Shoutout!

A shoutout to all our loyal fans, there's new content coming up soon!

All of us have been pretty busy recently, buried under piles of work, but we're coming back soon to bring you more good food from the sunny island of Singapore!

In time to come, I'll be doing a special feature on Indonesian food too, so look out for it! In fact, I'll be based in Indonesia from November onwards, so I'll still continue to bring you good food - from our neighbouring country down south.

Stay tuned!

Jeremy

Thai Express @ Tiong Bahru Plaza

Crayfish: Oversized Prawn or Undersized Lobster?

Dear loyal readers of thehumblegourmet, its been a month or so since the last post of mouth-watering Singaporean Gourmet food due to preparations for our exams and such, so we're glad to be back!

This time round, Jeremy takes you on a trip to Thai Express to try some of the food served in one of, if not the most, known Thai restaurant chains here in Sunny Singapore!

Upon entering the half-empty (or half-full for you optimistic people) restaurant during lunch time, we were immediately greeted by polite staff who immediately led us to our seats.

Disclaimer: Please excuse the colour and quality of the photos, these were taken under severely bad lighting conditions within Thai Express (Orange Spotlights) and taken with my 2.0MP iPhone camera.


Black Pepper Claypot Crayfish with Tang Hoon. This one was a little on the spicy side, with the black pepper served in generous proportions. Felt that the taste of the black pepper masked everything else. Only for fans of black pepper dishes. $13.90


Yellow Ginger Chicken Rice - Featured in the newspapers not too long ago, this dish boasts of being REALLY SPICY!! Waiter even served the dish and said "Good Luck!" to my colleague! *Note from thehumblegourmet - Not for the faint-hearted! $9.90


Tom Yum Soup with Stick Noodles


Soft Shell Crab - This dish was light and fluffy, and tasted somewhat different from the way the Japanese make it. $7.90


Lemon Chicken Drumlets This dish comes free with every $30 minimum spend and if you're paying with DBS/POSB Cards.

On the whole, Thai Express is for people who love Thai-style spicy cuisine and don't mind getting their tastebuds burnt!

Shin Kushiya

Located in a corner of Vivocity nearby the GV Cinema, Shin Kushiya caught my eye and I decided to give this Jap restaurant a try.


Shin Kushiya


Sashimi Moriawase... consisting of Maguro, Salmon, Mekajiki, Hamachi and Amaebi. $22.


Onsen Tamago - loosely translated as "Hot Spring Egg". This one is a soft boiled egg served in a cup of soba sauce topped with spring onions! Didn't really get to taste the yolk of the egg here as the soba sauce and spring onions covered the taste of the egg.


Agedashi Tofu - topped with yummy seaweed strips!


Buta Mentai Kushiyaki - Pork-on-a-stick, topped with spicy fish roe! The pork was served on a stick in neat rectangular slices, alternating between lean meat and some fats. The Mentaiko here, unfortunately, didn't taste like what you normally find in most restaurants. $3.20 per stick


Shishamo! Usual, nothing out of the ordinary here. $1.90 per pc.


Soft shell Crab! this one tasted crispy on the outside and squishy on the inside.


Niku Nabe (Meat Hotpot) - This one tasted quite ok, full of ingredients such as meat slices, mushrooms and other interesting stuff.


Mentaiko Spaghetti - This one was a disappointment for me as the mentaiko did not taste like it normally would in other restaurants. Or maybe it was just a different type that I wasn't used to.


And how else to top off a very satisfying meal - a scoop of nice Haagen-Dazs ice cream! =D

Overall the service was very polite and prompt, but the food was pretty ok-lah standard. Nothing special to shout about, but to their credit, they carried quite a wide range of Jap food for you to choose from. Not exactly cheap either.

I spent about $46 per person.

Mr Prata @ Evans Road

Had lunch today at Mr Prata's at Evans Road today, just located at Evans Lodge right opposite the Co-Curricular Activities Center of the Ministry of Education.

This is one of the few 24/7 makan places offering a whole wide range of south indian cuisine such as Roti Prata, Murtabak and the like.

Prices are dirt cheap here, as you can find with most Prata Establishments, and there is a cashcard parking at Evans Lodge for those of you who drive ($1.07 per hour).


Teh Tarik! Perennial Favourite. =)


Beehoon Goreng. Our special guest Gerri ordered this and had these comments: "I liked the texture of the beehoon - not too dry, not too wet, but it could have been better if the egg yolk could have been kept intact..."


