Two Chefs Eating Place

Dear Fans,

How are you today? =)

Today, I am going to share with you a local Zi Char stall that my family and I have visited recently. I'm sure some of you have heard from its name.

Anyway, here is my two cents' worth of the signature dishes that we've ordered:

1. Butter Pork Ribs (Signature Dish) $8 - I love it when the bones are removed. This is actually more like Pork Chop. The meat is graciously tender. The butter powder is milky and slightly creamy, with a tinge of saltiness and spice. The curry leaves buried in the powdery "snow" manage to boost the dish to the next level. 3/5

2. Golden Mushroom Tofu (Signature Dish) $8 - The tofu is soft and not beany in taste. For me, the key in this dish is its sauce. Somehow, it tastes like Chili Crab sauce. Love the sauce. But the tofu fail to absorb the sauce. A slightly thicker sauce might be helpful. I really wish that the tofu can keep its heat. Put it on the hotplate or craypot, please? 3/5

3. Fried Prawn Ball in Salad Sauce (Signature Dish) About $20 - I love the crispiness and juiciness of the prawn balls. The mayonnaise sauce is good too. It has a tinge of sourness (the Chef probably added some lemon juice). The floss topping complements the dish by adding a hint of sweetness. 3.5/5

4. Tri-egg Chinese Spinach (Signature Dish) $12 - The name is derived from the number of egg types in this dish. These are Chicken, Salted and Century eggs. Heard some hype about this dish but, sorry to say it is a huge disappointment for me! Really ordinary in taste. I had much better ones. 2.5/5

The other three dishes that we've ordered are: Herbal Chicken Soup ($13), Prawn Rolls (Ngoh Hiang, $8) and Steamed Red Spotted Grouper ($36). The first and third dishes are fairly average, while the prawn rolls are way below average. The rolls are non-crispy and mushy.

Overall, the food was alright and the prices was reasonably good. If you happen to be at Commonwealth, you might like to drop by and have a tasting session with your loved ones.

Location / Operating Hours / Calling Number:
Blk 116 Commonwealth Crescent,
#01-129,
Singapore 140116
Mon: 5pm – 11.30pm
Tue–Sun: 11.45am–2.30pm, 5pm–11.30pm
Tel: 6472 5361

QQ Noodle House

Dear fans, :)

How is your day coming along? Great day, isn't it?

I was shopping at Bugis with my friend last week. She recommended QQ Noodle House. I was thinking why not? It is one of the cheaper eat-out places compared to other restaurants and cafes at Bugis.

Exterior: The vibrant colours and posters on the glass entrance of the store never fails to capture my attention. But it might be a double-edged sword. Clutter (blocking the full view of the interior, less clean-cut look) or attention-grabbing?

Interior: Ample lighting. As for seats, you have the choice of wooden and cushion seats. We wanted to take the cushion seats but the condition of some cushion seats was a major turn-off. In the end, we chose the wooden seats in the middle of the store. Generally, it is quite a comfortable environment for a chat.

Food Choices: Moderately wide number of choices. You can try their specialty noodles, or some of the popular Hawker-centre or Zi Char dishes (like Sweet and Sour Pork) or both.

Prices: For their QQ Noodle House Specialty, it is $5 (dry version, see below for the description) or $6 (soup). The cheapest Zi Char dish is about $6.

Customer Service: We ordered two bowls of QQ Noodle House Specialty. It was left at the serving counter for a few minutes. We were dead-hungry thus I approached the counter and asked if I could carry it back to my table. The guy at the counter was a little embarrassed. He called out to the waitress but there was no reply. Too hungry to wait, I grabbed the tray of food and went back to my seat.

Below are some photos that I've taken:

QQ Noodle House Specialty -

Consists of Kampua Noodles, Sweet Barbequed Pork ("Char Siew"), Minced Pork, Meat Dumpling ("Wanton"), a Fishball, a Meatball and Vegetables. I love the texture of the noodles. It is firm and chewy. The sauce is lovely! I can picture some pork lard, onion oil and soy sauce or MSG. The fishball and meatball were not that great. 4/5

Some background of Kampua vs Kolo Mee:

"Kampua noodles, which mean dry plate noodles in the Foochow dialect, are one of the specialties of Sarawak, right alongside kolo noodles. Although similar, kolo noodles originate from Kuching, while Kampua noodles hail from the Sibu district."
[Reference: http://www.sharesinv.com/articles/2010/11/30/myths-on-mee-debunking-the-myths-on-sarawak%E2%80%99s-kampua-noodles/]

FYI, the location of QQ Noodle House:

Bugis Village
231 Victoria Street
Singapore 188025

A Vegetarian Meal at Hwa Jin Vegetarian Family Restaurant

Dear fans,

Daddy, Mummy and I had a splendid dinner at Hwa Jin Vegetarian Family Restaurant, located in Bukit Gombak. We have been here a couple of times.
The exact location: 359 Bukit Batok ST 31 #01-393 Singapore 650359.

I love to be a Vegetarian once in a while. It makes my mind, soul and tummy feel better. At least psychologically. =)

Interior: The size is roughly a third of a coffeeshop. Casual, cosy and comfortable environment. Well-ventilated.

Price: So reasonable. On average, about $5 per dish.

Food: In general, I see a lot of efforts, be it appearance or taste. Overall, I would give them 4/5.

Here are some photos for your kind viewing:

Impressive Signboard, isn't it? It reminds me of a Martial Arts School.

1. Hokkein Mee - This is my favourite dish. Never fail to order it. It is a must-try for all. The vegetable stock-like gravy is superb. It brings up the flavour of the entire dish. 4.5/5

2. Fish in Sweet Vinegar Sauce - The fish is made up of Tofu Skin I think. I love the mouthfeel of this dish. It is thick enough for me to bite into. As the name suggests, you get the taste of sweetness and sourness from the sauce. The sauce is rather well-balanced. 3.5/5

3. Sweet Potato Leaves - I love this dish. It has this slightly burnt note. Wolfberries are added, which is an excellent complement in my opinion. I remember this dish used to contain Vegetarian Prawns. Apparently, the store has removed them. Oh well, the dish is still worth 3.5/5.

4.1 Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce - The fish is coated with a layer of flour and send to fry. It doesn't taste oily due to the charm of the sauce. Well-balanced sweet and sour sauce. Don't worry, this dish is not spicy (if you worry about the chilies in the picture). 4/5

4.2 "Shi Jie Ming Pian" - I am not sure how the name is derived. But my Mum mentioned that this is a common name for the dish. Abalone Mushrooms are flour-coated and fried. They are simply mouth-watering. Because of the layer of flour, their moisture is retained and it gives you that crispness. Again, this is bathed in sweet and sour sauce. My favourite sauce! 4/5

4.3 Oyster Omelette ("Hao Jian") - Boy! Oyster Omelette is one of my favourite indulgences! This dish is not always available so I was lucky. The Chef uses mushroom instead of oysters but it still tastes good. Plenty of eggs used. Probably because of the comment that my Mum made when deciding whether to order (she said, "too much flour and so little eggs"). If it is so, the restaurant puts a lot of efforts in satisfying its customers. 3.5/5

I saw this poster containing some inspiring phrases and thought
I should share this.
Let me translate to English:

After saying, you do not listen.
After listening, you do not understand.
You do not understand but you do not ask.
After asking, you do not do.
After doing, you make mistakes.
You make mistakes, but you do not admit.
You admit but you do not change.
You change but you are reluctant.
You are reluctant but you do not say.

Well, I hope the above information is useful. Please share your comments if you have any. :)