I Love Sukhothai @ Lim Bang Shopping Centre (Choa Chu Kang) [Singapore]

The Greatest Kon had been 'pestering' us to check out this Thai restaurant near his home. Said to be so popular; there would still be a queue at 8pm! Now, for an eatery in a sub-urban residential area, it's quite a rare sight!

So we got convinced and finally got our ass to I Love Sukhothai @ Lim Bang Shopping Centre in Choa Chu Kang one weekday evening after work, reaching at 8.05pm. p.s. my work ends at 6pm but I chose to cycle over.

Thankfully, we managed to secure a table immediately although I did realize a queue shortly after. It's quite amazing given that the rest of Lim Bang Shopping Centre was actually quite empty when I checked it out before meeting Kon.

Table setup - loving the pack of tissues! Although I love Thai food, I generally ignore the condiments they put on the table as I don't know when and what to add. Anyway, let's begin with the food review!  

Lemongrass Pandan Drink - served hot, this was so nice to have when the restaurant temperature setting was actually quite cold! And I loved that it wasn't too sweet.

Grilled Pork Skewer - I am seldom impressed with moo ping served in Thai restaurants in Singapore as there was a porky taste. These were the nicest so far; juicy, tasty and the sweetness was just right. Only thing that could be improved; I would enjoy a more charred texture.

Deep Fried Salted Egg Tiger Prawns - at $18, this was a disappointment; prawns were not fresh, featuring a mushy texture and I don't understand how salted egg could taste so underwhelming when it usually adds so much flavor to a dish! 

Grilled Chicken Half - this reminded me of the Isaan grilled chicken from Un-Yang-Kor-Dai. Although not as memorable, this herb infused chicken was as tender. Do note not to wait till the chicken gets cold as the meat would become very dry.

Green Curry Fried Rice (Chicken Cutlet) - I love green curry chicken and while this was not bad;I do prefer the gravy / soup version. It just felt a lot more shiok to drench your rice with the curry and then slurping them down the throat. p.s. not so much a cutlet fan but the rest loved it! 

Thai Sukiyaki (Dry Pork) - even though my favorite Thai noodle dish is still phad thai, Thai sukiyaki dry, a stir fried glass noodles dish, would come a close second! This one might appear plain, yet so flavorful. How could it be so delicious?!

Stir Fried Yellow Curry Fresh Crab Meat - at S$20, this would our most expensive dish that night! Personally, I thought the serving of crab meat was quite pathetic. However, a scoopful of the curry gravy with rice brought me back to the time of Somboon Seafood Restaurant; it was so addictive! Before I am back to Bangkok again, this shall be THE place for me to indulge in crab curry!

 

=====

Before and after; I can't imagine we ordered so much but that's the beauty of dining with the Greatest Kon! We would get to try a lot of dishes! While there were hits and misses (would return for sukiyaki, yellow curry and moo ping), the pricing of the dishes at I Love Sukhothai would be one major draw!

Address

533 Choa Chu Kang Street 51, 

#01-18, Singapore 680533

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

11.00 am to 3.00 pm

5.00 pm to 11.00 pm

Pricing

Lemongrass Pandan Drink - S$3.00 

Grilled Pork Skewer - S$7.00

Deep Fried Salted Egg Tiger Prawns - S$18.00

Grilled Chicken Half - S$10.00

Green Curry Fried Chicken (Chicken Cutlet) - S$8.00

Thai Sukiyaki (Dry Pork) - S7.00

Stir Fried Yellow Curry Fresh Crab Meat - S$20.00

(Subject to Service Charge)

No. 5 Char Koay Teow & their Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs @ Penang in Malaysia

Now, I have to admit at the beginning of this post that I am the rare Singaporean who prefers Singapore Char Kway Teow over the Penang version. It's just a matter of personal preference but this didn't deter me from checking out reputable char kway teow stall when I was in Penang a few months back. 

No. 5 Char Koay Teow was said to be strongly recommended by locals and since it's so near our hotel, St. Giles Wembley; I guess there's no harm trying as I had plenty of time on my hands! 

As typical Singaporean, I gladly joined the queue. But when I told the service staff I was dining in, I was asked to find a table and sit down first. Those queuing would only be for takeaways. Fine, I am an obedient Singaporean who follows the rules.

The queue management sucked big time; we waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order, although I should be happy that the staff did notice I came earlier. Honestly, I am unsure how they determine the order of customers walking in and out! 

Duck Egg Char Kway Teow - our order of two plates with the major difference being one with chilli, and the other without. There's a reason why I did that and I shall explain shortly.

One thing that stood out was the prominent display of humongous bloody cockles! If my mom were with me, I bet she would exclaim with much glee as it's not easy to find such fat cockles in char kway teow in Singapore.

These were stir-fried very well, enveloped by a smoky wok hei that was very much desired. The noodles were soft and the use of duck eggs appeared to make the flavor richer than the norm! Add in the two large fresh prawns and the big pieces of crispy pork lards, and you would assume I must be very pleased with this Penang char kway teow.

Frankly, I was. However, I found the overall taste to be bland, which was quite typical of Penang char kway teow I have had over the years. That's the reason why I asked for chilli, as it will elevate the flavor.  Of course, maybe a dollop of sweet sauce might be just the right ingredient to perfect this char kway teow. 

Chung Ling Scrambled Eggs - I was curious about this dish as most tables seemed to have one. A check revealed that it was known as Chung Ling scrambled egg. I knew of Chung Ling, which was one of the famous schools in Penang, said to be "ranked as one of the top 5 private high schools in Malaysia".

Soft fried running eggs (I guess about three) with chilli added; they were not bad although having them alone was a bit of an overkill. Order them only if you are eating with a few companions, and maybe add them to the char kway teow for extra oomph! 

=====

Despite my misgivings on Penang Char Kway Teow, I had to admit this was one of the best I have had throughout the years. Would I back? Sure, as I would love to check out their mantis prawns fried kway teow, which was sold out. And I also forgot to order their sotong, which was said to be must-order. 

Address

94, Jln Macalister, Sunshine City, 

10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Total - RM 24.00

Additional Information

Plenty of parking space, if you are driving.

Click here for my Five Days 

Itinerary to Penang in 2024

Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang - Riverfront Deluxe Room @ Vietnam

After four days in Hoi An, we were finally back in Danang and it's exciting to see our next choice of accommodation as our driver (private transfer via La Charm Hoi An Hotel & Spa) drove along Dragon Bridge; Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang! 

Despite its name, I would say the building had a nice, modern twist, featuring tall glass panels with each of them spanning across two floors, and pots of plants in front of the glass panels.

We alighted in front of this entrance which was more for the in-house cafe than the hotel. Turned out the official entrance had only steps and given that we had luggage, entering from the cafe would be nearer for us to reach the lift.

Ground Floor - reception floor. However, I am scratching my head here as the cafe was level one whereas the second level was labelled as ground level. That's like the opposite of Malaysia floor classification. 

Anyway, photographs of the ground level reception area, including a view of the cafe right below, where there was an outdoor, streetside section with comfortable seating for those interested to do as the locals do. 

Welcome drink!

Secured our key cards, including information on Wi-Fi password, and location of the gymnasium, the swimming pool, the spa, where you could have our free breakfast etc. 

Do note that the lights for the corridor would be turned on automatically with motion sensor! Which means the corridor might appear dark until you step forward. For me, that's quite scary even though I eventually got used to it.

Room 

Number 1006 - stepping in soon! 

Tadah! The Riverfront Deluxe Room that we booked for the next four nights! An overkill to be staying so many nights as we got quite bored with Da Nang on our last day.

Did you notice something interesting from the above photographs? Some of the items were not square or rectangular-shaped; like the hexagonal table, mirror and even the TV console table! Even the bedside tables were an odd-pentagon shaped.

Loving the provision of 2-pin and USB plugs at the bedsides! 

Given that Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang faced the main road bordering Han River, the hotel even provided free ear plugs for their guests! I am quite surprised as the noise was acceptable; or maybe my hearing had worsened with age.

Other parts of the room; ironing board, iron, weighing machine, bathrobes, slippers, in-room safe, electric kettle, bottled water, mini fridge (hidden in the cupboard underneath the electric kettle) etc. 

Now the window view; as not all rooms faced the Han River, a premium would be required when you book a room with the river view. If not, there's always the more economical city view option. 

Many photographs of the river view from our room; so worth the premium, especially with the spectacular Dragon Bridge on the right! You can even catch the weekend "performances", when the dragon head came to life! 

Should the sky be clear on a morning; maybe a great sunrise too! 

Notice this statue in the photograph? It's called Ca Chep Hoa Rong Statue and would be the equivalence of the merlion in Singapore, albeit half fish, half dragon.

The washroom with the toilet amenities. I found it weird to have such a nice box to house the amenities, which were packed like they were from the 80 - 90s. 

View of the room from the bathtub!

p.s. I requested for extra pillows. 

Swimming Pool

Both swimming pool and the gymnasium were on the 20th floor and one thing for sure after I stepped out of the lift; it's not wheelchair accessible. And to get up to the Sky Lounge, you would have to climb up another long flight of stairs as the highest lift floor was 20.

My first thought of the swimming pool when I first saw the pictures online; it's more like a humongous fish tank / bathtub and in some places, you might see schools of fish from the see-through glass! 

One key attraction, however, would be the direct view of Dragon Bridge! 

Gymnasium

Same level as the swimming pool was a direct reference since it was literally right beside, with no physical wall whatsoever separating the area. Equipment was basic (quite surprised to see a multi-station one though) but would be sufficient if you are the only one using them .

Well, not related to the gym but from the staircase going up to the sky lounge, there was a window which had a city view that featured the famous pink cathedral of Da Nang! 

Spa

As part of our stay, both Alex and I were given a complimentary 30-minute foot massage at the Aroma Spa within Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang. An appointment would be required and we redeemed only on the 3rd day of our stay as we would be out to Bana Hills on the 2nd day. 

Promotion of one plus one for body massage during the lull period of 9am till 3pm. Sharing the price lists for your reference too. As it's at a hotel, pricing would be slightly higher compared to standalone massage parlours outside.

Setting at the spa; very bright although I am guessing there would be more rooms within. p.s. the orange sofa chairs would be used for our foot massages and I did think they looked uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, let's start with a foot soak.

That took up 10 out of our 30 minutes free massage. 

Strength was okay and massage was fine but the masseur didn't appear too happy, without a smile throughout the session. Or maybe she wasn't conversant in English? Or was it because this was a free foot massage? 

Breakfast Buffet

It's easier to let the pictures do the talking! I believed I have covered all the bases and you can see the variety; do note that there would be changes on a daily basis but to be fair, I am not a person who would indulge in breakfast buffet as I prefer to explore the food outside when I am oversea, unless there's nothing for me within close proximity. 

My standard would usually be a platter of fruits, and also the yogurt (in a glass) if it wasn't out of stock. I might take a nibble of items that looked appetizing but nothing quite caught my taste buds. 

Cafe

Firgun Corner Cafe - with both indoor and outdoor seating, Alex did purchase latte from the cafe before. I almost ordered something but they had yet to start operations. Nonetheless, business appeared to be good on most days. 

=====

In summary, the stay was enjoyable and I must commend the IT staff for finally resolving the WiFi connection I had with my laptop! Service at the reception counter could have been better though. They weren't rude but I thought they could have been friendlier; a smile is crucial in service line. 

Address

182 Bạch Đằng, Street, Hải Châu, 

Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.haianriverfronthotel.com/

Pricing

Riverfront Deluxe Room - S$80.43 a night

(Booked via Agoda.com)

Additional Information

For your reference, in case you need transportation.

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam