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!

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!