3 small eateries at coronation arcade

(actually there are 4; missed out one)

there are three small eateries located in a tight corner of coronation road, just across the road from the shell petrol station. all three have received quite good rating from people who have eaten at these places. i parked my car in the basement in the buidling which houses the ntuc supermarket. after 5 p.m. on a weekday, you can park for free - that is, if you lucky enough to find a lot - at the public car park just one street up.

tried the first eatery - thai noodle house - today. ordered tom yam noodle soup with chicken meat. i was told the other option - seafood, is just as good, if not better. for $6 a bowl, there was just enough thai noodles (we would call it kway teow) to fill half a stomach. the soup was authentically thai and good. i had a fresh lime juice (for $3.50) and for dessert, i asked for thai ruby, at $2.50 for a small, small bowl.

it is a small restaurant and as it is quite popular, it can get quite crowded during peak hours. service was prompt and good. there is no service charge at this family run restaurant. also, no msg.

i have not tried the food in the other two joints but from what i have gathered, the food in the other two shops are worthwhile trying. the recommended food to be had at curry wok includes curry (of course), chap chye, lor bak and ngoh hiang. you should try the prawn noodles, laksa, chay kway teow, lor bak, duck mee sua and chicken kapitan at penang kitchen.

the same is said of the three eateries: not much of an ambience but the food is good. there is also no complaint about the service and the prices are considered reasonable. it is not a food centre, so expect to pay a bit more, say $5 for a bowl of penang laksa which you can get for half the price at abc bukit merah food court.

there are actually four small restaurants in that row; missed out the one with a chinese name, next tot he thai noodle house.

jalan sultan prawn noodles

just like the names of some of our schools, the name of the stall tends to lead one to think that the stall/shop is located at jalan sultan. just like schools which have been relocated but retain the names of their original location, the shop at jalan ayer, off geylang lorong one, could have its origin at jalan sultan. i don't know. all i know is that ever since i learnt about its popularity, it has been at the same location - geylang lorong one.

the shop is closed on tuesdays and business hours are between 8.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. exactly, at 3.30 p.m. they will stop selling the prawn noodles and set about to wash and clean up the premises.

i had the $5 bowl of soup prawn mee, without any extras. if you opt for jumbo prawns, the minimum price is $8 and for $10, you will get the sultan prawns in either version, dry or soup.

the soup has a strong prawn flavour and it is a bit salty for my taste. such a soup will go better with bee hoon or kway teow. the dry version looks just as good as the soup version.

as i have said before, food is a matter of taste and preferences. according to my favourite food blogger - ieatishootipost - wah kee at cambridge food court is the best but according to the straits times' foodies club, jalan sultan prawn noodles is top. i have tried both, and i prefer the jalan sultan's prawn mee.

wagyu beef @ aston specialties

went down to 119 east coast with the hope of eating wagyu beef. no such luck. found out that if you wanted to eat wagyu beef at this place, you would have to order in advance. you have, first, to call up to check if such beef is available before placing your order.

when you reach the place, there is usually a queue outside. but, when you look inside, you will find that there are unoccupied seats and tables. you have to give your food order to the counter girl before you get shown to your table and seat. then, you wait for your food. the waiting time is not that long - about 20 minutes.

so, what is wagyu beef? wagyu is a breed of cattle naturally predisposed to produce beef that is densely marbled. in fact, wagyu beef surpasses usda marbling standards for prime-grade beef. often referred to as the “foie gras of beef,” wagyu has an exquisitely tender texture and incomparable, luxurious taste.

the grades that have been available at aston range from grade 5 to grade 11. the highest grade for prime grade beef is 12 and that is kobe beef. naturally, you have to pay according to the grade; the higher the grade, the more expensive is the beef. for example, 300gm of grade 5 costs about $59 and 300gm of grade 9 costs around $129.

no wagyu. so, in the end, had to settle for porterhouse steak.