Sorry took me a while to tabulate all these info and pictures together. Only manage 30 items but trust me, there are more than 30 items easily in Medan to savour on. Hope you enjoy the gastronomical read and perhaps attract you to visit Medan one day!
1. Indomie/Ifumie Goreng
Indomie Goreng Indomie Goreng Basa – The wet versionThis is something like our Maggie Goreng except that Indomie/Ifumie most of the time they would use the seasoning that comes with the instant noodle pack. It is probably the staple in whole of Indonesia, reason is it is affordable for everyone. However different stalls/locations have their own special sauce or chilli paste which makes customers come back for more. 2. Kueh Kueh
Look at the colours of the kueh kuehs! Yam Cake This glutinous rice thing with sri kaya is really damn good…
Lemper Ayam. One of my favourites and will tapao a lot for mum. Just too many varietiesKueh kueh is available in most Asian countries and in Medan, they are very important as some of these kuehs are used for praying to the Gods or Ancestors. There are a lot of kueh kueh varieties here and it’ll take some more one to try them all. My favourites are shown below. 3. Martabak
Martabak Piring… That’s how they cook it! To be honest, I prefer the ones below… Comes in a slab like this Look at the amount of cheese! This one we ordered the first night. It has all the works inside… Nutella, grounded peanuts, choc rice, cheese! Last slab we had for our trip. Damn good. Loads of cheese and butter. Yums! Heavenly! Probably the best now in Medan, Martabak Yurich!This is prolly trending very much now in Medan. Not to be confused with the martabak we have here in Singapore, there are basically 2 types of martabak in Medan; The thin or the thick one. Personally I prefer the thick one cos it comes with a lot of fillings and coated with loads of butter. I would highly recommend Martabak Yurich because theirs are really yummy!
4. Bihun Bebek (Duck Beehoon)
Me and boss of Asie Bihun Bebek, showing how much ducks he use for his broth. Bihun Bebek served dry and a bowl of soup on the side. Broth is super rich and tasty, result of boiling with a lot of ducks in it. Another Bihun Bebek place I visit which belongs to my Medan mummy. Bihun Bebek Akien has their followers and to be honest, has a different touch from the one at Asie. Akien’s Bihun Bebek comes with veg, home made shrimp balls and a chunk of braised pork belly. I really miss this right now. Specially reserved this bowl of goodness for me…. Finished!This is prolly the first stop everytime I’m in Medan. A must eat and it’s truly da bomb! There are 2 types in Medan; the strong herbal or light herbal one. However, either or is damn rich in broth and really a great way to start the day with! My favourite stalls are Bihun Bebek Kumango (Asie) and my god mother’s stall Bihun Bebek Akien!
5. Mie Pangsit
Mie TiongsimThis is prolly the wanton mee of Medan. Everywhere cooks differently like the wanton mee in SG. My favourite so far is Mie Tiongsim at Jln Selat Panjang. Still good even though they are super popular. 6. Mie Hokkien
Mie Hokkien at Jln Selat Panjang Friend’s parents’ Mie Hokkien. See the lard and amount of ingredients. Yums!The distinct difference between Mie Pangsit and Mie Hokkien is Mie Pangsit has char siew and wantons, while Mie Hokkien has braised egg, prawns, fish balls and prawn balls. 7. Coffees Locals vs Specialty
Latte from Pilastro Cafe Latte from Geodang Latte from Macehat Latte from The Thirty SixCoffee is grown in most parts of Indonesia and North Sumatra is one of the places. The presence of local coffee is definitely a hindrance to the growth of specialty coffee stores such as Pilastro and The Thirty Six. So while you’re there, go support these business, and enjoy some really good local single origins! 8. Nasi Ayam
Nasi Ayam from Nasi Ayam SP3 of Jalan Selat Panjang. With the owners of Nasi Ayam SP3Chicken Rice here in Medan is really different. Again, every stall has different side dishes. I like the one at Jalan Selat Panjang, Nasi Ayam SP3, their chicken rice comes with sides like braised egg, sambal shrimps, veg, etc. Owner couple are very nice people and you can literally order anything just sitting at their stall. 9. Big R Burger
The Big ‘R’ Burger Big Roy eyeing on Big R Burger hahaHaha I placed this as a must eat because this burger is created in my name! Thick 200g beef patty with steak slices and beef bacon laid on top of it and topped it off with a runny sunny-side-up! Really yummy this one! Only at The Thirty Six! 10. Putu Bambu
