No Name Cheng Tng @ Bedok ~ One Of The Best Asian Desserts Which You Must Try!

Just before our group of foodies went to Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh for dinner, we made a quick stop at a coffeeshop nestled amid the quiet residential area of Bedok South Avenue 3 for dessert first. The humble stall is named No Name Cheng Tng and I find it quite amazing that it can survive the rental and other operating costs by selling only one type of dessert, what else but... cheng tng! Before you dismiss it as just another ordinary frequently eaten Asian dessert, this No Name Cheng Tng is so outstanding that it has already caught the attention of our local makan guru, KF Seetoh, and was invited to participate in the inaugural World Street Food Congress in Singapore last year. No mean feat for a 'no name' stall.

Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant @ Triple One Somerset, Orchard Road

Really grateful to have awesome and understanding friends who patiently waited more than an hour for me to finish my work, so that we can go ahead with our plans to have dinner at Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant. The venue was also partly chosen to accommodate 'swamp-with-work' me, it being situated at Triple One Somerset along Orchard Road which is just 3 minutes away from my office. I literally ran over to meet them. What can I say? I felt very 感动! What can we say? We were all totally famished!!! Let's get hot and steamy! Quick!

Arashi Yakiniku Charcoal Grill Restaurant @ Boat Quay ~ Enjoy Japanese Wagyu Beef By The Singapore River

I had absolutely no idea what's in for lunch except that we're going to have barbeque at a Japanese restaurant located somewhere along Boat Quay (I just follow Daniel! lol). Felt much gladness when it turned out to be a pleasant dining experience by the Singapore River with views of some landmark buildings. If it's lovely in the afternoon, it will be lovelier in the evening. Arashi Yakiniku Charcoal Grill Restaurant certainly knows how to choose their location.

Delicious Penang Char Koay Teow @ Lorong Selamat, Georgetown

We already had our tummies filled with Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul, Assam Laksa and Rojak, but a trip to Penang wouldn't be complete without Penang Char Koay Teow! So off we went to Kafe Heng Huat at Lorong Selamat, Georgetown, where one of the best and most delicious char koay teow in Penang can be found.

The hawker auntie manning the stall is as famous as the char koay teow itself. Always wearing a red beret, sometimes with goggles over her eyes, her alleged arrogance and temperamental responses towards customers' complaints about high prices and long waiting time has earned her quite a notorious reputation among the locals. A Facebook campaign was even set up to encourage people to boycott her stall. Wah, so controversial! But we care about none of that! We just wanna eat the char koay teow! Lol!

HAN Japanese Restaurant @ Odeon Towers ~ A Kushikatsu Experience

In Hana Yori Dango (花より男子), it is said that "A pair of good shoes will bring you to good places". I don't wanna dispute that for it might very well hold true for some of you, but I can be very very sure to say this: "A craving for food will bring me to a lot of food places!"

I was missing the kushikatsu izakaya experience during my previous visit in Tokyo where I was served panko (breadcrumbs) coated deep-fried items on skewers 'omakase-style' non-stop until I told the chef to stop. We then pay for what we ate according to the number of our skewers. I wonder if there's a similar concept here in Singapore that serves kushikatsu or tempura. A quick asking on twitter and facebook throws up recommendations of Tenshin, Aoki and HAN. Arrangement was soon made to visit HAN Japanese Restaurant at Odeon Towers (near City Hall mrt) with Nat for lunch.

Hock Seng Choon Fish Ball Noodles @ Bedok ~ Love the Fish Balls, Not The Noodles

BFF and I were at Bedok South Food Centre to eat Hillstreet Fried Kway Teow but just one plate where got enough? LOL! Our eyes wandered to the nearby snaking queue and decided to check out what hawker delight is the people waiting for. It turned out to be Hock Seng Choon Fish Ball Kway Teow which is actually quite a popular stall and has been around in this food centre for over 20 years! We of course felt the mandatory urge to order a bowl and try!

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul @ Lebuh Keng Kwee, Georgetown ~ CHENDOL! ASSAM LAKSA! ROJAK! What's Your Favorite?

When proposing a couple of locations for the company work trip, I secretly rooted for Penang or Malacca to be chosen because..... these two Malaysian states are well known for their glorious food! Haha! We landed in Penang eventually and though the agenda will have to be spent mainly in the hotel for meetings, we still got a little free and easy time off. Big yay to having some like-minded colleagues who also feels that a trip to Penang is not complete without a sampling of their signature street food such as Char Koay Teow and Assam Laksa! We soon made our way to Lebuh Keng Kwee at Georgetown, where the famous stall called Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul is located, selling what many reviews named as the best chendol in Penang. This would also be where most locals will point you to if you asked them, "What to eat in Penang huh?"

