheesecake and Blueberry Wafer Cheesecake ($6.90).

Lime Restaurant

From 5 August to 1 September 2019, Lime Restaurant is having the “Loco Local” buffet ($68++ per adult, $34++ per child) which is an exciting hawker-themed affair. Treat yourself to this four hour feast of local hawker favourites infused with a touch of luxury. Some upscale interpretations of fan-favourites include the Alaskan King Crab Meat Char Kway Teow, Lobster Roti Jala, and Hokkien Noodles served with Baby Lobster.

Of course, other local signature dishes such as Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Fried Carrot Cake are available too. We can’t forget the sweets, and their dessert station will feature the classic Ice Kacang, Tau Sar Piah, Orh Nee and Mini Assorted Nonya Kuehs. Note that the Loco Local is only available between 6:30pm and 10:30pm. Enjoy 15% off with four or more paying adults!

Ding Dong x Masterchef Singapore

Ding Dong’s head chef has collaborated with the finalists of Masterchef Singapore to create an 8-hands dinner menu ($100++) featuring dishes inspired by the childhoods of Zander Ng (winner), Genevieve Lee (runner-up) and Aaron Wong (finalist). There are five courses in total, with one Masterchef contributing a dish each.

This gastronomic event is only available on 2 and 3 August, and there are two standard seatings. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Cold Stone Creamery

Back by popular demand, Cold Stone Creamery has reintroduced two locally-inspired ice cream flavours — Nasi Lemak and Chendolicious! The mind-blowing Nasi Lemak ice cream comes in a limited-edition Pandan Waffle bowl topped with spicy sambal ikan bilis and peanuts that complement the sweetness of the coconut ice cream. They’ve also kicked it up a notch this year with the option for a double-spicy flavour if you’re feeling brave.

The Chendolicious is a little less flamboyant and is made with coconut ice cream, familiar green jellies, red beans, atap seeds and gula melaka.

Old Chang Kee

As part of their National Day celebrations, Old Chang Kee will be rolling out a special Mao Shan Wang Durian puff ($3.30/piece, $6 for two) for all durian fans! Luscious, real Mao Shan Wang filling encased in a green buttery pastry shell, yum! For a limited time only, purchase two Mao Shan Wang Durian puffs and be entitled to a Free OWL Kopitiam Roast & Ground worth $1.80 per set(two sachets). Hurry down to any outlet and try this puff before it’s gone!

We always love the food buzz surrounding National Day, and this year definitely has some interesting things in the line-up. Do share with us your thoughts if you head to any of these places!

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the cafes/stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post 10 Eateries to Visit This National Day – Think White Rabbit Ice Cream, Bubble Tea Cocktails, Mao Shan Wang Puffs & More appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, this is one hawker stall that will never betray you. Located directly behind Lot One Shoppers Mall and Choa Chu Kang Interchange, Seng Huat is one of the few long-established hawker stalls at CCK 302 Foodhouse that have withstood the test of time.

One must wonder, “how do the uncles and aunties ever get any rest when the stall is open 24/7?”

This is Ah Ling, and he is 65 years old this year. Ah Ling is one of three hawkers who work on rotation at Seng Huat to ensure that no matter what time of the day it is, every Bak Chor Mee craving can be satisfied. Having grown up in the neighbourhood, I first fell in love with BCM here.

As with all local noodle hawker stalls, Seng Huat offers different types of noodles. I like my Bak Chor Mee with the yellow and flat mee pok noodles. Some may prefer mee kia, which is a lot thinner. Whether I add tomato or chilli sauce depends on the weather, but most of the time, I like to add both! I think it gives the overall dish a balanced flavour that is both sweet and spicy.

I am not sure about the other two hawkers, but Ah Ling’s shift is from 3PM to 11PM, and the noodles in this bowl of Bak Chor Mee($3.50) cooked by him were springy with the right amount of moisture, which prevented them from drying up or getting stuck together. Most people usually sprinkle a spoonful of soup onto their noodles in order to loosen them up before eating, but I didn’t have to. The noodles already had a glistening layer of moisture (as you can see from the picture above) when I started to dig in.

What I love the most is the generous amount of ingredients! The bowl came with minced meat, 2 meatballs, mushrooms, liver, and crispy bits of pork lard. Although the liver slices were cooked just right, such that they weren’t too tough, they had a pretty strong metallic taste that lingered. If it’s not for you, just remember to tell the staff to leave it out!

Next, I had the Signature Mee Sua Dry ($3.50). It was not as dry as I had expected it to be. Despite being coated in a slightly gooey sauce, the noodles were still firm! Once again, there was a pile of ingredients heaped on. The earthiness of the mushrooms helped to balance out the flavours of the bowl.

Last, but not least, I had a delicious bowl of Laksa ($3.50). The Laksa from 302 was the dish I craved the most while I was in Europe for 5 months. It was just as I had remembered! The broth was thick, creamy, and robust. The first few mouthfuls were so satisfying that I couldn’t help but smile to myself. On its own, I would hardly even consider the Laksa spicy. So if you like your food with a spicy kick, don’t forget to stir in the sambal chilli!

The noodles were smooth and easy to slurp up, and the tao pok, having absorbed a wonderful dose of broth, was lovely to bite into. The Laksa comes with fishcakes, cockles, and beansprouts. The slight taste of the sea that burst out from the occasional cockle enhanced the overall flavour of the Laksa. Despite this bowl of Laksa not having prawns or chicken, I did not feel like anything was missing!

More than 20 years ago, I was coming to this stall for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner with my family. Nowadays, it has become my go-to supper destination. Whatever the reason for my visit, this stall has been one of the constants in my life.

The fact that all the staff are so bubbly and friendly also makes coming to 302 feel exceptionally homey all the time. If you happen to be seeking comfort food in the West, don’t hesitate to drop by Seng Huat for a delicious and affordable bowl of noodles!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Seng Huat. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post CCK 302 Foodhouse – This 24-Hour Hawker Stall Sends Laksa (Lotsa) Love with Their Bak Chor Mee & Mee Sua appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Regarded as a delectable and exotic delicacy, mooncakes have always had an indispensable role to play during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. However, mooncakes are more than just snacks. In Chinese culture, they are a symbol of unity, togetherness, and prosperity.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, Hong Kong Mei Xin has assembled seven superheroes to gather all your friends and family for a reunion under one roof! Express your appreciation this season with a Hong Kong Mei Xin box — whatever flavour you choose.

