Tang Tea House Hong Kong Cafe

For some reason, I like having dim sum on Sundays. It's light and you can take your time. So, I decided to go to Tang Tea House in Bedok Road. According to their posters, they are the first halal dim sum in Singapore. They are in a coffee shop and they shared a shop lot with Botak Jones and another shop selling seafood, chicken rice etc.

Of course, one must try the basic dim sum like Har Kow and Siew Mai. The Har Kow was pretty good. Prawn was fresh, slightly crunchy and the filling was generous. The Siew Mai was a little salty but it was acceptable. One of my fave is chicken feet, I know some people are squeamish about this but I like it. The sauce was a bit different, it was a bit sweet and slightly spicy but I suspect they are trying to cater to the Malay clientele. The Carrot Cake was not too oily and it was nice. The Deep Fried Shrimp Dumplings were not bad. BBQ Chicken Pau filling was slightly sweet for me. I also ordered You Tiao from the other shop as I try almost every place that sells You Tiao. It was crispy though I wished it had a little more cuttlefish paste.

On the whole, I think the meal was ok, but not "wow"....

*Halal

Ratings:

Har Kow 7.5/10
Siew Mai 6.5/10
Chicken Feet 5/10
BBQ Chicken Pau 6/10
Pan Fried Carrot Cake 7.5/10
Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling 7/10
You Tiao 6/10

No. 357/359 Bedok Road
Singapore 469545
Tel: 6445 9100

Oso Ristorante

A good friend was asking me where to go for dinner and I suggested Oso as I had not been there for a while.

It's a 2 storey restaurant opposite the Chinatown area surrounded by quaint old shophouses. As I entered, there was a singer at the lounge and a cigar bar. The restaurant upstairs also has a balcony area which I find rather pleasant.

My friends ordered veal, risotto, crabmeat pasta, while I ordered the 2 week old aged beef. The veal was tender but somewhat lacking something in the taste department. There was "something missing" and it was just "ok ok" according to him. The crabmeat pasta looks nice and creamy but tastewise it could have been better. My other friend's risotto was decent, it's done well but we had forgotten to take any shots. My 2 week old aged beef was tender but I find that it lacks seasoning. There's nothing much you can do with steak but I think good seasoning is a must. The asparagus that went with it was crunchy and tasty.

As we were sitting at the balcony area, the photos turn out a bit dark due to minimal lighting. On the whole, I think it is a nice restaurant with very good service. Though I remembered the food being better before than this visit.

Ratings:

Veal: 6/10
Crabmeat Pasta: 6/10
Risotto: 7/10
2 week old aged beef: 6/10


46 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089858
Tel: 6327 8378
www.oso.sg

Shaik Sabri's Xpress Briyani

I LOVE Briyani! It is one of my most favourite dishes. One afternoon, I decided that I must have my briyani fix so I went to a place that my friend had "bungkus" (take-away) for me before. I came back again as I remembered it to be pretty good. I wasn't even sure whether they were open so I was very pleased to see a Chinese guy manning the little shop with a helper.

Actually, I am a lamb person but they had no lamb on that day so I decided to get the beef briyani instead. The rice was perfectly cooked (it separates nicely) and it was excellent. It reminds me more of a wedding style Nasi Minyak (Ghee Rice) than Briyani and it was delish. The beef gravy was good but it could do with the beef being stewed a little longer as I find it a little chewy but it was acceptable. The Acar Timun (pickled cucumber) was fresh, crunchy and slightly sweet. The Chicken Masala was also very decent, not sour and just the right amount of spices.

Next time you are craving for briyani, keep this place in mind. This takeaway joint is located next to KFC in Bedok Interchange. There are no seating area. I heard that they cater for weddings and events as well.

*Halal

Rating:

Briyani Rice 8.5/10

Beef Curry: 7.5

Cucumber Acar: 8.5/10

Chicken Masala: 7.5/10

(June 2011:  Please be informed that this outlet is no longer in the current location.  Will update when we find out their current location).

Tel: 1800 246 4838

No Menu

I tried a few times to get a reservation at this restaurant and it was rather difficult to get a table as they are always full. This family owned establishment is run by the whole family, Osvaldo Forlino, is the chef, his wife and his two daughters also helps out in the restaurant. It is a very cozy restaurant with very nice deco with a very homely Italian feel.

It took me a while to find a parking spot but I was lucky enough to get a space just outside the restaurant. I managed to get a table for lunch on a weekday as they are close for lunchtime on weekends and only open on Saturday nights for dinner (they are close on Sundays). When I got there, I had to wait a while as they were clearing the table as they have two seatings for lunch. I read somewhere that their pastas are fantastic so I kept that in mind.

We were given a simple salad to go with the tenderloin beef carpaccio. The carpaccio was fresh and tender and simply lovely. My daughter couldn't decide which one she wanted as her main course, so we ordered both the ravioli and the risotto, both her favourite. While my friend ordered the spaghetti with prawns and chilli. The ravioli was done simply with garlic and tomato sauce but it was fablicious. The squid ink risotto has tiny squid in it and bits of crab for flavour. It was yums! The spaghetti with prawns and chilli was also fantastic. I must say that their pastas are fabulous. It was done simply but it was super tasty.

My daughter then finished off her meal by ordering a chocolate truffle. I had a taste as I am not a dessert person and I must say that I like it very much.

Oh! Their homemade bread was fantastic as well and the balsamico that we were given was DELICIOUS! It was thick and had a fruity flavour. I guessed that it was grapes and I was right :)... I decided to buy a bottle for myself to take home too.

It was indeed a fabulous lunch paired with a bottle of their lovely prosecco. I will definitely come back again, next time for dinner.

Reservations is a must.

Ratings:

Carpaccio: 8.5/10
Ravioli with tomato sauce: 9.5/10
Squid Ink Risotto: 9.5/10
Spaghetti with Prawns and Chilli: 8.5/10
Chocolate Truffle: 10/10

No Menu
23 Boon Tat Street
Singapore 069621
Tel: +65 6224 0091

Rumah Makan Minang

I was delighted when one of my "makan kakis" suggested that we go for Nasi Padang for lunch one Sunday. He told me there's this family run well-known place and I should try it.

We got there about 12.30pm and I was shocked to see such a looong queue. There were many Chinese, Malays, Peranakans and tourists. My friend joined the line and after I told him what I wanted, I "chopped" a table. I was also told that there's an air-conditioning area upstairs but it would be a pain if we were going to ask for seconds :P

After what seemed like a long wait, the food arrived. I tried the Asam Pedas Tenggiri. It was good, not too spicy and I love the daun kesum (thai basil). However, I suspected that there's a bit of tomato in this dish and that is more Malay than Padang. The Beef Rendang was tender and sauce was delicious, although slightly spicy for me. The Chilli Chicken dish was hot but tolerable, the chicken was fried and the pounded green and red chilli paste was spread all over the chicken. Drool material. The Sambal Paru (beef lungs) was standard and we had two plates of it because we generally like paru. Sambal Goreng (long beans and fried tofu) was average.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal as we polished off two plates of rice each :D. I think it's very good Nasi Padang for Singapore. Of course, you can't compare to the ones in Jakarta as those are unbeatable. I will definitely come again.

After the meal, we walked around feeling like tourists as my friend was snapping away with his new camera, capturing the sights of the charming Arab Street.

*Halal

Ratings:
Rendang: 9/10
Asam Pedas: 8/10
Chilli Chicken: 8.5/10
Sambal Paru: 7.5/10
Sambal Goreng: 6/10

Rumah Makan Minang
18 & 18A Kandahar Street
Near Arab Street, behind Sultan Mosque
Tel: 6294-4805

Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro

This pretty cafe caught my attention as I was walking around Arab Street after lunch one day. So I put it in my mental note to try it next time. When my friend and I decided to catch up for lunch after having not seen each other for two years and he suggested Fika Cafe, I immediately said yes.

When we got there around 12.30pm on a Saturday, some of the tables were already occupied. We sat at a table and was immediately attended by the staff. Since the Swedish are known for their meatballs, I decided to give it a try. My friend decided to have the grilled salmon. It didn't take long for our food to arrive and that was appreciated as my friend got to rush off to work after lunch.

When my dish arrived, I thought the meatballs itself looked a bit dry. It was served with salad , potatoes, brown gravy and lingon berry sauce on the side. Although it looked dry, it was tasty and when eaten together with the gravy, it was very nice. The lingon berry sauce was also just right, not too sweet or too tart. The salad had a light dressing on it and the boiled potatoes were decent. My friend's grilled salmon looked nice. Although, he mentioned that it could do with more sides. I will come back next time and try the other dishes and I will definitely update you.

By the time we left, most of the tables were occupied so I think this is a good sign. Personally, I think there should be more halal cafe or restaurants like this and better, serving western food in a decent set up. They have their menu on their website, so have a look...

*Halal

Rating:
Swedish meatballs: 8/10

No. 257 Beach Road / Arab Street, Singapore
(on the corner of Beach Road and Arab Street)
Tel: +65 6396 9096
www.fikacafe.com

Sop Kambing/ Mutton Soup

I love Soup Kambing... So far, I've tried a number of places and I think this one is worth your visit.

I was in Geylang market to do some spices shopping and decided to have something for breakfast. As there were soooo many choices there, I didn't know what to have and decided to try out the Soup Kambing instead.

It arrived at my table piping hot and the aroma of the spices told me that this could be good. It was served with a few pieces of bread but I decided to have a taste of just the soup to start with. The flavourful spices burst in my mouth immediately. The meat was tender and tasty as the herbs and spices had penetrated into the meat. It was not too oily. The consistency of the soup was also just right, not too runny or too thick. I obviously enjoyed it as I polished off the whole bowl... :)

*Halal

Rating: 8/10

Hanifa Soup Kambing

Geylang Serai Market

2nd Level

Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine Ngee Ann City

This is one of my favourite restaurants. My friends and I usually have porridge with the various dishes.

Since it is around Chinese New Year, my friends and I decided to have Yu Sheng to start. The Salmon Yu Sheng was fabulously fresh, I enjoyed it very much. The braised goose was tender and done just right. The sauce accompanying the goose was also very tasty, not too salty or too sweet. I feel this is a "must-have" dish here. The roast duck was succulent, crispy on the outside, extremely tasty and well seasoned. This is another "must-have" dish! Spinach was simple but delicious. Our teochew style steamed Soon Hock was yummy too. It was perfectly steamed and the fish was fresh and moist. I like!

I feel this restaurant is consistently good and simply fablicious!

Ratings:

Braised Goose: 9/10
Roasted Duck: 9/10
Steamed Soon Hock: 9/10
Spinach with garlic: 8.5/10

Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine
Ngee Ann City
4th Level

Kampung Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant

Had about an hour just to grab a quick lunch somewhere and I drove pass this place along New Upper Changi Road. As I was in a bit of a rush, I didn't order the seafood but instead ordered a few easy dishes.

The Chicken Rice was so so, the sauce for the roasted chicken was nice but I find the rice slightly lacking in taste. The Mee Upeh that I ordered has loads of ingredients but it could do with a little more salt and tastier stock as I find it a bit bland. The Tahu Telur was really good according to my friend, the tofu was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. I must say the "you tiao" or sotong char kway was really really good. It was tasty, superbly crispy and really flavourful. I think it's the best dish that I ordered here.

*Halal

Rating:
Chicken Rice: 5.5/10
Mee Upeh: 5/10
Tahu Telur: 8/10
You Tiao: 9/10

303 New Upper Changi Road
(near Lorong Sarina)