When I started working in Balestier, I asked a good friend what would she recommend for lunch. Being a huge BCM fan, she introduced me to Kim Bak Chor Mee at Kian Lian Coffee Shop (next to Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant).

I didn’t like this BCM stall during my first visit. Perhaps because the noodles still has a alkaline taste which I can’t stand. But after slurping my last mouthful, I actually told my friend that we should come back again! Sounds crazy, isn’t it? So about one week later, I visited again. Took my camera and started snapping away. Finally, I found the reason for my return — their chilli.

This homemade chilli is super shiok ah! Quite different from the usual chilli in BCM, it is stir fried with haebi and resembled belachan (think sambal stingray). Just a teaspoon full on my noodles, gave it a good toss with the vinegar and it tasted so good with the crispy pork lard. Not as tangy as Hill Street Tai Hwa’s version, but I guess the focus is on their homemade chilli. Spicy enough, to make you wanna have a glass of lemon tea to go with it.

They blanched their noodles in boiling water and good quality mushrooms are used. The broth, made with yellow beans, pork bones and ikan bilis, is very tasty with lots of minced meat and some slices of pork liver. If you are here during lunch time, be prepared to wait. My longest wait was 45 minutes.

Kim Bak Chor Mee
Address: 558 Balestier Road #01-400, Singapore 329874 (junction of Ah Hood Road)
Opening hours: 7am to 3.30pm, closed on Fridays

The post Kim Bak Chor Mee @ Balestier Road appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Food is undoubtedly an important aspect in Singapore. With a multitude of colourful cuisines, each with its own unique flavour and aroma, Singaporeans are bonded through food.

Just two weeks ago, we were invited to “Let’s Makan” food trail organized by Food Republic. Held at the newly revamped Food Republic at Wisma, not only are there increased dining options offering 27 stalls of best local food under one roof, there are also exhibits that highlight various icons from 1960s which brings nostalgic memories for many.

We were divided into groups and our first task: DRAW OUR OWN TEAM FLAG! We call ourselves “Crabby Republic” (because we love crabs!) and I drew a crab while the ladies helped with the colouring.

Before the games began, we started with a range of local food such as Popiah & Chicken Wings from Huat Huat BBQ; and Fried Hokkien Mee from Thye Hong.

Huat Huat’s chicken wings are specially ordered from the States or from Europe as they come in the most ideal size and there are even ‘chilli specialists’ to handpick each chilli used to prepare the sauce. The juicy BBQ chicken wings are paired with an addictive chilli sauce. We also had a popiah which gives you a burst of flavour with its sweet sauce, chilli paste and peanut toppings.

If you are a fan of Fried Prawn Noodles, Char Kway Teow and Fried Oyster Omelette, then Thye Hong is touted to have one of the best. With over 40 years of history, Thye Hong insisted on serving its fare on Opei leaves specially imported from Malaysia and Indonesia. The leaf infuses a subtle, woody fragrance to enhance the taste of the noodles. Flavourful, sticky but not gummy, the stock holds the dish together and keeps it good till the last bite.

No, you are not only there to stuff yourself crazy with the local food. The Food Republic team has also planned a series of mini games for us to play and interact. One of the games was to guess the coffee orders for these four cups of coffee. Thank goodness I am a coffee drinker, so our team conquered it quite easily! *flips hair*

Another game that we played was to piece a jigsaw puzzle and find the correct stall to collect the food. This is quite simple, isn’t it? *drum rolls*

It’s my favourite stall – Nasi Lemak from Indonesian Padang! This brings back so much memories because its sister outlets, Padang Padang, at ION Food Opera was crowned one of the top 3 Hawker Kings when I was judging Food Republic Hawker King Challenge 2012!

There are more than 40 dishes available daily which include their signature Beef Rendang, Chicken Curry and Ayam Merah. These, when paired together with Indonesian Padang’s homemade sambal chilli, gives the true Indonesian taste that the owner holds fondly close to her heart. The dishes here (right down to the sauces) are prepared from scratch and ingredients are sourced from Indonesia.

Continuing with our makan trail *rubs tummy*, we also had a delicious bowl of Bak Chor Mee from Capitol Puay Heng and Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. Started in 1979 at a coffee shop behind the old Capitol cinema, the bak chor mee offers scallops, fish dumplings and bream fish to cater to the palettes of the younger generation. Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice is a plate of greasy goodness. The uncooked rice grains are first pre-fried in delicious chicken fat before being cooked in chicken broth to give it a nice shine and aroma.

The ladies in my team love the plate of Roast Meats from Guan Chee Hong Kong Roasted Duck. One of them was sharing with me how she would queue for it during lunch time! Boasting more than 30 years of history, Guan Chee has indeed established itself as the roast duck connoisseur. The fragrance of the roast meats is said to be derived from a secret recipe sauce passed down from the first generation. It’s indeed smoky and succulently juicy!

Last but not the least, we get to make our own Ice Kachang! This is an instant gratification to tropical Singapore’s hot and humid weather. The dessert shop also offers other cold desserts such as Ice Kachang, Bubur Cha-Cha, Chendol, Ice-jelly and Cheng Tng.

Two hours of laughter, we had so much fun trying all the local food that Food Republic @ Wisma has to offer. At the same time, it was some interaction time with my friends as we challenged to complete the mini games together! Thank you Food Republic for planning this!

Address: Wisma Atria Level 4, 435 Orchard Road, Singapore 238877
Opening hours: 10am –10pm (Monday –Thursday, Sunday, Public Holiday); 10am-11pm (Friday, Saturday, Eve of Public Holiday)

As a proud homegrown brand, Food Republic is celebrating the nation’s golden jubilee by giving Singaporeans a hearty epicurean adventure featuring signature hawker favourites. If you enjoy eating and love to have fun, sign up for “Let’s Makan” food trail that will happen 29 August and 5 September. You will be able to reacquaint yourself with local food delights that are freshly prepared, fun and interactive mini-games and quizzes, as well as the hands-on experience of creating dishes such as Ice Kachang!

Session 1:
Date: Saturday, 29 August
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Venue: Food Republic @ Wisma Atria

Session 2:
Date: Saturday, 5 September
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Venue: Food Republic @ VivoCity

Registration and participation are both free! Head over to www.foodrepublic.com.sg to register. Only 40 slots are available per session. JOIN NOW: http://www.foodrepublic.com.sg

The post Join “Let’s Makan” Food Trail by Food Republic! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Recently, there was a craze about this Japanese Mee Pok Man in Clementi. He gave up his job in the finance industry, took over the Clementi stall and learnt how to cook Mee Pok from his master. I went early at about 7.45am to queue for it, but it was way too long and I gave up after 20 minutes because the queue didn’t move at all. Feeling peckish, I was determined to find the master who taught this Japanese how to cook mee pok.

Thanks to FINS Network, I was introduced to Ah Guan’s Mee Pok at Maxwell Food Centre who happens to be the mee pok master of Ah Hoe (and Ah Hoe is the master of the Japanese cook)! Started in Lorong 5 Geylang, they have relocated a few times to Syed Alwi, West Coast, Clementi, and finally now, it’s at Maxwell Market (permanently, I hope).

During our lunch that day, we saw all the 3 generations of Guan’s Mee Pok were present, including Ah Guan, his mother, his wife and his daughter. What surprises me is, Guan’s daughter, 19-year-old Felicia is now taking over the duties from his parents. She had been working under her parents since she was 12 on a part-time basis.

Guan’s Mee Pok is not the usual minced pork and fishball kind of dishes. Instead, Ah Guan has brought our mee pok a level up and served it with fish maw and seafood. What’s unique is, every bowl of noodles features an Ni-tamago egg (the Japanese half-boiled egg with a semi-solid yolk), which is low in cholesterol. It added a little twist to the noodles. A ordinary bowl of mee pok costs $3.50. With fish maw, it costs $6.50. With sotong, it costs $7. With sea prawns, it costs $8.50.

Whatever ingredients you order, the mee pok texture remains the same. Even though the noodles are outsourced, it is made to Ah Guan’s exacting recipe. Upon order, each bowl of noodles is well blanched till al dente with QQ texture. The lard-soy sauce coated the noodles nicely to give it a a good taste and aroma, even though I feel the chilli sauce can be done better. There are sights of dried sole dish, crispy pork lard, and crunch lettuce in each bowl. I heard the vinegar is a blend with 4 types of vinegars, that’s impressive!

To truly taste the “potent-ness” of the vinegar, we ordered their Dried Scallop with Fish Maw Soup ($5). THIS IS A MUST TRY! Thick and slightly gummy, it is lip-smacking with a deep flavour of superior stock that has a non-overbearing sweetness. The soft and slight chewy fish maw absorbed the essence like a sponge and when you bite onto it, the flavours released perfectly. Plus, fish maw is rich in protein and collagen, which is great for improving your complexion.

Another option is the Teochew Dumplings Soup ($4) which were made with minced pork wrapped in a slightly firm skin. It was rather ordinary, nothing much to shout about. Probably because I am in love with their fish maw! In conclusion, I enjoyed Guan’s Mee Pok, it’s unconventional but a good bowl of noodles. Go early to avoid disappointment!

Guan’s Mee Pok

Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Maxwell Food Centre Stall 99, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: 7am to 2.30pm. Closed on Wednesdays

The post Guan’s Mee Pork – Mee Pok Made Atas with Fish Maw and Tamago Egg! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Recently, there has been a craze for seafood hawker dish. I have eaten seafood soup at A.S Seafood in Depot Road, Tom Yam lobster noodles at Abb Zabb in Golden Mile and Seafood Mee Pok at Guan’s Mee Pork in Maxwell Market. Now, I have found another hidden gem selling seafood noodles in Bedok South – Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles!

Used to be at Yishun, Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles have relocated to Bedok a few months ago. After probing further, we then realized he is actually the uncle of Ah Guan Noodles and brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles! So the whole family has been targeting seafood noodle!

For $4.50 a bowl, you get a bowl of noodles tossed in homemade chilli sauce, and served with fresh prawn, clams and well braised mushroom sauce. The noodles were splendidly cooked, it’s springy, tasty, aromatic and of course, well larded.

The braised mushroom slices gave the Mee Pok another delectable dimension, with its sweet and deep flavour from the prawns and clams. The soup was ordinary, nothing much to shout about. The deluxe $10 version comes with either big prawns or crayfish.

What’s more memorable is the bowl of Meatball Seafood Watercress Soup ($4) which exuded seafood flavours from the clams and has so much depth in flavour. Be prepared to queue because there are many components in this seafood noodles, so the owner takes some time to cook.

Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles (永和肉脞海鲜面)
Address: 18 Brewcoffee, Blk 18 Bedok South Road, Singapore 460018
Opening hours: 7.30am – 3pm daily

The post Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles @ Bedok South – Opened by the brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

When a Japanese cooks ramen, we think nothing much of it. But when a Japanese cooks meepok in a coffeeshop, people from different parts of Singapore flock to Clementi to try. That’s the case for Ah Hoe Mee Pok (阿和面薄).

Naoji-san gave up his finance job to pursue his passion for cooking. He started a Japanese stall at the current coffeeshop beside Ah Hoe Mee Pok. It was there that he made friends with neighbouring stall owner, Eric Chia who owns Ah Hoe Mee Pok. Fascinated by the way Mr Eric Chia cooked his mee pok, Naoji-san worked at Ah Hoe Mee Pok for half a year for free before taking over the stall beginning of this year. Currently, he and his daughter Reina runs the stall at block 710 while his son and wife runs another stall at block 713. So where did the shifu Eric went to? Well, he has opened another stall at Blk 501 West Coast Drive.

