Teochew St Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle 潮洲街香菇肉脞麵 (Chinatown)

Chinatown Complex Food Centre is one of the biggest hawker centre I have ever been too. I am not familiar  with what is nice over here. So what I did was to do a quick walk around and spot where the queues are and then zoom in to one that interest me. 

After walking round the whole hawker centre that took a whole 15 minutes (not thanks to the layout), I decided to try the Teochew St Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle 潮洲街香菇肉脞麵. What caught my attention was the word Teochew and the queue. There was a queue 5 people in front of me. I queued for at least 20 minutes before it was my turn to order. 20 minutes when there was only 5 people in front? Well, you heard this correctly!

There were only 2 people manning the stall. A uncle, who did the cooking and preparing. While the auntie took the order and collected the cash. Normally, in other stalls, the person takes the orders from customers  also prepares the ingredients for the chef (uncle). Not in this case. In fact, the uncle prepares all the ingredients himself. I even saw him going to the fridge and taking out more ingredients. Despite the queue, he was not anxious (kan chiong) and did take any short cut (kudos to him). I was certainly impressed as he took great care in cooking each bowl of noodles. 

Bak Chor Mee $3

I ordered the Bak Chor Mee 肉脞面. 

Bak Chor Mee $3

This bowl of Bak Chor Mee was excellent! The Mee Pok was cooked perfectly! Soft yet springy. A generous portion of ingredients such as braised mushroom, lean meat, minced meat, fish cake, crispy fish  and even pork lard was given. I especially like the braised mushroom as it was not only flavourful but also soft. The sauce; a mixture of vinegar, chilli, oil and (who knows what other secret ingredients) complemented well with the noodles and ingredients. It enhanced the taste of the whole dish and was lip smacking despite the spiciness. 

Bak Chor Mee $3

The soup (pork stock) was simple yet flavourful. The meat ball and fish ball was average, nothing to shout about.

It was a fulfilling meal for me. Not only did it taste good, it was also value for money with generous portion of ingredients and worth the wait (queue). This is one stall worth patronising and I am sure there are many more stalls worth a try at Chinatown Complex Food Centre. Anyone who frequently patronise the food centre here has any other recommendations? With so many stalls, I am sure there are lots of hidden gems here. 

Teochew St Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle 潮洲街香菇肉脞麵 (Chinatown) 

Blk 335 Smith Street

#02-23 Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Opening Hours: Wed to Sun 1230pm - 9pm

                         Closed on Mon and Tue
Location

Subway Singapore: Breakfast Meals from $3.90

Source: Subway Singapore

Subway Singapore: New Subway Breakfast Meals from $3.90

- Limited period
- Breakfast ends at 11am
- Valid at selected stores (Raffles Hospital, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Shaw Towers, Bukit Timah Plaza, Mt Alvernia Hospital, The Central, West Mall, Gek Poh Shopping Centre, Funan Digital Mall, Raffles City)

Yilmaz Western (Ang Mo Kio) - CLOSED

Edited: Closed. If you know where the owner has setup his shop can you pl let me know via foodiefc@gmail.com. 

Yilmaz Western is a stall specialising in western cuisine located in Coffee City Coffee Shop at Ang Mo Kio Ave 6. Normally, when I am in the area, I would order herbal soup from Xu Yang Tonic Soup. However, during my last visit, Yilmaz Western caught my attention.

Yilmaz Western serves some of its western dishes on hotplates (not every western stall in a coffee shop does that). On that specific occasion as I was enjoying my herbal soup, I heard a loud sizzling sound. Turning around, I saw a man carrying the sizzling hotplate with ingredients piled high up to a customer on the table next to me. Well, from that point in time, I knew that I had to try this the next time I am in the area. 

Yilmaz Western is essentially a 'one man show' (quoting the owner). Everything; from taking orders, marinating, preparing, defrosting, cooking, serving and collecting payment are all done by the owner himself (how does he cope? I am equally puzzled!). I ordered the Hotplate Grilled Chicken Chop and was expecting to wait for a long time as it was peak period. To my surprised I just waited less than 15 minutes. An amazing feat considering that there were a few other customers in front of me.

Hotplate Grilled Chicken Chop $6

The Hotplate Grilled Chicken Chop was served sizzling hot! I had to wait a few seconds for the sizzling and smoke to lessen before taking the photos. The grilled chicken chop was stacked on top of a whole lot of fries, with mashed potato and steamed vegetables (broccoli, cherry tomato and corn) at the side. With the exception of the steamed vegetables, the ingredients were all drenched in a special sauce. 

Hotplate Grilled Chicken Chop $6

A very generous amount of ingredients were given in addition, 3 sides were served; vegetable, mashed potato and fries. Mind you, its not bake beans, not coleslaw! Take a look at how much fries was given and how thick a cut the chicken chop was. The mashed potato was basically hidden behind these.

The sauce made a big difference. The more I dig into it, the more I love it. It seemed to be a kind of fusion of BBQ and Mushroom Sauce with herbal fragrant. Not too sweet, not too salty, the sauce was perfect; incredibly tasty and addictive.

As for the grilled chicken chop, it was well-marinated and had lots of pepper corns spread over it. With the sauce, it provided a refreshing flavour to the tender chicken chop unlike the norm; black pepper/mushroom sauce.

The fries were hard and seems to have been fried a second time (for those not covered in the sauce). But for the fries that were drenched in the sauce, there was a difference in texture. Crispy yet soft, tasty experience. (do give the fries at the bottom some 'stirring' as the hotplate might cause some of the fries to be charred) The mashed potato was normal, but again with the sauce, complemented it perfectly.

Hotplate Grilled Chicken Chop $6

I like the fact that the the vegetables were steamed and were very fresh. Moreover serving corn, cherry tomato and broccoli was unique. A nice change from what other western stall normal gives; coleslaw.

Overall, I was very impressed by this one man show! Fresh vegetables, well-marinated meat, generous serving and incredible sauce! The sauce stole the show. You will either love or hate it as the sauce is spread over all the ingredients. In addition, it is so value for money. Highly recommended. You won't know what you are missing till you give this a try!

Yilmaz Western is a hidden gem. Watch this stall, it has great potential to be the best western stall! I hope that this one man show can survive as it is no mean feat managing one stall alone. Can't wait to try it again!

*Edited: Went a second time on a Friday evening for dinner. This time waited for nearly half an hour as he had high volume of orders. Food-wise, it was still as good! 

Yilmaz Western (Ang Mo Kio)

Blk 728 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6

Coffee City Coffee Shop

Tel: 9144 8248

Opening Hours: Daily 1230pm to 1030pm
Location

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MaggieMoo: Tampines 1 Grand Opening Carnival (24 to 25 Nov 2012)

Source: MaggieMoo

MaggieMoo: Tampines 1 Grand Opening Carnival (24 to 25 Nov 2012)
Free Ice Cream on 24th Nov, 2pm to 3pm
Free Candy Floss on 25th Nov, 2pm to 3pm
Buy  Get 1 Free Ice Cream on 24 to 25 Nov, 4pm to 8pm

LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry (Middle Road) 2nd Post

LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry has come a long with over 50 years of history specialising in confectioneries, pastries and cakes (including wedding cakes). They do not use any pork and lard in their products. 

The exterior of LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry along middle road.

The many newspaper and magazine articles cutting pasted outside the show featuring their products. Along with photos of celebrities patronising their shops. 

LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry are the first in Singapore to produce pineapple tarts that are round. 

Part of the price list.

Chocolate Cookies $13

I had meant to buy their Coffee Cookies as I tried it several days ago. And it was so good. Crispy with caffine and nutty flavour. Addictive! But well, I bought the cookies in a rush and instead bought their Chocolate Cookies instead. =S

Pineapple Tart (10pcs) $9

LE Cafe is famous for their Pineapple Tart aka "Golf Ball" Tart. Any guess why "Golf Ball"?

Pineapple Tart (10pcs) $9

Well this is the reason! The pineapple tarts are so big, fat and round that they look like golf balls. I wonder how they managed to squeeze 10 such pineapple tarts into the bottle. The pineapple tarts are not cheap, each piece cost around 90 cents. 

Pineapple Tart

Don't play play, LE Cafe's Pineapple Tart are not only big, but also incredibly tasty. The crust was thin, soft, flaky with a buttery fragrance. I was quite shocked to see the amount of pineapple jam given. LE Cafe was so very generous with their jam. The homemade pineapple jam was rich, moist with intense sweetness of pineapple flavour. Extremely addictive. This is the type of pineapple jam required for a hallmark of good pineapple tart. Even the partner who is not a fan of pineapple tarts gave LE Cafe's golf balls a nod of approval as she went for another round. Irresistible!

After trying it, I can only say even at 90 cents each, this is quite value for money considering the quality and quantity of the pineapple jam and of course the pineapple tart as a whole. For a even more value for money option, one could purchase 20 pieces at $16. If you are keen to buy this for the Lunar (Chinese) New Year, you are advised to pre-book a few months ahead as these are always sold out during the festive period.

They are also famous for their Beancurd Tarts which I posted in my earlier posts.

Edited: Went over to buy some other cookies and this time I got to sample their freshly baked Pineapple Tart  (golf ball). It blew me away. Hot out of the oven, so fragrant, so crispy. As I bite into the tart, the warm the pineapple jam added an extra dimension into the taste. Shiok!

LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry (Middle Road)
264 Middle Road
Tel: 6337 2417
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 1030am - 730pm
                          Sundays and Public Holidays 1030am - 4pm
Website

LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry (Cambridge Road)
Blk 42 Cambridge Road #01-02
Tel: 6298 1477
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 1030am - 7pm
                          Sundays and Public Holidays 1030am - 3pm


LE Cafe Confectionery & Pastry (Veerasamy Road)
Blk 637 Veerasamy Road #01-111
Tel: 6294 8813

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 1130am - 4pm

                          Sundays and Public Holidays 1130am - 3pm

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Manhattan Fish Market: $10 Off All Sharing Platters (21 Nov 2012)

Source: Manhattan Fish Market

Manhattan Fish Market: $10 Off All Sharing Platters (21 Nov 2012)
Manhattan Fish Market 10th Anniversary!

- Valid on 21 Nov 2012
- Dine-in only
- Not valid with other promotions or discounts
- The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice

T.G.I. Friday's Singapore: 50% Off All Food Items (21 Nov 2012)

Source:  T.G.I. Friday's Singapore

 T.G.I. Friday's Singapore: 50% Off All Food Items (21 Nov 2012)

- Valid on 21 Nov 2012

Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert: 3 Desserts For The Price of 2 @VivoCity Outlet(till 30 Nov 2012)

Source: Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert

Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert: 3 Desserts For The Price of 2 @VivoCity Outlet(till 30 Nov 2012)

- Valid from 19 to 30 Nov 2012
- Valid at VivoCity Outlet only
- While stocks last

Wan Xing Nasi Lemak 万兴椰浆饭，炒米粉 (Albert Centre Market & Food Centre)

Wan Xing Nasi Lemak 万兴椰浆饭，炒米粉 serves Nasi Lemak at wallet friendly price. The stall is located at Albert Centre Market & Food Centre. This stall is very popular, during meal times, the queue can get very long. Fortunately, they are able to clear the queue quite fast.

Wan Xing Nasi Lemak offers seven different sets meals. Alternatively, customers can choose to order a la carte items. 

Set 7 $3.60

I ordered their premium set, Set 7 which was consisted of rice with egg, deep fried chicken wing, luncheon eat, fried fish, sambal long beans, cucumber and ikan bilis with peanuts. The rice was wll executed. Warm and fluffy with each grain infused with pandan and coconut fragrant. 

The deep fried chicken wing was crispy on the outside and soft tender on the inside. It was not greasy and still slightly warm.

I had a hard time with the fried fish as the utensils given was a plastic fork and plastic spoon. In the end, I gave up and used my hands. The fish was fried till it was so crispy that even the small bones at the side were edible. Very fragrant and addictive for fish lovers. 

The sambal long beans was quite decently cooked and still retained the crunchiness. 

The chill was fragrant and was more sweet than spicy. Personally, I prefer a spicier version. 

Overall, the food here is cheap and good! Where else can you get so many ingredients for your Nasi Lemak at just $3.60. 

Wan Xing Nasi Lemak 万兴椰浆饭，炒米粉 (Albert Centre Market & Food Centre)

270 Queen Street

#01-62 Albert Centre Food Centre

Location 

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Baskin Robbins Singapore: Free Ice Cream Giveaway at Tiong Bahru Plaza (17th Nov 2012)

Source: Baskin Robbins Singapore

Baskin Robbins Singapore: Free Ice Cream Giveaway at Tiong Bahru Plaza (17th Nov 2012)

- Valid on 17th Nov 2012 from 3pm to 5pm
- At Tiong Bahru Plaza outlet only
- Limited to 1 Jr Scoop ice cream per customer

Manhattan Fish Market: 2 Set Lunch @ $19.90 Promotion (till 31 Dec 2012)

Source: Manhattan Fish Market

Manhattan Fish Market: 2 Set Lunch @ $19.90 Promotion (till 31 Dec 2012)

- Valid from Mon to Fri from 11am to 5pm, except eve of PH and PH
- Dine-in only at all outlets
- All prices are subjected to 10% service charge and 7%GST
- Not valid with other promotions or discounts
- The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice

Susan Chan Food 家乐小厨 (Far East Plaza)

Susan Chan Food a cze char store is located at the top level (level 5) of Far East Plaza. There seems to be many food outlets located at level 5. I am sure there are bound to be hidden gems in here. (anyone has any recommendations?)

I arrived at 615pm on a Friday and there were still lots of empty seats. But by the time I left at 7pm, the place was full and a couple was queuing outside.

Menu Cove

Part of Menu

I wanted to order the Stired Fried Hor Fun. However, I was told that the Hor Fun has been fully sold. Hence, I ordered the Yang Chow Fried Rice.

Yang Chow Fried Rice $4

The sambal chilli at the side resembles that of the chilli given for nasi lemak.

Yang Chow Fried Rice $4

The Yang Chow Fried Rice was decently fried. Flavourful and tasty. The fact that this stall is located in Orchard gives it a more positive brownie points. Where else can you find such cze char stall in Orchard (a prime area) selling these dishes at this type of price. The price is totally comparable to our heartland coffeeshop prices. 

Susan Chan Food 家乐小厨 (Far East Plaza)

4 Scotts Road 

#05-100 Far East Plaza

Tel: 6733 5953

Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 830pm 

Location

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Popeyes Singapore: Snack Promotions; Chicken Wing + Biscuit @ $2.95 (till 31 Dec 2012)

Source: Popeyes Singapore

Popeyes Singapore: Snack Promotions; Chicken Wing + Biscuits @ $2.95 (till 31 Dec 2012)

- Valid till 31 Dec 2012
- Flash coupon to redeem
- Valid at all Popeyes outlets
- Not valid with Popeyes Delivery
- Not valid with other promotional offers
- Terms and conditions apply

Popeyes Singapore: Snack Promotions; 4 pcs of Biscuit @ $2.95 (till 31 Dec 2012)

Popeyes Singapore

Popeyes Singapore: Snack Promotions; 4 Pcs of Butter Milk Biscuit @ $2.95 (till 31 Dec 2012)

- Valid till 31 Dec 2012
- Flash coupon to redeem
- Valid at all Popeyes outlets
- Not valid with Popeyes Delivery
- Not valid with other promotional offers
- Terms and conditions apply

The Manhattan Pizza Co: Free Flow Madness Promotion (12 to 15 Nov 2012)

Source: The Manhattan Pizza Company

The Manhattan Pizza Co: Free Flow Madness Promotion (12 to 15 Nov 2012)

Mon (12Nov): Free flow Spaghetti of the Day with any whole pizza purchased
Tue (13Nov): Free 20" Margherita with any whole speciality pizza purchased
Wed (14Nov): Free flow Dough Balls with Chocolate Lava with any whole pizza purchased
Thur (8Nov): Free flow of Wedges with any whole pizza purchased

- Valid from 12 to 15 Nov 2012, 6pm to 10pm
- Terms and conditions apply

Tung Lok Seafood 同乐酒家 (Orchard Central)

Tung Lok Seafood 同乐酒家 is part of the TungLok Group which has manages more than 40 restaurants specialising in different types of cuisines under its portfolio. The Tung Lok Seafood restaurant specialises in Singapore style seafood. 

Refillable hot Chinese Tea at $1.50 each

Appetiser - Pickle Radish $3

Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk $8

Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk is a must try! The salted egg yolk well mixed with fish skin was fried with curry leaves and slices of chilli padi. So crunchy, tasty and savoury. Sinfully Delicious and addicitive! 

Braised House Special Beancurd with Nameko Mushrooms and Vegetables $18

The Braised House Special Beancurd with Nameko Mushrooms and Vegetables was surprisingly good. A  well-executed dish all the way from the cooking to the presentation of the dish. The tofu was smooth, soft and flavourful. Moreover, the sauce was just right as it did not overwhelm the different flavours of the ingredients and yet provided sufficient flavour to the vegetables. 

Oven-baked Pork Rib with Chef's Special Sauce $10

The Oven-baked Pork Rib with Chef's Special Sauce was average. Nothing great to shout about except that the meat came off easily. 

Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi-Mayo Sauce $26

The prawns in the Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi-Mayo Sauce were huge, firm and fresh. However, I thought that the wasabi-mayo sauce coating the prawn was forgettable and the wasabi intensity (spiciness) seemed to have been toned down. I did not find myself longing for another piece of the prawn.  

Sambal Kang Kong $14

The Sambal Kang Kong was outstanding and well-fried. The sambal belacan with hae bee hiam (spicy  dried shrimp) was spicy, fragrant and not oily. In additional, it was extremely addictive. Even though the Kang Kong was finished, I could not resist using getting whatever sambal belacan that was left on the plate.  

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts served in Young Coconut $8

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts served in Young Coconut $8

When we ordered the Yam Paste (Orh Nee) with Gingko Nuts served in Young Coconut, we were informed that we would need to wait at last 15 minutes as it is prepared and steamed upon order. It was well worth the wait.

This is unlike the traditional teochew style yam paste. Thick fragrant yam paste with gingko. Surprisingly, the coconut flavour did not overwhelm the taste of this dish. The coconut flesh could be easily can be easily scrapped.

Tung Lok Seafood 同乐酒家 (Orchard Central)

181 Orchard Road

#11-05 Orchard Central

Tel: 6834 4888

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 1130am - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm

                        Sun 10am - 3pm, 6pm -1030pm

Website

Location 

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