This is truly a hidden gem tucked in between so many stalls with so many pictures of food hanging all over the place. Was here for lunch after doctor’s for Diana and I noticed this old uncle do not have that many orders like the other stalls in this coffeeshop. I told Diana that I had a feeling that the food might be good. So I approached the stall.
Mr Leong, the old uncle who retired being a crane operator is 77 years old this year and have been operating this stall for over a year. This is a very scary sight because at this age, he should be happily retired and living his life. There could be a lot of factors to consider but I’m leaning towards happy and positive thoughts… maybe his passion for cooking supersedes everything. So ya, here he is answering my questions and the first thing I asked him was,”Uncle, if I had to eat one thing, what would you recommend. He pointed the Penang Char Kway Teow. I told him ok let’s do it. $3 one plate. Reviews below:
StallThe aroma already passed my test!Soft and niceFor $3 there’s a lot of ingredientsBurp! #worldcleanplateUncle Leong
Rating: 5/5.
Taste: No doubt about it, very close to authenticity. Not overly salty, flavour just right. Wok hei controlled well without the burnt taste. Even Diana said it was good!
Portion: Good size for $3!
Service: Self-service
Ambience: Coffeeshop
Price: $3.
RTE: Definitely! I got a feeling the Char Beehoon is also good!
Location: Block 418 Bedok North Avenue 2, Epic Haus Coffeeshop.
Shenjing is famous for it’s roast goose in Hong Kong but you don’t have to travel there just to look for good roast goose. Many have learnt the trick of roasting good goose and they are all over HK and Guangdong province of China. One of which, was pretty near my Shenzhen office at Huaqiangbei area, the electronic city of Shenzhen.
The eatery is very very small and usually super crowded during lunch hours. The weird thing is, their meals are not cheap there as compared to some RMB$15 ones along the same road. But people would queue up and pack or dine in. So I gave it a try, and was lucky to find a table.
Store frontLeft only 1 goose, sold out pretty fast so have to wait for second batch if late.See how small the placeSoup of The Day or 例汤. Usually some veg thrown in with the greasy goose bones.Char Siew and Roast Goose Platter (RMB68)Goose Liver (RMB4)Char Siew too lean for me
Rating: 4/5.
Taste: Roast goose not bad. The skin is the key factor. Very yummy. Flesh is tender. Char siew is typical lah, lean and a bit chewy cos of the tendons.
Portion: Average.
Price: As above on the pics.
Service: Fast and poor.
Ambience: Small, crampy and loud.
RTE: Tapao maybe. Will ask the runners to tapao next time.
Location: 93 Huafa N Rd, HuaQiang Bei, Futian Qu, Shenzhen Shi, Guangdong Sheng, China, 518000. Hours: 9.30am to 9pm daily. Tel: +86 755 8376 3344 (Check stock or orders)
Recently another media invite to The Manhattan FISH MARKET (MFM) at their latest location at Kallang Wave by Ninemer PR PL (Thanks Ying Ying!). My second time to this unusual mall beside Singapore’s brand new Sports Hub. The restaurant is located on the outside of the mall, but pretty nearby the MRT station, hence it isn’t really hard to find. Arrived earlier than the rest of the media, I managed to capture some pics of this new outlet.
FrontageYes I was very early and punctual as usual. ;PInteresting signage pole.Cute signs on the walls.
MFM will be launching their new menu today, 12 November 2014, of 43 new items, in all their 16 outlets Singapore-wide! A very massive change but innovative at the same time. Check out the pics below with my comments.
