Cantonese Delights: Cantonese eat Curry Mee Meh? Fried Chicken with Curry NoodleIf there is one combination of flavours that really trigger my umami receptors, it must be the that of fragrant fried chicken soaked in the classic Hainanese style chicken curry or fragrant Laksa Gravy. The contrast between the savoury crispy chicken with the sweet creamy coconut gravy really hits the spot and in terms of flavour, definitely ranks up there with Foie Gras and Matsuzaka Beef. And the great thing is that it is much more affordable and you can eat until you "Peng" (collapse) and still have change from a $10 note.Whenever I eat at 328 Laksa in Katong, I would always hop over to the Chap Chye Png stall to buy some fried chicken to add to the laksa. The fried chicken is nice but it is very hard to get it freshly fried. What you really want is a piping hot, freshly fried chicken cutlet which is crispy on the outside but still oozing with chicken juices to dip in the curry gravy!If you are starting to salivate, so am I. The good news is that if you are working in town, you can pop by Hong Lim Food Centre and satisfy that craving at this particular stall. The chicken is fragrant, freshly fried and the curry gravy is very nice. You can tell that they actually make their own Rempah as the gravy has got those gritty bits of ginger, tumeric and other spices. It's one of those things that would really re-tox you if you have been forced to take a detox diet for a week. 4.25/5ConclusionActually Byron had recommended the Wanton Mee from this stall, but when I got there, I just found the Chicken Chop and Curry Noodles too hard to resist. Might try their Chicken Chop with Yong Tau Foo Laksa next time!Cantonese Delights Hong Lim Food Centre #02-03 9am to 3pm Closed on Sat and Sun 91051904ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Barcook Bakery: Ooooh so soft and silky, but don't fight ok? Cheese and Raisin Bread $1.30 eaIn case you still haven't heard, there's this place at Hong Lim Centre that sells really soft and irresistable bread which sells out everytime a new tray comes out of the oven. Like every other new pastry fad that hit Singapore, this stall is attracting long queues of people waiting impatiently for a bite of their buns. Such queues are a real hotbed for fights and quarrels to erupt.Oh yeah, we Singaporeans love to queue and it is precisely because we love to queue that fights can sometimes occur. When you go to a place where there is no culture of queuing, everyone just jostle and push to get to the front, buy their thing and go away. I saw this incredible scene on TV once, I think it was in India, where the ticketing counter is just a little hole in the wall for people to stick their hand in with the money, grab their tickets and go off to celebrate the fact that they have managed to buy some tickets. I think that such places ironically have less fights than places like Singapore where there is a strong queuing culture.While I can't say categorically that a fight had actually broken out at Barcook Bakery, I do have first hand information that some of our makan kakis who had gone down there did get themselves involved in some less than cordial verbal exchanges with the staff of the bakery. It was something to do with someone behind the queue being served ahead of someone in front of the queue. Thankfully fights don't actually break out all that often given that all of us would somehow be in a queue somewhere in any given week. Aside from being affected by those Courtesy Campaigns (I can still remember the jingles), I think a lot has to do with the fact that Singaporeans are not as verbal as say, the Americans or Australians. So a lot of the time we would rather just keep quiet rather than speaking out should we happen to see someone cut the queue. So actually fights don't actually break out all that often and when it does, it gets reported in the New Paper.Anyway, I managed to get to the front of the queue without incident and lucky for me, there was a tray of the famed Cheese and Raisin Buns which just came out of the oven. So I quickly bought a few and took a photo of a tray of the buns above. Believe me, a tray full of the buns is not a very common sight.One of the reasons for the perpetual queue, aside from the fact that the buns are absolutely delectable when they are fresh out of the oven, is that all the bread here is made with the Sponge and Dough method which is a technique of baking sweet dough buns which takes more time than the normal sweet dough buns. Essentially, the Sponge and Dough technique is a two step process where the dough is allowed a first rise, followed by a second step where the rest of the ingredients are added, followed by a second rise. The result is a sweet dough with a silky soft texture. This technique is no big secret but there are few bakeries which will bake all their breads this way because it is very time consuming. The Cheese and Raisin buns are one of the best sweet dough buns I have come across. The texture is very good and their creamed cheese filling is generous and creamy but not overly jialak. When eaten fresh out from the oven, it must be one of the most shiok things you can get your hands on for around a dollar. 4.5/5ConclusionAs they say, "all good things come to those who wait" (no idea where that phrase came from). So if you are willing to wait in the queue for a while, you will be rewarded with a very nice treat for afternoon tea indeed! But remember to be patient, take it easy and don't fight, ok?Barcook Bakery531 Upper Cross Street#01-54 Hong Lim ComplexSingapore 05053165336588ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Penang Food Trial 3: The Iconic Penang Hawker Dishes! Everyone talks about Penang Laksa. You either love it or hate it. But it is one of those things you have to try when you are in Penang and one of the most famous stalls is the one at Ayer Itam market which is just at the base of the trial to Kek Lok Si Temple.If you love pungent stuff like stinky Toufu, you might like this. As you approach the stall, you will feel as if you have walked into a sauna with a bucket of rotting prawns.One thing about Penang I observe, is that their prawns are very good. So any of their dishes with prawns in it is good, be it fresh prawns or stinky prawn paste. And because they produce their own prawns, it is cheap and they have no qualms in using lots of it. So the Penang Laksa is no exception, they use so much Belachan here that you'd stink of Belachan for the rest of the day after a visit to the Assam Laksa stall.Suffice to say that this is one dish that I don't need to try again. Damien tells me that although this is probably the most famous stall, it is not necessarily the best. I wonder if better ones mean even more stinky Belachan? 3/5 for me but it might be 4.5/5 for lovers of Penang Laksa.Laksa at Ayer Itam market, near Kek Lok Si TempleNow, there's dried fermented prawns paste (Belachan) and then there's prawn paste (Hei Gor) which is a sweet sticky paste that is used for rojak. In Singapore, any rojak seller will tell you that the best Hei Gor comes from Penang. So I had to hunt down some serious Penang Rojak.Penang Rojak RM5And if you want the King of Rojak, you have to visit Hock Seng Rojak, the self declared Rojak King of Penang. (Actually after eating this Rojak, you might crown him Rojak King yourself). Penang rojak is different from Singapore rojak as they don't have You Char Kway (fried doughstick) and just has fruits in it. At least traditionally, that is how it is. But nowadays some stalls are putting You Char Kway in Penang rojak, although they don't freshly toast it over charcoal like what we do in Singapore.Hock Seng Rojak is anything but your typical Penang Rojak. The Rojak Uncle believes in eating "Ho Liao" (good stuff) and would keep chanting "Jia Ho Liao" (eat good stuff) over and over again. He does not stinge on anything and you can see just how much Hei Gor he avalanches his rojak in. On top of the Hei Gor, he puts a light tan coloured powder which I found out later was ground roasted cuttlefish. On top fo that, he adds a cupful of whole roasted peanuts and dried shrimps!Dipping a cube of fruit in Hei Gor, Cuttlefish powder and finally dried shrimps (Tasting sample)If you have never had this before, then you have never eaten rojak. This was actually our final stop after 8 hours of eating and although we started off ordering only one plate, we ended up with 3 plates and everyone packing home the sauce and condiments. Singapore Rojak really got no fight. I just wished I had some freshly toasted You Char Kway to go with it! 4.8/5.Macallum Street at the junction of "five ways" Open 1.30pm to 5pmAnother dish that Penang is quite famous for is their curry noodles. Like their laksa, their curry noodles is also very different from the curry noodles that we have here.Instead of a thick coconut based curry gravy, the noodles are served in a very light, but sweet and pungent prawn stock and it is up to you to add the sambal to make it inot a fiery curry. They also have all the other goodies like cuttlefish, cockles and congealed pigs blood to add to the dish. Too bad I was down with a bit of diarrhoea that morning so I did not get to really enjoy the dish. The soup was really good but somehow I still prefer our thick and rich coconut gravy version. 4/5 If there is one stall that you absolutely must visit while in Penang, it is the famous Penang Road Teochew Chendol. This hawker is featured everywhere. I even saw him in our Hotel's recurring video clip on the highlights of Penang. Some even go as far to say that he is even better than the Chendol in Malacca.Chendol from the famous Teochew ChendulThere always seem to be a perpetual crowd around the stall at any time of the day. What is interesting is that there is a stall on the opposite side of the road which is much less popular. Our tour guide (Mr Yap) chose to eat at the less popular stall because he didn't want to wait for his chendol. He said the chendol is almost as good.Chendol from the competitor directly oppositeSo I had to do my usual, unrandomised, unblinded, uncontrolled trial to see if both chendols are indeed compatible. As you can see from the picture, the chendol (green stuff) is different at both stall. Whilest the one at Teochew Chendul (sic) is pale green with a softer, more powdery texture, the one opposite is a little more springy to the bite but with less pandan flavour. Actually the coconut and gula melaka is quite similar, so if you are just going for the soup, both stalls are compatible. However, what really made the difference for me was the taste of the red beans and kidney beans. This is where Teochew Chendul wins hands down. Theirs is very nice, well marinated, sweet and very "pang". So it is no wonder that people still flock to his stall.To me the Chendol is very good, but the shaved ice was not very fine and there was very little of it. I like my Chendol with the ice still in its shaven form so that I can still taste the gula melaka and coconut milk separately. I haven't been to Malacca recently, but I suspect that Chendol can still be better than this. 4.25/5ConclusionSo are you a fan of Penang Laksa? I have just been told by a Penangite that the one I featured here is famous but the locals actually to go a better one near the Airport as they feel that the one at Ayer Itam is not as good as before. The Rojak is definitely a winner but the Chendol I am not so sure until I get to eat the famous ones in Malacca.ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Spice Peranakan: Mesmerized by the Little Nonya Ayam Goreng with Tempra $7Ok, I admit it, I was one of thousands that have been mesmerized by the Little Nonya. Granted that Yue Niang is an attractive lady who is very easy on the eyes, but the scene that I remember most vividly was the one of Matriach Chen Lao Tai in ecstasy after taking a bite of the Rempah Udang. (Here's the clip if you don't know what I am talking about) Doesn't it just make you want to go and eat some Rempah Udang? Speaking of which, I am on a quest to find the best Rempah Udang in Singapore, so if you have any leads, let me know.Anyway, the Little Nonya series has really ignited a lot of interest in Peranakan culture. This is great, as I reckon the number of Nonyas still wearing Kebayas is much less than the number of Pandas in the wild. Fortunately, Nonya food culture still burns warmly in many Peranakan families. They might have given up on the clothes and the beading of slippers, but there are still many Peranakan families who laboriously pound their spices in stone crucibles and spend countless hours over a simmering pot to prepare their Nonya dishes.Buah Keluak I guess when it comes to Perankan food, a lot of Peranakans would probably tell you that the best Peranakan food is cooked by their Grandmothers. That is really unfortunate for the rest of us Non-Peranakans who can only rely on other people's Grandmothers in order to get to eat really nice Peranakan food. So the next best thing is to find a small family Peranakan restaurant that serves "home cooked" Peranakan food and hope that they will serve you the stuff that is prepared to impress the Matriach.Well, I think I might have found one such restaurant located in a pretty "Ulu" (remote) part of Singapore. Well at least in Singapore, an old forsaken Shopping Centre like Bukit Timah Shopping Centre can be considered quite "Ulu".This little stall in the most unlikely of places is run by a Peranakan family and if you didn't know about them, you would most likely just pass by without trying the food. But then you'd be missing out on some really nice Peranakan food. The dish that I am most ecstatic about is the Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) topped with Tempra. The tempra might seem to be a simple caramelised onion sauce with Kecap Manis (Sweet black sauce), but I was told that each batch takes around 4 hours to cook with someone closely watching and stirring it to prevent it from burning. Anyway, I loved how the crispy savoury skin of the fried chicken complements the fragrant sweet syrupy sauce. It had that elusive "Fried Chicken" flavour that really makes a good fried chicken great. 4.75/5Babi Ponteh $8I haven't tasted a Babi Ponteh that I liked until now. (Ok lah, I haven't eaten all that many Babi Ponteh) Here, they managed to stew the pork till the fats just melt in your mouth and it had a bit of that "Kong Bak" flavour that makes pork belly so irresistable. The wonderful tau cheo (fermented bean) based sauce really makes you want to eat more rice. 4.5/5Ayam Buah Keluak $8 (2 kernals)The Ayam Buah Keluak here is very good, but unfortunately not as outstanding as the first two dishes that I highlighted. They serve the variation where the kernals are first removed from the nut, fried with prawns and minced pork before being stuffed back into the shells again. That bit is great and I was gingerly picking at the stuffing. However, the sauce was lacking in that nutty flavour that I was looking for. It's very good, but I know it can be better. 4.25/5Beef Rendang $8The dish that didn't do too well that day was the Beef Rendang. The beef was too lean and lacked the sinews and tendon that makes a great stewed beef. The gravy also lacked that oomph. What I always enjoy about a good beef rendang is the fragrance of the tumeric and lime leaves in the gravy which is lacking here. 3.5/5ConclusionI just finished watching the whole series of little Nonya on DVD and the haunting tune is still ringing in my head. This must be the first TV series that I followed since "Samsui Woman". I guess I liked it because it is the good old "Cinderella" story coupled with lots of background info about the Peranakan culture and of course the seductive appeal of the wonderful food! If you haven't seen it, it is well worth watching.Anyway, back to Peranakan food. Are there any Peranakan restaurants around that you can highly recommend? And oh, don't forget about the Rempah Udang! I want to know where I can experience that Chen Lao Tai, eat already, eyes big big kind of ecstasy.Spice Peranakan 170 Upper Bukit Timah Road Bukit Timah Shopping Centre #B1-18 S588179 Tel: 67388887 11.30am to 9.30pm Monday/PH closed Sunday lunch onlyieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Hong Mao Wanton Mee: I don't see no Ang Mo around I know that there are quite a few people out there who regard this particular Wanton Mee as the best in Singapore. The most famous of whom is Gerard Ee, the ex-President of AA and also Singapore's most well known philanthropist. His face is unceremoniously pasted on the glass display cabinet next to the noodles. Apparently, he comes here every Saturday to have his wonton mee fix. The other not-quite-as-famous, but perhaps still quite famous personality (at least within foodie circles) who frequents this stall is Aston of Astons Specialties. When Aston is not eating steak, he is sitting here eating what he considers to be the best Wanton Mee in Singapore.I have written much about Wanton Mee and have posted reviews of twenty of the most well known Wanton Mees around Singapore. It is in actual fact a very simple dish which many Singaporeans enjoy, but I still haven't been able to find one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The highest I have given for Wanton Mee was a 4.6/5. They all seem to have just something lacking to make the 4.75 grade. When the noodles and sauce is good, the Charsiew is lacking. When the Charsiew and noodles are good, the Wantons are lacking. I reckon that the main stumbling block for most Wanton Noodle sellers must be the Charsiew because unless you are able to Chargrill your own Charsiew, it is difficult (an expensive) to procure one that is really good.The Charsiew just happens to be the stumbling block for this particular Wanton Mee. The texture and taste of the noodles are very good, as are the Wantons and the soup which is full of anchovy flavour. But the Charsiew just couldn't make it. Now, if I could get hold of some freshly roasted "Bu Jian Tian" Charsiew from Fatty Cheong to add to the noodles, I reckon this might then be a Wanton mee I would really rave about. 4.25/5ConclusionI know I will be getting a lot of protests from fans of this stall who consider this to be the best Wanton Mee stall in the East, if not the whole of Singapore. That's fine, if you feel strongly about this Wanton Mee than do write in to express your support. And btw, if you know why it is called Hong Mao (red hair), do write in and let us know. Apart from the lady boss, I certainly don't see anyone there with red hair.Hong Mao Wanton Mee 128 Tembeling Road 7am to 4pm Closed on Mondaysieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Penang Food Trail 2: Streetside Night Spots Part 1 One thing I really enjoyed about Penang is the fact that they still have real streetside hawkers who come out at night to peddle their wares. These type of hawkers have long since dissappeared from Singapore except for the contrived ones along Lau Pa Sat and Gluttons Bay.There is a certain charm as well as a sense of trepidation when one eats at streetside hawkers. I guess it is like the thrill of eating Fugu where there is a small risk that what you eat might kill you. Well, ok, it is not as dramatic as that, but hey a few of us did come down with a bout of diarrhoea the next day, so you have been warned. I still enjoyed the experience though and wouldn't think twice about doing it again, although the next time round, I am going to avoid the homemade drinks and stick to the canned drinks.There are of course several streets that turn into hawker centres at night. One famous and might I add, overrated one is the one at Gurney drive. It is by the sea and within the tourist hotspot. I was there with CK and Jino one afternoon and they both concur that there really isn' t any die die must try dishes there. So like our Newton Circus, its more for the tourists.Now if you want to eat some really nice streetside food, then you should head for New Lane Hawker centre which is located at the junction of MacAlister and New Lane road.The satay here is quite famous and it is special because the lady dips the satay into the peanut gravy then grills them. They were very good but we can find satay of a similar standard in Singapore, so it is not like the Char Kway Teow where you would go all the way there to eat. 4.25/5.The one stall which we went there for was the Chee Cheong Fun which was unfortunately not opened that night. (or have they moved out?) Not many people in Singapore talk about Penang Chee Cheong Fun, but when we were there, both our local food experts were ordering Chee Cheong Fun for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The key ingredient in the Chee Cheong Fun is the World Famous (or dare I say World's Best) Hae Gor (prawn paste) which is liberally poured over the steamed rice sheets. So if you happen to be at New Lane, do check them out.The one dish that I was eating non-stop that night were the BBQ chicken wings. They were marinated with a five spice marinade which is quite similar to Singapore but the flavour of the marinade is more intense as they were marinated it so long that the texture of the flesh changed to be a little more dense, less springy and slightly sticky. I must have eaten close to 10 sticks that night. 4.5/5These two stalls were the most outstanding ones. We also tried other stuff like the Fried Hokkien Mee, Beef Noodle Soup, Otah, Chilli Clams but I don't think I'd bother next time. If you are only in Penang for a couple of nights and just want to try as much of the good stuff as Penang has to offer, then rather than just eating other stuff here, what you should do instead is to hop over to Kimberly Street next to try their Braised Duck Kway Chap.Kway Chap with the sum of anatomical parts from duck and pigStreet hawkers also line this stretch of road which is even more rustic than New Lane. This particular Kway Chap stall still has a motorbike attached to it! Now, when it comes to Kway Chup in Penang, just about anything goes. So this is one place which you could satisfy your Vampirous passion for congealed pigs' blood.Stall near intersection of Kimberly Street and Jalan Sungei UjongWith many of the street side stalls, the flavours are very intense and down to earth, almost on the brink of being pungent. We Singaporeans are too used to clinical tasting food, thank to our ever viligent NEA. But perhaps it is not the food itself, but idea of eating next to an open drain might happen to be the water source as well that adds to the flavour of the dish. Just joking lah, if you like Kway Chap, the braising sauce here is very good. However the most interesting feature here is the Kway itself.Homemade KwayThe Kway here is made by the hawker himself who explained to us that it is made very much like a pancake where batter is added to a hotplate and toasted. Then it is dried and cut and rehydrated when it is time to eat. The texture of the kway is very different from what we get in Singapore. It is more gummy and starchy, more like a Mee Tai Mak then Kway Teow. CK Lam has some excellent pictures of the process in her blog which you can view by clicking here.If you like your Kway Chap rustic and no nonsense, you will like this one. 4.25/5 On the other hand, if you cannot stomach the sight of meat juices and gristle draining off the edge of a chopping block that looks like it is the original one that grandpa used, then you probably won't eat this.Ingredients include cashew nuts, peanuts and raisinsNow, after all that food, you might be wanting to call it a day and finish off the wonderful meal(s) with a nice and soothing nightcap. I have got just the thing for you. CK brought us to this stall that sells Badam Milk, which is basically milk straight out from a cow cooked with cashew nuts, raisins, peanuts and other spices like cardamom.Need a boost of energy? Try some Badam milk!Now, if you enjoy puddings, then you are going to love this. It is sweet and rich and creamy and Wahcow had one of those Anton Ego flashbacks to when he was still a baby. Both Wahcow and another of our makan kakis, Maple Syrup loved it so much that they had to come back the next day to have it again! For me, I had one of those flashbacks too, but to a time when my mom had to force me to drink Nespray milk, for for me it was OK only. I expect that Wahcow and Maple syrup would give it at least a 4.5/5Located just outside the Kapitan Restaurant along Chulia StreetThat wraps up our first Penang Night Spots trail! If you have been to any of the stalls listed, do let us know of your experience!ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Penang Food Trail 1: Penang Char Kway Teow - Round One goes to Penang Contestant #1: Kedai Kopi Sin HuaRM 3.50, RM 4 with duck eggWe wasted no time to get to our first food stall. I had skipped breakfast and the inflight meal, so when we touched down in Penang we headed straight for some Penang Char Kway Teow.Our first photostop was the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and our Tour Guide told us that just around the corner there was a famous Char Kway Teow Stall. So, while the others were busy photographing at the temple grounds, Wahcow and I met up with Penang Blogger, CK Lam and headed for the Char Kway Teow stall.Duck EggNow, among all the different Penang hawker dishes, I must say that Penang Char Kway Teow was the one that I really wanted to try. Firstly, because there are not many really good Char Kway Teow in Singapore and secondly, it is one of those dishes that almost everyone says is much better in Penang.So I was really excited to be sitting in this old Kedai Kopi (coffeeshop) experiencing Penang CKT for the very first time. (I was last in Penang 28 years ago) I have to say that I wasn't too impressed with the frying technique from the outset because the man frying the CKT looked like he needed a cup of Kopi.Sure enough, when we finally got our plate of CKT, it really was a real anti-climax. The Kway Teow was dry and limp and really wasn't what I had expected Penang Char Kway Teow to be. CK only told me later on that in fact, the stall was really good in the past, but the original lady had left and the guy frying the CKT was actually her helper! 3.5/5Alright, at least for those people who say that "CKT from any stall in Penang is any time better than Singapore", well it's not true.Kedai Kopi Sin Hua 329 Burma Road Opp Pulau Tikus Polis Station Just 5 mins from Temple of the Reclining Buddha Open for lunchContestant #2: Heng Huat Coffee Shop (Aka Goggle Lady)Big Prawn Char Kway Teow RM9Right after the photoshoot at the Reclining Buddha Temple, the whole group headed for lunch at one of Penang's top two Char Kway Teows. I was told that the usual waiting time is around 45 mins for a plate. Perhaps this can help salvage my impression of Penang Char Kway Teow.When I first saw how this lady was enthusiastically attacking the wok, I just knew that this was going to be a different plate of Char Kway Teow from that first one. The communist red beret and those goggles only added to the initial excitement as did the sparks flying off the burning charcoal.Another thing that really got me excited was the size and quality of the prawns that they used. They were super fresh and wonderfully sweet. The lady tells me that she gets them fresh from the local kelong there. Now, huge prawns like these are not part of the standard Penang Char Kway Teow. But since we came all the way from Singapore, we ordered their most expensive option which costs RM 9. Still quite a bargain compared to what we pay in Singapore.The end product is a Char Kway Teow that was lively, smooth and infused with the umami flavour of the prawns. The Kway Teow also has that elusive Wok Hei and savoury flavour which is often missing in Singapore. Now at least I understand why people often say that Penang Char Kway Teow is better than Singapore's. 4.5/5OK, this aunty has won back my confidence with Penang Char Kway Teow. It is a far cry from the anaemic one that we had at Sin Hua and definitely worth the calories!Two Sister's Char Kway TeowKafe Heng HuatLor Selamat (off MacAlister Road)Open for lunchContestant #3: Ah Leng Char Koay TeowFor our final Char Kway Teow, we headed for Ah Leng's which is widely regarded as the best in Penang. One interesting fact is that Ah Leng had actually moved to Singapore around 7 years ago and was frying his Penang Style Char Kway Teow at around the Holiday Inn area for 2 years before he went back to Penang because of some taxation issues. Can anyone here confirm if this is true?Anyway, Ah Leng's Char Kway Teow is different from Two Sister's because he uses Mantis Shrimp as well as the normal Sea Prawns in his dish. His plate of Char Kway Teow now costs RM 9.50 and is the most expensive around. But Penangites, I was told, do not mind spending more on food as long as it is good.And it is no wonder that Ah Leng can sell his Char Kway Teow to at this price! This is the best plate of Char Kway Teow I have ever eaten. The Kway Teow had completely absorbed the flavour of the Sea Prawns and Mantis Shrimp so that every mouthful was like eating super umami Keropok flavoured Kway Teow. Ah Leng also uses Duck Egg in his Char Kway Teow which also adds to the richness of the dish. The complexity of flavours in each mouthful was something that I spent a good amount of time analyzing. 4.8/5ConclusionIf Ah Leng's Char Kway Teow and Hillstreet Char Kway Teow were ever side by side, I have to say that I would choose to eat Ah Leng's Char Kway Teow!Having said that, I don't think that it is very fair to compare Singapore Char Kway Teow to Penang Char Kway Teow because they are really quite different. So as they say, you are not really comparing apples to apples. First of all, Penang CKT does not have the sweet black sauce. Secondly, it does not include the yellow noodles and thirdly, a lot of the taste is derived from the prawns that they fry together with the CKT. There is a final difference which is not consistently found in all CKT stalls and that is the option of using Duck egg rather than chicken.So ok, that's my take on Penang Char Kway Teow, do let us know what you think.Ah Leng Char Kway TeowDatuk Keramat RoadClosed on Thursdays8.30am to 2pmieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Restaurant Ember: 15th Anniversary Degustation Dinner Crab meat wrapped in Tuna Sashimi withsmoked Caviar and blood orange sorbetMarriage isn't for everyone I guess, but personally, it suits me just fine. I am the kind of guy who likes stability and predictability in life, so it is comforting to come home everyday, have my meal, play with the kids, watch TV and go to bed.I once joked with my wife that one of the reasons I wanted to get married (to her) was the fact that I did not like to say goodbye after a wonderful meal and a movie. I hated taking a bus all by myself after midnight (Those were the NS days). Another good thing about getting married is that you don't have to decide who to go to the movies with and you never have to grapple with the embarassment of being turned down. Ah yes, you also save a lot on phone bills.Anyway, Amagada's tastebuds can be quite difficult to please. There have been so many occasions when I brought her to one of those "die die must try" places which I have blogged about only to be told that she felt it was quite ordinary. So I was under a lot of pressure to find a nice place to bring her for our anniversary dinner. Of course, she told me that flowers and dinner were not necessary, that we should save money lah, blah, blah blah. But take it from me guys, they might say "no", but often that "no" is often a test of your ability to read their thoughts. So, sometimes "no" means "No dinner huh? Next time you wait long long for your favourite Carrot Cake". But, sometimes "no" really means "no". So the secret of a good marriage is knowing when "no" means "no" and when it means otherwise. And that, unfortunately only comes through experience. So you can imagine how many times I kena from her in the early years of marriage.Breaded Oysters with selection of 6 dipsRestaurant Ember has been around for six years already and has regulars like Jackie from Cilantro who can't stop raving about them. I did a quick search on the net and indeed most of the reviews have been positive, so it seemed like a sure bet.Our degustation started with a very nice crab meat wrapped with tuna sashimi. The smoked cavier added a nice smoky savoury flavour and the orange sorbet gave it a nice zing. Simple and satisfying and got me really looking forward to the rest of the meal. 4.25/5The Breaded Oysters is one of the restaurant's signature dishes and you will see most tables ordering one. The six shot glasses are filled with various flavoured mayonnaise, chutney and sauces which the chef has concocted. Now, you can't really go wrong with anything that is breaded, deep fried and served with a creamy or zesty dip. The oysters were perhaps not as creamy as I would have liked but tasty nonetheless. My favourite sauce was the Asian Peanut sauce and the tomato chutney. 4/5Homemade Crispy Tofu with Foie Gras Mirin SauceThe sweet Foie Gras and Mirin Sauce was really very good and went very well with the tofu. It was smooth and a little sticky with a mild savoury Foie Gras flavour. Quite shiok. 4.5/5Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelised Apple and Clove Port and Raspberry GlazeJust when we thought that the Foie Gras with Mirin sauce was all the Foie Gras we were going to have that night, out comes the real deal. The Foie Gras was expertly done with a nice crust on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. I felt it would have been better if the apples were a little more caramelised. The Raspberry Glaze which you had to scrape off the dish was a really nice tease. 4.25/5Angelhair Pasta with Sakura Ebi in lobster oilAccording our Lilian, out feisty and very friendly waitress, there are patrons of the restaurant who will only come back for the Sakura Ebi pasta. Sakura Ebi itself is a really tasty "Hae Bee" with lots of umami, but the chilli in the pasta just did not agree with me. It was a nice dish but I certainly did not share the same sentiments as the other patrons. I liked the Ebi but felt that it just did not not gel with the flavours of the pasta sauce. 3.5/5Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass on a bed of Mushroom and Smoked Bacon Ragoutwith Truffle Uzu Butter SauceThe Chilean Sea Bass was my favourite dish of the night. You know how the difference between a good dish and a great dish is that elusive element of surprise that makes you go "Whoa what did they put in that?" So, whilest the previous Foie Gras was a good dish, you sort of knew what it was going to taste like when you saw it. This dish on the other hand caught me by surprise. The Truffle Uzu sauce was fantastic and really got me analyzing the flavours that went into the sauce. (For this dish Lilian kept the description of the dish secret till after I finished the course) I am looking forward to coming back for this dish as the main course! 4.75/5Pan Roasted Pork Belly with Savoy Cabbage and Pork JusThe Pork Belly is another signature dish of the restaurant with a regular following. Chef Sebastian braises the Pork Belly for 12 hours before separating some of the layers to remove the excess fat. The skin is then fried to a crisp just before serving so you have a crispy crackling contrasting the soft and tender layers of meat. I felt the meat was a little too soft, to the extent that it felt a little powdery on the palette and somehow it lacked that wonderful nutty savoury flavour of a good suckling pig. The pork jus which was served in a test tube was a good sauce to go with it but the Hoi Sin sauce was just a little too stark. 3.75/5Creme Brulee with Tea GranitaOur first dessert was a very nice surprise. This was almost like a deconstructed Teh Si Peng (Ice Milk Tea). Chef Sebastian used the type of Tea you always get in Thailand where the colour is intense and orangey with a very unique flavour. (Not sure where he managed to procure this as I thought that this type of tea isn't commercially available in Singapore). The creme brulee tasted more like pannacotta but went very well with the Tea Granita. 4.5/5Coconut Pannacotta with Gula Melaka, Water Chestnut, and warm Valhorna Chocolate cakeFor the last dish, we had another Thai inspired Coconut Pannacotta with "Red Rubies" and warm Chocolate Cake. The Panncotta was interesting as it was like the Ang Moh version of the Thai Red Ruby dessert. The Chocolate Cake was good but pretty standard. 3.75/5ConclusionIt's no wonder that Restaurant Ember has been around for six years and still going strong. The atmosphere is pretty informal and the waiting staff were friendly and personable. But I guess it is the excellent food that keeps their customers coming back for more. I seldom use the word "Shiok" for these sort of fine dining style food, but I must say that several of the dishes here were quite "Shiok". My only grouse was that even though I told them that it was our anniversary, the only thing that I got at the end was a "Happy Anniversary!". Would have been great if there was a little surprise item to mark the occasion, like a candle on the chocolate cake perhaps?Restaurant Ember 50 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 08915463471928Closed on SundaysLunch only from Mon-FridaySaturday, Dinner onlySunday Closedieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! The Canon-ieat Penang Photo and Food Trip: So is the grass really greener on the other side? I've just return from the first official ieatishootipost overseas food trip and boy do I have lots of blog posts to write! Our team comprised of 15 participants, 7 of whom where there for food and photography while the rest were there for photography and food.Penang is a real foodies' paradise and I have heard comments ranging from "Singapore food is nothing compared to Penang's" to "Penang food really cannot make it leh!". So I was on a personal mission to track down Penang's most famous and best eats to see if the grass (Char Kway Teow in this case) is greener on the other side or if we should be happy with the grass we have in Singapore.Apart from accompanying Canon Photo Professional, Jino, who spent over 30 years of his life in Penang, we were very fortunate to be joined by leading Penang blogger, CK Lam, who blogs on the very popular www.what2seeonline.com. CK tagged along for all four days and we managed to cover quite a lot of food stalls. And the best thing is that being a blogger, she didn't just bring us to the famous ones but also included some hidden gems which our tour guide knew nothing about.We went during a very festive period in Penang and managed to capture shots of World Heritage sites like the Kek Lok Si temple, Clan Houses and Chew Jetty which were all lit up for the Chinese New Year celebrations. Our photography tour also included the butterfly gardens, Penang Hill, Fort Cornwalis and we even ventured to "The end of the world". Being with a group of "Camera Siow" enthusiasts can be quite daunting. Some of the photographers were going around with equipment worth a whole years' salary hanging off their necks, waists, backs and any anatomical parts where you could hang an equipment bag. On one of the nights, I actually "caught" four grown men giggling away behind the door of their hotel room with all their cameras set on tripods taking photos of each other's cameras! You might think that that kind of behaviour is a bit queer, but then again, they might also think that a bunch of people running around town just eating at stall after stall haven't really got their lens screwed on too tight either.Anyway, we all had a great time and I am satisfied that I have tasted enough of Penang food to make up my own mind on how green the grass in Penang really is. So, stay tuned over the next few weeks as I slowly work through all the stalls that we visited. In the meantime, you might like to try identifying the stalls that we visited from the photos in the slideshow.Many thanks to Canon for jointly organizing the trip with ieatishootipost!ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! ieat on 938live! Today's lunch pick is Ah Hor's Mee Pok Tah!ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Hua Fong Kee Roasted Duck: Only in Toa Payoh! Some people like Bill Gates want to rule the world. Others like Phua Chu Kang only want to rule Singapore and perhaps JB and Batam. But for Mr Johnny Teo, all he wants is to rule Toa Payoh.With three stalls strategically placed around Toa Payoh, no Toa Payohrees need to worry about not getting a nice Char Siew and Roast Duck fix. And according to Mr Teo, he really does not want to move out of the boundaries of the Big Swamp. (Toa Payoh means Big Swamp in the Minnan Dialect)When I blogged about Fong Kee back in 2007, I wasn't overly impressed with the Char Siew but this time round, I was quite pleasantly surprised with their Char Siew at their latest stall in Lor 5. Unlike the last time, the Char Siew this time round was juicy and tender and well caramelized. So I have revised their Char Siew rating to 4.25/5.Unfortunately, the Sio Bak is still much the same as the last time. The flesh was dry and the skin was gummy. 3.75/5Just in case you wanted to have laksa with your Roast Duck, (which I initially thought was a little wierd until I remembered that the Thais have their Roast Duck in Red Curry), Fong Kee has also ventured into this market. Their laksa was competent, but nothing really to shout about. Still it is good if you wanted to try the Roast Duck with Laksa combination. 3.5/5ConclusionGood place for Char Siew and Roast Duck. I just wonder if they will really just remain within the boundaries of Toa Payoh or if they would eventually spread to Bishan?Hua Fong Kee Roasted DuckBlk 51 Toa Payoh Lor 5#01-6296658595Open 8am to 8pmieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! The Shepherd's Pie: Do Shepherd's Eat Lambs? Shepherd's Pie $3.90As I was thinking about what to write about the Shepherd's pie, a funny thought struck me. - Do Shepherds eat lambs?Presumably, the Shepherd's pie was so named because it was made by Shepherds and traditionally, they were made with lamb mince. But the thought of a Shepherd actually eating their lambs is a little unsettling. Afterall, we always hear of how the Shepherd is always there to protect the lambs from the wolves and how the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 sheep to go look for the one lost sheep. Its almost like why Chinese farmers would never eat their Ox which helps till the land.The Shepherd's pie is one of my staples while I was studying in Australia. It is basically your meat pie, but instead of a pastry top, it is covered with mashed potatoes. If you think about it, it is like eating beef stew with mash potatoes because unlike your typical pie, there is no bottom.There are not many places offering Shepherd's pie in Singapore. If I were to compare it with the ones I had in Australia, I'd say this one is pretty good, except that I felt the stew lacked that robust beefy flavour that we usually find in an Australian meat pie. Otherwise the mash potato was nice and smooth and the crust on top was crisp. The good thing about this type of pie is that because it is made from mash potato, it is less oily than the normal shortcrust pastry. The boss also tells me that they trim off all the excess fats from the beef, so it is actually a healthier choice compared to stuff like pizza. 4/5ConclusionSomething different the next time you are looking for a snack perhaps?Does anyone know if Shepherds eat lambs?The Shepherd's Pie 348 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok) #02-01Bedok Market Place Singapore 469560 67890707Free Delivery in the East 11am to 9pm 9 inch tray $23.90www.theshepherdspie.comieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Simpang Kitchen: Thai Singaporean Cze Char With Taukwa and CactuskitFried Sotong with Crispy Garlic $8Our favourite Thai food when we were living in Bangkok was not the typical staple that we order here whenever we visit a Thai Restaurant. One of my favourite dishes was Pad Krapau which loosely translates to fried basil leaves. Although it is called "Pad Krapau", minced pork seems to be the main part of the dish. Another dish that I love was the Kana Pad Mu Krop, or fried Kale with Deep Fried Pork Belly. Hmmmm...... I used to just pop downstairs (of my apartment) for a Kana Pad Mu Krop with rice for just 20 baht (80 cents) and that was a simple and very satisfying meal that really hit the spot.Now, that kind of food is still hard to find in Singapore, which is why I quickly came down to investigate this little eatery when I heard about it from some of my patients.It turns out that it is run by a Thai Lao Ban Niang who is married to a Singaporean man. To be able to order Thai food in Thai is usually a good sign that the food is going to be quite authentic.Everyone tells me that there are three dishes here that are outstanding. The garlic sotong, kangkong with chili padi and the butter pork ribs. So I ordered these, but our man, Cactuskit just couldn't resist ordering some other dishes that looked good on the signboard.One of the things the Thais love to do is the fry the garlic with the skin intact. In Thailand, they have these really small garlic which are sweet and very aromatic. Unfortunately, I haven't seen such garlic here, but what they did was to use the commonly available garlic for the Garlic Sotong which was eaten with a chilli dip. The Lao Ban Niang told us it was actually a dish to accompany beer. To borrow the phrase from one of our readers' daughter, it was "Bombastical" (meaning quite Shiok). However, please be aware that you would end up with a breath that would scare off a Vampire with a severe cold. 4.25/5 Boong Fai Daeng (Kangkong with Chili Padi) $6Perhaps the dish that really did it for me was the Boong Fai Daeng. Fai Daeng literally means "Red Light" and refers to the red colour of the chilli padi on the bed of greens. In Thailand, this dish is usually made with the leaves of the morning glory, but in Singapore we use Kangkong instead. (Please see interesting discussion on this in our comments section) The signature taste of the dish is a smooth caramel Wok Hei flavour and this one really did remind me of the real deal. 4.5/5Butter Pork Ribs $8I was a little dissappointed with the Butter Pork Ribs though. Perhaps I was expecting it to be like the excellent one I had at Two Chefs. Their version is very different. The deep fried and then topped with a mixture of deep fried eggs, basil, chilli padi and dark brown morsels which we assumed was the butter. This was supposed to be one of their signature dishes but I wasn't overly impressed by it. 3.5/5Curry Mutton $4Cactuskit just had to order their curry mutton which is part of their repertoire of "Value Meals" I was really quite surprised that the whole claypot of curry was only $4 and it had quite a few pieces of mutton in it! Frankly it looked more like a $8 dish. It was creamy and spicy, definitely can eat but not exceptional. 