Tien Lai Rice Stall @ Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre

Tien Lai Rice Stall at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre is known for their roasts, particularly their char siew which is rated very highly among foodies online.

During my previous visits to the food centre, I noticed that a line of customers have already formed in front of the stall even before they are ready for business.

I decided not to join the queue then because the line only gets increasingly longer by the minute. Today, I was surprised to see only three customers in the queue therefore, I wasted no time in joining them.

De Ji Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken @ Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre

While checking out the stalls at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, I could not help but notice the rows of soy sauce chicken beckoning to me from behind the glass display at De Ji Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken.

I stopped in my tracks and took a moment to worship the chickens whose skin glistens under the caress of the warm spotlights. For just $3, you could have your soy sauce chicken with either rice or noodle.

I opted for the $4 soy sauce chicken with noodle.

58 Minced Meat Noodle @ Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre

58 Minced Meat Noodle is undoubtedly one of the more popular stalls evident by its daily snaking queue. Located on the third floor of Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, the line often stretched to the nearby escalator, blocking the path of the people coming up.

With a history spanning 47 years, the stall is now succeeded by Deon Ang, the second generation who has been helping his father out at the stall since his teenage years when they were still at their previous location.

On the day of my visit, Deon was there at the helm, cooking bowl after bowls of minced meat noodle at lightning speed while assisted by a lady helper.

Feng Zhen Lor Mee @ Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre

My last visit to Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre was probably more than two decades ago. I vaguely recall that it is a single-storey food centre then with no market.

The food centre today is a five-storey building after undergoing reconstruction in 2005. It comprises of a wet market on the ground floor while the food centre is relocated to the second and third floor. A car park providing parking facilities took up the remaining two levels on top.

I am here to check out Feng Zheng Lor Mee which is said to serve one of the best lor mee in the West. I have been yearning to give them a try after learning about them years ago.

They have a couple of other outlets all run by family members. I have tried the daughter's stall at Yew Tee and the grandchildren's stall at Clementi and Choa Chu Kang numerous times however, I have yet to try the grandmother's stall here at Taman Jurong.

Mahan Food - Mee Soto @ Blk 132 Jurong Gateway Road

Right across the coffee shop from Al Mubarak Restaurant is Mahan Food, a Malay Muslim stall selling nasi padang, lontong, mee siam, mee rebus and mee soto.

Other than the nasi padang, their noodle dishes are all priced affordably at $3. I ordered a bowl of mee soto and I could not resist the temptation of adding a begedil and fried chicken wing to complete my meal.

Don't you think the begedil and fried chicken wing are the best accompaniments to pair with mee soto? The makcik placed the two sides separately in another bowl. She even helped to cut up the chicken wing for easy eating.

The total bill came up to $5.20.

Al Mubarak Restaurant - Chicken Briyani @ Blk 132 Jurong Gateway Road

I was visiting the bank in the area so I thought I would drop by Foodclique at blk 132 Jurong Gateway Road for brunch.

I had spent the entire morning waiting at the bank and I was getting hangry. While pondering over what to have from the coffee shop, I saw this huge pot of briyani beckoning to me from the counter-top of Al Mubarak Restaurant, an Indian Muslim stall.

Resistance is futile, they say and I think there is much truth in that as I succumbed to temptation and ordered myself a chicken briyani ($5.50).

My eyes sparkled when the staff removed the lid that was partially covering the pot, revealing the basmati rice together with mutton and chicken in its grandeur.

As I did not had my camera with me, I returned for a second visit within the same week, this time, armed with my trusty camera for a proper review... only to realize that the memory card is still plugged into the computer at home.

I had to depend on my iPhone camera, albeit unwillingly, for the rescue mission.

Shun Li Ah Ma Lor Mee - Laksa @ Redhill Market & Food Centre

After trying the lor mee from Shun Li Ah Ma Lor Mee at Redhill Market & Food Centre, I felt I had to come back to give their laksa a try as well.

This time, it is the male cook who served me as the lady helper is prepping ingredients at the back of the stall. 

Just like my previous visit, I was asked if I wanted bean sprouts however, nothing could prepare me for the next question because, this is the first time in my entire existence that I was asked how I wanted my cockles.

Stunned, I replied "yes" when he asked if I wanted them cooked? I had actually meant to say "no" since the hot broth would be enough to blanch them but at that moment, I simply could not process the question in my brain.

Wow, these guys really go the extra mile with their service! I am still reeling in from the shock!