WELCOME SHOT & STARTERS
Our menu for that day, the star dishes from the 43 new items on the new menu.Welcome drink of Happiness Infusion ($6.00). Very nice concoction of predominantly earl grey tea base infused with lemongrass.My Lemon Grass drink is here. The taste is a little different from the usual Thai ones. Acquired taste. 🙂MFM staff serving us the first starter of Oyster Roulette.Oyster Roulette ($7.95) – is actually a game for the patrons. One of the oyster shooters are actually more spicy that the others. So see who has better luck that night!Ocean Gems ($5.95) – Starter of shrimps and scallions mixed in a tangy dressing which one look I thought was Thai dressing but it is sweet and not spicy. Pretty ok starter.Onion Glory ($7.95) – Another starter which will change the way you think about onions… especially for those who hates them. Crispy battered onions which resembles petals dipped in the special Onion Glory dip (creamy texture like mayonnaise/tartar sauce). Very appetizing dish!My second drink of Citrus Mint ($5.50) – A very refreshing concoction of fresh mint leaves and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Love this drink!Media from many places
MAIN COURSES
Curry Hill Seafood With Slipper Lobster ($16.95) – MFM’s first ever curry entree inspired by Murray Hill in Manhattan and the Murray curry has a really nice balance between the spices and creaminess. Not too spicy and very suitable for children learning to take curry. The seafood inside was fresh but the slipper lobster was a little overcooked to my liking. Nevertheless, MFM have taken note and will balance the cooking timing for the assortment of seafood inside. Served with toasted baguette and tempura veggies. A must try!Fishy Chicky Bang Bang ($13.95) – This is a new creation of Surf n’ Turf with a piece of dory and chicken fillet sandwiched and sealed with cheddar cheese. When I cut the piece of awesomeness, cheese just flowed out… just like lava cheese on your main dish! Very yummy and one of their star dishes!Check out the cheese flowing out… Yums!Egg’s nest made from deep fried spaghetti… Too hard for eating, but I ate half. ;PServing staff preparing the next entree… Yes, real flames! A twist to conventional baked rice!Tada! Flaming Cheeesy Baked Rice ($15.95) – Yes the extra ‘e’ is on purpose! A big piece of flamed grilled dory fillet with spices of coriander and rosemary herb rice, this dish literally flames up in front of your eyes! Really very nice entree and great to entice kids to like fish!Ocean Perch Perfect ($15.95) – Grilled Perch on buttered rice and some spicy chilli sauce on top. Not that spicy actually and quite yummy! Think my mum would love this one.
DESSERT
Strawberry Flamin-Go $4.95 (Right) and Super Fruit Crumble $4.95 (Left) – Between these 2 desserts, I prefer the left one more. Just feel that the mango cubes and custard didn’t gel that nicely with the chocolate sauce at the bottom of the cup. I believe the marshmallows were suppose to be flamed on top but it was alright without. The Super Fruit Crumble was really nice, double scoop ice cream with apple sauce and the crunchy crumbles and dried cranberries adds to the lovely taste. That’s something I would have had a second helping!Ended the tasting session with a latte, the 2 dots on top indicates it’s from an automatic coffee machine, which most restaurants are using.
OVERALL REVIEW:
MFM’s efforts in revamping their menu is really gonna be a stunner to all their customers. In a very good way of course. The new menu offers very exciting and tantalizing entrees and desserts, which some I would wanna try but wasn’t in the list they served. I reckon they had to present their best few items for the media to try, and 43 items is just too much for us to take in one night. 😉 Put it this way, I am so gonna bring my mother to one of their outlets one of these nights and order the grilled fish or grilled platter dishes which I believe she will love. Well done MFM! No wonder these guys are the Parents World Best Family Friendly Restaurant Award winner 2014 and Best Brand in Product Branding in 2008 under Western Food Cuisine By Brand Laureate SMEs Chapters Awards! Check out their latest promotional video here:
Recently, I was invited by PR Communications to this newly established 94-seater contemporary cuisine restaurant which commenced operations on National Day (9th August 2014) this year! This restaurant is operated by some ex-Tao employees and is located at the same mall where Tao was. Tao was at the basement of PoMo at Selegie when it started some 6-7 years ago and apparently it closed down before I got back from China this year. Nevertheless, SET (probably the shortest name for a restaurant I’ve ever written!) is here with a brand new swanky decorated premise with a touch of class, located at the same PoMo mall. The restaurant’s menu are all in sets (that’s where the restaurant name derives from) and customers have the options to choose from a 5-course lunch at $28.80++ or 6-course dinner at $38.80++. Kids can also enjoy at the price of $18.80++ with a lighter menu with the choice of Baked Flounder with Cheese or Roasted Golden Spring Chicken, which I didn’t get to try. But I reckon should be good.
