Singaporeans are longing for nostalgic food, and it is encouraging to see more Peranakan cafes and restaurants opening up, other than the same type of hipster cafes and bistros.

The Peranakan at Claymore, Chong Wen Ge at Telok Ayer and Baba Chews at East Coast Road are some of the newer names in Singapore that provide a modern take to traditional Nonya food.

Tok Panjang Peranakan Café has just opened at 392 East Coast Road, though the family behind it is not unfamiliar to Peranakan food. This is opened by the House Of Peranakan Group of restaurants, with this fourth branch taking a more casual, café approach.

The name “Tok Panjang” derives from a Baba Malay term meaning long table of food, a frequent sight in Peranakan households during special occasions such as Chinese New Year.

What you get are dishes such as Assam Laksa ($8.90), Nonya Mee Siam ($7.90), Nonya Mee ($8), Bibik’s Fried Bee Hoon ($7.90), Nasi Lemak ($10.90), light bites such as Satay ($8 for 10), Kueh Pie Tee ($6.50 for 4), Ngoh Hiang ($5.50) desserts and coffee.

Prices are friendlier than the typical Peranakan restaurant.

I had the Assam Laksa ($8.90), which tasted half-way quite authentic, though not exactly ‘Penang-standard’ yet.
Tok Panjang is one of the few cafes that serve Assam Laksa prepared using Kembong Fish.

A whole lot of ingredients go to into the meticulously prepared stock, which includes with tamarind (assam), shallots, galangal, belachan, lemongrass, red chillies, and garnished with generous chunks of Kembong fish meat, rojak flower, mint leaf, grated pineapple, cucumber, onions, and prawn paste (hae kou).

The flavours are there, if you are reminiscing that taste, though I wished the broth was thicker, and perhaps used more hae kou.

The Nonya Mee Siam ($7.90)’s gravy, made with an aromatic stew rempah was slurp-tasty, though to the spicier side.

While the café is new, the interior gave rather ‘old’ vibes. There was a certain smell lingering in the air, and décor (sakura flowers) from the predecessor – Japanese restaurant Okonomiyaki House still hung around.

The Catch 22 situation is, while the group wants to appeal to the younger locals, there are certain elements pulling it back. It needs that breath of fresh air.

Still, if I have kids and want to bring them to try quite-authentic, affordable Peranakan food, Tok Panjang is quite a suitable choice.

Tok Panjang Peranakan Cafe
392 East Coast Road Singapore 428992
Tel: +65 9663 3392
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
The Peranakan (Orchard)
Chong Wen Ge (Telok Ayer)
House Of Peranakan Petit (Tiong Bahru)
New Rasa Singapura (Tanglin)
National Kitchen by Violet Oon (National Gallery)

The post Tok Panjang – Peranakan Café at Katong with Hearty Nonya Breakfast. Assam Laksa Is Quite Authentic-Tasting appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The queue continues up to a 2.5 hours wait for 1 star Michelin Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle at Chinatown Food Complex. But let us not forget about the other 17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore, any of these local hawkers will stand a good chance to get a Michelin star come 2016.

Liang Zhao Ji 梁照记 which specialises in braised soy duck rice and porridge at Whampoa Market Place may just be it. Incidentally, the other famous stall Hoover Rojak is next door neighbour.

Many grow up having their Braised Duck Rice, affordability priced at $4 – $5.

There was a short queue of about 10 in line when I went one early weekday afternoon. Though the wait can be hard to estimate as some customers may end up taking-away quite a number of ducks.

The uncle in front of me ordered like a multitude of duck necks – seems like a treat while having beer and watching Channel 8 reruns.

It was reported by co-owner Mr Low Ah Leng would just sell about 20 ducks and go back, sometimes sold out by 2pm or earlier.

When I received my plate, I marvelled at the generosity of the ingredients, how neatly arranged the pieces were.

Did I tear? No. Did I think it was the best duck rice in Singapore? Maybe no.

But it was a still a worthy plate of old-school style Braised Duck Rice.

I did think that the best parts of the plate was NOT the duck, but perhaps everything else that came together.

The savouriness of the flavoured rice (didn’t taste any yam though), the texture of the tau kwa (beancurd) and the tangy-spiciness of the chilli sauce.

The duck would have been a notch tenderer to steal my heart. Will come back again for the porridge (and rojak next door).

Liang Zhao Ji 梁照记
Whampoa Drive Makan Place #01-07, Block 90 Whampoa Drive Singapore 320090
Opening Hours: 10.45am – 3pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Other Related Entries
29 Singapore Michelin Starred Restaurants & Stalls
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Chinatown Food Complex)
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Crawford Lane)

The post Liang Zhao Ji 梁照记 – Michelin Bib Gourmand Soy Duck Rice and Porridge At Whampoa appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Sydney] Though I visit Sydney as a yearly affair, the new cafes, patisseries and restaurants continue to both amaze and excite. Case in point – Textbook Boulangerie Patisserie.

This is not saying I don’t love Adriano Zumbo or Black Star anymore. I still do.

But the new kids on the block (Textbook, KOI Dessert Bar) deliver their goods with some perfection, quality and Instagram-worthiness can that propel a thousand likes and life-changing moments.

The patisserie is located at the ground level of some flats at Alexandria – not quite a place you would have expected.

Entering, you might just zoom in to the rows and rows of pretty goodies. ”I want this, this… this, that!

They ALL look good, but the constriction of limited (stomach) space mattered.

I needed to make life’s decision in choosing between Lemon Meringue with Raspberry Compote (AUD$7.50), Mandarin and Tonka (AUD$8.50), Milk Chocolate & Pear (AUD$8.50), Grand Marnier Cheesecake (AUD$8.50), Apple Crumble (AUD$8.50), Chocolate, Raspberry & Hazelnut (AUD$8.50), OR Coffee Éclair (AUD$7.50),

The strategy: Choose the photogenic cake, ask for seasonal recommendations; OR pick that piece that has only ONE left – likely to be popular.

Textbook Boulangerie Patisserie is helmed by pastry chefs John Ralley who has worked at Sydney’s Wildfire and London’s Michelin-starred La Trompette; and Steven Anderson who specialises in the breads.

The group of us didn’t have an overly positive start though. The herbed tomato base Shukshuka (AUD$12) felt muted, and would have done with more of that tangy-robust oomph.

Their stuffed croissant, turned the situation completely around though. Breads are indeed, its strength.

Different filled croissants headline the store every week, from blood orange and ginger custard, to foie gras and black cherry, black truffle, to banana and salted caramel. I know – so as to keep people coming down.

I ordered a ‘boring’ ham and cheese, but it was anything but boring – that light crisp, close-to-perfect twirls, fluffiness and creamy gruyere cheese which made us go “Ooh la la. Life is good.”

The Grand Marnier Cheese (AUD$8.50) had a gloss brighter than a perfect-face complexion added with white swirls, with fillings of bergamot orange (known to be fresh, sweet, citrusy) and basil jelly, on crumbly almond streusel.

A piece of art that is softly smooth. Okay, maybe I wished it was a notch less sweet.

(Photo credit: @tomodachichingoo))

During the weekends, crowd throng the shop for limited quantity Pokeballs (AUD$15) in flavours of vanilla, cherry and chocolate.

So expensive, I know. Note: The Blue-coloured Captain Ball is a higher level Pokeball, and you can only get it in a 1 out of 10 chance random pick.

What mastery. People gotta catch ‘em all!

Textbook Boulangerie Patisserie
274 Botany Rd, Alexandria, NSW 2015
Tel: +61 2 9699 6156
Opening Hours: 7am – 3.00pm (Tue – Fri),7am – 4pm (Sat) 7am – 2pm (Sun)
Google Maps – Textbook Boulangerie Patisserie

Other Related Entries
Adriano Zumbo (Sydney)
The Grounds Of Alexandria (Sydney)
Bourke Street Bakery (Sydney)
Devon on Danks (Sydney)
Black Star (Sydney)

The post Textbook Boulangerie Patisserie – Gorgeous Cakes, Gotta Catch ‘Em All! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Baan, which means “home” in Thai, is started by the team behind Rochor Thai at Novena..

The Thai stall within the popular Alibabar Kopitiam along East Coast Road, serves up a lean menu of Wonton Noodles ($5.30, $6.80), Braised Pork Leg ($6.30), Green Curry Chicken ($5.80) and Basil Pork ($5.80).

The Wonton Noodles has received some attention after a favourable review in the local papers.

