Houson Herbal Braised Duck at Jurong East

It is difficult to miss this stall as you could see the queue from afar. It is located in one of the coffee shops in Jurong East central just a stone's throw away from Jurong East MRT station. They are popular for their Herbal Braised Duck and Kway Chap though there are also other items like Pig's Organ Soup, Pig's Trotter and even the Braised Meat with Preserved Vegetable.

I ordered Kway Chap set for 2, added Braised Duck together with 3 bowls of kway (flat rice noodle sheets) for $13.50. The set also consists of braised egg, large intestine, braised meat, tau kwa and tau pok. 

It did not taste as nice as I remember but the large intestine and braised meat were still good. The braised duck did not have much of the herbal flavor and it was quite salty. I would prefer that it was chopped into bigger pieces as its texture was quite mushy. My dining companion that did not eat the large intestine, said, "I could not quite tell the duck meat from the intestine."

Those pieces of kway were thin and smooth served in a slight herbal-ish broth, it was quite nice.

HOUSON HERBAL BRAISED DUCK

132 Jurong Gateway Road #01-271 Happy Hawker Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 600132

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on alternate Mondays)

Sing's : the former Sing HK Cafe

This hawker stall used to be known as Sing HK Cafe when they first started at Everton Park. They were there for about a year or so before closing down. They have made a comeback in this coffee shop at Jurong East for slightly more than a month. Alfred Mo, the owner, was there when I visited on a Sunday for lunch. He said, "Our signature is the Hong Kong style Salt Baked Chicken." The dishes are prepared and cooked by him daily. I could not quite tell that Alfred is originated from Hong Kong as he did not speak with a Hong Kong accent when I talked with him in Mandarin. He has been living in Singapore for more than 15 years. He used to be working in the private banking sector after obtained his Master's degree. He always has the passion for cooking and that prompted him to open Sing HK Cafe about 2 years ago as he has wanted to serve Hong Kong style comfort food in Singapore.

I decided to go with the Signature Salt Baked Chicken Noodle ($6.50) and Classic Braised Pork Belly Rice ($5.80). There are also Signature Salt Baked Chicken Rice ($5.80), Dry Mixed Noodle with Soft Boiled Egg ($3.80), Dry Mixed Noodle with Braised Pork Belly ($4.50), Dry Mixed Noodle with Shredded Chicken ($4.50) on their menu. It is served along with the free flow of soup.

He asked, "You got to know about us from our Facebook page?" I nodded. He said, "We are going to have new items on our menu and we will announce it on there." As I was the only customer at that time, I did not have to wait too long to receive my orders. Alfred said, "Whether you like it or not, do leave us a feedback."

As a frequent traveler to Hong Kong, I have yet to try Salt Baked Chicken, also known as Yim Guk Gai in Cantonese, right there. It is a classic dish that is done using parchment paper to wrap up the chicken then bury in a pot of coarse salt and simmer. The modern way of cooking this is to boil or steam the chicken. This dish is not as common as I thought, I could not get much information on where to eat it in Hong Kong when googled.

The Salt Baked Chicken did not taste like what we have here. It did not have much saltiness. My dining companion said, "It tasted more like a braised chicken and there is a slight sweetness."  The noodles were tossed in the sauce then topped with some minced meat and a handful of ikan belis as well as sliced cucumber. Those slices of preserved cucumber were a bit too sourish with a strong taste of vinegar which I did not like.

Classic Braised Pork Belly Rice was served with chunks of braised meat, sous vide egg together with steamed sweet corn and sliced cucumber on the rice. The rice was slightly drizzled with braised sauce. The braised pork belly is done using the slow-cooked method to absorb the full flavor. The texture was meltingly soft but was not as flavorful as expected. 

SING'S

Block 134 Jurong Gateway Road Fu Chan Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 600134

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Mon to Sat) / 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (Sun)

KEK Seafood at Pandan Gardens : best Salted Egg Chicken Burger ever

Keng Eng Kee, is also known as KEK, they first started out as a hawker stall along Old Havelock Road in the 1970s. Their forefathers,  Low Peck Yah and Kok Yok Jong came to Singapore from Hainan Island, China in the 1950s. With the skills in authentic Hainanese cooking, they started out by selling Hainanese Chicken Rice in a small coffee shop located at Old Havelock Road. They then expanded their business after it prospered to include a Zi Char hawker stall. Koh Liang Hong, their elder daughter was tasked to manage that stall. She eventually fell in love with Liew Choy, their Head Chef and they got married. Liew Choy acquired the culinary skills of the old couple and mastered his own unique culinary style much later. And, they moved to Alexandra Village. 

