Singapore Food Blog - No Signboard Seafood Restaurant (无招牌海鲜)

Location: Harborfront, Singapore

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

Yes, that is the name of the restaurant – No Signboard. Of course there is a signboard there. Anyway. We decided to celebrate our CNY meal this year in a seafood restaurant, and so No Signboard became our choice. 

The signboard says 'No Signboard". Confused yet?

Singapore Food Blog - The Asian Kitchen's Lu Gang Xiao Zhen 鹿港小镇

Location: Bugis, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Updated: This business is permanently closed.

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

The Asian Kitchen's name is rather peculiar as its name English and Mandarin name does not match each other. Its Mandarin name is 鹿港小镇 (Lu Gang Xiao Zhen), potentially named after a small township in Taiwan though the reason why is beyond my guess. Apart from a peculiar name, I do find its dishes memorable, worthy of a recommendation from me.

I usually patronize the branch in Bugis+, personally because the restaurant is located on the highest floor of the mall and has a high ceiling. Despite its relative lack of deco the high ceiling and ample distance between tables gave a spacious feel to the place.

Herbal Crispy Duck (药材烧鸭) (small - SGD12.70) is one of our favorite dish in The Asian Kitchen . Its crispy skin and succulent flesh soaked up the sauce it bathed in, bringing forth the flavor with every bite and chew.

Singapore Food Blog - Bakerzin @ Orchard Paragon

Location: Orchard, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Updated 29-Nov-2015: This outlet in Orchard Paragon is permanently closed. Outlets of Bakerzin can still be located in other locations through here: outlet locations.

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

Every once in a while I would walk past a Bakerzin cafe, its colorful confectioneries attracting my interest now and then but rarely did I stop for a break there. That was until once when I spied this one in Orchard Paragon and thought that I could get a break there, what with the cafes overflowing nearly everywhere on a busy weekend packed full of shoppers.

My impression of Bakerzin as a confectionery store and coffee serving cafe was challenged when I flipped through their menu and saw that they offered several main dishes as well. They served drinks, both caffeine laced and caffeine free, delivering enough to suit diners with different taste.

Bakerzin's menu is like a recipe book. Each section of the menu start off with an introduction of some ingredient highlights , some of which pointed to their nutritious values in the dishes in subsequent pages.

Singapore Food Blog - Mini Snowskin Mooncakes of Park Palace

Location: City Hall, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Mooncakes - what started originally as a way to defeat the Mongols by the Chinese evolved into the colorful and flavorful varieties we now see in the market. The traditional conservatives would choose the lotus paste mooncake with their distinctive baked brown skin, but snowskins had been our favorite for a long while. Those attractive colorful skins attracted our attentions, a lure to the younger generations.

With Park Palace promoting their snowskin mooncakes in our company near the end of the Mooncake Festival, we bought a box of 8 assorted mini snowskins, allowing us to mix and match between the 4 flavors they were offering. This article may come late past the festival, but for those who missed the mooncakes that they had devoured, here are some photos to rekindle your passion and appetite while waiting for the festival to arrive next year.

A box of 8 assorted mini snowskin mooncakes (SGD50.00) with 4 flavor variants, allowing customers to mix and match between the flavors. The empty spot there was due to a greedy and hungry photographer...

Singapore Food Blog - TungLok Signatures @ Vivocity 同樂經典

Location: Harborfront, Singapore

Note: This piece was written base on the dining experience in Vivocity branch. Experience may differ from those in another branch.
* Lokkee is operated by Tunglok Group. Other reviewed eateries from the same group include Lokkee and TungLok Signatures.

This review will start with a sincere and heartfelt thanks to my friends for treating us to a dinner for celebrating us newlyweds. It was unexpected and definitely very much appreciated. This is written fully dedicated to their thoughtfulness and undying friendship.

