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Guksu Restaurant - Hotpot, Jeongol, Noodle, Fried Chicken Wing, Watermelon Soju @ Suntec City Mall [Singapore]

June 12, 2017, 7:59 am
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Without any travel posts to fill up this blog for the next one month or so, i have to rely on the original basis that resulted in the creation of this account; food, and this time, i shall bring you to a self-claimed new age Korean restaurant to check out their offerings! 

Guksu Restaurant @ Suntec City Mall - the above photo was taken at 9.20 pm, when we left; i would always try to show you guys and gals how the "insides" look like. Was the place packed at dinnertime? It sure was and there's even a queue outside.

Please use the tablet to order your meal. As with most technology, the algorithms may not be as complex as the human's mind and things might not work perfectly. I experienced it that day when i couldn't send my order for the chicken wing + watermelon soju set! 

Let's check out the bar counter! Do note that you are only given free flow sauces and side dishes. Drinks are chargeable and they depend on what you request for. 

Those craving for soft drinks can opt for coca cola, coke zero, fanta grape and sprite. Sorry, juscool and Yeo's ice lemon tea were either sold out or unavailable. 

Traditionalists would be pleased to have the corn tea; cold or hot. The incredibly warm weather for the past few weeks warranted a cold corn tea! Frankly, i had totally forgotten that we still had watermelon soju although i thought it wouldn't be sufficient to quench our thirst. 

Sauces, seeds, nuts and other condiments. For a moment, it almost felt like i was in a Chinese hotpot restaurant but the kimchi brought me to back to reality. 

Guess you don't need further explanation for the above. 

Drinks, checked. Cutlery; checked. Portable stove for the army stew; checked. Where's our food?! My personal pet peeve about dinner is that i prefer to have it before 7 pm and the later i have my food, the more impatient i get. Not the fault of the restaurant, obviously. 

Kimchi - i don't know kimchi well enough to know the different types but i do know that i would love to get a bottle of this kimchi so that i can mix them to my instant noodles for that tangy sweet yet sour bite.

Budae Jjigae - known popularly as army stew, i don't count this as a traditional stew since it's a rather 'recent' creation after the Korean war and came with beef broth (oops, didn't know it's beef), luncheon meat, ham, sausages, kimchi, beancurd, instant noodles, rice cake and vegetables. 

To put it bluntly, a pack of self-cooked Myojo seafood instant noodles taste better. Granted there were sufficient ingredients to pamper us, the broth wasn't rich and flavourful enough to wow us. Maybe it needs more instant noodles seasoning?

Soy Chicken Wings with Watermelon Soju Set- i think i am enjoying my alcohol nowadays as the usual me wouldn't even have a sip of alcoholic drink! Whatever the case, it's a nice display of chicken wings ahead of us. 

For the chicken wing platter, you can choose from classic, soy, spicy and wasabi and from the picture, i am guessing there were about ten chicken wings, divided into ten parts of drumettes and ten parts of wingettes. 

Don't want to dirty your hands?! Grab the gloves! This supposedly kind gesture deprives diners from the "finger-licking good" experience but without a washing area within the restaurant; even i decided to don the gloves.

Verdict on the chicken wings - i like the fact that it's dripping of aromatic sweetness and the skin, dotted with sesame seeds, retained that delicious crunchiness! If not for the fact that i am sharing with three persons, i could easily clean up the entire plate! Kon felt that it's too wet though. 

On the watermelon soju -it was rather light and not as sweet as i thought it would be. The problem was that the more i had, the better i enjoyed the alcoholic beverage. 

It would not be so bad with just that one watermelon. However, there was an extra jug containing even more of the fruit soju! 

And with it right in front of me, i couldn't help but keep going. I kid you not; i am like the taker of almost half of the watermelon soju! Even though i didn't get drunk, i was high (and red) and i literally collapsed onto my bed after washing up. Strangely, it felt good. 

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Location
3 Temasek Boulevard, #02-385 (above Uniqlo),
Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983

Website
http://www.guksurestaurant.com/

Pricing
Budae Jjigae - S$39.90
Chicken Wings with Watermelon Soju Set - S$59.00
5% Discount if you pay by Cash
(Subject to GST & Service Charge)
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Kogane Yama Tendon - Beside Chir Chir Chicken @ Bugis Junction [Singapore]

June 14, 2017, 8:47 am
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In usual circumstances, i would not check out a place that was just featured on the media as i would have expected a long queue outside the shop and likely insane waiting time simply to get my butt in.

But as can be seen from my recent postings, i am on the roll when it comes to tendon. Hence, i couldn't resist thinking about this new dining establishment that i read about that very morning in The Sunday Times, and i was on my way to Bugis for karaoke at Manekineko!

It was like ten minutes before noon and i was actually pleasantly surprised that the crowd had yet to descend for lunch; we managed to secure seats immediately.

Interior of the small eatery (photo taken when we were about to leave); clean, simple and didn't feel as cramped as the one at Tendon Ginza Itsuki.

Those who prefer to dine alone or do people-watching can consider the window seat with tall chairs. Since it faces the main corridor, be prepared for curious shoppers looking in to check out what the restaurant has to offer.

Four selections of tendon (mixed, chicken, prawn or vegetable), option of either rice, udon (extra charge) or soba (extra charge), choice of non-spicy / spicy (three levels) sauce and you can upgrade to a set at $2 for chawanmushi and green tea / miso soup.

I am not interested to think too much when it's my first meal on a Sunday and i went with mixed bowl, boring rice, non-spicy sauce and the upgrade. Apart from the exquisite looking plate on the table, i was most drawn to the shimmering gold spoon!

Chawanmushi - scalding hot; do eat with caution and remember to blow it a few second before dumping the whole load into your mouth. Watery and silky-smooth, this was easily one of the better chawanmushi i had although Alex didn't quite like the high water content.

Miso Soup - nothing special and i regretted not opting for the green tea instead.

Mixed Tendon - unlike the last two tendon-specialised restaurants i blogged about (namely, Don Meijin and Kohaku), Kogane Yama didn't follow the attractive presentation that featured a plate in the bowl that helped to prop up the tempuras even though it had its own eye-catching method; the deep fried Shiso Leaf!

Ingredient count - in addition to the leaf, there's the piece of seaweed, two segments of french beans, one portion of enoki mushrooms, a slice of green pepper, two pieces of sweet potatoes, one shiitake mushroom, one chicken chunk and two prawns with intact heads.

While the batter was generally light without being cloyingly oily, i had a major grouch on the apparent insufficient sweet sauce that's supposed to drench the tempura; it's like eating salad without much dressing to enhance their palatability!

To be fair, the long wait of more than 20 minutes to have the hot bowl of tendon placed on our table meant that the ingredients were likely freshly deep fried and items like the chicken was nicely seasoned with a soft, juicy bite.

On one hand, prawns with heads had better visual appeal. On the other hand, it would mean that the customers had to take the trouble to decapitate them and there's always the risk of biting into an acrid, yucky segment that had been contaminated by the prawns' brain.

I do appreciate the fact that there wasn't much rice in the tendon since i am not exactly a big rice eater. However, i took issue with the texture of the grains; they were mushy and that's probably due to excessive water being added in when cooking the rice. p.s. i am speaking from personal experience as i am guilty of cooking mushy sushi rice once.

The addition of fish roes was helpful in covering the bad texture of the rice but then again, i would definitely welcome more sauce in place of fish roes!

You know what's funny? A customer right ahead of me at the cashier counter was complaining about the rice texture which i totally can relate to. And while i was saying my piece to the cashier, the same gentleman returned to comment that he would like more sauce too!

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Location
200 Victoria Street, #02-50,
Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021
(Beside Chir Chir Chicken)

Map

As above

Facebook Page

Menu
As above

Pricing
Mixed Tendon Set - S$17.80
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
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Ming Fa Fuzhou Fishball Soup @ Yishun Northpoint Kopitiam [Singapore]

June 16, 2017, 8:58 am
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The problem I faced when I moved out from my parents' place a year ago centered on food as I no longer had the convenience of having my mom cooked a warm, nice meal for me whenever I get home. 

Of course, I could always whip up a meal myself but I am too tired by the time I reached Yishun and more often than not, I have the tendency to just buy a packet of chicken rice from the nearby coffee shop; fattening no doubt and the situation continued unabated until I found this fishball noodle stall at Kopitiam foodcourt at Northpoint! 