The Executive Chef, Chef Erick Chun, has a strong background in creative culinary and the passion in bringing the best array of tantalizing contemporary cuisine to his customers.
AMBIENCE
Front entrance
Seating lay outPrivate seatingRestaurant lay outAlfresco for those who prefer natural air and chill over a drink. Their beers are really cheap. Do check them out..CutleryThe restaurant’s menu with your choice in each course. However, I got to try everything here!
COLD/SIDE DISHES
My latte was served first. It’s ok for no latte art, extraction is ok as you can tell from the rich crema. Very nice blend from down under. Milk steaming needs some improvement but overall the espresso covers up the flaws.Bacon & Mushroom Gratin – I always love cheesy dishes, so I definitely love this. A great start but I dunno why it’s not on the menu? Hmmm…Toasts from a local bakery to go with your gratin.Lovely combination, almost like soup with the toast except for the thick cheesy cream of the gratin. Love this.Tomato Caprese – A twist from the usual slab of mozzarella cheese, this starter had cream cheese mousse on the top of the slice of tomato which was actually quite light and refreshing!Smoked Duck Breast – Not a big fan of smoked duck breast but serving as a salad is a great appetizing choice, especially with tangy dressing!Salmon Gravlax – Quite a yummy starter, served with a dollop of sour cream (I reckon) on the side.Huai San Carpaccio – A very unique way of presenting a carpaccio using huai san (known as 山药 Shan Yao in China.) Drizzled in olive oil and pickles made in house, this starter is a light but refreshing dish.Grilled King Oyster Mushroom – Comes with 6-Course Set only, this king mushroom is served with a secret sauce which tasted like a tinge of hoi sin sauce and also white truffle cream. Very nice dish.The white truffle cream melts over the mushroom to give a nice aromatic finish to this fungi.
SOUPS
Mushroom Veloute with Peanut Butter – This mushroom veloute is actually mushroom soup with thick cream served with some peanut butter at the bottom of the bowl. The soup itself is already very nice… the peanut butter gives a different finish to the taste. A little more aromatic and creamy finish to it. Interesting.Roaste Pumpkin with Truffle – Very well round soup and usually pumpkin soups are quite hard to go wrong if you follow the basics. I believe the white truffle is what’s floating on top, with some drizzles of olive oil. It is very tasty, but could be better if the pumpkins were roasted with fresh thyme to give the soup an extra oomph!Double Boiled Herbal Chicken – Pretty hard to snap a non-creamy soup like this in the warm lighting, but you get the idea of herbal chicken soups. You don’t get an overpowering herbal taste in this soup, served with chicken chunks inside. The soup tasted like the stock was boiled over hours with bones (chicken and perhaps pork bones too). Great for families with older folks.Miso Soup With Sake – This soup didn’t really appeal to me maybe because I don’t drink sake in the first place. Nevertheless it was alright and you can tell the chef has gone through efforts to come up with creative dishes.
MAIN COURSES
Grilled Snapper With Salsa – I didn’t like this dish very much ‘cos there is a degree of fishiness which I cannot accept and the fish was a under-seasoned and a little over cooked. I believe the guys in the kitchen are already looking into this and make it better the next time you visit.Roasted Chicken Pullet – Interestingly wrapped, I’m guessing steamed to form the shape then roast. Lovely presentation.Inside the Chicken Pullet. Chestnut, mushrooms, herbs, etc. Uniquely done, and very well received by fellow foodies that day.Baby Pork Back Ribs – Deceivingly looks like it’s charred and hard. It’s not. It’s surprisingly tender and tasty cos of the tangy sauce spread over while grilling. If you’re a ribs person, this is for you.Chunk of meat from the ribs. Succulent to the core! Love it!Roasted Beef Tenderloin – In black pepper sauce, Cooked a little over medium so those who are afraid of too much blood would love this.The tenderloin was a little over medium but was alright, still tender and tasty.Marinated Rack of Lamb – Using the same black pepper sauce as the beef tenderloin. But the meat is cooked to perfection, tender, no gamey smell, suspect they are from New Zealand as lamb there is usually milder in smell. But I love this dish the best.So tempted to just eat the lamb racks like that!