The star in the bowl to me, is the Grilled Pork Collar, firm yet with a suitable amount of tenderness. Also, a refreshing change instead of the usual char siew.

Baan uses Hong Kong egg noodles to best replicate the style from Thailand. The other components are worth its buck too, with inclusion of the pork crackling, crispy wonton, and lava egg.

While there wass a specially home-made braised pork sauce drizzled over, the thing I found disappointing was the lack of sauce and the signature pork lard aroma. Probably needed more fish sauce to lift up the overall taste.

The sprinkled pork crackling could also have been crispier. Perhaps the stall can look into ways to making the pieces more air-tight.

The Green Curry Chicken ($5.80) was towards the sweeter, and less spicy side. My rationale is Rochor Thai can be trying to reach for a more family-friendly taste due to its customer base around the area.

Would come back for the Thai Wonton Noodles again, and it would just require just some refinements for it to be a bowl to be reckoned with.

Baan by Rochor Thai
125 East Coast Road, Alibabar the Hawker Bar, Singapore 428810
Tel: +65 9820 8739
Opening Hours: 12pm – 2:30pm, 6pm – 9:30pm (or until the food is sold out)

Other Related Entries
5 Best Thai Wanton Noodles In Singapore
10 Best Thai Iced Milk Tea In Singapore
Rochor Thai (Novena)
Nung Len (Mackenzie Road)
Gu Thai Noodle Café (Selegie)

The post Baan by Rochor Thai – Thai Style Wonton Noodle At East Coast appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Yoga has never been quite my thing to do, as I see myself lacking the flexibility and patience.

Then I saw good-looking-peeps after good-looking-peeps stepping out to grab a coffee after a class at Yoga Movement Studio, looking both sweaty and effortless AT THE SAME TIME with a cup of cuppa… For the moment, I was tempted to sign up to get into this lifestyle.

For a moment.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Tan @stormscape)

A café + yoga studio. One of the sure fire way to success (if rental is manageable). Why didn’t more people think of that? Most, sorry, everyone is always looking for some kind of smoothies and protein after exercise.

And when you have a café called Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Yoga studio called Yoga Movement coming together, people would want to be spotted there.

I realised I written quite a bit in the intro. Grounded by CMCR is located next to Yoga Movement Studio, and thus food is skewed towards the possibly healthy.

If you find Common Man Coffee Roasters too crowded, the tip is to move upstairs (Yeah, I know I am writing some of my coffee-peace away too.)

So you literally get stuff such as a (no-patty) Balance Burger ($17) with folded organic eggs, kale, spring onions, streaky bacon (bacon?) with sriracha mayonnaise; GF Redemption Bowl ($17) of roasted veggies with poached eggs; and Matcha Pancakes ($16).

I would actually looking up and down the menu for a while, to check for food I could actually eat. Where are the smoothies and proteins?

Had the Balance Burger ($17), and wondered about the lack of patty. The sriracha mayonnaise and bacon made the burger tasty, but that casted doubt if the thing I was holding in my hand was absolutely ‘balanced’ and healthy.

The Matcha Pancakes ($16) was flat-flat, dense, with underwhelming matcha. But the dragonfruit jam was a highlight.

Grounded By CMCR is an instagrammable space, with spots every corner where you can gaze, shoot a selfie/OOTD and look possibly good. OR shoot any corner anyhow, and friends would go ”WHERE IS THIS?”

Work in an expanded menu, and I would be definitely caught here again, sipping on coffee, still wondering if I should sign up for that yoga class.

Grounded By CMCR
22 Martin Road Level 2, Singapore 239058
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 6:00pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Common Man Coffee Roasters (Martin Road)
The Assembly Ground (Orchard)
Boufe (Phoenix Park)
Crown Bakery & Cafe (Bt Timah)
Cream & Custard (Jalan Bt Ho Swee)

The post Grounded By CMCR – Common Man Coffee Roasters Opens Cafe Next To Yoga Movement appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

This is MUJI’s 2nd café and 10th store in Singapore. The 70-seater serves up similar items to the Paragon store, such as Japanese Deli rice sets (aka Japanese style chap chye peng), desserts and drinks.

Food items exclusive to this store include a Chicken Nanban Donburi ($14.90) with chicken nanban in tartar sauce, topped with avocado, mesclun salad on ten-grain rice; Soy-sansho French Fries ($6.90); and Matcha and Yuzu Swiss Rolls ($6.90 each).

I am actually quite THE-MUJI person. While I may not buy everything in store, there are pieces I have here and there (household items, stationaries, some food etc etc, even the CDs), and I imagined that if I were to buy a place, the interior should be “Muji-inspired”.

During trips to Tokyo, I would always make it a point to have a coffee or meal at Café & Meal MUJI 無印良品 Ginza – a canteen-style café that somehow oozes with charm and peacefulness (even when there are so many potentially crying kids).

I have already been to this Café MUJI at Raffles City 3 times, because the Chicken Nanban Donburi ($14.90) was not available the first 2 rounds. ”Sold out”, they said.

At the end, I didn’t find this item particularly exceptional. It was just fried chicken coated in a crispy egg batter with tartar sauce on ten-grain rice – Niigata Koshihikari Japanese white rice mixed with multi-grains.
But I appreciated the amount of greens, and definitely not as oily as some nanban donburis in casual Japanese restaurants.

The Soy-Sansho French Fries ($6.90) is a Café & Meal MUJI Singapore special.

That means fries coated with seasoning mix of Japanese Shoyu Powder and Parmaesan Cheese seasoning and Sansho spice (which may remind you of another fast-food restaurant).
Salty, good with a yuzu drink to wind down the time away.

The Matcha and Yuzu Swiss Rolls ($6.90) happened to be on the sweeter side for Japanese standards, and the winning element to me was the fresh and light whipped Hokkaido cream in the middle.

Most diners I observed stuck to the tried-and-test MUJI Butter Chicken Curry ($14.90) or 4 Deli with Rice ($16.90).

Speaking of which, I await the day when Singapore’s chap chye peng goes upmarket and finds itself in a café. Why not.

Café & Meal MUJI
Raffles City #02-20/22, 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103 (City Hall MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

Other Related Entries
Café & Meal MUJI (Paragon Orchard)
Imakatsu (Star Vista)
Omotenashi Dining Gosso (Boat Quay)
Hokkaido Izakaya (Tanjong Pagar)
Dutch Baby Pancakes (Paragon)

The post Café & Meal MUJI – New Branch At Raffles City. Exclusive Items Include Chicken Nanban Donburi, Soy-sansho French Fries, Matcha & Yuzu Rolls appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Goodbye Stamping Ground Club Street. Hello Stamping Ground East Coast.

Stamping Ground Coffee previously located on Club Street has moved to 87 Upper East Coast Road, citing “lease ended” as the reason.

The café also shares space with Dawn Q (florist) and East Mezzanine (venue space), ensuring efficient use of resources and aromatic blossoms while you sip your cup of coffee.

‘Stamping ground’ mean a habitual or favourite gathering place, and the choice of name for chic-contemporary coffee place is quite appropriate.

I observed that there were more communal tables and counter seating, giving rather “Aussie cafe” vibes for interactions and chats.

Opened by Charlene Chow and Shuwei, they were friends since secondary school and always had the dream of opening up their own coffee place.

Charlene is the main barista behind the Italian La Marzocco. Beans from Papa Palheta are used – I spot the rich, heavy bodied Throwback blend.

Here are some changes: The Cold Brews previously available in taller glass bottles are changed.

They are now brewed, bottled in-house as “concentrate”, to be added with milk, fresh coconut water and fresh almond milk ($6, $8, and $8 respectively).

Charlene pointed out an aeroplane icon printed on the bottle, which indicated that this smaller-sized bottle could be brought up the plane. She had the idea after regular customers commented that they needed stronger doses of caffeine on flight.

I like the strong coffee for it smooth texture and slightly fruity taste, and worked refreshingly well with fresh coconut water.

The revamped café also has an expanded food menu, with simple offerings such as Bacon Jam Brioche ($13.50), Tuna Croissant ($13.50), Beef Pastrami Sandwich ($15) and Mushroom Toast ($14.00).

The Bacon Jam ($13.50) fortunately tasted better than how it looked and sounded, with sweetish-savoury bacon jam tasting like soft ang-moh version bak kwa spreaded on soft, lightly toasted brioche, and cutting it through would reveal oozy baked egg in the middle.

While the previous outlet at Club Street is a straight-forward takeaway coffee place, I much liked the present incarnation, with more character and energy. A most-possible cafe in the east to chill the afternoon away with friends, provided the space does not get too crowded.

