Deanna's Kitchen Halal Prawn Mee

Big Prawn Noodle ($6.50), wet tissue included.

The power of social media; drew us to Deanna's Kitchen in Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre. Then it dawns on me that authentic Hokkien prawn noodles can't do without pork...

But to my Muslim friends out there, this really comes close to what we have. In fact, this halal rendition of the Chinese prawn noodle tastes better than many average Chinese stalls. You gotta try it.

For the diehards, we have to look elsewhere for soup broth that comes with the good old, pork bone flavor.

Nurul Delights

Mee Siam ($2.50)

It was a rare encounter of thickly spiced Mee Siam (fried vermicelli in spicy soup) at 413, Bukit Batok West kopitiam. Sourish and fiery - a very satisfying bowl. We packed an extra order for home.

The nasi lemak rice is fragrant, comes with freshly fried chicken wings and thick-cut omelet. They offer lontong and mee rebus too. Everything at two-fifty only.

The meal left us feeling much thirsty, but the stall is popular. Be prepared to join a long breakfast queue.

Nasi Lemak ($2.50)

Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant (I)

Fried Cuttlefish with Salted Egg ($16++)

Assam Pedas Fish Head ($25++)

Back to back visit to the Rasa Istimewa restaurant at Woodlands Waterfront. Because we like an almost empty restaurant, and car parking lots to ourselves.

Food was alright. Today's best dish being the Assam fish head. Just take note to avoid ordering an overly Chinese dish like Claypot-whatever. As with most Malay kitchens, they do better with chilli and fried items.

And we still love their chilled/ warm honey lemon drink.

 Kangkong with Sambal Balachan ($8++)

Chilli Crayfish ($24++)

Claypot - Seafood Treasure ($28++)

Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant

Curry Fish Head ($25++)

Remember the popular Rasa Istimewa restaurant in Choa Chu Kang Park? We were at their Woodlands Waterfront park outlet (since 2012). A nice lunch venue away from the office's dull air conditioning; warm sea breezes brush the hair and calm the nerves with its melody of splashing waves.

Food was not exceptional. But definitely good enough for a casual lunch. The seafood was fresh, and the seasoning of food was rightly balanced. We finished our lunch, with a double order for their iced honey lemon... lingered on a little before returning to our dull cubicles.

Seafood with Fried Tofu & Egg ($12++)

Seafood Fried Rice ($5++)

Yassin Kampung Seafood

CNY Abalone Lo Hei, with Fish Skin Crackers

We have been returning to Yassin for group lunches. Many credits to the easy parking location at Marsling Crescent, cozy dining hall and reasonably tasty food.

Ordering was made easy too. With their A-E set menus, starting from $38 (2-3 pax) to $248 (10-12 pax) set. We are having their 7 courses, D menu today. At $158, for 8-9 pax. The lo hei tossing is ala carte.

Their seafood tom yum soup is our must order on every visit. It is none overly spicy or salted, it's everybody's favorite. Large prawns with oat cereals; flavorsome smoked duck and tender beef with vegetable kalian are some dishes to recommend.

3 Flavored Fish

Tom Yum Soup, BBQ Stingray, Hotplate Beancurd

Kampung Signature Duck

Crispy Oat Prawn

Baby Kailan with Beef

Thai Coconut Ice Cream ($5.50)

Royal Palm @ OCC

Salad Bar

Western cakes & Nonya kueh

Seafood on Ice

Finger Food & Pizzas

Roasted Beef

The live band was playing; the singer sang our delications beautifully. The evening sun glitzing in from the pool side while we laze in the comfort of the fresh air-conditioning. Buffet dinner was ready, as we waited for old colleagues to assemble for our annual reunion at the Royal Palm restaurant. A near perfect evening, at the resort-feel Orchid Country Club.

Food was freshly prepared, very tasty and in abundance. Even more endearing, the serene atmosphere of the restaurant. To name a few of our favourite dishes from their dinner menu, they are the curry fish head, veg spring rolls, black pepper lala clams, tandoori chicken, ayam lemak, live cooking chicken mutton satay, fresh prawns on ice and creamy mushroom soup.

Every guest had a good time. It was a lovely evening. Amazingly affordable with their current 1-for-1 promotion at $45++ per pax.

Ayam Lemak

Prawn Sambal

Black Pepper Lala

Chili Crab

Pasta

Tandoori Chicken

Five Star Fast Food - Roti Prata

Plain Prata ($0.80 per piece)

Happy Deepavali! Just in time to share a local favourite of all races in Singapore - the Roti Prata, a floury pancake. It is an art often mastered by our Indian counterparts.

At the Taman Jurong Market Food Centre, the aroma of pan frying roti prata never fails to lure us when we arrived. Often we would turn to each other and smiled, "Prata?"

The Indian pancake was always crispy on the outside, fluffy and moist within. Never oily. We like their syrupy fish curry that’s a little spicy and alluringly piquant. It's hard to resist not making space for at least 1 piece of their prata!

The stall (no. 101) is at level 2. The sight of a short queue, tall carton trays of fresh eggs and lingering aroma will lead you.

YUSMAR Aneka Selera

Lontong ($2.50), Nasi Lemak ($2.50)

$2.50 dishes are hard to come by these days. And it has to taste good. In the lift at the Taman Jurong Market Food Centre, we heard a family asking one another if they want mee rebus or mee siam. That gave us the idea to go for some Malay cuisine this breakfast.

Brisk business at stall #02-99 helps Ric decide on them. Every of their dishes are at $2.50. It's a steal. Notice the correction plasters over their price menu? Yes, they were selling at $2 previously!

On this cold and wet morning, our favourite has to be their hot spicy Lontong! And fresh fried chicken wings on the nasi. Nothing fanciful. Just authentic food that satisfy.

Mee Rebus ($2.50)

BURGS!

Do we even need an introduction to the hottest burger joint in Singapore now. Yes, this is Burgs at the Golden Mile Food Centre.

The Classic beef burger totally stole our hearts! and palate. It was thick, juicy and flavorsome. This is one of those rare instances which i don't want to share my food with Ric. Haha. But having pickled green chili, in place of drill pickles is a little disappointing for a classic.

The Seoul fried chicken was most beautifully deep fried and marinated, but i rebuff sweet mains. And the coleslaw is miser in this one. Last, we had a tough time chewing off the pulled beef brisket in the Hickory smoked beef burger ($5.50). Awkwardly, the shredded meat got caught in between the teeth. If you are even on dentures, forget this.

The Classic for repeats. And we are definitely coming back for their Teriyaki Chicken burger ($5.50) which got sold out during our queuing!

The Classic - Beef Patty, Caramelized Onions, American Cheese, Pickled Green Chilli ($4.50).

Seoul Fried Chicken - Korean style fried Chicken, Homemade Coleslaw ($5).

Haron 55 - Satay Babat!

Satay Babat

Probably our most bizarre yet toothsome satay skew - Haron's satay babat (cow's stomach/ tripe)! Trust Ric to order it, when they were sold out on the mutton satay.

We were unsure, of course. But the babat actually tastes awesome for being soft, little chewy and pretty meaty at the same time. It is splendid barbecue skills when the skewered meat actually picked up most of the smoky aroma, without getting charred!

Do you even get this in restaurants? Just come down to the East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

Satay Chicken, Beef, Babat ($0.70 cents per stick), Lontong ($0.50 each)

786 A.L. YUSRA - Mee Goreng!

Mee Goreng, with Egg ($4.50)

With so many stalls offering the Malay fried noodles at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, you can't go wrong with one who specializes in Goreng (meaning 'fried' in Malay language), and nothing else. They (at stall 59) are the specialist. We are making this return trip specially for them tonight.

Like our last visit, we taste a good plate of fiercely fried noodles, which charred even some of its noodle strands. This is easily one of the best mee goring stalls in Singapore.

Arnold's Fried Chicken

2 Piece Meal ($7.30)

It does take some convincing to do with Singapore's most expensive fried chicken fast food outlet - Arnold's Fried Chicken (Also one of Singapore's oldest food establishment from the 1980s!). But you may soon find their claim on using farm fresh chicken to be authentic; your taste buds will tell you.

The thin garlicky skin, juicy chicken meat makes it all very memorable for us at Arnold's, our first visit. So tender is Arnold's signature dish, the spring chicken, i was feeling very guilty for yearning after the less than 28 days old chickens.

So much for my repentance, i am actively planning for our next visit on their whole spring chicken. Now, i am condemned.

1/2 Spring Chicken Meal ($7.70)

Whole Spring Chicken Meal ($12.80)

Indonesian Ayam Bakar

Ayam Bakar Sambal Lado ($4)

Ayam Bakar Diving ($4)

I have always loved Indonesia-styled grilled chicken, so i got pretty excited to see a short queue at this stall in the Changi Village Food Centre. We follow suit and ordered 2 of their signatures like everyone else.

It was standard grilled chicken for all, finished with the respective sauces according to your order. Clearly, the ayam sambal was the spicier one. The popular ayam diving was doused with sweet black sauce and a dollop of their sweet, piquant sambal was provided! Every plate includes a serving of aromatic rice cupped in heart-shape, dark-sauced pineapple salad, and a warm soup which tasted like Thai Tom Yum. This is many tastings in one plate!

We haven't got this excited over hawker food for a long time.

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