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[NEW] From hawker stall to restaurant. Popular prawn noodle stall Wah Kee from Pek Kio Food Centre has expanded, with its first restaurant at The Esplanade.

There are recent signs of hawkers going upmarket. Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle at Smith Street is one of the most obvious example.

The benefits are clear – more room for expansion into many outlets, economies of scale, opportunities to go international, and very possibly as the inspectors are making their round… The converted Michelin Star or at least the Bib Gourmand.

The choice of The Esplanade as Wah Kee’s first flagship outlet, also signals a location that is more internationally recognised, with traffic from both locals and travellers.

Here’s the catch 22 situation, and Nasi Lemak makers The Coconut Club can possibly identify.

A portion of local customers will still expect the same good taste as at the hawker stall, YET still at low affordable costs, PLUS the restaurant type of service.

Let me paint this scenario: Customers can go to Wah Kee the hawker stall, get ‘scolded’ by auntie, wait long long, but it would likely to be ‘okay’.

However, if you are Wah Kee the restaurant at The Esplanade, expected treatment and service will be different.

How to manage that? Certain mindset of consumers needs to be changed first. One step at a time. I am personally for paying more from a customer’s point of view, due to higher rental, labour cost, air con and service at a restaurant setting.

So the good news. In an air-conditioned setting, Wah Kee manages to keep their basic Prawn Noodles at $6, just a dollar more than at the hawker stall.

The signature Wah Kee Prawn Noodle With Large Sized Prawn (Dry/Soup) is priced the same at $20 both at Pek Kio and The Esplanade.

If I were to recommend, get the mee kia.

The noodles are specially made for Wah Kee and all base sauces such as the sambal chilli sauce and special spicy sauce are made in-house daily, using Wah Kee’s 65-year recipe.

The mee kia was long and thin with a pleasant chewy bite. My only reservation was that sauce could have been a tad much (maybe 20-30%?) in proportion to the noodle serving, and could be scaled back so that the combination mix won’t be so salty.

Soup was tasty and robust in flavours, yet not over in saltiness and sweetness (like some other prawn noodle stalls). Thumbs up.

However, after a 1.5 hours wait, my first bowl of prawns… turned out to be mushy and tasted undercooked. (There was another online review that also commented prawns were undercooked.)

Initially, I thought ”How could this be?”, took another bite, and went ”Oh no.”

I had to return the bowl. It was then explained that their large sized prawns were first cooked about 75%, and the returning 25% would be cooked after the hot broth was added in the pot.

Obviously, the last 25% wasn’t managed well.

So advice for customers, let your prawns soak in the soup even longer (This is coming from a food blogger who had to take a photo or two before eating.)

With that said, not many things went well for Wah Kee’s Day 1. The Singtel internet outage has affected Wah Kee’s ordering, processes and payment, and situations went kind of haywire (extremely long waiting, wrong orders etc).

Back to my earlier point, a hawker stall would have managed it by continuing to let customers queue for eternity or just say “Sold out!”, but customers would have different expectations for a restaurant.

Here are some recommendations if any restaurants face a similar scenario (Again, I am saying this from a customer’s point of view, and understand operations would have certain constraints):
– Get waiting customers seated inside, rather than stand in the heat.
– Communicate the issues with customers, both physically and on Facebook, because people not knowing would wonder, “What happened?”
– Serve customers in an order – the earlier customer should get served first than those who arrive later.
– Get waiting customers in the restaurant a complimentary drink, or least some water.
– Communicate expected waiting time, and perhaps leave the blaming game out from customers. They don’t need to know “it’s the government’s fault”.
– Communicate to people in the queue or even put an end to the queue line if key food items are already sold out.
– Not be afraid to be truthful with customers, especially if it is a legitimate reason. For example, if food items are likely to be delayed due to challenges, let customers understand than give an excuse “Sold out” when they have eyes to see that it was obviously not.

I genuinely think Wah Kee Prawn Noodles has what it takes to make it work, to present out local heritage food to broader horizons. But they probably got to iron out everything very soon.

Note: To better handle customers, Wah Kee Prawn Noodles at The Esplanade will only be serving the signature Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle and oysters from Canada till further updates.

Wah Kee Prawn Noodles
8 Raffles Avenue Esplanade Mall #01-13C Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63279187
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 2:30pm Last Order 2pm, 5pm – 10:30pm Last Order 10pm (Sun – Thurs)
11:00am – 2:30pm Last Order 2pm, 5pm – 11:30pm Last Order 11pm (Fri, Sat, Eve PH)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated. Food photos were taken in separate media session.

The post Wah Kee Prawn Noodles – From Hawker Stall To Restaurant At The Esplanade appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Tuk Tuk Cha is (one of) the more common Thai Milk Tea kiosk in Singapore, with 8 outlets (and counting) opened in various shopping malls. (WOW, keng mak, make big money.)

While most of the outlets are mainly for takeaways, the Suntec outlet (previously at level 2 had shifted to Basement 1, showcasing a more comprehensive menu from mains (Chinese La Mian) to desserts (Shibuya Toast) to drinks (Thai Milk Tea).

What? Eating Chinese La Mian with my Thai Milk Tea. Where did that come from?

This is the first collaboration between Love Mee with their Chinese La Mian (noodles) and she Tua Tuk Cha’s Thai Milk Tea and desserts.

The La Mian selection includes a total of 9 dishes priced between $5.80 and $10.80.

For the recommended dishes, they are mostly fusion of Thai and Chinese flavours – Tom Yum Seafood La Mian ($10.80), Claypot Mee Sua ($8.80) with a choice of Mala or Hot & Sour and Beef La Mian ($7.80).

Widely known as Lan Zhou La Mian (hand-pulled noodles), the noodles are freshly made and prepared in their open concept kitchen by Chef Liu, who had 16 years of experience working in Crystal Jade Singapore.

“Piak Piak” the startling sound echo-ed throughout the shopping mall as Chef Liu prepared the dough and pulled each noodle strand by strand.

Our favourite was the Beef La Mian ($7.80), a common dish in China.

The clear soup made with beef shank, spices and coriander was light and refreshing, which did not over-power and complemented well with the springy, al-dente noodle (the highlight of the dish).

While the Tom Yum Seafood La Mian ($10.80) might sound quirky with the choice of noodle used, the tom yum flavour leaned towards the spicy profile.

Not the type of tum yum we expected, we preferred a more balance of sour and spicy flavour though.

Just like all other Chinese restaurants, side dishes priced between $3.80 and $5.80 were available.

The sides dishes weren’t exceptional and included Pork Belly Pau ($4.80) that came in Original and Spicy flavours, 5 Spices Beef ($5.80), Floral Century Egg ($4.80) and Beancurd Strips ($3.80).

We enjoyed the Thai Milk tea selection with the option to choose our sugar level (finally!). Most of the drinks were available in 2 sizes: Regular and Large (at an additional $0.40- $0.60).

While Thai Milk Tea could be commonly seen everywhere these days, Tuk Tuk Cha’s version were well balanced, both in taste and texture.

At the entrance of my Tua Tua Cha, we noticed a selection of ordinary looking sandwiches ($3/ $3.20) that could easily disguised as those from supermarkets.

The owners revealed that they got their inspiration from Hong Rui Zhen (洪瑞珍), a popular Sandwich brand in Taiwan.

Our Taiwanese friend gave her stamp of approval for the Signature Ham Wholemeal ($3.20) with thin, fluffy omelette and light cream which tasted wholesome.

Diners will get to sit down and enjoy their noodles with a cup of coffee Thai Milk Tea, with the occasional fountain performance as entertainment at this outlet.

Tuk Tuk Cha
Suntec City #B1-173/174, 3 Temasek Boulevard Singapore 039593 (5-10 min walk from Promenade MRT)
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/tuktukchasg/

* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary Cafe Correspondent Nicholas Tan. Otherwise known as @stormscape, you can find photos of his cafe adventures on Instagram.

The post Tuk Tuk Cha & Love Mee – Have Chinese La Mian with Thai Milk Tea appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[REVIEW] When I first wrote about Kohaku Tendon at Suntec City, I commented that it was probably “one of the best around”. The post went viral, and the queue started forming.

The only regret? I didn’t get to try it again until now. Haha.

So when Tendon Kohaku opened its 2nd branch at 64 Circular Road near Boat Quay (bye bye Menya Samurai ZIN), I fast-fast went in line. 2nd customer to enter on Day 1, behind a Japanese customer.

Tendon, short for tempura donburi, is becoming one of the IN-food in Singapore, with Keisuke-owned Tendon Ginza Itsuki and MOF-operated Tensho gaining some traction.

Kohaku specialises in Edomae Tendon, where bowls of Hokkaido rice piled with tempura drizzled in a specially made sauce are served.

The options are straight forward – the signature Kohaku Tendon ($15), Vegetable Tendon ($14), Spicy Flavour ($15) and Vegetable Spicy Flavour ($14).

A set comes essentially with an additional bowl of udon, costs $4.50 more.

As to why it became so popular, I would attribute it to the tasty sauce, crispy tempura, generous portions, and somewhat of a social media trend.

