chirashi don 

went to takewaka at japan food town, level 4 wisma atria for chirashi don lunch over 2 days, with my OPS bro on 1.8.2017 & the next day with my RI bro on 2.8.2017. ^^

why?

super worth it leh!

one OPS friend first to send the jpassport promotion, so i duly downloaded & saved the coupons.

then we were at japan food town @ wisma at 11am on 1.8.2017, and we were told we could install the  apps & register free as members. with that we can enter at 11am as members instead 1.30am for public, and entitled to discounts w/o need of coupons. ^^

chirashi don 

there’s this promotion at takewaka 1 for 1 for the chirashi don regular price at S$25.10++. one year anniversary, whatever…

at regular price, it was quite ok actually, so at 1 for 1 quite a steal la..

there was toro, 2 amaebi, unagi, tako, salmon, maguro, tai, katsuo (bonito), 2 tamago, pickles, ginger etc…& the sushi rice was pretty ok..

chirashi don set 

also came in a set, which just means miso soup, chawanmushi & a slice of orange.

chawanmushi

chawanmushi 

& the chawanmushi was pretty good too..

soft, sweet, tasty…this not the super tasty crab chawanmushi of course but still pretty good standard..

long queue at takewaka @ japan food town 

there was a long queue as expected, at takewaka more than the other japn food town restaurants. i think here the best deal for this time.

takewaka @ japan food town

takewaka @ japan food town

& takewaka was pretty filled up…

chirashi don set

chirashi don set 

most important still the food, and it was good quality!

chirashi don 

what to say? S$29nett for 2pax.

for my second visit on 2.8.2017, the toro was much thicker, twice the thin slice on 1.8.2017..both times it was very sweet & tasty.

supreme satisfaction la..

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tsukiji Sushi Takewaka

teppanyaki set  

went with sis to mikuni on 31.7.2017. ^^

chilean 2014 reserve merlot

actually i had a secret agenda…my wine voucher expiring today 31.7.2017, so i wanted to claim a bottle of wine to bring home (as my sis & I both don’t drink)…haha….

i got a chilean 2014 reserve merlot to bring home…not too bad eh?

teppan & robatayaki menu 

restaurant was full. we sat at the robatayaki counter which i like as a lot of privacy.

i ordered the teppanyaki set for my sis & the robatayaki set for myself.

salad 

we had the usual prawn cracker starter.

& the salad – nice, refreshing.

robatayaki

robatayaki 

robatayaki is grilling over an open hearth. the counter is far from the chef so they serve the food in a huge oar at the traditional places.

here they do away with that.. anyway tasty food more important than ceremonial stuff for me…

cod fish & golden prawns 

the teppanyaki set is a real value for money set here.

the servings of golden prawns (like 10 large/king prawns) and cod were quite huge.

prawns & cod were excellent!

australian beef tenderloin

& just as large serving of australian beef tenderloin steak..

steak was i guess good as they went, but it’s a cheaper cut so no comparison with my kagoshima beef skewer la!

wagyu skewer 

the wagyu was superb! marbled & flavourful…

before the serving of wagyu skewer, i had a scallop grilled in butter, and also a saba & asparagus (but did not take photo)..the saba was quite ok, but of course no comparison with cod..

kurobuta skewer 

i had the kurobuta tsukune.

this one was mediocre, nothing to shout about…

nissin soba 

my last was a gohan dish, a nissin soba, with a cured mackerel…this also mediocre..

sis commented that my set not so good value as hers. i guess quite apart form the excellent wagyu, the rest were not as great as her set with cod, golden prawns & aussie tenderloin.

green tea ice cream 

we could only get 1.30pm booking as mikuni was full. & we finished quite late & so very late dessert offering – a green tea ice cream…nice but nothing great…

lunch for 2pax was S$68++=S$80nett, not bad for the food!

