For years, this has been my favourite crab beehoon stall in Singapore, but because it is usually pricey, we only go for special occasions i.e. CNY dinners. http://static1.sg.orstatic.com/UserPhoto/photopending/0/EZ/002YHH743C482DC0011CC1c.jpg

For future references, their lou hay is one of the better ones I've had, even though it is less expensive than some of the others I had. The vegetable bits are fresher, and they are generous with their salmon slices. It was a good appetizer before the mains. http://static1.sg.orstatic.com/UserPhoto/photopending/0/EZ/002YHI183A7A7FD7BF30D0c.jpg
The first dish up was the giant bamboo clams, each amounting to $10. But it is sooooo worth it, because the clams have been stir-fried with garlic and chili padi, which brought out the flavour of the clams. I am not a huge seafood fan, so I would only try bits of it, but it did not have the usual clammy taste which I so hated. For someone who doesn't really like seafood, I would say this is a definite must-try! http://static1.sg.orstatic.com/UserPhoto/photopending/0/EZ/002YHJ2C647E5862B624C9c.jpg
This was my second favourite apart from the crab beehoon. Pork ribs coated in salted egg yolk made the perfect combination. They fried it so perfectly, I was craving for more even after the second rib. Absolutely delicious! http://static4.sg.orstatic.com/UserPhoto/photopending/0/EZ/002YHKC1E43A4EDC43E6F9c.jpg

And the star of the dinner table. I usually go for the noodles, with the soup which is filled with all that rich creamy goodness. Of course, anything so yummy often comes at a price. Its so sinful because of the cholesterol which you can literally taste in the soup. Having been boiled with the crabs and the eggs and everything else, the soup has been perfected to pure goodness sliding down your throat.

Of course, having tried a sliver of the crab meat, it tasted better than the others because of its freshness? The family said this is one of the best crabs they've had, but I guess it also depends, because a week later we went back for take-outs of the crab beehoon but the crab aint that fantastic anymore.

A good place for dinners for special occasions. But reservations is a MUST. Otherwise, be prepared to queue for at least 45 minutes on weekends.

I have been a loyal fan of them since 4 years ago. However, they have undergone much changes over the 4 years.

A long time ago (4 years back), when I was still not a fan of braised duck rice, this very stall changed my views forever. It was a full on 360degree change when that plate of steamed rice drenched in their salty braised gravy was served with a plate of thinly-sliced braised duck, coupled with a bowl of steamy herbal soup. The cherry on top of the meal was that chili sauce, which until today, still remains my favorite dip for braised duck. Back then, it was $3 for a single set, and it was enjoyable even on a hot sweaty afternoon because when the craving hits, it is worth giving up an air-conditioned food outlet for that.

Over the years, there has been a mark-up in its price, and they no longer serve that delicious herbal soup they once did. Still, the braised soy sauce and chili remains a characteristic pleaser in their braised duck. It makes a good lunch, dine-in or takeaway, and do remember to always ask for extra chili and sauce, because I always do, and that just makes the right amount.

They also serve kway chap, which I have tried before, but was highly disappointed. Seems that they mastered the art of braised duck more than they do kway chap. The soy sauce that often coats the pork intestines, skins, egg and tofu is extremely salty, and it makes you really thirsty after a meal. The kway chap is mediocre, but it is infuriating that they charge up to $6 for a single serving of kway chap. Definitely not worth the meal, but do go there if you are a huge fan of braised duck, for it has never failed to disappoint.

I do enjoy eating popiahs, but I have never craved for it the same way I do for char kway teow, laksa or even chicken rice. This humble dish is often more of an appetizer when there is an half-hour wait for my main course.

When the boyfriend called me one night, telling me that he has just tasted the most delicious popiah ever, I was not only skeptical, but immediately presumed that it was his hunger talking more than his judgement for good food.

The following week, we made our way to this coffee shop that wasn't even conveniently located near Bishan MRT. I would highly recommend driving there, or perhaps busing to the nearest bus stop.

When we arrived at 7.45pm , the uncle was already cleaning the display stand, and he told us he was sold out for the day. Imagine our disappointment when we had gone so far just for the popiah, but ended up eating whatever else the other stores had to offer.

