"Zhi Char"

I can never understand why "zhi char" is so popular in Singapore. What is so great about hor fun, or fried rice? Ok, maybe ordering dishes to go with rice makes a satisfying meal, but other than that, I don't see the appeal. Nevertheless, a new stall just opened at Upper Changi Rd. Its along the way to Anglican High School, before Simpang Bedok. Didnt bother to take note of the name cuz I didnt think I'd blog about it. But for all zhi char fanatics, the fried bee hoon is rather tasty. The fried rice is too, but its too oily for me. Don't bother trying the sliced fish bee hoon. The soup is ridiculous, I cant decide if its too milky, or just plain weird. Oh, and dont patronise the place b4 12nn. They dont have anything - no tea, water not boiling yet, etc.

Sudanese Restaurant, City Square JB

if you drop by city square, which is the first shopping mall after the M'sia customs, you might wanna try the food at the Sudanese Restaurant, level 2. They have the set lunches, which contain smaller portions, perfect for a light lunch. Typical spicy Singaporean/M'sia/Indonesian fare. For dessert, make your way to Robin's portugese chicken for some portugese egg tarts. YOU CANNOT FIND THOSE IN SINGAPORE. I can go to JB specially to get those egg tarts. Rating (egg tarts): 8/10

Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru

This used to be a popular seafood destination for many Singaporeans, but lately, the crowd has been dwindling, according to stall owners there. The quality of the food hasn't changed since I've last been there. The price is still cheap, as compared to sg. It's a good place to try catfish, cereal prawns and sweet potato leaves. 3 of us ordered cereal prawns, egg fu yong, sweet potato leaves, kung pao fish, sotong kia and rice. along with drinks, per pax cost ard SGD9. Portions are substantial. 5 dishes for 3 ppl was really gg a little overboard...heh. The location is about a RM 6-7 cab ride to city square, relatively close to customs. One really downside to the place is the hygiene and ambience. You really have to force yourself to ignore everything ard you and focus only on the food. call me spoiled..but oh well..those who have been there shld know wat i mean..

Delifrance Bistro

You can find Delifrance everywhere, but really, how good is the food? Read on.

One of the more acceptable Plat Principals at Delifrance - the Ragoût au Boeuf ($12.95). The great tasting combination of braised beef bourguignon served with mashed potato is an absolute delight for a light, quick meal. Something you do not expect when there is beef on the table.
The presentation of their Steak d’Espadon ($15.95 - Fillet of swordfish lightly seasoned & grilled for full, natural flavour with boiled potatoes, fresh mixed salad & laksa cream sauce) is horrendous, which translates into the price being horrendous as well. Plain. Plain. Plain. Absolutely no aethestic appeal. Not good, when we're talking about food.
Another horrific presentation of western food - the rump steak (now on offer at Delifrance at $9.95). Enjoy the stiffness and toughness of the PLAIN and tiny steak. Better still, compare to their advertisements. Be awed.
Why the sudden picture of simple bread and butter? This is precisely the order in which the food came. The bread came shortly after the main course. Weird, but good for dipping into the Ragoût au Boeuf gravy.
They should not call this the signature bread pudding. nothing special about it. no comment.
Delifrance's one and only redeeming factor - and trust me, it saves the whole bistro. Fondant de Chocolat Chaud: unbelievably moist chocolate cake oozing with fudge, served with vanilla ice-cream. This is dessert in its most top form. FANTASTIC. Watch as the chocolate fudge spills out as your spoon breaks the cake. Visual fantasy.

Al Forno Italian Restaurant

One of my most favorite restaurants in Singapore. Al Forno. One of my favorite cuisines. Italian. From my favorite country in the world. Italia. I've been to Italy twice and I think the food at Al Forno matches the authencity of what you get at ristorantes in Sicily, Venice or Florence. And Rome. This can definitely be attributed to the fact that the chef/owner is from Italy. Be greeted with "Ciao!" and "Grazie!" when you leave the restaurant. Where the exit is, you can see the fireplace oven used to bake the pizzas. Great impression.

Seafood Pizza (there is of cuz the fancy Italian name, but I'll state it in layman terms which can be found in the menu descriptions - in case any of you wanna order) - $21

Always ask for additional toppings. See the mushrooms on the pizza? Guess the cost.

$1. Totally worth it.

The seafood serving is generous and extremely fresh. They do deliveries too. Try Al Forno's pizza and you'll never turn to Pizza Hut for another seafood pizza. Ever again. The crust is quite thin, and its crispy. I like to dip the crust (like bread) into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. True Italian Style.

The crayfish pasta ($21) is an ultimate fav and a MUST-ORDER everytime I visit. Once again, generous serving. Go on an empty stomach for this one - even guys find it only manageable. The sauce is oh-so-good, you can actually finish the spaghetti on its own without crayfish. Swensen's crayfish spaghetti is not bad too. Puts up a good fight against Al Forno with a lot of extra ingredients, but imo, loses face flat. Simple is good.

This has got to be one of the BEST cream pastas ever. GENEROUS amt of seafood - even more than the penne. The sauce does not irk you after a few mouthfuls (alot of ppl stay away from cream pastas cuz of the overpowering taste). Change your opinion of cream pastas at Al Forno today. Notice I'm hard-selling this restaurant, but only cuz it's REALLY good.

Glutton's Bay (Near Esplanade Mall)

Went night cycling the other day (I mean nite) with church friends. Cycling from 11pm-7am definitely warrants supper. En route from East Coast Park to Sentosa, we stopped over near the Esplanade for supper at Glutton's Bay. Quite a disappointment cuz the carrot cake and chicken wings stall was closin (same stall - try to go b4 2am if you want to eat those), but here's some of the things we had:

Kaya fondue ($3.50). Give it a try, the bread has a different texture from the normal kaya toast - it melts in your mouth. very light and crispy.

Hokkien Mee ($4) - fatal attraction
Bummer: prawns are unpeeled

Oyster omelette ($5)

I don't particularly like eating this, so I'm not sure why I was cravin for this that night. Anw I ordered it and as usual, its too oily. What else can you expect? This stall is satisfactory to fulfill that once-off yearn for the dish.

Random post

I have a few pics here and there so decided to combine all into one post. here goes the picture-tellin':


Gyoza
Koufu Food Court, Sentosa


Priced at $3 (for 5 pieces), the cost is average. So is the taste. Plus point: there's vinegar to go along with the gyoza - anything with vinegar should be alright...


Japanese Curry
Home-made


I bought the sauce from Japan - they sell it here too, just that its much cheaper in Japan & the directions are in Jap (and over here they also sell the powdered version). It's magical - just dump the entire packaging into boiling water for 3min and you're good to go. Prepare chicken cubes, diced potatoes and carrots and onions - to be stir-fried. After which, pour the curry over and mix well. Serves 4.
Taiwan Hong Zao Chicken Mian Xian
Tampines Mall Food Court


The appearance of this dish is weird. Red. Surprisingly, it doesnt taste too bad. According to my mum, its a Hakka dish. For something different, go try it ;)