DESSERT
Huai San Jello – This jello tasted a little like our local dessert cheng tng in the jelly form. Refreshing and I believe this was created for the older patrons of the restaurant.Huai San Jello up closePistachio Panna Cotta – The cup that the dessert was served in was a little too deep. Different from the regular panna cottas, served on a small plate to display the texture and decorations on the side. Nevertheless it tasted good.Pistachio Panna Cotta up closeEspresso Creme Brulee – Again the serving cup was a little different from the norm. The creme brulee was good, creamy and not so sweet.Espresso Creme Brulee up closePoached Pear With Gelato – The pear and gelato are made totally in house. The pear is a little strong in taste so some patrons may not like it but the gelato is nice and creamy.Chef Erick Chun and me.
OVERALL REVIEW
I must say the food is really creative and is set to trickle your taste buds! Not to mention affordability for classy crafted cuisine! Chef Erick has painstakingly put together a great array of courses to make this SET restaurant unique in its own way! The awesome settings and ambience of the restaurant coupled with excellent attentive service from the servers and manager, will definitely give diners a great dining experience! I was told by some friends while making reservations for a gathering recently, that SET’s staff actually asked her if there is a special occasion and viola! They prepared a cake for the birthday girls! I am definitely coming back to this place for dinner with my family and friends! Come check it out!
Have you guys tried this yet? Maggi Curry Instant Noodles has always been close to my heart as we grew up with this brand apart from Myojo and Koka. For the usual curry instant noodles, well, it kept me and my camp mates company during our basic training in the Police Academy. I remember us smuggling in these instant noodles and snacking on them at night after lights out. So when I saw this at the supermarket, I told myself I gotta try this, although it’s filled with additives. 😦
Retailing at $3.20 for a pack of 5 x 108g packets, this new flavour’s serving per pack is about 20g more than the normal size. So now one packet with loads of veg is sufficient for me. Check out my reviews below:
PackagingLeft side is fried shallots which will enhance the taste a little and the right side is a packet of spicy curry powder.Color doesn’t look that spicy ‘cos there isn’t any chilli oil with the package.
Review: 3/5. Flavor wise, very much like their normal version except it’s spicier. Other than that, texture of the noodles is still the same. Wished they would surprise me with something new but to my dismay, nothing special except it’s a bigger packet (I paid for it) and a little spicier that’s all.
Seems like many first times… if not I will not be writing about them haha… I was heading to my favorite coffee place and was looking for some food before that and I found this place. Apparently it’s a famous chain in Hong Kong since 1974 and they have expanded into Shenzhen since 2002. This place can get quite crowded and there’ll be lots of seats outside this place for those who wanna wait.
I didn’t try a lot as I’m controlling my food intake and was alone. So I tried what a Cha Can Ting should be good for; the pork chop bun and century egg porridge. The pork chop bun was really good, at least the pork chops were not dry. Well seasoned and juicy. The porridge was just awesome. With shreds of pork, and a lot of it, to flavor the porridge totally. These 2 items alone I give it 5 stars. Will check out their roast meats the next time.
First time in Xiamen and totally excited over all the hype I got from my friends and documentaries about the food there. Fact is, because of it’s close proximity to Taiwan, you’ll find many similar food types to Taiwan over here. I was a little skeptical because I’ve been to Taipei and the food there is a little bland to my palate. Maybe also because I’m from Singapore, working in the APAC region for years, I have developed a stronger preference to my taste buds. However that said, I have been on a diet and have been taking lotsa bland foods for this year alone. So how does a foodie go on a diet when he/she loves food so much? The tricks are:
Foodie Friends – Go with people who can eat and love food like you do. Don’t go with friends or girlfriends who can’t eat, seriously they will spoil your food trip!
Small Portions – Order the smallest portion and share! If you’re the only one or with your partner, order small portion still, but skip the carbo! Maybe have a scoop of rice or noodles, but if you wanna go the long mile, discard the rest. Why can’t you tell the food vendor to give lesser rice or noodles in the first place? If you ask that question, you’re obviously NOT a foodie. Reason is, your pictures that you post on your blog must reflect what you paid for. That way, others will flock to that place to try too!
Walk It Out – If you’re on a hunt, walk to the places where you are going to try. Walking aids digestion and will make you ready for the next destination. 🙂 Besides, you may discover more eating places if you walk around! 🙂
The above are some strategies I use when I’m on a food venture. Just for Xiamen alone I walked more than 20km for my 4 days there! Hence it’s great is you can book your hotel near the target areas. See my review on the hotel I stayed here http://wp.me/2BhOI. So after checking in this hotel, I headed with my friends to the famous Taiwan Food Street in Xiamen… by foot of course! Check out the pics below:
The entry to food haven!Lots of stalls土笋冻, direct translation is tu sun dong… nah I’m joking… It’s cold earth bamboo … totally not what you think it is… The ‘Earth Bamboo’… are actually sea worms dug from the muddy beach when the tides are low… EEEWWWW… no, never try… ;PMy first stop for something refreshingMango dunno what with ice cream on top thing… DAMN AWESOME! For only RMB20 (S$4+)Very famous chain of baked potato with cheese and your choice of toppings… Didn’t try ‘cos takes up stomach space…Alishan traditional stone grilled Taiwan Sausages RMB10 for 3. Pretty awesome.Red bean and cream pancakes RMB10 for 4pcs… Loads of filling but not nice.Probably the only stall selling beef steaks. Very affordable but didn’t try ‘cos I don’t go Xiamen just to eat beef steaks!Prata… Cheap and many people crowding around to see an Indian doing his Indian Flying Biscuit… I reckon they think it’s more convincing with an Indian selling that haha快餐 in direct translation is Fast Food. To the mainlanders, this is fast food. For Singaporeans, this is Chye Peng.Many lobster stalls like this, just have to choose the one with the most people to ensure fresher seafoodLobsters going from RMB20 – RMB150.Scallops 4 for RMB10Oysters 6 for RMB10My lobster of RMB60… the flesh not a lot and the garlic so much like its freeThis is quite nice, pizza in a cone. They have a machine like a conveyor belt that bakes the cones… interesting conceptThe road beside this Taiwan Food StreetSo I decided to walk furtherRealize that their 卤面 is light broth as compared to Singapore/Malaysia’s versions.Paranomic shot of the intersection of Da Tong Lu and Hengzhu LuOn DA Tong Lu I found this lady super nice ask me to try her fried oyster cake.Full of ingredients inside. Oysters are really cheap in Xiamen.The Fried Oyster Cake…. Not bad but a little oily for me ‘cos on diet. 🙂Night wet market on Hengzhu Lu and Kaihe Lu… Be prepared for wet roads and splashing fish water when they are closing around 9pm+Fruits stallFishDa Zha Xie, crabs with no meat and loads of roe…I can imagine how big this stingray was…More fishSo many variety of fish from the sea… I was based in Suzhou, only get fresh water ones and full of bones!
Rating: 4/5. A great outing with friends or eye-candy!!!
Taste: Food taste a lot less bland than those in Taiwan. I reckon it’s because Guangdong Province people like saltier and heavier tasting stuff.
Service: Vendors are very friendly and will not tout you to eat their stuffs.
Ambience: Hot.
Portion: Average.
Price: Very affordable.
RTE: I would if I can find foodie friends to go with!