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mikuni @ Fairmont Level 3

Address:

80 Bras Basah Rd, Fairmont Hotel 3/L, Raffles City, Singapore 189560

Contact:

6431 6156

Opening Hours:

Mon-Saturday: 12-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm (closed sunday)

chicken rice chicken 白斩鸡

made one of my best chicken rice this evening for my OPS bros on 28.7.2017. ^^

wife also joined dinner this evening so we had 7pax.

chicken was smooth, tender, sweet & moist…lagi best la! 🙂

chicken rice very flavourful 

& chicken rice was very flavourful.

both chicken & rice were much better than what i did at the 12pax dinner for JH family on 16.7.2017.…

i had 3cups rice for 7pax, fried in chicken fat & cut ginger & lots of garlic, added 1/2tsp salt & added 3 cups very intense chicken stock…& the rice was really flavourful & tasty…i finished all the remaining rice the next day by myself, without any meat, just rice & the sauces.

chicken rice chicken 白斩鸡 

i cooked the chicken just right – 12mins simmering, 25mins off fire poached, then ice bucket, and placed in fridge.

chicken rice chicken 白斩鸡 

when i deboned the chicken, i could feel the smoothness & tenderness of the chicken.

chicken rice chicken 白斩鸡 

beautiful to look at & very tasty with the sauces…

chicken rice chili 

i made the chicken rice chili – 6 red chilli, 1 chili padi, 5 tbsp chopped garlic, 3cm chopped ginger, 1tbsp flat sugar, 1/2 cup intense chicken stock 1/2 tsp salt..

really nice chili…as good as outside stalls…

chicken rice ginger sauce 

ginger sauce as well…i chopped the ginger as blending does not give the right texture, becomes ginger juice…

added 3 tbsp olive oil, a dash of salt…

i also made a nice sauce that was perfect with the chicken rice = itbsp flat sugar, 2tbsp dark sauce, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 3tbsp water…that’s it..super supernice…go try it! ^^

spiced duck 盐水鸭 

i had 1/2 duck in the freezer, so took out 2 days ago, marinated with the spice mix & sealed in container in chiller compartment.

took out this after & poached like the chicken – 15mins boiling, and 30mins off fire poached.

still not as good as my best in the photos here. 

duck was smaller – <2kg from giant soi reduced the salt (can be lesser next time). spice flavours were good…

even my best cannot compare with the quite excellent benson’s 盐水鸭  at toa payoh lor 1 of course, but still this was a pretty good rendition.

spiced duck 盐水鸭 

this time duck was just nice & not overdone…

spiced duck 盐水鸭  

when i deboned the duck, i knew…

spiced duck 盐水鸭 

just a small 1/2 duck, so all finished in fact..

tofu prawns 

tofu prawns quite a practiced delivery nowadays..

prawns for tofu prawns 

prawns were done just right, and set aside so not overcooked, succulent, sweet & bouncy.

fried tofu in gravy – tofu prawns 

tofu was fried earlier, set aside and added to the very tasty gravy with egg before serving. then garnished with coriander.

tofu prawns 

tifu were infused with the tasty gravy, so a very tasty prawn tofu dish.

S$15 duck master whole roast duck 

my OPS bro bought the S$15 duck master duck from chinatown.

i told him earlier that since i already had the 1/2盐水鸭 let’s not served the roast duck & just let someone bring it back…

but the duck was small, looked tasty, and ther papers were just talking about duck master & we would all want to just try it, so i deboned the duck & served.

anyhow the roast duck & the 1/2盐水鸭 were all finished.

nonya steamed red snapper 

my friend brought a 800g red snapper.

it would have been a very nice dish…was good every time…

unfortunately this time we were feasting?? and i forgot about the fish & left it in the steam oven until we like finished dinner & all the other food…

sauce was ok, but fish meat was overcooked & such a waste la!

cuttlefish kang kong 

cuttlefish kang kong with the excellent gimson nonya sauce was very good as usual, and all my friends liked it.

my dining aircon was not working. after dinner, we migrated to the aircon room & chatted about another OPS bro’s recently bought audi car, hong kong, next food tour & others..

my OPS bro who brought the duck & snapper also brought a very nice korean musk melon, bought S$5,99 from sheng shiong, very sweet melon.

another fun evening with very good OPS friends.

c.h.e.f andy

chilled truffle angel hair with sakura prawns & caviar=S$30 

went with wife to portico prime @ dempsey to have a good steak this evening on 30.7.2017. ^^

tunglok group had pulled out of amex lovedining so lesser dining options. we always like the steaks at prime…

this though the menu has changed & there were no menu page on steaks but instead all the burgers…is portico prime morphing to like the other portico or like relish & bistro type? don’t know.

