Chalong is a modern fusion kiosk inspired by Thai flavours serving charcoal grilled meat rice bowls, and has recently opened in the basement of One Raffles Place.

So good news for those working in this part of the CBD.

The eatery with limited seating, is known for using sous vide cooking techniques and finishing the items off using charcoal grilling.

All the beef used here is air flown from New Zealand, while the pork is sourced from free-range Iberico pigs in Spain that are fed 100% on acorn.

Even the simplest ingredient like salt is specially sourced, as Chalong uses only Himalayan salt. Butter comes from Denmark.

All meats and vegetables are grilled in the highly acclaimed Josper Charcoal Oven. Smoked meats are done in-house, smoking them with Applewood to impart more depth in aroma.

All rice bowls are served with mi cuit (half-cooked) egg and Japanese Haenuki rice.

When in doubt, go for the Roast Beef Bowl ($14). This features medium rare sous-vide beef served with a white truffle umami sauce.

I couldn’t decide whether this would be healthy, delicious or both. The sauce added that slight scent as you scoop on the rice, and beef lean and almost melt-in-the-mouth.

Another popular choice is the 18hr Sous-Vide Iberico Jowl ($12), a signature dish made with in-house premium Iberico pork cheek/jowl marinated in a special combination of Thai spices to impart a uniquely balanced flavour to the meat.

The pork is sous-vide cooked for 18 hours, then grilled over flaming charcoals.

The gloriously charred and tender pork jowl is sliced and served with Chalong’s in-house specialty Chili Sauce that is smoky, sour, sweet and spicy.

Try one of their latest additions to the Charcoal Grill Menu, the Sea Bass Bowl ($17).

This includes a slab of sea bass marinated with lemongrass and grilled. Served atop steamed Japanese rice, and topped with egg.

Chalong
One Raffles Place #B1-18, Singapore 048616
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:00pm, 5:30pm – 8:00pm (Mon – Fri), 11:30am – 2:00pm (Sat), Closed Sun, PH

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[Taipei] The trending drink in Taipei continues to be Brown Sugar Bubble Milk.

The peculiar thing is, the drink has been around for the longest time, available in many night markets. It only enjoyed a resurgence after more modern chains had more fanciful packaging, effective marketing and expanded beyond to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and other international countries. (Also read:
20 Brown Sugar Milk Tea In Singapore)

The drink is sometimes called 青蛙撞奶, directly translated to “frog knocking against the milk”.

No frogs are harmed in the process, as the boba (tapioca pearls) used are thought to resemble frog’s eggs.

Here are some of the best places to get Brown Sugar Bubble Milk in Taipei: (Can’t believe I drank THAT many cups in a trip.)

Chen San Ding 陳三鼎黑糖粉圓鮮奶專賣店
No. 2, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, Roosevelt Road (Luosifu), Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
羅斯福路三段316巷8弄
Tel: +886 2 26200160
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Google Maps – Chen San Ding

Chen San Ding 陳三鼎青蛙鮮奶 has been widely reviewed to be the best brown sugar bubble milk drink in Taipei.

It is located near Gonguan Night Market, an area where the university students typically hang out.

What you get is a cup of boba pearls, caramel-like brown sugar, cold milk, with choice of ice. All drinks are affordably priced at NT$40, which works out to be SGD1.80.

This is what you call cheap and good.

The tapioca pearls are cooked on the spot in brown sugar, giving them the soft texture and lingering sweetened and caramalised taste. The pearls were indeed soft, sweet, chewy and you just couldn’t resist having more. Like having a mini-party in your mouth. Chen San Ding 陳三鼎青蛙鮮奶 (Zhongzheng District, Taipei)

Tiger Sugar Taipei 老虎堂
Available near Taipei Train Station, Nanyang Road No.1
Shilin Night Market, Da Bei Road No. 38
Ximending, Ning Nan Road Lane 50, No. 15-1
Zhong Shan North Road No. 9, Lane 140, Section 1 中山北路一段140巷9號

The brand originated from Taichung in Taiwan, known for its milk drink added with dark brown sugar syrup, and ‘tiger stripes’ formed as a layer of sugar is coated on the inner side of the cup.

One thing I noticed was its price, with a drink between NT$40 to NT$55 (SGD1.79 to SGD2.46).

The signature cup is SGD5.30 back home, more than double the price in Taipei. Anyway…

If you are unsure what to get for a first timer, get the Brown Sugar Boba and Pearls Milk with Cream Mousse 虎虎生风厚鲜奶含奶霜，波霸加珍珠混搭 (NT$55).

This includes both the large Boba pearls for a chewier bite, and smaller pearls (slightly bigger than sago). The added cream mousse at the top gives a layer of richness.

The brown sugar was indeed fragrant with that distinct caramel flavour here. Have to say it is indeed more prominent and tastier than what I previously drank. Tiger Sugar 老虎堂 (Taipei)

Jenjudan 珍煮丹
No. 215, Section 1, Beixin Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 231
Tel: +886 2 2918 0338
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Google Maps

The brand started out at the Shinlin Night Market way back in 2010, specialising in Brown Sugar Pearl Milk drinks.

There are several outlets around Taipei such as in Shilin, Da-an, Fu-xing, Zhong Shan and Xinyi.

Soaked in brown sugar, the boba pearls were chewy and soft, a stress-reliver to chew on, with that lingering caramelised sweetness.

With that said, if you cannot handle too much sweetness, then this may not be the cup for you.

Compared to the other branches, the “brown-sugarness” was considered more mellow, not as strong and full-flavoured. Those who are looking at that full-on kick, might leave disappointed. Jenjudan 珍煮丹 (Taipei)

幸福堂 Xing Fu Tang
Various parts of Taiwan. Stores in Taipei include Jiu-Fen, Kee Long Miao Kou Night Market, Da’An’ Shilin Night Market, Gong Guan, Shi-Da, Rao He Night Market, Ximengding (Chengfu Road), Ximending (Hang Zhong Road), Taipei Train Station, Tong Hua Night Market

What is especially noteworthy is that 幸福堂 Xing Fu Tang only first opened in Taiwan in January 2018, and has more than 40 stores by the end of the year.

You can find it at various parts of Taipei, from Ximending, Da’an, Jiu Fen, Gong Guan, Shi Da, Rao He Night Market, Shi Lin Night Market, Tong Hua Night Market, Kee Lung Temple, and Taipei Train Station.

They are best known for its “stir-fried” Brown Sugar Boba Milk (NT$55 for iced, NT$65 for hot, SGD2.46 and SGD2.91), with the pearls done the “traditional way”.

The boba pearls are steeped in brown sugar, “stir-fried in front of you, and scooped quickly into the cup.

After adding milk and cream, a sprinkling of brown sugar is included on the top, then torched for a caramelised finished.

I loved that crisp, caramelised layer so that you can taste bits of brown sugar throughout the drink. However, I didn’t quite fancy the milk part – too creamy and rich. Xing Fu Tang 幸福堂 (Taipei)

The Alley 斜角巷
No.206, Section 2, Fuxing South Road
台北市復興南路二段206號
Tel: +886 02 2701 3277
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

The Alley (sometimes called “Diagon Alley”) which has opened in many cities, is mostly called 鹿角巷, and 斜角巷 in Taiwan and Malaysia.

Their Brown Sugar Deerioca Series includes Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, Cocoa Milk Matcha Milk and Crème Brulee Milk (NT$55 – NT$65, SGD2.40 – SGD2.90).

They make their own sugar cane syrup, and boil sugar canes in-house to create sweetness that won’t be overpowering.

Also they make their “Deerioca” (tapioca pearls named after their iconic deers) from scratch, from making the dough, kneading and rolling into small balls.

My cup had chewy QQ boba pearls with slight brown sugar sweetness, and smooth refreshing milk.

However, it lacked that bit of strong, distinct caramel flavour that some of the other brands had.

The process is said to create better texture and aroma for the tapioca pearls. The Alley 斜角巷 (Fuxing South Road, Taipei)

JLD Dragon Ji Long Tang吉龍糖黑糖紅茶
No. 459, Jinzhou Street Zhongshan District, 台北市 10491
錦州街459號
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Ji Long Tang, better known as “JLD” uses brown sugar that is hand-fired every day, said to require 3-4 hours every day to complete the process.

The pearls are also hand-cooked, and will be disposed if left unsold after 2 hours.

You can choose the Brown Sugar Bubble base as Oolong Tea (NT$35) or Black Tea (NT$35) or just thick milk (NT$50).

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea 一芳水果茶
No. 66, Section 4, Minsheng East Road, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 7pm (Sat – Sun

This popular Taiwanese brand serves up two types of Brown Sugar drinks – Brown Sugar Pearl Latte (NT$50, NT$65, or SGD2.20, SGD2.85 equivalent), and Brown Sugar Pearl Black Tea Latte (NT$50, NT$65).

Note that the sweetness and ice levels are fixed.

For the cup, you can experience ’gao gao’ (rich) brown sugar that doesn’t overkill on the sweetness level.

The way to take the perfect Instagram shot, is also to invert the drink over, and for the brown sugar to form patterns as it ‘waterfalls’ down.

Other Related Entries
10 Must-Try Bubble Teas In Taipei
Chen San Ding 陳三鼎青蛙鮮奶 (Zhongzheng District, Taipei)
Jenjudan 珍煮丹 (Taipei)
The Alley 斜角巷 (Fuxing South Road, Taipei)
Xing Fu Tang 幸福堂 (Taipei)
Tiger Sugar 老虎堂 (Taipei)

Click HERE for other TAIPEI Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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There has been cafés opening in the North, or more specifically in the Yishun region (Nothing against the Yishun people.)

I guess the opening of this café means more brunch options for people up North.

Wild Wood is a simple, bistro-styled café tucked away in level 1 of Wisteria Mall, the same mall where PocoLoco is.

While I was half-expecting this place to be empty on a late weekday afternoon (because of the location), I was surprised to see customers there enjoying food and coffee.

To be fair, this place isn’t the most accessible, so I would expect Wild Wood to be a regular spot for people living nearby.

The food items are what you may call the “standard café items”, with offerings of all-day breakfast sets, burgers and pasta and savoury waffles combinations.

Choices available include Classic Breakfast Set ($11.80), French Toast ($8.80), Ham & Cheese Sandwich ($8.80), Beef Bolognese Pasta ($13.80), Tukey Bacon Aglio Olio ($11.80), and Wild Chicken Carbonara ($10.80).

The slightly more interesting item spotted was a Wild Rosey ($12.80), in actuality is a soya sauce chicken brioche burger.

Both drinks ordered, the Iced Latte ($5.30) and Iced Lemon Tea ($3.50) were not bad, but nothing setting it apart from the average.

The Classic Breakfast Set ($11.80) comes with toast, mixed salad, eggs and a choice of meat.

You can choose between Turkey Bacon, Smoked Salmon and Sausages. The set usually comes with toast, but they replaced it with buns because they ran out of toast.

I enjoyed the scrambled eggs, well-seasoned and not over-cooked (so much so that it would lose the creaminess).

Also, the portion was not bad for the price, considered reasonable for café pricing in Singapore.

W.W.W (SGD 11.80), otherwise known as the Wild Wood Waffle, would probably be their signature dish. This is Crispy chicken served on a waffle drizzled with maple syrup.

I was kind of surprised to find greens (such as rocket leaves and lettuce) placed in between the chicken and waffles. It just doesn’t go together, but perhaps this is a move to make the dish appear healthier and cut through the grease.

The skin was slightly crispy and the meat, tender. There was some juice flowing out of the chicken when I cut through the slab.

Would love to have more maple syrup because I could barely taste it (or even knew it was there).

Still not too sure about that lettuce though.

Yishun residents should find Wild Wood Café a convenient place for brunch or maybe to do some work (they have free Wi-Fi here).

The breakfast sets are considered inexpensive however the place may not be that accessible to the general public.

With the café-openings slowing down in Singapore, my recommendation for Wild Wood Café is to have more personality in their dishes, and perhaps introduce a brunch dish or two that is uniquely theirs.

