Makan Melaka

 My last visit to Makan Melaka in Changi Village was like 8 years ago. As I was heading to Changi Village on a hot and humid day, many of them were talking about Chendol. Since I had not gotten a taste of Makan Melaka's Chendol after so long, it's time to grab ourselves a bowl of ice-cool dessert again.

Makan Melaka

We ordered the Chendol with additional red beans. The dallop of red bean was in mashed form and was not too sweet. 

Chendol with Red Bean - $2.80

While the coconut jelly and milk with gula melaka was light tasting and topped with some sweet corn, I still find that something is missing from the bowl. It lacked the savoury and satisfying taste that we were looking for.

Chendol with Corn - $2.80

Looking into the display shelves, we decided to get some Ondeh Ondeh. It was nothing within our expectations. The thickness of the rice flour was simply too much for us which did not tally the proportion of the fillings. No doubt there was a burst of Gula Melaka when it was chewed, the texture overall can be very much improved on.

Ondeh Ondeh - 3 for $2.50

I'm still thinking about if we went to the correct Chendol Stall that everyone was talking about. I guess the search for Chendol just will not stop here.

Rating: 3 / 5 

Makan Melaka
Location: Blk 1 Changi Village Road #01-2046 Singapore 500001

Kedai Makanan & Miniman Big Tree Kopitiam 大树下加啡店

We were told that dinner had been planned for us during our trip to Pontian and I'm quite excited as it was "omakase" style from the cook. We headed to this run-down-looking Kampung Atap at Kedai Makanan & Miniman Big Tree Kopitiam and walked in. Whilst walking in, I felt that I kind of zoomed back into the past as the environment and furnishing was so looked alike to what we saw on TV in the older days.

Kedai Makanan & Miniman Big Tree Kopitiam 大树下加啡店

The first dish was served and I'm quite surprised to be served with cockles as I had not enjoyed such a dish from the shell for a long time. Cockles are becoming more expensive because of pollution and over-harvesting. Such a dish was not very common in Singapore. 

It was perfectly cooked with the right texture and dipping them into the chilli with soya sauce completes such delicacy. 

Cockles

Otak was served subsequently. It was mildly spicy and quite tasty, at least still better than what we had in one of the Johor Bahru Night Markets.

Otak

A reminisce of homely taste with prawns and Instant Noodles mixed in its savoury black gravy and sweet-tasting egg. 

Prawn Noodle

The Chicken with Wine was scrumptious! The combination taste of herbal and wine was simply heavenly for they hit me at the right spot.  The broth was addictive and I just could not resist myself sipping one mouth after another. 

Steamed Chicken in Wine 蒸酒鸡

The Fried Sotong was delicious. The Sotong was coated with a layer of batter and deep fried.

Fried Sotong

The Teochew Steamed Fish was appetizing with fermented bean, salted plums

Steamed Fish 

We had the Asam Fish, love its tangy Asam gravy that was so appetizing coupled with cuts of tomatoes and lady's fingers. The Fish head was fresh with tender meat and the dish was wiped up quickly. 

Asam Fish 参鱼

The chilli crab was generally cooked with egg and the spicy level was close to none. The gravy tasted sweet and moreish. 

Chilli Crab

For Pontian was said to be famous for its seafood, I must agree that what we had were fresh tasting and though simple, they satisfied our tastebuds.

Kedai Makanan & Miniman Big Tree Kopitiam
Location: Jalan Teo Kang Sui Dalam, Kampung Atap, 82000 Pontian, Johor, Malaysia

Kedai Makan Ah Poh

If you ask anyone staying in or have been to Pontian for recommended food, they may recommend this popular local eat from Kedai Makan Ah Poh. The place was very crowded with good turnovers on a Sunday Morning. 

Kedai Makan Ah Poh

The ordering chit is so traditional that they simply indicate the pricing and portion based on the number of diners. No doubt that it is a small piece of paper, they have already offered a good range of dishes.

Ordering Chit

While we walked into the indoor eating place, we will definitely pass by the open kitchen whereby the man was trying to fulfil the stacks of orders given to him.

Preparing Orders

Sides like these cannot be missed on my meal with Bak Kut Teh. We simply love to have these soaked in the claypot soup,

Chinese Crullers 油条

The Chinese Pickled Vegetable was not overly oily even with fried pork lard topping up the dish. The amount of taste makes dishes so appetizing. 

