Chuan Le Xiang Lok Lok - Satay Celup

Out in the industrial Estate of Neythal Road, somewhere around in Pioneer Road you will get to come across a Canteen with the name of MEP. If not for the news feeds on my social media page, I will never know such place exist.

Facade of the Canteen may look ordinary, just like other Canteen from the industrial estate. For the typical canteen situated in such estate, most of the stall would have been closed during the evening but Chuan Le Xiang Lok Lok business hours was their reversal - evening to midnight.

MEP Canteen

Having seen and tasted Satay Celup only in Malacca, I'm pretty excited about Chuan le Xiang as I find that its quite unique to have Satay Celup in Singapore.

Dining Environment

The Yuan Yang Pot Comes with 3 segments but 2 of them have similar broth in it which is the home made chicken soup while the other was filled with Satay Sauce. Soup was fragrant added with coriander, onions and chopped chicken meat can be found. 

I dont remember having chicken soup or Yuan Yang in Malacca however one thing that left me a deep impression is their satay sauce. In Malacca, they will offer two type of satay sauce, new from the sealed packet or reused sauce left over by the other diners BUT I dont think "reused satay sauce offer" is going to happen here in Singapore. :)

Upon serving the pot, one of the assistants explained to us on the procedures in ordering as this was the first visit. He was friendly and polite.

Yuan Yang Pot - $10

There were a range of selections to choose from for Lok Lok. Head towards the row of chillers located in front of the stall and pick what you want to eat.

$1 per Stick

Every stick costs $1, including seafood & meat.

Selection

He mentioned that there are 2 ways to enjoy the meal is by dipped those stick into the preferred sauce or if we would like to have additional flavours. We can dip the sticks into the chicken soup.

Selected Item

When its ready, dip them into the satay sauce to give it a satay coating on the items. The satay sauce is mild and not spicy at all. I enjoyed dipping them into the sauce as I like the grated peanuts bite in between bites of the Lok Lok.

Dipping Toufu into the Satay Sauce

For those who want to fill up their stomach can order bowls of white rice or even Bee Hoon. Bee Hoon was plain with only shredded vegetables as its main ingredient but was quite tasty with hints of  peppery taste.

Bee Hoon - $1 per plate

Do you want to add some fiery kick to your Lok Lok, if so do dab your food on their special home made chilli sauce! It's super hot on my tongue! Do note that drinks (soft drinks and beer) are available from them too.

Special Home Made Chilli

In summary, its quite a good experience in Chuan Le Xiang as it recalled those fun days in Malacca. For those who have not been to Malaysia for Lok Lok or Satay Celup, Chuan Le Xiang may give you that kind of experience. What's more the place was spacious and good place for family /group gathering.

Rating: 3 / 5

Chuan Le Xiang Lok Lok - Satay Celup
Location: 23 Neythal Road,  Mep Canteen, Flurotech Building, Singapore 628588
Operating Hours: 5.30pm - 1am

:30 pm - 1:00 am

 

Kiat Huat

With so many stalls selling Wanton Mee in Haig Road Market & Cooked Food Centre, competition seems stiff. After one round of walk in the Food Centre and through my little observations, I came into conclusion to join the stall with the most consistent long queue, Kiat Huat.

Kiat Huat is just a stall or two away from one of the competitors and I took the opportunity by grabbing the seats between the stalls. Menus from both stalls are more or less in the same arrangement, emphasizing that their noodles are of hand made. Perhaps the only differences that I had seen through the glass cabinets were the brands of Chinese soy sauce and sesame oil they use.

The first impression given, generous serving and that includes the cut green chilli in vinegar.  Noodles were served in the traditional "chicken" plates and not to mentioned that the plate was all loaded with sauce as well as oil, giving the egg noodles a smoother texture.

Wanton Mee - $3 (Big)

Char Siew slices came in bigger pieces than I had expected with greens adding on to the striking color combination.

Close up on the wanton mee

Noodle had a firmer bite as compared to the usual Wanton Mee which is thinner.

Egg Noodles

Taste of the soup was decent and consist of 5 wantons in a bowl.

Wanton

Prawn dumplings was good. Just like the wanton, the skin had secured the fillings and from it exterior shape and its translucent skin, one can roughly guess the ingredients.

Prawn Dumplings - $3 per bowl

Prawns were fresh, added with minced pork and what's more, little cuts of black fungus in the prawn dumplings had given the bite a different level of texture.  Yum Yum!

Fillings in the prawn dumplings

It seems like the cohort would prefer Kiat Huat to others, but personally I find that it was rather oily. I guess I had to make another trip down again and compare the differences!

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Kiat Huat
Location: Haig Road Market & Cooked Food Centre, 14 Haig Road #01-62 Singapore 430014

Tha Siam Noodle

Thanks to my Thai pal who initiated the meetup in Central Plaza Ladprao which gave me a chance to explore one's of Bangkok's largest mall.

Of all popular choices like MK, Starbucks, pizzahut, krispy kreme, Secret Garden to Fuji Japanese Restaurant in the mall, we settled down with Thai Food at last.

