Staycation in Singapore

 

It’s been a while since travels across borders are allowed due to current pandemic situation. My family and I have been reminiscing about our trip to the Land of the Merlion. We took the trip back in 2019 and really enjoyed ourselves as we rendezvous through Singapore’s tourist and local hotpots.
 

We checked into Dorsett Singapore for our trip and was pleasant satisfied with the beautiful hotel and its modern contemporary design. Location was also excellent as the hotel is set above the Outram Park MRT Station, making its easy for us to maneuver around the city through public transportation.
 

Our Deluxe Room had a lovely city view. We requested for an extra bed as well for our little one. Equipped with all essential and a little more of room and bathroom amenities, this hotel is one of the nicer and premium category hotels in Singapore. We stayed 3D2N and was indeed well-rest with the hotel’s premium bed and facilities.
 

Besides the view of the city is lovely and the breakfast option is also very good. Too bad we spent more time touring the city that using the facilities of the swimming pool and other facilities. Maybe we can do that the next round.
 

Searching for a hotel that best caters to your needs are now as easy as it can be. Such websites now offer plenty of options and prices with hotel guest reviews that helps to reiterate your needs on hotel stays.
 
One can also opt to stay at Sentosa Island hotel if you are planning to enjoy Sentosa during your trip there as there are plenty to do on the island itself. In fact, Capella Sentosa Hotel pop-up recently on my social media feeds. Possibly because I have been doing a little travel search on Hotel in Singapore to plan my trips once the borders are open!
 

We visited Singapore’s Science Centre on our trip and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was truly a very knowledgeable experience and we also had a blast taking lots of photos. One of the must- experience at this Science Centre is their Omni-Theatre where we catch the amazing Great Bear Rainforest show in Southeast Asia's first 8K 3D Digital Dome Theatre.
 

There’s plenty to do and one can certainly spent half day to a full day there easily exploring all science displays at the Atrium. Also do check out their Professor Crackitt’s Light Fantastic Mirror Maze, Laser Maze Challenge, E-mmersive Experiential Environments, Butterflies Up-Close, Marine Alcove and more.

While we savored several yummy meals in Singapore, one of our most highlight was in Chinatown in the city. Despite the many choices available there, we settled for Chinatown Seafood and was happy with our choice of their wide range of seafood menu.
 
The restaurant is heavily packed with locals as well as tourist, a good sign that the restaurant does cater to many. Menu is laden with lots of seafood choices as well as meat and vegetable options along with some dim sum.
 

To start off, our Xiao Long Bao was pretty decent, considering this is not a dim sum restaurant. Each dumpling was filled with that delectable hot broth encased in thin skinned and beautifully pleated folds.
 

Little one wanted Fried Rice while I wanted to enjoy Singapore’s Chili Crab! Sufficient to say, both of us were satiated with our choices. Fried Rice had that lovely breath of wok hei with fluffy rice and egg.
 

My Singapore Chili Crab was divine. We couldn’t resist ordering mantao to mopped up that thick and creamy eggy spicy gravy. The crab was also very fresh and sweet. I would reorder this anytime again…
 

Another dish that also won brownie points from us was their Salted Egg Prawn Balls. Utterly sublime, large deshelled prawns were fried and glazed in that umami savory salted egg sauce. Truly worth its price in my books.
 

Our stay in Singapore may be short but it was definitely sweet! Perhaps its now a good time to start planning like me so that we will be ready when the borders open for travels…

ThaiExpress, The Curve Shopping Mall: A Fresh New Look with a Fresh New Menu!

A Great Comeback of Flavors!

Known for their serving of Thai cuisine, ThaiExpress at The Curve Shopping Mall has been around for a bit. Recently, ThaiExpress makes a great comeback to Kuala Lumpur with a fresh new look and a fresh new menu to its only Malaysia outle with a surprise flash mob for its official re-opening. ThaiExpress, owned by the Minor Food Group Singapore, is highly popular in Singapore with a 25 outlets chain in that country and also some internationally.

As I had visited ThaiExpress before, the new contemporary look is a great update to its previous one. Simplicity is the theme and everything is contrasted beautifully with dark wood, cream and orange. The dim lighting in the restaurant offers a nice comfortable ambience to dine in. The menu also was revamped and features a staggering 130 items to diners. We settled in to taste the new menu and discovered a myriad sense of exotic Thai flavors…

Thai Pina Colada – RM7.90

My pina colada is superb! A non-alcoholic version, it is pineapple soda with a scoop of creamy coconut ice cream.

                                          

                                                 

Avocado Milkshake – RM7.90 & Chiang Mai Mango Blend – RM6.90

Tom Yum Talay (Tom Yum Seafood Soup) – RM10.90

Two versions of the classic Tom Yum soups are available here, the clear and the fiery red one. I have already seems to lean towards the clear version but if I can’t get it, the red one is still fine by me. Don’t judge a book by its cover, this one looks really innocent but packs quite a punch in flavors. Intense sourness bumped up with subtle hints of lemongrass and seafood notes, this is really addictive with every spoonful!

Tom Yum Talay (Tom Yum Seafood Soup) – RM10.90

The fiery red Tom Yum is robust with much fieriness of spices and herbs. It also has a good dose of sourness to amp up the flavor. For those who love a great tom yum that is spicy and sour, this one has it all, great depth of the classic rendition of a kick-ass tom yum. Ours was a seafood version else go for the prawn version!

Tom Yum Kang Nam Daeng (Red Tom Yum Crayfish Soup) – RM16.90

A similar red tom yum version except that this one features a luxurious whole crayfish in the soup! Served in a bigger portion, it’s really good enough for at least two diners. The crayfish tasted like a huge prawn and it’s head was bursting with loads of creamy roes. Despite the heat, the crayfish tasted sweet and had a good bouncy texture.

Khao Tang Naa Tang (Thai Rice Cracker served with Special Thai Express Creamy Chicken & Shrimp Sauce) – RM8.90

At first look, the bowl of creamy sauce looked pale except for a drizzle of bright oil. Served with six round pieces of crispy rice cracker, we were told that this is a Thai street favorite. Simply scoop the minced sauce on to the cracker to savor.

It was very savory and creamy at first taste. Then one gets the taste of the aromatic rice cracker with a nice crunchy texture with the sauce. There is some comfort element to the dish with a rustic charm. This one is worth a try!

Roti Krob (Crispy Roti Stuffed with Minced Chicken Salad) – RM10.90

A roti pocket holding a yummy minced chicken salad, this one was better than I expected. The bread is quite fluffy and light with a nice buttery flavor with a spicy tangy chicken larb salad. Makes a great snack or even a meal on its own…

Yum Mamuang (Thai Mango Salad) – RM8.90

Highly popular in most Thai places, the version is fairly good with medium thickness of shredded mango laced in a spicy piquant dressing. Bits of sliced shallots and chili padi kicks up the salad another notch. A bowl of rice would have been the perfect partner for this spicy tangy salad!

Yum Neua  Yang (Beef Salad) – RM15.90

I love this dish a lot! Tender beef slices are lightly chargrilled and dressed in a rustic tangy spicy dressing. Expect lots of flavors from smoky to spicy to sour and finally a nutty note.  I believe I tasted toasted crushed rice in this salad, lending a nice toasty and nutty texture to the salad. I would have gladly hog this whole plate to myself with a bowl of white rice… super yum!

Massaman Chicken Curry with Thai Style Pancake – RM15.90

Creamy, nutty, mildly spicy and redolent of spices, the Massaman curry with chicken and potatoes is great with the pieces of fluffy buttery roti like pancake. The curry flavors are a good indication that it has taken hours of slow braising to achieve a melting pot of spices. This curry is exceptionally nutty from its peanuts and creamy. Not overly spicy, it has a subtle sweet note and goes well with the roti.

Phat Thai Talay (Phat Thai with Seafood) – RM15.90

As famous as our street Char Kway Teow, this Thai version of Phat Thai with seafood is the epitome of Thai flavors. It is a plate of sweet, spicy, sour, savory, nutty and more. Mixed up the crushed chili and peanuts and squeeze on the lime to jazz up the rice noodles and seafood. The noodles also have a decent wok heat, winning many votes from our foodies that day.

Rad Na Tom Yum (Tom Yum Hor Fun with Seafood) – RM15.90

I was caught by surprised in this dish as I did not know the name of the dish while I was trying it. It looked just like the Cantonese Hor Fun at sight but once I had tasted it, it’s just so Thai! The dish has thick wide pieces of rice noodle, hor fun that is gorgeously seared with loads of wok heat and is wondrously aromatic. The thick egg gravy is spicy and tangy, a nice surprise in flavors. It has prawns, squid, mushrooms and fish with some greens.  Beware of little chili padi stingers in the noodles but it is really unexpectedly yummy!

Poo Phat Pong Kari (Rice with Soft Shell Crab, Egg and Onion Curry) – RM19.90

Interesting! I had something similar while I was in Bangkok but the same gravy was cooked with fresh mud crabs. Here, the eggy curry gravy is smothered in crispy fried soft shell crab and served with rice. Absolutely fine by me because I just have to enjoy the whole crispy crab without shelling it! Great creamy egg gravy with a subtle hint of curry spices. The only thing I didn’t quite like was the raw onions on top because I think it overpowers the dish but that is easily remedied. I really enjoyed the pairing of the various textures and flavors in the dish!

Gai Phat Pet Ched Nam Ya (Yellow Ginger Chicken) – RM13.90

We were warned… this dish is not for the fainthearted. Despite the warning, we tucked happily into the dish and felt the spicy sensation creep slowly in our lips. Super spicy, the dish is bursting with gingery essence and spicy heat. Apparently the dish is good to help ‘chase the wind away’ in our bodies. The chicken is tender and is well marinated, rendering great savory flavors besides the spiciness. The regular serving is smaller and comes with rice. If you like strong flavors of ginger and chili, this is the dish for you!

Thai Chendol – RM7.90

An icy concoction filled to the brim with jackfruit slices, chendol strips and chewy flour bits, all soaked in a pool of sweet creamy coconut milk sweetened with Thai palm sugar. It’s quite sweet but a gorgeous treat and ending after a spicy meal!

Khao Niao Mamuang (Sweet Glutinous Rice with Fresh Mango and Coconut Milk) – RM9.90

Ever my favorite Thai dessert, the sweet coconut glutinous sticky rice is a match made in heaven with sweet ripe mangoes.

Lod Chong (Green Emerald Thai Lod Chong) – RM5.90

A dessert quite similar to our very own local favorite Chendol, this one has soft handmade Pandan chendol in sweet coconut milk and topped with tropical atap seeds.

ThaiExpress has definitely made a great comeback! The food flavors are amazing and one really gets a delicious hit of strong Thai essence of sweet, sour, spicy and savory all packed into each dish. Dishes are authentic in flavors too. There are plenty of choices from Thai street food to home-style dishes and even the beverage and dessert list is plenty. Equip with its new ambience, diners will be please to enjoy a scrumptious Thai experience at the new ThaiExpress!

THAIEXPRESS

The Curve Shopping Mall

Ground Floor, G50

Jalan PJU 7/3,

Mutiara Damansara,

 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel: 603 7710 9629

Website: http://www.thaiexpress.com.sg/

La Teh Café: Nurturing Nanyang Legacy with Authentic Southeast Asia Cuisines!

Recently, I spotted a new café just down the road in my neighborhood with a catchy name called La Teh Café. Since I was looking for a place to chow down some grub, I headed there a taste with some friends last weekend!

The whole place had an urban and contemporary ambience with its dark wood interior, beige walls, green hints of plants and traditional sketches and motifs on the wall. I felt it reflected a sense of Malaysian culture in the whole ambience in a modern way.

There also a sense of natural elements in the theme in the whole café that makes me want to hang out there for a nice cuppa with friends! La Teh café is based on the concept of Asian cultures in food and also shares the Nanyang culture of great coffees and teas.

There are lots of pictures of its signature dishes everywhere and since the photos are so gorgeous, it makes me want to order a bit of everything. J

See the traditional posters of our Asian heritage imprinted artistically? I simply adore such art adornment which has a strong meaning to it rather that just looking beautiful.

I found out the even the logo of La Teh was designed to reflect a boat carrying herbs to its destination.

We started off with some interesting looking drinks like the Mojito (RM10.95). A drink full of citrus and mint flavors, it was just refreshing and fulfilling!

This drink caught our attention immensely with the red chili in it! Ginger Branch (RM9.95) had an interesting twist in it and I could taste the citrus, ginger and definitely the chili in it. I love this and have to order this the next time I come. Thumbs up for their drinks as I m so looking forward to also trying many others like Legend of Lemongrass, Legend of Mint Lemon, Lychee with Watermelon and more… J

We spearheaded into our orders of food and were surprise that the portions were big! Lovely and perfect, especially for gluttons like me… as I dislike those small portion food places that simply do not justify the price you pay for in regular cafés. I don’t mind paying if the portion and quality for food is decent for its price! J

Lemongrass Drumstick (RM8.95) is a replica of the infamous Vietnamese sugarcane prawns except this one is perfumed with lemongrass. Juicy and savory with hints of sweetness from the minced stuffing, I adored this on its own even without the chili. Something beautiful to snack on and is simply addictive.

Our order of Vietnamese Cha Gio (RM6.95) or simply spring roll was exceptionally crispy with its lacy netting wrap. One of my fried kept raving about this and also devoured this happily to himself…hehehe.

Gosh, I think it has been almost 4 years since I had a Vietnamese Bánh Mì (RM9.95) since I was not able to find one in KL. So when I saw this on the menu, I was so happy and put in the order with any hesitation at all. Basically, it’s a local Vietnam subs that had the influence of French in the form of the bread and pate. French crispy baguette sandwiched with meat, jalapeno, carrots, cucumber and herbs was pretty decent. It had all the good elements of savory, sour, spicy and sweet from the essence of the Vietnam influence and we love the chips that came with it! I do wish that they have the pickled radish and carrot to make this even more delicious. All the Vietnamese breads come with a glass of icy lemon tea.

A friend of ours orders this delectable looking sandwich, Sandwich with Chicken Ham & Egg (RM7.95). See how stuffed this sandwich is? I didn’t taste this but that fella was satisfied with his sandwich… enough said… J

We couldn’t help ourselves when we spied Sambal Petai Prawns (RM10.95) on our neighbor’s table, so we had one too! Redolent of the quintessential spices, the sambal was spot on as it had strong flavors without being over spicy. Prawns were fresh too.

I personally think there are two fabulous stars among the meal we had and Thai Pad Thai (RM11.95) was one of them. The fried thin kway teow noodles were absolutely fabulous!! The strong present of the four elements of distinctive Vietnamese flavors of spicy, sour, sweet and salty was really amazing. The gorgeous noodles had great wok aroma and was dressed up with amazing textures from raw crunchy beansprouts, minced meat, fresh garlic chives, tofu, peanut, chili powder, sugar and lime. The balance of flavors was amazing and it was pungent in a good way. We had to battle for this dish!!!

We also sampled the Cold Noodle with Chicken Fillet (RM10.95) which also came in an impressive presentation. If you like herbs and salad, you would definitely enjoy this dish. The dish represents the healthier version of noodle salad topped with lots of raw vegetables and herbs and has the Thai sweet, sour and spicy dressing to coat it. Chicken fillets were marinated and grilled to lend the smoky aroma to the salad. You can also have this with beef or vegetables instead of the chicken.

The other star of the menu that stole my ‘stomach’ (wink!) is the Nasi Ketuk with Chicken Rendang (RM16.95). Apparently this is an Indonesian dish and I love the authentic presentation and sight of the gorgeous platter of mouthwatering dishes on it. The blue tinted rice had a very nice fluffy texture topped with bits of shredded meat floss and it well superbly well with the thick spicy gravy of the big piece of chicken rendang. The side shallot oil and belachan chilli is addictive and I would ask for more to go with the fried kangkung leaves, egg, pickled papaya and crispy crackers! The whole combination was just a kaleidoscope of flavors. I must return to order this soon… double thumbs up to the chef!

Here is another version of Nasi Ketuk with Fried Kampong Fish (RM14.95). Equally good but I would suggest asking for some gravy with this. The fried fish was so aromatic when it arrived on our table so you can tell it’s freshly fried. Yum…

The Tomyam Rice Noodle with Giant Prawns (RM18.95) looked good but I didn’t try this as I was too busy walloping Nasi Ketuk & Pad Thai. The giant prawn certainly live up to its moniker as I could see it filled with the prawn roes.

Someone ordered the Thai Olio Olio (RM10.95) that looked quite interesting. I also didn’t taste this one but I heard it was spicy!

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice (RM9.95) was decent. Filled with lots of pineapple cubes, cashews and raisin, the rice was fluffy and had a decent flavor of light hint of spices with tangy sweet pineapples. I like the pickled papaya served with this.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (RM10.95) was a huge portion. The broth was fairly light so I felt it needed a bit more kick. That said… it can be remedied with addition of lime, chili and herbs! Beef was thin and pink so it was quite lovely.

We tried two desserts and found the Mango Jelly with Coconut Cream (RM9.95) to be more creamy and luscious while the Mixed Fruit Jelly with Nata De Coco (RM8.95) to be more refreshing! I also spied Snowflake Fruit Ice and Slurpees for my next adventure with La Teh Café!

Overall, the food here is really valued for money because the portion is fairly big and quality is very good. Small eaters would definitely be able to share a meal here. Service faired good while ambience was spacious and comfortable .There are some amazing dishes there that I would definitely go back for. I also saw their signature Curry Laksa, Satay, Nasi Ketuk with Tandoori, Nasi Lemak Sambal Petai, Crispy Noodle with Giant Prawns and more to try on my next planned visit… Yes! I am already planning my next visit!!

Oct 4^th, 2011

Just found out there is a fabulous deal with Everyday.com for La Teh Cafe!

55% Off Cash Voucher To Enjoy Traditional Southeast Asian Cuisine @ La Teh

Coupon Terms

·         Multiple coupons per bill allowed

·         Walk in available (depends on seats availability)

·         Applicable to all items in the menu

·         Coupons valid from 12th Oct - 12th Dec 2011

·         See Universal Terms that apply to all Everyday Coupons.

Highlight

·         Non-Halal but pork free

·         La Teh is the reminiscent of Nanyang experience

Fabulous Asian food with affordable price! Check out the link here to purchase:

http://www.everyday.com.my/coupons/kl/chasingfooddreams.ec?1798

La Teh Café

30, Block A Plaza Sinar, Jalan 8/38D,
Taman Sri Sinar Segambut,
51200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Phone: 603 6262 1626

Fax: 603 6262 1626

Email: info@lateh.com.my

Website: www.lateh.com.my

Business Hours: Mon - Sun 11.00am - 11.00pm