anyhow we asked the server & she said there is only 1 cut, the USDA ribeye, 200g at S$46. it is NOT on the menu. i recalled from previous that it was USDA choice ribeye & anyway the aussie rump steak etc were not great, so this was the only cut previously (other than the japanese wagyu which has no discounts) that was the really good steak, so it suits us fine.

we ordered 2 ribeyes.

chilled truffle angel hair with sakura prawns & caviar=S$30 

& we ordered the truffle chilled pasta to share.

it was very good as expected. price was very steep at S$30, basically a fine dining degustation price, so with amex lovedining 50% discounts for 2pax still S$15++

USDA ribeye 200g medium rare = S$46 

the ribeye steak was very good, though somehow i thought previously it was better.

just looking at the photos for my dinner with son on 24.5.2017, somehow the ribeye looked bigger, maybe flatter & the colour & grilling looked better? maybe just psychological.

this steak was ok, but didn’t stand out…

USDA ribeye 200g medium rare = S$46 

wife was saying the steak we bbq ourselves during our recent trip to iceland on number of occasions were like the same or perhaps better.

certainly i can make this at home just panfry, and just as good…

reconstructed blackforest cake2-S$18 

the reconstructed blackforest very small helping & very ex at S$18.

the chocolate mousse was very good. but then i have no special affinity to this now.

reconstructed blackforest cake2-S$18

dinner came to $97 nett for 2 inclusive of a glass of red wine for wife at S$13, no discounts.

was really ok for this quality of steak but also not like compelling…

maybe i should go back to la brezzato try again, but they have also upped their prices there, the last time i went with son on 22.4.2017! 

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++

xiaolongbao 小笼包 

had lunch with a friend at paradise dynasty westgate mall on 26.7.2017. ^^

i run with my RI buddy at ulu pandan joggin track at faber heights.

usually i stayed for 100plus and coffee chat at his place near there.

so it was quite convenient to go to paradise dynasty at westgate mall. 🙂

we were at this outlet previously on 25.7.2017 when we visited a friend’s mother who was hospitalised at ng teng fong hospital, and we walked over to westgate for lunch!

we ordered the normal xiaolongbao 小笼包. it was good, the standard of good dimsum restaurants. good soup inside, nice skin & tasty pork fillings. 🙂

chilled salad 凉拌 

the  凉拌 chilled salad was competent, nice tanhoon & spinach…

i don’t really need this appetiser though. for me the mala 麻辣夫妻肺片type or drunken chicken or pork trotter terrine type appetiser would be more compelling.

fish filet 

we ordered a fish fillet.

it was nicely done, steamed with ginger, carrots and cloud fungus…very good indeed!

tofu & mixed vegetables 

the mildly spicy tofu with vegetable dish was quite good too, quite matching the other food orders.

spicy dumplings 抄手 

we ordered the spicy dumplings 抄手 noodles.

spicy dumplings 抄手 

spicy dumplings 抄手 a dish i always liked.

this dish combined the nice spicy dumplings with the noodles…very good indeed. i enjoyed the noodles thoroughly.

after lunch we walked over to lady M cake shop and bought 2 slices – the natural & also the greentea millicrepe..

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

meat & cheese charcuterie 

had 6pax early family birthday dinner for daughter at tapas club at level 2 orchard central this evening on 23.7.2017. ^^

we had done tapas at foc (good!) several times, and foc’s sister restaurant pimpam (of which i am unimpressed). we were game to try another new place ya..

the charcuterie was low quality, not good cuts of prosciutto, salami & chorizo & cheese was also cheap stuff.

tapas club @ orchard central level 2 

restaurant was quite well taken up so quite popular place for diners on a sunday night.

tapas club men

tapas club men 

the photo menu were quite helpful, easy to make orders.

ham croquette 

we had ham croquette, for me a far cry from the excellent intense flavourful ham & also mushroom croquettes at foc.

spanish omelette 

the spanish omelette or tortilla was excellent. daughter said better than my own..haha!

squid ink paella 

squid ink paella had not much squid ink flavours too dilute & indistinct…overall taste was ok, just not the flavourful squid ink.

there were cut pieces of squid. clams were ok.

fpr me a very mediocre paella. i think i do better squid ink sometimes, though not always.

seafood paella 

the seafood paella was quite good..

though for me foc’s paella & fiduea were just so much better.

iberico pork shoulder 

the pork shoulder were ok but not too great.

