BlackBall (黑丸嫩仙草) - BlackBall Signature & "Jiu Fen" Taro Ball Crushed Ice @ Star Vista [Singapore]

The above logo has been appearing on my facebook feeds for quite a while now and being a strong supporter of local desserts; i don't understand the big fuss about having grass jelly in desserts.

A month ago, i thought i would finally find out when i stumbled upon the blackball branch at Star Vista, which was overrun with loads of customers! I failed to secure anything but this incident made me all the more determined to check it out.

Two weeks ago, i had my wish granted!

"Jiu Fen" Taro Ball Crushed Ice

九份芋圓冰

Sadly, this iconic dessert that originated from the old town in Taiwan failed to live up to its name in Singapore. It was somewhat similar to the local cheng tng even though i would have gladly exchanged this for a sensational bowl of cheng tng from Ye Lai Xiang instead.

BlackBall Signature

招牌大黑丸

Said to have four different ways to "enjoy an explosion of flavours" - i could not fathom how hot, cold, warm and icy could be described as such! It would not be long before "lukewarm" wiggles in as one of the new ways to enjoy your food. 

Add your milk before you begin! A price tag of S$4.90 might seem steep but the portion would be sufficient for at least two persons.

Furthermore, the crushed ice was well hidden (for a moment, i was under the impression there was no ice) under a generous blanket of ingredients including red beans, yam balls, sweet potato balls, pearls, yam Q and golden sweet potatoes! 

I was gunning for the pieces of yam and sweet potato and expecting to be surprised by their naturally strong yet sweet flavour. Surprise i was although it was more for the fact that they consisted of too much flour! 

The main draw for BlackBall was the grass jelly. Thankfully, it was actually quite good with an elastic pudding like texture that was also not overly laden with sugar!

My next order at BlackBall would definitely be their grass jelly drinks. For desserts, you would have a much better experience with our local desserts in hawker centres. 

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Location

1 Vista Exchange Green,

#01-14/15, The Star Vista

[look out for this strange building after exiting Buona Vista MRT station]

Website

http://blackball.com.sg/

Price

"Jiu Fen" Taro Ball Crushed Ice - S$4.50

BlackBall Signature - S$4.90

Menu

As above.

Additional Information

Limited seating in the air-conditioned area (i counted only three tables). If you can bear the heat and don't mind the occasional rain, you would have better luck finding seats at the outdoor section. 

Luo Han Guo Drink with Longans @ Uncle Mok Jonker Walk [along Jonker Street in Melaka]

An unlikely rush of nostalgia struck me as i strolled past this unassuming drink stall along Jonker Street; dozens of shiny metallic bowls that used to be the standard drinking utensil for the well known Air Mata Kucing at Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur! 

When ask for a frank comparison to the famous Air Mata Kucing, Uncle Mok (the affable boss) was very straightforward in his reply; his version wasn't so sweet with the use of brown sugar! 

At only RM 1.00 a bowl (about S$0.40), i knew this would be one herbal drink i could hardly resist. Besides the wallet friendly price, we mustn't doubt the nutritional benefits of luo han guo (translated as arhat fruit); one of which is longevity! 

Honestly, it tasted more herbal than his competitor a hundred and twenty kilometers away and was definitely not as sweet. What's more important was that it still managed to work its magic by refreshing my parched throat under the hot and humid Malaccan weather. 

Don't play play! Uncle Mok has his own facebook account one okay! For those interested to quench your thirst, look out for his stall near the main permanent stage along Jonker street.

Famosa Chicken Rice Ball (古城雞飯粒) @ Malacca [Jalan Hang Kasturi, Off Jonker Street]

827 pictures - for a moment, i was at a loss. 

Where should i begin? How should i categorize my entries? What should go in and what should not? Hm.... I guess nothing's better than food to kick start the many postings on Malacca. 

I shall begin with the Gang of Four's first meal in the ancient city of Melaka; Chicken Rice Balls at Restoran Famosa Chicken Rice Ball. Before the hardcore fans start typing their protests in the comment box, i am fully aware this is not the famous one. 

But when the time was coming to nine pm and the restaurant still managed to boast a queue, we figured it would not be bad. Furthermore, we were famished!!

Variety is a must for the Gang's meals and this trip was no exception; half a roasted chicken (that's all they have left), a small portion of char siew (BBQ pork), a small serving of wanton dumpling soup, a small bowl of fishball soup etc.

Fishball Soup

Too normal with a plain broth that failed to revitalize my taste buds. The fishballs tasted homemade and yet didn't have that bouncy feel that is well loved by many fishball lovers. 

Char Siew

Charred appearance including a smoky barbecue flavour similar to bak kwa, this would have made our cut apart from one very important factor; the lack of juicy fats! In addition, i personally found the char siew sauce too sweet. 

Chicken Rice Balls

Again, i would like to confirm that chicken rice balls are not the kind of carbohydrates for me. Yes, they are unique to Malacca although as far as texture is concerned, they can never win a plate of loose chicken rice!

Roasted Chicken

From the outlook, i was gaming to be blown away by the succulent chicken peeping underneath the cover of thin roast chicken skin. 

Sadly, the appearance can only help so much when it comes to food. Taste wise, most pieces were too dry compared to reputable Hainanese chicken rice stalls in Singapore. What's worse was the high salt level of the sauce soaking the poor chicken! 

I am way more impressed with the skin that had an amazing thin (hardly noticeable) layer of fat! Even though i have a great dislike for the balls, wastage of food is strongly discouraged in my family. 

Having the chicken skin actually helped me to finish all the balls on my plate! 

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Location

28-30 Jalan Hang Kasturi

[Corner of Jonker Street]

Website

http://www.chickenriceball.com/

Price

Fish Ball Soup (S) - RM 8

Char Siew (S) - RM 9

Half a Chicken - RM 18

Chicken Rice Balls - RM 0.30 each

Menu

As above [as usual, prices are subject to change]

Cavin is on leave - to Malacca!

picture taken from http://www.malaysiaapartment.com/melaka_jonkerwalk.html

By the time you read this, i am likely to be walking along the famous Jonker Street in Malacca and savouring all sorts of bite sized delicacies to ensure a healthy waistline expansion when i am back to Singapore. 

Knowing me, an overseas trip is always more than just food. 

picture taken from http://www.malaysiatraveladvisor.com/melaka/top-10-attractions-in-melaka

Taking in the sights is of course important. Able to relax is another key attraction even though that would be more attainable in a beach resort. But if i can afford the time this round, i shall make a trip to Bukit Cina; a historical grave site! 

Stay tuned to this blog! 

Yong Heng Fried Hokkien Mee [永興炒福建蝦面] - One Word; Remarkable! @ Bedok Central Hawker Centre

Many a time, i am guilty of not being adventurous in trying out new stalls in hawker centres and would rather prefer to order from stalls i am more familiar with. 

One classic example is the food centre at Bedok Central.

The usual order consisted of the saccharine chicken chop from Kallang Western BBQ and a sinful banana fritter from a stall pretty near the restrooms. Given my age, those two orders (plus a glass of sugarcane from any drink stall) would be sufficient to fill up the stomach. 

Last week was different; the mouth was craving for a plate hokkien mee and i managed to deviate from the norm (not easy since i am a big fan of the chicken chop) by patronising the above stall; Yong Heng Fried Hokkien Mee.

I have had my fair share of food stalls with displays of many accolades and awards that still fail to impress me. Hence, i was only expecting a decent plate of Hokkien Mee to satisfy that damn crave and nothing exceptional. 

Have you noticed the main picture on the signboard? It explicitly mentioned baby squid hokkien mee and showed three nicely placed squids on bed of hokkien mee; a far cry from what i was given! 

With even lower expectation, i was pleasantly shocked by the unrivaled intensity of flavour that literally exploded in my mouth as i took a disgruntled spoonful! Surely those baby squids must have dissolved in the midst of vigorous frying and subsequent long simmering in the wok! 

After trying quite a number of supposedly famous hokkien me, i can confidently confirm that i like my hokkien mee to have a semi-dry consistency; dry enough to taste the heavy flavour yet wet enough to enjoy the rich broth. 

For those who die die must have tiny stripes of pork belly (Xavier, i am looking at you) or crispy pork lard (like myself), you would be pleased to know they were the standard ingredients at Yong Heng.

I am hesitant to bestow the title of the best hokkien me in Singapore to Yong Heng but i have to admit it was definitely the most remarkable in my whole life.  

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Location

Block 207, New Upper Changi Road, 

#01-42, 207 Food Centre 

(next to Bedok Bus Interchange and near to Bedok MRT Station)

Price

S$3.50 a plate

Reaching the Evil Stage - Terrible Twos

The brat is reaching her "terrible twos" very soon and from what we can see so far, she is well placed to take up the new position. In fact, we secretly think she is over qualified!! 

To describe her as evil is a bit pushing it but there are way too many naughty Jovyn moments in my memory! At times like that, the only respite for the family is when she is sleeping! 

Who would expect such a cute, peaceful looking creature to behave like a violent devil when she could not get things done her way!? Guess it's time to intensify the training sessions; the same ones i used on Rubee.

My dog. 

Famous Bedok 85 Bak Chor Mee @ Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian (興記肉脞面) [Fengshan Hawker Centre]

Let's face the hard truth.

A food trip to Bedok 85 hawker centre is never complete without ordering a hot bowl of minced pork noodles (commonly known as bak chor mee)! Anything less means you have utterly wasted your time.

With the word "authentic" emblazoned on their signboards, it was hard to make a decision on who to order from between the two bak chor mee stalls located next to each other. It would likely result in a long moment of frustrating dilemma for me as my last visit was easily six, seven years ago!

Thankfully, Kon, the food connoisseur, made the speedy decision to order from Xing Ji (興記). 

Did i mention the bak chor mee is not your usual dry form? Served in soup, i can confidently say there is nowhere in Singapore where you can see so many people partaking in soupy bak chor mee under the hot weather. Nowhere except in Bedok 85.

I could not help comparing the noodles with those handmade ones from reputable Japanese ramen restaurants in Singapore; squiggly with a QQ bite and it was an absolute joy to hear those noisy slurps! 

The meatballs were not too bad as well even though i found them to be a bit too strong tasting. Nonetheless, i have always preferred more meat in my soup anyway.

Main draw was of course the delicious soup! Complemented with pieces of pork lard and soft dollops of minced pork (high fat ratio i presume), it was a bowl of mean soup from an entirely different dimension. 

Definitely worth the travel from Yishun to Bedok! 

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Location

85 Bedok North Street 4, Stall 01-07,

Fengshan Centre, aka Bedok 85 Hawker Centre 

Price 

Minced Pork Noodles - S$3

Chiew Kee Noodle House Soya Sauce Chicken (钊记油鸡面家) @ Upper Cross Street [Chinatown]

Just like many locals in Singapore, i love my chicken rice but would always prefer roast chicken over the generally more popular steamed version. 

Reason - the chicken skin. 

Psychologically, my mind tells me that steamed chicken skin is fattier and oilier than that of the roast chicken. Given the similarity in texture and that soya chicken is rarely found in neighbourhood coffee shops, i had never tasted soya chicken in my entire life.

Until a month ago. And who to thank?

The Great Kon of course!

A classic family feud among two siblings in the 1940s (or 50s) eventually resulted in the brother setting up Chiew Kee Noodle House along the same row of shophouses, specializing in the same kind of food; Soya Chicken. 

Dumpling Soup

As usual, i would leave the star till the end and shall talk about the dumpling soup first. 

The soup was as plain as it looked. The same could not be said of the plump dumplings. Filled with Chinese chestnuts, stewed mushrooms and fresh prawns, they were firm and delicious!

Plain Noodles

I was in the mood for noodles although there was a chicken rice option. The first time i had Chiew Kee, it was a takeaway pack of soya chicken noodles and the revelation i had then was unforgettable! 

The freshly cooked noodles (on a plate this time) had a QQ bite even though they were not as flavourful as i first remember. Guess taking away does have the benefit of allowing the noodles to soak in the saccharine sauce, making them extremely flavourful after a long period of time. 

Soya Chicken

We requested for half a chicken and didn't regret our order at all! In fact, the general consensus was that we should have asked for a full chicken! 

The meat was so soft, so tender that you might not even require teeth to chew it! And the chicken skin, soaked in a sweet concoction of soya sauce marination, had a braised flavour that kept encouraging me to have more despite my initial reservation of its appearance! 

I should kick myself for not being more adventurous in food! Think of the number of years i have wasted in not knowing there is such a gem in the local food scene! 

In case you are reading this Mr Kon, i am still not going to try deep fried pork intestines!! 

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Location

32 Upper Cross Street

[Opposite Chinatown Point]

Price

Dumpling Soup - S$5 a bowl

Plain Noodles - S$1 a plate

Half a Chicken - S$12