Fancy nostalgia with your curry? - Curry Times (Changi Airport Terminal 3)

It seems that many eating places are going big on the nostalgia factor with old-school or retro furnishings, cutlery or traditional foods which are not widely available these days. As things around us change at breakneck speed, it is no wonder that people feel a longing for things in the past.

Curry Times, a new brand under the familiar Old Chang Kee, has a new branch at the airport's terminal 3's level B2 which is easily noticeable as soon as you exit from the MRT station. You can see various old-style items displayed at the counter area and the furniture used here are marble table-tops with wooden chairs which were seen commonly in old-style coffee shops.


As the name suggests, the selling point of this eating place would be different types of curry. Old Chang Kee prides itself as being able to produce the best curry puffs thus it seemed like a natural extension for them to open a curry-themed restaurant. First up was the curry chicken hor fun which actually looked quite presentable in the sense that the ingredients were nicely laid-out rather than scattered in a haphazard manner. Following that was the curry chicken set which you can choose to pair with the conventional choices of rice or bread or a relatively new idea of prata. I've never seen prata being offered together with curry chicken so far but since I'm not a fan of prata, I chose the tried and tested rice during my first visit and bread on a separate occasion. Actually, the curry used in the chicken hor fun and the curry rice is the same so taste-wise, they are largely the same. I like the curry here for the fact that there is no heavy curry powder smell and it is not too spicy for me. Be it whether you pair it with hor fun or rice, I think it tastes equally good. As for the bread which I suppose is a French loaf, I would have preferred it to be lightly toasted on the outside because it seems a bit too soft and mushy when eaten with the curry. A crispy exterior would have made the texture a bit more exciting and different.

Here comes the side dishes and we started off with the potato prawn ball which actually wasn't given any recommendation mark in the menu. Nonetheless, we wanted to try some unusual stuff and this wasn't something readily found elsewhere so we decided to give it a shot. Personally, I think it's not bad with a good balance of potato and the prawn and neither ingredient was too overwhelming or overly heavy in terms of proportion and flavour. However, it would have been nice to have something like a Thai sweet chilli sauce to go with this which I suppose may be better at improving the taste of this dish compared to mayonnaise. Not many people prefer the taste of creamy taste of mayonnaise with fried items but I think kids and adults would like the Thai sweet chilli sauce to go with something which looks as cute as this.

Next was otah which on the surface may seem a bit boring or nothing unusual. The catch here is that the otah was made from salmon which I've never tried or seen before. In addition, the dish looked pretty appealing on the menu so we decided to try it. However, being not so much of a fan of salmon, I think I wasn't very impressed with this. No doubt it tasted alright, the texture of the fish just felt too different from the otah I usually eat. Even if I wasn't told beforehand that this is made from salmon, I think I would still have my reservations over whether salmon is a good choice for this traditional dish. I applaud Curry Times for having the guts to do something different but I would prefer to have a more ordinary type of otah in future if they do revamp their menu.

Last but not least, we chose chendol to round up the meal. Do not assume that the portion is going to be as big as what you see in the menu. We were quite surprised to see such a small bowl when it was served and wondered if we should have ordered more. Anyway, this chendol was fairly decent except for the fact that the coconut milk on top of it had solidified due to some unknown reason. I wasn't sure if this had to do with the freshness of the coconut milk or whether it was meant to be as such but it was kinda shocking to see bits and pieces of it on the top so we ended scrapping it off.

In conclusion, I think Curry Times offers a pretty good deal with nice food and a rather comfortable old school setting to relax in. However, not all of its non-curry dishes scored with me so it remains to be seen if I will be impressed by the other items in the menu or continue to be disappointed during subsequent visits. Even if you are not so much of a curry person, there are other local dishes for your selection so you may wish to give it a shot. I think I'll probably try a non-curry main dish next time to assess how it performs in this area.

Amazingly good and cheap dim sum @ Tim Ho Wan (IFC Mall, Hong Kong)

Amid all the hype over Tim Ho Wan opening its first overseas outlet in Singapore, I thought I should post my thoughts on the original version in Hong Kong before making a comparison with its branch here. I first heard of Tim Ho Wan when I was doing research for my Hong Kong trip during the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013. It had been listed as a must-visit place for cheap and good dim sum especially since it was given a Michelin star despite its no-frills appearance. Since there was so much praise heaped onto it, there was no reason for me to skip this place.

At the time of my visit, there was the Mongkok main outlet which was said to be the one given the Michelin star (meaning the other outlets didn't get the accreditation?) but that branch has since been closed due to high rents. Anyway, we decided on the IFC Mall branch which was really more accessible since we were staying at a hotel on Hong Kong Island so it really made no sense for us to cross over to the other side since we were going to Lantau Island straight after breakfast. It was also easier for us to queue there since it was indoors as compared to the Mongkok outlet where you have to be subjected to the weather elements. It was rather chilly at that time so it was another reason for us to go to the IFC Mall outlet instead.

Just look at the people outside the store! And mind you, this was before 10am on a weekday. From the way it seems, some people came to grab a bite of Tim Ho Wan before boarding their flights out of HK and some were probably here right after alighting from their flights. Anyway, you are not required to stand in line like what we do for the SG branch. Just take a number from the captain at the entrance where she will jot down the number of people for your table and call out the number depending on the availability of seats. If you are in a small group, chances are you'll probably get your table faster. Sometimes you may have to share tables with other people though so be prepared to be sitting with strangers by your side. It didn't really bother us too much to be sharing tables since we do that quite a lot at hawker centres here.

First up are these four items in clockwise order, left to right: har kau (prawn dumplings), siew mai (pork and prawn dumplings), fried carrot cake and steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce. These are the usual items I will order whenever I go for dim sum and whether I feel if the restaurant can serve up a decent spread usually hinges on how I find these dishes. First up, the har kau got things off to a good start with its translucent skin which was thin enough to allow a peek into its contents and yet thick enough to hold it together but not to the point of being too much to chew. The prawns in the filling had the perfect texture where I could taste each prawn distinctly and it didn't feel mushy nor overcooked. The siew mai was a bit different from the version we can get in most dim sum places in Singapore because the HK version's taste was more on the meaty side with prawns playing a secondary role to the meat filling. As for the carrot cake, it was pan-fried in such a way that brought out the aroma but I would have wanted it to be a bit more crispy at the edges and surface. Last but not least, the steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce was flavourful and succulent which is a great deviation from the local version which tends to have more fats rather than meat in the spare ribs used for this dish.

Although I did not eat this dish, it is still worth introducing this based on the feedback from those who ate it. Even though I have no prior experience of eating chicken feet, the appearance of the dish did tempt me for a brief second if I should try this for the first time. The braised chicken feet served in Singapore tend to be a bit on the scrawny side but the HK version looks as if the chicken feet were given some boosters to make them look so plump and juicy. And true to how it looked like, the chicken feet were packed with the flavour of the sauce and was very tender. If you are looking for a source of collagen which tastes good or a fan of chicken feet served in dim sum restaurants, this should probably be the right thing for you.

Next up is the chee cheong fun which can come in a variety of fillings including pig liver, prawns or char siew. I can't really remember if Tim Ho Wan had the char siew version or not but the pig liver version is considered one of their best items (nicknamed the Four Heavenly Kings). Since none of us eat pig liver and we usually eat the prawn version at dim sum places, we decided to select the prawn chee cheong fun. I would say that this has a similar texture and taste with the har kau (since the ingredients are pretty much the same) except that this is served with the light soy sauce which helps to elevate the freshness of the ingredients. However, I wouldn't say that it's absolutely mind-blowing although it's definitely above average. If we had chosen another filling such as pork liver, our feelings about this dish might have been vastly different.

Last but not least, here is the most unique item among Tim Ho Wan's offerings i.e. the baked char siew bun which is crispy on the outside and moist inside. Traditionally, the char siew buns are steamed so this was the very first time which I saw it being done in a different way. The crust felt like a softer version of a biscuit and when eaten together with the filling, seemed to be able to soak in the flavours instead of tasting dry and tasteless. The filling was also of the right amount and the sauce and the char siew matched each other well to bring out a memorable sauce. No wonder this is the signature item of Tim Ho Wan!

In conclusion, I think that Tim Ho Wan offers great value dim sum which could have left a dent in your pocket if you order the same amount of dishes in Singapore. Frankly speaking, when you see the number of people in its restaurant and the speed at which dishes are being churned out from the kitchen, it does make you worry if the items are going to be of top notch quality or risk being lacklustre due to the rush. However, when I went back there for a second visit just before leaving HK, I am glad to say that the taste didn't differ too much. Consistency is the key to make people come back again for the food. Having said that, if you are the type who doesn't like to queue or prefer to dine in a place where there's a lot of personal space, Tim Ho Wan might not be the right one for you. If you can bear with the queuing (which is bearable as long as you are not exposed to the elements) and want to have a value-for-money dim sum meal with a certain level of quality, do give this place a try!

Traditional Dim Sum from Central in Hong Kong - Luk Yu Teahouse & Restaurant (Ion Orchard)

Tucked away in a corner right at the entrance of the Food Opera foodcourt in Orchard Ion, Luk Yu Teahouse & Restaurant might be displayed as a mere dim sum takeaway stall. In fact, I noticed that most people buy the dim sum and eat at the tables in the foodcourt rather than head inside the restaurant's dining area. Maybe they thought that they had to pay extra to eat there? I also thought so at first but surprisingly, I didn't have to pay any additional GST nor service charge.

Actually, the reason why I was keen to try Luk Yu had to do with the fact that I had intended to visit its Hong Kong outlet when I was there at the beginning of the year. However, due to some last-minute changes to my plans, I had to give this a miss even though the guidebook I had highly recommended this for its traditional charm since it was established back in 1933. As such, I have no basis of comparison when it comes to whether the HK or SG version is better. In a way, that is helpful too because I tried the food with an open mind and wasn't too critical about it. Maybe I'll be less forgiving when I try Tim Ho Wan in Plaza Singapura since I was really impressed with what I tasted in HK.

Looking at the menu, it is predominantly made up of dim sum items taking up two-thirds of the page. The remaining space is for congee, noodles, desserts and beverages which you can see that there aren't too many choices.

Starting off the meal with a plum drink since it was pretty hot that day and I wasn't in the mood for Chinese tea. By the way, Luk Yu offers a selection of Chinese tea for you to match with your dim sum so you can check out the menu on the table. I was hoping that the plum drink would be a light and refreshing drink which could help to reduce the after-meal oiliness. However, it was a tad too sour for my liking and so I would have liked it to be slightly more diluted. There isn't much to say about the way the drink was presented which I suppose lies with the fact that Luk Yu is a teahouse after all so they would probably put more effort in the teapots and teacups used for Chinese tea rather drinks like plum juice which are commonplace everywhere else. Not that it bothers me though because I can understand where the emphasis would be placed on.

And next up are the dim sum items! I always like to order this dish of spare ribs steamed in black bean sauce whenever I have dim sum but not every place does this well enough. Either their spare ribs are too bony with little meat or too oily so I find myself being disappointed most of the time. Luckily, Luk Yu does fine in this dish with a generous portion of meaty spare ribs which doesn't leave an oily aftertaste at the end of the meal. However, if there's one thing I must point out, I think the evenness of the taste needs to be improved because the spare ribs at the bottom seem to have soaked up a lot of the sauce and became a tad saltier than the meat at the top which can taste less flavourful than it should have been so it's a pity that something like this happened.

Another staple dim sum item I must have will be the siew mai. Luk Yu's version seems a bit more meaty than "prawny" and gives the impression that the meat's taste has overshadowed the prawns within. Given that the size of the prawns is a little smaller than the versions found in places such as Crystal Jade, maybe that's why the taste leans towards the meaty side rather than the seafood freshness found in prawns. For people who prefer to taste big fat prawns in their siew mai, this version might not meet your expectations. Although I'm also the type who prefers the prawn taste to be stronger than the meat, I can still accept this version but if I have to eat multiple pieces of this in one seating, I don't think I would really enjoy doing this. Maybe one or two would do just fine for me.

I always like to have Cantonese-style congee with my dim sum so I ordered the seafood porridge here. It was a huge surprise to see so many ingredients inside this $6.80 porridge with at least four pieces of fish, prawns and scallops each. No doubt the prawns might not as big as those in Crystal Jade's version or that the scallops were actually sliced thinner (maybe into half of its original size?), I think it's a pretty good bargain after all given its price. Another good thing was to see the peanuts and crispy crackers on top of the congee when it was served. A lot of places don't serve peanuts with their congee so I was really happy to see that. The only grouse I have has got more to do with my personal taste though, the congee seemed a bit bland and I had to add some light soy sauce to it. In other places, I'm usually fine with no light soy sauce for my congee. As such, if you are one who likes lighter fare, I think this congee might just suit you.

On the whole, this outlet of Luk Yu dishes out decent fare at market prices comparable to the competition. The biggest selling points or should I have its advantages lie in the fact that it's right at the entrance of the food court and doesn't charge you taxes or service charge thus should attract a fair bit of customers. However, people seemed unwilling to enter the restaurant's dining area so it would be to the restaurant's advantage if they inform customers about the no-GST and no-service charge perks which should boost the restaurant's table occupancy rate. When I was there on a weekend evening, there were just three tables of customers including me so that's definitely on the low side.

Maybe it's time for me to consider going back to HK again to try the original Luk Yu? ^__^