Hoy Yong Seafood Restaurant (开洋海鲜菜馆) @ Clementi Ave 2 - Zichar Stall By Disciple Of One Of The Four Heavenly Kings

For those staying in Clementi, we are blessed to have one of the best zichar stalls in Singapore. Hoy Yong Seafood Restaurant (开洋海鲜菜馆) is located inside a coffeeshop at Clementi Ave 2. The man behind the wok is non-other than Chef Hoy Yong, the disciple of one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Singapore.

Fried Hor Fun with Egg 4.5/5

One of their popular items, which you probably get to see on every table, is their Fried Hor Fun with Egg. We have the medium portion priced at $11. For the price, the portion is very generous with prawns, vegetables, fish slices, pork slices, and squids, topped with pork lards. The sight of the runny egg, coupled with the breath of the wok, already made me drool before digging in. It is definitely one of the best hor fun I have eaten.

Pig's Stomach Soup 4.5/5

A must-try if it is your first time visiting Hoy Yong is their Three Treasures - Pig's Stomach Soup, Braised Pork Ribs and Deep Fried Duck Roll. I had two out of the three dishes, starting with the Pig's Stomach Soup ($14). You can taste the soup that has been boiled for hours from its creaminess with a piquant peppery kick. What astonished me was the amount of ingredients in the bowl of soup. You get chicken pieces, fish maw and pig's stomach. It is restaurant quality serving!

Deep Fried Duck Roll 4.5/5

The other Three Treasure item we tried is the Deep Fried Duck Roll ($14). It is a unique and tasty creation. It is like a tempura Ngoh Hiang in the crispy crumb, stuffed with roasted duck, pork and prawn. Best to have it together with the mayonnaise.

Garlic Kai Lan 4/5

When you have a master behind the wok, even the Garlick Kai Lan ($12) tasted great. The greens still retain a delectable crunchy texture, simply stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and some pork lards.

Claypot Egg Plant 4.5/5

The other vegetable dish we ordered is the Claypot Egg Plant ($18). Not shown in the picture is the fried egg hidden inside the claypot, soaking up the delicious sauce. Instead of the usual minced meat, it uses crunchy shrimp coated in batter for extra textural enjoyment.

Herbal Kampong Chicken 4.2/5

To round up our meal with a meat dish, we decided to go for the Herbal Kampong Chicken ($18 Half). It was sauna-bath in aluminium foil wrap, cooked to fork-tender in a flavoursome herbal broth.

Hoy Yong is indeed a gem in the West. Its restaurant-quality dishes make it a notch above many zichar stalls in Singapore.


Hoy Yong Seafood Restaurant
Blk 352 Clementi Ave 2
#01-153
Singapore 120352
Tel: +65 67782223
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 52 and 154. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Dover MRT station. Take Exit A Walk to bus stop at Dover MRT station. (Stop ID 19031).  Take bus number 74. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Botanico @ The Garage (Singapore Botanic Gardens) - 2019 World Gourmet Summit Rising Female Chef Of The Year Brings new Maturity And Confidence In Her Creations

My last visit to Botanico at The Garage was 3 years ago when Chef Sue takes the helm introducing her interpretation of Asian flavours in her dishes. Since then, she has grown from strength to strength, winning the 2019 Rising Female Chef of the Year and spent time in the kitchens of Michelin-starred Mugaritz polishing her culinary skills.

Beef Tongue Tacos 3.5/5

I guess no one has ever seen or tried taco presented in such a matter. The Beef Tongue Tacos ($18) is served jicama slaw, toasted rice, ginger flower, baby bokchoy and cashew cream. To enjoy it, simply piece everything together and have it in one mouthful to get the different textures and flavours all at play in one go.

Corn Pani Puri 4/5

The Corn Pani Puri ($10) is a playful touch by Chef Sue where puffed little pillows of Indian-inspired puri pastry acted as a cup, holding within it, spiced baby corn and a rich espuma of curried Japanese corn. Pop this in the mouth for a burst of aromatic flavours dancing in the mouth.

Rojak 3.5/5

The Rojak ($15) may look plain, but it is actually packed with the lovely savoury shrimp paste flavour. Give the heiko foam a good mix, coating the pile of kohlrabi and seasonal Southeast Asian fruits salad. It reminds me of the Penang-style rojak, giving the refreshing salad a delightful combo of sweet, savoury, and sour with each bite.

Wing Bean Salad 4.2/5

Chef Sue took inspiration from a staff meal that one of her Malaysian chefs created. Together with her team, they took the dish apart and created the new elevated Wing Bean Salad ($15) using European techniques with Southeast Asian flavours. The wing beans are paired with cubes of housemade chickpea tofu, chopped hard-boiled egg, bird's eye chilli, dressed in a bright, punchy dressing of lime juice, lemongrass, fish sauce, belachan and Thai palm sugar. It even comes with a generous topping of Asian anchovies or better known as ikan bilis in Southeast Asia.

