Ding Tele 鼎特乐

We visited Ding Tele 鼎特乐 when it first opened and have been back numerous times ever since. There can be a quite a queue on weekends so do come early. There is not much ambience to speak of in the restaurant and the tables are closely packed together. But it is definitely worth a trip. 

We started off with the Appetising Platter ($9) where you could choose 4 side dishes. We went for the Original Shanghainese Drunken Chicken Wing, Coriander with Bean Products, Wheat Gluten and Shiitake Mushrooms and Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs. This is probably good for 2-3 people to share. While these dishes were decent, they were nothing to shout about.

Ordering the Signature Steamed Pork & Soup Bun ($5.40) is always a no brainer. We saw a table of 4 have at least 6 of these bamboo baskets stacked up. It is difficult not to compare these to the benchmark of Din Tai Fung and these little dumplings certainly hold their own weight.

I find that the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns ($5.40 for 4 pieces) are one of the best, if not, the best in Singapore. They are so good that I can't resist sinking my teeth into these little goodies once they arrive at our table, despite knowing that they will probably burn my tongue if I don't exercise some patience.

Five out of five times, I burn my tongue, each time knowing that this is the consequence of greed. Besides the fact that the soup inside the buns is incredibly hot, there is a lot of soup in each bun- be careful not to spill the soup on yourself. What I like about these soup buns is how they manage to be chewy at the top and crispy at the bottom, with generous pork fillings and soup, all at the same time. The soup is a little too salty for my liking, but it does not negate how delicious these pork buns are. We could each easily eat 3 pork buns each, even with other dishes.

We rounded off the meal with Crispy Rice Dumpling with Red Bean Paste ($4). After the fantastic sheng jian baos, these were again, decent but nothing extraordinary.

Value for money, and definitely come here for the sheng jian baos.

Ding Tele 
949 Upper Serangoon Road
Singapore 534713
Tel No: 6282 4380 

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Lola's Cafe

It's been two years since I last visited Lola's for their main menu items.

They have since taken over the shop space next to theirs and still doing a roaring business. 

I ordered the Smoked Pulled Pork Sanger ($15). I was first exposed to pulled pork in the US and never looked back since. Generous chunks of pulled pork dunked in BBQ sauce were sandwiched between the lightly buttered and fluffy brioche bread. The thinly sliced potato fries were also crispy and addictive- better than McDonald's (I think McDonald's fries are pretty legit).

I always get the Honey Parprika Crispy Wings ($10) when I come to Lola's. It's almost a crime not to get these beautifully deep fried wings. Crispy, yet not oily. With each bite oozes chicken juiciness, paired beautifully with the layer of honey glaze on the chicken. A must order.

Lola's Cafe 
5 and 7 Simon Road
Tel No: 6284 0349 

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Lola's Cafe

We can all talk about having dreams and aspirations- but how many of us actually put that into reality? It's therefore always impressive when young people decide to give it their all and push the boundaries. Set up by a couple who met on exchange in the Netherlands, this place was crowded when we visited on a Sunday afternoon. 

I ordered a Lola's Full Monty Breakfast ($15 nett). I thought the portion would be rather huge but it turns out to be just right. If there's anything that I remember about this dish, it's how all the meat has a sweet tinge to it- honey baked ham and honey bacon. The brioche was a little too small for my liking and the scrambled eggs a little too buttery for me.

I would say the food is decent but unless I'm in the Kovan area and craving brunch food, I wouldn't make a trip down just for the food. Service was friendly and interesting decor.

Lola's Cafe 
5 Simon Road
Tel No: 6 343 1808 

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Ice Edge Cafe (Kovan)

Whenever I think of waffles and ice cream, I think of Gelare. Where else would they have such thick waffles and yummy ice cream? Seems like I have found a worthy contender.

You might have thought they serve only desserts at Ice Edge Cafe. Far from that, they serve main dishes such as pasta, pizza and other Western food. Currently, they have a 1 for 1 Lunch Treats on weekdays, from 12 pm to 3 pm.

We went there at 1030 pm and it was still bustling with people, from youngsters to a old grandma. From the gleeful look of the grandma, you can tell that this place indeed has some special edge to it. We ordered a Waffle with three scoops of ice cream ($17). The flavours we tried were Green Apple, Belgium Dark Chocolate and Mao Shan Wang. Amongst them, Belgium Dark Chocolate and Mao Shan Wang are amongst the top five popular ice cream flavours.

The Mao Shan Wang was choke full of durian goodness and not too sweet. The Belgium Dark Chocolate was also very rich and chocolatey. Everybody liked these two flavours. As for the apple, some found it too sour, so it really depends on whether you like sour ice cream!

Sure, there are other places that serve equally good ice cream at lower prices. But if you are looking for Western food and desserts all under one roof at along the North-East line, maybe this is for you! (Disclaimer: I haven't tried their main dishes.)

Ice Edge Cafe 
Simon Plaza
2 Kovan Road
#01-10
Tel No: 6 858 5729 

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