Wild Wood Café
598 Yishun Ring Road #01-51/52 Wisteria Mall Singapore 768698
Opening Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (Mon-Fri), 8:00am – 10pm (Sat-Sun and PH), Last orders 9:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/WildWoodSG/

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* Written by DFD’s Café Correspondent @__sy_g. Songyu is a food and travel blogger whose hobby is uncovering hidden hipster cafes. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Wild Wood Cafe – Under-The-Radar Brunch Café With Crispy Chicken Waffles At… Yishun appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Popiah is one of those local food that accompanied me during my growing up years.

My family will gather during the weekends to have popiah parties, in which we would make everything from the skin to the radish fillings from scratch.

Of course modern families do not really do this anymore, plus it is hard to find hawker stalls that make actually make their own popiah skin. So we just order from stalls for such parties.

Those who grew up in Singapore will be quite familiar with Popiah, and Ann Chin is probably one of the most popular brands around.

It is also listed in the “Michelin Plate” guide. (The Michelin Plate or L’Assiette Michelin is a new designation worldwide, a symbol that indicates “restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food.”)

Ann Chin Popiah 安珍 was founded by Mr Lim Kam Chwee, who brought this from Fujian to Singapore in the 1940s.

Getting Popiah at the Ann Chin 安珍 is not just about the dish, but a whole experience.

Its main outlet is at Chinatown Complex Food Centre though there are several other outlets around, with its most famous branch being at Sin Ming Block 24.

You get to see the friendly staff preparing everything from scratch every day, including the popiah skin – which is quite fascinating to watch, really.

So the popiah skin is freshly made, very different from those machine-made ones which are generally hard and dry.

You get to savour the skin, which is delightfully thin and clear, and has a soft and rather chewy texture.

The people are quite fast in the wrapping, so you probably wouldn’t have to wait that long.

Ann Chin Popiah charges $1.60 per Popiah roll, and also include other varieties such as Kueh Pie Tee ($3 for 4 pieces), Yam Roll ($1.60), Deep Fried Spring Roll ($1.60), Curry Spring Roll ($1.60).

The selling point is the fried ‘mang kwang’ (turnip) and the crunchy bits, deliciously combined with the other ingredients such as hard-boiled egg, lettuce, bean sprouts and peanuts.

The Popiah retains its moisture rather well, bursting with flavours, yet not breaking the fragile skin.

Another favourite is the Kueh Pie Tee ($4 for 4 pieces), which you can pop into your mouth, tasting fresh and moist in every bite. I thought it was slightly on the sweet side.

Between the two, somehow the Popiah was more satisfying, perhaps due to the skin and fuller fillings.

Actually, how many kids nowadays can wrap their own popiah (without help?) Is it a lost ‘art’?

Ann Chin Popiah 安珍
335 Smith Street, Chinatown Food Complex #02-112, Singapore 050335
Opening Hours: 8.30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
(Chinatown Food Complex is closed for renovations from March 2019 to May 2019.)

Other branches:
– Sin Ming Blk 24 Coffee shop, 24 Sin Ming Rd, Block 24 #01-51, Singapore 570024
– Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 Blk 530, Singapore 560530
– Taman Jurong FM Foodmore, 3 Yuan Ching Road Singapore 618642
– Sim Lim Square Broadway Foodcourt, 1 Rochor Canal Rd, Singapore 188504
– Chong Pang Food Hawker, 105 Yishun Ring Rd, Singapore 760104
– 829 Foodcourt Pte Ltd, 829 Tampines Street 81, Block 829, Singapore 520829
– Coronation Shopping Plaza #03-01A, 587 Bukit Timah Road Singapore 269707
– 6th Avenue Coffeeshop 15 Anamalai Avenue Singapore 279985

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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The Bakery By Woodlands Sourdough probably made some of the best sourdough breads (and can I add brownies) in Singapore, but the shop closed despite enjoying success through word-of-mouth.

It was no easy feat for a humble bakery shop at the corner of Serene Centre.

Previous owners Chalith and Nur are said to be taking a break after 2 years of being very busy, and currently travelling, having sold their portion of shares away.

Unsuspecting customers may not have even noticed a difference, as Micro Bakery and Kitchen has taken over the space.

Their previous partner has continued the business, while maintaining the same philosophy of making small batch, hand-made breads.

In terms of décor and positioning, there isn’t that much of a difference as it continues to serve up artisanal sourdough breads, sweet bakes, toasts and coffee.

Their breads are naturally leavened using organic and sustainable flour, using natural ingredients and no additives.

From 9:30am to 3pm, you can also get your fill on sandwiches such as Grilled 3-cheese with Sauerkraut ($12) Charred Cauliflower ($12); Mushroom Tartine ($10), or House Ricotta ($12).

Look out at the board for fresh bakes of the day.

As I went at an hour when almost everything was sold out, I had a Banana Walnut Loaf ($5) which was very decent – moderately dense, lightly dense, nutty and delicious.

If it could have been fabulously-moist (just a little more), would have been the perfect loaf.

Coffee beans are currently sourced from Common Man Coffee Roasters; but if you opt for filter, the coffee would be brewed using Artisan Roastery beans roasted in Malaysia.

Micro Bakery & Kitchen
Serene Centre 10 Jalan Serene #01-05 Singapore 258748
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Micro Bakery & Kitchen – Artisanal Bakery That Took Over The Bakery By Woodlands Sourdough, At Bukit Timah appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Having a mad craving for delicious Almond Croissants and Sour Dough of late, and became searching for “Best Bakery Cafes In Singapore”.

Despite our humid weather, we actually have quite many decent bakery cafes available in Singapore.

Here are 10 more under-rated Bakery Cafes in Singapore. I left out the big boys (Sorry Tiong Bahru Bakery, Cedele, Baker & Cook, Artisanal Boulangerie Co and SwissBake) as I wanted to do a shout-out to these cafes, some of them literally quite unknown.

Keong Saik Bakery
41 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089146
Opening Hours: 8:00am – 8:00pm (Mon – Sun)

Keong Saik Bakery is one of the most under-rated bakery cafes in Singapore, and showcases glimpse of traditional vibes through their contemporary bakes and coffee.

Their range of bakes comes with interesting naming and oriental flavours. For instance, XO Lap Cheong (Cured Sausage) with cheese, Orh Tao Roti (Yam), and Pineapple Melon Pan.

They have recently launched a Laksa Lava Toast, co-conceptualised with Nicholas Tan @stormscape. When presented, it came in a ‘cute’ size meant for individual dining, topped with familiar ingredients such as sliced eggs, fishcake and prawns.

The moment comes when you cut the toast apart, it would come flowing out with the laksa gravy, and I wasn’t that ready to see laksa thick vermicelli within.

The Laksa Toast is available for a limited period at Keong Saik Bakery from 9am to 4pm daily, priced at $9.50 for one, $12 for a set with drink. 1st Laksa “Lava” Toast In Singapore

Crown Bakery & Cafe
557 Bukit Timah Road, #01-03 Crown Centre, Singapore 269694 (5-10 min walk from Botanic Gardens MRT)
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 7:00pm (Mon – Sun)

Located at Crown Centre along Bukit Timah Road, Crown Bakery & Cafe serves artisanal breads without the use of artificial food flavouring, colouring and preservatives.

Under the guidance of Master Baker Katsuei Shiga who had more than 40 years of baking experience from Signifiant Signifié, Japan’s top- notch artisanal bakery, Crown Bakery offers a fusion of Japanese’s baking expertise and European-styled breads.

Amongst the artisanal bread, I loved aromatic tea leaves scent of the Shizuoka Matcha Brioche ($3.20) and Earl Grey Cashew Brioche ($3).

The brioches were soft, fluffy and moist with distinct and non-overpowering matcha and earl grey taste.

My personal favourite was the innovative local rendition, Hainanese Chicken Bread ($4.50). It was made from chicken soup, skinless chicken thigh, garlic, ginger and shallots.

Not forgetting to dip it into the chicken rice chilli sauce, which was one of the key players in a successful plate of chicken rice. Crown Bakery & Cafe (Bt Timah)

Mother Dough Bakery
749 North Bridge Road #01-01 Singapore 198717
Tel: +65 6909 6604
Opening Hours: 12pm – 7pm (Tues – Sat), 11am – 5pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Mother Dough Bakery had been appearing in various pop-up events previously, and has finally opened its own shop.

The term “Mother Dough” or pre-ferment, refers to the fermentation starter or sourdough culture used in bread making.

Owner and baker Naadhira started her bread education at The International Culinary Institute in NYC, and spent four years working in various bakeries in the Big Apple.

That includes Runner & Stone in Brooklyn, where she honed her skills in making baguettes and croissants.

I managed to get my hands on the best-selling Almond Croissant – crispy and fragrant, well-worth its popularly. Mother Dough Bakery (North Bridge Road)

Asanoya Bakery Singapore
Wilby Central, 15 Queen Street, Singapore 188537
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon-Thurs), 10am – 10pm (Fri), 8am – 10pm (Sat), 8am – 8pm (Sun)

The Asanoya brand is 81 years old, founded in 1933 in Karuizawa Japan. The bakery is known for its rustic Japanese-style bread, with a European twist and baked in a traditional stone ovens (modern ones in Singapore).

Their top few bake include the Fruits Rye, a mixture of fragrant orange peel, rum infused raisins, lightly crushed walnuts and almonds mixed into a delicate rye bread.

Bread & Hearth
18 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089125 (10 – 15 walk from Outram Park MRT)
Tel: +65 65347800
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Mon – Sat), 8am – 6:30pm (Sun)

The small outfit sells a huge variety for its size, with choices from Croque Monsieur, Pain au Chocolat ($2.80), Cream Cheese Sesame ($2.80), Brioche ($2.80), Chocolat Blanc ($2.80), Almond Croissant ($3.50) to Fromage Twist ($3.00).

The team is helmed by a dedicated chef who has more than a decade of experience in artisan baking, and starts work as early as 4am to get the bakes freshly ready for the office crowd when the shop opens at 8am.

Their Le Croissant ($2.80) is evidently their signature, made with unbleached flour from France to produce the croissant dough (detrempe) used to laminate the fats (beurrage).

Emphasis was placed on the lamination and folding technique to achieve the best honeycomb pockets within the croissant, in order to be “as European as possible”.

My verdict: There but not quite there yet. Definitely better the average brands, but without the oomph and flakiness of the buttery crust, that to me, defines a good croissant.

Micro Bakery & Kitchen
Serene Centre 10 Jalan Serene #01-05 Singapore 258748
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

Micro Bakery and Kitchen has taken over the space left behind by The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough (unfortunately they have closed).

Their previous partner has continued the business, while maintaining the same philosophy of making small batch, hand-made breads.

Their breads are naturally leavened using organic and sustainable flour, using natural ingredients and no additives.

From 9:30am to 3pm, you can also get your fill on sandwiches such as Grilled 3-cheese with Sauerkraut ($12) Charred Cauliflower ($12); Mushroom Tartine ($10), or House Ricotta ($12).

Look out at the board for fresh bakes of the day. Microbakery Bakery & Kitchen (Bukit Timah)

Bread Createur
182 Jalan Jurong Kechil, The Hillford, #01-51, Singapore 596152
Tel: +65 9179 5804
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 8:00pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

The small shop offers a wide selection of freshly baked bread and pastries, prepared using quality ingredients.

It looked like a family-owned place, with personable service. Except that the space could be a bit cramped.

Some of their recommended include the Kougin Amann ($3.30) which uses brown sugar; Chocolate Almond Banana ($4.50) which has the fruit blended into pain aux chocolate – thus quite special; Traditional Baguette ($3.20) with starter cultivated in-house; and Sourdough ($3.50) with tangy texture.

Had their Charcoal Bacon & Cheese ($5.50), which had quite a likable, doughy-chewy texture with creamy, savoury fillings. Bread Createur (Jalan Jurong Kechil)

Lowe’f Artisanal Sandwiches. Pastries. Coffee
1 Queen Street Singapore 188534 (Bras Basah MRT Exit A)
Tel: +65 87674859
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 8:30am – 6pm (Sat), Closed Sun

The bakery cafe is located at Queen Street Singapore, a short walk from Bras Basah MRT and Art Museum.

However, it is slightly inconspicuous and so there is always a likelihood of people walking past without taking notice.

The menu certainly looks promising. Recommend items include Citrus Cerviche Salmon, Avocado & Ikura ($15); Queen St Chicken Sandwich added with Don’s mom’s Hainanese chilli sauce ($14); Good Morning Burger ($7.5) – brioche burger bun, cage free scrambled eggs, UK aged orange cheddar, pickled shallots & coffee mayo; Lowe’f Big Brekkie ($14) which includes brioche pullman, egg confit, roasted cherry tomatoes, edamame, bacon, brown button mushrooms and choice of spicy pork sausage or smoked beef sausage.

I had the Cawa-Banga Mango Roll and Lowe’f Toast.

The former had a delicious fluffy texture matched with soft-tangy sweetness; while the other had a likeable chewy texture. Lowe’f (Queen Street)

Do.Main Bakery
226 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437015
Tel: +65 63481406
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Tues – Fri), 8am – 10:00pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Mon

Do.Main is a combination of two words – dough and main which means ‘hands’ in French.

With a French baker Chef Frédéric Deshayes helming the kitchen, the bakery is inspired by the patisseries of Paris and the rustic cafés of Montmartre.

Also available is an Afternoon Tea Set for 2 pax ($32) which include a selection of pastries, sandwiches, 2 savouries, coffee or tea.

There were some good stuff in that mix (though not all), particularity the financier and broken eggs. Considered quite value for money.

Chef Icon Nature Bakery
5 Kampong Bahru Rd, Singapore 169341
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 7pm (Sat – Sun)

Chef Icon calls their desserts and cakes “natural”. It was assuring to find out that their objective is to move from artificial ingredients, with their bakes free from animal meat, rennet and gelatin.

The café with a small seating area also offers a selection of bread, desserts, sandwiches and burgers.

The recommended is the Pistachio Tart ($8.80). Also called the “Chef Tart”, this is Chef Icon’s top-selling piece. I liked that the tart tasted smooth with chocolate, had a buttery crust-topped crunchy pistachio nuts.

As the tart is made “healthier”, you don’t get that super-rich feeling after having one.

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The post 10 Underrated Bakery Cafes In Singapore – For Laksa Lava Toast, Hainanese Chicken Bread, To Fluffy Croissants appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Bangkok] After several trips to Bangkok, I wanted to search for more authentic, family-style Thai dishes that I may not be so familiar with.

Khua Kling Pak Sod comes highy recommend, a family-owned restaurant that specializes in authentic southern Thai cuisine and serves home-style Thai dishes.

To carry on the family legacy, the owners prepare food using their grandmother’s recipes in the tradition of TahSae district in Chumpon where she was born and raised.

It is named after the iconic spicy, dry curried meat dish of “Khua Kling”.

The restaurant is NOT that easy to find though, without a conspicuous signage.

Walk along the narrow lane Soi Thonglor 5 to find a mustard-yellow coloured low building.

From the outside, this place may not look that much attractive, and the entrance to the restaurant is barely visible. Though the inside is a modest, air-conditioned (thank goodness) space decorated with portraits of the Thai royal family.

So, why is this joint always packed with customers?

Well, Khua Kling Pak Sod is one of the few dining establishments in the city that serves authentic southern Thai cuisine, and their home cooking concept attracts both local and international diners through word-of-mouth.

Its inclusion in the Michelin Guide Bangkok 2019 as a Bib Gourmand recipient probably have them an added boost in terms of visitorship. Therefore, reservations is a must.

As for the food, it is a well-known fact that folks who decided to move to Bangkok from Southern provinces miss their local spicy food and native recipes.

Khua Kling Pak Sod is here to evoke their best childhood memories with authentic dishes like Gaeng Luang – yellow curry with coconut shoots and fish), Khua Kling – young pork ribs, and Phad Satow – beans fried with shrimp paste.

Other recommended dishes include the Gaeng Pu Bai Cha Plu (580 baht) – yellow curry with lump crab meat and betal leaves; Bai Liang Pad Kai (180 baht) – Southern Thai green leaves with egg; Sataw Pad Kapi Goong (240 baht) – stir-fried stink beans with prawns and shrimp paste; Gaeng Leung Yod Maprao Pla Grapong (240 baht) – hot and spicy yellow curry soup with coconut shoots and sea bass; and Kai Pa Loh Kha Moo (280 baht) – braised pork leg and eggs with tofu in sweet brown sauce.

Even for frequent visitors to Bangkok, some of these dishes may appear unfamiliar.

I had the Khua Kling Moo Sab (180 baht), of stir-fried spicy Southern Thai-style dry curry with minced pork.

If you do not even take spicy food, I would suggest staying a mile from this dish.

Even though I would say my tolerance level of spiciness is quite high… the first mouthful was pretty management, as I munched and let all the flavours explode in my mouth.

After the 2nd or 3rd spoonful, I started having those numbing feelings on my tongue, as varied spices of curry, freshly ground white peppercorns, and bird’s eye chillies started ‘attacking’.

This was potent heat and love at the same time.

I didn’t want rice (wanted to cut carb), but decided it had to go with some – I got the Brown Rice.

In contrast, the Gaeng Kiew Warn Moo (240 baht) of green curry with eggplant and pork was totally less intimidating, also because this was both a creamier and more diluted version.

Rather than getting the conventional vegetable dish, I went for the Dok Kajon Pad Kai (180 baht), of stir-fried cowslip creeper flower with egg.

This was delicious, lightly-fried so that you can to taste that crunchiness and freshness of the greens.

My friend wanted to try a more conventional Pad Thai Goong Sod (280 baht) and the stir-fried rice noodles with prawns turned out to be quite ordinary.

Perhaps the thing here is to really order their signature Southern Thai dishes.

The dishes are prepared from the freshest seasonal ingredients, but be warned that some foods on the menu are extremely spicy. Phed Mak! Water, please.

Khua Kling Pak Sod
98/1 Sukhumvit 53 Alley Khlong Tan Nuea Watthana, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 185 3977
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 2:30 pm, 5:30pm – 8:30pm (Mon – Sun)
http://www.khuaklingpaksod.com/
Google Maps – Khua Kling Pak Sod

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Khua Kling Pak Sod – Recommended Authentic Southern Thai Cuisine In Bangkok, With Michelin Bib Gourmand appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

While dining out can feel like an extravagant affair, here are some of the best hotel dining deals you can find in Singapore.

These are all “One Dines Free” offers, meaning you can enjoy 1-for-1 meals or complimentary meals with 2 or 3 paying diners.

These include a combination of hotel buffets and ala carte promotions, including all-you-can-eat highlights such as “Hawkers’ Delights”, “Seafood in a Wok”, “Surf N Turf” specials.

Bring along your family and friends for a good time feasting out.

Ellenborough Market Café, Swissotel Merchant Court
20 Merchant Road, Singapore 058281
Tel: +65 6239 1847, +65 6239 1848
Email: dining.merchantcourt@swissotel.com
Opening Hours: 6.30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

The 310-seater Ellenborough Market Café at Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore is a smart casual restaurant celebrating the best of Straits Chinese, offering a modern interpretation of Peranakan flavours through its different buffet spreads.

Also offering a medley of Asian, local and international dishes, its location along the banks of Singapore River makes it a popular choice for experiential dining.

Watch out for their house specials. Kueh Pie Tee, a thin and crisp pastry shell filled with sweet-spicy mixture of thinly-sliced veggies and prawns, is a must-try signature item.

A Peranakan mainstay to try is the Ayam Buah Keluak – chicken braised in a thick, spicy tamarind gravy with buah keluak nuts.

If you prefer pork, try Babi Pongteh, a Nonya-style braised pork in fermented soy bean sauce. Don’t skip the veggies and include Nyonya Chap Chye, a mix of braised vegetables.

For dessert, you must try the Signature Durian Pengat, a mousse flavoured with aged durian, infused with Gula Melaka and fragrant pandan flavours, which you can enjoy as a dessert.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1-for-1 for lunch and dinner buffet (Mon – Fri, excluding PH)
1 Dines Free with 2 Paying Adults (Sat, Sun)

T&C:
For 1-for-1 for lunch and dinner buffet (Mon – Fri, excluding PH)
– Valid from 1 March 2019 to 30 April 2019, and 1 September 2019 to 30 November 2019.
– Valid for lunch and dinner buffet for up to 8 diners (4 paying, 4 complimentary)
– Offer is for food only (alcohol is excluded)
– Offer is for weekdays (Monday to Friday only)

For 1 Dines Free with 2 Paying Adults (Sat, Sun)
– Valid from 1 March 2019 to 30 April 2019, and 1 September 2019 to 30 November 2019.
– Valid for lunch and dinner buffet for up to 6 diners (4 paying, 2 complimentary)
– Offer is for food only (alcohol is excluded)
– Offer is for weekends (Sat and Sun only)

Window on the Park, Holiday Inn® Singapore Orchard City Centre
Level 2 Holiday Inn® Singapore Orchard City Centre, 11 Cavenagh Road, Singapore 229616
Tel: +65 6733 8333
Opening Hours: Lunch – 12.00pm to 2.30pm, Dinner – 6.30pm to 10.00pm (Mon – Sun)

Located at the 2nd level of Holiday Inn Orchard Centre, Window on the Park is where you can find a buffet spread of fresh seafood, local and Asian cuisine.

The “Seafood in a Wok” Dinner Buffet (available from Friday to Sunday dinner), includes a 10 different local hot dishes and Seafood on Ice station, where you can spoil yourself with unlimited servings of baby lobsters, cold Canadian black mussels, freshly shucked Canadian oysters, Lala clams, and poached tiger prawns.

The must-try specials are the fresh and colourful stir-fries, a.k.a. Seafood in a Wok. They come in 3 flavours: Onion Sambal, Mushroom Cream with Cheese, and Black Pepper.

Other signature items include the Homemade Kueh Pie Tee at the DIY counter, and the Chef’s Signature Singapore Laksa at the Live Station. Let the chefs prepare a bowl for you, or be creative and do it yourself. The Black Bean Slipper Lobster and Singapore Chili Crab shouldn’t be missed.

Cap off your meal with a trip to the dessert station, featuring crisp Waffles with Ice Cream, Bread and Butter Pudding, cakes, and the iconic Malaysian dessert Durian Pengat.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1-for-1 daily lunch or dinner buffet

T&C:
– The Offers are not valid on eve of Public Holidays, Public Holidays, blackout dates and special occasions determined by the hotel
– The Offers are not valid in conjunction with other discounts, offers, promotions, privileges and vouchers
– This Promotion is valid from 1 March 2019 till 28 February 2020 (both dates inclusive).
– Merchant’s terms and conditions apply. Please contact the merchant directly for full details.
– All information is accurate as at time of publishing or posting online

Atrium Restaurant, Holiday Inn® Singapore Atrium
Level 4, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, 317 Outram Road Singapore 169075
Tel: +65 6731 7172
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri)
Lunch 12pm – 3:30pm, 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Sat – Sun)

One of the 3 on-site dining options at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, Atrium Restaurant offers local signature dishes and a selection of international flavours in an inviting and cheerful ambiance.
Aside from its extensive a la carte menu, thematic all-you-can-eat buffets are also available all year round for lunch and dinner.

Exclusively for the entire month of March and April, indulge in their “Surf N’ Turf” Buffet, a special collection of seafood and meat delights, featuring a juicy ensemble of seafood and meaty delights that are bound to satisfy all palates.

Start off your “Surf” feast with the spread of fresh seafood on ice, and dig into the collection of French, Canadian and American Oysters, Poached Tiger Prawns, Australian Black Mussels and Baby Lobsters.