Stamping Ground Coffee
87 Upper East Coast Road, Singapore 455223
Tel: +65 9070 7610
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

Other Related Entries
Grounded By CMCR (Martin Road)
Patissez Singapore (Holland Village)
Rayz Bistro (Selegie Road)
Alchemist (Tanjong Pagar)
South Union Park (Kembangan)

The post Stamping Ground Coffee – Good Coffee, Good Vibes, and Good Conversations appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

When you see a supposedly popular hawker stall, but with NO QUEUE, do not for once think lady luck is shining on you. Just so I thought when I ventured to Chey Sua Carrot Cake at Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Food Centre.

“Must wait half hour ah!, when I gave a blur-blur look, hovering around the stall.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake has recently been included in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 . That’s why the fuss. (Read: 17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore)

If you are a visiting traveller to Singapore, this ‘Carrot Cake’ is not the typical sweet cake with cream cheese and walnut.

Instead, the key ingredients are white radish – in Chinese we all it ‘white carrot’, added with rice flour.

The mixture is first steamed, then cut into cubes and fried with eggs and preserved radish. Quite a laborious task, I must say. My family used to make our own when I was much younger, but some heritage food is lost due to technology and modernity.

So when Chey Sua Carrot Cake’s insist on making their own carrot cake, instead of sourcing from the factories, you know you are going to consume some true gem.

Sisters Grace and Shirley man the stall, staying true to how their parents have done the dish over the years.

The prices are very reasonable at $2, $3, $4, and there is only a ‘white’ version, not the sweeter black kind.

So after a 30 minute wait, the ‘chai tow kway’ looking like a pancake arrived.

Unlike some of the other variants, Chey Sua’s version is fried like rectangular blocks, crisp brown on the outside, spread with a thin layer of chilli, and looking thinner and flatter than usual.

Beneath the outer layer contains soft, small pieces, and I liked the texture which was moist and soft (unlike factory-made ones which have a certain firmness).

There is this old-school style about this, like the Carrot Cake of my growing up years.

The thing that I didn’t quite like about this plate was that it was still very oily, and I would encourage sharing if you do not want to end up feeling jelat (rich).

Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Blk 127 Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre Lor 1 #02-30 Singapore 310127
Opening Hours: 6am – 1pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
Singapore Michelin Guide 2016
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Crawford Lane)
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Chinatown Food Complex)

The post Chey Sua Carrot Cake – Homemade Chai Tow Kway at Toa Payoh, Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

While I am typing this, I must be still feeling the burning in my tummy. The result of having Na Na Homemade Curry.

Na Na Homemade Curry is one of those few stalls dedicated to just selling the Chinese style of curries and only curries. It has also been listed in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016, which trigged my curiosity to track the place down. (Read: 17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore)

Sometimes also known as the “Marina South Curry”, owner Mr Yap Hock Kee opened a curry-and-rice shop at the now-defunct Marina South food court inspired by his grandmother’s Peranakan style curry in 1989.

Do note: Na Na Homemade Curry was once located at Amara Shopping Centre, and moved out after the centre went through a revamping exercise. There is a curry restaurant at the current 100 AM Mall called “Na Na Curry”, but is not related to the original stall owner.

Na Na Homemade Curry current has 4 outlets in Singapore – Bedok North, Bukit Merah View, Commonwealth Crescent and Jurong East, and curry base is prepared in a central kitchen.

The offerings include Curry Fish Head (market price), Curry Chicken ($3), Curry Chicken Drum Stick ($3.50), Curry Vegetable ($3), Curry Mutton ($4) and Curry Pork Rib. Bread and rice at an additional 50 cents.

The curry arrived looking potent, with fiery colours of orangey-red, seemingly devoid of the typical coconut base. Rempah and masala is prepared in-house, not by pre-packed curries.

While I order a Curry Chicken and Curry Pork Ribs, the base seemed similar, but there was a slight difference – the Pork Ribs gravy had a fuller, very marginally to the sour side; while the Chicken Gravy tasted a tad milder.

The meats were almost fork tender, running less of a risk of pieces getting stuck within your molars.

At first, I didn’t want to order rice (wanted to cut down carbs), but ended up regretting…

SO GET IT WITH RICE. The long-grained rice was warm and went superbly well with the gravy. The sliced baguette was also toasted till suitably crisp, sliced to thin pieces for dips.

Na Na Homemade Curry
Blk 115 Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre, Bt Merah View Singapore 151115
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 7pm Mon – Sat (Closed Sun)

Other branches:
31 Commonwealth Crescent Market #02-72 Singapore 149644. Opening Hours 10:30am – 7pm (Closed Sun)
Blk 303 Jurong East Street 32 Coffee Shop Singapore 600303. Opening Hours: 11am – 8:30pm (Closed Alternate Mon)
Blk 205 Bedok North Street 1 Coffee Shop Singapore 460205. Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm Daily

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore

Singapore Michelin Guide 2016
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Crawford Lane)
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Chinatown Food Complex)

The post Na Na Homemade Curry – Spicy Marina South Curry, With Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The ONLY curry puff in Singapore listed in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016. And of course we are proud to have a humble Curry Puff on that list. (Read: 17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore)

Curry Puff can be one of Singaporean’s favourite snack, and you can see popular takeaway kiosks from Old Chang Kee, Tip Top, Polar Puffs, to 1A at different corners of the island.

They look similar to the Portuguese empanadas, with variants from Malay stalls (epok epok) and Indian bakeries, filled with ingredients such as curry potato, sardine, black-pepper chicken, yam to even durian.

My first contact with the Amoy Street Food Centre Curry Puffs, was when Chef Willin Low from Wild Rocket and I went for a hunt on the must try Curry Puffs in Singapore.

He HIGHLY recommends the sardine ones, “One of the best around”, though also mentioned that the curry chicken ones were ”good, but not as good”.

Also known as J2 Crispy Curry Puff, this comes with layered flaky pastry and spicy potato, black pepper chicken, sardine and yam paste fillings.

Each at $1.20.

While I was chatting up with the friendly hawker and asked what was the *secret*, he mentioned about the fluffy skin with spirals, ”Actually have you tried 1A? We are all about the same lah.”

Wondered if that was a humble statement, or matter of fact.

The J2 puffs are freshly hand-made in the stall, deep-fried in a big wok of oil, and the aroma and sound of cracking oil made it all more tempting.

My advice: EAT IT while it is still hot.

Though when I brought some home and consumed after an hour or two, they still remained quite crisp.

In that case, still a plate to contain the flakes while eat, because the skin is so flaky and crisp they would ‘fly’ all over the plate.

The curry chicken puff’s inner filling was warm, moist, only slightly spicy with a hint of curry leaves.

A worthy snack, definitely than many mass-manufactured run-on-the-mills puffs out there.

J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff
Amoy Street Food Centre #01-21, 7 Maxwell Road Singapore 069111 (Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit G)
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun, PH

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
6 Must Try Curry Puffs In Singapore
Chey Sua Carrot Cake (Toa Payoh Lor 1)
Liang Zhao Ji (Whampoa)

The post J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff – Worth The Calories, With Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Somehow, claypot food and local zhi char favourites hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). So when the group of us learnt that a local home-grown restaurant Wok Master has opened at City Square Mall, we were SO looking forward to the meal.

And the food didn’t disappoint at all.

Though Wok Master is still considered under-the-radar, the dinner crowd was healthy when we visited. I also learnt that several customers have already made return visits.

While this is a NEW restaurant, the team is not unfamiliar to the F&B industry, set up by the people behind local coffee chain Coffee Hive – known for their coffee, toast and local delights.

This is THE place to bring daddies and mummies (colleagues and friends), for affordable, actually delicious comfort fare.

Most of the food items are value-for-money in the $8-$12 range, considering this is a sit-down, air-conditioned restaurant with service.

Signature claypot dishes include the Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28 or $38), Claypot Curry Chicken ($8), Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($10), Claypot Seafood Horfun ($8), Claypot XO Crayfish Tanghoon ($14, $28), and Claypot Tofu ($12, $18).

Some of the other local favourites include Golden Salted Egg Pork Ribs ($12, $18), Coffee Spare Ribs ($12, $18), Boxing Chicken ($8, $12), Braised Superior Chicken ($8, $12), Sambal Kang Kong ($8, $12) to more east-west dishes such as Baked Miso Cod Fish with Champagne ($8, $12).

