Hock Prawn Mee 福鰕面 (Jalan Besar)

Pork Rib Prawn Noodle $5

Hock Prawn Mee 福鰕面 is a prawn noodle stall located at a quiet coffeeshop in Jalan Besar area, oppsite Sim Lim Tower, near Sim Lim Square. It is located just opposite Wanderlust Hotel.

This prawn mee is located in the same coffeeshop as the Hainan Chicken Rice Ball.

I was surprised that Hock Prawn Mee is open 24 hours.

It was manned by an elderly lady and a gentleman in his 40s-50s during the day time when I went on several occasions. The elderly lady was in charge of cooking the food (including the soup stock) while the gentleman was in charge of taking down orders, serving and collection of payment.

Intestine Prawn Noodle $5

Seeing that they offer pig small intestines, I ordered the Intestine Prawn Noodle which cost $5. I was surprised that the price of the prawn noodles at this coffeeshop start from $4 onwards. Was expecting more of $3 or $3.50.

Intestine Prawn Noodle $5

The small intestine was delicious. It was very well cleaned with its innards still intact inside. regretted ordering the dry version as the chilli sauce was disappointing. It lacked fragrance and was not spicy. The soup provided was yummy though! It was very tasty.

Pork Rib Prawn Noodle $5

On the subsequent visit, I ordered the soup version of the Pork Rib Prawn Noodle $5. This was delicious as the soup base was very well done and full of umami flavour. In addition, the pork rib was tender. 

Personally, I prefer their soup version. Their dry version was disappointing due to the chilli. Pricewise, it is on the higher end compared to its peers in coffeeshops and hawker centres. 

Hock Prawn Mee 福鰕面 (Jalan Besar)
Shing Boon Hwa Food Centre
43 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208804
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 24 hours 

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Must Try Grilled Pork Ribs from Jobakjip 조박집 (South Korea, Seoul)

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

If you are a fan of BBQ / Grilled Pork Ribs, the best place to have it in Seoul is in Mapo 마포 at Mapo's Dwaeji Galbi & Dwaeji Jumulleok Alley. In the 1950s, the Mapo port was busy with cargo boats that carried timber and grains down the Han River to the many sawmills and granaries in Mapo. There were many hungry seamen and workers looking for cheap filling food and booze to get over their strenuous day. With a growing demand, many eateries started popping up selling grilled pork and Makgeolli (Korean rice wine). Even after the port closed down, the blue collar workers were replaced with white collar workers (e.g. office workers). The office workers would frequent these eateries for the Makgeolli and Soju after a stressful day at work. The youngest employee in the group would normally be tasked (arrow-ed) to grilled the meat. Today, there are many barbecue restaurants (some having been opened before the dock was closed) along this particular alley.

My Korean friend brought us to this particular eatery known as Jobakjip 조박집 at the Dwaeji Galbi & Dwaeji Jumulleok Alley (aka Mapo BBQ Alley). Along the way, we spotted several barbecue restaurants and in fact, there was a hint of smokey barbecue smell in the air in this alley! Jobakjip 조박집 is 5 to 10 minutes walk away from Mapo Station (subway line 5) Exit 1.

When we entered the eatery, I was surprised that the eatery was nearly full (considering the competition). 

Menu

Focus on the menu, not the guys... The menu was mainly in Korean and English language. It was also simple and straight to the point. There was just two mains in it; (i) Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭 and (ii) Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비. There were also Rice,  Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수 and Alcoholic Beverages. 

Interestingly, this is a non-smoking eatery. The eatery is well-ventilated and the place is not smokey unlike some other barbecue restaurants. But do note, your clothes will still definitely smell. 

All the wooden tables in the eatery had a charcoal fire pit in the middle as all the customers here would definitely be here for the barbecue food.

This was the spread we ordered, some food items are not shown in this photo. As usual, there would always be complimentary side dishes.

Each person would be served a bowl of salad.

Another side dish for sharing. There was also preserved radish.

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

I was told that this eatery is well known for its Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비. No need to worry about the fats as they would melt in the heat and help ensure that the meat is tender. The excessive fats would drip down into the grills.

The meat is normally marinated in a concoction of soy sauce, sliced scallions, garlic, ginger juice, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and pepper. It would typically be scored to allow the meat to adsorb the marinade easily. 

Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비

The Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비 was indeed delicious. It was well marinated and succulent, of great quality and flavour. The smokey flavour from the charcoal stove was locked in the meat too. This is a must try! 

The garlic can be grilled too. The sauce at the left is the gochujang sauce. Not too sure what the sauce at the top is.

The locals would normally not eat the meat alone. They would take a piece of lettuce, spread the gochujang sauce on it, add a grilled garlic on top.

Then they would take the piece of cooked Galbi and drip it into this special sauce before adding the meat onto the lettuce and wrap it up. This is how they would eat this.

Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수

We also ordered a bowl of Radish Water Kimchi Noodle (DongChimi Noodle) 동치미국수 each. This is water based, non spicy kimchi and is traditionally consumed during winter. Today, koreans consume this all year round. It was served chilled. The broth was clear and was refreshing while the radish was crunchy.

Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭

We also ordered the Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭. Compared to the Galbi, this is normally lightly marinated in a concoction of sesame oil, salt, garlic and pepper. Instead of scoring the meat, the concoction would be rubbed over the meat.

Hanwoo Grilled Seasoned Meat (Beef Jumulleok) 한우 주물럭

The staff would change the grills before this is grilled. The marbling on the meat looks great. However, looks can be deceiving. The appearance and price of the Beef Jumulleok, mismatch the taste. It was not as tasty and flavourful as the Galbi (which was way cheaper). 

Fermented Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang jjigae) 된장 찌개

Towards the end of the meal, we were given a complimentary small pot of Fermented Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang jjigae) 된장 찌개. We place it on top of the charcoal stove and heat it up further. This was tasty and delicious. We really enjoyed the soup. 

It was worth our time travelling down specially to Mapo to try the Grilled Pork Ribs (Galbi) 돼지갈비 from Jobakjip 조박집. This is worth a visit if you are in Seoul. Do not miss this!

Namecard

This is the name card of the eatery.

Jobakjip 조박집 (South Korea, Seoul)
Yonggang-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 마포구 용강동 40-1번지
Tel: +82 2 712 7462

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Café 2000 Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner (M Hotel)

Café 2000, a restaurant located at M Hotel (Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station) serves International Buffet Dinner at daily from 6pm to 11pm. On Fridays, Saturdays and Eve of Public Holidays, the restaurant serves Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner.

We visited Café 2000 on a Saturday evening and tried out its Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner. 

When we arrived at 630pm, the restaurant was around 70% full.  The first few rows of the tables near the entrance were not occupied. Whereas those inside the restaurants were all occupied, most probably because everyone wanted to be strategically near the food since it was a buffet.

I was surprised to see so many people at the restaurant as I thought that we were early. The spread available included Cold Seafood, Barbecue, Bread, Soup, Salad, Zi Char (which was the month special), Satay, Sashimi, Sushi, Dessert and Live Cooking Stations. To sum it up, the spread was reasonable, enough to keep me busy eating for 3 hours. 

Cold Seafood

The Cold Seafood Section was impressive. There were Oysters, Prawns, Scallops, Crabs and even Crab Claws! In addition, each of them were fresh. I particularly like the Oysters (plump and juicy), Prawns (sweet and firm) and Crab Claws. It would have been perfect if they were more prompt in refilling the Oysters.

(Clockwise from the top left) BBQ Section: Lamb, Beef, Chicken Wings and Salmon

The Barbecue (BBQ) Section was a unique differentiation that makes Café 2000 stand out compared to most other buffets. There was a variety of raw meat; Lamb, Beef, Chicken Wings and Salmon. 

BBQ Seafood Section

In addition, there were also BBQ seafood section with Jumbo Prawns, Scallops, Crayfish, Fish, and Fish and Squid Otak. All you have to do is to select the raw food you want on a plate, then peg your table clip to the plate. The BBQ food would be cooked and served to your table. 

(Clockwise from the top left) BBQ Meat: Lamb, Beef Chicken Wing and Salmon

BBQ Seafood 

The BBQ food was delish. I was most impressed with the Jumbo Prawns. Look at the size of it. It was fresh and the shells were easily taken out. In addition, the meat was firm. The otahs were quite good too, slightly spicy, there were fish chunks in it.

