Char Kway Teow is Especially Shiok after a Run

For the past 2 months, I've been training for the annual IPPT that's just round the corner (Bedok corner- which also serves yummy kacang phool). And what better way to reward a nice morning run than a good plate of char kway teow! Moohahaha.


This stall at Zion Road Food Centre is legendary. Having won many bowls and chopsticks, and being crowned as a "Master" by Makansutra, it is apparently even voted as the choice of many CEOs! I like the Char Kway Teow ($5- large plate) here for it's well-balanced flavours of chilli, sweet sauce, garlic, hum juice, lup chiong and lard. It's moist and utterly delicious with crispy bits of pork lard and crunchy beansprouts.


No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow
Stall 17
Zion Road Riverside Food Centre
Opens: 12pm-3pm; 6pm-11pm Daily

Chew On This: And then go for a walk/run lah! :p

Seoul Yummy

With the opening of Seoul Yummy, it was a matter of time before this cow who churches at Suntec eventually tries it.

And we did one Sunday lunch. Since the mother and sister were overseas, while the grandparents were at a different location, it was a father and son lunch.


Here's the side dishes that were served. I found green leafy veg missing but still enjoyed the other sides- kimchi, tofu, ikan bilis, potato salad, peanuts and radish. I particularly like the radish cubes for their clean, refreshing crunch with a slight lemon aroma.

For mains, we decided to pick two items from their lunch specials.


Hotpot Spicy Beef Soup ($11.99) had sweet slices of beef with tofu, egg and plenty of spring onions in a spicy soup. Pretty nice especially since this brings back fond memories of the Korean food at NTU (Should have eaten more when I was still studying there. So cheap lah!).


The other dish we tried was the Half Ginseng Chicken Soup ($13.99). The ginseng flavour here came from fresh Korean ginseng. This soup is great for those who fear the strong flavours of ginseng. While I would have preferred a stronger ginseng kick, this was a nice bowl of chicken soup! Flavourful and almost good for the soul. The chicken was also surprisingly tasty! I think they rubbed it well with salt. :) The brown rice also had a sweet fragrance of pulot hitam!


Seoul Yummy is a causal Korean place with good value and yummy food. The above lunch specials come with freeflow side dishes and barley tea. The decor is simple but stylish and confortable too.


Seoul Yummy
#B1-048/049 (other outlets at Square 2 and The Central)
Suntec City Mall
Tel: 6836 2883

Chew On This: Add $3.99 to your lunch special and get a soft drink plus froyoo light (frozen yogurt)!

Mala Yong Tau Foo, Anyone?

I am not a big fan of food courts but sometimes there are interesting finds. My auntie told me: "Ah boy, you should try the yong tau foo downstairs. They got mala!" Intrigued and like an obedient blogger, I went to check it out.

Now, we have come across the usual yong tau foo soup with a stock made from ikan bilis and soy beans, and also tom yum and laksa variants. But mala yong tau foo?!


The stall offered what seems like the usual works- stuffed bittergourd, cuttlefish, fishball, stuffed tofu, stuffed tau pok, hard-boiled eggs, assorted fried items and greens. For $3.80, I had a bowl with 6 items and rice. Wanting to try the Mala version, I added an additional 50 cents.

While the mala soup was a lot thinner than what I am used too (restaurant standard home-cooked pots of spicy love at home), it was certainly a very interesting option for jaded yong tau foo palates. The yong tau foo items I picked were fresh, especially the stuffed tofu. A good item with mala is, in my opinion (like everything here in this blog), luncheon meat! The soft slabs of salty tinned pork with meaty flavours are superb with the spicy broth! It could have been much better if the luncheon meat was braised with the broth for a while before ending up in customers' bowls.

Was it spicy? Pretty alright on first bite/slurp. But as I ate, beads of sweat formed and gradually I had to blow my nose. The spice mix of Szechuan peppercorns, cumin etc flavour in a layer of chilli oil was sadistically rewarding. I'm even salivating as I type this post! :p~~

The strange saliva-inducing powers of merely looking at or thinking of spicy foods rock.


Yong Tau Foo
Sophia Food Mall
1 Sophia Road
Peace Centre
Opens Daily

Chew On This: If you are not really good with spicy food but want to try this, I recommend not picking leafy veggies! Leafy veg like kang kong, long cabbage, spinach etc have large surface area for chilli oil to cling onto. If that fails, get a nicely-chilled can of soy bean milk to douse the fire. :)

McSurreal

It was pure chance that brought me to this event. After the Restaurant Week party, Camemberu and Keropokman suggested I join them for dinner at McDonald's. Yea, it wasn't my usual choice for dinner (this cow needs quite a bit to feed four stomachs) but I was intrigued enough to follow them.


And what an experience it turned out to be! White table cloth, fresh yellow roses in a vase, metal cutlery, black napkins, a nice printed menu card and table service! WOAH.

Could this be real? Seriously at McDonald's?


But before I could digest all the surprise and confusion in my head, a (Mc)flurry of staff started to dance and belt out an original song in honour of their new burger! Got song and dance some more ah? Very cool. I could certainly get used to this! Moohahaha.

Anyway, an exclusive four-course dinner was held for invited guests who included bloggers, forumers and McDonald's supporters. A section of the restaurant (yes, now I know why all this while, it's called McDonald's restaurant!) was reserved for us and magically transformed into a full-fledged restaurant!


I was very happy to see Irene Jansen- a lifestyle singing chef, cook book author and founder of food consultancy business, Culinary Adventures. She was also a fellow Foodie Lunch Pick-er on 938LIVE! Irene was the chef who help put together this four-course menu and even wrote and performed the song! Awesomeness.

All four courses were made using most ingredients that were readily available at McDonald's, and of course some specially made by Chef Irene.


The first course of Fish & Corn Quiche comprised of cubes of Fillet-O-Fish, corn, egg and BBQ sauce. It tasted sweet and just a tad savoury. I wished it had been more savoury than sweet but..but..I'm stunned. It's served in a porcelain bowl?!


The second course of Fresh Salad Greens arrived next. This was fit for this cow as I happily chomped on fresh grass lettuce, tomato slices and corn kernels! The tangy Thousand Island dressing on the side was a low-fat version so when used in moderation, I guess one doesn't feel too guilty.


Then the main course arrived! The star of the night. The burger that is the reason for this whole dining experience- The Teppanyaki Chicken McGrill. Instead of sesame seed buns, this was a nice sourdough bread. A little chewy and pretty wholesome. It was no chicken patty here. A deboned chicken thigh was grilled skin-on and assembled with lettuce, tomato and chargrill sauce. Pretty tasty and relatively filling! Yay.

Watch out for a series of different flavours for the Chicken McGrill later this year!


Dessert was Apple Yogurt Trifle made with McDonald's Apple Dippers, strawberry yogurt, vanilla soft serve, toasted sourdough croutons, strawberry sauce and cinnamon powder. Delish! I love the balance of sweet and tang, and the contrasting textures. I hope this would be on the regular menu! Tolong lah. :p


Then I almost fell off my chair when a service staff asked if I would like coffee or tea. Seriously and totally unexpected at McDonald's! Wanting to ease into bed and continue this pleasant dreamy feeling, I opted for a caffeine-free camomile tea. :)


A nice group photo of fellow blogger friends at the table, courtesy of Yina. On the extreme left is Petrina Kow (former Class 95 deejay) who was the evening's emcee and did an excellent job! *Clap Clap* Beatrice, ladyironchef, Camemberu, Keropokman and yours moo-lly made up the rest at this table.


I woke up the next morning, still trying to believe it was not a dream. Surreal-ness hit not only during the dinner but even for the next few days.

Think I need more sleep. And perhaps another dose of McSurreal to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.

Thanks to the folks from McDonald's and GolinHarris for hosting this hungry cow.


McDonald's
Alocassia Apartments (various other outlets)
383 Bukit Timah Road
#01-09B
Tel: 6887 4961

Chew On This:
I'm happy to give away this complete set of McDonald's Food Straps to one person! These miniatures are so cute lah. Drop me a comment here naming McDonald's latest chicken burger (psst...it's featured in this post) and don't forget to include your name and email address! Closing date is 31 March! One lucky winner will be picked by the online random number generator.

A Seriously Good Cafe

It was supposed to be a post-dinner coffee/tea and cakes but because we felt peckish after the ayam penyet dinner, the above caught me eye! The Pasta Giant Prawn Cream Sauce ($21.80) with squid ink spaghetti was awesome. Rich and creamy with a slight crustacean flavour, it had juicy pieces of the giant prawn.


Penne Spicy Thai Salted Fish ($10.80) was a simple but very tasty dish! The bits of dried fish (not stinky!) gave a very savoury edge.


Because I seem to get affected by strong doses of caffeine nowadays (sigh), I opted for the Calamansi ($5)- freshly-squeezed lime juice and lots of preserved plums!

There was a good spread of cakes available so we picked 3 to try.


Durian Cake ($7.80) was disappointing to me. On the good side, it wouldn't give one durian breathe and frighten away ang mohs but I would much prefer a stronger durian flavour.


Thankfully the Green Tea Crepe & Chocolate Sauce ($7.90) was really good. The texture of the many layers of crepe breaking away in the mouth was interesting and the flavour of green tea did come through. Chocolate and green tea seems like a good match!


The third cake came about as a bonus for using OCBC card to pay the bill. Spend above $60 and receive a complimentary cake (supposedly popular with the royal family in Thailand). But as that cake was sold out, we picked the Black Forest which turned out alright. Will be back for the Green Tea Crepe & Chocolate Sauce!

Coffee Stars by Dao is a very interesting cafe with both western and Thai food, cakes and drinks. Service is very good and enthusiastic. Certainly good spot for a bite and to chill out with friends! I'll be back to try their Thai dishes.


Coffee Stars by Dao
Wisma Atria
#01-37/41
Opens: 10am-10pm daily

Chew On This: This cafe chain has been in Thailand for over 16 years and if you are wondering about the tai-tai-looking lady, she's the owner here and happens to be Miss Thailand 1997 or 1998!

The Ultimate Ice Cream FUN-draiser

If I could rename these ice cream flavours, it would be.....


....Sex-In-A-Cup! (On the beach is so sooo over)


....Screw-Everything-Give-Me-This!

Anyway before you start licking your computer screen, I just wanted to moo about this event that I am involved in. Psss...come say hi!


To celebrate Cold Stone Creamery's first opening in Singapore, the established American premium ice cream maker with more than 1500 stores in 17 countries will be partnering Make-A-Wish in The Ultimate Ice Cream FUN-draiser!

Part of the sales proceeds on 12 March will be donated to fulfilling the wish of 11 year-old Zhern Xin, who was diagnosed with lymphoma earlier this year.

Catch 98.7FM deejays Shan, Rozz, and the Muttons (Vernon and Justin) at the opening and enjoy fun games, giveaways, drum performances and even a flash mob!

Wanna take a sneak peek at Shan & Rozz dancing? ;)

Come on down for a day of fun and charity. And of course, awesome ice cream.

The Ultimate Ice Cream FUN-draiser
Date: 12 March 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 1-3pm
Venue: #01-09/10 Orchard Central

Chew On This: Cos there's almost nothing better than enjoying ice cream and doing good at the same time!

Todai Opens at MBS

A friend buzzed me and asked if I would like to check out this "upscale buffet" at MBS. Having only been to MBS for last year's Wine For Asia, and because I had also wanted to refuel after a tiring week, I was happy to accept the invitation to Todai.

And what a huge spread it was! 82 metres of buffet line up! One could do a micro marathon there through one night. Moohahaha.


Hold your horses. We, stomachs, body and soul, had to wait for VIPs to arrive to officiate the red ribbon cutting ceremony. This was after all Todai's grand opening! Congrats to Todai on their first opening in South East Asia!!

We now head back to the food.

Going through every buffet item one by one is too boring, painful and difficult to balance with actually enjoying the food. So I will highlight what to me were interesting and/or good.


One item that is probably not on any other buffet spread is the Fried Korean Ginseng! The crisp batter gave way to a pleasant starchy bite not unlike tapioca. There was a sweet taste followed by a bitterness that cleansed the palate from any residual oil. Very interesting and nice!


Next up is the popular seafood on ice. But the star would have to be....


Snow crab pincers and legs! These were awesome. Firm, meaty and with the natural sweetness and salinity of the sea. Order a carbonara and peel some of these babies over it, for a poshed up pasta!


There were also sashimi. I spied these special ones that were prepared just for VIPs (not us unfortunately). So colourful!


The Churrascaria section had a selection of chicken drumlets, pork belly, pineapple, beef ribye, flank and chuck tender. My favourite was the pork belly! Succulent and flavourful with a tad of sin. Also check out the roasted sweet potatoes- warm with some parts nicely caramelised, they were sweet with a tasty cinnamon (and ginger?) edge.


Cheeses. Can't believe I missed the cheeses. Damn. But oh well, no point crying over missed cheese.


Also available were rows of salads, a pasta station, pizzas, ramen and udon soups, tempura corner, cold cuts, European dishes (frog legs, roast beef, fish in cream sauce, pork in orange sauce), Korean items...


..and sushi! Lots of them.

This buffet is definitely one for those who love extensive spreads. I seriously doubt one can eat a piece of every dish here and walk out straight. But then again, there are monsters...and we are talking about buffets to Singaporeans. Moohaha. Being a Korean company, many of Todai's food has a slight Korean/fusion-ish touch.


Anyway,desserts were a variety of cakes, mousse, fruits etc.


I picked and mixed and ended up with the above platter. See the cute strawberry with cream? Haha. Ya, I ate it. LOL.

Thanks to Venetia of Marina Bay Sands for hosting me.


Lunch Prices
Monday-Thursday: Adult $42++; Child $22++
Friday-Sunday, Public Holidays and Even of Public Holidays: $58++; Child $26++

Dinner Prices
Monday-Thursday: Adult $54++; Child $26++
Friday-Sunday, Public Holidays and Even of Public Holidays: $58++; Child $26++


Todai
2 Bayfront Ave
#B2-001
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: 6688 7771
Opens Daily: 11.30am-4.30pm; 5.30pm-11pm (Last order 30mins before closing)

Chew On This: From now till 31 March 2011, receive 10% off your bill and enjoy free flow of Korean strawberries!