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sylvdoanx's Reviews

       04 Aug 2008 at 1:27 am
    Category: Hawker Centres
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    When we are talking about Joo Chiat Wanton Mee saga, the actual battleground isn’t really well, at Joo Chiat. Instead we tell the tale from Whampoa Food Market.

    In the middle of Whampoa Food market, there are two stores selling Wanton Mee, and coincidently both stores claimed to be the first store to sell Wanton Mee from Joo Chiat. With the constant renovation, or rental problems, food stores are constantly on the move, and this cause a major problem when we lose track of where our favourite hawker store shifted to.

    Joo Chiat Lane Wanton Mee (#01-60) says that they have start selling Wanton Mee in Joo Chiat since the 1960s, while Wanton Mee store 1.90 (see below) also maintains that they are from Joo Chiat and have re-located to Whampoa Market, earlier than Joo Chiat Lane Wanton Mee.

    The rivalry arises when both stores claimed to be the undisputed No1 store from Joo Chiat, and LIC brings you to taste both the Wanton Mee to find out who really is the better deal!

    Joo Chiat Lane Wanton Mee ($2.50/$3)
    The main criterias for a good plate of Wanton mee are without a doubt, the noodle, the char-siew, and the wanton. Personally if the noodles are really good, i will like the store even if the char-siew and wanton are average. In the case of Joo Chiat Lane, the texture noodle is quite smooth and flavorful, coupled with the chili its actually quite good.

    The char siew from Joo Chiat Lane store is your lean juicy type, and they pack quite a punch if you like your char siew lean and tender.

    The wanton at Joo Chiat Lane store is also bigger and has more ingredients than your average wanton.

    Next up we have the Wanton Mee store 1.90. Prices wise they have more variation with the cheapest at 2 bucks. Where else can you find a bowl of wanton mee at 2 bucks nowadays? Rare. This is one of the point which they won the dual. Having a big advertisement with TV Variety show “Hawker food lost & found” at your store will likely gain you more benefits than harm.

    Wanton Mee store 1.90 ($2/2.50/3)
    Comparing both noodles, i’ll actually say that i prefer Joo Chiat Lane’s noodle to store 1.90. The noodle from store 1.90 isn’t bouncy and springy enough, and its really too dry considering that it just arrived on my table.

    The Char siew at store 1.90 is totally different to the one at Joo Chiat Lane. While the latter one comes in the lean version, the one at store 1.90 has slightly more fatty meat in its char-siew. I actually prefer my char siew to have some fatty meat as it will provide more crunch to the taste.

    This can actually be very subjective as some people prefer lean one, while some like me like the char siew to be slightly fatter. Anyway, the char siew at store 1.90 does it for me.

    The wanton at store 1.90, is well quite pathetic. Hardly any ingredient inside, i wonder do they do the wanton for the sake of doing really.

    Rounding off the Joo Chiat Wanton Mee Saga, LIC will say that noodle wise, Joo Chiat Lane win the contest with its more springy and flavourful noodles. For the char-siew however, LIC prefer store 1.90 fatty ones to Joo Chiat lane’s lean type. And wanton, Joo Chiat Lane win hands-down.

    Actually i do believe that there is really no point in debating for the first store from Joo Chiat, so long both stores are doing a good job feeding their customers, thats the spirit to go! The past is after all the past, why not focus on doing better wanton mee instead?

    Its a rather tough call to separate the two stores, but it really depends on what you look for in your wanton mee. And again taste is subjective, so what LIC likes might not necessary for the same for you. Do go down to Whampoa Market to try both stores and be the judge yourself!

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       04 Aug 2008 at 1:20 am
    Category: Hawker Centres
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    Its rather uncommon when you see the word “Singapore” in the name of a company, not least in the name of a food store. How many company actually has the word “Singapore”, not many, think Singapore Airlines, Singapore Telecommunications, Singapore Post, and almost all of them are actually Government-related entity.

    Opposition party please don’t get it wrong, Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee is definitely not related to the Government, how it got its name remains a mystery, but thats not really the focus here. Leaving the name-issue aside, their Hokkien Mee is really good! Ever since finding out about them a couple of years back, one of the few stalls that comes into my mind when i think of Whampoa Market will be the Hoover Rojak, and this, Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee!

    Hokkien Mee ($3)
    While some places do their Hokkien mee either too dry or too wet, Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee is done exactly the way i like my Hokkien Mee, the perfect balance of the wetness of the noodles.

    The sambal chili is also there to “die” for, literally. For someone like me who can’t really “hold” their chili well, i can’t help myself getting more of the chili. Mixed together with the Hokkien Mee, and with a few drops of the lime, awesome!

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

       04 Aug 2008 at 1:18 am
    Category: Hawker Centres
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    Ah Hock Fried Oyster Hougang is another pretty famous stall in Whampoa Food centre also. I always like fried oyster omelette, but not because of the oyster, i just like to eat the eggs! So usually people who eat oyster omelette with me gets to eat the oyster while i targeted the egg.