3.75/5Caramelised Yam $6 - photo by CactuskitWe had a surprise off menu dessert of caramelised yam with compliments from the Lao Ban Niang who was so charmed by Cactuskit. If you recall, Cactus was the "Aunty Killer" who also charmed the Kway Chap Aunty from Yong Li into inviting his family to her home for a very special dinner.This dish has to be eaten hot, while the sugar is still sticky. It is picked up and dunked into a bowl of ice water which then hardens the caramel. If you wait too long, the whole dish will be one big piece of rock hard candy. The contrast of the crunchy caramel with the powdery yam got Cactuskit so excited that he finished almost the whole plate by himself. 4/5ConclusionGood place to go for a cheap Cze Char with some rather unique Thai inspired dishes.Simpang KitchenSimpang Bedok Food Centre#02-039669529312pm-3pm, 6pm-10.00pmClosed on Alt Mondaysieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Happy Year of the Ox! Very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all!I shall be doing the family Steamboat thing at my Mother-in-Law's place. Nowadays, it is easy to purchase Shabu Shabu style meats so I think that there will be a lot of homes doing a Shabu Shabu Steamboat fusion.So where is everybody eating the Tuan Yuan Fan?ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! ieat on 938live! Today's recommendation is Yi Shi Jia Wanton Mee!ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Mr Prata: Pizza or Prata? How about both? Pizza Prata $6It was bound to happen sooner or later. We already have cheese prata, so it doesn't really take much more effort to add tomato paste and a few capsicums to turn that into a Pizza Prata.In theory that should work quite well. But I think the problem is that perhaps the people making the prata have never actually eaten pizzas themselves. So their idea of a pizza is anything which has tomato paste, cheese and capsicum. And for the meat, they use their spiced mutton which is the same one used for the murtabak.So the end product is still more like a Prata rather than a Pizza even though they even cut into wedges to resemble a pizza. Tastewise I found it a bit dry and uneventful. It is supposed to be eaten with curry though, in which case the classic Murtabak still has more kick. 3.75/5 What I would really like to try is one with pepperoni in it. I think that would give it a bit more flavour and moisture.ConclusionSomething to try perhaps. I think it is a good idea, but the recipe can do with a little more tweaking.Mr Prata26, Evans RoadS(259367)Tel: 62356993Open 24 hoursieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Meng Kee Char Kway Teow: A Char Kway Teow that's worth the Calories Char Kway Teow is almost a bad word in Singapore. Ask anyone to name you the most unhealthy hawker food and Char Kway Teow will probably be one of the dishes mentioned. It is afterall, nothing more than starch fried in lard and flavoured with fish sauce and sweet black sauce. And then there is the fear of contracting Hepatitis A from eating partially cooked cockles which really puts another nail in the coffin. Not only is it unhealthy, you can potentially get Hep A from eating it as well! (You should get vaccinated against Hep A if you really love your cockles)Because of this, the popularity of Char Kway Teow has waned over the years and now you can hardly name ten good Char Kway Teow stalls in Singapore. That is a real shame because a well fried plate of Char Kway Teow is one of those things that really hit the spot when you've just come back from a 3 month holiday in Europe.So the thing with Char Kway Teow is never to waste those precious calories on a plate of mediocre Char Kway Teow. When you have that Char Kway Teow craving, make sure you Hantam (Whack) one that has the most Satisfaction per Calorie (S/C). And if you happen to be around Beo Crescent, this is certainly one stall that has a high S/C rating.For me, the test of a good Char Kway Teow is the fact that I actually finish the dish. I hardly ever eat a whole dish of Char Kway Teow by myself nowadays (for health reasons), but I find myself finishing off this one. I guess the most important aspect about a good Char Kway Teow, apart from the taste, is the texture and fluidity of the Kway Teow. By fluidity, I mean, that it has got to be lively and smooth when you slurp it rather than just being limp. 4.5/5This stall is manned by a father and daughter team. I was there in the afternoon when the daughter was frying. You'd be surprised to know that she is already married with young kid cos she looked quite young. From what I hear, unlike a lot of other stalls where the "old hand" is still champion, the father has been quite successful in imparting his skills to his daughter. I haven't eaten the father's version, but I am told that the father's version is more oily while the daughter's version has more water. Perhaps one of their regulars can confirm if this is true?ConclusionGood Char Kway Teow is getting hard to find. Here is another one that is worth some of your calories.Meng Kee Char Kway Teow Blk 22, Havelock Road Beo Crescent Mon to Sat 10.30am to 7pm Sundays 10.30am to 4pmieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Yi Shi Jia Shu Shi: Do you like Wanton Mee with Tomato Ketchup? You know, some people might frown upon the use of Tomato Ketchup in wonton mee, saying that authentic wonton mee should not have ketchup in it. I think what they are trying to say is that Hong Kong style Wontan mee should not have ketchup in it. But I actually know a lot of people who love wanton mee with tomato ketchup in it because they grew up eating it. So I really think that this form of Wanton Mee which is also what I grew up eating really is our very own version of the dish.This stall in Kovan Food Centre prides itself in selling a Wanton Mee which is hot, sour, sweet and salty and they also want the world to know that they are still using the same SinSin brand of tomato ketchup since their father started the shop some 30 to 40 years ago.The wanton mee is very old school. You still get a generous helping of crispy pork lard as well as the traditionally thin slivers of tasty char siew. The noodles are quite good quality and I am told by the Lao Ban Niang that they spend a little more money to procure a better quality egg noodle.Undoubtedly, the star of the show for me was the Wanton. They were very tasty and one of the best that I have tasted. Overall, I would give this Wanton Mee a 4/25. I would have loved a juicier and thicker charsiew to go with it.This is how we all learnt to eat Wanton Mee!ConclusionYou should pay this stall a visit if you are looking for a simple, old school Wanton Mee. They are quite popular in Kovan Food Centre judging from the queue they had even at 2.30pm in the afternoon.So tell us, how do you feel about Tomato Ketchup in Wanton Mee?Yi Shi Jia Shu ShiStall 57, Kovan Food Centre7.30am to 4.30pmClosed Sundays92957134ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Cafe de Hong Kong: A Piece of Hong Kong in Balestier Double Braised Winter Melon Soup $70 (preorder)Our Makan Kakis are a passionate lot. When they find something good to eat, they go crazy and start organizing dinners for all the other kakis to share in their latest find. When I say crazy, I mean visiting the same restaurant 4 times in week, crazy. This kind of thing does not happen all that often but when it does, it usually means that a visit to the restaurant is in order.Don't be misled by the name of the Restaurant. This is not just another Hong Kong Cafe. They do sell very good French Toast and I am told by Liverpool that their Tomato Baked Pork Chop Rice is about the best there is around. But if you just came here for those items, you'd miss out on some pretty authentic Hong Kong cuisine. The restaurant is run by Hong Konger, Francis who did start out with the Hong Kong cafe concept. But soon they found that they were attracting more families looking for dinner type menus. So it has become more like a little Hong Kong Kitchen rather than a Cafe.When I think of authentic Hong Kong cuisine, the Double Braised Winter Melon Soup always comes to mind. My sister-in-law's family is from Hong Kong and whenever we visit them in Sydney, her mom would inevitably pre-order this from their favourite Chinese restaurant. As with a lot of prized Hong Kong dishes, this takes a long time to prepare as the soup needs to be slowly cooked in the melon for many hours. The result is a very sweet Cantonese style clear soup with a very soft flesh of the winter melon which is scooped out just before serving. 4.25/5Nam Yu Crispy Roast Chicken $32 (preorder)The one dish that all the kakis were raving about was the Roast Chicken which you also have to order one day in advance. The Nam Yu was a nice little twist over the more common five spice seasoning and I was told this was very popular in Hong Kong. It was perfectly cooked with the bone marrow was still bright red, but the flesh cooked through and very tender. I felt the skin could have been more crispy though. Instead of salt and pepper, it was served with a sweet and saltish Nam Yu dip which is very good, though I thought it would be nice to also have the salt and pepper dip which is what I was accustomed to. 4.5/5Egg Wrapped Treasure Bag $5 per piece (preorder)We Asians often spend many hours on labourious food preparation. Perhaps this is due to the cheap labour costs. I remember in Thailand, you even have ladies sitting around peeling the shell off the legs of the local mud crabs (legs not the pincers). They then serve these on a platter with a dip. I just couldn't stomach it as I thought about how they might use their teeth to crack open the legs before extracting the meat.Anyway, this particular Egg Wrapped Treasure Bag is another labour intensive dish which I suspect might have been concocted by Chinese Chefs in the past impress the Emperor. I am telling you all this because I feel some dishes you eat for the taste and others you eat because it is unique and takes a lot of effort to make. I wouldn't say the taste of the dish is die die must try, it is good, but if you gave me the same stuff wrapped in ordinary crystal dumpling skin, I would have derived almost the same amount of taste satisfaction. The value add really is in the thought that the skin is made from just egg white with a bit of flour. 4/5Lup Mei Fan $32This is essentially Hong Kong style Claypot Rice with homemade Lup Cheong and preseved meats. I think most Singaporeans will say that they would like some salted fish and thick black sauce with the dish as this is the version we are accustomed to. The Lup Cheong is made by a Hong Kong chef who has specially flown into Singapore and is one of the best Lup Cheong I have tasted. It has a wonderful floral fragrance with the flavour of a sweet wine. The preserved pork belly was marvellous with the rice. 4/5For those looking for a nice Lup Cheong, they are available at $30 per packet (600g)Fa Chai with Dried Scallops $20 per portion (Photo shows 1.5 portion)With CNY just round the corner, the restaurant has started preparing the traditional CNY dishes. The Fa Chai with dried scallops was very good, the scallops were huge and my M-I-L gave her left thumb of approval (She's left handed). 4.25/5French Toast and Tea/Kopi set $4.50If you are a fan of Hong Kong Cafe style food, you should check out their French Toast. It is very good. The bread is fluffy and the crust is thin and not soggy. One of the best that I have tried in Singapore. 