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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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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K.Cook Korean BBQ Buffet 고뷔페 (Orchard Central)

K.Cook Korean BBQ Buffet 고기 뷔페 is a Korean BBQ buffet restaurant in Orchard Central (Somerset MRT station) which started operation in August 2014.

I visited on a weekday for lunch. Being Kiasu (as usual), I made called the restaurant beforehand and was told that they no longer accept reservations. Hence, we went 10 minutes early, at 11.20 am before the restaurant opened. Everyone seemed to have thought like-wise. There was a queue of more than 10 persons when we arrived.

When the restaurant opened, the queue stretched to more than 20 persons long. I was wondering how come everyone was not working and if they were like me (who applied for leave). 

K.Cook Korean BBQ Buffet offers both air conditioned and alfresco (outdoor) areas. The seating capacity at the air condition area was way smaller compared to the alfresco area. We chose to sit outdoors as there was a Big Ass Fan (High volume slow speed fan) which made the area so well ventilated. Even though it was noon, it did not felt hot. In addition, you get a clear view of the city.

Prices

The prices for the buffet are show above. The price for weekday (Mon to Fri) lunch at $14.90++ was so value for money!

Corn

Korean rice cake with fish cake

The buffet consist of a wide variety of cooked and raw food. In the cooked food section, there was Corn, Korean rice cake with fish cake, japchae (glass noodles), Korean pancake, fried chicken wings and spicy tofu stew.

We went for more than 1 servings of Korean rice cake with fish cake and japchae (glass noodles) as these were delicious. We did not manage to try the fried chicken wings, as these were taken as soon as they were replenished.

At the raw food section there were Marinated Beef Short Rib, Beef Bulgogi, Pork Belly, Pork Collar, Marinated Pork Collar, Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Chicken Sausages, squids and prawns.

As with all korean buffet, there was a section with vegetables (lettuce), mushrooms, onions, radish and kimchi.

Besides these, there was also fruits and salad section and a counter for drinks.

Chicken, Pork Collar, Prawns, Squids

Look at how thickly sliced the Pork Collars are. This is by far the thickest sliced Pork Collar I had for a buffet. Most other buffets would slice their meat thinly.

Beef  Bulgogi and Pork Belly

The Pork Belly was also of decent thickness which the Beef Bulgogi was well marianted.

With the large pan, it was easy cooking the food. We started off with the Pork Belly so that fats would grease the pan.

Food wise, it was impressive. The Pork Collar and Pork Belly of good thickness allowed the juices and flavours to be retained in the meat. Basically for the raw food, we spammed the Pork Belly, Pork Collar, Beef Bulgogi and mushrooms.

For a Korean buffet, the cooked food and the raw food were quite good. One of the better Korean buffet I have tried. Worth going back for more considering the price and quality. 

K.Cook Korean BBQ Buffet 고기 뷔페 (Orchard Central)

 #07-01 Orchard Central

181 Orchard Central Road 

Singapore 238896 

Tel: 6884 7282

Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 10pm

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Ah Chiang's Porridge 阿昌粥 (Toa Payoh)

Mix Pork Porridge with Egg $4

Ah Chiang's Porridge 阿昌粥 first started operation at at Tiong Poh Road in the 70s selling Cantonese style porridge. Today, it has two outlets; one at Toa Payoh while the other - the original stall is still at Tiong Poh Road.

We visited the outlet at Toa Payoh which is 5 minutes away from Toa Payoh MRT station. 

Menu

Mix Pork Porridge with Egg $4

I ordered a bowl of Mix Pork Porridge with Egg $4. 

Mix Pork Porridge with Egg $4

It came with minced pork meat, liver and small and big intestines. The servings of pork was very little. Take for example, there was just 1 slice of small and big intestines. I normally add an egg into my bowl of porridge to give it a creamier texture. The porridge was cooked till it was thick and smooth. Taste wise, I was not impressed. It was lacking in taste and flavour. 

Century Egg Chicken Porridge $4.50

The partner ordered a bowl of Century Egg Chicken Porridge $4.50. The serving of shredded chicken was limited compared to the century egg.

To sum this up, I was quite disappointed with what I had as I had expected more 

Ah Chiang's Porridge 阿昌粥 (Toa Payoh)
Blk 190 #01-526 
Toa Payoh Lorong 6
Singapore 310190
Tel: 6356 6009
Opening Hours Daily from 7am to 930pm

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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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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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