I went once on a Saturday morning after the news of this Japanese mee pok man is released in makansutra. The queue stretched all the way till the end of the coffeeshop and after queuing for 30 mins, I had to give up because I had another appointment to run to. A few weeks ago, I tried again with my foodies friends at 1pm on a Saturday. First, I saw the daughter Reina cooking the noodles. Then Naoji-san took over while Reina went for her smoke break at the void deck. Honestly, it wasn’t a nice sight when I see a young girl, shaking leg vigorously while smoking. Anyway, that’s story for another day.

I observed how Naoji-san cooks our local BCM like a pro. Everything he is doing is still done the way Eric taught him. However, displaying that famed Japanese precision, Naoji-san sets the timer, dips a generous squiggle of noodles into boiling water, lets the noodles cook while he prepares other ingredients. When the timer is gone, he pulls the noodles out, tosses them up and high for a couple of times till it reaches the desired QQ texture. I admire how meticulous he is about ensuring that each bowl of noodles is cooked for a certain time. That’s Quality Control, which many other noodles stall doesn’t have.

As he slides the noodles into a big bowl, Naoji-san carefully dresses them with chilli sauce, abalone slice, meat ball, minced meak and fresh big prawns. The noodles are al dente and springy, with a splash of pork lard oil coating the noodles perfectly. Nothing much to shout about the chilli sauce though, and a little more vinegar would be good. Honestly, we love the soup version more as the cabbage kinda brings a subtle sweetness to the cloudy and satisfying broth. There are a few selections on their menu – Special Mee Pok Dry/Soup ($4/$5), Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle ($4/$5), Crayfish Mee Pok ($10), Meatball Soup ($3) or Teochew Dumpling Soup ($4)

50 minutes queue? No problem, because I am prepared for it this time. But I won’t travel all the way here again just for it lah (I am not a westie). I am just as happy to eat my Seng Kee BCM in Serangoon Gardens. Maybe next time I should get a French guy to open a chicken rice shop. That would also create some news.

Ah Hoe Mee Pok (阿和面薄）
Address: Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2, Weng Kwang Coffeeshop, Singapore 120710
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 6am to 3pm, closed on Sundays

The post Ah Hoe Mee Pok – When a Japanese cooks Mee Pok in a coffeeshop… appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Rejoice! The first hawker centre at Bukit Panjang is finally opened! Managed by NTUC Foodfare, the one-week-old hawker centre consists of 500 seats and 28 food stalls. It is one of the 20 being built by the government over the next few years.

Here are 5 Must Try Stalls At Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre

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Zai Lai Prawn Noodle
#01-09

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The thing that most people like to do while walking around hawker centre would be to observe what others are eating. At Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre, you will see that almost every table has a bowl of Lor Mee. The stall itself has a queue that never seems to go away no matter what time it is. For the bowl of Lor Mee ($2.70), you get a generous portio of ngoh hiang, fish, pork belly and egg. Most importantly, the Lor here is very tasty. In addition, you could add any amount of garlic, chili, and vinegar based on your own preference. Other than Lor Mee,they also serve Prawn Noodle, Laksa, and some sides to go along with your mains. We tried the Fried Ngoh Hiang ($2.50), which was handmade but the fillings were a little too salty for us.

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Xin Ban Mian
#01-16

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The Pork Belly Ban Mian ($4.50) is one of best seller from this stall; the other would be the Original Ban Mian ($3.50). Brimming with pork belly, minced meatball, vegetables and egg, the broth seemed normal, but the sweetness and richness of it took me by surprise. The minced meatballs were also well marinated that you just can’t stop at one. The ban mian was also soft and suitable for people of all ages, whether young or old.

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BP Braised Meat Rice
#01-25

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Unlike the Taiwanese Braised Minced Meat Rice, you actually get chunks of meat from the Braised Knuckle or Trotters. For Braised Pork Knuckle Set ($3.80), it comes with rice, braised pork knuckles, egg and tofu. The pork knuckles were thoroughly braised and very tender. It is especially nice (but unhealthy) to chew the soft and juicy fat off the meat. Another surprising factor would be their braised tofu, which unlike others, it was first deep fried then braised. Hence, you get a chewy juicy braised layer before tasting the natural sweetness of the soft tofu.

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You Xiang Teochew Noodles
#01-13

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With 30 years of experience, You Xiang Teochew Noodles was previously located at Blk 137 Potong Pasir. Despite moving to a new location, there was still a long queue before the stall. The Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles ($2.70) has the usual minced meat, braised mushroom, pig’s liver and meatball. Their had handmade meatballs were filled with lusciously umami meat and broth.

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Bee Hwa Handmade Pau Tim
#01-07

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Another worth queueing stall is Bee Hwa Handmade Pau Tim. The Big Pau ($1.20) were handmade and sold at the very same place. Although the skin of the bun looks thick, it is actually very soft and puffy. The fillings within were very succulent, and the savory minced meat goes well with the skin. Other than the popular Big Pau, there are other dim sum such as Siew Mai, Prawn Dumpling and Char Siew Pau sold very cheaply at $0.60 per piece.

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READ: Downtown Line 2 Hawker Guide – Cheap & Good Eateries at the 12 new MRT Stations in DTL

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Photos & text by Aileen Lim, a fellow food writer for Miss Tam Chiak. Follow her at @ailove2eat on instagram for her latest food hunt.

The post 5 Must Try Stalls at Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Before I began my post on Ding Ji Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles, here’s a disclaimer – I am not paid to write about them. The story goes, this new bak chor mee stall opens in Bishan, at the same coffeeshop as the famous 284 Kueh Chap. I saw it while I was having supper. Then I went back for lunch and to give it a try.

The first time I ate it…

It was really really good. I ordered the most expensive one from the menu – fish maw soup. The first thought was, it looked like Seng Kee minced pork noodles in Serangoon Garden Market. That is my favourite and it has definitely set the high expectation.

So when the cook prepared my fish maw soup, I watched closely of the ingredients he added. The rich soup base is simmered overnight to get all the goodness from the pork bones. There is generous amounts of sliced pork, pork liver, dried sole fish (ti po), a spoonful of minced meat and egg served in the aromatic soup, with springy noodles tossed in chilli sauce. The ti po probably gives the soul to the broth. To be honest, the aroma of the ti po here is not exactly comparable to the one in Seng Kee. But, it does have that subtle fragrance that many BCM soups are lacking. Plus, I believed that the fish maw used here is a higher grade than Seng Kee’s, because Seng Kee’s version had a strong greasy smell to it.

Even though the mee kia was factory made, they were well tossed with chilli, vinegar, lard oil and sliced braised mushrooms that were spongy with savoury braising sauce. From readers’ comments, I understand that there are many Ding Ji noodle shop around the island but only the one is Bishan and Eunos serves fish maw soup. The rest of the Ding Ji outlets only do Teochew Minced Pork Noodles – which is really not impressive.

Keeping all these factors in mind, plus it only costs $8 for such a generous soup and noodles (cheaper than Seng Kee’s), it was natural for me to share about this stall. At that moment, I am quite certain I have found a very decent bak chor mee / fish maw soup stall that is open for 24 hours and so near to all of us who live in Ang Mo Kio and Bishan. In fact, I was so excited about it that I called my husband and good friend immediately after my lunch to tell them about this “finding”.

But I didn’t expect…

After my lunch, I roughly edited the video I took on my phone and uploaded to Facebook during the unpeak hours. What I didn’t expect, was the amazing feedback that everyone gave. Within a day, the number of shares and views were soaring and the stall eventually ran out of fish maw soup the following morning. Till date, the video itself has got 221K Views, 4369 Shares and 1200 comments.

To be honest, the numbers were too scary. The response was overwhelming, to the extent that the stall cannot cope with it for the first three days. I have read every single feedback, be it good or bad. Thank you for spending time to type it out. Some people queued for 2 hours just to get a bowl of noodles. When people queued for so long, their expectations increased and when the noodles cannot meet their expectations, they get angry. There were people who assume that I get paid to write about this, there were people who called me nasty names, and there were people who take time to defame the stall by pasting the same reply on everyone’s comments. The most ridiculous thing is, some actually boycott it without even tasting it just because the stall belongs to Fei Siong. Come on lah, how childish is that? Pfft.

For those who queued, tried and left disappointed …. it’s understandable. I had it on a quiet weekday afternoon with no crowd, and the cook took his time to slowly prepare my soup and noodles. But after the video came out, the cook had to speed up the cooking just to cater the sudden crowd. There are definitely differences in standards, after all, it’s hawker food. And to be honest, after the video, I didn’t dare to write about it anymore.

So I went back again…

The issue is, because the stall operates 24 hours and they have two shifts to manage the stall. I usually go during weekday lunch and it is cooked by the uncle you seen in this post. There was no problem and I still enjoy it, even though I thought the soup was milder than what I had previously. I guess it was because their turnover time for boiling of soup became shorter, hence it was not as rich and flavourful.

But after reading through all the comments, I went back on a weekend supper to try it 2 weeks after the video was published. From 7pm to 7am, the soup and noodles are cooked by a 74-year-old aunty. Now I can truly understand the frustration of many foodies. Our orders were a little messed up, the noodles were overcooked (because the aunty was trying to decipher whose noodles were those) and the soup was not great. Some of the soups were only lukewarm. It was in fact, disappointing. I never doubt her experience but she was probably overwhelmed by the crowd too.

In conclusion…

I apologize if you were served a less than satisfactory bowl of noodles. I stress that I don’t own the place nor I am paid to write. I am just a happy foodie who wants to share good hawker food that I have found. It’s not unsurprising that we get drastic opinions from two different extremes of the same stall due to consistency argument. But I hope you understand that all reviews are subjective since it is a perception of an experience. 

Like most things, word of mouth is one of the strongest way a restaurant or hawker stall builds its street credibility. But it is also the responsibility for all F&B establishments to uphold the standards. Sometimes, the dish may not suit your liking. For example, I love my chicken rice flavourful and oily, but my husband thinks it is too much and prefers a lighter rice. It’s not wrong. Your food preference and my food preference may be different and can be different. I won’t criticise someone just because they have different views about the same dish. It’s fair comment, in my opinion. But well, obviously some people think their tongue can taste the best dish and if they think it’s lousy, they go all out to penalize and criticize. I don’t agree to such behaviour but I won’t name and shame. Afterall, we are here to build a healthy community of foodies.

For me, I would still go back for my dry noodles and fish maw soup in the afternoon. It is still tasty in my opinion. In fact, I just brought some of my food kakis there and they love it. In my district, it’s not easy to find a good bowl of bak chor mee like this. A bowl of BCM starts from $3.50 but I really suggest you to try the $8 fish maw soup version because it’s solid. They also serve huge and juicy teochew dumplings. Yes, they open 24 hours.

The post Ding Ji Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles @ Bishan appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee is not a stranger for all Bak Chor Mee fans. They started in 1945 and has been serving Teochew style bak chor mee (BCM) for more than half a century. At Hong Lim Food Centre, be ready to wait for at least 30 minutes during lunch. Ah Kow has passed on the skills to his two sons. In the past, both brothers shared the stall at Hong Lim. The 4th son would operate from Tuesdays to Thursdays while the elder son would operate from Fridays to Mondays.

