As mentioned in Part 1 of my review for Chuen Chuen, I actually visited this eatery thrice within a week.
So here’s Part 2!
After shopping for Christmas presents on a Saturday, me and Iing decided to leave the crowded Orchard area and head to Bugis for dinner. Hungry and tired out from all the shopping and walking around, we were lucky to get seats at Chuen Chuen when we reached (after which the patrons started streaming in within a short period of time).
Iing likes the Fresh Garoupa Fish Slice Soup with Beehoon (S$6.50+) alot from the 1st time she tried, hence she chose to order it again.
Never did we think that this time round, the soup would be so bland, and fish slices not as fresh and QQ as previous time. I think they need to QC a ‘lil more to keep their standards consistent.
Hainanese Style Pork Cutlet Rice (S$6.50+) for me!
Omggg the fried pork cutlet was done really nicely, and more tender than the previous round. I couldn’t get enough of it!! The sauce is a ‘lil sweeter and sour than that of Portuguese style’s, and it actually suits my tastebuds more. So good!
We ordered half of a Roasted Chicken (S$14+) to share too.
It seemed like a rather big plate for 2 pax, but we ended up finishing every single bit of it and almost every drop of the sauce (I love the sauce so flavourful). They didn’t have enough roasted chicken for us to make up the half, so a small portion of it was in fact the normal white-skin chicken. Comparing these two, I still very much prefer the roasted version.
Group picture! Say cheese!
Off to desserts after dinner! (That be the upcoming post then *heehee*)
Till next time! *flying kisses*
So my friend was telling me about this aircon-and-gst chicken rice which I need to try it out, and I finally had the chance to do so after 2 last-minute failed attempts.
Sure worth me waiting for long to try it! This whole set for S$6.50 (after GST S$6.95; no service charge).
Portion is good. Rice is fragrant. Roasted chicken breast is tender and not tough. The vegetables was fresh and still ‘lil crunchy. And I totally adore the minced ginger and chilli. So much better than those sets which I’ve tried at Food Republic’s chicken rice stall.
Hence, within the same week I actually went back TWICE to try out their other delicacies. Here’s Part 1!
Iing ordered the Fresh Garoupa Fish Slice Soup with Beehoon (S$6.50+).
Fish slices were tender and QQ. Lots of fresh vegetables. Chunks of tofu. Big portion of beehoon. And the soup was so tasty!
However, their standard for this dish wasn’t very consistent. Check out my Part 2 for this eatery to find out more.
For me, I’d the Portuguese Style Pork Cutlet Rice (S$6.50+).
Doesn’t look very nice in picture haha. The sauce was kinda interesting, but the pork cutlet was a ‘lil tough and tad too fatty for me. I do love the fact that it came with the chicken rice’s oily rice. So yums!
We got a plate of Imperial Honey Glazed Chicken (S$15+ for small/S$20+ for large) to share too.
I. LOVE. THIS DISH.
The chicken pieces were fried till the skin was slight crispy, yet flesh was tender and nice to chew on. Sauce was sweet and yums with raisins in it, plus the mango-looking ginger pieces were even nice to eat (think of them like ginger sweets).
Group picture!
So satisfying! Part 2 review for this eatery coming up real soon! Cheers!
Last week, I was invited by Paradise Group to a sponsored food tasting session at their new kid on the block, Paradise Teochew Restaurant (潮樂軒), located at the Chinese Swimming Club. With this, Paradise Group aims to extend deeper into its roots of being the experts in Chinese cuisine.
Teochew cuisine is famed for its deft handling of seafood and poultry, particularly in bringing out the natural taste of the fresh ingredients used. It is also known for being a celebrated source of healthy and light dishes, being light-handed on the seasonings and with minimal use of oil.
I was delighted when checking out their extensive menu of over a hundred dishes of Teochew style signatures, from appetisers and braised specialties to a full line-up of seafood, meat and poultries, and even coupled with an array of dim sum offerings. Diners will be sooo spoilt for choice!
After deciding on my choice of dishes, I sat back and allow myself to soak in the happy atmosphere of the spacious and brightly lit restaurant. At the same time, nibbling on the peanuts side dish as well as having a Glutinous Rice Tea to help revv up my system before the awesome meal.
Our appetiser was the Braised Trio Combination in Teochew Style (潮式卤味三拼盘).
Price: $22 for small / $33 for medium / $44 for large.
Consisting of Braised Duck Meat, Braised Octopus and Braised Pork Belly, couple with Braised Beancurd at the bottom too. The meat was braised so nicely and I actually finished them together with the skin and fats (which usually I’ll pick them out and just eat the meat parts). It’s my first time eating octopus braised in this way too!
Next up for our Main No. 1, we had the Sautéed Pomfret Fillet with Tomato and Salted Vegetables (咸菜番茄煮鲳鱼件).
Price: $28 for small / $42 for medium / $56 for large
The tomato soup base was rather refreshing when coupled with salted vegetables and onions. The pomfret used was really fresh too!
For our Main No. 2, we went for Stewed Pork Ribs with Bitter Gourd and Cucumber in Casserole (黄瓜凉瓜排骨煲).
Price: $18 for small / $27 for medium / $36 for large
Warning: This dish is for bitter gourd lovers only.
The soup tasted really nourishing, with the bitter gourd aftertaste lingering in your throat for awhile after you swallowed it. But it made me wanna keep sinking my spoon into the casserole for more. The pork ribs soaked in all the goodness from the soup, though I was wishing the meat can be a ‘lil more tender.
Next up was our vegetable choice of Braised Mustard Green with Shredded Conpoy and Dried Shrimps (瑶柱虾籽大芥菜).
Price: $18 for small / $27 for medium / $36 for large
Frankly speaking, this was my first time trying mustard green, without any prior knowledge of how this vegetable was going to taste like. I have to say, this dish made me feel really healthy and for consuming my daily intake of 2 portions of greens. This crunchy vegetable has an aftertaste similar to that of bitter gourd, but with an even rawer taste. If you are not a fan of mustard green, do still have a taste of the clear and sweet stock base.
I can never do without rice for a day, and being a fried rice lover, I’ll definitely not miss out on Fried Rice wih Yam in Teochew Style (潮式芋头炒饭).
Price: $14 for small / $21 for medium / $28 for large
Generous portion of various ingredients like prawns and yam in this fried rice! The small size can actually serve 2-3 pax, but it’s so yummy I think I can have the whole plate to myself.
Every meal has to end with a dessert, hence we chose a very Teochew style dessert of Crispy Pumpkin, Yam and Sweet Potato Strips (金银三宝烙) which we haven’t tried before.
Price: $12 (one size)
Eat it while it’s hot! This dessert was sooo addictive, couple with the peanut bits sprinkled on top. Even though I was already very full from the previous dishes, I simply cannot not have more than one serving of this. Highly recommended!!
With a sweet ending to this food tasting session, the overall experience was really pleasant and comforting (to our satisfied tummies). The PR Manager of this restaurant, Leon Teh, had been really helpful and attentive to all our needs, patiently introducing and explaining to us about each dish that we ordered.
Although this place is a ‘lil far off for me since I stay in the North (Chinese Swimming Club is located near Parkway Parade), I’d loved to bring my family here one day for them to try the lovely and healthy dishes, and for me to give their a dim sum a go too.
Thanks again to the Paradise Group for this experience!
I hope you guys can go try it out too!! ^_^
Ola!
So, having been missing from this scene for quite awhile, I’m back now to bring you saliva-inducing snippets from my recent food tasting session at one of the establishments under the belt of Paradise Group.
Taste Paradise (味之楼) opened its doors in 2006 as a cozy and intimate restaurant in Chinatown. With good reviews and at the encouragement of many satisfied customers, the restaurant was relocated to ION Orchard in 2009 to serve diners in a grand and majestic ambience, at a more convenient location.
Marking 9 years of establishment with tens of thousands of satisfied diners, Taste Paradise embarks on a new journey of providing an exceptional dining experience that engages all senses with a new menu, refurbished restaurant interior and the usual excellence in service. As Paradise Group’s Brand Ambassador, I was really elated to be invited to this food tasting session for its new menu launched recently, showcasing more Cantonese delicacies and refreshing takes on modern Chinese dishes. Our sumptuous 7-course meal kicked off with Crisp-fried Soft Shell Crab (肉松软壳蟹) tossed with Pork Floss for our appetiser. (S$15.80 per serving) As the name states, the soft shell crab was crisply fried well, and coupling with pork floss was a match-make in heaven.
Our starter was a Combination of Pan-seared Foie Gras, Wasabi Mayonnaise Prawn and Sliced Peking Duck. (味之楼经典三品 — 煎鹅肝,芥末奶滋虾,北京片皮鸭) (S$22 per serving) We were advised by our friendly server Vincent Lee, who also happens to be the supervisor of this Taste Paradise outlet, on the sequence in tasting this dish for the utmost experience. So we had to start off with the foie gras, which literally melted in our mouths. I was never a foie gras person, but I finished this in record timing. Next would be the peking duck skin, which was crispy and yet with some juicy fats to add to the taste. Followed by the succulent prawn, in which matching with wasabi mayonnaise never goes wrong. Lastly, eating the chunky watermelon piece which helped to prep our palette for the dish to come. For the soup, we decided to go for the Double-boiled Whole Yellow Melon Soup with Assorted Seafood and Diced Mushrooms (海鲜炖金盅), as I’m not a fan of shark’s fin. (S$18 per serving) Having boiled the melon as a whole for hours with generous amount of ingredients (lots of dried and fresh scallops, fish maw, crab meat, diced mushrooms and duck meat), the soup tasted heavenly. And when we scooped the soup up the long melon ‘passageway’, some bits of soft melon flesh were scraped off onto our spoons too, adding even more melon taste to the whole experience.
Up next! Pan-seared Kurobuta Pork with “Dang Gui” Sauce (当归黑豚肉) for our meat option. (S$22 per serving) This dish was SO. GOOD. The pork fillet was really tender with bits of fats in between, and the “dang gui” sauce was an interesting and refreshing twist. Something which I hadn’t tasted before elsewhere. *thumbs up*
Our 5th course was Crisp-fried Edamame Tofu with White Truffle and Mushroom Sauce (白松露翡翠碧玉), because I love truffle be it white or black. *cues Michael Jackson’s song “Black or White”* (S$8 per serving) It didn’t disappoint me! The white truffle taste was strong enough yet not overpowering, and went really well with the crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside edamame tofu. I can have 2 to 3 servings of this at one go.
Because I really love truffle, I chose for my main dish to be Stir-fried Angel Hair Pasta with Black Truffle Sauce with Assorted Seafood (黑松露海鲜天使面) (S$12 per serving) Lovely truffle smell whiffed past my nose, and its taste filled up my whole mouth when I tasted the pasta. Plus I’m more of a seafood than meat person, hence I was happy to see chunks of fresh scallops and prawns in this dish as well (as with all the previous dishes with seafood too).
Sadly, we’ve come to the last course of this sumptuous meal for the day. To end on an sweeter note, we chose 2 different types of desserts to try out.
Warm Double-boiled Hashima with American Ginseng and Red Dates (温泡参红枣炖雪蛤). (S$12.80 per serving) Coupled with a generous portion of hashima, I can already feel the collagen taking their spot under my face skin after consuming it.
Combination of Chilled Mango Puree, Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream and Pumpkin Pastry (甜品三品 — 杨枝甘露,黑糯米伴雪糕,南瓜饼). (S$10.80 per serving) One scoop of the refreshing mango puree, one bite of the chewy pumpkin pastry, then one small spoonful of the black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream. More than perfect ending! So satisfying! *smack lips*
Next time when you are having a headache on where to bring your family and friends for celebrations and gatherings, why not go to Taste Paradise and check out their exciting new menu! I guarantee you will not be disappointed! *wide grin*
Couple of days back, Ving had the honor to be invited to a food tasting session at Paradise Inn at Marina Square.
Started 7 years ago, Paradise Inn is the third culinary concept initiated by Paradise Group and is currently the brand with the most number of outlets island-wide. As her brand tagline suggests, Paradise Inn aims to be an all-in-one dining concept — a restaurant, tea-house, as well as dessert place. Therefore, the focus of the menu is circled around these three main areas.
Paradise Inn‘s main menu offers nostalgic and familiar home-cooked dishes that are popular among local Chinese. One can easily call these ‘comfort food’ or ‘grandma’s dishes’. Think of them as simple, heart-warming and nothing pretentious. Like how a granny would have cooked it, the quality of the ingredients used and affordability are the main concerns when these dishes are concocted. Paradise Inn’s current revamped menu’s version is already the fourth, combining the best and most popular dishes from all the past versions. So let’s check out what awesome dishes Ving and buddy be served today!!!
Starting out with some lovely drinks… Left:Floral & Herb-infused Hot Tea (S$3.80++ per person)
Our combination was Lily Flower + Forget Me Not + Dried Longan + Chrysanthemum. Benefits: Nourishes lungs. Relieves cough. Detoxifies the body and has beauty enhancing properties.
It smells and tastes light and floral, with notes from chrysanthemum at the end.
Nice to have it after a heavy meal!
Bonus for the presentation aspect, whereby it comes in a nice little teapot and kept warm with a burning candle at the bottom.
Right:Fruit-infused Ice Tea (S$4.20++ per glass)
We chose the Elderflower and Melon combination, which was very refreshing and suitable for Singapore’s hot weather!
It was gone in no time!
Before the mains were served, a strong supporting actor came into the scene… Stewed Pork Belly served with Lotus Bun, S$2.60++ per piece I’m usually not a fan of pork belly, but gosh Paradise Inn sure knows how to do this dish well.
Having been simmered for hours, the meat is so tender with the right amount of fats melting in your mouth, coupled with the homemade sauce and sweet soft lotus bun.
My gosh. Every bite feels like heaven.
Can I have one more piece, please?!
Then came one of our main leads for the day… Traditional Double-Boiled Black Chicken Ginseng Soup, S$23.90++ per potIngredients used:
Black Chicken + Ginseng + American Ginseng + Spare Ribs + Lean Meat + Chicken + Chicken Feet
Benefits:
Nourishes lungs. Improves blood circulation. Rejuvenates the body.
Every spoonful of it oozing with goodness! It was light and very flavorful, no doubt that it had been double-boiled for hours.
Plus it doesn’t cause your mouth to have this greasy feel at all.
I can totally have at least 3 bowls of this!
Hot-Plate Tofu with Preserved ‘Cai Xin’ and Minced Pork, S$11.90++I’ve always been a fan of hot-plate tofu (a must-have for me during zi-char sessions).
Generous portion of bursting flavors, coupled with a big tofu that’s crispy on the outside but soft and silky on the inside.
I can literally consume the whole thing by myself! >.<
Sauteed French Beans with Dried Shrimps and Preserved Turnip, S$12.90++Only one word to describe this dish: CRUNCHY It was actually rather addictive to keep munching on this dish ‘cos of its crunchiness.
But of ‘cos the yumminess played a big part too!
Crisp-Fried Crystal Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, S$18.90++One of my all-time favourite (though very sinful) dishes in Paradise restaurants.
I first tried this in Canton Paradise, and have never gotten enough of its taste.
Was so happy to find it in Paradise Inn too!!
The richness of the salted egg yolk you can never forget, couple with big prawns crisp-fried to the right degree
. Supreme Seafood Fried Rice, S$12.90++I’m super love fried rice, and this is what I would call the “Golden Fried Rice“.
Paradise Inn isn’t stingy with the ingredients at all, with chunky bits of fresh prawns and scallops.
Plus point which differentiates this from other fried rice:
They added in fish roe, which contributes to this slight crunchiness when u are chewing your rice.
Gosh…. I can eat this everyday.
The spread!! Happy and satisfied (and super full) us after the treat!! Thank you very much for the sumptuous meal, Paradise Inn!!! ^_^ *throws confetti*
In this post, I’ll share with you guys what I did / where I went on the 2nd day of my Hong Kong trip!!!
(In case you missed out Day 1’s, here’s it!!!)
After a good night’s rest, we begin the day with a hearty meal at this Golden Sand Restaurant (or rather, a Hong Kong cafe) that’s just across from our hotel!
Glimpse of my jacket for the day that comes with a big hoodie!!! Love it!!! Address: 85-87 Ivy Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
Station: Olympic (Exit B1/C1)
Hours: Daily 630am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2392-4919
Big portions of food!!
Black Pepper Chicken Chop on Hotplate / Seafood Baked Rice Happy with my food choice!!!
Also, bonus point for this restaurant was that it came with 2 cute chefs!
The kitchen was kinda open concept so I fed my eyes very well too! *chuckles* After filling our tummies, time to explore some parts of Hong Kong!
1st stop: Sham Shui Po area.
This area came into the headlines last year end ‘cos some scenes for a Hollywood mega blockbuster were being filmed there.
Can you guess which movie is it??? *drumroll*
Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po is more commonly known as 鴨寮街, a street consisting of a large flea market selling ALL sorts of electronic/electrical components and related products.
I bought 2 casings for my Note 3 from here! Another known street in Sham Shui Po is Yu Chau Street, 汝州街.
Most people who are the crafty type will, in one way or another, know or have heard of this street.
It is literally a treasure heaven for them (me included!), with shops and shops selling beads, ribbons, buttons, fabrics, and lotsa party items!
The huge selection range for any single item is AMAZING…..
I totally resisted myself from buying ALL the colors/styles back.
Do check out the area if you are in Hong Kong and looking for materials for your handicrafts! Next up on our list was a place which I’d been super looking forward to go even before the trip.
It is often in the Top 3 places to go to if you are looking for those collectors items.
Come to think of it, I’d been to Hong Kong couple of times but this was the 1st time I got to visit this place.
If you guys have followed my stuff, you’ll know I absolutely LOVE toy figurines and have a small collection of them.
So……. No prizes for guessing correctly the place which I’m referring to! *drumroll*
CTMA CENTRE ! ! ! ! !
Address: 1N Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok
Station: Yau Ma Tei (Exit A2) / Mongkok (Exit E2) A heaven for figurine collectors…….! I WANNA CREATE A SPACE IN MY HOME FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. . .
*building-castles-in-the-sky-in-progress*
Do. Not. Disturb. There’s an area for some women’s wear too! When I finally managed to tear myself away from CTMA Centre, I realised my tummy’s orchestra was happily churning out lovely music.
Time for dinner!
Walking along the happening street towards dinner place (which was just a short walk over from CTMA Centre)… Almost missed this huge ass signboard of our chosen buffet dinner venue.
I’d heard good reviews on Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot, so here I was!
Address: 16, 16A & 16B Argyle Street, Mongkok Commercial Centre, G/F to 4/F, Shop E, Mongkok
Station: Mongkok (Exit C4)
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am – 12am / Sat-Sun 10am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2396-8816 I don’t usually eat mutton ‘cos there’s always this smell in the meat (I wasn’t exactly a meat lover to begin with).
B U T
I actually wiped out countless thinly-sliced mutton pieces from this hotpot place.
Combined with the soup bases, S O G O O D . . .
I can feel the warmth of the sun that appeared behind me after consuming this delish dish.
(Or maybe it’s the warmth from the Ma La soup base in my tummy.) After staying for almost 3 hours at Little Sheep, I went back to the hotel with a tummy that grew twice the size.
Couldn’t resist a round at 7-11 before bed-time.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!
Tidbits with my current obsession!!! N A M E K O . . .
(Recently a friend discovered a shop at Dhoby Ghaut Xchange selling these snacks too!) Favorite Dreyer’s in a cone!!!
Y SINGAPORE NO HAVE? ? ? Loot of the day!!! *throws confetti* Got a whole box with 8 different designs! Couldn’t resist! Episode 3 of this trip will be out real soon! Stay tuned!!!
Rise & shine for Day 4 of Ving’s Hong Kong trip!!
(You can check out Part 1 of the trip here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.)
We decided to have Korean food again for our first meal of the day, at Sorabol Korean Restaurant.
No regrets for our choice! Was glad we didn’t give this a miss.
Address: 132 Nathan Road, Miramar Shopping Centre, 4/F, Shop 4B, Tsim Sha Tsui
Station : Tsim Sha Tsui (Exit B2)
Hours : Daily 1130am – 3pm; 6pm – 11pm
Contact: (852) 2881-6823 It’s like The Hand from Addams Family was enjoying Korean food. Clearer picture of the Spicy Seafood Soup pot we ordered + the Banchan (side dishes).
Omggg I’m missing the delish soup pot badly…. Can’t be helped. I’m an Asian after all. What to do after a hearty meal? Shopping of ‘cos!!!
We went around Tsim Sha Tsui, including Grandville Road.
Although we were very full, we couldn’t resist not eating these when in Hong Kong………
And it rained!!! Luckily I brought my brolly out, but we still ended up being ‘lil drenched grrr………….
We were such gluttons, but how can you NOT eat dessertsss when in Hong Kong???
So it’s to Sweet Dynasty while waiting for the rain to get lighter.
Address: 28 Hankow Road, Hong Kong Pacific Centre, B/F, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Station : Tsim Sha Tsui (Exit A1)
Hours : Mon-Thu 8am – 12am / Fri 8am – 1am / Sat 730am – 1am / Sun 730am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2199-7799 Their desserts were rather yummy! Thanks, but no thanks to the rain! We decided to head back to Causeway Bay for more exploring and of ‘cos, SHOPPING.
Guess what greeted us the moment we stepped out of the station??
DEMONSTRATION……….! I could see no end…
(Here’s a short clip which I took of it.) Today’s stash! (mainly gifts to bring back home)
Those Pretz were of interesting Hongkie flavors: Abalone in Oyster Sauce / Shark’s Fin / Seafood
Good to buy back for friends and family! ‘Cos they were packed in nice individual boxes of smaller size. Here’s a closer look at the small packs. After putting down our buys back in the hotel room, we decided to pop over to Lan Kwai Fong’s Tsui Wah Cha Chan Teng again for some *ahem* supper recharging.
It’s just about a 15 minutes walk from our hotel! *thumbs up* I shall be narcissistic today, and end off my post with a victoriously smirk picture of myself.
(p.s.: that’s my super-loves new cap from Izzue!) Do check back again on next Monday for the last part of Ving’s Hong Kong trip!! *cheersss* ^_^