Tha Siam has its business name written in Thai and was rather crowded. Luckily the restaurant is children friendly with adequate walkway for a pram to be pushed to its end.

Tha Siam Facade

Interior was modern and spacious, well lit.

Interior

Upon seeing its menu, I was somehow worried as I thought they were all printed in Thai but luckily every dish comes with a some elaboration in English.

Menu

Having tried boat noodles for breakfast, I thought such spicy noodles falls under same category and  were of close taste. Though we had requested to reduce its spice, it was a fair bit of challenge for us. Noodles portion was closer to our heart. Fish-balls, pork and liver were great to go with the thick herb gravy among the noodles.

Spicy Noodles with Pork and Liver - 62

While this bowl of noodles was a level up from the former and more for the adventurous kind with glass tendon included. They were as good and yummy!

Spicy Noodle with Pork, Pork Balls, Liver, Glass Tendon and Herb Soup - 63

The Thai called it "Som Tam" and this Green Papaya Salad is rather common in Thailand, one of the dish you have to try if you go there.This spicy salad was made up of shredded unripe green papaya featuring 5 main tastes of its ingredients: sour lime, hot chilli, salt, fish sauce and sweetness enhanced by palm sugar. In this case, Tha Siam Papaya Salad had peanuts enhancing its fragrance and tomatoes added to taste.

Thasiam Papaya Salad - 99 baht

Chysanthemum was recommended by my pal out of all other drinks. It tasted ordinary filled with sugar syrup and was quite sweet for me but I guess having sweet beverages is part of Thai's culture.

Beverages - Chysanthemum - 39

Deep fried to golden brown perfection in its pleasing colors combination presentation, these plate of slim chicken wings were addictive, lending a crispy exterior and tenderness in its meat.

Fried Chicken Wings - 99 Baht

Fried Rice with Chinese Kale and Salted - 110

I will vote the spicy Grilled pork salad as my favourite side dish! Simply love its refreshing taste from its mint leaves to complement the spice from the hot chilli and cut red onions. Grilled meat came in relatively thick slice, tough and had given us the kick in chewing them.

Spicy Grilled Pork Salad - 105

Not to mention its glass noodles, they were appetizing too. Seafood like prawns and cuttlefish were fresh to go with shredded egg slices being part of it.

Fried Glass Noodle with shrimp in Tamarind Sauce Thai Style - 110 Baht

I cant help but to fall into addiction on their fish balls. Unlike the balls from Singapore, theirs were of more volume, without being too artificially springy. We have these fishy goodies well placed in this elegant glass boat separated by a divider to store its sweet spicy black sauce.

Steamed Fish Balls - 99 Baht

The "boat" contained not just only fish ball but fried anchovies as well as fish cakes. Be warned about the spiciness of the sauce it case it got too hot!

Another View

Aww! So much of good food in Thailand that I hope I can have a bite of everything. Even till now, while typing all these, it really tempts me to go back. I guess I will be back there again soon!

Tha Siam Noodle
Location: Central Plaza Ladprao,1693 Phahonyothin Chatuchak Bangkok 10900 (Level 4)
Nearest Station: MRT - Phahon Yothin (Five minutes across the skywalk from Phahon Yothin MRT station

Ning's Mango Stand

The long queue along the road side got me stunned as I approached Sukhumvit Soi 38. The place is not only popular among the locals but also the foreigners. Having observed the participants in the queue while queuing, there was a good mix of local as well as foreigners.

Mango Sticky Rice's Queue

Was it really that good, I wondered. And I told myself the length of the queue just won't lie. The stall is near the entrance of the night market and easily spotted not only with its long queue but also its  massive stacks of fresh mangoes.  At a closer look on its signage, it was also recommended by Blogger, Miss Tam Chiak.

Mango Sticky Rice Stall

Having the curious instinct, I decided to join the queue even though I'm not a mango person. Though the queue was long, the speed was excellent and wait was bearable.

Fresh Mango

The mangoes were very fresh and comes with a smooth texture. Strong fragrant fruit freshness was alluring and underneath the fruits, glutinous rice was steamed lending off its aroma together with coconut milk. The sweet tasting coconut milk with rice complemented the mango added with a tad saltiness. It may be filling after having mouthful of the rice but these sweet Thai Desserts are simply too hard to resist!

Even non mango lover like me was hooked, so what say you? Give it a try!

Mango Stick Rice - 100 Baht

Ning's Mango Stand
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 38 (BTS: Thong Lor Exit 4)
Operating Hours: After 6pm

Burapa Bird's Nest 东方燕窝

While walking along Chinatown, it seems a little discouraging as most of the shops were closed for Public Holidays while I'm expecting crowd and atmosphere from the town. Finally, we spotted something encouraging after a long walk under the hot sun. Yeah, its what I'm looking forward to most throughout the trip, Bird Nest! This shop has a fair bit of its reputation online since it is specialized in both Bird's Nest as well as shark fin and they are highly recommended if you need your dosage of Bird's Nest.

