Review: Thai Express

One evening, J and I were thinking about where to settle for dinner. Craving for Thai, we decided to head to Thai Express after hearing they had revamped their menu.

We went to the outlet at Siglap and when we reached at 9.20pm, the restaurant was rather empty except for 1-2 families enjoying dinner. We were seated quickly and browsed through the menu.

I was quite surprised with the new additions to the menu. Thai laksa, Thai Curry Kaeng Sen and Rice Khao were some of the few mains that have been revamped. They had mouth watering sides like Kanom Pang Na Kung (Prawn Toast) and Peek Gai Yud Sai (Thai Stuffed Chicken Wing) on the menu too.

After deciding we shouldn't over-indulge, we decided to go with the 'chef recommended' dishes (which has an orange elephant indicated next to it!):

Sen Lek Neua

Sitck noodle with sliced beef in beef broth

This was surprisingly good. We figured this was a make-it-or-break-it dish as the broth itself is a rather complex base that requires time to brew. The beef slices were tender and the broth flavourful. Best part was even after a few hours I didn't feel the need to gulp down a jugful of water, which means there was little MSG!

4/5

Massamman Curry (Served w Thai Style Pancake)

Massamman chicken curry with thai style pancake

If you love your curry sweet, this is the main for you. Being a fan of prata and curry, this dish hit the spot for me. The thai style prata was nicely fried, leaving the sides crispy with just the right amount of oil. The curry was sweet with a hint of coconut milk, blending the sauce together. The chicken was tender, albeit little. One negative feedback was that the curry was rather cold when it was served but I was too hungry to ask them to reheat the dish up so my poor boyfriend had to eat room temperature curry, which I'm quite sure he didn't really enjoy :p We waited about 20mins for this dish too, which would explain why the curry was cold when served. Perhaps they were prepping the prata?

4/5

Overall, I wouldn't say Thai Express is the place to come to to get your authentic thai food fix. There are several other smaller joints that serve affordable authentic thai food. However if you want a taste of how Singapore Thai food would be like, Thai Express won't disappoint. I'd very much like to head back to try their pad thai and pineapple rice but for now I'm sticking to these :)

Food: ♡♡♡ 1/2

Ambience: ♡♡♡♡
Service: ♡♡ (They were rather slow, albeit polite)
Overall: ♡♡♡ 1/2

Review: The Living Cafe

This afternoon, my mom suggested heading to a vegan place for lunch. Being an avid fan of meat, I wasn't very excited but thought to myself... YOLO.

The Living Cafe located along Upp Bukit Timah serves vegan food for people from all walks of life. TLC constantly strives to create genuinely healthy food & drinks that are tasty and suitable for even non-vegans or first timers. 

The waitresses were extremely friendly! I was a little taken aback as when I was there the previous time the male waiter looked disinterested and tired. All smiles & eager to help, the lady was extremely patient when we kept asking about the different dishes. I was pleased to know they actually served meat & fish, so it wasn't a fully vegan cafe afterall. Great news!:) My inner carnivore unleashed itself, eagerly flipping through the menu to satisfy my palate. 

Chicken Supreme Burger ($16)

I decided to go with the Chicken Supreme w a side of sweet potato wedges & coleslaw. The chicken burger, as described in the menu is a marinated chicken patty with tomato, lettuce & pineapple with wasabi aioli on a multigrain bun. If you wish to cut down on your carbs, you can opt for lettuce instead of the multigrain bun, though I think it would be a pity passing up on home baked goods;) 

The chicken patty, albeit dry, was saved by the creamy wasabi aioli that fused the burger together. I'm not sure how fattening the aioli was but I'm pretty sure without the aioli it would have tasted subpar & is thus, forgivable. The bun was lightly toasted and had a lovely fluffy texture. I requested for no tomato but sadly the waitress forgot to jot it down. The coleslaw is different from your regular mayonnaise filled coleslaw. Instead they used red cabbage infused with a touch of tangy sauce. It wasn't very to my liking but definitely a healthier option. The potato wedges were, well, sweet potato wedges. Lightly seasoned with herbs and spices I felt it could be better seasoned. Nonetheless it felt good having baked sweet potatoes instead of your usual deep fried ones. 

Grilled Chicken Brown Rice Bowl with Pesto Sauce ($15)

My mom ordered the grilled chicken brown rice bowl with pesto sauce. It comes with shredded lettuce, a medley of vegetables, avocado and lime. Using chicken breast seasoned with a mixture of herbs, it complemented the sauce and the brown rice well. The rice was cooked to perfection & was surprisingly good! This is something I would get if I wanted something hearty and filling. 

Iced Coffee Cappuccino ($5)

We also ordered a glass of iced coffee cappuccino. When requested for sugar, they mentioned they only had gula melaka as they didn't believe in refined sugars and no agave as it is high in GI. I was pretty impressed that they do practice what they preach. Finally! A cafe that actually promises its patrons genuine foods. And surprisingly it went pretty well with the coffee. I'm not a big fan of coffee but my mom found the cocoa beans good.

Raw Chocolate Ganache Tart ($8.50)

We decided on the chocolate ganache tart for dessert. Sweetened with honey and made with coconut and other natural ingredients, it felt like I was feasting on a regular chocolate tart! The 'crust' is made of shredded coconut and moulded into its shape, while the ganache is made from a variety of other healthy ingredients (which I've forgotten whoops!) I would recommend sharing this though. It got too sweet toward the end and I sadly had to leave a portion behind:(

The bill came to $42+ for 2 people. It's definitely not the most affordable place but for the quality of food coming out from the kitchen, it is worth what it is. Feed your body good food & your health will thank you!

Overall TLC is a cafe I wouldn't mind revisiting just to relax with friends or if I ever wanted to detox. They offer a variety of classes like yoga & detox classes for those interested. So do give it a try one day! It's a little out of the way but it's worth a go.

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The Living Cafe
779 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269758 (Before 6th Ave)
Tel: +65 6762 8029

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Food: ♡♡♡♡
Ambience: ♡♡♡♡
Service: ♡♡♡♡
Overall: ♡♡♡♡ 1/2

Review: Dimsum at Mouth Restaurant

The other day, J and I decided to satisfy our dim sum craving by heading to Mouth Restaurant at China Square for lunch. And even better news was there was no queue even on a Sunday afternoon! In hindsight I don't know if that was a good sign or not.

Anyway I didn't manage to take a photos of the interior of the place but think oriental, traditional chinese rosewood for furniture with specks of red splashed on some walls and yellow lights enclosing the restaurant.

Baked Liu Sha Bao ($5++ for 3)

Our first dish to arrive was the baked liu sha bao. Having heard quite a lot on this, we decided to try the baked version instead of the usual steamed ones. However it fell a little short of our expectations. The custard was too oily. Bite into it and you can sort of feel the oil surrounding your lips and dripping down your chin. Although the crust was baked to optimum sweetness and crispiness. 

Shrimp Cheong Fun

The cheong fun wasn't fantastic, but wasn't bad either. They were rather generous with the shrimp, although the skin could have been thinner.

Spinach with Crab Meat Soup ($6++)

Now this is a dish subject to ones' palate. J pretty much enjoyed it but I felt it was lacking in the flavour department. 

6 Flavoured Har Kau in XO Sauce ($9.80 for 6)

Promising 6 different flavours, we felt the har kau was subpar. We couldn't really taste each individual flavour instead only commenting that it "Just tastes like har kau lor" 

The skin was just a tad thick and gloopy but they did add in the various ingredients for each different har kau (Pumping har kau has pumpkin in it and the spinach har kau had a leaf of spinach! How cute)

Squid Ink Char Siew Bao

I was pretty excited for this. I've been a huge fan of char siew bao since I was a kid so imagine my excitement when I saw squid ink char siew bao! Although the squid ink really is just a name and nothing more (You can't taste any squid ink), the fluffiness and moistness of the skin was a delight to peel and savor. The dish was piping hot when it arrived, but it was generously filled with char siew and certainly was one of the better ones we have had.

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Will I go back? Probably... Not. There are several other dim sum places that I have been to that are much more promising than Mouth Restaurant, however the service was excellent. The staff was attentive and keen on explaining what the different dishes were along with their best sellers.

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Mouth Restaurant
22 Cross Street
Tel: 6534 4233

Food: ♡♡♡
Ambience: ♡♡♡♡ 
Service: ♡♡♡♡
Overall: ♡♡♡ 1/2

Hong Kong Day 2

Our second day in HK started with heading to a place I've heard much about. Australia Dairy Co. is one of the many cha chaan teng places that can be found in this bustling city.

They serve foods like macaroni and ham, toast and eggs, milk pudding amongst several other breakfast items. 

We went there on a Sunday around 10am and there were about 10 people in line. However we managed to get a seat about 10 mins into waiting. HK people eat fast. Really, really fast. We felt quite pressurized into gobbling our food down and leave asap :P

As usual, the area was small and we had to share tables with others, but it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

The milk tea here was one of the better one I had in HK. Thick, rich and flavourful. However Lan Fong Yuen's milk tea beats everyone else's hands down.

The infamous eggs & toast. YOU HAVE TO ORDER THIS WHEN YOU ARE THERE. No questions asked. You might wonder how good eggs and toast can get. I can say these were the best eggs & toast I have ever had. The toast was thick with a layer of butter slathered in between. The eggs were milky and fluffy, oozing with a little butter and with it's perfect soulmate, toast, brought harmony to my morning. Mmmm, perfection.

We also ordered a bowl of milk pudding. I have a really high tolerance for sugar but to me this was a tad too sweet. It gets a little thick and difficult to swallow after about 3-4 spoonfuls just because it was too jelat. I would recommend you guys to try this though, but please share.

They also sold adorable bottles of milk! Sadly I didn't get to try them. You can find these and the chocolate flavoured ones at 7-11 stores, though.

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 (Hongkong)

47-49 Parkes Street Jordan (near Jordan MTR)

Tel: (852) 2730 1356

Opening Hours: Daily 730am to 11pm

Food: ♡♡♡♡
Ambience: ♡♡ 1/2 (Place was clean but very packed)
Service: ♡♡♡
Overall: ♡♡♡ 1/2
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Tip #3: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Do not carry your sling bags in front of you as though someone would snatch them and run away, do not pretend to look lost and afraid especially when you're on a more isolated street. It's important to blend in with the crowd and ease yourself into the environment. Psychologically speaking, you are the only one aware you're on a holiday so there's no need to over think! Just carry a bag with a good zip, keep your valuables at the bottom of your bag and clasp it around your arm (if it's a shoulder bag) or put it by your side (if it's a sling). This way you won't get nabbed/robbed so easily. Trust me on this one.

Anywho, this was one of the several random roadside stalls located at some random lane we passed by. There are several of these little hidden treasures so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for good deals! Bargaining is the key to getting a good deal, too.

Tip #4: Haggle. Haggle like craaaaazy. Slash prices, slash throats, slash everything! If you aren't proficient in cantonese and don't look like a Hongkie at all, be prepared to utilize your bargaining skills. Shopkeepers will jack their prices up when tourists arrive (sometimes by up to about 50-70%) and it's essential to know you need to slash prices. 

Push for the lowest, sometimes most ridiculous price you can offer, and work your way up from there. Don't offer and settle for a price 1/10th of the item, you'll probably never get it, but use that and push your price up little by little till they give in. It works for me. Alternatively, you can buy more and they'd be pretty happy to give you a discount too:)

Another suggestion would be to take these double-decker streetcars. They have been travelling through Hong Kong's busiest thoroughfares since 1904 and continue to be an affordable, inexpensive and fun way to get around. It's a fantastic way of getting around HK and experiencing it a way little tourists have. & no matter how far you travel, each tram ride costs a flat fare of $2.30 and exact change is required if you are paying by cash. (PS: All trams accept Octopus cards too!)

We didn't do much shopping in HK, surprisingly. As much as I love shopping, I would much rather sightsee than squeeze with a million other people.

However if you are on a budget and are on the lookout for cheap & affordable goodies, there are several street markets to shop at like:

Cheung Sha Wan Road
Granville Road
Temple Street Night Market
Sneakers Street
Ladies Market

Hearing so much about Crumbs, I gave it a go. The froyo I got on the 1st day wasn't as spectacular as I had expected it to be, nonetheless it was one of the better, fresher ones I've had. I added strawberries, blueberries and granola in mine and it was pretty worth it for the price I paid.

I also manage to grab their chocolate chip scone. Soft and moist, the scone was almost cookie like, with bits of chocolate chip spewing it. Definitely a must-get along with the yogurt. 

There are several outlets in HK, so do google for more info!

We stopped by Lucky Dessert after heading to Victoria Park. I've heard about this dessert place before so I decided to give it a go.

Sadly both desserts were quite disappointing. The plate wasn't even properly cleaned (as you can tell) and the mango paste tasted pretty nasty. Maybe it was my palate but nothing tasted fresh:(

The durian pancake was a huge disappointment too. Too thick a skin, too much cream and too little durian.

Service was rather bad too. With only 1 person serving the entire eatery, the grumpy lady didn't seem at all interested in serving nor asking us for our orders. Definitely not coming back here anytime soon.

Food: ♡

Ambience: ♡♡
Service: ♡ 1/2
Overall: ♡

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So after sightseeing a little more, we decided to settle for lunch at Cafe de Coral.

Cafe de Coral is a fast food restaurant group which owns and operates fast food chains and restaurants including Café de Coral, The Spaghetti House and Manchu Wok. With several chains located around the city, it's convenient and a quick way to settle your meals. So how did it fare?

We ordered the beef instant noodles set, which came with a drink and toast + chicken chop. In all honesty it wasn't the best dish we've had, nor was it the worst. In my opinion the best thing was the chicken chop. The broth was bland and the beef was hard.

This fared a little better. The chicken was pretty well marinated and the char siew pretty good too.

The service at Cafe de Coral is fast and efficient. After paying, simply head to the collection counter to collect your orders. I can't remember the total for this meal but it should have cost us less than SGD20.

Food: ♡♡ 1/2

Ambience: ♡♡♡
Service: ♡♡♡
Overall: ♡♡♡

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Being adventurous, we decided to walk all the way to the peak station. Little did we know it would be the longest we would walk this holiday. We practically walked from Causeway Bay to the Peak terminus before we arrived at what seemed to be the longest queue in the universe. The entire ticketing area was a sea of people queueing to enter the peak and after 4 hours of walking non-stop, we didn't want to wait any longer. So we left :( It was a pity.

So my advice would be to purchase online before you embark on your holiday. Purchasing from authorized retailers such as The Peak's website itself or China Travel Services (Yep they are legit) will ease your burden of waiting in line for hours.

If you prefer to purchase directly, I would suggest you go there early in the morning and preferably on a weekday. A weekend is an extremely bad day to go sightseeing as several families will also be there. Don't forget to visit Madame Tussauds whilst you're up there!

The Peak Tram

7 am to 12 midnight (Mon - Sun & Public Holidays)

The Peak Tower
10 am to 11 pm (Mon - Fri)
8 am to 11 pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)

Madame Tassauds HK
9 am to 10 pm (Mon – Sun & Public Holidays)

Our last destination for the night was to find Star Cafe along Kimberly Road for a good dinner. However we were unable to find it as several people who have visited the area said it wasn't very easy to locate and we didn't plan for it so, with no 3G, we were unable to find it :(

So we settled for a random eatery long Kimberly Road.

And surprisingly, the food was pretty good! The stir fry beef noodle was, albeit oily, quite a joy to eat. The noodles were delectable and springy, the beef adding a touch of flavour to the overall dish.

The baked rice in tomato was pleasantly good, too. Not too thick, the sauce coated the layer of rice below well. I wish they had added cheese though. That would have made a normal dish like this better.

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The last stop for the day was Hui Lau Shan Healthy Dessert aka 許留山. One of the most popular dessert places, they have a chain of dessert stalls located ALL over Hong Kong at your convenience. Much like Cafe de Coral, this place pops up whereever you go. Known for their mango desserts, we couldn't give this a miss.

We ordered a medley of mango desserts, being the fickle minded people we are. And this was spectacular. The blend of different textures accompanying the fruit were palatable, leaving the sweetest aftertaste in your mouth. There are regular sized portions for these desserts so feel free to try either or. I guarantee you won't regret it.

We also ordered the steamed coconut milk. Not as heavy as I thought it would be, the warmth of the dessert did comfort me. However I would still go for their mango desserts any day.

Hui Lau Shan Healthy Desserts
Located at various outlets around Hong Kong, visit their website here

Food: ♡♡♡♡

Ambience: ♡♡♡
Service: ♡♡♡
Overall: ♡♡♡♡
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So this concludes Day 2 of Hong Kong! I'll be posting Day 3 soon so keep your eyes (And stomachs) on the lookout over at my instagram Thehungryunicorn.

Xoxo

Hong Kong Day 1

Hello everyone!

Hong Kong was a BLAST. Albeit the very erratic weather, walking for 6-7 hours straight daily in search of food places/ tourist attractions etc/ getting 'scolded' by the numerous grumpy canto old ladies, it was a much fulfilling trip.

So today I'm here to help you guys out. I'm not the best planner (I'm not good at all) but in the next few posts I will be giving you tips and tricks into getting around the city that never sleeps.

After looking at the numerous hotels around the Mongkok area, I decided to settle with Langham Place Hotel in Mongkok. Ranked #6 out of #507 hotels in HK and chosen as the traveller's choice 2013 winner, it was one of the better hotels I have lived in in HK. It is a little pricey though (It sets you back SGD900 for 4 nights but I had a discount), so if you can afford to splurge on accommodation, I would definitely suggest Langham Place Hotel.

Right below the hotel is Langham Place Shopping Mall, a huge mall which caters to brands like H&M, Monki, Agnes B and several other higher end brands. Foods like Awfully Chocolate, Mos Burger and a huge food court is housed in this mall too. 

The best part about Langham Place Hotel, apart from their service, is the location. It's literally a stone's throw away from the MTR station and is located in the heart of HK. We didn't need to take a cab anywhere and most of the food places we wanted to go to were just a short walk away.

Getting to the hotel was relatively easy. I took a bus from the airport to Jordan station and took an MTR to Mongkok. When you exit you'll hit H&M afterwhich, around the corner, will be Langham Hotel.

The room was relatively big for a hotel in HK, with a king sized bed and ample room for 2 clumsy dinosaurs to move about. The glass that separates the bedroom and bathroom is transparent which adds a very elegant touch (Of course there are blinds for you to pull down when you bathe;) )

The view from the 21st floor. Buildings, buildings, more buildings. 

Langham Place Hotel, Monkok

555 Shanghai Street, Hong Kong

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Here's Tip #1: Buy an octopus card! It's the first thing you should do once you step in Hong Kong. An octopus card acts like an EZ link card, enabling you to access public transport, pay for foods at 7-11 amongst other things. We spent about SGD80 on public transport for 5 days which was pretty expensive in our opinion but taxis in HK cost much more than public transport. We did take the MTR everywhere we went, though. 

Tip #2: Get a map! The reception desk was very helpful as to have provided a map for us to get around. Several of the food places we visited were situated at quieter areas and the map helped greatly. Alternatively, download the MTR map + food guide + cantonese phrases on your iphone/android to help you get around a little better.

The streets in HK are cluttered and I really mean cluttered. HK people can be a lil grumpy at times (And VERY impatient might I add) but don't take it to heart. Most of them like to speak their minds and though they might grumble about/at you, they'll still treat you nicely and maybe even smile at you after you're done with your meal.

My advice? Learn a little bit of cantonese before heading over. It's good to know about the language and how to order/ ask for directions. However in recent years the people in HK have been brushing up their Mandarin so speaking Mandarin would definitely help you in getting around!

Our first stop: Chan Kee Restaurant!

Before heading for HK, I managed to dig up the best places to eat around the Mongkok area and was directed to this stall. Famous for its geese, Chan Kee serves the crispest most fatty geese I have ever come across. And boy, was it gooooooood.

Like any other restaurant in HK, there are several seats with little space for you to move around. It's best if you eat and leave too, as throngs of people normally eat at all times of the day and hogging the seats would grant you a scolding my the grumpy canto waitresses.

My advice would be to go for a late lunch (Around 3pm) or a late dinner (Around 8pm) as lunch/dinner times can get extremely packed. Don't go too late though as they might run out of their specialities.

First up: The very famous nai cha. When in HK, one must drink milk tea. The tea was pretty much to my liking. Thick, sweet, ice cold. Mmmmmm.

I apologize in advance for all the dishes I will show you in this and the upcoming posts. There are certain dishes I have forgotten the name of but I'll def let you guys know if they were worth ordering!

The most appetizing thing on the plate was the geese. The sausage and duck was mediocre but the geese. Oh, the geese.... Fatty, oozing with oil and bursting with flavour, it goes well with the plum sauce accompanying the dish.

We ordered a bowl of geese noodles too. I'd say this was the better of the 2 as it was solely geese. Yum.

Sham Tseng Chan Kee Roasted Goose

427-427A Reclamation Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Mon-Sun: 7am - 12am (Depending on how well they sell each day)

Food: ♡♡♡♡
Ambience: ♡♡♡
Service: ♡♡ 1/2
Overall: ♡♡♡♡

We managed to try HK's famous roadside egg waffles too! Also known as gai daan tsai, these little fluffy waffles are basically pockets of circular pieces you pluck out and nom on whilst browsing through the millions of shops. Sadly I found these normal. Maybe I should have gotten the chocolate one but what these are are simply egg batter balls. Sounds mediocre? That's cos they were. I wouldn't mind getting them again though, just to see what the difference is between an original and flavoured one.

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So that concludes Day One of HK! I'm dead beat as I'm writing this post so I'll leave the rest for tomorrow. Stay tuned!