Takoyaki (新月船章鱼小丸子) @ 东门町广场 in Shenzhen [China]

Takoyaki came to Singapore when i was a teenager under the Takopachi brand and i was a huge fan until the price inched up and with the little red dot being more cosmopolitan; there was also an influx of international cuisine which means more choices for consumers. 

Its popularity also translates into more new stalls trying to get a slice of the takoyaki 'cake' and i must say many left a bad taste in my mouth. My last experience (not from the Takopachi brand) was at least 3-4 years ago and it was horrid; tasted under-cook, too much flour etc.

Hence, i was apprehensive to give the above a try when i was in Shenzhen back in July. But the aroma and the many people who were holding the boat-shaped boxes of 新月船章鱼小丸子 and walking all over the food arena gave me hope.

Ordering a box of this Japanese snack that originated from Osaka! There were a total of 12 different flavours / mixes (dried bonito, seaweed, octopus, pork floss etc) but for first timer, the one topped with dried bonito would be recommended! 

Alex took a bite before i could even secure a proper photo! 

Bigger than the ones we have in Singapore, each ball was freshly made just a few moments ago and they were super delicious despite the fact that there's no octopus, prawns or other meat filling within! The crisp outside, once bitten, exposed the soft, gooey inside that were hot yet so yummy! 

With just four balls in one box to be shared among two persons, we were done in no time, with our stomachs craving for more! I do find a pricing on a high side at more than S$2.00 a box! 

Whatever the box, Alex is hardly a stingy person when it comes to things he enjoys; another box then and this time, he went with pork floss and seaweed. Nice too although i am still a traditionalist; dried bonito for the win! 

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Address

Food Arena, 东门町广场, 

Shenzhen, China, 

Prices

Dried Bonito - RMB 13

Pork Floss with Seaweed - RMB 15

Shaker Lakers - East Meets West @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre [Singapore] #shakerlakers #eastmeetswest #yishunparkhawkercentre

Yishun Park Hawker Centre isn't exactly near me but the direct bus from my place made it extremely convenient for me; Chong Pang Food Centre appealed to me more for serving cheaper food and within walking distance! 

Nevertheless, i started seeing articles about this new stall known as Shaker Lakers (East Meets West) on my newsfeed and since i was craving for burger; i guess it would be worth a try, and also a mention on this blog.

Menu clearly indicated the dishes offered by the stall but apparently due to exposure from social media; they were clearly overwhelmed and many items were either unavailable / sold out.

Hence, please refer to the available dishes on the A-stand. Oh gosh, i didn't see their lakers signature beef burger on the board (which is the main reason for my visit) even though it's only 30 minutes past 6pm! Thankfully, i made an effort to ask and yes; i got the last beef patty! 

Hainanese Pork Chop with Egg - it's called east meets west for a reason as it's a "partnership between the owners—Michael Quinn (a former Marche chef from New York) and Gillian Pua" and this particular dish is obviously under the "east" section.

The meat was tender although if given a choice, i would very much prefer the "western" version of pork chop which isn't breaded. To be fair, i never quite like Hainanese pork chop and am happier with the chicken cutlet version from Encik Tan. 

Note: i found pieces of bones in the meat so do eat with care. For a fast, impatient eater like i am, it's a matter of time i broke a tooth or two!

This was for my father and to be honest, i found the curry to be normal tasting. The one item that attracted my attention was really the perfectly fried, fried egg.

Lakers Signature Beef Burger - the star for the day and the one i am looking for to. Cravings are weird as i have no idea why i crave so much for burgers nowadays! 

Contrary to some online reviews, i thought the burger was a little small. Not an issue for me since i don't mind eating lesser so long it's not like in minuscule portion. 

Ready to dig in! 

Deliciously juicy with a crusty patty bottom, i didn't even need any chilli to complement the burger as it was already so good for me! There's this sweetness i couldn't pinpoint until i found the onions beneath the lettuce! I think i squeezed the buns a bit too hard as they appeared relatively squashed.

Aside from the patty which was handmade, the potatoes were given the same treatment too! For someone who abhors potato wedges, i do enjoy these from Shaker Lakers and they tasted even better with the accompanying sambal chilli! 

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Location

51 Yishun Avenue 11,

Yishun Park Hawker Centre,

#01-24, Singapore 768867

Map

As above.

Website
https://yishunparkhc.sg/

Pricing

Hainanese Pork Chop with Egg - S$6.30

Lakers Signature Beef Burger - S$7.50

Jin Li Satay Bee Hoon (錦利沙爹米粉) @ Beauty World Centre Hawker Centre [Singapore] #sataybeehoon #beautyworldfood

I always find it a challenge to decide what to have whenever i am at the food centre on the top floor of Beauty World Centre and today was no exception; until i noticed plates of satay bee hoon on many tables! 

A decision was quickly made and i eagerly queued up outside Jin Li Satay Bee Hoon stall to order. It's strange to say the least as i have never been a fan of satay bee hoon; preferring real satay over this initially-thought-to-be-baffling combination. 

Do note that this is a one-man stall which means uncle here might not be as quick. Exercise some patience and wait for the boss to ask what you want. 

With the signature satay gravy poured generously over the bee hoon, it was indeed a visually appealing sight and i couldn't wait to dig in! Would the gravy make the cut as i do find the ones from many other stalls to be on the watery side? 

Thankfully, it wasn't as watery and was blessed with the strong, nutty flavour that satay sauce is supposed to have. I can feel the spiciness but it didn't result in me having peals of sweat running down my head. Sweetness wise, it was just right; you can imagine how cloying it would be if it's going to be hyped up further with so much gravy swimming around. 

I super love the squid which was soft and easy to bite! There were cockles too but i don't think they add a significant layer of flavour to the bee hoon. Portion wasn't huge and i cleaned it up pretty fast in no time! 

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Location 

Block 144, Upper Bukit Timah, #04-40, 

Beauty World Centre, Singapore 588177

Pricing

Satay Bee Hoon - Minimal S$4.00 a plate

Michelin Bib Gourmand - Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (老夫子炒粿条) @ Old Airport Road Hawker Centre [Singapore] #michelinbibgourmand #laofuzifriedkwayteow

Old Airport Road Hawker Centre is one of my favourite hawker centres in Singapore and even though i have visited countless times; i don't remember i have ever tried Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow despite knowing of its existence (Lao Fu Zi is hanyu pinyin for Old Master Q) for a long time!

Now that it's on the michelin guide, i was expecting a long queue but maybe it's somewhat past the busy lunch hour; there's only one person in front of the stall and i immediately grabbed the opportunity to join the queue.

Turned out there's still a waiting list and i got the serving of char kway teow about 20 minutes later! It wasn't that bad since i didn't have to stand and queue; in fact, i got a bowl of traditional cheng teng from the nearby Ice Desserts!

Departing from my usual special instructions, i didn't request for additional sauce and thought the appearance was visually a bit too white for my liking. Worries were unfounded as this was a classic example of our local char kway teow; goodness in every bite and the flavours, while not pronounced on their own, were balanced and that included even an optimal wetness (not too wet, not too dry).

The chef was generous with the beansprouts and i found pieces of green vegetables (psychologically, it made me feel that the meal was healthier) in the mix. I was most impressed with the lup cheong which had a distinctive taste unlike the rest i had tried so far! Put it this way, it's rare to find me looking around the noodles for more lup cheong!

Cleaned up the plate; except for the cockles which Alex and i don't take. Like what my friend ever said; you still need the cockles to bring out the flavour of char kway teow. To be honest, she's totally right.

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Address

51 Old Airport Rd, #01-12,

Old Airport Road Food Centre

Singapore 390051

Map

As above.

Pricing

Fried Kway Teow (Black) - Minimum S$5

OMOOMO - Halal Certified Korean Fusion Food @ Northpoint City [Yishun, Singapore] #omoomo #northpoint #halal

Despite spending three years completing my diploma in marketing from Singapore Polytechnic, i admit i am still drawn to common marketing tactics like cute branding; like Omo Omo! 

Omo-Omo is actually a Korean word similar to "oh my" and often popped up in the many Korean dramas i watched. I first chanced upon the eatery in Star Vista but couldn't never get the chance to dine in it until a branch was set up at the expanded Northpoint City.

Order through the self-service kiosk that's similar to Flaming Don (烤丼) at Bugis Plus; such use of technology is getting increasingly common although i believe there must still be provision of a human should there be someone who just couldn't get grasp the technology. 

Click the items you want, check your order, submit it, pay for the food (cashless mode), secure the receipt and wait for your food to be called. 

Anticipating our food! I was actually quite hungry as it was the first meal of the day for me and i didn't exactly have much for dinner the night before. 

Food was ready after about ten minutes and to get them, visit the collection counter where you can also choose from five sauces (BBQ mayo, bibimbab, cho gochujang, teriyaki and yuzu wasabi); it's actually not a must to drench your food with the sauce although the signage "play" says otherwise.

Free drink with every main purchased and you may choose from the dispenser as above. It's clearly indicated that refill is disallowed. 

Ta-dah! Our meal consisting of moo-gogi, one teri-chi, two free drinks and two sides (fried ebi and soy garlic winglets). The sides were priced at S$5.00 each but with a main, you can top up at just S$4.00! 

Moo-gogi - meat was bland, tough and without the spicy bibimbab sauce that gave it the required flavour to be stuffed down my throat; i half suspected its placement was purely a decorative garnish.

Teri-chi - again, i was disappointed with the meat which had the nice taste of teriyaki sauce but the chicken used tasted off. The saving grace was definitely the rice mixed in with the perfectly cooked onsen egg. To be honest, i would have given a higher review for just the rice with egg and sauce. 

Fried Ebi & Garlic Soy Wings - after having the two mains, i am not looking forward to the sides but they turned out to be better than expected. The batter for the fried ebi was in fact one of the better ones i had even though the prawn tasted a bit mush; soy garlic winglets were delicious! 

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Address

1 Northpoint Drive, South Wing of Northpoint City, 

#B1-191, Singapore 768019

Website

https://www.omoomo.com.sg/home

Menu

As above.

Price 

Moo-Gogi - S$10.00

Teri-Chi - S$8.00

Fried Ebi - S$4.00 (Top up with main)

Garlic Soy Wings - S$4.00 (Top up with main)

Drinks - Complimentary with main

(Inclusive of GST, No Service Charge)

Additional Information

Halal certified establishment!