nydc's motto begins with "Celebrate Life". There are certainly many ways to celebrate life, but for someone with a sweet tooth like me, one way to celebrate it is with desserts. So I jumped at the chance to vote for nydc for lunch when we were in the area. Although it wasn't my first time eating at nydc, it was my first time dining at the Wheelock branch. The first thing that struck me was their distinctive New York style decor with funky pop arts and fixtures like bright red subway beams, giving the entire place an air of vibrancy. One surely can't miss nydc even from a distance away! There were not many people there on a weekday afternoon, which suited me just fine.They had also began to put up Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, despite the decorations, we did not see any Christmas menu nor did they made any mention of it. I was too engrossed obsessing over their desserts selection and promptly forgot to ask about it. The oversight was regrettable, but never mind, we were fortunate enough to be on time for their value-for-money Lunch Special instead.

The Lunch Special set consisted of a main dish, which was Ham & M'S when we went, and came with soup and a drink. For $9.80, it was really a steal for money especially since the Ham & M'S dish alone costs $12.80! Lunch Special: Ham & M'S + Soup + Spite ($9.80)

We opted to have this with rice, so it was basically ham and mushroom baked rice. The portion was bigger than expected and there was a generous amount of mushroom and ham inside. It was topped with an equally generous amount of cheese on top! I love this dish especially the melted cheese topping which was cheesy and chewy. The dish had a slight hint of garlic and the smoked ham wasn't too salty for me; however, I found a few mushrooms slightly dry and overcooked. Nevertheless, this was a pretty decent dish in my book. The soup was quite decent too. It was rich and creamy although we agreed that the portion was a tad meager. Cajun Chirpy Chips ($5.80)

We also got a side of the Cajun Chirpy Chips which came with Aioli dip. The fries were thick and I love that many were still quite soft and "fluffy" on the inside. Contrary to expectations, this wasn't spicy at all although the seasoning added a dash of extra flavour to the fries. The dip though, tasted more like mayonnaise; I didn't really detect garlic in it, or maybe it was just overshadowed by the spices on the fries.

Of course, one doesn't simply go to NYDC and not order dessert! Like its name suggests, the main highlights of nydc are their desserts: chocolate cakes, mudpies, cheesecakes... Just the wide array alone is enough to make them one of my favorite restaurants around. Even their desserts are listed first before the sides and mains in their menu! For myself, it was a fierce competition between the New York Cheesecake ($6.80), Jedi Mudster ($11.80) and Bring Me To The Dark Side ($11.80). It took me a lot of hemming and hawing, but since I have tried Bring Me To The Dark Side in another branch before and had also ate a Cheesecake elsewhere not too long ago, I eventually decided to go with the Mudpie Extravaganza ($11.80). Afterall, it's a combination of three other mudpies on their menu: Jedi Mudster ($11.80), Cookie Monster ($11.80) and Grandma Goes Nuts, Seriously! ($11.80) and I didn't think I'd go wrong with it! Mudpie Extravaganza ($11.80)

To be honest, I don't even know how to begin describing this! It's both chocolatey and nutty and the nougat/marshmallows in the middle was quite chewy. The crust at the base was made of whole cookie chunks which was a tad hard to break apart with a fork (ended up eating the cookies whole), so I'd have preferred it to be made of cookie crumbs instead. The size of the mudpie was bigger than a standard cake and it took me quite a while to lick the entire plate clean. I was super bloated by the end of it, but hey, there's always space for dessert. Personally though, I prefer Bring Me To The Dark Side just for the less complicated, but richer chocolate taste. It's probably better to opt for either one of the mudpies to fully enjoy each taste, but if you can't make up your mind and don't mind a taste bud overload, then go for the Mudpie Extravaganza!

