Gu Ma Jia (姑妈家) @ Sennett Estate

After Macpherson hawker centre has been torn down, I have not been back to Sennett Estate. Little did I know that along the stretch of Tai Thong Crescent, there are quite a number of hidden gems. Among them is Gu Ma Jia (姑妈家) Restaurant near the entry of Tai Thong Crescent. This gem was nominated in Food Fest 2010 Top 10 Favourite Restaurant.

Crispy Bean-jal 4/5

A lot of people do not like to eat brinjal but the Crispy Bean-Jal ($12, $18, $24) will probably change their mind. The brinjal was thinly sliced and fried to crisp. It was coated with a special made sweet sauce with a tab of spiciness. Even not blind folded, I could tell that I am eating brinjal.

Kyoto Pork Ribs 4/5

The Kyoto Pork Ribs ($20) was served wrapped in aluminum foil. The aluminum foil was drenched with rose wine and ignited with fire upon servicing allowing the aroma to infuse into the sauteed pork. The mixed of soury and sweetness made the dish very delectable.

Assam Fish Head 4.8/5

The signature Assam Fish Head ($25) definitely packed a punch. According to the owner, the red snapper fish head is hand picked from the market daily. She also told us that they already mild the spiciness after feedback from customers. The perfect balance of flavours of the assam fish head definitely is the best I have eaten and it is a must try.

Hot Plate Sambal Seabass 3.8/5

Serving a deep fried Seabass on a hot plate is a bit weird to me. I would preferred it to be steamed rather than deep fried. Nevertheless, the Hot Plate Sambal Seabass ($25) was lovely with the sambal sauce. If only it was a bit spicer would be nice.

Oyster Omelette 4.5/5

This is the most generous Oyster Omelette ($12) I have ever eaten. The oyster was big and fresh. Interestingly, it came with sambal sauce which married very well with the omelette.

Prawn Roll 4/5

The huge self made Prawn Roll ($8 for 8pc, $16 for 16pc) was crisp on the outside and meaty in the inside with a hint of crunchy texture from the chestnuts.

Special Made Tofu with Lingzhi Mushroom 4.5/5

The Special Made Tofu with Lingzhi Mushroom ($12) is made by the chef using egg and soya bean. The Tofu was silky smooth and with the savoury sauce, the simple tofu dish was simply delish!

Thai Style Beancurd 3.8/5

Compared to the Special Made Tofu, the Thai Style Beancurd ($6 for 6pc) was firmer and less silky as the beancurd was bought from the market and not self made. Nevertheless, the sweet thai sauce gave the bland beancurd a lovely dimension.

Cereal Sotong with Curry Flavour 3.8/5

The Cereal Sotong with Curry Flavour ($20, $30, $40) was rather unique. The curry leaves lifted the flavour to another level.  However I thought the cereal was a bit bitter not sure whether it was over done. I preferred the cereal to be sweeter with a buttery taste.

Butter Baked Salted Egg Sri Lanka Crabs 4.2/5

The big and succulent Butter Baked Salted Egg Sri Lanka Crabs (seasonal price) was simply finger licking good. I like the dry version of the butter baked salted egg crabs as it was not messy to eat with. The crab meat was also sweet, firm and juicy.

Herbal Chicken Soup 4.2/5

I enjoyed the Herbal Chicken Soup ($8.80) a lot. Although the bowl of soup was packed with herbs, it didn't taste bitter. The soup was light and refreshing.

Black Glutinuos with Ice Cream 4/5

Wrapping up the beautiful dinner was the Black Glutinuos with Ice Cream ($4) dessert. Black Glutinuos is one of my favourite desserts. Instead of coconut milk, the vanilla ice cream was a good alternative and also act as a sort of sweetner to complete the dish.

Gu Ma Jia
Sennett Estate
45 Tai Thong Crescent
Singapore 347866
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sg.gumajia
Website: http://www.gumajia.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Potong Pasir (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
Alight at Potong Pasir MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk along Upper Serangoon road towards the row of shophouses. Turn left into Tai Thong Crescent and walk to the end of the road. Journey time about 5 minutes.

Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面) @ Joo Chiat Place

If you mentioned wanton mee, Fei Fei Wanton Mee at Joo Chiat Place probably would be one of the popular choices by many foodies. The bowl of egg noodles looked rather plain when served with a spoon filled chilli in it.

By the way, at Joo Chiat Place there are 2 Fei Fei Wanton Mee side by side across each other. To know the story behind it, you can read ieatishootipost blog here.

Wanton Mee 4/5

I had the Wanton Mee ($3.50 small) with chilli sauce. Although the bowl of wanton mee looked plain when served, if you dig in and gave it a toss you will find all the ingredients hidden inside. If you can't take spice, you can ask for either ketchup or dark sauce.

For me the highlight was neither the wanton nor char siew. It is the egg noodles. It is thicker and softer in texture. Although it is not handmade any more, it is still pretty good.

Wanton Soup 3.8/5

The Wanton Soup ($4.50) has nothing much to shout about. The wanton skin was thin and smooth but I felt that the fillings was not up to my expectation. I had better elsewhere.


Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面)
72 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427789
Tel: +65 64405013
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (EW Line), Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 24hr

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Head south towards Geylang Serai Malay Village. Cross Geylang/Changi Road and continue onto Joo Chiat Road. Turn left into Joo Chiat Place. Journey time about17mins.

2) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Walk to Bus Stop at Blk 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 33 towards Bedok Bus Interchange. Alight 6 stops later at. Journey time about 15mins

Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant @ Pioneer Food Village

The best reward for my blogging journey is to get to know a bunch of awesome foodies friends. On and off we will still come out for a meal or meet one another at events but not in a big group. The last time we have a group makan gathering were probably back in October 2011 whereby we headed to Ghim Moh Food Centre to indulge the best of hawker food there.

Thanks to Maureen for organising the gathering, our journey to the west brought us to Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant at Pioneer Food Village. The 18 years and counting restaurant is located at Tuas West woks up some awesome chinese dishes.

Fish Maw Soup 4/5

The bowl of Fish Maw Soup ($4/bowl) comes with a generous serving of mushrooms, fish maw, prawns and bean sprouts. The soup has a nice smooth consistency neither too watery nor overly starchy.

XO Sauce Seafood Crystal Kway Teow 4.5/5

The XO Sauce Seafood Crystal Kway Teow ($8, $12, $16) was definitely the surprise of the night. Instead of using the normal flat rice noodle, the restaurant uses translucent Fen Pi (粉皮) or bean flour sheet that is made from green bean flour. It had a firmer bite and it seemed to be able to absorb the flavours better.

Sweet and Sour Prawns 4/5

Sweet and Sour Pork is quite common at restaurants but Sweet and Sour Prawns ($24, $30, $40) is a twist from the convention. The peeled succulent prawn which was lightly battered had a crisp crunch texture while the sweet and sour sauce coated the prawn evenly.

Steamed Pomfret with Nonya Sauce 4.5/5

The sight of the colourful dish already won me. I knew I am into something good. The Steamed Pomfret with Nonya Sauce ($6/100g) is a MUST TRY. The main cast is the Nonya sauce. The sweet, sour and spicy flavours of the sauce gave the dish a perfect marriage.

Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Buns 4.2/5

Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Buns 4.2/5

The Special Braised Pork Ribs with Flat Bun ($12, $24) which was braised for 4 hours at least easily fell off the bone and had the almost melted in the mouth tenderness. Paired with the flat bun and a slice piece of pineapple, it was just fating good.

Kung Pao Prawns 4/5

I have heard of Kung Pao Chicken but Kung Pao Prawns ($24, $30, $40) was another surprise twist for me. I really appreciated the Chef's approach to step away from conventional zhi char dishes.

Stir Fried Dou Miao 4.2/5

This type of Dou Miao is imported from Taiwan which is more leafy and crunchy. The simple Stir Fried Dou Miao ($12, $18, $24) is not available everyday. I enjoyed the simpicity approach to the dish allowing me to enjoy the nature earthy sweetness of the greens.

Black Pepper Crab 4/5

Singaporean loves their crab and it can be done in many version. We tried the Black Pepper Crab($4.50/100g) which had a nice balance of sweetness and spiciness. The crab meat was also firm and chucky.

Of course a group photo after a sumptuous meal. By the way our friend Lisa (aks @thelittlebowl) baked each of us a very delicious dark chocolate and nutella cupcake. Sorry it was so good that I finished it without taking a picture. Her cupcakes are selling like hot cakes at The Ugly Cake Shop.

Unfortunately, Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant is not accessible by public transport. If you are not driving, the nearest MRT station is at Joo Koon Station. From the station, you will need to cab to the destination.

Hai Siang Joo Seafood Restaurant
Pioneer Food Village
29 Tuas West Avenue
Singapore 638427
Tel: +65 68633651
Nearest MRT: Joo Koon (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 10pm