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

Facebook

View FoodieFC's Malaysia Map in a larger map

3G Trois Gourmands (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

3G Trois Gourmands  is a French Dining Restaurant opened by Gils, a France native living in Ho Chi Minh, passionate in French culinary using natural products. The restaurant previously known as Le Toit Gourmand first opened in 2004.

3G Trois Gourmands is located in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), District 2. It is around 20 minutes to 40 minutes drive away from the city centre depending on traffic conditions. The restaurant is located in a traditional colonial house and its interior is beautifully furnished giving it a classy modern look. The setting inside makes it a perfect place for a romantic meal between couples or gathering between friends.

We had actually wanted to visit La Villa French Restaurant, another French restaurant recommended by my Vietnamese friend. However, by the time we reached our hotel and asked the hotel to reserve a place for us, the restaurant was fully already booked. Hence, we settled for the next option recommended by my friend; 3G Trois Gourmands and got the hotel to assist us in making the reservation. (Note: It is highly advisable to make reservations as these two French restaurants are popular among locals and tourists. You would not want to travel all the way there to find out that it is full.)

Menu cover

The menu cover.

Set Menu and Entrées (Starters)

The Set Menu offers a choice of 5, 6 or 7 Course meal at a nett price of USD40, USD45, USD50 respectively. Do note the price has increased, hence its different from the photo.

We went for the 6 Course Meal which costed USD40 / VND 840,000 (S$50.40) per pax then. The 6 course meal consisted of Truffe Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes), Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison) and a choice of 2 Entrées (Starters), a main dish and a dessert.

Main Dish Menu: Viandes (Meat), Poissons (Fish)

The Main Dish menu consisted of Viandes (Meat) and Poissons (Fish).

Desserts (Sweet Desserts), Glaces Bellany (Bellany Ice Cream)

The Desserts menu which consisted of Desserts (Sweet Desserts) and Glaces Bellany (Bellany Ice Cream).

Truffle Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes)

The meal kicked started with Truffle Scrambled Eggs (Brouillade Aux Truffes). The scrambled eggs were light, fluffy and buttery. I was impressed by the strong and consistency of the truffle flavour present in it. What a great start!

Entrées (Starters): Scallops Mashed Potatoes Truffle (Coquille St Jacques avec sa Purée de Pomme de terre aux Truffes)

The Scallops Mashed Potatoes Truffle (Coquille St Jacques avec sa Purée de Pomme de terre aux Truffes) was the first Entrées (Starters). This was our favourite starter!

The panseared scallops were incredibly succulent, firm and fresh. Caviar was added on top of the scallops which were laid on a bed of truffle mashed potatoes and seafood bisque foam. The taste of all 3 (scallops, mashed potatoes and seafood bisque foam) was just divine. I was scrapping off as much foam as I could from the plate. If I had it my way, I would be licking the foam off the plate =P.

The both of us wished that we had ordered two portions of this instead of sharing it. This is a must order!

Entrées (Starters): Homemade Smoked Salmon (Saumon Fumé Maison)

The second starter we had was the Homemade Smoked Salmon (Saumon Fumé Maison). This was also excellently executed.

Entrées (Starters): Goose Liver Spring Roll (Nem de Foie Gras)

Entrées (Starters): Burgundy Snails in Garlic and Parlsey Butter (Escargots de Bourgogne au Beurre)

The next two starters we had was the Goose Liver Spring Roll (Nem de Foie Gras) and Burgundy Snails in Garlic and Parlsey Butter (Escargots de Bourgogne au Beurre).

For the former, I preferred the foie gras terrine compared to the foie gras macaron and the foie gras spring roll. Maybe I am too used to having my macarons and spring rolls with their normal fillings. As for the escargots, they were fresh and interestingly, the garlic flavour was much milder compared to those I had in Singapore.

Lime Sorbet

After the starters, the Lime Sorbet was served. This was light and refreshing, probably to cleanse the palate before the main course.

Viandes (Meat): Beef Filet Pepper Sauce or Morels Sauce (Filet de Boeuf Sauce Morilles ou Poivre)

For my mains, I was in a dilemma on whether to order the Beef Filet or Beef Cheeks. In the end I chose the former; Beef Filet Pepper Sauce or Morels Sauce (Filet de Boeuf Sauce Morilles ou Poivre). The beef filet was ordinary. The pepper and morels (mushroom) sauces that accompanied it was the game changer. (The sauces were served separately)

Sides

The potato and zucchini served at the side were awesome too!

Viandes (Meat): Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange)

The partner ordered the Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange) which came as a surprised to me as she was not exactly a duck fanatic.  But after hearing how the staff recommended this dish, she decided to order this.

Viandes (Meat): Duck Breast with Orange Sauce (Magret de Canard à l' orange)

The Duck Breast with Orange Sauce did not disappoint her. The Duck Breast was so tender and the orange sauce served at the side was richly flavoured but did not overwhelm the meat.

Pepper Sauce, Morels Sauce, Orange Sauce

The pepper, morels (mushroom) and orange sauces served separately. We could add the amount of sauces onto our mains according to our own preferences (the little things that matter).

Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison)

After we were done with the mains, the Homemade cheeses (Assortiment de fromages maison) was served. We were shocked by the sheer variety and amount of cheese served. Nine types of homemade cheese ranging from goat cheese with truffle, spring onion cheese, red wine cheese, rosemary cheese, saffron cheese, cow cheese and other aged cheese. The both of us were not cheese fanatics and just sampled a little of each. Our favourite among the nine was the red wine cheese.

A video of all nine cheese. It was a waste giving us that much, but I understand that they serve this much for everyone, even if you are dining alone you get these. Cheese lovers would love them.

Desserts (Sweet Desserts): Gils Dessert (Dessert de Gils)

For desserts, we ordered the Gils Dessert (Dessert de Gils) which was recommended by the staff. It consisted of a combination of crushed meringue, nougat, berry coulis, strawberries with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet. This dessert was fantastic! It had different texture and taste and was so addictive. Even though we were full, we had no problem polishing this up.

Desserts (Sweet Desserts): Chocolate Fondant (Fondant au Chocolat)

Our second (last) dessert was the Chocolate Fondant (Fondant au Chocolat). This was something that you could taste else where too. But still I must admit that it was well executed.

The chocolate cake was moist with molten chocolate flowing out of it. Berry and mango coulis was served next to the vanilla ice cream for additional flavour.

Lime Macaron

Just when we thought that we had came to the end of a fantastic fulfilling meal, we were each served a mini Lime Macaron!

Never mind that we missed out visiting Le Toit Gourmand. It was a blessing in disguise as we had such a satisfying meal at 3G Trois Gourmands. Not only was the food delicious, the staff were also very well trained. They were so friendly and hospitable. As the menu offers too many choices, I always make it a point to ask them for recommendations. They would them recommend the dishes and even went down to the extent of describing how the dish looks or tastes like. Their English was perfect! It was a breeze communicating with them.

Even though this was the most expensive meal we had, it was so value for money and affordable. It would be hard finding such food at such prices in Singapore. If we visit Ho Chi Minh again, we would visit 3G Trois Gourmands again even though we have to take a 30 minutes cab ride. This time I would go for the 7 Course Meal =) This is a must try!

3G Trois Gourmands (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)
39 Tran Ngoc Dien Street
Thao Dien Ward, District 2
HCM City, Vietnam 
Tel: +84 (08) 3744 4585

Website

View FoodieFC's Vietnam Map in a larger map

Breakfast on Singapore Airlines

I have never been a big fan of meals on board airplanes. But luckily, the standard has improved over the years. This meal was consumed on a 720am flight Singapore Airlines  from Singapore to Guangzhou, China (Baiyun Intenational Airport). 

Needless to say, with this timing, it was a breakfast meal!

Breakfast on Board Singapore Airlines

2 choices:

1) Fried Egg Noodles with Roast Duck and Vegetable

2) Scrambled Egg with Veal Sausage, Tomato, Baked Beans and Potatoes

I choose the one with Scrambled Eggs!

Scrambled Egg with Veal Sausage, Tomato, Baked Beans and Potatoes

Scrambled Egg with Veal Sausage, Tomato, Baked Beans and Potatoes

Surprisingly, the food was not bad. Even the scrambled eggs was good. Not bad for airlines standard and considering the fact that the food has been prepared way in advance and has to be heated up just before serving. However, the Breakfast Roll; Bread was as hard as a rock!

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 (Hongkong)

I have heard so much about the Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 that it was on my list of must visit destination in Hong Kong.

Australia Dairy Company is a cha chaan teng know for it's legendary Scrambled Eggs, Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk, long queues and cheap prices.

Signboard saying 澳洲牛奶公司

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司

During my 6D5N stay in Hong Kong, we visited Australia Diary Company not once. Not twice. But thrice! Yes, three times in total during such a short stay as we like the food too much.

In this post, I will cover my first visit to Australia Diary Company for breakfast.

There was a long queue at Australia Dairy Company at 9am. Despite the long queue, we got a table for the 6 of us within 10minutes! It's amazingly how fast we got a place considering we have such a big group. This gives a very big hint on how fast the turnover is as those who knows this place will recall it is not a very big shop.

Chiller displaying the cold Steamed Egg White Puddings with Milk!

A peek inside the cha chaan teng. Notice those guys wearing white (Men in White)? They are the waiters taking orders, serving and tallying the bill. Also, notice that they are all males!

Menu (a)

The menus are all pasted on each table under a hard solid plastic sheet. This helps as waiters do not need to waste time and get the menu.

They have 3 set meals; Breakfast Set, Tea Time Set and Fast Food Set. Breakfast Set is from 730am to 12 noon and cost HK$26. Tea Time Set is from 12 noon to 11pm and cost HK$30. Fast Food Set is for all day (any time) and cost HK$26.

Before we could warm our seats (less than 1 min after seating down), one of the Men in White was already at our tables waiting to take our orders. We decided to order the Breakfast Set which cost HK$26 (S$4.33). The Breakfast Set consist of toasted white bread with scrambled or sunny side up eggs, macaroni soup with ham slices and hot/cold milk tea. We all chose the legendary scrambled eggs!

Menu (b)

We also ordered two Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk 蛋白燉鲜牛奶 which cost HK$20 (S$3.33) each.

Macaroni Soup with Ham Slices

The service here is amazing. Within less than 5 minutes after ordering, our Macaroni Soup with Ham Slices arrived. The macaroni was cooked perfectly, not too hard not too soft. The broth was clear but slightly salty. It was a heart-warming homecooked dish that certainty warmed my heart. Yummy.

You will need to eat the macaroni soup fast. Because before I could even finish it (by the way, I am a fast eater), the bread with scrambled egg and tea were served. It was a challenge to squeeze all the items on the tables.

Toasted White Bread with Scrambled Egg

Presenting the Toasted White Bread with Legendary Scrambled Egg. Many readers will be wondering what's the fuss with scrambled egg. After all it is simple to make and available everywhere. However, to make it to Australia Dairy Company's standard, it takes a lot of skill. You will need to try this for yourself to understand what I meant.

The scrambled eggs here are perfectly cooked. Light, fluffy, moist, buttery and well seasoned. This is certainly the best scrambled egg I ever had. Anyone knows how to cook it this way?

Hot Milk Tea

Hot Milk Tea was ordinary. You will need to add sugar. My guess is that fresh milk is added instead of condense milk.

I was greedy and thought this will be our one and only visit to Australia Dairy Company. Hence, I ordered Macaroni Soup with Ham and Sunny Side Up Egg.

Macaroni Soup with Ham and Sunny Side Up Egg

Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk (hot)

Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk 蛋白燉鲜牛奶 has a smooth texture with a strong aroma of milk and egg white. In terms of sweetness level, it was just nice. Delicious! Another must try!

Through this meal at Australia Dairy Company, I am very impressed with the food and it's operation. Certainty a 'Die Die Must Try' in Hongk Kong! In terms of food, it is like homecooked food. The must order includes Scrambled Egg and Steamed Egg White Pudding with Milk.

What was I impressed about it's operations? Australia Dairy Company reminds me of the concept of fast food and in fact, I think they did better than the fast food we know today. Despite there being a queue through out the day (I have visited Australia Dairy Company 3 times, twice for breakfast, once for supper), they clear the queue very fast. They are basically very efficient, in taking orders, serving, tallying of bill, paying of bills and clearing of plates.

The place is basically very small, but it is amazing how Australia Dairy Company squeeze the tables and chairs. Everything went with clock work precision. After you are assigned to your table and seats, one of the men in white will be beside you waiting for you to order. Within minutes of ordering, your food will be here(faster than fast food). If you do not eat fast enough, all the food will have arrived and there will be no more space on your table (stress?). And after you have finished it, your plates will be cleared without needing you to prompt to anyone to do that! And guess what? As you are finishing your last bites, one of the men in white will be next to your table asking if there's anymore orders. If you say no? He will count the plates and write the amount you need to pay. I am amazed by the waiter that day. We had six of us, ordering sets meals and also ala carte items. Yet, the waiter calculated the total amount MENTALLY in less than 20 seconds! We were all shocked. We tried calculating the bill to see if it was correct and we took so much longer. (Chew on this: My highest qualification is degree yet I took much longer.) Till today, I am still wowed by the efficiency of the operations in Australia Dairy Company.

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 (Hongkong)
47-49 Parkes Street Jordan (near Jordan MTR)
Tel: (852) 2730 1356
Opening Hours: Daily 730am to 11pm'
Facebook (not official fb)
Location
How to get there: Exit C2 Jordon's MTR Station and walk towards Parkes Street

Location

View FoodieFC's Hong Kong & Macau Map in a larger map