Food Archives - Holland Property

Nakhon Kitchen

hollandproperty — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:55:45 +0000

Holland Village Food Guide: Nakhon Kitchen

Nakhon Kitchen has about seven outlets in Singapore. The outlet in Holland Village is at 27A Lorong Liput.

Nakhon Kitchen is the go-to place for reasonably priced authentic Thai food.

Back in October 2017, Nakhon was suspended by National Environment Agency (NEA) for two weeks and accumulated 12 demerit points for rodent infestation. That incident, however, did not hurt the business of the restaurant.

You will always see a snaking queue of patrons outside the restaurant during lunch and dinner hours. The restaurant is small and has limited seating capacity.

To eat at Nakhon Kitchen, you need to be very patient. But once seated, the foods are served very fast. And the wait is worth it because the food is good. It makes you feel like you are in Thailand.

We ordered the Phai Thai ($6), Olive fried rice ($6), green curry chicken ($8) and stirred fried pork with basil rice ($6).

We liked the Pad Thai the least and the olive fried rice the most. I have yet to find good Pad Thai in Singapore and even in Thailand these days. Most are too sweet and wet for my liking. Unfortunately, the Pad Thai at Nakhon Kitchen is no exception.

I will never forget my gold-standard of Phai Thai I had many years ago in a Chiangmai hawker centre. That unforgettable taste was forever etched in my mind. So far, it has been an elusive dream in search of that holy grail of Phai Thai.

The green curry chicken is one dish you must order at Nakhon Kitchen. It is rich in coconut and very flavourful. Just the curry and plain steamed rice alone would have made a great meal.

You can rarely go wrong with stirred fried minced pork with basil.

Other recommended dishes at Nakhon Kitchen are the Tom Yum Soup ($6) if you like it spicy and sour the Thai way.

For dessert, the traditional mango with sticky rice ($5) is superb.

We also loved the iced Thai milk tea ($3), which tasted a little bit different from our Teh-C.

Nakhon Kitchen is a no-frill Thai restaurant. If you crave for authentic Thai street food, then you must head to Nakhon Kitchen!

Address: 27A Lorong Liput. Singapore 277738

Opening hours: 12pm-2.45pm, 5.30pm-9.45pm (closed on Wed)

My overall verdict: 4.25/5

 4.3/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

As a kampong (village) boy growing up in Holland Village, he has so many fond memories. He grew up with pigsty (yuk!), cemetery, swamp and communal-living (with 10 families under one roof). His childhood games were gasing (spinning top), marbles, kites, spider-fighting and tree-climbing. An open-air cinema was his source of entertainment. 7^th-month Hungry Ghost wayang (Chinese opera) and getai (concert) was a once-a-year event that brought the entire village together.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

Danny is an avid hiker and passionate foodie. He has covered most of the nature trails in Singapore, including some that are off the beaten track. Living up to his motto, “walk to eat,” he enjoys going out with his wife, a retired academician, on a food hunt across the island. He also has some foodie kakis who mix work with food. They then share their gastronomic experiences through food blogs. So do watch out, because every time he shows you a property, he will tell you what is the best food nearby!

The post Nakhon Kitchen appeared first on Holland Property.

Holland Drive Food Centre 12 Must-Try Stalls

hollandproperty — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 15:01:10 +0000

Holland Drive Food Centre 12 Must-Try Stalls

1. NEW LUCKY CLAYPOT RICE

This is one of the stalls in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.

Because the rice is cooked from scratched, it can take 20-30 mins during off-peak hour and 45 mins during peak hours. So you may want to call (67787808) and reserve).

It is probably the only stall in Holland Drive Food Centre that is opened at night.

Stall 02-19
Opening Hours:
Lunch 11am–1pm; Dinner 5-8pm
Closed on Wed

2. RU JI KITCHEN FISH BALL NOODLE

Ru Ji Kitchen is also listed in the Michelin Guide 2019.

It is one of my favourite fish ball noodles.

What stands out in this stall is their firm and bouncy handmade fishballs.

Their chilli sauce also packs a punch.

Do take note they have another stall next to each other selling bak chor mee. Check out their meat balls.

Be prepared to queue because good food is worth waiting for.

Stall 02-28/29
Opening Hours: 6.30am-1.30pm
Closed on Monday

3 & 4. KWAY CHAP

There are two popular kway chap stalls along the same stretch at the end of the food centre. Of the two, Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice is listed in Michelin Guide 2019.

Naturally this more famous stall has a perpetual long queue.

But I actually prefer the Blanco Court Kway Chap which has a more natural ‘kway chap taste’ to it. Cheng Heng Kway Chap, though more flavourful, has more soya sauce taste to it.

Both are great choices though.

Cheng Heng Kway Chap Stall 02-05
Opening Hours: 6.30am-2.30pm

Blanco Court Kway Chap Stall 02-02
Opening Hours: 7am-2.30pm
Closed on Monday & Friday

5. YAP KEE WANTON MEE

There are several wanton mee stalls in Holland Drive Food Centre.

I like Yap Kee Wanton Mee the most.

What makes this stall special is their 100% egg noodle which has a very nice texture.

You should try their ‘original’ taste (dry noodle) with no chilli sauce, no ketchup, and no black sauce.

You will also enjoy a very friendly service from the stall-owner who would thank you after serving.

Stall 02-04
Opening Hours: 6am-2pm daily

6. LEONG WEI ROASTED DELIGHT

Leong Wei Roasted Delight serves very affordable and tasty roast meat and duck.

You can get a plate of char siew or roasted pork rice for only $2. A combo set is $3. With a side order of a bowl of tasteful soup for only $2.50, you have a complete meal.

There are many types of double-boiled soups to choose from at a standard price of $2.50.

The serving is generous for the price you pay for. Super good value. No wonder this stall has one of the longest lines of patrons.

Stall 02-36
Opening Hours: 11am-7pm
Closed on Thursday

7. FIFTY YONG TAU FU (五十年)

There are several yong tau fu stalls in Holland Drive Food Centre.

At Fifty Yong Tau Fu, the options are minimal but they do taste good. Prices are $3 for 5 pieces, $4 for 7 pieces and $5 for 9 pieces.

Unlike most hakka yong tau foo that I have tried, they don’t use as much minced pork, and they don’t deep fried most of the items.

I am not sure if minced pork and deep frying are typical hakka style. So this is good for those who are health-conscious.

I love their bouncy meatballs which are not deep-fried. Not sure if it’s wholly pork or mixed with fish paste.

Their mee kia is the thin flat type. The texture is very delectable.

Here you don’t find the noodle flooded with chilli and sweet sauces. So some may find it a little bland, but I did find it tasty.

Stall 02-37
Opening Hours: Closed at around 2pm (or till sold out). Closed on Sunday

8. HAKKA NOODLE

In some ways, the yong tau foo at the Hakka Noodle stall is similar to Fifty Yong Tau Fu.

The textures of the noodle, no heavy use of chilli and sweet sauces and pricing are about the same. Both stalls serve generous portions.

I did find the Hakka Noodle taste a little better. I could finish the whole bowl of flavourful soup.

Hakka Noodle used more minced pork as stuffing. The noodle was also sprinkled with minced pork, just like bak chor mee. Most of their items were deep-fried.

Their chilli dip, which was a bit sourish like the Teochew style, went very well with the yong tau foo.

The only downside was the yong tau foo were not freshly fried; hence they were not as crispy as they should be. Otherwise, everything would have been perfect.

Stall 02-15
Opening Hours: Closed at around 2pm (or till sold out)

9. SHIMA’S KITCHEN

If you are looking for delicious nasi ambeng , check out Shima’s Delight.

Breakfast menu include traditional Muslim food such as mee siam, mee rebus, mee soto, lontong and nasi lemak. All are going for $3 each.

Lunch-time queue can be long.

There are plenty of dish choices. Prices are reasonable and portions are generous. Soak it up with gravy and go with their balachan chilli, you will have a sedaplicious meal!

