Hawker Chan HK Soy Sauce Chicken

The Mr Chan of the famed Hawker Chan in Singapore was originally from Ipoh, Malaysia. He later moved to Hong Kong, where he acquired the skills in making his signature HK style soy sauce chicken - before settling and opening a hawker stall in Singapore. His rise to fame was documented, from a humble food court stall, to being awarded one Michelin star rating from the Singapore Michelin Guide. 

I did not go to the original stall in Chinatown Food Centre, because I googled and got this address on Smith St instead. It is a new establishment, from investors who had bought Hawker Chan's recipe and set up a shiny, fancy, new restaurant to accommodate the growing number of curious diners.

I arrived at 11:50am, and already a line was snaking out from the shop. The motion sensor sliding door could not close due to the line of people extending out to the entrance. A staff later asked us to step back into the outside queueing area so the door could close and regulate the interior air-conditioning.

Well, that was certainly a first. 

There was a healthy mix of locals and foreigners queueing, compared to the 1-Michelin star Bak Chor Mee (only locals there, perhaps unsurprising). Total waiting time in the first queue was ~15 mins. The first queue is where you order and pay. There is also an automated kiosk for you to place your meals, and pay! Fancy schmancy!

Once paid, you are handed a receipt with a queue number. This is the second queue where I waited some ~25-30 minutes before my number was pinged to pick up my food. Tables are also limited especially during the rush hour, resulting in people hogging tables, even though their queue numbers were still a long ways off.

Total waiting time for both queues = 45 minutes, before lunch rush hour. Actually, the queue kind of died down after 12:30. May be a good idea to come really early, or a little later.

Finally! Two dishes with soy sauce chicken - one with rice for myself and another with noodles for my sister.

Most friends/family have told me to order their noodles - and I concur.

Noodles were springy and comes with a mushroom-y sauce. Quite a delight to eat. The star of the meal - soy sauce chicken - has a very subtle, delicate flavour. Chicken is tender, but I have had more tender chicken, sous vide style. The chicken is certainly nice, although I can't say I understand the one Michelin award, sorry. Perhaps for the real experience, I should have gone to Hawker Chan's original stall?

Rice was dry and semi-hard. I also ordered a side char siew (rBBQ pork) with the rice. It was nice and well-caramelised. Yummy, but not worth 45 minutes queue I think. I would much prefer to go back to the Bak Chor Mee for queues!

Still, a very affordable meal at under SGD$20 for the two dishes, including beverages.

Hawker Chan Soy Sauce Chicken
78 Smith St
058972 Singapore
Opens Thursday-Tuesday, 10:00am - 8:00pm
Closes Wednesday


See my other hawker Michelin post in Singapore here.

The Proposal

It all started with dinner. 

They usually do, right?

In front of the Hong Kong harbour, on a chilly wintry night, he didn't drop onto one knee. No, sir....

I'll leave it to your finest imagination!

Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee

Ah, Singapore! And Bak Chor Mee! Bak Chor Mee (BCM) is a pork noodle in vinegar sauce, and an acquired taste. When I first moved to Singapore, I did not take to BCM readily. Neither did my Malaysian family and friends. They all complained of the intrusive vinegar taste and preferred instead to have the regular pork noodles without vinegar.

On top of the vinegar, some hawker stalls will pile on mushrooms, creating a very strong taste to your palate. Despite all of that, I have eventually started to appreciate BCM and do crave for it from time to time! To make it even more desirable, BCM can only be found in Singapore (no business elsewhere kot, heh).

Regrettably, my time in Singapore was not spent enough on discovering BCM places, thus I have not tasted enough BCM to gauge how superior one is to the next. So, this trip to Singapore, I made sure one lunch slot is dedicated to the recently awarded 1 Michelin Star eatery by the Singapore Michelin Guide.

It wasn't hard to locate the restaurant, if you consult Google map (I also realized with a jolt that I have been here before, to dine at the western food stall next to the BCM). The BCM stall is located on the right-most corner of the kopitiam. 

If you're having problems locating the BCM stall, just look out for the long queue! There were approximately 7 people ahead of me already in line when I arrived at 1:20pm on a weekday. Protocol here is a little different from the others. First, you get into the existing line. Then eventually, one of the uncles will gesture for you to approach the stall. You tell him which type of noodle you'd like, and of any additional ingredients requests. He tells you how much your order is, but you don't pay yet. Then you go back to the spot in line where you were waiting.

