For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/lian-he-ben-ji-claypot-rice-%E8%81%94%E5%90%88%E6%9C%AC%E8%AE%B0%E7%85%B2%E9%A5%AD/

There's nothing that warms the belly more than a steaming hot bowl of rice. That's probably why I've learnt to associate claypot rice with nighttime fare. Try consuming it in the afternoon in our climate without disintegrating into a puddle of sweat... confirm heatstroke lor.

The reason why Lian He Ben Ji's claypot rice is a cut above its competitors is precisely because it doesn't compromise on cooking time and ingredient quality. Each pot of rice is steamed for 5 minutes, after which ingredients are added and the pot left to sit over a blazing charcoal flame for the next 20 minutes. That guarantees you a minimum 25-minute wait per order, which can stretch to a waiting time of 45 minutes during peak dining periods. To get around the wait, regular diners know to call to place their orders in advance. Unfortunately we weren't as savvy.

Was the wait worth it? Abso friggin' lutely.

Mixed claypot rice, $10 for a portion that feeds two - After drizzling some sweet soya sauce over the rice and mixing everything together, the first spoonful of rice I had can only be described as a flavour explosion. The pieces of chicken were succulent, the lup cheong (Chinese sausages) and waxed meat firm and juicy, but the rice - the rice was in a realm of its own. You just have to taste it to know that charcoal makes one hell of a difference in cooking this dish. The rice in the claypot was smoky yet fluffy, and when drenched in sweet sauce was just... wow. We kept mumbling "so good, this is so good" in between mouthfuls of rice. It got even better when our spoons hit the bottom of the pot, where burnt rice, or what we call guo ba (锅巴), was clinging to the sides, just waiting to be scraped off.

And the chilli! The chilli here is the bomb okay. It was spicy, sour and caused beads of sweat to form on my temples, but I kept going back for more.

To be fair, the slivers of salted fish in the rice could have been less mushy. Plus the soup (lotus root with pork ribs) and stir-fried veggies we ordered were very average. But who really cares? It's a hawker centre, and there're about 50 other stalls if you must have your sides to complement this... claypot of perfection.

Now into its second generation of owners, Lian He Ben Ji is an established business that started off as a roadside stall in the same area back in 1979. The founder of the stall handed the reins over to his daughter-in-law, which I think is a really heartwarming tidbit of news in a society that unfortunately still tends toward the patriarchal. The daughter-in-law now runs the stall with her two younger sisters, which is why this place is also known fondly as "3 sisters' claypot rice".

Lian He Ben Ji gets my seal of approval for their dedication to their craft. I'll definitely be recommending this place to everyone I know.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/spathe-public-house-2/

Spathe Public House first made its blip in my food radar with its "Mammoth Signatures" concept. Who doesn't love ordering plates of food twice the size of your head? Can't deny that the idea is to share la, but it's always open to you to knock your friends out.

Spathe Garlic Fries, $8++ - The garlic fries were served first, and right off the bat we knew this place was going to be a keeper. Freshly fried strips of potato infused with the smokey aroma of roasted garlic, and lightly dusted with paprika powder... mmm. These were ridiculously moreish, and I actually prefer them to the (usually poorly cooked) truffle fries that have suddenly become a thing in hipster restaurants these days.

Sous Vide Spanish Octopus Salad, $42++ for mammoth portion (feeds 4 to 6) - The salad here at Spathe was nothing short of amazing. The octopus was perfectly grilled and pleasantly chewy. Citrusy notes from orange slices went well together with the tangy mustard vinaigrette dressing used, and both lifted the overall flavour of the salad without being overpowering. $42++ gives you a mammoth portion, which fed the 4 hungry girls in my party very well. Individual servings available at $22++.

