What's after donuts?

How about homemade muffins and scones?

And I'm not talking about chains like Mrs Fields and Famous Amos, those are just too sweet for my liking. Neither are they able to tweak their recipes to reduce the tons of sugar they put in.

So it is a great to find an independent shop like Wooden Spoon which makes uniquely great muffins that are moist, dense but fluffy and full of flavor. Plus, it tastes of less sugar and more of the ingredients. The sweetness comes mainly from natural ingredients like raisins and bananas, just the way the health conscious would like them. No more having to deal with muffins loaded with tons of sugar! Another feature I like is the absence of the paper cups, so no more peeling off those cups and you can just eat everything.

Particularly, their banana walnut muffins, when broken open, reveals the generous amount of banana mashed into the little package, like banana walnut bread.

Also try the scones. Bite onto the crunchy exterior to reveal the buttery and soft insides with a zap of natural sugar from the raisins baked into it. Goes perfectly with your favorite warm, caffeine-laced drinks.

Besides their muffins and scones, Wooden Spoon also makes a variety of cookies, brownies, cakes and so on. However, note that everything here is produced in limited numbers and they will close shop once everything is sold out. It was already closed when I came by just past 6pm on a weekday. So if you are interested, do come by earlier for a true homemade fix.

Wooden Spoon 100 Beach Road #01-24 Shaw Leisure Gallery Singapore 189702 Tel: 6297 8839

Food Review: Leong Kee (Klang) Bah Kut Teh

As you may know, I like the fried fish bee hoon over at Beach Road and like to walk there for the soupy lunch. As usual, there was a long queue. Not usual was my decision to find something else to eat. So I backtracked a bit and came to Leong Kee. It seems quite popular, why not give it a try since there are seats?

The order took longer than expected. I must have waited about 15 to 20 mins for my claypot of Bak Kut Teh and rice combo. But when I came, I was pleasantly surprised.

The soup was boiling in the heat insulating claypot when it was presented by before me. So it scores on presentation. The consistency of the soup was almost like a gravy, liken to say, sharks' fin soup and it had a strong herbal taste. Particularly, it had the bitterness from the tang gui used. Unfortunately, that was about all the herbs I could taste. It was something enjoyable, though on the heavy side for a soup.

I liked the addition of the tau kee or fu pi which gave the dish an extra dimension. The vegetable added was also a nice touch. The meat served here seems to be always spare ribs, which is tender to the bite. I liked that it was cooked to the extent where the meat comes off the bone easily.

On another occasion, I tried the pig's trotter. I liked the smoky taste which came from the high heat treatment just before it is served. The texture of the meat was tender and the skin, tendon and fat are something that should be tried at least once no matter how health conscious one may be.

Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh 321 Beach Road (Jn Sultan Gate and Beach Road) 11am to 9pm Wed Closed

My Budget Food Trail - Beach Road

I've recently been somewhat obsessed with the idea of amassing wealth, even though I earn a rather pathetic keep. And a budgeting spreadsheet revealed in detail my spending habits were not helping my plans in saving up.

And since I love eating like every other Singaporean, I figured that I could note down a few places for a good and affordable lunch. Affordable meaning less than $5. So I shall start this "series" (if there is one) with Beach Road. And with my camera, I took pictures of the food I eat along the way.

First up, Chicken Rice at Purvis Street. There are 2 places nearer to Beach Road that serves up pretty good chicken rice. I find both just as good. There shouldn't be any difficulty finding them if you frequent the area. I have to admit that it is rather tempting to splurge on food in the vicinity of Purvis Street. There are so many good things to eat here. But plans are plans, and I want to stick to them.

Further down away from Raffles Hotel along Beach Road is Alex's Eating House where they serve up one of the best roast duck, char siew and roast pork and anything that goes with it. The crowds here is a testament of how good the food is here.

Moving on to the junction to Liang Seah Street, Kim's Wok Seafood serves up a decent plate of Hokkien mee at $4.30. 30 cents being GST.

A good distance down, past The Gateway and Plaza Parkroyal Hotel is Blanco Court Fried Fish Bee Hoon at $4.

I personally like the fried fish head as there is more variety in the texture of the meat. This stall is also a crowd puller, so expect a queue. The stall is set up at those old corner coffeeshop. Here's a picture of its stall front for identification.

To add a sense of adventure, get off Beach Road and skip along to North Bridge Road, just behind the Golden Mosque where Zam Zam is serving up good and cheap prata. This is possibly the only place in Singapore where a murtabak and teh tarik doesn't cost more than $5. Ok, its neighbour also has similar pricing, so that makes 2 places.

What do you know, that's exactly 5 places for good food, one for each day of the week!

Review: Alex's Eating House

I am always skeptical about roast duck as there is always an impression that most of them are usually roasted till dry and tough and not to mention a flat, salty taste. This is one of the few places I've come across that serves up roast duck to perfection. The meat remains succulent and juicy after the roast and the marinate can be tasted throughout the meat, unlike others where it becomes bland right after the skin.

Also try their char siew if you don't mind the fatty cuts they use. (If you haven't already know, lard is healthier than margarine)

Or if you would like roast pork, you can't go wrong here either.

Once you've decided your choice of meat, think about the accompanying carbohydrate of either rice or noodles.

Then do whatever it takes to grab the attention of the people running the place to place your order.

Once ordered, wait to be served. It usually doesn't take too long, unless they forget your order.

One last tip - the further you sit in the cafeteria, the warmer and stuffier it is, but you are more likely to find a seat there. The customers tend to sit outside as it is airier, so if you want a better seat outside, bring a friend along, because the stupid tissues will be swept away, not even if you have a tissue pack like this.