(+) Unique and probably one of its kind to be found in local hawker centres.
(+) Generous serving of 1 whole crayfish with roe and several large prawns.
(+) Thick and very flavoursome gravy and you could distinctly taste the 'seafood-ness'.
(+) Hor Fun were soft, henceforth a perfect element to the overwhelming gravy.
(+) Fresh crayfish and prawns were used.
(+) Very succulent flesh, springy and definitely bursting with flavours.
(+) Perfect for seafood-lovers, price and quality wise!

(-) The long queue.
(-) Definitely a no-no for people who cannot stand overwhelming seafood aroma.
(-) You either love it or hate it.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Having been a regular patron of this inconspicuous looking bakery for more than a decade, there is always a familiar nostalgic feeling when I revisit this quiet corner at the basement of Katong Shopping Centre. Strangely enough, this bakery famous for their freshly baked banana pies is always the first food place at the back of my head when I get asked 'What to eat at Katong area huh?'. It might take some finding around within the once illustrious shopping centre which had now transformed into pretty much a mall that houses at least 30-40 domestic worker agencies. The good thing is, once you smell that beautiful intoxicating aroma of buttery pastry baking in the oven, you know you have found gourmet heaven!

Banana Pie (S$2.20/slice; full pie of 10 slices for S$22/-)This wedge of banana pie tastes so good that it kept me coming back over the years. Topped with a generous layer of diced almonds, it added a good crisp crunchy texture to the bite. The pastry chef prided herself with the use of good quality butter and remarked that margarine was not fragrant enough to deliver the desired aroma. Baked to perfection with a golden brown crust, the pastry was flaky yet not excessively greasy. It simply crumbled in our mouths with a rich satisfying taste of butter. Sandwiched between the beautiful pastry was the 'to-die-for' banana fillings. The banana slices were evenly portioned and stacked uniformly across the entire pie and for those with a prissy palate would notice fresh shredded coconut and cream being added into the soft filling to enhance the flavours though these elements serve to complement rather than overwhelm.

The sweetness of the banana pie was natural and owed to the selective choice of only 'ang ba cheo' (red-flesh bananas) and 'pang cheo' (fragrant bananas). It was just nice and highly delectable by our standards and admittedly we are rather intolerant of overly sweet pastries or desserts. The particular choice of those small bananas typically have a rich and sweeter taste compared to their larger counterparts commonly found in supermarkets. Even for takeaway orders, I would highly recommend to try one promptly upon purchase where it usually would still be warm (at least for ours), where you get to savour the freshness of a freshly baked pie, 'Oh God, I need to feed myself another slice before I continue writing..'

The prices had gone up considerably over the years (I recall buying them for around S$1.50/slice) but then again so has inflation. Definitely a MUST-TRY.

Apple Pie (S$2.20/slice)There was also the peach pie apart from banana and apple, which came with sliced peaches on the top. Not quite a fan of peach desserts for some reason, I went for a wedge of the apple pie to reminisce the flavours. The lovely pastry crust was similar to that of the banana pie and while we enjoyed the mild natural sweetness owed from the apple fruit, it seemed a little too bland having just tried the flavoursome banana pie. The tastes of the cinnamon and raisin were subtle in bringing the flavours forward so overall while the pie tasted good, it was not bold enough in terms of the taste and flavour for us.

Baked scones (S$1.40/piece)Biting through the buttery moist raisin scones just gave a very homey feel. Being passionate bakers ourselves, it reminded us of those good days when we nailed all the elements and you fetched a beautiful tray of golden brown scones from the oven. These scones gave us that affable and cordial touch with a satisfying rich buttery oomph. They were the soft crumbly sort and quite honestly I wouldn't mind it daily to go along with my afternoon coffee craving fix! Label me a confectionery traditionalist, but I believe good pastry and bread should be prepared and baked with heart. It is this extra touch that spells all the difference even if you are using premium ingredients.This humble eatery has always struck me as a friendly-go-to hideout that has no need for elaborate commercialization but yet continues to strive with its regular stream of patrons. There is also a limited range of bread being offered, each individually packed for hygiene purposes and other wares such as the rum balls and curry puffs are also worthy tries. It is however the banana pie that had always been the winner for us. Being constantly living away from Singapore over the years, this is one of my few MUST-RETURN places whenever I am back home.I thought it might be easier for me to post a photo of the shopping centre where it is located at Basement 1 level for this is definitely not one of those hype places in the makan-radar of most foodies. Last but not least, do call to check if you intend to visit this rare gem near closing hours! Would be a real shame to visit and leave not having tried their banana pie!

For full review, please visit http://makeyourcaloriescount.blogspot.sg/2012/09/sg-imperial-treasure-super-peking-duck.html

It's been a long while since I've last had Peking duck and it's always an excitement to me, seeing the chef's skillful knife work round the duck and present a dish of nicely sliced up meat. I usually have Peking duck as a family, as there're more people to share.

So I was a bit hesitant when I saw the menu and realised that they only served the duck in full, as there was no way that two of us could finish the entire duck. Nonetheless, we ordered that as it's got to be something special with the entire restaurant named after it right? After placing our order, we took a quick glance around and realised that we were one of the few tables that ordered a Peking duck, probably because it was lunch time and most of them looked like business lunches.

It was a very atas (or posh) place in our opinion, and I really liked the standard of service. Every detail was being paid attention to and it wasn't difficult to get the attention of their service staff even though we were seated at a corner. A plus point too, for providing warm towels instead of packaged wet wipes to freshen up before the meal. That's a practice I haven't seen for many years, it feels more homely and clean for some reason, at least to me.

We were served quite promptly, this dish reached our table about 15mins after we've placed our order, with service staff informing us prior to this that our Peking duck is ready and being served from the side. For a full duck (and you can only order in that portion), it costs $68 and an additional $10 if you'd like the remaining meat to go with fried noodles or fried rice. Otherwise, it's complimentary to have the rest of the meat served or for takeaway. The lady advised us to pair this with sugar and gosh it was good! It was roasted to such crisp that the fragrance bursts and lingers in your mouth after taking a bite. Adding sugar also helped elevated the taste as there was more contrast between the sweet and savory. Plus, the little bit of fats left gave a smooth glide to it, it was so good eating it on its own!Well, it tastes as good as it looks and need I say more? Each piece of meat was extremely tender and coated with the juices (or oil) of the duck and we just couldn't get enough of it. It's definitely not for the health-conscious as you can see the white layer of fats but it was well worth the calories! The skin that was used to wrap was a tad too thick in my opinion, so it actually filled us up pretty quickly and then we decided to just eat it plain with the garnishes and the sauce. It was just as good!The remaining portion of the duck which was really too much for just the two of us. The meat was done really well, it was a little dryer than the first two dishes of meat we've had but it wasn't the kind that was hard to chew or have shreds that stick in between your teeth. It was still extremely tender and it went really good with the sauce which tasted a little like plum, giving it a refreshing lift. It was quite bone-y but quite easy to de-bone without being too unglam

Of course, I haven't tried the authentic dish in Beijing before so I wouldn't know if it's comparable. Let me know your verdict if you've tried both!I'm always skeptical when it comes to crab meat as most places tend to serve either the fake version, or real crab meat with extremely puny portions. This was quite a pleasant surprise as we saw large chunks of real crab meat and it tasted really fresh! This wasn't the only piece, in case you were wondering. I like the light taste of the soup that wasn't overloaded with the sweetness of the corn so you could still taste the seafood in it. Take it while it's hot though, as it becomes a bit watery as it cools. Not the most fantastic soup I've had, but a decent one with quality ingredients.

