Mugwort Cake @ Qiyun Mountain in China

While exploring Qiyun Mountain at China, one of four sacred mountains in Taoism, I chanced upon a snack that looked super familiar to the ones we can easily find on our little red dot.

Singaporean compatriots; would you know what they looked like?! For those who frequent the night markets in Singapore, you would likely see the above. My mom counts it as one of her favorite snacks; tapioca cake! 

In Chinese, the label was indicated as 艾叶饼 which means mugwort! Sadly, I didn't know what it was and since I assumed it was just a different version of tapioca cake and I was craving for it; I decided to get one piece.

Costing RMB 5 Yuan (about S$1), it wasn't exactly cheap given the standard of living in China. Saving grace was that the elderly stall-owner gave me a piece straight from the frying griddle. 

Filling included Chinese mustard greens, beancurd bits and diced bamboo shoots. Taste wise, absolutely nothing familiar from the sweet and earthy tapioca cake I was accustomed too. It was sour, a tad salty and without any sweetness. I bet it's healthier but give me tapioca cake anytime! 

Anyway, I only realized (after I started editing the photographs back in Singapore) that there was an option for sweet filling like red bean paste! Damn, I should have asked for sweet mugwort cake.

 

=====

Address

Near the Village at Qiyun Mountain, China

Pricing

Mugwort Cake - RMB 5 Yuan

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

Soya Milk Made On The Spot @ 俏豆娘 along Tunxi Old Street in Huangshan [China]

To be totally honest, I would have totally ignored the above setup, seeing it as a marketing gimmick. However, it managed to capture the attention of my dearest dad!

Yes, my dad loves such business setups and would gladly pose for photo-taking. While we might reject such kitschy stuff in the past, he is getting old and we are more than willing to indulge him! 

Seeing that the stone grinder wasn't just a tool for photo-taking, given that soybeans were actually ground into a thick, pulpy curd, I am guessing that I could maybe try a cup of freshly made soy milk.

Of course we are not going to get the one "fresh" from the stone grinder. You have to strain the pulp first to separate the liquid, and then boiled. Hence, the correct soy milk is served hot.

Here's my takeaway cup since I was on a tour and as expected, I didn't have sufficient time when the Tunxi Old Street wasn't exactly small. Taste wise, it was refreshing to have such fresh soya milk, without any sugar syrup! 

My dad has his numerous photo moments too. 

And I want to think our small purchases helped. 

=====

Address

Near Main Entrance of Tunxi Old Street, 

Huangshan City, Anhui Province, 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

Restoran Sungei Lima @ Klang in Malaysia

After a massive durian indulgence at Klang where we bought over 13 kilograms worth of mao shan wang, our intention was to skip dinner but our dear Alex, despite his insanely small stomach, was craving for seafood! 

So, our Klang friends decided to bring us to a Restoran Sungei Lima; said to be popular amongst the locals. He wasn't wrong as the place was almost full house when we arrived; a demand not seen at other nearby eateries.

You can choose between indoor and outdoor seatings. As weather was pretty cool that evening, the outdoors would be preferred, and unanimously agreed by the rest. What we didn't realize was the thunderstorm coming our way as we returned to Petaling Jaya after dinner.

Even for a Chinese reader, I am stumped by the menu when I asked for one. I was asked to look at this panel at the wall, which has no price tag. Oh well, I am leaving it to the expert locals, our friends, to order then. 

Cereal Prawns - these would count as one of the best cereal prawns I ever had; freshness was obviously there and special mention to the cereals themselves that were almost powdery with a sweet fluff that crusted the prawns. 

Sweet and Sour Pork - not sure if many of you would remember the nostalgic taste of old school sweet and sour pork. This was how I remember them; rich of tomato with a texture that was like just lightly crisp. This plate literally brought me back to my childhood.

Salted Egg Mantis Shrimp - more salty than sweet with a flavor that was overwhelming for the palate; and too much batter. Supposed to be a signature dish but for the Singapore taste buds; not to my liking. 

Fried Baby Marmite Squids - more chewy than crispy, I was wondering what this dish was all about until it was placed on our table; turned out to be one of my sister's favorite tze char dishes! There was this unique marmite taste that my sister would likely enjoy; but not the texture.

=====

Before and after.

Address

60, Lrg Angsa, Taman Berkeley, 

41150 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

Morning - 8.30 am to 2.30 pm

Evening - 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm 

Pricing

Cereal Prawns - RM 48.00

Sweet and Sour Pork - RM 25.00

Salted Egg Mantis Shrimp - RM 25.00

Fried Baby Squids - RM 25.00

Zok Noodle House @ Raffles City Shopping Centre [Singapore]

Zok Noodle House - the name rings a bell yet I couldn't put my finger to it initially; until it finally dawned on me that I tried it once at Genting Highlands, and it didn't impress! 

Nevertheless, my family seemed set on having brunch at this branch right here in Singapore, and since taste buds varied across people, even within family; no harm in trying again, and I am also taking the opportunity to officially review this Malaysian-originated eatery.

Top ten recommendations for your reference! 

After ordering, please proceed to stock up at the all-you-can-eat-condiment section, with a variety of sauces and dips, including cut green chilli. 

For me, it would be the big baskets of coriander and spring onions that shall appeal to me. Unlike many people, I actually have a liking for both, including coriander, especially when they were thrown into soup! 

X.O Sauce Stir Fried Turnip Cake - with so much beansprouts covering the turnip cake, this should be renamed stir fried beansprouts with turnip. Nevertheless, the large pieces of turnip cake were overly soft, with a limp texture providing no bite. Overall - disappointing. 

 

BBQ Pork and Fresh Wonton Noodles - my order and I am giving it more prominent coverage.

Noodles were the rubber-band kind popular in Hongkong and despite the dark sauce used, the sweetness was pretty much muted; resulting in a more savory than sweet flavour. 

Char siew (also known as BBQ pork) was surprisingly nice; sliced thickly with a good meat over fatty ratio that was satisfying, and a bite that was smoky and bursting with sweet marination!

Unlike wonton in many wonton mee, the ones here were generously sized! Filling was a mix of both pork and prawns, and while the soup had a strong pork flavour; it was still palatable with just a thin line to cross into the undesirable band.

Zok Milky Soup Pork Noodles - key takeaway here; the broth was rich and so comfortable for the tummy! Sadly, the pork belly had that porkiness that my palates reject and the slice I had was too tough for my liking. 

Zok Seafood Rice Soup  - frankly, this required better plating. With so much water, I can't make out what was in it! p.s. the picture on menu gave a totally different vibe. 

Scoop a bit deeper and you get a more complete picture, including clams and prawns. Now, I would best describe the soup was plain white rice soaked in clear soup that had an unadulterated seafood sweetness balanced without any excessive seasoning. More disappointed with the prawns which could have been fresher; at least not fishy though. 

=====

While I am not sure if I would be back to the same branch again (wonton mee is quite easily found all over Singapore and I like the white version); I am sure to consider Zok Noodle House when I am in Malaysia again, where it has ten branches! 

Address

252 N Bridge Rd, B1-76,

Raffles City, Singapore 179103

Map

As above.

Website

https://zoknoodlehousesg.com/

Pricing

X.O Sauce Stir Fried Turnip Cake - S$7.50

BBQ Pork and Fresh Wonton Noodles - S$12.90

Zok Milky Soup Pork Noodles - S$13.90

Zok Seafood Rice Soup  - S$15.90

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

Xian Ji Seafood Soup @ Alexandra Village Food Centre [Singapore] #alexandravillagefoodcentre

It's no secret I relied heavily on Google Maps review before I visit a new dining establishment but sometimes, when the hunger gets to me, I will just freely decide based on simple whims and fancy.

The above explained the reason why I was queuing in front of Xian Ji Seafood Soup @ Alexandra Village Food Centre after realizing Chef Goo Red Sea Prawns Hokkien Mee was closed. What I didn't realize then was that the review score of Xian Ji on Google Maps was a paltry 3.0.

To be fair, most negative comments were about the poor service from the sole employee / employer and I did encounter it, albeit from the customers in front of me. Basically, you need to be concise and and don't ask too many questions. Hygiene wise, the lady obviously didn't use gloves when taking the raw fish out from the bag. Oh well, I guess the bowl of sweets would come in handy for those taken aback. 

Anyway, here're our servings of batang sliced fish soup for Alex, and seafood soup for me, plus a bowl of white rice for Alex since soup is all I required as a full meal, in usual circumstances.

 

Batang Sliced Fish Soup - let's talk about the fish soup first which was more a cabbage soup since I hardly noticed any fish slices as they were all buried, and it bore the sweetness from simmering cabbages; can't say I didn't enjoy the soup.

Seafood Soup - although super light and appeared to be a rushed job from the lady chef, this soup was surprisingly flavourful and not overly salty! Of course not the best I had but legit not bad as I was expecting a lot worse.

Not much fish slices yet they were fresh and meaty! The minced meat patties were tasty and moist; do note they disintegrated pretty quickly in the soup. Prawns were okay; not the freshest and crunchiest. 

=====

A clean bowl said a lot about my verdict for Xian Ji Seafood Soup. 

Address

120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, 

#01-22, Alexandra Village Food Centre,

Singapore 150120

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Batang Sliced Fish Soup - S$5.00

Seafood Soup - S$8.00