Muted.

 Another Gelato Cafe has opened recently. It is located along the Jalan Besar Area. The interior features a minimalist design with a plain and straightforward color scheme hitting shades of peach and apricot colors. Despite being "empty", this theme has provided a relaxing and inviting setting, giving us a great mood enjoying our scoops of gelato.

Muted.

They pride themselves with real, freshly made gelato with ingredients directly from their green grocer, having 0 artificial flavoring, preservatives and coloring. This allows us to taste the difference of natural ingredients in every scoop, giving us authentic flavours.

We ordered a double scoop comprising of Hokkaido Vanilla and Sicilian Pistachio. The texture are velvety and addictive, without being too sweet. They use Hokkaido Milk from Japan, infused with the Finest Vanilla Beans from Madagascar.

Sicilian Pistachio cradles a good natural nutty fragrance from the Pistachio Nuts.

Hokkaido Vanilla & Sicilian Pistachio - $9 (Double Scoop) + $1

A good combination of Tea for a double scoop. The Uji Matcha was rich in flavours. They use Ceremonial Grade Match and was extremely unami. While they use the finest Earl Grey and in combination with the floral Sakura , achieving a delightful and light dessert.

Uji Matcha & Earl Grey Sakura - $9 (Double Scoop) + $1

Only a few cafes would offer Dirty Matcha on their menu. Compared to the usual Matcha drink, Dirty Matcha has a different flavour profile, there are three main components to the cup of Dirty Matcha,  namely, Matcha, Milk and Coffee. The lightly sweetened Matcha forms the base while the milk allows a smooth transition in flavour between the Matcha and roasted notes of Coffee.

Dirty Matcha - $8

While many Gelato spots would have closed around 9pm, Muted. is an ideal spot for night lovers as they are opened till 12am daily.

Rating:  3.25 / 5

Muted Gelato
Location: 221 Lavender Street, Singapore 338774
Website

Enjoy Xia Hokkien Mee Kitchen @ Jln Besar

We had recently visited Enjoy Eating House and Bar in Stevens Road and were impressed by the food quality. Upon learning that they have another place in Jalan Besar with a slightly different menu focusing on Hokkien Mee, we made it a point to head down.

Enjoy Xia Hokkien Mee Kitchen

Our drinks were contained in a traditional Chinese metal cup, how nostalgic.

Enjoy Thai Milk Tea & Chrysanthemum Luo Han Guo - $3.50 & $3

Living up to its namesake! Enjoy these 5 pieces of Signature Jumbo Chicken Satay. They were definitely well-marinated and moist and sprinkled with crushed peanuts and spring onions. On top of that, complete the experience by dipping into the chunky peanuts sauce.

Jumbo Chicken Satay 鸡肉沙爹 - $9.80

A huge and "upsized" Ngoh Hiong we had. Ngoh Hiong is hand rolled in house and filled with crab meat as well as minced kurobuta. What an indulgence!

Homemade Ngoh Hiong 自制五香 - $9.80

Simply by looking at the fillings with the minced meat with diced carrots. The texture was great and minced meat was not too mashy.

Minced Meat

It was a joke when we told the server that we did not order the dish then to realise that it was actually Enjoy Crispy Hor Fun. 

Enjoy Crispy Hor Fun 享受滑蛋炸河粉 - $15.80 (Small)

This dish really got our attention for every piece of hor fun was fried to crispiness. Its a classic Enjoy favourite and the dish comes with silky egg sauce with big prawns, squid and crispy roast pork.

Crispy Hor Fun

Here's the starring dish Big Xia Hokkien Mee. The Hokkien Mee carried the style that I preferred whereby the noodles were not over soaked in the broth. The broth had the right amount of taste without having too much of a heady prawn taste, The prawns were big and there were ingredients like crispy pork belly and squid.

Big Xia Hokkien Mee 大虾福建面- $15.80 (Small)

What a good meal we had indeed. I do not mind return to either of their restaurant for more delicious food!

Rating: 4 / 5

Enjoy Xia Hokkien Mee Kitchen @ Jln Besar
Location: Kam Leng Hotel, 383 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209001

Madam Tyrant Handmade Noodles 霸婆手工面

In search of good handmade noodles, after our favourite stall in Clementi closed down during our school days, there are only one to two stalls of my preferred choices but they are located far away from my residence.