Join them on weekends and you will also get to enjoy irresistible Boston Lobsters.

On the “Turf” side, be sure to fill up on the succulent meats on offer such as all-you-can-eat Slow-baked Tomahawk Steak with Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Lamb with Tapenade Sauce and Baked Chicken with Spinach and Cheese.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1-for-1 daily Lunch and Dinner Buffet
15% off a-la-carte menu for lunch and dinner

T&C:
– Valid from 1 March 2019 – 31 December 2019
– Payment must be made with a HSBC credit card
– Please call 6731 7172 for reservations

The Salon, Hotel Fort Canning
11 Canning Walk Singapore 178881
Tel: +65 6799 8809
Opening Hours: 7am – 11pm Last order 10.30pm (Mon – Sun)

As the country winner of the 2017 World Luxury Restaurant Awards, The Salon at Hotel Fort Canning provides a selection of local favourites, Asian-inspired dishes, and Western classics in an elegant setting.

Its stylish and modern interior reflects the dining experience it offers, complete with soft music, 3 private dining rooms, and an outdoor al fresco area amidst the verdant greenery of Fort Canning Park.

Menu highlights include contemporary and classic Singaporean specialities like Lobster Nasi Lemak, Singapore Hokkien Mee, as well as an array of international delights such as Grilled Australian Angus Striploin and Stuffed Chicken Roulade.

Don’t miss the Wood-fired Pizzas, where you can unleash your creativity and create your own with a variety of premium toppings like smoked salmon, parma ham, and smoked duck.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1 For 1 Create-your-own Pizza

T&C:
– Valid from 1 March 2019 to 31 March 2019.
– Valid for lunch and dinner. Not valid on eve of and public holidays, special occasions and
– blackout dates deemed by the hotel
– Not applicable for corporate or group bookings
– Reservation is required and subject to availability

White Rose Café, York Hotel
York Hotel Singapore, 21 Mount Elizabeth, Singapore 228516
Tel: +65 737 0511
Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 2:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Another café renowned for presenting the best of local and Asian fare is White Rose Café, York Hotel Singapore’s signature restaurant.

For many decades, it has continuously delighted its loyal diners with comfort food such as Char Kway Teow, Fried Hokkien Mee, Nasi Goreng, and Laksa.

From the a la carte menu, the Mee Siam ($14++) is perhaps its most popular signature dish, prepared homemade-style with prawns, tau pok (bean curd puff), egg and beansprouts. Long-time patrons of White Rose Café would fondly remember this dish for its piquant broth that is both comforting and appetising.

Don’t miss Seafood Mee Goreng ($17++), another house specialty noodle dish that is a favourite dish of many Singaporeans. Stir-fried tze char-style over high heat to create that robust wok-hei, this dish carries a generous amount of seafood such as prawns, squid, and fish. Garnished with freshly squeezed lime just before serving.

Other dishes worth tasting are Yee Pin Mai Fun ($17++), Nasi Goreng ($17++), Fried Hokkien Mee ($17++), and Vietnamese Pork Chop ($17++).

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1-for-1 Asian Favourites from the a la carte menu

T&C:
– Enjoy 1-for-1 Asian Favourites from the a la carte menu from 1 March 2019 to 31 May 2019 (not applicable during Penang Hawkers’ Fare from 15 to 31 March 2019).
– Offer is valid for a maximum of 5 redemptions per HSBC credit cardholder
– Offer is valid for dine-in only, and applicable for the Asian Favourites selection only.
– Offer is not valid with any other promotions, discounts or privilege cards
– Not valid on PH, eve of Mother’s Day and Mother’s Day

Escape Restaurant & Lounge, One Farrer Hotel
1 Farrer Park Station Road Singapore 217562
Tel: +65 6705 7828
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm, Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

The 170-seater, all-day-dining Escape Restaurant & Lounge at One Farrer Hotel boasts of an open kitchen and nine interactive buffet stations.

Serving a mix of local and international cuisine, it employs a set of master chefs that prepares your dishes upon order. Dishes range from Chinese to Japanese, and even North Indian and Western cuisine, to cater to international palates.

While you are here, you can “escape” from your usual routine and discover a variety of tastes as you make your way through the buffet spread. Look for the signature items on rotation like the Classic Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice, Durian Fried Rice and Singapore Laksa.

The Indian cuisine station features a custom-made tandoori oven producing various tandoori items, all guaranteed made fresh upon request.

A selection of baked goodies and confectionery including artisan breads, tarts, cakes, petit fours and a chocolate fondue fountain are also available.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1-for-1 Lunch and Dinner Food Spread (Mon – Thu only)
1 Dines free with every 2 paying adults (Fri – Sun)

T&C:
– Monday to Thursday: 1-for-1 (Max 8 Pax per card per table) for Lunch and Dinner Food Spread
– Friday to Sunday: 1 Dines free with every 2 paying adults (Max 12 Pax per card per table) for Lunch and Dinner Food
– Above offers are valid from 1 March to 25 April 2019

Element, Amara Singapore
Level 1, Amara Singapore, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088539
Tel: +65 6879 2607
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Conveniently located within a few minutes‘ walk from the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, you will find Element at Amara Singapore, a resto-bar concept that fuses food, drink, and lifestyle in a modern space.

It is an all-day dining, multi-cuisine restaurant that caters to diners looking for a decent assortment of dishes at a good price.

Offering a buffet with various seafood and meat-based dishes, Element could be your go-to dining place when you’re in the area, especially if you are into Alaskan King Crabs and Japanese specialties.

Depending on seasonal availability, you can give in to your seafood cravings with their selection, including Short Neck Clams, Half Shell Scallops, and Oysters.

Rotating daily are the dishes in the live station, where you can catch local favourites like Spicy Sambal Prawns and Curry Leaves Wo-Fried Slipper Lobster with Chili Crab Sauce. Two chicken dishes worth your attention are the Crispy Roasted Chicken with Meat Floss, and the zesty Smoked Paprika Chicken Casserole.

Try the Cempedak Crème Brulee when you can, available seasonally.

Breakfast Buffet
Monday to Sunday: 6.30am – 10.30am
Adult: $32++
Child (6 to 12 years old): $16++

Lunch Buffet – International
Monday to Friday: 12pm – 2.30pm
Adult: $52++
Child (6 to 12 years old): $26++

High Tea Buffet – Local Delights
Saturday and Sunday: 12pm – 4pm
Adult: $42++
Child (6 to 12 years old): $21++

Dinner Buffet – International
Monday to Sunday: 6.30pm – 10pm
Adult: $72++
Child (6 to 12 years old): $36++

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1 dines free with 2 paying adults for Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Weekend High Tea Buffet

T&C:
– Valid from 1 March 2019 to 31 March 2019.
– Not valid with other promotions, privileges, discount cards and promotional vouchers, whichever is applicable.
– Not applicable during eve of and public holidays; and special / festive periods.
– All prices quoted are in Singapore dollars and subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.
– Amara Singapore reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions without prior notice.

The Square Restaurant, Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
177A River Valley Road, Singapore 179031
Tel: +65 6433 8790
Opening Hours: 6am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Located at the 7th floor of Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, The Square Restaurant is a hip and modern venue for international buffets showcasing different themes.

It boasts of an open kitchen where you can interact directly with the chefs at the various stations, and experience an interactive cooking experience.

Watch how your Pasta and The Signature Laksa are prepared a la minute at the Live Station.

Explore the different stations from the appetisers, which includes a Healthy Salad Counter, to the Seafood on Ice (seafood-binge on oysters, mussels and live poached prawns), cheese & dried fruits, assorted sushi, various roasted meats at the Carving Station, Hot Station (here’s where you can find The Square Signature Chili Crab), down to the much awaited Dessert station for The Square Signature During Pengat and Chocolate Fondue complete with assorted sauces and toppings.

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1 dines free with every 2 paying adults

T&C:
– Valid from 1 – 31 March 2019
– Offer is not valid on eve of and Public Holidays in Singapore, blackout dates and special occasions as determined by the Merchant
– Not valid with other discounts, privileges, promotions, set menus, special menus, vouchers, membership privileges, VIP cards
– Discount is not valid on service charge and taxes

Asian Market Café, Fairmont Singapore
Level 2, Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 186590
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 2:30pm (Mon – Fri),
Weekend Lunch 12.00pm – 4.00pm (Sat – Sun)
Dinner 6:00pm – 10:00pm (Sun – Thurs); 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Fri, Sat)

Asian Market Café is located at the 2nd level of Fairmont Singapore, a Halal-friendly hotel awarded the 5-Star Crescent Rating.

Similarly, this casual restaurant is one of the few Halal-certified hotel restaurants in Singapore offering buffet service of authentic pan-Asian cuisine.

From now till 1st of May 2019, there will be a “Hawkers’ Delights” special.

It features local favourites and contemporary regional delicacies at the Traditional Hawker Asian Corner, including Traditional Seafood Fried Rice and Singapore Chili Crab.

Head off to the live stations and enjoy their version of Honey Glaze Chicken Wings, served with Garlic Dip, at the Live Grill Station, or the Marinated Sotong (squid) served with Sambal. There’s also a Live Station for Asam Fish Head, serving you Red Snapper with Eggplant and Ladyfingers in Assam Sauce.

Lunch Daily
$65++ per adult, $34++ per child (6 to 12 years old)

Dinner Sunday to Thursday
$75++ per adult, $39++ per child (6 to 12 years old)

Friday and Saturday
1st seating (6pm – 8:15pm): $76++ per adult, $39++ per child (6 to 12 years old)
2nd seating (8:30pm – 10:30pm): $72++ per adult, $38++ per child (6 to 12 years old)

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1 dines free with every 2 paying adults

T&C:
– The Promotion period is from 1 March 2019 – 30 December 2019 (both dates inclusive)
– To utilize the promotion, HSBC Credit card must be presented upon payment and full payment must be charged to a HSBC Credit card in a single receipt
– Prices are subjected to service charge and prevailing government taxes, unless otherwise stated
– Promotion is valid for dine-in only
– Please quote “HSBC Dining Privileges” at the time of booking. Promotion is valid with advance reservations only
– To enjoy the promotion, please reserve online at www.fairmont.com/singapore/dining, call +65 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@fairmont.com. Promotion not accepted through a third-party reservation
– Promotion is not valid on eve of public holidays and on public holidays
– Promotion will be applicable for a maximum 10 guests/ adult diners per table, per visit.
– Promotion is not valid in conjunction with other discounts, promotions, privileges, offers and /or vouchers etc
– HSBC and Fairmont Singapore reserve the right, at their reasonable discretion, to vary, add to or delete the Promotion terms and/or terminate the Promotion at any time

Town Restaurant, The Fullerton Hotel
The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178
Tel: +65 6877 8911
+65 6877 8912
Opening Hours for Buffet Dinner: 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

When it comes to buffets, Town Restaurant serves an extensive spread of both local and international dishes. For those who prefer to enjoy specific dishes, the a la carte menu is just as broad and will not disappoint.

Known for its Brimming Buffet Dinner, Town Restaurant also boosts of a revamped al fresco waterfront terrace, where you can have your meal right next to the historic Singapore River.

Local favourites like Bak Chor Mee, Town Laksa and Fullerton’s Hainanese Chicken Rice are repared a la minute by Town Restaurant’s chefs at different live stations.

Come Friday and Saturday, you will catch their succulent barbecue offerings fresh off the grill alongside the regular seafood offerings.

With its well-designed interiors and tremendous variety of food and drink, Town Restaurant is one place to get value-for-money buffets this side of town.

Brimming Buffet Dinner
Daily, 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Sunday to Thursday: $59++ per adult, $30++ per child
Friday and Saturday: $85++ per adult, $43++ per child

HSBC Credit Cards Promotion:
1 dines free with every 3 paying adults for daily Dinner Buffet

T&C:
– Valid from 1 March 2019 to 31 March 2019.
– Offer is not valid on eve of and on public holidays, and may include other blackout dates determined by the merchant, unless stated otherwise
– Valid for dine-in only and limited to eight diners per bill
– Prior reservation is recommended
– Not valid in conjunction with other discounts, membership, privileges, promotion, set menus or vouchers

For more details on the latest #HSBCDining promotions, hop on over to www.hsbc.com.sg/dining. Terms and conditions apply for all promotions herein.