Mohammed Sultan Meter Dog, $18++ for an individual portion - If the individual portion's anything to go by, I can say for sure that I'll be back for the metre long version. The veal and chicken wurst encased in the buttered bun was incredibly juicy, fulfilling the basic requirement for any self-respecting dog. Drizzled with wasabi mayonnaise and specked with what appeared to be paprika powder as well (which is what I call any orange colored powder, by default), the lightly curried wurst was just a little spicy. I would have liked for the sweetness of the caramelized onions to be tamped down a little, though.

Spathe Australian Angus Burger, $22++ - Spathe also does a great burger. The handmade beef patty tasted fresh, tender and juicy. Together with a fried egg, red pepper chutney and a brioche bun, it was an exquisite combination. Cajun spiced fries served on the side were decent, but definitely paled in comparison with the addictive garlic fries we'd polished off at the start of the meal.

Spathe Public House serves delicious food at reasonable - well, as reasonable as hipster food prices get - prices, which makes it a winner in my book. Great venue for some catching up too. Service was excellent the evening we visited as well as the following day when we contacted them about a wrong item we had been billed for. I'm already planning to return for brunch.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/xin-mei-xiang-zheng-zong-lor-mee

Xin Mei Xiang serves one of the best lor mee I've tried. Not too fond of yellow egg noodles because of their alkaline taste, but the noodles here are just faintly alkaline and nicely al dente. The lor bak is tender, and the ngoh hiang aromatic and firm to the bite. Generous chunks of fresh fried angkoli or red snapper top the dish and make for a splendid sight. One thing to note is that fish is only served with medium ($4.00) and large ($5.00) portions of the dish.

The make-or-break factor of a bowl of lor mee lies in its starchy gravy. Although the idea of starch upon starch may send a nutritionist into convulsions, the gravy at Xin Mei Xiang successfully achieves an optimum viscosity of being just thick enough to coat every strand of noodle. Under the hands of a less skilled chef, the gravy would be gooey and too heavy to drink on its own. No such complaints from us - we slurped up every last bit of the gravy in her bowl, as though it were a soup. The black vinegar added a pleasant zing to the gravy which derived umami from the prawn-based stock, and the whole experience was made just a little spicy by the red, green and storemade chillies.

The queue at Xin Mei Xiang one Sunday afternoon stretched for metres, and didn't show any sign of letting up as closing time approached. This despite the torrential downpour that drenched me completely as I ran from the MRT station to Old Airport Road Hawker Centre, making my Sunday a very gloomy one indeed. The things we do for food. If anything, I've learnt that there's nothing like a piping hot bowl of lor mee in cold weather.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/nakhon-kitchen/

This trusty gem of a neighborhood eatery is what most of us Hougang peeps turn to when we're looking for a quick Thai fix. That the restaurant is staffed entirely by Thais should be an obvious sign of authenticity.

At dinnertime, there's almost always a 30 minute wait to be seated at Nakhon Kitchen, even on weekday evenings. I wouldn't dream of coming here for dinner on weekends, so I don't know how crazy a Saturday or Sunday queue can get. Once you're seated, however, service is prompt and your dishes are served in no time.

Pineapple Fried Rice, $6.00 - One of the few non-spicy dishes on the menu, the pineapple fried rice here at Nakhon Kitchen is lightly curried, sweet, and nicely complemented by raisins and a light sprinkle of pork floss. Pretty average, but nevertheless useful to have this on hand if you're ordering the tom yam soup.

Black olive fried rice with minced chicken, $6.00 - If you're not a believer of fruits in your rice, you've got another carb option in the form of olive fried rice. I actually prefer it to the pineapple rice, as the salty fragrance of olives and siew dam (a dark, syrupy Thai soy sauce) pervades every grain of rice in on that plate. The accompanying chopped raw onions and cashew nuts add a welcome crunch to each spoonful of rice as well.

Tom Yam Soup, $6.00 - Ah, the tom yam soup. Where do I even begin? If you're one of those people who have no problem at all with spice, by which I mean you're capable of eating baby red chillies without breaking into a sweat, then you'll enjoy this. Objectively speaking, this is very good soup - it's filled with the distinctive aroma of lemongrass and has a satisfyingly tangy taste due to the addition of tomatoes. Generous serving of fresh seafood within as well.

