Sparklette Magazine » Toa Payoh

Swensen’s Shows Love for Cambodia with Palm Sugar Ice Cream

Veron Ang — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:00:04 +0000

Casual-dining restaurant chain Swensen’s now uses palm sugar in two of its ice cream flavours, chendol and palm fruit. By importing sugar from Cambodia, the company is helping to improve the livelihoods of and creating sustained employment for palm sugar farmers in Cambodia.

This is a nice thing that Swensen’s is doing. I visited Siem Reap a few years back and absolutely love the place. Tourists visit the laid-back town mainly to see the beautiful Angkor temples. The locals are friendly and honest, although there is a sad side.

At a tender age, many children have to take to the streets to sell wares to tourists. Amputees are a common sight. Despite not having much money, the Cambodians seem happy and content with life. If buying palm sugar would help these down-to-earth people in any way, I am all for it.

Palm fruit
S$7.90 a pint
Rating:

The imported palm sugar actually costs more than regular sugar. But the products are priced lower to encourage customers to buy them. For instance, the chendol and palm fruit ice cream are available at S$7.90 a pint, far cheaper than the S$10.80 for other flavours at Swensen’s. These iced desserts are healthful, delicious, and now have one heck of a background story.

Palm sugar is extracted from the sap of palm trees. To extract the sap, Cambodian men use long bamboo poles to climb tall trees, slash the flower buds, tie bamboo containers under the buds and leave them to collect the sap. Once collected, the Cambodian women then pour the sap into a huge pan, boil and stir it for several hours until it thickens to solid form.

Chendol
S$7.90 a pint
Rating:

The traditional South East Asian dessert drink chendol has been given an icy twist. The ice cream is made in a shade of light green, packed with green coconut jellies and red beans.

For those of you who need more “oomph”, these socially responsible flavours are also manifested in Swensen’s ice cream sundaes.

The Palm Paradise (S$6.90++) comprises scoops of palm fruit ice cream added with peaches, nata de coco and topped with palm sugar syrup and desiccated coconut.

The Chendol Delight (S$8.50++) comes served with bountiful scoops of chendol ice cream smothered in palm sugar syrup, served with a generous serving of red bean, chendol jelly and palm fruits.

It looks like Snowy the Cat has taken an interest in the ice cream.

As for me, I am content with tucking into the pints of palm sugar-made ice cream. The texture is creamy smooth and the taste is light yet delicious. Plus, there is that feel-good vibe from eating it, knowing that albeit small, it is an indirect way of helping the Khmer people. You can grab a pint or a sundae from any Swensen’s outlet.

Have Your Say!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Know any companies with socially responsible initiatives? Share with us in the comments!

Swensen’s ( )
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall
Tel: +65 6788 8128

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http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-ice-cream/ | 6 comments

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The Best Bak Kwa in Singapore Comes from…

Veron Ang — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:00:19 +0000

…not Lim Chee Guan, Bee Cheng Hiang, Fragrance or even Kim Hock Guan. Year after year, only one bak kwa (pork jerky) maker gets business from my family — Kim Hwa Guan (金华源). We swear by the Kim Hwa Guan bak kwa and find theirs to be the tastiest in town! Do you agree?

Each year, around this time, a phenomenon would occur in Singapore. Long queues would form at various bak kwa stalls in the Chinatown district. Never mind the swelteringly hot and wet weather or the fact that dried barbecued pork is available all year round. At Chinese New Year when this popular delicacy is at its priciest and demand is at its peak, people can queue for hours just to get a packet of bak kwa.

Bak Kwa (pork jerky)
Seasonal pricing
Rating:

When it comes to good bak kwa, here’s my list of demands:

Must be tender, man! Bak kwa in Singapore comes in two main forms — minced and sliced. The latter is prepared by slicing off solid blocks of meat and tends to be leaner and tougher. To devour it you really need to work those jaw muscles. I personally prefer the minced version which is distinctly more tender and easy on the mouth.

Slice it thinly, dude! One quality about Kim Hwa Guan bak kwa that I love is how thinly each square sheet is sliced, which contributes to the overall tenderness.

Must taste good, uncle! Every piece of the bak kwa here is well-marinated with succulent sweetness, juicy and perfectly grilled. It has all the makings of great-tasting bak kwa. Having tried all the aforementioned brands, Kim Hwa Guan has what I consider to be the best bak kwa in Singapore.

The plastic packaging has been improved over the years. After opening each packet of bak kwa, you can reseal it using the zipper/slider, ensuring maximum freshness to last you through the festivities.

Have Your Say!

In your opinion, where can you get the best bak kwa in Singapore? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Chinatown outlet

Kim Hwa Guan
People’s Park Food Centre
32 New Market Road #01-1022
Singapore 050032
Tel: +65 9006 2026

Toa Payoh outlet

Kim Hwa Guan
Toa Payoh West Market And Food Centre
127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh #02-40
Singapore 310127

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Christmas Dining 2010: Swensen’s Party Packages and Ice Cream Log Cakes

Veron Ang — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:03:48 +0000

What’s Christmas without turkey and log cakes? Enjoy these traditional Christmas treats along with ham, lamb, salads and more in the Swensen’s Christmas party packages.