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with HSBC Credit Cards.

The post 10 Best Hotel Dining Deals In Singapore, Including 1-For-1 Peranakan, Seafood, Surf N Turf Buffets appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Quite a bit has been written about Tendon and Gyudon in Singapore, that I thought it is time to venture to Butadon 豚丼 aka Pork Donburi.

The Butadon is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with pork slices, generally simmered in a mildly sweet sauce or grilled.

Aburi-EN – VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk #01-159/160, VivoCity Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 6259 9603
Opening Hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm (Mon – Sun)

Aburi-EN – Tanjong Pagar Centre
7 Wallich Street, #B2-09, Tanjong Pagar Centre, Singapore 078884
Tel: +65 6214 3570
Opening Hours: 11.00am – 10.00pm (Mon – Sun)

The Buta Don ($12) is a top selling item in the menu, a rather generous portion of grilled chestnut-fed pork for its price.

The meat comes from a superior chestnut-fed pork, known to be tastier than normal pork.

It is harvested from carefully selected pigs which enjoys a natural diet that contains chestnuts. This contributes to a tender juicy meat with a sweet nuance.

The meat cut is that of a loin, simmered in a Miyazaki Yakiniku Sauce, a sweet-savoury light glaze.

The rather huge pork slices are arranged neatly in a circular way, resembling a blossomed flower from certain angles. Relish this prime meat’s tenderness as you bite into the juicy pork slices. Aburi-EN (VivoCity)

Chalong
One Raffles Place #B1-18, Singapore 048616
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:00pm, 5:30pm – 8:00pm (Mon – Fri), 11:30am – 2:00pm (Sat), Closed Sun, PH

Chalong is a modern fusion kiosk inspired by Thai flavours serving charcoal grilled meat rice bowls, and has recently opened in the basement of One Raffles Place.

The pork is sourced from free-range Iberico pigs in Spain that are fed 100% on acorn.

Go for the 18hr Sous-Vide Iberico Jowl ($12), a signature dish made with in-house premium Iberico pork cheek/jowl marinated in a special combination of Thai spices to impart a uniquely balanced flavour to the meat.

The gloriously charred and tender pork jowl is sliced and served with Chalong’s in-house specialty Chilli Sauce that is smoky, sour, sweet and spicy. One Raffles Place Food Guide

Kogane Yama – Jem
Jem #01-15, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 608549
Opening Hours: 11am-10pm Last order at 9.30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 11pm Last Order 10.30pm (Sat – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/koganeyamasingapore

Kogane Yama – Bugis Junction
Bugis Junction #02-50, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am-11pm Last Order 10.30pm (Sat – Sun)

The Pork Belly Shogayaki Don ($10.90) from Kogane Yama is pretty affordable, if you have donburi cravings at Jem or Bugis.

“Shoga” means ginger, while yaki refers to grilling or frying. Do you know that “shogayaki” is the second most popular pork dish in Japan after Tonkatsu?

This consists of thin slices of pork belly browned in the pan, then stir-fried with enoki mushrooms and ginger sauce.

Served simply with rice and onsen egg, this makes a flavourful, comforting dish that may just remind you of (a Japanese) mum’s cooking. Kogane Yama (Jem)

Baristart Coffee Singapore
65 Tras Street Singapore 079004 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

A dish that originated from Tokachi, Obihiro, the Obihiro Butadon ($18.80) is a specialty rice bowl that comes with premium pork.

The grilled slices of Hokkaido Kurobuta pork belly are basted in a soy-based marinade and leans more on the sweet side.

Generously served on top of steamed white short-grain Japanese rice, and glazed with a special teriyaki sauce.

Perfect for an everyday lunch. Baristart Coffee (Tras Street)

Tokachi Tontaro – Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way Downtown Gallery #03-20 Singapore 068815
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Tokachi Tontaro which specialises in Buta Don, has opened by both Plaza Singapura and OUE Downtown Gallery.

It features bowls of grilled pork cooked in a Hokkaido speciality tare sauce and served atop premium Hokkaido Yumepirika rice.

Available are the Premium Butadon ($22.80, $25.80) which uses Japanese Kagoshima Pork; or Regular Butadon ($11.80, $13.80, $16.80) which is topped with American pork coated in a signature tare sauce.

The regular version offers you other flavours of Spicy Tomato and Miso Butadon.

The Regular Butadon ($13.80) was an acceptable bowl, and as straight-forward as it gets – 5 slices of grilled pork on rice.

There wasn’t anything really bad about it, but lacked that special something that would keep me excited. Tokachi Tontaro (Plaza Singapura)

Gochi-so Shokudo
One Raffles Place #B1-30 Singapore 048616
Tel: +65 65366447
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 9pm (Sat, Sun)

Located at the corner of the basement of One Raffles Place is Gochi So Shokudo, an under-the-radar eatery that focuses on the premium pork rice bowls, with prices targeted at the office crowd.

Despite being affordable, Gochi-so Shokudo uses only the most premium Iberian pork from Spain. The pork is charcoal grilled to bring out the best flavours from the meat.

Popular items in the menu include the Charcoal Grill Iberico Jowl Don ($13.80), made with tender Iberico pork jowl grilled over flaming charcoals for that amazing char-grilled smoky flavours.

Topped with a creamy onsen egg atop steamed Japanese fluffy white rice, the broken egg yolk adds a velvety texture over the whole don.

The Iberico Pork Belly Don ($10.00) is one of its most value-for-money menu options. It comes with a generous portion of thinly sliced Iberico pork belly, a perfectly executed onsen egg, seaweed strips, and sliced spring onions atop a bowl of hot, fluffy rice. One Raffles Place Food Guide

Bazuka Yakibuta バズか 焼豚
Great World City #B1-12A, Kim Seng Promenade Singapore 237994 (Takeaway only)
Tel: +65 6735 1398
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 8:00pm (Mon – Sun)
Outlets at One Raffles Place and OUE Downtown Gallery.

This is Singapore twist’s to the Japanese Donburi, topped with roast pork or char siew, accompanied with an onsen egg, pickles and crispy homemade shallot chilli.

The menu is kept lean, with options of Caramel Roast Pork Donburi ($8.80), Crackling and Caramel Roast Pork Donburi ($10.80).

Their caramelised roast pork took three days to make from a secret recipe, brushed with honey and crisped in the oven. Lean yet tender, sweetish tasty.

However, the crackling pork was slightly disappointing, somehow a tad tough.

Other Related Entries
12 Best Gyudon In Singapore
12 Best Tendon In Singapore
10 Unexpected Salted Egg Fusion Food In Singapore
10 Awesome Brunch Places In Singapore To Satisfy Your Cravings
10 NEW Ramen Shops In Singapore

The post Best Butadon 豚丼 In Singapore – Where To Go For Tender & Juicy Pork Bowls appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Wait, you mean it is MARCH 2019 already?

This month, the DFD team has 2-3 days short compiling this (because February), but we made it anyway… madly scrolling through instagram, going to cafes anonymously, getting that corner table, and taking notes. Okay, I get recognised more often now (may not be a good thing).

We went to more than 10, but a couple of shops do not look too ready yet.

Café hoppers are showing signs of their boredom, but there are still new openings that continue to excite.

Wait, an African-themed space? Why is nobody talking about it? I also spotted a patisserie hidden from sight, next to one of my favourite crab bee hoon places Long Ji Zi Char.

This is for you, enjoy the brand NEW Café guide! (I am very particular about the publish date, has to be 1st of the month.)

Duckland
United Square Shopping Mall, 101 Thomson Road, #B1-09 & 64/65 Singapore 307591
Tel: +65 6259 5668
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

For Duck Confit & Waffle In Singapore
What makes Duckland different is its offering of BOTH Roast Irish Duck, and other Asian and Western duck delicacies in a casual setting.

The other thing special about Duckland is its use of “Silver Hill Duck”.

Popularly known as ‘London Duck’ as it is served in 98% of London’s Chinese restaurants, this breed is called ‘Irish Duck’ at Duckland in honour of its origin country.

Perhaps one of the best versions in Singapore, Duckland’s Duck Confit & Waffle ($20++) is simple yet executed well.

A whole duck leg enveloped in a crispy skin is heaving with duck fat flavour.

Served with a soft, golden-brown buttermilk waffle topped with sunny-side up egg, and a small bowl of maple syrup on the side. Note: The waffles are on the light and fluffier side, though I think Singaporeans generally prefer a more buttery and denser version.

Kafe Utu
12 Jiak Chuan Road Singapore 089265 (Outram/Chinatown MRT)
Tel: +65 6996 3937
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

1st African Themed Café In Singapore
The attention to details… from the menu design, sofa, cushions, decorations, paintings, doors to even the panels, you know a lot of thought has been put into the collection and planning of the space.

Kafe Utu serves up brunch items, East and West African food, as well as specialty coffee. Owner Kurt Wagner grew up in Kenya and wanted to bring a piece of home to Singapore.

Food items on the menu include Swahili Fish Curry ($29) with red snapper, tamarind, coconut milk, house curry paste, habenero and coconut rice; Liberian Peanut Chicken Stew ($28); West African Spicy Greens ($28) with chicken thigh and smoked fish; and Caribbean Goat Curry ($28).

If you would prefer something safer and more familiar, go for the more ‘brunchy’ items such as Curried Avocado with Raw Garlic and Toast ($16) and Ricotta Hotcakes ($23). Kafe Utu (Jiak Chuan Road)

Eleven Strands
66 Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 545568
Tel: +65 9487 1398
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11:30pm (Tue to Sat), 12pm – 10pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Affordable Italian & French Dining At Serangoon
From the team which founded South Union Park (Kembangan), Elevens Strands is their latest Italian and French dining concept located at Serangoon.

Taking over the defunct Kombi Rocks Diner, Eleven Strands has revitalized the space with simple yet elegant touches, from lapis blue signage, golden molecular chandelier to nautical inspired decors.

Leveraging on their former strength, they serve up 13 different kinds of pasta offerings – from garlicky Bacon Aglio Olio ($19), tomato-based Beef Bolognese ($21) to dairy-based Bacon Cream Pasta.

The Vongole Pasta ($22) also left an impression with its plump juicy clams simmered in light aromatic white wine sauce and further scented with garlic & herb fragrance. Eleven Strands (Serangoon)

Voyage Patisserie
249 Outram Road Singapore169048
Tel: +65 6223 2490
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Tue – Thu), 10am – 1am (Fri – Sun), Closed Mon

French-style Patisserie at Outram Road
You may not have imagined that there is a cake café hidden in stretch of shophouses along Outram Road, flanked by zi char, steamboat restaurants, and has Tiong Bahru Pau as neighbours.

And if you have sudden cake cravings late at night, Voyage is opened till 1am from Fridays to Sundays.

Chef Jonathan hopes to present quality plated desserts and cakes to people without having them to worry about the cost.

The signature cake is the Cynthia ($9), a petite gateau featuring rose chantilly cream, lychee bits, raspberry compote and genoise sponge shaped like a rose.

Interesting note: Chef created and named this cake after his girlfriend as it is the first “rose” that he has given to her. So sweet…

Little Oasis
Blk 3 Everton Park #01-79 Singapore 080003 (Outram Park Exit G)
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm (Tues – Sun), Closed on Mon, 2nd & 4th Sun

Freshly Baked Cakes And Healthy Meals
Little Oasis which I found situated at the corner of Block 3 Everton Park, was indeed that dreamt-upon cosy place.

It was relatively quiet with soft music in the background, and vibes of calming charm. A place where you can read a book over a cup of tea.

The café started off as Little Wooden Table, an online home bakery, doing healthier bakes with reduced sugar, natural flavours and colouring, specializing in chiffon cakes, pound cakes, and customized birthday cakes.

The signatures include the Lemon Drizzle Cake ($6.50), Earl Grey Lavender Chiffon Cake ($2.50), Banana Yoghurt Loaf (healthy bake) ($4.50), along with Banana-Oatmeal Waffles ($7 for half portion, $12 for full portion).

The cakes are baked in house, with flavours of the chiffon and pound cakes rotated throughout the week. Little Oasis (Everton Park)

Wild Wood Café
598 Yishun Ring Road #01-51/52 Wisteria Mall Singapore 768698
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm (Mon – Fri), 8:00am – 10pm (Sat, Sun, PH), Last orders 9:30pm

Under-The-Radar Brunch Café At Yishun
Wild Wood is a simple, bistro-styled café tucked away in level 1 of Wisteria Mall, the same mall where PocoLoco is located.

The food items are what you may call the “standard café items”, with offerings of all-day breakfast sets, burgers and pasta and savoury waffles combinations.

Choices available include Classic Breakfast Set ($11.80), French Toast ($8.80), Ham & Cheese Sandwich ($8.80), Beef Bolognese Pasta ($13.80), Tukey Bacon Aglio Olio ($11.80), and Wild Chicken Carbonara ($10.80).

The Classic Breakfast Set ($11.80) came with toast, mixed salad, eggs and a choice of meat. The portion was not bad for the price, considered reasonable for café pricing in Singapore. Wild Wood Café (Yishun)

Micro Bakery & Kitchen
Serene Centre 10 Jalan Serene #01-05 Singapore 258748
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

Artisanal Bakery at Bukit Timah
Micro Bakery and Kitchen has taken over the space left behind by The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough (unfortunately they have closed).

Their previous partner has continued the business, while maintaining the same philosophy of making small batch, hand-made breads.

Their breads are naturally leavened using organic and sustainable flour, using natural ingredients and no additives.

From 9:30am to 3pm, you can also get your fill on sandwiches such as Grilled 3-cheese with Sauerkraut ($12) Charred Cauliflower ($12); Mushroom Tartine ($10), or House Ricotta ($12).

Look out at the board for fresh bakes of the day. Microbakery Bakery & Kitchen (Bukit Timah)

Nexus Coffee
10 Anson Road, International Plaza #01-15 Singapore 079903
Opening hours: 7.30am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), Closed, Sat, Sun, PH

Coffee & Matcha Place With Good Vibes At Tanjong Pagar
Nexus Coffee is the CBD outpost for Community Coffee Bar located at Far East Plaza.

Coffees served at both cafes are roasted themselves in small batches, to highlight the qualities that are unique to each coffee’s varietal, processing method and origin.

There are seasonal single origin coffees for both espresso and filter selections, which change every 2 to 3 weeks depending on the harvest season and availability.

They are currently featuring a washed Red Bourbon varietal from Finca El Tambor (Guatemala) for espresso-based drinks, which include White ($4.50, $5.50), Black ($4, $5), and Mocha ($5). Nexus Coffee (International Plaza)

Kebun: Specialty Tea Latte Bar
Blk 531 Upper Cross Street #01-41 Singapore 050531
Tel: +65 90098375
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

1st Vegan Latte Cafe in Singapore
Kebun should be considered the first vegan tea and coffee latte bar in Singapore, located at Block 531 Upper Cross Street.

The drinks are dairy-free, made using handcrafted cashew mylk made fresh daily.

Some of the signatures offered include Kebun’s Earl Grey Latte ($5), A Date with Chat Latte ($5), Royal Thai Latte ($5), Violet Sweet Potato Latte ($5.50), Seoul Misugaru Latte ($5.50), and Kyoto Matcha Green Latte ($5.50).

There are occasional seasonal drinks such as the Ondeh Ondeh Latte ($5.00). Kebun Tea Bar (Upper Cross Street)

Jenjudan 珍煮丹
CityLink Mall, 1 Raffles Link, Singapore 039393
(Opening March 2019)

Looks like Brown Sugar Milk Tea is continuing its wave, with another famous Taiwanese brand arriving in Singapore in March 2019.

Some of you may be familiar with Jenjudan 珍煮丹, which has sizable lines in both its Taipei and Hong Kong stores.

Its first location in Singapore is set to be at CityLink Mall.

The brand started out at the Shilin Night Market way back in 2010, specialising in Brown Sugar Pearl Milk drinks.

It has evolved to be quite a popular chain well-known for this particular style drink.

Therefore, Brown Sugar beverages is likely to take up half of the menu, and may take Taiwan’s cue with the offerings of the basic Brown Sugar Jelly, Brown Sugar Lemon, to Brown Sugar Pudding Milk, and Brown Sugar Glass Jelly Milk.

Stay tuned here.

Other Related Entries
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore February 2019
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore January 2019
10 NEW Restaurants Singapore January 2019

Compiled by * Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary, Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, and Song Yu @__sy_g.

The post 10 NEW Cafes In Singapore March 2019 – Famous Taiwan Bubble Tea Jenjudan, Hidden Patisserie Near Tiong Bahru appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Talk about the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore, and Chomp Chomp Food Centre comes to mind.

Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee 亚福炒福建虾面 is considered the champ among many regulars in Serangoon; while there are also supporters for Chia Keng Fried Hokkien Mee (Stall #11 at Chomp Chomp) or Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle 小弟炒虾面 (at 153 Serangoon North Ave 1).

Hokkien Mee is one of those local hawker food that I treasure more: Because these stalls are typically “one-man-shows” cooked by old hawkers, many of them do not have an apprentice to hand over their skills and business to.

The stall is also listed in the “Michelin Plate” guide. (The Michelin Plate or L’Assiette Michelin is a new designation worldwide, a symbol that indicates “restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food.”)

There is always a long queue here, so be prepared for the long wait of at least 30 – 45 minutes while uncle whips up your order.

On peak hour weekends, it can go up to an hour or more. (In that kind of heat, people around may get slightly short-tempered, so stay patient.)

Their Fried Hokkien Mee ($3, $4, $5) is a mixture of thick yellow noodles and thin bee hoon noodles combined with prawns and squid and simmered in a rich prawn-flavoured broth.

Served with sambal chili (very delicious) and calamansi.

Compared to other Hokkien Mee stalls, this rendition is not too watery – considered one of the drier ones I tried, and the sauce clings to the noodles.

What I liked about the plate: The base was rich; the prawns fresh and you could still taste its natural sweetness.

The portion was not bad as well.

If you love lard, you will be in for a shock since there are none of those crispy bits added.

Surprisingly (fans don’t come and scold me ah), I thought there could have been more wok-hei and so it lacked of that “wow” factor”. Perhaps it has to be with the hour I went – gone down quite late to avoid a long queue.

Overall, a well-balanced plate in terms of flavours and ‘stickiness’.

Long-time diners here rate Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles as the best among all the Hokkien Mee stalls, though taste is always subjective.

Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee 亚福炒福建虾面
20 Kensington Park Road, #01-27 Chomp Chomp Food Centre, Singapore 557269
Opening Hours: 5:30pm – 12am (Mon, Wed – Sun); Closed Tues

Other Related Entries
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee (ABC Food Centre)
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee (Tiong Bahru)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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During the recent years, we have seen quite a number of “London Duck” and Roast Duck specialty restaurants opening up in Singapore.

What makes Duckland different is its offering of BOTH Roast Irish Duck, and other Asian and Western duck delicacies in a casual setting.

Therefore, you get culinary influences from both the East and West.

It is no wonder as this duck specialty farm-to-fork concept is TungLok Group’s newest brand, as the Group has been quite forward in introducing contemporary restaurants to Singapore.

What’s special about Duckland is its use of “Silver Hill Duck”.

This is a unique and exclusive hybrid of Peking Duck and Aylesbury Duck, developed 50 years ago from 6 top-quality ducks at Silver Hill Farm in Ireland.

Popularly known as ‘London Duck’ as it is served in 98% of London’s Chinese restaurants, this breed is called ‘Irish Duck’ at Duckland in honour of its origin country.

Bred for its density and porous skin, Irish Ducks are succulent, tender, full of flavour, and consistent in quality because of the care given in breeding and raising them.

These birds are raised in a sprawling 5-km radius farm in a temperature-controlled modern barn, fed a diet of wheat, maize and soy that makes their meat more aromatic, and only drink clean spring water.

For duck lovers, Duckland’s signature dishes include Roast Irish Duck, Duck Confit & Waffle, Duck Broth, Duck Fried Rice, Spaghetti Duck Bolognese, Duck Liver Terrine, and Duck Pie.

If you are wondering about what else there is on the menu, non-duck dishes are also available using excellent Irish produce, such as Charcoal-grilled Baby Back Ribs, Irish Lamb Stew, Bacon Cabbage & Colcannon, and Irish Oysters.

Looking for a duckadent and seducktive meal? Here are 12 of the recommended dishes and desserts at Duckland:

Roast Irish Duck ($50++ Whole Duck, $28++ Half Duck)
As the core item in the menu, the Roast Irish Duck is a non-negotiable must-try item, talked about for its melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Massaged with herbs, spices, and wine, and roasted in a combi-oven, the duck yields a beautiful crisp amber skin while the meat has locked in its juices.

The meat-to-fat ratio is most ideal, resulting in a succulent duck deep in umami flavour.

Served in sliced portions, the Roast Irish Duck is accompanied with three kinds of dipping sauces: raspberry sauce, Sriracha, and yellow mustard. (Tip: There was this special soy-based dish which went totally well with the duck meat. Ask for it.)

You can try them all or none at all – let the purist in you savour the natural flavour of a genuine Irish Duck.

Duck Confit & Waffle ($20++)
You get many Chicken & Waffles in Singapore, but Duck Confit & Waffles continue to be less commonly found.

Perhaps one of the best versions in Singapore, Duckland’s Duck Confit & Waffle is simple yet executed well.

A whole duck leg enveloped in a crispy skin is heaving with duck fat flavour.

Served with a soft, golden-brown buttermilk waffle topped with sunny-side up egg, and a small bowl of maple syrup on the side.

Drizzle the sweet, buttery sauce all over the duck, egg, and waffle and let all the aroma, flavours, and textures come together before digging in. Note: The waffles are on the light and fluffier side, though I think Singaporeans generally prefer a more buttery and denser version.

(I found the Duck Confit to be particularly both crisp on the outside and fork tender, then Duckland should consider serving a Duck Confit dish.)

Duck Fried Rice ($10++)
Duckland’s fried rice dish uses diced Roast Irish Duck, sweet corn, zucchini and garlic. It is like your typical Chinese-style fried rice, but with added flavours and ingredients.

I hear this is the most popular dish among families.

Before stir-frying, the steamed rice’s fragrance is enhanced with duck fat to make it more robust and aromatic.

Spaghetti Duck Bolognese ($13++)
Classic favourite prepared with hand-chopped minced duck and homemade Bolognese sauce.

Rich and comforting.

Tomato-Pineapple Duck Pie, and Black Pepper Duck Pie ($6++ each)
There are 2 types of pies in Duckland, this savoury pie made with puffed pastry is filled with a blend of minced duck meat, and onions.

One’s served with tomato and tangy-pineapple, the other with black pepper sauce. Between the two, I preferred the former which had an interesting sweet-fruity taste, while I thought that the black pepper spiciness could have been more pronounced.

Baked till crisp, and best when eaten hot.

Duck Wings ($8++)
This needs some getting used to and may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Perhaps because we are so used to chicken wings.

The outer layer was crisp, beer-battered to give that extra flavour, but may not be as juicy and meaty as what you would expect. Would go well with some Irish beers.

Irish Lamb Stew ($22++)
While old-fashioned Irish stew is made with mutton, onions and potatoes only, this version comes with cubes of lamb shoulder with fats trimmed off and additional chopped carrots and celery.

Seasoned with whole garlic, white peppercorns, herbs and spices, this hearty and filling stew has the tenderness of lamb minus its often-gamey taste.