Steamed bamboo kueh Very yummy Miss this!This is something like our tutu kueh but it’s longish and steamed inside a bamboo, giving it a distinctive bamboo fragrance. You can get this everywhere. 11. Kweu Tiau
The Legend GLORIOUS DUCKS EGGS!!! Fry until the wok also got hole… imagine how many years is that gonna take?!?!! Try making her smile, anyone can do that let me know and prove it with a selfie! Tapao best cos the banana leaf gives off a different taste! Damn I miss this so much! Using duck eggs! Add your own pork lard at Kwetiau Ahong Kwetiau AhongKweu Tiau is actually Fried Kway Teow and they only have the light coloured portion which is very similar to Penang ones. I totally love the Fried Kway Teow here cos some of the Kway Teow like Kwetiau Ong’s is homemade! Best of all, they use duck eggs!!! Makes a lot of difference to the dish! Kwetiau Ong is definitely my favourite stall, which is a Golden Legendary stall since 1914… that’s 103 years of history!!! Close to this will prolly be Kwetiau Ahong’s. 12. Sate Padang
Legendary stall beside Bata. Sate Padang from the Bata stall. The chicken one is definitely better cos mutton is tough Had this at one of the markets… tough like mad This one looks promising Chicken sate is very nice and tender… Love how much fried shallots they used! So good we ordered round 2! Burp!Sate Padang is literally satay in SG. The satay here is not as tender as what we have back home but definitely flavourful. Sauce wise is a little more on the savoury side instead of the sweeter version in SG. This is a must have when you’re at any food street at night. You can order like 5 sticks if you’re alone. 13. Nasi Padang
Usually laid on the table like that and you only have to pay for what you eat… The rest of the dishes they will put back… Love the fried chicken here! How locals would eat, pack in a banana pack and then eat it after 5 mins. The fragrance of the leaf will surface. Yummy! Garuda’s Padang Serdahana’s PadangNasi Padang is big business in Medan! So many places for good Nasi Padang and some big brands like Garuda is already in Singapore. The best thing about this Nasi Padang is that the variety is huge and they will place loads of dishes on the table. You’ll only be charged for what you eat, not what you’ve touched. So you can take the curry sauce but not eat the chicken…then they will put back the chicken to the main display pot. Hygiene is definitely questionable here… but no one seems to care. Love most of the outlets here, Muay orders are the beef rendang, ayam goreng and ayam pop. 14. He Ci
He Ci is the same as the Ngoh Hiang stalls in Singapore with the crispy prawn crackers and the floury prawn cakes. Except that the items offered differs from ours.
15. Tok Tok
Tok Tok stall Pig’s blood… no more in SG Intestines…. still got a little smell…A very local dish of pig’s blood and intestines. Not everyone’s cup of tea and the taste is really acquired. Worth a try if you encounter this. 16. Popia
Atak Popia or rather more known as Popia Jose Rizal, opens only in the evening. All handmade on the spot upon orders. Steam or fried? I like the steam one better! So yummy!In our context, it’s Popiah. I only know one place that has this and they sell by the thousands daily! Check out the stall at Jose Rizal and you can choose from the steam or deep fried ones. I definitely preferred the steamed ones! Not cheap at 7000 rupiah each but it has crab meat inside and extremely tasty! 17. Avocado Shake
Regular Avocado juice Avocado juice with espresso shots at MacehatAvocado is grown locally in Brastagi region and naturally drinks are made out of these. Avocado shake with chocolate sauce is truly yummy here and a must drink when in Indonesia. You may wanna check out the Avocado Juice with Espresso shots at Macehat. Their signature drink there. 18. Curry Chicken & Beef Bihun/Rice
The famous curry at Tabona Curry Chicken… The gravy is very watery but never lacks of flavour. Beef is damn yummy. Love the brisket parts Bihun texture so different from ours in Singapore Featured on a local magazine lately. Boss and meRumah Makan Tabona. This is a household brand that has been selling this for decades. Love the curry chicken and beef to go with the beehoon. Very yummy! Some Medanese said do not leave Medan if you haven’t tried this! I must say it’s not bad, and their business is blardy good! 19. Chee Cheong Fun
This is how the chee cheong fun is laid out Then chopped into pieces upon orders and drench with a little sauce and fried shallots.This is one of my favourites. Simple, plain looking but damn yummy! The secret is in the sauce and all the fried onions on top. The best I’ve tried so far is from Jalan Selat Panjang from the big guy’s stall.
20. Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng Petai See the fire they use… power!There are many places for fried rice. I kinda like the Nasi Goreng Petai at 134A Jalan Singa. The fire is damn power, hence wok heat is amazingly good! 21. Goreng Pisang
Goreng Pisang with a whole lot of cheese and chocolate at Geodang Pilastro’s version of Goreng PisangIn most cafes, they usually have Goreng Pisang for sides that is drouse with loads of chocolate rice and cheese! Good to try but too much a little jelak! 22. Durian
The man, Ucok Durian piled up here for selectionYes, durians do grow in Medan. But the seeds are big and flesh not as much. But at the price of 35k and 50k rupiah, it’s ok to try the taste of it. Ucok durian is the biggest player in the durian market which operates 24/7! So if you’re craving for durians at 4am, you can get some by taking a Grab car there! 23. BPK
Babi Panggang Karo… If they BBQ the pork well, the meat will be tender. If not, good luck to your teeth. Blood gravy to go with your riceBabi Panggang Karo is a traditional Karo tribe cuisine of BBQ pork slices which is usually served with rice and a bowl of blood mixture spicy sauce thingy. At some places, the meat can get really tough… the better ones are in the mountains so branded doesn’t mean good. 24. Kueh Lapis/Ambon
With chocolate chips Yummy plain onesHome of Kueh Lapis and more likely the Kueh Ambon. Indonesians generally agree the Kueh Ambon in Medan is the best in the whole of Indonesia. But I kinda like the Kueh Lapis, very good souvenir gift to bring back for family and friends. There is a street full of kueh lapis, just go sample all of them and tell me which ones you like! 25. Teh Susu Telor
Da eggy teh tarik drink,… not bad but damn sweet This street has loads of different styles of indomie goreng and the egg tehThis is a very local drink. Egg is added to the milk tea and seriously damn sweet. But the egg adds a nice fragrance to the drink. Dunno if there are any medical boost drinking this but it’s worth a try! 26. Snake Meat
Snake meat… Taste like chickenSnake meat is available at food streets like Jalan Semarang. Fried in some rempah and seriously taste like chicken. Quite appetising! 27. Chao Lo
Spicy but acquired taste…This is a typical before dinner snack in Medan which actually are snails cook in some spicy soup. Totally an acquired taste dish, not many people can take it. 28. Badak
Sarsi made in Medan. Medanese pride and joy. Has Sarsi taste definitely but with some herbal tones too. Not bad, interesting. 29. Es Campur
Literally like our ice kacang but the ice is a lot coarser and helluva lot more sweet! But they are super generous with the ingredients too! 30. Corn Rojak Keju
This is an interesting snack which I found at Brastagi market area. They slice the corn off the cob and then mix in butter, salt and pepper before topping with shredded cheese. Quite yummy actually.
Actually there are a lot more food to feature in Medan but this list is taking just too long. But I have included some of the pictures for you all to see below. Happy munching!
Nasi Tim… Basically steamed rice with the ingredients… like our Fan Choy or Lor Mai Kai. Available at Nasi Ayam SP3 Sio bak available at Jalan Semarang. Yummy! A drink I swear by everywhere I go… plain ice tea no sugar and it’s cheap I think these are called Apom… Served with kaya-like gravy. Simple stall like this is long queue every morning at the market Yummy porridge with intestines Market has interesting foods too! Nasi Campur but the rice was a little cold. A little like our sayur lodeh not bad.
Day 4 is a long day as I leave the mountains to explore more of Chiangrai. I’m already in love with the city and the scenery it has to offer. Can’t wait to check out more of what this little city has to offer!
