Wan He Lou [Media Invite]

Wan He Lou is located just beside the popular Heng Hwa Cuisine Restaurant, Ming Chung among those historical-looking facades in Maude Road. They are serving Chinese Cuisine at an affordable pricing and their award-winning Lobster Porridge has been the pride of the restaurant. If you are looking for Lobster Porridge as well as some mouth-watering Chinese dishes, do visit them.

Wan He Lou

Interior of Wan He Lou gave a quiet and peaceful surrounding. The big round tables are a good resembles of Chinese culture where we people will like to gather around on the round table enjoying our food.

Dining Environment

The menu retains a traditional book of dishes written in English, Chinese and Japanese without any picture illustration. Nonetheless, their menu was extensive.

Wan He Lou 

Lobster Porridge is a delicious and flavourful dish that combines the richness of lobster with the comfort of porridge. Wan He Lou offers two sizes with approximately 450g of lobster at $45 and approximately 700g of lobster at $69.

Signature Lobster Porridge 招牌龙虾粥- $45

This luxurious and comforting dish is aromatic and packed full of Chinese wine.  The superior yellow broth by Chef Lau gave the umami taste and sweetness of lobster with the soothing porridge warms the tummy, satiating the appetite.

Lobster

We enjoyed such indulgence in this delightful seafood dish. It is not only suitable for special occasions but also for normal times like this to pamper oneself a bit after a day's work.

Porridge

The Ice Plant with cherry tomatoes was appetizing. The soft and crunchy texture from the plant was definitely inviting and on top of that there was a mix of cut dragonfruit cubes with roasted sesame dressing, creating a refreshing dish!

Ice Plant 冰菜 - $20 

The small portion of their Golden Seafood "Pot Sticker" was a please. Served in a plate of 6 on a bed of piquant sauce, it whet my appetite for more. 

Wan He Lou Golden Seafood "Pot Sticker" 萬合樓海鲜锅贴 - $12

Each "pot sticker" was topped with bright orange egg roes and its crispy soft wrap had encased the seafood so well.

Picking up the Pot Sticker

The signature chicken was deeply fried to crispiness and coated with ample homemade sweet sauce. 

 Signature Chicken 至尊招牌鸡 - $14.90

Just like the traditional Chinese restaurants, we ended our meal with a dessert, Thai Coconut Pudding. It was topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream, adorned by mint leaves. 

Thai Coconut Pudding 椰子布丁- $11.90

Thank you Lao Niang Agency and Wan He Lou for the Invitation.

Wan He Lou
Location: 65 Maude Rd, Singapore 208347

Awagyu Restaurant

The first time we went was about a week back before we made a return to Awagyu again. We were quite disappointed as we did not manage to grab a table as a walked-in customer on a Weekday Evening and were given a time slot that was not ideal for dinner. 

We had learnt our lesson and on the 2nd visit, we decided to make a reservation before heading down and be there early so that there would be parking lots.

Awagyu

We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the theme of the dining place gave patrons a zen feeling.

Interior

Menu was thick, extensive with good variety. emphasize a calming and minimalist ambiance, incorporating elements such as wooden furniture, soft lighting, and traditional Japanese artwork or decorations like ikebana (flower arrangements) and shoji screens.

Menu

Like most Japanese restaurants, Awagyu also emphasizes a calming and minimalist ambiance, incorporating elements such as wooden furniture, soft lighting, and traditional Japanese artwork or decorations like shoji screens.

Omakase

We were kind of enchanted by this short scenic walkway from our dining area to the toilet. It was path with pebbles and faux sakura trees along the way.

Just beside this path, you will see 2 private areas with Tatami dining. It looked so cosy and as usual, no shoes is allowed into the dining area. This kind of dining incorporates traditional Japanese design elements, including shoji screens, and natural materials like wood and paper. This creates a serene and visually pleasing environment.

Private Dining

If you are having some occasions and dining in groups, it will be a great idea for some private dining here.

Dining Area

The bamboo decorations add texture and a touch of nature to interior spaces. These coverings had given enhanced the Japanese garden feel as they were highlighted on the walls of walkway.

Bamboo Decorations

We had the Yakiniky Combo Set which is suitable for 2-3 pax. The Set comprises of 

- 7 kind platters weighing 350g of meat

- 2 cups of Chawanmushi 

- 2 Pcs of Hotate Mentai Yaki

- 2 Bowls of Steam Rice

- 2 pcs of California Maki 

- Green Coral Drink

- Wafu Green Salad

- Kimchi Pickles

- 2 bowls of Miso Soup

Coral Green

The Chawanmushi was pretty ordinary and smooth while Kimchi was quite appetizing to me even though I'm not a fan of Korean Food. 

Chawanmushi & Kimchi

The Wafu Green Salad was refreshing with some citrus dressing with lettuce, tomatoes and hard-boiled egg.

Wafu Green Salad 

If tobiko adds tiny, delicate bursts of saltiness and a slightly fishy flavor.  The crunchy cuts of cucumber provide a refreshing and crisp element to the roll. It help to balance out the other ingredients and adds a pleasant crunch.

