Gullible Travels

Sum Kee Food

POSTED ON Sunday, February 23, 2014 AT 4:36 PM \ leave a comment (0)

we're back from a 2 week hiatus and back to featuring zi char food. not having the prominence of Mellben or Two Chefs, you wouldn't have thought that many people would have found Sum Kee Food (located within Yeo's building in Telok Blangah).. however, after we navigated the industrial area and their garden-like outdoor area, we were surprised to find the restaurant packed to the rafters.

located between industrial buildings and some developing private apartments in the Telok Blangah area, Sum Kee takes up a small space within Yeo's building. the restaurant could house about 10 tables or so, hence, advanced reservations are strongly recommended. there's an al fresco dining area, but that is really subject to the weather and other elements.

it was during the lunar new year period, so we got ourselves some 发财鱼生 (Prosperity Yu Sheng) for good luck. they had a chinese new year menu for the season as well, but we were here to try their zi char and proceeded to order some of their specialties..

we read some reviews commenting that the food here is somewhat better than standard coffee shop fare, and a good testimony of that came in the form of their hot-plate tofu, served piping-hot with the gravy and egg still crackling on the pan. the dish was stir-fried well and the minced-pork, tofu, seafood and vegetables tasted well with the gravy.

another signature dish was their coffee pork-ribs. they don't come in large quantities but in any case, this was one of those dishes that would be nice only if you ate in moderation. the meat was tender and they didn't overdo the coffee sauce, which we praised unanimously. there were also a couple of quirky named dishes that were their specialties. their ultra-man chicken (deep fried with salted egg) as well as the chicken bikini skin (deep fried chicken skin which goes well with beer) are certainly popular amongst their regular clientele..

all their zi char offerings are reasonably priced and we understood that the place was also popular with the working lunch crowd. we heard, they even have online delivery! so if you happen to be in the southern fringes of Singapore, do give Sum Kee Food some thought..

Sum Kee Food
2 Telok Blangah Street 31
YEO'S BUILDING
Singapore 108942

Opening Hours
11 am to 11 pm (daily)

Sum Kee is a coffee shop that accepts online orders

HK Eats

POSTED ON Sunday, February 02, 2014 AT 1:02 PM \ leave a comment (0)

considering that we'd be making a trip there again pretty soon, and inspired by the movies that they're airing on cable over the Lunar New Year holidays, we decided to do a cover on some of the Hong Kong food that Singaporeans go for..

Tim Ho Wan 添好運

in the land of Dim Sum, this chain has branded itself the Dim Sum specialists. coined with the first one-Michelin star for its hole-in-the-wall shop in Mong Kok, this chain now has 4 outlets in Hong Kong and 4 more in Singapore. the only difference is that the Hong Kong version doesn't come with frenzied queues (considering there are equally good alternatives) and the prices are much cheaper in there. we still go for the outlet in Sham Shui Po each time we're in HK, but increasingly, we'd like to try 一点心 (the other one-Michelin star Dim Sum) or Tao Heung. Not forgetting their conglomerate chain equivalents of our Paradise Group, it wouldn't hurt if you could afford to try the Lei Garden franchise or Maxim Palace Dim Sum while you're in HK..

Tim Ho Wan 添好運
9-11 Fuk Wing Street
Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Sing Kee (盛记)

the Dai Pai Dong concept or road-side stalls are a dying trade in Hong Kong. heavily sanctioned by the authorities, the stalls along Stanley Street remain one of the few that are still serving the night crowds today. Sing Kee is one of the most popular ones along that stretch. If you could grapple with the language, or their impatience with your finger pointing on their English menu, do try their popular dishes such as the deep fried tofu with squid, their che che claypot chicken and the sweet & sour spare ribs.

Sing Kee (盛记)
9-10 Stanley Street
Central, Hong Kong

Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園

moving on from street food to the Cha Chan Teng culture in Hong Kong, these old-school HK tea-houses whip up a quick and tasty bite. Lan Fong Yuen is one of the signature names that we'd always go for their instant noodles, pork-chop buns and the signature silk-stocking milk tea. Other Cha Chan Teng i'd like to have my breakfast in would be Mido Cafe along Temple Street and Kam Wah Cafe along Bute Street, where their Bolo Buns are famous.

Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園
Shop 26, LG Floor, Chung King Mansion (Woodhouse)
36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tai Chung Wah Restaurant 大中华

there is this coffee shop sitting underneath a public housing block that whips up good dishes. sound pretty local but that's what the Hong Kong folks introduced to me whilst i was there (guess our lifestyles are pretty much the same). Over here, their signature dish is this pig trotters in black pepper sauce, Pi Pa tofu and their claypot fried rice. Hidden gem, but located near the Cheung Sha Wan poultry market, so at your own risk folks..

Tai Chung Wah Restaurant 大中华
G/F, 539 Fok Wing Street
Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong

Ho Hung Kee

to me, wanton noodles is the most misunderstood dish when locals head over to Hong Kong. i guess many of us are so used to the Malaysian or local styled interpretation of this dish that the largely soup-based version in Hong Kong may somehow appear plain-looking to some. however, if you get beyond that, you'd realise the springy noodles, fresh shrimp wanton and well-boiled soup are the reasons why Ho Hung Kee earned their one-Michelin star. alas, high rentals forced them out of their humble store along Sharp Street and they're now located within a mall - Hysan Place at Causeway Bay.

Ho Hung Kee
1204-1205 (Level 12) Hysan Place
500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Hing Kee Restaurant

the fight for the best claypot rice takes place after 6 pm in the Yau Ma Tei district. locals and tourists alike throng to two stalls that are packed to the rafters once they open their doors after 6. we prefer the signature version prepared by Hing Kee where the chinese sausages, chicken and light/dark sauces blends well with the rice. Howver, other foodies have rave reviews for the rival Four Season Claypot Rice along Arthur Street (just one lane away). maybe you can try both and tell us which you prefer..

Hing Kee Restaurant
15 Temple Street
Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong

Yung Kee 鏞記

Finally, we felt that you'd probably haven't been to Hong Kong if you haven't tried their roasted meat. be it barbequed pork, suckling pig, roasted goose or chicken, HK does it best. The most overrated (yet a must-try for first time goers) would be the famous Yung Kee restaurant located in Central. their popular roast goose, which can even be vacuum-packed and air-flown home is well known for their crispy skin, tender meat, but overall a tad too oily in our opinion. We'd go for Anthony Bourdain's choice of Yat Lok Restaurant, which sells equally good roast meat for a more road-side stall price.

Yung Kee 鏞記
32-40 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong