Hai Xian Zhu Zhou - Ke Kou Mian @ Blk 233 Yishun Street 21

After having the ke kou mian from Bon Appetit at Yishun Park Hawker Centre, I kept thinking about the one near me at Blk 163A Gangsa Road (Bukit Panjang) and how the two actually compares.

To my surprise, I discovered that they have a stall at Yishun which is managed by relatives and its location is actually along the route to Yishun Park Hawker Centre from the bus interchange.

After I am done with Yishun Park Hawker Centre, I decided to check out this Hai Xian Zhu Zhou outlet at Blk 233 Yishun Street 21.

The coffee shop is located across the street from the bus stop where I got off. It is a quiet neighborhood however, all that changed once I stepped into the busy coffee shop. The premise was full of people with lots of chattering and hardly an empty table available.

I quickly joined the queue to place my order for a bowl of pork ke kou mian and was given a number tag to collect my food when the corresponding number flashed on the digital screen. I know a lot of customers were there for the exact same reason as I do because everyone were craning their necks towards the direction of the stall, waiting for their number to come up.

It took about twenty minutes for my number to appear on the screen.

Ah Tan Wings - Har Cheong Gai Cutlet @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

After hearing so much raves about Ah Tan Wings, I finally had the chance to give them a try at Yishun Park Hawker Centre.

This stall specializes in one of Singaporean's favorite tze char dish - the prawn paste chicken, or better known as har cheong gai which is essentially deep fried chicken marinated in fermented prawn paste.

The menu here is simple.

You can buy the chicken wings ala carte at $1.80 each (minimum two pieces), or as a meal with either two wings (Set A $5.20) or chicken cutlet (Set B $6.80). Both meals come with rice and a sunny side up with cucumbers and half a wedge of lemon.

There is also the basic meal (Set C $3.50) which is similar to Set A but only come with one wing and no fried egg.

51 Noodle House - Japanese Fusion Bak Chor Mee @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

During my previous visit to Yishun Park Hawker Centre, I went to the wrong bak chor mee stall therefore, I am back again to look for the correct one called 51 Noodle House.

51 Noodle House is the collaboration between two young hawkers who already have their own respective food stalls at the food centre.

Rather than being business rivals, the two - Henry Yap from Ipoh Curry Noodle (#01-36) and Darren  Teo from Seafood Pirates (#01-35) - teamed up to open another stall offering fusion bak chor mee with a Japanese element to it.

Da San Yuan - Bak Chor Mee @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

The purpose of this trip to Yishun Park Hawker Centre is to check out the bak chor mee.

Upon my arrival, I realized that I had forgotten the unit number and name of the stall. I began looking around at the signboards, searching for one that offers the dish. It did not take me long to find it and I promptly ordered a bowl.

After taking a few pictures, I began to dig in eagerly. However, a few mouthfuls later, I started questioning myself the reason for including this stall on my list. Do not get me wrong; the taste is decent but the ingredients are hardly rave-worthy for me.

I took out my list to verify only to discover that... I had actually gone to the wrong stall!

I am supposed to go to 51 Minced Meat Noodle but I had mistaken Da San Yuan for it instead. Well, my bad. I had not expected that there would be more than one bak chor mee stall at the food centre.

Apart from bak chor mee, Da San Yuan also sell fish ball noodle, mini pot noodle and laksa.

Seafood Pirates - $3 Oyster Omelette Rice @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Seafood Pirates is a seafood soup stall run by Darren Teo and a partner. It is one of the more well-known stalls at Yishun Park Hawker Centre with a celebrity status of sorts, having appeared in various news media as well as covered by major food blogs.

In tune with their stall's pirate themed name, their soups are cleverly named as Pirate's Ultimate, Pirate's Signature, Pirate's Treasure and Pirate's Catch.

Each of these are served with a different combination of seafood such as crayfish, prawns, fish, clams, oysters and fish roe ball in a soup base made with fish bones and chicken bones.

As I am having the Ipoh curry noodle from next door, I decided to leave the soup for another visit. Instead, I will have the oyster omelette rice which I decided to takeaway in case I could not finish it (after having the curry noodle).

