[Seoul] Being a soft serve lover, I had to give Baekmidang (백미당, 百味堂) a go, known for its Soft Milk and Soy-Milk Ice Cream.

The signature Baekmidang Soft Milk Ice Cream (3,500 Won) is said to be made using 1A grade organic milk, from cows grown in a non-chemical fertilized environment.

The parent company is Namyang Dairy Products established in 1964, known for its philosophy of pure ingredients and production of organic milk.

Baekmidang is available in many departmental stores in Seoul (refer to list below), and has also opened its first in Hong Kong’s K11 Shopping Mall at Tsim Sha Tsui to long lines.

I got my at Times Square Seoul, and needed to queue for about 5-10 minutes. The line moved on rather fast even though there were about 7-10 people waiting before me.

Other choices include Soy Milk Ice Cream (3,500 Won), Milk Ice Cream with Extra Strong Chocolate (4,800 Won), Organic Yogurt and Milk Ice Cream (4,600 Won) and a selection of coffee such as Baekmidang Latte (4,800 Won) and 1964 Strong Latte (5,200) – included with that organic milk of course.

The cute s*** shaped ice cream was distinctive, almost uniform as I watched the server twirl out cones after cones of soft milk ice cream.

Oh my, the first sensation as I took the first bite was ethereally smooth with a satisfying mouthful. The sensation was like velvety cream rubbing against your tongue. How contenting.

If you like the pure taste of milk in an ice cream, this is for you.

Baekmidang百味堂
Time Square Yeongdeungpo, Times 15 Times Square, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: 02 2638 2000
Opening Hour: 10:30am – 10:00pm

Various locations, including:
– Baekmidang Atelier (8 Eonju-ro 149-gil, Gangnam-gu)
– Lotte Dept. Jamsil 11F
– Galleria Dept. Apugujeong B1
– Hyundai Dep Cheonho B1
– Doosan Tower, Dongdaemoon 6F
– Hyundai Dep. Mia B1
– Lotte Dept. Nowon B1
– Baekmidang Mokdong B1
– IFC Mall B1
– Enter Six Gangnam B1
– Lotte Dept. Gwanak
– Hyundai Dept. Apgujeong 5F
– Hyundai Dept. COEX B1
– Lotte Dept. Gangnam B1
– Lotte Dept. Cheongnyangni
– Enter Six Wangsimni
– Lotte Dept. Myeongdong B1
– Jongno Tower B1
– Hyundai Dept. Sinchon B1
– D Cube City 1F
– Lotte Mall Eunpyeong
– Lotte Dept. Konkuk University

Baek Mi Dang Hong Kong Branch
18 Hanoi Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (K11 Hong Kong Art Mall, Tsim Sha Tsui)
Operation Hour: 10am – 10pm

Click HERE for other SEOUL Food Entries

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Baekmidang 百味堂 – Popular Organic Milk Soft Serve In Seoul. Smooth & Pure Tasting appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Changes keep taking place along Keong Siak Road that it can be hard to keep up. The Daily Roundup at The Working Capitol has said its farewell, and in comes 1KS by Park Bench Deli.

Park Bench Deli which set up its first shop at Telok Ayer, has gained a reputation of serving decadent subs.

Think melt-in-mouth kong bak aka braised pork belly within Banh Mi, and southern fried chicken marinated in buttermilk in a sandwich.

I do have a friend who worked in CBD area who declined my jio-ing, and frankly commented he would rather have a cheaper Subway. So delicious subs, slightly pricey.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Tan @stormscape)

Over at 1KS, the décor and vibes remain more or less than said as its predecessor. This is where many (I would assume many from the creative industry) meet up for short meetings and chats.

Food wise, you can expect hearty sandwiches such as Short Rib Swiss ($20), Curried Chicken Salad ($15), Turkey Panini ($16), Carnitas Torta ($17), Cheese Steak ($17), and Broccoli Melt ($15).

I was recommended the Broccoli Melt ($15), though a meat-less sandwich would not be my immediate first choice.

”If you like cheesy stuff, you will like this.” The server at the cashier said rather confidently.

I had it, and didn’t regret at all. The ciabatta bread was agreeably-toasted with light crunch on the outside, and still suitably soft.

The mixture of vegetables from roasted broccoli, sautéed oyster mushrooms, red peppers and caramelised onions gave it a good blend of textures, and I was pleasantly happy that was not too much cheese within that would have over-powered everything else. Just nice.

There are also some lighter and healthier options during breakfast till 11:00am, ranging from Acai Bowl ($10), Granola Bowl ($9), Chia Seed Pudding ($8), and Frittata ($4) with fillings of Roast Chicken, Bacao & Cheese, and Seasonal Vegetable.

So I tried several Acai Bowls in Singapore , and thought this version could have been far too watery for my liking. Maybe it was just that day.

Some may not know that sandwich makers Park Bench Deli also offers quite decent Cold Brew – the White ($8) and Black ($7) under the Working Coffee Class label. Smooth and rather strong, should be suitable for CBD peeps.

1KS by Park Bench Deli
1 Keong Saik Road, #01-02 The Working Capitol Singapore 089109
Opening Hours: 8:00am – 9:00pm (Mon – Fri), 9:00am – 6:00pm (Sat, Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post 1KS by Park Bench Deli – Hip Sandwich Makers Diversifies To Keong Siak With New Cafe appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

There are continuously many cafes and coffee places opening up in Singapore, but hipster instagrammers are still waiting for that one new chio gorgeous place to satisfy their cravings.

Let’s welcome The Glasshouse Specialty Coffee and Toast Bar at CHIJMES, which should be a shoo-in as one of the most instagrammable cafes in Singapore 2017.

Natural light – checked; plants – checked; glass windows – checked; earthy-coloured furniture – checked; free wifi – checked.

I anticipate this to be the next selfie + #OOTD coffee place. SMU students, are you reading this?

The Glasshouse’s focus is on quality ingredient on artisanal sourdough breads, served alongside specialty coffee.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Tan @stormscape)

Coffee available include Flat White ($4), Cold Brew ($4.50), Mocha ($5) and Filter ($7).

One thing to note is The Glasshouse uses a rotation of various roasters. Therefore, if you are a regular, you get to try something different monthly. However, perhaps that may exclude those looking for that familiar taste.

The current espresso-based coffee uses a Lucky Basterd blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian beans by Common Man Coffee, said to create a “vibrant fruit forward cup”.

The Filter Coffee uses the Ethiopia Ardi Sidama beans from Common Man Coffee, with tasting notes of “Mmxed berries & ripe orange, jammy texture with a lingering dark chocolate finish”.

I generally find Common Man Coffee’s coffee slightly strong, to the acidic side, but I don’t mind it.

The food menu is seasonal, and unfortunately will only be launched officially in 2 weeks’ time.

The Open-faced Sourdough Toasts offerings would include Mushroom Ragu ($7) of creamy mushroom, sweet pickled shallots, onsen egg, umami parmesan topped with seeds and nuts for the crunch; and Avocado & Dukkah ($7) topped with avocado slices, hummus, feta cheese, house dukkah blend, touch of lemon.

For something sweeter, you can go for the Seed & Nut Butter ($5) added with caramelized bananas, house made seed and nut butter, granola and maple syrup.

The Glasshouse will also be collaborating with local botanical artist Charles (@mossingarden) to bring in interesting plants such as coffee trees, as well as local artists, craftsmen, artisans to conduct workshops within.

It was a tranquil, well-thought-out space to soak into that coffee and book-reading atmosphere.

However, I sense that this place would only work if it is not TOO noisy, so let it maintain as that charming quiet place.

The Glasshouse: Specialty Coffee and Toast Bar
#01-K11 CHIJMES, 30 Victoria Street, Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 9793 0234
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 5.00pm (Mon – Fri), 8.30am – 6.00pm (Sat – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post The Glasshouse – Hidden Specialty Coffee and Toast Bar At CHIJMES, Cafe That Is Chio-Max appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Taipei, Taiwan] It is not surprising to see long queues at popular breakfast places in Taipei such as Fu Hang Dou Jiang 阜杭豆漿 since breakfast is supposedly considered the most important meal of the day.

However, the surprising thing is how some Taiwanese cafes can make their local breakfast look so appetising, or should I say “Instagram-worthy”.

One such example is the molten cheese “waterfall” at 可蜜達 Comida 炭烤吐司 that has recently gone viral on the net.

It is not just for aesthetics – all looks, and no substance.

Reviews were mostly positive online, ranging from “the motivation to wake up early in the morning”, “so comforting”, to “so therapeutic”. I wished my breakfast was therapeutic as well.

Located at Linsen North Road at Zhongshan District, everything on Comida’s menu is freshly made ala minute in their small kitchen, which explains why the waiting time could take up to 30 – 40 minutes for a basic toast.

The menu is straightforward, but only written in Chinese which can be difficult for some tourists to order.

With many different combinations of toast, cheese and egg that come in half-boiled, full-boiled, the best-sellers include Quadruple Combo Cheese, Pork and Scrambled Egg Toast (TWD85, SGD$3.90) and Double Combo Cheese and Pork Toast (TWD70, SGD$3.20).

All are only available for dine-in.

Cheese lovers will need to beat the crowd to secure a seat out of the 10 seats available to get their hands on the best-sellers, as those two items are also not available for take-away.

Making my way there at 7.30am on a weekday morning (and I know I’m late), the queue was quite manageable with about 5-6 people in queue.

Simple “chope” a seat, note down your orders on the order chit, queue to make payment and the countdown begins.

The anticipation of a towering toast with lots of cheese oozing out was real. Especially when the wait was at least half an hour long.

