"Witness To War: Remembering 1942" Exhibition At The National Museum Of Singapore

This year marks the 75th year since the fall of Singapore in 1942 and the National Museum of Singapore has launched its latest exhibition, Witness to War: Remembering 1942 to commemorate it.

The exhibition touches on the Asia Pacific war when Japan attacked the United States military and naval bases in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam and the Philippines as well as the British possessions of Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The attack on Singapore was part of a wider campaign waged by the Japanese Empire across the Pacific. It presents the complexities of the events that led to the outbreak of the war in Singapore in 1942. 

Jollibee - Unjolly Chickenjoy @ Square 2

Jollibee is a popular fast food giant from the Philippines which set foot on our shores three years ago.

From their very first outlet at level 6 of Lucky Plaza, Jollibee has since expanded to another four outlets here at Square 2, Changi City Point, Paya Lebar Square and one more at the basement of Lucky Plaza.

When news of them opening an outlet in Singapore first broke, the most ecstatic would be the Pinoy community here who understandably, made up the bulk of the queue.

On its opening day and the subsequent weeks that followed, the turnout was so huge that they had to use the neighboring vacant unit to accommodate the snaking queue.

I thought I will wait for the craze to die down before I visit but weeks soon turned into months. As non of the outlets are near me and I hardly see any advertisements from Jollibee, I had clean forgotten about it - for three whole years - till recently!

Anime X Stamps @ Singapore Philatelic Museum

Celebrating 100 years of anime, an anime-themed exhibition is happening now at the Singapore Philatelic Museum.

Featuring an impressive collection of more than 700 stamps from 80 titles, spot your favorite anime characters such as Astro Boy, Doraemon and Naruto!

Also on display are rare artwork from Naruto and limited edition figurines from ONE PIECE, Dragon Ball and Mazinger Z.

Some of the earlier anime like Astro Boy, Doraemon, Heidi, Girl Of The Alps, RANMA 1/2 and Rantarou evoked some nostalgia sentiments as I grew up with these during my childhood.

If you are a fan of anime, this is an exhibition not to be missed. There is no excuse not to visit if you are a Singaporean as there is free entry.

Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Foo @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I cannot decide which is more off-putting - the never ending queue for the yong tau foo or the fact that the stall is located right next to the toilet?

For years, I have walked past the stall countless of times but not once did I throw it an extra glance due to the reason above.

It wasn't until recently that I finally relented.

I figured that they must be doing something right since they are able to command a perpetual queue everyday despite its less than ideal location.

On the day of my visit, I was elated to see less than ten customers in front of me however, the queue was very slow moving.

Nadim's Delights Burger Banjir @ Blk 508 Jurong West St 52

Update: Nadim's Delights has permanently closed.

Nadim's Delights is a western food stall located inside a coffeeshop at Blk 508 Jurong West Street 52, not far from Blk 505 Market & Food Centre.

Apart from the usual black pepper steak, fish & chips, chicken chop, chicken cutlet and spring chicken, the stall is getting popular for their burger banjir which is going viral on social media lately.

So what exactly is a burger banjir?

Banjir actually means "flood" therefore, burger banjir means "flooded burger". 

Flooded by what? If you cannot tell from the photo above, it's cheese of course!

Fei Fei Roasted Noodle @ Yuhua Village Market & Food Centre

I have been to Yuhua Village Market & Food Centre a number of times to do marketing with my Mum and we would usually settle our breakfast at the food centre itself. 

One particular roast stall here is famous for their char siew and there is always a perpetual queue for it.

The stall in question is called Fei Fei Roasted Noodle. Being a regular at the food centre here, I have eaten at Fei Fei a couple of times but I wonder why it took me so long to write about them? 

The stall is opened at around 9am and during my latest visit, I was there just at that precise moment when they switched on the lights inside the stall indicating that they are opened for business.

I was taken aback when a horde of people around me started swarming towards the front of the stall, all trying to place their orders. I joined the queue as well and I stood in line for about twenty minutes before it reached my turn to order a plate of wanton noodle.

Old Chang Kee Chicken Kopi'O

Old Chang Kee - a household name known for its delectable puffs - is no stranger to Singaporeans. Mention curry puff and this company's name would most likely come to mind.

Operating out of a small stall in a coffee shop near the then REX Cinema in 1956, it now has a chain of almost 80 kiosks all over the country and that is not even including the outlets overseas.

