Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Deck your sub with avocado... Falalalala... Christmas 2013 is coming soon. How time flies! I guess this shall be the last review of the year, which happens to be the 275th review. This year, Subway Singapore is experimenting with what's claimed to be creamy, refreshing avocado.

Oh-so-luscious prawns with pineapples! UPDATE (14/07/2020):  The restaurant has closed down. From a humble beginning in 1977 in one of the alleys of Taipei, Taiwan, Shin Yeh has seen a steady increase in reputation and evolved into a brand serving contemporary Taiwanese cuisine. Having outlets in not only its city of origin, but also Beijing, China and Singapore, Shin Yeh is something not to be missed out.

Skinny, but sweet crab with spicy black pepper sauce! The history of Ocean Kingdom Seafood Restaurant goes back to the 1970s when the family initially ran a floating fish farm near Pulau Ubin at the eastern side of Singapore. Since they claim that "freshness is [their] forte", I was tempted to try their food.

Sweet and spicy claypot pork belly with salted fish! Before I went for weekly grocery shopping at Chinatown Point just now, I was wandering around to look for something new to try. Soon I found myself standing in front of A-One Porridge house which serves a variety of claypot and hotplate dishes. There are currently seven outlets across the island.

"Pour l'amour de la viande" UPDATE (08/09/2017):  The restaurant has closed down. Having the motto which literally means 'for the love of meat', Hippopotamus was founded in Paris, France in 1968. The only branch in Singapore is located in Marina Square. Despite the name, the restaurant doesn't serve hippo meat. Haha...

Better fried fresh milk than the original! UPDATE (05/04/2016):  The branch at Chinatown Point has closed down. Do check their website for more information on the rest of the branches. I've reviewed quite a few restaurants managed by the Creative Eateries group. Eat at Taipei is another one, offering a wide range of Taiwanese food, including those which can typically be found in Ximending and Shilin Night Market .

Customisable HK cart noodle here in Singapore! UPDATE (08/11/2016):  The café has closed down. December is finally here! As I reminisced the good old days during my exchange in HK, I stepped into C-Jade HK Café IN in Bugis+. Till this very day, I can vividly recall how good the canteen food was, and to my delight, cart noodle is among the café's wide selection of local delicacies. Also, I was craving for steamed rice that day.

Frankly speaking, that was my virgin experience with oxtails! Closely related to the previous post, Poulèt is a casual French eatery managed by Minor Food Group. It's an irony though that despite its name which means 'chicken' in English, I didn't actually try any of their chicken dishes.

Where pork fats meet runny yolk! If you're looking for French cuisine that won't burn a hole in your pocket, you have to make a visit to Saveur. Having a casual interior, the branch at Purvis Street that I went to recently was pretty much packed during lunch hours.

Thousand Island chicken - Thai style? UPDATE (09/05/2015):  The restaurant has closed down. It's been almost 5 months since I graduated from NUS. Recalling the happy memories that are etched forever in my mind, I couldn't help but miss school life. Today, it's time to review the food I tried at SUN Asian Bistro which offers Asian and Western cuisines. However, I haven't given any of the Western selections a try.

Pretty authentic Indonesia fried and grilled chickens! I guess I'm done writing on the food I tried in Japan, save for some tidbits that I bought along the way. Fret not, I'll be going to Japan again at the end of the year with Pikachu and Melon for another round of food hunting during winter! Anyway, it's been quite some time since I last wrote on eateries in Singapore, so today I'm going to review a humble Indonesian establishment in Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road. 

First time having ajitsuke tamago for breakfast! Instead of the usual hotel hopping that I've always liked to do, I only stayed in one hotel in Tokyo. Comfort Hotel Tokyo Higashi Nihonbashi (3*) was my choice as it offers value-for-money rooms, not to mention its perfect location which is just a minute walk from Bakurocho station.

Vegetables galore during my Shinkansen ride to Tokyo! Just like most tourists coming to Japan, I succumbed to the temptation of ekiben , a term used to which refers to boxed meals sold in railway stations throughout the country. On my trip from Kyoto to Tokyo via the bullet train known as Shinkansen, I enjoyed my lunch which I got from one of the shops in Kyoto station (which, unfortunately, I have no idea how to describe the location).

Crispy, airy tempura cooked before your eyes! AEON Mall is one of the leading shopping malls in Japan. One of them is located at Narita city near the airport. While wandering inside, I chanced upon a tempura (Japanese battered and deep-fried assortments) restaurant where customers can directly see how the dishes are being made while waiting for their orders to come. Since there isn't any English menu available, I'll directly translate the name of the dishes I tried as usual.

Double richness: tonkotsu soup and soft-boiled egg! Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum is a food amusement park with an astonishing atmosphere of the old town of Tokyo in the late 1950s. Out of the nine shops, I actually only tried one of them since I was already feeling quite full. Do note that the ramen has a policy whereby each customer has to order at least one dish. Men No Bo-Toride specialises in tonkotsu  (lit. pork bone) ramen, boasting its soup which is simmered for 20 hours. There isn't any English menu available, I suppose, so I'm just going to do a direct translation of the dishes I tried.

Do well in examinations with 'anki pan' rusks! Before leaving the Fujiko F. Fujio museum, I dropped by the gift shop to look for something I could buy. As expected, one of the items that you can buy is  dorayaki (Japanese pancake with red bean filling), Doraemon's favourite food. I didn't expect there'd be  anki pan  (lit. memorisation bread) rusks on sale though. So cute!

One of the most nostalgic meals in my life! Being a huge fan of Doraemon, I couldn't afford to miss a day trip to Fujiko F. Fujio Museum in located at Kawasaki city in Japan. As I walked through the exhibition hall, I couldn't help but feel a rush of mixed feelings that made tears well up in my eyes: happiness, awe and perhaps a bit of sadness (that I'm no longer a little boy), but to name a few. Following which, I had a simple lunch at the café on the third floor.

A happy marriage between tonkatsu and green tea? Fancy chazuke (Japanese dish made by pouring green tea over cooked rice)? Prior to the trip to Japan last June, I'd never tried one before. Hence, I made it a point to drop by one of the most popular restaurants serving a combination of tonkatsu (Japanese breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet)  chazuke in Shinjuku, after walking past the entertainment and red-light district of Kabukicho. Haha...

Huge, fatty beef bowl with half-boiled egg! Matsuya was founded in 1966, providing what's known to be the Japanese fast-food staple, the beef bowl, among other items. In Japan alone, there are already more than a thousand outlets as of the end of March this year. By the way, there's no English menu in the branch I went to, so I'm going to loosely provide the names of those I ordered in English.

How good is the shrimp burger? The craze about the shrimp burger that has just been introduced in Singapore is still ongoing. Today, I'm going to churn out a short review of the same burger in its country of origin. 

The best 'anago sushi' I've ever eaten in my life! UPDATE (03/03/2019):  The eatery has moved to 6-3-2 Toyosu. Being Japan's most famous and venerable market in the world for tourist destination, Tsukiji Market boasts its plethora of fresh seafood everyday. Don't miss breakfast when you happen to be there. I patronised Daiwa Sushi, a perennial favourite among Japanese and tourists alike, which is located just outside the main market area. I was quite lucky that day since I only had to queue for about an hour to get a seat.

One of the few whale meat restaurants in the world! From the Kansai region of Japan, we're now moving to Tokyo, the capital city of the Land of the Rising Sun. When you've had the chance to go to Shibuya, don't forget to snap a picture with the statue of the loyal dog named Hachiko and drop by the restaurant for a taste of whale meat. Worry not, the restaurant has assured that they're not using endangered whale species in their kitchen.

Melt-in-the-mouth deep-fried wagyu beef! Have you ever tried kushikatsu (Japanese deep-fried kebabs)? The Shinsekai neighbourhood of Osaka is famous for that. Besides the mandatory visit to Dotonbori, indeed I walked down the road to try kushikatsu for the first time in my life. There are several branches of the eateries located not so far away from one another, and unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure which branch did I go to. 

Creamy octopus balls rich in taurine! Thanks to the Japan Rail pass that allowed me to travel from Nara to Osaka in no time, I managed to cover the iconic Osaka Castle on the same day. The evening was spent wandering around the famous Dotonbori area. Immersed in the lively atmosphere with illuminated signboards and neon lights everywhere, I stopped by at one of the most popular takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) shops.

Time for okonomiyaki with three main ingredients! From Kyoto, let's move to Nara. On my day trip there, I went to Todaiji Temple to see the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana. I also took a stroll at Nara Park, not forgetting to buy some shika senbei (lit. deer crackers) to feed the cute and adorable creatures roaming freely around the park. Before saying goodbye to the city, I had lunch at an eatery along one of the main roads to the park.

Colourful breakfast of vegetables, beef balls and omelette with rice! When I was in Kyoto, I stayed at Hotel Sasarindou (3*) which is just 5 minutes away from Gion Shijo subway station. For a Japanese hotel, the guest rooms are pretty spacious not to forget that there's a big jacuzzi inside some, if not all of them.

Red bean sweets with gold flakes! I had the chance to visit the Temple of the Golden Pavilion when I was in Kyoto. Having the top two stories covered with pure gold, the pavilion is integrated within the verdant landscape in an artistic way.

Granny Smith made her way to a mooncake! Let's take a short break from Japan eateries, and indulge in mooncakes. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! This year, I've decided to give the ones prepared by Regent Singapore a try. To tell you the truth, I've been eyeing on their snowskin mooncakes since last year.

Vegetable-centred lunch set with super sweet onions! Literally located on the second floor of the famous Kanematsu vegetable shop at Nishiki market, Yaoya no Nikai only serves one set lunch everyday. Going by the name of 長寿ランチ ( chouju ranchi , lit. longevity set lunch), it features seasonal gourmet vegetables. If you can read Japanese, you can find out the ingredients used for the day from the small slip of paper placed on each table. I still have it with me for reference.  

Cheese crackers went along with sake! I stayed for one night at a small ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) within the Fushimi ward of Kyoto, a relatively serene area away from modernisation. It was a pity though that I didn't have the time to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, a famous shrine of the God of rice. To complete the experience of Japanese living, I dropped by an izakaya (a type of Japanese establishment serving alcohols and food to go along with).

Fuwa fuwa egg omelette! Welcome to Kyoto, Japan! Formerly the capital of the country for more than a millenium, Kyoto is the place to experience traditional Japan with its preserved architecture and thick culture. I visited Pontocho, a district famous for geisha (Japanese female entertainers) and had a fulfilling meal there. Kyoto cuisine is the highlight of today's review.

Huge, yummy beef meat and tendons! September is here, and that means two things. Firstly, I should start hunting for mooncakes, and secondly, my birthday is coming soon! Anyway, this shall be the last review of the series of eateries in Taipei for now. Heralded as the eatery serving the best beef noodle soup in Taipei, Yong Kang Beef Noodle has been thriving in business since 1963.

That huge crispy chicken with a video of me eating it! :P Shilin Night Market was actually the first out of the three night markets I visited during my 4D3N trip to Taipei. Often considered to be the most famous night market in the city, it's the place where you can get the crispy chicken everyone has been talking about. Enjoy this last entry of the month!

How good is the famed black pepper bun? Today's review is on one of the oldest night markets in Taipei, specifically located within the Songshan District and is just a stone's throw away from Wufenpu wholesale market. I must say that the food did look the most appetising there out of the three night markets I visited during my short stay in Taiwan.

Legendary mee sua with pork intestine! Ay-chung mee sua (Chinese thin noodle made of wheat flour) has been an icon in Ximending since 1975, serving but just one dish which has made most, if not all, people go crazy.

Big plate of braised stuff! Before I begin, frankly speaking, I've been cracking my head on how to write reviews of the food I tried at night markets. Well, I suppose I shall drop my trait of perfectionism as I know that there's no way I can be detailed enough in giving information about the stalls, etc. I also didn't take note of most of the prices. Anyway, without further ado, let's start with Shida Night Market which isn't far away from Taipower Building MRT station.

Almost midnight snack with rice and mee sua! At this rate, to be honest, I don't know how many reviews I'll be able to come up with every month. Life has been entirely hectic on my side, but pretty much enjoyable at work. Anyway, I met an Indonesian friend of mine in Taipei, together with his Taiwanese friend. Both of them brought me to this particular eatery after we had some nice food at Shida Night Market.

Recharge with Chinese snacks! :P Being one of the eight national parks in Taiwan, Yangmingshan National Park has Mt. Qixing as the highest point in Taipei at an elevation of 1,120 m. I covered a distance of approximately 9.5 km for the day together with my buddy, and of course, Pikachu and Melon.

Just a quick, okay breakfast! :P Since I didn't stay in a luxurious hotel in Taipei to save up for the back-to-back trip to Japan, I've got no buffet breakfast to write about this time round. Anyway, before I began my morning trek at Yangmingshan National Park, I headed for Taipei Milk King, a fast-food style eatery which is just a stone's throw away from the hotel I was staying in at Ximending, for a very quick breakfast.

Aromatic and chewy osmanthus jelly! I've just finished making a Chemistry worksheet for my students tomorrow, so I'll write a quick review before I go to bed. I've got to know about the shaved ice from Smoothie House (思慕昔) at Yong Kang street from Wikitravel when I planned for my trip.

Lusciously sweet chicken broth! I'm going to start writing on the Taiwan and Japan food trip that I went for before I was employed full-time. Whew, I don't know when I'll be going for a holiday the next time round. Anyway, I started my journey in Taiwan with Sam's Noodles which offers HK style noodle dishes. Yes, I'm missing HK so badly.

Fifteen ingredients in a big, red bowl! Literally translated as 'red pot', Hong Guo specialises in Yunnan rice noodle in broth with a variety of ingredients. There used to be a branch near my place at Chinatown Point, but it has closed down.

"Where holidays are forever" :D Strawberry Park Resort (4*) is the place to go if you're looking for a quiet and tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of city living. Situated uphill, away from the main road, it makes an ideal retreat for single travellers and family alike.

"The only smoked meat in town!" It was drizzling on our last night in Cameron Highlands. Too tired to head to town for dinner, we decided to give Smokey Bear, the latest addition in Strawberry Park Resort, a try. Frankly speaking, apart from breakfast, I rarely dine in restaurants in a hotel. Well, having smoked meat and seafood outdoor in the cool, crisp air proved to be quite rewarding.

Strawberry tea time! Time Tunnel is a museum built to preserve the the historical memory and cultural heritage of Cameron Highlands, showcasing vintage items that'd take you on a trip down the memory lane. It has a small café for you to relax before continuing on your journey around the region.

Rewarding steamboat dinner after a day of trekking! I apologise for being tardy once again in updating my blog. Life has become busier, not mentioning that I'm going to start work full-time on Monday, 10 June. Anyway, today I'll be doing a short review on a steamboat dinner I had on the day when I completed the trek up Mt. Brinchang at Cameron Highlands. Strawberry Court Thai Restaurant is one of the restaurants in Strawberry Park Resort, the hotel I was staying in.

"BOH ada Ummph!" Literally means "BOH has Ummph!", it has been adapted as a slogan by the largest black tea manufacturer in Malaysia, founded in 1929 by J.A. Russell, a British businessman during the British colonial era. I went to the plantation located at Sungei Palas in Cameron Highlands for the view, as well as the much anticipated snack at the café.

One of the best chicken chops I've ever eaten! Big on Dutch football, Jasmine Café has been around since the 1990s. Just like how the national team is dressed in orange, the characteristic colour of the café is orange. It serves not only Western food, but also Chinese cuisine.

The only strawberry fruity scone in Cameron Highlands! On the first day in Cameron Highlands, I was trying to cover a lot of places of interests that I didn't sit down for a proper lunch. Apart from filling my stomach with snacks from day markets, I also went down to the famous The Lord's Café in Tanah Rata. It's a humble café known to bake superb scones since 2003.

Carbohydrate boost first thing in the morning in Cameron Highlands! Starting from today, I'm going to present you some of the eateries I visited when I went for a 4D3N trip to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Departing from Singapore at 10.30pm on a sleeper bus, I reached the destination when the sun was about to rise. The bus stopped for an hour at a town called Brinchang for the passengers to have breakfast before it brought us to the hotel.