Now, noodle is carbohydrate and it has a friendly relationship with fats; so, my aim is never on the noodle. The fuzhou fishball soup was the one that caught my attention. 

I have been buying the fuzhou fishball soup from the stall for quite a while and it's only today I realized there was a bowl of deep fried pork lard that's free for you to take! There's no way I would skip the opportunity even though this would negate my objective of having less fatty food; I simply couldn't resist pork greaves! 

Soup was the clear type that's similar to most fish ball soup yet there's a light sweetness to it that kept me sipping until the very last drop! Pork lard was a disappointment as they had gone soft! :( So much for anticipation. 

The main stars were the fuzhou fishballs and they featured their signature burst of hot and deliciously sweet meat juice as I sank my teeth in. Texture of the fishball was on the more solid side which might not appeal to some people although I personally would prefer some "bite" for fishballs. 

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Location
930 Yishun Avenue 2, #B2-10, 
Kopitiam Food Court Stall 18,
Northpoint Shopping Centre, 
Singapore 769098

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Fuzhou Fishball Soup - S$5.00
(10% Discount for Kopitiam Card Holders)

Additional Information
Promotion if you purchase the abalone or abalone clam minced pork noodles! I do enjoy a bowl of piping hot noodle even though it's generally less preferred for dinner. 

p.s. photos were taken using iPhone 7 Plus

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Jovyn's Birthday 2017 - My Home is Officially a Birthday Venue!

June 17, 2017, 7:02 pm
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Celebrating Jovyn's birthday is a joyous affair, as with the case of other birthdays within the family although in the case of our family's youngest member, it's also the time when I reminisce the loss of Rubee, my very first dog; who passed on in the same year that Jovyn was born.

It has been six years and even our little bundle of joy has grown up to be an utterly charming kid with a ready toothy smile wherever she goes. And yesterday, the entire family met up at my house for her big day.

Hair was too messy for photo-taking and the mum insisted on combing it to at least a manageable and more presentable state. As usual, her cheekiness remained in spite of the discomfort. 

Okay, I purposely refocused the camera on the cake; because I am the one who baked it! As the kids don't enjoy any stuff (slices of pineapple, shreds of carrots etc) in a cake, I decided to bake a swiss roll, covered it with cheese cream frosting and topped it with rainbow ball sprinkles instead! 

The customary photos with all the family members except for me as I am camera shy (and have no trust in the photo-taking skills of my family as they always bring out my bad angles). My true self though. Haha. 

She was selective on who can take the place beside her and it's not her immediate family. My younger sister is the one who got the absolute priority, together with my mom. 

Many people made the mistake of assuming Jovyn is Louise's daughter, given how close they are and it's a fact that Jovyn did resemble her when she was younger! 

After the 4-version birthday song (yes, they crept back this year), it's time to blow the candles! I still remember how Jovyn used to have difficulties blowing her candles and instead of gusts of air; it was splatters of saliva.

Cut-cake time with the assistance of Louise as I didn't have a plastic knife at home and Jovyn had to use the dangerous-looking stainless steel, serrated knife. 

Making the Swiss roll wasn't difficult but what were supposed to be little pink flowers turned out to be a big mess as the cream wasn't stable enough. I eventually spread the pink frosting over and it looked kind of weird. Maybe I should take a course of cream cheese/butter cream decoration with Phoon Huat using the skillsfuture credits. 

Present time! I love buying presents although it's hard chore deciding if the receiver would like the stuff I purchase. Hence, I always prefer to know what the person would like to have. And you know what Jovyn told us when we asked via the family WhatsApp chat group? She said we should give her a surprise! 

By surprise, my sister's immediate reaction in the chat group was that she will buy her a bra. That will be surprising since she can't use it until a few years later. I am eviler; my reply was "tampon". :P 

Whispering to my dad, she daringly asked where is her present. Pity for her, my dad isn't a big present giver even when we were young. It might be easier for her to get a red packet rather than a wrapped present. 

Jovyn and her presents; want to guess what's mine? 

The crocodile dentist! I like to buy things I like for others and I guess this toy would be immense fun for family bonding! It sure resulted in a lot of laughter when we started playing it after clearing the table! 

Birthday gal and her bag of presents! Want to know how much she has grown over the years, check out my almost annual postings for Jovyn's birthday; 4th, 3rd, 2nd and one month. 

Happy Birthday Once Again, Jovyn! 
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Buta God Tonkotsu God Ramen @ Bugis Plus Ramen Champion [Singapore]

June 18, 2017, 8:08 am
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I cannot imagine I am back again at Ramen Champion but I couldn't help it when the ramen craving struck and there's always a wide variety for us to choose from at Ramen Champion; an advantage given that Alex is extremely picky when it comes to his meals. 

This time, my decision was for Buta God even though most votes at the moment were for Menya Ryu. Well, it's named after a god for a reason and I am going to find out if it's worth my money. 

Could I just include a small little feedback about the payment token given to us at the point of entry? I could feel the elastic band suffocating my wrist and couldn't imagine the discomfort from a person with thicker wrist! 

You know how sometimes the food on the menu doesn't appear to be even remotely similar to what you received? That's not the case at Buta God and my bowl of the thumbs-up God Ramen was almost the same with a perfect onsen egg; save for maybe the colour of the pork belly which appeared lighter on the menu.

Tonkotsu is a ramen style that's known for its time-consuming broth made from pork bones and this would not disappoint those looking for an intense flavour that hovers way past the porky taste. Not my kind of soup although there's an addictive richness added with a tinge of sweetness masking the conventional porkiness that I would have usually reject. 

Noodles were too hard for my liking and coming to the generous serving of pork belly; as Buta refers to pork in Japanese, I am expecting a certain level of tender softness from the pork in the ramen. It wasn't the case, chewy and tough would be my truthful review; i wonder if things would be different if i take lesser photographs and save like 20-30 seconds. 

Didn't finish the soup at the end as it got a little bit too overbearing and i was looking forward to a cup of water to wash down the savouriness. 

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Location
201, Victoria Street, #04-10, 
Bugis+, Buta God, Ramen Champion, 
Singapore 188067

Map
As above.

Menu
As above.

Pricing
God Ramen - S$15.00
(Subject to GST)

Review of Competitors
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Hamburg Steak Keisuke - Triple Cheese Set with Free Flow Salad Bar & Eggs @ 72 Peck Seah Street [Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, Singapore]

June 20, 2017, 8:10 am
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I was warned that the queue can be long but taking time-off from work in order to get to Hamburg Steak Keisuke just when it opened for business was totally worth it as we didn't even have to wait in line! 

We were ushered in immediately and i quickly put down my bag at our allocated table; reason being this would be the best time to take photographs before more customers stream in.

Ordering will have to come later although it's not too difficult given that there were only two items on the menu; the normal hamburg steak and the triple cheese variant. Other highlights, aside from the steak, were the free flow salad bar and unlimited eggs! 

The section where you can have your fill of eggs and up to 25 salad selections that were mystically surrounded by misty cool air.

Egg lovers would be happy to know that you can take as much as you can eat and all the eggs at the restaurant were supplied by a local farm on a daily basis! 

In addition to omelette, sunny side up and tamago yaki, you can even order deep fried egg, boiled egg, turn over, scrambled egg and half boiled egg. On second thought, are there supposed to be onsen eggs? 

Selection from the salad bar from your viewing pleasure; you have your romaine lettuce, frizze red, frizze green, cauliflower, broccoli, shredded cabbage, purple cabbage, mixed seaweed, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper, shredded onion, shredded red onion, shredded carrot, shredded radish, tomato, long bean, mixed bean, sweet corn and Japanese cucumber. 

That's not all; potato salad, macaroni salad, strips of radish, cha soba salad, sapporo ramen salad, pasta salad with tuna, sweet potato with lemon, simmered pumpkin, marinated bean sprout, picked cabbage, orange, pineapple, watermelon and coffee jelly. 

Are you counting? In terms of the number of items, there were over 30 and i suspected some like peppers etc could have been collectively bunched as one item.  I was famished and couldn't resist taking the more "worth it" stuff like pasta and sweet potatoes! 

