Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (Bras Basah Complex)

Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles $4.30

Bras Basah Complex is a place frequent by art students from nearby art schools as it houses old-school bookstores and a full range of printing shops with different services. At a corner of the complex at level 1, it is home to Coffee Express 2000 Food Court. 

There is hidden gem within this food court and that is the stall selling minced meat noodles - Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. If you frequent this food court, you will notice that this is one of the stalls with the longest queue. This stall used to be located at Paradiz Centre (now renamed as POMO) which is 10 minutes walk away. Judging from the queue, their loyal customers might have followed them to Bras Basah Complex.

Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles $4.30

For $4.30, the Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles came with noodles, minced pork, slices of fish cake, beans sprouts, lettuce, a fishball, two meatballs, a Teochew dumpling and pork lard. Taste wise, this was decent and in fact taste better than other bak chor mee stall. The addition of vinegar was a plus point for me. Also, the dumpling was flavourful. At $4.30, this bowl of noodles was relatively value for money.

Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (Bras Basah Complex)

Coffee Express 2000 Food Court 

Blk 231 Bain Street 

#01-79 Bras Basah Complex 

Singapore 180231

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Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice 進興粿汁.鹵鴨飯 (Holland Drive Market & Food Centre)

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice 進興粿汁.鹵鴨飯 is a kway chap stall located in Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. Although this food centre (hawker centre) is relatively big, ironically this stall is located right next to another kway chap stall; Blanco Court Kueh Chap.

To be frank, I was not sure which stall was better. Like a typical Singaporean, I went for the one with a longer queue! 

The stall was manned by two ladies. Since I already ate fishball noodles 15 minutes earlier, I decided to just order the Kway Chap set which cost $3.50 without adding other ingredients.

The bowl of kway (flat and broad rice sheet) was soft and smooth. What caught my attend was the broth in which the kway was soaked in. The broth was tasty with a hint of herbal after-taste. Moreover, it was not overly salty.

As for the plate of mixed intestines, the pork belly, intestines and salted vegetables were above average. Particularly, the pork belly had a good ratio of fat to lean meat with a melt in the mouth sensation.

Overall, the kway chap at this stall is one of the better ones around. While it may not be the very best, it hit the right notes for several of their ingredients/items.

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice 進興粿汁.鹵鴨飯 (Holland Drive Market & Food Centre)

Holland Drive Food Centre 

Blk 44 Holland Drive #02-05 

Singapore 270044

Opening Hours: Daily 7.30am to 2.30pm

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

The last time we had the afternoon high tea at Landing Point was 3 years ago. We wanted to visit more often but as we were busy, we had to space out and plan our foodie journey. So finally, we made a trip down to Landing Point! The setting and ambiance was still the same as before.

The Afternoon High Tea Buffet is available daily from 3pm to 5.30pm and cost $45++ per person. Interestingly, the price has decreased compared to $49 in 2013. Well, this is the first I have heard of. It is more common to hear about inflation. Kudos to Landing Point! In terms of food menu, there are slight changes such as the replacement of Lobster Tarts (my favourite) with Boston Lobster Cornet. Also, there are more than 20 varieties of TWG Tea to enjoy while indulging in the high tea and enjoying the beautiful view of Marina Bay.

Scones with clotted cream and berry jam

We started off with the Scones with clotted cream and berry jam. There have two type of scones available; plain or raisins scones.

Tada! The three-tiered high tea set which is refillable.

Cucumber Sandwich with Ikura Roe, Duck Confit Roulade in Sesame Bun, Boston Lobster Cornet, Smoked Salmon Mille Feuille with Caviar

I still remember that Lobster Tart was one of my favourites. I was disappointed that it was replaced with Boston Lobster Cornet as it was salty and had a fishy after taste.

My favourites this time was the Duck Confit Roulade in Sesame Bun, Smoked Salmon Mille Feuille with Caviar, Truffle Egg Mayo on Baguette and the scones!

The Food and Beverage (Tea & Coffee) menus for this high tea is appended below.

Menu

Beverage (Tea & Coffee) Menu

Overall, I am still a fan of The Landing Point Afternoon High Tea Buffet. Great place to chill and unwind. Moreover, you get to try so many variety of tea and finger food.

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)

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

*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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The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Eggs Benedict RM25.90

As new players continue to join the cafe scene in Singapore, a similar trend is taking place across the causeway. There are at least 10 cafes along the stretch of shop houses at Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. Both streets are just 15 minutes walk away from the causeway.

We visited The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen which is a cafe along Jalan Dhoby. We arrived on a week day at around 11am. The cafe has a small seating capacity of around 25. When  we arrived, the cafe was half full. By the time we left at around 12 noon, the cafe was full and there was a queue! It as obvious from the tone and slang that all the customers in the cafe were Singaporeans!

Beverage Menu 

The beverage (coffee, tea, juices and chocolate) menu.

Brunch Menu

Brunch Menu

Churros with Salted Egg Yolk Dip RM16.90

We ordered the Churros with Salted Egg Yolk Dip RM16.90 for sharing. It was a pity the churros was not crisp. The salted egg yolk dip was delicious. But towards the end it became quite jerlak.

The Breakfast Platter RM29.90

The Breakfast Platter consisted of buttery scrambled eggs, sautéed mushroom, grilled tomato, chicken sausage and turkey ham pastrami served with museli bread. At RM29.90, it was so value for money considering that it would have easily cost around $18 in Singapore. Moreover, it was delicious. One of their best dish! Shiok!

 Eggs Benedict RM25.90

Eggs Benedict with beef pastrami which cost RM25.90 was disappointing. The egg (yolk) were overcooked and no longer runny. As for the beef pastrami, they were on the salty end.

Overall, the prices at the cafe was reasonable and we really liked The Breakfast Platter. Do give it a try! With the number of cafes nearby, we are so spoil for choice! =)

The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

33, Jalan Dhoby

Bandar Johor Bahru

80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Tel: 60 16 713 2714

Opening Hours: Daily 9 am to 7 pm

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Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Banana Cake (big) RM9.80

Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂 is a well-known traditional bakery shop located 15 minutes walk from the causeway. If you know where Hua Mui Coffee Shop is, it is just further down the coffee shop. The bakery sells only banana cakes and buns, and no longer sell biscuits. Their cakes and buns get sold out pretty fast after each baking session even if its a weekday. It is so popular because the cakes and buns are baked the traditional way where wood is used as fuel. It takes a lot of experience to control the heat using this method.

I visited the bakery on a weekday at 10.45 am and was surprised that there was no queue. The reason was because there was only a few boxes of banana cakes left. The buns were being baked and would be ready only at around 11.15 am. Hence, we bought a few boxes of banana cakes and went over to a nearby cafe. I came back at 11.20 am and there was a queue of about 10 persons. The turnover rate was fast and I managed to buy the Coconut Buns and Kaya Buns. I wanted to buy more, but did not as the buns could not be kept for long (as the buns were placed into plastic bag without being allowed to cool down, condensation had form). By this time, the banana cakes were sold out. The next batch would be ready at 12 noon.

Menu

The prices of the buns and cakes are pasted outside the shop. I hope I get to try the curry potato buns and otak-otak buns sometime soon! 

Banana Cake (big) RM9.80

The Banana Cake (big) which consist of 10 slices of cake cost RM9.80. Its appearance is ordinary just like any other cakes. Never judge a book by its cover. The cake was oh so moist, soft and light. In terms of taste it was fragrant and not overly sweet! 

Coconut Buns RM3.70

I have not so much about the bakery's buns but have not managed to try any till this occasion.

Coconut Buns RM3.70

The Coconut Buns RM3.70 tasted even better than the Banana Cake. The bun itself was light and ordinary. The bomb was the coconut shreds in the bun which were still so juicy. With each mouthful, the flavours of the coconut and juice in it explodes in the mouth. The taste of it was right smack out of this world! You got to try this yourself!

As for the Kaya Buns RM3.70, they pale in comparison. Just purchase the coconut buns and banana cake!

Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

80000 Johor Bahru

Johor, Malaysia
Tel: 60 7 223 1703

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 7.30 am - 5.30pm

                           Closed on Sun

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Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅 (Rendezvous Gallery)

Tomato Soup and Mushroom Soup $12

I am sure most of us have heard of Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅, the popular steamboat chain from China which has opened a few outlets in Singapore. But have you heard of Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅? I have heard from several groups of friends that the food at Shang Pin Hot Pot is as good as Hai Di Lao and its price is cheaper.

The steamboat restaurant is located at level two of Rendezvous Gallery next to Rendezvous Hotel. Given its location, I would have never known that there's such a place if not for word of mouth. This restaurant is located 5 minutes walk away from Dhoby Ghuat MRT station. If you are lazy to walk, you can take the Circle Line and alight at Bras Basah MRT station. The restaurant is located just 1 minute walk away from this station.

Condiments - Sauces and Fruits

There is a wide selection of sauces and fruits available for $3 per person. The sauces range from sesame, soya, peanut, leek flower, chilli, fermented bean paste, beef, mushroom to seafood. There are also sugar, salt, peanuts etc. Such a wide variety!

We chose the multi-flavour soup base consisting of of Mushroom Soup and Tomato Soup for $12. Personally, I like the Tomato Soup as it was well balanced in terms of sweetness and sourness. However, the tangy taste overwhelmed the sweetness towards the end of the meal. As for the Mushroom Soup, we found it on the salty side at the start. Towards the end of the meal, the it tasted more pleasant, complementing the Tomato Soup.

We also ordered the free flow drinks at $2 per person. The homemade barley was real thick and good. Totally justify the price tag.

Pork Slices $8, Shang Pin Beef $14

We ordered the Pork Slices and Shang Pin Beef for $8 and $14 respectively. The quality of meat was good and they were sliced thinly making them easy to cook via shabu shabu style.

Dumplings $5

Although the Dumplings $5 consisted of just chives and meat, it was surprisingly delicious!

Baby Cabbage $4, Fresh Tofu $4, Mushroom Platter $14

These were the other dishes (i.e. Baby Cabbage $4, Fresh Tofu $4, Mushroom Platter $14) we ordered.

We also ordered the Shang Pin Kongfu Noodle $3 which we waited a very long time for ... more than half an hour. It was essentially a flatter version of ban mian and more expensive considering the portion. The two of us had just 4-5 short strands of noodles each. If you come in a big group, be prepared to eat just 1 to 2 strands. I would advise that you cook the noodles for a long period of time for it to become soft. The texture of the noodles was surprisingly smooth and slippery. In terms of taste, it was like the good old days when qui lian ban mian noodles taste awesome! 

For the record, I have visited Shang Pin Hot Pot twice. The first was during dinner on a Friday. The restaurant was fully booked. Thankfully, we made reservations. The second visit was during lunch on a weekday. During lunch time, the restaurant was not full. But in terms of service, it was way better at night when they had full staff strength. The post content and photos are all based on the second visit. 

As for the question whether Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅  or Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅 is better? Well, I am in no position to compare as I have not tried Hai Di Lao before. So far, I like the food at Shang Pin Hot Pot =)

Shang Pin Hot Pot 尚品火锅 (Rendezvous Gallery)

9 Bras Basah Road

#02-02 Rendezvous Gallery 

Singapore 189559

Tel: +65 6238 7666

Opening Hours: Daily 12 pm to 12 am

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Dolce Tokyo by MOF: 1 For 1 Main Course Promotion (till 31 Jul 2016)

Source: Dolce Tokyo Facebook

Dolce Tokyo by MOF: 1 For 1 Main Course Promotion (till 31 Jul 2016)

- Valid daily till 31 Jul (Except eve of PH and PH)
- Valid from 3pm to closing
- Valid at 313 Somerset

Blanco Court Food Centre(3rd Storey) Kway Chap 多丽哥粿汁 (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

Blanco Court Food Centre(3rd Storey) Kway Chap 多丽哥粿汁 located at Old Airport Road Food Centre is a well-known Kway Chap stall. There is always a queue at this stall.

I visited at around 230 pm on a weekday and yet there was a queue of around 8 persons.

This is the menu.

The kway was surprisingly decent and hits all the right notes in terms of taste and texture. The kway (flat and broad rice sheet) was soft and smooth.

I requested for braised lean meat, pig intestine (small and big) and eggs. I dare say that this is one of the best kway chap stalls I have had! There was no unpleasant smell in the braised pig intestine (big and small) which were washed clean. Also, I like how they gave the part where the lean meat comes with soft bones as this part is normally more tender. Furthermore, the braised sauce (dark sauce) was tasty and not salty. 

Blanco Court Food Centre(3rd Storey) Kway Chap 多丽哥粿汁 (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

#01-35 Old Airport Road Food Centre 

Blk 51 Old Airport Road 

Singapore 390051

Opening Hours: Wed to Sun 11.30 am - 3.30pm

                          Closed: Mondays & Tuesdays

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Top 1 Home Made Noodle 一级棒好吃面粉粿 (Beauty World Centre)

You Mian with Meat Balls and Egg

This is a stall; Top 1 Home Made Noodle 一级棒好吃面粉粿 that I have been wanting to visit. But because it is out of the way, I have procrastinated until now. Thanks to the government efforts for a “Car-Lite Singapore”, we now have Downtown Line 2 which has a station located next to Beauty World Centre. So convenient! Located at the 4th level of Beauty World Centre is an open air food centre; Beauty World Centre Food Centre.

Top 1 Home Made Noodle 一级棒好吃面粉粿 has been highly raved about and is (known) as one of the must try at Beauty World Centre Food Centre.

As the name of the stall suggests, it specialises in a variety of hand made noodles. Customers can also choose the cooking style and main ingredient. The different varieties are displayed (as shown on the above photo).

You Mian with Meat Balls and Egg

I ordered the You Mian with Meat Balls and Egg. I heard about how long the waiting time could be; 1 hour. But I did not encounter such a waiting time. In fact, the stall owners were free and they cooked my food immediately. I visited on a weekday during lunch hour at 12.30 pm.

The You Mian with Meat Balls and Egg was served with 3 slices of mushroom, 2 meat balls, 1 stalk of green vegetables and topped with ikan bilis and shallots. The portion/serving of ingredients was quite pathetic. Taste wise, it was an ordinary bowl of hand made noodles which was similar to those that you can get commonly elsewhere. The main difference was the bowl of soup which was flavourful, rich and with a hint of sweetness. I polished off the soup and still felt hungry.

I don't think that this is worth queuing 1 hour for. Nevertheless, as I am a great fan of handmade noodles, I would like to try the dry version if I do come back one day.

Top 1 Home Made Noodle 一级棒好吃面粉粿 (Beauty World Centre)

144 Upper Bukit Timah Rd #04-44
Singapore 588177
Tel: 8448 8450
Opening Hour: Thu to Mon 9am - 830pm
                         Closed on Tue and Wed

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