C.Nai Cafe Express @ East Coast Park

Went there on a Saturday evening. There are other eateries nearby as well.


shop exterior


menu (looked worn out)


The cushion seats that I got, was very dirty looking. But the table looked clean enough...


condiments typical of Chinese restaurants/cafes


utensils

Typical of most cha chan teng in Singapore, just write the number on the order chit, and pass it to the staff. They'll key in the order, and then you wait for the food to come.


part of our order


My friend absent-mindedly forgot to ask the server to serve the dessert later. So that was the first item that arrived on our table.


dessert of fuchook and gingko


can see the gingko?


lemon coke


lamb chop, with cucumber salad, mint gel and mashed potato






claypot beef brisket, with daikon and spring onions


tender beef


Noticed that the serving is not very big for the main dishes. I was most intrigued by that blob of white cream on the lamb chop plate, that turned out to be mashed potato. The lamb chop came with a bit of chewy skin that was hard to bite. Otherwise, the meat was well marinated and retains its lamby smell. The claypot came piping hot, so do be careful when tucking in. The daikon was soft and has absorbed the sauce. The beef brisket was tender and soft. The fatty part was the best! But that also means, this dish is quite oily!


There are live band performances at certain timings. So, that'll be extra entertainment. Otherwise, the place seemed popular with young crowd or families.

This meal for 2 costs slightly above SGD$30. Saw a few tables ordered the deep fried squid. Maybe that's nice?

Gyoza No Tetsujin @ ION Orchard

Located at B4-88/89 ION Orchard. This is a small kiosk with limited seats inside the stall. There were 3 people manning the stall, and mostly preparing the uncook gyozas.


seats facing the wall


They have ramen and gyoza combo which totals up to less than $10. I ordered just the gyoza (6 pieces for $4.80) to try. The inside of the shop is kinda small, and it was empty save for 2 Japanese customers having their dinner with canned beers. The shop probably can seat a max of 6 customers.

The decor of the shop is functional, and its wall is adorned with black and white photographs of gyoza preparation. Some Japanese programme on food is projected onto its bare wall, so that'll be entertainment while waiting for the gyoza to arrive.







clear yellow colored vinegar


gyozas


The gyozas are not very big, and can finish one in one bite. Of course don't put the whole thing into your mouth right after being served! 'Coz that'll be piping hot! It's salty enough so no need to dip in soya sauce. I liked it with the vinegar. Not too sour, just right to give it a little tang.


pork and cabbage fillings


soft minced pork


It was a fuss free dinner, and done in a jiffy. But you will need some 5-7 minutes to wait for the gyoza to be cooked. While I was eating, there were a few customers who came to order take-away.

Mayim @ West Mall

It's located at Level 2 of West Mall, Bukit Batok. Can't miss the bright red signboard. Serves typical Chinese food, and if you're early (like before 5pm), there're an assortment of dim sums and porridge available as well.




typical table setting


various condiments


One fun thing is that the tea cups on the same table usually differs from diner to diner.


tea cups in assorted shapes and sizes


The restaurant is very very noisy, with boisterous crowds during dinner. Tea is served from pot and prices ranges from $1 to $1.80 per head. If two diners order the same tea, you'll be given just one teapot but with the option to change/add tea leaves and unlimited refills of water.

As for the food, usually we'll order a couple of dishes to go along with rice.


appetiser - jelly fish with carrots, cucumber and mushrooms


spinach with mushrooms and edamame


the orange blob is not egg, it's tomato


trotters in ginger vinegar sauce


collagen!

The pig trotters in ginger vinegar sauce (猪脚醋) is the de-facto dish that we always order. Probably because everyone in the family likes it! The sauce is nice and goes well with a bowl of white rice.


white rice


chicken in wine sauce with half-cooked yolk


the yolk has been mixed into the sauce


yummy fats that doesn't feel oily


firm juicy chicken


The chicken dish that we had, looked ordinary but tasted good! The chicken was cut up in chunky pieces (but watch out for the bones), deep fried and later cooked in sauce. The meat was firm yet juicy and flavourful.

Chinese cooking tend to be heavy on salt, so wash it down with a pot of tea.


jasmine with rose buds


pretty flowers in my teapot


drink it up!

A Pinch of Salt @ Katong

Some say it is the old Ms Clarity Cafe. Well, I've no idea since Katong is really out of the way for a MRT traveller like me. Someone suggested to try this joint, and transportation is available, so why not.

It was 820pm when we reached and parked at this dimly lit carpark.


carpark view


looking in from the outerside


The cafe was about 80% full, but we were in a party of 5, so they told us to wait for a group that was leaving. And they will clear the table for us. So we sat outside, and pored over the menu.


menu


We felt like the forgotten child. No one updated us on the status of our table, no one came to take orders, and no one offered us even a glass of water...

We finally got a table and ordered our food at 9pm....


maybe this is disclaimer to thwart unhappy customers?


it took them 20 minutes to clear a table...


drawings on table


half full or half empty?


farm yard


root beer float


pan seared dory (which was super salty! so at your own risks!)


chicken cordon bleu


bacon and sausage baked rice


bread and butter pudding


Some of their dishes looked quite good, for example the escargots from other people's table, the giant chicken leg but a word of caution is do not expect too much out of the food or the service. We've seen at least 1 chicken leg sent back to the kitchen because it wasn't cooked properly at certain parts, and our own pan-seared fish dory (2 plates) were overly salty. The drink that came with the set meal, is so diluted you'd wonder whether it was really fruit punch.