FROSTS, the sole distributor of the brand since 2006, is proud to introduce this year’s Avenger-stamped Lava Custard mooncakes in two different Marvel Mini Heroes Avengers 3D collectible tin boxes – The MX Marvel Mini Heroes – Iron Man Lava Custard Mooncake ($48, 4 pcs/box, approx. 45g each), and The MX Marvel Mini Heroes – Avengers Mooncake ($38, 4 pcs/box, approx. 45g each)! P.S. Iron Man’s eyes, palm and arc reactor light up with the push of a button!

As a child, I never knew the significance of Chinese characters on traditional mooncakes. Maybe that’s why I found it pretty cool that the mooncakes bear the Avengers logo on them! It’s something that children and young adults of our generation can relate to. But hey, what really matters is what’s on the inside! The Lava Custard mooncakes’ soft exterior harbour a gooey core that oozes sweet and glorious custard, perfect for people of all ages!

Meanwhile, I am sure that at some point in every girl’s childhood, they wanted to be a shining, shimmering, and splendid princess! Another highlight of Hong Kong Mei Xin’s mooncake launch is their Disney Princess Musical Box ($38, 4 pcs/box, 45g each) which features four beloved princesses: Belle, Mulan, Jasmine and Snow White!

That’s right, you heard me. This mooncake box doubles as a musical box! Inside the whimsical Disney castle wind-up music box, the princesses ride a carousel that rotates to Aladdin’s romantic theme song, “A Whole New World”.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is the perfect gift for Disney lovers of all ages! Both the Avenger and Disney series are the latest in the brand’s collectables, but unlike the Avengers box which holds four Lava Custard mooncakes, each box of Disney Princess themed mooncakes holds four Creamy Custard mooncakes. The Creamy Custard mooncakes even have a tiara design on them – truly a snack made for princesses! Compared to the Lava Custard mooncakes, they are equally as sweet and easy to chew but creamier with a soft but firm bite to them.

Aside from the above highlights, Hong Kong Mei Xin has also launched a new package design for the entire line of Snowy Mooncake gift boxes to house a variety of unique flavours! The Snowy Mooncake Series is my personal favourite as the mooncake skins have a soft mochi-like texture. I especially love its exquisite bounce and the slight cooling effect it induces upon sinking my teeth into it. The Snowy Mooncake Premium Delicacies box ($69, 8pcs/box) comes with 8 different flavours – Mango with Pomelo Dessert, Mango, Blueberry Duo, Green Tea & Red Bean, Strawberry, Double Chocolate, Sesame with Macadamia Nuts, and Pink Guava & Apricot!

Hong Kong Mei Xin also features 2 flavours that are uniquely Hong Kong in a Cha Chan Tang Snowy Mooncake Mini 4 Box ($13.80, 4pcs/box) – Iced Lemon Tea and Ice Lemon Coke! There are also Snowy Mini Packages with 2 different flavours. Another 2 flavours I found interesting are from the Bird’s Nest Series ($13.80, 4pcs/box) – the Bird’s Nest with Mango and the Bird’s Nest with Rock Sugar mooncake flavours!

If you’re a fan of fruity flavours, you may even choose to opt for the Snowy Summer Fruits Gift Box which consists of just 4 fruity mooncake flavours – Blueberry Duo, Mango, Mango with Pomelo Dessert, and Pink Guava & Apricot! Alternatively, there’s a Snowy Mini 4 – Fresh Fruits Package consisting of Blueberry Duo, Strawberry, Mango, and Pink Guava & Apricot.

There is also the Snowy Polar Lights Gift Box which contains 16 different flavours and a Snowy Twin Pack consisting of 11 different flavours. I don’t think I’ve ever been spoilt for choice like this! Do check out Hong Kong Mei Xin’s website for more details on their promotional packages.

Aside from the classic flavours of the Snowy Mooncake Series, Hong Kong MX also caters to specific taste buds! The overwhelming response to their Durian Snowy mooncakes has resulted in a range of 3 variations to satisfy every need – the famous and newly released Musang King Durian Snowy Mooncake Gift Box ($58, 6pcs/box, approx. 60g), Tekka Durian, and XO Durian.

If you’re not a fan of snow skin mooncakes, don’t worry, Hong Kong Mei Xin has traditional baked mooncakes too! In 2014, Hong Kong MX Mooncakes launched the first Lava Custard Mooncake ($62, 8 pcs/box, approx. 45g/pc). The then newly launch product revolutionised the Egg Custard Mooncake category. Since then, Hong Kong MX has introduced the Creamy Custard Mooncake ($59, 8 pcs/box, approx. 45g/pc) Lava Egg Yolk with White Lotus Mooncake ($62, 8 pcs/box, approx. 45g/pc), which is a new take on the most traditional of mooncakes.

The only difference between these Lava Custard Mooncakes and the ones found in the Avengers themed mooncake boxes is that instead of the Avengers logo, these mooncakes have Chinese characters on them – a more appropriate gift for traditional families or gatherings in a work setting.

Have you been eating your mooncakes straight out the refrigerator? If your answer is yes, you have to try eating Hong Kong Mei Xin’s mooncakes using their serving tips! For optimal gastronomic pleasure, heat room temperature mooncakes up using a microwave oven (1000W) for 3-5 seconds. If refrigerated, wait at least 10 minutes for it to warm up at room temperature, then microwave (1000W) it for 12-15 seconds. The surface and contents of the mooncake become warm and moist, especially for the Lava Custard and Creamy Custard Mooncakes! Simply delicious.

There are different packaging designs which encompass either individual custard flavours or a duet of both!

Hong Kong MX’s traditional series contains two of their most popular signature items since 1987 – the White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks ($64, 4 pcs/box, approx. 185g/pc) and the “Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks”. Both are filled with smooth lotus seed paste, and rich, bright salted egg yolk oozing with delectable savoury oil. Bite into the rich, fragrant flavour of these masterpieces, and you’ll see why they received the 2019 Grand Gold Medal of Monde Selection International Quality Award.

Carrying on its tradition of perfection, Hong Kong MX Mooncakes are painstakingly made by chefs who are devoted to perfection and use only top-quality ingredients. There are even mooncake flavours that come with reduced sugar levels such as the Low Sugar White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with Egg Yolk ($62, 6pcs/box, approx 90g each) and the Low Sugar White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with Pine Nut ($62, 6 pcs/box, 90g each). On top of their signature mooncakes, Hong Kong MX also has other traditional flavours such as Red Bean Paste and Classic Mixed Nuts!

What if there’s a long queue? Will my favourite flavours run out of stock? If these are things you constantly worry about when the holiday season is right around the corner, FROSTS has the solution for you!

This mooncake season, FROSTS is proud to launch the pilot of its all-new plug-in, TroopBuy. TroopBuy enables the benefits of a traditional group purchase — without the inconvenience of organising its logistics.

Step 1: Head to www.hkmxproducts.sg, and click on the bouncy button labelled “TroopBuy” to Learn More. Go to the TroopBuy section and select the product you would like to start a “campaign” for.

Step 2: Invite others to join the “campaign”, by copying and sharing a direct link to it. You will receive a confirmation email. Secure your order with your credit card details. The campaign is successfully closed when buyers together meet the tier’s number of boxes.

Step 3: Choose your preferred collection or delivery method. TroopBuy will only charge your credit card after a “campaign” succeeds and closes. Note: TroopBuy is risk-free, as no credit card charges will be made for incomplete or abandoned campaigns.

That’s it! Large enough groups may qualify for discounts of up to 15%! No queueing or worrying if you will get the flavour you want. The function basically undertakes the work of organising groups and collecting payments — a responsibility that usually falls to one person.

Delivery to the “campaign” starter is free. Additional deliveries can be made to different locations for $10.70 each. Customers can also choose to collect their buys from six* of the nine HKMX booths (Raffles Xchange, Causeway Point, Bugis Junction, Westgate, Tampines Mall, Compass One. *See addresses and dates below.)

TroopBuy-ing is available for the following top-selling HKMX flavours:
Marvel Mini Heroes Avengers Lava Custard
Disney Princess Music Castle Creamy Custard
Lava Custard
White Lotus Double Yolk
Low Sugar White Lotus with Yolk

Limited stocks for MX & Marvel range will be capped at TWO sets per customer. Although Avengers Endgame boxes are available on TroopBuy, Iron Man boxes will not be available for online purchase. It will be sold ONLY at booths on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last.

MX Marvel Mini Heroes Avengers and Iron Man boxes will be sold as a pair at the following booths:
August 21: Takashimaya, Vivo City and Raffles Exchange from 10.30am
September 3: Nex@ Serangoon, Bugis Junction, Compass One, West Gate, Tampines Mall and Causeway Point, from 10.30am

All other flavours in the Hong Kong Mei Xin range are available for corporate and individual orders at www.hkmxproducts.sg, including Traditional, Custard & Lava, Snowy, Bakery and Collectible (Disney and Avenger Endgame) selections.

(*) ALL STOCKISTS
Aug 8 – Sep 13: Takashimaya @ Ngee Ann City (391 Orchard Road, Level B2 @ Atrium, S(238873)
Aug 15 – Sep 13: VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, Level 1 @ Central Court S(098585)
Aug 19 – Sept 13 (excluding Sat & Sun): Raffles Xchange, 5 Raffles Place, Raffles MRT, S(048618)
Aug 23 – Sep 13: Nex@Serangoon, 23 Serangoon Central, Level 1, Atrium S(556083)
Aug 30 – Sep 13: Causeway Point, 1 Woodlands Square, Atrium, S(738099)
Sep 2 – 13: Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria St, Ground Floor Atrium, S(188021)
Sep 2 – 13: Westgate, 3 Gateway Dr, Level 1 Atrium, S(608532)
Sep 2 – 13: Tampines Mall, 4 Tampines Central 5, Atrium, S(529510)
Sep 3 – 13: Compass One, 1 Sengkang Square, Level 1, Main Atrium, S(545078)

BOOTHS THAT ARE COLLECTION POINTS FOR ONLINE ORDERS
Aug 19 – Sept 13 (excluding Sat & Sun): Raffles Xchange, 5 Raffles Place, Raffles MRT, S(048618)
Aug 30 – Sep 13: Causeway Point, 1 Woodlands Square, Atrium, S(738099)
Sep 2 – 13: Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria St, Ground Floor Atrium, S(188021)
Sep 2 – 13: Westgate, 3 Gateway Dr, Level 1 Atrium, S(608532)
Sep 2 – 13: Tampines Mall, 4 Tampines Central 5, Atrium, S(529510)
Sep 3 – 13: Compass One, 1 Sengkang Square, Level 1, Main Atrium, S(545078)
eShop: www.hkmxproducts.sg

The post Hong Kong Mei Xin Launched Marvel Mini Heroes and Disney Princess Mooncakes appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Taking over the original space of Dong Po Colonial Cafe is Got Luck Cafe. They’ve changed up some parts of the decor, but the cafe still remains pretty traditional and cosy. I first came across the cafe on Instagram and I was intrigued by their Sea Salt Kaya Toast ($2.30)! They focus on serving local favourites (Nasi Lemak, Ayam Penyet) and traditional breakfast — kopi, eggs and toast.

You would think that they would jack up the prices of their food since they’re technically a cafe but they don’t! A hot coffee or tea would cost you $1.70, and even their most expensive drink is $2.70. When I arrived around 2pm, the cafe was still packed with customers happily tucking into the scrumptious food. They’ve only been open for less than 4 months, but it’s obvious they already have a steadily growing fanbase (including me).

Apart from the Kaya toast, I was also attracted to the Ayam Penyet ($8.90), which is created with the lady boss’s very own secret recipe. The second the plate arrived at our table, my mouth started watering and I couldn’t wait to dig in. The exterior of the chicken was beautifully browned, and even the other aspects of the dish looked amazing. Being an avid chilli fan, the first thing I tried was, of course, the chilli. Let’s just say this was probably one of the best chilli I’ve ever tasted, and my partner agreed.

I tried to pick a favourite on the plate, but even after deliberating for a long time, I just couldn’t because everything was so great! My partner found the tempeh and fried beancurd a little too salty, but I thought it was just flavourful enough. Before we even knew it, we had finished the entire plate.

The Sea Salt Kaya Toast was pretty standard, with just a hint of saltiness to balance out the sweetness. I would’ve liked the bread to be a little more crispy, but overall, it was a pretty decent toast! I was told their Ondeh Ondeh cake ($3.50) is also a hot-seller and obviously I couldn’t give that up.

I’m so glad I decided to get it even though I was stuffed, because the cake was equally fantastic! It was delightfully soft, moist, and had just the right level of sweetness for me. Forking out just $2.50 for it, I was not expecting that level of quality!

I definitely struck gold by coming across this cafe and I can’t wait totry their Nasi Lemak!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Got Luck Cafe. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Got Luck Cafe – I Got Lucky When I Found This Cafe appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

It was Gordon Ramsay’s battleground during the SingTel Hawker Heroes Challenge in 2013. Its name is also commonly brought up by adventurous tourists looking to savour true blue Singaporean grub. And yes, it was also one of the signature filming locations of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. That’s right, I am talking about the legendary Newton Food Centre!

I know Newton Food Centre gets a bad rep for being a tourist trap and that hawker centre with higher-than-normal prices. However, look beyond the prices and you will find yourself surrounded by an eclectic mix of cultures and fuss-free hawker food. It’s time to grab a couple of close buddies, order a few pints of ice cold beer, and dine like a few crazy rich asians at Newton Food Centre!

1. Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee

When I say the fishballs and her giao from Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teo are the best, I mean it. That’s because it is all painstakingly made by hand daily. Really, just how often do we come across hawkers who still make fishballs by hand?

Order a bowl of fishball noodles (we went for meepok) for $4 and welcome a serving portion that’s a bang for your buck! For $4, you get a sizeable bowl of meepok and 7 plump fishballs that tick all the criteria of a good fishball — firm, springy, fresh, and tasty. Seriously, this is something you need to try to believe!

Of course, the key to a good bowl of fishball noodles lies not only in the fishballs, but in the noodles as well. Soon Wah’s meepok is really one of the best around. The meepok had a great bite, and each strand was coated in the well-balanced chilli-vinegar sauce. Slurp-worthy indeed!

Don’t forget to order a bowl of her giao ($4 / bowl of 10 pieces). Just like the fishballs, the her giao served here is made fresh daily. Each piece of her siao had the perfect skin-to-filling ratio. The filling is made of fresh meat and graced with dried sole fish for added fragrance and flavour.

2. Hajah Monah Kitchen

Let me tell you, Hajah Monah Kitchen serves some seriously delectable nasi padang! Nasi padang is essentially the equivalent of cai fan. Here, just point to what dishes you want to go along with your plate of rice and you are all set!

My recommendation? Go for the beef rendang/assam fish/sambal goreng/bergedil combination! Each dish was impeccably superb. The beef rendang was rich, creamy and spicy and oh my, fork tender!

Hajah Monah Kitchen also managed to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness, spiciness and sourness in their assam fish. Throw the tangy sambal goreng; a mix of tempeh and tau kwa, into this combination to cut through the richness of the meats and round it off with a bergedil. For $7.60, this certainly makes for a filling meal!

3. XO Minced Meat Noodles

You know what’s good? Bak chor mee. You know what’s even better? A 24-hour bak chor mee stall!

XO Minced Meat Noodles has a number of outlets islandwide, but the outlet at Newton Food Centre is particularly outstanding. If you are here, I highly recommend the Handmade Meatball Noodle ($5) and the XO Minced Pork Noodle ($4.50)!

We ordered the Handmade Meatball Noodle with kway teow and it came sporting a few slices of fish cake, lettuce and five deep-fried meatballs! While the kway teow drenched in the sweet-vinegary sauce was nothing to rave about, the handmade meatballs definitely were!

If there’s one way to describe the taste of these handmade meatballs, it would be that they taste like a well-seasoned ngoh hiang. Sinking my teeth into the meatball revealed a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft, mouthwatering interior. Each globe of meatball had that familiar savouriness reminiscent of a ngoh hiang with a nuanced saltiness. I also loved the meat-to-fat ratio. My only gripe was that the meatballs lacked texture.

The XO Minced Meat Noodles is a pretty solid contender for “Most Filling Bak Chor Mee”. Think a bowl of al dente meepok, loaded with fried beancurd skin, minced pork, sliced pork, a juicy Fuzhou fishball & fishballs. Quite a number of ingredients for a $4.50 bowl of noodles!

4. Newton Authentic Song Kee Teochew Fish Porridge

Look, I get it: porridge probably doesn’t belong in an article that’s introducing food for crazy rich Asians. But hey, it’s some serious comfort food! Hear me out on this one.

Maybe I’m just biased towards Teochew-style porridge, but there is something alluring about the simplicity of the Sliced Fish Porridge ($6) served here. Think slices of fresh batang fish swimming above a sea of firm rice grains steeped in mild, fishy broth. The freshness of the sliced batang fish also played a huge role in imparting sweetness to the broth. While the serving portion may be somewhat small, this, to me, is as close as it gets to the epitome of comfort food!

5. Guan Kee Grilled Seafood

What’s a Newton Food Centre listicle without Guan Kee Grilled Seafood? Trust me on this one: Guan Kee Grilled Seafood makes one of the best sambal stingray in Newton!

The glistening sambal that is slathered atop the stingray had a spicy kick with a subtle lingering smokiness, which I thought was simply sublime. The chilli coated and clung onto each piece of stingray so perfectly. Remember to squeeze some lime onto the sambal stingray ($20 for largest portion)!

You might have had lala dishes with shrivelled up lalas that look so unappetising, but that won’t be the case for Guan Kee’s Lala ($15)! Not only is the lala cooked just right, the viscous chilli crab sauce also pairs superbly with the lala.

6. Hup Kee Oyster Omelette

If the waiting time to get a plate of food is indicative of how good the food is, then many must find Hup Kee Oyster Omelette to be brilliantly delicious. Mind you, I had to wait close to 40 minutes for a plate of their Oyster Omelette ($6)! So was it worth the 40 minute wait? Yes. Every. Single. Minute.

Hup Kee’s oyster omelette is eggier than most oyster omelette, and they cook it for slightly longer! This results in a soft, starchy interior which juxtaposes with a satisfying crunchy exterior. The oysters touch the sizzling hot skillet for just a few seconds to ensure that they are creamy and plump, and not cooked to death.

7. TKR Honey Chicken Wing 大家乐烧烤鸡翼

Ask any Singaporean which is the best food to accompany some beer and most will say that its satay!

On top of the usual types of satay such as chicken, mutton and beef, TKR also offers pork. The satays go for $0.70/stick and you can mix and match. I especially loved how each stick of satay has been slightly caramelised, adding another depth of flavour to the well-marinated meats. While the satay sticks were great, I can’t say the same about the ketupat. Avoid the ketupat if you can and savour the satay with the thick and savoury peanut sauce that it comes with!

8. Bee Heng Popiah

You can’t say that you are a fervent lover of popiah if you hadn’t tried Bee Heng Popiah.

The popiah here is on the pricier side — each roll is $2.20 and there is a minimum order of at least 2 rolls. That is $4.40 for popiah! The price caught me by surprise, as did the taste of the popiah!

Think well-stewed turnip, crunchy beansprouts, diced boiled eggs encased within skin thin popiah skin! It’s sauced up with some bean paste and a very potent chilli sauce (optional, but I highly recommend it) that elevates the flavours in this roll of wholesome goodness. There are many stalls which make good popiah, but only few can make popiah so delicious that you will come back/think of coming back for more. Bee Heng Popiah is one of these stalls.

9. 88 San Ren Cold and Hot Dessert

After gorging yourself with a ton of greasy food, how about wrapping up your satisfying meal with some cheng tng?

