Showing posts with label Hainanese Curry Rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hainanese Curry Rice. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Maddie's Kitchen @ Far East Plaza - Wallet Friendly Zi Char Dishes At Orchard Road

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If you think that having a meal at Orchard Road will be very expensive, you are wrong. They are food outlets that sell affordable priced food in that area too. Maddie's Kitchen is probably known to many locals, hidden and located in the far corner on level two of Far East Plaza.

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Pork Chop Set 3.8/5

I tried the Pork Chop Set Curry Rice ($6.80). For the price, it is value for money. The messy plate of rice comes with deep-fried pork chop, stewed cabbage and a fried egg, drenched in a pool of curry sauce. Though the curry sauce is not spicy, it is packed with aroma. It is the soul that holds everything together. As for the other ingredients on the plate, the pork chop was a bit hard but generous in serving, while the cabbage was sweet and soft. 

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Beef Tenderloin Hor Fun 4.2/5

The highlight for me is the Beef Tenderloin Hor Fun ($13.80). First to hit me is the breadth of the wok, piled with a generous serving of bittergourd, black beans and tender beef slices. The noodle dish is common in many zichar places but what makes it different here is the quality of beef used. Slightly seared, thickly cut and tender.

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Overall, Maddie's Kitchen offers delicious yet wallet-friendly zichar dishes at Orchard Road. Though I only tried two dishes out of the eclectic menu, it already won me over with its delicious food. I will definitely drop by again for my meal if I am at Orchard Road.


Maddie's Kitchen
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#02-10/11/12/13
Singapore 228213
Tel: +65 63650501
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Turn right and walk down Scotts Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Sunday, December 27, 2020

The Hainan Story (海南寶) @ Hillton Mall - New 5-In-1 Multi-brand Restaurant Brings Together The Best Of Hainanese Cuisine

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New at Hillton Mall is The Hainan Story, a 5-in-1 multi-brand restaurant at Hillion Mall. It brings together the following five brands under one roof. They are Newspaper Curry Rice, The Hainan Story, Uncle Robert Western, Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice and Ah Chiang's Traditional Porridge.

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Toast with Homemade Gula Melaka Kaya & Cold Butter 4/5

The Hainan Story brand shares the same restaurant name. It offers old-school breakfasts. The Traditional Hainanese Toasts are thick and fluffy with a pillowy-soft centre and crisp crust. This is best eaten with Homemade Gula Melaka Kaya & Cold Butter. Not to forget to go along with a cup of Kopi Gu You. Coffee with a slice of butter.

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Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew with Rice 4.2/5

Besides the coffee and toasts, The Hainan Story has several claypot dishes such as Hainanese Claypot Chicken Char Siew Rice ($8.50), Hainanese Claypot Ee-fu Noodle Soup ($8.50), Laksa with Hainanese Steamed Chicken ($8.50) and Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew with Rice ($11.80). I had the lamb stew, which is incredibly tender. The sauce is mildly sweet with a hint of herbal, best to go with a plate of steaming white rice.

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Mama Wee's Hainanese Kou Rou Set 4/5

During British colonial rule, a dish that originated in Singapore is the Hainanese Curry Rice, where the Hainanese chefs' combined pork chop from British cuisine, and ingredients like curry chicken, chap chye and babi pongteh from Peranakan cuisine. Offering this at The Hainan Story is the brand Newspaper Curry Rice. There are six different sets such as the Mama Wee's Hainanese Curry Chicken Drumstick Set ($7.80), Mama Wee's Hainanese Kou Rou Set ($8.80), Nanyang Flavour Fried Chicken Drumstick Set ($6.80), Signature Fried Pork Cutlet Set ($8.80), Prawn Fritter Set ($8.80) and Crispy Fried Silver Dory Fish Set ($9.80).

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Old English Oxtail Stew 4.5/5

During the British colonial era in Singapore, many Hainanese chefs worked for British families. They created a unique take on western food with their Hainanese roots, giving the classic British cuisine a distinctly Asian take. A must-try dish is the Old English Oxtail Stew ($18.80), braised for hours with fresh tomatoes, spices and onions. The melt in the mouth meat is even paired with homemade mashed potatoes. Another nostalgia dish on the menu is the 1980's Hainanese Fried Pork Cutlet Coated with Potato Chips Crumbs ($14.80).

