Showing posts with label .Station: Chinese Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label .Station: Chinese Garden. Show all posts

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Eden Cafe @ Jurong Lake Garden (Chinese Garden) - A Beautiful Cafe Surround by Lush Greenery with Room for Improvement in its Food

CafeEden15

CafeEdenIG-3

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, I visited the Chinese Garden to soak in the festive atmosphere with the stunning lantern displays and the Cloud Pagoda light show. Amidst the scenic surroundings, I decided to check out the newly opened Eden Cafe, located just beside the Cloud Pagoda. The café, with its picturesque location, seemed like the perfect pit stop to unwind and escape the heat.

CafeEden5
Ice White 4/5 and Matcha Latte 3.8/5

Given the sweltering afternoon heat, my companion and I opted to sit indoors in the air-conditioned section of the café, which was a welcomed relief from the sun. We ordered the Ice White ($7), which uses coffee beans from Dutch Colony, and a Matcha Latte ($7.50) for drinks. The coffee was smooth and balanced, with a satisfying hit of caffeine to refresh us for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, the matcha latte was decent, offering a slight bitterness from the matcha that contrasted nicely with the milk. However, it could have benefited from a richer, more robust matcha flavour.

CafeEden10
Rendang Burger 3/5

For food, we started with the Rendang Burger ($20). The burger featured a juicy beef patty layered with rendang sauce, a fried egg, tomato, and arugula, all sandwiched between charcoal buns. The burger was served with a side of fries and achar, a nod to the local palate. Unfortunately, the rendang sauce didn't quite hit the mark for me. While the beef patty was cooked well, the rendang's flavour didn't complement it. The sauce lacked the rich, deep spiced profile typical of a good rendang, making the overall dish feel disjointed. Some tweaking could certainly improve the flavour harmony here.

CafeEden19
Singaporean Har Cheong Gai Waffles 3/5

Next up was the Singaporean Har Cheong Gai Waffles ($22), which had potential but ultimately fell short. The Har Cheong Gai (prawn paste chicken) itself was excellent — juicy, flavourful, and fried to a crispy perfection. However, the waffles didn't hold up their end of the dish. They lacked the expected light, airy texture, and there was an absence of buttery flavour. A crisp exterior with a fluffy inside is what makes a great waffle, but here, they were somewhat flat and lacklustre, making it a disappointing pairing with the well-executed chicken.

CafeEdenIG-12

While the ambience of Eden Cafe is undeniably beautiful, with its tranquil garden surroundings and cosy indoor setting, the food didn't quite live up to expectations. The Rendang Burger needed a more robust, more cohesive flavour profile, and the waffles in the Har Cheong Gai dish could benefit from a serious texture and flavour upgrade. That said, the drinks were refreshing and well-crafted, especially on a hot day.

CafeEdenIG-13

Eden Cafe is still relatively new, and with some adjustments in the kitchen, it will have the potential to be a dining destination that matches the serene beauty of its location. For now, the café offers a nice respite for visitors exploring the Chinese Garden, but I hope to see some improvements in their menu to make it a spot truly worth visiting.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Eden Cafe
Jurong Lake Garden (Chinese Garden)
70B Yuan Ching Road
#01-04
Singapore 619629
Tel: +65 98630516
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 8am - 8pm
Fri-Sat: 8am - 9pm

Direction:
1. Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]


Thursday, August 11, 2022

Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭) @ Yuhua Food Centre - Popular Hainanese Chicken Rice In The West With Snaking Queue

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-05

Whenever you ask Singaporeans where is the best Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore, you probably get different answers. I am not surprised because best is subjective, especially in a food paradise like Singapore, where you can get Hainanese Chicken Rice almost anywhere around the island. Everyone has their favourite, and one popular stall in the West is Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭) at Yuhua Food Centre. It always has a long snaking queue at its stall.

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-15

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-07
Hainanese Chicken Rice 4.5/5

I ordered Half a Steamed Chicken ($12) and chicken liver which is deboned and drizzled in a sweet and savoury brown sauce. It also came with a few slices of pineapple and tomato. The chicken is slightly cold, suggesting it has been dunked in cold water. The meat is tender and juicy too. I can understand why there is always a long queue to savour their chicken rice.

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-04

The rice at Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is of the firmer type, which is the texture I like. It is also not greasy, but I thought the flavour was a bit too subtle, lacking the fragrance of a good plate of chicken rice.

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-01

Another essential component for any chicken rice stall is the chilli. The chilli is really shiok, complementing the chicken and rice excellently. It is spicy, tangy and garlicky. Unfortunately, the ginger sauce was too watery for my liking.

XingYunHainaneseBonelessChickenRice-17


Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭)
Yuhua Food Centre
Blk 347 Jurong East Ave 1
Singapore 600347
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 7am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Boon Lay Way. Turn left and walk to the overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Friday, April 26, 2019

Lee's Confectionery @ Jurong East - Hidden Patisserie Gem In The West

LeesConfectionery15

Is there any good cafe in the West? I could not name any until the opening of Lee's Confectionery at Jurong East by owner and baker Yin Quan. It caught the attention of social media with its dainty cakes and tarts, that is individually plated.

LeesConfectionery1

LeesConfectionery3

While the social media is focused on the beautifully plated cakes and tarts, the coffee at Lee's Confectionery is worthy of a shout out. Although the coffee does not come with elegant latte arts, they are quality coffee using the beans from Tiong Hoe.

LeesConfectionery16
Dale 3.5/5

The most instagrammed cake at Lee's Confectionery has to be their Dale ($8). A matcha sponge cake with passionfruit compote on a crunchy tart base. For matcha lovers, they will like the rich and distinct taste of the matcha powder. I also like the tartness from the passionfruit compote which cuts the bitterness of the matcha powder while the crunchy tart base provides the textural contrast. However I find the sponge cake on the dense side and also least stand out in taste among the rest of the selections.

LeesConfectionery4
Madu 4.2/5

One of my favourite cake is the Madu ($8). Shaped and plated like a honeycomb, the cake consists of a honey and caramel centre with lightly whipped Horlicks cream. It even comes with a crunchy honey conflake base.

LeesConfectionery6
Lemon Tart 4.2/5

The Tart ($8) is basically a lemon tart filled with lime cream. It is not overly sour with the right balance of tang and sweetness. This is definitely one of the better lemon tarts I have eaten.

LeesConfectionery8
Jiao 4.2/5

Jiao ($8) pronounces in Chinese means banana, which is an appropriate name for the banana sponge cake with cinnamon and oat crumble. The cake itself is moist with a distinct banana flavour, which brought back childhood memories. An elevated version of the traditional banana cake.

LeesConfectionery11
Puck 4.2/5

What an interesting name to call the dark chocolate cake with sea salt the Puck ($8). A closer look of the cake does really look like a hockey puck, a disc shaped ball for hockey game. A game winner for chocolate lover, with the sea salt giving it a finale finishing.

LeesConfectionery12
Puff 4.5/5

The ultimate winner for us goes to the Puff ($8). Sandwiched between the flaky puff pastry shells is a unique combination of kaya and earl grey tea that works harmoniously together.

Lee's Confectionery is definitely on shining gem in the neighbourhood of Jurong. Their cakes are definitely worth the journey to the West. As the cakes are individually plated upon order, one needs to be patient. Operationally I think they may have to fine tune their process when they become crowded.


Lee's Confectionery
Blk 343 Jurong East Street 41
#01-59
Singapore 600343
Tel: +65 91838447
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Thu-Tue: 12pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 10pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk towards the overhead bridge. Cross the road to the other side of the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Quan Fa Mookata @ Jurong East - A Farm To Table Mookata Concept By Local & Regional Farmers

QuanFaMookata13

Mookata made healthy by Quan Fa Organic - right at Quan Fa Mookata located deep inside a neighborhood coffee shop at Jurong East. An initiative by Quan Fa Organic, this farm to table concept is an collaboration with our local and regional farmers, serving you only chilled meats, not frozen ones, organic vegetables, kampong eggs and homemade dipping sauces. You will see no store-bought processed foods on your table.

QuanFaMookata7
Set for 2

Our Set for 2 ($38) includes choice of 2 chilled marinated meat (small) from the selection of chicken, pork, beef and lamb, 2 prawns and frog legs, fish paste and a basket of seasonal vegetables. You can also choose to add on extra meat, vegetables and rice.

QuanFaMookata21

When our tray of meats was being served, for a moment, I felt I was having a Japanese hotpot in an upmarket restaurant - such exquisite plating for a Mookata in a coffeeshop! The Chicken Thigh is marinated with chili & tamarind, Pork Collar with basil and lemongrass and the Frog Legs are also marinated beforehand with Huadiao Jiu and wolfberries. These chilled meats are supplied by Toh Thye San Farm, Fresh Fish Paste from Ha Li Fa (Bobo Fishball) and frog legs from Jurong Frog Farm.

QuanFaMookata24
Fish Paste, Meats

Commercial fish paste or fishballs to me are like mock meats, made with lots of flour and flavour masked by seasonings. However this Fish Paste is clean tasting using fresh fish flesh and natural seasoning from herbs and spices, including dills! As for the chicken and pork, even though the meats were being cut a tad too small, they tasted pretty good in terms of flavour and texture. The shredded cabbage underneath the meats, they are salvaged from the unused exterior layer and are natural sweetener for your broth. So do throw them all into your broth once the meats are gone!

QuanFaMookata27

One thing to highlight is that greasing your skillet is not your usual lard chunks, but a premium imported A2 milk Desi Ghee, which many may not know has medicinal properties as per ayurveda. Its high smoking point makes it even more apt for barbeque.

QuanFaMookata14

The stars on the table, I feel are the broth and the basket of fresh greens. Both leafy and root vegetables simmered together with 2 whole freshly chicken daily, resulting in a very light but flavourful broth. The sweet corns were bursting with sweetness even after being in the boiling broth for a while. The egg is from Uncle William’s Lian Wah Hang Quail & Poultry Farm which is so fresh that you can have it raw too or as an egg dip like that of sukiyaki.

QuanFaMookata2

Beware of this harmless looking bowl of homemade Suki sauce, it whets appetite really well. Concocted with a blend of fresh organic birdseye chilli, garlic, Thai miso paste and apple cider, it lifts the flavour of the meat with a bright acidity, along with just a bit of fiery kick.

QuanFaMookata19

Heartier options for meat would be Smoky & Spicy Beef Striploin and Cumin & Rosemary Lamb (each $12 for 130g) which you can sear them to the degree of doneness desired. Though they are quality meats, I find them too overly seasoned, especially for the beef.

QuanFaMookata1

Farm to table experiences in Singapore are more often than not glorified and sit in the Lifestyle category. To find one in heartland is indeed rare and more so when Quan Fa Mookata is in the most western region! To be honest, the portions are too dainty for Mookata but what I appreciate is the kampong spirit embedded in the concept. This kampong spirit if not preserved and passed on in various ways, will soon be lost in our little island as more and more farms are being bulldozed for the name of developments.

Photos and words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Quan Fa Mookata
PDSS 318 FOOD CAFETERIA
Blk 318 Jurong East Street 31
Singapore 600318
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun: 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic junction of Boon Lay Way and Jurong East Street 31. Cross the road. Walk down Jurong East Street 31. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Simei Penang Laksa Speciality @ Yuhua Food Centre - Healthy Penang Laksa and Penang Fried Kway Teow Using Whole Grain Noodle

SimeiPenangLaksaSpeciality4

My attention was drawn to the Simei Penang Laksa Speciality when I was at Yuhua Food Centre the other day. The word Simei stood out for me. It is a neighbourhood in the East. Why did it move all the way from the East to the West? The other thing that caught my eyes is the calories information for their dishs. 290 Kcal for the Penang Laksa and 500 Kcal for the Penang Char Kway Teow.

SimeiPenangLaksaSpeciality8
Penang Fried Kway Teow 3/5

For a healthier option, the stall uses whole grain noodle for their noodle dishes. It is great to see even with the higher cost in using whole grain noodle, the pricing has been reasonable. I can't say that the Penang Fried Kway Teow ($3.50) is the best I have eaten but credit to the well executed frying, infused with wok hei. Digging in the plate of kway teow, I can find pork lard, prawn, cockles, bean sprout and egg. It is a bit spicy too.

SimeiPenangLaksaSpeciality2
Penang Laksa 2/5

SimeiPenangLaksaSpeciality11

The Penang Laksa ($3) brimming with the various ingredients, looked promising when I received it from the stall owner. Unfortunately the broth lacked depth and robustness for a good bowl of Penang laksa. I was disappointed and I didn't finish it.  In addition, while the thick rice noodle has a good firm texture, I was not the authentic noodle used for Penang laksa.

SimeiPenangLaksaSpeciality13

The healthier version of Penang Laksa and Fried Kway Teow is not for me. However for those that prefer to eat healthy, I am sure you will find these a delicious option.


Simei Penang Laksa Speciality
Yuhua Food Centre
Blk 347 Jurong East Avenue 1
#01-199
Singapore 600347
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Sun: 8am - 230pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Boon Lay Way. Turn left and walk to the overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh @ Yuhua Food Centre - You Can Have It Either Steamed or Pan Fried

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh2

Recently during my trip to Jurong East, I came across Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh at Yuhua Food Centre which handmade a variety of tradition Teochew kuehs at their humble little stall. For each type of kueh, you can have it either steamed or pan fried.

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh13

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh offers 4 types of tradition kuehs. They are Soon Kueh, Gu Chai Kueh, Cabbage Kueh and Png Kueh.

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh8
Steamed Cabbage Kueh 3/5 and Soon Kueh 3.5/5

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh6
Steamed Gu Chai Kueh 4/5

From the steamed kuehs, I tried the Steamed Cabbage Kueh ($0.70), Steamed Soon Kueh ($0.70) and Steamed Gu Chai Kueh ($0.70). My favourite among the three is the Gu Chai Kueh or Chive Kueh for its fragrant. I was rather disappointed with the cabbage kueh, the cabbage is bland and not sweet. The soon kueh is passable but nothing to shout for.

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh11
Fried Soon Kueh 3.8/5 and Fried Png Kueh 4/5

You have the option to have the kueh pan fried at Lai Heng if you don't like it steamed. I tried the Fried Soon Kueh ($0.80) and Fried Png Kueh ($1). They cost an addition ten cents more compare to the steamed one. The pan frying gives the soon kueh and png kueh an additional exterior crisp which lifted the whole texture. Among all the kuehs I tried, I still prefer the Pnh Kueh for its flavourfull filling, accentuated by the peanuts, dried shrimp and mushroom.

LaiHengHandmadeTeochewKueh12


Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh
Yuhua Food Centre
347 Jurong East Avenue 1
#01-218
Singapore 600347
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Boon Lay Way. Turn left and walk to the overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Kueh Garden (福粿园) @ Jurong East - The Ang Ku Kueh Is As Good As Ji Xiang Confectionery At Everton Park

KuehGarden5

The traditional Ang Ku Kueh or loosely translated as red tortoise cake is an oval shape Chinese pastry made of red soft sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around peanut or green bean filling in the centre. Nowadays the traditional Ang Ku Kueh does not only come in red color but a variety of fillings too. One of such confectionery that has kept up with time with their colourful Ang Ku Kueh is Kueh Garden (福粿园) at Jurong East.

KuehGarden9

Besides the original Ang Ku Kueh filled with peanut and green bean, Kueh Garden offers a colourful variety such as Red Bean, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato, Coconut, Coffee, Green Tea, Yam, Durian, Salted Bean and Milo. They range between 90 cents to a dollar each piece.

KuehGarden7

Besides the vibrant colours of the Ang Ku Kueh and its interesting filling especially durian and milo, catering to the modern tastebuds and younger generation. The highlight of the Ang Ku Kueh is their mochi-like texture. It is so soft and chewy. The texture is comparable to the renowned Ji Xiang Confectionery's Ang Ku Kueh at Everton Park.

KuehGarden6

Besides the different Ang Ku Kueh, Kueh Garden sells a variety of traditional kueh such as Soon Kueh, Ku Cai Kueh, Png Kueh, Ondeh Ondeh, 9-Layer Kueh and more. More interesting is the Kueh Platter that is suitable for gathering and celebration. You can even order them online.

KuehGarden10


Kueh Garden
Blk 348 Jurong East Ave 1
#01-1245
Singapore 600348
Tel: +65 62649182
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 730am - 3pm
Tue-Sat: 730am - 7pm
Sun: 730am - 5pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk towards the overhead bridge. Cross the road to the other side of the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head @ Jurong East Street 24 - Michelin Bib Gourmand Awardee 2017

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry12

The second edition of Michelin Guide 2017, Bib Gourmand winners have been announced on 22 June 2017. Among the 38 eateries that has been listed in the 2017 Michelin Bib Gourmand is Zai Shun Curry Fish Head at Yuhua Village, Jurong East Street 24. Great to know that the Michelin inspectors have ventured into the far West of Singapore to seek out good food.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry8
Curry Fish Head 3.5/5

Before the award, Zai Shun Curry Fish Head is already well known to the locals for their steamed fish and medley of cooked dishes to go with a bowl of pipping hot porridge or steamed rice. Try to avoid the lunch crowd as the coffeeshop is always packed and it may take sometime to find a seat.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry9
Curry Fish Head 3.5/5

Making my trip down to the newly awarded bib gourmand awardee, I just have to order their Curry Fish Head. The curry gravy is the tangy assam type which is indeed very appetizing and goes well with the rice. The fish head we had was huge, meaty and fresh. Unfortunately the fish meat failed to absorb the essence of the curry. I suspect they just steamed the fish head and drenched the curry gravy over instead of cooking the whole fish head together with the curry.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry14
Steamed Red Garoupa Hong Kong Style 4.5/5

I can't help noticing almost every table at the coffeeshop orders their different styles and types of steamed fish. It is a tell tale signs that they are more popular with the steamed fish. Hence we placed an extra order of fish and had their Steamed Red Garoupa Hong Kong Style. Great that we ordered it because this is indeed cooked to perfection in a flavourful soya sauce. During my visit, I noticed other fishes such as promfret, song fish head etc.

Actually Zai Shun is also know to offer some exotic fish on their menu such as the expensive Empura which can cost up to a few thousand dollars in restaurant but at Zai Shun, you can have it from $200 onwards.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry11
Bitter Gourd with Fried Egg 4.5/5

We asked the stall to recommend a vegetable dish and they suggested the Bitter Gourd with Fried Egg. It was a hearty dish that surprised me. The bitter gourd was not overcooked, crunchy and not bitter at all. The highlight is the fried egg which still retained a fluffy and moist texture.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry4
Minced Meat with Salted Egg 3/5

Lastly we had the Minced Meat with Salted Egg. It was firm and meaty but I thought the taste can be more robust and the salted egg flavour was lacking.

ZaiShunFishHeadCurry2

Actually I find Zai Shun Curry Fish Head rather interesting. It is like a 3-in-1 eatery offering Teochew porridge, mix vegetable rice (cai fan) and cze char dishes. The highlight for me at Zai Shun is not their curry fish head but their steamed fish.


Zai Shun Curry Fish Head
Blk 253 Jurong East Street 24
#01-205
Singapore 600253
Tel: +65 65608594
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line), Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Thu-Tue: 7am - 3pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden. Take Exit C. Walk to traffic junction of Boon Lay Way and Jurong Town Hall Road. Cross the traffic junction and turn left onto Jurong Town Hall Road. Continue on Jurong Town Hall Road to the next junction of Jurong East Ave 1 and Jurong Town Hall Road. Cross the traffic junction and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Jurong East bus interchange (Stop ID 28009). Take bus number 160 or 506. Alight 7 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Jurong East bus interchange (Stop ID 28009). Take bus number 66. Alight 7 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]