Califonia Maki

The 7 kind platters of 350g comprised of Momo, Bara, Ude, Shinshin, Katarosu, Kuri and Karubi. Not to worry about the foreign names as each item is illustrated with a different part of the cow.

7 Kind Platter 350g

Ichibo (D Rump) - RM 96, Chuck Loin - RM 85 & Tokjo Karubi (Chuck Short Rib) - RM 106 

We started off with the friendly staff assistance. She showed her professional duties by helping us to barbeque some slices of the wagyu to the doneness we requested.

Barbeque Starts

This is a popular Japanese dish that features scallops  (hotate) grilled with mentaiko. The combination of texture and flavours as well as the contrast between the sweetness of the scallops and savory mentaiko sauce was good.

Hotate Mentai Yaki (2 Pcs)

The unagi sushi was garnished with sesame seeds which added flavor and visual appeal to the sushi. The texture is delightful, satisfying our tastebuds.

Unagi Sushi - RM 34

The marbling of the meat contributes a rich, butter and melt in your mouth texture. Love this quality of the Wagyu beef and it was remarkable.

Cooked!

Enjoy savouring them down with some lettuce or even some raw egg wash.

Lettuce and Egg

Grab some lettuce and wrap it over some BBQ Beef, add some sauce and pop them into your mouth

Meat & Lettuce

The biggest slab of meat of all and it took a long time to cook. Eventually, we had it cut out evenly among ourselves. This cut has a meat texture similar to the tenderloin and the marbling of the red meat is well balanced out. 

Ichibo

The texture of the Cuttlefish was not too bad but it kind of lacked the savoury taste that we had all eaten. Nonetheless, I would say this dish was pretty decent. 

Ika Teriyaki - RM 36

This place is definitely spot-on and the food is wonderful with the quality. It is worth every penny spent for the Wagyu! Moreover, the staff were attentive and let's go back again!

Awagyu Restaurant
Location: 25c, Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, Taman Abad, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Website

328 Katong Laksa

While we were thinking of a few options for our guests to try out Singapore's popular food as they landed in Singapore for a duration of only a few hours, we decided to bring them to our popular Laksa Place. We ended up in this nearby 328 Katong Laksa when our ideal Laksa place was so sold for the day.

As touristy as the place 328 Katong Laksa is, the entire place was filled with foreigners and I felt as though I was overseas. Nonetheless, we queued up and quickly grab the bigger bowl of Laksa for our guests.

Laksa was fragrant with ingredients such as prawns, blood cockles and fish cakes. The gravy was milky orange in colour and fragrant with hints of Laksa Leaves. 

No doubt that the Bee Hoon was cut into shorter strands for us to consume easily, my guests and I found that our bowls of Laksa were a tad on the spicier side. Nonethess, what matter most was that they enjoyed our local food and got to taste it finally.

Laksa - $9 (Medium)

328 Katong Laksa
Location: 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770
Website

Robo-T BubbleTea Cafe 猫猫达奶茶 [Media Invite]

Robo-T started off during the Covid Period with their central kitchen with robots as part of their operations process. As they have been well received by consumers, their first-ever cafe was opened at the beginning of this year to cater for their walk-in customers.

Robo-T Cafe

Tissue Box

The dining environment was brightly lit and modernly furnished with comfortable chairs. It is a good place for chit-chat and relaxation too.

Dining Environment

We had a 25% Sugar Level for our drinks and we totally loved it. The Earl Grey Milk Tea have good notes of the tea fragrance and a well-balanced flavour. The black bits at the bottom of the cup are actually jelly not pearls. While the Straw Mango Swirl was refreshingly good with Yoghurt and Fruit bits. If you enjoy yoghurt with fruits, this is a must-order!

Earl Grey Milk Tea & Straw Mango Swirl - $4.50 & $5.70

The Scallion Pancake Wrap was savoury and crunchy with cucumber and pickles. The wrap is served with chips too.

Scallion Pancake Wrap - $6.80

The Miniature Delight Set offers a set of 3 or 4 dishes and is one of their signature item on the menu too.

• Scallion Rice Fragrant Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage, fried and spring onions.

• Fried Noodle Taste pretty decent with cabbages, egg and some green pepper.

• Taiwanese Scallion Pancake with Curry - Better known as Chong You Bing. The Chinese version of Roti Prata but with Scallion and this was served with 

• Braised Pork Rice - Braised Pork were soft and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Love the fragrant floss bits too. It would be perfect for me if they served the bowl with short-grain rice.

4 Miniature Delight Set - $14.80

Dipping Scallion Pancake in Curry

They also offer the popular Chilli Oil Dumpling in pork or chicken. It was tasty and not too spicy. The bowl of dumplings was also served with a small bowl of winter melon soup.

Chilli Oil Dumpling - $7.80

Brownie was topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream which I thought was a great pairing. Our dessert was sprinkled with some crunchy coco pops, accompanied by some slices of grapes & chocolate-flavoured love letters. 

Brownie with Ice Cream

I'm glad that Robo-T BubbleTea Cafe has plans and looking into semi-automation for their bubble tea. I think this will be something in time to come especially when we are moving into a future with more technological advancement and in a fast pace environment. 

Technology aside, with the manpower shortages and the ageing population, these robotics will definitely be handy and provide advantages to operations.

Thank you Lao Niang Agency & Robo-T  BubbleTea Cafe for this invitation.

Robo-T BubbleTea Cafe
Location: Sembawang Cottage, 369 Sembawang Rd, #01-03 S758382 Singapore 758382

Aura Blender Review [Media Drop]

If you have watched The Wonder Shop featured by meWatch the "Star selection" episode, you could have come across Singapore's #1 Top Selling Portable blender.  This high-performance personal blender packs a punch for power, style and convenience all in one! 

Do not underestimate the power of its size. It has an incredible speed of 25,000 RPM. It took me less than 30s to have my blueberry milk done. 

Blueberry Milk

Convenient and Portable

This Aura Portable Blender is perfect on the go especially when you want to crush the shakes and workout. It is mini USB C Chargable. It has 1 top lid with a concealed carrying handle and also 1 bottom lid to replace the motor base. It is also perfect for travel usage.

Let's bring it everywhere, anywhere

Insulating Sleeve

It has an insulating sleeve, compatible with any other 500ml bottle. The Aura Insulating Sleeve has a wrist wrap that enables us to handle it properly and best of all, it has water-proof padded protection. The insulating technology helps to keep the drink fresh for hours.

Insulating Sleeve

Borosilicate Glass Jar

The glass is of high quality, engineered by their R&D labs in California. It has measurement-making on the jar and makes following recipes easy. The glass has reinforced durability and is of food grade, has no chemicals, is totally odour and is stain-resistant. It has a large capacity of 480ml, capable of withstanding hot or cold

Glass with markings

Friendly to Ears

While I had experienced a few portable blenders in the market. The Aura blender was not noisy to my ears. It can be used in a gym or even a shared workspace without disturbing others.

In Built Safety

The blender will not operate if the glass jar is not properly and firmly affixed to its base unit. 

Portable Blender

Self Cleaning

I was thinking hard when I was thinking how it self-clean. Add some water and a drop of detergent to the Glass Jar and turn on the blender, do this a few times and the device will be cleaned. It's quite easy.

Thank you, Aura for sending the blender.

Aura Blender Singapore
Website

Honbo

Honbo was founded in 2017 by former doctor Michael Chan who named his eatery after the Cantonese name for hamburgers, "hon bo bao"

They are known for its handcrafted quality burgers in Hong Kong and has opened their maiden outlet in Singapore, CHIJMES. 

Menu

Honbo prides itself on serving straight-froward American-style burgers made from fresh ingredients. 

Menu

They provide a full table service from taking orders to serving your food as they are not a fast food joint. 

Menu

With limited seating and the long queue, we waited more than half an hour to get a table for 6.

Dining Area 

Mike's Lemonade has a slight hint of mint leaves and cucumber within. While we were expecting some Earl Grey and Ginger flavours from the other two beverages, it was quite disappointing that the lemonade taste had superseded the Tea and Ginger that we were looking for. Nonetheless, out of all the drinks ordered, the Ginger Lemonade tasted best among all.

Mike's Lemonade, Earl Grey Lemonade and Ginger Lemonade - $7 each

Here are some of the sides we had ordered for sharing.

Pickles, Fries, Tater Tots - $4.90 Each 

These mini Tater Tots are not only good snacks for the kids but also for the adults.

Tater Tots - $4.90

The watery base cheese complimented the fries well for with a savoury taste and we could not resist and keep stretching our hands across the table for this snack!

Cheese Fries - $9.90

Besides the buns, the burgers are garnished with sustainably sourced greens, pickles cured in-house from Japanese cucumber and speciality sauces that are hand-crafted from their own kitchen. From all we know, Honbo's beef is ground fresh daily in-house and free from preservatives, MSG and additives. Each patty is smashed on a flattop griddle upon ordering.

This is their iconic burger that stars their 2x Crispy Beef patties, Cheese, pickles, onion and house sauce. This is where your Honbo adventure starts.

Honbo - $18

Would you like to have a thicket patty?

You can grab something heftier, The Gold Standard comes with 2 thicker patties, crunchy apple-wood smoked bacon, pickles, onions, lettuce and house sauce.

The Gold Standard - $28

Their beef patties are made up of minced beef and I like the fact that they are not densely packed together so we can enjoy the bits of each bite.

You can even order their Double Cheeseburger that comprises 2x Thick Beef, 2x Cheese, Pickles, Onion, Lettuce and House Sauce.

Double Cheeseburger - $24

This is the upgraded version of the Honbo with 4x Crispy Beef, 3x Cheese, Pickles, Onion and house sauce.

Honbo 2.0

Beefless options are available too, They do have large sashimi-grade scallop burgers, impossible burgers and Grilled Chicken Burgers with teriyaki sauce. 

The prices are on the higher side if you were making it a meal with burgers, sides and drinks as compared to places like Shake Shack or Five Guys. No doubt that it tasted good, they are on the greasier side and overall, I will say its not worth the time spent on queuing. 

Rating: 3 / 5

Honbo
Location: CHIJMES, 30 Victoria Street, #01-09, Singapore 187996