Xin Yuan Ji 新源记鱼汤

When I mentioned that I will be back for more and due to the cold rainy weather, I got a sudden craving for fish steamboat. That's how we ended up here again.

We ordered the Fried Nan Ru Meat. It was not to my liking as they were mostly fats, nonetheless the taste and marinate were up to the mark. 

Nan Ru Fried Meat 南乳炸肉 - $12

The Charcoaled Fired Fish Steamboat was what I was craving for! Drinking down the warm soup definitely keep the stomach comfortable in such a cold day. 

If you are ordering Fish Head Steamboat, it will cost $28 instead.  We had the fish meat version by topping up $10. The pot was filled with generous amount of vegetables, cabbages, tomato, yam and pieces of fish meat.

Fish Meat Steamboat 鱼肉炉 - $38 

There were a handful of fish meat chunks among the soup and the portion is more than enough for 2 pax.

Fish meat

One of the essential ingredients will be the blocks of yam included in the steamboat soup. No doubt that the soup is already flavorful, I still prefer the yam blocks to be fried a little before including them into the soup.

Yam Blocks

The soup is refillable at the service of the servers. Soup tasted sweet and a tad on the sour side, I guess they have included plums in it too which make the soup appetizing and addictive to me.

Appetizing & Refillable Soup

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Posted on 29th April 2022

While the Xin Yuan Ji in the Western part of Singapore closes in Teban Gardens, we soon realised there is another one in Bukit Batok Industrial. It was the best time to visit after the working hours as most of the stalls are closed and it seems like the entire space was left for Xin Yuan Ji

Bugis Steamboat

With the signage board well illustrated with the Cze Char Dishes, the book Menu will be even more extensive. 

Menu

Visiting Xin Yuan Ji can never be completed without ordering their Fish Soup. Therefore, we ordered a double fish soup Bee Hoon. It tasted familiar with Chinese wine, eggs, fish and vegetables as their ingredient.

Double Fish Bee Hoon 双鱼粉 - $13 (Big)

The sliced fish was tender and the Belacan chilli gave an additional spicy kick to it.

Sliced Fish

The fried fish chunks were not too bad. The fish meat was firm and did not disintegrate easily despite soaking in the soup for some time. The batter had held them together well enough. 

Fried Fish

Sweet & Sour Pork tasted great and was very well executed in its sourish sweet sauce together with onions, tomatoes and greens. Though they followed traditionally how this dish was being cooked in which the pork portion was made up more of the fats than the meat, I still prefer having leaner meat than most fats.

Sweet & Sour Pork 咕噜肉 - $12

Nonetheless, those are just my one side opinion while the dining partner did enjoy such traditional preparation. Other than the fats portion, the sauce was uniformly coated and if you enjoy the dish with fatty meat, you will love this too.

Close Up

The Pickled Radish Beancurd was highly recommended by the server. It was deep-fried to perfection and the silky smooth custard texture was wonderful. 

Pickled Radish Beancurd 菜脯豆腐 - $12

Coupled with the savoury sauce and fragrant crisp Cai Po topping with spring onions, this dish is a perfect recommendation.

Tofu Yummy

We did not order too much as the Fish Bee Hoon had taken up most stomach space. We will be back again for more.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Bugis Xin Yuan Ji 新源记鱼汤 
Location: 2019 Bukit Batok Street 23, Bukit Batok Industrial Park A Singapore 659524

Kian Seng Lor Mee Prawn Mee Laksa

If you have been to Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, there are a number of stalls that are visibly popular among the rest and one of them is none other than Kian Seng Lor Mee Prawn Mee Laksa stall. You will notice that the stall always have a long queue lining up since early in the morning and that prove the number of die hard fans they have!

I joined the long queue and wanted to order some bowls of Laksa but ended up disappointed as it was all sold out. 

Stall of Kian Seng

The bowl of Lor Mee and thick Lor Sauce that was not too cloying or starchy. It also have a generous portion of pork belly, Ngoh Hiong, slices of fish cakes and braised egg. Apparently, such traditional and unpretentious bowl of Lor Mee is well liked by the heart landers.

