Korean Cuisine @ NTU Canteen 13

Heard about this place for the longest time and wanted to try ever since… finally one of my trips back to SG I drove about 20km there, met up with some friends working there, and checked out the place. Arrived the place during lunch so naturally a bit crowded. There was a queue for the Korean stall but didn’t have to wait very long so it was alright.

The stall

Very busy counter front...

Had the fish set for only $4... or was it $4.50? Comes with rice and kimchi... extra kimchi can be ordered for extra $0.50.

Fish is fresh but only half. For the price is ok lah.

While you're there, another must try is the ice coffee... thick and smooth! Really unexpected!

Rating: 4/5. Maybe the beef bologi or bibimbab would be nicer. Will try the next time there.

Taste: The fish set I had was light and not so heavily taste which I was looking for that day. So it was good.

Portion: Average

Price: $4.00 per set

RTE: Maybe… a bit far…

Location: Canteen 13 NTU

Bugis Street Ngak Seah Beef Kuay Teow @ Lavendar Foodcourt

I’ve been eating this beef kuay teow since 1995 and the prices hasn’t change much since… Just by a dollar difference. So I was at Lavendar Foodcourt again after such a long time and decided to have my favourite mixed beef kuay teow. Surprisingly, they do not have any reviews print out on this stall… so I decided to write about them.

The stall... see the prices didn't change much...

Yummy dried kuay teow... with some beef balls soup... for S$4

A lot of ingredients... nice

Rating: 4.5/5.

Taste: Still has the authentic beef kuay teow taste of yester years… Tribe is tender and beef is fresh. Love it!

Portion: Average.

Price: $4.00 or $5.00

RTE: Yeah…

Location: Lavendar Food Court. Easy to spot.

Singapore Coffeeshop Lingos

Thought I would do this sometime… Think most of us are quite curious about what some coffeeshop lingos when we hear the coffee boys or ladies shout our orders in a different language in a neighbourhood coffeeshop. Here is a list that I’ve came across and compiled for your reference!

 COMMONLY USED LINGOS:

1. Kopi – Coffee
2. Teh – Tea
3. Kopi O/Teh O – No evaporated and condensed milk.
4. Kopi C/Teh C - With evaporated milk added. Usually the sweetness from the usual condensed milk is replaced by sugar.
5. Kosong (Means ‘empty’ in Melayu) – Refers to nothing added to the beverage say kopi, teh, milio, horlicks, etc.
6. Siew Dai (Less Sugar) – Usually they will put half the usual amount of sweetness. Usually used with the name of the beverage in front; Kopi Siew Dai, Teh C Siew Dai, etc.
7. Kar Dai (More Sugar) – Usually one more teaspoon of sugar or condensed milk added.
8. Nai Long - Condensed milk with hot water. This was the milk replacement for our grandparents when they do not have access to fresh milk in the old days.
9. Diao Heu (Means ‘fishing’ in Hokkien) - Refers Chinese tea bag with hot water. Usually Oolong tea.
10. Tak Kiu (Means ‘play soccer’ in Hokkien) – Refers Milo drink. Can be used with O, Siew Dai or Kar Dai. Lingo came about from the soccer image on milo tins.
11. Sua (Pronounced as ‘Swa’) – Refers to double order. So if you have 2 people ordering the same thing, use it behind the beverage name. For eg., Kopi Sua, Teh Sua.
12. Dinosaur – Not in the usual coffeeshop but usually at muslim and indian eateries where pratas and mee gorengs are sold. Used for Milo and Horlicks only and it refers to having more milo or horlicks powder sprinkled on top of the iced milo or horlicks. Super sinful…

UNCOMMONLY USED LINGOS (BUT CATCHING ON):

1. Clementi (Name of a town in SG) – Refers to Ice Lemon Tea. Lingo came about cos it sounds like it.
2. Tio Huay Sio (Means ‘caught fire’ in Hokkien) – Refers to Hot Chrysanthemum drink. Dunno how this term came about though…
3. Si Geena (Means ‘dreadful kids’) – Refers to Ribena drink. According to a friend, the term came about probably due to advertisement with kids jumping around in it… Geez…

Will update more if I come across more of these lingos. Stay tune!

新口岸葡国餐(Porto Exterior) @ Macau City, Macau

There’s so much good food in Macau that I had to write almost every meal I ate… Sigh… But it’s good to share with friends who are clueless about where to eat lah. Was my last night in Macau, so took the chance to walk around the hotel area and at the same, look  for real Portuguese food to fulfill one of my agendas in my food list. I remembered my friend brought me to one which is really small but very home-feel. Food was good but it wasn’t that affordable.

So I ventured around on my own, came across a few Portuguese restaurants, but didn’t enter. Almost succumbed to 鼎泰丰 when I was approaching Rio Hotel, but I decided to ask the girls at the money exchange opposite Rio Hotel instead. They told me there’s one pretty good one just behind where they are. So I walked to the back, which was under a lot of renovation, and very surprise to find that amidst all that major renovation, the restaurants are still operational. Found the restaurant, went in and was warmly welcomed by the lady manageress.

Rio Hotel with casino below. The restaurant is opposite this hotel, right in the middle of the low shop houses.

They have signages at every side...

Entrance

Was there around 9+ on a weekday, hence not many people.

The old man on the far right is the boss.

Buns baked in house

Took a pint of beer to go with my food. HK$32 only. About S$5.

Roast Chicken Salad... The chicken is not nice. Can skip. HKD$36.

Special sauce made in-house to go with the salad. Tasted like a mixture of Thousand Island with Miracle Whip. ;P

Braised Ox Tail. This dish is awesome... Wished I had some baguette to go along... next time I bring my own... ;P HKD$66

Beef Tripe Tomato Soup. Very nice puree made from fresh tomatoes. HKD$56

Total bill for a meal for 2 normal persons. HKD$209 is about SGD$34.

Address, opening hours and website of the location.

Rating: 4.5/5.

Taste: Portuguese food in Macau has a little Asian flare in them. The ox tail is a little salty though… but is ok when go with rice or bread. Will check out the other items next time I’m there.

Portion: Above average.

Price: HKD$209 for all.

RTE: Yeah!

Location: See last pic. Get to opposite Rio Hotel and you will see it.

新好利咖啡饼店 @ Taipa, Macau

I was brought to this place initially by another group of friends about 2 years back. I was on free and easy for the whole day before I flew back to SG, so I decided I need to get my 猪扒包(Pork Chop Buns) fix hence I hailed a cab, and headed down to the 手信街of Taipa Island.

The shop is really old and run down adjoining another shop to their right which leads to the kitchen there. Very small and crampy if you meet a large crowd that day. Weekdays are perfect and I chose to be there after 2pm.

the shop... don't ask me how to pronounce in Portuguese...

This is the inner part of the shop... there is another part with the main door.

Ice Yuen Yang (Ice Tea with Coffee)

Birds Nest Egg Tart

Seriously, nothing special... Dunno where's the birds nest also... haha

Piping hot pork chop bun... This is the part when newbies will ask,"How to eat?" Haha... I used to ask that... Just find a way to eat it lah, you'll know when you come to that situation.

Chicken chop noodles. The chicken is not bad... noodles a bit on the hard side.

Address to the place.

Rating: 4/5. Standard dropped a little… The pork chop has a very strong ‘old’ oil smell.

Taste: Was ok. Should have ordered the egg tart instead of the birds nest one.

Portion: Average.

Price: Came up about HKD$50+. Pretty affordable.

RTE: Maybe only… Will look for other places cos pork chop buns are everywhere in Macau!

Location: See last picture.