Whenever I travel abroad, people always ask, “What is a typically Singaporean thing to do over the weekend?” to which I often reply, “Shopping and Eating”. There aren’t many places for you to shop at in Singapore and I usually head to Orchard Road. Orchard Central is one of the better malls I prefer as it looks modern, sophisticated and new. There is a range of local and international brands and as a foodie, I was taken on a unique gastronomical experience at Orchard Central. Furthermore, all Japanese enthusiasts can look forward to a spectacular repertoire of all things Japanese within Orchard Central with an array of fashion, beauty and dining offerings.

Uniqlo (Global Flagship Store)
Unit: #01-01/02-01/03-01
Website: http://www.uniqlo.com/sg/

We’re pretty sure Uniqlo needs no introduction but do you know that Southeast Asia’s first Uniqlo’s Global Flagship store is situated at Orchard Central? This Japanese brand boasts comfortable clothes that cater to different age groups and keeps its designs updated, according to the ever-changing seasons in Japan. My friends and I like purchasing Uniqlo’s high quality clothes which are affordably priced. Selected designs from UT collections have been made available for the first time in Singapore at the Flagship store.

Beginning from 4 November 2016, Magic for All Project will be launched with fun new items featuring vintage styling. The two new lines for this season are Varsity and Outdoors. The inspiration for Varsity line was fashion and athletic lifestyles of college campuses across the United States, presented in vintage styles. Knits and sweats feature college-style logos incorporating popular characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The Outdoor range extends from knits and flannel shirts to popular Ultra Light Down styles for keeping warm, and looking cool while out and about. This lineup includes retro styling in chic hues and fun items featuring popular Disney characters.

Carine Roitfeld Collection for Fall/Winter 2016 will also be launched from 11 November 2016, focusing on the beauty of career women. This charismatic fashion editor with a huge influence on the fashion world hopes to bring stylish elegance to women with active lifestyles. The lineup features popular imitation fur and a Chesterfield overcoat and adds items that help create the ideal wardrobe for career women, from outerwear to knits, suit separates, belts, tights and accessories.

TOKYU HANDS
Unit: #B1-07
Tel: 6834 3755

TOKYU HANDS deals with all kinds of products, such as high quality and high functional living-ware, fancy made-in-Japan bags, convenient travel goods, the latest Japanese stationery, unique articles and topical beauty products. Moreover, this is a shop where you can find innovative and interesting gadgets and accessories that make your life more comfortable and enjoyable hence, making Tokyu Hands the one-stop shop chock-full of all kinds of goods arranged under different categories.

Tanuki Raw
Unit: #04-01
Website: http://tanukibar.com/
Tel: 6636 5949

Tanuki Raw is popular for its Happy Hour cocktails, oysters and sashimi. Owner Howard wants to create tasty, fun, flavourful food in a relaxed environment. You can choose to dine indoors if you’re afraid of the heat or enjoy the view outside from a high vantage point. Tanuki Raw introduces unique creations that are first-of-its-kind in Singapore such as savoury donuts and Herumetto. We also tried the Mini Salted Duck Egg Char Siew Sliders which has a good balance of fats and lean meat, giving a tender and chewy texture. Simply delightful! The highlight for us was the Foie Gras Truffle Yakiniku Donburi which manages to hit all the right spots. A generous portion of perfectly pan-seared foie gras, accompanied by tender and flavourful US Black Angus short rib with an oozy onsen egg, mixed with truffle soy and black garlic brown butter over Tanuki’s signature rice. It’s irresistible! This is a great spot for gatherings with friends after work.

POMPOMPURIN Café
Unit: #04-08
Tel: 6509 8672
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm daily

POMPOMPURIN Café has made its first appearance in Southeast Asia and it’s located at none other than Orchard Central. Die-hard fans can expect to be surrounded by all things Pompompurin at this café. Besides being greeted with a canine-themed decoration, the full menu consists of cute-looking food and drinks in the shape of Pompompurin. If you’re someone who must begin your day with caffeine, you can opt for the Love Love Hot Marshmallow Latte. As for the food, we tried Taco Rice in a Cup of Friendship but we prefer Pompompurin’s Coconut Milk Chicken Curry more. There are other mains which include Pompompurin’s Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti Napolitana and Everybody Gather Around! Picnic Plate, just to name a few.

End your meal on a sweet note with the Bagel’s Special Pancake Tower ($21.99) for dessert, which includes a Pompompurin take-home souvenir mug. This is a decadent dessert with five layers of pancakes filled with various sauces such as caramel, chocolate, custard and more. This dessert is accompanied by some fresh chopped fruits too. You can also purchase Pompompurin merchandise and bring it home as a souvenir.

Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant
Unit: #08-01/02/03
Tel: 6736 1216

Kiseki always has a full house and snaking queues, especially on weekends. For a very reasonable price, you get cold seafood, sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, robatayaki (Japanese grill), yakitori (skewers), nabemono (hot pot items), agemono (deep-fried items), mushimono (steamed items), Japanese Western pasta and pizza and so much more, unlimited! If you want something healthy, there is also a salad and soba corner accompanied with different Japanese sauces and salad dressings prepared from home-made recipes. There are live cooking stations where you get to enjoy piping hot food off the stove using the freshest ingredients, prepared right before your eyes.

There are some dishes where you just have to leave a clip of your table number at the station and the food will be conveniently delivered to your table. There are also cakes and puddings available and did we mention, fruit chocolate fondue?! With such a large variety of food offerings, Kiseki Japanese Buffet is affordably priced, making the restaurant a good place for unwinding after a week of hard work.

Tonkichi
Unit: #07-06
Tel: 6238 7976

If you’ve been to Japan, have a slight inclination towards Japanese dining culture, you’d be familiar with that breaded cut of meat which the Japanese hold so dearly to their heart. “Tonkatsu” meaning “fried pork cutlet”, is a staple in the menus of most eateries in Japan. Bringing this culture to Singapore is Tonkichi – the specialist in Tonkatsu locally for the past 20 years. Tonkichi has thoughtfully balanced the original native taste to suit our local preference. The interiors of the restaurant are decorated in a manner such that local diners get a feel of Japan. Hearty diners will be in for a treat as rice and cabbage slices can be refilled at no additional cost for all set meals. You also set a selection of Sashimi, Sushi and side dishes besides the best-selling Tonkatsu.

Nantsuttei
Unit: #07-12/13
Tel: 6337 7166

Owner-chef Ichiro Furuya found his life’s calling at the age of 27 years old. The moment that changed his life was chancing upon a mass of people lining up in front of a ramen shop while he was watching television. At that moment, he thought to himself, “That’s what I want!” Soon after, Ichiro went to Kyushu to learn the secrets of the art of ramen and after wandering around trying ramen at various shops, he found a flavour that he loved in Kumamoto. He began to study there and opened Nantsuttei in his hometown of Hadano a year later.

Be prepared to indulge in a rich, creamy broth made from pork bone. Floating on the surface of the broth is the fragrant black roast garlic oil, a flavour that has not changed since the restaurant first opened. This oil is an iconic component of the Nantsuttei flavour created by frying garlic over seven phases and mixing it into a balanced blend for an exquisite harmony of flavours. This oil complements the soup, noodles and toppings and come together to create a perfectly balanced and slurp-worthy ramen.

Whether you’re shopping or dining at Orchard Central, you’re bound to have a good time. Besides the Japanese shops and eateries we have mentioned above, there are other Japanese establishments you can check out such as En Sakaba, Henri Charpentier, Datsumo Labo, ES Beauty Tokyo and many more.

This post was brought to you by Orchard Central.

