I've visited Legendary Hong Kong 港饮港食 twice since it recently opened at Jurong Point, Singapore. Legendary Hong Kong 港饮港食 serves familiar Hong Kong cafe fare like dim sum, noodles, congee, roast meats and signature beverages such as milk tea.
I asked Margaret, one of the partners at Legendary Hong Kong 港饮港食, to share the idea behind her latest cafe.
Margaret who has 5 Legendary Hong Kong cafes in Guangzhou and Xiamen, said that she wants to share authentic Hong Kong style cafe food through Legendary HK.
There were over 100 items on the menu, so I managed only to try a few, and have to be back for more :D
Chef Ho who helms the noodles and congee station has many years of experience including at Michelin-starred MAK's noodles before joining Legendary Hong Kong.
I tried the Hong Kong style wanton noodles.
Hong Kong wanton noodles come only in soup form. There is no "dry" version unlike in Singapore and Malaysia.
These slender egg noodles were among the crunchiest that I have tasted in Singapore, so far.
The broth which was round bodied was not greasy and was mildly flavoured with layers of savouriness.
The noodles had a slight kansui taste (lye water 枧水). Hong Kongers like to eat the noodle with a touch of lightly tangy vinegar which balances the kansui taste.
I like the flavour and texture of Legendary HK's noodles.
For the wanton, Legendary HK kept to the Hong Kong tradition of having just a single whole fresh shrimp inside the wanton wrap. There was no minced blend of pork and shrimps.
I like to eat my noodles and wanton with this house made chili. It had a sharp sting and was loaded with flavours from Chef Ho's own blend of herbs and spices.
Eating my wanton with the chili sauce with the red chili oil flowing down the sides.
Yums.
Chef Ho is also famous for his beef brisket noodles. I shall be back for this Hong Kong food icon :D
Congee with pig's liver SGD6.80.
Legendary HK's congee is made by boiling a blend of a few different types of rice grains for hours till it become a gummy paste. No short cuts like using rice flour powder, so we can really taste the difference. We can taste the layers of rice flavours and textures.
Love this congee, a lot.
Steam shrimp dumpling SGD5.50.
The shrimp was plump and crunchy.
Steamed pork dumplings SGD5.00.
Good quality, meaty pork dumplings made right here at Legendary HK. Best eaten steaming hot, of course.
Click on photo for full review of roast duck and meat section
Chef Siu in charge of the roast duck and meats section had been a roast chef since he was 15 years old. Chef Siu's London roast duck, char siew and siew yok are Must Try items. (Click on Chef Siu's photo for full review of the roasts section.)
Custard crust bun with butter SGD2.50.
The signature custard bun was crispy on the surface. Inside, it was fluffy. Eaten with butter, the mouthful of crisp, soft, creamy, rich and buttery savoury flavours and textures was quite addictive, actually.
Quite a sensational snack, really.
Of course, one cannot go to a Hong Kong cafe without tasting HK style milk tea.
Chef Lo who is the chef in charge of the beverages section, has been in this line since he was 19 years old. Margaret refers to Chef Lo as a "tea professor 茶博士", a honorific in Hong Kong for master tea brewers.
Nice cold, sweet and fragrant Hong Kong milk tea SGD2.80.
Hot Hong Kong milk tea SGD2.20.
Legendary Hong Kong 港饮港食 is the place in Singapore for authentic HK cafe fare at reasonable prices.
Thanks to Marie and Winnie of Icon Group for the invite.
Restaurant name: Legendary Hong Kong 港饮港食
Address: Jurong Point II, Level 3 (at Boon Lay MRT Station), Singapore
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/ZmFG2
GPS: 1.340615,103.706312
Hours: 08:00am to 11:00pm (Closed 2:00pm to 5:30pm)
Non Halal
Dates visited: 27 Jul 2014, 6 Aug 2014
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Came twice with my Kulai friend Mandy to Old Place Bak Kut Teh 舊古來肉骨茶 in Mount Austin for their old Kulai style bak kut teh.
I've been to "W" Espresso Sporting Club at Country Garden at least 5 times now in the past half year.
MAGNUM Sports Cafe at Puteri Harbour is a hip new place in Johor Bahru to watch sports with friends while enjoying good food and drinks.
LOL you can drink a wide range of imported beers and drive here safely, spinning around on your own red hot Ferrari :D
(Disclaimer: I meant spinning on those Ferrari inspired bucket chairs only.)
MAGNUM Sports Cafe is located at Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru's lifestyle hub.
Food at MAGNUM Sports Cafe is in the good hands of veteran Chef Stanley (formerly from Lazio in Danga Bay) and his talented young charges, chefs Leon and Pansy.
Theatre and drama are routine in any good kitchen. Stanley is imparting his famous flare to his disciples.
The menu at MAGNUM Sports Cafe is American inspired.
Our MAGNUM Combo RM40.
The starter consists of fried fish sticks, tupelo chicken tenders, onion rings, steak fries (French fries), chips and salsa. Comes with tartar and house blended chicky sauce.
Love the tupelo chicken tenders - crispy outside while the nicely marinated chicken inside was moist and tender.
The juicy, crunchy, vegetable side.
The signature Mighty MAGMUM Burger RM40.
Juicy house minced, grilled double beef patties, melted double cheese and lots of crunchy leafy vegetables between the fluffy sesame buns.
Pardon the teeth marks. I can't resist showing you the mighty awesome burger I ate.
Philly Steak Sandwich RM26.
I love the combination of juicy savoury tender beef, sauteed mushrooms in creamy sauce between fluffy, crusty rolls.
Chicken Quesadilla RM20.
Chicken, chopped bell pepper, tomato, jalapeno and creamy cheese served in a warm tortilla fold.
MAGNUM's burgers and sandwiches are served with this Amercian potato chip.
Really love these over-sized American potato chips. Thick and crispy, there was hardly any grease at all.
Perfect beer food.
Must order this with every visit :D You will love it.
New Yorker pizza regular size RM24.
Green peppers, tomatoes, and minced beef on a thin crispy crust.
Our final dish was grilled lamb shoulders glazed in a secret marinade which Stanley made using a version of his grandma's recipe.
The stash of Australian lamb was served on a bed of mashed potato with a fresh garden salad side and micro cress.
The tender juicy lamb was savoury with distinct sweet notes.
Thanks Stanley for the invite. Love how the food here all bear your signature :D
Restaurant name: MAGNUM Sports Cafe
Address: Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/dldGp
GPS: 1.416812,103.658698
Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 am to 2:00 am
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert (alcohol served)
Date visited: 22 Jul 2014
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I've been to Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶 at MacPherson three times already.
Each time, I leave Soon Huat feeling not just happy that I had enjoyed a delicious meal but also feeling inspired by the people at the humble bak kut teh shop.
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 顺发肉骨茶 is founded by ex-convict Jabez with the mission to "provide ex-offenders a new start in life with a meaningful career".
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh's flagship is located in Simpang Bedok and the only branch, here at MacPherson.
Assistant Manager Sherman, a reformed former gang land street fighter, assists Jabez in managing Soon Huat's MacPherson branch.
James is the Chef-in-charge at Soon Huat BKT's MacPherson branch. Like the other staff at Soon Huat, James is an ex-convict.
James had been to prison a total of 13 times, ranging from 3 months to 3 years at a time for a continuous slew of rioting and drug offences.
Out of prison for the last time, homeless, abandoned and desperate, James grabbed Jabez's extended helping hand.
With no formal training in cooking, James apprenticed under Jabez's tutelage to learn the skill of bak kut teh cooking.
Though James' dad was in the coffee shop business, he had no experience in cooking bak kut teh. James had nothing, except for the sheer determination to make good this second chance in life with Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh.
James picked up the bak kut teh cooking skills so well that Jabez made him the chief chef at the recently opened MacPherson branch.
13 times in and out of prison gates like a revolving door, James spoke with conviction that he has finally turned over a new leaf.
James said that this time at Soon Huat, it is totally different as he is no longer merely "working for the money".
The bowl of bak kut teh is not just something James exchanges for cash, it represents his redemption. The bowl of bak kut teh is a symbol of James finally turning his back on his past. In each bowl of bak kut teh is James' heart and soul in turning over a new leaf.
It's James' long journey towards a better future, one bowl of bak kut teh at a time.
And, somehow I could feel the love that had gone into the broth, even before speaking with James.
It's just a bowl of wholesome delicious bak kut teh, that I can find in no other place in Singapore (except Simpang Bedok, of course :P ).
The round bodied broth has a good balance of mildly savoury and natural sweetness. The pork, tender and juicy was easily stripped from the bone with just a gentle tuck. There was no sign of porkiness, just mild sweetness. The broth and pork were also neither herbal nor peppery, the two common flavours of bak kut teh in Singapore.
It was just Jabez's own flavoursome interpretation after countless trials and taste testings.
I like.
This is Soon Huat's top selling signature crunchy fried tow ki (bean curd sheet) bathed in savoury braising sauce. This is one of my favourites too at Soon Huat.
Soon Huat's MacPherson branch serves the same menu items as their main Simpang Bedok branch. Jabez, Sherman and James are fastidious that the standards between the two branches are the same.
I am truly humbled awed by Jabez and his team, because I am neither as strong, nor as brave as they.
If you like bak kut teh, give Soon Huat 順發 a try. It's one of my favourites in Singapore, at the moment.
I'll support any chef who put his/her heart and soul into his/her cooking.
Restaurant name: Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶 (MacPherson branch)
Address: 548, MacPherson Road, Singapore
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1zSAS
GPS: 1.332530,103.884991
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Tel: 67430012
Non Halal
Dates visited: 23 May 2014, 1 Aug 2014
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