Teck Ghee Court had a congregation of some really awesome hawker food. Ren Ren Chicken Rice and Snacks, might be one of those Halal-certified places that was located at the car park entrance, away from the Food Centre. Being a stand-alone restaurant, they also sold other items like Wanton Noodles and Chicken Porridge, but it probably did not make sense if I did not want to try their Chicken Rice (S$3.50) at all.

I would say that their rice was done pretty average. While it captured most of the essentials that fragrant rice should have, it might still be a familiar taste like what one could normally get. Their roasted chicken had juicy meats, but I thought the skin was towards the dry side.

With a top-up of 50 cents, the restaurant would throw in a cup of iced calamansi juice. Service was quite fast on the whole, so especially if you would want a quick meal, this place could get you covered.

Much had been said about the uniqueness of the gelato here, but I would confess that it was my first try of their food.

The name “Spiced Pear” just appealed to me, and it made total sense to have it with their freshly made thyme-infused cone. Going at S$6.00, the unconventional dessert carried hints of spices and herbs that not only added some dimension to the flavours, but also balanced the sweetness with a unique satisfaction as though this was more than a gelato in a cone. The subtleness of the flavours made the treat a little more special than usual.

I was drawn to this place thanks to mothership.sg’s publicity, because the Lok Lok food truck in Johor Bahru (yes, those with those loud techno music playing at the background) was usually a mandatory pitstop for me for supper before heading back to Singapore. Now, with this stall’s opening at a Ang Mo Kio coffee shop, did that mean that I would not have to go to JB for this anymore?

Business was brisk over here, possibly because the owners were still selling each skewer at an introductory price of S$1.00. However, I was not expecting a waiting time of 30 minutes or so, so my bag of drink was almost finished before the food could come. Guess that somehow also revved up the expectation by a bit, as other tables were supplementing their Mookata and Zi Char with this.

To be honest, I really liked the broccoli because they tasted just like how most Lok Lok stalls in JB would have cooked them. However, I was really hoping that he other items could taste as exciting as the only green vegetables that was available for ordering today. The heat of the oil might also not be hot enough to cook the items fast and to ensure that the cheese in the tofu could at least reach the molten stage.

While it might be impossible to prepare 60-over items like how those food trucks had amazingly presented to us hungry foodies, I somehow left wondering if the other skewers could have tasted as addictive as those from the opposite shore. To conclude, for now I would think that this stall would serve the nearby residents acceptably, but nothing would beat the real deal that could only be accessed with a valid passport.

KFC had done it again by introducing a seasonal item that made use of chicken to replace the carbohydrates portion of the meal. And so the Kentaco was their way of fusing the Kentucky chick with our Mexican icon — the taco.

Sadly, what was seen on advertisement boards at bus stops appeared way more appealing than what I saw when I opened the box. As much as I was hoping for a Chicken Schnitzel wrapping the veggies and sauce, the piece of chicken was just too thick to be folded, leaving the Kentaco appear like a patty with shreds of ingredients on it. The chicken itself tasted a little dry with the non-spicy batter, so add your own chilli sauce as you would deem fit.

I guess this was simply one and done. I would stick to the two-piece meal the next time.

One of the restaurant’s proudest dishes that was truly amazing was their signature Roast Chicken (S16.00) on their dinner menu, which was their take on our hawker favourite — chicken rice! What we did not know was that they insisted on making this dish with fresh (not frozen) chicken, which probably explained why the meat was so juicy and tender. However, it also required some skill to create a contrasting crispy chicken skin that wrapped the meat so well.

Small in size but not little in punch, the quinoa rice appeared to have soaked up some of the chicken essences, giving it a naturally-sinful taste. Most of the other stuff on the plate were what we would commonly spot on a good plate of chicken rice, but I thought that the dish was really impressive and lived up to expectations. Plus, the Burpple Beyond deals made it look like the money was working really hard to secure the meal.

#BurppleEatup
#BurppleBeyond

Food trucks might be something we would normally see during carnivals and events, but in the recent months The Goodburger found a spot at The Promontory @ Marina Bay and the open space outside The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands during daytime and evening time respectively.

