My second foray into Korean food - a very late dinner at Auntie Kim's one weekday night. I've heard many good things about Auntie Kim's and since my last visit to Nul Bom was less then ideal, I thought it would be nice to explore new Korean places.
Located within a row of shophouses along Upper Thomson Road, Auntie Kim's interior is rather smallish and elegant with its dark wooden tables set against light coloured walls. Korean music lingers in the background and service is extended by waiters in black suits and waitresses in traditional Korean costumes.
I didn't find any of the side dishes particularly outstanding or lousy for that matter. There was the usual kimchi, beansprouts and anchovies which I'm beginning to feel that they taste almost the same everywhere. But as mentioned before in my entry on Nul Bom, I do appreciate the variety.
Yookgae Jang - Spicy Beef & Scallion Soup - This dish looked really really spicy with its intense reddish colour. However, that was just a facade. Even someone who can't really take spicy stuff, like me, could take it without so much as breaking out in sweat. I personally found the soup rather bland and the beef slices were a tad too tough and overcooked for my liking.
So Jungsik - Hotplate Beef - The beef was overcooked but still decently tender probably due to it being thinly sliced. I found it too sweet for my liking but maybe that's how Koreans eat it. I like the few strands of golden mushroom that came with it though, crunchy and breaking the monotony of just chewing through meat.
Dessert - This came complimentary and I honestly don't know whats in it. To me it was just a chilled drink which reeked strongly of Cinammon. Definitely not my idea of a sweet ending.
We paid about $35 for a rather filling dinner (thanks to the sides) but after having tried out Korean food for a second time, I still dont find myself taking to it. Is it just me or have I been ordering the wrong things or going to the wrong places?
I had a $6 serving of 5 items for 2 pax and ended up polishing the whole dish by myself (wasn't too big actually) together with a plate of beehoon. The egg slices were pretty unique because they slightly sweet, very much like eating Tamago , except that this one was slightly crispy due to the deep frying. The Wu Xiang was also quite good, with the skin being very thin and crispy and the filling a little sweet. The others were normal. Overall, not bad, but waiting time can be a killer.
Garden Street Kway Chup used to be situated at Blanco Court and queues were a common sight everyday. Now located at Serangoon Gardens Food Centre, it is but a shadow of its former self. I decided to try it out as I had fond memories of the days when I would queue up for about an hour on a Saturday afternoon just to get my hands(mouth rather) on their delicious Kway Chup. Alas, it turned out to be a wrong move. The Kway was very normal, so unlike the days when it was soft and silky and with a clear soup base to boot. The ingredients were very limited as well, with the Pig's tongue noticeably missing from the menu. Of those that I ordered, nothing stood out. Everything was just average. And it doesn't come cheap either. Expect to pay a premium of about 10-15% as compared to other neighbourhood Kway Chup stalls. This is yet another case of a once famous food stall biting the dust. Sorry but this will be the last time I'm eating here. For the price and quality of food, I'm better off eating elsewhere.
Another must try stall within Dunman Road Food Centre is the Dunman Duck Rice stall. Located at the lower level of the food centre, my parents and I always make it a point to stop by for some duck rice whenever we visit.
A standard plate of reasonably sized Duck Rice sets you back by about $2.50. The duck is very chewy and goes very well with the slightly sweet and sticky gravy. The rice tastes suspiciously like yam rice, but I couldn't detect any yam pieces in it. Prices are cheap at this stall, with an additional bowl of rice or Kway Chup going for only 30 cents.
Had a craving for Beef Kway Teow so bought myself a bowl of Mixed Beef Kway Teow to try.
$3 gets you a huge bowl of Kway Teow with a generous serving of ingredients (although I would have liked more beef balls - only 1 was given). The soup was light on the flavours, yet strong enough to whet my appetite. Kway Teow was pretty normal. The outstanding parts of this dish were the beef slices and beef balls. The beef slices were sliced just right, slightly chewy and with a natural beef taste, something which is lacking in alot of the Beef Kway Teows nowadays. The beef balls were in the same league. Fibrous and chewy, the juices literally burst out when I bit into it. The beef balls are hand made, which explains the quality and texture. No more lousy machine made supermarket beef balls for me. The other stuff like tendons, liver etc were pretty normal. If you request for beef slices and beef balls only, you get lots of beef coupled with 4 beef balls. Now that's a good deal! Definitely must try out this stall if you are at Amoy. A pity they are closed in the evenings.
We ordered Cereal Prawns, Hotplate Tofu, Sweet Potato Leaves, 1 whole Hainanese Chicken, Fish Hor Fun, Sweet and Sour Pork, Salted Vegetable with Tofu soup, Chicken Rice and drinks for everyone.
