Monday 26 February 2018

Mary's Kafe - Hidden Gem!

*Edited on 5 Apr 18 as Mary's Kafe has shifted to Bendemeer
Roast Beef and Corned Beef Cutlet
Mary's Kafe is a hidden gem that is well-known among the Eurasian community in Singapore. Why is it well-known among the Eurasian community?

Well, it is because Mary's Kafe is owned by Mary Gomes, who is the best-selling author of "The Eurasian Cookbook". Also, she is the one doing the cooking in Mary's Kafe. Needless to say, it is popular for its Nonya and Eurasian food.
This no-frills cafe is hidden at a quiet corner of Queen Street at Kum Yan Methodist Church Building. I have been contemplating on whether I should type out this post after I got to know of this place in 2012. But well, I think I have procrastinated enough.. sharing is caring.
As shown in above photos, there are limited seats.The place is relatively empty as this was taken at 12 pm. Once you are ready to order, you will need to proceed to the counter to order and make payment. Only cash payment is accepted, they do not accept nets or credit card payments.

Also, do remember to collect the food, else Mary Gomes will keep ringing a bell. =P
Another photo of the place. This was taken at 12.30pm on a weekday. By this timing, the place would normally be full.
Set Lunch Menu
Set lunch is available daily, and they come with a drink and dessert at $8.50. The menu changes daily and there are limited quantities for each set. So the tip is to arrive early as the more popular set lunches may be sold out as early as 12.30 pm! The food shown below are those that I have eaten during my visits to the cafe.
Roast Beef and Corned Beef Cutlet
Since I have never tried Corned Beef Cutlet before, I added $0.60 to give it a try. It was essentially breaded grounded (grind-ed) beef meat which was then deep fried. It did not leave much of an impression.

The Roasted Beef set was served with rice and vegetable (cabbage). The cabbage was quite ordinary. Personally, I would have preferred it to be cooked a little longer so that it was softer. The cabbage was nearly always served as a side in most of my orders.
Roast Beef 
I was quite surprised that the Roasted Beef was served in a bowl, soaked in a dark brown sauce. It reminded me of Chinese braised soya sauce. But it tasted nothing like it.

Among all the dishes I tried, the Roast Beef was the best. The braising sauce was unique. It was light and flavourful with hints of sweet and savory taste which were balanced perfectly. The sliceds of roast beef was so flavourful as they had adsorbed the essence of the sauce. Also, the sauce went really well with the rice. Yummy!
Beef Curry with Tea
The Beef Curry set was again served with cabbage.
Beef Curry 
The Beef Curry was not it spicy at all. In fact, it was quite fragrance. Unlike most curry sold at outdoor eateries, this one had no powder residue. The beef chunks were tender and moist too. I liked the potato as it was cooked just right.
Chicken Meat Ball Stew with Corned Beef Cutlet
The Chicken Meat Ball Stew was not served with cabbage since the stew itself had cabbage.
Chicken Meat Ball Stew with Sugee Cake and Tea

Chicken Meat Ball Stew
The Chicken Meat Ball Stew was a stew with carrot, cabbage and chunks of chicken meat. Although the sweetness of the carrot and cabbage was evident in the stew, I felt that it could have been more robust.
Chicken Chop
The Chicken Chop set was served with cabbage (again). This was ordinary. The chicken chop size was small and the marination was forgettable. I should have ordered their other set lunch.
Signature Sugee Cake
The dessert changes daily too. This was Mary Gomes' signature Sugee Cake which was highly raved about. It sure lived up to its reputation. It had a grainy texture and was full of buttery goodness. I wish that the size was bigger as the one given can be eaten in one mouthful!
Green Bean Soup
The Green Bean Soup looked ordinary. But it was so awesome! In fact, I think that it tasted way better than the Sugee Cake. It was robust and full of flavour. Also, there was an addictive malty after taste that made me longed for more!
Appam with Caramelised Banana
On another occasion, the dessert was Appam with Caramelised Banana. I have never tried such a dessert before. It was so special! The unappealing tasteless / bland appam paired off well with the sweet and savoury caramelised banana!

I have been to Mary's Kafe several times but I still have not tried the signature devil's curry before! Although there are hits and misses, you should give Mary's Kafe a try. They sell real good Eurasian style food and who knows how much longer she will continue operating this no-frills, homely eatery. 

Mary's Kafe (Bras Basah)
20 Bendemeer Road
Singapore 339914
Tel: +65 9852 0348
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 8am - 5pm
                         Closed on Sat and Sun

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Thursday 25 January 2018

Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 (Pasar Malam - Street Market)

Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 is a very popular pasar malam stall in Singapore. It does not operate at a permanent physical location as it roams around Singapore, making it presence felt at certain pasar malam locations. 
As such, fans of this stall are updated on its location through its Facebook Page. It has over 7,500 followers on its page. I guess by MOF's standard, this would mean that it is a ''Facebook influencer''! (pun intended)
The teochew meat puffs come with different varieties such as oyster, crab, octopus, prawn, scallop and vegetable. The popular ones are the oyster and prawn versions. 
If you are a frequent visitor of pasar malam, you would probably have seen this stall before. It is fairly easy to spot it as it would be the stall with the longest and slowest moving queue.  
The reason main reason why the waiting time is long is because each puff is made freshly upon order. It is important to take note that each meat puff takes about 45 seconds to handmade and 10 to 15 minutes to cook. Also, most people in the queue are ordering minimally two meat puffs. Some order five meat puffs! These add up to the waiting time. 

Just to illustrate the waiting time, during non-peak hours at 2pm on a weekday with a queue of 6 persons in front, the waiting time can be around half an hour. During peak period, evening time, a queue of 12 persons will easily mean a waiting time of at least 1 hour! I have even heard of people waiting for 2 hours! 
It is not an easy job making the meat puffs and cooking them in the sweltering heat. I really salute the owners for their effort in ensuring each handmade meat puffs are perfectly made and cooked in the heat.

So how was the meat puff? It was huge. The outer layer was crisp while the inner layer was filled with moists minced pork meat and mushrooms, lots of Chinese parsley and the filling of your choice. This is best shared among at least 2 persons! I would certainly order this again if the queue is less than half an hour long! 

Lastly, a video of how the meat puff is made! 

Teochew Meat Puff 潮州香饼 (Pasar Malam - Street Market) 
Opening Hours: 1pm to 10pm daily during event days
Tel: 9879 9874

Thursday 18 January 2018

Huat Kee Kway Chap 發記馃汁 (Yishun)

Huat Kee Kway Chap 發記馃汁 is located in a coffeeshop at a quiet neighbourhood in Yishun. Although it is not located near the MRT station, this Kway Chap stall is relatively popular. 
This stall is so popular that they nearly alway sell out their food way before closing time. When I visited on a weekday, they started closing the stall at 11.10 am! Yes, that is how popular they are. 
Although we visited at 10.30am, which is no considered a peak period, we had to wait more than 30 minutes for our food. I cannot imagine the waiting time on weekends.
The broth of the  kway teow, which was light brown, had a tasty and savoury taste. Also, there was a distinct herbal flavour.
We ordered quite a few items to accompany the kway chap. The items were accompanied by a rich and savoury flavoured gravy. Also, the pork belly were tender and soft. I enjoyed dipping them into the homemade chilli which added a refreshing tangy twist to the items.

If you intend to try this, do remember to come early!

Huat Kee Kway Chap 發記馃汁 (Yishun)
Blk 171 Yishun Ave 7
Singapore 760171
Opening Hours: Thu to Tue 6.30am - 1.30pm (they sell out way earlier)
                          Closed on Wed


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