Tuffy_Buff's Profile

I wanted to have porridge for lunch, and stumbled upon this stall (no other stalls selling porridge  ). Usually, I'm not a fan of this type of porridge, where the rice grains are still intact. I like the smooth ones in authentic porridge stalls.  Still, my fix is needed, so I went ahead with my order. As you can see from the photo, there is ALOT of soup. Perhaps this dish could be more accurately re-named as "Sliced Fish Porridge Soup".  There is also a fair bit of Chinese Parsley in this dish.   Never liked this veg, so I had to spent some effort throwing them out. What is good about this dish, however, is that it is tasty and doesn't have ginger slices in it (not a fan of ginger). The tastiness, though, could be due to a fair amount of MSG in the broth/ sauce.  It left a lingering aftertaste on my tongue. There were some thick fish slices and some thin ones (intentionally chosen by the stall holder  ). Overall, no rave about this dish, and wouldn't recommend to anyone who's already not feeling well due to the MSG in it. No return visit.Total Cost:Sliced Fish Porridge - $4.50…Read More

I know Woodlands Xchange holds a myriad of food stalls.  Found a gem in its midst! A really small stall that only does takeaways for its Economic Beehoon/ Nasi Lemak. Gave it a shot, and I was more than pleased!  I LOVE Nasi Lemak!!  So, when I saw it in 2 sets, I had to pick the one with Chicken Wing (the other was Fish Fillet & Hotdog)!It's been so long since I had green rice!!!  Loved it!!! The rice was tasty, and the chicken wing was crispy!! Yummy!!! My only gripe would be I should have asked for more chilli, and probably pay abit more to add on 1 more side dish. At end of it, I had only rice left with nothing to accompany!  Folks at Woodlands MRT, good breakfast choice here!  Total Cost: Nasi Lemak Set A - $2.20…Read More

I'm a regular patron at this coffeeshop for 20 years. Therefore, I will give my due review for each stall soon. This Western stall has been here for as long as I can rem. No change of hands. It is managed by an old couple, and its friendly old man never fails to greet passers-by at his stall.  As much as the warm service goes, the food doesn't match up, unfortunately  (I always allow for a span of time to return and assess if it has improved. Sadly, it didn't, and worse, the only edible choice is out after today.)The problem lies with the batter for their fried food. It is not tasty, and soggy when it comes to the Fish and Chips. The Beef Steak dropped out of the menu, as it was an unpopular choice (never tried). I was only left with the Chicken Chop, as it was passable (but not after today).Something was wrong with the sauce. Either it was diluted or a little sour. At first bite, I regretted my choice  (so much for giving them some business). The chicken was tender, but pointless if the sauce ain't good. Coleslaw was soggy, not the refreshing type and no improvement in taste. This dish was supposed to be accompanied with fries, but I chose rice instead. No shout on the fries. They're those thin ones which accompanied Fried Spring Chicken. My uncle liked their Fried Chicken Wings, but they were just so-so to me. As usual, the flavour wasn't enough for me. My best choice is just 100m walk away. The nuggets were good, the last time I ordered.  So, it'll probably still do for a snack.Mains-wise, I wouldn't visit this stall again, as it had finally fell below standard for me.  Minimally, I need edible food.Total Cost: Chicken Chop - $5…Read More

For a quick Fishball Noodles fix, you can opt for this stall. No shout, just to keep full. They have various combinations of fishballs and fishcakes at different prices. I picked the $4 dry version of their Fishball Meepok. The only appeal to me would be the big slices of fishcake, especially the orange type. Fishballs, though big, tasted average to me. The texture ain't the soft type when it's super fresh. The sauce of the noodles was average. Not a delicious dish overall, but works for a full meal. Total Cost: Fishball Meepok - $4…Read More

I love Japanese Curry! They're often sweet to me, yet with a tinge of spiciness. AND...they're often paired with Pork Cutlet!!  When I learnt of this restaurant, I simply had to try it out. Prices weren't overly expensive either, averagely $15.I ordered the Cheesy Pork Katsu Curry Rice. Regretted not taking the omu version and add cheese! Was afraid it would contain lousy fried rice within. Turned out it was the usual Jap rice. What was unique was, you could choose the quantity of rice (w cost). For an average eater, the standard quantity is enough. Very filling! Also, you could choose the spiciness level. I didn't want an upset tummy, so I just went with with Level 1. Good enough for me. It was absolutely delicious!  The spiciness of the curry was just right for me and amount of curry sauce was also sufficient. If you spot those yellow blobs in the curry, that was the cheese! Yummy!  Loved it when I sank my teeth into it, and its strong flavour burst out in my mouth!  The pork cutlet was not over-fried, so the batter was crispy and not hard. Meat within was also thick .My only gripe would be there was not a bit of veg in that dish (had to resort to the sweet red pickle on the table). You could add on (w cost) stuff like corn etc, though I thought it would be better if it is already included in the mains. The waiters here are super efficient, albeit a little distracting when they're interrupting your conversations with their re-filling of glasses and clearing of dishes. Forget the calories, and get yourself some Japanese curry!! Total Cost: Cheesy Pork Katsu Curry Rice - $14…Read More

No need for introduction to this regular breakfast item in Burger King's menu.  You can choose between Turkey Ham, Sausage or Bacon.  What sets it apart is the usage of the recent issue of coupons, where this sandwich is accompanied with Hashbrown and Minute Maid Orange Juice for $4-$5. You cannot swop the Orange Juice for Coffee, the cashier said - "because it's a promotional item".   What's upsetting to me is how fast food companies advanced in creative marketing and yet, fail to similarly level up complementary areas. I suppose the cashier was just following orders, but really, some flexibility can be granted to create a positive customer experience! I felt numb after the unsuccessful swop.  Would have raved about how delicious the sandwich was, and standards never fell since varsity days, how I got everyone hungry by smuggling one into the lecture hall and eating it secretly.  The mini hashbrowns were all-time good.  Better than McDonald's, as they remained crispy for a longer time.  The orange juice was too sweet.  Best for diabetics to avoid.  All the good points above, I'd peg them at 60% after the unsuccessful swop.…Read More

There are altogether 4 famous Yong Tau Foo stalls that I know of in Chinatown, and this is one of them. Long queues at these stalls during lunch hour are not a surprising sight. An ex-colleague once raved about this stall. So, I decided to brave the queue and give it a shot. I ordered the set, which included Kangkong. Like Koo Kee Yong Tau Foo, the types of Yong Tau Foo pieces are standard.Overall, this stall fared as average to me. The pieces were not as soft as that of Xiu Ji Yong Tau Foo. The sauce drizzled on top of the Kangkong could have been richer in taste as well.I suggest Gao Ji could level up its game by allowing customers to choose the number of Yong Tau Foo pieces. Without the additional Kangkong, I'm unsure if I would be full from the given quantity. I still prefer that of Xiu Ji. Memorably good, along with its nerve-wracking queue!Total Cost: Yong Tau Foo Set - $4-$5…Read More

I'm surprised there's only 1 review thus far for this stall. More reviewers ought to "help" this stall a little! Worth your time!This is one of my regular breakfast option. Granted that there are not many Yong Tau Foo pieces to choose from, but you'll only need a min. of 5 pieces to order.  There is one particular piece I liked very much (white thing at left bottom of photo) and remains my staple. Not exactly sure what it is, it's probably fish paste mixed with pork and rolled into a ball. There's also the fried version, but this non-fried one tastes better to me, because it's very soft! Good texture in the mouth! The sweet sauce and chilli blended very well together in this dish. Nothing overboard or lacking. I was often tempted to order more Yong Tau Foo pieces, but held back each time for fear of "overdose". And if sauce is not your thing, the soup is very flavourful as well! No MSG aftertaste! If I can, I would confer the stallholder a title - "Mr Efficient".  He's always hustling about to serve customers their orders, right up to their tables! One more plus point about him - he remembers your orders when you're a regular customer!   He knows if you like your noodles with chilli or not, noodle type etc. Makes ordering a breeze!  So, how much does good food + good service + good experience cost? $2!!!!  Will I visit again? ALWAYS VISITING!!  Total Cost: Yong Tau Foo - $2 (5 pieces)…Read More

