Tried the Cajun Chicken. Firstly, I am happy that despite my many requests(more fries, no coleslaw, more lettuce). they did not get the requests wrong. Service was friendly and unassume-ing. WHile i liked the chicken as it was spicy and cheesy(my two favourites), I found the chicken a tad hard. I guess Im more of a chicken thigh person. But the fries were delish.
So far I have shopped here twice. Although there were a lot of customers due to the post CNY sale, the staff were attentive and helpful. Helped me pick out the size and even when I tried the clothes, they were around to see if the size fits. I forgot my wallet on one occasion as I was about to pay and the lady serving me actually kept the pants I wanted for me while I went back home to get it. Am very impressed with their professionalism and how helpful they are. Will definitely shop here more
Have been meaning to eat here since i read reviews abt it but actually wanted to fo Astons Specialities yesterday..Got off the bus a bit too earli and chanced upon Coffee Showcase. Decided to eat here after noticing the long long line at Astons.
We added 3.50 to both the mains to make it a set meal
comes with
carrot soup
hazelnut crunch cake
tiramisu
drinks
the layout is simple..arnd 5 tables for 4 all in a row...one side is cushion booth seats n the other cute retro chairs.
very simple and nice..on the opposite, the section with the cutleries(wic came very cutely, the dessert fork, spoon, soup spoon, fork and knife all wrapped in a serviette), a movenpick ice cream freezer, the main counter)..service was quick and the staff were friendly.
i hate hate hate carrot..but the soup was actualli not bad..came in a super cute bowl..gave it to my bf..so poor thing had to eat 1 and 3/4 bowls of soup..
i liked the calamari..crispy and easily bitten into
tho i still think absolute haven's one is tops. bf says its better than fish n co.
he didnt like the chicken skin.. but to me chicken skin fried sprinkled with chilli powder = yummy..im an unhealthy eater i know..
my fish was nice..can actually taste the fish..n no fishy smell that makes me wanna phuke..liked the butter cream sauce and they were generous with the wedges..wic i loved too..all were crispy on the outside..juz how i like it..
bf liked his steak..i liked it too..easy to chew and didnt taste too overwhelming.
lastly our desserts..ithe hazlenut crunch cake rocks...they were nicely presented..my cake had what looked like waffle bits on top of it..and i loved how it wasnt too mousseey or too cakey..perfect balance..reminds me of rocher actualli..bfs tiramisu was alryt too..
got another chicken skin to to and another cake too..and altho i made my order after 9(no more food orders were supposed to be taken after 9 as stated on the menu) our server actualli managed to get the order in..
i think i shall definitely come here more often..good food..not noisy..good service..and the stuff are really reasonably priced.
I usually go to another hair salon but while waiting to collect my hp, I decided to get a hair cut here, I found the service really good. even though it was 8plus(usually most places will b closing), they still attended to me and were friendly, got magazines. it was easy for me to explain the hair style I wanted and I liked the shampoo and conditioner. it did not smell too overwhelming. even the stylist cutting my hair was nice, she made sure I was totally satisfied with my haircut before i went off. I think I will stick to cutting my hair here.
This is THE zhi char stall that my family love going. We've been there many many times. So often that my father will just help himself to the chili (lots and lots of this! cos its sooo devine!), rice and whatever that's available at the counter. The workers also don't know what to say to him lah. Haha!
When asked to find a place for dinner, my parents of cos recommended Jin Wei. So the entire family gathered there for our reunion dinner.
Some of the must try dishes... The Thai-style aka Assam Fish Head Cereal Prawn and a special Tofu MUST TRY!! (can't remember the name, but this dish will not be served on special nights like CNY. Cos its hard to produce and everyone will sure want to order this dish. )
The Thai-style aka Assam Fish Head The assam curry is cooked to the right sour-ness and spiciness. My family can just drink this on its on! The fish is fresh and meat is soft and tender. Don't mixed this up with the claypot curry fish head. Be sure to order the Assam fish head that's served on a flat plate on heat.
Cereal Prawn Fresh prawns fried and blended with finely chopped cereals. Crispy and fragrance. The prawns are sweet and juicy even thou its fried. Love love love this dish!
