Thursday, November 30, 2006

Pontian Wanton Mee: You either love it or hate it! Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 4 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


One of the commonest feedback I get from readers is whether I ever blog overrated food, or food that is not a 4 or above. The simple answer is "Yes, but not too much!" (Reminds me of an old Ribena ad!). I try my best to scour the forums to find all the good stuff, 'cos I really don't need to waste my calories on untasty food and neither should you, especially when you are beginning to realise that your belt is starting to hold up your belly instead of your pants!

Now, I am very careful about saying that something is "bad" because, as they say, taste is very subjective. But when it comes to Pontian Wanton Mee, it seems to divide us all into those who love it and those who really think it is overrated. It like the "Durian Phenomenon", very few would really be found sitting on the fence.



The group of us were on the "don't really know what the fuss is about" side of the fence. I personally think that the only thing I do like about it is the noodles which are all made in house. The texture was very good and the noodles tasted quite good by itself. What really dissappointed us was the bright red, synthetic looking sauce, the dry and uninspiring Char Siew and the tiny wantons! One bowl shared among 4 persons and 3/4 bowl was left because we all did not want to waste our calories on it! 3/5

Hey if you really love it, please leave a comment and tell us why!

Pontian Wanton Noodles
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-20
4pm 0 11pm daily

....Read more!

Selera: Doesn't Sound like a Roast Duck Stall! Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 3 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


There are a few Roasted Meat Stalls in Bedok Interchange competing for your attention. To be honest, they all look quite good. We selected Selera because someone on the forum mentioned them. Maybe some of our readers can comment on the other stalls around?



The Char Siew was ok. It was lean and tasty. Better then most 3.5/5. The real gem was the Roast Duck which we all liked. The meat was very tasty and it wasn't too fat. Only grouse was that it did not come with plum sauce. 4.25/5 The taste of the Sio Bak was very good and the meat was tender and smooth, but it was let down by the skin which wasn't crispy. 3.75/5

Selera
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-36
11am to 9pm
Closed Tuesdays

....Read more!

Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao: Are you a Black or White Carrot Cake Fan?: Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 2 of 7

With holydrummer, smart and iwatch_ueat








How did that Michael Jackson song go again? ".....it doesn't matter if you're black or white..."

I beg to differ. When it comes to Carrot Cake there are 3 types of people in the world. There are those who love the BLACK one. There are those who love the WHITE one. And there are those who think that carrot cakes are supposed to have cream cheese icing.

I belong to the group who love the BLACK one. So I will just say that the white one was pretty good and that 2 of the 4 people in the group who belong to the white consortium liked it enough to give it a 4/5.



Now what I like about the BLACK one is the fact that they really chop up the carrot cake into small itsy bitsy little bits and coat it with a generous amount of sweet black sauce. That's the way, Ah Huh, Ah Huh, I like it Ah Huh Ah Huh!. Actually, sometimes I feel a bit silly raving about what really amounts to eating a sweet black sauce with oil, eggs and carbs. I mean, put in enough black sauce and they all should taste the same, shouldn't it? Still, I like it but I can't afford to eat too much of it. 4/5



Conclusion

Wouldn't mind going back for the black one again when I am at Bedok Interchange.

Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
Blk 207 Upper Changi Road
#01-18
6.30am to 8pm Daily

....Read more!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Inspirasi Stall: Inspiring Soto Ayam: Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 1 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


There are very very few places left in Singapore where you can get something tasty that you can rave about for $1.50 and still be full after that. This is one of those few places, which is why there is still a long queue when we got there in the afternoon.



Right in the middle of this small family run stall is a boiling cauldron of really tasty chicken soup. There was hardly any room left to move around!

We all agreed that the soto ayam (Cubed rice, chicken, bean sprouts and a pototo cake in a spicy chicken broth) was really good. The soup was sweet and savoury and the portion was really generous for $2.00. According to iwatch_ueat, our Malay food expert, this is about as good as soto ayam gets. (She wasn't all that impressed with this one, just that she does not know anywhere else with better soto ayam - so is this really as good as it gets?). Others have insisted that this one is quite ordinary and the word "overated" have been used by some. Still no one could tell me where to find the ultimate Soto Ayam. Until we find the World's Best Soto Ayam, I will give this one a 4.25/5

Inspirasi has been around for a good 30 years. It was started by the late husband of the friendly MaCik (Aunty) who arrived from Indonesia and started this stall. We only tried the Soto Ayam since this was the dish featured in the Makansutra Legends. Some people say their mee rebus is also quite good. If you have tasted it before, let us know ok?

