This home-based artisanal prawn/shrimp crackers located in the heart of Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru is well-known among locals and Singaporeans. Tucked away in a quiet residential area, this quaint establishment operates via Whatsapp Orders and word of mouth. It is accessible only through the discreet back door of the house. You will notice the big yellow banner hanging outside the house with the name “Joyce Prawn Crackers & Dessert”.
If you are driving or grabbing, it will take approximately 30-40 minutes’ drive from City Square Mall. Thus, please whatsapp to order before heading down to avoid any disappointments.
The star attraction is their Crispy Prawn/Shrimp Cracker, a delicacy snack filled with a generous serving of a dozen or more small prawns. Deep-fried to perfection, the crackers have an irresistible crispiness. Shells and heads are included. What sets these shrimp crackers apart is the ideal ratio of shrimps to batter with a thin and light coating that enhances the overall experience.
The menu offers four (4) variations including normal, add shrimps, shrimps with vegetables and mantis shrimp cake flavour. The price starts from RM2.50 ~ S$0.71 to RM4.00~S$1.14. The add-ons shrimp only fritters where you literally have the fritters filled with shrimps. The fritters are pre-fried, then crisped to perfection in hot oil just before serving.
The tasty shrimp fritters are paired with a house-made chili sauce. This condiment adds a sharp and spicy kick layered with a hint of lime sourness that elevates the taste experience.
You can also purchase their frozen packs to fry at your comfort home. I bought quite a few packs for my friends to try. They enjoyed it!
Whatsapp the number +6013-723 5526 to order before heading down.
Address: Home Based Fried Prawn Crackers 住家手工式炸虾饼 / Joyce Prawn Crackers & Dessert
Exploring Taiwanese cuisine in Singapore often leads to encounters with familiar street food offerings, but Song Yue Taiwan Cuisine at Leisure Park Kallang stands out by presenting a menu that delves into authentic home-style Taiwanese dishes. Unlike its counterparts, this restaurant takes a departure from the typical street fare, offering a delightful array of home-style Taiwanese dishes that go beyond the usual oyster mee sua and fried chicken cutlet.
Song Yue’s menu is a celebration of produce-driven Taiwanese cuisine inspired by the countryside, providing a dining experience rarely found in the city. Noteworthy is their exceptional beverage selection, featuring Taiwanese teas sourced directly from small family tea farms across the island, expertly brewed by an in-house certified tea specialist.
Starting with the Taiwanese-style home-pickled chilled dishes, including Pickled Cherry Tomatoes with Sour Plums and crunchy Pickled Cabbage and Radish. The appetizers were a refreshing introduction to the meal.
The Traditional Ginger Duck ( S$19.90++ | S$36.90++) , a Taiwan-famous dish, showcased uber-tender duck chunks with thick ginger pieces and black sesame oil. Comforting and flavorful experience. So good that I had two bowls of the soup.
Crispy You-Tiao Pineapple Prawns (S$18.90++) showcase prawns coated in a crunchy batter, stir-fried with pineapples, and drizzled with a delicate citrusy mayonnaise dressing. Song Yue’s version elevates the dish by incorporating handmade dough fritters filled with a meticulously blended mixture of squid and prawn paste, providing an extra layer of both texture and flavor.
The Salt and Pepper Pomfret with Crispy Garlic Chips ( S$35.90++) , a twist on the classic salt and pepper chicken. We were impressed with its well-executed crispy batter and delightful seasoning, especially the crunchy garlic chips all over the fish.
A standout on the menu is the Farm Chicken with Spring Onion (S$18.90++| S$33.90++) , featuring tender and flavorful chicken topped with a generous amount of fresh spring onion. I was pleasantly surprised by the tenderness and flavorful taste of the chicken, which uses local kampong chicken. The dish is generously topped with fresh spring onions, enhancing the overall chicken flavor. I recommend ordering this to share for big group gatherings.
Priced at S$18.90, the Slow-Braised Pork Ribs with White Radish stands out with the pronounced presence of the white radish. While the prime ribs offer a flavor profile in line with expectations, it is the white radish that truly absorbs the rich essence of the soy-based sauce, enhanced with a medley of herbs.