The highlight of the Quadruple Combo Cheese, Pork and Scrambled Egg Toast (TWD85, SGD$3.90) lied in the thin sliced pork, marinated with a sweet and savoury sauce.

The pork was tender and flavourful, combined with the oozing cheese to balance out the “jelak-ness” (richness).

Definitely a hearty meal for breakfast.

The basic Cheese, Pork, Egg Toast (TWD60, SGD$2.70) that came in either half-boiled or full-boiled egg, was as delightful and suitable to eat on the go.

It might not look as impressive as the Quadruple Combo Cheese, Pork and Scrambled Egg Toast (TWD85, SGD$3.90) but the former still retained the natural sweetness from the pork.

Definitely worth a revisit for other breakfast items, if I can wake up early to beat the crowd.

可蜜達Comida炭烤吐司
中山區林森北路310巷24號, Taipei, Taiwan
No. 24, Lane 310, Linsen North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Opening Hours: 7am – 12pm (Wed – Fri), Closed Mon – Tue
https://www.facebook.com/comidatoast/

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Huang Ji Braised Pork Rice 黃記滷肉飯 (Zhongshan North Road, Taipei)
Ay Chung Rice Noodles 阿宗麵線 (Taipei)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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”This has got to be the best fish soup I ever had.”

That quiver as I took in spoonful after spoonful of that Soon Hock Fish soup, feeling joyful as those flavours exploded in the mouth, yet afraid that it would be finished far too soon.

Both meals I had at Chef Kang’s were some of the best this year.

(Click PLAY for highlights of Chef Kang’s)

Many dishes reminded me of the good, old simplicity of Chinese dishes; yet there were others which were creative takes on familiar dishes.

The Chef’s wife recommended, “You should try this. Hen hao chi de.” The table was presented with a sizzling pot of Claypot Curry Pork Ribs added with… Jackfruit, a dish I would describe as scrumptious and funky.

Maybe I won’t order this again, but I couldn’t fault it.

Chef Ang Song Kang, better known as Chef Kang, shot into further fame and limelight when he was awarded one star in the Singapore Michelin Guide 2017.

While he was already known in the Singapore culinary circle, few would expect the Michelin inspectors to pay attention to this humble looking restaurant located near Little India.

Not fine dining, but it makes dining very fine.

It is almost a one-man show in the kitchen, with Chef Ang cooking up every dish that is served, with his apprentice behind busy with ingredient preparation such as chopping of the vegetables.

His passion to cooking, and determination to carry on after failures is admirable.

He used to be behind the kitchen of Lei Garden; and previously helmed the Canton Wok, Canton Recipe House which did not work out in the end.

Closures, bankruptcy and a battle with cancer did not keep him away from his wok, and his persistence led him to open Chef Kang’s in 2015.

To be honest, the décor of the small restaurant at Mackenzie Road opposite Rex Cinema, is nothing to shout about – old school Chinese restaurant style.

A intimate place with just 4 tables, of which 3 are located in private dining rooms, while one is just next to the kitchen.

The wall of one of the room was decorated with photos and awards, while I didn’t mind the table with less privacy, but in view of the action.

Chef serves up his style of Cantonese cuisine, with the freshest ingredients gotten from the markets.

He travels from time to time, especially to Hong Kong and Guangzhou to get inspirations and purchase special ingredients.

If you are regular enough, he could whip up some off-the-menu items, keeping you in anticipation of what could be in store.

Some of the signatures include the Cordyceps Flower Stewed Duck Soup ($98), Chicken with Fragrant Spring Onion ($80), Signature Shrimp Paste Deep-Fried Pork Belly ($28, $48, $68), Fragrant Sauce Steamed Empura ($80 per portion), Steamed Wild Potin Fish with Picked Tree Seed ($43), and Braised Luffa with Egg White ($28).

This is definitely NOT the ordinary zhi-char price.

Fortunately, I went with friends who believed in ”Yi fen qian, yi fen huo”, meaning you pay what you get. We drew extra cash from the ATM before the meal (Don’t worry, they accept card payments).

I was initially skeptical and worried that it would be another over-hyped restaurant, till I took a spoonful of that Soon Hock Fish Soup ($98), good for 3 – 4 to share.

The best essence of the fish and chicken bones probably went right into the creamy stock; the soup appearing beige-white because it has been cooked for almost the white day.

So fresh, so much depth, so layered, that you feel a sense of homely bliss.

Another dish that left me with a tear-drop lingered in the eye (out of happiness) was the Simmered Rice Noodles In Superior Stock ($25).

I love my bee hoons.

Appearance wise, people might dismiss this to be a plain plate of white bee hoon. But the taste was far from ordinary, as though every strand had absorbed the concentrate of the soup stock. The Hor Fun which I had on another occasion, was described by a friend as “very expensive, very delicious.”

The true test of a chef can be in the simplest dishes.

The Prawn Paste Chicken ($24), also an pricy zhi-char dish with just 6 pieces of mid-joint, was commented by chicken-wing-lover-PinkyPiggu as one of the best she had in Singapore.

She refused to commit to say if it was the top, but did say ”It is somewhere there” as she wished there was more har cheong aroma.

Chef explained that instead of simply coating the wings with flour, he used a more tedious process of ‘slapping’ the flour mixture until the chicken. T

his is so that there would be no thick layer of batter surrounding the chicken, and the outer layer would start both crispy and fluffy.

Part of why the dining experience was memorable, was that Chef was very personable in coming to the table and explained the rationale or story behind some of the dishes. He is also quite a humorous man.

That passion he displayed was genuine and sincere, so much so that PinkyPiggu wanted to call him an affectionate ”Ye Ye” (Grandfather). Pinky, he is actually not that old.

To be objective, not ALL the dishes were impressive, but mostly above the average. No doubt prices are expensive, and I believe is higher than some diners would expect for the quality provided.

Take note though, reservations are super packed, and I already made my next booking, close to 2 months later.

I couldn’t remember the last meal that made my heart skip a beat. This was one of them.

Chef Kang’s
25 Mackenzie Road, Singapore 228681 (Little India MRT)
Tel: +65 6238 6263
Opening Hours: Lunch 11.30am – 2pm, Dinner 5.45pm – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Chef Kang’s – One Michelin Star Cantonese Restaurant With Only 4 Tables. Best Meal I Had This Year appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Seoul] Spanish churros were (once upon a time) very IN in Korea, appearing in long or tear-dropped shapes, glazed in chocolates, or served in soft-serves and desserts.

Street Churros 스트릿 츄러스is a one of the most popular dessert spots in Seoul, located in the Itaewon area. For tourists, Itaewon is known to be the international district with diverse food culture.

The churros shop started originally in the Gyeongridan street of Itaewon, and has been expanding to other parts in Seoul and worldwide.

You can now find outlets in Malaysia, Taipei and even all the way to a food truck in Hollywood.

All their churros are hand crafted and made to order, reinventing a traditional Spanish recipes.

During the initial days, it served hot churros with a crispy, sweet crunch. When paired with soft serve, you get the magical combination of salty and sweet, hot and cold.

For the basic options, the most popular option was the Plain Churro (2000 won, SGD$2.40), pretty decently sized for the price.

There are also the options for additional dipping sauce (1000 won) and churros with ice cream (3500 won), paired with a selection for drinks including one of their favourites, the Frozen Mocha (4500 won).

However, the menu has gotten a lot more inventive when I visited a year later again. It used to be a kiosk, now the space is like a restaurant-café with ample dining space.

Food wise, you can expect brunch items such as Churro Dog (3,800 Won), American Breakfast & Churros (9,900 Won), Spooning Pizza (9,900 Won), and Shrimp Pilaff (9,900).

I was curious enough to try the Churro Fries (3,500 Won).

Thin, crunchy, savoury and super addictive. These churros were shaped long and slim like shoe-string fries, deep-fried till crisp, tossed with salted sour cream and onion powder – like what you would find in a bag of sinful potato chips.

Take one… take ten, couldn’t stop.

The latte varieties were also enough to get me intrigued. Other than the more commonly seen varieties in Korea – Greentea Latte (4,800 Won), Sweet Potato Latte (4,800 Won) and Roasted Grain Latte (4,880), I wanted to be adventurous to try the Salted Cheese Latte (4,800 Won).

Emm… not my favourite.

The drink was richer and saltier than I imagined, and would help if the tones came in more subtlely.

Street Churros 스트릿 츄러스
170 Noksapyeong-daero, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 10 6263 0303
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat – Sun
Google Maps – Street Churros 스트릿 츄러스

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Street Churros 스트릿 츄러스 – Popular Churros Cafe With Churro Fries And Salted Cheese Latte At Itaewon, Seoul appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

All Thai food and Thai culture lovers should pay attention to this.

Sansiri and The Royal Thai Embassy will be presenting a 3-Day “Premium Lifestyle Festival in Singapore” for the first time from 8th – 10th September 2017 (Fri – Sun).

Timing is from 12:00pm to 9:00pm. Admission is FREE.

Called “The Finest Thai”, you can get to experience over 100 Thai culinary, fashion, craft, and lifestyle brands all in one place.

If you are thinking of exploring premium residential living options in the Thong Lo and Ekamai district
with Sansiri Public Company Limited (Thailand’s Leading Full-Service Real Estate), this is also an opportunity for you to check out and ask questions at the booths.

The event will be held at the grounds of The Royal Thai Embassy on Orchard Road, about 5 to 10 minutes’ walk from Orchard MRT Station.