Stall of the Ba Po Handmade Noodles

The stall is run by a group of millennial hawkers who are old-time friends.

Handmade Noodles

Let's look into the menu and choose a dish before heading down.

Menu

If you want a side dish from their menu, their Hakka Pork Belly is recommended. It beat a lot of places' Hakka Pork Belly Hands down with its distinct taste of the marinade. The Pork Belly was flattened and deep fried with an outer thin layer of crispiness cradling the succulent and fragrant tender meat within.

Hakka Pork Belly - $5 

What caught our eyes from social media was the bowl of Mee Hoon Kueh name, Happy Bowl, comprised of special colours. There are 4 colours: yellow, purple, green and red. These are no artificial colourings and come from pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach and beetroot respectively. 

Happy Bowl - $6.50

Having such outstanding colours, it helps to ensure that children will be able to enjoy the dish as much as the adults do. Mee Hoon Kueh is topped with fried anchovies and cut spring onions in a bowl of egg drop soup. The soup base tasted flavourful and we enjoyed this delighting bowl of Happy Bowl.

Mee Hoon Kueh

The bowl of Ban Mian Dry was cooked to perfection with noodles having the right texture to a good sauce ratio. The ramen egg was a nice touch to the noodles and the soup broth was lip-smackingly collagen-liked like what we had from the Ramen soup.

Ban Mian Dry - $5.30

I'm glad to see that group of millennials reinventing the classic dish and coming together as a team to build the business up using the grandma's recipe, giving it a twist. Why not head down there to enjoy a bowl of comforting Handmade Noodles.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Madam Tyrant Handmade Noodles 霸婆手工面

Location: 153 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore, Singapore

Dim Sum Haus (Jln Besar)

There are a number of Dim Sum eateries around the area in Jalan Besar and Dim Sum Haus has always been on my list to go for I have not visited the place as I heard good comments from my peers. There are two Dim Sum Haus outlets and the other one is located in Upper Weld Road.

Dim Sum Haus

Let's begin with the Hong Kong Dim Sum Staples, Har Gau and Mini Steam Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf. The Steamed Shrimp Dumpling aka Har Gau was decent and best go with the chilli on the table.

Steamed Shrimp Dumpling “Har Gau”  晶莹鲜虾饺 & 
Mini Steam Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf (2 pcs) 迷你荷叶糯米饭

While the Mini Steam Glutionous Rice in Lotus Leaf comes in 2 packets. The Glutinous Rice was not greasy and was addictive. There was salted egg, braised meat and dried shrimp in the rice, another version of the Chinese "Ba Zhang" aka Dumpling which is served differently, 

Unwrapping the Lotus Leaf 

Delicious Meat Cubes

The Crispy Mee Sua Kueh with Chinese Sausage (3 pcs) 香脆腊味面线糕 was special. It has bits of Chinese Sausage with fragrant dried shrimp in it and was evenly deep-fried in its rectangular shape. 

Yummy Dim Sum Spread

Love its well-baked crispy and flaky texture with its molten lava custard. Yummy!

Baked Salted Egg Custard Bun (3pcs) 脆顶流沙包

The Black Truffle Rice Roll sounds interesting! This item is offered on their Seasonal Menu from Oct to December 2023. The Rice Roll texture was more chewy than the conventional ones we had and tossing these Rice Roll with the Black Truffle Sauce elevates the plain roll with additional aroma.

Black Truffle Rice Roll 黑松肠粉

Teriyaki Siew Mai is also one of the items on their Seasonal Menu and caught my attention immediately as it was eye-pleasing. It was served in a stick of 2 like meatballs. Siew Mai was coated with Teriyaki Sauce and topped with Egg Roes. It tasted a tad on the salty side of the Teriyaki Sauce.

Teriyaki Siew Mai 照烧鱼子烧卖

Pretty interesting to see this from a Dim Sum place with a Halloween Special. What a lovely creation in celebration of the upcoming Halloween. The Halloween Set costs $16.80 while Ala Carte item cost $6 each.

