Hansang Korean Family Restaurant (Square 2)

Jajangmyun (Black Bean Noodle)

Hansang Korean Family Restaurant is a restaurant offering authentic Korean Cuisine established by a Korean family in 2007. The Koreran family had moved to Singapore several years ago prior to 2007 and was unable to find authentic korean food in Singapore. Hence, this restaurant was started. The name of the restaurant "Hansang" means “a table full of food all the time” as the aim was to share the diverse cuisine of Korea with everyone.

Hansang Korean Family Restaurant currently has two outlets; at Square 2 and Holland Village. We visited its outlet at Square 2 in Novena. Interestingly, the restaurant also offers catering services!

Lunch Time Promotion Menu

Their lunch time promotion is value for money!

Sagol Hejang Guk (Double Boiled Beef Soup) $15

This is the Sagol Hejang Guk (Double Boiled Beef Soup) $15. This was very well executed. The broth which was spicy, was so tasty and flavourful! Moreover the beef slices were tender and the beansprout provided a crunchy texture. It was so good that we indulged endlessly into it and drank every single bit of the broth. This is a must try! 

A video of the dish and the side dishes.

Jajangmyun (Black Bean Noodle) $11.80

The Jajangmyun (Black Bean Noodle) $11.80, is a dish which most people are familiar with. This is the korean version of Chinese black bean noodle. You can easily get this in any Korean restaurant or food eateries, but it is hard to find one that is good. Hansang's one is damn good! 

When it first arrived, I was quite skeptical as the portion looks small and ordinary. But wow, I was impressed when I tasted it. The black bean sauce which is a make or break factor for this dish was perfect. The sweetness and savouriness were well-balanced. There was no bitterness after taste, which you may encounter at other eateries (the bitterness is from the black bean paste). Moreover, minced meat and caramelised onions were mixed in the sauce. This is another must try!

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) $17.80

On another occasion, we ordered the Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) $17.80. This is a nourishing soup common eaten in summer in South Korea to the replenish the nutrients lost from sweating.

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) $17.80

The Samgyetang is my kind of comfort food. The broth was flavourful. Interestingly, inside the chicken, besides a small slice of ginseng, there was also a gingko nut. The chicken meat itself was folk tender. 

Champong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup) $11.80

The Champong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup) $11.80, is quite an interesting dish. The broth was spicy yet so addictive! Slurping down the noodles with the broth is bounded to ignite your taste buds!

I have been to Hansang Korean Family Restaurant a few times and I must say that their food sure is good! If you are looking for somewhere with delicious Korean food, look no further!

Hansang Korean Family Restaurant (Square 2)
10 Sinaran Drive
#03-33 Square 2
Singapore 307506
Opening Hours: Daily from 11.30am to 10.30pm

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Mary's Kafe - Hidden Gem!

*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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Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 (Pasar Malam - Street Market)

Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 is a very popular pasar malam stall in Singapore. It does not operate at a permanent physical location as it roams around Singapore, making it presence felt at certain pasar malam locations. 

As such, fans of this stall are updated on its location through its Facebook Page. It has over 7,500 followers on its page. I guess by MOF's standard, this would mean that it is a ''Facebook influencer''! (pun intended)

The teochew meat puffs come with different varieties such as oyster, crab, octopus, prawn, scallop and vegetable. The popular ones are the oyster and prawn versions. 

If you are a frequent visitor of pasar malam, you would probably have seen this stall before. It is fairly easy to spot it as it would be the stall with the longest and slowest moving queue.  

The reason main reason why the waiting time is long is because each puff is made freshly upon order. It is important to take note that each meat puff takes about 45 seconds to handmade and 10 to 15 minutes to cook. Also, most people in the queue are ordering minimally two meat puffs. Some order five meat puffs! These add up to the waiting time. 

Just to illustrate the waiting time, during non-peak hours at 2pm on a weekday with a queue of 6 persons in front, the waiting time can be around half an hour. During peak period, evening time, a queue of 12 persons will easily mean a waiting time of at least 1 hour! I have even heard of people waiting for 2 hours! 

It is not an easy job making the meat puffs and cooking them in the sweltering heat. I really salute the owners for their effort in ensuring each handmade meat puffs are perfectly made and cooked in the heat.

So how was the meat puff? It was huge. The outer layer was crisp while the inner layer was filled with moists minced pork meat and mushrooms, lots of Chinese parsley and the filling of your choice. This is best shared among at least 2 persons! I would certainly order this again if the queue is less than half an hour long! 

Lastly, a video of how the meat puff is made! 

Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 (Pasar Malam - Street Market) 

Opening Hours: 1pm to 10pm daily during event days
Tel: 9879 9874

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