Came back to my table and spotted Keisuke's signature green tea cola! That's like the must order whenever i dine in any restaurant under the Keisuke brand. In comparison to the sakura cola, green tea is way better.

Tamago yaki was deeply etched in my colleague's memory and she heaped praises on it like nobody's business! It was indeed nice with a moist texture and a delicious grilled flavour that differed from normal tamago. Don't eat too much of this as we have yet to start on the main star for the day! 

The star was still busy dolling itself so i guess i would have to start on my salad bowl which had the three kinds of pasta; pasta salad with tuna, sapporo ramen salad and cha soba salad. Which took my soul away? Definitely the super flavourful sapporo ramen salad that had Japanese sesame dressing mixed in! 

My triple cheese hamburg steak set was finally here! Do note that no sharing is allowed and it's strictly one set for each person; unless you are a big eater, this set that came with a hamburg steak, a piece of tofu, fried beancurd, rice and miso soup would literally fill you up rather quickly.

Four types of sauce, which had to be informed upon ordering, for your selection; keisuke original (soya base), teriyaki mayonnaise, demi-glace and grated radish & citrus soya vinegar! 

Slice open the steak and be prepared to snap a few shots of the triple cheese (cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella) oozing out from the steaming hot 100% beef patty!

Meat was so tender; i think a toothless person would have enjoyed it as much as i did. Taste wise was almost like IKEA meat balls in the old days yet much bigger (and way more satisfying)! I feel that the cheese gave a significant, positive punch to the meat and you can't deny that visually, it was perfect for your Instagram.

Prawn teriyaki was quite good, especially when you dip it into the mayonnaise with onion bits! A friend had the teriyaki mayonnaise sauce and i thought it was tastier! Anyway, since i already had the pasta salad and the eggs beforehand, i honestly couldn't stomach the bowl of rice; there's still about 75% left.

That fullness in my tummy didn't stop me from taking another serving of the sapporo ramen salad! Darn, i almost couldn't walk another step after that but it was so good! 

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Location
72 Peck Seah Street,
Singapore 079329
(Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station)

Map
As above.

Operating Hours
11.30 am to 2.30 pm
5.30 pm to 10.00 pm

Website

Menu
As above

Pricing
Triple Cheese Hamburg Steak Set - S$20.80
Green Tea Cola - S$3.80 
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

Additional Information
Do note that even though you can get your friends to queue for you, everyone has to be present before you would be given a table!

Nevertheless, you can help yourself to the Japanese barley tea while waiting. I always welcome such nice gestures by restaurants as they treasure you as their customers.

Phone ran out of battery and you can't Instagram? Charge it using the USB port! No charging cable? Get one from the service staff by exchanging it with your identity card / passport! 

By the way, the restaurant doesn't have pork / lard in their food.
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Fei Zai Hokkien Mee (肥仔福建面) @ S11 Yishun 744 Kopitiam [Opposite Yishun MRT Station]

June 21, 2017, 7:46 am
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The distance between Yishun MRT station and my house was only about a five-minute walk but for the past few weeks, I had noticed a banner that's placed right outside the S11 coffee shop and I can't miss the Chinese characters "古早味", which means the traditional taste, on it. 

At my age, the traditional taste would sometimes evoke nice memories of my childhood and I gamely asked my parents to join me this evening to check out the supposedly 'traditional-tasting' Hokkien Mee! 

There's always a queue at the stall and tonight's no exception although I only waited about six minutes to get my two plates of noodles as the chef was already preparing a big wok for distribution when I joined the line. 

Compared to the mouthwatering picture on the banner, I was taken aback by how different the plate of Hokkien mee was in reality; it didn't have that visual draw and I thought it looked kind of dismal at $4 a plate with just two prawns and hardly any squid.

A generous sprinkling of crispy pork lard might help to increase its appeal and entice me to salivate a bit. The good thing is that there were quite a few pieces of pork belly but you kind of couldn't see them as they were relatively well hidden in the midst of thick bee hoon.

Taste wise - the stall made good on its claim for the traditional taste and each strand of noodle was coated with a thick gravy that was both rich and intense in flavor! I slurped up every delicious strand like a child totally immersed in enjoying the plate of Hokkien mee! Do eat the noodle as soon as you could as the gravy tends to dry up pretty fast! 

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Location 
Block 744 Yishun Street 72,
S11 Coffee Shop, Singapore 760744
(Opposite Yishun MRT Station)

Map

As above.

Pricing
Hokkien Mee - Minimal S$4 a plate

Other Stalls in the Same Coffeeshop



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Numerous Burns While Baking & The Remedy to Treat the Burns!

June 22, 2017, 8:41 am
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Baking is a newfound hobby that i have enjoyed for the past one year but being a rather careless person, getting burns on my hands were common in the beginning and the painful lessons had taught me to be more careful whenever i bake. 

However, i got a rather bad burn on my hand in my recent baking session with Joyce's mother in law; due to the haste for which i had to take out the kueh lapis tray to add another layer! 

It was a lot redder in reality and the above photograph was taken a day later as i didn't think of blogging about it initially.

My family swears by a cream that's like a miracle remedy for any burns and the immediate instinct after i burnt my hand was to smear the burn area with a significant amount of the magical cream; it will cool the injury and you wouldn't even feel much pain after that. 

Condition after a week where the new skin started to form. I had to put on the cream on a daily basis, preferably twice a day although i tried to maintain at least once a day. 

10 days later.

I am quite impressed that i exercised diligence in spreading the cream daily. Normally, the scatter-brain in me would remember today, forget tomorrow and remember once again a few days later.

In slightly less than 3 weeks, the burn mark was hardly noticeable and there's not much scarring! Thanks to Bao Fu Ling (宝肤灵); the cream that my family would always buy whenever we go to China on a tour package! It's quite pricey at about S$60 for a 100-gram bottle but its results are remarkable when it comes to burns! 

Remember, the authentic ones come from a medicinal hall in China known as 宝树堂 and although you may find similar ones in Singapore / Malaysia, i am not sure if they are the "real" ones. 
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Guan's Mee Pok (with Yakitori, Fish Maw & Onsen Egg) - 阿源面薄 @ 713, Clementi West Street 2 [West Coast, Singapore]

June 24, 2017, 8:16 am
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When it comes to choosing mee pok or mee kia for my bak chor (minced pork) or fishball noodle, there's a 75% chance I would go for mee pok which is a flat type of local noodle.

At Guan's Mee Pok, there's only one choice and I am definitely not complaining given it saves me a lot of time in deliberating between mee pok and mee kia! Now, I didn't know that Guan's Mee Pok already has an established reputation and is actually famed for their unique toppings like yakitori, fish maw, squid or even abalone on a bed of minced pork noodle.

From the articles put up at the branch, I guess there must be a following from the Japanese community in the West Coast enclave. By the way, this stall is located in the same coffee shop as the Japanese-managed Ah Hoe Mee Pok although there's no competition since the latter had already closed shop.

My S$5 Guan's Mee Pok with Yakitori - I would love to go with the squid but the ridiculous pricing of $9 was, in essence, too expensive and too hard to stomach. 

Let's start with the soup that had a generous serving of cut spring onions which can be self-served from the stall itself - it wasn't your usual dead, bland soup and I liked it enough to down it to the very last drop.

Now on the pretty well-hidden noodle with all the fanciful toppings; traditionalists like my mom would not take kindly to this fusion innovation although I am all for special, blow-me-away taste experience. 

Clearing the toppings first - dumpling was okay, fish maw was soft, onsen egg wasn't served hot although its taste was good enough, that fried fish thingy was nice and crunchy and coming to the yakitori; I thought the meat was soft with a pretty nice marination even though it wasn't spectacular enough to overtake the one from Tori Q. 

Remaining would be the noodles and my favourite crispy pork lards! I had a lot more because two of my lunch mates passed theirs to me! Noodle, by right the star of the dish, was cooked perfectly with just the right balance of softness and hardness and the vinegar taste, though significant, wasn't overpowering! 

I cleaned up the bowl effortlessly! At S$5, it was indeed pricey but once you discount the luxurious toppings (a typical stick of yakitori would cost about S$1.00-S$1.50), it's almost comparable to a normal bowl of bak chor mee from a coffee shop. 

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Location
Block 713, Clementi West Street 2, 
#01-115, One Kitchen Coffee Shop, 
Singapore 120713

Map

As above.

