Old Bibik Peranakan Kitchen @ MDIS Building (Changi Road)

With the closing of Lavender Food Square, Old Bibik has to look for a new location to continue selling their popular nasi padang. The two young gentlemen Adrian and Ah Wee who has quitted their corporate jobs inherited Adrian's grandma's rendang recipe and live a bigger dream moving from a small hawker stall to a full fledged eatery with the recently opening of Old Bibik Peranakan Kitchen at MDIS Building along Changi Road. With the new location, they have expanded their menu and also employed a peranakan chef to introduce my delicious and authentic nonya dishes to the table.

Beef Rendang Set 4/5

Chicken Rendang Set 4.2/5

After months of Lavender Food Square closure, I finally get to try Old Bibik's signature rendang again. The Beef Rendang Set ($8.90) and Chicken Rendang Set ($7.90) comes with achar, vegetable and an egg omelette at the side. Infused with the rich flavour of the spices, the beef and chicken rendang were cooked to fork tender. Paired it with the belachan for a good spicy kick that will blown you off with its spiciness.

Assam Prawn 4.2/5 and Nonya Chap Chye 3.5/5

The extended menu also offers other dishes such as the Assam Prawns ($12), Nonya Chap ($5) and Assam Egg ($3). The fresh and crunchy prawn cooked in assam was a good addition to the menu. The Nonya Chap on the other hand was cooked to a nice crunchy bite but I do not like the sourness version served here. I preferred the sweeter type where the vegetables are stewed to a soft melting texture.

Assam Egg 3/5

The owners shared with us that surprisingly this is the most popular item on the menu. I understand the painstaking effort to make the assam for the egg but I just could not figure out how this could be such a hit. Probably you need to try it yourself to know why.

Kunyit Fried Chicken 4.5/5

For me the new dish to watch out at Old Bibik is the Kunyit Fried Chicken ($4). Beautifully marinated, the frying further lifted the aroma of the turmeric exciting all the taste buds with the delicious succulent chicken.

Old Bibik Peranakan Kitchen will be taking part in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 sacrificing their time and doing a small part in the fund raising event to help the needy and disadvantaged under the care of Touch Community Services. Old Bibik will be selling their signature Beef and Chicken Rendang at the event for delight your palate while you do a part of the charity.

The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons is required to purchase the food from the various hawkers and can be purchased at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. While the hawkers sacrifice their time and some even a day's income to do a part for the needy and disadvantaged, I hope you can support them and do a part for charity too. See you at the Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Old Bibik Peranakan Kitchen
MDIS Building
190 Changi Road
#01-01
Singapore 419974
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oldbibik
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic light and across the road. Turn right and go around the estate to Changi Road. Cross Changi Road, turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Le Chasseur @ Eunos

Le Chasseur used to be located at New Bridge Road opposite Clark Quay Central Mall before moving to its new location at Eunos Industrial Estate. Having tried the food and knowing that it has moved to the east, nearer to my place, I was looking forward to my revisit. Upon reaching the destination with fellow foodies, Edsmond, Mandy, Nat and Nicole, I pain for the owner. Business was bad, there were many deserted tables and we were probably the only customers. Unlike the days in the old premise, the restaurant was so busy that it was pretty hard to get a table.
 

Ngor Hiang 4/5

After a quick browsing of the menu, we decided to try the Ngor Hiang ($5). Actually we were quite taken part by the portion that was served. Sad to say I could get probably twice as many from the zichar stall next door. I know I can't compare the standard and quality but we have to be realistic that we are at a industrial estate food court now, there is competition just a few stalls away. Putting the portion issue aside, the ngor hiang or prawn roll was actually pretty good. Fried to a nice outer crisp, the delectable filling was flavourful with lovely bites of mushroom, water chestnut and carrot.

Coffee Pork Ribs 3/5

Once again we have issue with the serving portion. There are six of us but we were only served 5 pieces of the Coffee Pork Ribs ($15). While the pork ribs was delectable, the coffee taste was barely noticeable.

