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

Royal Wadeh

So we headed to Asli Village at Downtown East looking for something and ended up buying something else. Ever happened to you? Luckily for us, it was a pleasant surprise!

We chanced upon a shop selling one of the must-haves when we see it... WADEH!!

They called themselves Royal Wadeh (which means they have to be good right?) and we saw a couple of newspaper clippings featuring the couple in-charge, Mr Mohamed Aki and Ms Hafizah, who were busy behind the counter preparing their much coveted Wadeh.

Tiger Prawn Wadeh ($1.50 each, $5 for 5)

 Looks great right!! Makes me feel like walking over and getting a pack now LOL

This Wadeh was actually quite unique in a way. I've had 2 types of Wadeh. One is the dough type which is floury and sometimes even fluffy. The other type is the dense type with bits of lentils (dhal) inside so you get a unique flavour too.

Well guess what? This Wadeh has the best of both worlds!

 

This Wadeh has the nice dough texture which I love because it's still fluffy!

And on top of that, you can see they incorporate the dhal into the Wadeh so you get a great bite.

The Wadeh is also really tasty but if you want to spice things up, bite into the green chillies!!

One thing that's actually as important as the dough itself is the topping and it's getting really hard to find good quality ones nowadays. When I think of Wadeh, it's normally the ones we buy at the pasar malam and the prawns are either really not fresh or really small.

Well, at Royal Wadeh, we are talking about Tiger Prawns and we are talking about fresh stuff too!

And for the price we are paying, it's really really worth it!! The difference in price is comparable to what we normally pay and we are talking about a premium product here!!

Royal Wadeh has more than just Tiger Prawns on the menu though!

Really interesting toppings like Mussels, Crab Claw Meat, Baby Squid and even things like Salmon and Soft Shell Crab!! Interesting or what!!

You can see them frying up the Wadeh fresh and hot right before your very eyes!

Tell me that doesn't get your appetite going....

And of course, like most things, best enjoyed piping hot!!

Adam's Verdict:

Tiger Prawn Wadeh 3/5

Maryah's Verdict:

Tiger Prawn Wadeh 3.5/5

This is definitely a shop we will probably be visiting a lot. Not only because it's near our place but also because they have a good product! Feel like having some Wadeh? It's at Pasir Ris and confirmed power to the gedegak!

PS they even have delivery for large orders plus catering for events like weddings!!

Royal Wadeh

Asli Village
1 Pasir Ris Close, #01-03 Downtown East
Stall #7

www.facebook.com/royalwadeh
Tel: 94999 543

Operating Hours:
3pm til sold out Tuesdays til Sundays
Closed on Mondays

Khan Saab Restaurant - Mee Goreng

You guys remember our post on Khan Saab right? The Quest for Briyani remember?
Well, as promised, decided to try something different this time.

Mee Goreng ($3.00)

The best Mee Goreng I've ever had is the one from KS Seeni all the way at Ayer Rajah and Saffron is a very close second place (because it's so much closer). So I do tend to try and order Mee Goreng when I run out of ideas in the hopes that I'll stumble upon the next great plate.

The Mee Goreng at Khan Saab is not bad but unfortunately not great either. I mean, it's a decent plate of Mee Goreng but tends to be a little heavy on the MSG sometimes. Maybe it's a different frying up the noodles whenever I visit because it's never consistent. I've also tried the Maggi Mee Goreng version and it seems to come up similar for me.

I always order up the 'Goreng Basah' style because that's the way I like it. Squeeze the provided lime over the noodles and you're good to go. And I keep going until the MSG overwhelms me. Oh well.

Adam's Verdict:
Mee Goreng 2/5

Hopefully the luck is good and you get the guy who fries it up nicely instead of the guy who probably has some stock in the Ajinomoto company. LOL

Khan Saab Restaurant

Blk 55 Chai Chee Drive
#01-186

Tel: 6244 4430

Operating Hours:
24 hours Daily

The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 8: As-Shifaa Cafe

Not sure what The Chicken Rice Chronicles is all about?
Maybe you should check out THIS LINK first before proceeding.

We are on the 8th installment of one of our most popular series and this time we are smack in the middle of town to enjoy some chicken rice that so many readers have recommended including my very own Darling Wife and co-founder of this blog!

And this is not your typical plate of Chicken Rice!

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

From that picture alone, you can probably spot a few things that you don't really see when you talk about Chicken Rice. Deep Fried Chicken and what's up with that sambal??

Yes that's right. This is indeed something different from what we might be used to. No roasted or steamed chicken here. Deep fried goodness complete with some crispy batter bits but a very interesting take on chicken rice sambal.

Despite being deep fried, the chicken was surprisingly not dried out at all. And mind you, I had the breast meat and it was still good and tender! And as a bonus, the outer coating was a nice crispy special batter which was really tasty in its own right!

I'm guessing some of you might be shaking your heads right about now but since a lot of people seem to like it, why not try it first before you cross out deep fried chicken with your Chicken Rice.

The rice was fragrant but was a bit of a let down for me. I didn't really find the chicken rice flavour I was looking for but my Darling Wife seemed to enjoy it. I guess when you eat it with the chicken you won't really notice it.

But then again... maybe it wasn't the chicken. Maybe it was the... Sambal!
Sambal? Don't I mean Chicken Rice Chili? No. I mean Sambal.

Again, anything but usual when it comes to the Chicken Rice at As-Shifaa!
They do have your usual Chicken Rice Chili with the vinegar and the sort but they also have something very unique - a sambal to go along as well!

I guess the closest I can describe is an Ikan Bilis Sambal but a little on the sweet side. This sambal was actually really the perfect partner for the deep fried chicken. I mixed it up by having both types but let me tell you that this sambal was a clear winner.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken 3/5 -- Rice 2/5 -- Chili 2/5 -- Sambal 4/5 -- Overall 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken 3.5/5 -- Rice 2.5/5 -- Sambal 4.5/5 -- Overall 4/5

And if the unique nature of this Chicken Rice is not enough to draw you to visit then maybe the next reason will. They have  Offal too! Liver! Gizzard! Take your pick! I'm not really a fan but my Darling Wife is so she had a nice serving of it with her Chicken Rice!

And remember - THE SAMBAL!!

If you're in town, drop by and try. But go early because the lunchtime crowd takes a big share so they do sell out pretty early.

As-Shifaa Cafe

304 Orchard Road
Lucky Plaza #06-52

Operating Hours:
11.00pm til 5.30pm (or til sold out) Daily
Closed on Sunday

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

Soon Lee (Bedok Corner): Fried Carrot Cake and Fried Oyster

In the past, the only place that I could eat Fried Carrot Cake aka Chai Tau Kway was at home.
My Dad would fry it up (always the 'black' version) and we would promptly devour it because it's the bomb.
But now with more and more different types of cuisine getting certified Halal, you can get Fried Carrot Cake at any one of a number of places these days.

Many many years ago, I stumbled upon a stall at Bedok Corner selling Fried Carrot Cake, Fried Oyster and Char Kway Teow. And best of all - it was Halal! And plenty of people seemed to be flocking towards it so I guess they had to be doing something right.

So we hadn't visited Bedok Corner in quite awhile and one day, I grabbed the opportunity to get my Chai Tau Kway fix. And that's where the mystery began... (Watch out for the twist later)

Fried Carrot Cake (Black) ($3.00)

Definitely my preferred of the two versions is the 'Black' Fried Carrot Cake which is fried with thick sweet sauce to give it a nice sweet and soggy perfection. Comfort food and very tasty!!

Carrot cake pieces are mixed in with the sweet sauce and egg and it sounds so simple but it takes real skill to dish out a nice serving of Fried Carrot Cake (as like most other dishes). And for $3.00, you have to admit that Soon Lee definitely dishes out a very generous serving. That's enough for 2 people!

Only one problem though - the Chai Poh (Salted Radish) was missing!!

Fried Carrot Cake (White) ($3.00)

Very very very very seldom do I order the 'White' version. In fact, I think this might be only the 3rd time I'm doing so in my entire life!! I'm not saying it's bad (maybe just a bit boring) but I guess it's just individual preference.

The 'White' version as you can see is a lot less messy than it's sweet sauce counterpart. I guess this means you will get a more 'original' taste when you tuck into the fried carrot cake which has a nice semi-crispy omelette to top it off. You will definitely get a strong peppery taste.

One of the things I notice about both versions at Soon Lee is that it is not too oily which is a plus.
But again - no Chai Poh!! I'm not sure about you guys but that minced up pickled radish is a must for me in Fried Carrot Cake... Kinda lacks a certain kick without it. Anyone feel the same?

Fried Oyster ($5.00)

The best Fried Oyster we've reviewed (so far) was at the now-closed Mr Teh Tarik in Changi Village.
Could this version match up??

Definitely (again) and very generous portion for the price you pay and plenty of oysters for you to tuck into if you're a fan. But I think most of you go for the egg and flour part right? Admit it!!
Well the texture of the egg/rice flour part was quite crispy in some parts but definitely lacking a nice gooey texture overall.

On top of that, the sambal was actually quite disappointing. You can see from the picture that it's a bit watery and didn't have quite as much kick as you'd expect from the sambal.

But like I said - you oyster lovers should be happy :)
Pity about the rest of the dish though... I always remembered it being much nicer than this leh...
Oh well I guess the search continues...

AND HERE COMES THE TWIST!!!
The whole time I was eating, I was thinking to myself "How come the staff at the stall was different?". I'd ordered from that same stall location for many years and it was pretty much the same people all the time (aka a Chinese lady and the 2-3 cooks insides), This time, it was a Malay guy and one Chinese cook.

At first I thought maybe they were still on CNY break or something.
But then - we saw it.... Another stall behind us with the name 'Green Sky' and guess what - I saw the Chinese lady from the original stall there with the cooks!!

NO WONDER LAH!! It seems like the original people shifted to a different stall location. Soon Lee's signage looks similar to the old one so I guess it would be easy to overlook since the location of the stall is what most people would remember (kinda like the Internation vs Mizzy Nasi Lemak at Changi Village).

Adam's Verdict:
Fried Carrot Cake (Black) 3.5/5 -- Fried Carrot Cake (White) 2.5/5 -- Fried Oyster 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Fried Carrot Cake (Black) 3/5 -- Fried Carrot Cake (White) 3/5 -- Fried Oyster 3.5/5
Well, whatever happened there I am not sure. But I'm pretty sure we'll be visiting again soon to try out the 'original' stall at its new location and maybe even a Makan vs Makan??

Soon Lee (Bedok Corner)

Bedok Food Centre (Near Bedok Camp)
#01-02

Operating Hours:
10.30am til 9.30pm Daily
Closed on Mondays

Swensen's - Sides Part I

Swensen's is a pretty popular brand in Singapore and quite a favourite choice sometimes.
And I know most of us go like "Oh I prefer somewhere more unique" or "Swensen's? No better place meh?" but the truth is - Swensen's is actually not that bad to be honest.

We've already covered a few of their breakfast dishes and also the soups and salads.
Luckily for us, they also have an extensive Sides menu. So extensive that we need to split it up!!
Anyways, if you're gonna eat there, maybe this might help you choose on some side dishes to go along with your main course!

Meatballs in Pepper Sauce ($9.40)

In what was probably the biggest surprise food-wise in quite awhile, these are actually the bomb!
I really was expecting just another generic dish and it was probably not going to be anything special but oh boy was I completely wrong on this one!

The mashed potatoes were an absolute dream.
I can't be sure if they're instant or if they're made scratch from actual potatoes but whatever the case, they were definitely put through the ricer again which results in an absolutely creamy texture and enriched with a nice hearty buttery taste.

The meatballs themselves were absolutely divine.
A combination of chicken and beef, these were cooked to perfection and were not overdone at all. The meat remained juicy and soft and the pepper sauce went together perfectly.

I know you think I'm probably exaggerating but I seriously enjoyed every last bite of this dish.

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks ($8.40)

Something pretty basic like this can still be easy to mess up.
(Trust me I've had some bad fried cheese sticks in the past. That's right I'm looking at YOU Pastamania!)
But at Swensen's, they pleasantly surprise.

One of the main plus points - it's not oily despite being deep fried.
I literally ate these with my fingers and had little or no oil residue on my fingers at all. And I know it was fried because I got the oil when I bit into the cheese.

The outer-coating remained crispy and managed to maintain its integrity by not falling apart or going soggy. The cheese melted a little bit but you still get a bit of the chewy texture you'd expect from some mozza. And the salty flavour of the cheese is definitely evident here. Minimal seasoning lets you enjoy the cheese!

I'm certain that all you cheese lovers out there will enjoy this!
But cheese is always heavy on the palate so maybe this one might be best to share.

Adam's Verdict:
Meatballs in Pepper Sauce 5/5 -- Mozzarella Cheese Sticks 4/5

If the sides are this good, then I might just have these without ordering any mains!
Let's see what else they have on the Sides menu... Will report back soon!

Swensen's (Bedok Mall)

Bedok Mall
311 New Upper Changi Road
#1-77

Operating Hours:
10.30am til 10.30pm Weekdays
8.00am til 10.30pm Weekends
(Last Order at 10.15pm)

KL Sedap Part 1: Grand Seri Garuda Emas

So we're going to begin our KL Sedap series!

I know a lot of us probably travel overseas to KL more often than any other city.
It's convenient, not too far away and is a modern city but still rich in history and culture.
AND HAS PLENTY OF MAKAN!

Let's face it, whenever we go to KL, confirm plus chop plus guarantee we're definitely going to spend a good amount of time eating. There's just so much to eat! From the street stalls to the restaurants, there's simply no end I tell you!

Well anyways our adventure begins at a place that my darling wife went to on one of her previous visits.
She kept raving about this dish she had called 'Ayam Pop' which was apparently the BOMB!
We tried a version in Singapore but it was a complete disaster so we've gone to the original source of my wife's fascination with this dish.

And since this was a family trip, my trusted brothers-in-law (and fellow foodies) Razali and Azim were along for this makan adventure in KL. Read more about them at our Bio page!

So Restoran Grand Seri Garuda Emas actually serves authentic Minang-style food.
We're talking about good old 'put everything on the table and we charge you for what you eat' kinda thing.

As you'd expect, they have the usual Padang favourites like Daging Salai, various seafood and vegetables.
They even have otak (brains)!!

And let's not forget the favourite Cabe Hijau (Green Chilli)!!!

Yeah we all know about Nasi Padang (or Minang) but what about this Ayam Pop eh?

Ayam Pop

 So what's so special about Ayam Pop anyways?
Apparently, the chicken is marinated then boiled in coconut water.

So the coconut water does nothing much for the flavour of the chicken but it surely makes the chicken meat very tender while retaining a moist texture. And let me tell you something else. Another thing it doesn't help is the appearance! But appearances aside, this chicken is really super tender and you DO get a hint of the coconut water and when you bite into it.

Well, anyways Azim wasn't buying into any of the coconut water talk and says it doesn't make much of a difference. But both he and Razali agree that.. it.. doesn't.. look.. appetizing....

They give you this special sambal to go with the Ayam Pop.
It's basically a mix of petis (fermented shrimp paste) and chillies. It's actually pretty spicy but the petis definitely kills any chance of it being overpowering.

I love me some petis so this was definitely a hit.

But for those of you who aren't interested in any boiled chicken...

Ayam Goreng

Great news! They also some pretty good Ayam Goreng!
(It definitely looks better doesn't it?)

Adam's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 3/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 4.5/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3/5

Razali's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 2/5 -- Ayam Goreng 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Ayam Pop 2.5/5

Well besides the Ayam Pop and Ayam Goreng, the rest of the dishes are really good too.
I really enjoyed the fried beef dishes and the vegetable dishes like 'Terung Sambal'!
Worth the trip if you're in the area and hankering for some Nasi Padang!

Restoran Grand Seri Garuda Emas

No 176 Jalan Raja Abdullah
Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 0322027170
www.garuda.my

Operating Hours: 10.00am til midnight Daily

Makan In Malacca Part 1: A&W

My earliest memory of A&W as a kid was having it in KL.
My Dad's brother was working for KTM and we took the train down to KL one day to visit. There was an A&W right at the train station.

The last time I had A&W in Singapore was at the Lau Pa Sat outlet.
I think that was probably around... 2000 or 2001 maybe?
It had become so unpopular (for some reason) that they resorted to gimmicks like selling Nasi Lemak and Chicken Thigh Rice (seriously!) which was actually really sad. A&W was always a place we could go and have waffles and chicken wings and Coney Dogs!

Well alas, there's no more A&W in Singapore but you can hop over somewhere nearby (like Malaysia or Indonesia) to get your fix if you'd like. So my darling wife and I could not resist when we spotted an outlet near our hotel in Melacca.

Chicken Coney Dog (RM11.65 for the combo)

Actually, A&W automatically loses points from the start because my wife asked for the BEEF Coney Dog and for some reason we ended up with the Chicken version instead... Tsk tsk...

Well anyways. The Coney Dog has got to be a fan favourite with most of you am I right? A nice, soft, tender sausage covered in beef chilli and onions all resting in a nice soft bun.

YUMMY!

In this case, we opted to pay an additional RM1.00 to get a small tub of Coney Sauce to add on to the sausage! Genius!
Anyways it's really cheap so it's well worth it to get that little bit of extra Coney kick! You can also use it on your fries!

I personally would have asked for more onions but hey maybe that's just me?

But I'm very sure most of you will agree with me - The Coney Dog rules.

Golden Aroma Chicken (RM12.65 for the combo)

 As for me, I decided to have something else that A&W was pretty famous for - Fried Chicken.

I'm actually not sure how many of you might have had back in the days in Singapore.
I remember seeing it but most of the time it'd be Coney Dogs and Waffles for me. Maybe once in awhile can whack some Chicken Wings but not very often I'd have to say.

Well let me say this - the Fried Chicken is good!
If you're not looking for any burgers or hotdogs then go for the chicken. It's tasty and it's got a nice coating on it. Nice chilli sauce to go along and you're set.

Curly Fries vs French Fries

With your combo order, you actually get fries to go along with your main.
A&W is definitely an icon when it came to the Curly Fries. In fact I think they might have actually pioneered the Curly Fries movement because I don't remember anyone else having it.

And they're still pretty curly today of course!

But.. don't let the normal French Fries fool you.
They may seem unsuspecting and you're more likely going to go for the Curly Fries but those normal French Fries are actually pretty tasty too!

Root Beer Float (RM2.00 top-up with combo)

And last but definitely not least - The Root Beer Float.

Well it's still refreshing but I have to say that a lot of the kick is lost when it's not in the frosty mug.
In fact, the last few times we've had A&W Root Beer Floats (in KL and Bandung), they've all been in paper cups. So I guess the signature frosty mugs have gone bye-bye and perhaps so has some of the appeal of the good ol' Root Beer Float.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Coney Dog 4/5 -- Golden Aroma Chicken 3/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken Coney Dog 4.5/5 -- Curly Fries 5/5

I wonder how the Beef Coney dog would have fared...
Oh well. Maybe we'll go back again. On Tuesday. Because Tuesday is Coney Day!

A&W

Dataran Pahlwan Megamall (South Entrance)
Jalan Merdaka, Melaka, Malaysia
www.facebook.com/awmalaysia

Operating Hours:
10.00am til 11.00pm (Sundays - Thursdays)
10.00am til 12.00am (Fridays and Saturdays)

Image from Google Maps

Tong Seng Coffeeshop - Wanton Noodles

Now I'm sure many of you have gone to Tong Seng before.
This makan corner just across the road from Bugis Junction has been churning out Halal Chinese-style food for years upon years and people still flock there.

They've got quite a few things to offer actually but the different food items available are basically from different stalls which make up the 'Tong Seng Family' so to speak. From Chicken Rice to Lor Mee to breakfast items like Nasi Lemak and Epok-Epok. Apparently Tong Seng has 'em all.

So my old buddies Joseph & Rita and I frequent Tong Seng for one thing and one thing only.
We fondly refer to it as 'Halal Wanton'. But the truth it... it's something else that draws us back...

Wanton Noodles ($3.50)

Some noodles, some veggies and some Halal Wanton.
Can't get any simpler than that.

But then again, with something so simple I guess you can't really expect much.
Sure there's some flavour but with most noodle dishes, it's the side offerings that are supposed to give you a little bit of kick to keep you coming back for more.

And in this case, I guess it's supposed to be the wantons.

Fried Wanton ($3.00)

So you can also order the wantons as a side dish if you'd like.

They do have a nice crispy crunch to it and the the filling is pretty flavourful.
Everyone loves a nice crackle when you bite into something fried and this wanton definitely dies that.
And don't worry, that white stuff isn't salt. It's probably flour.

Speaking of salt...

This is the soup that comes with your order of noodles.
That's right.

We always joke and call it 'Ajinomoto Soup' because that's what we get.
A nice bowl of teeth-chattering, salty-goodness soup. I remember there was one time when we probably got the last scrapes at the bottom of the pot and that soup was salt-eeeeeeeeee to the max.
Not that I'm complaining.

As Joseph says "That'll put hair on your balls!".
And if you have no balls? Well, then maybe this will grow you some balls!
Kidding.

But I am glad to report that the soup has definitely mellowed down over the years...
It's not salty to a point that it's inedible. In fact, I think it goes very well with the noodled you'll order.
I drop a wanton or 3 to let them soak in the soupy goodness before chomping down.
Yummy.

Adam's Verdict:
Wanton Noodles 2.5/5 -- Fried Wanton 3/5

Joseph's Verdict:
Wanton Noodles 3/5 -- Fried Wanton 3/5

Rita's Verdict:
Wanton Noodles 2/5 -- Fried Wanton 3/5

So if you're in the area and need a place to chomp and chat with friends.
Head down to Tong Seng and have some wanton. And soup.

PS please pardon the shoddy photography in this post..
There must have been a lunar eclipse or something. Better pics next time we go!

Tong Seng Coffeshop

496 North Beach Road
Tel: 6338 0163

Operating Hours: 6.00am til 11.00pm Daily