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The culinary talents behind RedRing Treasure are Boss David and Lady Boss Esther as they gradually improve on their recipes, based on the original RedRing Wanton Mee at Holland Drive, which was developed by Roy, a Chemistry Student from NUS. After tweaking it to Version 5, they kept their recipes locked in a safe and the exact formulation is only known to 4 family members. RedRing Treasures specialize in frying up crispy, succulent chicken, pork and fish cutlets, served either with their signature red sauce noodles or curry rice.

David and Esther believe in serving up quality food hence, they make their own sauces, boil their own broths, slice cutlets and marinade them all painstakingly by hand using their secret recipes. Everything at RedRing Treasures is made meticulously on a daily basis from fresh ingredients obtained from local wet markets.

We tried all the cutlets – chicken, pork and fish – and felt that the chicken cutlet was the star of RedRing Treasures. These cutlets are marinated for 24 hours in their secret marinade to allow maximum infusion of flavour into the meat. Their cutlets are freshly fried upon order so you get a crispy exterior with a tender and juicy interior. The noodles that are made using special high protein flour and whole chicken eggs boast a springy texture and a full-bodied flavour when accompanied by RedRing Treasures’ signature umami rich sauces, which complement the cutlets very well. We really enjoyed RedRing Treasures’ signature red sauce, made with a strong pork bone broth boiled for 4 hours, before it is combined with their secret ‘rempah’ paste that consists of 14 ingredients.

The Chicken Cutlet Noodle costs $5.90 while the Pork & Fish Combo Cutlet Curry Rice costs $7.10. Curry is served in a bowl, with a huge chunk of potato. It really packs a good punch and goes well with the cutlets and rice. Being located in a central area, RedRing Treasures is easily accessible and almost always crowded so you should go earlier to avoid long queues. They also offer squid cutlet and sides such as mushroom fritters, FuPi dumplings and onion blossom.

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

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Hokkien mee – do you prefer something more wet or dry? I like mine that’s more dry and stir fried with bee hoon and yellow noodles. Two weeks ago, we gathered at this old school coffeeshop along Serangoon Road for zichar but tried the Original Serangoon Fried Hokkien Mee as well.

The owner apparently learnt from the original chef. The stock has got mild seafood flavour and they use the thick laksa noodles here that oaks the flavours till it becomes gooey with some smoky flavour. The sambal chilli helped to lift the flavours of the noodles.

Original Serangoon Fried Hokkien Mee is moist with pork belly, small prawns and squid. Honestly, I still prefer my Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee and Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee though. This is not as eggy as a lot of hokkien mee out there though and you can ask for extra pork lard bits to put on your noodles. I think that really makes a difference.

Each plate of noodles cost $4 onwards, I suggest you order the $6 portion for takeaway because it comes with opeh leaves. Our packet of hokkien mee costs $15.

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

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For 11 years, Food Republic has been serving food from well sought-after brands, as well as creating new brands with unique characters. In recent months, the brand has brought in new and exciting flavours to the various outlets. Here are 5 new stalls you should try in Food Republic! In celebration of Food Republic’s 11th year, we are rewarding MissTamChiak.com readers with food vouchers as well. Read till the end to find out more!

Peramakan is a play of words from the word ‘Peranakan’ meaning ‘local-born’ and ‘makan’, a Malay word to eat. Marrying two great cultures together, Peranakan cuisine comes the preparation techniques of both traditional Chinese and Malay cooking, hence the taste is distinctive and filled with exciting flavours made from local herbs and spices.

Chef Kathryn Ho is a true-blue Nyonya and the brainchild behind PeraMakan. Bring back the food from her childhood days, all dishes are made from fresh ingredients, without preservatives and food enhancers. Good news is, they have opened an outlet at Food Republic VivoCity so you get to try a whole range of delicious Peranakan dishes at food court prices!

Mention “Peranakan” and the image of “Ayam Buah Keluak” immediately jumps up in your head. The tender chicken in PeraMakan is bathed in a rich “rempah” (pounded spice paste) gravy and is a natural companion to the soft and succulent flesh as you “dig” into this hard nut. Kathryn’s rendition of Babi Pong Tay didn’t disappoint as well. Fatty and decadent pork belly is stew with dried mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots flavoured with bean paste till it is melt-worthy. Other signature dishes that you can find in the new Food Republic stall includes Ikan Garam Assam, Nyonya Chap Chye and Sambal Bendi. Not forgetting the whole range of nyonya kuehs and buns!

Counting over 750 outlets across China, Shi Miao Dao (十秒到) specialises in one of Yunnan’s most famous heritage dishes – “crossing-the-bridge rice noodles”. Here, bowls are heated to 250 degree celcius so that assorted ingredients are cooked rapidly within 10 seconds when tossed into the bubbling soup stock rendered from simmering chicken and pork bones.

You can choose from different soup base such as Original ($7.80), Mala Soup ($8.50), Tomato Soup ($8.50) and Pickled Cabbage ($8.50). Each soup and noodles is accompanied with a spread of ingredients such as chicken drumlet/wing, tofu skin, black fungus, ham, corn, quail egg, spring onion, vegetables, old vinegar peanuts and seafood.

Their stock base is made with pork and chicken bones simmered for at least 6 hours. I like the Tomato Soup where fresh, crushed tomatoes are added to give that tangy and rich flavor. The Pickled Cabbage soup also impressed me. Made with finely grated cabbage and green chilli pickled in aged vinegar, the soup is sharp with moderate spiciness. Noodles are added at the last to absorb all the flavours from the ingredients and soup. To pair with the noodles, you can also enjoy some Sweet and Sour Radish and Old Vinegar Black Fungus.

Part of Food Republic at the basement of Shaw House has been redeveloped to include five new Japanese concepts, all of which aim to provide quality Japanese cuisine at pocket-friendly prices. Choices are endless, from Sushi to Teppanyaki to Tendon, it’s really a heaven for Japanese food lovers.

We are definitely in love with the hearty Tendon ($11.80). Deep fried till perfection, you get eight crispy tempura with a bowl of Japanese rice and a delicious sauce. The taste isn’t as strong as it looks, but rather light and easy on the stomach. The star in the food court is the beautiful box of Unagi Seiro Mushi ($28.80). The steamed Japanese rice is nicely stacked with sliced teriyaki eel that gives a sweet hint to the meal.

If you like Teppanyaki like me, try the US Angus Beef Lemon Steak ($18.80) from Gyu Tetsu Teppanyaki. The perks of eating Teppanyaki is, you get to watch the chef in action and enjoy freshly cooked dishes! The thinly sliced beef is cooked on the Teppanyaki hotplate before putting it in the flat iron and drizzling with their homemade citrus sauce to cut the oiliness from the meat.

I eat the Food Republic frequently but I haven’t visited the 313@Somerset outlet. The space here is really spacious and airy, which makes dining enjoyable. I have always supported young F&B entrepreneurs and this time round, I met 24-year-old Chef Tan who was trained under many popular restaurants in Singapore and then opened his first outlet here – Tan’s Pasta.

I am always attracted to the colour of pesto. The gorgeous green colour speaks the vivid flavour we can get from the herbs. Made with basil, pinenuts and grana padano Italian cheese, Pesto Linguine ($7) is a delicious combination of textures and flavors. For something creamy, the Carbonara Pasta ($7) uses a blend of cream, cheese and black pepper. I like it when some truffle oil adds aroma to the dish.

Tan’s Pasta not only serve pastas; they also have a good variety of western food such as the Roasted Chicken Chop ($8) where the chicken is marinated in spices and roasted in a salamander oven to its crispy skin and tender meat. Drizzled with mushroom sauce, it is then served with salad and potato wedges.