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Mee Pok with Yakitori -  S$5.00 
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Deerma Handheld Vacuum Cleaner (DX-118C) - A Powerful Suction & It's Inexpensive! - Purchased from Lazada.sg

June 25, 2017, 7:27 am
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Ever since i moved into my own house, which was already more than a year ago, i had been wanting to purchase a handheld vacuum cleaner and i finally got one through Lazada.sg! 

I was expecting a vacuum cleaner but i sure didn't know there were so many helpful accessories given as well since the price i paid for it was honestly quite an eye-popper.

This 60-cm extender would allow me to reach the ceiling of my HDB flat and that's important as spiders had taken over some corners and dust accumulation on the air-conditioning trunking can be such an eye sore! 

Don't worry about the wire as it's about 4 meters long! 

It can even be converted into an upright vacuum cleaner for your floor! Now, i have my fair share of expensive handheld vacuum cleaners with horrendous suction power but this came strongly recommended by two friends and it had a supposedly strong suction at 600 W.

Want to know how well it performs? Check out the video above! 

The suction was really powerful and i not complaining of its noise as i only paid S$35.01 for it! Add in shipping and it's still less than S$40.00! 

Only problem i faced was how to store the vacuum and its accessories since the box they came with were rather destroyed by me in my haste to check out my purchase. Hmmmm...

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Purchased From

Pricing
Deerma Handheld Vacuum Cleaner (DX-118C) - S$35.01
Shipping Cost - S$2.99
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Amazing Hanjuku Cheese Tart from Tokyo Secret @ JB City Square [Malaysia]

June 26, 2017, 7:04 am
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In my last visit to Johor Bahru with mom and the sisters, we bumped into my cousin's husband who very kindly bought us a pack of cheese tarts that he claimed to be much better than those sold in Singapore! 

I specifically traveled back to City Square shopping center today to seek out the shop and remembering it was on the fourth floor, it didn't take me long to find it despite the supposedly shrouded secrecy given the name of Tokyo Secret. A joke, by the way.

There wasn't any queue and I got my six cheese tarts in no time; am guessing that not many people are aware of its existence which was a good thing for me. Absolutely detest queuing when time is a luxury nowadays. 

Noticed something interesting on the digital signage of Tokyo Secret; four ways to enjoy the cheese tarts! Fresh from the oven, cold from the refrigerator, frozen from the freezer and reheated from the toaster! 

My intention was to bring back the pack of cheese tarts to Singapore where I would have more time to shoot nicer photographs. However, the traffic jam along the causeway appeared to be really bad and if the situation was as bad at the bus bays, chances were high that the tarts would likely be smashed beyond recognition. 

Taking advantage of the time my mom went to the ladies room (which had an incredibly long queue), I opened up the box hurriedly so that time would not be wasted! 

As I carefully lifted one up from its protective holder within the box, I can feel its insides jiggling; I had to proceed with extra caution as many pairs of eyes were looking at a strange man holding on to a cheese tart while taking photos from a huge ass DSLR, outside the washroom. 

I took a bite; Mmmmm mmmm mmmm, it was so bloody good! The buttery crunchy crust gave way to a lightly burnt cheese top that disintegrated and merged perfectly with the soft yet warm and melty cheese in the middle. 

Personally, I had tried the numerous cheese tarts in Singapore but nothing came close to Tokyo Secret Hanjuku (half baked) Cheese Tart for the textural experience and delicious Japan-imported cheese! My expression must have reflected my love for the cheese tarts as someone tapped me on the shoulder shortly and asked for the location of Tokyo Secret. 

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Location
106-108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook,
Johor Bahru City Square, Level 4,
Lot MS-03, Bandar Johor Bahru,
80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
(Near Action City on Level 4 of City Square) 

Website

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Hanjuku Cheese Tart - RM 7.90 each
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You Kee XO Restaurant (有记xo烧腊之家) - Loving the Epic Crystal Char Siew @ KSL City Shopping Centre [Malaysia]

June 29, 2017, 8:00 am
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I have known for quite some time that my favourite char siew restaurant has set up shop at a way more convenient location in Malaysia but maybe due to ageing, i thought i had blogged about it before!

So here's my official post on You Kee XO Restaurant at KSL mall; no longer would i need to take a long cab ride to Tebrau City as KSL is one of Singaporeans' favourite destinations in Johor Bahru and just a short taxi ride from the Malaysian checkpoint. 

Just like its branch near Aeon Tebrau City, there are two huge earthen urns at its KSL stall and if you have read my original post here; you would know exactly the content buried within the urns. 

They contained mini pots of herbal soup and we ordered one even though i am not exactly a soup lover in the tropical climate that we are in. Exception is when the weather is super cooling which wasn't the case when i went last Monday; it's so bloody hot! 

Soup was nice alright and there's a mix of chicken meat and pork ribs in herbal broth. Name is called 杀生汤 which translates into killing soup; not so much about poisoning people as 杀生 usually refers to the slaughter of animals, strongly discouraged in Buddhism.

Although my love is deep for you kee's signature crystal char siew, i would normally order a mixed platter, especially when it's more than just me dining. I would have included suckling pig instead of roast duck but Alex insisted on the latter.

Oh, before i forget; remember to order their blended lime juice. It's the perfect beverage in hot weather and a total thirst quencher!

Now coming back to our platter of char siew, roast duck and roast pork. Roast pork was super fatty and i can so imagine my dad picking out the fats and concurrently complaining non-stop on the health risks of ingesting too much fats. It tasted quite good and there's that crispy, nice crunchy skin on top that roast pork lovers would enjoy.

Roast duck was quite a dampener and even Alex had to admit it wasn't to his satisfaction; it was tougher and the roast duck skin didn't impress. If i want roast duck, i would have gone to the famous one near City Square mall; the same one that's said to have passed the recipe to Dian Xiao Er in Singapore.

Char siew was as expected; marvelicious!  The whole chunk of juicy fat, surrounded by just a thin layer of charred, crystalised skin peppered with aromatic sesame seeds, was irresistible and my only regret was not ordering a few packets to share with my friends and colleagues back in Singapore!

Satisfied. *burp*

=====

Location
33 Jalan Seladang, LG 33,
KSL City, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru,
Johor, Malaysia

Contact
+607-289-1483
+6016-771-8802

Facebook Page

Pricing
Herbal Soup (S) - RM 18.80
Roast Duck (M) - RM 16.10
Char Siew (M) - RM 15.80
Roast Pork (M) - RM 12.60
Blended Lime Juice - RM 4.50
(Inclusive of GST)

Additional Information
If you prefer to spend more time at KSL, you may consider staying at KSL Hotel & Resort! For my review, please click here. Another hotel option is Holiday Villa hotel, which is next to KSL Hotel & Resort.

Want to sing karaoke? Check out I am a Singer Family Karaoke! p.s. if you ask me, it's actually cheaper to sing at Manekineko Karaoke in Singapore.

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Yonehachi - Grill Chicken Saikyo Scallop Okowa (Mixed Sticky Glutinous Rice) Set @ Takashimaya Food Hall [Orchard Road, Singapore]

June 30, 2017, 8:30 am
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In the Southeast Asian food culture, rice is a basic staple and many of us couldn't do without rice for an extended period of time; even for me although I am always on a carbohydrate-restricted diet. 

When it comes to the different types of rice, the one that loads to your calorie count excessively is glutinous rice; hence, I would normally reject such rice in my food unless it is inevitable like in the case of rice dumplings. 

But, the above display at the always-crowded Takashimaya Food Hall caught my immediate attention; thinking it might be fried rice in various forms, I walked closer for a better look. 

Hailed from Japan with more than 140 shops, Yonehachi specialises in Okowa which is, simply put, sticky glutinous rice and there were five types for us to choose from that day; red bean, chestnut, salmon, gomuku (seaweed, chicken, carrot) and scallop. 

If you want to try every single of them, do consider buying the pack as above that would give you all five mixes. Not exactly my cup of tea as that seems like a lot of rice; suicidal for anyone who wants to cut down on carbohydrates. 

Anway, my friend and i decided to give it a try as Yonehachi offers more than just grains. There were sets with grilled/fried chicken/fish that would appeal to the meat savage in us. 

