A new concept from ThaiExpress, Basil by thaiexpress targets the young, wild and trendy food goers. Its debut outlet at kallang wave mall aims to attract the young and wild generation seeking good and afforable food with a hip and rustic ambience.so am told that the dishes at this new outlet are mostly whipped up from scratch. It is evident as I could taste that most of the ingredients such as the prawns and coconut used were really fresh.

the dishes

Papaya Salad Light refreshing and all so spicy. I was just back from thailand a couple weeks ago and i realise how a good papaya salad comes about is the need for fresh ingredients.

Thai Fish cakeYou can't go wrong with fish cakes. The one my basil was a tad soft but still had that otah thai fish cake taste. Marries well with the sweet and spicy sauce provided too!

Thai style salted egg calamariFried calamari on a wooden dish topped with salted egg yolk sauce. I would say very different from the usual thai salted egg yolk calamaris dished out in Singapore, this is more dry and less sweet. Nonetheless, that taste buds wowing salted egg yolk still delighted the table.

Songkran chicken wings Wings made to celebrate the Songkran festival. Although it was quite salty, the wings were fragrant and juicy. The seasoning bits over the chicken gave the wings that crunchy sweet texture.

Stir-fried Phuket Bee Hoon Phuket style bee hoon which was my other favourite dish of the night. That lime gave the whole dish a zesty flavour, coupled with the bee hoon which (my guess) was fried with coconut sauce. Tiger prawns adding a seafood taste to the entire dish. A unique flavour all round.

time for desserts

Mango sticky riceCoconut sauce and mangoes were fresh. Apart from that, nothing much to rave about. overall review: ful review and pictures @ http://shauneeie.blogspot.sg/2015/04/basil-by-thai-express-kallang-wave-mall.html

Chir Chir uses only fresh chickens in their outlets, which are married with different flavours and even whipped cream. Sauces are imported direct from the central Chir Chir kitchen in Seoul, giving us diners the exact same tastes as what you would taste in Korea.the drinks

Chir Cream Beer Inspired by 'a latte kiss' by a hit korean drama, this half or full pint of draught beer topped off with whipped cream is suitable for any occasion. To many, this would be the best of both worlds. For the best taste, stir the foam thoroughly with the beer, but beware of the foaming which comes with the stir.

Tok! Tok! Comes in different flavours like passion fruit, blue lemonade and green grape, these jug of cocktails gives diners a refreshing choice besides beers

now, the clucking array of food begins ....

the chickens

Crispy fried chickenTwo words - Crispy, tender. These chickens goes well with that mustard dipped and for a more tangy taste, the salsa sauce. One of the better fried chickens around.

Garlicky Chicken / Tenders / Wings (5Hands)My favourite dish of the night. The fragrant garlic sauce compliment the chickens really well. What made the dish even gorgeous was the chunks of roasted sweet potatoes and toppoki.

Spicy Chicken / Tenders / Wings The chilli sauce - SPICY! no joke, if you're no chilli person, it is hard to handle. A must try to those who love spice.

Nest SnowThe dish that won the most heart. Served on hot plate, cajun chiken tenders lying on a bed of sweet potato mash (the mash is awesome), surrounded by cream sauce and topped with parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar and fresh whipped cream. How not to like i ask you ? A very special and unqiue dish you won't find elsewhere.

overall review: ful reviews and pictures @ http://shauneeie.blogspot.sg/2015/03/and-so-second-wave-of-korean-fried.html or follow me on ig @shauneeie

First opened in the 1970s, Ponggol nasi lemak has slowly
crept into the diet of Singaporeans and has been a popular place to go to
satisfy your craving for this coconut rice dish. Was recently invited to a
tasting of their third and newest outlet at Jalan Besar and left impressed by
the new concept. This modern new look outlet features a fast food style concept
which is a complete opposite to its existing shops.What’s the difference?

They have premium house specialities as well as in-house made
ice cream and sorbet to attract the new age crowd.

