Nicely tucked away from the vibrant Thomson Road is this humble looking building undermining the glamourous treasures it possesses.
There are a couple of famous stalls there at this 1 level hawker food centre... Perhaps a regular haunt for food lovers. The basement is a market and upper levels are sheltered parking. How convenient yar...
Let me introduce to you some of my favourites......
Stewed Duck Rice.. Simply delicious. This franchise has branches all over Singapore and the one that i frequent is at Liang Seah Street.
Char Kway Teow... Nice, generous plate of this singaporean favourite with fresh cockles deliciously stir fried till perfection. Got to wait, so if you want a taste of this fabulous local delicacy, have patience. Try also their freshly made Orr Tah.... A dollar a piece but its value for money. Very yummy.....
Next to the char kway teow stall is a Pau store. Freshly made paus with delicious fillings that is ozzing with flavourful sauce when you sink your teeth into them. Really really good and fresh. Can buy more for supper and breakfast.
Poh Piah.. This uncle's poh piah is simply the best. Healthy serving of fresh veg and nice crunchy stuffs he put inside. Juicy Crunchy appetizer.
Prawn noodles Soup or Dry...... Really good. huge prawns and soup so sweet you will leave a truly empty bowl.
Our all time king of the queue.... Muffins. This muffin stall trains our patients featuring a good variety of high quality YUMMY muffins at value for money prices. I personally recommend the double chocolate and my dad loves the cheese one. He can eat 6 of these muffins for tea break.... thats with LUNCH before and DINNER afterwards....
You can NEVER MISS IT.... The AROMA is to DIE FOR........
For other delicious food, Be there to find out......
"Tau Sar Piah at Balestier Road is the Best......"
Have you ever heard of such a comment?
Well I have...... and i hear it all the time. That is so because people around me like my mama, papa and etc etc etc. loves it. This traditional pastry brings alot of good childhood memories for them and for me......... i just want to gobble them up, less the calories of course.
And so, the story goes....
On a faithful weekday afternoon, I was out 'eating snake' and because it was cool after the cats and dogs have all fallen, i wound down my windows while driving leisurely at balestier road heading towards the PIE.
While making sure I do not kiss the butt of the car in front of me and checking out the other cute drivers, something TINGLED my senses.... It was a familiar yet surprising aroma. It was that nice buttery aroma that reminded me I WAS ON BALESTIER ROAD.... Subsequently i saw a banner box written on it " TAU SAR PIAH" so immediately i tarik the car into the carpark next to it, just when i was about to miss the opening and drive into the shop.
The aroma itself is enough to convince you how SHIOK it will be to sink your teeth into these pastries... I approached the shop with much apprehension... I was afraid i had to queue but i was in pretty good luck because NO MORE QUEUE. So happily i started browsing through the various items they have.
I had to say.. the shop was neat and clean with a welcoming ambience. There were various flavours of tau sar piahs and even other pastries like chicken pie, apple pie, char siew pau, flavoured Breads, cookies and my favourite Kueh Boo LOO...
Then i realise some flavours are out of stock so i asked the lady and she said gently SOLD OUT... GOT TO WAIT IF YOU WANT MORE... Uh HUH.. thats why no queue anymore lor... So i just chose those that were left quickly.. before somebody else buys them.
I chose some tau sar piahs of assorted flavours, other pastries and a bag of Kueh Boo LOO and brought it home, hoping to curry favour my daddy, mummy and etc etc etc... These warm UFO looking pastries are very powerful... Even more powerful then my Double Dose of ambi pur... making me hungry all the way home...
I truely understand what it means by BAKED TILL PERFECTION when i saw the pastries.
Nicely shaped, freshly baked, salivating aroma, flaking buttery skin that melts right away in your mouth, leaving crust at the edges of your lips for other to oogle at....
I am truly considering joining them as a QC inspector......
Oh.. not to forget the generous fillings which are full of flavour and just right in sweetness. These little treasures are of such a size that one is definitely not enough, two is perhaps just right, three is when i'm not too hungry, four is a blessing.. but more is what i need.
My daddy loves the durian flavoured piah. He commented he never tried such special flavour of tau sar piah and the flavour is so strong but yet not as sweet as the traditional durian Kueh, and had all 3 of them leaving NONE for me.
Mum loves the Black Sasame piah. She says its of good nuitrition, helps produces more black hair and it was unique in every delicious way.
Etc Etc Etc prefers the nice, thick, smooth lotus seed and traditional red bean piahs. It brings back much mid autumn festival emotions that they started to play with sparkles.
I love the traditional salty and sweet tau sar piahs. They fillings are smooth and generous. Most importantly it does not stick to your teeth like most grinded tau sar. It simply melts in your mouth... And the Apple Pie. i bought it because its HUGE, bigger then my PALM.. looked Soooo CUte.....
The chicken pie was also soooo good.... Flaky crust with chunky filling so chicken cubes, some veg with delicious sauce.. The pastry is not thick at all but yet it can hold much sauce inside.
HUMBLE PIE BURSTING WITH FLAVOUR......
The curry puff, not for the faint hearted or weak stomachs. It is spicy... very very suitable for those who love the excitement of RED HOT CHILLI. THe fillings look innocent with hardly any signs of chilli. But it is SPICY.... Fills your tastebuds with that exotic explosion of spice and flavour. Guarantee your nostrils smoking.... It is definitely a MUST TRY...
Not forgetting the Kueh Boo Loos. I kept them for breakfast and they are still crunchy.... yet soft and nice on the inside. Goes so well with my pipping hot Coffee O....
Really SHIOKING Start for another working day....
Prices are reasonable. From fifty cents one tau sar piah is what i call... VALUE FOR MONEY..... The apple pie and chicken pie is also a MUST TRY....
Buy more can keep, they are freshly baked, thats if you can tahan not to gobble all of them up right away. I give SHIOK SHIOK SHIOK SHIOK for this traditional pastry shop. Must try, BUY and RECOMMEND ah............
I don't know if they are the cheapest but they are certainly cheap.
Situated at the old Cinema along New Upper Changi Road, they share the premises with a Gaming shop/Arcade. It's hard to miss with all the posters and such pasted all over the front. Outside it may look a little sleazy and run-down. But they've done up the inside and it's pretty neat. Although they don't have large comfy sofas but it's just comfortable enough with air-conditioning.
The food tasted: Chicken teriyaki set served with rice @ $4.90 Cold Soba Noodles served with Mixed tempura @ $5.90 Unagi Set with rice @ $8.90
The food tastes much like Singaporean homecooked Jap food made with all those condiments you see at NTUC. Just minus the hassle of cooking. It's pretty good if you don't think about all the preservatives you're eating. Most importantly it's very fast. Occasionally the cook will be too generous with the sauces, but it's better than tasteless.
Sets are pretty good value as they also include fruit, appetizer and free flow green tea.
Good if you're gathering with a small group of friends... but not for impressing girls. :)
*******This outlet has closed down. I went twice last week and all the posters have been taken down, etc. Do visit them at other outlets stated at their website!
Dorothy Perkins has quite a few outlets in Singapore and is managed by Wing Tai Asia which also manages Topshop. G2000 etc. This particular one is in Parkway.
I like Dorothy Perkins as their clothing line is more sensible and evergreen. It's not overly quirky and overly fashionable items that become outdated easily. Within an outlet itself they tend to have clothing for every occasion. Their sizes run a little bigger so I wear size 6 instead of my usual size 8. The pricing of the items are generally alright, pretty much like Topshop.
This particular store in Parkway is my favourite as it's not as crowded as the rest and is always tidy even during a sale (as it is now.) I asked many questions and tried on 3-4 pieces and the salespeople were happy to answer all my questions, one of the benefits of an uncrowded place.
This one's is one of the few HK cafes that I like.
The service here is quick but friendly still. They see you at the entrance and serve fast. They're also quite alert when you need you something.
I usually order the Baked rice which is pretty good with a good serving of meat unlike some which you have to dig like crazy before finding any. The cheese is not cheddar thus it doesn't harden when served. Drink would usually be Red Bean Ice... This one needs some improvement as it's different every time it's served. Sometimes there's too much ice, sometimes it's too sweet.
Ambience-wise... it's fine if you sit inside but the other seats are very visible to the passers-by and some people are plain rude staring at what you eat as they walk past. Even worse if there's a queue and those people watch you eat as they queue.
Price-wise is slightly under $30 for two people so it's fine.
Montip is located at Century Square Level 1, near the information counter. It's a store selling a whole array of things from hair accessories to pencil cases to costume jewellery to bags.
Each design usually comes in an array of colours and there's always a huge variety of designs for each item they have. It's a girlie's haven really.
It's perpetually crowded and that's what keeps me away at times.
One caution though, the quality is not fantastic and it's equivalent to a similiar item at an "auntie" shop going for half-price. The thing is you pay for variety cos you might not get the colour you want at the cheaper shop. So test and check the items you want to buy carefully.
Also the shop assistants are not very helpful and sometimes seem very unwilling to help you cut the cable tie. But I guess it's a good thing they don't really come out of the counter anyway cos it's really cramp in the shop.
Design your style with Beadspin. Beyond your Inspiration...
Well that's their motto. For the less-informed, Beadspin's mother store is Koi Ming along South Bridge road. Koi Ming is one of the pioneer Bead shops which wholesale lots of stuff...
Beadspin, being its smaller and more convenient store in the suburbs, has lesser variety and sells their things in smaller packs. However, if you need stuff in larger quantities you can always ask. They stock them at the back. But the difference in price is not very great, unlike at the wholesale shops.
They have more of Swarovski Crystals and findings but less of semi precious stones. They have the commercially made findings which make jewellery making easier but when it comes to real raw material they have less of those. Their shop is more catered for the casual beader who wishes to start off with simple projects first.
They also have magazines which you can purchase but not photocopy from. (sadly)
They have stamp-card which you can collect a stamp for every $10 you spend. You have to ask for the stamp because some of the girls will "conveniently" forget.
All in all, it's very convenient but not enough variety and value for me.
The one that I frequent is the outlet at Century Square *Tampines*. All as all franchise chains go, the food do taste different at each outlet....
I only buy the XXXL Chicken Cutlet. I like the overall taste really. But it can be very oily. The last bits are inedible usually as it's soaked in oil at the bottom of the bag.
I'm a small eater so one serving is sufficient as a meal but it's not cheap at $3 so not really what you would call value for money.
Good as an occasional snack but not if your throat's already suffering.
ShopLah is an online shopping webby for the ladies.
It boasts fashionable apparel in different styles to suit the masses.
Personally in terms of variety, it only exists in the "Tops" and the "Dresses" section. There is a grand total of 4 pants. About the same for skirts section too. Wouldn't count very much in terms of variety.
However for tops and dresses, I cannot deny that that is a wide range. There are girlie types and the elegant ones too. There are also modern chic plain ones but not many.
Prices are pretty low and are already inclusive of handling costs so that's good.
The downside would be that I recently emailed an enquiry to the team concerning an order which I was going to submit. The reply from them was quite curt and not as serviceable as I expected. No explanation was given nor apologies for not being able to meet my request. Although it's not their fault that my request cannot be met but I think it's basic courtesy on a seller's part to apologise for any inconvenience he may cause a buyer or a potential customer...
But all in all, not too bad a website I might say. I would prefer to see more bottoms though.
Mybeadpoint is a online store selling DIY jewellery making supplies.
Tabitha the owner of this shop used to sell her stuff on Yahoo Auctions but moved to this website some time back.
She has quite an array of stuff but not comparable to the shops in Chinatown of cause. But what she can provide is personalised service. She would email you with information that you need like whether her product is suitable for a certain project etc. And she has Beads Sales at her home. Just register at her website and she will email you updates of some sales where you can go to her condo in Simei to view and buy the items at discounts. She even has books for you to view and you have copies of the pages you like.
The best service she provides would be that if you have a design which you don't know how to do, just let her have it and she'll figure it out then teach you! That's one service you will not get at the stores outside.
The only drawback is that she sells in smaller quantities and so it might be a little pricier than if you buy wholesale. Also the website is a little laggy at times.
1=SGD 0.0587
Have you been to SHUNFU Food Centre...
Nicely tucked away from the vibrant Thomson Road is this humble looking building undermining the glamourous treasures it possesses.
There are a couple of famous stalls there at this 1 level hawker food centre... Perhaps a regular haunt for food lovers. The basement is a market and upper levels are sheltered parking. How convenient yar...
Let me introduce to you some of my favourites......
Stewed Duck Rice.. Simply delicious. This franchise has branches all over Singapore and the one that i frequent is at Liang Seah Street.
Char Kway Teow... Nice, generous plate of this singaporean favourite with fresh cockles deliciously stir fried till perfection. Got to wait, so if you want a taste of this fabulous local delicacy, have patience. Try also their freshly made Orr Tah.... A dollar a piece but its value for money. Very yummy.....
Next to the char kway teow stall is a Pau store. Freshly made paus with delicious fillings that is ozzing with flavourful sauce when you sink your teeth into them. Really really good and fresh. Can buy more for supper and breakfast.
Poh Piah.. This uncle's poh piah is simply the best. Healthy serving of fresh veg and nice crunchy stuffs he put inside. Juicy Crunchy appetizer.
Prawn noodles Soup or Dry...... Really good. huge prawns and soup so sweet you will leave a truly empty bowl.
Our all time king of the queue.... Muffins. This muffin stall trains our patients featuring a good variety of high quality YUMMY muffins at value for money prices. I personally recommend the double chocolate and my dad loves the cheese one. He can eat 6 of these muffins for tea break.... thats with LUNCH before and DINNER afterwards....
You can NEVER MISS IT.... The AROMA is to DIE FOR........
For other delicious food, Be there to find out......
Be there or Be SQUARE........
Rating given:
"Tau Sar Piah at Balestier Road is the Best......"
Have you ever heard of such a comment?
Well I have...... and i hear it all the time. That is so because people around me like my mama, papa and etc etc etc. loves it. This traditional pastry brings alot of good childhood memories for them and for me......... i just want to gobble them up, less the calories of course.
And so, the story goes....
On a faithful weekday afternoon, I was out 'eating snake' and because it was cool after the cats and dogs have all fallen, i wound down my windows while driving leisurely at balestier road heading towards the PIE.
While making sure I do not kiss the butt of the car in front of me and checking out the other cute drivers, something TINGLED my senses.... It was a familiar yet surprising aroma. It was that nice buttery aroma that reminded me I WAS ON BALESTIER ROAD.... Subsequently i saw a banner box written on it " TAU SAR PIAH" so immediately i tarik the car into the carpark next to it, just when i was about to miss the opening and drive into the shop.
The aroma itself is enough to convince you how SHIOK it will be to sink your teeth into these pastries... I approached the shop with much apprehension... I was afraid i had to queue but i was in pretty good luck because NO MORE QUEUE. So happily i started browsing through the various items they have.
I had to say.. the shop was neat and clean with a welcoming ambience. There were various flavours of tau sar piahs and even other pastries like chicken pie, apple pie, char siew pau, flavoured Breads, cookies and my favourite Kueh Boo LOO...
Then i realise some flavours are out of stock so i asked the lady and she said gently SOLD OUT... GOT TO WAIT IF YOU WANT MORE... Uh HUH.. thats why no queue anymore lor... So i just chose those that were left quickly.. before somebody else buys them.
I chose some tau sar piahs of assorted flavours, other pastries and a bag of Kueh Boo LOO and brought it home, hoping to curry favour my daddy, mummy and etc etc etc... These warm UFO looking pastries are very powerful... Even more powerful then my Double Dose of ambi pur... making me hungry all the way home...
I truely understand what it means by BAKED TILL PERFECTION when i saw the pastries.
Nicely shaped, freshly baked, salivating aroma, flaking buttery skin that melts right away in your mouth, leaving crust at the edges of your lips for other to oogle at....
I am truly considering joining them as a QC inspector......
Oh.. not to forget the generous fillings which are full of flavour and just right in sweetness. These little treasures are of such a size that one is definitely not enough, two is perhaps just right, three is when i'm not too hungry, four is a blessing.. but more is what i need.
My daddy loves the durian flavoured piah. He commented he never tried such special flavour of tau sar piah and the flavour is so strong but yet not as sweet as the traditional durian Kueh, and had all 3 of them leaving NONE for me.
Mum loves the Black Sasame piah. She says its of good nuitrition, helps produces more black hair and it was unique in every delicious way.
Etc Etc Etc prefers the nice, thick, smooth lotus seed and traditional red bean piahs. It brings back much mid autumn festival emotions that they started to play with sparkles.
I love the traditional salty and sweet tau sar piahs. They fillings are smooth and generous. Most importantly it does not stick to your teeth like most grinded tau sar. It simply melts in your mouth... And the Apple Pie. i bought it because its HUGE, bigger then my PALM.. looked Soooo CUte.....
The chicken pie was also soooo good.... Flaky crust with chunky filling so chicken cubes, some veg with delicious sauce.. The pastry is not thick at all but yet it can hold much sauce inside.
HUMBLE PIE BURSTING WITH FLAVOUR......
The curry puff, not for the faint hearted or weak stomachs. It is spicy... very very suitable for those who love the excitement of RED HOT CHILLI. THe fillings look innocent with hardly any signs of chilli. But it is SPICY.... Fills your tastebuds with that exotic explosion of spice and flavour. Guarantee your nostrils smoking.... It is definitely a MUST TRY...
Not forgetting the Kueh Boo Loos. I kept them for breakfast and they are still crunchy.... yet soft and nice on the inside. Goes so well with my pipping hot Coffee O....
Really SHIOKING Start for another working day....
Prices are reasonable. From fifty cents one tau sar piah is what i call... VALUE FOR MONEY..... The apple pie and chicken pie is also a MUST TRY....
Buy more can keep, they are freshly baked, thats if you can tahan not to gobble all of them up right away. I give SHIOK SHIOK SHIOK SHIOK for this traditional pastry shop. Must try, BUY and RECOMMEND ah............
Rating given:
Sumo House Cheapest Japanese Food in Singapore
I don't know if they are the cheapest but they are certainly cheap.
Situated at the old Cinema along New Upper Changi Road, they share the premises with a Gaming shop/Arcade. It's hard to miss with all the posters and such pasted all over the front. Outside it may look a little sleazy and run-down. But they've done up the inside and it's pretty neat. Although they don't have large comfy sofas but it's just comfortable enough with air-conditioning.
The food tasted:
Chicken teriyaki set served with rice @ $4.90
Cold Soba Noodles served with Mixed tempura @ $5.90
Unagi Set with rice @ $8.90
The food tastes much like Singaporean homecooked Jap food made with all those condiments you see at NTUC. Just minus the hassle of cooking. It's pretty good if you don't think about all the preservatives you're eating. Most importantly it's very fast. Occasionally the cook will be too generous with the sauces, but it's better than tasteless.
Sets are pretty good value as they also include fruit, appetizer and free flow green tea.
Good if you're gathering with a small group of friends... but not for impressing girls. :)
*******This outlet has closed down. I went twice last week and all the posters have been taken down, etc. Do visit them at other outlets stated at their website!
Rating given:
Dorothy Perkins has quite a few outlets in Singapore and is managed by Wing Tai Asia which also manages Topshop. G2000 etc. This particular one is in Parkway.
I like Dorothy Perkins as their clothing line is more sensible and evergreen. It's not overly quirky and overly fashionable items that become outdated easily. Within an outlet itself they tend to have clothing for every occasion. Their sizes run a little bigger so I wear size 6 instead of my usual size 8. The pricing of the items are generally alright, pretty much like Topshop.
This particular store in Parkway is my favourite as it's not as crowded as the rest and is always tidy even during a sale (as it is now.) I asked many questions and tried on 3-4 pieces and the salespeople were happy to answer all my questions, one of the benefits of an uncrowded place.
Rating given:
This one's is one of the few HK cafes that I like.
The service here is quick but friendly still. They see you at the entrance and serve fast. They're also quite alert when you need you something.
I usually order the Baked rice which is pretty good with a good serving of meat unlike some which you have to dig like crazy before finding any. The cheese is not cheddar thus it doesn't harden when served. Drink would usually be Red Bean Ice... This one needs some improvement as it's different every time it's served. Sometimes there's too much ice, sometimes it's too sweet.
Ambience-wise... it's fine if you sit inside but the other seats are very visible to the passers-by and some people are plain rude staring at what you eat as they walk past. Even worse if there's a queue and those people watch you eat as they queue.
Price-wise is slightly under $30 for two people so it's fine.
Rating given:
Montip is located at Century Square Level 1, near the information counter. It's a store selling a whole array of things from hair accessories to pencil cases to costume jewellery to bags.
Each design usually comes in an array of colours and there's always a huge variety of designs for each item they have. It's a girlie's haven really.
It's perpetually crowded and that's what keeps me away at times.
One caution though, the quality is not fantastic and it's equivalent to a similiar item at an "auntie" shop going for half-price. The thing is you pay for variety cos you might not get the colour you want at the cheaper shop. So test and check the items you want to buy carefully.
Also the shop assistants are not very helpful and sometimes seem very unwilling to help you cut the cable tie. But I guess it's a good thing they don't really come out of the counter anyway cos it's really cramp in the shop.
Rating given:
Design your style with Beadspin. Beyond your Inspiration...
Well that's their motto. For the less-informed, Beadspin's mother store is Koi Ming along South Bridge road. Koi Ming is one of the pioneer Bead shops which wholesale lots of stuff...
Beadspin, being its smaller and more convenient store in the suburbs, has lesser variety and sells their things in smaller packs. However, if you need stuff in larger quantities you can always ask. They stock them at the back. But the difference in price is not very great, unlike at the wholesale shops.
They have more of Swarovski Crystals and findings but less of semi precious stones. They have the commercially made findings which make jewellery making easier but when it comes to real raw material they have less of those. Their shop is more catered for the casual beader who wishes to start off with simple projects first.
They also have magazines which you can purchase but not photocopy from. (sadly)
They have stamp-card which you can collect a stamp for every $10 you spend. You have to ask for the stamp because some of the girls will "conveniently" forget.
All in all, it's very convenient but not enough variety and value for me.
Rating given:
The one that I frequent is the outlet at Century Square *Tampines*. All as all franchise chains go, the food do taste different at each outlet....
I only buy the XXXL Chicken Cutlet. I like the overall taste really. But it can be very oily. The last bits are inedible usually as it's soaked in oil at the bottom of the bag.
I'm a small eater so one serving is sufficient as a meal but it's not cheap at $3 so not really what you would call value for money.
Good as an occasional snack but not if your throat's already suffering.
Rating given:
ShopLah is an online shopping webby for the ladies.
It boasts fashionable apparel in different styles to suit the masses.
Personally in terms of variety, it only exists in the "Tops" and the "Dresses" section. There is a grand total of 4 pants. About the same for skirts section too. Wouldn't count very much in terms of variety.
However for tops and dresses, I cannot deny that that is a wide range. There are girlie types and the elegant ones too. There are also modern chic plain ones but not many.
Prices are pretty low and are already inclusive of handling costs so that's good.
The downside would be that I recently emailed an enquiry to the team concerning an order which I was going to submit. The reply from them was quite curt and not as serviceable as I expected. No explanation was given nor apologies for not being able to meet my request. Although it's not their fault that my request cannot be met but I think it's basic courtesy on a seller's part to apologise for any inconvenience he may cause a buyer or a potential customer...
But all in all, not too bad a website I might say. I would prefer to see more bottoms though.
Rating given:
Mybeadpoint is a online store selling DIY jewellery making supplies.
Tabitha the owner of this shop used to sell her stuff on Yahoo Auctions but moved to this website some time back.
She has quite an array of stuff but not comparable to the shops in Chinatown of cause. But what she can provide is personalised service. She would email you with information that you need like whether her product is suitable for a certain project etc. And she has Beads Sales at her home. Just register at her website and she will email you updates of some sales where you can go to her condo in Simei to view and buy the items at discounts. She even has books for you to view and you have copies of the pages you like.
The best service she provides would be that if you have a design which you don't know how to do, just let her have it and she'll figure it out then teach you! That's one service you will not get at the stores outside.
The only drawback is that she sells in smaller quantities and so it might be a little pricier than if you buy wholesale. Also the website is a little laggy at times.
Rating given: