Teck Chye Terrace is a tad hard to find for someone who is not familar with that part of Singapore. It’s on the junction of Boundary Road and Upper Serangoon. Near the Paya Lebar Methodist Church. However, its definitely not a new name for foodies. This is also the place where the Channel 8 Drama Series - 'Holland Village' was filmed.
The shop is called Durian 24, owned by Jimmy's friend. The proprietor once took part in a Mediacorp TV competition with two other durian sellers to see who was the best in identifying the different types of durian & he won hands down. There were different types of durian sold in this shops: " D24", "Cat Mountain King" & etc. There were other fruits such as starfruits, mangosteens and cherries available too. We were given some free Lychee thru the courtesy of the proprietor. =) For those who like durian cakes & durian puffs, you can find emicakes outlet here too.
For the unintiated, durian is actually a tropical fruits with heavy, thick-skinned, brownish-green, spiky shells. Mainly planted in Southeast Asia, each individual fruit is divided into few compartments, each containing a few sac of thick, creamy pulp with brown seed, with an aroma that is legendary. Those who loves it call it 'King of Fruits'. The litany of legends and myths surrounding what Malaysians call the "king of fruits" is long and colorful. The durian is said to be an aphrodisiac: When durians fall down, sarongs fly up, goes a Malay saying. For those who cannot accept its strong smell and ugly look described it as smelling like garbage, moldy cheese, rotting fish or worse still: a bunch of dead cats. Thailand durian is good for beginners who cant stand the 'pungent smell' but for the real connoisseur, nothings beats the native durian grown in Malaysia's dusun(aka orchard).
It had been years since i last tasted durian. I aint a durian lover but this kind of gathering always bodes well for the tastebuds. Besides, my colleagues are all good people which are great fun to be with. Hence, regardless of the ulcers in my mouth and the lasik surgery scheduled 2 days later, i braved myself to the durian buffet spread.
We ate the most expensive 'Cat Mountain' which is so called the best durian. The colour of the durians were golden yellow while the texture were creamy wet and sweet, the taste however decent but nothing to rave about. I still remember the good old times when my families and I used to eat durian by the roadside stalls. Those durains seemed to taste nicer and richer in terms of flavor. Those are the best durians i had ever tasted, perhaps what i hv been pining for is a taste of nostalgia. I can also remember after a hefty durian feast, mummy would insist that we fill the empty shell with water, add a pinch of salt and drink it. She would explain that by doing so, the shell which contains "anti-heat" properties that would help cool down body heat. It is believed that durian makes the body feel warm. Another weird but useful tip: Rinse your mouth and hands with water poured on the durian shell. This will neutralise any bad after-durian binge smells.
10 of us had about 5 durians before going over to Lim Tua Tow restuarant which is located 2 doors away. The food were generally too salty and too heavy after our durian feast. The attraction of durian is fatal. We were drawn back to Durian 24 after dinner by the durian smells and started our 2nd rd durian buffet. We also dabao some back homw and all of us vowed to return next week to relish the sensation again before this durian season draws to an end. If you have not sampled durians before, I highly recommend that you do. You will either love it or hate it. No two ways about it. Whatever the consensus, one must admit there is nothing quite like the durian – "king of the fruit".
Labels: Days of My Life, Lets Tuck In, Singapore
Been wanting to introduce this little Tea Cafe to my frens n readers. Get to know this place a years and a half ago when it just opened. Since then , it has become one of my favourite chill out place in the hustle bustle CBD area.
Situated on the second floor accessed via a discreetly signposted stairway, here we are at this little hideaway space. Cozily cloistered in a corner away from the hustle and bustle below, yet conveniently close by. Owner's Carrie has a fine and refine taste which makes her customer fall in love with this teahouse almost immediately. Stylish, unconventional and yet traditional, a place worth coo-ing all over. 
The whole concepts of the restaurant is so consistent that even the little details such as the W/C is taken care of. 
Signature Tea: Ba Bao Cha, White Tea, and Mocha.
Signature Dish: Tea Wings ( Chicken Wings cooked in Tea - healthy and delicious, tanalising ur tastebuds in a unique and refreshing way), Tea Egg (Diff from normal tea egg, the tea fragrance penetrates into the half-cooked egg-yolk, qith the jelly-like egg white and the warm gooey egg yolk-heavenly done!), grilled cuttlefish (smell pungent but taste otherwise), green mango (my fav: sourly sweet snacks with low cal.) & etc.. too many to form a list here.
Price wise, its a tad up-market if u juz wanna pop in for a quick drink. However, its definitely worth the money if u intend to spend a long lazy noon sipping away the hot weather.. Tea is refillable and you can take ur own sweet time enjoy a quiet afternoon wif least interruption. Cant find a spot with enuff panache for a afternoon tea? Be it apreciating fine tea, chilling out with frens or recharge yourself, this is the place not to be missed.
Housed within a classic pre-war B&W colonial style bungalow, credit has to be given to the Aussie designers who made good use of the garden pavilion. With the romantic candlelit pathways and the water features all around the compound, the whole settings humbly created a attractive and inviting air to the guest. Its contemporary style reminds me so much of 
One can either choose the small, casual indoor dining or set ur foot to the well designed garden pavilion for a captivating alfresco dinning experience. Those who came for drinks and snacks will definitely like the idea of its outdoor lounge featuring a large screen with 70s & 80s B&W classic movie playing mutely. It caught my eyes immediately and I m darn sure I shall be back juz for this.
While the place itself is aesthetically gaze-worthy, the menu is also equally graze-worthy. The menu created by Aussie Chef Matthew Lawdorn-who is also the mastermind behind Opia featuring not only an extensive list of appealing simple, home-made fare but also a bbq menu of choice cuts and seafood. For small eater who enjoys a wide variety of choices, one should try their ‘Grazing menu’. Oh my. Did I mentioned already their newly-designed weekend healthy and hearty breakfast/brunch menu?? I gotta jot it down in my weekend to-do-list.
For entrée, King Prawns 3 ways (@ SGD18) is a must try for Prawn lover!! Tiger Prawns prepared in 3 different ways (chilled, pan-tossed and tempura-fried), served with coconut coriander sorbet. Suggest you eat according to the sequence mentioned above, I personally find that’s the best way to savor the best of 3 completely different style of cooking. 
Being a seafood lover, and the outdoor ambience is so conducive to bbq food, we chose the Asian Seafood House Platter(@ SGD90) from the BBQ menu. Comes with the freshest selection of crab, prawns, oyster, scallop and sea-bass with special prepared chilli-paste by the side, served with green salad, fries and corn on the cob. All tasted heavenly and special note has to be given to the oyster. I am soo totally in love with the oyster! It is so fresh that just a few drops of lemon squeeze is good enuff to bring out the flavor from the sea! Oh my~~~ Its so worth-dying for!!!
No dinner is complete without a good bottle of wine! Our server suggested Aussie white wine - 2003 Brokenwood from Cricket Pitch (@ SGD 86 per bottle). A perfectly smooth and light wine to celebrate the evening of joy!
The waiters served dessert soon after we finish the main course. They fetched out a nicely set Lava pudding Plate with a twinkling candle while humming the bday at the same time. It was a surprise as none of us ordered anything yet, the thoughts was kind however the pudding aint a complimentary gift on the house, we found out that its included in the bill later =P. The warm Graze B&W chocolate lava pudding (@ SGD18) are oozing full of warm bittersweet from within, served together with B&W chocolate by the side. It melts in ur mouth and melted away ur hearts at the same time. It could be the million-dollar-worth dessert for those with sweet tooth but to me, it’s a tad too sweet. Generally it’s still worth trying.
Upstair of the indoor dining area house an indoor lounge bar – Mint. Fitted with a DJ booth playing cool music, adjourned with comfy sofas, flo stools and otto mans, and a unique bisazza mosaic bar with floral motif, offering a list of unique blends and cocktails.
I have this special likings of their adjoining terrace, where there is a large sofa bed and banquette seating overlooking the garden from the top. Perfect for a relax lounging! According to the bartender, they also offers a wide range of cigars for those who enjoy piping a smoke or two.
We have nasi lemak and chicken wings for breakfast. =) Haha.. my first packet of nasi lemak (Coconut Milk Rice with Anchovies Sambal) since my return! Then came the bday song and blowing the candle session for the March baby. Em.. the chocolate mousse cake with crunchy hazelnuts flakes from Four Leaves was sinfully tantalizing! Oh my.. i noe i m going to put on weight for sure. =P 
Appam - round cake of rice flour and sugar fried in ghee, with perfectly tissue-thin crisp edges and soft, fluffy centres. Taken with orange sugars and coconut milk.
Masala Salmosa - Triangular pocket pastries filled with cleverly spiced masala.
Maharaja Masala Thosai - crepes filled with a mixture of potatoes, capsicums, green peas, coriander leaves and beetroot, served with five types of condiments such as onion and tomato chutney, coconut chutney, mint chutney, vegetable kurma and sambar.
Paper Thosai - A large, thin crispy thosai(spongy rice flour cake) which you get the mouth-melting benefit of pastry; while actually filling up your tummy with some good protein. A mother’s perfect food!!! 
Ananda Bhavan has been serving a mix of North and South Indian vegetarian cuisine for over seven decades. There are currently four outlets, all located along the Little India belt. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the Ananda Bhavan restaurant chain prides itself with serving wholesome food without the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and preservatives. There is no reuse of cooking oil either.