To aid you in your festive dining plans, I would be featuring a series of Christmas treats from various restaurants in Singapore over the next few weeks.

Tip: Receive even quicker updates by clicking the “Like” button on the Official Sparklette Facebook Page. Updates and photos are posted there even before they hit this website!

Jolly Season Party Package
S$168

The scrumptious Jolly Season Party Package is a feast for 12.

You get:
- 1 Turkey / Roasted beef / Leg of lamb
- 1 Ice cream log cake
- 2 Salads / Sides / Pastas
- 1 bottle of sparkling fruit juice (750ml)

Make Merry Party Package
S$148

A slightly cheaper option would be the Make Merry Party Package, also good for 12:
- 1 Honey baked ham / Meatloaf
- 1 Ice cream log cake
- 2 Salads / Sides / Pastas

Ice cream log cake
S$49

Swensen’s specialty ice cream log cakes are available in seven tantalising flavours:
- Cookie Carousel
- Chocolate Indulgence
- Cappuccino Raisins Fantasy
- Nutty Noel
- Berry Merry Christmas
- Durian Deluxe
- Chendol Jubilee

Each log cake is 1 kilogram and serves 10 to 12 people. Chocolate Indulgence in particular is made with the popular Sticky Chewy Chocolate ice cream, marshmallows and diced almonds.

Swensen’s party packages look well-together, filled with various goodies that one might expect at Christmas. I hope you find this Christmas Treats series useful!

Like the Sparklette Facebook Page to browse the entire Swensen’s Christmas collection 2010 and view all seven log cakes.

Have Your Say!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

How would you be spending this Christmas? Would it be an intimate meal with your loved ones at home? Or a fancy dinner at the coolest restaurant in town? Share with us in the comments!

Swensen’s
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall

Earle Swensen’s
- Changi Airport Terminal 3
- VivoCity

Tel: +65 6788 8128 | Website

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http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-christmas-treats/ | 3 comments

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Swensen’s 1-for-1 Lunch Treats – Extended to March 2010!

Veron Ang — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:01:42 +0000

Update: The promotion has been extended indefinitely.

Good news! Swensen’s 1-for-1 weekday lunch promotion has been extended to end March 2010!

This wouldn’t be the first time that the casual dining restaurant chain has prolonged the ever-popular deal. Maybe they should make it permanent already!

From now ’til end March, you can enjoy this promotion at all Swensen’s restaurants between the lunch hours of 11am to 2pm.

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm) till 31 March 2010, excluding public holidays.
Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges and set meals.

This time round, they have included all their Wagyu beef dishes, too! Check out our review of some other dishes you can enjoy.

1-for-1 Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

For all the sweet tooths, you may find their 1-for-1 ice cream and dessert buffet at the Ion Orchard outlet interesting. Go easy on the ice cream, mmm-kay?

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http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-1-for-1/ | 3 comments

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Swensen’s 1-for-1 Lunch Treats – Back by Popular Demand!

Veron Ang — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:01:38 +0000

Update: The promotion has been extended indefinitely.

Remember this one? Swensen’s 1-for-1 weekday lunch promotion is back!

From now ’til end February, you can enjoy this promotion at all Swensen’s restaurants between the lunch hours of 11am to 2pm.

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm) till 28 February 2010, excluding public holidays.
Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges and set meals.

I think it’s terrific that Swensen’s has brought back this promotion and made the food more affordable for everyone. During the last run, I had made full use of the promo to try out various dishes. If you’re already planning your next meal at Swensen’s, here are some of my recommendations as well as their menu.

1-for-1 Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

Oh, by the way, they also have a 1-for-1 ice cream and dessert buffet at the Ion Orchard outlet. Wowza!

View the original article and join the discussion at:
http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-1-for-1-lunch-treats-2010/ | 4 comments

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Swensen’s 1-for-1 Lunch Treats

Veron Ang — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:11:34 +0000

Swensen’s is offering a 1-for-1 weekday lunch promotion from 11am to 2pm at all its restaurants. This promotion is certainly a great deal! So if I were you, I would check out their menu and start planning my next meal!

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm), excluding public holidays.
Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges, set meals and Executive Lunch.

I may not be a huge Swensen’s fan, but when I do dine there, I tend to have the rodeo wings as starters, and either the chicken baked rice or crayfish pasta as my main course. Is there any other dish that I should be trying out?

Dish recommendations

I followed some of your recommendations! Here are the reviews of the dishes I have tried.

BBQ chicken
S$14.50++
Rating:

Ever a fan of both chicken and barbecue sauce, it seems only natural to go for the BBQ chicken. By default this comes with potatoes and greens. Some people, myself included, would prefer it with just fries. So when you place your order, don’t be shy to indicate your preference.

The serving is ample, and the sauce is yummy too. I only wish they would be more generous with the sauce, because I would quickly run out of it a quarter way through the chicken. The chicken flesh itself is rather mildly-flavoured, so having more sauce would have been nice.

Tomato mussel stew
S$13.90++
Rating:

The tomato mussel stew is one dish that has replaced the crayfish pasta as my default Swensen’s order. Out of my 3 to 4 visits to Swensen’s over the past month, I ordered this every single time!

The shellfish are stewed in a succulent tomato sauce that is also packed with onions, peppers and mushrooms. Healthy stuff! True enough, this particular dish is part of the Singapore Health Promotion Board’s Healthier Dining Program! I always finish off by slurping up all the sauce. Yum!

Now, if you’re thinking, “no way is that going to fill my tummy”, the stew also comes with slices of toasted sourdough bread on the side. Great for dipping!

Once again, if you have more recommendations, I am all ears!

Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

Like Swensen’s more for the desserts? Go for the ice cream and dessert buffet :)

View the original article and join the discussion at:
http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-1-for-1-lunch-treats/ | 11 comments

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Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre: 50s Wanton Mee – Quality Hong Kong Wanton Mee

Veron Ang — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:03:33 +0000

50s Wanton Mee at Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre has been enjoying a fair bit of business from my family lately. Well, let’s just say it’s hard not to like the food, or the endearing elderly couple running this Toa Payoh stall!

The portion they give for each plate of noodles is quite ample, so I would find myself having difficulty finishing all of it. The wanton mee comes covered in a generous heap of sliced char siew (barbecued sweetened pork) that would no doubt satisfy all you char siew fans!

Wanton Mee (noodle with Chinese dumpling)
S$2.50
Rating:

What makes the full-egg noodles taste so good is the savoury dark anchovy-based sauce. Yum! This same sauce can also be found in their other dish, the dumpling noodle. But personally, I still prefer the Pontian version where the sauce is sweet and spicy.

Not to forget, of course, is that you also get three delicious wantons in a bowl of tasty soup.

Dumpling noodle
S$2.50
Rating:

Another recommendation is the dumpling noodle. The three dumplings, also served in a bowl of soup, are of substantial size and worth every cent. Each one is stuffed with a large amount of filling underneath a thin translucent flour skin. Very yummy!

And this is the pleasant couple that run the stall. ieatishootipost confessed of his soft spot for them, and I can see why. When I mentioned that I was going to feature them in my blog, they were so happy and excited, and even insisted on giving my family a free meal! Of course, we had to decline their generous offer. Business is business right?

They said that they have been running their stall for more than two decades, and even used to have a canteen stall at Anderson Junior College before moving to ABC Market, and now Toa Payoh.

50s Wanton Mee
Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre
22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh #01-41
Singapore 310022

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http://sparklette.net/food/50s-wanton-mee/ | 10 comments

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Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee – A Different Kind of Mee

Veron Ang — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:25:10 +0000

Kolo mee is a signature noodle dish in Sarawak, perhaps equivalent to wanton mee, another dry-tossed noodle dish that Singaporeans would be more familiar with. Besides char siew (barbecued pork) and vegetables, kolo mee is also served with minced meat.

In recent years, someone from Sarawak set up the Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee chain of small eateries selling this favourite dish. To make it even more authentic, the noodles and ingredients are air-flown directly from Sarawak daily.

Well, I haven’t actually tasted the kolo mee in Sarawak before, so I really have no benchmark to compare this with. But the kolo mee at jia xiang tastes really good, if a little expensive!

Kolo Mee
S$6
Rating:

Due to the air-flown ingredients, a bowl of noodles is priced at $6, inclusive of a bowl of soup with prawn and wanton. To be perfectly honest, I must say that this is too expensive. But hey, at least the food is good.

Update: Good news. There IS a cheaper version of the noodles at $4 without the prawn and wanton. I say go for that!

The noodles are firm, springy and light, and don’t feel oily, which is a plus point. The minced meat is savoury and delicious. But most of all, I love the sweet and tender char siew, which is perfect in taste and texture. It also looks healthier than your regular char siew with the fatty bits and the charred bits, although I know some people would prefer the “unhealthy” version.

In Sarawak, kolo mee is normally served with cut chilli. But at Jia Xiang, a metal container of sambal chilli gravy is offered at every table instead, perhaps to cater to local taste. The sambal chilli is GOOD! I would mix two or three spoonfuls of it into my noodles.

The bowl of soup is a good pairing with the dry noodle dish. In it, you would find a couple of fresh prawns and some wanton. The wanton is rather skimpy with very little meat filling. But for me, the main focus is still the noodle dish itself.

The food is good, and I really like the fact that the whole dish isn’t oily like your average dry-tossed noodle dish. Highly recommended with a lot of the sambal chilli!

Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee
190 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 #01-530
Singapore 310190
Tel: +65 6295 5024

For now, does anyone have other recommendations for nice Kuching kolo mee in Singapore?

(Note: all photos in this post had been captured using my LG Viewty.)

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Oasis Taiwan Porridge – Idyllic Dining in the Park

Veron Ang — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:18:58 +0000

Many of you are probably already familiar with Oasis Taiwan Porridge. For almost four decades, this restaurant occupied a standalone building beside Kallang Basin, becoming a landmark in its own right. For many families, it’s a popular gathering place. I have friends who grew up going there for family dinners during special occasions.

