Makko Teck Neo Nonya Cafe - Loving their Dry Mee Siam! @ Telok Blangah Rise [Near Mount Faber]

When the Lau sisters introduced me to Makko Teck Neo, i have never expected it to be nestled in such a quiet neighbourhood that stood in stark contrast from the roaring business that the restaurant was having!

From the signboard, it was obvious the owners took pride in their "home-made, oven-fresh" pineapple tarts (there's even a jumbo version). Strangely, i didn't have craving for the nyonya kueh on display although my mind was focused on one of their main courses; Mee Siam!

Rempah Ayam Goreng

This would be one bloody fried chicken i would go for if i am intended on having a carbo-free meal; a large portion consisting of juicy chicken drumstick and thigh marinated in zesty spices that were totally in sync with my taste buds!

There's only a teeny weeny problem. At S$8.90 a serving, my stomach might be better off having KFC or Arnold's Chicken (both have the additional benefit of being located near my house).

Dry Mee Siam

I might not be motivated to travel all the way to Telok Blangah for the rempah ayam goreng but i would gladly do it for Teck Neo signature dry mee siam!

Don't you dare belittle this dry version that came equipped with gravy infused tau kwa and ONE decent-sized prawn (oh well, better than not having any)! It was darn delicious!

Packed with chilli that was strong enough to open up my hair follicles, the gravy was at the same time well balanced by the nutty sweetness (with a dash of lime juice) that i personally prefer over the sour-based gravy. 

Needless to say, i whacked the whole plate and was seriously contemplating a second helping! Damn, i really need to lose some weight before i embark on two overseas trips in September and October! 

Kueh Pie-Tee

Sensing my dilemma, my nice colleagues offered to share the kueh pie tee! 

Served using a dish normally reserved for escargots, i have always maintained a certain bias that this would not be comparable to popiah. I am proven wrong as i have been eating it the wrong way. Take one "cup" and dump everything into your mouth in one go; be prepared for the fragrance of coriander leaves coupled with the tasty crunch of pastry shell and savoury turnips! 

=====

Location

Block 35, Telok Blangah Rise, 

#01-303 [Near Safra Mount Faber]

Map

As above.

Opening Hours

Tuesdays to Sundays - 7.30am to 9.00pm

Closed on Mondays

Website

http://www.teckneotarts.com/makko/

Menu with Prices

As above [please refer to daily menu as below since not all dishes are available]

Daily Menu

As above.

Price

Rempah Ayam Goreng - S$8.90

Dry Mee Siam - S$5.30

Kueh Pie Tee - S$7.80

[No GST and Service Charge]

[Cash Payment Only]

Oblong Ice Cream Parlour @ Serangoon Garden [Singapore]

Serangoon Garden, a vicinity so famed for food that even the government has to step in to reduce the number of dining establishments, has no shortage of suitable chill out places. The problem lies only with finding an available parking lot for those who drive. 

Anyway, Oblong is an ice cream parlour that opened for business back in June 2012; how could it be so long since i last took a walk in that area, especially when it holds such fond memories (i used to work in the pet shop opposite Chomp Chomp)?!

Nothing fanciful and over-the-top decor about the place, except for maybe the American flag lookalike that caught my attention almost immediately as i entered the premise. Oh, and the hashtag #pee that seemed inappropriate given the nature of the business. 

Buttermilk Waffle w Ice Cream

Of course we had to order the Gang of Four all time favourite ang moh dessert; waffle! 

Let's start with the strawberry cheesecake ice cream; not the best we had and definitely not the worst although the overwhelming milky taste didn't quite appeal to our taste buds. Having written that, i am fully aware of friends who totally dig super milky ice cream. 

Texture for the waffle was quite a disappointment personally; too lumpy!! Thankfully it boasted the fragrant buttery flavour i enjoyed with a slightly burnt surface that was totally fine with me (by the way, Kon didn't quite like it)! 

=====

Location

10, Maju Avenue

[Serangoon Gardens]

Price

Buttermilk Waffle - S$4.50

One Scoop of Ice Cream - S$3.30 / S$3.90

Menu

As above

Clementi Road Fei Fei Wantan Mee (飛飛雲吞麵) near Kent Ridge Bus Terminal

Clementi and its immediate surrounding has no lack of nice tasting wanton noodles; Yap Kee (now at Holland Drive), Boon Kee, Red Ring just to name a few and to open one right in the middle of the food cluster popular among university students could be suicidal if the food standard isn't up to par.

Fei Fei Wantan Mee has a good reputation back at Joo Chiat; my experience then was generally positive with credit given to the noodles. I was expecting the same treatment, if not better since it has been a few years since the Joo Chiat visit. 

Pay for your order first and then get a number tab from the cashier to be placed on your table. Simple enough i presume. Note that the pricing wasn't really available on the menu (except for the set); so do ask if you need it.

As i have always insisted, i am on long term diet and with that constantly in my mind, i was cautious to order only the "small serving" which was, in my opinion, still bigger than "red ring".

Sighz... despite it being three years, there was hardly any improvement to the "liao" (ingredients other than the noodles); they tasted alright although not exceptional enough to entice a revisit. 

The noodles with the QQ texture back at Joo Chiat (three years ago) were nowhere to be found; the replacement tasted dry with sauces that failed to impress. 

I scrambled to find a saving grace and found it (albeit a bit of pushing it); the wanton soup which wasn't flavoured weakly as in the case of many wanton noodles stalls.

=====

Would i patronise it again? Likely no; even if i am in the vicinity, i would prefer to use my money on Hot N Spicy Nasi Lemak! 

Location

18, Clementi Road

[Near Kent Ridge Bus Terminal]

Price

Wanton Noodles (S) - S$4.00

Menu (No Pricing]

As above.

Drivers Who Don't Know How to PARK their Vehicles!

Drivers cutting into my lane without signalling; no problem. Drivers who didn't check their blind spots; no complaint so long they don't hit my car. Drivers who park their vehicles badly; now, this pisses me off especially when i am parking right next to theirs! 

I am no perfectionist myself but if you don't know how to park head in; don't embarrass yourself and create additional inconvenience to others! 

You don't even have the decency to right yourself! Besides me, there are numerous other passersby who also took out their phones and likely post a similar picture on social media laughing at your stupidity. I believe they were laughing at me as well; for being so unfortunate to have parked next to you. 

Guess i have to thank my lucky stars that no one was parking parallel to the divider and i could manoeuvre out after a few turns. You have to thank yours too because if i could not get out, i am calling TransCab. 

Day Eight of My Taiwan Trip 2014: Wulai, Chiate Pineapple Cakes, Yu Jan Shin Milk Pastry & the Humongous Shilin Night Market!

<<  Day Seven

Despite watching movies till the wee hours at CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch I (新驛旅店), we were up pretty early to catch the train to Xindian MRT Station where we had to take a bus to the remote Wulai district! 

The bus stop was just outside the station, to your right. It would be hard to miss with those people queuing up in an orderly manner! To make it easier for you, note that Huxuzhang has a branch right across the road! 

Arrival of bus number 849! I read the following from a blog somewhere; sit on the right if you are those who enjoy the views of natural scenery. In the case of Alex, he would be better off on the left where he can snooze throughout the journey.

Just two photographs to pique your interest! The trip wasn't as long as i expected and took us roughly about thirty minutes before the bus pulled the brakes at the last stop; the rustic town of Wulai.

It might appear boring but there was so much one could do at Wulai! Let me explain further even though i would strongly recommend that you click the respective hyperlinks for more information! 

1. Ignore the old street especially if you are early since most shops would only open later in the day. To gain knowledge of the indigenous Taiwanese tribe, Atayal, please step into the ATAYAL MUSEUM located right in the middle of the old street. 

Looks like there was some media hype on this man. Oh well, local politics wasn't my concern anyway. 

2. Take the toy like WULAI TRAM and save your feet some energy for a lot more walking later!

3. Marvel at the beauty of WULAI WATERFALL and wonder why no one is bathing / enjoying / playing at the base. p.s. i am unsure if it is possible but i sure didn't see anyone when i was there. 

4. Take the GONDOLA LIFT for a splendid view of the waterfall and the surrounding scenery. 

5. There is another reason for taking the gondola; a visit to YUN-HSIEN PARK & RESORT (雲仙樂園) that remained stuck in the era when i was a kid. I doubt it would attract much attention from the youngsters nowadays but it brought back fond memories of my first visit to Genting Highlands!

6. Soak yourself in the FREE HOT SPRING by the river and enjoy the relaxing activity of people watching (note: mostly ajumma and ahjussi).

7. Walk along WULAI OLD STREET and gorge yourself crazy! 

Time to be back at Taipei! As it was already the second last day of my incredibly fun Taiwan trip, i had to make some time for a trip to Chia Te Bakery (佳德糕餅). Situated along the long Nanjing East Road, don't bother taking public transport; in fact, i was so glad to have taken the cab! 

Our incomplete haul from the bakery (i was holding on to another two bags of pineapple pastries at the same time)! By the way, you may save yourself the hassle by calling in for a delivery (minimum spending of NT$1,200; delivery charges may apply). For more details, check out the website (Chinese only). Oh, before i forget, an advance notice of seven days for delivery is recommended.

We stepped into another bakery nearby; Yu Jan Shin (裕珍馨) !! In my next visit to Taiwan, i am going to stock up on the milk pastries (奶油酥餅) from this bakery as they were just way too delicious!!! I am known to be a rapid eater but when it comes to this delicacy, i only wanted to slowly savour every bite!

Even though we didn't buy a lot (an early premonition our luggage might have breached the limit), the service staff was so kind as to help us put all our purchases (including the pastries from Chia Te) into a box! 

I am impressed by the high service standard in Taiwan yet nothing beats the one we experienced in Yu Jan Shin! By the way, a branch could be found at Raohe Night Market!

Given the load we had, it's cab time again so that we could unload everything at the hotel! After taking a well-deserved bath, i am out on the street again! Chanced upon a branch of the famous pepper buns from Raohe Night Market.

Bo'Ai Street - also known as Camera Street for the many shops that cater to photographers. I should have gotten a wide-angle lens from the shops there; pity time wasn't on my side.

The historical North Gate [known also as Cheng-En Gate(承恩門)] that hailed from the 1800s and the only one out of five gates in Taipei to have retained its original appearance! Location: Start of Bo'Ai Street. 

Taking the train where we passed by the Grand Hotel once again; no, we were not on our way to Beitou! 

Destination would be Jiantan MRT Station. Why? Because the world famous Shilin Night Market (exit from Exit 1) was beckoning us to pay it a visit! 

Walk out of the station and follow the clearly marked signs! If not, just follow the crowd; almost everyone would be walking towards the direction of the night market.

For my review of Shilin Night Market, click here! I was so bushed by the time i left Shilin; i just wanted to take a hot bath and sleep! Night and look out for the blog post on my last day in Taiwan!

Last Day >> 

=====

For an overview of my 9 Days, 8 Nights Taiwan Trip [Cingjing (清境) - Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) - Taichung (臺中) - Taipei (臺 北)], click HERE.