Lor Mee - $4.50 (Medium)

To be honest, the 3 dishes on the menu were the regulars all time favourite. The taste of Prawn Noodle was traditional with 4 small prawns in a bowl, lean meat, fishcakes. If you are looking for traditional Prawn Noodle taste with a decent prawn broth, this will fit the bill.

Prawn Noodle - $4.50 (Medium)

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Kian Seng Lor Mee Prawn Mee Laksa
Location: Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, 448 Clementi Ave 3, Singapore 120448
Nearest Station: Clementi (EW23)

Mirai-Ya

I chanced upon Mirai-Ya while running an errand in the area. Initially, the leaf on their signboard had given me the thought that they were selling vegetarians till I saw familiar items like Mentaiko and Curry don on the pictures beside. 

Store Front

There were no queue as those who ordered will be given a buzzer to collect their food upon ready. As for our orders, it took me about 15 minutes of wait.

Buzzer

Curry Don series comprise of Rice served with Japanese Curry, Pickles and Miso Soup. There is a variety of Curry Selection from Pork, Chicken, Beef, prawns as well as Salmon Fish. The level of spiciness of curry was mild and the consistency of curry thickness was there accompanied by portions of carrots.

Pork Katsu Curry - $7.90

The pieces of Pork Katsu were breaded and deep fried to golden perfection. The Pork Katsu thickness was uniform and was not tough. The fragrance from the curry as well as the Pork Katsu makes it a satisfying meal.

The Golden Perfection

While the preparation of Ebi Fry Curry is similar to the Pork Katsu, with the star of the item in the Takeaway box as Fried Prawns. There were 3 breaded prawns and too, fried to golden perfection.

Ebi Fry Curry - $8.90

Though it was a takeaway, the prawns were still in shape and did not turn soggy. These prawns were best paired with the curry and delicious.

Breaded Prawns

The teriyaki series comprise rice served with corn, edamame, salad and soup. The combination looks healthy. The chicken was crispy on the outer layer and was adequately coated with Teriyaki Sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Chicken Teriyaki Don - $6.90

I'm satisfied by my food by Mirai-Ya and if there is a chance to be back in that area. I do not mind ordering them again.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Mirai-Ya
Location: Proxima@Gambas, 50 Gambas Crescent #01-01 Singapore 757022 

Xiang Taiwanese Desserts and Food 饗好吃

We have been passing by the stretch of shophouses in Upper Thomson Road but have never realise there is a shop serving Taiwanese Cuisine. I came to know about this while I was searching for Taiwanese Food online. With its high score in Google Reviews, I guess its time to give them a try.

While I trying to figure out the shop name, I think when translated from Taiwanese (Hokkien) it sounds like "Xiong Ho Jiak" which literally means “Nice to Eat".

Shop Front of Xiang Taiwanese Desserts and Food

The Interior was spacious and while the usual Taiwanese Cafe will feature places in Taiwan, Xiang Taiwanese had some B & W art illustrated on the side of the walls.

The Interior

Wall

Though it's not a big bowl, this minced braised pork was served with thick traditional aromatic noodles with shallot oil.  The dish is accompanied by a braised egg as well as pickled cucumbers. This dish is a recommended item on the menu. 

Braised Pork Noodles 葱香卤肉面 - $7.90

When it comes to Taiwanese Cafe, Mee Sua can never be missed. The Mee Sua is imported from Taiwan and cooked in a bonito broth.  It has a combination of their braised pig's intestine as well as crispy chicken.

Combo Mee Sua 综合面线 - $8.90

The Drunken Chicken Flavours were well garnished with wolfberries and chopped spring onions. Meat is tender and with a good amount of wine taste but if there is more Chinese wine flavour, it would be better for our tastebuds.

Drunken Chicken Roll 花雕醉鸡 - $8.90

The oyster sauce intestine dish was accompanied by some pickled cabbages which made the side dish appetizing. The braised intestine was well handled and tender without any gamy taste.

