Zhou Xing Xing 周星星經典燒味雲吞麵 - Hong Kong/ Indonesia Fusion Restaurant

• Operating Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM
• Operating Days: Daily
• Address: 3rd Floor, Aeon Bandar Dato Onn, Jalan Dato Onn Utama Kempas, Johor, Malaysia

Recently at Johor Bahru, another new Aeon shopping mall has just started its operation. Situated at Bandar Dato Onn, it is not difficult to find the new mall as it is just a 20 minutes drive from custom.

While we were hunting for a restaurant to rest out feet and to fill up our stomach, we came across a shop named "Zhou Xing Xing 周星星”.

What does the name "Zhou Xing Xing 周星星" remind you of? It reminds me of all the shows Stephen Chow 周星驰 has acted before, but we are not here to feature Stephen Chow today. A bright yellow restaurant Chinese themed Zhou Xing Xing 周星星 is actually a Hong Kong - Indonesian fusion style restaurant  which was definitely not owned by Stephen Chow.The mascot, however, is inspired by his character starred in the movie - 食神. 

We were there at 7PM and we have to wait for a while before we get a seat.

It was a full house though there were plenty of tables available inside. Within 10mins, we were assigned a table.

They have 3 signature combination with Mee Kia (type of noodle used in wanton noodle commonly), Indonesian curry with Crispy egg noodle, and scrambled egg with chicken oil rice.

To order their signature menu, you will have to choose the type of meat to go along with your  noodle/ rice.  The four meat choices are Roasted Duck, Roasted Pork, Char Siew, and Soy Sauce Chicken.

To our disappointment, they have sold out their Roasted Duck and Roasted Pork before dinner hours! So for this time, we only get to order scrambled egg with rice and Indonesia style curry crispy egg noodle with Char Siew and Soy Sauce Chicken.

After they took our order, we waited for about 10 minutes before they our order is served.

First came was the crispy noodle with Indonesia style curry along side with Char Siew and Soy Sauce Chicken.

The noodle was really crispy on the first bite, and I really love how the noodle can be so crispy - similar to eating noodle snack. After about 5 minutes with the noodle drenched in the bowl of curry gravy, the noodle turned slightly softer. If you prefer your noodle to be softer , you may wanf to wait a while before you eat. The Indonesian curry has a slight hint of taste from the vegetable and coconut, which was already great on its own. However, they have placed the chicken and char siew into the bowl of gravy as well, which the taste of the meat was not too impressive due to the overpowering curry taste that covered up the original taste of the meat. I would very much prefer to eat the Char Siew on its own.

We waited for another 5 minutes before they serve our next order - which was the oil rice topped with scrambled egg with Char Siew and Chicken. We got two free wantons (stated in their menu) as well. Though it was given free to us, the quality wasn't compromised as the skin was thin and it was filled with meat.

Time to try their Char Siew in their original state! Their Char Siew was half fatty, and that makes the overall texture really tender! You could even see the strend on the meat clearly. The skin from the Char Siew, with the thin layer of fats were all marinated fully with caramelised barbeque sauce. Every bite of it will make you want to have more. 

Normally, I would order the leaner char siew as I don't really fancy Char Siew with too much fats. However at Zhou Xing Xing, I really love the Char Siew as how it is, and I ate them all without stopping. Their Char Siew is highly recommended for sure.

For their Soy Sauce Chicken, it was tender but they did not remove the bone from the meat. We felt that the chicken did not taste better than the Char Siew. We will give it a miss when we return the next time.

All in all, it was quite affordable to have a decent meal for a meal for two at Zhou Xing Xing 周星星 including a drink. We will definitely be back soon to try out their highly raved Roasted Duck and Roasted Pork!

Hawker Chan Liao Fan (了凡香港油雞飯麵) - World Cheapest Michelin food put to taste test

• Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (11 AM to 8 PM)
• Operating Days: Closed on Monday
• Address: 450 Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Singapore 319394
• Food I had: Half Chicken and Wonton Soup
• Total Cost: $21.60

Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Chicken Rice & Noodles is a popular stall in Chinatown Food Complex run by Chef Chan Hon Meng. Even before receiving the acclaimed Michelin star, it was already a well-known stall at Chinatown Food Complex.

From humble hawker to food icon, after the stall became known as the World’s cheapest Michelin eatery, the snaking queue at the stall has become almost unmanageable. To bring the famed soya sauce chicken to more people, Chef Chan teamed up with Hersing Culinary to open a chain of quick service restaurants.

Hawker Chan’s menu is a simple affair. There are Soya Sauce Chicken, Char Siew, Roasted Pork and Pork Ribs. You can combine any of the meats with Rice, Noodle or Hor Fun. There's a few side dishes and beverages, including beer as well!

Ordering works on a self-service electronic system, and I thought the placement of tables made space cramped, and hard for walking at certain sections. Do not sit near the entrance if you have the chance. Even though the order queue moves faster than expected, be prepared to wait at least half an hour for your food to be ready. 

Hawker Chan is a functional and unpretentious self-service place. It is like a small food court by itself. The ordering counter is in front of the kitchen and, when your receipt number is flashed, you collect the food from the counter. 

Prices still remain very affordable, with most items below $5, making it a suitable place for the family for a casual meal.

The rice was drenched with a dark sauce that had a slightly sweet herbal taste. 

The meat was really tender, not too fatty, and juicy thanks to the addictive sweet and salty soya sauce that it absorbs. Chewing it slowly would release new aroma and taste. The sweet chili sauce makes it even more savory.

The glistening soy-marinated skin is so tasty with the juicy white meat. 

The Wonton soup featured a couple of filled wontons and vegetables. Each of them had a good texture and we could really chew on the fillings. The soup was packed with an immense chicken herbal sourly taste and some including me might find it a little too overwhelming.

The original Hawker Chan Soya Chicken Rice sells for $2 in Chinatown Complex so $3.80 is a substantial markup, but considering the much shorter queuing time and the comfortable air-conditioned setting, the price of the delectable chicken rice with Michelin star pedigree is still a great bargain.

A good recommendation for any friends or family overseas to try it out if they visit Singapore for the first time.

Will I Return Again? Is this the best Soya Sauce Chicken in Singapore? It was good, but it wasn’t mind-blowing. Does it deserve the Michelin Star? We are not quite sure about it. Regardless, it is an above average which we will be more inclined to return if not for the inflated hype.