Entree Kibbles

I was in a rush to grab dinner before the Li Ronghao concert at Singapore Expo's Max Pavilion and although i did some research beforehand for dining options at Changi Airport, undecided me just couldn't make a decision!

Therefore, when i alighted from the bus drop off at terminal three and turned right after entering the air-conditioned terminal, right ahead of me was Aoy's Thai Noodle Bar; i figured that's fate and i might as well give it a try.

Decisions to be made again on what i should order! The signature dish was the beef boat noodle but i had been drinking soupy stuff for the past few days due to an upset tummy and felt that the wanton noodle was more appealing for my palate!

Thai Chicken Chop Wanton Noodles - Pity the noodle was too dry and the wantons (dumplings) were as unpalatable as the ones sold in many wanton noodle stalls at the hawker centres in Singapore.

Chicken balls were juicy although not memorable enough to warrant a return visit. The same goes for the Thai chicken chop which tasted a bit like braised chicken; i did enjoy the chicken skin though. In conclusion, i think i should have gone for the boat noodle instead.

Sticky Rice with Mango, Coconut Cream and Mango Puree - ps. it's a photo angle illusion as the serving was in reality quite small. It tasted not too bad even though i found the combination weird as the coconut cream was cold whereas the rice was hot and the puree was too sweet while the mango was too sour. Sigh, I miss my sticky mango rice from Terminal 21! :(

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Location

Basement 2, Terminal 3, Changi Airport,

65 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819663

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Thai Chicken Chop Wanton Noodles - S$6.50

Sticky Rice with Mango, Coconut Cream and Mango Puree - S$4.80

(Inclusive of GST)

I planned to bring my mother for a pre-Mother's Day staycation at Holiday Villa after my comfortable experience with the new hotel on my birthday but i missed out on the last room on hotels.com!

However, i did manage to secure a room at the nearby KSL resort hotel although i did have some reservations as i had received pretty negative feedback from family and friends! Whatever the case, i guess i should just try for the sake of reviewing it and it's also beneficial to have the popular KSL mall directly connected to the hotel.

After an excruciating two-hour wait at the Malaysia checkpoint, we finally checked in to the hotel at about 5.30 pm! I was thoroughly shagged and it didn't help that i had stomach upset since morning that day.

There are two towers; so please ensure you are taking the lifts at the correct tower. Just to note that there's also an apartment wing which doesn't have in-room WiFi and in my sister's opinion, not really well maintained.

Don't ask me why but i was upgraded to a superior triple room on the 22nd floor. My original purchase was a superior room (2 twin beds) that can sleep three persons. It's also the first room nearest to the lift lobby; can strike out one of the 10 taboos for staying in a hotel.

Room

Superior Triple Room - the layout of hotel rooms (for superior class) is usually quite standard i feel. From the picture on hotels.com, the twin-bedded is the same as the superior triple room on KSL website!

Parallel to Tower 1 is Tower 2 right opposite! I can literally see the people staying in the hotel right opposite and needless to say, i kept the curtains drawn most of the time and would very much prefer the room view at Holiday Villa hotel.

View of the swimming pools on level 7.

To the right is Holiday Villa hotel; the black platform that formed the horizontal line of the letter L is actually the infinity pool on level 25 of Holiday Villa.

On the left would be the city view in between Tower 2 and the apartment block.

There's something unique about the room at KSL and i bet some of you would have noticed. The hotel provides bolsters on the beds which is a rarity! Hugging a bolster is very much an Asian thing and i would unwillingly replace it with a pillow whenever i travel overseas.

Another view of the room - it wasn't big although sufficient for just a night stay for three of us. As i wasn't feeling well, i went to bed before 6.00 pm and slept till the next morning!

What else to expect in the room? A dressing table, flat screen television with safe and mini fridge underneath it, complimentary bottled water and coffee / tea maker. To use the room WiFi, please log in with the provided username and password on the key card holder given by the receptionist.

Aside from the bolsters which caught me by surprise, i was also taken apart to find pool slippers, an iron and an ironing board in the closet! Seeing the iron reminded me of the incident at Bandung's Best Western Premier La Grande Hotel.

Fine (Recovery fee) for those who smoke in non-smoking room!

Now the washroom with the usual shower gel, shampoo, body lotion and numerous kits that i don't use except. As i am with two ladies, the situation is different as most of the kits were no longer there the next day! As expected, mum loves the existence of the hair dryer!

Heng ah; no see through glass in between the shower and the bedroom. There's rainfall shower and the toilet bowl came with a bidet! Trust me, it's good to have it when you have diarrhea as i did on my day of stay.

Amenities

Pool on the seventh level - in a condominium setting, it's common to have the pool in the centre of all the residential blocks although for KSL, it also faces the ballrooms and function rooms.

Feel free to flaunt your assets! Please keep in mind that you can redeem towel by using a card (not the room access card) that's given by the receptionist.

The two hotel towers; first time i am attempting this shoot as it's usually from left to right and i didn't know i can stitch the photos on Photoshop from bottom to top!

Dinosaur water theme park - entry for hotel residents would be free and viewing from the outside (as the park was still closed when i checked out the place), the rides were nothing to scream about but would likely be enjoyed by kids. Non-hotel residents would need to fork out RM 50 an adult and RM 30 a child to access the theme park.

Arcade games on the same level - chargeable!

Accessing the games room behind the arcade machines which came with table tennis table, a pool table and even a golf simulator (charges apply) known as The Mission Golf. If Alex was with me, he would likely challenge me to either table tennis or pool.

Gymnasium was within the games room, albeit further in and it's actually very big; taking up three rooms with running machines in one and weights in another.

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Overall, it was a satisfying stay and i didn't encounter anything unpleasant. I didn't opt for the breakfast package since there's ample food surrounding KSL in the morning (one of which is the pork porridge at one of the kopitiams). As mentioned above, the hotel is very near to Holiday Villa hotel; do try the KFry at Holiday Villa.

Location

33 Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad,

Johor Bahru 80250, Johore,

Malaysia

Website

https://www.kslresorts.com.my

Pricing from Hotels.com

Superior (2 Twin Beds) - S$84.18

Some of you would have heard of the National Steps Challenge by the nation's Health Promotion Board (HPB) which dispensed free step trackers and enticed wearers with supermarket vouchers and even lucky draw chances for a trip to New Zealand.

For someone who didn't have the habit to wear a watch on his wrist, i diligently kept it on (those carrots work) until the tracker finally died on me; literally broken into a few parts. My wrist felt empty without the tracker and i decided to look around for a better quality tracker as a replacement.

However, the cheapo in me couldn't bear to spend so much on a fit-bit and when i saw my friend shared a really affordable tracker on Facebook, i grabbed the time-limited opportunity to purchase a lowest-end model. And i finally received the package after ten days of wait!

This is it; the smart bracelet and i think the brand is "Band" and it's 100% Hong Kong design; latter of which didn't quite matter to me. I just need a hardy tracker.

Would you want to guess how much i paid for it? S$19.90 after a S$30.00 discount and shipping was free! There's only one colour and i am so happy it's my favourite black.

