Many people have different opinions on what a good Nasi Lemak should entail. Some say the food should be fresh, the rice should be nice, chilli should be good and so on. Personally, the single most important aspect in determining how good a Nasi Lemak is, is through the rice. Chilli and food are but mere considerations. Think about it, if you want good chilli, then you might as well eat mixed vegetable rice with a good chilli. One thing that differentiates Nasi Lemak from mixed vegetable rice is the rice itself. Now I know you are going to say that its weird to have chilli with mixed vegetable rice, but its just a matter of getting used to it. Case in point, the Canadians value chicken breast more than the thigh, but it is the opposite here in Singapore. Ok I know I'm ranting so let me just focus back on the food.
The name, Yi Liu Xiang might seem rather boastful but this stall has the right to be. Located on the 2nd floor of the Hainanese Village in Hougang, queues are an everyday affair at this small Nasi Lemak stall. The rice is very fragrant due to the loads of Coconut oil that goes in (I'm guessing)and not to mention tasty. It has this light and slightly sweet taste that doesn't make you feel like throwing up even if you overeat. The turnover rate is high so you can be sure that the ingredients are fresh as well. I personally like the thinly fried eggs which are tasty and go very well with the rice and anchovies. Try this stall out to believe!
Hidden in the sleepy estate of Pasir Panjang just after the infamous South Buona Vista Road, or better known as the 88 bend, is a small row of shops, one of which houses the famous Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice. My gf and I stumbled upon it by chance while we were driving though Pasir Panjang Road and quickly disembarked to try it out since it was already dinner time. We had braised duck rice for 2 with a side dish of tofu.
The tofu was rather mashed up and normal, so nothing much to talk about. However the braised duck was really good. A little chewy yet fibrous and with a very sticky and slightly sweet gravy to boot. And the best part is, it didn't come across as too oily. Another plus goes to the fact that the duck is boneless, which is just great for lazy people like myself. Without a doubt, I prefer this duck rice over Hup Seng's rendition.
Dinner for 2 pax came up to $15.90 inclusive of 3 bowls of rice and 2 glasses of barley drink. Not exactly cheap, but I guess you have to pay more for quality.
Lau Hong Ser Rojak at Dunman Food Centre has been labeled as one of the legendary hawkers by Makansutra. To verify this tag, I made my way to the food centre at about 830pm in the evening to try out this famous Rojak stall. I assumed that it wouldn't be a long wait as there was no one queuing up in front of the stall. Oh boy, was I wrong. The orders had been taken down on sheets of paper and the wait time was a cool 1 hour! Not wanting to return empty handed, I resigned myself to play the waiting game. The owner was nice about it and got me my order within half an hour or so.
$3 got me a decent size portion with lots of You Tiao and Tau Pok, which were freshly toasted over the fire, leaving them slightly burnt and very crispy. The shrimp paste used was of superior quality, thick and smooth. I personally like this better than Hoover Rojak at Whampoa Drive Food Centre because of the much bigger portions and slightly better taste.
My umpteenth visit to Botak Jones, but this time round it was to the Clementi outlet which I've never been to. Located at a small coffeeshop just opposite Clementi central, it was madly packed when my gf and I arrived at about 615pm. So much for trying to beat the crowd.
Botak Burger - Having eaten the Botak Burger at least 4 times, I'm not ashamed to say that I don't really see its draw anymore. And the beef patty still made me nauseous after a few mouthfuls even though it did come across as slightly juicier this time round. The bread was a little dry and hard, which made things even worse. I guess I'll stay off this for a bit.
Fish & Chips - Now the fish & chips exceeded expectations taste wise but the fish was rather thin under the crispy batter. This dish was quite a pleaser when warm, but once it turned cold, it became almost unpalatable as the batter tasted of reused oil. So be warned.
$12 isn't too expensive for a considerably decent meal, but factor in the wait time of 20-30mins and its a forgone conclusion, for me at least. I guess I won't be back anymore, especially when the prices have just increased.
