Renaldo's Apple Strudel & Pastries

I love going down to this beautiful cafe at Eastwood Centre for tea. The cosy ambience of the place, mixed with sweet fragrance of apple strudel, rekindles many sentimental memories of people whom I once met here.


I usually order a slice of Renaldo's apple strudel and a cup of hot Lipton tea. The subtle bitterness of tea complements the distinctive sweetness of apple strudel, accentuating the nostalgic feeling.

The apple strudel, which costs $3.60 per slice, comes with 3 decks of crispy pastry and 2 decks of crunchy apple surrounded with luxurious cream. Experience the toasted aroma of the sugar-coated pastry that breaks down gently with every bite and the saccharine flavour of the custard and cream that blends perfectly with the unique freshness of the apple.

Besides its famous apple strudel, Renaldo's Apple Strudel & Pastries also has other irresistable flavours of strudel, eclairs, homemade pies and cheese cakes. So what are you waiting for? Come down to Eastwood Centre and succumb to the temptation of Renaldo's apple strudel today.

8/10

Renaldo's Apple Strudel & Pastries
20 Eastwood Road
Eastwood Centre
#01-14B
Tel: 68760780
Opening Hours: 10am-1030pm

Geylang Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow

If there is one word that can best describe my euphoric experience of eating Geylang Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow, it will be HEAVENLY. Although I did not have a lasting impression when I tasted it more than 10 years ago, I decided to try it a second time after I read the recommendations on local food blogs and forums. And this time round, I was so impressed by its excellent quality, I have to declare it as the BEST BEEF HOR FUN in Singapore.

Wait a second, let me clarify before my readers get confused. Although the prominent signboard reads Geylang Lor 9 Beef Kway Teow, this famous restaurant actually sells beef hor fun. Sometimes the terms beef hor fun and beef kway teow are used interchangeably but they can also refer to different dishes. Beef hor fun refers to hor fun fried with beef whereas beef kway teow refers to the kway teow version of beef noodles.


I ordered a plate of sumptuous beef hor fun which costs $5. The tasty hor fun is so thoroughly and expertly fried with a distinctive charcoal aroma and an unforgettable soya sauce taste. The mouthwatering gravy is absolutely flavorful with fiery essence of bean paste, black pepper and chilli and complements the hor fun perfectly well. The appetizing beef is well-marinated and exceptionally tender.

This hor fun is so fantastic that I finished the whole plate before I knew it and still longed for more. So to all beef lovers out there, don't miss THE BEST BEEF HOR FUN IN SINGAPORE if you haven't tried this. Come down to Geylang Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow today.

9/10

Geylang Lor 9 Beef Kway Teow
237 Geylang Lor 9

Koung's Wanton Mee

Koung's Wanton Mee is recommended by a friend who lives near Tembeling Road and finds this much better than Hong Mao Wanton Mee. For a wanton noodle enthusiast like me, this is great news and I just can't wait to try it for myself.


I went there for dinner and although it was only 5.45pm, the place was already quite crowded. I ordered the $3.50 version which comes with extra noodles. When I took my first bite of those noodles, I finally understood why it is so greatly publicised by the media. The magic of Koung's wanton mee lies in its impressive noodles which are exceptionally tasty. Smooth and springy in consistency, these noodles have a distinct egg fragrance that distinguishes it from other wanton noodles. The unique chilli sauce blends very well with the noodles, giving every strand a sweet and spicy flavour. The char siew is fresh and tender and the dumplings are simply delicious.

Overall, Koung's Wanton Mee is definitely one of the best wanton noodles in Singapore. But in comparison with Hong Mao Wanton Mee, I have to disagree with my friend as I personally feel Hong Mao is much better.

7.5/10

Koung's Wanton Mee
Geylang Road
No 1 Lor 13

178 Shark Meat Lor Mee

Tiong Bahru Food Centre is famous for its lor mee. But unfortunately, there are 3 stalls selling lor mee, hence it is very difficult to tell which is the one everybody is talking about. To complicate things further, the stall selling the original Tiong Bahru lor mee is not the one with the longest queue. When I went there for lunch today, I decided to try the stall with the longest queue, 178 Lor Mee, which is well-known for its shark meat nuggets.


For only $3, you get a big bowl of delicious lor mee with generous servings of fish cake, braised meat, meat fritters and of course, shark meat nuggets. The outstanding gravy is savory and flavorful but not overly thick or starchy. The deep fried shark meat nuggets are fresh and tender but taste remarkably similar to ordinary fish nuggets.

Overall, 178 Lor Mee is definitely one of the best lor mee in Singapore, although some lor mee lovers who prefer the authentic lor mee with braised egg, braised meat and ngor hiang might be disappointed. But with shark meat nuggets as its distinguishing factor, it is self-explanatory why it is so well sought after.

7.5/10

178 Lor Mee
Tiong Bahru Market
Seng Poh Road #02-58
Singapore 168897
Closed on Wednesdays

Astons Specialties

Whenever I walked past Astons Specialties, I always felt so tempted to try its famous steaks but more often than not, I was discouraged by the perpetual long queue outside. Even though I have recommended and blogged about Astons Prime, a neighboring restaurant recently set up by the same owner, I have never dined at Astons Specialties before. The golden opportunity finally came when I went there for lunch yesterday, soon after it opened at 11.30am, when the crowd was still not overwhelming.


I ordered a Prime Ribeye Extra Cut, with coleslaw and tasty rice as my two complementary side-dishes. The service was prompt and commendable and I was served within 15 mins after placing my order. Even before I sink my teeth into the mouthwatering steak, I was already impressed by the generous portions of coleslaw and tasty rice. The delicious coleslaw was flavorful with well-blended sweetness and subtle sourness. The tasty rice was delightful with unmistakable butter fragrance and lived up to every bit of its name.


The highlight of the lunch, the prime ribeye steak, was simply a masterpiece. Thoroughly and splendidly grilled, the steak exudes a distinct smoky aroma and an exceptional sizzling taste. The meat is extremely tender and juicy, every bite is simply irresistable. The special sauce accentuates the meaty flavour and leaves an unforgetable aftertaste on the taste buds.


The sumptuous Prime Ribeye Extra Cut (with two free side dishes) costs only $15.90 with no service charge and no GST. It is almost impossible to find such excellent steaks at such incredible prices in other Western restaurants. Indeed Astons Specialties has the BEST STEAKS IN SINGAPORE AT THE MOST AFFORDABLE PRICES.

8.5/10

Astons Specialties
119 East Coast Road
Singapore 428806
Tel: 91474627 / 62477857
Closed on Mondays

Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee

This was one prawn noodle in Singapore which I used to love so much when I was working in Novena many years ago. It was located in a coffee shop opposite Novena Square at that time and after it moved to its new premises at Novena Ville, there were rumours that its standards have dropped. Plus there is another stall at Old Airport Road with the same name, it makes us wonder which is the original one. However, when I tasted Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee again yesterday, I felt that it is still as good as before.


The concentrated soup, brimming with the irresistable flavour of prawns and pork ribs, complements the delicious noodles. The medium half-prawns are fresh and sweet while the pork ribs are tasty and tender.

For prawn mee enthusiasts who are impatient, the service is prompt with minimal waiting time. Indeed one of the best in Singapore, Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee is definitely worth trying.

7/10

Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee
Novena Food Court
275 Thomson Road
#01-01/02
Closed on Mondays

Tokyo Japanese Restaurant

Located at Amara Hotel, within walking distance from Tanjong Pagar MRT, this Japanese restaurant, which serves sumptuous buffet dinner, is recommended by a friend of mine. Not a fan of Japanese food because of my phobia of raw seafood, I was surprisingly impressed by the supreme quality and generous variety of cooked dishes available at the buffet. Leaving the sushi and sashimi to my friends, I helped myself to the mouthwatering teriyaki and tempura.


The pan fried salmon was fresh and tasty while the pan fried beef (yaki niku) was tender and well-marinated. The salmon teriyaki (shake teriyaki) was absolutely irresistable while the skewer chicken (yaki tori) was sweet and flavourful. The soft shell crab (kani karaage) was crispy and delicious while the fried prawn tempura (ebi fry) was succulent and finger-licking good. The fried rice (yaki meshi) was exceptionally fragrant and the paper steamboat (kami nabe) was savory and complimentary to the fried rice. Food aside, the authentic ambience of the restaurant was simply breathtaking.


Even for a non-lover of Japanese food like me, I must admit it was a very memorable dining experience. And at $32 per person, it is quite affordable and certainly value for money. So all Japanese food enthusiasts out there, do not hesitate any longer. Bring your family down to Tokyo Japanese Restaurant today.

7/10

Tokyo Japanese Restaurant
The Amara
165 Tanjong Pager Road #01-17
Singapore 088539
Tel: 62262303

Eng's Char Siew Wanton Noodles

I used to patronize Dunman Food Centre frequently for supper many years ago and my favorite stall is Eng's Char Siew Wanton Noodles. Well-known for its fiery hot chilli that is believed to be made from ground pepper, Eng's noodles is so popular, the waiting time can be as long as 45 minutes. I usually order a small packet of nasi lemak to partially satisfy my hunger while waiting.


The unique chilli is extremely spicy with a strong tinge of pepper, it bursts into flames inside the mouth and stings the taste buds mercilessly. The delicious noodles are tasty with a distinct egg fragrance. The dumplings are tender and savory. The wanton soup is sweet and readily extinguishes the residual spiciness in the throat.

Indeed Eng's Char Siew Wanton Noodles is one of the more impressive wanton noodles in Singapore.

7/10

Eng's Char Siew Wanton Noodles
Dunman Food Centre
#02-19
Onan Road
Singapore 424768
Closed on Wednesdays

12/4/09

This stall has been relocated to:
Dunman Food Centre
Basement, Stall 02
Closed on Mondays

10/2/11

However, one thing that lets this stall down is its poor service. If you haven't seen how the owners take their own sweet time to cook the noodles, serve the soup to the customers long before the noodles arrive, refusing to take extra orders when the queue is long, serve soup to you first but noodles to customers who ordered later etc, go down and try it for yourself. In recent years, I certainly ran out of patience and started having Dunman wanton mee on the second storey instead.

Grill Manna

A picture tells a thousand words. If you don't believe me, take a look at the picture above. An enormous chicken thigh that is splendidly grilled and thoroughly marinated. Need I say anything more?

It really does not matter how the rest of the dish tastes. The enormous chicken thigh has already made my day. Expertly grilled to exude a soft smoky aroma and sufficiently marinated with honey and char siew sauce, the meat is sweet and tender, every bite is finger-licking good. The fragrance of the green pandan rice is unmistakable and is accentuated by the coconut-scented curry gravy. The sweet-and-spicy sambal chilli complements the pandan rice very well while the tasty soup is soothing to the throat.


Best of all, the original grilled chicken set costs only $4.50. So come down to Causeway Point and enjoy Grill Manna today.

7/10

Grill Manna
Causeway Point Food Court