back to try their signature chicken pot. i don't know what the XO is about but there was a strong numbing taste about it which might have come from the chinese wines added for the 10-hour preparations.this was a medium $15 pot that came with delightfully braised celery, onions and garlic topped with ginger slices and sprigs of spring onions. of course there were those delightfully succulent pieces of chicken.

What's there to do with all the gravy? Get more sides to dunk in. Dad grabbed two different kinds of mushroom and a plate of beancurd sheets. these go at 3 for $5.

And we also had plain rice at $1 a bowl.

It was very filling but oh so addictive. although i wish there was something that could be done about the numbing aftertaste of the gravy.

Walking in to a dimly lit restaurant with high backed chairs and carpeted interiors.

This felt like stepping into a luxurious living room.

The tables had a suitable distance between them such that diners don't get uncomfortable speaking in case they are overheard at the next table.

Servers were mainly Mainland Chinese and the service was quietly efficient.

The steamers of xlb were on every table but today, i didn't feel like having any.

Now, I don't get why people rave about Japanese ramen and not this bowl of la mian from Paradise Dynasty.It's everything I wanted in a bowl of noodles. A generous serving of springy noodles in a deliciously flavourful broth with a three thick slices of braised pork belly. Should I also mention the braised half soft boiled egg? All for $10.90. and of course, making it absolutely chinese, I had a side of dumplings $6.90. meat and chives. a dip in the vinegar, topped with a few slices of ginger and send it right in for the taste test!

mmm. skin with bite. the juicy morsel of meat filling, the familiar taste of chives all made for a myriad of flavours in the mouth. YUM!

now that's what I call lunch.

We came here simply to unwind from the madness they call work. It's like fighting a war everyday and all we needed was to kickback chillax.unagi fried rice. This was a delicious fried rice. the grains of japanese rice were fat and well fried with the taste of the wok and teriyaki sauce. The unagi pieces were a good portion, well spread out through the rice. $11.90and we decided on a buta kimchi soup. didn't expect it to come in a generous portion. $13.90

It was a comfort food dinner success.

The same guys behind Standing Sushi Bar. It was a mad rave about their dollar oyster promotions. The promotion is no longer on. But they are still on offer at $2 a pop.A dozen? Of course and why not?
Served on a bed of ice in a pretty metal platter, the oysters vary in size and come with salted water in their shells. So please, pour away the extra water before you eat it or you'd be unpleasantly surprised like me. A generous squeeze of lemon topped with a dash or two of tabasco. Then slurp everything down. Mmm. Feels like a tiny part of the sea exploded in my belly. And of course, how could i resist?
Sashimi slices going for a dollar a slice. Each portion goes for 5 dollars for 5 slices.
Make that a double.

Now that's what I call dinner.

Coming here without a decision on what to eat is my biggest nightmare.
Cheong Chin Nam Road is a stretch full of different cuisines. We're quite the epitome of melting pot when it comes to food offerings.

And so I decided to walk in at No. 10 for Soup Master and XO Chicken Pot. They had two special promotions on a separate menu. Either the sesame oil chicken with noodles or rice. Or the Braised pork rice.

Guess which one I picked?At just $3.80 on promotion (add a dollar for the usual price), this was surprisingly generous.

Or perhaps it's just the many different toppings on the rice that made it seem so.

Half a hardboiled egg, braised tofu puff, stewed peanuts, salted vegetable ends and braised pork of course.

The peanuts had a sticky sweet sauce that I didn't fancy much.

But otherwise, I loved my deliciously satisfying lunch choice.