Thai vermicelli salad with seafood, $6.00 - Don't be fooled by the deceptively mild appearance of the yam talay here. I used to find this salad incredibly spicy, but after drinking the tom yam soup this yam talay seems to possess the spice level of a Happy Meal. That metaphor doesn't even make sense, but I trust you understand what I mean. Sour, fiery and refreshing, this vermicelli salad functions as an excellent palate cleanser and whets your appetite for the dishes to follow.

Kang Kong Belachan, $6.00 - When my conscience is niggling from all that pigging (wa I'm a poet), this stir-fried veggie dish is something I always order to try and make myself feel better. Like oily vegetables will negate the effects of the other dishes from hell that I'm eating. The kangkong served at Nakhon Kitchen is crunchy and nicely infused with the fragrance of fried garlic as well as the shrimpy flavour of belachan. Only gripe is that it could be a little less oily.

Stir-fried minced pork with basil leaves, $6.00 - This dish is a must-order for me every time I visit. Basil leaves are an acquired taste for most, and to me they taste wretched when consumed in isolation. They remind me of liquorice, which I happen to be terrified of. I do, however, think they're excellent when they lend their flavour to stir-fried meats. Nakhon Kitchen's rendition of pork and basil is one of the best there is.

The more observant among you would probably have noticed that the dishes reviewed in this article all cost $6.00. Split between three, it works out to a reasonably priced dinner. Plus the food's great, which makes this place is one of my favourite Thai eateries in Singapore. Just a gentle heads up, in case you haven't realised what I've been repeatedly driving across - the spice level here isn't for the faint-hearted. This is value-for-money Thai food that packs a lethal punch, and I'd advise you to come prepared for your stomach lining to bear the consequences of your meal.

For complete review and pictures, please visit: http://theyummyyak.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/flock-cafe/

Flock Café is one of the more unassuming players in the thriving Tiong Bahru cafe scene. Somehow it feels genuine and laid-back, which can hardly be said for nearby establishments like Forty Hands and Open Door Policy, both of which have amassed loyal cult followings (quite deservedly) and lost their chill factor in the process. Well I suppose crowds are a good thing for cafes to have, though it would be nice to be able to have a meal without feeling like I'm in someone else's way all the time.

These crowds were absent from Flock when we visited one Saturday afternoon for tea. Bit of a welcome change from having to wait in the sweltering heat for a table. It wasn't that the eatery was devoid of people - there was a steady trickle of customers, and the staff looked hard at work.

Portobello, mozzarella & rocket sandwich, $13.50 - Since this was supposed to be tea we ordered one of their sandwiches to share. T'was a pricey sandwich, but I liked that the juicy portobello shroom was so big it occupied the entire pocket of ciabatta. This was quite delicious and would have made a substantial lunch for one, though y'know, the pig in me wishes they had fries on the side.

They have other interesting offerings on their sandwich list like prawn and avocado, as well as pork cheek and gruyere.

Orange bundt cake, $5.00 - Having had a disappointing encounter with a bundt cake the week before, we decided to give the orange bundt cake here a shot. I thought it had a nice citrusy fragrance and crumbled quite satisfactorily, but the others found it to be a little too dry.

Mocha, $6.00 - Flock sources its beans from the ever-reliable Liberty Coffee, which pretty much ensures quality coffee brews. The mocha we had was frothy, chocolatey and every sip was laced with a pleasant hint of bitterness.

In line with their philosophy of providing a "deliberately relaxed" ambiance conducive for weekend catch up sessions between friends, Flock was modestly, yet comfortably furnished and I loved the warm lighting. The food here is above average, and it's a lovely place to spend a lazy day, as all my weekends tend to be. Wouldn't mind coming back at all.