Pizz Please ~

IOI Central Boulevard Towers has most certainly added quite a bit of vibrancy to the local F&B scene within the Central Business District around the vicinity of Shenton Way and Marina. Whilst we had just visited the new outlet of Kwaasong Bakehouse that had recently just opened its doors there, the bigger news is probably the return of KORIO into the local F&B scene — these folks had previously shuttered their operations at Far East Square (Bao Makers had taken over the shop space that they had vacated), and had recently moved into a brand new shop unit at IOI Central Boulevard Towers along the same stretch of shop units as the outlet of Super Simple that faces out to Central Boulevard. Whilst their previous location at Far East Square was one that is positioned more towards takeaway operations, the new KORIO location at IOI Central Boulevard Towers does comprise of a dine-in space with a communal table located in the centre of the store, as well as side-facing bench-style seating facing the counters on one side of the space. The space is brightly lit and cosy; featuring an open-concept kitchen, there is a wide use of wooden furniture and fittings matched against the concrete-esquire flooring and the tiled walls that are styled akin to that of a brick wall that gives the store a bit of a European vibe. With their current relaunch being a collaborative effort with the Zouk Group, KORIO still keeps their emphasis on the various sandwiches and donuts that they have to offer; the donuts being displayed prominently at the counter which one would not miss as they come through the entrance of the space. There are a small variety of side dishes that KORIO now offers at their IOI Central Boulevard Towers location, while beverages available includes a variety of brewed coffee and iced teas — just to name a few.

Having been to KORIO way back in the day when they had first opened their doors at their Far East Square location, we have had some of their early offerings such as the Breakfast Sammy and the Grilled Cheese. There has been a little bit of a change in their menu since then, with a further switch-up of items that came along with their return to the F&B scene in line with the opening of their IOI Central Boulevard Towers location. Skimming through the menu board above the counter, the Mortadella & Pickles was one of the sandwiches that stood out to us; this was described on the menu board to come with elements such as grilled mortadella, provolone, mustard mayo, house pickles and potato roll. For the uninitiated, Mortadella refers to cured pork — one of the kinds of deli meat that features pork fat that is rather similar to bacon. We recalled KORIO’s portion size of their sandwiches to be a little bit on the larger and more generous side but the Mortadella & Pickles does feel a tad small for KORIO’s previous standards. The potato roll refers to the bread here which was soft, light and fluffy — nothing too dense which made the sandwich pretty easy to have. One thing we quite liked about the Mortadella here is how it is stacked and grilled — this provided a layered bite that gave quite fair bit of texture; all that whilst being a little smoky and also savoury. Given how the meat was already saltish on its own, we were glad that the Provolone wasn’t too heavy tasting — this made the flavours of the sandwich particularly manageable; all that whilst the crunchy pickles provided a slight zing to cut through those saltish notes to refresh the tastebuds.

We also gave their Cinnamon Apple Jam | Earl Grey Almond Butter donut a go during the same visit as well. Whilst looking deceptively like a filled donut served in a style of an Italian Bombolone, the Cinnamon Apple Jam | Earl Grey Almond Butter donut is a typical donut with a hole in the middle just like what one would expect from the usual lineup of donuts at KORIO — the fillings being simply stacked above the donut. Whilst the donut itself was absolutely light and fluffy and that the cubes of caramelised apples were soft with an aptly sweet note spiked with a hint of cinnamon (absolutely Christmas-sy; we know!), we weren’t too much of a fan of how KORIO’s packaging is where there wasn’t too much consideration made to the product. KORIO used to have packed their donuts in individual boxes when they were still located at Far East Square; they now serve them in paper bags which sees the toppings of the Cinnamon Apple Jam | Earl Grey Almond Butter donut being squashed onto the paper bag. Truth to be told, most of the toppings that was squashed onto the paper bag would be the Earl Grey Almond Butter which we never got quite a taste of from the donut itself having been smeared all over the paper bag during packing. Noticing how they also do serve up fancy concoctions of coffee, we found ourselves going for the Iced Coffee Lemon Spritzer — this turns out to be a carbonated cuppa that came with fruity body with a further zingy note from the lemon-infused sparkling water that is being added to the brewed coffee.

KORIO had been an establishment where we found that there is quite a fair bit of thought that goes behind their offerings; all that whilst there was some heartfelt effort and sincerity from the folks behind the brand to serve its patrons their very best during their days at Far East Square. The current rendition of KORIO which is brought back with the help of Zouk Group feels like it is missing that indie spark that made KORIO what it was; while the items offered are still delicious and big on flavours, we did feel a little less soul and character in the sandwiches, and small details such as the packaging of the donut felt overlooked considering the effort made by KORIO in the past. Waiting times for food can take a little long considering the crowd they are getting from the hype on social media — those whom are in a rush hoping to make a grab-and-go gourmet sandwich should probably wait for the hype to die down a little before heading to KORIO unless they are ready to wait upwards of 30mins for their food (we made our visit on their very first day of operations). We do hope that the folks behind KORIO would be able to smoothen the experience out and perhaps bring back some character to the establishment as they settle in to their new space; wouldn’t mind dropping by for some delicious sandwiches and donuts again once the insane crowd for their offerings start to dissipate a little …

There has been quite a fair bit of movement with the stalls operating out of Amoy Street Food Centre of the late and there seems to be one that located at the lower floor of the food centre that had caught our attention. Hidden in one of the rows here is Terry Katong Laksa — for those whom find this name particularly familiar, yes; this is the same Terry Katong Laksa that had once operated out of the now-defunct Upper Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre (it is little wonder why we hadn’t noticed the stall appearing in the Bukit Timah Interim Food Centre located at Jalan Seh Chuan during our multiple visits there some time back). Whilst the signboard of the stall has been changed ever since their days at Upper Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, Terry Katong Laksa is rather noticeable at its current location at Amoy Street Food Centre — the stall still sports a red-coloured signage that comes with the illustration of a bowl of their Laksa; pretty much the same format as it would be at their Upper Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre location save for the fonts and some claims about their Laksa coming with no MSG, no added sugar and no evaporated creamer. Terry Katong Laksa keeps their menu relatively simple; the stall only serves Laksa in two different portion sizes — the $5 version or the $6.50 which comes with more of the same ingredients that can be found in the $5 version. Patrons can also add Otah to their bowl of Laksa, with each bowl of Laksa entitled to a maximum of two Otahs at the price of $1.50 each (these are priced at $2 per piece ala-carte).

As the namesake of the stall suggests, Terry Katong Laksa serves up Katong Laksa — this also means that the bowl of Laksa here would be slightly different from that of the usual bowl of Singapore-style Laksa which is more commonly found all across the island. The $5 version of the Katong Laksa at Terry Katong Laksa would come with condiments such as fish cake, prawns, cockles and beansprouts — all bowls of Laksa here also comes with thick Bee Hoon; the only type of noodles that come with the Katong Laksa here. We had also opted to add-on a single piece of the Otah for our order. For those whom are uninitiated, one of those most characteristic features of Katong Laksa is how the thick Bee Hoon is being cut to short pieces so that it can be eaten solely with a spoon (i.e. no chopsticks required). Terry Katong Laksa’s variant of the Katong Laksa checks off this box — digging into the gravy, one can find short strips of thick Bee Hoon that can be easily scooped and enjoyed with a spoon without any long noodles slipping off the spoon; Terry Katong Laksa also does not provide its patrons any chopsticks at the stall, with patrons being pretty much forced to have their Katong Laksa with only the spoon like how things should be. Here, the laksa gravy is thick, rich and creamy from the addition of coconut milk — Terry Katong Laksa’s variant of the Katong Laksa stands out for the fact that it doesn’t carry that stark of a curry note like how other Singapore-style Laksa tend to come with; all that while the laksa gravy also retains a smoothness without much of the curdled bits of coconut milk that one can find in the version of the Katong Laksa served up by Janggut Laksa. That being said, the notes of the dried shrimp and rempah spices do linger at the back of the tongue here.

Elements like the cockles and the prawns are pretty fresh at Terry Katong Laksa; the prawns especially providing a bouncy bite with a hint of natural sweetness. The addition of the sambal chili on the side doesn’t really quite add any spiciness to the Katong Laksa, though the savouriness does help to add a bit of depth of flavours to the Laksa gravy nonetheless. The Otah at Terry Katong Laksa in the meanwhile are piled up on a plastic tray at the counter; these had already been grilled beforehand quite early on and they are just simply served to patrons by plating it above the bowl. Considering so, the Otah would be served at room temperature with the banana leaves being mostly soggy since it would have long cooled down by the time one makes their order. The best way to enjoy the Otah would be to dunk it into the Laksa gravy; this would add a bit of warmth to the Otah and also rid off the moisture and greasiness that would be rather obvious if it was had on its own. We do recall having had Terry Katong Laksa some number of years ago when they were still located at Upper Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre; while the impressions of their Laksa have become rather blurry with the passage of time, we do feel that the current iteration served up at Amoy Street Food Centre is better than what we have had before — richer, creamier and thicker with more oomph, though we would have liked it to come with a spicier kick from the sambal chili. Most of the Laksas served up at Amoy Street Food Centre are that of Singapore-style Laksa; Terry Katong Laksa does prove itself as a worthy establishment to consider should one be craving for Katong-style Laksa whilst being in the Central Business District!

Those whom have passed by North Bridge Road recently might have come across a rather unfamiliar sight around the vicinity of Tan Quee Lan Street and Bugis Junction — it seems that the outlet of Smile Desserts there had recently ceased operations, and in its place now stands a Super Chicken 超級雞車; for those whom recall a more distant past of this particular shophouse, this would be the same unit that used to house the outlet of Nunsongyee which served primarily Korean Bingsu. With an attention-grabbing signboard that makes the claim of the brand being established in 1997 and having 100,000,000+ cumulative sales of chicken chop since, it seems that Super Chicken is a brand with an international presence with outlets situated within China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — their very first outlet that is situated along North Bridge Road is the brand’s very first outpost in Singapore. There has been some configurations done to the space where the entrance of the shophouse is now located along Tan Quee Lan Street rather than facing out towards North Bridge Road. Much like how previous tenants of the space operated their concepts, Super Chicken has dedicated two floors of the shophouse for dine-in operations — much of the space has been redecorated to remove the whimsical decor that Smile Desserts used to have with the space; there is an attempt to go for an ultra-modern look by Super Chicken where most of the walls and surfaces are decked in a metallic-esque grey tone. With neon lightings, seat cushions and some fittings that are finished in a yellow tone, the colours do provide a visual pop to give a lively and fun appearance that helps to attract passers-by. The food menu at Super Chicken seems to revolve around its fried chicken offerings; with items being segregated into an ala-carte and a Value Meal category, much of what they have to offer are similar to items that can be found at stalls serving up Taiwanese street food.

Since the hot-selling item as claimed by Super Chicken in the other countries that they operate from would be their Signature Bone-In Chicken Steak, we found ourselves ordering the same. Super Chicken offers patrons with three different types of flavours for their Signature Bone-In Chicken Steak; the Pepper, Plum Taste and Cumin, whilst also allowing patrons to opt for their desired level of spiciness for the flavours — the four (4) levels of spiciness being Small Spicy, Medium Spicy, Extra Spicy and Not Spicy. For our order of the Signature Bone-In Chicken Steak, we went for the Plum Taste and Medium Spicy options for the flavours and level of spiciness respectively. Whilst the speciality of the chicken steak here does seem to be how the chicken steak comes with bone-in, this fact does seem to be oppose how such Taiwanese-style fried chicken steaks are being served elsewhere; usually served boneless to the convenience of the patrons, we aren’t really sure on the exact reasons why Super Chicken had decided to do theirs with the bone-in. Otherwise, the exterior of the chicken does come with a crisp and light golden brown fried batter that is dusted with plum powder and pepper for an umami note and a slightly spicy kick of flavours; the chicken being reasonably tender inside though we have had juicier fried chicken steaks elsewhere before. Overall, fairly decent an offering.

During our visit, we had also given the Signature Plum Sweet Potato a go as well; whilst some establishments do tend to serve these up in a format similar to sweet potato fries, the Signature Plum Sweet Potato does come sized a little more chunkier here. Dusted with the same plum powder as the Signature Bone-In Chicken Steak that we went for, the umami notes of the plum powder is a classic combination with the inherent sweetness of the sweet potatoes. That being said, the only qualm we have had with this item was the slightly thick fried batter that we found to be a little tiring to chew on. The Salted Crispy King Oyster Mushroom suffers from the same problem as the Signature Plum Sweet Potato where the fried batter is of concern; the mushrooms does come with a bouncy bite and comes dusted with salt for an added saltishness — also wasn’t particularly greasy as well. Super Chicken’s offerings to be really honest are pretty decent, though it would also would not be too wrong to say that the food does not leave much of an impression at the end of the day. Considering the spaciousness of the establishment on its second floor though, Super Chicken does make for a decent spot to hang out should one not be too picky with their food in particular. It does remain interesting to see how Super Chicken would fare in the long run though considering the many other dining establishments around its vicinity.

If anything, it does seem that the folks behind Kwaasong Bakehouse are pretty much on a fast and furious phase of expansion all across the Central Business District. These folks had first started out operations around a year ago within the shophouse space at Lorong Telok — fast forward to a year later and there are three (3) outlets of Kwaasong Bakehouse in operations across the island. Whilst the brand had just opened a takeaway kiosk not too long ago in the basement of Guoco Tower, these folks have recently expanded their operations with a brand new outlet at the foot of IOI Central Boulevard Towers. With a frontage that faces Lau Pa Sat directly, Kwaasong Bakehouse’s new outlet is easy to spot when travelling along Shenton Way. Despite the relatively tight-looking space from the exterior, this is Kwaasong Bakehouse’s most spacious outlet yet; this outlet actually features a dine-in area that comes with tables that are good to seat groups of four (4) pax — there is also a mix of standing bar tables, as well as counter seating available in the shop space as well. The maximum capacity of the space by counting the number of seats available is slightly short of 20 pax. The store at IOI Central Boulevard Towers is decked rather similar to that of their other locations at Lorong Telok and Guoco Tower; the interior seeing a use of turquoise and white that is pretty much the colour scheme that the brand has adopted since its inception — the counter sees a marble-esque accent for a more natural look that is easy to the eyes, while cushioned seating is used for the dine-in seating to provide patrons with a higher level of comfort. Kwaasong Bakehouse is best known for its variety of danishes and the IOI Central Boulevard Towers location has all of what is available being stocked up in the display shelf at the counter; beverages available at their IOI Central Boulevard Towers outlet includes a variety of espresso-based specialty coffee, drinking chocolate and tea.

We have previously given quite a number of Kwaasong Bakehouse’s offerings a go considering how we had visited their locations at Lorong Telok and Guoco Towers when they had just opened their doors. Skimming through the selection of bakes that they have to offer during our visit to their IOI Central Boulevard Towers outlet, the pastry that caught our attention first would be the Salted Egg Floss Roll. This was an item that was introduced in more recent times — one which was added to the menu together with the Taro Mochi Onigiri which we have had during our visit to their Guoco Tower location. This is an item that takes inspiration from the usual Chicken / Pork Floss buns that we see from other bakeries — whilst most of such establishments would serve it together with a bun, Kwaasong Bakehouse’s version would see it coming together with a Danish; no surprises considering what Kwaasong Bakehouse’s specialty is. Rather than opting for the usual mayonnaise that most establishments would include in their Chicken / Pork Floss buns to allow the floss to stick onto the bread, the folks at Kwaasong Bakehouse seem to have infused salted egg into the mayonnaise. This gives the Salted Egg Floss Roll a slight difference which sees a slightly more savoury note coming with the Danish as compared to the usual creamier and sweeter note that one would find in the Chicken / Pork Floss buns. Of course, it is needless to say that the Danish itself is a showcase of Kwaasong Bakehouse’s expertise in the craft; the Danish coming with well-defined layers from the lamination process whilst being crisp on the exterior and sufficiently buttery and light within without feeling particularly jelak — exactly how we remember Kwaasong Bakehouse’s pastries to be after all these while.

The Kaya Fold is yet another Danish from Kwaasong Bakehouse that we have yet to try from our prior visits to their other locations previously. Despite looking rather huge and dense, the Danish still carries the characteristics that the danishes from Kwaasong Bakehouse are known for — crisp on the exterior, but light and easy-to-have with the insides being filled with a good amount of Nonya Kaya that provides a sweet note to the Danish. Kwaasong Bakehouse was also offering a Gingerbread Butter Latte which is available in both hot and iced variants in line with the Christmas season during the opening of its IOI Central Boulevard location — this carried a slight note of gingery notes and cinnamon for a lightly spiced flavour that worked well with the drizzle of caramel that gave it a hint of sweetness; totally apt for the occasion. Having seen Kwaasong Bakehouse grow from how they were during the times when they had first started business, it does seem that Kwaasong Bakehouse has come quite far with their journey in the local F&B scene. What started out as a humble takeaway operation has now garnered a loyal following for their stellar danishes which are creations that one can feel their skills, effort and passion to serve up their very best to their patrons. Considering how this is the only outlet at the time of writing that has dine-in seating, we do have an inkling that the IOI Central Boulevard Towers location of Kwaasong Bakehouse would be a popular spot for office workers within its vicinity for light lunches as well as a tea-time spot to hit for coffee and pastries — wishing these folks all the best in what is to come for them; as always!

Word has gone around about the opening of yet another new food stall that is located within the Food Republic food court at Wisma Atria — the food court had recently been seeing the closure of some of the stalls of the late; one such stall being that of Fort Canning Big Prawn Noodle 皇家山大虾面 which had also recently seen a closure of a number of its outlets across the island as well. Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak 梅阿姨老鼠粉 is the latest addition to the Food Republic food court at Wisma Atria; there is also been much hype where we had come across quite a number of social media posts on the establishment as well. These folks had taken over the stall unit that was formerly operated by Ah Yen Traditional Fried Pork亚燕古早味炸肉大粉 there; other stalls within the vicinity includes the outlet of Sing HK Kitchen 星記茶餐廳 there. Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak offers a rather limited menu; seemingly choosing to stick to what they specialise in — the menu only comprises of three (3) items which includes the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushroom Bi Tai Mak, Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushrooms & Fried Egg on White Rice and Handmade Fish Dumplings Soup (4pcs). There is also line-up of several add ons which comprises of various meat options that one can add to their bowl of noodles / rice as well.

Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak offers patrons a choice to opt between the dry and the soup version for the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushroom Bi Tai Mak; we found ourselves opting for the dry variant, whilst sticking to the Bi Tai Mak that originally comes with the dish — other noodle options available offered by Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak would include Kway Teow, Mee Pok and Mee Kia. Coming with braised minced pork and shiitake mushroom just like how one would expect from its namesake, the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushroom Bi Tai Mak (Dry) is also observed to come with elements such as crispy sole fish and crispy pork lard within the same bowl as the noodles, whilst coming accompanied with a bowl of soup which includes elements like the Fuzhou Meat Ball and the Handmade Fish Dumpling. Giving everything a good toss, we did feel that there was insufficient braised minced pork and shiitake mushroom to go around the bowl of noodles — this led to the bowl of Bi Tai Mak being a little dry since there just wasn’t enough braised sauce to lacquer around the Bi Tai Mak; this also inadvertently meant that it was falling a little short of the flavour punch that one would expect from the savouriness and tanginess from the braised minced pork and shiitake mushroom as well. The crispy pork lard came in small bits that were crisp and flavourful; all that whilst not feeling particularly greasy at the same time; that being said, the crispy sole fish did feel a little tough and a little limp to chew through in comparison. It is quite evident from the flavours and the texture of the fish dumplings that Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak serves up their very own fish dumplings; we do note a smoother texture with the fish dumplings here as compared to the same that we have had from other establishments — these also came with a generous load of filling that carries a very evident note of salted fish for flavour.

The Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushrooms & Fried Egg on White Rice was pretty similar to that of the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushroom Bi Tai Mak (Dry); the only differences between the two being how the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushrooms & Fried Egg does come with a sunny side-up, and that the Fuzhou Meatballs comes in the bowl of soup rather than within the bowl of rice as it would be in the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushroom Bi Tai Mak (Dry). Whilst best to have everything mixed up to have a taste of all of the components together, the portioning of the braised minced pork with shiitake mushrooms was similarly insufficient in the Braised Minced Pork with Shiitake Mushrooms & Fried Egg on White Rice — this also meant that the flavours of the meat weren’t particularly detectable once all has been mixed into the whole bowl with the other elements. Considering how this is a rice dish however, the entire composition of the dish does seem to be rather similar to that of the simple pork lard, soy sauce and fried egg combination — there is most certainly a hint of the fragrance of pork lard lingering around the pearls of rice, while the sunny side-up does come with a molten egg yolk that provides a silkier touch when mixed into the dish. The egg white also comes with crisp, browned edges, and does not reek of any undesirable hint of overused oil. Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak’s offerings does seem to remind us of another stall that specialises in Bi Tai Mak that has been around for quite some time — Shu Heng Bi Tai Mak 數興老鼠粉 which is located at Kebun Bahru Market & Food Centre (their Hong Lim Food Centre location had shuttered some time back). In retrospect, Aunty Boey’s Bi Tai Mak felt that it lacked the flavour punch as compared to the same from Shu Heng Bi Tai Mak — mainly from the portioning of the braised minced pork with shiitake mushrooms that caused an imbalance; probably something they can look into to create a dish that would leave a better impression to its patrons.

Got to learn about the new Ovenwrks Bakeshop whilst scrolling around social media fairly recently — these folks are located within Kensington Square along Upper Pasy Lebar Road; not exactly a spot where one would pay too much attention to when passing by the area via public transport. For those whom are familiar with the area, the same building also houses other F&B establishments such as that of Shifudo, Em Oiiiiiiii Vietnamese Restaurant, and Bread Butter Bakehouse as well; just to name a few. Whilst some of the F&B establishments occupy a shop unit with their frontage facing Jalan Lokam which is essentially the address of Kensington Square, Ovenwrks occupies a space that faces out to Upper Paya Lebar Road; they are direct neighbours with Tai Seng Turtle Soup with the building. Occupying quite a decently-sized shop space for a bakeshop, it seems that the folks have decided to adopt a simple decor theme that sees a bit of a Japandi vibe for the interior — the shop space features white walls with some geometrical elements; all that matched with wooden and plastic dining furniture along with wooden floors and fittings as well. Being a bakeshop, much of what they have to offer is displayed within wooden display cabinet that one would be greeted by as they walk into the entrance — the various types of bread that Ovenwrks have to offer includes that of different danishes, Shio Pan, focaccia, brownies and cinnamon buns; just to name a few. Beverages are offered at Ovenwrks that one can pair with bread include espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as Matcha Milk, Milk Tea and drinking chocolate — just to name a few.

Skimming through the display cabinet for the various bakes that they have to offer, it does seem that one of the items that Ovenwrks focuses on would be their Shio Pan. Ovenwrks does offer three (3) different types of Shio Pans on the day that we made our visit; this would be the Shio Pan, Cheese Shio Pan and the Garlic Shio Pan. We went for the Garlic Shio Pan and we were most certainly impressed with the consistency of the Shio Pan that they have to offer. Being a firm bun with a browned crust, the Garlic Shio Pan does come with a bit of a springy tension to chew apart; quite a texture that we actually liked. That being said, the browned crust can be peeled apart from the bread to be enjoyed by itself; opting for the Garlic Shio Pan also meant that the Shio Pan does come with a filling of garlic spread. With the Garlic Shio Pan warmed up, the Garlic Shio Pan hints of a buttery and garlicky note that we found to be pretty alluring and was a hit with our tastebuds considering how much we like garlic in general.

We also have had the Almond Chocolate Croissant which is essentially a Pain Au Chocolate than came with almond frangipane. Also being served warmed up, the Almond Chocolate Croissant features a crisp and flaky pastry that comes lightly buttery; the almond frangipane adding a slight nuttiness whilst the stick of melted chocolate within adds the sweetness to the pastry. Going for our usual cuppa to pair with our order of the breads, the White here was surprisingly well-pulled for an establishment that primarily has a focus on the bread and Viennoiserie offerings over the specialty coffee. The White is smooth and creamy coming with a medium body and a nutty and earthy flavour profile — works well as a mid-day perk me up. Whilst Ovenwrks isn’t the only bakeshop that is located within Kensington Square, Ovenwrks does seem to have a stronger emphasis on its Japanese and French-style breads; we must say that we did especially enjoy the Garlic Shio Pan that we have had. An interesting addition to the neighbourhood that residents around the area would enjoy having to their convenience.

Had been visiting quite a number of establishments serving up Myanmar cuisine all across the island that had opened fairly recently and there really seems to be quite a number that is sprouting up all across the island. The latest addition when it comes to such cuisine in Singapore is YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine that had recently set up shop in a shophouse located along Liang Seah Street where one would find a number of dining establishments serving up mainland Chinese cuisine. YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Hong Kong Dim Sum Shop 香港点心专门店 there; there has been quite a bit of works undertaken by YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine to make the space distinctively theirs. Whilst the entire space is decked in with simple dining furniture that involves the use of dining tables with wooden accents and plastic stools, the interior can be said to be rather warm and cosy considering the large use of wooden accents and mirrors that help to create an illusion of a larger space within the shop; one can also find a wallpaper depicting a scene of a river in Myanmar as well as some decorative ornaments around that gives it the Burmese flair. The menu at YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine is probably the easiest to understand amongst the various establishments serving up Myanmar cuisine in Singapore; the menu coming in both English and Chinese — the menu is being segmented into sections dedicated to Set, Rice, Noodles, Salad, Soup, Appetisers and Desserts. Beverages available at YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine includes juices, coffee, tea and some alcoholic beverages as well.

Skimming through the menu on the variety of items that YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine had to offer, one of the dishes that piqued our interest was the Yedena Chicken Rice; after all, the namesake of the item bore the name of the restaurant — probably an indication of the dish being a signature item here. YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine does not describe on the elements that come with the various dishes that they have to offer; that being said, we could deduce from the Chinese name of the dish that the rice does come infused with chicken fats. It can be observed from our order that the Yedena Chicken Rice also comes with a bowl of soup on the side, as well as chili and a side dish of black fungus. Digging in into the rice first, we found out what the Yedena Chicken Rice was all about — the rice is incredibly flavourful with an evident umami note here that was pretty much akin to the once-viral recipe of the rice cooker KFC Fried Chicken Rice. Despite the use of broken grains here for its rice, the rice is still incredibly moist, soft and fluffy. Considering how flavourful it was, was demolished the rice in no time. The Yedena Chicken Rice is also served with a drumstick with the flesh being all shredded up; this makes for pretty convenient eating considering how there is minimal effort to pull off the flesh from the bones here — there is still an element of crispness in some bits of the chicken skin, while the chicken flesh is still reasonably tender whilst at it.

During our visit to YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine, we had also given their Lemon Meatball Rice Noodles a go; based on how our order is served, Lemon Meatball Rice Noodles is a soup-based noodle dish that seems to come with red oil-infused broth, sesame seeds, spring onions, hand-formed rice meatballs and rice noodles (i.e. Mixian). There is quite a fair bit of likeness between the Lemon Meatball Rice Noodles from YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine and that of the Hot and Sour Noodles that one can typically find served up at establishments specialising in mainland Chinese cuisine; the only difference here being how the Lemon Meatball Rice Noodles doesn’t quite feature Sichuan chilli peppers and seemed to use typical slices of chili padi — therefore creating a hint of spiciness that isn’t quite as intense nor carried a numbing sensation like how it would be in the mainland Chinese-style Hot and Sour Noodles. The rice noodles were smooth and slurpy; coated with the red oil-infused soup for flavour, whilst the hand-formed pork meatballs provided a firm and bouncy bite without carrying any undesirable porky stench. We also tried the Myanmar Mooncake + Coffee, and switched up to the Milk Coffee for the Coffee that is to come with the order.

The Myanmar Mooncake turns out to be this rather flat pastry that has been warmed up before serving; the pastry itself sharing a resemblance to the baked Mooncakes that we are familiar with, while it comes with a layer of sugary icing that is filled within. The Milk Coffee does has some resemblance to that of 3-in-1 instant coffee mix; not quite our sort of thing. Just like how things are whenever we visit an establishment serving up Myanmar fare, we aren’t able to tell how authentic the food served at YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine is; that being said, it does seem that YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine specialises in a different type of cuisine than most other establishments serving up Myanmar food around the island. Whilst most seem to centre around the various Shan and Mandalay-style cuisines, YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine offers a glimpse into how Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine is like; a little bit similar to Korean cuisine being compared against Korean-Chinese cuisine. Prices at YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine are also pretty affordable — the dishes listed on the Set, Rice and Noodles section of the menu are priced from $5 to $8.80. We would definitely find ourselves craving and making a return for the Yedena Chicken Rice some day though; definitely a spot worth trying for those whom are adventurous to settle for something that is an uncommon find in around the island.

Got to learn about the existence of Duo Duo Dou whilst we were making our visit to Pink Charlotte some time back; having been in the phase of their renovations previously, Duo Duo Dou had opened its doors fairly recently at Blk 121 Hougang Avenue 1. These folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Flavour Flings; other dining establishments that one can find around the vicinity includes an outlet of 3 Meals a Day, as well as that of Putian Flavour Food. For those whom are familiar with the happenings of the local F&B scene, there is quite fair bit of similarities in the way that Duo Duo Dou is being decked out when compared to the outlet of Cafe GUI at South Bridge Road. Both establishments seemed to make use of similar furniture and fittings in its interior as well as its shop facade; both establishments all feature a theme that surrounds around cats which is evident throughout the decorative ornaments that can be found in both spaces — we also note that the social media page of Duo Duo Dou does follow that of Cafe GUI’s as well. With that being said, It is worth noting that Duo Duo Dou identifies itself as a dessert establishment; the menu at Duo Duo Dou is split into sections that are dedicated to Shaved Ice, Bingfen, and Puree — there is also a line-up of baked goods such as muffins and bread that one can also find displayed near the counter. Beverages available includes espresso-based specialty coffee brewed using beans roasted by Cowpresso Coffee Roasters, as well as tea from Osulloc Tea Museum — just to name a few.

With much of the desserts that they specialise in revolving around their shaved ice offerings, it is needless to say that the item which had caught our attention whilst skimming through the online POS system would be their Homemade Soy Bean with Black Pearl Bubbles Shaved Ice; this item simply stood out considering how this is a combination of two (2) of the establishment’s signature offering in one dish by itself — Duo Duo Dou does also pride itself over its Soya Bean, which they have also mentioned the soya bean milk being made using a 60 year old recipe from Taiping, Perak in Malaysia. Further claiming that there are no preservatives and pre-mix soy powder, the Homemade Soy Bean with Black Pearl Bubbles Shaved Ice came with soy milk-infused shaved ice, soy milk, and boba. Digging into the Homemade Soy Bean with Black Pearl Bubbles Shaved Ice, the item would be a hit for those whom love their soya milk. One thing of particular note is that the dessert hints of the bean-y notes of soy beans through-and-through; all from the shaved ice and soy milk, there was never a point of time which we felt that the flavours were diluted. We also noted that the dessert was also of an adequate level of sweetness, while the addition of Boba helps to give a textural contrast with an added element of chewiness. Apart from the Homemade Soy Bean with Black Pearl Bubbles Shaved Ice, we had also given the Durian DuoDuo Double Shot a go during our visit to Duo Duo Dou. The menu describes the Durian DuoDuo Double Shot to come with elements such as Mao Shan Wang (Double Shot), Brown Jelly, Mini Tang Yuan and Durian Puree. Those whom don’t really fancy having that much durian can also consider ordering the Durian DuoDuo Single Shot which comes with the same elements but only with a single shot of the Mao Shan Wang. Digging into the Durian DuoDuo Double Shot, we found that the Durian Puree does carry quite the same intensity of pungent notes of durian when compared to that of the Mao Shan Wang — something that we actually liked since the flavours of the durian puree tends to be weaker than that of the actual durian flesh in most scenarios in similar dishes for us. Considering so, the Mao Shan Wang Durian enhanced the textures of the dessert, providing the dessert with a fibrous mouthfeel from the actual flesh of Mao Shan Wang. Otherwise, the inclusion of other elements like the brown jelly and Mini Tang Yuan gives the dessert yet another dimension of textures such as a bite and chew that adds on to the other elements in the Durian DuoDuo Double Shot.

Having walked into the establishment and greeted by a fragrance of ginger soup, we found ourselves being curious enough to give their Black Sesame Tang Yuan with Ginger Soup. Whilst we did detect that inherent note of spiciness in the soup that is typical to that of ginger, we did feel that the ginger soup lacked complexity of flavours and felt rather flat — a little missing of that refreshing finish that we were looking for in its finish. We had added two (2) more Black Sesame Tang Yuan to our order of the Black Sesame Tang Yuan with Ginger Soup; this would be on top of the original two (2) Black Sesame Tang Yuan and three (3) Mini Tang Yuan which originally came with the dish. One thing about Duo Duo Dou about their desserts is the way they portion a single serving of their desserts — we noticed how Duo Duo Dou has seemingly portioned their desserts to be smaller than that of how most other establishments would have done it. Considering so, it does make items that are generally offered in larger sizes such as the shaved ice to be more manageable for single diners to have; a rather thoughtful move there. Amongst the items that we had tried, we found their Homemade Soy Bean offerings to be the most memorable — the other items we have had are still considered pretty decent still however. It is interesting how there’s so many dessert choices for the residents around in the Hougang Avenue 1 / Lorong Ah Soo neighbourhood, though Duo Duo Dou is probably one that would appeal to those whom do not generally prefer the likes of waffles and gelato that seem to be particularly aplenty here.

Nanyang Kopitiam-themed cafes have been all the rage in recent times; and especially so at a time where Oriental Kopi had finally opened its doors in Singapore. With that being said, there has been one particularly establishment named Ah Nam Kopi that had been making its rounds around social media very recently. Situated in the Singapore Management University campus, Ah Nam Kopi isn’t an establishment that one would find easy to head to if one isn’t around the area usually on weekdays. Situated at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business within Singapore Management University, Ah Nam Kopi takes the space formerly operated by Gong Cha there which is situated away from most of the dining establishments that are located at the Singapore Management University campus — their location is fairly prominent if one were to be travelling along Victoria Street. Ah Nam Kopi has done quite a fair bit of effort in sprucing up the entire space; there already has been some work done to the exterior to hang up lighting that comprises of various different coloured light bulbs — the shop facade being one that features a faux brick wall with faux awnings that gives the establishment a little bit of an old school look. Within the space, one can find wallpapers plastered around the walls that feature nostalgic elements like old-school calendars, gramophone and even some old movie posters; all that matched against the wooden and plastic dining furniture that gives the space a bit of a modern look amidst the retro elements at play. Ah Nam Kopi’s menu is pretty reminiscent to that of most other Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishments that had set up shop all across the island; the menu is being segregated into categories such as Kaya Butter Set, Homemade Toast, Blue Pea Nasi Lemak, Heritage Mee Siam, Traditional Noodles, Traditional Ban Mian and Signature Local Dishes. Beverages available on the menu at Ah Nam Kopi would include that of Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh, as well as the Ah Ma Fuzhu Barley, and Ah Ma Lemon Tea.

The ordering process at Ah Nam Kopi requires patrons to pick up a buzzer before scanning a QR code on the buzzer to make orders through an online POS system; patrons will then be paged using the buzzer to collect their orders from the counter once the food is ready for collection. One of the items that really got us intrigued to give Ah Nam Kopi a try was actually the availability of the Yam Butter Toast. An item which is known to have been popularised by SuuKee Coffee in recent times, Yam Butter Toast is still quite an uncommon find across establishments serving up Hainanese-style breakfasts around the island still. One thing we really liked about the Yam Butter Toast at Ah Nam Kopi was how the toast itself is how the toast does retain its element of crispness even as it is being left alone at the table for some time. Taking a bite into the Yam Butter Toast, we found the Yam spread to be quite a smooth and creamy spread that hints of a light touch of earthiness from the Yam and a slight note of saltish-ness from coconut cream — coupled with the fact that the folks at Ah Nam Kopi had also included quite a thick slab of chilled butter, there was a little bit of likeness between the Yam Butter Toast and that of an ice-cream sandwich that is served with bread that typically comes with Hainanese-style breakfast toast.

Unfortunately, many of the food items were listed as not available on the online POS system when we made our visit to Ah Nam Kopi; considering so, there was really quite little to choose from when we found ourselves ending up with the Fried Chicken Nasi Lemak. Just like the Yam Butter Toast, the Fried Chicken Nasi Lemak is one of the items that are listed in the “Ah Nam Sampo” page of the menu which showcases the top three signature dishes that Ah Nam Kopi has to offer to its patrons. The Fried Chicken Nasi Lemak does come with blue pea flower-infused coconut rice, anchovies, peanuts, sambal, and sunny side-up. Digging into the blue pea-flower infused coconut rice, we found that the coconut rice here is the rendition that comes with an evident note of lemongrass and ginger rather than focusing more towards the richness of the coconut milk that was being added — with that being said, the rice does boast a beautiful aesthetic with specks of blue amidst the white grains. The fried chicken was the star of the show — we really liked how tender and juicy the fried chicken chunks were despite not being particularly crispy; we also didn’t really find the chicken chunks to be anything too greasy either. What made them so good was the evident notes of turmeric and lemongrass that went into the marination process of the chicken — definitely wouldn’t mind to have them all by themselves as a side dish even. The accompanying sambal does come with a bright note that wasn’t particularly sweet; carries a bit of spice that should still be manageable for those whom are tolerable to lower than moderate levels of spiciness. The sunny side up does come with a molten egg yolk, while the anchovies provided the saltish crunch that one would be typically looking for in this part of a usual plate of Nasi Lemak.

The Kopi (Iced) at Ah Nam Kopi comes in the form of a “waterfall” Kopi aesthetic that one would typically expect from other Nanyang Kopitiam-themed establishments — there is also a coffee-infused ice cube shaped in the form of a Wu Shi (i.e. lion dance) that gives their rendition a unique aesthetic. Opting for our order to come “Gao” (i.e. thick), we liked how there was a balance of sweetness to achieve that caffeinated punch that we were looking for here. Overall, Ah Nam Kopi does serve up food offerings that is of a decent quality when compared against some other Nanyang Kopitiam-themed cafes around — there really isn’t much to complain on the items that they have to offer, though one major qualm we have was how little of a variety of food items that they have to offer on their online POS system as compared to the number of items that they had listed out on the menu; it is always a bummer whenever one visits an establishment to find out more than half of the entire food menu that it offers are listed are unavailable. Otherwise, Ah Nam Kopi does seem to be a worthy contender to the many brands running Nanyang Kopitiam-themed cafes around the island; a spot that students at the Singapore Management University would likely appreciate having on campus to the variety of options that they already can enjoy at their convenience.

Surrey Hills Grocer is one of those establishments that needs no introduction — the brand has grown quite a fair bit ever since their debut at the Arena Country Club; a location where they had since ceased operations at for quite a while, with a number of outlets located in prominent malls such as Raffles City, ION Orchard, One Holland Village and The Woodleigh Mall. Their latest location is at VivoCity, which takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of No Signboard Seafood that is accessible only from the open-air space at Level 3 of the mall — other notable establishments within the vicinity of Surrey Hills Grocer at VivoCity would be the location of Food Republic and The Pet Safari. One thing we note about Surrey Hills Grocer is that despite being a brand name which is centred around Australian produce and contemporary cuisine that Australian establishments are known for with a slight fusion element, Surrey Hills Grocer still manages to theme each space slightly different from another — the VivoCity location can be described to be almost similar to that of a rainforest theme that features motorised statues of animals such as giraffes and kangaroos that moves in intervals that would capture the attention of diners. Otherwise, the layout of the space can be described as rather similar to some of Surrey Hills Grocers’ other locations – think a little bit of their ION Orchard location with a mix of their Raffles City outlet given the colours used, furniture and fittings and layout of the space. With every new location of Surrey Hills Grocer comes an outlet-exclusive menu that feature different dishes that the outlet specialises in — for the VivoCity outlet, it would be their handmade Roman pizzas which belongs in their dedicated section of the menu. Other categories of the menu at their VivoCity outlet will include Soups, Salads, Snacks, Housemade Pasta, Mains, All Day Brunch and Signature Desserts. An entire line-up of cakes and other pastries, as well as gelato can be found stocked-up in the display cases / chillers around the counter, while there are also dedicated sections of the menu to cater to kids and pets (the VivoCity outlet is a pet-friendly dining establishment). Surrey Hills Grocer does offer a long list of beverages which includes a rather comprehensive list of alcohol for an establishment of its type; otherwise, there are also the usual espresso-based specialty coffee, teas, drinking chocolate, juices and mocktails available — just to name a few.

We always do have a soft spot for handmade pasta so it is needless to say that we were really wanting to go for one of the items off the Housemade Pasta section a try during our visit to Surrey Hills Grocer at VivoCity. Skimming through the menu, we were drawn to the Roasted Garlic Miso Butter considering how the item does seem to be a fairly basic pasta item that doesn’t seem to be particularly fussy based on elements that were included in its description on the menu — this would include Caserresi, Pork Sausage, Asparagus and Fresh Herbs. We were fairly impressed with the speed of which each dish is being served considering how quickly the food was being served — for those whom are not in the know, the Caserresi refers to the type of pasta that came with the Roasted Garlic Miso Butter which features a little bit of a rolled-up aesthetic. Tossed in Roasted Garlic Miso Butter, we liked how the sauce carried a savouriness with the garlicky notes not being particularly overwhelming — the earthiness in the miso really lingering at the back of the tongue whilst the sauce gets trapped in within the pasta. Opting for the pasta to come with chili, this helps to add a bit of spice to the dish that complimented the Roasted Garlic Miso Butter really well being of a spiciness level that should be manageable for those tolerable to those who can take mild spiciness. The hand-formed pieces of pork sausage are sized just about right — provided a firm, meaty bite that is savoury without carrying any undesirable porky stench; pretty much comfort food at its very best.

We had also given the Red Curry Barramundi a go during our visit to Surrey Hills Grocer at VivoCity; featuring a barramundi filet and coming with red curry and basmati rice, this felt like a dish with an Indian influence with the basmati rice seemingly infused with turmeric to achieve that yellow aesthetic. The basmati rice was light and fluffy, all that whilst being drenched in a curry sauce that carried bright and tangy notes without being particularly heavy from the use of coconut milk like how one would expect a typical curry dish from the hawker centre / food court / coffeeshop to be. The barramundi here is said to be caught from their very own farm in Pasir Ris; we liked how moist and flaky the fish is without carrying an undesirable, muddy flavour — especially in love with how the skin of the fish is especially crisp and savoury to provide both a flavoural and textural contrast to the entire dish. It has since been a while that we had last have truffle fries and we must say that the Triple Truffle Fries definitely satisfied here — the fries are crisp and not particularly greasy, whilst it carried evident notes of truffle that wasn’t overwhelming. The “Triple Truffle” refers to the use of truffle powder, truffle oil and a homemade truffle mayo dip; the homemade truffle mayo dip being all creamy whilst also coming with an adequate note of truffle that further adds on to the fries if one so chooses to dip the fries in it. Otherwise, the generous load of parmesan shavings also helps to add on a complimenting savouriness to the entire dish as well.

Had been having cravings for Lamingtons for a quite a while; considering how Surrey Hills Grocer is an establishment that has a strong Australian influence in the things that they do, it was not surprising to find that they do offer a Chocolate Strawberry Lamington Cake Slice on the menu. For those whom are unaware — Lamingtons are cake squares that are coated in chocolate sauce on the exterior and rolled in desiccated coconut. The layer of hardened chocolate sauce on the exterior provided an adequately sweet note that goes together well with the light and fluffy vanilla sponge cake within; the strawberry jam adding a tart and zingy note that provided a flavoural contrast to the other elements in the cake. Our choice of beverage would be the Time for Lime — this is one of the items listed as in the Signature Beverages section of the menu that features coconut water, lime cream and double espresso; a rather unique concoction that involves the use of espresso-based specialty coffee. Still being an espresso-based specialty coffee item at heart, it does come across as a cuppa that came with a medium body and fruity flavour profile with an added zing coming from the use of lime cream — something a little similar to that of an Einspanner.

Surrey Hills Grocer had really gone through quite a fair bit despite being a relatively new brand as compared to some of the veterans within the local F&B scene that run similar grocer-cum-cafe concepts around — its expansion plans had always felt ambitious, but these folks have always been seeking to provide a different experience with the opening of every new outlet; from the dining environment, to the curation of exclusive items on the menu for each location, there is always something to look forward to whenever we visit a new Surrey Hills Grocer location. Whilst there are times where we felt that the meal could be a little heavy at certain outlets due to the portion of food and the flavours of the items that we have had, it does feel like Surrey Hills Grocer did learn from their previous experiences and our meal at their VivoCity outlet does feel like one which worked out well for our palates. Service was also impeccable, with the crew consistently paying attention to the diners whilst also quick in the way that they serve as well. Prices of the food at Surrey Hills Grocer have always been slightly pricier than that of other cafes with the prices of individually-sized mains to start from past the $20 mark; that being said, considering the quality of the food and portion sizes served up here, the higher prices are still justifiable for those whom can afford to shell out the money. As usual, always looking forward to see what these guys have up their sleeves in the next location that they choose to appear; always a fun and interesting experience whenever we dine at a Surrey Hills Grocer location!

If anything, the opening of Cafe Jubilant is probably the most notable change for those whom frequent Milennia Walk. Taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Koufu food court at Millenia Walk at the ground floor, it is impossible to miss Cafe Jubilant considering how the place is decked out— the establishment boasts the use of particularly bright and cheery colours for its facade and interior decor. Considering how the space used to have operated as a food court, Cafe Jubilant has an abundance of space within its premises; whilst decked out much like a food court with a mix of tables catering to large groups and also having booth seating that provides more comfort to patrons with cushioned seating, Cafe Jubilant use of bright yellow / orange for irs space certainly attracts attention — there really aren’t many establishments out there these days that are decked in such stark colours that gives a vibrant, fun and playful character. Despite Cafe Jubilant taking over the former premises of a now-defunct food court, Cafe Jubilant could perhaps be best described as an individually-run dining establishment with a multi-cuisine concept. The menu at Cafe Jubilant is segmented into various sections that is dedicated to Everyday Favourites, Asian Flavours, Homestyle Wok-Fried, Noodle SuperStar, Jubilant Cheese Baked, Western Delights, Donburi, Claypot Series (available from 5pm to 9pm) and Desserts. Beverages available at Cafe Jubilant will include a variety of Nanyang-style Kopi & Tea, Milo, some house-made concoctions such as their Homemade Luo Han Guo with Longan, as well as soft drinks — just to name a few.

The Cheese Baked Luncheon Meat Spaghetti from the Jubilant Cheese Baked section of the menu was something which we initially did not order during our first batch of orders during our dinner on a weekday at Cafe Jubilant — we had only ordered it after realising that we do have some stomach space after the very first batch of food that we had ordered, and that the items in the Jubilant Cheese Baked line-up was something which kinda intrigued us. Of the four (4) different variants of Jubilant Cheese Baked items that Cafe Jubilant had to offer, the Cheese Baked Luncheon Meat Spaghetti was the one that stood out to us the most. Whilst Cafe Jubilant does not describe on the elements that comes with the item, it can be observed from our order that the Cheese Baked Luncheon Meat Spaghetti comes with spaghetti that has been tossed with a tomato-based sauce, as well as diced luncheon meat and cheese that has been melted over all the elements featured in the dish. To be really honest, there was really nothing game changing with the Cheese Baked Luncheon Meat Spaghetti, but there was something with the dish that we found to be pretty comforting — pretty much food that hits the soul. Perhaps it is has something got to do with the simplicity of the dish here — the al-dente spaghetti with that tangy tomato-based sauce; all matched with gooey and stretchy cheese that blankets over the spaghetti, while the slight saltishness of the luncheon meat gave ample meatiness to provide a more wholesome experience for the dish.

During our visit to Cafe Jubilant, we had also given their Tender Beef Scrambled Egg Rice Bowl from their Donburi section of the menu a go. While the terminology “Scrambled Egg Rice Bowl” might have some expecting that the dish comes presented in the likes of the scrambled egg rice bowls that are sold by Dan Lao / Egg Talk / Kawan Bowl, it turns out that the Tender Beef Scrambled Egg Rice Bowl is done in a way more akin to that of a Oyako Don — one that also seemingly features a Dashi broth for a savoury note, while the beef slices were pretty thick and juicy without being particularly heavy. The Steamed Rice Roll with Curry Chicken comes in the format that sees the usual local-style steamed rice rolls that comes drenched in a curry gravy — the folks at Cafe Jubilant had also added three (3) curry chicken drumlets as well for the dish. The curry here is adequately rich and creamy with a hint of fragrance from the curry spices — but nothing too spicy nor overwhelming here. Otherwise, the other components of the dish such as the steamed rice rolls and drumlets were a little bit generic; the latter also not being particularly fantastic when it came to its texture as well where it was a little more firm and less juicy than desired.

The Pork Floss Cheese Egg Roll seems like Cafe Jubilant’s take on the Taiwanese-style egg crepe rolls that can usually be found at Taiwanese-style breakfast stores — coming with pork floss, cheese and mayonnaise rolled within what seems to be similar to that of Chinese-style scallion pancakes, the pancake itself does carry some degree of crispness with a bit of a bite; all that whilst the fillings within provided different contrasts of savouriness with the mayonnaise adding an element of creaminess to gel everything together. There is also something similar to that of Okonomiyaki sauce that is drizzled above the Pork Floss Cheese Egg Roll that gives it a hint of sweetness. Cafe Jubilant isn’t that sort of spot that is meant to deliver on a gastronomical experience if one’s primary reason for dining in town is to have something a little different from the usual — considering how Cafe Jubilant has taken over the premises of what used to be the food court at Millennia Walk, it does seem that the establishment’s main focus is to be a spot that caters to the masses serving food items that is suited for all. With a menu that spans across local Chinese-style cuisine, to items with a Hong Kong / Taiwanese / Malaysian influence and also serving up western cuisine, there does seem to be something for everyone at Cafe Jubilant. The food at Cafe Jubilant based on the items that we had tried do not reinvent the wheel, though they seem to offer a taste of familiarity to resolve cravings whilst dining in a spacious, brightly-lit and fun environment that would work well for groups and families. With prices of their individually-sized dishes from the Asian Flavours, Homestyle Wok-fried, Noodle SuperStar, Jubilant Cheese Baked, Western Delights, and Donburi sections of the menu priced between $7.80 to $13.80, the prices of the food at Cafe Jubilant are competitively priced to that of what one can usually find in food courts — a spot that is worth considering to dine at for those whom are not too fussy with their food whilst looking for a variety of offerings to solve their cravings while at it.

Hadn’t been to Amoy Street Food Centre for quite a while but it is always quite amazing how there is something new to try whenever we skip on this location for lunch on a week day after a while. Was going through the upper floors of the food centre when we had found a rather unfamiliar sight — 130 福建炒虾面 Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee is a relatively new addition to the food centre; these guys are situated right beside the popular Han Kee Fish Soup which had been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and see snaking queues for it during weekday lunch peak hours. The “130” in the namesake of 130 福建炒虾面 Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee likely refers to the stall unit number that 130 福建炒虾面 Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee operates out of (being #02-130); this stall unit also once house the short-lived that existed some time back in end 2023. Unlike most new stalls run by aspiring hawkerpreneurs in the food centre that they are situated in, 130 福建炒虾面 Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee looks like a typical hawker stall; whilst its specialty would be in their fried Hokkien prawn noodle offerings, its other offerings includes carrot cake and laksa as well.

We aren’t folks that are usually intrigued by fried Hokkien prawn noodle; that being said, the offering of a Hokkien Fried Pork Mee by the stall did manage to capture our attention — something that feels more to be like the stall’s unique spin to fried Hokkien prawn noodle that would appeal to folks whom prefer having meat than seafood. 130 福建炒虾面 Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee does not describe on the elements that are being served with their dishes on their menu; that being said, it can be observed from our order that the Hokkien Fried Pork Noodle does come with elements such as pork lard, spring onions and chunks of fried pork — all accompanying the usual stock that one would expect for Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee with the type of noodles served with the dish being thick Bee Hoon and Yellow Noodles. It is noted that the version of the Hokkien Fried Pork Mee served here would be the wet type — the dish being served in a metallic bowl. Digging into the bowl of Hokkien Fried Pork Mee here, we did find that the stock that is also used for their Hokkien Fried Prawn Noodle is pretty flavoursome — the stock carrying a umami note from the prawns that is rich and pretty thick. Whilst the noodles here seem to lack the smokiness that some would be looking out for, the texture of both the thick Bee Hoon and yellow noodles are pretty on-point. We would really recommend enjoying their Hokkien Fried Pork Mee with the sambal chili that they offer at the self-service condiment bar at the front of the stall – the addition of the savouriness of the chili really helps to ante up the flavours of the broth and noodles and gives the dish a contrast of flavours.

These folks also seem to be very generous with the serving of fried pork lard that accompanies their Hokkien Fried Pork Mee — these golden-brown nuggets of crispness were fried just about right; didn’t feel like they were trapping too much grease within, and definitely weren’t the limp sort that some stalls serve up which feels especially jelak after a while. The fried pork served here comes with light and crisp batter; didn’t feel particularly greasy though best enjoyed when the dish is served up since these do turn a little soft and soggy after absorbing the stock for a while. Expect flavours similar to that of the Hakka-style fried pork — we do suspect the use of Nan Ru (i.e. fermented beancurd) being used for an added umami note; the chunks of pork also did not carry an undesirable porky stench, and was considerably easy to chew on without being too firm. Considering how we have visited the stall with zero expectations, the Hokkien Fried Pork Mee was actually item that we found to be particularly satiating even despite us not being folks whom tend to order Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee elsewhere — the use of fried pork here in their Hokkien Fried Pork Mee is definitely a fresh take that perhaps got us intrigued to give them a try. The prices of their various offerings range from $4 to $7 — the lowest priced being their small portion sizes of their carrot cake, while the priciest would be the large portions of their Hokkien Fried Prawn / Pork Noodles; pretty reasonably priced. An option which we would not mind going for again if at Amoy Street Food Centre for lunch on a typical work day.