I was never a fan of mee soto. A lot of them were either too oily or too watery for my liking. Sometimes, the turmeric was too overpowering. Last week, Chris from Iskina Cebu Mee soto introduced us to Syaza Nasi Padang’s Mee Soto, which is located in the same coffeeshop.

This coffeeshop near Paya Lebar MRT has two stalls with long queue – one is Iskina Cebu, another is Syaza Nasi Padang. How good can it be? Our dear makan guru went to join in the queue immediately after we secured a seat. And he came back with a plate of nasi briyani and mee soto. We first had a sip of the soup, and both of us nod our head concurrently. T

This yellowish soup uses the essence of chicken broth as a base, mixed with their homemade rempah gives the aroma and flavour which is lacking in many other mee soto stalls. Garnished with parsley, fried shallots, crispy bean sprouts and shredded chicken, we couldn’t stop after one mouthful.

The mutton briyani ($10) we had was delivered in spades. What joy it is to dig into the pile of aromatic rice topped with mutton rendang. The rice was fluffy and soft (not firm) without being too greasy. It’s a very definite chilli kick. Inside, I find a good amount of tender meat. Preparing it is a tedious process but the old couple owner won’t settle for anything less. They come in every morning at 5am to cook the food for the lunch crowd before shutting at 5pm to prepare for the following day.

I haven’t tried Amirah & Nur Aniqah Mee Soto & Mee Rebus to compare, but Syaza Nasi Padang definitely has good mee soto and nasi briyani. I will be back for their nasi padang! Make sure you come early.

Syaza Nasi Padang
Blk 1016 Geylang East Ave 3 (opp Paya Lebar MRT)
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, closed on Mondays

Part 1
At some point, it’s hard to ignore the vivid signs of aging I see in the mirror – little wrinkles around my eyes, age spots, maybe some sagging skin. From the age of 25, my skin started to age. Being a workaholic, I slept late every day. My cheeks lost their fullness and my frown has become very obvious so much so that my presentation trainer always comments that I look agitated even when I am not. I constantly and subconsciously frown, even during sleep – a bad habit I just can’t seem to get rid of. But perhaps most importantly, I am most affected when people say I look older than my boyfriend, whom I will be marrying this year.

With the wedding coming up in 5 months’ time, I decided that enough was enough – I needed a zhng (i.e. improve) my face before the big day. This has been on my mind for some time now and I am grateful that Dr Gabriel Wong from SL Clinic offered to help me achieve the desired improved look with Face Sculpting using BOTOX® and Juvederm® Fillers. I have never been an advocate for plastic surgery as it will drastically change our unique look. Face Sculpting, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable to me as there is no downtime and I will still look like MissTamChiak, albeit a better version.

Happy faces aplenty as we traded our trade secrets – the best eating places for the secrets to looking young. Not a bad deal eh?

I had my reservations before my first consult. Will the treatments be suitable? Will the results turn out natural? Will I like the new me? To me, a good aesthetic doctor should offer you good logical advice and recommend the suitable affordable treatments which aim to deliver an enhanced, natural, younger look. Natural is a key word to me here – I do not want to look fake or overdone.

Must use original BOTOX®! It is longer lasting and more predictable.

After eagerly waiting about 2 weeks for the big day (not my wedding, that’s the bigger day), I happily turned up at the Jurong Point branch of SL Clinic. I was warmly greeted by Dr. Wong at the reception and promptly brought in for my first consultation. I was closely scrutinized and a whole long list of ‘flaws’ was produced, much to my horror. Fortunately for me, I was quickly reassured that most, if not all of them could be improved non-surgically.

The areas that needed to be improved were firstly, my squarish jaw and frown lines, which could be fixed with BOTOX®. Secondly, my cheeks were sunken, chin and nose were flat and upper lip too thin; and these could be fixed with Juvederm® fillers. Lastly, my skin’s texture and colour could be improved with Fractional CO2 laser. Now, I am excited! I’d thought I could do everything in one session but alas, it was not meant to be. According to Dr. Wong, doing a procedure just to treat a part is easy, coming up with a personalized plan is harder, to do it in the proper sequence to minimize complications and for best results is the most difficult art of Aesthetic Medicine.

My poor chin being poked for the very first time with BOTOX®. But hor, not pain at all lah, I was just trying to act cool. Haha!

As my chin muscles were very active, he proposed that I inject a little BOTOX® into the chin muscles first before we proceed with the rest of the procedures in 2 weeks’ time. This is to prevent the overactive muscles from displacing the fillers which were going to be injected into my chin. The resurfacing laser for my skin however, will have to wait till I am back from Cambodia in 3 weeks as excessive sun exposure can cause pigmentation problems after any laser treatment.

This is how I look on a daily basis. No kidding, I am really a frowner.

I learnt a lot more about BOTOX® from Dr. Wong, who was very willing to educate me. I, on the other hand, shared with him a couple of good eating places that he must try. Facial expressions are what make us unique, but the repetitive use of our facial muscles constantly folds our skin, which eventually leads to the formation of wrinkles as our skin loses its elasticity. Based on my frown lines, Dr. Wong expertly guessed that I am a subconscious constant frowner while the enlarged jaw muscles was…obviously from too much chewing and eating. BOTOX® treatments, when done right, relaxes the muscles such that the skin above them are able to rest, hence improving wrinkles. When injected into the jaw muscles, they shrink in size, resulting in a slimmer jawline. I’m really happy that the furrow between my eyes can be treated as I am frankly quite sick of my friends asking me “what’s wrong?” whenever they see me!

Part 2

Don’t I look pretty with the latest face art in town? Markings were made on my face for the BOTOX® injections.

I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t transformed after my first consult, but I guess good things are worth the wait. Two weeks flew past and before I knew it, I was again as excited like a little girl at a candy shop, at the Plaza Singapura branch of SL Clinic. My chin muscles have fully relaxed and we are all ready to complete the filler and BOTOX® treatments.

Frown lines be gone! BOTOX® being injected to treat wrinkles. Notice how Dr. Wong protects my left eye as he injects – small touches that matter.

The best treatment for wrinkles is definitely BOTOX® as it deals with the root problem, the daily constant contraction of our facial muscles causing lines to be etched into the skin. After careful examination, Dr. Wong determined exactly where to administer the injections to achieve the best results. After marking out the spots, the spots are individually numbed with a cooling device before the injection.

A squarish jaw line can be treated with BOTOX® in some cases as it could be contributed to large chewing muscles sitting at the corner of our jaw. BOTOX® shrinks the muscles for approximately 6 – 9 months, allowing our natural slimmer jawline to show through. This can give a perception of weight loss and better proportions of our face size relative to our body size.