Paul Liew, their elder son, is in-charge of the operations. Chef Wayne Liew, their younger son, started cooking in the kitchen at the tender age of 19 and took over as Head Chef at 26 years old. Geraldine Liew, their daughter, is managing the day-to-day running of the restaurant.  Their mother is in-charge of the financial management and their father, the former Head Chef is still taking charge of the overall operations.

The KEK in Pandan Gardens is started and managed by the third generation after working on the menu for almost 2 years. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Wayne and supported by Paul and Geraldine, manning the front-of-house services.

The menu still includes those popular dishes like Chili Crabs, Black Pepper Crabs and Moonlight Horfun with the newly created Wok Hei Burgers, the first of its kind, it includes choices like Coffee Pork Burger, Salted Egg Chicken Burger, Salted Egg Pork Burger, Salted Egg Sotong Burger, Marmite Chicken Burger, "Pai Gu Wang" Pork Burger and Sambal Beef Burger. They also serve Wok-fried Spaghetti that has the unique wok hei, the choices are Chilli Softshell Crab Spaghetti, Salted Egg Yolk Spaghetti, Prawn Paste Chicken Spaghetti, Lala Spaghetti, Sambal Squid Spaghetti and Black Pepper Beef Spaghetti. There are also other newly created dishes on their menu.

When my dining companion asked, "What are we having there?" which I replied, "Spaghetti and Burger." He looked at me with disbelief followed with a loud "Huh?".

Chilli Soft Shell Crab Spaghetti ($12.00). The spaghetti was wok-fried to infuse it with a rather slight wok flavor together with chili crab sauce, served together with fried soft shell crab. This is one of the best East-meets-West dishes that I ever came across as it was well-executed. 

Salted Egg Chicken Burger set ($9.50) including a choice of drink. The fried chicken was tossed in salted egg yolk sauce with curry leaves and bits of chili. This has to be the best Salted Egg Chicken Burger that I ever had, it is much better than those served by Western food joints.

They have been listed in the guidebook by Michelin consecutively for 2 years.

KEK SEAFOOD PANDAN GARDENS

200 Pandan Gardens #01-12 SINGAPORE 609336

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm / 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Beng Hiang Restaurant : Traditional Hokkien Dishes

This famous Hokkien restaurant was founded in 1978 and it has since to be one of the best Hokkien restaurants in Singapore. They used to be at Amoy Street before moving to Jurong East, next to JCube and directly opposite the Jurong East MRT station. 

This was my first visit. As they were 3 of us, we decided to go with their signature dishes like Spiced Sausage & Fried Prawns Balls ($8),  Steamed Bread with Braised Brisket (Kong Bak Pau) ($16), Traditional Hokkien Noodles ($8) and Fried Oysters with Egg (Oyster Omelette) ($12). We wanted to order more but the elderly Uncle that was taking orders stopped us from doing us. He said, "Wor, so many dishes, need to dabao already!" He said, "I'd suggest you take out the Fried Mee Sua, too much for just 3 people. Trust Uncle, ok?" And, we agreed.

Spiced Sausage & Fried Prawns Balls ($8) came first. It consists of a half portion of ngor hiang and the other half portion of prawn rolls. It actually tasted like the Hokkien spiced meat rolls that my late Grandpa would usually handmade for the Chinese New Year using an heirloom recipe. I would prefer the prawn rolls to the ngor hiang a little more though both were equally tasty.

Fried Oysters with Egg (Oyster Omelette) ($12). This was the best amongst all the dishes that we ordered. This is one of their star dishes and almost every table ordered it. The oysters were fresh and juicy and it was served together with the super crispy egg omelette which we enjoyed, to the extent that we actually prefer it to the oysters. 

We ordered the smallest portion of Traditional Hokkien Noodles ($8). It is something that my last Grandpa would have enjoy, it was perfectly braised in the dark sauce to a delightful softness with ingredients such as veggie, sliced pork and prawns then garnished with dried shallots to serve. It was homely and comforting. 

Steamed Bread with Braised Brisket (Kong Bak Pau) ($16) is a signature Hokkien dish, it is a must-order here. The pork belly was braised to perfection and is flavorful. It was perfectly complemented by the softness of the steamed buns when sandwiched it in between. 