For those seeking a more indulgent option, the Cabbage and Hokkaido Scallop Stone Pot Rice (S$19.90++| S$32.90++) presented a flavorful combination of charred rice, sweet cabbage, and plump scallops. This rice dish features Grade 1 short-grained rice harvested in ‘Tai Chung’ and is served in a piping hot stone pot, imparting a delightful smoky flavor to the rice. The seared Hokkaido scallops add a luxurious touch, and portions of the rice being crispy and crusty gives an extra texture.
The Silken Tofu with Pumpkin and Crabmeat ( S$18.90++), featuring sweet golden pumpkin from Taiwan. This dish provides a lighter option, though a bit more crabmeat would have enhanced the dish.
The Crispy Eggs with Black Sesame Oil (S$16.90++), a Taiwanese household favorite, featured four fried sunny-side-ups cooked in a sweet-savory sauce with Taiwan-imported black sesame oil. Delightful combination of runny yolks and crispy sides in a sweet-savory sauce, though some might find the price a bit steep.
Another noteworthy dish is Ah Ma’s Rice Vermicelli and Taro Soup (S$19.90++/ S$32.90++ ). This dish features fine rice vermicelli from Xin Zhu, immersed in a flavorful pork bone broth. The soup is complemented by sliced pork belly, lala, shiitake mushrooms, and sweet taro chunks. To my delight, the rice noodles maintained a pleasing firmness despite being immersed in the piping-hot soup – a welcome surprise for someone who dislikes soggy noodles. The full-bodied broth struck a perfect balance, not overly salty, allowing me to savor every bit of it with a satisfying slurp.
The restaurant’s ambiance accommodates up to 120 diners, with open and spacious seating, including private dining rooms for more intimate gatherings. While the middle seats lack some intimacy, the booth seats on the side provide a cozier atmosphere. Located conveniently at Leisure Park Kallang, a short walk from Stadium MRT Station, Song Yue Taiwan Cuisine offers a homely and well-executed dining experience with reasonable prices – making it a worthy choice for a family meal.
Address: Song Yue Taiwan Cuisine
5 Stadium Walk
#01-38/39 Leisure Park Kallang
Singapore 397693
Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30am to 3:30pm | 5:00PM to 9:00PM
Friday-Saturday 11:30AM to 3:30PM | 5:00PM to 9:30PM
Tel: 6988 3322
Are you planning a trip to Taiwan Trip, but worried about your tight travel budget? If so, then rest assured. You’re fortunate! From affordable local cuisines to famous tourist spots that cost almost nothing to visit, Taiwan has much more to offer.
However, most people fall into the most expensive tourist traps. In order to address this issue, we’re going to present some money-saving tips to visit Taiwan. So, you can save money for your next trip or something else to do.
Look for Budget-friendly Accommodations
Due to an ever-evolving hospitality industry, a significant number of budget-friendly accommodations in Taiwan, especially in Taipei, are available. However, for cheap travel experiences, considering hostels are the most popular choice for prospective tourists.
Don’t worry about the taiwan trip budget because you can get shared accommodation with other fellow budget-conscious travelers. This way, you can save more money during your trip to Taiwan.
Prioritize Public Transport for Commuting
Taiwanese public transport would be a perfect solution for you if you’re about to stay in one of the major cities on this Island. You can take advantage of worth picking up a combined metro and bus pass. By using these passes, you can travel freely on all the public transport during a specified time period.
Not only can you travel wherever you want, but you also can save on fares. Avoid traveling in taxis. Otherwise, you will have to spend maximum fares on just a single travel.
Prefer to Visit Free-of-Cost Attractions
In Taiwan, there is a whole range of captivating and mood-lifting attractions. But do you know the majority of them are free to explore? You can explore various temples and religious places with breathtaking architecture without any admission charges.
Visiting Taipei 101 is costly, so consider hiking up the elephant mountain, which is just a short distance from the world’s tallest building. So, you can capture the retina-grabbing views of Taipei 101 and other hidden gem districts in Taipei. In short, you can have a memorable experience and, best of all, without paying even a single cent.
Consider Buffet Restaurants to Dine Out
Derailing a budget-friendly trip to Taiwan is possible when it comes to deciding on a place to eat. It’s best to find a buffet restaurant so you don’t need to struggle with the language barrier. The majority of buffet restaurants mention the names of dishes and food offerings in the English language.
Just bring a plate, pick your favorite food, and enjoy a pocket-friendly dining experience. You can try delicious and traditional Taiwanese cuisines and desserts at affordable rates.
Do Clothes & Shoes Shopping at the Night Markets
Shopping malls and high street stores are too expensive everywhere. So, instead of shopping for clothes, shoes, and other accessories from such places, you need to look around Taiwan’s night markets.
If you visit the biggest open market at nighttime, then you’ll surely get clothes and shoes at discounted rates. Local open markets usually have a wide selection of apparel, among other kinds of stuff. Also, try to buy clothes and shoes from stalls if you want to save money to the maximum extent.
Araya located at Mondrian Singapore Duxton stands out as the first fine-dining South American establishment in the city. The restaurant emphasis on Chilean South Pacific cuisine infused with indigenous and Japanese ingredients. It is the latest addition to the Culinary Arts Group, which also boasts Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Hamamoto and popular open-fire grill eatery, Revolver.
Situated within Mondrian Singapore Duxton, Araya is a cozy 30-seater space led by the culinary expertise of Michelin-starred Chef Francisco Araya and Chef Fernanda Guerrero. The main dining area features a 12-seat rose quartz counter that provides an intimate view of the chefs at work. For large groups, there is also a private room available with a minimum spending requirement of S$4,000.00++.
Araya offers a singular dining experience with its Menu Degustacion prices at S$298++ per person tasting menu for dinner along with a vegetarian option, Menu Vegetariano at S$298++ per person. The courses showcase a fusion of South American flavours with Japanese elements, and a wine pairing option is also available.
We started off with a series of snacks including Ama Ebi Tomato Meringue, Tepache (fermented pineapple juice), and Corn Flan with Murasaki uni marinated in white shoyu.
The bread course, La Panera introduces three distinct Chilean breads- Marraqueta, Chapalele and Chorizo.I enjoyed the trio freshly baked bread complemented by Butter Merken, a Uruguayan butter infused with merken.
Following the bread course, the refreshing Ceviche features Hokkaido scallops marinated in shio koji with tiger’s milk sorbet and a medley of flavours.
The Causa course presents Araya’s take on potatoes and caviar, incorporating oca,yellow chillies and lightly smoked chutoro.
A standout dish is the Moqueca, a traditional Brazilian fish stew featuring gently poached kinki fish with a flavorful moqueca sauce made from kinki bones, palm oil, and coconut milk. Interesting!
The following course features exquisite harmony of 154 days aged Ecuadorian cacao. It’s rich and velvety taste perfectly complementing the succulent essence of Bresse pigeon intensifying the richness of flavors.
Transitioning to the “Sunday Lunch” segment, highlighting the traditional Chilean snack, the Empanada takes center stage. Crafted with wagyu beef, it is elegantly adorned with a pebre gel (a Chilean condiment typically comprising coriander and/or parsley) and delicate micro herbs on top.
For the final savory course, we had Picana presenting Wagyu beef with vibrant chimichurri sauce.
Palate cleanser before moving on to our sweet treats.
The dessert experience unfolds in three acts. The first, Desierto Florido features crushed honey orange meringue, chirimoya alegre espuma, and mango-pineapple-infused orange flan.
Antarctica, the second dessert offers goat’s milk ice-cream, crispy milk, cinnamon anglaise, Patagonian blackberries, and dulce de leche.
The grand finale Carrito De Dulces involves a dessert trolley presenting single-origin chocolates from South America for patrons to choose from. We get to choose whichever type of chocolate from the dessert trolley.
While unfamiliar to many, Chilean cuisine takes center stage at Araya offering a refreshing addition to Singapore’s dining scene. The carefully crafted dishes, attentive service, and unique flavour combinations position Araya as a strong contender for a Michelin Star in the future. I would recommend giving it a try for an exquisite dining experience.
Address: Araya Mondrian Singapore Duxton 83 Neil Road, #01-08 Singapore 089813 Tel: +65 8870 0871
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 6:00PM to 11:00PM (Last order at 9:00PM) Closed on Sunday & Monday
