Bird's Nest Soup from Tuck Sang Thong (德生堂) @ First World Hotel on Genting Highlands [Malaysia]

Walking past the above shop a few times a day finally piqued my curiosity and we decided to give our legs (clocking more than 30,000 steps) a rest and get a bowl of bird's nest soup to nourish the body!

Specialising in "traditional Chinese herbs, dried seafood and tonic stews", Tuck Sang Thong was founded in 1941. Aside from bird's nest, you can also spend your money on dried sea cucumbers, dried scallops, dried abalone and even deer tail retailing at RM 864! How do you even eat that?

Double Boiled Cave Bird's Nest with Ginkgo & White Fungus - with fifteen types of bird's nest soup ranging from RM 39.80 to RM 298.00, I went for this slightly version one that cost RM 59.80 (less than S$20.00).

My serving of warm bird's soup nest, which turned out to be a deconstructed version of a sweet broth of ginkgo nuts and fungus, accompanied with a bottle of double boiled cave bird's nest.

Which I had to take the extra effort to open the cap and pour in the precious contents. So much for expecting a soup that was combined and brewed slowly in a large container. Well, only S$20, so I should stop complaining.

In life, the older Chinese generation would ask the young ones to "先苦后甜"; meaning bitter first, sweet later, as in enduring hardship for a better future. In food, I practice the same philosophy. Attacking the least desirable white fungus first! 

And finally savouring the soup, the red dates and the ginkgo nuts later! Bird's nest? Well, that thing is literally tasteless and I can only pray my body has been strengthened by the "magical" powers of the swallows' dried saliva. p.s. soup was like cheng tng, and not insanely sweet. 

Didn't take me long to slurp up everything! 

After cleaning up my bird's nest, I realized something from the glass counter as I exited the shop. Darn, that's my ready to drink "Double Boiled Cave Bird's Nest with Ginkgo & White Fungus"! And I noticed there were bottled of concentrated cave bird's nest that cost just RM 55.00 a bottle! 

In addition to chrysanthemum and ginseng tea, the men can also consider the tongkat ali drinks that came in yellow, black and red! For those who are unacquainted with tongkat ali, it's well known throughout Malaysia for its aphrodisiac effect.

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Address

Ground Floor, First World Hotel,

Genting Highlands, Malaysia

(near escalator leading to casino level)

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Double Boiled Cave Bird's Nest with Ginkgo & White Fungus - RM 59.80

Durians at Kafe Mountain Top Garden on Genting Highlands in Malaysia

It's the durian season in Malaysia and as a huge fan of the king of fruits; we couldn't resist not ordering a fruit when we were at Genting Highlands a few days ago and chanced upon baskets and piles of durians for sale at Kafe Mountain Top Garden!

Our mao shan wang (cat mountain king) durian at RM45 (about S$14.50) a kilogram, with the above fruit costing us RM70. And the price came with two small bottles of drinking water! 

Taste didn't disappoint; a texture that wasn't too wet and blessed with an inner creaminess that hovered between bitterness and sweetness. The kind approved by my mom for sure and it's a pity she wasn't with us.

Only thing was that the seeds were pretty big even though still satisfying. Eating the durian with gloves which turned out to be so restrictive, and not finger-licking good!

Total 12 seeds! It might not seem like much given that these were shared between Alex and I. However, this amount didn't stop me from burping throughout the movie we watched later on; colony! Imagine the stench floating in the air whenever I couldn't suppress my burp.

Anyway, this is the season to indulge in durians given the bumper crop and service at Kafe Mountain Top Garden was good! We were even given a free serving of chendol, which we had to decline as we had already maxed out our calories that day.

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Address

Lot No. G/G6.00, Opposite Genting Grand Hotel,

In front of RW Hotel, Genting Highlands,

Pahang, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Yuen Kee Dumpling (袁记云饺) @ Yishun Northpoint City Mall [Singapore]

In less than two years, Yuen Kee Dumpling had already opened more than 20 eateries in Singapore, with a mix of stalls in food courts and sit-down eateries. 

Knowing it hailed from China, where there were more than 3,000 branches, I was finally motivated to check out the branch at Northpoint City Mall, after seeing that the queue had finally died down. Furthermore, it came strongly recommended from the Greatest Kon, the ultimate foodie!

Truly spectacular to see the open kitchen in front of us! Not sure about the workers but I sure would feel uncomfortable to see the many pairs of eyes if I were the one skillfully wrapping the dumplings / wantons in front of every customers! 

From the display in front of us, I am guessing you could even purchase raw dumplings so that you can add them to the steamboat meal planned for home; from S$10.80 - S$14.80 per 500 grams. Not for me, I prefer the convenience of buying straight and eating them almost immediately.

Anyway, please be prepared to wait! There were like only two or three persons in front of me, yet I waited for more than 20 minutes! Hungry max.

No choice; payment was already made.

And I had to wait patiently for the beeping. 

Secure your condiments at the counter, which included chopped chili, chili oil, spring onions, cut green chilli, shredded ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and mixed nuts sauce cubes. I am the traditionalist; cut green chilli for my noodles, a ton of spring onions for my soup, and shredded ginger for the dumplings.

My order for the two; just to highlight it's for my dad and me! p.s. the soup didn't impress, with a slight porkiness, but it's not the main draw that day. My targets should be the wantons and dumplings! 

Shrimp and Crab Roe Pork Wantons Noodle - this would be the kind of noodles you would expect from Cantonese cuisine; plain and seasoned with a light and mildly sweet soy sauce, yet surprisingly palatable! No complaints even though I was simply craving for noodles that day. 

While the wantons were said to contain shrimp, pork and crab roe, the roes were definitely not the real deal as crab roes wouldn't be shaped like those tobiko roes found in Japanese eateries! Not sure if this would be considered as false advertising although it's a norm in China to term tobiko roes as crab roes. 

Nevertheless, unlike the pathetically small wantons you get in Singapore; these best sellers were sizeable with fresh, sweet prawns and delicious minced pork! The so-called crab roes didn't seem to enhance the flavour though. 

 

Shrimp and Vegetables Pork Dumplings - said to be the house signature, I ordered just the dumplings, which were sitting on a bed or beansprouts! Can you spot the difference between dumplings and wantons?

Frankly, these dumplings were seriously good; generous with the fillings and absolutely delightful with the shredded ginger and vinegar! I had them with the viral mixed sauce with chilli oil but it felt more like just chilli oil with peanut sauce. I think I can do without the sauce. 

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Would I be back? Definitely for the shrimp, vegetables and pork dumplings without the sauce. Honestly, I can't wait for the next visit! 

Address

930 Yishun Ave 2, #B2-12, Kopitiam,

Northpoint City Mall, Singapore 769098

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Shrimp and Crab Roe Pork Wantons Noodle - S$7.80

Shrimp and Vegetables Pork Dumplings - S$9.80

(Inclusive of GST)

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