Inspirisi Stall
Bedok Interchange FC #01-11
11am - 11pm daily
Closed only during Hari Raya
The Mee Rebus and Mee Soto are $1.50
Soto Ayam is $2

....Read more!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

STOP PRESS! Wham!burger is BACK!

With mien, iwatch_ueat and introducing our latest makanbro, Liverpool1965!


After a 2 year hiatus, the burger which had attracted a cult following is back! Our dear Wendy who had left the Jiang Hu (Pugulistic World) to pursue her other passion has recently (yesterday) resurrected her Wham!burger, much to the joy of her fans, I'm sure.

Sweaty Burger Aunty by day, Sultry Bar Top Singer by night, Wendy leads a fascinating double life. She shut her Wham!Burger joint which used to be at Turf Club 2 years ago to pursue her singing at the Acidbar (Peranakan Place). Think sexy lady with a low cut dress sliding across a Grand Piano (ala Michelle Pfieffer) and she'll give you a slap on the face! No, no, No Wham Bam Thank you M'am for this Prim and Proper lady Please!

Anyway I digress. Let's get down to the burgers.

There is no doubt that the patties on her burgers are one of the best in Singapore. We all loved her chicken fillet burger which is a whole chicken thigh fillet marinated in a mild Satay marinade. The meat was awesome. It was juicy and the flavours of the lemongrass, cumin and tumeric really reminded me of why we all love Satay so much! The only letdown was the quality of the bun, which was bit cold and flaky 4/5 (Wendy is working on the buns, her burger would easily rate a 4.5 with a change in the bun)



This is the one everyone talks about! I have not tasted a pattie as good as this for a pretty long time. Perfectly season and really juicy. You don't really need anything else on this burger though she does offer saute onions, fried egg and cheese. $4.80 (w/0 extras) 4/5 (The bun... again, but easily fixed)



Conclusion

A very very warm welcome back Wham!Burger!


Wham!burger
China Square Food Centre

B1-22

11am to 3pm (At night got to sing!)
Mon-Fri
Wendy 90080604



Acknowledgements:
Thanks to bobafett from the makansutra forum for the tip off and also to mien who discovered it yesterday.

....Read more!

Monday, November 27, 2006

I am Breast Feeding, Is this Medication Safe?

Some information and links for Breast Feeding Moms and Dads with Breast Feeding wives!

Click HERE to access

....Read more!

Saigon Deli: Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

The Saigon Deli is not there anymore and we don't have any idea if they have moved or if they have gone back to Vietnam. If you know please let us know ok?

With mien and iwatch_ueat



I first got to know about this little eatery through Channel 8 Ter Sie (Special Report) programme whose story centred on the life of this interesting Vietnamese Lady living in Singapore who missed her homecooked food so much that she started a restaurant. But the problem was that mediacorp did not publish the address or even the name of the eatery!

As fate would have it, I came across an entry by MT88 in a forum on it which showed pictures of some interesting eats and most importantly, the address of the place!



Vietnamese food is very light especially when compared to neighbouring Thailand. There's much less use of coconut mik, so you don't get your rich curries. Instead, you have light and refreshing salads, clear soups and lots of different manifestation of rice; like rice wrappers, rice vermicilli and kway teow.

This Mango Salad is a wonderful example of how aptly the sweet, tangy and salty tastes of the salad, as well as the texture of the mango and carrots perfectly complement the other meat dishes. $4.80 4/5

nei

Probably the most iconic of Vietnamese cuisine are the Summer Fresh Rolls which are a favourite especially amongst Ang Mohs (Westerners). The combination of the chewy rice wrapper, crunchy salad, thick vermicilli and mint leaves with the killer sweet, sour, spicy peanut sauce can be quite tasty and refreshing at the same time!. $4.80 4/5



Now we come to what I really really liked. The grill pork chop with rice looks like a simple dish, but that pork chop has been marinated with such a delightful combination of spices that my stomach is beginning to growl even while I am typing this blog. Most of the dishes here come with variations of a mysterious clear sauce which tastes like a combination of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and various spices. $6.50 4.5/5



The soup in the Pho (Kway Teow Soup) is light and yet robust. The sweetness of the soup comes from boiling beef leg bones for more than 15 hours. The soup is very tasty and they are very generous with the Kway Teow, so one bowl will be enough to fill you up! $4.80 4/5



Out of curiosity, we tried this Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop with Tossed Rice Vermicelli (Think Gon Lor Mee with thick Bee Hoon) Again, very little oil is used, instead you pour yet another version of the mysterious clear sauce into the bowl and mix the Bee Hoon with the peanuts, shallots and the salad. Good, but not as good as the grilled pork chops! $5.80 3.5/5



There were many authentic Vietnames drinks offered. We tried the pennywort which was like a watercrest drink as well as the sour plum which was quite "Power". The one which I really enjoyed was the lemon grass and honey as seen in the picture above. Light and very refreshing. $2.50 4/5



What better way to finish the meal then with a cup of Vietnamese Coffee which (I'm told) the Vietnamese drink 3 times a day! After dripping throught the percolator, you add the coffee into a glass of ice and enjoy the caffeine rush!

Conclusion

Great experience for me since the last time I ate Vietnamese food was while I was living in Thailand which was a few years ago. Interestingly Vietnamese cuisine in Thailand is considered a higher class of cuisine much like how the street food of Thailand is sold here for 5 times the price in a restaurant.

Vietnamese food is quite healthy as it does not use a lot of oil and coconut milk. Quite good if you feel that you need a cholesterol break! I enjoyed it! My only grouse is that the portions of meat are a tad small and I would really need two portions of grilled pork chops to satisfy my craving!

8/10 (T3, V2, S2, E1)

Saigon Deli
470 North Bridge Road
#01-05 North Bridge Commercial Complex
63334243

Acknowledgement: MT88 recommmended this in the asiaone motoring forum!

....Read more!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Asthma - What you need to know! Part 1

Just started a series on Asthma in response to one parent's query. To read please click here.

....Read more!

Tai Hua Bak Chor Mee: Everybody Queue up!



This is perhaps one of the most famous Bak Chor Mee in Singapore. The name Tai Hwa is almost synoymous with Bak Chor Mee.

Now whenever I meet Teochew Stallowners, our conversation would invariably be in Teochew, and when asked why they are so popular, the standard answer is always: "Chngee, Everyting is Chngee" (Fresh). The Teochew emphasis on freshness is cultural since the Teochew live near the river in Guandong Province. So unlike, say, SzeChuan cuisine, where emphasis is on the spices, Teochew cuisine is quite bland by comparison, emphazing instead on the freshness of the ingredients.



This is perhaps as good as a Bak Chor Mee can get! Its tasty, its fresh, its satisfying. The noodles are real QQ, the chilli shiok, the lard fresh and the black vinegar just gets your salivary glands working overtime. 4.5/5



I love the soup here. My usual fare is a big bowl of Keow Soup (Dumpling Soup) with sliced pork, minced pork and pork balls. Very satisfying and easy to digest so that you get hungry again by dinner! Just look at the density of pork protein in the soup!

Conclusion

The best Bak Chor Mee in Singapore? I have not heard many protest against that claim yet!

Hill Steet Tai Hua Pork Noodle
Blk 466 Crawford Lane
#01-12
www.taihwa.com.sg
62927477
9.30am to 9pm
Closed 1st and 3rd Monday

....Read more!

Happy Chef: Not only Chef Happy, I also Happy



This stall is famous because its owners had just returned from a 15 year stay in Sydney where their restaurant was voted Sydney's top 10 by the Sydney Morning Herald. At that time, they were there because of their children's education. After they all graduated, the owners decided to migrate back to Singapore and started this western food stall selling interesting items like Chicken Kiev and Pork Cordon Bleu which are to Sydneysiders what Hokkien Mee is to Singaporeans!



The BBQ pork ribs are a real gem and great value at $6 per serving. You get a meaty portion of pork ribs, cooked till the meat can be just sucked off the bone and swimming in lovely tangy BBQ sauce. Save your calories for this one! The ribs are not the western cut ribs where most of the meat has been taken off the bone. You can see from the picture the substantial amout of meat still attached to the bone. The taste is closed to Tony Roma's although it does lack the charcoal grilled flavour. Shiokadoo! 4.25/5



This Chicken Kiev has been tweaked cater for the local taste as well as the $6 budget. It was good, but could have been better if mozarella had been used instead of Cheddar. Something different. The sauce was really nice and tasted quite Ang Moh (Western). 3.75/5

Conclusion

Another place to find restaurant style western food at hawker prices. They are also offering a T bone steak for $9 which is a really good deal. I might have to try that one day, but everytime I go back there, I would still be tempted just to go for the ribs!

Happy Chef Western Food
466 Crawford Lane
11am to 10pm daily
92749591, 96827000, 63980773

....Read more!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Hum Jin Pang: Ikea style Food: Do it yourself and pay less! Maxwell Food Centre Part 8 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


We almost gave this one a miss. At 7 Hum Chim Pangs for a dollar, I assumed that the people who are lining up were just all very Gian Chia (Love a good deal). The HCPs all looked so small, oily and black that it hardly looked appetizing.



The queue was about 5 persons long, so like Vultures, we just looked, went somewhere else and circled back. There was this lady who was hogging the wok for like more than 20 minutes. You would think she was one of the workers there, except for the fact that she had makeup on and was wearing a 1 color suit. Aiya, sister, you want to fry so badly, you can always buy some oil and do this at home what!! Apparently she bought $10 worth of HCP!! Things people do for a good deal!!



So anyway, I gave up waiting. But fortunately for me, some of my other makankakis were more patient and waited in line.

Unlike most other HCPs, the five spice salt on this one is on the outside of the HCP and the oil in the wok was all black because of all the five spice salt in the oil. After frying, the HCP was dipped into sugar. Phwaaa, the my first bite was like hitting a hole in one! How come nobody else does it this way? The sweet sugar crystals combined with the crispy savoury skin followed by the fragrant soft HCP inside was to die for! Phwaa Lao Ay!! My makankakis who had been waiting in line for so long ended up buying only $1 worth of HCP! What were you all thinking!!

Conclusion

Not just cheap, very cheap. Not just good, very good! And, I am willing to wait the next time I come to Maxwell FC. I think that says it all. 4.5/5

Hum Jin Pang
Maxwell Food Centre
Open 1pm to 8pm










Update 26 Nov 2006: Today I stood in line and waited 20 mins, holding my daughter and shouting at my son to get my $2 worth of HCP!! Still loving it!

....Read more!

Hup Kee Ngor Hiang Homemade Hokkien Style NH Maxwell Food Centre Part 7 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


Nowadays I am getting real spoilt. After having tasted homemade Ngor Hiang, I refuse to waste any more of my precious calories on factory made ones. Hey Ngor Hiang is made of pork fat, liver, eggs, msg, salt and all the other good stuff which can, unfortunately, clog your arteries. Surely, you don't want to clog your arteries with lousy Ngor Hiang, right?



Now this is one special Ngor Hiang. First time I have seen one that is red in color on the inside. Really tasty but a tad small. 4/5 The pink sausages were also hand made and they taste much better then the normal factory ones. The soft pink stuff was really tasty and the pork was shiok, one of the best I've tasted. 4.5/5



I don't usually go for liver, but this one was highly recommended by the forummers. It was actually quite good! The liver did not have too strong a livery taste and there was nice Koo Chai in it. 4/5

We also tried the egg slice which was decent but nothing to rave about. 3.5/5

Conclusion

A very good Hokkien type Ngor Hiang with a serious chilli sauce to boot.

Hup Kee Wu Siang Guan Chang
AKA China Sreet Ngor Hiang
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 97 (Facing the road)
12pm to 8pm
Closed Mondays







Update 26 Nov 2006: Went there with my family to try again. This time round I wasn't quite impressed with the Ngor Hiang and found the sweet sauce a bit bland! So I have revised the ratings downwards from 4.5 to 4 for the Ngor Hiang.

....Read more!

Pancake: Pandan Flavoured Mee Chian Kuay: Maxwell Food Centre Part 6 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


If you like Mee Chian Kuay, you should give this one a try. This Mee Chian Kuey is different because of the pandan flavouring they used. The skin is soft but at the same time chewy and fragrant. The peanut is good, though I always liked my peanut more sticky than dry. What I like about this one is the nice aftertaste the pandan flavour leaves on your tongue. 4/5

Pan Cake
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 26

7am to 5pm Daily
7am to 3pm Sunday

....Read more!