The Cheng Tng ($2.50) from 88 San Ren Cold and Hot Dessert is full of ingredients, even barley! I ordered the hot version and oh my, the natural sweetness of the red dates and dried longans really shone through. A lightly sweetened soup chock full of ingredients at only $2.50? What a deal, what a steal! Be sure to try out their other desserts such as Strawberry Snow Ice, Red Ruby and Mango Ice Kachang.

With so much good food and stamp of approval from Crazy Rich Asians, how to say no to Newton Food Centre? Look beyond its flaws (ahem, it’s kind of harsh on the wallet), call your buddies, and spend the evening laughing over good food at Newton Food Centre!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the cafes/stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Newton Food Centre – Eat Like a Crazy Rich Asian at These 9 Stalls appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

It’s close to midnight, a time when most of us are about to go to bed, and Mr Low Teck Seng’s day is just getting started. He toils through the night to open his stall at 5am in the morning, and he sells out by 10am almost every day. What does he sell, you ask? You might’ve guessed from the title, but yes! He sells fresh soya milk and tau huey (soy beancurd) at Tiong Bahru Market. And when I say fresh, I mean FRESH.

Mr Low makes everything from scratch himself — from the initial soaking of the beans, to the final product. This is the reason he has to start his day in the wee hours of the morning. He’s been doing this since 1985, and is now 65 years old. That’s 34 whole years of experience! Each day, he uses around 50 to 60kg of soy beans and makes 14 containers of this deceptively simple breakfast staple.

After all the soybeans have been ground down, the liquid is slowly added into a giant wok with water, and reduced to bring out the bean flavour. When we asked him how he knows when to add more of the soybean liquid to the wok, Mr Low simply replied in Chinese, “Based on my gut feeling”. Like many other traditional cooking methods, there’s no firm measuring process involved, but simply an instinct honed from years of experience.

One moment that particularly amazed us was when he asked us to guess how much beancurd there was in the wok he cooked. Of course, we didn’t know the answer to that, but he confidently told us there was exactly two containers, not a drop less or more. He then demonstrated it to us and true enough, two containers were filled to the brim exactly! And when I say exact, I mean there wasn’t any spillage or leftover liquid at all when he was done pouring.

After each batch is cooked, he then has to scrub and rinse the wok before cooking the next batch to prevent it from burning. This is a step that mustn’t be skipped, and when I think of how many times he has to do it throughout the night, my admiration for him just grew.

From midnight to approximately 4am when Mr Low finishes cooking everything, he never once stops to rest. While we were there, everytime we turned back to look at him, he was always moving the heavy containers full of luscious soy milk, or cooking the next batch of beancurd. The only break he gets is when his wife and daughter arrive in the morning to take over the stall while he goes home to take a quick shower, before he comes right back to the market again.

We were lucky enough to get a taste of the soymilk right off the fire and all I can say is, it’s comfort in a cup. You can really taste the soybeans in the drink, and there was something especially invigorating drinking it after witnessing how Mr Low made it. I asked for less sugar because I wanted to taste more of the soybeans and it was just perfect.

I absolutely love the soybean milk, but the beancurd is the real star of the show. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the smoothest and silkiest beancurd I’ve ever had. Just to get this result, Mr Low strains and filters every component multiple times to get rid of all the impurities. His beancurd is so good that some customers come all the way from Indonesia  just for it. He was even featured in the Japanese news once!

I’ll say that this definitely is an artisanal product, and I’m scared to have beancurd from other places now for fear of disappointment. I hate waking up early, but I’ll definitely get up just to have a bowl of this!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

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The post Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk – You Wouldn’t Want to Eat Any Other Beancurd After This appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

My group of makan kakis seems to be crazy about nasi biryani. I lost count of the number of times that we met for biryani. And they even brought me to Mustafa to show me the spice brand they use to cook nasi biryani at home. Because they are such big biryani fans, whenever they jio me for a biryani meal, I will make time for it.

Last week, our lunch was at a relatively new restaurant in Little India – Mr Biryani. The owner, Mr Govind, worked as an operations guy in many five-star hotels in Singapore before setting up this eatery. His menu is not extensive, as he just wants to focus on serving the best version of the dish he is familiar with — biryani.

Hence, at Mr Biryani, the biryani is made in traditional Hyderabadi dum style: the ingredients are layered in a pot and steamed together with the lid sealed shut by long strips of dough. Elegantly presented in a classy white bowl, and adorned with cashew nuts and fried shallots, the biryani, which is immensely fragrant and flavourful, is a testament to the virtues of slow cooking.

Among the two biryanis we shared, the Boneless Chicken Biryani ($12) was the standout. Topped with crisped curls of onion, a hard-boiled egg, and cherry tomato, the biryani comes with chicken meat that’s been cooked in biryani masala. Juices from the tender and intensely-spiced meat made the rice so moist that you need only a dab of raita. It held up well against the mirchi ka salan, a light curry coating the jewels in its depths.

Mr Govind recommended their popular Lamb Shank Biryani ($18) but we chose the Boneless Lamb Biryani ($14) instead. Just like what went on with the chicken biryani, each spoonful unearthed new treasures — golden raisins, cashews and an abundance of cilantro — which announced their freshness. The rice was tasty, springy, and not clumpy. Unfortunately, the lamb suffered from a lack of moisture towards the middle. Perhaps, I will go for the lamb shank next time. Nevertheless, both biryanis were satisfying.

I don’t think I have tasted much of Hyperadad biryani to be a good judge but Mr Biryani’s version was light but fragrant. The biryanis came piping hot and the portion was substantial enough to feed more than 5 of us. (But of course, the hefty helpings of carbs didn’t help me soldier through the day in the office.)

To accompany our biryani, we ordered Brinjal Pachadi ($7) and Bhindi Palli Fry (not on the menu yet). Both were excellent and armed with a pleasant smokiness that was not overwhelming. The spices were aromatic and the nuts added a contrast in texture to the vegetables.

The Butter Chicken Masala ($10) was astonishing in its richness and depth of flavor. The yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken sat in a velvety red bath scented with garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. The chicken had a lovely caramelized flavour, and the gravy worked wonderfully with their butter naan ($3.50).

As I sat in the restaurant during their busy lunch hours, I realized that the diners here are predominantly Indians. It shows that Mr Govind is doing something right. Plus Mr Govind was incredibly pleasant and even taught us how to enjoy eating Indian cuisine. What blew us away was the special masala chai tea that was served at the end of the meal.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

The post Mr Biryani – Delicious Hyderabad Dhum Biryani & Tandoor in Little India appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Once every few weeks, I start to really crave fish soup, and that’s when I head to Zion Road Blk 91 Seafood Soup (安顺海鲜汤). They were previously located at Zion Road, hence its name, for around 9 years, before they moved to its current location at 206 Toa Payoh almost 8 years ago. I first came across this stall when I was eating dinner at Don Signature Crab with my family. The storefront looked ordinary, and I wouldn’t have given it a second thought had my mother not mention how popular it is!

I visited the stall a little after their opening time, around 10:45am, and even then, there was already a short line! The stall is so popular that during lunch hour, the queue stretched more than halfway across the length of the coffee shop. Thankfully, I had arrived a little earlier and managed to avoid the crazy queue. Almost immediately after I sat down with my piping bowls of soup, a throng of people descended upon the coffee shop and started lining up.

I ordered two bowls — Fried Fish Beehoon Soup with milk ($5.50), and Sliced Fish Beehoon Soup ($5). Being a fried fish soup fan, I’d only ever gotten their fried fish. I decided to finally try the sliced fish version for the very first time on this day, and let’s just say I might now be a convert.

If you’re getting the sliced fish soup, definitely get it without milk so you can taste the natural sweetness of the broth. I was told that they don’t use MSG in the broth at all, and all the flavour comes from boiling good quality fish bones! Although I usually like my fish soup with evaporated milk, I actually prefer the clear version here much more. Every ingredient used was extremely fresh, and there wasn’t a hint of fishiness that you sometimes may encounter.

Even if you’re getting the fresh fish version, do get a side of fried fish as well! It’s honestly the best, if not one of the best fried fishes I’ve had. Not only do they fry the fish in small batches to ensure it’s always crispy and piping hot, they also serve it in a separate bowl so that the fish doesn’t get soggy in the broth. What makes it even better is the batter! It’s unlike any other fried fish from fish soup stalls. My companion said it reminded her a little of fish and chips!

For all the fish soup fans out there, this is one stall that you must visit!

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Tucked away in a little corner on 85 Dawson Road is Banting Traditional Noodles. You know those places that you instantly fall in love with the moment you take a bite of their food? This is one of those places for me.

You can get ban mian at almost every food court or coffee shop, but to stand out among the rest is no easy feat. Ban mian is something I get when I’m craving for comfort food, or some piping hot soup on a rainy day. I’ll say it’s a dish that usually can’t go wrong, unless you get undercooked noodles of course, but that’s also the reason why it’s hard to find one that’s exceptionally amazing.

Banting is special because they make almost everything by hand themselves! This means the chillis, noodles, fried shallots and ikan bilis are all done or fried by them right at the stall. You can even see the noodle making in action if you’re lucky!

The stall is around three years old, and is run by a friendly couple from Kuala Lumpur. When they told me that they actually switched lines completely to open up this stall three years ago (the wife had been doing sales), I couldn’t believe my ears! The quality of the noodles was so good that I’d assumed they already had years of experience.

Their specialty is the Hot & Spicy Handmade Noodles ($5), a dry KL-style pan mee that exploded in popularity recently. Each bowl is topped with an egg, fried fish bean curd, three meatballs, anchovies, braised minced meat, and of course, the special chilli. I also got a regular Ban Mian soup with an added egg ($3.50 + $0.50), and Mee Hoon Kueh dry ($3.50).

The ratio of sauce to noodle was perfect, and each strand was coated with the wonderful sweet and spicy goodness. The chilli had a good kick to it, and complemented the slightly braised sauce to the T. The egg yolk was not super runny, but I actually enjoyed taking a mouthful of noodles with the well done yolk (especially when it’s coated in the sauce)! Make sure you get some ikan bilis, which they fry themselves, in too! I’ll say this is officially my favourite dry chilli pan mee now.

Many ban mian stalls use MSG in their soups to add more flavour, but Banting only uses anchovies and some simple seasoning (absolutely no MSG goes into their soup)! The soup tasted extremely clean, and the flavour of anchovies was very pronounced. I wonder how much anchovies they had to use to get it that concentrated. It might be a little overwhelming on its own, but it goes very well with noodles!

On top of the regular offerings, Banting has two special noodle flavours! The first is a special Black Pepper Noodle ($5.50) which combines Japanese, Chinese and Western flavours, and comes with their rendition of chicken yakitori, while the second is a dry Thai-style noodle ($5.50) (only available on Friday and Saturday).

Although I only managed to try their signature dishes on this visit, I’ll be back for more!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Banting Traditional Cuisine. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Banting Traditional Cuisine 萬津古早味 – This Chilli Ban Mian Will Leave You Banting More appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I’m sure everyone has heard of the famous Tartine Bakery from San Francisco. Well, there’s a new kid on the block definitely worth checking out if you’re a big fan of sourdough. Co-founder Emerson Manibo trained at the famous Per Se restaurant in New York, and Tartine Bakery before venturing into his own bakery business, Starter Lab, back in 2017. Stater Lab hails from Canggu, Bali. Their outlet at Havelock Road is their very second one! They are said to create such amazing sourdough bakes that locals and tourists flock there daily.

It’s definitely not a simple feat for a homegrown brand to gain such a loyal following and open an overseas branch so quickly, so they must be doing something right. In fact, their sourdoughs are so popular that  they even partner with numerous renowned restaurants back in Bali. Their secret? A three-year old mother dough starter that’s the beginning of every beautiful loaf.

To create their famous sourdoughs, Starter Lab handcrafts and ferments each loaf for at least 24 hours before baking. You could even see the bakers hard at work through the glass windows of their open concept kitchen if you time your trip right.

On top of the sourdough loaves, they also sell other delights such as the Miso Baguette, Milky White, Foccacia, Scones, Banana Bread, and what looked like a cruffin. I got a little taste of the Miso Baguette and it was definitely more unique than a regular baguette. Slightly more savoury than usual, with a hint of umami and sourness. I see it going perfectly with just some butter.

Starter Lab offers a list of open-faced Post Toasts (served all day), and Sandwiches that are only served after 11am. I decided to go for the Honeyed Mascarpone toast ($14) which features house-made Mascarpone, honey, crushed walnuts, bee pollen, and Black Sea salt on a seeded toast, as well as the Starter Lab 3 Cheese on rosemary ($19).

The mascarpone was light, but creamy, and was a match made in heaven with the slightly sweet honey. The walnuts provided a nice textural contrast, and a touch of nuttiness. The entire thing was gone before I even knew it! That’s how much we loved it!

I’m not going to lie, I was originally a little shocked at the price tag of the Starter Lab 3 Cheese. I mean, after all, it is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich right?

Right before it’s served, it’s toasted to perfection. Filled with three different cheeses, the sandwiched seemed like it would get pretty jelak quickly but surprisingly, it was okay! Alternating the sandwich with some of the pickled jalapeños definitely helped to balance things out. When I took my first bite, I was delighted by how the different cheeses came together with the sourdough to create one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve had. But is it worth the $19 price tag? I’m still trying to decide on that.

