Peranakan food hardly comes across my mind, though this famous Peranakan restaurant is really near to my house, I have yet to patronise, shame! Anyway, it was because the TV programme shot about another Peranakan restaurant, it raised my interest in trying it.

As usual, I would browse reviews for these 2 restaurants for reference. Blue Ginger got the best votes so far, whereas, the other one got constructive comments but the owner couldn’t accept them, kept arguing over the reviews. Henceforth, I picked Blue Ginger.

We reached there right before the lunch crowd, we were led to a 2 seat-table at ground floor as they have upper floor too. I could see they serve customers politely, they would pull chair for lady as a courtesy. Come to ordering, frankly, I don’t know much about their menu, we just ordered the most common signature dishes. First, I tried the complimentary Achar, it was the best achar I have tasted so far. I finished the whole plate and left nothing for my partner! All dishes were up to our expectation, taste nice and moderate portion. Bean curd roll with variety of filling, it made up the full taste, really satisfy. Chicken with black nut, well, it was an interest dish to us, chicken was a bit dried and tough though, black nut was fun to eat.

To complete the meal, dessert is a must have item for me. I ordered durian chendol, chendol was fine, surprisingly durian taste was really intense. The after taste left so long in my mouth! It wasn’t too sweet.

I think I would return for more Peranakan food.

The last visit was some 2 years ago, we liked their food though but just didn’t came to this area for so long. We decided to come back for pizza and spaghetti that day. We noted that their menu has extended with more variety. We ordered a dish of clam, escargot, margarita pizza and lamb chop. Clam was first serve, there weren’t a lot though, surprise came from first taste, it was full of sea taste, clam was really sweet in seafood, it was an addiction to us, we kept eating it one after one, I tried the broth, quite salty and seafood sweetness. Second dish was escargot, with such low price, we added another escargot as I liked this dish very much. Taste wise, it was marginal acceptable, they over fried the onion till it has burnt taste, if it could take away the onion burnt taste, it was fine.

Margarita pizza was serving with thick base, it was too thick to our liking, very filling though. If the base could be thinner by half, it would be much better. Lamb chop was fine, taste right, fully cooked. Overall, we liked the meal, just add few dollars for each person, we have unlimited soft drinks, coffee and tea. There weren’t a lot of dinner that evening, so we could enjoy our meal slowly.

I have heard of this eatery for long as I was so eager to try their white coffee. We passed by the skate park that day and we wanted to settle our lunch there. As usual, we have no idea of what to have for our meal, Old Town caught my attention, so we gave it a go. Their prices are really reasonable at that area. We ordered wanton noodle with ice coffee and Penang laksa with white coffee.

I didn’t put too much hope on the Penang laksa as so far I couldn’t find one close to real Penang laksa here. First try the laksa soup, it was a bit thin, not too sour as well as light in taste, even though I mixed with the spoonful of shrimp sauce, it was still not up to my expectation. Noodle was fine. Wanton noodle was fine too.

Here came to coffee tasting, my cup of white coffee was rich and smooth, it was a good cup of coffee to me. I have tried a mouth of ice coffee, it was fantastic, super rich in coffee taste, though it was rich it didn’t have bitter or sour tastes, the after taste linker for long. For such price, it worth every cent! As my friend uses to have Starbuck espresso, Old Town ice coffee could be the replacement with such a price.

Final verdict, we both don’t mind to have casual meals there as their coffee are really up to standard and worth very cent we pay.

Ever since I tried snow ice in Hongkong and Taipei, I fell in love with it. It became one of my favourite desserts. Whenever I could afford the calorie, I would have it. I knew this place serving tradition sweet soups and snow ice for long. Wherever it serves snow ice, it catches my attention. This was another Sunday biking, I reached Chinatown at early afternoon, it was around 2+pm, I have yet to have my lunch. I decided to have my dessert first then lunch. This place is popular and always packed with patrons. I managed to find a seat next to my bike, browse their menu, they serve few types of snow ice only, from the picture most of them looked too much colouring to me, my last option was chendol snow ice as ice was white in colour, it really looked like real ice!

As you can see the picture, they stack high the snow ice, ingredients are the usual chendol, there are few pieces of transparent cube, mild sweet to taste, I guess this is transparent agar agar, quite interesting though. Syrup is putting by myself, I like this idea as I can control the sweetness myself.

Here comes the pure white snow ice, it has rich coconut flavour, smooth and melt in your mouth. The richness is like using the coconut milk to freeze then shave to snow ice, no addition of water. Though it is really rich coconut taste but I love it simply. I saw some patrons having mango snow ice, this time the colour is too rich to me, it is too artificial and too much colouring. I was happy with chendol snow ice.

This is the best popiah stall I have so far. I used to stay at Clementi area and this was the stall I frequent the most. After moving out from Clementi for 6 years, I still returned for this popiah from time to time. Taste has not changed for so many years. It is operated by an old couple.

I could taste all their ingredients were prepared by themselves, including chilli sauce, freshly red as well as hot taste. I especially like one of the ingredients, it is something like deep fried dough, small pieces, not much taste though but the crispiness add a touch of texture to soft ingredients. Quite a lot of stalls didn’t have this ingredient that I have tried.

The lady owner does all the jobs herself. She would have a pot on flame for cooking turnip behind her, while she was busy in wrapping popiah for customers, she stirred the turnip when she found the gap in between customers, multi-tasks.3 rolls are enough for a meal to me. I was always happy for consuming it as I felt it was healthier than eating other food.