Yap's Noodle - Ipoh Curry Seafood & Roasted Pork Noodle @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Henry Yap, the owner of Yap's Noodle at Yishun Park Hawker Centre hails from the Malaysian town of Ipoh. His stall specializes in dishes from his hometown, particularly curry noodle.

There is quite a variety of curry noodle available on the menu: curry seafood & roasted pork noodle, curry seafood & abalone noodle, curry shredded chicken & roasted pork noodle, curry chicken noodle, curry fish ball noodle and curry noodle (no meat).

I was actually undecided between the curry shredded chicken noodle and the curry seafood & roasted pork noodle. The former is my personal favorite while the latter, I heard, is limited to only fifty bowls per day.

Furthermore, I supposed the one with seafood would appear better on photos therefore, the choice is made.

Nasi Lemak Cabe Ijo @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Singaporean Mohammed Noorman and his Indonesian wife, Puti Andam Dewi Henry are the owners of Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang at Yishun Park Hawker Centre.

Just like the marriage of the stall owners, their signature dish - the nasi lemak ayam taliwang which the stall is named after - is a cross-cultural union between nasi lemak and ayam taliwang, an Indonesian spicy grilled chicken dish.

The couple had tried ayam taliwang while on honeymoon at Puti's hometown and they liked it so much that they decided to introduce it to Singapore and paired it with Noorman's nasi lemak recipe.

Apart from this, the stall also have nasi lemak ayam balado and nasi lemak ayam cabe ijo.

They are basically the same thing - good old nasi lemak served with grilled chicken leg but are smothered in different types of rempah.

I had the nasi lemak ayam cabe ijo, which is served with grilled chicken leg in green chili rempah.

Bon Appetit - Ke Kou Mian @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Update: Bon Appetit has permanently closed.

What is ke kou mian (可口面)?

I first heard of this dish from a stall named Hai Xian Zhu Zhou (海鲜煮粥) at Blk 163A Gangsa Road (Bukit Panjang) which is pretty close by my place.

Ke kou mian translates to "delicious noodle", or it could simply be referring to the Koka brand of instant noodle that the stall used in the making of this dish. Basically, the stall cook instant noodle with your choice of broth flavor (pork, seafood, spicy, tom yum) and added ingredients like meat and vegetables to it.

I am not too sure if paying a couple of dollars for a bowl of instant noodle which I could easily whip up at home myself is such a good idea therefore, even though this Hai Xian Zhu Zhou is near me, I have not paid them a visit yet.

I think partly, it is also due to their ungodly operating hours from 4am to 2.30pm.

I doubt this ke kou mian stall named Bon Appetit at Yishun Park Hawker Centre is related to Hai Xian Zhu Zhou but since it have a much more normal operating hours, I decided to give them a try.

One Mouth Noodle - Char Siew Wanton Noodle @ Yishun Park Hawker Centre

From far, you would have thought that this stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre sells ban mian as the words 手工面 (handmade noodle) took centrestage on the signboard in a very large font size.

However, as soon as you come nearer, you will realize that the stall's real name is the one on the left-hand side in a smaller font that reads 一口麵 (One Mouth Noodle).

But, the biggest surprise is, the stall does not sell ban mian at all. Instead, they sell Hong Kong-styled wanton noodle.

And the best part? The stall owner actually makes his own egg noodle, a skill which he picked up from his father and that is what the "手工面" on the signboard refers to.

Qi Le Chicken Rice @ Blk 744 Yishun Street 72

Mention chicken rice in Yishun and 925 Chicken Rice near the old bus interchange would come to mind. I had it before but did not find it inspiring enough to want to write about it.

It has been years since then and now I am back on a food trail around Yishun. I thought of looking for another chicken rice stall to try and my search brought me to this chicken rice stall called Qi Le Chicken Rice located inside the S-11 coffee shop near the MRT station.

It is easy to get here: simply exit the MRT station and follow the footpath to the coffee shop. The stall is right in the middle of the coffee shop, partially hidden behind a pillar.

Pak Mandor Nasi Lemak @ Blk 645 Yishun Street 61

Just a slight distance away from 618 Sim Carrot Cake at blk 645 Yishun Street 61, is a coffeeshop with a very popular Malay Muslim stall named Pak Mandor & Family.

The stall sells mee rebus, lontong and nasi lemak however, most customers are there mainly for their coconut rice from what I observed.

The queue was not long but it is very slow-moving as some of the customers in front are buying multiple packs to take away.

You can pick your favorite ingredients ala carte but I simply pointed to the photo on the signboard and told the kak kak that I wanted the same combination which came with coconut rice, a fried chicken wing, a fried kuning fish, an omelette and the usual condiments like peanuts, ikan bilis, cucumber and sambal chili.

I thought a combo like this with both fried fish and fried chicken would have cost at least $4 but no, all these cost a mere $3!

618 Sim Carrot Cake @ Blk 618 Yishun Ring Road

618 Sim Carrot Cake is located in a quiet neighborhood at Yishun near Khatib MRT Station. The stall sells white carrot cake ($3/$4) while giving customers the option to add prawns ($4.50/$6). They used to sell the black version as well but not anymore.

I ordered the smallest $3 plate and was given a buzzer after I paid up. According to online reviews, I was mentally prepared to wait for up to an hour but all it took was about ten minutes for my buzzer to start vibrating.

I was astonished to see the portion of my $3 carrot cake on the counter, ready for collection. I thought the auntie has made a mistake and had given me the $4 plate instead. I double checked with her and she assured me that it is indeed my order.

The generous portion can actually be shared among two persons which is totally value for money!

Mr Fish - Black Bean Sliced Fish Hor Fun @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Mr Fish has permanently closed.

This post was initially intended for the black bean sliced fish hor fun from Sun Seng Gourmet's Corner (#02-061) which is located at the far end of Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

Unfortunately, the stall was closed when I visited on a Tuesday (their off day is on Sunday and Monday).

Thankfully, I recalled that Mr Fish (#02-073) which I visited a week ago for its sliced fish bee hoon offered the same dish therefore, I retraced my steps back to the stall.

I have never had had black bean sliced fish hor fun ($5) before therefore I ordered a plate with the purple-haired auntie to try it out.

Mr Fish - Sliced Fish Bee Hoon @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Mr Fish has permanently closed.

Mr Fish is located at a secluded spot of Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre which could prove to be a little challenging to find however, if you know where Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu is, the stall is just a bit further in.

What brought me here is their fish soup which is purportedly made with no milk added. The creaminess and depth of flavor was achieved through long hours of non stop boiling fried fish bones.

A long waiting time is to be expected during peak hours as each bowl is cooked upon order. I arrived at about half past ten but the stall did not open till slightly after eleven. Even though I was the second customer of the day, my order only came ten minutes after the first customer was served.

Claypot & Cooked Food Kitchen - Serving Cantonese Delights @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Claypot & Cooked Food Kitchen is permanently closed.

Claypot & Cooked Food Kitchen at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre specializes in Cantonese-style tze char. The modest menu included their signature claypot pig's liver, har cheong gai, sweet & sour pork, salted fish minced chicken tofu pot, tofu & roasted meat among others.

In the days following up to my visit, I was actually quite looking forward to have their har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken) because honestly, is there anyone who does not like fried chicken?

When the day eventually arrived, I visited the stall with much anticipation but I was taken aback when the lady told me in her heavily Cantonese-accented Mandarin that the har cheong gai is a sauce-less dish which would be too dry to have with rice and refused to process my order.

To be fair, she did not say it outright but I got the signals from her body language. I was waiting for her to give me suggestions on what other dishes to try, however, she turned her back on me, not willing to carry the conversation further.

For a moment, I stood there dumbstruck, trying to comprehend what has just happened. Have I just been told that I am unable to have har cheong gai with rice because it is too dry?

"Huh... then... how?" I asked, totally puzzled by the logic.

"Choose something else" she replied curtly.

I looked up at the signboard and had a quick browse at the menu before I decide to add on a vegetable dish to my fried chicken.

"One kai lan with oyster sauce and one har cheong kai. With rice."

It was only then she picked up the pen and wrote down my order on a piece of paper.

I do not understand what is the issue here with having fried chicken with rice? Is it because I am ordering only one dish therefore she is not too keen in my patronage? I hope that is not her bid to make me spend more because I came alone so how much food can I actually eat?

Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre needs no further introduction but, unless you have eaten it before, you would never have guessed that what I had here is a plate of chicken rice because frankly, it does not even remotely resemble one.

It is not my first time having their chicken rice but it is my first time having it there hence I was rather taken aback by the presentation. In the past, my family always chose to pack a bird home for dinner.

Despite having patronized them for years, I did not realize that they actually sell two kinds of chickens with different pricing. There is the Hong Kong-styled soya sauce chicken (half $7/whole $14) and signature soya sauce chicken (half $10/whole $20).

Well, I guess I would not have taken such a close look at their signboard if not for doing this review. In fact, I wonder why it took me so long to write about them?

Chef Sham H.K. Vinegar Trotters @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I have wanted to try the pig's trotters from Chef Sham H.K. Vinegar Trotters for the longest time, but somehow, I would always ended up having something else while at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

On this visit, I made up my mind and marched my way to the stall to order myself a bowl of black vinegar pig's trotters and a bowl of rice.

It was a younger Chinese man who took my order but it was Chef Sham himself who served me. The stall made enough pig's trotters to fill a large vat which could last them probably several days. When an order is received, the trotters would be fished from the vat and transferred to be reheated over a stove in a claypot. 

Ah Hua Assam - Signature Assam Chicken Set @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Ah Hua Assam has permanently closed.

Ah Hua Assam is a relatively new entrant at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre having set up stall only in August this year. Their main focus are dishes made with their home made assam (tamarind) sauce.

In fact, they were marketing their home made assam sauce in glass bottles online before setting up stall here.

When photos of their enticing dishes served on enamel plates began making their rounds on Instagram, it caught my attention. Wow, that screams nothing but old school therefore, I decided to go check them out at the food centre.

On the menu are their signature assam chicken set, braised chicken set and assam batang fish set. The sets are served with rice, omelette, and your choice of curry vegetable or chap chye.

They also have whole assam fish heads and other add-ons, like home made ngor hiang, assam bee hoon, babi pongteh and otak.

Ah Hor Teochew Kway Teow Mee @ 165 Kitchener Road

Just across the road from City Square Mall is a coffee shop housing a very popular Teochew noodle stall. 

I have kiv-ed this stall at the same time as the braised duck rice stall because they are categorized under the same area. This noodle stall called Ah Hor Teochew Kway Teow Mee has since moved from the address (12 Verdun Road) recorded in my list.

According to Dr Leslie Tay, the old stall used to be under an elderly man in his 70s who had a penchant for long sleeved shirts with flowery prints.

However, when I was at their new location, the havoc uncle is no where to be seen. Instead, the cooking was done by a middle aged lady with a young man taking orders.

South Buona Vista Road Famous Teochew Boneless Duck Rice - Closing At The End Of November! @ 16 Sam Leong Road

Update: South Buona Vista Road Famous Teochew Boneless Duck Rice has relocated. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

There is a braised duck rice stall with a rather lengthy name located near Mustafa Centre.

Its owner, Mr Ang Chiap Teck - brother-in-law to the founder of the famous Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice at Buona Vista - set up the business here at Verdun Road in 2013 after Lim Seng Lee closed down during that same year.

As a mark of respect to his brother-in-law who had given him his blessings to revive the 45 years old business, Mr Ang did not continue with the Lim Seng Lee brand. Instead, he named his business South Buona Vista Road Famous Teochew Boneless Duck Rice.

I have kiv-ed this stall for quite a few years now but have never gotten round to paying them a visit.

While getting out of bed one Saturday morning, I suddenly made up my mind not to put it off any longer and took the train to Farrer Park MRT station. Cutting through City Square Mall, I exited the mall and crossed the road to the opposite side where the stall is located inside a coffee shop named Kim San Leng.

There were no customers that Saturday morning so I was able to order a plate of braised duck rice for $4 immediately.