The Legend Roasted Meat Rice And Noodle @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

To be frank, it was the posters of Bruce Lee that pulled me towards this roast stall called The Legend Roasted Meat Rice And Noodle which is located at the back row on the first level of Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.

When I got nearer, I discovered even more memorabilia like figurines and photographs. When the lady inside the stall saw me taking photos, she asked: "are you also a fan?"

I would be lying if I said I was but I nodded anyway.

"I had been collecting them for over forty years." she said, beaming with pride.

Indeed, one can tell that the stall owner is obsessed with the kungfu star by the amount of memorabilia found all over the stall. You can even see a shadow figure of Bruce on the signboard doing a high kick. 

Oh, and do not mistaken the nunchucku (second last photo) hanging on the rack as siew cheong! 

Ma Bo Lor Mee @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

There used to be a Ma Bo Lor Mee stall located near my place. I liked their lor mee so much that I would patronized them about two or three times a week. I was devastated when the stall closed. Although there have many outlets across Singapore, I have not had any ever since.

After a hiatus of so many years, I came across an outlet at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. I decided to relive the taste of the lor mee that I used to adore. 

You can have their lor mee in three ways: signature ($2.50/$3.50), with fried battered fish ($3/$4) or fried chicken cutlet ($3/$4). Laksa is also available in the same permutations and pricing. I could not recall if laksa is a new addition to the menu or did they have it all along?

Previously, I would only order their chicken cutlet lor mee therefore this time, I decided to have the fried fish lor mee instead.

Ah Meng Ondeh Ondeh @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

A couple of months back, my family was blessed with three packs of this orange colored ondeh ondeh by a neighbor who had purchased them from Ah Meng Ondeh Ondeh at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. 

Unlike the usual green colored pandan-infused glutinous rice balls, these handmade ondeh ondeh from Ah Meng are made with sweet potato instead.

They come ready packed in four ($1.60), six ($2.40) and eight pieces ($3.20). The stall also sell handmade tapioca kueh which are equally popular and gets sold out by noon.

Lee Kheong Roasted Delicacy @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

Update: Lee Kheong Roasted Delicacy has permanently closed.

Due to online recommendations, I have come to Lee Kheong Roasted Delicacy at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre for its spare ribs but as the stall had just opened for the day, only the char siew, roasted pork and roasted duck are available.

What a shame it was not ready yet because the photo of the spare ribs that I saw was so succulent looking I wished I could sink my teeth into them right there and then.

Hong Xing Handmade Fish Ball Noodle @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

I was doing my rounds checking out the stalls at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre when I noticed the queue in front of Hong Xing Handmade Fish Ball Noodle.

Many have come for their handmade fish balls ($4/$6/$8) and meat balls ($5/$6/$10) but you could also have them with your choice of noodle ($3.50/$4.50/$5.50).

Since it is my first meal of the day, I did not think the smallest bowl would satiate my appetite therefore, I opt for the medium bowl of mee pok dry. The queue moved rather quickly so it did not take long to place my order with the friendly uncle.

Cantonese Delights - Curry Fried Chicken Cutlet Noodle @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

What has laksa yong tau foo and even curry noodles got to do with the Cantonese? When I first heard about this stall at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre called Cantonese Delights offering these dishes, I was perplexed. 

Nevertheless, I decided to give their curry fried chicken cutlet noodle a try because it looked so darn good.

I reached the stall at about 9am on a Sunday morning and there were about ten customers scattered around in front of the stall, waiting for them to open. When I returned five minutes later, these customers had already formed a line. I promptly joined the queue and it did not take long to reach my turn.

I ordered the small portion of curry fried chicken cutlet noodle for $4.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee @ Hong Lim Food Centre

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee is one of the two better-known stalls for selling the same dish at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.

While Ah Heng is located on the second level, the other competing stall - Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee - is located directly downstairs on the first level.

What both stalls are selling here is not curry chicken with mee but Hainanese-styled poached chicken with curry mee. (Hope I am not confusing anyone here)

Having eaten at Ah Heng a number of times, I always tell myself that I will try the other stall the next time I come here however, when that time arrive, I will instinctively go up to the second level, bypassing the first level. Again.

And the cycle repeats itself.

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

This review is from a combination of three visits.

One late afternoon, Dad and I came to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre for lunch and we had the soy sauce chicken noodle from Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist.

It was a choice out of desperation. We had actually come for Tuck Kee Ipoh Sah Hor Fun but it was already closed by the time we were there and so were most of the other stalls.

Tuck Kee Ipoh Sah Hor Fun 德记怡保沙河粉 @ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

One of the most exasperating thing to happen while queuing for hawker food has got to be when you thought you are next in line, the person in front actually ordered more than 10 packets to go!

What a bummer...

That's what happened to me when I was queuing for a plate of Tuck Kee (Ipoh) Sah Hor Fun at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.

Tuck Kee does not use the regular wide hor fun used by our local tze char stalls here. Ipoh's sah hor fun is a flat, rice noodle that is long and narrow bearing some resemblance to our kway teow.

The sah hor fun is drenched with a thickened brown sauce full of crustacean umami with chye sim and fried shallots on the side.

The only headache you have, is to choose what ingredients you want to go with your sah hor fun. The choices are Chicken with Prawns ($4), Medium Prawns ($4.50), Pacific Clam with Prawns ($4.50), Abalone Mushroom with Prawns ($4) and of course their signature and most popular item, Crayfish with Prawns ($6).

No brownie points for guessing what I ordered.