[Closed] Chef Wai Hometown Noodle (Blk 461 Yishun)

*edited on 21 April 2024, closed*

Having stayed in Yishun nearly all my life, I was surprised to see a few photos showing the same food from Instagram. Curiosity got the better of me and when I clicked the location geo tag, I noticed that the stall was located in Yishun. 

The stall called Chef Wai Hometown Noodle is located at Blk 461 in Yishun. The owners are husband and wife. The menu offers Signature Seafood Pork Noodle, Pork Noodle, Meat Ball Noodle and even Bitter Gourd Pork Noodle.

I ordered the most expensive item on the menu, which is the Signature Seafood Pork Noodle (dry) which cost $6.50. Interestingly, it comes with an onsen egg on top of the noodles, which gave the noodles, a creamy and silky texture when they are well mixed. 

The bowl of cloudy soup was definitely the differentiating factor that makes this stall stands out. It was robust, flavourful and full of ingredients. It came with two deshell crunchy prawns, two squid rings, two meatballs, minced meat patty and slices of lean meat, fishcake and cabbage. 

The minced meat patty was unique in terms of taste, it taste as though powdered dried sole fish was added in it. I liked the soup so much that I finished the whole bowl of soup. 

I have gone back to visit the stall around 4 times thus far. Can't wait to visit them again. 

Chef Wai Hometown Noodle (Blk 461 Yishun)

Prime Court Stall 5
Blk 461 Yishun Ave 6
Singapore 760461
Opening Hours: Fri to Wed 7am to 4pm
                           Closed on Thu

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[Closed] Mary's Kafe - Hidden Gem!

Update: Closed down
 *Edited on 5 Apr 18 as Mary's Kafe has shifted to Bendemeer

Roast Beef and Corned Beef Cutlet

Mary's Kafe is a hidden gem that is well-known among the Eurasian community in Singapore. Why is it well-known among the Eurasian community?

Well, it is because Mary's Kafe is owned by Mary Gomes, who is the best-selling author of "The Eurasian Cookbook". Also, she is the one doing the cooking in Mary's Kafe. Needless to say, it is popular for its Nonya and Eurasian food.

This no-frills cafe is hidden at a quiet corner of Queen Street at Kum Yan Methodist Church Building. I have been contemplating on whether I should type out this post after I got to know of this place in 2012. But well, I think I have procrastinated enough.. sharing is caring.

As shown in above photos, there are limited seats.The place is relatively empty as this was taken at 12 pm. Once you are ready to order, you will need to proceed to the counter to order and make payment. Only cash payment is accepted, they do not accept nets or credit card payments.

Also, do remember to collect the food, else Mary Gomes will keep ringing a bell. =P

Another photo of the place. This was taken at 12.30pm on a weekday. By this timing, the place would normally be full.

Set Lunch Menu

Set lunch is available daily, and they come with a drink and dessert at $8.50. The menu changes daily and there are limited quantities for each set. So the tip is to arrive early as the more popular set lunches may be sold out as early as 12.30 pm! The food shown below are those that I have eaten during my visits to the cafe.

Roast Beef and Corned Beef Cutlet

Since I have never tried Corned Beef Cutlet before, I added $0.60 to give it a try. It was essentially breaded grounded (grind-ed) beef meat which was then deep fried. It did not leave much of an impression.

The Roasted Beef set was served with rice and vegetable (cabbage). The cabbage was quite ordinary. Personally, I would have preferred it to be cooked a little longer so that it was softer. The cabbage was nearly always served as a side in most of my orders.

Roast Beef 

I was quite surprised that the Roasted Beef was served in a bowl, soaked in a dark brown sauce. It reminded me of Chinese braised soya sauce. But it tasted nothing like it.

Among all the dishes I tried, the Roast Beef was the best. The braising sauce was unique. It was light and flavourful with hints of sweet and savory taste which were balanced perfectly. The sliceds of roast beef was so flavourful as they had adsorbed the essence of the sauce. Also, the sauce went really well with the rice. Yummy!

Beef Curry with Tea

The Beef Curry set was again served with cabbage.

Beef Curry 

The Beef Curry was not it spicy at all. In fact, it was quite fragrance. Unlike most curry sold at outdoor eateries, this one had no powder residue. The beef chunks were tender and moist too. I liked the potato as it was cooked just right.

Chicken Meat Ball Stew with Corned Beef Cutlet

The Chicken Meat Ball Stew was not served with cabbage since the stew itself had cabbage.

Chicken Meat Ball Stew with Sugee Cake and Tea

Chicken Meat Ball Stew

The Chicken Meat Ball Stew was a stew with carrot, cabbage and chunks of chicken meat. Although the sweetness of the carrot and cabbage was evident in the stew, I felt that it could have been more robust.

Chicken Chop

The Chicken Chop set was served with cabbage (again). This was ordinary. The chicken chop size was small and the marination was forgettable. I should have ordered their other set lunch.

