Red Star Restaurant

"Red Star Restaurant - 红星酒家" located at level 7 of the HBD block in Chin Swee Road. From the official website, you can read about the history of this restaurant which is set up by two chef in around 1974. The operating hours starts from as early as 7am daily which they offer all kinds of hot piping dim sums that are ordered from push trolleys.

Since my in-laws was around Chinatown area doing some shopping, we decided to meet up for dim sum - 点心 lunch since this restaurant is somewhere near my working area. Since lunch hour was pretty rush for me, I didn't really have much time accompany them throughout the whole session. But they will very thoughtful, while waiting for me to arrive, they already ordered some of my favourite dishes to avoid the waiting time.

Although I personally prefer "Siu Mai - 烧卖" more than "Har Gua - 虾饺" but I find that the Har Gua that served here are very fresh, the wheat starch skin that used to wrapped the prawn was thin and the prawn filling it in is crunchy and sweet compare to most of the dim sum stall.

Next comes my favour which is the "Siu Mai - 烧卖", the serving here is just nice for the size as some outlet are serving those extra big size which making it feel so greasy upon eating. The fillings of the siu mai consists of ground pork, shrimp and chinese mushroom that is wrapped with a yellowish skin and there is often an orange dot on the center.

I am not sure what is this dish called, but it is wrapped with ground pork, prawns and chinese chives with a skin that is similar to dumpling skin. The taste was quite ok for me as the chives taste did not actually over powder the rest of the ingredients.

"Century Egg and Pork Porridge - 皮蛋瘦肉粥" is one of the most common Congee that customers will order while having dim sum. Normally, they will also have Chicken/Pork/Fish Congee in the menu, but the most popular orders will still be this century Egg & pork porridge.

"Fung Zhao - 鳳爪" are chicken feet that are being deep fried, boiled, marinated in a black bean sauce and then steamed. This cause the texture to be light and fluffy, while moist and tender on the inner area. When having dim sum with my mum, we will always ordered at least two plates of this because we simply love this dish due to it braising sauce.

"Fried Wontons - 炸馄饨" which is a great finger food to go with some mayonnaise dipping sauce for both adults and kids. This dish has to be served hot while the so that you can take the crispness of the wonton skin and the juicy filling in it.

Lastly, after all the steam and deep-fry food, it time to settle with something sweet to end with the meal. My in-laws are having "Black sesame paste - 芝麻糊" while me and my sis-in-law each grab a bowl of this "Almond Jelly - 杏仁豆腐" with Longan. The taste of this almond jelly is light for those who don't really keen with the Almond taste/fragrance. But to me, I still prefer those with a stronger almond taste flavour.

The Prata Place

The Prata Place located at the end of a stretch of shophouses at Thong Soon Avenue near Thomson. This shop is also Halal certified and they make the prata only after you place your order so the prata will remains hot and crispy when served at your table.

We arrived at the venue around 6.30pm on a Saturday evening and there are already a lot of people dinning inside the shop. So in order not to wait for seats inside, we choose a table outside the shop and starts looking at the menu on what we want.

Teh Tarik is always one of the drink that I would order when patronize any of the prata shop. I love the taste of that milk tea with that extra bubbles on top. The temperature of the tea is just nice, not too hot and it's very smooth and I just like that taste of it.

I guess no one can resists their wide variety of prata and their thin and crispy prata! We ordered their "Paper thin prata" and "Strawberry Prata" which is very crispy and fragrance. As you can see from the photo the strawberry prata is drizzle with some strawberry sauce and sprinkler with colourful bits and the texture of the prata are just as thin as a piece of crispy cracker.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, here comes our Chicken Murtabak which we ordered the small size serving that they cut into 6 portions. Their murtabak comes in different sizes like S, M, L, XL. We will kind of disappointed with their chicken murtabak which appears to be like some chopped chicken minced stir-fry with chopped onion and spices that wrapped between a layer of the prata skin.

Overall we still prefer the Egg and Cheese Prata which serves with a plate of their dipping curry sauce. The combination of egg and prata is so fragrance especially with the extra curry and you just can't seems to get enough of eating it.

Taste Of Thailand @ Yishun Industrial Park

Those staying around Yishun, Sembawang or Woodlands area would most probably have heard or patronize this restaurant called "Taste of Thailand" that used to have a store at the basement food court before Giant took over the basement level. After the partial renovation of the shopping center, the stall move from the basement up to the 4th storey. Now they have shifted out of the new Sembawang Shopping Centre to a coffee shop in Yishun Industrial Park A.


This is their famous deep-fried fish with Thai chili sauce the fish which is so nicely fried. The grouper is surprisingly fresh, crispy and succulent with a tender and juicy flesh, which most places would usually use “not-so-fresh” fishes for deep frying. But you definitely won't be disappointed with this restaurant. This dish come in 3 different serving size and from $10.00 for small, $15.00 for medium and etc.

Tried Stir-fry Baby Kailan With Beef during this visit rather than the usual Stir-fry Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion. This Kailan Beef was served with a gorgeous amount of tender beef slices which is very great value for the price of S$9.00 for a medium size plate.

Instead of getting a plate of their famous pineapple fried rice, we ordered this "Stir-fry Thai-style Thin Noodles" which I personally find it nice. But if they add a bit of chopped roasted on top before serving like most of the Thai noodle dishes, it will definitely add extra points to this dish.

They have a wide range of economic dishes which is very affordable for value of money. Like what we ordered above these 3 dishes come up to be around S$28.00 with medium serving portion for 2 - 3 person. Usually these two restaurants are well packed with customers during dinner timing around 5.30pm onwards, so it's best to be early in order to get a place.

They have another branch @
Bei Sheng Seafood Restaurant 北腾泰国小食
Block 701A #01-01
Yishun Avenue 5
(Opposite Chong Pang Market POSB Branch)
Telephone : 6756 4883

EAT. Fishball Noodles

EAT. has many chain outlets scatter around different parts of Singapore. Just within my area, I can spot 3 outlets selling different varieties of fishball noodles, laksa and Ngo Hiang(wu xiang) and etc in the Shopping mall.

You can either select the set meal which comes with a bowl of noodle and a drink of either coffee/tea. They have a wide varieties of noodles which you can choose from, like eg. Mee Poh, Kuey Tiao(flat rice noodles), Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli) and etc. Bak Chor Mee is usually served with minced meat, pork slices, fishball, sliced mushrooms, fried dumpling(wonton - 云吞), beansprouts, bits of deep-fried lard and a slice of lettuce.

Apart from the dried version, you can order the soup version too. We ordered a bowl of Lao Shu Fen(Silver needle noodles - 老鼠粉) which is one of my favourite noodle. The soup is great, it taste sweet and fragrant due to the adding of soup bones and etc.

In certain outlets , the stall also prepare some side dishes such as Ngo Hiang(wu xiang), fried beancurd, fishcake, chicken wings and etc. We love to order their Ngo Hiang which consists of meat and carrot, yam and etc that are marinated with seasoning and wrapped with beancrud skin and deep-fry. This can be eaten as finger food itself or it also goes well with the dried noodles.

Seafood Delicacies @ Rabbit Brand

Had being working in CBD area for more than two years plus and yet I have no ideas about this budget Seafood Restaurant. It is located near the Boat Quay Shop Houses which is about less than 10 minutes walk from Clarke Quay MRT. The outlet at Circular Road consists of upper and lower dinning area which draw large crowds during office lunchtime hours.

Although the outlook of the shop and their menu is not well presented, but they do offer seafood delicacies such as shark fin and abalone at an absolutely cheap prices. The cheapest on their menu is about $5.50 to the most expensive at $12.50. So this is indeed a good budget tips for those who craves for abalone, shark fin, sea cucumber or scallops.

Look at the generous amount of ingredients found in this "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall - 佛跳墙". It consists of Fish Maw, thick Abalone slices, Shittake Mushroom, Chicken Shark's Fin, Scallops and etc. Overall the soup was very fragrance, thick and full of taste that is well absorb by the ingredients.

This Set A which is at S$9.50 comes with a personal serving of Mini Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, Rice, Balanced Beansprout, Tea and complimentary dessert. This is sure worth of penny to have such a delicacies for a hearty meal.

We also ordered Set B "- 鲍鱼"@ S$8.50 which included a generous topping of baby abalones and shiitake mushrooms braised in their special thick fragrance gravy that serves with extra balanced vegetables and rice. Even though the so called "Baby abalone" might be as good as the full size Abalone but the gravy and its contain is good enough for you to eat with a second helping of rice. Each set meal is also given a complimentary bowl of dessert, ours for that day is "Snow fungus with dried logan".

Other than the above sets, we also tried their special signature "Spinach Doufu - 菠菜豆腐" dish. The doufu has a very crispy outer layer and soft texture inwards that tops with some shredded spinach leaves. As usual, this deep-fried doufu dish is also served with their special sauce that makes this simple doufu more appetising. This dish can be order as a rice set or as individual dish at S$2.10 each.

Teh Tarik & Mee Goreng

Teh tarik or "拉茶" in Mandarin is a hot tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. The derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. The mixture is poured back and forth repeatedly giving it a thick frothy top. The purpose of doing this is said to cool the tea to drinking temperatures, and helps mix the tea with the condensed milk more thoroughly.

You can even choose the Ginger flavour Teh Tarik if you like to have something more spicy and consists of that extra ginger fragrance. Some of the stall also severs it with an extra piece of Murukku which is made from a mixture of urad, rice flour, salt, and flavourings such as chili, or cumin.

Mee Goreng meaning "fried noodles" is a dish famous in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is made with thin yellow noodles fried with onion, fried tofu, chili, vegetables, tomatoes, and egg. It is commonly available at stalls in Singapore & Malaysia and is often spicy.

You can find many different preparation styles of Mee Goreng in Singapore, e.g: Malay style(which is shown above), Indian sytle (click link to view picture) which is more reddish in colour and Chinese style (click link to view picture) which consists of prawns and etc. No matter which type you prefer, I am sure there is one that suits your liking .

Chicken Chop With Broccoli & Cheese

Take a look at this interesting dish which will capture your taste bud with 3 different combination of flavour:- (1) Lemon Scented Chicken Chop, spread with a layer of (2)Olive Flavour Broccoli paste and finally baked with a layer of (3) Cheesy Shredded Cheddar.

This is a very interesting sauce that I have ever tried using the combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cooked Broccoli. Broccoli is closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivate group of the same species. It is high in vitamins such as C, K, and A as well as containing multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties,

Ingredients of Broccoli Paste:
100g Broccoli Florets
20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10g Of Butter, soften

Method:
1. Trim and Washed the Broccoli Florets then blanch in boiling water(add pinch of salt in the water) until soften.
2. Removed, drained well and blend in the food process together with olive oil and butter until it became a smooth paste.
3. Scrap out from the blender into a bowl and set aside for later use.


This is the "Star" of the dish which is the Lemon Scented Chicken Chop. The grated Lemon rind and juice give the chicken an extra tenderness and citric fragrant. While preparing the chicken chop, you need to marinate it for at least 30 minutes or more then you can choose either to shallow pan-fry it or Grill it on a grill-pan.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Pieces Chicken Maryland, without bone
1/4 Teaspoon of Crushed Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oyster Sauce
Rind of 1 Lemon
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour

Method:
1. Trim, wash and pat dry the chicken portions then combine all the seasoning and marinate it for at least 1 hour or so. (if you are running out of time, you can leave it to marinate for at least 20 - 30 minutes)
2. Removed the chicken from the fridge 5 minutes before cooking to bring it to around normal room temperature.
3. Preheat a pan with about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to shallow-fry the marinated chicken chop(skin side down first) over medium high heat until golden brown and cooked through.
Dish up and set aside.

Note:
~ Chicken Maryland simply refers to a butcher's cut comprising the thigh and leg of the chicken.

Lastly come the interesting part of the dish where you get to assemble the prepared ingredients together to present the final product.

Ingredients:
2 Pieces of Cooked Chicken Chop
Prepared Broccoli Paste
Some Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Method:
1. Place the cooked chicken chop on a baking tray wrapped with aluminium foil.
2. Spoon some broccoli paste on top of the chicken chop and spread it out evenly.
3. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top.
4. Pop into the toaster oven and baked for about 5 minutes till the cheese melt and turn golden brown.
5. Serve immediately with some lemon wedge, fries or potato gems.


From the view of the pictures, you will find that this dish is towards the "Greenish" side which my son named it as "Tortoise". He said the end-bone of the drumstick resemble the tortoise "head" while the golden brown effect cheese and greenish broccoli paste look kind of like a tortoise shell. So from his perception, in certain angle this dish resemble like a "Tortoise" to him. So after looking at the picture, what is your opinion on his allegation?

Dim Sum @ Mayim Chinese Cuisine

Remember my archives post on the newly open branch of this Mayim - 天乐里 Chinese Cuisine Restaurant @ Northpoint. Finally, after the 3rd week of their grand opening and long queuing we managed to pop-in this afternoon to sample some of their afternoon tea dishes.

They have a eye-catching menu that consists a wide varieties of dishes range from snacks to main course and dessert and I am sure you will be able to find something that suits your taste bud. For a start, we ordered 3 of their signature Fragrance Tea which is serves in individual earthen tea-pot:-

1) Jasmin Tea With Rose Buds (红玫瑰香片): Out of the tea shown in the menu, this is one of my favourite tea due to the name and ingredients used which gives the tea a sweet and fragrance aroma when taste. These dried natural rose petal is often regarded as a health supplement which can be consume regularly to help in blood circulation and digestion.

2) "Shou Mei" With Wolfberry (寿楣杞子茶): This tea has an interesting meaning of "Longevity " due to the word "寿" in Chinese character. Shou Mei(寿楣) is a white tea that is produced from naturally withered upper leaf and tips that has a stronger flavor reminiscent of lighter Oolong teas.

3) "Pu Erh" With Chrysanthemum (贡菊普洱茶) : This tea is the combination of Pu Erh and Gong Ju(a varity of chrysanthemum). The use of Chrysanthemum aid in recovery from influenza, acne and as well act as a "cooling" herb. It is believed to be effective in treating eye pain associated with stress or yin fluid deficiency.

Despite of the crowds, they service was still good and prompt when serving the dishes. The first item to set on the table is this "Spiced and Sour Lai Main served dry with minced pork - 酸辣炸酱干伴面". The taste of the sauce was just nice and it wasn't too spicy for us too. The texture of the noodle was "Q" and overall this dish worth at least 7/10 which cost @ the price of S$6.30 per plate.

Since it's almost 3pm in the afternoon, we decided to grab some "Dim Sum" items on their list. We ordered the Pan-fried Turnip Cake (香煎萝卜糕) with Chinese Sausage and Pan-fried Gyoza (生煎锅贴饺) with Ginger Vinegar. I personally love their pan-fried gyoza which when you bite on the crispy outer skin, the parcel will erupt with some sauce or soup like gravy which make the gyoza so tasty and juicy.

This "Steamed Vermicelli Roll with Crispy Golden Roll - 脆皮与旺肠" is an interesting item to us. It different from the usual "Chee Cheong Fan (猪肠粉)" which is wrapped with shrimp or char siu. This is a double-wrapping version where the inner layer is wrapped using spring-roll with shredded turnip, mushroom, carrot and etc then deep-fry until golden and crispy. After which, they will be wrapped with another layer of steam vermicelli skin and served with their special dipping sauce.

Beside the above, we also ordered a few more items on their Dim Sum list which cost only S$2.00 each item:-

1) Steamed Spiced Chicken Feet with Peanuts - 辣味蒸凤爪: The texture of the steamed chicken feet is soft and tasty with the combination of their special sauce. Other than the usual chicken feet, you can even find some stewed peanut that comes in it for that extra crunch and taste. I love the combi of the sauce and the chicken feet, it is not too oily nor salty, it has just the right taste.

2) Shanghai "Xiao Long Bao" - 上海小笼饱: Typically, I love the taste of those Shanghai Xiao Long Tang Bao - 小笼包, especially the one from Din Tai Feng. So when I saw this item from their Dim Sum menu, I decided to order a plate. To our surprised, the dumpling is place inside another small aluminum cup instead of the usual one that is place on top of baking paper or Chinese cabbage. Although the appearance might not be attractive, but you will be caught in surprised with the "herbal taste" like soup that flows out from the dumpling when you bite at it. But the "soup" might be a bit greasy and salty to those who prefer a lightly taste.

3) Healthy Brown Rice - 健康活力煲饭: This can be found under their Fragrance Fried Rice Menu is a must to try for those healthy conscience folks. This is indeed a very colourful and nutrition dish which consists of mixture of rice and brown rice with carrot, celery, black bean, black fungus, yam, peanut & red bean. On a glance of it, you might not see all the ingredients but when you start tugging in your spoon or chopstick, you will find a lot treasure hidden beneath. This is definitely worth at the price of S$2.00 per rice bowl.

By then when we have finished the above, we are already too full to have any dessert. So I guess shall wait till next round when we try their Ala Cart dish before we have another chance to venture into their dessert. Till then, I can suggest that this is rather a good place for a cosy meal at an afforable price for family and friends. So do check up for the nearest branch near you at their website @ Mayim location.