The specialty of The Goodburger was their plant-based IMPOSSIBLE “beef” patties. Currently, they were selling three types of burgers, but my favourite would be The Classic which was their version of the American cheeseburger. To enjoy the full flavour, it would be ideal to get an extra patty to the burger (S$22.00), but for the first-timers to IMPOSSIBLE burgers it might be more affordable to get the S$16.00 version. Either way, the burger would come with original flavour shoestring fries which helped to add some munchies sides to the pretty filling burger.

The Goodburger offered a casual setting of a stand-up dinner for those who would like a quick meal while enjoying the night skyline of Marina Bay, but there would be some benches or seats around the vicinity that could give some rest for those tired legs. In time to come, they planned to offer some additional items to the menu, but I also wished that they could thicken the patties a little more to make the affordability highlight a convincing one.

#BurppleEatup

Mainly the combination of Korean Ramyeon and Tteokbokki, Jinjja Chicken also had their take on the Rabokki. At S$7.90, the bowl of noodles was pretty quickly served. I quite liked the thickness of the soup because, which was further thickened by the cheese that came with it. This could be an alternative to fried chicken, especially for those who needed a bit more carbohydrates to last through to the next meal.

During peak hours, it would be good to find a seat before placing orders. But what was most interesting for me was the two times of power tripping that happened during the visit, which I almost thought they were doing some birthday surprises.

Mainly the combination of Korean Ramyeon and Tteokbokki, Jinjja Chicken also had their take on the Rabokki. At S$7.90, the bowl of noodles was pretty quickly served. I quite liked the thickness of the soup because, which was further thickened by the cheese that came with it. This could be an alternative to fried chicken, especially for those who needed a bit more carbohydrates to last through to the next meal.

During peak hours, it would be good to find a seat before placing orders. But what was most interesting for me was the two times of power tripping that happened during the visit, which I almost thought they were doing some birthday surprises.

I wanted to have some chicken but discovered that Poulet also served homemade pot pie, and so I ordered the Chunky Chicken Pot Pie (S$13.90).

Breaking open the puff pastry that covered the bowl, I found some diced chorizo sausage and chicken chunks mixed with cheddar cheese and a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. Although I would really say that the portion was really debatable (talk about French cuisine), the least I derived from this set was a combination of comfort food in one place.

The Say Cheese Mango Cheesecake (S$6.90) had a texture that was slightly different from the usual New York Cheesecake, also sold at Starbucks. This one here had a really soft, mousse-like touch to the cheesecake, to create a bit of a melt-in-your-mouth experience. On the other hand, while the taste of mango was prominent in the cake, I tend to wonder if it was overdosed with mango essence instead of a real deal.

If you were into the aesthetics, it was also one of the more innovative creations where the surface had “holes” which made the cake look like a wedge of cheese. If only the crisp on top was made of cheese...

In the day, Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar would serve their Brunch menu until 4.00pm, and one of the loveliest items in the Eggs section was their Steak and Eggs (S$24.00), which came with a 150g ribeye steak, cooked to preferred doneness.

While the dish also came with homemade entrecôte sauce, the steak on the plate was already well-seasoned, thus tasting just as good without that additional sauce. Who needs bacon for breakfast when the steak was this good?

Pre-made beef patties might have been a bit of a letdown in my first encounter with HANS IM GLÜCK burgers, but I had a pretty satisfying time somehow.

Their Alsdann (S$17.00) was a beef burger with chunks of grilled pear, mild blue cheese sauce and walnuts, giving the ordinary burgers different flavours and textures. With the choice of a sourdough bun, I was surprised that it was soft to the chew, so that more attention could be given to what was in-between.

On top of the mains, I topped up another S$5.00 and got myself a set that included a side dish (their fries were awesome with those self-serve bottles of sauces on the table), an iced thirst quencher and a hot beverage, making the add-on worth the buck for sure. Definitely a good experience that made this place deserving for a return visit, and hopefully I would reserve a spot that could catch the service crew’s attention a bit easier.