Fruit Juice Mee Siam, Mixing Health with Tradition

Today, my humble adventures bring me back to my usual eating place, this stall (#02-66) at Hong Lim Food Centre. I first came across this stall a few months back, when I noticed the unique dish labelled "Fruit Juice Mee Siam". I love Mee Siam, for it brings a unique flavour of spiciness with delightfully boiled soup to your tastebuds. And ever since I tried it, I couldn't stop myself from craving it since then. Therefore, this is one of my MUST TRY items.

Fruit Juice Mee Siam comes at 3 prices, ($3, $4, $5.50). The prices correlate to the amount of ingredients. At $5.50, you get delicious Crayfish, Prawns, Sliced Hard-boiled Eggs, Home-made Hainanese Style Chicken, along with small dried shrimps and the trademark taupok in Mee Siam. Their soup is cooked with fruit juice, which they were unwilling to reveal, but managed to tell me they used green lemons to add to the overall flavour of the soup, as well as boost your appetite. (I am a fairly regular customer there.) Also, since it is cooked with fruit juice, its extra healthy compared to other mee siams, and also more tangy.

Also, the stall owners are a very friendly couple. They love to share with you how they cook the ingredients with intricate detail, from the chicken, to the soup, to the delightful bowl sitting in front of you. They also won't hesitate to introduce you to their two other delights, Mee Rebus and Laksa. Unfortunately, I have been a sucker for their Mee Siam, so good luck catching me on their other buses. For those who wants to try their Mee Siam, be sure to go there BEFORE 2pm. They get sold out really quickly, because its nice, and also he doesn't want to cook any extra as it is very tedious work.

Food: 4.5 / 5

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting time: ~5 - 10 minutes

Look at how clean my bowl is!

Wu Xiang, The Five Fragrance of Chinese Cuisine!

Today, my adventures bring me to Maxwell (prior to that I was at NTU, but thats a different adventure), where it houses two very different crowds at different timings. In the day time, Maxwell houses a myriad of food that serves to keep nearby office workers taste buds fully satisfied. In the night, Maxwell opens itself to the supper/clubbing/pubbing crowd, housing less selections but a unique ambience.

Maxwell has actually quite a few places I fancy. Ho Kee Pau is one, then there is also Lao Ban beancurd and Soy. Among all that, there are a few lesser known stalls but still equally delectable. However, today I decided to try my hand on this Wu Xiang, which I have been craving for some time. Its not easy to come by Wu Xiang stalls in Singapore, and it is relatively unhealthy since most of the food is fried (which makes even fewer Singaporeans go for it), so I decided to try this. Apparently they have been awarded several things, like Channel U most popular places to eat and even President S.R. Nathan has come to grace his support for this stall as well! Located at #01-34, this stall is located in the middle row, right towards the end near the URA building.

Coming to this stall, I realized I only had a limited selection. They only had fish balls, century egg (ew), egg(cake) slices, a chinese-style sausage, tofu and the famous Wu Xiang roll, which is minced meat with prawn/fish rolled using a tofu skin. Apparently they are famous for their chinese sausage ($2), so I ordered that with Wu Xiang (70c), fish balls (40c per piece) and their egg(cake) slice (70c). The lady boss highly recommended their egg(cake) slice, which seems to be egg mixed with some other ingredients and then laid out in a fishcake style, before they fry it. I had all that together with bee hoon (70c).

As with most Wu Xiang, they are usually served with chilli sauce and housemade special sweet sauce. However, their sweet sauce was horribly bland and extremely starchy, which was not to my liking. Their egg(cake) slices were very crispy though, and they gave quite a good serving of sausages. I was quite disappointed with their Wu Xiang though, as it was very tiny (just beneath the rectangular eggcake slices in the picture), and hardly enjoyable. All in all, I think this could be highly improved.

Food: 2.75 / 5 (Their sausage and eggcake was their redeeming factor)

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting Time: ~ 5 minutes depending on crowd

Settlers Cafe, Get some board game fun while you are at it!

Today, as part of a gathering of friends who havent met for almost half a year, we decided to go to a place where we can chill and play awesome board games.... Settlers Cafe @ Clarke Quay!

Located at quite a convenient yet relatively peaceful location, this settlers seems home to many a fun nights for many boardgamers. And being a person who love boardgames, I love such places! (I'll do an article on my favourite place, Playnation, soon!) 

