For the complete review, click here:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/11/serenity-vivocity.htmlIn the recent food tasting session, we (Chubby Botak Koala + other food bloggers) sampled a tapas size of Spanish Suckling Pig. As it was tapas size, it left you with a sensation of wanting more. So we decided to organise a suckling pig theme makan session. Serenity got our pick, due to their location and reputation. Thanks to Running Man for booking and putting a down payment for the whole pig, so we all can reap the benefit. Cochinillo Asado ($338) Spanish style roasted suckling pig - whole. Good for 5 to 8 pax. Served with the au jus from the pig, brown sauce, tomato jam and potatoes. The suckling pig are roasted as whole and served as a whole. Like other traditional Spanish restaurant ritual, the suckling pig will be cut using saucer to show the crispiness of the skin and the tenderness of the meat. Normally, the saucer dispose by breaking it on the floor. In Serenity, the guest will be invited to break the plate in the bin with a stone in the middle. A nice ritual. The skin is the paper thin crispy skin and flavourful. The meat are juicy and succulent. The best way to eat the meat dipped in au jus (broth from roasting) and brown sauce. As Serenity uses European Suckling Pig, there was a hint of boar taint in the pig. While we waited for Cochinillo Asado to be ready, we started with some tapas. Pulpo a la Gallega ($19.80). Grilled Spanish Octopus (directly imported) garnished with paprika, flake salt and extra virgin olive oil on a bed of potato. It is thingly sliced, tender and a little springy. Meanwhile Chipirones Fritos Con Aioli ($18.80). Fried Baby Squid With Aioli sauce was crispy but over coated with the batter. Tasted a bit more chewy compare to the grill calamari. Salteado De Coles De Bruselas Con Jamon Serrano ($18.80). Sautéed Brussels Sprout With Serrano Ham. One of the vegetable that I missed from my time in Australia. Looks like a miniature cabbage, it has a strong bitter taste. By the cooking with Serrano Ham, the bitterness was reduce substantially. A good dish indeed. After we finished with the suckling pig, we had Paella Valenciana (Valencian Paella - $53). The flavour of the Paella rice is very robust, derived from the stock used. The Spanish Chorizo intensified the flavour in the dish compare to the mild flavour of the seafood. I find the rice is a bit overcooked, as Paella rice was supposed to be al-dente texture instead of soft. Since we all have stuffed ourself silly with the main and tapas, we decided to order the Churros ($10.80) to try. It is part crispy, chewy or doughy and the chocolate sauce was thin but without a solid chocolate flavour in it. Lucky we only order one, and the dessert is definitely not worth the price. Give this dish a miss. The décor of Serenity is similar to the traditional houses in Spain, as been shown in the food and travel channel (I have not been to Spain yet). Service is very lacklustre. While we received a cheerful welcome by the receptionist, it was followed with grumpy, uptight and uninterested service style by the manager inside. However it turned for the better, when the suckling pig came out. He mellowed down and very informative about the suckling pig and its ritual. Well, I just chalked it down to him having a bad day. Overall, it was definitely an experience to remember. It was a great fun with great company. For a pig lover, a Spanish Style Sucking Pig is a must try as it has a different texture compare to the Cantonese Suckling Pig. Cheers!! Aclamaciones!! 