We were also served complimentary Red Bean Soup to end the meal. 

It was a pleasant meal. The only regret that i have is not getting to know this place much earlier so as to bring my dearest late Grandpa here for a meal. Their prices are quite affordable and only service charge is applicable and not the GST. 

BENG HIANG RESTAURANT

Block 135 Jurong Gateway Road #02-337 SINGAPORE 600135

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm / 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm (Daily)

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee at Jurong East

Their first outlet is actually near to where i stay. I happened to chance upon it then tasted it and actually enjoyed its unique flavor. That prompted me to write an article on MAKANSUTRA in June 2014 about this Thai Wanton Mee stall, which likely to be the first of its kind at that time. I was told that they are not related to the famous wanton mee in Thailand at Soi 19. The stall got really popular after that and attracted consistently long queues, the queue is still long these days. I am still going back as and when though not as often but usually when there is a shorter queue.

They opened the second outlet in Jurong East just a couple of months ago, it is right next to the CPF building, just a stone's throw away from the Jurong East MRT station. The queue there was so much shorter when i visited on a Saturday as compared to their outlet in Ang Mo Kio. There is an option to choose between a regular bowl ($3.50), a medium bowl ($4.00), a large bowl ($5.00) or a Jumbo Bowl ($6.00) for more noodles with extra ingredients. They do not have the braised pork trotter with rice which is available in their Ang Mo Kio outlet. 

For the large bowl, the portion of noodle is quite substantial served together with 2 fried wantons and 2 soup wantons, char siew, chinese sausage and some green. There are condiments like fish sauce, dried chilli flakes, sugar, green chillies and fried pork lards for self-service at the counter.

As the portion is meant to be shared between myself and a friend that has little tolerance towards spiciness so left out the dried chilli flakes. To start, tossed the noodles well to have it coated with the fish sauce underneath and then ate it with those crispy fried pork lards, it was still a tasty treat. Somehow, i felt the standard is just different, it did not taste as good as what i had at their Ang Mo Kio outlet which is headed by their father that started it. Their chinese sausage was served in smaller pieces over here and the texture was slightly harder. Their specially made egg noodles were cooked to a perfect springiness, though.

Perhaps, the key to enjoying Thai Wanton Mee is about getting used to it. The friend that i was sharing it with has never eaten Thai Wanton Mee before. When i brought it to the table, she starved at it for a moment and said, 'Why no sauce?'. She took a bite and decided that she did not like it. And, perhaps that's the reason why the black sauce version Wanton Mee is introduced, it is available at $4.00, $5.00 and $6.00. I have yet to try this version so could not comment on its taste.

The fried wantons and soup wantons tasted quite similar but somehow, something is just missing though same recipe is used in making them. The soup was lightly flavored.

SOI 19 WANTON MEE

Block 130 Jurong Gateway Road #01-211 SINGAPORE 600130

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Block 151 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 SINGAPORE 560151

Operating Hours: 7.15 am to 3.30 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Baba Melaka : Peranakan Fare in a Coffee Shop at Jurong East

I gotta know about this stall from some reviews that i came across on the net. I came as i was really curious about how does those recommended dishes fared in reality. It was lunch time but there there was no other customer at that time. There was a friendly lady, stood in front of the stall, awaiting for customers. She was smiling when we were approaching the stall. This stall is in the same coffee shop where the branch of Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee is located, it is within a short walking distance from the Jurong East MRT. 

We ordered Ma Cik Nasi Lemak Beef Rendang ($5.90), Famous Ayam Buah Keluak with Steamed Rice ($5.50) and Claypot Ikan Assam Pedas with Steamed Rice ($6.50). Their menu also includes Pak Cik Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng ($4.90), Pak Cik Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang ($4.90), Mee Rebus ($3.50) and Nyonya Mee Siam ($3.00).  

We were asked to come back in 5 minutes as they need to prepare it. The lady suggested that they could deliver it to our table even though there is a sign stating 'Self-Service'. I was telling her that, "It is alright, we would come back later to collect it." It was delivered by the older man that was seen preparing at the back of the stall earlier, he even brought us the forks and spoons that we forgot to collect. When saying thank you to him, he said, 'Don't mention.' That kind of service standard is definitely going to leave an impression. 

