Doughnut Shack is one of those hype food places that sure has its fans and critics. I belong to the latter category. While the price for bombolonis is fairly affordable, it’s nothing but hype. Before going into the details, I gotta say that each and every dough contains enough oil to fill an oil tanker. Some of the fillings are good but you can’t expect me to like anything else if the exterior is just so greasy.

Most of us who shared the doughnuts enjoyed the nutty pistachio cream doughnuts. I personally enjoyed the peanut butter and jelly filling with the generous amount of peanut butter and the sweet, fruity strawberry jam.

The others that I tried were either too sweet or not memorable. I didn’t get to try all the flavours that’s shown here.

A box of 2 is $6. If you want a box of 6, that will be $16.90. And a box of 20 is $56.

I’m not sure if people are still queuing hours for it. I hope not.

Don’t forget to try the soft and tender beef brisket that has been braised with oyster sauce from Hong Kong for at least 2 hours. Add some piquant chilli paste to the mix to accentuate the goodness of this.

I enjoyed the dry version of the noodles that’s served in a mix of oyster sauce, soy sauce and lard oil. Delicious.

If you notice, there’s some chye sim/ choy sum served in every dish.

Chef Kin HK Wanton Noodle is a cash only establishment. [SELF-FUNDED]

With queues that stretch for about an hour long, @chefkinhkwantonnoodle is probably the most happening place in Yishun now. Chef Kin used to be the Head Chef of Crystal Jade and specialises in Hong Kong-style wanton noodles and beef brisket noodles. It’s good for the price you’re paying since most Hong Kong-style wanton noodles cost at least $10 in restaurants.

While we Singaporeans like our wanton noodles dry with chilli, Hong Kongers prefer theirs in soup with red vinegar.

I got the soup version as I prefer having my HK wanton noodle in soup form. For $5, I would say this is amazing value for money considering the quality of ingredients used.

[Verdict: Terryfic 👍🏻] Wantons. Expect plump and juicy wantons that contain fresh and crunchy prawns with a little bit of minced kurobuta pork. It’s the highlight.

[Verdict: InTerrysting 👌🏻] Noodles. The duck egg noodles imported in Hong Kong are no doubt springy but the alkaline taste is more prominent when having the soup version. My advice to you is to consider adding chilli to mask the taste.

[Verdict: InTerrysting 👌🏻] Soup. Boiled for at least 8 hours, the soup stock contains old hen, top grade pork, Jinhua ham and dried flounder fish. While the umami taste is evident, I would prefer if the dried flounder flavour is more profound.

If you notice, there’s some chye sim/ choy sum served in every dish.

Chef Kin HK Wanton Noodle is a cash only establishment. [SELF-FUNDED]

It’s #fishfriday and I’m again in the mood for some fish and chips. Got the Snapper Fish & Chips ($16.50) from @greenwoodfishmarket not too long ago to satisfy my fish and chips cravings.

Think crisp, light batter that encases the three pieces of flaky, mildly flavoured snapper. You could tell that the snapper was fresh and I like how the batter isn’t filled with oil till the point that it bloats up your stomach.

For the chips, they are freshly fried till crispy yet retaining the potato’s fluffiness on the inside. But the problem is these medium cut chips turn soggy will fast when you takeaway. So best is to douse it with some malt vinegar.

Sad to say, the newly launched Mushy Peas ($5.95) was dry and lumpy. The kitchen has some work to do here.

What’s served at Greenwood Fish Market’s version is the Australian fish and chips. I’m inherently biased and I very much prefer British fish and chips.

Also on offer are the House Fish & Chips ($11.50) and Barramundi Fish & Chips ($16.50).

On the top floor of Beauty World Centre is a hawker centre that has quite a number of noteworthy stalls. Besides the famous Top One Handmade Noodle, there’s a stall that sells pretty good soy sauce chicken rice and noodles. Add on their dumplings too.

For $3.80, be treated to a plate of Hong Kong-style noodles with succulent soy sauce chicken slices that’s been marinated in a blend of herbs and spices, rose wine and soy sauce. I love how fragrant and tender the chicken breast. It’s a plus as it’s common for chicken breast can be tough and dry for soy sauce chicken.

The noodles itself weren’t too bad. Although not the most springy, it definitely wasn’t soft and soggy either. It’s doused with soy sauce and chilli sauce.

I added some dumplings ($1.20). They are handmade every day by the stallholder and they’re so plump and flavourful. Stuffed with loads of shrimp, minced pork and black fungus, any prawn lovers will love this.

Cash only.

If you love our local min jiang kueh (peanut pancake), Indonesia’s martabak manis/ terang bulan is something that you gotta try. Since we can’t go to Indonesia to eat this, you can go to @jtowncafe to have a taste of the Indonesian favourite.

Freshly prepared upon order, treat yourself to a piping hot pancake that comes with butter and sugar by default. It’s so thicc and dense but somehow very soft, unlike min jiang kueh. Best eaten on the spot, it does survive well in takeaways too.

I got the Campur ($4.50 - Half/ $7.50 - Full) that comes with butter sugar, chocolate, peanut and cheese. Believe it or not, martabak with cheese is very popular in Indonesia. Grated cheddar, chocolate rice and crushed peanuts are mixed together in between the pancake dough.

The end result is amazing. Just think of the sweet chocolate rice that brings back childhood memories, the nuttiness of the peanuts and the saltiness from the butter and cheddar. A true flavour burst with some textural contrast from the crunchy peanuts.

I’d have this more often if the price point was a little lower. But I’ll have it again as it’s convenient and just so good.

I know there are a few other places in Singapore selling martabak manis so I’ll be on the hunt to try them too.

Would you travel from one end of the country to the other for a good steamed fish? Well, if you’re true blue foodie and love fish enough, I bet you would go all the way to Jurong East to try Zai Shun Curry Fish Head. Despite its name, you’ll see the majority of tables with a plate of steamed fish rather than the stall’s namesake dish.

Before it was awarded Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide, it was once the hidden gem of the West. I’ve been here before it was accorded the status in the red book.

Choose your fish and cooking style that you want when you order. It’s then freshly steamed and served to you. I had the Steamed Song Fish Head in Bean Paste (Market Price) which is ordered by many tables here.

The fish head is steamed with fermented soy bean paste. Deep fried lard bits, chilli and spring onions are added for garnish.

Unlike many places, the steamed fish here is very fresh and done just right. Not overcooked or fishy. And I truly love the umaminess of the fermented soy bean paste and munching on those crispy lard bits. Who said steamed fish was always healthy?

In true Teochew style, have your steamed fish with Teochew porridge. Appreciating this watery bowl of rice grains is something that comes with age.

I can’t wait for the dining in group limit to be raised to 5 in order to have their whole steamed fish.

Would you travel from one end of the country to the other for a good steamed fish? Well, if you’re true blue foodie and love fish enough, I bet you would go all the way to Jurong East to try Zai Shun Curry Fish Head. Despite its name, you’ll see the majority of tables with a plate of steamed fish rather than the stall’s namesake dish.

Before it was awarded Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide, it was once the hidden gem of the West. I’ve been here before it was accorded the status in the red book.

Choose your fish and cooking style that you want when you order. It’s then freshly steamed and served to you. I had the Steamed Song Fish Head in Bean Paste (Market Price) which is ordered by many tables here.

The fish head is steamed with fermented soy bean paste. Deep fried lard bits, chilli and spring onions are added for garnish.

Unlike many places, the steamed fish here is very fresh and done just right. Not overcooked or fishy. And I truly love the umaminess of the fermented soy bean paste and munching on those crispy lard bits. Who said steamed fish was always healthy?

In true Teochew style, have your steamed fish with Teochew porridge. Appreciating this watery bowl of rice grains is something that comes with age.

I can’t wait for the dining in group limit to be raised to 5 in order to have their whole steamed fish.

[Verdict: Terryfic 👍🏻] I dare say you can’t go wrong with the Kouign Amann from @tiongbahrubakery. They are apparently the first (or one of the first) to bring in this sinfully delicious Brittany viennoiserie onto Singapore’s shores. If you haven’t already tried this, please do.

It’s a huge piece and it’s so good that you’ll finish it all. Don’t count the calories or sugar in it to prevent a shock-induced heart attack. Quite a good deal for $5++.

Why is it sinful?

Copious amounts of sugar is sprinkled between many layers of laminated dough made with quality French butter. That same dough is then swirled to give its distinct appearance.

The end result is a crispy, flaky exterior that’s coated with caramelised sugar. On the inside, it’s fragrant, soft and buttery.

If you’re wondering why it can be a bit salty within the crispy pastry, that’s because salt is one of the key ingredients.

I’m sure you probably have tried @88hongkongroastmeatspecialist if you’re a roasted meat fan just like me. Located in the Lavender/ Jalan Besar area, they are not to be missed as there’s always a long queue for their Cantonese roasts. You can have your roasted meat with rice or noodles though we just went for the meat as we had a heavy breakfast. We paid $16 in total for this plate of meat that’s roasted in charcoal.

My ideal type of char siew. A caramelised, charred exterior with a tinge of sweetness from the marinade. And be treated to meat that’s so tender. They have lean and fatty cuts of char siew available but fatty cuts are served by default.

I’m a great fan of fatty char siew and the fat to meat ratio is perfect. It’s so delicious that I’m willing to let the fat clog my arteries.

I’m sure you probably have tried @88hongkongroastmeatspecialist if you’re a roasted meat fan just like me. Located in the Lavender/ Jalan Besar area, they are not to be missed as there’s always a long queue for their Cantonese roasts. You can have your roasted meat with rice or noodles though we just went for the meat as we had a heavy breakfast. We paid $16 in total for this plate of meat that’s roasted in charcoal.

Unlike most hawker roasted meat joints, you’ll enjoy thick cut slices of roasted pork belly. When it’s cut thickly, the juiciness and flavour of the roasted meat is retained as it’s the case here. Just recall the times of how pathetically thin some places cut their roasted pork that it’s tasteless and just limp pieces of meat.

Love the crispy crackling that’s so deliciously salty and the thick blob of fat that melts perfectly in your mouth. As for the meat itself, it’s is tender and flavourful. You can taste the fragrant five spice powder in the meat.

I count roasted pork as one of my favourite dishes and this is one place to try if you want a wallet friendly option.

Will return to try their roasted duck and wanton mee.

Your creamy chicken pie with chunks of chicken thigh and shiitake with a creamy sauce. While this is good, I personally prefer button mushrooms over shiitake.