Overall, service was quite decent and the food were served decently fast enough and still piping hot. The waiter was also patient with me when I took my time deliberating over my dessert choice. Their lunch special was definitely value for money, although I thought that the prices for a few items, like the mudpies, was a little on the high side. However, the upbeat ambience and the big portion of the food took away the sting a little. Even so, having a decadent dessert is already sinful enough but having it in a bigger than usual portion is going to be very bad news for those on diets. But it's okay. Once in a while, it's fine to appreciate and celebrate the sweeter side of life.

Every coffee shop usually has a Zi Char stall, and this stall is the one selling Zi Char and Seafood dishes at this newly renovated coffee shop. My mum has tried their hokkien mee not long ago and said that it was pretty good. Coming from a fussy eater from her, my dad and I decided to give this stall a try this weekend and have our dinner at the coffee shop while we take-away food from the same stall for the rest of the family.

There was a banner near the store listing a few $5.00 dishes catering to individuals. Zi Char stalls usually have Gong Bao Chicken on their menu but I didn't see this listed in the banner for individual meals, so I asked the lady about it. The lady was helpful and said that they could do it as a meat+rice dish for one person, much to my joy. So I got the Gong Bao Chicken with White Rice ($5.00) while my dad got their Signature Bee Hoon ($5.00) to try.Signature Bee Hoon ($5.00)
The food was prepared pretty fast and the first to be served was the Signature Bee Hoon. It came with a really nice sesame fragrance to whet up the appetite. The bee hoon was firm and the dish had 2 prawns, 3 mussels, and 3 slices of fish that didn't smell too fishy. For $5.00 though, I thought that the ingredients portion was a tad small.Gong Bao Chicken with White Rice ($5.00)
This dish fared much better in my book. The portion of the chicken cubes given was decent and the meat was tender. The sauce in particular was very tasty. It was sweet with a hint of sourness and did not overwhelm with the spiciness from the dried chilli. However, it's probably considered a "mild" version since it is not very spicy or "numbing"; even so, this was just right for me. The meal also came with a sunny side up egg. I thought this was a nice touch as some stalls I've went to only serve just the rice and chicken for more or less the same price.

We also takeaway a set of Hokkien Mee ($3.50) and Horfun ($3.50) for the rest of the family.Hokkien Mee ($3.50)
The Hokkien Mee had prawns, slices of pork and fish, and vegetables with it. I thought the gravy given was too little as the noodle was very dry upon opening the container. But after mixing it well, it turned out to be just nice. The gravy was quite thick and flavourful and the noodle was slightly chewy. The portion of ingredients given was also quite fair for $3.50.Horfun ($3.50)
The Horfun gave off a really nice aroma upon opening the container! Like the Hokkien Mee, it also had prawns, slices of pork and fish, and vegetables in it. The flat noodles were very smooth and had a little hint of wok hei. The prawns, though small and lacking in portion, were somewhat succulent. Despite looking a tad watery, the gravy didn't taste too watery and it was also quite tasty.

We have not tried the other ala carte dishes yet since we have ordered individual meals from this stall so far, but overall, I think this is a pretty decent stall for zi char. It's currently among one of my favourites for the Gong Bao Chicken, which I certainly would return to order again!

Hong Kong Sheng Kee has quite a range of Hong Kong style desserts from Red Bean Paste ($2.90) to Mango Sago ($4.90) and snacks such as Siew Mai ($3.90 for 3). They also have a selection of noodles and rice, but the main highlight seems to be their snacks and desserts. I wanted to to try their Yolk Custard Pau so we went there for an early dinner.

