I was recently introduced to Lau Wang Claypot through Openrice’s food tasting session and I was surprised to find that this food stall has a history of close to 30 years of producing yummy clay pot dishes!

The store has been taken over by a young towkay with the traditional receipes all passed down to him. In order to make sure that he is keeping up with times, he has made very slight changes to the receipes to cater the the ever changing consumer preference and yet keep to the traditional taste.Located in Serangoon, it is a 5-10 minutes walk from the MRT station and it is hidden away from the main road, making this place hardly noticeable. However this is a place which I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good pot of Claypot Sesame Chicken. My favourite stall had closed down quite a while back and I finally found a replacement for it!Lucky me managed to try out a fair bit of the menu as we had a really big group that day!A chilli lover myself, this one hits the spot! Not to spicy to numb your tastebuds, yet enough to let you savor the heat on your tongue as you drench your bowl of rice with the sauce!I can’t decide which one I like better, the spicy or the non spicy version, but I am sure that on days where I am craving for a simple savory dish, this will definitely be on my food list.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50

 This isn’t my favourite as the soup isn’t as “herbal-ly” as I would have like it to be, There is definitely ample amount of herbs throw into the mix to make the soup, however as each clay pot is made fresh on the spot, there isn’t enough time for the herbs to infuse its full flavor into the soup, leaving a pretty weak herbal taste.
1 Frog SGD 8 / 2 Frogs SGD 15

I am never a fan ofliver and kidney, however those who tried the dish have commented that it is overall a pretty yummy dish, however the pig’s kidney didn’t seem to have been properly handled as there was quite a smell to it. Such a pity.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50

 

Soft and flavoursome, this is a dish which I would recommend as well! Well cooked freshly sliced fish, with slightly spicy sauce base, I found myself reaching out for this dish several times during the meal. Definitely worth a try.
SGD 4.50 / SGD 6.50


SAMBAL SOTONG WITH LADYFINGERSWith a generous amount of seafood thrown into the mix, like squid and prawns, this will be one which seafood lovers would go for. The price is definitely reasonable for such a generous serving.
SGD 6.00The Kangkong is definitely well cooked, where it was presented to us crunchy, instead of limped from overcooking! I definitely appreciate the effort placed into dish.
SGD 4.00


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With their well cooked dishes, generous portions and fresh ingredients, it is definitely worthwhile to make a trip down to Lau Wang Claypot Delights.
My one complaint about all the dishes is that they come off pretty oily. The owner apologise to all of us that day and told us that he will definitely look into reducing the amount of oil used in the cooking. I am pretty sure that a friendly reminder for a lesser oil when placing your order will be taken note of.
The location can be a little troublesome to find. However with google maps, I am sure you will have no problems getting there since it is near to an MRT station.

Stepped into Vivo's Central Cafe for a quicky lunch after spotting its quirky vintage exterior. Serving up simple cheap Hong Kong food fare, we enjoyed our visit as each item ordered delighted our tastebuds.Wanton Mee was soft and springy with ample seasoning and wantons provided. They didnt scrimp on the food despite the low prices so that is a huge plus point.Crispy duck rice wasnt too bad 2 eggs atop a bed of rice and a sprinkling of other ingredients.Well flavoured, this was a simple bowl of maggi notes with spiced pork cube and vegetables. Confort food which we kept teasing our colleague to pass us money to help her cook Maggi MeeNot a favourite Dan Fan Mian, this version was more soupy than peanut version which I like. The soup is soft and springy which makes it easily for slurpng it down. I wouldnt called this dan dan mian, instead Minced Meat Noodle soup will be more apt!Soft and packed with ample pork floss, this is a yummy starter before the meal.The thing I love most in this trip, is the Ying Yang which came in an old school design cup! Keep grabbing shots of it still my colleague want to whack me. Taste wise it is ok, but it would be better if it could be thicker.

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With their cheap prices and yummy simple food, this is place where I foresee myself heading back to at least twice this year. Definitely worth a visit when you are down and about at Vivocity!

