Paid with my linked credit card & my cashback was tracked instantaneously:
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the best bowl of beef noodles ever. The beef slides are fairly thin (though delicious). I think the additional noodles meant that my soup was absorbed by them extra quickly, too. But the noodles are well made, what little I tasted of the soup was refreshing & tasty. & the chilli I added to my bowl was shiok!
Overall, it was a comforting bowl of noodles in this cold weather, & was a very affordable meal for me. & yes, I would dine here again. They have some other options like tomato soup bases & dry mushroom sauce noodles that I’d be keen to try.
You can also watch chef actually pull your noodles!
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available 🖥 Accepts reservations – I used Eatigo via Shopback 🍽 Shopback GO partner 📱 Accepts FavePay (but you won’t get Shopback GO cashback then) 📶 Free WiFi available (Funan is a Capitaland Mall) 🙋🏻 Service charge applicable 🚫 No GST
I’ve been wanting to pop by Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar for the longest time – finally did, albeit when happy hour was just over.
Happy Hour at this hole in the wall at CHIJMES is 4 – 7PM (Mon – Sat) / 2 – 8PM (Sun). Pints of craft beer go for $10+, premium craft beer for $12+.
Happy Hour at Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar
I missed Happy Hour, but I still enjoyed my pint of Passionfruit Wheat Ale ($14+) from Pasteur Street Brewing. Citrusy & fruity, there are hints of passionfruit & lemon, more so the former than latter so it isn’t sour like a saison. A light & delicious beer that pleases the crowd, & which I would order again.
Light & refreshing, I’m sure Pasteur Street’s Passionfruit Wheat Ale is a popular beer
Happy Hour or not, whatever you swipe your (linked) credit card for, you’ll get cashback from Shopback GO! I actually didn’t know this until I checked my phone after I swiped 😂
Sat at the bar counter with my back turned to the world; but before I immersed myself in some me time, I looked around & found the decor to be pretty simple. With various tones of grey & silver, the style is very metallic, almost like the interior of a spaceship.
One downside is that reception was pretty bad here.. I sat at the bar, not sure if it varies throughout the premises as they don’t have a huge space). WiFi also isn’t for public use, so I left after 1 beer.
I’ll probably return with a friend, or if I have offline work to do. 🍻
They had a food menu which I didn’t order from – instead, this coaster was my food for thought
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats only 🍽 Shopback GO partner 📶 No free WiFi 🙋🏻♀️ Service charge applicable 🚫 No GST
Discovered Kong Cafe while surfing Instagram – initially intruiged by their all-day happy hour promotion of 3 bottles of beer for $18. I soon learnt that they also serve coffee, brunch & dinner fare so I decided to pay them a visit.
I spy beer happy hour & a smile
Their menu is plastered all over their walls near the cashier, & I took some time to read through them.
Kong Café’s paper menus stuck on their walls
Eventually, I ordered the Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast, which unfortunately is not available on its own. It’s mandatory to order an add-on, which I think is quite a shame because I didn’t actually want any of them – Hummus, Sausage, Homemade Chutney, Bacon. I decided on the sausage in the end, making my Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast with Sausage $13.50 nett.
Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast with Sausage
This was served very quickly. It honestly doesn’t look like much, but it tastes pretty good. The scrambled eggs are creamy & slightly runny, just the way I like them. I just admit that the sausage gives the dish saltiness in good proportion. The sliced sourdough bread was impressively toasted to perfection! Crust not too hard (still easy to bite into), & the soft part of the bread pillowy & fluffy.
I do hope they consider putting just Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough Toast on its own on the menu. I’d frequent this place more often if they did.
Ordered a Flat White ($5.50 nett small, $6.50 nett large) to go with my brunch; got the large one at a promotional price of $6.00 nett. Pleasantly surprised at how easy this is to drink, yet has that oomph of a double shot of coffee to kick you awake. Would return here again for the coffee, to just spend time chillin’ here.
Nice art, nice coffee
The interior decor here is bare & minimalist; the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the main road (Dunearn Road) let a lot of light in, which makes the space bright & welcoming.
It wasn’t crowded on a Saturday afternoon when I visited, & a nice chill playlist plays softly in the background while customers chit chat or do work. There is a study area of 8 small tables on one side, & the remaining other tables have “No Studying” signs next to them.
Roomy, well-lit interior of Kong Café
Parking is free (though limited) at Sime Darby Centre on weekends – the parking lot is on level 2 right outside Cold Storage. But if you’re taking transport, Kong Cafe is right next to King Albert Park MRT.
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats only 📶 Free WiFi available 💦 Water is not chargeable 🙋🏻♀️ No service charge 🚫 No GST
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre has a plethora of food choices, but I decided on Dong Ji La Mian Xiao Long Bao 东记拉面小笼包 (#01-19) because I had to buy some frozen dumplings home today.
Ordered their Dumplings 水饺 ($5.00 for 10) & Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 ($4.50 for 6, $6.00 for 10). The skin is on the thick side, which I’m not so used to.. Especially for the XLBs where I prefer the skin thinner.
But this made for a decent meal. The chives in the dumplings added good flavour, & the soup in the XLBs was delicious. I would eat these again.
A feast of Dumplings & Xiao Long Baos
Plus points for self service ginger & vinegar – I always load up on the ginger, with minimal vinegar. & yet another one: This stall accepts GrabPay, so yay for cashless transactions & earning Grab points!
Made my way home with frozen goodies in tow: Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 go for $10 a bag of 20 pieces, Dumplings 水饺 at $12 for a bag of 30 pieces.
Ai seh. Hawker cuisine offers some of the most comforting yet simple dishes. I don’t mean simple in that the food is easy to prepare – but rather, no frills attached. To me, the payoff is tremendous when hawker food is simple & delicious.
The spread of meaty noodley goodness at Tong Luo Wan
Tong Luo Wan 铜锣湾 is a stall within Jin Biao Coffeeshop 锦标咖啡店; a quick 5 minute walk from Potong Pasir MRT, it’s located in a corner of Potong Pasir that I’ve never explored before (block 136 Potong Pasir Ave 3, for the record).
Jin Biao Coffeeshop @ Block 136 Potong Pasir Ave 3
Look up at their signboard & you’ll see Roast Duck 当归烤鸭, Soy Sauce Chicken 油鸡, Roast Pork 烧肉, Char Siew 叉烧. All meats at Tong Luo Wan are charcoal roasted; chef explained to us that he learnt his skills from someone who honed his craft in Hong Kong.
With the option of mixing & matching the meats with Noodles 面 or White Rice 白饭, your options are plenty. Being a #noodles4eva girl, I opted for the mee kia. It was still springy even after sitting in the braised sauce for a minute, while we took photos. An added plus point is that it’s not tossed in chilli so you can go ahead & add your own to your liking – be warned, the chilli packs a punch!
A good number of options for you to choose from
My favourites were the Roast Duck 当归烤鸭 & Soy Sauce Chicken 油鸡 because of how juicy they were. Don’t be intimidated by the Dang Gui (apparently called Female Ginseng, according to Google) used in the preparation of the duck. While I’m someone who loves herbal gao gao flavours, I appreciated the subtleness of the Dang Gui in this one. The duck meat also isn’t gamey, which some people fear. So I believe this would be pleasing to the palates of the masses, without compromising on quality or the essence of this dish.
Roast Dang Gui Duck 当归烤鸭
I was surprised that the Soy Sauce Chicken 油鸡 was one of my favourites, actually. (Then again, pork is my least favourite meat!) The ones I’ve had before were truly 油/oily, but this one wasn’t. Yet somehow, the meat itself managed to remain somewhat silky, & so smooth that it slid down my throat.
Soy Sauce Chicken 油鸡
Funny story – we asked chef why the Char Siew 叉烧 is sliced so thinly, as we’d rather it slightly thicker for greater meatiness. He explained he has tried it before, but the elderly folks gave him feedback that it was difficult to chew. Ha! Really sounds like something my grandpa would say (“咬不动”), & with the surrounding neighbourhood having a strong elderly representation I’m not too surprised.
So yes, this Char Siew is sliced a little thinner than I’d like, but it IS easy to chew. As someone who has had many a tough Char Siew in her life, I appreciate this.
Char Siew 叉烧
Speaking of the elderly, I can’t wait to bring my grandpa here! Glad that it’s logistically feasible & elderly-friendly; I can drop him at the road right outside the coffeeshop, park my car & walk a short distance to sit down with him.
It’ll have to be for breakfast or lunch though, as they open at 7AM daily until sold out, which is usually mid-afternoon.
Thanks Around with Amd for the invite & Jon for the hospitality! 💕
Winestone is a little out of the way to get to, but the ambience here makes up for it. Somewhat classy, but not pompous or stuffy. You could dine here with a friend, a date, or for business.
The interior of Winestone
I dined here in the evening, which isn’t the most ideal for food photography – but I reckon the floor to ceiling glass windows will give you ample natural light in the mornings!
Winestone’s bar
Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 brought me here; I was dead set on their pastas, & had a bit of dilemma on what to order from their Taste of Italy menu. Everything sounded good.
Eventually ordered the Ragout Tagliatelle ($25.00++) & Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) to share with my friend. I originally thought these wouldn’t fill me up when they were served, but I was wrong.
Ragout Tagliatelle
Being a beef lover, I thought I’d enjoy the ragout more, as it is generally a hearty solid dish right up my alley. I generally prefer shredded meat ragout over minced meat ones, & this was minced meat town. I did enjoy my half of this while it lasted, but on a comparative basis, it was definitely heavier on the palate which I can’t guarantee everyone would appreciate.
Fettuccine Ai Funghi
Don’t look down on the Fettuccine Ai Funghi ($22.00++) for being a vegetarian dish. This was delightful. A great mix of juicy sliced mushrooms & confit tomatoes, with creaminess from the ricotta cheese & some acidity from balsamic vinegar that cuts through the heaviness of this dish. What a winner.
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available 🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
Burpple Beyond is rolling out their new Premium & Lite plans, & I’m giving away 1 of each to 2 lucky winners. Visit the contest posts on @wobblethebui & Bui Bui Eats below to participate! Giveaway closes 8th Oct 2019.
I took a gamble on Yong Zhen Lor Mee Prawn Mee 永珍卤面虾面 (#01-40), not because there isn’t anything famous/worthy at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre (just Google), but because I came here for a late lunch & several lunch stalls had closed, & dinner stalls hadn’t opened.
My eyes lit up as I tasted the soup of the Prawn Mee ($3 nett). It was umami, slightly herbal, & very tasty. I slurped it again just to confirm – yep, it’s good.
Prawn Mee – soup & dry versions available
The noodles they use for the prawn mee is the lor mee noodles – the thick & flat yellow ones. I don’t actually like lor mee; I’ve never tried this combination before…. But I really like it! The silky smooth kuay teow mixed in upon auntie’s recommendation adds a nice texture variant, too.
Can’t complain about the ingredients in this dish. This bowl is priced affordably, & the prawns (only 2 pieces, wish there were more!), fishcake & pork slides were of decent quality. I finished everything in the bowl… Except the prawn tails. Mmmm yes I will be back for more.
Yesterday was International Coffee Day – I found this out only when the day was almost over! But perhaps it’s this special day that gave me the good luck I needed to uncover a great coffee stall at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.
My dad regularly orders coffee from Hylam Street Old Coffee 海南街老咖啡, after a friend introduced it to him & he got hooked. He then did the same to me, & now I’m hooked too.
Kopi C Kosong + Kopi
We’re always here during off-peak hour (past 2pm on a weekday), so the queue is minimal if even there at all. During crowded times, the queues can get pretty snaking long, I’ve heard!
This is clearly for good reason. The amazing fragrance of roasted beans, superb taste, & affordability. When I walked forward to place my order, I could smell the beans immediately. That made me change my order of tea to a coffee before I blurted it out to the uncle.
In terms of taste, I really can’t ask for more. It has the socksy kopitiam taste that you want in a cup of hawker centre coffee. It’ll definitely give you that kick awake that you need in the morning/mid-day.
& the price? $2 total for this kopi & kopi C kosong. Who needs volume when you’ve got quality; want more, just buy 2 cups lor. Still cheaper than Starbucks.
Afuri‘s specialty is yuzu ramen – they have all sorts, but I chose the Yuzu Tsukemen ($15.90++), the dipping ramen, which a friend had highly raved about earlier. Obviously, because this is dipping ramen, don’t expect it to be piping hot like a soupy ramen is. Please hor.
Pick up some noodles with your chopsticks, dunk it in the sauce, & slurp. As I slurped on my noodles, I felt pleased with my good judgement. The citrus flavour from the yuzu adds a refreshing twist to the savoury sauce.
Yuzu Tsukumen dipping ramen
It doesn’t look like it in this photo, but the dipping sauce is plentiful. You won’t run out, nor will you want to finish it all because this isn’t a soup & it is too salty on its own to drink. Being a non-fan of Japan (haven’t been there in >15 years), I can’t say for sure how authentic this is. But I can tell you I definitely enjoyed it.
The pork chunks had little layers of fat on it, but I still felt the meat was a bit too dry for my liking. Thankfully, it wasn’t overly tough to chew, so I finished it all. The other ingredients – half a boiled egg (with a nicely runny yolk in the middle!) & bamboo shoots, were in good proportion with respect to the ramen noodles.
💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats only 📱 Accepts FavePay 🍽️ Earn points with your J Passport membership 📶 Free WiFi (Funan is a CapitaLand Mall) 💦 Water is not chargeable
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