On the ground floor of the mall, in close proximity to the Fairprice Xtra, is this small stall selling cookies. The prices are a little lower than that of Famous Amos and offer slightly more variety. My bag of Chocolate Paradise set me back by $3.50 for 100g. Taste wise was pretty similar to Famous Amos's cookies but Little Jerry's had significantly more milk in it, as evident by the rich milky taste. It lacked the oven baked taste of Famous Amos though. A worthy contender nevertheless, with a cheaper price to boot.
I had read so many rave reviews about it from magazines and newspapers, so it was high time I tried it out for myself. Brightly lighted and immaculately done up with floor to ceiling windows, the interior sits probably about 10 people, with a couple more seats outdoor for those who prefer Al fresco dining. Chocolates are sold in a small room partitioned by a glass door and I found the variety rather limited. Same goes for the variety of pastries available. However, the selection of tea is rather unique and I had the Moroccan Mint Tea to try together with a slice of their famous Black Forest Cake and the ever popular Chocolate Tart.
I wasn't too impressed by the Moroccan Mint Tea as all I could taste was the strong mint taste. Peering into the teapot, I could only make out a few bits of tea leaves. So much for the tea. Well to give it credit, the tea was served in a nice and quaint teapot, but that's just about it.
My Black Forest Cake was greeted with oohs and ahhs from the neighbouring table as they had tried to order a slice earlier on, but it was sold out. Lucky me. First bite, I was cringing from the copious amount of whipped cream present in the cake. Essentially 2 of the 5 layers were whipped cream. Now that's a lot of whipped cream! The layers of cake were moist and tasty with the berries a little sour and accompanied by smooth milk chocolate. It would have been better if not for the obscene amount of whipped cream (too much whipped cream is bad for your health as well). I had high hopes for this one as I really like Black Forest Cakes and have been eating them since I was a kid, but it just didn't deliver. Maybe I'm just being picky.
Surprisingly, the Chocolate Tart shone and surpassed all expectations. 3 different layers of chocolate atop a biscuit wafer and topped with an interesting looking piece of baked chocolate, with a serving of whipped cream. This was simply heavenly and trust me, I don't use such words often. I don't even know how to begin to describe it. All 3 layers were smooth and rich, with the base being crunchy and slightly nutty. Just imagine that! The thin slice of chocolate, according to the waitress, is created by pouring a thin layer of chocolate into a mould, freezing it and then baking it in the oven. The result is a delectable slice of chocolate with a slightly burnt taste. You just have to try this!
The desserts cost $25.30, which is slightly on the high side. The waitresses were friendly, but seemed a little confused at times. The chef and his wife (I presume) weren't exactly very friendly though and I witnessed an incident where the chef stood arms akimbo when some customers were undecided on their orders. That gesture alone says alot! I probably will be back just for the Chocolate Tart and nothing more.
ps: I read somewhere that photography isn't allowed, so I had to sneakily take some shots, hence the poor pictures.
Along Joo Chiat Road lies this discreet small shop with a seemingly run down facade which sells only Durian pastries. For the uninitiated, this tiny shop houses Puteri Mas, one of the most famous names in Durian pastries, aside from Goodwood Park Hotel's Deli. Bite sized durian puffs are sold in boxes of 20 and they have other stuff like Durian rolls, cakes etc. Bite into one of the Durian puffs and the Durian literally explodes from within the thin pastry. Only gripe I had was that the puff was too thin and thus became a little soggy. $10 for 20 mini puffs isn't cheap, but its worth it. Miss trying it at your own loss. ;)
Make no mistake, Dessert Boutique of Delectable Blessings! is actually the name of a dessert shop housed along the newly refurbished Market Street Carpark. Just 7 weeks old and located just a few doors down from RoGues, this outfit prides itself on selling healthy desserts. No more oily and excessively sweet or salty desserts. Everything here is freshly made and natural flavours are key to the desserts. I had a few samples, courtesy of a lovely lady, who also happens to be one of the owners of the shop and found them quite delectable. The In All Fairness (trust them to come up with such names), which was essentially Barley, Gingko with Beancurd Skin, was very light and refreshing. This dish is best taken chilled. The Mango Tango!, on the other hand, was a little creamy with Sago, Pomelo and Watermelon. I didn't quite taste the Watermelon, but the Pomelo provided an added zest to the dish. It tasted like your normal day to day Mango Sago, albeit a creamier and less sweet rendition. My favourite was the White Fungus with Chinese Almonds and Papaya, which happened to be the Delectable Experiment of the week. For $3, you get a huge cup of White Fungus swirling in a sweet but light syrup and lots of Chinese Almonds. I could see the pieces of Papayas, but they were too mashed up too have any taste. Experience the chilled syrup trickle down your throat and all memories of a bad lunch quickly dissipates.
Do try it if you happen to be in the area. They do delivery to nearby areas within a 10 minute walk from the shop, but the minimum order is $10. Other than that, the minimum order goes up to $30 and a delivery charge of between $5-$10 is imposed, depending on location. They also serve healthy breakfast items which might be a good alternative to those MacDonalds or Char Kuay Teows. There is a small dining area which can seat up to 6(?) people, but it is rather cramp, so you are better off eating on the go.
It was a great lunch outing and boy the food! If not for the bright bright sun from out the window, it might seem like we were having a dinner feast! Ha!
The spread was good. But there's two item that I enjoyed most! And both are prawns!
The first prawn dish was an add on to the set menu ordered. This is one of their signature dish, the Wasabi Prawn balls. The wasabi prawn wasn't powerful enough. It tasted more like salad prawn with all the fruits (honeydew, dragonfruit bits and strawberries) that came with it. Nevertheless, it was nice and easy to eat too. (No need to peel the shell mah! Haha!) Give me this dish alone and I'll be happy to eat it with a bowl of rice.
The next one was from the set menu, not sure about the name, but it seems like cereal butter prawn. (Picture) Before the prawn was served, waiter brought a bowl of lemon water and everyone started discussing whether the ladies or the men will be doing the peeling. Haha! Everyone sighed a sign of relief when the prawn was served. The prawn was big and fragrant. The mixed of dried chilli, curry leaves and dried shrimp makes the whole dish very flavorful and yummy. Enjoyed it!
In recent years, many food outlets claiming to sell restaurant quality western food at coffeeshop prices have sprung up in the heartlands across Singapore. Think Aston's and Botak Jones. Western Chow is the latest contender to have jumped on the bandwagon.
Opened just barely two weeks ago, Western Chow is hidden at the corner of a secluded coffeeshop just off Lorong Ah Soo. The system of ordering is simple. You make your order at the counter, pay up and you will receive an order number (as shown in the picture above). Take the number and sit anywhere you want and you will be served shortly.
Ribeye Steak ($14) - I had my ribeye medium rare and it came looking a shade of red, indicating its over doneness. That aside, the beef was way too soft, hinting of a possible use of tenderizer or "Peng Seh" as my parents term it. The beef had no bite whatsoever and no natural beef taste, masked by the overpowering black pepper sauce. Its really a sheer waste of such a good cut of beef.
Chicken Chop ($5.80) - As with the ribeye steak, the chicken chop was soft and a didn't really hold up to much chewing. I liked the sauce though, BBQ square with a dash of pepper. Having said that, the sauce alone wasn't enough to salvage the chicken chop. A pity really.
The 3 of us spent $33.80 in total, which was relatively expensive given the below average quality of food. To give them credit, all of the staff were very friendly. I certainly hope they will do something about it before they start losing customers. Oh and if you do ever patronise, please sit along the fringes of the coffeeshop or risk smelling like cooked food when you are done due to the fumes from the Char Kway Teow stall.