Fried Tofu aka Golden Tofu or something like that. As mentioned, this is the DIE DIE MUST TRY dish. It's one of their specialties and HOT favorite. Whenever I go, I insist on ordering this tofu. It's crispy, soft, fragrance, yummy, delicious and simply great lah! Just go and try if you have the chance to lah!
Went to decoder cafe over the weekend for Pingsters gathering. Initially I was reluctant to go on my own as I have no idea where Balmoral Plaza was. There wasn't any direct way of getting there from my house. But still, not wanting to miss the fun with fellow bloggers, I spent 30mins searching online on ways to getting there. Finally found the fastest way... Take bus to Sengkang station... take NEL to Little India.. take 170, 48, or 960 from bus stop at Exit B (or was it A?)... alight at the 5th stop infront of Balmoral Plaza. It's not that difficult to get there after all!
I was greeted by the hugeee collection of games at the entrance of the cafe. Behind it were two computers set up for customers to use for free. (Can do live blogging from there! hee...) The place is small and cosy. There's 3 sets of bigger tables and chairs and 2/3 tables for groups of 2-4. Tables and chairs were of nice height and comfortable enough for long hours of play.
The menu was thematically designed to fit into the gaming environment. They cleverly made it in a way that they can expand or change the menu whenever they have to. And in my opinion, they probably have to soon...
Feeling famished, I ordered my favorite mushroom and cream pasta, and topped it up with $3.50 for the soup and a drink. When the soup was served, I knew what I was going to expect for my pasta. The soup was a tad too diluted. When I saw my pasta, the cream that came with it was diluted too. Too plain for me. The only thing I enjoyed was the canned green tea from Heaven and Earth.
However, food aside, I still love this place! For its friendly, attentive and helpful staff. They are very patient when teaching you the games and demonstrating how its played.
The next time I go, I'll probably stick to their finger food and cakes. Wedges and chicken bites look good. (More stars next time if they improve on their menu.)
This was where I spent my Valentine's day this year. Met up with my girlfriend for dinner as my bf had class that night. We arranged to meet at Marina Square and only decided where to eat when she reached the place. She went to couple others but were rejected as they were fully booked for the night.
As we've both never been to Pasta de Waraku, and I wanted to try it long ago ever since I saw their display outside, we decided to try it, since it wasn't fully booked and my friend managed to get a table immediately.
The lady serving us was very friendly and nice. As it was our first time, we had many questions, and she patiently explained to us and answered our questions... with a smile. :)
Finally we settled on our choice and were ready to order. My friend had a Chicken & Mushroom with Japanese style curry @ $16.80 and I ordered the Octopus and Squid pasta with their special, supposed to be healthy, Wafu sauce @ $14.80 (minus the mayo).
After tasting both pasta, I concluded that the Chicken & Mushroom (No. 38 on the menu) is better. I like the curry taste (non-spicy). And its a unique way of eating pasta. My order was disappointing. I had to add tons of chili flakes and cheese to flavor it. Perhaps I shouldn't have selected the healthier choice.
Might think twice the next time I'm around one. Sketches serves better pasta.
Chijmes was the atmospheric setting for our Valentine’s Day dinner.
Having undergone a stunning facelift as a national heritage site, Chijmes is now a trendy dining and leisure spot.
Having dined at its sister outlet – Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Café, at Wheelock Place, I was pretty positive that the standard of the food served at Japanese Dining Sun @ Chijmes would pleased both our taste buds.
Without a doubt, we ordered Sashimi – Hamachi, or yellowtail, and Salmon Belly for the appetiser. I have to commend that it was one of the best sashimi I have ever tasted.
Not only was the chef generous in the thick slicing of the fish, each serving of sashimi was thoughtfully packed with ice at the bottom, to keep the fish chilled and fresh for consumption. The manager also recommended the Grilled Anchovies with Japanese Mayonnaise, which is pretty tasty when, go along with Hot Sake.
Speaking of which it was pretty interesting as the waitress brought out a basket of ceramic sake cups in different shapes and sizes, and ask us to pick one each.
For our starter, I opted for the Tuna Belly Sushi, or Otoro. Part of the Tuna’s lower belly which contains high fat content, Otoro is a highly prized fish in Japanese dining that is rich in taste and silky in texture.
And it is said the best time for consuming Otoro is during peak winter period (Nov – Feb), where the fish accumulates the most fats. For mains, we went with their signature Kamameshi (traditional steamed seasoned rice pot) of Beef and Foie Gras. They came served in traditional Japanese wooden pots.
Atop each pot stood an hourglass to indicate the end of one minute — the time required for the piping hot steam to permeate the rice casserole within. This method of cooking, apparantly dates back to the 19th century.
The beef slices was tender and marinated to taste, and the Foie Gras was sinfully excellent. Added to the fact that the rice is cooked just nicely as compared to my 1st experience at Sun with Moon, the Kamameshi was excellent this time round.
To round up the wonderful night, I went for piece of delightful Tofu Cheesecake that I have been carving for ever since I tried it, and she decided on the Kyodango & Warabi Mochi platter that comes with opaque yellow bean squares.
I am not a big fan of flour but I have to say that the mochi were delightfully smooth and soft, but however the sweetened thick soy sauce that goes over it is a bit of an acquired taste.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After reading and hearing so much raving reviews about this dim sum place, I am surprised to realise that it is located near my workplace. Situated at ground level of Sunshine Plaza (Not to be mistaken for Sun Plaza at Sembawang MRT), this outlet is tiny compared to all other grand Chinese restaurant we are familiar with.
It is at the corner of this mall that you will find Victor’s Kitchen. Having numerous experiences as a dim sum chef, Victor and his wife moved to Singapore from Hong Kong.
Because of the limited tables available, make sure you come early if you do not wish to wait too long for a table during weekday’s lunch, or a weekend brunch. For the price I was paying, I was blown away by the sheer number of quality items they served.
For the Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce, I would prefer whole black beans be used to bring out more flavour instead of bits of it, but nevertheless, it was very tender and tasty still. The Tasty Queen Size Siew Mai was also incredible.
The skin is soft and the size is just right - any bigger and it would be too filling. The Char Siew Cheong Fun was simply delicious.
The rice roll is smooth, and texture so soft. To top it off, the Zha Leong (Doughstick wrap in rice roll) version was even better.
With one bite, you have yin of the smooth rice roll, and the yang of the crispy doughstick - the combination was simply unbelievable. Without a doubt, the one item that a diner never fails to order during dim sum would be that of Har Kau, or the prawn dumpling. At Victor’s Kitchen, the Victor’s King Prawn Dumpling is known as his specialty.
The huge prawns were juicy and the skin of the dumpling soft - yet does not fall off easily (unlike many I have experienced that falls off, the moment I picked them off from the steamer). The other laudable mention is the Chicken and Sausage in Glutinous Rice.
The rice is so fragrant and soft, and I simply find the ingredients irresistible – from the tender chicken chunks, to the Chinese sausages, to the juicy mushrooms and the tasty salted egg yolk. If you are a dim sum fan, you would know what I mean when I say that you would never get such a high quality dim sum for such a price.
The Deep Fried Spring Roll was simply awesome! Freshly fried and thus crispy and burning hot, every bite gives you a crunching sensation. Although I would prefer it to come with some sweet sauce rather than the vinegar dip that comes with the dish.
The Phoenix Porridge, or Century Egg and Chicken Porridge was also very yummy. Not starchy unlike most congee, the porridge was easy for the throat to slurp down. Indgredients were also generous with huge chunks of century egg and big pieces of chicken strips. However the only drawback is that you would have to finish it as soon as possible or it would start to turn watery.
Saving the best for the most deserved would be Milky Custard Bun. The dough is soft and fluffy and the egg custard was sweet and runny. What gave it the "Oomph" was the delightful salted egg yolk in the midst of it. A simply fab combination!
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
A typical Teochew farewell can never do without a farewell dinner at an authentic Teochew restaurant. Made famous by the Dad, who has since passed away, the son has since took over the reins of the restaurant and vowed to continue the tradition of churning out bona fide Teochew dishes to loyal customers like my family, who have frequent this place for years.
