Friends Café HK – Classic Cha Chaan Teng Comfort Food

It was our second try to visit Friends Café HK (‘FC’) at Sembawang, and it was more of an unplanned visit as we are waiting to pass time. Our 1st try was thwarted after we saw the queue to get into FC. This time around, it seems the hype has settled and we manage to get a seat easily.

Friends Café HK

From the outside, you will be welcome by the Friends Café signboard in Cantonese, brighten up by the light box with jade green colour as the background. I can’t read Chinese or Cantonese, so I need to rely on LD to confirm the place. Well, for those who do not read Chinese or Cantonese like me, the menu has English as well.

The Menu

Once you enter the shop, you will feel the familiar feel of the place. The décor, starting with mosaic tiles flooring and on the wall, together with the green chairs and steel and wooden table will totally transport you back to the Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong. Those who have never been to Hong Kong, think of those scenes from Young and Dangerous movies, God of Gamblers or any HK shows in the 80s or 90s. Well, the Cantopop music from the 80s and 90s definitely set the ambience of the shop.

Part of the Interior

I start my meal with Beef Balls Brisket Horfun ($7.50). I don’t think I ever tried horfun in HK, most of the time I only order the egg noodle or the instant noodle. The broth is robust and packed with MOO MOO flavour, as you can see from the layer of oil on top. The beef balls are smooth and bouncy, while the brisket is fatty, soft and fork tender. Surprisingly, the horfun is smooth and silky, plus it soaks up the essence of the broth. Totally amazed by this dish and it is a must-order here.

Beef Balls Brisket Horfun

Beef Brisket

Beef Ball

The Horfun

LD starts with the Black Pepper Chicken Chop Set ($8.50). The set is served with our choice of 1 side and toast with butter. For the side, LD choose a fried egg. In traditional HK style, the chicken chop is served on top of a big pile of rice. The black pepper sauce, infused with Worchester sauce generously drizzle on top of the chicken chop and occupied half of the plate. The chicken is well-marinated, thick, yet juicy and succulent. The egg is perfectly cooked, with the yolk oozing out in the middle. Meanwhile, the black pepper sauce just binds all the ingredients together. Yummy!

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

We decided to share another set dish, Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle Set ($8.50). I choose bacon as the side dish plus it is served with toast and butter. For those who never try satay beef HK style, there is no peanut in it. It tasted more like bbq sauce or the beef sauce you find in Hai Di Lau. The beef is tender and soaks up the flavour of the bbq sauce. The instant noodle is al-dente while the light flavour broth allows the flavour of the satay sauce to shine. I feel the bacon is too salty, it just feels alien on the dish. I should have ordered luncheon meat instead.

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

The toast is slathered with lots of butter; however, I was not sure how to enjoy it as we already have lots of carbos. The solution present itself when the Curry Fish Ball ($4.50) arrived. From the look, I can tell you the fish balls are different from HK version but the curry taste is the same. The HK fishball is about the size of a quail egg and dense, while the SG fishball is bouncy, airy and bigger. I prefer the SG fishballs. While LD and I finished the fishballs, I decided to polish the curry using the toast.

Curry Fish Ball

Toast with Butter

Toast with Curry Sauce

For the drink, I have the cold Homemade Milk Tea ($3.50) and LD ordered Cream Soda ($2). FC made their cold milk tea in big batches, bottled it and put them in the fridge. They are smooth, silky and packed with signature HK tea flavour.

HK Milk Tea

Cream Soda

Since we are waiting for time to pick someone, we decided to order desserts. Fish Meat Siew Mai ($3.50) and French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50). Although the size looks small, the fish meat siew mai is tasty and bouncy. The texture totally reminds me of the HK version of fish ball, but it is steam instead of deep fried.

Fish Meat Siew Mai

Of all the dishes that we tried that day, the French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50) was disappointing. The temperature of the oil is not hot enough, allowing the oil to sip into the middle section of the bread. The exterior is not crispy and the peanut butter was ruined by the oil in the bread. Hopefully, they can improve on the French Toast.

French Toast

Peanut Butter Fillings

Service on the day was friendly and attentive. Luckily, you will not get the Signature HK stern and bo chap (‘I don’t care’) service here.

Overall, it was one of the best HK café experiences that we have had in Singapore. LD gave the Chicken Chop Rice two thumbs up, while I enjoy the Beef Ball Brisket Horfun and Satay Beef Instant Noodle. The HK Milk tea is good and the creamy soda drink is just a nostalgic HK drink. Hopefully, we have more chances to visit them in the future and enjoy the classic HK comfort dishes. Cheers!!

PS: I saw FC posted their homemade Bolo Bao with Butter on Facebook. Looking forward to trying this in the future.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Friends Café HK

60 Springside Walk

#01-18, The Brooks 1

Singapore 786020

T: +65 8621 1125

F: https://www.facebook.com/friendscafehk

IG: @_friendscafehk_sg

OH:

Daily 11.30 – 20.30

Famous Kitchen – Usher in The Year of The Ox [MEDIA INVITE]

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng

Usher in The Year of the Ox with The Famous Kitchen (“TFK”). A casual family-style restaurant specialising in Nanyang cuisine located in Sembawang. There are 4 different Chinese New Year set menu available this year, Sapphire, Jade, Crystal and Diamond. Each set menu also comes with the choice to include Exclusive Auchentoshan Three Wood 70cl Gift Pack.

The Famous Kitchen CNY Set Menu

For this Media Tasting, we sample the Jade Set B Menu, upsize to 8 pax. For those who like to include Exclusive Auchentoshan Three Wood 70cl Gift Pack, you can opt for Jade Set B1 menu.

Exclusive Auchentoshan Three Wood 70cl Gift Pack

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng (鸿运三文鱼捞生). The version at TFK leans toward the traditional version. The long-shredded vegetables are fresh and crunchy, topped with 2 plates of huge salmon sashimi. The combination of the plum sauce and candied winter melon are very sweet, I suggest you use only half of the plum sauce first, then added some more after tasting if needed.

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng - The Toppings and Sauce

Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Crabmeat and Dried Scallop Soup (干贝蟹肉鱼翅羹). Thick, bold and robust. The shark fin and scallops are very generous, the umami flavours just shine through the soup.

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Crabmeat and Dried Scallop Soup 

Hong Kong Style Steamed ‘Live’ Marble Goby with Superior Soya Sauce (港蒸‘活’笋壳鱼). The freshness of the fish is a testament of ‘Live’ Marble Goby is used in this dish. The flesh is firm, yet juicy and flaky. The amount of soy sauce used just right, to accentuate the flavour of the fish. LD and I like the crispy ginger on top of the fish, that provide a different texture to the dish.

Hong Kong Style Steamed ‘Live’ Marble Goby with Superior Soya Sauce

Hong Kong Style Steamed ‘Live’ Marble Goby with Superior Soya Sauce

Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw & Mushroom (红烧花菇海参鱼鳔). One of my favourite Chinese luxury ingredients, sea cucumber. It has a crunchy exterior, followed with a tender and juicy interior. The whole mushroom is plump and juicy, filled with robust gravy. Buried by the sea cucumber and mushroom are the fish maw, the sponge-like texture absorbs the gravy nicely.

Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw & Mushroom 

Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw & Mushroom 

Double Boiled Herbs ‘Kampung’ Chicken (御膳药材炖甘榜鸡). Cooked in the same style as traditional Cantonese double-boiled soup, this allowed the chicken to absorbs the Chinese herbs while retaining its flavour. The flesh of the chicken is fork-tender, while the skin is silky and smooth. The crunchy broccoli provided a contrasting texture to the dish, while the gravy definitely goes well with a bowl of white rice. Yum Yum.

Double Boiled Herbs ‘Kampung’ Chicken

Wok-Fried Tiger Prawn with Tea Leaf (茶香焗老虎虾). Crispy tiger prawn coated with caramelised sweet and savoury sauce. The flesh of the prawns is firm and bouncy. Not forgetting, the uni like texture at the head of the prawn goes nicely with the sauce. Although I can’t taste the tea flavour in the dish, I can smell the aroma when the dish was brought to the table.

Wok-Fried Tiger Prawn with Tea Leaf 

Stir-Fried E-Fu Noodles with Straw Mushroom (锅烧草菇伊面). Smooth and slippery noodle infused with good soy sauce and stock. The beansprouts add a crunchy texture to the dish, while the mushroom adds that bouncy feel and earthy flavour to this dish.

Stir-Fried E-Fu Noodles with Straw Mushroom

Water Chestnut with Snow Fungus & Egg White (百花雪茸马蹄露). A sweet and eggy flavour to end the banquet. This dessert comes with two different types of crunchiness; crunchy and bursting with juice from the water, and crunchy and springy from the snow fungus. One of my favourite Chinese Tong Shui.

Water Chestnut with Snow Fungus & Egg White

Overall, it was a sumptuous CNY meal from TFK. The Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Crabmeat and Dried Scallop Soup, Double Boiled Herbs ‘Kampung’ Chicken and Hong Kong Style Steamed ‘Live’ Marble Goby with Superior Soya Sauce are my pick for this CNY set meal.

Prosperous Set Menu

When: Available from 27 Jan to 25 Feb 2021.

*New Year’s Eve, 11 Feb: Seating at 12.00, 17,00 and 19.30

**New Year Day 1 & 2, 12 Feb & 13 Feb: Seating 11.30 – 14.30, 17.30 – 22.30. (Prosperous Ala Carte Menu available on 12 & 13 Feb).

Where: The Famous Kitchen

For Reservations & Takeaway:

- Call 8128 7900 / 6636 8333/ 6257 1843

- Email: email fkreservation@singnet.com.sg

The Famous Kitchen CNY Ala Carte Menu

Thank you very much, Jennifer and The Famous Kitchen Team for hosting us.

Food: 7.75/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 & Above

The Famous Kitchen

54 Sembawang Road

#01-01 Hong Heng Mansions

Singapore 779085

T: +65 6636 8333 / 6257 1843

W: http://famouskitchen.sg

F: https://www.facebook.com/famouskitchensg 

IG: @Thefamouskitchen

OH: 11.30 – 14.30; 17.30 – 22.30 Daily.

Sembawang Claypot Rice – Traditional Taste

Claypot Rice (Medium)

A quick search for the best Traditional Claypot Rice in Singapore, Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice (‘STCR’) will usually come out in the top three. Located in the “hidden” food street of Sembawang, this restaurant has perfected their original recipes from the 1980s and become a household name in traditional claypot chicken rice in Singapore.  

Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice

Claypot Rice ($8.80 for S, $13.80 for M, $19.80 for L). There was seven of us, so we initially ordered the large version. It took them about 20 minutes to be served. Nice colourful presentation. The chicken looks well marinated, good portion and chunks of salted fish (the pale colour one).

Claypot Rice (Large)

For those uninitiated with STCR, don’t be surprised if the service staff just serve the claypot rice and leave it to the diners to mix it on their own. If you never do before, here is how Chubby Botak Koala did the mixing. 

1. Take a photo first (you can skip this part) 
2. Take out all the toppings, but gently set aside those precious chunks of salted fish.
3. Generously squeeze a few rounds of their premium dark soy sauce. 
4. Evenly spread the chunks of salted fish and start scraping and folding the rice form outer part to inner part. Remember to use the big metal spoon, not the plastic ones. 
5. Once the brown colour of the sauce evenly coated all the rice, tossed back the rest of the toppings and to one more stirring. 
6. Your claypot rice ready to be eaten. (Take a photo again)

While I was stirring the rice, I can smell the smoky aroma. The chicken is juicy and succulent even for the breast meat, while the rice is al-dente, fragrant and infused with the pungent flavours of salted fish. The Chinese sausage introduced a sweet and chewy texture to the rice, while the bitterness from the vegetable balance the sweetness of the dark soy sauce.

Claypot Rice after Mixing

After the first round of serving, you can start scraping the burnt rice. This crispy section secret behind a delicious traditional claypot rice. This also shows the rice is cooked from scratch. The crispy texture and the slightly burn aroma, mixed with sweet soy sauce is just yummy. Of course, if you can spread a bit of the salted fish on it, it will be even better. We ordered another medium size of the claypot rice as the large one was not enough.

The Sauces

While we are waiting for the claypot rice above, we were served the rest of the dishes that we ordered first.

Jin Do You Tiao ($10.80). Fried you tiao filled with sotong paste. It is crispy, tasty and packs with generous fillings of sotong paste. It is tasty enough to eat on its own or dip with mayonnaise.

Jin Do You Tiao

Da Lu Mian ($9.80 for Large). STCR version of KL Hokkien Mee. The noodle is thick, bouncy and crunchy. The dark sauce is sweet and robust, nicely accompanied the “wok hei” filled dish. The pork lard topping is just so addictive.

Da Lu Mian

Sausage Omelette ($8.80). I decide to order this dish as lap cheong filling is not very common. The omelette is fluffy, not salty. The lap cheong fillings is generous, allowing it to be evenly spread in every part of the Omelette.

Sausage Omelette

Sesame Oil Chicken ($12.80). Served pipping hot, the ginger and spring onion cover most of the top part. The chicken is juicy, succulent and absorbs the fragrant and robust sauce very well. The chicken parts consist of breast and thigh, it will be better if they only use the dark cuts of the chicken, no chicken breast.

Sesame Oil Chicken

San Huang Spinach ($12.80) or known as three-egg spinach. The spinach is covered in silky smooth egg, sparked by the flavours of the broth, salted egg and century egg.

Service is efficient, but not the friendly type. As I mentioned before, you need to mix the claypot rice on your own. This is kind of a minus point for me as each person do it differently, the taste delivered will be inconsistent. The service staff should be the one mixing it for you. Décor is simple, fuss-free.

Overall, the claypot rice here is worth the trip to Sembawang area, even if you travel from Jurong. The rest of zhi char dishes is good, you will have enjoyed the food here. A gem in Sembawang. Cheers!!

Food: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice

4 Jalan Tampang

Singapore 758948

T: +65 6757 7144

F: https://www.facebook.com/sembawangclaypotrice/

IG: @Sbwtraditionalclaypotrice

OH: Daily 11.00 – 22.00

Famous Kitchen – Usher in The Year of The Rat [MEDIA INVITE]

Caramel Prawn @ Famous Kitchen

Celebrate this year Chinese New Year with Nanyang cuisine from the Famous Kitchen. The culinary team at Famous Kitchen has curated prosperous set and ala carte menus guaranteed to gratify your taste buds.  

The Prosperous Set Menus include Sapphire, Jade, Crystal and Diamond available until 10 February 2020. For this tasting session, we tried Famous Kitchen Sapphire Set A (S$488 ++ for 8 diners).

Prosperity Salmon ‘Yu Sheng’

The feast begins with Prosperity Salmon ‘Yu Sheng’ (七彩三文鱼捞生). Fresh, crunchy, well balanced and appetizing Yu Sheng. The sweetness of the plum sauce is just right, with a mild tartness allowing us to eat the Yu Sheng without feeling overwhelmed.

Prosperity Salmon ‘Yu Sheng’

Prosperity Salmon ‘Yu Sheng’

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup (海味鱼翅羹). Solid, robust, thick and packs with umami flavour broth paired nicely with crunchy shark fin. The gelatinous fish maw provided a delicious contrasting texture in this soup. I had mine without the black vinegar as the shark fins do not have any fishy taste in it.

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup - The Shark Fin

Braised Shark’s Fin Soup - The Fish Maw

Braised Sea Cucumber with Beancurd and Mushroom (白玉菇豆包海参). Sea cucumber, one of my favourite ingredients in Chinese cuisine. The sea cucumber is crunchy yet bouncy at the same time. The gravy is robust, with intense flavour and clings on the broccoli. The mushrooms and carrots complement the texture and flavours nicely in this dish.

Braised Sea Cucumber with Beancurd and Mushroom 

Braised Sea Cucumber with Beancurd and Mushroom 

For the fish dish, the Sapphire Set A will be serving Steamed Marble Goby with Soya Sauce (名食煮顺壳). Meanwhile, for the tasting, we tried Steamed Fish with Preserved Vegetables on Hot Plate ( 招牌铁板酸菜蒸鱼 – available on normal ala carte menu, seasonal price).

Steamed Marble Goby with Soya Sauce

The Marble Goby fish is covered with salted vegetables, chilli padi, pork belly and delicious thick gravy. Though the salted vegetables are strong in flavours, it compliments the fish nicely instead of overpowering it.

Steamed Marble Goby with Soya Sauce

The Sapphire Set A will be serving Herbal Chicken (发财富贵鸡). For the tasting, we tried Oven-Baked Volcano Chicken (available on normal ala carte menu, $58++ for a whole chicken, advanced order required).

Oven-Baked Volcano Chicken

This chicken dish sure knows how to make a grand entrance to the table. Standing upright, the chicken is doused with hard liquor (whiskey, rum or rose wine) and set alight. It created a superb WOW factor, looks like a phoenix on fire and the fragrant aroma of the burning alcohol is very appetizing.

Oven-Baked Volcano Chicken

Once the show is over, it is brought back to the kitchen to be chopped. The skin is lightly crisp, while the flesh is juicy and succulent, especially the breast part. To accompany the chicken is ginger and spring onion paste, which complement the chicken nicely.

Caramel Prawn (雪花焦糖虾). The gigantic tiger prawns are fried to perfectly crisp and coated with caramel sauce. The skin is crispy and the prawn legs are nice to bite on. The flesh is crunchy and bouncy. The umami sweet and savoury sauce is irresistible, I can finish a bowl of rice with this dish alone. The best dish of the night.

Caramel Prawn

Caramel Prawn

Fried Rice with Waxed Meat Wrapped in Lotus Leaf (腊味荷叶饭). A subtle ending for the savoury dishes. The rice is aromatic filled topped with generous fillings of lap cheong and pork belly. The surprising part is that the lap cheong does not taste salty, but more like Taiwanese cocktail sausage for steamboat. After the bold flavour of the caramel prawn, this dish actually tastes a bit bland.

Fried Rice with Waxed Meat Wrapped in Lotus Leaf

Soya Bean Ginko Nuts with Snow Fungus (豆浆福果雪耳). Nice soya base dessert, accompanied with crunchy the texture of the snow fungus. The sweetness and subtle creaminess of the soya gave this feast a nice ending. Yummy.

Soya Bean Ginko Nuts with Snow Fungus

Overall, it was a delicious reunion dinner meal that LD and I enjoyed. Our personal picks are Braised Shark’s Fin Soup, Braised Sea Cucumber and Caramel Prawn. Cheers!!

Usher in the Year of the Rat with Famous Kitchen

When: 10 January to 10 February 2020.

Where: Famous Kitchen

For Reservations, order and inquiries:

Call +65 6636 8333 / +65 6257 1843

Email: famouskitchen@singnet.com.sg

Chinese New Year Set Menu and Ala Carte is listed below

Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and Famous Kitchen Team for hosting us.

Food: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 & Above

The Famous Kitchen

54 Sembawang Road

#01-01 Hong Heng Mansions

Singapore 779085

T: +65 6636 8333 / 6257 1843

W: http://famouskitchen.sg

F: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Famous-Kitchen/230526703625455

IG: @Thefamouskitchen

OH: 11.30 – 14.30; 17.30 – 22.30 Daily.

Chinese New Year Menu 

Set Menu - Sapphire Set A 

Set Menu - Jade Set B

Set Menu - Crystal Set C

Set Menu - Diamond Set D

Ala Carte Menu - CNY 25 & 26 January 2020 P1

Ala Carte Menu - CNY 25 & 26 January 2020 P2