值得的油砂厚多@昌記,跑馬地

如果出街吃早餐的話,我點的十居其九,都會是多士加奶茶.不是我'盲塞',而是因為:第一,早上胃口不大,叫碗湯根本吃不下.第二,個人覺得從簡單如一片多士,就能看出一間茶餐廳是否有heart做.俗語話:牌品好,人品自然好.套在這裡亦然,我亦有謂'多士好,茶記自然好'的小原則.
而暫時吃過的茶餐廳當中,最有heart的頭三位,分別為中環的勝香園(無敵脆脆獨步天下!),佐敦的澳洲牛奶公司(炒蛋多好吃得令人流淚),和跑馬地的昌記(厚砂多士厚得有道理).前兩者都因為順路,所以可以去得比較密;但位於跑馬地的昌記因為真的太吊腳,所以只是去過一次.

回想起來,原來已經是一年前的事.這天早上起得早,一聲:'去不去昌記吃油砂多士?' 人只是半醒,也就不知怎的跟著去了.

從西區坐車去跑馬地要半個多小時,為一份多士特意和一眾上班族逼車趕車,值得嗎?

在車上打呵欠的我不禁這樣想.



大半小時後,終於到了.從樓下坐電梯到黃泥涌市政大樓的熟食中心,一步出,就立即要閉氣加閉耳,因為會有一大班阿姐阿哥招你去他們的檔口.不要理他們,總之直奔到昌記就ok了.那邊的阿姐都氣定神閒,和別的檔口的伙記有明顯分別.看了看餐單,就要了鴛鴦凍熱各一杯,油砂第一厚多士,和果占多士.



看起來頗為對版的凍奶茶,喝來是幾香滑的.



但我的熱鴛鴦顏色有點怪,攪拌後更發現上面結了一層薄衣.味道更是奇怪,奶味超級淡薄,咖啡味和平時茶檔的有不通,像是穇過水的感覺,又或者是即溶咖啡...?!但照計這裡泛不著用即溶咖啡吧...?無論如何,這杯鴛鴦,真的不好喝,就是在西環白撞過的幾間茶餐廳裡喝到的,都比這杯好.



再來就是期待已久的第一厚多士和普通占多.雖然已吃過一次,但當很厚很厚的多士送來時,還是忍不住驚嘆了一聲. 一旁的普通多士其實已經比外面的多士厚得多,但放在第一厚多士旁邊,頓時小巫見大巫!



招牌油砂第一厚多士 - 厚厚的多士被不規則的切成四塊,烘得邊位帶點燶,表面塗了已溶的牛油,再灑上點點砂糖.簡單的配搭,味道卻是非一般的!



塗了香甜牛油的厚多士,是名付其實的外超脆內超軟,麵包本身質地比普通的軟和幼細,的加上粒粒起砂的砂糖,吃著吃著居然有點吃蛋糕的感覺-對了,這有點像angel's food又或是crunch cake.想想看:兩者都是又厚又高的,底層是軟滑的蛋糕/麵包,上面再放點又脆又甜的東西-大家的原理和好吃的道理,其實是差不多的!



吃了四分之一第一厚多士,就回到'普通'的占多.相比起極厚的多士,這分明顯薄一半以上,而質感也是明顯不同的:如果前者是外脆內軟,後者就是內外徹頭徹尾的香,乾,脆.上面的果占塗得厚厚,是杏脯味道的,酸酸甜甜的頗是醒神.在吃完甜甜的厚多士之後吃這個正好可以中和一下.

兩份多士一厚一薄,風味不同,很難分出究竟哪一種做法比較好.所以如果要來這裡吃東西,除非你胃納是非一般的大,否則最好湊夠兩人或以上才來:這樣就可以一樣叫一份,and get the best out of both worlds!

回到一開始問自己的問題:為一份多士特意從西區坐半個多小時車,值得嗎?



當你一手捧著成兩寸厚的多士,另一手揭著報紙雜誌,坐在有冷氣又風涼水冷的熟食中心悠閒地渡過早上的時光時,你也許會明白為甚麼我的答案是:

值得,非常值得.

