Adam's Corner Seafood Restaurant - Bubur Taiwan

Bubur Taiwan ($5.50)

I used to pass by Adam's Corner in my younger days when it was still situated along Serangoon Road closer to St Georges Road. I'd never really stopped because I guess I didn't really see what was so special about it.
I thought that it was pretty much your run-of-the-mill makan place with the usual y'know?

Well, one day my then-girlfriend who is now my darling wife brought me to Adam's Corner.
She was feeling a little under the weather and wanted to have some porridge. "PORRIDGE? THERE?" was the thought that crossed my mind. So I figured it was Bubur Ayam or something.

To my surprise, it was actually Bubur Taiwan!
I normally only eat this at home when it's prepared from scratch including all the condiments and side dishes and it's more Chinese Porridge than Taiwanese Porridge at my house. I always thought you couldn't find this kind of dish in a Halal setting so I was very very pleasantly surprised.

Anyways, Adam's Corner has moved from its original location but it's still nearby.
It's moved a little closed to Serangoon Road itself and is situated directly across the street from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple.

So this is Bubur Taiwan.

You'll get a nice big bowl of porridge. And when I say big, I mean BIG.
It's really a very generous serving of steaming hot porridge so you're sure to get your fill.

Along with the porridge, you'll get a nice serving of accompaniments to go along.

Ikan Bilis and peanuts, Kang Kong, Pickled Radish, Salted Fish, Salted Egg, Century Egg and some sambal kicap. Seems like a pretty standard platter for porridge if I do say so myself.

The Kang Kong is cooked very simply with some chillies, garlic and onions so it goes really well with the porridge. I think the ikan bilis and peanuts had a bit too much of a spicy thing going on in my personal opinion. Would have liked it better if it was just plain crispy ikan bilis and peanuts I reckon...
The pickled radish is the type you get out of a jar from the supermarket. Nothing special but still a staple when it comes to porridge.

The salted fish is always welcome in my books as is the salted egg which I'm sure is also a favourite of many.
One of the unique inclusions would be the Century Egg. I have to say that more and more youngsters seem to be warming up to the acquired taste of Century Egg in recent times. But having said that, the Century Eggs nowadays don't seem to have the same 'kick' as before. They're pretty mild and almost tasteless nowadays and you don't even need to eat it with pickled young ginger anymore and it's still palate-able.

And I know some of you (like my dear Mum) might be very particular about the consistency of your porridge so I included a close-up pic so you can see for yourselves.
Some like it thick. Some like watery. Some like hot. Some like it cold. Some like it in the pot 9 days old.

I would say this was still quite watery. The rice hasn't fully 100% broken down so you can still see some of the grains there. It's not too thick and just nice to enjoy with all the goodies we get with the set.

Oh, and by the way, the sambal kicap is really quite spicy.
Might wanna give it a miss if you're having this porridge literally because you're not feeling well.

Adam's Verdict:
Bubur Taiwan 3.5/5

Adam's Corner also offers other types of porridge including Bubur Ayam, Bubur Ikan and Bubur Daging.
Not too sure what you get though but at least this place is good enough to give you some variety.
Plus, the name of the place is also very very nice. :P

Adam's Corner Seafood Restaturant

452 Serangoon Road

Tel: 6294 1821

Operating Hours:
24 Hours Daily

Saffrons Cafeteria - Mee Kuah

I know Saffron is a big favourite with the crowds.
Prata is always the bomb here. Mee Goreng is always able to satisfy. Briyani and Nasi Campur is top notch.
But one thing I've always wanted to try was the Mee Kuah.

Never really got the chance because we always end up ordering Mee Goreng or Prata when I go with my darling wife. So when I visited with my 2 bros-in-law, we ended up as 3 guys with Mee Kuah.

Mee Kuah ($4.00)

I've heard people mention the Mee Kuah at Saffron to me before and the response was always the same...
"Not bad but I've had better."

I think the main reason for this is the gravy itself.
Mee Kuah is supposed to pack a punch through its gravy which is a melting pot of spices and pepper and whatever else goodness they throw in there. You can expect the noodles to give it any kick right?

In this case, the kuah definitely has taste but seems to lack a strong flavour. I mean, it's definitely spicy but I guess that you'd expect a more tasty gravy. I've had Mee Kuah where it's not just the spice that gets you but you can really taste the different spices that make up the complex and mysterious flavour.

And if that's not enough, the gravy is actually pretty watery. Not that bad but maybe that plays a part in the lack of flavour?

And by the way, if you've got a big appetite for the noodles, the serving of noodles is pretty small you might wanna ask for extra if you're feeling really hungry.... But if you're like me and not really after the noodles then don't worry - the kuah will keep you company.

Adam's Verdict:
Mee Kuah 2.5/5

Razali's Verdict:
Mee Kuah 3/5

Azim's Verdict:
Mee Kuah 3.5/5

I guess the Mee Kuah is not that bad but when I go back to Saffron, I'm probably going to order the Mee Goreng or some good old Prata.

Saffrons Cafeteria

Blk 201D Tampines Street 21
#01-1163

Tel: 6787 6010
www.facebook.com/SaffronsCafeteria

Operating Hours: 24 hours Daily

Al-Tasneem Restaurant - Murtabak Rusa

So we had just returned from our KL trip and arrived in SG at night.
We actually wanted to have some Bone Steak at M.A Deen Biasa but after a long walk - discovered it's under renovations!

So we walked a little further at chanced upon Al-Tasneem.

We had some Bone Steak after all (Look out for the special Bone Steak Battles coming soon!) and we also ordered something that none of us have had before...

Murtabak Rusa ($10.00)

So Deer meat (aka Venison) is not really something you see everyday at your local Mamak stall am I right?
I'm thinking it's more like Italian or some western cooking for that kinda thing but here we were with some Murtabak Rusa for the first time.

The size of the murtabak itself is about the size of a $5-6 mutton/chicken murtabak I reckon so the Rusa seems to almost double the price of your dish.

You can see that it's minced up really finely and spread out sparingly in your murtabak.
To be honest, the meat itself was actually pretty salty when I tried it on its own.

It wasn't overpoweringly salty on its own but unfortunately, the curry that was served together with the murtabak was salty. Seriously salty. So when you put the two together, SALT OVERLOAD!

Azim commented that the texture kinda reminded him of floss. As in like beef/chicken floss.
Razali added that for the price we were paying, we expected a more generous serving of the meat. (Everyone seems to agree with that one) Plus with it being so dry, perhaps the cooking style of frying might not be suitable since we haven't really mastered how to cook Venison like the Westerners do.

Adam's Verdict:
Murtabak Rusa 3/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Murtabak Rusa 3/5

Razali's Verdict:
Murtabak Rusa 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Murtabak Rusa 4/5

Overall, we'd say that this is definitely something different for you to try.
"Murtabak? Chicken? Mutton? How about Rusa?!" Be adventurous!!

Just hope that the salt level goes down a little.

Al-Tasneem Restaurant

709 North Bridge Road
Tel: 6291 1781 / 6298 2047

Operating Hours:
8.00am til 11.00pm Daily

The Battle Of The Bone Steak Part 1: Al-Tasneem

So we have the Quest For Briyani Series. Soon we will have the Nasi Lemak Chronicles.
But the one thing that A LOT of readers have been asking me to start is a series that samples the various offerings of Bone Steak aka Tulang Merah that we can find around our little island.

It used to be really simple because the only place you needed to go to for Tulang Merah was the Beach Road Army Market where there was a row of shops for you to choose from and indulge in a plate full of the fiery red dish we all love. But the times have changed and now there are makan places spread far and wide across Singapore and trust me -people are willing to travel from one side of the island to the other just to get some of their favourite Tulang Merah.

So this time we are not starting at the 'heart' of Bone Steak in Beach Road...
But it's pretty nearby.

Tulang Merah ($10.00)

Al-Tasneem is not really the first name that comes to mind when someone says "Tulang Merah".
In fact, we didn't even know we were going to be having Bone Steak when we made our way there!

We just got off the bus at Beach Road and wanted to have some dinner.
Our original destination was actually M.A. Deen Biasa for some of their famous Tulang Merah but unfortunately they were closed for renovations. So we walked a little further down and stumbled upon Al-Tasneem.

What caught our eyes initially was the Murtabak Rusa but when we found out there was Tulang Merah on the menu, there was no question. It's definitely value for money because you get about 6-7 bones for $10.

If you're like me, then the meat around the bones is a really big factor. And at Al-Tasneem, you meat lovers will have absolutely no problems!

The meat on the bones is plentiful and EXTREMELY tender. It tears off the bones easily (you can even use a fork and spoon) and it does not have that overwhelming mutton smell/taste that you might expect.

A nice piece of bread to soak up all that delicious gravy!!
Doesn't that look lovely?? *mouth watering*

The gravy itself is a little on the spicy side but I don't think anyone will complain about that. Razali says that it's good for tourists who wanna try the local flavour but maybe can't take the spicy food.
It's mixed up with some eggs to give it a big of texture (Azim thinks it's a little too much egg) and your bread is all ready for action from the plate to your mouth!

I know one thing is cause for concern - the red food colouring problem.
Quite a lo of places add artificial red colouring to give their Tulang Merah the extra 'merah' part and that means that yr hands an mouth ad face (ad possible clothes) will be red by the time you are done.
So is this the case?

Not at all. I am glad to report that there is little (or I dare say NO) food colouring used here.
And although that means no red coloured faces, my darling wife warns all ladies to try and 'maintain' while eating the Tulang Merah or else you might have a different type of 'red face' especially if people are watching.
Hehehe.

But I do have one down side to report - the gravy was a little on the salty side...
It was so weird because even the Murtabak Rusa (and curry) were salty too. Maybe a case of the chef having a bit too much fun with the salt that night? Hmmmm....

So am I forgetting anything? Oh yes.

Something is peeking...

This is something I am SURE is one the big reasons people love to eat Tulang Merah.
The much coveted marrow or 'som-som' is an acquired taste for sure but once you you start, you're probably going to need to start wrestling with others for it.

And the quality of the marrow at Al-Tasneem that night was extremely fresh and plentiful.
It was so fresh that it comes up in one big piece for you after a few knocks as compared to some places where it's half-liquid by the time you complete your struggle to knock it out.
No straws required here!!

Adam's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Razali's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3/5

I'd say this is not bad for start on our grand tour of Tulang Merah.
Hopefully next time we visit Al-Tasneem, it'll be less salty!

Al-Tasneem Restaurant

709 North Bridge Road
Tel: 6291 1781 / 6298 2047

Operating Hours:
8.00am til 11.00pm Daily