Hot & Sour Pork Bone Broth @ Gong Yuan Ma La Tang

The ma la craze has taken Singapore by storm for many years now, but can you believe that this is actually my first time having it? 

Had I not won a gift voucher for Gong Yuan Ma La Tang from The Clementi Mall giveaway, I doubt I would have ever taken the first step to come to this ma la place for a meal.

So, what is stopping me from having something so popular with Singaporeans?

Jian Bing Guo Zi @ Kun Hai Shop

I have been watching videos about China street food on YouTube for quite a while now and my latest obsession is with the jian bing guo zi.

Imagine a Chinese crêpe of sorts, wrapped with crispy crackers and youtiao and eaten mostly for breakfast. It is always made fresh upon order, on a griddle by the street vendors. 

It was by sheer chance that I happened to walk past this China supermarket at The Clementi Mall called Kun Hai Shop while on my way to Qin Ji Rougamo next door.

Out of curiosity, I entered the shop to check out the products they carry and to my surprise, I discovered a jian bing guo zi station inside!

Pickled Cabbage Fish with Rice Noodle & Cumin Pork Rougamo @ Qin Ji Rougamo

Unlike my previous rougamo/roujiamo which are found in a coffee shop and hawker centre, Qin Ji Rougamo is located inside The Clementi Mall on the fourth floor, right outside the food court Boleh Boleh.

They have other locations at Alexandra Retail Centre, Guoco Tower, Jurong Point, Payar Lebar Square, Raffles Place, Sengkang Grand Mall and The Woodleigh Mall. 

This brand is operated fast-food style, where you place your order over the counter with their crew whom I find pretty friendly. You will be given a printed receipt with your order number and all you have to do next is to wait for your number to be called to collect your food.

Beijing Time-Honored Cuisine - Pig Trotters Rice @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

To be honest, I have not heard of this stall named Beijing Time-Honored Cuisine before even though it has been there at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre for a while.

I guess it is easy to be overlooked when the stall is sandwiched in between the bigger names like Hawker Chan and Heng Ji Chicken Rice. The situation is made worse when another stall with a similar menu is ]located directly across them. The stall in question is Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao and it had a Michelin 2018 decal proudly displayed on its display window.

I only got to know about this stall when I came across a photo of their pig trotters rice on Instagram which prompted me to come check them out.

Big Dot Chicken @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I can never resist the lure of fried chicken hence when news of this month-old stall at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre reaches my ears, I know I have to head down for a look.

A joint venture by three entrepreneur friends, Big Dot Chicken is a social enterprise aimed at helping the unemployed by offering them jobs and providing on-the-job training to equip them with the skills required to run their own stall one day. They do not need any F&B background nor even have to pay any franchising fees.

Impressed by the noble cause behind its inception, I support this business wholeheartedly. If this business module indeed works, it can help someone in need to make a living.

On the day of my visit, I dropped by the stall fifteen minutes before the advertised timing of 11am and guess what? An elderly uncle was already seated at the table in front of the stall, enjoying his fried chicken.

Zhonghua Roujiamo @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Zhognhua Roujiamo has permanently closed.

My very first rougamo was from a coffee shop behind Clementi Bus Interchange two years ago. It was love at first bite but unfortunately, that stall has since shuttered.

Fast forward to last week. I heard there is a newly opened rougamo stall named 中华肉夹馍 at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

According to a 8 Days magazine interview, the stall belongs to a Mr. Sham Hei from Hong Kong. If the name sounds all too familiar, that is because he is the man behind Chef Sham H.K. Vinegar Trotter - a chain of hawker stalls known for their black vinegar trotters and nutritious Cantonese soups.

The craft of rougamo making was acquired from one of Chef Sham's business associate, a native from Xi'an, where the street snack hails from. He has since gone back to his hometown and the stall's day-to-day operation is now handled by Michael, a Singaporean PR from Malaysia. 

You can read more about the interview here.

Bai Li Xiang Economic Bee Hoon - Ah Lian Bee Hoon @ 651 Jurong West Street 61

Have you heard of a particular Ah Lian Bee Hoon that is located at the far western part of Singapore, inside a coffee shop right beside Pioneer MRT Station?

Notorious for their rude service, it is akin to our version of Karen's Diner, where customers willingly succumb themselves to bad service.

Due to the information online, I always thought this economic bee hoon stall is a "supper spot" that only cater to the dinner crowd. Little did I know they operate from 6pm till 11am the following morning!

The hours are rather odd for a economic bee hoon stall hence, I am unsure if this timing reflected on Google is actually accurate? Nevertheless, I decided to take the risk and visited on a morning. 

To my delight, the stall is indeed opened for business! In fact, it is near closing time when I arrived around 10am.