Vie Bistro

A renovated environment with a warmer lighting does make the difference. The usual old school typical looking coffee shop had somehow adopted a new face lift and is up to trend now. With fixed tables and seats, the place is more spacious compared to before.

Spotted the Western Food Stall of Vie Bistro and decided to give their Chicken Chop a try even though their speciality was grilled salmon.

Vie Bistro

The paging system is getting popular even in coffee shop of the neighborhood nowadays. I'm quite surprised that such devices is getting handy in our lives.

Paging Buzzer

Chicken chop was coated with a layer of savoury brown sauce with hints of black pepper but it was not too spicy for the palette. Even though I would prefer mushroom sauce to peppery taste, I guess they only have this sauce as default. Sauce was filled with chopped pieces of onions as well.

Chicken Chop - $6.50

Slab of chicken was fork tender and skillfully grilled to a flavorable taste that came with charred edges. With the marinates and scrumptious sauce, there is no doubt about coming back to Vie Bistro again. Cost wise, it's pretty decent and standard to the market practice.

Chicken Chop with sauce

Rating: 3.25 /  5

Vie Bistro
Location: Blk 155, Bukit Batok St 11 Singapore 650155

Teck Kee Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow

Teck Kee Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow has been around since my school days and they are known for its delicious Fried Kway Teow with reputation build over the years.

The stall is managed by a frail looking uncle whereby his age group can be told entirely through his motions.

Opted for the chilli version of Fresh Cockles Fried Kway Teow at $3.00 a plate. His standard of Fried kway Teow varies from time to time, and it really depends on your luck to have the best of his Fried Kway Teow!

Char Kway Teow - $3

Luckily for once, the sweet, moist and yummy char kway teow is back! This plate tastes so old school with chinese sausage (lup cheong), absolute fresh cockles together with a noteable amount of eggs, a total reminiscent of my childhood. What's more, it is not too greasy with a good balance of moist and texture. Another one thing that makes me feel nostalgic is his traditional method of scooping up the portion of ready-fried kway Teow from the wok using the plate and frying ladle and finally with the same plate as part of my meal. You can see that my portion of kway teow is seated more to the left of the plate.

On a side note, it really pricks my heart to see that uncle is still slogging despite of his old age. It really makes people feel sad especially when he handled that plate of Char Kway Teow to me, with his hands stumbling.

Self Service will be appreciated over at the stall and be careful of the area in front of the stall as its quite slippery.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Teck Kee Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow
Location: Ayer Rajah Food Centre, 503 West Coast Drive, #01-30 Singapore 120503

MADO Cafe [Closed]

While I was loitering in JEM around the dinner hours and looking for some fuss free dinner suggestion, I passed by MADO Cafe that has got a big sign board indicating set dinner for patrons. I thought it was a good idea as I have not given them a visit. Without further ado, i headed into restaurant and took a seat.

MADO

Signboard

Soup of the day was rather standard and nothing to rave about.

Featuring Mushroom soup as Soup of the day

Interior

Spaghetti was creamy, coated with a substantial amount of cream sauce and the bright orange strips prawns looked succulent, looking dressed in its glossy suit. Dish was rather straight forward sprinkled with some green herbs, enlighten up the meal. Spaghetti may have cooked to the right texture but over time if the meal is not finished, under the air con temperature the cream turned thicker and pasta had become rather firm. Prawns on the other hand had traces of frozen smell, also the seafood smell wasn't too pleasant to the appetite.

Prawn Spaghetti in Alfredo Sauce - $12.90

Close up of Prawn Spaghetti

Creamy Pasta

Chicken was grilled and then baked with cheese and tomato Pomodoro.

Cheese Baked Chicken with Tomato Pomodoro - $12.90

Though they are known for its Waffle and Ice Cream, we were there at the wrong timing as these items were not available on that day. Perhaps it takes another visit to determine the ratings on their desserts portion.

Overall, food wise, what MADO cafe provided was rather decent. Perhaps one thing that they have to work on will be the level of service.


Rating: 3 / 5

MADO Cafe
Location: Jem, 50 Jurong Gateway Road #01-04 Singapore 608549

Jin Bao Claypot Bak Kut Teh. Claypot Chicken Rice 金寶砂煲肉骨茶.砂煲雞飯

While in Teck Whye for dinner, we had chanced upon Jin Bao Claypot Bak Kut Teh. This stall was kind of popular among the crowd in Teck Whye Coffeeshop. Staff on duty were dressed in yellow top, a uniform to identify themselves from the stall.

Jin Bao Claypot Bak Kut Teh

The claypot of Bak Kut Teh was rather standard without too much taste of herb. Instead I find the taste was rather similar to those premix that we can easily get off from the shelves. Color of the "Teh" was in between the clear and the black version, opaque perhaps. Besides the "Bak Kut" (Meat and ribs), slices of button mushrooms were included and cut spring onions garnishing were sprinkled among them.

