Zhen Wang Family Restaurant - Nameless Braised Duck Rice @ Bukit Timah Plaza

Update: Zhen Wang Family Restaurant has permanently closed.

I cannot believe what a dork I have been, letting such a gem of a braised duck rice slipping by under my nose all these years! 

Bukit Timah Plaza has been my childhood playground since the Yaohan era but I have never noticed this Zhen Wang Family Restaurant before. 

It was not until recently that I learned of this nameless duck rice stall located inside the eatery on a social media post. I was scratching my head over the existence of this place wondering why I have never seen it before despite claims that it has been there for over twenty years?

I went down to take a look and I found out why.

I have always entered the building through the entrance under Anak Bukit Flyover and would head straight for the escalator to go down to B2 where Yaohan, Wishbone and Waffle Town are. 

The eatery is located at the far end near the escalator side on B1 where I admittedly have never ever turned to look in that direction before. 

My habit upon reaching Bukit Timah Plaza is to head to B2 because that is where all my favorite shops are.

Come to think of it, I hardly go to the other floors where the maid agencies, tuition centre, music school and other specialty shops are. 

This explains why I have not seen or even heard of Zhen Wang Family Restaurant.

Waffletown USA - Bowing Out After 20 Years @ Balmoral Plaza

Update: Waffletown USA has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

The problem with people is that we tend to take things for granted. We started feeling sorry for ourselves when we realized we are going to lose something dear to our hearts.

When news broke earlier this week that Waffletown USA is going to shutter their doors for good sometime this month (18th May), a piece of me died inside.

I kind of agree with this line that I read somewhere: "We whine about a favorite place closing. When it is finally closed, we clamor to have it back but the moment it does, we visit only once and never return again". 

I am quite guilty of this myself. My last visit to Waffletown USA was in fact five years back and I have not done so since then.

However, to prove that I am still a die-hard fan, I decided to have one last meal here for memory's sake.

I thought I was being smart by coming early to beat the queue but what I did not expect was that opening hour has been delayed by sixty minutes later than usual. By then, more people have arrived and I had to stand in line for almost an hour before it reached my turn to order.

I ordered three items: two piece chicken meal ($8.30), waffle ala-mode with blueberries and rum & raisin ice cream ($6.50) and fish burger ($3.50).

There is table service here so take a seat after placing your order and someone will send the order to your table.

Mural Hunting @ Little India And How To Find Them

Since I am doing a food trail at Tekka Market, I thought why not explore the area a bit? After some Googling, I realized there are quite a fair bit of wall murals here at Little India.

The murals should be quite easy to find, I thought. Just create a Google Map (map at the bottom of this post), pin their locations and that is it.

Alas, I am not familiar with the area thus I took a lot of wrong turns and retracing of steps. I think I do not quite understand my own map. Haha!

The unforgiving weather did not help one bit and I was sun-kissed (sunburnt) so slap on your sun screen and put on that long forgotten Fong Fei-Fei hat stashed somewhere in your store room. Otherwise, Mum's beautiful UV umbrella will do too.

I believe the mural hunt is doable in one day but it took me two days to complete instead. I had to cut short my hunt on the first day because I could feel the twitching in my calves. It is a warning I could not ignore for it is the prelude of an incoming cramp.

It has happened a couple of times before and I was left grimacing in pain at Sentosa, The Singapore Zoo and even in the middle of the road while crossing traffic at Bugis.

I realized all my cramp episodes occurred after walking a little too much under the dreary Sun and not hydrating enough. I have since learned to read the signals - rest when the warning comes or else, face the wrath of the cramp monster. It is not fun to be left immobilized by the road side with no one to help you.

I was finally able to cover the remaining murals on the second day, a week later.

South Buona Vista Braised Duck Rice - Relocated! @ 81 Desker Road

About two weeks ago, I was hunting for murals around Little India (post coming right up) and walking along the five-foot way at Desker Road when my path was obstructed by a newly renovated unit.

I had to step out onto the road to walk around the obstacle. I took a quick glance inside the shop house and realized that it is one of my favorite braised duck rice stall from a rundown coffee shop at 16 Verdun Road (near Sam Leong Road).

I have written about them two years back when they were on the verge of vacating their stall at the previous location. Well, seems like they had found themselves a proper shop to call their own now.

As the shop does not look like it has opened for business yet, I hurried on my way and returned a week later.

The Beef House @ 217 Syed Alwi Road

The Beef House at 217 Syed Alwi Road is famed for several things: yong tau foo, beef balls, beef tendon balls, soon pan (笋粄) and suan pan zi (算盘子). 

It is not hard to understand why they are so immensely popular because nothing here is factory made - well, maybe except for the various noodles (bee hoon, kway teow, Hakka mee) used here but otherwise, everything else is handmade.

I ordered a bowl of beef tendon ball soup with bee hoon ($5), two pieces of soon pan ($1 each) and a plate of suan pan zi ($2).

Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge @ Blk 638 Veerasamy Road

About two Saturdays ago, I was left stranded at Rowell Road during a heavy downpour while out hunting for murals. Despite taking shelter under a HDB block, the strong wings carried the rain in.

Shivering from the cold, I suddenly recalled that Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge was located just nearby at Blk 638 Veerasamy Road. 

What perfect weather to have a bowl of hot porridge! I almost gave myself a pat on the shoulder for my quick thinking. 

I braved the rain and ran over but when I reached the coffee shop, I realized I was not the only one toying with that idea. Not only is the premise full with no empty tables, there were long snaking queues at all the stalls. 

With the porridge stall, Mui Siong Minced Meat Noodle and Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice under the same roof, I was naïve to not have expected that outcome especially on a weekend.

With no hot porridge to warm my belly on a rainy day, I hung my head in shame. I continued to wait out for the rain to end and hatched a plan to return on another day.

Ayya Indian Foods - Chicken Masala Rice Set @ Tekka Market & Food Centre

Chicken masala is another item that I have been yearning to try for ages. I was walking around Tekka Market & Food Centre checking out the stalls offering this dish when I came across the queue in front of Ayya Indian Foods. 

The queue actually cleared quite fast and since they offer chicken masala as a set meal, I decided to give them a try.

Other set meal options included crab, prawn, sotong and fish. Chicken and mutton biryanis are available on the menu as well.

My chicken masala meal ($5.50) is served on a large banana leaf atop a tray. The meal included rice, chicken masala and two vegetable dishes.

It was while drafting this post at home that I realized the papadum was missing.