Xin Mei Le Bak Kut Teh 新美乐肉骨茶 @ Tanjong Pagar Road

Amongst rows and rows of Korean eateries and drinking places, found this little bak kut teh shop. Seemed like some Taiwanese celebrities had tried it before, as there are photo evidences plastered at its front door.

menu

The service crew is young and polite. And there was just this other table occupied as we were there early. Like around 6pm on a weekend. The place is airconditioned and provided a cooling respite from the hot and humid air outside.

interior

Was in the mood for braised pork knuckles 卤猪脚, so got a bowl of that plus a bowl of regular pork ribs soup. Stir-fried vege was kinda pricey for a small portion, so got ourselves a bowl of soupy tang-o.

Food was delivered pretty fast, except for the tang-o.

dinner

The you tiao 油条 (fried dough fritters @$1.20+) was bad. It tasted heavily of stale oil so we left it untouched after one piece.

Thankfully, the rest of the food was alright. The tang-o portion was little (@$3+) but adequate for the price. The pork ribs was nicely tender and with fiery peppery soup with herbal aftertaste. It was like teochew styled bak kut teh with a hint of hokkien.

original pork ribs bak kut teh (@$7.80+)

Soup refill is free but probably not a good idea to drink too much. Not too sure if it had MSG but felt rather thirsty after that.

Quite liked the braised pork knuckles. Adequately braised with sauce permeated into the meat. Yums. Good to drizzle over the white rice (@$0.60+ per bowl).

braised pork knuckles (@$7.80+)

Dinner for 2 costs about $27.

Au Chocolat Bistro @ Marina Bay Sands

Located at Level 1 of MBS (Marina Bay Sands). It can be seen from the Rasapura Food Court if one looked upwards.

chalk board

Was there for brunch before going to the ArtScience Museum. Water is chargeable with choice of sparkling or still. Got ourselves coffee instead.

black coffee @ $6++

seats

nice ceiling

For food, friend had the duck confit while I opted for the King's Breakfast.

duck confit @ $28++

Duck confit was served with mashed potato, pear, baby carrots and wilted spinach. It was not too salty.

King's Breakfast @$26++

Mine consist of scrambled eggs with black truffle, cherry tomatoes, brioche, crispy bacon, sausages, smoked salmon, avocado and tater tots, served with Lurpak butter. The tater tots (hash brown) was nicely crispy and not too oily.

The meal costs about $38 per pax.

Bali Thai @ Velocity, Novena Square

Located at Level 3 of Novena Square. One of the few halal places for the office lunch crowd. Was there for lunch and we ordered dishes to share.

belinjau crackers with sweetish watery chili dip (@$3++)

hot honey lemon (@$3.50++)

White rice is free-flow, so one could eat as much as they need. Tauhu telor (fried egg beancurd) with kicap manis goes well with the rice but our version was lukewarm. Good to share amongst 3 pax.

tauhu telor

kangkung with chili

For vegetables, it felt like tapas. Small plate. One plate of vege was just enough for 2 pax.

pandan chicken (1 piece per serving)

pandan chicken unwrapped

The pandan chicken was slightly dry. We also had a pot of seafood tom yum soup (@$12++) which my colleagues said was quite yummy. Not enough for everyone as one pot serves about 4 small bowls. Also had a plate of sizzling egg tofu (with frozen corn, green peas and carrots) with seafood and a green curry.

For desserts, go for the warm sticky rice with mango. Waited quite a while for desserts but it was worthed it. Slightly sweeter but nice.

mango with glutinous rice, coconut milk

Spent about $21 per pax for lunch.

Yayoiken @ 313 Somerset

Located at B3 of 313 Somerset. Upon exiting the MRT, enter 313 Somerset and take the escalator down. Friend said that the curry at this place is nice.

 menu

interior

Place was quite empty but we were seated right next to this two-seater. As we were there for quite awhile (about 2 hours), we saw the small two-seater changed occupants so frequently as usually they will think twice being seated so close to another table while there are other larger empty ones.

Ordering was a breeze via the self-service electronic pad.

ordering dinner

Prices for a set meal here are between $9.90++ to $26.90++, and green tea is @$1++ refillable. Got myself a buta yakiniku set.

buta yakiniku set @$9.90++

Was rather taken aback by the paleness of the pork slices. It looked better with the sauce drizzled over. Sauce was not too salty, so it was alright to pour everything over the pork slices.

with sauce

There is a bottle of dry pickles on the table, so that was pretty nice. Reminds me of non-spicy sze-chuan pickles. Rice is free-flow. But the rule is, must use the original rice bowl to get the next serving of rice.

yummy pickles

Items that friends ordered:

Yofu Hamburg Set @$15.90++

Tekka Don + Zaru Udon @$17.90++

Hire Katsu Curry Rice @$16.90++

Had a taste of the curry and agreed that it was nice.

Madame Patisserie Bar & Bistro @ MacKenzie Road

Located at 25 27 29 MacKenzie Road, with nearest MRT Station being Little India. There's a huge carpark there, cut across that and then cross the road and one will reach the bistro.

First thought of Madame Patisserie. Desserts? All sorts of pretty looking, dainty sweet desserts filled my mind. However, a quick look on the menu revealed pretty much of western starters, main course and bar snacks. Here is the link to their online menu.

On the day of visit which was on a weekday, the place was still quiet. But reservations tag were on most tables. The diners came from 730pm onwards.

main dining area

Happy Hour is long, from 3-9pm. A pint of Erdinger (on tap) @$11++ and Singapore Sling @$9.90++. I'll tell you more on the Sling. Later.

beer for you?

Madame Patisserie has a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Unwind after a day's of hard work? Sure. If you prefer to dine in a more private space, look no further as they do have that special corner.

private space

Ok, on to the food! Let's start.

Madame's Soup of the Day: Apple & Carrot @$10.90++

Soup was comforting, mildly sweet and akin to buttersquash. Familiar. The garlic bread was really crispy, and very crackly even when doused with soup.

Then, the service staff brought in the salad, Rucola Beef. Menu stated sliced grilled beef, rocket leaves and 'wafu' dressing and topped with fried shallots. Knew that the fried shallots will be the deal clincher in this dish and true enough. My table was happy. Good combination. However, personally felt that it was a tad salty, so this should be good with a beer.

Rucola Beef @$17.90++

Foie gras was next. A really pretty looking one too. The apples and strawberries with maple balsamic vinaigrette seemed to cut down on the richness of the liver. Enjoyable sweet savoury dish.

Pan Seared Foie Gras @$20.90++

And the crowning glory of all appetisers...Da Bacon Bomb! Such a hip sounding name, contrastingly plated with a touch of elegance. Portobello mushroom, with egg in the center, wrapped with bacon and baked to near perfection, served on a bed of potato mousse. Sinful and tasty.

Bacon Bomb @$16.90++

Main course, serving next.

Beef Cheek @$24.90++

It is a drier version of beef cheek. The sauce was listed as red wine sauce, but it had that extra flavour that kept me guessing. So, in terms of that, it was interesting. The beef was firm yet easy to cut.

Duck Confit @$17.90++

Another pretty looking dish! The orange sauce on the plate was such a happy colour. The duck tasted good too. Tender, adequately seasoned and non-greasy feel. Yums.

beckoning for a taste

Next up, was another fowl. Time for some Chicken Roulade. Juicy chunks of chicken meat, lovingly rolled up with crispy outer layer. Don't forget to taste the grilled tomato. Sweet.

Chicken Roulade @$16.90++

Can't live without carbs? No worries. How about a pasta (or two)?

Smoked Duck Linguine @$20.90++

Beef Paccheri @$18.90++

The Beef Paccheri, Madame Patisserie's version, sees the pasta being baked to achieve a smokey flavour. Liked the amount of sauce for both pasta dishes.


One more meat dish to end our main course. Slow roasted lamb shoulder, served with mint sauce. As the knife sinks into the meat, one will know there and then on the texture of this dish. Easy to cut, gentle to chew and each bite brought forth a burst of that nicely cooked lamb flavour. If you like lamb, go for those fattier bits and nearer to the bone. It was good.

Agnello @$26.90++

beautiful bites

How could we leave without sampling its desserts?

Apple Crumble, Vanilla Mousse with Lychee Jelly, and Chestnut and Pear Dome Mousse Cake

crumbly and very sweet

Chestnut and Pear Dome Mousse Cake @$8++

Quite liked the Vanilla Mousse as its inside is more cake-like. Personally, would've preferred real lychees instead of lychee jelly though.

As with a bar, I'd order a drink. Tried its Singapore Sling and was served with a rather touristry version.

Singapore Sling ver 1

They do have a stronger version, and that tasted much better.

Singapore Sling ver 2

Thank you Gordon, for hosting us. Chef Regis for allowing us a glimpse into your culinary journey, and the good folks at Hungrygowhere for your invite. To my dining companions, great meeting you and hope to see you guys again!