So tonight, we decide to take a gaming set ($8.90 inclusive of free flow drinks from 6pm - 10pm), as well as order our dinner. I ordered Chicken Chop with Pepper Sauce ($9.90), and I wasn't expecting much from a boardgame cafe. I mean afterall, you are specializing in boardgames... not food right? WRONG! This chicken turned out to be surprisingly tender, and the sauce is a good match. Just decently spicy for a person who doesnt really take spicy food, the chicken chop and sauce makes a decent match. And without me asking for extra gravy (which I always do), they gave me ample amounts of gravy to go with my vegetables and fries.

Also, I'm NOT a huge fan of non-leafy vegetables.  But their broccoli is so soft and not yucky tasting, so it was extremely easy to go down my throat. All in all? A pleasant surprise!

Food: 4 / 5 for a boardgames cafe

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting time: ~10 mins

Also, with my food, comes the trident of awesome power! I dont know why they have three-pronged forks mashed in with four-pronged, but anyway, as Sheldon Cooper says, You don't eat with a trident! (I ate with it anyway.)

Overall its still a decent surprise, as all my friends enjoyed their food. But their boardgames selection and staff could have been much better.

Boardgames: 2 / 5 (I'm quite dissatisfied) 

Urban Bites, Mediterranean Cuisine for all folks

Today, we are going to talk about Urban Bites! A Mediterranean cuisine place introduced to me by my India foodie friend, this place is located at a seemingly bustling street (I presume. I went there on an evening) in an area surrounded by offices. It's a cozy restaurant, as seen from the photo, with a chef who prepares the Pita bread fresh right from the oven in the corner. You can feast your eyes on its preparation methods if you are lucky.

First off, we had Mezza Platter ($18)! It consists of Mediterranean dips; hommos, motabal, tabbouleh, fattoush, and falafel (fried chickpea croquette). From the top, that's tabbouleh, a mix of a variety of vegetables and lemon juice. Going clockwise, the next is Hommos, followed by slices of Tomatoes, Motabal, Fattoush, and the circular round things that look like cupcakes are Felafel! And in the middle, we have fattoush. (I think)

My first encounter with felafal (not eating it) was in How I Met Your Mother. Instead of saying "I love you" to Ted, she said "Felafel", and boy, I never knew it tasted so nice! Its extremely crunchy, and for you health-conscious eaters out there, Mezza Platter is extremely healthy, for it is pure vegetarian. Order some Pita Bread and enjoy this meal!

One thing though, if you don't like sour food, you shouldn't order this. Both tabbouleh and motabal are pretty sour due to the use of fresh lemon juice. I'm still not quite accustomed to the sour taste, but overall, it sated my appetite and my vegetarian friend loves it! Not to mention another friend of mine who kept going on and on about it for weeks after first trying Tabbouleh. (That and he found the name funny.)

Food: 4 / 5 

Presentation: 3.5 / 5

Waiting Time: 5 - 10 minutes, dependent on crowd.

Next up, we have Zaatar with Cheese! ($6) Zaatar is a Lebanese bread topped with dried thyme and sesame seeds. While it looks deceptively plain, you will experience a whole different feel once you put it into your mouth. Your tastebuds will thank you for the burst of fragrance, and leave you craving for more. Simply put, I will easily put this as a MUST TRY item if you decided to visit.

You can order Zaatar ($5) on its own, as I felt that the cheese was barely noticeable. Zaatar has a strong taste on its own, so you don't really need cheese. My friend disagreed with me though, saying that he likes the cheese, while I (a fellow cheese lover) cannot taste the cheese over the overwhelming taste-plosion this provides. 

Food: 4.75 / 5 

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting Time: 5 - 10 minutes dependent on crowd.

Decided to try? Do have a look at their website, www.urbanbites.com.sg 

Do remember to make a reservation, or you might not get seats!

A1 Porridge

As most of my friends would have known, I am never a fan of porridge. But A1 porridge and its branches has me going back for more porridge every time. It is the only stall in Singapore so far that has me going back for more. (Yes, not even Chinatown Ting Gai Zok, or Frog Leg Porridge, makes me crave as bad as A1.) While there used to be many outlets, including one at Dhobby Ghaut, now there is only Bugis, Tampines and Marina Square so far that I know of (I'm sure there are more, just that I have yet to explore). 

A1 sells a number of porridge, from Hong Kong Style Porridge, to Dried Scallop Porridge with Sliced chicken, among many other Hotplate delights. I have personally never tried their hotplates, because every single time I visit them, I just go straight for the porridge.

Tonight, I decided to go for Hong Kong porridge, where they serve sliced fish, dried scallops, squid, braised peanuts (and oh how I love them!) as well as anchovies and you tiao. I am never a fan of you tiao with porridge, because most stalls serve you you tiao that are left in the air for too long and are less crispy, but A1 tends to serve crispy ones. Although over the years, A1 has deteriorated in terms of standard, but it was still pretty crispy.