Old Chang Kee has certainly come a long way; it was recently inducted into the Influential Brands' Hall of Fame for winning the Influential Brands Award for five consecutive years.

Amongst the reasons contributing to their success, the company have actively been coming up with new flavors to attract customers. Past flavors included the likes of Chicken Satay'O, Cheesy Curry Chicken'O and the Rendang Chicken'O just to name a few.

Now, they have a new flavor under their wing - the new Chicken Kopi'O!

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.

Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu @ People's Park Food Centre

Over here at Bai Nian Yong Tau Foo, the only way you can have your yong tau foo is with bee hoon (rice vermicelli) soup. They do not serve it dry or have other kinds of noodle options like kway teow (flat rice noodle) or yellow noodles.

You have no choice over the ingredients as well as the ingredients are fixed. The only decision you can make is whether to have more bee hoon (at no extra cost) and whether you want the small ($4.50) or big bowl ($5.50).

Prince Coffee House - Beef Hor Fun @ 249 Beach Road

A week after my Hainanese pork chop at Prince Coffee House, I actually make a second trip back to try their beef hor fun.

Previously, while doing my research about the pork chop, I came across photos of their beef hor fun which looks amazing to me! At the same time, I found out that the beef hor fun, together with the Hainanese pork chop and stewed ox tail are their signature dishes thus, the decision to give it a try.

I will let you in on a secret.

I have never eaten beef hor fun before.

No kidding.

Due to certain reasons, my family do not take beef at all. I only tao jiak beef occasionally when I am out by myself and it is nothing more than a beef burger from a fast food chain.

Prince Coffee House - Hainanese Pork Chop @ 249 Beach Road

Prince Coffee House got its namesake from the now-defunct Prince Cinema at Shaw Towers where both were located some thirty years ago.

As with most Hainanese-run coffee houses, this coffee house serves both Western and Chinese fare.

This has to do with the majority of Hainanese being employed as chefs by the British during the colonial days. After the British troops withdrew from Singapore, these Hainanese set up their own coffee houses with the east-meets-west culinary skills that they have acquired.

When the original owner wanted to retire and fold up the business, four of his staff decided to take over and they had kept the coffee house running till this day.

Singapore Zam Zam - Mutton Briyani @ 697 North Bridge Road

My visit to Zam Zam was entirely accidental and unplanned. No prior homework was done for my visit to this century-old business specializing in briyani and murtabaks.

I actually ended up here after I took a wrong turn while on my way to Blanco Court Prawn Noodle. I did not even know that Zam Zam was located in this area!

Nevertheless, I carried on my way to have my prawn noodle as that was the main purpose of my trip. After having my noodles, I figured there is still room for a murtabak so I made my way back to Zam Zam which is a two-storey shop house. 

The upper floor is air-conditioned with long tables while the lower floor is the kitchen where all the action took place and with a relatively smaller seating capacity.

Blanco Court Prawn Noodle @ 243 Beach Road

Prawn noodle has always been one of my favorite noodle dish but unfortunately, the one near my place tastes plain sweet of rock sugar which is a big turn off for me. Since I have not had a nice bowl of prawn noodle for a very long time now, I decided to google for one and go eat it.

I narrowed my selection to the Blanco Court Prawn Noodle which have a long history in Singapore. The main reason for choosing this was because the location is somewhere near my previous workplace. 

Ironically, while I was working in the area, not once did I venture beyond the Golden Landmark side as I always head to Tong Seng Coffeeshop at Liang Seah Street for lunch.

L32 Handmade Noodle @ Tampines 1

I have heard about this very famous handmade noodle stall at Geylang Road for a while now. The stall had a rather strange name called L32 which actually stands for Lorong 32, with reference to its location at Geylang.

Geylang is rather out of the way for me so when I found out that they had a branch at Tampines, I was overjoyed.

Tampines is not that near to me either but it is much more accessible than Geylang. The branch in question is located at Tampines 1, inside the food court on the fifth level. I finally found the opportunity to make my way here after sending my parents off at the airport earlier this week.

I took the MRT from Changi Airport to Tanah Merah and transferred to Tampines. Upon reaching, I realized the food court is Kapitans by Kopitiam.