again, foc’s iberico pork ribs was so good this was like just an average passable do.

lamb ribs

lamb ribs were good.

my son & daughter liked this though. it was too strong gamey taste for wife. i knew when i tasted it. but it was good lamb. but foc’s lamb rack was for me, miles better.

beef steak 

beef steak was ok. it’s not expensive cut so just an average steak tagliata but done quite well.

crackling suckling pig 

the suckling pig had good crackling skin & overall good taste.

for these i think western suckling pig are double the price of chinese ones & not even 1/2 as good.

it was overall a good dinner for daughter & all of us, spending time together & enjoying a great meal that was not too costly.

if i not compaing with foc, this was ok for me. c/w foc this would not be my preferred dining location.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tapas Club @ Orchard Central

Address:

chirashi don S$28 

this place was discovered by daughter. she shared the chirashi don photo in the family whatsapp.

wife & i decided to drop by en sakaba at orchard central mall for dinner on 22.7.2017.

en sakaba @ orchard central 

i reserved a table for 2pax at 7.30pm. the other tables were filled when we arrived.

en sakaba @ orchard central 

service was kind of haphazard.

we waited long time for the menu. nobody came to the table.

i picked up 2 menus myself, and had to signal like 4 times, even though each time it was acknowkedged, the 3 servers managed to find other things to do & took a while to come just to take orders.

beef tataki S$13

beef tataki S$13 

we ordered the beef tataki…it was good! 🙂

sweet & tasty, with a touch of ponzu sauce…very nice beef tataki..

kaki furai – deepfried oysters 

we tried the kaki furai – deepfried oysters…it was ok, competent i guess, nothing special, can skip this.

chirashi don S$28 

we ordered a chirashi don each. quite good for S$28.

of course it did not have toro or uni (just a real tiny, tiny piece)…

the anago (conger eel) was good. there was no hotate only the cooked ones, no comparison with hotate sashimi. unagi was good, the others like maguro, salmon, tai etc average..negi toro ok though wife said it could be just maguro…

there was no botan ebi, but the aka ebi was almost as good, couldn’t really tell much difference, certainly better than small amaebi at other places.

chirashi don S$28 

not sure about the crab claw, no much meaning la…

the pink rice was supposed to be a special thingy…but it was NOT good..the next time i would ask for normal sushi rice.

don’t mind this place.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

yelaixiang 夜来香 teochew porridge 

went with sis & bil to yelaixiang 夜来香 teochew porridge for early lunch at kim san leng bukit merah view on 22.7.2017.

this was the spot vacated by the former 夜上海which had moved to lengkok bahru.

steamed red garoupa S$10 

i have never tried 夜来香. the display of food looked mighty similar to the former 夜上海.

we asked about the fish. garoupa was S$10 & mullet 乌鱼was S$12. my first reaction was expensive as 夜上海 used to sell at $8, and now S$9 at lengkok bahru.

“sis ordered a teochew chilled mullet 冻乌鱼 (S$9) and 6 vegetable dishes + one porridge for S$14.60” – from our recent visit to 夜上海.

anyhow my sis ordered 2 cheaper fish – a selar & a kee fish plus like 6 or 7 veg dishes for S$14.20. so quite ok, though perhaps still more ex a bit than 夜上海. but ok la..

aftewards sis went to add a red garoupa S$10. very fresh & sweet, quite ok also as a 350g-400g red garoupa would cost like S$6-S$7 at chinatown wet market.

yelaixiang 夜来香 teochew porridge at kim san leng bukit merah view

yelaixiang 夜来香 teochew porridge at kim san leng bukit merah view 

we were ther at 11.20am on a saturday.

there was no queue, crowd had not arrived.

later at 12pm there was a longer queue but not like 夜上海 where it was here previously.