BOTOX® being injected into my chewing muscles a.k.a. masseters. I hope I can still chiak after this..

The entire BOTOX® procedure took approximately ten minutes. Discomfort was minimal and brief, so much so that it felt just like ants bites. There was minimal redness and swelling and I could consider it a treatment with no downtime.

Within days, I could see a marked improvement in the moderate frown lines between my brows. It will continue to improve for up to a month, and results can last for up to 4 months. Remember to insist on original BOTOX® to be used by your aesthetic doctor. Compared to other generic Botulinum toxin brands, original BOTOX® lasts longer and has more predictable effects. You wouldn’t want the effect meant for your chewing muscles to affect your smile muscles.

The Juvederm® family of fillers – can’t wait to get some of these into my face! Introducing Voluma®, Volift® and Volbella®.

After my uneventful BOTOX® treatments, we proceeded on to the exciting part – fillers. Fillers are very interesting and exciting as the results are immediately visible and the outcome really depends a lot on the aesthetic doctor. SL Clinic uses Juvederm® hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, a popular and trusted brand of fillers. It is made from a naturally-occurring substance in the skin and is hence very safe.

Areas of volume loss being drawn on my face. This will guide the filler placement subsequently.

Loss of volume is very difficult to describe. The main features of a younger looking face can be clearly seen as part of the ‘triangle of beauty’ with the base at the level of our full cheeks and the apex pointing downwards to a sharp chin. However, as we age, this triangle is inverted as we develop wider jaw line, sagging facial skin and flatter cheeks. The base of the triangle now rests at the widened saggy jawline. Sad fact of life, much.

To gain back my youthful look, I did fillers to plump up my cheeks, and added fillers to my nose, upper lips and my chin for a more balanced, harmonious appearance. Fillers are injected directly into the skin in tiny amounts using an ultrafine needle, resulting in minimal discomfort. The procedure is simple and convenient and results are practically instantaneous. Fillers can last for up to one to two years, depending on the type of fillers used. I had some redness and mild swelling after filler injections but this will disappear within a couple of days and I was able to continue with my usual activities immediately after it.

Photohunt time! Can you spot the differences? (brown lines not counted obviously)
Ans: Fuller cheeks with higher cheek bones, higher nose bridge with an upward pointing tip, fuller upper lip and a sharper chin.

Here’s another before and after shot. As you can see, the nose and chin became sharper, and I definitely looked better than before. I was told that the look will become more natural with time as our skin will mould the filler naturally. For many people, they focus a lot on eyes and nose for fillers but actually, the chin is also important as it makes the face sharper and more balanced. I can’t wait for my filler touch up session with Dr. Wong!

I was enjoying my ice cream about one hour after the treatment. I am very happy with my face now and definitely feel more confident. I believe that BOTOX® and fillers injections are one of the easiest and most predictable ways of sculpting our face to look better. With SL Clinic, I feel that I am in safe hands as treatments were well planned, explained and carried out. Dr. Wong is very friendly and never fails to calm me down, as I can get rather anxious with needles. I personally think that finding a comfortable and trustworthy aesthetic doctor who takes into consideration your feedback and not rush you into treatments is very important.

Botox treatment starts from $250, while filler treatments start from $800, depending on individual requirements. Thank you Dr Gabriel Wong from SL Clinic for making me prettier, happier and more confident!

SL Clinic

Address:
– 501 Orchard Road, #04-04, Wheelock Place
Tel:+6562353246

– 68 Orchard Road, #03-33, Plaza Singapura
Tel:+6563361106

– Jurong Point Shopping Centre, #B1-62
Tel:+6563162246/ +6563162556

Website: http://slclinic.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slclinicsingapore
Instagram: @SL_clinic

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Disclaimer: I was invited to do BOTOX® and fillers at SL Clinic to write this review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Don’t have a vehicle but wants to eat in Johor? No problem lah! Because there are a lot of good food around Johor Bahru City Square. If you want a traditional breakfast, head to Restoran Kin Wah (锦华餐室) near Jalan Tan Hiok Nee “Culture Street” (文化街).

This is an simple, no-frills kopitiam selling old school breakfast. This place serves one of the best coffee and half-boiled eggs in my opinion. The coffee is nicely thick with the right balanced of sugar and milk. When you bring it close to your nose and take a deep breath, you can smell the distinct aromatic coffee smell. The perfect accompaniment to kopi is roti kaya with a slab of melting butter.

Unlike other coffee shops, Restoran Kin Hua uses kampung chicken eggs for it’s half boiled eggs. These are free range hens that are injected with growth hormones. We saw a big red pail of luke warm water filled with free range eggs. A staff is stationed there just to crack open the eggs.

Look at the beautiful orange hue from the yolk. It is done perfectly and also firmer in texture. Mix in soy sauce and a dash of pepper which brings out the unique aroma of eggs. It’s so smooth… Oh yes, I like to dip my roti kaya into the soft boiled eggs too.

A good breakfast is a great start. During lunch, you can come back for their nasi padang, or even join the queue for charcoal grilled banana cake at Hiap Joo bakery.

Restoran Kin Wah (锦华餐室)
Address: 8 Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.456875, 103.764283
Hours: 7am to 12pm

Curry fish head for breakfast? It may seems heavy for many of us, but Kam Long Curry Fish Head is probably one of the locations you want to skip lunch crowd. We took a 5 minutes short walk from City Square @ Johor Bahru and the place was already crowded even on a weekday morning.

Kam Long has been in business for more than 30 years. This is one of those unpretentious old school kopitiam eatery that only sells one dish – curry fish head. Many a time, I have seen how restaurants create a whole menu of 100 dishes, but never do a dish at its best. Sometimes, they are even unsure of what’s their signature dish. But here at Kam Long, you know they are selling curry fish head and yet has faithful patrons willing to wait under the hot sun for the food, it has got to be good.

The servings came in individual (RM 18), small (RM 22), medium (RM 33) or large (RM 44). The service is pretty efficient as the fish head curry was served in less than 10 minutes, in a claypot. Once order is made, the boss will place the fish head into the claypot, pour their signature curry and cook it over fire. What appeared on our table is a pot of pipping hot curry fish head.

Our group of 7 ordered a huge claypot of curry fish head to share. Taking a sip of the curry, I knew that one claypot is definitely not enough for all the hungry foodies. The tender flesh of the ang ko li (red snapper) came off the fork easily. The flesh is so soft, absorbing the curry flavours really well. The spices from the curry enhance the natural flavour of the head without overpowering it. Together with tofu skin, ladies finger, long beans and cabbage, it’s a complete meal on its own.