A brand created by Food Republic, Capitol Bak Chor Mee started from Capitol Piazza and has now opened another outlet at Manulife Centre, Level 1! Sink your teeth into the bowl of Bak Chor Mee with noodles cooked till al dente and tossed with generous amount of chilli, soy sauce and vinegar. It’s one fiery bowl of noodles to start but the vinegar helps to tame it a little. I like to request my BCM with more vinegar.

The unique salted fish bits adds a nice crunch, complemented with pig’s liver, sliced pork, dumplings and pork lard. As part of their opening special, you can enjoy a bowl of Minced Meat Noodle (small) for only $5.00 (U.P. $5.50)!

GIVEAWAY

In celebration of Food Republic’s 11th year, they are giving away $20 dining vouchers to 5 lucky winners! Simply share with me your favourite dish at Food Republic under the comments to win! Closing date: 14 November 2016. Good Luck!

Also, from now till 6 December, Food Republic is giving away many attractive prizes! Log on to www.foodrepublictreats.com to find out more!

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Opened in 2014, owner-chef Ms Viparat Saibua, affectionately known by her loyal customers as Cat, has been whipping up simple classic Thai dishes that make you feel as though you’re physically in Bangkok savouring authentic Thai food. She came to Singapore 14 years ago and worked at a food court below Orchard Road’s Meridien Hotel, handling both Thai and Korean stalls. Influenced by her own ethnic background and tastes that she has grown up with, it’s no wonder the Thai food served at Sisaket at Bukit Merah View draws a huge crowd.

We went on a Friday night for dinner and waited about half an hour as there were many customers who called in to place their take-away orders before they went down to collect their food. We started with Thai Mango Salad ($4). The vegetables and peanuts gave a really good crunch and the flavours of mangoes were really distinct. We’re glad that the mangoes’ sweetness managed to neutralize the usual spiciness of Thai salads.

The Thai Seafood Tom Yam Soup ($5) consists of fresh, tender fish slices and prawns and it came with a bowl of white rice. The rice came in handy as this Tom Yam soup lit our mouths on fire. Thais really like their food spicy – “phet”. In fact, they like it really spicy – “phet mak”! If you can’t handle too spicy food, ask Cat for something “mai phet” (not spicy) or “phet nit nawy” (a little spicy).

How can one not order Pineapple Fried Rice ($4) when patronizing a Thai hawker or restaurant? The plate of yellow rice arrived looking very ordinary but don’t be deceived! This was actually the highlight of our dinner. The rice was fragrant and had a good consistency – each grain was well-flavoured with the sweetness of pineapple. Furthermore, it was topped with pork floss that made the rice tastier.

Another dish that you can’t miss out on at a Thai eatery is their Phad Thai ($4). Rice noodles are stir-fried with generous amounts of eggs and chopped tofu. Cat’s assistant controlled the fire and timing really well as the noodles were slightly moist, with a strong eggy flavour. The squids were cooked just right and isn’t hard unlike most stalls that tend to overcook their squids.

Sisaket Thai Food stall also offers other commonly found Thai food such as basil leaf minced chicken or pork with rice, green curry chicken and some other dishes. If you’re looking for an affordable place to satisfy that Thai food craving, Sisaket Thai Food is a good choice. Cat is also very friendly and eager to recommend what’s good on the menu. Our dining experience left us in a really good mood!

READ: 7 Outstanding Stalls at Bukit Merah View Food Centre

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

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Yoi Sake Bar and Kurama Robatayaki opened its doors in early August 2016. This 2-in-1 destination is a collaboration between two passionate, highly-experienced and very talented chefs, Raymond Tan and Max Lai. The two distinct spaces enable customers to not only enjoy authentic Japanese dishes, yet at the same time, let loose and unwind with Japanese sakes. In October 2016, a dessert chef from Hong Kong’s Tenku RyuGin, the first overseas branch of prestigious Michelin 3-starred Nihonryori RyuGin in Japan, has joined the team, introducing finely-crafted Japanese desserts.

Step into the entrance and you’ll be greeted by a riot of colours at Yoi Sake Bar, from the row of dancing “koinobori” (carp streamers), bar tables made out of plastic crates to the anime-inspired imagery that decorates the walls. Yoi Sake Bar is inspired by the tiny watering holes lining the narror alleys in Japan where hordes of “salarymen” head to after work for a drink, or ten. Housed within the chillers at Yoi Sake Bar are more than 50 types of sake, of which Kokuryu, Jyuyomdai and Isojiman, are exclusive. Warning: this isn’t a somber place to hang your head after a long day’s work.

You’ve to fill your tummies before beginning your round of sakes hence, embark on a gastronomic journey at Kurama Robatayaki, an intimate space further inside. You’ll be awed by the culinary performance as chefs prepare a feast in full view of customers, with produce imported from Japan and other parts of the world. Thus, on any given day, customers can expect to savour scallops from Australia, king crabs from Alaska, lamb from New Zealand, as well as, beef and vegetables from Japan.

We started with the Truffle Onsen Salad, a colourful bowl of fresh lettuce, cherry tomatoes and garden salad, topped with a wobbly onsen egg and sprinkled with aromatic truffle oil. Toss everything together and you’ll get the contrast of crunchy vegetables against the silky texture of the egg. If you’re wondering why your onsen egg has a missing yolk, fret not as it might have been broken and flowed to the bottom of the bowl. Or, you can tell yourself that your bowl of salad is healthier – the “no cholesterol” version.

Most of the seafood at Kurama Robatayaki are flown in from Japan and we had the Grilled Hotate (scallop). The chefs would de-shell and clean the plump fresh scallops right in front of your eyes before dicing and plating them attractively back into the shell, adding mirin rice wine and generous amount of butter. Grilled to perfection, you can taste the natural sweetness of these succulent scallops, which finishes with a hint of smokiness.

Kurama Robatayaki are famous for their skewers and our favourite dishes are the Tsukune and Lychee Ham. The former is made up of a mixture of minced chicken with hidden chopped-up soft bones and drenched in a savoury sauce. It is served with a single raw egg yolk. Dip your chicken skewer into the egg and you’ll get a fantastic combination of taste and textures!

The latter, on the other hand, leans towards a sweeter note as lychee, flown in from Thailand or China, depending on season, is enveloped within slices of ham before being grilled. This dish is specially curated by the chefs and one bite gives a surprising burst of sweetness in the middle, which is balanced well with the savouriness of the ham.

Other skewers include grilled chicken, chicken wings and wagyu omi beef cubes. Japanese believed that omi beef was originally used over 400 years ago to show hospitality to the warrior, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Later on, in the Edo period, it was presented as a gift to the Shogun, and the average person only began to eat it after the country was reopened in the Meiji period. Kurama Robatayaki is where you can try how fatty yet tender omi beef is.

We also had Mackerel Pike, where the chef explained that the stomach area of this fish is meant to be a little bitter as this would mean that the fish is fresh. Mackerel Pike fish is only available during autumn. If its stomach doesn’t taste bitter, it would mean that the fish isn’t in season anymore. The cooking process is very simple as the chef only sprays sake (not the drinking type) to keep the meat moist before grilling and season the fish only with salt. Dip the fish meat in Ponzu sauce and you get a nice flavour.

You can also order grilled sweet potato, kinoki butter yaki (mushrooms), garlic fried rice and many more items on their menu.

We had not one, but three, sweet-treats to end off our night. The best dessert was the Houjicha Crème Brulee as the custard was smooth and neither too eggy nor overwhelmingly sweet. It has a subtle flavour of roasted tea running throughout, simply enjoyable. The beautifully curated dessert – Peach Bavarois – is peach compote with Bavarois cream and raspberry jam, decorated with rose gelee and gold foil. This was amazingly light, with a pleasant sweetness. Lastly, the Gooseberry Panna Cotta looks impressive but unfortunately, didn’t manage to impress our palates.

