Tapioca Cake & Kueh Kosui @ Maxwell Road Hawker Centre [中国街興興 China Street Xing Xing]!

Mention the ondeh ondeh from Maxwell hawker centre and i bet many foodies would know it is a 'MUST' to go before lunch to avoid disappointment! 

I did visit before lunch but according to the polite lady manning the stall, i need to wait for another agonising ninety minutes for that first batch of delicious ondeh ondeh! :(

When life gives you lemons, suck it! 

So, i made do with the second and third best things available; the bouncy kueh kosui (as shown in the above picture) and squiggly tapioca cake. To complete the meal (three look better than two), i had to order Ubi Kayu! 

The kueh kosui had a chewy texture that didn't irritate the teeth, wasn't cloyingly sweet like many in the market yet tasted extremely heavy with palm sugar! Same goes for the tapioca cake which was easily one of the best i ever had! Again, the sweetness was just right! 

I absolutely do not know how to appreciate Ubi Kayu, which had hard pieces of unpalatable tapioca making up the base and a thin layer of sugar coated coconut shreds on top that thankfully made it slightly more edible. 

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Location

1 Kadayanallur Street,

#01-31, Maxwell Food Centre

[Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station]

Map

As above

Price

Kueh Kosui - S$0.50 a piece

Tapioca Cake - S$0.40 a piece

Ubi Kayu - S$0.70 a piece

Bloody Game - Blame It for the Lack of Posts!

Sorry, i have been lazy...

No thanks to "Juice Cubes" where i have been trying to clear the level 223 for the past 3 hours! Most of my free time nowadays has been spent on completing the levels so that i can advance to the next map.

Now i finally understand why people can be so hooked to "candy crush" which featured similar game play. And the person whom i should blame is none other than Alex!!!! That bloody ass tempted me!!!!!

To be fair, i have also started watching the most popular k-drama; My Love from the Star (Hangul: 별에서 온 그대) or You Who Came from the Stars. :( 

STOP!! 

Don't tell me the ending!!!

Swanston - Your Essential Store for Cheap Toiletries! @ Chinatown [People's Park Complex Food Centre]

Right above People's Park Complex Food Centre, where you get the insanely famous yong xiang xing yong tau foo stall with a 40-person queue that i have personally encountered, are two levels of shops seldom patronised by many except the regulars.

I am one of 'those' regulars. 

And my favourite shop is none other than "Swanston"! 

Frankly, i wonder if i should even be blogging about this since there is a potential risk that i am just adding to the list and i absolutely detest the fact that the place seems to be getting more crowded recently! 

Nevertheless, i simply could not resist not sharing this good find, especially when i have a "stingy consumer" label tagged to this blog and the toiletries sold in Swanston are so cheap; i have severely cut down on trips to Metro / John Little expo sales!

Baby Johnson shower foam for only S$5.50 when competitors were selling them for as high as S$8.00 each! Reputable hair dye that could be gotten for less than S$10.00! Oral B toothbrush that was priced at a bargain! 

Every trip was a guaranteed basket of toiletries that seldom get past the S$50 mark! Saw that Darlie toothpastes? They only cost me S$3.90 for a pack of three (160g x 2 + 90g x 1)! The 580ml milk bath could be had for S$4.20 for two bags! 

For the regulars, don't get yourself frustrated when there are just way too many people! You should consider walking one level up (on the third floor) where there are similar establishments selling the toiletries at mostly the same price! 

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Location of Swanston

32 New Market Road

(Beside OG Chinatown)

Map

As above.

Handlebar - The Original @ Sembawang [Jalan Menpurong]

I don't remember much about Gillman Village along Alexandra Road but i could definitely recall that attractive harley davidson bike-themed bar known as Handlebar! 

While many thought handlebar is no longer operating with the inevitable development of Gillman Village, i had the fortune to chance upon it in one of the days that i aimlessly drive my car all over Singapore. 

Once i stepped in, i was hesitant to proceed further; the area was a bit too quiet without the rowdiness we often associated with bikers and i could not exactly pinpoint where the restaurant was. 

Fret not, walk towards the direction of the red-white communication tower!

Here we are! I could not remember how the structure in Gillman Village looked like as i visited at night when visibility was super low and that was also the period when pictures taken by camera phones sucked big time and owning a DSLR was unimaginable given the exorbitant price tag.

Honestly, that visit was a long time ago when i was still driving the old Toyota Corolla without any air-conditioning! I couldn't even remember if handlebar has an outdoor kitchen as it has in its new location at Sembawang now. 

There were fond memories of the decorations though and how each and every one of them was related to the bikers theme. 

Traces of those memorable decors could be found although sadly, i didn't quite get that impressive excitement as i did in the past. 

Nevertheless, this was one cool pool table i would love to get for my future house! 

Furthermore, the new location has a natural advantage; its close proximity to the Straits of Johor where sea breeze is a given! A perfect chill out place with your close friends! 

Blossom Onion

Since i don't drink, food would be my topmost priority! And for an onion lover, the blossom onion in Handlebar was the one food i had that remained so vividly impressed in the back of my memory.

Look at it; the presentation itself was already a spectacular sight! Even Alex was speechless for a split moment when the waiter placed it in front of him! 

It was a godsend for me of course as i totally love deep fried stuff and this dish heavily featured the one ingredient i immensely enjoyed in almost any forms! Do take note that the blossom is best eaten when hot and crispy. Once it turns cold, the taste was quite unappetising. 

Steak and Egg

Thinking back, i should have been more adventurous in my choice. Why a simple steak and egg when i could have a more sadistic unique dish known as "Silence of the Lamb"?

For some, the 250-gram steak would be considered as beautifully grilled with a marvelous looking shine! I like mine a bit more charred, if i could have my way. 

The medium done-ness i requested was perfectly executed even though i do find the price tag of S$30 a tad too high for my scrooge-like personality. Sigh, i should have gotten that silence of the lamb!

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Location

57 Jalan Menpurong

[Near Sembawang Park]

Map and Driving Directions

As above (red star). 

Motorists should turn in to Andrews Avenues from Sembawang Road and just drive all the way straight! For those taking public transport, do take note you would have to walk 10-15 minutes from the bus stop and the road is known to be very eerie when night falls.

Motorcycle / Bike Parking

Available as above.

Operation Hours

Closed on Monday! 

Tuesday to Friday: 17:00 - 01:00 

Saturday and Sunday: 15:00 - 01:00

Menu

As above

Pricing

Blossom Onion - S$12

Steak and Egg - S$30

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Shi Wei Xian Hongkong Tim Sum (食为先香港点心) - Open Only on Saturdays & Sundays! @ Aljunied Crescent [Between Aljunied & Paya Lebar MRT Stations]

It was over a whatsapp group chat that Mr Kon excitedly informed us a fellow friend had recommended a place in Singapore that serves good yet affordable handmade dim sum! 

I am a sucker when it comes to such deals, especially when dim sum is not really that cheap when you compare to typical hawker fare that could fill your stomach with just one serving. 

Therefore, it didn't take us long to arrange for a weekend to check it out. Why weekend? Not because Saturdays and Sundays are my off days. Truth is, business was brisk enough for the eatery to open for business ONLY on weekends! 

Business ends at 5pm. Even though we reached at around 3pm last Sunday, some of the items were already sold out and we had to make do with whatever that was still available for our late lunch. p.s. those in the picture was only about 75% of what we actually stuffed into our tummies. 

The problem with most dim sum establishments is that there are hits and misses when it comes to the food. In the case here, i would say the review was relatively neutral since none was actually bad-tasting. 

Even the worst was considered average tasting in my opinion (maybe, we were lucky)! The four baskets of dim sum shown before this paragraph were placed in the "average" category. 

Both dishes (one steamed, another deep fried) above featured beancurd skin and although the meat filling was pretty generous (a plus obviously), i could not help but comment that the unique flavour of beancurd skin seemed to be lacking.

Lotus leaf rice was definitely one of the better ones i have so far, with the simple fragrance of lotus leaves absorbed into every single grain! Sorry, i forgot to take a picture after unwrapping it.

The chee cheong fun should have been tagged under "average"! However, i was very smitten with the delicious sauce that was drenched over the steamed flour! It was a bit heavy on the salty side yet the consistency was light enough for me to drink it like water! 

I think this was called swallow dumplings (yan jiao zi) and i can draw a similar comparison to the epic hong you chao shou 红油抄手 sold in selected crystal jade restaurants. Personally, i prefer the ones from crystal jade but Mrs Kon loved it enough to order a second basket.

What's dim sum without buns?! Let's have char siew bao!

Fluffy texture, savoury filling and they only cost us S$1.60! I think my younger sister would have enjoyed the bao here! Guess i should bring my parents and siblings here for a yum cha session that wouldn't cost me a hand and leg.

This was left to the last for a reason. Known as Ham Sui Gok, i have seen them around yet i had never tried them out (appearance wise, they just didn't appeal to me). Honestly, what have i been doing for the past 33 years?!

The seemingly hard cover totally betrayed its actual sticky texture and the surprise continued when i realised the skin was sweet rather than savoury (or bland in most cases)! The filling, usually accorded equal or higher importance in dim sum, was relegated to a role as a mere taste enhancer to the overall "package". 

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Location

Block 119, Aljunied Avenue 2,

#01-06 [note, Aljunied Crescent is incorrect]

Map

As above. The block is situated in between Paya Lebar and Aljunied MRT Stations. 

Opening Hours

Closed on Mondays to Fridays.

Saturdays and Sundays - 7am to 5pm

Price and Menu

As above. There wasn't any GST and service charge to the bill although you may wish to note that there could be special items not on the menu. Don't be afraid to ask the friendly staff!