Awesome Fried Porridge @ Old World Bakuteh in Hiap Hoe Eating House, Blk 732 Yishun Singapore

It's New Year's eve and I have a dental appointment in Yishun. So, I hoped to have something nice before reclining on the dentist's chair 😱

Restoran 8 Ah Sam Kopitiam in Permas Jaya. Cheap & Tasty Economic Rice in Johor Bahru 豪美味

Bumped into Joe while running errands in Johor Bahru. It is always great to catch up with Joe. He bought me teh tarik and shared with me JB foodie tips. Many of the early Johor Kaki posts were tip offs from Joe. Thanks buddy! We agreed to meet the next day at his usual lunch hangout at Restoran 8 Ah Sam Kopitiam 豪美味 in Permas Jaya.

The RANCH Steakhouse by Astons at Clarke Quay. Among Singapore's Best Steaks at Humble Prices

I've been to The RANCH Steakhouse by Astons at Clarke Quay a couple of times. I enjoyed the premium steaks here, and the reasonable prices keep me happy, especially for a relatively upscale place like Clarke Quay.

Mokotowska 69 Warsaw Poland. My First Poland Tastes Good Experience

My first time in Poland, first night in Warsaw and my first meal in a Polish restaurant, Mokotowska 69. After 2 months of anticipation since we began planning for the trip, expectations were sky high. Mokotowska 69 was exactly the type of charming warm local culinary experiences I was looking forward to.

Dinner at Zoni in Warsaw Poland. One of 7 Most Beautiful Restaurants in the World

Five wonderful days in Poland, it was too soon time for goodbyes 😪 We had our farewell party at Zoni in Warsaw, reputedly the most beautiful restaurant in the city.

Wo Jia in Taman Molek JB. Common Way of Eating Wanton Mee in Johor that may Surprise Hong Kongers 我家

For quite some time already, while running errands in Taman Molek, I would pass by Wo Jia 我家 wanton mee. Every time, I was attracted by the comforting smell of dried anchovies churning in the large pot of steamy soup. I always made a mental note to come back after my errands but never did; always rushing off to get the next thing done. This morning, I finally tried Wo Jia wanton mee, and enjoyed it.

Chew Seafood Garden Restaurant. Good Food Near KSL Mall in Johor Bahru 老洲海鲜粥

Indulgent Teochew seafood porridge for lunch with Hazel and friends today at Chew Seafood Garden 老洲海鲜粥 near KSL Mall in JB.

Kluang Best Food & Sightseeing Guide ● 10 Must Eat in Bat Town of Johor

Kluang is a good day trip destination from Johor Bahru as it is less than 2 hours of leisurely expressway driving away. It is also on the KTM railway route. If you go by train, once in Kluang, you can go anywhere with GRAB as most attractions are in the town centre (walking distance from the KTM railway station, if you like to walk like me 😄 ). There are plenty of good food to eat for your day trip. These are my 10 Kluang food recommendations.

Chinese New Year Hakka Mi Fen Chang & Mi Chang Recipe. Traditional Bee Hoon & Rice Puff Crackers 炸米粉呈.米呈

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, I had the privilege to learn how to make traditional Hakka mi chang 米呈 (rice puff or bubble crackers) and mi fen chang 米粉呈 (bee hoon puff crackers). These crispy snacks are delicious, not too hard fun to make and can be enjoyed anytime, not only during Chinese New Year.

Marrybrown Fried Chicken @ Toppen IKEA Johor Bahru. Which Do You Like More - Marrybrown or KFC?

Today, we had Marrybrown fried chicken for lunch at their new outlet at Toppen IKEA mall in Johor Bahru. Marrybrown is a Johor homegrown brand founded in 1981 with over 350 outlets throughout Malaysia and international outposts in China, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa etc. It all started from a humble shop lot at Jalan Wong Ah Fook in downtown JB and the brand is still growing.

10 Best Ipoh Food Popular with Local Foodies · Some Not Internet Famous Yet

Let's dive straight into the 10 foods that you must try when you are in Ipoh 😋

Xiao Di Charcoal Roasted Delights @ 27 Jalan Berseh 小弟炭烤烧腊 ● Formerly Tian Cheng Charcoal Roasted Duck & Char Siew

The gang gathered at Hong Fuling 81 Eating House kopitiam (previous address) to feast on 天成 Tian Cheng Charcoal Roasted stall's duck and char siew. The stall has moved to 27, Jalan Berseh in 2023 and renamed Xiao Di Charcoal Roasted Delights 小弟炭烤烧腊.

It's one of Milton's favourite roast stalls.

Stall name: Xiao Di Charcoal Roasted delights 小弟炭烧腊

Address: 27 Jalan Berseh, Singapore 200027 (current address in 2024)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Jalan Besar station

Hours: 10:30am - 4pm

Magical Cocktails @ DCAFF Bar in My Liberica in Taman Molek Johor Bahru

Corrine, my coffee kaki jio (Singaporean & Malaysian way of saying invite) me for drinks at DCAFF Bar in Taman Molek in JB.

Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow @ Maxwell Food Centre. Hock Lam Street Tradition Since 1921 (CLOSED)

While having morning coffee with Stella who works near Maxwell Road Food Centre, she mentioned that Empress Place Teochew beef kway teow is one of her favourite stalls there. As a beef noodle lover, I decided to have it for brunch straightaway 😄 (Update: This stall is closed since Apr 2020.)

Johor Kaki DIY Free & Easy Johor Day Trip Itinerary. Food Trail 01/2020. JB 👣 Tampoi 👣 Kulai (Non Halal)

Our first stop is Kin Wah kopitiam at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. We picked Kin Wah because it opens at 7am, so it is a good place for a caffeine stop and toilet break after clearing SG and JB immigration (we all know how painful that can often be).

Not the Usual List of 10 Best Polish Food Every Visitor to Poland Have to Try & Taste

In this list, there are off beat but memorable dishes I tasted during my recent trip, plus a few usual Polish dishes that appear in every list (flooding the internet). Ask the wait staff for these dishes, if you like to give it a try 😄 Let's dive straight into it.

10 Polish Restaurants in Warsaw, Lodz, Torun, Gdansk for Memorable Food Tour in Poland

During our memorable 5 day road trip in Poland, we travelled from Warsaw through Lodz and Torun to Gdansk before turning back to the Polish capital city.

Lady T Cafe. Artisanal Milli Crepe Cake & Coffee in Kluang Johor

You know right, after 2 food stops in Kluang we topped up our caffeine, pacified our tummies and emptied our bladders - it's time for higher order human needs. We need WiFi! 📶 So, we wandered into Lady T cafe which is just next door to Tangkak Beef Noodle in Kluang.

Review Hoover Restaurant ● Popular Kluang Lim Kopitiam ● Local Peoples' Favourite Coffee Shop 豪華茶餐室

Driving up from Johor Bahru in the morning, we pulled in first and foremost at Hoover coffee shop in Kluang as we were all low on caffeine and our auntie/uncle bladders were full.

Poland Tastes Good. Food & Sightseeing Itinerary from Warsaw through Lodz and Torun to Gdansk

My first trip to Poland opened my eyes and mind to a whole new world of good food, great people, culture and heritage.

Sago Cooking Competition in Daik, Lingga Regency, Riau, Indonesia

I was invited to judge a sago cooking competition on 25 Nov 2019 in Daik in Lingga Regency of Indonesia's Riau province (which include the long chain of islands south of Singapore).

Heng Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice. Worthy Alternative to Tian Tian @ Maxwell Road Food Centre 興興海南鸡饭

If you are looking for the actual Tian Tian Chicken Rice it's here 👈 click

Maxwell Road Food Centre is the chicken rice central of Singapore with 8 different stalls all offering Singapore's unofficial national dish. Recently, I spent a month combing the hawker stalls in Maxwell Road Food Centre to prepare a Tanjong Pagar food trail.

Tanjong Pagar Road History Walk & Heritage Food Trail

This food trail starts at Maxwell Food Centre, followed by a walk down south along Tanjong Pagar Road, stopping at Tanjong Pagar Plaza before continuing further south and ending at PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex.

Which is the Most Popular Fish Soup Stall @ Maxwell Food Centre? Yi Jia Fish Soup, if you Go by how People Vote with their Feet

You know right, when I go food hunting, I prefer to go in "blind" and find things out for myself from scratch (without doing online "research" beforehand).

Stall name: Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup 一家潮州魚粥.魚湯

Address: 1 Kadayanallur St, stall #01-66, Singapore 069184 (stall in Maxwell Food Centre)

Hours: 11:00am - 3:00pm (Sun off)

Butterfly Cookie (French Palmier Cookie) @ FINE FOODS by The Royal Garden Hong Kong 帝苑餅店.蝴蝶酥

Hong Kong buddy Joyce gifted me a box of butterfly cookies from FINE FOODS by The Royal Garden when she visited Singapore recently.

Sunflower Cafe in Johor Jaya in JB. A Modern Malaysian Kopitiam

If there is a "Malaysian cafe", to me it's those contemporary kopitiam (coffee shop) of sorts that serve Nanyang coffee with an extensive multicultural menu from kaya butter toasts to nasi lemak, mee siam, roti canai, laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow to spaghetti, chicken chops as well as burgers and more. Familiar brands are Old Town White Coffee, Secret Recipe, and Papparich etc. Johor Bahru homegrown brands include Moonlight, Tea Garden, One Two Eat, The Toast etc. There are also many up and coming Johor brands. Today, makan buddy Keng Chong introduced me to Sunflower Bakery & Restaurant in Johor Jaya. We love it.

Istanbul Restaurant in Johor Bahru. Fine Ottoman Turkish Cuisine

Istanbul Restaurant serving fine Ottoman Turkish cuisine just opened in Horizon Hills, Johor Bahru. We greatly enjoyed the flavours, aromas and whole experience at Istanbul Restaurant.

Maxwell Food Centre Fuzhou Oyster Cake in Tanjong Pagar Singapore 洪家福州蠔饼

Fuzhou Oyster Cake is a traditional street food rarely seen in Singapore nowadays. If you are in Maxwell Road Food Centre, you can try one of Singapore's last few Fuzhou oyster cake stalls.

Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha @ Keppel Road. Best Singapore Bak Kut Teh List 欧南园亚华肉骨茶

Finally tasted Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha 欧南园亚华肉骨茶 one of Singapore's top bak kut teh brands. I like it 😋 It's one of my top of the mind Singapore BKT now.

Restaurant name: Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha

Address: 7 Keppel Rd, #01-05/07 PSA, Singapore 089053

Tel: +65 6222 9610

Hours: 7:00am - 11:30pm (Mon off)

China Street Cooked Food Rickshaw Noodles @ Maxwell Market Food Centre Singapore 拉車麵

China Street Cooked Food Rickshaw Noodle is one of the last places in Singapore to taste this humble but historic heritage dish. It is the cheap sustenance that once powered the human drawn rickshaws that plied Tanjong Pagar and Kreta Ayer. The rickshaws were long gone but rickshaw noodles 拉車麵 and the nearby rickshaw depot building remain as reminders that early Singapore was founded on the bare, sweaty backs of our hardy pioneers.

Heng Heng Ondeh Ondeh & Tapioca Cake @ Maxwell Hawker Food Centre Singapore 中国街興興

So often in those moments of food longings, it's not those past fanciful meals that unexpectedly intrude into my consciousness but much humbler childhood delights. For me, often it's just sweets - ondeh ondeh and tapioca cakes to be precise. What about you?

Affordable You Shop We Cook for You Restaurant @ Harrison Butcher in Bangkok 🐄

Our local friend brought us to this new concept butcher in Bangkok 🐄 Harrison Butcher which sells locally raised beef and also have a restaurant to cook it for you at small additional charge.

Upper Cross Street Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre 海山街油鸡面.饭

Exploring Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, I spotted Upper Cross Street Soya Chicken Noodle & Rice stall.

A Pioneer Singapore Teochew Satay Bee Hoon Stall in Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre 潮洲沙爹米粉

Teochew Satay Bee Hoon is not a pretty dish but it is uniquely Singapore and sadly is part of our disappearing Nanyang food heritage. One of the oldest Teochew satay bee hoon stalls still operate at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre.

Siam Namnueng Thai & Vietnamese Family Restaurant @ ICON SIAM in Bangkok

We went to Siam Namnueng at the newly opened Icon Siam shopping centre by the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. Siam Namnueng is a family oriented restaurant serving both traditional Vietnamese and Thai cuisine.

Grand Seafood Restaurant @ Stellar Walk, Permas Jaya 海霸王 @ 星海广场

Grand Seafood at Stellar Walk is Johor Bahru's newest seafood restaurant. It was just opened for four days when we dropped by today.

Nongsa Point Marina & Resort. Escape the Maddening City & Relax in Seaside Luxury in 1 Hour, Anytime

I enjoyed a weekend escape (2 nights & 3 days) relaxing at picturesque Nongsa Point Marina & Resort in Batam. This little piece of heaven is less than an hour by boat from Singapore and costs less than S$100 a night.

Nai Ek Roll Noodles. Michelin Plate Kway Chap in Yaowarat Bangkok Chinatown 陳億粿條

There are at least two famous kway chap (rice roll noodle) shops in Yaowarat (Bangkok's Chinatown) both on the same main street. There's Kuey Chap Aun Pochana and Nai Ek Roll Noodles. I blogged about Kuey Chap Aun Pochana in 2015 because it left a deeper impression (it later won the Michelin Bib Gourmand award). Nai Ek Roll Noodles on the other hand is no sloth either, it won the Michelin Plate (which is like an honourable mention). In Michelin speak, awards go from Star ⭐ through Bib Gourmand 👶 to Plate 🍽 in descending order. 

(Disclaimer: I don't refer to Michelin guides for my food adventures. I don't mind that my food trips are sometimes misadventures as hit or miss, I feel it is all part of the fun.)

Untold History of Singapore Bak Kut Teh • The Ng Mui Song Legacy 黄美松

These three claypots encapsulate a little known 70 year old story of one of the main streams of Singapore bak kut teh. The traditional brownish colour soup (at top right) is the father of today's quintessentially Singaporean clear peppery soup with prime rib.

Bangkok Chef Man Yum Cha Dim Sum 文苑

Our Thai friend Mon brought us to Chef Man Chinese Restaurant, one of her favourite places in Bangkok for yum cha (drink tea) and dim sum.

Wild Agarwood in Bangka Belitung Indonesia. King of Incense, Scent from Heaven

Running this online retirement lifestyle journal brought me to many places and experiences which I would not have otherwise (I mean you can start one too 😄 ). I just spent 3 fascinating nights in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia to learn about Agarwood - the King of Incense scent from Heaven.

Ambok Corner Nasi Ayam Penyet & Nasi Goreng Kampung at Jalan Biru Taman Palengi Hawker Centre

We ate at Ambok Corner twice and like their nasi ayam penyet as well as nasi goreng kampung.

Tokyo Secret is More than Famous Cheese Tarts & Mille Crepe. Best Restaurants in Mid Valley Southkey Johor Bahru Series

Tokyo Secret is famous for their signature Hanjuku cheese tarts, crepe cakes and bakes, but I was delighted to find out today at their Mid Valley Southkey outlet in Johor Bahru that they serve excellent savoury dishes too.

Protegie (Singapore) F & B Marketing Agency - Turning Struggling Restaurants & Startups into Successful Businesses since 2014

During my blogging, I meet F & B business owners everyday. Many have asked me to recommend a trustworthy and professional F & B marketing agency to help them grow their business.

As I am not in the business of F & B marketing, I refer them to Protegie - a Singapore based F & B marketing agency with a dynamic, passionate team led by Benjamin Chan (the enterprising, geeky guy in the white T-shirt). I have known Benjamin for 3 years (since 2016) and am impressed by his immense knowledge, energy, sincerity, and critically for me, ethical approach to business e.g. partnering only influencers with organic followers.

The enviable results Benjamin got for his extensive portfolio of happy clients speak for itself, really.

Talk to Benjamin about growing your business 📨 protegiefnb@gmail.com

The resourceful and creative Protegie team will help your business grow by getting on top of:

💡Branding
💡Social media marketing (Facebook, Instagram)
💡Public relations
💡Market research
💡Strategic management
💡Advertising and promotions.

Protegie has a proven track record of helping struggling restaurants as well as F & B startups in Singapore and Malaysia thrive and prosper in today's intensely competitive environment.

Talk to Benjamin about growing your business 📨 protegiefnb@gmail.com

Master Heng Noodle @ Kampung Baru Pandan, JB. Nice Herbal Beef Noodle Soup 兴师傅手打面馆

Today, we visited Master Heng Noodle shop at Kampung Pandan in Johor Bahru. Master Heng serves a variety of noodles such as beef noodles, Hakka mee, curry mee, prawn mee etc, as well as Hakka yong tau foo.

Our Hot Favourite Kee Kee Bentong Chicken Rice @ Yat Yeh Hing Restaurant 基记文冬肥鸡饭

We were regulars at Kee Kee Bentong Chicken Rice stall near Kelana Jaya LRT station (in Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur). Most Saturday afternoons, we brought the kids here after their taekwondo class. We love the succulent, tender, smooth, juicy, sweet tasting poached chicken here.

Drive, Eat, Play Road Trip from Singapore to Tasik Kenyir Lake Fish Sanctuary with Wheels for Fun

We had a wonderful time at Tasik Kenyir lake with Wheels for Fun in Malaysia's Trengganu state. Our convoy of 8 cars drove from Singapore to Tasik Kenyir via Kuantan, a distance of about 600km. 

You Buy, Andy Cook for You Seafood Zhi Char @ Ong Siew Lian Coffee Shop in Pontian 好来海鲜

One of my favourite things to do in Johor is to drive to Pontian, buy fresh seafood from the Pontian Fish Market and let the 代炒 zhi char stalls at the market cook it for us.