The sold-out popiah made me all the more determined to try them, seeing that they sold like hot cakes even on a weekday. The next week, we headed down and arrived at 6.30pm, and I decided that since I had come all the way here for the popiah, I was going to have 2 whole rolls to myself for dinner.

Each roll ($1.20) was sliced into 5 parts, and I took the first bite, expecting tiny fireworks in my mouth. It literally happened. Each bite was so savoury that I wolfed down the first 2 bites, before beginning to appreciate the taste of it.

This legendary uncle has mastered the right balance between the peanuts, sweet sauce, radish, chili and skin. The skin was the most important part because i hated it whenever the skins get too soggy, or the fillings are just bursting from the rolls, making it impossible to enjoy when bits of filling are falling out from your mouth as you struggle to chomp down.

2 rolls however, was not a good idea, as I was so full after 1.5 rolls, that I didn't really appreciate the last half roll. I have been frequently going back on a monthly basis, and to date, am still not sick of it.

I would highly recommend to arrive before 7.30pm at least, and to order them as an appetizer rather than a full meal as I did.

The best banana leaf rice that I've ever had was in a tiny hole-in-a-wall shop in KL, Malaysia. I've been there twice before they decided to relocate, and I have never even bothered remembering the name of the stall. Since then, its been a personal goal of mine to search for the next best banana leaf rice that would match up to their standards.

So whenever I get friends to recommend good banana leaf places that they've been too, everyone would immediately bring up Apolo. Given that its located in Little India, I fell for the whole legit perception of it being the most original one that I could posisbly find in Singapore.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was really craving for that plate of banana leaf rice which I had years back in KL. The boyfriend and I decided it was time to give Apolo a try.

Since we arrived past the lunch peak hour, we managed to get a seat pretty quickly, and was served up our food pretty fast. The servers were helpful, but sadly, my verdict for Apolo is that its overrated and perhaps overly popular to bring out that taste that I've been searching for.

The boyfriend said that the chef could have been different, as he also mentioned that it didn't taste as good as he remembered. So perhaps it was just bad luck that we went on a day when the food hasn't been that fantastic.

Perhaps I will give it another chance in the near future, but for now, I'm open to any recommendations for awesome banana leaf rice that would once again possess that flavorful taste which I would probably never find again.

This Italian restaurant which once used to be a cafe-style deli is tucked away neatly along Boat Quay. Its a short walk from the MRT, and conveniently located right next to Home Club for drinks after.

I was spoilt for choices, and was torn between the pizza, pasta and steaks. Although their Seafood Marinara was a favorite, as indicated in the menu, the one that really caught my eye was the Linguine Al Ranchio (Crabmeat) and their Fettuccine with beef ragu. Sadly, however, the best beef ragu I've ever tasted was in an Italian restuarant in Sydney, and I never bothered trying others for fear it would ruin it for me forever.

Since there is a huge complication when it comes to seafood, the linguine which serves shredded crab meat was the more obvious choice. The pasta was al dente, just the way I love it, and it was cooked in a cream-based sauce. The crab meat went perfectly with the sauce and the pasta, it was a match made in heaven.

It was however, an extremely filling meal. I gave up at the halfway mark, not because it wasn't delicious, but simply because I can never finish any cream-based pasta. It also began to get really dry, especially when I've been going at it for nearly an hour. It turned cold and unappetizing halfway thru.

Still, it was a delicious main course, and since I've heard much about their desserts, it would have been a waste if I had given it a miss.

The lemon meringue was a disappointment, I have to say. It looked so tempting from the display shelf, but they failed to achieve the right balance between the sweet meringue and tartliness of the lemon. I ended up scraping the lemon off the base just to get at the crust, which was the only redeeming part of the tart.

Thank goodness we didn't miss the warm chocolate fondue served with ice cream. The use of dark chocolate really brought out the intensity of the whole dessert. That was a real score! The vanilla ice cream, however, tasted more like frozen churned milk more than vanilla bean, but it was overpowered by all that chocolatey goodness that there isn't really much to complain about it.

I would definitely be back to try their pizza, and hopefully, for my next visit, more desserts would be able to score with my tastebuds.