Le Meridien Singapore @ Sentosa - Du-licious Discovery Durian Buffet

It's the season for durian again! For this harvest, why not enjoy these rich and creamy seeds a little offshore? From now till 1 September, Le Méridien Singapore at Sentosa is going to dazzle you with a range of durian-inspired delights and classics on their Du-licious Discovery Durian Buffet.

For the first time, Le Meridien opens up the alfresco patio of Latest Recipe and set up a durian pop-up stall for that one-of-a-kind one and only duo durian buffet experience on Sentosa Island. Against the backdrop of the iconic Sea Merlion, enjoy an unlimited servings of three to four premium and delicious durian varieties like Mao Shan Wang, Red Prawn, D24 and XO for 1.5 hours. Please note that this durian pop-up will only be up until 28 July.

Durian Prata

Durian Doughsticks

Within Latest Recipe, durian-centric dishes await you. Although the concept of durian pastries is not new but there are some rather creative items worth nothing here, such as the Durian Doughsticks, Durian Prata and Durian Pizza. The Durian You Tiao definitely worth the extra calories. Just a suggestion - There is Durian Pengat at the dessert counter, so you might want to use that as a dip perhaps, for the extra oomph?

The dessert counters are filled with chef's inspirations such as Durian Mousse, Durian Choux Puffs, Durian Swiss Roll and Durian Crème Brulee. The Durian Cupcakes tower just makes everyone wants to reach out and grab one!

Durian Green Bean Soup

What took us by surprise is this Durian Green Bean Soup. The durian taste is quite subtle but the durian fragrance somehow blends really well with the green beans and enlivens the taste of this classic dessert.

Indian Delights

Western Barbecue Live Station

The quintessential buffet items include Fresh Seafood on ice, local dishes such as Laksa Live station, Salted Egg Yolk Prawns and Indian delights, in which I find the Fish Curry quite memorable. For meat lovers, there are always the Roasted Meats from the Barbecue Live station to fill your stomach before the durian feast starts.

I really enjoyed savoring the durians in the alfresco area. For a better-value-for-money durian indulgence, it is recommended that you opt for both the buffet which features durian desserts and unlimited servings of fresh durian from the alfresco durian pop-up stall.

Du-licious Discovery Buffet (Fri & Sat Dinner Only)
Buffet Only (06 Jul to 01 Sep 2018 - Fri & Sat Only)
Time: 6pm - 10pm
Price: $80 per adult, $40 per child (07 to 11 years old)

Durian Pop-Up Stall Only (06 to 28 JUL 2018 – Fri & Sat Only)
Time: 6pm – 730pm / 8pm – 930pm (1.5hrs)
Price: $88 per adult, $44 per child (07 to 11 years old)

Both Buffet & Durian Pop-Up Stall Only (06 to 28 JUL 2018 – Fri & Sat Only)
Time: 6pm – 730pm / 8pm – 930pm (1.5hrs)
Price: $128 per adult, $64 per child (07 to 11 years old)

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.


Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa
Latest Recipe
23 Beach View
Singapore 098679
Tel: +65 68183305
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbourfront MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Go to Sentosa Express Station at Level 3 of Vivocity. Take Sentosa Express Train to Imbiah station. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Joyden Canton @ Shaw House - Opening Its Second Outlet In The Heart of Orchard Road

Joyden Concepts has finally set foot into Orchard Road with the opening of its second Joyden Canton outlet at Shaw House. The Orchard outlet will delight diners with its Cantonese cuisine from the Guangdong province with a new and expanded menu that encompasses both traditional and contemporary dishes.

Daliang Pan-Fried Stuffed Lotus Root 4.2/5

Taking inspiration from the popular treat in Shunde, Guangdong is the Daliang Pan-Fried Stuffed Lotus Root ($9). A mixture of minced pork, finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and cilantro is sandwiched between 2 slices of lotus root. It is then given a light coat of egg and flour, deep fried to golden brown. Best eaten at room temperature, this interpretation was crispy, crunchy and most important packed with beautiful flavours.

Black Bean, Black-Eyed Pea, and Peanut with Pig Tail Soup $8

Cantonese cuisine is known for the soup and one must not visit Joyden Canton without trying their double boiled soup. Each bowl of the soup is encased in a wax paper and double boiled for no less than 4 hours. We had the nourishing Black Bean, Black-Eyed Pea, and Peanut with Pig Tail Soup ($8) which is good for blood circulation and wellness. I like the addition of longan and aged tangerine peel, giving it a subtle natural sweet finishing.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Homemade Dang-Gui Barbeque Sauce 3/5

An acquire tasting dish is the Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Homemade Dang-Gui Barbeque Sauce ($19). Using pork shoulder slices, it is cooked to a nice tender bite. Unfortunately I dislike the bitter taste of the dang-gui (angelica root). I felt that it throws the sweet barbeque sauce off.

