Madam Kwan's @ Vivo, Malaysia famous nasi lemak

We were looking for a good place for dinner last weekend, and walked past Madam Kwan's. 

Boy, what a blessing! 

The restaurant hails from Malaysia (heard the queues can get very crazy, not sure if they can fight with the Hello Kitty ones though ..) 

Spritly Madam Kwan helms the kitchen, but we didn't get to meet her that day.

In we went, and I daresay every item we ordered was delicious.

Must tries are: Otak otak, Fried Chicken, Ikan Bilis Sambal

1. Otak otak ( $15.90)

The serving looked deceivingly small, but we realised each bite was packed densely with fish, spices and juice, so we were very satisfied.

2. Sambal Belachan Kangkong ($10.90)

Fresh, tasty, sweet but there was a tad too much belachan. In fact, the vegetable was almost drowning in it, making it too salty and wet. Alas, this dish would have been perfect if not for belachan overload.

3. Crispy fried chicken drumstick ($7.90)

This was a favourite at the table, with a juicy meat underneath well marinated crispy skin, each bite savoury and deliciously crunchy. It is a tad salty though, so be sure to eat it with lots of rice.

4. Curry chicken ($8.00)

A thick looking sauce covered two fat pieces of breast meat, and I was fooled into thinking that this might be a gelat dish. Upon spooning the gravy into my mouth, I realised it was a rather thin but very tasty sauce, with a fragrant coconut aftertaste that was not overpowering. Good for those who like subtle flavours, I'd say.

5. Curry Laksa ($11.90)

A bit too much curry on the table eh? Greedy us decided to have this soupy dish that was already decadent on its own, as it was filled with chicken meat, taupok and beansprouts. It was a good laksa, with a flavourful milky soup, but best to order it as a main dish though!

6. Sambal ikan bilis ($3.90)

Spicy, tangy, savoury and simply... good on its own. A great accompaniment to the coconut rice! 

7. Coconut rice ($1.00)

It looked plain, but I could smell its fragrance when it was nearing the table, and the rice was grainy and fluffy. Won me over with its lightness as I thought it might overpower the dishes, but it complemented them instead. 

8. Chendol with gula melaka ($4.90)

This was the final act of greed. We were very stuffed by the end of the meal, but when the next table finished this chendol and the WHOLE pot of gula melaka, we had to try it for ourselves. But it turned out so-so, with a pretty normal combination of shaved ice, red beans and green jelly noodles. The gula melaka was very aromatic I must say, and that was the saving grace for the dessert. 

How ouir meal looked like:

Overall, we all left belly happy, although wallet empty. 

Head down soon if you like nasi lemak and want to stuff your face :p

Madam Kwan's

Vivocity

#01-152/154

Tel: 62719989

Opening hours: Daily 1000hrs - 2200hrs

Bangkok Jam - simple & shiok!

Sorry for the loooonnng hiatus peeps; such a dedicated blogger I am... not.

Haha anyway, t'was my 2nd trip back to this spanking bright and loud place in Plaza Singapura, with my loverboy. WHOM WENT TO CHECK HUNGRYGOWHERE TO SEE IF MY RECOMMENDATION WAS CORRECT.

Which, by the way, was the worst insult one can ever give to a Foodie.
I know taste buds are subjective but if a Foodie says it's good, it's good. It did not help that all five reviews were bad, mainly due to lousy service. And they were around the Dec '12 -Feb '13 period. I call them teething issues, which are common for a new place, right or not.

Okay enough ranting. For me, I seem to have an affinity with the place, as I had a pleasant experience on both times. Or maybe cause I am more easygoing.... HAHA.

(Oops sorry, here comes rant part 2) 

But really, some Singaporeans can be so ugly. There was this young couple sitting next to us, (the seats were about an arm's length away) and the guy was bitching about how the waitress walked away while he was paying the bill. Yeah for 1 minute to attend to the next table. During that 1 minute, he went on about how she had hearing problems because he had to ask for the bill twice. Mind you, it was pretty noisy and I had problems hearing my own bf, not to mention the waitress who was standing about 1 metre away. 

And she was still very polite despite his offensive kiam pa face. Seriously, dude, grow up and try working.

Too bad I didn't have a tiara to crown you princess then. Thank goodness they left before our food arrived, if not I might have puked on him.

WHEW. FINALLY.

We ordered:

1) Olive fried rice - must try!

This was fragrant, fluffy and layered with aromatic spices x cashew nuts, making each bite rather delightful. After this dish, le bf said: "Good recommendation". Synne - 1, Augs - 0.

2) Fried chix wings, marinated in fish sauce - good comfort food

I didn't expect the wings to be so small, but the taste overcompensated for their size. Each mini wing was juicy and well marinated, and I love the fact that it was fried with garlic flakes. YUM.

3) Soft shell crab in mellow yellow curry (goes the name, cute right?) - must try?

A question mark because you cannot go wrong with soft shell crabs and good spicy, yet sweet curry but I found the dish a tad too salty, which made me think about the MSG content. Me: "No wonder so nice...." I'd say, go for it, but limit your servings.

4) Tom Yum soup - must try!
Their soup is the clear type, and I find it quite authentic, with fresh and plump seafood. Sorry, the soup was finished before I could snap a picture :p

5) Tom Yum fried rice - mixed feelings

If you like risotto, you might like this. Moist (almost reaching wet), spicy and tasty would be the best way to describe this dish. It almost felt like the chef poured tom yum soup onto the rice and fried it together, with the same fat prawns and spiciness. But I still prefer my rice fluffy so this was a no-go.

I would definitely come back again for my must-tries as I also like the vibe of the place; vibrant, fast paced, noisy, fuss free with efficient service.

Gotta go educate the hungrygowhere site now.

Happy eating peeps!

WLF.