After a short wait, the dishes arrived in rapid succession. The Hainanese Chicken was not bad, a little chilled and with no traces of blood, which I feel tastes slightly better than the one I had at Thien Kee. The accompanying chicken rice was not too oily, which I like. The Hotplate Tofu looked a little dull and tasted nothing out of the ordinary. The Fish Hor Fun was pretty good and was quite a size for $5. The gravy wasn't too starchy and the Hor Fun had the fried taste to it. The cereal that came with the Cereal Prawns was good, crispy and crunchy, a little spicy and sweet, not too oily and with a strong cereal taste. The Sweet and Sour Pork, I feel, had too much flour in it and I couldn't really taste the meat. But the rest found it quite nice. Salted Vegetable with Tofu soup is supposed to be salty and at the same time, a little sourish. However, the one we had was just too bland with no bite. The ingredients in it were quite generous though. I don't really fancy sweet potato leaves, hence I gave the dish a miss.
Damage for the whole meal for 8 pax stood at $88.80 inclusive of drinks and everything else, which I feel is a steal. Where else can you find such decent food at such a low price in the heart of town? Give it a try and you won't regret it. However, do make reservations if you are going on weekends. Before you do, be warned. Do not expect fantastic food. Go with lower expectations and you might end up enjoying your dinner.
I ordered 5 Chestnut with Mushroom Ba Zhang(1 to eat, the rest to take home) and waited for about an hour for them to come out piping hot from the steamer. I wasn't the only one. There was a mini stampede to be the first in line when the owner started removing the cooked Ba Zhangs from the steamer. Ok I'm exaggerating, but I kid you not when I say that the rate at which the Ba Zhangs fly off the shelves is just mad. Wait, they don't even make it to the shelves. So what's so good about it? First of all, its not very oily, which appeals to your health conscious side. Second, it only uses lean meat, not fatty meat which is prevalent in other Bak Zhangs. Third, it is very fragrant and the mushrooms within are big and crunchy. Fourth, the chestnuts are sizable and gives the whole Ba Zhang a slightly sweet taste. Kindly note that the above only applies to the Chestnut with Mushroom Ba Zhang that I ordered. Here's the only gripe. The relatively steep price. $2.30 per Ba Zhang is plain expensive, as compared to the market price of $1.50. However it more than makes up with its quality. This is undisputedly one of the best Ba Zhangs I have ever tried. On a side note, you can call up to reserve the Ba Zhangs, but please call early.
Joined the snaking queues at Hong Lim for a taste of one of the best crayfish hor fun in Singapore. The countless awards that are plastered all over the stall are a testament to that.
$5 gets you a decent size plate of hor fun with 2 halves of crayfish and another 2 halves of a relatively big prawn. The hor fun was so silky and smooth that it slithered down my throat with much ease. The prawns and crayfish, though fresh, were not as sweet as I would have liked them to be. But then again, its $5 we are talking about and its more than worth it. The gravy only had a tinge of the 5 spices taste, which was a nice change from the heavily infused ones that I've tried before. If you intend to go on a weekday, my advice would be to go before 12pm, before the lunch crowd comes in.
My stomach was grumbling after a rigorous badminton session so I decided to check out the famed Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Place Food Village. It was close to midnight when my gf and I got there and my god, the queue stretch all the way to the main road! Fortunately, the queue moved at a relatively brisk pace and I got my order after about 30mins of waiting.
My order of a piece of Chicken Breast, Ikan Bilis, Fried Egg and Fish Fillet cost a whopping $4.50! That's a tad too expensive. Honestly, I couldn't see what the fuss was all about. Everything was just average tasting, except for the chicken, which was well seasoned before frying. The rice itself had a strong Coconut taste, but was light on the oil. Not bad, but nothing fanciful. It was probably the chilli then, which was sweet and not too spicy. But then again, I've tasted better chilli although I'm not a great fan of the spice. The only reason I can come up with is the freshness of the food. Everything is freshly cooked and comes piping hot because the turnover rate is high. Add on the fact that there is hardly any supper places in Boon Lay and you get a sure recipe for success!
Ate at Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang along Circular Road with my colleagues for lunch. Have always meant to try it partly due to the long queues that form during lunch as well as the multiple awards plastered to the walls of the shop.
My order of a chicken wing, vegetables and a Tauhu Telor cost a ridiculous $8.50! $5 for the rice and $3.50 for the Tauhu Telor. Geez, what is this world coming to? Having said that, the Nasi Padang was actually not too bad, with the chicken being nicely deep fried with lots of deep fried flour bits, which added taste to the otherwise bland dish. The Tauhu Telor tasted better than the ones you get at food courts, but still came across as rather average. The stall helpers are friendly though, but thats not good reason enough for me to return. Ever.