Premium House specialities

The Jalan Besar branch features seven house specialities to
the existing array of ingredients from the existing outlets. Here are my
personal favourites:

Grilled Japanese Squid Air flown from Japan, this premium squid is grilled before
being served with an Indonesian sweet sauce. The squid @ $7.50 a piece goes
well with the coconut rice and is an ingredient in which we do not normally
associate with our nasi lemak.

Signature Ngoh Hiang These wanton like dumplings are made using the family’s
secret recipe. Minced pork, water chestnut and seasonings are mixed together
before being wrapped in a beancurd skin and then fried. Definitely not as good
as homemade ones but this is as good as you can find outside.

Crispy chicken skin (5hands)A must try dish here and something you can rarely find
elsewhere. Yes, im talking about this irresistible portion of the chicken skin
with curry leaves. Am told that preparing this dish is utterly time consuming
but the family wants diners to enjoy it with the nasi lemak. I agree it goes
very well with the coconut rice, or even individually as a light (but fat)
snack.

The Nasi Lemak as it isA sample of how your nasi lemak set may look like depending on your order. The standard
of rice is markedly similar to the other outlets. To cut down on man power, the
eggs are fried automatically and are consistent throughout. Amongst all, my
personal favourite – the sayo lodeh, curry vegetables which goes really well
with the rice.

Lastly, we have come to desserts ....

Ice cream and sorbetsThe only outlet to sell ice creams and sorbets comes in a
variety of favours – Raspberry Mango, Lemongrass Lime, Pink Guava, Grape,
Passion Fruit, Milo, Peanut Butter and Green tea. 

Overall review: full review @ http://shauneeie.blogspot.sg/2015/03/ponggol-nasi-lemak-jalan-besar.html or follow me @shauneeie on ig for more foodie treats.

This newly opened coffee bar has set its sights to offer not only brewed coffee but also waffles in many forms to us diners. From the team that brought us Roosevelt’s Diner, more will be expected from the people at Montana to whet our appetites.

The coffeethe waffles

Southern Fried Chicken Waffle SanwichWho hates fried chicken? not me! Spicy southern mustard slaw coupled with that southern fried chicken, sandwich by two waffles. Portion is good for sharing and i like how crispy the chicken was, that said, the chicken can be quite dry inside.

Matcha Strawberry Field Waffle The mango passionfruit spheres were amazing. The reason spheres were used is so that the waffle served will not be soggy. Felt that the matcha waffle was a tad too dense but the rest loved it somehow. Good for sharing as the waffle can be quite heavy.

Don't want waffles?

Dont't fret! Montana serves burgers too! full review and pictures @ http://shauneeie.blogspot.sg/2015/03/montana-brew-bar-pomo.html

follow me on instagram: @shauneeie or like my facebook page: @shauneeie for more foodie escapades

In the heart of the industrial estate at Tai Seng sprouts a cafe - 23Jumpin. Meant to serve the needs of hungry factory workers looking for something different in the neighbourhood, this family run F&B is slowly ringing bells around the cafe scene.

The Coffee Serving pretty good coffee as well as ice chocolate. You can even pose for a picture with the iconic 23Jumpin scooter just outside the cafe.

Eggs Ben Decent eggs ben served. Nothing much yo shout about, although i like that the holladndaise sauce given was just right, not too much, yet enough to taste the eggs ham and leaves.

Duck Confit The mash was a winner. The duck differs from many, having a more stewed skin den a crispy one. Flavours were good and the gravy coming from the slow cooked duck leg after 6 hours was mouth watering.

Pizza Waffle (5Hands)a full 5 hands because of the sheer creativity done to a waffle. this is a waffle topped with pizza ingredients and served as a waffle pizza. I liked how the batter was fragrant and yet could complement the flavours of the Hawaiian and the mushroom cheese. I was told that it took hours of practise and loads of feedback to get it to this quality. kudos and i must say 23 Jumpin is bringing waffles to another level.

Tiramisu Nothing much to rave about this. Average, really average.

Full review: http://shauneeie.blogspot.sg/2015/02/23-jumpin-tai-seng.html or 
follow me on Instagram: @shauneeie or like my Facebook page: @shauneeie for more foodie escapades.