Singapore Food blog - Tim Ho Wan 添好運 @ Plaza Singapura

Location: Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Note: This post is written base on the dining experience in Plaza Singapura branch. Experience may vary from that of other outlets.

Recommended: Prawn Dumpling (晶莹鲜虾饺) (SGD6), Pork Dumpling with Shrimp (鲜虾烧卖皇) (SGD5.50)

Every time I walked past Tim Ho Wan in Plaza Singapura, I was amazed by the sheer amount of people willing to brave the queue to get a taste of dim sum. Of course the fact that they advertised themselves as a Michelin star restaurant from Hong Kong did help push up the hype that generated such a loyal crowd. Me, who despise long queues, did not get the oppurtunity until a day when I saw that the queue was just the length of a few customers. So naturally I availed myself the chance to sample a taste of a 1 star Michelin restaurant specializing in dim sum.

Menu

Singapore Food Blog - Bosses (黑社会)

Location: Harborfront, Singapore

The year 2012 ended with much relief as the world we know still exist and the sun continued to rise and shine on December 22, 2012. With all those doomsday fear being dispelled, the year 2013 deserves to be treated with celebration, and where else to do so than to immerse oneself in some affordable luxury, such as dining in Bosses at Vivocity?

The English name of 'Bosses' is quite different from its Chinese name of 黑社会, the latter being "triad". But then again, the former is not that far away from its mark as well, for how else would you greet the leader of a triad gang than to call him "boss"?

The stark black decor and a dark entrance reminds me of nightclubs, and while it stood in stark contrast against the rest of the restaurant, it may serve as a deterrent to the less daring.

2012 HK Trip - Hui Lau Shan (許留山)

Location: Wan Chai (灣仔), S.A.R. Hong Kong

Note: This article is written base on the experience in the outlet located in 163 Hennessy Road. Experience may differ from other outlets in Hong Kong.

Note 2: This article was written prior to the setup of Hui Lau Shan in Malaysia, and may not reflect the same experience.

The first impression I recalled of traveling in Hong Kong's MTR was a large paneled advertisement, showing desserts featured in vivid tangerine yellow, with mango being the highlight here. It mentioned 'Mango Fiesta', with mango cakes, mango puddings and mango whatever portrayed in mouth-watering arrangements, highlighting the slogan, 'Mango, it must be Hui Lau Shan' (芒果，始終許留山). 

Of course, that was back in April and Malaysia had no local branches of Hui Lau Shan yet, so I could be forgiven for not knowing what that was all about. The fact that these ads were seen across everywhere ensured an ad hoc spot of its visit in our plan.

The advertisement of 'Mango Fiesta" by Hui Lau Shan was seen almost everywhere we went in Hong Kong, and the vivid yellow was quite inviting.

2012 HK Trip - Pier 88 (稻香超级渔港)

Location: Mong Kok (旺角), S.A.R. Hong Kong

Staying at a hostel near the busy corner that is Mong Kok certainly has its perks. Apart form the rows of vendors peddling their trade, shops of all kinds lined Nathan Road, and if you did your homework properly, you may be able to dig up some nice dining spots hidden among the jungle of signs.

The name transliterates loosely from 稻香超级渔港 (Cantonese reading: dou heong chew kap yee guong) to "Paddy fragrance super pier". 稻香 is the name of an F&B group, 稻香集团 (Tao Heung Group), one of the major F&B group in Hong Kong. There are branches of Pier 88 all over Hong Kong, but this branch is the nearest to our hostel.

Despite it being one of the famous dim sum spot in Hong Kong, we were initially surprised to find that the building which housed Pier 88, Grand Tower, to have a shabby front. It was later that we learned through experience that most buildings in Mongkok are in such state. It was when we went past the lobby and entered the lift which took us to the 3rd floor that we were surprised once more. 

The lift doors opened into a world well decorated and well-lit by crystal lamps and could safely be considered as a restaurant. The whole 3rd floor was bathed in an amber wash and the only impression which float to my mind was that of a luxurious restaurant entirely in contrast with the tower's front. Feeling a little unnerved by the potential huge spending when the bill was totaled, we stepped in. We were again surprised to find that with some controlled choice of food, the bill wasn't as high as we suspected.

From Pier 88/Tao Heung, with love...

2012 HK Trip - Xia Mian Guan (夏麵館)

Location: Diamond Hill, S.A.R. Hong Kong

Finding my second day in Hong Kong around the area of Diamond Hill and in search of lunch, I pulled out the list prepared prior to my travels and looked for this shop in the area. Since Hollywood Plaza is right at the exit of Diamond Hill MTR station, it wasn't difficult in finding this shop within the mall.

A snap off their menu, with the colors of autumn... (what's the color of summer anyway?) Their motto: there's good food/dish/meal in the shop...

2012 HK Trip - Good Start Restaurant 囍点

Location: Mong Kok, S.A.R. Hong Kong

My first night in Hong Kong was filled with adventure - all of my focus was on getting my bearings and finding my way to the hostel. Despite my understanding of Cantonese and Mandarin, aligning myself in a foreign place was still an adventure, especially with the hustle of night time Mong Kok.

By the time I settled down, it was already 10p.m. This was usually a bad news, since I was used to stalls closing down before 10p.m. Without any particular shop in mind, I just wandered down the streets and with some hesitance entered this shop which looked decent from the outside.

Welcome to Good Start Restaurant! Its name 囍点 actually transliterate into "Happiness Point".