Wendy's - Beef Baconator and Chili & Cheese Baked Potato

No beef bacon was harmed in the making of this blog post.
Okay maybe that's not 100% true...

Apparently in the 1990's, Wendy's was a pretty popular joint in Singapore.
I'm guessing it could rival McDonald's and A&W back then when it came to American fast food.
But then again, I'm guessing very few fast food joints were certified Halal.

Well in 2010, Wendy's decided to return to Singapore after about a decade away from the scene. When they first returned however, they were still not certified Halal.

But lo and behold! Suddenly one day a few months - they were Halal!!!

And there are actually quite a number of items on the Wendy's menu that seem like they're worth trying.
But I decided to review the top 2 on my list to official review.

Beef Baconator Combo ($8.05)

Have you guys ever watched that episode of Epic Meal Time where the guy goes an orders "Fifteen Baconators"? Well I've gots to have me a Baconator. Because I loves me some meat.

One of Wendy's trademarks is that its beef patties are square. That's right - square.
I'm guessing this doesn't affect anything other than the fact that it's a uniquely shaped burger patty.

So the Baconator is basically a beef patty with cheese, ketchup and mayo plus some beef bacon strips.
And I guess you can say that they really don't mess around because there are literally no vegetables in the Baconator (unless you count the tomatoes used in the ketchup).

The beef patty itself was actually pretty bland. I'm not sure if they used any seasoning at all on the patty when they cooked it. They do make it clear that they are using a "100% PURE BEEF BURGER" which is very commendable (All Killer No Filler) but I think it might have been nice to have a 95% Beef Burger and 5% Seasoning to give it a little kick. In the end, you're tasting mainly the sauce!

And maybe some veggies (eg lettuce) might have been nice. But then again I do see where they were going with this burger in the sense that it's really a meaty-meat burger.

As for the beef bacon?
Well, as always, I'm going to say that they should have been more. But then again when have I ever said that there's enough beef bacon on anything?

But the beef bacon is not like what you might expect. I'm sure most of you must surely have tried the beef bacon or turkey bacon which is served at Burger King or McDonalds by now right? Well they fry their 'bacon' which makes it very crispy and sometimes even tends to have a slightly burnt taste.

The beef bacon at Wendy's is different. It's not crispy (it's probably grilled not fried) which means it's not going to snap or crunch. I guess this is actually a very nice change and makes the beef bacon very delicious.
But because it doesn't snap or crunch, please make sure you take a nice and proper bite into the burger because if not, you're going to end up sliding out the burger from between the buns.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Just try it.

And as for the fries that come along with the meal? Let me just say that these are monster fries and they give you a monster serving. They sprinkle a little sea salt which is a nice touch but boy were these fries filling.

But if you're not feeling like some fries...

Chili & Cheese Baked Potato ($3.50)

Okay so the Baked Potatoes is something unique to Wendy's. You can't very well go to KFC or McDonald's and have a baked potato can you? Baked potato lovers rejoice!

And they have a wide variety of baked potatoes too!
Click HERE to see the Baked Potatoes Menu!

The one picture above is the Chili & Cheese Baked Potato.
It's basically topped with their signature Chili (beef and beans galore) and some cheddar cheese.
To me personally, the baked potato was nothing special actually. The potato itself was a little dry. I mean, it was okay but it's nothing I would swoon over. But the Chili was not bad.

All-Beef Chili ($3.20)

I guess that okay-okay thing about it was the chilli. We're talking about an All-Beef Chili mixed in with some beans, celery and tomatoes for a nice hearty bowl of yum-yum. So if you think the baked potato is enough then go for it. But if you're greedy like me, get both!

Well most of the things reviewed today were beef products but Wendy's does have quite a number of other items like Chicken/Seafood burgers, Fried Chicken (which is not bad!!) and even a breakfast menu (which I was not very impressed with (Just ask my friend, Andi)

Adam's Verdict:
Beef Baconator 3.5/5 -- Chili and Cheese Baked Potato 2.5/5 -- All-Beef Chili 2.5/5

Maryah's's Verdict:
Chili and Cheese Baked Potato 3/5 -- All-Beef Chili 3/5

So Wendy's is a little hard to get to with their few outlets spread out far and wide but I have to say that if you happen to be in the vicinity of a Wendy's, it might just actually be worth your while to step in and try something. Sure it may cost a little more than your McChicken but it's actually not too bad once in awhile.

