Alimama Green Chili Chicken Rice & Prawn Noodle @ Maxwell Food Centre

While researching on what to have at Maxwell Food Centre, I came across this stall called Alimama Green Chili Chicken Rice that serve Indonesian fare such as nasi ayam pangang (grilled chicken rice) and nasi ikan bakari (grilled fish rice).

The stall is not difficult to locate as it is right next to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.

What caught my eye at Alimama, is item number one on their signboard - the green chili chicken rice ($6.50).

This dish is something new to me hence I am eager to try it out. I had expected it to be a Halal stall but on the contrary, it is not as they also serve prawn noodle with pork ribs, pig's skin and intestine.

Ah Gong Minced Meat Noodle - $2.50 Claypot Bak Chor Mee @ Maxwell Food Centre

Update: Ah Gong Minced Meat Noodle has permanently closed.

Madam Chow has been a hawker at Maxwell Food Centre for the past five years but business has not always been rosy due to the construction of the Thomson-East Coast Line in the area. 

As the proverb goes, it never rains but it pours. Her business was dealt a further blow when the pandemic struck. Footfall to the food centre fell drastically as dine-in restrictions were imposed.

Not one to admit defeat, Madam Chow turned to selling claypot bak chor mee (she was selling something else before that) thus, Ah Gong Minced Meat Noodle was born. 

Sisaket Thai Food - Basil Chicken, Green Mango Salad & Tom Yum Soup @ Maxwell Food Centre

I am exploring Maxwell Food Centre this week and after walking through the rows of food stalls several times, I still could not make up my mind as I am bored with having the usual local fare. 

Eventually, I narrowed down my choice to a stall named Sisaket Thai Food. Well, Thai cuisine sounds good to me as I have been yearning for something more exotic lately to arouse my already dormant taste buds.

A search online revealed that the stall is started by a Thai national, Ms Viparat Saibua who owns two other locations at Telok Blangah and Bukit Merah.

As I stood in front of the stall studying the menu, I was impressed to hear a staff (or perhaps it is lao ban niang herself) conversing in fluent Mandarin with a customer. 

I ordered the basil chicken with rice ($5) and topped up $2.50 for a green mango salad and a bowl of tom yum soup which is pretty worthwhile.

I actually preferred pork but there are only chicken and beef options. In fact, there are no signs of any pork dishes on the menu. I am not particularly sure if the stall is Muslim-friendly but I did not notice any Halal certification.

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre

Have you heard about the drama over at Maxwell Market?

If you have read the papers, you would have known about the quarrel Mr Wong Liang Tai (or Ah Tai as he is popularly known) had had with his employer, Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice last October.

For the clueless, Ah Tai used to be the head-chef of Tian Tian who got fired over a dispute.

It was reported that Ah Tai did not manage his workers well and he shouted/threatened them to the point that they felt unsafe at work.

Ah Tai was aggrieved by the accusations. He is further disheartened by the fact that his twenty years of service to Tian Tian went unappreciated.

But that is not the end of the story yet.