I hate packing for a trip. It's so much trouble really. I'm not sure how many share my sentiments on this but S surely doesn't. He just grabs a couple of tee and shorts and jeans and he's done. "It's ok to wear the same thing again", he says. Me? It's a lot more complicated than that.

So how do I pack? Well.. First, make a mental list of the places we'll go and the activities we'll participate in. Also, check for dress code for restaurants. Then begins the whole fashion parade in my room which involves changing in and out of various permutation and combination of tee, blouses, jeans, pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, jumpers... I'm not even being specific here with the rompers, jumpsuits, midi, maxi etc.. Accessorizing is another ballpark altogether. This is why packing is torture for me.
As you can tell, I'm not one of those people who think that it's absolutely okay to wear your lousiest clothes on holidays just because people don't recognize you. It is a matter of aesthetics! Some people just don't get it, even at home where they'd be recognized. These people should not be let out of their houses really. Oh my burning retinas. It's one thing to have confidence but another to be delusional about what clothes fit you. I do not claim to be a fashionista but at least I dress to hide my flaws and I look decent in public.

I digress. Back to the topic of packing. I've tried various methods over the years in order to maximize my luggage space just so that I can look well coordinated and presentable and yet have space to bring home more shopping.

Tip 1: Never fold your clothes individually
They take up way too much space. There are air pockets that are hard to eliminate when you pack this way. I only use this methods for bulky items like jeans. Then again, i'd wear jeans on board just so that I can save precious space in the luggage. ;)

Tip 2: Roll up clothes that don't crinkle
In my earlier years I would simply roll each piece and store them neatly. It's easy to identify which one I wanna wear as well. The prob is that everything ends up being quite crumpled and I would have to hang everything up once I get to the hotel and even iron them sometimes. Not something you can do if you're gonna be on the road the whole time.

Tip 3: Lay them, Stack them, fold into half
This is my current preferred method. Since my clothes aren't bulky, it's easier to just lay them on top of another. I would categorize them by types as well so that it'll easier to find what I wanna wear. Once done, fold them into half and store. This reduces wrinkles too!

Tip 4: Vacuum Bag Everything
This is the trick to getting extra space. Air is useless and you don't wanna be carrying them. Get these vacuum bags from Daiso (only S$2 each, various sizes). I'll put all my clothes in and proceed to squeeze all the air out. You can even do it manually! I've managed to bag a ski suit, 1 long and 1 short wool coat into a Vbag and it didn't even take up much of my luggage space!

Tip 5: Go For Basics
I'm obviously not one who packs light, as hard as I try. This Croatia trip alone I have with me 5 pairs of footwear, 1 outfit for each day, gym wear, 2 sets of swimwear and sleepwear as well. Not the best person to give advice but here is my wardrobe's worth. The above picture is only missing 1 shoebag, and my Longchamp travel bag. Not bad for a heavy packer like me!

For Her: A pair of dark colored shorts and jeans, tank tops, a girly blouse, a pair of heels/pumps for party, a versatile dress that brings you from day to night. To change the look of your outfit, simply accessorize.

For Him: A combination of tees/polo, shorts, slippers, loafers, a proper shirt could bring you anywhere you need to be. Suit up if you must. You have plenty of room in your trunk anyway. Guys have it much easier. Some people say that a man's best accessory is his partner. Apart from his watch and ride. ;)

Ok. Hope this helps if you are packing for your trip! Oh all these don't apply if you have a huge 29" luggage (which i do, coincidentally) Just throw everything in and go! I like mine organized though. :P Or if you have plenty of dough to spare, just buy everything overseas. At least people won't be wearing the same stuff as you back home.

Tata people. My holiday beckons.

XOXO,
C.

The Capella at Sentosa has got to be one of the prettiest hotels in Singapore. I've previously had tea at The Knolls and even though the food wasn't fantastic, i truly enjoyed the view of the South China Sea as well as the luxurious air to the place. Thus, I was excited to hear about their special offer for May! British 2 Michelin Starred Celebrity Chef Tom Kerridge of The Hand & Flowers was invited to helm the Knolls' kitchen for 5 days, bringing to the table a modern spin on British pub food. The Hand and Flowers is the first pub to have been awarded 2 Michelin Stars! If you read on, you wouldn't even think that's pub food at all. 

I managed to get ourselves a booking for lunch which is a 4 course meal (S$98++). A 5 Course dinner (S$178++ without wine) and a Sunday Champagne Brunch was also available. 