Steamed Cod Fish with Hua-Diao and Homemade Ginger Sauce 3.5/5

A homely tasting dish is the Steamed Cod Fish with Hua-Diao and Homemade Ginger Sauce ($32). The huge piece of cod fish is topped with a homemade paste of grated old and young ginger, fresh herbs and hua-diao wine. It is then steamed to a nice tender texture. I enjoyed how the ginger paste complemented the rich and oily fish but I would the stronger use of the Chinese rice wine.

Twice-Baked Golden Egg Gratin with Caramelised You Tiao 4.5/5

The highlight at Joyden Canton has to go to the Twice-Baked Golden Egg Gratin with Caramelised You Tiao ($18). I was told that the original version of the dish uses fish intestines but Joyden Canton has replaced it with thin slivers of crunchy jelly fish. This is then combined with vermicelli, mandarin peel and minced olives whereby a egg mixture is poured on and baked. It is then topped with a blanket of you tiao for a crispy finishing.

Almond and Salted Egg Prawns with Lemon Sauce 2.8/5

I was looking forward to sink my teeth into the Almond and Salted Egg Prawns with Lemon Sauce ($21) which is beautifully coated in toasted almond flakes, deep fried to golden brown. The fresh tiger prawn is enveloped in a homemade paste of prawns, salted egg yolk, cilantro and water chestnuts. While it is creative, the execution was on the dry side. I also could not taste the salted egg yolk and the sweetness of the prawn, masked by the nutty almond.

Braised Luffa Gourd with Poached Egg White in Conpoy Sauce 4/5

For something light but yet tasty is the Braised Luffa Gourd with Poached Egg White in Conpoy Sauce ($17). The luffa gourd is skinned, de-seeded and thinly sliced. It is then blanched in superior stock for a delectable enjoyment of the texture. This is served with silky poached egg white wok-tossed with a light conpoy sauce.

"Hak Gam" Olive Fried Rice with Minced Pork and Prawn 4.5/5

The plate of black gold is not to be missed. The "Hak Gam" Olive Fried Rice with Minced Pork and Prawn ($18) uses the premium Meizhou olives for its fragrant and robust flavour. Consists of minced olive, chye poh, minced pork and prawns, it is wok fried in superior dark soya sauce for an aromatic finishing with carameliezd char, crowned with pork floss over the rice.

Once again Joyden Canton has not disappoint me. Taking inspiration from the Guangdong province, I could taste the effort and creativity behind the new and expanded menu. Take for example the Twice-Baked Golden Egg Gratin with Caramelised You Tiao, Daliang Pan-Fried Stuffed Lotus Root and many more, which you probably has not seen in other restaurants yet.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Joyden Canton
Shaw House
350 Orchard Road
#04-00
Singapore 238868
Tel: +65 69083833
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 930pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 11am - 930pm
Dim Sum
Daily: 1130am - 430pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the underpass and walk to Shaw House. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh 榕城(新民路)肉骨茶 @ Midview City (Sin Ming Road)

Among the different style of Bak Kut Teh in Singapore, my favourite is still the Teochew Bak Kut Teh. To savour this local delicacy, one of my favourite place to visit is Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh at Midview City 榕城(新民路)肉骨茶. Don't be confused by the other Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh that is a stone throw away at Blk 22 Sin Ming Road. In fact, that is the original stall runs by Lionel's dad, Mr Lim who started the business back in 1976. Both outlets uses the same ingredients and recipe just that one is a stall in a coffeeshop while the other at Midview City is a standalone restaurant which is more spacious and offers a variety of cooked food on top of their popular teochew style bak kut teh.

Pork Rib Soup 4.5/5

Not known to many, in the earlier days no one uses the prime ribs or better known as 龙骨 (dragon bone) for their bak kut teh. It was Uncle Lim who started to use them and everyone follow suit. Nowadays the prime ribs are a priced item as the demand has increased but there are just the number of spare ribs available in each pig. Lionel shared with us that he has an open kitchen and he will cook the doneness of meat accordingly to the customer. He told us the young generations prefer their meat to be tender and fall of the bone while the older generation likes it tougher with a bite. I belong to the young group. I like my meat to be tender and my soup to be peppery. Rong Cheng bak kut teh hits the right spot for me.

