Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面) @ Joo Chiat Place

If you mentioned wanton mee, Fei Fei Wanton Mee at Joo Chiat Place probably would be one of the popular choices by many foodies. The bowl of egg noodles looked rather plain when served with a spoon filled chilli in it.

By the way, at Joo Chiat Place there are 2 Fei Fei Wanton Mee side by side across each other. To know the story behind it, you can read ieatishootipost blog here.

Wanton Mee 4/5

I had the Wanton Mee ($3.50 small) with chilli sauce. Although the bowl of wanton mee looked plain when served, if you dig in and gave it a toss you will find all the ingredients hidden inside. If you can't take spice, you can ask for either ketchup or dark sauce.

For me the highlight was neither the wanton nor char siew. It is the egg noodles. It is thicker and softer in texture. Although it is not handmade any more, it is still pretty good.

Wanton Soup 3.8/5

The Wanton Soup ($4.50) has nothing much to shout about. The wanton skin was thin and smooth but I felt that the fillings was not up to my expectation. I had better elsewhere.


Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面)
72 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427789
Tel: +65 64405013
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (EW Line), Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 24hr

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Head south towards Geylang Serai Malay Village. Cross Geylang/Changi Road and continue onto Joo Chiat Road. Turn left into Joo Chiat Place. Journey time about17mins.

2) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Walk to Bus Stop at Blk 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 33 towards Bedok Bus Interchange. Alight 6 stops later at. Journey time about 15mins

Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant @ Pioneer Food Village

The best reward for my blogging journey is to get to know a bunch of awesome foodies friends. On and off we will still come out for a meal or meet one another at events but not in a big group. The last time we have a group makan gathering were probably back in October 2011 whereby we headed to Ghim Moh Food Centre to indulge the best of hawker food there.

Thanks to Maureen for organising the gathering, our journey to the west brought us to Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant at Pioneer Food Village. The 18 years and counting restaurant is located at Tuas West woks up some awesome chinese dishes.

Fish Maw Soup 4/5

The bowl of Fish Maw Soup ($4/bowl) comes with a generous serving of mushrooms, fish maw, prawns and bean sprouts. The soup has a nice smooth consistency neither too watery nor overly starchy.

XO Sauce Seafood Crystal Kway Teow 4.5/5

The XO Sauce Seafood Crystal Kway Teow ($8, $12, $16) was definitely the surprise of the night. Instead of using the normal flat rice noodle, the restaurant uses translucent Fen Pi (粉皮) or bean flour sheet that is made from green bean flour. It had a firmer bite and it seemed to be able to absorb the flavours better.

Sweet and Sour Prawns 4/5

Sweet and Sour Pork is quite common at restaurants but Sweet and Sour Prawns ($24, $30, $40) is a twist from the convention. The peeled succulent prawn which was lightly battered had a crisp crunch texture while the sweet and sour sauce coated the prawn evenly.

Steamed Pomfret with Nonya Sauce 4.5/5

The sight of the colourful dish already won me. I knew I am into something good. The Steamed Pomfret with Nonya Sauce ($6/100g) is a MUST TRY. The main cast is the Nonya sauce. The sweet, sour and spicy flavours of the sauce gave the dish a perfect marriage.

Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Buns 4.2/5

Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Buns 4.2/5

The Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Bun ($12, $24) which was braised for 4 hours at least easily fell off the bone and had the almost melted in the mouth tenderness. Paired with the flat bun and a slice piece of pineapple, it was just fating good.

Kung Pao Prawns 4/5

I have heard of Kung Pao Chicken but Kung Pao Prawns ($24, $30, $40) was another surprise twist for me. I really appreciated the Chef's approach to step away from conventional zhi char dishes.

Stir Fried Dou Miao 4.2/5

This type of Dou Miao is imported from Taiwan which is more leafy and crunchy. The simple Stir Fried Dou Miao ($12, $18, $24) is not available everyday. I enjoyed the simpicity approach to the dish allowing me to enjoy the nature earthy sweetness of the greens.

Black Pepper Crab 4/5

Singaporean loves their crab and it can be done in many version. We tried the Black Pepper Crab($4.50/100g) which had a nice balance of sweetness and spiciness. The crab meat was also firm and chucky.

Of course a group photo after a sumptuous meal. By the way our friend Lisa (aks @thelittlebowl) baked each of us a very delicious dark chocolate and nutella cupcake. Sorry it was so good that I finished it without taking a picture. Her cupcakes are selling like hot cakes at The Ugly Cake Shop.

Unfortunately, Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant is not accessible by public transport. If you are not driving, the nearest MRT station is at Joo Koon Station. From the station, you will need to cab to the destination.

Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant
Pioneer Food Village
29 Tuas West Avenue
Singapore 638427
Tel: +65 68633651
Nearest MRT: Joo Koon (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 10pm

Marutama Ramen @ The Central

(Photo taken with Canon IXUS 120IS )

Most ramen used pork bone broth but at Marutama it is famed for its chicken broth, Toripaitan soup. Actually I have started to have a liking for chicken broth based soup because it does not leave me with oily lips.

Marutama Ramen 4.2/5

Marutama Ramen ($12) uses homemade Hakata-styled ramen noodle which is hard and thin. I liked the tenderness texture of the noodle. The greens also gave the bowl of ramen extra sweetness and texture. By the way, the bowl of ramen only came with only a piece of char siew and I have to pay an additional $1.50 for the Ajituke Tamago (Half boiled seasoned egg).

Yaki Char Siu 4.5/5

If you are not content with just a bowl of ramen, try the Yaki Char Siu ($6). The grilled roast pork is flavourfully seasoned and had a lovely smokey aroma that melted in the mouth.


Marutama Ramen
The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-90/91
Singapore 059817
Tel: +65 65348090
Website: http://m-ramen.com/home.php
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction:
Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take exit C, E, F, G. Walk to The Central and destination above the MRT station. Journey time 3 minutes.

Food Revolution Day Singapore 19 May 2012

If you have missed the first ever Food Revolution Day in Singapore on 19 May 2012 at The Lawn, check out these photos on what you have missed.

It was heart warming to see lots of social media friends and the public that specially made the trip down to support the event.

Quite a nice crowd turning up for the event.

The beautiful owner of The Lawn, Sarah making her speech and opening the event.

Fiji Water is there to keep us hydrated from the afternoon heat.

Goodie bags each worth $28 of NATUREL products were given out at the event.

Mekhala has a booth introducing their total wellness products such as spa essentials, food and home products which are free of artificial flavours, colours, chemicals, fragrances and preservatives that can harm the body.

Very interesting that the Red Dragon Fruit which is a source of Vitamin C, fibre, calcium and antioxidants can be made into some many healthy products. LoveRedDragon has made it into easily consumed fruit jams, concentrate juice and collagen drinks.

The extremely delectable brownies and cookies by Baked and Eaten were made from the quality ingredients that transform the simplest of desserts to something divine. Baked and Eaten is founded by Charmine starting from a community kitchen offering her signature rich chocolate fudgy brownies.  Now she has her own dedicated baking studio (licenced by NEA).

With no cholesterol, 2-3% less fat and lower calorie count,  Soyato is 100% soy-based, egg-free frozen dessert that's great for vegans, the lactose-intolerant and health conscious. Eight different flavours were available during the event. Glad to see both Andy (Sengkangbabies) and Phoebe's (bpdgtravels) kids supporting the event and enjoying Soyato!

While the booths outside were attracting the crowds with their products, another group of people were gathered inside the restaurant to watch Cooking Demo, Talks and Performances.

We have Chef Rayner who is also a food blogger at His Food Blog, showing the audience how to prepare a simple yet delicious Grilled King Prawn with Gong Poh sauce.

Mervyn from Cookyn Inc also demonstrated an easy to make Brown Rice Salad.

Bring the house down! Shawn Lee currently Asia's No.1 beatboxer is in the house. He also made it to the Top 4 in the Beatbox Battle World Championship 2012.

Known as the travelling dietitian, Vanessa is an accredited dietician. She believes improving one's relationship with food is the key to optimal health. Her talk was very enlightening.

In addition to all these, we also have live band performance by Acoustic Saturday and Food Photography talk by Kelvin Yong.

Rumah Rasa @ Bay Hotel

Located at the newly opened Bay Hotel at Telok Blangah near Vivo City is Rumah Rasa, a pan-Indonesian restaurant specialising in bringing together the best flavours of the Indonesian archipelago.

Called House of Taste, Rumah Rasa is helmed by Chef Sharifah Zaharah who is armed with years of experience at the likes of SATS, Raffles Hotel and ST Regis. Her philosophy is to use fresh seasonal produce to sincerely share the beautiful flavours of Indonesian with the dining public.

Soda Gembira 4.2/5

The Soda Gembira ($6) is a freshing drink mixture of Rose Syrup, Evaporated Milk and Soda. I call this the modern version of Bandung drink. The traditional version usually turns out to be way too sweet but the soda gembira has a nice refreshing balance of sweetness.

Buah Belinjau Chips 3.8/5

While we waited for the food, we were served Buah Belinjau Chips. Belinjau is a fruit that has medical value. Accordingly to what I read on the web, it helps to reduce sugar level in the blood and helps protect the kidney. Compare to other chips, it is a rather healthy snack as no flour, preservatives or colouring is added. The buah belinjau chips has a subtle bitter taste which surprisingly was very enjoyable.

Soto Ayam Madura 3.8/5

The Soto Ayam Madura ($6) is a hearty chicken broth with shredded chicken, beansprouts and topped with a Potato Croquette. For me, the highlight was the potato croquette. The potato croquette was crisp on the outer crust and fluffy inside. The soup was tasty but I find it awkard to be served Soto Ayam as a soup on the menu. It felt like someone has stolen my noodles.

Paru Goreng 4/5

I love all sorts of innards but I have not tried Beef Lungs before. I was looking forward to the exotic Paru Goreng ($8). The thinly sliced beef lungs were fried until crispy and served with sambal petai. I am probably the only one that kept going back for more. I could have finished them with a mug of beer.

Redang Sumatra 4/5

The Redang Sumatra ($14) which was simmered in spicy coconut gravy for hours. The rich and thick gravy was a perfect camflourage for the melt in the mouth tender beef.

Ayam Korma 3.8/5

The Ayam Korma ($14) which was simmered in mild yellow curry was palatable. The chicken meat was moist and tender. I am not sure whether the gravy should be that watery but I would prefer it to be thicker.

Tahu Telur Surabaya 4.5/5

The Tahu Telur Surabaya ($8) definitely stands tall among the rest of the dishes. The tower of fried beancurd and egg combo drizzled with a sweet and spicy dark sauce disappeared within minutes. The smooth and silky beancurd definitely was the main cast of the dish. One of our blogger friends, Nat who just returned from a trip in Bali, told the chef that the Tahu Telur was as good as the one he had in Bali.

Gulai Kambing Aceh 4/5

The almost melt in the mouth tender Aceh style Mutton Stew, Gulai Kambing Aceh ($10) simmered with coconut milk and a medley of spices was indeed very good. Drenched with the gravy on the rice, it was just simply sedap.

Sayur Lodeh 4/5

Unlike the Chinese version of mixed curry vegetables where the gravy uses more coconut milk and thicker, the Sayur Lodeh ($8) is on the mild side. I actually preferred Rumah Rasa's version as it is healthier. The vegetables were also not over cooked still retaining that crunch.

Udang Petai Belado 4/5

The Udang Petai Belado ($12) uses big, succulent and fresh prawns stir-fried in chilli gravy with petai beads. Surprisingly the bitter petai beads complements the chilli gravy demonstrating the chef's vast knowlegde of flavours.

Ayam Panggang Berkakak Jakarta 4.5/5

The Ayam Panggang Berkakak Jakarta ($14), probably is the BEST grilled chicken I ever eaten. The chicken was grilled to perfection  with Rumah Rasa's homemade spicy sauce. The crisp skin had a lingering sweet taste and the chicken was tenderly yummy.

Gado Gado 4/5

The Gado Gado ($8) is a light melange of mixed vegetables, tofu and crispy emping cracker drizzled with Rumah Rasa's very own homemade spicy peanut sauce. Unlike other Gado Gado I have tried, there is a refined approach to the dish at Rumah Rasa. The plate of vegetables are delicately presented and not flooded with sauce.

Ikan Bakar Rumah Rasa 4.2/5

If you have been to Indonesian, grilled fish along the street is a common sight. At Rumah Rasa, the Ikan Baka ($28) was marinated in turmeric, topped with homemade spicy sauce and charcoal grilled to perfection.

Es Chendol 3.8/5

The Chendol ($6) served in tall glass does look elegant but I ever blogged before that I disliked Chendol to be served in glass. It is very hard to mix everything together and eat the ingredients at the bottom. Nevertheless, the chendol with its fresh coconut milk stands out for me.

Deep Fried Banana Fritters served with Vanilla Ice Cream 4.5/5

I was sceptical about the Deep Fried Banana Fritters ($8) served with Vanilla Ice Cream. I never think savoury and sweet can married together to be a dessert. I have tried deep fried banana fritters with peanut sauce and was very disappointed. Chef Sharifad's definitely has changed my opinion.

I would like to thank Dennis of Publicist PR Communications for the invitation.


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Rumah Rasa
Bay Hotel Singapore
50 Telok Blangah Road
Level 1
Singapore 098828
Tel: +65 68186681
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rumah-Rasa/244708265619255
Webiste: http://www.bayhotelsingapore.com
Nearest MRT: Harbour Front (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 4am

Direction:
Alight at Harbour Front MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk towards traffic juction along Telok Blangah Road and Sentosa Gateway. Cross the road and walk towards Bay Hotel Singapore. Journey time about 5 minutes.