The noodles come in a variety of upgrades, starting at a base of $5, then $6, $8 and $10. It was my first visit, so I asked for a "regular" order, which turned out to be $6.

The turnaround per customer is approximately 2 minutes; so my wait was a mere 15 minutes. Based on friends' waiting experiences and from what I gathered online, the usual wait is 30-45 minutes or up to 2 hours! I'm not complaining over a 15 minute wait, now!

The $6 bowl comes with a bowl of seaweed soup. Minced pork, slices of pork fillets, pork balls, dumplings, pork liver and a piece of fried fish sole are arranged prettily on a bed of flat noodles. I tried the soup first, very sweet and not too salty. Mixed the noodles up so everything is coated in sauce. Took a bite of the pork fillet. Wow, it is tender and just about cooked, the vinegar sauce beautifully balances the meat. The pork liver was just as impressive - almost melting in the mouth! It is a far cry from other noodle stalls who overcook the pork liver. Those are usually chewy or crumbly. The noodles are wonderfully al dente, adding a whole dimension to the dish. 

The dumplings, on the other hand, I wasn't wild about them. I felt the dumpling skin was a tad too thick, but everything else shined. It was so good, I polished the entire bowl clean. I'd wait 45 minutes for this bowl, and next time, I'll take the $10 premium upgrade.

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
#01-12 Blk 466
Crawford Lane
Singapore
Opens daily, 9:30am - 9:00pm
Closed 1st & 3rd Mondays of the month

Brunei: Our Favourite Cafés

**Updated 2nd May 2017

We've uncovered a large number of wonderful cafés and restaurants during our stay in Brunei. My initial thoughts on Brunei were, well, boring. But the beauty of this country is: if you take your time to get to know it, gradually peeling off the outer layers, you'll be rewarded with a wealth of exciting activities and eats!

Before we move on, there are some presumptions that need clearing up. Yes, you CAN get pork in Brunei! And contrary to popular belief, the non-halal eateries are not shrouded in secrecy and nor are they rare. These restaurants will usually have a notice on their premises - Food not suitable for Muslim people.

***This list is not comprehensive, we are still subjecting ourselves to various experimentats... anything to ensure hypotheses and results are consistent before we present them here :)

1) Danes Cafe

Whenever we make a trip out of Brunei, one of the first things we crave for when we return is kolo mee. So far, the best version (in Brunei) can be found here. 

Coffee is decent - cakes are a hit or miss. Sometimes we get very dry cakes (which may have been left in the chiller for a while), and sometimes, deliciously moist cakes.

Our usual orders are the Charsiew Kolo Mee (for him) and Danes Kolo mee (for me). The Danes kolo mee is an exercise of self control. Springy noodles with pork balls, pork crackling, minced pork, pork lard and topped with a slice of bacon and sunny side up egg! Best eaten with pickled chillis. Bliss!!

Other choices available at Danes are ribs, pork burgers and other cafe food. I'm predictable and I ALWAYS order the Danes kolo mee, hehe.

Danes Cafe

Unit 102, Bangunan Batu Bersurat

7:00am - 10:00pm
Must have: Danes Kolo Mee



2) Brew Cafe & Brewery

Brew Cafe & Brewery (wish they'd change to a less generic name... try looking for THAT on Waze!) is under the Mr Baker umbrella branch. 

We arrived at 11:30am, and completely missed out on the breakfast options. Breakfast is only available till 11am, with the usual breakfast fare of scrambled eggs, sausages, toast - that sort of options. 

The herbed bagel with roast chicken, cheese, tomatoes and salad leaves combination goes really well together! Bagels are also chewy, without being overly dense. 

Half boiled eggs and flat white. Hands down, Mr Baker has the best coffee in town! The espresso brewed here has a medium acidity and a slight bitterness. My only gripe is they put too much milk in their coffee beverages.... good for diners who like a large cup of coffee, I suppose.

Our second visit, we managed to get there in time for their breakfast menu. This is the Croissanwich - with chicken, cheese, tomato and a side salad. 

Croissants are well-made, with defined lamination. Although, I wish the staff had used a better knife to slice my croissant - because it turned up looking squashed, heh.

