Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant @ Carlton Hotel

Wah Lok seems to be a very famous restaurant for Cantonese dim sum.  For many years, I had tried to eat there but always told that the place had been fully booked.  This time, I made a reservation 1 week in advance, and I was lucky enough to get a table.

The restaurant opens at 11.30am on Saturday.  For lunch, they have two sessions.  The first session starts at 11.30am, ends at 1.00pm, the second session starts at 1pm, till 2.30pm.

When I arrived at 11.25am, there was already a small crowd in front of the restaurant waiting for it to open, and most, if not all, of them already made their reservation before hand.

Appetizer $4.00

Once I told them my reservation, a staff ushered me to the table right away.  Appetizer already ready on the table.  Their appetizer is quite uncommon, it consists of carrots, reddish, and apple slices, marinated, I think, in orange juice.

My friend was late, so I made the decision to order a whole chunk of dishes :)

Chicken Feet, $5.00

Xiao Long Bao, $6.90

Malay Cake, $4.80

Custard Bun, $5.40

For Malay cake, I still prefer the one from Tim Ho Wan more.  Wah Lok's is not as fragrant and sponge, somehow something is amiss.

Roast Pork, $15.00

The staff there recommended their roast pork.  When it came, I was quite surprised - 9 tiny cubes!  $15 for 9 cubes, so it is $1.67 for each cube!  In terms of taste, the skin is of course very crispy, but then other than that, I can't tell any difference from a less expensive, or 'ordinary' roast pork.  Mmmh...

Siew Mai (steamed pork dumpling), $6.90

For Cantonese dim sum, you can't not to order siew mai, so I did.  Wah Lok's siew mai saves the day.  It is the best siew mai that I have had.  Siew mai from other places tend to have thick skins, and stuffed with lots of flour, but stingy on the real fillings of pork and prawn.  Here, it is all the opposite, thin on the skin, flour is almost minimum, but generous on the prawn and pork fillings.  What makes a real difference is the biting sensation of the prawn.  The prawn kind of pops in your mouth.  It is firm, it is fresh.  The pork, as a supporting actor, brings out the freshness and sweetness of the prawn.  It is a perfect combination.  Such effect can only be achieved with the best ingredients.

Din Gi Noodle House@Plaza Singapura

Din Gi Noodle House is known for its one-strand noodle, one whole bowl of noodle containing of one single strand of noodle only.  It is a kind of showmanship to demonstrate that the chef is so skillful and the ingredient is so special that a single piece of noodle is long enough to fill the whole bowl.

While we were waiting for our noodle, we munch on the appetizers.  The garlic cucumber is nice, crispy and with the strong taste of garlic.  The spinach is too plain to tell there is any taste, but then it is in the name of healthy eating.

I ordered the beef noodle.  Indeed the whole bowl contains only one single strand of noodle, and the portion is enough to feed an adult male.  If you notice, the noodle is thicker than normal, and it is quite elastic when you bite.

Here, eating is not just to fill your tummy but it is also a way of promoting technical excellence and innovation.  Great!

Kaiserhaus@The Capitol

A few weeks ago, there was an article about the newly opened Kaiserhaus at the newly renovated The Capitol building at City Hall.  Frankly speaking, I had never stepped into The Capitol building before the renovation.  It is a building that belongs to the bygone period, sealed in the dusty cabinets of history.

The new Capitol building is bright, shiny, yet still retains a sense of old-time elegance.  Kaiserhaus is located right on top of the entrance of the famed Capitol Theatre.  It takes up two levels, so there is quite some seating capacity.

As recommended by the newspaper article, I ordered the Gourmet Beef set.  Didn't know this set is also called the Emperor's set, said to be the favourite food of one of the Austrian-German Emperors.
This set comes with an instruction manual on how to enjoy it.

Gourmet Beef Set User Manual

While waiting for my Emperor set, we enjoyed a glass of beer.  They had a promotion, S$18++ for two beers plus a side dish, choose between bread or fried crispy mushrooms.

The black beer was a bit bitter sweet.  In a slightly hazy afternoon, with a glass of Austrian black beer in hand, with a full window view of the charm of young-old Capitol building, well, what a beautiful world!

Gourmet Beef Set

Then my Gourmet Beef set came.  Stewed beef with mixed vegetables in an old-fashioned copper pot, together with the side dishes - spinach, bread, potatoes, etc.

I was expecting the beef to be quite hard and chewy, but it turned out to be very tender.  You can easily cut it up with no force required on your knife.  The smell of some spice permeates in the soup.

I only ordered a one person set for S$38++, for a two person set, the cost is $76++.  However, if you are not a very big eater, or not very hungry, a one person set is enough for two person, especially if one is a girl.

I look forward to a 2nd visit :)

KimChi Restaurant at Suntec

After the multi-year renovation of Suntec Mall, there are more restaurants available.  One of them is a Korean casual dining place called KimChi, supposely after the famous Korean dish.

My order is H6 Daeji Bulgogi.  Basically it is pork (or beef?) in a stone bone, together with lots of vegetables, such a broccoli, mushroom, onions, etc.  I think everything is already ready made, and then re-heat to serve to the customers.  In my case, I think the food was warm, but not really hot.
The presentation of the food is not bad, it looks appetizing.  In terms of taste, the pork is tender, and thinly sliced.  One think I don't like it very much is the mushroom is raw.  I prefer well-cooked mushrooms, for food safety reason.

Overall I think it is reasonable, and the price is not high.  The cost for this dish is $14.90++.  

Bangkok Jam at Plaza Singapura

I don't really know the story behind Bangkok Jam, but I suppose it is to provide modern Thai dining experiences.

Mixed Grill, S$25

We ordered a plate of mixed grill to share between the two of us.  The food portion is reasonable.  The sotong looks good and tastes good too, especially with the sauces provided.  Look at how thick the sotong is, and the meaty feeling is satisfying.  The prawns are not bad.  BBQed to such an extent that the shell becomes fragrant, and adds to sensation and smell of the fresh prawn.

The beef is a let-down, I must say, it is too dry, to hard, and very difficult to chew.  In addition, it is a bit tasteless.  The chicken is good though.  Slightly burnt on the skin, but the inside is totally intact, retaining all the juice and remains tender.  My friend in particular likes the grilled chicken.

Clear Tom Yam Soup, S$10.90

The clear tom yam soup comes in very small portion, with a really tiny amount of soup.  The ingredients are just so so, not very fantastic, the soup is quite good, strong in taste, and it is very spicy.  You need some rice to come with it, or it may not be acceptable to people who don't eat spicy food.

Pow Sing at Serangoon Garden

Pow Sing is a popular place for office workers to have a lunch gathering.  The restaurant has been there for more than a decade since I got to know the place, and they are still going strong.

Steamed Chicken

Their signature dish is the steamed chicken.  It is a must-order dish whenever we come here for lunch.  The chicken has jelly like skin, firm but tender and juicy meat.  It is different from the other famous chicken rice stalls such as Zhen Zhen at Marvell or the Ipoh Lou You Bean Sprout Chicken.  It has its own unique style.

Curry Fish Head

Another signature dish is the curry fish head.  Personally I find it good, but not exceptionally good.  The fish head is fresh, that is a plus point, but the curry is a bit more watery.

Crispy Sotong Rings

My former boss's must-have dish is the crispy sotong ring.  Somehow they can get the whole sotong ring super crispy.  Every bite comes with the crushing sound.  I quite like this dish, although it is not really healthy.

Other dishes such as Wu Xiang and the Sambal Kunkong are not bad.

It is one of those restaurants that carries the Singapore traditional food, and surviving.  I hope it will continue to survive so that we can enjoy some quality Singapore local food, at a reasonable price.

Mission Impossible 5

Mission Impossible is a never ending series, and Tom Cruise seems to be the never ending hero as well.  The first Mission Impossible movie was released back in 1996, almost 30 years ago.  And until today, we are still seeing the never-get-old Tom Cruise doing the impossible in the movie.

M. I. 5 continues to give movie goers the thrill of actions and the complexity of the plot.  The story line is a little plain but yet still have some necessary twists and turns, and suspense sometimes, to keep the audience's attention.

Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson adds quite some life to the movie and makes the movie more interesting.

Overall, it is a good action movie that entertains the audience well.

Sum's Kitchen and Hong Kong Roast Meat

This restaurant is adjacent to the famous Sembawang White Bee Hoon.  The decoration is from the last century, and retains lots of old times charm.

My friend recommended the roast duck.  This may not be THE best, but it is still one of the best I think.  I saw some reviews saying it is no longer as good as it used to before, so I guess it was even better in the past.  The duck skin is crispy, that's the basic requirement.  The meat retains reasonable amount of juice, and still firm, but not chewy.

Roast Duck

Daily Soup

Chinese Spinach with Egg and Century Egg 

Egg Plant

Steam Chicken with Black Fungus

The other dishes we ordered were all common Cantonese dishes.  Fried Chinese spinach with egg and century egg was good.  I think I didn't have this dish for quite some years, as many places don't offer this dish anymore, but it was very common some ten years ago here in Singapore,

The steam chicken with black fungus was not bad.  The fungus and dates brought out the freshness of the chicken meat.

I enjoyed my dinner very much.  This restaurant offers good Cantonese food at a reasonable price.  Guess how much was the total bill?

The restaurant is a bit small though.  There are only 6 tables indoor, and ~4 tables outdoor.