The one bowl I would recommend would be the Kohaku Tendon Spicy Flavour ($15.00), filled with vegetable, chicken, prawn and other seafood, drizzled with slight sweetish-spicy tendon sauce.

There is an extra bottle on the side, if you would prefer a heavier touch on your rice.

The up side of the Boat Quay branch is it wasn’t that tempura smelly (yet). So going back to the office, colleagues won’t be able to tell where you been JUST by your ‘aroma’.

This time, the chicken breast served was much moister than the previous time, complete with a tender bite.

HOWEVER, I just didn’t experience that first-time ‘magic’ I had. The bowl felt lacking in something, perhaps the tempura overall this time wasn’t as crisp.

So conclusion, not as good as before. (Asked @stormscape who went during dinner, and he said the same thing.) Awwwwwww………………… WHY.

Unlike a ramen eatery, where I noticed most people would just slurp and go, customers did have to wait a while for orders to be served, and longer to consume the entire bowl.

Give and take. Come here before noon, and you might just get a spot. Otherwise, waiting outside in your tight executive wear in the hot sun, is no joke.

Tendon Kohaku Boat Quay
64 Circular Road #01-01 Singapore 049418
Tel: +65 6211 8311
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 4:00pm, 5:00pm – 10:00pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Tendon Kohaku – Popular Tendon Shop Opens 2nd At Boat Quay. Is It Still As Crisp? Emm… appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Old Hen Coffee Bar at Rangoon Road, the pioneer of the Cold Brew Coffee wave in Singapore, has opened their second nest along Owen Road, a 5 minutes walk from their first outlet.

Ideally, isn’t it better to open at a different location to attract a different crowd?

The new space is (much) bigger, equipped with a kitchen, a total of 30 seats: 20 seats at the dining area and 10 at the bar table.

Fear not Cold Brew fans, the new outlet has the same selection of Cold Brews in their signature beer bottles (no need to specially dabao from the first outlet).

Black ($6), White ($6.50), Cold Dark Cocoa ($6.50) and Cold Matcha Milk ($7).

Their mains include Roasted Tomato & Pancetta Soup ($8.50), Portobello Aglio Olio ($16.50), Salmon & Soba ($19) and Fish & Chips ($19).

While the dining menu has only 4 main dishes at the initial soft launch phase, I believe that they have the potential to go far as they already had a loyal crowd at Farrer Park.

Wow, this (Old) Hen lays really round and perfect egg to go with the pasta with anchovy, white wine, toasted almonds, chilli flakes in the Portobello Aglio Olio ($16.50).

While I enjoyed the overall slightly spicy kick, the pasta was a tad overcooked (with little firmness) and bland though.

Sides dishes such as Truffle Fries ($9) and Chilli Crab Fries ($12) were available, and the latter stood out more.

Topped with distinct chunks of crab meat with tze-char style chilli crab zhup (sauce), we could feel the spicy kick in each mouthful. Shiok!

The highlight was probably the Cold Matcha Milk ($7), with a price tag slightly higher than other bottled beverages.

I loved the milky, smooth matcha milk with a lingering green tea bitterness that wasn’t overwhelming.

Surprisingly, it tasted exactly like my favourite Haagen Dazs Matcha Ice Cream, melted (in a good way).

Café hoppers and food instagrammers should enjoy the new space at Old Hen Kitchen which can accommodate more people in air-conditioned comfort.

Looking forward to more food creations being hatched.

Old Hen Kitchen
127 Owen Road, Singapore 218931
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Mon, Wed-Fri), 10am – 6.30pm (Sat-Sun), Closed Tue
https://www.facebook.com/oldhencoffee/

* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary Cafe Correspondent Nicholas Tan @stormscape. Visit his instagram for all things [NEW].

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Have you already smelled Christmas in the air, or tasted Christmas?

If you have yet to book for your festive meals, or are still thinking of getting some ‘last minute’ takeaway food orders such as roasts or logcakes, consider LIME at PARKROYAL on Pickering.

I have been to LIME numerous times, and am happy to announce that I am not bored with their food selection yet. It seems like they keep updating their menu, while enhancing their signatures. Plus, the mood is typically vibrant and energetic.

So even if you go to their buffet now, and say during Christmas Day itself, expect varied specialty items.

So, the Christmas spread was so massive that I did not even know where to start..

To be short and sweet, I personally think there are 3 key highlights to the LIME Christmas Buffet:

– There are 4 flavours of Turkey itself (Apple and Cider, Onion and Sage, Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass and Galangal and Turkey Percik style). Even for non-Turkey fans, you may end up being a convert.

– For the logcakes, I find that they incorporate local flavours quite well, from Pandan Coconut Yule Log, Bandung and White Chocolate Raspberry, Durian Gula Melaka to Belgian Dark Chocolate with Yuzu Log Cake. My favourite was the Durian Gula Melaka for being balanced and not overwhelming, followed by the Pandan Coconut for its lightness.

– Quality ‘luxe’ ingredients. Not just laksa, but Maine Lobster Nonya Luxe-sa. The soup is a Lobster Bique with Cognac Cream, Mains include Cognac Flambéed Foie Gras, Roasted Wagyu Beef with Red Wine Jus, Foie Gras Torchon flambéed with Cognac (Live station) and Atlantic Salmon Fillet. You get the idea.

Here are some 12 of the highlights from LIME’s Festive Buffet Lunch and Dinner:

Roasted Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing served with Cranberry and Giblet Sauce

Honey Baked Ham with Apple Sauce

Honey Glazed Gammon Ham

Lobster Bisque with Cognac Cream

Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Glazed Asparagus and Orange Butter

Roasted Wagyu with Red Wine Jus

Apple and Clove Glazed Pork Loin

Foie Gras Torchon flambéed with Cognac (live station)

Pandan Coconut Yule Log

Chocolate and Yuzu Yule Log

Durian Gula Melaka Yule Log

Welcome Drink – Jiggly Lime

Other highlights:

Gourmet Gifts and Sweet Delights – A Wonder-full Celebration Set
Am actually planning to get this, super convenient to bring for the next pot-luck or Christmas party.

Lazy to cut and slice the turkey?

This ‘Wonder-full Celebration set’ comes with pre-carved and ready to serve items of 1.5kg Honey Baked Ham, 2.5kg Deboned Turkey (yeah, deboned), accompaniments of chestnut stuffing, seasonal vegetables, apple and cranberry sauces AND a special sampler trio of log cakes with a local twist.

Plus, you get to choose the flavour for their Whole Roasted Turkey or the Turkey featured in the celebration set.

The four available flavours are:
– Apple and Cider
– Onion and Sage
– Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass and Galangal
– Turkey Percik style

If you would like to get a full sized logcake, Durian with Gula Melaka Log Cake, Pandan with Coconut Yule Log, Belgian Dark Chocolate with Yuzu Log Cake, and Bandung and White Chocolate Raspberry Log Cake are available.

Very interesting flavours. Not a biggest fan of Durian, but I happened to like that soft, wobbly touch of the yellow durian log.

Festive Buffet Lunch and Dinner
From 2 December 2016 to 2 January 2017
Lunch: 12pm to 2:30pm | Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm

Lunch: Adult $58++, Child $39++
Dinner: Adult $78++, Child $49++
Super Lunch Sunday: $78++, $49++

The food highlights: Too many. Seafood on Ice – Tiger Prawns, Alaskan King Crab Legs, Scallops, Mussels and Clams, Roasted Wagyu Beef with Red Wine Jus, Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Glazed Asparagus and Orange Butter and Pandan Coconut Yule Log.

Champagne lovers can look forward to the Mumm Cordon Rouge, available at a special promotional price of SGD88++ with the festive buffet.

Christmas Eve Buffet Lunch and Dinner – 24 December 2016
Lunch: 12pm to 2:30pm | Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm

Lunch: Adult $68++, Child $44++
Dinner: Adult $128++, Child $74++ ($158++ for unlimited servings of Champagne, juices, wine and beer)

Christmas Day Brunch and Dinner – 25 December 2016
Lunch: 12pm to 2:30pm | Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm

Brunch: Adult $108++, Child $64++ ($158++ for unlimited servings of Champagne, juices wine and beer)
Dinner: Adult $108++, Child $64++ ($158++ for unlimited servings of Champagne, juices wine and beer)

There will be a dedicated carving station and dessert station serving traditional festive favourites such as Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing, Cranberries and Giblet Gravy, Pavlova, Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce, Chocolate Yuzu Log cake and Christmas Fruit Cake.

The food highlights: Freshly Shucked Pacific Ocean Oysters, Alaskan King Crabs on Ice, Maine Lobster Nonya Luxe-sa and Cognac Flambéed Foie Gras on the 24th.

For Christmas Day itself, expect Lobster Bisque with Cognac Cream, Honey Glazed Gammon Ham, Roasted Australian Prime Rib, Apple and Clove Glazed Pork Loin.