The place was small but there wasn't many people when we were there so we could choose our own seats. However, I noticed that the seats at the corner had litter strewn on the floor and no one came to clear it even though the place wasn't packed. Otherwise, service was decent and the counter lady even took the time to recommend a few dishes when she noticed us looking at the menu when we went up to place our orders.The first item we got was the Oriental Chicken Sausage Rice ($6.90). It was served in a bamboo container and looked visually nice. The chicken was soft and the sauce was tasty, which added a dash of flavour to the meat and rice! I liked that the dish wasn't too oily like a few other similar dishes I've tried before elsewhere. I would definitely have this dish again in future!We also upgraded the meal to add on two sides, the yam cake and black sesame paste ($1.90). I've also previously tried their carrot cake and almond paste. I found their yam and carrot cake to be pretty good, especially the carrot cake which was quite fragrant and was also a little crispy on the outside. However, both were a tad oily for me. The pastes were both thick and certainly not lacking in flavour. I think these would make a nice dessert to complete your meal with or even to have on its own!Of course, we also got the Yolk Custard Pau ($2.90). The pau was regularly sized and there were two pieces of it, which made it good for sharing. Just be careful when biting into it because the 'custard' inside is kind of runny and will drip/squirt out once you open/bite into the pau. I kind of expected it to be more custard-like though. There was egg yolk mixed in with the sauce inside and it seemed to be the kind from salted egg. Overall, the pau was pretty nice but wasn't really my cup of tea.Finally, I got the Rice Balls in Osmanthus Soup ($3.30) to try as I thought it looked pretty good in the picture on the menu. It was rather a disappointment as it didn't look as nice as the photo and I didn't detect any tinge of osmanthus in the soup; it tasted more like sugared water. The rice balls were quite smooth and chewy though. The filling inside was black sesame, which I thought was okay as I preferred having my rice balls with peanuts filling instead.

I have also previously tried their Gold Dust Chicken Cutlet Rice ($6.90) and HK Wanton Noodles Soup ($5.90). The chicken cutlet was crispy but somewhat salty due to the seasoning. I preferred their wanton noodles more. The soup base was mild and the noodles was quite QQ. The wanton was meaty and I liked the wanton skin which was quite smooth. However, for the price, I think the dish is a little expensive considering it only came with wantons and some veggies and you could get local wanton noodles with char siew for cheaper elsewhere.

Overall, I think Sheng Kee is a decent place to have a meal or just to have their desserts once in a while. Their paste desserts are also quite tasty although a few of the other desserts and snacks are kind of a hit or miss for me. The prices for some of their dishes, snacks and desserts can also get a little pricey. If you are getting the rice or noodles, I'd recommend upgrading your meal with a choice of yam/carrot cake and one of the paste dessert as $1.90 for both is quite value for money considering that the dessert alone can set you back by about $3.30 if you get it ala carte. But then again, the entire set meal would end up costing around $7.80 to $9.80, which might be still be considered a tad expensive depending on the main dish you choose.

Ichiban Bento is actually located on the same premise as Kuriya Japanese Fresh Fish Market and Wadori. It is located on the left side of the outlet under the Kuriya sign, just behind Wadori. The place tends to be pretty crowded during pea​​k hours, since they are sharing the premise with Kuriya and ​Wadori, so I usually prefer going slightly earlier for lunch or dinner when it is not as crowded and noisy. Just like what its name suggest, this stall sells predominately Japanese Bento sets and Curry Bento Sets. In addition, they also offer a range of Donburi and Japanese Udons! Quite a selection considering the size of the stall!We ordered their Hawaiian Katsu ($7.80), which was basically chicken cutlet topped with ham, assorted capscium, pineapple and tartar sauce. It also came with rice and a small dish of appetizer. We requested to have the white rice switched to multigrain rice and they willingly accommodated our request although there was an additional charge for multigrain rice. The Katsu was crispy and juicy and the topping was quite creamy, although the portion of appetizer was somewhat meager and disappointing. Overall, the set was very tasty, albeit a little salty! Still, I just couldn't get enough of it!

You can also top up $2.00 with the Super Value Meal to get an extra side of Chawanmushi and Miso Soup. The Chawanmushi and Miso soup were flavourful and they didn't skimp on the ingredients in the side dishes. I'd recommend getting the Chawanmushi and Miso soup to complement your Super Value Bento Meal!We also got the very unpretentious Kitsune Udon ($6.50) that came with just two slices of Aburaage. It was a simple dish but the udon was thick and very smooth and the Aburaage was sweet. I thought the soup was quite flavourful although my friend found it a wee bit salty. There are other variety of the udon that comes with meat, such as the Pirikari Tori Karaage Udon ($7.50) or Tempura Udon ($7.50), which would give you more bang for your buck, however for this dish I personally prefer to have it simply and take my time savouring it!

