HPB Voices Reloaded
May - June 2007
Read : Cafe le Caire | Bukit Batok Village | Mary's Corner
Cafe Le Caire @ Al Majlis
We were walking along Bali Lane, looking for the infamous Al-Majlis café, a shisha joint that also sells excellent Mediterranean food. It was going to be my maiden voyage to an infamous shisha joint.
Ascending via steep, carpeted stairs, we reached the dimly-lit eating area. We were mesmerised by the Arabic music that came off the overhead speakers. ‘I feel like dancing’ I said to the one nearest to me. ‘Make it a table top’ came the incredulous reply. FRIENDS!!!
‘Welcome to Al-Majlis. Here’s our menu. I will be with you in a short while,’ said the lovely waitress. We took awhile as some of the items were stated in the Arabic and one of our Malay Muslim colleagues was trying her best to translate. We settled on an appetiser (of all the dips that they have, served with freshly baked Turkish bread. YUMMY!!) and mains comprising grilled chicken steak and chicken cutlet. Food was slow in coming, so we spent most of the time discussing about ourselves, our interests and our aspirations.
The chicken cutlet was one of a kind. It’s not the deep fried chicken cutlet that you buy at a hawker centre or the ‘finger-lickin’ good’ chicken you get at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Maybe it’s the mix of spices that resulted in the beautifully fried chicken that got me going at it the moment it arrived. It was a feast for the mouth and the nose for whenever my knife cut the chicken meat, the spicy aroma drifted upwards, tinkling my sense of smell. I couldn’t recognise any of the spices but I will never forget the sensationalising taste and smell. Each bite was so juicy! The wedges looked so specially made that I couldn’t stop myself from finishing them before the chicken.
Great food that was not very expensive either. There were 4 of us and we spent about S$68.00 for 2 appetisers & light meal, 4 mains (Grilled Chicken Steak and Crispy Chicken), a pot of tea and bottle of Mineral Water. And so, if there’s some place you want to head down, to let down your hair and kick up some senses, make it Café Al-Majlis.
They are located at 39 Arab Street, Singapore 199738. Open-Sundays to Thursdays 10.00 am – 3.30 am and Fridays & Saturdays and eve of Public Holidays 10.00 am – 5.30 am.
http://www.cafelecaire.com/index.php
Bukit Batok Village
I discovered this ‘Eating House’ in Bukit Batok when I was on duty in the National Emergency Blood exercise in Bukit Batok Community Centre in Aug 2006. It has a Zhi-Char, western food, Bak Chor mee, rojak, chicken/duck, wantan noodles/rice and a stall selling breakfast chee cheong fan, yam cake and porridge.
Since then, I have been back there on weekends after I attend mass at Church of Mary of the Angels to eat the chicken noodles or rice. For $2.50, the serving of chicken for the rice or noodles is generous. The noodles are also firm and chewy. For $2.00, there are 4 huge suay kow with a whole prawn in each suay kow.
If the whole family is eating, you may like to order whole chicken for $18 or half chicken for $9.
The Bukit Batok Village Eating House is located just next to the Bukit Batok Community Centre at Bukit Batok Central. The West Mall is just across the road. They are opened every day.
Calling Tau Kwa Pau lovers!
Whenever I am on leave, I would make it a point to bring my mother back to Katong area where we used to live. This area has quite a variety of food not often found elsewhere.
In a coffee shop at the junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Road opposite the Katong Mall is a Tau Kwa Pau stall – Mary’s Corner. In case you don’t know what that is….. it is deep fried tau kwa stuffed with diced fish cake, cucumber and pork. It is the Chinese version of tauhu goreng.
What I like about it is the chilli sauce. Without this hot, tangy chilli sauce, the tau kwa pau would be most unexciting. It also keeps very well in the fridge. I always buy extra portions for the next day’s lunch as I am seldom in Katong area.
The cost per piece is $1. Two pieces would do nicely for a small eater and three pieces would do for the guys.
The stall is opened everyday and also sell laksa for $3 a bowl.