Oyster Sauce Intestine 蠔汁大肠 - $9.90

The Red Tea with Pearl was something ordinary however if you are ordering the Grass Jelly Milk Tea, the milk taste is on the lighter side and contains a special fragrance in it.

Red Tea with Pearl and Grass Jelly Milk Tea 珍珠红茶，仙草奶茶 - $3.50 each

The Signature dessert wrapped up the meal in Xiang Taiwanese. The bowl of dessert is made up of traditional grass jelly and beancurd topped with crunchy roasted peanuts, assorted beans, black pearls, sticky cakes, sweet potatoes balls, caramel yam and sweet potatoes.

Xiang's Signature Dessert 饗好吃招牌 - $4.90

While having it served chilled, it was a total refreshment in hot weather like this!

Ingredients in a spoon

Experience overall was pleasant, and I do not mind making another trip down for Taiwanese Cuisine.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Xiang Taiwanese Desserts and Food 饗好吃 
Location: 224 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574356

A-Poh Kitchen

A visit to A-Poh Kitchen marks a 7 years difference since my last visit. A place is a good option, especially dining in group with our Muslim Pals. It was an impromptu meal as we were passing by the place for an errand. 

While looking back at my older pictures, I realised that we had ordered the same dish, Assam Curry Fish Head back then. Our dish was served piping hot on the plate with the fire warming the fish. It was covered with vegetables such as onions, lady fingers. tomato and long beans.

Assam Curry Fish Head 亚三咖喱鱼头 - $22

The gravy was appetizing and a great pairing to our plates of white rice. Fish was tender and fresh.

Vegetables with Assam Curry Fish Head

The dish is not up to my expectation as the taste of Oats does not marry well with the Sotong. Though fragrant is there and the texture of Sotong is chewy, somehow the taste was lacking in this combination.

Oats Sotong 麦片苏东 - $26

With so many Chicken dishes on the menu, our chosen slated egg chicken dish was tender and adequately coated with salted egg yolk. The curry leaves and birds' eye chilli helps in elevating the taste and fragrance of the dish.

Salted Egg Chicken 咸蛋鸡 - $21

While our meal cannot be completed without a vegetable dish, we had Sambal Kang Kong. The dish was well executed and Sambal taste was great without being too spicy. It is great pairing this with our plates of white rice. 

Sambal Kang Kong 参芭䔨菜 - $13

Times changes, A-Poh Kitchen is now GST and Service Charge applicable.

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Last Posted 19th October 2015

If you have been to West Co'z Cafe, then A-Poh Kitchen's dishes should not be very different from the menu as they are all under the same group, p2e (places to eat). These establishments offers simple, yet distinctive Singapore's fare by award winning chef, Chef Cheong.

Dining in a group of 5, we had ordered their set menu for 5 pax including bowls of rice at $88 nett. Drinks will be charged separately.

Menu

Sweet & Sour Soup was quick to serve after our order. This combination was good for a start and kind of "open up the stomach" to more food - a very welcoming dish indeed.

Sour & Spicy Soup

Mongolia Chicken was a surprise to me. Having tasted such dish before, when compared, I would said the style is pretty different, so as the taste. Just like the sweet sour pork, the chicken were deep fried before mixing with its respective sauce. Some of the meat were tough but they were still not too bad as an overall.

Mongolia Chicken

Kang Kong Stirred Fried with garlic was not too bad either. Vegetables remain crunchy and without having garlic overpowering its taste.

Kang Kong

Cereals covered most of the dish and were fragrant. However, the style was not to my preference. I prefer fresh prawns with shells.

Oats Prawn

The prawns were translucent and could not taste the freshness as well as sweetness in them. I would prefer to handle prawns in their shells than have frozen prawns.

Prawns

Assam was appetizing but was served as the last dish. Fish was fresh and came in mixed vegetables like lady fingers, long beans, chilli, onions and others. With Assam gravy pairing with bowls of white rice, the sauce was good alone without the dish.

