Sidratul Seaweed Cordial

Here at The Halal Food Blog, we are all about spreading the word and trying to help people along the way if we can. All the more if the makan or the product is good! So here's something interesting that we were not quite sure of when we first heard of it but now we're completely sold on it!

There have been plenty of 'food health fads' over the years. There was Acai berries and then Pomegranate and then Wheatgrass and then who else can remember lah (We are still waiting for the Fried Chicken phase to arrive). Well, we don't consider this product here a craze because it's been around for years and it's good enough that people don't need to glorify it to extoll its benefits.

Sidratul Seaweed Cordial not only has loads of health benefits but it tastes great too!

It's really true when they say that nature gives us the best things to consume and this is a good example. We're talking about positive effects all bottled up and ready to consume with water!

So what exactly does Seaweed Cordial help?

We read the benefits include improving skin health and elasticity probably because seaweed contains Magnesium, Vitamin A,C and E!

One thing everyone agrees on is that seaweed actually helps to purify the blood. Besides that, it's an excellent anti-oxidant, helps you to detox, treats ailments like gastritis, high cholesterol, gout, anemia and also helps to alkalize our blood. Especially helpful if we eat a lot of junk food!

And speaking of eating a lot, seaweed also supposedly helps with weight loss!!

Well besides health benefits, this cordial tastes great!!

This cordial contains minimal sugar but you can see from the picture that it's actually really concentrated! Just one tablespoon into a glass of water and ice is more than enough to get a great tasting and refreshing drink. It does not taste overly sweet compared to other cordial which add A LOT OF SUGAR to make it tasty. This Seaweed Cordial goes the natural route for prefect results.

I'm someone who LOVES to have sweet drinks especially when having a meal and even I know that too much sweet drinks is no good for you. But if you're gonna insist on having something like cordial to drink, you might as well choose this - a healthier choice!

Not only is this product certified Halal but it has also been given the stamp of IMP (Islamic Manufacturing Practice) in Malaysia. That's gotta be a big plus!

Well whatever the case is, this cordial tastes really good and we really enjoy it.
We just thought you might like it to! Give it a try and you could end up being hooked just like us!

You might see this being sold at certain roadshows or at certain mosques but if you want to place and order, we have the details right here for you.

Each bottle is priced at $10 a bottle and you can place your order by contacting;
Khairul (9474 2523), Haliza (9144 4702) or Jofrie (9272 5611). You can even clarify any questions you might have and I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige.

Thanks everyone and Seaweed Cordial FTW!!

Fork & Spoon Toa Payoh - Hanmiga Korean and Japanese Cuisine

As you know, we really loved the HK Beef Noodles from Fork & Spoon but that's gone now and nobody knows where it went (some said Jurong??)

And even though there are other nice things to eat there like the Chicken Rice (which happens to be on our Chicken Rice Chronicles list by the way), we don't really go as often anymore since our beloved Beef Noodles were no longer there.

But recently we were in the area so we stopped by even though we didn't really know what to have and my Darling Wife made a discovery!

BBQ Saba Fish Set ($6.00)

My darling wife absolutely loves Saba Fish and it's so hard to find a nice one nowadays but I think we may just have come across it right here at Fork & Spoon Toa Payoh.

The dish arrives on a sizzling hotplate (yeah you can see it sizzling in the picture!!) nice and piping hot to be enjoyed with rice. The Saba Fish is resting on a bed of chopped onions and served with white rice along with a customary serving of kimchi and Korean ikan bilis (anchovies).

One of the great things is that there is no hamching (fishy) taste or smell to be found here. In fact, even though it says BBQ, the fish is also (confirmed) fried up a little which is actually quite good. The fish is halved so you won't have to deal with any bones and you have easy access to the flesh.

One gripe though - it was a bed of chopped white onions and no cabbage that the fish rested on. In fact it wasn't even a lot of onions :(

But oh well I guess that's a small price to pay!

Maryah's Verdict
BBQ Saba Fish Set 3.5/5

Got quite a few other things to try on the menu but I think Saba Fish is probably gonna be at the top of the list for quite awhile.

Fork & Spoon Foodcourt (Toa Payoh)

Blk 470 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 (Above Courts)
#02-70

Operating Hours: 10.00am til 10.00pm Daily

KL Sedap 2014 Part 1: Nasi Ayam Hainan Chee Meng

So before we set out to KL, we asked our readers for some suggestions on makan places in KL that they'd like us to visit and review. Boy oh boy did we get a great response and a nice long list of makan places to visit.

Yeah we probably won't be able to fit every single one in because some are really far away from the city centre where we will be based and well technically we're only there for a total of just about 2 weeks. So we will try our best!!

So one of the places suggested by a few readers was Nasi Ayam Hainan Chee Meng.

At first, we thought that this chicken rice place was the one located just beside BB Plaza / Sungai Wang Plaza because we remember a chicken rice place from our past few visits. Well, apparently that's a different one and this one was a little further up the road.

Let us tell you that the Bukit Bintang stretch was under really heavy renovation when we visited. Guess they are re-doing the roads or something so it was quite a big turn we had to make on foot plus it was raining really heavily too!

Anyways we finally found the right place and we were ready for a nice hearty meal because the weather was cold and we were hungry!!

Half Roasted Chicken (RM33.00)

So we came all this way and no way were we gonna order just a small set.
We wanted to order half a Roasted Chicken and half a Steamed Chicken but they were all out of the latter so we settled on a whole chicken but it gets served in halves anyways.

You can also choose the Ayam Kampung version but it's a bit pricier at RM40.00 per half.
Rice is RM2 for a small and RM2.50 for a large one. Drumsticks/Boneless chicken is an extra RM1.
Bishop's Nose aka Tongkeng Ayam at RM0.50!!!

Quite a fair serving of chicken if we do say so.
But there was one problem... 5 of us all agreed on one thing about the chicken - it was tasteless.
It was pretty disappointing because we really thought this was gonna be the bomb.

Not sure maybe it was our bad luck to drop by on the wrong day?
The soy sauce was salty goodness in my opinion but then again a good roasted chicken should not have to rely on the soy sauce to give it flavour right? A good example is the Roasted Chicken at Tang Tea House in Singapore. Yeah the soy sauce is the bomb but the chicken on its own is power too.

But one thing is for sure. The chicken is really a big chicken so you're getting your money's worth in that respect. That picture above is a snap of the chicken breast part. Look at how thick it is!

The rice was also a bit of a let down. It was really grainy and actually it was close to being considered uncooked in some parts. Dry and a little bit hard to swallow on its own and also lacking the chicken flavour you'd expect in Chicken Rice.

The chilli seemed to be the saving grace here.
It was nice and spicy probably because they don't include too much garlic but more chillies instead (rightfully so) but still lacking in the flavour department. Yeah spicy... but not tasty.

But we guess that, in a way, the chilli was probably the best part of the chicken rice there.

Kailan Sos Tiram (RM14.00 Large)

There was a bit of the split decision on the veggies though.

We had the Kailan Sos Tiram (Oyster Sauce Kailan) which I personally thought was really good because the kailan was nice and cooked through as opposed to being too tough like some other places I'd been to before.

But a few others seemed to think some improvements were in order because it was a bit on the sweet side. I thought it was on the salty side which is probably why I liked it so much LOL. Well, anyways they also have a small serving for half the price in case you'd like a smaller size.

Wantan Goreng (RM6.00)

As a side, we decided to go for the Fried Wantons which seemed like nice and deep fried crispy goodness from the picture in the menu and I guess they were not that bad.

Nice and crispy fried goodies but a little lacking in the flavour department (as with most of the rest of the stuff we had there unfortunately).

They're packo full of minced chicken meat and good for dipping in the chicken rice chilli if you're looking to add a little kick into the wanton.

Other sides you might to choose from are the Kerabu Mangga (Thai Style Mango Salad) or maybe go for the Kerabu Kaki Ayam (Thai Style Chicken Feet Salad).

CHILD FRIENDLY FACTOR

Baby chairs are available upon request but a little crampy. Depending on the weather, might get a little stuffy too.

Overall Child Friendly Rating - 2.5/5

Adam's Verdict:
Roasted Chicken Rice 1.5/5 -- Kailan Sos Tiram 4/5 -- Wantan Goreng 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Roasted Chicken Rice 0.5/5 -- Kailan Sos Tiram 1/5 -- Wantan Goreng 1.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Roasted Chicken Rice 2/5 -- Kailan Sos Tiram 1/5

Razali's Verdict:
Roasted Chicken Rice 2/5 -- Kailan Sos Tiram 2.5/5

Fateha's Verdict:
Roasted Chicken Rice 2/5 -- Kailan Sos Tiram 1/5

They actually have quite an extensive menu with items like Chicken, Prawns and Squid cooked in various styles like Salted Egg (!!), Sambal, Sweet & Sour etc and also a variety of vegetable dishes to go for as well but when a place has the words 'Nasi Ayam' in the name, you'd expect Chicken Rice to be the specialty there that can't go wrong.

We eat a lot of Chicken Rice (have you read The Chicken Rice Chronicles by the way?) and we have to say this was pretty disappointing. Sure this might appeal to some peoples' taste for sure but this wasn't for us.

PS the staff were really unfriendly too. Maybe it really was a bad day for us to visit.

Nasi Ayam Hainan Chee Meng

50 Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

www.cheemeng.com.my

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Flavour Flings

It's amazing how you can find great food (among other things) without having to go so far out of your way. Nowadays, even your own neighbourhood might already be one of those examples of how normal HDB neighbourhoods can become more than just your run-of-the-mill dwelling areas.

I'm sure you've read about neighbourhoods like Tiong Bahru becoming the new hip enclave where the cool go to their fave cafes to 'chillax' and the likes. Well, seems like Hougang is also a neighbourhood you should be keeping an eye on!

We caught wind of a little nook tucked away where you can tuck into breakfast even at night!!
Flavour Flings is a little cafe in a quiet corner of Hougang and it boasts a menu which makes us wish we had bigger stomachs than our appetites! Example - They even have a section of their menu titled 'The Soft Yolks'... HOW TO RESIST YOU TELL ME??

Okay okay no need talk so much okay let us show you the awesomeness.

Machamp's Breakfast ($18.00)

The Machamp's Breakfast (it's pronounced literally as MAH-CHAMPS) is a complete deal for all your peeps who like a big hearty breakfast. I mean come on look at that thing it's got everything!!
(And I'm not calling it hearty just because of the heart-shaped butter on top)

So let's run it down and see what makes this breakfast of (ma)champions tick.

So you've got your scrambled eggs which were done to perfection by the way (at least to us). Nice and firm but still a little runny and you have a winner. Side that up with Chicken Bratwurst sausage which has been glazed with caramel and also some sauteed mushroom for that nice earthy kick.
And if that's not enough, you've got some toast with 'Onion Marmalade' (which is figured is onions sauteed and caramelized with some balsamic glaze) and to make sure you're full, they add a pair of 'pancake coins' and a side of salad.

Wow what a mouthful right! Wait til you actually put it in your mouth! LOL

The eggs were a delight and mushrooms are always welcome on our plate (and in our tummies). I personally enjoyed piling them on the toast and taking a nice big bite. But let us tell you that those pancake coins are truly something else. Nice and fluffy and tasty especially with the maple syrup and the butter. Yeah yeah we know it's a lot but trust us if you're gonna go big, then let this one be it.

Atlantic Shirred Eggs ($16.00)

Under the section titled 'Egg Caseroles' you'll come across something I was REALLY looking forward to.. I'm talking about Atlantic Shirred Eggs.What exactly does 'SHIR' mean anyways?
Well, it is defined as "to bake (eggs removed from the shell) in a shallow dish or in individual dishes" and that's exactly what they do here! LOL

So you've got cream, spinach, shallots, smoked salmon and (of course like duh) a couple of eggs.
All thrown into a shallow baking dish an plonked into the oven for a nice bake.

I was looking forward to this dish because I'm sure you probably know what a sucker I am for smoked salmon (I'm a sucker for a lot of things apparently) and if you're gonna combine it all in a dish with cream and eggs plus served with some toasty country loaf bread then you had me at hello.

I have to say that the dish comes off as a tad on the salty side probably because of the very generous amount of smoked salmon so maybe sharing might be good because this is actually a very big serving now that I think about it.

And if you're thinking that the eggs are gonna be hard and dry because they're baked, you could not be more wrong! Check this out...

Nice and runny yolk! ZOMG damn power right!

Well if that's not enough eggs for you.. There's more!!

Eggs Royale ($15.00)

You could also go for Flavour Flings' take on the classic Eggs Royale.

You've got the bomb of a poached egg sitting pretty atop some smoked salmon and bathed in Hollandaise sauce. But instead of a muffin, they use some Brioche here so you know you're in for a buttery good bite. Perfect for mopping up the runny eggs! And to round things off, some sausages and potatoes with a side of greens.

You could also go for the Eggs Benedict version which subs out the smoked salmon for some turkey ham if you'd like. Well, whatever you choose, the eggs are the star here!!



Let's take a moment to compose ourselves. And wipe the drool off our faces. LOL
I think it's hard to deny that that's a great poached egg am I right?

So far it seems like their all-day breakfast items are the bombs and they have such a wide variety to choose from. Eggs this and eggs that! All kinds of salads and toast and sandwiches! They've even got pasta!!

And believe or not - they have a section dedicated to French Fries!
They had all kinds of fries on offer but we went with one of our faves...

Beef Chili Cheese Fries ($10.00)

Oh yeah it's Chili time!
There's nothing like a nice big hearty serving of fresh and piping hot fries smothered in beef chili and cheese! YUMMY!

The Chili itself is pretty spicy so prepare for a nice kick but don't worry it'll mellow down when you have it with the fries and the cheese! There are 2 types of cheese in there by the way. We're talking about generous servings of Parmesan and Mozarella for that nice melty cheese feeling.

Just how cheesy are we talking about here exactly?

Oh definitely super cheesy!!

Yeah it ain't easy bein' cheesy we know.
If you're into more like the classic type of cheese fries, go for the Nacho Cheese Fries which is fries, nacho cheese, mayonnaise and spring onions.

They also have something they call Ballpark Garlic Fries (Garlic, Chili Flakes and Extra Virgin Olive Oil) but we felt we should definitely mention their Ice Cream Fries. Wait, PARDON? Yep you read correctly the first time - Ice Cream Fries.

If you remember going to McDonalds as a kid or teen and dipping your fries in your ice-cream sundae then you childhood was awesome! Well, they're giving you the chance to relive that awesomeness at Flavour Flings with a scoop of ice-cream, chocolate sauce and some walnuts.
Ice Cream Fries! Go for it!!!

So we are just about stuffed right about now when suddenly one of the owners comes over and says "Hey how about some pancakes? Why don't I get you some pancakes? I get you 'The Awesome One' okay?".

Well, when someone says they're gonna bring you an Awesome anything, you say YES PLEASE!

The Awesome One ($11.00)

You know that a dish is confirmed power to the max when you're already feeling so full but yet you manage to make space and finish it! After all, they say we have an extra stomach for dessert right?

You've got 2 light and fluffy pancakes that despite being so fluffy, have such a great bite and flavour to them. We just dug into them with our forks and used the knife to scrape on the salted caramel!

And then of course you have the toppings!

You've got some sweet Banana slices with Almond flakes. The powdered sugar is a bonus but the salted caramel is the bomb and goes so well with the banana and the pancakes! If you have a sweet tooth like us then you're gonna love this!

They also have just the Basic Stack (Maple syrup and Butter) if you're into the more simple pancake setup or maybe have it with some ice-cream? Go for the Spam of Nachos pancakes if you're feeling adventurous! It's got nacho cheese and cherry tomatoes with your pancakes!

Other desserts include Creme Brulee, French Toast, Profiteroles and even Macarons.

Caffe Latte ($5.00)

We decided to take different routes to wash down our meal. One hot and one cold!

Mein Bruder aka The Coffee Guy went for the classic Caffe Latte which was not bad apparently.

Iced Chocolate ($6.50)

My Darling Wife and I decided to go for the road often travelled and had the Iced Chocolate.
And boy oh boy was it chocolatey!! This ain't no Chocolate Milk okay!

CHILD FRIENDLY FACTOR
There's not much space in the cafe for kids to run around and it's best for the kids be careful because of all the lovely DIY decor around. But there is a basketball court just outside so tell them makan first then later can go out and play LOL. They do have baby chairs available so bring the little kiddies!

Overall Child Friendly Rating 3/5

Adam's Verdict:
Machamp's Breakfast 4/5 -- Atlantic Shirred Eggs 2.5/5 -- Eggs Royale 4/5
Beef Chili Cheese Fries 3/5 -- The Awesome One 4/5 -- Iced Chocolate 3/5
Maryah's Verdict:
Machamp's Breakfast 4.5/5 -- Atlantic Shirred Eggs 3/5 -- Eggs Royale 4.5/5
Beef Chili Cheese Fries 4/5 -- The Awesome One 4.5/5 -- Iced Chocolate 3/5Azlan's Verdict:
Machamp's Breakfast 4.5/5 -- Atlantic Shirred Eggs 4/5 -- Eggs Royale 4/5
Beef Chili Cheese Fries 3.5/5 -- The Awesome One 4/5 -- Caffe Latte 4/5 -- Iced Chocolate 4/5

It is great to know what there are more and more of such makan spots cropping us so we have a place not only to chillax but also to have some power makan. We had the honour of meeting the co-owners of Flavour Flings, Mr Firdaus and Ms Delphine. Such nice people and a lovely couple and we wish them all the best!

Feel like having breakfast? Brunch? Lunch? Tunch? Tea? Dinner?
Well, at Flavour Flings, all also can! Just make sure you come with a big appetite because you will be spoiled for choice!!

Okay now you can scroll back up and watch the poached egg video again. LOL

Flavour Flings

Blk 121 Hougang Avenue 1 #01-1348
Tel: 6286 0051
www.facebook.com/flavourflings

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 9.00pm Weekdays
9.00am til 9.00pm Weekends
Closed on Tuesdays

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014

Hoy hoy! Great news everyone! Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 is coming up soon (this weekend!!) and we're gonna run down some Halal options for you to head down and check out!

This is the 3rd year the event is running and this year promises to be even bigger and better. We're talking about some of the best hawker fare out there and great to see that there are some Halal options featured which look set to be big hits!!

And best of all - everyone can do their part for charity!
All profits will go to 32,000 beneficiaries under Touch Community Service!!

So what exactly can we expect in terms of Halal fare at the festival?

Prata with Poached Egg and Indian Hollandaise Sauce ($10.00)

The Ultimate Hawker Fest is not just about showcasing the bestest and most power hawker food in our beloved Singapore but also a chance for the masters to showcase their skill and creativity by incorporating new and unique ingredients and cooking methods to create fantastic spin-offs of our favourite dishes.

The masters at The Prata Place - one of the most popular prata joints in Singapore - have truly outdone themselves with this dish which will remind you of Eggs Benedict or Eggs Royale when you take a look at it.

So you have a Prata Kosong as your base (and yes, it's still good ol' crispy prata!) and on top of that you have a slice of turkey ham for an extra bite and some savoury flavour. Next, you have a poached egg which is super power when you break into it and the yolk runs all over the shop. *drool*
If that's not enough, they top it off with an Indian Hollandaise Sauce which incorporates curry and spices and gives you a unique flavour kick like no other!

And just how power is the poached egg???

ZOMG DAMN POWER RIGHT!!!!
You know we have a thing for poached eggs and this one does not disappoint at all!!
And the finished product when you're about to dig in?

Looks like a big yummy mess! I am sure some of you are going ZOINKS just about now.
We had our doubts when we first heard the idea but we hail to this excellent food invention!
Don't be put off by the idea - just try and it and you'll know just how power it is!!

The Prata Place has been at the festival for 3 years straight and has always been a big hit.
First it was The Ultimate Murtabak and then it was The Murta-burger (which we will review separatelt very very soon!) and this year they have come up with yet another sure hit!

Look out for another Halal choice too!
Asam Tree Cafe will be there at the festival with their offering - 'Longtong!!

Well, trust us - the Prata with Poached Egg and Indian Hollandaise Sauce is more than enough reason to go! We still can't get over how surprisingly power this dish was! LOL

A unique twist on classic dishes and so delicious - that's what Ultimate Hawker Fest is all about!!

The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 will be held this weekend, Saturday 22 November 2014 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre Halls 401-402. Festival will run between 11am til 5pm but take this tip from us - head down early to grab some of this prata fast because it's confirmed gonna sell out fast we tell you!!

Entry is free but you'll need to buy coupons to get your hands on the food.
Coupons can be purchased at www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg and you can collect them at TOUCH Community Services at Bukit Merah Central or at the event booth at Suntec on the day itself.
You can also make a donation at the site! Let's do our part to help out while enjoying some makan!!

Special thanks to one of our idols, Ms Maureen Ow aka Miss Tam Chiak and also Derrick Tan from SGFoodOnFoot and Ian Low from The Silver Chef who happen to be curators of this year's festival. With these names involved, you can confirm it's gonna be power!

And a special hearty thanks to Mr Guna from The Prata Place for blowing our minds with the prata!!

See you all at  Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 this weekend okay!! YES YOU!!

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014

Saturday 22 November 2014
Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre Halls 401-402
11.00am til 5.00pm

www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg

Magic Wok Part II

Our first visit to Magic Wok was actually not bad.

Kinda mixed reviews I guess but it had been quite a long time since we visited so we figured maybe it was time for another shot. So we happened to be in the area with my Mum and Dad and decided to stop for some dinner.

Tom Yam Seafood Soup ($8.80)

Magic Wok we guess seems to be a primarily Thai cuisine based restaurant and that means they've gotta have some pretty mean Tom Yam Soup right? Cos that's like THE Thai dish we gotta have when we wanna have Thai food!

Well, the Tom Yam was not bad at all!
Packo with seafood like fish, prawns and squid plus other goodies like mushrooms this was actually quite tasty too we have to say!

So it's not as spicy as you might like your Tom Yam to be but at least the flavour is there.
Maybe you can tell them to make it more spicy when you order if you'd like.

Hotplate Black Pepper Beef $8.80)

Here's another dish we were pretty impressed with. The Black Pepper Beef is served still sizzling hot and bubbling on a hotplate! A must have for all you people who have gotta have the steaming hot!

The beef was actually really tender too and great black pepper flavour. In fact the black pepper flavour was actually a little bit more spicy than the Tom Yam Soup!

On top of that, we think the price actually really makes it worth it too especially if you're sharing.

Kailan with Beef ($8.00)

Yeah I know you're probably going "Another beef dish??" but hey we love our meat okay. LOL
Plus this is technically a vegetable dish. Sort of.

The vegetables were fresh and generous (check out those mushrooms!!) and the beef was tender.
But this dish was really lacking in flavour. Maybe it was a lack of sauce?

We were expecting more of like an Oyster Sauce kinda flavour to come through but it wasn't there. Even if this was a dish that was just simply fried with garlic, they should still have put some more seasoning because this was really really bland.

Thai Fried Baby Squid ($8.80)

This is a dish we had during our first visit... And it seems.... different...

Okay so the flavour was not bad (cos I'm a sucker for Fried Baby Squid) but the dish was definitely different. A case of inconsistency for sure!

The squid was slightly overfried which means they were a little bit tougher than you'd like (you know what I'm talking about right) and the lack of sauce (as you can see from the comparison pic) meant it was a little on the dry side. And where's the pineapple? Definitely better the last time we visited.

But hey. I still whacked the whole thing until finished (cos I'm a sucker for Fried Baby Squid).

Pat Thai ($4.80)

So my Darling Wife and I had plain white rice with our dishes but Mum and Dad decided to share a plate of noodles and when we say Thai noodles, it's gonna be Pad Thai (which also happens to be Mein Bruder's favourite by the way).

Well, comments is that the noodles were a bit bland. I guess you could mix up the chilli and add in some soy sauce if you want but hey you shouldn't need to do that right? Well, definitely another dish that could perk up with some extra seasoning. In the meantime, eat with chilli padi for extra kick!

Adam's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 3/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 4/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 3/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 2.5/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 4/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2.5/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 3/5

Zain's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 3/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 3/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 2/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5

Asmah's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 2.5/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 3/5 -- Kailan with Beef 1/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 1.5/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5
So it seems like Magic Wok is not a bad place to go for some good makan. Most of the dishes seem pretty good (just hope they cook it consistently!!) Definitely a place you can visit for a quick fix of Thai inspired food.

Magic Wok

Downtown East
1 Pasir Ris Close
#03-101



Tel: 6582 8928

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 10.00pm Daily

The Manhattan FISH MARKET: New and Bolder!

I'm sure you have all seen the teasers we have been leaving for you on our Facebook and Instagram pages right? Well, they have all been leading up to this!!

The Manhattan FISH MARKET launches 43 New and Bolder Sea-lections (see what they did there?) which means more tasty makan for us and a wider selection to choose from so that everyone can find something they'll like!

Yes. You read right. That's 43! FOUR-THREE!! Power right!!
The Halal Food Blog Team was honoured to be invited to take a sneak peak at the goodies that are in store for us! Let's take a look at some of them!!

Oyster Roulette ($7.95)

Image courtesy of The Manhattan FISH MARKET

In the appetizers department, all your oyster lovers are in for a treat!
They have a new appetizer called Oyster Roulette and the concept is interesting!

You guys know about Roulette right? Where it's a game of chance to see who's the 'lucky' one?
Well, you're served with 4 poached oyster shooters in a bed of ice. These poached oysters are bathing in a spicy chilli concoction. The catch - 3 of them are mild but 1 of them is the super spicy one!

Besides a great idea to spice up your dining experience with friends and family, the oysters are amazingly fresh too and the chilli 'sambal' here is pretty tasty too!

But for all you 'hantu chilli', not to worry. You can ask them to make all 4 the spicy type if you'd like or vice-versa if you don't feel like burning your mouth off. LOL

Onion Glory ($7.95)

One of my personal favourites of all the dished we tried that evening was something they called 'Onion Glory'. Seriously so good!

It's a big onion which has been individually peeled off slice by slice and then coated in a special crispy batter and then it achieves full deep-fried glory!

The outer coating is super crispy and tasty with some special seasoning! Maybe it's just me but I'm a sucker for this kind of thing but I'm sure all you onion lovers are gonna love this too. And don't worry about having 'onion breath' later this is a good quality white onion so you can enjoy the flavour without too much problems later on!

It's served with kind of like a ranch dip which goes perfectly with the deep-fried onion slices!
I could honestly finish off a serving all to myself!

Ocean Gems ($5.95)

If you're the type that likes to start with a salad before the big dishes arrive, then maybe you'll like the Ocean Gems which gives you a salad with a little bit of extra bite to get your meal started.

Nice crisp lettuce, cucumber, carrots, bell peppers and this is all mixed in with some prawns and also some plump and juicy scallops! The seasoning is on the tangy side which gets your tastebuds up and going and the fresh seafood give you a nice texture with the fresh veggies.

Okay? Ready for the mains? Here we go!

Curry Hill Seafood ($16.95)

So this is a curry dish inspired by Murray Hill (in Manhattan, New York) which apparently is the place to go to for Indian cuisine in that area.

You've got a slipper lobster, some fish slices and also some succulent mussels all cooked together in a curry which is sure to get some of you going for more and more. The curry is expectedly a fish curry since it IS a seafood dish and it has quite a zing to it too!

Oh they also have a Tiger Prawn version ($14.95) if you're a prawn person!

Served with some battered vegetable (kinda like a tempura style) and also some baguette for you to soak up all that curry!!

Ocean Perfect Perch ($15.95)

All you Sambal Fish lovers (like me) are gonna jump for joy with this dish.
One of the dishes I absolutely LOVE to order when I visit The Manhattan FISH MARKET is the Crispy Whole Barramundi which is a whole fish deep-fried and smothered with fiery spicy sambal.

Well, if you're not into digging into your fish and dodging the bones and such, this is a perfect choice for you because the Perch is already filleted and just just have to enjoy!

Served with some rice and some veggies to give you a perfect plate or rather a Perfect Perch!
PS yes the sambal has a spicy kick to it!!

Fishy Chicky Bang Bang ($13.95)

Okay now let me tell you about Fishy Chicky Bang Bang (which also happens to be my fave dish that evening by the way).

So after hearing the name, you're probably thinking "Is it Fish or is is Chicken?" and when I tell you it's actually BOTH FISH AND CHICKEN you're gonna go "No lah cannot be!!" right right?

Top layer Chicken, Bottom Layer Fish

So the top layer is actually a fried chicken fillet which was sheer perfection I tell you. The batter was crispy just the way we like it and the chicken meat so succulent! The bottom layer is dory fillet and these two are joined together in holy gastronomy by melted Cheddar cheese!!

Now if that doesn't get you I don't know what will because this was THE BOMB!!

And as if I wasn't impressed enough, they added this beautiful sunny side up egg resting in a nest of fried spaghetti! Talk about showing off some skill!

The final main we have here features one of the signature trademarks of The Manhattan FISH MARKET and I'm taking about something that's sure to 'light' things up geddit geddit?
(Yeah I know I know enough of the lame jokes right? Okay let's go!)

Flaming Cheesy Baked Rice ($15.95)

All you baked rice lovers are gonna have a field day with this one.
Imagine a fresh Dory fillet that rests atop a bed of herb rice. And then imagine some cheese added to the mix there. And then we torch the bugger!!

The result is fantastic!! (Or as they say in these parts - FIN-tastic!)

Dig into a great steaming dish of deliciousness. Great flavours and you're gonna love this if you love cheese. And we can see it takes great skill to handle that torch okay one wrong move and it's toast but they obviously have the professionals over here because this was perfect!

So right about now you're probably thinking about dessert am I right?

Strawberry Flamin-go ($4.95)

Here's a dessert they actually use the torch on (for the marshmallows on top!)
You've got a chocolate sauce right at the bottom which you have to dig through some mango pudding for. You've got some fresh mangoes and strawberries in there too!

And of course, finish off with some marshmallows for a sweet finish!
And at that super price, this is a steal!!

Super Fruit Crumble ($4.95)

I actually quite preferred this one. Maybe I'm a sucker for ice-cream!

This is, to put it simply, an Apple Pie in a glass!
It's got the yummy crumble right at the bottom which like the apple pie crust and then you've got tasty apple sauce (with apples) all topped off with some cool Vanilla ice-cream.

Don't even let me start on how tasty this was. Apple pie and Vanilla ice-cream is one of the best combos ever and now you can have it all in this nifty little glass!

Lemongrass Cooler ($6.00)

I love Lemongrass aka Serai and absolutely don't mind it in a drink at all.
This is a refreshing beverage that gives you the great flavour of lemongrass infused with lychee, Camomile tea and even some Aloe vera in there too.

Super refreshing and a great beverage to go along with the food you're gonna enjoy.

To be honest, I had a hard time choosing which drink I was gonna have but this one won! In a close 2nd place was the delicious-sounding 'Melon Breeze' which is a strawberry, watermelon and lemon mocktail! Sounds good right?

Well, besides the dishes we have covered here, there are also some other items on the menu that are definitely interesting and tasty enough to have a mention.

Icy Hot Fish Bananas ($7.95)

You wanna talk interesting then you've gotta mention the Icy Hot Fish Bananas.
Oh yeah it's bananas coated with fish paste  and deep fried to perfection. Top that off with some Vanilla ice-cream and strawberries!

Definitely one that we're gonna try when we head back to The Manhattan FISH MARKET soon!

Volcano Island ($40.95)

We know how much you guys love your platters and here's one to reckon with!

The Volcano Island includes a serving of Curry Hill Seafood (choose from Slipper Lobster or Tiger Prawns), fried scallops, spicy poached Dory nuggets and Volcano Mussles served with Garlic Herb Rice and also some baguette too!

Great for sharing1 Especially if you were planning on trying the Curry Hill Seafood so now there's something for everyone at great value too!

Well, not only have they updated their menu, The Manhattan FISH MARKET has in fact added 43 new dishes to their menu which mean 43 new flavours for you to check out. We've only covered a few here and we're already counting the days til we visit again!

The new menu launches TODAY 12 November 2014 so makes plans and head down to The Manhattan FISH MARKET ASAP to enjoy their new delectable offerings!

A special shout-out to new friends we met while dining at !The Manhattan FISH MARKET!!
Big up to Swee Geok from Make Your Calories Count and Meiling from Universal Scribbles! Check out their blogs by clicking on their names there okay!!

The Manhattan FISH MARKET

16 outlets islandwide
www.manhattanfishmarket.com

Operating Hours:
Varies with different outlets