It seems like more and more cafes are choosing to set up below void decks to avoid the high cost of rental in premium districts.Ciel Patisserie is a small little cafe that is located at Lorong Ah Soo. A first of its kind in the area, the store is located in between provisions store and a clinic, place which most doesn't even consider ideal for a cafe. Yet it a still sees a steady stream of customer in the area and one visit to the cafe I could see why.

With a limited amount of cakes made per day, you would definitely need to book ya cakes if you would like to make a evening trip as they are usually sold out by 5pm.The cakes here are definitely beautifully crafted and I was so tempted to order every single one of them cause they just look so good! Too bad there was only 2 of us and limited stomach space.A round shape dessert, it isn't particularly beautiful to photograph but the taste is exquisite. If you are one that go for heavy flavors, this will be the ideal choice for you. The velvety thick chocolate mousse together with the crunchy praline base complement each other perfectly well.
SGD 5.50Well baked and not overly sweet, this tart is a refreshing alternative to the DOME. The size is a little small for the price, with a shallow base. But for the taste I am willing to shelve out the moolah.
SGD 4.80Instant coffee from illy, it wasn't too bad a coffee to enjoy.

Service is generally good except for a grumpy staff (who was a little unfriendly) told me that if I was to see the entire selection, then I should be here early in the morning when they open. A sarcastic reply to what I deem as a innocent question of "Do you replenish your cakes when they run out? Cause i would like to check out the entire selection?"

VERDICT
Seating area is a bit limited in this area, so big groups of more than 6 might find it hard to get settings. Otherwise, this cafe is a pretty good place to chill out with friends over chatter and cakes.

If you are looking for a quiet spot for good coffee this weekend, Smitten might be a good spot for you to drop by. With outdoor and indoor seating, I heard that they do fill up pretty fast over the weekends.
Prices are pretty similar to industry players where we (4 of us) paid SGD 5 for a 6oz cup of espresso with milk.I like that it isn't too thin. Definitely a robust cup of coffee, a whiff to the coffee will definitely bring a small to your face. Ordered their affogato and it is pretty much a sweetened up caffeine shot which I enjoyed immersely. The espress shot is super "gao" (thick in hokkien) with the vanilla ice cream offsetting this otherwise bitter shot.
Matcha Cake was a little expensive by still a treat for those who like their green tea to be a little sweet. I personally prefer the savor the natural bitter taste of Green Tea, so this cake didnt do it for me.
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Definitely worth a return visit, the next time round I would like to pop by to try out their Sandwiches and savoury bites which doesn't exceed SGD 10. Definitely attractive in terms of pricing.

Have fun savoring a cup of coffee @ Smitten!

Mala Xiang Guo is one of the lastest food trend in town and it is little wonder to find one popping up near my office. A couple of my colleagues raved about this spicy dish and urge me to try it out, with a little reminder that I should go for the lessy spicy option when asked.Located in Anchorpoint's Koufu, you will be presented by a selection of meat, veggie and mushrooms. Price of the meal is decided by weight of the items that you have selected.SGD 1/ 100g of Vegatables
SGD 2/ 100g of Mushrooms
SGD 2.80/ 100g of Vegatables
SGD 3.80/ 100g of Seafood

I wasnt feeling too hungry so I had a mix of mushroom and vegetables which cost me SGD 4.80. I choose to have it less spicy and I am sure glad I did!It was comfortably spicy where you dont have keep chugging cups of water down to squench the fire on your tongue. It is fragrant and the peanuts and sesame sees added to the make definitely made it smell better.

One of the tricks to having a cheaper bowl of food is to choose items which are much more light weight, e.g. Mushrooms or Kangkong which are pretty light items.

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VERDICT
Definitely worth a trip down to try out this stall, especially if you are a spice lover. I like that idea of being able to choose my ingredients, which allows me to pile my bowl up with a whole lot of dietary fibre.
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