Laifaba @ Prestige Centre - New Location, Expanded Menu With Even Tastier Wanton Mee

Laifaba first opened its door at Scarlet hotel and has made a name for itself in offering superb Wanton Mee. It has now relocated to Prestige Centre at Bukit Batok with an expanded menu that comprises rice and other roast meats.

Though located in an industrial area, the interior was made very charming, adorned with retro homewares, posters, a table fan and a radio that work!

Signature Char Siew Wanton Mee 4.5/5

When I first tried Laifaba last year, its Char Siew and Crispy Pork left a deep impression. I have a newfound liking for its Signature Char Siew Wanton Mee ($5.00 Small) this time round. Working closely with suppliers, both the wanton skin and noodle are made with improved recipes. One very noticeable difference is the reduction in alkaline, and I very much prefer this lighter and tastier version. Even the wanton seemed much juicer. I recommend topping up $2 to upgrade the regular char siew to its signature Bu Jian Tian Char Siew. Given the amount of fats in there, I felt the meat had been roasted with much precision to attain the beautiful caramelisation on the exterior and rendering just enough fats for flavours while keeping the meat portion tender.

Meat Platter 4/5

Adding two more roast meats into their menu, we had a platter of Soy Sauce Chicken, Roast Duck and Crispy Roasted Pork ($16 Small). The Soy Sauce Chicken was commendable. The meat was very tender, and the skin was flavourful without being too sweet. The pork was still as good as I remember how it was to be with its succulent meat and crackling skin. The Roast Duck paled a little in comparison but was decent. This portion is good for two people as rice or noodles are available as add-ons.

Shrimp Dumpling Soup (tasting portion) 4.5/5

I like the soup as well. The dry wanton mee does come with a small bowl of soup but try the Shrimp Dumpling Soup ($8) that comes with four large and juicy shrimp dumplings. The soup had a good depth of sweetness and umami flavour, which surpassed most that I had tried so far. I had a go at its Fried Shrimp Dumplings ($8) too, but they weren't as impressive. The skin turned quite soggy and greasy after a while.

Other elements that might draw you back to Laifaba are perhaps the various chilli concoction for the different dishes. There is a special orangey chilli sauce that is very fiery, a red sauce for a regular spicy dry noodle dish, and a refreshing and tangy chilli paste for the roast meats.

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.


Laifaba
Prestige Centre
71 Bukit Batok Crescent
#02-02
Singapore 658071
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Website
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon- Sun: 8am - 330pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17171). Take bus number 106. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to Bukit Batok Crescent. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

Laifa Bar @ The Scarlet Hotel - What A Steal, $5.50 Wanton Mee At A Hotel

Laifa Bar at The Scarlet Hotel is a wine bar turned noodle house, serving traditional wanton noodle, dumplings and complementary sides. Equipped with recipes handed to him by his grandmother, who used to be a hawker herself selling homemade taupok and wanton noodle back in the 1970s, chef-owner Royce Lee fine-tunes them and bring the traditional dishes to the table with a touch of modernity and bettered flavours.

Wanton Noodle 4.2/5

The Wanton Noodle ($5.50) is what first brought many to Laifa Bar. With its hearty portion, meaty wantons and springy noodles, there is no reason why one won't return for more. The original sauce used to toss the noodle is flavoursome, but I suggest adding a little of the special chilli sauce that comes bright orange in a bottle. True to its colour, it brightens up the dish with zest and heat. The dry wanton noodle doesn't come with soup which is prepared in a limited portion daily but will be served to you upon request.

Char Siew & Crispy Pork Noodle 4.5/5

However, what's even more superior than the wanton noodle I find, is the Char Siew & Crispy Pork Noodle ($7.50). Keeping to the tradition of a wanton noodle, the char siew used for Wanton Noodle is of a leaner cut, whereas for this bowl, a thicker and fattier part of the meat is served. One look at the burnt ends and you know they are well caramelised. I love the smokey charred fats! The crispy pork didn't disappoint too. The meat and fats were as unctuous, laced with a layer of crispy skin.

Dumpling Soup 4.2/5

The Dumpling Soup ($7.50) is another winner. The minced meat and prawn filling was not overmixed, resulting in a really juicy, loosely packed and tender dumpling.

Taupok 4/5

The sides here are pretty strong too. The Taupok ($8.00) surprised me with their airiness, alongside a well seasoned and tender minced meat filling.

