Waroeng Penyet @ Bugis

Many thanks to my brother, there's yet another story behind this entry…
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It was raining heavily that Sunday afternoon and instead of fetching him at work, we asked him to return home first and wait for the rain to subside before heading out. It was around 5 pm when we finally drove out; without lunch on that rainy afternoon. Imagine the hunger!

While figuring out a place to go, my bro excitedly mentioned, "Bugis!"

Apparently, his colleague had been raving so much about this ayam penyet shop in Bugis and he was really keen to give it a go. Myself meanwhile, got a little enthused, thinking that there's a new ayam penyet shop in town and I'm gonna try it (I love trying out new stuff)!

While at Liang Seah Street, he called his friend asking for directions and the name of the shop. The only clue he gave us was, "Same row as the 7-11!" -___-

Do you have any idea how long the row of shophouses there was? And there we were, really hungry and having to tackle this active 15 month-old who wanted to dash off everywhere but wherever we're heading.

I walked ahead of him as he tried to communicate over the din at that noisy street. Then I saw it. The ayam penyet shop. I know it's an ayam penyet shop because... because I've been to their other branches before la!

**Previous entry HERE**

So much for a new-kid-on-the-block... Even my bro can't hide his disappointment. Heh. But we're very hungry so who cares? Besides, I heard that they have some new stuff on the menu.

Sup Sayur Asem

When this was served, all of us thought that this bowl of Javanese hot & sour vegetable soup looks... weird. It's more reddish than the brownish hue that we're accustomed to. No long beans and what are those beansprouts doing there?!

Had a sip of the soup. Ahhh... Still the same. Nice. Very nice, in fact!

Satay Ayam

One of my favourite satay ever! Never mind that they're unlike the ones that we're accustomed to. It's the taste that matters and I love these.

The tender and nicely-marinated chicken meat. And that sauce. Boy!

Too bad they don't come cheap. :(

Gado-gado

I'm surprised my bro insisted on ordering this. Guess he's starting to like his vegetables after all.
Love to see the abundance of keropok being heaped on top.

My mum compared the taste of the peanut sauce from both the gado-gado and the satay, to check if they somewhat 'cheated' and used the same sauce for both. Definitely not. Tasty as the gado-gado sauce was, it was slightly bland as compared to the delish satay sauce.

Iga Penyet

One of the new items on the menu. 'Iga' is actually beef ribs and these are cut into smaller pieces before being deep fried. Be wary of the chunky bones, though.

Ordered these for my mum and she, who loved her meat to be less lean; love the bits of sinewy tendon in between the tender meat.

Bawal Bakar

My dad wanted fish and it's either Bawal Penyet (deep-fried pomfret) of the Bawal Bakar (grilled pomfret). I recall how much he loved the Ikan Bakar (grilled tilapia) which is no longer in the menu so I got him this. Not the same but similar, at least.

I remember my brother pointing out a disclaimer of sorts, saying that they will serve 2 pieces of fish if those in season are on the small side. I laughed at it, thinking it to be absurd.

When this was served, I finally figure out what they meant. The pomfrets were pretty small, alright. Slightly smaller than the size of one's palm. The flesh is thinner but sweeter. And also crispier! I sure don't mind these small fish. Unlike the 'penyet' dishes, this was served with sambal kicap - soy sauce with cut chili padi & shallots.

Kepak Ayam Penyet

My brother wants to eat chicken wings and he also want the signature Ayam Penyet. I told him that it's either one or the other. I won't help him finish those up as I was nursing a cough and trying to avoid eating chicken (esp. fried ones).

He asked me a pretty silly question. "How come this one not 'penyet' (smashed)?"

-___-

Empal Penyet

My order. I've always wanted to try the Iga Penyet but since my mum chose that, I opt for something else, for variety's sake. Beside, my hubby love ordering this and I'm very curious as to its actual taste.

My goodness! I've always envisioned the deep fried meat to be pretty tough to chew, akin to a well-done steak. Turns out, the Empal (marinated beef patty) was crispy on the outside and really tender inside.

Imagine frying left-over beef rendang. Yeah, something like that, just slightly sweet (Javanese loves a hint of sweetness in their food).

So there. We also ordered ox-tail soup for my dad. My only gripe was that the veggie chunks like the carrot and potato was added to the soup a little late so they're kinda bland and hard.

Their sambal for the penyet dishes was good but pretty spicy . When I can't take the heat, I took some kicap manis (sweet soy sauce) from my dad to help counter the spiciness.

I know that I have some gripes with Waroeng Penyet's seemingly lowered standards. But I the food this time was kinda ok. Maybe because we came before the dinner crowd start thronging in. Pius, I totally dig the ambience of dining al-fresco on this busy, gastronomic street. All the colourful shophouses and people coming there for all the same reason, namely FOOD.

Makes me feel like I'm in Macau or Hong Kong, liddat.

89.7 Supper Club

That weekday, I took leave to bring my son for his immunisation. Hubby also had his off-day. His sister had the day off too, so she suggested that we go out somewhere.

First I thought it'll just be us hanging out together or maybe bring the kids out for a walk. Then afternoon eventually became evening as us lazy bums procrastinated about really going out (it must have been raining, that afternoon). Then there's the change of plans for the whole brood to dine out together instead since my FIL was home on that day.

My SIL and I were figuring out a suitable place that afternoon...

So where can 8 adults, 4 children and 2 babies dine at with worrying too much about logistics? There's the been-there-too-often Downtown East (5-10 mins walk away), which frankly; I'm pretty sick and tired of. I was thinking Tampines but that place is eternally crowded, weekday notwithstanding.

Then I had the 'lightbulb-moment'. "Ahh...! How about Changi Village?!"

"Err... you mean the ayam penyet/nasi lemak..."

"No, I mean that 89.7 place. Like the one at Simpang Bedok..!"

"Oh.. yar..!"

So there. We eventually took bus no. 89 from in front of our block and it was a mere 15-20mins bus ride before we saw ourselves in Changi Village. I love living in Pa'Ris Pasir Ris, I tell ya! With the amount we saved on taxi rides (can you imagine how many cabs we would need to take..?), we splurge on food.

Sorry, I can't really take pictures when with this group. No one there knows about my blogging so I prefer keeping it that way. Besides, I was sitting at one end of the looong table. Besides, there's this frisky 15 month-old that I need to watch out for.

The group of us was separated into 2. 1 end saw a group that need their staple of white rice for dinner so they ordered seafood and other dishes from the 'zhi-char' stall. While my end of the table ordered from the western/Mediterranean side.

Cheese Shawarma

My order. This is one heck of a big sandwich. Like a giant burger on a plate. I had no choice but to utilise the given fork & knife.

Shawarma is also what we also know as kebab in pita bread. You know the meat that's roasted on the vertical, rotating spit..? Yeah, that one.

Bullet steak

One of my SIL's order. She was contemplating between the Bullet and Mushroom steak and enlisted my help to choose. We realised that the Bullet steak comes with mashed potato while the Mushroom steak, with fries. That eventually help her decide.

Then she can't decide on the doneness. She eventually remarked, "Well done will do."

I was horrified. Just how can anyone eat a fully cooked steak? Imagine the tough meat! So I corrected her order to be medium-well (mine would have been medium-rare to medium).

What's your preferred doneness for steaks...?
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Anyway, the people on the other end ordered a tad too much and they asked if I want some crabs. I was eventually given a large pincer coated in thick, yellowish sauce and a piece of the abdomen with black pepper sauce.

I was curious about the pincer and had a taste of the sauce. I realised that it's actually salted egg-yolk sauce. My brother had once raved about that delectable sauce after having a taste at a seafood restaurant in JB and got me really curious ever since. However, I never really got the chance to try.

I excitedly SMSed him and told him of my discovery and how much I'm loving it. He mentioned that he has the recipe and asked about where I got to try it. I told him about being at this place. And suggested coming here one day with the family.

And he replied, "Mak cook that today.... Sssseedap!" (that was copied word-for-word from the SMS he sent me).

-_____- . . . How coincidental can that be...?!!

I replied with only, "Waargh!"
Dayyum! Why he never tell me earlier! I could have gone back there!!!! Huhu.

"Very the lemak! Hahahahax" (thanks eh!)

Before I lost it, I decide to stop all communications with him that night. Heart pain, man! Thankfully, the cool breeze plus the children's' antics ease that heartache a wee bit.

That place warrants another visit! I kinda like the ambience. That was the only place that was bright and bustling with people in the middle of the quiet neighbourhood.

What shall I have then...? Crabs, maybe? Pfft.

More stuff from Broadway Eating House

Chicken Porridge(s)

Ordered by my 2 colleagues. As you can see, 1 of them somewhat abhor scallions. Heh.

We can't help loving the porridge here because of its smooth consistency and of course, the taste. There's no guessing when we might just drop by here to get another bowl of either this or the duck version.

Another colleague ordered curry chicken noodle from the same stall. Makes me curious about it. Gotta try the one served here, next time.

Fried rice w/ Thai-Chilli fish - $6

Myself meanwhile, finally ordered from the BBQ seafood stall.

They had a small menu on display, showing an array of dishes served with fried rice or hotplate dishes served with plain rice. I like the idea of having fried rice with a spicy dish. Some difference for once. I can choose from black pepper/ sweet sour/Thai chilli beef/ chicken/fish.

I got a bit curious as to how the Thai sauce will be done so I ordered the Fried rice w/ Thai Chilli Fish. This one here took some time to arrive. Those who ordered from the chicken rice stall were halfway through tucking into their food when this plate was served to me.

Can you imagine how delighted I was to see those thin strips of raw onions and cucumber? Wish there was more of that Thai chilli sauce though, for it goes so well with the crispy battered fish slices. It's the regular sweet and spicy chilli sauce that has bits of chilli padi with every bite. Goes well with the lightly seasoned fried rice.

Looking forward to check out the other dishes like black pepper beef/chicken. I wonder if they serve dry-chilli chicken. My favourite zhi-char dish of all time.

Melvados Browney's!

Okay, I'm supposed to blog about something else but I just can't wait to share this new find.

Went to 7-11 to grab their handy Pocket Sandwiches for breakfast the next day. After paying for them, I walked pass the chiller and saw some candy bars at where they display their ready-made food & drinks.

Ok, so I thought them to be candy bars. I picked one up and saw a MUIS Halal logo. Wow. It is a Singapore product after all. I read their ingredients and they seem to tell me that I'm holding a REAL brownie, not a chocolate bar calling itself a brownie.

I wanted to give one a try and I discovered that there are 4 different types available. Black & White, Double Chocolate, Macadamia & Marbled Browney. I chose the double chocolate, a natural favourite. I asked about the price. Only $2.30!

It's a brownie bar!

That rainy evening, I was pretty famished and I saw on the schedule that the next bus will be a little late. I can't help myself and decide to open the packaging.

Double Chocolate Brownie

This sight surprised me. That seem like a generous amount of walnut chunks! And look at how dense the brownie seem. I have a strong feeling it's gonna be fudgey.

*took a big bite*

Boy, am I right or what?! It's sure is fudgey. And chocolatey. And not to sweet. This is the real deal brownie alright.

That's it! No more cafe-bought brownies for me, from now on. Those that will set me back around $3++ at least. This $2.30 off-the-shelf, store-bought one will more than suffice for me, thank you.

These brownie bars need be kept chilled and the expiry date shows that it can last up to 6 months only. Probably because no preservatives are used?

My mission now is to try out the other 3 varieties. :)))

Just a simple dinner...

(this is a loong overdue post)

Time sure flies doesn't it? Blink, blink and it's already been 2 years since I 'signed my life away' to my husband… Not that it's something bad.

Despite it feeling like a very short period, many things have happened; that totally turn my life around- 360deg.

I married into an extended family that's very close-knit, such that my 2 sis-in-laws live in the same block (beat that!) I live with my parents & grandparents in-law + maid and I see the other 2 families almost every day.

As the youngest sibling in a small, nuclear family of 4; I was hardly exposed to small kids, so admittedly, I'm very much awkward when around them. And yet, I was thrust into a family with small kids coming by everyday. Needless to say, it was pretty traumatic for me, initially. Pretty soon, we got used to one another and start to get along. *phew*

Before long, I realised that I was pregnant and within that same year, we are blessed with a baby boy. Now on our 2nd anniversary, our almost 15 month-old boy has grown into a feisty kid that never fail to amuse (and also drain) us.
(As I typed this, my sleeping toddler actually rolled over to my bum and continue to doze off there... O_o)

In 2 years, yet so much happened. Well, I guess that's what marriage is about.

As it so happened, the date 7th March fell on a Monday, of all days. Anniversary or not, the Monday blues hung around us like dark clouds above our heads. So for our celebratory dinner, we simply settled for Downtown East, which is like; some 10mins walk from our place. :P

I was thinking, which eating establishment shall we dine at? There's an amazing list of halal restaurants there itself. I was pondering between Popeye's, Magic Wok or Ocean Seafood Restaurant, BBQ Chicken, Seoul Garden, Fig & Olive, Pastamania and Streats.

Guess where my hubby eventually choose to dine at?

Asli Village, la. The Food Court! -__-

Disappointment aside, I still let him decide our eventual fare *miffed*. Thankfully, he was in his right mind to order from the 'zhi char' stall. If he had asked me to order my own stuff at any of the stalls, I would have sulked big-time (and I'm never the type to sulk).

This is the same stall where we've patronised previously.

The Stall

Shrimp Omelette

Just like any other omelette, with the addition of small salt-water shrimps. Kinda' like the chilli sauce it comes with.

Hotplate Seafood Tofu

The seafood could have been fresher. Well, it's a Monday after all.

It may be a turn off to some but as a lover of half-cooked eggs, I'm delighted to see that the eggs are a lil' runny on one side. So I hastily scooped that up before they get cooked through on the hotplate.

Taste-wise, I dare say that I've had better.

Stir-fried French Beans

Oooh... I love this! The french beans were still sweet & crunchy, despite them being thoroughly cooked. Reminds me of Kangkong Belacan, just that they used French Beans instead. And loads of dried shrimp bits. Done very much the Nyonya way.

Hotplate Back Pepper Beef

Just the way I like it. Loaded with lots of scallions, ginger slices & onions. The beef however, left an aftertaste that reminded me of tenderizer usage. Otherwise this dish was fine by me.

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It was a pretty simple, yet satisfying dinner. Just how our marriage is like. Guess we are meant to be together after all. It's true how opposites can complement each other. He brings me back down to earth while I add some colours into his life.

Happy 2nd anniversary, dear. You may not have discovered this blog of mine yet. If you eventually do, maybe then you'll know why I keep taking photos of food as soon as they are served. ;-)

Let me pause...

...while I take a breather.

Things are pretty tight here at work. Somehow I'm enjoying the challenges the boss is imposing on me. Bring it on!

That also mean looming deadlines.

So sorry. No updates for now. Maybe till next week.

Don't hold your breath waiting!

Chilling out at Secret Recipe

Met up with a dear, long-time pal- Tini, after work. it was a rainy evening and we decide to just chill at Secret Recipe in Tamp 1 with coffee and cakes. And oh, some fries. :P

She was very eager for me to try her favourite cake, the White Chocolate Macadamia and she excitedly ordered that. Only to have the server peer at the counter and apologetically inform us that it wasn't available that day.

Man, I didn't know that some cakes can be unavailable on certain days. Think one should call the branch in advance to enquire on the cakes available on that particular day. To avoid disappointment.

Anyway, this is the description of the White Chocolate Macadamia cake:
"...An incredible combination of fresh roasted macadamia nuts and creamy vanilla filling, coated with white chocolate. A must try for white chocolate lovers..."

Sounds good, aye Tini?

Cheeze Choc

"...Soft chocolate mixed baked cheese and biscuit base..."

Ok, that doesn't describe much does it? Well, I think it's baked cheesecake with biscuit base; topped with chocolate mousse and covered with choc. fudge/ganache with fresh cream on the side.

Sounds decadent? Taste that way, too.

Chocolate strawberry cake

"...Layers of cocoa sponge sandwiched with fresh cream and strawberries, coated with rich chocolate and decorate with strawberry toppings..."

Strawberry toppings, eh? I checked their website and discovered that this slice of cake here doesn't have that strawberry layer on top.

Nice pairing, this one. Where the sweet and tangy strawberry balance the slight bitterness of the semi-sweet choc fudge and the taste further com[complemented by the fresh cream in between.

Kinda' like strawberry shortcake with chocolate sponge & choc. fudge. ;)))

Once again, thanks for suggesting the meet-up babe! Really sweeten my day, after a hectic time in the office. Hope another one will be coming soon!

McD's Teppanyaki Chicken McGrill

The burger

Inside

Appearance-wise, I'm glad to (finally) say that, "What I see is what I get."

Fresh-looking, whole lettuce leaves, slices of firm, red tomatoes. Toasted sourdough bread. Creamy sauce speckled with black pepper bits. Grilled, skin-on chicken fillet.

And darn, is the whole ensemble big or what?! I bought this with the 1-for-1 coupon and I think I can survive on just this for lunch, sans fries; thankyouverymuch.

Taste-wise...

Well, I don't know. Sure they seem to be going the healthy way with this and all (if you don't pair it with them large fries)… But it seem like they're favouring that old cliche, "Healthy food = bland food."

I can't see what's the deal with that 'chargrill sauce'. It's taste just like how it looks. Mayonnaise (or maybe sour cream) with black pepper. That's it.

And unlike KFC's Roasta burger, where the taste of the marinade seem apparent, this Teppanyaki fillet here is pretty bland, in comparison. And quoting my disappointed colleague, "Taste like microwaved chicken meat."

This snide remark on the BK poster below is on par with how we felt.

This is cheeky, can?

The battle of the grilled chicken burgers; it has begun!

Broadway Eating House @ Geylang Serai

I've been patronising this little food court pretty often, of late. Not because of the air-conditioning but because of the food there.

Sure, there are vast varieties of food in the hawker center above but that's the problem, you see. I'm usually there during lunch hour and I spend at least 10mins deciding what to eat. And I'm not sure if the food will be good or not, most of the time.

Here, the food is usually good. Sure there are varieties but not so much as to bedazzle me. Somehow, I always end up satisfied after dining here.

From Evertop Chicken Rice

Eversince that superb duck noodle I had previously, I'm determined to try out the porridge.

Duck Porridge

I love that the porridge has a consistency that's almost similar to a thick soup. Seems like congee, the Cantonese rice porridge.

They are generous with the condiments like spring onions, fried shallots and even slivers of pickled ginger, there. Not to mention the duck meat and its crispy bits of skin.

Thai-style boneless chicken feet

Keep reminiscing back the days when I used to 'tapao' these boneless chicken feet back, whenever I visit my grandma who lives nearby their parent outlet at Clementi.

Since I have fellow colleagues who don't mind these, I decide to order a plate to share.

Could do with more of that sweet, spicy and tangy sauce. I miss slurping that up (not in public, mind you).

Western express

Another time that we came by here, we decide to gun straight for the Western food stall.

Chicken chop

My colleague's order.

Quite a decent size of char-grilled chicken thigh fillet, doused with a choice of either mushroom or black pepper sauce.

Breadcrumbed fish & spaghetti

My order.

I was a tad hungry so I thought that the pasta can fill me up better than the greasy fries. The fish portion was alright but the meat came off as a little tasteless. There's no blob of tartar sauce or mayonnaise served on the side, as with most fish platters. :(

I had my expectations pushed up high so it was no surprise that I came out a little disappointed with this. I do look forward to their burgers, though, cos' it seems that they use real chicken & fish meat fillets instead of ready-made patties.

Vadai

They claim to be the same people behind that 'pasar malam' (night market) stall that never fail to draw a long line, no matter which location they're at.

I recognise the girl manning the counter, so I guess they're right after all.

Never been able to resist buying this 'vadai' - doughnut-shaped fritter made of 'gram' flour with a medium-sized shrimp embedded on it. They are always served piping-hot and come with young & crunchy (whole) green chillies.

Sometimes I buy the 'pakoras'. They have 2 varieties of this small nibblets - spinach, that has onions bit but are a little hard to the bite. The ones with 'udang geragau' (fermented tiny shrimps) are softer but a tad salty. Goes well with chili sauce. Makes for some fun nibbling.

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Also worth mentioning is the Malay stall selling mixed rice - Rose Muslim Food. Only recently did my colleagues and I realise that they were from the now-defunct Food Hub at Starhub Green!

I admit we we kinda' miss their food cos' they were done well. They never skimp on the spices and flavour. And even the ingredients used seem fresh. I can never forget how succulent the prawns in their Sambal Udang looked. And how tentalising their Ayam Masak Merah was.

I remember they used to serve Nasi Ayam Penyet accompanied with a small bowl of Sup Asam. Javanese Hot & Sour soup with some cabbage and long beans inside. And their Gado-gado (Javanese salad w/ peanut sauce) was good too. Just too bad, I don't see these being sold in their current location.

I tried their food again yesterday. Had the Sambal Kupang (mussels fried in chili), Sambal Terung (brinjal) and Ayam Lemak Cili Padi (chicken in spicy coconut gravy). All tasted superb. Just like before. (Sorry no pics. I was hungry!)

However, like always, good things come with a heavier price tag and this one is no different. My rice + 3 dishes above, set me back $6. I guess they've never really reviewed their pricing, even in this new location. Honestly, I don't mind paying a little more for something good.

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Wow, this seem like a very multi-racial post. There are Chinese, Indian, Malay & Western food involved in 1 single entry!

Next up, to try the food from the BBQ seafood stall!