The Hokkien Mee Club @ Newton Hawker Centre [Singapore] #newtonhawkercentre

Putting the word "club" to a stall name evokes exclusivity and the hokkien mee club with its vibrant red signboard claims the three most important factors for a good plate of hokkien mee; stock, fresh ingredients and wok hei!

Since we had a group of five persons dining at Newton Food Centre that day, we opted for a large serving of the hokkien mee, wrapped with the most traditional, and natural opeh leaf.

According to the staff, and the small placard stuck to the wrapped leaf, we had to let the hokkien mee 'simmer" for between five to ten minutes, before squeezing in the lime for the best enjoyment! 

After an excruciating five minutes, we impatiently unwrapped the leaf, revealing the jewel within, with a puff of steam rising from the noodles!

  With the hokkien mee being so tightly packed for what seemed like eternity, what appeared in front of me was like an unappetising smosh of noodles that appeared too dry for my liking.

Despite the Greatest Kon's negative verdict, I thought the taste was acceptable, albeit a bit on the bland side, with wok hei weaker than what I expected. The dryness I assumed didn't materialize as it was more like a semi-wet consistency with the noodles sufficiently soaking up the broth!  

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Address

500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-70, 

Newton Food Centre, Singapore 229495

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Hokkien Mee with Opeh Leaf (Large) - S$15.00

22 Best Satay - Going for BBQ Prawns @ Newton Hawker Centre [Singapore] #newtonhawkercentre

While I am a lover for satay, the allure for seafood is much greater and the battle between meat and seafood eventually resulted in the choice for BBQ prawns at 22 Best Satay! 

Frankly, the recommendation came from the Greatest Kon and it also happened that Alex would always prefer barbecued prawns over chicken, mutton satay etc. This was evidenced in the used-to-be-frequent visits to Satay Jae Aeng in Bangkok! 

Like Satay Jae Aeng, the prawns were already deshelled, making it much easier for to enjoy the feast. Unlike Satay Jae Aeng, the prawns were much pricier at S$2.20 a stick!

While perfectly grilled without being burnt, the seasoning used did cover the original sweetness of the prawns, and I would require the dark spicy dip to enhance the flavour. Point was, the dip was too hot for my liking and I could only thank my mug of cold beer that helped to soothe the spiciness. 

Maybe next round, I should seriously consider going for their combo, which had a mix of chicken, mutton/beef and prawns! More to review, and more variety to check out from 22 Best Satay. 

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Address

500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-22, 

Newton Food Centre, Singapore 229495

Map

As above.

Pricing

BBQ Prawns - S$2.20 each

R&B Express BBQ Chicken Wings @ Newton Hawker Centre in Singapore #newtonhawkercentre #michelin

Dropping by Newton Hawker Centre for a small gathering with my former colleagues from Starhub, one of whom was the Greatest Kon; who recommended the BBQ chicken wings from R&B Express, a michelin-recommended eatery! 

Recommendation from the Greatest Kon? Just order and try because high chance the food wouldn't be lousy! With a minimum of three pieces per order, we went with five for our gathering of five males, all borne in the 80s! 

At S$1.80 a piece, each piece comprised of a wingette, the mid-joint and a drumette! Boy did they look inviting even though hunger played a part here since it was already 8.30pm and I walked for slightly an hour earlier with a empty tummy.

Squeeze the lime on the wings for extra zestiness, and the psychological effect that they would turn miraculously less sinful! p.s. the lime was darn juicy! 

Served warm, the wings were your typically grilled chicken wings with light seasoning; while retaining much juiciness when I bit through, I was way more impressed with the chilli sauce that had a tangy sourness that was so appetizing; I am surprised the stall owner didn't bottle them for a separate stream of revenue! 

p.s. an hour later, we ordered another five pieces!

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Address

500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-76,

Newton Food Centre, Singapore 229495

Map

As above.

Pricing

BBQ Chicken Wings - S$1.80

(minimum three pieces)

Buffet Breakfast in CHIC Restaurant at Hotel de la Coupole Sapa - MGallery Collection [Vietnam]

I didn't opt for breakfast when I booked Hotel de la Coupole Sapa - MGallery Collection, thinking there should be other nearby options! But it's our last day in Sapa and knowing my mom always prefers hotel breakfast, we decided to give it a go.

Located on the top floor of the hotel, it was a long corridor of tall ceiling, as if we were exploring the palatial grounds of buildings in Europe that had stood for centuries. 

Insides of the CHIC Restaurant; like a classic, grand ballroom with no columns supporting the ceiling and natural sunlight streaming in from the skylights. Only one word best describes the feeling; wow!

Huge circular dome at the far end. Recommended to sit here for the best environment although the disadvantage is that most of the food would be placed at the other end. Okay for me, less so for my mom who had to walk a long way! 

There's also the option of dining outdoors but they appeared to be disjointed from the restaurant, and the weather wasn't exactly highland cool.  However, you would have full view of Fansipan on a good day, as the above photograph shows. 

We decided to opt for the above "thrones".

Have to live like "nobility" for a morning.  

Nearest station for us at this faraway spot would be the drinks and eggs, and there's only so much eggs I can ingest in one morning! Not to mention I had to save enough stomach space for the rest of the stations.

Rest of the food stations; variety was wide, including your usual salad, local delights, western, porridge, fruits and also cheese with salami (including blue cheese) and even bibimbap!  

Plating was high class, and imagine having a honeycomb slowly dripping real honey as the spread for your bread! Almost like walking into a dining room with tables filled with delicious looking food in a medieval fairy tale! 

Only problem was the lack of space, especially during the peak breakfast period! p.s. the above photographs were taken past the peak, with more breathing space.

My mom can sit for hours in a hotel breakfast buffet, especially if my elder sister is with her! I am more an eater, preferring to concentrate on food, and read the online Straits Times. So how did the food fare?

Well, they were not exceptional and I eventually focused on fruits. Missing the amazing breakfast from the nearby ALIANA Boutique Sapa Hotel & Spa instead! 

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Address

No. 1 Hoàng Liên, Street, 

Hotel de la Coupole Sapa,

Sa Pa, Lào Cai 330000, Vietnam

Map

As above.

Pricing

Buffet Breakfast - 450,000 Vietnamese Dong Per Adult