1=SGD 0.0587
My second foray into Korean food - a very late dinner at Auntie Kim's one weekday night. I've heard many good things about Auntie Kim's and since my last visit to Nul Bom was less then ideal, I thought it would be nice to explore new Korean places.
Located within a row of shophouses along Upper Thomson Road, Auntie Kim's interior is rather smallish and elegant with its dark wooden tables set against light coloured walls. Korean music lingers in the background and service is extended by waiters in black suits and waitresses in traditional Korean costumes.
I didn't find any of the side dishes particularly outstanding or lousy for that matter. There was the usual kimchi, beansprouts and anchovies which I'm beginning to feel that they taste almost the same everywhere. But as mentioned before in my entry on Nul Bom, I do appreciate the variety.
Yookgae Jang - Spicy Beef & Scallion Soup - This dish looked really really spicy with its intense reddish colour. However, that was just a facade. Even someone who can't really take spicy stuff, like me, could take it without so much as breaking out in sweat. I personally found the soup rather bland and the beef slices were a tad too tough and overcooked for my liking.
So Jungsik - Hotplate Beef - The beef was overcooked but still decently tender probably due to it being thinly sliced. I found it too sweet for my liking but maybe that's how Koreans eat it. I like the few strands of golden mushroom that came with it though, crunchy and breaking the monotony of just chewing through meat.
Dessert - This came complimentary and I honestly don't know whats in it. To me it was just a chilled drink which reeked strongly of Cinammon. Definitely not my idea of a sweet ending.
We paid about $35 for a rather filling dinner (thanks to the sides) but after having tried out Korean food for a second time, I still dont find myself taking to it. Is it just me or have I been ordering the wrong things or going to the wrong places?
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I had a $6 serving of 5 items for 2 pax and ended up polishing the whole dish by myself (wasn't too big actually) together with a plate of beehoon. The egg slices were pretty unique because they slightly sweet, very much like eating Tamago , except that this one was slightly crispy due to the deep frying. The Wu Xiang was also quite good, with the skin being very thin and crispy and the filling a little sweet. The others were normal. Overall, not bad, but waiting time can be a killer.
Rating given:
Garden Street Kway Chup used to be situated at Blanco Court and queues were a common sight everyday. Now located at Serangoon Gardens Food Centre, it is but a shadow of its former self. I decided to try it out as I had fond memories of the days when I would queue up for about an hour on a Saturday afternoon just to get my hands(mouth rather) on their delicious Kway Chup. Alas, it turned out to be a wrong move. The Kway was very normal, so unlike the days when it was soft and silky and with a clear soup base to boot. The ingredients were very limited as well, with the Pig's tongue noticeably missing from the menu. Of those that I ordered, nothing stood out. Everything was just average. And it doesn't come cheap either. Expect to pay a premium of about 10-15% as compared to other neighbourhood Kway Chup stalls. This is yet another case of a once famous food stall biting the dust. Sorry but this will be the last time I'm eating here. For the price and quality of food, I'm better off eating elsewhere.
Rating given:
Another must try stall within Dunman Road Food Centre is the Dunman Duck Rice stall. Located at the lower level of the food centre, my parents and I always make it a point to stop by for some duck rice whenever we visit.
A standard plate of reasonably sized Duck Rice sets you back by about $2.50. The duck is very chewy and goes very well with the slightly sweet and sticky gravy. The rice tastes suspiciously like yam rice, but I couldn't detect any yam pieces in it. Prices are cheap at this stall, with an additional bowl of rice or Kway Chup going for only 30 cents.
Rating given:
Had a craving for Beef Kway Teow so bought myself a bowl of Mixed Beef Kway Teow to try.
$3 gets you a huge bowl of Kway Teow with a generous serving of ingredients (although I would have liked more beef balls - only 1 was given). The soup was light on the flavours, yet strong enough to whet my appetite. Kway Teow was pretty normal. The outstanding parts of this dish were the beef slices and beef balls. The beef slices were sliced just right, slightly chewy and with a natural beef taste, something which is lacking in alot of the Beef Kway Teows nowadays. The beef balls were in the same league. Fibrous and chewy, the juices literally burst out when I bit into it. The beef balls are hand made, which explains the quality and texture. No more lousy machine made supermarket beef balls for me. The other stuff like tendons, liver etc were pretty normal. If you request for beef slices and beef balls only, you get lots of beef coupled with 4 beef balls. Now that's a good deal! Definitely must try out this stall if you are at Amoy. A pity they are closed in the evenings.
Rating given:
We ordered Cereal Prawns, Hotplate Tofu, Sweet Potato Leaves, 1 whole Hainanese Chicken, Fish Hor Fun, Sweet and Sour Pork, Salted Vegetable with Tofu soup, Chicken Rice and drinks for everyone.