Kurama Robatayaki is the place to go if you want an intimate and exclusive dining experience as there are only 15 seats, ensuring that the chefs get to interact with customers properly while doing the cooking. You can drop by after work and challenge Godzilla to a round or two of sake too! If you want a bottle of sake to enjoy at home, Yoi’s range is also available for purchase. Overall, we had a great dining experience at Kurama Robatayaki and enjoyed watching the chefs work their magic and serving our food on oars.

Note: This is an invited tasting.

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As its name suggests, PoTeaTo combines potatoes and tea, which might sound a bit unusual for most of us. Well, it’s not that bad as you have the clean, soothing element from a good pot of tea to cut the heaviness from a potato dish. PoTeaTo’s ode to the spud is best sung in its lovingly curated potato dishes comprising potatoes mashed, thick cut, drizzled with truffle oil or just classically baked. Those with a sweet tooth may find an affinity for PoTeaTo’s sweet potato fries, which tantalize with its savoury sweet flavour. Not only are these sweet spuds delicious, they are complex carbohydrates, high in fiber and Vitamin A. It’s time to have your spud and eat it!

We paired the PTT Platter ($16) which includes truffle fries, sweet potato fries, wedges and hash browns, with the Honeydew Green Pot O’ Tea selection ($6.80). The truffle fries are really amazing as the strong truffle flavour has been well brought out. Our PTT Platter also came with our desired choices of three dips – wasabi mayo, nacho cheese and Thai chilli. We felt that the wasabi mayo hit all the right spots while the nacho cheese will make cheese lovers out there scream for more. The Thai chilli however, tasted very ordinary. As for the Honeydew Green Pot O’ Tea, we really enjoyed the subtle sweetness from the honeydew, balanced perfectly with the natural bitterness of tea.

For our mains, we tried Gone Swimming ($18.90) which consists of creamy mashed potatoes with grilled salmon and served with peach salsa. The well-marinated salmon was grilled to perfection and tasted fresh and tender. The fruity peach salsa was a good complement as it enhanced the flavours of the grilled salmon, giving it a refreshing twist and a good textural crunch.

We also had the Laksa Cream Spag Pasta ($17.90) boasting spaghetti cooked to al dente and fresh seafood such as prawns and clams, tossed in a creamy Laksa sauce. The sauce was slightly spicy, with a strong coconut milk flavouring. It’s quite a heavy base and we recommend sharing this pasta among two persons, so that it doesn’t feel too “gelat” after a few mouthfuls.

Besides serving hot tea selections, PoTeaTo also offers their own concoctions of iced tea such as the Iced Peach Lychee Tea ($5.60) we had. Its sweetness isn’t too overwhelming and it manages to perk us up almost instantly.

PoTeaTo also serves brunch on weekends. This is a really cozy café set amidst Tiong Bahru estate. You can pop by on a lazy afternoon with a good read and enjoy their tea and cakes or you can catch up and chillax here with your friends or colleagues after work. We found their tea pairing with potato dishes unique and somewhat tasty.

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

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It’s not easy to be an online food writer. Somehow, we have a hard time earning the same respect as our print-publication counter-parts. For all my hawker writing, I made anonymous visits and paid for my own meals. But as with all food writing, the descriptions and experience are so subjective and it may be totally different from how we experience it.

Edmond Chicken Rice and I didn’t start off on a good note. The young chicken rice owner was angry with one of my hawker recommendations and slammed me on my Facebook. I don’t blame him because he queued 2 hours and didn’t get a impressive bowl of noodles. But I was just upset for the words he used, which somehow affected my reputation. So we found out about his chicken rice stall and decided to give it a try.

Was I here for revenge? Well, I definitely can do it easily. But I decided to take the harder route and focus on writing about the stall objectively. After all, we are here to make more friends and not enemies right? So what’s their selling point? They cook decent chicken rice that’s halal certified. That’s a big deal because our Muslim friends can then enjoy a delicious plate of chicken rice in Tanglin Halt!

34-year-old Edmond started working for chicken rice stalls when he was 16 years old. One of his previous job was to cook chicken rice in a halal food court and that’s where he became experienced in halal food and started his own business Edmond Chicken Rice in Tanglin Halt about 8 years ago.

At Tanglin Halt outlet, he teaches an Indonesian couple how to cook chicken rice and they have been with him for many years and are good cooks! The poached chicken is juicy and tender with glistening skin and goes well with the mildly-flavoured rice. I would love the rice to be more flavourful and comes with a punch, but my husband prefers it this way. Don’t be fooled by the pale looking chilli sauce. Their chilli sauce is really power, gives you the kick immediately. Very shiok!

Priced at $3.50, it is slightly more expensive than usual chicken rice at coffeeshop. I would recommend you get the drumstick version for 50 cents more.

I have been there a few times and on my recent visit, I ordered the Roast Chicken Noodles ($3.50) and in fact, I was more impressed with its roast chicken with thin but slight crispy skin as well as tender meat with a hint of sesame oil, and salty-skinned.

If you are heading there and searching the address on google, note that it is “blk 46-1” and not “blk 461”. They have another branch at Blk 11 Telok Blangah Crescent #01-110 Singapore (090011).

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

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Set against the backdrop of central business district, Crystal Jade Prestige offers a repertoire of Cantonese specialties that have been refined and elevated with modern culinary techniques and incorporate top quality ingredients. This contemporary Chinese restaurant has recently refreshed its menu with new specialty creations. Now it’s time to bring your families over for a good meal!

To begin, Chilled Organic Tomatoes with Sesame Sauce ($10.80) are bursting with sweetness, nuttiness and subtle tanginess. It definitely opens the palate and prepares us for the sumptuous meal ahead.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating the colourful Prestige Dim Sum Platter ($10.80 per portion). The assortment is tempting, comprising of prawn & carrot dumpling with black truffle, assorted mushroom dumpling, osmanthus dumpling with prawn and celery and water chestnut with olive and parsley. These are classic dim sum reinterpreted in a cute way. The dumplings are plump and grease-free. It’s all good.

Undoubtedly, the show-stopper among the additions is the Best of Both Worlds ($48/whole) – a duo platter comprising of Classic and Prestige Pipa duck with fermented beancurd sauce.

I’d be happy with either of these as both are delicious! The butterflied duck is marinated for 10 hours with a homemade spice blend and air-dried for 10 hours to achieve the extraordinary, crackling-crisp skin; the mark of an excellent Chinese roast duck. The duck is basted with golden maltose sugar before roasted to a perfect finish.

The Prestige Pipa rendition is brushed with an additional coat of fermented beancurd sauce which imparts an extra umami boost to the fatty meat. The glistening dark brown skin of each piece says it all.

Not only can you enjoy perfectly- executed ducks, you can also savour a compact selection of specialities from MICHELIN one star restaurant – Crystal Jade Golden Palace. Baked Lamb Rack with Red Wine & Black Pepper ($19/pax) is an east-meets-west creation. A succulent lamb chop is simmered red wine; which adds body and sweetness, and finished with a black pepper sauce. The result is a deep, dark and rich flavour reminiscent of coq au vin.

Other highlights include a fragrant Stir-Fried Assorted Mushrooms with Basil in Claypot ($22 small, $33 medium, $44 large) and Signature Fried Rice ($20 small, $30 medium, $40 large). The fried rice looks unassuming but it’s imbued with the breath of the wok and studded with egg, spring onions, crunchy diced homemade radish and some finely-chopped salted fish.

I know you are already rubbing your belly by now but hey, how can we resist these sweet temptations? Steamed Pandan Bun with Green Tea Custard ($6.80 per portion) is a pandan-infused bun enveloping a creamy molten matcha lava and salted egg yolk; while the Coconut Jelly with Fresh Milk in Coconut ($8.80) is served chilled with coconut flesh. Crystal Jade Golden Palace’s Sugar Coated Yam ($13) is addictive. It’s light yet fragrant, coated with crystallized sugar.

RECOMMENDED MICHELIN DINNER SETS

Available daily, Crystal Jade Prestige has also crafted two exclusive MICHELIN set menus comprising highly-recommended dishes from One MICHELIN-starred sister establishment; Crystal Jade Golden Palace.

Priced at $58 and $68 per person (minimum of 2 persons), key highlight dishes include Chilled Foie Gras infused with Japanese sake, Crackling Suckling Pig Roll with Black Truffle Pearl Rice and Sugar Coated Yam.

Jadeite members, DBS/POSB and Standard Chartered cardmembers can enjoy these dinner sets at $48 and $58 respectively.

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The culinary talents behind RedRing Treasure are Boss David and Lady Boss Esther as they gradually improve on their recipes, based on the original RedRing Wanton Mee at Holland Drive, which was developed by Roy, a Chemistry Student from NUS. After tweaking it to Version 5, they kept their recipes locked in a safe and the exact formulation is only known to 4 family members. RedRing Treasures specialize in frying up crispy, succulent chicken, pork and fish cutlets, served either with their signature red sauce noodles or curry rice.

David and Esther believe in serving up quality food hence, they make their own sauces, boil their own broths, slice cutlets and marinade them all painstakingly by hand using their secret recipes. Everything at RedRing Treasures is made meticulously on a daily basis from fresh ingredients obtained from local wet markets.

We tried all the cutlets – chicken, pork and fish – and felt that the chicken cutlet was the star of RedRing Treasures. These cutlets are marinated for 24 hours in their secret marinade to allow maximum infusion of flavour into the meat. Their cutlets are freshly fried upon order so you get a crispy exterior with a tender and juicy interior. The noodles that are made using special high protein flour and whole chicken eggs boast a springy texture and a full-bodied flavour when accompanied by RedRing Treasures’ signature umami rich sauces, which complement the cutlets very well. We really enjoyed RedRing Treasures’ signature red sauce, made with a strong pork bone broth boiled for 4 hours, before it is combined with their secret ‘rempah’ paste that consists of 14 ingredients.

The Chicken Cutlet Noodle costs $5.90 while the Pork & Fish Combo Cutlet Curry Rice costs $7.10. Curry is served in a bowl, with a huge chunk of potato. It really packs a good punch and goes well with the cutlets and rice. Being located in a central area, RedRing Treasures is easily accessible and almost always crowded so you should go earlier to avoid long queues. They also offer squid cutlet and sides such as mushroom fritters, FuPi dumplings and onion blossom.

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

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Opened in 2014, owner-chef Ms Viparat Saibua, affectionately known by her loyal customers as Cat, has been whipping up simple classic Thai dishes that make you feel as though you’re physically in Bangkok savouring authentic Thai food. She came to Singapore 14 years ago and worked at a food court below Orchard Road’s Meridien Hotel, handling both Thai and Korean stalls. Influenced by her own ethnic background and tastes that she has grown up with, it’s no wonder the Thai food served at Sisaket at Bukit Merah View draws a huge crowd.

We went on a Friday night for dinner and waited about half an hour as there were many customers who called in to place their take-away orders before they went down to collect their food. We started with Thai Mango Salad ($4). The vegetables and peanuts gave a really good crunch and the flavours of mangoes were really distinct. We’re glad that the mangoes’ sweetness managed to neutralize the usual spiciness of Thai salads.

The Thai Seafood Tom Yam Soup ($5) consists of fresh, tender fish slices and prawns and it came with a bowl of white rice. The rice came in handy as this Tom Yam soup lit our mouths on fire. Thais really like their food spicy – “phet”. In fact, they like it really spicy – “phet mak”! If you can’t handle too spicy food, ask Cat for something “mai phet” (not spicy) or “phet nit nawy” (a little spicy).

How can one not order Pineapple Fried Rice ($4) when patronizing a Thai hawker or restaurant? The plate of yellow rice arrived looking very ordinary but don’t be deceived! This was actually the highlight of our dinner. The rice was fragrant and had a good consistency – each grain was well-flavoured with the sweetness of pineapple. Furthermore, it was topped with pork floss that made the rice tastier.

Another dish that you can’t miss out on at a Thai eatery is their Phad Thai ($4). Rice noodles are stir-fried with generous amounts of eggs and chopped tofu. Cat’s assistant controlled the fire and timing really well as the noodles were slightly moist, with a strong eggy flavour. The squids were cooked just right and isn’t hard unlike most stalls that tend to overcook their squids.

Sisaket Thai Food stall also offers other commonly found Thai food such as basil leaf minced chicken or pork with rice, green curry chicken and some other dishes. If you’re looking for an affordable place to satisfy that Thai food craving, Sisaket Thai Food is a good choice. Cat is also very friendly and eager to recommend what’s good on the menu. Our dining experience left us in a really good mood!

READ: 7 Outstanding Stalls at Bukit Merah View Food Centre

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

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Hana Japanese Restaurant has been talk of the town lately as they made headlines for their “flying noodles”. Located at The Forum, slightly away from the busier streets of Orchard Road, we didn’t expect a huge crowd but we were completely astounded upon reaching the restaurant around 7pm on a Wednesday night. There were 20 plus people queuing in front of us and we were only seated around 8.45pm. Although the wait was long, we would like to compliment Hana Japanese Restaurant for giving out mini chocolate desserts to the customers waiting in line.

Our food arrived around 9pm and we were starving! The side dishes we shared were Grilled Pufferfish ($15) and Lobster Mayo Sushi Tacos ($15). The former was a tad disappointing as it tasted similar to cuttlefish where we can get almost everywhere. It had a chewy and slightly sticky texture which weren’t that enjoyable.

The latter, on the other hand is a recreation of lobster rolls. It contains lobster mayo sushi encased within a crispy taco exterior. We liked the bursts of juicy flavours from the roe, and enjoyed the mix of textural differences between the crunchy exterior and creamy filling. This is a great starter, so appetising it whets your appetite for more.

The two flavours of “flying noodles” we had were Flying Truffle Somen with Ikura and Sakura Ebi ($20) and Flying Salted Egg Yolk Udon ($18). The long waiting time in the queue made us a little angst hence thinking that “the food better be damn good!” Unfortunately, the truffle somen was not executed well. The somen itself has a light texture and light taste which we liked but the truffle sauce was too strong for our liking.

The Flying Salted Egg Yolk Udon fared much better. Giving Japanese dish a local twist and joining the current salted egg yolk craze, this dipping sauce was curated just right! It boasts a creamy and smooth texture, spiced up a little by curry leaves and chilli padi. This sauce leans towards a sweeter side and we think it’s better than some zi char stalls out there. However, pairing the udon with this sauce weren’t our cup of tea.

Due to Hana Japanese Restaurant’s extensive menu offerings, you might be spoilt for choice so we recommend their 4×3 grid box ($38). Basically, the chef would pick an assortment of 12 small bites of chawanmushi, tempura, sashimi and maki, just to name a few, to be served in each grid box to surprise you and these items change every time so you don’t always get the same food. Our favourite was the thick and fresh slices of salmon, octopus, scallop and tuna sashimi.

