Pastries, The Local Way @ Ming Xiang Tai

One cannot talk about Penang and not have food come up as a red hot topic. There is something for everyone here, be it Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan, anything ranging from the humble hawker fare to restaurants, cafes, coffee shops. The options are just mind boggling if you are a keen foodie (and have the stomach space for a sampling of this and that). Unfortunately I do not have a bottomless pit for a stomach and I can only consume so much (so many more I've yet to sink my teeth into), and also, unfortunately, with age hurriedly catching up with me, the waistline is also rapidly expanding with every mouthful of food I consume, and every gaspful of air I breathe.
I discovered this yummylious little shop just next to the where the famous Chendol stalls are, and a quick visit there yielded me some extra kilos in weight after succumbing to the wonderfully aromatic local Chinese pastries freshly baked in-store.

Best Dim Sum @ Land Of Rice Fields

Looking back at the past few posts about this nondescript corner of Malaysia, it would be safe to assume that food was the biggest, if not the greatest highlight of the trip to Land Of The Rice Fields. Well, that's one perfect way to be in touch with the local culture so to speak - through food. For me, traveling is about experiencing new things, new sensations, new food, new sights. Shopping is usually last on the agenda on my list of "must-dos", sometimes, it doesn't make it on the list. But food, that is one thing that I cannot overlook. So here I am, on another foodie adventure, this time a hearty breakfast of fabulous dim sum, in one of the most unlikely of places - a Chinese temple (well kind of, they share the same building).

The dim sum restaurant is located at the front of the building complex

Well this is a improvised version of the traditional pushcart.

Display windows definitely made life easier for a Mandarin illiterate hehe.

Reddy Goes A-Wandering - Eng Kee Famous Roasted Duck

A good 80% of places I've written about here, were accidental finds. Wandering feet during lunch hour can often lead me to pretty good joints. Just like this place in some random coffeeshop in a small slip road next to the busier Anson Road. I've often come across a snaking queue right in front of the coffeeshop (whilst on my way to another favourite Indian makan joint, which I will talk about some time soon) and wondered what could be tantalising enough to warrant such a queue! Yes, like any true blue Singaporean, who adores food, I found myself drawn towards the enigmatic draw of the line-up. Haha. So here you go, Eng kee Famous Roasted Duck, for your reading pleasure. Promise not to drool too much ok? 

Aiyo... just look at the crackling............

Gone Local @ Quan Ji, Amoy

Been to Amoy gazillion times, but never noticed them. Not till my eyes spotted a fellow colleague's takeaway lunch and I went... "Ehh? That looks and smells good!" So off to Amoy again, this time to try out Quan Ji's popular dish of Fried Sliced Fish Soup. This dish, along with the likes of Char Kway Tiao and Chicken Rice, is a staple in our hawker scene. There are a few variations - the ones with poached fish slices, the ones with prawns and fish slices, ones with slices of fish that are deep fried. You can add your choice of starch to the soup as well, be it "thick" or "thin" bee hoon, or just soup and a bowl of white rice on the side. Oh oh, not forgetting the "milk" version and the one without, and also another version that has XO added for that extra "zing"!
That's about all I can ramble off the top of my head about the "evolution" of the humble bowl of fish soup, now enjoy the salivating pictures I have to share with you guys! :)

Thick succulent slices of fish, very fresh and no "fishy" smell. Super sedap! Best eaten with a chilli padi and light soy sauce dip.. *drool*

Each portion at $5.00 a bowl.

Reddy's Lunchtime Adventures - Piao Ji Fish Porridge @ Amoy

There is perpetually a QUEUE here EVERYDAY. Like, we're talking 20-ish people minimum, and waiting time can range anything from 30 minutes (you're super lucky) to 50 minutes (that's the longest I have ever waited). Ask any fans of the healthy fish soup dish, Piao Ji Fish Porridge will be mentioned more often than not. What is the fuss about, one will ask. Well, once you have tasted the sweet tasty broth and taken bites of their succulent slices of very fresh fish, you too, will be hooked, and will join in the rest of the legions of fans who diligently await their turn in line to feed the need for more. So dramatic. Yes, very.

Fish and Prawn Soup. Damage? $10.00 for the smallest portion.

Reddy's Early Morning Breakfast Adventure - Neptune Dim Sum

Dim Sum or "Dian Xin" is essentially Cantonese in origin - bite sized, handcrafted portions of food served in bamboo steamer baskets, served typically during breakfast or tea time. Dim sum  is to the the Chinese community, what English Afternoon Tea is to the English (and the rest of the world nowadays). In keeping up with the times, dim sum is now readily available almost throughout the day, be it for breakfast,lunch, dinner and even supper in some places. Dim sum is one of Reddy's top fave comfort food, and any place with a good egg tart will definitely be on Reddy's radar. And that definitely makes Neptune Dim Sum at Marine Parade Hawker Center worthy enough a visit anytime.

Hello sunshine..

Geylang Beef Hor Fun - Reddy's Favourite Comfort Food

The first time I tasted this infamous dish was more than fifteen years ago. There is just something specifically unmistakable about the taste of this humble zhi char dish that you can only find here at Geylang Lorong 9. I have never forgotten how the first mouthful of their Beef Kway Teow carved an indelible mark of gastronomic satisfaction in my mind and I could never quite find anything close to what my mind vividly recalls. Fast forward a decade-ish later.. I still find myself hankering over THAT plate of Beef Kway Teow. And, they are still as good as they were then.

Every slice of beef is tender, flavourful and almost, just almost melts in your mouth. 

And the gravy? Gratifying.

Mooncake Overload - When RaRa and Reddy Went Overboard..

Have to admit that I did go overboard. Too many goodies too little time and tummy space! Gluttony took the reign unfortunately and we ended up with too many a good thing. But on the other hand, RaRa and Reddy ate to their's (very greedy) heart's content! Here's to the extra weight and thicker waistline! Yay!

Pink = Praline Chocolate Poprocks, White = White Chocolate Yuzu, Purple = Dark Chocolate Truffle 99%, Green = Salted Caramel

Mooncake Frenzy

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone, and it was that time of the year again where hoteliers and pastry chefs and old school mooncake shops try to outdo one another with all time favourites and yearly new (sometimes audacious) flavours. While the traditional baked mooncakes remain generally the same combination year after year (lotus paste, red bean paste, five kernel - consists of 5 types of nuts and seeds with the occasional Jin Hua ham). Over time, creativity and the quest for new ways to excite the palate diversified the once humble delicacy. Modern interpretations have run the gamut with flavours such as green bean paste, custard filling, durian paste, chocolate ganache, champagne ganache, bird's nest and even truffle! Here's a recap of what went down this year's season.....

Ritz Carlton's snowskin range has been a personal favourite for many years, with the Green Tea with Salted Egg Yolk being the Numero Uno. Unfortunately, in the heat of the rush and the throngs of crowd, I blindly ordered without realising that I have successfully ordered all plain ones! Sigh. 

Box of 8 minis (this combination) @ $65.30

Pink = Lychee Martine, White = Lotus Paste, Green = Green Tea

A Taste Of Mainland China - Wen Jia Bao @ Pasir Ris Interchange

Barely a few months old and already drawing in queues (in SG that can mean that it's worth queuing for, haha), Wen Jia Bao dishes out handmade comfort food for those in a hurry to work and those weary from a day's hardwork. Located in between the MRT and the bus interchange at Pasir Ris, they seem to be popular with the rush hour crowd hoping to grab a hot bite. Prep work is done in a tiny workspace just behind the mouthwatering glass display of freshly made goodies. The base of each bao is the familiar bread-like texture. But once fried and stuffed with a multitude of stuffing, each bao holds it's own identity.

I am not Mandarin literate, so I will have to describe this according to their signboard. "Biscuits with Meat and Egg" @ $2.00, huge chunk of juicy minced pork sits in between the fried bao dough. Very nicely marinated, with hints of garlic (that is about it I could make out! Haha!)

RaRa's New Favourite - Din Dai Fung

A name synonymous with Xiao Long Bao, those tiny burst-in-your-mouth-soupy-meatball-in intricately folded parcels. Din Dai Fung's story began in Taiwan, some time in the 70s, with a man named Bingyi Yang. Mr Yang started off as a delivery man for a cooking oil store. He was promoted to take charge of the company's accounts after 2 years of service. Unfortunately, the business suffered losses and had to bring down it's shutters. Mr Yang was then left unemployed and he too set up a cooking oil store soon after. Plummeting sales in the 70s saw Mr Yang diversify the business into making steamed dumplings for sale. The steamed dumplings soon attracted the crowd with it's exquisite taste and quality. Fast forward to today, Din Dai Fung have been accorded a Michelin star and won praises the world over for their high quality comfort food.

Each dumpling is meticulously weighed to ensure uniformity and each is intricately hand weaved with 18 fine folds

Dinner With The Lesser Crowd - Tim Ho Wan @ Bedok Mall

Tim Ho Wan, needs no further introduction, after landing at our shores 2 years ago from Hong Kong. They have since enjoyed roaring success and have stayed on as a go-to place for good affordable Dim Sum. Fast forward year 2015, Tim Ho Wan now has 5 outlets - Plaza Singapura, Toa Payoh, Bedok Mall, Jurong East and Kallang Avenue. It has won the coveted culinary award - the Michelin star recognition, despite it not being in the same price league with the usual fancier establishments. Michelin star or not, the food here is GOOD. And location of choice today is Bedok Mall (closer to home lah).

Baked Buns with BBQ Pork. THE best I have ever had. The crusty top is sweat and crispy, the filling is juicy and chock full of perfectly roasted Char Siew morsels.