Island Penang Kitchen @ 721 Clementi West Street 2 (Near West Coast Hawker Centre) [Singapore]

Nestled in the corner on the ground floor of a commercial HDB block at West Coast, Island Penang Kitchen is housed in a location people would not generally walk to unless you happen to park your car in front of the less busy carpark in front of the eatery or on your way to the nearby Sheng Siong supermarket. 

At least that's how my colleagues and I chanced upon the air-conditioned eatery (with outdoor seating too) a couple of years ago. We returned on a number of occasions although my last visit was more than two years ago, before the pandemic. 

Penang cuisine, together with Vietnamese and Thai, is getting even more popular in Singapore given the border restrictions over the past few years and I thought to finally write a review on Island Penang Kitchen when a friend came to look for me after work.

Nutmeg Juice - first time trying nutmeg and the impression I got after taking a sip was like I am drinking the lotion used to rub against my body in some massage parlors; weird yet interesting at the same time. Honestly, pretty nice.

Penang Prawn Noodle - friend ordered and I stole a spoonful for the purpose of this review. Nice tasting broth but lost to the one at Ang Mo Kio S11 coffee shop, beside Jubilee, which was more addictive with a richer prawn broth.

Penang Fried Kway Teow - the de facto state dish for the Malaysian state, this is the one dish that often draws comparison with Singapore style char kway teow which is sweeter given the use of dark sauce. 

To me, they are just two different dishes with similar names and the best in Singapore has to be the one from Penang Place. Sadly, the fried kway teow here seemed different from the one I had on previous occasions; it lacked wok hei and I can only thank the chilli and the pork lard for the eventual clean-up.

Butter Salted Egg Mantis Shrimps - a chef recommendation and I remember fondly my first experience having mantis shrimps at Here Hai (Bangkok). A pity this didn't live up to expectations; I could hardly taste the unique flavor of mantis shrimp and all that swirled in my mouth was salted egg butter, which got a tad too cloying towards the end.

Penang Rojak - in the past, Singaporeans used to call Penang rojak fruit rojak and it was touted as the less sinful and hence, healthier version compared to what we have locally. 

Over here at Island Penang Kitchen, the sauce used for the mix was more viscous, adding texture to the rest of the ingredients. Youtiao, one of the quintessential ingredients for rojak, was ultra crispy; more like a biscuit (I saw them stored in containers).  Overall, I enjoyed this a lot but I prefer our less healthy version that has less fruits with tau pok and options for century egg. 

Penang Chendol - when it comes to chendol, I hate it when the operator gave me red kidney beans as they were harder than the paste form! The above turned out to be soft and was a delicious dessert with incredibly rich coconut milk. Unlike places that would load chendol with gula melaka, the amount given was just right for that optimal sweetness that didn't overwhelm. 

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So full; quite a lot of food for two persons! Frankly, the experience wasn't as good as I expected and I am unsure if it is an one-off incident as the food in my past few visits were much better. But given its proximity to my workplace, the extensive menu (attached below) and its generally economical pricing, I bet I would be back again; just not sure when.  

Address

721 Clementi West Street 2, 

#01-126, Singapore 120721

(Near West Coast Hawker Centre)

Map

 As above.

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/people/Island-Penang-Kitchen/100063574208866/

Operating Hours

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Nutmeg Juice - S$2.50

Penang Prawn Noodle - S$5.50

Penang Fried Kway Teow - S$6.60

Butter Salted Egg Mantis Shrimps - S$18.00

Penang Rojak - S$5.00

Penang Chendol - S$3.00

(Subject to GST)

Burger Labo - Easily the Best Beef Burger in Singapore @ Gillman Barracks [Singapore]

A lot more people would remember Dempsey Barracks (now known as Dempsey Hill) better than Gillman Barracks; for me, I totally forgot its existence even though I patronized Handle Bar at its premises a couple of times when I first got my driving license!  

My recent visit brought back nice memories when I was in my mid-20s although there wasn't much time to check out the barracks. It would be a quick lunch and time was precious.

Lunch venue: Burger Labo. With great reviews on its burger, including being declared the winner among 12 burger joints in blind taste test organized by The Straits Times, I was so excited to check it out.

What surprised us was the size of the "restaurant"; calling it a block was an exaggeration! My friend told us she checked out the location the weekend before and the length was only about a bus-long! 

She wasn't that far from the truth; there was a small alfresco area that's about the same area as indoor dining. We made a reservation a few weeks ago but maybe because it was a hot weekday afternoon, Burger Labo was only about half filled.

A big bar counter took up about half of the indoor dining space, with the kitchen right behind. I would have loved to get an alcoholic drink but it wouldn't be right for a weekday afternoon. 

Loving it when eateries serve us complimentary water! And I am happier when they automatically place one large jar on our table for us to fill up ourselves; makes it a lot faster for me to moisturize my parched throat.

Description of the burgers on A-boards; frankly, the burgers (only four types; basic, pure Japanese wagyu, blue cod filet and chicken) were expensive but if they were indeed the best; I don't think I would have much to complain about. 

Presentation can definitely be improved; why do I get the feeling that I just paid S$25 for a takeaway burger! Nevertheless, I thought there was a decent serving of either truffle fries or golden sweet potato fries with sea salt, that came with our burgers.

Golden Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt - compared to French fries, I would very much prefer sweet potato fries. The version here at Burger Labo was satisfying as they were thicker without losing the exterior crispness; it helped as well that the taste was legit nice, with an addictive, caramelized sweetness.

Truffle Fries - unlike about 10 years ago, it's now common to find this side dish. Many were good with individual preferences coming into play. Some prefer more cheese, some like more truffle oil; for me, I like them shoestring, and I prefer a chilli sauce dip!  These were above average! 

Basic Burger - time to unravel my burger. I went for a single 150-gram, patty, which cost S$25 and if you are a meat person, there's an option for a double patty at S$32. 

Again, it's a visual disappointment! The texture description on the menu was much better. "Blend of 100% grass fed Aberdeen Angus & Kuroge Washu from Toriyama Umami Wagyu A4 patty, grilled a la plancha. Topped with red onions pickled in IPA, American cheese, wagyu fats and house-made shio kombu mayonnaise-based sauce. Sandwiched in a toasted bun baked specially for us by Bakery Brera".

Whatever the description and plating; an eventual chomp on the burger would be the final determinant for this review. One bite and I was sold. It was impeccable; an all rounded smokiness from the grilled beef patty that was so juicy and flavorful, assisted by the soft bun with the delicious pickled red onions, homemade mayonnaise and wagyu fats giving the final touch to this perfect beef burger! 

Put it this way; if you manage to secure the recipe for this burger, you would likely become the darling whenever you bring the burgers for gatherings / parties! p.s. it was said that the butter played a darn important role. 

Fried Brussel Sprouts - I couldn't forget the crispy brussels from Yardbird Southern Table and Bar and ordered this for sharing! As a friend couldn't eat chilli, we opted to have the fermented chilli dressing on a separate saucer.

While not as unforgettable as the crispy brussels from Yardbird, the nicely grilled sprouts were crunchy and honestly quite bland if you don't dip them with the sauce and this cheese-like thingy that tasted like wasabi.

Homemade Naked Chendol - of course a dessert would be required to complete the meal! I was wondering why this is called naked chendol; a clarification with the staff revealed that it was just a name to reflect its affiliation with Naked Finn, which is under the same boss. 

Essentially, this was a few scoops of coconut ice cream drenched with gula melaka that was rich yet not as sweet, with a light saltiness. The chendol, those green things, was hard and lacked the alkaline taste (that I personally like) despite its interesting color. 

Can't wait to be back!

Kon, your birthday? :P 

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Address

Block 41 Malan Road, 

Gillman Barracks, Singapore 109454

Map

As above.

Website

http://www.burgerlabo.com/

Reservations

Call +65 6694 0940 after 11.00 am

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Basic Burger - S$25.00

Fried Brussel Sprouts - S$9.00

Homemade Naked Chendol - S$12.00

(Subject to Service Charge and GST)

Mommy Rendang - Chicken Rendang Value Meal @ Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre [Singapore] #tampineshubhawkercentre

When one claimed "to serve the best rendang you will ever taste", I would gladly take up the challenge to ascertain the truth, especially when rendang is one of the dishes I will add whenever I order the Malay style of mixed vegetable rice! 

My preference was with beef rendang but it was already sold out at 2.20pm. Chicken rendang it shall be then even though I prefer chicken roasted, grilled or deep fried. 

Here's the set of chicken rendang value meal with one fried egg and a choice of vegetables; boring me would usually go sambal long beans with tempeh! It was full of flavor and crunch and perfect with plain, white rice.

Chicken part of breast and while it was meaty; the texture was a tad too dry for me. Thankfully, the rendang paste covering the chicken was delicious; spicy and sweet with an addictive punch! 

Although peals of sweat were rolling down my forehead, and my stomach was already full with carrot cake and wanton mee from the same hawker centre; I relished every flavorful spoonful put into my mouth! I should absolutely return for their beef rendang; hope the texture would be juicier.

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Address

495 Tampines Ave 5, #01-61

Tampines Hub Hawker Centre, 

Singapore 529649

Map

As above.

Pricing

Chicken Rendang Value Meal - S$6.50

Fat Fat Food Carrot Cake @ Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre [Singapore] #tampineshubhawkercentre

As a multi-racial society, it's interesting how words can be translated from one language to another yet totally make sense! One example is the name of hawker stalls.

It might seem absolutely horrifying for those on a diet to see the signboard, Fat Fat Food in English, but for the Chinese characters, it actually infer prosperity and fortune, which might be seen as a good omen for someone who just bought lottery. 

I didn't buy lottery but from online reviews, Fat Fat Food appeared to be one of the most popular in Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre, although its signature hokkien mee wasn't available that day. 

Making do with carrot cake instead; I did request for extra sauce and to dice the carrot cake further but the stall operator didn't respond. Hence, I am unsure if this was a special order, or their norm. 

To be honest, the color was indeed a bit light (not as dark as I would have preferred). The saving grace was that the carrot cake was diced up into pieces that were at least not the size of my thumb!

Took a large scoop! Verdict; the sweetness was just right and despite the lack of crisp, the taste permeated with wok hei. Could have been better but in summary, an above average rating. It's a pity the hokkien mee wasn't available as I was craving more for noodles.

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Address

495 Tampines Ave 5, #01-66

Tampines Hub Hawker Centre, 

Singapore 529649

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Carrot Cake - S$2.80 

Pang Pang Wanton Noodle @ Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre [Singapore] #tampineshubhawkercentre

My love for hawker food doesn't infer a loyal crusade to check out all the hawker centers in Singapore. The aforementioned would be my explanation as to why I had never stepped into Tampines Hub hawker centre even though it has started operations since 2017.

Whatever the case, better late than never and to be honest, I was so impressed with the integrated community concept where residents can play sports, enjoy food, attend classes, borrow books and generally have fun in one hub! 

The purpose of my visit was a lot more focused though; food it will always be. Managed by the Kopitiam Group, please make full use of your kopitiam card as there is a 10% discount. 

After circling twice, we decided to cast our vote for Pang Pang Wanton Noodle. In Chinese, the Pang Pang actually means fat fat and from the signboard, it seemed to infer we will get fat after eating the noodle. Not an encouraging sign if you ask me.

At S$3.80 (before discount), it's your unassuming wanton noodle that didn't come with much fanfare. There's not even a single piece of pork lard, which is supposed I usually look forward to having.

Such leanness for the char siew can only translate into one thing; this wouldn't be satisfying for my taste buds! And after taking a bite, I left the rest aside as I could spend my calories on other stuff. 

Noodle wise - it had that old school, classic taste that some might find nostalgic. Only issue is that I thought the taste was too bland and having chilli paste would likely improve the flavor. Alex begged to differ though; he absolutely enjoyed the noodle. p.s. not the char siew.

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Address

495 Tampines Ave 5, #01-41

Tampines Hub Hawker Centre, 

Singapore 529649

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Wanton Noodle - S$3.80