Korean Cuisine @ BigMama Korean Restaurant

BigMama Korean Restaurant is a popular restaurant located in Kim Tian Road which is run by Koreans and serves authentic Korean food.     

6 dishes of banchan (side dishes) were served. These are free and refillable. The Kimchi is fresh and crunchy. The Sigeumchi Namul (spinach) and Japchae (glass noodles) are mediocre. The Myeolchi Bokkeum (spicy anchovies) is too salty. It was my first time eating the Nokdumuk (mung bean starch jelly) and I find the taste unique and rather nice. 

And my favorite banchan is Yeongeun Jorim (lotus roots). The crunchy lotus roots go well with the yummy sauce. I love it so much, I had 3 refills. Highly recommended! 

Dakgalbi (spicy grilled chicken) is one of the two dishes highly recommended by the restaurant. It costs $15 per pax and the minimum order is 2 pax. Marinated chicken chunks are stir-fried with rice cakes, assorted vegetables and chilli sauce on a hot grill. The staff actually comes to your table and stir-fries the dish before your eyes. The rice cake is the best rice cake I have eaten in Singapore. The chicken and vegetables are not bad, but not fantastic.

         

Do not finish all the dakgalbi. It is strongly recommended to add rice, laver and sesame oil to the leftovers to make fried rice. The laver and sesame oil upped the flavor of the fried rice and it tastes delicious! Don't forget to leave some space in your stomach for this.

   

The kimchi soup with rice costs $14. To someone who loves spicy food like me, the soup tastes more sweet than spicy. But I like it that the tofu (bean curd) fully absorbed the flavor of the soup. It is a decent bowl of kimchi soup but I'd prefer one spicier.    

The Haemul Kimchi Jeon ($15) is my favorite dish out of everything I tried today. Haemul Kimchi Jeon is pancake made with finely cut chives and seafood. The pancake is thin and crispy. Absolutely delicious, a must try!   

Overall, the food is tasty and the price reasonable. When paying for the bill, I was pleasantly surprised to find that BigMama absorbs the 7% GST. Anyway, this place is really popular and often crowded. To avoid disappointment, it is best to call 6270 7704 to make a reservation before going.

BigMama Korean Restaurant: 

2 Kim Tian Road, Singapore 169244

Sambal Stingray @ Alexandra Village Food Centre

Back here again for great food. After the satay outing, heard from my other friends that there is a nice sambal stingray stall. I am not sure if I visited the correct stall but I am happy that the sambal stingray really did not disappoint me.

We order from Star Young BBQ Seafood. The stingray is so fresh and tender and the best part is the sambal chili. It really opens up our appetite and yes, even though I do not really take spicy food well, this sambal chili did not deter me from devouring the stingray.

Will be back here soon, to try the other food items from this stall as well as from the rest of the stalls!

Star Young BBQ Seafood Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-04 Singapore 150120

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House is more than just a coffee house. Besides beverages and desserts, it also serves full meals, Japanese cuisines such as udon, curry omelette rice, Japanese style pasta and pizza, etc. 

After a full lunch with my friend the other day, we decided to go to Shokudo Japanese Coffee House for a drink and a chat. However, we did not order coffee. I got a glass of Iced Apple Vinegar ($6.80) while my friend got a glass of Iced Yuzu Tea ($5.80). 

The iced apple vinegar tastes like apple soda. I prefer the iced yuzu tea because it tastes really refreshing. 

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House:

8 Grange Road, #02-06A/B, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Singapore 239695 

3-in-1 Rice balls @ Mr Bean

Standing in front of Mr Bean stall and not knowing whether to have a cup of soya milk or a bowl of bean curd, you can choose to have this 3-in-1 Rice balls. The dessert consists of  beancurd with rice balls and soya milk.

The portion is relatively big with 4 rice balls in it. You can choose to have peanut or sesame rice balls. I asked for a mix so that I can try both flavours. The rice balls are smooth, puffy and big. Personally, I like the sesame rice balls more. 

As for the bean curd, it is smooth and soft. Easy to eat it together with the rice balls. Together with the soya milk, you would not need to get another drink to go with this dessert. For the price of S$2.20, it's definitely worth it as you can try out the 3 items from the stall. 

3-in-1 rice balls

Raffles City Shopping Centre

252 North Bridge Road #B1-69 Singapore 179103 

You can find other locations here:

http://www.mrbean.com.sg/store_locator_central.aspx

Japanese Curry Rice @ Monster Curry

Monster Curry is a restaurant that sells Japanese curry rice. It calls itself "The biggest and heaviest Japanese Curry Rice in Singapore". Indeed, the potion it serves is rather big. After ordering the curry rice you want from a variety of choices, you can add extra rice, extra sauce, or extra toppings such as cheese, sausages, shrimps, etc for an additional price. You can also choose the level of spiciness you want for your curry from a range of "1 flame" to "5 flames". In my opinion, 1 flame and 2 flames are mild. If you like spicy food, try "3 flames" or more.    

The Pork Shabu Shabu Omelette Curry ($14) is delicious! I ordered it because I have never eaten shabu shabu with curry rice before and thought it special when I saw it on the menu. The omelette rice is mediocre but the pork shabu shabu is yummy! The sweet pork goes surprisingly well with the spicy curry. A must try!

   

My friend ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry ($13). The chicken katsu is crispy on the outside but not tender on the inside. It is a bit tough. Not recommended.  

The curry rice comes with salad and pickles. Overall, the price is reasonable for the big potion. I'll be back to try the Fried Scallop Curry which I spotted on the menu. 

Monster Curry: 

2 Orchard Turn, #B4-52, Ion Orchard, Singapore 238801

Old Punggol Satay @ Alexandra Village Food Centre

In my opinion, Satay is one of Singapore's all-time favourite food. My friend had cravings for it and she  recommended Old Punggol Satay at Alexandra Village Food Centre. And there we went. 

Old Punggol Satay sells chicken, pork and mutton satay. We ordered 10 sticks of chicken and pork satay each and it took around 15 minutes before the satay was served to us. The satay was a bit charred but that is what attracts us to this fabulous food. Basically, by look, I cannot distinguish which meat I am about to put into my mouth (this could be my own problem). But I guess this adds a bit of surprise element to eating Satay. But once I bite it, I know immediately. 

The satay is served hot and the chunks of meat are tender and oily. Yes, oily but delicious food comes with a price of adding more calories. However, the ketupat (rice dumpling) is relatively cold. Would preferred it to be a bit warmer.

Next is the peanut dip. It comes with pineapple which is quite special. But as for the peanut dip, I find it average. The peanut flavour is not that strong and thick. Maybe you can eat the satay on its own and dip the ketupat and cucumber in the peanut dip!?

Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-52 Singapore 150120

Pies & Coffee @ Rochester Mall

Quietly located at Rochester Mall, Pies & Coffee is a good choice to avoid the crowd at Star Vista. The indoor seats are limited but sitting outdoor is relaxing with a water feature wall right beside the cafe. It feels like you are out of Singapore. 

This place serves both savoury and sweet pies. For the savoury pies, it is served with mash potato and salad and the price starts from S$8.95. I had the Duck Confit for lunch. As the pie will be heated when an order is placed, we are given a buzzer to notify us when our food is ready for collection at the counter. It took about 5 minutes before my buzzer started to buzz. 

Add caption

The Duck Confit pie is served pipping hot and the meat is tender. The crispy crust is just nice and there isn't any hazzle to cut through it. The mash potato has small chunky potato and the gravy is great. But I wish they could have given more gravy to go with the mash potato and if only it can be served hot too. 

Duck Confit Pie (S$9.95+)

Had a flat white to go with the pie. 

Flat White (S$4.50+)

Finally a scoop of vanilla gelato to end the lunch - refreshing and what more to ask for happy food. 

Vanilla Gelato

Oh, did  I mention, I had all the above food items at only S$8.90 nett. Got this deal from www.deal.com.sg. Totally worth it! It's a great way to save money and enjoy good food. 

Rochester Mall
35 Rochester  Drive #01-02

For more locations, refer to their website at: http://www.piesncoffee.com/main.html