Located at Mosque Street, Lee Kui Restaurant, or better known as Ah Hoi, or Crab in Teochew is famous for its Cold Crab. These meaty crabs are first steamed and then kept in the freezer giving the meat a firm texture.
Full of roe, a typical way to eat these crabs is to dip it into the sweet orange sauce. Next up was a controversial delicacy known to be served in special occasions - Shark Fin Soup, which has to be pre-ordered one day in advance.
The fins in themselves are said to be tasteless, but prized for its texture rather than flavour, noticed that these first grade fins are priced simply because it came as a whole fin and not in strands you get from lousy banquet dinner.
This was followed by my nephew’s favourite dish of the night – Assorted Deep Fried Dish – consisting of Seafood Cake, Spring Roll, Yam with Prawn Roll, and the best of all the Prawn Ball – flavoursome and fried to perfection, everyone on the table were commenting how good it was.
A personal favourite dish was up next, and at Lee Kui, you simply has to try the Oyster Egg – generous serving of oyster, the egg was wet on the inside and crisp on the outside – perfect complement for your plain rice.
The Vegetables were also surprisingly tasty that night – especially the refreshing Mock Abalones that really tasted like the real stuff. The Fish with Black Bean Sauce though a bit spicy, was very fresh.
In additional, the gravy went fantastically well with the porridge that we ordered. Sensing that we were still pretty hungry, Dad ordered a plate of Fried Noodles with Shrimps and Pork Slices. A pity that it was pretty oily, if not I was pretty sure everyone would had an additional serving of it.
This was because we were all saving the best for last, and what Teochew dinner would it be, if it did not end off with the authentic O-Nee, or Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Ginkgo Nuts - Sinfully Oily, Sinfully Good - a pity that it would be sometime before our family could gather again for such a sumptuous dinner.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
1=SGD 0.0587
Tried the Cajun Chicken. Firstly, I am happy that despite my many requests(more fries, no coleslaw, more lettuce). they did not get the requests wrong. Service was friendly and unassume-ing. WHile i liked the chicken as it was spicy and cheesy(my two favourites), I found the chicken a tad hard. I guess Im more of a chicken thigh person. But the fries were delish.
Rating given:
So far I have shopped here twice. Although there were a lot of customers due to the post CNY sale, the staff were attentive and helpful. Helped me pick out the size and even when I tried the clothes, they were around to see if the size fits. I forgot my wallet on one occasion as I was about to pay and the lady serving me actually kept the pants I wanted for me while I went back home to get it. Am very impressed with their professionalism and how helpful they are. Will definitely shop here more
Rating given:
Have been meaning to eat here since i read reviews abt it but actually wanted to fo Astons Specialities yesterday..Got off the bus a bit too earli and chanced upon Coffee Showcase. Decided to eat here after noticing the long long line at Astons.
Food Ordered
Crispy Chicken skin - $2.50
Calamari - $4.50
Grilled Dory with butter cream sauce - $7.00
Sirlion Steak - $8.00(i tink)
We added 3.50 to both the mains to make it a set meal
comes with
carrot soup
hazelnut crunch cake
tiramisu
drinks
the layout is simple..arnd 5 tables for 4 all in a row...one side is cushion booth seats n the other cute retro chairs.
very simple and nice..on the opposite, the section with the cutleries(wic came very cutely, the dessert fork, spoon, soup spoon, fork and knife all wrapped in a serviette), a movenpick ice cream freezer, the main counter)..service was quick and the staff were friendly.
i hate hate hate carrot..but the soup was actualli not bad..came in a super cute bowl..gave it to my bf..so poor thing had to eat 1 and 3/4 bowls of soup..
i liked the calamari..crispy and easily bitten into
tho i still think absolute haven's one is tops. bf says its better than fish n co.
he didnt like the chicken skin.. but to me chicken skin fried sprinkled with chilli powder = yummy..im an unhealthy eater i know..
my fish was nice..can actually taste the fish..n no fishy smell that makes me wanna phuke..liked the butter cream sauce and they were generous with the wedges..wic i loved too..all were crispy on the outside..juz how i like it..