I only knew of this place when I surfed OpenRice for lunch options. With an adventurous heart, I set out to see, if this place still exist! Thank God they do (or my colleagues will kill me, from the long walk)!  If you know where Yangtze Cinema is (ahem! ), it's there, at Level 3. You can take the old old lift up since the escalator is constantly not working (never see it worked before). The restaurant is essentially "Buddhist-ic", with the unmistakable "Fo" hung on the wall. I ordered the "Three Mushroom Beehoon".  I had wanted to order this mushroom - "Bei Gu", but didn't know what mushroom it was, and didn't quite believe the waitress when she said it was the black one (which black one?!). Btw, the "aunty" waitresses were all very friendly.  Pretty dish right? Unfortunately, it was bland.  I was unsure if it was meant to be this way - probably healthy without MSG and all. I likened it to Loving Hut, a vegetarian restaurant that also serves bland food. Oh well, it was still acceptable as I simply regarded it as a healthy meal. My colleague said his Hor Fun was bland too (oops! ).The curry vegetables, on the other hand, was delicious!  It was rather light, so each bite did not incurred "weight" to the subsequent one. The place is air-conditioned, so people who breaks a sweat easily or folks on a diet can consider having their meals at this place. As for me, I need food with "taste".  Sorry! Total Cost: Three Mushroom Beehoon - $6…Read More

This place is only accessible by car, since it's located at the Bukit Timah stables. First thing that caught my attention, was the display of fancy cupcakes. Man, those cupcakes didn't even looked real to me! They looked like pretty Play-Doh creations! I was rather hungry when I got there, and decided instantly that cupcakes weren't going to fill me right (but they can be shared ). So, I ordered their signature Avocado Wrap with Spiced Sweet Potato Fries.It was good! I don't eat enough wraps to comment if a wrap is good, but this one's a little crispy! That ought to set the distinction.  And there were avocado chunks in it! The Sweet Potato Fries were also yummy, though I couldn't eat them continuously. Had it been spiced (normal) fries, I'd cleaned off the plate! The Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake was just average to me (I'm biased when I reviewed this, as I had insanely good Tofu Cheesecake back at home ).The Red Velvet Cupcake, strangely, tasted like cheesecake (even after I had rinsed my mouth before tasting it). The cream cheese layer beneath the coconut strands had overwhelmed the supposed taste of the cupcake (how does Red Velvet taste anyway?). The ambience at this restaurant is certainly romantic for young couples who want to while the time away with each other's company. A walk to the stables nearby should end off the date well.  Except for the waitress who was overzealous in clearing our unfinished food, plates and cutlery, the overall experience was fine.  Total Cost: Approx. $20 per pax.…Read More

This review is long, long overdue! I have always wanted to share how a low-profile Western Food stall can beat Astons flat!!!   The menu style is similar to that of Astons - you get to choose up to 2 side dishes. Usually, I'd always order a slab of meat, with 2 sides - coleslaw/ mashed potato/ potato salad. They never disappoint! Delicious, unique and substantial!  Special mention about the mashed potato.  It's shaped like a volcano, with the gravy in the middle.  I mean, some kick-ass food art is going on in this stall!  Today I attempted something different - Prawn Arrabiata.Other than knowing I've ordered a pasta, I wasn't sure what "Arrabiata" entails. Well, look at it! So much stuff! It was rich with ingredients, and at least 5 crunchy prawns!  It was also awesome in taste, not those diluted Tomato Sauce-type.Pasta was served with Mushroom Soup. The soup was also rich with mushroom bits. Certainly not poured out directly from Campbell's! Oh, oh, oh, no words can describe!  I am going to order the Jumbo Beef Burger next time round, just to see what it looks like and come with.  The location is not readily accessible (an uphill walk from Marsiling MRT). But really, folks in Woodlands, if you want an economic and satisfying Western Food fix, pop over here!Total Cost: Prawn Arrabiata - $7.50…Read More

Old Town in SG serves many more menu options than in JB. The last time I tried the East Coast Park outlet, the food was great (if memory served me well). Over here in Novena, the decor was likened to a Chinese teahouse.  Tastefully decorated, but its food wasn't so.  I had ordered the Hainanese Chicken Chop Rice. At first, the waitresses kept serving wrong dishes to our table. When mine finally came, I was informed that they ran out of Mixed Vegetables for sides as they would be changing their menu soon. So, they gave me cucumber slices instead. I accepted that (not that I had a choice anyway).  The chicken was tender, but not tasty enough. The sauce on it didn't succeed in its purpose to enhance the overall taste. The rice was simply "chicken rice wannabe". The only item I could draw flavour from, was the fried egg strands, to which I thought, they could have given me a full fried egg instead. In addition, I find the White Coffee here somewhat diluted. My mum made the same comment.Even though the service staff was friendly, it was still an overall disappointment (I wouldn't travel all the way to Novena for this). New menu coming? I'm not considering a 2nd visit.Total Cost:Hainanese Chicken Chop Rice - $9.50…Read More

I used to dabao this Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles at the roadside along Upper Cross St. They'd take your order while you're in your car! Good service right? They're usually crowded during lunchtime, and sharing of tables is common here. The items available for order are standard: Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles (drumstick option available), Prawn Dumpling Soup and Vegetables. My friend and I ordered all above, with the drumstick option. The chicken noodles did not disappoint! The noodles were so springy!! Absolutely good!! The drumstick was a bit small though, but very tender and flavourful! The Prawn Dumpling Soup we ordered was quite substantial. Figured they worked out 3 dumplings per pax. Dumplings had the length, but not the thickness in filling. Taste was average. Vegetables were average as well, although the fried shallots in them were a little hard (probably those mixed with plastic). As 1 blogger mentioned, there was this nasty lady there who took orders. If she was not/ related to the Boss, time for her to get lost. When my fried and I found a round table to ourselves, she asked us to shift to a smaller table. We declined, and she repeatedly nagged that we'll have to share our table with others. Right from the start, we never intend to hog the table to ourselves, so it got extremely annoying to hear her nagging. Later, she assigned 2 others to join us. There was also another couple occupying the same round table like us behind us, but I suspect she had to fill our table intentionally. A while later, the lunch crowd reduced, and the 2 assigned to us also left to occupy the same round table to themselves. i concluded, that woman was dumb! She should have just left these customer dynamics to the customers themselves, sharing tables and all.There is a nearby eatery selling the same food, and if memory served me well, they serve bigger portions of chicken meat! But taste wise, I'd still give it to this eatery. Total Cost:Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles (Drumstick) + Prawn Dumpling Soup + Vegetables + Barley ~ $10.…Read More

I'd be doing injustice to this Barcook outlet if I didn't make this disclaimer: The review below is meant for their Yuzu Cream Bun only.This is the only Barcook outlet I swore by when it comes to their buns. I tried the buns from the ARC outlet before and they paled in comparison. My buddy said she used to queue for at least 30mins for their Cream Cheese Bun, and man, they were good!  Worth all the calories!! Along with their Liu Sha Bun (do call to make an advanced order). Most of the time, they only have 5-6 buns of each flavour at their counter, and they sell fast!! They always have to replenish the stock at the counter. Having so much confidence in them, I attempted the Yuzu Cream Bun. And I need to say this, they ought to stop selling this! Really appalling! Its inclusion in the Barcook collection was really upsetting!Look at the outlook. The cornflakes gave the bun a bad texture. Chewy bread doesn't go with hard, crispy, tasteless cornflakes. And after chewing off so much bread (look how thick it is), I finally got to the filling. What a disappointment!  It was just flavoured cream! I mean, if there were some Yuzu bits in it, it'll make a whole world of difference! It felt like someone on diet had inserted discarded cream from his/ her slice of cake and stuffed it in the bread.Total Cost: Yuzu Cream Bun- $1-$2…Read More

This chicken rice stall is very popular!   There is always a queue each time I visit this coffeeshop. At long last, I decided to satisfy my curiosity on the standard of its chicken rice, but could only master a takeaway version at best.On first look, it certainly looked like the rice overwhelmed the chicken meat. But you won't regret! The rice was absolutely delicious!  Not overly flavoured with ginger, and not overloaded with MSG till it numbed the tongue. So good that I could eat the rice on its own (with the suce over it, of course). The chicken meat was tender (btw it's breast meat there) and succulent. The spiciness of the chilli was just nice too! For $3-$4, it was certainly a tasty lunch for me! I'll definitely visit this stall again, and probably ask for more rice?  Total Cost: Steamed Chicken Rice - $3-$4…Read More