New Year’s Eve Buffet – Saturday, 31 December 2016
Lunch: 12pm to 2:30pm | Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm

Lunch: Adult $68++, Child $44++
Dinner: Adult $128++, Child $74++ ($158++ for unlimited servings of Champagne, juices, wine and beer)

End the year right with an indulgent New Year’s Eve buffet dinner.

The food highlights: Some of the star dishes to expect include Blue Swimmer Crab on Ice, Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin with Shallot Jus and Thyme and Garlic Roasted Lamb Chop, Chawanmushi with Sliced Abalone, Coconut Tropical Rice Pudding and Scotch Crème Brulee.

New Year’s Eve Orchid Club Countdown Party – 31 December 2016
9pm to 1am

Dinner at LIME or in-house guest: Adult $88++, Child $54++
Public: Adult $178++, Child $99++
(Both includes unlimited servings of Champagne, juices, wine and beer served with canapes)

For a New Year 2017 countdown with a difference, PARKROYAL on Pickering’s Orchid Club Lounge located at the rooftop, will be opened for a celebration party.

Fill yourself up for the final meal of 2016, complete with a panoramic view of the Singapore city.

The food highlights: Sturia Caviar, Expression of Foie Gras, Kobe Beef with Black Truffle, Snow Crab with Apple Spoon, Flambéed Crepe Suzette, and Jumbo French Oysters with Champagne Jelly.

Lime Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Pickering, 3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore 058289
Tel: +65 6809 8899
Email: lime.prsps@parkroyalhotels.com
parkroyalhotels.com/lime

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with PARKROYAL on Pickering, a PARKROYAL Collection hotel

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Greyhound Café is my ‘favourite-st’ café in Bangkok, till my heart was smiling when I knew it finally opened in Singapore at Paragon Orchard.

So excited, so excited. My wings will wait for me.

The winning formula to me about Greyhound Bangkok is that it successfully merges taste and aesthetics. They create this chill-out vibe that makes you feel chi-chi good while watching people go by.

The 2,600 square feet, 100-seater Greyhound Café Singapore at Level 1 of high-end Paragon Orchard, appears to have re-created some of the ambience.

Service staff in shirts with catchy caption, “I don’t speak Thai, but I know the food here well”, in a garden setting.

This is the type of café that I would text quite a number of friends to tell them, “Greyhound is here…”

I quickly ordered a Thai Milk Tea, because somehow they didn’t offer the signature Granita yet.

One of those times when I initially didn’t notice the price, till I saw $9.

9 can-cause-one-to-faint-dollars. The Granita was $12 by the way.

The Cha Yen had quite the authentic taste, half filled with ice.

Some of the prices of the other dishes continue to be astounding – Complicated Noodles ($18), Salmon Carpaccio ($22), Fried Chicken Wings ($16), French Onion Soup ($16),Tom Yum Soup ($21), Spaghetti with Thai Anchovy ($25), and Chocolate Banana Crepe Cake ($13).

While the menu looked almost identical to Bangkok’s, prices were obviously not, up to 3 times for some items.

Bangkok’s prices for reference – Complicated Noodles (180 baht, SGD$7.20), Salmon Carpaccio (200 baht, SGD$7.95), Fried Chicken Wings (140 baht, SGD$5.60), French Onion Soup (150 baht, SGD$6), Spaghetti with Thai Anchovy (200 bah, SGD$7.95), Thai Tea Granita (100 baht, SGD$4). (I do take notes while travelling.)

Not same same.

Different comments from friends include, ”At first I hungry, see prices not hungry already.”, “A meal for 4 can bring one to Bangkok already.”, to ”I’ll give it a miss and buy a cheap tix to BKK.”

Welcome to the “Most expensive city in the world.”

The moment of truth. The Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings ($16) appeared almost the same, with that familiar taste of the fish sauce marinate, but somehow lacked the juiciness and the oomph.

It wasn’t as piping hot as what I always had in Bangkok.

The other dishes were about 70-80% there, somewhat retaining that Greyhound standard in terms of taste.

The Spicy Spaghetti Thai Style ($26) was one of the better recommendations, with the pasta given a lift from the kick of the chillies and fresh peppercorn. Then again, at this price, you could get a decent hand-made version at an Italian restaurant.

My friend commented that their Thai Chicken Green Curry with Chuck Toast ($18.00) had to be given credit for balancing the spiciness with sweetness, wasn’t too diluted, and the chicken meat moist and tender.

The portion size though (Hands placed there for reference).

Hardcore fans and those who NEED to tell their Instagram world would definitely make their way here. Otherwise, a trip to Bangkok isn’t that far away.

I will still return, but would probably be careful not to over-order. That spoils half the fun already, really.

Note: Greyhound Café Singapore will only officially 13th December 2016. It is still in the soft launch phase, not all menu items are ready, and they may not be opened during certain lunch times.

Greyhound Café Singapore
Paragon #01-25/25A Singapore238859
Tel: +65 6235 4078

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Tell me when was the last time you took a cable car in Singapore. Or never?

This was what I did (from Vivocity) and landed up at Spuds & Aprons, a bistro I never quite imagined on top of the hill at Faber Peak.

That view!

Some of you may remember The Jewel Box. The present incarnation of Spuds & Aprons is more of a fun, and family / group oriented one.

Yet, I can almost imagine couple dates and wedding proposals happening here, complete with a rainbow-coloured stairway named “Happy Steps”, a garden with “Bells Of Happiness”, and a spectacular view of Sentosa and the Southern Islands.

[PS: you can also enjoy more savings with 10% OFF total food fill with minimum spending of S$30 with UnionPay Cards.)

Here are 10 Reasons To Visit This Hilltop Destination You Probably Didn’t Know About

1. The sinful potato starters
Nothing quite like sharing a few plates of ‘sinful’ sides with friends, and throwing your worries and calorie-fears away.

The group’s favourite was the Truffle Wicked Fries & Gravy ($13).

There are truffle fries and there is this – steakhouse cut fries, with 6 types of cheeses melted or sprinkled over (emmental, gruyere, provolone, cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan), laced with truffle oil, and for the finishing touch… dipped in house-made brown gravy.

We all loved our Sweet Potato Fries ($10), and this came with both seasalt and a Japanese Curry Mayo that might remind some of THAT other curry mayo. Hmm, I wonder what the secret recipe is.

The other interesting potato dish was the Chilli Crab in a Tux ($14) – Singaporean’s favourite chilli crab in spicy-sweet sauce stuffed in crisp roasted potato skins. Instead of the familiar mantou, this was an appetising spin with varied textures.

2. East meets West comfort food
The signature dishes include Barbecued Baby Back Ribs ($26), Crispy Pork Belly ($27), Over Roasted Mustard Marinated Chicken ($19), and Grilled King Prawns ($32) with squid ink pasta in tom yam broth.

My favourite was the Tobiko Crusted Cod Fillet, in which the Atlantic cod topped with crunchy tobiko then oven roasted, had fresh-tasting and moist meat.

The accompanying green tea soba noodles and tangy aged ponzu sauce gave the dish a refreshing quality.

My other friends like the Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, almost fork-tender, slathered over with sweet BBQ sauce.

3. It is at the top of the hill
Located at the top of Faber Peak, 100 metres above the sea, Spuds and Aprons is probably the only restaurant in Singapore with such a hilltop view.

4. Check out the beautiful Singapore view
The most obvious sight was the running Cable Car line, but walk a few steps further and you can see the Sentosa – Harbourfront area, Southern Islands, and the iconic Reflections at Keppel Bay.

Will be a different mood during magic hour evening when the sun sets, and starry night time. So romantic, right?

5. The Bell of Happiness
Talking about romance, this is certainly the spot for wedding photos (LOL).

Just look at this Bell of Happiness, said to be a century-old Polish bell – a symbol of everlasting happiness.

Perhaps like Paris’ Pont des Arts or Seoul’s Namsam Tower, you can buy a pair of wishing bells, pen down our wish (Like “I love you forever and ever, dear”) and seal it by hanging them at the garden.

Suggestion: Come back on your anniversary day, and find that bell again.

6. Travel here via the cable car
You can get to Faber Peak by the ‘traditional’ methods of well, car, cab and Uber, OR by a cable car.

The cable car has incorporated a Sentosa line since last year, and you can even it take it from there, going through Resorts World Sentosa (below), skyscrapers, Harbourfront to Faber Peak Singapore.

See Singapore from a different perspective.

If you have a UnionPay card, you can enjoy 10% OFF Cable Car Sky Pass Round Trip fares. Plus, you can also get 10% OFF with UnionPay cards at all Singapore Cable Car Gift Shops!

7. Alfresco garden or air-conditioned dining options
There is the option to chill out at the air-conditioned 50-seater dining room or relax at the 160-seater alfresco garden.

Given that I usually sweat quite easily, I actually preferred the outdoors for the view and enjoyment of the cool breeze. Better photo moments too.

8. THE Toilet
I was deliberating whether to include the toilet or not… BUT well, this could be Singapore’s most instagrammable toilet. (Sorry, didn’t feel right taking photos IN the toilet, so go find out yourself. Haha)

9. 3-course weekday lunch at $15++
A 3-course weekday lunch at $15++ from Mondays to Thursdays. The menu includes a soup, a main such as Baby Back Ribs with Chicken Cheese Sausage or Gorgeous Beef Guinness, plus a cake or scoop of Haagen Dazs Ice Cream to complete the meal.