S was smart enough to ask for a seat by the windows so that we can get a good view. I've trained him well indeed! Coincidentally, it was the same seats that Z and i took the last time! :)

The bread basket which our servers happily refilled. S requested to have more of the cheese filo pastry (i'm not sure what's the proper name for it) and they came back with an entire basket of it! I thought it's more like a biscuit due to the thickness of the base. 

Our first dish- Moules Mariniere with Brown Bread. This is done in a soup style while traditionally it's just mussels cooked in white wine and parsley. As you can tell, all the shells has been removed (yay!) and that actually allows the white wine base to be fully soaked up by the fresh mussels. Diced carrots and turnips have been added to this dish and there is a tangy citrus taste which i can't figure out but it works perfectly with the sweetness of the seafood. 

The Pan Seared Scallops, White Asparagus Foam and Bleak Roe with Spinach Puree was a delight as well. The scallop is actually sitting on a blended cod puree which gives the dish an additional grainy texture and slightly creamy taste. The taste is very light and subtle and you can see how the chef has brought out the individual flavors without using too much seasoning.

Onto the main course. Breast of Organic British Chicken, Pistachio Crumble, Lovage Poached Turnips, Soft Polenta and Truffle. The organic chicken was a delight, it's so tender and moist. I'm not a fan of the Pistachio Crumble though because the bread crumbs felt kinda stale and hard. The polenta mash was starchy and buttery and i love the strong truffle taste in it. There was also a citrus undertone which i thought was an interesting touch. The little black bits are black truffle shavings and they were oh so delightful of course. The sauce for the chicken is worth a mention here because i think Tom has splashed some Chinese wine in with the chicken stock (i see what you've done there Tom). ;)

Celebrating my break! Woowhee! I deserve it because i've been working so hard for the 1st half of the year. My friends would beg to differ on my definition of hard work. :P 

The Mango Pavlova Ivoire Chantilly and Passion Fruit Coulis was not really my cup of tea. I don't quite fancy pavlova. Why would i want to eat beaten egg whites that are overly sweet? Anyhow, i thought this was quite the extremes because the pavlova could send one into a diabetic shock (i exaggerate) and the mango and passion fruit were quite acidic. Definitely my least fav dish.  

Color palette- Grey, Sunset yellow, navy blue, pink, silver and gold.

As you can tell from this happy picture, i really enjoyed my meal. Kudos to Capella for bringing the stars to our little island. Thumbs up!

Anyway, i'm loving this maxi dress that i bought from Bangkok. I don't believe in spending too much money on clothes (i meant a single piece :P) since i wouldn't wear the same thing too many times unless it's like a basic piece or work wear. With the right accessories and attitude, you can look a million bucks (though i must say i spend way more on my accessories i.e. bags). Confidence is key to looking faboosh.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5 Friendly, though not particularly knowledgeable about the dishes.
Ambience: 5/5 Can't beat this view!

The Knolls
1 The Knolls, Capella Singapore
Sentosa
Tel: +65 6591 5046
Daily: 6.30am - 11pm

I knew all along that there are some cafes/bakeries along Killiney Road but i was always too lazy to explore the area. That was till S dragged me over to Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux one afternoon before yoga. That was when i realized how much i've been missing out on this whole time! Freshly Baked does a good quality brunch at a central but yet low key location and at a ridiculously reasonable price. I guess that's the end of my loyalty to Wild Honey (nah.. kidding).

The Bakery Cafe has been opened since late 2007 and it offers a variety of Artisan Breads, cakes and pastries. Audrey, Chef/Owner of "Freshly Baked" is a baker who is not much into style but more into substance and that could be seen by the really simple decor and fuss free dining space at FB.

What is really good here is their breads. They are so addictive; they were all i could think about after dining here the first time. I just wanna eat bread all my life if they were this good.

Sandwiches, breads and cakes are available all day (till they run out and they do run out fast). There are 3 Brunch Sets (S$10.90-12.90).  but i'm not sure what time they end. The most popular order is the deli corned beef from Huber’s Butchery paired with baked beans, a fried egg and burger bag bread. While i was there, i tried the Fresh deli Salami served with Emmental cheese, scrambled eggs and olive oil bread (S$12.90).

Even though the scrambled egg was more like omelette (and a little bland), the bread was faultless. It's kinda like an English muffin with the slightly rough exterior but it's moist and dense on the inside and yet it still maintains the slightly fluffiness. I suppose the salami is also from Huber's. I tried stuffing all the ingredients into the bun but failed because there's too much of everything (not complaining)!

Ham and Cheese Sandwich (S$7.50) It looks very dry and hard but in fact it's so fluffy! The Walnut Raisins bread is airy and light and squishy! The towering 10cm tall sandwich is daunting at first but every bite was a juicy delight. The light sweetness of the raisins complements the savory ham shavings really well. Perfect sweet and savory sandwich. Absolutely delightful!

The Cranberry Scone (S$2.80) is a winner. The crumbly exterior breaks apart to unveil a moist and buttery center. I love how much cranberries are added to it. I still love WH's scone but this is cheaper and an almost-as-good substitute. Spread it with the silver of salted butter and you would have arrived at scones heaven.

The Mocha was so so. Could hardly taste much of the chocolate though.

All the breads are made without any preservatives and thus they only have a shelf-life of 2 to 3 days. It really wouldn't last that long anyway because they are so good! Don't the Banana walnut and Chocolate loaves look so alluring? Just wanna eat 'em all!

Bought home the Chocolate custard buns (4 for S$5.50) which were not bad. They were gone in less than a day. The chocolate taste is quite rich but if you have a sweet tooth, this is not gonna satisfy you. It is also lacking in the custard filling too.

Verdict- Recommended! My current favorite Bakery.
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3/5 The person in charge (not Audrey) was quite the no nonsense sort. I felt rushed into having to place my order. Z felt equally uneasy as well. Not sure if this would stop me from going again but the people really need to be friendlier.
Atmosphere: 3.5/5 Fuss free dining

Freshly Baked
57 Killiney Road #01-01

(Just a 2min walk from Orchard Central, farther down from KPO)

Tel: +65 6735 3298
Weekdays: 8am – 7pm
Weekends: 8am – 4pm

Medzs is a 200 seater European/Mediterranean restaurant which is located at Basement Two of Orchard Central. I always walk past the restaurant when heading over to yoga class. The place works like Marché, which uses a card system to record your orders. There are 8 stations which provide a variety of cuisine from French, German, Greek, Turkish etc.

So finally one weekend when S and i dropped by to donate blood at the Orchard Central (he donated, i watched), we decided to give the Medzs a shot. This place is actually quite perfect for those who can't make up their mind on what to eat because there is quite a good mix of cuisines and cooking styles. 

For S$15, i thought the Duck Confit wasn't too shady. S thought that it was kinda pathetic for such a small leg at first but i'm not expect huge ones like those served at Le Bistrot (read about my review here). You get what you pay for. Surprisingly, the leg was cooked nicely. The skin was a thin golden brown crisp that crackles when you bite into it but the meat maintained its tender and moist texture. The meat may be a teeny bit leaning towards the salty side though. The sauce was a savory gravy that gave the meat a little more moisture. This is not a bad dish and it is almost comparable to La Petite.

I had the Beef Shish Kebab (S$11.90), which IMHO is fantastic. Piping hot and fresh beef on skewers, seasoned simply with spices, herbs, pepper and salt to bring out the natural flavors of the meat and served on a bed of vegetables. What more can you ask for? I love the Bulgur rice (If i wasn't mistaken) which was served with the meat. It has a nice tomato flavor to it and cooked almost like the Valencia Paella style with some diced peppers and onions. The short fat grains are fluffy, moist and slightly chewy and they go perfectly with the savory grilled meats. I would definitely be back to try the other kebab dishes. They look and smell fantastic.

I kinda like the place. What's not to love about fuss free dining in a comfortable and convenient location. I think it's best for big groups with diverse eating preferences. Simply pick a seat. Reserve it with a stone. Proceed to explore the place. Order your dish. Bring the buzzer back to seat. Wait for buzzer to vibrate. Collect your food. Dig it.

From now till July 2012, there is a 25% off Lunch Promo (12 - 2.30pm) and 10% off Dinner Promo (6-10pm) for UOB, DBS, POSB and HSBC cards. Head on down now!

Verdict- Recommended
Food: 4/5 Head straight for the Kebab stall!
Ambience: 4/5 Comfortable and great for big groups

Medzs
181 Orchard Road
#B2-01/03 Orchard Central

Tel: +65 6238 9028
Daily: 11am - 11pm

9 Raffles Boulevard

#01-46/56 Millenia Walk

Tel: +65 6337 7507
Sun–Thu: 11.30am – 12am
Fri–Sat: 11.30am – 1am

Hello folks! I'm off on a trip to a beautiful land with sapphire blue Adriatic sea, magnificent city walls, monasteries, medieval churches, graceful squares and fascinating residential quarters. The entire nation is practically a UNESCO World Heritage site! Croatia is still an undiscovered gem by many Singaporeans but it is Europe's vacation hotspot! Central Europe is really quite cool. Check it out.

Credits: Love-croatia.com

Dubrovnik- UNESCO World Heritage Site with it's unrivaled view of the Adriatic Sea. Surprised to know how this walled city was shelled during the 1990's Homeland War and how fast it has bounced back since.

Credits: WideRange.ord

Plitvice Lakes National Park with the dozens of lakes, waterfalls and luscious spruce, fir and pine trees. Doesn't it make you feel like jumping into the pools of blue right now?

Credits: The Telegraph UK

How about some chilling out at the Diocletian Palace, emperor retirement style, sipping coffee at the Peristil after exploring the inner city maze?

Yes. this is the year of off-the-beaten-path traveling. That's just a preview of what's to come. Will be back some time later, but if i'm not, don't look for me. I really don't wish to come back. :P Will try to post snippets on the roads. Maybe do a visual diary thing instead of writing. Don't miss me too much!

XOXO

C.

The Chocolate Origin originated from a little traditional bakery hidden in the Changi Village area. Among all the offering, there was a gem waiting to be discovered by the discerning cake monster who would overlook the secluded location and the lack of sophistication in the appearance of the shop and the cake. That cake monster is S btw.

That boy bought so many cakes from them and he would "sell" the cake to his friends. By word of mouth of many chocolate cake fanatics like S, the Chocolate Origin was born. Now, they only focus on chocolate desserts.

The original chocolate cake is a 6 inch rich and creamy milk chocolate cake which is very little sponge and tons of chocolate. I wouldn't consider it mousse or cream. It's just pure chocolate to me. A tiny slice will suffice in fact (for me at least) because it's too sinful to have more due to the richness in flavor.

This is a sellout at every gathering we bring the cake too. Everyone loves it.

The great thing is that it is no longer only exclusive in the East. The Chocolate Origin has a little store at 313 Somerset and you can get a slice of heaven at a more convenient location.

They have also diversified with their chocolate selection. For dark chocolate lovers, there is the bitter and cooler variant.

My other favorite is the Chocolate Lava Cake in a cup! Life can't get better than this. Where else can you get this gooey fondant on the go! My only complain is that the ice cream is not real vanilla bean ice cream and is on the icy side. But this is truly one of the best chocolate lava cake in Singapore and only for S$5.50?!! Wert wert!

So yea, go down, have the cake. If not, at least do the lava version. Guaranteed satisfaction. 6 inch cakes are S$29 for the original and S$36 for the Dark Chocolate (order in advance). Other sizes are made to order!

Verdict- Highly Recommended
Food- 5/5!

Chocolate Origin
Blk 4 Changi Village Road
#01-2084 Singapore 500004
Tel: +65 6542 2939
Weekdays: 12pm - 9pm
Weekends: 10.30am - 9pm

313 Orchard Road
#B3-10A Singapore 238895
Daily: 10am - 9.30pm

Dropped by Bugis for some shopping and checked out Bugis+ (previously known as Iluma shopping centre) after buying Koi. It's a new mall with plenty of shops like Berskha, neu look and Uniqlo (attending the opening event tmr!). I'm just digressing a little. This post is different from my usual because it's the first time I'm sharing with you guys what not to eat and BonChon Chicken Singapore is the first to make the list on my blog.

W and I saw the BonChon chicken outlet which is unlike the fast food version at Ion. I was hoping that at least this would be a little more similar to the awesome BonChon wings i've had in NYC, but it WAS NOT!

Never in my life have I had wings so dry. The seasoning and sauce used to coat the wings were similar to the original but the chicken was badly prepared. A proper establishment should NEVER double-fry or triple-fry their food. It should be made fresh! The meat was really dry and stale and it was tasteless.

We ordered the Korean seafood pancake because it looked and sounded promising but omg it was TERRIBLE. For S$12.90, this is pathetic. The thin and whitish looking batter barely coats the pitiful strands of scallion and the seafood was non existent. I get better stuff at food courts even.

Verdict- DO NOT EAT
Food: 1/5 terrible quality but edible. Still damn pissed for wasting calories on bad food.
Service: 2/5 they were obviously not ready for service. We stepped in and they were just waiting for each other to serve us. Tsk.
Ambience: 1/5 The restaurant is split into 2 halves and random people were cutting through the space to get to the mall toilets!

BonChon Chicken Singapore
#01-03, Bugis+ Shopping Centre
201 Victoria Street
(I'm stating the location so that you can make sure you don't visit this place)

The Broers Café has been under my radar for the longest time. Tucked in a quiet corner just a stone's throw away from Farrer Park MRT (and City Square Mall) on the North East MRT line, I should have gone there ages ago but i didn't. I was under the impression that it's a loooooong walk from Farrer but if you cut through the shopping mall, it's less than a 5mins walk away.

The Broers Café is opened by Kiat and Han, "two incurable coffee aficionados who relish every opportunity to share their mad obsession with those psychedelic nuts to the rest of the world". Their cafe is a small and spartan place, typical of a place "designed" by bachelors (which means no design at all). The light bulbs were scantly covered with cotton wool? It's kinda quirky in a lazy way. This definitely goes into the category of "silly things guys do". 

Love the simple wall feature which was all about coffee and tea and all things nice. Certain words jumped out at me. I'm such the caffeine addict. :))

The coffee is made from roasted beans from Highlander Coffee and then lovingly prepared with a Vibiemme espresso machine. I also noticed the expensive Chemex and Pour Over filter set up on the bar counter. Don't quite remember there being filter coffee drinks or perhaps i was just distracted by the espresso. For iced drinks, choose between 12oz (single shot) or 14oz (double shot). The difference in price is only 50cents and the caffeine effect is more than double. The coffee doesn't taste very intense (i thought my Mocha was quite thin in fact) but it was smooth.

In fact, i thought the highlight was the food instead. I had the Beef Sundried Sourdough ($7.50) which was an awesome sandwich. The succulent grilled beef, fresh tomatoes and crispy lettuce was sandwiched in a lightly toasted sundried tomatoes sourdough and it was oh-so-juicy. Well marinated and tender beef which was in harmony to the amount dough. The bread was surprisingly fluffy on the inside and i love that slight tanginess and sweetness from the sundried tomatoes. It's amazing how they taste like berries! 

The side of potato salad deserves a mention on its own. The roasted baby potatoes with skin were amazing with the homemade creamy and peppery dressing. I love the slightly starchy texture of the potatoes and the light crunch of the skin. This side is so good you can order it on a salad (S$4). 

The Chicken Mayo Croissant (S$6.50) was just a little buttery and airy (nice height to the puff). Perhaps i'm nitpicking but the croissant is not flaky or crispy enough for me. Chicken Mayo is kinda a standard feature so i'm not particularly impressed. 

Even though B and i were kinda starving, we were quite full after our sandwiches. Thoughts of a 3rd sandwich was immediately dispelled halfway through our meal. We even had to forgo the desserts! The tarts are from the Muffinry! A pity to let that go to waste (my tummy's loss really). 

Verdict- Recommended!

Food: 4/5 Love the Beef Sundried Sourdough and the potatoes! The coffee isn't too bad as well.

Service: 3.5/5 

Atmosphere: 3.5/5 Laid back and chill. It's quiet on a Sunday afternoon and quite perfect to just sit and read the papers.

The Broers Café
3 Petain Road

Residences@Somme

Tel: +65 6295 5426
Tue-Thu & Sun: 10am- 8pm

Fri-Sat: 10am- 11pm

Our favorite ramen place in Singapore has got to be Santouka. S declared this the best ramen in Singapore even before we tried several other popular ones like Marutama and Ippudo. The verdict still stands though. The Santouka brand, which was started in 1988 in Asahikawa, produces the best Hokkaido ramen on our little island. Despite the secluded and hidden corner in Central Clarke Quay, the queue gets pretty crazy during meal times due to the small capacity (it's about a 25seater) and insane popularity. I think it has only gotten better with the opening of a second outlet at Cuppage Terrace. 

The broth maketh the ramen dish really, together with the noodles. Santouka does a Tonkotsu soup which is prepared from simmering pork bones, fat, and collagen before adding vegetables, dried fish, kelp and their own secret ingredients. The soup is never boiled. Instead, it is maintained at an optimal temperature to give it that exceptional taste and flavor. 

There are 4 flavors to the Tonkotsu soup. Shio (salt) has a clean and clear (doesn't that sound like facial wash? hee) taste to it. Shoyu (soy sauce) gives the broth a slightly light brown appearance and that light savory and tangy taste. Miso (my fav bean paste) has that robust and tangy flavor which is thick and slightly nutty. The last one is the Kara Miso (spicy miso).

If it's your first time to Santouka, i highly recommend the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen (S$19.50 for shio/shoyu/miso, S$20.50 for Spicy Miso). For that price, you would get a dish of roasted pork cheek and a bowl of springy and curly yellow noodles. Sides sold separately. 

Just look at that roasted pork cheek with just the right amount of fats. The jowl meat is the most precious and delicious part of the piggy. It's only about 200-300g per pig (duh, they only have 2 cheeks!) Very richly flavored and tender! This texture has been likened to fatty tuna. I would say the meat is more firm (this is pork not fish you know). I don't get why the meat is served separately from the broth, kinda makes it a little cold. I suppose they wanted to preserve the moisture and flavor of the pork. Anyway I would usually warm it up slightly in the broth right before i devour them. It is a little on the salty side, so be prepared to drink lots of water. 

The toppings that comes with the meat differs a little. Shio comes with a pickled plum. Shoyu with seaweed. Miso only has black fungus. All of them comes with fresh bamboo shoots which has quite a strong taste. 

The ramen noodles are medium sized which gives it enough bite and bounce. Love the springiness of it. I'm not a huge fan of yellow noodles because they have that alkaline taste but this is alright.

Other ramen are available (S$13.50- 18.50), same flavors as stated previously. The meat used is of course the more typical char siew but they are equally yums. Sets are available as well if you feel like having variety. They come with smaller portions of ramen with fried rice/salmon roe rice or other sides.

And you gotta have that Hanjuku eggs. They are these beautifully marinated soft boiled eggs which appears like a regular hard boil but when you bite into them, the egg white yields and exposes this soft and deliciously oozy yolk. LOVE! 

You can make these at home but i think it's not that easy. Would pay for them anytime but here are some Hanjuku egg recipes! 

Chubby Hubby: http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=485

Cook Snap Eat Love: http://www.cooksnapeatlove.com/2010/12/recipes-hanjuku-tamago-or-lava-eggs.html

Ramenramenramen: http://www.ramenramenramen.net/2008/05/31/hanjuku-egg-recipe/

Verdict- Recommended!

Food: 4.5/5 Best ramen in Singapore but it's just a little salty.

Service: 4/5 Fast and efficient.

Ambience: 4/5 Fuss free, clean and comfortable. Comes with a view of the Singapore River.

Santouka Ramen

6 Eu Tong Sen Street

#02-76 The Central, Clarke Quay

Tel: +65 6224 0668

Daily: 11am - 9.30pm

21 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace
Tel: +65 6235 1059
Mon–Fri: 12pm–3pm, 5.30pm–12am
Sat: 12pm–12am
Sun & PH: 12pm–9.30pm

Nakhon Kitchen is a hidden gem in the Kovan neighborhood in the North-eastern corner of Singapore that serves authentic Thai cuisine in a friendly and kooky Thai atmosphere. Once you step into the shop, you'd be transported to the back alleys of Bangkok with all that upbeat Thai pop tempo, mouthwatering waft of hot delicious food and the friendly smiles and eager to please faces of the servers. Since i was sharing on my Bangkok travels, i thought it is only right to provide some great Thai food options here in Singapore. :)

I've been patronising this stall since a long time ago, before they got really famous, before they were picked up by foodies, before the queue started forming before 6pm, before they opened a branch in Bedok, before... Sharing is caring, but when my favorite food haunts are packed to the brim and the hungry me has to stand in the queue for eons while the stomach rumbles on, i kinda wish they aren't that popular. Anyhoo, this was the queue at 7.30pm. There i was happily thinking that if we show at 8pm there wouldn't be a queue. Wrong again. The queue was there the whole night. There were still people queuing when we left. 

So what's so good about Nakhon that makes it worth queueing for? 1.Food 2.Service 3.Price. Even though the queue can snake down the corridor, the wait isn't that unpleasant. One takes time to pour over the pretty extensive menu of standard Thai dishes and your order is taken prior to being seated. Within moments of resting your feet, the food will be served. How awesome is that for hungry souls? 

S & i finally convinced our group to move away from Holland V and town to visit this off the beaten path (for our friends) eatery and they were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food (what do you expect when you have foodies as friends right?).

Our dishes for the night. Looks a lot yea? Actually it was not enough! We ordered another set of this plus 2 other plates of rice. I would consider the side dishes to be small plates (good for 3pax). 

Before you start eating, get an iced drink first. Trust me, this is definitely required to douse the fire from the spices later. The Thai iced Lemongrass (S$3) is a light and refreshing drink with a lingering fragrance. Those with a sweet tooth would love the Thai iced tea (S$3) which is packed full of caffeine. The caffeine addict in me endorses this one.

The Pineapple Fried Rice (S$6) is a standard dish that i would order here. The sweetness of the pork floss goes perfectly with the slightly curried Thai rice which is slightly fluffy and chewy. I like that it is not too dry. The rice is fried with shrimps, cashew nuts and raisins and best eaten with Green curry! Almost every table had an order of this. Nakhon used to serve this in a pineapple but i guess it was too troublesome for them. 

The Black Olive Fried Rice with minced chicken (S$6) was a little too oily IMO. I couldn't really taste much of the olives and the rice was a little harder because there isn't the additional pineapples to give it the extra moisture.

A Thai meal is never complete without Tom Yam Soup and Nakhon has 2 different types, 1 thick base and 1 clear, with the option of Seafood, Shrimp or Chicken (S$6). The milky base is the less spicy option with some tomatoes added to neutralize the acidity. I personally prefer the clear base. It looks innocuous enough but boy that chili padi in the soup can kill. It's a clean and sweet taste with tartness to it in your first mouthful. Amazingly addictive but u may feel that acid biting into your stomach after.

Unlike Tom Yum, it's easy to go wrong with Green Curry. The curry- a blend of Kaffir lime leaves, basil, lemongrass and cumin- when mixed in a random proportion will give you something that tastes funky. Nakhon's Green Curry Chicken (S$8) has just the right amount of minty flavor in it and the texture is creamy due to the addition of thick coconut milk. I actually had overly minty and cool green curry in Bangkok recently. Nasty thing. Plus green isn't the most appetizing color as well so that didn't go down at all.

Other side dishes were ordered and we found out that you can't go wrong ordering anything from their menu. It's the first time we tried the Stir fried minced Pork with hot Basil leaves (S$8) and the dish hit the right note of sweetness and saltiness. I noticed that Thais are quite generous with their sugar. Most Thai dishes (not just at Nakhon) were a little sweet, if not very sweet. I could taste the slight sweetness in the pork. The meat is very juicy and it's great with the rice too.

Stir fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts (S$6) was well liked by the group. The chicken slices were chunky and they were fried to a nice crisp on the exterior. The sauce has a nice soy base and i like the crunchiness the nuts bring to the dish. 

Stir fried Kang Kong Belachan (S$6) was palatable to most. This isn't like our usual Sambal Kang Kong, being the less spicy version. I thought this was a little high on the sodium content though. Not a bad dish though. Perhaps you could ask for less salt? I'm sure they would accommodate.

Red Ruby is my choice of Thai dessert anytime but it sells out really quickly at Nakhon. By the time we were done with our 2 rounds of food, it was swept off the shelves. BOO. We settled for the Mango sticky rice served with coconut milk (S$5). Again, really rich and viscous coconut milk with sweet juicy mango slices and glutinous rice. I don't really know the standard of this dish since i don't eat it much. Mich thought the rice wasn't sticky enough and V preferred it to be more al dente? I'm not sure if sticky rice should be done al dente though.. But overall i thought it was edible? (weird choice of descriptor i know but i really can't gauge!)

If you are here with a big group, go ahead and order more dishes for sharing. It will not be enough for sure. For a group of 8, we ordered 7 plates of rice, 3 soups, 4 meat dishes, 2 veg and 2 curries and 2 desserts.

So here it is, the secret but not so secret hearty and down to earth Thai food in the heartlands. Let me have it for the weeknights and you guys can have the weekends alright? :)

Verdict- Recommended!
Food: 5/5 My go to place for Thai in Singapore
Service: 4/5 Extremely efficient!
Ambience: 5/5 Full marks for the Thai atmosphere. I thought i was in Chatuchak market having dinner!

Nakhon Kitchen
212 Hougang Street 21, #01-341

Tel: +65 6286 8785

Daily: 12pm–3pm, 5.30pm–10pm