Newly Renovated - Toa Payoh Lor 8 Hawker

The Toa Payoh Lor 8 hawker center has always been one of my favorite haunts in Toa Payoh, especially for the Bah Kut Teh and Satay. So after I heard that the renovations for the hawker center was complete, I couldn't wait to bring my family there and see if the renovation had a positive or negative impact on the food and price.

Lor 8 Hawker Center

Once we got there, we went straight for our favorite two stalls - Bah Kut Teh and the Satay. It was a Friday night so it was quite crowded and the stall owners weren't the fastest lot of people around. So after half an hour or so, we finally got our food on the table and was ready to sample what we had missed out over the last few months. 

All ready to go!

First up was the satay. We ordered 35 pieces of Satay and 2 Ketupat ($15) for the 4 of us in which there were 30 pork and 5 chicken pieces. The satay standard was still as good as pre-renovation times.  The meat was tender and it wasn't difficult to chew. The translucent fats on the pork satay made the dish even more delicious than it already is (but also made it a lot more unhealthier). The highlight from this stall is its satay sauce - not spicy yet blends well with the meat. One thing about satay is that you have to eat while its hot because after it turned cold, the meat was hard as rock and difficult to chew.

35 Satays and 2 Ketupat

Next was the dishes from the Bah Ku Teh stall. We ordered Bah Ku Teh, Pig's trotters with intestine, Pig Kidney and Intestine Soup, Salted Vegetables and Peanuts. The service is really slow for this stall as there was only a lady handling the entire operations. The dishes were cheap, generous and pretty decent - well worth a try for anyone. The salted vegetables and peanuts were simply average and worth a miss. The soup was a bit too blend for my liking and the pig's trotter weren't fantastic. However, the pork ribs was really good. The meat was soft and came of the bone easily. On top of that, it cost about $4 to get a bowl that could easily feed two people. This stall's quality definitely can't be compared to the famous Bah Ku Teh stalls in Singapore but still worth a try if you are around that area.

Medium-sized Bah Ku Teh Soup

Pig's Trotters with Intestine (Medium)

Overall, this hawker center still provides a cheap and decent quality of food that it once used to. After trying both the satay and Bah Ku Teh, I'm looking forward to sample the other food that this place has to offer. The satay is definitely a must try in this place, but you have to be prepared to wait. The Bah Ku Teh isn't the best around but its a cheap and decent option that is worth a try.

Name: Toa Payoh Lor 8 Hawker Center

Address: Toa Payoh Lor 8 (Opposite Melben Seafood)

Opening Hours: This place is usually for the breakfast and lunch crowd. Be there before 8.30p.m.

Cost: Satay - $0.40/stick, $0.50/Ketupat. Bah Ku Teh - $4 for medium size portion of BKT Soup

Ratings

Food Quality: Satay - 85/100. Bah Ku Teh: 60/100

Service: Satay 60/100 Bah Ku Teh: 60/100

Value for money: Satay: 70/100 Bah Ku Teh: 85/100

Overall: Satay: 71.7/100 Bah Ku Teh: 68.3/100

Express Sushi for 1.50++

Ready, Get Set..GO!!!

I happened to chance upon this place while walking through City Link Mall. I was walking past this corner unit and was just curious what new shop has just opened (this corner has changed tenants for the umpteen times) and the "$1.50 per plate" sign caught my mind. So I decided to take my girlfriend and give Sushi Express a try.

Starting with the usual

Here is how this place works: Basically, this place has no menu and ordering is not a norm. All the food is on the sushi belt and what is available is determined by the chefs that is located all over the restaurant. If you need a reference list, a few pictorial guide can be found on the walls and on the belt itself. Other than that, everything is 1.50++ including the drinks (free flow hot green tea) and you are good to go.

A little different but not overwhelming

My advice for the place - be daring! Skip the usual sushi and dive straight into those weird looking ones.  The unusual ones are different but not over-whelming, so just give a shot. The usual sushi quality are definitely not top-notched, comparable to the lower end chains like Sakae sushi and Ichiban Boshi. The sashimi are pretty thick and pretty decent in terms of freshness. So don't have too high expectation for the usual sushi and sashimi in this place.

Our first few plates

This restaurant also offers the cheapest Salmon Roe sushi and Sea Urchin sushi. These dishes usually cost quite a bit, but at $1.50++ its a steal. If you do not see them, don't be afraid to ask. The Sea Urchin that we tasted was a little too bitter for our liking but the Salmon Roe was pretty good. The latter was really common on the belt so we had quite a big share of Salmon Roe sushi.

Salmon Salmon Salmon

Oyster with Nice Sauce

This place is a fuss-free and easy way to sample a good variety of sushi. Though its only $1.50++ per plate, it can still amount to quite a bit if you don't take not of the rising number of plates. This place is perfect for couples with both a big and small eater. The cheap price is good for those who wants a quick and small meal. Check out this new Taiwan sushi train at least once before its too late.

Something to start the meal

Sea Urchin Sushi

Miso Soup

Name: Sushi Express
Address: City Link Mall #B1-23 (Corner shop before the Marina Square Exit)
Opening Hours: 11.00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Cost: $1.50++ per plate
Ratings
Food Quality: 60/100
Service: 65/100
Value for Money: 78/100
Overall: 68/100
Must try dishes: Salmon Roe Sushi
Tip: Skip the regular and try those that you have never seen.

Satisfying Dinner

Cheap & Good Teochew Porridge in Lor 5 Toa Payoh

Hi to one and all and welcome to my new foodie blog. Nothing much to intro here so I'll just jump straight to the food.

One of my favorite place to grab a bowl of porridge or rice with mixed dishes is Peck Hwan Eating House at Toa Payoh Lor 5 Hawker Center. The vast choices of dishes there provides ample reasons for anyone to come back to have another go at this fantastic place. The uncle and aunty combination that runs the store are a friendly bunch and good at remembering people. Its easy to strike up a short conversation and they even remember the dishes you usually orders. The food is good value for money and seldom comes up to more than $4 per person. On top of that the portion is generous and it'll definitely leave you with a good level of satisfaction.

 They are famous for their nicely done white cabbage dish. Even the chef holds this dish in high regards and would give any ample warning if he thinks his signature dish is not up to the usual standard (which I assure you is still better than most). The thing that I like about this cabbage is in its simplicity. Usually other stalls would provide their cabbage which other kinds of vegetables but this stall simply puts in cabbage and sauce with a little carrot in it. Its nicely done (not too soft or not too hard) and the sauce isn't as blend as many that I have eaten.

Signature White Cabbage

Other dishes that I ate are the salted vegetables, pig intestines, fish cake, spicy fish and pig skin. My personal favorite among all the dishes is the salted vegetable. It is a poor man's dish made to taste so good. In fact its one of my favorites in Singapore as compared with other salted vegetable from other Teochew Porridge stalls, Bah Kut The stalls or Kuay Chap Stalls. What set this dish apart is the piping hot sensation and when you eat it, you won't feel like its sitting out there for days just rotting away.

Piping Hot Salted Vegetable

Nicely Diced Pig Intestine

All in all, the meal mentioned above cost $6 per person which is due to the more expensive option of the spicy fish and pig intestine. On top of that, the amount that my girlfriend and I ordered can easily feed a table for 4. It was a good experience there and I have decided that it should still be my regular haunt for good Teochew porridge. The only downside: this place opens on at 11.30 a.m. and closes around 1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., while stocks last. The are usually not open on weekends and Mondays so its difficult to get access to this stall if your work place is not around the area.

Name: Peck Hwa Eating House

Address: 75 Toa Payoh Lor 5 S310075

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday. 11.30a.m. - 1.30 p.m.

Cost: $3 - $4 per person

Ratings

Food Quality - 85/100

Service - 70/100 (Self-service)

Value  - 90/100

Ambience - Not rated (Typical Hawker Center Setting)

Overall - 82/100

Must try dishes: White Cabbage, Salted Vegetables, Fish Cake

Tip: The food runs out really fast and there is always a queue from 12p.m. - 1p.m.. So the best time to head down is from 11.30a.m. - 12 p.m.