The addictive gravy is made using a variety of spices normally found in Malay and Indian curries, not as tangy. The result is satisfying, a hot and mildly spicy gravy that titillates the tastebuds and makes you reach out for more to drizzle over the steamed white rice. It’s so easy to drink that we can just enjoy the curry gravy on its own too. They will top up the curry sauce if you want more.

I really enjoy is the tau pok (deep-fried beancurd) that soaks up the delicious gravy thoroughly. Our meal costs RM56.00 (SGD20.75). If you want to visit Kam Long, I suggest you to come before 11.30am as the queue is shorter. The curry is pretty much sold out by 2:30 pm. If you can’t locate the shop, just follow your nose.

Kam Long Curry Fish Head
Address: 74, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Tel: +6016-752-8382, +6016-796-2228. +6016-205-1610
GPS: 1.459398, 103.764758
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 8am to 4:30pm

The cafe scene in Johor Bahru is booming, with more interesting concepts coming up. One of them is Ink Brew by JWC with the adjoining Eh He The Classic Accents Art House, occupying seven units of old shops at the top of Jalan Trus that also enjoys road frontage at Jalan Ibrahim and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

You must be wondering what’s Eh He? Well, it’s is derived from E(art)h He(art), which hopes to bring out the purpose that art is all around us and it is not something separate from life. Everywhere you look you see art, we are all artists creating our own masterpiece. Even the name is so artistic already, who would even thought of that!

As we walked up the narrow staircase to the second floor, it felt like we had boarded a time machine and arrived in 1960s time zone. There were oldies being played in the background, with retro cabinets, lamps, furniture and even rediffusion! There are also listening stations around the gallery where you can tune in to yesteryear operas and conversations spoken in various dialects.

During our visit, Teochew Puppet & Opera House Penang were holding an exhibition in the gallery. Teochew opera is extremely popular in olden days of Penang, and usually performed at an outdoor stage to coincide with some religious festivals. Here, we can see a mock-up of the stage setup, together with many literature, music and elaborate costumes.

At the ground floor, Ink Brew by Just Want Coffee makes you a cup of designer coffee specially created by Nelson Lai as you stare blankly at the streets, watching the cars drive by. One of the interesting coffee is “游神 – 五帮共和” (Chingay Coffee, RM16.80). Made from 5 different coffee beans, this coffee is created to honour the unity of people from 5 different Chinese clans who came from China (Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese and Cantonese). Surprisingly, as you sip the coffee, it creates a balance in the flavour profiles.

Another of their signatures is the 陈旭年咖啡 (Hiok Nee Coffee, RM16.80). After a mouthful of cream and a mouthful of orange peel, I took three sips of coffee. The first sip – bitter. The second sip – sour. The third sip – fragrant. Just like life, we must taste the bitterness before we can appreciate the sweetness. 好样的！

Food is also on the serve. We ordered this pizza called The Garden (RM15.90) that has been designed by a nutritionist. It contains a lot of veggies on a thin pizza dough. For waffles lover, you can either go for their sweet (Balloon Waffle, RM17.90) or savoury ones (Forest Waffle RM16.50).

At the top of the stairs, there is a huge mural drawn by one of the owners, Pauline See. The little girl in the photo represents our younger self when we have our dreams and aspirations. But as we grew older, we often succumb to temptations that stopped us from pursuing our dreams.

We spent our afternoon at Ink Brew, soaking in the artistic atmosphere while sipping our coffee. Do you know, this place used to be a textile shop? Even though it was left vacant for many years, I appreciate the young owners’ efforts and determination to convert this into a heritage space, with the hope to promote arts in JB. I have done a video on Eh He gallery for your viewing pleasure, hope you enjoyed it!

EH HE Gallery | Ink Brew by JWC Cafe 墨跡手沖館
Address: No. 1, Jalan Trus, Bandar Johor Bahru 80000, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Junction of Jalan Trus and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee (just beside Hiap Joo Bakery)
GPS: 1.456531, 103.764649
Hours: 12:00 noon to 11:00 pm daily

Even though I am a Hainanese, my family is not a huge fan of chicken chop. We cooked many other traditional dishes, except for chicken chop. Probably because it needs a lot of time and effort to prepare really good plate of chicken chop. During my recent trip to Johor, I had one of the most delicious Hainanese chicken chop at IT Roo.

Awarded the “Best Chicken Chop in Malaysia” title by The Star newspaper in 2003, the cafe operates in the pre-war building which has attracted many locals and tourists. We’re talking about halal-certified crispy or grilled smokey skin, tender meat, and delicious gravy!

There are two types of chicken chop at IT Roo – grilled or deep fried. The Grilled Chicken Chop (RM14) is my favourite. Using thick and juicy chicken thigh, the chicken chop is grilled till perfection and generously drizzled with either black pepper sauce or mushroom sauce. Some of us preferred the Fried Chicken Chop (RM14), with a thick beautiful sauce (but not too much). When you slice it open, what you get is the white and tender meat which goes very well with the chilli sauce. It’s not very oily.

Each plate of chicken chop comes with potato wedges and coleslaw. I think in term of pricing and portion, this is a taste of rich history at an affordable price. Some diners even added a sunny side-up to the chicken chop. For no frills Western food, this is a place I don’t mind going back again.

IT Roo Cafe
Address: 17 Jalan Dhoby, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
GPS: 1.457159, 103.763605
Tel: 607-2227780
Business Hour: 10am – 9.30pm

Hiap Joo is one of Johor’s oldest and best known traditional bakery offering good fresh malt-flavoured breads and aromatic banana cakes. If you are here for their banana cake like us, go earlier to queue even though the banana cakes will only be ready by noon.

How traditional can it get? Well, the hole-in-the-wall wood fired oven speaks it all. They bake everything in the oven and you get a real good bakes out of it. There are constantly heavenly smells of freshly baked buns with classic fillings like red bean, coconut and peanut. They also have otak buns which run out very soon. Breads sold are economically priced from RM3.50.

This is the best banana cakes I have ever tasted. It’s moist and fragrant, and very reasonably priced. I was told that the banana cakes much better the following day. Yeah, I absolutely agree. It’s much softer and more fragrant. Plus it’s not too sweet as well. They also sell butter cakes, only available on Thursdays. If you are looking for a good banana cake recipe, I have it on my blog.

Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory
Address: 13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, 80000 Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.456931, 103.764222
Hours: Mon – Sat 7am – 6pm; Sun 9am – 1pm.