Assam Seabass

A-Poh is great place for Cze Char if you want to find an air-conditioned place, moreover the place is Halal Certified. Therefore you have Muslim Pals in a group, this will be an excellent choice for Cze Char.  Service and GST charge are not required too.

Rating: 3 / 5

A-Poh Kitchen
Location: Blk 354, Clementi Avenue 2 #01-223 Singapore 120354
Website

Carrara

Carrara is a hidden gem in the neighbourhood of Jalan Bukit Merah and a stone's throw away from the popular ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre.

Carrara

Although it was after lunch hours, the cafe was full house indoors (seats are limited) and we had no choice but to take the seats outside.

When the All Day Breakfast Menu includes rosti, you can see the sparkle in my eyes. We had the recommended Sausage cheese swiss rosti. It was a hearty breakfast with Swiss Rosti as the star with mozzarella cheese as well as sour cream, chicken garlic sausage, sunny side up, spring onions and assorted greens adorn with the cherry red tomatoes.

Sausage cheese swiss rosti - $17.90

The Rosti was good and the mozzarella cheese pulling effect, it makes the meal addictive.

Cheese Pull from the Rosti

Big Breakfast offers a stomach-filling meal with scrambled eggs, chicken garlic sausage, turkey bacon, sauteed mushrooms, waffle with maple syrup and assorted greens.

Big Breakfast - $16.90

The meal was completed with a bowl of Mushroom Soup at the bundle pricing. The bowl of mushroom soup was tasty with chunks of mushroom bites and had the right amount of thickness.

Mushroom Soup - $3.90

While they are 1st runner-up winner of the Singapore Gelato Championship in 2019, its hard to leave the cafe without having a taste of their Gelato. We have 2 premium scoops of ice cream, namely Lemongrass Bluepea and Earl Grey Lavender. Both scoops were smooth and addictive. The lemongrass was mild and light tasting while the Earl Grey Lavender flavour was not too overpowering.

Gelato

For such quality of food and gelato, its absolutely worth a comeback!

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Carrara
Location: 2 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-5148, Singapore 150002
Website

iSteaks

Every time we think about having affordable steaks, there is not much choice for us, but with the opening of iSteaks in JEM sometimes back has expanded our selection of having affordable steaks in malls.

iSteaks in JEM

Here's the Nitro Nanyang Brew & House Lemon Tea. The over a decade-old house recipe lemon tea is served cold and nitro-treated for that smooth finish. What is good about these drinks is that we can adjust the sweetness level by adding our desired amount of syrup to it.

Kopi O & House Lemon Tea - $4 Each

Every soup on the menu is freshly prepared daily. The orangy bisque was finished off with some cream on it.

Prawn Bisque - $9

There were quite a generous amount of chunky prawn meats. The Prawn Bisque is an excellent appetiser to start off our meal while waiting for the main courses.

Chunks of Meat

The pasture-fed beef is lean, beefy and nutty in taste. Most important of all the juiciness after putting them on the grill. I had my Tenderloin medium well done with brown sauce over it with 2 sides ~ Bacon Onions Brussels Sprouts& Cauliflower and Cheese.

Tenderloin 200g - $33.50

I'm glad that the Brussels Sprouts were well cooked and not too raw. The taste of Bacon and onions had make these vegetables so tasty.

Bacon Onions Sauteed Brussels 

The combination of nachos cheese with cauliflower was not too bad. 

Cauliflower & Cheese

450g for the hungry meat eater complemented with Onion Rings and Country Baked Beans with Bacon. The medium wellness from this thick cut is their Signature Steakhouse Char.

450g New Zealand Silver Fern - $42.50

It is broiled under intense fire yet retaining its juiciness while caramelising a crusty char of texture & its bold beefiness. 

Signature Steakhouse Char

If you are looking for pocket-friendly steak with some selection, you won't go wrong visiting iSteaks. I like that there is a good selection of sides to complement the main dish too.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

iSteaks
Location: JEM, 50 Jurong Gateway Rd, #01-08/09, Singapore 608549

Website