Oh yah, I HEARD that the Har Cheong Wings ($8) was very NICE!!! (with 3 exclamation marks, according to @PinkyPiggu)… I won’t know because the plate was swept clean before I came. LOL.

Braised Superior Chicken ($8, $12)
One of our table’s favourite dish. Farm fresh chicken braised in a herbal superior stock with fish maw, black fungus and shitake mushrooms and tofu.

The chicken was so tender, flavoursome as the meal soaked up the herbal stock which should contain fragrant Chinese wine (not-China-wine).

This reminded me of one of grandma’s dishes, that she so lovingly cooked because it was nutritious and good for the body.

Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28, $38)
This one, we also like. Superior claypot with fresh prawns, scallops, clams, fish slices, fish maw and broccoli, braised in a special stock.

My advice is, don’t spend too long on the photos, eat this while the stock is still bubbling in heat.

Loads of wholesome, fresh seafood ingredients, with zup-zup sauce that you would pour all over your bowl of rice.

Boxing Chicken ($8, $12)
As several of the chefs from Wok Master are from Malaysia, they also brought in this delectable dish commonly found at dinner banquets in Malaysia.

Boxing Chicken is so named because chicken meat is pushed to one end to look like a boxing glove or hand. So all the meat is concentrated on the side.

Glazed in sweet and savoury sesame sauce, this starter should be a favourite among children.

Golden Salted Egg Pumpkin ($8, $12)
Slices of pumpkin coated with salted egg yolk paste and fried with curry leaves and chilli. The pumpkin was soft, and outer layer crisp. Good stuff.

Wok Master Special Beancurd ($12, $18)
Homemade tofu with mayonnaise and topped with special crispy pork floss.

Miso Cod with Champagne Sauce ($38)
Snow cod marinated with miso and baked till golden brown, served with greens and root vegetables.

For some of the Instagram effect, sparkling champagne sauce is poured over after serving.

While some of the rest on the table thought that the dish could be fleshier and more moist, I liked the slight tinge of saltiness from the miso balanced with bitter-sweetness from the champagne.

Prawns Fruit Mayo ($8, $12)
Deep fried prawns in crispy batter and cooked in a fruit mayonnaise.

Signature Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($10)
Thick rice vermicelli simmered in a claypot with spicy coconut broth with sliced fish cakes, fried bean curd and whole crayfish.

I am more indifferent to this dish, wished that the gravy had more of that coconuty-oomph.

Sizzling Chilli Crayfish ($25, $35)
Whole crayfish fried and simmered with a sweet and spicy sauce, served in a sizzling hotplate.

Pine Nut Squirrel Fish ($28)
The Squirrel Fish, otherwise known as Song Shu Yu, is a well-known Jiangsu dish which resembles the fluffy tail of a squirrel.

Wok Master’s version is a whole seabass lightly battered and deep fried till golden brown, topped with pine nuts and a spicy-sweet-tangy sauce.

This is popular among diners, not only because the fish is de-boned (which makes it really easier to eat), but because the meat was fresh and sweet beneath the crisp outer layer.

Royal Three Eggs Spinach ($10, $15)
Spinach braised with three types of eggs – salted egg, century egg and egg whites in a light herbal sauce. Not bad, I generally liked the sauce base here.

Mango Pomelo Sago ($5.50)
Diced mango and fresh pomelo in a chilled mango soup for desserts.

Wok Master has quite an extensive menu. While it won’t be right to say every item was delicious, we concluded that about 80% of what we had tasted above average with a few stand-outs.

Plus, given that it is a zhi-char restaurant, surprisingly several dishes didn’t overwhelm in terms of salt level. Would certainly make a return trip. Now, who should I jio?

Wok Master
City Square Mall #02-51, 180 Kitchener Road Singapore 208539
Tel: +65 6835 9096
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Wok Master.

The post Wok Master – Fans Of Claypot Food And Local Zhi Char Should Make Your Way There (Soon) appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

I was 5th time lucky. Meaning I only got to eat from this Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty stall only on my 5th visit.

Why the persistence? I wanted to try out ALL the 17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore. No kidding. Fellow food blogger RubbishEatRubbishGrow said I was hardworking. I think I am a determined person.

Mei Ling Market & Food Centre at Mei Chin Road is not the easiest place to get to if you do not drive.

There is no MRT station nearby. Via public transport, you have to take a bus and walk a long way in. From the Commonwealth Avenue side, possibly a 15 minutes walk in the hot sun.

The good thing that happened out of this was I got to try some other hawker stalls (Sin Kee Chicken Rice, Lao Jie Fang Beef Brisket Noodles x 2 and an old-school Wanton Mee stall) which reminded me of my childhood days.

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty opens for a couple of hours from Thursday to Sunday.

According to online sources, the stall opens from 8am to 2pm. HOWEVER, when I went about 1pm once, they were already SOLD OUT (then I noticed almost every other table was having THEIR horfun). And during my ‘successful’ visit, the stall wasn’t ready till 8:35am or so.

The best bet, if you are that keen to try, will be weekend mornings.

Having been around since 1969, Shi Hui Yuan’s signature is slippery smooth Ipoh style Hor Fun (long and thin) with chicken, duck slices and mushrooms in gooey gravy.

Will recommend the Blissful Plate ($5) which contains a bit of everything, including pork ribs and duck slices.

Before serving, the hawker drenched the rice noodles in three different types of sauces from the pots – I reckoned one was cooked with chicken feet, the other with ribs, and the last in mushroom.

The two ingredients that stood out were the tender roast duck without that usual gamey taste; and the soft braised mushrooms coated in dark sauce.

”Take the chilli… It makes it more delicious”, I was reminded by the hawker.

After adding the sweet, quite diluted chilli which did add a different dimension to the plate, I thought this reminded me of the Ipoh Horfun at River Valley (near St Bernadette Church) which had since disappeared.

I haven’t had this style of Hor Fun in a long while, at least not such a tasty one. An old-school taste, rustic, probably a family-handed recipe which stood the test of time.

Shi Hui Yuan
Mei Ling Market & Food Centre #02-33, 159 Mei Chin Road, Singapore 140159
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Thurs – Sun), Closed Mon – Wed

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
29 Singapore Michelin Starred Restaurants & Stalls
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Chinatown Food Complex)
Liang Zhao Ji (Whampoa)

The post Shi Hui Yuan – Must Try Hor Fun IF The Stall Is Open. With Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Wedang is the only Muslim-owned Halal hawker stall which is listed under the Michelin Bib Gourmand 2016 Guide. The other two – Bismillah Biryani and Hjh Maimunah Restaurant , are considered restaurants. Hopefully more in the coming years.

According to the Michelin inspectors, Wedang “Only serves five dishes; Tahu Goreng and Gado Gado are worth a try; satay is served after 12:30pm.”

Note: The stall has moved from its original location at Golden Mile to Blk 117 Aljunied Ave 2 Food Centre.

The stall looks non-descript and ordinary, no newspaper cuttings what-so-ever, and you may just walk past it without a hint of its accolades.

Wedang’s offerings are straightforward – Tahu Goreng (Malay style fried tofu with spicy peanut sauce., Gado Gado (a style of Indonesian salad with peanut sauce), Mee or Bee Hoon Soto Ayam (yellow spicy chicken soup with noodles or rice vermicelli) and Nasi Ayam (chicken rice), all at $3.00 per plate or bowl.

The Bee Hoon Soto Ayam ($3), a Javanese-influenced dish of rice vermicelli with a deep fried begedil (potato cake), shredded chicken in yellow spicy chicken stock, was pleasingly tasty.

Its soup base came across as being balanced, cloudy yet not overly rich, spicy but manageable. It is not as salty as some of the Mee Soto I have come across.

You can add some sambal kicap, which is a black sweet-spicy sauce to a portion of the soup to add some kick.

While the Gado Gado ($3) was probably meant for sharing, I finished all of it! Perhaps it was also because I hadn’t had it in a while.

“Gado Gado” means “mix mix” in Indonesia, and Wedang’s version included deep fried tofu, tempeh (yums), cooked potatoes and fried keropok all mixed in thick peanut sauce.

Wedang (Indonesian food and satay)
Blk 117, Aljunied Ave 2 #01-44 Singapore 380117
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat – Sun

Other Related Entries
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
29 Singapore Michelin Starred Restaurants & Stalls
Na Na Homemade Curry (Bukit Merah View)

The post Wedang – Sedap Gado Gado & Mee Soto, The Only Halal Hawker Stall With Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

This question keeps popping up. Some international guests and friends (I shall call them collectively ‘kakis’ here) arrive at Singapore for a holiday and visit.

Where should we bring them to experience some Asian and local delights, other than the hawker centres (and Michelin starred restaurants)?

An all-you-can-eat buffet offering some of the best local delights is one of the most obvious choices. Also, why not a hipster wanton noodle shop, or a modern European restaurant with local influence in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown?

Here are some 7 restaurants you can bring your foreign kakis (and local friends of course) to.

The better news is: Make a reservation at Chope to dine at one of these restaurants and get $10 off your bill when you pay with your VISA credit or debit card. (Minimum spend of $30 to redeem, only reservations made from this page eligible for the VISA $10 giveaway.)

StraitsKitchen
Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road, Lobby Level, Singapore 228211
Opening Hours: 6:30am -10:30am, 12pm – 2:30pm, 6:30 – 10:30pm (Mon-Fri)
6:30am – 11am, 12pm – 3pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Reserve Online Now – StraitsKitchen

Popular Halal-certified buffet with the best of local cuisine
StraitsKitchen is a familiar name to many Singaporean foodies, and is where we would bring foreign guests to have all the best of local delicacies in one place.

The Laksa, Tandoori and Butter Chicken, Satay, Beef Rendang, Carrot Cake, Hainanese Chicken and Pandan Kaya Cake (just naming some) continue to be my favourites.

The live theatre kitchen will also allow you to catch some of the action especially at the Satay and Naan sections.

Don’t miss the chicken satays, grilled right in front of you with charcoal, then served with slurp-worthy peanut sauce.

Buffet Lunch goes for $52++ (adult) and $28++ (children 7 – 12), and Buffet Dinners is at $62++ (adult) and $35++ (children 7 – 12).

Flavours at Zhongshan Park
Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park, 16 Ah Hood Road, Singapore 329982
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 10:30pm
Reserve Online Now – Flavours at Zhongshan Park

Modern Asian cuisine buffet with Hawkerlicious offerings
Flavours at Zhongshan Park churns out Asian flavours infused with Western cooking techniques, bringing varied items from Baked Miso Cod (must-have), Flavours Asian Club Sandwich, Slow-Cooked Pork Cheek, to Pandan Tiramisu; and local hawker favourites of Fried Seafood Hokkien Mee, Dry Mee Siam, Assam Fish Curry with Vegetables, Wok-Fried Oyster Omelette and Mutton Rendang.

What caught my eye was an “Ah Hood” stall offered during the ‘Hawkerlicious’ Dinner Buffet, where you would see a display of fresh seafood on ice, to be paired with their home-made signature sauces.

Choose from prawns, clams, mud crabs, snapper fish and squid, and get the chef to wok-fry the seafood with salted egg yolk sauce (is this calling your name?), Assam curry sauce, black pepper, or ginger and onion sauce.

Your choice, whatever sauce you want, fresh, with wok-hei.

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekday Lunch Buffet (Mon – Fri, 12 – 2:30pm)
$28++ per adult, $14++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekday Dinner Buffet (Mon – Thurs, 6 – 10pm)
$45++ per adult, $22.50++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekend Lunch Buffet (Sat, Sun, PH, 12-2:30pm)
$45++ per adult, $22.50++ per child

‘Hawkerlicious’ Weekend Dinner Buffet (Fri – Sun, PH, 6-10pm)
$49++ per adult, $24.50++ per child

21 on Rajah
1 Jalan Rajah Singapore 329133
Opening Hours: 6am – 10:30pm
Reserve Online Now – 21 on Rajah

Mediterranean cuisine, Asian delights, Halal-certified buffet
Interesting. A Mediterr-Asian theme buffet with Mediterranean favourites such as Spiced Basmati, Sultana Saffron Rice, Fattoush Salad with Sumac and Olive Oil, Buffalo Mozzarella and Roma Tomatoes with Pesto Sauce.

After going through a recent update, there is a new station featuring items such as Seafood and Chicken Paella, Tortilla de Patatas Espanola (Spanish Omelette with Potatoes) and assorted pizzas (for the kids).

The buffet also caters to those craving for familiar street Asian food, with the likes of Barbecued Chicken with Sambal Squid Rings, tender Braised Lamb Shank, and savoury Clams in Assam Chilli.

Literally having the best of both worlds.

Breakfast (Mon – Sun, 6:00am – 10:30am)
Adult: $18++, Child: $9++

Lunch & PH Eve (Mon – Fri, 12pm – 2:30pm)
Adult: $30++, Child: $15++

Brunch (Sat, Sun & PH, 12pm – 3pm)
Adult: $40++, Child: $20++

Dinner (Mon – Thurs, 6 – 10pm)
Adult: $40++, Child: $20++

Dinner (Fri – Sun, PH Eve & PH, 6pm – 10pm)
Adult: $44++, Child: $22++

Restaurant Ember
Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089158
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm (Mon-Fri), 6-10:30pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Reserve Online Now – Restaurant Ember

Modern European with an Asian and Japanese influence
Located on the hipster stretch of Keong Siak Road within Hotel 1929, Restaurant Ember is known for serving modern European cuisine with Asian and Japanese influence.

Helmed by new Executive Chef Alex Phan, the restaurant has gone on to initiate more collaborations with home-grown producers. Thus, you would see mains such as Ah Hua Kelong Sea Bass with Tomato Butter ($32) appearing on the menu.

The long standing favourite of Restaurant Ember has been the Sakura Ebi Cappellini with Konbu, Chilli & Crustacean Oil ($32), while other items not to be missed are the Market Balsamic-Glazed Pork Belly with Enoki, Parsley & Cashew ($34), and desserts of Tiger Beer Sorbet with Lap Cheong & Pineapple ($14), and Kaffir Lime with Coconut & Pandan ($12).

WANTON, Seng’s Noodle Bar
52 Amoy Street Singapore 069878
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs),
11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 11pm (Fri)
11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm (Sat), Closed Sunday
Reserve Online Now – WANTON

Singapore local wanton noodles goes upmarket
From humble wanton mee stall at Dunman Food Centre (operating since 1968 by the way), to hipster noodle bar on Amoy Street.

The Char Siew Mee ($7) comes with aburi slow cooked pork belly instead of the typical char siew with wontons, spring onions, fried shallots on thin, springy noodles.

During weekday and Saturday dinners, you can order a bowl of Seng’s plain noodles for a dollar, matched with bites and sides such as Batalong Egg ($9), 18 hours slow cooked Aburi Pork Belly ($13), Salted Duck Egg Chicken Wings ($10) and Gangster Baby Kailan ($10).

Do add some of those *secret recipe* Seng’s ‘infamous’ chilli sauce.

Baba Chews
86 East Coast Road #01-01 Katong Square Singapore 428788
Opening Hours: All Day Dining 11:00am – 10:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm – 10:30pm, Bar Bites 11am – 11:30pm, Weekend Brunch 10:30am – 3:00pm (Sat = Sun)
Reserve Online Now – Baba Chews

Modern Peranakan Neighbourhood Café In Heritage Katong
Katong is already known for its heritage shophouses, many with Peranakan influence. Housed within the former Joo Chiat Police Station, Baba Chews looks set to attract hipsters with its modern meets Straits Chinese cuisine.

Other than the recommended Chilli Crab Cake with Mantou Chips ($15) and Foie Gras Tau Kwa Pau ($20), the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($18) looks intriguing enough.

This consist of chicken patty doused in a special buah keluak sauce, with achar (pickled vegetables) in a multigrain ciabatta burger. It is a creative take, and I hope they will expand on this selection.

For more Asian and local favourites, there is a variety from Penang Char Kway Teow ($15), Nonya Fried Rice, Hokkien Mee ($16), Nonya Laksa ($18) and Hainanese Chicken Rice ($17). Portions surprisingly quite satisfying.

1933
15 Stamford Road, Capitol Piazza #01-83 Singapore 178906
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm, Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Reserve Online Now – 1933

Local ‘kopitiam’ Toast Box with a difference
Craving for local breakfast, Nanyang style kopi and Singapore cuisine at City Hall area? 1933 by Toast Box is a two-storey outlet offering local food, mostly with a modern take.

Some of 1933’s mains include Laksa Pasta ($13.90), Nanyang Curry Chicken ($11.90), and Hainanese Chicken Rice ($12.90). End the meal with a Gula Melaka Pandan Cake ($7.90) – soft pandan chiffon served with Gula Melaka syrup.

There you have it. Remember if you want to dine at any of the above restaurants, make a reservation at Chope to get $10 off your bill when you pay with your Visa credit or debit card.