The cafe also has an in-house bakery. They sell a variety of bread options like sourdough, baguette, croissants, tarts and much more. We weren't wild about the desserts here though. Pandan sponge cake was incredibly dry, and the egg tart shell was a disappointment (hard, not crumbly).

Brew Cafe & Bakery

Unit 47, Block C, Gadong Central

Brunei

7:00am - 10:30pm

Must have: Coffee, breads, croissants, bagels.

3) Alter Ego

We passed by this cafe, and I was immediately attracted to its exterior but we were already leaving. As soon as I got back, I searched it up online. Strangely, there wasn't much information other than some commenting on its decor.

I was pleased to see that they offer French pastries (digressing, we drove 15 minutes to a patisserie called Le Doux Patisserie only to be massively disappointed by their pastries)  such as Petite Antoines, and fusion choux pastries.

Espresso machine looks promising.... but the coffee was mediocre. All I could taste was milk :(

Steak and Unagi rice bowl -

That poached egg is perfect - all jiggly and indecently squirmy and glistening. I really liked the unagi, whereas V prefers the steak. Served on rice with Japanese seaweed, this was really yummy.

Karaage chicken with a spicy sauce-

Crispy, crunchy and tender chicken strips. Great for snacks.

Matcha Religeuse-

I was a little disappointed with the choux pastry, to be honest. It is obviously an "old", stale choux. The choux shell should have a bite to them (not crunchy, but at least with a bit of texture). The choux pastry I got was soft, stale and lacking body. Its saving grace was the matcha cream, though. It was fluffy and light.

We also tried the Petite Antoine... and it was forgetful. This used to be one of my favourite desserts in pastry school but I don't quite know what went wrong here! The chocolate ganache didn't have that intense chocolaty flavour... it was really meh.

That pink pastry in the background is a Bandung St Honoré. 

Bandung is an Indonesian beverage, pink in colour and usually sickly sweet. Alter Ego's interpretation of the St Honore tasted like cough syrup. On the upside, this choux wasn't as stale as the Matcha Religeuse (I had the Matcha Religeuse on a different occasion - at brunch - so it may have been an overnight product. Whereas the St Honoré was purchased at night and probably freshly made).

Alter Ego

Unit No 2 & 3, Block E, Ground Floor

Lot 5788, Kampung Kuilap

Brunei

10:00am - 10:00pm
Must Have: The Grains and snacks

p/s Alter Ego is on the same street as TWO escape rooms!
p/p/s After our second visit here, we have exhausted our options for desserts because the menu is limited. Although, it did state on the menu that it is still in a soft launching mode. Let's see.



4) Rack & Brew

As a special mention, Rack & Brew also has one of the nicer coffee in town! Hot meals are average. We suspect their cake is sourced from the same baker as Danes Cafe (because, they carry the same cakes). So it is a hit or miss with the dessert too. The yam cake is delicious!

There is also a boutique on the upper level of R&B. Personally, I think the style is cute and gorgeous, but the quality is on the lower side, and the price tag on them does not justify the purchase.

**Edit - Since taking a barista course, I have become a coffee snob (as my fiancé is quick to accuse me of). The coffee at Rack & Brew is good, but not great. Definitely one of the better ones in town.

Rack & Brew
Opposite The Mall Gadong, next to McDonald's & upstairs International House of Pancakes
Brunei
9:00am - 11:00pm
Must Have: Coffee & Cakes!



5) Roasted Sip

Yaay! A specialty coffee maker, or third wave coffee brewers have entered the Brunei market! Plus point - they are really close to where we stay, so I could grab the car in the early hours and have a satisfying cuppa before the fiancé goes to work. 

I was there on two occasions - both times, I ordered a Piccolo latte. I know, I should have ordered an espresso to really appreciate the coffee, but I REALLY, REALLY enjoy my coffee with milk! 

Anyway, the first try, I really liked the strong espresso - but I also find it lacking in acidity. The barista is very friendly, though. He chatted with me about the coffee beans, and how they roast the beans in house. 

Piccolo latte, and a salted egg mini croissant.

The roasting is done once a week, so if you're lucky, you can even witness it while getting your caffeine fix! 

My second trip there, the coffee was much better. It was well balanced: the acidity and bitterness. 

They also serve a small selection of pastries. I tried their salted egg croissant - which was quite good. Their chicken puff was alright, puff pastry wasn't as flaky as their croissant. Which is absolutely fine, because the coffee here takes the centre stage. 