I am back at Yan Ting again to try the the revamped à la carte menu, featuring Yan Ting’s Executive Chef Tony Wun’s signature creations. Chef Wun has more than 35 years of experience under his belt leading and managing teams of chefs at various five star international hotels and restaurants.

For a start, I had the Trio of Appetisers, featuring the Deep-fried Whitebait Fish with salt and pepper, Homemade Marinated Radish and Pan-fried Scallop in Teriyaki Sauce. Sitting on a beautiful onion which looks like lotus (or like what I say, ArtScience Museum), the pan-seared scallops with corn and teriyaki sauce shows the culinary versatility of the chef – a chinese dish with Japanese influence.

Chef Tony Wun makes good cantonese soups. During my last tasting at Yan Ting, I had a memorable Double Boiled Sea Whelk Soup with Black Garlic served in teapot. This time round, I had the Double-boiled Abalone Consommé with Ginseng served in Teapot as well. Using the traditional concept of making Chinese tea with art and skill, Chef Wun has mastered a high degree of precision and consistency in creating this heavenly treat.

Braised Superior Bird’s Nest with Black Truffle in Pumpkin Sauce is flavoursome and nourishing. Marrying the delicate texture of bird’s nest with the very subtle aroma of black truffle and smoothness of pumpkin sauce, it’s a bowl of comfort.

My personal favourite is the Steamed Seafood Dumpling with Egg White sauce. The challenge, is the making of white dumpling using egg white. Wrapped with seafood cubes, it’s a very simple dish but made better using the unique eggy skin.

The combination of chicken and morel is quite unusual. I usually had my morel in soup, but when both ingredients are stir-fried together, it’s surprising that both works well together. You get the wok hei and the morsel absorbs the soy sauce. The Baked Beef Ribs with Herbs served with Ee-fu Noodles is a east-meet-west concept with chinese style Ee-fu noodles pairing with tender beef.

Complete the indulgent dining experience with traditional desserts like steamed sponge cake, trio-colour red bean cake, double-boiled bird’s nest served in coconut and fragrant homemade almond tea with egg white. As you can see, Chef takes great care in food presentation.

I certainly enjoyed my meal by Chef Tony Wun. Yan Ting has also introduced weekly specials of the Cantonese delicacies, including Alaskan crabs, giant garoupa and imperial eels, prepared in a variety of cooking styles.

Yan Ting
Address: St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911
Tel: +65 6506 6887

I first got to know the guys from Jin Jin Hot/Cold Desserts during Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 when they had a stall selling their signature gangster ice and power chendol. It’s consistently long queue at their stall during the festival and they were sold out even before the event ended.

To many old residents living near ABC Food Centre and Market, Jin Jin Hot/Cold Desserts has a very nostalgic value. The original owner gave up the shop but Calvin and Ewan kept the brand and revived the business. Both of them were totally not F&B trained to begin with. One of them was in insurance, while the other used to be a DJ. They wanted to set up a beer garden initially but didn’t work out. By chance, they were introduced to Jin Jin and the rest was history.

Calvin and Ewan went to all the different desserts shop in Singapore to try out all the different sort of desserts. I think what they did very well, was marketing. Their famous “Liu Mang Bing” (Durian/ Mango Ice, $3) is still a great hit among youngster till date. I love their playful take on naming this simple dessert. Do you know that the name Gangster Ice is now a registered trademark. Even though the mango cubes was slightly tangy that day, it was balanced with the generous scoop of durian puree and condensed milk.

Surprisingly, indeed very surprisingly, my favourite was the red ruby. Probably because the chunks of water chestnut stained ruby red are quite large. It has just the right amount of tapioca flour to give them a chewy texture.

Another must try is the Power Chendol. Ewan being half Indonesian, a place where Chendol was known best, placed great emphasis of having the original Chendol. The owners use premium raw gula melaka from Indonesia and cook it painstaking everyday themselves. The special gula melaka sauce has a sticky texture like caramel and a hint of saltiness. So power, now can I have more gula melaka please?

Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert
Address: ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-20, Singapore 150008
Opening hours: 12pm to 12am daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JinJinDessertClub
Website: http://www.jinjindessertclub.com

In my impression, dempsey is a place filled with many expensive restaurants. But when I visited two weeks ago, there are quite a few affordable restaurants which won’t burn your pocket. One of them is G House at Blk 10. With a menu ranging from Eating Clean to Asian to All-Day Breakfast, G House has a kitchen of local and foreign chefs, the kitchen is well prepared to serve dishes with international flavors.

A must-order appetizer is Buttermilk Texas Style Fried Chicken ($14.90). Deep fried till perfection, the texas fried chicken is infused with butter milk and southern spices. When I take a bite, I can hear the crunchiness of the crispy skin with juicy chicken meat. Best paired with Lychee Ice Blended ($6.90).

It seems to me that the chef loves to add Thai flavours in their western dishes. One example is the Grilled kaffir lime spiced kampong chicken ($26.90) which has already been sous vide for 4 hours to retain the juiciness and grilled to bring out the strong kaffir flavours.

My favourite is Grilled Spicy Squid ($26.90), served with home-made sambal jam. Playing with the taste buds of foodies, the squid is marinated for at least 1 day prior to serving. It has a tinge of sweetness admist the spices. Squid is nice and tender, unfortunately, part of the meat was undercooked that day.

With the teachings from a Thai Chef, G House’s local chefs pulled off a Thai dish Tom Kha Gai ($16.90) well. The creamy coconut milk and tender poached chicken make this Thai style Tom Kha Gai hearty and satisfying! I saw that they also have Peranakan Rendang Beef ($29.90) which is a reason for a re-visit.

The standard of a chef can be judged by their most classic dish, for example aglio olio or vongole. But most of the time, it may not be the most satisfactory one because everyone has different perceptions of how that dish should be. Vongole Linguine ($19.90) features the clams, garlic, parsley, tossed in olive oil, and a dash of white wine. It was acceptable but could have used more sauce as the noodles were too dry.

Ended the night with a stacked of Sticky Date Pancakes ($15.90) studded with sticky dates, topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel dipped bananas and homemade butterscotch sauce. Honestly, I didn’t quite like this because the pancakes were not served warm and it wasn’t fluffy nor airy enough.

I think more work needs to be done to ensure the quality and consistency of the dishes. The menu, in fact, looks a little confusing to me because of the choices available, and some dishes were repeated in different category.