1=SGD 0.0587
Many people have different opinions on what a good Nasi Lemak should entail. Some say the food should be fresh, the rice should be nice, chilli should be good and so on. Personally, the single most important aspect in determining how good a Nasi Lemak is, is through the rice. Chilli and food are but mere considerations. Think about it, if you want good chilli, then you might as well eat mixed vegetable rice with a good chilli. One thing that differentiates Nasi Lemak from mixed vegetable rice is the rice itself. Now I know you are going to say that its weird to have chilli with mixed vegetable rice, but its just a matter of getting used to it. Case in point, the Canadians value chicken breast more than the thigh, but it is the opposite here in Singapore. Ok I know I'm ranting so let me just focus back on the food.
The name, Yi Liu Xiang might seem rather boastful but this stall has the right to be. Located on the 2nd floor of the Hainanese Village in Hougang, queues are an everyday affair at this small Nasi Lemak stall. The rice is very fragrant due to the loads of Coconut oil that goes in (I'm guessing)and not to mention tasty. It has this light and slightly sweet taste that doesn't make you feel like throwing up even if you overeat. The turnover rate is high so you can be sure that the ingredients are fresh as well. I personally like the thinly fried eggs which are tasty and go very well with the rice and anchovies. Try this stall out to believe!
Rating given:
Hidden in the sleepy estate of Pasir Panjang just after the infamous South Buona Vista Road, or better known as the 88 bend, is a small row of shops, one of which houses the famous Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice. My gf and I stumbled upon it by chance while we were driving though Pasir Panjang Road and quickly disembarked to try it out since it was already dinner time. We had braised duck rice for 2 with a side dish of tofu.
The tofu was rather mashed up and normal, so nothing much to talk about. However the braised duck was really good. A little chewy yet fibrous and with a very sticky and slightly sweet gravy to boot. And the best part is, it didn't come across as too oily. Another plus goes to the fact that the duck is boneless, which is just great for lazy people like myself. Without a doubt, I prefer this duck rice over Hup Seng's rendition.
Dinner for 2 pax came up to $15.90 inclusive of 3 bowls of rice and 2 glasses of barley drink. Not exactly cheap, but I guess you have to pay more for quality.
Rating given:
Lau Hong Ser Rojak at Dunman Food Centre has been labeled as one of the legendary hawkers by Makansutra. To verify this tag, I made my way to the food centre at about 830pm in the evening to try out this famous Rojak stall. I assumed that it wouldn't be a long wait as there was no one queuing up in front of the stall. Oh boy, was I wrong. The orders had been taken down on sheets of paper and the wait time was a cool 1 hour! Not wanting to return empty handed, I resigned myself to play the waiting game. The owner was nice about it and got me my order within half an hour or so.
$3 got me a decent size portion with lots of You Tiao and Tau Pok, which were freshly toasted over the fire, leaving them slightly burnt and very crispy. The shrimp paste used was of superior quality, thick and smooth. I personally like this better than Hoover Rojak at Whampoa Drive Food Centre because of the much bigger portions and slightly better taste.
Rating given:
My umpteenth visit to Botak Jones, but this time round it was to the Clementi outlet which I've never been to. Located at a small coffeeshop just opposite Clementi central, it was madly packed when my gf and I arrived at about 615pm. So much for trying to beat the crowd.
Botak Burger - Having eaten the Botak Burger at least 4 times, I'm not ashamed to say that I don't really see its draw anymore. And the beef patty still made me nauseous after a few mouthfuls even though it did come across as slightly juicier this time round. The bread was a little dry and hard, which made things even worse. I guess I'll stay off this for a bit.
Fish & Chips - Now the fish & chips exceeded expectations taste wise but the fish was rather thin under the crispy batter. This dish was quite a pleaser when warm, but once it turned cold, it became almost unpalatable as the batter tasted of reused oil. So be warned.
$12 isn't too expensive for a considerably decent meal, but factor in the wait time of 20-30mins and its a forgone conclusion, for me at least. I guess I won't be back anymore, especially when the prices have just increased.
Rating given:
On the ground floor of the mall, in close proximity to the Fairprice Xtra, is this small stall selling cookies. The prices are a little lower than that of Famous Amos and offer slightly more variety. My bag of Chocolate Paradise set me back by $3.50 for 100g. Taste wise was pretty similar to Famous Amos's cookies but Little Jerry's had significantly more milk in it, as evident by the rich milky taste. It lacked the oven baked taste of Famous Amos though. A worthy contender nevertheless, with a cheaper price to boot.
Rating given:
I had read so many rave reviews about it from magazines and newspapers, so it was high time I tried it out for myself. Brightly lighted and immaculately done up with floor to ceiling windows, the interior sits probably about 10 people, with a couple more seats outdoor for those who prefer Al fresco dining. Chocolates are sold in a small room partitioned by a glass door and I found the variety rather limited. Same goes for the variety of pastries available. However, the selection of tea is rather unique and I had the Moroccan Mint Tea to try together with a slice of their famous Black Forest Cake and the ever popular Chocolate Tart.
I wasn't too impressed by the Moroccan Mint Tea as all I could taste was the strong mint taste. Peering into the teapot, I could only make out a few bits of tea leaves. So much for the tea. Well to give it credit, the tea was served in a nice and quaint teapot, but that's just about it.
My Black Forest Cake was greeted with oohs and ahhs from the neighbouring table as they had tried to order a slice earlier on, but it was sold out. Lucky me. First bite, I was cringing from the copious amount of whipped cream present in the cake. Essentially 2 of the 5 layers were whipped cream. Now that's a lot of whipped cream! The layers of cake were moist and tasty with the berries a little sour and accompanied by smooth milk chocolate. It would have been better if not for the obscene amount of whipped cream (too much whipped cream is bad for your health as well). I had high hopes for this one as I really like Black Forest Cakes and have been eating them since I was a kid, but it just didn't deliver. Maybe I'm just being picky.
Surprisingly, the Chocolate Tart shone and surpassed all expectations. 3 different layers of chocolate atop a biscuit wafer and topped with an interesting looking piece of baked chocolate, with a serving of whipped cream. This was simply heavenly and trust me, I don't use such words often. I don't even know how to begin to describe it. All 3 layers were smooth and rich, with the base being crunchy and slightly nutty. Just imagine that! The thin slice of chocolate, according to the waitress, is created by pouring a thin layer of chocolate into a mould, freezing it and then baking it in the oven. The result is a delectable slice of chocolate with a slightly burnt taste. You just have to try this!
The desserts cost $25.30, which is slightly on the high side. The waitresses were friendly, but seemed a little confused at times. The chef and his wife (I presume) weren't exactly very friendly though and I witnessed an incident where the chef stood arms akimbo when some customers were undecided on their orders. That gesture alone says alot! I probably will be back just for the Chocolate Tart and nothing more.
ps: I read somewhere that photography isn't allowed, so I had to sneakily take some shots, hence the poor pictures.
Rating given:
Along Joo Chiat Road lies this discreet small shop with a seemingly run down facade which sells only Durian pastries. For the uninitiated, this tiny shop houses Puteri Mas, one of the most famous names in Durian pastries, aside from Goodwood Park Hotel's Deli. Bite sized durian puffs are sold in boxes of 20 and they have other stuff like Durian rolls, cakes etc. Bite into one of the Durian puffs and the Durian literally explodes from within the thin pastry. Only gripe I had was that the puff was too thin and thus became a little soggy. $10 for 20 mini puffs isn't cheap, but its worth it. Miss trying it at your own loss. ;)
Rating given:
Make no mistake, Dessert Boutique of Delectable Blessings! is actually the name of a dessert shop housed along the newly refurbished Market Street Carpark. Just 7 weeks old and located just a few doors down from RoGues, this outfit prides itself on selling healthy desserts. No more oily and excessively sweet or salty desserts. Everything here is freshly made and natural flavours are key to the desserts. I had a few samples, courtesy of a lovely lady, who also happens to be one of the owners of the shop and found them quite delectable. The In All Fairness (trust them to come up with such names), which was essentially Barley, Gingko with Beancurd Skin, was very light and refreshing. This dish is best taken chilled. The Mango Tango!, on the other hand, was a little creamy with Sago, Pomelo and Watermelon. I didn't quite taste the Watermelon, but the Pomelo provided an added zest to the dish. It tasted like your normal day to day Mango Sago, albeit a creamier and less sweet rendition. My favourite was the White Fungus with Chinese Almonds and Papaya, which happened to be the Delectable Experiment of the week. For $3, you get a huge cup of White Fungus swirling in a sweet but light syrup and lots of Chinese Almonds. I could see the pieces of Papayas, but they were too mashed up too have any taste. Experience the chilled syrup trickle down your throat and all memories of a bad lunch quickly dissipates.