Visa Flash Giveaway TnCs:
1. Reservations must be made and fulfilled by 31st August.
2. Minimum spend of $30
3. Bill has to be paid using a VISA credit/debit card to qualify.
4. Limited to one redemption per reservation.
5. Cancellations or no-shows will result in the giveaway being forfeited.
6. Not valid in conjunction with ongoing promotions, offers, discounts and/or vouchers.
7. The giveaway is not exchangeable for cash or vouchers.
8. No multiple Chope vouchers can be used at the same time.
9. In case of disputes, the restaurant’s decision is final.

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Chope.

The post 7 Restaurants To Bring Your Foreign Kakis For Modern Local Fare. Plus Get $10 OFF Your Bill! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

There is NO MENU at the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Anthony Bourdain recommended Sin Huat Eating House at red-light district of Geylang Lorong 35.

”The fish is $150 per kg ah. I tell you. Don’t order and then complain against me…”

Chef Danny Lee mentioned that in a tone equal in candidness and seriousness, as if he was many-times bitten, many-times (not) shy.

Sin Huat Eating House had received complaints and negative feedback from exorbitant prices, rude service and long waiting hours.

The group of us only experienced the last, and we didn’t quite mind waiting (while chatting and FYI Sin Huat is between two Pokestops.)

This is almost a ONE-MAN SHOW restaurant. Chef Danny takes the orders, cooks, and then two aunties will send the food to our table.

They were quite chatty by the way, ”Are you all inspectors? But they should be ang moh… One came and asked what Otah was in English… ”

If you are at the last table, perhaps you literally have to wait-long-long before Chef would make his rounds. Tip: Order the Otah ($12 per piece), that was the fastest to come.

I can imagine some diners may be offended by Chef Danny’s straight-talking, no-nonsense style. In a greatest faux pas (and lack of research), I asked if he served Har Cheong Gai… Mistake.

”Hello? We are a seafood restaurant. Is chicken seafood? I almost wanted to bury my head under the table. My friends had a good laugh.

He went to comment that seafood restaurants which sell everything under the sky, shouldn’t be called “seafood restaurants”. ”Don’t get me there… I was more amused than anything.

Be very precise in what you want to order and not. I mentioned ”Zhong yu” which meant “finally” in Mandarin, he thought I wanted a medium-sized fish.

My heart stopped a beat when I realized that could have cost me an additional $300.

Our orders were the legendary Crab Bee Hoon ($160 for 2 crabs), Prawns ($84 for 14 pieces), Scallops ($50 for 2 kg, that was like 12 pieces?), Frogs’ legs with essence of chicken ($26 for 2 frogs), and Vegetables ($20).

A word of caution: The kitchen was heavy-handed in using garlic. If your nemesis is garlic or you are a Dracula, stay far-far away from Sin Huat.

We all had our personal favourites.

Mine could be the Otah ($12 per piece) which Chef Danny described as “size of your handphone”. Should be a Samsung Note 7.

The handmade piece was spicy-sweet-juicy, served on banana leaf with chunks of fish which my friend described as “better than Muar’s”.

We were divided on the Scallops ($50 for 2 kg) cooked slathered with black bean sauce. The scallops were fresh, but the sauce and abundant use of garlic kind of covered the taste.

While some others thought otherwise and scooped up the sauce till there was not very much left.

I had a love-hate relationship with the vegetables ($20). Chef Danny said he had greens there ONLY because he ”yi si yi si” needed a token vegetable dish.

The dish was deliciously over-salty in oyster sauce. Try it to know what I mean.

Of course the star of the dinner had to be the Crab Bee Hoon ($168) had rice vermicelli drenched in this impossible-to-resist sauce, with wok-hei and crabs so fleshy-sweet you wave your diets goodbye.

Elsewhere you might get crabs so dry and shriveled, and without SO MUCH roe, that you wondered if they had lived in vain, or been cooked in vain.

I wished for MORE bee hoon per crab, but got reminded that this had to be done so that every strand would get wrapped with the essence and flavours.

The Singapore Michelin Guide listed the price at Sin Huat to be between $20 and $40. They could have come in a big big group and ordered only 2 dishes. Anyway… expect to pay anything between $50 to $100 and beyond per person.

Anthony Bourdian did name Sin Huat as one of the “13 Places to Eat Before You Die” alongside Per Se, elBulli, The French Laundry, Le Bernardin, and Sukiyabashi Jiro… which showed how worthy he thought the food was.

I think Sin Huat should provide you a unique local dining experience (may just return again for the bee hoon, otah and vege). Bring extra cash to pay your friend (they accept cards), wet towels, patience, an appetite, and throw your pride out of the window. And DON’T order chicken.

Sin Huat Eating House
659/661 Lorong 35 Geylang Singapore 389589
Opening Hours: 7pm – 12am

Other Related Entries
Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide 2016 – 34 Eateries That Make The Cut
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
29 Singapore Michelin Starred Restaurants & Stalls
10 Must Try Zi Char Places In Singapore
A-Z List Of Where To Eat, Where To Go Around Singapore

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Sin Huat Eating House – Awesome Expensive Crab Bee Hoon, One Of The Places To Eat Before You Die appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Seems like Peranakan restaurants and cafes are back in the radar once more, with the opening of The Peranakan, Tok Panjang, Chong Wen Ge, Peranakan Khek (takeaway shop) and Baba Chews all in succession, few months apart.

Katong is already known for its heritage shophouses, many with Peranakan influence. Housed within the former Joo Chiat Police Station, Baba Chews at the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong looks set to attract hipsters with its modern meets Straits Chinese cuisine.

The name “Baba Chews” is derived from the name of wealthy Chinese landowner in the early 20th century, Chew Joo Chiat (Singaporeans should be familiar with the road named after him). ‘Baba’ is an honorific name that Peranakan men are known as.

In wanting to keep the menu wide enough, Baba Chews offer varied items at different times of the day, with an All-Day Dining Menu, family style Dinner Menu, bar bites and Weekend Brunch Menu.

Other than the recommended Chilli Crab Cake with Mantou Chips ($15) and Foie Gras Tau Kwa Pau ($20), the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($18) looks intriguing enough.

This consist of chicken patty doused in a special buah keluak sauce, with achar (pickled vegetables) in a multigrain ciabatta burger.

The patty was moist enough, while I wondered with the token spread of buah keulak sauce was enough to lift up the taste, and truly make a difference.

Achar with burgers – why not? That spicy-sourness could work. But leave the dry ciabatta aside.

It is a creative take, and I hope they will expand on this modern-Peranakan selection, which I feel is generally lacking in Singapore.

For more Asian and local favourites, there is a variety from Penang Char Kway Teow ($15), Nonya Fried Rice, Hokkien Mee ($16), Nonya Laksa ($18) and Hainanese Chicken Rice ($17). Portions surprisingly quite satisfying.

In wanting to bring out the ‘star value’ of the restaurant, Baba Chews includes certain dishes prepared by celebrity chefs Chef Ian Kittichai (of Issaya Siamese Club and Chef Sam Leong (of Forest).

With no offence to the chefs, I felt their dishes were out-of-place in the whole spectrum. You see their signature items of Wasabi Prawns, Yam Nuar (beef sirloin with Asian salad), Moo Yang Ta Krai Kra Tiem (seared pork chop with lemongrass), placed alongside Peranakan-local items, sticking out like a sore thumb.

I like the whole look, feel and space of Baba Chews, and will likely make a return for its family-style Peranakan Dinner Menu with items such as Iberico Pork Ribs Pongteh ($25), Beef Short Ribs Rendang ($25), and Barramundi Goreng Chilli ($29) which probably fits better to its theme.

Additional note: If you want to dine at Baba Chews, make a reservation at Chope to get $10 off your bill when you pay with your Visa credit or debit card.

Visa Flash Giveaway TnCs:
1. Reservations must be made and fulfilled by 31st August.
2. Minimum spend of $30
3. Bill has to be paid using a VISA credit/debit card to qualify.
4. Limited to one redemption per reservation.
5. Cancellations or no-shows will result in the giveaway being forfeited.
6. Not valid in conjunction with ongoing promotions, offers, discounts and/or vouchers.
7. The giveaway is not exchangeable for cash or vouchers.
8. No multiple Chope vouchers can be used at the same time.
9. In case of disputes, the restaurant’s decision is final.