G House Restaurant
10 Dempsey Road, #01-21, Singapore 247700
Tel:6479 8119
Website: www.ghouse.com.sg

Ethan′s Gourmet is a gourmet grocer that offers a wide range of top quality and unique food products from around the world at affordable price. One of the founding partners of Ethan′s Gourmet is a native Japanese who has an extensive network among food producers in Japan, which enables the boutique grocer to bring in products directly from there. This also translates into lower costs for the customers, who can expect attractive bargains on fine food products such as Kobe and Tajima wagyu , Kurobuta pork, seafood and organic frozen vegetables from Japan,and more.

Besides offering a wide variety of premium food products, Ethan Gourmet also provides unique and rare finds for gourmet lovers, like the colourful and sweet-as-peach Marusho tomatoes, Hokkaido snow crab and scallop and more. They keeps things interesting by consistently introducing fun products in the store. What are some of the unique products at Ethan’s Gourmet? Let’s check it out!

1. Sake and Wine

Selected from Japan and all around the world, Ethan’s Gourmet has a wide selection of sake and wine.

2. Instant Claypot Rice

The first product that caught my eye was the Japanese instant claypot rice. All I have to do it to mix the packet of rice and seasoning together and cook in the microwave for 10 mins. No water is needed, so cool lah!

3. Tajima Beef

“Tajima-gyu” cows originally came from Tajima (Kobe), a mountainous region with few open fields facing the Sea of Japan. Tajima cattle is the same cattle as Kobe, raised and bred in Hyogo Prefecture, except the difference in Beef Marbling Score (BMS). With selective breeding, handling and feeding process involved, Tajima beef is one of the finest beef in the world. There is also Shirobuta Pork (White pig) which is prized for its tenderness and sweetness. You can also buy online.

4. Premium Japanese rice

Ethan’s Gourmet sells premium Japanese rice including Niigata Koshihikari (the best selling rice in Japan), Hokkaido Nanatsubosh (light in taste and less sticky, Best for onigiri and bento), Hokkaido Yumepirika (looks like white shinny snow and stronger flvour than Koshihikari).

5. Anpanman candy & chocolate

Now, the cheerful hero has his own line sweet snack!

6. Soba

The difference between the gold packet Kyokyoku soba and the white packet Nanawari soba is the former contains 90% buckwheat (giving it a richer, stronger flavour) while the latter contains 70% buckwheat. To cook, just put it in boiling water for a few minutes until soft or to your personal preference.

7. Organic Vegetables

With a organic range of vegetables hailing from Japan, you can now make a great dishes. These vegetables are grown on farmland where no chemical fertilizer or agricultural chemicals have been added and cultivated without chemical fertilizer during the present cropping season. I stir fried the frozen organic spinach, and blanched my broccoli to make smoked duck salad.

8. Frozen Grilled Unagi

When it comes to grilling fish, the Japanese have mastered the art. Well grilled unagi combines a rich flavor with an appealing texture. Frozen grilled unagi is the most convenient dish because I can just put it in the microwave to grill for another 10 minutes and serve on top of warm rice.

Ethan’s Gourmet
Address: 50 Tagore Lane #B1-01, Entrepreneur Centre, Singapore 787494
Tel: 6372 8809
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday : 10am to 6pm; Saturday : 10am to 2pm; Closed on Sunday and Public Holiday

Keong Saik Road has been one of the best-known red light districts in the 60s and is a place where the towkays (bosses) keep their mistresses. But now, the brothels have been replaced with fashionable café, restaurants, lifestyle shops and boutique hotels. Thankfully, some heritage still stand and one of them is Kok Sen Restaurant (國成球記菜社).

This is one of the few cze char places that uses chopped chicken chunks for the Prawn Paste Chicken ($12 / $18 / $24) instead of the wings. It’s well seasoned and deep fried till perfection. But some of my friends prefer to eat the mid wings instead.

You can spot the Big Prawns Hor Fun ($16 / $32 / $48) in almost every table at Kok Sen. Seldom will you find large prawns in your hor fun. But what we love more is the delicious gravy that is slathered over the slightly charred hor fun. With red chilli added to the sedup brown sauce, it is thickened with raw egg and it’s sooooo good that I can just drink it on its own. Each ribbon of hor fun has some smoky flavours of wok hei and soaks up the gravy.

Their Claypot Yong Tau Fu ($14 / $21 / $28) comes with assorted pieces of beancurd, eggplant, capsicums stuffed with fish and prawn paste drenched with a brown braising sauce. They made their own squid and prawn paste to stuff the yong tau foo, hence it has more bite.

I like their Bittergourd Braised Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce ($13 / $20 / $26) more as the ingredients are braised long enough to create that umami robust flavours. Cooked till soft, the bittergourd is mildly bitter infused with the rich flavours of black bean sauce. It works and I ordered a bowl of rice specially for this dish.

Dining here does not burn a hole in the pocket. But my advice is, never come here during special occasions or weekend dinner because you will probably get impatient with the waiting time and the less-than-perfect service. Nevertheless, you cannot deny that Kok Sen does pretty good, honest Cantonese cze cha classics.

Kok Sen Restaurant
Address: 30-32 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089137
Tel: +65 6223 2005
Opening Hours: 12pm to 2.30pm; 5pm to 11.30pm

Long Chim, meaning “come and taste” in Thai, is an invitation to indulge in our Street Food inspired creations. Recently awarded the No. 7 spot on San Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015 and 13th on World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 for his restaurant in Bangkok, Long Chim is Celebrity Chef David Thompson’s first venture into casual dining. And now, Chef David Thompson has brought Long Chim to Singapore, how exciting!

David Thompson is an Australian chef and restaurateur known for his culinary expertise in Thai cuisine. The award-winning chef began honing his unique Thai cuisine skills with his first visit to Thailand in 1986. He opened Sydney restaurant Darley Street Thai in 1991 and later Sailors Thai in 1995. In 2001, he launched Nahm in London. Nahm quickly made a name for itself as the first Thai restaurant to obtain a highly coveted Michelin star.

Dining at Long Chim feels like I am transported to the streets and markets of Bangkok, with added refinement. Chef has crafted a tantalising menu that combines traditional street food and contemporary flavours, with a restaurant concept reminiscent of the vibrant streets of Bangkok.

The aromatic beef skewers ($16) are seasoned with strong flavours like cumin, coriander and tumeric. The marinade is very intense, especially from the smokiness of cumin. It’s cooked till tenderness. I wasn’t prepared for the spiciness from Chiang Mai Chicken Relish ($14) with cabbage, chilli and mint. It was potently spicy yet addictive.