Roasted Sip
Complex BG3122
Jerudong, Brunei
7:00am - 7:00pm
(Opposite GK Restaurant)

Miri: Weekend of Swine and Booze

The entire Internet was drowning in numerous websites, all covering different ways to get from Bandar Sri Begawan (BSB), across the Malaysia-Brunei border, and into Miri, Sarawak.

Any information from Kuala Belait to Miri by bus, however, seemed to be strictly top secret.

(Kuala Belait, or KB, is the last township North West of Brunei before the Malaysian border).

We wanted to depart from KB as it'll be faster to drive directly into the town, then hop onto a bus to Miri from there. Things would have been less complicated if we could drive the car into Malaysia, but the Brunei-registered car needs to carry a Vehicle Import Permit - which then requires all sort of paperwork, and nobody likes paperwork.

So, here we go.

Bus to Miri from Kuala Belait

Bus departs twice a day from the main bus terminal in Kuala Belait @ 9:30am and 3:30pm. Tickets are BND$15 one way. We did not book these tickets in advance.

The bus from KB is the same PHLS express (a bus service company) from BSB (departs at 7:00am and 1:00pm). So it took the bus approximately 2.5 hours from BSB to KB (plus a stop in Seria town). Driving from BSB to KB only took us slightly over an hour. 

Whoa, that is a fair bit of abbreviations! Ok, here's a table to simplify things.

Bandar Sri Begawan	Kuala Belait	Miri
7:00AM	9:30AM	11:00AM
1:00PM	3:30PM	5:00PM

The 7am bus from Bandar Sri Begawan will arrive at 9:30am in Kuala Belait, then Miri at 11am, and so on.

We'd wrongly assume that buses depart frequently from Kuala Belait, and so, arrived KB at 12:30pm.... only to find out the next bus is at 3:30pm. With 3 more hours to kill, we checked for places to eat in KB. We drove to a popular duck rice only to find out that they've sold out. The shop next to it said they're closing (at 1pm on a Saturday??), and so we drove back to the main square on KB. 

We scavenged for food on the main street and popped into a Chinese eatery for some pork!

Well, orange pork chops for him, and beef with ginger and spring onion for me. Food was decent, but the coffee was gag-inducingly diluted! Sorry, but I didn't take note of the shop's name! It was a few shops after a Chinese eatery that sells pastries.

By 3pm, we were already back at the bus terminal. Only 3 people were waiting to board the same bus. Our ride pulled into the bus terminal at 3:15pm, with only a handful of seats occupied. The bus attendant took our passports, and processed our payments. Off we go!

It was a pretty drive, with lush rainforest flanking the roads. From KB, it took 30-40 minutes to the Brunei immigration checkpoint.

You could tell when you're in Malaysian land, the difference is stark. The greenery is now replaced by palm oil plantations... concrete buildings got denser, and the river is just...... inky.

Miri

Hello Sarawak! We arrived Miri at 5:20pm (got hold up at the Malaysian immigration because of one passenger - we were told the bus usually arrives at 5pm).

As soon as our bus pulled into the bus terminal, a horde of people started clamouring at the bus entrance. I remember idly commenting to Vinnie that this must be the next group of passengers heading back to Brunei. 

Well, I was wrong. Those were the taxi drivers! They charge a flat rate of MYR20 to the city centre, for a 7-8 minutes drive. Ridiculously expensive, but there are no Uber service available yet here. 

We were booked into Imperial Hotel (because I read somewhere online that it's right next to the Imperial Mall, the biggest mall in Miri). Decent selection of shops, a little better than Brunei's best mall, but only took us a few hours to get our shopping done. 

A quick google brought us to Ming Cafe for a night of booze and pork ribs. Hehe, we're not big drinkers, but it is one novelty to cross the border and to redeem one's horns and forked tail. 

The music is really loud here though, so expect to shout to be heard. Their food is yummy and value for money, too!

Breakfast, top on my list - Sarawak laksa!

A friend from Miri, Jocelyn, recommended the 28 Food Centre for Sarawak laksa. This is just opposite our hotel.

We were there at 10am, and already the shop was packed! There are three stalls operating in the kopitiam - Sarawak laksa, kolo mee and a chicken rice stall which hasn't started operating yet). We shared a table with a nice guy, turned out he's a medical doctor from Kuching. He told us that good Sarawak laksa and kolo mee are ubiquitous in Kuching, but in Miri, this is the only one he frequents. After his comment, I only realized all good stalls proclaim to be from Kuching, much like this Sarawak Laksa.

