The Dead Cockroach

singapore,food review,food,review,singapore,bukit timah plaza,zhen wang family restaurant,braised duck rice,braised duck,bukit timah,1 jalan anak bukit

I cannot believe what a dork I have been, letting such a gem of a braised duck rice slipping by under my nose all these years!

Bukit Timah Plaza has been my childhood playground since the Yaohan era but I have never noticed this Zhen Wang Family Restaurant before.

It was not until recently that I learned of this nameless duck rice stall located inside the eatery on a social media post. I was scratching my head over the existence of this place wondering why I have never seen it before despite claims that it has been there for over twenty years?

I went down to take a look and I found out why.

I have always entered the building through the entrance under Anak Bukit Flyover and would head straight for the escalator to go down to B2 where Yaohan, Wishbone and Waffle Town are.

The eatery is located at the far end near the escalator side on B1 where I admittedly have never ever turned to look in that direction before.

My habit upon reaching Bukit Timah Plaza is to head to B2 because that is where all my favorite shops are.

Come to think of it, I hardly go to the other floors where the maid agencies, tuition centre, music school and other specialty shops are.

This explains why I have not seen or even heard of Zhen Wang Family Restaurant.

Run by a husband and wife team, the stall serves braised duck, roasted duck, roasted chicken, char siew and roasted pork.

I ordered a packet of braised duck rice ($3.80) to take away with the uncle, opting for white rice over yam rice. As they sell chicken rice as well, their white rice is 油饭 instead of plain white rice.

The rice is fragrant but not oily.

The duck meat is deboned and chopped into thin strips for easy eating.

Popping a piece of meat in my mouth, I am delighted by how tenderly smooth it is. The braised duck at some places are coarse and fibrous but the one here is succulent.

The sauce drenched over the rice is the sweet type.

I realized that I am not too fond of savory sauce.

Now, this is the style of braised duck rice that I like.

My only gripe is the absence of cucumber and sambal.

I cannot wait to return to dine in at the eatery because they have herbal soup and I want to try that.

This stall does not have much social media presence and is rather under the radar despite having been featured by Seth Lui before.

ZHEN WANG FAMILY RESTAURANT

Bukit Timah Plaza

1 Jalan Anak Bukit

Bukit Timah Road

#B1-47

Singapore 588996

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 11am - 9pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/axJaF9WN9NwX7zbQ6

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singapore,food review,food,review,17 lorong kilat,kilat court,chicken house,kampong chicken,chicken rice,

I have always been intrigued by the yellow skinned poached chickens from Hong Kong that I often see on tv and I am glad to have found one not too far from my place.

Located in a coffee shop called Chicken House at Kilat Court along Lorong Kilat, I am not sure if the chickens here are the same or even comparable to the ones from Hong Kong. Nevertheless, compared to the pale looking ones which we have been enjoying for years, this felt like a breathe of fresh air.

I ordered to takeaway a ji wei fan (鸡尾饭) which is basic[ally the part from the butt to the thigh area. This portion is generally smoother and juicier than say, the breast.

However, I was told that they have run out of ji wei and if drumstick is okay. Well, I am more than happy to oblige but the price seems a little steep at $4.70.

A mini tub of garlic chili and dark soya sauce were included alongside my pack of chicken rice.

The selling point of Chicken House is their kampong (free-range) chicken which are less fatty and thus healthier to consume.

Such chickens are not very commonly available so if you prefer a guilt-free chicken rice experience, this is for you.

Indeed, there is literally no trace of visible fat underneath the thin layer of that marvelous yellow chicken skin.

I have always thought that kampong chickens are lean and tough due to their regular "workouts" however, my drumstick was succulent and flavorful.

Perhaps, the breast would be a different story altogether? I will have to find that out during my next visit.

Oh, and I still have not found out the reason behind the color of their skin. Was it the way kampong chickens are raised that gave them that yellow skin?

On the other hand, I like how the rice is not overly greasy or clumpy. The texture is firm with a nutty flavor, accentuated with chicken stock. Some felt that the rice is lacking in flavors but I find it pleasant enough to eat on its own.

Although this is a "chicken house", they also serve a limited menu of cooked-to-order dishes such as oyster vegetable and prawn rolls.

Even though the premise is a non air-conditioned coffee shop, the interior is clean, breezy and spacious.

CHICKEN HOUSE

Kilat Court

17 Lorong Kilat

#01-01

Singapore 598139

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 10.30am - 7.30pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/96Rxnyno2YafEmae7

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du du shou shi,tutu kueh,singapore,food review,food,review,blk 505 jurong west market & food centre,giant tutu kueh,嘟嘟熟食

I have walked past Du Du Shou Shi at Blk 505 Jurong West Market & Food Centre numerous times before but this is my first time patronizing them.

It used to be a noodle stall by day and a tutu kueh stall by night. However, when I visited the stall this morning, it has fully transformed into a tutu kueh stall. Any signs of it being a noodle stall in the past is no longer apparent.

And taking helm at the stall front now is a younger man instead of the usual elderly uncle.

Tutu kueh usually come in just one standard size but over here at Du Du Shou Shi, two sizes are available: small (4 pieces for $2) and big ($1 per piece). Out of curiosity, I ordered both for a size comparison.

The young man immediately get to work, filling the tutu mould with rice flour and steaming them on the spot.

I did not specify the filling I wanted nor did he asked. In fact, I did not see any options of flavors available anywhere on the stall façade.

I got coconut fillings for all.

It did not take long for my order to be ready. The piping hot tutus were then placed in a plastic bag and handed over to me.

Being the delicate kueh they are, I was careful not to swing the bag too much. They pretty much survived the two bus rides back home though a little condensation due to the steam is inevitable.

The aroma of pandan wafted to my nose as I try to ease the tutu out of the bag as gently as I could.

I find the larger tutu a tad uglier than the smaller ones without the nice imprints from the mould. Despite the difference in size and appearance, they tasted pretty much the same.

I like the mouthfeel of the well-compacted rice flour disintegrating in my mouth, while releasing the flavor of the sweetened desiccated coconut within.

To be honest, tutus are such tasty little morsels that one is never enough!

DU DU SHOU SHI 嘟嘟熟食

Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre

505 Jurong West Street 52

#01-19

Singapore 640505

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 9am - 5pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/U17Dqi3gVGQ3qST29

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chicken rice ball,singapore,blk 442 jurong west ave 1,food review,review,qi lin xuan chicken rice ball,food,麒麟轩古早味鸡饭团,

Qi Lin Xuan Kitchen first started out in 2014 as a tze char business. When they began offering chicken rice balls in 2018, it was picked up by social media where it made a flurry of appearances in various media outlets.

Knowing me, I would always wait for the hype to wear off before I make my move but I think I may have waited a little too long (three years!) as there was nary a soul when I arrived just before noon.

Has the chicken rice balls lost its magic already? There were no other customers in the premise and the coffee shop was dim inside. Only the lights from the chicken rice stall at the front of the coffee shop is on but there is no one manning it.

Just as I was about to walk away, someone called out to me from the depths within.

"Shuai ge, chi ji fan ma?" (handsome, chicken rice for you?)

On account of him calling me shuai ge, I ordered a chicken rice ball set ($3.50). For some reason, after making my order, customers began streaming in one after another and they were all addressed as shuai ge by the very same staff. 🙄

My chicken rice ball set for one comes with three rice balls and a portion of chicken meat. I did not request for any specific chicken parts but there is a wing and bits of chicken breast. You can choose from poached chicken, roasted chicken and soy sauce chicken.

The chicken meat was cold to the bite as though they had been sitting in a ice bath. The texture was tender and smooth but lacking in chicken flavors. In other words, the chicken tasted bland.

The lifesaver was the savory dressing drizzled over it which is not overly salty.

The rice balls felt surprisingly heavy at the tip of the fork. Despite me taking a bite out of it, it maintained its shape and did not fall apart.

Perhaps due to being moulded by hand, the rice balls were very compact and I could feel the starchiness of the rice. Exuding very faint hints of ginger and lemongrass, they were not too oily either.

It seems Qi Lin Xuan might be trying to serve a healthier version of chicken rice with lesser fat and sodium content.

The mildly-flavored cabbage soup.

QI LIN XUAN CHICKEN RICE BALL 麒麟轩古早味鸡饭团

Blk 442 Jurong West Ave 1

Singapore 640442

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 7am - 2pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/qilinxuanchickenrice/

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/9qhfhjvJA4KqWemb9

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fu ji,minced meat noodle,fu ji minced meat noodle,bak chor mee,fu ji bak chor mee,singapore,food review,food,review,blk 491 jurong west ave 1,富记肉脞面,富记,肉脞面,

After my dental appointment at the nearby Polyclinic, I visited this noodle stall named Fu Ji which is located inside Fu Chan Coffee Shop at Blk 491 Jurong West Ave 1.

I learned about the minced meat noodle here weeks prior my appointment from a Instagram friend so I planned a visit to check it out.

Business was sluggish upon my arrival with only Fu Ji and a chicken rice stall opened. At a glance, there are less than five customers in the coffee shop.

As it is my first time here, I am not sure if it is due to the dine-in restrictions or competition from across the road at Jurong Central Plaza where there are more coffee shops and therefore more choices.

I ordered a bowl of minced meat noodle ($3) opting for mee pok.

Since there were no customers, I received my bowl of noodle which came with a bowl of soup served on the side pretty quickly.

I found myself a table outside where it is brighter and cooler.

At a glance, ingredients included minced meat, pork balls, pig's liver, slivers of marinated mushrooms and lettuce atop a mound of mee pok. Portion size seems decent for the price.

The minced pork is cooked till tender while mushrooms bursting with juices. As for the pork balls, they were nothing too memorable.

I was looking forward to having the pig's liver but alas, not only are they sliced a tad too thin, they were overcooked too. However, I find comfort in the bowl of soup which had hints of the liver flavors.

The savory-spicy concoction of tossing sauce had a tinge of sweetish ketchup old-school flavor that I like. There is just enough sauce to coat every strand of noodle with a slick coat of oil but it is not oily by any means.

The texture of the mee pok is not exactly springy but it had a soft, chewy bite.

This may not be the best minced meat noodle there is but it is good enough to please yet value for money. My only gripe is the lack of crispy pork lard and red, cut chili.

Other than minced meat noodle, the stall also sell fish ball noodle, laksa, lor mee, and mini wok noodle (小碗面).

FU JI 富记

Fu Chan Coffee Shop

Blk 442 Jurong West Ave 1

Singapore 640442

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 7am - 2pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/KWPbmsfenJVdTWY5A

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singapore,jj sarawak noodle,food review,review,sarawak noodle,kolo mee,food,blk 504 jurong west street 51,

Edit: JJ Sarawak Noodle has relocated to Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre. The new address has been updated at the bottom of this post.

I recently found out that there is a stall selling Sarawak noodle (kolo mee) as well as Sarawak laksa inside a coffee shop at Blk 504 Jurong West Street 51.

I visit the market and food centre at Blk 505 from time to time but I have not seen or heard of the stall called JJ Sarawak Noodle before as the coffee shop is located at a secluded part of the neighborhood with low footfall.

Business here is a far cry from the food centre or even the halal coffee shop just one block away. You have to see it for yourself to know what I am talking about.

Anyway, I am not complaining because those places are rowdy and difficult to find seats. If I wanted some peace and quiet to have my meal, this is where I would go.

As I was pretty hungry, I decided to go for the large bowl of kolo mee ($5) which came loaded with minced meat, char siew and fried wantons.

I must say they are very generous with the seasoned minced meat that brings the whole dish together. There are more of them hidden from view under the fried wantons.

Brownie points for the subtly sweet char siew that does not taste dry like cardboard. If a food stall took the effort to make their own char siew, I will not give them a bad score.

I am not sure if fried wantons are common in a traditional bowl of kolo mee but I am happy to have them despite being mostly skin with minimal filling. My only gripe is, they are losing freshness and not that crisp anymore.

While the noodle may seem plain, they are anything but. The tossing sauce is so flavorful and every strand well-oiled with aromatic shallot/lard oil. I only wished the chili have a little more kick.

The curly egg noodle actually reminded me of instant noodle. I love how springy and chewy the texture is. The best thing is it does not have any alkali smell.

JJ SARAWAK NOODLE
~~JW 504 F&B~~	Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre
~~Blk 504 Jurong West Street 51~~	3 Yung Sheng Road
~~#01-201~~	#03-127
~~Singapore 209000~~	Singapore 618499

Business hours:

Mon - Fri: 8am - 4pm

Sun - Sun: 8am - 8pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/jjsarawak

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/QTnvg1xdwDeM9bKn9

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chong jia food,singapore,food revew,tahoe garden,review,fan choy,張家,blk 493 jurong west street 41,lu rou fan,food,braised pork rice,food,special marinated drumstick steamed rice

Update: Chong Jia Lu Rou Fan has permanently closed.

Over at Jurong West Street 41 is a coffee shop named Tahoe Garden. Inside, you can find Chong Jia Food, a stall specializing in Taiwanese lu rou fan (braised pork rice), special marinated drumstick steamed rice and congee.

I was greeted by the cheerful stall owner who prepared my order for a plate of lu rou fan. The ingredients were all ready cooked so it did not take her long to assemble everything together.

On my plate of white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds were a generous serving of lu rou, braised peanuts, two halves of a hard-boiled egg and a bed of lettuce. It came with a free bowl of vegetable soup.

The lu rou came in cubes with a fair bit of both lean meat and fats. The juicy pork morsels were melt-in-the-mouth tender.

I guess the lettuce is there to help cut through the richness of the lu rou but really, I wished they were suan cai (salted vegetable) instead, for a more authentic Taiwan lu rou fan experience.

The two side dishes of braised peanuts and hard-boiled egg were pretty standard.

chong jia food,singapore,food revew,tahoe garden,review,fan choy,special marinated drumstick steamed rice,張家,blk 493 jurong west street 41,lu rou fan,food,braised pork rice,

I wished there were more of that delicious gravy on the rice.

The soup is rather watered down. It would have appealed to me more if there were more robust flavors in it.

CHONG JIA FOOD 張家

Tahoe Garden
493 Jurong West Street 41
#01-01/02

~~Singapore 640493~~

~~Business Hours~~

~~Sat - Thu: 8am - 8pm~~

~~Closed: Fri~~

~~Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/MT8JLiJN1bCZhLZi7~~

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singapore,food review,review,blk 323 bukit batok street 33,food,gorilla curry,curry rice,猩猩咖喱,

I have been following Lao Cai Curry on social media for a while now when they were still at Blk 537 Bukit Batok Street 52. They have since rebranded as Gorilla Curry and moved to Blk 323 Bukit Batok Street 33.

Their interesting menu of curry chicken, braised pork and mala fish are what caught my attention but even though they are located very near me, I have not found the opportunity to visit them until now.

I arrived at about 8.30am, feeling extremely excited to order their signature chicken drumstick curry rice ($4.50) but was unexpectedly thrown the proposition to replace the drumstick with two chicken wings instead.

I could not remember the exact reason given for the lack of drumsticks but I agreed to the change nonetheless.

It was not a pretty sight when I opened up the box at home. If only they had packed the curry and chili separately in a kopi bag, otherwise, I would not have been so repulsed by the sight of the box soaking up in the liquids.

The two chicken wings were of a good size but it is much more satisfying biting into a drumstick and tearing the meat off with my teeth.

It would be good if they could brine the chicken wings overnight for some flavor as the meat tasted too bland.

I prefer my curry less lemak with more emphasize on the rempah but their curry is the exact opposite with way too much coconut milk that it overshadows the rempah.

I like my curry heavy on flavors but this version is way too mild for my liking. A bit more salt and spiciness would be much appreciated.

Oh, and the fried egg.

A runny yolk would be more enticing but what I had instead was a broken yolk that is fully cooked and totally detached from the egg white.

I apologize for the less than stellar review but taste is something very personal. It is unfortunate that this curry does not sit well with me. On the bright side, the reviews on Google tells a very different story. Most of the reviews seems satisfied so it is most likely my own problem.

To give credit where credit is due, the ladies running the stall are pleasant and well-mannered.

GORILLA CURRY 猩猩咖喱
Seven Stars Coffee Shop
Blk 323 Bukit Batok Street 33

Singapore 650323

Business Hours
Tue - Sun: 7am - 3pm

Closed: Mon

Website: https://www.facebook.com/gorilla.curry/

Google Map: https://g.page/gorillacurry?share

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singapore,food review,review,樟宜椰浆饭,char bee hoon,fried bee hoon,mala,blk 323 bukit batok street 33,food,changi nasi lemak,mala fried bee hoon,changi fried bee hoon,

Previously, I mentioned that Gorilla Curry is the rebranding of Lao Cai Curry.

In this post, I am going to share about Changi Nasi Lemak which is located right next to Gorilla Curry in the same coffee shop at Blk 323 Bukit Batok Street 33.

Both stalls are actually run by the same family under the same management. The caricature of Lao Cai on the signboard from the previous location now graced the front of the new stall.

Although Changi Nasi Lemak is known for their nasi lemak, I am more interested in their mala fried bee hoon which is something totally new to me.

I ordered the mala fried bee hoon then spontaneously added on a fried chicken wing and a piece of otah. The bill adds up to $4.40.

The fried chicken wing had lost some of its crisp due to transit and condensation in the styrofoam box. I should have pinched a small hole on the cover as an outlet for the hot air to escape.

But anyway, the fried chicken is still good. Mum tried the wing tip and commented that it is well-marinated and "very different from usual" (she thought I bought it from our usual neighborhood stall).

As for the otah, I am not sure if it is due to the heavier flavors of mala and sambal chili but it does not stand out for me.

I had visualized mala fried bee hoon to be a process of frying bee hoon together with the mala seasoning but while watching the staff pack my order, I realized it was simply smearing a scoop of mala to their regular fried bee hoon.

That is certainly a expectation versus reality situation.

Giving the bee hoon a thorough tossing to mix the mala evenly, I find the mala to be quite legit. The spicy Szechuan peppercorn aroma is there yet it is not too tongue-numbing till you could not taste anything.

Apart from the mala, their sambal chili with ikan bilis and onion is also quite power. If they did not give it to you, please ask for it.

I have not eaten mala-anything before. Well, not even mala xiang guo but I can tell you that this pairing between mala and fried bee hoon is really a match made in heaven.

I am not sure if this combo is a new thing but it is the first time I have heard of it. The person who thought of this is truly a genius!

CHANGI NASI LEMAK 樟宜椰浆饭
Seven Stars Coffee Shop
Blk 323 Bukit Batok Street 33

Singapore 650323

Business Hours
Tue - Sun: 7am - 3pm

Closed: Mon

Website: https://www.facebook.com/changinasilemak

Google Map: https://g.page/ChangiNasiLemak?share

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ah kong wa kuih,singapore,food review,review,阿公碗粿,chinatown,wah kueh,chinatown complex,food,wa kuih,food

A few months back, a new wa kuih stall called Ah Kong Wa Kuih has opened next to my favorite pandan butterfly bun stall at Chinatown Market & Food Centre.

I have tried visiting the stall numerous times but the shutters were always down. It does not help that information regarding their operating hours and off days are not available.

I must have made at least six wasted trips to the stall before I was finally able to catch it in business today.

I ordered a bowl ($2.50) with the "Ah Kong" who took a bowl from the steamer and douse it with gravy before finishing it off with a dollop of chili paste and minced garlic.

The style is quite similar to the wah kueh I had from Havelock Road Food Centre.

I had a spoonful of kueh with the sweet and savory sauce which I find a little flat. I mixed in the chili sauce and minced garlic and the taste profile instantly reminded me of lor mee gravy.

With hints of dried prawn and mushroom in the kueh, I find the texture a little firm. I would have appreciated them more springy instead.

There used to be another wah kueh stall at the same food centre called Snac Station (I did not blog about that one) but that was a totally different style topped with meat sauce.

When I approached the stall, I was impressed by the little chicken bowls the wa kuih were in. So traditional! But alas, these were merely for display as my wa kuih was served in disposable plastic bowls instead.

AH KONG WA KUIH 阿公碗粿

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre
335 Smith Street
#02-116

Singapore 050335

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: TBA

Website: https://www.instagram.com/ahkongwakuih/

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/4EUCsQdAaHavcKiS8

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勿落水粿,singapore,勿落,food review,review,水粿,chinatown,chwee kueh,bedok,bedok chwee kueh,chinatown complex,food,

After having the wa kuih from Ah Kong Wa Kuih at Chinatown Market & Food Centre, I realized it was not satisfying enough as I am still hungry. I walked past Bedok Chwee Kueh stall and decided to have some to "fill the gaps".

While wa kuih and chwee kueh may seem similar, they are in fact two different things even though both are steamed rice cakes. The wa kuih, of Hokkien influence is usually steamed with fillings such as mushrooms and dried prawn then served with gravy while the chwee kueh, of Teochew influence is steamed plain and served with chye poh (preserved radish).

There are several Bedok Chwee Kueh branches around Singapore. The unique thing about their chwee kueh compared to the other brands such as Tiong Bahru Jian Bo Chwee Kueh is their larger than usual size. Their rice cakes costs 50¢ each with a minimum purchase of two pieces. I suggests getting four pieces instead because two will never be enough.

From my observations to the various branches I have visited, the staff always work in pairs; one will retrieve the piping hot chwee kueh from the steamer then deftly scooped them out from the aluminum mould and place them onto a piece of brown waxed paper while the other one will add chye poh on top of your rice cake and chili sauce by the side.

If you have noticed, behind the staff are stacks of wicker baskets containing the chwee kueh still in their moulds. There is no information as to where they get their supply of chwee kueh from. Whether they make it themselves at a central kitchen or from a supplier, the supply of chwee kueh needed for the day arrived ready-made in these baskets. The staff would then heat up the chwee kuehs in their steamer.

The empty moulds would then be thrown back inside the empty baskets and brought back to their central kitchen or supplier.

I normally try to avoid stalls that steam their chwee kueh in plastic moulds because plastic and heat are not a good combination.

The wobbly chwee kueh is bland by itself. This is why you eat it with chye poh.

With hints of garlic and toasted sesame seeds, the sweet and savory chye poh may be finely minced but still contained some bite to complement the softness of the rice cake. The toasted sesame seeds also provided some burst of nutty flavor.

Do not forget about their umami chili. Add a dollop to the chwee kueh with chye poh for more satisfaction!

Being simmered in a pot of oil means the chye poh is oil rich. In the short while that I walked to a table from the stall, the oil has already seeped into the brown waxed paper. If you are going to takeaway, you may want to consider topping up an additional 30 cents (with minimum purchase of four rice cakes; $2 + $0.30) for a container to pack the chye poh separately to avoid having a pack of oily package by the time you get home.

BEDOK CHWEE KUEH 勿落水粿

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre
335 Smith Street
#02-43

Singapore 050335

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 7am - 7pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/4EUCsQdAaHavcKiS8

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singapore,mian wang 1971,salted egg calamari,fried hokkien prawn noodle,food review,fried hokkien prawn mee,sambal belacan pork belly,review,面王1971,blk 537 bukit batok street 52,food,hokkien mee,hokkien noodle

There used to be two brothers running their respective food stalls in a coffee shop at Blk 537 Bukit Batok Street 52.

The brother managing Mian Wang 1971, specializes in fried Hokkien noodle while the one managing Lao Cai Curry, specializes in curry rice.

The latter has since moved out to another coffee shop in the vicinity while the former remains at the humble coffee shop near Little Guilin at Bukit Gombak.

What makes the Hokkien noodle here interesting, is that you have the option to pair it with salted egg yolk calamari, mala calamari, sambal belacan pork belly, flamed red braised pork, chicken cutlet and sambal lala.

I decided to drop by one late Friday morning to pick up brunch while on my way home after my physio.

Looking through the menu, I decided on the regular-sized salted egg yolk calamari Hokkien noodle ($6.50/$8) that took about ten minutes to be ready.

My order was packed in a special takeaway box where the deep fried calamari is kept separate from the wet noodles.

While on the way home, the box could not contain the fragrance of the salted egg yolk from infiltrating the entire train cabin, drawing curious stares from the other commuters.

Once home, I found out why.

Several tiny holes have been punctured on the lid, allowing for the escape of steam. Despite the effort, the fried calamari rings were still a little wet from the condensation.

One thing I find puzzling is that I did not see any traces of salted egg yolk sauce on the calamari yet the distinctive aroma is rather strong with hints of curry leaves.

I also could not feel the grainy texture on my tongue and heck it, there is no residue of salted egg yolk sauce or even curry leaves left behind in the container after all the calamari were gone.

Now, how did they achieve that feat?

Mian Wang 1971 uses a combination of thick bee hoon and yellow noodle with ingredients such as prawn and squid.

There is no evident wok hei though it might have dissipated before I reached home. The Hokkien noodle is the wet kind and the gravy were a little dried up but not totally.

Texture wise, the yellow noodle were soggy, probably due to the residual heat that continues to cook the noodle on the journey home.

This is my first time trying this stall and I have not seen the business owner before but somehow, I believe that it was not him who fried my noodle. I only managed to catch a glimpse of the chef's back and it was someone younger - a second gen perhaps, or someone they hired?

I also bought a medium-sized traditional Hokkien noodle ($3.50/$4.50/$7) which is packed in the usual transparent square tapau box for the folks to share. They too find the noodles too soft for their liking.

Nevertheless, once the no dining-in rules are relaxed, I am going to try it again to see how it compares.

MIAN WANG 1971 面王1971

Sin Eating House
Blk 537 Bukit Batok Street 52

Singapore 650323

Business Hours
Tue - Sun: 10.30am - 3pm

Closed: Mon

Website: https://www.facebook.com/mianwang1971

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/P9YffLHoQeAuXXAd9

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singapore,blk 352 clementi ave 2,chee cheong fun,food review,review,伟少港式肠粉,chef wei hk cheong fun,food,char siew cheong,

Have you heard?

There is a new Hong Kong-styled chee cheong fun stall in town but alas, it is located all the way at Bedok. Having been a Westie all my life, that is pretty far by my standards therefore I have not been there yet.

If you are my faithful follower, you would have noticed that there are hardly any food reviews from the East side on this blog because I am too lazy to travel!

The stall in question is Chef Wei HK Cheong Fun, headed by Chef Wei, a former dim sum chef from Peach Garden. At the point of writing (two months after opening his Bedok stall), he has already opened two more outlets at Blk 352 Clementi Ave 2 and Blk 257 Bangkit Road - both in the West!

Despite Bangkit being nearer, I decided to visit the Clementi outlet instead because that is where I lived and spent a greater part of my childhood. I have not been back for eons and it is a great opportunity for me to to do so.

I was expecting a snaking queue however when I arrived at the coffee shop, not a single person could be seen in front of the stall. I marched right up to the counter to place an order for the char siew cheong and was duly informed of a twenty minutes wait. Considering that they are freshly handmade on site, it is not a unreasonable waiting time.

The stall has adopted the queue number system so after placing your order, you can find yourself a table and wait for the number on your receipt to flash on the screen. This explains why I did not see a physical queue.

Chef Wei offers four flavors here: plain ($3), mushroom ($4), char siew ($4) and prawn ($5).

The cheong fun skin is not the super thin kind where it is so delicate it will break at the slightest touch. It is firmer but still soft and supple enough to please. I thoroughly enjoyed the bouncy texture in my mouth.

Wrapped within the translucent skin (a testament that the skin is not too thick), the char siew was in plain sight for all to see. With its generous serving, you can expect char siew in every bite.

As for the soy based sauce, it is more sweet than savory.

The cheong fun is good enough to eat on its own but add a dollop of their hei bee hiam chili for a whole new experience.

My only grouse is that the cheong fun are cut into twos which could be a choking hazard particularly for the kids and elderly. Perhaps cut into threes is more manageable?

While I am happy to have two outlets near me, I am worried about how Chef Wei is going to maintain consistencies among the three stalls?

This is something that he will have to think about.

CHEF WEI HK CHEONG FUN 伟少港式肠粉

Hup Koon Restaurant
Blk 352 Clementi Ave 2
#01-153

Singapore 120352

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 7am - 8.30pm

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/XGBisQ95QksAe3uQA

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ban mian,singapore,beauty world food centre,top 1 handmade noodle,food review,review,mee hoon kway,ban mian dry,food,beauty world,beauty world centre,

Top 1 Handmade Noodle at Beauty World Food Centre is highly raved among ban mian fans. I had wanted to give them a try since a long time ago but have always been turned off by the never-ending queue in front of the stall.