Pig Trotter with Black Vinegar and Ginger 4/5

It seems like the gang does not really know how to appreciate the Pork Trotter with Black Vinegar and Ginger ($10) except Nicole and me. The class confinement dish with its characteristic sourness from the black vinegar was so addictive that I have to help myself to more of the delish collagen.

Pig Stomach Soup 3.8/5

The piping hot Pig Stomach Soup ($16) was exactly what we needed to warm the body in a cold and rainy night. While the hearty and comforting soup warmed our heart, a dash more peppers should be even more perfect.

Sambal Kang Kong 4/5

The Sambal Kang Kong ($5.50) was stir fried to a delectable crunchy bite and not too oily. A very enjoyable dish.

Otah Omelette 4/5

I just have to order the Otah Omelette ($6). Being both an otah and egg omelette lover, this is just like a pairing made in heaven for me.

Barbequed Cuttlefish 3/5

The tender Barbequed Cuttlefish ($21) was beautifully flavoured with the sweet sauce but I felt that it lacked the smokiness of barbeque. I suspected it was cooked over electric fire instead of charcoal fire.

Claypot Chicken Rice 4/5

Claypot Chicken Rice 4/5

Making our way to Le Chasseur is to try the Claypot Chicken Rice ($11/$20). What is so special about their claypot rice? The restaurant uses basmatic rice, a variety of long grain rice that has an unique aromatic quite similar to pandan. Be prepared to wait for a good 20 minutes as the rice is cooked raw over charcoal fire giving it the charred aromatic infused into the fluffy grains.

Tao Suan 4.2/5

We wrapped up dinner with a bowl of Tao Suan ($2.60 per portion). The version at Le Chasseur is pretty good with the mung beans still retaining a good bite not too mushy. The only complain is the you tiao was not crispy.

Many people who has dined at Le Chasseur knows about the food quality and standard. I really hope their business will pick up and prosper in their new premise. They probably need to do some adjustment to their menu considering they are no more operating in an air conditioned restaurant environment and with more competitive priced stalls in the same food court.


Le Chasseur
27 Eunos Road 2
Singapore 409387
Tel: +65 63377677
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lechasseurSG
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 3pm, 530pm - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn right and walk towards Eunos Crescent block 31. Cut through the block of flats and field towards Eunos Road 2. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Seng Kee Roasted Meat Duck Rice @ Eunos

My mother reads the Wanbao (晚报) newspaper and I like to browse through the paper's food column. It always introduced local fare and I will make a note to visit them if I came across an interesting stall.

Recently Anchor Beer has a contest in Wanbao (晚报) newspaper nominated by their readers for the top 5 favourite braised duck. Seng Kee's Braised Duck was one of the 5 finalist. When I saw the address, I realized I have been passing by this stall for the past 8 years in my journey home from work and I have never eaten there.

Coincidentally, the stall belongs Shiting's uncle, a foodie friend of mine. After firing a few text messages, we met up for a Sunday lunch with Celes and Shiting's family.

Braised Duck 4.2/5

Since Seng Kee was the top 5 finalist for their braised duck, definitely we must taste it to know why.
With over 30 years of braising experience, no wonder the Braised Duck ($10) came with the taste of tradition, similar to how my grandma would have done it when she was around. Not overly intense in flavours, just simple and light but tasty. I also like the fact that the duck was not too fat with just a slight thin layer of fats underneath the skin. If you are there for just a simple lunch, a plate of duck rice will cost $3 while the boneless duck rice is $3.50.

Assorted Braised 4.2/5

The stall also sells a selection of assorted braised. We tried the Assorted Braised ($6) that came with Tau Kwa ($0.80/pc), Tau Pok ($0.60/pc), Egg ($0.60/pc) and Braised Pig Head ($3 minimum). Not many stall sells braised pig head nowadays. I really enjoyed the texture and well braised flavour of it.

Roast Duck 4.5

The braised duck was already good but I like Seng Kee's Roast Duck ($10) even more. Once again the duck was not too fat with a nice thin crisp of skin over the succulent and tender duck meat. Same as the braised duck. a plate roast duck rice is $3 and boneless is $3.50.

Roast Pork & Char Siew 4/5

The Roast Pork and Char Siew ($8) are the other roasted meat that is available at the stall. I loved the  roast pork with the crackling crisp skin and the beautiful layers of meat and fats. The stall used lean meat for the Char Siew after feedback from their customers. I would preferred it to be more fat and charred. A plate of roast pork or char siew rice is $3.

Chicken Wings & Pork Ribs Mix 3.8/5

I am surprised that the stall also sells Pork Ribs & Chicken Wings ($4.20). The chicken wing is at $1.20 per piece and the pork ribs $34 per kg. The stall is only run by 2 gentlemen and they have to roast and braise all these delectable meats all by themselves in the confine space at their small stall. The children will love the pork ribs and chicken wings with the lovely sweetness beautifully coated over it. For me, it was a bit too sweet for my palate.


Seng Kee Roasted Meat Duck Rice
Hong Lee Coffeeshop
Blk 7 Eunos Crescent
#01-2651
Singapore 400007
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am - 8pm
Closed on Tuesday

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit C. Seng Kee is located at the coffee shop behind the hawker centre/market. Journey time 3 minutes.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge (谢顺德潮洲粥) @ Changi Road

For Teochew porridge lover, Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge has moved from the West in Toh Guan to the East at Changi Road near Eunos.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge only opened recently at the new location along Changi Road since 1 March 2012. Their grand opening will be on 4 April 2012. For their opening promotion, they are giving $5 cash on the spot for every 3 stamps collected. Receive 1 stamp for every purchase of $20 & above.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge has been featured in several media and they are known for their Pig Trotter Aspic and Shark Meat Aspic. I have not known of Teochew porridge eatery selling these and I thought they are only available at restaurants.

Pig Trotter Aspic 4/5

I have only tried Pig Trotter Aspic or commonly known as Pig Trotter Jelly once and I don't enjoy it. However, the Pig Trotter Aspic ($5 and above) at Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge is vastly differently, refreshing and melts in the mouth. Unfortunately the Shark Meat Aspic was not available. The boss said that the Shark Meat today was not suitable to make the aspic and they rejected it. It shows how much the eatery insists on using the freshest ingredients.

Braised Pork Intestines 3/5

The intense dark colour of the Braised Pork Intestines ($4 and above) indicates long hours of simmering, was tender and flavourful. Unfortunately it was a bit gamy. If not it would be an excellent dish.

Stewed Cabbage 4/5

The Stewed Cabbage ($1 and above) is my favourite vegetable whenever I have my porridge. I enjoyed the natural sweetness of the cabbage with the soft texture.

Steamed Sotong 4.2/5

I was rather impressed with the Steamed Sotong ($3 to $5) which was very fresh. It was cooked to my likings neither too tough or mush, still having a crunchy texture.

Steamed Pomfret 4/5

You can have fresh Steamed Promfret ($5 and above) at the eatery. The Black Fish ($15 to $18) is also available but very limited stock. You can also request for your fish to be steamed on the spot upon ordering with an additional $3.

Homemade Fish Cake 4.5/5

The Homemade Fish Cake ($1 each) is a must try here. It has a very unique combination with pork being added. The texture was also very delightful with each bite into it.

Braised Duck 4.2/5

The Braised Duck Meat ($3 and above) was well simmered until it was fall of the bone tender meat. Another delightful dish offered at Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge.

The newly opened Teochew porridge is looking at introducing more seafood to the menu such as crab, lobster and crayfish 20% below market pricing in the near future. There are also plan to convert a section of the area into a beer garden.


[CLOSED]
Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge (谢顺德潮洲粥) @ Changi Road
283 Changi Road
Singapore 419762
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SST.Teochew.Porridge
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 5am

Direction:
Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk towards Sim Avenue East along the MRT line. Turn right into Kampong Eunos and walk to the end of the road. Seah Soon Tech Teochew Porridge is at the junction of K. Eunos and Changi Road. Journey time about 10 minutes.

Scoop of Art @ Marine Parade Community Club

The passion and love for art and gelato has brought together 2 ladies Varsha Mulani and Anisa Tyebally to open Scoop of Art at Marine Parade Community Club back in July 2010. Its philosophy is to create an unique experience that combines Gelato enjoyment with Art appreciation.

Creative art pieces decorated the cafe giving it a funky and lively interior. Besides food and beverages, the cafe has a wide range of Art activities for everyone. With a free flow of paints and brushes, one can spend the day immersed in a relaxing art jamming such as tiles/canvas painting, t-shirt painting, umbrella painting, paint an animal coin bank or mug and many etc.

Scoop of Art has also hosted many events ranging from corporate team building to birthday parties and even Gelato workshops.

Even the famous local artist Wanton Doodle has drawn on the cupboard at Scoop of Art.

So far Scoop of Art has created over 60 Gelato flavours and everyday 18 different delectable gelato flavours will be available. The flavours are constantly rotated so that every visit comes with a different gelato experience.

Scoop of Six 4.5/5 

If you are with a group of friends or family, the Scoop of Six ($10.50) will be great for sharing. You can choose any 6 flavours of your choices. The homemade gelato uses the freshest ingredients with no preservatives or food colouring. For my visit, I tired the White Chocolate with Raspberry, Raspberry, Ferraro Nutella, Alfonso Mango, Lemon Meringue Pie and Mars Bar & Sea Salt. I could not decide which is my favourite as I liked all of them. They all come with distinct strong flavours, smooth and creamy.

Their Premium Gelato is priced at $3.80 (small), $4.80 (medium) and $5.80 (large). Regular gelato is priced at $3.20 (small), $4.20 (medium) and $5.20 (large).

Shepherd's Pie 4.5/5

Scoop of Art is not just a gelato parlour. You can also grab a proper lunch or dinner with mains under $10. Currently the kitchen is run by an ex Botak Jones chef that creates the delicious menu. They also have student meal set that comes with a drink at $5.50 to $.6.50.

The Shepherd's Pie ($4.50) comes with a choice of either chicken or beef fillings. I really love the cheesy version by the cafe. The smooth mash potatoes with the flavourful beef stew was a winner for me. For the size of the shepherd's pie, it is definitely value for money too.

Garlic Prawn Pasta 4.5/5

The Garlic Prawn Pasta ($8.00) is another winner for me! If you love your food hot and spicy this definitely brings a punch. The strong flavours and fresh crunchy prawns will definitely send your palate dancing.

Tortilla Melts with Thai Chilli Dip 4.5/5

After trying 2 dishes, I am already won over by the menu. The Torilla Melts with Thai Chilli Dip (R $5.50, L $8) comes with a choice of chicken or beef fillings. The Thai Chilli Dip made by the chef surprisingly was a delightful combination to the already delicious Tortilla Melts. It definitely lifted the dish to a new level.

Cheese Croque Sandwich 4/5

For a hearty meal and if you are a cheese lover, you can try the Cheese Croque Sandwich ($8) that has ham, chicken pieces and mango. I like how the chef uses simple ingredients and combined them for a delectable dish.


Scoop of Art
Marine Parade Community Club
278 Marine Parade Road
#01-03
Singapore 449282
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scoop-Of-Art/118906488145266
Website: http://www.scoop-of-art.com
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line), Paya Lebar (EW Line, CC Line), Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 1030am - 10pm
Fri: 1030am - 11pm
Sat: 930am - 11pm
Sun: 930am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Walk to bus stop at Sims Avenue (Stop ID 82061). Take Bus 13. Alight 5 stops later at CHIJ Katong Convent Primary. Walk to Marine Parade Community Club. Journey time about 12 minutes.

2) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Paya Lebar Road (Stop ID 81111). Take Bus 43, 76 or 135. Alight 9 stops later at CHIJ Katong Convent Primary. Walk to Marine Parade Community Club. Journey time about 17 minutes.

3) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 16 or 31. Alight 7 stops later at CHIJ Katong Convent Primary. Walk to Marine Parade Community Club. Journey time about 15 minutes.

Xu Jun Sheng Long Ji (许俊盛隆记) @ Joo Chiat Road

A great thank you to Charles and Charlene for organising August monthly makam gathering. We visited Xu Jun Sheng at Joo Jiat Road for its traditional Teochew cuisine and porridge. This place has 60 years of history and has moved from its previous location from 50 Joo Chiat Road to 121 Joo Chiat Road.

Unlike most Teochew Porridge places whereby you ordered from the row of cooked food, you are given a pencil to indicate on the menu what you want to order.

The Prawn Rolls were probably one of the best I have ever eaten. I googled and read that they used pork mesentary to wrap the fillings. Maybe that is the secret of the crispy outer layer. The Prawn Rolls were also sliced thinner but bigger in diameter which is different from other places. I am not a great fan for Prawn Rolls but I enjoyed this a lot.

Prawn Roll 4.2/5

The Stir Fried Sambal Kang Kong was nice, crunchy and not too spicy.

Stir Fried Kang Kong with Sambal 4/5

We noticed a lot people eating this particular steamed fish which had its stomach split out into half. We were very curious and asked the server to order for us. The Steamed Mullet prepared without any seasoning was surprisingly very fresh and tasty. It doesn't have the fishy smell.

Steamed Mullet 4/5

Teochew cuisine is known for its braised stuff so how can we not try it. We ordered both the Braised Platter and Pig Trotters. The Braised Platter had both big and small pig intestines, beancurds and fried beancurd skins. The innards, beancurds and fried beancurd skins were well braised soaking up the soy sauce.

Braised Platter 4/5

The Pig Trotters was very tender and melts in the mouth. I was a bit disappointed that most of it was lean meat. I think I took the one and only fatty piece. While writing this post, I realized the menu allows us to indicate either tendon or thigh for the Pig Trotters which we left it out. Maybe that was the reason they have given us mostly lean meat.

Pig Trotters 4/5

The Teochew style Prawns with Beancurd has to be everyone's favourite. The prawns were big and fresh. The beancurds were smooth and silky. The gravy was the highlight that made this dish so tasty. It was so good that I couldn't resist taking a few spoonful of it even though we have finished the prawns and beancurds.

Teochew Style Prawns with Beancurd 4.5/5

The Preserved Radish Omelette had a nice balance of flavours and was not too salty. The preserved radish also gave the omelette a crunchy texture.

Preserved Radish Omelette 4.2/5

To get here,

1) From Eunos MRT station, walk to the bus interchange and take bus 154. Align 2 bus stops later and walk to Xu Jun Sheng about 500 metres away.

or

2) From Paya Lebar MRT station, walk to Xu Jun Sheng by cutting across Sim Ave and Geylang Road which takes about 13 minutes.



To read more of our gathering, you can visit the following blogs:

1. Celes: http://celestialdelish.blogspot.com/

2. Charlene: http://missuschewy.com/

3. Shi Ting: http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/

4. Ong Meng Ching: http://www.jessiefoodtrip.blogspot.com/


[CLOSED]
Xu Jun Sheng Long Ji (许俊盛 隆记)
121 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427410
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar, Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am - 330pm, 530pm - 9pm
Sun: 1030am - 330pm
(Closed on Wed)

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 5 stops later at. Journey time about 12mins