Ian Loe - Food

Food I Like in Singapore

Fat Boy Prawn Noodles (肥仔排骨虾面)

Located off Pasir Panjang Road at the corners of Pepys road is a hidden treasure. This is my all time favourite Prawn noodles for breakfast. The stalls open in the early hours and sells out before lunch. Go early if you want to try this.

The Basil Inn

Located inside Downtown East, this little Thai place has been around for more than 10 years. The highlight here must be the Place Neung Manow, a steamed Sea bass with lemon juice, chilli, lemongrass, garlic, coriander and other Thai herbs.

De Luca Italian Restaurant

I started coming to this place since they open more than 10 years ago. The food here is consistently good and I especially love the grilled octopus (see photo). The octopus dish started out as a "chef's special" off the menu and only knew about it talking to the staff. It is not on the menu an I highly recommend you try it.

Sushi Murasaki

A very pleasant place for omakase dining. I changed upon this place a few years ago while looking for a nice lunch place near Suntec. And since then I have been back regularly for meals. They have an excellent omakase lunch with this exceptional wagyu fried rice that is amazing. The lunch menu is pretty good value and great place for a business lunch.

Amoy Steet Hawker Centre

Han Kee - Located inside Amoy Street Hawker Centre, this place is hard to miss as it has the longest line there. The line starts before they open at 10:45 and they only sell fish soup. The shop is legendary among folks who work in Tanjong Pagar and it is no wonder as their fish is fresh and thick sliced in a simple broth that is absolutely delicious.

Another great stall here is Wah Kee Noodle. This is a great place for breakfast as they start at 7am and have a wonderfully taste stick for their soup.

Stella

Been coming to this place for more than 10 years (under different names). It is a wonderful place to have a chat with friends (just got to mind the noise from planes now and then). They have decent pizzas and a good selection of western and local dishes.

Kemuri

Kemuri is a small place found on the 4th floor of Cuppage Plaza. They are a yakitori omakase restaurant with a very good selection of sake to accompany the meal. Note that they have a policy of at least 1 bottle of sake per party.

Atout

Atout can be found at the Dempsey area and helmed by Chef Patrick Heuberger. Besides having very good meat and wine, they also have excellent desserts which you must save space for :).

Food I Like in Hong Kong

Man Tsai Kee Noodles 文仔記麵食店

A hidden gem in the waterside Sai Kung area. They serve very good wontons and also very good beef briskets and tendons too.

M & C Duck (Tseung Kwan O)

Part of the Maxim's Group, M & C Duck serves one of the best peking duck at a very reasonable price. It is easy to find this little gem located in Park Central Mall at Tseung Kwan O as there is always a long line outside the store.

Sister Wah 華姐清湯腩

Sister Wah is one of the more famous beef briskets places in Hong Kong. It is not surprising that they have a strong following and it is common to see tourist queuing up with luggages directly from the airport!

利安魚蛋粉 (closed)

利安魚蛋粉 is a small shop along King's Road at Quarry Bay. Contrary to the name, they do not just sell fish ball noodles, in fact they have arguably the best beef brisket in the Quarry Bay Area. Do try their signature beef brisket which is very rich in flavour.

Yuen Long Bistro 元朗冰室

Yuen Long Bistro is a chain with many outlets across Hong Kong. I like this particular outlet best for the space and food. Their speciality is their thick cut pork chop which is a must try. I would come here just for that alone.

Wall City Flavor 城寨風味

Wall City Flavor 城寨風味 is an old establishment that have moved from the streets into the mall. They are known for their very traditional food and especially their suckling pig which you can see being roasted from a glass window.

新龍城茶樓

新龍城茶樓 is one of the last surviving traditional places to go for "yum cha". The traditional push carts are still in use, but in a static location at the main door. Do check it out to experience the old school ambience.

Ten Noodle Shop 十大碗

Ten Noodle Shop (十大碗) is a famous wonton bee shop known for their classic noodles. Very simple menu with some simple sides like fried Chinese dough wrap in rice flour roll (蔥花蝦米炸兩). Located near D at Prince Edward Station, it is convenient to get to, and worth a try.

Kam's Roast Goose 甘牌燒鵝

Kam's is one of the most famous shops in Hong Kong selling roast goose. Their roast goose is leaner than most and have a nice flavour. Their suckling pig is also very good. The have been awarded Michelin 1 Star for 8 years in a row.

Tai O Bakery

This shop has almost 100% good reviews on Openrice. Simple shop that is over 30 years old and really famous for their "Tai O Donut" or 沙翁. You can have it with a variety of fillings and a must-try when you visit Tai O.

Searock Lounge

Searock Lounge is a Mediterranean restaurant that is situated at the Papillons along the Tseung Kwan O waterfront. The food here is nice and a great place to chill in TKO.

Catherking Dim Sum Workshop 豪隍點心工房

A hidden gem located in one of the industrial flatted factory of Kwun Tong. This hard to find place serves BIG dim sum at decent prices. A worthwhile place to visit if you are in the mood for dim sum.

Tenshu Tempura & Sashimi Restaurant 天秀

A tiny little place that serves very good omakase tempura meals. This is tiny place with 10 counter seats and a single 4-seat booth seat for a small group. There are no ala carte options here and only various options for the omakase style servings (based on number of tempura pieces).

蛇王娟

Very old establishment serving classing Chinese snake soup. The soup is really nice and strong with a lot of snake meat. Goes best with a bowl of classic glutinous rice.

Two Three Bowl Dumplings 兩三碗餃子

Located in the very local area of Tsz Wan Shan, this little place is famous for their hot plate pan fried dumplings (also available in various soup base).

Food I Like in Japan

天ぷら梵 (テンプラソヨギ) Tempura Soyogi

I stumbled upon this shop many years ago and not surprised it turned out to be the highest rated tempura in Otaru, Hokkaido. The small shop is at a corner and a bit off the usual tourist areas but the chef is amazing and the tempura omakase is a must try.

Robatayaki Fujinosaru

This little place is run by a young couple and serve amazing food. The "English" menu has 10 items while the Japanese menu which is created daily has a much longer list of items. Do try all the recommended dishes each day as they are really food.

テッパンクウヤ Teppan Ku-Ya

Found this tiny place in Okayama not far from the station. The chef calls himself the "Takoyaki boy" as his love for takoyaki started his journey as a chef :). This is where I tried the China beef (a lot okayama beef) and fell in love with it!

月花 MoonFlower Sagaya Ginza

This is not just dining but a full multi sensory experience with sight, sound and interactive projection art. The private room takes 8 (shared if fewer people) and while the food is above average, the complete experience is something worth the visit.

和醸良麺すがり Wajoryomen Sugari

This place is an old favourite for Motsu tsukemen. The restaurant itself is very interesting old design with a very low door :). Extremely simple menu with only a handful of options but the broth is simply amazing. A must visit in Kyoto.

能登牛専門焼肉店肉匠Jade金澤

Across the street from Kanazawa station, this yakiniku place is pretty affordable and you get to try the native Noto beef. Simple English friendly tablet to order and enjoy you local beef delights.

りんごの木 Ringonoki

This tiny patisserie whose name means "apple tree" still makes one of the best apple pies today. I tis a must stop place every trip through Nagano and with the shop next to the train station, it means it easy to pick up a pie even if you are just passing through Nagano.

博多もつ鍋やま中博多店 Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Hakata Branch

No visit to Fukuoka is complete without tasting their local pride - the motsunabe or offal hotpot. This particular restaurant is a bit on the pricey side mostly for the atmosphere of a fine dining restaurant.

Food I like in Kuala Lumpur

Sushi Kazu

Helmed by chef Norikazu Shibata, this is one on KL's mots famous omakase restaurants. It's hidden inside Damansara Heights and has a luxurious feel when you step in.

The Traveling Duck @ Pavilion Damansara Heights

The travelling duck is a popular chain in KL. They have a few locations, but this is their latest one located in the new Pavilion Mall @ Damansara Heights. They serve a good roast duck and fried squid legs.

Food I like in Petaling Jaya

Sushinosuke

Located in the Pinnacle Mall next to the Sheraton PJ, this is a brach of the very famous omakase joint in Shinbashi Tokyo (where the waitlist can be as long as 6 mths). Highly recommended for a wallet friendly omakase experience.

Food Recommend in Johor Bahru by Jessie Chong

Ssam 쌈

Located in Iskander Puteri area of Johor Bahru, this Korean restaurant has been getting great reviews by many.

Restoran Chua Kee 蔡記海鮮

Chua Kee is one of the oldest established kampung style seafood restaurants in Gelang Patah. Go back in time and experience classic seafoods in an old setting.

Kamii Sushi Omakase Restaurant 上井寿司怀石

A very popular sushi omakase restaurant in Johor Bahru and a favourite of many. Note that they are closed on Mondays.

SUP by SUPER KIMCHI

Another popular Korean joint that everything kimchi. Located in Skudai, it is easy to reach from the causeway.

Toast House 吐司屋

Popular little joint in Eco Botanic area that offers kopitiam food and cheaper options for quick lunches.

Ian Loe Food Explorer. Food Lover.