Sliced Belly Meat Soup 4/5

Uncle Lim was the first to introduce the prime ribs bak kut teh. His son, Lionel inherited his entrepreneur spirit and came up with the Sliced Belly Meat Soup ($7) or what I called the sliced pork bak kut teh. This is the first in Singapore catering to the young and more health conscious crowd. The soup may not be as robust compared to the pork ribs but it has a more subtle clean flavour.

Salted Vegetable 4/5

Braised Beancurd Skin 4/5

Besides the bak kut teh, Rong Cheng also offers some side dishes to go with the delicious bak kut teh. During my visit, I got to try the Salted Vegetable ($1/$2), Braised Beancurd Skin ($1/$3) and the Liver & Kidney Soup ($6). The comforting and hearty sides are perfect to the complete the whole meal.

Liver  & Kidney Soup 4/5

Drinking tea or more correctly 功夫茶 (Gong Fu Cha) is part of the whole food heritage of bak kut teh. In the early days, after finishing the bowl of pork soup, it is refilled with tea to wash down the greasiness. As time evolved, the tradition of consuming the pork soup and drink tea becomes our modern day's Bak Kut Teh. Rong Cheng still continues this tradition servicing their bak kut teh with gong fu cha. Their tea are from one of the oldest tea merchants in Singapore, Pek Sin Choon.

If you feel intimidated by the different steps in drinking Gong Fu Cha, Rong Cheng's staff is more than willing to guide and assist it. If not, Lionel has also introduced Floral Tea to pair with bak kut teh. While the tea taste is milder, it comes with a more floral fragrance. Lionel hopes to upkeep the tradition of pairing tea with pork rib soup with a modern element to arouse the interests of the younger generation.

Besides floral tea and sliced pork belly, Lionel in recently years has also switched to using natural pork for their bak kut teh. Natural pork has no antobiotics, no medicated feed, no growth hormones and no animal protein by-products.

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh definitely is my favourite to go place for a Bak Kut Teh whenever I have a craving. The outlet at Midview City is spacious and has ample parking lots. With its extended menu offering cooked food and steamed fish, it is ideal for a family meal together or group gathering.

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh will be taking part for the very first time in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm. This is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons for the event can be purchase at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. Let's do a part for charity while at the same time savour of the best bak kut teh in Singapore. See you at Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh
榕城(新民路)肉骨茶
Midview City
Blk 26 Sin Ming Lane
#01-117
Singapore 573971
Tel: +65 66841889
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rongchengbkt
Website: http://www.rongchengbkt.com/
Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Upper Thomson MRT station. Take Exit 1. Turn left and walk down Bright Hill Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) @ Whampoa West (Serangoon/Bendemeer)

Many people may not know or heard of Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) at Whampoa West along Upper Serangoon Road. Little did many know that the owner Mr Sim Choon Lian or more commonly known as Lau Ah Tee learnt his recipe from his uncle Ng Mui Song who is also the founder and father of Ng Ah Sio Bak Ku Teh. It was my great privilege to meet one of the pioneers in Teochew bak ku teh and who is so keen to share with me the heritage story of bak ku teh.

Mr Sim is now already 67 years old. He started working at his uncle stall when he was around 16 years old.
Previously he has worked in a Teochew porridge stall and  duck stall before working for his uncle. It is no turning back from him since then in the bak ku teh business.

Bak Ku Teh 4.2/5

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh uses Indonesian pork for their Bak Ku Teh and they are cooked only in water, pepper and garlic. The result surprisingly is a clear soup with the sweetness of the pork. The full bodied, garlicy and peppery soup was flavourful but not overpowering. We had the prime ribs or more commonly know as dragon bone (龙骨) which was tender and fell of the bone with ease. Mr Sim also shared with me that in the earlier days youtiao was not served. It was not after coolies brought their own youtiao to soak up the delectable broth that it was introduced at a later stage.

Tang Oh Soup 4.2/5

I love to have Tang Oh also known as Chrysanthemum Coronarium especially during steamboat. I am glad that I can get Tang Oh soup at the bak ku teh stall too. Some people find that the vegetable has a bitter earthy taste but that is exactly what I enjoyed.

Braised Tau Pok and Chai Buey 4.2/5

Besides bak ku teh, there are also some other side dishes offered at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh such as the Braised Tau Pok and Chai Buey.

Braised Pig Trotter 4.5/5

To be frank I find nowadays all bak ku teh stalla are too stingy with their serving portion of pork so I usually ended up ordering the Braised Pig Trotter. Maybe it is a scam after all to make us order and pay for more. Anyway I am not complaining as I love having braised pig trotter. The pig trotter at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh is well braised to a nice melted in the mouth texture with the light and savoury braising sauce.