In addition to showing the time and counting your steps (like the basic tracker given by HPB), this would also calculate the distance and work out the calorie you would have burnt!

All the information on the smart bracelet would be useless if you don't download an app to track all your effort! Sadly, this isn't compatible with HPB's Healthy 365 app and you would have to download a specialised app known as GoBand.

Connecting the bracelet via bluetooth wasn't too difficult even though i struggled a bit after accidentally disconnecting it from the app and couldn't get it to connect; turned out i needed to disconnect it via the phone's bluetooth too before i can re-connect!

Syncing my steps; a rather disappointing result from a target of 10,000 steps....

You can track your "performance" on a daily, monthly or event yearly basis! There's even a sleep tracking function where you would know if you are in deep, light or extremely light sleep. I shall wear my bracelet to sleep tonight!

Other functions include messaging notification, shoot a photograph using your phone's camera and play the music on the phone. Nice add-ons that would require Bluetooth connectivity! Given the need to conserve battery, i doubt i would be using those add-ons as Bluetooth is such a battery drainer.

Do i like the bracelet? I definitely do; slim, classic and seemed to be of really good make. I love the fact that compared to the HPB free tracker, you needn't remove it from the strap to recharge the battery! Only god knows how many times i dropped the now-spoilt tracker on the floor whenever i detached it!

I am praying hard that it can last me for quite some time!

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Where I Bought It

Qoo10 @ SG

Price

Smart Bracelet (H8) - S$19.90

Tenderfresh (可愛雞) holds a lot of memories for heartlanders in Singapore and i guess it's time for a brand upgrade for a company that started from fried chicken and western stalls in coffee shops!

Now introducing the halal certified restaurant concept, Tenderfresh Classic is guaranteed to give KFC and Arnold's Chicken a run for the lucrative fried chicken money.

I have been waiting to try ever since i chanced upon its first Tenderfresh Classic outlet at Cheong Chin Nam road (opposite Beauty World) although i didn't take any action until i won a contest on the local radio station, UFM 100.3! Prize was a S$100 gift certificate at Tenderfresh Classic!

Even then, i procrastinated until the expiry date of the voucher edged nearer! Next was to decide which outlet and as the pricing for each dish was on average about S$10, i invited my sister's parents-in-law and the most convenient location is Punggol Waterway Point!

You have more than just fried chicken dishes on the menu; there's new fusion pasta too that i would share a few later in this post! Ordering would be at the counter and payment shall be required before the cashier passes the pager needed to collect your food later.

Remember to collect your cutlery, sauces and serviettes near the collection counter. We happily collected the food and totally forgotten about the cutlery. p.s. we did assume the cutlery would be placed in a holder on our table though.

Creamy Mussel Pot - i found this a bit too small although i don't think we can complain when the price was S$6.90. Nevertheless, it was buttery, creamy and i personally prefer the sauce to be thicker so that i can spread it better on the toast.

Onion Blossom - a must order and a delightful snack to indulge in! Fried to a crisp, the texture remained crispy after a while and it wasn't cloyingly oily!

Grilled Salmon with Sambal - fish was overcooked and there's an unmistakable fishiness to the taste. At S$17.50 a plate, we definitely deserved better.

Laksa Prawn Spaghetti - this was seriously not bad with a rich, aromatic broth that's made with coconut milk. Even though i would still prefer my laksa with thick bee hoon, this is an interesting version for those who are better accustomed to western noodles like spaghetti.

Chilli Crab Pasta - despite this being a good effort to incorporate local dishes, it tasted more like sambal crab and i failed to associate it with chilli crab.

Honey Glazed BBQ Whole - the honeyed marination was a tad too weak for me and i would definitely welcome a sweeter sensation. Anyway, i don't enjoy whole chicken; not when the entire butt was facing me!

Leg of Beauty Udon - sounding a bit cannibalistic, this was like the highlight of our visit and it's not chicken that stole the limelight. It's surprisingly the udon which had a sour-sweetness to it and tasted intensively garlicky too!

Tender Set (5 pieces) - basically your good, old fried chicken batter that always tasted like you went back to the time when you were a kid and was enjoying your first piece of fried chicken!

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Location

83 Punggol Central,

Waterway Point, #B2-04,

Singapore 828761

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/tenderfresh.sg/

Pricing

Creamy Mussel Pot - S$6.90

Onion Blossom - S$6.90

Grilled Salmon with Sambal - S$17.50

Laksa Prawn Spaghetti - S$9.90

Chilli Crab Pasta - S$10.90

Honey Glazed BBQ Whole - S$18.90

Leg of Beauty Udon - S$10.90

Tender Set (5 pieces) - S$17.00

(Inclusive of GST)

I am back at honolulu cafe for their baked products, which i enjoyed very much in my last visit, and realised there's an additional menu with a list of main meals that i might have missed out previously!

Now, to be honest, i am hardly excited. When i was in Hong Kong back in year 1998, i never quite understand why people like baked rice and instant noodles in a cafe setting. For instant noodles, i believe i can make a better version from the pack of Myojo shrimp tanmen and it's of course much cheaper.

My thoughts weren't shared with my family and they happily ordered quite a few mains. Pork Chop with Spaghetti was one of them and aside from a rather bland sauce, i am most disappointed with the pork chop which had a soft and pulpy texture that rendered the dish almost unpalatable.

Curry Fish Balls - with the cafe's logo right beside the dish on the menu, i presume it refers to "signature" and happily ordered a serving. Blessed with a solid texture, the fish balls were quite tasty although i think i would prefer curry cooked with the more fragrant coconut milk.

Chicken Wings with Swiss Sauce - my sister and i were under the impression that the chicken wings would be deep fried; hence, we were dumbfounded for a few seconds when the above was served to us; weren't those soy sauce chicken?!

Frankly, they didn't taste horrid but i must add that there's a strong similarity between these ones drenched in swiss sauce and the normal soy sauce chicken wings. Problem was; i have had much better ones.

Guess i did the right thing by insisting on having french toast, polo bun with butter and egg tarts, instead of a proper main meal. You would never go wrong with the aforementioned in your visit to Honolulu Cafe. By the way, service was much better this time!

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Location

176 Orchard Road, #01-33F/G,

The Centrepoint, Singapore 238843

Menu

Re-appended again for your information. For the drink and baked products menu, kindly refer to the first blog post of Honolulu Cafe here.

Pricing

Pork Chop with Spaghetti - S$9.50

Curry Fish Balls - S$3.00

Chicken Wings with Swiss Sauce - S$6.00

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

I was all game to check out the movie listing at Cathay cineplex on level seven of causeway point but a poster on the right as i turned out from the lift lobby stopped me in my tracks.

The all black charcoal wafer toast; now, i don't normally crave for toasts at 5 pm in the evening but with a mild diarrhea and a movie that would likely end way past dinnertime, i thought this might help to alleviate the primary condition.

A set, with two slices of charcoal kaya toast, two soft boiled eggs and a cup of teh o gao, at S$3.50 was a definite better deal. The eggs were given to Alex as i think i would have a running "commentary" from my ass if i were to ahead to ingest the runny eggs.

