Back at The Hainan Story Chapter One

It was sometime middle of last year that we last/first ate at The Hainan Story Chapter One. Food was not bad so we've been wanting to come back again to try more stuff. I've only recently realized that they're open 24 hrs. 

Hainanese styled coffee & toasts are a thing here but I've never had this particular combination of spreads. Gula melaka kaya with "rojak jam" - the latter would probably resonate more clearly as rojak sauce to most. Could taste the flavour from the ginger flower and chilli in there. Not a combination we've had before but I kinda liked it.

We wanted to try their Hainanese lamb stew the last time but we didn't have any more room. We ordered it this time.

Chunks of tender lamb were hidden at the bottom of the claypot beneath the lamb infused gravy that was really good with the rice. For a local Chinese styled lamb dish, I'd rank it tops because it wasn't adulterated with herbs and ginger like what many local Chinese lamb dishes are. Man I'd come back just for this. For some reasons, they undercooked the broccoli.

Chicken satay was not bad. Pretty tender and nicely charred.

There was a CNY chicken cordon bleu made stuffed with bak kwa between the cheese and what appeared to be mille feuille slices of chicken served with the same tamarind pineapple sauce that they use for their satay. Ordered it out of curiosity. Pretty greasy, not bad tasting but also not something I'd get again.

Banana cake was ordinary.

Egg tart's pleasant. I normally prefer something with more volume. This one had a biscuit crust and was pretty shallow but there was enough of the custard to taste them properly.

Carrot Cake Handmade, Tanglin Halt Market

Came across this radish cake stall (Stall #10 Tanglin Halt Market, 48A Tanglin Halt Road) which we've never seen before and calling it as their sign reads. What was odd about their 加蛋 plate was that these guys added a fried egg on top of the radish cake rather than adding egg into the radish cake which would be fried together. It's actually not bad with the molten yolk and all. A better eat than the Crispy Carrot Cake stall just a stone's throw away.

A couple of "strawberry bottle" beverages from LiHO's Korean Strawberry series

I'm generally not big on bubble tea. I do like a few drinks from some of the tea stalls but they're mostly fruity and tea-y. This was the K-Strawberry Magic Spirulina from LiHO. I was mostly curious about the blue spirulina they added into the milk. I was quite sure I tasted coconut in this but I don't understand how. There wasn't enough of the crushed strawberries in the drink for a strawberry drink. Oh well......

A week later...

I preferred this K-Strawberry Jing Syuan which was essentially a strawberry tea. Jing Syuan (金萱) as I've learnt is a varietal of oolong. That and the blended strawberries made a better (also more refreshing) pairing than the coconut-y spirulina mix above.

The double double double Sausage Egg McMuffin and Samyang buldak hot sauce

The title kinda says it. That's just a bag hiding my McMuffin.

Not a basic order obviously. Double egg, double cheese and double sausage.

Are we doing this? Sure we are. We've already done it.

Gingerly at first but surely.

Hell yeah this was good.

Who needs the garlic chilli sauce?

Mixed grill from Tsui Wah (翠華)

I kinda got what I expected from this mixed grill from Tsui Wah. Cheap tasty hot dog, a small strip of bacon, some lean bone in pork chop and a marinated beef "steak" which tasted like meat but not exactly identifiable as beef or what I would call steak. What I was pleasantly surprised with was the chicken. Nicely browned skin and thick tender meat. I'm gonna get the chicken the next time I feel like hot plate western food here.

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lock Kee, Clarke Quay Central

We've heard of this restaurant (#02-72/75/77 Clarke Quay Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, tel : +65 6339 7508) for a long time. Really long time. Have seen it numerous times when we're in the vicinity but it had never occured to us to eat here until recently.

I don't think there is a finger to be put on the labelling of the food here. One could see influences of Malay, Chinese and Peranakan in the dishes which kinda makes it pretty local. While they're serving nasi padang, they're not exactly Padang styled. But let's not get technical.

The menu's up front so you know what you're getting and at how much. Assuming that one already is familiar with what they were serving. We ordered quite a bit and ended up close to a post lunch stupor. You know, curries and rice tends to do that.

That's their mutton rendang. Not bad. Some parts of the meat were tender and some less so. Altogether pretty well done with the nutty mutton-y gravy which went so well with rice.

Hard boiled eggs with sambal. Always good for me.

These were my second curry fish ball experience. The first time was in Hong Kong and I never liked those there because of the gummy texture. These ones were pretty regular fishball textured. Gravy had a bit of heat and if your palate hasn't been confused or overwhelmed yet, the flavour of the fishball can be detected in them.

Chicken rendang also pretty good. It's another dish with great gravy to go with rice.

Sayur lodeh I think. Or maybe just sayur. Or curry vegetable. I ordered by pointing. I'm not sure what they call it but it's vegetables (mostly cabbage) in a thin coconut gravy. Still savoury and lemak but I generally prefer the gravy thicker and the vegetables less crunchy. 

They have chicken begedil. Basically larger than usual begedil with minced chicken in the potatoes. Peppery and not bad methinks. The flavour's different from the regular Malay renditions of the dish but not different enough to be unrecognizeable as good old begedil.

More curry for the rice. 

And a refreshing lemon or lime infused cucumber salad as a counter to all the rich gravies.

All these dishes were made to be paired with steamed rice.

Chendol's okay. While we wouldn't slap a mediocre label on it, there's better. Out there. What I couldn't understand was why they had to serve this in a glass like this, fill it to the brim and make it so difficult to stir.

Coffee's no good here. For Hainanese styled coffee, one can get better at The Ship. Or even Han's. Note to self : go at 12-12.30pm the next time for the other items that aren't ready at the opening hour.