Starter Lab definitely serves up amazing bakes and I respect them for their commitment to being eco-friendly. When I went to wash my hands after the meal, I noticed that instead of paper towels, they provide actual towels for drying your hands (wow, it’s like a fancy hotel). They also use bamboo toilet rolls and even organic hand soap.

Although their prices might be a tad steep, they’re definitely worth a visit for those who love sourdough and European bread!

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Tucked away in a cosy corner on the 2nd floor of International Plaza is Bimi Kaiho Restaurant. That’s right, their food isn’t the only thing that’s authentically Japanese! The moment I passed through the traditional Japanese fabric dividers hanging over their doorway, it felt like I was stepping into another world.

While I was there on a Friday evening, I noticed a majority of customers being Japanese expats. Apart from the multitude of Japanese decorations on the wall, the presence and greetings of the Japanese customers tremendously enhanced the atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant. Nevertheless, there’s no cause for alarm if you do not speak Japanese because the owners of the restaurant speak fluent English and Chinese too!

I tried two set meals at Bimi Kaiho. The first was their Udon Set ($17)! The Udon Set comes with a bowl of Udon (obviously), Chawanmushi, and a choice of 1 of the following as your side dish — Tempura (prawns), Tonkatsu (pork cutlet), Tori Karaage (fried chicken), Yakiniku (beef), Korokke (croquette)!

This was hands down, not even exaggerating, the most delicious bowl of udon noodles I have ever had. The noodles were perfect in thickness and I found its soft and chewy texture so addictive! The broth was light and flavourful, striking a balance between the savoury tonkatsu sauce that I had with my side dish of pork cutlet. The lady boss of Bimi Kaiho revealed that bonito flakes were used to create the essence of the broth. Moreover, the pork cutlet was thick and lean, with only a thin layer of batter, making it less crispy than other pork cutlets I’ve had, but so much more wholesome and worth the money!

Next up, I had the Sushi Chasoba Set ($18)! I usually prefer a warm main course, but the chilled cha soba was extremely refreshing! Before slurping up your noodles, remember to dip them into Bimi Kaiho’s housemade soba sauce which adds a light fragrance to the noodles!

Be careful not to add too much wasabi to your sushi because their sushi is already served with a thin dash of wasabi sandwiched in-between the rice and the key ingredient. It’s the chef’s recommended amount of wasabi for optimal gastronomical pleasure! I got a pleasant surprise when an overwhelming burning sensation from the additional wasabi I added on came rushing through my nasal passages. The sashimi and raw tuna were fresh and smooth!

This set meal also comes with Tempura and Chawanmushi! Although the Chawanmushi was a little watery that day, my friend who had been patronizing the restaurant since he was a child assured me that it’s usually firmer and more fragrant. Maybe the owners were just having a bad day and slightly overcooked this batch of Chawanmushi.

Apart from the two noodle set meals mentioned above, the restaurant also caters to every palate by serving a tantalizing range of homecooked Japanese rice dishes such as Katsudon, Unagi Bento, and Katsukare (pork cutlet with curry rice)! International Plaza is located directly across the road from Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Do check out Bimi Kaiho Restaurant if you’re interested in an authentic Japanese dining experience!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Bimi Kaiho Restaurant. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Bimi Kaiho Restaurant – Udon Even Know, But I Felt Soba-lessed After This Meal! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

More than halfway through 2019, and I would say the Mala craze is still going strong. Or maybe it’s just my circle of friends who are still obsessed. But anyway, it’s time I introduce my personal favourite Mala Xiang Guo in the whole of Singapore! While many would immediately think of Ri Ri Hong at Chinatown when you mention Mala, I much prefer Wan Xin Mala Xiang Guo along Upper Serangoon Road.

The eatery is brightly lit and spacious, and is packed with customers whenever I visit in the evening. It’s so well-lit that I suspect it might actually feel brighter at night than in the day. Although Wan Xin Mala is open from 11am every day, it’s more of a dinner or supper place and I recommend visiting it during evening time instead! They’re open till 3am every day, making it extremely popular as a supper place.

I’ll say the prices here are extremely reasonable, and even though we got a pretty substantial amount of food, plus a bowl of rice, our bill was only slightly above $20. On top of that, the wide variety of ingredients they offer have been very fresh every time I visited!

I love spicy food, but my family doesn’t, and we usually get the zhong la (medium spicy) to bring home. So when I got the chance to go big on this trip, I, of course, jumped at it. Let’s just say they definitely don’t hold back on the chillis. Even though my companion and I were almost dying from the spiciness, the addictive flavours and fragrance kept us going back for more.

Some Mala tend to be too oily, salty, or numbing without any fragrance, but there’s none of that disappointment here. It’s extremely aromatic, and doesn’t have too much of the uncomfortable numbing sensation that many dislike. If you’ll like your Mala to have less oil and salt, simply ask and they’re more than happy to accommodate!

If you haven’t tried it, do grab a group of Mala-loving friends and give it a try!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Wan Xin Mala Xiang Guo. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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Rong Ji Seafood (荣记煮炒) was a popular zi-char stall in Seletar Hills Market & Food Centre. After the market was demolished, Rong Ji Seafood moved to Northstar, an industrial estate nearby.

We worked in Northstar for 2 years before moving out. Sad to say, I didn’t eat Rong Ji for more than 5 times because it was always so crowded and the wait was always at least an hour. I was very surprised by the crowd because the eatery is surrounded by practically nothing. The sheer number of people who come specially for their food definitely says something. So just before moving out, I enjoyed a good meal with my family here.

The highlight of the meal was, of course, the Crab Beehoon. Our crab was of a modest size but the flesh was succulent and sweet. Unlike Mellben Seafood’s crab beehoon which has a buttery and more flavourful broth, Rong Ji’s milky broth is milder in flavour. The noodles remained springy in the broth which carried a hint of ginger and Chinese wine. The broth was very comforting and one bowl was just not enough. I lost my receipt but this was definitely more affordable than Mellben’s. I believe the affordability is a key reason for the huge crowd.

The roast chicken was decent. Even the chicken breast was tender and the skin was thin and crispy. My grandfather is a fan of fish, so we ordered a claypot braised fish, which comes with cabbage and tofu, to share. The Dong Po Rou featured delicious braised pork belly which just melted in our mouths.

Overall, the prices here are very affordable and there is ample parking space within the building. I even managed to catch a glimpse of the sunset while having dinner here.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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Woodlands may sound really far away (it is, actually), but there’s actually quite a number of hidden food gems here! Here are 9 eateries that are worth travelling to “almost Malaysia” for.

