Duotou clams are back at Putien

We came by Putien (一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十, 十一) for a quick dinner grabbed a plate of those sweet clams steamed with minced garlic together with their Xing Hua noodles (兴化米粉). Noticed that there're new dishes on their menu. Will come back another time for some of those.

Avocado bacon burger and matcha cookies & cream shake from Shake Shack

Haven't had burgers from Shake Shack in a while. Here's their limited run avocado bacon burger which for some reasons is a thing. Just by adding sliced avocado. I'm not saying it's no good but I missed the point since there wasn't much added flavour or texture to the sandwich. Their marketing and operations have obviously green lit it so...as long as one realistically accepts that there isn't much to expect, it's a decent Shake Shack burger which I think is delicious. 

What we didn't expect was how much we dug the matcha cookies & cream shake; surprised by how it wasn't excessively sweet and that there was sufficient matcha flavouring to pass muster. Blows the pandan shake out of the water.

Hoe Lee Prawn Mee & Bak Ku Mee (和利虾麵肉骨麵), Hong Lim Food Centre

Here's a bowl of prawn kuey teow soup from Hoe Lee (#02-26 Hong Lim Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street). Old school, uncompetitively inoffensive in a light coffee hued broth infused in part with nostalgia, some halved prawns and white slices of lean pork loin which no food writer would wax lyrical about. Nice. Will come back again.

$8.50 curry chicken cutlet noodle and 水饺 soup from Ji Ji Noodle House (基記麵家)

I just had the impression that the curry noodles tasted better the last time I had it. Today's curry felt a little thin and I don't think I would have put them in the same leagues as Cantonese Delights.

Ordered the dumpling soup to try their 水饺. Didn't think much of them at all. Without even comparing them with the king of the hill, these were just mediocre. Wouldn't be getting these again for sure 😂. 

Lao Beijing, Square 2

The last time we ate at Lao Beijing was years ago. They were then located at Novena Square. Apparently they've relocated to the back in the Square 2 building - in the same spot where Old Hong Kong Kitchen used to be.

Tried their lavender lemonade. Visually it didn't look like anything that had lavender or was lemonade. I thought the flavour weak initially and the taste oddly reminded me of lavender kombucha. For some reasons, it got more delicious after the food. Hmmm.... 

Their stir fried French beans were not the run of the mill because we could taste Szechuan peppercorn flavour it it. Wasn't in your face but it conveyed that mala flavouring which as been "the rage" in the past decade. Delicious with rice.

Menu described this as spicy lamb shank. The lamb itself wasn't. Spiciness came from the dish of cumin powder on the side which packed heat, salt and loads of that cumin aroma that went well with the meat. Meat's a little dry but otherwise pretty decent eating.

Tried their xiao long bao. Stuffings were pretty competent and filled with porky juices. Where they fell short of "the benchmark" was the skin which were obviously less delicate and felt a little stiff.

Strangely named 'hard not to love chicken mid wings'. First thought that came to mind was Blackpink. Those chickens mid wings were charcoal battered and served with a fruity strawberry/dragonfruit/mayo dip on the side which was......actually quite nice. This would be the second time we've had chicken with strawberry sauce.

Batter was lighter than thee looks suggested but was pretty crumbly. Mid wings hidden beneath were meaty and pretty good eating.

Lunch at the newer Suju

We sure came back to Suju at Takashimaya real fast didn't we? ( 一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十, 十一, 十二, 十三, 十四, 十五, 十六, 十七, 十八)

Tea here is charged by the pot unlike Mandarin Gallery where there wasn't even a need to order. It's refillable and inexpensive here though. 

I'm normally not big on shiitake. I enjoyed these because the flavour in these mushrooms weren't intense like the usual dried variety.

The quality of the individual ingredients of their tempura were good. From the sweet slice of pumpkin to the moist yet crunchy spear of asparagus or even the portion of sweet potato and tender eggplant. 

Loved their gindara nabe. The paper pot was loaded with chunks of cod, cabbage, mushrooms and negi simmering in the spicy miso broth. Got this today with their seasonal chicken and chestnut rice.

Quality of their miso marinated gindara remains top notch with the sweet glaze, fatty meat and aromatic crisp skin that was impeccably charred. Portions appear to be a little bigger.

Ditto for the shake harasu.

Haven't gotten past their matcha tiramisu. So good.

Yuzu ice cream for the recent sweltering heat.