The Travelling C.O.W (Chef on Wheels)

Food trucks are not common in Singapore- there used to be initiatives to get such schemes going but somehow these just didn't work out. 

When I think about food trucks, I think of the movie Chef- I loved the movie, it was a complete feast for the eyes.  

Here we have The Travelling C.O.W which is both a food truck and has recently got a shop space as well. 

The cafe was empty on a Sunday night and we were the only ones there. Fuss free - that's how they keep meals affordable!

You order your meal at the counter and the food will be delivered to you. Remember to clear your plates after that!

We ordered a Seafood Laksa Pasta ($12). It's always interesting to have a fusion between pasta and Singaporean dishes- so far, I have had Tom Yum Seafood Pasta at 49 Seats, Chilli crab Spaghettini at Halia and now laksa! Next up, bak kut teh pasta?

The laksa paste was done right- neither too dilute (like a soup base) nor too thick. For the price of $12, they did not stinge on the seafood.

We also ordered a Chicken Tsukane Burger ($12) and topped up $2 for truffle fries (I can never get enough of truffle fries!). I often judge the lettuce that restaurants / cafes serve and here, the lettuce were bright green and crunchy, with no signs of black edges. That's what every self-respecting cafe / restaurant should seek to achieve!

The thick and juicy chicken patty was sandwiched between two lightly buttered buns, coupled with a beautiful sunny side up. Pity though, the egg was fried for a little too long and had a bitter base due to the slight char.

The food here is decent and with the Entertainer app, we each paid around $6 for our food.

The Travelling C.O.W (Chef on Wheels)
CT Hub 1
2 Kallang Avenue
#02-16

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Monster Curry (Parkway Parade)

Previously housing Mad Jack, this unit has been taken over by Monster Curry. 

As gimmicky as this bright orange dinosaur may be, it solved our dilemma as to where to eat. We are the kind of consumers that advertisers like to target- ignorant and easily attracted by bright, weird looking things. We saw this dinosaur and decided to try Monster Curry. I like their website- very to the point and transparent- although they need to update it because prices have been revised very slightly.

We ordered the exotic sounding Green Apple Italian Juice ($3.50) which was essentially a small bottle of apple juice.

I have never seen such a big plate in my life- just look at how it compares to the utensils. Yet another gimmick but the food was pretty decent and extremely filling.

We ordered the Combo Curry ($25) which consisted of pork katsu, fried fish, pork shabu shabu, shrimp tempura and cheese, You could choose from 5 levels of spiciness- we chose level 2 flame which was "extra hot". It was spicy but I wouldn't call it extra hot.

I like curry, whether it is Japanese curry or Indian curry. Monster Curry's sauce contains up to 14 difference spices and vegetables and requires two days to cook. It was thick and a perfect accompaniment to the rice although it started getting gelat after a while, especially when it started turning cold.

This Combo Curry is enough for 2 big eaters / 3-4 females. Eat it fast because it is best eaten warm. The tempura consisted of a lot of flour probably just to make it look like super sized prawns. The fish was pretty much like the fish in fish and chips. I would have liked more shredded lettuce to balance this otherwise very deep fried meal. The katsu was deep fried to perfection, crispy with a layer of melted cheese over it. The shabu shabu felt a little out of place in this dish.

For hungry people, this is a decent meal which is value for money.

Monster Curry 
Parkway Parade
80 Marine Parade Road
#01-11
Tel No: 6348 6171 

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Arbite

Thanks to the Entertainer app, we get to try new restaurants / cafes. 

Arbite was somewhere that I had always wanted to go but didn't because of its location. The stars aligned one day and I managed to get a ride to Arbite.

Arbite is a pun on the German / Danish word for work.

I ordered the Seafood Tagliatelle ($25) which consisted of handmade squid ink tagliatelle tossed with prawns, squid, salmon, mussels, chilli, spring onion, garlic and shallots. You could choose between tomato, white wine or aglio alio. I decided to go with aglio olio.

They were generous with the fresh seafood and I loved the fact that salmon was included, as salmon is typically not included in seafood pasta. The pasta was sufficiently moist and the garlic taste was not overpowering. A slight hint of chilli also upped the flavours of this dish.

No matter what, please get yourself a My Wife's Chocolate Cake ($8). I have eaten many chocolate cakes but few are impressionable- the last one I ate that left an impression was the Death by Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream at Rider's Cafe. If this is indeed the chocolate cake made by the owner's wife, the owner is a lucky man.

There was an unexpected explosion of flavours. First, it was the moist chocolate cake, which was good on its own- unpretentious cakes are the best. Then here is where it gets fun. The accompanying ice cream is not your usual vanilla ice cream but salted caramel ice cream- you see where we are getting as the flavours build up? Then lastly, you have this base of bitter, crunchy cocoa bits. This is a must-order if you go Arbite!

The food on its own merits a return visit, although I have to say that parking at Serangoon Gardens is a complete nightmare. 

Service here was exceptional as well- the server was friendly, warm and genuine, it made our dining experience so pleasant.

Arbite
66A Serangoon Garden Way
Tel No: 62870430 

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