Ma Cik Nasi Lemak Beef Rendang ($5.90), it consists of a portion of beef rendang serving with achar and ikan belis with peanuts, together with sembal chilli by the side and coconut infused rice. The texture of beef rendang was done lovingly with just the right softness and nicely flavored. The achar that made up of cucumber, carrot and cabbage tasted quite fresh with a nice crunch. The ikan belis and peanuts were crunchy and tasty. The sambal chilli tasted slightly sweet with a mild spiciness. 

Famous Ayam Buah Keluak with Steamed Rice ($5.50). The Ayam Buah Keluak tasted slightly saltish with a mild flavored but cooked to the perfect tenderness. It is served with sambal belachan and not the sambal chilli, which is spicier but complemented the dish nicely. 

Though it might not be the tastier that i ever tasted but it is a comfort dish that warms the heart with its homeliness. 

Claypot Ikan Assam Pedas with Steamed Rice ($6.50), the most expensive amongst the rice sets. A thick slice of fish was served with brinja and ladyfinger in a claypot, its spiciness was quite mild. It tasted homely and it is quite value for money. 

They do serve desserts like Sago Gula Melaka ($1.80), Bubur Cha Cha ($1.80), Melaka Pulot Hitam($1.80),  Baba Chendol ($2.00), Baba Durian Chendol ($2.50) and different type of Nyonya Kueh from 0.80 cents to $1.20. We decided to go with Baba Chendol and it was disappointing. It did not have enough gula melaka and the chendol strips were not as smooth, it has big kidney beans in it. You might want to try other desserts but this one is not worth trying. 

I would be interested to try their Mee Siam and Mee Rebus if i happen to be in the vicinity next time.

BABA MELAKA

Block 130 Jurong Gateway Road #01-211 SINGAPORE 600130

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Smoothie House Singapore : Desserts from Taiwan

This is a popular dessert place from Yong Kang Street in Taipei, they opened their first outlet at One Raffles Place and followed by the other one at Paya Lebar Square then this one at Westgate. They are famous for their fruit smoothies and snowflake ice desserts. There are a total of 3 sizes to choose from: Healthy ($7.90), Sharing ($9.90 to $12.90) and Family ($15.90). 

Mango Snowflake Ice with Panna Cotta ($9.90) is one of their signature items. The texture of shaved ice was rather fine, smooth and rather creamy with an intense mango flavor and a milky taste at just the right level of sweetness. It was served with a generous amount of chunky mango cubes and topped with a Panna Cotta then drizzled with mango syrup. I enjoyed it. 

Yogurt-Berry Snowflake Ice ($12.90). It was not as sweet as the Mango Snowflake Ice but with a slightly sourish taste and is served with slices of banana, strawberries and blueberries. It was a refreshing choice and equally enjoyable. 

SMOOTHIE HOUSE
3 Gateway Drive #01-08 Westgate Mall SINGAPORE 608532
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Other branches:
. 60 Paya Lebar Road #02-15/16/17 Paya Lebar Square SINGAPORE 509051
. 1 Raffles Place #03-25 One Raffles Place SINGAPORE 048616

Lady M Confections : A So-so Experience

It was raining afternoon, a heavy torrential downpour actually. I decided to take it slow and do something that i do not quite usually do, like spending a lazy afternoon in some cafe, having coffee and enjoying cakes. 

Lady M has recently opened in Westgate at Jurong East.

I decided to have Strawberry Shortcake ($9++) and Iced Cafe Mocha ($6++). Apparently, the service staff mixed up the order. I was served the hot Cafe Mocha instead, when i highlighted, the female service staff referred to the order chit, and said, 'He must have made the mistake.' She changed it and served right after. I was a bit surprised that they served the cold version in a plastic cup for that amount charged. I guess they must have recycled the hot one by pouring it into the plastic cup then added ice cubes to make it cold as the presentation seemed a bit too messy. This has somewhat discounted my first impression of their service standard.  

The classic Strawberry Shortcake was quite nice though not particularly outstanding as i have eaten some better ones. The vanilla sponge cake was light and fluffy with a couple of strawberries sandwiched in between the layers with the whipped cream. The texture of the whipped was perfect and nicely sweetened to give just the right sweetness.

The overall experience was just so-so.