Baba Chews
86 East Coast Road #01-01 Katong Square Singapore 428788
Opening Hours: All Day Dining 11:00am – 10:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm – 10:30pm, Bar Bites 11am – 11:30pm, Weekend Brunch 10:30am – 3:00pm (Sat = Sun)
Reserve Online Now – Baba Chews

Other Related Entries
National Kitchen by Violet Oon (National Gallery)
House Of Peranakan Petit (Tiong Bahru)
The Peranakan (Orchard)
Chong Wen Ge (Telok Ayer)
Tok Panjang (East Coast Road)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Baba Chews – Modern Peranakan Charm at Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Some of the best dining places, are hidden. DW Workshop at Rochester may not even sound like a restaurant, but it is a venue worth the trek.

DW Workshop houses several concepts in one location. It is hard to gasp at first glance what they encompass, but it is like a café, brunch place, healthy dining restaurant and design workshop studio all within a heritage house.

To be specific, a Black and White double-storey colonial house.

SO HIPSTER and Chio, right? Anyway…

Finding the workshop can be challenging for those unfamiliar with the grounds. It is on one end of Rochester Drive, next to Pies & Coffee, a few shops away from Starbucks.

For my friends who went go after Sunday service at New Creation Church, I told them, “Just cross the road from Star Vista’s taxi stand and walk for about 80 metres in.”

Here are 10 Reasons why you should make your way to DW Workshop:

The Space, Feels Like Home
I shall start with the space. It is SO well designed and thought-out. If you come regularly, you can try hanging around the varied spaces depending on who you come with.

Sometimes it is tough to find a restaurant meant for larger groups in Singapore. No problem here.

There is an outdoorsy Patio Hangout for those who do not mind some al fresco dining, the Iconic Fireplace which makes you feel like it is Christmas time all over again, or at the Communal Dining area.

What I like is the vibes of a comfy welcoming home. You don’t get a lot of that here in space-constrained Singapore.

Healthy Lunch Bowls
Since grains and rice bowls are all in the rage… lunch bowls ($19.00 each) are offered, with options such as Savoury Grilled Chicken, Grilled Ribeye, Pan Seared Duck Breast, Salmon in a Bag and Sweet Potato Frittata.

How it works: Choose 1 main, 3 sides, 1 grain (brown rice, red quinoa and basmati rice) and a topping to complete the bowl.

Those that I liked better were the Savoury Grilled Chicken and Sweet Potato Frittata, which were well, tastier.

Hopefully in time to come, there will be a larger variety for regular lunch goers.

Communal Dinners
The dinner time takes on a completely different concept, focusing on “communal dining” where families, colleagues and friends can come together to share a meal.

The recommended items include Signature Braised Beef ($42, portion for 2) – slow-cooked beef cheek in sweet-tart primed-aged balsamic topped with almond flakes and dark chocolate shavings; Savoury Grilled Chicken ($38, for 2); Crackling Pork Belly with Sweet Apple Risotto ($36, for 2) and Duck Confit ($42, for 2).

Weekend Brunch
The Weekend Brunch choices sound quite enticing, that I wished they offered this during weekdays as well.

Other than the Signature Potato Rosti with Poached Eggs ($21.00), my favourite was the Crab Salad Croissant ($24.00) with fresh picked sweet crab in Japanese mayo in a freshly baked butter croissant.

I liked that there was crispy kale in buttery choron sauce on the side (and not just another ordinary salad), and a surprise element coming in the form of poached egg in the centre. My humble suggestion: If the croissant included crab chunks instead, this would have been a sell-out.

Poursteady Coffee
To note, DW Workshop does not offer the typical café coffees (yet), and focuses on two types – The Drip Coffee brewed by Poursteady ($9) and The Stove Brew ($9).

The Poursteady is a robotics-controlled coffee brewing apparatus which is said to combine speed, precision, and convenience to puts out a precise cup of drip coffee.

The result is a clean taste of gently filtered coffee with quite a strong caffeine kick.

The other is full-bodied stove brew coffee concocted by the Italian Moka pot where you are served a TRIPLE shot of espresso. A way to stay awake.

Cold Pressed Market Juices
For those of you who want to wind the day down, sitting by the sofa having cold-pressed juice having a bottle of the Pineapple, Carrot and Mandarin Squash ($9) or Summer Watermelon and Strawberry Mint ($9).

A more ‘powerful’ Mighty Spinach, Cucumber and Red Apple Lemon; and a ‘Green Greens’ with kale, celery and English parsley added with red apple are also available.

CAKES!
We almost missed this menu entirely, since the cakes are not displayed anyway.

So let me tell you, there is a “Sweet Treats” menu somewhere at the corner of this house, where you can pick your mood-redeemers called Matcha Pie, Sea Salt Caramel Cake, Carrot Cake, White Chocolate Orange Tea Cake and Lemon Curd Tart ($7 – $8.90).

Needless to say, my favourite was the Matcha Pie ($8.90) which has this sweetish milky matcha filling on crumbly pie. I wished it had a tad more bitterness, and less sweetness though, but this was good enough for satisfaction.

Design Workshops
True to its name and background, DW Workshop organises design workshops to bring out the craftsman in you.

The experiential activities include concrete lamp making, paper marbling, paper pleating, and clothes repurposing – varying every quarterly.

For the hipster in you, the current workshop is the “Evening Concrete Lamp”, where you can mould-make your own Edison light holder. So make, eat (lunch, cakes, tea provided), make, then bring your lamp home.

All materials included. The Evening Concrete Lamp Workshop is at $329 per pax, or $599 per couple (and share 1 set of materials).

Events Venue
Corporate or groups will enjoy a happier rate for workshops. And it can seat up to 100 people or hold up to 130 in a more casual standing event.

DW Workshop is a space to dine, meet, work and relax. Quite a worthy find.

DW Workshop
41 Rochester Drive Singapore 138582
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:00pm (Mon – Fri), 9:30am till late (Sat, Sun, PH)
https://dwworkshop.com

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with DW Workshop.

The post DW Workshop – Cafe + Bistro + Design Workshop In A Colonial House, A Hidden Gem You Probably Haven’t Heard About Yet appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Need a meal before flying overseas? Peach Garden Chinese Dining has opened at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure Hall, which can be the place for Chinese food and dim sum before your holiday.

In fact, the restaurants at Changi Airport are not only for travellers.

Families and groups of friends, especially those who stay at the east of Singapore, also venture to Changi Airport due to its wide dining options, facilities and space.

A bit of history of Peach Garden: The Chinese restaurant started way back in 2002 at Novena Gardens, and has opened several branches at Thomson Plaza, Orchid Country Club, OCBC Centre and Hotel Miramar over the years.

This concept of “Peach Garden Chinese Dining “ combines the award-winning cuisine of Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant, and some of the more casual dishes of Peach Garden Noodle House, such as Hong Kong style noodles.

Dim Sum (From 11am – 5pm)
Amongst the dim sum offered – Steamed Siew Mai with Crystal Prawns ($5.60), Steamed BBQ Pork Bun($4.50), Steamed Creamy Custard Bun ($4.20), Xiao Long Bao ($4.80), Steamed Charcoal Sponge Cake ($4.80), Deep Fried Bean Skin Roll with Seafood ($5.80) and Pan Fried Crispy Mango with Prawn Roll ($5.80).

My recommendation would be the purple-colour Crisp-baked Sweet Potato Bun with Custard ($3.20). If you need something beyond the standard tried-and-tested Liu Sha Bao, this is it.

This dim sum item combines some favourite elements together – crispy baked skin, purple sweet potato (which is still quite IN), and oozing custard.

Despite leaving the bun there for a while (as we were photo-taking), the filling was still smooth and flowing. A must-have.

The Fried Carrot Cake in X.O. Sauce ($9.80) however, could do better with a more crisp on the outer layer and eggy finish.

Another dim sum item which was worthy to try, and yet we almost missed out,was the Steamed Prawn Dumpling with Fresh Cordyceps Flowers ($5.80).

The name itself didn’t look interesting enough for us to order, but the manager mentioned it was his personal must-order favourite.

He helped us make the right choice. The Har Kow was presented in three separate containers (as the dim sum items generally come in triplets), with light herbal broth that brought some warmth to the stomach.

Barbecue Selection
Roasts are the restaurant’s specialty. Other than the famous Roasted London Duck ($68.00 for whole, $35.80 for half, $18.80 for small), there is an option of having it in Peking style.

The Sio Bak Roasted Crispy Pork ($12.80) was served in a plate of 8 cubes, had a crunchy crackling skin, and leaner type of meat. Not too oily too.

