Happiness Kitchen Private Dining (幸福廚房), Mother & Son Duo Serving Comforting Taiwanese Cuisine

Gathering with the foodie gang, we explored Happiness Kitchen, a relatively new home private dining that unveils the rich tapestry of Taiwanese cuisine.

Pickled Tomatoes 4.2/5

Our meal commenced with the Pickled Tomatoes, a delightful mix of sweet and tangy flavors that sparked our appetites. Its refreshing taste acted as intermittent palate cleanses, making it a constant companion throughout the dinner.

Bamboo Shoot 4.8/5

An unexpected gem was the Bamboo Shoot with Goma Sauce, crowned with sakura ebi. The goma sauce complemented the chunky and sweet bamboo shoot, while the sakura ebi added a contrasting texture and fragrance.

Moonlight Prawn Cake 4.5/5

The Moonlight Prawn Cake, shaped like a full moon, showcased a prawn stuffing encased in a light and crispy wrap. Its unique texture made it a standout on the table.

Braised Beef Shank 4/5

Surprising us in both flavour and portion, the Braised Beef Shank, though labelled an appetiser, was generously sized. The lean cut, adorned with connective tissue, boasted tenderness and rich flavour, a testament to skilled braising.

Spring Onion Chicken 4/5

Defying appetiser norms, the Spring Onion Chicken graced our table as a whole chicken. The tender meat, complemented by ginger and scallions, showcased an unexpected gelatin layer beneath the skin.

Handmade Peanut Tofu 3.8/5

The Handmade Peanut Tofu, akin to a creamy pudding, featured a unique texture. Paired with bonito flakes and a garlic-infused sweet peanut sauce, it presented a distinct flavour profile, though the garlic notes were a tad overpowering.

30 Yr Old Chay Po Chicken Soup 4.8/5

A highlight was the 30-year-old Chay Po Chicken Soup, a comforting elixir that was light, clean, and sweet. Its flavours were so captivating that seconds were inevitable.

Perilla Plum Pork Ribs 4.8/5

Introducing a brilliant fusion, the Perilla Plum Pork Ribs, adorned with sesames, showcased the innovative use of perilla plum sauce. The fall-off-the-bone ribs immersed in this delectable sauce proved to be a winning combination.

Seasonal Greens 4/5

In a nod to freshness, Seasonal Greens made a simple yet satisfying appearance. Stir-fried to retain crunch and sweetness, it served as a wholesome accompaniment to the meaty offerings.

3 Cups Squid 4.2/5

The 3 Cup Squid was a delightful twist, a departure from the more common 3 Cup Chicken. The springy squid, bathed in rice wine, sesame oil, and soy sauce, was elevated by the aromatic basil leaf, adding a distinctive charm.

Dry Braised Prawns 4.8/5

Seafood stole the spotlight with Dry Braised Prawns, featuring impeccably fresh prawns immersed in a delectable sauce. So enticing was the sauce that not a drop went to waste.

Handmade Hakka Abacus Seeds

A surprise find on the menu was the Handmade Hakka Abacus Seeds, showcasing the versatility of Taiwanese cuisine. Soft and delightfully chewy, these seeds were wok-fried with an ensemble of flavours for a robust finish.

Roe Crab Glutinous Rice $160

Our dining experience took an indulgent turn with the addition of Roe Crab Glutinous Rice. A dish usually reserved for grand occasions, this Taiwanese delicacy promised a symphony of flavours.

Yam Sago

Concluding our feast was the sweet note of Yam Sago, bringing a delectable end to our private dining expedition at Happiness Kitchen.


Happiness Kitchen Private Dining
(幸福廚房)
Punggol
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Man Fu Yuan @ InterContinental Singapore - Unveils A Captivating New A La Carte and Set Menu, Blending Tradition and Innovation

Chef Aaron Tan and his culinary team at Man Fu Yuan, InterContinental Singapore, have unveiled a captivating new a la carte and set menu that showcases a perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Modern interpretations and premium ingredients give classic Cantonese favourites a fresh and revitalised touch.

