Charco's charco's charco's!

WARNING: This post is NOT for the health-conscious.

Really awesome greasy chicken and ribs up ahead! :p

I am pretty sure some of you already heard this name. Yup, Charco's; "the flaming chicken". They don't only serve chicken, they have finger-licking ribs, burgers, kebabs and salads as well!

Charco's outlet is at:

Block 608 

Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5

#01-2771 (at Mr Teh Tarik)

Bus service: 138, 269 and 265 from Ang Mo Kio Interchange.

Check out their website for the prices and menu: http://www.charcos.com.sg/.

Review of food

Part of the menu!

 Portuguese Cobba Meal

1/4  Portuguese Chicken

Chips!

You can choose your desired flavour for the chicken, either Herbs or Portuguese. The former is more mild I guess but the latter is spicy and has more kick to it. Heh. I really like the Portuguese chicken. It is cooked with well-mixed spices and slight tinge of spiciness in it. I don't really know how to describe the taste, probably because I am not Portuguese. HAHA. But the chicken tastes good! And it's not VERY spicy, so it's not so bad for those who cannot tolerate spicy food so much like me! You can also choose the size of your chicken as well, so mine is 1/4. You can opt for bigger size (1/2 chicken) at a higher price :)

As you can see from the photo of the menu above, the meal you choose determines your sides. And they have soooo many sides! Yay! I decided to have Cobba Meal consisting of chicken, corn cob and generous amount of chips. The chips / fries are drizzled with some sort of powder, so it's like shaker fries. Without having to shake, of course. Hehe. Oh, and the corn cob tastes really refreshing! It is brushed with a good amount of butter in it too and it is really fresh. Tip: eat it with your hands! :D

Sampler Plate

The Sampler Plate, my friend, is the FATHER of all plates.

In case you can't seem to decide what to eat or you feel like eating both ribs AND chicken, get the sampler plate! For less than $20, the sampler plate consists of  1/2 signature Charco's Ribs, 1/8 Herbs Chicken, 1/8 Portuguese Chicken, 1 Creme Potato and 1 Salad of your choice (I like the tuna pasta!). Awesome right having almost everything on the menu?! :D 

For those of you who love ribs, Charco's ribs are definitely a must-try. Very tender meat, succulent and juicy! The sauce is slightly sweet and the ribs seriously demand you to use your hands to eat them up!

Creme Potato

Creme Potato is one of the sides Charco's offers. I really love anything related to potatoes and Creme Potato is one of them! Creme Potato by Charco's contains slightly chopped soft-boiled potatoes drenched in a bowl of creme sauce with a slight drizzle of their signature chilli-like powder. It's best when it's eaten hot and it makes you full, really!  

Ambience & Service

The ambience is very local. What more can I say, since Charco's is located at the infamous Teh Tarik Eating House. Hence, the ambience is similar to a typical brightly lit Teh Tarik outlet. The service is okay too. The waiter served our orders not long after we placed our orders so we were very delighted to see our meals served in a jiffy! 

Budget

Hmm, perhaps around $10-$20? FYI, the chicken is much cheaper than ribs! Do check out their menu online :)

Recommended for

Those who love western food, particularly good, affordable ribs! :D

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Musollah behind the eating place

• Yup, there's a musollah behind this Teh Tarik outlet! Just walk towards the direction behind, somewhere near the cooking areas of the stalls. The musollah is separated for men and women. When in doubt, just ask any of the workers okay!
• Take your ablution at the toilet nearby :)

2) Muttaqin Mosque

• Take any bus towards Ang Mo Kio Interchange and alight when you see the mosque. It is not very far.

Here you go, 4 ice creams for Charco's! Posting about Charco's makes me crave for some chicken at this hour sigh sigh sighhhh.

Okay, that's all for now. All the best for end of year exams for the younger kids, N/O/A Level exams for slightly older kids and never-ending assignments, research papers and projects for the old kids! :D

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!

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!

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!