Hong Kong Stewed Soup . Zhong Zai Fan : is there a change of ownership?

I was there on a rainy Sunday, the coffee shop was not as crowded as expected at about 1 pm. I usually ordered from this particular stall manned by a couple originated from Hong Kong. There are different types of stewed soup and steamed rice on their menu. I decided to go with Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice ($3.50), Salted Fish Steamed Pork Rice ($3.50) and Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs ($4.00).

The Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice that has always been a personal favorite that I often order. I ever told the friendly auntie that, "Your Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice is one of the best that I have ever eaten." She replied in a distinct Hong Kong accent Mandarin, "It has been steamed for many hours to have that kind of softness and flavor." It was disappointing this time, the first ever since I started eating at this stall more than a decade ago. 

The texture of the braised pork was not as soft as it used to be. There was a notable chewiness and not as flavorful. The blanched vegetable tasted bitter. It did not help even when I tried to pour soya sauce over it and tried eating it with the red cut chilli so I left it uneaten.

The Salted Fish Steamed Pork Rice was better. Those pieces of sliced meat were steamed together with shredded ginger together with the rice. The texture of the meat was tender and tasted quite flavorful. Somehow, it was not as good as I remember.

The Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs consists of a few pieces of rather tough pork ribs. 

Is there a change of ownership? I did not see the familiar auntie at the stall there.

HONG KONG STEWED SOUP .  ZHONG ZAI FAN

Block 925 Yishun Central 1 #01-249 SINGAPORE 760925

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Saturdays)

BurgerUp : Burger Up or Down?

BurgerUp is the newest burger joint that took over the space vacated by Wendy's at Yishun Ten Complex in mid December. As stated on their FB page, they are the first and only premium burger restaurant chain created in Singapore. And, they stand for Quality Up, Freedom Up and Service Up. 

I was there at about 1 pm on a weekday. There was only a few tables occupied right at that time, it was unexpectedly quiet. I was expected to order via their Self-Service Kisoks, stating what type of burger with my choice of side and my selection of drink. I wanted a Classic Beef Burger Combo at $9.50 that consists of fries and a regular drink and received a 10% discount for a combo set.

I proceeded to the service counter and paid up, i was given my drink first and asked to pick up the rest when my number is flashed on the LED panel. That was the same number printed on the receipt. While waiting to collect my order at the counter, it was sent over to my table. Such initiative is commendable. Service Up!

Perhaps it has to do with my expectations, the taste of the burger did not manage to impress me. Though it was supposed to be a Beef Burger but it did not have a bit of the beefy taste and the texture of the patty was slightly tough too. Maybe it would be nicer if they have served with the cheese melted. The overall taste was quite plain but the ingredients tasted quite fresh.

Perhaps i have left it for  abit too long the fries though still tasted firm but it was quite bland. I wonder is this their usual standard or it just happened to be their off? I might just give it another chance if i happen to be here with no better lunch option. 

They might be putting in effort to make their burgers differently but they still have a long way to go before so. 

BURGERUP

51 Yishun Central 1 #01-03 Yishun Ten Complex Singapore 768794.

Arnold's Fried Chicken : How Good Are They?

This was not my first time trying out the supposedly famous Arnold's Fried Chicken. It tasted alright the first time though not particularly impressive. That was at least a few years back. I happened to be in the vicinity this time so decided to give it another go. I went for their Fried Chicken Meal ($11.90) , it consists of a whole spring chicken with fries and coleslaw as side dishes but it did not include a drink. If to order the soft drink served in a plastic cup separately then you are expected to pay $2.10 for quite a small cup and it did not quite justify the value. 

A pager was given and the estimated waiting time as advised was about 15 minutes. The pager buzzed a couple of minutes later, i collected my order from the counter. 

The size of the spring chicken was bigger than expected. It was fried perfectly to give a desirable layer of crispy skin with juiciness still retained. The meat tasted rather tender and unexpectedly soft but a little too bland. 

I enjoyed the coleslaw and fries though, it would be nice if the serving portion was a bit more generous for a whole spring chicken.

So, do i like it enough to visit soon? I do not quite think so as this is not going to be amongst my top choices when i am crazing for fried chicken.

ARNOLD'S FRIED CHICKEN

51 Yishun Central 1 #01-04 Yishun 10 Cinema Cineplex SINGAPORE 768794

Indonesian Style Noodle

Purchased the voucher via Groupon to try the Indonesia style noodle for the first time. This shall be an entirely new experience for us as we have never tasted such noodle before. We went on a Saturday for lunch. The place was rather quiet with only a few tables occupied then. This noodle place is serving 6 types of noodle, side dishes, desserts and drinks. 

The voucher entitled us to 2 drinks, 2 noodles and a side dish. We ordered a hot barley ($1.20), an iced lemon tea ($1.20), Mee Kang Kong ($5.20), Mee Ayam ($4.80) and Taukwa Pok ($2.50).

After ordering, a number was given. We were expected to pick up the foods once our number was displayed on the LED panel. We collected our drinks and took our seat. We waited for about 5 minutes for the foods to be ready. The Taukwa Pok was served later to our table. 

The first impression of Mee Kang Kong somehow reminded me of Mee Rebus. It tasted quite similar as well. The gravy tasted a little sweet but the sweetness balanced up by the sourness of lime. The thick gravy goes well with the noodle. 

Mee Ayam served with veggie, mushroom and chicken pieces. It tasted a little bland. I added in the hot chilli sauce to spice it up a little but it did not make much difference though the spiciness of chilli was a little intense. 

We were given an option to choose in between the spicy and non-spicy version for the Taukwa pok. We opted for the non-spicy version. It tasted a little like the rojak but minus the prawn paste and peanut taste. 

I would prefer the iced lemon tea to the hot barley as the hot barley tasted a little diluted with very minimum sweetness. 

It was a pleasant lunch. We might come back again if happen to be in the vicinity the next time.

UPDATED: This place has already closed.

YOU & ME NOODLE PLACE

930 Yishun Avenue 2 Northpoint #B2-39 SINGAPORE 769098

Operating Hours: 11:00 to 21:00 hrs