bf liked his steak..i liked it too..easy to chew and didnt taste too overwhelming.
lastly our desserts..ithe hazlenut crunch cake rocks...they were nicely presented..my cake had what looked like waffle bits on top of it..and i loved how it wasnt too mousseey or too cakey..perfect balance..reminds me of rocher actualli..bfs tiramisu was alryt too..
got another chicken skin to to and another cake too..and altho i made my order after 9(no more food orders were supposed to be taken after 9 as stated on the menu) our server actualli managed to get the order in..
i think i shall definitely come here more often..good food..not noisy..good service..and the stuff are really reasonably priced.
Rating given:
I usually go to another hair salon but while waiting to collect my hp, I decided to get a hair cut here, I found the service really good. even though it was 8plus(usually most places will b closing), they still attended to me and were friendly, got magazines. it was easy for me to explain the hair style I wanted and I liked the shampoo and conditioner. it did not smell too overwhelming. even the stylist cutting my hair was nice, she made sure I was totally satisfied with my haircut before i went off. I think I will stick to cutting my hair here.
Rating given:
This is THE zhi char stall that my family love going. We've been there many many times. So often that my father will just help himself to the chili (lots and lots of this! cos its sooo devine!), rice and whatever that's available at the counter. The workers also don't know what to say to him lah. Haha!
When asked to find a place for dinner, my parents of cos recommended Jin Wei. So the entire family gathered there for our reunion dinner.
Some of the must try dishes...
The Thai-style aka Assam Fish Head
Cereal Prawn
and a special Tofu MUST TRY!! (can't remember the name, but this dish will not be served on special nights like CNY. Cos its hard to produce and everyone will sure want to order this dish. )
The Thai-style aka Assam Fish Head
The assam curry is cooked to the right sour-ness and spiciness. My family can just drink this on its on! The fish is fresh and meat is soft and tender. Don't mixed this up with the claypot curry fish head. Be sure to order the Assam fish head that's served on a flat plate on heat.
Cereal Prawn
Fresh prawns fried and blended with finely chopped cereals. Crispy and fragrance. The prawns are sweet and juicy even thou its fried. Love love love this dish!
Fried Tofu aka Golden Tofu or something like that.
As mentioned, this is the DIE DIE MUST TRY dish. It's one of their specialties and HOT favorite. Whenever I go, I insist on ordering this tofu. It's crispy, soft, fragrance, yummy, delicious and simply great lah! Just go and try if you have the chance to lah!
Rating given:
Went to decoder cafe over the weekend for Pingsters gathering. Initially I was reluctant to go on my own as I have no idea where Balmoral Plaza was. There wasn't any direct way of getting there from my house. But still, not wanting to miss the fun with fellow bloggers, I spent 30mins searching online on ways to getting there. Finally found the fastest way... Take bus to Sengkang station... take NEL to Little India.. take 170, 48, or 960 from bus stop at Exit B (or was it A?)... alight at the 5th stop infront of Balmoral Plaza. It's not that difficult to get there after all!
I was greeted by the hugeee collection of games at the entrance of the cafe. Behind it were two computers set up for customers to use for free. (Can do live blogging from there! hee...) The place is small and cosy. There's 3 sets of bigger tables and chairs and 2/3 tables for groups of 2-4. Tables and chairs were of nice height and comfortable enough for long hours of play.
The menu was thematically designed to fit into the gaming environment. They cleverly made it in a way that they can expand or change the menu whenever they have to. And in my opinion, they probably have to soon...
Feeling famished, I ordered my favorite mushroom and cream pasta, and topped it up with $3.50 for the soup and a drink. When the soup was served, I knew what I was going to expect for my pasta. The soup was a tad too diluted. When I saw my pasta, the cream that came with it was diluted too. Too plain for me. The only thing I enjoyed was the canned green tea from Heaven and Earth.
However, food aside, I still love this place! For its friendly, attentive and helpful staff. They are very patient when teaching you the games and demonstrating how its played.
The next time I go, I'll probably stick to their finger food and cakes. Wedges and chicken bites look good. (More stars next time if they improve on their menu.)
Rating given:
This was where I spent my Valentine's day this year. Met up with my girlfriend for dinner as my bf had class that night. We arranged to meet at Marina Square and only decided where to eat when she reached the place. She went to couple others but were rejected as they were fully booked for the night.
As we've both never been to Pasta de Waraku, and I wanted to try it long ago ever since I saw their display outside, we decided to try it, since it wasn't fully booked and my friend managed to get a table immediately.
The lady serving us was very friendly and nice. As it was our first time, we had many questions, and she patiently explained to us and answered our questions... with a smile. :)
Finally we settled on our choice and were ready to order. My friend had a Chicken & Mushroom with Japanese style curry @ $16.80 and I ordered the Octopus and Squid pasta with their special, supposed to be healthy, Wafu sauce @ $14.80 (minus the mayo).
After tasting both pasta, I concluded that the Chicken & Mushroom (No. 38 on the menu) is better. I like the curry taste (non-spicy). And its a unique way of eating pasta. My order was disappointing. I had to add tons of chili flakes and cheese to flavor it. Perhaps I shouldn't have selected the healthier choice.
Might think twice the next time I'm around one. Sketches serves better pasta.
Rating given:
Chijmes was the atmospheric setting for our Valentine’s Day dinner.
Having undergone a stunning facelift as a national heritage site, Chijmes is now a trendy dining and leisure spot.
Having dined at its sister outlet – Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Café, at Wheelock Place, I was pretty positive that the standard of the food served at Japanese Dining Sun @ Chijmes would pleased both our taste buds.
Without a doubt, we ordered Sashimi – Hamachi, or yellowtail, and Salmon Belly for the appetiser. I have to commend that it was one of the best sashimi I have ever tasted.
Not only was the chef generous in the thick slicing of the fish, each serving of sashimi was thoughtfully packed with ice at the bottom, to keep the fish chilled and fresh for consumption. The manager also recommended the Grilled Anchovies with Japanese Mayonnaise, which is pretty tasty when, go along with Hot Sake.
Speaking of which it was pretty interesting as the waitress brought out a basket of ceramic sake cups in different shapes and sizes, and ask us to pick one each.
For our starter, I opted for the Tuna Belly Sushi, or Otoro. Part of the Tuna’s lower belly which contains high fat content, Otoro is a highly prized fish in Japanese dining that is rich in taste and silky in texture.
And it is said the best time for consuming Otoro is during peak winter period (Nov – Feb), where the fish accumulates the most fats. For mains, we went with their signature Kamameshi (traditional steamed seasoned rice pot) of Beef and Foie Gras. They came served in traditional Japanese wooden pots.
Atop each pot stood an hourglass to indicate the end of one minute — the time required for the piping hot steam to permeate the rice casserole within. This method of cooking, apparantly dates back to the 19th century.
The beef slices was tender and marinated to taste, and the Foie Gras was sinfully excellent. Added to the fact that the rice is cooked just nicely as compared to my 1st experience at Sun with Moon, the Kamameshi was excellent this time round.
To round up the wonderful night, I went for piece of delightful Tofu Cheesecake that I have been carving for ever since I tried it, and she decided on the Kyodango & Warabi Mochi platter that comes with opaque yellow bean squares.
I am not a big fan of flour but I have to say that the mochi were delightfully smooth and soft, but however the sweetened thick soy sauce that goes over it is a bit of an acquired taste.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After reading and hearing so much raving reviews about this dim sum place, I am surprised to realise that it is located near my workplace. Situated at ground level of Sunshine Plaza (Not to be mistaken for Sun Plaza at Sembawang MRT), this outlet is tiny compared to all other grand Chinese restaurant we are familiar with.
It is at the corner of this mall that you will find Victor’s Kitchen. Having numerous experiences as a dim sum chef, Victor and his wife moved to Singapore from Hong Kong.
Because of the limited tables available, make sure you come early if you do not wish to wait too long for a table during weekday’s lunch, or a weekend brunch. For the price I was paying, I was blown away by the sheer number of quality items they served.
