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Top Quali Tea was one of those establishments that we had previously visited when they had first made their appearance in the local F&B scene here — these folks have recently expanded their operations, adding on another outlet that is situated within Kallang Leisure Park apart from their first outlet that is at Oxley Tower in the Central Business District. Top Quali Tea takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Presotea; Top Quali Tea has kept some of the furnishings and fittings of the former tenant intact. Still keeping pretty much to their niche (being a tea wholesaler that is operating “under the supervision of a certified Japanese tea instructor”) by offering Matcha and Hojicha beverages as a highlight, they do serve up a larger selection of said beverages with some interesting options such as the flexibility of adding different flavoured foams to the beverage that keep things fun and fresh for the patrons. Apart from their beverage offerings, Top Quali Tea also serves up a variety of dessert such as Matcha / Hojicha Jelly and Ice Cream to complement their beverage offerings as well.
The Premium Matcha Jelly does come with elements such as Dango (i.e. Japanese Sweet Dumplings) and Azuki Red Bean paste — for those whom prefer Hojicha, Top Quali Tea also does serve up a Premium Hojicha Jelly featuring the same elements except with the matcha jelly being swapped out with the hojicha jelly; there are also beverages like the Matcha / Hojicha Latte with Jelly, Hojichacano / Matchacano with Jelly, White Cloud Matcha with Jelly and the Matcha / Hojicha Sparkling with Jelly that features the same jelly as what is served with the Premium Matcha / Hojicha Jelly. One thing we liked about the Premium Matcha Jelly is how it is being served unsweetened; this allows the patrons to have a clean taste of the notes of the matcha used in the making of the matcha jelly in its truest, unadulterated form. The flavours of the matcha jelly is subtle; not thing too heavy on the tastebuds, yet one can detect the bitter undertones of the Japanese tea linger at the back of the tongue. We personally would have preferred the Dango to have come with a little bit of Kuromitsu (i.e. Japanese Black Sugar syrup) that would add a slight contrast of sweetness to the neutral-tasting dumplings — these were however pretty chewy; a consistency that we liked them to be. The scoop of Azuki Red Bean paste that came on the side also seemed to be focused on the earthiness of red beans rather than to add any sweetness to the dessert and gave it another dimension of flavours.
Was going around Kallang Wave Mall and got to learn about a fairly new food stall named Yang’s Dumpling 杨记生煎 that had recently opened within the MyKampung food court there. Yang’s Dumpling 杨记生煎 takes over the former premises of the previous Mini Wok stall that is located at the back of the entire food court. Whilst the stall name on the signboard still reflects Mini Wok, there are plenty of neon signages that mention the stall’s namesake as well as 生煎包 in Chinese characters that one would notice as they stand right in front of the stall. The namesake of Yang’s Dumpling can be a little confusing considering this is also the name of the notable Yang’s Dumplings 小杨生煎 that is situated in mainland China — the most obvious difference here would be the Chinese characters of the namesake that allows one to immediately distinguish the two apart. Yang’s Dumpling at Kallang Wave Mall does seem to replicate the way that other notable dumpling establishments around the island presents their dumplings at the counter; the dumplings are displayed without being cooked right within a display case with description cards labelling the different flavours of dumplings. One thing to note about Yang’s Dumpling is how their food offerings are all halal-certified; this is in accordance with how MyKampung is a food court that houses only halal-certified food stalls. Other dishes that Yang’s Dumpling does serve up apart from dumplings and Sheng Jian Bao will include a line-up of snacks, fried rice, noodles and mini wok items — which is probably the same reason why the namesake of the store on the signboard was not being switched out in the first place.
We were initially drawn to give Yang’s Dumpling a try for their Pan-Fried Dumplings, but we found ourselves leaving the establishment being more satisfied with the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce. This item somewhat replicates that of what Yuen Kee Dumplings 袁記雲餃 has to offer — the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce features wantons that are being boiled and served with a doused of vinegar, soy sauce and Chinese peanut sauce; a little similar to the wantons / dumplings paired with Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil at Yuen Kee Dumplings, though not exactly the same since it comes sans the chili oil. One thing to note about the wantons at Yang’s Dumpling is how the wantons that are served up at Yang’s Dumpling for the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce are the Big Chicken Wantons; that being said, these folks do carry a Small Chicken Wanton that is sized just about the same as a typical Wanton elsewhere. We felt that the Wanton wrapper felt a little more stiff and less silky than what we had imagined to be — a little bit on the thicker side, though the Wantons was filled with a chicken meat filling that seems to have been marinated for a savoury note. The highlight does seem to be the “Chinese Peanut Sauce”; seemingly a mix of soy sauce(?), vinegar and Chinese-style peanut sauce that provides a savoury and tangy note whilst being creamy and nutty in a way that is similar to peanut butter and gives the sauce a bit of richness and depth of flavours.
Given how we were drawn to giving Yang’s Dumpling a go due to their Pan-Fried Bun offerings, we definitely have to give their Pan-fried Bun Platter a go — this features their Prawn pan-fried buns and Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns on the same plate; the platter consisting of a total of four (4) buns with two (2) buns per type of filling being served together. These do look like the typical Pan-Fried Buns that are being served by usual, non-halal certified stalls serving up Mainland-style Chinese cuisine — very much the same as how it should have been. That being said, there is a slight difference in consistency between the two; we did find the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns to be the better-executed ones considering how they do come with crusty underside from being griddled on the pan with oil — all that whilst the top of the bun remains soft and a little fluffy being easy to chew through. The chicken meat filling is the same one that came with the Big Chicken Wantons in our order of the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce, the flavours when combined with the bun of what one would typically find in a Big Meat Pau, with the meat fillings being almost packed to the brim — this also means that there is a lack of soup that made it feel a little more dry than it should, though the soup itself does carry a savoury note as well. The Prawn pan-fried buns do feel a little less well-made; the browned undersides lacked the same crustinesss that came with the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns, though it does come with a piece of prawn that adds a sweetness to the pan-fried buns not found in the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns. The major qualm that we have here is the shredded ginger that comes on the side; usually these do come soaked in light soy sauce, rice vinegar, water etc. and comes de-skinned — was a bit appalled they came sliced as-is with the skin-on and plated with the pan-fried buns which was rather strange.
Apart from its cheesy name that attempts to be a bit of a copy to a more famous brand that is non-existential in the local F&B scene at this current juncture, Yang’s Dumpling does seem to be the first establishment that we have come across serving up Chinese Pan-Fried Buns and Wantons in a similar style to that of Yuen Kee Dumplings with a halal-certification; though there is definitely a difference between using pork and chicken for such dishes, Yang’s Dumpling definitely gives the Muslim community here a taste of mainland Chinese-style Pan-Fried Buns and Wantons that seems to be pretty close to and replicates the original pretty well. Prices of the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce and Pan-fried Bun Platter are also pretty comparable to the same that is being served up at non-halal certified establishments; the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce being priced at $6.90 for a eight (8) piece portion, while the Pan-fried Bun Platter is priced at $7.90. Something fresh for the Muslim community here to perhaps give a go and see if this does fit to their preferences!
🍫 Choc fans, this one’s a sweet steal — @chocolateorigin (Kallang Wave Mall) is serving up rich, velvety treats you won’t want to miss! 🍰☕
With #BurppleBeyond, enjoy
🍦 1-for-1 Gelato (Single/Double)
☕ 1-for-1 Hot Chocolate
🥤 1-for-1 Ice Blended Chocolate
🍰 1-for-1 Sliced Cake
Boasting Homemade pesto by Chef, this dish is well presented and tasty indeed! Very good presentation for every dish ordered! I’m quite impressed by Chefs’ Playground for several reasons. 1) Friendly boss and staff 2) good ambience 3) free welcome refreshing drinks 4) good food 5) decent prices 👍👏👏👏
Miso chicken with spinach and mash. Very tender chicken! Very good presentation for every dish ordered! I’m quite impressed by Chefs’ Playground for several reasons. 1) Friendly boss and staff 2) good ambience 3) free welcome refreshing drinks 4) good food 5) decent prices 👍👏👏👏
Wafu fish served with rice. Tasty! Very good presentation for every dish ordered! I’m quite impressed by Chefs’ Playground for several reasons. 1) Friendly boss and staff 2) good ambience 3) free welcome refreshing drinks 4) good food 5) decent prices 👍👏👏👏
Very good presentation for every dish ordered! I’m quite impressed by Chefs’ Playground for several reasons. 1) Friendly boss and staff 2) good ambience 3) free welcome refreshing drinks 4) good food 5) decent prices 👍👏👏👏
Managed to learn about the existence of Popoki Nasi Lemak whilst walking by the Food Junction food court at Junction 8; did a Google search and found out that they actually do have another outlet that is located within the My Kampung halal food court situated within Kallang Wave Mall. The outlet of Popoki Nasi Lemak in the My Kampung food court at Kallang Wave Mall is actually situated next to the stall serving up Omu Rice and Donburi there; one can look out for the signboard that says “Nasi Lemak” that can be found above the stall. Popoki Nasi Lemak had stood out to us during our walk around Junction 8 previously due to the way the stall presented the various condiments that they have to offer in the display shelf — the items are being plated rather aesthetically whilst the display shelf also looks pretty neat; all of items on display coming with a description tag identifying the item and listing the price for the dish as well. Considering so, the patrons visiting Popoki Nasi Lemak do have an option to either opt for the various sets which features a fixed selection of elements for their Nasi Lemak, or pick and choose the elements that they desire to go for according to their own preferences. The various sets which Popoki Nasi Lemak offers on their menu would include items such as a Sambal Petai Set, Beef Rendang Set and Curry Fish Set — just to name a few.
Whilst not being mentioned in the menu on the elements that each set comprises, it can be observed from our order of the Ayam Goreng Berempah Set that each set does come with blue pea flower and coconut milk-infused rice, sunny side-up, cucumbers, sambal, peanuts and anchovies. Ordering the Ayam Goreng Berempah Set would also see a Ayam Goreng Berempah (Leg) being served together on the same plate. Visually, the Ayam Goreng Berempah (Leg) does look the part; it does come with ample amounts of the fried spice crumbles and wok-fried curry leaves that made the dish look particularly enticing — to their credit, the folks manning the stall also did re-fry the Ayam Goreng Berempah (Leg) upon order considering how they were prepared en-masse way ahead of time and stacked up in the display case. Whilst the fried chicken does come with a crisp exterior, this was slightly marred by the loss of moisture within the flesh — possibly from how it has been sitting around in the display shelf for quite a while. There is a slight fragrance of lemongrass and turmeric that can be detected, while we were glad that the chicken didn’t feel overly greasy given the circumstances. We did really like how much wok-fried curry leaves they have included with the item to bring out a nice, spiced fragrance that perfumes the fried chicken; that being said, the fried
spice crumbs were a little underwhelming for how they came being soft and limp — not quite desirable to say the least.
The Nasi Lemak does come with specks of blue considering the infusion of blue pea flowers in the preparation process; there is a slight hint of coconut-y fragrance that runs through at the back of the tongue, though this flavour does get overwhelmed by other elements fairly easily while the rice is a wee bit too moist as well. Pairing the rice up with the sambal does help to increase the level of shiokness of the dish however — adds a mostly sweet yet earthy savouriness that also provides a kick of spiciness that should work just about right for those whom have a lower tolerance to spiciness. While the consistency of the anchovies are worth a mention considering how they had maintained a crispness whilst being suitably saltish despite being left in the display for the entire day before we made our visit for dinner, the sunny side-up was a tad uninspiring having also been prepared way beforehand and comes with a fully cooked egg yolk and at room temperature. Whilst there is definitely better renditions of Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Lemak around, Popoki Nasi Lemak does work as an option for those whom aren’t too picky with their food; their Ayam Goreng Berempah Set being able to scratch any developing cravings for the dish, though definitely not a must-go or go-to option for us if we do desire to have a very good one to have our cravings resolved.
From Fun Toast
Perfect unwind after lunch!
The Goji Berry Honey and Black Coffee from the cafe are soothing.
Come relax…
Johorkaki also recommended Ji Xian's steamed white eel in black bean sauce.
The steamed white eel is tender and juicy with a nice bite to it. I love the gelatinous layer of fat between the flesh and the skin. The natural sweetness of the eel pairs well with the savoury notes of the black bean soy sauce though it might have worked better if the saltiness of the sauce is tempered a little.
This dish is addictive over rice and on its own!
How lovely can this get? Looks good and tastes good too!
I did a little more research this time round and decided to try this interesting dish recommended by Johorkaki on his blog.
This is essentially a stir-fry dish comprising of Chinese Leek, taro strips, dried shrimp, siu yok and jelly fish. The end result is a delicious dish full of savoury umami and wok hei flavours.
If there is one dish you have to order, this is it. Yes, over the bamboo clams!