Soi Thai is an authentic Thai Restaurant that opened its door in the heart of Tampines. Some interesting facts about Soi Thai, The boss is from Taiwan, but not to worry the chefs are from Thailand. From their FB page, they describe the Thai Chef with moustache is the head chef and the hairy one is the second in command.While we try not to compare Soi Thai dishes to the ever popular Nakhon, we have to face the reality that Nakhon has set the standard for Thai restaurants in the heartland. Therefore it is fair, if we compare the standard of their food.We started the dinner with Stuffed Chicken Wings ($6 – 2pcs), Thick Tom Yum Soup – Prawn ($7) and Boiled Cuttlefish with Lime Sauce ($10). The stuffed chicken wings was tasty and flavourful. It was crispy on the outside and served pipping hot. Good sign at the start. As you know I don't take tom yum, so according to LD, the taste was tweak to suit the Singapore taste. It will be better if it was spicier and sourer, be bold with the flavours. Boiled Squid was tender with a bit of springy texture, the lime sauce are not overly spicy.Green Chicken Curry ($9), Thai Style Kang Kong ($7) and Fried Sea Bass with Namjim Larb ($22) follow next. The chicken thigh meat in the green curry was very generous. However, the curry feels soupier, missing the thickness and richness of the lemak from the coconut milk. Thai style Kang Kong was good, crunchy and pack of punch from the chilli. The crispiness in the fried seabass was slightly inconsistent and a bit soggy in some part of the fish. The dipping sauce has the sweet, spicy and tangy taste, good to accompany the fish and removed the smell, however it was not to our preference.While our expectation was lowered after the initial few dishes, the chefs whipped out their best dishes. Beef Paneang ($11), Thai Yellow Ginger Chicken ($9) and Pad Thai ($6). The Beef Paneang tasted like the version of Thai Stew Beef. The meat was tender and the gravy was thick, rich and robust. Yum YumThe yellow ginger (tumeric) chicken is unique. The tumeric is used to seasoned the meat provide a sweet yet appetizing flavour that wets your appetite. The Pad Thai is as authentic as its get. The Chef manage to get the right balance of sweetness and tanginess that truly show the authentic taste of Pad Thai. Kudos to the Chef.For desserts, we tried Red Ruby ($3) and Mango Sticky Rice ($5). The red ruby is average, missing the crunchiness. The sticky rice was too warm and it did not bind well with the mango and coconut milk.Service was good and efficient. The food came quite fast and at regular interval. The décor of the restaurant is clean and simple, where food are the main focus instead of decoration. Without the signboard, I don't think people will recognise them as a Thai restauraint. There are two seating area, indoor and panoramic seating (open air seating as I like to called it, he..he.. )Overall, Soi Thai served a good authentic food. Pad Thai, Beef Paneang and Yellow Ginger Chicken is a must try. I never tried the last two dishes before I visited Soi Thai. In comparison to Nakhon, each of them have their different signature dishes, for food and quality standard, Soi Thai is comparable. So if you are looking for something different for Thai Food, give Soi Thai a try. Cheers!!!

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Gurame Indonesian Restaurant ('Gurame') is located in Changi Coast Park, or to be exact it is located in NSRCC Sea Sport Centre. The location is quite secluded and can be difficult to reach without your own set of wheels. Once you are there, you will be rewarded with the clear view of Changi Beach, if you don't mind the tankers or carriers cruising by or the noise of planes landing and taking off.Gurame has indoor and outdoor seating. I suggest that you seat indoor in the afternoon and outdoor in the evening. As there was some team building activities on that day, all the indoor seating was taken.We were in a group of 9 and we were so hungry so we decided to order quite a few dishes. For appetizer, we were served emping (belinjo crackers) with sambal.First batch of the food served was Udang Bakar ($30), Tauge Ikan Asin ($8) and Sambal Terong ($8). The Udang Bakar or Grilled Prawns are fresh. For $30, you get ten big size prawns, butterfly and grilled with sweet sauce. It was grilled perfectly, in low fire and sealed the juiciness of the prawn inside.Tauge Ikan Asin is fried bean sprout with salted fish. The bean sprout was crunchy, but the salted fish seems to have escape and difficult to find. Sambal Terong or Fried EggPlant with Sweet Chilli Sauce looks good, but since me and LD are not eggplants lover we did not touch it. Those who ate it says it was good.Next come Ayam Bakar ($10), Sop Buntut ($8) and Gulai Kepala Ikan ($30). Ayam Bakar is Grilled Chicken with Special Sauce. The chicken is tender for the thigh and drumstick, however it is dry for the breast meat. It is well seasoned and goes well with the sweet sambal. Sop Buntut or Ox Tail Soup has a clear yet robust broth. The meat is tender and fall of the bone.Gulai Kepala Ikan is Gurame version of Curry Fish Head. Served on a claypot, the curry has a thick creamy texture, with average spicy level. The curry tasted a bit sweet and tangy, like the normal gulai in Indonesia. Fish head was fresh.Tahu Telor ($8), Soto Ayam ($7), Cumi Goreng Tepung ($18) and Rendang Sapi ($12) are the last dishes to be served. The Tahu Telor here is slightly different from other Indonesian restaurant version. Looks like giant egg are made from diced beancurd, not the silken tofu. The texture is more rough and harder while we prefer the smooth velvety texture for our beancurd. Soto Ayam is good and robust with the coconut milk add to the richness of the dish, which is different from the Malay version here.Cumi Goreng Tepung / fried battered squid rights, we find that you can't go wrong if you order this dish anywhere in Indonesia or Malaysia. They sure know to handle their squid, it was just crispy, tasty and a little springy.The best dish and the die die must order when you are at Gurame is the Rendang Sapi or Beef Rendang. It is so tasty, tender and the beef just melts in your mouth. The meat absorbs the gravy and the portion is very good.In case you are wondering, we did not order the Fried Gurame (Talipa) because the supplier has not show up to deliver the fish when we place our order. So next time then.

For desserts, I do not recommend their Es Alpokat ($8) – Avocado Juice / Smoothie. They do not served the authentic Indonesian version, using chocolate condensed milk, instead they use brown sugar and it is extremely sweet.The service is friendly but it can be difficult to get their attention at times as they are overwhelm with the other customers in the indoor seating. Overall, the food are delicious and the price of the food is value for money. We look forward to go back to try their fried Gurame. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the link below:
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Singapore Lor Mee originated from South Chinese Hokkien Dish. A bowl of thick yellow noodle, covered in thickened seafood soup. Normal toppings will include braised pork belly, ngoh hiang, fried fish, grated garlic and a dash of black vinegar.

My first encounter with Lor Mee in Singapore was more than 8 years ago, during the time when Lor Ah Soo wet market was having a renovation and moved to a temporary location. To my surprise, it was so much different from the Lor Mee that I ate in a Malaysian Restaurant during my uni days in Melbourne.Malaysia's version of Lor Mee is white in colour, not black like the Singapore version. Using a thick round egg noodle covered with thick broth that is robust and smooth. The eggs are stir into the broth and topped with a generous serving of pork lard. The other ingredients used is sliced pork, prawns, fish cakes and vegetables. This white Lor Mee also known as Hakka Lor Mee.Since my MIL like this dish so much, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately Singapore Lor Mee was not what I expected and I was not able to finished the portion that I ordered. From that day onwards, it never crossed my mind to order Lor Mee.

Recently, I was requested by a SMU student doing her social media project to give this place a try. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to give this place a try.Like the name, Tiong Bahru Lor Mee originated from the popular Tiong Bahru Market. I ordered the $5 version which has fried fish and additional toppings.The thick flat noodle was cook just nice. Slightly springy, or to borrow the Italian phrase 'al-dente'. Toppings include braised pork belly, braised egg, ngoh hiang and fried fish are tasty and well executed.I can't say I did not try, but my taste buds just can't agree with the combination of garlic, black vinegar and thick seafood soup. The garlic taste is just too empowering, however without it, the soup base is not robust enough to provide flavour to the noodle. Truly an acquired taste.

Overall, the Lor Mee here is better than the one I tried eight years ago. Everything is nicely executed, but it is just not for me. On the positive note, I finished all the fillings except for the gravy. For Lor Mee lovers, I do recommend this place for them to try. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/09/tiong-bahru-lor-mee-delicious-but-not.html
 

Tai Wah / Tai Hwa Pork Noodle are well known for foodies in Singapore. The conflict between these two stalls made the headline a while back, until today it seems the bad blood are still there. Each of these stall have there own staunch supporters, so its all come down to personal preference.

My first encounter with Tai Wah Pork Noodle during their time in Bestway Building. I remember that stall was run by the parents and a younger gentleman. Knowing my Chinese was not very bad, the mother was very friendly and patient when taking my order. Not long afterwards, the shop there was closed and I saw this stall in Hong Lim recently.This time around I ordered the $6 soup version. You might be saying, what? $6 for Bak Chor Mee ('BCM')? Well just consider BCM is the Ramen version of Singapore. It will be less ouch when you pay for it.For $6, I get quite a big bowl of noodle, which can fit my face with lots of condiments like mince meat, meat balls, pork liver, flat fish, wantons and seaweed.The broth was robust, but on the lighter side. It has the sweetness from pork bones. The noodle is springy (qq). The liver are cooked to medium, pink in the middle and tender. I notice that instead of throwing the mince meat and liver to the pot, they pour hot water on them on the bowl while they are cooking the noodle. This must be the key to the yummy pork liver.The dumplings / wanton are good. The meat are well seasoned and you can taste the flat fish flavour in it. Meatballs was springy and crunchy.Overall, Tai Wah Pork Noodle serve a very good Bak Chor Mee. All the ingredients are cooked perfectly. If only their broth are more robust, I will consider them one of the best. Cheers!!!

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