Han Fung Korean BBQ Restaurant @ Cheong Chin Nam Road

We were at Cheong Chin Nam Road the other day to hunt for some food. We noticed the place seems to have changed behind the high boarded up area. A few restaurants have closed down and new ones opened! We ended up having the Korean BBQ Restaurant because it has been there for some time and we have not tried it before!


(p/s a full restaurant list along Cheong Chin Nam Road is available at bukittimah.net)

^^^ banchan ^^^

The selection was OK. The 3 of us thought the kimchi was quite nice. A little more fermented that most places, but not too fermented. You know what I mean right? The seaweed /sea grass like thingy was not bad too.

^^^ Bul Go Gi ^^^

The aroma of the Bul Go Gi from the next table tempted us to order it. It was quite all right. It's a bit on the sweetish side, but very appetizing. The sweetish sauce that you see over white rice was nice. I was addicted to the sauce. LOL



We did not have to grill the meat ourselves. The service staff did it for us at another table and when it's almost done, brought the hot plate with the portable gas stove over. How convenient!



For the first few bites, we wrap the beef with garlic strips with the veggies. But after wrapping a few pieces we got lazy. We ate directly from the hot plate. :-)

^^^ So Go Ki ^^^

For the second dish, we thought we would try something healthier like soup. We ordered the Beef Hot Pot. In the receipt it says So Go Ki. I can't remember the name on the menu.

If you like beefy smelling and tasting soup, you might want to try this. There were lots of leeks, zucchinis, mushrooms and toufu in addition to the strips of beef inside. Below it all were lots of Korean glass noodles.



It was quite a big pot and it took a while for the soup to boil. The soup finally boiled 'violently' when we were finishing our bulgogi.

It was worth the wait I guess. A very hot hearty soup awaits. The glass noodles made it quite filling dish.




We had 3 persons and the 2 dishes above with 3 rice was enough to feed us. Price was around $50.


We might be back to try other stuff. We remembered this place being very quiet previously, but there seems to be quite popular nowadays. I think I still prefer the 'one' at Lorong Kilat :-)



Han Fung Korean BBQ Restaurant
16 Cheong Chin Nam Road
Singapore 599740

Tampopo @ Takashimaya Shopping Centre

Momo and I had a quick dinner at Tampopo, Takashimaya Shopping Centre. We were attracted by the huge banner outside that said they were having anniversary specials that will end by September 2010. If you want to try out their food, there are 2 days left to enjoy their offer!

*** Hokkaido Cold Tofu ***

The photo on the menu looked really cute so we ordered it. The real thing does not look as cute.



The Hokkaido Cold Tofu ($8) was very 'bean flavour'. We were taught how to eat it. To make it nicer, we can pour some soy sauce over it. Personally, am not very impressed, probably because I am not a very tofu person.

***  Top Grade BP Tonkatsu Set ***

When we were seated, the server showed us a list of their discounts available. One of the pages that attracted our eyes were the Black Pig Tonkatsu page.

We saw the Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu Set had a 40% off. Like many of you I am sure you will be attracted by the discounts. LOL!  



The set was quite filling. You can ask for more salad (shredded cabbage) and rice if you want. I doubt anyone asks for more since there's already so much to eat.

There's a bottle of salad dressing on the table for you to add to the salad.
The salad dressing is just ok. It's a bit too acidic tasting for our liking.

We liked this breaded deep fried pork. Crispy outside, moist inside. Yummy!

*** Black Pig Loin Tonkatsu ***

This is the other set we had. It's the loin cut instead. This one had a 50% off though.
We just had to order it because of the 50% tag. So kiasu eh?

For both sets, you would have noticed the sauce with dark brown sauce on it. The sauce in the middle of the tray was the Miso based sauce which is sweeter. We were told if we want the saltier version, it's the bottle on the table. We can try and see which suits our taste buds.

We liked the service because they gently hint to you how to eat. So if you a noob, don't worry. They will tell you. I guess they want you to eat the food the way it should be eaten?





I liked mine with the miso based sauce and with lots of the yellow mustard (the yellow thing in the photo on top). Momo did not like the mustard so I took all of hers. I thought mustard and the miso sauce went really well with the pork.

*** Miso Soup ***

The miso soup that was part of the set was good! There was thin strips of pork inside and lots of leeks, carrots and onion. It was quite a hearty miso soup!