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

夜来香 YelaixiangTeochew Porridge (夜来香潮洲糜)

Address

#01-217, Boyang Coffee Shop, Blk 117 Bukit Merah View, 151116

prawn crackers

went with son to mikuni for dinner this evening on 21.7.2017. ^^

mikuni chirashi don S$90

son ordered the usual chirashi don. this time he asked for aburi (flamed), which we have not taken before.

the server said it was the same. however, it came without the usual botanebi, not very satisfying.

the serving of uni was quite good though, 3 portions & more below. the other sashimi cuts quite the same, except also no hotate & kajiki which they usually serve.

the sushi rice has improved but still not as good as many other places.

kagoshima wagyu don S$48

i ordered the kagoshima wagyu don.

only 4 cuts of wagyu, but it was nice la…marbled & flavourful…

lobster uniyaki S$48

lobster uniyaki S$48

i ordered the lobster uniyaki to share.

it was good, mostly the case, though once it was like overcooked & not bouncy.

boned-in belly pork robatayaki S$40

i also ordered the boned-in belly pork robatayaki S$40.

son is more health conscious than me, like many young chappies, so i took a bit more of the the fatty meat…

we had some long chats & sharing, father & son. food & ambience were great & we had some treasured moments together this evening.

dinner was S$134 for 2pax…

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mikuni @ Fairmont Level 3

Address:

80 Bras Basah Rd, Fairmont Hotel 3/L, Raffles City, Singapore 189560

Contact:

6431 6156

Opening Hours:

Mon-Saturday: 12-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm (closed sunday)

salad with croutons & cherry tomatoes

my RI friend (& her hubby) organised a 5pax lunch at top table at temasek junior college on 20.7.2017. ^^

we did this a few times over the years. i counted maybe this the 3rd time at top table, once with CIA downstairs for asean cuisine in the classrooms & once at sugar loaf.

all these are by students of CIA-Temasek Poly Diploma in Culinary & Catering Management and CIA-SIT Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Food Business Management programs…

cream of cauliflower soup

the 3-course set lunch with coffee & cookies at S$13.80 is the best value meal anywhere i guess. ^^

there was a choice of salad or cream of cauliflower. i had the salad which was good, refreshing. did not try the cream of cauliflower but it looked pretty good, the right color & texture of a dish done right….

chicken with mushroom sauce, french beans & rice

the chicken looked like a chicken roulade pressed meat..my friend it was like the one i made quite a while back..a chicken ballotine..

chicken with mushroom sauce, french beans & rice

of course this one was beautiful served with the entire gamut of sauce & sides, so really quite a different proposition altogether.

ribeye roast of the day

they had limited servings of roast of the day.

we managed to get our order of ribeye roast, medium rare for me.

ribeye roast of the day

it was done excellently, basically like a prime rib, cut from an entire ribeye roast, hence the charring was on the rim & not on the flats like a grilled or pan-charred steak.

ribeye roast of the day

the steak itself was not the best cut, to be expected for a S$13.80 3-course set lunch. so there was some tendons & just a little bit tough for some parts, but basically a restaurant standard preparation, almost perfect! 🙂

pair of dessert

the pair of dessert was pretty good too, though not really my interest…

LS’s macadamia shortbread

LS the organiser made me some macadamia shortbread…very nice cookies…

LS’s macadamia shortbread

we had a wonderful lunch & great time catching up, and planning to come back for another lunch in a few weeks, during this period where the students are actively outting their their culinary & hospitality training to good practical use…

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++

Top Table @ Temasek Polytechnic

Address:

seafood roll & dragon beard S$32 

we celebrated 2 birthdays this month at a RI friend’s condo & clubhouse on 11.7.2017. ^^

1 bro was travelling, the rest 13pax attended.

i went early with 4 others who played tennis.

the rest joined around 7pm & we went to the roof garden. 🙂

my seafood house 珍阁 at blk 130 next to JCube

the organisers ordered & picked up the food from my seafood house 珍阁 zi char at blk 130 next to JCube.

surprise, surprise, the food was really good! much owing to the good selection too by our organiser who also the games convenor.

herbal chicken soup $36 

the herbal chicken soup very competent. tasty & nice herb flavours.

seafood roll & dragon beard S$32 

seafood roll & dragon beard combo was quite standard. still, they were crispy & tasted good.

pork fritters & deepfried big intestines S$36 

the pork fritters were good.

the deepfried big intestines were pretty ok though one friend found it strong taste. quite ok for me.

calamari S$25 

the calamari was surprisingly quite good too. crispy & sotong not overdone, not rubbery..

salted egg pork ribs S$24 

salted egg pork ribs were ok, competent, not the most juicy rendition..

kailan S$15 

kailan was ok..

sambal kang kong S$12 

& sambal kang kong was good zi char standard…

bill = S$234.50 for 13pax

crispy trotters S$28 

the crispy trotters was quite excellent, especially the skin, but also tendons & gelatinous bits.

