Jack’s Place (Jurong Safra)

As Safra Members and also in the area, we decide to grab dinner at the Jurong Safra (10% off total bill). We are not fans or buffet and the Japanese food didn’t appeal to us, so we chose Jack’s Place.

We ordered My New England’s Fish & Chips ($14.50), Grilled Chicken Steak ($15.80), Honey Flower with Mango Pearl ($4.20) and Mushroom Soup ($5) and Salted Egg Molten Lava Cake ($8.90).

The Fish and Chips’s fish was crispy like Appalam. Its  flesh was soft and juicy. The  fries were thick and salty.

The chicken chop will grilled to flavour and I really like the baked potato. The waiter came to our table with an array of sauces and condiments on a tray for us to choose from to go with the baked potato.

The mushroom soup was Campbell’s soup with two slices of garlic buttered bread.

The honey drink was the stereotypical honey water. I, however, was impressed with the mango pearls (at the bottom of the drink, very translucent). They popped like fish eggs in my mouth. It was definitely an unfamiliar sensation.

The salted egg lava cake was quite disappointing. I expected more of a thick salted egg powdery texture but got a sweet syrupy filling instead. To add, the filling was contaminated with chocolate lava which overwhelmed the already bland salted egg sauce.

The total bill came to slightly under 50 bucks(after 10% off) for two person which I felt was not very reasonable for the quality you get.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Refuel (Bedok)

I took bus 66 from Bedok Interchange to get to Refuel. This place is pretty inaccessible for people who do not live in the east. Still, it was worth the journey.

After eating at Fuel Plus last week, I talked to the owner and found out that he has another cafe called Refuel in Bedok. I was stoked and had to come and try the food here!

I arrived on a Friday evening and the place was relatively quiet. People started to arrive after 7pm. The cafe has a cozy ambience but the seats and tables are a bit squeezy.

I ordered Extra Tank ($16) on their menu and a Passionfruit V Power Soda ($5.90). (Their dishes’ names are based on a fuel/petrol theme. They have Full Tank, Fuel Me Up, Refuel Pancake etc. on their menu.)

Extra Tank’s portion is very big and trust me, you won’t be able to finish it. I really like the scramble eggs and the sauteed mushrooms (same as the one at Fuel Plus). The scrambled eggs were really creamy. The bacon was fried to crispness. The salad (same as Fuel Plus) was doused in some type of vinegar sauce and was great with the smoked salmon. Jam and butter is given to apply on the toasted bread. The bake beans was obviously canned and I did not touch it. (I only eat bake beans when really “bo bian”/no choice.)

The Passionfruit V Power Soda was a tad too gassy for me. I was burping throughout my meal. The herbs in the drink were like “for show” as I did not taste the herbs at all. I really like the lemon zest and  the rinds added texture to the drink. I, however, could taste that they used passionfruit syrup for this drink. I would not order their soda range again but I recommend their Ice Chocolate ($5.90) which my friend had and was amazing.

I envision myself coming back soon to try out their BBQ Ribs ($14.90).

Hope you enjoyed reading!

The Workbench Bistro (beside Catholic Church of Christ the King)

I stay in the area but have never step my foot into this cafe as I am always skeptical about heartland cafes. It was a hot and  lazy Saturday morning and I decided to grab brunch there.

The cafe is dimly lit and has a cozy ambience. I, however, felt that their air conditioner is too strong. I was literally freezing.

We ordered carbonara, mushroom pasta (vegan), latte and waffle ice cream.

The carbona was not cheesy enough. The sauce was too diluted. The bacon was not fully cooked and had the pork odour. 
The mushroom pasta was a tad too salty. The linguine was doused with oil with slices of chili and mushrooms in between the pasta. This pasta is vegan.

Both pasta dishes were substandard.

The latte was dry (too little liquid milk) and sugarless.

Now, the highlight of the meal and what The Workbench Bistro is famous for. Waffles. It was seriously amazing. We had the original waffle with Bailey Irish Cream and Strawberry ice cream.  The waffles were aromatic, definitely better than Cold Pantry. The waffle texture was moist inside and crisp on the outside. The strawberry ice cream was acidic and refreshing and compliments the more creamy and thick Bailey Irish Cream ice cream. The chocolate sauce drizzled on top added a sweet edge to the waffle.

The total bill came to slightly under 40 bucks.

I recommend this place if you are looking for a cozy place to get quality ice cream waffles in the heartland. To add, there’s free wifi! Since it’s located near Bishan Park, you can go for a walk after eating to burn the calories!

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Fuel Plus (Opposite Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church)

A quiet cafe with quality food. Fuel Plus is the sister cafe of Refuel at Bedok. It offers a wide range of western food from hot cakes to steaks and crabs.

I came here as my mom kept singing praises about the food here and I had couldn’t stand it any longer.

We ordered Earl Grey Tea ($5.50), Grapefruit Lemonade ($5.50), Fuel Ice Tea ($5.50), Steak & Egg ($22), Salmon & Mash ($19), Soft Shell Crab Curry ($18), Salmon Mac & Cheese ($18), Mushroom Soup ($7) and Valrhona Hazelnut Praline ($8).