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Chicken Rice Fried Rice with Pork Cutlet 3.5/5

Another interesting dish is the Chicken Rice Fried Rice with Pork Cutlet. The dish used the chicken rice from Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice and paired it with their pork cutlet. Unlike the usual pork cutlet, it is coated with potato chips crumbs instead of breadcrumbs for that extra crunchiness. However, the chicken rice fried rice was a letdown. I didn't taste the chicken rice flavour. It tasted just like regular fried rice.

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More famous brands like Ah Chiang's Traditional Porridge and Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice make up the five concepts in Singapore. Ah Chiang's Traditional Porridge offers a bowl of comforting traditional porridge, with close to half a century of porridge-making expertise. Of course, how can we not include Hainanese Chicken Rice from Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice, an iconic dish put Singapore in the world map?

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Hainan Story (海南寶)
Hillion Mall
17 Petir Road
#01-15/16
Singapore 678278
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bukit Panjang (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bukit Panjang MRT station. Take Exit A2. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Truly Test Kitchen @ Jun Jie Industrial Building (Macpherson Road)

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The two young hawkerpreneurs that have started Truly Curry Rice at Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre has closed their stall and made a bold expansion move, taking over an entire coffee shop inside an industrial building at Kampong Ampat with a rather hip name - Truly Test Kitchen. Located on level seven of the industrial building, Truly Test Kitchen is a concept that consists of Truly Curry Rice, and another 3 other stalls - Truly Western, Mian and Handmade Meatball Porridge.

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Hainanese Curry Rice 4/5

I was quite amazed to see the inner rice clean of gravy, after sitting there for quite some time with gravy coated all over. That to me was already a huge plus. The consistency of the curry allows it to just glaze the rice without drowning it. It is flavourful yet not overpowering the other dishes. I highly recommend their braised dishes - Radish, Chap Chye and Bittergourd.

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Curry Chicken Noodle 3.5/5

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Homely Noodle 3.5/5

From the Mian Stall, we had Homely Noodle and Curry Chicken Noodle. I have never seen such a huge portion for only $3.50. After observing that most customers working in the area will head straight to the rice stall without giving the noodles or porridge stall a chance. The two hawkerpreneurs increased the portion for a value return to counter that. Hence, both noodles and porridge are made extremely hearty to satiate their hunger. Homely Noodle is something that comforts your soul, while the Curry Chicken Noodle sets to fire your energy for the rest of the afternoon.

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Homemade Pumpkin Cakes 3.8/5

Their Homemade Pumpkin Cakes are also worth trying. They are slightly differently from the usual. Crispy on the outside soft on the inside, the special sauce and chilli at the side make it extra moreish.

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Meatball Porridge 3.8/5

Chunky homemade meatballs and velvety porridge, the liking for their Porridge is unanimous.  Thick and gluey, this hearty porridge is slow cooked for 2 hours to achieve such consistency. Hence, you wouldn't see your porridge turning watery till your last drop. That happens when potato starch was being added to quicken the thickening process. 

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Chicken Chop Baked Rice 3.5/5

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Chicken Chop 4/5

From Truly Western, their Baked Rice, Chicken Chop and Chicken Waffle ($4.50 each) are their popular dishes. Their baked rice is more towards the Hong Kong style. Perhaps it's the batter, I must say their Chicken Chop is really good, hence be it we had it by itself or as Chicken Chop Baked Rice, both were equally satisfying.  Their pasta, however, pale in comparison.

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Pasta 2.8/5

Their Chicken Waffle ($4.50) may excite you as much as it had excited our table. Isn't it interesting to see how hawker food has evolved?  Some may see it in a negative way but such evolution may give people a chance to taste new things that is almost out of their imagination. This particular dish actually made an old couple coming back for it consecutively everyday for weeks!

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Chicken Waffle 4/5

Joel and Deniece, former forex traders and colleagues, are the two young people who made it happened, barely after a couple of years after Deniece's dad handed over the hawker stall at Telok Blangah Food Centre to them. They took over the defunct coffeeshop on the 7th storey of the industrial building, spent months to get the entire space up and running, to what you see today. Hungry for success, you can see that in their eyes.

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I can't imagine how this place was like back before Joel and Deniece took over, but to see so much energy going on at a level so high up in an industrial building on a Saturday, Truly Test Kitchen has definitely breathed a new lease of life into this place.

Written by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.



[CLOSED]
Truly Test Kitchen
Jun Jie Industrial Building
153 Kampong Ampat
#07-05
Singapore 368326
Nearest MRT: Tai Seng (CC Line), Aljunied (EW Line)

Opening Hours
Mon-Sat: 7am - 2pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tai Seng MRT station. Take Exit B.Walk down Harper Road. Turn right onto Playfair Road and then left onto Mactaggart Road. Walk to the end of Mactaggart Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Aljunied MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk to bus stop opposite Aljunied MRT station (Stop ID 81081). Take bus number 62. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to Kampong Ampat road. Turn left onto Kampong Ampat road. Continue on Kampong Ampat. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Truly Curry Rice (真咖喱饭) @ Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre

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I am back at Truly Curry Rice once again since my last visit. This time with a few more foodie friends to check out their newly introduced breakfast Stewed Pork Beehoon Set. It is great to see the two young hawkers, Joel and Deniece still carries that fire and passion in them.

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Stewed Pork Bee Hoon 4.2/5

The Stewed Pork Bee Hoon ($1) is definitely value for money. The plate of white bee hoon may look kind of plain but it is really well cooked. It was not oily and the texture still retained the springiness in it. For a dollar, I think the flavours were there. If I am picky, the stewed pork and fried shallots flavours can be richer.

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Chap Chye 4.2/5

If you find having the stewed pork bee hoon alone is boring, Truly Curry Rice offers the Stewed Pork Bee Hoon Set ($2) that comes with a selection of two sides.

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Bitter Gourd 4/5

For a selection of vegetables, there are the Chap Chye, Bitter Gourd, Sambal Brinjal and Sambal Long Beans. I enjoyed the Chap Chye which is cooked to a delectable softness and sweetness.

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Sambal Brinjal 4/5

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Sambal Long Bean 4/5

A worthy mention is the different chilli prepared from scratch at the stall. If you like spicy stuff, then the sambal brinjal and long beans are a good choice cooked to a nice crunch.

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Stir Fried Potato 4.2/5

Something new on the array of selections is the Stir Fried Potato. This home cooked dish is simple but yet so comforting.

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Sambal Squid 3.5/5

The Sambal Squid unfortunately was a tad tough and overcooked during my visit. However the chilli spiciness has a real kick to it.

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Braised Pork Belly 3/5

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Pork Chop 4/5

For meat, there are the Braised Pork Belly and Pork Chop. The braised pork belly is tender and melted in the mouth. However it is pale in flavour. On the other hand, the pork chop was deep fried to a nice crisp and succulent.

I am glad that after more than a year, the two young hawkers has continued to work hard, starting the day at 1am painstakingly preparing the food from scratch and serving it to their customer in an affordable price.


[MOVED]
Truly Curry Rice
Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre
79 Telok Blangah Drive
#01-29
Singapore 100079
Nearest MRT: Telok Blangah (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Blangah MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to the other side of the road. Cut across block 45 to Telok Blangah Drive. At Telok Blangah Drive, turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Monday, February 10, 2014

Truly Curry Rice (真咖喱饭) @ Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre

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It is heartening to see another 2 Young Hawker who is willing to sacrifice their day job as traders in the bank to labour in a confined hawker stall at Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre. Deniece's dad owned the stall but was looking for someone to takeover. Deniece and his business partner Joel decided to jump on the opportunity, quitted their comfortable job and started their next career path as hawker. After taking over the curry rice stall, Truly Curry Rice (真咖喱饭), the pair spent months fine tuning the dishes and introducing new items to win over the heart and stomach of their customers.

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Pork Chop 3.5/5

The Pork Chop was pretty decent with its crumbly exterior and was succulent inside. If I am to pick bones from an egg, I felt that the seasoning can be a bit heavier or maybe offer a tomato based Hainanese pork chop.

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Chap Chye 4.5/5

The Chap Chye was really well executed bringing out the natural sweetness of the cabbage with its delightful texture.

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Meatball 4/5

The Meatball here was really huge and well seasoned. If there is some savoury like salted egg to give it some contrasting flavour that will be perfect.

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Curry Rice 4.2/5

The basic necessity of a good plate of curry rice is the Curry. Both Joel and Deniece have taken the original recipe and did some refinement. The end product is a fragrant and flavourful curry that has a lingering spiciness on the palate. It got the approval from all of us and I will be happy to drench the whole plate of rice with it.

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Deep Fried Prawn 3.5/5

Personally I think it is not necessary to use the five spice powder for the Deep Fried Prawn as it makes the prawns darker in colour which I thought was not too presentable. Nevertheless, the prawn was deep fried to a nice crispy bite, the batter was not too thick and it was well seasoned.

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Eggplant 4.5/5

I took a bite of the Eggplant and turned to my friends. My immediate reaction was, "hey guys you got to try this, the hae bee hiam is very good". The fragrant hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp) complemented the sweetness of the eggplant beautifully. The eggplant was also not overcooked retaining a bit of the crunchiness. What heartened me is to know the hae bee hiam was cooked from scratch at the stall by the 2 young hawker. If one day they decided to sell the hae bee hiam in bottle, I would gladly buy from them.

Long Beans 4.5/5

I know not many people enjoy eating eggplant. If you are one of them, you can try the Long Beans instead. It is stir fried using the same hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp).

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Assam Calamari 3.5/5

The delectable Assam Calamari felt a bit out of place with its lemongrass flavour which is usually found in Thai cuisine. Saying that it was still a well balanced and executed dish. The calamari was also fresh and crunchy. It is one of those dish that you either love it or hate it in my opinion.

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Bitter Gourd Omelette 4/5

The Bitter Gourd Omelette was fried to a nice brown crisp with the well seasoned omelette complementing the bitterness of the bitter gourd.

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Braised Pork Belly 3/5

One look at the Braised Pork Belly and I could tell it needed more time to fully absorb the flavour. The braised pork belly did not have that melted in the mouth texture and the flavour was not robust enough.

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Lor Bak 4.5/5

Both Joel and Deniece are not Hainanese and Truly Curry Rice is not an authentic Hainanese curry rice stall. They strive to serve their customers with good food and food that they themselves love to eat. Hence it is not surprise to see Joel took his mum's Lor Bak recipe and introduced the item at the stall. The chilli dip that goes along with the lor bak is also freshly prepared at the stall.

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There has been a lot of media coverage about preserving our Hawker Heritage and efforts to encourage Young Hawkers to take up the trade. It seems like it is a dying trade where the replacement rate is out paced by the older generation of hawkers getting too old to handle the workload or passing on. Coupled by long work hours, working environment and non recognition, there is a lack of the younger generation willing to be a hawker. It is really heartening to see Joel and Deniece sacrificing probably their social life and high paid salary job waking up as early as 4am and sweating out in a hot and stuffy hawker stall prepping and cooking for the day.


[MOVED]
Truly Curry Rice
Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre
79 Telok Blangah Drive
#01-29
Singapore 100079
Nearest MRT: Telok Blangah (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Blangah MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to the other side of the road. Cut across block 45 to Telok Blangah Drive. At Telok Blangah Drive, turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Friday, November 11, 2011

Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice @ Bukit Merah

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Last Monday was a public holiday and I went for a morning forest walk starting from Henderson Wave, intending to end on the other end at Alexandra Arch. Unfortunately, the forest walk was under repair and I have to turn back for an early lunch.

I took a 2 stops bus ride to Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice at Bukit Merah View since I am at the vicinity. This place is very popular with taxi uncle. I noticed a lot of taxi parked at the carpark behind the coffee shop and taxi uncles sipping coffee or having lunch.

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Pork Chop 4/5

Unlike the norm Pork Chop served at other places, the Pork Chop here came served in a pool of gravy. Surprisingly the Pork Chop and the gravy just came together as one dish. In a way, it sort of given the Pork Chop a succulent taste.

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Lor Bak 4/5

The beautiful layers of fat and meat of the Lor Bak garnished with coriander was well braised with softness. I couldn't help going for more.

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Curry Squid 4/5

The Squid served in a curry gravy was not spicy. Like all traditional Hainanese dish, the taste is more inclined to the sweet side. The squid was nice and fresh but I would preferred it to be more springy.

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Stewed Cabbage 4.2/5

The Stewed Cabbage is a must order dish for me whenever I have Hainanese Curry Rice. While the Pork Chop may have slightly different versions, the Stewed Cabbage has pretty similar preparation styles among the different stalls. I always enjoyed eating the sweet and soft Stewed Cabbage with my plate of rice.


Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice
Hong Yu (鸿裕) Coffee shop
Blk 116 Bukit Merah View
#01-253
Nearest MRT: Redhill, Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 830am - 930pm
(Closed on Alt Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Redhill MRT station: Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Redhill MRT station (Stop ID 10209). Take bus no. 132 or 145. Alight 4 stops later. Journey time about 6 mins.

2) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to the bus stop opposite Tiong Bahru (Stop ID 10161). Take bus no. 16 or 851. Alight 3 stops later. Journey time about 9 mins.