4.5/5ConclusionYou'll have to try it yourself to find out why the kakis are making it the restaurant of the month.Read and see their photos hereCafe de Hong Kong 586 Balestier Road#01-01 Eastpac BuildingS329898 62553865jkcintl@yahoo.com.sg 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 12mnClosed on Mon (except on PH)ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Kushi Yakitori Dining Bar: Middle of Nowhere Japanese Dining Macpherson is like Singapore's neglected child. Nothing seems to be happening there and indeed there are very few things there that are"happening". Just look at Swatow Restaurant along Macpherson Road. It hasn't changed for 30 years. The Food Centre in Macpherson Estate also look as if it has been frozen in time. Now, you know how I love nostalgic old places, but only if those places are happening! (OK, I was there during the daytime, perhaps it is more happening at night)So, when I heard about this Japanese restaurant in Macpherson, I had the same reaction as when I heard about Finalmente Gastronomia, the authentic little Italian restaurant just down the road. It was like someone telling me that there is a Michelin Star Restaurant in Batam. Somehow you would never really expect a Japanese Restaurant to open up in Macpherson. Anyway, since it is close to home and the kids loved Japanese food so I thought I would check it out.The first thing that struck me about the restaurant is how small it really is. It reminded me of the small restaurants which I ate at during my recent trip to Tokyo. Like most Japanese restaurants in Singapore, they try to serve all the familiar forms of Japanese cuisine. But they are more specialised in Kushiyaki and Sashimi.In general, I thought the Kushiyaki was quite decent. They do have Kurobuta and Wagyu beef here so you can't really go wrong with the produce. The glazing sauce was quite a standard sweet yakitori sauce which was good. The smokey charcoal flavour is noticeably missing as they use an electric grill and the first batch of Kushiyakis were a little overdone and came out a bit dry. 3.5/5.Kurobuta Pork Cheek and Pork Belly. $3However the saving grace was the Kurobuta Pork Cheek and Pork Belly which I thought was quite shiok. Juicy and savoury with a nice nutty pork flavour. This one is well worth the calories. 4.25/5Aji Sashimi $18For those who like Sashimi, they do serve fresh seafood here which I am told is flown in from Japan regularly. The owner is a partner of Himawari Chain of restaurants in Singapore, so even though he operates a small restaurant, he does have access to some quality produce. The Spanish Mackeral was quite fresh as were the scallops. Not quite the top grade but certainly much better than a lot of Sushi belts in Singapore. 4/5Kuro Tonkatsu $12 for 4 piecesThey serve Kurobuta Tonkatsu here which I thought was quite value for money since you get 4 pieces of Kurobuta pork fillet for $12. It doesn't come with all the bells and whistles like the sesame seeds which you grind yourself and I thought the dippin sauce was too much like Thousand Island dressing. The pork was also a tad overcooked that day so it came out a bit dry. But otherwise the flavour was very good and it was tender and still better than a lot of tonkatsu out there. 4/5US Kobe Ribeye Steak 180g $78, 100g $58The highlight of the day for me has to be the US Kobe Ribeye Steak. It was beautifully marbled and wonderfully tender. Unfortunately they have to freeze the beef here in order to keep it longer, so the steak wasn't as juicy as it should be. But frozen or not, US Kobe is still a joy to eat. 4.25/5 They also serve Australian Wagyu here at $38 for 150g which is quite a good price.US Kobe Ribeye Steak 400gConclusionThis cosy little restaurant might fit into Cuppage Centre much better but being in Macpherson does mean that there is at least a decent Japanese restaurant around this part of Singapore. I thought that some of the items are still a little on the high side for its location even though they are serving quality produce such as Wagyu and Kurobuta. It would have been great if they had positioned it clearly as a value for money place to eat the more exclusive Japanese stuff. That way I am sure there will be more people who wouldn't mind travelling to the middle of nowhere to eat a Japanese meal.I am a little concerned with the execution of the food but I was told that the Head Chef who usually does the cooking was on leave. Based on what I ate that day, I reckon it is worth a second visit. Certainly worth checking out if you are in the area and looking for decent Japanese food.Special Promo for ieatishootipost readers:With minimum spending of $100, you can buy US Kobe Beef (100g) at special price of $38. Limited to one order per visit only.Double Delight = Buy 2 bottles of Sake / Shochu and get 20 kushi skewers plus 1 Surume Ika Maruyaki free!Kushi Yakitori Dining Bar 401 Macpherson road #01-11 Hotel Winsor Singapore 368125 62856525 Open 11am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 9.30pm daily This was an invited reviewieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! What do you say when you eat something really good? There was an interesting series of comments one of the previous posts where one of the readers, James, made the remark that my use of the word "marvellicious" was exactly the same word that his daughter uses. Of course, marvellicious is not an official word in the Oxford Dictionary. It was merely a combination of "marvellous" and "delicious". Then he went on to tell me about other words that his daughter uses like "Shiok a doo doo" and "Bombastic".I thought it would be fun to find out what is everyone's favourite word when you come across something really tasty. I suspect that "Shiok" might be a popular one or perhaps you have a better and more imaginative superlative you care to share?ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Delicious Muffins: Hotel Quality Homemade Puff Pastry Chicken Pie $2.80Everytime I think about Chicken Pies, I am reminded of the ones they used to sell in the neighbourhood bakeries in the seventies and eighties. You know, the ones that were shaped like big muffins with a dome shaped top and made with puff pastry. Man, they were good. But then again as I have said before, nostalgia is perhaps one of the best taste enhancers.Damien had told me about these Chicken Pies a long time ago, but it was only of late that several others have reminded me that they really should be on the blog. If you ever wonder how I end up blogging a certain place, well, this is a good example. It is a combination of what I feel like eating that day combined with several people recommending the same item all around the same time.Chock full of Chunky ChickenAnyway, I found myself at this shop which a few people have said sells some of the best chicken pies and curry puffs in Singapore. Ironically, the shop's name was "Delicious Muffins"! It turns out that the chef owner had been a Chef at Hilton before he left to start his own business here. That explains why the Chicken Pies here remind me of the ones that you usually find in Hotel Cafes.I love the puff pastry here. It is not overly flaky but is still light and buttery. It has a nice amount of chewiness on the inside layers which tastes great as it has absorbed the flavours of the chicken filling. The filling itself is generous with lots of chunky chicken pieces. I felt that it could do with a little bit of cream in the gravy and the flavour of the white pepper was a little overpowering but that might please pepper lovers. 4.25/5 Curry Puffs $2If you think about it, aren't all Curry Puffs supposed to be made from Puff Pastry? That is why they are called Curry "Puff" right? The Malay version is rightly called Epok Epok but it is the Old Chang Kee version with which Curry Puff really is a misnomer. Perhaps our colloquial "Kalipok" is more suitable. Kalipok is of course Singlish for Curry Puff, but the Hokkien word "Pok" can denote something deep fried and puffed up as in Tau "Pok" (Fried Bean Curd). Or does "Pok" mean "Puff" as well? Perhaps someone from the Hokkien Hway Guan can enlighten us?It is very hard to find a Curry Puff made from Puff Pastry that is not overly oily and I have avoided eating them because the combination of oil and spices often give me a bad case of indigestion. However, the Curry Puffs here were great. The Puff Pastry was thin but resilient and the Curry Puff were chock full of buttery potatoes and chicken pieces in light but fragrant curry spices. Definitely one of the best Puff Pastry Curry Puffs I have come across. 4.25/5(Polar Cafe used to make really great Curry Puffs of this sort, but nowadays, sadly, the standards have dropped due to mass production).ConclusionGreat place to drop in for some rather nice Chicken Pies and Curry Puffs!Delicious Muffins 91 Bencoolen Street #01-51,Sunshine PlazaSingapore 189652 11.30am to 8pm Closed on 8th, 18th and 28th of the month96361503 Wendyieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Tai Shek Hai House of Bamboo Noodles: So Good You can Eat it on its Own! Freshly made Bamboo NoodlesThere are two kinds of people when it comes to Wanton Mee. There are those who consider the whole dish as a package, so a good plate of Wanton Mee means the sauce, the charsiew, the wanton and the noodles all have to be good. Then there are those who focus just solely on the noodles.I used to be the former. Now I am both.In Singapore, where virtually all the egg noodles have been procured from factories, it is very difficult to appreciate a good egg noodle. In the past, some hawkers such as Fei Fei used to make their own noodles and it is the quality and taste of their noodles that set them apart. Most wanton mee stalls nowadays buy theirs from factories. There are of course different grades of egg noodles that you can buy and some stalls pride themselves for buying a better grade noodle. Some even have their noodles specifically made to an old family recipe. But it is not the same as having the noodles made in the restaurant itself where the emphasis is on producing a fragrant egg noodle that can be eaten on its own.Kneading the Dough with Bamboo MachineNowadays, we are seeing La Mien being made on the spot and so the humble noodle is back in the spotlight again. In Japan, there are restaurants who also make Soba noodles on the spot and the Japanese, in true Zen tradition, focus their attention solely on the noodles. In Singapore, our humble mee kia has always been taken for granted but I am glad to say that that is about to change.Soft and delicate textureThe house of Bamboo Noodles was started because the owners loved the taste of these noodles while travelling in Guangzhou and just could not find the same stuff in Singapore. These noodles are essentially the egg noodles that we are all familiar with, except that they are made using a bamboo pole to knead the dough. Traditionally, this meant that the noodle maker would have to sit astride the bamboo pole and use his weight to apply force onto the the dough. But our friends from the restaurants decided to design a machine to do the job instead. This is good because I think some people (especially those from the NEA) might object to the fact that the bamboo was in contact with someone's bum.I got to handle some of the raw noodles and I must say I found it rather therapeutic. The freshly made noodles had a rather fragrant aroma and because of the kneading process, they were made without the addition of "Kee" (alkali). The noodles were delicate and springy and when you release them, they would slowly retract to their original state. You should try playing with a ball of uncooked noodles so you can appreciate the fragrance and texture of it.Plain Noodles tossed in oilThe Wanton noodles are usually served Hong Kong style, with a black soy based sauce. But I requested mine to be served plain, just tossed in a bit of oil because I wanted to focus my senses on just the texture and fragrance of the noodles itself. I found the texture of the noodles to be excellent. It was light and springy and firm to the bite without being too stringy. It is one of the best egg noodle I have tasted so far. 4.5/5 The normal sauce which they use for the wanton mee still needs more work so if you order a normal plate of Wanton mee, it might taste like just another plate of wanton mee which you can get anywhere.Fried Egg Noodles $6.80My favourite version of fried egg noodles is what is commonly known as "Hong Kong Mee" at our Cze Char stalls. I was very impressed when the Hong Kong Mee was presented because the fragrance of the Wok Hei and the egg noodles was so strong I could smell it when I was taking the photos. If you enjoy Hong Kong Mee, this is a must try. I suggested to Amy that if crab meat could be added to the noodles, it would be even more delectable. 4.5/5Specialty Tobiko Fried Dumpling $4The stallowners are quite adventurous in experimenting with food, so you sometimes get a fusion of Japanese and Chinese cuisine like their wanton which has Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe) in it. I like the wantons, which I thought were substantial and quite tasty, but the Tobiko doesn't add any value for me. 3.75/5Spinich Soup $4I also quite like the Spinach soup which is quite similar to a Shark's Fin or Fish Maw Soup. Amagada didn't think much of it though. Like Shark's Fin soup, it is thick and sticky and taken with a dash of black vinegar 4/5Deep Fried Golden Mushroom $8The surprise item of the day has to be the deep fried golden mushrooms. Surprise, because even the kids who usually shun mushrooms managed to finish the whole plate. It is great as a garnish for the plain noodles as the crispiness adds a nice contrast to the chewy noodles. 4.25/5ConclusionThis is actually my 2nd visit to Tai Shek Hai. When I first visited just prior to their official opening in September, I felt that the food was not good enough to blog, since then, they have really improved on the noodles and managed to come up with a few dishes which are really quite good. The fact that they painstakingly make their own noodles is a good thing and I hope to see more eateries doing the same and refocussing our attention back to the humble mee kia which is actually quite tasty on its own when it is done right.PS:They do sell their noodles raw as well. I cooked some of the noodles myself at home and it is faster to cook than instant noodles. Just rinse the flour from the noodles and put them in boiling water and count to 15 slowly. Then strain the noodles and they are ready to eat. I just added some shallot oil, Goma Sauce and Pork Floss and it was marvellecious. If you have some Hae Bee Hiam, that would work too!Tai Shek Hai House of Bamboo Noodles 283/285 Joo Chiat RoadJn of Koon Seng and Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427539 63455095 10.30am to 11pm dailyThis was an invited reviewieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Bali Eats: Babi Guling at Ibu Oka in Ubud Babi Guling Special 35,000 rupiahs (approx S$5)When I was doing research on what to eat in Bali, one restaurant always seem to pop up and that is this little restaurant in Ubud that sells Babi Guling (Roast Pig). Indeed, it seemed to be the undisputed, "come all the way to Bali must eat" dish. Not only must you try Babi Guling, but you must specifically try the Babi Guling at Ibu Oka which is acknowledged even by the locals to be the best Babi Guling in Bali and indeed, the world.Whole Roast Pig deskinnedWith such an accolade, I could not resist travelling the extra one and a half hours out of Kuta Beach to Ubud in order to taste this wonderous dish and see what the fuss is all about.The place was pretty crowded when I got there and there were people from different nationalities dining there. I sat beside an American Chinese gentlemen with his African American wife and 2 kids and he was just raving about how good the Babi Guling was. His kids however, were still looking for the nearest MacDonald's.Babi Guling is essentially a whole roasted pig stuffed with different spices. The whole pig is then carved and served with rice and fried vegetables. They also take the innards, chop them up and fry them to a crisp. I have to tell you that even though everyone raves about this Babi Guling, I just did not find it all that great. The taste was ok, but it's just something I would try once just to say that I have tried it.Kadek (our driver) finishing his plate of Babi GulingMy driver cum tour guide gobbled up his plate of Babi Guling though. He told me he takes travellers to Ubud a few times a week and he never fails to eat at Ibu Oka.Just a little bit of info about getting to Ubud. The hotel brochures advertise a full day tour by private car for US $25 per person. That would work out to be about S$150 (4 of us) for the trip. When I got into Bali, I was picked up from the airport by a tour guide who offered to take my whole family on a private tour of Ubud plus sightseeing for 800,000 rupiah or about S$110. Then I found this private driver who offered to take us around for the whole day for 350,000 rupiah or about $50. Our particular driver could speak English pretty well and also doubled up as our tour guide for the day.ConclusionI feel sometimes that with all these famous places, one is really pressured to say that they are good simply because everyone seems to rave about them. It is almost like the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. Well, I honestly didn't think much about Babi Guling, but everyone else in the restaurant seems to be devouring their plates of Babi Guling like there's no tomorrow.Ibu OkaOpposite the Tourist Centre in UbudOpened for lunch till around 2 or 3 pmIf you are looking for transportation, you can contact Kadek at kadek79@yahoo.com+62 817552841ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Lim Joo Hin Eating House:Do Stars have good Tastebuds? Whenever you walk into an eatery and see photos of stars adorning the walls, what is your first reaction? Well, I guess mine is the same as many others, which is "Ay this stall is frequented by all these movie stars, must be quite good". But you know, the stars are just like anyone else. There are some who are very discerning and others who just eat to live.If you had caught the episode of Makan Lost and Found on Seng Kee's Bak Chor Mee recently, you might have caught my brief cameo appearance. I was on the set that day and had the opportunity to talk to both Gurmit and Michelle. So I popped the most logical question to them. "Are you really foodies or is this just your job?" Well, Gurmit was very honest and admitted that Michelle was the real foodie, but he just eats whatever. So, based on this, I would be more confident if I walked into a restaurant which has a photo of the Lao Ban standing next to Michelle rather than Gurmit.When you walk into this Teochew restaurant, you are immediately greeted by photos of Andy Lau and Chow Yuen Fatt which are probably taken a few years after his role in "Man in the Net". (Nowadays that might be taken to mean "internet" but in those days, "Net" had a different meaning). So, the real question is, "How much of a Foodie is Chow Yuen Fatt?" He seemed to have adorned the walls of a few eating estblishments around Singapore. Anyone knows?Anyway, based on the food in this restaurant, I would say that Mr Chow's tastebuds are not bad, or at least they are as not bad as mine, because I actually found the food here to be quite good.But of course, good is relative. And in this case, it is good relative to the last couple of Teochew Muey's which I had which were quite bad (which is why they are not mentioned in the blog). So it is refreshing to find one where most of the dishes are quite ok.One of the dishes here that I can recommend is the Lor Bak. Tender and savoury, it is certainly not the best I have eaten, but something I would be happy to order when I come back to eat again. 4.25/5One of the dishes which was quite outstanding was this very simple peanut with ikan bilis which had some really addictive crunchy bits which I found out later was a mixture of chilli with sugar crystals. We had second helpings of these. 4.5/5The other dishes were all generally quite good. Other dishes that I would order again were the Hae Bee Hiam and the Gu Rou Yoke (Sweet and sour pork). The porridge could have been hotter and I wouldn't order their braised peanuts again.ConclusionOne of the better Teochew Porridge that I have had in recent days and one that is opened in the wee hours of the morning if you happened to have those hunger pangs in the middle of the night.Lim Joo Hin Eating House715/717, Havelock RoadSingapore 16964362729871Open 11am to 5amieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Fatty Cheong's Char Siew: To get good Charsiew, you need to know a little pig anatomy! With Wahcow, Taukwa and Liverpool"Bu Jian Tian" CharsiewOur Kakis have been raving about Meng Kee Charsiew which Wahcow brought back from KL and were lamenting why we can't get Charsiew which is as good here. The main characteristic of Meng Kee's Charsiew is that it is really fatty and they managed to roast it till the fats just melts in your mouth, so you really get a great flavourful and tender Charsiew. But Singaporeans tend to be more health conscious, so many of the stalls here sell very lean Charsiew.According to Wahcow, the lean charsiew from Meng Kee tasted as ordinary as the Charsiew we have here. So, he felt that if we could get someone here to roast a more marbled piece of pork, we might be able to have a delicious Charsiew without having travel all the way to KL.I immdiately thought of Fatty Cheong and called him to see if he could do for us a no holds barred Charsiew using the best cut of pork that he could get his hands on. Closeup view of "Bu Jian Tian" cutNow, Charsiew is not made from one specific part of the pig. It is not like Sio Bak (Roast Pork) where you have to use Belly Pork. So in order to have a really satisfying Char Siew experience, you need to know some basic pig anatomy.Most Charsiew is made from Pork Shoulder which is the part just behind the neck. In Singapore this part of the meat is commonly known as Wu Hua Rou (five flower/pattern pork). But it is not so straightforward. For some people (especially the Cantonese), Wu Hua Rou actually refers to Belly Pork. Their explanation is that there are five layers of meat and fat in Belly Pork.After searching through the internet and also talking to the local butchers here, I have come to the conclusion that Wu Hua Rou refers to Pork which has a significant amount of fat and can refer to belly, shoulder or collar. I think it is called five pattern not because there are five layers of meat and fat but because when you look at the cross section of the meat, the white of the fats vaguely resembles the ancient Chinese character "five".At any rate, Pork Belly has more than five layers. There are three layers of muscle and three layers of fat plus the skin. So it is actually seven layers, not five. We Teochews refer to this cut as Sar Cham Bak (3 layer pork) which refers to the three layers of muscle. For students of anatomy, these refer to the external and internal oblique, and transversus abdominis muscles. Yes, our anatomy is quite similar to pigs and especially so if you eat a lot and don't excercise.According to Fatty Cheong, the most prized Charsiew is from the "pig armpit" which is also known as "Bu Jian Tian" (Never sees the sky). Technically, this is the part between the shoulder and belly and so the meat is nicely layered like belly meat. The meat here is tender and springy at the same time and really full of flavour.Pork Shoulder CharsiewFor those who are more health conscious, the pork shoulder is leaner, but it depends on how the meat is cut. Shoulder and collar have more fats than other parts of the pig, but depending on how it is cut, you will be able to get a lean piece of Charsiew. I find the lean cuts a little too dry, but for our resident metrosexual, Taukwa, this is his preferred cut for everyday eating, but he admits that the "Bu Jian Tian" is much tastier.Really fatty CharsiewIt might be shocking, but there are some people who actually request for Charsiew which is essentially fats with a sliver of meat in it. According to Fatty Cheong, these tend to be men of the baby boomer generation. We all felt it was just too rich and not something we would dare to order again.Fatty Cheong's "Bu Jian Tian" was excellent. I had almost the same level of excitement as when I ate my first piece of Meng Kee's Charsiew. There are two points of difference however. Fatty Cheong doesn't make his Charsiew as charred as Meng Kee's because most Singaporeans do not like to eat too much of the charred bits, and he uses Brazilian pork which he himself admits is not as great as Malaysian pork. Unfortunately, Malaysian pork is still banned in Singapore, so we won't be able to do a proper comparison. Meng Kee's scores a 4.75 for me and Fatty Cheong's scores a 4.6/5, but we all felt that it is still the best one we have come across in Singapore.Oh btw, there has been discussions in our forum that there is a even better Charsiew which is a stone's throw away from Meng Kee's called Overseas Restaurant. If you are in KL, you might want to check it out.ConclusionFatty's Cheong's "Bu Jian Tian" is best Charsiew we have had in Singapore so far. Unfortunately, the Charsiew across the border just has that little extra ommph that can't be found here.For more pictures of Meng Kee Charsiew check out PChong's blog entry here.Fatty CheongABC Brickworks Food Centre6 Jln Bukit Merah #01-120 (near POSB ATM)Open 11am till about 8.30pmClosed Thursdays98824849, 94281983*Eating excessive amounts of fat can be detrimental to your health especially if you suffer from chronic conditions such as high cholesterol and heart disease. So please eat in moderation and avoid altogether if you are under medical advise to avoid eating fats. ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! A Happy New Year to one and all! Here's wishing all our readers a very Happy New Year!Although 2009 looks to be quite a rough year ahead, we all know that there is always one thing that brings joy to the heart and that is food and friends. So even if we got to cut down on the more expensive gourmet meals, we can still gather with friends at the hawker centre and have a good time. So we will continue to source out the best and most value for money eats around Singapore. Remember that you too have a role to play by letting us know your favourite eating places.The blog is now in its 3rd year of existence and very soon we will reach 5 million hits. Thanks for all your support and also to our makan kakis who have been organizing the various makan sessions. Now, if you have been a lurker, please do come out of the closet this year and post a comment and then come and join one of our makan sessions so that we can get to know you! Our makan kakis are a friendly and welcoming bunch and it really doesn't matter if you are a chef or if you can't tell the difference between basmati and jasmine rice. As long as you like to eat and make new friends, you are most welcome to join us. The makan sessions are organized through our forum which you can access here.This year, we will also be having our very first overseas makan trip which is being organized in conjunction with Canon. During our trip to Penang, we will be joined by prominent Penang bloggers CK Lam and Penang Tua Pui. I look forward to meeting with some of our readers who have signed up for the trip.I am also looking at upgrading some of the functions of the blog to make it more user friendly for everyone. Throughout the year, I have been receiving many feedback on how the blog layout can be improved and I am seriously considering a change to the Wordpress platform so that I can introduce more functions to the blog. So look out for a revamped ieatishootipost this year.Even though we will be making changes to the blog, rest assured our mission blurb still remains the same:Mission Statementieatishootipost is dedicated to giving you24 hour access to informationwhich will help you satisfy your hungeror make you more hungry.Thank you very much for reading and I wish everyone a Fantastic New Year of Food, Fun and Friends!Resolutions for the New Year:Yes, I have been a lurker for long enough, I am going to post my first comment and wish everyone a Happy New Year! Click HereI have had enough looking at pictures of other people enjoying food, I am going to join the forum and go for the next makan session: Click HereNah, I still like to keep to myself and lurk around. Click Here.ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Tian Tian Lai Hokkien Mee: I would if you were opened daily! Our recent polls showed that the Hokkiens have the least proportion of foodies as compared with the other dialects groups. Of course this does not mean that they don't have a few lip smackingly shiok dishes in their culture. One of the best dishes in the world that the Hokkiens have given us is the humble Hokkien Mee which is in my opinion, the most underated of Singaporean dishes. Every tourist knows about Chicken Rice and Chilli Crabs but not all of them are as familiar with Hokkien Mee. If you all remember our polls last year on Singaporean's favourite hawker dish, Hokkien Mee came first, ahead of Chicken Rice to everyone's surprise. Thankfully there are quite a few great Hokkien Mees around and I am still finding gems even after blogging over 20 stalls.Now you might be wondering why I did not blog this stall earlier. The fact is that when I was here last year but I did not think much of it. However, this time round, I was very pleasantly surprised at how good it actually is.The main characteristic of this Hokkien Mee is its gooeyness which intensifies the crustacean taste of the the stock. The noodles were well fried and the chef is no friend of pigs, so you get your lard and belly pork strips here. The prawns and sotong are tiny and only serve as a garnishing. What you are going for is just a satisfying, full flavoured, fried noodle dish. 4.5/5ConclusionSimple, no frills, gooey and tasty Hokkien Mee. As I alluded in the title, the irony is that the stall extols its patrons to come daily but are only opened six days a week.Tian Tian Lai (Come Daily)Fried Hokkien Prawn MeeBlk 127, Toa Payoh Lor 1#02-27Singapore 3101279.30am to 9pmClosed on Mondays (how to come daily?)Ordering Hotline: 62518542/96717071ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! The 2nd ieat-Canon Food Photography Workshop A big thank you to all participants of the 2nd ieat-Canon Food Photography Workshop. It was really fun to see so many cameras decending upon some unsuspecting Amaebi. The great thing about having so many avid photographers around is that everyone understands the importance of taking your time to take a nice photo so no one was complaining that they were hungry and wanted to eat soon.A lot of the participants this time round were new DSLR owners and got the opportunity to explore all the functions of their new camera. I also got to play with the new Canon 5D MkII camera and was amazed by its capability in low light conditions. Now, this really is a camera that can make the food (or a person) look better then it actually is. No kidding.Without further ado, here then are the prize winners from our 2nd workshop!1st Prize: Alex Putin2nd Prize: Foong Ching3rd Prize Tina ThamCongrats to all our prize winners. Please contact Jino to collect your Canon 5D MK II brochures and other goodies.If you missed this workshop and are really interested to attend the next one, do write in to jino_lee@canon.com.sg and we will let you know when the next one is planned.ieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them! Cafe AG: A Socially Responsible Dining Suggestion for New Year's Eve For our Christmas Eve dinner this year, we had a four course set dinner in an exclusive, by invitation only, eatery set in a rustic kampung environment. What makes this particular eatery so special is that it is run entirely by the girls of AG home.We have been supporting Pastor Andrew's work with troubled teenage girls since our Charity Dinner last year and it is always inspiring to see the the love that both Andrew and Grace shower upon the girls. It took them awhile to set up the Cafe after their move from Telok Kurau last year, but they managed to get it ready in time for this year's Christmas and New Year dinner.The Cafe is run entirely by the girls under the supervision of volunteer chefs. This year, Jackie from Cilantro Modern Asian got involved and she played a pivotal role by donating some kitchen equipment and training the girls. They are also helping to provide supplies like their smoked duck breast and pizza bases.I met Sam, the girl who is currently managing the Cafe. Sam just completed her 18 month stay at AG Home. She started using ketamine since she was 13 but only got caught five years later. Her friends were all sent to prison, but somehow she was sent to AG Home instead. She told me that she used to spend $1000 a month on the drug.It was during her 18 month stay that she saw God's love for her through the lives of Ps Andrew and Grace and the volunteers at the home and she decided to accept Jesus into her life. After her discharge, Ps Andrew asked her what she would like to do with her life and she responded by saying that she would love to run a Cafe. So now she is in charge of managing the Cafe under close supervision from Jackie.For our Christmas Eve dinner, we had a salad of Coral lettuce with bacon bits, homemade Potato Croquette, Black Pepper Chicken Chop and Cheesecake. The set dinner costs $25 and a similar one is planned for New Year's Eve.Now, the food is actually not bad, but of course there are still a lot things that can be improved upon. They have just been opened for 1 month and so they are still raising money to buy a few more things for the kitchen. I actually quite liked the Potato Croquette and ordered an extra serving for myself and the kids. Their normal cafe menu will feature some of the items from Cilantro such as the duck breast pasta and pizza. They also have a non-alcoholic bar with an expresso machine and soon they will be offering fruit smoothies as well.The Cafe is basically a training ground for girls who are interested to work in the food and beverage industry. There is no rental and wage cost, so the money raised is used to pay for the food costs and to buy kitchen equipment. In keeping with the Christian practise of tithing, they also contribute a portion of the money to other charities and the rest is used for the running of the home.So, if you have no plans yet for New Year's Eve, why not consider a Set Dinner at Ag Cafe? Jackie just confirmed that she will personally be there to make sure you get a good meal. The Cafe is opened to invited guests only (Readers of this blog are considered invited guests) and it is best to give them a call to let them know you are coming. If you can't make it for New Year's Eve, you can still drop in at other times for their normal Cafe menu.PS: They also rear prize winning Goldfish and Koi in the premises which you can buy when you are there.You can read more about AG Homes hereThe AG Home website is hereCafe AG6A Mattar RoadS38771593887926 (Sam)11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pmSaturday lunch onlySunday closedPlease let them know that you have been invited by ieatieatishootipost.sg One man's attempt to eat all the delicious food in Singapore and take pictures of them!