[Singapore Restaurant] Celebrate Mother's Day at Yum Cha Restaurant (Dim Sum)

In case you aren't aware, Mother's Day falls on 11 May 2014 this year.  This is the time of the year for children to show our appreciation to our beloved mother who has worked tirelessly for her children.  Yum Cha Restaurant has specially created 3 dishes for this coming Mother's Day.  These 3 dishes will be available from 5 to 11 May 2014.  In total, this makes up about 70 dishes you can find in this restaurant ranging from dim sum, barbecue and roast, vegetable, noodle, congee and dessert.



For siew mai lovers, enjoy this Large Prawn Siew Mai with Double Roe.  Colourful and appetising.  Each piece is $3.50.

Do not judge food by it's looks.  For those who are more adventurous or non-meat diners, the Lavender Bun with Coconut Filling is highly recommended for you.  The bun is nicely infused with lavender taste which is made from lavender flower.  Savour it slowly with some warm tea on a relaxing afternoon.  $2.80 for 2 pieces.

Juicy tangerine, fresh strawberries and blueberries with custard cream.  Have some fruits after a heavy meal.  Each Glazed Mini Fruit Tart is $2 each.  The above 3 dishes are the Mother's Day Exclusive Dim Sum and are available from 5 to 11 May 2014.  They are available at all 3 Yum Cha outlets except between 6pm to 11pm at the Serangoon Garden outlet.

The latest Yum Cha outlet at Changi Business Park, UB Bizhub East opened in late 2013.  The restaurant is airy, cosy, modern and high tech.  Place your order via ipad provided at the dining table.  Avoid the hassle of trying to grab the attention of service staff and have control over the speed of placing orders for your food.

The common roast and barbecue items can also be found at Yum Cha.  My recommendation is the Crispy Roasted Pork and the Honey Roast Char Siew first is you do not have the capacity to try all.  The Crispy Roasted Pork is really crispy on the skin and not too much fatty fats.  The Char Siew meat is pretty lean too.

Yum Cha has a rather complete range of dim sum ranging from steamed to fried food.  The yellow-coloured buns are the Custard Buns (aka lava bun, salted egg yolk custard bun or liu sha bao or 流沙奶皇饱).  Depending on individual's taste, the custard buns (3 pieces at $4.50) has a strong custard taste vs the egg yolk taste.  Being a modern restaurant, the Fish Roe Siew Mai (3 pieces at $3.80) and Yum Cha Prawn Dumpling (3 pieces at $4.60) aren't served using push carts at UE Bizhub East outlet but over at the Chinatown outlet, it is still being served using the traditional way ie. using push carts.

For fried dimsum, the savoury Prawn & Mango Fritters (3 pieces at $4) and sweet Crispy Red Bean with Banana (3 pieces for $3.80) are pretty decent.  The roasted sesame seeds on the prawn & mango fritters added to the fragrance of this dim sum.  For non-meat diners, do go for the Crispy Spring Roll (3 pieces for $3.20), which has bean sprouts as one of the ingredients. 

Yum Cha has recently added a new dish and it is available only on weekends.  It is the Pig Trotters in Vinegar.  I am not a fan of pig trotters and this was the first time I tried this.  To my surprise, the flavourful vinegar gravy (sweet, salty, a little sourish and a little spicy) truly enhanced the taste of this dish.

Of course, there are noodles and congee selection on the menu.  There are also options for vegetarians such as Vegetarian Abalone Congee and Super Vegetarian Balls Congee.

A meal can't be complete without sweet endings (read: desserts).  The Lemongrass Jelly with Fruits ($4) is really refreshing.  Alternatively, if you are in the mood for something oriental, go for the Chinese Herbal Jelly ($3.60).  It comes with a cute little pot of honey and you can add according to the sweetness level you like.

So, go on down to Yum Cha and give your mom a good treat on this Mother's Day.

Website: www.yumcha.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yumchasg?fref=ts


Yum Cha at Changi
6 Changi Business Park Ave. 1
#01-33 UE Bizhub East
Singapore 486017
Tel: 6789 1717
Opening Hours: 10.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 9pm (Weekdays) and 9.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 9pm (Weekends & PH)

For details on Yum Cha Chinatown and Yum Cha Garden, please visit Yum Cha website.

Getting there: Take the MRT to Expo Station.  At the exit (facing Changi City Point), turn left.  Follow the walkway and turn right at the junction and walk towards UE Bizhub East.  The walk takes about 5 mins.

SG Cafe Series: Japanese-themed Cafe : Kki Sweets [Closed]

Tucked in a quiet corner at the edge of Centre Business District, surrounded by the concrete jungle at one side and yet nestled in the vintage and tranquil surrounding at the other, Ann Siang Hill is a place where you get to experience the modern yet traditional part of Singapore.

(Photo Credit: CNN)

Kki Sweets, a Japanese-themed cake shop, is located within row of vintage shophouses that had been preserved even after the War World II period.  Most the these shophouses are now F&B outlets serving a variety of eastern, western and fusion food.  Kki Sweets sits quietly at a corner in a newly furbished building, whose entrance isn't that conspicuous.  Keep a lookout for the 3 round signages that stick out from the building pillar.

(Photo Credit: Garmin)

There aren't many cake variety to choose from, yet all that are on display are all-so-pretty that it is difficult to choose which to go for.  Because of this, it may be a good idea to go with 6 to 8 friends and you can order more cakes to try!  However, there are a few things that may be good to note.  Firstly, the number of seats are limited in the café because a section of the shop is owned by The Little Drom Store.  Outdoor seats are available on days where weather is good so that makes things a little better.  Secondly, the cakes are rather pricey, starting from $6 onwards.  And, afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without a cuppa or some tea.

There are some cakes for reference.  My friends and I couldn't decide which was our favourite because the cakes were ALL really nice and unique.  You can easily tell that the presentation and ingredients used are atypical from what you get from normal cafes.

Little Red Riding Hood

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Centre 

 Kinabaru

Coconut Mousse with passionfruit centre

Strawberry Shortcake

Fresh strawberries with French Fresh Cream



The Little Drom Store is a gallery shop (yes, the stuff looks like little exhibits) with knick knacks from toys, stationery, books, accessories, bags.  Some of these stuff are really vintage and perhaps those born from 1980s onwards might not know how to appreciate them!  Oops... I am revealing my age!

This is the prints on a fabric tote bag... for those in your 30s, there is a high chance that you had played this game while schooling (in Singapore), RIGHT?  For my overseas readers, this is a verse that we recite for the scissors, paper, rock game.   No idea, what this is about?  Read about the origin here.  Still unsure how the game goes, watch the demo here - English version,  Korean version.  Hope you get it now!

Kki Sweets [The café is now closed and will be moved to a location.  Stay tuned for updates.]
7 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069791
Opening Hours: Tue to Sat - 12pm to 7pm; Sun - 1pm to 7pm, Closed on Mondays
Tel: 6225 6650
Website: http://www.kki-sweets.com/

Getting there:  Take the MRT to Chinatown Station, although it is also possible to get to Ann Siang Hill via Tanjong Pagar, Outram Park or Raffles Place Stations too.  From Chinatown Station, use Exit A.  After exiting, walk straight until you reach the main road - South Bridge Road.  Cross the road and walk in the direction towards Maxwell Food Centre.  At a small lane before reaching Nanyang Old Coffee, turn left and walk up the hill all the way.  After a gentle left bend, you should see Kki Sweets at the corner of a white building.

[Note: The shop at Ann Siang Hill is closed since after Christmas 2013.  The owner is in the midst on the new shop location]



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Related Posts:
- The Little Prince Café (click)
- Kith Café (click)
- Paris Baguette (click)

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Kim Joo Guan Bak Kwa

I did not know about this shop call Kim Joo Guan until a few days ago when I was shopping at Taka Atrium and sampling the new year goodies.  Besides Bee Cheng Hiang, the other bak Kwa shops aren't that agressive to set up stalls at CNY fairs. 

I was hoping to get some sample from this stall, but unfortunately, there was no sampling.  I was ignorant and did not know that this is the shop that supplies bak kwa to Lim Chee Guan.  Which Singapore does not know Lim Chee Guan?  They are always in the news for the long queue outside their shop at Chinatown during CNY season.  And so I thought "Wow... then Kim Joo Guan's bak kwa must be quite good".  My curousity was further aroused when a guy, who already bought 5 packets (1kg each) of bak kwa, asked if he could "tong bang" me.  This was because the stall has limited purchase of 5kg for each customer.  Each kg costs $45 now.  And I heard that the limit will be changed to 3kg per cutomers and $48/kg from 24 Jan... Pre-order of bak kwa has closed since 14 Jan =(

While I was still a little undecided, a large part of me was instigating me to buy a pack to try.  But I know 1kg was a little too much for me.  But the 1/2kg packs will only be available in the evenings at 5pm/6pm.  Well, for me to rush down just to get a 1/2 kg pack, and still run the risk of it being sold out by the time I am there, I thought it was quite a good deal.

The salesgirl was reminding that mine would be last 1kg pack left for the day (at 12noon)... out of kiasuism, I bought it...

Packaging was already done, in a nice gold colour box. And to think that I had bought something which I never sample and see (cos already pre-packed), I must be quite out of my mind.  It had better not disappoint me.

I did some surfing about Kim Joo Guan there after, and realised that Dr Leslie Tay has good reviews about their bak kwa.  I was a little relieve.  And first thing I did when I got home in the evening was to unpack and try it.

The nice fragrant was released from the packing and the nicely BBQ bak kwa looks very appetising.  Personally, I hate thick and hard bak kwas.  KJG's bak kwa wasn't that thick and quite tender.  It was sweet and juicy at the same time too.  I finished 1 piece within the next 15 minutes (and with much satisfaction).  Like it, like it, like it!  Haha!

Korean Grilled Cuttlefish at Chinatown

If you've been to Seoul and tried the street food in Myeong-dong, you'd probably have seen a roadside stall selling buttered cuttlefish.  To my pleasant surprise, there is a stall outside People's Park Complex selling this delicious Korean streetfood.

In case you're not familiar or confused with the building names at Chinatown, People's Park Complex (PPC) is the building next to OG departmental store and accessible from Chinatown MRT exit.  Occassionally, there are some buskers performing outside this MRT station.

The flattened cuttlefish was first cooked in the machine on the left side for about 2 minutes. Thereafter, the cooked cuttlefish was cut using the orange-coloured machine on the right side. For this $5 portion, you get one and a half piece of cuttlefish.

Tada!  Fresh, juicy and chewy cuttlefish that is almost as good as what you can get in Korea! 

Tong Heng Confectionery

Tong Heng Confectionery

285 South Bridge Road

Tong Heng is one of the traditional oriental pasty shops located at Chinatown.  Apparently, this is the only remaining outlet in Singapore.

They are famous for egg tarts, but I personally love their walnut cookies.  It is a must-try.

Was attracted to the unresistable looking mooncakes that were freshly baked at the shop.  The white lotus paste is smooth and easy to eat.  Like other mooncakes, the white lotus paste is less sweet than the regular lotus paste.

Cross section of the mooncake.  The thickness of the baked skin is just nice.  The golden brown skin looks simply so yummy.

Each mooncake costs $8 if purchased individually.