Godmama

Godmama is one of the popular dining places in Funan Mall. They are located on the 4th level and specialised in serving Modern Peranakan Food. I have been eyeing their Peranakan Food since Funan had been reopened. 

Godmama at Funan

As we did not have a reservation, we were offered a seat in the Alfresco dining section. The menu was well designed and laid out with alluring graphics.

Menu

We had the Makan Kakis Set and we found out that the portion was actually big enough for 3 pax. It consists of Small Plates, Mains for sharing, Choice of Dessert and Drink.

Makan Kakis Set Menu $80++ for 2 pax

Small Plates (Sharing)

Ikan Keropok was served as a starter for sharing. The plate of fish crackers was big for 2 pax. Fish crackers were crispy and comes with a Homemade Belacan Mayo dip.

Ikan Keropok

The pieces of fish Crackers were flavourful and big in size.

Dip the crackers

Choice of Drink (1 Each)

The cooler gave me a refreshing start for the meal, just that it was a bit on the bitter side.

Pandan Lemongrass Cooler

The Pandan with Gula Melaka was thick with coconut milk. Stir well before drinking.

Pandan with Gula Melaka 

This is an additional item we ordered out of the Makan Kaki's Menu. The popiah is said to be recreated using Godmama's traditional family recipe. While the typical popiah uses the Popiah Skin, Godmama make use of egg skin crepe filled with hand-cut, stewed and caramelized vegetable fillings, lettuce, minced garlic, crispy garlic, sprouts, fresh prawns and cucumber wrapped within. 

All-Star Egg Skin Popiah - $6.50

The size of the Popiah reminds me of the famous Popiah in Joo Chiat. However, the taste from it was something out of my expectation as the fillings were more on the marshy side without crunchy details. The garlic taste was overpowering overall.

Fillings

The crispy wings are addictive. The way they cut the mid joint into halves makes it easier to consume. These wings were dusted with a special spice seasoning and served with homemade Belacan mayo similar to what they had for the Ikan Keropok.

Nyonya Fried Wings

A pet peeve was that the meat was a little bit dry.

Wing and Homemade Belacan Mayo

Mains (Sharing) 

Mains

A classic Nyonya mixed vegetables braised in vegetable soup with bean curd skin and mushrooms. The soup is good enough to drench on the rice.

Chap Chye 

This Signature belly of pork is simmered in an aromatic tamarind stew served with Tau Kwa (tofu) and chilli.

Babi Assam

Sotong aka Squid was stirred fried and cooked together with mild spicy and sweet sambal sauce. The texture was chewy and decent.

Sambal Sotong

Nyonya Archar is a staple must-have dish in every Peranakan Household and I thought it will be good. The ones I had from the wet market is better.

Nyonya Archar & Sambal Belacan

Butterfly Blue Pea Rice did have the right fluff but lacked in fragrance.

Butterfly Blue Pea Rice 

Choice of Dessert (1 Each)

The Durian Creme Brulee is unavailable and we got to choose other desserts given on the normal menu. We had the Gingerflower & Lychee Sorbet which is Godmama's exclusive by local creamery Apiary. It is topped with roasted peanut crumble, lime jelly and crowned by a piece of dried pineapple.

Ginger flower & Lychee Sorbet 

My favourite dish out of the entire menu! The homemade silken coconut panna cotta was served chilled with Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice) and desiccated coconut topped with some biscuit crumbles. The riots of texture from this dessert left a good impression on me.

Pulut Hitam Panna Cotta

Having tried the desserts, they made me want to come back again for their Durian Creme Brulee which was not available on that day.

Rating: 3 / 5

Godmama
Location: 107 North Bridge Rd, #04-07, Singapore 179105
Website

Mr Avocado Exotic Fruit Juice

After all these years, I'm still patronizing this stall whenever I am in the area. I was not spared from the queue either but all were worthwhile for it left me a satisfying stomach after my cup of Avocado drink.

Stall of Mr Avocado

I'm still loving its rich and creamy consistent smooth drink without being too sweet. The fragrant and pleasant taste of Gulu Melaka within adds depth and flavour to the drink.  

