Smart Cook is a takeaway kiosk that offers a limited selection of local dishes at affordable hawker prices. There used to be a counter under the "Smart Cook" name selling youtiao and other fried snacks but the kiosk has been downsized, so now it's just Chicken Rice ($2.00), Nasi Lemak ($2.20), and Economy Fried Bee Hoon (price varies).Passing by the stall during dinner time, I noticed that there were quite a few staple choices like fried bee hoon, fried rice, fried kway tiao and fried mee. There were also quite a variety of add-ons like curry chicken, vegetables, fried eggs, fishballs and even chicken nuggets and hash browns!

I decided to get the fried bee hoon but being wary after my expensive plate of fried bee hoon for two add-ons at Ananas Cafe a few doors down, I went for only one add-on this time. Fried Bee Hoon with Seaweed Chicken ($2.50)
The bee hoon was cold but it was nothing that can't be fixed with a short merry-go-round in the microwave oven. It was quite springy to bite although it was also a tad oily for me. I found it slightly salty and the taste of soy sauce could be discerned. The three pieces of seaweed chicken were also quite meaty and well cooked. Overall, it was a tasty meal and the portion given was quite generous for the price, especially when compared to the one from Ananas. I preferred the fried bee hoon from Smart Cook over Ananas as the portion size was not only plentiful but the food was tastier and the price also seemed to be more reasonable, at least for my purchase.

Not only that, but Smart Cook is also conveniently located at Woodlands MRT just at the entrance of Causeway Point, which makes it great for customers to grab their breakfast, lunch or dinner for a steal along the way. Now that's smart!

More 'liangteh' for today after eating so much heaty food lately!

I never bought from this stall before so I decided to give it a try to see how their herbal tea fared compared to other stalls like Hockhua. They have quite a variety of herbal tea and "cooling" drinks such as Barley, Water Chestnut, Almond and so on. To help you decide, there are also useful signs stating which of the drinks are suitable for certain minor ailments like cough. The cute thing is that many of their drinks come in fancy but sweet names like "Red Passion", "Secret Garden" and "First Love".

So, what does First Love taste like? Probably like Lemon Tea, at least according to this shop."First Love" Lemon Tea ($1.80)
Sweet, a little zesty. And quite refreshing. I thought that this drink from Oriental Herbal Tea managed to achieve the delicate balance between lemon and tea, at least for my taste. It had the aroma of fragrant tea and was pretty refreshing to drink especially on a hot day. Wheatgrass usually tend to be my first choice for a cooling drink, but at this stall, I actually preferred this Lemon Tea over it. This "First Love" Lemon Tea was really quite Love at First Sip.

I did come here initially with the intention to get Wheatgrass, but didn't see Wheatgrass among their display so I took my chances and asked if they have it. To my surprise, they actually had it in stock but the batch was stored in the fridge to keep them chilled and fresh. If you didn't see the drink you want at the counter display, just feel free to ask! The staff were quite approachable and helpful and they also took the initiative to inform me to keep the wheatgrass juice in the fridge if any storing was needed.Wheatgrass ($3.50)
No fancy name for this unfortunately. This tasted a tad milder compared to the one from Hockhua but was still quite concentrated. It also tasted natural and wasn't too sweet which suited me just fine. However, at $3.50, it was much more expensive than the one from Hockhua which was only $2.00.

I supposed you are probably also paying for the nice bottles, which are thick and sturdy and definitely good for reusing over and over again! The prices for most of the other drinks seemed to be more or less on par with other herbal tea stalls although I personally wouldn't mind paying a tiny wee bit more for the bottles, just as long the difference isn't too great like the Wheatgrass juice. But if price is a concern, there are also a few other reasonably priced drinks in the $1+ range. It helped that the taste of the drinks in general seemed to be quite decent too, especially that of First Love.

What to do when you are on a budget but want a decent meal in a comfortable environment that isn't a fast food outlet? Go to Hot Tomato of course! Its clean and modern decor in its signature colors of orange and white makes it a pleasant and lively place for a casual meal with friends or family. Incidentally, orange is also known to be stimulating to the appetite. Big appetite or not, the menu here is not as extensive as I'd like, but there is still a sufficient variety of meals to choose from, such as the mains, grills & spaghetti, pasta, and soup, salads and sides. Best of all, the dishes here are mostly pretty affordable and there are set meal upgrades that you can opt for a more filling meal without busting your budget by too much.Teriyaki Chicken Aglio Olio ($8.60)
This came with quite a decent portion of grilled boneless chicken thigh on spaghetti aglio olio with a side of crunchy salad. The chicken chop was juicy and tender, and the sauce was pretty tasty and peppery. The aglio olio was cooked al dente and it was also evenly seasoned, although I thought that the flavour of the aglio olio could be a little stronger. We did like that the spaghetti wasn't too dry or too oily.