Claypot Bak Kut Teh - $5.80

Meat was tender, easily detached from the bone and had a slightly infused taste from the Bak Kut Teh. However, I'm someone who prefer a stronger sense of such taste.

Meat

Overall, I would say that the claypot BKT was quite decent and if you have not much expectation other than just to fill one's stomach, this should be enough.

Rating: 3 / 5

Jin Bao Claypot Bak Kut Teh. Claypot Chicken Rice  金寶砂煲肉骨茶.砂煲雞飯
Location: Blk 143 Teck Whye Lane Singapore 680143

Toa Payoh Rojak

Speaking of Toa Payoh Rojak, I can only remember the one at the Toa Payoh's bus interchange and nothing else but this stall in Old Airport Road has somehow got my attention with its queues and numbering system. The queue numbering system works different here and does not follow the usual way whereby your number and your order is ready. Instead, customers are expected to collect a number card from the stall first then when the number is shown electronically, you are required to place your order with them.

Toa Payoh Rojak

Taupok, "You Tiao" aka fried dough sticks were all toasted and mixed within the sticky prawn paste and other essential items (Jellyfish, beansprouts, kangkong, cucumbers) that can be found usually in a plate of Rojak. Thereafter with chopped peanuts sprinkled all over, making it more appealing.

Rojak - $4

Having tried better ones elsewhere, I would say that I still prefer Hoover Rojak, Brother's Rojak & Soon Heng Rojak in Toa Payoh over this.

Portion of $4 Rojak

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Toa Payoh Rojak
Location: 51 Old Airport Road Food Centre & Shopping Mall, 51 Old Airport Road #01-108 Singapore 390051

Udon

Replacing the stall Hai Xian Tang (Seafood Soup) in Ayer Rajah Food Centre will be this one and only one Japanese Stall in the Hawker. Specializing in just Udon, there are no other typical Japanese food available like Bento, Ramen or don. In fact, the dishes were rather straight forward as there are only 5 selection of Udon each with different item, namely, Inari, Ebi, Katsu Pork, Pork Belly and Karaage Chicken. For add ons like Edame and sweetcorn, patrons can top up another $0.50.

Udon

Ordering the Katsu Pork Udon, it consisted of half Japanese egg, shredded scallions, 2 slices of fish cake and cut Katsu Pork Pieces on top of the bowl of Udon Soup.

Katsu Pork Udon - $5.50

The soup was rather plain and I had the chilli powder sprinkled onto the fried pork pieces. Shortly after the dish was served, the Katsu Pork had adsorbed the soup and these meat pieces turned soggy. Therefore, the fried crispy texture no longer exist and standing up among the rest of the ingredients, it was a disappointment. In my opinion, it will be better to separate them out in order to achieve its original crispy battered surface.

Close up

Rating: 2.75 / 5

Udon
Location: Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Blk 503 West Coast Drive Singapore 120503

Western Food

While reading what's there to eat in Bukit Batok Area, we chanced upon this Coffeeshop in Blk 371 Bukit Batok Which is just opposite Bukit Gombak MRT station. It was past 9pm in a Saturday night and there was not too many shops opening, leaving Western Food and Cze Char Stall still in Operation. At a glance around the tables in the Coffeeshop, I realised that majority of them had their meals from Western Food and some even had Wings / Half a chicken to go with their beers.

Western Food

It was the 2nd time in this month that I saw Western Food served in the typical Roti Prata / Thosai Metal Plate, where Thosai will be place at the biggest section and the sauces on the 3 spaces. To me it was quite amazing. Just like the typical Western Food, it comprises of baked beans, coleslaw and fries. However, what makes the stall special was that they added a toasted garlic slice and have the option to choose between fries or rice.

Fish & Chips - $5.50

Fish & Chips came in the breaded texture with a nicely fried golden brown color. It goes very well with the Zesty Mayonnaise sauce that I don't think we can get it off the shelf.

Fish and dips

While my dining partner chose another of my favourite dish from the menu, Chicken Chop.Instead of fries, he opted for the rice which aids in filling his stomach. The rice was pretty special with dark sauce coated and lends a gentle buttery fragrance from time to time. I couldn't figure out what was it made up of but its definitely not yam rice.

Chicken Chop - $5.50

I love the chicken chop best between the 2 dishes ordered as its meat was well marinated and you could taste that the marinate had accentuated deep into the meat given a special taste. Of course the chicken chop meat was tender and with it being cut into smaller pieces, saving us further efforts. The mushroom sauce that had it coated was sweet and delicious!

Chicken Chop

Overall, I'm quite happy with such old school taste of Western Food around the vicinity.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Western Food (Sin Huat Lee Restaurant)
Location: Blk 371, Bukit Batok St 31 #01-326 Singapore 650371