My first time trying the Chicken Chop at Ivan's Carbina (Western-style cuisine)

I've seen this stall on many occasions yet I have never tried any of their food until today. Firstly, the price is slightly more expensive than the usual Western food hawker stall and the signage above their stall looks dark and uninviting.

Because of my experience today, I realized that I can't judge a hawker stall because of the way the signage looks or the price they put on their menu. The signage doesn't necessarily mean the taste of the food is good or not so good. The only way to tell the quality of the food is to taste, that's it.

When it comes to the price, it's priced higher because of the quality of the food that they cook, that's all.

Ivan's Carbina has the best Western food in a hawker-style setting!

For this lunch, I ordered the first thing on their menu, the Mushroom Chicken Chop!

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I was given a choice among the 4 side dishes which are buttered rice, French fries, green salad, and Rosti. Being a rice lover, I think that was an easy choice for me. But I didn't want another carbohydrate so I picked the green salad as my 2nd side dish.

The buttered rice is a big hit for me. The balance between butter and the herbs is spot on! The rice is perfectly cooked as well; it has the right moisture level and firmness. I want to learn how to make rice this good 😅.

I'm not knowledgeable about the sauce of any salad but I can describe the taste of this one and see if it's something that you can recognize. It's cream-based and it's also tangy. The sesame seeds gave it a nice aroma, flavor, and nutty taste as well.

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With all of the nice side dishes on this plate, I think the star of the dish is still the chicken chop. It's perfectly grilled because it's tender and there is a nice marinade to it. It wasn't a typical chicken chop that I had from a usual Western food hawker stall elsewhere.

One thing is for sure, they are generous with the use of butter. The sauce tastes rich with the right balance between each element and the herbs too.

I regret that it took me so long before I decided to give this hawker stall a try. Now, I'm going to be a solid customer because of the nice experience I had during this lunch. I'll be back soon!

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My journey to the world of food.

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