there was another dish of tofu, pretty ok forgot to take photos.

overall cost was quite good = S$234.50 for 13pax…we enjoyed the dinner very much.

it was fun too having makan at the open air roof garden.

after makan, we played several games, about 4 or 5 games.

it was a great evening with the boys…

c.h.e.f andy

very good starters platter – veg samosa, pakora, fish vadais, yogurt?

my RI friend organised a north indian cuisine dinner @ chat masala on 10.7.2017. ^^

we had 6pax. another friend who is vegetarian joined later at 9pm.

i hardly had north indian food as no kakis…except in london my family went to dishoom a few times…food at chat masala is better & the range of food many times more.

very good starters platter – veg samosa, pakora, fish vadais, yogurt?

my friend made excellent orders for this evening.

we thoroughly enjoyed the food. i shall be back! ^^

the starters were all very good – veg samosa, pakora, fish vadais, yogurt?

coriander cheese triangles – cheese naan with eggplant dip

& the coriander cheese triangles – cheese naan came with an excellent eggplant dip.

coriander cheese triangles – cheese naan with eggplant dip

really nice indeed!

tandoori roti, romali (hankerchief) roti & garlic naan

we ordered 2 tandoori roti, 2 romali (hankerchief) roti & 1 garlic naan…

tandoori roti, romali (hankerchief) roti & garlic naan

the romali (hankerchief) roti was the best! tandoori roti dry & the garlic naan also dry out a bit over the course of dinner.

butter chicken

butter chicken was very good. chicken was tender & gravy was excellent!

butter chicken

this a favourite dish when my children were young…we had home parties then & sometimes we ordered from delhi restaurant & went to pick up the food for small 10-15pax parties.

kerala fish curry

kerala fish curry was very good too. gravy was very tasty & fish had firm texture.

dhal makhni – black lentils

one friend like this dish – a must order for her.

dhal makhni – black lentils

this was black lentils, different from the usual yellow mung dhal…

palak paneer – cottage cheese in spinach gravy

we also had palak paneer – cottage cheese in spinach gravy…nice too…

palak paneer – cottage cheese in spinach gravy

cottage cheese in north indian cuisine tastes kind of like tofu…

mutton briyani

for me the best dish was the mutton briyani.

mutton briyani

briyani was loose, individual grains, just next texture, not oily, but the best was the mutton – so good! &large serving of mutton…

at this carb-less age, we finished the rice & there were still mutton pieces to enjoy.

gulab jamun, baileys kulfi, mango kulfi

i not into indian dessert…they usually overwhelmingly (sickeningly came to mind) sweet!

gulab jamun

these ones here were a tad better.

but gulab still far too sweet.

mango kulfi

the kulfi were better, both mango kulfi & also baileys kulfi..

baileys kulfi

very small helping though & prices quite ex…

dinner for 6pax +1 came to about S$175, really good price for the excellent food we had…

i would say this chat masala food is much better than the dishoom dishes we had in london.

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chat Masala

Address:

min zhu rolls S$12.80

after tangs market sungei road laksa & cendol,  we retired to my clubhouse for coffee drink aircon & chat.

Keng Eng Kee (KEK)

the last makan stop was Keng Eng Kee (KEK)@ alexandta village. 

the last time i was here was with a RI friend on 2 yrs ago on 17.6.2017.

Keng Eng Kee (KEK)

we ordered some water chestnut drinks. 🙂

waterchestnut drink 

quite good not too sweet…

min zhu rolls S$12.80

i ordered the min zhu rolls, i think S$12.80..it’s a specialty here, with prawns, ham, mushrooms, celery etc..

i thought it was quite good, outside crispy & inside ingredients quite nice, though one piece was enough for me. my OPS friend thought it was so so..

claypot duck with sea cucumber S$20

the claypot duck with sea cucumber turned out to be the best dish this evening.

the gravy was very tasty, and duck & sea cucumber were good. sea cucumber were quite thin though, the cheap ones…

good yes, but still far from the sea cucumber duck at beng thin la…

3 eggs spinach 

the 3 eggs spinach was competent, nothing special.

hor fun S$8 

the seafood horfun was pretty good, good wok hae & quite tasty…

my friend thought it was not as good as quan ji zi char at telok ayer market. i think he is right.

hor fun 

still, quite nice hor fun…

dinner 5 dishes for 4pax = S$79 & drinks about $6.40.

we agreed that the dishes weren’t great & that quan ji zi char at telok ayer market would be better.

i thought KEK has a wider range of dishes, whereas quan ji mostly carb dishes.

& i probably did not order the best dishes. there was a crab promo=2 crabs 1.2kg for S$78. perhaps i should have ordered that.

c.h.e.f andy

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chateraise cakes 

after tangs market sungei road laksa & cendol,  we decided to go daiso to buy some stuff since our car was parked at ion orchard on 19.7.2017. ^^

chateraise cakes 

having done with daiso, we passed by chateraise cake shop. this a japan patisserie with what looked like nice japanese cream cakes.

i selected 5 different cakes – the best-seller legendary cream cake, its legendary chocolate equivalent, crispy chocolate cake, fruit bar cake & millecrepe.

best seller legendary fresh cream cake 

the legendary cream cake is their best seller, and it was very nice indeed. very light & wonderful cake.

legendary chocolate cake 

& so was the legendary chocolate cake.

the crispy chocolate cake was just as nice.

fruit bar cake 

& the fruit bar cake too…

green tea millecrepe

green tea millecrepe 

only cake not great was the green tea millecrepe.

somehow this didn’t taste right. lady M’s green tea millecrepe is a lot better.

chateraise cakes 

& the cakes were like S$4.70 etc…i had 5 cakes about S$24.

would have cost a lot more at flor or yamashita…& the cakes look better than yamashita.. 

don’t mind this cake shop…if i am in ion i would buy again.

c.h.e.f andy

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tangs mart sungei road laksa S$3.50

after guo hua’s hina street fritters at maxwell market, we drove over & parked at ion orchard  & walked over to tangs market on 19.7.2017 for tea…lol! ^^

tangs market sungei road laksa

we had sungei road laksa (good) & cendol (ordinary)…

tangs market sungei road laksa

the laksa gravy…

tangs market sungei road laksa

& fish cakes…

tangs mart sungei road laksa S$3.50

last time i went to sungei road laksa at jln berseh on 1.12.2016, laksa was $3 & i added $1 cockles.

here it was S$3.50. my friend who bought the 3 bowls of laksa asked for no cockles.

tangs mart sungei road laksa S$3.50

the laksa gravy was tasty ok, but..

for me, laksa is not laksa without cockles…

then, just looking at my photos then & now, the gravy looked different actually. this one here kind of yellow like many katong laksa. maybe it was the chili, but then i went to get more chili & added in.

basically i think nowhere near the yummy shiokness of “real” sungei road laksa la..at jln berseh…

still i guess it was a rather good bowl of laksa..

tangs market cendol stall

we also bought the cendol..

cendol

while it had the kidney beans, which was better than red beans, it was no different from any average cendol stall at hawker centres, basically cendol that i would not take. no strong coconut milk taste, no strong gula melaka taste…

in fact i only started to take cendol again after taking the intense flavourful cendol at four seasons at toa payoh lor 8. that one real nice, never tired of it!

c.h.e.f andy

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nogh hiang S$6.10

after 祥源记Xiang Yuan Ji, we went in one car for our 2nd lunch at china street fritters at maxwell market on 19.7.2017. ^^

china street fritters

china street fritter proprietor, guo hua, is my OPS friend’s secondary schoolmate, so he frequent this stall often. 🙂

nogh hiang S$6.10

i think he charged us like S$6.10 for 6-7items, on the low side.

the items/selection was a bit limited.

the ngoh hiang were a tad drier. guo hua said that he made everything himself. so not like the central supplies with fat ngoh hiang…hmmm…actually i preferred the fat nogh hiang..

he has regular customers who ordered the food without having to park & he would just packet for them & bring to their car (the stall is near the road)…

nogh hiang S$6.10

beehoon was soft, al dente, i guess quite standard for such stalls.

what stood out for me at this stall was the brown sauce. usually ngoh hiang comes with a gluey pink sauce which i don’t like. here the sauce was dark brown & tasty. i finished all the sauce. lol! ^^

the nogh hiang was pretty ok & not pricey.

fish soup

we were seated in front of this fish stall. it just happens that the stall holder was an army mate of our same OPS buddy, so he went to chat with him. such co-incidence.

guo hua said this stall fish soup very good, and during lunch hour, the queue is very long. he said many new stall holders bidded high for the stalls, but found it difficult to offer the same. so some packed up after a few months…that’s just the story of a market centre stall, isn’t it?