Avocado and Avocado with Chocolate Drink (Medium Size)

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Last posted on 8th July 2014

I have never failed to have a cup of my favourite juice every time during my trip to Alexandra Village(AV) Food Centre unless Mr Avocado Stall is closed.

Stall of Mr Avocado

Being their supporter since my school days, I had seen the price of Avocado juice increased from less than $2 to its current $2.50 per cup. When I'm being asked to recommend best Avocado Juice, what comes first in my mind was AV Food Centre's Mr Avocado.

Avocado Juice

Most of the times, there were queues in front of the shop. Beside selling the traditional varieties of fruit juices, they are also selling exotic juices like durian milk and sweetcorn milk shake. Initially I wanted to order the sweet corn milk but it was not available during my visit.


The secret recipe to their tasty Avocado Juice was never revealed. Jars of avocado juice was prepared way before hand and kept in the chiller. By nature, Avocado is rich in mono saturated fats, thus the drinks are seen creamy. It tastes sweet with Gula Melaka added and my many returns has not disappoint me thus far. Strongly recommended!

Avocado Juice - $2.50

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Mr Avocado Exotic Fruit Juice
Location: Alexandra Village Food Centre ,120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-19 Singapore 150120

Soup Master 汤臣煲靓汤

We learned of Soup Master before heading down to the coffee shop. The place was quiet during the evening with just a few stalls opening for dinner hours. Besides the drink stall and the roasted meat, the soup master was in operation.  There were different kinds of soups on the menu and they have tubs of herbs displayed.

Soup Master

Having soups are always my comfort food. They are tasty and always beneficial to us. Look at what we had ordered for the meal.

2 Soups and a bowl of Yam Rice

There are a few choices of rice to choose from, plain fragrance rice, pumpkin, Olive and we had the yam rice.

Yam Rice - $1

With each soup bringing benefits to the body,. this body of Buddha Jumps over the Wall is a supplement to our Calcium and aids in building the bones. The soup was thick and nourishing with ingredients like chicken drumstick, abalone slices, fish maws and Goji Berries. Coriander leaves are added to enhance the taste. Though maybe the expensive item on the menu but the quality is definitely worth paying for.

Buddha Jumps over the Wall 极品佛跳墙 - $7.50

There are two kinds of Chicken Ten Tonic Soup on the menu, with one using the Black Chicken and the other with the normal Chicken. This bowl of soups helps in invigorating Qi and blood. The herbal taste was ample and likewise, served with a big drumstick and boiled egg in the traditional Tonic Bowl. The taste might be slightly bitter due to the nature of herbs used but the input of Goji Berries had balanced the taste with its sweetness.

Chicken Ten Tonic Soup 十全大补汤 - $5.50

The standard and quality of soups are worthy for a return trip. Not only that, I find that the service rendered from the Hawkers are friendly and a pack of warmth, just like the bowls of soup.  

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Soup Master 汤臣煲靓汤

Location: Blk 109 Bukit Batok West Ave 6 Singapore 650109

Fish Ball Noodle / Fish Ball Soup

The stretch of shophouses consists of 2 coffee shops is always packed with office workers during lunchtime. We visited one of the run down coffeeshop, Ban Heng over lunch and noticed the queues in front of those humble stalls. This eatery probably give the best bang for the buck in MappleTree Business City (MBC) vicinity. 

Ban Heng 

Ban Heng is a corner coffee shop along the stretch of shophouses comprising a few stalls serving meals for nearby offices. The place is simple with flooring and walls tiled up by those basic looking tiles.

Coffeeshop Interior

While everyone is hurrying down to try out the Crawford Lane Teochew Fishball Noodle before the Uncle's retirement, I already had my cravings preliminary fix here for the basic bowl Fish Ball noodle.

Stall of Fish Ball Noodle

Having the bowl of Fishball Noodle was like tuning in back to the past as the bowl of noodles carried a nostalgic taste that reminds me of childhood. Food was simple and basic with minced meat, lean meat, fish cake, fishballs and meatballs decking up by the noodles. We ordered the chilli and ketchup version and it blended in well.

Fish Ball Noodle - $3

The taste might not match the popular chained Fishball Noodle stalls but having such basic tasting food once in a while is still my comforting food of all choices.

