Theeeeee Bun....

Hidden among the long stretch of shop houses would be this dull-looking shop that not only sell the Chinese 'Bao', but they also have some other types of small bites too. Therefore I decided to give it a go too. :)

'Pork Bao'(大肉包) Looking at the yellowish base, I actually have high expectations for this 'Pork Bao'(大肉包). (I was actually looking forward to a juicy 'Pork Bao', but...)

However, as I dig into this, the chewy and meaty mix of ingredients (meat chunks and hard-boiled egg) are indeed a (+), but it's simply not juicy enough. Probably it was left inside the steamer for far too long, therefore all the juicy sauce has been absorbed by the base, which is a big disappointment. :(

'Char Siew Roast Pork Bao'(叉烧烧肉包) This would be one of the main reason why I have decided to step into this place. They not only have the usual Chinese 'Bao', they also have innovative items like the above.

Though this is relatively small, but the size didn't really matter that much. As I took my first bite, there's an immediate outburst of the strong taste of 'Roast Pork'. And it's not that the 'Char Siew' meat are tasteless, it's just that the taste of 'Roast Pork' are far more overpowering. On top of that, the mixture of different types of meat ended up to be pretty chewy and juicy, which makes it a pretty big (+).

So where can you give it a good try?

The name of this shop would be "D'Bun(利满)". It's located along 'Joo Chiat Road'.

Notes:

• Operating Hours:
  08:00 - 22:00

* Click here to find out more about "D'Bun(利满)".
^ Click here for the 'Facebook' Page of "D'Bun(利满)".
~ Click here for the location of "D'Bun(利满)" on 'Google Maps'.
# Click here for the list of delicacies that you can find and get around 'Joo Chiat'.

Expanding Dim Sum...

I knew about the existence of this place since more than a decade ago. If I'm not mistaken, me and my school mates had dined at this restaurant once in a while back then. More than a decade has passed and I think that it's time to visit the place again. :)

This place is pretty crowded, especially when the weekend approaches. The group of us had finished the plate of peanuts within minutes, while waiting for our orders to appear

They have quite a spread for fried Dim Sum items over here. Though we only ended up placing an order for a few of them only. 'Prawn in Beancurd Skin'(鮮蝦腐皮卷) Not too oily, and yet it still has this crunchy touch, which makes this a pretty good Dim Sum. And most importantly not to forget about the tasty prawns. :) Alright, that's it. Time to move on to the steamed Dim Sum...

Left: 'Rice Roll with Char Siew'(叉燒腸粉) Right: 'Rice Roll with Prawn'(鮮蝦腸粉) The smooth texture would be a (+). Topped with a generous portion of ingredients make this a pretty decent plate of 'Rice Roll'.

Time for the Dumpling look alike Dim Sum. Left: 'Beancurd Skin Roll in Oyster Sauce'(耗油鮮竹卷) Right: 'Prawn & Mushroom Dumpling'(翅餃) Served warm, these succulent small bites can be delicious and dangerous at the same time. The soup within these small bites can burn your tongue easily.

Couldn't leave a Dim Sum place without giving the Buns a good try. Top: 'Char Siew Bun'(叉燒包) Bottom: 'Creamy Custard Bun'(流沙包) Loved the 'Creamy Custard Bun'. Though it's not the best but wrapped around the thick savory sweet lava would be the fluffy Pandan skin, which makes it a pretty good combination.

'Fragrant Rice with Chicken'(糯米雞) If you really want to save a bit, you can always go for 1 or 2 of the rice or congee dishes that they have listed on the menu. And this would be one of the better options. :)

'Yam Cake'(芋頭糕) Frankly speaking, I think that this would be the best item that was listed on their menu. Covered with a great amount of shrimps and spring onions, this is a pretty good deal. Faced it, I'm madly in love with this dish. As far as I know, this would be one of the best 'Yam Cake' in my area. As I took a bite off the 'Yam Cake', there's an immediate outburst of the fragrance of 'Yam' inside my mouth. On top of that, the chewy sensation would be another (+).

The above would give you a better idea of the dishes that they are offering over here.

The name of this restaurant would be 'Tak Po'(德宝). It's located along 'Smith Street', which is also located opposite 'Chinatown Complex Food Centre'.

Opening Hours:

• 07:00 - 22:30 Daily

* Click here for the location of 'Tak Po'(德宝) on Google Maps.

Gyoza Ya

I suddenly have the urge for 'Gyoza' the other day, therefore I started searching for good 'Gyoza' options in Singapore. I immediately set off for the place once I have decided on the restaurant.

'Jya Jya Noodles'(じゃじゃ麺) The appearance of this dish looks pretty similar to the Chinese Noodles, 'Zha Jiang Mian'(炸醤麺). Within that small little bowl, there's the flat and thick Japanese Noodles, 'Somen', 'Cucumber Stripes', 'Spring Onions' and most importantly the meaty 'Miso paste'.

The restaurant has also prepared an illustration showing the steps to enjoy a good bowl of 'Jya Jya Noodles'. And it's written in both English and Japanese. Besides for the appearance, the taste of the Noodles are pretty much similar to the 'Zha Jiang Mian' too. As you mix the chewy Noodles and the meaty paste together, the overall dish becomes pretty tasty. On top of that, I loved the chill sensation of the stripes of Cucumber. However, since the stripes of Cucumber are pretty thin, therefore it has lost the crunchy touch, which is kinda disappointing.

The would be the outcome, after spending a bit of time playing along with the illustration. It's pretty much similar to a bowl of Japanese Ramen that comes with a thick broth. Though the taste and the texture of the Noodles remains to be pretty good, but frankly speaking, I still prefer a bowl of Japanese Ramen much much more. :D

'Gyoza'(餃子) This would be the signatures of this restaurant. Besides for Boiled Dumplings, they are preparing and selling Pan-Fried Dumplings over here too. Best of all, from time to time, they would be releasing limited editions 'Gyoza' too. For example, they have released Pan- Fried Red King Crab Dumplings for the month of September. :D

'Yaki Azuki Gyoza'(焼き小豆餃子) Yes, indeed. These Red Bean Dumplings do comes in the shape of a dumpling and it's pretty sweet but these dumplings ain't good enough. This is mainly due to the fact that these Dumplings ain't crunchy enough, which is a big disappointment. :(

'Pan Fried Dumpling with Pork'(焼き餃子(豚)) As compared to the previous plate of Dumplings, this is amazingly good. There's a nice balance in the use of the meaty ingredients and the vegetables. On top of that, it has this crunchy sensation which is a must have for 'Pan-Fried Dumplings'.

The name of this restaurant would be 'Gyoza Ya'. It's located on basement 1 of 'Robinsons Orchard'.

Opening Hours:

• 11:30 - 20:00

* Click here to find out more about 'Gyoza Ya'.
^ Click here for the location of 'Robinsons Orchard' on Google Maps.

How good can cheap be?

I was browsing around the web and I came across this unbelievable good promotion for 'Dim Sum'. Though it also comes with a 'Terms & Conditions', but it still makes it a pretty good promotion. But as usual, how good can cheap be? And that's something that I have found out the other day.

Since I'm having early lunch alone, therefore this table ended up to be pretty comfortable and spacious. :D And since I'm in a Chinese restaurant, I must...

'龙凤吉祥' Being a tea lover, I just couldn't resist this. Unlike some other Chinese restaurant, they have a separate menu for beverages over here. For me, it's the tea menu that interest me the most. For this blend, it seems to be a mixture of 'Chinese Green Tea' and 'Chinese Oolong Tea'. At least, that's the impression that I was given when I was drinking and appreciating the tea. There's this nice mixture of 'grassy' and 'sweet' taste. Not bad for a start. :D

Though it doesn't comes with a Chinese cup (which is rather smart, else for heavy tea drinkers like me, we might be sitting there for ages), but it does come with a big pot of hot water. Initially, I thought that I have to help myself to the pot, but the service that the restaurant over here is so good that I had my unlimited flow of good Chinese Tea, without touching the pot at all. O.O Woo Hoo...

'Dim Sum'(点心) These would be the 'Dim Sum' that I have ordered the other day.

'Steamed prawn dumpling with bamboo pith'(竹笙水晶虾饺皇) Freshly steamed and served in a tray. These dumpling are deliciously good. For a start, the skin isn't too soft and it doesn't stick onto the base of the tray. As I pop one of them into my mouth, the generous serving of crunchy prawns started jumping and bouncing around. The sweet and yummy sensation is heavenly and 1 just couldn't stop at 3. I feel like placing a second order for this. -.-""

'Deep-fried prawn dumpling served with Wasabi sauce'(芥辣明虾角) Even though it's covered with a layer of 'Wasabi', but it doesn't comes with irritating breath taking choking touch. In fact, the not so oily and yet crispy skin is a big (+). Combined with the crunchy and delicious prawns just made it better and better and irresistible.

So what's the catch for the cheap 'Dim Sum' selling @ $0.88?

• It's limited to the first 2 orders of Dim Sum for the first 30 tables during Lunch hours only.
• The promotion is valid till 31 Oct 2014.
• Either ways, this still makes it a pretty good promotion. O.OV

So where can you give the delicious 'Dim Sum' a good try?

The name of this chinese restaurant would be 'Grand Mandarin'(御华庭). It's located along 'New Bridge Road', which is also located opposite 'Pearl Centre' and located near 'Outram Park MRT Station'.

Opening Hours:

• Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30
  Dinner: 18:30 - 22:00 Daily

* Click here to find out more about 'Grand Mandarin'(御华庭).
^ Click here for the location of 'Grand Mandarin'(御华庭) on 'Google Maps'.

My way of having a good appetite...?

So what is my favourite way of having a good appetite? I guess that would be feasting on a big variety of dishes at one go. :D And it can be kinda boring if you are feasting on the same type of food at one go(imagine feasting on 5 or 6 plates of barbecue meat at one go), therefore it must be a variety of different types of dishes. And on top of that, things would get better and better if it ended up to be a big selection of small dishes. Therefore, I couldn't resist...

'Dim Sum Buffet' I'm always keeping a lookout for good 'Dim Sum Buffet' to try. With a good pot of Tea and a big variety of dishes, I seriously wouldn't mind giving the 'Dim Sum Buffet' of different Chinese restaurants a try on every weekend. :D As mentioned on my blog over and over again, 'Dim Sum' are pretty much similar to 'Sushi'. These dishes are pretty small in portion and they could easily burn a hole in your wallet. Anyway let's move on to some of the dishes that they are offering over here.

'Poached Pork Wanton in Spicy & Chilli Oil'(紅油炒手) Although the 'Wanton' are pretty tasty and meaty, but the sauce isn't fantastic enough. Basically the sauce isn't spicy enough and it would taste much better if they prepare it differently. Without the correct sauce, these 'Wanton' can never reach the top.

'Pan Fried Dumpling'(鍋貼) Not too greasy and parts of the skin are nice and crispy. And all the 'Pan Fried Dumplings' over here are bite sized. Best of all, there's a good mix of vegetables and minced meat, which makes it pretty good.

How can we leave the table empty? Since it's a 'Dim Sum Buffet', we should continue to cover the table with 'Dim Sum' dishes.... Whahahaha~~~~

'Four Seasons Pork Dumpling'(四方餃) Not all the 'Dim Sum' restaurants have this. This is a normal dumpling with 4 openings on top and each of the opening will be populated with a different type of ingredient. The base is pretty much similar to those of a juicy 'Xiao Long Bao'. Therefore, for this 'Dumpling', there's a mix of crunchy & juicy ingredients, which makes this a (+).

Top Left: Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling(蝦籽燒賣) Middle: Steamed Shrimp Dumpling(水晶鮮蝦餃) Bottom Right: Salted Egg Custard Bun(流沙包) Hmm... The 'Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling' & the 'Steamed Shrimp Dumpling' are pretty normal, not something that is deliciously exciting. But the 'Salted Egg Custard Bun' is pretty good. The thick filling is a (+). Not only it tastes good, when you have it with the 'Pandan Bun', you ended up getting something that not only tastes good, it smells good too. However, do be careful, the fiery filling can burn your tongue easily..

'Sliced Chicken in Spicy Sauce'(口水雞) Besides for 'Dim Sum', they also have included sides dishes like these. The slices of chilling tender chicken are pretty nice. However, the supposed-to-be spicy sauce, isn't exciting enough for me. Would be perfect if they can spice it up a bit more.

'Deep Fried Pork Rib with Spicy Mango Sauce'(香芒排骨) We have placed 2 separate orders for this dish. The first plate ended up to be heavenly. But the second one turns out to be pretty bad. When it's good, not only it's coated with a layer of mango, while chewing on the pork ribs, the nice concentrate fragrance of mangoes are bursting inside my mouth which makes it an enjoyable dining experience. :)

Left: Chilled Durian & Fresh Cream in Pan Cake(榴蓮糕) Right: Warm Fuzhou Yam Pudding(香麻芋泥) We have given all the desserts over here a try too. And this is the best. The appearance of it reminds me of the super oldie 'Golden Pillow'... =.="" Either ways, each spoonful of this dessert comes with a strong aroma of 'Durian' and cream. And the chefs over here might have added too much filling into the pan cake, such that the filling were flowing out of the pan cake once you cut a small opening off it. This has pretty much explains why this is the first item that is strike off the menu for the day.

Here's a copy of the menu of this 'Dim Sum' menu. They have also listed down stuff like deep fried 'Dim Sum', 'Baked Dim Sum', 'Noodles', 'Congee', etc...

The name of this restaurant would be 'Ju Chun Yuan'(聚春園). It's located in a corner of 'Far East Square'.

Notes:

• Daily Opening Hours:
  Lunch: 11:30 - 15:30
  Dinner: 18:00 - 22:30
• Dim Sum Lunch Buffet: 11:30 - 15:30
• Do take note, depending on the demand, most of the popular items might be sold out before 1 or 2pm in the afternoon.
• Do try and make your reservations as early as possible, as the empty seats are getting filled up pretty early...

* Click here to find out more about 'Ju Chun Yuan'(聚春園).
^ Click here for the Facebook page of 'Ju Chun Yuan'(聚春園).

It's not Ramen...

I decided to have my dinner at the 5th Keisuke Japanese restaurant a few weeks back. And apparently it's not a Ramen restaurant but a Japanese restaurant selling...

'OO Set Meals' The restaurant is famous for 'OO Set Meals'. But before I move on introducing 'OO', let's start with the side dishes first.

The set meals come with unlimited free flow of Rice. (This is the most important part. I'm always coming across the problem of finishing a bowl of rice with a large portion of side dishes left behind. And it's kinda disturbing when I have to pay for an extra bowl of rice.)

However, they didn't provide Japanese pickles over here. But, they do have the spicy bean sprouts and cabbages that works pretty good for pickles too. Although the taste of it are pretty good, but it's not spicy enough for me. (But nevertheless, free pickles is a very big (+).) So what's 'OO'? 。 。 。 。 。

'OO' would be 'Gyoza'. The speciality of this branch isn't 'Ramen' but 'Gyoza'. However, the 3 different types of 'Gyoza' over here are related to the 'Ramen'. The 3 different types are: 'Keisuke Tonkotsu King Gyoza (Pork)' 'Keisuke Tori King Gyoza (Pork + Chicken)' 'Keisuke Gyoza (Pork + Prawn)' Basically they are using 'Gyoza' to present the specialities of 3 other 'Keisuke' branches. I ended up choosing the 3rd type, which is a mixture of Prawn and Pork meat. For a start, there's the crunchy fillings, the nice fragrance of prawns and the relatively thin skin that wraps all the the fillings nicely together, which makes it pretty delicious and good.

Each set meal will come with 2 different side dishes. You will be given 8 different choices, which include meaty and vegetables dishes too. I ended up choosing the 'Deep Fried Chicken with spicy sauce and mixed sesame' and 'Chicken Nanban with Tartar sauce'. Though the taste is relatively good, but the small portion is kinda disappointing.

The above shows the order sheet of the restaurant.

This is the appearance of the restaurant 'Keisuke Gyoza King'. It's located on level 1 of 'Orchid Hotel'.

Opening Hours:

• Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30
  Dinner: 18:00 - 22:30

* Click here for the Facebook page of 'Keisuke Gyoza King'.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Keisuke Gyoza King'. (Japanese website)