Buzzing Cashiers - Prawn Noodles

Following the episode of Ch8 program 抢摊大行动:Buzzing Cashiers, brought us to this featured prawn noodles stall in Tiong Bahru Food Centre.

The program aims to provide culinary skills re-training to food vendors who suffer from poor businesses or who are at the brink of closing shop. Their plight were made known in the program and after their re-training, they will always win many supports from the general public.

We were save from the hustles of waiting in line as we arrived before the dinner crowd starts coming in.

Just an average bowl of prawn noodles ($3). Soup was sweet but a little weak in flavour. I enjoy the tender meat balls though :)

Not a bad choice if you are in the vicinity and was craving for prawn noodles. Hope the young cook would gradually fit into his new role and in time perfect his culinary skills.

Rice Bucket

Yes, had always been a 'rice bucket' 饭桶 since young. I love my rice. And I always find it bliss to sit down with a fragrant bowl of rice for dinner after a hard day's work.

As part of a surge in global food costs and prices of daily commodities, rice prices are rocketing. And analysis are blaming rising fuel and fertilizer expenses as well as crops curtailed by disease, pests and climate change.

This April '08 marks an end to the era of cheap rice.

Today, I was startled to realize that our favourite brand of rice, the Golden Phoenix has risen to a price of $26.30/10kg! It was an over 40% increase compared to my last purchase on 6 April at price of $18+, all within a month's time!

There was already a rush to stock up on rice grains in early April despite Singapore government officials assuring the public that local rice supply was adequate and our abundance stockpile of rice on the island will never face shortages.

But the concern was not of rice shortages but on the rising rice prices. Right now, we have a price crisis, not a supply crisis.

The only positive aspect i wish to see in this mess was that everybody would stop wasting food and finally learned to appreciate and cherish food resources, irregardless of its price.

Ben & Jerry's - Free Cone Day

Who the man can resist the lure of a free yummy cone from Ben & Jerry's, known for its chunky bits in their ever creamy milk-rich ice-cream?

Free Cone Day by Ben & Jerry's is an annual event held in late April or early May; this year marked the company's 30th annual Free Cone Day. Its scoop shops around the world give away free ice cream scoopes all day.

And i do recognize their genuine efforts to make the event as pleasant as they could by getting the crowds entertained and queuing up in an orderly manner. 5 of their top sellers were also up for selection.

They also pride themselves for targeting to smash last years record of cones give-away. Their helpful and friendly staff makes you feel really welcome.

Beating the snaking queues at Vivocity, i land myself with the deliciously milk rich 'drumlet' within 30mins! I guess i've become a big fan of its New York Super Fudge Chunk and Chunky Monkey after today!

Its big chunks of chocolate makes you feel like you are eating chocolate bars with ice-cream! Awesome treat.

Set Lunches @ Uluru

Named after the famous sandstone rock formation in Australia that was formerly called Ayer's Rock, Uluru in Duxton Hill is less rugged than it sounds.

With an impressive decor that strikes you as an upmarket dining place, the restaurant is also fairly formal in their delivery. We therefore tries to settle in as comfortably as we could, while anticipating our 3 course set lunches ($24++) to be serve.

Smoked Tomato Soup with milk foam, basil pesto and dash of black pepper. Besides the appetizing rich tomato soup that lingers in the throat, the warmly served, very aromatic herby bun with butter was noteworthy. I would love to have one more.

Roasted Poussin with Mesclun salad and potato wedges. Chicken pieces nicely done with a tinge of char bitterness. Throwing all dining etiquette to the winds, i couldn't resist not popping its bony remains into my mouth for a final savoring.

Fish & Chips with Mesclun salad and potato wedges. Sizzling hot and juicy fish piece with crispy batter tastes great with the sour tartar sauce. Potato wedges were hot and crispy. Salad was just a simple tossing with olive oil?

Looking like slabs of chocolate ice cream neopolitan is my 'smiling face' dessert. The chilling Trio Chocolate Cake has a top layer of white cream that gradate to milk chocolate middle and then a denser base of dark truffle-textured chocolate.

My best way to savour it would be to dip in to the sour raspberry sauce and have all the different flavours in my mouth at once :)

Service here is helpful and pleasant; albeit the small serving portion, food standards here left little room for complaints.

But at the end of the day, it's actually how you enjoy your dining experience as a whole; i would have much prefer a no-fuss dining mostly, these occasional treat of finer dining is a refreshing change nonetheless.

Beef Hor Fan @ Dover Rd Market

Weekend crowds at hawker centre are joy-killer, you've got to try your luck at the parking lots and beat the queues at the popular food stalls.

I was reluctant to suffer with the city crowds so Ric suggested visiting this old and remote food market in Dover Rd, Blk 31. Yeah, i love these places...! Food is often prepared by old stall vendors who know their cooking and prices can be kept reasonable with their low rental rates.

We chanced upon this cooked food stall '河升美食' managed by an old couple and a lady; the old man being the chef. Business was brisk but not to an extend of long wait, so we decide to try its Beef Hor Fan (dry).

And we were not disappointed. A little oily but not at all salty. Priced at $3, beef slices were not aplenty but the 'wok hei' of the delicious smooth noodle strips left us fighting over it.

I'll be back soon, with an empty stomach. And what a delightful evening today!

Tea Time @ Munchie Monkey

Had an absolutely sweet and much enjoyable time at Munchie today.

Munchie offer tea-time sets (3-6pm) which consist of a cake and drink, at $5.5 and $6.5 depending on the type of cakes you choose.

We opted for the $5.5 set. Nice, bitter coffee for Ric. Sweet, gassy Passionfruit Italian soda for me :) And I asked for their popular Chocolate Brownie and Carrot Cake.

Oh, and how i love the cakes!

Chocolate Brownie served warm was a moist, dense and immensely sweet chocolaty.

Carrot Cake and i were love at first sight (taste). Am was much impressed with Carrot Cake unique taste, offering bits of grated carrot, walnuts and juicy raisins with white cream cheese icing. It was pleasantly moist and not at all a dry, coarse crumb.

On the other hand, Ric was not accustom to its taste, so i got the whole slice to myself... happy! But i hope he would get to like it one day; Joy comes from sharing and good things are meant to be shared :)