Tung Lok Signatures in Vivocity was chosen as the venue for our celebration. I was aware of Tung Lok Group having a range of restaurants under its management, but I was not familiar with what the Signatures brand offers. A quick surf into their website shed some light on this particular chain - its main business is in serving traditional Chinese cuisines, particularly dishes of Cantonese, Sichuan and Shanghainese variety and taste.

This celebration by my friends gave me a chance to sample their offers and compare that to their equally famous competitor which I had experienced before - Paradise Inn (樂天客棧) (read more on my Paradise Inn experience in the review here).

Tung Lok Signatures in Vivocity is situated on the ground floor, right beside one of the exits to the boardwalk facing Sentosa Island.

Singapore Food Blog - Paradise Inn @ NEX

Location: Serangoon, Singapore

Updated 30-Dec-2013: This outlet in NEX Serangoon is permanently closed. Outlets of Paradise Inn can still be located in other locations through here: outlet locations.

Note: This piece was written base on the dining experience in NEX Serangoon branch. Experience may differ from those in another branch.

The name 'Paradise Group' (乐天集团) is rather famous in Singapore, holding numerous outlets across the island republic and different concept restaurants in tight competition with a few other big shots in Chinese F&B dining. That includes a group shared in my previous article, Imperial Treasure Restaurant Group (御宝饮食集团) (read more in Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant). While I tasted the latter's dim sum delicacy last time, this time I tried Paradise Inn's main course to see what they have to offer.

The outlet in NEX is really jam packed with diners. It is not unusual to see diners lining up to wait for a seat during dinner time, and this is worsened during weekends. This does not discourage diners from revisiting though, a testament to how popular the restaurant is with Singaporeans. 

Singapore Food Blog - Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant @ Takashimaya 御宝南北小馆

Location: Orchard, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

To visit a restaurant along Orchard Road usually entails a significant lightening of your wallet. So when a friend of mine recommended Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant for their tasty dim sum at a not-so-significant reduction of the bills in my wallet, I should be forgiven for showing doubt. Even reviews online shared the same recommendation, and despite my cynical approach, I have to say that I was intrigued enough to give it a try. 

Imperial Treasure group is one of the large restaurant conglomerates in Singapore, bragging numerous awards and restaurants across the island republic. I would usually avoid such restaurants. For one, some of these restaurants are really a splurge – spending at least $30 or more per person is normal and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy without constant checking of the amount of bills in my wallet. The other reason is that the taste does not justify the price – a tastier version could be sampled in a stall rather than a restaurant, and at a lower price too. 

My misgivings on the restaurant proved unfounded. 

Diners are already lining in wait for their lunch.

Singapore Food Blog - JUMBO Seafood Restaurant @ Riverside Point, Clarke Quay

Location: Clarke Quay, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Singapore. Even though it is claimed by some to be a hubbub of cuisines, which is not wrong in all sense, most have difficulty to recall what is truly Singaporean, and not some imported taste made local. If you are one of them, look no further than JUMBO, one of the chain of seafood restaurant, and its famed chili crab. 

In truth, even JUMBO could not lay full claim to its food as a truly Singaporean cuisine. The seafood it offers is really a fusion between Hong Kong style cooking and local tastes, but the chili crab it serves is something which Singaporeans are proud to say is their local trademark. 

The restaurant is usually crowded, filled to the sidewalk border. The amber sign beckons diners to visit its confines.

A panoramic shot of the Singapore River, with JUMBO Restaurant to the left of the view.

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.

Singapore Food Blog - Soup Broth Asia

Location: City Hall, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Updated 5-Sept 2013: Soup Broth Asia is permanently closed and no longer in operation independently in Raffles City Shopping Centre. It has instead been combined with The Soup Spoon (its mother company) and The Handburger into Unity. The name remained in this combined establishment, but the soup is no longer available.

City Hall. Raffles Place. Bugis. These are familiar hangout areas in Singapore, with very obvious reasons. This is the heart of Singapore, where the CBD (Central Business District) resides and where most money flows. But that also meant that getting good food at low price is going to be tough. And Raffles City Shopping Centre is not going to relent unless you parted with enough of your money.

There are not many shops selling Asian soup in shopping centres as high end as that of Raffles City Shopping Centre. At least not at an affordable price. So it is to my delight that I encountered Soup Broth Asia while hunting for something more affordable and still able to fill my tummy.

Soup Broth Asia, located within the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre, is part of The Soup Spoon's range of restaurants.

Singapore Food Blog - Element buffet dinner @ Amara Hotel

Location: Tanjong Pagar, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore.

I guess that any search online for Amara Hotel's buffet dinner will result in numerous reviews sharing individual experience of dining there after purchasing online discounted coupons which were available just recently. So here's another piece to add to that growing list.

Welcome to 165 Tanjong Pagar Road!

Malaysia Food Blog - Tuck Kee Restaurant @ Yau Tet Shin Street

Location: Yau Tet Shin Street, Ipoh

If you have read my previous article on Mix Fruit Ice and crave for more of Ipoh's more locally available food, then here's another one located just nearby the area. The shop's name may or may not be familiar with most people since there are 2 'Tuck Kee' along the same row of shops... heck, they are practically sister shops next to each other, except for the fact that there is another shop in between the competing business.

The shop is nothing to scream about, except for the fact that it has been in operation for a very long while, which lent credit to how popular it is. Another sister shop named 'Sun Tuck Kee' (that's new Tuck Kee for you non-Cantonese speakers) provides similar choices of dish.

Malaysia Food Blog - Taipei 101 (台北101)

Location: Bayan Lepas, Penang Isle

No, this is not about that tall building in Taiwan. This is about a shop situated right opposite of Queensbay Mall, with its yellow sign gleaming through day and night. Indeed, the same establishment was originally called Mommy Wang (王妈妈), and after they started operating for a while they switched to this name which you can see across the street from Queensbay Mall's entrance.

Most of the joints near or in Queensbay Mall are not exactly for one with is not on a splurge. If you are one of those with a limited budget, and still would like to get a decent meal that is different from your usual ones, then I would definitely suggest Taipei 101.

Malaysia Food Blog - Madam Soon - A New Concept of the Spring

Location: E-Gate, Penang Isle

My old friends from my university years planned for a reunion in E-Gate, but we were not really sure where to head to. We saw Madam Soon right beside Old Town Cafe, and just out of curiosity, we went right in into a world of turquoise and amber.

Although the joint is called Madam Soon, the nice sprawling on the blackboard still tells otherwise.

Malaysia Food Blog - Evergreen Laurel Hotel - A Wedding Dinner

Location: Gurney Drive, Georgetown, Penang Isle

Among the numerous hotels along Gurney Drive, Evergreen Laurel Hotel is not one of those which I identified immediately. With Gurney Plaza situated at one end and the hotel situated near the far end of the opposite side, I guess I do not have a chance to get to know it, unlike G-Hotel which I could walk through when I visited Gurney Plaza. I guess my ex-colleague's wedding dinner gave me ample reason to get up close with this hotel situated in the prestigious Gurney Drive.

Red for WEDDING! Congratulations to my friend Poh and his lovely bride for their big day!

Malaysia Food Blog - Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel - A Wedding Dinner

Location: Tanjung Bungah, Penang Isle

I may have attended a few wedding ceremonies, but getting invited to one in a beach hotel is a first for me. When I was invited to the wedding ceremony of my German language coursemate, I got my first ever chance to write a piece on the experience of dining in a seaside hotel, more so in an event of holy matrimony. 

The hotel in itself is breathtaking, and a sparse lobby greets its customers. Going past the lobby is the hotel's beach, and since I arrived with my other coursemates in the evening around 7p.m., we were presented with a magnificent sunset view over the beach.

Since we were early, I took a walk around the hotel's lobby area to kill time. The view over the beach was breathtaking, more so with the sun setting. The long stretch of beach was dotted with visitors and guests, all contributing to the lovely view. I especially loved the veranda that stood looking over the beach and across the sea, with benches provided for guests to marvel at the sunset over the beach; this painted an unforgetable picture of a romantic moment I once saw on TV.

Lovely sunset view over the beach behind Tanjung Bungah Beach Resort

Malaysia Food Blog - Sugar Dynasty (糖朝)

Greetings from Sugar Dynasty

Location: Georgetown, Penang Isle

When I started off working in Penang, my colleagues and I used to organise a "makan-makan" trip to sample food from different corners of the isle. I was new then and had no inkling of where what was, but I do recall vividly this shop. When I tried to work my way around the twisting roads of Georgetown (pardon this fellow who has trouble around Georgetown even after 3 years), I finally managed to revisit this small shop located in one of the locations listed under World Heritage Site - Nagore Road.

The name Sugar Dynasty is actually a homophone in Mandarin. The name in Mandarin, 糖朝 (táng cháo) is a homophone of Tang Dynasty, 唐朝 (táng cháo), and truly, the shop is a haven for lovers of the Chinese style dessert. Sugar Dynasty greets its customer with a menu filled with 4 pages worth of dessert of your choice, and most of them are less than RM5.00 per bowl. Some of the choices cater for those with exquisite taste, with expensive traditional Chinese herbs like swallow's nest (燕窝) used as the ingredient, and costs more than RM30.00 per bowl. 

Malaysia Food Blog - Hidden Recipe café

Location: Sungai Dua, Penang Isle

A shop which unabashedly copy the famous brand of Secret Recipe? That was my first thought, but a visit to the shop shows that it is anything but. Although it shares a word in its name with your favorite neighborhood confectionery shop, a taste of its food does give credit to its namesake.

The shop has a tropical outlook, and the interior is lined with wallpapers of bricks with photos of happy visiting diners decorating a portion of a wall. Glow of yellow light beckons lovers to spend a romantic dinner or the occasional passer-by to spend a relaxing night, although the interior is a little packed from the cramped arrangement of tables and chairs. Since it is strategically located just a few blocks from USM and with its offer of 10% discount off of set dishes for students of USM and INTI college who can show his student pass, you can expect this spot to be frequented by students.



Welcome to Hidden Recipe! Greetings from a tropical outlook and well-lit interior...

Malaysia Food Blog - Fatty Loh Chicken Rice shop

Location: Georgetown, Penang Isle

When I first heard of the comical name Fatty Loh (大肥罗), it was because my colleagues said that it is one of the must-visit shops for chicken rice enthusiasts. His name resounds throughout my colleagues, and by chance I managed to visit the shop in a sunny afternoon when I drove past the street. And what do you know, if you read its logo carefully, it does say "Penang's Most Famous Chicken Rice".

Chicken rice may not be any extraordinary dish for Malaysians, but it is not easy to find a decent one anywhere. With stalls sprouting anywhere a shop is located like mushrooms after the rain, the dish is enough to satisfy one's belly but not one's taste buds. For this shop, they serve enough to satisfy both.

Malaysia Food Blog - Harvest In café

Location: Georgetown, Penang Isle

A birthday celebration a while back with one of my colleague introduced me to this wondrous café hidden in Jalan Irrawady. This small café has chosen a simple black and white as its motif, which is present from its decorations to its waiters and waitresses; the boss herself chose white as her uniform, which stands in stark contrast against the waiters and waitresses' black.

The celebration was only possible by arriving early, as it was fully packed within minutes, which goes to show how popular the place is. Although I do not remember what I ordered then, I do remember that the food was nice and that price was quite reasonable.

One sunny afternoon with nowhere in mind, my housemate and the two of us wandered into this same spot. She had heard of it from us, and would very much like to try this food haven for herself to verify whether it is as good as we said.