Monday 25 May 2020

Goldleaf Restaurant – Goldleaf Classic Delivery [MEDIA DROP]

Goldleaf Classic Menu 

Goldleaf Restaurant (‘Goldleaf’), 49 years old-school, family-style Chinese cuisine is ready to deliver their comforting food to your dining room.

We received our delivery of their Goldleaf Classic Menu ($88). To my surprise, the food still lukewarm when it arrived at our place.

Steamed Seabass in Light Sauce. A very good size of seabass, steamed to perfection. The flesh is silky, smooth and flaky. The robust light sauce is a combination of sweet and savoury flavour, sips nicely into the flesh of the fish and accentuate the taste of the fish. Yummy!!

Steamed Seabass in Light Sauce

Japanese Cold Beancurd with Pork Floss. Each ingredient of this cold dish is packed separately. This extra care allows us to enjoy the tofu almost like the condition served in the restaurant. The combination of the thick sauce and pork floss is just delicious.

Japanese Cold Beancurd with Pork Floss

Flower Clam with Ginger & Scallions. It is fresh and tasty, like those you eat in Taiwan. The combination of ginger, onion and jus from the clams is very appetizing. I like it as there is no cut chilli padi in it, though LD disagree with me on this. She like her clam to be spicy.

Flower Clam with Ginger & Scallions

Stir-fried Taiwanese Lettuce. Crunchy, sweet with a touch of bitterness.

Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable. The pork belly has the right proportion of fats in it. The marinate absorbs into the meat and the mei cai (preserved vegetable). The pork belly is succulent, yet it still has a good bite to it. Even the lean mean on the bellow is easy to eat. The seasoning is more of the savoury side. The mei cai is plated at the back to prop up the pork belly. Best eaten with white rice and plain porridge.

Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable

Chye Por Omelette. We kept this for supper. This is one of the Signature dishes in Goldleaf. The chye por fillings are generous and the egg remains fluffy even though we kept it for a while. I think the hole created in the packaging prevent it from getting soggy.

Chye Por Omelette - Top Right

Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Egg. I find this is one of the most underrated dishes, yet one of the most comforting dishes. The pork patty is juicy, succulent and bursting with OINK OINK flavour. I found the saltiness on the salted egg is on the mild side, yet it was offset with the robust flavour in the pork patty. Don’t forget to add the jus on your rice or porridge, as it contains the essence of the pork.

Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Egg

Sweet Potato Porridge x4. The porridge is thick, almost to like congee style. It is very comforting and we enjoyed it for supper.

Sweet Potato Porridge

Overall, Goldleaf Classic set menu offers a generous serving of delicious dishes by Goldleaf. It can easily feed 6 pax instead of 4.

Thank you very much Karen from Goldleaf and Kris for arranging the delivery.
  
Goldleaf Delivery
How to Order:
Call: +65 6346 1088
Email: order@goldleaf.com.sg
Order Platform: 
https://take.sg/s/6583300710
Delivery Fee is $10, islandwide. 
Take Away Menu 1
Take Away Menu 2


Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Media Drop)
Ambiance: N/A (Media Drop)
Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Goldleaf Restaurant
88 East Coast Road
#01-05/06/07 Katong Square
Singapore 423371

T: +65 6344 1735
IG: @Goldleafsingapore
OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.30, 18.00 – 22.00


Friday 15 May 2020

Hotel Review – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit Bangkok

King Superior Room

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit Bangkok ★★★★ (4 Stars Hotel)
18 1 Sukhumvit 26 Alley
Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Krung Thep
Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand

T: +66 2 649 6666
IG: @Doubletreebkk

BTS Station: Phrom Phong.

Room Type: King Superior Room
Stayed: December 2019
Booking: Direct DoubleTree / Hilton Website

Lobby Centrepiece 
  
DoubleTree by Hilton in an upscale property at Hilton Group with more than 500 properties in more than 40 countries. LD and I previously stayed at DoubleTree by Hilton in Johor Bahru and Beijing. So far, the experience has been memorable, we have no qualms of choosing DoubleTree by Hilton (‘DTH’) whenever possible.

 
Concierge 

Location: 9/10
During our work trip to Bangkok, we decide on DTH as it is closer to our meeting place. Located at Sukhumvit SOI 26, which is very central and within a close walking distance to Phrom Phong BTS station. This is the stop for one most happening shopping centre in Bangkok now, EmQuartier which is filled with trendy stores and gastronomic offerings. You also can check out the Emporium mall for a classical shopping experience.

It is one stop away from Thong Lor station, known for its Top 5 Pad Thai in Bangkok and the super famous and delicious Thai Mango shop. Getting to Soi 26 by car is also a breeze, as the location is not as close to the busy street of Sukhumvit road and drivers can go through the small road.

Room: Overall (9/10)
Cleanliness (9/10). Space (9/10). Room Amenities (9/10)

Our initial booking is for King Deluxe Room. Once our booking is confirmed, we received an email that offers us room upgrade to King Superior Room for 255Bath per night. We took it without hesitation.

King Supeiror Room

The differences are:
- Bigger Room 37 sq.m for King Superior compare to 28 sq.m for King Deluxe
- Bath Tub (Yes, we get to soak) for King Superior but not for King Deluxe.
- Espresso Machine for King Superior but not for King Deluxe.

Bath Tub

Espresso Machine

As this is not a newly build property, we notice that there are signs of ageing in reception and the lift going up to our room. Surprisingly, the room looks new and feels young especially with the inclusion of open space wardrobe.

The Shower

The bed is firm with a touch of soft padding on the top. (Bed firmness rating 8/10) The pillows on the bed are huge and good for hugging and when you lay on it, it just cuddles your head nicely.

Bathroom amenities are very good. Toiletries range is selected from Crabtree & Evelyn. I am very picky on my towels. For a 4-star hotel, I expect it to have a standard face, hand and bath towels, just like on offer here.

Toiletries range by Crabtree & Evelyn

Room Entertainment & WIFI (9/10)

The flat-screen TV in the room is around 42 inches, a good size for the room. A JBL alarm clock and Bluetooth speaker is also available for your audio entertainment. WIFI in the room is high speed and cover every inch of the room nicely. I get my work done and even able to do some publishing on my blog without a hitch.

Working Table 

JBL Speaker and Alarm Clock


In Room Dining (8/10)

Offer a good selection of Thai Food, Asian and Western. The Pad Thai is very good, while the Fish Maw Soup is robust and the portion is sufficient for 2 pax.

In-Room Dining - Pad Thai

In-Room Dining - Fish Maw Soup

Breakfast (8/10)

I find the breakfast range is moderate. You get the usual American style breakfast such as eggs, sausages, bacon, bread, muesli, salad and fruits. There is a noodle station for a local dish, but not much to shout about. The chef made a very good effort to design the pancakes. I manage to get the “Garfield” character, this just brings a smile on your face.

Breakfast - Bread, Salad and Yoghurt Stations 

Animated Pancakes

I gave the breakfast rating extra point because DTH served Ice Cream for breakfast. I got to eat my bread and butter pudding with ice cream for breakfast. WOW. The second Hilton Property that I get to enjoy Ice Cream during breakfast.

 
Ice Cream for Breakfast

Bread and Butter Pudding with Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Part of Dining Area


Facilities (8/10)

Walking through the lobby of DTH is like walking through someone personal antique collections. Antique items such as cash register, radios, bicycle and even photography equipment.

Antique Radios as Wall Decor

Antique Cash Register

The property is also equipped with a medium size swimming pool and gym. Too bad it does not offer in-house SPA or collaboration with an external provider.

Swimming Pool
Pool Bar

Since DTH is located back to back with Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, you can dine in the restaurants in Hilton and get the charges billed to your room in DTH.

Part of the Gym

Service (9/10)

Overall, the service staff are very friendly and accommodating. They greet you in traditional Thai greetings, the concierge team are very helpful and even ensure our Grab driver took us to the right location.
 
Part of Waiting Area in Lobby 

Check-in and Check-out process are seamless. DTH also offer express check out. Not forgetting, the warm Signature DoubleTree Cookies are served when we check-in. One for each guest. These cookies are just addictive and taste consistent in every country.

DoubleTree by Hilton Signature Cookie

DoubleTree by Hilton Signature Cookie

Overall: Highly Recommend

DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok is a very good hotel to stay in. The strategic location and accompanies with Signature DoubleTree by Hilton hospitalities. I will surely return here to stay in the future. Till we meet again. Cheers!!



Thursday 7 May 2020

[CLOSED] Hong Jja Jang – Delicious Noodle and Fried Chicken

Jajangmyun at Hong Jja Jang

Hong Jja Jang (‘HJJ’) is a Korean restaurant located in Singapore K-town. It is easily recognised as it sticks up like an accident carnage, where someone drove a bright red 20 (twenty) footer container and leave it there. That aside, we must give credit to the designer that comes out with this eye-catching idea.

The Entrance - Red Container Door

The creativity also reflected in internal décor. It feels very vibrant, KPOP style and funky. Setting the atmosphere, fast-paced KPOP music blaring on the background. The ambiance surely attracts the younger crowd; however, it does not stop this OPPA and NUNA from frequenting this place.

Jajangmyun ($12). The signature dish of this place. Bouncy yellow noodle, topped with the thick, robust black bean sauce. HJJ is very generous with the ingredients and the black bean sauce as you can see by the amount of the chopped onions in the picture. I find the version here is very good, especially I can see a few of cubed pork belly in the sauce.

Jajangmyun

Jajangmyun - Ready to Eat

If you have into anything Korean, you notice that Jjang sauce also goes nicely with rice or fried rice. This is one of the places in Singapore, that offer Jjang Bap. During my previous visit, I was a bit greedy, so I ordered their duo bowl where it has Jajangmyun and Jjang Bap. After that carbo overload, I skip my dinner in the evening.

Duo Bowl - Jajangmyun and Jjang Bap

The usual partner of Jajangmyun is no other than Jjamppong ($14). This Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup uses the same noodle as Jajangmyun. This spicy soup is packed with seafood such as cuttlefish, mussels and prawns. I find the Jjampong is a bit bland, lacking the OMPH factor that will elevate this dish.

Jjamppong

It also come in duo bowl, where you can have Jjamppong together with Jajangmyun.

Jajangmyun & Jjamppong

Next up is the Tangsuyuk ($26 for small, $38 for Large). Korean version of deep-fried sweet and sour pork. I like the way they separate the deep-fried pork and the sauce at the beginning. Therefore, the pork will remain crispy and not become soggy easily. The sauce is a mixture of sweet and sour, with an extra twang in it; however, the pork is only deep-fried to crisp level, not the usual crispy and crunchy that we like.

Tangsuyuk

Fried Chicken ($23 for Half, $32 for Whole). We order the regular fried chicken thinking it comes without sauce version to have the real taste of the fried chicken. Crispy externally and juicy succulent internally. Apparently, we are mistaken on the sauce part. At the bottom of the pan, there was a puddle of sweet sauce. Luckily, it did not cover the whole chicken, so we can try natural flavour and the side with the sauce. They are very yummy and Finger Licking Good chicken!!

Fried Chicken

Mul Nang Myun ($18) Cold Buckwheat Noodles. This dish normally will take a while to serve because they need to cook the noodle first and cool it down with ice, lots of ice. The buckwheat noodles are thin, springy and the ice make it even harder to bite off. However, that is the texture that you are looking for.

Mul Nang Myun

It is accompanied with sliced cucumber, nashi pear and hard-boiled egg. The key is in the broth, that usually made with beef broth, apple cider vinegar and pear juice. This cold robust, sweet and tangy deliver a perfect refreshing noodle. To HJJ credit, their Mul Nang Myun meets all the criteria and we highly recommend it.

Other than the food we ordered above, it seems they are popular for their Budae Jigae (Army Stew), Bossam and Jokbal.

Side Dishes - Evening

Side Dishes - Evening

The variety of side dishes are good, especially in the evening. The yellow pickle, different types of kimchi and Sichuan vegetables. The one that I like most is the mayo pasta salad. It is creamy, crunchy plus al-dente pasta.

Side Dishes - Afternoon

Service is friendly, even though the restaurant is understaffed.

Overall, Jong Jja Jang is a restaurant we can count on if we have a craving for Jajangmyun. The Korean Fried Chicken and Mul Nang Myun are very good as well. Their duo bowl is perfect if you want to try multiple dishes. Can’t wait for our next visit here. Geonbae!! Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25, $26 - $50

Hong Jja Jang
93 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088514

T: +65 6909 6171
F: 
IG: @Hong_Jjangjang
OH: Daily 11.00 – 23.00

Tuesday 5 May 2020

Eng’s East Village – The Best Claypot Rice

Traditional Claypot Rice

Eng’s Char SiewWantan Mee at East Village is the first outlet outside their main shop in Tanjong Katong area. It is also a special outlet, where you can enjoy wantan mee and traditional claypot rice at the same time.

A Story of Claypot Rice

While Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee does not require further introduction (Read my review here), the Traditional Claypot Rice that is intriguing. The head chef in charge for the Traditional Claypot Rice is Ah Ching, who was the former head chef of Geylang Claypot Rice for 20 years before he decided to open his own shop. After a few ventures, he subsequently manages to secure the franchise of Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee and served his signature claypot rice under Eng’s brand at East Village.

Claypot Rice ($7 for Small – 1 pax/ $13 for Medium – 2 pax / $23 for Large – 4 pax). As the rice is cooked from scratch upon order, you can expect 20 to 30 minutes wait, depending on the crowd. Ingredients include old grains, chicken, lap cheong, salted fish and vegetable.

Claypot Rice - Large

The service staff will bring the claypot to your table. He / She will ask you how much dark sauce you want? I suggest start with normal, so you can add it later if it is not enough. The service staff then mixed the rice and the ingredients for you. I am glad that the mixing is done by the service staff, this will ensure the claypot rice is mixed evenly and consistent all the time.

Claypot Rice - Being Mix

The fragrant aroma of the claypot rice is just irresistible. The al-dente rice is coated evenly with sweet dark soy sauce is crunchy. The chicken has a silky exterior, followed with juicy and succulent flesh. Lap cheong and salted fish provided the OMPH, or umami flavour that elevate this classic. Yum Yum!

Claypot Rice - Ready to Eat

For claypot rice connoisseur, you will know the burnt part at the bottom is the best. On top of the solid flavour above, you will get the signature crispy and smoky flavour. This is one of the best Claypot Rice in Singapore. 

How is the wantan mee? We find the wantan mee is on par or slightly better compare to the original outlet in Tanjong Katong. The wantan mee ($4.50 for regular / $5.50 for large) has a nice bouncy egg noodle taste. They are very generous with the pork oil that delivers the OMPH factor in the noodle plus keeping the noodle loose and not sticking with each other.

Dry Wantan Mee - Regular

I like the char siew here because it is fatty, with a crisp exterior that complements the noodle nicely. For the dry version, the wantan is served in the soup. They may be small; however, it delivers a solid pork flavour. LD like the Signature Super Spicy chilli sauce here, as the spiciness and flavour are well balanced.

Dry Wantan Mee - Regular

The Wantan

Don’t forget to get or ask for their pork lard. Who can say no to this!!

The Chillis and Pork Lard

For other side dishes, we tried their Fried Wantan ($4 for 12 pcs, $5 for 16 pcs), Prawn Paste Chicken ($8 for small, $12 for 9 pcs), Stir-fried sweet potato leaves ($7 for small, $9 for large) and Soup of the day ($4).

Fried Wantan - 12 pcs

The fried wantan is crispy, crunchy and filled with the marinated minced pork. It is served with mayonnaise, but I usually without dipping into it as the wantan is tasty enough. The prawn paste chicken is aromatic, crispy externally and succulent internally. The prawn paste is a bit timid for me, I like mine more pungent.

 Stir-fried sweet potato leaves

I suggest you skip the Soup of the day. The last time we try it, it tastes watery. Better stick with their wantan soup.

Soup of The Day

The place is packed and easily filled during lunch and dinner time. The tables are line-up sticking to each other and there is no walking space in between the tables, therefore, you need to have a high tolerance and be friendly with your neighbours. Service is friendly, efficient and accommodating. At least the aircon is strong and you won’t sweat even the place is packed.

Overall, one of the best Traditional Claypot Rice in Singapore / the best Traditional Claypot Rice in East of Singapore. I can get Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee and Claypot Rice at the same place, I am a happy man. Cheers!!

Menu 1

Menu 2

Menu 3

Food & Drinks: 8.25/10
Value: 8.25/10
Service: 7 /10
Ambiance: 6/10
Budget per Person: $0 - $10; $11 - $25

Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee & Claypot Rice
430 Upper Changi Road
#01-09 East Village
Singapore 487048

T: +65 6214 3182
IG: @Engscharsiewwantanmee
OH: Daily 08.00 – 20.00

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