Through a Facebook group, we got to know that the 4th son has just opened his own stall in Bukit Batok serving the same old classic BCM. Jon Cher, who is the son of the 4th son of Ah Kow, shared that his father “was kicked out by his own brother” in 2000 and hence he rented his own stall in Old Airport Hawker Centre till 2014. Eventually, the stall owner at Old Airport sold away the stall, hence it was closed. Recently, they started again in Bukit Batok!

Enough of family drama, let’s focus on their BCM. Their menu is kept simple with Bak Chor Mee selling at $4, $5 and $6 together with Teochew Dumpling Soup at $4, $5 and $6. We ordered a bowl of kway teow soup and minced pork noodles dry.

The soup version has got quite a bit of “liao” in it, including lean pork, minced meat, braised mushrooms, dried sole fish and dumplings. The wife was seen busy wrapping the dumplings. Even though the skin was thick, but it was still comforting. They also serve Teochew Dumpling Soup where you can get generous amount of dumplings.

As for the soup, I thought the broth I had that day lacks a little depth and was towards the bland side. I hope it was due to their teething issue. I need to go back again and try. Neverthless, no MSG is added to the soup and this is definitely one of the better BCM than many others.

The dry version had soft and flavourful braised mushroom with chilli, soy sauce and vinegar. What truly make this dish is the braised mushroom and its dried sole fish. This add a touch of umami to the noodles. In my impression, their version in Hong Lim had so much more vinegar than the current version, which I felt was a little lacklustre. The uncle did explain to me that he has dropped his vinegar just to cater to the new crowd in Bukit Batok. Fair enough. For me, I prefer it to be more sourish but this may work for you.

I stood there and see how the uncle prepares the noodles. It was interesting to see that he was using two types of sieves to cook his noodles. The first time he would use a smaller one to lightly blanch in boiling water before moving the noodles into another more traditional sieve to cook it again. The uncle explained that this was done to prevent lumps from forming in the noodles and to retain its desired springy texture.

Looking at how the uncle has got older over the years, I started to wonder if there is anyone to take over their cooking. According to Jon, he was doing full time during the Old Airport days. As the bukit batok stall is opened for only a month, Jon still holds on to his full time job and will only be there to help out during weekends. But it looks like there is a possibility that he will be back to start full time soon once business picks up.

The post Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee Opens at Bukit Batok appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Most of you would be busy queuing for Hill Street Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee, one of our 1-Star hawkers in the new Michelin Guide Singapore. For me, I’ll probably wait for a while more before I go back again. But this time round, I was recommended by K F Seetoh to try this Teochew Fishball Noodle stall at the neighbouring coffeeshop instead.

The old couple has been cooking BCM for more than 50 years. They started from Selegie Road to Jalan Besar and now in Crawford Lane. He is very swift in his motions and from the way he tosses the noodles, it makes me look forward to my bowl of noodles.

Indeed, every strand of mee kia is QQ and springy. Plus, I took some time to take the photos but the noodles do not lump together. At the last few mouthfuls, it is not mushy at all. Well coated with chilli, it is a little different from Tai Hwa’s version which has a stronger vinegar flavour. Next time, I will go for the mee pok.

They don’t make their own fishballs but it’s definitely more than a decent bowl of BCM with perfectly cooked noodles. Plus they have the orange colour prawn cake slices which is quite unique. Their homemade sambal which my friends raved about was not prominent on my day of visit, which was a pity. My bowl of noodles here costs $3.

When served, there is an option to add the fried garlic and crispy lard. Of course I tell the auntie “加多一点!”

The post Teochew Fish Ball Noodle – Another Gem at Crawford Lane appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Image & Text by Maureen & Mu Qin

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is the perfect thing that motivates us to get our lazybums out of bed as early as 8am. We truly believe that a good/bad breakfast will define your mood for the day. Here’s a list of breakfast spots in the East that will make you reconsider waking up early. Enjoy!

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata

Good, artisanal pratas are hard to come by. Meet Mr and Mrs Mohgan, the couple who does super crispy roti prata in the middle of Joo Chiat. Mr Mohgan has been making prata for more than 30 years. He makes his own dough, cooked the curry and flips the prata all by himself. What’s the best way to find out if the prata is good? Eat the kosong (plain) one! I ordered a stack for my foreigner friends to try and they were full of complements. Moderately thick and pan fried till a beautiful brown, the pratas here are fresh and SUPER CRISPY. Very satisfying breakfast!

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery

Having spent quite a little while abroad, I’ve come to realize how lucky Singaporeans are to be able to enjoy our “kopi-o” with traditional kaya toast at old school coffee shops. It’s impossible to look for such comfort food within a nostalgic setting that’s affordably priced in Western countries. East-siders will be familiar with Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Their kaya toast comes in buns rather than bread slices. These buns are made in-house and toasted till slightly charred. Generous slabs of kaya is then, spread on the buns, followed by a little chunk of butter. Imagine watching butter melting on the skillet before you cook and the aroma that lingers in the air. That’s the little action taking place on your warm toasted buns. Besides their popular kaya buns, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is also famous for their custard cream puffs and egg tarts too!

Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles

Used to be at Yishun, Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles have relocated to Bedok a few months ago. He is actually the uncle of Ah Guan Noodles and brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles! So the whole family has been targeting seafood noodle! For $4.50 a bowl, you get a bowl of noodles tossed in homemade chilli sauce, and served with fresh prawn, clams and well braised mushroom sauce. The noodles were splendidly cooked, it’s springy, tasty, aromatic and of course, well larded. The braised mushroom slices gave the Mee Pok another delectable dimension, with its sweet and deep flavour from the prawns and clams. The deluxe $10 version comes with either big prawns or crayfish.

Enak

Opened last year end, owner Ibu Bida gave up her corporate job to start a hawker stall. She hired a talented Indonesian cook from Tanjung Pinang to whip up a good spread of dishes. They do breakfast items in the morning. Mee Rebus ($2.50) – a simple dish of thick yellow noodles with taupok, green chilli and a hard-boiled egg drenched in a flavourful spicy-sour gravy. The gravy is not overpoweringly starchy. The star for us was the Mee Soto ($2.50). The soup has many layers of flavours and a perfect balance of spices – not one outshines the others. It is strong, rich and robust, unlike the many versions out there that are weak and lack depth of flavour. Forget about the Mee Siam. Read about our previous review.

Ru Ji Kitchen

Young hawkers Joanne and Daniel learnt the skill from Joanne’s father and they wake up very early everyday to make the fishballs. Using yellow tail fish (蕃薯鱼), they beats them into fish paste for an hour before making it into fishballs and fish cakes. That is why their fishballs are so fresh and bouncy! The mee pok is very springy and well-tossed with their homemade chilli sauce, vinegar and lard.

Toast Hut

Toast Hut is the place for traditional kaya (coconut jam) toast set by young hawker Melvin Soh. He picked up his skills at a local kaya toast chain when he was 17 years old. After working there for three years, he opened his own stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre in 2007, serving kaya toast paired with home-brewed traditional coffee, which he learnt from his father. Aside from the signature items, he serves blended ice coffee to cater to his young customers and freshly made sandwiches using traditional kaya toast bread. In response to the health consciousness of Singaporeans, kaya used in Mr. Soh’s stall is specially created to make it less sweet and not cloying when served with coffee or tea.

Fu Yuan Minced Pork Noodle

Occupying just half a stall at Tampines Street 21, Fu Yuan Teochew Bak Chor Mee is really an unassuming establishment. The owner is formerly working as an assistant with Twa Hua when he was a young boy. At first glance, the mee pok looked a tad dry. But once the noodle and sauce were tossed up, they came together nicely. The noodles sits in a small pool of vinegar-based sauce and which is slurping good. Especially the vinegar, very fragrant and seems like it’s a superior brand. Topping the al-dente noodles are a mixture of minced pork, liver, pork balls, fried sole fish, etc. You get a bowl of soup on the side as well. Read about the full review here.

Xing Yun Kway Chap

Business is overwhelmingly good that this kway chap stall only opens from Friday to Sunday so expect long queues forming. Well, good things are worth the wait right?! Queuing must be one of Singaporeans’ favourite pastimes. Standing in the queue with groups of aunties and teenagers chatting at the top of their voices made me feel as though I’m in a mini wet market.

Xing Yun’s kway chap are braised to perfection. The translucent kway is slippery smooth and does not break easily in the sweet and aromatic broth. The braised pork belly, pig’s intestines and tau pok are well-flavoured. We enjoyed the braising sauce’s good consistency as it is not too thick nor too watery. The ingredients are stewed long enough for the spices to penetrate into them. Many people are skeptical when it comes to pig intestines due to an odour but fret not as Xing Yun’s intestines are tender and absorb the braising sauce so well that the odour is gone. Adventurous foodies can attempt to try pig’s tongue while big-eaters should definitely go for the pig trotters! Dip the morsels into a tangy spicy chilli sauce for that extra kick!

Chai Chee Fried Carrot Cake

When every other stall’s deep fried carrot cake is square, Chai Chee’s version is long and freshly deep fried. Each carrot cake stick is crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. It is one of my favourite breakfast snack whenever I am in Bedok. Best paired with Rui Xing Ka Fei Cha Shi stall located at #01-42.

Yummy Sarawak Kolo Mee

Being the top foodie pick in Sarawak, of course Singapore’s version cannot be compared to those served in Sarawak. Our version is different but decent. Don’t confuse this dish with wanton mee! Kolo noodles are cooked, drained and dry-tossed with different sauces, hence the name “kolo”. Usually, the must-have ingredients are springy and oily noodles, minced pork, char siew and vegetables. Sometimes, wantons are added.

Yummy Sarawak’s Kolo Mee doesn’t consist of minced meat but its curly kolo mee is good! These noodles are only made of egg whites, hence lighter in shade and don’t contain alkali. I can’t help but salivate when the cook tossed the noodles together with the sauces. I guess the fragrance makes the stomachs of everyone who are still in the queue growl with hunger. Huge wantons with crunchy water chestnuts complement the noodles so don’t miss out on these! We also had the Chicken Feet Spare Ribs Noodles which was well-braised and flavourful.

Bedok Chwee Kueh

One of the cheapest chwee kueh in Singapore, Bedok Chwee Kueh is a popular breakfast for residents in the East. They are pretty generous with their radish and not very salty. The steamed rice cakes are soft and do pair your chwee kueh with the chilli sauce.

Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle

If you have always been eating Bedok 85 minced pork noodle soup for supper, now you can try Tian Nan Xing minced pork noodle at Blk 511 Bedok North. With more than 80 years of history, the stall is now managed by 3rd and 4th generation. They focus on using good and fresh ingredients, hence each bowl of bak chor mee is flavourful and tasty. Like the other BCM in Bedok 85, Tian Nan Xing has minced pork and pork balls in the noodle soup ($3). But if you add extra $1, you will get their homemade dumplings. The springy noodles with tasty soup create wonders, the soup is sweet and makes you want to have another bowl.

Mizzy Corner

Everyone who frequents Changi Village would know about the nasi lemak served at Mizzy’s Corner. My family and I love it for its value for money, and we would invariably leave with very satisfied tummies. The standard chicken nasi lemak set which costs $3.50, comes with a fried chicken wing, a fried egg and ikan biliss, sambal and a slice of cucumber. Unfortunately, the rice is not fragrant enough and it is too soggy. A piece of mackerel otak otak can be added for an additional $1.

Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery

Hands up for those who still eats ang ku kueh. We probably spend most of our time finding good brunch places and forgot about the old traditional kuehs we used to eat when we were young. Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery is a old traditional shop in Bedok which has more than 48 years of making its own ang ku kuehs, nonya kuehs and other festivals kuehs everyday. It is pretty rare because most of the ang ku kuehs we see in shops are from factories.

The Soon Kuehs and Ku Cai Kuehs here are pretty famous too. The ladies make them every afternoon and the skin is soft and slippery. When steamed, the skin was translucent and thin, packed with big fat fillings. These kuehs are sold fresh everyday over the counter and contain no preservative. This stall is actually halal certified! This malay aunty here was busy wrapping the Bulok Inti, which is a sweet blue glutinous rice with coconut shredding on top.

Song Han Carrot Cake

Carrot cake here thrills my tastebuds and rivets my attention. The owner of this stall serves up a generous portion of black and white carrot cake just for the price of $3. It has a texture that is soft, light and melts in your mouth right away. The tasty chilli is fragrant and not overly spicy. The uniqueness of adding small shrimps imparts a distinct crunchiness as you enjoy each morsel of food. This stall is especially suitable for families wherein some members prefer the black version with its thick and sweet dark sauce but others go for the white one that tips towards the savoury end.

Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight

I have very high expectations on how roast meat from a particular stall should measure up when it comes to these Hong Kong style roast cuts. Surprisingly, Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight Rice/Noodle was a hidden gem that I stumbled upon by chance. The roast meats are very well-prepared that it’s obvious the stallholder has the roasting temperatures right at his finger tips. The roast pork is served up warm, with skin so crispy it crackles in the mouth, lending a dainty contrast to the texture of delightfully tender meat. These roast meats are served with either noodles or rice over here and I have a particular fondness for the well-seasoned char siew. The meat is succulent with a hint of sweetness. This stall serves tasty and tender soya sauce-braised chicken too.

Besides roasted meats, this coffeeshop serves delicious Muslim Food too, amongst which longtong is my favourite. I enjoy the soft and fluffy texture of the rice cakes with wisps of fragrance carried over from their banana leaf wraps. The spices used are perfectly blended into the longtong, making it taste heavenly.

Glory Catering

Craving for Nasi Padang-styled and Nonya-styled cuisine? Glory’s the right place to head over! Their Nonya Laksa and LongTong are crowd pleasers. The former stood out for me as it is milkier and less spicy but still rich in that uniquely Nonya flovour. It comes with generous helpings of prawns, fish cakes and lemongrass sprinkled on top that helps to rack up your appetite. The LongTong here is very smooth and go after the milk curry with its feel of graininess that comes from the pinch of dried shrimps plus grated coconut dry-fried to a golden brown. The vegetables are soft and tender but not overdone.

End your meal with Nonya kuehs (bite-sized pastries) are a specialty of Glory. The kuehs here contain the right amount of sweetness, texture and delivers a burst of flavours the moment you bite into them. It’s favourable to walk in with an empty stomach so you can savour all the Nonya delights you want!

Song Zhou Carrot Cake

Even though they no longer make their own carrot cake, but after getting it from supplier, they will add some “secret” ingredients to make to make it softer. The owner will first stir fry the garlic and chai poh till fragrant, then add in some carrot cake pieces, pour over the egg batter and fry with black sweet sauce and fish sauce.

Song Zhou’s black carrot cake is very very fragrant and wet. Each piece of carrot cake is so soft with aromatic charred edges. What I love about it is, they are very generous with the eggs and black sauce, hence giving it a sweet and savoury taste. The white one is also not bad, but I still preferred the black ones. And to be frank, I think the uncle does a better job than the wife. The owner said, there is no secret to frying a good plate of carrot cake. What’s most important is to control the fire so that the heat will be balanced during frying.

Hock Choon Laksa and Lor Mee

It’s hard to miss this stall when there’s always a snaking queue smacked in the middle of Eunos Market and Food Centre. I enjoy its savoury gravy that is thick but not overly starchy and full of flavours. You’re able to add your desired amount of condiments which include chopped garlic, sliced chilli, sambal chilli, chopped spring onions and vinegar. Prefer a tangier taste? Pile up on the garlic and vinegar! Served with half a braised egg with my favourite kind of creamy yolk and thin slices of pork belly well-seasoned with 5 spices, having this for breakfast starts the day on a right note! Wait, did I mention about the fried fish? This is the highlight of the Lor Mee – crispy yet moist within, it complements the dish so well.

Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow

This Char Kway Teow owner does everything single-handedly, from taking orders all the way to frying it and serving the fragrant noodles into your hands. He has a perfect rhythm while frying char kway teow, adding fresh prawns and squid into the oil before the noodles. It’s hard for your stomach not to growl while waiting in line but this is definitely worth your wait.

The fluffy noodles coated with spicy, eggy goodness, gives this dish a lovely taste and texture. It has enough wok hei, the right amount of charred-ness and a spice level that was perfect. The cockles were plump and some crunchy beansprouts were scattered among the noodles. Strips of garlic chives completed the dish. Instead of your usual super black and sweet flavour, you get a more savoury finish, with just the right amount of smokiness here!

Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee

Made from starch, eggs and some secret blend of spices, it takes about 5 hours to cook before you get the smooth and light gravy. The gravy coated the noodles very nicely and portions of braised pork belly and fish are quite generous. The modern version of lor mee contains fried fish but Xin Mei Xiang’s version still sticks to tradition and tediously hand-shred Spanish mackerel. Ain’t a fan of yellow noodles? You can opt for kway teow or bee hoon or any combination of them here! I thoroughly enjoyed the textures and mix of savoury, sweet and tangy flavours. People often say, “money can’t buy happiness” but for $4, I had a well-concocted bowl of lor mee, which I see as one of life’s simple pleasures.

Tan Beng Otah Delights

Otah here is prepared on the spot and freshly wrapped. The otah has a good balance of chilli and fish and exudes ethereal fragrance when served hot. The filling within contains chunks of mackerel meat and the spices packs quite a punch. What I enjoyed most was the packet of traditional nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves that this hawker still prepares. Consisting of fried fish, an egg, ikan bilis and peanuts, it made me reminisce the days when my late grandmother would tabao this back for me on weekends for breakfast when I was young.

Da Zhong Mei Shi

The elderly hawker does all the cooking and the end result – a wonderfully charred plate of kway teow that’s out to tantalize our tastebuds. He makes it a point to fry only one plate at a time so be prepared to wait for your plate. A plate of char kway teow consists of a mixture of flat rice noodles and egg noodles, perfectly stir-fried with eggs, cockles, lap cheong, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. I’m not sure which particular stall you frequent but I grew up eating from this old uncle hence, sharing my wonderful childhood experience with you.

Jia Mei Wanton Mee

Many might be familiar with this hawker’s wanton noodles but I prefer their mushrooms and chicken feet noodles, soaked in their special sauce. The sauce is sweet with a slight salty aftertaste. The sour chilli cranks up the tastiness of this dish and I like it that these noodles are soggy, while not overly soft at the same time. Be warned though, the queues can get quite crazy on weekends!

Joo Chiat Chiap Kee

Joo Chiat Chiap Kee in Bedok makes their own dome shape fishballs that is fresh, chewy and gives a satisfying homely taste! Their sambal chilli is to die for. When tossed with my noodles and bean sprouts, it is super shiok. For $3, we get 5 fishballs, worth it right?

Hon Ni Kitchen

Readers staying in Bedok have definitely heard about Hon Ni Kitchen for its nasi lemak. It is always long queue during lunch and the only time when it does not have a queue, is Sunday. Because the stall is closed on Sunday! Go for their chicken wing, it is deep fried till crispy. Dishes include luncheon meat, fried kuning fish, fishcakes, stir fry long beans, ikan bilis, otah, fried eggs etc. Its nasi lemak is very light and fluffy because they use coconut milk sparingly. The rice is best eaten with their homemade sambal chilli sauce.

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

You name it, they got it! Offering an abundance of rice dumplings with different stuffing, Kim Choo definitely doesn’t disappoint. The ingredients are pretty generous here and very tasty. No matter which flavour of rice dumpling you select, you’ll realize that the rice was not in any overwhelmed by the ingredients. The glutinous rice was soft but compact, with a nice aroma. Each rice grain fully absorbed the essence of the ingredients wrapped within. You get a complete package that’s so flavoursome you can’t just stop at one.

Planning what to do or where to eat over the weekend? We hope this list of breakfast offerings in the East will motivate you to get up earlier and start your day with a bowl or plate of delicious food. This list is non-exhaustive and I’m sure there are some more that we have not discovered.

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While looking for some great bak chor mee stalls around our little red dot, I was recommended to try Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles in Amoy Street Food Centre. A trader turn hawker, Gilbert took over his father (Ah Ter) business. What’s more interesting is, Gilbert is voted as the Most Handsome Hawker in 2005 by The Straits Times. Even after so many years, he hasn’t lost a single bit of his charisma.

Even though their signboard states “fish ball noodle”, they don’t make their own fishballs. Instead, the “star” is that solid bowl of soup. For $5, you get a bowl full of ingredients such as a prawn, pork slices, kidney slices, liver, fish cake slices and lots of fresh minced meat.

I decided to order mee kia which was springy and smooth, well coated with chilli sauce. Every mouthful of noodles, when paired with the ingredients from the soup, is a perfect combination. The minced pork that were floating on cloudy broth makes it more enticing. And the slices of pork liver are well-cooked. It is quite crazy during lunch, but I don’t mind standing in the queue to watch a hunk toss the noodles. If you want to skip the queue, head there after 2pm.

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Many of us are night owls and we stay up really late into the night, either working hard to ascend the corporate ladder or studying diligently for good grades. The best we can do to reward ourselves for putting in the extra efforts is to satisfy our tummies with a good supper, especially when the hunger pangs kick in at ungodly hours. People might find the West side of Singapore a little far and what some may call it – “ulu” (deserted) but there are a couple of universities in the West and large industrial areas and office buildings so, there has to be eateries for these night-owls to enjoy their supper. Here, we bring you 13 delicious supper spots in the West!

Bai Li Xiang

Being a stone’s throw away from NTU and located right beside Pioneer MRT station, we noticed that the queue never stops at this economical bee hoon stall. We were there around 1am on a Monday night and the crowd surprised us as we expected it to be quiet. Bai Li Xiang serves decent fried bee hoon with a large variety of sides, consisting of fried chicken wings, stir-fried beans, fish cakes, luncheon meat, chicken nuggets and sausages etc. It’s not the best fried bee hoon around but being able to sink your teeth into such homely food dead in the night is a real comfort. Besides, the sides remind us of our childhood favourites so perhaps this explains the queue at night.

Ding Ji Teochew Noodle

There aren’t many bak chor mee stalls that open overnight but this bowl of noodles is well-cooked and tasty. A $3.50 bowl of mushroom minced meat noodle comes with plentiful ingredients which have been marinated so well that you can taste its savoury flavours. Unfortunately, this hawker doesn’t add a lot of vinegar so if you love your bak chor mee savoury, this will hit the right spots in the middle of the night. However, if you prefer the version with a strong vinegar taste, we’re sorry to say that this will disappoint your tastebuds.