As with Nakajima Suisan Grilled Fish in the same food hall, you need to order and make payment before proceeding to your assigned seat. It's an efficient method as we can be extremely indecisive in what we want to eat and this would deprive others of seats when they honestly need it with the food trays in their hands. 

The waiting game. 

Less than ten minutes later, my chicken saikyo set was placed on the table. The set comprised of miso soup, the grilled chicken, the okowa, pickles, salad and a cup of houji tea (roasted green tea). There were two seasonal okowa; scallop and gomuku and I opted for the former as seafood would always be preferred for their supposedly higher value. 

Mixed in with seaweed and green soybean, the scallop okowa was chockful of ingredients and tasted somewhat like my mom's incredibly popular Hokkien style glutinous rice except hers was better with a generous sprinkling of fried shallots! 

I was more impressed with the chicken saikyo and would in fact gladly pay for it without the glutinous rice which was too heavy and filling for me! 

Lightly grilled with just a bit of charred skin, it had a flavor similar to teriyaki chicken and the meat was very tender and juicy! I almost thought the meat was undercooked.

Despite my initial intention to leave maybe half the rice intact, I couldn't throw away the fact that it would be a waste of my money and hence, devoured everything! 

My friend had the salmon okowa and I got a bite with his permission; the rice was steeped deeper in flavor compared to my scallop and it was better tasting. 

=====

Location
391 Orchard Road, 
#B204-1/2, Takashimaya Food Hall,
Singapore 238873

Website

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Chicken Saikyo Set with Scallop Okowa - S$15.90
(No GST and No Service Charge)
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Koh Grill & Sushi Bar @ Wisma Atria [Orchard Road, Singapore]

July 2, 2017, 8:08 am
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To cater for the two younglings in my family, we often had no choice but to patronize the food courts given the wider variety and it was on one of those no-choice situations that we chanced upon Koh Grill and Sushi Bar.

Well, it will be very hard to miss it since it had the longest queue on the fourth level of Wisma Atria shopping center and the entire floor was, in essence, a food area that also included the Japan Food Town.

We decided to check out the place on a weekday instead and were lucky to have arrived slightly earlier as the queue was 38-person long when we were ushered in! Do keep in mind that everyone must be present before your group can be allowed in.

No picture of the interior and I could only muster a photo of the sushi bar counter. Nevertheless, it was rather cramped and I guess purposely designed this way to make you chop-chop finish your food so that other patrons could take over your table.

There were a few key recommendations and we thought we might as well order the grilled meat on skewers as well since there was an entire menu dedicated to them!

Grilled items that we had - shishamo, fresh oyster bacon roll, chicken skin, pork cheek, asparagus pork belly roll, golden mushroom pork belly roll and mini tomato pork belly roll.

Generally speaking, they were not too bad with the exception of the chicken skin which was too salty for our liking. The mini tomato pork belly roll burst with flavor as I didn't know what it was and happily detonated it! To be totally frank, I would still prefer the grilled meat skewers from Tori Q.

Salmon Sashimi - all sashimi sold in Singapore should be at least of this thickness for basic satisfaction! I was happy with what I had even though I couldn't help reminiscing the ones at Bangkok's Tohkai Sushi.

Sake Belly Soup - Sake is Japanese for Salmon by the way; just in case you think it's the Japanese rice wine. Anyway, this was ordered for mom and after taking a few sips, I concluded it was rather bland despite the fact that the pieces of salmon belly were fresh and tender.

Pitan Tofu - I am not much a tofu lover even though the sauce that covered it often increased its palatability a few folds! This was nice with a taste of something that I really love; century eggs!

Asparagus Buta Special - there's nothing special about asparagus wrapped with pork belly but this one was amazing due to the excessive fried garlic that accompanied the rolls! They were super addictive and I believe they would go well with simple, plain rice.

Yaki Udon - I had never been a big fan of udon and associated them with a similar local version known as bee tai mak which I don't quite like also. Hence, this fried udon with chicken, egg and vegetable would not have made it to the list if I am eating alone.

Verdict - what had I been missing all this while as it was super good with a lot of egg and it's like eating a noodle-based okonomiyaki! The thickness of the udon actually helped in two things; the sparing absorption of the sauce and slurping shiokness as you suck in each strand! 

Shiok Maki - using the word shiok in Singapore is like daring the locals to give it a try; we did, not least also due to the fact that it has a thumbs-up sign on the menu and according to many online reviews, the shiok maki is a die die must try! 

This is the first generation shiok maki - unagi wrapped in lightly roasted salmon that had this melty mayonnaise poured on it and topped with a generous heap of fish roes. 

It was superb and a big part had to be the special mayonnaise and fish roes that enhanced the roasted flavor of the salmon; to the extent of intensifying it to the point that I couldn't even taste the rice! As the name suggests, so shiok! 

=====

Location
435, Orchard Road,
#04-02/14, Wisma Atria,
Singapore 238877
(Next to Orchard MRT Station)

Reservation
6836-0609

Pricing
Shishamo - S$2.00
Fresh Oyster Bacon Roll - S$4.00
Chicken Skin - S$2.00
Pork Cheek - S$4.00
Asparagus Pork Belly Roll - S$3.00
Golden Mushroom Pork Belly Roll  - S$3.00
Mini Tomato Pork Belly Roll - S$3.00
Salmon Sashimi - S$8.00
Sake Belly Soup - S$12.00
Pitan Tofu - S$4.00
Asparagus Buta Special - S$10.00
Yaki Udon - S$10.00
Shiok Maki - S$16.80
(Subject to GST)
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Ah Loy Thai Restaurant - Reasonably Priced & Delicious Thai Cuisine near Bugis Junction @ Singapore

July 3, 2017, 8:30 am
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It was a hot and sunny afternoon - this sounds like an essay opening for a composition in primary school but nothing else describes the weather better when i walked out the exit of Bugis (downtown line) MRT station!

It didn't help that i would be having Thai cuisine which can be spicy and would likely result in me sweating buckets even in an air-conditioned environment. Whatever the case, Ah Loy Thai was suggested by Joyce, the birthday girl, and I shall not make any further complaint.

From outside, it looked like a meal at the restaurant (previously housed at Shaw Towers) would not come cheap although the situation indoor was a bit of a confusion; on one hand, there were the hanging chandeliers with portraits of a Thai king, Thai paintings and on the other hand, placed on the tiled floor were kopitiam standard furniture like wooden tables and chairs (without backrest).

The menu didn't include the price for each dish and before you start assuming it's a restaurant that would scam diners; please refer to the order sheet (to be attached nearing the end of this post) where the pricing was clearly indicated.

You don't pay service charge at Ah Loy Thai as you have to submit your order sheet to the cashier counter and make payment (only in cash) before the kitchen will even prepare your food!

The self service continues as you are also required to take your own plates, bowls, cutlery, serviettes and chillies from the common trolley. Personally, i think we patrons should do our part in view of the manpower shortage in the retail and dining industry and especially so when service charge isn't imposed.

Thai Lemongrass Drink - the cooling drink to have on a hot day although it was a tad too sweet for us. Oh well, i am already satisfied with the fact that there were loads of ice!

Pineapple Fried Rice - moist and utterly delicious; key was the many raisins that added an addictive saccharine bite to the wok-hei infused rice! And it didn't dawn on me that it's a pineapple fried rice until i bit into a piece of pineapple! As a pineapple fried rice, i thought that's quite a failure.

Mango Salad - sour and spicy, i am never a big fan of Thai salad and would rather stay with my conventional butter-head lettuce with tons of Kewpie roasted sesame dressing.

Pad Thai - this was nice although definitely not the best i had in my 37 years of life. Flavour was also on the bland side and i didn't even taste the sourness from the segment of lime that i happily squeezed the life out of.

Tom Yum Seafood - what makes a good tom yum soup? Some will tell you it must be both sourish and spicy; others will say there's more than that. I am a passive eater and my taste buds always prefer a milkier texture. This wasn't as milky and it didn't help that i was nursing a painful ulcer on my upper lip!

Thai Garlic Pork - now, i can taste the porky taste when my teeth sank in to the meat. In usual circumstance, i would have banished it to the end of table but there's something strange this time; the meat had a soft, tenderized touch and it actually tasted pretty good.

Thai Lemon Grass Steamed Fish - as my sister did the ordering, i assumed this was just as it appeared to be; a normal steamed fish in a fish-shaped bowl.

