Sesame bagel with non-essential butter, fried egg and hash brown from Two Men Bagel House

For the past few times I've been to Two Men Bagel House ( 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十 十一 十二 十三 十四 十五 十六 十七), a couple of things come to mind. The first was why do I always think Teenage Mutant Binja Hurtles whenever I see TMBH. The second happens when I unwrap my bagel, feeling that they used to be bigger. Well, you already know what I got myself for today so we move on.

I don't know what is non-essential butter. The menu says kombu and mushroom infused butter so I was looking forward to something buttery and umami. Couldn't taste kombu or mushrooms and actually, I could barely discern the butter. So not everything from them is great and note to self not to ever get that again. That Sriracha on the side was for scenarios exactly like this.

Sauceless, 3rds and blueberry milkshake at 2280

This was admittedly my 3rd time having the double sans sauce at 2280. I like it and will be sticking to that as the default for the foreseeable future. Just those tangy pickled onions to cut through the grease and richness of the beef and cheese. Simplicity is good here.

Today's milkshake was blueberry. The 3rd flavour we've come across after the chocolate and vanilla. Would have liked it better if there was a stronger blueberry flavour and it hadn't left a powdery aftertaste. The vanilla was still my favourite and I hope it gets rotated back someday.

Cherki, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Cherki's (#01-02 Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 1 Straits Boulevard, tel : +65 6514 8345) got this Violet Oon Satay Bar and Island Cafe vibes. Local yet atas and alcohol is a thing.

There's Guinness on tap.

Foie gras duck confit fried rice. The duck, if anyone was wondering was in shredded bits in the rice. I was wondering about the fried rice part since it just looked blue from the butterfly pea flower. To their credit, it tasted like fried rice while my brain caught up with reconciliation between my two senses. Pretty competent achar on the side there. Just wished that the foie gras was bigger.

Some seared scallops and Nonya fish maw dish. The fresh scallops had their natural sweetness and a nice flavour from the caramelization; notice that there are also dried ones in there as well. Don't know what made the miserable portions of fish maw Nonya but their quality was mediocre. One could taste the beginnings of the oil in them getting stale. 

Tried the yuzu seafood kueh pie tee. The difference from the regular ones and these were the scallops and yuzu flavour. Not bad.

Unexpectedly moreish coconut prawn linguine which I felt was the performing underdog today. Pasta was nicely done, prawns tasted good and it was all brought together by the savoury sweet coconut cream that glazed the seafood and noodles. I'd eat this again.

Ngoh hiang wasn't impressive for me. Couldn't taste the foie fat and duck pate that was listed as ingredients. Bamboo shoots are a poor substitute for water chestnuts. Also, there's five spice powder. I've always felt that good ngoh hiangs never needed them.

(O_o + 😒) Their kaya & gula melaka tiramisu was a disappointment compared to my mental imagery of a luscious moist cream cake. I had the idea that since this wasn't a run of the mill tiramisu, they'd make something out of the ordinary. Impressive even. This looked like it came from a cake factory. Couldn't taste the kaya at all and here's where I melodramatically lament (in the literal sense of course!) over the injustice done by a Peranakan restaurant to a Peranakan ingredient.

It's also pretty dry. If I hadn't ordered it as one, I wouldn't have recognized it as tiramisu. 

Burrata, pork, pineapples and other things at Zazz Pizza

S'been a quarter since we last crushed the remnants of mycelium routers on a scorched civilization of bacteria at Zazz Pizza. We were back for more.

I know right? Deep fried chicken wings. But they weren't bad. The meat was literally still steaming when it was exposed. We were just curious how these ones from Zazz tasted so beside their blend of herbs from the flour, they were pretty much like most competent fried chicken wings. 

Their braised pork pappardelle was introduced not too long back. Pasta was served piping hot with pretty generous chunks of fork tender pork and the meaty savoury sauce was flavoured with star anise. 👍🏼 We have yet to be disappointed with what we've had from their house special pastas so far.

Pizza burrata with added on pineapples today. Those pineapples were excellent pairing with the oozy stracciatella/cream in the burrata. Think citrus sweet creamy richness. You heard it here first.

Ended it with how we have been ending it for the past few visits. Affogato.

And Limoncello to finish.

Tanjong Rhu Wanton Noodle (丹戎禺云吞面), Yishun

Came across this stall (654 Yishun Avenue 4). I might have heard of Tanjong Rhu Wanton Noodle mentioned before but I know next to nothing about the franchise. I presume they're a local brand of small fame. Didn't have much expectations even though I was told that they were not bad. 

Noodle texture's okay but not exactly the type that'll make me raise an eyebrow.

水饺/sui gao was not bad. Well packed with marinated pork and shrimp. After one has had these and these or perhaps even these, most other dumplings would be just begrudgingly not bad.

The chilli was pretty good with the flavour of dried shrimp and they weren't very spicy in spite of appearances. Helped with those noodles.

Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen, Great World

It's been a while since we were last at a regular Crystal Jade. The Golden Palace doesn't count because. Branding of the outlets have evolved through the years so this one was a Hong Kong Kitchen (1 Kim Seng Promenade, #03-127 Great World, tel : +65 6738 2911).

We were offered some sour plum marinated daikon. I think it's on the menu but we didn't order it. It was "otoshi"? Anyways we didn't refuse because it sounded good and it was. Loved that sour plum infusion in to the crisp and crunch. The Chinese term for it is 开胃. Haha...

To further 开 our 胃, a hot golden kumquat and lime juice. This stuff was concentrated and potent with the preserved citrus flavour and sweetness. Best drunk hot.

Fatty char siew is not bad. Delicious sweet glaze and pork with requisite fattiness. But I was hoping that since they're Crystal Jade, they would be above "not bad".

Sautéed French beans with Tai O shrimp paste. Those beans still had a nice crunch as compared to some renditions that are limper. Together with the salty bits of minced pork this was one good with white rice.

Menu mentioned organic homemade tofu with preserved vegetables and prawn. The preserved vegetable here is chai poh - specifically preserved radish. Not bad.

I've been eyeing this pork lardon rice. Disappointing. The fried lard wasn't crisp and warm so it wasn't freshly fried as far as the word fresh can be stretched. They're also not fragrant. Dark soya sauce wasn't aromatic. At all. Many non-restaurant eateries use better tasting ones. So this would be a first and a last.

I've had these stir fried egg noodles a few times. At the street level, I enjoyed the ones that Sai Kee Congee and the defunct Wai Kee. In my limited experience of Hong Kong styled 炒面, none of them I've had actually has ginger like this rendition at Crystal Jade.

Noodles were not as firm and were also much oiler. Not impressed.