There will be 6 Experiential Zones which include:
– The Finest of Living, an exhibition on the living options and latest condominiums at the hip areas of Thong Lo and Ekamai.
– The Finest of Fashion & Design, with curated list of local fashion labels hand-picked from Siam Center and Siam Discovery.
– The Finest of Craftsmanship, where visitors can learn the age-old art of silk weaving.
– The Finest of Gifts, where you can purchase from your favourite Thai brands such as HARNN and Earth Republic.
– The Finest of Performances and Workshops, with Thai classical dance performances and cooking demonstrations from the renowned Jim Thompson brand.
– The Finest of Cuisine.

(Photo credit: After You Dessert Cafe Bangkok)

Talking about The Finest of Cuisine, the main highlight would be popular Shibuya Toast brand After You Dessert Café from Bangkok, which will be offering a selection of their signature toast, along with seasonal special of Durian Kakigori.

This is their FIRST TIME in Singapore.

There will be a mixture of restaurants from Thailand which will be flown in specially for the event, along with local favourites such as Greyhound Café, Talay Thai, First Thai, Thai Palace, Porn’s, Tuk Tuk Cha, Nakhon Kitchen, Gin Khao, Soi 47 Thai Food, Nung Len, Kin Moo, April’s Bakery, Gu Thai Noodle Café… just to name a few.

Take note though: Payment is in cash, and not NETS.

Below are some of the food stalls you may expect (as informed by The Finest Thai), a couple are still TBC. Look out this page for updates.

After You (Bangkok)

Jim Thompson

Greyhound Café

Thanying Restaurant

E-Sarn Fine Thai Cuisine

First Thai

Som Tam

Talay Thai SG

Nakhon Kitchen

Pranakorn Thai Food Restaurant

Gin Khao

Soi47 Thai Food

Nung Len

Tomyum Mama

Kin Cow

Kin Moo

The Caravan

Soi 19 Wanton Noodle

Baan by Rochor Thai

Loylum

Gu Thai Noodle Café

The Juicy Way

The Talad Drink

Coco Loco

Cha Tra Mue

Tuk Tuk Cha

Soi 55

Kombi Rocks Café

Broti. Charcoal Green Thai Milk Tea.

T.I.T Thai Iced Tea

Pacamara SG

Doi Chaang Coffee

Crepe Café Singapore

Kanoom Thai Dessert Café

Tio Smoke

For more updates about the “The Finest Thai” event, please go to http://www.facebook.com/events/671119823082734

Post will be updated after the event on Friday.

* This post is brought to you in partnership with The Finest Thai.

The post The Finest Thai – After You Is Coming To Singapore! 100 Over Brands You Can Expect 8-10 Sep, At The Royal Thai Embassy appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Seoul] Oppa Dak Chicken Restaurant 오븐에빠진닭 may be known serve up the classic Korean dish of Chimaek – Korean Fried chicken and beer, but there is more to its name.

The name “Oppa Dak” is actually the short variation for “Oven eh Bbajeen” Chicken 오븐에 빠진 닭”- chicken that fell in the oven. (Oven & Fried Chicken in Singapore actually serves up this brand as well.)

The popular dinner and supper spot at offers chicken that is BAKED instead of deep-fried, all in a high-temperature oven so as to maximize moisture, crispiness and flavour.

The baked versions are offered with or without skin, and are supposedly a healthier alternative.

You can also pick chicken in its roasted forms, which some regulars will swear by. The Roasted versions come in Original (14,900 Won), Wings (15,900 Won) and Thigh (15,900).

A basket of Crispy Baked Chicken meant for two can cost around 15,900 Won, while beers are about 5000 won per bottle.

I would suggest getting a Half&Half (18,000 Won) which allows you to try different flavours tossed in a selection of sauces, including sweet chili, peanut, teriyaki and garlic.

Service was generally fast (like the chicken came in 10 to 15 minutes) although staff rarely speak English, and ordering might be somewhat of a hassle. Thankfully, there was an English translation of the menu.

While waiting, you can enjoy the white daikon radish pickles that are served as complimentary appetizers, and wash it all down with refreshing draft beers.

Baked chicken may not appeal to everyone’s taste, because the outer layer lacked that oily, greasy crunch.

So I had the Sweet Chilli Chicken, which had a dry and brittle type of skin coating the meat which was moderately juicy.

It tasted healthier, saved by the interestingly-tasty sweet sauce.

The interior is what one would expect of a typical Chimaek restaurant, slightly cramped, plastered with advertisements of Korean celebrities posing with beer.

Oppadak is opened till late, so you know where to grab some late-night fried chicken supper.

Oppadak
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Jung-gu, Euljiro 2(i)-ga, Myeongdong 7-gil, 21 (Line 4 Myeongdong Station Exit 8)
서울 중구 명동2가 32-17
Tel: +82 2 3789 5892
Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 1:00am Daily
Google Maps – Oppadak

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Maple Tree House (Seoul)

Click HERE for other SEOUL Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Oppadak – Korean “Fried” Chicken That Is Baked. Chimaek For Supper At Myeongdong, Seoul appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Previously known as Hougang Plaza at Upper Serangoon Road, Hougang Midtown welcomes another member to the existing F&Bs such as Nunsongyee (Hougang Midtown), Tiew Mai Thai Boat Noodles and Foxhole Café.

The interesting concept in this mall-meets-residential development is that the F&Bs are all two-storeys high with seats at the upper level, which requires some stairs climbing before digging into the meal.

“Otoko” implies a “strong man” in Japanese, and is not to be confused with Otoko Ramen at Alexandra Central.

Prices for their specialty dish with a single topping start as low as $4.60 for a plate of Curry Rice or $5.60 for a bowl of Curry Udon.

The Curry Rice and Udon can be customised like the “chap chye png” from a selection of 19 items ranging from $1.80 – $3.80.

Interesting toppings include Ham & Cheese Roll (2pcs for $2.80), Calamari (3pcs for $2.80) and Bacon Tomato (2pcs for $1.80)

I had the Curry Rice ($4.60) with Chicken Cutlet ($2.80) and Potato Salad in Bacon Wrap (2pcs for $1.80) served in a pool of Japanese curry on a huge plate.

While I enjoyed the round, plump rice and the Japanese curry (slightly spicier than usual), the thin, crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlet was unfortunately to the dry side.

Apart from the DIY Curry Rice or Udon, Otoko offers Donburi aka Rice Bowls ($9.80-14.80) and Ebi Tendon ($16.80).

The Salmon Teriyaki Don ($14.80) was pan-fried and glazed with a layer of teriyaki sauce, topped with spring onion and seaweed.

Decently portioned, the teriyaki sauce managed to salvage the otherwise slightly dry salmon.

My favourite dish was the Aburi Salmon Belly on Mini Onigiri ($10.80) served with mayonnaise and spring onion.

The partially grilled salmon belly was smooth and tender, which literally melted in the mouth.

The chili powder added to the onigiri rice ball was an interesting and pleasant twist to the entire combination.

The idea of customising your own Japanese Curry Rice was fun, interesting and reasonably priced.

Perhaps, it is time to visit Hougang Midtown more frequently.

Otoko
1187 Upper Serangoon Road, #01-20, Singapore 534785
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tue
https://www.facebook.com/OTOKO.SAN/

Other Related Entries
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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Another under-the-radar bistro café has opened at the Keong Saik area.

.elia is located at 10 Jiak Chuan Road, previously occupied by Oriole Coffee Roasters.

The 30-seater is a bistro by day and restaurant by night, it offers a mixed menu from freshly made pasta and sandwiches for lunch, and heavier dishes such as Octopus and Wagyu Beef Shortrib at night.

I have come here twice, liked what was presented, and its quiet (may not be good for businesses) homely feel. The décor was kept simple in shades of grey, mainly wooden furnishing and a marbled counter.

My sense is that it lacked a stronger identity. Who is “.elia”? Why that awkward dot in front?

It was never quite clear. I wished that had come out more strongly, whether in their menu, décor, or marketing materials.

I was told that the .elia team is not culinary trained formally in a school, but run “based on their passion for food”.

Coffee beans are self-sourced, and roasted in-house. You get a selection of Flat White, Latte, Cappucino, Mocha and Filter ($4.00 – $6.00, additional 50cents for iced versions).

Lunch includes a selection of sandwiches from Crispy Pesto Chicken ($15.50), Jamon Iberico Grilled Cheese ($16.50), Truffle Eggs ($15.50), Avocado Toast ($12.50), and Pulled Pork ($17.50) with Russian dressing and purple cabbage slaw. Bread is made in-house.

There is also a small selection of light bites such as Pommes Frites ($15.50), Garlic Wings ($17.50), Chicken Bites ($16.50) and Meatballs ($15.50).

I was drawn to Truffle Eggs Sandwich ($15.50) and perhaps had certain expectations and imagery in mind. What was presented turned out to be quite different, but I still enjoyed this version.

The thing that left me the impression was the use of balsamic vinegar beneath the sautéed mushroom, so you get that sweet-tarty twang at the end. The truffle aroma came in lightly as I took bites of the egg, and I was glad they didn’t overkill in that aspect.

Instead of scrambled eggs, you get mashed up hard-boiled eggs. I wondered if the former would work better.

There are 5 pasta dishes offered – Panchetta ($15.50), Tagliatelle Genovese ($15.50), Meatballs ($17.50), Scampi ($18.50) and Tagliatelle alla Norma ($13.50).

For its price, I must say getting freshly-made pasta at this location is quite the steal, especially if you get a set with an additional coffee for a dollar.

Cooked in brown butter and egg yolk, the broad flat pappardelle style ribbons had an agreeably soft bite, just right in terms of doneness (though I could imagine some diners would prefer it harder).

Complete with robust, tangy tomato sauce with chunky servings of hand rolled meatballs.

At the end of the day, I liked the food and vibes, but felt that .elia would need a stronger story and stand-out dishes to differentiate from the many new openings every month.