Arnold's Fried Chicken @ Yishun 10 Cinema Cineplex

I heard that Arnold's Fried Chicken have been around for 30 odd years. Online reviews have touted it as one of the best fried chicken around and with such raving reviews, I guess it is time for me to try it for myself.

Although they have four outlets island-wide, none are located near me. The nearest outlet would have to be the one at Yishun but then, I hardly ever go there. Perhaps, that is the reason why I have not heard of them before.

I planned a visit to the outlet at Yishun, which is located inside Yishun 10, the mega Cineplex that Jackie Chan and Carina Lau came to officiate its opening during the 1990s. (I remember it was such a big sensation then with many star-struck fans turning up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the superstars)

Aspirasi - Ayam Penyet @ Seah Im Food Centre

After Dad's appointment at NUH, he requested to have the ayam penyet at Seah Im Food Centre which we had previously. The ayam penyet that we had then was from Farisha Muslim Food (#01-31).

This time, I suggested that we try the one from Aspirasi instead as it is the famous one at Seah Im Food Centre. I mean, if you google for ayam penyet at this food centre, Aspirasi is the only name that turn up in the search results although there are more than one ayam penyet stalls here.

Aspirasi specializes in fried chicken rice served with your choice of sauces: sambal ($4); sweet & sour ($4); lemon ($4) and black pepper ($4). Other than these sauces, you can also opt for the normal chicken rice ($3.50) or penyet ($5) that comes with a whole chicken leg.

Alternatively, they have fried rice with chicken ($5) and fried rice tomato with sambal chicken ($5.50) which is quite popular as well.

Farasha Muslim Food - Ayam Penyet @ Seah Im Food Centre

A while back, I brought the folks to Seah Im Food Centre to try out the lor mee from Shi Ji Noodle Stall.

After our meal, Mum spotted the next table having the ayam penyet from Farasha Muslim Stall. Tempted by what we saw, we ordered one set to share among the three of us.

The name ayam penyet translates as "smashed chicken" which means the chicken is flattened by smashing after being fried to a crisp. I have actually seen the stall at NUH's food court using a mallet.

A dish of Indonesia origins, I have eaten ayam penyet quite a number of times, but it is the first for them. 

The ayam penyet ($5) here comes with a chicken leg, cucumber, raw cabbage, a cube of tau kwa, a piece of thumb-length tempeh and sambal. The rice and soup are served separately on another plate.

Shi Ji Noodle Stall - Duck Noodle @ Seah Im Food Centre

I have tried the lor mee from Shi Ji Noodle Stall located at Seah Im Food Centre a week ago and I am back to try their duck noodle.

You can read about the stall in my previous entry here.

So, I arrived a little after lunch hour and there were not many customers around. The friendly uncle is sitting outside the stall chatting with the neighboring stall owners. I ordered a bowl of dry duck noodles and he went back inside the stall to prepare my order.

It was then I overheard him conversing with somebody from the stall behind him in fluent Thai. #impressed

Fried Kuay Teaw Mee @ Seah Im Food Centre

This is yet another Hokkien mee stall at Seah Im Food Centre which is manned by an old lady with a bandana on her head.

So why do I visit a second Hokkien mee stall at the same food centre?

If you remember my previous Hokkien mee post, I mentioned that I am going to visit the notorious stall that does not allowed customers to take more than one pair of chopsticks.

Well this is the stall that I actually went to by mistake. You see, I had left the note which contained all the information (stall's name, unit number, business hours, etc) at home thus when I saw this stall selling Hokkien mee, I straight away thought it is the one.

So while composing this post at home that night, I realized the photo of my Hokkien mee looked very different from those found on the web of the stall.

For $3, theirs had about four prawns, uses thick bee hoon with round yellow noodles, had chives while mine had only one prawn, uses thin bee hoon with round yellow noodles and comes with char siew and stewed cabbage!

It was only after checking the unit number did I realize that I had visited the wrong stall! Therefore, I had to make a trip back to the food centre and visit the correct one. So, what do I do with this review from the wrong stall in the meantime?

Since the photos are already edited and post drafted, then might as well just complete it and publish.

Banana Leaf Pork Briyani & Rainbow Prata @ Woodlands Wave 9

Update: Banana Leaf Pork Briyani has permanently closed.

Pork Briyani, anyone? 
 
I know what you are thinking. I could not believe it myself when I first heard of it recently. I got to know about this when a small commotion erupted among the Muslim community on Facebook because they were creating awareness and warning each other to be careful of it.

Although technically not a Malay dish, briyani are usually sold at food stalls run by Indian Muslims therefore I understand their concerns when this dish, which is not Halal, suddenly pops up in their midst.

Initially, I thought the fiasco is about somebody being caught selling pork at a Halal-certified stall but as it turns out, the business owner, who is a  non-Muslim is actually selling the pork briyani at his own non-Halal stall.

After visiting the stall for myself, I must say their worries are redundant. The pork dishes on the menu are clearly labeled and with the image of a sexy sow on the signboard, it is unlikely that any Muslims would have accidentally consume something haram.

Cheng Ji Chao Xia Mian Hao Jian @ Seah Im Food Centre

While researching about Seah Im Food Centre, I learned about this notorious Hokkien mee stall who had, for reasons unknown, set some weird rules for its customers.

According to the accounts of several past customers, the owners do not allow them to take more than one pair of chopsticks. Those unaware of the 'law' ended up being chided for doing so. This has caused much distress among the 'victims' but the owners seem adamant about it.

This really piqued my interest hence I decided to pay this stall a visit. However, I have no plans to use myself as a bait to prove if the rumor is indeed true!

Shi Ji Noodle Stall - Lor Mee @ Seah Im Food Centre

During my second trip to Seah Im Food Centre, I decided to try out Shi Ji Noodle Stall.

This stall sells duck noodle, prawn noodle, tom yum noodle and lor mee (braised noodle). I decided to go for the lor mee as I was craving for it that day.

It is self-service here. You queue to order your food, wait to collect and pay for your food.

I am pretty much impressed by the generous serving of ingredients in my bowl. There are plenty of ngor hiang (five spice rolls), lor bak (braised meat), fish cake and a certain fried stuff which I was unable to identify.

There is also half a braised egg and topped with minced garlic and coriander. I added two spoonful of black vinegar into the bowl which is the SOP for me.

Eat 3 Bowls - Lu Rou Fan @ Seah Im Food Centre

Update: Eat 3 Bowls has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

Recently, I decided to visit Seah Im Food Centre for breakfast before heading over to Sentosa for Sentosa Sandsation 2017.

This is my very first visit to the food centre and I had my sight fixed on Eat 3 Bowls, a relatively new hawker stall offering Taiwanese street food like lu rou fan (滷肉饭), intestine mee sua (大肠面线), salted crispy chicken (盐酥鸡), etc.

What I learned from the online reviews is that what the stall serve tasted quite close to what they had had in Taiwan. 

This is quite an achievement considering the business owners are not even Taiwanese but two Singaporean guys who made repeated trips to Taiwan to make sure that they got the taste right.

Encouraged by all the positive reviews, I had to order their signature, the lu rou fan which translates as "braised meat rice".

Cai Ji Boneless Braised Duck Rice Porridge @ Seah Im Food Centre

Duck meat is not my favorite choice of poultry as I dislike the texture especially the breast meat. In Cantonese terms, I called it 嚡熠熠 (hai3 sab4 sab4).

That is why I do not usually eat duck unless there is a craving for it.

But all that is set to change after my discovery of this braised duck stall at Seah Im Food Centre!

Among the very few braised duck rice that I have eaten throughout my life, none could excite me as much as Cai Ji Boneless Braised Duck Rice Porridge can!

It all started when I saw a photo of it on Instagram. Just like the photo I took above, it was a plate of braised duck rice with several coils of braised pig's skin.

In all honesty, it was the pig's skin and not the duck meat which tempted me at that time.

Xie Kee Hokkien Mee @ Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre

After Dad's hospital appointment on a Monday, we decided to drop by Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre for dinner since we are traveling by the downtown line.

We initially wanted to have the white bee hoon but the stall was closed. Instead, I was surprised to see Xie Kee Hokkien Mee opened for business because according to Burpple, Monday is their off day.

The uncle is sitting outside of his stall all alone without a single customer in sight. My immediate thought is how lucky we are, to be the first in queue thus we do not have to wait for long. I immediately placed an order for two $3 plates of Hokkien mee and took a seat beside the stall. 

He Zhong Carrot Cake @ Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre

He Zhong Carrot Cake has been at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre for as long as I could remember. They have been operating their business at this location long before the renovations when their stall was still facing the carpark near the stairs then.