Their service was quick and good. Momo said this outlet at Takashimaya is brighter so you feel happier eating here. The other branch at Liang Court seems darker. It's your preference, go to the outlet you like! If you want to try their stuff, I guess the anniversary deals could be a good time to try it.

The food was $38.78 after the discounts. Total bill with GST and service charge was $45.65



Tampopo Takashimaya
391 Orchard Road
#B2-33
Takashimaya Shopping Center
Singapore 238872

Jones the Grocer @ Mandarin Gallery

Momo and I were walking around Orchard Road last week. It was not long before our legs got tired and it transmitted signals to our brain: "Find place to sit. Find quiet place. Find place with no crowds. Find place with preferably ice cream."

Hoping we can find a place that can fit the criteria above, we got out of the more crowded Paragon and walked over to Mandarin Gallery instead. We walked into Jones the Grocer and thought it kind of fits the criteria!

Love the folks here. They are such cheerful and helpful staff. They served us water almost immediately.

*** ai si ki lim ***

Momo's sharp eyes saw ice cream on the menu and asked what flavour were there while our cute round glasses were filled with water. The lady serving mentioned a few flavours and what caught momo's attention was Boysenberry Ice Cream. ($3)



It was a good choice. It was not overly sweet, it has a little hint of tartness too, which kind of blends them together. The biscuit that tasted like the the base for baked cheesecake was yummy too!

*** ko pi peng ***

I realised to my dismay they don't have anything totally chocolate! Die lah. I don't really like coffee and not in the mood for tea. So I picked the closest which was the Ice Chocolate Mocha. ($7). It was listed under their 'signature drinks'.



One of the reasons I don't drink coffee is I don't like the bitterness of coffee. I took a sip without stirring and the bitter coffee taste hit me. Yikes. But common sense (finally!) kicked in and I stirred it, melting the chocolate ice cream into the coffee and chocolate sauce in it. It tasted nice after that!

Don't laugh! I think the whatever mixture they reminds me of a pack of cigarette! I don't smoke, but I am sure you curious people (like me) have picked up your colleague / classmates / friends pack of ciggies and had a smell of it. Tobacco before being burnt smell kinda nice and pleasant. When it's burnt, it totally stinks!

I think the mixture tasted like that, the pleasant and not the stink part. It's quite fun! It did give me a caffeine high and perhaps a nicotine high too? LOL... Reminder, smoking is bad, don't smoke!

*** kim boon tai ***

Momo had the Iced Orange Earl Grey ($6).

I think Earl Grey or Lady Grey are tea for people with acquired taste buds. They just taste so different. But mixing orange juice inside does makes it taste better!



I had a sip and thought it was OK lah, not my cup of tea! (pun intended!)
Well, the lady likes her tea. If she says it's nice, let it be so.


I like this place though. I noticed some of the 'groceries' that I cart all the way back from Rome 3 months ago! I felt so silly lugging it back. The only comfort was that I bought them real cheap in Italy :-)

The ratio of ladies to men is like 20:1 here. It was a weekday afternoon if you are wondering. People showing off their iPads is higher than the ratio of ladies to men! LOL



(If you are wondering what is "kim boon tai", that's Clementi in Hokkien. That's the coffee shop lingo for Ice Lemon Tea)


Jones the Grocer
333 Orchard Road
#04-21/22/23 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore 238897

Ippudo Tao @ River Valley Road

Momo and I both took leave one day last week. I had tried to book lunch at Waku Ghin, but was placed on waiting list. I was trying to be hopeful. Hoping someone will give up their reservation. I called again on the day itself, but was told, no one gave up their reservation. Sorry. Arrghh..

I asked Momo what she wanted for lunch. My planned lunch (that she did not know about) is dashed. She said she wants to try that Japanese place. She can't put a name to it, but she knew where it was, somewhere at River Valley.

So we hop on a cab and told the cab driver, "UE Square" and we got there in a jiffy. We were dropped at the main taxi stand at UE Square and wondered where to find Ippudo. If you were lost like us, we were told by the security guard that it's at the other side of UE Square, the side facing Mohamad Sultan Road.



Who is that guy in front? I don't know. I waited for 2 to 3 minutes for him to move with my camera pointing at him, but this guy refuse to move. I think he wants his photo taken! LOL

*** ice green tea ***

It was a hot sunny day, so this ice green tea was such a delight. $3
It was rather fragrant too!