Burapa Bird's Nest

Without much hesitation we walked closer as my attention was all focusing on the shiny metal pots which contained Bird Nest. Thailand is really a heaven to enjoy Bird Nest at an affordable price!

Preparing the Bird's Nest

Interior was airy with constant wind blowing from the electrical fans.  Surroundings were comfortable and you can see that boxes of Shark Fins as well as Bird Nest is placed around the shop and even in its glass cabinets. It was really a good place to shelter us from the scotching hot sun.

Interior

The complementary drink had a subtle sweetness with a familiar taste - I could not recall what is that but definitely good for before having the mains or even after having.

Complimentary Tea

They were quick to serve and soon after we had settled down, drinks, honey, gingko nuts as well as eggs were placed on the table.The honey was for the complementary drink while the gingko as well as eggs were meant for our Bird's Nest dishes.

Compliments

Garnishing for Shark's Fin soup like cut beansprouts, coriander leaves and spring onions were placed on a separate plate.

For Shark's Fin Soup

Shark Fin Soup was served warm in a clean claypot. Its starchy nature excites me further in digging my spoon down in the broth.

Shark Fin - 500 Baht

Ta-Da! Ingredients revealed! Mushrooms as well as some meats was added to the shark fin!

Shark Fin Soup

Added vinegar, beansprouts and coriander leaves to enhance the taste!

Shark Fin with Garnishing

The bowl of warm bird nest is heavenly. If you enjoy bird nest like I do,  I bet you will like this too!

Bird Nest - 200 Baht

Enjoy the bowl of slimy bird nest soup.  The taste of the soup was not too sweet and quite soothing to the system.

Bird Nest - 200 Baht

While I enjoyed the basic taste with birdnest alone, he enjoyed the bowl of tonic in its fullest taste added with both gingko and half boiled egg.

Bird Nest with Gingko Nuts and Egg

With Bird nest and Shark Fin being so popular in Thailand and their attractive pricing. It's hard not to visit them again.

Burapa Bird's Nest 东方燕窝

Location: 63 Plaeng Nam Rd, Samphanthawong Bangkok
Operating Hours: 8am to Midnight daily

Wanton Noodles

After so much discussions on Bangkok's Wanton Mee, I finally found them in the night market, Sukhumvit Soi 38 and was quite fortunate that they were opened even though it was a public holiday.

Sukhumvit Soi 38 is easily accessible by BTS, just alight at Thong Lo Station and cross the road and you will be able to find a stretch selling food.

Wanton Noodle

This Wanton Noodles has been raved online and has its standard of popularity. With its local crowd gather around its stall, I would say that the dish is significant with ample of fresh crab meat added as one of the ingredients.


Noodle soup has a tinged of chye poh and the soup is pretty good, light and delighting.  While the char siew was lean and yummy, likewise for the wantons in soup.

Wanton Noodle Soup - 50 Baht

While the dry version of noodle did not differ much from the soup just that it has packed additional fragrance from the shallots and pork lard. Do note that the dry version does not come with additional soup.

Dry Wanton Noodle - 50 Baht

Having been once there, it's definitely not my last time there as the street is full of interesting local delights and I simply love this kind of night stalls since it is uncommon in Singapore.


Wanton Noodles
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 38 (BTS Station: Thong Lor, Exit 4)
Operating hours: 8pm – 2am

Little Hanoi Noodle Bar

One of the snacks which I will never fail to order when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine. With the skilled of the helpers, both rolls were easily wrapped by in no time. The lady took out the translucent rice paper and boxes of ingredients from the fridge, these Fresh spring rolls which consists of rice noodles, prawns, lettuce was neatly done up. Ingredients like Basil leaves & cilantro were missing from the roll. While I'm expecting to enjoy dipping them over the fragrant peanut sauce, they have such sauce replaced by sweet and spicy chilli. 

Little Hanoi Noodle Bar

Wrapping the rolls

Fresh Spring rolls - $3.90 ( 2 pcs)

Taste of Pho with Beef Balls was disappointing. Soup was totally lacking in taste and without the original herbal taste.It is not anything close to a Vietnamese Bowl of noodles. Instead the greens was replaced by spring onions and tomatoes while pork balls given tasted ordinary. Add some lime juice over the broth to enhance its taste.

Viet Style Beef / Pork Balls noodle Soup - $4.90

Vietnamese cuisine is one of my favorite cuisine and not to mentioned I'm quite a supporter for their pho as well as summer rolls. Having tried their Cuisine both locally and overseas (Vietnam), the bowl of noodle was a shock to me given that the helpers are actually Vietnamese. Perhaps I am one who prefer a stronger taste and expecting a good broth out of their noodle soup. Sighs, it looks like I have to continue searching for Vietnamese Food from the food court that hit the right notes.


Rating: 2.5 / 5

Little Hanoi Noodle Bar
Location: Westgate, 3 Gateway Drive #B1 Singapore 608532