The Gorgeous Beef Guinness contained pork belly soaked in a hot tub & slow cooked until fork tender, served with homemade pineapple pickle and roasted potatoes.

Suggestion: Get your boss / colleagues to have their lunch meetings here and share the food.

10. Enjoy 10% off total bill with UnionPay Cards
Enjoy 10% OFF total bill at Spuds & Aprons with UnionPay Cards (Card number starting with 62, minimum spending of $30).

Discounted rates? A good reason to order more food.

What better way to arrive at Spuds & Aprons than through the scenic cable car ride?

Get 10% OFF the Cable Car Sky Pass Round Trip just by flashing your UnionPay card. You can also enjoy 10% OFF the total bill at all Singapore Cable Car Gift Shops.

Spuds and Aprons
109 Mount Faber Road Faber Peak, Level 2 Singapore 099203
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 11pm Last Order 10pm (Mon – Fri)
Dinner 11am – 11pm Last Order 10pm (Sat – Sun)
Reserve Online Now – Spuds and Aprons

Terms & Conditions:
– 10% off total bill with minimum spending of $30 at Spuds & Aprons.
– F&B discount is not valid on eve of PH and PH, eve of Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day, other’s Day, and Mid-Autumn Festival
– Discount is not valid with other discounts or promotions
– Promotion is valid for purchase of up to 6 cable car tickets per transaction.
– Promotion is valid for purchase at Singapore Cable Car ticketing counters only, unless otherwise stated.
– Promotion is valid for on-day usage only upon payment made.
– MFLG reserves the right to change the T&Cs at any time without prior notice

UnionPay offers a wide range of privileges and benefits to cardholders wherever they go, in 160 countries and regions. In Singapore, UnionPay cards are issued by Bank of China (BOC), DBS Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and United Overseas Bank (UOB) and are accepted at over 80 percent of merchants across F&B, shopping, entertainment, petrol and travel categories. Some of the widely-recognised merchants include ION Orchard, Shaw Theatres, SPC, Sheng Siong, Kinokuniya, Tangs, Watsons and Cold Storage. Selected UnionPay cards are also enabled with QuickPass, which enables cardholders to pay with a simple tap-and-go motion at outlets such as Doutor Coffee, Hockhua and SaladStop! outlets islandwide.

To enjoy all the exciting F&B privileges, apply for a UnionPay card today!

* This post is brought to you in partnership with UnionPay.

The post Spuds and Aprons – 10 Reasons To Visit This Hilltop Destination You Probably Didn’t Know About. Enjoy 10% OFF with UnionPay Cards appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

ROOST is a chicken rice concept restaurant found at The Centrepoint, Orchard Road.

Great to find our humble local food moving into upscale restaurant formats. Wah Kee Prawn Noodles, Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh and The Coconut Club (Nasi Lemak) are some of the more recent of such openings.

The 1500 sq ft, 60-seater casual dining Roost offers popular local and Asian delights, with its main feature on Singapore’s national dish – Chicken Rice.

The special thing to note is that Roost cooks and serves chicken used the world’s first patented automated poultry cooking machine – the Singapore-made iKook.

That will make duplication easier. But can technology replicate the taste? (You can try and let me know, yah?)

Good to know: ROOST offers Poached or Soya Sauce Chicken Rice ($8.90), cooked with Canola oil and packs less than 500 calories a plate.

Not sure which to pick? Get the Yin Yang Chicken Rice ($8.90) which contains a platter of both.

I say, the Soya Sauce Chicken was a tastier choice. The Poached Chicken was decent, though not spectacular. It did not come close to some of the more famous brands out there in terms of succulence and the alluring X-factor.

The one thing the restaurant probably had to work on, would be the rice, coming across as dry and lacking in the taste element. Perhaps some areas had to be compromised due to the 500-calorie imitation.

Oh well, give and take, consumers choose between health and taste.

Other Asian fare such as Chicken Laksa ($7.90), Tom Yum Fried Rice ($8.90), Chicken Sushi ($4.90), Crispy Chicken Rice Balls ($4.90), Chili Crab Dip ($5.90) and a unique local desserts such as Durian Creme Brûlée ($5.90) and Nanyang Coffee Panna Cotta ($5.90).

The Chicken Sushi ($4.90) probably needed a side serving of chilli, and Singapore White Bee Hoon ($7.90) as what my friend would term…. ”Food court standard LOR.”

Another great challenge I anticipate, is the branding itself.

Many dedicated chicken rice restaurants start from somewhere – a famous hawker stall for example. The marketing team of ROOST will have this big hurdle to clear for this unknown name.

Roost
Centrepoint B1-17/18/19, 176 Orchard Road Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6909 0411
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 9:00pm Mon – Sun

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post ROOST – Chicken Rice Specialty Shop At Orchard, The Centrepoint appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Time to get your family and friends for some Festive Feasting at Oscar’s Conrad Centennial Singapore.

Other than Oscar’s signatures and the seafood bar, you can expect Christmas highlights of specially created festive roasts of whole turkey, pineapple glazed Christmas ham and more.

If you love ‘live’ stations, you won’t be disappointed.

I would recommend the freshly made Ravioli with sea prawns or lobster, Laksa with Lobster and Scallop balls (get it from the noodle Bar outside), and dessert station of flambéed desserts and waffles done on the spot.

Tip: If you are heading over during the special days of Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day brunch and dinner buffets only, there is an extended DESSERT HOUSE, for endless supply of Christmas cakes and sweets. Woohoo.

[Daniel’s Food Diary readers can get a $50 return voucher to continue feasting at Oscar’s. Find out more at the end of the post.]

Highlights of the Sumptuous Buffet at Conrad Centennial Singapore’s Fairy Christmas:

Christmas Roasts At The Carving Station
No indulgent festive meal is complete without some roast carvings, drizzled over with house-made specialty sauce you won’t be able to find elsewhere.

Some of the festive must-haves at Oscars include tender and quite moist whole turkey with spicy cranberry jus, honey and pineapple glazed Christmas ham with apple sauce, or twice-cooked pork belly with Argentinian spices, served with homemade tomato relish and peri peri sour cream.

Slow-roasted Argentinian, Mauritian or Chinese-style whole Suckling Pigs are also available on a rotational basic.

Ah, the crispy crackling with thin layer of fats!

Seafood Bar
Seafood lovers will be happy to find freshly shucked hand-farmed Oysters from France, Ireland and Canada, Slipper lobsters, Cherrystone clams, Sea prawns, Chilean half shell scallops and fresh sashimi.

Classic Soups
What I had was a rich and moderately creamy Lobster Bisque of distinct lobster flavour. Great start to warm up the belly (before all the rest of the feast).

Noodle Bar
Tip for you. DO NOT miss Oscar’s Noodle Bar. Walk outside the main dining room, or ask the service staff, and you will find it.

This is literally a NOODLE BAR, because you won’t be presented with just one or two choices of noodles, but up SIX. The noodle-lover in me always gets excited here.

Cooked fresh upon order, expect Laksa with homemade fried lobster and scallop balls (my favourite), Slow Cooked Beef Cheek, Sliced Fish Noodles, Prawn Noodles (love this too), Minced Chicken with Mushroom, and Wanton Noodle with Roasted Pork Char Siew. Note: noodles are on rotational basis.

Chef is skilled and friendly – want more vegetables, less noodles, more soup? Can can.

Live Dessert Station
Kids will love the WAFFLES here. Drizzle some organic maple syrup over, and top with a big scoop of ice cream.

Did I mention Mövenpick ice-cream? That didn’t escape my eye.

Adult who love a touch of alcohol, can indulge in flambéed bananas with Grand Marnier or Cointreau. (Get your cameras ready for some flames.)

Decadent Desserts
On the other side of the dessert spread are rows of sweet treats. Get some of the Oscar’s black forest cake, Tofu and green tea panna cotta if you see them.

Other cakes you may expect include Tiramisu, Cendol gula Melaka coconut espuma, Crémeux and mousse Grand cru Manjari, and of course Christmas-themed desserts.

Lavish Logcakes
New Executive Pastry Chef, Florent Castagnos, has made his debut at Conrad Centennial Singapore with 4 new flavours of log cakes this season.

With 13 years of experience under his belt, he adds his own twist to transform the all-time favourite royal hazelnut crunch cake into a Royale Hazelnut Crunch ($65 for 1kg if you intend to buy a takeaway) – a rich truffle mousse with a crunchy nougatine centre log cake.

