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A “Long Long Lunch” at Edge Restaurant Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel!

Durian selection!

Edge Restaurant at Pan Pacific Singapore has launched the “Long Long Lunch”, which features Singapore hawker favourites from 12pm to 4pm on Saturdays. Also known as “Tunch” (a cool name for Traditional Lunch), this buffet spread also includes local delights such as Homemade Laksa, Bak Kut Teh, Carrot Cake, Satay and lots more!

Thanks to the great folks at Pan Pacific Singapore (big shout out to Wen Xian and Cheryl!), we were hosted to a fantastic Long Long Lunch at Edge Restaurant.

Long Long Lunch at the Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
Long Long Lunch at the Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel

Can you see the waiters dressed in traditional hawker outfit in the background? Topped with the rickshaw hat no less!

Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Long Long Lunch (Tunch)

Our expectations of local fare is especially high and usually for buffets, because of the quantity of which it is produced, the standards drop. But we’re pleased to let you know that the standard of local hawker food at this Long Long Lunch is actually pretty good! Let’s take you through the offerings of Tunch at Edge Restaurant…

Sticks with our table number
Sticks with our table number

Once we were shown to our seats, the waitress informed us of the numbered sticks at our table. It is actually used for foods that require some preparation time (such as char kway teow and popiah).

Hand the sticks over, food prepared, food served to your table! Simple as that!

And here’s a quick tour of the available stalls at this excellent traditional lunch buffet…

Prawn Noodle, Laksa, Wanton Mee, Chicken Rice and Duck Rice
Prawn Noodle, Laksa, Wanton Mee, Chicken Rice and Duck Rice
Bak Kut Teh
Bak Kut Teh
Satay Counter for beef, chicken or mutton satay
Satay Counter for beef, chicken or mutton satay
Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak
Asian Delights (Kuehs and asian cakes)
Asian Delights (Kuehs and asian cakes)
Durian cakes, puffs and pengat!!
Durian cakes, puffs and pengat!!

In addition to the local delights, there is also a selection of international cuisine for you to choose from, including…

Freshly prepared pastas
Freshly prepared pastas
Pizzas made from scratch
Pizzas made from scratch
Carvings
Carvings
Japanese food
Japanese food
Quality Ice Cream
Quality Ice Cream

You may realise by now that the Edge restaurant at Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel, is actually quite huge! What we enjoyed about the lay out is that there’s a new discovery at every turn inside the restaurant as the food is dispersed all around. In fact, we only found the traditional kaya toast (which was AWESOME – “everything is awesome…”) towards the end of our meal!

What we ate at Edge Pan Pacific Singapore’s Long Long Lunch

Here’s a low down of what we ate at the Long Long Lunch and our comments on each of these dish that we’ve tried…

Bak Kut Teh and Teh Tarik (the 2 "Tehs")
Bak Kut Teh and Teh Tarik (the 2 “Tehs”)

You might be surprised but the bak kut teh taken out of the seemingly nondescript pot above, WAS ACTUALLY GOOD! The soup had the light spicy, peppery and not too salty taste of bak kut teh and to top things off, the rib was SO SO TENDER! The teh tarik on the other hand was milky and flavourful but was a tad too sweet. Remember to ask for siew tai/condensed milk!

Chicken Rice and Char Kway Teow
Chicken Rice and Char Kway Teow

You would think that for a huge buffet such as this, tastes for local delights such as chicken rice and char kway teow would be greatly compromised? WRONG! In fact, the rice was so fragrant that we REALLY wanted to go for seconds! Which we struggled very hard to decline 🙁 This is to salvage whatever space in our tummies to review the foods here just for you (yes you!) our beloved readers! And we digress…

The roasted chicken was tender, juicy and had a mildly familiar roasted fatty taste to it. To put it simply, you must eat the chicken skin with the tender juicy chicken meat! As you chew, the roasted aroma, coupled with the fragrant rice, swirls magically within…definitely one of the best chicken rice we’ve had in recent times! Oh oh, don’t forget the chili!

The char kway teow was generous in its ingredients of prawns, fish cake and bean sprouts. There was “wok hei” with freshness of the ingredients fried into the kway teow, which was not too oily. Portion was just nice as well – not too jelat!

Satay, roasted duck and homemade laksa
Satay, roasted duck and homemade laksa

All 3 dishes above were good. The satay sauce had the right proportion of peanut to sweetness ratio while the satay had a slight charred taste to it. These satays were BBQed “live” and you may have to wait for the next batch if your movements are a little slow. The roasted duck had a crisp and fatty layer on the outside while the meat had that firmness and sweetness as you chew into it – simply how a good roasted duck ought to be. Lastly, the laksa gravy and chili (most important parts of the laksa) were pretty decent. The only let down was the thick vermicelli which could be a little more “silky”. To solve this, politely ask the chef to cook your vermicelli a little longer.