Matcha-misu ($15) was a saving grace which ended our night on a sweet note! It’s decorated like a terrarium and so pretty that we didn’t bear to eat it until many photos have been taken. The first bite was heavenly as it features a velvety, creamy texture with a subtle matcha flavour. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, perfect for die-hard fans of matcha!

We’re pretty sure all restaurants have their fair share of hits and misses. As good as the “flying noodles” gimmick draws crowd to Hana Japanese Restaurant, they probably got to improve on the taste of these noodles. The restaurant also serve Chirashi, Omakase and a variety of rice dishes as well so it’s better to go in bigger groups so as to try more items!

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

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Asakusa is one of the main sightseeing spots in Tokyo. It has a smell of old, historical Tokyo like nowhere else. There are many small little alleys with unique shops, and is particularly famous for Sensoji Temple.

Even though easily accessible by foot, I highly recommend you to hop on the rickshaw to go around the town where the macho men will introduce you to the history of the town, buildings, shops, and restaurants, as well as to other fun facts. Here are 7 things to do in Asakusa.

1. Put on Kimono and take photos

The store provides three dress-up plans at different prices and they allow you to dress up in pretty kimonos and then take a stroll around the area. The designs have got quite a variety and the staff can be your kimono stylist for the day. The whole experience is 4000 yen. Visit Yumenoya website (http://www.tokyo-samurai.com) for more information

2. Be a Sumurai Trainer

Want to know how to fight like a samurai? Yoo can also take a Ninja Lesson at Yumenoya in Asakusa! This is Ukon Takafuji, our sword dance instructor who is also a dance master. After changing into a hakama or kimono, we walked to yumenoya and learnt basic sword forms and movements. It’s really interesting to learn about the arts and we did a sword fight with our partners at the end. In addition, we also receive an official “Samurai Training” certificate from the school! The entire experience takes about 1 hour, so it’s easy to fit into your schedule.

Address: Venis 2F, Asakusa 1-36-8, Taito-ku, TOKYO (〒111-0032 東京都台東区浅草1-36-8 ヴェニス2F)

3. Hop on Rickshaw

If it is your first time to Asakusa, why no hop on the Ebisuya rickshaw to have a nostalgic ride while discovering Japanese culture? The rickshaw drivers speak good English and they are cheerful, friendly and certainly very macho! They will bring you around the lively and nostalgic downtown streets and you will also pass by the bright and colourful Senso-Ji Temple – Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. Website: http://ebisuya.com/en/

4. Queue for a century old soba shop

Namiki Yabusoba is a famous soba restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo. Established since 1913, it is one of the biggest and oldest restaurant of Yabusoba with recipes passed down from generation. Their specialty is the thick dipping sauce with strong soy sauce flavour. The noodles are hand-made from 100% buckwheat flour that was milled in the same day and gives it a moderate bite.

Zarusoba is a cold soba served on a bamboo-draining basket with a cold dipping sauce. I had the “Tenn-Zaru-Soba”, which adds deep-fried food (Tempura) to the Zaru-soba noodle dish. After you finish eating your soba, add sobayu (hot water in which soba noodles have been boiled) to the remaining dipping sauce or broth and drink it.

5. Visit Sensoji Temple

Legend has it that fishermen brothers discovered an image of Kan’non (the goddess of mercy) in the Sumida-gawa River around the year 628 and were inspired to enshrine it. It is known as one of Tokyo’s oldest temples, having been founded in 628. A significant landmark outside the temple is Kaminari Gate, which has a huge red paper lantern that is built more than 1000 years ago.

6. Shop at Nakamise Shopping Street

The Nakamise shopping street at the main grounds of Sensoji Temple has more than 50 shops, which offer local specialties and the usual array of tourist souvenirs.

7. Eat Jumbo Melon Pan

We went to Kagetsudo Asakusa (花月堂) just to buy the famous Jumbo Melon Pan. Shaped like a melon, the crust is crispy with super soft interior. It kind of reminded me of Roti Boy, except that there’s not coffee. It’s 200 yen.

Other areas near Asakusa: Shinjuku

When I visited Japan about 10 years ago, I stayed in Shinjuku and that was the best choice because they have the best shops, restaurants, bars and tourist sights. We spent some time walking around the area and chilling out in jazzy coffee shops and shopping in department stores and quaint little shops. Unfortunately, my time in Shinjuku is a little short for this trip but I would love to come back again.

If there is one thing we recommend, that is to visit the depachika (department store food hall). We went to Isetan and fell in love with the the depachika because they have everything to keep your tummy full! Sample your way through cakes cookies, tea etc and you can literally get your lunch, brunch and dinner here. There are beautiful bento boxes and even wine for purchase. This is a true representation of Japan in terms of taste, presentation, and service.

Other areas near Asakusa: Ginza

Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes.

Kaitenzushi are less expensive sushi restaurants, where the sushi dishes are presented to the customers on a conveyor belt. For dinner, we went to Ginza Numazuko in Ginza, a sushi-bar in Ginza that serves fresh sushi on a conveyor belt. Yes, you can just pick the dishes from the belt or order dishes which are not available on the belt. The sushi is priced per plate with differently colored plates corresponding to different price tiers.

Address: Japan, 〒106-0061 Tokyo, Chuo, 銀座1丁目8番19号 キラリトギンザ8F
Phone: +81 3-6228-7171
Opening Hours: 11am–11pm

Where to Stay?

If you are planning a trip to Tokyo and looking for room stay, my recommendation is to book Ryumeikan Hotel Tokyo which is about 8 minutes walk from Tokyo station. The hotel is relatively new and the bed is very comfortable. What’s interesting is, when you press the “sleep” button, the lights will dim and soft music will play. Then the bed gives you a little leg massage and you will knock out almost immediately. Also, the breakfast is not extensive but very tasty selection of Japanese food. Website: http://ryumeikan-tokyo.jp/english/

Address: Japan, 〒103-0028 Tokyo, Chuo, 八重洲1-3-22

How to go to Asakusa?

From Tokyo Station: Take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda Station and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa.

From Shinjuku Station: Take the orange JR Chuo Line to Kanda Station and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa.

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Chapter 55 is a spacious café in Tiong Bahru, with a wide food offering and dessert choices. They have an ongoing 1-for-1 lunch promotion that is available on weekdays between 11.30am and 3pm which we felt was super value-for-money.

We had a total of 4 items during our lunch. The Buffalo Wings (Usual Price $16) are marinated with a tasty spicy herbs buffalo sauce and it was really fiery hot when devoured. You can already smell the spiciness when the aromatic wings arrive piping hot on your tables. The meat was cooked really well as it was tender and very satisfying. Although it was extremely spicy, the buffalo wings very addictive and couldn’t stop at one.

The buffalo wings appetizer was charged 1-for-1 with the Bonito Thin Crust Pizza (Usual Price $23) and we paid $23++ for these two items. The Bonito Thin Crust Pizza took us by surprise as it was superb and contains ham, button mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, tonkatsu sauce and generously topped with savoury bonito flakes and Japanese mayonnaise. This fusion of Western pizza with Japanese ingredients and toppings was very well executed.

We also had the Seafood Spaghetti (Usual Price $18) and Vongole Spaghetti (Usual Price $18). The former included prawns, clams, squid and garlic chilli cooked in a white wine sauce while the latter consisted of fresh clams, extra virgin olive oil, white wine, parsley and garlic chilli. The latter has a more flavoursome sauce as compared to the former which was a tad too dry for our liking.

There are too many items on the menu so we have made a date to return to Chapter 55 to try other dishes. If you’re working in the vicinity or have a lunch appointment but don’t know where to head to, Chapter 55 is a value-for-money café. There are indoor and outdoor seating but we’re pretty sure you wouldn’t want to melt in the scorching heat. Chapter 55 also has many desserts and gelato to offer, hence making this a really great place to feast. Do note that no reservations will be taken for 1-for-1 lunch promotion but take-away is allowed for 1-for-1 items.

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

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[JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA] Located just behind Grand Paragon hotel and a short walking distance from KSL, Cedar Point Food Centre is one of the most popular food court around that area. I used to visit the place when I was a kid with my parents as there are so many stalls selling comforting hawker dishes. So now I am back again to have a scrumptious dinner with my friends. If you are going on a food trail with your friends around Johor Bahru this weekend, you can check this place out!

1. Century Curry Fish Head 世纪瓦煲咖哩鱼头

One of the famous stalls in Cedar Point Food Centre is Century Curry Fish Head (世纪瓦煲咖哩鱼头). The curry fish head is served in small, medium and large size. Arrived bubbling hot to our table, the aromatic and flavourful curry is cooked with perfect balance of curry and coconut milk. It was not too spicy and the flesh was moist and soft. There is a distinct flavour from curry leaves and it’s best to enjoy the gravy with a plate of white rice.

2. Tampoi Satay

There are few stalls selling satay but Tampoi Satay is well-known with its ‘pork satay’. Started since 1972, they have mutton, chicken and thai-style satay as well. The satays have good proportion of lean and fats. Dip the skewers into the nutty peanut sauce and devour it slowly. To make the sauce, the peanuts are grounded into fine and smooth texture. We like the thai-style satay as well. It has a hint of sweetness amongst the smoky meat.

3. Ikan Bakar Sin Kee

Sin Kee serves pretty decent BBQ fish and seafood. They have stingray, crayfish, petai and other seafood dishes displayed in front of the stall for customers to pick and choose. The ingredients will then be grilled into perfection with sambal chilli. They also offer black pepper crayfish and charged by weight. The sambal chilli is super shiok! Squeeze some lime on top and have it with the tender stingray.

4. Hong Kee’s BBQ Chicken Wing

Hong Kee’s BBQ Chicken Wing has been around for the past 30 years. It’s not the best chicken wings that I have tried but it definitely has the old school charm especially when you see the grilling of marinated wings right before your eyes.

5. Stall 85

Locals enjoyed having boiled cockles and dip them with chilli sauce. This stall particularly sells standard and giant cockles which is popular among the locals. Some may find it bloody but we loved it a lot. Just remove the shell from cockles and dip them into the homemade chilli sauce. Honestly, it’s an acquired taste. A plate of giant cockles costs RM15 while the standard size is priced at RM10.

6. Ipoh Fried Kway Teow

We spotted this stall selling Ipoh-style fried kway teow and decided to check it out. With close to 30 years of experience, the flat rice noodles is fried in dark savoury sauce under high heat which emits a smoky wok hei flavour in every noodle strand. It’s nothing fanciful but just comfort dishes that Malaysians love.

7. Drink Stall- Sugar Cane & Ice-Kacang

When you dine in Cedar Point Food Centre, don’t forget to order the thirst-quenching sugar cane drink. With RM5.50, you get a big mug of sugar cane here. And not forgetting their ice-kacang with chocolate syrup, a sweet ending to the scrumptious dinner.

There are definitely more stalls you can explore here but we are too full by then. Rojak, claypot rice, zi char and many more stalls look quite tempting too. And there are stalls selling breads and kids’ toys at the entrance of the food centre. So, prepare yourself for a gastronomical feast. If you are driving, Cedar Point Food Centre has ALOT of parking lots so it’s definitely not a problem!

Text & Photos by Hazel. Born in Malaysia, Hazel loves to travel and soaked herself with enrich cultures and food. Follow her food adventures on her blog.

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If you are travelling in Bangkok and craving for some good Chinese food, you can try Lim Kitchen in On Nut Road. Opened by a four-star hotel Chinese chef who shifted from Guang Zhou to Thailand, Lim Kitchen serves restaurant quality zi char dishes at eatery pricing.

We started with a list of appetizers such as Drunken Chicken in Chinese Wine (150 baht), Hot and Spicy Tom Yam Soup (150 baht) and Shrimp Cake (100 baht). The chicken and wine flavoured dish is a great appetizer with a thin later of gelatine underneath the glistering skin. Tom Yum Soup is legit with a balance of spicy and sour taste. Shrimp cake is packed with minced prawn meat that is deep fried till it’s crispy.

The Flat Noodle in Brown Sauce (aka Hor Fun, 70/150/240 baht) here is a favourite for many diners as they are first stir fried before getting drenched in their black bean sauce. The sauce itself it a little different and you can get the wok hei from every strand of noodles.

Mei Cai Kou Rou, a dish of braised and then steamed pork belly, holds a high position on the Chinese comfort food list. Not the simplest dish to prepare but when done well, the preserved vegetables are not too salty with tender pork belly slices.

The Claypot Rice (from 60 baht) is a comforting pot of homestyle dish with good quality of Chinese sausages and well flavoured rice with a mild smoky flavour. We ended our dinner with a red bean pancake – an addictive snack to share with your friends!

READ:
8 Things Everyone Needs To Eat In Yaowarat Chinatown, Bangkok
7 Delicious Things To Eat In On Nut, Bangkok

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We wouldn’t have visited Geylang East Centre Market & Food Centre (or Aljunied Market and Food Centre) if we weren’t doing a charity food tour for an old folks home nearby. Totally clueless what we should have for breakfast, we went for the few stalls with queues. One of them is Guan Kee Wanton Noodle. Apparently, there are a lot of good wanton noodle stall in this food centre. There is also Hoe Kee Wanton Noodle and Quan Kee Wanton Noodles (opens from 4pm till 10pm).

From my earliest memories of wanton noodle, it was never about the fatty char siew. Somehow, the sauces and noodles play a big part and it was only until later that hawkers are serving well roasted fatty char siew. Or maybe I wasn’t exposed to it right from the beginning because I only eat Hock Kee Wanton Noodles in Kebun Baru Food Centre since young.

Guan Kee Wanton Noodle, to me, is another stall that evokes that sense of nostalgia. Having been around for more than 20 years, the couple is friendly and pretty efficient. Char siew here is the old school bright red ones. But the egg noodles, ahhhh… it’s cooked just right – al dente and comes with a good bite. That’s the highlight.

The homemade chilli that was tossed with the noodles was shiok, with a mix of chilli and ketchup. My friends from Malaysia never understand why our version of wanton mee needs ketchup, but to me, that’s how it should be. As for the dumplings, they are small yet powerful. Again, taste is subjective and everyone has individual preference on your favourite wanton mee. For me, this is good enough.

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

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Entering this café is like stepping into a magical garden as the interior is surrounded by plants and terrariums on the walls and tables. This café occupies two levels, with the kitchen and a cake display counter on the first level. Cafés and restaurants have become so much more creative when curating their menu items. Nowadays, food has to be pleasant to the eyes besides tasting delicious. With such a gorgeously-designed interior, we had high hopes for their food.

The menu isn’t comprehensive but it’s good that Epiphyte Café prides itself in serving good quality food that is well-prepared. We started with Brie & Edamame Salad ($12), featuring mesclun, Asian pear, goma and crostini. This salad managed to balance sweet and savoury flavours very well and we liked the textural differences from the creamy brie cheese to the crunchy and juicy bits of Asian pear. It’s a great starter to our meal.

As we craved comfort food on that particular night, we had the Pasta Prawns ($22) and Pink Risotto ($22). The former consisted of spaghetti cooked al dente, topped with fresh Ebi Sakura, and tossed in chives, extra virgin olive oil and shallots to enhance the flavours. The prawns were well cooked and tasted of its natural sweetness.

As for the Pink Risotto, it was the highlight of our meal. No artificial food colouring has been added to give the risotto its pinkish colour. The chef only mixed roasted beetroot with the risotto to produce a natural pinkish colour. There was a good consistency and we enjoyed the creamy texture of the risotto, which had a slight smoky finish. The risotto was topped with plump, succulent scallops and parmigiana. This dish would’ve scored full marks if the scallops were a tad more savoury.

We ended our meal with eye-catching desserts such as the Terrarium ($15) and Twilight ($12). The Terrarium, containing green sponge cake, chocolate soil, fresh mint custard and apple compote, was too pretty to be devoured. It looked like a real plant. We added rum, and the entire experience was wonderful. Imagine indulging in a dessert with different textures and flavours bursting in your mouth.

The other show-stopping dessert was Twilight, which I preferred to Terrarium. This galaxy cake boasted chocolate sponge and marbling chocolate mousse, infused with Cointreau orange curd. Therefore, you get a surprising tangy twist mixed with the usual sweetness of chocolate cakes. The mousse was light and simply melts in your mouth. I’m never sharing this dessert with anyone else ever again! It’s so good I can devour one on my own!

We often find themed cafés nice to look at but not appealing to the tastebuds. However, Epiphyte Café has completely surprised us. We like that they try to align the methods of preparing food to their garden theme, like using beetroot plant to create natural colours for food. It’s a place where we can chill out after work while pampering ourselves with foods that are both visually pleasing and great tasting.

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

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70-year-old Swiss-born chef Otto Wiebel has finally opened his first restaurant Otto’s Deli Fresh in Holland Village. Working in the F&B industry for more than 40 years, Chef Otto has been a veteran of top kitchens including that of Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore and Hong Kong. He co-founded F&B consultancy Ottscott with celebrity chef Scott Webster.

In his new restaurant, Chef Otto dishes up recipes that he himself loves, personally selects produce from suppliers that he knows and trusts, eschews middlemen so prices can be so accessible for the quality being offered, and offers a platform for young talents of the industry.

The deli section offers meats ranging from Japanese Kobe Beef to Dorper Kamb from Australia, New Zealand Kaipara oysters, Hokkaido scallops, French and Swiss chesses, olive oils from Greece and Portugal, some of the most exceptional seasonal truffles and many more. In time, he will introduce house-made charcuterie and sausages using his personal recipes.

For dine-in customers, you can begin your meal with a starter such as the Button Mushroom Soup ($8.50) and the Grilled Frementle Octopus Salad ($17). The former consists of button mushrooms, dried porchini, and caramelized onions, served with bread. Chef Otto made the mushroom soup from scratch. We found the creaminess of the soup just right, and the bread that’s fluffy on the inside with charred edges outside complements the soup very well. What you see is only two-thirds of the actual portion.

The latter, on the other hand, contains spinach, green apple and salad dressing. The octopus has been flown in from Fremantle and all of us know that Fremantle is famous for their fresh seafood. The octopus turned out tender, yet retaining its slightly chewy texture.

Dining here with a big group puts you at advantage as you’ll be able to try more varieties of items on the menu. Hand Cut Fries ($6) is accompanied by three sauces, namely barbeque sauce, Mentaiko mayonnaise and salted egg yolk cream. Each dip has its own uniqueness and the barbeque sauce gave a nice tangy finish, making it different from what we get elsewhere. The salted egg sauce has a stronger curry flavour while the light and creamy Mentaiko mayonnaise was our favourite. These fries are so addictive you’ll finish it without realizing.

Our mains came in the form of burgers, sandwiches and pastas. The burgers and sandwiches are usually served with salad and fries. We had the Pulled Pork Burger ($19), consisting of Citrus cabbage apple slaw, fries pickled cucumber and barbeque sauce. The pulled pork has been cooked using sous-vide method for 5 hours, hence its fork-tender texture. The cabbage that’s marinated with yuzu came a little too strong such that it over-powered the flavours of the pulled pork.

We had lots of beef at Otto’s Deli Fresh, beginning with The Pressed Beef Steak Ciabatta ($20) has air-dried beef, roquette, browned red onion, pickles and gruyere cheese smacked in between the ciabatta sandwich. The sandwich was a tad too hard for our liking but the cheese enhanced the flavours of this dish, making it very appealing to cheese lovers. Next up was the Beef Stroganoff Fettucine ($17) includes button mushrooms, sour cream, cornichon and parsley. The fettucine was cooked al dente and the beef was thinly sliced but still succulent and tender.

As Otto’s Deli Fresh offers all-day-dining, it’s an ideal place to unwind after work with grilled items such as the Southern Highland Grass Fed Beef Hanger Steak ($22) and the Heritage US Kurobuta Pork Rack ($39). We preferred the latter as it’s simply grilled with only salt and pepper. Its natural flavours were brought out perfectly with a nice smokey finish.

Finally, the stomach space that we’ve been saving for desserts was satisfied with the Burnt Banana Waffle ($11.50) and Crème Brulee ($8.50). The waffles boast a crisp exterior with a fluffy and light interior. It’s topped with two generous scoops of peanut butter gelato, served with a freeze-dried banana. As sinful as this dessert was, we decided not to think about diets. A mouthful of the soft, not mushy, charred banana with the peanut butter gelato and waffle gives a mixture of textures and flavours in your mouth. Such a sweet indulgence! However, the Crème Brulee, made of Madagascar vanilla and pineapple rum compote was a little too sourish for our liking.

It was a rainy Wednesday when we headed down for lunch, making it the perfect weather for a cup of Otto’s Favourite Hot Valrhona Chocolate ($9.50). It consists of sea salt, crunchy pearls, hazelnut cream and espuma. Each sip was full of richness and the chocolate was so thick that we couldn’t stop at one cup! We like that it isn’t too sweet and that its flavour reminded us of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

There’s something for everyone at Otto’s Deli Fresh. Whether you want to begin your day with coffee and a hearty brunch or relax and recharge during dinner hours, this deli-restaurant is a place to go to. We also like that it’s conveniently located just a stone’s throw away from Holland Village station. Residents living around the neighbourhood, look forward as there’s now a new deli for you to purchase fresh produce and condiments.

Note: This is an invited tasting.

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We were looking for supper one night and were recommended by Hong Kong Epicurus to try Block 18 Doggie’s Noodle (十八座狗仔粉) at Ning Po Street. This stall at a small corner serves Doggie’s Noodle and has been one of the recommended street food stall under Michelin Guide Hong Kong.

So what exactly is doggie’s noodle? It is a popular noodle snack between 1950 and 1960. Made with rice flour, it tasted somewhat similar to udon. Cooked with thick and gooey soup that is full of flavours from dried shrimps, garlic, the noodles come with a good bite. Remember to add in chye poh (Chinese dried radish) and chilli, it makes the noodle soup super shiok!

Not only that, there are also other good dishes such as imitation shark fin soup, spicy fish balls and duck leg, which were all quite good. The duck leg is braised till fork tender and served with the imitation shark fin soup full of shredded black fungus. Again, adding the chilli works wonder, but I suggest you add with caution because it is quite spicy.

There are limited space for dining in, so be prepared to share tables with other diners or you can choose takeaway. Menus were in Chinese and photos. Pick the doggie’s noodles and you won’t go wrong.:)

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

The post Block 18 Doggie’s Noodle (十八座狗仔粉) – Michelin Street Food in Hong Kong appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.