The broth has a subtle heat from the peppercorns and carries a hint of thyme.

The Irish Lamb Stew, Ireland’s national dish, is the epitome of comfort food, perfect for any cold-weathered day.

Bacon, Cabbage & Colcannon ($20++)
Commonly enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day, colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that combines mashed potatoes with old-fashioned bacon slices and lightly cooked, chopped cabbage.

Colcannon or cál ceannann is Irish for “white headed cabbage”.

This version uses kale in the creamy mashed potato, flavoured with milk, butter, salt and pepper.

Fresh Juicy Oysters (Seasonal price for half dozen or a dozen)
Indulge in big bold ocean flavours with these large, fresh oysters air-flown from 4 of the best sources in the world: France, Australia, Ireland, and Canada.

As this is a seasonal item, price and availability may vary.

Good Ol’ Fish & Chips ($18++)
Using locally sourced barramundi fish and its mildly sweet and clean-tasting fillets, this hot classic English dish uses duck fat to deep-fry the breaded fish and potato fries until golden brown.

Served with home-made tartar sauce using Japanese mayo.

Apple Crumble ($10++)
Leave room for some traditional Irish desserts. The Apple Crumble, made with cored and chopped Granny Smith apples, is tossed in lemon juice and sprinkled with sugar.

The crumble topping, a breadcrumb-like mixture of flour, sugar, and butter, is spread over the apples before baking.

The result is a nicely browned crumble and bubbling apples. Served hot and fresh from the oven, topped with a cold scoop of ice cream for that warm-plus-cold sensation.

Whiskey Cake ($10++)
This boozy dessert is a reinterpretation of the classic whiskey-spiked Irish coffee but in a cake form.

Made with chocolate and Irish whiskey, this dish is the sweet ending to your Irish-inspired, duck-centric meal at Duckland.

There is a selection of beverages to complement the food.

There is both non-alcoholic selections like refreshing signature Fizzy Lemonades, and alcoholic beverages like specialty Irish beers and whiskeys.

Duckland is conveniently located at the basement of United Square Shopping Mall, and the mall has direct access underground from Novena MRT station.

Duckland
United Square Shopping Mall, 101 Thomson Road, #B1-09 & 64/65 Singapore 307591
Tel: +65 6259 5668
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last Order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Duckland.

The post Duckland – Singapore’s 1st Roast Duck & Duck Delicacies Specialty Restaurant, At Novena United Square appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[London] They have been called “a London must-do”, serving “the most amazing all day breakfast” and brunches.

Whether you are reminiscing about your teenage years in the 80’s or simply looking to experience some exciting pop culture, The Breakfast Club Café seems the perfect place to walk down memory lane and have a good time.

These cafés are not too difficult to find either.

There are Breakfast Club Cafés all around London from Battersea, London Bridge, Oxford, to Spitalfields.

We visited both the Soho flagship outlet (at D’Arblay Street where it all began in 20015), and the branch cozily located within trendy Camden Passage in Angel Islington, a place where one tends to visit for brilliant coffee brews, great artisanal handicrafts and a jovial summer vibe.

Expect a line when you get there. These cafes are exceedingly popular and you will soon understand why.

Bright, colorful, saturated with popular cultural references and intriguing ornaments and memorabilia.

The Breakfast Club always finds a way to make you feel better even at your best, creating a welcome atmosphere to bring family and friends.

The atmosphere is lively, so too are the staff, who seem to fit right into the excitement and energy.

When we waited in the line, a few of them came outside to chat or even hand out cups of water, making us feel like the 20-30 minutes we waited was not that long after all.

Though the menu selections are winningly eclectic, Breakfast Club try to keep things relevant to the vibrant theme.

They do the classics, things like an Eggs Benedict (£9.50), Berry Pancakes (£9.50) or Avocado on Rye (£7.00), but they also do awe-inspiring takes on them, like the incredible Huevos al Benny (£10.50) which I ordered, gluten free ‘beauregarde’ pancakes (£9.50), and stuff like Chorizo Hash (£9.00).

Within the Huevos al Benny, you get two poached eggs on English muffins with a smattering of peppers, avocado, chillies and a gloriously rich hollandaise sauce.

The most exciting thing about this dish for me was the choice between fried chicken or chorizo for my meat.

For me, fried chicken was a no-brainer!

Keep in mind as well that this place is no light-eating place either.

The portions here are hearty and wholesome, making sure to satisfy you to the utmost before you leave.

My Huevos was absolutely delicious with its wonderful flavor profile, but its size was definitely not for the faint hearted.

For first timers, the server recommended The Full Monty (£10.95), a mighty breakfast-ensemble of eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, fried potatoes, mushrooms, beans and toast.

I reckon it is called “FULL” Monty because that it how you will fill after finishing that plate.

There were some items I enjoyed in that plate, from the creamy scrambled eggs, juicy sausage (they are cut in half so you may not enjoy that burst in the mouth), and sautéed mushrooms.

The others were on the average side.

Some diners choose to burst their calories on their Pancakes & Berries (£9.50) and it is not difficult to understand why.

Come in a tall stack of fluffy fours, the sorcery was not only in the pancakes but in that delicious sweet cream.

After my food, I could not think of having any more to eat.

Your eyes will definitely be hungrier than your belly because of all the amazing plates moving from kitchen to table.

With a hot chocolate and black coffee, I took in the scene around me and let everything settle.

It came in a cute mug that mirrored the breakfast club vibe, nothing too special, but one doesn’t necessarily come here for the coffee anyway.

The Breakfast Club Café is definitely one of the ‘in’ hangout spots around the city, and definitely demands a visit if you are in the area and fancy a brunch.

The Breakfast Club – Soho
33 D’Arblay Street London W1F 8EU
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 10pm (Sat), 8am – 7pm (Sun)
Google Maps – The Breakfast Club Soho

The Breakfast Club – Angel
31 Camden Passage, London N1 8EA
Opening Hours: 8:00am – 11:00pm (Sun-Wed) 8:00am – 11:00pm (Thurs- Sat)
https://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/locations/angel/
Google Maps – The Breakfast Club Angel

Click HERE for other LONDON Food Entries

* Written by DFD’s London Food Correspondent Leander Dias SaltyCritic and Daniel Ang. Photos by Daniel Ang. Leander Dias was born and raised in Dubai, a burgeoning city with diverse food culture. Since moving to London to read for his English MA at UCL, he has utterly immersed himself in the local food scene, writing extensively about everything he eats everywhere he goes. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post The Breakfast Club – Probably London’s Most Popular All-Day Breakfast & Brunch Place appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The little joke we had about this Hokkien Mee stall is that even if we 天天来 (come daily), it doesn’t’ 天天开 (open daily).

Operating since 1968, Come Daily 天天来炒福建虾面 is one of the popular stalls at Toa Payoh Lor 1 that serve up Fried Hokkien Mee.

Some may just rate it as the best in Singapore, and the Michelin Guide has also listed it in the guide with a Michelin Plate.

This small hawker centre consists of only 40 stalls, yet the food on offer is more than satisfying. It also has an interesting configuration, divided into four sections.

After renovations the last year, the Come Daily stall has a revamped signage, bigger menu, and the previous hawker-owner has passed on the roles of cooking to the next generation.

Other than the $4, $5, $8, and $10 plate, there is also an $18 option which is good for 3 to 4 persons. (Order it and let me know.)

If you come during peak-hour weekends, the waiting time can be from 45 minutes to an hour. However, you will be given a buzzer so you can spend the time eating at other stalls. (Tip: You can also make a call +65 9671 7071 to pre-order.)

Their Hokkien Prawn Mee is fried with a combination of rice noodles and egg noodles with prawns as the main protein ingredient, topped with bits of pork crackling.

It is worth nothing the fresh pork lard is cooked every day, as some people really go after this.

I remember that in the past, the texture was a lot creamier and stickier, while the current plate seems to be soupier / wetter, and could do with slightly more wok-hei

At least the noodles itself is infused with the prawn and pork broth, imparting a rich and mildly-sweet flavour.

Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 天天来炒福建虾面
Blk 127, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh #02-27, Singapore 310127
Tel: +65 9671 7071
Opening Hours: 8am – 2:30pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/comedailyfhpm

Other Related Entries
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee (ABC Food Centre)
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee (Tiong Bahru)
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee (Serangoon Garden)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Come Daily – Popular Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee At Toa Payoh, With Michelin Recommendation appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Do not confuse this with the Hainanese chicken restaurant Boon Tong Kee.

This is a popular Braised Duck stall 文通记粿汁卤鸭 also serving Kway Chap, located at Zion Riverside Food Centre opposite Great World City.

If you have been to Zion Riverside Food Centre, the usual suspects with long lines are No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow, Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle, Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Xin Fei Fei Wanton Noodles, and this.

The stall is also listed in the “Michelin Plate” guide. (The Michelin Plate or L’Assiette Michelin is a new designation worldwide, a symbol that indicates “restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food.”)

Kway Chap is a Teochew dish that combines kway, flat rice noodle sheets and chap – a rich soy sauce-based gravy.

It is accompanied with an assortment of ingredients like pig parts like innards and skin, pork-belly, fish cake, hard-boiled eggs, tau pok, and tofu, all braised together in the sauce.

Bong Toon Kee’s slurp-worthy version of Kway Chap ($10 for 2, $15 for 3) comes with a generous portion of well-cleaned offal (small and large pork intestines), braised duck meat, braised eggs, tau pok (fried bean curd) and tofu.

If you are dining alone, there is an individual set priced at $3.50, worthy for its price for the generous portion also included with pieces of duck.

Interesting to note is that recipes developed by the owner Madam Yang, derived from the internet and through experimentation instead of being some age old family recipe

The intestines won’t give you that the ‘off’ smell, as they take time to clean then carefully before braising them in a thick gravy made from dark soy sauce, meat stock and aromatic Chinese herbs.

The kway was smooth and silky, and gives a nice mouthfeel.

Good to know that they offer 2 types of chili sauce, the watery type (best for the kway and tau pok) and the thick type for the meats. Add a mix of the 2 to intensify the heat.

As for the Braised Duck Rice ($3.50, $4.50 for set), the braised duck would be soaked in the salty braising sauce, moderately-tender and flavourful.

The thing was that the duck was not as soft as some of the top stalls elsewhere in Singapore, and had a slight gamey taste.

But matched with the flavourful rice and soup with strong herbal aroma, I thought that the overall combination was quite decent.

I would recommend ordering the Braised Duck Rice set ($4.50) which comes with tau kwa, braised hard boil egg, and preserved vegetables.

Aside from the Braised duck, the Braised Pork with preserved vegetables (mei cai kou rou) and Duck Noodles are also very popular.

Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap Braised Duck 文通记粿汁卤鸭
70 Zion Road #01-24 Zion Riverside Food Centre, Singapore 247792
Tel: +65 9184 9881
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Thurs – Tue), Closed Wed
https://www.facebook.com/singaporekwaychap

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I admit I am more of a “Tiong Bahru boy”, and so grew up eating Jian Bo Shui Kueh (and home-made ones), and so all other versions of Chwee Kueh only appeared later in my life.

It was only much I experienced and appreciated the likes of Bedok Chwee Kueh, Chwee Kueh at Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre, and Xiang Xiang Chwee Kueh at Whampoa Drive.

Ghim Oh Chwee Kueh 李老三 is also one of the “Chwee Kueh legends”, with loyal customers and a long history since 1959.

The stall is also listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide with the L’Assiette Michelin or Michelin Plate (but not Bib Gourmand yet).

For the uninitiated, Chwee Kueh 水粿is a type of steamed rice cake topped with radish relish. Chwee (water) refers to the puddle of water on top of each freshly-steamed rice cake.

The stall 李老三 at Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre #01-54 is run by Mr. Lee who has been making Chwee Kueh since he was 8, helping his mother and brother in pushing their street food cart.

He learned the recipe from his mother and, up to now, insists on making Chwee Kueh still the old-fashioned way with no short-cuts.