Green Curry of Wagyu Beef with Basil and Thai Chillies ($22++) wasn’t very well received among us. Yes, the wagyu beef is definitely tender with great marbling, but the curry was too oily for our liking. Served with Roti, we tried dipping it int the curry but was soaked with oil instead of wagyu pieces. However, we love the Stir fried Chinese broccoli, crispy pork and oyster sauce ($22). David Thompson’s oyster sauce is so thick and rich, that it is best drizzled over white rice.

In the south, Thai food collides with intensity. It doesn’t have sharp spicy kick. Instead, it slowly burns which leaves you wanting a glass of milk to “extinguish” the fire. Grilled Squid – Southern Style ($16) is injected with rich spice blends of tumeric, galangal, garlic etc, and well coated with coconut cream. Each bite is a piquant powerhouse that ends with a spicy kick.

Long Chim has made a genuinely impressive start. The flavours here are bigger and bolder than any other Thai eatery in Singapore (even though I am not a fan of their iced milk tea). I hope it sets a new standard for Thai cuisine in Singapore. Thank you Karen & Derrick for the birthday treat!

Long Chim
Address: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands #02-02, Atrium 2
Tel: 6688 7299
Directions: Long Chim is located at the Shoppes “Atrium” above the Casino, near Waku Ghin and Imperial Treasure. Take the lift next to the “Hermes” store on the first floor.

I don’t always carry my camera everywhere I go. I used to do it, but because my bag is always very heavy, so sometimes I will not bring it along. But it is always during those times that I will be eating something blog-worthy and end up regretting not having a camera with me. Just like this time, I was out for an assignment, very tired and sweaty after a busy morning. Who knows, we decided to stop by for Bugis for lunch and I suggested New Rong Liang Ge. Ah huh, now where’s my camera?

To just enjoy the food quietly or share it with my readers – that was the first question that came up to my mind. So I apologize for the lousy photo quality, but hey, this is worth trying for roast duck lovers! During lunch time, you can easily spot this stall by the long snake queue formed by residents and office crowd.

New Rong Liang Ge sells everything roasted, from the usual char siew, or roasted pork meat, to roasted duck as well as double boiled soups. The queue was orderly and upon reaching your turn, you place your order and the guy at the counter will announce it on the top of his voice in an interesting tone. Everyone of us has our own favourites, some prefer sio bak while I prefer their roast duck (that’s what they are famous for!). So we decided to order a trio platter consisting of char siew, roast pork and roast duck to share.

The roast duck is definitely my favourite and it’s easy to see why – the skin is crisp and fragrant and the meat is tender and moist – just how you want a roast duck to be. They only select about 3kg of meat to maintain its tenderness and seasoned with more than 10 types of spices. Just by looking at it, I am already drooling. Even without the sauce, it tasted delicious with the chilli sauce.

I requested for a fat piece of char siew but unfortunately, it still didn’t live up to my expectation. The char siew had a little fat but was still dry. To make things better, the roast pork skin is so crispy it crackles in the mouth. The meat is firm yet moist, and a delight to savour. Control of the fire is very important here.

What really gets me going is the daily soup. It was raining that day and the nourishing soup came just in time. We had the lotus with pork ribs soup and salted vegetable duck soup. The former was rather bland but the latter was good, the essence of the veggie and the sweetness from the pork rib were fully infused into the broth.

The plate of rice that was drenched with a dark sweet sauce was slightly too sweet for my liking but works well for my other friends. Apparently, they have about 3 different sauces to pair with the different roasts. The price is quite reasonable, we only paied $21 for the roast duck combination, together with two bowls of soup. I won’t mind coming back again for their roast duck!

New Rong Liang Ge Cantonese Roasted Duck Double Boiled Soup
Address: 3838 Eating Place, 269B Queen Street, #01-235 s182269
Operating Hours: 9am – 8pm daily

I frequent Hong Kong Street Chun Kee at Blk 151 Ang Mo Kio quite often. But it’s always just having their fish head bee hoon for dinner. So during my hatch day, the initial plan was to go back to Chun Kee for a feast with my family. But just a few days before that, a friend of mine introduced me to Hong Kong Street Chun Tat Kee at Blk 339 Ang Mo Kio, so I decided to bring my family here instead.

Now I don’t exactly know what is the story behind Hong Kong Street and who is the original master for this brand. If someone can enlighten me, that will be great. But I just assuming that the disciples learnt the skills from the master and set up their own brand, hence many stalls are same same but different. Chun Tat Kee has 10 outlets around the island, with their first outlet in Balestier.

I knew the aunty loves coffee pork ribs, but I wanted something different so we tried the salted egg pork ribs eventually. The pork ribs were deep fried and coated with salted egg yolk, they meld together beautifully, with flavours playing off each other.

Everyone in the family was singing praises about their Prawn Paste Chicken ($9 / $13). Deep-fried till a golden crisp, sink your teeth into the crackling skin and enjoy the juicy meat within. The flesh is tender and the burst of flavor hits upon the palate. Drizzle some lime to enhance the experience. Even my mother loves it that she took a second piece.

Their Fish Head Bee Hoon Soup ($6/ $10 / $15) is a signature across all Hong Kong Street cze char stalls. Honestly I prefer the one from Chun Kee because the soup is more flavourful and they are more generous with the XO.

However, their San Lou Hor Fun ($5.50 / $10 / $15) was better than the Chun Kee’s version. Though the wok taste might not be quite distinctive but the texture of horfun was smooth and flavorful with a generous bit of beansprouts and good portion of fresh tasting fish slices.

My favourite is their Thai Style Beancurd ($9, $13). Made with a combination of prawn paste and tofu, it has a firmer bite and goes very well with crunchy cucumber and sweet thai sauce. There are so many things that I didn’t get to try that day which I would love to, that includes their assam fish and herbal wine steamboat. I suggest you come early because there may be queue after 7pm during weekends. And also, if you know the story of Hong Kong Street, please drop me a mail.

Hong Kong Street Chun Tat Kee
Address: Blk 339 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 #01-1601 Singapore 560339
Tel: 6457 3280
Opening hours: 11am to 2pm ; 5pm to 11pm

Bread & Hearth in Keong Saik road is the perfect spot for a weekend coffee, cinnamon bun and paper. It’s a quiet bakery coffee shop that does artisan bread with coffee. The interior is designed in countryside styled brick wall façade. It’s a relaxing experience and you will be in no hurry to leave. The place is quiet enough to have a discussion or even to read.