    Fried Oyster Omelette ($4)
    A good plate of Oyster Omelette always go together with good chili sauce, in this case their chili is just right, not too spicy and not too diluted. Its a expensive hobby for me if i were to spend 4 bucks and just eat the eggs, in that case eating fried carrot cake will be a better alternative.

    While not really an expert on oyster omelette, i do know the way i like my eggs to be done, and i think Ah Hock rendition did a pretty good job, and the oyster is quite fresh too. Compared to other mediocre stores, i think Ah Hock can be considered the better one.

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

    244. Fried Kuay Teow Mee   
       04 Aug 2008 at 1:13 am
    Category: Hawker Centres
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    ” SINGAPORE - Singapore’s annual inflation rate hit a 25-year high of 6.6 percent in January, according to Department of Statistics (DOS) data released on Monday.

    The inflation rate, as indicated by the consumer price index (CPI), was the highest since the 7.5 percent hit in March 1982… “


    You must be thinking whether LIC has gone nuts writing food reviews, or you must have step into the wrong place, not quite like your impression of a food blog. Don’t just read the start, you need to finish the story!

    Back to food, the point i am trying to bring across is, in this day where inflation rises like nobody’s business, and price of food soars, where can you even see food that just cost 2 bucks? Fishball noodle, Chicken rice, fried kuay teow, all your familiar local delights, $2.50 is the norm, with more selling at even higher prices in the hawkers nowadays.

    The store we are looking today has a signboard with an ambiguous name of just Fried Kuay Teow Mee may be deceiving, and unknown to the rest. But this store at Seah Im food centre opposite Vivocity, cooks a mean plate of fried kuay teow, all for just 2 bucks.

    Char Kuay Teow ($2)
    Walking past the stall, the fragrance of the char kuay teow already caught my attention, looking at the board, $2 for all their stuff, fried kuay teow, fried carrot cake, fried hokkien mee, mee goreng. Gosh!

    The char kuay teow did not disappoint. Not the most good-looking one around, no fancy plates to go along. The greasy plate of char kuay teow may not looks welcoming to your calorie intake, but once in a while, you got to spoil yourself.

    Not too soggy, and not too dry, the savouring plate of char kuay teow is simple, and at 2 bucks, you really can’t complaint.

    You are always welcome to visit
    ladyironchef
    for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    245. Hot Tomato Express   
       30 Jul 2008 at 10:48 am
    Category: American
    WishBoNe WishBoNe says:

    I passed the place a few times before deciding to try it out. I ordered an Egg Mayo and Sun-dried Tomato sandwich and soup based on the set promotion. I love Shitake mushrooms and decided to try it too. When the soup came, it was way smaller than the one at other places I have been to.

    When my sandwich came, it was way flatter than any other places I have been to. I was rather disappointed. I didn't realised that the sandwich was to be slightly toasted either since I don't recall the menu stating toasted sandwich.

    The iced lemon tea was a disappointment too, it was too small a glass. It didn't felt like the cost was enough for such quantity.

    The food tasted average and I tasted pepper more than anything else. The mushrooms had too much garlic and I prefer my mushrooms to be cooked with light seasoning sans garlic.


    Rating given:Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

       29 Jul 2008 at 1:25 am
    Category: Juice Bars
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    Orange Julius has been around for as long i remember it, but never have i purchase anything from there before. Neither did i pay much attention to it. So it came to me as a surprise when my friend was buying their orange juice, and i saw that they were actually selling hotdogs also.

    Orange Julius ($3.40)
    Freshly squeezed orange juice with Julius flavor enhancer blended with flaked ice to create a light, airy, and very refreshing drink which is also low in fat and contains no cholestrol.

    Julius Originals come in three sizes, small ($3.40), medium ($4), and large ($4.70). And there’s also smoothies available.

    Give me an orange, Julius!

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       29 Jul 2008 at 1:23 am
    ladyironchef ladyironchef says:

    Rabbit Brand, rabbit brand. We are not talking about the rabbit brand sweet. I have heard about Rabbit Brand Seafood restaurant, but i have no idea that they got an outlet selling seafood delicacies, right in the middle of town, Lucky Plaza.

    My friend introduce me to Rabbit Brand Seafood delicacies for a budget lunch, i don’t visit Lucky Plaza often, but Rabbit Brand does turns out to be quite a surprise.

    A quick look at the menu actually tells you everything about Rabbit Brand, they offer seafood delicacies such as shark fin, abalone, at absolutely cheap prices, how authentic the seafood are remains to be seen, but then you can’t really to expect to have the real deal at a price as cheap as 5 bucks can you?

    They have many sets, with the cheapest going at $5.50, to the most expensive at $12.50. Buddha over the wall, abalone, shark fin, sea cucumber, scallops are the seafood delicacies which Rabbit Brand serves.

    Set B: Baby Abalone in sauce ($8.50)
    The set B option has the baby abalone in sauce, vegetables, rice and chinese tea, and not to mention the cheng tng (literally clear soup, a type of chinese dessert) which comes free with every set.

    Whether the baby abalone is the real one or not isn’t really the question here, its the sauce which the baby abalone is cooked in that excites me. The essence of the mushroom and the abalone are clearly all absorbed into the sauce, and just having the sauce with white rice is good enough.