Having such a vast variety coupled with porridge taste that is adjusted to Singapore taste, I love the texture that the porridge brings to the dining table. While A1 used to offer free servings of fried onions as topping, I learnt recently that they no longer do that because Singaporeans don't take them and they end up wasting it anyway. DAMN IT. I love my porridge with a smooth texture with crunchy bits. I used to overload my Porridge with a mountain of crispy fried onions, before I mix it in and enjoy a crunchy texture in every bite. Gone are those days. But still, the porridge is a decent addition to the dining table in terms of standards.

Food: 4 / 5

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting Time: ~ 5 minutes to cook

And if you dine at Marina Square? You get the awesome view of MBS, esplanade, or just a carpark, depending on how you decide to sit yourself.

Tanjong Katong Road, Thai Food Overload!

As previously mentioned, Tanjong Katong Road is home to an authentic Thai Stall. Today, Alex kindly drove me around and I decided to recommend this stall to him. Located just outside where I used to study (Chung Cheng), I never knew such a place until my friend from India introduced me to it. He loves the mango salad that they prepare here. And I got to say, I fell in love with their food as well. If you are lucky, when you order food, you just might be able to catch the extremely (in my opinion that is) polite sounding Thai language that the very pretty staff uses to convey your orders to the cook. (Also, they offer vegetarian alternatives to some dishes)

Having first fell in love with their Garlic Pork Rice, (I love garlic and shallots.) they are very generous in their garlic and pork portions. Priced at just $4, this is just a trip to Disneyland for your tastebuds. Your tastebuds need a holiday? No problem! The porks flavour is sealed in and the taste just explodes when you first take a bite into it. Its not the most juicy fried pork I have tasted, but with garlic? Fantastic.

Food: 4 / 5

I would have given it a higher rating if the egg was more tasty.

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting time: ~5 minutes to cook.

This was what Alex ordered. Belachan Fried Rice. Alex usually doesn't take spicy food, so when he requested for it to be non-spicy, both of us got surprised by the response of the staff. She said, "It's not spicy at all." And indeed we were surprised at how it looked. Maybe we need to adjust our perception of what belachan is...

His dish comes with strips of fried egg, honey chicken, and generous portions of vegetables. The honey chicken was so well-fried that the moment I tasted it, I needed seconds. I even went up to the cook and asked what the chicken was. (because both of us had no idea.) Priced at $5, this is a dish that is light on your pocket if you have cravings for Thai. The honey chicken on its own is $6. Drizzled with honey, the chicken was a very interesting blend of crunchy, sweet and juicy rolled in one. Forget KFC, this is going to be my sinful indulgence in the future.

Food: 4.5 / 5 just for the chicken

Presentation: 3.5 / 5

Waiting Time: ~5 minutes

Being a soup person (thanks to my mum, but that's another story.), we ordered Seafood Soup with Tang Hoon as Alex doesn't take spicy. The soup is not loaded on MSG, which I genuinely have a strong distaste for. It comes with very generous portions of tang hoon as well, (which again, I LOVE!) which are hidden underneath all the food in the above picture. The fried fish also created a special flavour. Even after being soaked in soup for so long, the fish retained its crunchy texture, unlike those soggy fried fish you have at certain fish soup stalls. The soup had lots of garlic / shallots in it as well, and ginger, which in Chinese Medicine terms: good for the stomach. Ginger is especially effective for the tummy, so again, yum with health!

Food: 4 / 5

Presentation: 3 / 5

Waiting Time: ~5 minutes

As mentioned, they also serve Tom Yum and Mango Salad, which are also really yummy. As my India friend would say, "it's so yummy!"

Overall: 4 / 5

Katong Student Hostel
369 Tanjong Katong Road
Singapore 437126

Poh Poh Mookata, Surprising Delight from a Nondescript Stall!

Located at Tanjong Katong Road just opposite Chelsea Lodge, this coffee shop (coffee shop in my opinion anyway, its fairly large for a coffee shop.) houses two different stalls of Thai Food, your typical Zhi Char, Western and Indian cuisines. Both stalls of Thai Food are a delight on any tastebuds, one of the stalls are run by authentic Thais, and the other I am not so sure. Today's post will be about the latter.

A surprisingly nondescript stall, when I first chanced upon it, the "display fridge" (as I so aptly decided to name it as of this post) is empty and devoid of any food. The stall sign says Poh Poh Mookata, Thai Charcoal Grill and Steamboat, but I see no food, so I presume they are closed. I went back there on a separate day, and it was once again, the same. However, I realized that they do not store food in the "display" set (for purposes that remain unknown to me till this date), but rather in another fridge inside when I saw people ordering. So do not think they are closed when you visit them, ask first.

Pardon me for the lack of pictures of the stall. I will upload them when I have the chance. 

Staring at their menu (which is pretty plain), which offers Combo A for 2 people at $28, and Combo B for 3 people at $38, there doesn't seem to be a lot to choose from. They do provide several addons, like more pork belly at $8, or abalone at $10.

Having placed our order (Combo B), the teapot and the round metal cylinder was promptly placed on our table. However, the food was served about 10 minutes later, as the staff was chopping the meat and vegetables. The wait was pretty long in my opinion, but if you have the patience to enjoy good food, this is a stall worth visiting.

Afterwards, this huge pot was served. The depth of the pot was for holding hot charcoal, which kept the soup hot long after we finished our meal. Combo B comes with a vast assortment of beef, pork belly and chicken, which are all very nicely marinated. They are wonderfully tasty, and perhaps one of the best grilled meat I have had thus far. The teapot contains soup, which you pour around the sides of the steamboat as seen above. The soup has a strong taste, which might not be to some peoples liking. But the grilled meat? You will definitely enjoy them. And due to the design, the essence and flavours of the meat will flow down into the soup, which does make it extremely savoury and flavourful. 

If you are a fan of grilled food, this is not one stall you should miss.

Food: 4.5 / 5 

Layout: 3.5 / 5

Waiting Time: > 10 minutes

(I dont like to wait too long for coffee shop food.)

Ye Lai Xiang, Delights Since 1939

Located at the Southern End of Bedok, Bedok Food Centre looks like your typical hawker centre. In fact, it highly reminds me of East Coast Hawker Centre, which I presume could be modeled after the former. It's fairly stuffy, due to the stalls arranged around the outskirts of the Food Centre with the sitting arrangements in the middle, leaving fairly little room for breezes and air. On the other hand, this location could probably hold off some zombies at bay due to the venue. That is, if you are nearby to begin with.

Above is the Stall Ye Lai Xiang. Being a fan of Cuttlefish Kang Kong (thanks to the delightful one at Bedok South, but I'll do that post another day.) I am deeply attracted to any stall that sells them, especially famous ones. Apparently this stall has been around for quite some time, and so Alex has kindly drove me there to savour the delightful meal. Located conveniently near the carpark (which unfortunately is rather small), you wont miss the two stalls sitting side by side of each other. 

And of course, first up, Cuttlefish Kang Kong! They come in prices of $5, $10 and $15 for a "special" plate. Sadly, I did not manage to inquire why the $15 plate was so special, but for the $10 plate (above), it comes sliced cabbage, cool (and in Chinese Medicine, has the effect to remove heatiness from our body) cucumbers, juicy pineapple chunks, and of course your two main ingredients: Cuttlefish and Kang Kong!  The cuttlefish even comes in two types: large springy slices and smaller (softer) and chewy tentacles. Partially soaked in the sauce and topped with large chunky chopped peanuts, this is a dish you wouldn't miss!

I am a sucker for chunky peanuts, especially large ones compared to those powder-like peanuts that they typically put over Rojak, this was already a huge bonus for me. The ultimate blend of two different cuttlefish taste just swirls around in your mouth. The kang kong, cabbage and cucumber provides a delightful yet healthy crunch as a finish. From extremely crunchy peanuts, to pretty crunchy vegetables, to juicy pineapple chunks and to soft chewy cuttlefish, this is a dish that will leave a lingering sensation on your tastebuds, while exercising your jaws.  Don't give this a miss!

Food: 4.5 / 5

Presentation: 3.5 / 5

Waiting Time: ~ 2 minutes.

Almost non-existent waiting time except for preparation of food.

The other delightful treat that Ye Lai Xiang has to offer is their Cheng Tng, a light refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold. Being a warm day and being cooped up in the hawker centre (I am claustrophobic, so the way the hawker centre was arranged didn't help.) I decided to go for an Icy Cheng Tng. I don't usually eat Cheng Tng, but as a typical Singaporean, the queue persuaded me otherwise and I decided to give it a shot. And what do you know? It's pretty nice! I love the sweetness of the soup, it doesn't come across as too flavourful nor loaded with sugar. And for those who feel guilty sinning with dessert, this dessert has a good mix of dried longan, ginger, red dates among other things, all of which are known to have a healthy herbal effect on heaty Singaporeans like us. It's definitely a healthier option for dessert when you decide on it. Best part? It's only for $2! Unfortunately, this doesnt make me a fan of Cheng Tng right away.

Food: 3.5 / 5 

Presentation: 3 / 5
Waiting Time: 5 - 10 minutes depending on crowd.