Whampoa Food Street (Keng) Fish Head Steamboat 黄埔庆 @ Balestier Road ~ Still One Of The Best After All These Years!

Compared to the previous few Makansutra dinners which I've attended, the session at Whampoa Food Street (Keng) Fish Head Steamboat 黄埔庆 was a lot simpler. The venue wasn't fancy, the food was unpretentiously presented and mostly what we would have ordered at a regular zhi char stall. So what's the draw? It's their signature fish head steamboat which magneted us over!! From its humble beginning in 1990 as a hawker stall to the current two restaurants at Balestier Road and Rangoon Road, as well as a chain of profitable food outlets with its own central kitchen and catering arm, Whampoa Keng has certainly come a long way under the leadership of Mr Keng. His first wife now manages the main branch at Balestier Road, while his second wife takes care of the Rangoon Road outlet. I believe Mr Keng not only has a talent for business, but in time management as well.

Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen 豚骨火山ラーメン @ Liang Court ~ A Japanese Volcano Ramen Experience!

A humble meal of soupy noodles takes on a fun note at Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen 豚骨火山ラーメン! Rather than the usual way of simply presenting a bowl of ramen, well, in just a bowl, a server brought to our table a preheated 300°C stone bowl with noodles and assorted ingredients already placed inside, before pouring tonkotsu broth over and covering it with a funnel lid. A great deal of steam is soon released through the top opening, like a volcano going to erupt! That's how Tonkotsu Kazen Ramen got its name ~ 'Volcano Ramen' (kazan means volcano). The origins of its creation can be traced back to Osaka, Japan. Now it can be enjoyed at its two branches at Novena Square 2 and Liang Court in Singapore.

SMOKE HOUSE Charcoal BBQ ~ A New Retail Cum Self-Service Dine-In Japanese BBQ Concept At Great World City

One of the favourite activities of BFF and myself is to go 'window-supermarketing'. BFF always say the basement of any shopping mall is the best because that's where the supermarkets and food outlets are usually located. The rows and rows of food products never fails to inspire and excite, especially when we see produce which are so fresh that we feel the urge to just purchase it, go home, cook and eat it. It seldom materialize as we lived too far apart and hunger can't survive the distance, but now with the opening of Smoke House Charcoal BBQ at Great World City, problem solved! It offers us the chance to shop and do our own barbequing, all under one roof!

Hokkein Classics @ Gim Tim Restaurant 锦珍酒楼, Ang Mo Kio

I belong to the Hokkein dialect group. Can understand Hokkein, can't really speak Hokkein, but certainly know how to eat Hokkein food lol! Last week saw me making my way over to Gim Tim 锦珍酒楼, one of the restaurants in Singapore that has been carrying on the legacy of Hokkein cuisine since the establishment of its humble outlet at the residential block of Ang Mo Kio since 1975. I was there for some traditional Hokkein delights by Chef Lai Yong Meng who has over 20 years of experience.

Hillstreet Fried Kway Teow @ Bedok South Food Centre ~ One Of The Best In Singapore! It's LARDelicious!

A filming engagement brought me back to Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery in the far far far east land of Bedok which is really a great distance to travel for me considering that I stay in the north. Since I already went all the way there, I took the opportunity to try the famous Hillstreet Fried Kway Teow which I always hear friends talking about. It's considered by many to be one of the best char kway teow (CKT) Singapore!

Teppei Japanese Restaurant, Orchid Hotel ~ An Awesome Omakase Experience!

2 hours! 22 dishes! I had my first ever Omakase experience at Teppei Japanese Restaurant! Much has been raved about Teppei which is nestled at Orchid Hotel near Tanjong Pagar mrt station. How marvelous their food is. How great value their omakase dinner is. So much so that its popularity had our reservation in waiting for 4 months before it was finally our turn to plonk our bums on one of the restaurant's 21-counter seats. 4 months! This is the first time I've to be held in anticipation for so long to have a meal lol. Much to my happiness, it was worth the wait :D

Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant @ Amoy Street ~ Best of Comforting, Endearing Classic Dishes!

"You came all the way here specially to eat Taiwan porridge? It must be good right?", the taxi uncle asked me as he dropped me off at my destination, Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant at Amoy Street. I couldn't answer him in certainty back then as it was my first visit to the restaurant. Now, as I write in retrospective, my answer would be a resounding "Yes!". My meal at this seemingly humble establishment is more than good! It's awesome!

Quan Lai Kway Chap 泉来粿汁 @ Macpherson Road ~ The Deep-Fried Pig Intestines Is Definitely A Must-Order!

It has been an on-and-off relationship. My affection for Kway Chap began innocently when I was very much younger. Emotions were simple and pure, without a deeper understanding of what kway chap really is. If the food taste good, I will eat it. I remember my mum will always bring us to the Toa Payoh Lorong 7 hawker centre near my school (Pei Chun Public School) on Saturday mornings after my ballet classes for a quick meal of kway chap. The steaming hot bowl of flat broad rice sheets (kway), together with some braised items were delicious and comforting. I adored it! Until I grew a little older and realized that the tasty braised items were..... Pig Offal!

The Song Of India ~ An Indian Fine Dining Restaurant Along Scotts Road

In my imaginative moments, I likened dining in Singapore to an emperor in ancient China where there is an harem of imperial ladies to chose from for his nightly pleasure - There is an abundant of choices. While some seems to be more favored and received repeated visits more often, there are also certain love we will indulge in once in awhile. Indian cuisine is not one which I feast upon on a frequent basis, but is undoubtedly one which I enjoy as well. So when the opportunity presents itself to dine at The Song of India, one of the best-known Indian fine dining restaurant in Singapore, of course there was no hesitation on my part to say "yes". Organized by Asian Masters, an evening of Glenlivet presented with Flavours of Kashmir awaits.

Nara Thai Cuisine ~ Best of Thai Street Food Is Now At Singapore's Ion Orchard!

Don't Singaporeans love Thailand and its food? I know some friends who would display no hesitation in buying a flight ticket and hop on a plane to Bangkok for a weekend getaway of indulgence in delicious food and inexpensive shopping which the city abundantly offers. The lure of food, especially Thai street food, is a big irresistible one. But if one is not prepared to sweat it out at the numerous food stalls along the sidewalks, that's where Nara Thai Cuisine comes in and fills the gap, as they bring the best of Thai street food into a restaurant for diners to enjoy in air-conditioned comfort.

Shin Yeh Bistro (欣葉小台北) ~ Taiwanese Fare @ Square 2, Novena

It's no secret that I love Taiwan and its food. Sadly, my usual visit to Taiwan did not happen this year. Not that I don't have the time, but because I've no travel companion. Going around certain cities alone is not an issue for me as I've done it a couple of time for working trips, but to be by myself during a vacation... it's kinda sad. To have someone sharing the laughter, excitement and delicious food will wonderfully ace the leisure travel experience. Agree? Okay okay, long story short, I miss Taiwanese food! So when we caught sight of Shin Yeh Bistro (欣葉小台北) while walking around aimlessly looking for a dinner place, my eyes lighted up! Haha a meal here it shall be!

Madam Kwan's @ Vivocity ~ A Taste of Malaysia's Signature Nasi Lemak in Singapore!

Named after the founder, Madam Kwan's serves up 'Truly Malaysian Cuisine', so goes its tagline. Much hype surrounds Madam Kwan's since news were announced that the popular restaurant chain from Malaysia would open their very first overseas outlet in Singapore. We do not have to travel all the way to Kuala Lumpur to eat their famed nasi lemak anymore, the signature dish has now come to us in Vivocity! I've colleagues in KL who told me that the food standard throughout its KL branches are consistently good, whereas friends in Singapore's first comment would usually be "Very expensive here!". It's because of the latter reason that my BFF refused to come to Madam Kwan's with me. "You crazy arh, pay so much for nasi lemak?" he said. Well, I'm not crazy lah, I just want to try the dish for myself and form my own opinion.

Samsui Ginger Chicken ~ A Perennial Favorite At Soup Restaurant 三盅两件

Most people would have heard of Soup Restaurant 三盅两件, a household name in the local dining scene best known for their home-cooked style Chinese fare and traditional double-boiled soup. With more than 10 outlets scattered throughout our island and having established their presence for years, I would be quite surprised if any of my friends are to tell me that they have never stepped their foot into one before. No, never? Really? Come come, let me bring you through this blogpost to their outlet in recently revamped Causeway Point :)