Perhaps due to the pandemic, there were a lot less people than usual when I visited the food centre today. What better time to join the queue than now?

But joining the queue is just the first hurdle. I stood in line for about twenty minutes before I finally get to place my order with the female stall helper. After making payment, I was told to wait at one side.

If you are dining in, you will be given a ticket number. It is then another round of waiting for your number to flash on the screen to collect your order (I waited for about another ten odd minutes). If you are taking away, she will call out to you therefore, wait where she could see you.

While waiting, I noticed her accepting phone orders so there may be invisible orders before yours. Manage your expectations regarding the waiting time. Do not join the queue if you are rushing for time. They do not entertain refunds unless the waiting time exceeds thirty minutes.

Looking at the menu, it might be confusing for first timers to place their order. First, you pick your choice of noodle (red column) followed by your soup base (blue column) and your choice of ingredient (green column).

There are quite a number of permutations and the price varies according to your selection.

I ordered the dry ban mian with fish meat ($5). I initially wanted the mee hoon kway but overheard the helper telling the customer before me that they had run out of it.

It was not even noon yet.

Apart from fish meat, I was surprised to find the usual ban mian ingredients such as pinches of minced meat, sliced mushroom, ikan bilis and chye sim.

It came with a bowl of soup served on the side.

Underneath the ban mian is a pool of dark sauce and chili sauce. Apparently, their chili is so potent, only a few drops are added in the plate. Despite that, I can actually feel the heat. The style of their chili sauce actually reminded me very much of Eng's. If you are adventurous for more, be prepared to fork out 30¢ per saucer.

The dark sauce, on the other hand, tastes a tad too sweet.

As for the soup, it is rich but too salty for me.

While the texture of their handmade ban mian is pleasingly chewy, I would prefer it slightly thicker for a more enjoyable mouthfeel.

The fish meat is fresh without any odor while the juicy sliced mushroom and crunchy ikan bilis provided some contrasting texture. On the other hand, the minced meat is over-seasoned with pepper.

For the price, I feel they could be more generous with the noodle portion. Also, it does not even include an egg which requires an additional 50¢ to top up for.

Personally, this is not value for money for me. Coupled with the long waiting time, I doubt I would return for it anytime soon.

TOP 1 HANDMADE NOODLE

Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-44
Singapore 588177

Business Hours

Thu - Tue: 10.30am - 8.30pm
Closed: Wed

Website: https://www.facebook.com/top1homemadenoodle

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/bGvtSy4apm6j4Kn67

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satay bee hoon,singapore,beauty world food centre,beauty world,jin li satay bee hoon,food review,review,錦利沙爹米粉,beauty world centre,food,

I must admit that I am not exactly a satay bee hoon person therefore, you will not find any satay bee hoon reviews here in this blog. I do like satay but I find the pairing of the sauce with bee hoon is kind of weird for me.

However, I am willing to make an exception for Jin Li Satay Bee Hoon at Beauty World Food Centre because something about the stall reminded me so much of how a typical hawker stall in the 1980's looked like.

After all, Beauty World was built nearly forty years ago. I believe most of the older stalls here have not gone through much changes since day one.

As a child of that era, I missed the good old days when life were simpler and I really appreciate the 80s vibes the stall is giving me.

Apart from satay bee hoon, laksa is also on the menu although I have not seen anyone having it before.

I decided to stick to what everybody else are having by ordering the satay bee hoon which is available in three sizes ($4/$5/$6).

I went for the smallest portion since it is really not my thing.

Strangely, there is a different set of pricing for takeaways ($5/$6/$8).

On my plate is a portion of bee hoon with prawn,cuttlefish, sliced pork, taupok, beansprouts and kang kong all smothered under a layer of satay sauce. I believe the $4 portion does not come with any see hum (cockles).

There was just enough satay sauce to cling onto the bee hoon as there are no extras left on the plate after I finished tossing everything thoroughly together.

The sauce is mildly spicy with distinctive flavors of the aromatics. However, compared to the sauce used for the kebabs, the sauce for satay bee hoon are not as gao (thick) and in my opinion, less shiok.

Perhaps, that is why satay bee hoon have never make it to my list of must-eats.

And no, after having Jin Li Satay Bee Hoon, it still did not change my mind about satay bee hoon. I need someone to teach me how to appreciate this dish!

Anyone?

JIN LI SATAY BEE HOON 錦利沙爹米粉

Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-40
Singapore 588177

Business Hours

Thu - Tue: 11am - 8pm
Closed: Wed

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/4WAteRLcSnFfDv2k8

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singapore,beauty world,beauty world food centre,pork chop noodle,prawn paste,little red dot noodle house,food review,review,prawn paste pork chop noodle,beauty world centre,food,小红点,

Edit: Little Red Dot House Of Noodle has relocated but they are not responding to my query on their current whereabouts.

A majority of the stalls were still closed when I reached Beauty World Food Centre at around 9am. Only Top 1 Handmade Noodle and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice were in service in the early morning but I did not come for those.

There is another stall that opened even earlier than the two stalls. I had come for the prawn paste pork chop noodle from a stall named Little Red Dot House Of Noodle. According to their Facebook, they serve "traditional Hong-Kong style noodles with 古早味".

Other than the usual wanton noodle and dumpling noodle, they also have braised chicken wing noodle, prawn paste chicken wing noodle, braised pork trotter noodle and prawn paste pork chop noodle.

I actually got to know about them through a sponsored post on Facebook that appeared in my feed. I do not recall seeing this stall at the food centre before so I snooped around their Facebook and found out that they are newly opened in August 2020. Before that, they used to operate at 375 Upper Aljunied Road.

While at their previous premise, they serve a different menu of chicken rice and roasts.

小红点,little red dot noodle house,beauty world,beauty world centre,beauty world food centre,singapore,food review,food,review,prawn paste pork chop noodle,prawn paste,pork chop noodle

It was a photo of their pork chop that caught my attention when I browse through their Facebook. I later learned that it was marinated with prawn paste (har cheong).

I ordered a plate of prawn paste pork chop noodle ($5) with the stall owner who told me to take a seat first. It took a while because the pork chop were fried upon ordering.

Once my order was ready, he called out to me to collect my food. I am most delighted by the sight of the two large pieces of pork chop sitting on top of the noodle. A bowl of soup was served on the side.

The pork chop were hammered to a uniformed thinness in a bid to make them appear larger. Covered in a thin batter of flour, it is well fried to a nice crisp without being oily.

The pungent flavor associated with fermented prawn paste actually reminds me more of cheddar cheese than har cheong which some might find too strong.

I am fine with it though as I like both.

As for the noodle, it is overcooked thus too soft for my liking. I would have preferred them more springy with a bite.

The tossing sauce is the runny type with chili, ketchup and other seasonings. It does remind me of childhood so I guess they are not wrong to say that their noodle dishes are 古早味.

I am rather interested in their braised chicken wing and braised pork trotter. I might order them ala carte or have them with rice during my next visit.

~~LITTLE RED DOT NOODLE HOUSE 小红点~~

Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-46
Singapore 588177

~~Business Hours~~

Mon - Sun: 7.30am - 2pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/LRDot

~~Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/vV1D6Rm7vgMLBMFG9~~

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singapore,beauty world,beauty world food centre,food review,noodlefellas,review,lor mee,beauty world centre,food,kopifellas,

Noodlefellas is yet another relatively new stall at Beauty World Food Centre.

Set up by the people behind Kopifellas who took up another stall at another row in the food centre, I am excited to see new entrants setting up business here, injecting new life and vibrancy to the 36 years old premise which narrowly escaped from a acquisition fate just a couple of years ago.

I guess it is a no brainer as to what the two stalls had to offer judging by their names?

Noodlefellas had fish ball noodle, fish ball soup, minced meat noodle, laksa, sliced abalone noodle and my favorite hawker dish, lor mee included on its menu.

Lor mee is my weakness and I could never say no to one. I had to order the largest bowl ($5/$5.50) to satiate my crave. Their pricing is higher than what other stalls normally charge but theirs are a hefty bowl.

In my bowl is a generous mound of Hokkien noodle topped with ngor hiang, fish cake and two halves of a hard-boiled egg.

Condiments such as minced garlic and sambal chili are controlled items so you have no direct access to them. Despite asking for more, the amount given was meagre. Fortunately, they left a bottle of black vinegar on the counter so you could amp up the flavor. Also, the cut chili they provided are chili padi so expect some fiery kick.

Everything in the bowl were smothered under a layer of lor that is of the right consistency. It is gloopy without lumps of starch which suggests that the gravy is pretty well-stirred.

My only gripe is the absence of crispy bits in this bowl as the texture of all the ingredients is soft which can be a little overwhelming.

I paired off my lor mee with a Thai green milk tea from their sister stall Kopifellas.

I did not specify any sugar level preference (they also did not ask) but it was not too sweet.

Noodlefellas have other outlets at Timbre+ (#01-14) and Geylang (440 Geylang Road).

NOODLEFELLAS	KOPIFELLAS
Beauty World Centre	Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road	144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-49	#04-67
Singapore 588177	Singapore 588177
Business hours: Mon - Sun: 7.30am - 4pm	Business hours: Mon - Sun: 7.30am - 4pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/noodlefellas

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/vV1D6Rm7vgMLBMFG9

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singapore,beauty world,beauty world food centre,beef brisket,food review,review,penang home made beef ball,槟城自制牛肉丸,beauty world centre,food,ngau lam,

Penang Home Made Beef Ball at Beauty World Food Centre offer a few selection of dishes such as beef ball noodle soup, mixed beef noodle soup, braised beef brisket noodle, beef hor fun and beef fried rice. All the dishes here are reasonably priced at a flat rate of $5.

Footfall here pales in comparison to their ever popular neighbor, Top 1 Hand Made Noodle which attracts a constant queue everyday.

I decide to give them a try anyway, and ordered the braised beef brisket noodle. You can opt for yellow noodle, kway teow, mee kia and chor bee hoon.

What I got on the plate was a sizeable portion of noodle with chunks of beef brisket and obligatory greens on the side.

Served on the side is a small bowl of clear soup with two beef balls in it.

Since the stall pride itself on their signature home made beef balls, that is what I am going to try first.

Indeed, one bite is all it takes to taste the difference. The beef ball has a light firmness and a meaty texture that cannot be found in the frozen ones.

Regrettably, the soup tastes flat and uninspiring. I had expected it to be full of beef essence since hundreds, if not thousands of beef balls passed through this water daily.

The beef brisket was mostly lean meat but thankfully fork-tender due to the long braising time.

Unlike the springy texture normally associated with wanton noodle, this mee kia felt "heavier" than the usual. I wonder if its being weighed down by the sticky tossing sauce which I believe to be the braising liquids from the beef brisket.

I do not eat beef brisket noodle often therefore I am not too sure of the traditional way of having it but I cannot do without sambal chili when having dry noodle.

However, the only chili sauce provided is the vinegarish type which is fine as a dipping sauce for the meats, but does not go as well with the noodle.

PENANG HOME MADE BEEF BALL 槟城自制牛肉丸

Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-43
Singapore 588177

Business Hours

Fri - Wed: 10am - 7pm

Closed: Thu

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/vV1D6Rm7vgMLBMFG9

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beauty world,beauty world food centre,la mian,jiaozi,food,you peng noodle dumpling house,singapore,suan la mian,food review,xiao long bao,review,有朋拉面饺子馆,beauty world centre,sour & spicy noodle

You Peng Noodle Dumpling House at Beauty World Food Centre is immensely popular for their affordably priced xiao long bao (小笼包) and jiaozi (饺子) that are freshly made at the stall daily.

Despite located at a inconspicuous location of the food centre, the stall continues to attract a healthy queue of followers who are willing to stand in line for their fix of dumplings. It is a norm to see individuals savoring multiple bamboo steamers of xiao long bao at one go.

To be honest, I am not too big a fan of either as I find such pork fillings usually too heavily marinated for my liking.

That is why I tend to avoid pork items like siew mai, xiao long bao and even big pau as they tastes the same to me after a while which can be a little overwhelming.

Pray tell, what am I doing here then? Well, that is because they also offer a few noodle dishes on the menu such as dumpling noodle, wanton noodle, Sze Chuan dan dan noodle, egg & tomato noodle, special sauce noodle and sour & spicy noodle.

After some considerations, I decided to go for the sour & spicy noodle (suan la mian/酸辣面). Anything sour with black vinegar will appeal to me.

The male stall owner attended to me and wrote down my order in a stack of white papers. I paid up and was given a buzzer to notify me to collect my order once it is ready.

It did not take more than five minutes before my buzzer buzzed. I returned to the stall with it, collected my noodle and he crossed out my order on the paper.

Ingredients in the bowl included dried lily buds, slivers of wood ear, cubes of tofu and knobs of minced pork.

I did not realize that dried lily buds are part of the recipe for the dish. If I had known earlier, I would not have ordered this as I disliked the texture as well as its earthy flavor but thankfully, there was not much of it to deal with.

On the other hand, the crunch from the wood ear and softness of the tofu provided some contrasting textures.

I know the knobs of minced pork are probably the same as those that gets wrapped in the xiao long bao. What gave the game away? The heavy marinade.

If I am not mistaken, the noodle used here for all their noodle dishes is la mian. The texture is soft and silky smooth which picked up the gravy fairly well while the gravy is thickened to a nice consistency without being too gloopy.

I wished there were more egg ribbons though as they are not too visible if there is any at all.

If you would like to have xiao long bao or jiaozi and guo tie at home, they do sell frozen ones which you can store in your freezer so you could have them anytime when the occasion calls for it.

YOU PENG NOODLE DUMPLING HOUSE 有朋拉面饺子馆

Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-23
Singapore 588177

Business Hours

Mon - Sun: 10.30am - 9pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/%E6%9C%89%E6%9C%8B%E6%8B%89%E9%9D%A2%E9%A5%BA%E5%AD%90%E9%A6%86-You-Peng-Noodle-Dumpling-House-137158667085722/

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/vV1D6Rm7vgMLBMFG9

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singapore,food review,food,review,216 coffee shop,216 choa cu kang ave 1,chee cheong fun,hand made chee cheong fun,

The location that I am headed for today is just a ten minutes walk away from my place.

Having lived in my area for the last thirty-odd years, not once have I come to this part of the neighborhood for breakfast. And it is high time I did.

216 Coffee Shop is situated at 216 Choa Chu Kang Ave 1. It is a small coffee shop housing just a coffee stall, a mee hoon kueh stall and the subject of today's review - the chee cheong fun stall.

The stall does not have a signboard so, allow me to call it 216 Chee Cheong Fun.

I only got to know about this chee cheong fun through words of mouth from someone who, ironically, stayed at the other end of the country.

So, I took a brisk walk from my house and reached the coffee shop just before 7am however, there are no customers at all. I was secretly screaming for joy on the inside because that meant I could take all the photos I wanted without being judged by anyone.

What they serve here is the dim sum-styled chee cheong fun that are freshly made upon order. Apart from the usual fillings such as char siew and prawn, they also have... siew yok (roasted pork)!

I ordered a char siew chee chong fun ($4) with the lady helper who told me to take a seat and that she will serve my order to my table.

When my order was served ten minutes later, something triggered me to WhatsApp a photo of it to Mum immediately and her reply made me laughed out loud because that is exactly what I had in mind.

"你一大早到哪里吃黃芽白？" ("Where did you go to have wong ngaa baak (Napa cabbage) so early in the morning?")

I honestly thought the lady had served me cabbage rolls until I took a closer look. This has got to be the most wrinkled chee cheong fun I had ever seen!

A physical inspection of the rice roll revealed another two rolls stacked underneath the two rolls on top.

Now, I am not sure if this is considered as two rolls or four rolls so I went back in to observe the making process. The batter are steamed in metal pans and each pan yield one roll which is first split into halves then further cut into threes.

Hence, for a typical order like mine, it took two pans (two rolls) to make. Because the batter are steamed directly in metal pans, the chef had to use a tool to scrap the formed cheong fun off the pan, resulting in the wrinkles.

And I must commend them on their liberal use of char siew. It may not seemed much on the outside but if you actually unroll it, the char siew bits are all in there.

Then, the sauce.

At first glance, it seems like there is way too much sauce but by the time I started on the second roll, the sauce are pretty much gone.

I thought it would be awfully salty given the amount of soy but the balance of savoriness and sweetness is well taken care of.

The chee cheong fun is so thin and delicate that the edges rolled up. Coupled with the layers of overlapping 'wrinkles', it formed a thicker layer. Despite that, the texture is still soft and silky which makes it a great medium to mop up all that delicious sauce.

The coffee shop is located along this stretch of shop houses along Choa Chu Kang Ave 1. There is something rustic about this place that is reminiscent of my pre-Covid19 day trips to the dai pai dong of Malaysia.

The awning is a permanent structure to shield patrons from the elements. If not for that, this would truly be an al fresco dai pai dong experience in Singapore.