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

China Street Fritters

Address:

1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184

panfried dumplings 生煎包 S$5.50

my OPS bros decided to do a JB makan trip of sorts in singapore😜😎 on 19.7.2017. ^^

we started our food tour with our first lunch at 祥源记Xiang Yuan Ji at jalan besar.

first food tour lunch @ Xiang Yuan Ji

Xiang Yuan Ji Shanghai Pan Fried Dumpling

the first & only time i came here was on 1.12.2016, very good panfried dumplings 生煎包 indeed. 

then, we overheard the next table of chinese diners said “比上海还道地”more authentic than in shanghai. ^^

panfried dumplings 生煎包 S$5.50

the panfried dumplings 生煎包 here is the best i had.

very nice especially steaming hot – lots of tasty soup, thin skin, crispy at bottom & nice flavour, tasty & smooth minced pork inside

烤麸steamed gluten S$4.50

烤麸steamed gluten was good too, a little sweeter than what my versatile OPS friend made himself for our OPS new year gathering on CNY Day 7 – 3.2.2017, overall nice dish! 🙂

beef terrine 酱牛肉 S$5

my OPS friend liked the beef terrine 酱牛肉 best.

this dish so so for me, never my favourite. i prefer the teochew ter kar tan猪脚冻.

savoury beancurd S$4.50

the savoury beancurd was very good, very tasty & nicely flavoured with 芹菜???

pork cutlet S$6.50

pork cutlet was good too, and the sauce, little bit of it, was pretty good.

pork cutlet S$6.50

crispy outside, not old, and still tender inside…

4pax lunch = S$36.70

this first lunch was just S$36.70..

c.h.e.f andy

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g7 sin ma 4+3frogs inc porridge = S$29

my chinese LED light supplier friend bought 3pax lunch at G7 sinma claypot live seafood at 5 cheong chin nam road today. ^^

we ordered 4+3frogs inc porridge = S$29, one mild & one normal spicy. 🙂

my OPS buddy bought frogleg porridge (my first time here) on 11.3.2016. after that i came couple times, always good.

g7 sin ma 4+3frogs inc porridge = S$29

likewise today, very good lunch.

frogs were fresh & tender & very substantial serving of 7 frogs in 2 pots. sauce was tasty & not too sweet & porridge also tasty, went very well with the sauce.

both the mild & normal spicy were good.

i had very spicy ones with my wife here once. that was NO GOOD!

my 2 friends first time here thoroughly enjoyed it!

my friend ordered a fried baby kailan maybe like S$8.

very nice lunch chat with my 2 friends.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Address:

G7 Sinma Live Bull Frog Claypot Porridge (Cheong Chin Nam Rd)

ADDRESS:

AT , 599730

PHONE:

selara rasa adam road nasi lemak S$5.40  

bought 4 packets nasi lemak $5.40 each from adam road selera rasa – 2 royal flush (include otah) & 2 chicken meal with fish (same price S$5.40)

selara rasa adam road nasi lemak S$5.40 

it’s nice la but quite ex lor.

rice & chilli especially always nice, and they are quite generous with the sambal chilli.

chicken wing was nice too, and i always like ikan kuning.

c.h.e.f andy

ming fa (chinatown) bakchormee 

Sent daughter to work so decided to drop by Chinatown market..

..knew wet market likely closed but since already here just dropped by anyway..

ming fa (chinatown) bakchormee 

had $3.50 bakchomee at ming fa, the stall next to the chwee kueh..looked ok but tasted very mediocre…

ming fa (chinatown) bakchormee 

so far, the only ming fa outlet i had good experience was ming fa (thomson) & that was like 3 years ago on 4.5.2014! 

the one at hollandv was downright poor! that also 3 years ago on 17.6.2014!! 

basically, noodles were ok, can be more QQ..chilli was not great, really mediocre, overall taste was lacking, not really a stall i would return too.

c.h.e.f andy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ming Fa Fishball明发鱼圆

Address:

#02-102 Chinatown Complex, 335 Smith Street, 050335