SOD Cafe @ Upper Thomson Road - Opens Second Outlet At Upper Thomson With Bubble Tea And All-Day Cafe Brunch

After their first outlet within Ci Yuan Community Centre in Hougang, SOD cafe has recently launched their second outlet in the bustling enclave of Upper Thomson. Besides being more accessible, the new space has experienced a new facelift with chic design and vibrant settings. Their menu has also expanded to include more outlet-exclusive items.

Taro Milk Tea 4/5, Tan Milk Tea 4/5

Having started as a bubble tea shop originally, you can expect the same boba tea options at SOD Cafe's second outlet here. Their Taro Milk Tea ($4.70) has a pleasant taro fragrance, while the Tan Milk Tea ($4.70) has a subtle charcoal oolong flavour to the smooth milk tea base. We added black pearls as well, and they were sufficiently soft and chewy, providing a great bite to the drinks.

Sourdough Big Breakfast 4/5

SOD offers an all-day brunch with a selection of breakfast essentials. We went with the Sourdough Big Breakfast ($15.90), which comes in a satisfying platter of scrambled eggs, ham, sausages, bacon, baked beans, garden greens, and crispy sourdough bread.

Waffles with Scrambled Eggs & Candied Bacon 3.5/5

The Waffles with Scrambled Eggs & Candied Bacon ($12.90) features perfectly cooked soft scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. However, we felt that the waffles were done overly brittle and a tad too dry, lacking the expected fluffiness.

French Toast with Salted Caramel Bananas 3.8/5

The French Toast with Salted Caramel Bananas ($12.90) is a pleasant salty-sweet combination of soft and fluffy brioche toast slices. However, we wished there would be some maple syrup provided, as the caramel sauce was on a slightly excessive side.

Sweet Potato Fries 4/5

The Sweet Potato Fries ($7.90) comes in a generous portion of well-done sweet potato strips, mostly fluffy and retains a thin layer of crispiness around it.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


SOD Cafe
183 Longhaus
183 Upper Thomson Road
#01-05
Singapore 574332
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Marymount (CC Line), Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am – 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to junction of Marymount Lane and Thomson Road. Cross the road and turn right. Walk down Thomson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk down Upper Thomson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Ah Sin Family Eating House @ Sin Ming Road - Unpretentious Zichar Place With Homecooked Dishes

Together with my foodie friends, we visited this unpretentious Zichar place at Sin Ming Road for lunch on a weekday. Ah Sin Family Eating House looks like an eatery set back in the 1980s with a few tables and plastic chairs scattered around. During our visit, the place is crowded and popular with office workers in the area.

Pig Trotter Kai Lan 3.8/5

I have eaten stir-fried kai lan with garlic or even dry sole fish, but Pig Trotter Kai Lan is something new for me. Thought the stall uses canned pig trotter that we usually used to cook pig's trotter bee hoon, it does give the simple vegetable dish a new way of appreciating the greens. It would be better if the pig's trotter flavour can come across stronger.

Tofu with Prawn 4/5

Tofu with Prawn is quite a common dish served in most Zichar stalls. What binds the two ingredients together is the delicious eggy sauce. It is somewhat like those hor fun sauce.

Oyster Omelette 4.2/5

Our favourite is the Oyster Omelette fried to fragrant, and not oily. Check out the huge and plump oysters atop the fluffy egg too. 

Steam Fish Head 4.2/5

Last but not least, we have the Steamed Fish Head cooked Teochew style. The sourness from the sour plum enhanced the sweetness of the moist fish flesh. You can also find tofu and mushroom in the dish.

Though Ah Sin Family Eating House is not any fancy restaurant, their dishes are your comforting homecooked dishes that will warm your heart.


Ah Sin Family Eating House
Blk 22 Sin Ming Road
#01-256
Singapore 570022
Tel: +65 91506980
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 9am - 2pm, 5pm - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange (Stop ID 54009). Take bus number 130. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map] 

Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food @ Shunfu Mart Food Centre - For $3 This Is A Gorgeous Plate Of Goodness

I have not eaten a plate of Fried Kway Teow for a long time. Partly it is hard to find a good one nowadays and of course for health reason I do not want to waste my calories for a lousy plate of fried kway teow. I broke my fast for char kway teow when I dropped by Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food at Shunfu Mart Food Centre. I could not help queuing and getting a plate of fried kway teow.

Besides selling Char Kway Teow, the stall also sells Otah. It is an interesting pairing and probably the only stall in Singapore doing so. I observed many customers bought the otah to go along with the char kway teow. As for me, I decided to give it a miss as I wanted to try other stuff in the food centre.

Char Kway Teow 4.2/5

The Char Kway Teow ($3) is the wet and slippery type. For the pricing, the portion is quite generous. Though it was lacking the wok-hei fragrant, I like that it is not too sweet and well balanced. In the delicious plate of char kway teow, one can find lup cheong, egg, bean sprout, cockles and fish cake.

Besides the sweet sauce, what I think that makes the plate of noodle tasted even more delicious is the lup cheong, cockles and egg. The ingredients seem to perk up the whole flavour profile, making the moist noodles even more slurping good. One word, shiok!

It seems like there is another Lai Heng stall at Sembawang Hill Food Centre. I am not sure whether they are related but I suspect they do as it is offering the same pairing of char kway teow and otah like the stall at Shunfu Mart Food Centre.


Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food
Shunfu Mart Food Centre
Blk 320 Shunfu Road
#02-20
Singapore 570320
Nearest MRT: Marymount (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 11am - 8pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take exit A. Cut across Shunfu HDB estate. Journey time about 5 mins. [Map]

Block 24 Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Sin Ming Road - A Great Plate of Chicken Rice By Young Hawker Couple

I have been wanting to check out Block 24 Hainanese Chicken Rice at Sin Ming Road for the longest time since I read about it on FINS and several social media posting from my foodie friends. By chance I was in the vicinity and decided to drop by Ghim Huat Coffeeshop for lunch.

Block 24 Hainanese Chicken Rice is run by a young couple, Kelvin and Dynn. The first thing I observed when queuing up to place my order is the top notch customer service from Dynn. The smile, the interaction and small little things like cleaning the plate before serving to the customer. This is restaurant standard service. Thumbs up!

A brief chat with the couple revealed that they used to have a stall nearby selling chicken rice before moving to China. They came back and decided to continue selling chicken rice and hence opened the current stall. As per every plate of chicken rice, the rice plays a part of the whole enjoyment. Their rice is nicely cooked to a grainy bite with a mild chicken stock flavour. The other element is the chilli sauce. While it has an aftertaste spicy kick , we felt it was slightly diluted.

Half Chicken 4.2/5

The stall sells both the poached chicken and roasted chicken. I decided to try the poached chicken and ordered Half Chicken ($12). I can taste the chicken has undergone a cold bath giving it the distinct jelly-like skin. The chicken was also juicy and tender. While the texture is good, my friend felt that it lacked that chicken flavour. Nevertheless, overall this is a good plate of poached chicken or even above average. I actually look forward to come back and try their roasted chicken as it seems to be more popular with the customers.

Block 24 Hainanese Chicken Rice
Blk 24 Sin Ming Road
Singapore 570024
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 530pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 3. Walk to Jalan Todak Road. Turn left onto Jalan Todak Road. Walk to the end and continue on Sin Ming Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh 榕城(新民路)肉骨茶 @ Midview City (Sin Ming Road) - Introducing The New Sea Cucumber Pork Rib Soup

It has been a while since I last visited Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh at Midview City. I remembered the last visit was to bring my Thai friends to have their bak kut teh. I am back again to try their newly introduced Sea Cucumber Pork Rib Soup.

Sea Cucumber Pork Rib Soup 3.5/5

We ordered the Sea Cucumber Pork Rib Soup Set ($18) which comes with a choice of a small side dish and rice. Sea cucumber is known for being rich in collagen and no cholestrol. This is probably the first bak kut teh restaurant to introduce sea cucumber into their soup. just like how they first introduced the dragon ribs to Singapore. While I enjoyed the bouncy texture of the sea cucumber, I felt that it needed more time to absorb the essence of the pork rib soup.

Dragon Ribs Set 4/5

Besides their Sea Cucumber Pork Rib Soup, we also ordered their signature Dragon Ribs Set ($10.50) which comes with a choice of a small side dish and rice. Not sure whether we were early during our visit but the pork rib soup does not quite hit the spot for me. It was not as peppery as I have used to know.

Mee Sua Soup with Pig liver and Kidney 4.2/5

Lastly I had a bowl of Mee Sua Soup with Pig Liver and Kidney ($6). This is a comforting bowl of silky noodle in a light and hearty soup. Enjoyed how the innards still retained a crunchy bite, not being overcooked.


Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh
榕城(新民路)肉骨茶
Midview City
Blk 26 Sin Ming Lane
#01-117
Singapore 573971
Tel: +65 66841889
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rongchengbkt
Website: http://www.rongchengbkt.com/
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 1. Turn left and walk down Bright Hill Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Sin Ming Roti Prata @ Sin Ming Road (Upper Thomson Road)

Roti prata is another popular local dish that can be eaten around the clock. For me roti prata is usually eaten for breakfast or supper. Of the many roti prata stalls around the island, one of the more popular one is Sin Ming Roti Prata.

Plain and Egg Roti Prata 4.2/5

My usual order is always a Plain and Egg Roti Prata to go with the curry sauce. The prata here is the fluffy type with a slight crispiness on the exterior where you get to enjoy chewing the dough. The accompanying curry gravy has a nice aroma of spices too.

Coin Prata 3.5/5

Coin Prata 3.5/5

Not commonly sold at other roti prata stalls is the Coin Prata. The round shaped coin prata is thicker and crispier. Unless you enjoy the chewiness of the dough, sort of like eating bread, then you would probably like it.

Beehoon Goreng 3/5

The stall does not only sell roti prata. It also sells a variety of other rice and cooked dishes. On top of the roti prata and coin prata, I also ordered an extra plate of BeeHoon Goreng with a fried egg to try. It was nice but did not wow me.

Overall I would recommend going back for their roti prata. For the coin prata, it is rather subjective. It depends whether you like a more doughy and chewy texture.


Sin Ming Roti Prata
Jin Fa Kopitiam
Blk 24 Sin Ming Road
#01-51
Singapore 570024
Tel: +65 64533893
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 7pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 3. Walk to Jalan Todak Road. Turn left onto Jalan Todak Road. Walk to the end and continue on Sin Ming Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Beegurt @ Thomson V Two (Upper Thomson)

Located in the humble corner of Thomson V Two, is this little frozen yogurt or froyo place, Beegurt. This is one of the latest craze with numerous similar concept outlets popping out in different parts of the island.

Frozen Yogurt 4.5/5

Basically the frozen yogurt comes with 3 different sizes, small, medium and large that ranges from $4.50 to $6.50. Respectively the different size also comes with a choice of 1 to 3 toppings from an eclectic selection of fresh ingredients.

What I enjoyed about the frozen yogurt is its smooth texture that comes with a bit of sourish, giving it a refreshing enjoying especially for the hot and humid Singapore's weather.

Among the couple of frozen yogurt that I have tried, I have to say this is one of my favourite. Flavourful and smooth with choices of topping ingredients at a flat price. It is unlike some place that goes by the weigh (inclusive of the toppings) that can be quite expensive.


Beegurt
Thomson V Two
11 Sin Ming Road
Singapore 575629
Tel: +65 92471598
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beegurt
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 12pm - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 12pm - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 3. Walk to Jalan Todak Road. Turn left onto Jalan Todak Road. Walk to the end and continue on Sin Ming Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh 榕城(新民路)肉骨茶 @ Midview City (Sin Ming Road)

Among the different style of Bak Kut Teh in Singapore, my favourite is still the Teochew Bak Kut Teh. To savour this local delicacy, one of my favourite place to visit is Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh at Midview City 榕城(新民路)肉骨茶. Don't be confused by the other Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh that is a stone throw away at Blk 22 Sin Ming Road. In fact, that is the original stall runs by Lionel's dad, Mr Lim who started the business back in 1976. Both outlets uses the same ingredients and recipe just that one is a stall in a coffeeshop while the other at Midview City is a standalone restaurant which is more spacious and offers a variety of cooked food on top of their popular teochew style bak kut teh.

Pork Rib Soup 4.5/5

Not known to many, in the earlier days no one uses the prime ribs or better known as 龙骨 (dragon bone) for their bak kut teh. It was Uncle Lim who started to use them and everyone follow suit. Nowadays the prime ribs are a priced item as the demand has increased but there are just the number of spare ribs available in each pig. Lionel shared with us that he has an open kitchen and he will cook the doneness of meat accordingly to the customer. He told us the young generations prefer their meat to be tender and fall of the bone while the older generation likes it tougher with a bite. I belong to the young group. I like my meat to be tender and my soup to be peppery. Rong Cheng bak kut teh hits the right spot for me.

Sliced Belly Meat Soup 4/5

Uncle Lim was the first to introduce the prime ribs bak kut teh. His son, Lionel inherited his entrepreneur spirit and came up with the Sliced Belly Meat Soup ($7) or what I called the sliced pork bak kut teh. This is the first in Singapore catering to the young and more health conscious crowd. The soup may not be as robust compared to the pork ribs but it has a more subtle clean flavour.

Salted Vegetable 4/5

Braised Beancurd Skin 4/5

Besides the bak kut teh, Rong Cheng also offers some side dishes to go with the delicious bak kut teh. During my visit, I got to try the Salted Vegetable ($1/$2), Braised Beancurd Skin ($1/$3) and the Liver & Kidney Soup ($6). The comforting and hearty sides are perfect to the complete the whole meal.

Liver  & Kidney Soup 4/5

Drinking tea or more correctly 功夫茶 (Gong Fu Cha) is part of the whole food heritage of bak kut teh. In the early days, after finishing the bowl of pork soup, it is refilled with tea to wash down the greasiness. As time evolved, the tradition of consuming the pork soup and drink tea becomes our modern day's Bak Kut Teh. Rong Cheng still continues this tradition servicing their bak kut teh with gong fu cha. Their tea are from one of the oldest tea merchants in Singapore, Pek Sin Choon.

If you feel intimidated by the different steps in drinking Gong Fu Cha, Rong Cheng's staff is more than willing to guide and assist it. If not, Lionel has also introduced Floral Tea to pair with bak kut teh. While the tea taste is milder, it comes with a more floral fragrance. Lionel hopes to upkeep the tradition of pairing tea with pork rib soup with a modern element to arouse the interests of the younger generation.

Besides floral tea and sliced pork belly, Lionel in recently years has also switched to using natural pork for their bak kut teh. Natural pork has no antobiotics, no medicated feed, no growth hormones and no animal protein by-products.

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh definitely is my favourite to go place for a Bak Kut Teh whenever I have a craving. The outlet at Midview City is spacious and has ample parking lots. With its extended menu offering cooked food and steamed fish, it is ideal for a family meal together or group gathering.

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh will be taking part for the very first time in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm. This is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons for the event can be purchase at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. Let's do a part for charity while at the same time savour of the best bak kut teh in Singapore. See you at Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh
榕城(新民路)肉骨茶
Midview City
Blk 26 Sin Ming Lane
#01-117
Singapore 573971
Tel: +65 66841889
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rongchengbkt
Website: http://www.rongchengbkt.com/
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 1. Turn left and walk down Bright Hill Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Kampong Chicken Rice Chicken House @ Upper Thomson Road

I have passed by Upper Thomson Road numerous time and always noticed this big green signboard, Kampong Chicken Rice Chicken House. I have done a mental note to visit the place but I have seem to have the opportunity to do so until a recent meet up with Maureen and Ian.

Rice 3/5

The chicken rice itself was moist and not oily but it was lacking of the aroma of a good plate of chicken rice which I would be preferred. However, I thought the chilli and garlic sauce is one the best I have tried.

Poached Chicken 4/5

I am not a big fan of kampong chicken because it is usually lean and tough. I preferred my chicken to be more tender and fat . The Poached Chicken at Chicken House although is not as fat and do not have that jelly like skin, I was quite surprised that it was quite tender and not as lean as I would have expected. I also like the fact that the chicken is not over drown by sauce, allowing me to taste the natural sweetness of the meat.

Chicken Liver 4.2/5

Chicken Liver is one of the essential item I would order whenever I had my chicken rice. I am not sure the reason but I love eating this since young. I thought chicken liver goes very well with the chilli sauce too.

Ipoh Beansprout 4.2/5

Tofu 4/5

Chicken House also serves other side dishes on their menu besides their delectable chicken rice. We tried the Ipoh Beansprouts and Tofu. They are both worthy dish to accompany the chicken rice for a enjoyable and satisfying feast at the restaurant.

While the rice at Chicken House is nothing to rave about, the poached chicken itself is quite good. It did surprise me that it is not as lean as most kampong chicken. I also like the fact that the restaurant offers a variety of side dishes besides chicken rice.


Kampong Chicken Rice Chicken House
255 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574382
Tel: +65 64560698
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk to destination. Journey time about 2 minutes. [Map]