Sin Kee

Found adjacent to the popular Hong Ji Bak Ku Teh is Sin Kee Seafood Soup, which serves seafood that bears a striking resemblance to Yan Ji Seafood and Shun Feng. The Crayfish With Batang (mackerel) Fish ($12) is packed with minced pork, mackerel fish slices, and two halves of baby crayfish. The separate elements were well-executed. The batang was fresh and clean-tasting, and we enjoyed the savoury minced pork which is made by hand with solefish , pork and dried scallops. The crayfish was firm but not tough. If you desire a nutritious soup to treat yourself, go to Sin Kee!

Nasi SG Power

When we discuss supper spots in Woodlands, Al-Ameen and Mr Teh Tarik are some of the usual suspects that come to mind. Talk to anyone working night shifts and they’ll share otherwise. Nasi SG Power, which sits in a secluded corner, is well loved by many cab drivers and police officers roaming the streets of remote Woodlands. The Mee Rebus ($3) was coated with a luscious gravy that we all loved and the Nasi Lemak ($3) was a hit! The rice isn’t as lemak as expected, but it’s great for supper since it isn’t as rich. Just a heads up : Nasi SG Power is purely a takeaway concept, so don’t expect any seating.

Black N White Rojak

Who doesn’t love a good rojak? It’s a good snack to have anytime of the day. All them northern heartlanders are aware of 515 KPT Eating House, which is home to one of the best rojak stalls. However, it only opens in the evening. Don’t fret, for Black n White is opened in the day to satisfy our cravings for the Singaporean salad. There’s a black (shrimp paste), and white (plum sauce) version, and we opted for the former ($3/$4/$5). The mark of a delicious rojak lies in its black sticky dressing, and Black n White Rojak’s sweet, tangy and spicy sauce was ace.

Kuai San Dian Xin 块三点心

$1.30 for EVERY dim sum? Unbelievable. Nestled in Primz Bizhub’s coffee shop, the stall specialises in dimsum. We liked the Ha Gow which had a good amount of shrimp. We thought that most of the dim sum options were quite mediocre in terms of quality and taste. But hey, what it lacks in taste is made up for by its affordability. The queue here can get really long during peak hours, so if you don’t want to queue, come for supper because it’s open 24/7!

Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant

Rasa Istimewa Waterfront offers a unique seaside dining experience. The journey here may deter interested diners, but I promise you that the view is worth the occasional visit. Rasa Istimewa serves Halal Chinese cuisine. They have a la carte options and set menus as well. We opted for the set menu 2 ($88++), which comprised my favourite Rasa Istimewa Curry Fish Head. The delicate flesh of the snapper head was complemented beautifully by the thick, milky, and spicy curry.

Melvados

Melvados is your one-stop shop for Halal meals and desserts at wholesale prices. Four slices of luscious brownies for $11? A pint of premium Mao Shan Wang ice cream for only $9? It is THAT affordable! Melvados regulars love the Blueberry cheesecake ($11.50). For a decadent treat, grab a pack of Double Chocolate Brownies ($11.50). When microwaved and eaten with ice cream, these babies are amazing!

Homemade Chee Cheong Fun

We stumbled upon a chee cheong fun stall right in front of Admiralty MRT station. This stall makes their chee cheong fun upon receiving an order, and diners get to witness it being made. The stall has a variety of stuffing for the cheong fun — char siew ($3.50) and prawns ($4), to omelette ($2.50) and even abalone ($16.80)! Our favourite had to be the char siew version, which was topped with soy sauce, fragrant oil, scallions and fried onion. The cheong fun rolls were chewy and springy, and tasted great with the savoury soy sauce.

S&W Malay Food Stall

The working crowd around Causeway Point considers Fairview food court a lunch haven. One of the coffeeshop’s pull factors has to be the Nasi Goreng Ayam ($4) from S&W Malay Food Stall. Do not be fooled. Although the fried rice looks basic, it’s delicious. Look forward to a combination of extremely flavourful rice, savoury chicken drumstick and fiery sambal here,

Banana Leaf Pork Briyani

Woodlands is home to the ONE AND ONLY pork briyani ($8). Pretty unusual, eh? While the pork rib was huge, it was cooked well and was soft and tender.  The special Rainbow Prata(from $1.50 onwards), which is available only between 8am – 11am and 4pm – 8pm, is very unique. It may not be the best-tasting prata but it was at least crispy.

There are actually a lot of hidden food gems in Woodlands. Why not skip the day trip to Johor Bahru, and come try some of the delicious food here for a change?

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the cafes/stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Another 9 Reasons to Visit Faraway Woodlands! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Charlie Chang, 58, was a hotel chef for more than 3 decades before he opened this stall 3 months ago. When asked why he ventured into specifically porridge, he admitted that he loves porridge. Using only special premium rice grains, Charlie explained that the starchiness of these grains helps bind the grains together.

We managed to learn some eating tips from Charlie too. He taught us that porridge shouldn’t be stirred too many times, especially if there’s a lot of meat within. 5-6 stirs will do the magic. This is so that the moisture from the meat doesn’t dissipate into the porridge. And always always stir from the side, not from the centre.

Charlie believes that every spoonful of porridge should have a variety of ingredients. Thus, the creation of Premium Porridge (only $5!!) which is his specialty. The bowl promises mixed pork, intestine, liver, fish, cuttlefish, century egg and abalone. No soya sauce was needed because the mixed pork was well-marinated. The fish, cuttlefish and abalone added a slight sweetness too. The star ingredient was the chewy intestine which was extremely clean, with no stench at all. This premium bowl was filling and worth every penny!

Another special creation was the Triple Egg Porridge ($3.50). Charlie came up with the idea of incorporating a poached egg, century egg and salted egg yolk (first steamed, then flattened to a round shape by a hammer) into a piping hot bowl of porridge. The dish looked so good and I couldn’t wait to dig in! In terms of flavour, this was more palatable than the Premium Porridge. This was how I did it — I broke the poached egg to mis the runny yolk into the porridge, cut the century egg up with my spoon, and mashed the salted egg yolk such that every spoonful had this grainy texture. We all know that eggs are amazing. They are simple but delicious. And you can really see how brightly the eggs shone in this comforting bowl of goodness.

The Century Egg with Vinegar and Ginger ($2) was appetising and good for sharing!

There are more than 300 other stalls in this food centre and Charlie realised that this green zone, also known as 幽灵山庄, is a ghost town at the end of lunch time. Hence, Weng Kiang Kee Porridge only operates from 7am to 2pm daily.

When we went at 1pm, he had to reject orders after us because his porridge has been sold out by then. Lucky us! So, remember to come early to avoid disappointment!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to WENG KIANG KEE PORRIDGE. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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