You will not be able to find the black carrot cake here as they only specialize in the white variety. Unlike the black carrot cake where the radish cubes are fried to a complete mess along with all the other ingredients, He Zhong fries theirs into rectangular blocks where the radish cubes are held in place by the beaten eggs mixture.

The surface was fried to a crisp with a medley of flavors coming from the egg, chye poh, fish sauce and their chili sauce smeared on top.

Peter Pan Western Food - Chicken Chop @ Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre

Update: Peter Pan Western Food has permanently closed.

Managed by a husband and wife team, Peter Pan Western Food, as its name suggests, is a food stall serving western fare at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre. What drew my attention to this food stall was actually its catchy name - Peter Pan.

This is probably one of the more popular stalls at the food centre due to their generous food portion at affordable prices.

The husband is the one behind the stove while the wife is at the stall front, taking orders and collecting payments.

It is self-service here. You place your order, make your payment and wait to collect your food.

I ordered my usual chicken chop ($6).

Sentosa Sandsation 2017

As part of the island's 45th anniversary celebrations, Sentosa will be hosting Southeast Asia's largest sand festival "Sentosa Sandsation 2017" at Siloso Beach.

Spreading over 2,400 square metres, Sentosa Sandsation 2017 will feature more than 30 larger-than-life sand sculptures with some measuring over 5 metres.

The exhibition have three zones, each offering a different experience.

Yong Kee Fish Ball Noodle @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

Located directly opposite Fatty Cheong is another famous stall called Yong Kee Famous Fish Ball Noodle which is famed for it's handmade fish balls.

Other than fish ball noodle ($3/$4/$5),  they also serve mushroom minced meat noodle aka bak chor mee ($4/$5) and canned abalone noodle ($12).

Since the stall is revered by foodies, I had to give it a try.

While queuing to place my order, I heard a commotion between the lady boss and the customer in front of me. Apparently, the customer wanted the $3 bowl but did not inform the lady boss who had already prepared the $4 serving.

Fatty Cheong Wanton Noodle @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

A week ago, I visited ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre specifically aiming for the wanton noodle from a roast stall called Fatty Cheong because I have heard so much about their bu jian tian char siew which is actually BBQ pork made from the pig's arm pit.

In order to avoid the lunch crowd, I intentionally arrive slightly after 11am - their stipulated opening hour listed on hungrygowhere and burpple.

To my dismay, they seem far from ready for business as the lights are not on and there are no roasts hanging on the racks. 

I did not want to waste any time so I went through my food list and decided to go for the next available stall opened at that time which is Wow Wow West.

The plan was to wait for Fatty Cheong to get ready while having my chicken chop but as fate would have it, I am too full from my western food to have anything else.

Furthermore, by the time I finished, it was nearing noon and Fatty Cheong is still not opened yet.

I have to leave in disappointment and plan another trip back soon.

Wow Wow West Western Food - Chicken Chop @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

I have long heard of this western stall called Wow Wow West that serves big portions of western food for reasonable prices at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.

Even though I go to the nearby IKEA Alexandra quite frequently, I was often too lazy to make a detour to the food centre.

Wow Wow West used to be located at the school canteen of Raffles Institution (RI) however, the school holidays meant that income would be badly affected so they had no choice but to relocate first to Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre before finally settling down at the current location.

I was full of anticipation for their chicken chop after reading many raving reviews about them online.

Furthermore, I feel there is a need to support the stall because they support the Yellow Ribbon Project by hiring ex-offenders. I personally think it is awesome of them to give the ex-offenders a second chance to set their lives straight and contribute to society.

Fuzhou Poh Hwa Oyster Cake @ Berseh Food Centre

If memory does not fail me, I was first acquainted with the Fuzhou oyster cake more than two decades ago in a coffeeshop next to the Commonwealth Theater which is one of the two cinemas (the other being Empress Cineplex) in Clementi.

Commonwealth Theater has since been torn down and redeveloped into the current Cityvibe. The oyster cake stall has also closed down before the destruction of Commonwealth Theater began.

Its new location or whether it is even in operations for that matter, remains unknown.

Those were the days when the age of internet (and mobile phones) were still not as widespread therefore I have no means to track it down.

And that, was last time that I had had any oyster cake.