But in land-scarce Singapore, buildings with a rich history or sentimental value are being torn down to pave the way for modern developments. Likewise, oasis had to suffer the same fate when it closed down in March this year to make way for the upcoming sports hub.

Thankfully for its many loyal patrons, Oasis opened again a month later in Toa Payoh Town Park. In keeping with its tradition, the restaurant is still a standalone building. It even overlooks a large pond that should give its customers a sense of nostalgia.

Naturally, a colleague of mine who has fond childhood memories of patronising the restaurant was eager to visit it again. So one evening after getting out of office, we simply crossed the streets and had our dinner there!

We ordered a number of classic zi char (home-cooked fare) dishes which, on hindsight, was quite a large spread for two persons. But since we were so excited about the meal, we wanted to sample as much as possible!

Fried Chicken with Spices
S$7++
Rating:

A staple dish for me when it comes to zi char is kung pow chicken. The closest thing we could find on the menu was the fried chicken with spices, which turned out very disappointing. The taste of garlic (the only spice I could detect) totally overpowered the dark sauce, which made eating it a highly unpleasant experience (and I don’t even hate garlic).

I’m usually a big fan of chicken (any form) but in this case, I simply couldn’t bring myself to eat much of it. If anyone is looking to have chicken here, I heard that the deep-fried salted chicken is good. But stay away from this one.

Fried Kang Kong (Chinese Kale) with Chili and Belachan
S$6++
Rating:

Another staple zi char dish for me would be fried kang kong (chinese kale) with chilli and belachan (fermented ground shrimp). I have had enough renditions to know that when it comes looking soupy like this, it ain’t gonna be good. And I was right. The entire dish was bland, forgettable and once again, disappointing.

To be fair, the two dishes mentioned above taste best when they are cooked on roaring fires commonly witnessed in hawker centre stalls. This allows the food to absorb wok “heat”, the special flavour that results from quick, high-heat frying. The process is probably absent here because when cooked in small portions like this, the food simply gets overcooked.

Sotong (Calamari) with Sambal
S$7++
Rating:

Luckily, the sotong (calamari) with sambal fared much better. The sambal sauce had just the right amount of flavour and kick to satisfy a spicy food lover like myself. I would have preferred sotong rings though, and a bigger portion, please.

Clay Pot Beancurd
S$ï¼‘0++
Rating:

If I had a choice, I would rather not have any form of tofu (except when it’s the fried tofu at Sakae Sushi). So I was pleasantly surprised to find myself liking the clay pot beancurd. It was very satisfying to have the delicious beancurd in your mouth with the flavourful soup oozing out. The taste was somewhat reminiscent of bak ku teh (pork rib tea). Yum!

Almond Jelly & Longan
S$5++
Rating:

After a successive progression of these dishes, desserts are always a welcome relief. To complete your meal, Oasis offers a range of popular choices such as almond jelly and herbal jelly.

Herbal Jelly
S$5++
Rating:

By the way, you are automatically served a bunch of items without your asking, including wet tissues and peanuts. Be sure to return these if you don’t wish to pay for them, as otherwise the costs would be added to your bill.

While the overall standard of the food here may not be excellent, that should not deter loyal followers from its 35 year old customer base, judging from the long queues on weekday evenings. With the idyllic feel of a park setting, many people would find dining here rather peaceful and relaxing, especially for families. Oasis is definitely here to stay.

Oasis Taiwan Porridge
Toa Payoh Town Park
303 Toa Payoh Lorong 6
Singapore 319393
Tel: +65 6346 4418 | Website
Service:

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http://sparklette.net/food/oasis-taiwan-porridge/ | 9 comments

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Old Town White Coffee – Ipoh’s Finest Coffee in Singapore

Veron Ang — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:55:16 +0000

Some time back, I tweeted and proclaimed Old Town White Coffee to be the best 3-in-1 instant coffee ever. Despite the rather brazen statement, given that I haven’t tasted most of the instant coffee out there, some of my followers agreed. Even after a year, during which I did try several other brands of coffee, I still feel the same way.

My year-long love affair with Old Town is the reason why when an outlet opened at Playground @ Big Splash in East Coast Park, I immediately added it to my list of must-visit places. Never mind the fact that I already have the instant coffee at home; I still felt an urgent need to check out the place!

Old Town originated from the town of Ipoh in 1958. While they are the biggest kopitiam (coffee shop) chain in Malaysia today with 82 outlets, this East Coast Park outlet marks only their first foray into Singapore.

And I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last.

The layout of the place looks pretty similar to most of the kopitiam chains that have sprung up in Singapore in recent years. There are the usual marble tables and wooden chairs, as well as coffee served in traditional cups printed with the all-too-familiar green designs.

A cosy lounge-like area and a few six-person booth seats separate this from the rest of the kopitiams, creating the slight ambience of a Western café. Having a sofa here may seem rather out of place, but I think most patrons would welcome the option.

An aged image of a busy street scene covers one side of the wall. This is the same photo featured in their logo. For all the hundreds of Old Town coffee sachets I have had, I had never realised that the little logo contains a street scene!

