Hong Kong Delicacies

Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe 壹仟香港茶餐厅 was a place that was pretty much of a surprise find for us — situated at The Rail Mall, we noticed the shop whilst whizzing past The Rail Mall on public transport. Since we are usually quite excited on the finding of new Hong Kong cafes all across the island, we had made a mental note to drop by Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe some day. Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe is located right beside Maeklong Kitchen at The Rail Mall; the row of shophouses which it is being situated at is where other F&B tenants such as the outlets of EAT., The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as well as BakersField & Co are also at. For those whom find the name of Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe familiar, this is because Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe is by the same folks that had brought us Yi Qian Private Dining 壹仟私厨 that is located within Thye Hong Industrial Centre just a short distance away from Redhill MRT Station. Whilst Yi Qian Private Dining is more of a formal concept, Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe deviates quite a fair bit from what Yi Qian Private Dining is — this is more of a casual establishment which one can pop by for a fuss-free meal. The interior is decked almost in the same way that one would expect a Hong Kong-style tea room would be in Hong Kong; this includes the use of wooden panels, pastel-coloured walls, marble-esque table tops with cushioned stools and booth seating to evoke such vibes. Being of a Hong Kong-style tea room, Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe’s menu features a good variety of items categorised into Dim Sum, Deep-fried Dim Sum, Baked Dim Sum, Vermicelli Rice Roll, Congee, Chef’s Specialty (mainly comprising of Gong Zai Mian and Shrimp Wanton / Dumpling Noodle (Soup), and Roast Meat Rice / Noodle. Beverages available at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe includes Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, Iced Lemon Tea and canned drinks to name a few, though they also do offer desserts like the Mango Sago with Pomelo and Lemongrass Jelly as well.

Whilst they do carry quite a good variety of Dim Sum on the menu, we had visited Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe during a weekend dinner service and thus were also craving for something that was a little bit more substantial than simply just dim sum to share around the table. There are not many individually-sized dishes that would make for a decent sized meal for one that is available at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe; the main categories of dishes to go for would be from the Congee, Chef’s Specialty and the Roasted Meat Rice / Noodle sections of the menu. It was needless to say that our choice was to go for an item from the Roasted Meat Rice / Noodle section of the menu — we went for the Twin BBQ Combination Noodle which allows patrons to opt for two different types of Hong Kong-style roasted meat. Our choice of Hong Kong-style roasted meat would be the Barbecued Pork and Roasted Duck; other Hong Kong-style roasted meat options which patrons can opt for includes Roasted Chicken and Roasted Pork. The Twin BBQ Combination Noodle sees the meat being served separately from the noodles in its own platter, while the order also comes accompanied with a bowl of soup on the side. We were actually rather surprised with the generous portion of meat that came with our order of the Twin BBQ Combination Noodle — between the two, our favourite was the Barbecued Pork considering how there was a good combination of fatty and lean parts that gave it a melt-in-the-mouth texture that did not require much effort to chew through. The Roasted Duck on the other hand felt pedestrian; a little tough and on the drier side though we did notice how the flesh wasn’t too grainy. That being said, despite its limp skin, we actually quite liked the savoury sauce for the roasted duck with a sweet undertone that was absolutely flavoursome — would have worked well with rice on its own. The noodles tasted pretty authentic to that of Hong Kong-style dry wanton noodles; a little alkaline-y and with small pieces of lard and blanched greens, though the noodles were a little hard for our liking.

Whilst we have heard quite a number of rave reviews when it comes to Yi Qian Private Dining over their Cantonese / Teochew fare, we found ourselves very much sitting on the fence when it comes to Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe — the highlight for us did feel like it was the execution of the Barbecued Pork and that sauce that accompanies the Braised Duck in our order of the Twin BBQ Combination Noodle, though there wasn’t anything else that stood out particularly for us aside from that. We had tried a couple of other items; mostly from its Dim Sum section of the menu — this would include items like the Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling 'Har Kao', Steamed Spare Rib with Black Bean Sauce, Radish Cake and Barbecued Pork Buns. Most of these dishes can be described as forgettable with nothing much left to be remembered. The Barbecued Pork Buns were decent though average; the bun itself being a little thick though does carry a good fragrance of Chinese mantous — the barbecue pork filling did came slightly savoury from the use of XO sauce amidst the sweetness, though the flavours of the sauce didn’t come through enough and the cut of the chunks of meat in the bun were not particularly notable. The Radish Cake did come with a crisp surface; whilst being soft and observed to come with strips of radish and bit of sausages in between, we felt that the flavours lacked complexity despite the use of multiple elements in the dish. Overall, it does seem that the direction that Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe was to be a casual establishment that attempts to please the masses — nothing too over-the-top, nor are they trying to break boundaries; probably around to give residents as well as the folks visiting the Green Corridor yet another dining option to consider. Prices of the Dim Sum across all categories of such fare (i.e. including Dim Sum, deep-fried Dim Sum and baked Dim Sum) range between $4 to $6.80, while the individually-sized dishes such as Congee, Chef’s Specialty and Roasted Meat Rice / Noodles with a single choice of Hong Kong-style roasted meat are priced from $3.80 to $8.80 — it is needless to say that having Dim Sum at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe is a pricier choice after all …

Came across Empire Hotpot at Ngee Ann City quite a while ago; the hotpot restaurant is located at the same level as Kai Duck, Henri Charpentier and East Ocean Teochew Restaurant — all of which are located within the vicinity where Empire Hotpot is situated within the mall as well. Being part of the group which also operates Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine which is located just right opposite Empire Hotpot within the same mall, we only going out about the existence of Empire Hong Kong Cafe during a visit to Kai Duck previously. Whilst Empire Hong Kong Cafe operates within the same premises as Empire Hotpot, the “official entrance” of Empire Hong Kong Cafe is actually located at a separate door that is located in between Kai Duck and Henri Charpentier — the said door bearing the signage indicating “Empire Hong Kong Cafe” rather than that of Empire Hotpot’s, and displays the menu of Empire Hong Kong Cafe as well. With Empire Hong Kong Cafe being a lunch-time only concept, the door would stay closed once lunch service has ended, and would remain so even throughout dinner service. The menu at Empire Hong Kong Cafe is segmented into sections dedicated to Appetisers, Bread / Pastries, Soup, Braised, Wok Fried, Noodles, Claypot Rice and Western; patrons would also find a rather limited selection of Dim Sum also available at Empire Hong Kong Cafe, though those whom are looking for dim sum would be able to find a more extensive dim sum menu at Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine just right across the aisle in the mall. Beverages available at Empire Hong Kong Cafe includes the usual suspects such as the Yuan Yang (i.e. Coffee and Tea mixed with milk), HK Milk Tea, Almond Milk and Hot Coke with Ginger & Lemon, though Empire Hong Kong Cafe also does serve up other non-alcoholic beverages such as Iced Soursop Soda with Longan, Iced Mango Lime Soda with Aloe Vera, and Ice Blended Red Bean with Ice Cream.

Visiting Empire Hong Kong Cafe for lunch, we decided to go for the Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp on Rice after skimming through the entire list of mains which they have to offer on the menu. Arriving the table served in a plate, the Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp on Rice was what we imagined to be and have expected from a Hong Kong cafe; scrambled eggs loaded with prawns served with rice on the side, alongside some blanched greens. Digging straight into the Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp, we found the dish to be especially well-executed; the scrambled eggs itself being all warm, silky and still relatively runny — fluffy and eggy with a hint of saltishness that helps to uplift the flavours of the egg. The shrimp served alongside it were pretty huge; they were also quite generous with the shrimp here considering its size — there were at least 5 pieces that came with our order at least and they were pretty fresh. The shrimp not only helps add a good bite to the entire dish; it also came with its distinct hint of sweetness that further provides a flavour contrast with the scrambled egg. The right way of having this dish would be to have a little bit of the scrambled eggs with shrimp to pair up with a portion of the white rice; this way, the rice would be able to absorb all that runny egg, providing the moisture that the white rice needs.

Having wanted to try either Empire Hong Kong Cafe or the dim sum at Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine for quite a while, we were certainly impressed with our meal at Empire Hong Kong Cafe. We have tried quite a number of the items that were listed on their menu; this includes the Soup of the Day, Cucumber with Minced Garlic, Wok fried prawn ball with lychee served with rice, Custard Bolo Bun and Spicy Chicken Mid-wings — most of the items were well-executed, which includes the Wok fried prawn ball with lychee served with rice and the Soup of the Day. There was also no way we were going to give the Hot Coke with Ginger & Lemon — the final touch to what we think would compliment our main for an authentic Hong Kong cafe experience. Overall, we would say that we are impressed enough to make a revisit for some of the items which we have missed out this time; the execution of the Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp on Rice was especially commendable. Service was also pretty good here as opposed to some other Chinese establishments where things can get a little fast-paced; the service crew are pretty polite and seem to be working at a comfortable pace; they also do seem to engage in small talk with the patrons as well. For those who are already itching for Hong Kong cafe-style cuisine, Empire Hong Kong Cafe is a spot that is definitely worth checking out!

Lately had been on a roll on visiting dim sum establishments and Chinese restaurants since the folks and I have a little more time at hand now — and we found ourselves going around to these places that had been in our to-visit list for a long while. Kai Duck at Ngee Ann City does not need much of an introduction these days — the establishment is brought by the same folks of Kai Garden at Marina Square; Kai Duck being more of casual dining restaurant with an interior that some would say reminds them of a HK-style tea room. Kai Duck’s menu comprises of items that are more tuned towards communal dining — there are sections that are dedicated to Duck Specials, Appetisers, Soup, Meat, Seafood, Vegetables & Tofu, Noodles & Rice, Dessert and Dim Sum; drinks available here largely includes non-alcoholic beverages as well as a good variety of Chinese tea, though those looking for alcoholic options might find themselves stuck to a few selections of canned beer.

Visiting Kai Duck without having any of their duck dishes does seem like a rather odd move, but I was once told by someone that they do serve up pretty good dim sum on their menu too — some rather special items that are offered here includes Pastry Chicken & Ham and Scallion and this Fried Siew Mai with Teriyaki; there are even signages dedicated to promoting their Baked Pineapple Buns hanging from the ceiling facing out of the restaurant as well. It seems that the inspiration behind the Fried Siew Mai with Teriyaki might have come from yakitori sticks — presented on a plate with a toothpick stuck in the middle of the Siew Mai, patrons would consume them by picking it up by the stick and eat them almost in the same way as one would eat curried fishballs. To call these fried would be a little off; these Siew Mai do seem more pan-fried than fried — the slight char over the top seemingly replicating that of the Japanese Tsukune (i.e. Japanese chicken meatball) typically served at yakitori establishments. Sinking our teeth into the Siew Mai, it is notable how bouncy the meat here is; there is no effort required to chew on these — the Siew Mai itself also being plump and juicy especially from the prawn hidden inside which was fresh and carried a natural sweetness typical of the crustacean. We liked how they weren’t too full-on heavy with the teriyaki sauce here; it’s lightly savoury — its addition to the item being a subtle reminder that it is there, and does not try to steal the limelight away from the Siew Mai itself.

No doubt the main focus of Kai Duck is pretty much on their duck dishes, but Kai Duck is more than just ducks — we left Kai Duck being pretty impressed by almost all of the items we ordered; this ranged from the more usual items off their dim sum menu such as the Prawns Cheong Fun, Fried Beancurd Roll with Prawns, and Steamed Custard Bun, to the other items such as the Chilled Mini Tomatoes from the appetisers section of the menu that features pickled tomatoes with Goma dressing atop jelly, as well as the Prawns in Laksa-infused Dressing off the seafood section of the menu in which the Laksa-infused dressing tasted like a zhng-ed version of McDonald’s curry sauce with a richer flavour profile. Whilst food quality was great, waiting times for the duck dishes may vary due to demand — felt that the staff were also rather overwhelmed by the crowd during our visit which was made on the afternoon of Good Friday where the establishment was consistently packed despite not taking in walk-in patrons (so reservations are recommended). That being said, the crowds are also probably a testament to quality of food served at Kai Duck — certainly an establishment that I would most certainly re-visit for good dim sum in the Orchard neighbourhood.

Checked out this Cantonese Tapas Bar that is hidden within Ascent@456; a mixed-use development that is situated at 456 Balestier Road. Hidden behind fully tinted glass windows, Jiang 蒋先生 Cantonese Tapas isn’t too difficult to spot considering it occupies the last unit facing the main road, whilst also has posters and menu boards situated outside and around the facade of the store. Making our visit during lunch hours on a weekend afternoon, the establishment serves up Hong Kong-style cuisine — think rice and noodle dishes, whilst other items such as small plates, seafood, meats and vegetables are also available; each dish being portioned to serve 1 to 2 pax (pretty apt for the dine-in situation with friends these days).

Available only in their “Yummy Lunch” menu exclusively available during lunch hours, the Char Siew Roast Pork Combo Noodles (Dry) is from the “Noodle Signatures” section of the menu — a very classic item that features their Honey Glazed Char Siew and Crispy Skin Roast Pork all with egg noodles and Choy Sum. We didn’t notice this when we made our order, but patrons can add $3 to make it a set which includes a fresh cucumber salad, fried wantons and daily soup as well. The egg noodles here are slightly done towards the softer side; still relatively springy though more tuned towards the Hong Kong-style especially with usage of the mixing sauce as well which gives it a savoury note — add the chili provided on the side for an extra smoky, savoury note with a crunch. The stars here are undoubtedly the roasted meats; it is difficult to a favourite between the two since they were rather well executed. The Crispy Skin Roast Pork comes with a biscuity-crisp skin that is absolutely beautiful and everything to love; the meat being tender and juicy with a slight chew, while the Honey Glazed Char Siew comes with a glistening skin from the glaze — charred with a slight crisp on the exterior on some parts, whilst being aptly sweet. Chewing into the Honey Glazed Char Siew, we note how they seem to have use pork shoulder (i.e. 不见天) here — it comes with a good bite without being particularly gelatinous or fatty.

Having tried a number of dishes served here, we liked how they have taken the small plates concept to Chinese/Cantonese cuisine and switching it up as a bar bite — a rather inventive approach for a watering hole that might sound familiar but still worth mentioning nonetheless. Felt that the offerings here are actually pretty well-executed for the price (this item costs $7 before GST ands# service charge); all that whilst being reasonably-priced. A spot that is worth checking out for a weekend wind-down for Chinese/Cantonese cuisine with drinks, or a decently-priced lunch around the area in air-conditioned comfort in a stand-alone eatery.

Have been making quite a number of trips to the area because had been needing to run some errands there — Friends Cafe is one of the new establishments located at The Brooks I which I had been wanting to check out for quite some time; situated within walking distance to Springleaf MRT Station and Springleaf Nature Park, the Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng is actually affiliated to Wong Chiew Restaurant — an establishment best known for their roast meats and dim sums that is just right across the same road being closer towards the junction of Sembawang Road and Mandai Road.

While they do offer quite a good variety of mains which includes items such as Charsiew Spaghetti/Macaroni (using char siew from Wong Chiew Restaurant), Luncheon Meat Noodles with Egg and Satay Sliced Beef Noodles etc., we went for the French Toast since we weren’t intending to have something too heavy here. Being an item listed on the “Snacks” section of the menu, the French Toast is sized just about right for a single diner as a breakfast item on its own, or can be shared with multiple patrons at the table being a starter/appetiser. Coming all fried with the frizzy edges as one would have expected, the French Toast comes with a knob of butter over the top and peanut butter slathered in between — the folks here serve the French Toast without any maple syrup drizzled over the toast; however, they do provide an entire bottle of maple syrup on the side to allow patrons to drizzle to their heart’s content. More of a comforting item that was difficult to go wrong, we felt that the French Toast here was pretty decent being slightly crisp on the outside, while the insides of the bread still maintained it’s fluffiness and retained its moistness; not overly dry here. The knob of butter does provide a slight hint of saltishness that worked well with the maple syrup for a sweet-savoury note, while there was ample peanut butter being spread throughout the entire toast for a evident and consistent nutty note throughout the entire dish.

Gone were the days where this was an ulu spot that never really saw any tenants moving into the shop units; The Brooks I and II is now well-filled with F&B tenants such as Daruma Tavern, Nicher and Yim Poong Kitchen — all of which are fairly new additions that would serve the residents around the area well. Whilst we have yet to try many of the items that Friends Cafe has to offer, there is no doubt how the addition of a new HK Char Chaan Teng would further provide those in the area a different option to dine at. I guess we would be back to try the other items some time again another time.

Had been making trips back to the office lately since it was needed, and the revamped 9 Penang Road building that had replaced Park Mall is a place that I would definitely have to pass by on the way home — noticed how the hoardings of Pi Food had came down, and saw how there seem to be diners seated in the establishment enjoying their food, and that’s how we found ourselves making a visit to Pi Food for lunch on the weekend.

Without much information to rely on (they do not seem to have any social media pages, and very little photos of their food seem to be around online) and also bearing a name which is not quite indicative of the type of cuisine that they serve, we only found that they were a Hong Kong Cha Chaan Tang (i.e. HK-style tea room) with a bar concept that also serves bar grub and western fare during dinner service. Found ourselves going for the Char Siew & Scrambled Egg Fried Rice with Housemade XO Sauce — on one hand because we wanted to try out the mains, but yet also wanting to try out their roast meats since we were at an establishment serving up Hong Kong cuisine.

If anything, we felt that the scrambled eggs and Char Siew played it pretty well here — the portion size also being pretty generous as well. We very much liked how the Char Siew seems to have used the cuts from the shoulder — thick cuts of meat that carried quite a good bite; came with a good proportion of lean meat and fat that gave it a good chew, whilst coming all flavourful from the honey used in its preparation process, which also flavours up the rice beneath. The scrambled eggs were silky, soft and runny — pretty satisfying, whilst being topped with their housemade XO sauce. That being said, the only letdown here is seemingly the rice itself; while the name of the dish seem to have implied that fried rice would be served, the item came with simply white rice — a mismatch from the description in its name, thus feeling it was missing the point totally.

Whilst the Char Siew & Scrambled Egg Fried Rice with Housemade XO Sauce was missing the point with the fried rice, we found the other items to be pretty decent — the Five Spice Beef Tripe Noodles were pretty comforting to say the least. Pi Food does serve as a spot that serves up comforting and familiar Hong Kong cuisine to the masses, with an alternative offering of Western food for the post-work wind-down for dinner service. Perhaps it would be better if they could pay more attention to the finer details — such as that involving the serving of white rice over fried rice; something that would work towards their favour in the long run.

Have seen some posts on Instagram lately about Egglette & Dessert — one of the new additions to the Rochor area near the office which serves up Hong Kong-style egglettes, desserts, and beverages, and thought that it was something that I would not mind checking out since it was an area which I was pretty familiar with anyway.

Offering egglettes served in four different flavours (i.e. original, chocolate, brown sugar or dark choco bits), Egglette & Dessert also offers patrons with the choice of adding a scoop of ice-cream to their order of the egglettes. Given how we have already had ice-cream prior to making the visit to Egglette & Dessert, we found ourselves ordering the Egglette with Dark Choco Bits as-is. Whilst we have tried quite a number of egglettes previously, the one from Egglette & Dessert was pretty well-executed — the bubbles here are plush and fluffy, whilst the flatter areas surrounding the bubbles were crisp. The bits of melted chocolate chips made for a slightly gooey, chocolatey sweetness that were actually good on its own, but also could have went well with the milkier ice-cream flavours which they have in-stock such as the Vanilla Bean ice-cream flavour.

Having tried the egglette here, this is probably the best one could get when it comes to having egglettes and Hong Kong-style milk tea; the pandemic has pretty much made us appreciate how we can travel around the world using our tongues instead of being physically there. Liked how Egglette & Dessert also attempts to bring those Hong Kong vibes into the shop space it occupies; the walls being adorned by wallpapers that features the various signages one can find in Hong Kong, including replicas of the signages found in MTR and KCR train stations in Hong Kong. A spot worth checking out for those who are looking for a slice of Hong Kong to be experienced in Singapore; also somewhere that would work well as a casual dessert hangout in this area of town.

Have been visiting Legendary Hong Kong on-and-off for quite a number of years ever since they had opened their doors at Jurong Point — have always found myself ordering the same few dishes off the menu (the Thick Rice Roll with Deep-Fried Shrimp Rolls is an absolute favourite of mine here), and so we thought it would be good to switch things up a little during our most recent visit there.

A dish inspired from Stephen Chow’s movie, God of Cookery (食神), the dish had since been the subject of being replicated at other establishments (it does seem that Shang Social at Jewel Changi Airport serves up the same dish or even at the comfort of home — a humble dish that features BBQ Pork & Sunny-side up Egg on Rice. This is nothing short of being the quintessential dish that represents Hong Kong cuisine, being a simple yet wholesome affair with meat, egg, vegetables and rice all in a single bowl. Unlike the BBQ Pork that is often served at roast meat stalls, the BBQ Pork that is served with the Sorrowful Romance Rice is of an extremely thick cut — perhaps the thickest I have ever came across this far considering how chunky each slice was. Despite its sheer size, each piece comes with a good proportion of lean to fatty meat; seemingly using cuts that are significantly less fatty than the pork belly so each morsel of meat comes all fibrous yet tender and juicy with a good bite that requires some chew — all that without being gelatinous, which some may not prefer. The BBQ Pork here also seems to focus more on the meatiness itself, being more meaty in terms of flavour than actually carrying a sweetness from the honey glaze often used for Char Siu in the roasting process, though the BBQ Pork did not carry any undesirable porky stench. The greens do provide some crunch for a more wholesome feel and a variance in texture, while the sunny-side up comes with a molten yolk that bursts of its golden goodness when poked; toss it up with the rice which is drizzled in light soy sauce for a slight saltish, yet creamier consistency that binds all the elements together.

Whilst the BBQ Pork is immensely shiok in this one for meat lovers, this is probably a dish I would consider more for sharing — the thick cut of BBQ Pork does feel pretty heavy and jelak quite quickly, and would probably appeal to me more if I were to be hungrier than what I felt during the day of visit. That being said, I do appreciate how Legendary Hong Kong had pretty much taken a dish out of a movie and adapted it to their menu — something that I actually am much of a sucker for. A pretty comforting dish which I am most certainly ordering again if I am looking for a real meaty treat.

It seems that Jalan Besar is the new enclave for dim sum of the late, especially with the opening of Sum Dim Sum 心点心 which is located in between Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant and Dim Sum Haus, across the street from Berseh Food Centre. Serving up a variety of dim sum prepared via several cooking methods, congee, noodles and rice offerings amongst a few others, the Signature Crispy Pork Bun is one of the few must-orders here that is especially deserving of its signature status.

Looking almost akin to a similar item offered by a certain Michelin-starred restaurant that have opened multiple locations in Singapore, the Signature Crispy Pork Bun here comes with a slightly green hue. Seemingly infused with Pandan, the buns here come crusted on the exterior, and whiffs of an aromatic buttery fragrance with hint of Pandan. Sinking our teeth into the bun, the crust crumbles down neatly without being causing a mess on the table, while the insides reveal the Char Siew filling. Packed with a decent portion of meat, the Char Siew comes with a mix of fatty and lean meat for a balanced texture that is melt-in-the-mouth, yet carrying some bite; all that while the Char Siew sauce was a good sweet-savoury mix that is sufficiently thick in consistency and flavourful. Pretty impressed with what this new dim sum joint has to offer, with other items such as Hong Kong Signature Curry that features cuttlefish and pig skin — a considerably rare find in Singapore as well for those who are looking to try something new. A place I would certainly return back for more!

Checked out the new Fong Sou Bing Sat at Blk 131 Jurong Gateway Road, situated just at the HDB estate right beside JCube the other day which is essentially a Hong Kong Char Chaan Teng that serves up cart noodles, macaroni soup, French Toast, Bolo Bun and Skewers alongside neighbourhood bakery-esque breads — a slightly more limited menu for its soft launch as compared to the menu to be served when they are officially opened.

Served in the classic style, the French Toast is simple yet satisfying — just two slices of bread dipped into egg batter and fried with peanut butter spread in between, the bread comes lightly crisp on the exterior, while the creamy peanut butter provides a nutty flavour profile against the sweetness of the honey and savouriness of the knob of butter that gives the Hong Kong-style French Toast its signature flavour that we are familiar with. Liked how they seemed to have taken care of the details here by serving up the knob of butter over ice; keeps the butter solid just in case the patrons decide to have it as a dessert item after the meal despite it being served up almost simultaneously with the other dishes. Would not mind having this on a idyllic weekend whilst hanging out with a friend and sipping on some authentic Hong Kong-style Milk Coffee.

From So Good Char Chaan Teng, which has just opened a new outlet at 111Somerset.

Went for the Shrimp Dumpling Noodles which was pretty decent — whilst the dumplings aren't the most generously packed around, the dumplings were smooth and silken on the exterior, while filled with an entire shrimp with other ingredients within. Apart from that, the noodles were springy; a little alkaline but easily fixed with the dried chili that introduces a fiery kick that tingles the taste buds apart from being savoury. Not a fan of the huge stalk of vegetables that it comes served with, and the place is certainly not meant to be for folks who are looking for long catch-ups given the claustrophobic environment and self-service nature; that being said, still a convenient location for a meal in town with affordable prices overall.

Visited Ho Fook Hei Soya Sauce Chicken at Great World City; was spoilt by the various m meat options so we ended up with this even despite ordering the Individual Specialty Rose Soya Sauce Chicken that came with noodles.

Between the two meats we opted for, we preferred the Honey Glaze Barbeque Sauce Pork Belly — the meat being a balance of both fatty and leaner parts that create a meaty bite whilst being tender and reasonably juicy; all glazed in a sticky, thick sauce dense is not too sweet. On the contrary, the Traditional Roast Duck felt rather pedestrian; savoury but lacking a crisp skin, while the cuts were seemingly messier as well though thoughtfully de-boned for easier consumption.