*** karaage ***

We saw on the menu fried chicken and just had to order it. We were sitting at the counter and could see the person preparing it and frying it!.



It was nice, but not very spectacular. I liked the wasabi based mayo sauce. It gives a little 'shiokness' to it.

*** shiro ***

The menu says this is the signature "Ippudo Shiro" ramen. $13.
It caught my eye so I ordered it. I liked the broth. It was light and after having it, it does not leave any oily taste on your lips. There's a slice of cha shu, pickles, cabbage, black fungus.




I like the fact that when you order, they asked how you liked your noodles done.
Soft, medium or hard. I opted for medium for my skinny noodles ;-)



It was rather satisfying. If you like light yet flavourful broth, this might be what you like too.

*** kuro ***

Momo ordered the Tao Kuro. $15
One look and you can sense and also smell that it was rather different.
(It was like hei bai tao, I was on the 'bright' side, and Momo's on the 'dark' side. haha)




The taste of the broth was very rich. It's a mixture of garlic and miso paste that makes it rather special, more intense and saltier too.

I 'tasted' some of Momo's broth and noodles and found it a little familiar, but just can't remember where I tasted something similar.



Momo said she liked her noodles. The hot noodles really make you break out in sweat!

*** lunch special ***

We did not see this sign as we walked in from the other side.
On the front facing Mohd Sultan Road, there was this sign. You can go for this offer if you think you can eat a lot.




All of the above, plus 10% Svc Charge and 7% GST = $45.90


Ippudo Tao
207 River Valley Road
UE Square River Wing
#01-55/56
Singapore 238375

Food For Thought @ 8 Queens Street

It was a surprised birthday dinner for Momo. A group of friends wanted to treat Momo dinner.
In these days of instant communication, this was planned over MSN and whatsapp! in a few days only haha..

She was told it was just a dinner with 4 friends. But in fact around 10 people were coming.

The things we do to give people surprises: A long table for 10 had been booked at Food For Thought @ 8Q. As this place has glass all over, Momo could see who's inside even before going to the bistro. To make it more 'real', the 4 friends were to sit at a single table first. So when Momo and I went in, she only saw 2 other friends. We then asked her to place order for her food.




Two minutes later, the rest all walked out from the back of the bistro. They sang Happy Birthday out loud and brought out this Pistachio Cherry cake from Rive Gauche.

Oh, she was surprised for sure. With the loud singing, her faced turned red!



This cake was bought from Rive Gauche. It was a great choice!





If you watch the Channel 8, 9PM show last night you would have seen this place on TV! I saw this verse on TV and recognised it was this place. A tweet from @FFThought confirmed it and showed this link where they filmed the show 4 months ago.

*** Chinese Chicken Salad ***

Momo and I and the people beside us shared this. If you like the Japanese tamago, where the yolk is soft and white slightly firm, you will like this! The salads are fresh and the ikan bilis gave it a crunch. The dressing is soy based with soya and ginger. But we did not quite like the chicken. It was a bit dry.

*** Hoisin Har Cheong Baby Back Ribs ***

This was my main course. You all know I love ribs, so I will be biased. The ribs are soft and really fragrant. You can see the slight char on it that gave it a nice caramelized taste. Let me warn you, it's salty!

The potato gratin behind was kinda nice. Those orange looking thing on the salad were tomatoes. It was warm! It was roasted. Nice touch.

*** Crispy Curry Chicken & Spicy Chilli Fries ***

Momo had this. When we ordered curry, we were not expecting this to come out!
But if you are a fan of fried crispy chicken, it's your kind of food! If you are expecting the traditional chicken curry, you are in for a surprise.

This particular plate Momo had was crispy outside and inside it was still a little moist. Momo liked her chilli fries. Thick cut potato pieces.




For the rest of the food, we did not really taste it. Some of them are 'new friends' to me. Also, the table is a bit long with so many of us. It's 'pai seh' to taste their food. I just took photos. You can use for reference to their menu online which has only text. ;-)

This was the Sage Roasted Pumpkin Risotto.





Two friends had the Broccoli and Bacon Risotto.





The Chunky Sausage & Tomato Linguine.
I love sausages and I think I might try this the next time!




