West Co'z Cafe

Okay this post will be a long one. You'll be astonished to see the amount of food I'll talk about. Trust me, we did not order ALL of them at one go, okay! Haha, I was there four times in less than two months. Twice with my Food Buddy, once with my siblings and also once with my friends. That explains how much I love this place! Good food is worth coming back for moreeee. Hehe ;)

More details about the menu and outlets at http://p2e.com.sg/west-coz-cafe/west-coz-menu.

I frequent the outlet at West Coast Plaza rather regularly. I have a straight bus from home and the best thing is, it is located VERY near to school. Yes, my dear fellow NUS mates, food haven is just a few bus stops away! Board bus 189 from Kent Ridge Bus Terminal behind Arts AS7 or alternatively, you can wait for the shuttle bus to West Coast Plaza at certain timings. It is THAT simple!

Review of food

Very fatty fish meat!

Their specialty is Fish Head Curry. I am not a fan of fish head myself (my Food Buddy is!) but surprisingly, the fish meat tastes really good. The element that stands out is the gravy and I must applaud the chef who cooks the curry gravy.The curry is not a typical curry taste but it is an amazing, well-blended fusion of mild curry with a tinge of laksa in it. It is very unique, I must say! There are also dried tofu and long beans in the gravy. But warning: the curry gravy is really spicy! :B

For those who loves spicy food, this is definitely a must-try for your fiery taste buds!

There are other dishes as well. Feast your eyes.................

Tom Yam Chicken (with generous amount of chicken chunks!)

Hotplate Black Pepper Beef

Oats Prawn

Pandan Leaf Chicken

Sambal Kangkong

Chye Poh Omelette

Our parents always tell us not to judge a book by its cover, but trust me, the dishes are as amazing as they look! It is worth every dollar. The Tom Yam (very spicy okay!) soup has generous amounts of chicken as seen in the photo and served hot. The beef is very soft and easy to chew. And the prawns! Very meaty with a lot of oats on top of it. Chye Poh Omelette is a bit salty though, but it tastes well especially with all the spicy food. Hahaha even if you're not really into spicy food, these dishes are a worth every tear you shed and every sweat that drips! :D (well that happened to me lol)

That's not it! West Co'z Cafe also sells noodles and fried rice etc. Our favourites are:

Seafood  Fried Kway Teow

Seafood Crispy Egg Noodles

Crunchy noodles!

If you are not in the mood for any seafood, fret not! West Co'z also has noodles as well. Seafood Fried Kway Teow (you can opt for beef too) is slightly spicy but it tastes good and very filling. The portion is rather  BIG! I love the Seafood Crispy Egg Noodles too. Perfect for rainy days and less greasy :) The noodles are crunchy yet easy to chew, the gravy is light and not so overpowering. Oh, the amount is seafood is generous too! I am beginning to think that the chefs and kitchen helpers have a lot of time because the prawns are already naked haha! There is no need to remove the shells because they have been removed for you. Just have to put them in your mouth!

Last but definitely not the least....... DESSERTS! (Told you it's going to be a long post hahaha)

 Aloe Vera Longan with so many oversized aloe vera bits! (BAIK AHH!!)

Thai Red Ruby with a rich amount of red rubies!

The desserts list is rather limited since they only have Thai Red Ruby and Aloe Vera Longan/Lychee. But the amount they give in the bowl is so huge! I am beginning to think that the people there deliberately want to make me gain more weight I think..............

Let me focus your attention on the Thai Red Ruby! My Food Buddy and I have been searching everywhere for some good bowl of red ruby for dessert and we have finally found it! West Co'z Cafe serves a generous bowl of red rubies in a pool of sinful coconut milk. Such precious gems......

Desserts is just stressed spelled backwards indeed. My goodness, now you tell me why shouldn't I love this place! Amazing, isn't it? :D

The West side of Singapore is not so bad afterall ;)

Ambience & Service

The place is very simple and...... cozy. It lives up to its name! It can be very very packed especially during weekends so please do visit this place on a weekday yeah? The service is good too. In general, the staffs are friendly, polite and thoughtful. One of them even offered another chair for our colossal school bags when my Food Buddy I were sitting on the table for two. Such a nice lady! :')

Budget

Single meals such as the noodles are typically priced ($4-5) and since it is quite a big portion, it is very worth it! Seafood wise, it is not very expensive either but you can check out the online menu! Prices are included in it :) If you are planning to have a seafood fiesta, do check up the prices first, okay!

Recommended for

EVERYONE. Haha I think I sound very excited and biased, but I really love this place :D Oh, it is amazing for family dinners as well. I witness many families coming to the place to have sumptuous dinner at the place. West Co'z indeed! (I pronounce it as West Co-Zee)

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Darussalam Mosque

• Just take either bus 175, 189 or 282 from the bus stop across West Coast Plaza. Alight two bus stops after that (if I remember correctly) and walk to the mosque.

Alternatively, we prayed  at some staircase area at West Coast Plaza itself. Remember to bring your praying mats and telekungs for the ladies! :)

West Co'z Cafe is truly amazing. Giving the place 5 ice creams is an embarrassing understatement that cannot be justified at all, really!

Satay by the Bay & a Ball of Ice

FINALLY. Finally some time for me to blog about foooood! Sorry for the unforeseen hiatus everybody! School has been a pain recently......... :(

But I hope school has been good for you, kids! :D 

Anyway now we go central! Woohoo! Satay and iceballs anyone?

After a long day spent at Gardens By The Bay, my Food Buddy and I were in search for a place to have dinner. So we headed to Satay By The Bay! Anyway I heard that the satay there are not bad so we decided to give it a try!  I actually thought there is a monopoly of satay at the place but I was wrong! There are a few stalls selling satay actually, not just one.

After some satay, we headed to Singapore Flyer for some traditional ice ball. I found out about this dessert stall beforehand and I told my Food Buddy that we MUST eat some traditional ice ball some day. And when is the best time to have some sweeet, goodies-packed ice balls? After satay of course! :D

Review of food

The satays are from a stall named 'Sri Geylang Sate.' The satay was really juicy and delicious! Especially when it is still warm and freshly grilled............... YUM YUM. The satay is soft (especially for beef!) and quite chunky. The shops also sells grilled  prawn which is very very very delicious. It has a nice barbeque aroma and is really fresh! The moment I place it inside my mouth, I am floating~ But the cumbersome part is, you need to peel the prawn shells first! But well, good things come to those who wait and peel the shell lah hor :p Oh, the ooomphh  factor is definitely the satay sauce! It is served warm and it is a little spicy to me. Hahahahaha but still, satay dipped in the satay sauce it is a good combination. Really............ foodgasmic. I don't know how to put it, but you know, some food taste even better when it is spicy, no?

Disclaimer: our spicy tolerance levels vary among different individuals and I must say mine is rather low. So what is NOT spicy to others might be VERY spicy to me! HEH HEH.

So after some sumptuous satay, time for some ice balls!

The food court at Singapore Flyer is called 'Singapore Food Trail.' Not many halal food I guess. We were there quite late but thank goodness, the dessert stall was still open! I love the vintage feel to this place. Really. Very appealing to my historical senses. HAHA. Anyway the ice ball is just like an ice kacang, just that it is shaped into a ball. The goodies are inside! Just like a kinder surprise! It is definitely something different from the typical mountain of an ice kacang! I remember feeling happy eating and savouring every moment of it because but the ice ball is really gooood. It is sweet and appeals to my sweet tooth yay! The filling inside is generous too so it is definitely a must-try!

Ambience & Service

For Satay By The Bay, the ambience is very local, I guess. Service is alright too and it does not take very long for the food to arrive. Oh my favourite ambience is definitely at Singapore Food Trail. The ambience and interior decor are breathtaking. Very nostalgic. From the floor, the street markings, the lighting to makeshift stalls............. Really amazing. Just like the good old days. Okay, maybe my grandparents days. I was so close to understand what it feels like indulging on an ice ball in the 1960s. As if I time-traveled back to the past.

(From Google Images)

I am such a history geek, whooops! But trust me, with or without love for history, you'll love this place too! Something different once in a while ;) 

Budget

Oooooo warning! Haha we actually burnt a hole in our wallets. The satay at Satay By The Bay costs 70 cents per stick, while each prawn satay costs a whopping $2! The ice ball costs around $2-$3. Well, I am very sure it was way way wayyyy cheaper in the 60s! o_o

So only head to these places either when:

1) you just received your pay (or allowance for students like me)

2) you are lucky enough to get vouchers somehow

3) you are even luckier to get sponsors from your loved ones! (well, everyone loves free food!)

Recommended for

I still feel that Satay By The Bay and Singapore Flyer Food Trail are perfect for gatherings! Very localized. But as aforementioned, only head to these places when you have the kechingz. I am sure other food courts like the ones at East Coast Park, Geylang Adam Road and West Coast etc sell cheaper delicious satay. So far, I am not sure of other places that sell traditional ice balls though. 

Nearby praying area (s)

We were at Gardens By The Bay the entire day and we did most of our prayers in the baby rooms so we didn't venture to the mosques. But I actually did some research and saw a friend of mine posting about a musollah at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Level 3. That is the nearest I guess :) Alternatively, you can also plan your prayer timings properly. Marina Square also has a musollah at the basement of green-labelled carpark and not forgetting, Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh/Makam Habib Noh is pretty nearby.

Till next time! Thank you for reading this blog and thank you for being patient with my slow updates :)

Have a good weekend ahead everyone!

Da Jie Niang Dou Fu

 (I think the middle one look like they are having a battle hahaha so cute!)

