Carousel - Breakfast Buffet

Well we actually had this awhile back so apologies in advance for the daley.
There are just simply too many delicious makan places to review!!

We are always getting requests to review certain places and quite a number are calls to review the few Halal buffet spreads that are offered in Singapore. These are mostly found in hotels of course and quite a number of new names are joining the growing number of Halal buffet spreads in town.

Our only official review of a buffet has been of Aquamarine in the past.
Well no offence to any buffet spread in town but the preferred Halal buffet spread of The Halal Food Blog is still Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts.

Perhaps one day, someone might come and grab our attention but til then, Carousel is tops.
And today, we're sampling their Breakfast Buffet.

I know that most people will probably be opting for the Lunch, High Tea or Dinner buffet at Carousel. But if you're ever staying at the hotel, then this is what you will probably be served.

And with most buffets, we will let the pictures do most of the talking.

Bread Selection

Assorted Breakfast Pastry Selection

The assorted breakfast pastries include freshly baked croissants, pies and puffs of both savoury and sweet variety. Definitely a must have!

Paratha with assorted vegetable curry

Assorted Salads with dressing

American Breakfast selections

A staple at any decent breakfast buffet is the much-loved American Breakfast.
At Carousel, get your egg fix with freshly-prepared eggs any style you like (sunny side up, scrambled etc), baked beans with some toast and hash browns.

Something you should definitely try (if available) is the Chicken Meatloaf with Peach which goes really well with eggs and toast.

If you're looking for something a little more basic, they also have a nice selection of cereals for you!

Assorted Cheeses and Cold Cuts

Aha one of my favourite sections!
Gouda, Camembert, Swiss, Cheddar etc. Name it and they probably have it!
They even have assorted fruits and nut soft cheeses!

Must-try at the Cold Cuts station are the Black Pepper Pastrami and the smoked salmon.
That's right - SMOKED SALMON!

Assorted Dim Sum

Chee Cheong Fun, Chwee Kueh, Har Gow are some of the favourites you might find.
That yellow dumpling you see in the front is a Phoenix Prawn Roll.
It's got a nice texture to it with a whole prawn inside but I guess the flavour was a little underwhelming.

Congee with assorted condiments

Low Mai Kai and Chicken in Beancurd Skin

This might actually be my favourite plate of the whole review.

The Chicken in Beancurd Skin was delicious. I even went back for a second helping.
It's bathed in this simple gravy that gives it that nice slurpy feeling you enjoy in a breakfast dish.

My Dad makes the best Lor Mai Kai I've ever tasted. This one at Carousel comes in a close 2nd place.
It is without a doubt the best item I had in this breakfast session. Simply delicious!

Dessert Pastries and Muffins

Pancakes with Fresh Cream

Waffles with Fresh Cream

Pandan Cake with Coconut

If cakes and pastries are not your thing, Carousel also has a selection of yoghurt and muesli plus a fruit platter for the healthy side of breakfast.

The whole buffet was simply delightful.
I'm not really a morning person and I very seldom have breakfast but since we were staying at the hotel, we decided it was a great chance to review the Carousel Breakfast Buffet and we were not disappointed.

Adam's Verdict:
Breakfast Buffet 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Breakfast Buffet 3.5/5

The one single blemish on our whole experience was the Guava Juice being served.
Maybe it was just us. Maybe it was a bad batch. No one else seemed to have a problem with it so we left it.
So if you do go, please try the Guava Juice and let us know if it was just our imaginations :)

Buffet Prices:
Breakfast (Weekdays/Weekends) -  $28++ (Adult) / $20++ (Child)
Lunch (Weekdays) -  $46++ (Adult) / $28++ (Child)
Lunch (Weekends) -  $50++ (Adult) / $32++ (Child)
High Tea (Weekdays) -  $38++ (Adult) / $24++ (Child)
High Tea (Weekends) -  $43++ (Adult) / $28++ (Child)
Dinner (Weekdays) -  $62++ (Adult) / $37++ (Child)
Dinner (Weekends) -  $75++ (Adult) / $42++ (Child)

Carousel

Royal Plaza on Scotts
25 Scotts Road

www.carouselbuffet.com.sg
Tel: 65897799

Operating Hours:
Breakfast: 6.30am - 10.00am
Lunch: 12.00pm - 2.00pm
High Tea: 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Old Town White Coffee

I'm sure a lot of you have had Old Town White Coffee (OTWC) before.
But it was probably across the Causeway in Malaysia!

Well, you don't have to travel all the way to have it anymore. You can get your OTWC fix right here in Singapore because they have just recently been certified Halal!

But for our friends who may not have tried OTWC before, perhaps a little introduction is in order..
Firstly, Old Town White Coffee's main product is, well, White Coffee. Ipoh is known for its white coffee and the instant coffee mix has been available to us for more than a decade.
Well they also decided that besides coffee, people might also wants to grab a bit of Ipoh classics so they started serving food too!

So instead of just having a cuppa, you can also fill your tummy!

Apparently (from what I've been told), the menu in the Singapore outlets is a little bit more extensive than the outlets you might find JB. And with so many choices, we decided to start slow...

Ipoh Chicken Hor Fun ($6.20)

Okay this is definitely filed under the Ipoh Classics folder when it comes to makan.
The thin kway teow is completely swimming in steaming prawn and chicken stock. The dish is completed with some shredded chicken and prawns as well.

I'll be honest and say that I've heard so much about Ipoh Hor Fun but I had never tried it before. This is probably because there are not many Halal eateries where you'd be able to find it.

And for a first time, I'd say that this was not too bad.

One of the unique characteristics of the kway teow used for Ipoh Hor Fun us normally thinner than the normal kway teow you might use for Char Kway Teow. They do tend to get extra slippery when they're dripping with stock so be careful when you're using chopsticks!

For (lazy) people like me, you'll be happy to know that they peel your prawns for you so there's less hassle there. Doesn't really rank high in the taste department if you're expecting anything more than fresh prawn flavour.

And I was pretty disappointed with the shredded chicken but the tasty soup definitely made up for that. I'm normally not really into clear-soup dishes (eg Kway Teow Soup or Fishball noodles etc) and the picture makes it seems like its not much but that soup really does pack quite a strong flavour!

Supreme Asam Lemak ($8.20)

 My darling wife decided to go for something a little bit more unique.
Asam Laksa isn't really something new because we can get quite easily in SG (even when you have Maggi Mee!) but this is supposed to be the "SUPREME" version plus they added coconut milk which normally does very well with most dishes. Right?

Let me start by pointing out that they DO use the thicker version of the Laksa noodle and not the thin variety.

And you can see from the picture above that there's a big piece of chicken which comes with the dish. But what you can't see (hiding behind) is a whole sardine (which appears to have come straight out from the tin) and a prawn (unpeeled by the way).

The gravy itself is definitely packing a punch. We'd both say it's actually pretty tasty and definitely a good choice for people who are looking for a full-flavoured dish. Presentation was absolutely top notch in my opinion.

Unfortunately, there's also a lot going on with this dish.
Maybe a a bit too much going on to be more precise.
The chicken was actually really big and you pile on a whole sardine and a prawn and it's pretty much overload.

I guess maybe sometime less is more?

Cendol ($2.90)

For dessert, we had the Cendol.

Well if you start from the top, where all the gula melaka is, it taste delicious.
But as the ice melts down, I found myself wondering where all the delicious flavours went.
Mixing it all up made a little bit of difference I guess but it seems like it was still lacking...

And the actual Cendol?
I'm not sure if it's store-made or their own product or out of a packet they bought somewhere.
But I do know that it was probably one of the least appetizing textures of any Cendol we've ever had.
It just disintegrates into a pasty mush when you bite down and was lacking of any pandan flavour.

PS  do you see those 3 WHOLE red bean at the top?
Please ration carefully because those are the only 3 whole beans you're getting.
You see all the toppings before you. There are none hiding beneath the shaved ice.

Honey Lemon Juice / Orange Fizzy

On the left you have a majority of water with some lemon juice and honey.
On the right you have some Sprite (or 7-Up) with some Sunquick.
We both recommend the Orange Fizzy.

Adam's Verdict:
Ipoh Hor Fun 2.5/5 -- Supreme Asam Laksa 2.5/5 -- Cendol 1.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Ipoh Hor Fun 1/5 -- Supreme Asam Laksa 2.5/5 -- Cendol 2/5

I'm guessing that we definitely still have a few things to try at OTWC.
Dishes like the Nasi Lemak, Curry Mee, Javanese Mee and Steamed Rice Pots do seem nice!
Plus... next time we are DEFINITELY having the famous White Coffee!

Old Town White Coffee

White Sands
No 1 Pasir Ris Central #01-15

Tel: 6584 4404
www.oldtown.my

Operating Hours:
8.00am til 10.30pm Daily

EpiKebabs

Does anyone remember the kebab shop that was situated at Peace Centre along Selegie Road?
It was called Sultan Kebab and it was really popular because it had some delicious kebabs.

Well, for those of you who go to Peace Centre now looking for it (like I did), you'll find out that it's already closed and before you start Google-ing to find out where they moved to, let me save you the trouble.
The owners of Sultan Kebab actually closed shop because they returned home to their native land from what I heard.

But fret not!

Just a little further up, you'll find Wilkie Edge which houses the new incarnation of Sultan Kebab.
They call themselves - EpiKebabs. And before you start thinking that this is just a joint that's trying to capitalize on the popularity of Sultan Kebab in the area, think again.

Photo from EpiKebabs

For those of you who have ever been to Sultan Kebab, you're definitely going to recognize that dude there.
That's Safak - one of the 2 regular faces you would have seen at Sultan Kebab.

The owners of EpiKebabs are good friends with them and obviously there has been some knowledge passed down so rest assured that this is not someone trying to copy the original. Think of it more like... Kebab v2.0!

Kebab Roll ($5.50)

Just like the original Sultan Kebab, they have choices for you.
Roll, rice, sandwich or salad. And of course, either beef or chicken.
If you're really a carnivore (like us!) you can opt for the mix of beef and chicken!

So the roll is as expected. Some veggies, sauce and the MEAT!
EpiKebabs takes a new turn by throwing the roll under a Panini toaster to give the wrap a little go.

The wrap overall does bring back memories of Sultan Kebab.
The first thing I notice is that the size of the roll is a little bigger. The meat DOES bear a resemblance in taste to the original as well but I actually would have like a little more sauce.

My darling wife who normally doesn't go for kebabs actually enjoyed this one. He favourite of the day.

Kebab Sandwich ($6.00)

The Kebab Sandwich also come with your choice of meat (beef/chicken/mixed) with veggies and sauce.
It's basically a kebab with Panini bread instead of a wrap.

I'm not too sold on the Panini though. But still good for those who like something a little more filling than a roll... And speaking of filling...

Kebab with Rice ($6.50)

This is something I used to have at Sultan Kebab.
They serve some meat with veggies and rice. It used to be white rice at Sultan Kebab but they've updated it to a more fragrant and tasty rice here at EpiKebabs.

The reason I always used to order this is because I can really enjoy the flavour of the meat.
I used to get them to squirt some mayonaise over my meat at Sultan but I opted to keep it 'clean' this one time because I really wanted to taste the flavours at EpiKebabs.

I've always preferred the beef at the original shop even though it was always a bit on the dry side.
It had a good flavour and that's still the case at EpiKebabs.

The chicken is still juicy and tender and has a nice flavour to it. If you're like me, then you'll consider yourelf lucky if you get the slices where some of the outer layers have just charred up a little on the roaster.
Nice big juicy bite of flavour right there!

They also have salads by the way!

Adam's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 4/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 3/5 -- Kebab with Rice 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 4/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 2/5 -- Kebab with Rice 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 3.5/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 2/5 -- Kebab with Rice 2/5

My brother really misses Sultan Kebab.
He says that everything seemed a little better at the original (like most cases).
But for those of us who still want a good kebab, at least we know we can still go to Selegie and grab one.
Or three.

And here's a tip, they always make less beef than chicken every day so if you're a beef person, make sure you go early to get your fill of cow meat. (Anyways, the chicken is pretty good too).

EpiKebabs

Wilkie Edge, 8 Wilkie Road #01-17
Tel: 8575 6393
https://www.facebook.com/EPIKebabs

Operating Hours: 11.00 am til 8.00pm Monday-Saturday
Closed on Sunday

Phuket Power! Part 3: Amena Burger (aka Soi Sansabai Burger)

Finally - the post all of you have been waiting for...
(And by 'all of you' i mean 'my brother')

So my brother headed to Phuket back in May 2012 and he came back raving about some burger that was apparently supposed to be very nice. "Soi Sansabai Burger aka SSSBB" he would keep saying.
He even went as far as to say - it was the best burger he'd ever had.

Some mighty claims to make for a burger eh.
Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought this burger was the bomb. Apparently it's so popular that they even have a fan page on FB! Hmmmm....

So we had to wait almost a year before we would have the chance.
It was actually quite irritating to heard my Brother keep repeating how much he was craving for the "SSSBB" month after month after month.

And finally, we made the trip to Phuket in March 2013.
This had better be worth it...

The very first night we were there, we started the walk to what was supposed to be the best burger in the world... But then something weird happened.

Apparently they had opened another stall which happened to be on the way to the original stall.
And it was a good thing we spotted it to.

So it's called Amena Burger and that's the entire menu.
And if you noticed - the sell BURGERS!

So since we were going to be there for a few days, we decided to try out the new outlet that just opened and go to the original stall later on.

So what did we decide to have?
Pretty much everything lah.

That's a picture of delicious proportions I tell you.

If you get the Beef Burger, it's a giant patty of beef.
If you get the Chicken Burger, it's strip of tender chicken.
All this in between a crisp bun with fresh veggies and sauces.

How can this possible get any better??
Oh wait. It can.

CHEESE!!!

Cheese Beef Burger (฿80)

This is one helluva beef patty.

It's seasoned just nicely and when they grill it, they leave a nice crispy char on the outside so you get a nice juicy bite with a little crunch.

The lettuce, onions and tomato are fresh so you get a nice serving of your veggies as well.

And of course, cheese is always welcome in my burgers.

One thing I actually really like is the bun.

It's not your average Gardenia or Ramly burger bun. I'm not sure if they make it themselves but this bun is perfect because it's got a nice crisp to it and it doesn't get soggy like other buns once the sauces hit it.

And believe you me, this is a big plus when you're eating a burger loaded with mayonnaise, chilli sauce and ketchup on the sidewalk in Phuket.

Chicken Burger (฿80)

For those expecting some minced chicken meat patty, think again.

Amena's Chicken Burger is made up of tender chicken breast strips.
It's grilled just nicely and of course you get all the usual trimmings like veggies and cheese.
The bun still rocks so go ahead and add in your sauces.

Some might say this is more of a sandwich and not a burger since there's no patty.
Well, call it what you want - it's still THE BOMB!

And for those egg lovers out there, you can add a little egg-wrapper ala Ramly burger style if you like!

Oh and by the way. Please don't let the photos fool you.
The images you see do not fairly depict the actual size of the burger you get...

Yep it's THAT big.

So order one first and then order a 2nd if you're still hungry.
Don't go and order 2 at one go and then later cannot finish because this is a monster burger that will definitely fill you up!!

If it's just the extra patty you're after, order a Double Burger for an extra ฿40!!

Chicken Hotdog (฿80)

Not in the mood for burgers?
Well you're in luck! They also have hot dogs!

It's a chicken sausage in the same type of bread as the burgers (but obviously shaped accordingly) and with all the usual veggies and sauces as well.

It's very filling and quite nice but I think that after I had the burger, all I could think about was another burger!

If you're stopping at the 2nd outlet, look out for these 2.
They're going to cook you up a storm of yummy burgers and they're very cool people!
If they're not too busy, strike up a chat with them!

If you head down to the original stall at Soi San Sabai, look out for this guy who is usually there with the Head Boss, Amena.

We headed down there the next few nights and had some burgers and they were bloody delicious I tell you.

One advantage of heading down to the original stall is that they set up some tables and chairs so that if you're eating there, you have a place to sit down and enjoy your burger.

The 2nd stall only has some chairs at the side of the sidewalk which means you're going to face a bit of a challenge trying not to look like a weirdo when you tuck into your burger.

And one important thing to note it that the stall only open in the might hours so I'm afraid you need to head out after the sut has set in order to enjoy the burgers.. but it's definitely worth it!



Adam's Verdict:
Beef Burger 4.5/5 -- Chicken Burger 3.5/5 -- Hot Dog 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Beef Burger 5/5 (He actually gave 6/5) -- Chicken Burger 5/5

Raffiq's Verdict:
Beef Burger 4.5/5 -- Chicken Burger 5/5 

John's Verdict:
Beef Burger 4/5 -- Chicken Burger 4/5

So was my Brother exaggerating when he said it was The Best Burger In The World?
Well, it's definitely the best burger that I have ever had.

And if you have any problems finding the burgers, just ask around.
I guarantee you someone will be able to point you in the right direction!

That's (the actual) Amena by the way

Updated 30 October 2014

Amena Burger (Original)

Yorkshire Hotel
Soi Sansabai
Kathu, Patong, Phuket, Thailand

 www.facebook.com/groups/106970172677113/

Operating Hours:
Between 12.00am til 7.00am 

Amena Burger (Moved)

Soi Sansabai (Beside Rock City)
Kathu, Patong, Phuket, Thailand

www.facebook.com/groups/106970172677113/

Operating Hours:
Between 12.00am til 7.00am

Phuket Power! Part 2: Royal India Indian Food

So it's a couple of days into our trip in Phuket and we're waiting for our day to begin.
And what better way to start your day than with a nice hearty breakfast am I right???

We asked around the locals because we actually had no idea what the locals had for breakfast.
Someone said fried rice. Most of the street peddlers seemed to be selling little packets of rice or noodles with veggies and minced meat.

So believe it or not - we settled on some Indian food.

The main reason for this was we were waiting for a buddy of mine at the hotel and there happened to be this new shop just across from our hotel which was selling Indian Food. Royal India sounded like a trustworthy name am I right?

Well we actually wanted prata (seriously) but I guess we had to settle on some other stuff instead.

Garlic and Butter Naan (฿60 each)

The place had just opened so I guess they had no choice but to make these naan fresh.
Nice and steaming hot fresh from the oven for sure. I have to say the Naan was actually quite nice.
In fact it may have been the only thing I enjoyed.

Lamb Curry (฿150)

Okay the mutton curry actually was not bad.
Well it's not like it was the best lamb curry I ever had but at least it was edible.

Edible? Why would I say edible?

Chicken Curry (฿150)

We actually received the Chicken Curry first.
When I first tried it, I commented that it had a little bit of a sour tang to it. We decided it might be because they might have added some yoghurt to the curry which was actually very common in Indian cooking.

And then, my brother took a nice big bite of a piece of chicken.
And then he spat it out.

Apparently, the chicken had gone rancid.
This wasn't a case of yoghurt in the curry or even the chicken not being washed properly.
This was a case of ROTTEN CHICKEN CURRY.

We pointed it out the the waiter and he told us "All Phuket chicken tastes like that."
Errr we've eatena lots of chicken in Phuket and no not all Phuket chicken tastes rotten.


Adam's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 2.5/5 -- Lamb Curry 2/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 2/5-- Butter Naan 3/5

Raffiq's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 3/5 -- Lamb Curry 3/5

Kumar's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 0/5 -- Lamb Curry 0/5

As you can tell, Kumar was really angry about the Chicken Curry.
In fact, they all have negative ratings (-10 and -5) but of course, we don't give ratings for rotten food here on The Halal Food Blog. Remember the Lo Mai Kai?

Needless to say, we didn't pay for the Chicken Curry.

And the worst thing is - that guy in the font of the restaurant had the balls to keep asking us to come in and eat again EVERY DAY after that.

Take this more of a warning than a review. Avoid the Chicken Curry!!

Royal India Indian Food

Sawatdirak Road
Patong, Phuket, Thailand

Operating Hours: 10pm til 10.30pm Daily

Prima Deli: Mother's Day Special

Advertorial

Happy Mother's Day!!!

For those of you who had any doubts, please kindly allow me to confirm it for you.
Mother's Day falls on the 2nd Sunday of May every year. This year, it falls on 12th May 2013.
OMG that's only one week away!

Well fret not there is still time for you to go and get your Mum something nice.
And for those of you who might be having problems coming up with some ideas, we have just the thing!

This Mother's Day, Prima Deli would like to celebrate with you by offering some sweet treats!
They are offering 3 different varieties of cakes specially prepared for Mother's Day!

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to try one of the cakes being offered for this special offer.

Yummy Yam Cake

So one of the choices is the Yummy Yam Cake.

It's vanilla sponge with fresh yam and sago filling and all covered in vanilla fresh cream.
Those letters and hearts/stars you see on the cake are - Pink Chocolate!

When I first saw the word "Yam" and "Cake", my first thought was " Whoa! Seriously?!" and I'm guessing that some of you are probably having the same reaction right now. Well, fret not.
The yam and sago cream filling was absolutely fine. You can tell it's Yam but it is not overpowering at all.
The sponge cake was so fluffy and light that even my Mum enjoyed it! (And she's not really a cake-eater)

Anyways, for those of you who are not fans of Yam, Prima Deli is also offering Black Forest and Mixed Fruit variations of their special Mother's Day cakes so your dearest Mum is going to be spoiled for choice!
And the best part is - Prima Deli is 100% Halal-certified!!

It's $39.80 for a 1kg cake if it's Black Forest or Mixed Fruit and it's $22.80 for a 540gm Yummy Yam Cake. For the quality you're getting, that's a great deal!
Plus!You also get 2 bottles of Brands Bird's Nest absolutely free! Great deal!

These special cakes are available from 26 April til Mother's Day (12 May) so get cracking!
But one important thing to note is that you need to order at least 3 days in advance. That means that the last order they can take will be 10 May which is 3 days before Mother's Day.

So give your sweet Mum a sweet treat this Mother's Day!

Call Prima Deli at 6276 3333 or pop by any of their outlets if you have any enquiries.
Visit www.primadeli.com today!

Phuket Power! Part 1: Banana Pancake

Just across the street from our hotel (White Sand Resortel), there's this guy and his cart.
And he sells pancakes.

Muhammad Hassan is his name. Remember his face.
He actually used to work in Singapore making (you guessed it) pratas!
So by Banana Pancake, we meat the sorta-like-prata type not the flour-crepe type.

Banana Nutella Pancake (฿60)

Tell me that doesn't looks appetizing.
You've got Banana and Nutella wrapped in the thin crisp pancake and condensed milk drizzled on top.
YUMMY!

If the first picture didn't get you then I'm sure this one did.

You actually have a wide range of choices for your pancake.
He's got

Banana + Chocolate

Banana + Nutella

Banana + Honey

Banana + Cinnamon

Banana + Peanut Butter

Honey + Lemon + Sugar

Coconut + Chocolate

Banana + Coconut

Banana + Chocolate + Coconut

Egg + Banana + Chocolate

Banana + Blueberry + Chocolate

Banana + Pineapple + Chocolate

Banana + Honey + Starwberry

Egg + Cheese + Cinnamon

Egg + Banana + Raisins

Banana + Nutella + Chocolate

OMG. Choose wisely because you probably can't try every single one in your one trip.

No bananas were harmed in the making of this pancake.
And even if there were, they all went to heaven.

Banana Chocolate Pancake (฿40)

There's a difference between Nutella and Chocolate obviously.
If you can't decide, then maybe you can try the Nutella + Chocolate + Banana one.
I wish I had...

I actually tried the Honey + Lemon + Sugar pancake.
It was pretty tasty and definitely different but it didn't have the same kick because there was no filling.
I'm guessing anything with Banana would be a minimum choice.

Adam's Verdict:
Banana Nutella Pancake 4/5 -- Honey Lemon Sugar Pancake 2/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Banana Nutella Pancake 4/5 

Raffiq's Verdict:
Banana Chocolate Pancake 3.5/5

John's Verdict:
Banana Chocolate Pancake 5/5

If you're in Phuket, this is a must try!
There'll be plenty of the same type of stalls but not all Halal so look carefully okay.

Banana Pancake

Cross Junction of Sawatdirak Road headed to Patong Beach
Patong, Phuket, Thailand

Operating Hours: 12.00pm til 9.30pm Daily

Image from Google Maps