Crispy Soft-shell Crab and Chilled Cherry Wine Tomatoes 4/5

Our gastronomic journey began with a tantalising duo of appetisers. The Crispy Soft-shell Crab with Garlic, Chilli, and Scallion was a delightful explosion of flavours, with the "Bowrington Bridge" soft-shell crab masterfully deep-fried to crispy perfection, infused with aromatic spices. The accompanying Chilled Cherry Wine Tomatoes, marinated with Plum Sauce, provided a refreshing contrast with its sweet and tangy notes, leaving us eager for more.

Double-boiled Superior Seafood Soup, Mushroom, served in Melon Husk 4.8/5

The Double-boiled Superior Seafood Soup, Mushroom, served in Melon Husk, followed next, enchanting us with its heartwarming and nourishing essence. The velvety smooth broth, infused with the essence of the melon husk, brought forth an additional depth of flavour to the already delightful combination of seafood and mushrooms. Each spoonful of this soup was a delightful journey, warming both the soul and the palate.

Braised Indonesia Cave Bird's Nest 4.2/5

A highlight of the meal was the Braised Indonesia Cave Bird's Nest with Crabmeat, Crab Roe, and Silver Sprout in Beijing style. This dish showcased a delightful play of flavours and textures, with the subtle bird's nest blending harmoniously with the sweetness of crab meat and the richness of crab roe, all complemented by the textural crunch of silver sprouts.

Flambe Braised Crocodile Palm, Vegetables, Mushroom 4/5

The Flambe Braised Crocodile Palm, Vegetables, Mushroom was an exotic offering on the menu. The tender crocodile meat, reminiscent of chicken in taste, was flambéed to perfection, adding an exciting touch of theatrics to the dish. The herbal sauce further enhanced the experience, making it a memorable culinary adventure.

3 hours 33 mins Honey Glazed Duroc Pork Ribs, Yuzu Soya Sauce, Grated Coconut 4.8/5

A true crowd-pleaser was the 3 hours 33 mins Honey Glazed Duroc Pork Ribs, Yuzu Soya Sauce, Grated Coconut. This dish impressed with its explosive flavour profile, combining sweetness and tanginess from the yuzu soya sauce with the succulent and fall-off-the-bone Duroc pork ribs. The addition of grated coconut added a delightful twist to the dish, making it a must-try.

Braised Crab Meat with Crab Roe, Prawn, Baby Vegetables 4/5

The menu continued to delight with the Braised Crab Meat with Crab Roe, Prawn, and Baby Vegetables. This dish was a perfect example of simplicity elevated by luxurious ingredients, as the combination of braised crab meat, crab roe, and prawn elevated the dish to new heights.

Stone Bowl Rice, Kurobuta Pork Cured Meat, Egg Yolk, Tobiko 4.5/5

The Stone Bowl Rice, Kurobuta Pork Cured Meat, Egg Yolk, and Tobiko were a delightful symphony of flavours. Fragrant rice infused with kurobuta pork cured meat and topped with tobiko was enhanced with a luscious egg yolk that bound everything together, creating an aromatic finish.

Double-boiled Papaya, Coconut Cream, Peach Collagen, Hashima 4.8/5

As we approached the end of our culinary journey, we were treated to the Double-boiled Papaya, Coconut Cream, Peach Collagen, Hashima, a warm and comforting coconut soup filled with papaya, peach collagen, and hashima, offering both delicious flavours and nourishing benefits.

Black Sesame Rolls with Coconut 4/5

The meal concluded on a sweet note with the Black Sesame Rolls with Coconut. Soft and spongy, the rolls were infused with the delightful aroma of black sesame, while the coating of grated coconut added an extra layer of taste and texture.

Chef Aaron Tan and his team have undoubtedly crafted an impressive and delectable menu at Man Fu Yuan, InterContinental Singapore. Each dish showcased its culinary finesse, while the seamless blend of traditional flavours with modern touches made for an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you are a connoisseur of Cantonese cuisine or a lover of culinary artistry, this new menu promises a feast for the senses that will leave you yearning for more.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Man Fu Yuan
InterContinental Singapore
Level 2
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966
Tel: +65 63387600
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Nearest MRT: Bugis (EW Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1145am - 330pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Red Lantern Live Seafood Restaurant @ Sembawang Country Club - Hidden Live Seafood Restaurant In The North Offering Tze Char Dishes

Red Lantern Live Seafood Restaurant officially opened in August this year and is situated within Sembawang Country Club. It offers more than 80 tantalising Asian seafood dishes, such as the signature Live lobster porridge, Chilli Crab, Squid, Kailan, BBQ Pork Ribs and more. The spacious restaurant is not enclosed and has a nice view of the golf terrace.