Assalamu'alaikum everyone :D how's your Eid celebration coming along? Please remember to eat in moderation. Hehe note to myself too.

I love Yong Tau Foo and this has got to be my most favourite eating place in the West so far. So so good and affordable too :) Best thing is both their outlets are in the West and very convenient for a Westsider like me! Yay!!!

1) Clementi outlet

• Blk 354 Clementi Avenue 2 #01-253 (block is behind Darussalam Mosque

2) Bukit Gombak outlet

• Blk 372 Bukit Batok Street 31 #01-34 (very near to Bukit Gombak MRT Station)

Da Jie Niang Dou Fu (don't you think the name is kinda mouthful? Hahaha) is the only place in Singapore that serves various styles of Yong Tau Foo! You can choose from Hakka, Ampang, Laksa, Tom Yam, Black Bean served with a generous amount of sambal. Unique place with excellent consumer choice! (chey chey this reminds me of Econs haha)

Definitely a place to go to when you wanna try something different instead of the simple soup kind. But they still do serve the typical soup style for the Yong Tau Foo and the soup they cook is healthy Soya Bean soup! And of course it is................ halal ;)

Review of food

Ampang Yong Tau Foo

The Ampang sauce is a mixture of mostly sweet and a lil bit sour. The ingredients are deep-fried and drenched with the Ampang sauce. If you are not afraid to try something new, Ampang is easy on the taste buds but still capable of making you come back for more! You can choose to eat with noodles (yellow/bee hoon/kway teow/laksa noodle) or even rice. If you are not afraid to try something new, Ampang is for you! 

Next is everyone's favourite and something more familiar....................................... *drumrolls*

Laksa Yong Tau Foo!!

What more can I say? I love anything to do with Laksa. And let me tell you, the Laksa gravy here is super duper deliciousssss! The ingredients are boiled and cooked together with the Laksa but some ingredients (like the chicken seaweed placed on top) is fried and not soaked in the gravy. The Laksa gravy is rich in its coconut milk (Malays call it 'berlemak' I think hehe yummy!) and spicily goooooood! I love it so much! :D

There are also other styles like Hakka, Tom Yam, Black Bean etc. On top of that, Da Jie Niang Dou Fu also serves halal Chinese dishes and cuisines which have received good testimonials from the public. Do check out their website for their online menu here: http://www.dajie.com.sg/our-menu/.

For my fellow NUS schoolmates, this is even better than the Yong Tau Foo stall at Foodclique, trust me! And I believe Da Jie Niang Dou Fu is located somewhat convenient for most students studying in nearby institutions like Singapore Poly, NUS, Ngee Ann Poly, SIM etc.

Yup, definitely an awesome (and not forgetting convenient) choice for lunch or dinner! ;)

Ambience & Service

Very localized and considered comfortable :) A rather simple eating place, I must say.

Budget

$4-5 should be enough I guess for a bowl of Yong Tau Foo and a drink. $3.60 for 6 pieces of ingredients unless stated for some ingredients like cuttlefish etc. And if you would like to have more than 6 ingredients in your Yong Tau Foo, you are charged for every extra ingredient you take :)

Recommended for

Yong Tau Foo lovers or basically anyone who enjoys the freedom of choosing the ingredients in your meal :D Personally i love love loveeee silk tofu, fishball and spinach in my meal! Hehe.

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Clementi Outlet

• Darussalam Mosque is just a 5-minute walk away! Very convenient! 

2) Bukit Gombak outlet

• Pardon me as I have not been to the Bukit Gombak outlet but Ar Raudhah Mosque is relatively near in the area and just a few bus stops away :)

I strongly recommend you to come to Da Jie Niang Dou Fu and try their specialties! *salivating*

Oh and welcome back to school, oh fellow undergraduates! Hahaa I feel your pain, I really do D:

Now it is time to face all my readings and textbooks and scholar writings and what not...........

Selamat Hari Raya!

(This ultra cute photo is taken from

http://www.hawaiidermatology.com/selamat/selamat-hari-raya-aidilfitri-cartoon-wonderland.htm) 

Assalamu'alaikum everyone!

My apologies for the lack of updates recently, but I'll be back soon okay :D

Anyway, Aidilfitri is here again! My Food Buddy and I would like to wish everyone a happy and blessed Eid with your loved ones! Forgive us for any of our shortcomings and wrongdoings too ya :)

Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum. May Allah accept our deeds especially in Ramadhan and may we continue being blessed with His rahmah and barakah always, insyaAllah.

Oh i just realised that the total number of page views for this page has exceeded 1K and I would like to thank all my wonderful readers for reading my food posts although it must had been a challenge during fasting month. Hehe.

Do take photos of yourselves clad in your beautiful Eid clothes and post them on Facebook/Instagram okay so that I can like like like! :D

Selamat Hari Raya!

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

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!