Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant in operation for more than 50 years is a well-known dim sum restaurant which is extremely popular among Singaporeans and tourist. It has been featured on many newspapers, magazines as well as food shows. Unlike most other dim sum restaurants, Swee Choon's operating hours are from 6pm to 6am catering ensuring that Singaporeans have an extra option for supper and are well-fed throughout the night. Lucky for us, now we can all have dim sum even at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning! 

Swee Choon located at Jalan Besar opposite Berseh Food Centre is so popular that it occupy 5 units of shophouses along this stretch of road. It is in the between both Farrer Park and Lavendar MRT stations, a good 10 to 15 minutes walk away from either stations.

Occupying 5 units, Swee Choon offers both alfresco dining and air-conditioned (indoor) dining. In addition, it has a unit which cater only to walk-in customers who order takeaways. 

As we already knew that there would be a long queue if we arrived late, we made it a point to arrive at 630pm on a Friday for dinner. Luckily for us, we got the last available table at the indoor (air-conditioned) dining area. 

Menu

Menu

Menu

The menu with the prices. As you can see, Swee Choon offers a wide variety of Hong Kong and Shanghai dim sum, and local zi char dishes. 

Chrysantheum Tea $1.30 per pax

For drinks, we ordered their Chrysantheum Tea which cost $1.30 per pax. It was served in a metal pot and is refillable. They mixed the tea bags themselves. The Chrysantheum Tea was quite good as it was light, refreshing, fragrant and help to wash down the grease. 

Century Egg Porridge $2.50

The Century Egg Porridge $2.50 was served in a small bowl. It was decent, but not the best. There were chunks of century egg and chicken meat in it. 

Mee Suah Kueh $2

Swee Choon's signature Mee Suah Kueh $2; deep-fried vermicelli cake (mee sua) which can only be found at Swee Choon. Show this kueh to anyone and they would associate it with Swee Choon. Almost every table ordered this. I thought that this was unique and not bad. But  I will not rate it as a die die must try as the standard seemed to be inconsistent and it was a little too greasy. One of the kueh could have been fried a little longer. The texture was unique. Crisp, rough texture on the outside while the interior was moist. 

Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50

This Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50 was surprisingly good. Despite the simplicity, it was well executed. The tofu was fried till it was crispy on the outside. The addition of the pork floss at the top was the icing on the cake.

Carrot Cake $2

The Carrot Cake $2 was not bad too. There were a good mix of radish, dried shrimps and chinese sauages in it. It was also a little too greasy. 

Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4

The Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4 was pan fried till it was so crispy. In addition, they were so generous fillings. Dipping it into the vinegar along with slices of ginger made this just so delectable. 

Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80

The Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80 with minced meat and prawns in it was ordinary.

Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50

The Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50 was a let down. The part of the pork served was not pork rib and it was either too fatty or was all bones.

Overall, Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant is worth a try. There were hits and misses in the dishes we ordered. Service wise, despite the restaurant being full, the staff were efficient. It was easy getting the attention of the staff. Do note that this restaurant only accepts cash or nets. They do not accept credit card. Also, they do not take any reservation. 

As we left Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant at close to 8pm, we saw a queue! It was very thoughtful of the restaurant owner to provide chairs outside. If you are planning to visit this restaurant during dinner time, do remember to come early. 

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
183/ 185/ 187/ 189/ 191 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62257788
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6 pm - 6 am 
                          Close on Tuesday
Website

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The Landing Point Afternoon High Tea Buffet (The Fullerton Bay Hotel)

The Landing Point Afternoon High Tea Buffet was something which we wanted to try for sometime. We had heard so much about its three tier high tea set.  

Noticed the piano at the side? A pianist started playing the piano at around 330pm providing soothing background music which set the tone for the relaxing afternoon. 

Comfy yet cozy sofa seats to chill out while enjoying the view.  

It over looks Marina Bay Sands. 

Elegant, dignified table setting.  

Beverage (Tea & Coffee) Menu

The Landing Point's Afternoon High Tea Buffet cost $49++ per person on weekdays and weekends from 3pm to 530pm. If you would like a sparkling wine to go along with your high tea, it is $69++. For a child, it would be $25++. Currently, UOB cardholders would be able to enjoy a 15% discount. So do remember to use this card if you have it.

There's 20 varieties of TWG Tea to enjoy while indulging in the high tea and enjoying the beautiful view of Marina Bay. 

Plain Scone

Plain Scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. There was also Raisin Scone. The Scones were average; they were not buttery enough.

Festive three-tiered high tea set

The main star was the three-tiered high tea set which is refillable. As we visited during the Christmas period, their normal three-tier high tea set was replaced with the Festive three-tiered high tea set.

Top Tier

The top tier consisted of mainly sweet items - Crème Brulee, Christmas Cake, Christmas Cookies and Christmas Pie.

Second Tier

The second tier which consisted of savoury items was our favourite - Lobster Tarts, Biscuit with Cheese and Fig, Truffle Egg Sandwich, Smoked Salmon Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich, Smoked Duck Sandwich and Cucumber Tomato Sandwich. We refilled this tier several times and did not refill the other tiers.

Front to back (Lobster Tarts, Biscuit with Cheese and Fig, Truffle Egg Sandwich, Smoked Salmon Sandwich)

Our top 3 items were the (order of preference) Lobster Tarts, Truffle Egg Sandwich and Smoked Duck Sandwich. We constantly ate these 3 items and got refills for them as they were real good. Other than that, the rest were mediocre.

Last Tier

The last (third) tier also consisted of sweet items - Pistachio Cake with Chocolate, Christmas Fruit Cake, Raspberry and Cream, and Macarons. The bitter sweet Chocolate Macaron was easily the best among all the items in this tier.

Most of the items in the first and third tier was too sweet.

Refills

The refills were placed at the back of our seats. The staff would make it a point to constantly provide refills for customers. However, service was a little on the slower end. They seemed under staffed and could not cope with the crowd. As you can see from the above photo, the popular items which was constantly being refilled was the food items in the second tier.

Left to Right: Fullerton Express Tea, Fruit Mountain

There was way too many selections of TWG  teas to try and could only try 2 different tea. For the first tea, I went for something light; the Fullerton Express Tea which was specially commissioned from TWG Tea by the Fullerton Group. It was a light, refreshing and fragrant tea. The second tea I tried was the Fruit Mountain which was a black tea. It was stronger in taste with a delicate sweetness to it.

As you may have already figure out, other than the Teas, the food was average. We ate mainly the Lobster Tart, Truffle Egg Sandwich and Smoked Duck Sandwich only. The price was on the higher end. But the ambience was excellent - Quiet, cozy with a great view. Perfect for a date or to just chill out and chat.

A summary video on the Afternoon High Tea Buffet which I posted on Instagram.

The Landing Point Afternoon High Tea Buffet (The Fullerton Bay Hotel)
The Fullerton Bay Hotel 
80 Collyer Quay 
Tel: 6597 5277
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 1am (note: afternoon tea is available from 3pm to 530pm only)
Website

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Noodle Soup with Chicken at Chatuchak Weekend Market (Thailand, Bangkok)

At the capital of the Land Of Smiles, Thailand, the Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must visit place for tourist. This market is the world's largest market weekend market spanning an area of 35 acres, split into 27 different sections with more than 15,000 booths selling different types of products.

With its attractive prices and wide range of products, this market can attract up to 200,000 visitors daily on weekends. This is despite the narrow alleys and unbearable heat. Few than 1% of the stalls are air conditioned.

It is highly advisable that you wear comfortable clothes such as t-shirt, shorts and slipper.

We did extensive research on the location for our lunch and came across this eatery called "Noodle Soup with Chicken". It was not easy finding this place because Chatuchak is huge! Luckily, we managed to narrow down the search area to Soi 29 which is along this 'main road' (above photo). 

We were thrilled when we found this place. It was like how I would imagine a popular place to be. Brisk business, filled to the brim with people. Noodle Soup with Chicken is actually located at Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47. The nearest gate is "Gate 3". You can refer to either the interactive or static map at the bottom of this post to better visualise the location.

Notice the empty pot at the left. It actually contained braised chicken feet/claws. I tried to order that, but I was a few moments too late! They had just sold their last bowl of chicken feet/claws noodle at 1230pm. So if you want to try it, you have got to earlier than 1230pm.

It was replaced by a pot of stewed chicken meat.

The Noodle Soup with Chicken shop offers different types of noodles including Kway Teow, Bee Hoon (Rice vermicell) and Yellow Noodles. 

Menu

I suspect this is the menu.. its all in Thai. We had to point at the next table to try to explain what we wanted to order. When it came to the type of noodles, we actually went to the shop front where they displayed the noodles and point the type of noodles we wanted. To be fair, the young man who took our orders was so polite and courteous despite the difficulty we had communicating with each other. Don't you love the service at Thailand? No wonder it is the land of smiles!

This eatery offers Noodle Soup with Chicken (meat/chicken feet).

Beverage Menu

Ironically, the beverage menu was available in English!

Thai Ice Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25)

For drinks, we ordered the Thai Ice Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25). I noticed that the stall owners collaborated with the drinks stall located just outside as the drink was from that stall. The Thai Ice Tea was very sweet! Even after the ice had melted, it was still too sweet for my liking.

Noodle (Kway Teow) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)

We all ordered the same dish - Noodle Soup with Chicken. The only variation was the noodles.

This was the last bowl of Kway Teow Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)!

Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)

Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)

We ordered Noodle (Glass Noodle) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)

Noodle (Bee Hoon) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08)

Deciding to try different noodles, we also ordered Noodle (Bee Hoon) Soup with Chicken 50 Baht (S$2.08).

The Noodle Soup with Chicken was delicious. Each bowl was accompanied by two pieces of braised chicken meat, one of which would be a drumstick. The braised chicken meat were so tender and flavourful. The (chicken) soup was rich, tasty and sweet with a slight hint herbal flavour which was just nice, such that those who do not fancy herbal stuff would not be turned off. Great find with satisfying and comfort food. Certainly a place to try if you are in Chatuchak Market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Map

As mentioned earlier, this eatery is located at Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47. Section 21 and Soi 29 is the clothing/fashion area while Soi 47 is the Home Furniture area.

Noodle Soup with Chicken at Chatuchak Weekend Market (Thailand, Bangkok)

Section 21, Soi 29 facing Soi 47
Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road
Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand

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Rocking Doll at Asiatique (Thailand, Bangkok)

We went to Asiatique to catch the Calypso Cabaret Show (show by lady boys) and were looking for a place for dinner. A quick observation was that the food at Asiatique was generally more expensive which was expected as it was a tourist attraction. 

As we walked around, we noticed that there was an eatery called "Rocking Doll" which exceptionally crowded compared to the rest. In fact, it was full. Naturally, our instinct was to join in and give this a try.

Rocking Doll was a small eatery with limited seating capacity. The seats and tables were cramped side by side. To get to the seats in the centre, you would need to 'jostle' your way through with numerous "excuse me". In addition, if you have a shopping bags, you would need to either put them down on the floor or carry it on your lap while eating. Despite all these, this was easily the most crowded eatery with the most people queuing.

Rocking Doll serves Thai cuisine. It's menu came with both Thai and English languages with pictures of the item and prices clearly stated. After deciding what to order, you would need to approach the very young lady (but capable) at the counter (in the picture above) to place your order and make payment. Surprisingly, the young  lady was the most important person. She was the one who ensured that you receive the right change and the right order. She was like a lady boss. She stood at that position with the cash register behind her and did not move away from it. Even when she spotted customers requiring assistance, she would direct someone else to that particular group of customers. 

The seafood and meat were all displayed clearly displayed on a bed of ice.

Tom Yum Shrimps 180 Baht (S$7.50)

As the eatery was packed, we had to wait a fair bit before our food was served. The Tom Yum (Yam) Shrimps 180 Baht (S$7.50) was average with a good balance in flavour.

Sauteed Chinese Watercress with Crispy Pork 100 Baht (S$4.20)

The Sauteed Chinese Watercress with Crispy Pork 100 Baht (S$4.20) was surprisingly good. The vegetables were well fried and very tasty with a hint of spiciness. Although the pork was not crispy as its name suggested and the dish could have been less oily, it was well-worth the calories. Sinful but delicious.

Phad Thai with Shrimps 75 Baht (S$3.10)

We thought that the Phad Thai with Shrimps 75 Baht (S$3.10) would be the best dish. But well, we were wrong. The Phad Thai did not leave an impression and was mediocre.

Stir Fried Noodle with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10)

The Stir Fried Noodle with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10) fared better. It was very well fried with smoky wok-hei infused in it. In addition, preserved radish (chye poh) was added in it such each mouthful was flavourful and addictive. It was would have been perfect if it was a tad less oily.

Fried Rice with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10)

The Fried Rice with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10) was delicious. We ordered another plate after tasting it. The rice grains were soft and each rain was well coated with immense wok hei flavour with smoky aroma.

You may have noticed that there were prawns and squids in four out of the five dishes we ordered. The prawns and squids were fresh and nicely cooked. But there was just too much prawns and squids such that we had difficulty finishing them (like that also complain... hard to please! =P ).

Overall, the food served at Rocking Doll was not bad. Price wise, it was cheap compared to the other stalls. As for whether this is the best eatery in Asiatique? That I do not know. Service wise, there was no service lah, after all there's no service tax and this is not a restaurant. Do note the environment and ambience was not exactly ideal. Squeezy, crowded, narrow walking space and noisy would be the right description. With this, you can make a better informed choice based on your own preferences on whether to eat here or not.

Beverage Stall

While dining at Rocking Doll, we bought a few cups of Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea from the Beverage Stall nearby. The Beverage Stall was actually located just 1 unit away from Rocking Doll. You can see Rocking Doll in the background of the above photo.

Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25)

The Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25) was one of the better ones we drank. It was fragrant and aromatic.

Rocking Doll at Asiatique (Thailand, Bangkok)
Asiatique The Riverfront (Warehouse 6)
2194 Charoen Krung Road, Wat Phraya Krai
Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120, Thailand

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