The must-do thing for me in Chinatown is to pop into Sam Woo restaurant. Sam Woo in Chinese is san1 he2 or 3 together = Roast pork, roast chicken and roast duck.

It's quite an experience at Sam Woo. Step in and you will see many middle-aged waiters in WHITE TUXEDO SHIRT AND BOWTIE. I never fail to be amused by their attire. A waiter ushers you to a table and another immediately plonks a pot of tea and the menu on your table.

If you are alone like I always am, they don't have time for you to look through the menu. Because once you order, eat and go, they can turnover for other customers. 1 person = lesser tips. The first time I was there, they make me so kancheong that I said the first thing that comes to mind.

"Char Siew Fan"


The portion is HUGE. Unlike the thin, red and sweet slices in Singapore, the char siew here is thick, juicy and savoury. This comes drizzled with light soy sauce and bak choy rather than the dark thick sauce and cucumbers we get. Very different but I like both styles!

After Sam Woo, I needed to take a walk. Guess what I found??! Singapore Lor Mee! JC cafe is really bao ka liao. They sell bubble tea, rice dishes, noodle dishes and even weight loss programmes! Very strange...

I tried the bubble tea which surprisingly is one of the best I ever had! The auntie at the cashier and I were chatting and I found out the chef went to Singapore to learn to make Lor Mee. I don't know why Lor Mee when there are more popular dishes like Laksa, Bak chor mee, Fishball noodles, Char kway tiao etc...

When the auntie found out I was Singaporean, she kept asking me to buy and try. Her last resort? "Buy 4 get 1 free!" Bargain Lor Mee?! I am starting to doubt the taste.

******

Curiosity got the better of me and one day, I dragged Kelly to JC Cafe. Looks quite good right?

The Lor Mee wasn't bad at all! It lacked the fried stuff and gooey-ness to make it authentic but it tasted good! Kelly and I like it a lot and would definitely come back again for more!