Wanton in Red Chilli Oil 4.5/5

The spice-laden concoction of the red-chilli oil of the Wanton in Red-Chilli Oil ($8.00) is by far the most piquant I have tried. It strikes a perfect balance of spice, tang and sweetness, and it tasted so good over my noodles!

Egg Slice 3/5

The Egg Slice ($7.00) is an egg loaf made using flour and egg, and the way it is being executed gives it an almost hash brown-like texture.

Ngoh Hiong 3.8/5

The skinny Ngoh Hiong ($7.00) was interesting with a chewy texture, but the spices were a little strong for me.

Overall, I'm rather impressed by how satiable the food is at Laifa Bar, especially given that local fare is not the intended concept of this space.

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.


Laifa Bar
The Scarlet Hotel
33 Erskine Road
Singapore 069333
Tel: +65 84392104
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Website
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun: 1030am - 430pm
Fri-Sat: 1030am - 830pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Continue to the end of Amoy Street. Climb the stairs beside Siang Cho Keong Temple, up Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Maxwell Road towards Kadayanallur Street (beside URA building). Turn right onto Kadayanallur Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Shun Xing Fresh Prawn Wanton Mee @ Beo Crescent Food Centre - Nostalgic Ketchup Wanton Mee

Beo Crescent Food Centre is not a very big food centre but it does offer some good hawker food choices. I realized the last time I visit the food centre was about 5 years ago. Back then I tried Soon Heng Lor Mee, Nan Yuan Fish Ball Noodle and Ya Mei Shu Si. For my recent visit, I decided to give Shun Xing Fresh Prawn Wanton Mee a try.

Fresh Prawn Wanton Mee 3.5/5

I ordered the Fresh Prawn Wanton Mee ($3) which comes with slices of char siew, some vegetables and and pieces of wanton. The wanton mee with the ketchup sauce has a nostalgic flavour to it, reminding me of my childhood days. The noodle itself was also very springy with a bite that is almost maggie mee like.

The char siew although lacking the charred suface, it still roasted to a nice tender texture with the right amount of fats and lean meat. The highlight for me is the wanton that is dominant by the crunchy and sweet prawn wrapped within the the silky skin.

Overall Shun Xing Fresh Prawn Wanton Mee serves a decent plate of wanton mee. Those who like ketchup base will like the nostalgic flavour. For a mere $3 dollar, you also get to have 4 fresh prawn wantons while most stalls give only two.


Shun Xing Wanton Mee
Beo Crescent Food Centre
Blk 38A Beo Crescent
#01-89
Singapore 169982
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 7pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Bukit Ho Swee Crescent. Continue walk to block 34. Cut cross the HDB blocks and walk to destination. [Map]

CP Food Products

I don't cook at home, not to mention about going to the supermarket to do marketing. Recently I received a hamper from CP Foods and I am surprised that CP has so many products under its brand. I only know of CP's shrimp wonton which I always seen it in tv advertisement. For this festive season, CP has introduced a new Shrimp Wonton Festive Pack with Suki Sauce. I thought it is brilliant for steamboat during Lunar New Year reunion dinner.

Exclusively only at 7-11 is the CP Teriyaki Burger and CP Shrimp Burger. The kids tried the CP Teriyaki Burger and they loved it.

CP Food has also recently launched a couple of new products. One of them is the Breaded Fish in Tamarind Sauce with chunks of fish doused with sweet and sour sauce of tamarind. Suitable for people looking for quick nourishing meal.

The other 2 new items under the CP brand is the Vegetarian Stir Fried Holy Basil with Rice and Vegetarian Yakisoba. The Stir Fried Holy Basil with Rice comes with crunchy carrots and succulent silvers of shiitake mushrooms. The vegetarian noodle is an adaption of the classic Japanese stir fried noodles cooked in sweet and soya sauce.

The Chicken Gyoza is wrapped in a thin pastry of chicken and vegetable. The Japanese style dumpling has a well blended taste and fantastic aroma.

With a new formulated breading, the Japanese Crispy Gyoza made from whole chunk of chicken meats is tender and crunchy.

Besides the Japanese gyoza, CP food also offers a selection of Korean delights in the Korean Shrimp Mandoo and Korean Vegetable Mandoo. Wrapped in smooth pastry sheet, the wholesome texture and korean recipe was a delightful treat.

I am quite impressed with CP Food's extensive offerings. Many families nowadays either do not know how to cook or don't have time to do so. CP food products are like a saviour offering varieties as well as time saving delicious meal which only requires some simple heating up.


CP Food Products
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPSingapore
Website: http://www.cpbrand.com/sg/