Food Hunt at Hong Kong International Airport

What do you do while you are waiting to transit to the next flight?  Foodie like me likes to explore the airport for food places.  Really, how often do you get to rest and relax in a foreign airport?  Here's my food adventure at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1, Departure Check-in Hall, Level 7.

Everyone loves Tsui Wah!  That's quite true.  Hong Kongers and foreigners all love this Hong Kong-style tea house (known as 'Cha Chaan Teng') that started from the 1960s and it is still growing very strong!  They have their own fast food cafés and restaurants all over Hong Kong.

Even if it is just a simple set of crispy toast bun and milk tea, it is enough to keep me very happy!

Another well-known Hong Kong café that was founded in the 1960s and still growing from strength to strength.  Cafe de Coral operates mainly as food courts in Hong Kong.

Pan-fried carrot cake and milk tea to keep up with the mood of being in Hong Kong!

Catering to the cosmopolitan passenger profile, there are many types of food available at the airport.  Saboten is a renowned Japanese Tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork cutlet) restaurant internationally (Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and California).  It started in the 1960s in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Singaporeans missing local food can check out Chen Fu Ji restaurant at the airport!

And if you feel like getting some Hong Kong confectionery, check out the local food product shops such as Kee Wah Bakery!

Even though the HKIA Terminal 1 is an interesting place to explore.  I was a little disappointed that most shops are closed by 10pm.  =(

[Singapore Foodcourt] Kim Dae Mun Korean Food



It has been 5 years since I last blogged about Kim Dae Mun Korean Food.  This food court stall has grown contained to receive rave reviews from Korean food lovers in Singapore and it is often being referred to as the "Best Korean Food" in town.  Their customer base are mostly locals as well as a good number of Koreans who are on vacation in Singapore.  With it's accessible location in downtown Orchard, it is without doubt that the waiting time will be slightly longer during lunch and dinner. 

Consistency in food quality has always been their strength.  All their dishes are consistently good and they managed to keep the prices very affordable.  All set meals are below $8, which include rice, soup and side dishe (choice of kimchi, anchovy or cucumber).  There is option not to take the rice and/or side dishes and they are happy not to include those charges ie. 50c off for the rice / side dishes.

I have introduced many friends to this stall.  Other than the standard bulgogi and kimchi stew, I would usually ask them to try the fried glass noodles and potato pancake.  Most of them found the glass noodles to be delicious =)

The portion for the glass noodles is generous.  Main ingredients are cabbage, green vegetables, pork and egg.  There is option to have chilli or not.  There is also option to exclude the meat if you prefer not to have it.

The potato pancake on its own is quite ordinary.  What makes a great difference is the dipping sauce, that adds a little sourish appetising taste.  The kimchi fried rice is also not bad.  Rice was fried with generous serving of kimchi.

Although the rice cakes is sold as a side dish, the portion is big enough to be a full meal.  From the colour of the sauce, doesn't it already tell how good it taste?  Yes, and it comes with a full egg for every portion of ddeokbokki.

This is the most economical Korean food option in Orchard.  And it easily beats some of the more expensive restaurants in Orchard hands-down. =)

Kim Dae Mun Korean Food

100 Orchard Road Singapore 238840

Concorde Hotel Basement Foodcourt

Opens daily except for Mondays

Nearest MRT: Somerset Station

Getting there:  Exit MRT station and walk along Somerset Road towards the direction of Plaza Singapura.  At the Killiney Road junction, turn left.  At the traffic junction, continue in the same direction cross over to OG Orchard.  At the same junctions, turn right and cross over to Concorde Hotel.



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[Korean Fried Chicken] Nene Chicken @ *SCAPE

The success fried chicken store from Star Vista has come to town, right here at *SCAPE!  It is occupies the place where Gong Cha used to be, facing the entrance of *SCAPE building.

The opening promotion meal comes with rice instead of Buffalo fries and pickled radish.

 

For those of us who had bought take-out fried chicken in Korea, you would be familiar with the compartmentalised box that they use.  The food is neatly placed in the allocation position.

 



What I took-out was the SWICY Chicken, which stands for Sweet & Spicy Chicken.... YangNyeom (양념) style for those who are familiar with the Korean term for chicken coated with sweet & spicy sauce.  The meal set comes with Buffalo fries as well as the very delicious pickled radish! 

Enjoy the tender, tasty and juicy chicken!


Nene Chicken *SCAPE
#02-39
Operation Hours: 1100 to 2230 daily

Nearest MRT: Somerset Station



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Related Posts:
- Bibigo at Suntec City (Click here)
- Chicken Up (Click here)
- Bear Bites @ *Scape (Click here)


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[Korean Air] Asian On-Air Program

A chance to share your travel experience and win a trip to Korea!  Details are on Korean Air Southeast Asia FB page (https://www.facebook.com/events/565967620119680/)

[Singapore Restaurant] Togi Korean BBQ & Salad Bar

Something is amiss - Chuseok without songpyeon, traditional Korean snacks made of glutinous rice.  This rice cake is typically eaten during the mid-autumn harvest festival.  Made into half-moon shape, it is filled with sweet or semi-sweet filling such as peanut, red bean or sesame seeds.  During ancestral rites or celebration, this is a dish that can't be missed.

I decided to drop by the Korean restaurant in the vicinity to check out the complimentary Chuseok platter that is available during lunch from today until 20 Sep 2013 as part of the festive celebration!  The platter comprises 2 pieces of tteok (rice cake), Korean moon cake, pork meat ball and japchae (fried glass noodles).

Togi is pretty generous with the banchan (side dishes).  Even if it is for 1 diner, 6 side dishes will be served plus a small bowl of porridge.  My favourite is the odeng (fish cake), followed by the mash potato, steamed broccoli.  If you are not aware yet, most restaurant do not charge extra even if you request for additional servings of the side dishes.

In addition to the already sumptuous side dishes and the Chuseok platter, I had a big bowl of Tteok Mandu Ramyeon (Rice Cake Dumpling Noodles).  While the serving portion was huge, somehow, the side dishes seems more appetizing which I finished most of it but not the noodles.

Nonetheless, it was a good start to a good Chuseok to be able to taste songpyeon which is really not that common in Singapore.

Togi BBQ & Salad Bar
111 Somerset Road, #02-16, TripleOne Somerset, Singapore 238164
Operation Hours: 1130 to 0000
Tel: 67377397

Nearest MRT: Somerset Station

[Korean Food] Bibigo goes to Suntec City

It is Chuseok on Thursday!  Celebration starts ahead of Chuseok as Bibigo celebrates the opening of it's 4th Singapore outlet at Suntec City!  The menu is complete with selection of traditional dishes including soup, hot stone dishes, pancakes rice, noodles etc; as well as modern and fusion dishes such as salads, desserts and drinks.  These are the dishes which I have tried and my verdict is ~ ~ 2 thumbs up!

Spicy Soft Tofu Stew with Seafood.  Served in a sizzling-hot hotstone bowl, the soup was really appetizing and the spiciness level was just right.  While the tofu was firm and may not be as soft as you expected, it goes not break away easily.

The Hot-Stone Chicken was yummy too.  The char-grilled chicken was well-marinated and the chicken thigh meat was tender and juicy.  The balance  of sweet and savoury taste was almost perfect.

Courgette pancake is exclusive to the Suntec outlet.  It is a Korean-style pancake with courgette (also known as zucchini, it is a type of vegetable which is related to the pumpkin family), sweet potato, butternut squash, topped with rocket salad.  The pancake was really fragrant and slightly crispy.  This is suitable for non-meat eater.

The characteristics of Bibigo pancake is that there is much more vegetable than the batter.  In this seafood pancake, scallion is used as the main ingredient topped with shrimps and squids.  This way, the dish is healthier since vegetables contain fibre!



Meals aren't complete without desserts.  The glazed sweet potato is a unique dish.  The fried sweet potato is coated with a layer of Korean grain syrup.  Even though the sweet potato has been fried, the dish managed to maintain the root vegetable's moisture.  The dish comes with glazed walnut and rice crispy too.  This dish is also suitable for non-meat eater.

If you like something cold, go for the Rosi Nero ice cream, which is made of black rice.  The ice cream is light, refreshing and not too sweet.

The Bibigo salad is another new addition to it's menu.  Served with apple sauce, this is a perfect dish for a light meal comprising of greens, chicken breast meat, crispy rice and tomatoes.

At least 5 dishes are added to Bibigo's existing menu and exclusive to the Suntec City outlet to mark the celebration of a major milestone for the global brand.  The launch of this latest outlet puts Singapore on the map as 1 of the 2 leading regions for Bibigo in the world!

The menu addition features some traditional favourites from Korea such as Hot Stone Galbi (Beef), Courgette Pancake (as featured above), BBQ Spicy Chicken, Bibigo Salad (as featured above), Oriental Chopped Salad and Grilled Ssamjang Pork.  So, be sure to check out Bibigo at Suntec City!

Suntec City Mall Tower 3, #B1-107
(For those of us who are familiar with the Suntec city layout, Bibigo sits at where McDonald's used to be)
Tel:
Daily: 11am to 10pm

For reservations at any of the outlets, call 6336 4745.

For Bibigo's delivery order, call 6604 7718.

Getting there: Take MRT to Esplanade Station and use the exit that is directly connected to Suntec City.



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[Mooncake 2013] Peach Garden Mooncake

The mid-autumn festival is around the corner again.  What can't be missed out be the traditional baked-skin monncakes with yolks!  My preference is 2-yolk mooncakes.  1-yolk seems not too little and will not be satisfying while 4-yolk seems to be an overkill. 

This year's preference goes to Peach Garden.  Bought this directly from the Peach Garden Restaurant at Orchid Country which was offering 15% discount for most credit cards.  What's interesting is that each card offers a different combination of mooncakes.  The upside is that for those that holds a string of credit cards, you have a wide selection and of course, on the flip side, you need to hold that particular credit card to be eligible to that that combination of your choice.

However, the restaurant does exercise flexibility for swapping of flavour, and try to meet your choice as far as they can.  Here's what I got for myself which costs $41+.

2 pieces of premium lotus paste (white) with 2 yolks, 1 piece of premium lotus paste (white) with macadamia nuts and 1 piece of premium lotus paste with black & white sesame seeds.  I am so excited to try it!  Can't wait for the mid-autumn festival actual day to arrive!

Peach Garden is located at:
1. Miramar Hotel
2. OCBC Centre
3. Orchid Country Club
4. Thomson Plaza
5. Novena Gardens
6. Chinatown Point

[SG Buffet] Open House Restaurant at Grand Park Orchard Hotel

Options for weekday high-tea seems to be quite limited and we can easily understand why.  Simply because the weekend crowd is generally better.  Recently, a group of friends decided to meet up over high tea and we went to Open House Restaurant at Grand Park Orchard (former Crown Prince Hotel).

The selection are mostly local delights with some Asian selection.  The food spread is quite good with a few stations where the dishes are freshly cooked and served at your table.

The choice of dim sum included siew mai, har gow, char siew bao and black bean pork ribs.  The kar gow skin was a little too thick while the siew mai was alright.



The local cuisine section has usual snacks and dishes that we Singaporeans eat at any time of the day.  That includes roti prata (Indian pancake), fried carrot cake (oriental pan-fried steamed rice cake in black soy sauce), nasi lemak (Malay coconut rice with otah, salted fried peanut and fried anchovy), chwee kueh (oriental steamed rice cup-sized cake topped with preserved radish), fried chicken wings, curry puffs, samosa and peanut pancake.

There is another section where ala carte dishes can be ordered namely claypot rice (oriental style steamed rice cooked with black soy sauce and Chinese sausage in a claypot), fishhead curry (Indian style way of cooking head of fish with brinjals and spicy coconut milk)  and sayur lodeh (Indonesian style vegetable curry that is usually not spicy or mild spicy).  Teochew Porridge is also available at the buffet line with braised peanuts and preserved cai xin.  Nothing elaborate and fanciful but the key condiments are there.

The cakes and pastries section was a little disappointing.  They look quite ordinary and the taste was average.  The durian pengat tasted a little sourish.

The black horse, which truly surprised me was this Sichuan Noodles.  It was very very good, for someone who enjoys eating food that has vinegar.  Spiciness and sourness was just at the right level.  The noodles, though it was a little thick, blended well with the hot and sour soup.  

On the whole, it was a good place for weekday high-tea.  Affordable price with a rather good spread of food.  There may also be seasonal credit card promotions.  The café staff will be able to advise.

Open House Restaurant

Grand Park Orchard Hotel

270 Orchard Road Singapore 238857

Tel: 6603 8855

Website: http://www.parkhotelgroup.com/orchard/dining/open-house/

Nearest MRT: Orchard Station

Getting there: Walk along the basement of Wisma Atria which connects to Ngee Ann City.  Exit Ngee Ann City, cross over to Paragon and then to Grand Park Orchard.

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[Korean Festival] Annyeong Seoul at Bukit Panjang Plaza from 9 Sep

To all K-pop, K-beauty, K-food, K-drama, K-culture lovers, Annyeong Seoul will be back at Bukit Panjang Plaza again this year.  In additional food demo and performance, there's also gonna be a "Mall Runners" event!  Don't miss the fun!

Getting there: Take MRT to Choa Chu Kang station and change to LRT.  Alight at Bukit Panjang LRT station.


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[Jeju-do, Korea] Guesthouse in Jeju City, Worlang House

Whenever I think of Jeju, I am reminded of this very cosy guesthouse - Worlang House - where I stayed in and it felt like home.  Fully lined with wood flooring, the guesthouse is modern and comfortable.  It is bed and breakfast guesthouse, and so you get to prepare a simple breakfast at your own time, own pace in the morning.  Mr Heung, who is in-charge of the guesthouse is conversant in English and is very prompt, responsive and helpful.

Worlang House is located just 5-mins drive away from Jeju Airport.  The guesthouse is located on the 3rd floor.  On the ground floor, there is a DIY coin-operated laundry shop equipped with a computer, wifi and coffee for guests while waiting for the laundry to be ready.  Convenient stores, restaurants and bistros can be found in the vicinity.  The walk to the main road is about 3 to 5 mins where you can take a bus to town or to the bus terminal.

A point to note is that most guesthouses in Korea have no lift!  Be prepared and manage the weight of your luggage as you dragged it up the stairs!

Right from the moment I stepped into Worlang House, I could immediate feel the comfort of a home.  The place has 3 bedrooms on the 3rd floor and 1 bedroom at the attic.  The living hall at the 3rd floor has a coffee table, books (including travel books) and a music player.  There is no in the hall as well as in the rooms.  Wi-fi is available in the guesthouse.  Music and lights at the living hall go off at 10.30pm every night.

The kitchen is also a cosy area.  It is complete with cooking utensils, water dispenser and microwave oven.  There is also a fridge for guests to keep their food there.

The bedrooms are clean, simple and functional.  The space isn't luxurious and just enough for luggage and some walking space.  Mr Heung cleans the house everyday to keep the rooms spick and span.

 (Double room)

 (Double-decker room)

 (Family room which has both a double bed and a double-decker bed)

 (Room at the attic)



(Mirror in the room)

Mr Heung gets the breakfast ingredients ready at about 8am every morning.  That includes salad, fruits, hash-brown, orange juice, bread, eggs.  Guests can then cook up their own breakfast.  Coffee and tea is available throughout the day.

Guests can choose to have their breakfast at the living hall or at the cosy corner with chairs.  Breakfast is also the best time to get to know the other residents in the guesthouse.  During my short few-day stay, I noticed that there were quite a number of solo travellers who stayed at Worlang House.  Most of them stayed for only 1 night though.

Overall, my experience at Worlang House was great except for a little encounter where we would hear the domestic fight from the neighbour downstairs.  As usual, Mr Heung was quick to come up to the guesthouse to assure us of safety.

The place is really affordable as well.  The charge for 2 persons is 50,000 won (~ USD50) per night.  Other pricing details is available through Worlang House's website.  The guesthouse was full-house on most of the days where I stayed, so it proofs to be quite a popular place amongst travellers.  Do book early to avoid disappointment!

For booking, visit BnBHero.

Website: http://www.worlang.com/

Address: 1271-5, Nohyeong-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea (36 Worlong Road 6)

Check-in time: 4pm, Check-out time: 11am

Getting there: Best to catch a taxi from Jeju Airport directly since the distance is really short.  Estimated taxi fare is 3,500 won (~ USD 3.50).



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