Woke up to this viewLove the morning silenceFarmers getting dropped off to start the day’s collectionBack at the mill, they are getting ready to transport the processed beans to the courtyard for drying.Old uncle still strong at this age.Bad cherries are floated on top and pushed to the pool besideBut first, latte.The good cherries are at the bottom and are being sucked into the pulping machineCherries getting pulped.See the cherries being separated from the beansCoffee beans!Good and bad beansBalance of the cherries collected at another place to be used as fertiliserGM of Doi Chang Coffee FarmLast selfie of the amazing viewOn the way down the mountainFound a resort with a very nice river view for lunch!Wow they are famous for pies! What a discovery!My lunch viewIce Thai Milk Teaamerica Friedn RiCoconut pie…. yums!Selfie!The lady who started it all, Mdm CharinJust nice the flowers bloomed when I was there.Got aviary!He didn’t show off that day…Bridge to get to the resorts… yes, they own all these lands!Selfie!ReosrtFruit farms behindOn my way back to somewhere near the city and spotted some amazing architechturesand padi fieldsSo sereneOn the roads less takenA hugh Singha statueLoads of flowersLove the flowers.A lake behind where people are fishingReach my other resort for the nightLove the landscaping!Bridge hahaLove it!Outside my roomKing size bedSimple, good enough for me to rest.Mosaic tiles are niceBath roomBack at my fav stall but trying something differentDefault chicken rice must order!Ordered this glass noodles in dark sauce. Yummy!After dinner night market walkWow more food!Another row of food!Didn’t try this cos long queue but looks very good dessert.Thai desserts from the supermarket… yums!
Wow what a long and tiring day! This is my last night in Chiangrai, gonna miss this place! Watch out for Day 5!
Alright this is a very late post but at least the stalls are still there last check. Chiangrai is a very nice place if you haven’t been. Less crowded as compared to Bangkok and the weather’s cooler especially towards the year end. This blogpost may be quite long due to so many things to write about. So maybe I should just stick to the food? Ok maybe food with some attractions that I reckon you should know lah. Anyways, you will be seeing a lot of food pics and please read the captions below them, and yes I ate most of them. So don’t judge ok? ;P
Lunch place during transit at Don Mueng Airport, Bangkok.My lunch at Don Mueng Airport while transiting. Can’t remember the name of the place but it’s on the left side bside Taurus Coffee Bar. Not bad, not expensive.Taurus Coffee Bar beside the Japanese eaterySome cake that looks good but was just too sweet at Taurus Coffee BarLatte was really bad from Taurus Coffee BarFinally arrive Chiangrai airport!Collected my car which will accompany me for the next 5 days.The hotelMy roomSimple lah, cheap also at S$40 per night.Can see my car from the balcony. Nice.Sunset!Checked out the room service menu. The description puts me in doubt… So off I go outside exploring!Found this roadside stall on the road that leads to the Clock Tower. Locals eat here so I parked my car and try.Looks like a mess but heck with hygiene, this could be damn good.Inside sitting.Someone’s chicken noodles. So I snap!Put this and you’ll need a lot of ice water.35 Baht. A big bowl of porky madnessNot the glass noodles I like but this kway teow was alright. Love the broth and a must-eat whenever I’m in Chiangrai!Roadside eating is very common in Chiangrai. If you’re not prepared for street food, then you may not be able to try what’s local.This shop sells pau. I didn’t try because pau will take up my stomach space although I have a lot of HDD. ;PHeard this stall is very popular due to the youtiao and pandan custards.Most youtiao in Thailand are short cute ones, this one is what we normally have but at only 15 baht.At first I thought is kaya but I was in for some surpriseWah lau, this is some damn good Pandan Kaya custard lahhhhhThink everyone knows what this is. Khao Naew Mamuang (glutinous rice with mango) Something I cannot resist.Totally in love with this pink VW!Just sit anywhere and enjoy your coffee and dessertsThey are selling some toast with a lot of condense milk. Very local which I avoided cos of sugar.Yoohoo!Not a very good machine but it works for them and no one’s complaining, So we are all happy!My order of kafei yen (Thai ice coffee).The Clock Tower. See tourists gather at the road divider to take pictures. There is light display at every hour from 7pm. One prime attraction in Chiangrai.Packed this Khao Mun Gai for only 35 Baht. It is really tasty and fragrant!