Assam Pedas Snapper 4.2/5

Fish lover will adore Chef Sue's modern take of the traditional assam pedas - Assam Pedas Snapper ($32). The red snapper fillet is grilled over banana leaf, complemented with saffron risotto, okra 2-ways, assam pedas and ginger flower.

Herbal Chicken 4.5/5

I love both Hainanese chicken rice and herbal chicken; hence I really enjoyed the Herbal Chicken ($29) at Botanico. The chicken breast is slow-cooked to tender and dressed in angelica sauce. The sauce is definitely the star which brightens the dish. Not forgetting the chicken rice couscous, which is a flavourful substitution of the usual rice to pair with the herbal chicken. What I feel missing is the chilli sauce to complete the whole enjoyment.

65 Degree Kurobuta Pork Belly 4.2/5

I am sure not many can resist the gorgeous piece of 65 Degree Kurobuta Pork Belly ($30) slow-cooked to fork-tender. It is served with textures of sunchoke, leek flowers and housemade soy-vinegar infused with Szechuan peppercorns.

Crab Rissoni 4.8/5

The crowd favourite definitely goes to the Crab Rissoni ($32). The outer circle is a ring of Japanese deep-sea red crab and blue swimmer crab. The internal circle is Japanese nori rissoni and a comte custard right in the middle. The beautiful dish is sprinkled with octopus bottarga made in house with octopus egg. Give everything a good mix, to get the lovely crustacean's sweetness swimming in each mouth fill. 

BGR (Black Glutinous Rice) 4/5

Even the desserts at Botanico are inspired by flavours in Southeast Asia. First up is the BGR ($12), a playful name for the black glutinous rice dessert recreated with a modern look. It came in the form of black glutinous rice mochi cake topped with toasted rice ice cream and compressed coconut resting on a bed black glutinous rice foam.

Ondeh Ondeh 3.5/5

Familiar yet not is the Ondeh Ondeh ($12). The beloved nonya kueh is transformed into a bowl of pandan glutinous rice cake with coconut foam, kaya ice cream and gula melaka. It is definitely interesting and yummy, but I still miss the oozing gula melaka moment whenever one bites into the traditional ondeh ondeh.

Having dined at Botanico when Chef Sue first took over the helm, I can really taste the improvement in her culinary skill. Her creations now reflect a greater nuance and finesse with a new focus on South East Asian flavours. 

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Botanico 
The Garage (Singapore Botanic Gardens)
via Cluny Park Gate
50 Cluny Park Road
Singapore 257488
Tel: +65 98311106
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu: 6pm - 10pm
Fri-Sun: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to Cluny Park Road. Turn left onto Cluny Park Road and continue walking down the road. At Cluny Park Gate, walk in and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. {Map]

Top 10 Home Based Businesses (HBB) That Are Worth Ordering

COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people's livelihood. Instead of waiting for the best for the world to turn better, many people have taken a brave and significant step forward to change and adapt to the new norm. This sees the birth of many Home Based Business (HBB), putting their baking and cooking skills to good use, supplementing some incomes for the family.

I have the chance to try a couple of these home-based businesses during this period, and here is a list of my top 10 home-based business that is worth ordering and trying.

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A Sweet Mess

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A Sweet Mess caught my attention for their Rainbow Ondeh Ondeh. They are soft and chewy, with oozing gula melaka in it. Importantly, it is not using those syrup type. She actually bought the gula melaka in a block, hand grate them and cook them. Their Banana Cake, Pandan Gula Melaka Cupcake, and Basque Burnt Cheese Cake received many raving reviews too.

Order via DM on Instagram @asweetmesssg

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Any Hao Bao

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To keep her parents occupied during circuit breaker, Francesca started AnyHaoBao for her parents to share their love of cooking. My favourite is their homecooked herbal chicken and achar. You get a whole chicken, cooked to tender. The herbal taste is relatively mild, so it should be acceptable to children. Interestingly it comes with two hard-boiled eggs. They also made Kong Bak Pau, but this is seasonal.

Order via DM on Instagram @anyhaobao

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Edibles Bake Shop

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My close friends will know that I am not really into dessert, hence for Edibles Bake Shop to make it my list, it has definitely won me over. The cupcakes are not overly sweet, well balanced and most importantly, very delicious. Serene is a very talented baker and does check out her beautiful cake. She can also customise cakes for that special occasion.