Other logcakes to look forward to include:
– Praline Cointreau Chocolate Swirl, with light Cointreau cinnamon mousse, Madagascan chocolate ganache and hazelnut glaze.
– Buche de Noël Orange Chocolate Duo, orange-infused chocolate sponge with Venezuelan chocolate butter cream and orange mousseline centre
– Buche de Noël Coffee Hazelnut Macchiato, hazelnut sponge with coffee-infused butter cream and roasted caramelized hazelnuts

Festive Feasting at Oscars
December 1 to 23 & 27 to 30, 2016
Lunch: 12pm – 2:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Lunch (Mon – Sat): Adult $62++, Child $31++
Dinner (Sun – Thurs): Adult $75++, Child $37.50++
Dinner (Fri – Sat): Adult $86++, Child $43++

Christmas Eve at Oscars
December 24 2016
Brunch: 12:30pm – 3:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Brunch: Adult $98++, Child $49++
Dinner (includes Dessert House): Adult $158++, Child $79++ Includes free-flow of soft drinks and juices
$218++ Includes free-flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, house wines, beers or cocktails

Christmas Day at Oscars
December 25 2016
Brunch: 12:30pm – 3:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Brunch (includes Dessert House): Adult $158++, Child $79++ Includes free-flow of soft drinks and juices
$218++ Includes free-flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, house wines, beers or cocktails

Dinner (includes Dessert House): Adult $138++, Child $69++ Includes free-flow of soft drinks and juices
$198++ Includes free-flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, house wines, beers or cocktails

Boxing Day at Oscars
December 26 2016
Brunch: 12:30pm – 3:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Brunch: Adult $98++, Child $49++
Dinner: Adult $75++, Child $37.50++

New Year’s Eve at Oscars
December 31 2016
Lunch: 12pm – 2:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Lunch: Adult $62++, Child $31++
Dinner: Adult $158++, Child $79++ Includes free-flow of soft drinks and juices
$218++ Includes free-flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, house wines, beers or cocktails

New Year’s Day at Oscars
January 1 2017
Brunch: 12:30pm – 3:30pm | Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Brunch: Adult $98++, Child $49++
$158++ Includes free-flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, house wines, beers or cocktails
Dinner: Adult $75++, Child $37.50++ Includes free-flow of soft drinks and juices

OscarsDFD Promo: Receive a $50 Voucher!
Receive a $50 voucher with minimum S$300nett spent per receipt when you dine at Oscar’s lunch or dinner buffet between 1-23 & 26-30 December 2016.

T&C:
· Prior reservations required. Please quote “DFD” when making reservations.
· Vouchers are valid for use at Oscar’s lunch or dinner buffets only, between 2 January and 30 March 2017. Black-out dates apply.
· Cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions, discounts or vouchers.
· The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice.

Oscar’s
Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038982
Tel: +65 6432 7481

Email: sinci.oscars@conradhotels.com
Website: http://www.connoisseur.sg

Handcrafted Takeaways from The Terrace
Why not have a “Conrad Christmas” at home or in the office?

Order from the selection of Christmas roasts such as the Whole Roast Turkey with chestnut and herb stuffing ($158), the Roast London Duck ($92) or the slow-cooked New Zealand Rib Eye ($228).

Or get the Conrad Luxury Dinner Pack ($328), consisting of a whole roast turkey, honey and pineapple glazed boneless ham, two side dishes, three types of sauces, choice of one log cake, then then gather 5 to 6 friends to enjoy.

HSBC credit cardholders also enjoy 15% off Christmas takeaway items. Valid till 25 December 2016.

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Conrad Centennial Singapore.

The post Conrad Centennial Singapore – Oscar’s Christmas Buffet Feast + Receive A $50 Voucher For DFD Readers! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

”Let’s go (to) BFF! I mean let’s go, BFF” as I jio-ed (asked) my friends to Brothers in Fine Food.

BFF is the acronym for this café. So cheeky

By the people behind Penny University located at East Coast Road, Brothers in Fine Food shares a similarity to their sister cafe – no where near a MRT station.

Not THAT convenient for us unfortunately, but I heard enough to want to make our way there.

BFF is located at the second floor of Tampines West Community Centre above Alt-Yard (a food kiosk), which also belongs to Penny University.

The interior is simple and fuss-free, which could appear more of a canteen instead of a café. No instagram wall if you intend to find one.

Brunch items are served from opening till 3pm, whereas dinner is served after 5pm, priced between $8 and $15. Interesting food to look out for include Dashi Noodles Breakfast ($8.90) and Peanut Butter Jelly Toast ($10).

All of which were unavailable when I was there on a weekend (Sad!)

I had the Builder’s Breakfast ($15) which was a typical breakfast platter that came with sausage, beef bacon, eggs, mushroom, tomatoes, salad and toasted sourdough.

While I liked the soft and fluffy scrambled eggs, the sausage filled with chili oil wasn’t pleasant (or maybe unpleasant).

The Butcher’s Daughter ($15) came with sous-vide seared beef was a tad under-seasoned and undercooked.

Sadly, the highlights were the eggs and fries though.

The selection of drinks was interesting. Think Red Velvet Hot Chocolate ($5.50), Chai Steamer ($5.50), Orange Hot Chocolate ($5.50), Yuzu Mojito Mocktail ($6.50) and Peanut Butter Jelly Mocktail ($8).

The Red Velvet Hot Chocolate ($5.50) was at least smooth, chocolatey, and of course ‘photogenically –chio’!

Desserts are limited to Baked Maple Hotcakes ($12) and Avocado/ Earl Grey/ Apple Toffee Cheesecakes ($7) on display.

I liked the Earl Grey Cheesecake ($12) most with distinct tea notes and a smooth, creamy texture.

The menu stated that there’s “Coconut flour, poached pears (you mean a quarter?), seasonal berries (half a strawberry)” on the Baked Maple Hotcakes ($12).

The size and amount of toppings were significantly lesser compared to other Hotcakes at Paddy Hills and Curious Palette and texture-wise was a tad doughy.

We would have loved to bring our BFFs to BFF more frequently, so wishing for enhancement in the food aspect to warrant those return visits.

Brothers In Fine Food
Tampines West Community Centre, 5, Tampines Ave 3, #02-07, Singapore 529705
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10.30pm (Tue-Fri), 9am – 10.30pm (Sat-Sun), Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/brothersinfinefood/

* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary Cafe Correspondent Nicholas Tan @stormscape. Visit his instagram for all things [NEW].

The post Brothers in Fine Food BFF – Muslim-Owned Cafe By Penny University At Tampines West Community Centre appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Dazzling Café needs little introduction. The Taiwanese café chain is popular for their Shibuya Toasts, probably the one who started the toast trend in Singapore.

Other than the Capitol Piazza main outlet, not as many are aware about their foray into Orchard at Orchardgateway Level 1.

”There is a Dazzling at Orchard. Got meh?”

Now you know. Perhaps the restaurant-café is hidden in plain sight from the main pathway. (Look out for Kanshoku Ramen, it is opposite.)

A place of cutesy-pink meets tai-tai setting, relaxing ambience with some window seats, for friends and couples to hang out for lunches, afternoon teas, sharing pastas, desserts. And calories.

Other than the famous Shibuya-style honey toast, Signature mochi “QQ” Waffle and Mentaiko pasta, here are 10 other Instagrammable food, desserts and drink found at Dazzling Café.

BeDazzled Set ($49.90, $59.90 with Foie Gras, only at Orchardgateway)
The BeDazzled Set is the latest dessert sensation introduced by the popular Honey Toast chain. This is in line with their brand campaign ‘Dazzle Someone’.

Inspired by ‘table-top-desserts’ from Alinea and Atum, the dessert is has the element of artistic expression and fun – allowing one to eat straight up from the design board.

You can afford to be messy in this one, eat in any sequence, or mix it all up.

Available currently only at the Orchardgateway outlet, this is how it works:
– BeDazzled Set is offered from Wednesdays to Sundays.
– Reserve your set at +65 6385 3639 (as preparation requires time).
– Choose your favourite design board (a few to choose from).
– The set offers a Dark Chocolate Ball in the centre, with Profiteroles and Frozen Mousse within.
– Surrounding the ball includes a medley of sweet and savoury delights such as Foie Gras Au Torchon (top up $10), Coconut Lollis, Mini Butter Honey Toasts, Matcha Passionfruit Torte, Strawberry Cheesecake.
– Get 2 lightbulb drinks of iced tea.
– Each set will come with a poem or note where you can sign up for your bae/BFF.

Quite a value-for-money tea time option when you need to rest your feet after shopping at Orchard.

Hazelnut Mini Toast ($12.90)
Do you know that there are ‘4 generations’ of Dazzling’s Honey Toast, from strips, cubed, stacked ones, and those topped with whipped cream?

To cater to the local customers who also dine individually or in pairs, Dazzling Café Singapore has also introduced a “Mini Toast” version for one or two to share.

That means room for more food.

Try the Hazelnut Mini Toast – classic honey toast with nutella, soft whipping cream, chocolate sauce, almond nibs, fresh strawberries and Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream.

Using an in-house special toasting technique, I must say this toast was somehow more buttery and fluffy than its previous incarnations.

Black Forest Crepe Mille-Feuille ($9)
Layers of chocolate crepe with vanilla cream, chocolate mousse and cherries compote.

Chendol Cake ($9, only in Capitol Piazza outlet)
Intending to introduce more locally-inspired items, Dazzling Café Singapore is offering this Chendol Cake with layers of pandan and coconut sponge, adzuki beans and gula melaka frosting.

