99 Buona Vista Kitchen @ South Buona Vista Road - My Go To Place For Zi Char Dinner Near My Place

I was a bit lost when my favourite zichar stall, 138 Hong Kong Street Teochew Fish Head Steamboat near my place closed down. Now that I have discovered 99 Buona Vista Kitchen, it is my to go place for zichar nowadays. For those that is not familiar of the area, the zichar stall is located at the same row of shophouses where Paddy Hills is at.

Black Bean Pork with Bittergourd 4/5

Having visited the place a couple of times, I have noticed it is quite popular with the residents in the neighbourhood. Even expats are seen dining at the zichar place, immersed in the local dining scene.

Chinese Chives with Beansprouts 4/5

I ordered a couple of dishes to try and they are really quite delicious. The Black Bean Pork with Bittergourd is tender complemented by the slightly sweet and spicy black bean sauce. The addition of beansprouts with the Chinese Chives provides the extra crunchiness.

Salted Egg Tofu 3/5

I thought the Salted Egg Tofu topped with pork floss was quite interesting but it did not quite meet my expectation. While the tofu was silky, the salted egg sauce is too sweet and lacked the robustness.

Fried Fish Tail 3.5/5

The Fried Fish Tail may not be any refine dish served in some big restaurants. The fish tail is crispy with the skin on and moist in texture. Dressed in a brown savoury sauce, everything comes together as a homely cooked dish.

Beef Curry 4.2/5

Sometimes what is good at a dining place, you need to observe what other diners are eating. I noticed a lot of tables ordered the Beef Curry, hence I also got a plate to try. The beef cut may not be the best but the portion is quite generous. It even comes with potato. Most important the curry is fragrant and creamy.

Black Bean Sauce Hor Fun 4.2/5

If you are alone, there are also a selection of one plate meal such as noodles or rice. I had the Black Bean Sauce Hor Fun which comes with wok hei rice noodles, bittergourd and slices of fish cakes.

I am great that there is such a a good zi char place near my place. Hidden in the corner of the row of shophouse, the place can be quite crowded on weekend. Great thing, the kitchen is quite fast in dishing out the orders.


99 Buona Vista Kitchen
22 South Buona Vista Road
Singapore 118156
Tel: +65 64731719
Nearest MRT: Haw Par Villa (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alighat at Haw Par Villa MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Haw Par Villa MRT station (Stop ID 16019). Take bus number 200. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar @ King Albert Park - Authentic Thai Food In Bukit Timah Area

I used to hang out at King Albert Park McDonald during my study at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In fact there was some sentiment when the building which the Mcdonald was located was tore down for the now KAP residences. The new building has retail and F&B establishments on the first and second floor while the upper levels are for residential.

Mango Salad 4/5

For starter, we tried the Mango Salad ($7) which I though the portion was slightly small for the price. Putting that aside, the flavours are spot on where I can taste the characteristic of sweet, spicy and sour in Thai cuisine. Moreover, the crunchy mango and nutty peanut provided the additional textures for the salad.

Boat Noodles Pork/Beef 4.5/5

A common street food in Thailand is the Thai Boat Noodles ($3.90/$6.90). Diners have the choice of either pork of beef as well as the type of noodles here. The bowl of beef boat noodles comes in a rich and robust soup that is packed with flavours. I like it spicy so I added some chilli flakes into it for the heat and shiokness. The beef slices were tender and the beef meatballs were bouncy too. This is indeed a bowl of slurping goodness, worth me breaking out in sweat.

Hot Basil Rice with Pork $7.50

The other item we ordered is the Hot Basil Rice with Pork ($7.50). I add an addition fried egg for a dollar. Diners can also choose for chicken or beef too. For beef it is a dollar more. While the flavour again meets the mark, I think the portion needs to be fine tuned. Unless I am a rice bucket, I would appreciate the rice to be lesser which I think it probably took up 70% of the plate while the basil pork makes up the rest.

Overall I have enjoyed the food at Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar. The dishes I tried are really very authentic. The restaurant itself is also cozy and spacious. Service can be a little bit slow but I can't blame them, they are probably short of manpower. Last but not least, I hope they can look into their portioning, to make it more value for money to their customers.


Royal Thai Boat Noodles & Bar
9 King Albert Park
#01-01/02
Singapore 598332
Tel: +65 86989258
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: King Albert Park (DT line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at King Albert Park MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]