Resort World Sentosa's Malaysian Food Street has been said to feature some of the best hawkers in Malaysia. The budget-conscious will be glad to hear that prices here are not as steep as at the Rasapura Masters food court at the other integrated resort, Marina Bay Sands.

Fung Wong Confectionery's egg tart ($1.20) made my visit to Malaysian Food Street worthwhile. Although it tended on the watery side, the custard was wonderfully wobbly. Nestled in a crisp and light flaky pastry, it came as no surprise that these egg tarts were snatched up in a jiffy.

The crispy char siew bao (aka char siew puff) ($1.50) is also worth a try. The char siew filling encased within was pleasantly moist and tender, with a stronger spice kick than local variants.

I'm not one who usually patronizes Chinese restaurants, but Crystal Jade seemed to be the best located for dinner before sending a friend off at the airport.The meal started off with crispy cuttlefish with salt & pepper ($13.95++). This was one of the better dishes at the table.The pork chops with crispy garlic ($27++) were tender and none too greasy.The Claypot Eggplant with Minced Pork and Salted Fish was decent ($20.70++) but pricey. I find it difficult to justify paying so much for this dish when mixed rice stalls dish up comparable renditions of this dish...
I felt that the homemade beancurd with abalone mushrooms ($25.20++) was even more overpriced. Thankfully, it passed the taste test.The Yang Zhou fried rice ($12.80++) had nice wok hei and was something I wouldn't mind ordering again,I've never been a fan of E-fu noodles so I'll reserve my comments on the dish. A medium portion of this was priced at $18.80++ and was served with assorted mushrooms and some pieces of roast pork which could have been more crisp.The almond jelly could have been more springy.

Maybe it's because I love nut-based ice creams in general. But Alfero's hazelnut gelato is seriously good stuff. Velvety smooth and intensely flavored with the goodness of premium Piedmontese nuts, this was certainly the best hazelnut gelato that I've come across locally so far!

On the other hand, my vanilla gelato could have done with a stronger vanilla fragrance. Little surprise, then, that I couldn't resist stealing spoonful after spoonful of the hazelnut gelato from my friend's cup.

Cha chaan teng (tea rooms) are popular in Hong Kong for their tasty and inexpensive food. The food at Xin Wang is however not inexpensive, costing about at least $10 per head for a meal.

The pork chop baked rice came with a thick layer of cheese, but the tomato sauce (tasting predominantly of ketchup) smeared on the rice got sickening after a while and I struggled to finish my portion. I wouldn't mind trying the black pepper baked rice on my next visit to Xin Wang though. Thankfully, the iced milk tea was decent (by Singapore's standards), as I would expect of a cha chaan teng.

The goreng pisang ($1 or $1.10 each if I remember correctly) from Snow Mount is one of the better ones around. The bananas here are always ripe and sweet, and are coated in a light, lacy batter that is none too greasy. It would be great if the durian pisang, a deep-fried banana stuffed with some durian flesh, came with more of the pungent fruit though!