Handcrafted artisan bread is the bakery café’s signature style, where every bread and pastry is baked using traditional European methods. This means that the artisan bread and pastry here are baked in small batches, rather than mass produced. A great emphasis is placed on using age-old bread-making techniques, which may be time consuming, but yields distinct results that discerning gourmands will surely appreciate.

Their bread and pastries are baked freshly in house every day, using only carefully-sourced premium ingredients. There’s a range of fluffy croissants, exquisite viennoiseries, and sweet and savoury pies and tarts. The Cinnamon Bun ($2.80) hits all the comfort spots – it’s soft and the cinnamon note is perfect with a cup of cappuccino. The Pecan Cranberries ($3.20) is something healthier and we ladies love it.

Bread and Hearth also prides themselves with using pure butter and quality ingredient. There is absolutely no shortening used. French Normandy butter goes into making their signature flaky Le Croissant ($2.80) to produce the croissant dough. Emphasis was placed on the lamination and folding technique to achieve the best honeycomb pockets within the croissant, and I chose to have it with tuna. It wasn’t the best croissant that I have eaten so far but this is definitely above average.

It’s so hard to find a quiet cafe to chill out with friends on weekends but almost everywhere will be packed. Bread & Hearth is a great hang out, and makes a change from the usual lot.

Bread & Hearth
Address: 18 Keong Saik Road
Tel: 6534 7800
Opening Hours: 8am – 9.30pm daily

I am sleep deprived. For the past two weeks, I wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap. The worst effect of sleep deprivation is – I am forever hungry. It’s really bad. Just when I have been trying to make sure I can fit into my gown, I have been overeating the past two weeks and the food I pick probably won’t be either nutritious or a lasting source of energy.

Tired people tend to be particularly drawn to sugars and other simple carbohydrates, probably because the body is looking for a quick pick-me-up. When I ended work at 10pm one night, I jio-ed my makan kakis for an impromptu dinner/supper. Philip introduced us to a 24 hour bak Signature Dry Mee Sua (招牌干捞面线, $3) at Blk 409 Ang Mo Kio.

Served with fishballs, minced meat, mushrooms and pork lard, the noodles are quite firm to the bite but not soggy. Even though I still prefer Yan Kee’s Bak Chor Mee Sua for their good quality vinegar and ikan bilis, this is a good supper spot in Ang Mo Kio. I like that that mee sua is well coated with chilli and lots of vinegar and was contemplating if I should get a second bowl. They call themselves San Yan Gourmet but for some reason, it is not shown in their signboard. But it’s quite easy to spot because they are one of the rare ones that are opened f0r 24 hours.

San Yuan Gourmet 汕源鱼圆肉脞面
Address: Blk 409 Market & Food Centre #01-02, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10

Advertorial

‘Life is short, eat desert first!” Ice cream and warm weather go hand in hand. So while we’re in the midst of a heat wave, make your life a little sweeter with a treat from one of these great shops. I have listed 5 places which I visit for my dessert fix, hope you enjoy them too!

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Udders
Address: 155 Thomson Rd, 307608
Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am

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Udders is a Singapore-based ice cream parlour franchise with six shops to its name. Named after cow’s mammary glands (so weird right), it was started by David Yim in 2007. Udders specialises in alcohol-flavoured ice cream, a niche in the Singaporean ice cream industry, such as Amaretto and Rum Rum Raisin.

It also sells non-alcohol based flavours, including strawberry, coffee, pistachio ice cream and mao shan wang durian ice cream, which is my favourite. They use real mao shan wang to create a rich yellow ice cream flavour which I would gladly pay extra money for it. The Thomson outlet also has interesting pancake flavours such as Salmon, Caviar and Crab Egg Benedict on grilled cheddar cheese pancakes.

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FIX
Address: 31 Ah Hood Rd, HomeTeamNS-JOM Clubhouse, Singapore 329979
Opening Hours: 11am to 9pm daily, closed on last Tuesday of the month

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The guys from GRUB who have taken the HometeamNS-JOM Clubhouse (open to public) in Balestier by storm with the opening of FIX cafe. Built on the premise of “Original Handmade Goods”, this halal inspired cafe has put a fresh spin on traditional naan, sandwiching fresh and tasty fillings within to create a wrap they call “naanwiches”. Be sure to try their Chicken Tikka Naanwich or Beef & Kimchi Naanwich.

Since its opening, FIX has focused on putting an approachable spin on familiar home-style desserts using quality ingredients. My favourite is the refreshing Passionfruit, Mango & Coconut Chiffon Cake. Butterscotch Arabica Choux is an instant hit among dessert lovers. Coffee-steeped Chantilly cream give this unique dessert a smooth finish, with a surprise treat of sticky vanilla caramel within. Other popular items include a fragrant Strawberry Pistachio Rose Tart and rich Cacao Barry Chocolate Truffle Cake.

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Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters
Address: 185 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574333
Opening hours: Tue to Sun 9am – 11pm, closed on Mondays

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The team behind Oz Specialty Coffee has partnered with their Thailand partners to bring “Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters”. Taking over the corner unit where Liquid Kitchen used to be, the cafe is huge and bright! The white Synesso coffee machine, the walls filled with colourful cups, the simple furniture, a long table, everything in nuances of wood and white… totally reminisces me of my travel in Australia.

Pairing with my smooth and velvety coffee, the Salted Caramel Banana French Toast turned traditional breakfast into a really yummy dessert. Served with caramelized bananas, this is definitely for sweet tooth. They have also given a twist to your usual brunch offerings, which include Red Velvet Pancakes with a golden touch of mascarpone to it. The mascarpone does add an interesting dimension to the otherwise dry, boring pancake stack.

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Creamier
Address: 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1,#01-835
Opening hours: Tue to Thu, Sun: 12pm to 10pm, Fri & Sat: 12pm to 11pm, Closed on Mon

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Hidden in one of the oldest estates in Singapore, Creamier is a small café selling their handcrafted ice cream and waffles. Their waffles come in pairs stacked nicely and complemented with their homemade ice cream. The waffles are made ala-minute and served crisp on the outside but fluffy and moist on the inside.

Among their wide range of ice cream flavours, my favourite is the roasted pistachio ice cream which is creamy, and lightly nutty, perfect indulgence on a hot day. I love that the base is light and unmuddled by extra added flavorings. Alternatively, go for the classic Plain Ole Chocolate Ice- Cream if you are a true chocolate addicts. It’s decadent, it’s smooth, it’s rich, it’s creamy.

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Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert
Address: ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-20 Singapore 150008
Opening Hours: 12pm – 12am daily

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Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert is a collaboration between 2 friends Calvin and Ewan back in 2004 when the previous owner decided to give up the business. Both do not have any F&B experience but took great effort to create quality local desserts.

