tesss

I summoned enough courage to take on Hong Lim Food Centre and even joined the lines for Tai Wah Bak Chor Mee. Talk about going all out for a first weekday visit. This food centre is renown for the concentration of food gems located in the same hawker centre, and they probably hold the record for longest lunch queue times too. Most stalls sport a long queue and minimally a 25 minute wait is needed.  Given Tai Wah's was less than 10 in line and I thought I would not need to spend more time queuing than eating. Turns out each customer in queue was buying for at least another.  Prices start at $6 and comes in either soup or dry version. Mine was a $6 version with a heap of liver slices cooked medium rare amidst the rest of the overcooked ingredients. Soggy noodles that reeked of alkaline and neh, I am barely impressed with this far from the Michelin version. Once and probably never again, I would rather queue at Crawford Lane's anyday. Tai Wah Pork Noodle 531A Upper Cross St, #...

Hill Street Coffee Shop like Kiliney offers the kopi tiam experience at slightly higher prices but in air conditioned comfort. Rendang Chicken Nasi Lemak ($6.90) Fragrant basmati rice made this a hearty breakfast choice. Achar, belachan and ikan bilis are my staples when it comes to nasi lemak though I wish it came with an omelette too. Salted Egg Chicken Nasi Lemak ($8.90) Their newest creation and it had to be the salted egg sauce that got me, doused over a fried chicken cutlet and served over a blue pea rice. It was legitly delicious though gimmicky. I say stick with the normal nasi lemak for the real deal. Minced Pork Noodle Set ($6.50) It is not easy pulling of bak chor mee, especially when the Michelin starred version set the bar for me. Their version was really delicious though missing out on the vinegar but nobody is really complaining - a good alternative without the queues and perhaps a fraction of the satisfaction. Hill Street Coffee Shop surprised me with the quality of foo...

~Invited Session~ Loof ushers in a new decade with a spanking menu collaboration with Chef Bjorn Shen of Artichoke and Bird Bird. Where did 10 years go? I remember Loof being a to-go place because it was one of those few happening roof top bars. The new menu - both food and beverage welcomes a more asian focus, seeking inspirations from the familiar - well, being an 80's kid, Loof resonated and still resonates with me. California Crackers ($14)  'California Maki' mayo, avocado, ebiko, nori, crispy wanton crackers Crispy wanton crackers made this dish tick, loved the california maki mayo and japanese seasoning used. Chilli Crab Fries ($15) Loof's signature chilli sauce, blue crab dip, waffle-cut fries Sold on blue crab dip, which made ketchup and chilli sauce look bad. Creamy dip with crab chunks, I could just inhale this all night long and not get sick of it even. Umami Fries ($13) Furikake, kewpie, sweet potato fries I am glad they did not hop onto the passe wagon o...

Seems like in the past, having no signboard became the easiest way to start a business - and this joins the gang. Nested in the same coffee shop that is brought alive during lunch because of Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice, this stall garners the most traffic in the morning with snaking queues and minimally a 30 minute wait. Early bird catches the worm? Hardly so when the elderly couple move to the tune of lullaby. The full day's menu - they close once they sell out which has been rumoured to be between 2-3pm. Dumpling Soup Handwrapped pork dumplings, the skin is thicker than usual though still smooth and comes with a minced meat broth so comforting - let us just forget the lard thrown in to flavour. Bak Chor Mee ($3) The dry version seems to be highly sought after and comes with enough ingredients to stretch the dollar. Prawn in my $3 bowl is almost unheard of in other BCM stalls so there is a good deal going on - with minced meat, sliced pork, wantons, mushrooms and even a meatb...

My knowledge of soy based dishes had been limited to O'Bean thusfar and I was pleasantly surprised to chance upon Green Dot. Paya Lebar Square seems to be an up and coming MRT Mall. Green Dot over peak hours like lunch and dinner is crazy packed - find your own table and forget about being waited on. The supposely fuss free way of ordering but they ended up having two ordering points for the mixed vegetables and rice and the rest of the menu. Confusion peaks when crowds are spilling over. The menu is comprehensive with their main ingredients being konnyaku, mushroom and soy. Hotpot seemed to be a popular choice, somehow. Shitake Mushroom Sauce with Soya Katsu ($8.90) Shitake Mushrooms, Beansprouts, Soya Slices, Cedar Leaves Springy and QQ, the noodles were the absolute bomb in this vegetarian bak chor mee dish. Even the mock minced meat was convincing! Enjoyed this dish tremendously. Laksa ($5.90) Noodles, Konnyaku Prawn, Konnyaku Slice, Tau Pok, Radish and Carrot Incredibly valu...