There was more; a pot appeared shortly after to drench the fish with its contents; lemon grass soup! I may not be a food connoisseur; however, wouldn't it be better to steam the fish together with the soup?

Anyway, it felt more like a steamed fish in tom yum and as with any steamed fish, freshness is of utmost importance and this didn't disappoint. I couldn't quite taste the lemongrass unless i took a spoonful of the soup and even then, the lemony taste was hardly noticeable.

Fried Omelette with Minced Pork - I don't remember chewing into any minced pork!!! Nevertheless, this was one oily yet fluffy omelette with crispy edges that i absolutely love! It felt like i was back to pier 21 food court at terminal 21 in Bangkok for my favourite omelette with rice!

Fried Butter Calamari - after so many rounds of butter calamari, this was the best; the squid wasn't rubbery, the batter wasn't excessively thick and you can totally taste the rich buttery sweetness!

Save the sauce and mix it with plain rich for that extra yummy, though sinful, ommph!

Romitt - said to be a traditional Thai style cendol, it was seriously nowhere like our local dessert even though it was sufficiently refreshing; the ice could be finer. Would go for the mango sticky rice the next time i visit!

The concluding end.

=====

Location
9 Tan Quee Lan Street,
#01-04, Singapore 188098

Map
As above. Near Bugis MRT Station (Exit D)

Opening Hours
Mondays to Sundays / PH - 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm
Mondays to Thursdays - 4.15 pm to 8.30 pm (last order)
Fridays to Sundays / PH - 4.15 pm to 9.00 pm (last order)
*PH - Public Holiday

Reservation
Call +65-8488-6528 / +65-9329-7599

Order Sheet
As above.

Pricing
Thai Lemongrass Drink - S$2.80
Pineapple Fried Rice - S$7.90
Mango Salad - S$7.40
Pad Thai - S$7.90
Tom Yum Seafood - S$8.90
Thai Garlic Pork - S$9.40
Thai Lemon Grass Steamed Fish - S$16.50
Fried Omelette with Minced Pork - S$8.50
Fried Butter Calamari - S$9.40
Romitt - S$4.90
(No GST, No Service Charge)
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Search

Mookata Traditional Thai BBQ - Set for 2 @ Bugis Junction [Singapore]

July 4, 2017, 8:30 am
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Restaurants with numerous branches all over Singapore can put me in a dilemma as I always feel that quality should be consistent across all stores and it doesn't make sense for me to blog about the food that came from the same restaurant; just a different branch.

However, it's a different story if the item I ordered was never shared in this blog. I know I am cutting it a bit too short here but a set for four is absolutely not the same as a set for two at Mookata Traditional Thai BBQ!

Anyway, this branch is conveniently located in Singapore's downtown (i.e. Bugis) and I thought it would be worth a mention here. p.s. didn't want to waste the photos that I took and my original post on Mookata Traditional Thai BBQ; it's the branch at ORTO which was located in a town with much negative publicity.

Given that the bugis junction outlet is housed within the shopping mall, charcoal fire would not be allowed for safety reason and the skillet, in this case, would be gas-powered instead. Would there be any difference? We would find out soon.

Before then, let's have a cup of ice cold lemongrass! It's a Thai cuisine day for me as I had Ah Loy Thai just a few hours before Mookata Traditional Thai BBQ. Compared to the lemongrass drink at Ah Loy Thai, this was less sweet yet better tasting; so much so that I requested for another cup in the middle of my meal.

Our set for two which was honestly more than sufficient for both Alex and me.

Meat wise - you can find "marinated chicken thigh, pork collar, prawns, squids, sukiyaki, bacon, pork belly, fishballs, meatballs, crabsticks and otah fishcakes".

Others included "chinese cabbage, kangkong, corn, enoki mushrooms, egg, glass noodles and tofu". A relatively healthy combination although the meat lover in me would have loved to replace all non-meat items. 

Grease the skillet with the fatty meat! I was looking around for pork lard and thought this was more pork belly, albeit with a lot more fats. Whatever, it did a beautiful job in oiling the surface for my upcoming BBQ materials. 

Meat was marinated so well and tasted delish even though there was a noticeable lack of that char-grill aroma that came from charcoal fire! 

Dip the meat into the restaurant's signature chili; it was spicier, less sweet and more watery than my favourite Kimball Thai chilli sauce. Shiok to have but my tongue suffers from the constant spiciness; lemongrass drink to the rescue!

Alex had more than his usual and I cannot imagine I actually ingested the majority of the ingredients swimming in the boiling, flavourful broth. Mix in a bit of the chili for that extra oomph! 

Saving that last piece for my personal indulgence. 

=====

Location
200 Victoria Street,
#02-53, Bugis Junction,
Singapore 188021

Nearest MRT Station
Bugis (Exit C)

Website

Pricing
Lemongrass Drink - S$3.50
Set for 2 - S$34.90
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
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Nasi Goreng Special (Fried Rice) & Sayap Ayam Bakar (BBQ Chicken Wings) from Seafood Pantai Kuta @ Kuta Sea Side Food Court in Bali [Indonesia]

July 7, 2017, 8:52 am
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Time was almost 11.00pm but a few in our entourage needed a food boost after a relatively early dinner on the plane; hence, the search for a place to have supper on our first night in Bali! 

The driver who sent us to our hotel mentioned a food court establishment along Kuta Beach and we managed to find it in no time! It was relatively quiet although we kind of expected it since most shops close at 10.00pm and many people would have proceeded to the clubs and watering hours.

True to the driver's words, the operation was indeed food court like and there were a number of stalls for selection. However, they sold almost the same kind of food; mainly seafood and prices were mostly exorbitant!   

Most of us were too tired to seek alternatives and we decided to just sit and order something to fill up our tummies. We were mindful not to order seafood as that's usually the main killer for our wallet and after a short consideration, Alex and I cast our votes for Seafood Pantai Kuta.

Coconut Juice
This wasn't that expensive at about S$3.50 but the taste didn't appeal to us; it wasn't served chilled, the coconut meat was tough and it wasn't sweet. Guess we were too pampered with Thai young coconuts! 

Nasi Goreng Special
I wondered if the word special meant anything as the plate of fried rice special didn't appear different from the normal fried rice that other friends had; albeit from other stalls. Worse of all, it was just plain plate of fried rice without any wok-hei and I confidently declared to Alex that I might be able to fry a better one! 

Sayap Ayam Bakar
From my Bandung trip, I know ayam bakar means grilled / bbq chicken and I was stuck with the word sayap. Does it mean honeyed? No, it means wings. =_=

Though grilled to a charr-ness that would not be considered as excessive, I did feel that the price of almost S$7.00 was too much for 4 limb-looking chicken wings and the food court wasn't even air-conditioned.

Taste wise - I can only say I have a better liking for the skin that seemed to have been spread with a thin layer of honey. The meat wasn't fantastic and it didn't feel good to see the dark bones underneath once the meat was torn off; as my mom would have said, frozen chicken not properly thawed would not taste as good. 

Well, it didn't stop me to clean up everything. My national service stint has taught me well; never waste food. Unless they taste literally like shit. 

=====

Location
Along Pantai Kuta,
Bali, Indonesia

Map
As above.

Pricing
Coconut Juice - 30,000 Rupiah
Nasi Goreng Special - 55,000 Rupiah
Sayap Ayam Bakar - 65,000 Rupiah
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4 Days, 3 Nights Itinerary to Bali - The Island of the Gods @ Indonesia

July 10, 2017, 7:49 am
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Bali, known as the Island of Gods, is no stranger to many Singaporeans but weirdly, I had never felt a strong motivation to visit and only did so last week at my 37th year of age.

In a nutshell, if you feel that Thailand is spiritual, Bali wins hands-down in their massive display of devotion towards their religion; Hinduism. However, there are ample more to see and do on this small island and I think that's why it appeals to so many people! 

We spent a short 4 days on the island and I took a modest 2,318 photographs (including a few videos) which would be slowly dispersed in this blog over the next few months. Based on feedback from the Great Kon, I would give a list of postings to expect for each day so that you can click them when the individual posting is up.

Day One
- Grand Istana Rama Hotel
- Kuta Beach
- Dinner at Kuta Sea Side Food Court 

Day Two
- Breakfast at MacDonald's (Kuta)
- Sukawati Art Market at Ubud
- Tegenungan Waterfall
- Buffet Lunch (Restaurant Panca Yoga) at Kintamani
- Sampling Coffee & Tea at Cantik Agriculture Luwak Coffee
- Tirta Empul (Holy Spring) Temple
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Suckling Pig Dinner at Warung Babi Guling Bu Dayu (Kuta)
- Massage at Smart Spa

Day Three
- Seasports Activites at Apollo Dive & Water Sports
- Lunch at Bali Apollo
- Uluwatu Temple
- Dinner at Potato Head Beach Club (Seminyak)

Day Four
- Tanah Lot Temple
- Lunch at Made's Warung (Kuta)
- Walk along Shopping Street (Legian)
- Vegas Barbershop
- Memorial for the Bali 2002 Bombing
- Early Dinner at Black House Burger & Co (Kuta)

Summary
Knowing myself; it's impossible for me to share everything in this one, single post which is, honestly, just bite-sized information for each day. For the details (and a lot more photos), please click the respective day (i.e. Day One) when the link is made available.

Day One 
(05 July 2017)
[2.00 pm] Left for the airport via cab as it's way more expensive if we were to use GRAB; no thanks to the bad weather Singapore was having that Wednesday afternoon. 

[2.45 pm] Reached Changi International Airport in one piece; wanted to have a meal in the staff canteen but it was closed for renovation until the end of the week. Hence, we quickly cleared the immigration and I decided to have a light snack instead - the curry puff from Tip Top! 

[4.30 pm] Entered the waiting room at Gate C22 and anticipating my first flight on the sky blue KLM airline plane! After a delay of 18 minutes, the aeroplane took off from the runway at 5.08 pm.

[7.21 pm] Successfully touched down at Denpasar International Airport. Sadly, I was assigned to a seat on the aisle which means I didn't manage to take any picture that could have been collectively placed under the label "the eyes in the sky". 

[9.05 pm] Transport was pre-arranged before our arrival and 17 of us had to traverse beyond the arrival hall and to another carpark to take the shuttle car / mini-bus. 

[10.08 pm] Finally checked into our hotel room at Grand Istana Rama Hotel; it's conveniently located next to Beachwalk shopping center and right behind the famous Kuta Beach!

[11.00 pm] Strolled out in search of a place to have supper and had a super unsatisfying meal at Kuta Sea Side Food Court. Given the pricing on the menu, its target is definitely the tourists, which would be okay if the food quality and taste are up to par.

[11.35 pm] Walked along Kuta Beach; despite the late timing, there were still people seated on the beach to chit chat over a few bottles of beer under the starry sky. I didn't have the energy as I barely slept 6 hours for the past few nights and hastened to return to the hotel room for a much-needed rest. 


Day Two 
(06 July 2017)
[7.00 am] Woke up after 6.5 hours of sleep; insufficient but four days in Bali are not long in my opinion and I wanted to check out the hotel surroundings before the start of the pre-booked tour that will bring us to a few places in Bali that day.

[8.10 am] Supposed to have breakfast at flapjaks but the restaurant wasn't open for business even though I had to check with the service staff the day before. Given the limited time, we had to consider the next best alternative that's just a few steps away; McDonald's breakfast!

[8.35 am] Chose to walk along Kuta Beach to get back to the hotel and surprised to see that there were already crazy beachgoers enjoying the sea breeze and/or surfing the waves!

[9.20 am] Left the hotel to tour the attractions in the northern part of Bali! As our group was rather large, we had to split into three cars with the following composition; 5, 6 and 6.

[10.39 am] First destination; the Sukawati Art Market at Ubud. For those who are looking into decorating their house with paintings, Balinese wood carvings, wind chimes etc, this would be a good place for you to bargain amidst the wider variety.

[11.37 am] We even checked out the nearby wet market for the locals known as pasar umum sukawati. A definite eye-opener, especially the trays of eggs with shit still smeared on them.

[12.00 pm] After a short 10-minute ride from Sukawati Art Market, we arrived at Tegenungan Waterfall. I tried to search online for the height for the waterfall without any success as it ranged from 4 meters to 50 meters. From the above photo, I thought it would be about 15 meters tall.

Spotted this strange phenomenon at the downstream of the waterfall; I asked our driver on our last day (a different driver by the way) and he said it didn't have any religious connection. However, I am unsure if his words are trustworthy as he confidently claimed that Bali didn't have any earthquake when the last one, in fact, struck only about four months ago!

[2.11 pm] Third item on our tour; a buffet lunch (chargeable at 153,000 rupiahs per person) at a restaurant that overlooked Mount Batur, an active volcano, and Lake Batur.

[3.40 pm] It's time to sample some tea and coffee at the nearby Cantik Agriculture Luwak Coffee after a pretty good and filling meal at the buffet restaurant! The purpose was, of course, to entice us to purchase the exorbitantly priced tea and coffee from the company.

[4.27 pm] Started drizzling after the car stopped at Tirta Empul (Holy Spring) Temple. We almost wanted to give this a miss but a few in out group had already purchased the admission tickets (15,000 rupiahs each). Since I dislike waiting, I bought the ticket too to step into my first Balinese temple.

[5.34 pm] 20 minutes after leaving Tirta Empul (Holy Spring) Temple, we alighted along the road that gave us a great view of the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. While the rest decided to eat ice cream and rest at one of the cafes overlooking the terrace, I made the decision to hike to the side of the terrace! Frankly, it wasn't too far a hike, unlike the one my dad and I undertook at Longji Rice Terrace in China's Guangxi province!

[8.49 pm] Remember, we only had lunch and by the time we got back to Grand Istana Rama Hotel, it was already 8 pm even though Tanah Lot temple was removed from the tour due to the persistent drizzling. Time to seek out dinner and we got to have our first taste of Bali's highly acclaimed Babi Guling at this roadside eatery known as Warung Babi Guling Bu Dayu (rating 4.4 on Google with over 200 reviews).

[10.26 pm] Massage is a must at Bali as it's even more affordable than Bangkok! Time to make Bali my preferred destination for the yearly relaxation! The one-hour traditional Balinese massage I had at Smart Spa only cost me 125,000 rupiahs.


Day Three 
(07 July 2017)
[9.00 am] New driver whom I found from TripAdvisor. My initial intention was to use back the same company for Day 2 but they hardly made an impression for me to engage them. My only hope was that this new one wouldn't turn out to be worse.

[9.50 am] Our instructions were clear; we would like to go for snorkeling, sea sports activities and visit Uluwatu Temple and Tanah Lot. For the first two, we were brought to PT Bali Apollo Dive & Water Sports at Nusa Dua; shock greeted Alex and me when we were given the price list!

Bargaining is required and thanks to Alex's colleague, prices were slashed 50%!  Although I was still quite pissed with the local business practice, I went ahead with parasailing at 300,000 rupiahs per person.

[12.47 pm] Mie Goreng at Apollo too as food/drink prices were unusually reasonable and we didn't want the driver to recommend (in case it would be another place that only serves the tourists).

[2.25 pm] Uluwatu; the temple on a cliff, after an hour drive from Nusa Dua- we thought it was well worth the visit as the scenery was breathtaking! If not for the light drizzle that evolved into heavy rain, we could have spent a lot more time taking picture after picture!

[4.46 pm] At this point, it was already an hour after we left Uluwatu Temple and we were not even halfway close to Tanah Lot Temple due to the rain Noting that nightfall will render the visitation useless, we removed the item and asked the driver to send us to Potato Head Beach Club instead, where the rest of our entourage had arranged to meet for dinner.

[6.16 pm] Potato Head Beach Club, with a rating of 4.4 with 1,407 reviews on Google, was indeed a nice place to chill out. The food was plated splendidly but the taste fell short of expectations. Pity we couldn't get reservations on the second floor which was said to serve delicious local food, albeit at premium pricing.

[8.00 pm] From Google Map, it appeared that taking the cab would mean encountering another dreadful jam which would take us almost an hour to reach the hotel. I suggested walking instead and the whole lot of them agreed! Unfortunately, Google Map wasn't exactly updated and we eventually surrendered and hailed a cab!

[9.40 pm] I was exhausted but decided to check out the supermarket at Beachwalk shopping center to see what interesting items can be purchased there. Personally, I have always enjoyed visiting the supermarkets in other countries!