We both opted for the regular Sarawak Laksa. The special bowl boasts a few extra prawns and fish balls. Since both of us are not wild about fish balls, regular it is.

A squeeze of lime and some sambal were added to the broth. The prawns were seductively displayed, de-veined and de-shelled. I prodded my chopsticks on them and could tell they were cooked perfectly. None of that tough, overcooked, rubbery texture. A bite of the noodles, these were al dente and chewy. 

Now, the broth.

Oh my. I was mindblown.

It is a rich, flavourful broth of chicken and prawn, with coconut milk. Every slurp sweeps me into contentment. It is THAT good.

My verdict? I'm hooked!

Oh, and the coffee at this kopitiam is also pretty decent.

We came back again for lunch. I debated briefly if I should go for the laksa again, before deciding on the kolo mee.  

I should just have the Sarawak laksa! While the kolo mee isn't bad (nice springy noodles), the ratio of noodles to toppings were way off. The three charsiew slices and some minced meat were all there is, drowned in a mountain of kolo noodles. The noodles are nice, and springy though. 

We have turned into hard-to-please kolo mee snobs, I guess, as we have found ourselves a good kolo mee rendezvous in Brunei (which I should blog at some point) and so, the lost chance of a Sarawak laksa meal is staggering.....

By the way, compare this photo and the one displayed on the stall. Massive difference!

Miri to Kuala Belait

For transfer to the bus station, we took one of the many taxis parked by Imperial Mall. There are two buses that depart from Miri for Brunei every day - at 8:15am and 3:45pm. 

The taxi charged us the same flat rate of RM20 to the bus station. As soon as we arrived, a number of touts approached us, but they got disinterested and dispersed when we said we were heading for Kuala Belait, hehe. They did point us in the right direction, though. The Brunei-bound ticket counter is on the furthest end. Tickets are RM38 one way.

We got our tickets at 3:10pm and could board the bus immediately - the bus was already waiting in the station, so there was no need to wait in the heat ;) We departed on time (bus was 80% occupied on presumably the busiest slot of the week), but there was heavy traffic at the immigration, being a Sunday evening and all. It was almost 6pm by the time we were dropped off in Kuala Belait. 

Now I need to go back and have that second bowl of Sarawak laksa.

Chinese New Year of the Rooster

What better way to begin a post on Chinese New Year than a photo of delicious home-cooked meal?

Mom's pork chops with a citrus twist. She added oranges to the tomato base gravy for that zing. So yummy! Her cooking and presentation has improved over the last couple of years after joining a cooking-based group on Facebook. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Even Pickles got fancy - finally we bought her a doggie bed. She avoided the bed initially, preferring to nap on the kitchen rugs instead. Until Mom kept all the rugs did she finally consent to sleeping on her new bed.

Snugglespuff.... What a cute sight...... awwww...

The usual steamboat fare for reunion dinner. There's been a definite scaling-down due to lesser number of diners. Nonetheless, moms and aunties put in so much love and care into the pot, all of us had quite a few helpings!

Prawns, fishballs, assorted vegetables, fish maw, mushrooms, fish meat, PIG'S STOMACH!! my favouriteeeeee!!! Topped with fried garlic oil, nom nom nom.

But first, tossing the yee sang to usher in the new year. Also lovingly homemade by mom and aunties - julienned green apples, carrots, with roasted crab sticks, just to name a few. Newspapers are there to contain the mess that usually comes with yee sang!

Dad is a mahjong junkie. He relentlessly invited us to play mahjong with him and here he is, giving me a much needed tutorial. 

A game of a zillion rules, and even when you have the opportunity to finish the game, you can't do so if your points aren't sufficient. Then each tile cluster, combined with the order tiles are accumulated, points are counted differently.

Leftovers are a norm after steamboat dinners, so here it is, recreated into noodles soup hehe. (Pig's stomach again!!) We don't waste good food!

Another feast prepared by mom and aunties again (the young 'uns are not as adept...) consisting of all my favourite things - jiu hu char (stir fried turnips with cuttlefish), lor bak (marinated minced pork in a beancurd shell), assam prawns (tamarind), chai boay (a potpourri of all sorts of leftovers with mustard greens... deliciously tarty and spicy), sambal petai (stink beans with sambal and dried prawns).... and a plate of pasembor we bought from a mamak store.

