3 Nollar ... 3 Dollar Treats !

At the Tangs foodhall run by the fei Siong brand is this stall selling pau and small eats like chwee kueh and chee Cheong fun and glutinous rice .

The stall doesn’t advertise but this is the same nam kee pau brand that you see at ion basement / Bugis / centrepoint basement food street etc .

Apart from their pretty good small handmade paus ( is which the Tau sar is seriously addictive ), they serve a pretty good glutinous rice .

The rice is cooked just nice without being too soft or greasy and the chicken strips are tender .

Pair it with their homemade sambal for a little oomph .

A pretty affordable mid morning or afternoon snack .

Back at my hiding place at Dong Po colonial cafe.

Apart from my usual order of coconut tart , I was happy to see another of my favourites - the Pandan coconut cake on display .

So fragrant and moist with the natural flavour of pandan shining through and a little desiccated coconut to add some texture amidst the soft and tender cake . And at 1.50 per slice for so much love and effort - what affordability in this day and age where cafes are charging 7 to 8 dollars for cake slices that are mainly churned out in bulk from central kitchens ( or factories I call them ...)

This reminds me of a headline that I read somewhere on why would people pay 15 dollars for brunch but less willing to pay for a plate of wanton Mee which sometimes requires much more work , effort and behind the scenes preparation .

Perfect afternoon treat with a cup of their fabulous Kopi to watch the world go by ....

I hope places like Dong Po will live on forever ...
because it just preserves a past of Singapore....

The first time I was attracted to heaven’s was because of its signboard.

Why heaven’s ? I finally found out today ....after chatting to the friendly stall owners .

The masala thosai is so perfectly done. I can only give it full marks. Slightly crisp ( because I requested for It) on the surface and moist with the right balance to flour to the masala potato filling ratio , every bite took me to the heavens. Accompanied with 3 in house made sauces ( 2 curry based and 1 with coconut and herbs), the flavours were exploding in my mouth .

Because thosai is made of fermented rice flour , it has a unique tangyness and is said to be more easily digested - with its health benefits and yummilicious taste profile - it’s really a heavenly food .

For those of you who are less familiar with Indian food , take this along the lines of a crepe - only that it is much better because it’s lighter and more clean tasting . You actually don’t feel as heavy as you would if you had a French crepe .

I also added on an order of appom which is a disc like crepe with a slightly fluffier and doughy centre - that’s slightly chewy . Paired with coconut shavings and sugar , this was really really lovely . The appom reminds me slightly of the huat kueh - like the orange and greens ones you get from bangawan Solo just that the appom has a slight crisp on the exterior .

If the above plus points are not enough, the masala thosai at 2.50 and the appom at 2 dollars for 2 just makes it all the more better.

I can’t wait to visit this stall again . ...

I love this little bakery at Holland village because all the breads look and taste so good .

For a savoury meal - choose the sesame pizza and pair it with their Long black .

I have tasted enough coffee ☕️ to know that this is still my choice cup of Long black . It’s incredibly smooth and aromatic - far far superior that all the Long blacks that I have tried in all the trendiest cafes .

I hope to own a cafe like that some day when you see lots of smiles and joys of both adults and children alike when they feast on breads that are prepared with a heart .

Le Tian Tian specialises in Hk style hot desserts but they whip up very good small treats like yam cake , fried bee hoon and glutinous rice.

When I crave for an authentic yam cake in the evening , I would zoom straight to this no frills eatery .

Lots and lots of yam is used in this yam cake so you won’t be expecting a “ yam cake” that is actually only made of flour and artificial seasoning or food colouring .

You get the real stuff here.

Paired with some fried shallots and sweet sauce that has been diluted so that it’s not cloying sweet , this yam cake is faultless .

And only at 3 dollars 💵 for so much work ...

Don’t expect much service though - it’s a eat and go place .

Tastes like home ...

I love how well executed this glutinous rice is .
The rice is cooked till perfection - neither too soft Nor too hard.

The rice is well seasoned and generously cooked with dried shrimps and sliced mushrooms .

Topped with fried shallots - this makes a perfect in between meal treat.

My all time reliable tea treat ....

There are days when you need cake but not the ones with rich cream cheese frosting and neither muffins that are so rich and buttery that you feel like you ate a whole slab of butter ....

My to go to place for a quick homemade type cake fix has to be Cedele

This carrot zucchini muffin is moist and has the right sweetness. The oat crumble adds a lovely contrast of texture.

Pair with an organic Lemongrass or ginger tea for an affordable muffin set at 5.80.

For days when you need life’s simple joys ...

There are days that you neither feel like eating noodles Nor rice Nor Salad Nor anything but just a hot hot soy milk and a freshly made peanut pancake ....My default choice used to be the red bean pancakes but I prefer the grainy and slightly sweet and savoury profile of the crunchy peanut butter which contrasts better with the Soft pancakes .

Very proud of this homegrown brand and where they have come to after years of expansion ....
I see them all over the island ( pretty much like Toast Box ) but for some reason, I am never tired of seeing them - it’s perhaps the wide variety of products mr bean carries - you could go for the soy ice cream , or the soy millet porridge or even the sesame or peanut dumplings with oatmeal or a simple beancurd ( with a savoury option too ) and now even soy rice bowls .....

Everything looks and feels so healthy .... even the pancakes are so varied in flavours . The pancakes remain soft and moist even when they are cold ... something that I salute mr bean for - I am sure their R and D department has put lots of research in this aspect because the pancakes which are now soft and moist used to be a little hard and dry when cooled .

I went for the black soy milk this time and actually prefer it to the regular soy milk because it just feels a little smoother. ..

For 3.30 you get a nutrient packed lunch ... warm for your belly and easy on your pocket .

I crown this the best curry puff in Singapore ....

In this sleepy part of Queenstown lies a “ no name” stall 10 within a coffee shop at Blk 164 stirling road.

You see these friendly malay ladies tirelessly making endless curry puffs - curry potato or sardine.

They have the best crisp skin I have ever eaten and the fillings are so tasty - there’s even a huge piece of egg in the curry potato ones .

Everything is handmade on site so there are limited quantities . Don’t be surprised to see stacks of curry puffs and still be refuted purchase because they have so many pre orders .

Their mee rubus is also highly recommended .

Come early to avoid disappointment .

A great in between meal snack that’s fluffy , moist and not too sweet .

I love how the crunchy toasted oats add a contrast of texture to the spongy muffin .

Yums !

For days when you crave a pizza but have no kakhis to share a pizza with you ...

This sesame pizza is as good as it looks.
Soft Japanese bread stuffed with black fragrant toasted sesame seeds and topped with ripened red tomatoes and a generous amount of cheese then baked .

Not your regular thin crust pizza but for 2.50 what’s there to complain ?

What a myriad of flavours and textures ....

I liked the combination of the soft tofu and the slightly more jiggly grass jelly .

Topped with red beans, green beans, kidney beans , soft peanuts and taro balls.

I would recommend switching the soft peanuts out for crunchy peanuts for a greater contrast of textures .

The taro balls were more starchy than yammy and so I had asked for 2 taro balls instead of the usual 4 .

But overall an affordable and Creative dessert to beat the heat 😊