Order via http://www.ediblesbakeshop.net
Instagram @ediblesbakeshop

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Hei Piah Family

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The hardest-hit industry during the pandemic is the aviation sector. During this period, pilots and cabin crews are all grounded. Laura, an SQ cabin crew and her fashion designer husband, started Hei Piah Family to share her mother-in-law Prawn Fritter recipe. I tried their prawn fritter and fell in love. It is crispy on the outside and pillowy inside.

Order via WhatsApp +65 86964568
Instagram @heipiahfamily

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Lady Boss Soy Sauce Chicken

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Lady Boss Soy Sauce Chicken is a home base business started by Sandra Sim. She is one of the owners of Sum Yi Tai. Before I tried the soy sauce chicken, I have already heard my raving reviews. When I finally get to taste it, I was really impressed. Well marinated and infused with the fragrant soy sauce, the chicken was also tender and juicy. Not forgetting that super power chilli sauce that comes with it.

Order via https://www.ladybosschicken.com

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Lor Bak Mama

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Lor Bak Mama is started by Christine Yue, who has zero income when she has to closed her nail salons during the circuit breaker. Encouraged by her family and closed friends who have tried her lor bak, I am glad that I can get to savour this delicious braised pork belly that is cooked until melt in the mouth, absorbing the braising sauce that is packed with robustness.

Order via take.sg/s/6586680788
Instagram @lorbakmama

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No Name Bake Store

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I have tried many home bakers' bakes during this period, and I really like the pastry box from No Name Bake Store. For $30, you get 4 different pieces of cakes. There are Kaya Butter Roll, Blueberry Hill, Brownie Cheesecake and Chocolate Hazel Royal. For the upcoming festive seasons, it is rolling up a new pastry box. Do keep a lookout.

Order via online form
Instagram @nonamebakestore.sg

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Noni Home Made Cooking

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Noni caught my eyes for offering authentic Indonesia food. I tried both their Nasi Lemak and Nasi Liwet. I personally love the Nasi Liwet as this is my first time have aromatic rice with anchovies wrapped with banana leaves, cooked over the fire. It even comes with a whole grilled chicken leg and tofu. 

Order via Instagram DM or WhatsApp +6594464249
Instagram @noni.sg

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Slab Some Ribs

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Affected by the pandemic, Elaine, a sales manager for a local airline has been on furlough, and on a good month may get to work up to two days a week. With the inconsistent workdays and significant financial impact, she started Slab Some Ribs to supplement her income. I have known many home-based businesses but selling pork ribs probably is the first. What's more she has an interesting flavour like Kicap Manis. I heard she is introducing a new Korean flavour for the upcoming festive season.

Order via take.sg/s/6596942060
Instagram @slabsomeribs

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Two Bake Boys

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Another home-based business started by an SQ cabin crew is Two Bake Boys. There are a lot of home bakers during this period and mostly focus on bakes such as brownies, cookies and burnt cheesecakes. Two Bake Boys is different, it is probably the first HBB that offers Authentic Thai Tea Crepe Cake. Currently, it has already expanded its menu with new flavours such as Matcha, Strawberry and Tiramisu.

Order via https://www.twobakeboys.com
Instagram @twobakeboys

Tea Lounge @ Regent Singapore - Launches Newest English Garden Afternoon Tea

Tea Lounge at Regent Singapore has just launched an evergreen English Garden Afternoon Tea theme, where guests get to enjoy a quintessential Afternoon Tea in a contemporary colonial garden setting with classic British desserts. On weekdays, guests get to savour a quintessential three-tier afternoon tea. In contrast, on weekends, the high tea buffet serves up an extravagant spread of premium caviars, a carving station, with additional carveries of wood oven-roasted wagyu beef rump, Yorkshire Pudding and Forest Mushroom Jus, and more.

Tea Lounge goes back to the most quintessential of English customs - offering a selection of dainty sandwiches and delicate scones, as well as a variety of Gryphon tea blends to choose from. From robust, strong blacks of Assam to delicately scented Lychee Rose and herbal tisanes, there is no lack of choice for selecting just the right infusion. We opted for the Lychee Rose Tea, which had a subtle sweet lychee fragrance to it.

The Regent’s Signature Scones are slightly denser, with a nice crunchy crust around and a moist, crumbly centre. Served with Devonshire clotted cream, house-made berry preserves and luscious lemon curd. Various counters are generously stocked with a selection of dainty sandwiches such as Black Truffle, Organic Egg Mayonnaise and Cucumber, Mini Sausage Puff, Baby Spinach Quiche, and vibrant toss-ups of Chicken, Blue Potato and Green Peas with English Mustard.

Tea Lounge also offers up locally-inspired dishes such as the Fried Carrot cake, Cheng Teng, Herbal Chicken, Chicken Satay with peanut sauce, Chilli Crab Mantou, and Kueh Pie Tee.