My 2 + 1! 2 Cheese Pratas + 1 Plain Prata... good stuff. But the standard of the cheese prata here seems to have dropped somehow. Didn't taste as good as I remembered it. But as with 24-hr prata cafes, 'probably a different cook' comes to mind.


Mushroom Murtabak!


This dish was introduced by Gerri. It's called Chicken 65, and it is actually chicken bits marinated in some indian spices and topped with some leaves and onion peels. Good Stuff! thehumblegourmet's MUST TRY!!! dish of the week.

I spent about $7 per person.

Buffet Greatness @ Kuishin-Bo!

Great food, fresh sashimi, great price, what else can I say? Haven't enjoyed myself so much in a long time.

Located in the heart of Great World City, I had been eyeing this restaurant even before it started opening its doors to do business sometime late last year.


Front View of Kuishin-Bo...


A pic of the sweets and desserts section. Wide range of Chocolates and other sweet items such as mochi here.


For those who are not big fans of Japanese food, standard fare such as fried rice is also available here. =)


Cha Soba! I expected this to be bland and the usual "offered as a dish only because other buffets have it" kind of dish served in a single serving, I was pleasantly surprised that it was quite tasteful~! The noodles were just the right texture and the addition of seaweed, sesame seeds, a dash of chilli powder and some spring onions on top, provided a burst of flavour in my mouth. =) MUST TRY!


Seafood and Sashimi! They offered seafood such as Crawfish, Fresh Prawns, White Clams and Mussels. For Sashimi, they had 4 types: Sake (Salmon), Maguro (Tuna), Kajiki (Swordfish) and Tai (Sea Bream).


The Fried Items Section! Soft Shell Crab, Takoyaki, Tonkatsu on a stick, Scallop with cream topping, Ebi Tempura and Breaded Fish... Abit on the oily side but still yummy. =)


Sweet Treats!~ Konnyaku Jelly, Chocolates, Cake, Marshmellows dipped in Chocolate Fondue, Chocolate Mousse and Mango Pudding! What more can I say?


Sizzling Goodness! Hotplate Tofu~~

Overall, service was good, and the lunch was pretty filling. Lunch will set you back $28.90 per adult, but if you can finish your food within the hour, you only need to pay the promotional price of $20.90. A steal for those who can eat quickly, if you ask me.

Sizzler~~

Heya dear readers! I'm finally back after 2 weeks or so on my Reservist In Camp Training...

Don't ask me about camp food or even worse, Combat Rations, because.... the latter is just plain inedible. I will also decline to do a feature on it for obvious reasons...

Well, first thing out of camp is to treat myself to some good food, so went to Sizzlers' at Suntec City.

They are currently running a promotion for Free Salad Bar with every order of a main dish. The Salad Bar stocks a whole range of salad items consisting of the fresh veggies, chickpeas, ham, salami, and many others. There is also a wide range (I counted 8 types) of salad dressing - Thousand Island, Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese included. 3 type of soup provided too - Mushroom Soup, Clam Chowder and something else which I can't seem to recall now, but quite sure it is some clear soup.

Feeling a little more health conscious that usual, I passed on the sirloins and tenderloins and opted for the much healthier Dory Fish Fillet. They offer this dish in 2 different styles - Grilled or Batter Fried Tempura Style.

I though the Tempura style sounded quite interesting so I ordered it. It came with chilli and tartar sauce, and sided with spicy fries.

The Dory Fish Fillet didn't disappoint, and tasted very fresh and smooth. The tempura style batter was really done like it would be in Japanese cuisine - light and non-oily.

Overall, I'd give Sizzlers' 2 thumbs up for good and friendly service, good food and a good dining experience.

I spent about $32 per person.

Hong Kong & Macau Fare!

On to the next location of my overseas makan trip, Hong Kong! I have visited HK almost once a year since 2006, and the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the quality of the wontons in HK.

One of the first stops I made was to the Lantau Island Big Buddha. I had to take the cable car up the hill from the Ngong Ping Cable Car Station. After a 20 minute ride to the top, which was predominantly blanketed by thick fog during that time of the year, I finally reached the little tourist village at the top of the mountain.

The village is surprisingly bustling with activity, and made out to be more of a tourist location of some sorts. There are shops of all kinds found there, ranging from the souvenir shops to our main topic, the food! You can find an interestingly wide range of food there - pizzas, pastas, steaks, and also the standard HK Cha Chan Teng fare.

After a year of depravation from HK's wonderful wontons, I naturally chose the HK style Cha Chan Teng for my choice of lunch.

The soupy wonton noodles set me back about HKD$38 per bowl (about S$9), and there was quite a big range of food found there, and they were priced at aroud HKD$30 - HKD$60. Quite reasonable for a food establishment found at a tourist location.

The thing about wontons in HK, even at this place I found from nowhere, contained no less than THREE prawns. Yes, I jest you not. In the rest of my days in HK (only 3 days) I ate wonton noodles another 2 more times and there were also no less than THREE prawns in each wonton. I always tell my friends, "If u can find ONE prawn in a wonton in Singapore, YOU'RE VERY LUCKY!!"


HK's famous Ice Ying Yong (Tea + Coffee), served in a cute mug! =P


Check out the size and texture of these wontons... Note: 3 PRAWNS!! The noodles tasted nicer than most places in Singapore. MUST TRY!


This is the dry version of the wonton noodles. If you're ordering this, better not forget the chilli oil that goes VERY well with the noodles!


Century Egg & Lean Meat Porridge (皮蛋瘦肉粥）Another delicacy in HK, the texture of the porridge here is almost perfect, and is also another MUST TRY!

Macau

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the Macau Ferry Terminal, was that it was MUCH colder than Taiwan & Hong Kong because of the strong winds! Could also partly be the problem that we were right next to the sea.

The ride to the hotel took less than 5 mins, and after checking in and settling my luggage, I went out hunting for Macanese delicacies! Oh, and also for some nice casinos =).


Macau's famous Portugese Egg Tarts! These babies don't cost much, and each one can be finished in one gulp, but the nothing really comes close to the taste of warm, freshly baked egg tarts burstin in your mouth...


A sample of Macanese food in a restaurant... This one's Fried Tomato Rice or something like that. Can't really remember the name, but this dish was quite ok with me, though I don't take tomato-based food very often.


The curry here was okay too, but nothing like the powerful stuff we have back home in Singapore.

Macanese cuisine, although generally attuned to the taste of Hong Kongers because of the abundance of Cha Chan Tengs (茶餐厅s), do have some distinction because they offer some authentic Portugese dishes. Just ask the locals for directions to the restaurants that offer Portugese cuisine, and you'll be directed to these places! (Macau's not very big, so the good ones will usually be full if you don't make reservations beforehand!)

Next destination: Vietnam! (hopefully in June)

Taiwanese Food Fiesta~!

Hi guys, I'm back, and here to introduce to you all the fine tasting cuisine I hunted around for and tasted in beautiful Formosa!

One of the first stops I went to in Taiwan was Tamshui's Lovers' Bridge, where the guide told me, was one of the filming locations for the popular taiwanese serial - Meteor Garden. Being located right next to the Fishermen's Wharf, strong and chilly winds were expected, and my fingers froze up barely 2 mins after I got off the tour bus.

Anyways, after crossing the bridge - on to the food! I found a nice row of shops selling all sorts of food! In that kind of weather, something (or even anything) hot and piping would be really good to warm up the body... I bought myself a giant chicken cutlet (twice the size of those u find in Singapore!!!)


Look at the sheer size of the chicken cutlet!! Topped with generous helpings of salt, pepper and chilli powder =D....


You can never find cutlet done do such perfect standard in Singapore... 外香脆，内松软 - Crispy and flaky on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside! In Taiwan, they say "赞！" MUST TRY


Picture of Tamshui Old Street, where you can find some of Taiwan's famous makanmakan here... Some famous food you can find here are the Iron Eggs, vegetable and prawn crackers and some tofu dish (but I can't remember the name now, will post it once I do).


Some rip-off of Starbucks' logo here... there are at least 3 other companies with similar looking logos in Taiwan...


Shih-Lin Night Market - Home to the orignal Giant Chicken Cutlet and many other delicacies! Look for the longest queue extending out of the market into the open area outside, and you've found the queue for the Giant Chicken Cutlet! =)


There are at least 5-8 stalls in the night market providing this famous dish - Oyster Omelette or Oh Ah Jian 蚵仔煎...


Another one of the famous delicacies here - Seafood Porridge with Abalone slices. Other flavours available too!


Didn't forget to try the Ajisen Ramen while I was in Taiwan... this one's their version of the Volcano Ramen here.


This is what I chose, seems to be their version of Ton Toro Ramen back in SG.

My only regret is not being able to try out the Ah Chung Mee Sua in Ximen Ting because the queue was too long!!! Oh well... next time, perhaps!

Look out for my next post on HK food!

More posts coming soon!

Dear Readers,

Thank you for being so loyal to thehumblegourmet! I've just gotten back from a trip to Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau, and got some great pictures of wonderful food from these places!

Will be updating the site pretty soon, so look out for it!

Bon Appetit,

Jeremy