Hoa Dong (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) 65,000 VND (S$3.90)

Hoa Dong (Quán Hoa Đông) is an eatery located in District 1, near the North Gate (Cửa Bắc) of Ben Thanh Market. 

The small humble, no frills eatery with less than 35 seats. We chanced upon this eatery by accident. Despite the fact that it was not air conditioned, we decided to step in to the shop as we were hungry. We did not regret it. In fact, it was one of the best decision we made that day.

Some of the food (e.g. Grilled Pork and Grilled Shrimp Paste wrapped around Sugarcane) being displayed.

Menu 

Menu

The owners of the eatery did not understand English. Luckily, the menu had both Vietnamese and English language with prices clearly indicated. We had to rely on sign language to seek "clarifications" on how to eat certain dishes.

There was a set of condiments, bottle drinks, spoon, chopsticks and even toothpicks at each table.

We ordered the Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle), Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) and Café Sữa Dá (Coffee with Condensed Milk and Ice).

The beansprouts were for the Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) while the rice noodle (vermicelli), lettuce leaves and Vietnamese leaves aka fresh herbs (i.e. Vietnamese basil, mint leaves, betel leaves)  was for the Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle).

Bún Chả (Grilled Pork ) being grilled

Bún Chả (Grilled Pork ) being grilled

The Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle) being grilled over a charcoal stove upon order.

Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

This is the Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle). The grilled pork were soaked in a clear light brown sauce which had a unique flavour with a tangy kick (which I have to confess, turned me off at first).

Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle) 60,000 VND (S$3.60)

The right way to eat the Bún Chả Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork served with Rice Noodle) 60,000 VND (S$3.60) is to add the rice noodle and the different leaves into the dish and give it a good mix (note: you should need to remove the stem from the leaves for better texture and experience).

Despite the sauce being tangy, when the ingredients were mixed in it, they tasted pretty good. The sauce made a whole world of difference to the taste of the usually tasteless rice noodle. In addition, the different leaves enhanced and added a different dimension to the taste depending on which leaves we ate in that particular mouthful.

The Bún Chả (Grilled Pork) was superb, in a different league of its own. It had the right blend of taste with a unique rich and smoky flavour. It was so addictive and delicious. A must try!!

Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) 65,000 VND (S$3.90)

The Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) is a Vietnamese cuisine which is popular among the locals. Most foreigners/tourists would be more familiar with Phở (Vietnamese beef noodle) compared to Bánh Canh Cua. Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) is essentially a thick crab and shrimp stock with udon noodles and crab meat.

Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) 65,000 VND (S$3.90)

The Bánh Canh Cua (Glass Udon Soup with Crabmeat) 65,000 VND (S$3.90) at Hoa Dong was very well executed. The stock was (slightly) thick, robust and flavourful. The thickness of the stock complemented the udon noodles perfectly as each piece of udon noodle was well coated with the flavour of the stock. The chunks of soft and fresh crab meat was the icing on the 'cake. Shiok! A must try!! Definitely not from tin cans. In case you are wondering what to do with the beansprouts, they are to be added into the bowl and mixed.

Café Sữa Dá (Coffee with Condensed Milk and Ice) 20,000 VND (S$1.20)

The Café Sữa Dá (Coffee with Condensed Milk and Ice) 20,000 VND (S$1.20) on the other hand was just average. It was simply too sweet and not aromatic enough.

Nevertheless, the food at Hoa Dong was amazing! We were so impressed that we squeezed this in as our last meal just before we flew back to Singapore.

Do note, as this is located near the Ben Thanh Market. This eatery together with the other eateries located near tourist attractions normally tend to be more expensive compared to other eateries which the locals go to. 

Quán Hoa Đông (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

121 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành

District 1, Hồ Chí Minh

Tel: +84 (08) 3823 7647

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Curry Cafe at Canberra Community Club (Sembawang)

Curry Cafe located at Canberra Community Club, a 10 minutes walk from Sembawang MRT station is a small humble family run cafe. If some of you have found the name familiar, its because they were previously located at the basement of The Central (Clark Quay).

Teh C Siew Dai $1 each

The Teh C Siew Dai was strong, fragrant, not bitter and not too sweet. Priced at $1 each, it was cheaper when compared to the likes of Breadtalk, Yakun or Killiney. The addition, it was wonderfully executed as a whole and came in a way bigger cup. 

Fried Chicken Wings $1.50 each

The Fried Chicken Wings ($1.50 each) was quite decent (though not a die die must try).

Fried Rice $3.50

Fried Rice $3.50

The Fried Rice $3.50 was fried with chicken hot dog, mixed beans, carrots, egg and spring onions. This dish was delicious. Although there was no wok-hei, it was tasty and had great consistency. Moreover, it was not oily. A simple dish which reminds me of home comfort food.

Curry Chicken $3.50 with French Loaf $0.50

We ordered the Curry Chicken $3.50 with French Loaf $0.50. I was impressed that the French Loaf was toasted prior to serving such that it was served warm and the exterior was crisp (the little things that matter).

Curry Chicken $3.50

One cannot not order the Curry Chicken $3.50 at Curry Cafe! After all, the Curry Chicken is their signature dish! The Curry Chicken hit all the right note in terms of taste. Fragrant, spicy and it was so delectable that we actually polish off all the curry. Terrific! The icing on the cake was that even the chicken was cooked perfectly - folk tender. The potatoes did not disappoint too (I suspect they had cooked the chicken in the curry and then take it out so that it was not overcooked. Likewise for the potatoes too). The Chicken Curry is one of the best I have tasted, they certainly did a good job blending all spices and chilli powder together and cooking this curry. This is a must try over at Curry Cafe! We liked it so much that we ordered another Curry Chicken to pack back home for dinner!

Curry Cafe is a hidden gem with lots of potential. The food was good and value for money. The downside is that its a small cafe with around 20 seats. We visited on Saturday during lunch hours and the cafe was full. Do note that it is self service. After ordering and making the payment. You can go back and take seat. However, you would need to collect the food from the counter once your food is ready (they will call you). I will be back for more! For those staying in the North, this is one place to consider to satisfy your makan / curry cravings.

Curry Cafe at Canberra Community Club (Sembawang) 
2 Sembawang Crescent
​#01-03 Canberra Community Club
Singapore 757632
Tel: 6966 0832 
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 9am - 9pm
                        Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm
                        Public Holiday 8am - 5pm
Website
Facebook 

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Pepper Lunch: 1 For 1 Beef Pepper Rice Promotion at Orchard Cineleisure (till 8 Jul 2014)

Source: Pepper Lunch Singapore Facebook

Pepper Lunch: 1 For 1 Beef Pepper Rice Promotion at Orchard Cineleisure (till 8 Jul 2014)
Present advertisement on page 35 of TODAY (dated 25 June 2014)

- Only valid when original coupon is shown
- Limited to one redemption per transaction
- Not valid with other discounts or promotions
- While stocks last

Burger King Singapore: Free BK Chicken Burger with purchase of a large Coke at Suntec City Outlet (till 29 Jun 2014)

Source: Burger King Singapore

Burger King Singapore: Free BK Chicken Burger with purchase of a large Coke at Suntec City Outlet (till 29 Jun 2014)

- Valid till 29 Jun 2014 at Suntec City outlet only
- Not valid with other promotions or discounts
- The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice

Starbucks Singapore: 1 For 1 Venti-sized Strawberry Cheesecake or Tiramisu Frappuccino (till 27 Jun 2014)

Source: Starbucks Singapore

Starbucks Singapore: 1 For 1 Venti-sized Strawberry Cheesecake or Tiramisu Frappuccino (till 27 Jun 2014)

- Valid till 27 Jun 2014 from 3pm to 7pm

Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle 金喜来梅松肉脞面 (Rochor Centre)

*Closing on 31 Oct 2015
Shifted to 3791 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-03 E-Centre, Singapore 159471*

金喜来梅松肉脞面 Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle is a Minced Meat Noodle (Bak Chor Mee) stall located at Good Time Coffee Shop in Rochor Centre. I first chanced upon this stall 3 years ago and have been coming back frequently for it. I have been wanting to write on this but have not got the chance. Well, its never too late! 

I have only visited this stall during weekdays for lunch and on all occasions the waiting time varies from 20 minutes to 1 hour. That is how popular this stall! It would be ideal to ask how long the waiting time would be before ordering. They specialises in both Minced Meat Noodles (Bak Chor Mee) and Fishball Noodles. The former is more popular. The cost of each bowl ranges from $3 to $3.50. So affordable. Some customers would also add liver at an extra cost of $0.50 (reason for this? find out more below).\

Business at this stall is so good that they even occupy the next unit next to it to take orders and prepare the ingredients.

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 is what I normally order. Yes, I upsized it from $3 to $3.50. 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

Scallions and shallots were added on top of the Mee Pok. It was decent but not fantastic. 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

As I upgraded to $3.50, my bowl of soup came in a bigger bowl. Ingredients such as fishball, fishcakes, minced meat, fishcakes and livers were put into the soup. The ingredients were all normal. But what I particularly like (and what made me keep coming back were two things). The livers and the soup.

The liver was perfectly cooked, not overcooked. It was soft and in terms of thickness and size was just perfect (not thinly sliced or in small pieces like what you would normally get elsewhere). The liver was also very fresh! If you like livers, this place would not disappoint!

As for the soup, it was very flavourful and tasty. There was a hint of smokey fragrant and tasted as if it was cooked using a charcoal stove, but they were probably using gas stove. I do not think that they added MSG as I always finish the soup and do not feel thirsty after that. 

Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3

I seldom order my Bak Chor Mee with soup. But I was curious how this stall would fare with it. Hence, I ordered the Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3. 

Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3

Decent bowl of Kway Teow Soup, but I still prefer mined dry with chilli.

Overall, I would recommend this Minced Meat Noodle (Bak Chor Mee) stall. The price here is value for money and taste wise it beats most places. 

Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle 金喜来梅松肉脞面 (Rochor Centre)

Good Time Coffee Shop

Blk 1 Rochor Road 

Rochor Centre
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Orchard Yong Tau Foo (Cuppage Plaza)

Orchard Yong Tau Foo (Cuppage Plaza) is located at level 1 of Cuppage Plaza. This Yong Tau Foo has a small seating capacity of around 15 seats.  Despite that, many shoppers and office workers frequent this stall.

Customers would first need to choose the ingredients they want. After choosing the ingredients, they would need to choose the choice of rice / noodles ranging from bee hoon, kway teow, yellow egg noodle to mee pok. They would need be assigned a number and be asked to wait for their number to be called.

I went on two occasions and waited for less than 20 minutes. Do note that if you are coming with a group of more than 3, it would likely be a longer wait and you would be assigned to sit in a row.

Orchard Yong Tau Foo offers wide variety of ingredient such as stuff tofu, mushrooms, golden mushroom, bitter gourd, fish balls, fish cakes, meat balls, hotdogs, seaweed, cuttlefish, quail eggs, century egg, salted egg, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage.

The ingredients were fresh!

A rough gauge of the price range, 7 items of ingredients (excluding the noodles / rice) would cost $4.90.

Once your number is reached, you will be assigned to a seat. The space inside is pretty narrow and small.

I ordered mine with Kway Teow and with soup.

Kway Teow Yong Tau Foo.

On another occasion I ordered it with bee hoon.

Overall, this bowl of Yong Tau Foo was delicious. The ingredients were so fresh and well cooked. Take for example, the radish was soft, not hard. And for those ingredients that were too big such as bitter gourd, radish and fish balls, they would be cut into smaller pieces. The soup stock was another star of its own. Made from soy beans, it was clear, flavourful and hearty. Mind you, it was not salty unlike those you would normally get elsewhere.

The chilli and sweet sauce was excellent too! Personally, I preferred the sweet sauce. It was mild sweet and yet so tasty and fragrant. They had extracted the sesame flavour into the sauce!

Lastly, despite the narrow, small seating capacity, another aspect that would make me come back was the service. The service was excellent! The uncle who called out the queue number, clear the tables, collect the cash and serve the items to the tables was so attentive and friendly! He would notice and ask customers if they require a refill of soup when he noticed that had drank most of their soup. He would also ask if he noticed that customers need a refill of sweet or spicy sauces. Kudos to him as I noticed that he was already so busy, yet I noticed him asking those around me all these questions.

Orchard Yong Tau Foo (Cuppage Plaza) 

5 Koek Road #01-09 

Cuppage Plaza

Singapore 228796 

Tel: 9067 5245

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 8am - 630pm

                         Closed on Sun

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Marble Slab Creamery: 1 For 1 Tasty Creations For SAF Soldiers (1 Jul 2014)

Marble Slab Creamery: 1 For 1 Tasty Creations For SAF Soldiers (1 Jul 2014)

- Valid on 1 Jul 2014 only
- Valid at Star Vista store only
- Customer has to be in SAF uniform when ordering
- Valid for Original and Big dipper sizes only
- Not valid with other promotions.

Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

Paradise Dynasty has opened a new outlet in Causeway Point after it under went an extensive renovation. The group now has so many outlets that I have lost count how many outlets it has. 

The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao

This restaurant chain serves the The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao. As we have tried it before, we gave this a skip. 

Neatly arrange on every table. Customers can fill in the dishes they want and also indicate the quantity before passing it to one of the staff.

Drunken Chicken $7.80

The Drunken Chicken $7.80 was served chilled with Chinese Wine (Hua Tiao Jiu). The meat was succulent and flavourful. However, it was a little too uncooked for my liking.  

La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80

The partner ordered a bowl of La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80 which was served in their signature pork bone soup. The La Mian was delicious and each strand was uniformly thin. It would have been perfect if the La Mian was cooked a little longer so that it could be softer. Overall, a very decent bowl of La Mian. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

I ordered the La Mian with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80. The Chicken Chop was served on a separate plate so that it would not be soaked in the pork bone soup. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

This bowl of La Mian was similar to the one my partner had. The only difference was that instead of pork slices, this came with fried chicken chop.

Deep Fried Chicken Chop

The Deep Fried Chicken Chop was very well marinated. The exterior had a thin layer of batter which was so tasty and crisp. As for the interior, it was tender and juicy. 

Surprisingly with Paradise Group's expansion, they have managed to ensure consistency.  

Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

1 Woodlands Square

#05-16/17/18 Causeway Point

Singapore 738099 

Tel: 6894 6322

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am - 10pm 

                         Sat, Sun and Public Holiday 1030am - 10pm

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