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Ju Chun Yuan
we were in the office trying to satisfy our craving for Dim Sum and concluded that there weren't many affordable options in the CBD (Paradise Pavilion at MBFC and Imperial Treasure at Asia Square came to mind). It was hence a welcome relief that some colleagues recommended Ju Chun Yuan at Far East Square.
The restaurant actually specialises in Fuzhou cuisine. their lunch time ala carte Dim Sum buffet at $18++ was certainly a popular option amongst the CBD faithful. Fuzhou-styled Dim Sum has many spicy signatures, we ordered a few rounds of chilled-pork/beef shanks in spicy sauce as well as their famous sliced-chicken in spicy sauce. their chestnut pancake was also one of the specialities. 
this pork dumpling in spicy sauce was really good. the meat and water chestnut filling was really juicy and the sauce gave this interpretation of the dish an interesting kick. some of us went overkill with the pan fried selections, such as prawn dumplings, carrot cake and bean curd skin. pretty normal, i thought. 
Ju Chun Yuan's selection also came with traditional Dim Sum favourites such as char siew bao, cheong fun, siew mai and har gao amongst many others. i've seen earlier blog postings of the salted egg custard bun above, and i swore that neither the egg yolk nor the custard was oozing out of our servings. a little bit disappointing. their other Dim Sum was good though, we particularly loved the chicken feet and steamed spare ribs. 
coming with a ravenous big group has its advantages and we virtually tried everything on the menu, some dishes twice. some of the Fuzhou delights were really good and the wide spread certainly made the experience really worthwhile. The place would be good for casual lunches with colleagues but probably not for corporate lunches as service was a tad below par. nonetheless, this made good value-for-money, and if you really needed better service, there's always the options we mentioned above. 
Ju Chun Yuan 130 Amoy Street #01-01 Far East Square Singapore 049959 Opening Hours 12.00 pm to 2:30 pm 6.00 pm to 10:30 pm (open daily) They claim to be originators of 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall'.. Saveur
the restaurant serving affordable french cuisine along Purvis Street is all the rage for the weekday lunch crowds and the weekend dinner folks. created by a couple of young chefs who've had experience in top french restaurants locally, they've set out to bring the authentic french fare to the masses.
Saveur takes a quaint little corner tucked beneath a shophouse in the Bugis area, their french food offerings at very affordable prices ensured that anyone would expect a fairly decent queue whenever they arrived. on weekend peaks, we had been told to wait for close to forty minutes for a table. 
the interiors are designed to give a cosy feel with some interesting wall-art to distract you from a fairly long wait for the food. there are not many tables within the restaurant and the slightly longer turnover further explains the long wait. the dishes served are intended to give you a somewhat fine-dining experience, hence be expected that they'd take a while longer.. 
we started off with some of their popular entree dishes to get into the mood. The Saveur Pasta is a savoury mix of cappellini mixed with minced konbu pork and spices. it has shades of the local minced-pork noodles and is hugely popular with the local clientele. we knew that Saveur prided itself in its duck based dishes, so we ordered a duck salad as well, which came with mixed vegetables and quail's eggs. 
of course, we didn't miss their signature dish of Duck Confit. served with mashed potatoes, shitake mushrooms and a dash of orange sauce, the meat was tender, tasty and went well with the condiments. we wanted to compare how they did their Poulet chicken with that chain restaurant, but alas, it was sold out by the time we arrived. 
nonetheless, we also recommend the Chicken Roulade, which was chicken thigh with basmati rice and foie gras. particularly loved the rice, which was well baked and made the dish very flavourful. We also tried the pan-seared seabass with crabmeat, potatoes and asparagus. The fish was really fresh, but we found the dish forgettable. Saveur prepares some really nice desserts too, and you could try the Pistachio Panna Cotta to top off your meal. in all, no complaints from a really value-for-money french restaurant. the wait could be a little long, and the portions may be small, but for that price range, you could easily go for greater variety and enjoy a decent french meal with your loved ones. 