The Garlic Prawns and Coriander Linguine.




The Creamy Beef Striploin Linguine.
Compared to the the rest this looks messy. lol...




The Grilled Vegetable Linguine makes me wanna eat it though.
I think it's because I like eggplant! ;-)




Happy Birthday Momo!
Hope you liked the surprise.



Food For Thought @ 8Q
8 Queen Street
Singapore 188535

Tel: 6338 9887

Mooncakes - Dragon Phoenix Restaurant

Wishing all of you a very Happy Mid Autumn Festival.

Here's my final installment of 6 of the many mooncakes that colleagues and I have enjoyed these few weeks. I hope you have enjoyed reading about it too.

This bag was brought into our office by our boss. We were wondering why is he carrying such a huge bag. He said another box of mooncakes from our vendors.

In such a big bag? Yes! It was the most elaborate box we have this season!




The mooncakes are from Dragon Phoenix Restaurant.
They are courtesy of one of our vendor, IBM Singapore.

Dragon Phoenix is opened by one of the "4 Heavenly Chefs" of Singapore, Mr. Hooi Kok Wai.
(Mr Hooi and the other 3 heavenly chefs were said to have created the Lunar New Year Yu Sheng).




There's a big long red box inside the bag.




4 boxes of mooncakes inside the elaborate box.
We thought it was some case for a sword!




Inside the small boxes were the mooncakes.
It was different from other mooncakes because there was no plastic that covered the individual mooncake. It was also not as 'pretty' though. It's handmade the box says.




As the mooncakes were not individually wrapped in plastic, when we opened the box, the smell of the mooncakes fills the room. All four boxes were the traditional mixed nuts mooncakes.

Taste wise, people who ate it either loved it or hated it.

The smell is rather strong to me, but I think it is quite all right.
It was not love at first bite though, it was only after the third bite that I began to appreciate it.




We saw this interesting explanation about mooncakes on the box.
We always thought that the freshly baked ones are the best. These folks beg to differ.





I think folks in our office have enough of mooncakes.

There are other brands/flavours in our various home! I still have some Lotus Paste with Ginseng mooncakes from Peach Garden Restaurant at home. Interesting flavour eh? Mum also made some snowskin ones! We finished mummy's mooncakes long ago!

Mooncakes - NCS

This box of mooncakes that looks like a tiny chest is from one of our vendors - NCS.
We were curious who made it but there's no indication anywhere on the box who manufactured them.

We called them the NCS OEM mooncakes!




When you opened it, it looks very nice!
There's their logo on top.

The top layer had two mooncakes and 4 flower tea bulbs.
The bottow layer had two other mooncakes and a box that contained forks and knives.





These flower bulb teas look good as part of the box!





I have not tried the mooncakes yet. Maybe the later today or tomorrow.
Mooncakes are high in calories!




NCS does work for so many companies in Singapore.
Did you get any NCS mooncakes? ;-p

Mooncakes - Fairmont Hotel : Szechuan Court Restaurant

This box of mooncakes also from Fairmont Hotel / Swissotel was given by one of our colleague's brother to him. He shared it with us because he and his wife doesn't take alcohol.

These are the "Ping Pi" / Snowskin versions of mooncake made by Fairmont Hotel's Szechuan Court Restaurant.




Snowskin mooncakes always smells so good, doesn't it?
It's also served cold, so it's such a delight eating it.

This was how the box looks after you flip to the side the cover.




The selection of flavours.




Yellow - Champagne Truffle & Chocolate Ganache.
Just from the description we were already salivating!

Oh... we loved it!





Orange - Bailey's Chocolate.
Need I describe it for you? How many Bailey's fans out there?





Pink - Organic Muesli Chocolate.
This was the only flavour that our colleague ate. It's the only non alcoholic moonies.

The muesli mixed with the chocolate was a bit hard, so it was difficult to cut.
Taste wise, it was rather unusual, however it tasted good too.





White - Rum and Raisin Chocolate Truffle.
It was not as rum and raisin as you would expect compared to eating ice cream, it was nevertheless quite nice.





We were trying to taste all the flavours, so our tastebuds gets wonky nearing the end. So we seem to like the first two flavours more. We probably should eat it at different time to enjoy it more eh?

Many thanks to our colleague (or rather his brother) for our mooncake tasting session during tea break. ;-)