This is plain torture typing this! NO ONE should be subjected to this pain :(

Also baked an early birthday cake for Meagan. It was supposed to be a shared birthday cake amongst the February and March babies, hehe (about 5 of them). But I guess the youngest gets priority.

This is an almost easy, fuss-freeest (if that is a word) cake I've made. No mixer required, no oven required! A moist chocolate cake, covered and layered in chocolate ganache. And all those M&Ms.... were the first candies Meagan has had in her life! At three years old! Hehe, she couldn't stop popping them into her mouth until mommy has to step in.

Here she is, looking all docile before her birthday cake. We have extreme difficulty trying to get Meagan to put the child party hat on, hehe. 

And finally the customary group photo with a notable addition to the family :)

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Apply for an Indian Tourist Visa (Malaysians)

Here's a compilation of procedures and required documents to apply for an Indian Tourist Visa. I usually use the application at one of the Indian missions because I require multiple entry into India. However, there is a simpler application via e-TV, where your application is done online. This is only limited to a number of countries (Malaysia included) and a single entry into India allowed. You can do this here https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/Registration, but I've not used this!

For a multiply entry visa - this will require you to visit one of the Indian missions scattered around Malaysia. The process is simple enough. Register yourself on the web page, fill up the forms, print forms, bring these and other required documents to the any of the IVS Global Center (third party who deals with Indian visas; the Indian embassy no longer do it), then collect your passport within 3-4 days. Easy peasy.

These links are your best friend. 

Main page-

http://www.indiavisa.com.my/index1.php

Extensive information on the tourist visa can be found here

http://www.indiavisa.com.my/visa_type/tourist_visa.php

Apply for an Indian Tourist Visa

1. Go to https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp and fill form.

Some information that may require digging are parents' places of birth, and referees in both Malaysia and India. Others are pretty standard stuff: travel dates, job role, etc. It takes me about 15 minutes to complete this part.

2. Once confirmed and electronically "signed", print a copy.

3. Go to any one of the Indian mission (check if they are open first! They are sometimes closed in conjunction of a public holiday in India) for submission of your documents. 

You can visit the India Visa Centre at any time, to your convenience - they are open Mondays- Fridays from 9am-2pm for visa submission. 

Bring these with you

• Your passport
• A photocopy of your passport
• A photocopy of your IC
• A printed application form
• 2 x photographs (2"x2" on a white background)
• **Confirmed ticket to India (eg confirmation ticket from agent, or flight itinerary)
• Sufficient cash for visa fee payment

4. If the queue is long, note that you can opt to go to the "Express Counter". There will be an additional charge of RM50 but you skip the queue. 

You MUST apply for the Indian visa in person for the biometric registration. There are a couple of exceptions:

• You're older than 70 years old;
• Children below 12 years of age
• The VFS already have  your record (this is usually noted at the bottom of your completed online application form)

In these instances, it is possible to have someone apply the visa for you.

5. Submit your documents when your number is called. Make payment and keep the receipt. This receipt will be required for your visa collection.

Collecting Your Visa

Your preferred option (whether to courier or selecting which Indian mission to collect) is selected when you are filling up the visa form.

If you are applying from the main centre in KL, expect three working days before the visa is ready. This 3 working days include the day you apply. So, if you apply on a Monday, the visa should be ready for collection by Wednesday.

If applying from another Indian mission (Penang, Johor Bahru), 4 working days is needed. This does not include the day you apply. If you apply on Monday, the visa will be ready on Friday. Don't ask me why, but this is from my experience (most likely they courier your passport to the main center on the first day, so it didn't count).

Photo taken at the Indian state of Uttarakhand

Good luck!

Macau: In A Day

Who'd ever think to explore a new country, all on a day trip?

I'm ashamed to admit, but that's what we did... Obviously there isn't enough time, especially if you got up at 10am, and then went on to queue for breakfast at the ADC instead of immediately proceeding to board the ferry to Macau.

And when I say "explore", I really meant "stuffing our faces".

Getting to Macau from Hong Kong

From Central MTR, go to the Hong Kong Macau ferry terminal. It was a bit tricky trying to locate the tickets office (even with the help of signs). You'll have to go up a few levels to find the counters. 

Alternatively, it is possible also board the ferry from Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. However,  the ferries leave every 30minutes, as opposed to the one from Central MTR - every 15 minutes. It does not sound like a large difference, but if tickets are sold out for the time slot you want, then the wait can be as arduous as 45mins-1 hour, just killing time at the ferry terminal!

The ferry ride takes about an hour, but also set aside some 15-20 minutes or so for tickets purchase and queueing at immigration. 

A few tips:

Remember to bring along your passports!

We didn't need to exchange currency for the Macau Pataca.  The shops in Macau (both large and small establishments) are happy to take Hong Kong dollars because the rates are very close to the Pataca. Some places may also accept RMB.

We bought ferry tickets from Turbojet. At the boarding gate, seats were assigned based on a first come first served basis.

**On the return trip to Hong Kong (almost 10pm), tickets for the next two time slots were sold out. We found out some opportunist locals hoard the tickets, and then sell them at a slightly higher rate. 

Free shuttle to the casino strip. At the Macau ferry terminal: simply ask the Information Centre after immigration for the free shuttle buses. There is a long row of buses that shuttle passengers to different casinos, for free. We took the one headed for The Venetian, becos all our food hunts are nestled here.

***

I think, for an eatery to be truly desirable and to create that viral longing - does not solely depend on its food. The vibe/ambience plays a huge part. This does not necessarily mean a fancy setting. It can be as memorable as a cafe by the beach, or even squatting by a large ditch and sucking on bloodied clams (you read that right... only in Malacca).

Which is why I usually steer away from eateries housed in malls. They lack any charisma, the experience is totally forgettable. 

Those are precisely why our planned Macau food hunt failed. I was overly ambitious: I had initially arranged for the original Lord Stow's bakery in Coloane (south village of Macau), the pork chop bun shop called Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa village (western part of Macau), and then also wanted to see the Venetian....... 

You may laugh but we (sort of) did it...

Instead of traveling all over Macau, we settled for their branches in the Venetian, heh.

Tai Lei Loi Kei

The Venetian Macau 

(at the large food court, ask concierge for directions)

Order: Pork chop on bun

We thought we'd be one step ahead and order the pork chops WITH polo bao. Well, bad choice. The sweetness of the polo bao does not go well with the pork chops. 

The pork chops, however, were really tender. One of the better pork chops I've had, for sure. 

Now, THIS is the pork chop bun you want to have:

Vinnie went for a second serving, and opted instead for the pork chop bun (original). Sandwiched between mini baguette breads. It's the perfect marriage! The slightly chewy baguette goes wonderfully well with the pork chops.

Now, the moment we have all been waiting for.


Lord Stow's Bakery & Cafe
The Venetian Macau
Order: Portuguese Egg Tarts

Portuguese egg tarts are quite unlike the regular egg tarts. The tart shells are laminated dough, like puff pastries. Whereas the regular egg tarts have shells similar to a quiche.

My expectations were high. I mean, these are supposed to be the best Portuguese egg tarts in Macau! Some say they are better than the egg tarts in Portugal! 

They do not disappoint.

Oh my. The tarts are kept at a very warm temperature (50-60C?), and we struggle to hold and eat them! The flaky layers of puffed pastry make an orgasmic contrast with the soft egg custard filling. The custard is incredibly soft and gooey, they quiver at the slightest movement. 

If you'd prefer to visit a proper Lord Stow Bakery (not in a mall), they also have one branch in Taipa Village. 

***

The village is a real pleasure to take a walk in. Roads are small and totally pedestrian-friendly. Hardly any traffic, except for the occasional vehicle.

A park being dolled up for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.

A bad-ass photo V took of me, heh.

And last (surely not least) on our Macau food hunt-

Cafe Litoral

53/57 Rua do Regedor

Taipa

Order: African Chicken

African chicken in Macau does strike as odd. But Macau was a Portuguese colony, along with parts of Africa. The African influence of spices, chilis and piri piris soon spread to Macau. We were told this African chicken goes through three types of preparation: roasting, deep-frying and grilling. 

The chicken is slightly sweet to the palate, with a tomato paste, and piri piri sauce. And not remotely spicy. It is very tasty and I would highly recommend it. This does remind me of Mom's ayam ros from home.

It's a damn shame we only have a day here, but we'll surely be back to explore Coloane and Senado Square. Plenty more to see and eat.