LADY M CONFECTIONS

. 3 Gateway Drive #02-25/26 Westgate SINGAPORE 608532

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

. 1 Fullerton Road #01-10 One Fullerton SINGAPORE 049213

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 11.00 pm (Sun to Thur) / 11.00 pm to 12.00 am (Fri & Sat)

. 181 Orchard Road #01-27 / #02-07 Orchard Central SINGAPORE 238896

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Mak's Noodle : I Still Want My Local Wanton Mee

This is indeed the Mak's Noodle from Hong Kong, the most talked about wanton noodle that was awarded a Michelin status and have 6 outlets all over Hong Kong. The current owner is still following the exact recipe that being handed down from the founder of Mak's Noodle and its taste has supposedly remain unchanged for almost 100 years. It is currently under the charge of Mr Tony Yung, the son-in-law of the second generation owner that started it in Guangzhou in 1920. They are well-known for its thin and springy noodles and plum wantons with prawns. To maintain the quality, the 2 outlets in Singapore are directly importing the noodles that are made using flour from Canada for a springier texture together with the wanton skins from Hong Kong.

The Director of Asia Gourmet Private Limited managed to persuade the owner of Mak's Noodle to open their first franchised outlet in Orchard then followed by the other outlet at Westgate. Chef Chan For Kam that came from their outlet at Wellington Street is the Head Chef here and will also supervise the future opening outlets, he will be based in Singapore for about 2 years. They will also stationed their other chefs from Hong Kong to the outlets in Singapore.

My last experience at their outlet in Hong Kong was not a pleasant one, i happened to be there when they were near closing time. There was just another 2 tables in there. The service staff seemed a bit reluctant to serve even though they did not turn us away. Our order of wanton noodle and braised tendon noodle came rather quickly and they placed it a bit too hard on the table, giving out a loud bang sound.  I am never really a fan of Mak's Noodle and i would rather go over to Tsim Chai Kee which is directly opposite their outlet in Central, for a bigger bowl and better value wanton noodle anytime. 

My curiosity prompted me to try their outlet in Singapore. There was no queue when we got there for lunch. We were ushered to the table and our orders taken quickly.

If you ever eaten in their outlet in Hong Kong, you might be surprised to find sliced green chili to be amongst the condiments provided on the table along with the same chili paste served in Hong Kong. 

We were then told by the service staff that saucers and chopsticks are available in the drawer attached to the table.

According to Tony Yung, the current owner of Mak's Noodle that wanton noodle is meant to be eaten as a snack and not the main dish, if you are not full then you will have to order another portion. In Singapore, they are sticking to same small serving size about the size of the small rice bowl just like what they are doing in Hong Kong. Such a bowl of wanton noodles is priced at HKD$36, about $6.30 in Singapore. In Singapore, it costs $6.90 here. The 4 wantons that served along are placed right underneath that pile of noodles for a purpose and that is to prevent the noodles from turning soggy by soaking in the broth for too long.

The Wanton Mee Soup ($6.90) came first, serving in an elegant looking blue and white ceramic bowl. The noodles have the distinctive springiness and no alkaline taste, which is good. The broth is flavored with yellow chives and dried sole fish to give it a natural sweetness and savoriness but a bit too mild in flavor.

There is actually a difference between the typical Cantonese wanton and the local wanton as the Cantonese wanton has only prawns and no pork in it. As for this particular one, there was at least 2 prawns in it for an added crunchiness. Fresh prawns rather than the frozen ones are used to ensure a better quality.

Next, came Tossed Noodle with Shrimp Roe and Prawns with Oyster Sauce ($16.20), if without that 4 pieces of prawns is only $8.30. The same springy noodles sprinkled with shrimp roe but rather sparingly, it added with an intense savouriness. Somehow, it did not quite bring out the flavor as it just did not have enough to thoroughly mixed with the noodles. 

There are different types of congee on their menu but i just wanted to have Chicken & Mushroom Congee ($7.50). Congee is rice and water cooked down into thick porridge, Hong Kong style is usually much softer and smoother with every grain nicely dissolved into a thick gruel. It was served with generous amount of ingredients. 

After paying $36.02, we were still left feeling hungry. I would rather have local wanton mee for $3 or $4 that is filling, satisfying and more importantly, cheaper. Worth it or not, it might still be quite an experience for those who have yet to try it in Hong Kong, at least, you do not have to fly there to eat it now.

As a frequent traveler to Hong Kong and after eaten bowls of wanton noodle there, Mak's Noodle has never been my best Wanton Noodle and even some of the Hong Kongers do not eat there too.

MAK'S NOODLE

. 3 Gateway Drive #02-06 Westgate SINGAPORE 608532

. 176 Orchard Road #01-63/64 The Centrepoint SINGAPORE 238843

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)