Streets of London

Streets of London isn't located in the most prominent of places, despite being in the food haven of Joo Chiat / Katong. Upon my mum's recommendation, we headed to Streets of London for dinner on Sunday. The restaurant seems to keep re-locating, from Bukit Merah to Marina Country Club to here- not sure if there were other locations in between. 

Foot traffic was low when we were there, but this place really deserves better. 

The restaurant is decked out in London-related memorabilia. Red hues dominate in this casual eatery.

This place is essentially a one-man show- the boss himself is the chef, the waiter and the cashier. Food will therefore take a little longer to be prepared and served.

Being the boring me, I decided to go for my all time favourite Fish and Chips ($12.80). The Fish and Chips was executed perfectly. The beer-battered fish was crisped just right, without having the bitterness of being deep fried for too long and it was not oily. The fish was also a rather sizeable portion. Usually, the salads don't really deserve a mention as they are just playing a secondary role but the sweet mint dressing in this salad was refreshing and delightful.

The rest also enjoyed the London Pride IPA Chicken ($12.80).

If you live in the East and enjoy a good meal at affordable prices (no service charge and no GST), do give this place a try. The only thing is that you must be prepared to wait for your food!

Streets of London 
Katong Point Mall
451 Joo Chiat Road
#01-01
Tel No: 9754 7716 

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Brotzeit (Katong)

Everytime we walked past Brotzeit, we would get a whiff of something fragrant- the smell of roasted meat. 

We couldn't resist it further and went in for some German food.

It is not possible for us to enter a restaurant serving German food, without trying their pork knuckle. We ordered the Schweinshaxn (Oven Roasted Pork Knuckle) ($36). We didn't know the portion size when ordering - this is definitely good enough for 2 / 3 to share. You thought you knew the best char siew siew yok stall- the one that served the crispy skin. Wait till you try this dish. Listen to the crisp sound of the skin fall apart as your teeth sinks into skin. The skin was the star of the show. Accompanied with potatoes and sauerkraut, your carbohydrate and fibre requirements are satisfied as well.

I also ordered a Nurnberger (Grilled Pork Sausages) ($18). The sausages were average and didn't leave a deep impression on me. It became a bit of a chore trying to finish all 5 sausages.

A nice place to chill- remember to get the pork knuckle!

Brotzeit
126 East Coast Road
Tel No: 6348 7050 

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Simplicite Cafe

I have been to Simplicite Cafe twice, once after eating at the nearby Al Forno, and the other after a meal at Beach Road Prawn Mee. Both times, the place was relatively empty with only a table or two being occupied. 

Clean with minimalist decor, this place is an ideal location to spend your afternoon just talking about life. You should check their facebook page for their opening hours though- it seems that their opening hours change frequently.

We ordered a Waffle with 1 scoop of ice cream ($8.50). The passion fruit ice cream was not too sweet and contained the little bits of passion fruit seeds. To up the fun factor, they have a mysterious flavour for you to guess- no prizes even if you guess correctly though! This waffle is definitely one of the better ones- my benchmark is Gelare's waffle. Rewind more than 10 years ago when cafes were not selling waffles, Gelare's waffles was a rare treat then. This waffle is comparable to Gelare's.

Service here was warm and sincere. I only hope that they last long enough because the foot traffic here seems pretty low.

Simplicite Cafe 
425 East Coast Road
Singapore 429012
Tel No: 6440 9148 

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Beach Road Prawn Mee Eating House

Prawn Mee is something that few stalls can do right. Ever so often, a prawn noodle craving hits and off we go hunting for a good bowl of slurp-worthy prawn noodles. 

According to The Business Times, the boss is one of the highest-earning hawkers, reportedly earning up to $139,200 a month. The popularity of this place was evident on a Sunday afternoon where the place had hardly an empty seat. 

I got the Prawn Noodles with Pork Ribs ($5.80). I always enjoy a good robust stock like this, and the only place where we tried a stock as good was at Blanco Court Prawn Mee. Prawn mees often leave me disappointed for the lack in depth of flavour.

The prawn mee served at Beach Road Prawn Mee and Blanco Court Prawn Mee were equally good and I was hard pressed to decide which was better. Served with one fresh prawn sliced into two, the pork ribs were tender although my friend found some pieces a little too tough.

If you get irritated with houseflies, this is not the place to be. There were a lot of flies hovering while we were eating. Service was also lacking. When I was standing in the queue, instead of asking me to move one side, the waiter simply nudged me with a tray to move aside. For service, Blanco Court anytime.

There was a ngoh hiang stall within the compounds and we decided to get some to round the meal off. 

Beach Road Prawn Mee Eating House
370 East Coast Road
Tel No: 6345 7196 

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JC Coffee Houzz

It was Sunday evening and only one table in this cafe was occupied. Now, I've got a real issue with the word "Houzz"- it sounds too secondary school to be used as part of a cafe name! Those days where "z" was added behind every single word. However, other than that, this is a place I hope will make it somehow. 

A very cosy interior with space big enough for to host gatherings. I may be biased, but I really liked this place also for the music that was playing. Once I heard the first few songs, I declared, WHOEVER CHOSE THE SONGS HAS THE SAME MUSIC TASTE AS ME. Field of Gold, Because of You, Close to You etc. That instantly bumped up my liking for this place.

We were there after dinner so we didn't try their main courses. This cafe offers a wide variety of food- dim sum, Western food etc.

We settled for a Waffle with Double Scoop Ice Cream ($10.80). The waffle was a little too hard and was lacking the eggy fragrance of good waffles. Lychee ice cream was a tad on the sweet side but the salted caramel was fine.

There is potential for this place to grow in this sleepy neighbourhood. And I hope it makes it. Going back one day to try the main courses!

JC Coffee Houzz
149 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427427
Tel No: 8161 0149

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Rochor Thai

I've been waiting to drop by Rochor Thai for quite some time and Good Friday was the perfect opportunity. Rochor Thai prides itself on serving MSG-free dishes. 

Lots of Thai-related pictures on the walls.

What is a Thai meal without Tom Yum? We ordered a Tom Yum Talay ($14.80) and this was adequately sweet, sour and spicy. A little salty but goes perfect with rice. I don't normally finish my soup but this was too appetising not to wipe it clean. Prawns, sotong and mushrooms - the seafood was fresh. If only it were a little spicier, this version would make me remember it for a long long time- the mean bowl of tom yum at Aroy-Dee has stuck with me since 3 years ago.

If you subscribe to their mailing list, you get either free Spring Roll or Fish Cake. The spring roll was stuffed with lots of crunchy vegetables. Good but nothing fantastic about it.

I'm not sure why the Moo Pad Krapow ($12.80) was marked "Chef's recommendations". The pork taste was a bit strong and while the basil was fragrant, just felt a little one-dimensional.

(update: We took the leftovers back and it tasted so much better when we ate it again. Spicier and more fragrant.)

We also ordered a Tau Hoo Tun Mor Din ($12.80). The tofu and the sauce was great with the rice. Crab meat was nearly non-existent though.

The Kor Moo Yang ($12.80), grilled pork neck, was chewy and not dry. The pork on its own did not have much flavour and it was with the help of the accompanying spicy sauce that it managed to stand out a little more. I felt that the flavours of the sauce could be a little stronger.

This was the best way to round off the meal- the Mango Sticky Rice ($7.80) was so good. Incredibly sweet mangoes and a small portion of glutinous rice with tau suan which provided that additional crunch.

The food here is slightly above average. Very friendly service. There's free parking across the road. If you have an OCBC card, you can get 10% off with minimum spending of $80.

Rochor Thai 
340 Joo Chiat Road
Tel No: 6 440 3270

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Mis en Place

I googled and found out that Mise en place means "putting in place", and is used in professional kitchens to refer to organising and arranging the ingredients.

While wandering in the East Coast area last week, we decided to drop by here because the set meal looked pretty worth it. We ordered a three course lunch set at $18.

Ahh what did I say about liking eateries that have interesting quotes on their walls!

For our first course, we got a Mushroom Soup. The lady (whom I presume is the lady boss) told us that it's without cream but still has the creamy flavour to it. Now, that sounds slightly intriguing. When it came, it was just as she described. Although it tasted slightly dilute because of the lack of cream to add to the thick texture of the soup, it was light on the tastebuds and the mushroom flavours were spot on.

For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Milanese which was breaded chicken leg stuffed with mushrooms. The crispy chicken was juicy and the stuffed mushrooms was an interesting addition to the chicken leg.

I also tried the Tilapia Fish & Chips which wasn't that great because it was a little dry. Anyone well-versed in doing fish and chips- what is the best fish to use? My understanding is that haddock / halibut is quite often used, but not sure if the type of fish affects the final product.

For dessert, we had Stollen with ice cream even though Christmas is over!

Food was decent, wait for food was a little long. Service very friendly.

Mis En Place
39 East Coast Road
Tel No: 6 345 8381 

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Tonny Restaurant

Ever since I read Straits Times food reviewer, Tan Hsueh Yun's review on Tonny Restaurant, I knew I had to come here. I find it slightly amusing that this place is draped in red at every corner. Well, I guess that's how traditional Chinese restaurants typically look like. 

Photos of the chef with celebrities are plastered on the glass panels of the restaurant. This chef is a bit of a big shot- Renowned chef from Hong Kong who frequently appears on Channel 8 programmes. 

This is the famous Crispy Yam with Truffle Oil ($12). This starter consists of very thin strips of deep fried yam, coupled with a light drizzle of truffle oil. This made a perfect starter- not oily and appetising.

Another famous dish- Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ($9 per pax). At this point, I was already starting to get pretty impressed with the way ingredients come together. Here, we have some lobster puree cooked with egg white. This might be enough for two to share. The egg white consistency together with the crispy shell made a perfect combination. Plus the garnish on top the lobster puree added more flavour to this already impressive dish.

The Pan-Fried Cod Fish Filled with Soya Sauce ($33) was absolutely delightful. Fresh fish with a flavourful sauce which was not too thick or salty. I'm starting to wonder, whoever's cooking these dishes has been blessed with lots of culinary talent.

I was enjoying all the food in between that I didn't even bother capturing the photos of the dishes. What happened in between- we had Crab Congee ($36- this depends on the amount of crab you want in the porridge) and Beans with Dried Shrimps ($14). 

The crab congee wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. Anyhow, it had the interesting addition of green beans. The Beans were crunchy and the dried shrimps were deep fried and aromatic. 

Lastly, we had some noodles ($14) to round off the dinner. This had salted egg yolk in it, which made the texture of the noodles slightly different than what we are accustomed to. 

In all, this meal for 6 people cost $200. Worth every cent to try good and innovative dishes. Ambience nothing to rave about but service was pretty decent as well. Recommended!

Tonny Restaurant 
325 Joo Chiat Road
Tel No.: 6 348 9298

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Chu Dao Chinese Cuisine 厨道

We bought a Groupon to eat at Chu Dao because I remember it was pretty good the last time I tried it. This is a fairly new restaurant set up by celebrity chef Tan Yong Hua. 

A classy-looking place, with a small seating capacity.

We had a whole Peking Duck ($68). We added the duck meat to the Ee Fu Noodles ($8). The skin is not the usual egg skin, but is more of the chewy kind. You also get to wrap your own ingredients into the skin. The skin was crispy and not fatty. The Ee Fu Noodles had a wok hei taste and was adequately moist.

We also had a Braised Special Beancurd with Shimeji Mushroom and Vegetables ($16). This was executed better than the Three Kinds of Vegetables in Wok-Fried X.O. Chilli Sauce ($14) which tasted like the chef forgot how much condiments he added- it was way too salty.

The Pan-fried Pork Spare Ribs with Coffee Sauce ($16) was very well coated with an aromatic coffee sauce.

This is one of my favourite dishes because it's as addictive as french fries- you don't want to eat them, but once you start, you can't stop. The Pork Floss Brinjal with Salted Pepper ($10) is unhealthy in every way- pork floss, salted, deep fried- but that's why it's so appealing. Lightly battered and non-greasy, it made for an addictive snack in between the dishes.

I would give the dessert a miss. The Chilled Mango Sago ($5) was dilute and just made for a nice cold drink. There was no depth to the dessert.

Service, while polite, was lacking. They did not place the pots of tea at our table and did not refill our cups as well- we had to request for them to do so.

Chu Dao Chinese Cuisine 厨道
45 Joo Chiat Place
#01-01
Tel No: 6 334 1925 

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Everything With Fries (Joo Chiat)

I must have gone to Everything with Fries for something like 5 or 6 times already. It has a chillax atmosphere, with young servers with great attitude. I went there yesterday with my friend, D.

Whatever you order here comes with fries. You can choose from a variety of seasoning, including garlic and herbs, sour cream and onion, curry and salt&vinegar.

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich

I ordered the tandoori chicken sandwich along with garlic and herbs fries. It's my favourite dish at Everything with Fries. The thing is that, given that I am very picky with my food, it seems like the only other option I could choose from the menu, besides what D subsequently chose. I love the tandoori chicken sandwich here because of its char-grilled taste. Plus, the bread was toasted to the right consistency, accompanied with the sauce that had the right amount of tang. The garlic and herbs fries tasted like the seasoning on potato chips- lots of MSG you can be sure of that, but delicious nonetheless.

Now a short random aside from my tandoori chicken sandwich story. D and I have known each other theoretically for 15 years, and practically for 9 years. So, being the very awesome friend she is, she decided to contribute a review to her fish burger as well, since this blog depends on true reviews from the people who try the food.

Battered Fish Sandwich

D had the battered fish sandwich with sour cream & onion fries. And this what she thinks:

The portion looked pretty generous - a big chunk of fish encased in a hot dog style bun. But size does not always = quality. The bulk of the 'fish' was made up of the batter that was crispy but a little too salty for me. There was also a cheesy mushroom sauce drizzled on top of the fish, which complimented the (albeit sad portion) of fish quite nicely. Didn't try the bread but it looked quite soft and springy!

The SC&O shoestring fries were comparable to the yummy old school MacD's Shaker Fries The seasoning is probably MSG spammed but addictive nonetheless!

Nutella Tart

I've tried the famed nutella tart prior to this trip, and it was SO SINFUL. (too bad I didn't take pictures then) Everything with Fries was set up by the same people who set up Awfully Chocolate, were you really expecting anything less?

Overall, I think I will still bring my friends to this place, and maybe tell them to give the fish a miss. But other than that, this is a great place to chill out and have a great conversation!

Everything with Fries

458 Joo Chiat Road
Tel: +65 6345 5034

40 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village

Singapore 277695
Tel: +65 6463 3741

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