Teochew Fish Porridge

Not looking for a heavy meal in the middle of the night? Fret not as you can enjoy this mouthwatering Teochew fish porridge. The broth is light on the palate yet tasty enough for you to finish even the last drop. The rice is not too moist and simply perfect, complementing the generous slices of fresh fish. We added egg floss, which enhanced the overall flavour of the fish porridge. We also tried their double fish bee hoon soup which tasted really wonderful but we still felt that the porridge fared better. What impressed us most was the chilli, which contained lots of garlic bits, hence making it super shiok! I guess if we’re staying in the west, this will be a hawker we would return to, especially on rainy days.

Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak

With a snaking long queue of customers eagerly waiting to place their order, it is hard to miss this stall. This stall still maintains the freshness of their nasi lemak ingredients and makes sure that their food is kept sizzling hot. The well-marinated chicken is deep-fried to a nice crispiness but maintains its tenderness on the inside. Fried ikan bilis and roasted peanuts are nicely done too. The otah paste is splendid with add-on coconut milk. It wasn’t too spicy but enough to give a kick. We could feel the enticing coconut aroma rising up from the fragrant rice and the sambal chilli – ooh, it was sensational.

Niqqi’s – The Cheese Prata Shop

As its name suggests, this Indian-Muslim supper spot is famous for its cheese prata. We ordered a Double Cheese ($4.50) prata and was impressed by the creamy richness of the melted cheese enveloped within the crispy prata skin. Each bite was gratifying, especially when you’re a cheese lover! As compared to some other prata stalls that serve cheese prata with ordinary cheese slices, we feel that Niqqi’s cheese prata deserves to be ranked number one cheese prata in Singapore! We also had the egg prata ($1.50) which was prepared very well too. They were really generous with the amount of eggs used so each mouthful was filled with eggy goodness. The prata was chewy on the inside yet crisp on the outside.

Besides prata, Niqqi’s also serves up a plate of superb maggie goreng ($3) that’s not too spicy so you can stomach it down for supper. The maggie noodles were springy, having been stir-fried really well with eggs and vegetables, which gave the overall dish a good crunch. We suspect curry powder has been added to enhance its flavour. If we stay around the area, we’ll make the effort to head out for Niqqi’s maggie goreng, rather than make our own instant noodles at home when supper cravings kick in at night.

Fong Seng Fast Food Nasi Lemak

On the same stretch of eateries where Niqqi’s Cheese Prata shop is located, lies a delightful nasi lemak stall. It specialises in selling nasi lemak with the usual sides such as chicken wing, ikan billis, peanuts, otah and egg etc. We found the chicken wing fried to a perfect crisp golden brown while still retaining its tender, succulent meat within. The otah was fiery hot, with a hint of coconut milk to neutralise its spiciness. However, the rice served was normal steamed rice which Fong Seng makes up for by serving a plethora of other sides that can be paired up according to your choice, which gives you a plate of hearty “cai fan”. There are vegetables, curry, various meats and if you aren’t that hungry, you can opt for their bee hoon instead of rice. Now, we’re kind of disappointed that we aren’t staying nearby or we’d be able to pack some sides back for dinner every day. It’d be so convenient!

G7 Sin Ma Claypot Live Bull Frog Porridge

It’s the perfect time to have frog porridge when the temperature cools down or when it starts raining in Singapore. This is an unforgettable dish for both locals and tourists alike and it’s something you have to try at least once to determine whether you’re gonna have it again. Honestly, I used to shun away as the visual of those jumping amphibians turned me off but I gradually learnt how to appreciate it and now, I enjoy this scrumptious delicacy for supper once in a blue moon. Frog meat has a smooth texture and a tender bite and I personally feel it’s better than chicken. Frog Porridge is priced very reasonably here and what you get will be a combination of hot, smooth and not overly watery porridge and succulent frog meat that’s juicy and has soaked up the thick and sweet sauce really well. It can get quite addictive trying to use your teeth to pick the meat apart from the bones.

Al-Azhar

This is a popular supper spot for west-siders, even on weekday nights. It was full house when we went around 12am on a Monday but perhaps, it could be due to the “Pokemon Go” craze as we noticed many young and old walking around trying to catch pokemons. We shared a Butter Naan ($2.50) which is a crispy Indian bread roasted in a clay oven with the heat of burning charcoal, generously stuffed and topped with slabs of butter. Thankfully, the butter was not too overpowering and oily. It complemented the naan, giving the naan some moist and flavours. We also had Chicken Roti John (4.50) which is kind of like an omelette sandwich with chicken and onion atop a baguette-type loaf and drenched with tomato-chilli sauce. We recommend sharing this dish as it can get quite “gelat” after a few mouthfuls. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed this sinful indulgence.

Boon Tong Kee

It all started in 1979 when Mr. Thian Boon Hua ran a small stall at Chinatown selling Cantonese chicken rice. As his stall started to receive numerous compliments and saw rapid increases in the number of customers, he decided to rope his family members in to start Boon Tong Kee’s first restaurant at Balestier Road in 1983. Mr. Thian’s silky white sauce chicken received overwhelming responses so much so that he decided not to serve roast chicken and focus only on his white sauce chicken. A plate of Boon Tong Kee’s Signature Boiled chicken costs $4.50. We found the rice to be decent and with a good consistency but lacking in the aromatic flavours while the chicken was tender and moist but not fantastic. The chilli was not bad and had a tanginess to it. Boon Tong Kee has diversified its operations in 1999 to include “zi char” dishes, making the menu more extensive.

Mr. Prata

We realised that the supper spots available in the West mostly serve Indian-Muslim food and prata choices are plentiful. Mr. Prata stood out from the rest by offering customers a contemporary-meet-traditional kind of prata flavours like the highly recommended Italian prata ($8) we had. It was generously filled with mutton, mushroom, capsicum, onion and cheese! Some bites were more creamy while others gave a good crunch. Such great textural difference combined in one prata. We actually thought we were having pizza instead. People with a sweet tooth can go for French & Ice Cream Prata ($5) where your traditional prata filled with banana slices are topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and lots of chocolate sauce. This makes a really good dessert!

Siam Square Mookata @ Bukit Batok

Mookata is a common sight island-wide nowadays and this stall at Bukit Batok opens till the wee hours. They have quite a wide variety of ingredients, affordably priced between $1.80 to $2.80. Pork belly, sliced pork, chicken and even liver only costs $1.80! More expensive items like pork neck, smoked duck, prawns, squid, oysters etc are priced at $2.80. Big eaters can opt for their buffet at $29/pax. There’s nothing much to shout out about their marination as there are better ones out there but for the pricing, “mai hiam buay pai”. The highlight is their homemade Thai chilli sauces which many places fail to offer. They have three types of chilli sauces in varying levels of spiciness and perfectly complements both seafood and meat. The most spicy one is the best due to its good spicy kick and a citrusy after-taste. We found their fish paste noodle quite interesting as well but do cut down on the broth as it’s filled with lots of MSG.

海鲜煮粥 (Koka Noodles)

It may look like a simple dish of instant noodle yet this particular Koka instant noodle is what makes this stall stand out! Koka instant noodle here is available in two flavours – the original and the seafood. With prices beginning from as low as $2.50, the ingredients that come with the Koka instant noodle soup are generous. We had the big size of the original flavour of Koka instant noodle with an egg ($3.50). The portion consists of liver, minced meat and vegetables. Their broth, which did not consist of MSG, has the sweetness that came naturally from the meat. This stall also sells porridge, crispy noodle, e-mee, mee sua, bee hoon and mee hoon kuey. Be prepared, the wait can be 30 minutes or more.

Choa Chu Kang 302 Foodhouse Ngoh Hiang Bee Hoon

It’s hard to find a ngoh hiang bee hoon stall that opens till late but when we stumbled upon this really yummy stall, we were ecstatic! We love indulging in fried items and the traditional ngoh hiang consisted of four classic items such as the meat roll, liver roll, pink sausages and egg slice. Later on, prawn fritters were also added and have become one of the best-selling items. Nowadays, you can even find tau kwa, fish balls and our favourite – century eggs – and other items that hawkers have added on to provide customers with a more extensive range to choose from. Most items here were very fresh and well-prepared. The sausage was bouncy and had a good balance of lean meat and fats. The meat roll was tasty and aromatic while the prawn fritters had a crispy crust that gives a good textural crunch. The bee hoon was the star! It was sufficiently moist and manages to hit all the right spots! Pairing ngoh hiang items with this bee hoon is the perfect combination! Read more about it here: http://www.misstamchiak.com/choa-chu-kang-ngoh-hiang/

We know that there are some other prata stalls on the west side that opens 24 hours but we’re bringing you the best few in our listing and we hope this listing will help when you crave some comfort food in the middle of the night in future!

The post 13 Amazing Supper Spots in the West Worth Sacrificing Sleep For appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Recently, there was a craze about this Japanese Mee Pok Man in Clementi. He gave up his job in the finance industry, took over the Clementi stall and learnt how to cook Mee Pok from his master. I went early at about 7.45am to queue for it, but it was way too long and I gave up after 20 minutes because the queue didn’t move at all. Feeling peckish, I was determined to find the master who taught this Japanese how to cook mee pok.

Thanks to FINS Network, I was introduced to Ah Guan’s Mee Pok at Maxwell Food Centre who happens to be the mee pok master of Ah Hoe (and Ah Hoe is the master of the Japanese cook)! Started in Lorong 5 Geylang, they have relocated a few times to Syed Alwi, West Coast, Clementi, and finally now, it’s at Maxwell Market (permanently, I hope).

During our lunch that day, we saw all the 3 generations of Guan’s Mee Pok were present, including Ah Guan, his mother, his wife and his daughter. What surprises me is, Guan’s daughter, 19-year-old Felicia is now taking over the duties from his parents. She had been working under her parents since she was 12 on a part-time basis.

Guan’s Mee Pok is not the usual minced pork and fishball kind of dishes. Instead, Ah Guan has brought our mee pok a level up and served it with fish maw and seafood. What’s unique is, every bowl of noodles features an Ni-tamago egg (the Japanese half-boiled egg with a semi-solid yolk), which is low in cholesterol. It added a little twist to the noodles. A ordinary bowl of mee pok costs $3.50. With fish maw, it costs $6.50. With sotong, it costs $7. With sea prawns, it costs $8.50.

Whatever ingredients you order, the mee pok texture remains the same. Even though the noodles are outsourced, it is made to Ah Guan’s exacting recipe. Upon order, each bowl of noodles is well blanched till al dente with QQ texture. The lard-soy sauce coated the noodles nicely to give it a a good taste and aroma, even though I feel the chilli sauce can be done better. There are sights of dried sole dish, crispy pork lard, and crunch lettuce in each bowl. I heard the vinegar is a blend with 4 types of vinegars, that’s impressive!

To truly taste the “potent-ness” of the vinegar, we ordered their Dried Scallop with Fish Maw Soup ($5). THIS IS A MUST TRY! Thick and slightly gummy, it is lip-smacking with a deep flavour of superior stock that has a non-overbearing sweetness. The soft and slight chewy fish maw absorbed the essence like a sponge and when you bite onto it, the flavours released perfectly. Plus, fish maw is rich in protein and collagen, which is great for improving your complexion.

Another option is the Teochew Dumplings Soup ($4) which were made with minced pork wrapped in a slightly firm skin. It was rather ordinary, nothing much to shout about. Probably because I am in love with their fish maw! In conclusion, I enjoyed Guan’s Mee Pok, it’s unconventional but a good bowl of noodles. Go early to avoid disappointment!

Guan’s Mee Pok

Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Maxwell Food Centre Stall 99, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: 7am to 2.30pm. Closed on Wednesdays

The post Guan’s Mee Pork – Mee Pok Made Atas with Fish Maw and Tamago Egg! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Recently, there has been a craze for seafood hawker dish. I have eaten seafood soup at A.S Seafood in Depot Road, Tom Yam lobster noodles at Abb Zabb in Golden Mile and Seafood Mee Pok at Guan’s Mee Pork in Maxwell Market. Now, I have found another hidden gem selling seafood noodles in Bedok South – Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles!

Used to be at Yishun, Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles have relocated to Bedok a few months ago. After probing further, we then realized he is actually the uncle of Ah Guan Noodles and brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles! So the whole family has been targeting seafood noodle!

For $4.50 a bowl, you get a bowl of noodles tossed in homemade chilli sauce, and served with fresh prawn, clams and well braised mushroom sauce. The noodles were splendidly cooked, it’s springy, tasty, aromatic and of course, well larded.

The braised mushroom slices gave the Mee Pok another delectable dimension, with its sweet and deep flavour from the prawns and clams. The soup was ordinary, nothing much to shout about. The deluxe $10 version comes with either big prawns or crayfish.

What’s more memorable is the bowl of Meatball Seafood Watercress Soup ($4) which exuded seafood flavours from the clams and has so much depth in flavour. Be prepared to queue because there are many components in this seafood noodles, so the owner takes some time to cook.

Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles (永和肉脞海鲜面)
Address: 18 Brewcoffee, Blk 18 Bedok South Road, Singapore 460018
Opening hours: 7.30am – 3pm daily

The post Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles @ Bedok South – Opened by the brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

When a Japanese cooks ramen, we think nothing much of it. But when a Japanese cooks meepok in a coffeeshop, people from different parts of Singapore flock to Clementi to try. That’s the case for Ah Hoe Mee Pok (阿和面薄).

Naoji-san gave up his finance job to pursue his passion for cooking. He started a Japanese stall at the current coffeeshop beside Ah Hoe Mee Pok. It was there that he made friends with neighbouring stall owner, Eric Chia who owns Ah Hoe Mee Pok. Fascinated by the way Mr Eric Chia cooked his mee pok, Naoji-san worked at Ah Hoe Mee Pok for half a year for free before taking over the stall beginning of this year. Currently, he and his daughter Reina runs the stall at block 710 while his son and wife runs another stall at block 713. So where did the shifu Eric went to? Well, he has opened another stall at Blk 501 West Coast Drive.

I went once on a Saturday morning after the news of this Japanese mee pok man is released in makansutra. The queue stretched all the way till the end of the coffeeshop and after queuing for 30 mins, I had to give up because I had another appointment to run to. A few weeks ago, I tried again with my foodies friends at 1pm on a Saturday. First, I saw the daughter Reina cooking the noodles. Then Naoji-san took over while Reina went for her smoke break at the void deck. Honestly, it wasn’t a nice sight when I see a young girl, shaking leg vigorously while smoking. Anyway, that’s story for another day.

I observed how Naoji-san cooks our local BCM like a pro. Everything he is doing is still done the way Eric taught him. However, displaying that famed Japanese precision, Naoji-san sets the timer, dips a generous squiggle of noodles into boiling water, lets the noodles cook while he prepares other ingredients. When the timer is gone, he pulls the noodles out, tosses them up and high for a couple of times till it reaches the desired QQ texture. I admire how meticulous he is about ensuring that each bowl of noodles is cooked for a certain time. That’s Quality Control, which many other noodles stall doesn’t have.

As he slides the noodles into a big bowl, Naoji-san carefully dresses them with chilli sauce, abalone slice, meat ball, minced meak and fresh big prawns. The noodles are al dente and springy, with a splash of pork lard oil coating the noodles perfectly. Nothing much to shout about the chilli sauce though, and a little more vinegar would be good. Honestly, we love the soup version more as the cabbage kinda brings a subtle sweetness to the cloudy and satisfying broth. There are a few selections on their menu – Special Mee Pok Dry/Soup ($4/$5), Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle ($4/$5), Crayfish Mee Pok ($10), Meatball Soup ($3) or Teochew Dumpling Soup ($4)

50 minutes queue? No problem, because I am prepared for it this time. But I won’t travel all the way here again just for it lah (I am not a westie). I am just as happy to eat my Seng Kee BCM in Serangoon Gardens. Maybe next time I should get a French guy to open a chicken rice shop. That would also create some news.

Ah Hoe Mee Pok (阿和面薄）
Address: Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2, Weng Kwang Coffeeshop, Singapore 120710
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 6am to 3pm, closed on Sundays

The post Ah Hoe Mee Pok – When a Japanese cooks Mee Pok in a coffeeshop… appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Rejoice! The first hawker centre at Bukit Panjang is finally opened! Managed by NTUC Foodfare, the one-week-old hawker centre consists of 500 seats and 28 food stalls. It is one of the 20 being built by the government over the next few years.

Here are 5 Must Try Stalls At Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre

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Zai Lai Prawn Noodle
#01-09

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The thing that most people like to do while walking around hawker centre would be to observe what others are eating. At Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre, you will see that almost every table has a bowl of Lor Mee. The stall itself has a queue that never seems to go away no matter what time it is. For the bowl of Lor Mee ($2.70), you get a generous portio of ngoh hiang, fish, pork belly and egg. Most importantly, the Lor here is very tasty. In addition, you could add any amount of garlic, chili, and vinegar based on your own preference. Other than Lor Mee,they also serve Prawn Noodle, Laksa, and some sides to go along with your mains. We tried the Fried Ngoh Hiang ($2.50), which was handmade but the fillings were a little too salty for us.

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Xin Ban Mian
#01-16

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The Pork Belly Ban Mian ($4.50) is one of best seller from this stall; the other would be the Original Ban Mian ($3.50). Brimming with pork belly, minced meatball, vegetables and egg, the broth seemed normal, but the sweetness and richness of it took me by surprise. The minced meatballs were also well marinated that you just can’t stop at one. The ban mian was also soft and suitable for people of all ages, whether young or old.

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BP Braised Meat Rice
#01-25

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Unlike the Taiwanese Braised Minced Meat Rice, you actually get chunks of meat from the Braised Knuckle or Trotters. For Braised Pork Knuckle Set ($3.80), it comes with rice, braised pork knuckles, egg and tofu. The pork knuckles were thoroughly braised and very tender. It is especially nice (but unhealthy) to chew the soft and juicy fat off the meat. Another surprising factor would be their braised tofu, which unlike others, it was first deep fried then braised. Hence, you get a chewy juicy braised layer before tasting the natural sweetness of the soft tofu.

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You Xiang Teochew Noodles
#01-13

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With 30 years of experience, You Xiang Teochew Noodles was previously located at Blk 137 Potong Pasir. Despite moving to a new location, there was still a long queue before the stall. The Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles ($2.70) has the usual minced meat, braised mushroom, pig’s liver and meatball. Their had handmade meatballs were filled with lusciously umami meat and broth.

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Bee Hwa Handmade Pau Tim
#01-07

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Another worth queueing stall is Bee Hwa Handmade Pau Tim. The Big Pau ($1.20) were handmade and sold at the very same place. Although the skin of the bun looks thick, it is actually very soft and puffy. The fillings within were very succulent, and the savory minced meat goes well with the skin. Other than the popular Big Pau, there are other dim sum such as Siew Mai, Prawn Dumpling and Char Siew Pau sold very cheaply at $0.60 per piece.

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READ: Downtown Line 2 Hawker Guide – Cheap & Good Eateries at the 12 new MRT Stations in DTL

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Photos & text by Aileen Lim, a fellow food writer for Miss Tam Chiak. Follow her at @ailove2eat on instagram for her latest food hunt.

The post 5 Irresistible Stalls at Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre (Must Try!) appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Before I began my post on Ding Ji Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles, here’s a disclaimer – I am not paid to write about them. The story goes, this new bak chor mee stall opens in Bishan, at the same coffeeshop as the famous 284 Kueh Chap. I saw it while I was having supper. Then I went back for lunch and to give it a try.

The first time I ate it…

It was really really good. I ordered the most expensive one from the menu – fish maw soup. The first thought was, it looked like Seng Kee minced pork noodles in Serangoon Garden Market. That is my favourite and it has definitely set the high expectation.

So when the cook prepared my fish maw soup, I watched closely of the ingredients he added. The rich soup base is simmered overnight to get all the goodness from the pork bones. There is generous amounts of sliced pork, pork liver, dried sole fish (ti po), a spoonful of minced meat and egg served in the aromatic soup, with springy noodles tossed in chilli sauce. The ti po probably gives the soul to the broth. To be honest, the aroma of the ti po here is not exactly comparable to the one in Seng Kee. But, it does have that subtle fragrance that many BCM soups are lacking. Plus, I believed that the fish maw used here is a higher grade than Seng Kee’s, because Seng Kee’s version had a strong greasy smell to it.

Even though the mee kia was factory made, they were well tossed with chilli, vinegar, lard oil and sliced braised mushrooms that were spongy with savoury braising sauce. From readers’ comments, I understand that there are many Ding Ji noodle shop around the island but only the one is Bishan and Eunos serves fish maw soup. The rest of the Ding Ji outlets only do Teochew Minced Pork Noodles – which is really not impressive.

Keeping all these factors in mind, plus it only costs $8 for such a generous soup and noodles (cheaper than Seng Kee’s), it was natural for me to share about this stall. At that moment, I am quite certain I have found a very decent bak chor mee / fish maw soup stall that is open for 24 hours and so near to all of us who live in Ang Mo Kio and Bishan. In fact, I was so excited about it that I called my husband and good friend immediately after my lunch to tell them about this “finding”.

But I didn’t expect…

After my lunch, I roughly edited the video I took on my phone and uploaded to Facebook during the unpeak hours. What I didn’t expect, was the amazing feedback that everyone gave. Within a day, the number of shares and views were soaring and the stall eventually ran out of fish maw soup the following morning. Till date, the video itself has got 221K Views, 4369 Shares and 1200 comments.

To be honest, the numbers were too scary. The response was overwhelming, to the extent that the stall cannot cope with it for the first three days. I have read every single feedback, be it good or bad. Thank you for spending time to type it out. Some people queued for 2 hours just to get a bowl of noodles. When people queued for so long, their expectations increased and when the noodles cannot meet their expectations, they get angry. There were people who assume that I get paid to write about this, there were people who called me nasty names, and there were people who take time to defame the stall by pasting the same reply on everyone’s comments. The most ridiculous thing is, some actually boycott it without even tasting it just because the stall belongs to Fei Siong. Come on lah, how childish is that? Pfft.

For those who queued, tried and left disappointed …. it’s understandable. I had it on a quiet weekday afternoon with no crowd, and the cook took his time to slowly prepare my soup and noodles. But after the video came out, the cook had to speed up the cooking just to cater the sudden crowd. There are definitely differences in standards, after all, it’s hawker food. And to be honest, after the video, I didn’t dare to write about it anymore.

So I went back again…

The issue is, because the stall operates 24 hours and they have two shifts to manage the stall. I usually go during weekday lunch and it is cooked by the uncle you seen in this post. There was no problem and I still enjoy it, even though I thought the soup was milder than what I had previously. I guess it was because their turnover time for boiling of soup became shorter, hence it was not as rich and flavourful.

But after reading through all the comments, I went back on a weekend supper to try it 2 weeks after the video was published. From 7pm to 7am, the soup and noodles are cooked by a 74-year-old aunty. Now I can truly understand the frustration of many foodies. Our orders were a little messed up, the noodles were overcooked (because the aunty was trying to decipher whose noodles were those) and the soup was not great. Some of the soups were only lukewarm. It was in fact, disappointing. I never doubt her experience but she was probably overwhelmed by the crowd too.

In conclusion…

I apologize if you were served a less than satisfactory bowl of noodles. I stress that I don’t own the place nor I am paid to write. I am just a happy foodie who wants to share good hawker food that I have found. It’s not unsurprising that we get drastic opinions from two different extremes of the same stall due to consistency argument. But I hope you understand that all reviews are subjective since it is a perception of an experience. 

Like most things, word of mouth is one of the strongest way a restaurant or hawker stall builds its street credibility. But it is also the responsibility for all F&B establishments to uphold the standards. Sometimes, the dish may not suit your liking. For example, I love my chicken rice flavourful and oily, but my husband thinks it is too much and prefers a lighter rice. It’s not wrong. Your food preference and my food preference may be different and can be different. I won’t criticise someone just because they have different views about the same dish. It’s fair comment, in my opinion. But well, obviously some people think their tongue can taste the best dish and if they think it’s lousy, they go all out to penalize and criticize. I don’t agree to such behaviour but I won’t name and shame. Afterall, we are here to build a healthy community of foodies.

For me, I would still go back for my dry noodles and fish maw soup in the afternoon. It is still tasty in my opinion. In fact, I just brought some of my food kakis there and they love it. In my district, it’s not easy to find a good bowl of bak chor mee like this. A bowl of BCM starts from $3.50 but I really suggest you to try the $8 fish maw soup version because it’s solid. They also serve huge and juicy teochew dumplings. Yes, they open 24 hours.

The post Ding Ji Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles @ Bishan appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee is not a stranger for all Bak Chor Mee fans. They started in 1945 and has been serving Teochew style bak chor mee (BCM) for more than half a century. At Hong Lim Food Centre, be ready to wait for at least 30 minutes during lunch. Ah Kow has passed on the skills to his two sons. In the past, both brothers shared the stall at Hong Lim. The 4th son would operate from Tuesdays to Thursdays while the elder son would operate from Fridays to Mondays.

Through a Facebook group, we got to know that the 4th son has just opened his own stall in Bukit Batok serving the same old classic BCM. Jon Cher, who is the son of the 4th son of Ah Kow, shared that his father “was kicked out by his own brother” in 2000 and hence he rented his own stall in Old Airport Hawker Centre till 2014. Eventually, the stall owner at Old Airport sold away the stall, hence it was closed. Recently, they started again in Bukit Batok!

Enough of family drama, let’s focus on their BCM. Their menu is kept simple with Bak Chor Mee selling at $4, $5 and $6 together with Teochew Dumpling Soup at $4, $5 and $6. We ordered a bowl of kway teow soup and minced pork noodles dry.

The soup version has got quite a bit of “liao” in it, including lean pork, minced meat, braised mushrooms, dried sole fish and dumplings. The wife was seen busy wrapping the dumplings. Even though the skin was thick, but it was still comforting. They also serve Teochew Dumpling Soup where you can get generous amount of dumplings.

As for the soup, I thought the broth I had that day lacks a little depth and was towards the bland side. I hope it was due to their teething issue. I need to go back again and try. Neverthless, no MSG is added to the soup and this is definitely one of the better BCM than many others.

The dry version had soft and flavourful braised mushroom with chilli, soy sauce and vinegar. What truly make this dish is the braised mushroom and its dried sole fish. This add a touch of umami to the noodles. In my impression, their version in Hong Lim had so much more vinegar than the current version, which I felt was a little lacklustre. The uncle did explain to me that he has dropped his vinegar just to cater to the new crowd in Bukit Batok. Fair enough. For me, I prefer it to be more sourish but this may work for you.

I stood there and see how the uncle prepares the noodles. It was interesting to see that he was using two types of sieves to cook his noodles. The first time he would use a smaller one to lightly blanch in boiling water before moving the noodles into another more traditional sieve to cook it again. The uncle explained that this was done to prevent lumps from forming in the noodles and to retain its desired springy texture.

Looking at how the uncle has got older over the years, I started to wonder if there is anyone to take over their cooking. According to Jon, he was doing full time during the Old Airport days. As the bukit batok stall is opened for only a month, Jon still holds on to his full time job and will only be there to help out during weekends. But it looks like there is a possibility that he will be back to start full time soon once business picks up.

The post Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee Opens at Bukit Batok appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Most of you would be busy queuing for Hill Street Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee, one of our 1-Star hawkers in the new Michelin Guide Singapore. For me, I’ll probably wait for a while more before I go back again. But this time round, I was recommended by K F Seetoh to try this Teochew Fishball Noodle stall at the neighbouring coffeeshop instead.

The old couple has been cooking BCM for more than 50 years. They started from Selegie Road to Jalan Besar and now in Crawford Lane. He is very swift in his motions and from the way he tosses the noodles, it makes me look forward to my bowl of noodles.

Indeed, every strand of mee kia is QQ and springy. Plus, I took some time to take the photos but the noodles do not lump together. At the last few mouthfuls, it is not mushy at all. Well coated with chilli, it is a little different from Tai Hwa’s version which has a stronger vinegar flavour. Next time, I will go for the mee pok.

They don’t make their own fishballs but it’s definitely more than a decent bowl of BCM with perfectly cooked noodles. Plus they have the orange colour prawn cake slices which is quite unique. Their homemade sambal which my friends raved about was not prominent on my day of visit, which was a pity. My bowl of noodles here costs $3.

When served, there is an option to add the fried garlic and crispy lard. Of course I tell the auntie “加多一点!”

The post Teochew Fish Ball Noodle – Another Gem at Crawford Lane appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Image & Text by Maureen & Mu Qin

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is the perfect thing that motivates us to get our lazybums out of bed as early as 8am. We truly believe that a good/bad breakfast will define your mood for the day. Here’s a list of breakfast spots in the East that will make you reconsider waking up early. Enjoy!

Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata

Good, artisanal pratas are hard to come by. Meet Mr and Mrs Mohgan, the couple who does super crispy roti prata in the middle of Joo Chiat. Mr Mohgan has been making prata for more than 30 years. He makes his own dough, cooked the curry and flips the prata all by himself. What’s the best way to find out if the prata is good? Eat the kosong (plain) one! I ordered a stack for my foreigner friends to try and they were full of complements. Moderately thick and pan fried till a beautiful brown, the pratas here are fresh and SUPER CRISPY. Very satisfying breakfast!

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery

Having spent quite a little while abroad, I’ve come to realize how lucky Singaporeans are to be able to enjoy our “kopi-o” with traditional kaya toast at old school coffee shops. It’s impossible to look for such comfort food within a nostalgic setting that’s affordably priced in Western countries. East-siders will be familiar with Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Their kaya toast comes in buns rather than bread slices. These buns are made in-house and toasted till slightly charred. Generous slabs of kaya is then, spread on the buns, followed by a little chunk of butter. Imagine watching butter melting on the skillet before you cook and the aroma that lingers in the air. That’s the little action taking place on your warm toasted buns. Besides their popular kaya buns, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is also famous for their custard cream puffs and egg tarts too!

Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles

Used to be at Yishun, Yong He Bak Chor Seafood Noodles have relocated to Bedok a few months ago. He is actually the uncle of Ah Guan Noodles and brother of Ah Lam’s Abalone Noodles! So the whole family has been targeting seafood noodle! For $4.50 a bowl, you get a bowl of noodles tossed in homemade chilli sauce, and served with fresh prawn, clams and well braised mushroom sauce. The noodles were splendidly cooked, it’s springy, tasty, aromatic and of course, well larded. The braised mushroom slices gave the Mee Pok another delectable dimension, with its sweet and deep flavour from the prawns and clams. The deluxe $10 version comes with either big prawns or crayfish.

Enak

Opened last year end, owner Ibu Bida gave up her corporate job to start a hawker stall. She hired a talented Indonesian cook from Tanjung Pinang to whip up a good spread of dishes. They do breakfast items in the morning. Mee Rebus ($2.50) – a simple dish of thick yellow noodles with taupok, green chilli and a hard-boiled egg drenched in a flavourful spicy-sour gravy. The gravy is not overpoweringly starchy. The star for us was the Mee Soto ($2.50). The soup has many layers of flavours and a perfect balance of spices – not one outshines the others. It is strong, rich and robust, unlike the many versions out there that are weak and lack depth of flavour. Forget about the Mee Siam. Read about our previous review.

Ru Ji Kitchen

Young hawkers Joanne and Daniel learnt the skill from Joanne’s father and they wake up very early everyday to make the fishballs. Using yellow tail fish (蕃薯鱼), they beats them into fish paste for an hour before making it into fishballs and fish cakes. That is why their fishballs are so fresh and bouncy! The mee pok is very springy and well-tossed with their homemade chilli sauce, vinegar and lard.

Toast Hut

Toast Hut is the place for traditional kaya (coconut jam) toast set by young hawker Melvin Soh. He picked up his skills at a local kaya toast chain when he was 17 years old. After working there for three years, he opened his own stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre in 2007, serving kaya toast paired with home-brewed traditional coffee, which he learnt from his father. Aside from the signature items, he serves blended ice coffee to cater to his young customers and freshly made sandwiches using traditional kaya toast bread. In response to the health consciousness of Singaporeans, kaya used in Mr. Soh’s stall is specially created to make it less sweet and not cloying when served with coffee or tea.

Fu Yuan Minced Pork Noodle

Occupying just half a stall at Tampines Street 21, Fu Yuan Teochew Bak Chor Mee is really an unassuming establishment. The owner is formerly working as an assistant with Twa Hua when he was a young boy. At first glance, the mee pok looked a tad dry. But once the noodle and sauce were tossed up, they came together nicely. The noodles sits in a small pool of vinegar-based sauce and which is slurping good. Especially the vinegar, very fragrant and seems like it’s a superior brand. Topping the al-dente noodles are a mixture of minced pork, liver, pork balls, fried sole fish, etc. You get a bowl of soup on the side as well. Read about the full review here.

Xing Yun Kway Chap

Business is overwhelmingly good that this kway chap stall only opens from Friday to Sunday so expect long queues forming. Well, good things are worth the wait right?! Queuing must be one of Singaporeans’ favourite pastimes. Standing in the queue with groups of aunties and teenagers chatting at the top of their voices made me feel as though I’m in a mini wet market.

Xing Yun’s kway chap are braised to perfection. The translucent kway is slippery smooth and does not break easily in the sweet and aromatic broth. The braised pork belly, pig’s intestines and tau pok are well-flavoured. We enjoyed the braising sauce’s good consistency as it is not too thick nor too watery. The ingredients are stewed long enough for the spices to penetrate into them. Many people are skeptical when it comes to pig intestines due to an odour but fret not as Xing Yun’s intestines are tender and absorb the braising sauce so well that the odour is gone. Adventurous foodies can attempt to try pig’s tongue while big-eaters should definitely go for the pig trotters! Dip the morsels into a tangy spicy chilli sauce for that extra kick!

Chai Chee Fried Carrot Cake

When every other stall’s deep fried carrot cake is square, Chai Chee’s version is long and freshly deep fried. Each carrot cake stick is crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. It is one of my favourite breakfast snack whenever I am in Bedok. Best paired with Rui Xing Ka Fei Cha Shi stall located at #01-42.

Yummy Sarawak Kolo Mee

Being the top foodie pick in Sarawak, of course Singapore’s version cannot be compared to those served in Sarawak. Our version is different but decent. Don’t confuse this dish with wanton mee! Kolo noodles are cooked, drained and dry-tossed with different sauces, hence the name “kolo”. Usually, the must-have ingredients are springy and oily noodles, minced pork, char siew and vegetables. Sometimes, wantons are added.

Yummy Sarawak’s Kolo Mee doesn’t consist of minced meat but its curly kolo mee is good! These noodles are only made of egg whites, hence lighter in shade and don’t contain alkali. I can’t help but salivate when the cook tossed the noodles together with the sauces. I guess the fragrance makes the stomachs of everyone who are still in the queue growl with hunger. Huge wantons with crunchy water chestnuts complement the noodles so don’t miss out on these! We also had the Chicken Feet Spare Ribs Noodles which was well-braised and flavourful.

Bedok Chwee Kueh

One of the cheapest chwee kueh in Singapore, Bedok Chwee Kueh is a popular breakfast for residents in the East. They are pretty generous with their radish and not very salty. The steamed rice cakes are soft and do pair your chwee kueh with the chilli sauce.

Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle

If you have always been eating Bedok 85 minced pork noodle soup for supper, now you can try Tian Nan Xing minced pork noodle at Blk 511 Bedok North. With more than 80 years of history, the stall is now managed by 3rd and 4th generation. They focus on using good and fresh ingredients, hence each bowl of bak chor mee is flavourful and tasty. Like the other BCM in Bedok 85, Tian Nan Xing has minced pork and pork balls in the noodle soup ($3). But if you add extra $1, you will get their homemade dumplings. The springy noodles with tasty soup create wonders, the soup is sweet and makes you want to have another bowl.

Mizzy Corner

Everyone who frequents Changi Village would know about the nasi lemak served at Mizzy’s Corner. My family and I love it for its value for money, and we would invariably leave with very satisfied tummies. The standard chicken nasi lemak set which costs $3.50, comes with a fried chicken wing, a fried egg and ikan biliss, sambal and a slice of cucumber. Unfortunately, the rice is not fragrant enough and it is too soggy. A piece of mackerel otak otak can be added for an additional $1.

Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery

Hands up for those who still eats ang ku kueh. We probably spend most of our time finding good brunch places and forgot about the old traditional kuehs we used to eat when we were young. Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery is a old traditional shop in Bedok which has more than 48 years of making its own ang ku kuehs, nonya kuehs and other festivals kuehs everyday. It is pretty rare because most of the ang ku kuehs we see in shops are from factories.

The Soon Kuehs and Ku Cai Kuehs here are pretty famous too. The ladies make them every afternoon and the skin is soft and slippery. When steamed, the skin was translucent and thin, packed with big fat fillings. These kuehs are sold fresh everyday over the counter and contain no preservative. This stall is actually halal certified! This malay aunty here was busy wrapping the Bulok Inti, which is a sweet blue glutinous rice with coconut shredding on top.

Song Han Carrot Cake

Carrot cake here thrills my tastebuds and rivets my attention. The owner of this stall serves up a generous portion of black and white carrot cake just for the price of $3. It has a texture that is soft, light and melts in your mouth right away. The tasty chilli is fragrant and not overly spicy. The uniqueness of adding small shrimps imparts a distinct crunchiness as you enjoy each morsel of food. This stall is especially suitable for families wherein some members prefer the black version with its thick and sweet dark sauce but others go for the white one that tips towards the savoury end.

Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight

I have very high expectations on how roast meat from a particular stall should measure up when it comes to these Hong Kong style roast cuts. Surprisingly, Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight Rice/Noodle was a hidden gem that I stumbled upon by chance. The roast meats are very well-prepared that it’s obvious the stallholder has the roasting temperatures right at his finger tips. The roast pork is served up warm, with skin so crispy it crackles in the mouth, lending a dainty contrast to the texture of delightfully tender meat. These roast meats are served with either noodles or rice over here and I have a particular fondness for the well-seasoned char siew. The meat is succulent with a hint of sweetness. This stall serves tasty and tender soya sauce-braised chicken too.

Besides roasted meats, this coffeeshop serves delicious Muslim Food too, amongst which longtong is my favourite. I enjoy the soft and fluffy texture of the rice cakes with wisps of fragrance carried over from their banana leaf wraps. The spices used are perfectly blended into the longtong, making it taste heavenly.

Glory Catering

Craving for Nasi Padang-styled and Nonya-styled cuisine? Glory’s the right place to head over! Their Nonya Laksa and LongTong are crowd pleasers. The former stood out for me as it is milkier and less spicy but still rich in that uniquely Nonya flovour. It comes with generous helpings of prawns, fish cakes and lemongrass sprinkled on top that helps to rack up your appetite. The LongTong here is very smooth and go after the milk curry with its feel of graininess that comes from the pinch of dried shrimps plus grated coconut dry-fried to a golden brown. The vegetables are soft and tender but not overdone.

End your meal with Nonya kuehs (bite-sized pastries) are a specialty of Glory. The kuehs here contain the right amount of sweetness, texture and delivers a burst of flavours the moment you bite into them. It’s favourable to walk in with an empty stomach so you can savour all the Nonya delights you want!

Song Zhou Carrot Cake

Even though they no longer make their own carrot cake, but after getting it from supplier, they will add some “secret” ingredients to make to make it softer. The owner will first stir fry the garlic and chai poh till fragrant, then add in some carrot cake pieces, pour over the egg batter and fry with black sweet sauce and fish sauce.

Song Zhou’s black carrot cake is very very fragrant and wet. Each piece of carrot cake is so soft with aromatic charred edges. What I love about it is, they are very generous with the eggs and black sauce, hence giving it a sweet and savoury taste. The white one is also not bad, but I still preferred the black ones. And to be frank, I think the uncle does a better job than the wife. The owner said, there is no secret to frying a good plate of carrot cake. What’s most important is to control the fire so that the heat will be balanced during frying.

Hock Choon Laksa and Lor Mee

It’s hard to miss this stall when there’s always a snaking queue smacked in the middle of Eunos Market and Food Centre. I enjoy its savoury gravy that is thick but not overly starchy and full of flavours. You’re able to add your desired amount of condiments which include chopped garlic, sliced chilli, sambal chilli, chopped spring onions and vinegar. Prefer a tangier taste? Pile up on the garlic and vinegar! Served with half a braised egg with my favourite kind of creamy yolk and thin slices of pork belly well-seasoned with 5 spices, having this for breakfast starts the day on a right note! Wait, did I mention about the fried fish? This is the highlight of the Lor Mee – crispy yet moist within, it complements the dish so well.

Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow

This Char Kway Teow owner does everything single-handedly, from taking orders all the way to frying it and serving the fragrant noodles into your hands. He has a perfect rhythm while frying char kway teow, adding fresh prawns and squid into the oil before the noodles. It’s hard for your stomach not to growl while waiting in line but this is definitely worth your wait.

The fluffy noodles coated with spicy, eggy goodness, gives this dish a lovely taste and texture. It has enough wok hei, the right amount of charred-ness and a spice level that was perfect. The cockles were plump and some crunchy beansprouts were scattered among the noodles. Strips of garlic chives completed the dish. Instead of your usual super black and sweet flavour, you get a more savoury finish, with just the right amount of smokiness here!

Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee

Made from starch, eggs and some secret blend of spices, it takes about 5 hours to cook before you get the smooth and light gravy. The gravy coated the noodles very nicely and portions of braised pork belly and fish are quite generous. The modern version of lor mee contains fried fish but Xin Mei Xiang’s version still sticks to tradition and tediously hand-shred Spanish mackerel. Ain’t a fan of yellow noodles? You can opt for kway teow or bee hoon or any combination of them here! I thoroughly enjoyed the textures and mix of savoury, sweet and tangy flavours. People often say, “money can’t buy happiness” but for $4, I had a well-concocted bowl of lor mee, which I see as one of life’s simple pleasures.

Tan Beng Otah Delights

Otah here is prepared on the spot and freshly wrapped. The otah has a good balance of chilli and fish and exudes ethereal fragrance when served hot. The filling within contains chunks of mackerel meat and the spices packs quite a punch. What I enjoyed most was the packet of traditional nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves that this hawker still prepares. Consisting of fried fish, an egg, ikan bilis and peanuts, it made me reminisce the days when my late grandmother would tabao this back for me on weekends for breakfast when I was young.

Da Zhong Mei Shi

The elderly hawker does all the cooking and the end result – a wonderfully charred plate of kway teow that’s out to tantalize our tastebuds. He makes it a point to fry only one plate at a time so be prepared to wait for your plate. A plate of char kway teow consists of a mixture of flat rice noodles and egg noodles, perfectly stir-fried with eggs, cockles, lap cheong, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. I’m not sure which particular stall you frequent but I grew up eating from this old uncle hence, sharing my wonderful childhood experience with you.

Jia Mei Wanton Mee

Many might be familiar with this hawker’s wanton noodles but I prefer their mushrooms and chicken feet noodles, soaked in their special sauce. The sauce is sweet with a slight salty aftertaste. The sour chilli cranks up the tastiness of this dish and I like it that these noodles are soggy, while not overly soft at the same time. Be warned though, the queues can get quite crazy on weekends!

Joo Chiat Chiap Kee

Joo Chiat Chiap Kee in Bedok makes their own dome shape fishballs that is fresh, chewy and gives a satisfying homely taste! Their sambal chilli is to die for. When tossed with my noodles and bean sprouts, it is super shiok. For $3, we get 5 fishballs, worth it right?

Hon Ni Kitchen

Readers staying in Bedok have definitely heard about Hon Ni Kitchen for its nasi lemak. It is always long queue during lunch and the only time when it does not have a queue, is Sunday. Because the stall is closed on Sunday! Go for their chicken wing, it is deep fried till crispy. Dishes include luncheon meat, fried kuning fish, fishcakes, stir fry long beans, ikan bilis, otah, fried eggs etc. Its nasi lemak is very light and fluffy because they use coconut milk sparingly. The rice is best eaten with their homemade sambal chilli sauce.

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

You name it, they got it! Offering an abundance of rice dumplings with different stuffing, Kim Choo definitely doesn’t disappoint. The ingredients are pretty generous here and very tasty. No matter which flavour of rice dumpling you select, you’ll realize that the rice was not in any overwhelmed by the ingredients. The glutinous rice was soft but compact, with a nice aroma. Each rice grain fully absorbed the essence of the ingredients wrapped within. You get a complete package that’s so flavoursome you can’t just stop at one.

Planning what to do or where to eat over the weekend? We hope this list of breakfast offerings in the East will motivate you to get up earlier and start your day with a bowl or plate of delicious food. This list is non-exhaustive and I’m sure there are some more that we have not discovered.

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