Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture · History

Johor Kaki Adventurous Foodie Traveler with 77 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Centre Satay Bee Hoon • Ang Mo Kio Singapore 中心沙嗲米粉

Satay-Bee-Hoon-Singapore-中心沙嗲米粉

There are a few uniquely Singapore dishes which foodie visitors should not miss when they are in Singapore. One of them is the humble street food, satay bee hoon 沙嗲米粉. 

Complete Yu Sheng Words & Phrases 🥢 Lou Hei Yee Sang Ingredients & Meanings 2026 🐴

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Cameras "eat" and lou hei with us 😄
✍ Updated Jan 2026. Nothing gets a Chinese New Year get together to a more rousing start than an energetic lou hei yee sang (or yusheng) 捞起魚生 raw fish salad tossing session 🐴

Bao Baos Food in Kranji Singapore 饱饱食品

Wise man said that when one door closes, another door opens. We were supposed to meet at a highly rated chicken rice stall last night for tasting but found out that the stall holder had returned to Malaysia for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Our ever resourceful makan kaki towkay Tony Tee immediately activated plan B.

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Tony Tee took us through a dimly lit, rather quiet industrial area before arriving at this makeshift, rustic looking restaurant. We thought we had left the country. (It reminded me of those kampung eating places found throughout Malaysia.)

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The joke of the evening was we are eating in Malaysia without bringing our passports ;-D

We were at Bao Baos Food 饱饱食品 at 30, Kranji Way, Sungai Kadut, Singapore (which is right at the eastern end of Kranji Dam). Bao Baos Food actually runs the staff cafeteria at the premise of Central Granite Industries by day, and operates it as a restaurant between 3:00pm and midnight.

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Tony Tee picked out some interesting dishes from Bao Baos' simple menu which has all the usual zhi char 煮 炒 staples, plus some seasonal house specialities. Just ask the wait staff for suggestions.

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The first dish served was stir fried green beans in sambal chili 四季豆 SGD12.

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The fresh green beans were fried in sambal chili with hae bee (dried shrimps). The beans were juicy and crunchy, and the flavour was a well balanced savoury, sweet and mildly spicy.

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Next up, a house special spicy pork SGD40.

The lean meat slices and strips of skin were stir fried with a house blend of curry spices. Aromatic, savoury, sweet and mildly spicy flavours enveloped the tender meat and skin. I enjoyed this dish for it's texture and flavours.

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Fried sotong (squid) in salted egg 咸蛋苏东 SGD30.

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The fried salted egg sotong (squid) was very well executed. The batter was very crispy, pok pok choi as they say in Cantonese colloquialism. The savoury flavour from the salted egg yolk was well balanced and mild, so that we can still taste the flavour of the tenderly chewy squid encased in the crispy batter. This is a must order dish at Bao Baos.

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Chai poh tofu 菜脯豆腐 SGD15.

The crispy fried tofu with custard-like insides was topped with a heap of crispy chai poh. Again, the flavours were just mildly savoury sweet which was well balanced. The fried chai poh actually felt airy fluffy and was just lightly savoury - a far cry from the usually gritty, greasy, overly salty chai poh encountered in other restaurants. The gentler flavours at Bao Baos suited my taste buds very well.

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The Dong Po Rou 东坡肉 SGD30.

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I liked the flavour of the savoury sweet gravy which enveloped the braised belly pork. The flavours penetrated the skin and fat layer well; I enjoyed it's soft tender moist texture and flavourful taste. The meat, however, was a little stiffer (though still tender) and not as well infused with flavour from the gravy.

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Century egg roll SGD30.

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Century egg wedges, small prawns and celery strips wrapped in crispy fried tofu skin and dribbled with gooey mayonnaise. Interesting mix of crispy tofu skin texture with soft century egg, prawns and crunchy celery. Blend of savoury century egg taste with sweet mayonnaise. Served with sweet and sour crunchy pickled papaya slices on the side.

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The crocodile tail herbal soup SGD100 for 8 people.

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Each person gets a good size bowl of croc tail bone, meat, and gelatinous fin. The medium bodied broth was herbal and rather heavy on ginger. The herbs and ginger masked the flavours of the crocodile meat. Recommended if you feel the urge to taste exotic crocodile (locally raised at the Long Kuan Hung crocodile farm at the opposite end of Kranji Dam - western side).

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After our sumptuous and scrumptious dinner, we took an enjoyable stroll along the breezy Kranji Dam. The view here is scenic. On the south side is Kranji Reservoir and on the north side is the Straits of Johor. We can see the lights of Johor Bahru and the Causeway.

If you want a change from the usual restaurant and kopitiam zhi char, you might want to give Bao Baos Food a try. The rustic kampung charm is fast vanishing in Singapore. I found the food here well executed with well balanced flavours. 

Do call for reservations before visiting (tel: +65 8497 9503 / +65 8106 3669).


Restaurant name: Bao Baos Food 饱饱食品

Address: 30 Kranji Way, Singapore
Maphttp://bit.ly/BaoBaos
GPS: Latitude : 1.43905 | Longitude : 103.743436
Hours: Dinner from 3:00pm to 12:00 midnight (best to call ahead)

Non Halal

Date visited: 17 Feb 2015


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Kim Bak Chor Mee Pok Tah in Singapore 金肉脞面

Kim-Bak-Chor-Mee-Singapore-金肉脞面

Like many Singaporeans, when I think of comfort street food, I think of bak chor mee 肉脞面, the mee pok tah 面薄干 version. That is minced pork noodles, the flat noodle (fettuccine) version.

The Best Ramen in NYC - New York City on Sunday

Ramen wasn't at the top of my mind when I was visiting New York City. I was making my rounds of pizzas, bagels, hotdogs, donuts, cheesecakes and pastrami until Johor Kaki blog follower Mogan brought me for a late night, after work ramen supper at Takashi.

That was the ramen awakening for me ;-D

New York City being New York City, does ramen things with it's own stamp and distinction. From then on, I embarked on my own discovery trail of NYC's ramen.

I've tried a quite a few ramen shops in NYC and from that experience have conjured up, what in my mind would be the ideal ramen for me.

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There is a great deal of diversity in styles and types of ramen. This is just the ideal ramen of my imagination. I am sure everyone have their own ideas about what is the best ramen as taste is a very personal thing.

The Lokal Cafe Bistro Singapore & The Entertainer App

Monica invited me to a tasting at The Lokal.

Cafe hoppers will tell you that there are four kinds of trendy cafes. Some have good coffee but average food. Others, average coffee with good food. Quite a few are all style with little substance, serving average coffee, average food. The rarest gems are those with both good coffee and good food.

I would put The Lokal in the coveted category, of good coffee and good food - add in good ambiance and the right vibes too.

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The-Lokal-Cafe-Bistro-Singapore

Stepping into The Lokal, the large coffee bar and the aroma of coffee signalled that this cafe is serious about their caffeine. Monica told me that The Lokal is a sister cafe of Sarnies cafe (at Telok Ayer street) which I've heard is well respected in Singapore's coffee drinking circles. (I've not visited Sarnies before.)

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The decor is eclectic - some blue, black, some white, a bit of wood, geometrics and random splashes of loud psychedelic colours. Still, it all comes together into a comfortable welcoming space. 

Walking past the long narrow space in front of the coffee bar (which also serves beer, cider, teas and smoothies), the cafe opens up to a wider, squarish space at the back with an open kitchen.


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Here we can see Chef owner Darren Farr at work, helming the busy kitchen.


Hailing from Sydney Australia, Darren was one of the founding chefs of Sydney's famed Tetsuya. He later moved to London before opening The Lokal here. With Darren's imprint, it's no surprise then that many felt The Lokal has the Aussie vibes. (I have not been to Tetsuya, so here is the Wikipedia article.)