The Chilli Crab Mantou was nicely executed with its fluffy buns and slightly pan-fried on the outside. The chilli crab sauce leans towards the spicier side, but I felt it lacked the robustness from the crab flavour.

We had the roasted wagyu beef rump, which was extremely succulent and tender on the inside, and spot a slightly charred exterior.

Not to be missed is their Crispy Chicken with sweet chilli sauce. The meat is cooked to fork-tender superb with a crispy exterior. Complete with a dip of sweet chilli sauce to elevate the whole enjoyment.

When you finally make it to the dessert station, get ready for a delightful selection of desserts. Among the spread, there are Triple Chocolate Fudge, Carrot Cake, Banoffee, Eton Mess, Victoria Sponge Cake, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, Rose apple Profiteroles, Fragrant Yuzu Fosset and more.

The ice cream waffles combination never goes wrong, as we enjoy the crispy fluffy waffles paired with the fragrant creamy lychee ice cream.

Afternoon Tea
$68 per adult | $34 per child
Additional $10 | $40 for a glass or free-flow Prosecco
Additional $15 | $60 for a glass or free-flow Champagne

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.


Tea Lounge
Regent Hotel Singapore
Lobby Level
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 67253246
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 5pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 230pm (1st seating), 3pm - 530pm (2nd seating)

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheelock Place via ION. Exit Wheelock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Continue onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. Continue walking down Tanglin Road. Turn left onto Tomlinson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

Koon Signatures @ Bukit Timah - More Than Just Traditional Bak Kut Teh

Koon Bak Kut Teh at Bukit Timah opened its door in 2012, serving traditional Bak Kut Teh and other home-cooked dishes. As competition within the industry gets tougher, its founder Moses, decided to revamp the outlet by improving its interior and ambience, and most importantly, incorporating dishes that deviates from his usual classics. With the transformation, it has also renamed the restaurant as Koon Signatures.

Mushroom Buns 3/5

I thought these Handmade Mushrooms Buns gels pretty well with Bak Kut Teh concept. I was half expecting it to taste like our typical Chinese mushroom bun with custard filling but it turned out to be minced mushrooms filling which lean towards the flavour of a western mushroom soup. I like the filling but the texture of the bun was a little too soft.

Classic Bak Kut Teh 3/5, Braised Phoenix Claws 3.5/5

The Classic Bak Kut Teh ($6.50) was decent though it is supposed to be its core dish. The soup was peppery but slightly watered down. I like the Braised Phoenix Claws much more. They were fatty and not too highly flavoured with the braising sauce. The fried you tiao seemed to have an additional layer of crispiness to it, definitely one of the better ones I ever had.

Modern Braised Meat Rice 4/5

I would say its Modern Braised Meat Rice ($8.90) outshines its classic. Wholesome with sauteed cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, the melt-in-your-mouth braised pork didn't seem to leave any trace of fats in my mouth, and no lingering porky flavour. The crunchy pickled cucumber slices added to the pleasure. In CBD area, this would have been a hit.

Char Siew Chicken 3/5 and Deep Fried Pork Belly 3.5/5

Koon's signatures include Char Siew Chicken ($8.90) and Deep Fried Pork Belly ($8.90). Ordering the Signature Platter ($16.90) will get you both. The Char Siew Chicken was quite successful in getting the char siew flavours right, especially those desirable burnt ends. But I find the glaze too much on the meat which made it a little too sweet. The pork belly was like KFC's original chicken, which has a thin layer of crisp crust that stays even after a while.

Superior Chicken Stew 3/5

The Superior Chicken Stew ($8.90) with fish maw serves as a very comforting meal for one. It looked promising but the soup didn't taste as rich as expected, nor it has the consistency of a nourishing fish maw soup.

Kale 4/5

I love its Braised Kale with Superior Stock ($11.90)! So much that I could finish the entire plate. The kale was pretty much being left alone, only lightly flavoured with garlic and pork belly to mellow out its rawness.

Black Sesame Lava Cake 3/5

One of its latest creations is this Black Sesame Lava Cake with Glutinous Rice & Gelato ($11.90), which has a slight Japanese feel to it. The black sesame was rich but the sweetness level was way over the limits, especially after a meaty meal. I love the unsweetened glutinous rice which combines well with the gelato. Still, with such comprehensive spread that caters to different crowd, Koon Signatures is a great option for a casual family gathering.

Words and photos 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.


Koon Signatures
10 Cheong Chin Nam Rd
Singapore 599735
Tel: +65 64630111
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (DT Line)bak

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 2am

Direction:
1) Alight at Beauty World MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]