Singapore Day One: No Signboard, Geylang

Geylang is known as the red light district of Singapore. When I mentioned that I'd been told about the delicious crab and seafood dinners here, my local friend seemed a bit reluctant to take me there. As we walked out of the closest MRT station and onto a small side street, I noticed that all the small eateries were popluated by loud Singaporean men drinking towering beers - no wonder SWT said she was uncomfortable!

Luckily, the walk was short and after jay-walking across the busiest multi-lane road I've seen in a while, we reached No Signboard - lit by neon lights and decorated with red lanterns in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year. I was surprised that we were given a seat so swiftly though admittedly, we had three people and it was relatively early. Our seats were also on the side away from the main area where I could see large round tables reserved. We would later realize that being set apart, we avoided the smoke and the loud cheers of the larger groups - being able to hear each other talk but still feeling the atmosphere of the night.

Having only three people on our table, with two of them being only girls, I was bracing myself for the disappointment of not being able to try a variety of dishes. Luckily, the waitress was extremely helpful - perhaps seeing the look of sadness on my face - suggesting that we could get all our dishes in the smallest sizes possible especially the two crabs we were ordering.

Chilli Crab 40SGD/kg

Complimentary Mantou

The first to arrive was the Chilli Crab which was served on an extremely large plate filled almost to the brim with the aromatic chilli sauce. With it, arrived the fried buns or mantou which could be dipped into the sauce in place of the rice. The flesh of the crab was really tender and juicy - for me the process was a bite of crab meat, dunk the bun in the sauce and pure heaven as a result!

Black Peppered Crab 40SGD/kg

The Black Peppered Crab was an entirely different story. The black pepper sauce was much stronger and the flesh tougher. By the end of it, my mouth was literally burning! It's the type of food that makes you so happy because it's dishing out the most amazing flavours for your taste buds but simultaenously putting you through the fiery spices. Putting up with a flaming mouth in the name of great taste? I was up for it!

Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli 16SGD for two

When the plate of Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli was delivered to our table, all I could see was a mound of black garnished with loads of dried chilli. When you finally scrummage around and pick out the frog itself, the texture is almost like a tougher version of a fish - slighty chewy and beautifully flavoured. Definitely not the first time I've tried it, but definitely the first time I kept picking it out from the dish it was so yummy!

Deep Fried Baby Squid 10SGD

The Deep Fried Baby Squid came on long rather large plate and didn't look particulary appetizing. But since stepping foot onto Singapore soil, I've realized that some of the most delicious dishes have the ghastly appearances. This was certainly no exception. I'm really a fan of anything deep fried but this particular dish had a sweetness to it on top of the crunchy texture and wired perfectly to offset the spiciness in my mouth from the crab.

Fried Egg with Oyster 10SGD

This was a last minute find on the menu when I recalled that SK had recommended I try it. Relative to the rest of the meal, this was slightly less exciting but I do love my oysters and eggs so in combination, this little pancake-like treat of Fried Egg with Oyster was a great way to finish off the meal. It sure helped cool down my flaming mouth!

War on Crabs - The Finale

It was cheap - the cheapest seafood dinner I've ever had actually - and it was amazing. Fragrant, flavoursome seafood. Probably my most expensive meal I had all trip in Singapore but still so cheap it was amazing. This is definitely somethign everyone has to try when heading to Singapore. If you've read this whole review and you're curious as to why it's called No Signboard and why the photo about says The name u named, then just check out this link here. The history of the place is quite interesting. You'll notice that in the first photo it says Matter Road because that's where the first shop opened, in a hawker centre on that road. The branch we visited is actually on Geylang Road.

I'm back in Australia but I'm still salivating about this meal - go check it out!


No Signboard
414 Geylang Road
Geylang, Singapore 389392
PH: +65 6842 3415

Singapore Day One: Goodwood Park Hotel

Durian. What are you thinking about with that word in mind?

A lot of people probably don't know what it is. For those of you who do (and if you're reading this then you probably do) there is quite a clear divide between those who love it and those who hate it. I know that WX is a lover of durian whereas I'm a bit less obsessed with it. However, I would still jump at the chance of trying any sort of durian dessert. Before I left, I had been directed to Goodwood Park Hotel by a good friend of mine, SL, who claims that this place offers the best durian puffs in Singapore. I've never tried them before and was extremely excited at the prospect of trying it even after my huge meal at Maxwell.

We were a bit confused initially about where exactly durian puffs would be sold at a hotel like this one which, from the main entrance, was modern and upper class - nicely air conditioned with a couple of high-range restaurants. After asking reception however, we were told that a little cake shop near the hotel's tailor would be the source of our stomach's happiness for that afternoon!

Now, I don't want to be mean...but when we asked about the puffs we were told that they had none - durians weren't in season yet and the hotel waited until they were perfect before selling the puffs in March! So unfortunately for us (and possible for your hungry eyes), we didn't try any durian dessert that afternoon.

Instead, we satisfied ourselves with two cakes - a Royal Chocolate Crunchy Hazelnut Cake and a Blueberry Cheesecake from the cake shop.

Although I missed out on the puffs, I daresay that on a completely different level of satisfaction, this chocolate selection really hit the spot for me! The crunch hazelnut texture was beautiful and the chocolate base just melted in my mouth.

The cheesecake for me, was nothing particularly special. Delicious nonetheless but if we had ordered this cake alone, it wouldn't have been able to fill the void that was the durian puff! Even though we did miss out, it was also a nice excuse just to sit and relax inside a completely different environment from the hawker centre. This happened to be the only occasion I allowed myself to not dine at authentic stores on the streets so I really did make the most of the cool airconditioning that afternoon!

Goodwood Park Hotel

22 Scots Road

Singapore Day One: Maxwell Hawker Centre

Hello! WX, JL and I have all returned from our respective holiday destinations in Asia with copious amounts of photos - mostly of our edible conquests. Bare with us as we're all returning to the reality of work and tertiary education so it may take us a while to get you guys (or your stomachs) up to date on our travels. I'll kickstart with my first stay in the hot and humid Singapore...

Before I left, I'd been watching a few episodes of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and this particular hawker store in Maxwell Hawker Centre was meant to have the best Hainanese Chicken Rice. Sure enough, when we arrived, we saw that Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was the shop with the longest queue in the centre leading all the way around the corner! I've been told that this is just a general rule of thumb at hawker centres - to take your stomach where the queue is the longest! It took us a while, but we finally managed to get to the front of the queue and make our order of a plate of the classic Hainanese Chicken Rice (and spot Mr Bourdain's mark)!

His short message was indeed quite an accurate description of what lay before my eyes. The rice was beautifully flavoured - so much so that I felt like I could really eat a couple of bowls by itself! The question is...why mistreat yourself and take away the other aspect of the dish? Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Hainanese Chicken but this was fresh, tender and nestled neatly on top of the rice - how could I resist? Eating a mouthful of rice and a bite of chicken - savouring every single bit of it was fair compensation for the extreme humidity that left me sweating at our table.

Drawn to Maxwell Hawker Centre in search of Bourdain's recommendation, I really didn't look into other places around the area but I did want to try something that SK had suggested I try: carrot cake. With no particular shop in mind, I stopped at the nearest one which specialised in carrot cake called Auntie.

Carrot cake comes in two varieties - black and white - and is made up largely of Chinese radish which is literally translated as 'carrot'. This dish probably isn't for the health conscious and not a meal to be eaten regularly either. Watching 'Auntie' cook right in front of me with a huge porcelain bowl of oil which she proceeded to drench her mixture inmade me reconsider my previous plan of placing a double order to share with my friends.

Personally, the black carrot cake was my favourite of the two. It was full of flavour (perhaps a little bit too much) having been stir fried not only in oil, but also quite a generous dash of dark soy sauce.

The white carrot cake on the other hand, was a bit too bland and oozing with oil. I could taste the prominent flavour of the vegetable oil.

Balancing out the two two extremes, I found myself eating the white carrot cake and using the black carrot cake as a chaser with a bit of Hainanese Chicken Rice!

With meals ranging from $1 to $4 there was no excuse for us not to get drinks and what better choice but Soybean Milk and Coconut Juice! Icy cold and just as cheap as everything else - the perfect way to quench your first in the Singaporean heat!

On a totally irrelevant note, walking away from Maxwell Hawker Centre, I noticed a street called Sago Street! I was extremely disappointed to find that there was absolutely no trace of the delicious sago to be found on the street and was told that the reason for the naming stemmed from the historical existence of sago factories! Shame!

Maxwell Hawker Centre
Cnr South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road

Review: Mamak, Sydney

I've been to Mamak several times already but every time I turn up with a different group of people. On this particular occasion, it was with a close group of collegues from my previous work place and we had agreed to meet there at 6:30pm. The wait was brief which was greatly appreciated by my growling stomach.

We were quick to decide on our choices, picking at least on dish from each section. We started off with drinks for myself and SL who asked for Teh Ais without the Ais because she didn't like it diluting her drink. My personal preference though, is actually for the ice to melt before I drink it because I find the milk tea a tad too sweet.

Teh Ais $3.50

Not long after the drinks came, the food came too - much to our stomachs' delight! Service has always been swift at Mamak and this time was clearly no exception. First up was the Sambal Udang which is a midly spicy tiger prawn dish. The prawns were cooked just right - we loved it! So much so in fact, that even after we had finished devouring the prawns, SD wasn't about to let the sauce go to waste - letting it soak into her mound of rice.  

Sambal Udang $18

Our two orders of Roti Bawang and Murtbak Chicken arrived soon after. On previous occasions, I've always ordered the plain and classic rotis, having fallen in love with the fluffy crisy texture without the interruption of any fillings. This time however, I found that I've been missing out - that the addition of red onion is just...amazing. The sweetness of the onion doesn't detract from the roti at all, but adds to the beautiful flavour with a dash of you choice of curry dips or the sambal sauce. Sambal was once again, my favourite!

Roti Bawang $6

When it came down to the Murtabak, I was a bit confused. To me, it looked pretty much the same s any other roti but I'm told that traditionally, it is made with minced mutton. Our particular dish, which came with a choice of lamb or chicken, was filled with an array of ingredients mildly spicy chicken, cabbage, onion and egg. I'm big on all things egg - so what better way to enjoy it but with a combination of roti and an egg omelette inside?

Murtabak Chicken $10.50

I was a bit disappointed by our Nasi Lemak with a side of Fish Curry. Amongst the four of us, only three of us got a small tasting and I totally missed out! That small hitch aside, I am still a dedicated fan of this dish! I love the array of flavours that you can just add to the rice yourself - not too much effort but it's like customising your own dish! Next time I'll make sure that I take a piece of the side curry before I try anything else!

Nasi Lemak with Fish Curry $10.50

Finally, we were graced with the presence of our tender lamb curry. It gave our meal the full variety of meats and the way it was slow-cooked, left the lamb so tender and flavoursome. I normally avoid lemongrass at all cost, so the curry itself didn't hit the right spot for me, but the fact that we ordered more rice lies testament to its taste.

Kari Kambing $15

The Ais Kachang was in short, delicious! Every other time I've visited here, I've been awed by the Roti Tisu which is served high in a crispy cone form. This time, dining with a separate group of friends, our dessert range was different. I feel like I've missed out! The Ice Kachang was incredibly tasty. My only criticism, shared by SD, was with the red beans and the syrup down the bottom. I personally felt it could have done with less of the red beans and a tone down with the sweetness of the rose-syrup. That said, that minor addition didn't stop me from wanting more!

Ais Kachang $5

Our other order of dessert, the Roti Pisang was equally scrumptious. A thin rectangular piece of roti containing freshly sliced banana and served with ice-cream - I think that even as EA kept complaining about how full she was and how difficult it was for her to stomach the final mouthful, I could tell she was in dessert heaven.

Roti Pisang $7.50

Sitting not far from us was a large group booking who we later found out were celebrating a birthday here at Mamak. By this stage, we were already up to our dessert and as they sang their 'Happy Birthday' song, it got me thinking, what would it be like to have a birthday cake made entirely from roti? It would be delicious I bet!

Now that I'm actually in Singapore, I'm finaly going to have a point of comparison of how good Mamak actually is. Personally, I think it really is one of the best places on this side of the Indian Ocean. Rest assured more post will be made about this place!

Review: Shanghai Nights, Ashfield

Since before Christmas, SK had been organising for a group of us to head over to Parramatta to try the famous Temasek, but unfortunately, when I tried to make the booking the night before, we found out that it wouldn't be opening until the 14th of January! So with less than a day left to decide where we could eat, JC suggested we head out to Ashfield for Shanghai Nights, which is 'cheap and delicious' - that's reason enough to make the 45 minute drive for me!

We got there fairly early, at around 6:30pm and stood outside to wait for the rest of our group but the lady inside, who I assume was one of the owners, asked us how many people we were waiting on and kindly offered to set-up a table for us while we waited. Brownie points for that warm service and I wasn't even in the door yet!

Our ordering process was short and simple. We knew what we wanted and we wanted it fast - most of us were starving!

Deep Fried Shallot Pancake with Sesame $4.50

I'm a big fan of deep fried foods, though in the recent years, being a bit more health conscious, I've tried to reduce my intake of such delicious dishes. This night was an exception and I was definitely not missing out. I know you're all going to be bored of me saying this by the end of the post, but it wasn't oily which made me feel a bit better about giving into my fried food urges. It was made fresh and came out extremely hot (watch out!) but crispy and light - perfect little appetiser to get us started for the food battle that would later unfold on the very same tables!

Fried New Year Cake with XO Sauce $10.80

Although it wasn't quite Chinese New Year, we thought that we'd pretend that it was close enough since it was actually a New Year and a new beginning...with traditional Shanghainese Fried New Year Cake with XO Sauce. I'm a big fan of this sauce - you can really just add a touch of it to most dishes and it adds a nice bit of subtle spicy flavour to the chewy texture of the rice cake.

Pork & Vegies Wonton Soup $4.50

Truthfully, I didn't find this particularly attractive at first. I've never been a huge fan of wontons, and to be honest it doesn't get presented that nicely. But when you take your first nibble of it (yes, I have a large mouth) you can feel the soft, smooth pastry wrapped around a generous amount of pork filling - divine! Past experience with wontons is that the filling is either close to non-existant, or the pastry is to bundled up and dried out. This tasting featured neither of those so I was quite happy with it settling in my stomach for the night!

 Shanghai Shao-Mai (Sticky Rice & Pork Steamed Dumpling) $6.50

This was the first time I've seen this version of Shao-Mai let alone tasted it. I can't say it resembles your typical shao-mai from yum cha very much, but it was definitely delicious. The sticky rice was slightly moist and overall, not too oily and as with everything I tried that night, extremely filling. I did manage to fit another one down to satisfy my tastebuds though!

Pan Fried Pork Buns $8.50

This was probably the most filling out of everything we ordered that night and although I'm not particularly fond of the thickness of the bread outer layer of this dish, I have to say my food loving brain took the better of me. Taking one bite out of these little buns is like taking on the flavour army! Inside my mouth I could feel the little imaginary characters dancing on my tastebuds as it filled my mouth with the flavours of the pork. Hopefully that wasn't too graphic as to put anyone off - you'll be missing out!

Pan Fried Dumplings $8.50

Now, moving on to my favourite Pan Fried Dumplings! Since it's a dumpling, the pastry wasn't too thick and dry and being pan-fried it played well in my mouth of the crispy texture. Add a little big of vinegar to it and this made my experience here all the more worthwhile! If I'm not going back to this place for anything else, I'll be going back for this. Simple, cheap and delicious!

Sesame Fried Sticky Rice Cakes $4.50

We finished off our meal with a bit of a spontaneous guest to the table! While we were looking through the menu, our multilingual abilities as a group must have confused the waitress - we actually never ordered the Sesame Fried Sticky Rice Cakes but were curious as to what it was. I guess she just assumed we would want it? In the end, we shared it but was a bit disappointed that it wasn't that different to what we could get from yum cha - it was a big bigger and stickier inside. I think I prefer the typical yum cha styled version!

We were lucky to have gotten in early because by the time we had finished, there was a huge crowd outside. The owner of the store came over and apologised and asked politely if we could start finishing up. We were perfectly happy to do so. What I love about this place isn't just the food and how kind it was on both our tastebuds and our wallets for the night but the fact that they had the warmest customer service, especially in light of the bustle of their store. I think that there are lots of restaurants out there who could learn a thing or two from the owners of Shanghai Nights - all customers understand the fact that a restaurant is busy and would be happy to stick to time limits and seat restrictions - if you're nice and polite about it, then the night concludes happily with satisfied customers. A huge thumbs up from me for satisfying all these criteria! =) Definitely worth a repeat visit!

Shanghai Nights

275 Liverpool Rd

Ashfield NSW 2131
PH: (02) 9798 8437

Review: Plan B, Sydney

Hungry. That’s what we were. No…we couldn’t have that bothering us, especially if we had an afternoon of Christmas shopping ahead of us. We really needed to energise ourselves in preparation before we went to war. As always, especially preceding a likely spending spree, we were coating our wallets with as much armour as it could handle which landed us at a hidden gem that I’m ashamed to have not known about earlier. Thanks to WX’s knowledge, we made a short trip down to Castlereagh Street towards the two-hatted restaurant, Becasse, but stopped short by a couple of metres at a tiny hole-in-the-wall café called Plan B.

There was a small seating area with about five tables outside and we were lucky to get the last table just as we arrived. Having been here before, WX recommended that I try the 600-day Grass Fed Wagyu Beef Burger, and for a price of only $10, how could I refuse? When our identical orders came, my already groaning stomach only groaned louder at the sight.

Just looking at the burger, I was salivating. I love Wagyu - I thank the Japanese for having invented this national treasure of theirs. While WX attempted to be a bit more civilised by initially using her utensils, she quickly gave up when she saw that I hadn't even tried to go down that avenue but had instead taken a huge bite out of my burger using just my hands. The tenderness of the Wagyu was immediately evident - with the mix of beetroot the Wagyu just melted in my mouth - and at that moment I was in foodie heaven. When I was in Japan and cooked for myself on a daily basis, I sometimes rewarded myself with the expensive Wagyu packs from the supermarket and it was delicious. But at the quantities that I cooked with, the Wagyu was slightly overpowering with its dispersion of fattiness. With this little $10 gem of a lunch though, the burger had just the right amount of Wagyu to satisfy my craving but wasn't too much either. I can say that I'm definitely putting this on the list of lunch destinations when I start working in the city!


Plan B
204 Clarence Street
Sydney 2000
PH: 92833450

Review: Radio Cairo, Cremorne

When you're overseas, usually the one thing people ask you about the place you're from goes something like this:

"So what's your favourite thing about Sydney?"

Responses usually go something along the lines of "Weather's great, yeah and obviously Sydney harbour is beautiful..." etc etc....whatever.

But then if they happen to run into a foodie then chances are the response will be somewhat different. In fact, it would probably go something like this:

"Weather's great - y'know the sun and all - but OMFG you can eat ALL the cuisines of the world on FOOT! It's like the world on a platter!"

And what better place to show off the culinary diversity in Sydney than the understated Radio Cairo in Cremorne.

Negumbo Harlmassa (Deep fried whitebait with Sweet Chilli Sauce and Garlic Mayonnaise) - $15.95

I can't remember where I first heard about the place, but wherever it was, it certainly made a deep impression on my mind. But I must admit I have a strange fascination towards African food - there's just something about the use of strong spices and fragrance that makes the food wonderfully enticing.

Afro Fries - $5.95

Here at Radio Cairo, the authenticity of the African fare is questionable, but nonetheless bursting with flavour with every bite. Mixed in with the casual and eclectic decor dressing the walls and the various dining areas, the ambience may be described as a tonne of fun and rusticity, with plenty of smiles all around the room.

JL and I ordered two entrees to share. From the photos it is easy to tell that the portion sizes are rather friendly and suitable for sharing. I found the Afro fries salted and spiced a little too heavy handedly, preferring the delicate sweetness of freshly fried whitebait. The garlic mayonnaise provided a light tang, with just enough acid to cut through the greasy feel of fried goodies.

Tunisian Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks - $22.95

Despite being a hot summer day, I found the option of a slow roasted lamb shank impossible to go by. The serve here was enough to feed two people, or one big eater - because I certainly wasn't even close to being able to finish this plate. Unfortunately JL is no fan of lamb, so failed miserably in the department of BF plate-cleaning duties.

Cous Cous - $4.75 (small)

I honestly thought the lamb was beautifully cooked and the meat was falling off the bone in all directions with the gentlest touch of the fork. The sauce was absolutely divine to mix in with the cous cous. The lamb itself was quite chilli, so I ended up having to down quite a fair bit of water to plough through the meat - possibly why I was bloated so quickly. Nevertheless, this is definitely a winter-warmer, and perfect for chilly nights. (Get it? Get it?)

Cajun 'Blackened' Snapper Fillets - $22.95

JL opted for a seafood option and chose the Cajun 'Blackened' Snapper Fillet. Upon first sight one would quickly notice that it was indeed 'blackened' all over, but the fascination soon subsides upon the realisation that unfortunately 'blackened' is synonymous with 'dry' and 'overdone' in this case. The fish was wonderfully tasty, especially with the Louisana Hot Sauce, but as much as I appreciate the taste and difference in texture that this cooking method produces, I would probably pass on the dish next time round.

Pink Grapefruit and Vodka Sorbet

Last but not least, we could hardly give up the chance to try some delicious Pink Grapefruit and Vodka (not-so-African) Sorbet. After all that spiciness during the entree and the main, it was absolutely delightful to dig into some palate cleansing dessert to finish the meal. The thing I love most about this sorbet was the light bitter-sweetness from the Grapefruit. Some places sadly prefer to mask the bitter flavour of grapefruits by drowning in with sugar or some other fruit juice, but truthfully speaking, I'd often much prefer a gently bitter tasting grapefruit flavour than a sour lemon sorbet.

Some people may throw shoes at me, but I'm just going to call it creative differences?


Radio Cairo
83 Spofforth Street
Cremorne, NSW 2088
Tel: (02) 9908 2649