Kok Sen Restaurant 国成餐室 (Keong Saik Road)

Big Prawn Bee Hoon Soup

Kok Sen Restaurant 国成餐室 is a popular cantonese zi char eatery located at Keong Saik Road. It is around 10 minutes walk away from Outram MRT station. Despite not being air-conditioned, the eatery is nearly always full during lunch and dinner time. Over the years, the eatery has garnered quite a following and is known as one of the best cantonese eatery in Singapore.

Big Prawn Bee Hoon Soup

The Big Prawn Bee Hoon Soup is one of their signature dish. It consists of thick bee hoon, kai lan and large prawns in soup, topped with fried onions (shallots). The large and meaty prawns were sliced in half making it easy to extract the meat. The soup broth was just so robust and tasty! It was red, slightly spicy and full of shrimp flavour. It was so tasty that we drank nearly all the soup! Overall, this dish was delicious! A must try! No wonder one can spot this dish on early every table at the eatery.

Big Prawn Hor Fun

The next signature dish which can also be spotted on nearly every table is the Big Prawn Hor Fun. The dish consists of flat rice vermicelli noodles, kai-lan and large prawns. Similarly, the large prawns were sliced in half. The vermicelli noodles was very well fried with a smokey fragrance and wok hei. The sauce was just out of the world. A bowl of plain rice accompanied with the sauce would suffice! This is a must try too!

Prawn Paste Chicken

The Prawn Paste Chicken is another signature dish at Kok Sen. Interestingly, unlike most places where the prawn paste chicken consist of chicken wings, at Kok Sen, other chicken parts were used. The chef controlled the heat well as the chicken was not greasy. While the flavour of the prawn was evident, it thought that as a whole it was on the salty end. 

This is my second time back at Kok Sen Restaurant. Their signature Big Prawn Bee Hoon Soup and  Big Prawn Hor Fun are fantastic! These two dishes are a must try. But do note that you may expect long waiting times at times and not-so-fantastic service. But the food would make up for it. 

Kok Sen Restaurant 国成餐室 (Outram)

30-32 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089137

Tel: +65 6223 2005

Opening Hours: 12pm to 2.30pm; 5pm to 11.30pm

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J.M. Chef 侨美食家 (China, Guangzhou)

J.M. Chef 侨美食家 is a Cantonese restaurant recommended by my colleague. It first started out in 1985 in Sha Mian island 沙面岛 and has since expanded to other parts of Guangdong Province. The restaurant is well known for their fresh seafood and Roasted Pigeon. Visited the restaurant at Sha Mian island. It is a tiny island surrounded by water. One can cross over from the city to the island by any of the three  pedestrian bridges. 

Opening Hous

Awards won and also photo with celebrities who visited the restaurant.

So many pigeons!

No wonder J.M. Chef is known for their fresh seafood! So many water/fish tanks!

Besides the normal fishes, prawns, calms, mussels, abalones and lobsters, they have silk worms, water beetles, turtles and snakes (yes alive)!

Menu Cover

Two sets of chopsticks. One set for common use; taking of food from the main table to put onto the plate. The other a personal chopstick; to put it crudely, for putting food directly into your mouth! =P

Chinese Tea

Chinese tea, a must for any meal in the land of China. Like the tea pot. Makes me feel like drinking more tea just so that I can refill it.

Braised Peanuts

Braised Peanuts as we waited for our food.

Roasted Pigeon (2 pieces)

Pigeons are small tender birds, known as a delicacy among the Cantonese. They are known to provide good nutrient and has less fat compared to chicken. 

We ordered 2 Roasted Pigeon, 1 each. The Roasted Pigeon were cut into quarters. This was my first time trying a Pigeon and honestly speaking, I was thrilled! Have been wanting to try it for a long time! 

The Roasted Pigeon arrived piping hot. The outside (skin) was very crispy. Inside, the meat was tender, moist, tasty and very fragrant. I think it was roasted then deep fried just before serving as the skin was very crispy. Another plus is that it was not oily. The downside was that it was not meaty enough! Overall, it tasted  almost similar to roasted chicken, the difference is that it was more tasty and fragrant!

Roasted Pigeon (9 pieces)

It was so good, that I just had to visit this place again on the very night before I depart from Guangzhou.  I went with a group of 9 people. Hence there was 9 Roasted Pigeons. This time, asked for the uncut version so that we can eat them in the most enjoyable way; using our hands. Shiok! 

Steamed Bun Stuffed with Crab Meat and Sauce RMB30 (S$6)

The Steamed Bun Stuffed with Crab Meat and Sauce is what we call Xiao Long Bao (XLB) back in Singapore. It was disappointing. The skin was thin, however there was no sauce in these XLB and the meat was tough.

Pan-fried Steamed Bun Stuffed with Meat and Vegetable RMB24 (S$4.80)

The Pan-fried Steamed Bun Stuffed with Meat and Vegetable was delicious. The downside was that it was too oily.

Stirred Fried Vegetable

Sautéed Rice Noodles with Vegetables RMB38 (S$7.60)

The Sautéed Rice Noodles with Vegetables was well fried and fragrant. Taste similar to our fried Kway Teow. Again, the down side was that it was too oily which was a turn-off towards the end of the meal. 

If you are visiting J.M. Chef 侨美食家 , visit this at Shamian island. This is their main branch. In addition, their seating capacity is huge. Needless to say, I am recommending the Roasted Pigeon! The rest of the dishes are just average.

J.M. Chef 侨美食家 (China, Guangzhou) 

52号 Sha Mian Nan Jie, Li Wan Qu

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510130

Tel: +86 20 8121 7018, +86 20 8121 7168
Opening Hours: Daily  8am to 230pm, 5pm to 4am
Location
Directions: Take MTR to Huangsha station (Line 1) and go to Exit D. There is an overhead pedestrian bridge nearly by that links to Shamian island. 

Location

A - J.M Chef 侨美食家

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Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 (China, Guangzhou)

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 is known as the 'Number One Restaurant in Guangzhou'. The restaurant has a long history dating back to the  1935.  Guangzhou Restaurant started out with a restaurant located at the corner of Wen Chang Nan Road and the famous Shangxiajiu Street; which is its main restaurant today. It has expanded over the years and has several branches around Guangzhou, China and even Hong Kong.

Guangzhou Restaurant occupies the whole building; three levels along with an elevator.  The first level offers a selection of Chinese and Western food while the second and third levels offers Cantonese food. It seems to provide a courtyard dining experience as there was a pond and a tree right in the middle of the building. (Reminds me of Yung Kee Restaurant in Hong Kong) It is said that the restaurant can serve as many as 10,000 people a day.

Opening Hours

Operating hours for the Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. They are opened as early as 7am!

They have even prepared Wasabi in the background. I did not see the need for it during this meal. Is it normal for Wasabi to be eaten with Cantonese food? (not that I know of)

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Ordered Chinese Tea - Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 to complete the meal. How can we not order Chinese Tea in the China! It is chargeable at RMB 12 (S$2.40) per person. Sit back, and watch how the waitress prepare the tea for you. More will be prepared when you have finished the tea. 

Honey-Stewed BBQ Pork RMB43 (S$8.60)

The Honey-Stewed BBQ Pork is actually Char Siew. It was delicious and has a melt in the mouth sensation. Each piece was not overly fat. Well-seasoned and best eaten with plain rice.

Roasted Goose RMB43 (S$8.60)

Roasted Goose RMB43 (S$8.60)

The Roasted Goose was amazing. The layer of skin was crispy and fragrant with little fats. Will be a waste of the chef effort not to try / eat it (skin). Inside, the meat was tender and soft. Underneath the meat, there were peanuts underneath. Again, this reminds me of the Roasted Goose in Yung Kee Restaurant!

Ice Dalian-abalone Piece RMB68 (S$13.60) Per Piece

Ice Dalian Abalone (Baoyu), per piece at RMB68 (S$13.60). My concern before ordering was that, this is so cheap, how can it be. It must be of lousy quality and hard. But my other half of the mind was telling me, its so cheap, what is there to lose. Can't resist trying this considering the price I have to pay for something like this back home (Singapore).

Ice Dalian-abalone Piece RMB68 (S$13.60) Per Piece (Close-up)

The Ice Dalian Abalone was presented very nicely. It was cold (needless to say as the name suggest), lightly seasoned and tender-soft. Moreover, it was fresh with no fishy taste. It was easy to savour as it has been cut nicely into six pieces. Certainly worth a try!

Overall, I quite like my experience at the Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家! The food was great and value for money! Hard to find food of this quality at this value in Singapore especially for the BBQ Pork (Char Siew), Roasted Goose and Ice Dalian Abalone!

ps: After leaving the Guangzhou Restaurant, we went to Nanxin Shuang Pi Nai 南信双皮奶. Over there, shared a table with 2 locals. They overheard us talking about our dinner at Guangzhou Restaurant. And they told us that the food there was expensive and lousy! 

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 (China, Guangzhou)

2号 Wenchang South Road, Liwan

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510140
Tel: +86 20 8138 0388, +86 20 8138 9840, +86 20 8138 0803  

Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 10pm

Website

Location

Directions: Take MTR to either Huangsha or Changshou Lu station (Line 1). Both stations are around 15 minutes walking distance away from  Wenchang South Road. If you are not familiar with Guangzhou, take to Changshou Lu instead, it is easier (and brighter) to walk over.

Location

A - Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 

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Mak's Noodle 麥奀雲吞麵世家 (Hong Kong)

Mak's Noodle 麥奀雲吞麵世家 has been around for a long time since 1968 and pride itself with having been awarded with a Michelin guide recommendation. (it is also one of the World's cheapest Michelin starred restaurant) In addition, it has a reputation for specialising in serving one of the best wantons noodles in Hong Kong.

Today, Mak's Noodle has several outlets in Hong Kong and Macau. We visited the outlet at The Peak. It is located just on the ground floor of The Peak Galleria.

Since there's 6 of us, we ordered 3 "Sets for 2's (A)". Each Set of "Sets for 2's (A)" cost HK$125 (S$20.83) consist of 2 Wonton with Nooodles in Soup, 1 Pork & Shrimp Dumpling in Soup and 1 Vegetable with Oyster Sauce.

Wanton Noodles

sidenote: the chilli at the top left background is delicious

Mak's Noodle Wanton Noodles are served in standard rice bowl. This is to prevent the noodles from absorbing all the broth and becoming soggy. (I doubt the theory) The noodles were springy and seemed to be entangled together. Moreover, it is quite different from those in Singapore. The broth was unique. It was clear and very tasty. Most likely have been cooked using pork bones and shrimps.  Each wanton contained 1 piece of prawn that was very fresh and crunchy. Moreover, it was wrapped in a very thin wanton skin that enhanced the crunchness.

The portion is small if you are hungry, one bowl will not be enough. As a result, I ordered 1 more bowl of Wonton Noodle from the a la carte menu which cost HK$33 (S$5.50)

Pork & Shrimp Dumpling in Soup

Pork & Shrimp Dumpling in Soup was delicious. The broth is is similar to the one in the wanton noodles. The dumplings contained mined pork, shrimp, bamboo shoots and water chestnut. The dumpling was well marinated, very flavourful and crunchy.

Vegetable with Oyster Sauce

Vegetable with Oyster Sauce was a simple dish. Steamed vegetable that was cooked just right with oyster sauce. Again, the big stems was an unpleasant sight at first. But after trying it, I find that I like it! Very crunchy and fresh! A simple dish yet so delicious! I am starting to feel the difference between the vegetables we eat in Singapore and Hong Kong/China. Hong Kong and China's vegetables are just so big and fresh.

Overall, the food at Mak's Noodle was delicious! But the portion of the wanton noodle is really way to small for a guy. Ordering an a la carte bowl of wanton noodle is quite expensive considering the small portion. With the set, it is more value for money. I will definitely be back if I am in Hong Kong again, quite like the vegetables and dumplings.

Mak's Noodle 麥奀雲吞麵世家 (Hong Kong)
Shop, 1 G/F, The Peak Galleria
118 Peak Road
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8pm
Location

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Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim 忠記海鮮魚翅飯店 (Macau)

After visiting the Ruins of St Paul, we headed to Rua da Felicidade to have Shark's Fin Soup. Rua da Felicidade is a street well known for it's Shark's Fin Soup which are reasonably priced.

Ruins of St Paul

However, when we got to Rua da Felicidade, we saw that the shop (only sells Shark's Fin Soup) that we wanted to eat at had a long queue. We were running short of time and wanted to eat lunch too. Hence, we went to the street (Travessa do Aterro Novo) where we came from and decided to try Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim. (For its location, refer to the end of the post)

Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim

The place was relatively empty except for two other tables which were occupied. Well, one reason could be because we arrived at close to 2pm. We ordered plain rice to go along with the dishes.

Shark's Fin Soup

We had to order Shark's Fin Soup since we were here. Looks very different from what we normally order in Singapore. The Shark's Fin Soup is cooked and served in a claypot.

Serving the Shark's Fin Soup

The waitress then divides the Shark's Fin Soup equally. Firstly, taking the half chicken out on a plate. Secondly, dividing the Shark's Fin equally. Lastly, dividing the soup equally.

Shark's Fin Soup

The Shark's Fin Soup is different from how it is normally cooked in Singapore. At this restaurant, it is cooked with half a chicken in it to add taste to the broth instead of crab meat. Moreover, there is no starch added nor is there any soy sauce added. The soup is watery, white in colour and tasty! Look at the Shark's Fin. Shiok.Unique bowl of Shark's Fin Soup. First time having it like this. You maybe interested to try this too (you have been warned that it is totally different from what you get in Singapore or even Bangkok's Chinatown)

Kung Pao Chicken

The Kung Pao Chicken (Gong Bao Chicken) is a classic SiChuan Cuisine. It was delicious! Fried to perfection, with chilli pepper that provided a spicy twist! I wish that there was more chicken bits given.

Sweet and Sour Pork

The Sweet and Sour Pork was delicious too. The sweetness and sourness was just nice. Moreover, the pork was very crispy and each piece was coated with the sweet and sour sauce.

Seafood Omelette

Seafood Omelette, also known as Fu Rong Egg 芙蓉蛋. Prawns, spring onions, green pepper and bean sprouts in it. Again, I must compliment this restaurant. This seafood omlette was cooked perfectly. It is not oily at all (which is rare for this dish). It is not salty. Fresh ingredients which include prawns, spring onions, green pepper and bean sprouts in it.

Vegetable with Oyster Sauce

Vegetable with Oyster Sauce (Kai Lan) also did not disappoint. I have frequently thought that vegetables need to be cooked with garlic to make it taste nicer. Well, this dish is without garlic. Yet it taste fantastic! In addition, the Kai Lan was very fresh.The leaves were well cooked, stems were crunchy. Moreover, it was not salty. The vegetables in Hong Kong and Macau taste so much nicer than Singapore's. This is an example of an ordinary dish with ordinary ingredients that taste great if you are skillful and put your heart into it.

Oranges

Complimentary oranges given by the lady boss.

I went into this restaurant without too much expectations. And at the end of this meal I was totally won over. All the dishes were delicious, skillfully cooked. Kudos to this restaurant for the excellent service. I can't even recall when is the last time I like all the dishes. There is virtually no post on this restaurant in the internet. This is a hidden gem that deserves air-time online. If you are wondering what to eat in Macau. This is it! Give this restaurant a try and also the portugese egg tart.

Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim 忠記海鮮魚翅飯店 (Macau)
8 Travessa Do Aterro Novo
Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro
新馬路新填巷8號
Tel: (853) 2858 0668
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 2am
Location

A is location of Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim
The 2 red lines is Rua da Felicidade (where one can get good and cheap Shark's Fin Soup

A is the location of Ruins of St Paul.
B is location of Chong Kei Hoi Sin Yeh Mei Fan Tim
Highlighted in a red box is Margaret’s Café e Nata (Portugese Egg Tarts)

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