The Earl Grey Tea was aromatic with a bitter after taste. It complements the Salmon Mac & Cheese. It came with a French Press and hot water refill is available upon request.

The Mac & Cheese was creamy and thick. The salt from the smoked salmon added taste to the dish. The dish might be too overwhelming and I suggest sharing it with someone.

Th Steak & Egg was delectable! The ribeye was medium done so it was kind of “bloody” bur I prefer my steak tender and juicy. The sautéd mushrooms and onions provided taste to the saltless steak. The salad was zesty and refreshing. The raw yolk complements the meat like a gravy. 

The Grapefruit Lemonade was refreshing. It was bitter, sour with a tinge of rosemary. There was slices of grapefruit and lime to add to the texture of the drink.

The Fuel Ice tea was unique. It is tea with lemon and orange juices. There was fresh herbs  in the drink to bring out the tea flavour.Slices of lemon can be seen inside the glass jug.

The Salmon & Mash’s salmon was juicy and tender (medium rare). The mash potato had a fine texture and was very smooth. The asparaguses were grilled and crunchy with a tinge of sweetness. 

The Soft Shell Crab Curry was amazing. Fuel Plus took the local Chili Crab dish to a whole new level. The curry was blended with herbs and was quite similar to the Japanese curry. The soft crabs were deep fried to crispiness and their flesh were tender. The curry can be eaten with bread or alone like the mushroom soup below.

The Mushroom Soup was the most value for money! 7 bucks for such a large bowl of soup. It was thick , creamy and hummus-like. The consistency is very new to me (like the Soft Shell Crab Curry). The bread was toasted and airy with sautéd mushrooms on top. Trust me, you must try the sautéd mushroom! They were juicy and packed with so much flavour!

Lastly, the Valrhona Hazelnut Praline for dessert. I could tell that they make they own cakes here. Some cafes, if you observe closely have the exactly same type of cakes as other cafes. You can tell that they outsource their cakes from the same supplier. This cake was impressive with vanilla and chocolate layers of cake. The vanilla part was flavourful, the chocolate part had chocolate chips which gave the spongy cake a crunchy trait. The hazelnut icing was buttery and sweet. However, there was an absence of the hazelnut flavour in the cake and icing.

The water was poured from a test tube style jug with a cork as a stopper.

Their wifi is very strong and you can see people using their laptops. The password.

The meal totaled to $97.20 for 5 persons.

FuelPlus has great customer service. For example, the service crew will ask if I need more water, the wifi password or salt and pepper etc. Their service crew are very observant and friendly.

Fuel Plus needs to pay their chef well! The chef really determines the reputation of a cafe/restaurant. The food standard here has high quality and the cooking is amazing. You really get what you pay.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

大东方’s 太阳饼 (Westgate)

I have been craving for 太阳饼 ever since I had them in Taiwan last year. However, I couldn’t find a place which sells them here. I was at Westgate and saw a shop called 大东方 selling pastries. And there behold was the 太阳饼 （1 for $1.50). I had to buy them! So I did.

The 饼 was quite heavy. The pastry was too thick and the filling is too little. Once I bit into the pastry, I realised that there was additional pastry in the middle of the sugary filling. The filling was perfect but the pastry was too dry and not “milky” enough.

The taste can be subjective. However, I would like to mention that their “偷工减料” or cutting corners is a tad too much for me.

I don’t think I will come back for more. Nevertheless, I will continue my hunt for the best 太阳饼 in Singapore!

 

 

 

 

 

Prata Wala (Junction 8)

I have tried the Prata Wala at NEX and it was amazing. However, it cannot be compared with The Prata House at Thomson. So, It was very late on a weekday night and I was not in the mood to cook, so I decided to grab a quick dinner somewhere. I passed by Prata Wala and suddenly craved for some prata. However, it was packed and I had to wait around 20 minutes before getting a seat.

I ordered Chicken Prata set ($7.90++). It was not impressive. The curry was too spicy for me and the chicken meat was too tough. Th prata texture was as if it had been left outside for a while like “漏风“. This dish was an utter disappointment.

My mum ordered the vegetable naan set ($10.20++). The set came with a spread of condiments such as hummus, curry, rice etc. to go with the naan. I do not know the exact name of each condiment but I can say that the green coloured hummus was heavenly. It was creamy and uniquely bitter and salty. There was even salty mushy cheese-like cubes in the hummus adding an edge to the sauce. The naan was soft and has a bready taste. It was not as oily as the prata.

My dad ordered the Curry Chicken Briyani ($7.90) . The curry was the same as the Chicken Prata set. The briyani was packed with spice. The rice was hard and dry and complemented the thick and fatty curry.  The dish came with some fresh vegetables to cleanse the palate. The Papadums were crisp and salty.

We also ordered a teh halia ($2.20++). The tea was mediocre and the ginger was not spicy enough.

There’s a chalk board with the chef’s recommendations.

I would recommend the vegetable naan set if you happen to eat here. I think there are many other places in Singapore with mouth-watering Indian cuisine other than Prata Wala and I definitely can’t wait to explore them!

Hope you enjoyed reading!

