The Old Mark Cafe (Malaysia, Melaka)

Tiramisu Souffle Pancake RM 19

I was looking at the location of Atlantis Residences, the airbnb where we were staying and the places nearby. That was when I stumbled upon The Old Mark Cafe, which had good reviews and was just a 8 minutes walk (or 3 minutes car ride) away.

We visited on a Monday afternoon at 1.40pm. Despite the timing, the cafe was full and there was a group in front of us. We waited around 15 minutes for a table as we had a big group (nine persons). Be prepared to wait 30 to 60 minutes during peak hour. Ordering was done over the counter and I was glad that I could use YouTrip to make payment. 

Old Mark Big Breakfast RM 27

This was the Old Mark Big Breakfast RM 27 which consisted of chicken ham, salad, sauteed mushroom, hashbrown and scrambled egg with toast bread. It was quite decent with all the right notes in terms of taste. Scrambled egg was perfectly cook, not overcooked.

Whites Nutty Souffle Pancake RM 19

The Old Mark Cafe is popular for their signature Souffle Pancake. You cannot visit this cafe without trying them. Their Souffle Pancakes were soft, fluffy, light and wobbly. Taste wise they were not overly sweet and literally melt in the mouth. This was the Whites Nutty Souffle Pancake RM 19 with homemade white chocolate sauce, walnut and butter crumb. Despite looking so plain looking, it was delicious and tasty.

The other Souffle Pancake we tried was the Tiramisu Souffle Pancake RM 19, with homemade cream sauce, lady finger soaked with daily espresso and butter crumb. Taste wise this was oh so good too. 

The other items that we ordered which I did not managed to try are below. I heard that they were not bad. 

Butter Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl RM 20

The Butter Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl RM 20 consisted of deep fried chicken thigh with butter garlic sauce and corn. 

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl RM 24

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl RM 24 came with teriyaki salmon cube and tobiko, carrot, corn and zucchini slices.

Hojicha Latte (Hot) RM 13

Overall, I was so glad that we visited The Old Mark Cafe. Ambience, food presentation and taste was fantastic. The younger generation will love this especially the Souffle Pancake which are so IG worthy.

The Old Mark Cafe (Malaysia, Melaka)
No.39, Jalan KSB 11
Taman Kota Syahbandar
Malacca City, Malaysia 
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday 12pm to 7pm
                           Closed on Tuesday 

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Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Food Centre)

$4.50 Fried Kway Teow Mee

If you are a fan of fried Char Kway Teow, you may have heard of this stall located at Hong Lim Food Centre; Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee. This stall has been mentioned many times on mainstream media such as The Straits Times, Yahoo Singapore and 8 days, and even received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2018.

 

I visited on a weekday at around 10.30am and there was already a queue of around 10 persons in front. I waited for around 20 minutes before I received my plate of food.    

$4.50 Fried Kway Teow Mee

There are two versions available, either $4.50 or $5.50. I ordered the $4.50 Fried Char Kway Teow. 

$4.50 Fried Kway Teow Mee

This plate of Char Kway Teow really hit all the right notes. The wok hei (smokey fragrance) added on to the sweet and salty flavour of the dish which consisted of just noodles, kway teow, cockles, bean sprouts, fishcake, egg, and pork lard. It is amazingly how these ingredients could be fried together to produce such taste. There was not even any chinese sausage to enhance the taste. The cockles may look small, but they were plump and juicy.

$4.50 Fried Kway Teow Mee

Even if you try to get these ingredients and fried it yourself, you would not be able to get the taste as it takes skill to cook the wok hei flavour out. Moreover, the owner added his own mixture of umami soya sauce when frying the ingredients.

I was glad that I went early at 10plus in the morning. Because by the time I finished it was around 11am and the queue had grown in size to more than 20 pax. I really like this plate of Fried Kway Teow and am glad that I managed to try it. Rating this a die die must try dish! 

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Food Centre)
531A Upper Cross St
Hong Lim Food Centre #02-17
Singapore 051531
Opening Hours: 6am to 3pm Monday to Saturday
                           Closed on Sunday

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Old Long House Popiah 老長屋薄餅 (Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre)

$1.60 Popiah

The origin of Popiah was believed to be from the Fujian Province in China. It is also known as the Spring Roll as it was made and eaten during Spring period when the farmers harvest their vegetables. 

In Singapore, the older generation would understand the significance of Popiah as it was a household dish in the past. Popiah would be eaten during significant occasions and provided a good bonding opportunity. 

Old Long House Popiah 老長屋薄餅 is located at Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre. This stall is located at a corner of the hawker centre and its not hard to find it as it is located along the same row as Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles and Lai Heng Cooked Food Stall. 

The Popiah is sold for $1.60 each.

Each piece is freshly made upon order.

$1.60 Popiah

This $1.60 Popiah from Old Long House Popiah stall at Kim Keat Food Centre is surprisingly delicious. The popiah was tightly packed and full of ingredients. Despite its plain and boring appearance, each bite was accompanied with little burst of flavours and texture. There was a crunch with every mouthful too!

$1.60 Popiah

Another look at ingredients in the popiah.

This is one of the best popiah I have eaten. Give it a try!


Old Long House Popiah 老長屋薄餅  (Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre)
22 Lor 7 Toa Payoh
#01-03 Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre
Singapore 310019
Opening Hours: Wed to Sun 6am to 2pm
                           Closed on Mon, Tue

Give it a
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Xiang Ji Porridge 香记粥品 (Telok Blangah Crescent Market & Food Centre)

Century Egg and Pork Porridge $3.50 with Egg $0.50

Age seems to have caught up with me. I used to have porridge only when I was not feeling well. And when I am well, I would definitely not have porridge for lunch as it was not filling. But now, ironically, I enjoy a bowl of porridge for lunch every now and then. Yes, even if the weather is scorching hot, I somehow cannot say no to this porridge.

I am surprise that no one has shared about Xiang Ji Porridge 香记粥品 as it is a hidden gem! The stall is located at Telok Blangah Crescent Hawker Centre, which is quite out of the way as it is not near any MRT stations. It is located 5 minutes away from Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and SAFRA Mount Faber.

The stall is open from Tuesday to Saturday and business starts at 7am till sold out, which is usually slightly after 1pm. During lunch time, the queue can stretch to more than 10 persons long. This is how popular they are! In terms of variety, they offer a wide range, from century eggs, pork liver, pork minced meat, pork lean meat, shredded chicken to fish.

The porridge has a grainy texture as it is well cooked till the grains are broken into slightly smaller pieces. Each bowl of porridge comes with generous toppings of fried fritters, spring onion, shallots and preserved vegetable. There is no need to add additional seasoning as the porridge is flavourful, not to the extent of salty, and the preserved vegetable will provide additional flavour.

Century Egg and Pork Porridge $3.50 with Egg $0.50

My favourite and usual dish is the Century Egg and Pork Porridge which cost $3.50. I will usually add an egg for $0.50 to make the texture creamier and provide more flavour. The amount of ingredient given is quite generous (you can see the amount of century egg given in the photos above).

Pork and Liver Porridge $3.50 with Egg $0.50

Another combination which I frequently order is the Pork and Liver Porridge $3.50 with Egg $0.50.

Since I chanced upon this stall, I have been eating their porridge frequently. This simple yet unpretentious bowl of porridge certainly punches its weigh. Whether you are feeling under or above the weather, this is one good solid bowl of porridge worth trying!

Xiang Ji Porridge 香记粥品 (Telok Blangah Crescent Market & Food Centre)

#01-98 Telok Blangah Crescent Hawker Centre

Blk 11 Telok Blangah Crescent

Singapore 090011

Opening Hours: Tue to Sat 7am till sold out (normally slightly after 1 pm)

                          Closed on Sun and Mon

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Hong Ji Mian Shi Jia 鸿记面食家 (Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre)

Dumpling Noodle $3.50 with Char Siew $1

Other than Seng Huat Prawn Noodles 成發,Hong Ji Mian Shi Jia 鸿记面食家  is another stall that is very popular at this food centre.

This stall specialises in serving old school style wanton noodle, dumpling noodle and even chicken claw noodle. Do note that although the queue may seems short, the waiting time tend to be long.

While waiting, you can read the 3 articles that are displayed at the stall. One of the article stated that the owner of the stall, who is the man behind the stall cooking your food, has more than 40 years of experience in preparing, cooking and selling these noodles! He had done this his entire life and back then the cost of each bowl of noodles was 20 cents! Such devotion and perseverance.

I have been to the stall several times to try their different food items after having first try their Wanton Noodle. I must say that their food is really good. Homely, comforting and tasty. They also have a plastic bag of fried pork lard placed at the front of the stall for customers. However, on certain days the fried lard are crispy while on other days, they were not crispy (an indication that they were not fresh).

Wanton Noodle $3.50

This Wanton Noodle $3.50 was damn solid. The noodles were springy and the sauce was flavourful and just right, not too salty. The char siew had a high lean meat to fat ratio and few charred bits. But yet the char siew was surprisingly soft and tender. There were 3 pieces of wanton given. The wanton meat were well marinated and the wanton skin was smooth! Before I knew it, I had polished off all the wanton.

Chicken Claw Mushroom Noodle $3.50

This was the Chicken Claw Mushroom Noodle. It cost just $3.50 and comes with a pair of chicken claw and a whole braised mushroom. In all other hawker stalls, the mushroom would be sliced. I am not sure why this stall served the braised mushroom as a whole, but I preferred it this way because it gave a better bite, and retained more flavour and juice in it. I am won over already! The chicken claw was delicious and appeared to be more ‘meaty’ compared to other stalls.

Dumpling Noodle $3.50 with Char Siew $1

This was the Dumpling Noodle which cost $3.50. I topped up $1 for Char Siew. Look at the generous amount of char siew given! As for the dumplings, they were meaty and was filled with prawns, minced meat and chestnuts which provided a crunchy dimension to each mouthful!

Wanton Noodle $3.50 and Chicken Claw with Mushroom $1.50

On another occasion I actually had Wanton Noodle $3.50 with additional pair of Chicken Claw with Mushroom for $1.50. You should have known by now that I love their chicken claw and mushroom!

Needless to say, I think this stall’s food is really so good! It is a die die must try. The downside is that the lady at the counter is not always in the best mood. But who cares, good food makes the world goes round.

Hong Ji Mian Shi Jia 鸿记面食家 (Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre)

#01-05 Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre

79 Telok Blangah Drive
Singapore 100079
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 8pm
                          Closed on Fridays

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#MAKANBOLEH Epok Epok (Curry Puff) (Seah Im Food Centre)

Sardin Epok Epok $1

One evening late last year, I was scrolling through my instagram feed when I spotted a unique post about epok epok at Seah Im Food Centre that caught my attention. It was a post by Miss Ha. I searched the internet but could not find much information. I knew that I had to give it a try when I had the opportunity to. 

So I made three trips down to the stall called #MAKANBOLEH. On my first visit, I went during lunch time and was told that they only start making and selling the epok epo at 4.30pm. During my second visit, I was told that I had to wait for 1 hour! As I was in a rush, I could not afford to wait. So I made another trip and this time, I was told that the waiting time was 45 minutes. In reality, I waited for an hour.

PS: do you know that curry puff are known as epok epok by our Muslim friends? Although both terms Curry Puff and Epok Epok are used interchangeably in Singapore, their taste tend to differ. For example, curry puff tends to include curry in the fillings whereas the tradtional epok epok uses chilli sauce.

True enough when you visit after 4.30pm, you will be able to witness how the epok epok are made and cooked on the spot. From the pastry to the filling and to the frying of the epok epok. There are two varieties of Epok Epok, the Sardin Epok Epok and Potato Epok Epok. They cost $1 each.

Sardin Epok Epok $1

I have placed a one dollar coin next to the Epok Epok to illustrate the huge size of it. This Epok Epok cost just $1! Moreover, it comes pipping hot, fresh out of the stove of hot oil!

The crust of any epok epok or curry puff is always important as it needs to be thin and yet be able to hold the fillings in well, and is crisp. #MAKANBOLEH's Epok Epok crust hit all the right notes in this aspect. Moreover, it has a butter fragrance which is a plus point.

Sardin Epok Epok $1

This Sardin Epok Epok came with huge chunks of sardine meat and small pieces of onion. On the first bite, the spiciness of the chilli pasteoverwhelmed me, before the sweetness set in. The more I bite into it, the more I love it! Sedap!

Potato Epok Epok $1

The Potato Epok Epok was equally good although it tasted different. Instead of chilli paste, curry paste was used. The curry sauce was not as spicy and was sweeter, coated each chunk of potato. You can literally bite into the potatoes as they were not mashed up. A chunk of hard boiled egg was also added.

Most of the time, I prefer my Epok Epok with potato fillings. But this time, both were really good. If you are a fan of Epok Epok, wait no more! Give this a try!

#MAKANBOLEH Epok Epok (Curry Puff) (Seah Im Food Centre)

#01-36 Seah Im Food Centre 

2 Seah Im Road 

Singapore 099114 

Opening Hours: Daily 6am to 9pm

                           Closed on Mon

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Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup 海南药材羊肉汤 (Pasir Panjang Food Centre)

I never though that I would set foot in Pasir Panjang Food Centre due to its ulu (i.e. out of the way) location. One day, when I had the opportunity to visit the food centre, I spent a consideration amount of time searching the internet and even walking around the stalls 3 times. All this so that I can make the most out of this trip and eat the best food. 

Herbal Mutton Soup with Mee Sua and Egg 

Since I was there during the day time, there were limited choices. In the end, I settled for Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup 海南药材羊肉汤. This was a risky choice and the type of dish which "you would either love it or hate it". Also, it is an extremely hard dish to execute as evident from the number of such stalls in hawker centres, food courts, coffeeshop or even restaurants. 

As its name suggests, the stall specializes in Chinese style Herbal Mutton Soup, to be more specific, Hainanese style. The owner of the stall, Max has been running the stall for 9 years and it was previously located at Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre at Toa Payoh Lorong 7. 

Menu

 There were other dishes available such as tendon, lamb shank and tulang soup.

Herbal Mutton Soup with Rice $10.50

I settled for the the Herbal Mutton Soup with a bowl of rice $10.50. The Herbal Mutton Soup was served in clay pot. This was a smart tactic as it ensured that the ingredients and the broth were kept warm for a longer period of time. You would not like to drink your soup cold do you? Soup lovers will understand this. 

The Herbal Mutton Soup very well executed. As you can see from the photo and video, many different types of ingredients such as wolfberries, red dates, dang gui, black fungus, tau pok and beancurd skin were added. I love the flavourful, rich and robust herbal broth. Moreover, the mutton meat and ribs were tender and more importantly, had no pungent gamey taste. This was because Max had marinated the mutton with fermented red yeast and seared them in oil during the preparation stage.

Herbal Mutton Soup with Mee Sua and Egg $11

I went back again on another occasion as this was just too good. This time, I tried the Herbal Mutton Soup with Mee Sua and an egg $11. The broth quality was the same as my first visit. The inclusion of the Mee Sua was a good idea as the silky mee sua had soaked up and was coated with the broth. May be on my next visit, I should just dump my whole rice into the broth! 

Oh boy, I had no regrets eating this! This is the best mutton soup ever! Definitely a must try! If you are someone hates the gaminess taste in mutton, you should give this a try!

Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup 海南药材羊肉汤 (Pasir Panjang Food Centre)

121 Pasir Panjang Road 

Stall 14, Pasir Panjang Food Centre 

Singapore 118543 

Tel: +65 8452 3094 

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11.30am to 9pm 

                          Closed on Sun

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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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Kimdo BBQ 金都串串烧 @ JB City Square (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles)

If you are someone who frequently cross the causeway using public transport (i.e. bus), you would likely know about Kimdo BBQ 金都串串烧 . Kimdo BBQ is a small stall located at City Square which you would need to pass if you are entering the mall after clearing the customs. It is popular for its signature BBQ Single Bone Chicken Wing and Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles). Kimdo BBQ as its name suggests is a BBQ specialist. Their stall in City Square is in fact a BBQ expresss stall offering 15 to 20 BBQ items. Their main outlet is located at Taman Sentosa.

Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles)

I heard so much about their Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles) but have never tried it before since its quite troublesome and heavy to pack this back into Singapore. Fortunately, I got an opportunity recently. 

The Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles) was delicious. It was filled with generous serving of ingredients ranging from salted fish, cabbage, mushroom, minced chicken and shallots. The soup was tasty too! 

Kimdo BBQ would among the first few stalls I'll visit. I think the concept of a barbecue pitstop in a shopping mall is pretty unique. You’ll get to choose from about 15 to 20 items for the staff to barbecue on the spot, ranging from the normal fishballs to the broccoli.

Single Bone Chicken Wing, Seafood Tofu, Curry Quail Eggs and Hokkaido Scallops

For the BBQ items, after you have ordered the items, the staff would BBQ them on the spot. Our favourite items are the Single Bone Chicken Wing, Seafood Tofu and Hokkaido Scallops. The chicken wings are unique as they are flat and just have a single bone. It was easy to eat it and the meat was full of smokey fragrance. Their homemade chili complement it perfectly even though it was so spicy. 

This is a stall that I always patronise for their BBQ items whenever I cross the causeway via public transport! If you have not tried this yet, you should! 

KIMDO BBQ 金都串串烧 @ JB City Square(Malaysia, Johor Bahru) 
J3-19B City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook
80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: 07 207 2838
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 10pm

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