For the Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce, I would prefer whole black beans be used to bring out more flavour instead of bits of it, but nevertheless, it was very tender and tasty still. The Tasty Queen Size Siew Mai was also incredible.
The skin is soft and the size is just right - any bigger and it would be too filling. The Char Siew Cheong Fun was simply delicious.
The rice roll is smooth, and texture so soft. To top it off, the Zha Leong (Doughstick wrap in rice roll) version was even better.
With one bite, you have yin of the smooth rice roll, and the yang of the crispy doughstick - the combination was simply unbelievable. Without a doubt, the one item that a diner never fails to order during dim sum would be that of Har Kau, or the prawn dumpling. At Victor’s Kitchen, the Victor’s King Prawn Dumpling is known as his specialty.
The huge prawns were juicy and the skin of the dumpling soft - yet does not fall off easily (unlike many I have experienced that falls off, the moment I picked them off from the steamer). The other laudable mention is the Chicken and Sausage in Glutinous Rice.
The rice is so fragrant and soft, and I simply find the ingredients irresistible – from the tender chicken chunks, to the Chinese sausages, to the juicy mushrooms and the tasty salted egg yolk. If you are a dim sum fan, you would know what I mean when I say that you would never get such a high quality dim sum for such a price.
The Deep Fried Spring Roll was simply awesome! Freshly fried and thus crispy and burning hot, every bite gives you a crunching sensation. Although I would prefer it to come with some sweet sauce rather than the vinegar dip that comes with the dish.
The Phoenix Porridge, or Century Egg and Chicken Porridge was also very yummy. Not starchy unlike most congee, the porridge was easy for the throat to slurp down. Indgredients were also generous with huge chunks of century egg and big pieces of chicken strips. However the only drawback is that you would have to finish it as soon as possible or it would start to turn watery.
Saving the best for the most deserved would be Milky Custard Bun. The dough is soft and fluffy and the egg custard was sweet and runny. What gave it the "Oomph" was the delightful salted egg yolk in the midst of it. A simply fab combination!
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
A typical Teochew farewell can never do without a farewell dinner at an authentic Teochew restaurant. Made famous by the Dad, who has since passed away, the son has since took over the reins of the restaurant and vowed to continue the tradition of churning out bona fide Teochew dishes to loyal customers like my family, who have frequent this place for years.
Located at Mosque Street, Lee Kui Restaurant, or better known as Ah Hoi, or Crab in Teochew is famous for its Cold Crab. These meaty crabs are first steamed and then kept in the freezer giving the meat a firm texture.
Full of roe, a typical way to eat these crabs is to dip it into the sweet orange sauce. Next up was a controversial delicacy known to be served in special occasions - Shark Fin Soup, which has to be pre-ordered one day in advance.
The fins in themselves are said to be tasteless, but prized for its texture rather than flavour, noticed that these first grade fins are priced simply because it came as a whole fin and not in strands you get from lousy banquet dinner.
This was followed by my nephew’s favourite dish of the night – Assorted Deep Fried Dish – consisting of Seafood Cake, Spring Roll, Yam with Prawn Roll, and the best of all the Prawn Ball – flavoursome and fried to perfection, everyone on the table were commenting how good it was.
A personal favourite dish was up next, and at Lee Kui, you simply has to try the Oyster Egg – generous serving of oyster, the egg was wet on the inside and crisp on the outside – perfect complement for your plain rice.
The Vegetables were also surprisingly tasty that night – especially the refreshing Mock Abalones that really tasted like the real stuff. The Fish with Black Bean Sauce though a bit spicy, was very fresh.
In additional, the gravy went fantastically well with the porridge that we ordered. Sensing that we were still pretty hungry, Dad ordered a plate of Fried Noodles with Shrimps and Pork Slices. A pity that it was pretty oily, if not I was pretty sure everyone would had an additional serving of it.
This was because we were all saving the best for last, and what Teochew dinner would it be, if it did not end off with the authentic O-Nee, or Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Ginkgo Nuts - Sinfully Oily, Sinfully Good - a pity that it would be sometime before our family could gather again for such a sumptuous dinner.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given: