Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

Thanks HackCollege.com for promoting this infographic to me, I certainly found it well-designed and interesting!

Created by: Hack College

Realising that a new Cedele outlet has just opened near my place, I just have to check out the food there. I love the ambience there at Greenwich V, the seats beside the glass panels entitle you to a green view outside, and currently the restaurant over there has not too many patrons.

I must commend Cedele that both bakery and all-day dining items are as good as each other, even though it started out as a bakery. The pastas were served looking as delectable as they can be, although it took some time to come. Cedele also boasts some salads, mains, and worthy cakes.

The Rose Laksa Pasta ($16.90) was an excellent fusion dish. It tasted similar to a bolognese or arrabiata sauce, and I especially love the pieces of shredded curry chicken in it. It held a generous serving of ingredients which did not affect the overall taste negatively at all, especially the garlic and shallot flakes. All I can say was, it was better than a bowl of laksa, and better than a plate of spaghetti.

The Black Pepper Crab Pasta ($16.90) was even spicier than the rose laksa, and I would definitely recommend to try their seafood dishes such as this for fans of such. I would describe it’s taste to be very crabby.

Often, I would opt for the most popular dessert at a cafe or restaurant, so there was no way I can resist their Carrot Walnut Cake ($6 per slice). Firstly, the cake was incredibly sweet, and topped with a cream cheese which complements well with the cake. Secondly, it was moist. Thirdly, everything fits well. Fits perfect in your mouth too.

At the same time, you can check out selections of pastries, buns, croissants and more from the bakery to buy them home. Other outlets include the ones at Ngee Ann City, Raffles City Shopping Centre and many other chains across the island.

Cedele

Greenwich V #02-14

1 Seletar Road

Singapore 807011

Since the day of its opening, the Malaysian Food Street at the high-end Resorts World Sentosa has been making big waves in the media, especially a couple of months back. There were loads of advertising on it and there seemed to be popularity on the fact that skillful chefs are behind the scenes. That brought me to travel to the island. I was astounded by the fairly long queue outside (there was a limit to the number of people that could be in the food street), but I’m sure the crowd would have died down a little by now.

The Chee Cheong Fun, appearing a lighter shade of sweet sauce of the ones we would have at a local hawker stall, made me hesitate if I should even try it. However, it was as good as or probably even better than hawkers’. It definitely had a sweeter tinge to it.

It is almost impossible to find traditional Chicken Rice Balls in Singapore nowadays. I’ve always been a fan of chicken rice, and even more so of chicken rice balls. Sadly, those of standard are disappearing. The ones here were competent but the flavor was not strong enough in the rice balls. (from Malacca Chicken Rice Ball)

I wouldn’t recommend the Nasi Lemak from Kampung Nasi Lemak here, it was common and nothing much to rave about.

Fung Wung Confectionery has got to be one of my favorite stalls over here. The Baked Chicken Pau had a nice crust with fresh and warm chicken filling with a little sweet paste that suited the chicken.

Their signature would be their Egg Tarts. I had to queue again after some time to get them as they were sold out like hot cakes. The verdict: very crisp crust, a good, mild egg custard that was simple yet can get you hooked. Takeaway option is available as well!

Note that some food will probably be sold out if you arrive late in the night. By the end of evening, some stalls would have stopped operating, so it’s advisable to go early! The trick is to buy from the stalls with the longest queues, they’re one of the better stuffs around. Overall I find that the malaysian food here was of standard, yet some stalls fall short of my expectations.

Other stalls at the food street include

Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
KL Jalan Alor Hokkien Mee
Penang Ah Long Lor Bak
Penang Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Mee
Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee
Penang Lim Brothers’ Char Kway Teow
Petaling Street Famous Porridge
Ampang Yong Tau Foo
Klang Bak Kut Teh
KL Wanton Mee
Penang Cuttlefish Kang Kong
Roti Canai and Nasi Briyani
Petaling Jaya Dim Sum & Drinks
Desserts

Resorts World Sentosa

The Bull Ring

Ambush, located in the casual Junction 8, is a casual European restaurant serving comfort food.

A great deal I found out was that the food was priced quite affordably of a restaurant yet the food does not disappoint much. It’s hard to find such better places in heartland malls already. Yet it gets easily overlooked for common wanderers around the area.

Ambush offers such a promotional set lunch! For just $9.90, you can opt from a few main courses with the soup of the day and an ice-cold soda. Even a mediocre plate of pasta would cost around the same amount at a casual dining location.

Baby Scallop Linguine – The creamy base of the pasta was mild and would appeal more to light eaters of creamy pasta, plus the linguine had a silken texture for great mouthfeel.

I thought the Crispy Chicken Aglio Olio ($11.50) sounded good on the menu. Crispy chicken with pasta? Definitely. Even though the chicken was a little overcooked, it was served in a generous portion together with filling aglio olio. I loved how the aglio olio had a distinct garlic taste which was not overwhelming but added a certain spice to the dish altogether.

The desserts only extended to a few options but nonetheless I had to savor one. The Souffle ($8.80) was an explosion. The more than warm molten chocolate cake burned my tongue while the freezing vanilla scoop of vanilla ice-cream attempted to soothe it. My conclusion was that the cake was indeed too hot, it should be warm instead. Still, the chocolate was rich and more molten than fluid.

 Overall, it was a good, comfy, more restaurant-like ambience while tucked in an area further from the noise of the junctions of pedestrians and passers-by.

9 Bishan Place

Junction 8 #02-20/20/27

Singapore 579837

An airy, relaxing place with the high ceilings, comfy sofa chairs and an option for al fresco of the harbourfront view by the sea. By night, Brotzeit never sleeps. It only becomes a socializing field for the happy to drink and celebrate with signature pork knuckles.

Breaded Chicken Fillet ($10.50): Nothing too bad, and nothing too special. They were delectable, hot appetizers to start with, going especially well with mustard.

Brotzeit’s menu would consist mainly of German sausages so we opted for Pork Cheese Sausages ($18.50). The sausages were not too overwhelming as the ones from street stalls and definitely not of dryness. In fact, I would be proud to say that these are currently the best sausages I’ve tried. The fusion of smoked pork and warm, melted cheese in your mouth would be like….. like. Moreover, the accompanying potato salad and veggies on the plate were as good but not outshining the lead.

With cheese being one of my favorites as well, I decided to opt for the Cheese Spatzel ($19.50). A few mouthfuls proved it had a chewy and cheesy feel. The one thing I like about Brotzeit is their relatively large portion sizes (which also means prices that are higher). I guess that’s how much Germans eat? Inferring from how they drink beer during Oktoberfest. However, to finish this plate of just cheese and nothing but cheese would be quite impossible, unless you’re a cheesy person (No pun intended). So I would say I loved it for the few mouthfuls for the wholesome feeling of cheese, but nothing more than that.

Ah, Emperor Pancakes ($12.50)! These were as good as they look. They are more fluffy than the usual pancakes and hence softer in texture. The visual appeal it sent out simply made it seem at its best. Too plain to be eaten just like that? The pancakes are rum and raisin flavored. Plus, the simple bowl of plum sauce gives them a little sour yet enriching taste. Either way, they taste great. I did not know that pieces of pancakes would ever look as appetising as the whole pancakes themselves until this. Now, why can’t I have this for breakfast everyday?

Oh yes, if you happen to go with some friends, do not forget to try their most famous Pork Knuckles. They are legendary, and require at least 3 persons to finish it. Do not underestimate it’s appearance.

The joy of Korean Barbecue with friends and families! It seems like a perfect get-together meal with a large group of companions and kins, either close or distant, the smell and fun of cooking the food will bond all. Read: This was my first time having Korean BBQ. I have never liked the idea of having smokey smells infused into my clothes and hair….nor understanding why more Singaporeans nowadays are liking Korean BBQ more and more, but a gathering with friends at such a meal changed things.

The unadventurous me dare not try the entire platter of side dishes, after I put an unknown item in my mouth and it turned out horrid.

Pork jowl meat (Hangjungsal) ($18) 

That is the fun of barbecueing! Barbecueing is certainly a joyous thing. You get the satisfaction as though you’ve cooked the meats yourself!

Pork skirt meat (Galmaegisal) ($18). I preferred the pork skirt meat to jowl meat due to it’s tenderness. The jowl meat, on the other hand, had a certain toughness to it.

Maggie noodles never gets too old. The stew with ham, sausage, kimchi, tofu and ramen (Budae Jjigae) ($35) (additional $5 for additional ramen) turned out pretty well, the ramen being tasty when it gets soft and soggy. The Kimchi soup was well-prepared too, and I loved it’s spiciness which wasn’t too fiery.

Other than those above, Oh Neul Han Jeom Korean BBQ Restaurant also serves a selection of types of beef to choose to barbecue. They also have a lunch set menu where a la carte dishes are available.

All the dishes were shared between the 4 of us and in all, it was about $20 per pax. Which is a price worthwhile to pay, considering that I left the place feeling very full and there was enough portion of meat to go round. In fact, we did not manage to finish everything! The items may seem like a small portion when served on the table but do not just judge it like that!

Tucked in a street of shop houses at Telok Ayer, this restaurant might be difficult to find for the unfamiliar. Despite all, I find it’s ambience to be cosy with yellow lights and a divider which hosts an area for a greater group of people to have a mini private gathering over there. The restaurant is almost filled with customers as well. Service from the staff proved friendly. In my opinion, this place should receive a bigger rating.

177 Telok Ayer Street

Singapore 069625

With oriental Chinese restaurant chains on the rise, it is always possible to see hordes of people on the reservation list of those such as the Crystal Jade group, the Paradise group and Tunglok group. Of those, it is obvious that Din Tai Fung, originating from Taiwan, is becoming more popular with their affordable dishes. Long queues are always expected especially during dinners, and an average waiting time of 15-20 minutes is considered ‘average’.

Their noodles and dim sum are becoming a local hit. The Dan Dan Noodles ($6.30) is one of my favorite noodle dishes over there. The winning flavor of spicy sauce with sesame oil and peanut powder proves it all. I was really hoping that the noodles came in a bigger portion.

Other than their more famous ‘la mian’ they do have a few fried rice dishes as well. Yet, I believe that their noodles are a notch above the rice dishes. The Pork Cutlet Fried Rice ($9) was alright, the fried rice of a light taste incorporated with filling fried eggs, accompanied by fragrant fried pork meat.

Siew Mai with Prawns ($6.30 for 9 pieces)

I find the Red Bean Paste Buns ($3.30 for 3 buns) a little less than ordinary, with the paste not being as enriching as ones you can find from coffee shophouses. It could be said that they are not so specialised in these types of buns.

Behold the signature dish of Din Tai Fung, their Xiao Long Bao or Steamed Pork Dumplings ($9 for 10 buns). I never had these before until I tried the ones here a year ago. Since then, I had fallen in love with the pork, the skin, the soup in the buns and basically the xiao long baos. Be it the meaty filling, silky skin or soup, each ingredient is prepared till the best to produce the highest quality of xiaolongbao. A true blue signature dish that you MUST try at Din Tai Fung.

Service from the Chinese waitresses are quick as they try to maximise their tasks as much as possible, and ambience wise it has reached expectation points, considering their restaurant chains being in shopping malls.

Din Tai Fung (under the BreadTalk group) currently has ten outlets islandwide, with two more at the prominent Marina Bay Sands and the new 112 Katong Mall soon to come. Now, you can easily satisfy your Din Tai Fung craving almost anywhere!

NEX @ Serangoon Central

23 Serangoon Central

#B1-10/11/12

Singapore 556083

Introducing to you the frenzy bubble tea craze in the tiny island of Singapore. In the recent years and especially the past year, bubble teas have become the most popular drink of all time, following the opening, sprucing and growth of many bubble tea chain outlets including the popular Koi Cafe, Gongcha, Each A Cup and many many more. Now, the old chains like Sweettalk are rivaled and tumbling.

I, particularly, am not an exception. I was skeptical about them before but after getting to try them a little lightbulb in me went ‘ping’. My initial love for ice blended drinks are slowly being overcome and washed out by milk teas. No one can resist it. Generations are drinking it.

Let me just say this straight that my favorite bubble tea store in Singapore is definitely Koi Cafe. The long queues at the outlets are strong signs of their popularity. The prices of their teas and coffees may edge over other bubble tea stores but their taste would win over. They’re also the starting factor of this craze.

Usually, I go for the Pearl Milk Tea because the original proves the best. The reason why I love Koi is largely due to their lovely, silky pearls which are always soft enough for my liking. The ones from other stores are not as chewable. However, I still yearn for the return of larger pearls that were used some time ago.

I like their Hazelnut Milk Tea as well for a mild rendition of the hazelnut flavor. Once, being an avid chocolate fanatic, I opted for Chocolate Milk Tea (medium $2.90 large $4.30) but I find that the chocolate is overpowering the milk tea. In the end, I only tasted a chocolate drink but not the milk tea. Still, I find the pearl milk tea the best and hence the most well-received.

With more and more outlets opening, it’s business is definitely expanding. The new outlet at Compass Point has made it very much more convenient for people like me in the north-east to get my bubble tea fix!

A note to self to limit my bubble tea intake: A regular cup of milk tea with pearls can contain at least 350 calories. Yet this is not stopping some teenagers from having them as regular as thrice a week.

Outlets include:

Blk 83 Marine Parade Central
Compass Point
Blk 704 Ang Mo Kio Central
513 Bishan Street 13
Iluma @ Bugis
People’s Park Complex
190A Toa Payoh Central
Blk 442 Clementi Avenue 3
Blk 510 Tampines Central 1