Chef Darren who grew up in a farm feels very close to nature and natural produce. Hence, he is very particular about freshness in the food he serves, to the extent that The Lokal makes much of their food from scratch. They even smoke and cure their own fish and meat.

Since The Lokal is a cafe first, let's talk about the coffee first. The Lokal gets it's blends from Sarnies, it's big sister. The blends are rotated regularly, so coffee geeks will experience something different with each visit.

The-Lokal-Cafe-Bistro-SingaporeThe-Lokal-Cafe-Bistro-Singapore


Barista Siraj hand brewed an El Salvadorian blend for us today. The brew had medium body with hints of walnut and chocolate flavours. The coffee had a bittersweet finish which I liked.

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Barista Charmaine made me a mocha. Blend of espresso, chocolate and milk, the smooth, creamy, chocolaty sweet brew would be perfect for chocolate lovers.


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Barista Siraj personally made this cold brew of Ethiopian Sidarmo. Medium body, berry notes with a smooth finish.

We sampled three dishes from the Day Menu which is available from 8:00am to 3:00pm daily.

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Salad of roast cauliflower, carrots, green beans, quinoa, dried apricot, almonds, and whey dressing (SGD16++).

Hannah was very impressed with this salad, saying she love it a few times during the tasting. Though I am not a salad person, I too liked the interesting textures in the jumble of juicy crunchies and tender gritty nutties heaped in the old school enamel plate. The tart, savoury, sweet and nutty flavours added to the enjoyment.

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Black pearl breakfast BLT, charcoal and squid ink sesame burger bun with fried bacon, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, and homemade ketchup (SGD16++).

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hmmm..... bacon and egg lovers may love this burger. The savoury fried bacon wasn't crackly crispy. Personally, I associate burgers with something meaty and juicy between the buns.



Roast chicken ciabatta with oozy refreshing smashed avocado, romaine lettuce, tomato, bacon and aioli dressing (SGD18++).

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The roast chicken shredded and served without skin or bones was tender and naturally sweet. A healthful clean tasting, slightly sweet brunch with a slice of crispy fried turkey bacon for added savouriness and crisp ;-D

I like this filling brunch.

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This ice cream topped with chocolate, nuts and crunchy crumbles with compliments from Chef Darren, wasn't on the menu ;-D


The Lokal is one of the over 750+ Singapore restaurants, hotels and others that honour "The Entertainer App".

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The "The Entertainer App" lets you enjoy "buy 1 get 1 free" deals at participating restaurants such as The Lokal. For example, when you have a Roast Chicken Ciabatta mains and your companion orders the Black Pearl Breakfast BLT, you only need to pay for your Roast Chicken Ciabatta.

The Lokal Cafe Bistro Singapore

If you haven't got "The Entertainer App 2015" yet, you can download and purchase it from iTunes or Play Store at SGD60 (early bird offer).

If you use my promo code 2015JOHOR, you will get an additional 10% discount off SGD60 (early bird offer). Early bird and 10% discount are valid till 28 Feb 2015.

The Lokal is a good place to chill with good coffee and good food. With The Entertainer App, you get an even better deal. I can picture myself here, with my lappy, happily nursing a cup of cappuccino ;-D

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The signboard for The Lokal isn't obvious at all. So, look out for the Geothe Institute and The Lokal is at the ground floor of the corner lot - right at the junction of Neil Road and Bukit Pasoh Road (directly opposite The Pinnacle@Duxton flats). Hope that helps. I missed it on my first visit.

Restaurant name: The Lokal
Address: 136 Neil Road, Singapore
Maphttp://bit.ly/TheLokal
Hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm
Non Halal

Date visited:  4 Feb 2015

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Grand Hyatt Singapore - Celebrating Chinese New Year in Extraordinary Living Grand Style

I was invited to the "Living Grand" event for Chinese New Year at Grand Hyatt Singapore.

I expected any event at the Grand Hyatt to be nothing but grand, but this evening was well beyond my expectations.

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The evening started "innocently" enough with the customary lo hei 撈起.

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Nothing can make a Chinese New Year party take off to a more rousing start than the traditional lo hei.

After the lo hei session, shouting auspicious Chinese New Year well wishes with gusto, I thought we were going to settle down to yet another very nice, "the same" Chinese dinner routine.

I was in for a huge surprise.

Living-Grand-Hyatt-Singapore

Wow.

When the curtains were drawn, we were awestruck, instantly.

Surprise and awe.

We knew immediately that this evening will be an extravaganza to remember. I just didn't know yet what delights awaited us.

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We streamed eagerly into the mist shrouded red chamber, drawn into it like it had a certain irresistible magnetism.

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Was it the colourful flowers or the pretty violinist or the playful clown that we were drawn to?

Yes.....

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And, it's everything together that enthralled us in this Magical Garden.

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Suddenly, a dancing white fairy gracefully lifted the veil to reveal the kitchen.

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Fairies dressed like colourful chefs were busy conjuring our memorable dinner.

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Water 水, Metal 金, Earth 土, Wood 木 and Fire 火 in harmony. The Kitchen God must be pleased.

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The good chef was a pretty picture of focus while a beautiful fairy floated by (close enough to smell her perfume).

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Dinner was steaming hot and ready.

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Hotel Manager Olivier Lenoir let no more than 6 sentences of formalities interrupt the flow of the evening's festivities.

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The resident fortune teller took over and impressed us by correctly predicting the first dish.

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Grand Hyatt Singapore's interpretation of "Buddha Jumps over the Wall 佛跳翻牆" was an appetising nourishing broth featuring chicken, mushroom, abalone, sea cucumber and dried scallop in an earthen clay pot.

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Abalone is an auspicious food at Chinese New Year dinners because bao yu 鮑魚 sounds like 保餘 "guaranteed surplus" in Cantonese.

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The beautiful violinist continued to serenade us while we dine.

Music is the food of love.

Play on.

Eat on.

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The circus master gate crashed our party looking anxiously for his missing tiger. I stopped to watch the commotion.

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Longing for the gift of feelings, Olympia the pretty manufactured doll asked for our help to find her a heart.

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We laughed heartily at the clown who has forgotten how to make people laugh (because we hoped to help him rediscover his comic magic).

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The main course of Chinese roast duck, crispy chicken egg, water spinach, and lotus rice.

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A poetic monkey made us laugh by insisting that we listen to his mangled recitations of familiar poems.
 



The desserts were the fitting grand finale to a grand evening - I have never seen desserts presented in this spectacular way before.

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Traditional Chinese New Year desserts such as white lotus blossom flower, Buddha’s hand, lemon and mango pudding, mini lui sha bao (custard bun) and other assorted pastries and sweet treats.

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The desserts were presented on a very pretty Chinese calligraphy scroll; I couldn't bear to dirty it as I enjoyed the desserts.

With the desserts, the dinner ended on a lovely sweet note.

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On another sweet note, our butler found the circus master's adorable, cuddly pet tiger.

Hello kitty......

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The happiest ending of the evening.

Olympia found her heart because the Master of Ceremony gave her his. The cure for the heart less is love, for that is what they lack.


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After the dinner, we were each presented with a "100 Blessings of Good Fortune" box of chocolates. White, dark and milk chocolate filled with cognac, mint, peanut butter, mocha, Earl Grey or orange. Each chocolate is inscripted with a form of the Chinese character for good fortune 福.

Misquoting Forest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates, full of surprises". Here's a box that delights with good fortune in 100 sweet ways.

I've heard it said that great dining is a total experience. Ah.... I know what they mean now.

Grand Hyatt Singapore's Living Grand Chinese New Year dinner is an evening I will remember.

If you would like to host an extraordinary customised event at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, you can contact Julie Goleman, Director of Events at tel: +65 6416 7261.


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Grand Hyatt Singapore is located on Scotts Road in Singapore's shopping district (map).


Date of event: 11 Feb 2015

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