Do try it if you happen to be in the area. They do delivery to nearby areas within a 10 minute walk from the shop, but the minimum order is $10. Other than that, the minimum order goes up to $30 and a delivery charge of between $5-$10 is imposed, depending on location. They also serve healthy breakfast items which might be a good alternative to those MacDonalds or Char Kuay Teows. There is a small dining area which can seat up to 6(?) people, but it is rather cramp, so you are better off eating on the go.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Yummy prawns!
It was a great lunch outing and boy the food! If not for the bright bright sun from out the window, it might seem like we were having a dinner feast! Ha!
The spread was good. But there's two item that I enjoyed most! And both are prawns!
The first prawn dish was an add on to the set menu ordered. This is one of their signature dish, the Wasabi Prawn balls. The wasabi prawn wasn't powerful enough. It tasted more like salad prawn with all the fruits (honeydew, dragonfruit bits and strawberries) that came with it. Nevertheless, it was nice and easy to eat too. (No need to peel the shell mah! Haha!) Give me this dish alone and I'll be happy to eat it with a bowl of rice.
The next one was from the set menu, not sure about the name, but it seems like cereal butter prawn. (Picture) Before the prawn was served, waiter brought a bowl of lemon water and everyone started discussing whether the ladies or the men will be doing the peeling. Haha! Everyone sighed a sign of relief when the prawn was served. The prawn was big and fragrant. The mixed of dried chilli, curry leaves and dried shrimp makes the whole dish very flavorful and yummy. Enjoyed it!
Rating given:
In recent years, many food outlets claiming to sell restaurant quality western food at coffeeshop prices have sprung up in the heartlands across Singapore. Think Aston's and Botak Jones. Western Chow is the latest contender to have jumped on the bandwagon.
Opened just barely two weeks ago, Western Chow is hidden at the corner of a secluded coffeeshop just off Lorong Ah Soo. The system of ordering is simple. You make your order at the counter, pay up and you will receive an order number (as shown in the picture above). Take the number and sit anywhere you want and you will be served shortly.
Ribeye Steak ($14) - I had my ribeye medium rare and it came looking a shade of red, indicating its over doneness. That aside, the beef was way too soft, hinting of a possible use of tenderizer or "Peng Seh" as my parents term it. The beef had no bite whatsoever and no natural beef taste, masked by the overpowering black pepper sauce. Its really a sheer waste of such a good cut of beef.
Chicken Chop ($5.80) - As with the ribeye steak, the chicken chop was soft and a didn't really hold up to much chewing. I liked the sauce though, BBQ square with a dash of pepper. Having said that, the sauce alone wasn't enough to salvage the chicken chop. A pity really.
The 3 of us spent $33.80 in total, which was relatively expensive given the below average quality of food. To give them credit, all of the staff were very friendly. I certainly hope they will do something about it before they start losing customers. Oh and if you do ever patronise, please sit along the fringes of the coffeeshop or risk smelling like cooked food when you are done due to the fumes from the Char Kway Teow stall.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given: