Victor’s Kitchen

Tucked away in the heart of Sunshine Plaza on Bencoolen Street, Victor’s Kitchen has garnered a loyal following over the years. That makes it almost seem like a crime on my part for not featuring them earlier….especially since I’ve been a loyal customer myself. Fans and fans-to-be of Victor’s Kitchen can rejoice, for their dim sum is tasting better each day. During my first few visits, I mentally noted that their har gao (prawn dumpling) filling was succulent and fresh, but the skin was just average taste-wise. However, I revisited them with A today for a farewell lunch of sorts and we ordered their King Prawn Har Gao ($3.50) [***.], Prawn Chee Cheong Fun ($3.80) [****], Fried Spring Rolls ($2) [**.], Chicken Rice ($3) [***], and Steamed Radish Cake ($3) [****.]. The wait was surprisingly short despite it being lunch hour (we were there around 1.15pm). We also discovered that they acquired another unit aside from their 2 adjoining ones (due to their expanding business no doubt), located somewhere to the left of their original unit pictured above.

The prawn chee cheong fun was the first to arrive, and after recently having some from my ultimate favourite Old Airport Road Food Centre stall, my tastebuds detected an improvement in Victor’s Kitchen’s chee cheong fun. Comparatively speaking, the one from Old Airport Road was superior in taste because of its silky smooth skin that is consistently steamed to perfection. That being said, Victor’s chee cheong fun is a close second in my book because of their sizeable and tasty prawn filling. 

The har gao was next with more succulent prawns and even better skin. If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a stickler for quality skin in all my dim sum. And Victor’s aces this portion for their har gao. Another one of my favourites is their steamed radish (carrot) cake pictured below. Soft, melt-in-the-mouth with dried shrimp, lup cheong (dried chinese sausage) and topped with spring onion, this dish tastes even better when paired with their fried chilli-garlic sauce-dip. Make sure you ask for this dip!
 

The fried spring rolls were simple, nothing spectacular…while the Chicken Rice could’ve been better I felt. It was a pity that they ran out of steamed pork ribs too. Although the majority of Victor’s dim sum is mouthwatering and value-for-money, I would suggest sticking to familiar favourites and leaving room for popular items like the Custard Egg Pau for dessert. With all the good dim sum that’s on the menu, I always run out of space before I get to dessert. Won’t happen again for sure. I’ve got my mind set on trying that custard egg pau I’ve heard rave reviews about.

 / No GST and Service Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 9838 2851

Address:
91 Bencoolen St, Sunshine Plaza, #01-21. (next to Prinsep Street)

Opening hours:
10am – 8pm daily
/ Closed Mondays

Dress code: Casual
Buses: 65, 857, 131, 147…

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut

/ image of victor’s kitchen taken from the hungry cow

An Ideal Breakfast.

I woke up this morning after having a really bad dream, and all I could think about was having a good breakfast. I started thinking about breakfasts from all over the world, because my tummy’s really imaginative…it gets this way when I’m really hungry. And so I’ve come up with the ideal breakfast for different people. Introducing…French breakfasts…

Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine: Benedict consists of buttered toast, poached eggs, bacon & Hollandaise sauce. Florentine includes spinach and Mornay sauce is occasionally used to substitute Hollandaise sauce. The Eggs Benedict you see below is from Choupinette.

Prata/Murtabak/Naan: Different Indian flour pancakes served plain with curry, or with meat or fish fillings. For awesome Naan (garlic or butter), head down to Khansama Tandoori Restaurant. Yassin Restaurant 786 over at 945 Serangoon Road (a short walk down from Boon Keng MRT) has fantastic Chicken Murtabaks that come in huge portions…their prata’s great too. 24-hr place. Famous prata-serving areas in Singapore include Thomson, Casuarina, Jalan Kayu, and Little India.

Roti John/Nasi Lemak: Roti John is baguette loaf topped with egg, minced meat, onion & tomato-chilli sauce, while Nasi Lemak consists of coconut rice with ikan bilis, vegetables, and meat. Both are Malay favourites and come in different variations. I’d recommend the Roti John at Serangoon Garden Market Shukor Stall. As for Nasi Lemak, try Changi Village, Bugis, Bedok, Far East Plaza, Geylang Serai…there’s plenty. And every machik (malay for auntie/aunty) serves up a different home-cooked version so it’s tough to decide.

Bee Hoon/Congee/Dim Sum/Chee Cheong Fun/Half-boiled Eggs: Bee Hoon with popular side dishes such as luncheon meat, fried egg, otah or otak-otak (Mackerel paste wrapped in banana/pandan leaves), meat, and vegerables can be found in many hawker centres, coffeeshops, and food courts in Singapore. It’s a popular breakfast among the Chinese, and comes in numerous oily variations – a filling guilty pleasure I must add. Congee, on the other hand, is a healthy Cantonese favourite that’s commonly served with dim sum. Maxwell Food Centre, Hong Lim Hawker Centre, People’s Park Hawker Centre and the other hawker centre next to Smith Street in Chinatown has reasonable to yummylicious congee. Maxwell in particular has 2 stalls competing for customers…and I’d suggest starting your search for congee here.

For affordable and droolworthy Dim Sum, check out Red Star (Blk 54 Chin Swee Rd, #07-23, Tel: 6532 5266 / 6532 5103) or Victor’s Kitchen (91 Bencoolen St, Sunshine Plaza, #01-21, Tel: 9838 2851). I’d say go early for Red Star…as early as possible if you can manage it. Chee Cheong Fun (heavenly steamed rice rolls with meat or seafood fillings) is easily top 5 on my favourite breakfast list. Tuck into the ones at Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun (Old Airport Road Food Centre, #01-155, 8am to 10pm daily), Shun Tuck Cheong Fun (People’s Park Cooked Food Centre, #01-1100), and Alexandra Village Hawker Centre.

Another local favourite that many a Singaporean loves in random kopitiams, hawker centres or chains like Ya Kun or Killiney Kopitiam is….Half-boiled Eggs! Simply drooled with dark soya sauce and pepper…this simple pleasure can cause your cholesterol to shoot sky-high if you don’t stop yourself from ordering seconds or thirds. But who cares? We only live once.

See? There’s more to life than a MacDonald’s breakfast. So get out there and have a good breakfast or brunch…be it savoury crepes, korean pancakes, bacon & eggs, or croissants…try something other than a Mc-anything.

Some images were taken from http://putri-berendam.blogspot.com

Choupinette

Fall in love with the chic Parisian garden cafe, Choupinette, on the corner of Coronation Walk next to Coronation Plaza. Owner Agnes Verrier hails from Provence, France, and she is the woman behind the warm decor you see on your left. She also ensures that your Eggs Benedict’s taste the same over time, for she believes in maintaining high standards for everything Choupinette serves. Their pastries and desserts are all freshly-baked daily, and served on eclectic plates that you’ll want to take home. For those who have heard of Choupinette, they’re known for their flavoured macaroons [****] (a small cookie classically made of almond paste or ground almonds mixed with sugar and egg whites), sold individually at $1.80 per piece. Do try their raspberry macaroon which has a crisp outer shell and a chewy raspberry centre that’ll leaving you wanting more. Some other flavours include passionfruit, strawberry, chocolate, and peach. You’ve been warned: these little poppers are pretty addictive.

Another dessert that I liked was their Tarte aux Fraises [****.] also known as Strawberry Tart ($6.50), which had sweet strawberries paired with a crumbly crust and almond flakes. Between this and Canele’s Strawberry Tart, it was a tough fight…but they’ve both secured a place in my tummy and heart. I’d also recommend Elle & Lui ($6.90) [****], another raspberry treat that’s light and tangy without being sour. For creme brulee fans, you must try Double Plaisir ($6.90) [***.] - a combination of rich dark chocolate topped with a layer of creme brulee. If you’re into cheesecakes, go ahead and take a bite of their White Chocolate Cheescake ($6.90) [****.] which is gloriously light on the cheese, and substitutes the typical cheesecake crumb base with crumbs on the side of the cake instead.

Last but not least, giant Eclairs! [****] They’ve got them in coffee, chocolate, and vanilla….really really great ones too. Although they’re a tad expensive at $5 each, I’d say it’s worth every bite…they’re not mini eclairs after all. For more pictures on Choupinette’s desserts, check out Charlinary.com’s Facebook group page.

/ definition of “macaroon” – © Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

/ No GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel/Fax: +65 6466 0613

Address:
607 Bukit Timah Road, #01-01, Singapore 269708

Opening hours:
Tue – Fri: 9am – 8pm
Saturday: 8am – 8pm
Sunday: 8am – 6pm
/ Closed Mondays

Dress code: Casual
Buses: 66, 151, 154, 67, 77, 74…

The Book Cafe

The Book Cafe is my choice for a lazy breakfast or a nice cuppa on a rainy day. You can curl up with a good book on comfy sofas, check your emails on your laptop, grab some food & drinks…and have a bite. I’ve got friends who have fallen head over heels with the place after I brought them there. This cozy hideout is at the edge of Robertson Quay, away from the maddening crowd. Regulars over here include residents from the area and other fans from around. I must say that they’ve got a rather impressive selection of magazines. They also sell ice-cream from The Daily Scoop at Sunset Way in Clementi! Fabulous stuff.

[above] from left to right: Their Sourdough bread [***.] was a crisply-toasted slice, topped with fluffy egg white (low-cholestoral!), seasonal mushrooms and salad on the side. The sourdough was a tad too dry for my liking, but the mushrooms had a robust flavour that complemented the scrumptious egg white. Next up, a mouthwatering bowl of Salmon Noodle Soup [****], perfect for keeping warm on rainy days. Pieces of fried salmon are hidden in a bowl of flavorsome broth, enriched with a tinge of cooking wine. This is one of my favourites, and I never fail to polish off every last drop of soup. Another favourite of mine is the Chicken Aglio Olio [****] with colourful bell peppers, lime, and other spices. It had just the right amount of extra virgin olive oil, a zesty burst of lime that balanced off the spiciness of the peppers. Yummylicious! Last but not least, we’ve got a hearty steak served with 2 sunny-side ups, fries, and a juioy grilled tomato.

To top it off, their drinks are a must-try too! The strawberry lemonade is an awesome combination of carbonated lemonade and fresh strawberry bits, and their quirky lychee drink makes a refreshing thirst-quencher.

Do drop by this lil cafe while you can, cos great places like this don’t remain hush-hush for long in our sunny lil isle as…

/prices stated not incl. GST (7%) & CESS (1%). No Svc Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 9/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6887 5430

Address:
20 Martin Road
Seng Kee Building, #01-02
Singapore 239070
(near Butter Factory at Robertson Quay)

Opening hours:
Sun-Thu: 8.30am – 10.30pm
Fri-Sat: 8.30am – 12am

Dress code: casual
Buses: 123, 143, 64..
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay Stn (NEL)

Myke’s Oven

This is for all the west-siders who are on a constant search for great chill-out places on your end of town. Let me give you a hint – you can eat a croissant & play cards at this place. This lil nook is named Myke’s Oven, and I found it sometime in Feb 2007. This petit bakery-cafe was first opened on 21 May 2006, by Mike, as he is affectionately known by his customers. What’s special about this place is their HUMONGOUS industrial-size oven that they use to bake everything you see on the shelves, every single day. That thing can bake a person. No, make that 2 persons. I ain’t kidding. I absolutely love this place for a lazy afternoon tea session with friends. Whatever they serve is not only very good, but also very affordable. The only setback I’d say about the place is the lack of air-conditioning. But then again, it would be impractical for them due to space constraints and their desire to create an alfresco laidback feel.

While you’re pondering about what you should eat at Myke’s Oven, I’d suggest you follow your nose and your gut instinct, because you can’t be far wrong. The freshness of their assortment of danishes, croissants, cakes & rolls are never compromised. This was something I observed while dining there – they bake at the start of the day AND during the day. Some of the bestsellers at the shop include their Japanese biscuit tea set ($3.50) [***.], Pandan Chiffon in-a-cup ($1) [***.] and all their croissants! Their tea sets are available from 2-6pm.

Don’t fancy tea specials? Fret not, they’ve got Full-day set meals at only $3.80! You can order a Tuna/Chicken/Egg mayonnaise croissant [****] with a drink. I personally like their chicken mayo croissant – where a perfect balance of sweet & savoury is attained through a combination of sweet pastry, zesty onions and savoury chicken mayonnaise.

++ some images taken fr. http://www.mykesoven.com

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7.5/10
Price – $
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 7.5/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6763 7790

Address:
88 Jalan Jurong Kechil
Singapore 598595
/opposite Toh Yi Estate near Beauty World

Website: http://www.mykesoven.com
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat / 8am – 9.30pm
Sun / 8am – 3pm

*Last order at 9pm.

Dress code: casual
Nearest MRT: Clementi MRT
Buses: 61, 985 & 985W, 157…