The Original Nasi Lemak

Location: Sembawang Road

Country of origin: Malaysia

Rating

Taste: 4/5 (so, it is the original. try the sweet and sour super crispy chicken!)

Price: 5/5 (very good price for the taste! only 3SGD)
Presentation: 1/5 (same "put everything on top" technique)

Ambiance: 1/5 (not located near any hawker and beside a pet store, read review)

Accessibility: 1/5 (very far from the hawker centers. you need to find it)

Recommended for: those who like nasi lemak

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito? Nasi Lemak as I remember, is known as fatty rice. Rice soaked in Coconut Cream or "gata" as we call it in the Philippines. I am a fan of flavored rice so I went looking for this hidden restaurant which they say has the best Nasi Lemak in Yishun. It is located somewhere near the landed areas of Sembawang. It is near the pet shops and other service shops like bikes, computers and billiards. It is very hard to notice that it is there. Anyway, as I eat the rice with my super delicious sweet and sour crispy chicken, I asked the waitress what was the restaurant's name. She said it was "the original" and truly enough when I looked at the sign board, it said "the original." They haven't move for decades and so they were stuck in that place far away from other hawkers.

Fushan Mixed Veggie Rice

Location: Chong Pang, Hawker Center

Country of origin: China

Rating

Taste: 2/5 (probably because the price is higher than usual, i expected more)

Price: 1/5 (for a hawker meal this is quite expensive for 5SGD)
Presentation: 1/5 (don't expect much on hawker meals)

Ambiance: 2/5 (it is at the entrance of chong pang, many people pass through that area, it is exceptionally clean though compared to other hawker areas. payoff = higher price)

Accessibility: 3/5 (if you live nearby chong pang, this is very accessible especially if you are in a hurry because it is located near the entrance)

Recommended for: those who are hungry and in a hurry. also recommended for those who want to eat and drink at the same time, why? read on!

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito? I went to this place because it was cleaner than most hawker stations around Chong Pang not knowing that the price is higher than others as well. Luckily for me I have my wallet with me because usually I just bring 6-8SGD (loose change) when going to hawkers. Anyway, after eating my usual choice meal, I found out that this is no ordinary hawker. There are girls in mini-skirts roaming around asking what you'll drink, pouring your drink on your glass and making conversations as you eat and drink. It is not what you think as you think it is because it is located at an open area haha anyway, I guess you get the idea. Food, not so good, normal taste on a higher price. Drinks better than others though, I specially liked the Lime juice. Beers? Different blog. haha!

Sizzler Ground Beef and Salad Bar Buffet

Location: Suntec City Mall, Singapore

Country of origin: Germany

Rating

Taste: 4/5

Price: 5/5 (only 19.50SGD for a meal, salad and soup buffet)
Presentation: 4/5 (actually depends on how you stack up your food)

Ambiance: 4/5 (awarded as cleanliest restaurant in the city)

Accessibility: 4/5 (Suntec city mall is located at the center of it all)

Recommended for: those who eat lots of meat and feel guilty afterwards

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito? The restaurant is located at Suntec City Mall and is awarded as one of the cleanliest restaurants in the city. They offer a promo usually during off-hours (after lunch), price of 1 for 2. The promo lets you buy a meal and instead of getting only the meal you bought, you will also have access to the salad bar buffet. For this meal, the salad bar buffet is 16.50SGD and the ground beef meal was 19.50SGD. So 19.50SGD for both? not bad, eh? Anyway, the mushroom soup was wickedly delicious. it was very thick and the toppings you can choose your own. The salad bar was full of different kinds of veggies and fruits. The carrots were chilled and very crispy which was a plus for me. There are cold cuts also. The ground beef was a bit big and I wasn't able to finish the whole thing. Or maybe because I was already full with the salad bar. The plates were insanely still hot from sterilizing, so beware because you might drop one. I almost drop one myself! They also have a yogurt buffet and you can sprinkle unlimited toppings to end the pig-out session.

Ikea Chicken Wings and Meatballs

Location: Ikea, Tampines, Singapore

Country of origin: New York

Rating

Taste: 4/5

Price: 3/5 (only 22SGD for all of these)
Presentation: 3/5 

Ambiance: 1/5 (it is located at a furniture store and it is usually crowded)

Accessibility: 1/5 (ikeas are usually placed at city out skirts, for this outlet we needed to ride a free shuttle to go there)

Recommended for: those looking for a light snack after shopping

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito? The cafe is perfectly located at the middle of the furniture store. Just the perfect place to take a light snack after roaming around the store. The chicken wings were cooked perfectly and it doesn't need any sauce. The outside covering is very crispy and the burnt brown color is very tempting. The meatball was ok. The gravy sauce is a bit watery though. They put strawberry jam at the meatball plate and it is greatly mixed with the mashed potato, gravy and the meatball. All in all, this is a perfect place to take a light, delicious snack if you are tired or just plain hungry from shopping in Ikea.

Express Teppanyaki

Location: North Point Mall, Yishun, Singapore

Country of origin: Japan

Rating

Taste: 2/5 (read review to know why)

Price: 3/5 (only 16.50SGD for one set meal)
Presentation: 5/5 (you sit closely to a tepan chef encircling him while he is cooking and distributing your freshly cooked japanese dishes)

Ambiance: 3/5 (usually located beside food court center of malls)

Accessibility: 5/5 (there are lots of branches and mostly they are located in malls)

Serving: Recommended for those who enjoy japanese tepan

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito? Me, my cousin and her husband all went here to spend a late lunch and we ordered different kinds of set meals. They shared theirs and I shared mine so we got to taste different kinds; fish, pork, squid, scallops, etc.. First round is to fill you up with some vegetables. After this, they will now cook your ordered set meal. They will ask you this, "chilliy ow no chilliy." I readily said "with chilli please!" I underestimated the "chilli-ness" of their chilli sauce and three spoonfuls after, I was sweating like a pig who ran a 5km marathon and took the sauna afterwards. I ordered another cup of rice because it was so hot. I can feel the chilli burning my stomach. I literally pulled out the chilli seeds on my plate just so I can continue eating it. Anyway, all in all it was a nice set meal, I did enjoy the tepan. But next time, I probably would not place chilli on my meal or just say "lit-tle chilliy onliy please, lah" so I can fully enjoy my meal. For those who will try this, you have been warned!

Yi Jia Yuen Curry Rice

Location: Chong Pang Hawker Center, Singapore

Country of origin: India

Rating

Taste: 4/5 (this is probably one of the best hawker in chong pang)

Price: 5/5 (only 3.60SGD for the 4viands and 1rice. 1.50 for the bird's nest drink)
Presentation: 1/5 (just look at the picture haha)

Ambiance: 1/5 (it is located in a hawker center)

Accessibility: 2/5 (this actually depends on where you are, all districts in Singapore should have hawker centers. It is just a matter of walking or taking a bus if you are far from one)

Serving: Recommended for hungry sailors

Review

Masarap ba ang mga putaheng ito?  This was the first time I ever ate in this kind of hawker in singapore. I think they call it tapaw, similar to the Philippines' "turo turo." You order rice, then you choose your viands. This actually needs a skill, you have to know what combination is suitable for your main dish. I, for one, always pair meat, egg and veggies. I probably got this from eating "tapsilog." For my first try, I ordered pork (like adobo), steamed vegetable, scrambled egg and chicken. again, it all depends on how you combine your viands. Remember that you could put sauce on your rice at the end so make sure the curry sauce is greatly paired with your choices. I did good on this plate so it was one hell of a meal! The dishes were freshly cooked and it is still hot off the pan. Oh, btw, this hawker is easy to find because if it is open, usually the queue here is alarmingly long. So, if ever you are in Chong Pang and you are hungry as a bear, try this! About the drink, I was excited to see that they were selling bird's nest drink. I always wandered how it would taste (read my blog about how bird's nest is made). Honestly, I was a little bit disappointed. I expected it to be "more tasteful." But the taste was different from what I expected, it was like water with jell-o bits at the bottom of the glass. The price was higher than other drinks around so probably I expected more.

Ishi Mura Black Pepper Pork Omelette Rice

Location: North Point mall, Yishun, Singapore

Country of origin: Japan

Rating

Taste: 3/5 (too spicy for the normal tongue)

Price: 4/5 (a 5.50SGD meal in a clean air-conditioned mall)

Presentation: 1/5 (looks like vomit. they just place the omelet rice on the plate and splat the viand all over it)

Ambiance: 4/5 (ishi mura is composed of several japanese inspired restaurants with japanese inspired design)

Accessibility: 5/5 (located at the top level of a mall connected to Yishun MRT)

Review

Masarap ba ang putaheng ito? A medium sized meal perfect for late lunches. A bit too saucy and the pepper taste is highly noticeable which is not good if you don't like pepper much. A bit spicy too and you can't separate the spice because it is within the sauce itself scattered all over the dish. The pork is medium rare and I think it would be better if they grilled it a bit more but that is just my opinion. I always like thinly sliced crunchy and fatty pork, like bacon. All in all a great japanese dish in a japanese inspired environment. Perfect for those who doesn't eat the raw japanese delicacies like sashimi.