Halal Food Eastpoint Mall

Halal Food Eastpoint Mall

I tried some new halal food at Eastpoint Mall. Not at the Banquet Foodcourt but at a stylish cozy little Turkish restaurant. I sampled their Kebab Chicken Rice while on an outing with family, in search of halal food for dinner (not lunch) at Eastpoint Mall.

Picture: Kebab Chicken Rice, Halal food at Eastpoint Mall.

Their version of halal food at Eastpoint Mall came in a very presentable and appetizing plate. In the dim lighting at the table outside their restaurant, I was amazed by the huge portion of this halal dish.

Taste-wise, the sliced pieces of Kebab chicken was quite firm but not too rubbery. It lacked a favourful kick that I was led to expect from its saliva-inducing aroma. There was too much vegetables, mushroom and cucumber for my liking and I had to pick the chicken pieces to ascertain its individual taste.

The yellow rice was fairly passable, again lacking in a strong kick. If you prefer, you can ask for the 'power chilli' for added oomph. Personally, I think strong chilli masks the flavour of a dish and should not be used liberally. Mine had generous flow of tomato sauce which also made it difficult to taste the chicken well.

Overall, the presentation was appetizing, the portion was great but somehow the kebab lacked an X-factor.

Recommendation for Kebab Chicken Rice, Halal Food Eastpoint Mall:
Score = 6 out of 10.
Price = $6.80

Location of this Halal Food at Eastpoint Mall:
Istanbul Gourmet
Level 1
Eastpoint Mall

Eating Places Singapore: Fried Carrot Cake

Eating Places Singapore: Fried Carrot Cake

There are many eating places in Singapore. Some eating places I go because of the recommended food. Some Singapore eating places I go because of the convenience. Some eating places in Singapore I go because of the ambience. Some eating places like foodcourts I go in Singapore because it is the cheapest option to eat out.

The foodcourt at Simei's Eastpoint Mall Shopping Centre is one of those eating places in Singapore that I went to recently because of the prices.

I tried eating their fried carrot cake. They prepare both 'white' and 'black' versions of the friend carrot cake. I saw the queue at this eating place for the fried carrot cake and was tempted to give it a try.

I chose to eat the black fried carrot cake as I like it that way. They used plenty of sweet sauce which is the way I like. However, the oil that was used to fry the carrot cake was also very generously poured all over the hot work.

With one egg mixed into the wok and the carrot cake, the smell was inviting. The texture of the carrot cake was fairly soft, very sweet and the egg gave it an added robustness. But the oil drip was not a positive.

Overall, this simple dish is easy to prepare but hard to reproduce to a standard that everybody will appreciate. Perhaps next time I shall ask the lady to save the oil for another customer.

The dish is halal certified.

Recommendation:

Overal score for fried carrot cake = 7 out of 10.

Hokkien Noodle, EastPoint Mall Foodcourt

Hokkien Noodle, EastPoint Mall Foodcourt

This Hokkien Noodle dish served at the foodcourt in EastPoint Mall is halal. I tried it some time ago and discovered a new eating place in Simei.

Taste-wise, I must say that it is different from the usual hokkien mee that I've tried. The noodles have a springy texture and are less soggy than those that I regularly eat. The gravy sauce used in this hokkien noodle dish looks clearer and tastes more watery but it is still sweet.

I realise that the most important aspect of hokkien noodle is its prawn paste. Sadly, the prawn taste was severely lacking in their version. Even the prawns that was used lacked the taste of a juicy prawn.

As I like my hokkien prawn noodle with a thicker and richer prawn paste, I am afraid that I can't score this dish highly. Those who like simple noodles in a clear watery sauce will like this Hokkien noodle dish.

It is different from the Hokkien noodles that use thick prawn (hae-bee) paste. The good thing about this cersion that is served at Eastpoint Mall foodcourt is that it is a much healthier choice.

Recommendation:

Score for hokkien noodle dish = 6.5 out of 10.

Beef Hor Fun In A Western Restaurant

Picture of Beef hor fun taken with my low budget camera phone.

Beef Hor Fun In A Western Restaurant

I tried this Beef noodle / hor fun dish at a western restaurant next to Simei MRT. The western restaurant is called Eatzi Steakhouse and Bistro Restaurant, located inside East Point Shopping Centre. This is a certified halal restaurant that specializes in preparing affordable western dishes.

On this particular visit, I chose to eat their Beef noodle hor fun, as I had stuffed myself silly with fine cuts of cooked meat at several buffets in a row.

Presentation wise, their beef hor fun came in a silver wok-like metallic serving dish with chopsticks and a spoon. The flat noodles or kway teow was coated with a sweet brown soy-sauce-like layer. The hor fun texture was not as soft as the way I preferred. While some will like its fairly chewy bite, I found the noodles unremarkable.

The beef slices came in thick large chunks. Compared to the medium cooked beef done western style, some of these beef slices gave my jaws plenty of exercise. I would suggest they stir fried it more evenly and do it lighter, bordering on medium flame to preserve the softness and taste. I looked for condiments like cut green chilli in vinegar sauce but there was none to improve my appetite.

Nonetheless, because the portion of beef slices was fairly huge, I guess the beef hor fun noodle is priced high at $10 per dish. Yes, there’s cheaper beef hor fun to be had at the local kopitiam for $4 or less. But these usually come with thin, tiny slivers of beef that do not provide sufficient protein or pleasure. While some of you may snort at this price, let’s not forget that you are paying for the ambience and the service of an air-conditioned western restaurant.

Recommendation:Overall score for beef for fun = 6.5 out of 10.

Delicious Beef Tenderloin At Eastpoint Mall

Picture of Beef Tenderloin: cut in bite-sized chunks before I could take a picture with my low budget handphone camera.

Delicious Beef Tenderloin At Eastpoint Mall

Eatzi Steakhouse & Bistro Restaurant is a halal-certified restaurant located at Eastpoint Mall. I sampled their delicious beef tenderloin recently.

Served in a dark metallic tray shaped like a bull, the rising sizzle that announced its arrival at my table was impressive. As I waited for the smoky fireworks on my plate to subside, I could smell the beef calling out to me.

My beef tenderloin was the star in this restaurant dish. Cooked in medium style (with visible redness between the two cooked brown surfaces) the way I ordered it, it was heavenly and really delicious. One slice of this delicious beef tenderloin melted in my mouth and I was hooked. Tenderly soft meat that oozed fragrance and deliciousness, the beef tenderloin was one of the better ones that I had tasted.

The mushroom sauce that came with the beef tenderloin was not outstanding. Side dishes like the corn, peas and carrot mix were just average. The whole baked potato unfortunately could not match the beef tenderloin taste-wise. At this restaurant, they provided dipping sauce that was spooned generously over the potato, with spoonfuls of bacon bits. The bacon was a tad salty but it added more spice to the potato.

Price of dish = S$23 before GST and service charge

Recommendation:
Score for beef tenderloin : 9 out of 10. It would be a perfect score if they provided more protein for that price.