Shin-Chan: Urban Legend Series

Shinnosuke, or Shin Chan, the annoying yet lovable five-year-old is no stranger to all. I was first introduced to this perverted little boy via manga a long time ago and I have watched countless of the anime however, it was not until a few days ago that I found out there is actually a horror series of this anime known as 蜡笔小新都市传说系列.

Loosely translated as "Crayon Shin-chan Urban Legend Series", the anime in this series are a little dark and macabre - very different from the usual slapstick comedy I know. 

I have to admit some are quite disturbing but there are also some which are downright hilarious. I have included the links to a few of my favorite ones here for your viewing pleasure. 

"Set A" 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle @ Blk 164 Stirling Road

Update: 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

A while back, I went to a nondescript coffeeshop in Stirling Road for the special "Set A" wanton noodle but due to my oversight while ordering, I had the 'normal' wanton noodle instead.

I returned to Stirling Road again, determined to have the special "Set A" wanton noodle. This time, I pointed to the photo by the side of the stall, making sure that the lady inside saw me doing that.

The normal wanton noodle came with only char siew and boiled wantons but the 'special' had additional braised mushrooms and fried wantons.

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty at Mei Ling Market & Food Centre serves the Ipoh-styled hor fun which is another one of my favorite food. 

Yet, they are not exactly Ipoh-styled as their sauce are made with about thirty kinds of herbs.

Apparently, the hor fun is so good, it was included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand List 2016 and 2017.

Prior to my visit, I have read the story about the elderly couple running the stall. 

Unfortunately, the auntie suffered from a stroke so the daughter started coming to help out. Even though the auntie had to be in a wheelchair, she would be sitting near the stall everyday giving her husband and daughter moral support.

My heart goes out to them after knowing their plight. Perhaps due to auntie's ailment, they were only able to open for business four days a week.

I was expecting to see them in person when I was there however, all I see were two middle-aged men and a elderly man inside the stall. Is the elderly man the uncle? Where is the auntie and their daughter then? And who are these middle-aged men?

Xin Lu Teochew Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee Soup @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Not far from 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle is Mei Ling Market & Food Centre. It is a two-storey building where residents can do their marketing on the ground floor before going for their breakfast at the food centre upstairs.

As Stirling Road is a mature estate, my initial thoughts about the food centre is that it would be badly maintained, dirty and with bad air-circulation as well.

My first visit to the food centre last week, however, painted a very different picture. The food centre is extremely clean with no litter on the floor, illumination is bright, there is no buildup of dirty bowls on the tables, and the area is spacious and airy with the high ceiling. You will not leave the food centre smelling like char kway teow or fried carrot cake.

This is all thanks to a upgrading program which I just found out was completed about eight years ago. Even though it has been years since the upgrading, its condition is as good as new.

I must say this is by far the most well-maintained food centre I had ever seen.

164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle @ Blk 164 Stirling Road

Update: 164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

For years, a nameless wanton noodle stall has been dishing out delicious wanton noodle in a dingy-looking coffee shop at Stirling Road - one of Singapore's oldest estate - in Queenstown.

Fronted by an aged signboard with a generic "wanton noodle" written in both English and Chinese, the fading photos on it bear witness to the years they have toiled in the stall, faithfully serving the residents in this neighborhood.

According to my research, the stall used to be called Chun Ji (春记) however, the name is not on the signboard anymore. It is now more commonly known as "164 Stirling Road Wanton Noodle" with reference to its location under block 164.

I came to learn about this noodle stall while reading up on the must-eats at Meiling Market & Food Centre which is only a few minutes walk away. As photos of the wanton noodle looked so enticing, I decided that a visit to the stall is a must.

Long Kee Wanton Noodle @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre has no lack of wanton noodle stalls. Based on my memory, there are at least four of them but there could be more though as I did not really go and count.

Apart from Kok Kee Wanton Noodle, the other notable one with a perpetual queue is Long Kee Wanton Noodles.

I have tried their chicken feet noodle before which is not too bad. The chicken feet were well-braised and tender and I remember liking it very much then. This time, I tried their wanton noodle which comes in two different sizes at $3 and $4.

Kok Kee Wanton Noodle @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

Update:  Kok Kee Wanton Noodle has rebranded as Wai Kee Wanton Noodle.

I have long heard of the notoriety of Kok Kee Wanton Noodle from the now-defunct Lavender Food Square that overcharges for its small portions however, I have heard even more regarding its grumpy elderly owners who had offended quite a bit of customers (go snoop around the food forums and you'll see what I mean).

Yet, despite the less than favorable reputation, the stall still attract quite a queue daily.

Meanwhile, over at Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre, there is a wanton noodle stall bearing the same name (also claiming to be from Bugis), charging the same higher-than-usual price, and does not serve green pickled chili just like the one at Lavender. 

There were rumors that the young couple running this stall were the nephew and niece of the older couple who had since retired.

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this information but, I am still very excited to try a plate of this "legendary" wanton noodle that I have heard so much about.

Soh Kee Cooked Food @ Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

And so, Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre has finally reopen after three grueling months of renovation works. The food centre section is now cleaner and brighter but contrary to expectations, there are no increase in seating capacity so finding a clean table is still as difficult.

Anyway, three months is too long a time to keep me away from having my favorite porridge at Soh Kee Cooked Food. 

This stall offer the usual chicken porridge ($2), fish porridge ($3), cuttlefish porridge ($3) and mixed porridge ($3) but what most people ordered here is actually their plain porridge with poached chicken.

RAWR! Dinosaurs Unearthed @ Plaza Singapura!

Great news for all you dinosaur fanatics out there! 

Dinosaurs have been sighted at Plaza Singapura and if you like these prehistoric creatures as much as I do, then do not give this exhibition a miss! 

In collaboration with Sceince Centre Singapore, Plaza Singapura has brought in five animatronic dinosaurs for this mid-year school holidays.

The animatronics were quite realistic with their movements and sounds. One kid started crying from far while another begged for mercy from her enthusiastic parents not to make her pose for photos with the big, scary monsters!

Hakka Lei Cha @ Volcano Coffee House, Kelapa Sawit, Kulai, Johor, Malaysia

In my previous post, I mentioned that we were at Kelapa Sawit checking out the wall murals. Before that, however, we had our breakfast at the local coffeeshop. 

There were a couple of very old coffeeshops offering the usual wanton noodle and porridge fare but, we were actually on the prowl for a very special dish associated with this Hakka neighborhood - the Hakka lei cha.

The word "Lei" （擂） refers to the action of grinding the tea but it sounds the same as the word "Thunder" （雷） so this dish is also known as the Thunder Tea.

My Mum is a Hakka so she got to have her bowl of lei cha which is actually a bowl of plain or brown rice topped with different vegetables and a bowl of soup made by grinding different types of herbs and tea leaves together. 

Wall Murals @ Kelapa Sawit, Johor, Malaysia!

Last week, the folks and I made a trip to Kelapa Sawit (otherwise known as 26 miles) which is a small village located at the north of Kulai. The name, meaning Palm Oil in Malay, is in reference to the plantation nearby that the villagers depended on for their livelihood in the early days.

The village used to be called "Chang An Village" and had a population of about ten thousand people made up predominantly by the Hakka community.

In 1949, the British, who are the Colonial master of Malaya at that time, relocated everyone living between 24 miles and 27 miles to 26 miles which is heavily guarded and barricaded with barbed wires. 

The move is to cut off any form of aid that the villagers might have been giving to the guerrillas who are hiding in the jungle. And that, is how the Kelapa Sawit New Village came about.

Back to the topic, we were there to visit the wall murals which is an initiative started by a local art group as part of Malaysia's birthday celebration in 2014.  

Actually, this is just one of the "attraction" for our one day tour to Johor. The other places, like Stingless Bee Farm, YOYO, Fuzhou noodle and biscuit factory have been blogged before in my earlier travel posts so I will not talk about them again.

You may read more about my previous day trip to Muar and Kluang.

Army Open House 2017 @ The City (F1 Pit Building)

After an absence of five years, the Army Open House (AOH) has finally made a return! And what better time to bring it back than now because 2017 marks the 50th year of National Service (NS) in Singapore.

I visited the open house held at the F1 Pit Building near the Singapore Flyer over the past weekend. The crowd was insane and there was heightened security as visitors had to undergo body and bag checks before being allowed entry.

Da Jie Famous Wanton Noodle @ 209 Jalan Besar

Update: Da Jie Wanton Noodle has permanently closed.

When I was reading up on Hainan Chicken Rice Ball and Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice, I did not realize that there are so many good food to be found along the stretch of Jalan Besar which is somewhat out of my comfort zone.

However, I have already conquered half of it during my previous food trail to Hainan Chicken Rice Ball, Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice and Sungei Road Laksa.

It is a good thing that they are all within walking distances from one another so I only need to venture a little further during this visit to Da Jie Famous Wanton Noodle.

Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice @ Blk 638 Veerasamy Road

After an exasperating attempt to have Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice, I made a second visit the following weekend.

This time, I reached the coffeeshop at 11.40am instead, having learned a lesson the hard way previously. As I approached the stall, there is already a short queue of about five people in front of me but the queue is not moving at all.

I craned my neck and saw that the first customer is actually buying more than twenty packs of the chicken rice for the whole village. To my relief, she is already collecting the last few packs. After she is done, the queue finally starts moving.

Sungei Road Laksa @ Blk 27 Jalan Berseh

 
In my previous post, I visited Hainan Chicken Rice Ball at Dickson Road. I had also planned to visit Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice since they are about two streets away from each other.

Because Google and Burpple stated the opening hours of both stalls as 8.30am, I arranged my timing to reach there a little after 9am. However, when I reached Hainan Chicken Rice Ball, the stall owner is still preparing the stall for business (stall lights are off) thus, I went off in search of Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice only to find out that they too are not ready for business yet.

At that time, it did not occur to me that the timing I got from Google and Burpple could be outdated so I did not bother asking what time they are opening. I just thought that they might need an extra 10 to 20 minutes.

With that, I walked to and fro between both stalls for more than five times, thinking that by the time I reach the other side, they would be ready. However, that was not the case. I ended up feeling so frustrated that I ditched the plan and went for Sungei Road Laksa instead.

Why did these hawkers not put up their business hours in front of their stalls prominently for all to see, just like what Sungei Road Laksa did? (refer to photo below)

Hainan Chicken Rice Ball @ 3 Dickson Road

Update: Hainan Chicken Rice Ball has relocated. The new address has been updated at the end of this post.

The first time I had chicken rice ball was in Malacca three years ago. Frankly speaking, I was not too impressed by it. I remember the rice ball is mushy and lacked the aroma that I am accustomed to with Singapore-styled chicken rice.

When I found out that there is a stall in Jalan Besar selling chicken rice ball, I decided to see how it compares to the one across the causeway.

Jalan Besar is the part of Rochor area that I have not ventured before but the stall is surprisingly easy to find if you are coming by Rochor MRT Station.

Just take the exit towards Veerasamy Road, exit the station (you should see Lasalle College of the Arts opposite you), turn left and follow the pavement to the coffeeshop which is just round the corner.

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice @ Beauty World Food Centre

Update: Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice has shifted two units down along the same row with a new signboard. New stall photo and unit number has been updated at the bottom of this post.

Just a few doors away from Hambaobao is this stall called Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice (what a mouthful!) selling what else, but soya sauce chicken with either noodles, rice or hor fun. Do not confuse this with (*takes a deep breathe*) Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, the Michelin-starred stall at 335 Smith Street which has since been rebranded as "Liao Fan".

The latter is my favorite but have become quite impossible to eat with the insane queue ever since it received the award. I had to turn to other alternatives like Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken and Fatty Ox in order to have my soya sauce chicken cravings fixed.

This stall at Beauty World Food Centre is my latest find, and the nearest to me without having to go all the way to Chinatown where all my alternatives are located at. Other than soya sauce chicken noodle, they also sell the usual wanton noodle, dumpling noodle and beef brisket noodle.

Strangely, glutinous rice, chee cheong fun and yam cake are also available here.

Hambaobao Is Back @ Beauty World Food Centre - Till Next Year!

Update: Hambaoba has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

Hambaobao (a direct translation of ham burger in Chinese) is the "new kid on the block", having set up stall at the Beauty World Food Centre about two years ago.

When I first got to know about this burger joint serving some Asian-inspired burgers like ayam buah keluak (sandwiched between two buns with chap chye, no less!) and crispy pork belly (aka sio bak burger), I told myself that I have to come try it one of these days.

However, the "one of these days" never did materialize as procrastination got the better of me.

Earlier this year, news about a mystery buyer buying over the food centre with intentions to redevelop it into an air-conditioned food court were rife. Before I knew it, the food centre ceased operations.