Was invited for a media tasting recently at this place which I believe many people have not heard of. I was however curious to find out how different it is from the Pulau Ubin cuisine from the ones I grew up with. Nah, I wasn’t from Pulau Ubin, just that my nanny’s brother lives there, and I stay with them during the school holidays. Yes he still lives there. ;P
When I arrived at Gumajia after closing the coffee bar, I was greeted with the group of bloggers there. Very family style, with kids some more, definitely my first time encountering this mix. The table was not big enough to accommodate everyone (we had more than 10 pax on a big round table), wasn’t really comfy but tried to blend in lah.
Check out some of the food that I’ve tried while some were wiped out and I don’t have the opportunity to savour them.
Frontage.Ubin La La Beehoon ($18). You must be wondering not another white beehoon… But this one has an awesome stock to begin with and tasted really good. Highly recommended,Crispy Been Jal ($12/$18). Totally caught us by surprise was this dish of crispy brinjal. Lightly seasoned and tossed fried with garlic and french beans. Another must order dish.Salted Egg Yolk Crab (Seasonal Price) – Crabs are fresh and juicy. Taste is really good on the sauce.Yuan Yang Kai Lan ($12/$18/$24). Taste like the usual kailan but a lot efforts. Applaud the chef going through so many procedures.Gu Ma Traditional Beancurd Soup ($28). $28 for soup… you must be wondering why so expensve, wait till you see the amount of ingredients inside in the pic below.Check out the amount of ingredients use! Soup is really rich and bursting with flavours!Assam Fish Head – $28. Freshness from the fish head was tasted. Very well balance of flavours!
XO Sauce Prawn Noodles ($36). Probably one of the best prawn noodle soups I’ve tasted! Rich broth served with fresh prawns. Yummy to the max.Fruity Enzyme Drink ($4.80) – Detoxify with this refreshing drink!Fruity Enzyme Jelly ($5.80). Taste like sour plum. 🙂Me and Gu Ma (Aunty)Rating: 5/5.
Taste: Love the taste and originality in flavours.
Portion: Large
Service: One particular staff was very friendly and helpful. The rest are pretty ok.
Ambience: Nothing avant garde. Typical tse char style.
Price: Listed on pics. No GST and srv
RTE: Mum will love this!
Location: 45 Tai Thong Crescent.
Hours: Daily 11am to 10,30pm (Mon-Fri 2.30pm to 5.30pm break)
Days 6-10 in Melbourne were the days I sprained my right foot and was in serious hurt. Thank God one of our friends has painkillers which literally helped me tide through the entire 5 days. I have compiled what I have tried in not just the rest of the city but also in Phillip Island as well. Some are really crappy, so I hope you guys won’t experience the same crap as I did. Anyways, here goes the list of places I’ve visited for food and fun.
Sumo SaladYummy selection!My salad choice! Love the pesto chicken!
Sumo Salad
Experience: Needs no introduction but to be honest, my first time trying then. Sumo Salad is prolly in most food courts and this was at Westfield, Doncaster. Love the selection and they are really tasty in big portions!
U Pick BerriesYou have to buy the containers and fill up till you’re able to close them.The placeSome berries available for pickingSamples of what was pickedMe enjoying a nice vanilla ice cream with home made raspberry jamAddress
U Pick Berries
Experience: Travelled from city to this place for berries picking. More for the kids than anything else. Nothing much for us to pick anyways and the berries are pretty sour. I would say you can skip this one unless you want your kids to experience this.
Rating: 3/5.
Location: www.upickberries.com.au for more details and timings.
Penguin ParadeFeesSome pastasSome roast chix legFish and chipsPath towards the paradeSneak shot of where the parade area where the penguins will come in…
Penguin Parade
Experience: This place is a knock off. So expensive and yet there’s not many penguins to see coming in from the sea. The food at the cafeteria is average. Fish and chips was the best but also so so only. Most of the penguins are actually in their burrows instead along the pathways. You get to see them more there. Great for kids experience though.
Rating: 3/5.
Location: Philip Island Nature Park. 1019 Ventnor Road, Summerlands VIC 3922. http://www.penguins.org.au.
The Chocolate Factory
Philip Island Chocolate Factory
Experience:
Skip this place. Tour is bad, food is bad.