Wendy's (Liat Towers)

541 Liat towers #01-01
Orchard Road
Tel: 6737 8036
www.wendys.com.sg

Operating Hours: 24 Hours

The Manhattan Fish Market

Okay to be honest this review was actually done dammmmnnn long ago.

I'm sure you all have heard the comparisons between The Manhattan Fish Market and Fish and Co.
Well, apparently the story goes that there was this guy who used to worked at Fish and Co and decided to leave at some point. He then opened The Manhattan Fish Market which had some eerily similar items on their menu as Fish and Co... (in fact even their website is so similar lah)

Well the latter eventually brought The Manhattan Fish Market to court and I think they lost the case.
But that doesn't seem to have affected the business and its still going strong now with 11 stores islandwide and also more overseas!

And of course since we're talking about similar places here, there's definitely going to be some comparisons with Fish & Co. along the way okay so don't be surprised.

Let's start at the starting with some starters.
 

Seafood Chowder ($4.90)

Manhattan serves a clear broth type of chowder with bits of seafood.
You'll get mostly fish and some squid if you dig the bottom of your dish. They do have 2 sizes - the Lite (above) which is served in a tea-cup and the Regular which I guess is in a bowl.

This chowder is a little on the peppery side and I guess it has to be since it's a clear broth style.
This is definitely different from Fish & Co which serves a Cream style chowder.

Caesar Salad with Crispy White Bait ($7.50 + $3.00)

We also had the Caesar Salad which I have to say it quite refreshing.

You have the option of topping it up with Crispy White Bait, Grilled Chicken or Tuna for an additional $3.00.
We have the Crispy White Bait (which is basically fresh ikan bilis) and it was pretty tasty. But even without it, the salad itself was pretty decent with the fresh and crisp greens.

My darling wife thinks the serving is too small though especially for that price.

Fried Calamari ($9.95)

 This is always a must-have when you go to this kind of seafood place am I right?

Well Fish & Co gives you a choice of either fried or grilled with their Calamari but only one choice here.
And I notice that the Manhattan Calamari has more crunch to it but also an extra kick with the seasoning.
It's kind of peppery I think. Does tend to overpower the squid though. But it is served on a bed of more fresh and crisp greens! Serving is a bit small though.

Their menu says that you can choose between Grilled or Fried but... I'm not so sure...
Anyways, we never order the grilled version. Calamari is destined to be fried!

Fried Country Mushroom ($7.95)

Now here's a bit of a worse-type situation.
Anything fried is delicious. Extra delicious if it's mushrooms.

But we were totally fooled by what we saw in the menu!
Anyways the mushrooms themselves were nothing spectacular. The special tangy dip that came along was not bad but didn't do enough to pick the dish up.

Nice try on offering something unique on your menu, Manhattan.
But you might wanna work on your serving and recipe.

And now... the main event!

Manhattan Flaming Seafood Platter for Two ($37.95)

So the Manhattan Flaming Seafood Platter for 2 comes with the following items;
2 Fried Fish Fillets, Calamari, Fried Oysters (which were not available when we went), 4 Flaming Prawns, some vegetables and you can choose if you want fries or rice.

Okay so they are definitely trying to shake things up with the Flaming Prawns. I guess it's probably their signature item which is definitely not offered if you were to go to Fish & Co.

So when they serve you your Platter, the guy comes with this mini-blow torch like he's ready to burn the hell out of your dish right.

The prawns themselves are covered in this creamy mayonnaise-like sauce that will scorch once the torch does its magic.

The prawns at Fish and Co have their deilicious signature Lemon Butter sauce which is definitely a proven favourite especially with the prawns but this flaming-mayo is definitely a new approach that I guess isn't half as bad as you might think...

 Anyways, if you think you might enjoy it, you can order the Flaming Prawns as n individual platter which is a separate item on the menu.

Another thing to note is the difference in serving compared to Fish & Co.

The Fish & Co. Seafood Platter for 2 comes with 10 (!) Tiger Prawns plus Mussels along with (either fried or grilled) Fish and Calamari together with rice AND fries. And the price isn't that far off either.

And sure I guess we could debate about a few things between Manhattan and Fish & Co and I don't think the argument would end...

I guess there's only one clear way to differentiate the 2 platters.
It looks like we need to have a Platter vs Platter one of these days...

Oh and before I forget...

Mediterranean Baked Fish ($15.95)

For all you fish lovers who don't like it fried, here's an alternative.
And for some reason, they state on the menu that this is a "hot favourite for the ladies".
Is that true??

Well it's basically fish baked with some herbs and garlic herb rice and veggies.
Not too bad as far as baked fish goes. My darling wife enjoyed it and says it's tasty but like almost everything else, the serving was too small.

Adam's Verdict
Seafood Platter 2.5/5 -- Seafood Chowder 2/5 -- Caesar Salad 3.5/5 -- Fried Calamari 2.5/5
Fried Country Mushroom 1.5/5 -- Mediterranean Baked Fish 3/5

Maryah's Verdict
Seafood Platter 3/5 -- Caesar Salad 2.5/5 -- Fried Calamari 2.5/5
Fried Country Mushroom 2.5/5 -- Mediterranean Baked Fish 3/5

So is it really fair to say that Manhattan Fish Market is just a "rip-off" of Fish & Co?
I mean, they do have some pretty unique items on their menu you know...
Well, like I said, maybe the only way to truly know is to have a head-to-head between the two rivals.

So look out for a Makan vs Makan soon!

Anyways we ate at the outlet located a The Central.
Check out their website for more locations near you!

The Manhattan Fish Market

The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street #02-79/90
Tel: 65347903
www.manhattanfishmarket.com

Operating Hours: 11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza

CANADIAN PIZZA! 2.. for.. 1... JENG!!
CANADIAN PIZZA! 2.. for.. 1... JENG!!

Love that commercial.
Seriously.

So we wrote about RITE Pizza before and then we went on to Sarpino's.
And now it's time for one of the originals - Canadian Pizza!

I remember back then you could only get pizza delivered from one place - Pizza Hut.
And then in the late 90s, Canadian 2-for-1 Pizza appeared on the scene and what a massive impact!
Not only another Halal pizza joint with delivery but offering 2 pizzas for the price of 1!

Well they have definitely grown since then and expanded their menu.
Now serving at least 26 different types of pizzas and other items like pasta, lasagna,chicken wings and even Shepard's Pie among other things, Canadian Pizza has definitely cemented its place in Singapore as one of the leaders in pizza delivery.

In fact, they even have expanded to a dine-in set-up as well...
Hmmm maybe it's time to check it out.

Hawaiian Pizza

Meat Lover

Who can resist a nice piping hot pizza?!

So you have a choice of ordering 3 different sizes;
Regular (10") for $23.90, Medium (12") for $31.90 or Extra Large (14") for $37.90.
So for that price, you get TWO pizzas!

And as you can see from the pictures above, they are very generous with the toppings!
Turkey Ham, Pineapple and 2 different types of cheese on the Hawaiian.
Minced Beef, Pepperoni, Salami,Turkey Ham and Italian sausage on the Meat Lovers.
If your mouth is not watering yet, click HERE for the full menu and descriptions.

Adam's Verdict:
Hawaiian Pizza 3/5 -- Meat Lover 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Hawaiian Pizza 3.5/5 -- Meat Lover 3.5/5

And it's not always the case, but this time, there was something wrong with the pizzas.
I'm not sure if it was a newbie making the pizzas or they were in a rush but they didn't cook it long enough so the bottom of the pizza didn't crisp up and turned soggy because of the tomato sauce.
This meant lots of dripping when you lift up your pizza slice.

But like I said, seldom happens.
And I hope it never happens again. Ever.

Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza

Delivery Hotline: 6241 0241
www.canadian-pizza.com

Operating Hours: 11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

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

Streats Hong Kong Cafe

Quite a number of increasing choices for us to get Halal Hong Kong-Chinese cuisine and this of course includes something we all love - Dim Sum!!

So I discovered this place called Streats Hong Kong Cafe at Downtown East.
At first I didn't realize it was Halal but a closer look shows the Halal logo displayed proudly in the front.
And they seem to really be trying to keep to the kind of Hong Kong cafe we see elsewhere BUT this one is Halal of course.

Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk ($3.80)

So for appetizers we started with the pumpkin.
We did this for one simple reason - anything with salted egg yolk MUST be good right?

As far as appetizers go, this is a winner.
The pumpkin is light and preps you for the meal ahead and you can taste the salted egg.
But in my opinion, there can never be enough salted egg yolk and this one seemed a little light on the yolk.

And now for the mains!

Famous HK Fried Beef Hor Fun ($8.50)

Firstly, it's not as oily as it looks...

You can have either the gravy version or the dry version. Above is the latter.
But I should also mention that we requested that we asked for it to be "extra black" with the intention of it having extra black sweet sauce added when cooking. And we also asked for it to be "extra spicy" but the server told us that this meant they would give us a side dish of sambal meaning they could not add the sambal when frying. Isn't that weird?

Anyways my darling wife didn't really like the kway teow used. It was kinda extra thin so it didn't really have a texture we were used to. Perhaps this is also the reason why the taste wasn't so strong.
It was as if either the sweet sauce they used wasn't that sweet OR the kway teow didn't really take the flavour in when cooking. In fact, the only specific taste we could identify was saltiness.

But on the plus side - the beef was actually pretty tender.
But I'm kinda questioning the high price though. I mean, it wasn't even that big of a serving...

Nissin Noodles with Chicken Luncheon Meat & Fried Egg ($7.20)

I have this thing about Hong Kong noodles ever since I saw those old Jackie Chan kung-fu movies and also the newer HK mahjong comedies. There would always be this big bowl of noodles with meat and sometimes soup and veggies. Love it.

Even though it's the instant Nissin noodles (which I guess is the HK style) it's actually a pretty decent noodle.
Top it off with chicken luncheon meat (my favourite!!) and we have a winner. I guess it's the salty edge of the luncheon meat which I (and others I suppose) love so much. Finish it off with some kai lan and a fried egg and we're all set. If you're lucky, the yolk of the egg is cooked just nicely that the yolk is fluid enough to mix in with your noodles... YUMMY!

But after all that, I face an obvious fact - you can just make this at home!
PS you can have the dry (above) or the soup version for this as well.

Salty Plum Soda & Iced Honey Lemon ($3.80 each)

In the true HK style, some of the drinks are served in those thick glasses you see above.
This includes the coffees and teas as well.

It's quite a nice touch actually. But unfortunately that's about all that's nice about them...
The sour plum was a little bit TOO sour even though it was just two sour plums in soda water.
And the Iced Honey Lemon? It's just some honey and two slices of lemon in iced water.
Tasteless.

Adam's Verdict:
Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk 2.5/5 --  Noodles with Chicken Luncheon Meat & Fried Egg 3/5
Iced Honey Lemon 1/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk 2/5 -- Famous HK Fried Beef Hor Fun 1/5 -- Sour Plum Soda 1/5

I actually like Streats. Most likely because it's so close my house.
You Korea-mania fans will be happy to know that they have a TV playing K-Pop music videos.
I'll probably go back there. For the Dim Sum menu. Not the K-Pop.

Streats Hong Kong Cafe

Downtown East
1 Pasir Ris Close
Tel: 6584 4001

Operating Hours: 11.00am til 10.00pm Daily (Closed on CNY)

Mackenzie Rex Restaurant

I must really be going down memory lane.
Recently I've posted about old-time favourites like Epok-Epok Central and Bismillah Sarabat stall.
And now I bring you another makan place from back when I was a kid.

My Mum and Dad brought me to Rex when I was 11 years old.
That's like 19 years ago and even til today I go back to enjoy the Chicken Rice there!!!

Chicken Rice ($4.50)

My Mum and Day say that back then in the 70s and 80s, a plate of chicken rice would cost about $2.00.
This was because Rex was considered as a 'restaurant' and not just a hawker kind of joint. And of course back then it used to be located opposite the old Rex Theatre.

I really love the Chicken Rice at Rex (you'll be hearing that a lot).
You can see that it does not have any special sauce or gravy poured over the chicken which is what you might get at most places nowadays. The chicken comes as is and is sheer perfection.

I don't know how they do it but Rex still does roasted chicken the best way ever.
Pair that with their delicious and tasty rice and you have a winner I tell you.
Well a winner in my books anyways!

Of course the prices have gone up since then...
It was about $3.00 a plate when I was in secondary school and it costs even more now.

That corner in yellow is where the old Rex used to be.
Cameron Restaurant, which was a fierce competitor to Rex back in the day, is still in the same location as it used to be (see the green sign there?) but I reckon it's not the same as it used to be.
The 'old' Rex Theatre is now the 'new' Rex Theatre as you may know... and Rex has moved.

It's now located at Prinsep Street (along Selegie) and I started going there alone (as in without my parents) when I was in secondary school. And as years went by, I would go there with friends and, of course, my family to enjoy the food there. And I'm pretty sure most of you have had a meal there before!
(They also have a restaurant at Upper Changi Road just before Geylang Serai)

I simply love Rex Chicken Rice. In fact, I used to even say that if I could choose my last meal - it would be a plate of Rex Chicken Rice.

So I've told you about the chicken and the rice. And now for the chilli. The chilli is the bomb.

In fact, Rex is rather renown for its special Chilli.
It's got a real kick to it. The garlic is not too overpowering and it's got a nice tang.
And I have to admit that it has definitely gotten a little more spicy over the past few years. You're definitely going to have a real burn when you have it. But a nice burn of course!

In fact the only part of the meal which kinda sucks is the soup that comes along with your chicken rice.
I've always joked that it's just water with some ajinomoto and a piece of cabbage in a bowl. I actually am not far off from saying that but a little drizzle of light soy sauce (at the table) and it's makan-able.

But I really love the chicken rice at Rex  : )

But the Chicken Rice is not the only favourite at Rex.
There are so many to cover but I'm going to start with...

U Char Kway with Sotong (Small $6.80)

This is such a favourite item I can tell you.

As you can see, it's not really like most other places where you get more of the Char Kway dough than the sotong. This is packed with the sotong!

Fried to a nice deep crisp yet still so tender and steamy on the inside.

And trust me. Their specially-made mayonnaise is the perfect accompaniment to this fried tasty morsel. My mouth is watering as I type!

The small size is very worth the price.
You get about 10 pieces with that serving and it's easily shared between 2 people. But I have absolutely no problem having a plate all to myself!

I can't help it. It's too delicious!

And in future, when I put up more reviews of Rex, you will see more and more dishes which are really at must-try standards at Rex.

And by the way. This is also a must have...
Lime Juice!!!

Lime Juice ($1.50)

Now there's an item that hasn't changed in taste or in price.
I always have the Lime Juice. It goes well with ANYTHING I've ever eaten at Rex.
Probably one of the best and most consistent Lime Juices I've ever had anywhere I must say.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Rice 5/5 -- U Char Kway with Sotong 5/5 -- Lime Juice 5/5

Some people will agree with me and say that Rex is the bomb.
And some people will disagree with me and say Rex is not as good as people say it is.

All I know is that I've been going there since I was a kid.
My family and I go there to enjoy good food. We know the people there well enough that they recognize us and we have a chat while waiting for our meal.

Do I give a special preference to Rex? Yes, definitely.
But it it because I've been going there for so long? No.
It's because I've been going there for so long and I still enjoy the excellent food there.

Prices may have gone up but the food is still worth it.

And a final tip...
They will automatically give you a wet tissue when you get your cutlery.
It costs $0.30 each so if you don't need it, return it to them before you start your meal :)

And you can be sure to see a few more reviews of Rex because there's so much to have!

Mackenzie Rex Restaurant

66 Prinsep Street
Tel: 63361702
www.macrex.com.sg/index.htm

Operating Hours: 10.30am til 10.00pm Daily
(Closed on Chinese New Year & Hari Raya Aidilfitri)

Bismillah Sarabat Stall

When I was a young kid of about  8 or 9 or 10 years old, my Dad used to take my brother and I fishing or on picnics which involved fishing. And this meant that sometimes we'd end up going to Changi Beach.
And on the way to Changi Beach? Changi Village Food Centre.

For years upon years, Changi Village Food Centre was mostly known as "the place to makan Nasi Lemak".
And I guess that's definitely what it was famous for but by no means was Nasi Lemak the only thing that was worth making a stop for.

My Dad introduced us to Roti Cheese.
Seems like a simple concept right? Bread and cheese. How good can it be?
Damn good that's how good.

We're talking about Kraft cheese and Planta margerine in between original Bengali-baked bread.
A combination that really works I tell you.

And back then, it seemed like only one stall was left to carry on this tradition. I'm not sure about other places in Singapore but I've never come across another stall or shop in the East that sells this.
When the old Food Centre was going to close, we asked the people running the stall and they mentioned they probably would not be returning when the new place opened. My Dad and I thought this old tradition would be lost forever.

But great news - they lied! (Which is a good thing)

Roti Cheese ($1.00 each)

Well apparently the authentic 'Bengali-baked' bread make a difference. They were known for the breads and this stall claims to get their supply from an authentic Bengali bread-maker. It has this slight sourdough smell/taste which might put some people off I reckon but it's still delicious.

Just by the look you can tell that this stuff is the real thing.

Open it up and find the treasure.

Slices of cheese are slathered in a nice thick layer of Planta margerine.
And the secret to this special combo? It HAS to be Planta margerine and it HAS to be the box type of Kraft Cheese. Not the tin but the box!

Now I know the box and the tin varieties of Kraft cheese do taste very slightly different and I'm not sure how much difference it would make in Roti Cheese but this is the way these guys have been making it since before I was born so I'm not going to knock their best-selling method.

And the legend of this Roti Cheese?
As I was queuing up to buy some food, I noticed this old-timer going from one coffee stall to another asking if they "jual Roti Cheese?" (sell Roti Cheese?). Two stalls later and it looked like he had given up.

I called to him and pointed him towards Bismillah Sarabat Stall and told him to get his fix there.
He made his way there, looked at the signboard then turned to me and gave me the thumbs up while smiling.

They also have a Kaya version by the way but the Cheese is the bomb.

Adam's Verdict:
Roti Cheese 4.5/5

It used to cost $0.60 each when I was a kid and the price slowly went up with the times.
It's now $1.00 each which you might think is steep for some bread and cheese but those of you who have had it will know it's worth it.

A glass of kopi or teh plus some Roti Cheese and as my Dad would say, "Wah! Stoned, boy!"

Bismillah Sarabat Stall

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
Stall #01-25

Operating Hours:
6.00am til 12.00am Daily

Botak's Favourites: Sirloin Steak

Okay you guys remember my last post about Tang Tea House right?
Well some of you might be wondering... How come Maryah didn't have any verdict eh?

Well the answer is simple.
She didn't have the Beef Noodles or the Beef Kway Teow. She had...

Sirloin Steak Set ($12.90)

So if you remember the last time I had Botak's Favourites, it didn't go very well.


Well let's face it, my wife and I both love a nice slab of meat. And for some reason it's becoming increasingly hard to find a decent steak nowadays to be honest. For me, I personally have to go all the way to The Ship in KL to guarantee myself a delicious steak.

So how would my darling wife find the steak?

Well I guess you could say that Botak's Favourites definitely does its part in bringing Halal western food to the masses at a reasonable price. But as you would expect, you can't really expect to have the best prime cut ever in the history of the world right? The steak is actually pretty okay in terms of taste and value. Seasoning was simple and meat lovers will not complain about the portion of the cut.

But not to sound too critical, I personally feel that it's not too bad.
I mean, you DO get what you pay for when we're talking about this steak so we can't complain too much.

However, there ARE some things we can complain about.
Because even though we are paying a reasonably low price, you'd still expect some basics.

Case in point - the done-ness of the steak.
They actually give you a choice of how well you'd like you steak and then they kinda disregard your choice.

That's exceptional cooking skill to achieve a medium-rare steak.
The only problem is that we ordered it to be well done.

I know I know a lot of you steak people will argue that a steak is best enjoyed medium-rare or medium-well at most and not well done because the meat gets dried out and on the tough side.
And I do not disagree with you. But I do disagree with asking how we'd like to have the steak cooked and then just cooking it to some other result instead.

Okay fine let's forget about the steak for a minute.

You also get to choose 2 sides with your set.
So we had the Coleslaw and the Double Baked Cheese Potato. (You can also have the Fries or Corn btw)
Well. The Coleslaw was a little on the sour side (which is fine if you like your coleslaw that way) but the biggest crime of the day was the Double Baked Cheese Potato.

Double Baked Cheese Potato. But no cheese!!
Just great.

Maryah's Verdict:
Sirloin Steak Set 3.5/5

I'm still not convinced of Botak's Favourites.
But it's still one of the few choices we have to get such western food so we'll all keep going there I reckon.


Botak's Favourites (within Tang Tea House)

359 Bedok Road
www.botakjones.com/

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 4.00am Daily

Changi Village Hawker Centre Reopens!

Well it's been more than a year since the old Changi Village Food Centre started their refurbishment project (but it seems like so much longer to be honest). Well, they just re-opened last week (I think) to the public so everyone could flock back there to get their fix of Nasi Lemak (among other things).

Firstly, let me say that the new layout makes the whole place seem kinda crampy.
They have replaced the big round tables with smaller rectangular shaped ones which seem to be a bit of a waste of space to be honest.

Anyways, the answer is yes.
Yes. Your favourite Nasi Lemak stalls are still definitely in business. But don't be confused.

Sri Sujana is still in roughly about the same location.
But International Nasi Lemak (the one with the long snaking queue) has moved to a new section which is facing the bus terminus (this area used to be the back of the stalls with a toilet at the end).
Mizzy Nasi Lemak has now taken over that stall space and the long snaking queue is now in front of Mizzy!

So the question now is - is it the location that is drawing the crowd?
Do people realize that the stall has changed? Well, maybe a review of the stalls (maybe a Makan vs Makan) might help to solve the mystery.

So if they made more space means there has to be more stalls for us to enjoy right?

Well if you remember correctly, the first section stretch used to be ALL Halal stalls and these stalls even stretched across at the back end and also the annex at the back (which is connected to the market).
Well there's only like 3/4 of the 1st stretch occupied by Halal stalls.

You'll still see some familiar favourites there like Ramiza Bryani, TakDeNama, Bismillah Sarabat Stall, Hjh Salbiah, Hassan Stall and few others you'll recognize. Ah Nam Seafood has moved back to the hawker centre. Sari Bestari Ayam Penyet has moved to the back annex which definitely has lesser Halal stalls than before. In fact, I'm willing to say that at least 65%-70% of the stalls between both buildings are most Chinese stalls.

Some of the stalls are still not occupied so I'm not sure what kind of stalls are going to open up.
Someone should open up a Satay stall because it's definitely missing based on my walk-around.

One good thing is that they place these posts at regular intervals which have rather effective (while they're brand new) fans to cool everyone down while they enjoy their meal.

And I'm not sure if it's just because it's still new and they are short of staff or maybe it was the weekend or something but the cleaning up situation was not very good at all. I'm talking about tables being left dirty and unattended. Some people take the easy way out and put everything on this table in the corner. I'm talking about plates and bowls and utensil piling up and causing quite a mess (and a bad smell).

I didn't even snap a picture because I don't want to ruin your appetite. Seriously.
Hopefully things will improve soon.

And some tips for you - 1) the POSB ATM is still at the same location so if you need to withdraw money it's still okay (hope the ATM is not out of order or out of money) and 2) most of the stalls close on Monday I think so best double check before you head all the way down.

I guess we might be heading to Changi Village a bit more often since this place has re-opened and there are definitely some stalls worth reviewing. Let us know if you think anything is worth checking-out!

And whatever your favourite is, I hope it's still located at the Changi Village Hawker Centre.

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
www.myhawkers.sg/index.php?m=place&c=view&id=61

Operating Hours: Breakfast til Supper

Abdul Basith - Mutton Chop

So my lunchtime adventures continue with Mamak Mullet at Abdul Basith.
I've had the Mutton Steak so how about the Mutton Chop?

Patrons of T1... Rejoice!

Mutton Chop ($5.00)

How can you possibly go wrong with that?

Nice tender mutton morsels swimming in the Mamak's magical spicy gravy.
On the side you have cucumber, tomatoes, peas, fried potatoes and a nicely fried egg.
And if you can take the heat, ask the Mamak to make it spicy.
*Droooooollll*

Firstly, the mutton is super tender as usual.
And don't be fooled - those are not the frozen french fries kind of potato. It's actual potato sliced up and fried up to a nice yummy brown. Veggies on the side is always a good thing right?
But let me tell you - once you break that egg yolk and it starts running all over the place you are going to have a delicious time spooning it up with some mutton and gravy.

Oh come on. You know what I'm talking about.

And another plus is that the mutton is in actual pieces.
Why is this a big deal? Because some places will serve you with mutton that has been minced and somehow that takes a slight kick out of a plate of mutton chop because there's nothing like taking a nice big bite into a chunk of meat. It's the animal instinct I tell you.

And have I mentioned how tender the mutton is?

I've eaten this at this stall at least 5 times by now.
The problem with this stall seems to be the consistency of cooking...
Here's a tip - if you order, check if the old guy or the Mamak Mullet who cooks it.
If it's the young guy with short hair or the woman then sorry might not be so nice.

Adam's Verdict:
Mutton Chop 5/5

Yes that's right. Full marks.
Now I've had a lot of Mutton Chop(s) from a lot of places but this one might actually be one of the best ones I've ever had. Ever. Seriously. Go try.

Abdul Basith

FOODHUB @ Chai Chee aka T1
Blk 26A Chai Chee Road

Operating Hours:
5.30am - 10pm Daily

Epok Epok Central

I grew up in the Eunos Crescent neighbourhood.
Back then, the Eunos Crescent Market was in full swing and the adjoining food centre was just as popular.
From early morning breakfast til evening dinner. Everyone cam to get something.

And there was something for everyone too.
There were two whole sections of Chinese (Non-Halal) hawkers and only one section of Malay/Indian (Halal) hawkers. But that one section alone has so many treasures. And there was something for everyone.

Abu Bakar stall was famous for its Nasi Jenganan and Nasi Rawan.
Ali Baba stall famous for Roti Prata. Arifin stall for its Chicken Rice. Then there was the 'no sign' Kacang Pool' stall which also sold a pretty mean Rojak Buah. Then there was 'Mee Kak Tik'.
And so many more I can hardly remember.

The old market burned down some years ago and it took awhile for the new one to be built.
In that time, some of the hawkers probably moved on and decided not to wait for the new market to be built. But some of them returned to the old neighbourhood with a brand new market place.

One of those that was a staple back in the day and still stayed on - Epok Epok Central.

People would queue up for the fresh and hot epok-epok which seemed to come out in endless batches.
If there was one place for epok-epok then Epok Epok Central was it.

Potato, Sardine & Egg Epok-Epok

Just like before, you can get 3 types of epok-epok.
There's the default Potato & Sardine epok-epok ($0.40 each) and there's the Egg epok-epok ($0.60).
The Egg epok-epok has some potato filling in it as well.

The first thing I have to pint out is that I don't remember the epok-epok being so expensive in the past.
Of course, we are talking about the 90s when I was a kid so definitely the prices were lower back then.
But even in today's modern times, I'm guessing a few people would raise an eyebrow or two when the hear the price of $0.40 or $0.60 for an epok-epok.

What's that you say? The price seems reasonable?
Well, that depends on how you relate the price to the size of the product.

Yes that is my hand. And yes that is the epok-epok.
Now do you see what I was talking about when I mentioned the size?

The epok-epok is definitely bite-sized which I'm guessing some people (like my Mum) will appreciate.
Because this means that the pastry will be nice a crispy. Which it definitely is. Love that crisp!
The pastry has a nice bite to it and is not oily at all. They have definitely mastered the art of frying the epok-epok to ensure that it's a nice crispy golden brown.

The filling itself is also quite tasty. But....

(From left to right) Potato, Sardine, Egg

For those of you whole love your filling, then there might be some issue.

The filling itself is very tasty. The taste of the potato filling is especially tasty to me.
However, the sardine epok-epok seemed to have more onions than anything else. And that is simply something that I despise in my Sardine epok-epok.

Why call it Sardine if you're just going to pack it with onions? If you're worried about your sardine mixture being fishy then work on your mixture instead of taking the short-cut of piling on the onions I say.

To be honest the potato mixture also had its fair share of onions but at least I could get some potato chunks.
For the Egg version, you get about 1/5 of an egg stuffed in with the potato mixture.

Adam's Verdict:
Potato 3/5 -- Sardine 2/5 -- Egg 3.5/5

Epok Epok Central remains a familiar name when it comes to the tasty snack we all love.
Nowadays with places like Old Chang Kee offering fat oily currypuffs at a bargain price of $1.20, I guess it's easy to see how old-school places like this are on the losing end.

In fact, the long queue at the stall when I went was actually for the Nasi Lemak which they also seem to sell.
The old stall used to sell just epok-epok. Nothing else.
Maybe the Nasi Lemak is damn nice? I might check it out next time.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe Epok Epok Central's standards have really dropped.
But I'll never forget the excitement as a kid when Mum & Dad brought home some epok-epok.

 Epok Epok Central

Eunos Crescent Food Market & Food Centre
Blk 4A Eunos Crescent #01-09

Operating Hours:
9am -10pm Tuesday til Sunday
Closed on Monday