Friday, November 24, 2006

The Recent Comments Feature

My sincere thanks to everyone who has commented in this blog. I get very encouraged by all your comments, whether positive or negative.

You probably have noticed by now that there is a new feature on the right hand side of the blog called Recent Comments. I added this feature because I realised that in the past, only I knew who has been commenting on my blog! But now, with the help of this feature, whenever you make a comment, anyone who is reading the blog will know!

The Comments Feature is important because it gives other readers a more balanced review of the featured food. As they say, taste is very subjective, so by giving your comments, you are adding to the strength of the review.

I know for a fact that there are many unknown makan experts out there, having met many during my last 3 months of blogging. If you are a reader of ieatishootipost, may I encourage you to give your comments under a pen name. After a while, people will begin to associate your pen name with the strength of your reviews. In this way you can use the blog as your own platform to share with others your makan knowledge! I certainly won't mind seeing our very own version of a Simon Cowell on the blog!!

The other wonderful thing about the recent comments feature is that it resurrects some of the older blogs for discussion. This is good for newer readers who might have missed some of the really good early stuff!

I have left the comments opened to everyone because I feel that by restricting it to registered users will stifle free speech. You are most welcomed to give your honest opinion on the food! The only comments I will delete are those which are irrelevant or uses too many expletives. This IS a G Rated blog afterall!

....Read more!

My child is not speaking yet!

For parents who wonder when their children need to be assessed for speech delay. To read it, please click here

....Read more!

Hoe Kee Porridge: Perfect Porridge Anytime! Maxwell Food Centre Part 5 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


Hoe Kee has been rapidly expanding their stalls in the last few years. I am very apprehensive about the quality of food at big operators such as Hoe Kee. But SurprisePocket insisted that they were better than Zeng Zeng's (which is usually sold out by lunch anyway).

This handmade tofu looked too irresistible so we had to try it first. A simple dish, the tofu I suspect is made from soya bean milk and egg, steamed like a chawanmushi then deep fried. Add some shallots, spring onions and chilli and drench it in a soy sauce based gravy..... heavenly delight! 4/5



It is hard to take an interesting picture of porridge. So I decided to take a picture of the porridge after we stirred it up a bit. For $3 a bowl, I am sure you will agree that the amount of century eggs is generous!! The porridge was smooth and very tasty! It was seriously very very good. One day I must try the Zhen Zhen one to compare, cos I really don't know how much better Century Egg porridge can get. 4.5/5



I was amazed to see this machine with a huge tap head at the bottom. It is used for boiling the porridge of course!

Conclusion

The great thing about this place is that they are almost always opened! Currently the best (and most value for money) Century Egg Porridge in my books.


Hoe Kee Porridge Maxwell Food Centre
The corner at the junction of the 2 major Roads
6.30am to 4am Friday to Sunday
6.30am to 2.30 am Monday to Thursday

....Read more!

Big Scissors Curry Rice: Maxwell Food Centre Part 4 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


What really catches your eye at this Stall is the variety of different dishes that you don't usually see at the usual Chap Chye Peng (Variety of dishes with rice) Stall. We already tasted food from 8 different stalls, so we were already quite full and have expended 2 days worth of calories. BUT, all the food here looks so nice....... just a little won't hurt.....



The problem with doing a review of a Chap Chye Peng stall is that there are so many different dishes that you really don't know where to start. That's where the other really good thing about the stall stepped in.

Aunty Elizabeth was this really pleasant looking lady who spoke such impeccable English that you suddenly realise that people in her generation were really taught proper English by proper Englishpeople (Politically incorrect to use Englishmen nowsadays sic). Anyway she was so nice to talk to that we just had to try her food.



Now, we only tried a few dishes like the tofu in the first picture and the black pepper chicken in the 2nd. But what really got us talking was this Assam Stingray. There was something about the sauce that kept me spooning the sauce into my mouth when my head is telling me that the stomach is begging him to tell my hand to stop! We give the Assam Fish a 4.5/5, but the other two dishes were quite ordinary 3.5/5.

Conclusion

Gotta come back another day to find more 4.5 dishes!

PS: Aunty keeps refusing to let me take a pic of her. I suspect she is either an ex CID agent or there is a Ah Long (loan shark) after her. When you go try it, just tease her a little about it!

Big Scissors Curry Rice
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 43
11am to 10.30pm Daily
Closed Saturdays

....Read more!