Rating: 2/5.
Location: 930 Phillip Island Road, Newhaven VIC 3925.
Yummy Pork Chop Rice
Grand Taipei Bakery
Experience:
Awesome food and service. Cooks really fast. The bakery front reminds me of the traditional bakeries in our neighbourhoods. Go for their famous Pork Chop Rice. Highly recommended. Cantonese speaking too.
Rating: 5/5.
Location: 594 Station Street, Box Hill VIC 3128. Opens 9.30am to 9pm. www.facebook.com/grandtaipeibakery
Always got queueTick and chooseSignature ramenSome Ramen champVery energetic kitchen and waiting staff!Just add what you want!Solo diners all have to face the walls!Gyozas are juicy!Yummy bowl of awesomeness!
Hakata Gensuke
Experience:
Love this place even though have to queue. Very squeezy inside but so lively cos of all the shouting of welcoming the customers, serving the food, thanking and saying goodbye to them, etc. Ramen wise, very good. Finished every drop of broth that was on my bowl. Highly recommended!
Prawn and Pork Won Ton Noodles AUD$9,50Combination Seafood Fried Rice AUD$9.80Steamed ChickenBak Choy
Noodle Kingdom
Experience:
Takeaway for one supper and was surprise the food was quite tasty. Price point is pretty reasonable for Aussie terms and portioning was as usual, large. Located just opposite Hakata Gensuke. Great for suppers!
Rating: 4.5/5.
Location: 175 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Hudsons Coffee
Experience:
Using 2 x 2 groups Astoria Plus4U, it’s amazing the barista can pull such lousy espresso shots. The latte I ordered lacked body and typically cup of coffee-flavoured milk from a coffee chain. However, the almond croissant was pretty good. Wasted no good coffee to go along with it. Skip.
Rating: 3/5.
Location: Everywhere in Melbourne. This branch I went to is at Level 1 Qantas Departures, Melbourne Airport.
Sorry I haven’t been writing for the longest time because of my new venture. If you guys have been following my Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been to Melbourne, Japan and Chiangrai all in the month of December and most recently, I’ve also started a coffee bar BLACK&INK (www.fb.com/blackandink or Instagram @blackandink). It has been a very hectic 2 weeks since our opening, and we have been blessed with great support from friends, relatives and fellow food bloggers! And some friends whom I haven’t met since leaving secondary school! Seems like BLACK&INK is gonna be a great catch up place for my ex-classmates and ex-colleagues!
Anyways I will be commencing on writing on my trip to Melbourne and the places I’ve been starting with this post! Yes, plane food again. To be honest I like plane food. Especially the longer flight ones. This time I took a joint flight between Qantas and Emirates and I must say their in-flight food is pretty awesome. Love the additions of snacks in the middle of the tray to the usual mains and desserts. Check out the pics below.
My dinnerThis is how I heat up my buns! hahaSmoked SalmonYummy chickenSnack packFocaccia biscuitPart of the snack pack, I ate with the focaccia biscuitsSnack packSnack packQuite nice to go with your Table CrackersPretty good peach cakeCoffee very watered downBrekkie!
Rating: 4/5.
Taste: Yummy as compared to the some other flights I’ve taken.
Portion: Above average.
Ambience: Comfy.
Service: Below average. I had to go to the galley behind myself to grab an orange juice.
Still at Old Kallang Airport Food Center, I was venturing the back parts if there are some nice stalls selling good food. Came across this bakery within the food center concept stall. Not new ‘cos there are many similar ones at Serangoon Gardens, Bedok Blk 85, Alexandra Brickworks Center, etc. But the guy manning the stall is actually a young chap and there was another guy inside doing the baking. The aroma of freshly baked buns always attracts me and I tried some of their items:
Stall frontThe HK style egg tartsYummy…..Banana Bun?Nice and softWhole banana inside!
Rating: 4.5/5.
Taste: Really yummy and for the price of $0.80 for the banana bread and $1.00 for the egg tarts, cannot ask for more!
Portion: Average.
Service: The young guy speaks good English! Don’t play play.
Ambience: Hot…. Really hot… Did I mentioned hot? Really hot…
Price: Stated.
RTE: Yes!
Location: Old Kallang Airport Food Center #01-43.
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