.elia can afford to be more adventurous.

.elia
10 Jiak Chuan Road Singapore 089264 (Outram Park MRT)
Tel: +65 9642 2361
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm, 6.30pm – 11pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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PS.Cafe has opened its latest outlet at One Fullerton, and I must say it is gorgeously chio, complete with spacious interior and waterfront view. Time for an afternoon of tai-tai (or man-tai) meal and coffee.

The PS.Cafe brand has quite a following since 1999 – it has been around for that long.

With branches at Harding Road, Ann Siang Hill, Orchard Paragon, Palais Renaissance, Martin Road, Petit concept at Tiong Bahru, Choy Suey at Dempsey and Martin Road… One Fullerton makes its ninth outlet.

I know of people who are huge fans (yeah, Truffle Shoestring Fries), while I am more on the neutral side as I had favourable experiences in some, but not all the time.

The Fullerton outlet has a design which supposedly evokes a beachside boathouse ambience, with bespoke furniture, display of greens, different seating sections which can possibly create a varied experience every time you come.

There is an open air terrace where most of the diners I noticed were seated at, well to enjoy the cool bay breeze. I chose the air-con side for obvious reasons.

My main gripe about some cafés is the lack of space (can’t help it in land-scarce Singapore), but this PS.Cafe has a 5000 square feet area and tall ceilings. On the flipside, they probably need to station more staff for diners who are seated at more obscure corners.

Brunch favourites include Salmon Royale Benedict with poached eggs, gravlax, avocado and hollandaise on focaccia, and PS. Fluffy Pancakes with homemade banana jam, blueberries, passionfruit curd and fresh cream.

The exclusive new dishes here include Chargrilled Skate ($34) with green harissa and broccolini, Moules Vin Blanc ($28) with crusty dipping bread, and Chargrilled Chunky Prawn Sandwich ($27) with spiced pickled mango, kaffir lime aioli, shoestring fries and house sourdough.

Lighter options and desserts include Baked Greek Spinach Pie ($27) with ricotta, feta, mint and house pesto, Poached Chicken Salad ($25), with lentils, buckwheat, pomegranate, hazelnuts and smoked yoghurt, Crème Caramel Orange Cake and Mrs. J’s Trifle Bomb.

Quite pricey.

I initially wanted to order the predictable PS. Truffle Shoestrings Fries ($15), but the server recommended me to try the Crispy Smashed Potatoes ($12). I trusted her because she bothered to run through a significant part of the menu with me.

It turned out to be quite a worthy choice, with crisp and deep-fried till brown potato pieces dipped in an addictive sticky BBQ dip and honey & mint labneh.

This is the type of nibbles that you could not stop reaching out for the end remnants.

The Poached Chicken Salad ($25) wasn’t quite what I was expecting, and wished it was a notch less creamy as much of the greens were covered with smoked yogurt.

I never had Asian food before at PS.Cafe and thought I should give the Suzy’s Spaghetti Crab Mee Goreng ($26) a go.

While it is considered expensive hotel-restaurant price, I enjoyed that there was significant chucks of fresh crab meat and king prawns. As spaghetti noodles were used, there was less of the rich alkaline taste that some yellow noodles would have.

PS.Cafe One Fullerton probably has the whole package together, from space, interior, a comprehensive menu, to that view. Food is considered expensive, but guess people are willing to pay that price for the ambience.

PS.Cafe One Fullerton
1 Fullerton Road, #02-03B/04 One Fullerton, Singapore 049213
Tel: +65 8812 3198
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 11:00pm (Mon – Wed), 11:30am – 12:00am (Thurs), 11:30am – 1:00pm (Fri), 9:30am – 1:00am (Sat, PH), 9:30am – 11:00pm (Sun), Last Order for food 10:30pm

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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When I first wrote about the Best Thai Iced Milk Tea in Singapore slightly more than 2 years back, there were just a couple of cafes serving the beverage (other than the usual Thai restaurants).

Now, Thai Milk Tea must be one of the current IT flavours in Singapore (other than Matcha), with it appearing in anything from ice cream, cakes to bingsu.

Any food fairs I go would have THAI MILK TEA and its variations. Cannot miss.

Here are 18 Thai Milk Tea Desserts you can find in Singapore:

Nunsongyee 눈송이
Hougang Midtown, 1187 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534785 (Near NE14 Hougang MRT Station, Hougang Mall)
Opening Hours: 12.30pm – 11:00pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

Thai Milk Tea Bingsu
Combining two hot Korean and Thai items, the Thai Milk Tea Bingsu ($18.90) is developed exclusively for the Hougang store.

The dessert contained Thai Tea ice cream topped on cheese cake, with peanuts layered over shaved milk.

A small cup of specially-concocted Thai Milk Tea would be given to pour over should you find it not sweet enough (I actually poured two cups in. 55555)

The bingsu almost felt like I was having my favourite drink, except this came in a dessert form, especially when the snow flakes just melted a little.

I liked the crunch coming from the crushed peanuts, and digestives buried beneath.

Baker’s Brew Café
Orchard Paragon, 290 Orchard Road #05-46 Singapore 238859 (Orchard MRT)
Tel: +65 6909 0669
Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (Mon – Sun)

Baker’s Brew Café is a contemporary café and baking studio dedicated to serving handcrafted cakes and artisanal desserts.

The Thai Milk Tea Cake ($8.80/slice) was also not-bad a choice, and I particularly liked the Thai milk tea leaf crumble which added some varying textures. Would have personally preferred it to be moister to further bring out that milk flavour.

April’s Bakery Singapore – Raffles Place
One Raffles Place, 1 Raffles Place #B1-38, Singapore 048616
Opening Hours: 7:00am – 7:00pm (Mon – Fri)

What you get now in Singapore are what I can describe as Hong Kong style “wife cake” aka lou po beng with custardy fillings.

The Thai Milk Tea pie ($2) almost reminded me of the actual drink – I felt closer to Thailand already. (Perhaps I need a holiday.)

The smooth, almost-sticky texture when eaten cold was quite pleasurable.

Friend A texted me that it was ”life-changing” and ”the best new thing I tasted this year”, while Friend P said it could be too sweet. I do recommend pairing the pies with unsweetened tea.

Whisk and Paddle
10 Tebing Lane, Singapore 828836
Opening Hours: 3:30pm – 10:30pm (Tues – Fri), 9:30am – 10:30pm (Sat, Sun), Closed Mon

Thai Milk Tea Tea Parfait
You have to go all the way to Punggol to try this, and the view can be worth it.

This Cha Yen Parfait ($16) while pricey, contains a whole lot of ingredients from biscuit crumbs, vanilla ice cream, Thai milk tea ice cream, toast sticks, and topped with Thai milk tea macaron in gold dust.

Singaporeans do not just love it in the drink form. We are finding this flavour used in ice cream, cakes, jams and even macarons.

(Photo credit: The Plain Jane)

The Plain Jane
Blk 211, Serangoon Ave 4, #01-10, Singapore 550211 (Serangoon MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8pm (Mon, Tues, Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat), 10am – 8pm – 10pm (Sun), Closed Wed

Thai Milk Tea Swiss Roll
Both the cake and cream of the roll are made with the original Cha Tra Mue tea from Thailand, also known as Number One Brand.

Good to know that there is no artificial coloring and flavouring in the cake, just the pure tea infusion which creates that signature orange hue.

Unlike the usual icy sweetness that you may get from a cup of Cha Yen, the Plain Jane team tries to balance between the sweetness and lightness of a Japanese-style roll cake, achieving a light milky fragrance.

CreatureS
120 Desker Road Singapore 209 639 (Farrer Park MRT Station)
Tel: +65 6291 6996
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10:30pm (Tues – Thurs, Sun), 12pm – 11:30pm (Fri, Sat), Closed Mon

Thai Milk Tea Double Fromage
Not just any ordinary cheese cake, but a Thai Milk Tea Double Fromage cake.

A rich and creamy non-bake Cha Yen cake, with Japanese inspired Cheese Soufflé at the bottom, and Thai Milk Tea Mascarpone Mousse on the top.

Experience the contrasting rich and light layers.

Comestivel Desserts
31 Arab Street, Singapore 177930
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Tues – Fri), 10am – 9pm (Sat), 10am – 7pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Thai Milk Tea Cheesecake Tart
Comestivel Dessert is a Muslim-owned cake café which moved from he basement of Siglap Centre to 31 Arab Street.

Other than their indulgent Nutella Cheesecake, look out for the Thai Milk Tea Cheesecake tart, with the top layer containing creamy cheesecake that is perhaps quite sweet, with crispy biscuit base.

Cha Thai
80 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 048466 (Telok Ayer MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm, Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Toast With Thai Tea Dip
Cha Thai provides CBD friends with a tea time snack of Golden Brown Toasted Cubes ($8) with Thai Tea flavoured dip. The dip is somewhat like pandan-flavoured kaya, and not too sweet.

The Cha Thai team started with Loaves Me at SMU, being one of the first cafes in Singapore to offer Shibuya brick toast a few years back.

23 Jumpin
#01-25 1 Irving Place, Singapore Singapore 369546 (Tai Seng MRT)
Telephone: +65 9137 5697
Opening hours: 11:30am – 9pm (Tues – Fri), 11:00am – 9pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Charcoal Waffles with Thai Milk Tea Ice Cream
A café at Tai Seng. 23 Jumpin’s Charcoal Waffles ($12) with that crispy outer layer, topped with torched marshmallow, chocolate sauce and a fat scoop of Thai milk tea ice cream may scream sweetness galore, but can lift moods up. Note: the Thai milk tea ice cream may not be available all the time. (Read: 23 Jumpin Tai Seng)

Creamier
128, Toa Payoh Lorong 1. #01-835, Singapore 310128
Tel: +65 6250 1476
Opening hours: 12pm – 10pm (Tue-Thu), 12pm – 11pm (Fri- Sat), 12pm – 10pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Thai Milk Tea Ice Cream
It won’t be wrong to say that Creamier is one of the ‘culprits’ to spur this ice cream café craze. Their ice cream churned fresh from the kitchen, is as its name goes – creamy. The Thai milk tea ice cream is dense, though not overly sweet with a light tea taste.

Sunday Market
22 Lim Tua Tow Road, Singapore 547772
Tel: +65 6287 8880
Opening hours: 12pm – 11pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 11pm (Sat), 10am – 9pm (Sun)

Bangkok Toast with Thai Milk Tea Ice Cream
Sunday Market sells one of my favourite Thai Milk Tea in Singapore, but it is $7!

Its signature Bangkok Toast ($10.90) is… unexpected. A sweet cinnamon brioche toast served with matcha green tea custard AND Thai Milk Tea ice cream. Can be quite ‘lang-gah’ (clashing) actually. But I can have two scoops of that ice cream on its own.

The Cold Pantry
88 Rangoon Road, #01-01, Singapore 218374
Opening hours: 4pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Thai Milk Tea Yogurt
Before The Cold Pantry got all around Instagram with their root beer soft serve, they have already been known for serving Thai Milk Tea Yogurt. Yes, froyo on top of buttermilk waffles or Thai Milk tea itself.

Dutch Colony at Frankel Ave
113 Frankel Avenue, Singapore 458230
Telephone: +65 6448 5852
Opening hours: 8am – 8pm (Sun-Thurs), 8am – 10pm (Fri-Sat)

Thai Milk Tea Loaf
Classic Thai Milk Tea in a loaf ($5 per slice) – moist with condensed milk frosting and crunchy crumbles. Best eaten warm with a cup of coffee.

Crème Maison Bakery
Breadtalk IHQ, 30 Tai Seng Street #08-03B Singapore 534013
Tel: +65 8181 3689
Opening Hours: 11am – 5pm (Mon, Wed – Sat), 11am – 3pm (Sun), Closed Tues

Thai Milk Tea Cupcakes
You must try their top-selling Thai Milk Tea infused ($3.80) cupcakes with a Thai tea fudged core and whipped milk cream cheese frosting. Moist and you can totally taste the Thai-ness.

(As the bakery is more like a studio, it is better to call to enquire before heading down.)

Kane Mochi
201 Victoria Street #02-50, Singapore 188067 (Bugis+ level 2 link bridge)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

Thai Milk Tea Mochi Ice Cream
It just gets weirder. Kane Mochi offers Japanese style chewy mochi ($2.30), with creamy ice cream within. (Tip: Let the mochi thaw for a good few minutes before consumption.)

Sng Bao Society
Available at various pop-up stores and Laneway Market (266 Tanjong Katong Road)

Thai Milk Tea Sng Bao
Remember those ice packs that look like a tube? Sng Bao were the local versions of ‘ice cream’, and cost 20 cent during my childhood days. Sng Bao Society offer these frozen treats with a taste of nostalgia, yet boosting flavours of Watermelon Soju and Thai Milk Tea. May need to suck hard.

The Wicked Cream Co.
Available at various pop-up stores

Thai Milk Tea Softserve
This pop-up stall is one of those which serves Thai Milk Tea Soft Serve Ice Cream, made from freshly brewed No.1 brand Thailand Tea.

The Tastemaker Store
Blk 22 Havelock Road #01-705 Singapore 160022
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

Thai Milk Tea Gelato
The Tastemaker Store at Bt Ho Swee area has revamped, and started selling low fat gelato made with fresh ingredients. Accordingly to them, “no preservatives and artificial flavours”.

Tried the Thai Milk Tea Gelato, and liked that it was smooth and creamy.

Do let me know if you come across any ground-breaking Thai Milk Tea desserts. Khob Khun Krub!

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

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Seems like the Taiwanese style Lu Rou Fan (Braised Meat Rice) is getting some traction in Singapore, with Eat 3 Bowls 呷三碗, Mr Lorbak, Five Ten and Shan Cha 山茶 all serving this dish.

Scorch 一把火 is located at an inconspicuous end of Clifford Centre – the building which by the way is fully crowded with CBD workers looking for inexpensive eats, snacks and kopi during lunch.

This local eatery has a menu that can be described as either mixed or all-over-the-place.

One of the dishes served is the Taiwanese Braised Meat Rice ($3, $5). However, the main focus seems to be Nasi Lemak (and economical Char Bee Hoon during the morning), while traditional Chinese desserts, Nacho Mozzarella Waffles and Hong Kong Milk Tea are also offered.

The no-frills eatery may not look the most inviting in terms of décor, but it serves up a tiny, mean bowl of tasty Lu Rou Fan.

What you get is a $3 bowl arriving piping hot, topped with strips of braised pork bellow slow-cooked in dark sauce that would soon melt in your mouth.

The highlight to me was the rice beneath, of fluffy Japanese rice grains that would soothingly absorb some of the sauces.

Too bad there wasn’t any option for diners to add on an egg, to make it that perfect bowl.

Scorch 一把火 also serves up Nasi Lemak sets labelled Set A to H, priced between $2.50 to $4.50.

A humble suggestion would be to add a short description of the dishes in the menu. From a customer’s point of view, I couldn’t immediately tell the difference between the sets.

If you need a cooling dessert, Green Bean Soup, Sweet Potato Ginger, Tau Suan, Sea Coconut, Black Glutinous Rice, Aloe Vera Osmanthus Goji, Gingko Barley, Cheng Tng ($1.20 – $2.50) and Hong Kong style Milk Tea ($2.00) are also offered.

Scorch 一把火
24 Raffles Place, #01-12A Clifford Centre Singapore 048621 (Raffles Place MRT)
Opening Hours: 7:00am – 4:30pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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With much anticipation, Omotesando Koffee has finally opened its door in Singapore at Downtown Gallery, Shenton Way.

Must say this is quite a delayed opening since news first got out.

Being a loyal follower of their artisanal coffee, I could not help but to contain my excitement as I laid my hands on a cuppa Omotesando branded koffee.

Originated from Tokyo, the chic coffee stall first started off as a pop-up concept in the quaint neighborhood of Omotesando Hills.

The coffee place propelled to fame, thanks to its minimal wooden vibes and distinctive ‘koffee culture’ which garnered much visitorship from coffee fanatics around the world.

(Taken in Omotesando Koffee Japan)

Its closure was then announced in 2015 when the building was set to be torn down. This then led founder Eiichi Kunitomo to expand its operations into Hong Kong, partnered with Russell Stradmoor.

(Taken in Omotesando Koffee Hong Kong)

While retaining its quality and spirit of the original store, the Hong Kong outpost took up a more modernized style, but with expanded a dine-in area to cater to the demand.

Back in Singapore, we have only got a take away store tucked away in a corner of Level 4 of Downtown Gallery as part of office space “The Work Project”, but that did not hider coffee fans from finding their way to this secluded part of building.

Over here, the menu is kept simple with Hot or Iced selections.

Hot coffee include espresso based Omotesando Koffee Hot (Regular $4, Large $5), Hand Drip Koffee ($6) Latte and Cappuccino (Regular $4.80, Large $6).

One positive impression of their Café Latte was that it was served warm, but not scorching hot.

The temperature was just right and suitable for drinking upon being served – a point which many coffee providers often missed out.

The iced selections here come with choices of 12-steeped Cold Brew ($7), Iced Matcha Latte ($7) and Iced Matcha Cappuccino ($7.50).

One can expect to find their signature Iced Cappuccino (Single $7.50, Double $8.50) capped with layer of bubble foam and topped with cocoa powder.

For sweet tooth, you can opt for the Iced Mocha ($6.80) that comes with a thick layer of chocolate coating on the interior of the cup.

I love their coffee for being well-balanced and smooth to palate. Milky but can still taste distinctive coffee notes.

For now, they are focusing on the drinks and food items such as their signature Custard Cubes will slowly be added on to the menu.

During the opening week, you can also catch founder, Kunitomo-san in Singapore to supervise the operations.

With coffee competitors such as Lunar Coffee and 6oz Espresso already established their presence in the vicinity, Omotesando Koffee may have to tap on their international branding as well as reputation to be sustainable in the long run.

That said, I enjoyed my cup of Omotesando branded koffee, and am happily in a koffee koma.

Omotesando Koffee
6A Shenton Way #04-01, The Work Project, Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon to Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

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* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Japan’s 1-Michelin starred restaurant Rokukakutei which specialises in Kushiage, has opened an outlet in Singapore at Odeon Towers (next to Bras Basah).

A restaurant specialising in kushikatsu — Japanese deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood and vegetables, is not that common in Singapore.

Many specialised Japanese restaurants here end up diversifying in one way or another.

I remember being impressed with my meal at HAN Japanese Restaurant which previously occupied the same location, and was serving Kushiage as well.

Helmed by Chef Hideyuki Tanaka who has 15 years of experience, Rokukakutei uses fresh premium ingredients, most of which are imported from Japan.

The skewers are accompanied by 6 different types of sauces, which includes lemon mustard, shoyu, sesame mustard, organic red wine sauce, Japanese salt and pepper.

Interestingly, the end of the stick will point to the recommended sauce for you to try.

There are two different menus to choose from: Omakase Skewers and Kushiage + Selected Wines Marriage.

At S$134++, the Omakase set features 20 skewers, which showcase a medley of meats, seafood and vegetables; a veggie bowl of fresh, steamed and boiled greens; homemade pickles; fruit agar gelatin; and bread.

