Noodlestar

Last Saturday, I finally decided it's time for some Asian Cuisine in my system. So I brought both my mother & brother (poor daddy's working) down to bugis for a lunch before commencing our CNY shopping trip.

It didn't take me too long to decide where to go for lunch, since I wanted a place where we dont have to queue, and can enjoy our lunch in the air conditioned place. 'Noodlestar', which I had patronised for more than 3 times in year 2012.

Cramped Sitting Area

The only sofa booth seats available.

Please do not expect high end resturant setting, and be prepared to find yourself in a slightly cramped up sitting area.

There is a current on-going promotion for Lunch on Mondays-Saturdays (11.30am - 5pm) , which consists of  a main (la mian) + drink (ice lemon tea/ice green tea) + dim sum. Very worth it, I would say!

Lunch Promotion

Since I have been here before, I knew exactly what to order. And both my mummy and brother ordered almost immediately too.

The la mian before mixing

After mixing with the sauce given

Tender Chicken Cutlet

So we got ourselves 2 La Mian with Crispy-Fried Chicken Chop and 1 La Mian with Crispy-Fried Pork Chop. All the noodles are the same, but in my opinion, get the set with Chicken Chop as side. The Pork Chop is too dry and tough, becomes a chore to finish the tray of meat after afew pieces.

Dumplings with Hot & Sour Sauce

Steamed Pork & Cabbage Dumplings

Steamed Pork & Chive Dumplings

These dumplings are worth trying.The pork fillings in each dumpling is juicy and tender. Top it off with the usual vinegar and ginger slices, too good. However, you can try some of the better steamed dumplings over at Din Tai Feng & Lao Beijing.

We spent a total of $39.40 for 3 sets, due to the lunch promotion. Not expensive for a decent lunch at air conditioned place, but I have to admit the food disappoints. I remember the food quality was so much better in year 2012, which is the reason why I continued to patronise this store.

My advice? Hop over to Bugis+ (previously known as Iluma) for more variety of food.

Noodlestar

233 Victoria Street

Bugis Village

http://noodlestar.com.sg/

Canton Paradise - Time for some Dim Sum in our Systems

As you all should know, there is a new mall next to Bouna Vista mrt station - Star Vista. And I happen to live just 5-10 mins walk away from it, so this is where we landed up during one of our impromtu dinner dates.

Our Destination for Dinner

Being a dimsum lover, I had my eyes set on this restaurant the very first time we set foot in this newly furnished mall. So there wasn't much hestitation. We marched straight up to the reception and asked for a number, since the dinner crowd had already been formed.

Very very busy restaurant

Dining Utensils for the night

Cripsy BBQ Pork Bun (3 for S$4.80)

 

Quite a disappointment to both of us. We initally choose the steamed version of this, but change our minds to the cripsy one right before we pass the order slip to the waiter. I guess we were expecting the bo luo bun's cripsiness but this turns out to be not cripsy at all. But the BBQ pork filling is delicious though!

Mini Egg Tarts (3 for S$4.20)

They are not kidding when they name these mini egg tarts.

Disappointment sinks in yet again. Serving portions weren't satisfying. The taste of these mini tarts weren't satisfying too. In fact, I regretted ordering it.

Custard Bun (3 for S$5.20)

If you have noticed, there are tons of foodie photo on custard buns lately, either on facebook or twitter or even instagram! So how can we not order this?

Oozing custard filling

Just look at the photo. Makes you drool and want to try it, isn't it? I know it's hard to find a place where custard buns are served in this state, the piping hot custard filling all in liquid state and flowing. We had our virgin custard buns at Old Hong Kong restaurant, and it was a huge disappointment as the custard were in simi-solid state.But I have to add on, looks isn't everything. Though the filling appears impressive, the skin of flour were moist and heavy, it doesn't feel flufy at all. Just thick, and makes swallowing them a chore. Not a bad dish, but definitely doesn't create a long lasting impression.

Fried Prawn and Mango Fritters (3 for S$5.20)

Yet another disappointment. Far too oily for our liking. It's really too oily. Other than 'oily', I cannot think of anything else. Well, it's oily.

Xiao Long Bao (4 for S$4.80)

We nearly skipped this dish while ordering, and boy, I am so glad we didn't! This is the ONLY dish in the whole dinner which we really felt was worth the money. In fact, it's comparable to the ones at Din Tai Fung, and in my humble opinion, much better than the ones at Crystal Jade.

Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Chicken (S$10.80)

Not impressive. It tastes much better with vinegar in my opinion.

Mango Puree with Sago & Pomelo (S$4.50)

Last dish of the day! Mango is L's favourite fruit. In fact, he loves it so much that I often tease him that if one day, his basket of mangoes and I are in danger, he will rush to save the mangoes first before thinking about me. ):

Okay, back to the mango sago. There are mango pieces, sago and pomelo inside this little container, as the name has obviously suggested. Since it isn't the pomelo season, the ones we had have a bitter aftertaste. But the mango were very  sweet though. I like how they chilled the whole dessert - together with the container. Basically, I like my desserts chilled.

Total bill for 2 of us came up to a total of S$49.55. Given that most of the dishes are rather 'minature', the price we paid was steep. If you are giving this place a thought, do order the xlb, you will definitely not be disappointed!

Canton Paradise Tea House

1 Vista Exchange Green #B1-45/46

Star Vista

Singapore 138617

Tel: 6694 2915

Lao Beijing

Another weekend, another good excuse to indulge in food.
Okay, who am I kidding? Why do anyone even need an excuse to eat good food?

Craving for some Asian Cuisine, L and I came to Lao Beijing for their xlbs, to see if they are comparable to the ones at Din Tai Fung.

Panorama Shot of the (Empty) Restaurant

Round table in the corner- Best for gatherings!

Located on the 7th storey of Orchard Central, the restaurant had a nice feel to it however because of the actual location on the 7th story, mirrors instead of windows are used. The lights were dim, making the whole dining experience a cosy one. That is if you're not claustrophobic.

Utensils in Pretty Arrangement

Personally, I like how the staff arrange the individual sets of utensils neatly on the table. It is like giving the customers a head start to a pleasant dining experience. See that particular dish of crackers in the above photo. It's crispy, tasty and not too salty, unlike the ones served by many other restaurants. In fact, it was so good L and I nearly cleared 2 plates of it on our own while waiting for the food.

Maybe because we were the first customers they had on a Sunday afternoon (since they just ended their break and open the restaurant for business again at 530pm), the waitress stood by our table and advised us what to order, what their signature dishes are, etc. She even suggested getting some vegetables as we had ordered far too many meat dishes. And oh boy, totally glad we listened to her and exchanged one meat dish for some greens.

Some of the dishes we had are:

Pan Fried Guo Tie. There are 2 choices to pick, we got the ones with Pork and Chives filling. If you don't fancy the smell or taste of chives, skip this dish. The taste of chives was overwhelming for this dish, I literally washed the dish down with vinegar.

Assorted Mushrooms with Broccoli. Since this is a rather safe dish to order, obviously we will not expect something fanciful. And we were right. Plain plate of broccoli with the assorted mushrooms. Great for mushroom lovers though, because the chefs are certainly not stingy with the amount of mushrooms.

Fish and Bean curd Clay-pot. My personal favourite dish of the whole meal. Tried it once when I brought my family over to dine at Lao Beijing previously, and I couldn't get the lip-smacking fish slices and bean curd out of my mind ever since. The slices of fish meat were fresh and soft, you really have to order this when you're dining here. My only complaint is that this particular dish is rather bland, would prefer it to be a little bit more salty!

Yangzhou Fried Rice. Another safe dish on the menu for us to order. But comparing this to the fried rice we had previously at DTF, this won our hearts (and mouths and stomachs) more.

Meat Bun. Disappointing dish considering that what attracted our attention to it was the picture on the menu. The skin made of flour was too tough and thick for satisfaction, but perhaps we were both too full to enjoy this dish. L dug out the meat filling, and left the skin untouched. L felt that the meat buns available at markets all around Singapore are better than the meat buns by them. Kind of self-explanatory i guess.

And finally,

Steamed Juicy Meat Buns. If you're one of the customers who'd come to Lao Beijing just for their xlbs, you will be disappointed. How could they named this dish 'Juicy' when there is a pathetic amount of soup in each pouch of xlb? The skin are thick, the meat is paltry.

If you want really good ones, head over to Din Tai Fung. Enough said.

Bill came up to $71.35 for the both of us. I wouldn't say it's very expensive, given the amount of food we ordered. The fish and bean curd clay-pot impressed, and the fried rice was tasty. But one thing for sure, I will not patronise them for their xlbs.

Lao Beijing

Orchard Central

#07-14/15 181 Orchard Road

Singapore 238896

Tel: 6509 1878

Din Tai Fung

There's one famous question. What are birthdays without celebrations?
Then this will lead to another question. What are celebrations without food? Glorious Food!

L turned 25 a few days ago ,so we went to Din Tai Fung at Wisma.

Wisma Atria

Went over at lunch time, so we had to wait for a little while for a table. No reservations made (again) but since this was an impromptu trip, I can't grumble much! Thank goodness the waitress gave us the menu so we can decide on our order while waiting. Brilliant idea, in my opinion. (:

After a short wait, we were brought to our table by a waitress. Glad we got a table by the window, allowing us to see the busy streets of Orchard Road. Wouldn't want to be seated in the middle of the restaurant and feeling suffocated amongst the crowd. Then, we were served a cup of jasmine tea each, which was warm and good. Heh, now my stomach's all ready for the food!

After a long wait, the food was finally served! Oh joy oh joy. Picture the smile a kid will have on his face when you give him a lollipop, or a hungry man chancing upon his favorite dessert. Picture that yet? Okay cut that smile, paste that on my face. Yup, that's how happy I am to see food. What's more, GOOD FOOD! What's life without food, I'd say.

Fried Rice with Pork Chop 

Shared the main course of the day with L since we wanted to save stomach space for xlb. Got a shock when I sank my teeth into the meat, the pork was so tender that I mistook it for chicken! However, despite the incredibly tender pork chop, this dish didn't quite score for me. It's a little bland, and ... just incomplete, much to my disappointment. I definitely expected more. L commented that this dish used to taste much better, before the store was relocated to the 4th floor.

We had one of the best fried rice ever at a coffeeshop near my neighbourhood. Will give it a review as soon as I managed to snap pretty photos of it!

Ahhh. A meal at DTF wouldn't be complete if one doesn't order some xiao long baos. Mark my words.

Legendary Steamed Pork Dumplings

Definition of xlb: Sinful small pouches of meat. Put one into your mouth, and feel the goodness burst into your mouth. The tenderness of the meat, and the savoury soup which surrounds, filling your heart with joy. The happiness that linger even after you've swallowed the xlb. Swallowing one immediately begets another. 

The original ones, and probably the most famous. Definitely famous for a reason. One simply can never get sick of these. A must-order dish when you dine at DTF! The skin is so incredibly smooth and thin, yet strong enough so it will not break when it's still hot. Do you know? One single xlb will have a minimum of 18 folds, and are finished with a twist on the top. This isn't just food, this is an art piece.

Before you get too excited when your xlbs are being served, do remain calm. Note that one simply DO NOT put the whole thing into your mouth because you will probably end up scalding your tongue and wasting the whole meal with burnt tastebuds.

How L and I eat our xlbs.

First, you bite the top part of the dumpling skin. Take note that you should just nibble and not chomp off a huge part of the dumplings. If you must, take a small sip of the soup which is already oozing out from the little pouch. Then, you pour vinegar into the pouch, add some ginger if you fancy, before finally throwing the whole thing into your mouth and munch away! Yes, that's it. Savour the taste. That's the taste of happiness.

Steamed Chilli Crab Dumplings

Latest item on the menu! Mention Singapore to many foreigners, and one of the things that they will mention will definitely be Chilli Crab. So, being a true blue Singaporean, how can I give this a miss? Ahhh, And I'm sure glad we ordered this. A tinge of spiciness to complete the taste. I wouldn't dare say this is better than the original one, but I would go as far to say everyone who likes crab should give this a try. (:

Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp

Compared to the rest of the dumplings, this one scored the least. The skin was a little too heavy and thick for our liking. Finishing it was quite a struggle given that the xlbs had already caught our hearts. Would exchange this for more xlb, anytime!

Good food aren't always expensive!
Currently, there's a promotion for the Steamed Chilli Crab Dumplings.

If you're up for it, go try them! Oh, and while you're there, please don't forget to order the Steamed Pork Dumplings too! (: You will not regret it, trust me.

L enjoyed his birthday meal very much, and so did I. This trip to DTF would have been alot better if the restaurant wasn't so busy, and we had to remind the waiter to refill our cups of tea a couple of times. But well, at least the food made up the slow service!

Din Tai Fung

Wisma Atria

435 Orchard Road Level 4

Singapore 238877

Tel : 6732 1383