Scallop Au Gratin

The beautifully cooked Scallop Au Gratin did not disappoint. The warm melted cheese complemented the scallop well. 

Pork Ribs and Bratwurst

Pork Ribs and Bratwurst

The Bratwurst was a tad too salty for our liking. However, the partner loved the Pork Ribs which were folk tender and flavourful. 

Angus Beef

The Chef’s signature Angus Beef. 

The Angus Beef was well executed by the Chef. The natural flavour and juices in the beef was retained. I have seldom been impressed with pizza during a buffet. But Café 2000's thin crust pizza certainly made an impression on me. So much so that I had to tell the partner to try it.

Laksa

There was a live cooking station for the Laksa. All you have to do is to select the noodles and items you want for your Laksa on a plate, then peg your table clip to the plate. The Laksa would be delivered to your table.  There was an extensive variety of items including seafood (squid, prawns, mussel), yong tau foo and quail eggs.

The laksa gravy was fragrant and rich with the right amount of spiciness. It was so delectable that I finished the whole bowl by myself and quite full by the time I finish this.

Royal Chocolate Cake

Desserts

There was a wide variety of Desserts available ranging from Assorted Nonya Kueh, Cakes, Durian Puree, Chocolate Fondue to Shaved Ice. The Durian Puree stood out. Made from fresh durian, it was thick (not diluted) and bittersweet. Durian lovers will definitely love this.

It was a pity, I was just too full and did not manage to try every single items. I did not even manage try the chilli crab!

Although this was a tasting session, I was impressed with the quality of food. The spread was less than Todai Singapore, but Café 2000's quality was way well better (which makes it more value for money). Most people would 'spam' on the Cold Seafood section to make their money worth while. At, Café 2000 beside doing that you can also 'spam' on the BBQ section (Something I would do if I go back again =P). In addition, I would also go for more servings of the Laksa and Anges Beef.

Would I be back? Yes, I can forsee myself going back! I already know what I want to go for when I am back. 

Thank you Lindy for the invite and hosting us.

International Buffet Dinner
Sunday to Thursday from 6pm to 1030pm
 $50++ Adult, $28++ Child

Seafood and BBQ Buffet Dinner 
Friday, Saturday and eve of Public Holidays from 6pm to 1030pm 
$62++ Adult, $32++ Child

Café 2000 (M Hotel)

81 Anson Road, M Hotel

Singapore 079908

Tel: 6500 6112

Opening Hours: Daily from 630am to 11pm

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Commonwealth Crescent Fei Zai Eatery (Holland Village Food Centre)

Commonwealth Crescent Fei Zai Eatery is located in Holland Village Food Centre. As it was my first time in the food centre, I decided to patronise the stalll with the longest queue. Hence, I found myself at Commonwealth Crescent Fei Zai Eatery. 

The stall seems to specialise in selling a wide range of dishes that revolve around noodles. There's prawn noodle, pig liver noodles, pork ribs & prawn noodle, fishball noodle, minced meat noodle and braised beef noodles. The prices of the items are listed in the photo above. I ordered the Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle after noticing that two of the persons in front of me ordered that. 

Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle $4.50

The Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle cost $4.50. What made it stood out was the pork ribs which was braised. 

Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle $4.50

Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle $4.50

Frankly, the Pork Ribs & Prawn Noodle was disappointing The soup lacked depth and did not taste like prawn soup. The taste of light and dark soya sauce overwhelmed any other flavours (if any) in the soup. It was no doubt salty. The prawns were not fresh. The only consolation was that the pork ribs were tender and separated from the bones easily. However, it was too salty too.

Commonwealth Crescent Fei Zai Eatery (Holland Village Food Centre)
1 Lorong Mambong
#01-14 Holland Village Food Centre
Singapore 277700
Location

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Two Chefs Eating Place 双厨菜馆 (Sin Ming)

Two Chefs Eating Place is a popular Cze Char stall in the West, in Commonwealth to more specific. Every weekend, Two Chefs Eating Place is bounded to be packed with a long line of customers queuing up. Their signature dish, the Butter Ribs 牛油排骨 has been highly raved about on the internet. 

I have been itching to try Two Chefs Eating Place for more than two years. The travelling journey was the main reason why I had been procrastinating for so long.  

I was thrilled when I got to know that Two Chefs Eating Place had opened a second outlet at Sin Ming (that's near Upper Thompson / Bishan). In fact, it's just located next to Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery which is the largest Mahayana Temple in Singapore. It would be timely to visit and try out their dishes.

Revamped Two Chef's signboard showing their signature dishes. 

I believed that Two Chefs Eating Place either bought over or rented the entire coffee shop. The staff at the drink, roti prata and vegetarian stalls were all wearing Two Chef's uniform. The coffee shop was just half full during lunch time on a weekend. In fact, when we arrived at 1215pm, the place was literally empty except for another group of customers. There were many ceiling and wall fans that helped ventilate the place.

Menu (a)

Menu (b)

Two Chefs Eating Place's menu with over 79 dishes. If you are visiting for the first time, you might want to ask the staff to recommend their signature dishes. We ordered several of their signature items and did not have to wait long before the first dish was served to us.

Drunken Cockles 醉蚶 $6  

The Drunken Cockles  醉蚶 which has garnered lots of rave reviews online was the first dish to be served. The plate of half-shelled cockles was served cold. They were covered with light soya sauce covered with lots of garlic, spring onion and chilli padi. The cockles were fresh with no sand in it and had just a slight raw taste. I thought that this was just an average appetiser. Nothing great to shout about. And of course, your mouth will stink after eating this dish (due to the raw garlic). =P

Vegetable with Egg, Salted Egg and Century Egg 三蛋时菜 $10 

The Vegetable with Egg, Salted Egg and Century Egg 三蛋时菜 was another dish that Netizen raved about. It was another disappointment; badly executed. The spinach which was supposed to be soft, was firm and hard. The gavy which should have been so tasty due to the 3 eggs and spinach was tasteless. The chef failed to extract the flavours of the ingredients into the gravy. I had better ones elsewhere.

Hot Plate Beancurd $10

The Hot Plate Beancurd arrived sizzling hot. Executed slightly different from most other Cze Char stalls, instead of slices of round shaped beancurd, the beancurds (tofu) were long, rectangular in shape and were soft. The gooey brown gravy was tasty with lots of minced meat and egg underneath. The gravy complemented the rice well and was not overly salty. An average dish. 

Honey Fried Chicken $12

The Honey Fried Chicken, a signature dish recommended by the staff was outstanding. It was easily the best dish in this meal. The chicken was well marinated as the inside was tender and flavourful. It was deep fried till the outside was crisp. The deep fried slices of fried garlic added on top further enhanced the taste up a notch or two. 

Butter Ribs 牛油排骨 $16

The Butter Ribs 牛油排骨 is the most popular dish at Two Chefs Eating Place. The Pork Ribs (I doubt that it was ribs, should be pork meat instead) were covered with milk powder and curry leaves. I had high expectations and was expecting to be blown away by this dish. Instead, I was left disappointed yet again. The meat was tough and distinct flavour of the curry leaves was not brought out. To be frank, there was no melt in the mouth sensation. In fact, we had difficulties finishing this dish. A member of our group who had been to Two Chefs Eating Place in Commonwealth and Sin Ming several times mentioned that somehow, their standard was way off their normal taste today. It seemed that its the norm for their standard to vary on different days. Anyway, I certainly did not know how to appreciate this dish and wonder why nearly everyone online had raved about this.

I know that there may be fans of Two Chefs Eating Place who may be reading this. But still I have got to say this; I left the place feeling extremely disappointed. I did not fancy any of the dishes I tried except for the Honey Fried Chicken. I do not understand the hype and thought that I had better Cze Char dishes else where. Overall, I was not satisfied with this lunch and found myself craving for more/better food (I was not the only one in the group who had this feeling). 

Two Chefs Eating Place 双厨菜馆 (Sin Ming)

Blk 409 Sin Ming Ave

#02-01, Singapore 570409

Tel: 6451 3812 / 9435 4197

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm

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Location

Two Chefs Eating Place 双厨菜馆 (Main Branch)

Blk 116 Commonwealth Crescent

#01-129, Singapore 140116

Tel: 6472 5361 / 9437 9712
Opening Hours: Mon 5pm to 1130pm
                          Tue to Sun 1130am to 230pm, 5pm to 1130pm
                          Closed on every last Mon of the month

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