Eighteen Chefs (Tiong Bahru Plaza)

The first time I stepped foot in Eighteen Chefs at Simei was four to five years ago. In that span of time, they have opened a couple more outlets. 

Why 18? Apparently the number 18 has reference to a secret society in Singapore. The owner of Eighteen Chefs, Benny Se Teo, is behind this venture to help troubled youths and ex-convicts. 

This place is well known for its baked rice. But I decided to go for the Tom Yam Seafood Aglio Olio ($13.80). It was appetising but the prawns weren't exactly the freshest of the lot. If only there was more sauce to go with this dish because the pasta bordered on being a little too dry. Nonetheless, I liked how fragrant this dish was.

Pretty much self-service here- place your own orders, get your own water, get your own cutlery. Food was average for the price.

Eighteen Chefs (Tiong Bahru Plaza)
302 Tiong Bahru Road
#02-K1/K6

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Grand Shanghai

This place seeks to bring you back to old Shanghai- the chandeliers, the stage where the band performs, everything about it just feels like this is not a typical Chinese restaurant. 

Other than the atmosphere, the dim sum was pretty average. The Siew Mai ($4.50) was my favourite of the lot with juicy fillings.

The Egg Tarts ($1 per piece) are a far cry from what any good egg tart should be like- the egg yolk didn't melt instantly and the crust did not have the aromatic buttery kick to it.

We ordered Steamed Crabmeat Dumplings ($8) but couldn't really taste the crabmeat.

The Braised Ee Fu Noodle with Crabmeat ($22) was moist and pretty good.

The Crispy Pancake Stuffed with Red Bean Paste ($12) was average. 

I wouldn't recommend getting the dim sum here because for the same price, you can get something better elsewhere. Service is nearly non-existent during weekend lunch hours.

Grand Shanghai
King's Centre
390 Havelock Road
#01-01
Tel No: 6836 6866

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Caffe Pralet

Trying to act like the young cool crowd who flock to Tiong Bahru, we decided to up the level of coolness by going to a place which is not as popular as places such as Tiong Bahru Bakery or Orange Thimble. Okay fine, it was because the rest were incredibly crowded. We arrived at Caffe Pralet which is a cafe opened by Chef Judy Koh, who conducts baking lessons as well. 

I got my hands on the  Signature Pralet Cake ($5.50). Here's a pricing guide which is not updated because the price of the cake has increased by a dollar. The cake is packed with chocolate goodness- rich chocolate mousse made from French dark chocolate, piled above a layer of crispy hazelnut waffle and lastly adorned with a piece of edible gold paper. 

I haven't found a person who doesn't like the texture of the crispy waffle. I know a few people who love the Coco Exotic from Four Leaves precisely because of the crispy layer. 

The only negative thing is that the richness gets into you after a while. It's a matter of personal preference, just like how people can eat nutella non-stop from the bottle itself. I think I would require medical attention if I did that. 

My friends also tried other cakes and they all agreed that the cakes here were good. Apparently, the Green Tea Grateau is also something that you shouldn't miss in this cafe. Service wise, exceptionally fast service. After ordering the cakes at the counter, the cakes get delivered even before you make your way back to your seats. To quote a friend, "Wah! The cakes just mysteriously popped up so quickly!" I think Caffe Pralet is a good place to hang out for some peace and if you want to avoid the crowds at the other Tiong Bahru cafes.

Caffe Pralet 
Eng Hoon Mansions
17 Eng Hoon Street
#01-03/04
Tel No: 6223 5595 

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Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice

I don't eat chicken rice that often because of that long lasting taste that garlic leaves in my mouth. So, when I do, I make sure I go for good chicken rice. Today, I decided to try Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. There was a queue which took about 15 minutes for me to reach the front. 

Seeing that everybody in front of me opted for the Steamed White Chicken Rice ($2.50, $3.50 option available), I decided to get that as well. Honestly, that isn't something that I would risk having garlicky breath over. The rice is passable and the meat is tender. The rather spicy chilli sauce complements the chicken well. However, I'm not accustomed to the taste of the soup.

Also, there's just something missing about the chicken- smoothness and chewiness factor. Compared to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, I would opt for Tian Tian.

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre
30 Seng Poh Road
#02-82 

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Tiong Bahru Lee Hong Kee

I asked a friend who stays in Tiong Bahru what the best thing to eat at the Tiong Bahru Market was. Without hesitating, he answered "Lee Hong Kee la!" The resolve of the answer coupled with the queue made it beyond doubt that I had to queue at Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roasted. 

I opted for the Char Siew and Sio Bak ($3). After having one mouth of meat and rice, my first thought was, "Did I just get conned by my friend?" It's not that it's not nice, just that I think it's overhyped. It's my fault that the roasted pork's skin is no longer crispy because I asked for the sauce. But the char siew was not as sweet as I liked it to be, and perhaps was too fatless. For some people, you may like this combination of char siew- fatless and not so sweet. 

The abundance of gravy went well with the rice and the roasted pork was quite lean as well. They also serve a special concoction of chilli sauce (not your normal chicken rice chilli sauce). 

While the portion and taste is worth $3, there's this stall in Tanjong Katong, Nan Xiang Chicken Rice, where I really like the char siew- slightly charred, slightly fatty, and coated with sweet char siew sauce.

Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roasted
Tiong Bahru Market
30 Seng Poh Road
#02-60 

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Liang Liang Garden

I don't really blog about desserts from hawker centres because they normally cost the same and taste the same. But I'm blogging about Liang Liang Garden because of its price and the crazy amount of ingredients they provide. 

By the way, this weather is driving me mad. First, it's the sweltering heat. Just as you thought you could get some relief after some rain, it just gets HOTTER. This is where desserts come to the rescue! 

It's not that often that you can find desserts at such prices. I think the most expensive item I saw on the menu was $2. This bowl of mango with aloe vera costs $2. Look at the amount of mango and aloe vera. Given so liberally! This would have easily cost at least $2.50 or more in any other hawker centre. 

Although my mum didn't share my enthusiasm for her cheng teng because the ice melted too quickly and therefore diluted the cheng teng (I blame it on the weather), I still think the price here is very attractive! 

Other desserts you could possibly try are those recommended by ieatishootipost, including ice kacang dinosaur!

Liang Liang Garden 

Tiong Bahru Market
30 Seng Poh Road
 #02-75 

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忠于原味 (Zhong Yu Yuan Wei Wanton Noodles)

Before you read anything else, I suggest you watch this 8 minute long video on 忠于原味. Unless you are really hungry and can't wait to join the queue. It tells you what meat is used for the char siew, including the meat from the pig's armpit 不见天. There are also two other kinds of meat. 

I didn't know what was good at Tiong Bahru Market so I just joined the longest queue. The other stall which had a really long queue was the stall selling Lor Mee. To get me to the front of the queue, it took me 30 minutes.

Is the wanton noodles really worth queuing up for? Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think it's worth queuing up for 30 minutes. I'm not sure which part of the pig I got because to me, while it was chewy, it wasn't particularly stunning. It's definitely better than the hard kind of char siew though. Everybody raves about the char siew marinate but I felt that it wasn't flavourful enough. Maybe all that waiting made me lose my sense of taste.

I think what really stands out is the noodles- Really bouncy. If you saw the chef cook, you would know why. He boils the noodles in the water, then puts it in cold water, and then puts it back in the hot water, ensuring its QQ quality.

The wantons weren't particularly special but they were good enough. 

At $2.50/$3.50 a bowl, this wanton noodles comes cheap. However, all that time spent queuing up might be a negative factor.

忠于原味 (Zhong Yu Yuan Wei Wanton Noodles)
Tiong Bahru Market
30 Seng Poh Road
#02-30

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Tow Kwar Pop

The rojak at Tow Kwar Pop makes your heart go "Pop pop, pop pop!" Okay, that was an awful slogan from me. 

The wait for the rojak here can be a little long because they do everything on the spot so you can be assured that your rojak tastes fresh. 

What I love about the rojak ($4) is how everything is toasted. Warm and crispy. The cuttlefish was also a welcome addition. The sauces were delicious and not overpowering. Those who love tau pok would love the Tau Pok with cucumber in it. Fruits also added to the appetising factor of this dish. 

One of the best rojak I have eaten in some time, after Apa Rojak at Lau Pat Sat closed down.

Tow Kwar Pop 

Tiong Bahru Market
30 Seng Poh Road
#02-06 

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