The signature dessert here is their Gangster Ice (Durian/Mango Ice). Gangster Durian Mango Ice is a playful take on the Mandarin term for the dessert – Liu Lian Mang Guo. This is a registered trademark for jin Jin, the dessert of mango ice is laden with a generous scoop of durian puree and condensed milk.

Another must try is their Power Chendol. They uses premium raw gula melaka from Indonesia and cook it painstaking everyday by themselves. The special gula melaka has a sticky texture like caramel and a hint of saltiness that enhanced the whole experience to another level.

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Great Little Moments

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Sensodyne is launching the “Great Little Moments” which aims to let you to enjoy your favourite moments by relieving pain sensitivity from food and drinks that trigger the pain.

In Singapore, we are going to have “The Singapore Tea Party”, celebrating the food and drink vendors nominated by local food bloggers, Miss Tam Chiak and SGFoodonFoot, and voted on by the public. You know how certain foods (hot, cold and or sweet in this case) can trigger tooth sensitivity and pain. But with Sensodyne, we can eat our desserts at ease.

Where do you like to go to get your Great Little Moment? Help us find Singapore’s favourite ice cream, dessert, tea and coffee vendors by casting your vote and you and a friend could be invited to join in and eat to your heart’s content at The Singapore Tea Party!

Vote for your favourite dessert at SensodyneSG Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SensodyneSG) and you might be the lucky one to join me at The Singapore Tea Party!

Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant’s origins began as a humble “Nasi Padang” concept. Owner Ms Liyana Kwan is dedicated to serve great tasting Indonesian fare that everyone is familiar with. As the years go by, she has gained a loyal pool of diners and established a full fledge restaurant in Amoy Street.

The CBD crowd took an immediate liking to the all-new Pagi Sore. From a mere 40-seater at Amoy Street, Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant reestablished itself at the 130-seater Far East Square, churning out fresh and piping hot dishes with no-compromise policy on quality, efficiency and service. While I was still working in Raffles Place, Pagi Sore used to be one of my favourite lunch/dinner spot.

Just a month ago, Pagi Sore Indonesian Restaurant has opened a NEW OUTLET in Tagore Lane. It got me excited because the restaurant is now nearer to home. When I visited the quiet industrial estate at night for dinner at Pagi Sore, I was attracted by the huge and windy space. They have ample parking space so you can drop by with your family for lunch/dinner.

We kick off the feast with a non-spicy dish of Ayam Bali ($5.80 small; $14.80 medium). The boneless chicken thigh was grilled to smoky goodness, and brushed on with sweet & spicy kecap manis. Its tender chunks of lean meat and flavourful crisp skin, is a tantalising appetiser.

What definitely won’t fall into the healthy category is Tahu Telor ($10.20). Beancurd and egg are deep-fried until it becomes a crispy, fluffy tower. It is best enjoyed with accompanying special sweet sauce. For something less sinful, stir-fried long beans with belacan chilli ($8.80 small, $9.80 medium) provides a more balanced meal. A crunchy texture coupled with their spicy belachan chilli makes this dish a mouth watering delight.

Instead of the usual butter crab, Pagi Sore serves Wok Fried Butter Prawn with Spices ($23.50). Prawns are fried with sweet and rich butter, spices and crunchy chilli leaves! Try it with the shell on and relish the crunchy texture packed with goodness of butter. The curry leaves lend a distinct and exotic flavor and complement the richness of butter.

If there is one dish that you die die must try, it would be the Ikan Otah Kukus. Unlike the usual otahs, the leather jacket fish is steamed under a frond of sweet potato leaf, delicately marinated with spice paste and coconut milk. The otah paste has a balance of sweetness and spiciness, simply sedap!

I ended the meal with a cup of Chendol ($5.50) – a lovely mix of chedol jelly, red beans, palm sugar and a hearty splash of coconut milk. It’s a windy night to enjoy flavourful Indonesian food and chendol. For your information, the white rice ($1.60) here is wrapped in fresh-cut banana leaves and steamed together to infuse the fragrance.

Pagi Sore
Address: 50 Tagore Lane
Tel: 6511 2942
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm

A few months ago, I had plans to start my own restaurant. It was spur of the moment as the idea was raised during a casual lunch with a friend. Then things started to get serious as we met potential partners for a chat, research for possible bank loans, looking for a location, brainstorming for a PR angle etc. What stopped me from moving forward is the capital involved. Besides the killer rental prices in Singapore, we still need to do renovation, buy furniture, equipment etc. Then I look at the monthly bill I am paying for my future home, I started to wonder if I have the budget to start a restaurant.

So I really admire restaurant owners who can keep the fire burning. Not only do you need an excellent location, you need good products, extensive experience and passion. I have been to Butter Studio countless times, but that day was the first time I met the owner, Shannon. A sincere and passionate lady, she grew up in a family of home bakers. Her grandmother is very good in baking and their house is always filled with smell of butter (hence the name).

Adapting from her grandmother’s recipes, she started baking and eventually, she gave up her corp comms job to start a kiosk in Changi Airport. Her perseverance led her to bigger things. Three years ago, she started her halal-certified bakery in Jalan Besar (opposite Jalan Besar Food Centre). To get the halal certification, she took great pains to source for the appropriate ingredients for her cakes. I know how it’s like because I have worked with a halal certified cafe and seen through the effort they took to source for their ingredients.

Butter Studio has a good variety of bakes. One of the signatures (which will also be my wedding cake) is the Ispahan (Lychee Rose Cake). The cake is tender and moist, complemented by sweetness of lychee and lingering aroma of rose. For me, I always go for their salted gula melaka cupcake. The pandan cupcake is stuffed with gula melaka filling and infused with salted gula melaka cream cheese. I simply love local flavours! Other flavours that I have tried include Salted Caramel Red Velvet Cake, Nutella Tart and Speculoos Cookie Butter Tart. Butter Studio also does beautiful dessert table for weddings and events. They will be doing my wedding dessert table, I can’t wait for the day to come. Soooo excited!! P/S if you are wondering, how is my restaurant plan going? Well, I still hope this little dream of mine comes true. Interested investor please email me misstamchiak@gmail.com

Butter Studio (*halal certified*)
Address: 147 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208865
Tel: 6294 7115
Website: http://www.thebutterstudio.com
Opening hours: Mon 12pm to 11pm; Wed & Thu 12pm to 11pm; Fri & Sat 12pm to 12am; Sun 12pm to 11pm. Closed every Tuesday.