Showing places for "Bencoolen"

Spanish Latte (Iced) Got to learn about Daylight Coffee having opened another location in fairly recent times — for those whom have been following us for quite a while, Daylight Coffee is an establishment which we had visited some time back. Starting off as a hawker centre stall situated within the upper level of Amoy Street Food Centre, these folks had recently opened a second location. This second location is an independently-run establishment; situated within the grounds of Hotel Mi along Bencoolen Street, Daylight Coffee at its Bencoolen location takes over the former premises of 66 Ice Cream 六六爱思淋 — the space can be described as pretty much a hole-in-the-wall, with only sufficient space for a waiting / ordering / queueing area aside from the espresso counter itself. Considering so, the operations of Daylight Coffee at its Bencoolen location can be described as a takeaway kiosk — the outlet also being fairly simply designed with a monochromatic colour scheme and an overall rather modern look. The beverages that they have on the menu at their Bencoolen location is a little more scaled-down than that of their Amoy Street Food Centre outlet — the Bencoolen location seemingly focusing mostly on their espresso-based specialty coffee offerings and did away with the selection of local-style Kopi, while there is also a section dedicated to Non Coffee drinks and a small variety of Viennoiseries available that are stocked in the display case at the counter. Having had the Spanish Latte previously at Daylight Coffer when they had just opened their doors at Amoy Street Food Centre, we decided to give their Spanish Latte (Iced) a go again during our visit made to their Bencoolen location. We recalled from our previous experience on the Spanish Latte that the beverage was a little bit on the sweeter side; we did feel that the folks at Daylight Coffee did manage to switch things up a little and improvised on their Spanish Latte since then — the cuppa that we have had from their Bencoolen location felt a little more balanced between the level of sweetness and the espresso-based specialty coffee itself, providing a slight sweetness at the end whilst still allowing the nuttiness of the body in the coffee to shine through. Definitely quite a bit of improvement there as compared to our first attempt on the same when we first dropped by their Amoy Street Food Centre location. With prices starting from $3.90 for a White (Hot) to $7 for a Seasalt Popcorn Latte (Iced — Large), Daylight Coffee does seem to present itself as a rather wallet-friendly option if looking for a quick coffee run without having to resort to local-style Kopi & Teh whilst being in the Bencoolen neighbourhood.

Stir-Fried White Bee Hoon (add: Luncheon Meat, Otah) May’s Kafe is no stranger to me; it’s existence at Beauty World Centre has been well noted during my days as a student in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and SIM — not really one of the spots which I would visit back then, but they do seem like a pretty popular establishment with residents in the area for its pretty homey fare and ambience. And so when I have found out about their new outlet at The Bencoolen just a short walk from the office, I was pretty intrigued to give it a try. The Stir-Fried White Bee Hoon comes default without the Otah and the Luncheon Meat — both are add-ons with their respective charges and available separately, though hungry, greedy me decided to have both. The Stir-Fried White Bee Hoon feels closer to a stewed white bee hoon with silvers of carrots and other vegetables stir-fried within — not much of a wok-hei here, with the rice vermicelli still being sufficiently moist; rather homey flavours here with some shallots added for a slight garlicky note. The sunny side-up comes with a runny egg yolk; something which was a surprise given the sort of establishment it is where details like these often get thrown out of the window, while the Otah (hidden behind the egg) comes sufficiently spicy and soft — not surprised if this was a supplied item but I would not expect anything else either. The Luncheon Meat also was fairly decent; felt more steamed than pan-fried; not too salty, nor greasy, while the chili was almost akin to the sambal served with Nasi Lemak that provided a slight sweetness aside from a moderately spicy kick that most should be fine with. May’s Kafe is one of those establishments that serve truly simple, comfort fare for those who are looking for a taste of home — from sandwiches and toasts to local classics such as the Laksa; it’s little wonder how they seem to be popular with folks of an older age group looking for something fuss-free. Have heard much about toasts and sandwiches which are fairly decent despite being simple offerings — guess that will be what I am trying the next time I am here to pair it with the Kopi Gu You that they have on the menu.

Spinach Soup w Noodle (You Mian) ($7.80) I tried their ban mian (soup version) at kovan outlet previously. But I didn't tried you mian b4 so I order something different from usual one. So they give a lot of ingredients such as spinach lol. But the soup broth was slightly a bit salty and also the noodle texture was dent and soft.

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Pork Cutlet Ban Mian (Dry) | $7.80 Pretty decent ban mian that could be your next supper spot! Good spicy kick, but texture of this ban Mian was nothing mind blowing. Definitely could’ve had more ingredients like shallots with the noodles. And the most disappointing was the pork cutlet which was not freshly fried. Rate:🌟🌟🌟

Tsukune Yakitori & Tebamoto (Drumstick) Yakitori For the choice of yakitori, the 5 Kinds of Yakitori ($12.90) platter would save you a couple of bucks but since I don’t really like offal I ordered a few ala carte. The sauced Tsukune Yakitori ($3.90/ pcs) was a solid 10/10, so succulent and flavourful. I made a mistake and ordered a salted Mune (Breast) Yakitori ($2.90) which was a tad dry in comparison, skip that and get the salted Tebamoto (Drumstick) Yakitori ($3.90/ pcs) instead.

Satisfying and affordable dumplings Had this in China (first at Jiuzhaigou, to be exact) last December and loved the dumplings so much, both fried and steamed. Saw that they JUST opened when we returned to SG so of course we had to try the Singapore one. First thoughts: shop space was very small, with tables squeezed together - looks to be more for takeaways. Also, they didn't have fried dumplings, and also not the pork and chive ones that we had in China. We got the Shrimp and Crab Roe Pork Wanton Dry Noodles ($8.80) as well as the Assorted Pork Dumpling Set Meal ($13.80) which came with 12 pcs dumplings in choice of style, lettuce with garlic, and red bean soup. Quite an affordable price if you ask me. The dumplings were all huge and bursting with fillings, and while my mind still thinks about the China pork cna dchive dumplings now and then, these singapore ones were not too bad too. The noodles were also aromatic and rich from the scallion oil. Only the lettuce felt abit off - think it was too bitter and garlic was also too overpowering.

Mega Chicken Nanban Don ($15.90) My friend opt out for 250g rice. I find the sauce was too much and slightly overwhelming for me. The fried chicken was quite tender and flavourful. But then the fried items got crunchy and crispy texture.

Mega Mixed Fries Don ($16.90) consisted of different fried items such as fish, ebi, potato salad croquette, tonkatsu, karaage. They order to make fried items for serving in hot. So we have waited for at least 30 to 45 mins due to lunch hrs. I like tonkatsu, karagge and potato salad croquette. But the rest of fried items they still ok. But then the fried items got crunchy and crispy texture. I opt out for 150g rice and don't really like to eat too much rice.

Salmon Ikura Don ($16.90) my friend opt out for 150g rice and at least they serve the sashimi main dish first before serving frying main.

Durian Mousse ($7.80) Thick and creamy with a whole piece of durian flesh. Satisfying.

Do You Only Order Chendol At Yat Ka Yan? Besides their insanely good chendol, you have to try the Chee Cheong Fun with Cai Po at Yat Ka Yan. The silky smooth steamed rolls topped with the savoury shallot oil and cai po, with a side of sambal is just a match made in heaven. Finish it with a bowl of icy chendol that needs no further introduction.

Chicken Biriyani ($7.50) consisted of choosing between fried chicken or curry chicken and come with a bowl of curry gravy. Its not that bad as I seldom come for lunch time. I preferred fried chicken over curry chicken. Fried chicken was slightly dry aftertaste but the curry gravy was not that spicy as I thought.

Roti Prata Plain + Egg Prata ($2.20) I felt that their prata is not that bad tbh as it's quite got some crispy on the surface but it's a bit slightly dry :")

Maggi Goreng An always reliable Maggi goreng. I'm not sold about their other food though.

To The Victor Goes The Spoils @victorskitchensg has always had a reputation as a modest & highly affordable dim sum shop. However, the years have flown by, and the GST has gone up, and Victor may not have a reputation for being insanely affordable anymore. First I’ll start off with the most value for money item I ordered: the Queen Size Siew Mai ($5.80 nett).⠀ ⠀ The Queen Size does live up to its billing, they are larger than usual, and each piece of siew mai is surprisingly delicious. The superbly seasoned minced pork is moulded into a cylinder, wrapped in a delicate skin, and steamed in the bamboo basket. The siew mai has a delightful density to it, and chomping down on each bouncy siew mai yields an addictive springiness. These siew mais are certainly fit for royalty, and they are fit for you too.⠀ ⠀ The Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling ($6.20++) was the most expensive item I ordered, and although I appreciated the crunchy golden exterior and the bouncy shrimp filling within, other places do it for cheaper with comparable or better quality. The same could be said about the Steamed Pork Rib Rice ($5.50), which features fatty, juicy & tender pork on a bed of white rice. The pork ribs were adequately seasoned and tremendously tender, but the portion is kind of on the small side.⠀ ⠀ Although Victor’s Kitchen is still decently priced, the years have passed us by and it is certainly no longer the most value for money dim sum joint in town.

golden egg yolk lava bun ($5.30 for 3) have seen a lot of people raving about this! it's defo a good liusharbao but maybe i had too high expectations...? wasnt that impressive

HK style hot lemon tea ($2.90) the best kind of lemon tea. no concentrate, just black tea with a slice of lemon🍋

Souzai Set Meal ($6) come 2 random dish (got ginger flavour pork and fried mixed colour pepper) (they will be changing daily) with rice and oden soup. I really enjoy ginger flavour pork as it was strong taste for fried pork. But I didn't really eat fried mixed colour pepper so I passed it to my friend instead. Chawan-Mushi ($4) I didn't intended to order this but the ingredients inside was really not that fresh such as fishcake. At least, they keep chawan-mushi hot and warm before serving.

Get Balls Out High I’ve always spurned whisky highballs as fizzy wastes of money & whisky that don’t even qualify as a cocktail. However I decided to give Nobu-ya legendary Whisky Highballs ($15++) a fair shake since I had heard about it’s rumoured strength. I am totally thrilled that I did, because Nobu-ya’s whisky highball is probably the most potent one in all of Singapore.⠀ ⠀ The traditional highball is the simplest drink to make: whisky & soda water are poured over the rocks and stirred. Nobu-ya doesn’t do anything fancy, but the drink director who made my highball free poured (!!!) a whole lotta Suntory whisky into the mug, filling it about halfway with whisky and then topped it off with soda water. Even after accounting for all the ice in there, I’m almost certain that there’s at least five (!!!) shots worth of sweet, sweet whisky in every highball. ⠀ ⠀ Getting buzzed on a budget this close to my office? It’s almost like divine providence, I tell ya.

Good Fortune At The Centre, But Only If You Drink Nobu-ya has a reputation for turning away customers that don’t want to booze it up, and their reputation for being an astoundingly affordable izakaya has been somewhat clouded by the ‘all patrons must drink’ policy enforced by the owner. Fortunately I have no such problem, and I was able to savour Nobu-ya’s food to the fullest. Their menu changes nearly every day, so just like that Forrest Gump quote, you never know what ya gonna get.⠀ ⠀ I had their salmon ochazuke (rice in soup, $8++) and a bowl of ton-jiru (miso soup with vegetables & pork in it, $6++) and enjoyed both hearty yet simple soup dishes. The dashi broth in the ochazuke was light yet sufficiently umami and flavoured the rice adequately, but the salmon was grilled for way too long. Fortunately, the ochazuke broth managed to redeem the salmon’s shortcomings somewhat. ⠀ ⠀ The ton-jiru was surprisingly sublime, with the deeply savoury miso soup being augmented by the sweetness of the carrots & radishes that had been simmering in the soup. There was a bit of pork in there to make the soup more substantial, and it proved to be an unexpectedly excellent accompaniment to some heavy drinking.⠀ ⠀ Homely soup dishes aside, get yourself some kaki fry (deep fried oysters, $10 for 5 pieces) for when the booze munchies hit. It’s crispy, decently deep fried, juicy and pretty toothsome. These fried oysters are decent with beer, and the food is acceptably decent overall, but the highball cocktails here at Nobu-ya are the real legends.

Burmese Flat Noodle Dry Have been going all around the island to give various Burmese dining establishments that are not situated within a particular neighbourhood at Clementi and Peninsula Plaza a go, but there has always been this one establishment that we had known previously serving up Burmese fare that we have also overlooked on revisiting all this while. Whilst perhaps not an establishment that one would easily draw a relation to Burmese fare, the Killiney Cafe & Bar at Fortune Centre located at the ground floor is the only Killiney outlet that not only serves up local fare like how their typical locations do, but also features an outlet-exclusive Burmese menu — dishes that can be found in this section would include that of the Mote Hin Gar, Flat Noodle / Burmese Udon Dry, Burmese Lor Mee, Burmese Laksa Dry, Steamed Chicken Garlic Oil Noodle and the Mutton Prata. There is something about the Nang Gyi Thoke (i.e. thick rice noodle salad) that had struck us ever since we had explored the dish for the very first time when visiting Myanmar Express at Balestier Market. Whilst skimming through the menu, the availability of a Flat Noodle Dry had caught our attention — deciding to give it a go, we found out that the Flat Noodle Dry is pretty much similar to that of the Nang Gyi Thoke with the exception of the different type of noodles being used instead. Apart from the noodles used that seems to be similar to that of the same that one can find in local versions of Lor Mee, the dish largely features the same elements that one would find in the Nang Gyi Thoke which includes pulled chunks of chicken, beansprouts, strips of fried wanton skin, half-boiled egg, coriander, chickpea flour and chili oil — one can also find a wedge of lime that one can squeeze the lime zest in and give everything a toss before digging in. With the noodles being coated with chickpea flour and chili oil, the use of flat yellow noodles come with more bite as opposed to the thick rice noodle used in the Nang Gyi Thoke — the nuttiness and earthiness of the chickpea flour still being pretty prominent, though the chili oil used here doesn’t quite give the spicy kick that we would be looking for based on what we had experienced from the Nang Gyi Thoke that we have had elsewhere. The deep-fried wanton skin gives an element of crispness for a contrast of textures to the dish, while the chunks of pulled chicken adds a meaty touch — some might find it a little dry but it does seem to be intentionally done in this manner considering the other variations of similar dishes we have had from other establishments before as well. While some places do serve similar dishes with the like squeezed into the dish to give it an additional zesty note that is pretty uplifting for the dish, the version of the Burmese Flat Noodle Dry at Killiney Cafe & Bar at Fortune Centre comes with the wedge of lime on the side where patrons can decide to add to the dish based on their preferences. Having tried a number of Burmese establishments, Killiney Cafe & Bar at Fortune Centre’s offerings do feel like they are missing of the wow factor when comparing to what we had experienced at other establishments such as YDN 椰德纳 Myanmar-Chinese Cuisine, Kay-Tu Myanmar Cuisine, Myanmar Express, Chuki Kitchen and Mother's House Myanmar Cuisine — that being said, Killiney Cafe & Bar at Fortune Centre still works as a decent spot for a less intimidating spot to give Burmese cuisine a go without having to head down to Peninsula Plaza.