Noodles
The Hong Kong Noodle with Australia Beef Brisket and Tendon ($12.80) was worth a try, better than the average Chinese restaurant. The noodles QQ springy, the tender tendon (pardon the pun) slippery smooth with slurp-worthy sauce.

In contrast, I thought that the Hong Kong Noodle with Fresh Prawn Dumpling ($9.80) was more ordinary-tasting, and probably needed some oil or sauce as the noodles clumped up together.

Main Courses
Peach Garden offers an extensive range from Double-boiled Assorted Seafood Soup in Golden Melon, Crisp-fried Prawn with Wasabi Salad Cream ($23.80), Sticky Honey Sweet and Sour Pork with Mango ($16.80), and Braised Homemade Beancurd with Fresh Crab Meat and Local Spinach ($18.00).

Since well, salted egg yolk with wok-fried dishes are like a marriage made in heaven (almost), I just had to try to Crisp-Fried Prawn with Salted Egg Yolk ($23.80).

SURPRISINGLY GOOD. I mean, beyond what I initially expected.

The prawns were plump and juicy, covered with a layer of grainy salted egg yolk sauce which wasn’t overly milky or ‘fake’-tasting. I liked that the dish was presented in a dryer format, which you would still savour that crunch of the prawns.

Dessert
Desserts served include Double-boiled Superior Bird’s Nest with Rock Sugar ($36.00 per person), Double-boiled Hashima with Red Dates in Coconut ($18.00), Chilled Fresh Mango Sago Pomelo ($5.00), Chilled Avocado Cream with Ice Cream ($6.50), Chilled Osmanthus Jelly ($5.00) and Chinese Pancake with Red Bean Paste ($10.00).

Despite that we had a FULL meal, my dining partner – a slim lady, FINISHED her entire dessert of Chilled Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream in Coconut ($8).

”I really like the Glutinous Rice Coconut. Finished it. Sorry.” I can understand why.

With the incorporation of both ice cream and coconut, this familiar dessert became a lot more cooling, creamy and refreshing.

This newest restaurant at the second level of Changi Airport Terminal 2 has a moderate seating capacity of 180 with 3 private rooms.

The décor and vibes somehow remind me of some of the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, with a kitchen where you can see chefs chopping up the roast live.

There is also a Hot Corner for takeaway dim sum such as Char Siew Pastry, Custard Bun and Egg Tarts, and a Gift Corner which sells food souvenirs such as Peach Garden’s bottled X.O Sauce, Chilli Bean Sauce and for now, Mooncakes.

Idea if you need quick gift for your friends overseas.

Peach Garden
Changi International Airport T2, 60 Airport Boulevard, #036-084 Changi Airport Terminal 2
(Departure Hall), Singapore 819643
Tel: +65 6386 3033
Email: t2@peachgarden.com.sg
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 11:00pm (Last order 10.00pm)

Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant Outlets
Fine Chinese Dining – OCBC Centre
Chinese Dining – Chinatown Point, The Metropolis, Changi Airport T2
Chinese Restaurants – Thomson Plaza, Orchid Country Club, Hotel Miramar, NTU
Noodle House – Gardens By The Bay

* The entry is brought to you in partnership with Peach Garden.

The post Peach Garden 桃苑 – New Chinese Dining At Changi Airport T2. Dim Sum & Chinese Food Treat Before Flying appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

This is a like a Poké (pronounced ‘POH-keh’) Bowl, but ‘Singaporean-ised’.

In Hawaii where Poké Bowls originated from, cubed fish in sauce are eaten over a bowl of sushi rice. Like deconstructed sushi.

Katto is a quick-service restaurant which serves these bowls with some fun flavours, think Chicken Rice Chilli Salmon, Creamy Goma Tuna, Tangy Thai Tuna, Classic Shoyu Salmon and California Unrolled Salmon.

Its location at Galaxis Building Fusionopolis Place, would mean office workers and gym goers (at nearby FF) can get one more healthy option.

There are 6 flavours of Sashimi for you to choose from, 6 different vegetable supplements, and 3 bases of white rice, brown rice or salad.

The one thing I noted was its pricing, more affordable than shops nearer the CBD.

A Mini Size which contains one portion of 70 grams fish, one base of 250 grams of white rice, brown rice or salad base, and a vegetable side is quite affordably priced at $7.90. I found the portion filling enough (but that’s me).

The Main Size with has an additional serving of fish and side cost $12.90. The rice is of the same grammage.

Good to know that a salad base is available for both size, and you can also choose a half-half option for your base.

I had the Chicken Rice Chilli Salmon and Classic Shoyu Salmon. The former tasted more ‘exciting’, along with a sense of familiarity with the sashimi cubes.

The chicken rice chilli somehow worked in this case, as the kitchen didn’t go over in its seasoning, with a light touch just to bring out the taste.

In contrast, the Classic Shoyu was a safe, predictable option.

The Brown Rice was cooked with an 18-grain mix, seasoned with a house made dashi stock and rice vinegar.

Perhaps it was because I had the box during dinner time, the rice was somehow drier than expected, and I wished there were more flavours or some kind of sauce.

The salad base consisted of a mixture of shredded white and purple cabbage. Personal preference, I would have preferred one or two additional choices of greens, say spinach and romaine.

Though Katto is new to the industry, I reckon that as long as they can push for more flavours and a larger variety of base options, they would have a following.

Katto
1 Fusionopolis Place, Galaxis Building, #01-21/22, Singapore 138522
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 2pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
12 Unique & Healthy Salads Places In Singapore’s CBD
10 Healthy Food Places & Cafes Found Within Singapore’s CBD
A Poké Theory (Telok Ayer)
WHEAT (Raffles City)
Aloha Poké (Marina Bay)

The post Katto – Poké Bowls With Asian, Singaporean Flavours. Affordable At $7.90 appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Every now and then, a bakery café opens in Singapore that can get you enthusiastic once again. The last was Mad About Sucre?

Butterknife Folk is a new patisserie along River Valley Road, right across Mohamed Sultan.

While the shop boasts of a relatively small space and is mainly a takeaway concept (you can sit by the counter at the back which can occupy 3 to 4 people), there are glimpses that has reminded me of Adriano Zumbo’s bakes.

Before I talk about Butterknife Folk itself, the owner shared a testimonial she heard in church…

A 12 year old girl wanted to get into SOTA but her PSLE results was considered average. During the school’s portfolio presentation for admission, she brought doodling and sketches, while the other students had artwork in professional cases.

She prayed, and described her situation as using a “butter knife in a battle”, and eventually got a space in the school when she impressed the panel with confidence.

The owner felt that starting a café in a competitive market at this young age, was also like fighting a battle with a butter knife.

”While other chefs have impressive tools and knives from their bags, I hope to show the world what we can do with our ‘butter knife’.”

Their bakes I tried have been arresting.

Top on my list is the Marletti’s Mountain ($8), the name a tribute to the owner’s favourite Pâtissier from Paris – Carl Marletti.

The cake with hazelnut dacquoise, toasted almond nib, candied chestnut, chestnut mousse and mascarpone chantilly, is a play on the familiar Mont Blanc, but presented in a lighter, softer measure.

Delicate, almost like savouring cottons of clouds.

However, do note that as there is very little gelatine using in the making, the cake does not survive well in the heat, and may not be that favourable for takeaways.

The show-stopper was the Fruit Loop ($8), looking like a glossy-donut version of the favourite cereal type.

The real surprise comes when you cut across the lemon mousse cake, revealing a strawberry jelly centre, seated on pistachio sponge.

I thought that the lemon-flavour came across moderately strong, but I know of people who would actually appreciate this tangy-finish.

Accordingly, the most popular cake so far is the Frasier ($8). The layered cake has fluffy genoise partially soaked in strawberry juice, giving the sponge both that reddish colour and natural strawberry sweetness.

Everything from the cakes, gelato, viennoiseries, muffins to cookies are made in house, showing the team’s dedication into every detail.

The sweet treats are made in limited quantity and may be sold out by late afternoon.

Butterknife Folk is certainly very promising. I do think they can afford to be more experimental and fun to push that boundary, and this ‘battle’ is for theirs to win.

Butterknife Folk
238 River Valley Road Singapore 238296
Tel: +65 6734 7855
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 9pm, Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
Mad About Sucre (Teo Hong Road)
Cake Spade (Tanjong Pagar)
Tarte By Cheryl Koh (Scotts Road)
Tart Blanc (Millenia Walk)
Cream & Custard (Jalan Bt Ho Swee)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Butterknife Folk – Humble Cakes & Gelato Cafe With Arresting Bakes appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.