Golden Salted Egg Squid 4/5

We started our meal with the Golden Salted Egg Squid ($15). Deep fried to a crispy texture, the slightly chewy rings of squid were coated in a slightly spicy, creamy salted egg paste. It was an enjoyable dish that packed a nice salted egg flavour.

Dual Taste Kailan 3.8/5

A unique way to kick up a notch to the usual kailan dishes, the Dual Taste Kailan ($12) was served with a pile of crispy kailan leaf shreds and anchovies atop the crunchy Kailan stalks. It was an interesting twist that gave diners two different flavours and textures from one vegetable.

BBQ Spanish Pork Ribs with Red Wine 4.2/5

One of our favourite dishes is the BBQ Spanish Pork Ribs with Red Wine ($18). The pork rib meats were superbly fork tender and fell off the bone easily. It was also coated in an incredibly flavourful marinate before being smoked and glazed, packing a robust sweet-savoury flavour with a strong smoky aroma.

Fragrant Spicy Crab 4.2/5

As they had run out of Lobsters for the day, we settled for the Fragrant Spicy Crab ($88) instead, which did not disappoint. The wok-fried crab was tossed and covered in loads of chilli peppercorns and crispy fried garlic pieces, which brought out the lovely spicy fragrance, while the crab meat was thick, sweet and fleshy. Besides the Fragrant Spicy Crab, they offer choices of Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab as well.

Words and photos 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.


Red Lantern Live Seafood Restaurant
249 Sembawang Road
Sembawang Country Club
Singapore 758352
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Nearest MRT: Spring Leaf (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Spring Leaf MRT station. Take Exit 3. Walk to bus stop opposite Thong Soon Road (Stop ID 56091). Take bus number 167, 169, 860, 980. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to Toranto Road. Turn right onto Toranto Road and walk to the end of the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

Jin Jue Seafood @ Jalan Besar - Cantonese Style Seafood Zi Char That Opens Until 5am

Just across the busy cluster of eateries in Jalan Besar is the new brightly lit signboard of Jin Jue Seafood. Specialising in Cantonese-style seafood zi char, it has a homely space with a reasonably priced menu. It operates till 5am daily, serving as another supper spot you can booklist.

Red Snapper Fish Head Steamboat 4.5/5

The signature of Jin Jue Seafood would be their charcoal Red Snapper Fish Head Steamboat ($38). The fresh snapper slices are deliberately served separately to avoid having the fish break up throughout the meal and for diners to be able to have them fresh upon cooking. We especially enjoyed the broth's herbal notes, which resulted from the addition of goji berries and dang gui.

You have vegetables like yam, seaweed and Chinese cabbage in the base. You can opt to top up for additional ingredients to go along, such as Prawns ($18/5 Pieces), Spinach ($6), Enoki Mushrooms ($4) and more. We appreciated our pot was promptly refilled and that they provided the actual broth for refills instead of watered down base or water.

Lemongrass Pork Ribs 4.2/5

It looked unassuming, but the Lemongrass Pork Ribs ($18) was quite a crowd favourite. The sweet-glazed exterior had a nice slight crunch, while the meat was tender and easily torn off from the bone. The hints of spice also had us wanting more. We didn't mind it, but as its name suggests, we expected the lemongrass flavour to be much more pronounced than it was.

Stir-fried Dried Scallops & Kailan 3.5/5

The Stir-fried Dried Scallops & Kailan ($15) had stir-fried kailan beneath deep-fried kailan. Adding dried scallops helped lend an umami touch, but we found the dish as a whole too oily.

Curry Fish Head 3.8/5

I haven't had that many curry fish heads to compare, but my dining companions found Jin Jue's Curry Fish Head ($35) pretty satisfying. It came with a generous portion of vegetables like brinjal and ladyfinger, along with crisped beancurd skin. The curry leans more milky and creamy, and we thought the spice could be more assertive.

Black Pepper Crab 4/5

We were impressed by how fresh the Black Pepper Crab (Seasonal Price) was, the meat was firm and sweet, and it came with a good amount of roe. Their black pepper sauce leans sweeter, with a medium spice level from the chilli and peppers used.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Jin Jue Seafood
369 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208997
Tel: +65 65303689
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Nearest MRT: Bendemeer MRT (DT Line), Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 5pm - 5am

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk towards Kitchener Link. At Kitchener Link walk to Petain Road. Turn right at Petain Road, walk towards Jalan Besar Road. Turn left at Jalan Besar Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bendemeer MRT station. Take Exit A. Left right and walk to Kallang Bahru towards Lavender Street. At Lavender Street, turn right and walk towards Foch Road. Turn left onto Foch Road and walk towards Jalan Besar. Cross the road at Jalan Besar. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Joyden Canton Kitchen @ Great World - Celebrates Brand New Opening With Summer Eel Fiesta

Partaking in the seasonal freshwater eels season, Joyden Canton Kitchen has launched a seasonal ‘Summer Eel Fiesta’ menu featuring live eels from now till 14 August. We visited its brand new outlet at Great World to taste of this well-loved summer food, alongside its popular Cantonese and locally-inspired signature dishes.

Harvested and flown in directly from Mainland China, the eels are cooked in four ways to bring the most out of their rich and unctuous meat.

Grilled Eel with Honey Glaze 4/5

We started with Grilled Eel with Honey Glaze ($39.80). First glazed with a homemade honey and maltose mixture and then grilled to a golden brown, the eel was delightful with a slightly crisped exterior with bits of caramelization. I do find the glaze a tad too sweet, though.

Braised Eel with BBQ Sauce in Claypot 4.5/5

Braised Eel with BBQ Sauce in Claypot ($36.80) is a crowd-pleaser with chunks of fatty eel, shiitake mushrooms, onions and bell peppers tossed in a smoky housemade BBQ sauce. The onions and bell peppers added a wonderful sweet crunch and an earthly flavour to the dish.

Wok-Tossed Eel with Chives Flower 4.5/5

In a similar vibe is the Wok-Tossed Eel with Chives Flower ($38.80). It is another mouthwatering dish to be savoured that is tossed with a special blend of fermented soybean paste.

Steamed Eel with Fragrant Soybean Crisps 4.5/5

Among the four renditions, the dish that stood out to me is this Steamed Eel with Fragrant Soybean Crisps ($40.80), featuring a steamed eel fillet in superior soy sauce topped with a layer of fragrant fried soybean crisps. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtlety of the fried soybean crisps. They provided just the right amount of umaminess to complement the eel while also playing up the texture of the dish. Half expecting it to be a little greasy, it was actually light and easy on the palate.

Chargrilled Mandarin Peel Pork Ribs 4/5

Fish Maw and Tiger Prawns with Glass Noodles in Homemade XO Sauce 3.5/5

Other wholesome dishes include Chargrilled Mandarin Peel Pork Ribs ($20) and Fish Maw and Tiger Prawns with Glass Noodles in Homemade XO Sauce ($22). The pork ribs shone with a distinct mandarin peel note in the glaze, giving the dish a citrusy lift. The latter was robust with proprietary XO sauce made with dried scallops, but it got slightly greasy with the fish maw.

‘Moonlight’ Rice Vermicelli with Egg White and Scallop 4/5

Joyden's Signature 'Moonlight' Rice Vermicelli with Egg White and Scallop will be the most ideal given its mild flavours for a more saucy preference to appreciate the eels. It marries the classic Chinese dish of 赛螃蟹 with sauteed egg whites and a local 'zichar' noodle dish. A bed of silk rice vermicelli with a touch of wok hei luxuriates in fluffy scrambled egg whites sweetened with crab meat and scallop.

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.


Joyden Canton Kitchen
Great World
1 Kim Seng Promenade
#01-141/142
Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 62192262
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Nearest MRT: Great World (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am -330pm, 530pm - 9pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 11am - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Great World MRT station. Take Exit 2. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]