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

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

Eating in Malacca- Melaka (Part 2) | ThumbsForFood

I hope that readers enjoyed Part 1 of Eating in Malacca and are looking forward to more food recommendations in Part 2! Without further ado, here's Part 2.

Restoran Tong Sheng

No. 378, Jln Melaka Raya 6, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
606-2862993.
Closed on alternate Mondays. Opens daily 5.30pm-11.30pm

Restoran Tong Sheng is an introduction from a friend who recently went to Malacca. She posted a picture of the signature Cheese Prawn dish on instagram and immediately, it caught my attention. So, we decided to source it out no matter what to try out the food at Tong Sheng. It is a little further away from Jonker street, closer to Melaka Central. We did not have any transport so we depended on asking people around and walking to find our way. 

When we finally reached Tong Sheng, we were met with a crowd at the restaurant. The restaurant had many big tables of families gathered there for dinner. It seemed like a favorite among locals. 

Crowded 

Restaurant Counter with wall of accolades

We were famished by the time we got there and couldn't wait to start ordering the food. However, due to huge dinner crowd, we waited for about 20-30 minutes before our food was served. We did not regret patiently waiting for the food to come! 

The signature Cheese Prawn Beehoon did not disappoint. I guess some of you will be wondering CHEESE and PRAWN, how will it exactly taste? Well, the cheese is melted into the gravy which is not thick but slightly watery. Despite that, the cheese flavor was retained and you could already smell it from a distance. We ordered a portion for 3-5 persons (about RM40) and we were glad we did. The prawn were also well-cooked and fresh. For those who have never tried this dish before, I strongly recommend that you do!

Cheese Prawn Beehoon

And for those cheese lovers who cannot get enough of cheese, they even have Cheese steamboat! I'm guessing they use a similar broth as the one in the Cheese Prawn Beehoon. But, if you've tasted it, do let us know how it is. 

The other tzi char dishes were also good in general. Vegetable is a must for our every meal and I would say Tong Sheng does a good job at frying their vegetables. They are fresh, tasty, yet not too oily.

If I am not mistaken, the dish below is actually Wasabi prawns. The sauce is a mayo-wasabi mix topped with peeled prawns. I like the slightly crunchy texture of the prawn and the fact that the shell is peeled is definitely a plus point! 

Wasabi Prawns

Steamed Tofu with Salted Egg is a recommended dish as well. I really liked this dish as it was tasty. They had bits of salted egg yolk in it which gave the dish a different texture from the soft and silky tofu. I would definitely order this dish if they serve it in Singapore Tzi Char places.

Steamed Tofu with Salted Egg

Fresh Milk Crab is a recommendation and it is also a dish popular amongst the regulars of Tong Sheng. We weren't pre-empted about the taste being slightly sourish. We felt that it was quite an acquired flavor. Personally, I would have preferred the usual Salted Egg Yolk crab. The crab meat was juicy and I felt that the crab was quite fresh as well. Nevertheless, if you up to the challenge and would like to try something different, this would be a dish that you might want to try!

Fresh Milk Crab

Usually, you would see that crab would be served with fried buns (mantou) to enjoy the gravy of the crab. In Tong Sheng, they used toasted bread sticks in place of fried buns. We found that it was quite a good alternative and not as oily as fried mantous.

Toasted Bread Sticks that complement Crab

Restoran Hup Huat

No. 101-1 Jalan SP 1

Taman Semabok Perdana

75050 Melaka

Tel No: 012 260 8928

Opening hours: 9am- 5.30pm

Exterior of Restaurant

Restoran Hup Huat is quite a distance from Central Melaka. It was a recommendation by the owner of Guli's Residence, where we stayed. We will fill you in with more details on Guli Residence.

One of the signature dish of Hup Huat is Rice Porridge. You can choose from several varieties include Century Egg Porridge and Hong Hong Ting Zhai Porridge which is plain porridge with peanut, pork, squid etc. Ting Zhai means small boat and is a popular dish amongst Hong Kong people. We decided to try the Ting Zai Porridge. A claypot of porridge suitable for 2 people is actually quite a large portion and the 5 of us could barely finish. It is most likely also because there are other dishes that we ate. 

Ting Zhai Porridge

A must-order is the Fried Wanton! The fried wanton is unlike the one we usually find in Singapore with meat/fish and prawn mix filling. The ones at Hup Huat consists of a prawn in each Wanton. The wanton was fried golden crispy with the succulent prawn in it. Even though it was fried, it did not feel very oily.

Fried Wantons

Another must order and my personal favorite is their Char Siew (Roasted Pork). The best part of this dish is is that it includes fatty portions of pork. The fatty portions are actually the best part because it melts in the mouth when you eat it. Forget about the calories and fats, just indulge in this dish! I could say that the char siew here is probably one of the best I''ve ever tasted!

Char Siew

They also serve vegetable dishes to complement the meat and to balance up the meal. We ordered Tau Gay (beansprouts).

Tau Gay (Beansprouts)

For those who are not into porridge, you can try their Wanton Noodles as well. We felt that the noodles were average but good enough to fill the stomach.

Wanton Noodles

Overall, we felt that Hup Huat is worth a drive for the Char Siew. Do request for the fatty Char Siew to have a good fix of the melt-in-your-mouth meat!


Malaqa Nyonya House

No.1, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, 75100 
Melaka Malaysia

Next up, a place for authentic Nyonya Bo Bo Char Char - Bu Bur Cha Cha (Coconut milk with sweet potatoes, yam and tapioca pearls), Chendol and Dumplings. This place is actually at the pick-up point if you are taking Grassland bus back to Singapore.

When we were there, there was a very nice aroma of coconut and kueh being made.

Interior of Malaqa Nyonya House

The chendol here is quite delicious with the fragrant Gula Melaka. We feel that the serving is adequate and the Gula Melaka was appropriate in portion.

Chendol

We really enjoyed the Bo Bo Char Char served here. You can choose between hot or cold depending on your preference. We chose the hot one. The sweet potato and yam were cooked soft together with the slightly chewy tapioca pearls. The coconut fragrance was light which made the dessert a pleasure to the tastebuds.

Bobo Char Char

Our delicious desserts

They served Nyonya dumplings as well. The authentic Nyonya ones have a slight psychedelic blue dye on the rice. Don't be shocked by the blue. It is actually of natural origins, extracted from Butterfly flowers. The Nyonya dumpling had a belachan filling. They also added spices such as coriander and cekur root, which makes the dumpling aromatic.

Nyonya Dumpling

Malaqa Nyonya House has another branch at Subang Jaya. The branch here is a short drive from Jonker Street. We feel that if you are in the area, no harm dropping by for some desserts! 

East and West Rendezvous

60 Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka, Malaysia

Exterior of East and West Rendezvous

If you are looking for somewhere nearer to Jonker Street for some dumplings and to buy some kueh home, East and West Rendezvous may be your choice. We tried this place out as my friend told me that the Nyonya Dumpling here is tasty.

Dumpling

They also serve up chendol here. For those who prefer lighter Gula Melaka flavor, this place might possibly be a place to check out. Their chendol comes with red ruby as well. Mix the chendol well, like the picture below and enjoy!

Chendol 

I also bought some pineapple tarts to try as they looked really delicious. My friends felt that they were alright and nothing fantastic. However, my colleagues loved the pastry as they felt that it was buttery and baked well. Do give it a try and let me know your verdict!

Pineapple Tarts

We hope that you enjoy our food recommendations in Malacca! Of course, we might not have the most extensive list of places and there might be more places that we have yet discovered. So, do drop us an email or comment to fill us in on your favorite haunts! :) Do look out for more of our food reviews and support us by following us at thumbsforfood on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Follow our individual blogs on Dayre- @huizheeen and @yinsywinsy.

Haven't read Malcaa Part 1? Click here.

Love,
Y

Cafe 2000 @ M Hotel Singapore | ThumbsForFood

When we first received the invitation for food tasting at M Hotel, the idea of buffet came to mind. As both Z and I are Seafood lovers, we were immediately attracted by the Seafood & Barbeque Buffet Dinner available on Fridays, Saturdays and eve of Public Holidays only.

Cafe 2000 entrance

When we arrived at Café 2000, we were greeted warmly by the receptionist and met up with the Marketing Communication Manager, Lindy. Café 2000 does not occupy a very big space like other buffet restaurants but, at one scan though the food sections, there seems to be quite a good variety of food. Lindy shared with us that for the month of November, they are having “Zi Char Strikes Again” due to the positive responses from patrons when they first had this concept in October. Zi Char items include local favorites such as Sambal Kang Kong, Cereal Prawns, Sweet & Sour Pork, Kong Pao Chicken, Salted Egg Crab and lots more.

Some Zi Char Selction- Cereal Prawns, Fried Rice, Sambal Stingray

 Just like any other international Buffet, I would go for the Raw Seafood Selection. We were glad to see our favorite raw oysters as well as crab. They also had scallops and prawns. I must say that the seafood were really fresh. The oysters were freshly shucked and the prawns were really succulent. I find that the chefs were really attentive to the supply of food as they frequently refilled the section.

Various Fresh Seafood Available with sauces

Fresh and Succulent Prawns

Some of the Seafood

Another section that caught my eye was the BBQ Seafood Section. They had fresh seafood displayed there and patrons could take their pick on the selection. They had seafood like scallops, crayfish. stingray as well as the Jumbo Prawns. After picking the food on the plate, you'll just have to peg it with the clips available on your table and they will barbecue and deliver straight to your table. I really like this concept as it allows you to eat your seafood hot from the pit and yet, you won't smell of it. 

Barbecued Crayfish and Barbecued Cheese Scallops

Fresh Prawns and Scallop 

Variety of Seafood and Otah available for BBQ

BBQ Scallop and Crayfish

They also had marinated meat, chicken wings, beef and salmon that can be barbecued as well. It provides an alternative for meat lovers! I would also recommend you to try the Otah that is also displayed in this section. It was quite spicy and you can taste the fish bits in it. Love it!

Meat and Salmon Selection available for BBQ

BBQ Meat

Delicious Jumbo Prawns and Otah

For those who seek some comfort to the tummy, you can try out their soup. They usually have two different soup choices - one Chinese and one Western. I was quite surprised to see French Onion Soup as usually buffets serve the typical mushroom or cream chicken soup. 

Soup Selections

It was a great sight to see the chefs at work barbecuing and preparing food in the kitchen. It somehow gives me assurance that my food is served fresh.

Chefs whipping up delicious dishes

To balance off the sin from all the seafood and meat, Cafe 2000 also offers a wide variety of salad. They also offer parma ham and a variety of cheese.

Variety of Salad and Cheese

It is hard not to miss the sight of the Roasted Beef and their signature Pork Ribs as they displayed a huge slab of the meat. The beef was well done and quite tender. It complemented well with the sauce. It was quite a delight to be able to taste quality beef in a buffet. The Pork Ribs was alright. Personally, I don't quite like Pork Ribs due to the sweet sauce. The one here was tender but I found the sauce a little too overwhelming and sweet.

Roast Beef on display

Plated Roast Beef with Black Pepper Sauce and dash of mustard

Pork Ribs and Bratwurst

They even had a Seafood Laksa Yong Tau Foo section that allowed patrons to pick their favorite ingredients to add into either a clear soup base or a laksa soup base. I would recommend the laska soup base! It was fragrant, flavorful and because I could choose my own ingredients, I picked seafood to go with it. 

Seafood Yong Tau Foo Laksa Corner

Personalised Laksa 

They also had a small Japanese food section that offered some sushi choices and salmon sashimi. It isn't as extensive a selection, but, I guess having salmon sashimi in is in itself quite satisfying. Of course, if it had my favorite swordfish sashimi, it would have been most perfect. 

Sushi Available

Freshly sliced Salmon Sashimi

For desserts, they have a chocolate fondue! Dip your fruits and marshmallows in it and it would be a satisfying and sinful dessert. Other than the chocolate fondue, another hot favorite is their Durian Puree that is made of solely fresh durian. Here at Cafe 2000, it is really from fresh durians. The small shot cup size is appropriate for those who would not want to have too much. I was also quite surprise to see Herbal Jelly as one of their dessert options. 

Chocolate Fondue

Durian Puree

Durian Puree, Herbal Jelly

They also offer other desserts such as cakes and even kuehs for those who prefer some Singaporean desserts! I find that their bread pudding was also quite delicious although the crust on that day was a little too hard.

Kuehs

Cake

Pear Tart

Cheese Cake

Chocolate Cake

Bread Pudding

We got a specially made dessert from the Chef at Cafe 2000. We were definitely pleasantly surprised and thankful! This dessert was filled with raspberries. The balance between chocolate and the slightly sour raspberries was good. I definitely enjoyed the generous serving of raspberries!

After a filling and satisfying dinner, Lindy brought us to the M Hotel's J Bar which features live band performances while allowing patrons to dine in a relaxing ambience. J Bar even features an outdoor alfresco area where customers can enjoy the night breeze while having a drink. For Ladies, when you visit J Bar on Saturdays, it is Lady's Night and with just $30, ladies can to enjoy free flow of beer, mojitos and martinis till late! 

Entrance of J bar

Live Band Performance

Interior of J Bar

Lindy also shared with us other restaurants in M Hotel such as The Buffet that offers Steamboat Buffet Dinners and Buffet during Lunch! For the month of November, M Hotel presents Porridge buffet (Mondays to Fridays) as a special highlight, on top of other international cuisines. We are excited to try out these restaurants as well! Do check out other dining promotions that M Hotel have here. 

Cafe 2000 will definitely be one of my top choices for buffet now as it offers fresh seafood and have quite a good variety of food! If you are a great fan of Seafood like me and enjoy eating buffets, Cafe 2000 is a must try! Check with them on the privileges and discounts with various major credit card banks!

Lastly, we like to thank M Hotel and Lindy for inviting us for this food tasting. We had a great night chatting with Lindy and stuffing ourselves silly with Seafood! We hope to visit M Hotel again for their other dining specials!

Us and Lindy

Cafe 2000
M Hotel Singapore
81 Anson Road
Singapore, 079908

International Buffet Dinner
Sunday to Thursday, 6.00pm - 10.30pm
S$50++ Adult
S$28++ Child

Seafood and BBQ Buffet Dinner

Friday, Saturday and eve of Public Holidays, 6.00pm - 10.30pm
S$62++ Adult
S$32++ Child

For reservations, please call Café 2000 at 6500 6112 or email to cafe2000.mhs@millenniumhotels.com

Love,

Y