Day Four 
(08 July 2017)
[7.00 am] I clocked in less than six hours of sleep once again and it didn't feel good to wake up so early to find that the weather was still bad with stormy clouds in the sky.

[7.30 am] Reason for such an early wake-up call - I had requested for the same driver to pick us up at 7.30 am to Tanah Lot as I couldn't imagine leaving Bali without a visit to the iconic temple! Furthermore, we had left our snorkeling gears in the car the previous day and there's no way I am going back to Singapore without them.

[8.12 am] Journey took us less than an hour without any jam and we finally got to behold the sight of Tanah Lot temple in front of us! As it was high tide, we couldn't walk across to explore the temple and I had already expected that since low tide would take place only in the late afternoon and I doubt there's sufficient time for us when we had to check in at about 6 plus in the evening.

[11.12 am] Spending close to two hours at Tanah Lot, we arrived at Grand Istana Rama Hotel slightly later than expected. Time was a luxury as we needed to check out of the hotel by noon. I tried to negotiate for late check-out and even offered to pay for half-day usage; all without success.

[12.34 pm] After checking out at noon and leaving our luggage with the concierge, lunch beckoned and I had Nasi Campur at the renowned Made's Warung; established in 1969 and had a rating of 4.0 with 623 reviews on Google.

[1.42 pm] Alex was hooked on foot massages in Bali and insisted he must go through his final round before returning to Singapore! As I am keener in exploring the shopping in the vicinity, we parted ways and agreed to meet up an hour later!

While I was rummaging through the wares at Matahari Department Store, I felt a nut in my mouth and attempted to break it. It was hard and I spat out the "nut" only to realize it was part of my premolar tooth! *dumbfounded momentarily*

[2.51 pm] There wasn't any pain and I gamely agreed to accompany Alex when he suggested having a haircut at Vegas Barbershop! Regretted as it took almost 45 minutes; precious time that I could make better use of.

[3.33 pm] Continuation of the shopping exploration along Legian Street; said to be the main street connecting Seminyak and Kuta, it's, in reality, a narrow one-way road with a capacity for at most two cars.

Legian Street was also the site of the terrible 2002 Bali bombing that killed 202 people and injured hundreds more. In memory of the devastating terrorist attack, a memorial was built at the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub.

[4.06 pm] Needed a washroom to pee and I found it at a convenience shop! Things happened for a reason as we chanced upon this Point Cafe within the shop that served a delightful cup of Rum and Raisin Frappe that cost only 15,000 rupiahs after discount! You read right; it's less than S$2!

[4.32 pm] I always planned my route with a destination in mind and today's no exception as I wanted to have an early dinner at Black House Burger & Co (rating of 4.5 with 875 reviews on TripAdvisor)!

[4.56 pm] Cutting across Jalan Benesari which would bring us back to Grand Rama Istana Hotel. Time was running short as the transport sending us to the airport was scheduled to arrive at 6 pm! 

[5.12 pm] Last look of Kuta Beach before I proceeded to the supermarket at Beachwalk shopping center for last-minute shopping for garlic peanuts; they appeared to be quite popular on Airfrov.

[5.50 pm] Reached back the hotel with ample time for me to repack my luggage and squeezed in all the items that were just purchased! My strategy is always to bring a large piece of luggage with a smaller piece hidden inside. p.s. the strategy works better if you are staying put in one hotel. 

[6.37 pm] The first vehicle for 5 persons arrived on time but the mini-bus for the rest was late as traffic was incredibly heavy that evening due to a concert at Kuta Beach! It took the vehicles quite a while to even navigate out of the hotel. 

[8.10 pm] A normal 24-minute car journey took us almost 90 minutes and by the time we reached Ngurah Rai International Airport, it was 45 minutes to departure which means the KLM check-in counter had already closed. :( So we went with the next best alternative; bought a one-way ticket via Jetstar that would depart at 10.15 pm.

[10.11pm] Boarded the plane which left Bali at 10.42 pm and arrived safely in Singapore at about 1.00 am. No other picture as I was given an aisle seat again and spent most of my time watching Running Man! 

- Home Sweet Home - 
↧

Tip Top Sardine Puff @ Changi Airport Terminal 1 [Singapore]

July 11, 2017, 8:39 am
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Put a curry puff and sardine puff in front of me to choose and i am more likely to go with the latter. Hence, it's a no brainer for me when i needed a snack before my inaugural flight to Bali! 

Look at that generous amount of filling! It was indeed unforgettable; crumbly pastry with onions and sardine that were literally soaked in the spicy sauce that kicked a piquant punch at my taste buds.

With outside still raining cats and dogs, it was so shiok to be in a sheltered arena that allowed me to dig into a warm sardine puff and have a nice, hot cup of kopi-gao. *relaxed*

=====

Location
80 Airport Boulevard, 
Singapore Changi Airport Departure Transit Lounge West, 
Terminal 1, #08-K09,
Singapore 819642

Website

Pricing
Sardine Puff - S$1.70
Kopi - S$1.60
↧

Kuta Beach - The Crowded Beach That's Not For The Weak Swimmers @ Bali [Indonesia]

July 12, 2017, 8:30 am
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Mention Bali and those who have been there would most likely think of Kuta Beach, which attracts so many visitors to the island in the beginning; it has become an ultra commercial place for tourists with poorly planned roads! 

I don't even understand the reason for the construction of a wall that effectively separates the beach from the main area. It's built in the traditional Balinese style but as a tourist, i would prefer to see the beach and feel the sea breeze while walking along the long concrete walkway bordering the beach. 


As the Grand Istana Rama Hotel was directly across, it's really convenient for us to visit and i did so on three days at different timings; morning, late afternoon and at night.


Morning on the second day of my Bali trip - with white, cottony clouds randomly dotting the blue sky, this was the best weather in the 4 days i was there.

It wasn't very crowded even though i still find it insane as it was barely 9.00 am and if i have the chance, i would prefer to sleep in till only about 10.00 am, leisurely have breakfast and then maybe pop by the beach at about 11.30 am. 

Some were just blankly staring at the sea; okay, I am aware that people have different preferences and personally, i just couldn't see myself sitting still while it's way more fun to explore all over the place. Oh well, to each his/her own. 

Even though you can play with the sand and build ugly sandcastles, I am hesitant when it comes to swimming in the sea as the waves were too strong and were way more suitable for surfing. 

On the last day, right before i took the transport to the airport, i paid a visit to Kuta Beach again as I noted a structure on the beach as I was rushing to Beachwalk Shopping Centre for last-minute shopping!

Noticed along the way that swimming would be allowed between two red yellow flags. I can only say swim at your own risk and do keep a tight watch over your kids. I believe there are calmer seas in other areas of Bali that you can bring your children to. 

There's a concert that evening and the driver of the transport that sent us to the airport claimed that the event caused the super huge jam in Kuta that eventually resulted in us missing our flight. :( 

As you can see, dark clouds loomed in the sky and there was even a light drizzle; crowd facing the main stage was thin and I frankly didn't expect the traffic to be so bad just an hour later! 

Low tide in the afternoon that seemed to give the visual impression that the waves were calmer although i doubt there would be any good snorkeling, especially with the weak swimming skill i have.

Worried about shark attacks? According to Shark Attack Data, shark attacks in Bali are rare and the most recent incident was over a year ago.

Crowd in the afternoon with some flying kites too! According to the driver we engaged on our second day, July / August is usually blessed with strong wind and there's even a kite festival; for more details, click here. 

The sheltered sun loungers were not for free; to use them, you can contact the numerous operators along the beach (located near the wall on the beach side). Actually, you don't have to approach them; the shrewd business operator will automatically drift towards you once their eyes set sight on you. 

Additional chargeable services include hair braiding (a friend did that for S$15 and i would have followed her if not for the fact that i love to wash my hair) or a nice massage amidst the therapeutic, natural music made by the waves. 

You may even be offered to chance the spot a fierce-looking temporary tattoo! 
For a price of course. 

Night-time Kuta Beach was more peaceful. You can still do some staring; this time at the sky where stars shone with reduced light pollution. Maybe that's what the wall is for; to block out the lights from the buildings.

=====

For my short 4 days, 3 nights' itinerary to Bali, please click here. 
↧
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