It has been almost 10 years since I last visited 85 Fengshan Food Centre at Blk 85 Bedok North. This year, the newly furbished food centre reopened for business after undergoing a 10 months Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme (HUP). It would definitely be good, to visit this place again. I visited this place on a Saturday night at around 10pm. The hawker centre was paced! Filled to the brim with people.One of the must try in this food centre is the Bak Chor Mee. There are three such stalls. Two of them (i.e. Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian and Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee) operating side by side, next to each other. It is quite weird that (direct) competitors seems to like being located side by side or be located in the same food centre. The Lao Ban Beancurd and its competitors (i.e. QQ Soya Bean, 51 Soya Beancurd) are another example. When the craze first started, they were all located in Old Airport Hawker Centre. One of the must order is definitely the famous soupy Minced Pork Noodles (Bak Chor Mee) from Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面. Over here, there is no need to choose between dry or wet version, chilli or no chilli, or vinegar or no vingear. Instead, there's only the Soup version.We were told that the waiting time was at least half an hour. (Last week, we waited 1 hr and 3 mins for the Bak Chor Mee!!!) Since we have travel down specially from the North for this, we also ordered Chicken Wings and Oyster Omelette. These dishes helped kept us (to be exact - our fingers and mouth) busy while we waited for the Minced Pork Noodles to be served to us.

This bowl of Minced Pork Noodles $2.50 was well-executed. It was worth the wait! It was served with meatballs and garnished with slices of red chilli and spring onion. The meatballs were bouncy, fresh, soft and tasty while the noodles were soft and springy (QQ). I thought that what made this bowl of minced pork noodles so unique was the Minced Meat and Soup.The Minced Meat were all hidden at the bottom of the noodles. A generous portion was given and unlike those found elsewhere, these were tender and fluffy with a melt in the mouth sensation (there is no need to chewy). One reason was because, these minced meat were mixed with fats.

The Soup made from pork bones was superb. It was incredibly rich and packed with flavours. It must have cooked for hours to achieve such a taste. In addition, very small pieces of pork lard and fried garlic was added into the soup to enhance the oomph of this bowl of soup. The good news is that I doubt any MSG was added into the soup as I did not felt thirsty after having drank the whole bowl of soup..down to the last drop.

It was good (darn shiok) eating the Minced Pork Noodles (Bak Chor Mee) at Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 again. This bowl of noodles is outstanding and worth the travel and wait! I envy those who live this hawker centre. They can come down anytime for supper. One of the best Minced Pork Noodles (Bak Chor Mee)!Even thought we left at 1130pm, Fengshan Food Centre was still packed with people especially at the section where Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 is located. Well, the night is still young, especially since it was the weekend; Saturday.

If you are wondering where would be a good place to park your vehicle, the carpark next to Blk 90 would be a good choice. It's just a stone throw away from the hawker centre (i.e. 5 minutes).

For full review and more photos, please visit http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/03/xing-ji-rou-cuo-mian-85-fengshan-food.html

First ate at Good Morning Nanyang Cafe at its Chinatown’s outlet. Back then there was only that outlet and I have not started this blog. The Chinatown outlet was too far for me to visit frequently. I was thrilled when I heard that they have recently opened another outlet at Sembawang Shopping Centre. I have been craving for their Orange Ciabatta Toast for sometimes!

Good Morning Nanyang Cafe is similar to Yakun, Killiney and Toast Box seling breakfast sets such as Kaya Toast, half boiled eggs, coffee/tea. Their differentiation point is their kaya(which is home-made) and Orange Ciabatta Toast.Decided to visit this place for late lunch (230pm) on a Sunday.

Good Morning Nanyang Cafe seems to have undergone some changes. The signage has changed. The menu has changed with some new items. The price has also changed. One thing I must mention is that their location at Sembawang Shopping Centre is a prime location! It is located Just along the main entrance of the shopping centre. With the glass walls, anyone who walks into the shopping centre will definitely see Good Morning Nanyang Cafe!

Moreover, noticed that the shop was quite crowded (230pm to 4pm). More than Fish & Co next door which was virtually empty except for one customer.

Notice the sink hidden at the left? Now you can crack your half boiled eggs and eat your toast with ease without the need to walk to the toilets to wash your hands.The tea was too sweet. Should have ordered their coffee instead since everyone (online) has been praising about its coffee.

Queue number tag for the rest of the orders (Orange Ciabatta, Laksa and Mee Rebus).Surprisingly, the Laksa was served faster than the Orange Ciabatta. There were pieces of dried toufu, fish cakes, hums, 1 whole piece of hard boiled egg, a piece of prawn accompanied by thick bee hoon. The prawn was firm and has been de-shelled, it was fresh. The laksa gravy was slightly spicy. As a whole, it was not lousy nor was it fantastic. Felt it could have been more fragrant and that more dried shrimps could be added. For now, I would still prefer 928 Yishun Laksa (have been almost 1 year since my last visit there).I am not an expert in eating Mee Rebus (can’t comment much). The sauce was not bad accompanied by yellow noodles, beansprouts, toufu, 1 whole hard boiled egg, 1 piece of lime and pieces of green chilli.Ciabatta is an Italian white bread made with yeast and wheat flour.