Guests who have smaller appetites can request to stop at any time and the bill will be based on the number of skewers consumed. For 10 skewers, the price will be $79++ and $106.50++ for 15 skewers.

If you work out the sums, it would cost between $6.70++ to $7.90++ per stick, which might not be a price some Singaporean diners would be willing to pay.

But the quality is there.

The good news: Rokukakutei has just introduced a “Kushiage Experience Set”, available everyday from 4:00pm to 8:30pm, applicable for diners who are sitting at the wine bar counter.

At only $36.50, diners can savour 5 different types of deep fried skewers, served together with a veggie bowl of fresh and boiled greens and homemade pickles.

Let’s start with the veggie bowl.

While it might have sounded like an ordinary salad bowl, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of freshness of several of the ingredients. The corn might have been one of the sweetest and juicest I ever had, and cherry tomatoes had sweet and tart flavours blending magically.

The 5 skewers I had included Chicken breast and perilla with mountain caviar “Tonburi”; Shitake mushroom stuffed with shrimp; Shirobuta pork loin from Kagoshima with onions; Japanese lake smelt fish; and Cuttlefish and herring roe on kelp topped with sea urchin.

The delicious part is when you first take that bite, and that hot steam of flavours bursts in your mouth. Yet, it wasn’t that scalding.

The pieces were light, not greasy, crisp.

My favourite piece was the Shirobuta Kushiage, of delicate-tasting Japanese pork loin, with a good balance between leanness and tenderness.

Note though: the menu is omakase – subject to Chef’s selection of ingredients for the day and will not be the same every time.

The Kushiage Experience Set will be available for a month in September for the launch period, and continuity will depend on response.

Ginza Rokukakutei
331 North Bridge Road #01-04, Odeon Towers, Singapore 188720 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 6266 1077
Operating Hours: 4:00pm – 11:00pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/GinzaRokukakuteiSingapore

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Ginza Rokukakutei.

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This is called The GREAT Food Festival for a good reason.

40 international celebrity chefs and bakers, over 100 signature dishes, 300 delectable pastries, all in a 20,000 square metres space (equivalent to the area of the Singapore Padang).

The GREAT Food Festival (TGFF) is probably Singapore’s most ambitious and wide-ranging food festival to date, organised by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and SAVOUR – the leading lifestyle and gourmet event organiser in Asia.

Tempted to go already? TGFF runs for only four days, from 21 to 24 September 2017 (Thurs – Sun) at RWS.

The food festival has 5 different themed culinary segments, including:

Star Chef Arena – a gourmet arena by star chefs, provides guests with the opportunity to savour over 50 dishes specially curated by Michelin-starred chefs and award-winning restaurants.

Heritage Lane – culinary heritage from 10 countries, will allow guests to immerse themselves in various culinary cultures through dishes prepared using family recipes passed down through the generations.

Feast of Kings – medieval-styled banquet, where you indulge in an extravagant feast fit for the kings of old.

Connoisseur Collection – 4-hands dinners on 25 and 26 September, where award-winning chefs from the Star Chef Arena meet the accomplished Resident Chefs of RWS in a rare team-up. (To see the menu the chefs have put together, head over to https://www.tgff.com.sg/connoisseur-collection)

And what I want to focus here is Rollin’ Sweet Times.

This is Southeast Asia’s largest consumer dessert and pastry showcase, where you can meet (and take some wefies) with the trendiest dessert and pastry chefs from all around the world.

Other than the famous Black Star Pastry (Strawberry Watermelon Cake! Glow in the Dark Donuts!) and N2 Extreme Gelato hailing from Australia, this is also opportunity to try the desserts from Singapore’s first and only 3-star Michelin restaurant Joël Robuchon Restaurant.

Get your appetite and cameras ready, as there are over 300 amazing desserts to choose from.

Some participating Singapore restaurants and cafes include Feng Shui Inn, Big O – The Mudpie Bar, Bill & Bell, Birds of Paradise, Boufe Boutique Café, Cat and the Fiddle, Chatuchak Thai Milk Tea, Churros Factory, Coco & Frank, Churros Republic, Cupplets, Cocoloco, The Dark Gallery, HIC Juice, Hook Coffee, Tiramisu Hero, The Talad Drink, The Wicked Cream Co. and more.

Here are some 10 of the bakers and their sweet treats you can experience at Rollin’ Sweet Times:

Baked by Andres, Australia
Cuteness overload. Andres Fatso who is actually a nurse by training, will be bringing over some of her signature kawaii Character Macarons (from Keroppi to Baymax), Rice Bubble Character Treats, Dome Cakes, Matcha Mousse and Glo-ghost – Glow in the dark ghost dessert.

Totally kawaii.

Black Star Pastry, Australia
Black Star Pastry’s famed Strawberry Watermelon Cake needs little introduction.

Without needing an air-ticket to Newtown Sydney, you can have this gorgeous cake right at RWS complete with its rose scented cream, dried rose petals, watermelon and strawberries.

Other than a newly introduced Choya Black Forest Cake with Hojicha sponge, choya confit plums and matcha moss, look out for the eye-catching GlowNut – Glow in the Dark Donuts. No kidding.

Creme Maison, Singapore
Local bakery Creme Maison is known for its photogenic floral cake pieces, as they specialise in fresh quality cakes made from scratch.

Some instagrammable desserts you can get your hands on include Mermaid Cake Truffles with Thai Milk Tea cake pops, Earl Grey Lavender Unicorn Cupcakes, Floral Cupcakes, Raspberry Lychee Rose Cake, Roasted Chocolate Banana Cake, Ondeh Ondeh Cake and one of my personal favourite Matcha Salted Egg Cake with homemade salted egg fudge filling and matcha infused cream cheese.

Joël Robuchon Restaurant, Singapore
3-Star Michelin pastries anyone? Chef Pastry Chef Antonio Benites from Michelin-starred restaurant Joël Robuchon Restaurant and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon will be delivering decadent desserts from both restaurants.

These include the traditional signature Le Pain (yes, it is their famous breads); Les Fruits Rouges – berries on a Brittany biscuit with Sicilian pistachio lightness; and La Mangue Perroquet – “Perroquet” mango lightness flavoured with lychee and passion fruit with vanilla crumble.

L’ÉCLAIR by Sarah Michelle, Singapore
Singapore’s first éclair specialty store and café, will be introducing a Specialty Éclair, made with dark chocolate, ispahan, salted caramel, and orelys.

N2 Extreme Gelato, Australia
Some of my friends would get very excited by this, because their favourite N2 is also coming to Singapore.

You can look forward to some of owner’s Min Chai’s creative and cheeky flavours from Ferrero Reveal – Chocolate & Hazelnut Gelato with Roasted Hazelnuts; Rice Crisps; and Chocolate and a Syringe of Chocolate Ganache.

Sessions, Singapore
Award-winning Executive Pastry Chef of RWS, Chef Kenny Kong will be giving an Asian spin to Rollin’ Sweet Times, with offerings of Tamarind Crispy Noodles, and a dessert called “Amazing Frozen” which consist of homemade lemon grass frozen yoghurt, sesame seed tulip, pomegranate yoghurt crisp, Asian fruits compote, and candies floss light stick.

Also look out for Asian Sweet Delicacies of Steamed Gula Melaka Peanut Pancake, Chilli Crab Sweet Ice Cream, Curry Leaves Ivory Chocolate, and Hot Lemon Grass Coconut Coulis.

Shaun Teo Creations, Malaysia
You may have seen his creative bakes on Instagram @shaunteocreations

The young and talented pastry chef is known for his colourful tiered buttercream cakes, customised cake pops especially the totally adorable unicorn Pusheen themed ones.

Cake Decorating Classes at Rollin’ Sweet Times
For the baking enthusiasts, you must not miss the exclusive “Cake Atelier” classes which will showcase talented bakers and Instagram stars Julián Ángel and Clifford Luu.

This will take place in a specially created garden-inspired studio.

Historias Del Ciervo, Colombia
Full time designer, home baker and food photographer Julián Ángel based in Medellín, Colombia, will be teaching and sharing tips on the signature cakes of Mini Geode Cake, Tropical Print, and Pink and Black Sparkling.

For example, you will learn how to coat with 2-toned buttercream, how to make gold splatters, and paint that glittery galaxy sphere on the cakes.

Cakes By Cliff, Australia
Clifford Luu’s cake decorating artistry and style is derived from his background in architectural studies, and love of geometrical shapes and patterns.

He will share cake decorating tips for his Pink Passion, Berry Delight and Chocolate Spike.

The “Cake Atelier” classes are hands-on cake decorating sessions with the Star Bakers Julián Ángel or Clifford Luu. A class is priced at $98, and you can also bring home your own creation.

As seats are limited to 20 per session, spaces have to be booked in advance. Find out more on the schedule at https://www.tgff.com.sg/cake-atelier

Get Your Tickets Now
The TGFF Experience Pack – regular price S$78
Includes $35 TGFF credits (Star Chef Arena), S$10 TGFF credits (Rollin’ Sweet Times), full-day parking for one^, plus all-day access to Celebrity Chef Auditorium for live demo sessions. TGFF credits are for food purchase.

RWS Invites Members and UOB Cardholders enjoy 10% off.

Rollin’ Sweet Times (Pass Only) – $22
Includes $10 credits for Rollin’ Sweet Times, Free Celebrity Chef Masterclasses, full-day parking for one^.

Head over to https://www.tgff.com.sg for more details.

^ Complimentary parking will be given in the form of Invites Dollars. Comes with new sign-up of RWS Invites Membership

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa and SAVOUR.

