08. I'd Queue 30 Mins For These

I had wanted to blog for a while now but didn’t have much worthy of a proper post. This contains some snippets of my personal life and #foodporn that deserve a bit of a mention. I’ve recently started my last year in university as a Honours student.. for now, all seems well but a daunting journey it’ll certainly be. 

I’ve a lot more time to myself but I ain’t doing anything about it since term started a couple of weeks ago. I’ve come to learn how incredibly hard habits are to break. I want to bake, to exercise (SIGH), to travel and possibly take up a part time job. Alas I’m still stuck in my routine of an everyday. 

In the very least, I've started reading again. Current read: F Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise and it’s an incredible read. I bought a set of all his novels and reading after such a long time makes me so happy. Something about a physical book with a good story that really relaxes me. Here’s my favourite quote thus far (I’m about halfway in, it was not easy to pinpoint ONE):

‘I’m a slave to my emotions, to my likes, to my hatred of boredom, to most of my desires—’

‘You are not! You’re a slave, a bound helpless slave to one thing in the world, your imagination.’

Not the usual cliche quotes that you find on tumblr for this book but this snippet spoke to me.

Anywho, here comes the food: 

AMK S11 Hawker Centre: Rasa Saying
BLK 711 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 (walkable from AMK Hub) ~$7 and up

This place has been a frequent haunt for my boyfriend for many years but only recently introduced to me in the past 1.5 years we've been together. Once evening falls, this place is hustling and bustling with activity. The queue that extends from this stall cannot be missed. We once waited 30 minutes for our dishes (in a hawker centre, that is considered long), not including time taken to find a table. I personally love their pork chop, and chicken chop. Add 50c for cheese fries and it'll put those from cafes to ultimate shame. Don't expect much for ambience but thumbs up for taste. 4/5 

Stateland Cafe
30 Bali Lane, S) 189866, Walkable from Bugis MRT
Located next to Choo Choo Chicken
$9 and up for dessert

Was terribly missing shibuya toast from Shibuya itself and decided to give Stateland Cafe's concoction since I was in the vicinity. It's a mere 5 minute walk from Bugis MRT and pretty convenient to find as well. This was $12.90 if I remember correctly and was a perfect combination of sweet and sour. They've a bunch of other renditions for shibuya toast but I went for the least sweet option. The yoghurt ice cream was the winning factor. I had never tasted anything like it! Consistency of ice cream but tasted like yoghurt. I wish the scoop was bigger. For the toast, it was alright but nothing to rave about.. I would go back (just because, yoghurt ice cream), only if I was in the vicinity. 3.5/5 

Food for Thought
Botanic Gardens - Tanglin Gate
There's a wide selection of buses that bring you here. (of the top of my mind: 7,77,75)
~$27-30 for 2 pax

We tried the classic cheese burger with beef patty and topped up $3.50 for a soft drink and fries. It wasn't life changing but it wasn't terrible. Their most popular burger is the pulled pork one but since we already ordered pulled pork pasta, we decided to change things up a little. The fries weren't oily, which is a plus point. The pulled pork cocciolette with pulled pork was AMAZING. I can't put it in words!! It had a hint of spiciness, the bacon and pulled pork went so well together.... EVERYONE GO TRY THIS. Their prices are all inclusive of GST and service charge. If you're too full, you could have a romantic or fun walk around the gardens thereafter ;) They have another outlet at National Museum too! 3.5/5

Oma Spoon
Somerset 313
$5.80 for a petit bingsu, $13.80 and up for the bigger ones.

OK this needs no introduction. A couple of friends and the boyfriend decided to try this one weekday night and it was packed to the brim at 930pm!!! We huddled around a tiny table that was meant for 2, but no complaints. This was worth it! This is the banana chocolate version of their bingsu. They have premium ones (with brownie, cheesecake..) and petit ones for smaller eaters. This is supposedly for 2pax but the 5 of us were satisfied. It's hard to describe it but our friend put it quite appropriately, 'Korean ice kachang' HAHA. 5/5!!! I had no qualms. ;) 

Here's an abrupt end to a random post. I hope to be back with more, seeing as I've definitely got more time on my hands now. :) 

Till next time. Thanks for reading.

@gak.kc on Instagram for more timely updates. 

06. Is Tian Kee & Co. Worth It???

 Interior of Tian Kee & Co

 Paddlepop Rainbow-esque Cheesecake $7.50

 Buffalo Drumlets $9.90 for 8 pieces 

Full Breakfast $15.90: Toast, Baked Potatoes, Ham, Sausages & Truffle Egg

--

Here's a short little update from me :) 

I headed to Tian Kee & Co. after 6 months (possibly more..) when me and my girlfriends first took notice of their rainbow cheesecake flooding the squares of Instagram. Finally, I was able to savour these off their extensive menu and to decide for myself whether I would return for a second time..

The buffalo drumlets weren't popular or recommended based off the menu but we decided to go for it anyway - and it was a delightful choice. The sauce wasn't incredibly sweet like most buffalo wings I've sampled at eateries such as TCC, Swensens and Big O. It was infused with a tang of spiciness which is always a good thing in my opinion ;) It was surprisingly good and I would definitely recommend this dish. For $9.90 and 8 pieces, it is quite reasonably priced. I'm usually a wings person but this was finger licking good (literally!) 

I had the full breakfast for myself (they serve all day breakfast, woohoo) and it cost $15.90. This was mediocre and a disappointment. The bread and ham was overly done and slightly hard, whereas the sausages were mushy and definitely not firm to the chew. The truffle egg was nicely done but I would have loved more truffle oil. This was something I could have made in the comfort of my own home and spend a fraction of the price I paid. I usually loooove all day breakfast sets at cafes but this one was just a miss for me. 

For dessert, the three of us shared the rainbow cheesecake (for the sake of Instagram too! Haha). The consistency is similar to jelly, or rainbow kueh. The cheese is subtle and not too overpowering. The crust was my favourite part! A slice cost $7.50. I would say..... a hit for the idea that it looks like the old school paddlepop ice cream and it's photogenic, but a miss in the overall taste. It gets gelat (sickly) after a while.. would not order seconds for this. 

Overall, the food is mediocre (expected, as Tian Kee & Co. is more known for their dessert cakes and pies). The menu is quite extensive, with burgers and mains on top of an all day breakfast selection which includes eggs benedict (ham $14.90 or salmon $15.90), salmon and guacamole bruschetta ($13.90) to name a few. It was about 12pm when we arrived and slowly but surely the crowd started trickling in, mostly from the office and those who wanted a cuppa coffee or two. 

There is seating on the inside and the outside (no air conditioning), but when I went, it was relatively breezy and the sun was not out on full force as it usually is. It's a quaint and homely cafe, and importantly not too claustrophobic like others can get especially when working with a smaller than usual space. I really liked the old school artefacts and ways they incorporated it into the dining experience. Tables were numbered with old school calendar motifs and a humongous kettle was used to hold drinking water! The prices on the menu was also inclusive of GST and service taxes making almost everything quite friendly on the wallet. 

Overall, I would not see myself going back to Tian Kee & Co. The drumlets were good but not life-changing enough. It's nice to try for first timers or just for drinks/coffee and a dessert indulgence but probably not for a full meal in my opinion.

Thank you for reading this short lil update of mine! Till next time,

X.

Tian Kee & Co.

6.5/10

12 Dakota Crescent, Singapore 390012

Closed on Mondays 

Open Tue-Fri from 9am

Nearest MRT: Mountbatten (Circle Line)

02. Chye Seng Huat Hardware

Alas, a second review on this relatively stagnant/dead blog. Nonetheless, updating it takes me away from the world of deadlines, presentations, essays...

Tonight, I'll be reviewing Chye Seng Huat Hardware or more affectionately known as #CSHH on Instagram.

It is my second visit there, the first time round they were still undergoing renovations for their main dining area. I was thoroughly impressed with their latte and blueberry muffin (the boyfriend agrees with this one, which means a lot b/c he tends to be less of a muffin fan). Thus, CSHH made it to the top of my cafe bucket list once it finished renovations! Several months later....

Their new menu! Was studying their menu from Oct 2014 online and had wanted to try the Italian breakfast but seems to be gone :-( We decided to go for the Huat! Breakfast with scrambled eggs and the Wild Mushroom Aglio Olio.

The Huat!Breakfast consists of ham steak, potato salad, chicken sausages, grilled tomato, choice of eggs (scrambled, sunny side up, overeasy) and a toasted brioche. - 3/5

I've had friends and Instagram posts rave about the CSHH Huat breakfast but I was quite disappointed with this, hence the 3/5 rating. The ham steak was the winner on the plate, followed by the brioche. The chicken sausages felt limp, would have wanted it to be fresher, with more flavour. The scrambled eggs - which I had high hopes for were a tad dry after a few mouths. Maybe I've had better big breakfast experiences at other cafes.... The potato salad is either a hit or miss, depending on if you like onions. It was subtle amount, but strong in flavour. Unique addition to a breakfast meal which was what I quite liked overall. 

Wild Mushrom Aglio Olio: A wonderful mess of mixed mushrooms, black fungus, chilli and coriander, fried enoki mushroom - 4/5

This was a pleasant surprise. The black fungus reminded me of Din Tai Fung's vegetable dish. The mushrooms and chilli blended so well together. This is a step away from the usual seafood alio olio that most cafes and restaurants serve. The chilli was not taste-bud numbing, allowing the flavours of all ingredients to stand out. The enoki mushroom on top was a tad oily but added to the fusion of flavours in the dish. The portion was relatively small, but great for small eaters like me because I wouldn't feel bad wasting a chunk of pasta. 

Missed out on coffee and desserts that day, plus forgot to snap shots of the interior because class was at 12pm and we were still happily munching away at 11:45am. CSHH had a very cosy and homely atmosphere. I would definitely go back again to try the other dishes and for their coffee, and maybe their Huat! Breakfast with another choice of egg. It was relatively crowded considering it is quite inaccessible for those who do not drive, and it being a weekday. It is a chill place for small friendly gatherings and to catch up over a cuppa. For those who drive, parallel lots are available along the nearby roads. 

Chye Seng Huat Hardware

150 Tyrwhitt Road,
Singapore 207563
6396 0609

Open Tuesday to Friday: 9am - 7pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9am - 10pm
Closed on Mondays

Till the next review, x.