Saveur 5 Purvis Street #01-04 Singapore 188584 Opening Hours Mon to Sat: 12 pm to 2.15 pm; 6 pm to 9.15 pm Sundays: 6 pm to 9.00 pm French cuisine at down-to-earth prices Waffles and Coffee
the past few weekends have actually been really slow and boring, spent the days cafe hopping to basically people-watch, read a book and simply pass the time away. if you happen to have the luxury (or in some cases misfortune) to do this sometimes, there are some places that i liked, particularly for their waffles and their coffee..Creamier 
starting with this humble looking shop beneath a HDB block in Toa Payoh. despite not being located within Toa Payoh Central (you'd need a feeder bus to get here), this place is always packed in the evenings and on weekends. school-going kids ensure that even the weekdays could be fairly busy. and why not, this little heartland joint is giving the more popular ice-cream joints a run for their money. do try their waffles with Roasted Pistachio or Earl Grey flavoured ice-cream .. Creamier Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Blk 128 #01-835 Singapore 310128 (closed on Mondays) Hoshino Coffee 
this japanese fusion cafe set up shop in the new wing of Plaza Singapura. like many eateries in this mall, snaking queues are part and parcel of their profile. the restaurant boasts a good variety of fusion rice and pasta choices, but it's their coffee and desserts that truly stand out. Their hand-dripped Hoshino Coffee is the signature creation, and we tried the Pancake Souffle Style with Matcha and Ogura Bean Paste as well as their French Toast with ice-cream served in a pan. a real good sugar rush.. Hoshino Coffee #03-84 Plaza Singapura 68 Orchard Road Singapore 238839 Lavender Bakery & Bistro 
i'd quite like this quiet little cafe for their waffles and coffee, the only slight problem is that it's located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. its a short drive from the Causeway really, this bakery cum cafe is situated just up Taman Pelangi. the cafe is a quiet place for reading or surfing under their free wifi. I love their cappuccino as well as their waffles with strawberry ice cream. don't forget to bring home their specialty lapis cake too! Lavender Bakery & Bistro 64, 66 & 68, Jalan Serampang, Taman Pelangi Johor Bahru, 80400, Malaysia Habitat 
this place believes that coffee creates a window to a time well spent, so it is no wonder that the little joint along Upper Thomson Road is pretty popular for their coffee offerings. the 2 storey shop-house doesn't seat many people so it is advisable to avoid the peak periods. they serve up an aromatic interpretation of the cappuccino and their flavoured coffees are worth a try too. we particularly liked their hazelnut coffee and their affogato. this place does all day breakfast too. Habitat 223 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574355 Strangers' Reunion 
this cafe joint in the Outram area is all the rage now. founded by a national barista champion, the little shop just beneath Singapore General Hospital is perpetually packed to the brim. despite their extremely busy and noisy environment, the energetic service staff were always moving around to attend to the customers' needs. Magic is the name of their signature award-winning coffee, though their flat-white turned out to be an equally good brew. much have been said about their buttermilk waffles with ice cream and they truly lived up to their name. warm and crispy on the base, to go with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruits. excellent, and certainly worthy of another visit.. Strangers' Reunion 37 Kampong Bahru Road Singapore 169356 there are many other coffee and dessert joints sprouting out recently, but if you are up for some cafe-hopping for waffles and coffee, you may want to check these places out. 
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
this ramen chain is staking its claim as one of the best interpretations of the dish in Singapore. Though we've been here a few times, this is the first time i decided to share my thoughts on it, and maybe you could decide for yourself by trying it, and comparing against the better ones you've tasted so far..
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has outlets across Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and various cities in South-East Asia. it prides itself for its salt-based ramen broths which the Hokkaido natives thoroughly enjoy, due to their wintry conditions. i thought the idea of having the sweetened egg served to us in small little nuggets was pretty cute.. 
apart from their Miso/Shio/Shoyu based ramen, a specialty feature of this chain would be their Toroniku or grilled pork cheek slices. this can be served with the ramen, or as an ala carte side dish, which is highly popular amongst patrons here. the slices are tender, grilled to perfection and is more flavourful than typical char-su that ramen stalls serve. 
another popular favourite would be their Tonkatsu, or deep fried pork cutlet, served with a special Tonkatsu sauce. the well-breaded crust together with its soft texture somehow makes it a cut above your typical bento servings of this dish. we also tried their steamed gyoza and their mixed rice sets - complete with a small bowl of ramen, chawan-mushi, salad and a small serving of rice. 
personal preference, but i really felt that the rice-sets took the focus away from the ramen itself. many popular ramen joints have thin menus simply because they focus mainly on their ramen choices and a couple of sides. at Santouka, the ramen itself revolved around their salt-based broth, and their pork cheeks. i personally like my ramen texture hard, so i found their recent servings to be a little soggy and soft. as for the broth, i still felt the best i've tasted was at Hakata Ikkousha (to be featured).. we also tried their spicy-based Kara-Miso Ramen which could have been spicier, we thought.. i also missed their Akihabara Shoyu Ramen, which i enjoyed from my first few outings here but the dish has since been taken off the menu. nonetheless, one glance at the evening dinner crowd is enough to tell you that many locals rate Santouka highly. if you are a fan of salt-based ramen well immersed in its broth, this is the place to go. and after all, their pork cheeks are also totally worth it.. 
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka 21 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace Singapore, 229452 Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 12 pm to 3 pm; 5.30 pm to 12 am Saturday: 12 pm to 12 am Sunday: 12 pm to 9.30 pm The pork-based soup takes over 20 hours to prepare.. Sum Kee Food
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
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 |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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