Slightly too sweet for my liking (due to the gula Melaka). If they can manage the proportion right, I will have this again.

Chicken Cutlet with Scrambled Eggs and Honey Mustard ($19.90)
My new found favourite dish. I might not have even ordered this (as it wasn’t even featured prominently), but the girls said that it was their “to-go-for” brunch dish.

There you have it – hot, piping crispy chicken cutlet lying on top of a bed of creamy scrambled eggs, drizzled with honey mustard sauce.

A pleasurable combination actually, as you get contrasting textures of crunchy batter, juicy meat and velvety egg.

Mentaiko Fries ($9.50)
The Mentaiko Fries ($9.50) with creamy mentaiko sauce over shoe string fries turned out to be addictively pleasurable.

Sweet-salty, pink and flaky, light and crisp.

Cheese Pulled Pork Nachos ($13.90)
The kind of food to get your hands dirty in a plate of nachos mixed with stretchy cheese and saucy pulled pork.

Potato Doughnut with Bratwurst Filling ($21.00, only in Capitol Piazza outlet)
The crisp hand-made potato doughnut arrived topped with soft boiled egg and apple caramel sauce. Cut it apart, and let the oozing yolk mix with the shallot confit.

That was not the end of the surprise.

Within the donut was juicy pork bratwurst, making it a slightly sweetish-savoury treat.

Rainbow Latte
So pretty. The order for your Instagram feed. Rainbow-nize your latte at a dollar extra.

You can choose from a variety from hazelnut, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Lavender, Dark Chocolate, Caramelised Biscuit, Rose Latte (with alcohol), Crème Brulee, Strawberry White, Mocha, to Royal Matcha.

Pink Unicorn Milkshake ($10)
The girls loved it and thought it was one of the prettiest OTT milkshakes around (that I agree), that wasn’t too rich.

Okay lah, sweet for me, but you can try.

Other in-house exclusive treats of the Orchardgateway outlet include Pandan Salted Gula Melaka Honey Toast, Lobster Risotto and other brunch items.

By the way, the BeDazzled Set comes in limited quantities. Could be a sweet way to surprise the one you love.

Dazzling Café Pink
277 Orchard Road #01-12 Orchardgateway Singapore 238858 (Somerset MRT)
Tel: +65 6385 3639
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 10.30pm (Fri – Sat)

Dazzling Café
Capitol Piazza Unit No: 01-85 Galleria, 13 Stamford Road Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 6384 3310
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9:30pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri – Sat)

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Dazzling Café Singapore.

The post Dazzling Café Orchardgateway – 10 Instagrammable Food, Desserts and Rainbow Drinks appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

You may just miss this unassuming cake shop Out of the Cakebox at the basement of the new Our Tampines Hub at Tampines Ave 4.

With desserts like Chendol Fudge, Mango Sticky Rice, Watermelon Cake, White Rabbit (yeah, that nostalgic sweet), Rose Lychee, Matcha Yuzu Cheesecake— not only are they creative, they may please picky sweet-tooth looking for a unique dessert fix.

True to its name, the cake shop with its first outlet at Block 45, Telok Blangah Drive really did think ‘out of the box’.

Let’s start with the obvious hit, the Mango Sticky Rice Cake (per piece $6; whole cake $24.80 to $96).

My favourite Thai dessert in a cake form. Geng mak!

What you get is a square slice of layered coconut glutinous rice, mango jelly, pandan mousse, topped with Thai Honey Mangoes.

Surprisingly, they showhow just got the proportion right, it also felt like eating a Nonya Kueh Kueh with a Western slant.

The Watermelon Cake (per piece $5.50; whole cake $40) was a simple blend of scooped watermelon balls and cream, pleasantly sublime.

Light and juicy with a hint of rose scent, it will probably be a favourite with those who do not like their cakes too jelak.

Ironically though, the rose scent got a tad heavy (and sweet) towards the end.

Lovely touch with pieces of sliced grapes though, still a choice to pick after a heavy meal.

I was understandably excited to try the Chendol Fudge (per piece $5.50; whole cake $22.80 to $88).

Chendol flavoured items like ice creams, when done well, elevates the local treat.

It was decidedly Chendol-y, but rather expected, after the surprises of the mango sticky rice and watermelon. I would have also liked it to be more moist, like tiramisu-moist.

The biggest surprise came in the form of the Takoh Belle (per piece $6.50; whole cake $50).

This famous Thai dessert-inspired treat is a deft blend of coconut custard, baked pandan cheese cake and sweet corn mousse.

The top layers were melt-in-your-mouth sweet goodness, coupled with a well done biscuit base. It was also a prettily constructed, perfect to complete your Instagram quota for the day.

Other interesting ones I will like to try next time include their Matcha-Yuzu Cheesecake (per piece $6.50; whole cake $50), Earl Grey Shortcake (per piece $5.50; whole cake $23.80 to $140) and the interestingly named Sayang ($6) that is a home-cooked Thai lime curd with Gula Jawa glaze.

Perhaps slightly more accessible than their first Telok Blangah Drive outlet, I felt that the outlet could do a little more to shout-out about their interesting flavours in the basement of this new Tampines Hub.

Probably invest in a few bigger posters – without which, these wacky little cakes will remain hidden away behind their glass enclosures, lost in an area of standard bakery fare.

Out of the Cake Box
Our Tampines Hub, #B1-43 (Between Old Chang Kee and Polar Puffs), 51 Tampines Ave 4, Singapore 529684 (Near Tampines MRT)
Opening Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm Daily
https://www.facebook.com/outofthecakebox

* Written by Wilson Ng @wilsoniscurious who spends his time between cafe hopping and writing Little Short Stories. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The post Out of the Cakebox – Surprising Mango Sticky Rice, Chendol and Watermelon Cakes At Our Tampines Hub appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

If A Poké Theory is a goody (healthy) two-shoes, Alter Ego at The Esplanade would be the entirely opposite – darker, bolder and more sinfully delicious.

Since the opening of A Poké Theory at Boon Tat Street, their Poké bowls seems to have garnered some love.

Fast forward four months, the team is definitely swift in venturing into another similar concept poké store.

Indeed, there are a couple of noticeable “alternate” elements of the place.

Alter Ego serves Hawaiian Poké by day, and morphs into a bar grub at night serving a range of craft beer and ciders.

While A Poké Theory focuses on healthy eating and wholesome meals, Alter Ego has a “dirty” menu which offers sinful sides such as Fried Chicken Skin ($8), Grilled Cheese ($14), Pizza Fries ($14), Pulled Pork Dip ($11), Buffalo Wigs ($14) and Salted Yolk Pork Ribs ($16).

The idea of “Pizza Fries” sounded like something from some kids’ menu item. Okay, I was wrong.

Like some deconstructed pizza, the fries were covered with loads of melted cheese garnished with pepperoni slices, paired with bacon ketchup.

Super sinful, and I would probably get fat on calorie overload. But I didn’t care.

Instead of customizing your own, the Poké bowls here are all pre-set with the familiar A Poké Theory’s marinade; Shoyu, Spicy Garlic Sesame, Avocado Miso and Spicy Mayo.

A little bird also mentioned that marinade pairing with type of fish used were also swapped – i.e., A Poké Theory uses Shoyu on Tuna and Alter Ego uses Shoyu on Salmon.

I had the Umami Omega ($16) – a Spicy Garlic Sesame Salmon bowl, and Dynamite Kickin’ ($15) – a Spicy Mayo Tuna bowl.

Creamy fish texture and crunchy ingredients with an occasional hint of spice. I like.

Apart from the marinade, accompanying ingredients such as cherry tomato, cucumber, ikura etc were somewhat similar across. It was like same-same, but different?

I generally preferred the Spicy Garlic Sesame over the Dynamite, as you would still taste of the natural freshness of the fish, rather than the seasoning overpowering everything else.

On a side note, I also wondered about the size and shallowness of the bowl, as ingredients kept falling out as I dug inside.

Alter Ego would be good for late night catch up with friends thanks to their extended opening hours.

Just a thought, the element of “dirty” menu is currently focused on the sides. Perhaps they can also come up with an indulgence bowl to suit the theme.

Well, I wouldn’t mind return to feast on Poké bowls while enjoying the Esplanade Waterfront view together with some drinks.

Alter Ego
8 Raffles Avenue #01-13D, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 6327 9301
Opening Hours: 11am – 1am (Mon-Thu), 11am – 2am (Fri), 10am – 2am (Sat), 10am – 1am (Sun), Poké bowls served from 11am – 8pm.
https://www.facebook.com/alteregosg/

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

The post Alter Ego – The Evil Twin of A Poké Theory, Bold and Delicious With Pizza Fries appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

“Wah, so many things?” I exclaimed while flipping through the pages with everything from pizzas, platters, meats, sandwiches to brunch food.

Born from the Commonwealth Retail Concepts group (who is also behind Swissbake, Kraftwich, PastaMania), it is no wonder that Commonground has the resources to whip up this well-curated selection at reasonably friendly prices. Retail gourmet space portopantry is next door.