Signature Sugee Cake

The dessert changes daily too. This was Mary Gomes' signature Sugee Cake which was highly raved about. It sure lived up to its reputation. It had a grainy texture and was full of buttery goodness. I wish that the size was bigger as the one given can be eaten in one mouthful!

Green Bean Soup

The Green Bean Soup looked ordinary. But it was so awesome! In fact, I think that it tasted way better than the Sugee Cake. It was robust and full of flavour. Also, there was an addictive malty after taste that made me longed for more!

Appam with Caramelised Banana

On another occasion, the dessert was Appam with Caramelised Banana. I have never tried such a dessert before. It was so special! The unappealing tasteless / bland appam paired off well with the sweet and savoury caramelised banana!

I have been to Mary's Kafe several times but I still have not tried the signature devil's curry before! Although there are hits and misses, you should give Mary's Kafe a try. They sell real good Eurasian style food and who knows how much longer she will continue operating this no-frills, homely eatery. 

Mary's Kafe (Bras Basah)

20 Bendemeer Road
Singapore 339914

Tel: +65 9852 0348

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 8am - 5pm

                         Closed on Sat and Sun

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[Closed] By Grace, Trus (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

*Closed*

Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90

By Grace, Trus is a soft serve cafe located along Jalan Trus, 15 minutes away from the causeway. In fact, it is located less than 1 minute walk from the famous Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂.

We visited the cafe at 12 noon sharp when it just opened and was the their first customers.

Menu

They specialise in serving only charcoal earl grey soft serve.

Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90

We were told that their signature is the Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90. It was one the most interesting and contrasting dessert I had. The unique ingredients includes wolfberries, muffin, charcoal early grey soft serve ice cream, osmanthus, rice crispies pop and osmanthus jelly and foam. It was quite an innovative dessert. But I would just prefer the plain charcoal early grey soft serve. 

By Grace, Trus (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

9, Jalan Trus

80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Tel: +60 17 740 1733

Opening Hours: Daily 12 pm to 10 pm

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[Closed] Skinny Pizza (Plaza Singapura)

Updated: Closed down

The English Breakfast Pizza $24

Skinny Pizza is a restaurant chain specialising in thin crust pizza. Owned by the Spa Espirt Group, it first started in 2008 and currently has a total of 5 outlets in Singapore.

There was a short queue when we visited its outlet at Plaza Singapura on a Friday evening.  

We ordered 3 sides since doing so would cost just $18. We ordered the Truffle Fries, Grilled Prawns with Cauliflower Couscous and 1/4 Metre Pork Sausage.

Truffle Fries $9 (a la carte price)

For the first side, we chose the Truffle Fries $9. As it name suggests, it was essentially fries with salt and truffle oil. It arrived piping hot and crisp. With a hint of truffle on every single piece of fries, this was so irresistible. This is something that I will always order when I am at Skinny Pizza. 

Grilled Prawns with Cauliflower Couscous $9 (a la carte price)

For the second side, we ordered the Grilled Prawns with Cauliflower Couscous $9. The cauliflower couscous; fine shredded cauliflower was good. Wish that they had given more of it. Other than that the rest of the items were a let down.

1/4 Metre Pork Sausage $8 (a la carte price)

As for the 3rd side, we chose the 1/4 Metre Pork Sausage $8. It was served on top of a bed of rocket salad. We all agreed that this was the worst side. The pork sausage tasted weird and was too salty. Luckily for me, I love rocket salad and ate the sausage along with it to mask the taste. 

Squid Ink Pizza $29

Squid Ink Pizza $29 is another dish that I always order whenever I am at Skinny Pizza. This is my favourite and is probably the best pizza at Skinny Pizza! A must order!

It consist of prawns, squids, tomato salsa, onion, rocket salad, basil and parsley on squid ink crust (hence the crust is black in colour!). Grilled to perfection, this pizza tasted way better than it looks! The thin, crispy pizza base; a specialty of Skinny Pizza was executed perfectly! With its fresh ingredients, this tasted so good that I stopped the efficient waiter who wanted to clear the pan away as I had yet to scrap off whatever ingredients still left on the pan.

The English Breakfast Pizza $24 was a pizza with bacon, sunny side egg, roasted tomato, mushroom, rocket salad, basil and parsley. The crust was again thin and crispy. As the waiter cuts the pizza into serving slices, watch the egg yolk ooze out. A word of caution would be to eat this as soon as possible. This is because the egg yolk would soft the crust and make it soggy. Otherwise, this pizza also tasted quite good. 

Overall, the pizzas at Skinny Pizza was very well executed. As for the sides, if I had a choice, I would order all 3 sides as Truffle Fries (not sure if they allowed). 

Skinny Pizza (Plaza Singapura)

#03-79/83 Plaza Singapura

68 Orchard Rd

Singapore 238839

Tel: 6884 8381

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm

Website

Other branches
Skinny Pizza (100AM)
#01-03/04
100 Tras Street
Singapore 079027
Tel: 6444 2136

Skinny Pizza (Raffles City)
#B1-63/64 Raffles City
252 North Bridge Road
Singapore 179103
Tel: 6333 5069

Skinny Pizza (Westgate)
#01-03 Westgate
3 Gateway Link
Singapore 608532

[Closed] Cafe Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza)

*Edited on 24 Sep 2014: Closed*

Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90

Cafe Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza) is a small humble eatery located at a quiet corner of the exterior of Sunshine Plaza along Prinsep Street. Inclusive of its exterior and interior seating, this eatery can sit around 20 people. 

I have eaten at least five times at Cafe Sneakery and was impressed with their food. Through these visits, I tried all 3 of their  Noodles; Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles, Noodles Soup and Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles.

Besides selling Noodles, they have Sandwiches, Toasts, Wraps, Ice Cream and Beverages available.

Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles $5.50

Their signature Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles with sesame oil and special sauce is my favourite dish!

Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles $5.50

The noodles was very well executed. Cooked to perfect timing, the texture was so soft while the taste was so savoury. The smoked duck was a pleasant surprise. It was well smoked and was tender and springy. This dish is a die die must try!

Noodles Soup $4.90

The Noodles Soup $4.90 cooked with chicken, prawns, mushrooms and vegetables was another gem.

Noodles Soup $4.90

This bowl of Noodles Soup was so forgiving, comforting with a warmly feel.

The broth was flavourful and the essence from boiling the vegetables (probably radish) and meat was extracted out into the broth. With the addition of the ingredients, this dish was just so health. There was definitely no MSG added in it, as I drank all the soup and did not felt thirsty at all. A homely dish, perfect dish on a rainy, cold day or if you are not feeling well.

Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90

The Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90 did not exactly wow me as I felt that the balance of the sourness and spiciness could be improved. In addition, the mushroom used did not really suit the tom yum soup.

This small cafe called Cafe Sneakery is highly recommended. If it can overcome its small seating capacity, this hidden gem could be the next big thing and add itself into the list of established players nearby such as Victor's Kitchen, Oven Marvel and Aroy Dee Thai Cafe. This cafe is a family run business, I hope that they continue to operate despite the challenges (labour, rental, etc). I will definitely be back for more of their Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles and Noodles Soup. Give this a try, you will not regret it.

ps: do note that you might have to wait for half and hour during their peak hour (i.e. lunch time) as the place would be full. They do not take short cuts and rush through their cooking as the quality of food is important to them.

Anyway from what I heard, their shop is up for lease and if someone takes up the lease this shop would likely cease operation. If you want to try this, you have got to be fast. 

Café Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza)

91 Bencoolen Street 

#01-59 Sunshine Plaza 

Singapore 189652

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am to 5pm

                         Closed on Sat and Sun
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[Closed] Tyre Cafe (Wilkie Edge)

*Edited Nov 2015: Closed*

The Tyre Cafe is a tyre concept cafe located at Wilkie Edge selling both Chinese and Japanese Cuisine. With its bright orange signage, it was easy to spot. 

If you notice the setting of the restaurant, you would notice why it was called Tyre cafe.

Well, this is the reason. In addition, there were posters of sports cars plastered on the walls.

Hin Hwa Mee Sua $7.90

Their specialty is the Hin Hwa Mee Sua $.790 a 80 year old family recipe from Putian, (part of Fujian Province) in China.

Hin Hwa Mee Sua $7.90

The Hin Hwa Mee Sua was served with chicken, omelette, mushrooms, seaweeds, peanuts, fried shallots and mee sua in a clear light brown chicken broth. 

Hin Hwa Mee Sua $7.90

The Hin Hwa Mee Sua was delicious! Light, healthy, comforting and homely dish. The flavours and texture complemented each other well. This is a must try! No wonder its their specialty dish! I can eat this everyday and yet not get sick of this!

Late last year, the cafe also had Deal.com.sg deals. I bought two vouchers which cost $5.90 each. The vouchers allowed me to purchase Saba Fish Bento Set / Teriyaki Chicken Bento Set which also came with tofu, edamame, takoyaki balls, fruits and green tea. 

Saba Fish Bento Set

This is the Saba Fish Bento Set.

Edamame, Takoyaki Balls

The Edamame and Takoyaki Balls.

Saba Fish Bento Set

The Saba Fish was very well executed. It was crisp and fresh.

Teriyaki Chicken Bento Set

This is the Teriyaki Chicken Bento Set.

Teriyaki Chicken Bento Set

Although both bento sets were decent, they were not fantastic. However, at $5.90, the sets were so value for money! Personally, I preferred the Saba Fish.

Needless to say, my favourite dish is the Hin Hwa Mee Sua!

Tyre Cafe (Wilkie Edge)
#01-16 Wilkie Edge
Selegie Road
Singapore 228095
Tel: 6365 3366
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am - 830pm
                         Closed on Sun

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