Berempah Bros - Unconventional Nasi Lemak by MasterChef Singapore Season 2 Winner @ Beauty World Food Centre in Singapore

Nasi lemak is a local dish that I would crave occasionally despite my dislike for carbohydrate heavy meals! And when I see a stall opened by the winner of MasterChef Singapore Season 2; I knew I had to give it a try! 

Menu for your reference; going for the signature ayam berempah and it's an absolute no brain between thigh or breast, The former it shall be, even though breast meat has higher protein.

Plated on the brown hawker paper commonly used by hawkers in Singapore, it was a picture-perfect sight that played with colors aimed to generate interest and curiosity. Is it just a visual gimmick? But hey, winning a MasterChef is no easy feat! 

Let's start with the rice; tasted just like your typical nasi lemak rice cooked with coconut milk, these grains were softer, fluffier, and lighter in flavour.

Portions for the meat were quite little; they were boneless and juicy alright but I am the weirdo who prefers to gnaw on bones, like a doggie! You do get the touches of the berempah spices; however, the crumbs that covered the meat stole the limelight! Called typhoon shelter crumbs, they were like the less sweet version of the cereals in cereal prawns even though the real thing contains no cereal! 

Sambal belachan was too spicy for me (I get sweat oozing from my hair follicles) and the one thing I absolutely 101% love at Berempah Bros would be the unforgettable achar! The perfect balance of cold sweetness, crunchiness, sourness and spiciness! Would love to get a bottle for home! 

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Food was enjoyable but the hot weather was a killer in a non-air-conditioned food centre. Experience should be better at night. p.s. crispy fried egg was normal; I expected an exceptional one. 

Address

144 Upper Bukit Timah Rd,

#04-51, Beauty World Food Centre,

Singapore 588177

Map

As above.

Pricing

Ayam Berempah Thigh - S$7.50

Crispy Fried Egg - S$1.50 

Shilin Hotel (黄山狮林大酒店) - Buffet Dinner, Night Entertainment @ Huangshan in China

The line of beautifully photographs showcasing the scenery of Huangshan would have made many visitors stopped in their tracks, but not when you have walked a few kilometers up and down the UNESCO world heritage site.

I did stop to take a photograph with this monkey, given that I am born in the Chinese zodiac year of the monkey. Plus, this came as a request from my dad, from whom I inherit my love for phototaking.

Kids could also take the opportunity to recite the text, with help from the hanyu pinyin, that spoke of the strange rocks in Huangshan. My generation is trained in hanyu pinyin too and I have gone rusty with the four types of tones used to articulate the Chinese characters. 

Dad and Alex with a bouquet of fake flowers wrapped around the trees. Frankly, I am more into the nature feel of things, including decorations that augment well with the natural setting. 

This was funny though; showing just the back end of a horse. As it is the zodiac year of the horse, this would be a physical manifestation of hit the horse's butt. In Chinese, it means the action of "kissing up, boot-licking, or excessive flattery".

Entrance of the hotel building at night as I didn't manage to have a good picture of it in the daytime. There's a barrier which prevents the freezing cold air from seeping into the hotel lobby. 

Inside of the hotel; with a pretty large lobby! Basic information of Shilin Hotel; located at the foot of Lion's Peak, it has a total of 161 rooms, and even though it was built in 1998, its recent renovation was in 2014. 

You can rent traditional Chinese attire at RMB 20 Yuan (about S$4) an hour or get something to drink from the small convenience stall, including a bottle of Starbucks Cheese Latte at RMB 25 Yuan. 

Weather predictions for the next day, including timing for sunrise / sunset and the likelihood of catching the sunrise. If the likelihood is high (more than 55%), the hotel would even provide a guide to bring hotel guests to a vantage location for the sunrise. 

Room 7116 - the allocated room for my sister and I. Small and compact, we didn't have any complaint except for its size but well, it's just for one night, and the radiator was working well to warm our room.

A buffet dinner within the hotel's resident restaurant was covered in our tour package and even though this was more than 1,600 meters above sea level, with ingredients painstakingly carried up by porters; the variety wasn't limited.

In summary, I enjoyed the tender pork, and also the sweetness from those small mandarin oranges. Food served were more suited for the local palate so don't expect international offerings.

Those who didn't opt for buffet dinner should note that the pricing was RMB 160 Yuan, around S$30. Well, I can only say I am glad this was covered under our tour package.

At 7pm, the hotel lobby shall come alive. As we overlooked the timing, all tables and seats were already taken up; leaving us to stand on our two tired feet.

Start of the performance, with lion dance! Organized by the hotel, I think this was just a way of ensuring guests don't get too bored as there's really nothing else to do once night falls. And rest assured, the performances are suitable for kids.

The lion would also interact with the audience, resulting in excitement and laughter from the many kids catching the performances. As it was public holiday in China, there were quite a number of kids.

Second performance; the playing of guzheng!

Last performance was an activity exclusive to China; known as tossing the silk ball. Used in instances "where a young woman throws a colorful, handmade silk ball into a crowd of suitors" and the one who caught it shall become the husband. An activity that would no longer apply in the modern world. 

In this segment, however, the person who caught the ball the most times shall become the designated hubby. And the funny thing is; another young lady, who is super tall, was the winner! So, it's literally a lesbian couple; not sure if this would be agreeable for the Chinese government.

Concluding act, where everyone comes together.

So-called couple! The young lady tossing the silk ball was so pretty! Back during the segment, it was the so-called maid who came out and a gentleman standing next to us was so bad as he loudly said "this one cannot"! 

Dad with the lions!

Video for your viewing pleasure.

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Address

Within Scenic Area, Huangshan District, 

Huangshan City, Anhui, 245800, China

Click HERE for our 8 Days Huangshan, Tunxi, Yixian, Wuyuan, Mount Qiyun, Thousand-Island Lake, Hangzhou Tour Package to China via CTC Travel Agency

Wing Seong Fatty's Restaurant - Closing /Closed Down on 28 June 2026 @ Burlington Square [Singapore]

To be very frank, I don't know Wing Seong Fatty's Restaurant, which has a hundred year old history, and would be closing down on 28 June 2026 (three days later) as they couldn't find a successor to take over the eatery serving Cantonese cuisine.

I am usually not interested in trying out a restaurant that's closing down but the Greatest Kon managed to persuade me, resulting in me taking an hour's time off from work so that I can arrive earlier to beat the queue. Strangely, I managed to get a table immediately when I reached at 6.00pm on a Tuesday.

Now, don't come expecting to be treated like the customer is king. The serving staff didn't have much patience and while not rude, you do get a lot of pressure to order as quickly as possible from the wordy menus!

Yang Chow Fried Rice - this came recommended from the order taker and visually darker than the typical yang chow fried rice. Taste wise like home cooked soy sauce fried rice, and lost to the one my mom can easily whip up at home. Saving grace was the char siew with fattier bits.

Sweet and Sour Pork - said to be the signature dish, I had to admit the sauce had this old school flavour that was darn palatable. But the nuggets of fried pork were major letdowns; hard and chewy with inconsistent sizes; they were a disgrace to the sauce. 

Fried Foo Yong Eggs - charred aroma and brought me back to the first time I had furong egg as a kid; like a nostalgic walk down memory lane. 

Homemade Tofu - another signature dish for the restaurant although its dull, boring outlook didn't quite do it any justice. Don't be deceived by it! 

While the texture wasn't the silky soft kind often touted by many eateries offering homemade tofu, there was a satisfying bite filled with a strong yet delicious burst of egginess, enhanced by the addictive braised sauce!

Yam Basket with Tofu - again a signature dish but I seriously doubt we can clean up the dish since there were just the three of us (one of whom is small tummy Alex), and yam is such a filling carbohydrate! 

Traditional it sure was, with the ring featuring a generously thick middle of cooked yam that was so rich for the palate! Now, I do like yam but in the dessert yam paste form! This was simply put too heavy for my tummy! 

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After this meal, I can confidently say I will only miss the homemade tofu. 

The queue when we exited at 7.30pm!

Humongously long with more than 30 persons! 

Address

175 Bencoolen St, #01-31,

Burlington Square, Singapore 189649

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.wingseongfatty.com/

Pricing

Yang Chow Fried Rice - S$6.00

Sweet and Sour Pork (S) - S$15.00

Fried Foo Yong Eggs (S) - S$9.00

Homemade Tofu (S) - S$15.00

Yam Basket with Tofu - S$30.00

(Subject to GST)