The texture of the Xiao Long Bao was decent and the essence of the XLB was well encased within the skillful wrapup by the XLB Chef. The soup was tasty and yummy.

Halloween Set (Cheesy Xiao Long Bao, Steamed Pumpkin Mochi with Red Beans,
Pumpkin Sago Dessert)- $16.80

What's the fillings inside of the little pumpkins on the Dim Sum Tray? It's the traditional Red Beans paste wrapped with Steamed Pumpkin Mochi. The texture was sticky and sweetness of the paste was acceptable.

Steamed Pumpkin Mochi with Red Beans 南瓜红豆麻

The drink did give us the Halloween feel with the skull and its red eye sockets.

Pumpkin Sago Dessert 南瓜西米露

Having visited a few dim sum eateries in the same area, I would say that Dim Sum Haus will be my preferred choice of Dim Sum Place as the service is friendly and the variety is kind of surprising ~ in this case they have Dim Sum made for the occasion like Halloween. 

Thank you Dim Sum Haus & PR Salon for the invitation.

Dim Sum Haus
Location: 57 Jln Besar, Singapore 208809

Sum Dim Sum

The queue for Sum Dim Sum was crazy for us as we had to stand at the narrow passageway with passersby squeezing through us frequently and to make things worst, the weather was not doing any justice. Finally, we were approached by the staff and agreed to take the non-air-conditioned seating outside the restaurant bearing in mind with the hot weather.

Sum Dim Sum

Adding on to the long queue, it seems like the place was short-handed. We quickly made our order and submitted it to the kitchen.

Sum Dim Sum Menu

The Pan Fried Carrot was overloaded with fried onion. The texture was soft and tasted on the average side. 

Pan Fried Carrot Cake 煎萝卜糕 - $5

Homemade Barley & Chrysanthemum Tea - $4.30 & $2.40

No herbal taste but on the sweeter side with Abalone Sauce. The chicken feet were not too bad, garnishing like ginger, chilli and spring onions are added.

Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce 鲍汁闷鸡爪 - $5.50

It will be economical to buy 6 as 3 costs $5.50. The Xiao Long Bao was pretty decent and average tasting. However, it still cannot beat the Michelin awarded one in the chained restaurant.

Xiao Long Bao 小笼包 - $10.60 (6 PCs)

The congee was an average fare too.
                            

Century Egg & Lean Meat Congee 皮蛋瘦肉粥 - $5.20

The Fresh Prawn Dumplings was quite an average fare to me.

Fresh Prawn Dumpling 鲜虾虾饺 - $4.90

The Skin of Siew Mai was on the thicker side and the meat had a funny taste.

Wolfberry with Mushroom Siew Mai 枸纪子烧卖 - $4.80

The fried Prawn Roll in Beancurd Skin was crispy and the prawn was juicy. 

 Fried Prawn Roll in Beancurd Skin 脆炸虾腐皮卷 - $4.80

Their Signature Pandan Crispy Pork Buns are unique. The crispy exterior was addictive and reminded me of Tim Ho Wan's Polo Bun but with an elevation of Pandan's fragrance. 

Signature Pandan Crispy Pork Bun 招牌斑斓脆皮叉烧包 - $6

A praiseworthy dish on their menu. 

Char Siew inside

The Cantonese-style BBQ Pork Rice Roll was not too bad. Love the sweet soy sauce over the rolls.

BBQ Pork Rice Roll 叉烧肠粉 - $4.90

We took the chance to order a noodle dish from their Dim Sum Menu. The KL Hokkien noodles were thick and overly sweetened by the black sauce. There were not many ingredients and limited to a few prawns, cabbages and a few pieces of lean meat.

KL Hokkien Noodles - $10.90

The dim Sum Meal ends with the oriental dessert, Osmanthus Jelly. It was served in 3 cubes and orange transparent jelly topped with Osmanthus. Not too sweet but also not to our liking. 

Osmanthus Jelly 晶莹桂花糕- $4.70

No doubt that their dim sum was freshly made with traditional recipes, there are still many competitors out there for their dim sum which can be better and worth the money spent. The time we spent in the queue did not make justice to our meal here. Perhaps, it's best to make a reservation before heading down there.

Rating: 3 / 5

Sum Dim Sum
Location: 161 Jln Besar, Singapore 208876

Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice 陈福记

Chen Fu Ji had its genesis in Chinatown in the 1950s, when a small shop run by a woman and her two daughters made famous the Gold Plated Fried Rice. The recipe is said to have been passed down from ancient China. The daughters were hired by a Japanese to work at his restaurant on Erskine Road in 1992 but the brand was soon sold to Mr Koh.

Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice 陈福记

The wooden long bench and table with white walls made the interior simple and clean, giving a cozy environment. For larger groups of diners, they have round tables to accommodate them. 

Dining Interior

The business used to be run by 2 sisters who helmed the wok for over 40 years and had decided to retire and let go of their business due to health. They started selling fried rice from $3 to $25 a plate with continuous customer flow but also paid their youth and health for it. Due to long-standing hours, the elder sister was hunched back and her waist was crooked while the younger sister had her hands soaked for long hours thus her nails were damaged and she often felt pain.  

History of Chen Fu Ji

The Lemon Grass Home Made Drink tasted different with the use of Rock Bee Candy.  Rock Bee Candy is the only alkaline sugar among all sugars. It can neutralize the acidity of food, optimize the taste and adjust the acid-base balance of the human body without destroying human immunity.

Lemon Grass Home Made with Rock Bee Candy  自制香茅石峰糖 - $3.80 / Glass

There was a promotion on the premium Japanese Breaded Oysters. Love the Breaded exterior of the oysters and this seafood tasted yummy with some lime juice over them as well as dabbing them into the given chilli.

Premium Japanese Breaded Oyster - $14.80+ (8 Pieces) 

While many said that Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice was passe and taken over by KOFR, I would say that their fried rice is still reputable and live up to its name. Their Ultimate Fried rice was said to be a recipe from 1400 years ago. 

It was served on an elegant plate with Thai rice decked up in the shape of a bowl. Indeed, the fried rice did not disappoint. It was topped with freshly peeled crab meat adorned with a stalk of coriander and orchid. Ingredients like Char Siew, Spring Onion, Soy Sauce, Sea Prawn and Fresh Egg were distinctly tasted and seen. Best of all, it is flavourful and not greasy.

It's not exaggerating but it is considered one of the best fried rice I have ever tasted apart from the popular DTF Egg Fried Rice. At one glance at the menu, the price might turn one off but considering the ingredients used, it would be said to be on the reasonable side.

CFJ Ultimate Fried Rice 陈福记终极炒饭 - $25

It's not my usual bowl of Sliced Fish Soup.  The snakehead fish is very potent for healing from surgeries and injuries. The soup is sweet and tasty.

Sliced Fish Soup 生鱼片汤

We often had Pan Fried Baby Kai Lan with minced garlic but their kind of execution makes use of ginger stripes which I find rather refreshing on top of the crunchy bites from the vegetables. 

Panfried Baby Kai Lan 清炒小芥蓝

We had the egg roll as an appetizer. These Bouncy fish cakes are wrapped with egg and sliced into pieces with Japanese cucumber inserted in between

Egg Roll 蛋卷 - $4

Hints of buttery creamy broth with the Male Crab weighing about 400g immersed in the claypot soaked with White Bee Hoon. The Whiff of aroma had lured our appetite. The soup had a taste of Chinese cabbage, evaporated milk, garlic and butter.

Crab Bee Hoon Broth - Male 400g -  $25+

The taste of crustacean was simply fresh with no foul smell. The only pet peeve was that we could have plump and juicer meat if bigger crabs were used but it was unavailable at the time of the visit.

Crab

Claw from the Crustacean

The eyes pleasing presentation stole my attention from the other dishes on the table. These Pan-Fried homemade skinless and boneless diced chicken was delectable with their homemade Gongbao Sauce fried with onions, spring onions, and cashew nuts.

Gongbao Diced Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Service from Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice is attentive and patient. I do not mind revisiting them for their fried rice and other dishes again.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice 陈福记
Location:  279 Jln Besar, Singapore 208943