To be honest, i can't complain for the price i am paying at Bagus foodcourt as the one charcoal toast i absolutely love came from Stateland Cafe and that's like six times expensive.

Nevertheless, it made do as any normal toasts smeared with kaya and butter that we can get from any decent coffee shop and food court although for the greedy soul in me, they served as added advantage as a snack for afternoon tea.

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Location

1 Woodlands Square, #07-03,

Bagus Food Court, Causeway Point,

Singapore 738099

Price

Set of Charcoal Kaya Toast - S$3.50

(comes with drink and 2 soft boiled eggs)

Aimless - the exact word to reflect the sentiment as we didn't have any specific place in mind to chill out after a hearty yet expensive nasi lemak lunch at Chinatown. That's when google map came into play and we managed to identify an interesting cafe that's within walking distance.

The Daily Roundup - an interesting name that means a gathering of people. As there were just two of us, a roundup may not be an appropriate description but i honestly didn't care; i just wanted crepes for desserts!

Upon stepping in, i sense that this would be a good place to relax and have a good chat with friends; the cafe was bright and i can see quite a number of people chilling out on their own with a laptop or a book. If i ever get a laptop, i think this would be the perfect (and peaceful) place for me to generate postings for this blog.

Aside from the usual hot and cold beverages from a cafe (menu to be included later in this post), there were also options for French ciders, beer, wine, cold brew coffee, spritzers. Being a cheapo who prefers to spend on food, i am glad to announce that plain yet complimentary iced water was provided beside the counter.

Salted Caramel Sweet Crepe - with seven types to choose from, the undecided me would simply ask the staff for a recommendation and it came up to be either salted caramel or hazelnut. I chose the former and topped up with a scoop of yummy vanilla bean ice cream!

I have never quite enjoyed crepes and preferred waffles over them. Would the one from The Daily Roundup change my opinion as it's supposedly "made with premium wheat flour and infused with artisanal butter by Jean-Yves Bordier"? Not too sure who this Jean-Yves Bourdier was but just the sound of it seemed to elevate the class by a huge jump.

Love it despite the lack of crispiness along the edges (not supposed to be the case anyway). It was buttery (must be the work of that Jean-Yves Bordier) with a rich, addictive flavour that was enhanced by the sprinklers of sugar and salted caramel. Simple, delicious and not heavy on the stomach!

Amazonian Acai Bowl - with fruits on top, i was thinking i might as well make this bowl myself at home! However, buried underneath was the strangely appetizing acai blend; it was an acquired taste and even though i would not consider it not my cup of tea, i believe it has the magic to clean the bowels eight hours later.

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Location

1A Keong Saik Road,

Within The Working Capitol,

Singapore 089109

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Mondays to Fridays - 8.00am to 9.30pm

Saturdays - 9.00am to 9.30pm

Sundays & PHs - 9.00am to 7.30pm

Website

http://thedailyroundup.com.sg/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Salted Caramel Sweet Crepe - S$12.00

Topped with a Scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - S$4.00

Amazonian Acai Bowl - S$12.00

(Subject to GST)

Additional Information

Prefer something more fulfilling instead of the light, tasty crepes? Go for the cookies, lemon zest pound cakes, valrhona chocolate cake with walnuts; just to name a few!

I am no stranger to Ann Siang Hill; in past Lunar New Year eves, i would park my car at the less crowded Amoy area and cut across to Chinatown on foot via the road named after a hill.

My memory spoke of a lot of pubs and to be totally honest, i don't remember i have ever dined at any of the establishments along the road. Hence, i was keen to take up Vanessa's suggestion for a weekend lunch at The Coconut Club even though she had kindly warned me; the signature nasi lemak would be expensive.

With tall bar stools placed outside the restaurant, i guess it would be reasonable for anyone to assume that a pub was in operation. I am making things easier for you; look out for the bright blue awning!

Aside from the awning, you may look out for the signboard; how often would you find a commercial entity that has its name written in all four main languages of Singapore?!

The above picture was taken when we were done with our meals but when we arrived at 3.07 pm, which was past lunch hour by the way, the whole place was packed with customers hungry for the nasi lemak!

I mentioned nasi lemak because that's the only main meal on the one-page menu! With consumers spoilt for choices in food-aplenty Singapore, i cannot imagine that an eatery can have such good business with just one signature dish.

Staff was quick to seat us down, take our orders (which didn't take long since we didn't have many to choose from anyway) and we didn't even have to wait long (reminder, there's only one main dish on the menu)!

Homemade Ice Lemongrass Tea - this would appeal to those who frequently complained that their lemongrass drink was either too sweet or too bland; what i love most was the addition of kaffir lime with its unmistakable fragrance as it gave a touch of uniqueness to this thirst quenching beverage.

Otak Otak - priced at S$8.50, my eyes almost popped out from their respective socket since i only needed to pay a couple of doors to get another serving of the nasi lemak.

However, it generated interest and curiosity; so expensive must be quite different from those cheap NO. 6 Ann Siang Hill Singapore 069787ones in the market right? Freshly steamed, this was spicy with generous chunks of fish meat although to be frank, i wouldn't fork out S$8.50 for it...

Nasi Lemak - now coming to the dish that has generated a lot of buzz among foodies. One look and i am already skeptical; there's absolutely nothing visually impactful to justify the expensive price of S$12.80! The skepticism disappeared when i took a bite of the rice.

Never have i had nasi lemak rice that was so richly infused with coconut milk that's said to be hand squeezed from specially selected coconut. It was so delicious; i was tempted to ask for extra rice despite the fact that it's usually more probable for me to request for lesser rice. Another notable item was the two pieces of fried chicken that were marinated in the classic Malay style that's i like so so much! Shall get my mom to try the nasi lemak but i am not going to tell her the price!

Cendol - another item that i would strongly recommend all customers to order; of course, i would have to compare it to my favourite Jin Jin power cendol and the verdict is that while Jin Jin is cheaper and bigger in portion, The Coconut Club's version was less sweet and just like the nasi lemak, the smooth coconut milk really made a huge difference in the taste.

Don't bother getting one to share among yourselves; we attempted and failed miserably as we eventually still had to order another one. Couldn't resist at all as the cendol was so good!

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Location

6 Ann Siang Hill,

Singapore 069787

(Near Buddha Tooth Temple)

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Tuesdays to Sundays - 11.00 am to 3.00 pm

Tuesdays to Saturdays - 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm

Mondays - Closed

Website

http://www.thecoconutclub.sg/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Homemade Ice Lemongrass Tea - S$3.00

Otak Otak - S$8.50

Nasi Lemak - S$12.80

Cendol - S$3.80

(Inclusive of GST and No Service Charge)

One of the reasons for investing in an oven for my own home was because we can save some money on the birthdays of family members. Alas, the failed banana cake for my mom's bird day was a dampener and it took a while for me to pick up the pieces of broken confidence.

Over eight months had passed since then and i have built up enough confidence to bake a carrot cake requested by my younger sister for her birthday! And from the look above, i thought it has passed the visual test. p.s. rainbow ball sprinkles were added as the kids love them!

Shall talk about the taste test later as the main star today should be Louise who finally turned 35 years old; the age that all single Singaporeans would be waiting for, as the ruling dictates you could only purchase a government flat as a single upon reaching 35.

Photograph of the ladies in our immediate family; the combined age for the four of them (three generations by the way) would have passed 100.

Now with Jerald, our little boy who is already nine years old; time really flew and i still remember when he was still a never-stopping drooling toddler.

The good thing about growing older (especially for Jerald) is that he has many hand-me-downs! Since he is the eldest grandson from both sets of families, the two persons handing down the clothing to him are my sister (who is about his weight) and i (when i was younger and much lighter)!

Both kids giving Louise a sloppy wet kiss! I had to photoshop in a "motion blur" filter on my sister as too much wrinkles were showing! Wahaha, hope she doesn't read this paragraph as she has the power to take down the photograph if she doesn't like it.

Jovyn - my younger sister's darling and when many people actually mistook Jovyn to be Louise's daughter. Anyway, they have a close relationship and Joyce's role as the real mom would be thrown out of the window whenever Louise is around.

Blowing out the candle together after a short birthday song singing comprising of just two languages; English and Chinese. Compare that to a year or two ago when the kids would include Malay and even a Christian version!

Cake cutting time; excited for me as i would love to hear some reviews from my family members! If the response is good, i can do the same cake again!

The way she grasped on tightly to the santoku knife while having that sinister smile was disturbing. Shortly after i took this picture, she accidentally cut the skin in between my fingers; just a small cut with minimal blood.

Time for the verdict!

This is definitely a recipe keeper as the carrot cake was extremely moist and aside from the occasional crunchiness from the chopped up walnuts, you could bite into pieces of mashed pineapples and strings of carrots enveloped with a batter that contained cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spices and orange zest! Much thanks to the Lau sisters for sharing the delicious recipe!

And happy birthday, Louise!

I always call the two darlings in my family the two brats as they can be quite a handful to manage, especially when they throw tantrums!

The most recent incident was at my sister's birthday celebration yesterday where Jovyn had a fight with Jerald over my retro gaming console.

The aggressor was Jovyn and of course she had to be reprimanded by someone with authority and the power. The same person who could make her pout back in 2013; her father!

Darn - she caught me taking pictures of her being scolded and shot a murderous stare. I have just a couple more years before she turns into a rebellious teen who would likely threaten me to delete the photos or else.....

It was mentioned back in this post that Jovyn had the habit of picking her nails when she was being chastised; there's no change to her body language and this reminded me of a recent Korean drama i watched where the mom of one of the main leads told off her son: "you are my son and i know your body language when you lie".

Anyway, less than 30 minutes later, both Jovyn and Jerald started playing with each other again. That's the kind of noise i enjoy in my house; one that's filled with laughter and giggles.

You know Jovyn is back to her usual self when she starts making ugly faces.

It was "eat with your family day" last week and we were officially released at 5pm so that we can bond with our loved ones (including the brats), over what-else-but-food!

I was on the lookout for a decent tze char restaurant and finally found Chui Xiang Kitchen that came recommended by Singapore's food guru, Dr Leslie Tay of ieatishootipost.sg; every dish he reviewed was at least a rating of 4.0!

You don't have to click his blog to read his review; just check out the numerous posters pasted outside the tze char restaurant. I wonder if the eatery has to pay Dr Tay a fee to print and paste his review as i remember that our local newspaper, Straits Times, would charge you accordingly for using their article for commercial purpose.

Anyway, while reading the review on ieatishootipost.sg, the one dish that caught my eye was the live lobster porridge as it would appeal more to my mom! The weather that day helped to strengthen the craving as it was drizzling and the evening temperature was rather cool.

Place might appear empty but the above picture shows only half the restaurant; the other half was filled with hungry diners and the entire place was full less than an hour later!

Pickles - placed immediately on our table together with the wet towels (returned without any resistance), they were crunchy and tasted not too bad even though i prefer our local acar version for its slightly spicier flavour.

There were so many items to choose from the menu and i had to push the responsibility to my elder sister as she would be able to suggest a more balanced diet for the two kids. If i am the one to do the ordering, you would see lots of meat and likely zilch vegetables.

Like me, she opted for a number of dishes with the "signature dish" marker. It's always good to play safe and should the dish fail to create a positive impression, we can push the blame to the eatery!

Lobster Porridge - given the weather, it's especially warming to the stomach to have this as the first dish! As my sister and her family are not into porridge, i only ordered portion sufficient for two persons with one lobster.

It's still a large portion that i personally feel is sufficient for three persons! Maybe even four persons if you add in all the other tze char dishes you would be ordering to supplement the porridge! Only issue would be sharing the lobster that's cut into half.

Fresh and nice lobster meat although compared to all crustaceans, my favourite would still be the crabs, specifically Sri Lankan / mud crabs. However, in porridge form, lobsters are still the best!

Now, it's imperative to compare the lobster porridge with Orchid Live Seafood (which is just a 10-minute drive away) and even though the broth was found to be flavourful, it lacked the oomph that i relished so much at Orchid Live Seafood; maybe more ginger can be added? I also noted that the soup here featured a less oily sheen.

Marmite Pork Ribs (S) - very tender pork smeared with the irresistible marmite that burst with aromatic fireworks as i sank my teeth in! Was looking around for a second piece minutes later but the plate was already cleaned out! :(

Beancurd with Golden Mushroom (S) - nothing exceptional and i guess the beancurd was homemade or something; a given nowadays for some tze char stalls. To be fair, Mom loved it.

If i am the decision maker for ordering, i would not consider any beancurd dishes. In my family, unfortunately, there's a person who die-die must have beancurd to go with her plain rice. No prize for guessing who.

Cabbage Chicken - within the restaurant, there were two types of 'signature dish' markers; the one with a white background and another with a yellow background. In makansutra terms, the yellow marker would translate into an equivalent of 3 pairs of chopsticks; die-die must try!

Visually unappealing, this kind of traditional looking dish (using the classic claypot) would be a hit with the older generation. Cut across the brownish cabbage to get to the meat which had a nice and soft texture that fell off the bones easily.

Taste wise, there was a hint of 梅菜扣肉 although in general, i found the meat to be on the bland side. Surprisingly, it was the cabbage that tasted more flavourful.

Oyster Omelette (S) - the wok hei was richly featured in this omelette and for those who worry about too much oil, this was definitely manageable and i so loved the eggs which remained gooey inside! No comment on the yucky oysters; p.s. i am those weird individuals who like oyster omelette / fried oyster without the oysters.

Salted Egg Yolk Cuttlefish (S) - i had been disappointed with the salted egg yolk cuttlefish dish that i ordered from other tze char stalls / restaurants but i couldn't resist ordering it every time i see the dish appearing on the menu!

Finally, i found one that i can seriously say is the best so far - the batter wasn't thick yet it maintained a nice crisp that just had about the right crunch!

Envelop that batter with a non rubbery cuttlefish ring and fry them using a yummy salted egg yolk sauce recipe that was perfectly balanced with saltiness and sweetness, and a dash of chilli-padi spiciness. Perfect in every sense.

Homemade Yam Paste (Pax) - like the salted egg yolk cuttlefish, i had to order yam paste if i see it on the menu and although it was indicated as per pax, the serving was good for two persons!

Honestly, a bit too watery in my opinion and although acceptable, i would appreciate it better with the additional sweetness from pumpkin! I so miss the yam paste from the now-closed Mong Hing Teochew Restaurant!

=====

The dinner was extremely satisfying and each of us walked out of the restaurant with a bloated tummy even though we ordered "small" where possible! Would definitely be back to try their crab dishes; like heir signature salted egg crab, black pepper crab and white pepper crab!

Location

126 Casuarina Road,

Singapore 579514

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

11.00 am to 2.30 pm

5.00 pm to 10.30 pm

Reservation

Call 6458-4567

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/chuixiangkitchen/

Pricing

Pickles - S$2.00

Lobster Porridge - S$27.00

Marmite Pork Ribs (S) - S$12.00

Beancurd with Golden Mushroom (S) - S$10.00

Cabbage Chicken - S$18.00

Oyster Omelette (S) - S$10.00

Salted Egg Yolk Cuttlefish (S) - S$12.00

Homemade Yam Paste (Pax) - S$4.50

(NO GST and subject to Service Charge of 5%)

Additional Information

Sets are available!

The picture of a burnt pizza on my Instagram was the rare #failbake that i dared to put on the social media page as i found it incredulous to have destroyed what could have been a beautiful (and no doubt delicious) pizza!

A friend thought i had purchased frozen pizza (hence, the poor control of temperature) but in reality, it was an uncooked pizza from Cold Storage supermarket at Yishun's Northpoint. The failed attempt last Saturday resulted in a nagging craving for pizza and i grabbed another one the following day. This time round, i shall exercise extra caution.

Cooking instructions were straightforward and short enough. I have been buying such pizzas from Cold Storage for a few years already as ingredients were fresher and there's the option to add ingredients you love to the pizza!

Furthermore, it only cost S$7.95 for a nine-inch pizza and you can choose from ham and pineapple (your classic Hawaiian), vegetarian, pepperoni or simple tomato and cheese.

I managed to screw up the instructions somewhat last year when i forgot to remove the base board after tearing away the wrapper! My friend was wondering then why the pizza base didn't feel quite right.

Pizza without the base board. I was thinking of leaving this in its original condition and throwing it immediately to the oven which was already pre-heated.

That's when i spotted a yellow onion that had been lying beside the oven for about a month or so; let's cut it up as i absolutely adore tons of onions on my pizza! Another hot favourite would be slices of Taiwanese sausages!

Frankly, i would have covered the entire pizza with sliced onions but for the sake of publicity, let's just adorn it simply with just a few pieces of onion. Leftover onions can be kept in the fridge until it's omelette time.

Damn, another screw up! My eyes saw 220 degrees celcius yet my brain registered 200 degrees celcius. Well, the knob was turned to 220 but my oven had a temperature variance of 20 degrees celcius!

No wonder the pizza was too "fair" when the 12 minutes were up. I had to add another five minutes before it showed the symptoms of bubbling cheese and browning crust.

It was so good and although i had the intention to keep half for dinner the next day; i couldn't resist and before i knew it; i felt a deep sense of guilt to have eaten the pizza all by myself! :(

If it's of any psychological consolation to myself, i diligently cut out the crust for each piece so that i wouldn't ingest too much carbohydrate. On second thought, i should have recycled them as "bread-sticks" which would be useful when i cooked western-style soup.

====

Where To Get It

Selected Cold Storage Supermarket Outlets

(for example, the outlet at Northpoint)

Price

9-Inch Pizza - S$7.95 each

The ongoing rejuvenation of Northpoint shopping centre has brought much cheer to residents of Yishun town as there's a better mix of retail and dining options now; one of which is the hugely popular 4 Fingers!

Starting with just one outlet back at Ion Orchard, the fast food restaurant has now expanded to twelve branches in Singapore, with outlets in Malaysia, Indonesia and even Australia!

They can bet with me as i honestly didn't know 4 Fingers use only fresh chicken and the food doesn't even contain artificial flavorings, additives and MSG! Well, for the astronomical pricing charged for their signature wingettes and drumettes, i shouldn't be too surprised.

Main reason why i had not been patronizing 4 Fingers as much as i should was because the portions were too small and i can easily down 10 wingettes and drumettes without feeling even 50% full. I was enticed to give 4 Fingers another go when i noticed a more attractive item on the menu; Chicken Drumsticks!

I ordered a set thinking Alex would share the seaweed fries with me but the bugger had a heavy dinner before we met! Shit, there's no way i am going to jeopardize my weight by snacking on fries...

With a mix of Soy Garlic and Hot, the marination was the same as the ones smeared on the wingettes and drumettes and once again, Soy Garlic had a better flavour that i personally found to be irresistible.

Meat wise, unfortunately, didn't blow me away; the drumsticks were not juicy enough and i thought fresh chicken would not likely have darkened bones. Though the meal was filling (even without the fries), i know i would be greatly satisfied with the less-than-four bucks Natsumi burger from Mos Burger a few doors away.

=====

Location

930 Yishun Avenue 2,

Northpoint Shopping Centre,

#01-15, Singapore 769098

Website

http://www.4fingers.com/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

3 Chicken Drumsticks Combo - S$11.95

3 Chicken Drumsticks (Ala-Carte) - S$9.45

(Inclusive of GST)

[Advertorial]

If you have been following my blog, you would know i am not into advertorials and prefer to pay my hard earned money to review food, products.

That said, i am the kind who enjoyed buying mystery bags from the HDB mamak shops when i was young and when Lazada sent me an email to participate in an upcoming Great Singapore Sale (GSS) campaign from 06-08 June 2017 and the item is a surprise box, i jumped at the opportunity!

The exciting moment of anticipation as i opened up the Lazada x Jabra box; content was said to be worth over S$100 and if you manage to grab a box during the campaign period, it will be heavily discounted (another blog mentioned it's only S$29 a box)!

What's Inside the Box?

Jabra BPA Free Foldable Water Bottle

Nice, vibrant colour which i don't think i would have much use for it at the moment since my current bag didn't have a holder and it's just too bright for my liking! Shall pass to Jovyn.

Jabra Screen Cleaner Sticker

This used to be the rage in the past and was often given as small little corporate gifts. What has Jabra, an audio headset company, got to do with screen cleaning!? Beats me.

Nevertheless, i actually like this nifty product! Of course, it has its explicit usefulness for the phone screen although as a spectacle-wearer, it's more important to keep my glasses dust-free and fingerprint-free!

The piece given was rather larger and fit nicely on the back of my humongous Otter-Defender iPhone Plus casing. I am just hoping its stickiness would last for a longer period of time; the last one lasted only about two weeks.

Jabra Step Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headset

The item that cost the most in the whole box and obviously the highlight for today's posting. Honestly, i was a bit disappointed as i recently got a headset for over S$150 and i usually don't start on a new device until the last one is spoilt!

Missing out a significant point and realising it only when i was taking photographs for this posting can change disappointment into happiness.

How could i miss out the word 'wireless'?! Even though i am hesitant to use Bluetooth for my daily weekday journey to and fro work (given their drain on battery life), i thought of one activity that has lain dormant for far too long.

It would be perfect for jogging! I might have stopped the cardio exercise for more than 8 years but with weight that's increasingly harder to lose, drastic measure must be taken and i have been procrastinating for far too long!

A closer look revealed that it's in-ear pod; a feature i detest as they usually don't fit my ears! Never be too quick to judge as the design does allow the ear pods to be kept into place.

Time to start jogging again! Speaking of which, the potential weight loss would require a necessary change in wardrobe and there's no better time than to check out Lazada's Great Singapore Sale's where there's up to 90% discount off items and flash deals every 2 hours with attractive offers!

Use voucher code: GSSCAVIN18

during Lazada's GSS Sale for further discounts!

3 More Days to Lazada GSS Sale!

It's family custom to have a birthday treat for the birthday boy / girl on his / her birthday and it's no exception for Louise's bird day late last month.

As the birthday gal didn't have any preference, Joyce suggested Crossings Cafe - a social enterprise that helps not only to provide employment for the disadvantage but also donates all profits to charity!

That's extremely commendable given the high cost of rental and food ingredients in land-scarce Singapore and for my superstitious young sister; it's beneficial to do some good on her birthday.

Spotted at the main entrance; i usually don't have the habit to check out the menu beforehand as i have the higher tendency to order dishes with chef-recommendations. To put it bluntly, the operator has to be confident of that dish if he/she dares to put the tag on it.

Interior of the cafe - pretty empty on a Sunday afternoon although customers started streaming in from about 1pm onwards.

Absolutely love the full length glass windows which allowed people and vehicle-watching within the comfort of very much needed air conditioning!

Jovyn with the birthday girl's vanilla latte; service wasn't speed fast even though it wasn't an issue as we had expected and understood the reasons behind it. Hence, go visit a MacDonald's if patience is not your virtue.

Black Mussels in White Wine Sauce - understanding aside, i am way more critical when it comes to food. Even if it is for charitable causes, the reality of life cannot be brushed aside that easily. So my one-word review for this appetizer is "unexceptional".

Slightly salty with a dash of pepper, the mussels were nothing to scream about and i am in fact more taken in by the white wine sauce, especially when i dipped my garlic-spiced toast into it! That said, the bread could be toasted slightly longer for a crispier bite.

Onion Rings - Batter was thick although it didn't weaken the taste of mashed up onions buried within. Personally, however, nothing beats raw onion rings that were deep fried; like the drippy-oily kind at Buckaroo!

Chicken and Grilled Mushroom Parmigiana - the word Parmigiana means a dish "cooked or served with Parmesan cheese". I am hesitant to try it and when i did, i could only describe it as chicken cutlet mixed with cheese and mushroom that tasted interestingly like lasagna! Indeed worthy of its chef-recommended tag on the menu.

BBQ Ribs - tough and tasted like a rough piece of char siew; this couldn't hold a candle to the nicer ones at Tony Roma's! Go for the sweet potatoes fries; they were utter addictive!

Chilli Crab Pasta - i am seldom impressed with local delights spin-off and after that chilli crab pasta at Tenderfresh, i must say i was literally rolling my eyes when a family member decided to give this a go.

Less expectation, more satisfaction; the balance of tomato and chilli sauce infused with the flavour of crab was well played in this pasta and i thought having the fettuccine was prefect as you get a generous coverage of sauce for this wide-style pasta. If i want to insist on improving this dish, remove the okay-tasting soft shell crab! Increase the price and give me a piece of real crab!

Pan-Fried Miso Pork Belly - why would i want to eat Asian in a cafe? Simply because Joyce had this the last time she came and liked it, and i adore pork belly!

p.s. this contains pork belly and is of course not for the health conscious as the slices of pork belly were as fatty as they should. Should you prefer to try this yet couldn't stand ingesting the pork belly, invite me and i would share the dish with you; you take the cabbage while i would glady have the pork belly.

In usual circumstances, my taste buds would reject porky-tasting meat and while this had the much dreaded porky taste, i was drawn to the miso which resulted in a savoury sweetness that's actually quite good. For a better experience, eat the meat and cabbage with the white rice!

=====

Location

55, Waterloo Street,

#01-01, Catholic Centre,

Singapore 187954

Map

As above.

Website

http://crossingscafe.com.sg/

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Black Mussels in White Wine Sauce - S$10.00

Onion Rings - S$6.00

Chicken and Grilled Mushroom Parmigiana - S$16.00

BBQ Ribs - S$18.00

Chilli Crab Pasta -S$17.00

Pan-Fried Miso Pork Belly - S$15.00

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

I am not good with dates and had even forgotten my mom's birthday a few years ago! Add in the lunar calendar and i am totally lost; hence, i decided to blog about an important date so that i can refer to it easier in the future.

It's the death anniversary of my maternal grandmother where my uncle would usually hold a memorial session at his house where the ancestral tablet is.

As we are of Chinese descent, the lunar calendar is used more often than the Gregorian one and i absolutely couldn't keep track of the various events except for maybe Lunar New Year as it's heavily publicised in the mass media.

See the amount of offerings (comprising of food and paper money) for my grandmother who passed away 10 years ago. The common practice is to prepare food that the deceased loved to have when they were alive. For me, i guess i can make do with satay, fried chicken, cheng tng, suckling pig etc.

This plate of orange chiffon cake and kueh lapis was prepared by me! Okay, to be correct, the kueh lapis was baked together with Joyce's mother-in-law who had kindly shared her profit-making recipe with me!

My late maternal grandmother wasn't a tea drinker; therefore, in exchange of tea, my uncle had to provide her favourite beverage - a can of Guinness Stout!

Don't you find it weird that Ramen Champion no longer serves just ramen!? At least that's how i felt when i dropped by Bugis + last Saturday where there were five restaurants in competition for the championship.

Four were ramen restaurants whereas one, Don Meijin, stood out for offering another notable Japanese dish; the don, also known as rice bowls!

Sticking out like a sore thumb in the championship, it didn't stop me from going through the menu and deciding to order the signature tendon. The delicious experience at Kohaku remained etched in my memory and i figured i should just check out the tendon for easier comparison.

The fact that i didn't recall hearing or reading any recommendation wasn't really important as it could be new and anyway, taste buds differ from person to person and one man's meat could always be another man's poison (the wise words as told by a friend).

In the past, display of tendons was, simply put, a few pieces of deep fried items thrown onto a bed of Japanese rice. After the successful penetration by Tendon Ginza Itsuki, things had since changed and the contemporary look now is one that exudes abundance!

In addition to the hidden portion of Japanese rice, you can find a piece each of deep fried seaweed, french bean, green capsicum, pumpkin, two prawns and three pieces of chicken fillet.

Not exactly a good deal when i reviewed my Kohaku post and realised that for S$1.20 more, i would have squid and crab stick in place of the extra piece of chicken fillet.

Time to indulge in the deep fried food - the batter had a thin layer of crispiness which would have been really desirable. However, there was an alkaline taste (the ki-taste) that some people dislike and even though that's fine for me; i was more disappointed with the sweet sauce which had too weak a sweetness to appeal to me.

Rarely do i leave my tendon rice untouched but in this case, the sauce just failed to work up my appetite and i regretted not sticking to my initial decision for ramen.

=====

Location

201, Victoria Street, #04-10,

Bugis+, Don Meijin,

Singapore 188067

Map

As above.

Pricing

Tendon from Don Meijin - S$13.80

(Subject to GST)

Before the start of the new lunar year, two homemade items would definitely appear at my parents' place; a big tub of pineapple tarts and one full kueh lapis from my sister's mother-in-law (MIL)!

Knowing i have an interest in baking (she tried my banana cake before), the guru decided to pop by my house, with her barang barang, to teach me her secret recipe! She complained that age has resulted in deteriorating eyesight and it's about time to "transfer her powers" to the younger generation.

A professional is a professional - we started the baking process almost immediately after she stepped in and maybe just to let you know that i am not sharing the recipes; not until i have tried a few rounds and perfected them myself. However, this chronological post is essential for me as a source of reference.

Pineapple tart pastry was done and according to the MIL, we would need to put the covered pastry in the fridge for a minimal of 30 minutes! An ingredient, to make the pastry crispier, was missing as it's something that cost quite a bit and we would only be using a teeny weeny bit.

Time wasn't wasted and the MIL continued her workflow with 17 eggs! Yes, for those who are unaware, the recipe for kueh lapis uses a ton of eggs; our recipe calls for 5 whole eggs and 12 yolks!

A few ingredients were necessary; a bit of vanilla essence, some sponge gel (not sure what that is but it does look like orange kaya) and the rempah kueh powder which gives the kueh lapis its flavour.

Mixing with my Sensonic Stand Mixer; the MIL was super impressed with the stand mixer, especially when she heard that it only cost me S$99! If anyone chances upon the same deal, can let me know?!

Jumping to pineapple tart again - pouring pineapple juice into the store bought pineapple paste! Now i know why my sister's MIL pineapple tarts had such moist paste!

The Sensonic Stand Mixer was done with her job and the MIL poured the batter into a wide-bottom stainless steel pan. Almost bought it at Phoon Huat this evening but i figured it would be too inconvenient for me in the crowded train.

Blending the cold butter just very lightly with the sugar and condensed milk as we would still require the texture to be harder.

I am following the recipe blindly, as instructed, although being an efficient person who is always looking at cutting steps in processes, i wonder if i could bring the butter to room temperature and blend it longer for a lighter texture for easy mix in.

Nevertheless, i could experience in the future, so long i have sufficient guinea pigs. Time to start the laborious layering of the kueh lapis!

Melted chocolate sauce - according to the MIL, it's to add colours to the layers and it's something you couldn't really taste when you eat the kueh lapis as the rempah kueh powder would overpower it.

Open the oven, take out the pan, lightly press the lapis, gently brush the baked layer with chocolate, add another layer, put it in the over and the process repeats itself until you are done with all the batter!

It's tiring and i totally lost track of the number of layers for the kueh lapis! Furthermore, i am not exactly a gentle person and it's hard to control my strength in pressing each layer and brushing with chocolate sauce. Practice shall make perfect, i hope.

Flattening and rolling the pineapple tart pastry!

Usually, i am quite lazy to use the pattern mould as i assumed it's easier to roll the pastry into a ball. The advantage to using the mould is that the tarts would be more stable and would not roll all over the baking pan.

Another obvious advantage is that they look nicer too!

Given the higher moisture content in the pineapple paste, we can also pipe it! That's actually easier than having to roll and weigh the ball of pineapple paste for each tart.

See how pretty they look!

Kueh lapis was ready and i am shocked to see the MIL taking out the knife to separate the edges from the sides of the baking pan! So hot!!!

The nicely square-grill pattern on the kueh lapis was due to the metal mesh and you have to do it when the cake was still fresh out of the oven! Given my butter fingers, i can guarantee you that my first few tries would result in burns on my fingers and hands.

Not too bad except for the bottom which was overcooked as the MIL was using my oven for the first time and as we all know, the control of temperature is key for baking!

Same goes for the pineapple tarts - the pineapple paste was slightly overcooked and they didn't feel as moist as they should. Whatever the case, it's a matter of practice!

Big thanks to my sister's mother in law for her time and patience to impart her skills to me! Hope i don't disappoint her! :)

After a few hours of baking with the guru, the sun had set and it's time for dinner! My sister and brother in law did some research and we decided to visit a restaurant at Yishun block 748 which was just a five-minute walk from my house!

It's not my first time to Heng Hua restaurant although the last visit was really quite a long time back (maybe about 10 years ago) and we didn't order much then. I didn't recall it was a positive experience but let's not be too quick to judge, especially when i didn't even blog about it.

The place was packed with customers and we waited for more than 30 minutes as it's hard to accommodate our group of 12 persons; 10 adults and two kids!

Ark Shells in Spicy Sauce (一等鮮蚶)

I had a strong aversion towards cockles and would definitely stay far away from this cold appetizer! The goading by Joyce succeeded and i dropped one into my mouth. OMG, the overpowering combination of minced garlic with chilli padi and soy sauce totally masked the disgusting flavour of cockles and it was so good; i had a second one.

Herbal Prawns in Bamboo (药膳竹筒虾)

For the benefits of friends who don't read Chinese, i usually would indicate the English translation for the dish in my blog and it's normally easier if the eatery has provided the translation. In this case, i have to change it as the original translation was the doesn't-make-sense "Herbs-Food Prawns in Bamboo Shoot"!

Prawns were fresh and of decent sized; i was more taken in by the herbal soup that the prawns were soaked in! Pity the weather that evening was too hot, too humid; if it was raining, i would have enjoyed the soup better.

Pan-fried Egg with Oyster (鲜蚝煎蛋)

Omelette form without the starch found at fried oysters stalls at hawker centres; i prefer fried oysters actually and thought this was more fuyong-egg style, which i wouldn't reject in any circumstance anyway.

Stir-fried Sliced Yam (酥炒香芋)

The one dish i would always order at the now michelin-starred Putien! Putien's version had a higher concentration of caramelisation even though this one at Heng Hua was as addictive! However, the best fried yam i had was in near Yangshuo, China!

Country Style Steamed Sea Bass (清蒸金目鲈)

When it comes to steamed fish, freshness is like the most important thing and this didn't disappoint; furthermore, it's a really good deal at only S$28.00.

Heng Hua Style Fried Bee Hoon (兴化米粉)

A signature dish for the heng hwa cuisine, i had shared before that it's drier than our normal fried bee hoon at tze char stalls although the lack of oil also means it's a healthier version. Mixed them up to get the amalgamated flavour of nuttiness, ocean (seaweed, clams, prawns) and vegetables; that combination tastes lip-smacking good.

Homemade Bean Curd with Prawns (自制豆腐虾仁)

Never a big fan of tofu; this was sufficient as a required protein intake by Jovyn; the spoilt darling in our family. Other than that, nothing on the extreme ends came to mind.

Fried Kangkong with Chilli (马来风光)

Enticingly spicy to the extent of numbing my lips, this was good and could be even better if pieces of freshly fried pork lard were sprinkled on the vegetables!

Stir-fried Jingdu Pork Ribs (京都排骨)

Un-amazing and too fatty for my liking; okay, correction, i do like my pork ribs to have a thick layer of fats but i would also like the fatty section to have a nice crisp. The ones here were just mushy and the marination failed to result in any improvement.

Steamed Heng Hua Cheng with Huadiao Wine (花雕酒蒸蛏)

This is a declaration; i will never ever order this dish in my life. The razor clams were downright fishy and can you imagine that upon biting through the meat, i literally stopped chewing as the foul juice was so repulsively strong! Never ever!

Heng Hua Bian Rou Soup (兴化扁肉汤)

I would have discounted this dish if i had just drunk the soup and eaten nothing else; it was bland and tasted just like some of the accompanied soups dispensed for free when you order wanton noodles.

Don't assume that the little wanton-lookalikes were as bad as those you get from wanton noodles; they are the bian rou that gives the dish its name and befitting its importance, it tasted pretty good and unlike the lousy ones we often have.

White Fungus Sweet Soup (冰糖雪耳糖水)

Complimentary from the restaurant and as a cold dessert, i definitely welcomed it given how hot it was that day! Taste wise, the soup had that hashima flavour which is unlikely as hashima has a very high price-tag!

Cold Trotters

Yet again another signature heng hwa dish, i didn't manage to have it as by the time i was convinced to try it, nothing has remained. :(

=====

Location

Block 748, Yishun Street 72,

#01-212, Singapore 760748

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

11.00 am to 11.00 pm

Reservation

Call 6757-1762

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Ark Shells in Spicy Sauce (L) - S$12.00

Herbal Prawns in Bamboo (L) - S$38.00

Pan-fried Egg with Oysters (L) - S$24.00

Stir-fried Sliced Yam (M) - S$15.00

Country Style Steamed Sea Bass - S$28.00

Heng Hua Style Fried Bee Hoon (M) - S$8.00

Homemade Bean Curd with Prawns (L) - S$20.00

Fried Kangkong with Chilli (L) - S$16.00

Stir-fried Jingdu Pork Ribs (L) - S$20.00

Steamed Heng Hua Cheng with Huadiao Wine - S$23.00

Heng Hua Bian Rou Soup (S) - S$8.00

Cold Trotters (S) - S$10.00

(No GST, No Service Charge)

Discussion on the donation of bone marrow in the past usually centered on how painful it was as a long and thick needle would be injected in your bone to extract the marrow.

Technology has since jumped leaps and there is now the option of Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest (PBSC) which is similar to blood donation. This technological advancement allays my fear of extreme pain and i gamely sign up as a donor via the Bone Marrow Donor Program (BMDP).

A letter was soon delivered to my mailbox. I am aware that BMDP was recently in the news as it has been specially called up by the Ministry of Health for a special audit although i thought this negative publicity shouldn't stop us from stepping forward as a potential donor to help those urgently in need, e.g those suffering from leukemia.

Anyway, the letter contained a swab kit that would need you to complete and mail back to the organisation. Instructions were simple even though i was initially taken aback by the items laid out in front me. Hence, don't think too much and just follow according to the instructions.

Swab holder and the sterile cotton-tipped swabs. For someone who has been a dental orderly, i am aware of the process to make sure i don't contaminate the swabs.

Here's the fun part - you have two swabs; one for each side of your cheek and you are required to rub the insides of your cheek with sufficient pressure! It was so similar to brushing that i was tempted to rub against my teeth too!

Put both swabs in the swab holder; i think i have put too much pressure as the tips were literally dripping. Can't help for having easily-activated salivary glands.

Packed and sealed the necessary documents and items using the given pre-addressed envelope.

And drop it off at the postal box! So what happen if you are a match? Basically, you would be called up for additional blood testing to verify your compatibility and health condition. You may choose to say no at this point but standing on the side of the patient and his/her family, i could only imagine their disappointment given that it's a life and death matter concerning their loved one.

I don't think i am a hero to register myself as a donor (personally feel that this is a waste of donated funds). Rather, i just believe in karma and hope that i might be useful for someone in need of my bone marrow.

What are you waiting for?

Sign up here.

p.s. for the FAQs, click here.

Aoy’s Thai Noodle Bar @ Changi International Airport Terminal 3 [Singapore]

KSL Hotel & Resort - Connected to the KSL Mall @ Johor Bahru [Singapore]

Smart Bracelet (H8) with Step Tracker, Distance Calculator & Calorie Count from Qoo10 - Time to Start Walking More!

Tenderfresh Classic (可愛雞) - More Than Just Fried Chicken @ Punggol Waterway Point [Singapore]

Second Visit to Honolulu Cafe - Curry Fish Balls & Chicken Wings with Swiss Sauce @ Centrepoint [Singapore]

All Black Charcoal Kaya Wafer Toast @ Bagus Food Court [Woodland's Causeway Point, Singapore]

The Daily Roundup Cafe - Salted Caramel Sweet Crepes & Amazonian Acai Bowl @ Keong Saik Road [Chinatown, Singapore]

The Coconut Club (Kelab Kelapa / 椰子俱乐部 / தேங்காய் கிளப்) with its Expensive Nasi Lemak & Super Good Cendol @ Ann Siang Hill [Singapore's Chinatown] #thecoconutclubsg

Louise's Birthday (and the Marvelous Homemade Carrot Cake) 2017!

A Scolding for Jovyn & Her Body Language

Chui Xiang Kitchen (醉香小厨) - Lobster Porridge and Other Tze Char Dishes @ 126 Casuarina Road [Singapore]

9-Inch Fresh & Uncooked Pizza from Cold Storage (Yishun's Northpoint Mall) - Add The Ingredients You Love to the Bake-Yourself Thin & Crispy Pizza [Singapore]

4Fingers Crispy Chicken Drumsticks @ Northpoint Shopping Centre [Singapore]

Lazada GSS Sale: "Surprise Box" Campaign! #lazadasg #lazadaGSS #goglobalshoplocal #jabra

Crossings Cafe - Where All Profits Go to Charity @ Waterloo Street (Near Bras Basah MRT Station) [Singapore]

Maternal Grandmother's Death Anniversary [Lunar Calendar: 10 May]

Don Meijin's Tendon @ Ramen Champion Bugis+ [Singapore]

Baking with the Expert; Joyce's Mother in Law @ Cavin's Kitchen

Heng Hua Restaurant (兴化美食) - A Worthy Alternative to Putien? @ Yishun [Singapore]

Bone Marrow Donor Program - Signing Up To Be A Donor