No Signboard Braised Duck Rice Noodle Porridge @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Update: No Signboard Braised Duck Rice Noodle Porridge has permanently closed.

While on the escalator going up to review Sweet.Rex on the second floor of Mei Ling Market & Food Centre, my nose caught a whiff of the lor (braised sauce) from the braised duck stall.

The aroma reminds me of the braised duck from my childhood. It has been a long time since I come across a braised duck that smells this similar to the one in my memory.

Unfortunately, braised duck is not on the agenda for the day so I had to make plans to come back for it some other time.

After I got home that night, I cannot put the smell of the lor out of my mind. I began to google about the stall and came across reviews claiming it to be the best traditional braised duck in Singapore.

I also found out that the stall was from the former Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. Ah, that explains the Makan Places Lost & Found decal I saw pasted on the glass, among several newspaper cuttings.

SweeT.Rex Soufflé @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

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

SweeT.Rex is a new hipster dessert stall at Mei Ling Market & Food Centre that specializes in making soufflé pancake.

Located just across from the famous Sin Kee Chicken Rice, their soufflé pancake is selling at 2 for $3 with a choice of one sauce (chocolate/strawberry/caramel).

You heard me right, the stall headed by a young couple is offering their handmade soufflé at a very affordable price!

Rolina Curry Puff @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

I have long heard about Rolina Curry Puff but all this while, I had assumed that it is the name of a Muslim woman selling it.

After some snooping around online, however, I realized the truth was far from it!

On the contrary, the business was started by Uncle Tham, who learnt his craft from a Hainanese sailor when he was 19. To make a living, he began selling his handmade Hainanese curry puffs in front of Novena Church. 

And, if you have not already guess by now, Rolina is actually a mispronunciation of the word "Novena" by a customer.

Pandan Leaf Nasi Lemak @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

Update: Pandan Leaf Nasi Lemak has permanently closed.

Today, I will be trying out Pandan Leaf Nasi Lemak which is the second nasi lemak stall out of the three located at the Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre. The third stall, called Makan Sutera Nasi Lemak Pandan Rice is closed during this visit.

As it is my first time at this stall, I am clueless about the ordering procedure. I only saw the $3 and $4 pricing pasted on the glass so I told the auntie that I wanted the $4 portion.

She proceeded to ask whether I wanted the chicken wing or chicken drumstick. I opted for the latter. 

Then, came the awkward silence.

Spinach & Soup @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

I have just stepped into Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre when the skies opened up and a torrent of rain poured down with a roar behind me. Any second later and I would have been drenched from head to toe.

Well, it seems like the perfect morning to have a bowl of soup then. To be precise, let's have spinach soup.

The stall I am visiting is called Spinach & Soup and they have two sets for you to choose from.

Set A comes with spinach, minced pork, prawn, mushroom and wolfberry (goji berry) while Set B had spinach, minced pork, mushroom, wolfberry, century egg and salted egg.

They have recently added a new Set C to the menu which includes spinach, lobster ball, fish tofu, mushroom and wolfberry.

Peter Fried Kway Teow Mee @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

Before moving to its current location at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, Peter Fried Kway Teow Mee was set up along East Coast Road and apparently quite well-known around the Katong area.

Instead of using normal boiled water to fry their kway teow (flat rice noodle), they used superior broth (brewed by old hen) which is more fragrant in taste.

The stall offers three different styles of fried kway teow namely Teochew, Penang, and Baba Nyonya.

The Teochew-style ($3/$4) that uses black sweet sauce is probably the one that Singaporeans are most familiar with.

The Penang-style ($4/$5), on the other hand, omits the use of black sweet sauce and leans more on the savory side.

As for the Baba Nyonya-style ($4/$5), only a little black sweet sauce is used, imparting the dish with both sweet and savory notes.

Xiang Xiang Nasi Lemak @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

Update: Xiang Xiang Nasi Lemak has permanently closed.

Tanjong Pagar residents must be really ardent fans of nasi lemak because there are actually three non-Halal nasi lemak stalls located on the second floor of the food centre!

The one I visited is called Xiang Xiang Nasi Lemak which is operated by an elderly couple.

During my previous visit, I was sitting right in front of this stall having my lor mee when I noticed the never-ending queue. That aroused my interest to check them out during my next visit.

Soon Heng Food Delights Lor Mee @ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre

The one and only item that Soon Heng Food Delights sell is lor mee, a noodle dish of Hokkien origins.

The stall, located on the second floor of Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre used to serve two versions: batang lor mee and fried shark lor mee, with reference to the type of fish used.

I have not eaten their batang version before but I guess it is shredded fish meat whereas the shark meat version is fried shark meat nuggets.

Now, only the shark meat version is available on the menu.

While researching for recommendations at this food centre, I came across photos of this lor mee and I was impressed by the presentation and reviews therefore I decided to include this on my to-eat list.

Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice @ Blk 40 Beo Crescent

This is my second time having Hainanese curry rice, the first being at Loo's seven years ago.

The stall in question today is a few minutes walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station, located at an old, run down coffeeshop under Blk 40 Beo Crescent.

This unassuming stall selling Hainanese curry rice does not have a signboard, let alone a name! I suppose that is why people started calling it the "Beo Crescent no name Hainanese curry rice".

Seng Huat Coffee House - Bak Chor Mee @ Blk 811 Hougang Central

Located within the same coffeeshop as the pork chop bun is a noodle stall that sell dry mee sua, fish ball noodle, abalone noodle and bak chor mee.

I have heard nothing but good reviews about their bak chor mee so I decided to try it out. Now, do you understand why I did not order soft-boiled eggs with my pork chop bun?

There is a short queue before me which cleared pretty fast. When it finally reached my turn, I ordered a bowl of bak chor mee kia.

Seng Huat Coffee House - Pork Chop Bun @ Blk 811 Hougang Central

I have seen this pork chop bun making its rounds on Instagram since a few years back but the thought of going all the way to Seng Huat Coffee House at Hougang is enough to stop me in my tracks. 

It was actually after my visit to Sentosa FunFest 2018 when I thought of dropping by Seng Huat Coffee House since it's on the way.

My idea of "on the way" is by taking the North-East Line from Habourfront MRT Station (NE1) to Hougang MRT Station (NE14).

The coffeeshop is conveniently located just right outside Hougang MRT Station opposite Hougang Mall.

Market Street Teochew Kway Teow Mee @ Market Street Interim Hawker Centre

Update: Market Street Teochew Kway Teow Mee has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

A bowl of kway teow soup is what people usually have when they are not feeling well or do not have much of an appetite as it is non-greasy and not so heavy on the stomach.

I, for one, can have kway teow soup anytime of the day because I love soupy stuff; not necessary only when I am sick.

It is my comfort food and my backup plan when I have no idea what to have for my meal at the hawker centre.

Market Street Teochew Kway Teow Mee offers Teochew-styled noodles either dry or soup with your option of noodles like mee pok (flat noodles), mee kia (thin noodles), kway teow (flat rice noodles), macaroni, etc.

鹏 Tiong Bahru Wanton Mee @ Market Street Interim Hawker Centre

Update: 鹏 Tiong Bahru Wanton Mee has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

This is a very promising bowl of wanton mee at Market Street Interim Hawker Centre. Just look at the amount of ingredients in my $3.50 bowl.

The portion of the mee kia is more than half the height of the bowl while char siew, fried wanton and choy sum sits on top. I actually have difficulty finishing the noodles even though what I had was the regular bowl.

The Live Turtle And Tortoise Museum @ The Chinese Garden

Located right inside the Chinese Garden lies Singapore's - and probably the world's - only turtle and tortoise museum. It is a unique, and one-of-a-kind museum, which houses a varied collection of the reptiles including some endangered species on the CITES.

It also holds the Guinness World Record since 2005 for the largest collection of turtle and tortoise items.

Unfortunately for the museum, the site it is sitting on has been incorporated into the masterplan design of the Jurong Lake Gardens project.

This spells nothing but trouble for the 500 turtles and tortoises who have lost their home with nowhere to go.

With a heavy heart, I decided to pay the museum a visit, four days before they are slated to close - permanently.

Ah Liang Ipoh Hor Fun @ Market Street Interim Hawker Centre

Update: Ah Liang Ipoh Hor Fun has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

My first visit to Ah Liang Ipoh Hor Fun was at their Maxwell Food Centre outlet a few weeks ago after an appointment nearby.

I have come across Ah Liang Ipoh Hor Fun during my previous research thus when I happened to stumble across them at Maxwell, I decided to order a plate to try since the lunch crowd has already dispersed with no queue.

Sentosa FunFest 2018 With 300 We Bare Bear Inflatables!

This March school holidays, Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears will be coming to Sentosa for Sentosa Funfest 2018! 

There will be plenty of photo opportunities with the 300-ish We Bare Bear inflatables around Palawan Beach and Palawan Green. Apart from the inflatables, keep your eyes peeled for cardboard cut-outs and life-sized figurines scattered randomly around the island.

Say Seng Authentic Teochew Mee Pok @ Market Street Interim Hawker Centre

Update: Say Seng Authentic Teochew Mee Pok has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

Say Seng Authentic Teochew Mee Pok (生成乾面) is one of the few stalls with a snaking queue that caught my attention during my first visit to the temporary hawker centre. I did not managed to have anything at that time because I do not want to join the lunch time queue.

I returned for a visit slightly earlier on another day and I headed straight for the stall only to find that there is no queue.

Old Chang Kee Nasi Lemak Chicken'O

You can tell that Singaporeans really love their nasi lemak when the national dish has been given numerous makeovers in recent years. From nasi lemak burger to nasi lemak onigiri and even nasi lemak served with lobster, Old Chang Kee has now upped the game with their own nasi lemak chicken'o!

Encased within the green, flaky crust are the usual suspects like chicken meat, a wedge of hard-boiled egg, ikan bilis, peanuts and sambal.

Wei Nan Wang Hock Kian Lor Mee @ Market Street Interim Hawker Centre

Update: Wei Nan Wang Hock Kian Lor Mee has permanently closed.

Last year, it was reported in the news that the Golden Shoe Car Park is slated to be demolished to make way for a spanking new 51-storey office tower.

Inevitably, the hawker centre located within the building had to be relocated. This is grim news for many as the hawker centre has been offering affordable food options for those working in the CBD area for the past 33 years.

There is no need for panic though, as the hawkers did not move far - they have simply shifted into a temporary hawker centre just about 200 metres from their original location. 

One of the levels in the new office building will be reserved as a food court and once the construction has been completed, the former Golden Shoe hawkers will return.

River Hong Bao 2018

Happy Chinese New Year!

I visited the River Hong Bao at The Float @ Marina Bay on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

While walking over from MBS via Helix Bridge, the 18m tall God of Fortune caught my attention. Unlike previous years, this year's God of Fortune is more jovial.

The afternoon sun is such a killer. I cannot even open my eyes due to the glare!

I recommend coming in the evenings since it would be cooler and more comfortable. Besides, there will not be any golden showers from the God of Fortune till 7pm, 8pm, 9.10pm and 10pm so this is another consideration if that is what you are coming for.

Furthermore, the lanterns will look better in the dark when they are all lit up.

Lau Phua Chay Roasted Delicacies @ Alexandra Village Food Centre

Shocking would be an understatement to describe my first impression of Lau Phua Chay Roasted Delicacies at Alexandra Village Food Centre.

I was actually queuing for the avocado juice next door during my previous visit to the food centre when I saw the darkest char siew I had ever seen hanging behind the glass window.

That certainly got my attention and I made a mental note to try this out during my next visit here.

Hor Fun Premium - Beef Hor Fun @ Alexandra Village Food Centre

Hor Fun Premium is another one of the more popular stalls along the same row as Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa at Alexandra Village Food Centre. I was there on a Sunday morning and had their beef hor fun for breakfast.

Hor fun sounds a tad too heavy to have at 10-ish in the morning if you ask me but the charred kway teow (flat rice noodle) drenched in the alluring eggy gravy is tough to say no to.

Apart from beef, you also have the option of sliced fish or seafood. Or, if you prefer, you can have those options with mui fan too if it rocks your boat. They serve pork ribs rice, ginger & spring onion sliced fish rice and ginger & spring onion beef rice as well.

Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa @ Alexandra Village Food Centre

Singapore and its nearby region seems to have been hit by an unusually cold weather spell since the beginning of the new year. At a time like this, having a hot, steaming pot of claypot laksa doesn't sound like a bad idea.

I have always wanted to try Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa not because of its Bib Gourmand status but I am a sucker for claypot-anything. Food seem particularly tasty when served in claypots, don't you think?

The stall at Alexandra Village Food Centre is located along the row just opposite to Tai Chong Kok Confectionery at Blk 122 so it is really easy to find.

Hai Tang Lor Mee @ Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

Update: Hai Tang Lor Mee has permanently closed.

About six months ago, I was checking out Mei Ling Market & Food Centre for good eats. I tried the recommended Xin Lu Teochew Fishball Kway Teow Mee and Shi Hui Yuan Hor Fun Specialty which I had already blogged about then. At that time, I also had the lor mee from Hai Tang Lor Mee.

Sadly, the photos for the lor mee did not turn out satisfactory so I had to make a return visit to take the photos again. However, on the day of my visit, the stall was closed and there is a notice on the shutters informing customers that they would be taking a two months break.

This post eventually got pushed down and lay forgotten in the drafts section.

Ah Ma Lor Mee @ Blk 328 Clementi Ave 2

The row of aquarium shops at Blk 328 Clementi Avenue 2 is my to-go-to place for my aquarium supplies.

At the end of the row is a coffeeshop which I have always walked by but never patronize. Who would when the coffeeshop always seemed so quiet and not all the stalls are in operation? 

Furthermore, the popular 448 Clementi Market & Food Centre is just a five to ten minutes walk away.

But, little do I know that hidden in the coffeeshop is a lor mee stall called Ah Ma Lor Mee which happens to be run by the third generation of the popular Feng Zhen Lor Mee (凤珍卤面).

I would not have known about them if not for the fact that Ah Ma Lor Mee was among the Top 10 most-voted-for stalls of the Singapore Food Master 2017 competition and it emerges as one of the top 3 in the west zone category.

Eng Kee - Fried Bee Hoon And Fried Chicken Wing @ Redhill Market & Food Centre

I have long heard about Eng Kee and their famous fried chicken wings but have not gotten round to visiting them as I still have not figured out how to get to their location at Commonwealth.

As fate would have it, they opened a branch at Redhill Market & Food Centre which is easier for me as I already know how to get there. But of all places to set up shop, they opened their branch at the previous stall of YAN (焱), who is also famous for their fried chicken wings.

Since I have just visited YAN (now renamed YON YAN) at their new location at West Coast Market, I thought I might as well visit Eng Kee to see the difference between the two? This is something that I have wanted to do but procrastinated till now.

Yon Yan - Fried Bee Hoon And Fried Chicken Wing @ West Coast Market Square

About six months ago, Eng Kee posted a photo of YAN's stallfront on their Facebook. I was puzzled why did Eng Kee open their new branch at YAN's location? 

For the uninitiated, Mr Hu, the owner of YAN, is the original owner of Eng Kee at Commonwealth. Mr Hu's Chinese name is 胡火荣 while Eng Kee's Chinese name is 荣记 so can you see the link between them? He sold off the brand and recipe then set up YAN at Redhill. Both stalls offer similar food items i.e economical fried bee hoon and fried chicken wings which both are popular in their own rights.

What's confusing me is, since Eng Kee is opening their branch at YAN's location, why didn't they change the signboard to their own before putting up the photo on their Facebook?

It wasn't until last December when the Chinese tabloids reported that Mr Hu has ended the business at Redhill Food Centre six months ago due to a work injury but has now reopened for business again at a new location with a new name and they finally have their own Facebook page!

The Mystery Of The Curry Murder Case @ Orchard Road Presbyterian Church

I passed by the Orchard Road Presbyterian Church while on my way to the National Museum of Singapore.

This church is no stranger to anyone who frequents Orchard Road. Located at the Bras Basah end of Orchard Road right next to the YMCA, the Orchard Road Presbyterian Church has been around since our colonial days.

However, do you know it has a very sombre past?

The church is the crime scene of a possible murder case dubbed as "The Curry Murder" which shook the nation in 1984.

"Glass Rotunda: Story Of The Forest" Digital Installation At The National Museum Of Singapore

After finishing the temporary exhibition Witness To War: Remembering 1942, I proceeded to Level 2 of the Museum, where the Glass Rotunda is.

It is home to a new permanent work, Story Of The Forest by renowned Japanese digital art collective teamLab.

I entered the rotunda, not knowing what to expect and I was blown away.

"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.