The Orange Ciabatta is unlike the tradition toast you get in Yakun and is much softer. It is baked with orange peel served with butter and kaya spread. It arrived warm and came slightly later than Laksa! (though that Laksa would come later as some cooking is required. Much effort has been done to make this Ciabatta.) Oh yes, did I mention that the kaya is home-made. The Kaya tasted different from Yakun’s and was much more fragrance (not overly sweet) with a hint of coconut. I can eat this everyday! Yummy!

The Orange Ciabatta is a must try! Because of this item, I would rate this as a ‘die die must try!’ store.

The good news is that there is free shuttle bus to Sembawang Shopping Centre for residents living in Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands. The bus service is quite frequent. Operating hours of the bus service is stated in the flyer above.

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2011/09/good-morning-nanyang-cafe-sembawang.html

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle in operation for over 75 years, is famous for its Pork Noodle also know as Bak Chor Mee (BCM) / Minced Pork Noodle. First started operation in 1936 in Hill Street before shifting to Marina Square in 1986, its present location is now at Crawford Lane. Located 5 minutes away from Lavendar MRT station, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle can be found in a coffee shop (the coffee shop is called Tai Hwa Eating House) at the back of Immigration & Checkpoint Authority of Singapore (ICA). I first got to know of this Bak Chor Mee stall in 2006. Since then, this has always been my favourite Bak Chor Mee. Long queues are a norm during lunch and dinner period. And in this case, long queue means at wait of 30 to 45 minutes (when the queue stretches out of the coffee shop)! You may notice this sign stating that they are the one and only Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. The reason for this was because of a law suit a few years back. In brief, Mr Tang Chay Seng, the owner of Hill Street Tai Hwa sued his nephew, Mr Authur Tung Yang for passing off his noodle stall (at Vivocity) as Mr Tang's. Even going to the extend of advertising in Chinese papers and stating that the stall at Crawford Lane had move. Eventually, Mr Tang was compensated with just $1,000 as there was insufficient evidence to show that his goodwill was damage. For a more details, you may read it here.

During this visit, I arrived during dinner time. Had to wait for a good half an hour before it was my turn. The Bak Chor Mee comes in $4, $5 and $6. If you are with a group of friends, order a bowl of mixed soup (with dumplings and meatballs). As they ran out of Mee Pok, I ordered the $5 Bak Chor Mee with Mee Kia. This Teochew style Bak Chor Mee will blow you away just like how PSY's Oppa Gangnam Style blew the world away. Everything was perfect. The ingredients were so fresh and cooked to perfection. The Pork Liver which was cooked just right deserved a mention; soft and tender with no unpleasant taste or smell. Can't find any fault with their meatballs, minced meat, dumplings, fried crispy fish and pork lard. They were all so good. In addition, the Mee Kia was well cooked; al dente and springy. Toss everything up with the mixture of chilli and vinegar sauce. The vinegar they used intensified the oomph factor of this dish. Irresistible!The bowl of soup here packs a punch! Rich and tasty. Full of essence of pork flavour that can only be achieve through hours of boiling pork meat and bones.

As I was preparing to leave after my meal at 730pm, I noticed that the queue still stretches all the way out of the coffee shop.

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle's Bak Chor Mee is still my favourite Bak Chor Mee after all these years. In fact, its the best (die die must try!) Bak Chor Mee in Singapore. Fresh quality food that is well worth the money spent and time queuing. This is one food worth the wait! Can't wait to have more of this! Do remember this is the one and only Hill Street Tai Hwa! There are no other outlets!

Detailed review: http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2012/12/hill-street-tai-hwa-pork-noodle-lavendar.html

Another trip to Jack's Place at level 2 of Woodlands Civic Centre. As I have done a few posts on Jack's Place, I shall not do any introduction on this chain of restaurant. You can read more about Jack's Place in the previous posts.Signature white and green checkered table cloth and menu. All branches in Jack's Place looks and feels alike.

We decided to order the Executive Set Lunch - N.Z. Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce ($17.90) and were ordered that. As we were informing the staff that we wanted to upgrade to Lobster Bisque Soup (+$2.30), we were informed that we should order from the Administrative Professionals Week - Set Lunch Menu which would be more value-for-money as it comes with a choice of Lobster Bisque Soup or Cream of Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Soup. In addition, tempura prawns were served with the steak.