Dim Sum and Popiah
Dim Sum and Popiah

As for the dim sum, you won’t go wrong with har gau and siew mai. Both had mouthfuls of fillings with every bite. The lobster dumpling though was a miss. The skin was a little thick and perhaps the dumpling simply did not meet the expectations of the name “lobster dumpling”. You would expect some kind of a “wow factor” with that kind of name right? The popiah on the other hand had chock-full of fillings and was a great dish to complement the meal.

Freshly prepared Aglio Olio
Freshly prepared Aglio Olio

Just to test the skills of the chefs, we ordered the Aglio Olio at the pasta counter and we were glad that we ordered it. The texture of the pasta was just perfect, a firm bite on each mouth (soggy pastas spoil the taste). The full flavoured garlic and chili bits rounded up this simple but elegant pasta.

Asian delights
Asian delights
Durian selection!
Durian selection!

To round up the meal, we headed to the desserts section! Kate enjoyed the asian delights of kueh kuehs and kueh lapis while I headed for the durian selection! You MUST TRY the durian cake and pengat at the Long Long Lunch. As with good durian cakes and durian pengats, the texture of the durian could be felt with each bite. Though the silkier texture of the pengat could be deceiving on the first impression, the power-packed taste from the King of Fruits could be savoured with each mouth – all bitter sweet tastes of it! That was why we went for seconds and helped build up our “reserves in the mid section”…

About Edge Pan Pacific Singapore’s Long Long Lunch

The highlights from the Long Long Lunch of Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel includes :

Singapore Heritage
Homemade Laksa (Chef’s Signature)
Penang Prawn Noodle Soup (Chef’s Signature)
Bak Kut Teh (Chef’s Signature)
Satay
Nasi Lemak with Otah
Roti Prata
Homemade Dim Sum
Crispy Char Siew Soo
Fried Carrot Cake
Popiah and Rojak
Singapore Toast (Egg, Kaya, Peanut Butter, Butter and Sugar)

Japanese and Thai
Traditional Thai Tom Yum Soup
Thai Papaya and Mango Salad
Selection of Sushi and Sashimi
Thai-style Deep Fried Banana

Desserts
Durian Puff, Durian Mousse Cake and Durian Pengat (Chef’s Signature)
Ice Kachang (Chef’s Signature)
Soy Bean Milk Pudding (Chef’s Signature)
Portuguese Egg Tart
Mango Pomelo Short Cake
Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Pandan Kaya Cake
Chendol Agar Agar
Orange Chiffon Cake
Nonya Kueh and Chinese Cookies

Date: Every Saturday
Time: 12:00 noon to 4:00pm
Prices:
$50nett per adult inclusive of unlimited local beverages, coffee and tea
$25nett per child (below 12 years of age) inclusive of unlimited local beverages

Venue: Edge (Level 3), 7 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039595

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Conclusion

If you’re thinking of taking your loved ones out for a relaxing long long lunch but not sure where to get good quality hawker fare at one great location, the Long Long Lunch at Edge Pan Pacific Singapore can be an excellent option.

We used to think that great hawker foods, especially for buffet is simply not possible. Usually such buffets has more “misses” than “hits”. In addition, to keep up with food quality and great local flavours for a large quantity, is extremely difficult to say the least.

Edge’s Long Long Lunch has changed that impression. Kudos to the chefs at Edge Pan Pacific Singapore!

**Special thanks Cheryl, Wen Xian and the team from Edge for hosting us to a lovely Long Long Lunch!

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant : Best Chicken Rice in Singapore?

Wee Nam Kee Hainese Chicken Rice Restaurant @ Thomson Road

When you think about the best or most popular chicken rice in Singapore, which chicken rice stall do you think of? Yishun? Tiong Bahru? Mei Ling Street? Or Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice at Thomson Road?

Kate and I wanted to check out what all this buzz is about and paid a visit to Wee Nam Kee Hainese Chicken Rice Restaurant located at 275 Thomson Road #01-05 Novena Ville (opposite Novena Church)

Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant
Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

Wee Nam Kee Hainese Chicken Rice Restaurant @ Thomson Road
Wee Nam Kee Hainese Chicken Rice Restaurant @ Thomson Road

Wee Nam Kee Hainese Chicken Rice Restaurant @ Thomson Road

There was certainly no lack of a crowd at this popular chicken rice joint. We thought the queue was long when we first arrived (we could even find a seat) but when we left, there was even a queue JUST to get into the seating area! To add to the celebrity factor, we also saw Huang Bi Ren and her family within the short time we spent at the restaurant! (Nope, no pictures here as we do not want to intrude into the lives of our celebrities yah?)