Besides the usual coffee and kaya (creamy coconut jam) toast, some other items you would find on the menu include chicken rendang (a recommended dish which I heard is superb), curry chicken rice, ice cream toast, as well as the rather intriguing “ice fire polo bun” and “coffee lava”.

But with our stomachs still working hard on what we had from our previous meal, we could only manage to down a few cups of coffee. That’s okay — it’s what we were there for anyway!

Update: On a follow-up visit, we ordered the chicken rendang, which at S$7.90++, isn’t exactly cheap for the skimpy portion you get. When we asked for an extra spoonful of chilli sauce, the staff (and their manager) told us it would cost S$0.50 more.

To add salt to the wound, there is that mandatory 10% service charge here even though we had to queue at the counter to make our payment when we patronised the Toa Payoh Hub outlet on two separate occasions. They don’t provide water too. After the subsequent disappointing experiences at Old Town, we have decided to never come back to this place.

Old Town White Coffee
S$1.60+
Rating:

The coffee comes with a foamy layer on top, which kind of resembles coffee tarik. It tastes a little different from the classic instant coffee that I’m accustomed to, but it is still as rich and fragrant. Old town fans would love this just the same.

The blend of specially roasted liberica, arabica and robusta coffee beans with small amounts of caramel is what contributes to the distinct taste and flavour of this underrated (in Singapore anyway) brew. More coffee lovers need to sample it!

After savouring the coffee, enamored patrons can also purchase it in-store and make their own Old Town coffee at home. (Hint: The 3-in-1′s can also be found at most supermarkets.)

Photo by Old Town White Coffee

Meanwhile, do excuse me while I go make a hot cup of Old Town white coffee!

Old Town White Coffee
- Bukit Timah: 9 Yuk Tong Avenue
- Cineleisure
- Far East Plaza
- Jurong Point
- Playground@Big Splash, East Coast Park
- Square 2
- Suntec City Mall
- Toa Payoh Central
- White Sands

Website
Service:

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http://sparklette.net/food/old-town-white-coffee/ | 38 comments

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Food Addict Café – Get High On It! [Closed]

Veron Ang — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:38:03 +0000

If you are like me, you probably go to work everyday where you would have your meals at the same few places. So when a new restaurant opens in the vicinity, it would generate a bit of excitement among you and your colleagues. All the better if the food is cheap and good! And that’s exactly what Food Addict Café is like.

Some months back, this little restaurant opened in Toa Payoh Central. It is such a breath of fresh air and easily stands out from along a row of nondescript shops where it is situated. Being just the size of a single shop unit, seats are limited and especially so during chow time. Hence, besides indoor seating, there are also tables spilling out to the outside of the restaurant.

The owners have given the place a funky decor, with colourful wall motifs and brightly coloured furniture and cups. Food-wise, what you would find here is mainly Italian and Western cuisine. And it certainly doesn’t fail to impress! After all, the chef has 15 years of experience whipping up dishes at N.Y.D.C.!

Lasagna
S$6.95
Rating:

Lasagna! Check out the garlic bread that comes with it. It is yummy and has cheese too! In fact, we like it so much we even order a separate helping of it. Of course, the lasagna tastes great with the thick tomato gravy. It is most unlike the many soggy and oily lasagnas out there — and at just half the price too!

Hot Chicken
S$8.50
Rating:

To get my daily chicken fix, I go for the hot chicken. Why “hot”? Apparently it is a hot seller (since it isn’t spicy)! Having had too many chicken cutlets and chops served in gargantuan sizes at ABC Market, I’m not too impressed with the chicken serving here. But to be fair, it is definitely more than enough to fill my stomach, especially with the wedges.

I like the fact that instead of the usual fries, the chicken is served with chunky potato wedges that are oh-so-fluffy on the inside. My lunch partners wasted no time in finishing them for me! Worth mentioning, too, is the mustard dressing that is made from scratch.

Prawn Aglio
S$7.50
Rating:

Spicy food lovers wouldn’t want to miss this. The prawn aglio here is the spiciest pasta I have ever tasted! Pan-fried with garlic and lots of chilli, the average person may find this too hot to handle! But beware: once you eat it once, you may find yourself hooked, as are my colleagues who are hooked on this and the lasagna!

All three dishes that I have introduced are house recommendations, as indicated by the cute puffy flower stickers. I like the fact that the menu items bear playful names such as “curry puff girls” and “hotter than you”! Yee haa!

Chocolate Truffle Cake
S$3.95
Rating:

If you’re craving something sweet, you can take your pick from a range of desserts and cakes. The chocolate truffle cake is decent enough, though not as chocolatey rich as I would have liked. I hear they serve drinks that are code-named BFGs (big friendly giants), with rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream. Yum! I’m so gonna have me a BFG the next time round.

So those of you that are working in Toa Payoh, or just happen to be passing by, don’t forget to give food addict café a try! Who knows, you may get really addicted!

Food Addict Café
185 Toa Payoh Central
#01-324 Singapore 310185
Tel: +65 6259 4218 | Website
Service:

(Note: All photos in this post had been captured using my LG Viewty.)

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Indonesian BBQ at Fork & Spoon – Last Lunch in Singapore (Before Japan Hour!) [Closed]

Veron Ang — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:55:33 +0000

By this time tomorrow I would have arrived in Tokyo, where I would be gorging on gorgeous Japanese cuisine for the next 11 days! In the days leading up to this trip, I have been stuffing myself fat with several meals of yummy Indian, Muslim and various other local food. I’m gonna miss the food here so much!

Today, I had my last lunch in Singapore (there’s still dinner and supper to go!) at the Fork & Spoon food court at Toa Payoh HDB Hub. To satisfy my daily fix of chicken, I had the ayam panggang (grilled chicken) at the corner Indonesian BBQ stall.

Ayam Panggang (Grilled Chicken)
S$4.20
Rating:

The portions were not particularly generous. In comparison with the popular stall at Plaza Singapura kopitiam, the size of the chicken here is definitely much smaller although the prices are almost the same.

Taste-wise, I did not like it very much. I still prefer the sweet black sauce at the Plaza Singapura stall. Also, the chicken flesh was dry and gave me the impression that it had been grilled and re-grilled a couple of times more after being left out for too long!

Still, I like the fact that the stall lady would obligingly serve it with all kinds of gravies that I request, such as the satay peanut gravy and sambal chilli sauce.

There you go! My last lunch in Singapore before the trip! So it wasn’t the best grilled ayam of all time. But it tasted Singaporean all right (ironically the stall name is “indonesian BBQ”), and that’s good enough for now.

Indonesian BBQ ( Halal certified)
Fork & Spoon
Toa Payoh HDB Hub
470 Toa Payoh Lorong 6, level 2
Singapore 310470

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Codfish Village – Fishy Business

Veron Ang — Mon, 14 May 2007 11:33:12 +0000

Fish lovers would be spoilt for choice at codfish village. This neighbourhood stall in Toa Payoh, tucked at the first level of a HDB block, serves up more than 30 codfish dishes! With a name like this, you can certainly expect nothing less.

Despite its humble location, the prices here aren’t exactly cheap. The elderly lady who works at the stall tried to hard sell some of the dishes rather than giving us the chance to look over the menu. Personally, I really dislike it when salespeople try too hard to push their products. It’s kinda… Fishy.

Crispy Codfish Dou Fu (Tofu)
S$12
Rating:

Nonetheless, the crispy codfish tofu was a good recommendation. The nice rectangular strips are codfish blended with tofu which are deep-fried. It wasn’t a greasy dish like I expected. Bits of water chestnut in the tofu gave it a very nice and crunchy feel. Of course, the mayonnaise dip that came along was marvellous too.

Baby Kai Lan
S$6
Rating:

The second side dish we had was the baby kai lan (what’s kai lan in English?). As with most vegetable dishes, this was sort of plain and nothing spectacular.

Curry Codfish
S$28
Rating:

Finally, we got what we came for — the curry codfish! Well, most people actually come here for the curry fish head, which is also the house specialty. But I simply cannot stomach fish heads!

Upon my first sip of the simmering hot curry, I was wowed! I even turned to my dinner partner and exclaimed, “i can drink the whole pot!” it was really, really good! The curry taste was sinfully rich, yet not too spicy. Most people would be able to take it comfortably. A variety of ingredients went into the pot, such as pineapple and lady’s finger (aka okra), lending much flavour to the gravy.

Deep-fried Buns
S$1 for 3
Rating:

At a dollar for three, these cute little buns are impossible to resist! They go extremely well with the curry too! Look, how shiny!

Well, well, so the meal didn’t start off on a good note. But I’m glad the food turned out to be excellent! We didn’t have to wait long for the food to be ready too.

Now, if only the prices were a tad lower. The meal for two cost came up to almost 50 bucks, which isn’t exactly the kind of price you are expecting at a neighbourhood stall, codfish or otherwise.

Codfish Village
83 Toa Payoh Lorong 2
#01-461 Singapore 310083
Tel: +65 6251 6008

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Botak Jones – Damn Good Food!

Veron Ang — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:15:16 +0000

“Damn good food at a damn good price!” the sign proclaims loudly. You can almost hear it scream! Now what the heck am I talking about? Botak Jones, of course.

Botak Jones is the brainchild of an American that promises to bring authentic American food to the heartland. The Ang Mo Kio branch is its second branch, after Tuas. Business here is so good, many customers actually wait around patiently until the stall opens at 12 noon. With all the hype, the food had better be damn good!

The menu was made up of sheets of photocopied yellow paper stapled together. And it sure was an extensive one! Every item had a descriptive paragraph that followed, written in a light-hearted and very informal style. They also had the menu on a chalkboard right in front of the stall.

The staff were all extremely energetic and friendly, taking care to recommend various dishes on hearing that I don’t eat beef. One of the dishes they recommended was the Swanky Franky hot dog. Lucky for me it was available in chicken too. So that was what I had!

Swanky Franky
S$9 for set meal (includes chips & coleslaw)
Rating:

It was wrapped in bacon and had melted cheddar cheese on top! Doesn’t that sound appetising? I did a double take when I saw the gargantuan serving size. That was easily the largest hot dog I have ever seen! Throw in the hot dog bun and the heap of chips at the side, I could finish just three quarters of the food. It was an American serving all right!

Taste-wise I didn’t actually think the hot dog was any special. But thanks to good customer service, we were given many bottles of mustard and varied sauces that helped a lot. I really liked the chips though — thick, crispy, fluffy on the inside, and lightly dusted with Botak Jones’ own spice mix. Yum!

The Double Botak, with Cheese & Whoopass Con Carne
S$9 for set meal (includes chips & coleslaw) + $1 for Cheese + $2.50 for Whoopass Con Carne

Check THAT out! My friend ordered his usual double Botak burger with add-ons of cheese and Whoopass con carne. Boy, it was huge! I sampled a little of the beef patty and found it to be delightfully tender.

Air Flown NZ Ribeye Steak (medium rare, served with chips & coleslaw)
S$13 for 200 grams
Rating:

Same goes for the steak. It was extremely tender. Chewy, but not tough. Marinaded nicely and seared carefully in such a way that the rich juices ooze out as you chew. This was one good quality steak! And don’t you just love those cross patterns?

Those daring slogans on their staff’s shirts and aprons are pretty cool too. Throughout our meal the staff were very friendly. They would ask us how the food was, etc. We actually spotted the boss himself at the coffee shop. But he may have been just a random botak (bald) dude.

Botak Jones
Non-Halal outlets:
- 531 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Tel: +65 6755 1225
- 412 Bedok North Ave 2, Tel: +65 6243 9225
- 325 Clementi Ave 5 #01-129, Tel: +65 6774 1225
- 118 Depot Lane #01-02 Stall 10, Tel: +65 6272 3225
- Orchard Youth Park, Tel: 121 Somerset Road, Tel: +65 6735 0225
- 214 Serangoon Avenue 4, Tel: +65 6858 1225
- 970A Toa Payoh North, Tel: +65 6258 6225

Halal outlets:
- 233 Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 #01-53, Tel: +65 6899 8225
- 5 Changi Village Road #01-2021, Tel: +65 6542 7225
- Simpang Bedok, Tel: 357/359 Bedok Road, Tel: +65 6243 0225
- 892C Woodlands Drive 50, Tel: Stall 4, Tel: +65 6894 4225

Website

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Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao – Return of the Xiao Long Bao

Veron Ang — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 15:45:11 +0000

This recent trip to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Great World City marks my second visit to this particular outlet. my previous experience there left me with a long lasting good impression — great food coupled with excellent service. So naturally I was happy to pop by once again for more dim sum goodies.

In a bid to increase returning customers, the restaurant introduces new dishes to their menu from time to time. They now have a pan fried version of their popular Shanghai pork dumpling. It even comes on a hot plate.

Pan Fried Shanghai Pork Dumpling in Hot Plate (铁板小笼包)
S$4.80++
Rating:

At $4.80 for four dumplings, it’s also a fraction more expensive than the original Shanghai pork dumpling that costs $3.60 for four. Taste-wise I couldn’t really pinpoint any difference between the two; they were both equally bland. It’s just the usual xiao long bao sans the soup. Other than the fact that it came with egg on a hot plate, there wasn’t any sign of this being a pan fried dish.

Beijing Pork Dumpling (北京水饺)
S$4.50++
Rating:

Obviously I’m not a huge fan of their Shanghai pork dumpling. As with previously, I very much prefer the Beijing pork dumpling. It had so much more flavour to its pork filling. It begs me to wonder whether the Crystal Jade chefs use any secret ingredient for their marinade. Oh those juicy dumplings. I love the way the yummy soup fills my mouth when I bite into one.

La Mian in Spicy & Sour Soup (酸辣汤拉面)
S$7.50++
Rating:

Ah… The best dish of the night had to be the la mian (hand-pulled noodles) — and I don’t even like noodles! The noodles were nice and chewy but it was the spicy and sour sauce that made the dish. It was spicy with a touch of tang, yet not too hot at the same time. So people who don’t take much chilli can eat this comfortably as well. The ample portion served ensured that we were kept full and satisfied.

Steamed Chicken in Sichuan Style (四川口水鸡)
S$7++
Rating:

The Sichuan steamed chicken was served… Cold. I didn’t notice this oddity until now. Did they steam it before cooling it? Or did they simply serve us the wrong dish? Come to think of it, the dish looked quite different from what was pictured on the menu. Nonetheless, I liked the tasty black sauce. It was very spicy and rich in flavour. But overall, this dish was hardly worth the seven bucks as the chicken portion was so small, with most of it being bone!

Longan Drink with White Fungi (龙眼雪耳糖水)
S$3++
Rating:

For drinks I highly recommend their home-made longan drink which is supremely refreshing and healthful. It also makes a good palate cleanser.

This marks yet another pleasant trip to Crystal Jade. One reason why I’ll keep returning is that the food is consistently good (this does not include C-Jade Express, which sucks). The service is excellent. What I hate most about any dining establishment is having to wait a long time to be served. When I step into a Crystal Jade restaurant I am assured of a pleasant experience with ever willing waitstaff. And good food of course.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (翡翠拉面小笼包)
- Ngee Ann City #04-27, Tel: 6238 1661
- Jurong Point #03-18, Tel: 6790 2212
- Great World City #02-43, Tel: 6738 5595
- Suntec City Mall #B1-028, Tel: 6337 6678
- 241/241A Holland Avenue, Tel: 6463 0968
- 470 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 #01-70, Tel: 6397 2383
- Bugis Junction #B1-04A, Tel: 6339 6902 Fax: 6339 6903
Website

Operating hours: 11am – 10pm daily

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Sizzler – The Food Sizzles

Veron Ang — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 07:05:09 +0000

The first time I had a Sizzler meal was at Siam Center in Bangkok. And that was real good — solid a la carte menu items plus its rockin’ salad bar.

On Thursday evening we were at the Sizzler restaurant in Toa Payoh. I didn’t realise there were only two sizzler restaurants in Singapore! This time round I thought the menu was a lot more sparse than the one in Bangkok. I had a tough time finding something I liked. In the end I opted for the teriyaki chicken. When in doubt, always go for the chicken!

Teriyaki Chicken
S$19.99++
Rating:

I thought chicken sizzling in teriyaki sauce can’t go wrong! The sizzling factor definitely gave it bonus impression points. But as it turned out, the chicken fillets were a tad stiff and dry. They weren’t tender enough and definitely weren’t drenched in delicious teriyaki sauce as I thought they would be!

Their signature all-you-can-eat salad bar didn’t disappoint though. The buffet comes free with all a la carte items and it’s the deepest impression sizzler left me with after I dined there twice in Bangkok. With so many delectable items, even the fussiest eaters can pick something they like.

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Rating:

The cream of mushroom soup is the richest of its kind. Rather filling actually.

Salad bar items
Rating:

A few other salad bar items that I liked were the Hawaiian chicken, chilli prawn, and satay chicken. A pity this time we were in quite a rush. I didn’t get to check out the sundae bar because I was too stuffed by the time I finished all the food on my plates. Until next time then!

Sizzler
Website

Toa Payoh outlet

Toa Payoh Central
190 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 #02-516
Singapore 310190
Tel: +65 6258 7336
Service:

Suntec City outlet

Suntec City Mall
Suntec City Tower 2
9 Temasek Boulevard #B1-21/22
Singapore 038989
Tel: +65 6336 5866

News updates

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Nominated for “Best Value Buffet”

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Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao – This Bao Packs a Punch!

Veron Ang — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:15:08 +0000

The Crystal Jade restaurants are so ubiquitous these days you can’t go to a popular shopping mall without seeing one. The chain is so popular it has even divided into different specialisations. There’s Crystal Jade Kitchen, Crystal Jade Palace, Crystal Jade Bakery, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Shanghai Cuisine Hu Cui, etc. Recently, they have even gone Express! To think this was only my second time visiting any Crystal Jade outlet at all.

For drinks, we ordered their home-made longan drink, which came along with white fungi. It was a refreshing change from the usual lemon tea, and a very healthful drink at the same time.

Longan Drink with White Fungi (龙眼雪耳糖水)
S$3++
Rating:

There were so many food items on the menu that we had a really hard time deciding what we wanted; each one looked as yummy as the next! After much deliberation, we went with the following items.

Spicy & Sour Soup in Sichuan Style (四川酸辣汤)
S$6++
Rating:

When the Sichuan soup came, I was alarmed to find such a small portion for $6; barely enough for one! But it certainly didn’t disappoint. There was just the right amount of spiciness and the right amount of tang, a good complement to the milder xiao long bao (steamed pork dumpling) that we ordered. I guess anything that is cooked sichuan style can’t go wrong!

Shanghai Steamed Pork Dumpling (上海小笼包)
S$3.60++
Rating:

Despite it being the house specialty, I didn’t really like the Shanghai steamed pork dumpling that much. It was just okay for me. I did wonder how it was wrapped though, since it was extremely soupy on the inside.

Beijing Pork Dumpling (北京水饺)
S$4.50++
Rating:

The Beijing pork dumpling fared better. Less soupy than its Shanghainese counterpart, but more savoury overall. Oh yeah it’s a fraction cheaper too!

Sauteed Chicken in Spicy Sauce (宫保鸡丁)
S$10++
Rating:

The spicy chicken dish is a very popular dish at Chinese restaurants and hawker stalls. I have eaten the same dish at various places before, but this was the first time the chicken came along with cashew nuts! It was simply delightful!

The best part about the meal (besides the yumminess) was that we didn’t have to wait much. Even though Crystal Jade is quite notorious for always having long queues, we were there past 4pm and were ushered to a good window seat pretty quickly. Once placing our orders, the food came fast with minimal waiting time. This definitely won’t be the last time I visit Crystal Jade.

Operating hours: 11am – 10pm daily

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