Kueh Ho Jiak (粿好吃) - Authentic Vegetarian Nanyang Delicacies @ Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre [Singapore] #chinatowncomplexhawkercentre

An attractive signboard is important as it creates an important first impression; I was drawn to the vibrant one at Kueh Ho Jiak (粿好吃) that I stepped closer to see what it had to offer. 

Now, stalls offering such traditional local kuehs are common and it's rare for me to buy as I didn't know what are nice and there's a need not to overbuy given that I shouldn't be eating so much kuehs at my age when metabolism is on a rapid decline! 

But the exposed ones (ondeh ondeh, kueh kosui and kueh ubi kayu) placed on wooden stools got me curious. The display menu indicated a set of four pieces for S$2.00, which isn't expensive, and upon clarification with the young lady manning the stall; we can mix and match (only for ondeh ondeh, kueh kosui and kueh ubi kayu)! 

This uniquely coloured kueh ho jiak ang ku kueh is supposed to be the stall's specialties but boring me preferred to go with the traditional ang ku kueh. Maybe after 16 August when dining in is allowed and I shall bring my mom to check it out again! 

My set of four pieces, all covered with freshly grated coconut; two ondeh ondeh (also known as sweet potato balls), one kueh kosui and one kueh ubi kayu (steamed tapioca cake). 

Ondeh Ondeh - even though the skin was thick, it balanced well with the rich and gooey gula melaka (palm sugar) that oozed out immediately upon bite. Thankfully, it didn't spurt out as that would have been so wasteful! 

Ubi Kayu - soft texture that would have won hearts with the older generation and I like that it wasn't overly sweet; I could even catch two small pieces of yam! 

Kueh Kosui - I thought it's best to show you the video on the kueh's softness and bounciness! Texture aside, my personal opinion is that the sweetness can be increased slightly as it was a tad bland for my palate. 

Traditional Ang Ku Kueh - it's interesting to note that I don't really enjoy this Chinese kueh when I was younger; hence, taste buds do change as we get older and nowadays, I prefer the mung bean paste over the peanut for filling. 

So how did this fare? Skin was too thick and while there was a lot of mung bean paste within, the texture was dry and the taste was relatively normal. And I had two to ingest as Alex wasn't keen and this was after having mee siam, chee cheong fun and butterfly bun in the same hawker centre! 

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Address 

Block 335, Smith Street, #02-149, 

Chinatown Complex Food Centre, 

Singapore 050335

Map

As above.

Menu 

As above

Pricing

Set of 4 - S$2.00

Traditional Ang Kueh Kueh - S$2.00 (3 pieces)

Bath Bomb / Bubble Bath for Bathtub at Marina Bay Sands

I don't need a bathtub but when we were upgraded to a premier room in our last staycation at Marina Bay Sands, that came with one; we decided to make full use of it as I was literally working from the hotel in the daytime (half days), instead of relaxing. 

A friend recommended the bath bombs from Lush but I couldn't stomach the minimal price of S$16 for just one! So, I proceeded to Tokyu Hands and happily paid less than S$13 for the above two. 

Blue

The blue pack contained just one blue ball, wrapped with plastic. I thought Japanese products are supposed to be easy-to-use? The plastic was hard to remove and I had to resort to using a pair of scissors instead.

Time to throw it in.

p.s. water in the bathtub was in its original colour.

Sizzling like a piece of meatball submerged in a boiling pot of oil; there wasn't much difference in the colour and no bubble as well. Nice smell though. 

We were more surprised to find a plastic ball with a toy inside! It's like kinder surprise and I think kids would love to have this bath bomb in the bath tub! 

Cute right?

Turtle on top of a dolphin! 

Stupid me was fixated on just the price and didn't care to check out the packaging at Tokyu Hands; I figured it didn't matter since I don't recognize the Japanese words. Turned out there are seven different toys and the kid in me would of course want to amass the "collection". 

Pink

The pinkness of the packaging caught my attention but it was the line of English words that enticed me to buy; bubble bath. To me, bubble and bathtub go hand in hand together; the perfect combination. 

Instructions, yes, I decided to read it before tearing it open; "put all the bath powder into bath water and stir it well to make bubbles turn your bathroom into a playground with bubbles".

High anticipation!

It was more peachy red, than pink and the aroma would appeal better to the ladies; a tad too flowering. Nevertheless, it shall be the bubbles that I was looking forward too.

This might be mistaken for a crime scene. 

Well, the water starting frothing but I can honestly get the same amount of foam by pouring in detergent. As I was getting bit disappointed, I started thought of an idea.

Using the shower spray to agitate the water! 

Effect was way better even though still not to the level of large clumps of bubbles that I was expecting. I was so hoping for a bubble playground.............

And best of all, someone just plonked himself into the bath! 

No prize for guessing who.  

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Purchased From

Tokyu Hands, Singapore

Pricing

Blue - S$6.50

Pink - S$6.00

Additional Information

I found a small section of bath bombs at DON DON DONKI and the cheaper range was from S$1.90 to S$2.50! Hope I would get a room with bathtub for my next staycation at Marina Bay Sands! 

Maxwell Haha Mee Siam Mee Rebus @ Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre [Singapore] #chinatowncomplexhawkercentre

Mee siam is a local dish that I really enjoy but seldom have as I would often fall ill after eating it in the past. This resulted in a light phobia that's hard to shake off, especially when there are so many other local food to choose from in our little red dot.

But I couldn't draw my eyes away when I saw this Maxwell Haha Mee Siam Mee Rebus stall, which is located right next to Chef Leung's Authentic Rice Noodle Roll. At S$2.50, I thought it's quite economical and decided to give it a try, while praying I would remain fine after the meal. 

For that price, the portion was generous and you get one sliced egg, beansprouts and loads of fried bean curd, aside from the bee hoon and gravy! Lime wasn't provided but just tell the auntie and she would squeeze out some from a bottle. 

The signature sourish, piquant aroma of mee siam was nostalgic as she passed it over to me; darn, how long had it been since I last had mee siam?! Taking a large mouthful, with my mind full of anticipation! Tangy with a tinge of sweet spiciness; this didn't wow me, unfortunately.

Gravy was too watery and lacked the nutty flavour that's literally synonymous with mee siam. It's still a hearty bowl that managed to get me sweating like a pig but as far as satisfaction goes; it's not there. I heard of a good mee siam stall at circuit road; likely I would go check it out, soon! 

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Address 

Block 335, Smith Street, #02-95, 

Chinatown Complex Food Centre, 

Singapore 050335

Map

As above.

Non-Operating Days 

Closed on Sundays, Mondays & Public Holidays

Menu 

As above

Pricing

Mee Siam - S$2.50 

Chef Leung's Authentic Rice Noodle Roll @ Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre [Singapore] #chinatowncomplexhawkercentre

My sister mentioned that there was a famous dim sum stall at Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre that served only six types of dim sum! I wanted to check it out but it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays! 

A stall next door appeared to be drawing a crowd and it seemed to have started business recently. Chef Leung's Authentic Hand-milled Rice Noodle Roll - I am not a huge fan for chee cheong fun but Alex is hence, this shall be his breakfast, and I shall take a bite for the sake of review.

Took the pager and wait for it to beep - aside from cheong fun (original, pork, char siew, prawn and tuna), congee (pork & century egg and, seafood) is also available. Strange to see tuna in chee cheong fun and I figured original is plain. 

Wait was almost 25 minutes! 

Our serving of authentic hand milled rice noodle roll (prawn); at S$4.50, it's not exactly cheap for hawker fare although its appearance was aligned with those chee cheong fun served in dim sum restaurants. What I was more apprehensive with was the light sauce; would it be appetising enough?

My taste buds told me it was just plain, old, light soya sauce mixed with sesame oil, which means flavor wise; it didn't impress and lesser so if not for the shallots. Prawns wise, there were six pieces of decent size. To be fair, the handmade rice rolls were smooth and could have benefited from a more favourful sauce. 

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Address 

Block 335, Smith Street, #02-96, 

Chinatown Complex Food Centre, 

Singapore 050335

Map

As above.

Menu 

As above

Pricing

Prawn Rice Roll - S$4.50 

Pandan Butterfly Bun in Tai Wah Cooked Food @ Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre [Singapore] #chinatowncomplexhawkercentre

The problem when you have favorite hawker stalls is that you resist trying new stalls. But it was Saturday when I dropped by Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre and it's the rest day for Kazan Japanese Cuisine! 

I took the "opportunity" to check out other stalls and one of them was Tai Wah Cooked Food. It's not something I would commonly try as the products sold are full of carbohydrates; nemesis for my carbo-restricted diet.

But, something green caught my attention when I walked past the stall's glass display counter. Pandan butterfly bun? Frankly, I do crave for butterfly buns sometimes although I am still quite apprehensive when it comes to trying new stalls. The one that served the best butterfly bun is Kim Soon @ Kovan Hawker Centre.

However, it's the first time I am seeing pandan buttlerfly buns and I can't resist, despite the full stomach. One piece at S$0.70; you can mix and match with other stuff (except for tau suan) for 3 for S$2.00.

Honestly, this would have been nicer if it was served right out from the boiling oil or after a light toast in the airfryer / oven. Texture was stretchy even though I love the crunchy sesame seeds dotted on one side of the buns. The pandan (which contributed to the greenness) flavour was faint, to the extent of being non-existent. 

p.s. I am quite interested in their Chinese fritters (youtiao) and tau suan (split mung bean dessert); shall give it a try next time, on an empty stomach. 

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Address 

Block 335, Smith Street, #02-115,

Chinatown Complex Food Centre,

Singapore 050335

Pricing

Pandan Butterfly Bun - S$0.70 each