    Set J: Shark fin, scallop and scrambled egg ($5.50)
    The set J has shark fin and scallop with the scrambled egg. I am skeptical about the shark fin, and scallop mention in the menu because its barely there, but then you can’t complain when the meal is only $5.50. What do you expect?

    Nonetheless, i love scrambled eggs, and the one here does well for me. A simple and hearty meal.

    Pak Choy Meow ($1.60)
    The pak choy meow, or white vegetables comes in four, and two mushroom. Evidently in the picture. The prices for their side dishes selections are cheap, with most under 2 bucks for each one. The white vegetables are good, crunchy and fresh.

    Total bill is $16.69 for 2 person. I do think that the prices are rather reasonable for a meal in the heart of the town, Orchard. With normal food and drinks in a food court, prices are about the same, but i think the simple fare here definitely suits me better.

    You cannot be expecting to have the real seafood delicacies with the cheap prices you are paying, but its quite a novice tasting such similar ones. Rather than buying you-know-what junk food, have your lunch today at Rabbit Brand seafood specialty!

    You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       28 Jul 2008 at 3:19 pm
    WishBoNe WishBoNe says:

    At first glance, I noticed that it is a rather small place but there is still enough space to squeeze around and we managed to get a table to seat 11 people.

    The iced water was served pretty fast. After placing our orders, the waitresses proceeded to place the paper napkins and we decided to do it ourselves since there wasn't enough space. It took them off guard.

    We ordered 7th Heaven, brownie and waffle with ice cream. For 7th Heaven, we could select the 7 flavours that we like and we chose Cookies & Cream, Rums & Raisins, Green Tea, Strawberry Cheesecake, Belgian Chocolate, Mango Sherbet and Berry something.

    The ice cream were good except Rums & Raisins. Personally, I don't really like Rum & Raisins. It tasted weird. My personal favourites are Cookies & Cream, Mango Sherbet and Green Tea.

    The chairs were comfortable but the space was a challenge to navigate through other tables before you can enter the place if it is full.


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

    249. Village Wok   
       24 Jul 2008 at 4:44 pm
    claud claud says:

    DIY Popiah anyone?

    I love making my own popiahs! My grandma used to host Popiah party for us. As we grow up, everyone is too busy with work and stuff, we've not have any popiah party for long time. Now I've found the place to go for our next family dinner! Village Wok serves DIY Popiah Set! How cool is that? The set comes with all the necessary condiments, ingredients and the power chili. Love it! The popiah skin was neither too thin nor thick, just nice to wrap up all the yummy ingredients without having to worry that the skin will give way when bitten into.

    Dishes ordered include the Village Smoked Chicken with BBQ Pork, Deep Fried Crystal Prawns in Light Wasabi Sauce, XO Crispy Tofu, Brinjal in BXO Sauce, Vegetarian Ee Mee and Pulat Hitam with Coconut Gelato ice-cream.

    The Smoked Chicken served with their special ginger dip was quite tasty. Personally would prefer the meat to be softer thou. But still passable.

    Wasabi prawns is deep fried and topped with very light wasabi sauce. As a fan of wasabi, this would attract me more if the sauce was more powerpack. This dish is best eaten while its still hot. The outer fried layer become slightly tough when I had my second piece when the dish has cooled off.

    XO Crispy Tofu was good. Homemade tofu was soft and the XO sauce served on the side adds flavor to it. Simple yet tasty.

    Fried Brinjal with Crispy Squid is not a vegetable which most would enjoy. But the ones at Village Wok managed to convince my friend to give it a go. He quite enjoyed it and even had quite a few pieces. Their special BXO sauce gives this purple vegetable a new life. The sauce was sweet and the crispy squid topping gives it a crunchy texture.

    The Vegetarian Ee Mee was nice. There was plentiful of golden mushrooms which give the dish more texture when chewing the noodles. Sauce was not too thick nor saltish. Just nice to my liking.

    The lunch ended with a refreshing glass of pulut hitam (black glutinous rice) with gelato coconut ice-cream. It gave a beautiful closure to the meal. Will surely order this when I return.

    I was told that they've a special dish - Cold Crab with Special Vinaigrette Sauce. We'd wanted to try it, but this is a by-reservation-only dish. Must remember to place my order the next time I go. It looks pretty good. And Village Wok creates and uses only their own in-house brand of sauces and dips.


    Rating given:Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

       24 Jul 2008 at 12:58 pm
    WishBoNe WishBoNe says:

    I have eaten at this place a couple of times. I find the space provided quite comfortable although there were some tight spaces due to the odd shape of the restaurant.

    The chairs are quite comfortable and the table has enough elbow room. The servers are alert even when it's crowded. A good start.

    Waiting time for the food to be served is still reasonable, about 10 minutes. However, it's not recommended if you are rushing to watch your movie. Ice water is refilled without needing to call upon anyone.

    Vouchers are given for every $15 spent. However, the vouchers are valid only at Cathay's Billy Bombers, meaning you have to eat at the place almost once a month. It would be flexible if all Billy Bombers accept the vouchers too since they have quite a number of branches.


    Rating given:Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

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