昌記 Cheong Kee
Shop 1 & 5, 2/F, Wong Nai Chung Complex, 2 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley
星期一至六: 07:00-18:00
星期日: 每月不定時開一日

星港咖央多pk賽@勝香園,中環

昨天的豬仔飽癮未止,還硬食了分又薄又難吃的'多士',今早就到勝香園吃個名正言順的滿分脆脆吧.

九點多到達,叢美輪街的樓梯向下望以見到大堆'黑頭'在移動,週末的早上果然特別多客人.幸好也找到兩個位置不用等.也不望餐牌了,就要了油檸蜜脆,兩杯鴛鴦,加一分粗麥多.

老實說,勝香園的油檸蜜脆真的好吃到沒話說,所以是每次必叫的項目. 而除了脆脆以外通常會叫的是厚多士. 上星期我從星加坡回來,云云美食當其中最令人回味的就是阿坤的咖央多. 勝香園碰巧也有咖央多-今天就來一份粗麥多版本的,來個星港咖央多pk賽好了!

先談星加坡的咖央多士:用的是薄薄的當地啡麵包(在外地從未見過!有出口管制乎?),先在電爐上烤至香脆,塗上綠綠的祕制咖央醬,再加牛油一大片,用菜刀切開一半即成.熱食時,麵包香脆至極,咖央帶濃濃椰香但不過甜,加上半熔的牛油,味道多了一抹咸鮮甜味.油膩,但真的好吃得叫人不忍將牛油拿掉,反而帶淚將之一口一口吃光光.

而勝香園的多士都是厚的,外面烘得香脆,裡面的麵包芯卻還是軟稔稔的,但很有嚼口,也充滿麥味和香,就是難得可以單吃麵包都會覺得很好吃的好東西.多士上面塗上一朕黃色的咖央醬,味道比星州的稍甜了甜,椰香沒那凸出.加上沒有牛油的關係,味道有點單調的甜.雖然和港式的奶醬占有明顯差別(就是exotic一點),麵包嚼來也好吃,但從正宗不正宗的角度出發,這份多士不算很特別,就是很港式的做法吧.

賽果:阿坤多士勝!

好,比併完畢.平心而論,把兩地不能做法的咖央多硬拿來比較是不公平的,阿坤獨沽一味,勝香園還要兼顧脆脆豬仔飽熱狗飽還有湯麵湯通粉. 而且星州吃咖央早已集以為常,我們卻是當成一種較特別的多士塗料,心態不同,又怎會弄出差不多的東西來?

吃完咖央粗麥多,再吃油檸蜜脆脆,是一貫的爽脆甜美,好吃極.這天客人較多所以要等長點時間才有多士脆脆吃,但其實也有好處,起碼都是新鮮熱辣即烘的,不像平時會先弄一堆再放在多士爐上保溫.檸汁下得慷慨,蜂蜜和牛油都多得滲進脆脆一半,用手捉住吃會弄得手指黏黏,所以一定要帶紙巾去抹手!

值得每週來一次吃這個永遠不會覺得厭的脆脆!住得近就是有近廚得食這個好處;)

勝香園 Sing Heung Yuen
2 Mei Lun Street, Central
星期一至六: 08:00-17:30; 星期日: 休息

無咁大個頭就唔好戴咁大頂帽@廚皇餐廳,西環

五月下旬

早上工作之前,在正街一帶閒溜,也要找個地方先吃個早餐,補充一下營養.老實說,經過一年前的折騰,我的胃口可真像最近的天氣,時睛時雨時凍時熱,餓起來可以吃完整整一條牛,但如果真的胃口不好,無論用撬也撬不開我的口. 也有時候會突然很想很想吃一種東西,這種癮通常來得突然,也是完全無里頭的,例如無喇喇會極度想吃油炸鬼,或者牛角飽,又或者咖喱.今天早上食物癮又發作,是次的crave是:豬仔飽.

也不用多說,全港弄得最好吃的豬仔飽肯定是勝香園的無敵脆脆.無論是麵包本身的味道,質地,烘烤的脆度,乾爽度,以至塗料的味道,足料度,都是一等一的.加上阿姐越來越親切的服務,和雖然在街邊但其實很好坐的大排檔,每一次去勝香園吃早餐,總是不會令我失望.

豬癮起,卻不能去中環止咳,就只好像癮君子般在正街一帶茶餐廳看看有沒有這熟悉的三個字,以解一時之渴,但卻無穫而回.時間有限,只好找了間看來新淨又大間的廚皇餐廳,吃份多士早餐算數.

廚皇,好一個有霸氣的名字.香港好像越來越多名字有個'王','皇'字的食店,通常不是走極高級路線(如皇璽),就是與其實不相乎的街坊格局小店(如腸粉皇,蛋撻皇).前者改個這樣的名稱是恰如其份(乃因其目標客人確為高消費的皇者一族!),但後者自稱皇稱帝,實有不自量力之感覺,俗語話齌'無咁大個頭就唔好戴咁大頂帽'就是這種情況.

這間'廚皇'格局街坊,看來又是一例.

早餐,又是一般茶餐廳必有的配搭,但這裡除了三文治餐,營養餐之類大路野外,還有中式腸粉炒麵糯米雞咸肉粽餐,連一杯熱飲也只是十九元.價錢吸引,但胃納不足,所以我只要了份奶醬多早餐,飲凍鴛鴦,盛惠十九元正.m要了煎腸粉餐飲凍檸茶,也只是廿一元.

飲品先到.用來盛載的不銹鋼保溫杯高身得可怕,比普通的膠茶杯高出三份一有多!可能是杯的內壁較厚，所以才看來比較大杯！就是令客人感覺上好像飲品份量大很抵飲的假象吧！不過份量還份量，鴛鴦味道是其次，幸好茶味和奶味頗平均，雖然不是太令驚喜的味道，也是算好喝的,就是冰多了點。

等了好一會，奶醬多士才到。一看，是薄薄的兩片，中間夾住煉奶和花生醬，麵包只是烘得一般燶和脆。用的麵包薄就自然吃不出甚麼麥味來，只覺得是有點裏面軟淰淰的煙膩質感。花生醬是惱人的幼滑質感（甚至有滲過水的感覺），味道極淡，被煉奶的甜味蓋過了頭。這份多士，真的只是很一般，不對我口味尤是可，也給人毫無心機整的感覺。

本來無甚期望的煎腸粉反而好一點。等等等了很久才到的它熱騰騰，應是即叫即煎.長條形的豬腸粉猜是來路貨吧,雖然有點油膩但煎得香口.豉油帶甜,不是一味死咸.問問阿姐有甜醬否,她就一大支拿過來讓我們自己落,開心死我等甜醬怪!煎過的腸粉點著甜醬也就更好吃了!這碟東西,以十九二十元來說,可真算是不錯. 所以有時候真的是沒有期望就沒有失望,甚至會有驚喜!

不過,單憑一碟比較好吃的煎腸粉,又怎足夠令一間茶餐廳自稱為廚皇?更何況它連基本的多士都做不好?這只是一般街坊貨仔,看來招牌上那頂皇冠,也沒有那麼大個頭戴了!

廚皇餐廳
德輔道西233號地下
7:00-23:00

性價比高的港島日式放題

香港真的有很多日式放題餐廳,隨便翻開飲食雜誌就能看到一大堆甚麼甚麼放題的廣告;而通常一般質素的放題都是收$150-$180一位,貴一點的從前就只有像碗屋之類,一下之要跳到接近$400一位的收費.之前放題都是以便宜,抵食為賣點,但自從中環的大喜屋以$200多一點的收費,但提供高質素食物為selling point之後,和它競爭的飲食集團亦推出收費較一般高一點點,但環境,裝修,食物和服務都比一般的放題餐廳高級的松家'迎戰'. 在這裡先看了看食評,感覺好像不錯,地點不釣腳,手上也有八五折的優惠,就一行十人去試試看!

我們在五點半就到達,一出電梯還真被它的紫色裝潢嚇到,也太誇張了吧!也許是新開張的關係,經理和員工都非常有活力,熱情招待我們到一張長枱坐下.我還害怕會沒有位置而先訂了枱,但從空空的餐廳看來,本來的擔心是多餘的:餐廳還未能夠好像大喜屋般,生意好得全場爆滿!

經理主動提出為我們弄兩個刺身併盤吃吃,再慢慢按菜單點菜和飲品,服務主動!

以放題來說,這裡的食物選擇還真算不少,由刺身,壽司,手卷,鐵板燒,串燒種種都有,看得令人眼花撩亂! 但點菜則同樣亂,因為這兒是直接和侍應落單的,比用落單紙麻煩!

刺身併盤很快就來了,有三文魚,吞拿魚,鮑片,油甘魚,馬刀貝等等,大都很新鮮甜美,也切得很厚身,吃得令人滿足!最重要是你點多少片就真的來多了片,也不會越切越少,感覺大方!
不過刺身也有中伏位,例如喜靈魚和貝柱真的不太行,建議不點比較好!但別的都質素不錯,尤以三文魚,油甘魚和鮑片為最好,我們叫了很多round還未夠喉!:)

也點了手卷壽司一大堆,例如有熱門的軟殼蟹手卷,三文魚壽司等,感覺都是新鮮的,質素不錯!

火炙壽司有芝士三文魚,鰻魚和平目魚邊三種,都燒得過火所以海鮮已全熟,味道只是一般!

新開張期間每人還有一客'重量級美食',就是略為貴一點的海鮮鵝肝之類的,我點了燒虎蝦,還真的是啖啖肉,味道鮮甜,有水準!

鐵板燒方面,嘗試了薄燒牛肉,以薄片牛肉包住蔬菜燒熟,味道是可以的,但有點油膩!

嘗試了較少見的軟骨餃子,皮是夠薄的,餡料也混入了碎碎的軟骨,有嚼感,但覺得比較像是煎熟而不是鐵板燒那麼誇張!

還吃了燒石班,肉質彈牙,起碼不是霉霉的那種,但魚味不算濃,應該是用了雪藏魚的關係!

牛仔骨,連骨的肉條燒得剛剛好,肉味幾濃,不過也是太油膩!
串燒向來是這習團餐廳的專長!這裡的串燒種類也不少,但唯獨沒有雞軟骨,為甚麼?? 不過幸好有燒牛舌和羊扒等等!

牛舌一串有兩片算厚和大的牛舌肉,調味下得算重,蓋過了脷本身的味道,但也許是厚切的關係,算是彈牙和有肉汁的,好吃!

羊扒燒得過熟,雖然有豐富肉汁但沒有羊酥味,就是普通的肉扒一件是了!

燒粟米是一'LUK'開二地燒成的,但並不甜,這點收費比較便宜的松屋反而做得更好!
燒蝦大隻是大隻,食味只是一般.雞翼燒得過乾,不好吃.
也點了煙肉車里茄,香草香腸,雞肉丸等等,都沒有試,但賣相普通.
一品料理-只試了金菇牛肉卷,金菇超級un,硬得咬不開又痴牙!!!不太好!!

炸物-當然點了最多人愛吃的芝士年糕.一般在放題吃到的都是小粒小粒的,感覺小家.這裡的就不同了,每件都有魚蛋般大小,新鮮煮出來還真的是香噴噴的,咬開熱辣辣的表皮,裡面有半溶的芝士流出來,是肥和漏的,但真的頗好吃!!!

炸蠔也比外面的大隻,個人覺得算是鮮甜的,炸醬不厚,也香脆,但有友人表示大喜屋的'自家制吉列蠔'比這個好吃很多倍!
吉列黑毛豚扒,其實就是普通的炸豬扒一塊.肉不鞋但沒甚肉味和肉汁,可以不吃!
炸豆腐也只是用炸漿包住沒甚豆味的豆腐再拿去炸,只是普通而已.

天婦羅-胡亂叫了每種幾件,送來的是滿滿的一大碟,可真誇張!沒嘗試天婦羅蝦,但從其他的天婦羅蔬菜看來,這裡的炸漿就是像一般的港式日本餐廳般普通,也不夠肝身,吃來還有油!可取的就是真的是即叫即炸,番薯,南瓜等都很新鮮甜美!

還嘗試了吞拿魚他他,其實不有是煮得外熟內生的吞拿魚肉一片,沒甚特別!友人吃了煙豚肝,但說覺得很乾!
飲品-這裡選擇算多,比較特別有鮮搾果汁,味道不錯!另外的選擇都是大路的飲品,侍應上得都算快!

雪糕-最開心就是雪糕是任點任吃的!雖然應該是dairy farm的一品,但有芝麻,紅豆,綠茶和較少見的菠蘿味雪糕選擇,而且每一球雪糕都只是平常的一半,就算想嘗試多幾種口味也不怕吃得太多!最愛的芝麻雪糕味道幾濃郁,黏黏的幾討好!綠茶雪糕帶感覺人工的綠茶甜味,但也可接受!紅豆雪糕則奶粉味太重,紅豆味反而太少,不好吃!反而菠蘿雪糕幾特別,帶冰感的雪糕味道清香,還有一塊塊菠蘿肉在裡面,感覺不錯!:)

從五點半吃喝到八點,期間店員的服務都幾好,換碟頻密,上菜點菜速度也高!只是有個別店員可能態度有點寸,但總的來說是ok的,至少比不少放題店好!因為優惠卷的關係,本來每位$198的再減至$190包加一!
老實說,收費以放題來說絕不是便宜(我們是吃最早的優惠時段),但如將餐廳地段中環),食物質素(一些食物是幾高質素的,例如刺身),服務和座位(起嗎不是像大喜屋般逼得人貼人)都計算在來,這裡的'性價比'算是很高的了.有友人表示,尖沙咀的某放題比這裡更好吃和抵吃.smile我沒有嘗試過九龍那邊的放題所以未能比較,但只從我嘗過的港島區放題來說,這裡算是我吃過之中,吃得比較好,坐得比較舒服的一間了.

值得為刺身和串燒牛脷再來-至少,這裡遠比中環的人逼人放題,又或者銅鑼灣的油煙味放題,坐得舒適又自在!smile但如果正價時段,加上沒有重量級美食附送,就未必那麼抵吃了!:)

松家日本料理 Matsuya Japanese Restaurant
2/F, Hip Shing Hong Centre, 55 Des Voeux Road Central, Central
晚市放題 (正價加一服務費)
A1.5:30-8:00 成人$198
A2.9:00-11:30 成人$198
B1.6:00-9:00 成人$238
B2.8:00-11:30 成人$238

Homey, Homei and Hearty@Homei, Soho

I am not sure about how the name should be read- is it 'homey' or 'ho-mei' ? Which is the message the owner of the cafe wishes to tell via the name, a cosy, home-like atmosphere of the cafe, or tasty food and coffee it serves? However the name should be read and interpreted, the small cafe - one of the smallest in HK, according to CNNgo - is literally both homey and ho-mei.

We were there at nine something in the morning. The cafe was within walking distance from my place, at a exceptionally quiet corner along the street. I had walked pass the street for countless times but, shamefully, i had never walked along the section the cafe is on. Behind the smelly and smokey temple, I would not set foot on that particular sector along the street had i not know about the cafe.

Homei is small - at less than 150 sq. feet, the cafe can only carry two small tables and four petite chairs plus the bar. The door was kept opened so that light, cool breezes could blow into the little cafe. Worry not about noise and dust from traffic: the road is for exclusive use of pedestrians. Looking to the outside from the cafe, the view and the atmosphere looked awfully un-Hong Kong like. The cafe is like a time machine: a step into the place brings you somewhere else, and the cost of the 'trip' overseas? A reasonable fare for a nice cup of coffee. The menu is not extensive, and only simple foods and coffee are served. But mind you that most of them are home-made by the owners of the cafe. Even the muffins are homemade! It instantly reminded me of the cafe i previously worked at as temp where they charge way too much for muffins and croissants, which were not baked by the cafe but bought somewhere else. In contrast, this little cafe bakes and serves its customers with a heart.

We did not want to overload our stomach in the morning, so we shared a muffin set and ordered another cup of coffee. A large variety of flavoured lattes were available and we had a ginger latte and roasted hazelnut latte, both with skimmed milk. Only pineapple muffin were available so we had one on that.

The food and drinks came slowly, and i was happy that the pineapple muffin had been reheated. It smelt really nice! The texture was different from that I had at Dan Ryan's two days ago, and this was more moist, less crumbly and softer in texture. It was also modestly sweet and tasted very pineapple-ish. Chunks of pineapple flesh could be found in the muffin and their crispy texture contrasted well with the soft and moist dough of the muffin. The surface of the muffin was baked till crispy and i enjoyed eating the crust a lot - it was literally ho-mei!

I watched how the owner-cum-barista carefully poured the foamed milk over to form a delicate latte art on our drinks - it took longer than usual for the coffees to be served, but we were not in a hurry so we did not mind. The milk foam was very dense, fine, despite thin; it tasted sweet however, and was it because of the Pura milk they were using? I kinda regretted ordering a flavoured latte for myself as it was really too sweet for me. Should have asked for a latte with reduced syrup. Anyhow, hazelnut lovers should not miss the coffee here as it was very, very aromatic and sweet. Not quite my cup of tea however, but I like how mild the espresso shot was. It was not very strong and sour, but i should not have ordered a flavoured one so that i could better taste the espresso.

M's ginger latte (not photographed) had pieces of ginger in it but i heard it was not as spicy as that at robuchon. The large chunks of ginger at the bottom of the cup were pretty stunning tho as they appeared to be really strong and spicy.

Homey, homei and hearty-what more can you ask for from this little, humble cafe in Sheung Wan? I would definitely go again for the homemade sandwich, freshly baked cakes and of course, the coffee. But no flavoured syrup next time - i might have a sweet tooth but definitely not for the coffee please!

Homei
Shop B, G/F, 22-24A Tai Ping San Street, Sheung Wan

The Seriously Scrumptious Singapore May 2011 - Day one.

Two days ago I celebrated the end to my exam period by having a delicious buffet BBQ dinner at Habitu; the morning after my family and I flew to Singapore for a serious, relaxing trip which we three all need. Work has deprived us of the life we should be enjoying, and I was more than happy to see the exam go, and summer craze moves in to take its place.

We booked onto the Cathay Pacific flight early in the morning and after the last taste of Hong Kong condensed into a piggy bun with condensed milk and butter at Tsui Wah, washed down with hot milk tea, we flew 23.5 latitude south to Singapore, a place we last visited two years ago.

Why Singapore while there are better destinations for a summer trip? Simple – Singapore is full of good food. From Kaya toast to Laksa, we love them all. Singapore is well-known for its diversity in culture and attempts of uniting the races have not brought cuisines together down into the melting pot, cooked into something that’s neither this nor that. Instead, the authentic tastes are much preserved in the little country, and interestingly, mostly by hawkers’ centres scattered all over the North, East, South and West of the country.

So the problem with the trip is not WHAT we should eat; the issue is what we should eat FIRST. It was indeed difficult to rank the food we want to try and fit them into the itinerates of our trip. Should we have the Hainanese Chicken first, or the satay? But oh there is this very nice Kway Deow that the blogger says is a must-try. So where should we eat first? After numerous discussions (and more discussions during meals) we finally sorted out how to eat the most without stuffing ourselves to death (and gaining weight..) within the limited time we have.

At two in the afternoon we finally landed in Singapore, after a turbulent flight on the worn CX flight. Of course, I skipped my flight meal. Nothing tasted worst than flight meals and I’d rather stay starved than eating that. I was not feeling hungry as I had a nice breakfast before flying and more importantly, I had way better food coming that deserved the calorie quota better.

We spent little time finding the coach that would bring us to Sands, but the vehicle was more idle than moving as it had to stop at three terminals before moving onto the road.

Upon arrival I was disappointed by the hotel we were checking in as it was too noisy and crowded. The hotel lobby was huge and spacious but it was also full of people walking by. Worse still, hotel check-in only started at three. So we dumped our luggage with the hotel and took a taxi to Geylang for the famous beef kway teow.

Geylang is a relatively poorer district, and is commonly known for the stalls selling durians and fruits, numerous cheap food as well as legal prostitution available. Among the cafes is the Lor 9 famous beef kway teow, a favourite among the local people.

Years back then when I travelled to Singapore for the first time I had a taste of the kway teow and it marked an impression so deep that I wanted to try it again really bad. Luckily we managed to find the shop by asking a taxi driver during our last visit. The stall was not eye-catching at all. We went at two thirty and the place was empty.

A short, cheerful woman greeted us with a menu, and within 30 seconds our order was placed.

The dish of beef kway teow (S $?) was amazing. It was cooked with a dark and rich gravy. The rice noodles were chopped into shorter pieces and stuck together when stir-fried, but it was still great as they could hold the delicious gravy in. The beef were not extraordinarily juicy but that did not matter, as the kway teow alone was tasty enough.  A drizzle of spicy soy sauce made it even more amazing to eat.

We also ordered a dish of spicy cuttlefish with vegetables(M), as well as a special seafood tofu (S).The latter tasted like tofu with minced fish, and tasted great after dipping in the sweet soy sauce it came with. The meal was a cheap one and the place wasn’t that dirty and crowded at all, and the kway teow was really worth all the travelling.


After lunch we walked along the fruit stalls and bought some before heading back to the hotel for checking-in. Worse still we were told that they didn’t have a room for us unless we waited for another extra two hours. So I wandered around in the Shoppe next to the hotel while my parents went gambling, and it was only until five something that we finally got our room. Pissed, we complained and got $100 worth of dining credits which we later got exchanged for access to the internet.

The room was fine – the toilet was out of portion and the view was great, with an outlook to the Marinas Bay, but the details could have been more cared to. But the lounge chair beside the window was an amazing spot to just sit or nap on.

After a brief rest at our room we went to the Esplanade, right across the Bay, for the seafood dinner we reserved a few days ago on the web: prior reservation was a must as we learnt from our prior experience with No Signboard Seafood. We could just walk straight in this time and there were people queuing up for a table!

No Signboard Seafood just had its debuk in Hong Kong and reviews on its services and food were generally negative, but NSS in Singapore is still as popular as it has always been. And the food is great too. We ordered the Chili Crab (small) with mantou, the Coffee ribs(s), Cornflakes prawns(s),stir-fried vegetables(s) and a Tofu pot(s), and stir-fried noodles (we cancelled our order once we realized we would never be able to finish it).

The option of ordering the dish at a smaller portion was the second thing I love most about NSS – it allows smaller groups like ours to try more without having to waste a lot of food.

The first dish that came was the coffee ribs. The cubes of meat were coated in a dark, sticky sauce and drizzled with sesame. They were piping hot, and smelt of coffee but the meat tasted sweet, juicy and tender. It was great and definitely worth trying!


Then the much anticipated chili crab came in a large pot with the mantou. The sauce looked intimatingly pepper red-hot but it was not as spicy as it appeared to be. There were traces of cooked egg in it which gave the sauce a sweet aftertaste. It was so yummy that you could not help dipping the mantou into the sauce to eat the sauce! As for the crabs they were a little less impression-leaving, but the shell, well-cooked in the sauce, was soft enough to eat too. Still I thought the sauce was so outstanding that you could basically cook anything with it to make a great dish, and that need not to be a crab. It could be prawns and it might taste even better!


As for the veggies, the stir-fried one was quite spicy while the tofu pot was really boring to eat.

The last dish to be ready was the cereal prawns. The portion was generous as there were, like, ten smaller prawns hidden in the impressive heap of crunchy cornflakes!(that was the point when we decided to cancel our noodles). The prawns were terrific as even the shells were cooked until absolutely crispy, and the flesh was really fresh and juicy. Even the cornflakes, being a little sweet, tasted terrifically great. It was an amazingly clever invention of the Singaporeans indeed!

Our meal was slightly cheaper than what we had expected – the crab was pretty small and so cost not very expensive, and it was definitely worth the money. Too bad the Hong Kong branch had not succeeded in recipicating the taste of the dish!

After dinner we walked back to our hotel via the bridge connecting the Esplanade and the place. The view was great and the sea breeze was pretty cool, and a lot of people were shooting photos of the promenade as we strode. It was a nice night indeed.