And since we were there already, we decided to get some dimsum to go along. This was before we saw how much the remaining portion of the duck was. How can anyone resist egg tarts? Okay, fine I did when I was too full after eating so much. I like the slightly charred pastry and the extremely soft egg curd inside that melted in my mouth almost immediately. It wasn't too sweet and it was extremely smooth. I'm slightly picky, but I would have preferred it with a crispier skin to complement the silky soft curd better. Nonetheless, it was a good one, above average in my opinion and surprisingly it wasn't as pricey as other dimsum places I've tried!This is probably the second best 流沙包 I've tried so far, pertaining to the fillings itself. The insides were spilling out even after I've cautiously pried it open. It was the right balance of salted egg yolk and custard to give it the slight savory yet sweet flavour that lingers. Considering we found this good after eating so much, it is definitely worth a try. The skin is a little too thick but it had a nice chewy texture and was very fine. I think the fillings has been done well, it probably can compensate for its thick skin.

With quality food and excellent service, it's a place that I'll definitely return again. The decor and ambience might seem deceivingly pricey, but it's really quite an affordable place considering the quality and serving portions. I liked the cosy and very traditional feel they had, with staff speaking Cantonese and seeing how they sat together for staff lunch over a huge round table, just like a family.

We were one of the last customers to leave at around 3.30pm, and they didn't show any signs of chasing us away even though they closed at 2.45pm. In fact, they were still very courteous and attended to us, refilling our pot of tea and waited for us to leave even though we realised that we were in their way while they were reshuffling their tables. I didn't even notice that until my friend pointed out, but they absolutely showed no signs of asking us to leave.

Though their dimsum wasn't like wow fantastic, I would probably return for their seafood and mains over dinner.

This drink was so ridiculously good that despite my exploding stomach, I was tempted to order a second serving. It was one of the best combinations for any fruit smoothies that I had ever tried. For some reason, Old Airport Road Food Centre is famous for its numerous stalls offering soursop drinks, but this was definitely a notch higher. With fresh seedless soursop flesh coupled with seedless sour plums and ice, it was blended into a beautiful smoothie that would keep me going. The natural sweetness from the soursop fruit balanced by the light acidity from the plums made it a really soothing beverage or by my books, a dessert itself to conclude our evening of food exploration at Old Airport Road Food Centre.

Verdict: 9.0/10

The queue for the delicacies of this stall started before the shutters were unveiled. Only opening for business from 5pm onwards till sold out, the smile on the uncle shows how much he enjoys himself.(+) The yam used was very fresh, and very refined which gives a very smooth texture.
(+) Drizzled with self-concocted sweet sauce, it enhanced the natural taste of yam.
(+) The fragrant white sesame seeds sprinkled provided crunch to the soft cake.
(+) Very soft and delicate, melting in your mouth.
(+) Despite the softness, it does not appear a complete mess on the plate which upsets one's sight and appetite.
(+) The chili was a complete knockout, spicy enough to wake your senses and appetite but not overwhelm.
(+) Extra plus points for the chili not being overly soaked with garlic which stinks up your breath.
(+) Overall a very complete and well-balanced dish, with or without the chili.
(+) Very affordable, offered at either S$1/S$2 per plate.

(-) Would be real perfect if some chopped scallions were scarcely scattered to relish the fragrance.

Verdict: 8.5/10(+) Healthy option to the other variations, be it pan-fried for dim sum or the typical carrot cake local-style.
(+) Tastes almost the same as the taro cake in terms of texture, since both are prepared with same methods.
(+) Radish being less dense than taro henceforth tastes even softer.
(+) Chili used and price charged were exactly the same as for taro.

(-) Different from typical HK dimsum, no shitake, Chinese sausage and dried shrimps.

Verdict: 8.5/10(+) Classic Cantonese-style porridge, boiled till its very 'mashy', and rather 'soupy'.
(+) The peanuts were crunchy which complements the soft porridge.
(+) The porridge on the whole was very fragrant and a simple treat at S$0.70.
(+) Elongated plastic spoons for the porridge, which is narrower than usual and not as sharp on the edges.
(+) It was very thoughtful for it helps customers, especially old folks to drink their meal.

Verdict: 8.5/10