Imperial Court Shark's Fin Restaurant @ Grassroots Club Yio Chu Kang

I was invited to a wedding dinner at the Grassroots Club Yio Chu Kang. I have to admit I was not expecting much from a neighbourhood restaurant. I was in for a surprise. The food was good and of great standard.

The Buddha Jump Over the Wall impressed me the most. The ingredients were well stewed and melted in my mouth. In the pot, there were shark fin, abalone, fish maw, mushroom, chicken legs, scallops, jihua ham and sea cucumber. I even helped myself to a second bowl.

The Pipa Duck was very good too. The duck skin was very crispy. The duck meat was roasted to perfection and the special sauce was an excellent combination for the duck meat.

I was a bit disappointed with the lobster deluxe combination which should have more lobster meat. The yam paste was a bit watery to my liking. The fried rice with diced abalone wrapped in lotus leaf should use glutinous rice instead.

Lobster Deluxe Combination 3.8/5

Buddha Jump Over the Wall

Buddha Jump Over the Wall

My Bowl of Buddha Jump Over the Wall 4.5/5

Scallop Prepared in Two Ways 4/5

Steamed Red Grouper in Soya Sauce 3.8/5

PiPa Duck with Chef Sauce 4.5/5

Deep Fried King Prawn with Thousand Island Cream 4/5

Fried Rice with Diced Abalone Wrapped in Lotus Leaf 3.5/5

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts 3.5/5

Imperial Court Shark's Fin Restaurant
The Grassroots Club
190 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8
#03-01
Nearest MRT: Yio Chu Kang, NS Line

Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry rice @ Jalan Besar

Don't ever be mistaken by this plate of ugly messy gooey rice. It maybe one of the best Hainanese curry rice you  ever eaten. Trust me, it's damn good. This is called "scissor-cut curry rice" because the dishes were cut up into bite-sized pieces with a large pair of traditional scissors.

The popular dishes were their braised pork, pork/chicken chop, curry chicken and stewed cabbage.

Hainanese Curry Rice 4.2/5

To get here, alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take a 5 minutes walk down Kitchener Road. You will walk past City Square Mall and City Square Residences before reaching the restaurant.

Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice
美芝律剪刀剪咖喱饭
229 Jalan Besar
(corner of Kitchener Road and Jalan Besar)

Nearest MRT: Farrer Park, NE Line

Hua Nam Restaurant @ Upper Thomson Road

There are many shop houses and eateries along Upper Thomson Road. Near the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Jalan Todak, there is an old coffeeshop setting restaurant that sells yummy traditional dim sum. It is always quite crowded during the weekend but service is quite fast.

Steamed Yam Cake 4.2/5

Chicken Feet 4.5/5

Chee Cheong Fang with Minced Meat 3/5

Pork Ribs 3.5/5

Century Egg Porridge 4/5

Egg Tart 4/5

Fried Carrot Cake 4/5

To get here, take MRT to Marymount station and go to exit A. From exit A, walk about 100 metres to Upper Thomson Road. You will see a SPC petrol kiosk. Cross the road and take bus number 52, 132, 162, 163, 165, 166, 167, 855 or 980 from the bus stop. Hua Nam Restaurant is one bus stop away

Hua Nam Restaurant (华南菜馆)

244F Upper Thomson Road
Thomson Garden Estate
Nearest MRT: Marymount, CC Line

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Fu Cheng Shu Si @ West Coast Market Square

My trip to West Coast Market Square brought me to another interesting stall. This stall sells only Tau Suan and You Tiao. The stall also made the You Tiao on the spot. The Tau Suan was good and not watery. If not for the earlier black fried carrot cake, I probably would have ordered another You Tiao to go with the Tau Suan.

Tau Suan with You Tiao 4/5

To get here, alight at Clementi MRT station, take bus 189 from the bus stop at exit B. West Coast Market Square is only two bus stops away.


Fu Cheng Shu Si
福成熟食
West Coast Market Square
Blk 726 Clementi West Street 2
#01-169
Nearest MRT: Clementi, EW Line

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Gui Ji @ West Coast Market Square

This is a one man stall so do expect some waiting time. While waiting, you can enjoy watching the stall uncle dancing around his kitchen preparing and frying the carrot cake. Guess what, you have to be your own cashier too. You just placed the money for your order into the little money bucket at the stall. If you need a change for your order, you just help yourself to it from the money bucket.

Black Fried Carrot Cake 4/5

The stall sells fried carrot cake from 6am to 2pm. After 2pm, the stall sells fried hokkien mee. To get here, alight at Clementi MRT station, take bus 189 from the bus stop at exit B. West Coast Market Square is only two bus stops away.


Gui Ji
West Coast Market Square
Blk 726 Clementi West Street 2
#01-180 
Nearest MRT: Clementi, EW Line

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Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat @ Jalan Sultan

Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat is located at the junction of Jalan Sultan and North Bridge Road, opposite Textile Centre. On a crowded day, diners may have to settle fort tables by the road side along Jalan Sultan Road or the back alley.

The restaurant used characoal-based steamboat. You can choose the type of fish for your steamboat. Grouper and pomfret were more popular from what I observed after eating here on a few occasions. Beside fish steamboat, the restaurant also offered cooked food. On weekends, do make reservation to avoid disappointment.

Fish Steamboat 4.5/5

Prawn Roll (Hei Zho) 4/5

Sambal Potato Leaves 4/5

You can either take bus no. 107 from Lavender MRT station which is 2 stops away or take a 10 mins walk. to get there. If you are walking there, just get across the car park beside the MRT station. Walk along the canal, cross the canal, cut through the block of flats. When you are at the main road, turn to your right and walk down North Bridge Road until you come to a T-Junction and the restaurant is just opposite.

If by circle line, just align at Nicoll Highway MRT station, go to exit A and follow the overhead walkway all the way across to Jalan Sultan. Walk another 50 meters along Jalan Sultan and you will come to a T-Junction where the restaurant is located.


Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat
南华昌（亚秋）鱼头炉
814 North Bridge Road
Tel: +65 6297 9319
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Pepper Lunch @ City Square Mall

This is my first time eating at Pepper Lunch. I kind of enjoyed the experience cooking your own meal. You get to add the sauces to make it taste to your own likings too. I tried both garlic soy sauce and honey brown sauce. I preferred the latter.

Black Pepper Steak with Egg 3.8/5

Teriyaki Salmon and Chicken 3.5/5

Pepper Lunch
City Square Mall
180 Kitchener Road
#04-31
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park, NE Line

Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodle @ Old Airport Road

The prawn noodle stall has a range of prices from $4 to $15 depending on the size of the prawn. The dish came with either mee hoon or yellow noodles. I ordered the cheapest as I don't think it is worthwhile to pay that much for a bowl of prawn noodle. It came with 4 prawns sliced into half. The soup was quite good with that familiar charming and pleasurable prawn-thrashing flavours.

Prawn Noodle 4/5

Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodle
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Blk 51 Old Airport Road
#01-98
Nearest MRT: Dakota, CC Line

Gong Cha @ City Square Mall

Bubble tea has turned premium with Gong Cha. It is a franchise from Kaohsiung, Taiwan that offers premium Taiwan tea for their bubble tea. Their signature are Gong Cha Milk Tea and Pearl Milk Tea. You can also choose the amount of sugar level for your drink. It was a very hot day so I went for something more refreshing instead. I ordered lemon juice with seaweed Ai Yu.

Gong Cha Shop Front

Lemon Juice with Seaweed Ai Yu 4.5/5

Lemon Juice with Seaweed Ai Yu

Gong Cha
City Square Mall
180 Kitchener Road
#B2-K3/K4
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park, NE Line

Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wanton Mee @ Old Airport Road

Old Airport Road Food Centre which has many famous local food stalls are so accessible now. I just need to take the MRT to Dakota station, go to exit A and the food centre is only 5 minute walk away.

One of my favourite stalls at Old Airport Road Food Centre is Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wanton Mee. The mee was cooked just right, neither too soggy or too dry. The char siew was not too sweet or fatty. The wanton was also packed with fillings of minced meat and prawn. The wow factor probably lied with the chilli sauce. The sambal type chilli sauce complemented and gave flavour to the noodle.

Wanton Mee 4.5/5

Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wanton Mee
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Blk 51 Old Airport Road
#01-113B
Nearest MRT: Dakota, CC Line

Lau Pa Sat Festival Market @ Raffles Quay

A friend was in town from the United States so we brought her to Lau Pa Sat to experience Singapore own version of street hawker food. Lau Pa Sat which means "old market" in hokkien, was Singapore's first wet market about 150 years ago. Now it is a gourmet paradise right in the heart of the commercial district area where you can find Singapore's street hawker food.

Mutton and Chicken Satay 3.5/5

BBQ prawn 4/5

Chilli Sotong (Squid) 4/5

Sambal Kang Kong 4/5

BBQ Sting Ray 4.5/5

Fried Oyster 4/5

Lau Pa Sat Festival Market
18 Raffles Quay
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place, EW Line

5 star corner western food @ Hougang Central

Black pepper steak served in sizzling hot plate. No it's not Jack's place. It's 5 star corner western food at Hougang Central foodpark coffeshop. It is one of their most popular dishes. Yummy western food at affordable $8 for my black pepper steak. We also ordered pork cutlet which cost $5.

Black Pepper Steak 4.5/5

Pork Cutlet 3.8/5

5 Star Corner Western Food
Block 805 Hougang Central
Foodpark
Nearest MRT: Hougang, NE Line

Quiznos Sub @ Changi Airport T1

Quiznos Sub is a new kid on the block at Changi Airport Terminal 1. It is newly opened for about two weeks, located at the arrival hall of Changi Airport Terminal 1.

I did some research and I realized that Quiznos is a franchise based in Denver, Colorado. It is the second largest submarine sandwich shop chain in North Amercia after Subway. I also realized the word "Sub" is for submarine sandwich.

Quiznos prides itself for its toasty. Indeed I preferred Quiznos to Subway because of the toasted sandwich and the fillings are more tasty (more healthy fillings for Subway). I ordered spicy beef and cheddar but the more popular one is zesty grilled steak.

Spicy Beef and Cheddar 4/5

Spicy Beef and Cheddar

The Orange and Green Theme of Quiznos

Quiznos Sub
Changi Airport Terminal 1
Arrival Hall
Nearest MRT: Changi Airport, EW Line

Bak Chor Mee @ S-11 AMK Central Food House

Bak Chor Mee is a very common dish where one can find in almost any corner of Singapore and it is eaten any time of the day. The unique thing about this stall are the ingredients used. Three things stood out,

1) Marinated Minced Meat (Bak Chor)
2) Fried Wanton with Minced Meat fillings
3) Fried Meat Ball

Unlike normal Bak Chor Mee, this stall used marinated minced meat. The fried meat ball and wanton are popular too. Some customers even ordered a separate plate of the fried meat ball and wanton.

Bak Chor Mee 4/5

A little side track of my post as I was amused by the herbal tea brand I ordered from the food house. It is my first time to come across this interesting brand of herbal tea. 

One eye uncle brand Herbal Tea

Bak Chor Mee Stall
S-11 Ang Mo Kio (AMK) Central Food House
Big Mac Centre
51 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio, NS Line

Kok Sen Restaurant @ Keong Saik Street

Kok Sen Restaurant is a "zi char" stall with an old coffee shop setting located along Keong Saik Street. There is no air condition here and on a crowded day, you may have to eat at the dark back alley. Don't be mislead by its exterior, this zi char stall served fantastic dishes.

I have eaten here many times and tried many of their dishes. My all time favourite are their black bean bitter gourd and pork rib, prawn paste chicken, big prawn chu mee feng and black bean sliced fish.

However, I wanted to try something different today and ordered sliced fish soup, stir fried sliced beef and kailan. The sliced fish was very fresh but a very normal dish. Both the beef and kailan were well fried and nice. This place has never failed to satisfy my craving for home cooked chinese food. Oh! this place only accept cash payment.

Sliced fish Soup 3.5/5

Stir Fried Kailan 4/5

Stir Fried Sliced Beef 4/5

Kok Sen Restaurant
30 Keong Saik Street
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line), Chinatown (NE Line, DT Line)

Chutneys @ Wisma Food Republic

If you walked passed the stall at Wisma Food Republic, you will see the chef baking the naan in a tandoor. Naan is a leavened oven-baked flat bread. Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used for cooking and baking.

I ordered the Chicken Masala set which is sliced tandoor baked boneless breast of chicken simmered in Chutneys signature tomato butter cream sauce.

Chicken Tikka Masala 4/5

Naan (Indian Bread) 4/5

Chicken Tikka Masala Set

Chutneys
Wisma Atria
Food Republic
#04-17
Nearest MRT: Orchard, NS Line