The post The GREAT Food Festival – 300 Delectable Desserts At Rollin’ Sweet Times, By RWS And SAVOUR, 21 – 24 Sep appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

So people are still queuing for the fluffy and jiggly Castella Cakes, that became trendy in this part of the world recently.

Original Cake 源味本鋪, said to be the first cake store in Taiwan’s Tamsui to specialize in this version of Castella Cakes, has expanded with a few branches in Malaysia.

It will open its Singapore outlet at Level 2 of Westgate on the 23rd of September (Saturday).

I made my way to Johor Bahru City Square Mall to try it.

The ‘adventure’ turned out to be a 1.5 hours travel time from Woodlands, and 20 minutes in shop queue during a weekday afternoon.

Castella Cakes in Japan do not look like this, but it was Original Cake which started offering these large pieces of light, pillow-soft pieces in Taiwan. That was in 2011.

A large part of its appeal is the ‘drama’ in which the cakes will be cut right in front of you, while you are waiting in line.

The steam that dissipates out, and that eggy cake aroma is rather enticing. I initially wanted to just get ONE cake, but after the long wait… might as well get more.

Note: The shop is not halal-certified, but it has no pork or lard added.

Three types of Castella Cakes are sold here – The Original Flavour at RM15 (SGD$4.80), Cheese at RM20 (SGD6.40) and a Frozen Chocolate at RM25 (SGD$8.50).

As for the verdict, it was ALL RIGHT.

Not the ground-breaking, life-changing taste that would make me wait in line long-long for this. That was lack of the eggy-flavours and accompanying ‘oomph’ that some of the other Castella brands had.

However, I liked that it was light and airy though, and it was surprisingly not that sweet at all. I could have more than one piece without feeling jelak.

The Chocolate version turned out to be my favourite, added with Hershey’s chocolate bits.

The taste reminded me of my child-hood favourite Sara Lee cake, except that this was much fluffier and not as heavy-tasting.

On the opening day of Original Cake in Singapore, the Westgate branch will be giving out FREE Castella Cakes till stocks last. (Partly to drive up the publicity and show the social media world the long lines?) It is on a Saturday, so…

You know lah, free things we will go and queue. Confirmed long one. The true test, is what happens after that.

Original Cake 源味本鋪
Lot MF-18, City Square Mall, Level 3, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Darul Ta’zim, 80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10.00pm

Sunway Velocity
Lot 3-29, 3rd Floor Sunway Velocity Mall
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10.00pm
Contact: 016 996 9831

Sunway Pyramid
F1.78, First Floor Blue Atrium, Sunway Pyramid
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10.00pm
Tel: 016 996 9831

Gurney Plaza
170-B1-16, Plaza Gurney, Penang
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Tel: 012 237 8696

Queensbay Mall
F-23, Queensbay Mall, Penang
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm
Tel: 012 237 8696

Original Cake Singapore
3 Gateway Drive, #02-24 Westgate, Singapore 608532

Other Related Entries
Le Castella (Seoul)
Le Castella (Tampines)
Breadtalk Crater Cheese Honey Cake
Pablo Cheese Tart Café (Wisma Atria)
April’s Bakery (One Raffles Place)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Original Cake 源味本鋪 – Famous Jiggly Castella Cake Shop In JB, Opening In Singapore At Westgate 23rd Sep appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[NEW] Fans of Miffy will hop with joy over this, as Miffy Café is coming to Singapore.

This is a pop-up concept that will take place from from 5 October 2017 (Thursday) to 31 December 2017 (Sunday). All the way till Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

The pop-up collaboration is taking place with Kumoya, Singapore’s first Halal-certified Japanese-French café.

Kumoya is no stranger to character cafes, also behind Cinnamoroll Café which has ended its run recently.

The name Kumoya in Japanese refers to fluffy, light cloud house. “Kumo” refers to clouds and “Ya” means house or shop.

Miffy is Dick Bruna’s best known and most popular character, featuring in more than 30 books, far more than any other character he created.

Many children are able to identify with Miffy and her adventures, and are drawn to its uncomplicated and innocent character and positive attitude.

The limited-time menu has been curated and styled by well known food stylist Shirley Wong (Little Miss Bento) and the Kumoya team. Shirley is also consultant of the menu at Gudetama Café Singapore.

The menu features detectable Main Courses, Desserts and Beverages that carry the cute Miffy character.
Miffy-licious food you can expect include:

Splashing Good Fun Japanese Seafood Curry Rice ($24.90)
Fluffy Miffy Japanese rice served with fish kamaboko, cheese stars, steamed broccoli, breaded calamari, breaded ebi, breaded scallop and fresh tempura salmon on Japanese curry.

You, Me & Miffy Makes 3 Chicken Katsu Burger ($18.90)
Crunchy Japanese chicken katsu on Miffy mantou burger served with fries with BBQ dip, fresh garden salad with cheese Teddy and cheese stars.

Egg-citing Miffy Smoked Duck Cold Pasta ($17.90)
Tri-colour cold pasta served with cute Miffy egg, hand-torched smoked duck, crispy renkon chips and fresh garden salad with goma shoyu dressing.

Souperlicious Hot Udon with Breaded Ebi ($20.90)
Slurping-hot Japanese udon soup served with Miffy Kamaboko, wakame, shimeji mushroom, Teddy carrot, chikuwa and Japanese leek. Accompanied by side of breaded ebi with shredded carrots.

Sunny Salted Egg-yolk Fries ($11.90)
Sprinkled with salted egg-yolk cereal crunch and served with housemade salted egg-yolk dip.

Peek-A-Boo Miffy BLT ($17.90)
BLT with a difference! Tasty toasted bread, cheddar cheese slice, fresh tomato, crunchy lettuce, Teddy cheese, bacon and ham. Served with fries with housemade salted egg-yolk dip.

Wonderfully Waffles with Karaage Chicken ($21.90)
Buttery, fluffy waffles meets juicy Japanese karaage chicken, paired with house-made sweet shoyu glaze. Fresh garden salad with cute Miffy potato cakes, cheese stars and Miffy carrots.

Yuzu Mango Parfait Merriment ($18.90)
Menagerie of special duo swirl mango Hokkaido soft serve and limited-edition duo-coloured macaron, buttery Miffy cookies, fluffy cotton candy, pudding, fresh fruits, vanilla sable and mango sauce.

Magnificent Matcha Azuki Lava cake ($16.90)
Warm matcha lava cake served with fresh churned creamy Hokkaido soft serve. Paired with cute buttery Miffy cookie, fluffy cotton candy, dango and Hokkaido azuki.

The vibe is further enhanced with the specially-commissioned Miffy theme décor, dressed up in the distinct illustration style of Miffy’s creator, Dick Bruna.

Miffy Café
Kumoya @ 8 Jalan Klapa Singapore 199320
Opening Hours: 12.00pm – 9.30pm (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun), 12.00pm – 10.30pm (Fri, Sat), Last Order 30 minutes before closing, Closed Mon
Duration: 5 October 2017 (Thursday) to 31 December 2017 (Sunday)

Other Related Entries
10 Most Instagrammable Cafes In Singapore 2017
Gudetama Café Singapore (Suntec City)
Hello Kitty Orchid Garden (Changi Airport T3)
PABLO Cheese Tart Singapore (Wisma Atria)
Sugar Lips (Orchard Gateway)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Photo credit: Kumoya Cafe

The post Miffy Café – Famous Rabbit Hopping To Singapore From October, At Halal Café Kumoya. So CUTE! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Dessert lovers in search for the ultimate hotel high tea buffet can look this way.

D9 Cakery at Hilton Singapore features an impressive 6-meter dessert showcase, which I think is unheard of in Singapore (for now).

Its weekly Saturday High Tea Buffet from 12pm to 3pm, showcases many of their best homemade patisserie items.

Priced from $41++ per person, this is quite value for the money for the spread.

Plus, Citibank Cardholders enjoy a “PAY 2, DINE 3” promotion up to the end of March 2018. Time to gather your friends over!

This includes the signature Hilton cheesecakes in flavours of Classic American, Blueberry, Caramel, Pecan & Maple; delicious homemade cakes such as Green Tea Matcha, Cassis Caramel, Red Velvet, Fudgy Chocolate; Gourmet Dessert Jars; freshly baked scones; artfully crafted pralines, chocolates, macarons and more.

Not forgetting the Lemon Chocolate Fountain comprising of 33% Valrhona White Chocolate with homemade financier, marshmallows and fresh strawberries.

The Saturday High Tea Buffet has gone on a recent revamp, with the inclusion of more Singapore flavours and savoury items, while keeping the price THE SAME.

With the addition of these new items, the spread has been extended all the way to the back of the restaurant with a number of “live stations”.

The “live stations” include Popiah, Kueh Pie Tee, Singapore Laksa, Chicken & Lamb Satay, Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Oyster Omelette.

I personally like this better as dishes are cooked fresh, and there is more interactivity with the chefs.

Other Singapore favourites you can expect include Seafood Otah-Otah, selection of dim sum such as Steamed Siew Mai, Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf, Spicy Sardine Bun, and Toasted Kaya Bun.

D9 Cakery Singapore Flavours & Savoury Items Highlights:

Hainanese Chicken Rice
Succulent poached chicken with aromatic rice. I liked the tangy, not-too-spicy chilli sauce here, and that made a whole lot of difference.

Singapore Laksa
Without fail, I won’t leave a hotel buffet without trying their Laksa. Hilton’s take is quite a worthy version, with rich and coconuty gravy, cooked ala minute to your preference.

