Aroy-Dee Thai Cafe

The last time after we visited Sunshine Plaza for dim sum at Victor's Kitchen (review coming up in next post), it was already dinner time and super packed at Aroy-Dee Thai Cafe so we came back this time round in the afternoon to try out their food! Facing NAFA, Aroy-Dee Thai Cafe attracts mainly the office crowd during lunch and dinner time.


One of the few Thai eateries in the same building

Interior of cafe with their King's family photo

Outdoor seats facing NAFA

Their air-con seem to be spoilt so both of us changed to the outdoor seats for occasional rushes of wind (thanks to cars along the road).

Slightly redish Thai iced milk tea ($1.80)

I ordered their Thai iced milk tea hoping it would taste similar to the one I had in Phuket (which was super sweet and tasty) but theirs tasted quite awful to me.  I still prefer local Teh-tarik more as the taste of tea is not as strong as theirs.

Generous with bean sprouts

Their Pad-thai is $6 but the portion was very good for 2 to share. It tasted milder in terms of flavour and their version is more sticky with a sweeter sauce. Good thing is they are generous with their ingredients and vegetables!

Slightly pinkish beef!

The stir fried beef with spring onion is tasty but abit too oily. Nothing much to rave about except that the meat is very tender.

Overall, Aroy-dee serves decent local Thai food at a very affordable rate with a good team of efficient and friendly staff. For those working nearby, I'm sure this is a good place to go for lunch break.

Aroy-dee Thai Cafe
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen St
#01-12
Singapore 189652
Tel: 63368852
Open daily: 11am - 11.30pm
http://aroy-dee-thai-food.posterous.com/

Prata Wala

Located right outside of Boon Lay MRT at the main entrance of Jurong Point, Prata Wala serves North and South Indian food boasting a good crowd anytime round the clock. I like that their logo is of a naked indian chef throwing the prata around heheh.. very cute.


Watch me fling my prata!

Furnished with red couches and packed with tables very near to each other, the lively atmosphere and good mix of all races in the restaurant makes it a cozy place for a hearty chat and good laugh over indian food.

The crowd at around 10pm

Colours of the briyani so vibrant!

Always nice to watch the chef slap the prata all around muahahaha

Usually they give out these round pagers but I guess they were very well equipped with staff that night so we don't have to collect our food at the counter personally. Like the name of the restaurant suggest, you must try their PRATA! A decent size for the price and it is yummy!

Plain prata ($1.30)

Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside

Unlike certain prata places with saltish curry, Prata Wala's curry is packed with spicy power! With a low threshold for spiciness, I choked and teared after one mouthful of their curry!  =(


Chilli hot

Still better to enjoy my prata with shiny little crystals.

Enjoying a good prata with lotsa sugar = yummy.

A few months back when we were in Phuket, our Thai friend brought both of us to eat prata but Thais' prata is very very crispy served with condensed milk and their curry is more watery. Equally yummy too!

Back then in Phuket town, this is what we ate. Their egg is fried separately!

Okay back to Prata Wala Singapore! Still feeling hungry, Makan Boy and me ordered a Mutton Thosai to try! Don't laugh at us for being suaku but we were going "WA SO BIG LEH" when the Thosai arrived. SUCH A HUGE "PANCAKE"!


Mutton Thosai ($6.50)

Tasty minced mutton in every bite

If compared to a Mcdonald's pancake, their thosai is thinner and has a less fluffy texture. The saltish minced mutton goes really well with it and I'm not really sure what the 3 sauces they provided were but it goes well with the thosai too!


Sweet and Salty

Makan Boy even added sugar onto it to see how the combination would taste like but sugar did not accentuate the taste of the mutton thosai as well as of the prata! For $6.50, the huge thosai is very good for sharing!


Iced Teh-Tarik ($2)

Iced Teh-tarik is a tad expensive but for a restaurant... can't complain. At least it tasted good.

Washing area not for those with broad shoulders.

For late night supper at an air conditioned indian restaurant, Prata Wala is an especially good choice for those staying around!