Other sets I have previously tried from Ichiban Bento include the Chasoba & Katsu Don ($8.80) which came with Japanese green tea flavoured noodles and chicken cutlet with rice, and the Chicken Karaage Bento Set ($7.50) which came with multigrain rice and a side of gyoza and croquette. Both sets were equally tasty and the chicken was always crispy and juicy. I also love the gyoza and croquette!

Overall, their Udon and Bento sets are quite filling although I find that some of the dishes from Ichiban Bento can be a little salty. The prices for some of the usual bento set meals can get a little high too but in general, I find them to be value for money considering that they also come with a variety of sides like gyoza and croquette!

Woo Lee Jeeb Dae Bak Korean Cuisine opened some time ago at the Food republic at Causeway Point and we decided to go ​​​there for a family meal.​ Since it was in a food court, we didn't really expect much from the decor and ambience, but ​the place was neat and clean, and we were seated ​and served ​pretty fast​ by a friendly waitress in a pretty Hanbok-inspired costume!I opted to go for the Korean Hotstone Mixed Rice (with Chicken, $6.80) since the Bibimbap is one of my favorite Korean food. ​N​ote that they have two versions of the mixed rice. One is the Korean Mixed Rice ($5.80) that comes in a standard ​b​owl, and the other is the Korean Hotstone Mixed Rice ($6.80) that comes in a stone bowl. I ​opted for the latter.

The Hotstone Mixed Rice came piping hot and was quite spicy for me. But overall it was tasty​ and I liked the taste of the BBQ chicken, though I wished there were more of it! I also love that the rice got a little burnt and crisp towards the bottom of the stone bowl; this is ​the reason why I ​usually ​opt for the ​hotstone version;​ it really brought out the flavour of the ​food! ​​​​​​The other dish we got was the Korean Zazang Noodles ($7.00), which came with BBQ chicken and some vegetables (potato, carrots and sliced cucumbers) to mix with. It ended up looking like Char Kway Tiao. The vegetables were not seasoned and while we are supposed to mix and eat it with the paste which would add to the flavour, my mum and I thought that the ​taste of the paste was not very stron​g and the vegetables still ended up tasting rather bland. ​The noodles fared a little better with the paste though. ​We also got the Chicken Noodles​ ($6.70). The dish looked plain and it had only some shredded chicken meat, sliced cucumber and an egg in it​ along with the noodles, which was the same type of noodles as the Korean Zazang Noodles. While I found the soup tasty, I thought that the lack of ingredients really doesn't justify the price; we even had to dig around looking for shreds of meat! My dad found it pleasant enough and easy o​n​ the throat though​, especially since he was just recovering from a sore throat​.

Overall, ​I'd recommend getting their rice-based meals than the noodle dishes since since the rice dishes seem more filling. If you are thinking of giving the Korean Mixed Rice a try, go for the Hotstone version if you want a more 'authentic' taste!​​There ​are also free kimchi ​cabbages ​and ​kimchi pickles on the table​s​ that you can ​take with your meal, but we ate them while waiting for our dishes to arrive. Pretty spicy stuff even for side dishes,​ I'd suggest eating them with ​the food!​The food are mostly priced​ ​a little higher than standard food court fare, but it was the drinks that we found to be the pricey ones​. ​We got the Crushed Peach and Sikhae Rice Drink ($2.50 each) just to try some Korean-made beverages, and the cans were smaller than expected.​ If you want a drink to help you cope with the spicy food, I think it'd be better to either try out the Korean-made drinks if you have not tried them before, or just rely on your soup if your dish comes with it, or just hang in there until you finish your meal and get a drink elsewhere! ​