Ingredients

Rating: 3 / 5

Fish Ball Noodle / Fish Ball Soup
Location: 97 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118515 

True Breakfast

A crazy 1.5 hours queue for breakfast in Cuppage Plaza. I was shocked to see the extreme long queue despite that 99% of the shops in the Plaza has not started it business for the day. Was initially there for breakfast but ended up having brunch instead.

Shop Front of True Breakfast

True Breakfast has limited seating thus the long queue as the turn over rate was not fast. The interior gave a homely feel with an impressive display of Lego Figurines at the whole side of the wall. This display would draws attention to Lego Minifigures enthusiasts. Furnishings were simple wooden chair and marble top liked tables.

Display Figurines 

Apart from the limited seating, the kitchen space was small and designed with open concept. Preparation of food and cooking can be all visible if one is near the counter.

Entrance to the Kitchen

If you are there for their Taiwanese Braised pork rice, do check before heading down as the availability has some special timing for both weekdays and weekends. 

The dish has a well balanced lean and fats from the pork belly. Sweetness of braised pork belly topped the grains of pearl rice and was accompanied by half a braised egg as well as preserved vegetables. 

Braised Pork Rice 卤肉饭 - $4.80

Besides the usual Ham & eggs and Luncheon Meat & Eggs toast, The pork chop & Eggs Toast is also recommended on their menu. Toasts were a little charred in the exterior and were served on a plate.

Pork Chop Egg Sandwich 猪排蛋吐司 - $5.80

It was a simple execution of 2 flattened pieces pork chop with eggs and some cucumber.

What's inside the toast?

It was sweet and makes a pleasant breakfast.

Toasts on plate

The Scallion Pancake was crispy and packed with chopped scallion fragrance. At the first look of it, it reminds me of our Roti Prata that looks similar to what Taiwanese Cuisine is famous for. 

Scallion Pancake 葱油饼 - $4.80

We ordered the Taiwanese Omlette that has pork floss in it. Thereafter the staff ask if we want some sweet black sauce over our Taiwanese Omlette.

Pork Floss & Eggs 肉松蛋饼 - $5.80

The crepe layer was chewy and tasted savory with the sauce pairing and pork floss being sandwiched by the eggs.

Cross Section of Pork Floss & Eggs

Was it worth my 1.5 hours in the queue? If you ask me to queue again. I will not want to be in the queue for more than 15 minutes with an empty stomach even though I'm craving for Taiwanese food. Overall, in general, their food are not too bad if you are finding a fix for some Taiwanese food.

Rating: 3.25 / 5 

True Breakfast 初早餐
Location: Cuppage Plaza, 5 Koek Road, #B1-19/20 Singapore 228796

Hong Kong Yummy Soup

After so many years, Hong Kong Yummy Soups Stall still never fail to draw a long queue in front of its stall during peak hours. As usual, the Cantonese Stall owner has always been on One-Man Show, handling from taking orders to payment. His managing skills was good enough for him to clear the snaking long queues alone throughout the years. 

Stall of Hong Kong Yummy Soup

While healthy eating has gained its popularity and importance over these years, such steamed dishes with nourishing nutrients will never be out of trend. 

Our Order

Not many places do offer this soup and its benefits is to help to expel heat from the body and aid coughing. Ingredients include the Chinese almonds, spare ribs and Night Blooming Cereus.

Night-blooming Cereus Spare Ribs Soup 霸王花排骨汤 - $4

The soup aids in building strong bones and muscles. It also nourishing too. The bowl of soup was strong flavoured with mushrooms, peanuts and the natural sweetness from the meat gave sweetness to the bowl.

Peanut Chicken Feet 花生鸡脚 - $4

While this soup is quite commonly found in the soup stall, the quality of the soup was delighting to the soul. Generous portions of meat were placed in with thick-cut of Lotus Root.

Spareribs Soup with Lotus Root 莲藕排骨汤 - $4

The amount paid was worth getting for. These bowls of soup are value for money and standard has been maintained throughout the years. For those who want to enjoy more variety of soup choices, it will be best to go earlier before the soup runs out for the day.

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Posted 28 December 2013

Steamy business! Drinking herbal soups as well as having dishes steamed dishes seem to be in the trend lately as we can see more of such stall opening up everywhere, even in Shopping Mall. Hong Kong Yummy Soups has been a while in Ayer Rajah Food Centre and they serve 6 different kinds of soups as well as 2 other dishes. The 6 types of soup includes:

(1) Spareribs soup with lotus root and dry octopus ($3.30)
(2) Spareribs soup with winter melon ($3.30)
(3) Peanut Chicken Feet Soup ($3.30)
(4) Spareribs soup with msurhooms ($3.30)
(5) Cordyceps flowers soup with chicken ($4.00)
(6) Night Blooming Cereus Spareribs Soup ($3.30)

And two dishes
(A) Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Beans ($3.50)
(B) Steamed Chicken Wing in Lotus Leaf ($3.00)

Beside its budgeted value, steaming is a healthy form of cooking which allow the food to be cooked quickly while retaining its nutrients.

Hong Kong Yummy Soups

The benefits of each kind of soup is precisely indicated on the signboard in Chinese Characters. I had ordered a bowl of Spareribs Soup with Lotus root and dry octopus which was supposed to aid the lungs and maintain healthy kidneys. The stock was sweet and lends flavour to the slices of lotus root.
 

Spareribs with Lotus Root and Dry Octopus - $3.30

The ingredients given was generous and the soup does not contain MSG. The meat came with alot of soft bones attached which allow a good chew throughout my meal. Red dates were added to the soup enhancing its sweet taste. The meal was rather simple with a bowl of white rice to pair along.

Add rice - $0.50

If you have the urge to satisfy your soup cravings, do visit Hong Kong Yummy Soups. :)

Rating: 4 / 5

Hong Kong Yummy Soups
Location: Ayer Rajah Food Centre, 503 West Coast Drive, #01-06, Singapore 120503

Rong Cheng Rou Gu Cha 榕城肉骨茶

Rong Cheng Rou Gu Cha is one of the stalls from the newly renovated Coffeeshop. If you are looking for peppery style Bak Kut Teh in Bukit Batok, look no further as they have been in the Bak Kut Teh industry for more than 50 years. If you heard of the popular Sin Ming Bak Kut Teh, you can enjoy it in the Western part too.

Stall of Rong Cheng Rou Gu Cha

Despite being a Teochew, I do not fancy my own dialect's style of Bak Kut Teh (BKT) as for those that I had tried was mostly peppery and overwhelming to my throat. Instead, all these while my preference will be towards the herbal style of BKT. Well, it seems like everything falls in place as it was a stormy day during my visit and these peppery bowls of soup will be of the right choices. We ordered both the signature Dragon and the normal pork ribs.

Meal Ordered

The Loin Ribs or better known as Dragon Ribs when translated from Mandarin 龙骨 is the largest rib bones from the pig.  The bone is longer and the texture of the meat is firmer. The soup was something out of my expectation as they were not as peppery that what I had thought initially. Instead, it was traditionally light flavoured with the natural taste of the pork with the use of both garlic and pepper to bring the taste out.

Signature Dragon Rib Soup 招牌龙骨汤 - $9

Sharing the same soup base with the Signature Dragon Rib Soup, their standard of meat are fall off the bone tender and with a clean flavour. With their standard of quality and serving, it is no wonder they live up to their namesake. When people talk about food in Sin Ming, Bak Kut Teh can never be missing from the list.

Pork Rib Soup 肉骨茶 - $6.50

Fried Fritters aka You Tiao is always my add on side dish whenever we have Bak Kut Teh. These fritters just taste so good being soaked in the Bak Kut Teh Soup.

Fried Fritters aka You Tiao 油条 - $1.50

If you have more stomach space for other food, here's other stalls in the same coffeeshop that I have tried

1)  Jiak Song Mee Hoon Kway 吃爽麵粉粿
2)  Chef Kin Wanton Noodle

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Rong Cheng Rou Gu Cha 榕城肉骨茶
Location: Get Together Coffeeshop, Blk 177 Bukit Batok West Ave 8, Singapore 650177