Let us side track a little. There is also a nice little soya bean joint at the corner of this stretch. They sell soya bean milk, soya beancurd and even durian soya beancurd! The thing is these 2 stalls try not to “intrude” into each other’s territory and they adhere very stringently to the “yellow lines” that border their boundaries. Therefore, DO NOT ask the aunty at Wee Nam Kee for soya bean, she may give you an ugly stare before telling you courteously to get your drink from that stall. This we faced, so DO NOT repeat our mistake!

In order to fully maximise our trip to Wee Nam Kee, we ordered both the roasted and steamed chicken from the stall. We ordered a quarter chicken for each type of cooking and they cost $10.80 for a quarter of a chicken. The price was quite steep but it was soon compensated by the taste…

Chicken rice at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant
Chicken rice at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

Chicken rice at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

Taste

Let’s talk about the roasted chicken first

Roasted Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant
Roasted Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

Roasted Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

The chicken was well roasted yet not too oily. The flavour was fully infused into the skin and the chicken which went really well with the rice. The spices were distinctly flavourful and is arguably one of the best roasted chicken around.

Steamed Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant
Steamed Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

Steamed Chicken at Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant

The steamed chicken was good. No doubt about it. However, not to find fault or anything, we’ve tasted juicier and more tender skin that slaps unto your lips leaving you wanting for more.

The rice was good but also not the best that we’ve tasted. In order to have the best chicken rice in Singapore OR the “dream chicken rice” we recommend…

1. The Chicken Rice from Yishun
2. Roasted chicken from Thomson (Wee Nam Kee)
3. Steamed Chicken from Mei Ling Street or Tiong Bahru

Do you know any other best chicken rice in Singapore that you would like to recommend? Why not share it with our readers through our comments section below?

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Battle of the Malacca (Melaka) Jonker Street Chicken Rice Balls : Which is better? Chung Wah Chicken Rice or Hoe Kee Chicken Rice?

Interior of the entrance to Hoe Kee Chicken Rice

Whenever you visit Malacca, a visit to Jonker street is a must.

Why?

There is the night market, little shops with souvenirs and unique items on the side of the streets, street food and delicacies.

Jonker Street Melaka
Jonker Street Melaka

But one thing remains a mystery to most visitors to Jonker Street…

Which chicken rice ball stall is better? Chung Wah chicken rice ball at the start of Jonker street or the nicer looking Hoe Kee chicken rice ball in the middle of the street?

2bearbear.com has taken upon ourselves (and our tummies) to once and for all, clear this mystery for all our readers.

Let’s have some applause please…(*clap clap clap*)

Right…but first we must warn our readers as well.

DO NOT EAT AT A FORMOSA CHICKEN RICE! NO!!!!!!!! (echoes disappearing into the abyss…)

Ok…we shall leave it at that.

Moving on. We first visited Chung Wah Chicken Rice

Chung Wah Chicken Rice Ball @ Start of Jonker Street

Chung Wah Chicken Rice @ Start of Jonker Street
Chung Wah Chicken Rice @ Start of Jonker Street

Please recognise this picture. Although it says “Kedai Kopi Chung Wah”, but it really is a coffee shop that sells only one thing, CHICKEN RICE! and drinks of course.

Plus, the chicken rice at Chung Wah usually sells out at about 3-4pm. Be there earlier to avoid disappointment. For us, we were there at about 3:30pm.

We were lucky.

Minutes after we sat down, the metal gates were closed (with the rest of the diners still inside of course, not that they’re gonna kidnap us or something)

The next thing we realised was that the aunty immediately asked us if we wanted half a chicken and 1 set of rice balls each. HALF A CHICKEN FOR 2 PERSONS?! Being the first time there, we nodded.

This means that either:

1. Most people who went to Chung Wah were REALLY hungry. OR

2. After sizing Tom up, aunty decided that it has got to be half a chicken for us.

Half Chicken @ Chung Wah Chicken Rice
Half Chicken @ Chung Wah Chicken Rice
Chicken Rice Balls at Chung Wah
Chicken Rice Balls at Chung Wah

The portion of the half chicken was what we expected it to be. However, if the 2 of you are feeling really peckish, half a chicken is just right. Aunty was right after all.

Taste Test

The chicken at Chung Wah has a fragrance of sesame oil to it and when you try to decipher the sauce…you’ll realise one voice in your head going

“Hey, I know this taste!” while the other voice in your head goes

“No, you dont!” This goes back and forth, forcing you to dip the sauce on your spoon to try it over and over again.

The thing is, the sauce is unique. It has some excellent proportion of spices, sesame oil and soya sauce to it that makes it special.

Next comes the chicken.

Tender and firm at the right places. Kinda oxymoron right? The texture of the chicken was good. Keeps you coming back for more.

So what about the rice?

The thing that we did not get quite used to about chicken rice ball is that, IT’S COLD!

Eating chicken rice cold…that’s something really different. Guess they need to cool it or allow it to cool before the ball takes shape.

However, we did not really like the rice ball, simply because it lacked the fragrance that chicken rice ought to have. The saving grace was that, pairing with the chicken was a great combination…

The half chicken at Chung Wah (with 10 balls) costs RM19.70.

As for deco, it really was like a coffee shop but the old kind? Allows you to feel the ambience somewhat like that of the 70s.

Next, we headed off to Hoe Kee Chicken Rice (not immediately, but almost, because of our keen interest to solve the chicken rice ball mystery at Jonker street once and for all!!)

Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Ball @ Middle of Jonker Street

Outside of Hoe Kee Chicken Rice @ Middle of Jonker Street
Outside of Hoe Kee Chicken Rice @ Middle of Jonker Street
Interior of the entrance to Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Interior of the entrance to Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Courtyard of Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Courtyard of Hoe Kee Chicken Rice

The first impression of Hoe Kee was more of

“Wow, classy chinese interior design!”

This is definitely a great place to bring your friends to for a nice meal of local food. A great place to entertain and meet up with your guests as well.

“How about the food?” You might ask.

Quarter Chicken at Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Quarter Chicken at Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Condiments with Herbal Tea and Soya Bean
Condiments with Herbal Tea and Soya Bean
Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Balls
Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Balls

Taste Test

The chicken at Hoe Kee was normal. Really nothing much to shout about here. Dont guess us wrong, it was a decent plate of chicken. Meat was fresh but taste was not as memorable and lasting as that of Chung Wah.

However, the rice did trump Chung Wah’s in that there was the chicken rice fragrance that one craved. The coldness was still there but the taste was much better.

The quarter chicken at Hoe Kee (with 5 balls, Soya Bean and Herbal Tea) costs RM14.20

Verdict

Now, to put the mystery of the Jonker Street Chicken Rice Ball Battle behind us…

2bearbear.com declares the winner of the “Battle of the Malacca Jonker Street Chicken Rice Ball” to be…(*Drumrolls*)

Chung Wah Chicken Rice Ball!

Well, the chicken basically won the war for Chung Wah. Although they lost in the chicken rice ball department, the unique sauce was more than able to make up for this loss.

And did we mention that the chilli packed a punch at Chung Wah’s?

Nonetheless, in terms of ambience, Hoe Kee won hands down and if a gathering with friends and family is your focus, Hoe Kee is the place to go.

For great taste, you cant go wrong with Chung Wah.

We hope that with this post, we can finally put this age-old mystery of “which Jonker Street Chicken Rice Ball is better” to rest!

For your convenience, you can now check out the best hotel deals in Malacca right here!

Related posts

This post is part of our 3D2N travels in Malacca. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip!

Top 3 Things to do at Jonker Street aka Jonker Walk
Jonker 88 @ Jonker Street
Stadhuys Melaka aka Red Square or Dutch square
Best 5 stars hotel in Melaka : Hotel Equatorial Melaka
Battle of the Malacca (Melaka) Jonker Street Chicken Rice Balls : Which is better? Chung Wah Chicken Rice or Hoe Kee Chicken Rice?
Weekend Getaway and Staycation @ Philea Resort Melaka (Malacca)
Top Attractions and Things to do in Melaka : World Heritage City
A Leisure Stroll along the Melaka River
Trishaw Rides in Melaka : A Must-Do Activity!
Traffic Jams in Melaka : How bad is it really?
Restoran Ole Sayang – One of the most reputable Peranakan Restaurant in Malacca
Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum – Built without nails!
Melaka Maritime Museum – Museum within a Ship
A Famosa aka Porta De Santiago
St. Paul’s Church

P.S. We also realised that traditional chicken rice beats rice balls hands down. It’s just unique and fashionable but you just cant beat that old fashioned plate of chicken rice hot off the cooker.

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