Chinese Pickled Vegetable 咸菜

The Braised Sauce was thick and perfect to go with our bowls of white rice. Pig trotters were very tender and perfectly done in their savoury sauce.

Braised Trotter 卤猪脚

A rare dish that not many eateries offered. The aromatic Chinese Yellow Wine was simply the best for the bowl of white rice, not forgetting the tender and delicious chicken in the claypot was totally addictive too.

Yellow Wine Chicken 黄酒鸡肉 

Offals were well treated and without any gamey taste. We had a claypot of Pig's stomach soup for sharing. The texture of the stomach was well mixed with button mushrooms and the soup was not too peppery.

Pig's Stomach Soup 猪肚汤

The subtle sweetness with a good hint of herbal taste was delightful. Like most the places, the soup from the Bak Kut Teh Claypot is refillable. Overall it was not too oily and a mixture of pig organs and meat were part of the delicious dish.

Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 

The servers were prompt in attending to us despite a big crowd during the peak hours. Environment-wise, I find it cooling and shady to be seated near the big trees.

Let's Eat

Enjoyed being in the environment with simple and local delights. If chance permits, I will like to be back again.

Kedai Makan Ah Poh
Location: 3, Jalan Taib Utama, Kampung Atap, 82000 Pontian, Johor, Malaysia

Sabeen Sara Prata And Briyani Stall

The usual stall that we have always patronised was not open on the day and thus we were given a good reason to try out the other popular stall in Telok Blangah Food Center. We remembered many of the diners enjoying their plate of Briyani from one of the Muslim stalls and guess it's our time to try it out now.

Stall of Sabeen Sara Prata & Briyani 

At one glance at the stall signboard, they are offering biryani and roti prata only. For Briyani, there is a choice of chicken or Mutton.

Our Orders

Who needs a good presentation of the food when it tasted good? For both Chicken & Mutton Briyani, do expect the eye-pleasing serving that has a delicious drum or meat topping up the plate of Basmati Rice, papadum and colourful pickles to entice you. Instead, I would say what they prepared was a bare minimum, cut cucumbers, meat and rice with a plate of curry.

Plate of Food

The first mouthful of the rice had landed me an understanding of why people are patronising them. No doubt that the food was simple and straightforward, I must say that their rice is very fluffy and non-greasy at all. There is no gamey taste from the mutton. The meat was tender and the meat literally fell off the bone with the slightest effort. I drenched my plate of Briyani with the curry gravy given and had enjoyed every grain of it.

Mutton Briyani - $6.50

The chicken Briyani too, was tender and delicious with meat falling apart easily. Curry was thick and satisfying.

Chicken Briyani - $6

Overall, food is of the right amount of spice and not overpowering in any aspect of taste. I will be back again!

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Sabeen Sara Prata And Briyani Stall
Location: Telok Blangah Food Centre, 79 Telok Blangah Dr, 100079

Flagwhite

While the last visit to Flagwhite in 2022, we had finger food and drinks. This time I have decided to go grab breakfast with a croissant. Never did I know that this cafe is so prevalent in the vicinity for there was already a long queue line up even before Flagwhite is opened for the day.

We had the White Coffee and Avocado Banana Smoothie while waiting for our brunch to be served. 

White Coffee & Avocado Banana Smoothie - $6 &  $9

We had the Flag Your Brunch Meal whereby we could customise our Brunch. 

My Brunch on a plate comprised of 2 slices of Roast Pumpkin ($4), Scrambled Egg ($4), Grilled Tomato ($1), Breakfast Sausage ($5), Sauteed Mushrooms ($4) and Croissant ($4). The combination of items were perfect for me. All were good except the sausage for the meat was too minced and do not have a biting texture.

Flag Your Brunch - $22

While the Dining Partner had brunch with scrambled Egg ($4), Streaky Bacon ($4), Breakfast Sausage ($5), BBQ Baked Beans ($3), Avocado Diced ($4) and Sourdough ($4). The Avocado Diced was a good pairing with the sourdough. Besides the Sausage that was the disappointment, they could have also served their bacon in the non-crisp form.

Flag Your Brunch - $24

For those who are having breakfast in Flagwhite, it will be best to be there early for the seats are rather limited there. Its also good that besides the fixed items on the menu, they do like patrons mix and match their Brunch items on plate. I thought this is a very good idea!

Rating: 3.5 / 5

FlagWhite
Location: 106 Jln Jurong Kechil, Singapore 598604

Por Kee Eating House 1996

If you speak about delicious traditional Chinese Cze Char in an old-school environment, Por Kee Eating House 1996 will fit the bill. We did a reservation and were told that the dining is limited to 1 hour per table. For all we know, the speed of placing our ordered food on the tables was faster than we can imagined.

Totally love such vegetable combinations among Baby Bok Chye, beancurd rod, mushroom and broccoli. 

Four Treasury of Green 鼎湖四宝  - $21

Love the execution of Ee Fu Noodles. The noodles were soft and smooth with a good hint of mushroom aroma. The ingredients were mushrooms and beansprouts. If you are an Ee-Fu Noodle Lover, you might want to try out this recommended Noodle on their menu.

Fried Ee-Fu Noodle 干烧伊面- $15

Bamboo Clams were fresh and well seasoned in their savoury garlic flavour and sprinkled with some spring onions. The server helped to serve the Bamboo Clam individually.

Garlic Bamboo Clam 蒜竹蚌 - $12 Each

Apparently, Champagne Ribs are popular among diners. Nonetheless, there are two types of Ribs, you can choose to order the short ribs or the long ribs. The long ribs cost $11 each and definitely have more meat as compared to the short ribs portion. The ribs were generously coated in its marinade and together with the charred taste, I can totally understand why the dish was good. 

Champagne Short Ribs 香槟短骨 - $24

The HK Style of Steamed Live Fish was absolutely awesome. The freshness and tenderness of the Fish were commendable. Scallions were used as garnishing and the sweet soy sauce enhanced the taste of the dish.

"HK" Style Steamed Fish 港式蒸鲜鱼 - $40

I'm a fan of dining in such old-school settings and being served delicious & tasty Cze Char dishes. The advantage is that the restaurant was equipped with an efficient team whereby our requests are attended to immediately. On the contrary, they can be seen standing at one side observing, this can be very stressful to diners too. Afterall, Por Kee Eating House 1996 is still reputable among families and a good place for gathering for Cze Char. 

Rating: 4/5

Por Kee Eating House 1996
Location: 69 Seng Poh Ln, #01-02, Singapore 160069
Website

Greenwood Fish Market @Bukit Timah

Greenwood Fish Market has always been my place for a good meal for their fishes are fresh and comes with a good varieties 

Greenwood Fish

We were served with toast and butter as soon as we ordered our food.

Starters

The Lobster Bisque soup was good, the ingredients include Blue swimmer claw chunks and a splash of brandy.

Lobster Bisque - $14.95

The Sashimi Platter comprises a few types of Fish Sashimi. Salmon, Maguro, Salmon Belly and Hamachi. The food presentation scores and was served with a bed of ice. 

Sashimi Platter - $49.95

Crustaceans time! We had the Western Rock Lobster Chargrilled to perfection in its smokey flavours. It was served with vegetables and sauce.

Western Rock Lobster - $50

When it comes to Fish & Chips, Greenwood Fish Market offers a good variety of fish for this dish for example House Fish, Barramundi, Snapper, John Dory and Black cod. They also offer seasonal catch, just check with the server for fresh fish. We had the Red Snapper and it comes with fries and garden greens. The Fish came in nuggets and was well battered. 

Fish & Chips (Red Snapper) - $29.95 

I like surprises and for their fish menu, they offer fresh fillets, trawler Catch Fillets and Whole Fishes. Choice of cooking can be chargrilled, pan seared, battered, crumbed, steamed or baked with veg and mash.  I had the Australian Ocean Trout pan seared with vegetables and a bed of mashed potatoes. The Australian Ocean Trout resembles salmon from its exterior. Its crispy layer of skin was perfect and a good recommendation always. 

Australian Ocean Trout - $36.95

Seafood Basket is good for sharing. It comprised of battered fish, prawns, scallops, calamari, chips and mixed salad.

Seafood Basket - $42.95

I was disappointed and disgusted by the unprofessional service rendered by one of their servers. When we ordered the Sashimi Platter, we were told that it came with Swordfish aka Mekajiki. However, it was exchanged for Hamachi without our knowledge and when asked, the server insisted that one of the Sashimi fishes (Hamachi) was Mekajiki and left our table with a smirk.

We checked again with the ordering staff instead and she confirmed it was not Mekajiki (Swordfish) as it was sold out. The attitude of the server was uncalled for. He could have checked and confirmed with the sushi chef before proclaiming it. 

Rating: 3 / 5

Greenwood Fish Market @Bukit Timah
Location: 34 & 38 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289236
Website