After a short wait, the dishes arrived in rapid succession. The Hainanese Chicken was not bad, a little chilled and with no traces of blood, which I feel tastes slightly better than the one I had at Thien Kee. The accompanying chicken rice was not too oily, which I like. The Hotplate Tofu looked a little dull and tasted nothing out of the ordinary. The Fish Hor Fun was pretty good and was quite a size for $5. The gravy wasn't too starchy and the Hor Fun had the fried taste to it. The cereal that came with the Cereal Prawns was good, crispy and crunchy, a little spicy and sweet, not too oily and with a strong cereal taste. The Sweet and Sour Pork, I feel, had too much flour in it and I couldn't really taste the meat. But the rest found it quite nice. Salted Vegetable with Tofu soup is supposed to be salty and at the same time, a little sourish. However, the one we had was just too bland with no bite. The ingredients in it were quite generous though. I don't really fancy sweet potato leaves, hence I gave the dish a miss.
Damage for the whole meal for 8 pax stood at $88.80 inclusive of drinks and everything else, which I feel is a steal. Where else can you find such decent food at such a low price in the heart of town? Give it a try and you won't regret it. However, do make reservations if you are going on weekends. Before you do, be warned. Do not expect fantastic food. Go with lower expectations and you might end up enjoying your dinner.
Rating given:
I ordered 5 Chestnut with Mushroom Ba Zhang(1 to eat, the rest to take home) and waited for about an hour for them to come out piping hot from the steamer. I wasn't the only one. There was a mini stampede to be the first in line when the owner started removing the cooked Ba Zhangs from the steamer. Ok I'm exaggerating, but I kid you not when I say that the rate at which the Ba Zhangs fly off the shelves is just mad. Wait, they don't even make it to the shelves. So what's so good about it? First of all, its not very oily, which appeals to your health conscious side. Second, it only uses lean meat, not fatty meat which is prevalent in other Bak Zhangs. Third, it is very fragrant and the mushrooms within are big and crunchy. Fourth, the chestnuts are sizable and gives the whole Ba Zhang a slightly sweet taste. Kindly note that the above only applies to the Chestnut with Mushroom Ba Zhang that I ordered. Here's the only gripe. The relatively steep price. $2.30 per Ba Zhang is plain expensive, as compared to the market price of $1.50. However it more than makes up with its quality. This is undisputedly one of the best Ba Zhangs I have ever tried. On a side note, you can call up to reserve the Ba Zhangs, but please call early.
Rating given:
Joined the snaking queues at Hong Lim for a taste of one of the best crayfish hor fun in Singapore. The countless awards that are plastered all over the stall are a testament to that.
$5 gets you a decent size plate of hor fun with 2 halves of crayfish and another 2 halves of a relatively big prawn. The hor fun was so silky and smooth that it slithered down my throat with much ease. The prawns and crayfish, though fresh, were not as sweet as I would have liked them to be. But then again, its $5 we are talking about and its more than worth it. The gravy only had a tinge of the 5 spices taste, which was a nice change from the heavily infused ones that I've tried before. If you intend to go on a weekday, my advice would be to go before 12pm, before the lunch crowd comes in.
Rating given:
My stomach was grumbling after a rigorous badminton session so I decided to check out the famed Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Place Food Village. It was close to midnight when my gf and I got there and my god, the queue stretch all the way to the main road! Fortunately, the queue moved at a relatively brisk pace and I got my order after about 30mins of waiting.
My order of a piece of Chicken Breast, Ikan Bilis, Fried Egg and Fish Fillet cost a whopping $4.50! That's a tad too expensive. Honestly, I couldn't see what the fuss was all about. Everything was just average tasting, except for the chicken, which was well seasoned before frying. The rice itself had a strong Coconut taste, but was light on the oil. Not bad, but nothing fanciful. It was probably the chilli then, which was sweet and not too spicy. But then again, I've tasted better chilli although I'm not a great fan of the spice. The only reason I can come up with is the freshness of the food. Everything is freshly cooked and comes piping hot because the turnover rate is high. Add on the fact that there is hardly any supper places in Boon Lay and you get a sure recipe for success!
Rating given:
Ate at Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang along Circular Road with my colleagues for lunch. Have always meant to try it partly due to the long queues that form during lunch as well as the multiple awards plastered to the walls of the shop.
My order of a chicken wing, vegetables and a Tauhu Telor cost a ridiculous $8.50! $5 for the rice and $3.50 for the Tauhu Telor. Geez, what is this world coming to? Having said that, the Nasi Padang was actually not too bad, with the chicken being nicely deep fried with lots of deep fried flour bits, which added taste to the otherwise bland dish. The Tauhu Telor tasted better than the ones you get at food courts, but still came across as rather average. The stall helpers are friendly though, but thats not good reason enough for me to return. Ever.
Rating given: