My friends were looking for special glue as their garden tiles have shown signs of dropping off from their featured wall. Their previous contractor had recommended this shop as it was a small and simple DIY job. But he did pre-warned about the level of service and the staff attitude.
We decided to give this shop a try as we have been to many hardware shops previously but none could guarantee that the glue was strong enough to hold the heavy tiles.
When we reached, no staff came forward to offer their help. We were left to search high and low for the wanted item. In the end, we decided to approach the female staff for help. She did not bother to look up when we asked her for help and just pointed to the certain direction while her hands and eyes were busy keying data.
We saw two different brands with different pricing and again we walked to ask her for advice. She simply uttered the word 'brand' without even lifting her head. It was as good as not asking. So we left with no choice but to read and compare the info printed on both products.
While trying to figure out how to use, suddenly an elderly man with unfriendly tone asked what the problem was. Since it was not expensive, we felt it was no point enquiring further as his face looked very irritated.
We don’t know whether that elderly man was the boss but we were sure that he was the female staff's superior. It just proved one thing. If the superior is rude, the subordinate can be as bad too. Like Chinese saying : “正所谓上墚不正下墚歪 “
This restaurant is well known for their dumplings where the chefs will gather to make them in enclosed clear glass display window facing the public. This will allow customers to view their speed and handmade skills in producing freshly made dumplings.
We ordered the steamed vegetable pork dumplings. Like the rest of their varieties, the dumplings were juicy with savoury well marinated meat and fragrant cabbage.
Beside the delicious dumplings, we also ordered the prawn omelette. It was kind of disappointment as the prawns were cut into small bits that we could not taste the texture at all. The omelette was also very thinly fried that it has lost the egg flavour.
Gladly, their signature fried rice managed to salvage our taste buds. The rice was fragrantly fried with eggs coated on almost all the grains. Again, the prawns which were decorated on top of this dish were tasteless and looked overcooked.
We also do not like the seating arrangement as the tables were placed too closely. We could hear the next table conversation which were noisy, rowdy and definitely not a pleasant environment to have business discussion.
Discovered another kampong style of dining… This place is situated in the middle of nowhere and can be easily missed as part of an industrial area. When we reached, it was crowded with diners laughing and enjoying their meals.
We glanced and realised that almost every table ordered similar dishes. So we decide to try based on their popularity.
Stir Fried Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves – The sambal was spicy with generous amount of dried shrimps and shallots. It was fried with good wok hei that the vegetables did not turn out yellowish or soggy.
Dried Hor Fun – Recommended by their staff. Surprised it was not oily at all. The noodles were mixed with lots of lettuce and bean sprouts with bits of crispy pork lard sprinkled on top of it. A must try for all diners…
Three Cups Chicken – The drumsticks were marinated with 3 different seasonings but none of the staff knew exactly which seasonings. Friends were fast to add that basil leaves played a big part in the flavouring. Well, the chicken skin was crispy and the meat was soft which made it easier to bite
Salted Egg Yoke Crayfish – The best dish that we have taken. Most crayfish looked big with the shell on but the actual meat to be eaten was miserable. So technically speaking, we actually paid more for the shells. With no expectations, we took our share and were quietly fumbling how to remove the meat. Then, suddenly there were “ wah…not bad….wow… “ We realised that it was not that difficult to remove the meat and when detached from the shell, it was chunky and moist. Initially, we could not see clearly the portion of meat as the batter had covered most parts of the crayfish. Thumbs up to the chef for cleverly camouflaging the main star.
We were satisfied and while waiting to settle the bill, we saw a few groups of golfers and their families sitting down to order their usual dishes. From the look of it, this place must be popular for their food, affordable prices and hard to find kampong styled environment.
Friends were raving about this particular wonton noodle stall which was previously located at Dunman Road Hawker Centre. They have now moved to Tanjong Katong Road.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff who politely inquired the number of diners. He also briefly explained that we need to fill up form for the order, walk to pay at cashier and wait for the food to be served.
Before we could start talking and taking photos, our food was brought to our table. We noticed that the noodles looked quite plain with some vegetables and char siew.
Advised by friends that it was best to taste the noodles without their homemade fiercely hot chilli sauce, we started to toss and mixed the small portion of gravy at the base of the bowl.
Surprisingly, the noodles were not soggy or lumpy. The texture was springy, fresh and blended well after the tossing. The wantons were well wrapped with flavourful minced meat and the char siew were less fatty with slight burnt portion. It was yummy… We were also warned about the super hot chilli sauce. We tried a small spoonful and indeed, it was hot as we began to perspire after the second mouthful.
Another interesting item that we noticed was a container of fried lard placed at one corner for diners to add to their noodles. And it was free flow for all diners together with topping up of hot soup.
After tasting the wonderful soft and silky wanton, we decide to order another plate of fried wantons. The skin was thin, crispy and the meat mixture was balanced – not too salty, oily or dried after deep fried.
When we finished, we noticed a big board explaining the history of this shop since 1950s where the noodles cost just $0.30 a bowl. We were very impressed by the efforts made by the predecessors of this owner who have brought us childhood memories where noodles were sold on push cart with clicking of bamboo sticks to announce their arrival.
Simply shiok! With the raining season around Oct to Dec, we decide to keep ourselves warm by ordering some food that will stimulate our body temperature.
1. Assam prawns ( $12.90 ) - looked tempting from the menu. True enough, the prawns were fresh and juicy. With the sweet onions and the not-so-spicy gravy, it compliment well with the hot fragrant rice.
2. Mini Ngoh Hiang ( five spice meat roll $5.90 ) - these mini rolls fried crispy using bean curb skin were small enough to eat on its own. The meat was well mixed with generous amount of prawns, onions and water chestnuts.
3. Sambal Lady’s Fingers ( $7.90 ) - on the first mouthful, we were surprised that it was not soft or soggy but crunchy. The gravy was similar to assam prawn except it slightly sweeter.
4. Chendol ( Promotional item ) – After all the hot and spicy food, we decided to try their chendol which came in a medium dessert bowl covered fully with coconut milk, big red broad beans, palm sugar syrup and finely shaved ice flakes. We loved it that it was not so sweet and most important of all, this dessert left an impressive taste in our mouths.
We liked this place partly because they served free plain water which is getting very rare in most restaurants nowadays. Secondly, most of the food items are in small portions, therefore giving diners a chance to order more varieties.
1=SGD 0.0587
We decided to give this shop a try as we have been to many hardware shops previously but none could guarantee that the glue was strong enough to hold the heavy tiles.
When we reached, no staff came forward to offer their help. We were left to search high and low for the wanted item. In the end, we decided to approach the female staff for help. She did not bother to look up when we asked her for help and just pointed to the certain direction while her hands and eyes were busy keying data.
We saw two different brands with different pricing and again we walked to ask her for advice. She simply uttered the word 'brand' without even lifting her head. It was as good as not asking. So we left with no choice but to read and compare the info printed on both products.
While trying to figure out how to use, suddenly an elderly man with unfriendly tone asked what the problem was. Since it was not expensive, we felt it was no point enquiring further as his face looked very irritated.
We don’t know whether that elderly man was the boss but we were sure that he was the female staff's superior. It just proved one thing. If the superior is rude, the subordinate can be as bad too. Like Chinese saying : “正所谓上墚不正下墚歪 “
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Is it a hardware store or a nursery?
02 Oct 2013 at 9:54 am
It is a hardware store...look like it is a common feedback from customers
02 Oct 2013 at 10:06 am
We ordered the steamed vegetable pork dumplings. Like the rest of their varieties, the dumplings were juicy with savoury well marinated meat and fragrant cabbage.
Beside the delicious dumplings, we also ordered the prawn omelette. It was kind of disappointment as the prawns were cut into small bits that we could not taste the texture at all. The omelette was also very thinly fried that it has lost the egg flavour.
Gladly, their signature fried rice managed to salvage our taste buds. The rice was fragrantly fried with eggs coated on almost all the grains. Again, the prawns which were decorated on top of this dish were tasteless and looked overcooked.
We also do not like the seating arrangement as the tables were placed too closely. We could hear the next table conversation which were noisy, rowdy and definitely not a pleasant environment to have business discussion.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
We glanced and realised that almost every table ordered similar dishes. So we decide to try based on their popularity.
Stir Fried Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves – The sambal was spicy with generous amount of dried shrimps and shallots. It was fried with good wok hei that the vegetables did not turn out yellowish or soggy.
Dried Hor Fun – Recommended by their staff. Surprised it was not oily at all. The noodles were mixed with lots of lettuce and bean sprouts with bits of crispy pork lard sprinkled on top of it. A must try for all diners…
Three Cups Chicken – The drumsticks were marinated with 3 different seasonings but none of the staff knew exactly which seasonings. Friends were fast to add that basil leaves played a big part in the flavouring. Well, the chicken skin was crispy and the meat was soft which made it easier to bite
Salted Egg Yoke Crayfish – The best dish that we have taken. Most crayfish looked big with the shell on but the actual meat to be eaten was miserable. So technically speaking, we actually paid more for the shells. With no expectations, we took our share and were quietly fumbling how to remove the meat. Then, suddenly there were “ wah…not bad….wow… “ We realised that it was not that difficult to remove the meat and when detached from the shell, it was chunky and moist. Initially, we could not see clearly the portion of meat as the batter had covered most parts of the crayfish. Thumbs up to the chef for cleverly camouflaging the main star.
We were satisfied and while waiting to settle the bill, we saw a few groups of golfers and their families sitting down to order their usual dishes. From the look of it, this place must be popular for their food, affordable prices and hard to find kampong styled environment.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!i think i would love to try salted egg yoke crayfish.... do they have salted egg yoke fried sotong?
13 Sep 2013 at 3:05 pm
hey...that is a good suggestion..will ask the chef to consider creating this unique dish of yours
23 Sep 2013 at 2:34 pm
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff who politely inquired the number of diners. He also briefly explained that we need to fill up form for the order, walk to pay at cashier and wait for the food to be served.
Before we could start talking and taking photos, our food was brought to our table. We noticed that the noodles looked quite plain with some vegetables and char siew.
Advised by friends that it was best to taste the noodles without their homemade fiercely hot chilli sauce, we started to toss and mixed the small portion of gravy at the base of the bowl.
Surprisingly, the noodles were not soggy or lumpy. The texture was springy, fresh and blended well after the tossing. The wantons were well wrapped with flavourful minced meat and the char siew were less fatty with slight burnt portion. It was yummy… We were also warned about the super hot chilli sauce. We tried a small spoonful and indeed, it was hot as we began to perspire after the second mouthful.
Another interesting item that we noticed was a container of fried lard placed at one corner for diners to add to their noodles. And it was free flow for all diners together with topping up of hot soup.
After tasting the wonderful soft and silky wanton, we decide to order another plate of fried wantons. The skin was thin, crispy and the meat mixture was balanced – not too salty, oily or dried after deep fried.
When we finished, we noticed a big board explaining the history of this shop since 1950s where the noodles cost just $0.30 a bowl. We were very impressed by the efforts made by the predecessors of this owner who have brought us childhood memories where noodles were sold on push cart with clicking of bamboo sticks to announce their arrival.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Looked like a nice place to bring my grandma to :)
02 Sep 2013 at 2:33 pm
Ha ha...hope you like it too
03 Sep 2013 at 2:43 pm
1. Assam prawns ( $12.90 ) - looked tempting from the menu. True enough, the prawns were fresh and juicy. With the sweet onions and the not-so-spicy gravy, it compliment well with the hot fragrant rice.
2. Mini Ngoh Hiang ( five spice meat roll $5.90 ) - these mini rolls fried crispy using bean curb skin were small enough to eat on its own. The meat was well mixed with generous amount of prawns, onions and water chestnuts.
3. Sambal Lady’s Fingers ( $7.90 ) - on the first mouthful, we were surprised that it was not soft or soggy but crunchy. The gravy was similar to assam prawn except it slightly sweeter.
4. Chendol ( Promotional item ) – After all the hot and spicy food, we decided to try their chendol which came in a medium dessert bowl covered fully with coconut milk, big red broad beans, palm sugar syrup and finely shaved ice flakes. We loved it that it was not so sweet and most important of all, this dessert left an impressive taste in our mouths.
We liked this place partly because they served free plain water which is getting very rare in most restaurants nowadays. Secondly, most of the food items are in small portions, therefore giving diners a chance to order more varieties.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!