Popiah and Kueh Pie Tee

Chicken and Lamb Satay
You can trust your grills with Hilton Singapore. This is one of my personal highlights of this hightea, where the satay sticks contained relatively large and juicy pieces of meat, beautifully grilled with a thin layer of char.

Oyster Omelette
Love your “Orh Jien”? This version includes not the small ones, but huge ocean-trawled oysters – fried with generous portion of eggs and rice flour.

The fresh oysters used elevated this street food to another level.

Singapore Chilli Crab with Golden Mantou
Love your chilli crabs with mantou but hate to do the cracking and peeling?

This is a daintier affair. Fluffy buns deep fried till golden brown, with the chilli crab sauce coming separate which you can pour over or use as a dip.

Rojak
Crisp savoury ‘fruit salad” prepared by the chef, added with prawn paste, tamarind paste, sugar, chilli.

I liked that the prawn paste had a nice sticky consistency which gave the ingredients an even coating without being overly thick.

Soft Pork Curry Bun Coated with Floss
These buns contained soft pork cubes cooked in curry, sandwiched in a soft bun, buttered then sprinkled on with floss.

Ice Kachang and Chendol
At the desert “live station”, you can get the chef to do up traditional desserts of Ice Kachang and Chendol with your favourite ingredients (add more of this, don’t include that), without getting your hands messy.

Local & Asian Dessert Spread – Onde-Onde Cake and Thai Red Ruby Gourmet Dessert Jar
In sync with the Singapore flavours theme, the D9 Cakery dessert counter has included a limited Onde-Onde Cake and Gourmet Dessert Jar with Thai Red Ruby – water chestnuts coated with rice and tapioca flour soaked in coconut milk.

The Onde-Onde Cake with light pandan sponge layers, gula Melaka and desiccated coconut was done European style, yet was full of local kueh kueh flavours. Interesting.

The D9 Saturday High Tea Buffet also comes served with free flow coffee a selection of 10 choices of TWG Tea, featuring finest Asian and European blends for a complete high tea experience.

Pricing for Endless Saturday High Tea
$41++ per adult with free flow of coffee and TWG teas
$76++ per adult with free flow of selected wines and beer
$21++ per child (aged 5 to 12 years old) | Children below the age of 5 dine for free

PAY 2, DINE 3 for Citibank debit / credit card members
– Maximum redemption of 3 free diners per table
– Valid till 31 March 2018
– Minimum 2-day advance reservation required
– Offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with other promotions, privileges and vouchers
– Other terms & conditions apply

D9 Cakery At Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road, Hilton Singapore, Lobby Level, Singapore 238883
Tel: +65 6730 3392 / +65 6737 2233
Email: D9Cakery@hilton.com
Endless Saturday High Tea Buffet: 12pm – 3pm
http://www.singapore.hilton.com/restaurants

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Hilton Singapore.

The post D9 Cakery Hilton Singapore – Ultimate Saturday High Tea Buffet With Singapore Flavours. $41++ With “PAY 2, DINE 3” Promo appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

ABC Brickworks Food Centre is one of the first hawker centres to be built in Singapore in 1970, and is located at 6 Jalan Bukit Merah.

In terms of location, it is about a 10 minutes’ walk from IKEA, Queensway Shopping Centre, and there is another food centre Alexandra Village diagonally opposite.

The origin of its name is an interesting one, said to be named after “Archipelago Brewery Company”, the first commercial brewery in Singapore.

10 Must-Try Stalls At ABC Brickworks Food Centre

Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee
Unit #01-13
Opening Hours: 3pm – 10:45pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun) Closed Sun

40 Years Old Hokkien Mee Stall
This stall has been around for close to 40 years, and is run by the second generation Mr Toh (who is often seen wearing goggles). His father used to sell the noodles on a pushcart, and moved to this food centre in the 80s.

While there are other Hokkien Mee stalls in the same hawker centre, Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng seems to get the longer queue BUT auntie serving may be grouchy at times. Don’t step on her toes.

The noodles comes with a sizeable amount of toppings including prawns and pieces of pork belly. What makes it special is the sambal chili with bits of ikan bilis. It is generally drier with good wok-hei.

Havelock Rd Blk50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Unit #01-100
Opening Hours: 10.30am – 10.30pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

Hokkien Mee with Shiok Sambal Chilli
Actually, I usually order from this stall because the queue is shorter, has more zhup (sauce), and I liked it with fresh cut chillis.

The stall sells Hokkien Mee in 3 sizes ($3, $4, $5), with each batch cooked fresh to order.

The stall started out close to 50 years ago at Havelock Road Blk 50 as has been run by the same couple. However, as uncle and auntie are growing old, I noticed that they do not open the stall as often as before, and is often closed.

Yong Kee Famous Fish ball Noodle
Unit #01-121
Opening Hours: 7am – 2am (Mon – Sun)

Handmade Fishballs with Bouncy Texture
If I need to look for food late at night here, this is my go-to-stall (other than Gu Zao Ren opposite). Yong Kee Famous Fish ball Noodle has been in operation for more than 20 years and opens until 2am daily.

The stall sells typical noodle dishes including Bak Chor Mee and Fishball Noodles ($3, $4). The noodles are relatively springy, but the handmade fishballs and meatballs are definitely the highlight.

Before the two, I liked the juicy meatballs better which include a mix of ingredients.

Fatty Cheong Roast
Unit #01-120
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 8.30pm (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Thurs

Char Siew Cooked In Traditional Charcoal Oven
Fatty Cheong Roast serves some of the best Char Siew around in Singapore – nicely char, good balance of lean meat and fats, and melts in your mouth.

The stall sells all three of the typical roast meats: char siew, roast pork belly and roast duck, price reasonable from $3 onwards.

The thick gravy added to the fragrant rice complements the flavour of the meats.

Fatty Cheong has trained his two sons in the art of roasting meat in order to take over the family business and they have also opened two other outlets in Toa Payoh and Hougang.

If you want to try Roast Pork Noodles, another Fatty Cheong stall can be found at the back of ABC Brickworks Food Centre.

Wow Wow West
Unit #01-133
Opening Hours: 10.30am – 9pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon

Quality Western Food With Huge Portion
Wow Wow West which started as a school canteen stall, employs a number of ex-offenders in order to provide them a second chance to give back to society. (Christian Hokkien and Mandarin songs can often be heard playing in the background.

Their signatures include the Chicken Chop and Chicken Cutlet, which is massive for just $6. The gravy and coleslaw used is also prepared on a daily basis and is not mass produced.

I also usually add on an extra order of jumbo Cheese Sausage.

Jin Jin Hot / Cold Dessert
Unit #01-20
Opening Hours: 12.30pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Thurs

Liu Mang aka Durian and Mango Dessert
The star dessert at Jin Jin is the Liu Mang, otherwise known as Gangster Ice. It is a clever play of the words “Liu Lian” (Durian) and “Mang Guo” (Mango) where you can shaved iced with mango cubes and a scoop of durian puree.

The other must-try dessert is the Power Chendol. Priced at $2, you get generous servings of ingredients, drizzled with thick gula Melaka syrup imported from Indonesia and cooked daily by the stall owners.

The stall is helmed by Calvin and Ewan, two folks who originally did not know anything about making desserts but proceeded to revive the stall when the original owner wanted to close it down. Prices of the dessert are about $1.50 and $2.00 on average.

Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice
Unit #01-38
Opening Hours: 4.30pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

Fragrant Claypot Rice Cooked Over Charcoal Stoves
Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice sells authentic claypot rice at $10 for a 2 person portion.

The rice comes with tender meat (depending on which one you order) that is marinated in a special spice mix over 5 hours, and other generous amount of toppings including Chinese sausages and salted fish.

Each claypot is cooked to order over a traditional charcoal stove which may explain why there is a long wait at all times at the stall.

Jason Penang Cuisine
Unit #01-113
Opening Hours:11am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Under The Radar Authentic Penang Cuisine
he stall is helmed by Penang born Jason Khaw and his wife. Jason was also the British High Commissioner’s Resident Chef for 14 years, assuring a high quality in his food.

The stall’s specialty is the Assam Laksa ($4) which comes with a sour and spicy broth, with a hearty amount of ingredients including fresh prawns.

Bao Zai
Unit #01-135
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed on Thurs

Handmade Char Siew Paos
Bao Zai’ signature is the Char Siew Pao, made traditional style by hand on a daily basis.

The buns cost 70 cents each, are smaller than other factory made ones, but they don’t lose out in terms of quality.

The char siew fillings are sweet and juicy, and the meat is roasted fresh in a traditional charcoal oven which allows the full flavour of the meat to come out.

Before making paos, the owner had also previously sold roast meats which explains why the char siew is of a certain standard.

Ah Er Soup
Unit #01-143
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm (Mon – Fri, Sun), Closed Sat

Michelin Bib Gourmand Traditional Chinese Soups
The stall sells many different soups at affordable prices including Buddha Jumps Over The Wall ($6.50) and the Herbal Ginseng Black Chicken Soup ($5.50). The soups are said to be cooked using everything using fresh ingredients and do not use added MSG.

The soups all come with a generous amount of ingredients, including expensive ones such as chucks of fish maw and abalone. Quite value for its money, and nothing is over $7.

The stall has been included in the
Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore 2017, a testament to the quality of the soups.

ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006

Other Related Entries
Maxwell Food Centre Food Guide
Amoy Street Food Centre Hawker Guide
Zion Riverside Food Centre Hawker Guide
Hong Lim Food Centre Hawker Guide
Tanjong Pagar Food Centre Hawker Guide

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. Daniel’s Food Diary paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post 10 Must-Try Stalls At ABC Brickworks Food Centre – Michelin Bib Gourmand Soup, Durian Mango Ice, And Hokkien Mee appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.