Set Meal Upgrade: Mushroom Soup of the Day + Garlic Bread + Ice Lemon Tea (All Day Upgrade $3.50)
We upgraded our meal for a soup of the day, which was Cream of Mushroom, and a choice of Ice Lemon Tea (you can also choose Lime Juice, Coffee or Tea). Unfortunately, we forgot to take photo of the soup as it came after our mains and by then we were busy tucking into the food. The soup was quite creamy and delicious with a generous serving of chopped mushroom bits. We both gave it the thumb up for taste.Mashed Potato with Pepper Gravy ($3.90)
We also got an extra side of Mashed Potato which came in a small bowl. The mashed potato was smooth and creamy and the sauce was quite peppery. I thought that "peppery" seemed to be a common thread among quite a number of their dishes. The Mashed Potato was a nice addition if you want something more with the meal but I personally found the set upgrades sufficient.Chocolate Cake (Upgrade $2.50)
We also upgraded the meal to add a cake for $2.50 which we initially thought was a good deal as the usual price was $3.50. But we were a tad disappointed when we saw how small and thin it was. Taste-wise, we thought that this wasn't exactly a cake and was more like a condensed version of chocolate mousse but nonetheless it was still quite decent in taste. My only grouse was that there was just too little of this melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treat to really satisfy me!

Overall, the food was quite decent and we thought our meals were quite reasonably priced at just $14/++ each (before service charge and GST) for a complete meal with a main, soup of the day, dessert and drink. It was worth getting the set meal upgrade for the soup although we were split on our verdict regarding the dessert. I thought it was decent enough but my friend didn't find it worth the price especially considering the serving size.

Service was also quite decent despite the dinner time crowd and the staff was fairly responsive. But you might want to go slightly earlier as there is usually a queue during dinner time. One other thing is that they will charge for a glass of water at $0.20 per glass. So do take note if you need a drink but do not plan on upgrading the meal!

It has been a long time since I ate at Tenderfresh, and I still remember the distinctive taste of their crispy fried chicken and french fries. Passing by the Halal Tenderfresh Express kiosk at Causeway point, I was tempted enough by the wonderful sight of the lovely fried and barbequed chicken in their display counter to get my dinner for today from them. I'd have actually preferred to dine in but this was a takeaway kiosk and there was no seats or tables for eating in, so takeaway it is. They have quite a range of dishes on their menu such as the Honey Chicken Rice ($3.80), Chicken Chop or Cutlet ($6.90) and even Meatball or Seafood Spaghetti ($6.50). Also available are sides such as Fried or BBQ Chicken Wings ($1.40 each), Cheese Fries ($3.80), and Potato Salad ($3.80). Not exactly cheap, especially for the mains, but there are value meals you can get to get more bang for your buck, for example, the Honey Chicken Rice + Cheese Fries set costs only $5.00 instead of $7.60 if you were to get them separately.

I was tempted by the value set but I eventually decided to try the Pommery Mustard Chicken Rice as it looked tempting in their menu! The staff were helpful and I noted that they processed the orders pretty quickly so I didn't have to wait too long while they prepared my order.Pommery Mustard Chicken Rice ($5.00)
The chicken was mixed with the pommery mustard sauce on the spot upon ordering which was good, since it meant that the chicken chunks were still crispy and not soggy at the point of consumption. But somehow they ended up looking rather different from the picture in their menu. Not that I mind though. There was a really lovely aroma wafting out of the styrofoam box even as I was walking home. The chicken chunks were quite evenly seasoned and I love the Pommery Mustard sauce which was sweet with a very faint tinge of spices mixed in. On the other hand, the rice looked promising but was kind of a letdown as it tasted quite bland, almost like plain rice, although the grains were firm and nice to chew on. The Pommery Mustard Chicken Rice also came with a side of coleslaw, which was not bad in taste and was quite crunchy.

The portion of the chicken rice was average, so it might feel a tad pricey for $5.00 for takeaway. But I enjoyed the taste of the Pommery Mustard Chicken (just not the rice) and I think their prices are more or less similar to prices at Western food stalls. I'd definitely love to try the other food on their menu like the meatball spaghetti and potato salad!

I always get my "liang teh" from Hockhua Herbal Tea whenever I need a 'cooling' drink. There are quite a variety of herbal tea with varying medicinal properties here across a range of price from $1.20 to $5.00, most of which are quite acceptable. The staff are also very knowledgeable about their products and are quite proficient at making recommendations for a range of common ailments like cough or sore throat. I once came here to get something for a cough and sore throat and the lady staff immediately recommended getting the Ge Gen Tea ($3.00) with a powder concoction to add in. It was quite expensive, about $5.00 for just a bottle of herbal tea mixed with powder, but it was effective and helped to soothe my irritated throat and I felt a little better after that. So if you need something specific, don't hesitate to ask, the staff are pretty approachable!

But you don't need to be sick to drink herbal tea. I've been eating quite a lot lately, especially junk food, and decided to grab a bottle of herbal tea to soothe the throat. One of my favourite is Wheat Grass which not only taste good, but also contains detoxifying properties and is particularly useful for improving digestion. Honey Wheatgrass Concentrate ($2.00)
The wheatgrass drink that I have tried before from other herbal tea shops tend to be sweet, probably due to the addition of sugar, but the one from Hockhua was not that sweet. It was more concentrated and tasted more natural. Chrysanthemum Tea ($1.20)
This was one of the more affordable herbal tea at Hockhua. Like the Honey Wheatgrass, this wasn't that sweet either and was quite soothing on the throat, though the "herbal" taste was slightly strong.

You could also get the herbal drinks chilled for a more refreshing drink, especially given Singapore's hot weather!