The staff was right. We were so glad that she made that recommendation! We both ordered the Grilled N.Z Ribeye Steak & Tempura Prawns. The staff kindly accommodated to our request for it to be served in the hot plate instead of a normal ceramic plate. Nothing beats eating steaks out of a sizzling hot plate! I am impress with the service! Thumbs up! Garlic Bread was served together with the soup. One piece for each person.As usual, being mushroom fantics we had to order the mushroom soup - Cream of Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Soup. A hearty bowl of soup was filled with lots of small chunks of shiitake mushrooms and mushroom flavour!Ever since I tried the Lobster Bisque Soup last year, I could not resist the temptation to order it again. Great soup, rich in flavour and great balance in taste. In addition, several chunks of lobster meat were in the soup. So affordable! The Lobster Bisque Soup is one of Jack's Place house specialty.For our main course, we both ordered the Grilled N.Z Ribeye Steak & Tempura Prawns. The staff kindly accommodated to our request to serve it in a sizzling hot plate instead of the norm which is to serve in a ceramic plate. As usual, Jack's Place never disappoint me. Their steaks were good. It may not be the best, but its way above average. Their baked potato and vegetables were good too. The tempura prawns on the other hand was forgettable.We always request for extra brown sauce. We both polish off the sauce off by complementing the sauce with the steak. So yummy! If only, I know how they made the brown sauce. The extra brown sauce was enough to make me satisfy me. Funny, how simple/trivia things can make a big difference. We ended off the meal with the Day's Dessert and Coffee & Tea.The Day's Dessert was Cherry Cake. It was not bad; not dry. Dense and well-flavoured cake.

For $18.90++ this meal was so value for money. In addition, I like their service. Staff are well trained, attentive and prompt. It was great that they made recommendation which was relevant to our needs wants. Great Job Jack's Place! I will be back! Nom Nom Nom..

I wonder how their other affiliated company - Eatzi Gourmet fares. Eatzi Gourmet serves similar food, the difference is that it is certified halal.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/05/jacks-place-administrative.html

Saboten is a Japanese restaurant chain well known for their Tonkatsu (fried breaded pork loin cutlet). Saboten was first started out in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1966. Today, it is one of the biggest Tonkatsu chain in Japan with over 500 outlets. It has also expanded overseas to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In Singapore, Saboten has two outlets. One located right in the middle of the city at Parco Marina Bay, next to Suntec City while the second is located at Changi Airport Terminal 1.As we were in Suntec City, we decided to pop by Saboten at Millenia Walk for dinner during the weekend. Thus far, we had enjoyed our dining experience (food, ambience, service) at Saboten. Hence, the repeat visits. Another reason why we are back is because of their tonkatsu!

Their tonkatsu (Pork Tenderloin and Pork Loin) are so delicious because only a certain breed of pork is used. In addition, these pigs are grained fed. Barley is added into the feed to make the meat sweeter and tenderer. Saboten uses only mature pigs of more than 180 days of age as they would have higher fat ratio. I like the environment and ambience at Saboten. It is quiet, clean, spacious and bright. With its Japanese wooden furnishing, it gave a cozy yet classy feel to the restaurant. Although the restaurant was full, we were quite lucky as we did not need to queue and got a table immediately.

As Saboten was having the Oyster Fest, I could not resist the chance of savouring freshly imported oyster from Japan! Hence, I ordered the Oyster and Loin Set $23. The partner on the other hand ordered the Saboten Special Set $25.

Both sets came with free refill of Rice, Miso Soup and Cabbage. The 'tools' for grinding the sesame seeds - bowl and wooden stick. After the you are done with the grinding, scoop the tonkatsu sauce from the earthen urn into the bowl with grated sesame seeds. Mix well and dipping sauce for your Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin is ready!While waiting for your mains to be served. Start off with the cabbage. The fresh cabbage are served cold. Choose either the Yuzu (Citrus) Vinegar or Creamy Sesame or both sauces and mix it with your shredded cabbage. Its very addictive. We easily polished the cabbage off and requested for three refills! Personally, I prefer the Creamy Sesame!The Oyster and Loin Set $23 consisted of Pickled Vegetable, Rice, Miso Soup, 2 Oysters and Loin Cutlet.The 2 oysters were coated with bread crumbs and fried. They were big (fat), juicy and more importantly - fresh. The loin (fried breaded pork loin cutlet) is one of Saboten's signature item. It did not disappoint. The pork loin cutlet coated with crisp golden bread crumbs was tender, soft and slightly moist. The fat to lean meat ratio gave it a melt to mouth sensation. It was a joy savoring it, sinfully delicious. Best eaten when it is warm. As for the Saboten Special Set $25, consisted of Pickled Vegetable, Rice, Miso Soup, Breaded Shrimp, Mini Pork Tenderloin, Half-size Pork Loin and Crab Cream Croquette. If you want to try a little of everything, this would be the set to order. The Pork Tenderloin was darker in colour (slightly pinkish) compared to the Pork Loin. Although it had lesser fat, it was surprisingly soft. The long Breaded Shrimp was fresh. Its meat was firm and succulent. As usual, the norm here is to ended of the meal with a scoop of Matcha (green tea) Ice Cream. Milky with a mild sweet yet bitter green tea taste.

Another great meal at Saboten! Although the items were deep fried, the chef perfected the heat and timing. Each piece was deep fried perfectly and were not oily. Service was good too. I has been since I encountered such good service. The staff promptly refilled our hot green tea (without us requesting) and also cabbage. I will certainly be back for more!


For full review and more photos, please visit http://foodiefc.blogspot.sg/2013/05/saboten-parco-marina-bay-2nd-post.html