Labyrinth x Tiger Beer Singapore | ThumbsForFood

In conjunction with Tiger Beer Singapore's Uncage campaign, we were invited to Labyrinth for food tasting. The uncaged personality was actually Labyrinth's founder, Chef Han Li Guang. Chef Han prepared a special 7-course dinner, of which some dishes were infused with Tiger Beer. 

We were served with Tiger Beer at the start of the meal. We tried Tiger Radler as well, which we felt was like a champagne and would appear more to ladies. 

Tiger Beer National Day Edition

The first up on the table was bread served with dip. The dip served complementing the bread was very unique. On the left hand side of the photo below is Balsamic Vinegar in the form of a jam paste, followed by Olive Powder and Espuma Garlic. I thought the Olive Powder was a bit too bland. I particularly enjoyed the Espuma Garlic as I felt it went really well with the bread. 

Bread and Dips

Next up, is an Amuse Bouche. It is a bite-sized portion of food served before the meal. The one served in Labyrinth is apple flesh sitting on Apple Beer Sorbet. It is a very light start to the meal.

Amuse Bouche

When we were served the Fish and Chip Beer, we were quite surprised. Where's the Fish & Chip? It was kind of hard to believe that the Martini glass in front of us was actually Fish & Chip Beer. But, yes, it was actually made of Tiger Beer Jelly on the bottom most later, followed by Cod & Potato Espuma and Crispy Garnishes. 

Fish & Chip Beer

This rendition of Fish & Chips was definitely something that we've never tasted before. It was definitely refreshing. We thought that the beer jelly really made the whole dish more refreshing. The Cod and Potato Espuma was smooth and complemented really well with Beer Jelly. Unfortunately, this dish is only available during the National Day August period. I look forward to it being placed into Labyrinth's fixed menu.

Fish & Chip Beer

It was also a visual feast to witness Chef Han and team whipping up the various dishes in front of us. Plating was definitely an art and being able to see how much thought and care was placed into each dish was really a pleasure.

Labyrinth Chilli Crab is one of their signature dishes that can be found in their usual dinner menu. The one that we were served with on the day had a twist to it as the Soft Shell Crab was fried in Tiger Beer Batter. I was really surprised by how delicious Chili Crab Ice Cream could be. It was cold, but the taste literally exploded in the mouth. The Beer Batter Soft Shell Crab was done nicely but, I personally felt did not have much of Beer flavour. Nevertheless, this dish was outstanding in flavours. 

Labyrinth Chilli Crab

Next on the menu, is their Main Course, Satay Steak. We felt that the portion was really generous and it was a bit too much considering that there were so many courses. The satay flavour was really quite strong and vivid. Personally, I would prefer the usual plain steak as I felt the Satay flavour became too overpowering after awhile. The Pan Seared Foie Gras and Peanut Mochi complemented really well with the steak and was consistent to the whole concept of the dish.

Satay Steak

Very well-cooked and flavoured 

Radler Meringue Tart is a deconstructed dessert. It meringue is made from Tiger Radler and combined together with Lemon Curd and Tart Crumbs. I like that the dessert is light, refreshing and not too sweet. I couldn't taste the Radler though. This dish is also not on the usual menu.

Radler Meringue Tart

Singapore Breakfast was a really interesting dessert and surprised me. The chefs placed eggs in traditional rooster bowls and started torching them. All of us were quite intrigued as to what this dessert will turn out to be like. 

Preparing Singapore Breakfast

Well, it is actually just the egg shell on the outside but panna cotta with mango on the inside. When you break it open, it really does resemble the anatomy of the egg! And it is served with Chocolate Sauce (Served in Soy Sauce bottle) and Almond Powder (Served in Pepper Bottle). The Tarik Creme Brûlée was served alongside which resembles the traditional tea served alongside the eggs. It is a really creative dish and tastes amazing! Would definitely want to have more of this!

Singapore Breakfast

Panna Cotta with Mango Puree

I thought that the Petit Fours were actually not necessary after Singapore's Breakfast. Petit Fours consists of Star Fruit Jelly and durian kueh-like dessert. Personally, I felt Petit Fours were not very out-of-the-ordinary and was forgettable in comparison with Singapore Breakfast.

Petit Fours

Overall, Labyrinth serves up unique dishes that gives local dishes a unique and impressionable twist. From the dishes that were whipped up, we could see that Chef Han took a lot of effort to fine-tune them and prepare them to ensure that they are all palatable visually and taste-wise. 

Dinner is 5 courses priced at $98+, with only Service Charge and no GST. I would be back to try their famed Chendol Xiao Long Bao and other dishes.

Labyrinth

Store Front

We would like to thank Tiger Beer and Labyrinth for hosting us for this event and we truly enjoyed the dinner.

Labyrinth 

5 Neil Road
S(088806) 
(opposite Maxwell Hawker Centre, right outside Duxton Hill entrance)

Open from Tuesday to Sunday
Closed on Mondays
Dinner | 6:30pm to 10:30pm 

Tel | (65) 6223 4098
Email | info@labyrinth.com.sg
http://www.labyrinth.com.sg/contact.html

Cheers, 

Y

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant x Hup Seng Duck Rice (Sin Ming) | ThumbsForFood

I think many Teochew food lovers would have heard of Ah Orh since it has been around since long time ago. I was introduced to this place by my uncle who found the dishes at Ah Orh authentic and good. There is one Ah Orh in Bukit Merah and one in Sin Ming. We went to the one in Sin Ming. 

Apart from Ah Orh in the one at Sin Ming, there was also the famous Braised Duck from Hup Seng Duck Rice. As we were there for the other dishes at Ah Orh, we ordered half a duck as one of the dishes. It has been quite sometime since I've eaten impressive braised duck. The one from Hup Seng was super tender and flavourful. Definitely a must try for braised duck lovers!!! 

Heard that the Salted Vegetables Duck Soup is super good too! Will love to try it next time round. 

Braised Duck from Hup Seng 

It was my first time trying out Crayfish fried with Onions and eggs. Super fragrant. It's the dry sort with no gravy. But, it was really good! The egg had the wok hei taste. The flesh of the crayfish was awesome fresh and succulent! Love it. 

Crayfish fried with inions and eggs

One of the famous dishes in Ah Orh is the Teochew cold crabs. The crabs ar boiled and placed in the fridge for some time before they are served. The highlight is the "gao" of the crab. I read that the "gao" is actually not the roe of the egg but this crab is actually double shelled and it is formed when the crab is shedding one layer of shell. Hmmmmmm... Interesting. I totally loved it. I think the best way of eating seafood is in it's natural flavour like that!

Cold Crab

Lala was quite good as well. The lala served in Ah Orh was the large sort where you can really see substantial meat in it. Really fresh.

Lala

My personal favourite is the Oysters Omelette. Firstly, I love oysters. The oysters here is unlike the others I've eaten at other Tzi Char stalls. The oysters are so fresh that even my cousins who don't usually eat oysters loved it. The egg- was fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The fire control must have been awesome! I like how the oysters were placed atop the egg rather than fried with it because it would have been a waste to cook such good oysters.

Oyster Omelette

Teochews love their Prawn Rolls and so do I! The ones here are really delicious hmmm, but I don't know whether I would say it's the best in Singapore. Do let me know where your favourite prawn rolls are from.

Prawn Roll

We actually also ordered Steamed Pomfret (I think it cost about $70-80) as seen below. It is the best steamed pomfret I've eaten thus far. The fish is so fresh without even a small hint of fishy taste. The gravy or rather soup was totally impressive. I could slurp the whole bowl down literally. It complemented the fish so well. Totally brought steamed fish to a different level. I guess the freshness of the fish attributed to a large part of the success of the dish. 

I wasn't able to capture the individual photos of the Prawn Paste Chicken and Nai Bai Vegetables. I think these two dishes are quite mediocre and not very impressionable as well. Always good to have vegetables on the table though!

Dishes of the day

Overall, I think Ah Orh really serves up really fresh seafood and authentic Teochew dishes. If you are a die-hard Teochew dish fan, do try Ah Orh out and let me know whether it met your expectations! :)


Hup Seng Duck Rice

Blk 22 #01-258 Sin Ming Road Singapore 570022

Tel: 6454-3810Mondays to Fridays: 9am-2.30pmSaturdays & Sundays: 9am-1.30pmClosed on Thursdays



Ah Orh Seafood

Blk 22 Sin Ming Road#01-258Singapore 570022For bookings: 94878150, 94878110
Opening hours:11am 2.30pm5.30pm - 9.30pm


Cheers,
Y

The Tastemaker Store | ThumbsForFood

The Tastemaker Store is quite a recent addition to Singapore's cafe scene. It is actually walking distance to Sin Lee Foods, that we introduced in our previous post. 

Business was quite brisk on a weekday afternoon. The interior of Tastemaker is kept simple with soft furnishings of potted plants placed around the shop as well as hanging from the ceiling. It felt comfortable and seems like a good place for doing work as it was well lit.

Interior of Tastemaker

Interior of cafe

They have various bakes from Maple & Market that is displayed in the glass display near the counter. We did not try the bakes that day as we wanted to try their more unique dishes. We think that perhaps they should add a corner for a free iced water dispenser. We always appreciate cafe s that serve free water.

Bakes from Maple & Market

We ordered their Lemon Curd with Clotted Cream on Muffin Buns ($3). It was really unique as we have not seen this in other cafes. The lemon wasn't too sweet nor sour, in fact it was in perfect balance. It was served with half boiled eggs. We dipped the muffin buns into the half boiled egg and it was quite a refreshing combination. 

Lemon Curd with clotted cream toast

The eggs were not exactly half-boiled that day. But, we kind of like it because the yolk was in a nicely curded form. 

Eggs

 For drinks, we chose the Matcha Latte. It wasn't out of the world but, quite a comfortable companion for food.

Matcha Latte

The must-try dish is perhaps the Yam Cake ($3.80). Again, this is not commonly found in other cafes. Yam cake is a local dish. It is served with chilli that was adequately spicy and had the kick! The yam cake was really chunky with filling of salted egg, yam and seems like some pieces of luncheon. It is quite filling of you eat the whole slice on your own.

Yam Cake

Overall, we find the Tastemaker Store sells quite unique food that is affordable and suitable for the general public. It's unpretentious, simple and hassle-free. 

The Tastemaker Store

Blk 22 Havelock Road#01-705 Singapore 160022 

Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm Daily

Exterior

Cheers, Y

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood | ThumbsForFood

I guess Tzi Char lovers would have heard of Ban Leong Wah Hoe tucked in Casuarina Road. Having heard much about this place, we were psyched to try this place for the first time.

La La ($10) was the steamed version with chill padi and gravy. The gravy was a little sour-spicy, which made the dish really appetising, yet it does not rob the natural freshness of the La La. The La La was fresh albeit a little small sized. Would definitely order this dish the next time round again. 

La La

Next, we tried their signature dish, Har Cheong Gai ($8). I must say the Har Cheong Gai's marinade was probably the winning factor of this dish. The outside was crisp and the inside was juicy. This dish is best eaten when served hot.

Har Cheong Gai ($8)

Another must-try from Ban Leong is their Mee Sua ($8). It was kind of unusual because one would expect the Mee Sua too be clumpy or stuck together. However, it was quite the opposite. The texture of the mee sua was more chewy and tangy. It was fried with some prawns, sotong, fishcake, egg, bean sprouts and quail eggs.

Mee Sua

We also ordered some vegetables ($8). The vegetables was not overcooked and not too salty. I liked that the dishes in Ban Leong are not too salty, yet, tasty and fragrant. 

The Fried Butter Crab was a recommendation. It was not your usual crab with black pepper/chili gravy. Rather, it was deep fried and had butter crisps atop it. We found the crab to be quite disappointing as the meat was quite hard to peel away from the shell. I would still prefer the good old chill crab or Creamy Salted Egg type. Heard that their chill crab is good; shall try it the next time round!

Fried Butter Crab

Ban Leong is not air-conditioned but I felt that the ventilation was quite good with many ceiling fans present. It has quite a huge seating capacity but tends to fill up to the brim easily on weekend dinner time.

Interior

We find that Ban Leong offers slightly different Tzi Char dishes such as their Mee Sua and Fried Crab. We like that dishes are served hot. We would recommend this place for family dining or large group gatherings so that a variety of dishes can be ordered for sharing.

Have a favorite Tzi Char place to share? Drop us a comment below or email us at thumbsforfood@gmail.com! We would love to hear from you!

Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood
122 Casuarina Road
64522824
5pm- 130am

Cheers,
Y

Next Door Deli & Pine Garden's Cake | ThumbsForFood

It is comforting to find cafes opening up in neighborhoods, providing a place for cafe lovers to seek solace in. Today, I'll be introducing readers to a cafe nestled in Ang Mo Kio as well as a unique bakery just next to it. 

Next Door Deli

Next Door Deli is unpretentious in it's decorations and furniture. It preserves some of the old school neighbourhood elements, yet infuse some of new age concept. 

As you walk into the cafe and find yourself a table, you will realise that there is a laminated sheet placed on the table that gives you an introduction to how to order food and drinks. The whole cafe is self serve from its drinks to desserts to main courses. That is the order you proceed through the cafe. We immediately thought of Ikea, like how you move through the different stations to get your food. 

Interior

We decided to upgrade to a set for one of our main course which is approximately an additional of $3.80. It consists of an eclair and a drink. The eclair is nothing extraordinary but well, a definite classic favorite amongst children.

Eclair

Wok Fried Laksa ($6) was a recommendation by one of the patrons in the cafe. She told us that she would come to the cafe for this dish and Wok-fried Mee Siam, which alternates with Laksa every week. As such, I decided to give it a try! Laksa comes with a chicken wing as well. The laksa taste was fragrant and the food was comforting. It's worth a try for those who are seeking an alternative to the Western-style brunch.

Wok-fried Laksa

Their Chicken Wings ($0.90 per piece) also seemed very much raved about. It really feels like Ikea's chicken wing. The one here is really juicy as well. I will definitely come back for more of their tasty chicken wings!

Chicken Wings

Crispy-grilled Chicken Steak ($7.80) was another popular dish of Next Door Deli. We felt that the chicken was quite well-cooked, juicy and tender. However, we felt that the dish could do with more oomph to make it stand out from other Western food places.

Crispy Char-grilled chicken steak

Overall, we felt that the food at Next Door Deli is priced at an affordable price. They offer discounts for students and teachers on weekdays as well. We reckon that it will be a popular hangout for students studying in nearby institutions. We feel that Next Door Deli has the potential to grow into something bigger if it adds more oomph and uniqueness to its menu. One good way would be offering self-made coffee to increase its attractiveness. For more info on Next Door Deli, do visit their website. 

For all who are wondering where Next Door Deli got its name, we are about to introduce you the "Deli" beside it. Yes, it got its name as it is situated just next to a bakery, called Pine Garden's Cake. On first look, the bakery seems to be quite the ordinary bakery you will find in any neighbourhood.

Exterior of Bakery

Upon taking a closer look at the Glass Displays situated at the entrance of the shop, you will realize that the bakery actually has very special creations! Besides the usual old school cream cakes, they have New Age creations such as Bailey's Chocolate Crunch, Nuttymisu and much more. It even has local-flavored cakes such as Gula Melaka Avocado cake and Pulut Hitam cake.

Cakes on Display

We decided to try two of it's popular cakes. The first is the Lychee Martini Cake. Despite its New Age flavor, the cake is made into an Old School Swiss Roll like shape. The Lychee Martini is light in flavor, where it's alcohol taste is rather non-existent. The cake is not too sweet and the cream is not too oily. We were quite pleased with how the cream and sponge complemented each other. They even have Lychee Martini Log Cake for sale during this Christmas Period. 

Lychee Martini Cake

We decided to try the Avocado and Gula Melaka cake as I was really quite piqued by the Avocado flavor! I got to say, it is really suprisingly good how they made the avocado cream. It felt natural in flavor by being not too sweet. My personal favorite out of the two cakes we tried.

Avocado and Gula Melaka Cake

We find that Pine Garden's Cake offers really creative creations and is definitely a must-try for cake lovers. It is not as grand or visually palatable as many established cake houses but, it's creativity and unique flavors makes it interesting and refreshing.

If you have any hidden neighbourhood finds, do share them with us! We would love to uncover more hidden neighbourhood finds!

Next Door Deli
529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10
#01-2369

Pine Garden's Cakes
529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10
#01-2329 

Love,
Y