Stall 02-12
Opening Hours: Closed at around 2pm (or till sold out)

10. AINI MUSLIM FOOD

Aini Muslim Food doesn’t have a full selection of food items but their dishes are delicious.

Ayam penyet, at only $4.50, is one of their most popular dishes. Their tahu goreng and gado gado are also must-try. One of their unique dishes is lontong goreng.

You can also try their different goreng (stir fried) rice and noodle dishes.

Stall 02-14
Opening Hours: Closed at around 2pm (or till sold out)

11. TRADITIONAL CARROT CAKE

I grew up with carrot cake. Chai tow kway was my comfort food.

Here you can find the traditional old school carrot cake. You have an option of black and white style. I personally prefer the black style with dark sweet sauce. The type and amount of sauce are critical.

What I like about this carrot cake is they cut the carrot cake into tiny pieces so that all the charred sweet flavour is wrapped around every piece.

Some prefer the white eggy crispy style.

Stall 02-20
Opening Hours: Daily 6.30am to 1pm

12. CONGEE HOUSE

If you are looking for something light, you should consider the porridge at Congee House.

The Cantonese-style porridge is smooth. With additional egg, a dash of shallot and pieces of crispy you tiao, the porridge tastes yummy.

I like the pork ball porridge best which is the cheapest at $3.

Prices start from $3 to $4.30. Egg is $0.50 more.

Stall 02-41
Opening Hours: Daily 6.30am to 1pm

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Holland Drive Food Centre 12 Must-Try Stalls appeared first on Holland Property.

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice

hollandproperty — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 17:33:47 +0000

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice

Cheng Heng Kway Chap & Braised Duck Rice, recognised by Michelin Guide (The Plate), is the more famous of the two kway chap stalls in the Holland Drive Food Centre. Their competitor, Blanco Court Kway Chap, is just three stalls away.

But in reality, which is the better of the two?

Is Michelin always the best yardstick?

Or is a longer queue a better indication?

I had tried Blanco Court Kway Chap, and I loved it. Upon my recommendation, my foodie partner went and ate with his father, and they loved it. But Blanco Court Kway Chap was not listed in the Michelin Guide. The queue is also generally shorter than Cheng Heng. Life isn’t always fair, is it?

Since Cheng Heng Kway Chap is more recognised and more well-patronised, I wanted to try it out and see if it is worthy of its reputation. And I took my foodie partner along to be sure I had a fair assessment.

Though we were there before noon, there was already a long queue.

We ordered a set for two, with a plateful of braised pork belly, intestines, fish cake, tau pok, toufu, braised egg, pigskin, duck and salted vegetable. For $14, we thought it was a bit pricey.

The first noticeable difference we saw in Cheng Heng Kway Chap was that it was darker than Blanco Court Kway Chap. Clearly, Cheng Heng used more soya sauce.

If you like a stronger soya sauce flavour for your kway chap, then Cheng Heng is for you. But we both preferred the lighter version of Blanco Court that had more ‘kway chapness’ to its taste. If there was any hint of herbal taste to the Cheng Heng’s kway chap, the soya sauce was too overpowering.

As for the noodle, both are thin and silky. But if we have to choose, we would pick Blanco Court.

Cheng Heng serves duck on its menu, which Blanco Court doesn’t. Nothing outstanding about the duck meat. It was not flavourful enough. The texture of the duck meat could be improved if they were shredded instead of chopped. I find shredded meat to be more tender and savoury.

The intestines were chewy and tasted clean. Comparable to Blanco Court. Again the difference between the two was a darker and a lighter version.

We found the braised pork for Cheng Heng and Blanco Court to be quite comparable.

Overall, we found Cheng Heng Kway Chap quite average. Our preferred choice is Blanco Court Kway Chap.

When it comes to food, we should go with our heart rather than the crowd. At the end of the day, as long as you enjoy your food, that is the best choice!

Location: Holland Drive Food Centre. Blk 44 Holland Drive #02-05. Singapore 27044

Opening Hours: Daily: 730am – 230pm

My overall verdict: 4.0/5

 4/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice appeared first on Holland Property.

Breko Cafe @ Holland Village

hollandproperty — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 11:36:11 +0000

BREKO CAFE @ HOLLAND VILLAGE

Breko Café is a long-time establishment in Holland Village since 1999.

If you are looking for a cosy café along Lorong Mambong during lunchtime on a weekday, Breko Cafe is one of the very few that is opened (except Tuesday). Lorong Mambong is more of an evening and weekend go-to place for a nice meal or drink, but Breko Café can pull it off even during this lull period of the day.

To enjoy their full eclectic menu, you can get 25% (weekends) to 30% (weekdays), and up to 50% discount using Eatigo app.

Breko Cafe Lunch Special

Breko Café also offers super good value lunch special at $12.90++ on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (closed on Tuesday) between 11 am to 2 pm.

The set meal includes cold drinks (iced tea, coke, coke light, root beer), iced/hot black coffee or latte, and hot tea).

Breko Cafe is a great place to meet up with friends or do your work on your laptop. Service is prompt and efficient.

Generally, prices are reasonable and quality of food is decent, though nothing to shout about. Just sit back and enjoy the food and ambience, while at the same time enjoying your beer, drink or cup of aromatic coffee.

My wife and I tried their lunch special. We ordered the chargrilled BBQ chicken and pulled pork burger set.

The hot latte was the first to arrive. The freshly-brewed roasted coffee uses beans imported from Brazil, Fazenda, and Rwanda tasted robust, aromatic and slightly sourish with no sugar added.

When the pulled pork burger got to our table, I noticed how small the burger was. The portions of coleslaw and pulled pork are almost the same. Taste-wise was reasonably good. The French fries that came with the dish were a bit too thin for my liking though the bite is not too bad.

The chargrilled BBQ chicken came with a slab of cheese and a piece of canned pineapple on the grilled chicken thigh. I found the BBQ sauce too sweet, especially together with the sweetened slice of pineapple. The chicken was tender and tasty.

We ordered two side dishes from the menu, which were a part of the set meal. The bacon potato mash and truffle lotus were good choices. If only the lotus were a little thinner and crispier, it would have been perfect. The truffle taste was delightful.

Overall, we enjoyed the excellent value meal. We will certainly come back to Breko Cafe in the future!

Address: 38 Lorong Mambong. Singapore 277694

My overall verdict: 4.0/5

 4/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Breko Cafe @ Holland Village appeared first on Holland Property.

Leong Wei Roasted Delight

hollandproperty — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:09:03 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: Leong Wei Roasted Delight

We all know the cost of food has gone up quite a fair bit. It’s no longer easy to buy a $2 lunch anymore. Even if you can find one, the quality of the food will likely be bad. As the saying goes, “good things not cheap, cheap thing not good.”

There are, however, always exceptions.

Incredible Price

One of them is Leong Wei Roasted Delight in Holland Drive Food Centre. This stall is what I would classify as CNG (cheap and good).

Prices for a plate of char siew or sio bak rice starts from only $2. I am not kidding. Yes, $2, you heard it correctly.

Kudos to the stall owners who have not increased their prices for more than 30 years!

With this kind of price level, it is not surprising to see the queue every lunchtime. The queue usually starts forming even before the stall opens at 11.30am. After all, who can turn away from cheap and good food?

Don’t be disheartened by the queue because the service is usually prompt. But there are times when it is held up by someone who ta pao (takeaway) many packets.

Decent Taste

I ordered my plate of char siew and sio bak combination for only $3, which came with a fairly generous portion. With an additional bowl of soup for only $2.50, I had a very hearty meal.

The char siew and sio bak did not disappoint me. Leong Wei Roasted Delight did live up to its name because the meats were sheer delight.

Char siew was savoury, tender, juicy and not too sweet. If you are looking for the Malaysian style that is caramelised and with more fats than meat, then this is not for you. If you are health-conscious, then you can eat without guilt, without any sacrifice on the taste.

Leong Wei’s sio bak was delicious with some amount of fats. The golden-brown skin was crispy. With gravy poured over the rice and with their special chilli sauce, everything tasted just right.