Different at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh compare to the other bak ku teh stalls elsewhere is the steamed fish and squid. These fresh catches are personally handpicked by Mr Sim from the market as early as 6am.

Steamed Squid 4.5/5

I was lost of words when the Steamed Squid was served. Don't fancy, just simple appreciation of the freshness. The squid was cooked perfectly having a very enjoyable springy bite. The jelly liked squid roe was a extra bonus completing the whole enjoyment.

Steamed Fish 4.8/5

Being a Teochew, I love my Steamed Fish. The fish tail was steamed exactly how my family will cooked it. Once again nothing fancy, just some ginger, tomato, chilli and sour plum to lift the sweetness of the flesh but it was so good. The fish is Ikan Kurac caught off Tanjung Balai.

When we mentioned Bak Ku Teh we must not forget the close bond between pork ribs soup and tea drinking. In the early days, bak ku teh was purely just pork ribs soup. When the coolies finished soup, tea is poured into their bowl for them to drink, washing down the greasiness. In addition, tea drinking is also part of our Chinese ancestor culture. As time gone by, the whole pork ribs soup and tea drinking evolves into what we now known as Bak Ku Teh, bak ku meaning pork ribs and teh meaning tea.

It was my honour to meet Kenry Pen the 4th generation owner of Pek Sin Choon since 1925. Pek Sin Choon is one of the oldest tea merchants in Singapore. You will find their paper wrapped tea packaging with the buffalo familiar as they supplied almost 80% of all the bak ku teh stalls around Singapore.

When I asked Kenry why people drinks tea when they have bak ku teh, his reply enlightened me. Apart from washing down that greasiness, tea drinking is all about connecting people. It got me thinking. It is probably similar to why European drinks wine. And at that very moment, I am connecting with Kenry over a meal of Bak Ku Teh and Pek Sin Choon's tea. I am glad that food and tea has allowed me to get to know a new friend as well as learning more about the root of our food heritage.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) may not be as popular compared to some of the Bak Ku Teh stalls out there but I can say that their bak ku teh is not second to these stalls. On top that, the offering of steamed fish and squid has given more varieties and choices to patron who wants something more or different.


Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶)
Blk 34 Whampoa West
#01-67
Singapore 330034
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 3pm

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

Soon Lee Porridge @ Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre

Little would I expected this little stall at Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre which sells only 3 types of porridge would be so crowded with an average time of about 15 minutes. Soon Lee Porridge located at the back of the food centre sells only Pork, Fish and Chicken porridge.

A bowl of the porridge costs $2.70 without egg and $3 with egg. I think the price is pretty reasonable considering it comes with youtiao and some preserved vegetables. I even discovered pork lard in my bowl of Pork Porridge lifting the flavour. The porridge has been seasoned so there is really not necessary for any other sauces except maybe a little bit of pepper.

The other thing I like about the porridge is the texture. While it is smooth, it still retains a bit of the grainy bite. On top of that, the minced pork is rolled into a ball shape which gave it that extra bite.

Overall Soon Lee has been one of my favourite place for a bowl of comforting and flavourful porridge which is also very affordable.


Soon Lee Porridge
Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre
Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3
#01-50
Singapore 120448
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 6am - 9pm
Sat: 6am - 5pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the bus stop and turn right to the cluster of HDB blocks behind. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Xi De Li (西得利) @ Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre

So what does Singaporean eat for breakfast? For me breakfast can be as simple as a cup of coffee and You Tiao. When writing for my OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2013, 1960s themed blog post, I came across Xi De Li (西得利) which has been selling the traditional snacks since 1966.

Xi De Li (西得利) all started from a 10 years boy sell You Tiao and Hum Chin Pang (Butter Bun) from his bicycle at Beo Crescent in the morning before rushing off to be on time for school. The founder Ah Sai (addressed by his neighbours and friends) has since passed down the business to his 3 children. Business has since expanded with 9 branches island wide with a central factory in Kaki Bukit. This outlet at Clementi is their main branch. Besides You Tiao and Hum Chin Pang, Xi De Li also offers red bean bun, salted bun, sesame balls, mix fritters and curry puffs at their branches now.

You Tiao 3.5/5

Dip the You Tiao into the cup of coffee and allows it to get all soaked up. That is how I have learnt to enjoy my breakfast from my grandparents and I am still doing it now. The fritters are fried freshly using premium vegetable oil at the stall giving it a nice crisp while not too oily.


Xi De Li  (西得利)
Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre
Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3
#01-39
Singapore 120448
Tel: +65 67499018
Website: http://www.xideli.com.sg/index.html
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 4pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the bus stop and turn right to the cluster of HDB blocks behind. Journey time about 3 minutes.