Hong Kong Street Chun Kee Restaurant: The Real Deal?

Hong Kong Street Restaurant or 香港街珍记 may ring a bell to those who frequent tze char stalls cum restaurants. You might have seen it at Novena, or Bukit Timah, or maybe even Changi, but today I'm introducing the one at Ang Mo Kio.

Hmm? And you thought they are were all under one man's monopoly. Wrong. I'm uncertain as to who's the real founder of the chain of Hong Kong Street Restaurants we have been seeing all around the island, but one thing's for sure, they are famous for their milky fish soup and other fish dishes.

The Sliced Fish with Spring Onion and Ginger certainly did not disappoint. The succulent slices of fishes were well fried with ginger and spring onion, resting on a pool of slightly thicken savoury gravy, it was lip-smacking good. Oh, and FYI, this type of fish said to be good for those who just had undergone any surgical operations as it helps the surgical wound to close up faster.

We ordered the Yam Ring Basket, which was chocked full of mushrooms, vegetables, prawns and topped with some cashew nuts. I have to admit, that although I wouldn't pay so much for a yam ring and mainly vegetables, but the yam ring was no doubt well-prepared. The yam paste, which was smooth and not cloying, does not leaving your mouth feeling very dry and it was fried to a nice and light crisp; Dipping it into sweet, stick sweet sauce was delightfully satisfying.

Unfortunately, the Claypot Tofu was disappointing. With vegetables, slices of yam, roasted pork and big square pieces of tofu all in a claypot, slathered with a starchy gravy, it didn't not exactly appeal to me or surprised me with it taste.

The famous 'Sam Lor Hor Fun' was the equally delicious as the Sliced Fish with Spring Onion and Ginger. Succulent slices of fishes was fried with hor fun and a generous amount of bean sprouts. The bean sprouts added a nice crunch to the overall texture of the dish and the hor fun had a nice subtle 'wok hei' taste to it.

In addition, we called for a plate of Sweet and Sour Pork too. It was good, but didn't come across as great to us.

Have you eaten at another Hong Kong Street Restaurant and would love to share your views? Or do you know the real story behind the chain of Hong Kong Street Restaurants that are popping up all around the island? I would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below, thank you.  


Hong Kong Chun Kee Street Resturant
Blk 151, Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 
#01-3030, (S) 560157
Opening Hours: 11am - 2pm, 5pm - 11pm.

Dian Xiao Er: Roast Duck And More

The Soup Restaurant Group operates 2 chains of restaurants, namely 'Soup Restaurant' and 'Dian Xiao Er'. It's a clever idea, really, as the former one is famed for their Samsui Ginger Chicken while the latter specializes in their roast ducks; Each of the restaurant serves up one of the two main type of poultry Singaporeans eat on a normal basis. Thus, often times, you'll find a branch of the 'Soup Restaurant' in a mall and a branch of 'Dian Xiao Er' springing up either next to it or within it's vicinity.

This dish of Stir Fried Lotus Root with Macadamia Nut is a great dish for all nut lovers out there. Whipped up with a variety of colourful, great tasting vegetables and a generous amount of crunchy macadamia nuts, it is visually enticing as well as gastronomically. A dish that would make nut lovers go nuts or you, the no so nut loving ones, complain there is a little too much macadamia nuts in there.

Dian Xiao Er truly serves up most of the most beautifully crisped roast duck. Look at the picture, doesn't it get you salivating? There are three choices of roast duck served at Dain Xiao Er - with Angelica Herb, Wild Ginseng or Ten Wonder Herb. The waitress told us that the wild ginseng gravy was on the sweet side while the ten wonder herb is on the savoury boundary I think. You can clarify with the waites or waitresses there.

We placed an order for the Herbal Roasted Duck with Wild Ginseng. Personally, I can't take the taste of ginseng, it just puts me off somehow. Nonetheless, I tried the duck - it was too hard to resist. There's a subtle ginseng taste and the rest is sweetness. If you're like me who can't take a hint too strong of ginseng, you can perhaps give this a try, it's not that strong.

The roasted duck was delicious, with its succulent flesh except for its not very crispy skin and I blame the gravy for that. A pity, I feel, that the skin is not as crispy as it appears to be after the gravy is drenched over the duck.

This is a funny photo, see the conflict? My dad's just hungry for the fish while he has to wait for me and my sister to finish photographing the dishes. Haha. This was a claypot of Old Style Steamed Fish Slices. It was a simple yet beautiful dish. The snakehead fish slices were well steamed with red dates, mushroom and spring onions in a savoury sauce that is not too salty. A well balanced dish with it's taste and nutrient value both earning a thumb up.

All in all, a pleasant and satisfying first time at Dian Xiao Er. I have to commend them for their extremely efficient service in serving up the dishes, it took less than 20-25 mins for all the dishes to be served up. Fast and efficient, well done.

Dian Xiao Er
Serangoon NEX
#02-09/10, 23 Serangoon Central, S556083
Tel: (65)6634 4828


Mon - Fri : 11.30am - 2.30pm (last order 2.30pm), 5.30pm - 10.00pm (last order 9.30pm)

Weekends and Public Holiday : 11.30am - 10.00pm (last order 9.30pm)

555 Golden Prawn Restaurant: Seafood Dinner

As the big Os near and school start their countdown to it, stress levels soar and multiply. Eat well and sleep well are key in maintaining optimum work ability. The way to destress? Eat and blog about food. At least that's for foodies like us, I believe.

Which brings me back to my previous post about my church camp in Batam. Third night's dinner was at 555 Golden Prawn Restaurant. From the looks of the area dedicated to keeping live seafood at the entrance, they specialize in live seafood I suppose.



All our dishes had some kind of sea creature in it.

Except this:





The first dish was sweet and sour fish. Maybe they were serving a large group so they cooked most of the dishes in advance, thus the fish was a little cold when it arrived at our table. However the fish was not doubt meaty and fresh but it did not impress.



The second dish was fried calamri rings. The batter coating was too thick and the squid rings were over fried, leading to tough rubbery calamari rings. Next was the fried prawns which were fried to a crisp with the shell. Only if it was hot and remained crispy.



The chilli crabs did not take long to come too. Their chilli crab is different from our Singapore chilli crab as you can see in the picture. Their chilli sauce was somewhat like our sambal chilli while our chilli crab sauce is usually a chilli paste cooked down and thicken. It was too oily in my opinion and the crabs weren't in season at that time I suppose. The crabs weren't very meaty as well.



Overall I think this dish of stir fried vegetable was done the best. The vegetables were crunchy and the strips of squid inside it were done well, not too tough.

The dinner was, however, made complete with great company and fun!

Ichiban Boshi II : AMK Hub

Ichiban Boshi's Salmon Sukiyaki is good. I recommend it.

I've visited Ichiban Boshi at Ang Mo Kio Hub for a number of times, but this is my 2nd review on its food so I've put part II. I had the Don Don Gozen the other time. Therefore, I decided to try something else and picked the Salmon Sukiyak.

I'm a salmon lover, so I don't know if my tastebuds are biased towards this. But what I do know, is that I've just discovered a new way to eat salmon. Eat it medium rare.

Yeah, you heard me. Medium rare; semi cooked and dipped into some raw egg. I loved it. It melted like warm butter in my mouth. It might not be the cheapest meal out there, but the salmon at Ichiban is fresh and thus worth paying for it.

Ichiban Boshi

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
#02-01 AMK Hub
Tel: (65) 6555-1617
Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm
(Last Order: 9.30pm)

Ichiban Boshi

Don Don Gozen

Yes, you must have noticed, if you are a reader of my blog before this post, that I have revamped my blog with a new template, added a blog roll and organised my labels.

Somehow I felt Gustatory Explorer wasn't food blog-ish enough with the previous template and it wasn't very user friendly as well. So well, I changed it and I'm loving the new look, hope you do too!

Okay, back to the salmon sashimi don and unagi don set meal (Don Don Gozen) photo above. -points up- My sister had a $30 voucher that could be used any Ichiban Boshi outlets and so we went there to have lunch last Saturday with my mom and I.

I must confess, I forgot to take down the name of the dishes. So let's just name what we see in the photos shall we? A picture speaks a thousand words yes.

I had the salmon sashimi don and unagi don you see above (Don Don Gozen). It came with tempura soft shell crab, chawanmushi, watermelon and a bowl of miso soup.

The grilled unagi and egg made a great combination. The onions also added sweetness to the dish. I was half filled by the time i finished this.

The soft shell crab was delicious as it was nicely fried with a thin coat of batter and it was not too oily.

The salmon sashimi slices in the don were fresh and good, but they added sliced red chilli on top to garnish the dish and there was a bowl of rice underneath so I couldn't really taste the salmon once they all came together. I was really filled by the time I finished this.

The set meal's value for money and I suggest 2 people can share this unless you're very hungry.

Before my order came, my sister ordered a tuna sushi. If you look carefully, the tuna were very slightly broiled with a blow torch on the surface. It was tasty with a hint of charred-ness.

We ordered fried salmon skin as well. It was kinda of a snack-side, great for anyone craving for something crispy and fried.

Mom ordered a deep fried chicken breast with ginger gravy/sauce. I had a piece of her chicken and I felt the chicken was a little tough, the ginger gravy compensated a little for it.

It was a really filling lunch with 2 bowls of rice, but Saturday's lunch was good.

Oh, one more thing. Patrons at Ichiban Sushi will get double the amount of reward stamps from now till the end of May because:

Ten major Japanese F&B groups in Singapore have set aside their rivalry and come together to help raise at least S$250,000 for the March Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. (click picture for bigger version).

They have launched a "Friends of Japan" privilege card (S$5) that will give 10% discounts and promotions for the month of May 2011. All proceeds will go to the Singapore Red Cross in aid of the Tsunami Disaster Relief 2011.

The collaboration involves over 35 brands and 100 restaurants across Singapore. They also applauded the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA)'s work in making sure all food imports from Japan are safe for consumption.

The “Friends of Japan” charity card is available at these outlets until May 15:

1) Bachmann Japanese Restaurant
a) Ajisen
b) Botejyu
c) Aoba Hokkaido Ramen
d) Kura Sapporo Ramen
e) Ajino Chanpon
f) Kazokutei

2) Creative Food Concept Pte Ltd
a) Tampopo
b) Tampopo Grand
c) Tarafuku

3) RE&S
a) Cz’zar Singapore inspired cuisine
b) Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery Café
c) Ichiban Boshi Japanese Restaurant
d) Ichiban Sushi Japanese Restaurant
e) Kabe no Ana
f) Kuriya Penthouse
g) Kuriya Dining
h) Kuriya Fish Market
i) Men-ichi Japanese Ramen
j) Shimbashi Soba
k) Tontei Pork Restaurant
l) Yaki-Yaki Bo Teppanyaki Restaurant
m) Nakatsu Cabbage Yaki
n) Otsu Kushi Yaki

4) Suntory Food and Beverages International
a) Japanese Dining Sun
b) Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Café

5) Tatsuya

6) Watami

(Taken from Camemberu)

This is great news for friends who love japanese food! Because now you can eat and help others at the same time. Please do help to support the people of Japan! Do note that the “Friends of Japan” charity card is available at these outlets until May 15.

Ichiban Boshi

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
#02-01 AMK Hub
Tel: (65) 6555-1617
Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm
(Last Order: 9.30pm)

**Edited on 23 May - Found out the set meal that is value for money is called Don Don Gozen.

Teochew City Seafood Restaurant

Teochew Steamed Pomfret

Mother's Day is a day where mothers are appreciated simply because they're unique and everyone would only have one. And therefore, Mother's Day is a day to celebrate, and what's better than to have a meal together?

Food brings people and joy together, it's true, I can vouch for it and I'm sure you would too.

My family usually celebrates special occasions -birthdays, Father's Day, Mother's Day- with a meal. Be it dining at a restaurant or over at my grandma's place where we'll have red eggs - symbolises good luck, roundness (as in complete happiness) and a sign of prosperity.

There was no exception this time round and my sister suggested that we celebrate in advance at the Teochew City Seafood Restaurant. We were there last Sunday and tried some of their teochew dishes.

As far as I know, teochews are pretty famous for their teochew-style steamed fish. Since we were at a teochew restaurant, how could we not try thier steamed fish? We ordered a steamed pomfret, teochew-style of course, with sour plums and salted vegetable. The fish was fresh and steamed just nice. The salted vegetable and sour plums definitely added flavour to the dish. It was a simple yet great dish.

We ordered a Hot and Spicy Soup too. It wasn't exactly the watery soup kind of soup that we usually have but rather more like the taiwanese thick soup that have been thickened up with cornstarch or 'geng' as they call it. It was nothing special and tasted so-so.

This is a dish that's worth recommending. The Pork Rib with Yam in Claypot is worth recommending.

There were pork ribs, yam and mushroom inside the claypot. The pork ribs and yam were the star of the night. The thick slices of yam were not overcooked till they were mushy and have lost their texture but rather they were soft and chewy. Similarly, the pork ribs were juicy and flavoursome not rubbery. It's definitely a dish worth ordering while you're there at the restaurant.

The Sautéed Chicken Cube with Cashew Nut or Gong Bao Ji Ding was good with tender pieces of chicken coupled with crunchy cashew nuts. The dish was only mildly hot not overpowered by the chillies.

The Teochew Claypot Rice with Yam and Salted Pork wasn't very good. My sister commented that it was overwhelmed by the soya sauce's taste. While I thought it tasted like a non-sticky version of my aunt's glutinous rice, only less flavourful and i didn't even realise there was yam till I saw the menu.

And, of course, we concluded our dinner on a sweet note. My dad actually ordered Orh Nee, a well loved Teochew dessert, but my brother suddenly had the craving for Red Bean Pancakes so we changed the order. Not sure if it was a special order because we just asked them if they had it and they said they have but I didn't find it on the menu.

Anyway, the pancakes' red bean filling tasted fine but the pastry outside it was too thick and hence the pancakes were a tad too oily and not as crispy as they should have been. Have tasted better ones elsewhere. This one, just lacked the oomph in it.

'Smile!'

Happy Mother's Day in advance to all the mothers out there, thank you for the love you have given us!

Teochew City Seafood Restaurant

176 Orchard Road
#05-16 Centrepoint
Singapore 238843

Tel: +65 6733 3338

Opening Hours
Lunch:
10:30am – 3:00pm (Weekdays)
10:30am – 3:30pm (Weekends & PH)
Dinner:
6:30pm – 10:30pm (Daily)

Tampines IKEA

Baked Salmon w Crushed Peppercorns ($7.50)

I was down at tampines IKEA on Monday for dinner with a couple of church mates. I was feeling pretty thrilled to taste the food there, especially the famous Swedish meatballs.

Ordered the baked salmon which was delicious and served alongside with the sweet french bean and boiled potatoes. The peppercorns gave a nice peppery taste to the fish, masking the fishiness and not so overwhelming that it covers the flavours of the salmon. I thought it was value for money, especially if you're a member at IKEA ($6). Only complaint only was that they could have tried warmed the salmon and not serve it at room temperature.

15 Swedish Meatballs ($8)

Maybe I'm not a meatball lover that's why these apparently famous meatballs did not appeal to me. The meatballs tasted so-so with the lingonberry jam and cream sauce, served alongside with boiled potatoes.

There were other choices like laska, baked chicken leg, fried chicken wings and etc that I didn't try. I regretted not trying the fried chicken wings because my sister says they are really delicious.

Whats your choice of meal at IKEA?

IKEA Restaurant & Cafe (Tampines)

60 Tampines North Drive 2
Level 4 IKEA Tampines
Singapore
Tel: +65 67866868

Marche @ 313@ Somerset

It was Good Friday and a bunch of us were out to celebrate my friend's birthday. Excitement filled me when we decided to have dinner at Marché at 313@ Somerset - it was my frist time eating at Marché!

Rosti w Chicken Sausage

Had heard that Marché was famous for their rosti. And the first dish that reached our table was my friend's rosti with chicken cheese sausage which picked to compliment his rosti. Tasted the rosti and the sausage, thought the rosti was average while the sausage was pretty juicy and cheese filled.

Crispy Pork Knuckle

The pork knuckle, that came next, failed to impress as well. The meaty was chewy and too gamey, in my opinion. And i think its a dish meant to be shared as it got a little cloying for my friend towards the end.

Grilled Salmon Fillet

The grilled salmon fillet was done pretty decently. Though a simple dish, it would definitely satisfy anyone's salmon craving. The only issue i felt was that the salmon was a little overpriced at $17.50 nonetheless, it would be still a great dish to have while you're over at Marché.

Margarita Pizza with Mozzarella

Ordered a large margarita pizza with mozzarella as i thought everyone would love a cheesy pizza. It turned out to be a disappointment with too little cheese, though they were very generous with their tomato slices and the crust was pretty good.

Savoury Crepe wrapped with roasted chicken

A right choice was finally made with my friend's order of the savoury crepe. It was wrapped with a generous amount of filling and the plain-looking crepe surprised me to be really good. Its definitely a must-try while you're over at Marché!

Maple Walnut Ice Cream

The word 'dessert' will never fail to send shivers of excitement down any sweet tooths' spine. Concluded my dinner on a satisfying note with a scoop of Mövenpick's maple walnut ice cream at a friend's recommendation. Every spoonful of it elicited a satisfying 'ummm...' from me. Though happiness didn't came cheap - $5.40 a scoop - i truly enjoyed every spoon of indulgence.

It was a unique first-time experience at Marché, the atmosphere and decors were brillant. Though there were a number of apparently to die for dishes that I did not eat and I heard the outlet over at Vivocity is better, i would say Marché is a pretty good place to eat at once in awhile.

Marché

313 Orchard Road
#01-39/46 313 @ Somerset
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6834 4041

Opening Hours
Daily: 11am – 11pm