HoHo Chimek (East Village)

I went to East Village as I wanted to try Ooriginal’s Overdosage. This drink is so talked about that I came all the way to Tanah Merah just to try it.

At East Village i saw that they have many delicious food spots, but HoHo Chimek caught my eye. I read many reviews about this place at the entrance and was convinced.

I had the soy garlic chicken combo and the mushroom pancake. This place has no GST and service charge by the prices might have already included the ++ in.

The chicken portion was quite small. However, the taste was fabulously good. A lot better than Four Fingers which was too salty for me. The crisp skin and tender chicken was the perfect combination. I, however, found the fries too mundane.The dish cost around $10.

The mushroom pancake used shiitake mushroom. It was just like prata with mushroom except the pancake has a “Nian Gao” texture. I felt the pancake was a tad too oily.

The total bill for both dishes came up to $19.50. The food was good but not a place I would come back again ( I stay in the North).

Hope you enjoy reading! Have a nice day!

Papa Rich (Westgate)

I went to Westgate since i was in the area. I prefer eating at Westgate as compared to JEM, JCube, IMM and Jurong point as their have a wider variety of food. I came to Papa Rich as missed their food!

Nasi Lemak Rendang

Known for it’s Nasi Lemak,I had to get their Nasi Lemak. I got the beef rendang one as I love beef. The rice was fragrant and the ikan bilis and nuts were roasted to perfection. I, however, was not impressed by their chili. It had no flavour and was a tad too spicy for me. Another disappointment was the beef rendang. The beef was tough like rubber. I feel they overcooked it and I didn’t finish it.

Chicken Chop Curry

The chicken chop was tender and aromatic but too oily for me. The rice used was the typical fried rice. The highlight of this dish the curry. It was amazing! A plethora of flavours exploding in my mouth. You have to try it to know!

Tropical Lime

This drink is your typical float. It’s refreshing and palate cleansing. Especially after all the oil and spice in from the chicken,  rendang and Nasi Lemak chili. It tasted exactly like Wall’s Solero.

Previously, I went to the Plaza Singapura franchise and I left vouching to come back soon. However, the ingredients used here at the Westgate franchise was a let down. The food standard was visibly lower than what I had gotten at Plaza Singapura.

The food here is slightly cheaper than Mdm Kwan’s. However, I prefer Mdm Kwan’s Nasi Lemak over Papa Rich.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

 

 

 

嘉华鲜花饼 (云南)

 

Finally got to try  嘉华’s 鲜花饼! 鲜花饼 is a delicacy from Yunnan in China. It’s like 太阳饼 with rose petals as the filling instead of condensed malt sugar. It is eaten during 中秋节 in Yunnan as a moon cake. It is a traditional type of mooncake and it’s difficult to find in Singapore.

 

The pastry is very buttery and creamy with the same texture and flavour as the 太阳饼 in Taiwan. The filling is made of chopped rose petals soaked in probably sugar syrup. The filling has a fragrant and relaxing smell. Almost like a body lotion!

The pastry to filling ratio is perfect.

The rose petals are moist and fresh which is a nice contrast to the dry pastry.  This dessert cake is one of a kind and I recommend everyone to try it once. It can be eaten anytime of the day to wake your senses or as a sweet treat.

I hope you enjoyed my post. Thank you for reading and  have a nice day!

 

Mdm Kwan’s Beef Satay and Otah (Vivocity)

I was at Vivocity last night and got take away from Mdm Kwan. I have eaten there with my family previously and since I was craving for satay, I had to get their beef satay ($13.90++).

Their beef was tender and juicy. There was sweetness, saltiness and a hearty flavour to it. Just a caution, it might be “ze lark” to some. The satay has solid meat and there was no tendon in the meat. Mdm Kwan’s food costs significantly more than what you get at hawker centres but the quality of food is there.

The spicy nutty characteristic of the peanut sauce (sambal/ bumbu kacang) added an element of crunch and barbecue taste to the beef. The strong sambal aroma from the sauce brought back nostalgic childhood memories.

The rice cake (ketupat) was quite ordinary and not very aromatic. They gave slices of cucumber, pineapple and chopped onions to cleanse the palate. The spicy onions did an excellent job of neutralising the fat in the peanut sauce.

Lastly, I got an otah to share with family. I am not an otah fan nor do I hate it. However, I have standards. I got to say that this otah is really not fantastic.  The texture is the otah is confusing. The was chunks of fish meat inside the mushy spicy flour cake. Not to mention, the otah was thick and cut into large squares. Nothing like what we have at hawker centres. To add, the sambal in the otah was a tad too overwhelming for me.

I would say that their Nasi Lemak would be a more balanced meal for dinner compared to the satay. Next time, I don’t think I will get their satay. I am currently suffering from heartburn after eating it last night. Besides their Nasi Lemak, they are famous for their chendol ($4.90++). I tried it previously but sadly, it was mediocre. All there was were the green rice flour jelly, red beans and shaved ice. A small jug of gula melaka is given for you to add to taste. I felt they did not provide enough coconut milk. Quite a disappointment.

I hope you have gained new information from this post! Have a great day!