If you have the chance, you must also try their roast duck. You can order a lunch combo set with three kinds of meats and soup for only $7.90. So cheap where to find?

Choices of Soup for Only $2.50 Each

To top it all, the pork rib soup with sze chuan vegetable I ordered was very flavourful. It even came with three pieces of meaty pork ribs. I slurped up every spoonful of the soup.

Leong Wei offers many options of soups, all at $2.50 each:

Peanuts with chicken feet
Salted vegetable with duck wing
Lotus soup with spare ribs
Black eyed beans with spare ribs
Sze chuan vegetable with chicken
Sze chuan vegetable with spare ribs
Winter melon with chicken
Winter melon with spare ribs
Watercress with chicken
Watercress with spare ribs

Address: LEONG WEI ROASTED DELIGHTS 良伟腊味饭. Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. 44 Holland Drive #02-36 Singapore 270044

My overall verdict: 4.25/5

 4.3/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Leong Wei Roasted Delight appeared first on Holland Property.

Ru Ji Kitchen

hollandproperty — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 08:12:30 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: RU JI KITCHEN

Fishball noodle is not my to-die-for kind of food. As a person who goes for intense flavour, I find fishballs to be too bland for my liking. It takes an exceptional bowl of fishball noodle for me to like it.

Ru Ji Kitchen fishball noodle is one of the few exceptions.

The vital factors in determining an exceptional fishball noodle are al dente noodles, tangy sambal chilli sauce, dash of vinegar and crunchy lard. And of course, the central stage of this Teochew dish is the firm and bouncy fishballs.

Handmade Fishballs

Handmade fishballs are the best, as opposed to factory-made. You can tell by their uneven shapes and sizes. Wolf herring (also called ikan parang, or sai toh fish 西刀鱼) or yellowtail snapper (黄尾鱼) are premium choice to make fishballs. They have very fine bones, but the meat is fresh and sweet.

To make fishballs with hands is a lot of hard work. After scrapping and mincing the flesh of the fish, they are slapped back and forth on the board to create the bouncy texture. They are then shaped into balls by squeezing the meat through the palm.

Be Prepare to Queue at Ru Ji Kitchen

When you are at Holland Drive Food Centre during breakfast or lunchtime, you can never miss the perpetual meandering queue at Ru Ji Kitchen.

Well, the queue is usually a testament to the popularity of the stall and quality of the food. Typical die-hard Singaporean foodies don’t mind waiting in line for 30-45 mins for good food.

Do take note there are two side-by-side stalls at Ju Ki Kitchen. One sells fishball noodles, and the other bak chor mee. The former is the more popular choice.

Prices at Ru Ji Kitchen starts at $3. I ordered my bowl of mee pok ta for $4 which came with five fishballs and few slices of fish cakes.

As I sank my teeth into the fishball, I could feel the ‘doink’ (bounciness) with no fishy taste to it – a sign of freshness. Their shapes and sizes were so uneven. The fishcakes with a crusty outer layer were excellent too.

Ru Ji Kitchen Almost Perfect Fishball Noodle

Drenched in sambal chilli, the bloody-looking noodles were cooked to perfection.

I was blown away by the chilli that was explosively shiok! The perfect blend of the mee pok, chilli sauce and crisp bits of lard was yummilicious! I even slurped up some spoonful of the tasty soup.

Everything about my bowl of dry mee pok at Ru Ji Kitchen was almost perfect. Maybe a small dash of vinegar would have brought it closer to perfection.

Having tasted the fishball noodles at Ru Ji Kitchen, I now know why it has earned a well-deserved listing in the Michelin Plate Guide.

Address: 44 Holland Drive #02-28/29, Singapore 270044. Closed on Monday.

My overall verdict: 4.5/5

 4.5/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Ru Ji Kitchen appeared first on Holland Property.

New Lucky Claypot Rice

hollandproperty — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 07:36:21 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: NEW LUCKY CLAYPOT RICE

When I first tasted Lucky Claypot Rice in Clementi I thought the taste was only okay. It later moved to Holland Drive Food Centre and subsequently got drafted into the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.

I thought perhaps I missed something previously or their standard had improved tremendously. The nagging question is, is New Lucky Claypot Rice worthy of the Michelin recognition?

So I went back but was still not impressed. Then I decided to go one more time with my foodie partner to give them another chance and to have a second opinion.

New Lucky Claypot Rice cooks their rice from scratch. Cooking time can take up to 45 minutes. So, to cut down waiting time, I gave a call to place our order.

Upon our arrival, they served us the food in less than five minutes. Getting there before the noon lunchtime crowd also helped.

The portion for 2 was $15 which was sufficient for us. A side order of soup was $4.

New Lucky Claypot Rice: Good or Lucky?

When the food arrived, we looked forward to tucking it into our hungry stomach with much anticipation. I must say from the first look, the rice with the spread of chunky chickens and Chinese sausages did look very inviting.

Will I be third time lucky?

Well, the rice was savoury and well cooked and added with the right amount of oil and their special dark soya sauce. As it got further to the bottom, it got harder. Some love the burnt hard rice at the side and bottom of the claypot. They were like crackers.

The Good and the Bad

The ingredients that went with the rice were critical. We found the chunky chicken to be tender. They were mainly boneless chicken breast meat, perhaps to avoid delicate bones mixing with the rice. While they were tender and moist, they could have been better if well marinated.

The best part about the New Lucky Claypot Rice is their delicious lup cheong (Chinese sausages) and waxed meat (duck liver?). Both of these added so much flavour to the rice.

Together with the salted fish, they gave the charred rice the unique taste. One surprising ingredient was small pieces of preserved vegetables (da tou cai). It was the first time we ever saw that in claypot rice.

The pork rib soup with lotus root was diluted and bland. Well, we should not expect too much for $4.

Overall, while we found the New Lucky claypot rice appetizing, we were doubtful that it deserves to be among the Michelin hall of fame.

My friend would say in jest what would a car tyre company know about food. Maybe there is some truth to it.

Some are perhaps more lucky than others.

Address: Blk 44 Holland Drive #02-19, Singapore 270044. Tel: 67787808. Closed on Wednesday.

My overall verdict: 4.0/5

 4/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post New Lucky Claypot Rice appeared first on Holland Property.

Blanco Court Kway Chap

hollandproperty — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:55:55 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: BLANCO COURT KWAY CHAP

My first encounter with Blanco Court Kway Chap was in the 1990s.

Blanco Court, located at the junction of North Bridge Road and Ophir Road, was a go-to place for stationery and party goods.

In that building, there were two levels of food centre which were super-packed with lunchtime crowds. In 1997, Raffles Medical Group and Pidemco Land acquired the building and developed it into Raffles Hospital.

Back then, in Blanco Court, two kway chap stalls each claimed their territories. Today, the one on 3^rd storey had moved to Old Airport Road Food Centre, known as “Blanco Court Food Centre (3rd Storey)” aka “To-Ricos Guo Shi”. The one located on 4^th storey, now known as Blanco Court Kueh Chap, is at Holland Drive Food Centre.

Kway Chap is a Teochew dish. It is a bowl of thin flat sheets of rice noodle, much like over-size kway teow, served in broth.

The dish usually includes pig innards, pork belly, pig skins, pig trotter, tau pok (fried beancurd), tau kwa (firm beancurd), braised eggs and kiam chye (preserved vegetables).

My order of a bowl of kway chap with a plate of lean braised meat, tau pok, tau kwa and braised egg cost me $4.50.

Though pig innards are indispensable for true kway chap lovers, I chose to opt out because I couldn’t afford the cholesterol. My foodie partner felt sorry for me lol. But I was careful to avoid a moment of joy on my lip but stay forever on my hip!

What I Like About Blanco Court Kway Chap

I like the thin, smooth kway chap at Blanco Court. The important thing was they don’t stick together. The broth, with use of less dark soya sauce, was lightly flavoured and savoury. The fried shallot further enhanced the taste.

I love their braised pork. Though lean, it was tender and tasty. The chilli was tangy and slightly sourish, which went very well with the kway chap and the ingredients.

One notable feature of Blanco Court Kway Chap is it appeals to those who prefer a taste that is not too intense and heavy on dark soya sauce.

Location: 44 Holland Drive #02-02 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044

My overall verdict: 4.25/5

 4.3/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Blanco Court Kway Chap appeared first on Holland Property.

Wanton Mee in Holland area

hollandproperty — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 07:00:24 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: WANTON MEE

Holland Village offers several good choices for wanton mee lovers. Here I will share three of them.

Ju Kee Charcoal Roasted

I came to know about Ju Kee Charcoal Roasted at 46 Holland Drive coffeeshop by chance. The stall previously was the famous Red Ring Wanton Mee which I loved. Then one day, when I went back, I found that there was a change of hand.

Usually, I would make an initial assessment by the look of the char siew (Chinese barbequed pork) and roast meat, by their colour and texture. Theirs did catch my eyes.

I must say, I wasn’t disappointed by their char siew which they roast in house. The plate of noodle came with a generous portion of char siew. It was not too sweet.

Being health-conscious, I had requested for leaner char siew. It still had the right amount of fats to give it a certain degree of tenderness. You may choose their translucent melt-in-the-mouth char siew.

Apart from the char siew, the key determining factors of good wanton mee are the noodle, wanton, sauce and chilli.

The texture of the noodle was okay for me. Though it didn’t have the ‘kansui’ (枧水lye water, alkaline solution) taste to it, I found it a bit too soft or overcooked. I preferred a certain springiness to the bite, but it did fall short.

The wantons were flavourful, but the meat fillings were too little. That seems to be the norm with most wanton mee stalls.

Their sauce is on the lighter side. The small crispy bits of lards were delightful.

As for the chilli sauce, they used the sambal type of chilli which I like, but somehow there was a missing kick to it.

The skin of the roast pork was very crispy. But the slices were too thin and the portion too small. The serving was barely sufficient.

Ju Kee is also famous for its herbal duck (当归鸭). While I could taste the Chinese spices and herbs, it was nowhere close to those I had eaten in JB, such as Restaurant Ya Wang.

Location: 46 Holland Drive coffeeshop

My overall verdict: 4.25/5

 4.3/5

Lo Chan Kee Cantonese Wanton Mee (老陈记)

Located in the Holland Drive Food Centre. The queue is usually long, even though several uniformed staff manned the stall.

I ordered the $4 portion which came with extra ingredients. With my first bite, I could feel the springiness of the noodle, but there was a slight ‘kansui‘ taste.

The char siew was too lean and lacking the charred caramelised flavour for my liking.

The wantons were plump and tasty, one of the better ones I have tasted.

The sauce and chilli were a tad too bland for my taste bud. Perhaps more chilli would have helped.

I had their shrimp dumplings before which would make a better choice. They came with a generous portion of prawn, diced water chestnuts and well-marinated minced pork.

Location: 44 Holland Drive #02-23 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044

My overall verdict: 4.0/5

 4/5

Yap Kee Wanton Mee (叶记全蛋云吞面)

This stall is located right towards the end of the Holland Drive food centre. It is perhaps the most underrated in Holland Drive market, judging from the short queue.

The stall owner, Richard, is amiable and polite. He would invariably say ‘thank you’ after serving you. Richard and his wife were from Batu Pahat. He has an elder brother in JB who was a retired wanton mee vendor, famous for his flying wanton mee in Taman Johor Jaya.

There are two special features about Yap Kee wanton noodle.

Firstly, they serve 100% egg noodles without any tinge of ‘kansui’ taste to it. The basic ingredients of egg noodles are simply eggs and wheat flour without adding water. The texture is tender yet firm, which is what I like. Egg noodles have higher amounts of protein and essential amino acids. They are also lower on the glycemic index.

Secondly, you can opt for the “original taste” (原味). It doesn’t use black sauce nor chilli sauce which are optional. Don’t be deceived by the plain-looking noodle.

I remembered eating kempua mee for the first time in Sibu Sarawak many years ago. I was pleasantly surprised by the aromatic taste.

It was the same here. The owners used only some light sauce and lard. You can also opt for shallot oil instead of lard, which is a common feature in Sarawak. I believe that would have tasted even better.

The char siew, though not fat, was savoury. Not the best, but still decent.

I like their wantons best because the fillings were relatively generous and very tasty.

Location: 44 Holland Drive, #02-04 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044

My overall verdict: 4.5/5

 4.5/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Wanton Mee in Holland area appeared first on Holland Property.

Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh

hollandproperty — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 12:35:32 +0000

HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: KOTA ZHENG ZONG BAK KUT TEH

[PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh (哥打正宗肉骨茶) is the new kid on the block in Holland Village.

Hailed from Johor, this is the first Singapore outlet by the famous bak kut teh eatery. Though I frequented JB and had tried several bak kut teh there, such as Shoon Huat Bak Kut Teh (顺发肉骨茶), Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh @ JB (亚顺肉骨茶) and Soon Soon Heng Bak Kut Teh (顺顺兴肉骨茶), I have yet to try this.

Mr Pang Kow started Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh way back in 1980 in Kota Tinggi. Later, his son Pang Kong Pee took over the helm.

What is so special about their bak kut teh is their family recipe of 18 different herbs to brew the soup. They only use fresh and quality ingredients.

Bak Kut Teh has a rich cultural heritage, tracing back to the early immigrants from China. It is a popular dish both in Malaysia and Singapore with differing style.

The Hokkien style is prevalent in Malaysia, whereas the Teochew variant is more common in Singapore. The Hokkien uses a variety of herbs and soy sauce to create a more fragrant and darker soup. The Teochew style, which is light in colour, uses mainly pepper and garlic in the soup.

My personal preference is the herbal-based to the pepper-dominant broth. I find the aroma of the herbal soup ‘intoxicating’ whereas the peppery soup too overpowering. Besides, I love the ingredients of Malaysian style bak kut teh such as mushrooms and fried bean curd skin. They also like to add pork belly, pork tail, pork trotters, pig’s livers, kidney and intestines.

In my personal experience of tasting bak kut teh in Malaysia and Singapore, generally, I find Singapore generally uses more quality long ribs.

At Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh, you can opt for their signature premium Spanish Iberico pork.

(Note that Iberico pork is no longer offered due to poor demand)

What’s so special about the Iberico pork?

Iberico pork comes from the distinctive Black Iberian Pig which is native to parts of Portugal and Spain.

These pigs feed on acorns and elements of the natural forests in these areas to give the meat a nutty and evocative flavour.

They also have a higher fat content than other pigs to provide it with a delightful tenderness.

I ordered the premium rib which came with a price tag of $12.90. I added button mushrooms and dried bean curd skin at an additional $1 each. My buddy ordered the pork belly soup for $10.90. We shared a side order of you tiao for $1.90.

For $3 more, you can get to enjoy the Iberico pork ribs. To give it a little alcoholic kick, you can opt for Hua Tiao rice wine, Hennessy VSOP, Martell Cordon Bleu.

Other ala carte side dishes include Muar mackerel otah ($9.90), preserved vegetable ($2.90), tau pok ($3.90), kai lan ($6.90/$9.90) and lettuce ($5.90/$8.90).

Not surprisingly the prices are slightly on the higher side, considering the relatively high rental of Holland Village.

My first reaction to the broth was delightful. However, it lacked the strong aroma of bak kut teh in Klang that I miss so much. While the soup was very tasty and had a strong herbal taste to it, it was a little salty to my liking.

The portion was quite generous with five pieces of mid-size premium ribs. They were not as tender as I had expected, even though they did have a certain amount of fats. The ribs didn’t have the nearly fall-off-the-bone kind of tenderness.

Maybe next time I should try the Iberico ribs.

Address: 15A Lorong Liput, Singapore 277730

My overall verdict is 3.75/5

 3.7/5

Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.

What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.

The post Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh appeared first on Holland Property.