They say he spends 16 hours a day making Chwee Kueh!

Each piece is priced at 40 cents here, with a minimum order of 4 pieces (ie $1.60 for 4).

Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh uses garlic and pork lard (instead of vegetable oil) which make their cai po (preserved radish) more fragrant.

The radish is the chunkier-than-usual type, and this make the radish chewier in texture.

Compared to the Jian Bo and Bedok styles I was used to, this was quite distinctly different, with the cai po being more salty-savoury than sweet. Also, there are no sesame seeds to be found.

Therefore, some customers may choose to go easy on the cai po as it can be strong, a bit salty and greasy. As for the condiments, Mr. Lee’s chili sauce is spicy and salty.

The draw for me was the Kueh itself, steamed in aluminium moulds (they used to have ceramic ones).

The texture was soft yet slightly firm, and so not overly-wobbly, that was good enough to eat with just a dab of cai po and chilli.

One of the most nostalgic experience you can have with Chwee Kueh.

Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh 李老三
Blk 20, Ghim Moh Road #01-54, Singapore 270020
Opening Hours: 6:15am – 6:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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[Bangkok] There is a no lack of “instagrammable” cafes in Bangkok, with many coffee places being creative from interior to menu offerings, but KOF does manage to edge out.

Just think about it, a small coffee shop right at the hipster Thong Lor neighbourhood, set in the middle of the garden, with large glass windows, primary white Scandinavian-contemporary interior.

Yet right next to a shopping mall.

And add latte and matcha in a chocolate cone.

There you have it, KOF screams come take your Instagram photos here, for both food and human beings.

The café started as a pop-up concept at the lobby of SO Sofitel Bangkok, and has been attracting foodies to this newer outlet right next to J Avenue Mall.

The signature “KOF Kone” (130 baht, SGD5.50) is made of a waffle cone, with Belgian chocolate lined in the interior, then filled with latte, matcha latte, or hot chocolate.

Its recommended way of having it is to take picture, use straw to drink, and finish it within 10 minutes.

Yes, most instagrammers would say how beautiful the place and ‘drink’ are, that they are having the time of their lives, but perhaps they left out details that this chocolate drink could spill on their dress all so easily.

You do know what happens when cone and chocolate come together with a hot drink, right?

But to be fair, the barista doing it had nifty fingers and placed it carefully on the holder.

As the sun rays shone upon the chocolate-filled cone, it did look like a beauty – granted many cafes did attempt to serve latte in cones, but not all execute this well.

If you are a coffee-coffee drinker, then this is obviously not your thing.

I thought that while it was like a mocha drink, the sweetness of melted chocolate overpowered the taste of the coffee towards the end.

Drinks wise, there is a variety of colourful drinks from Marocchino (Mocha with chocolate curls), Ruby Fizz, Isaphan Fizz, Popcorn Tea Latte, Red Americano (Americano with pomegranate and cranberry), and Coffee Pudding Latte.

All are priced from 120 – 135 baht (SGD5.10 – 5.75), coming in dual or tri-coloured combinations.

The Thong Lor exclusives are the Camo Latte (Matcha Latte with Chocolate Pudding) and Cocoa Camo (Belgian Chocolate with Matcha Pudding), both priced at 135 baht.

While the chocolate could come across being rich and thick, and a tad smaller proportion could work better, this still makes a smooth refreshing thirst quencher for the summer.

Great place to people watch. (Sometimes fashionable) People come in, take loads of photos, take a sip of something, then go away. Always fascinating to see them in action.

KOF
323 J Avenue Mall, Sukhumvit Soi 55 Bangkok Thailand (BTS Thong Lor)
Tel +66 99 150 6301
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Google Maps – KOF Thonglor

So Sofitel Bangkok, North Sathorn Road, Bangkok
Opening Hours: 7am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

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Click HERE for other BANGKOK Food Entries

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Pancakes are happy food, they can temporary make you forget about the stress from work. Okay, not when you got to wait a long time for them.

Belle-Ville Pancake Cafe from Osaka Japan has opened at 100AM Mall, which joins the other Japanese counterparts such as Don Don Donki, Nadai Fujisoba Ni-Hachi, Ramen Keisuke Tori King and Monster Curry.

It replaced the space previously occupied by Tsujiri.

The OLs working around let a gasp of ”Pancakes!” when they walked past, with their brighten eyes of curiosity, and this should certainly pack in the crowds during peak hours.

Have a ramen, buy some snacks from Don Don Donki, bread from Pullman Bakery, and end with pancakes from Belle-Ville.

Such is a ‘Japanese’ life there.

The pancake café is known for its meringue made-to-order mille-feuille (French for “thousand layers”) pancakes, included with homemade whipped Hokkaido cream, stacked from 2 to 8 layers.

Offerings include Strawberry and Mixed Berry Pancake, Mango Pancake, Grilled Apple with Homemade Caramel Pancake, Matcha with Rice Ball and Red Bean Pancake, and Chocolate with Grilled Banana Pancake, priced from $11.90 to $16.20.

What makes their pancakes so fluffy include the usage of fresh milk, and they are made fresh-to-order.

I had the Chocolate and Grilled Banana Pancakes ($12.20 for 4 pieces, $16.20 for 8 pieces), topped with light torched bananas and chocolate sauce.

A word of caution that IF you are in a rush for the next meeting, then you would want to consider coming another time.

Even though the café was not that crowded when I ordered, my pancakes still took about half an hour to arrive (plus my order was wrong).

Order the 8 and they would be stacked up like a column of fluffiness, though mine quickly leaned to the side like the Tower of Pisa.

These pancakes were indeed moist and soft, with bananas blended into the batter, the interesting part was a half-cooked centre.

Ah, that warm, soft, fuzzy feeling.

Even though I added ice cream, I thought the scoop could be fuller as there was not enough chocolate sauce and nuts to go with the stack.

There are many pancake cafes in Singapore, and I do think Belle-Ville does offer some of the best out there. If only they can improving on their speed and system.

Belle-Ville Pancake Café – Tanjong Pagar
100AM Mall 01-14b, 100 Tras Street, Singapore 079027
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 9pm Last Order 8.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Belle-Ville Pancake Cafe – Bugis
Bugis Junction #01-01B, Towers 230 Victoria Street Singapore 188024
Tel: +65 6255 5456
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

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

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You do not get many stalls selling this particular soup-style of Bak Chor Mee aka Minced Pork Noodles in other parts of Singapore, but only around Bedok.

The OG of it all is Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面 at Bedok 85 Fengshan Market & Food Centre.

Not forgetting about the other popular stalls selling Bak Chor Mee in Soup such as Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee (its next door ‘competitor’ stall), Ah Poh Minced Meat Noodles (same food centre behind), 58 Minced Meat Mee (Bedok 58), Chai Chee Minced Meat Noodle (216 Bedok North Street 1) – just to name a few.

A Teochew-origin dish, Bak Chor Mee is traditionally made of mee pok (flat egg noodles) or mee kia (thin egg noodles) and minced pork altogether, in which the noodles are simply tossed in pork lard, vinegar and chili, and served with soup on the side.

One of the most known stalls to sell the dry version is the Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles at Crawford Lane.

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian has been in business since 1968 as a roadside stall at Changi, and moved to the current Fengshan Food Centre during 1976.

Look at the stall on the left, with white bowls and floral patterns, orange chopsticks.

It is listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide with the L’Assiette Michelin or the Michelin Plate. (You will see the plate icon beside the name of the establishment.)

Their style of Bak Chor Mee ($3.00, $4.00) is a simple, unassuming bowl of comfort yet the flavour combination of its inhouse-made egg noodles, meatballs, minced meat, chopped red chili, and light savoury pork broth work very well.

And they DO NOT offer a DRY version at all.

The noodles had a pleasurable, springy QQ texture with an al-dente-like bite, that would go so well with the soup. Well, there was a mild alkaline taste that I wasn’t too bothered at all.

The draw to me was the clear soup – it looked deceivingly light but was really flavoursome. It had that interesting sweet tinge.

You would find finely-grinded minced meat floating around or hidden beneath the noodles.

They do not come in big clumps, but ‘blended’ within the broth, with crunches of pork lard and fried garlic adding light fragrance.

I was more indifferent with the more generic-tasting pork balls – they were okay. Somehow Ah Poh (the stall behind) had softer balls that caught me by surprise.

Overall, I usually go for Xing Ji because somehow the soup had more dimension, added with that comforting, warming effect.

Bedok residents would say that they could be inconsistent or used to taste much better. And of course there are fans of the other Bak Chor Mee Soup stalls, especially its neighbour Seng Hiang.

Maybe one day I will buy all 3 and try it at one go.

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian 兴记肉脞面
Blk 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-07 Fengshan Market and Food Centre, Singapore 460085
Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 12:30am (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Thurs

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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[Jakarta] What does Roti Baso and Soto Mie have in common?

Well, they all are served in Henis, a well-known brand for “Roti Baso Ayam” in Jakarta.

Who would have thought that a bakery, would be famous for its Soto Mie as well?

“Roti Baso” which translates to “meatball bread” is one of many popular varieties bread in Indonesia, easily found in almost every bakery store.

There are usually two varieties available, the Baso Ayam (chicken) and Baso Sapi (beef) which consist of usually minced/grounded chicken or beef seasoned with spices and sweet soy sauce.

Baso Ayam usually tends to be sweeter side, while Baso Daging is on the savoury-peppery side.

I have been patronizing Roti Henis since many years ago, usually purchasing these goodies via a small counter inside a mall.

The process made me assume that they are homemade, then shipped out to these counters to be sold.

Little did I know that, they actually had a bakery store.

Strange, I walked into a fully functioning restaurant, with not a single bread in sight.

Turned out that there are two stories, the lower level dedicated to a restaurant while the upper level is the “bakery”.

Still curious with the bakery, I went upstairs only to find a small counter on a side selling their famed Roti Baso Ayam in boxes, along with local Indonesian snacks and traditional kueh.

The Soto Mie (IDR45k, SGD4.50) is Henis’ signature dish.

Portion-wise, it was as pretty-generous, filled with a huge chunks of beef slices, crispy risol (spring roll), potatoes and topped with emping (melinjo crackers).

The broth was rich and flavorful, with a hint of sourness, enhanced with a few dashes of sambal.

Love their chewy egg noodles too.

The Mie Goreng (IDR40k, SGD4.00) was filled with aromatic wok-hei, with generous filling such as prawns, beansprouts, meatballs and fishcakes.

Simple yet flavorful. Loved that they using “flat noodle” instead of the round and thick ones.

The Nasi Goreng (IDR40k, SGD4.00) was almost perfect, fried with meatballs, prawns, added with sliced chilli skin that totally added that “oomph”.

Grains were were not lumpy as well, easily one of the best I tried in town.

Ask any Jakarta people which is the best Roti Baso around, and the majority should reply “Henis”, even though there are many copycat versions around.

The famed Roti Baso (IDR10k, SGD1.00 per piece) had sweet and generous fillings – finely-chopped minced chicken seasoned with some spices and sweet soy sauce.

Even though sometimes I find it slightly on the sweet side, they are freshly made, with almost consistent standards across the years.

It is such a common sight to see hundred boxes stacked on top of each other waiting to be picked up at their stores (counters at malls or at their bakery).

It is so famous that these boxes can be resold at much higher prices online, yet people are willing to purchase them.

Unofficially, Henis Roti Baso has become Jakarta’s souvenir gifts for travelers and local alike.

Henis Bakery & Restaurant
Jl. Raya Mangga Besar No 27, Jakarta Barat, 11180
Tel: +6221 629 6501
Opening Hours: 7am – 9:30pm (Mon – Fri, Sun), 7am – 9pm (Sat)
Google Maps – Henis

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Click HERE for other JAKARTA Food Entries

* Written by DFD͛’s Jakarta Food Correspondent Wilson Wangsawinata @iknowhowtoeat who loves exploring NEW food places in both Indonesia and Singapore. DFD pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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