Foodpanda.sg

Hey guys! Just wanted to spread the word on a great new food delivery service we tried recently!

Nowadays, food delivery is quite a big deal with a lot of restaurants and eateries offering a delivery service just in case you can't drop by the restaurant for a meal. And it's not just fast food anymore! Let's face it - sometimes, we are simply too busy to step out to get something to eat especially when it happens to be a busy day at the office. And when hunger strikes, it's delivery time!!

There used to be a few food delivery services in Singapore in the past but they seem to have faded away for some reason or other. Well, now we have Foodpanda to the rescue!!

Foodpanda has been around for a couple of years but things are really picking up and they are more popular than ever now! They currently operate in more than 20 countries worldwide so they must be doing something good right?

And the best part is they have quite a large number of Halal eateries for use to choose from!
Almost 20 at the moment with more to come we hope!

Trust us - it's really simple to use!
Let me run through our recent experience and you'll see how easy and fast it is!!

Step 1 - www.foodpanda.sg

So you navigate your web browser to www.foodpanda.sg for a start and all you have to do is enter your postcode so that they system can narrow down which eateries can deliver to your area. The system will also narrow it down for you based on eateries that are currently Open at the time you are ordering.

But don't worry, you'll also be able to place advanced orders if that's what you need.

Step 2 - Choose your restaurant and food

Next, choose which restaurant you'd like to order from.
There's even a handy filter so you can filter out just the Halal restaurants to be displayed. From there you can see information such as the Estimated Delivery, Minimum Order and if any delivery fee is applicable. Some places have free delivery!!

And then Step 3 - view the menu and order your food!!

Once you've chosen your food and your payment method (you can choose either Cash on Delivery or Electronic Payment methods like Credit Card or even PayPal), then you are all set! Food is on its way!! Really simple right??

And in a short while, you should be tucking into your food!!

I tried Foodpanda one day in the office when it just too busy a day to head out for lunch and I was really impressed. Easy to use and no problems at all with the order which came on time!

And if that's not simple enough - they also have an App for you to use on the go!!
Available on both Apple and Android

And if you ever need any assistance, they have a hotline to call and also this cool LiveChat feature where someone answers any questions you might have immediately!!

All I had to do was ask a question and I pretty much got the answer I was looking for.
Not only is the ordering of the food easy but so is the customer support!!

As of now, Foodpanda currently offers delivery for almost 20 Halal eateries and hopefully more to come! That's quite a list of Halal eateries listed on Foodpanda.sg!!!

This is the current list we managed to compile;

Pastamania
Sarpino's
Makan Makan Western Food
Sakunthala's
Delifrance
Bokhara Biryani & Kebab
Golden Pillow 933
Andhra Curry
BarBQ Tonight
Brinda's
The Korea Food Company
Yu Xian Yan Birdnest
Friends Alley Catering
Canadian Pizza 2for1
Mad Jack
Ha-ven Gourmet Pizza
The Orange Lantern
Food On Fire SD

And if you get your hands on a special discount code/voucher, you could enjoy discounts on your food order or even free delivery!! POWER OR WHAT!!

Signing up for an account is free so you should definitely sign up for one today.
Have a look through and you never know - you might wanna order something immediately!!
Hungry and can't step out? Foodpanda to the rescue!!

Foodpanda.sg

www.foodpanda.sg/restaurants/index/cuisines/halal
Tel: +65 658YUMMY

Delivery Hours:
Depends on eatery/restaurant

Cathay Cineplexes Cinema Snacks Certified Halal!!!

In case you have not heard...
CATHAY CINEPLEXES CINEMA SNACKS ARE NOW CERTIFIED HALAL!!

That's right! Cathay Cineplexes now offers you an entire menu of Halal cinema snacks including your old favourites like the Hot Dog and adding in some new and exciting items on the menu too!! Cathay Cineplexes is the first cinema operator in Singapore to attain Halal certification for its cinema snacks! Truly a milestone!

Cathay Cineplexes is honestly our cinema of choice when The Halal Food Blog Team goes out and watches movies and I'm pretty confident in saying that almost everyone reading this has also visited Cathay Cineplexes to catch a flick before too!

Cathay has 7 cineplexes island-wide and 4 of them have been certfied Halal with hopefully more to follow!
The 4 Cathay Cineplexes certified Halal as of now are;

• AMK Hub
• Causeway Point
• Downtown East
• West Mall

Hope to see the rest being certified soon as well!

Like we said, you can still get your favourite snacks like Hot Dog, Chicken Nuggets, Potato Wedges and Fried Chicken (among other goodies) but you can also get some new items as well!

Bolognese Hotdog ($6.80 Combo)

I know everyone loves to have a nice satisfying hotdog whenever we go and catch a movie. I think next to Popcorn, the Hotdog is probably next most popular cinema snack! And if you are looking to have a hotdog with a new twist, then we present to you - The Bolognese Hotdog!

I'm guessing your first reaction is probably the same as mine when I first heard about it... "Wah so extreme!"
But you know what? It's not overwhelming at all! And pretty tasty too I might add.
The bolognese sauce has got beef and onions in there for an added kick and this tomato based sauce actually give the normal hotdog more bite too. You can still top it off with more chilli sauce and mustard if you really want but this on its own was more than enough.

What's more - with the combo, you also get some wedges and a drink too!

***SPECIAL OFFER TIME!!!***

Here's some added incentive to try out the new items at Cathay Cineplexes!
For a limited time only, enjoy this special deal!!

Up til 30th April 2014, enjoy a free Wicked Wings or Bolognese Hotdog combo when you buy 3!

Yeah! Every 3 Wicked Wings or Bolognese Hotdog combos you buy entitles you to the 4th on the house!
And the best part is that you don't have to buy all at one go! You can keep your receipts and redeem on your next visit to Cathay and even mix and match!

The T&Cs are really simple too;

• Valid on any day til 30th April 2014
• Valid at all Cathay outlets (Halal certified outlets are located at AMK Hub, Downtown East, West Mall and Causeway Point)
• The purchase can be a combination/mixture of both items
• Not valid with other discounts, promotions or redemptions
• The Management reserves the right to alter the terms and conditions of this promotion without prior notice
• All information stipulated is correct at the time of this post and is subject to change without prior notice

And remember - KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS!!
You'll need to show your 3 receipts to redeem your free 4th combo if you're not having them all at one go!

AND WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!!
(Wah! Dah jadi macam game show like that!!)

***SPECIAL OFFER FOR READERS OF

THE HALAL FOOD BLOG***

As a special treat for our readers, Cathay is offering a special promo offer!
You can enjoy $2 OFF COMBO AT CATHAY CINEPLEXES!
Power or what!!!

And all you need to do is print-out this blogpost and present it when making your purchase at any one of the 4 Halal certified Cathay Cineplexes (AMK Hub, Downtown East, West Mall & Causeway Point).
Do that and you get a $2 discount off the price of your combo!! It's really that simple!

Just do take note of these T&Cs okay;

•  Print-out of blog post MUST be presented
• Valid on any day till 30th April 2014
• Valid  at ONLY at Halal certified outlets (AMK Hub, Downtown East, West Mall and Causeway Point)
• Not valid with other discounts, promotions or redemptions
• Limited to ONE redemption per transaction
• The Management reserves the right to alter the terms and conditions of this promotion without prior notice
• All information stipulated is correct at the time of this post and is subject to change without prior notice

Simple right!!
Just remember to print-out this post and present it. No screenshots on your phones allowed! :)
Anyways just need to print out the top part which shows 'The Halal Food Blog' banner and the top of this post including the title 'Cathay Cineplexes Cinema Snacks Certified Halal!!!'.

So it should look a little bit like this;

Well, what are you waiting for people! Time to make plans to watch a movie! Lots of good ones coming up!
The more the merrier!! Then can enjoy the 4th combo for free!! :))))

See you guys at Cathay Cineplexes!

Cathay Cineplexes

7 Cineplexes Island-wide

The Cathay Cineplex
Cathay Cineplex Cineleisure Orchard
Cathay Cineplex Causeway Point (Halal certtified)
Cathay Cineplex AMK Hub (Halal certified)
Cathay Cineplex Downtown East (Halal certified)
Cathay Cineplex West Mall (Halal certified)
Cathay Cineplex JEM

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 4: Tang Tea House

Aha! We have finally reached Part 4 in our series for Chicken Rice.
"Series?? What series???" you might be asking... Well, you might want to read THIS first then...

Okay ready? This time we are at Tang Tea House!

Chicken Rice ($4.00)

Okay let me start by saying that that picture up there actually shows a HALF CHICKEN serving.
The normal serving for 1 person is definitely lesser chicken than that but you'll see why we ended up with half a chicken by the end of this post...

I think those who have eaten at Tang Tea House will probably know what I'm talking about...

What's so nice about the Chicken Rice at Tang Tea House?
Well, in our humble opinion - it's gotta be the Roasted Chicken!

The meat is well-cooked and super tended. I'm not sure what technique they are employing here but it obviously works wonders and we've never had a time where we regretted ordering the Roasted Chicken at Tang Tea House (sometimes we even order it as is and without rice!)

The meat is super tender and the skin has a nice subtle crisp to it if you're lucky to get that part.
Well, we always order a half chicken so we ALWAYS get that part. Yes seriously. We always order half a chicken. No joke.

And that nice salty gravy that comes along with it... Ooohhhhh... That's the best part to me.
I know I know it's salty and you should eat in moderation but I think I love it too much. It definitely enhances the flavour overall if you ask me.

The rice as just so-so to be perfectly honest with you.
Yeah sure you do get some of the Chicken Rice flavour that you'd expect but it's really a very strong flavour.
Nice and grainy I guess but we have tasted better rice.

But my darling wife did rather like it though... Maybe it's just me...

The chilli is where the team's opinions kinda differ a little bit...

My Mum and my darling wife both adore the chilli. My mum says it's the bomb and even goes as far as to say it's 'the real thing'. I'm guessing she's saying that because it's more on the spicy side and less sweet compared to other Chicken Rice chillies around. My darling wife says it was "just nice".

I actually didn't like the chilli very much.
I guess I'm more used to the type of Chicken Rice chilli with a bit more vinegar and/or sugar. But you can see how thick the chilli's texture is so you know it's packing quite a punch!

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken 5/5 -- Rice 2.5/5 -- Chilli 2.5/5 -- Overall 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken 5/5 -- Rice 3/5 -- Chilli 3.5/5 -- Overall 4.5/5

Asmah's Verdict:
Chicken 5/5 -- Rice 2/5 -- Chilli 4/5 -- Overall 4/5

Well it looks like Tang Tea House is tops so far in our list of Chicken Rice stalls for this series...
But then again, this is only part 3... Many more to come!!

But hey... let me repeat again... The Roasted Chicken at Tang Tea House is really the bomb!!!
It's minimum half a chicken whenever we go... Seriously...

Tang Tea House

359 Bedok Road
www.tangteahouse.com

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 4.00am Daily

The Halal Food Blog Team On RE TV Season 1

Hey guys! The Halal Food Blog Team was featured on RE TV on Suria last week!
This marks the 3rd time that we have been featured on television!

RE TV is a show about the latest social trends in Singapore today. It's got a very interesting format and theme and definitely one of the more hip info-ed shows on TV today. Hosted by Hyrul Anuar, Sezairi, Nadiah M Din and Ainon Talib, RE TV airs every Friday at 8.30pm on Suria.

In case you missed it, this is the clip featuring The Halal Food Blog Team!

Special thanks to the RE TV Team (who were the absolute BOMB) and to IndoChili as well!

Magic Wok

So we were looking for a quick fix after grocery shopping at Downtown Eat on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Fast food? Naaahhhh. Let's try a place upstairs my darling wife suggests. Sure why not!

Magic Wok is not a new name when it comes to makan. I remember having visited several outlets as far back at more than 10 years ago. I remember one in City Hall if I'm not wrong and back then it was great because there were not many places selling Halal Thai-Chinese cuisine.
I'm not sure if it's the same people running the brand now but the name is still around and hopefully the food is still at a level to satisfy the public!

Just our luck - noodles were out when we visited! So it had to be rice dishes!!

Thai Pineapple Rice ($4.80)

Don't ask me why but when I think of Thai food, somehow or rather I'll think of Pineapple Rice.
And the weird thing is - I know that Pineapple Rice is actually a Singaporean invention! Not even Thai!!

Well, as you can see, they don't serve it in the pineapple as some places do for the gimmick of it. But I have to say the serving was actually pretty generous. An extra big heapful of rice! Topped off with Shrimp Floss!
Unfortunately the Shrimp Floss is where most of the flavour came from. The rice wasn't very tasty.

Tom Yam Fried Rice ($4.80)

So my darling wife was hoping for a better result with her (more authentic-Thai) Tom Yam Fried Rice.
But I'm afraid no such luck. A little bit still in the bland department here. Yeah sure you could taste a bit of the Tom Yam flavour but not much actually... There was also some seafood in there but it didn't help much.

Fried Mixed Vegetable ($6.00)

So we have to get some veggies right??

They have 3 difference sizes for this. Small at $6.00, Medium at $10.00 and $14.00 for the Large.
We took the Small since there were only 2 of us so you can adjust accordingly depending on the size of your dining party.

Taste was okay I guess. Nothing spectacular but at least it had taste (compared to out 2 rice dishes).
But I have to say that I found it a bit on the pricey side to be honest. 6 bucks for that???

Thai Fried Baby Squid ($8.00)

Again, we took the small. They have Medium and Large at $12.00 and $16.00 respectively.

You guys know I'm a sucker for Fried Baby Squid right?
Well, this is a new one because they add the word 'Thai' in front. How exactly do they make it 'Thai'?
Looks like it's by adding some Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce to the dish.

I guess this does give the dish a bit more of a spicy kick. There's also some pineapple chunks in there to give you a sweet edge at the same time. So it's kinda like Sweet and Sour Fried Baby Squid.

Anyways, if you find the food to be a little bit too bland (like we did), then please do help yourself to the condiments available for you!!

Adam's Verdict:
Thai Pineapple Rice 2/5 -- Fried Mixed Vegetable 2.5/5 -- Thai Fried Baby Squid 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Tom Yam Fried Rice 2/5 -- Fried Mixed Vegetable 3/5 -- Thai Fried Baby Squid 1/5

Well, I only used to have the noodles back then so I'm really not sure if the standards have dropped (for the rice dishes) or something is terribly wrong. Maybe we're just being fussy because we didn't get what we expected especially for the prices we paid.

Anyways I'm sure we will visit again soon once day and hopefully it'll be a better experience.

Magic Wok

Downtown East
1 Pasir Ris Close
#03-101




Tel: 6582 8928

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 10.00pm Daily

S.K. Connection - Bakso

Is it finally time for the review on the S.K. Connection Ayam Penyet?
Errr... sorry folks. Gotta wait a little longer.

Last time I covered the Lontong and now I'm moving on to the Bakso.

The Bakso isn't actually even a permanent item on the menu. It's actually a daily special which sometimes appears on the menu like some of their other daily specials like Nasi Briyani and Kachang Phool.
In fact, I chanced upon it when I headed there to have Ayam Penyet but seeing it on the menu kinda tickled my fancy. Kinda reminded me of having Bakso in Jakarta, Bali and Bandung.

I couldn't resist!

Bakso ($3.00)

Hmmmmm... maybe I should have stuck to my guns with the Ayam Penyet.

It actually looks pretty nice in the picture doesn't it?
Unfortunately I was not expecting the yellow noodles there. I was actually expecting those instant noodle type deals which you'd normally get with Bakso.

The soup was kinda bland and not much taste at all.
The beef balls were actually not bad and probably the only thing in the bowl that I finished.
That and the green leafy vegetable.

Adam's Verdict:
Bakso 1.5/5

And that's completely for the beef balls. I guess the idea is there but execution not quite. Maybe because I was expecting too much?

Remember when I said "I couldn't resist!"? I think I need to work a bit more on my resistance power.

S.K. Connection

Blk 36 Chai Chee Avenue
#01-169

Tel: 9824 7500

Operating Hours:
6.30am til 5.00pm Mondays til Saturdays
Closed on Sunday

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 3: Aspirasi

Harlow harlow harlow!
Is everybody ready for some Chicken Rice Chronicles?!?!

Well if you have no idea what we are babbling about then please READ THIS before you go any further!

Well our 3rd installment of the Chicken Rice Chronicles brings us to a far side of the island.
I say far because we live in the East and this place is located all the way at Harbourfront!
But hey... anywhere for good food right?

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

Another fan-favourite with our readers - Aspirasi Chicken Rice at Seah Im Food Centre!
I'll be 100% honest with you - the name Aspirasi was not familiar to me at all until our beloved readers responded to our call for their fave Chicken Rice places around SG. This was one name that popped up!

The first thing I noted is the very distinctive coating on the chicken.
Deep fried and crispy perfection, I can see why so many people love the chicken here!

I'd never really had chicken rice where the chicken was coated and fried this way before.
I guess the expectation is to have either Roasted or Steamed Chicken when you have your Chicken Rice but it seems like this type of battered and crispy chicken is really popular nowadays!

Well anyways, the crispy coating was quite a delight but I guess I still prefer the Roasted version. It's a pity that Aspirasi only has one type of chicken which the specialize in. But perhaps it's true when they say 'A jack of all trades is a master of none' because they've really mastered the fried chicken here.

I didn't really fancy the rice very much though.
I found it quite dry and lacking any flavour that you'd expect in a plate of Chicken Rice.

It's quite a pity though because the chicken was really nice and would have been great to have some tasty rice to go along with it.

Thank goodness the chilli rocks!
Nice and tangy and a very nice compliment to the crispy fried chicken. And one of the best things is that they are not stingy with their chilli! There's a big tub of it at the front of the shop so help yourself!

And they may have only the fried chicken but you can get that in a few versions including Sambal, Sweet and Sour, Lemon, Black Pepper, Penyet, Nasi Goreng Ayam and also Tomato Sambal. Maybe next time we'll try one of those...

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 3/5

This was the first time I'd tried crispy fried chicken with my Chicken Rice and it was definitely a good first impression. Guess it'll take a little getting used to. But the chilli was the bomb! Pity about the rice though.

Aspirasi

Seah Im Food Centre
2 Seah Im Road

Tel: 9297 2025
www.facebook.com/aspirasifoodgalore

Operating Hours: 9am til 9pm Daily
Closed on Mondays

Makan Melaka

Most people head down to Changi Village for quite a number of reasons.
Some make the trip for Nasi Lemak. Some for the BBQ seafood. But I don't think that Cendol comes to mind when Changi Village comes up right?

So Makan Melaka cropped up about a year ago and one of the things that jumps out when you see the sign is the 'Cendol Melaka' in big bold explosive text. Could we really get some authentic Cendol right here in the heart of Changi Village?

The first thing you'll notice is that they seem to be the real deal. The cendol is made from scratch and soak patiently in water for someone to order a serving so that they can fulfill their delicious destiny!

They also have quite a number of Cendol selections for you to choose from.
Besides the traditional Cendol Asli Melaka, you can also choose from Red Bean, Sweet Corn, Pulut (Glutinous Rice), Durian, Special Red Bean and Corn and Special Power Red Bean, corn and Durian!

Cendol Asli Melaka ($1.50)

We definitely had to get a serving of the traditional Cendol Asli Melaka!
It is after all the most basic serving of Cendol we can ask for right? But despite being the most simple, it can sometimes be the best type!!

Sweet red beans which are plump and soft nestle below a bed of shaved ice. Add in some of the autehtic cendol and finish off with coconut milk and gula melaka and you have a winner!

The cendol really is authentic and a really good quality too!
How can we tell? The cendol was still soft and didn't harden up after being exposed to the shaved ice!
How many times have you had Cendol become frozen green strands of ice after being soaked in the cold?
No such thing here!!

And they're not stingy with the gula melaka and the santan (coconut milk) either!
Just the way I like it! But you can tell them to adjust accordingly if you're not such big fans.

Cendol with Pulut ($1.80)

We decided to try a few more of the 'specialty' Cendol dishes they had on offer.

Don't ask me why but I decided to have a serving of the Cendol with Pulut...

This one is pretty much what the name says it is - Cendol with some pulut.
No red beans here. Just the glutinous rice, cendol, santan and gula melaka.

I have to say that despite how simple it seems, the pulut is actually quite overwhelming!
I guess I didn't expect it to be so heavy for a dessert and I'd say this is more suitable if you're looking to fill-up on something sweet. But if you're looking for just a simple dessert then maybe the original one is good.

We also decided to have the Durian one but unfortunately...
We ended up with a dish WITHOUT THE DURIAN!! I guess the guy forgot to add it maybe??

But fret not! We ordered another one!!

Cendol with Durian ($2.00)

That's how it will look when you order takeaway by the way.
Nice and convenient!!

And as you can see, they didn't forget the durian this time! And what a delicious addition it is!
They use actual fresh durian and you can really taste the richness. I guess the Cendol is really great as a drink on the go too and not just in a bowl.

Adam's Verdict:
Cendol Asli Melaka 4/5 -- Cendol with Pulut 2/5 -- Cendol with Durian 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Cendol Asli Melaka 4/5 -- Cendol with Durian 3/5

Well I guess we have really found a real gem in Changi Village. Another reason to visit besides Nasi Lemak and Seafood! Check this place out soon okay!!

Makan Melaka

1 Changi Village Road

Operating Hours:
10.30am til 9.30pm Daily (for the Cendol)