(Note: Not to be confused with Common Ground at National Gallery, The Common Ground retail shop, or Common Man Coffee Roasters.)

But you know how the saying goes: Jack of All Trades, Master of… okay, it wasn’t actually not that bad, but not terribly unexpected.

The feeling after flipping the menu several times, but don’t know what to order.

For a start, I went for the Commonground Appetisers Platter (2 to 3 pax; $14) that consisted of Cheddar cheese sticks, fish fillets, ravioli nachos and Caesar salad.

The cheese sticks did lack the exciting chewy string, and the fish fillets weren’t anything to shout about. That same-old expected taste.

However, I moderately enjoyed the chunky ravioli nachos, best eaten with the accompanying tartar sauce.

The more adventurous Jumbo platter serves up to 3-4 pax with chicken cutlet instead of fish fillet and additional potato wedges at a $6 bump ($20).

Among its sprawling menu, this was one that stood out because of its combination of ingredients.

Blue Cheese Pizza topped with Poached Pear ($14) at a heartland family restaurant? Gotta try it.

I watched delightfully as the friendly waiter cut the pizza up, as the thin crust crackled under the roller (trust me, the sound turned up on Instagram story as well).

The blue cheese was more fragrant than pungent (thankfully), and I do hope this would encourage more people to appreciate the wonders of a good, unorthodox cheese.

The pears could have been juicier, but again, I wasn’t expecting much, and was satisfied.

If you would like a predictable, safe choice, go for the signature Kraftwiches ($12 – $14) with fillings of Smoked Salmon, Honey Dijon Pulled Beef, Spicy Chicken Avocado, and Cheesy Mushroom.

These kraftwiches are actually pizza-sized sandwiches, cut up into triangular shapes, made of multigrain and maize bread, and filled with wholesome ingredients.

Another one of those doesn’t-this-belong-in-an-atas-café kind of treat is the Affogato ($7) from the drinks section.

This dessert-cum-coffee was eventually let down by the unexcitingly bland cookies and cream ice cream that accompanied the otherwise pretty fragrant shot of caffeine.

I guess with a selection this huge and with many other favourites like Smoked Salmon and Salted Eggs Benedict ($12) and Carbonara Linguine with Soft Boiled Egg ($14) listed, one will came to expect a certain level of finesse to their food.

My take is, Commonground is probably gunning for the family-dollars, as seen from the number of sharing-platters available.

Still, for a casual diner with earnest service from the young staff, it is already a commendable effort, and has the potential to be a hearty gathering for both friends and family.

Note: This new kid on the block is in the process of getting its halal certification, and all its food products and ingredients are already from halal certified sources.

Commonground
Our Tampines Hub, #01-103, 51 Tampines Ave 4, Singapore 529684 (Near Tampines MRT)
Tel: +65 6386 6917
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm (Mon – Thurs), 10:00m – 12:00am (Fri), 8:00am – 12:00am (Sat), 8:00am – 10:00pm (Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/commongroundsingapore

* Written by Wilson Ng @wilsoniscurious who spends his time between cafe hopping and writing Little Short Stories. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Osaka’s oldest premium tempura restaurant Ippoh has opened its first casual concept restaurant-bar at Singapore.

Located at Dempsey (next to Candlenut), Ippoh Tempura Bar is serving Osaka style tempura known to be light, crisp and delicately battered.

The restaurant has a seating capacity of 18, including a 12-seat tempura bar that allows guests to witness the individual preparation and immediate serving of each piece of tempura.

This isn’t your normal mass market tempura shop.

For lunch, set menu options are priced from $60 to $100. For dinner, the set menu options are priced from $140 to $200.

The basic $60 Lunch set will include an amuse, 8 pieces of tempura, kakiage with rice and miso soup, and a dessert. For example, green tea ice cream.

Accordingly, the tempura is cooked in prime safflower oil so that the integrity of the flavours is maintained, without the greasiness that is usually associated with tempura.

Also, each piece is fried individually, allowing the chef to control the oil temperature and how long each ingredient stays in the fryer.

What I liked –the interaction between the chef and customers, and that you can watch the tempura fried fresh right in front of you.

Pacing was also well managed, such that you would not feel hurried.

Unlike other typical tempura I was used to, this would have a lighter, fluffier, more understated batter which was its winning point.

While the meal overall was decent, there weren’t many striking pieces that left a deeper impression. Perhaps the fish, squid, the sweet rice cake, and to a smaller extent the gingko nuts.

I actually thought an item or two were on the oiler side.

My friend, who is a light eater, commented that she didn’t feel substantially full with a higher proportion of vegetable items to meat.

The highlight of the meal came towards the end where you can choose between a Tencha (Tempura Tea Rice) or Tendon (Tempura Bowl).

The Tencha broth was light and refreshing with fragrant notes of the tea without being too overpowering.

While Ippoh Singapore’s outpost comes across as of good quality, I wonder if the overall package and price point warrant frequent return visits.

Ippoh Tempura Bar by Ginza Ippoh
Block 17B Dempsey Road Singapore 249676
Tel: 1800 304 3388 (local calls only)
Opening Hours: 12.00pm – 2.30pm, 6:00pm – 9:30pm (Sun – Thurs)
12:00pm – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 10:30pm (Fri, Sat, Eve of PH, PH)

* * Written by Daniel @DanielFoodDiary. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Lava Cookies were the “IN” food in Bangkok 3 to 4 years ago. Creamery Boutique which originated in Bangkok, has opened a total of 6 outlets in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and finally in Singapore.

Why now?

Creamery Boutique may have arrived a tad late, with Kooks Creamery opening up a similar concept store in Serangoon half a year ago.

Plus, food trends come and go too quickly these days.

From lava cakes, lava toasts, to lava cookies, flowy food seems to capture the attention of many people on social media, especially instagram.

The café space taken up by Creamery Boutique Ice Cream is at Tyrwhitt Road, opposite Chye Seng Huat, previously occupied by Anythingz Café and Dose!

Using the same recipe from their main outlet in Bangkok, the menu comprises of Lava Cookies ($8.90): Choc-A-Lot, Matcha and Red Devil, Classic Brownie ($7.90), Ice Cream ($3.80 for single, $6.20 for double, $8.90 for triple scoops).

Their main differentiating factor from other ice cream cafes will be their Lava Cookies – think Lava Cake in cookie form.

A comparison in price between the various Creamery Boutiques: Bangkok (THB 139, SGD$5.60), Malaysia (RM 16.90, SGD$5.70), Singapore ($8.90).

That is the price to pay for living in the world’s most expensive city.

While Creamery Boutique Singapore is in their soft launch phase, I kind of expected some operation kinks.

The Red Devil ($8.90) came with cream cheese lava filling, topped with a choice of a single scoop of ice cream with optional whipped cream.

Unfortunately, the flowing “lava” effect was minimal, no matter how hard we tried to exert pressure… Ouch!

The saving grace was the cookie with refined crunchy crumbs that complemented well with the cream cheese fillings.

Contrast this to the Matcha Lava Cookie (RM 16.90, SGD$5.70) with a scoop of Thai Milk Tea ice cream from Johor Bahru.

The experience was more memorable as the dramatic lava flowed out when the scoop of ice cream fell on top of the lava cookie.

All the ice creams are made in house, and great to see local flavours such as Piko Piko (Tiramisu with Kopiko candy), Black Dog (Guinness Stout) and Ca.Le.Ho.Yo served with honey.

I have high hopes for Creamery Boutique Singapore, and hope that they can perfect their lava cookies soon!

After all, their local flavour ice cream are cool (pun unintended) and quirky.

Creamery Boutique Singapore
#01-03, 139 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207557
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/creamerysg

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

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Matcha fans (like me) will go cray cray at the idea of an entire cafe selling Matcha, Houjicha and Genmaicha food and drinks.

The Matcha Project X Copper Espresso is opened by the folks behind November 8 (which renamed to Five By Five, then Nook & Cranny Cafe).

This time, there are no more numbers with regards to naming. (Which means no more 4D numbers for some.)

Serving as a takeaway cafe with minimum seats (with only 2 in a corner) within The Sail @ Marina Bay, The Matcha Project features a menu of tea beverages.

Non-milk drinks include Matcha Shot ($5/$6.50), Matcha (Green Tea)/Houjicha (Roasted Japanese Green Tea)/Genmaicha (Roasted Japanese Brown Rice) Americano ($5) and milk- based drinks such as Matcha/Houjicha/Genmaicha Latte ($5.50) and Military Latte ($6).

Iced drinks are available at an additional $0.50 whereas soy milk can be added at an additional $1.

For non- matcha lovers, the menu of Copper Espresso consists of a selection of Espresso ($4.50), Latte/ Cappuccino/ Flat White ($5), Mocha ($5.50) made using coffee beans roasted by Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters.

Soy milk option and extra shots are available at additional $1 each.

As matcha lovers, we could not leave without trying all the Matcha, Houjicha and Genmaicha beverages made using tea leaves sourced directly from Uji, Kyoto.

Especially when the latter are less commonly seen in Singapore.

Among the 3 iced lattes, our favourite was the Iced Genmaicha Latte ($6) made using roasted Japanese brown rice, green tea powder and Meiji milk.

The aroma was fragrant and distinct, that it reminded us of our childhood “Wang Wang” rice crackers (are they still around nowadays?)

Uncommon in Singapore at the moment, the Genmaicha Latte had a smooth texture, distinct and yet not overwhelming taste.

Sugoii desu!

While the less-common Iced Houjicha Latte ($6) made using roasted Japanese green tea powder had a nice earthly tone to it, the overall taste was slightly overpowered by the milk.

Perhaps adjusting the ratio would bring out more roasted fragrance and aroma.

Their Military Latte ($6) kept us intrigued.

The colour combination reminded us of our army dirty-looking camou-coloured uniform which was made up of Ronin Matcha Shot (Green) and Dark Chocolate from Noir (Brown).

Interestingly looking, but essentially tasted funky just like… chocolate.

Again, a matter of controlling a more balanced proportion.

To fully enjoy the matcha-ness, we ordered the Premium Matcha Shot ($6.50) made using Shogun Matcha (Spring harvest) whisked with hot water.

Smooth, clean and clear with a slight bitterness after-taste, which could kept me awake for the next few hours.

Being a veteran in the food industry with their previous cafes named after numbers, we have some confidence in their project and we looked forward to their next Matcha Project – softserves.

The Matcha Project X Copper Espresso
THE SAIL @ Marina Bay, 2 Marina Boulevard, #B1-08C, Singapore 018987
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon-Fri), Closed Sat, Sun
https://www.facebook.com/thematchaproject.sg/

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

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[Bangkok] Singaporeans going to Bangkok to eat Hainanese Chicken Rice. Strange, right?

The name of this Singapore style chicken rice shop is called “Boon Tong Kiat”, and one may just wonder if it is a ‘cheong’ (copy) version of the famous Boon Tong Kee back home.

I only went to try after asking for food recommendations from the baristas at The Commons, who all pointed to the direction of this eatery serving ‘khao man gai’.

They knew I was Singaporean. “It’s good…”

The shop wasn’t that difficult to find, on the main road of Thonglor Soi 16, and it looked like one of those old-school coffeeshop I used to go to during my growing up years.

Chopping and preparation of food was done outside, eating inside.

Boon Tong Kiat was originally founded by a Singaporean. However, he has left the business and it is now run by a Thai family who used to work in the restaurant.

The menu offers a splattering of familiar Singapore local favourites, from Chicken with Garlic Rice (65 baht), Duck with steamed rice (79 baht), Red Pork with steamed rice – that’s char siew (69 baht), Red Pork Noodleswith Dumpling Soup (69 baht), Singapore Fried Carrot Cake (115 baht), Fried Rice (120 baht), and Hokkien Mee (120 baht).

There is also a dish more commonly known as ‘Singapore Som Tam’ here, which is our Rojak (105 baht). Don’t go near there.

Waiting took a while. 20 minutes, as the person in front ordered a hundred packets and the server decided to go by sequence.

The moment of truth. The Chicken with Garlic Rice (65 baht) arrived with oily and richer coloured looking rice than the usual, complete with poached chicken glistering in a soy sauce and oil combination.

The plate was actually legit.

There was this pleasant bite and garlic ‘fragrance’ to the flavoured rice, the chicken unexpectedly tender and moist.

However, if I were to do a side by side comparison, I would still prefer the fluffier, moist rice back home as this turned out to be slightly on the dry yet oily side.

While the Red Pork Noodles was nothing to scream about, the top-up of Crispy Pork with that signature layer of crunchiness and fats, turned out to be the saving grace.

Interesting to note that other the signature chilli sauce and garlic paste, Thai style chili was also provided – which I dropped into the egg noodles to add some taste.

If you are Singaporean and crave for home, I think Boon Tong Kiat is a worthy alternative.

Boon Tong Kiat บุญตงเกียรติข้าวมันไก่สิงคโปร์
440/5 Thonglor Soi 16 (located on the main street, opposite J Avenue)
Tel: +66 02 390 2508
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily
Google Maps – Boon Tong Kiat

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Almost too pretty to eat, these deconstructed savoury cake-sized items from Food Anatomy are Instagram-able down to each colourful layer.

Catering directly to the calorie-counting OL crowd at Tanjong Pagar Centre (just outside the MRT gantry), I find the prices surprisingly affordable too.

The cosy 14-seater is their first standalone outlet outside of Timbre+.

Prices are 2 cubes for $6.80, 3 cubes for $9.90, 18 cubes for $39 or 24 cubes for $75. You have the option to replace cubes for salads; and they cost slightly cheaper during breakfast.

(Till the end of December 2016, the cubes are going at an insane price of 3 for $5, so hurry and take this chance to try more flavours!)

Jumping on the promo price, I went for the recommended Teriyaki Chicken, Laksa Pasta and Thai Basil Rice out of the lot displayed.

My first taste of the Teriyaki Chicken sent a ‘Wow’ out of my mouth; perhaps I wasn’t expecting much flavours packed into its petite package.

The meat was a little dry, but nevertheless, I knew I was in for a flavour ride after that.

The next one was easily my favourite out of the three.

My two lady friends and I unanimously agreed that the Laksa Pasta cube was the most balanced, perhaps elevated by the generous sprinkle of laksa leaves on top of a tasty paste.

However, the miss among the hits came in the form of the Thai Basil Rice. It was a tad dry to my liking, and just did not pack the punch like the previous two.

But lo and behold, the surprises didn’t end there.

The friendly counter dude decided to treat us to two ‘hidden’ flavours not displayed out that day (probably because we were the only customers on a Sunday afternoon?).

It turned out that the colourful Bacon Potato and Nasi Lemak were the best ones we had (he shouldn’t have hidden them!).

With a delicious drizzle of cheese on top, the Bacon Potato was a hearty and satisfying cube of soft, mash-potato-like western delight.

The Nasi Lemak – complete with chili and ikan bilis topping – was beautifully constructed with otah, coconut rice and egg. A sumptuous and fragrant treat which could be a hit if marketed properly.

Additional note: After the Nasi Lemak cube still tasted not too bad after takeaway and microwave.

Other wacky flavours include Rice Dumpling (yes, bak zhang), Yuzu Salmon Rice and even Thai Cod Fish Rice.

This is so innovative stuff – local food turned into aesthetically pleasing savoury cubes for your next takeaway party.

Pros: The colours, the cost, the creativity.

Cons: The amount of carbs, some cubes may not be as delicious, the mental barrier to eat in cubic forms.

Quality over quantity might be what The Food Anatomy is going for, and you can always still complete your little meals with coffee or tea that is also served there.

Food Anatomy
Tanjong Pagar Centre, #B2-04, 1 Wallich Street, Singapore 757492 (Near Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 7.30am-10pm (Mon-Fri), 11am-10pm (Sat-Sun) (may close earlier on Sundays)
https://www.facebook.com/foodanatomy.sg

Other outlet: Timbre+, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent #01-31 Singapore 139957

* Written by Wilson Ng @wilsoniscurious who spends his time between cafe hopping and writing Little Short Stories. Photos partly by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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[NEW] The “Ding Ding Man” is the ice cream man OR this café at 1G Yio Chu Kang Road. (YCK friends, are you reading this, there is finally a hipster café near you.)

Cemented walls with exposed bricks does the trick to create an alluring rustic charm that attract the ‘hipster’ cafe-goers or serial café hoppers.

Which is true for my case.

Their loud graffiti signage and rustic interior design caught my attention while I was walking home on a late night, and went ”What is this??”

In collaboration with Gentlemen’s Coffee Company, the café uses “Handlebar” coffee blend.

It has a nutty and chocolaty taste profile – my familiar type of coffee blend which is also commonly used in other cafes.

Note that The Ding Ding Man is currently only serving drinks like coffee and craft beers. Full launch of the place will be expected in early 2017.

Apart from coffee, an interesting drink to note would be the Popcorn Float ($7).

This totally reminds me of A&W’s root beer float, but with addition of sweet buttery caramel popcorn to up the guilt factor.

With prior expertise in events industry, the team at Ding Ding Man does not want to open just any café, but one which can provide that ‘café experience’.

Therefore, while there are space constraints with the café and bar occupying level one, works are under way for level two to transform into a barber shop and retail space for street apparels.

Sipping a cup of flat white while having a haircut does sounds like an interesting experience to try out.

The Ding Ding Man has potential to be next hipster place of Serangoon to chill.

However, they faces their own set of challenges with the not-so-accessible location, lack of parking space, and low foot traffic.

I walk past here often, and the turnover rate for shops along that stretch of road has been pretty high…

Hopefully when the full menu is ready, The Ding Ding Man will be able to anchor their foothold or even transform the stretch of road into the next hipster heartland enclave.

The Ding Ding Man
1G Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 545513 (Near Serangoon MRT, Buses: 80, 81, 81, 101, 107, 107M, 136, 153)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tue
https://www.facebook.com/TheDingDingMan/

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

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