Sunday 21 July 2013

Ban Mian @ Yumen Hut

 Seafood Ban Mian



Must try their Honey Aloe Vera!
(Photo taken from Yahoo images)

Assalamu'alaikum everybahdy!

I wasn't really a fan of Ban Mian in the first place. I didn't even know what was Ban Mian all about! I was with my friends and I remember the convo went like this:

Friend: Juwi, where do you wanna eat?
Juwi: Anything also can
Friend: Want to eat ban mian?
Juwi: Ape tu? (What's that?)
Friend: JUWI, YOU TAK TAHU BAN MIAN TU APE? (Juwi, you don't know what is ban mian?)

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

First, we were in the East, an area I am so not familiar with. My wonderful friends, Sharifah and Afiqah introduced me to this place. We were famished after a newspaper collection and all we wanted was food. And some thirst-quenching drinks too! So we went to this small yet amazing eating place in Downtown East E-Hub.

It was love at first bite.

I fell in love with my first Ban Mian and I never looked back eversince.

Chey.

Anyhoo, yup I keep coming back to Yumen Hut for a delicious bowl of Ban Mian. I live in the West for more than two decades now and it is such a shame I only found out about this place after so many years. Boohooo :(

Yumen Hut (just opposite BBQ Chicken)
1 Pasir Ris Close #02-113
Downtown East E-Hub
Tel: 6581 5191


Review of food
My favourite is the Seafood Ban Mian. In essence, a bowl of Seafood Ban Mian contains Ban Mian noodles,  seafood (generous strips of sliced fish, some squids and prawns) and egg (don't break the yolk!) in the soup. It is heavenly, really. The reason why I love it so much is because the noodles is cooked to perfection! The noodles were cooked well; not too springy or too stiff. Not forgetting the generosity of the seafood... Mmmm yummy! The soup tastes really good you wanna lick right to end of it! Okay that's gross but you get my point hehe. The soup is not bland, probably cooked with some broth. The soup looks rather simple but it is certainly healthy! When served warm, a bowl of Seafood Ban Mian is a right mix of ingredients, texture and taste. Oh and it is definitely perfect for rainy days!

They also serve you a small bowl of salted anchovies and also CHILLI PADI. Seafood Ban Mian is not very spicy to begin with. Normally, I add just a bit of chilli padi for some spiciness in my noodles. The chillis is definitely for those who like a little spice in their noodles while the salted anchovies help to make the soup more salty and also as something crunchy to bite on :D

Oh yes, this bowl of healthy Ban Mian is to-die-for! *jumps around in excitement* Time for a break from all the greasy chickens and the endless glucose intake! Hehe I am definitely guilty of that..............

Other than Seafood Ban Mian, Yumen Hut has a variety of noodles for you to choose from! If you're allergic to seafood, you can opt for Chicken Ban Mian as well :) There are also other types of noodles such as You Mian (a thinner version of Ban Mian), Kway Teow, Pumpkin Noodle, Laksa, Crispy Noodle, Spinach Noodle etc. 

If you love innovative noodles, Yumen Hut is definitely a place to go! It is one the few places to get delicious and most importantly HALAL Ban Mian :D We've (or just myself at least) been missing out on some good noodles for so many years..................

Oh, be extra careful with the noodles please! You don't want to scorch your tongue, do you?

About the drinks menu. Rather typical and nothing exceptionally interesting, but their Honey Aloe Vera is a must-try! A great thirst-quencher that will freshen your throat and goes along well with a bowl of noodles. The drink has the right amount of sweetness! It is served cold and soothes the throat. There are also tiny aloe vera bits to chew on which makes the drink taste really good and refreshing! Aloe vera and honey are known for their health benefits and uh huh, it's the perfect healthy drink! :D

Ambience & Service
Yumen Hut is not a very big restaurant. It is small and can only accommodate a few. There are times where my Food Buddy and I had to stand aside and wait for an empty table for a while. Hence, avoid the weekend nights yeah! I've never been there during weekdays (my house is at the other extreme end lah that's why) so I don't exactly know how's the crowd like but I assume it is less packed as compared to weekends. The ambience is pretty simple and comfortable. Nothing fancy or extravagant. It feels like...... home. Really. Very localized, I must say. Service is alright too! Efficient and you don't have to wait exceptionally long for your noodles to be served.

Budget (for each person)
$6-7 for a bowl of delicious noodles and a drink. Rather cheap to me! Yay!

Must-try
Seafood Ban Mian and Honey Aloe Vera

Recommended for
Those of you who love noodles, especially Ban Mian!

Nearby praying areas

1) Musollah @ Downtown East
  • Musollah is located just behind the seafood restaurant at Asli Village. Walking distance from Yumen Hut so hopefully you'll get to pray on time, insyaAllah :)
2) Al Istighfar Mosque
  • Take bus 5 or 89 from the bus stop at Downtown East and alight 4 stops later. 



That's all from me today, folks! Less than two hours left till break fast, hence happy break fasting in advance from me! :D

Thursday 18 July 2013

Nandos Bagos!







Assalamu'alaikum everyone! Ready for some chickens? :D

Well, Nando's Singapore is halal (finally!) only recently. Our Malay/Muslim majority neighbour has halal Nando's for quite some time already. Now it's our turn to have finger-licking-good, Islamically-slaughtered chickens! Heh heh.

We went to the outlet at Jcube. Easily accessible and of walking distance from Jurong East MRT Station. There are also other outlets spread across the country so fret not! Delicious chickens are EVERYWHEREEEEE!

And if you think KFC is the best chicken you've ever tasted, well think again! Hopefully, Nando's will change your mind ;)

Check out Nando's website at http://www.nandos.com.sg/ for their full menu and restaurant outlets etc. Their website is really cute and cool! I like!

Review of food
You can purchase the Peri-Peri chicken in sizes: either 1/2 chicken, 1/4 chicken, chicken wings etc. Alternatively, there are three types of platter which I feel is more worth it as it includes sides and drinks as well: Meal Platter (for 2 people), Full Platter (for 2-3 people as they give you more sides) and Jumbo Platter (for 4-6 people). My Food Buddy and I were starving pretty badly so we bought the meal platter which is suitable for 2 people to share. The Meal Platter consists of 1 whole chicken, either 1 large or 2 regular sides, and 2 soft drinks. Now, you must be thinking how on earth did 2 people finish one entire whole chicken all by themselves? Trust me, it is possible indeed!

You have to choose the level of 'heat' for your chicken. Ranging from the least spicy to the most spicy, the levels consist of Lemon & Herb Peri-Peri, Mild Peri-Peri, Hot Peri-Peri and Extra Hot Peri-Peri. We chose...... HOT PERI-PERI. It is real gooooooooood. Even for someone who can't take chilli so much, the Hot Peri-Peri level is not so bad actually, It is spicy and syiok but still manageable in a way. Hehe. The chicken is cooked well. The inside is tender and succulent, while the outside is marinated well with their specialty Peri-Peri sauce. This unique blend of sweet and sour flavours are sure to tingle your taste buds! If you have 'lidah melayu' (translation: Malay's tongue which essentially means you can take in even the spiciest of food like chilli padi!), you should definitely go for Extra Hot Peri-Peri level ;)

Other than the chicken, you can choose your sides! The sides available are Chips, Coleslaw, Potato Wedges, Corn, Garlic Bread, Spicy Rice and Mediterranean Rice. We chose Chips and Spicy Rice. Well, Chips are basically fries. I have to say that the Spicy Rice as a side dish is not bad actually! The Spicy Rice is almost like fried rice (albeit less oily), contains some spices in it and tastes well with the Hot Peri-Peri chicken.

All in all, the Meal Platter is really goood! Who says two people can't finish a whole chicken? :p

And the designer drinks are a must-try as well! Basically they are fizzy fruit drinks like mocktails. There are many flavours for you to choose from too! Crimson Cola, Madeira Red, Rosa Fresca, Sparkling Apple.... Just to name some!

Ambience & Service
I must say that the ambience is amazing! Very nice to lepak. Hehe. Oh it can get quite cold and chilly though since the location of the restaurant is very near to the ice skating rink! We sat at the table closest to the ice rink so we were shivering a lil bit halfway through our meal. As if it's winter season in Singapore. Feeling feeling je. Hehehe. The service is efficient as well! We didn't have to wait for so long for our platter to arrive. Perhaps we were there during a weekday afternoon and the restaurant wasn't packed with customers. Jcube is usually very congested during the weekends, hence may I suggest that you avoid the weekends and come on a weekday if possible, yeah?

Budget
The Meal Platter for two costs $43. Not forgetting the service charge and GST, hence we had to pay more than $50 for our meal actually. Pretty costly huh! So unless you are one rich kid, personally I feel Nando's is like more of a luxury food for one to enjoy occasionally or during some special event or something :)

Must-try
Hot Peri-Peri Chicken and the designer drinks!

Recommended for
Chicken lovers ;)

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Al Mukminin Mosque

  • Take bus 52, 98, 105 or 183 from Jurong East Interchange and alight after 2 or 3 stops, depending on which bus you take. The mosque is nearby and you can actually walk there too!



Alright, that's all from me, folks! Oh ya, any Ban Mian lovers out there? Stay tuned for my next post, okay! :D

Selamat berbuka puasa in advanced, everybody! What are you having for iftar? I am having chicken rice hehe! I love you, chicken! Mwah!

Monday 15 July 2013

On-the-go Cakes by Wheebake

Left: Salted Caramel Brownie
Right: Violet Velvet
Left: Banana Nut Crunch
Right: Red Velvet Chocolate/Nutella
Upclose!

Assalamu'alaikum everyone! How's Ramadhan so far? :)

Just a quick post before break fast... Do you have a sweet tooth? This post is for you!! Well, I know I have a sweet tooth. Hehe.

It's On-The-Go Cakes by Wheebake! Check out Wheebake on instagram (http://instagram.com/wheebake) and the #onthego hashtag :) Best thing is...... it's halal!

I've tasted Salted Caramel Brownie, Violet Velvet, Red Velvet Chocolate ('RVC' for short) and Banana Nut Crunch. My personal favourites are Salted Caramel Brownie and RVC. The Salted Caramel Brownie is really good but it can get a bit too sweet due to the thick amount of cream and caramel in it. But I love it! About the RVC, well, I love anything to do with Red Velvet!  So, Red Velvet, Cream Cheese AND CHOCOLATE? It is the perfect addition ever! Wheebake uses nutella for the RVC and I really love the rich taste :)

Violet Velvet and Banana Nut Crunch taste good but they are not really to my liking. I am not really into cakes with fruits actually as personally, I don't really fancy chocolate and fruits (or fruit-flavoured cream even) being put together. They are a tad too sweet and too overwhelming for my taste buds :( But hey! Everyone has a different level of tolerance and our taste buds vary. If you like having fruits + chocolate put together in a cake, well you should give it a try! :)

One great thing about these on-the-go cakes is definitely the generous amount of cream and chocolate in it. The cakes are soft and not too dry yet not too moist either. Each on-the-go cake costs $4.50. 

These cakes are literally on-the-go! Wheebake is an online business on instagram (they call it 'instashop' I think) but sometimes, on-the-go cakes are available at Orang Orang Coffee House at certain timings of the day. You must get them fast before they are sold out! I am not kidding. The cakes sell like hot cakes and customers usually arrive at the place even earlier than the stated timing. I always cab there so that I won't miss them hehe! The cakes are sold out within several minutes, especially the more popular flavours. So do keep a lookout at Wheebake's instagram for the timings and the FOTD (Flavours Of The Day), okay? :D

I've yet to taste other flavours such as Rainbow, Chocolate Cheese Crunch, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Blueberry, Chocolate Paddlepop, Army Velvet, Horlick Malts, Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate Melts (placed in very cute-looking heart-shaped containers! Perfect for your loved ones!) and many many many more!

*Warning: Excessive chocolate might make you really HIGH.

Wheebake also takes orders for bigger cakes! Check out their instagram photos and email wheebake@gmail.com for enquiries.

You can get your on-the-go cakes at:
Orang Orang Coffee House
Blk 134
Bukit Batok West Avenue 6

Whatcha waitin' for? Add some glucose into your system today! ;)


Wednesday 10 July 2013

Across the sea: Halal food in Vientiane, Laos

Assalamu'alaikum everybodehhhh! First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every one of you for visiting this humble food blog of mine despite my less frequent updates nowadays. Thank you! :)

Okay so as I promised, here is a post regarding several halal food outlets in Laos that my team went during our trip recently. These halal restaurants are located in Vientiane which is the capital and largest city of Laos.

First up (and my most favourite actually heehee) is......

Nazim Restaurant









The egg thosai is soooo good! (This very unprofessional photo does no justice)
Delicious Fish Fillet; made of fish and perhaps some mashed potatoes with spices added on the inside but crispy on the outside!

Nazim Restaurant is actually recommended by a Pakistani who have been living in Vientiane for decades. We met him after our visit to the mosque since he lived right in front of Vientiane Jamia Mosque. And well, his taste buds are awesome :) This restaurant is, hands down, my favourite halal restaurant in Vientiane. The Indian food is really the best food I tasted during the trip! Nazim Restaurant offers a vast menu of Indian cuisine. So for all you curry lovers, this restaurant is definitely for you!

Check out their website for details of their four outlets all across Laos: http://www.nazim.laopdr.com/

P.S. It is known fact that most halal restaurants in Laos serve beer (especially locals' favourite Lao Beer) and wine in their outlets to attract both tourists and locals alike, but other than that, the food and drinks they serve are halal and alcohol-free. So no worries! :)


Review of food

The Mutton Briyani is great! The mutton was soft and tender while the rice is perfectly cooked as well. Oh, the curry adds ooommph to the briyani taste! I LOVE IT :) Other than the briyani, the naan is awesome! If I remember correctly, it was Butter Naan with Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Shai Korma (as shown in the photos above) and they are heavenly! What I like and miss most is their Fish Fillet actually. Unique fried food with a typical Indian taste in it :)

Other than the food, the drinks menu is extensive as well. You'll be spoilt for choice!


Ambience & Service

Clean, neat and air-conditioned place. Alternatively, you can choose to dine outdoors too! Service wise was fine too. A bit slow to me, but perhaps I was getting impatient since I was starving! ._. HEH. But well you know what they say.... Good things (food) come to those who wait! ;)


Budget (for each person)

50 000 kip is enough I guess. But if you wish to order more dishes, of course you need more kips!


Must-try

Seriously everything aforementioned :)


Recommended for

Hungry Muslim travelers in Laos, definitely! And those who love uniquely Indian spices ;)


Nearby praying area(s)

Vientiane Jamia Mosque which is of walking distance. Alternatively, you should pray at your place of stay and plan your timing well! We were at Sinnakhone hotel which is quite near to the restaurant. There are a plethora of hotels in the area too so praying locations will not be a hassle!

So my verdict for Nazim Restaurant is....... 5 ice creams! Yayyyyy!



Next up is:

Vieng Restaurant







 Cool spiral staircase to go to the prayer area at second level!









 They have soft drinks in these classic glass bottles!
Oh and say hi to my friends :D

From India to Thailand! Vieng Restaurant offers Thai food and the place is owned by an Indonesian imam who resides in Vientiane. Vieng Resturant serves no beers/wines/alcohol etc at all and is strictly alcohol-free and of course, halal in the right way! :D


Review of food

Their specialty is none other than Tom Yam! I ordered Tom Yam Noodles with Seafood for myself while my teammates ordered Tom Yam Fried Rice or just the soup itself to go along with white rice. The Tom Yam is hot and spicy but can be very addictive! (That's the thing about myself; I really love spicy food but sadly I do not have a high tolerance for it. It is like a love-hate relationship with chillies!) The Green Curry tastes exceptionally good too! Sorry I do not have a photo of it T-T Other than Tom Yam-related dishes, they also have dishes to choose from which is served together with plain rice. I actually took photos of some of the food that my friends ordered but I do not exactly know what is the name of the dish. Sorry again :( I hope the pictures do the talking! The food they have look good but personally I feel that the portion they serve is a tad too small for this tummy ._. Or maybe I was just too famished idk!


Ambience & Service

Beautiful ambience with this vintage feel to it which is really up to my liking! And not forgetting the place is sparkly clean too :) the service, however, is pretty horrible. Well maybe it is our fault for not being able to effectively communicate in the local language so the staffs ended up confused with our orders. Hence all the wrong  orders came (or came in lesser quantities than what we ordered) so there was a slight delirium for a moment. Minus the poor service, the place is not so bad :)


Budget (for each person)

50 000 kip is more than enough!


Must-try

Tom Yam Noodles/Soup/Fried Rice and Green Curry! The drinks are not bad too especially the Iced Tea, Iced Milk Tea and Iced Cocoa :) perfect thirst quenchers in the humid city!


Recommended for

Hungry Muslim travelers and Thai food lovers (erm I seem to be repeating the same thing for this portion hahahahaha)


Nearby praying area(s)

There is a prayer area at level 2 with a fan and some praying mats! Telekungs, kains etc are not provided though.

Okie dokie, so here's 4 ice creams for Vieng restaurant! :D



Next up....................

Aashifa Restaurant








Okay first I apologise for the unclear photos. It was during our first dinner in Vientiane and I actually forgot to snap photos! MEH T-T So I stole some photos from the team's facebook page. Heehee anyway, aren't my teammates adorable! :D

Okay now we are back in India (and lil bit of Malaysia) again! Haha! So Aashifa serves Indian food and also Malay food as well such as Nasi Goreng Kampung, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Mee Goreng Udang etc. My apologies if my memory fails me on this one haha as we were here only during the first few days of the trip so it was weeks ago already. I am cracking my brain right now to recall! HEH......


Review of food

The girls at my table ordered naan and several chicken dishes! The naan serving is however rather small for each person. If I remember correctly, we ordered Buttered Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Hyderabad Chicken etc. Hyderabad Chicken is quite cool to me, it's dark green in colour and is a mixture of Indian herbs and spices which is a lil bit spicy. Tandoori is nice although it is rather dry as compared to other chicken dishes that has gravy on it. I like my naan to be served with a variety of chicken dishes actually :D


Ambience & Service

Ambience is pretty simple. We ate outside in the evening! Service wise, it was rather hard to ask questions about the food but thank goodness for Baddy who can speak Tamil to the staffs! :D the staff who ordered our food did not seem to understand us when we posed questions in English but Baddy came to the rescue! Hoooooray!


Budget

40 000 kip (the Indian food here is definitely cheaper than the ones at Nazim's!)


Must-try

Naan and the several chicken dishes that I mentioned! But do order more naan if you're really hungry!


Recommended for

Hungry Muslim travelers finding cheap yet simple Indian food :)


Nearby praying area(s)

Pardon me as I am not sure of any mosque/praying area nearby :/ But this restaurant is the nearest to the hotel that we stayed and I saw many many hotels nearby too! So do stay at these hotels nearby so that it will be convenient for you to perform your prayers before/after heading out for food :)

Okay so here's 4 ice creams for Aashifa Restaurant!



Alright, that's the end of my post on halal food overseas! Hope you enjoyed reading the post and hopefully it will be helpful if you happen to be traveling in Laos :)

Oh and for all my Muslim friends, Ramadan Mubarak! May this month of Ramadan be full of blessings and spiritual purification for you and for me, insyaAllah :)

Till the next post! Heehee toodles!