Prata Wala
Jurong Point Shopping Mall
63 Jurong West Central 3
#01-71/72/73/74
Singapore 648331
Tel: 67952530
Open daily 24 hours
http://www.pratawala.com/

Everything with Fries

By the same people behind Awfully Chocolate, Everything with Fries is their new concept restaurant offering affordable western cuisine in a fresh and energetic atmosphere. I like that they painted their signboard on the wall. As simple as it is, you can't help but read it off the wall even if you are just passing by!

Craving for a little something after dinner around Joo Chiat, Makan Boy recommended EWF for some sugar fix! Since AC and EWF are cousins, I'm sure their dessert wouldn't be as "Awful!" hehehe.


How about painting your own signboard to cut cost? =)

Dessert Time!

Very awesome possum looking Nutella Tart

Their Nutella Tart was quite a disappointment not because it didn't taste good. If I tell you I am baking strawberry tart of course you would expect to taste strawberries... but their Nutella tart taste like chocolate tart with very little nutella giving only a faint taste of hazelnut. Dipping into a tub of Nutella is still the best! Muahaha!

Hot Banana Butterscotch Pudding with Ice Cream

Their Hot Banana Pudding did however, managed to convince me that they do make decent desserts that match the dish name. Hot caramelized banana and buttery pudding along with decent vanilla ice cream to enjoy in every mouthful! If you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this might be it.

Overall, EWF at Joo Chiat provides a nice and good ambience for just anyone! Be it couple, family, kids and friends. Their staff is very casual, friendly and helpful in giving recommendations. Good pricing and service will bring me back again!

Everything with Fries
458 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427671
Tel: 63455034
Open daily: 12pm - 10pm
Closed on Monday
http://www.everythingwithfries.com/

328 Katong Laksa

Ask any Singaporeans on where to find local delicacies and I can assure you stall 328 Katong Laksa would be mentioned. Many stall owners claimed theirs to be the most authentic but you can never go wrong at 328. Simple shopfront along the road, there is air-conditioned and outdoor seatings with photographs of local and overseas celebrities posing with ex-beauty queen Lucy Koh and husband, all over the walls.

Yummy!

Besides the usual prawns, cockles, thick beehoon, slices of fish cake and sprinkle of laksa leaves, theirs is of a much fragrant coconut based gravy which is not too heavy or spicy. I appreciate that their gravy does not cause irration to my throat so there is no coughing or tearing of the eyes. =)

Although I am not a laksa fan, I feel every Singaporean (or not) should at least try once in their life, a bowl of 328 Katong Laksa.

328 Katong Laksa
51 East Coast Road
Singapore 428770
Tel: 97328163
Daily: 8am - 10pm

Noodle House Ken

Makan boy had training in town so we walked around and decided to have dinner at Orchard Plaza. Tucked in a quiet corner away from the main street, Noodle House Ken is not quite an easy spot to locate. And also, we had to wait around for a while because they only open at 6pm. They own two shopfronts but the kitchen bar had very little seats and unless it's a really cold day, I doubt I want to sit in there. The other side is small but cozy, quiet and dimly lighted. Rather peaceful plus we were the only customers before another couple came in later.

The lady served us ice water immediately after we were seated and there are not a lot of choices on the menu so I guess they focus on quality > quantity.

Miso Butter Ramen($14) and at the back, Makan's Boy Char Siew Ramen ($14).

Big char siew slices with the glossy stewed egg!

I had the Miso Butter Ramen which had a big chunk of good quality creamy butter. YUM. The noodles were springy and the broth was tasty! As much as I am a fan of salty food, nothing beats well cooked broth with no MSG added! Makan's Boy ramen had big and thick slicings of tasty Char Siew and hearty portions always make us happy! Stewed egg in ramen is also very important and I am pleased to say theirs are of silky soft egg white and lava smooth egg yolk! =D

Overall this place has got good service and great tasting ramen but waiting time can be improved. Definitely one of the few ramen places that is of quality without burning a hole in your pocket. Next time when I visit I must also try their cold noodles - Hiyashi Chuka. Eating ramen not quite my preference for supper but if you have no idea what else to eat besides the usual prata places or western pubs, this place is open for you till 2am!

Noodle House Ken
Orchard Plaza
150 Orchard Road
#01-17/18
Singapore 238841
Tel: 62355540
Mon - Sat: 6pm - 2am
(Closed on Sun)

Most Original Burgers

My colleague gave me a voucher to enjoy $50 off at MOB so Makan Boy and I made our way down to Vivocity!

Mobster burger logo!

They have a mobster theme for the restaurant and in some of their dishes' names, making it a pretty cool place to dine at. Do not be misleaded by the name of the restaurant because besides their burgers, they also serve starters, all day breakfast, mains, pastas, side dishes and desserts so we were totally spoilt for choices! Plus, their burger menu has a good range of meat and styles from Western, Korean, Japanese, Thai and Mexican to choose from!

After flipping through the menu for a while, we still couldn't decide so we asked the staff and were recommended to try The Boss' Meal. The Boss' Meal is a grilled selection of ribeye steak, lamb rack, boneless chicken leg and beef sausage served with a choice of 3 side dishes, ideal for 2 to share. Sounds like a lot of meat but since both of us have a hearty appetite, The Boss' Meal it was!

They served us our side dishes first and we both love what we chosed!  
 

Sweet Potato Fries, Garlic Fried Rice, Coleslaw

The sweet potato fries were crispy and sweet (Makan boy ate most of it) while the Coleslaw wasn't too bad and I fell so so so so in love..... with their Garlic Fried Rice! The rice was not dry and was fried very well with a good amount of garlic and egg. As simple as fried rice sounds, there is almost no fried rice that I can recall to be delicious but this one made a good and deep impression!! *salivates*
 
The meat took slightly longer to arrive but at least we are not left hungry thanks to the side dishes which we enjoyed while waiting! As the name suggest, this meal is truly fit for The Boss! Just look at how much meat the chef stacked on the big plate! Furthermore after having the 3 side dishes, all the protein appear like a challenge to stomach down!


The Boss' Meal ($49.90)

All the 3 sauces they provided tasted weird so it was more like for garnishing our plate the whole time. The chicken was rather dry and the spices they marinate it with didn't quite match our taste buds but the sausage, steak and the lamb rack was really good!

The steak was done medium rare, not too chewy and slightly bloody while the sausage is pretty much the same everywhere I guess. I especially love love love the Lamb Rack. It was super tender and pink on the inside plus there's no muttony smell! Their lamb rack totally made me change my view on how lamb chops are chewy, smelly and often a waste of money! Kudos to their chef! *applause* While Makan Boy was fiddling with his phone playing a mobster game to match the restaurant's theme, I fed him a piece of the lamb rack and because it was done so well, he thought it was steak I gave him! =D

Both of us were so full after the big meal that we did not order any desserts but it was a lovely dinner and the service staff were all prompt in attending to us. =)

PS: Their lamb rack got me hooked to try lamb chop more often when dining at other western restaurants just to satisfy that little craving for the good ol memories..

Most Original Burgers (MOB)
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-52
Singapore 098585
Tel: 63769681
Open daily: 11.30am - 11pm
http://www.moburgers.com/

Little Ice Cream Kafe (LICK)

I love ice cream! There are so many ice cream restaurants popping up around the whole island and each of them have got interesting unconventional flavours! Walking along Tanjong Katong road, Makan boy and girl discovered Lick!

Lick's weekday promotions

They have the same concept as Cold rock with mix-ins available and it was pretty quiet when we walked in. Nice and comfy place to sit and chill after a meal but I guess if it was crowded I would have chosed to lick as I walk hehe. Homemade ice cream may not taste as delicious as store brought ones so one tip to save your money for only good flavours is to ask for a sample of almost every flavour so you would be able to decide clearly which flavours are a definite no-no or a surprisingly yes-yes.


Kaya Toast and Gula Melake ice cream

I wouldn't say their usual flavours are impressive but different tastebuds can result in a totally different view. In my opinion their Kaya toast and Gula Melaka is the truly different ones! Makan Boy chosed Kaya while I chosed Gula flavour and both were so tasty we finished it in a jiffy! You could taste bits of kaya toast which were a pleasant surprise with each scoop. Gula melaka flavour is very fragrant with the coconut taste and not overly sweet. We were even contemplating on whether to order another two more scoops! But glutton as I am for ice cream we decided it shall be enough.

Little Ice Cream Kafe (LICK)
258 Tanjong Katong Road
Singapore 437046
Tel: 64408526
Sun - Thurs: 1pm - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 1pm - 12am
http://lick.com.sg/

***

The petrol station near my house had a Magnum ice cream promotion! 2 for only $3.90!

Magnum promo!

Magnum Gold and Magnum Double Caramel

Ooh...

Ice cream always makes me smile. =)

Wan Ton Mee

In the search for delicious Wan Ton Mee, Makan Boy and Girl went to Sunshine Plaza for fried wan ton noodle! I went in the afternoon so the business was rather quiet with only a few tables occupied. Sometimes, looking at what others are enjoying can help in a small extent as to what to order from the menu but with not much "references" around my table , we couldn't quite decide what else to order besides the noodle.

Popularity pasted all over the glass

Fried Wan Ton Noodle ($4.50)

The fried wan ton was really crispy but the filling in it is quite pathetic (as you can see from the photo above). Charsiew was tender and sweet, nothing to complain about. The noodles were however a disappointment. Just imagine slurping maggie mee dipped in warm water. It was so bland I could hardly taste any soya sauce or flavour. Bad bad bad... The soup is salty and I amost forgot there was also wanton in it. But... however small the portion of the fried wan ton, it's undeniably tasty. Makes you want to have one after another like - potato chips.

Considering how many good reviews this place received, perhaps it was just our unlucky day to have not been able to enjoy a plate of good Wan Ton Mee.

Parklane Zha Yun Tun Mee House (Bencoolen St)
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen St
#01-53
Singapore 189652
Tel: 68359212
Open daily: 9.30am - 9pm

Yum Cha Dim Sum Buffet

I can never reject dim sum offered to me even if I am already full. My greediness and lust for good dim sum will never DIE. There are 3 items that I must always order when I am at a dimsum restaurant or stall and they are my forever favourite Chicken Claw, Siew Mai & Har Gao.

I like going to Yum Cha at Chinatown for a good session of non stop dim sum but they only offer the high tea buffet in the afternoon from 3-6pm and it's only available on weekdays (excluding PH) so if you work office hours you might have to apply leave in order to enjoy their dim sum buffet. It can get pretty hectic and noisy when crowded and based on my experience visiting Yum Cha, it's common to wait wait and wait for your food. The ladies have to push the trolley to each table and if you are unlucky, when the trolley reach you, you might just have to wait for the next batch for certain items. Their staff can appear as rather unfriendly and slow in service. Plus if you have a growling stomach, waiting is a game you wish they don't play with you.

There are many dim sum restaurants and stalls that I haven't had a chance to visit and dine at yet but it can be a pretty big turn off for me if the prawns used are little/small/floury and hidden or mashed up in some sort of a meat paste. Which is why... I love love love that Yum Cha is so generous with the prawns they buy and use in their siew mai and har gao! Words cannot describe how much I love prawns and theirs is crunchy and plenty in each bite! *dreams*

Clockwise from bottom, Har Gao, Red bean paste and banana fritter, Chicken Claws

Siew Mai and Crystal Custard Dumpling

Their crystal custard dumpling was so-so and their chicken claws wasn't fantastic but at least I didn't leave craving for chicken claws still. You might want to try their scallop dumpling which were pretty good and their Mango and Prawn fritter which were refreshing and tasty! One of their signature dessert is their deep fried red bean paste and banana fritter which Makan Boy loves! Since I do not have a liking for deep fried banana I ate half of one and he ate another 5.5 more. =D

Good news is they serve dim sum all day so you might want to drop by even after the buffet hours!

Yum Cha Chinatown
20 Trengganu Street
#02-01
Singapore 058479
Tel: 63721717
Mon - Fri: 11am -11pm
Sat, Sun and PH: 9am -11pm
High tea buffet 3-6pm: Adult 19.80++ Children (12 yrs and below) $15.80++
www.yumcha.com.sg