Food Hunt – Part 1

S and I were on leave and we were thinking of doing something but we just didn’t know what. Initially there were plans to take a short vacation to Phuket as we both could use a break, but due to time and financial constraints, we decided to pass. So what was there to do in Singapore? Something we don’t usually and easily do like watching a movie, going for a normal meal, etc. We considered cycling, going to Universal Studios, maybe even island hopping (got this from a friend. apparently you can do a day trip of visiting neighbouring islands.); but in the end we decided to do a food hunt. We sieved out some of our favourite dishes and planned a day trip, going round the island to check out some of the raved about haunts. Our source? ieatishootipost.sg

Believe me, the intention was for a full day of yummy food, but I have been suffering from terrible insomnia lately so the early morning breakfast plan was thrown out the window when I awoke at 12noon. We decided to stick to our original route as I was craving for some breakfast food, yup, even at noon.

Left the house: 1pm

Stop 1: Blk 32 Defu Lane 10 Stall 12 Riyadh Muslim Food @ Soon Soon Lai Eating House

Arrived: 1.25pm

YUMMY DISH: Roti Prata

What we ordered: Teh ($0.80); 2 Kosong + 1 Plaster ($2.70)

Verdict: Seriously the best prata I have had so far. True to its reputation, the prata served were fresh and literally perfect in my opinion. They were fluffy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. I love fluffy prata. The curry was nothing to shout about, but I will say it went well with the prata. Opened from 6.30am to 7pm , I say this is worth a trip especially if you are a prata lover.

Left: 1.50pm

Stop 2: Hooked on Heads Sinming Plaza #01-01/02

Arrived: 2.10pm

YUMMY DISH: Fish Head Curry

What we ordered: Half a Fish Head ($26 with GST & Service), Rice

Verdict: In all fairness, I think I should declare that I might be a tad biased here. I have recently steered away from the conventional fish head curry and am in love instead, with Assam Fish Head Curry. However as the specialty here is the regular fish head curry, we went along with it.

I have 2 favourites when it came to the regular fish head curry – Pow Sing Restaurant @ Serangoon Gardens and Ocean Fish Head Curry @ Ah Moy Street. I had previously heard of Hooked on Heads for serving one of the best Fish Head Curry dish in Singapore, but never got down to trying it. Well here I was.

For one, it was nice being in an air-conditioned place as it was really hot. And of course it helps considering the spice and heat from the dish. How was it? Well S loved it. And like I mentioned earlier, I might be discounting how good it really is here: I thought it was pretty tasty, but it didn’t blow me away. The fish was fresh, and the meat was good and firm. The curry was just right, not too thick and not too diluted. Upon first taste, the curry is seemingly sweet, yet leaves a sour after taste. I found the curry to be of a comfortable level in terms of spice. I didn’t feel that the curry spice overpowered the overall flavour of the dish so that was well done. All in all, I think it was a good fish head curry.

Left: 2.45pm

Stop 3: Blk 22 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre Stall #01-25 Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette

Arrived: 3pm

YUMMY DISH: Oyster Omelette

What we ordered: Oyster Omelette ($4); Kopi-O ($0.70); Apple/Watermelon Juice ($2)

Verdict: Personally I find the oyster omelette at the Serangoon Garden Hawker Centre (not chomps) behind the Police Post, to be the best I have had so far. This one, wasn’t bad but I found it a tad dry. S found it pretty good and the oysters to be sweet and fresh. Would I come here again just for the Oyster Omelette? Probably not. It really just ordinary if you ask me. Not bad (I have tasted worse in Newton Circus), not not outstanding either. It sure has a following though. There were people ordering the minute the opened at 3pm.

Stop 4: Dessert House also at Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre

YUMMY DISH: Desserts

What we ordered: Bobo Hitam – “hei nuo mi” ($1); Ice Soursop with Jelly ($1.80)

Verdict: Frankly it’s difficult to differentiate such hawker desserts as they seldom taste bad. It’s more of how good they really are. I must say the standard and quality of this stall is pretty good. The desserts are well-priced (cheap in fact) for the generous portions served. I think the soursop was fresh and not too gooey like some of those I have had before. It had a good serving of soursop and the right portion of ice and jelly. The bobo hitam was very nice as well with again precision proportions of everything. Definitely no complaints here. One of the better dessert stalls I have tried. Good value for money.

It is with great shame that I say we stopped here. We had a 10-stop list but we only managed 4 and we were sleepy (especially me), lazy and full. I promise to do a Part 2 soon and finish up the remaining 6 stops which include Katong Laksa, Mee Pok, White Pepper JB-type crabs, etc.

Cheers!

Chomps Take-Out

It’s been awhile since we had Chomps for dinner so Dad and I decided it was time. We usually don’t dine there as it can be really crowded, smoky and hot. For those of you who grew up with Chomps like myself, you would probably agree that it is A LOT better now than it was before. The old chomps was literally in smoke and you could never escape the smells just 10 seconds in there. Although a big improvement, I still opt for take-out in the comfort of my own home and air-conditioning!

So here’s what we ordered – only the best in chomps!

Pork Satay from the Satay stall with the white signboard simply titled “satay”. Facing chomps, its the row of stalls on your right. Love the pork satay here as it’s nicely burnt and not dry. The meat is tender and it has just the right amount of fat without being too gross.

ok this oyster omelette is NOT from chomps. This is from the hawker centre behind the serangoon gardens police post. it’s the stall opposite the fish and chips stall. One of the best oyster omelette ever! S seconds this! perfect really.

LaLa and Stingray still reigning #1 is the first stall on your left when you face chomps. The Lala is made with an extraordinary tasting sauce that is spicy and sweet all at once. I love the flavour of it! Till today, this stall is at the top of my list for bbq seafood. The stingray is nicely grilled with some burnt areas that add to the barbeque flavour and the sambal is not too spicy yet with just the right amount to give you that kick. It also isn’t one of those whereby all you can taste is the spice, or those that have a curry after taste to the sambal. This too is slightly sweet and absolutely delicious.

My Ah Hock Hokkien Mee was a disappointment. Although it’s now Ah hock again and not his son, he has reverted to using the inferior bee hoon. Ah hock was one of the best hokkien mee I ever knew.It was unlike the Thye Hock version which was wet and had a completely different favour to it. Ah Hock was dry yet moist and the mixture of yellow noodles and bee hoon was always perfect to a T. The sambal chilli given was also what contributed to this amazing dish. For a period, when his son took over, the standard fell starkly, and I attributed it to the different bee hoon used. When Ah Hock returned, things were good again, but that night, I tasted that same bee hoon. What’s the difference? This been hoon is a lot coarser, and thicker, it is also dryer than the previous one used. That affects the texture of the dish and as a whole, I would say it slipped about 3-4 points for me. Considering the 45min wait, the original ah hock would have been worth it. But not this. Hope they revert to the winning formula soon.

still the best white carrot cake for me. facing chomps this is the first stall on your right Why do I give it the prized spot? The carrot cake in question is fried with just the right amount of egg, carrot cake and generous good portion of “cai po” that increases the taste of this age old dish 3 fold. This stall has been around forever. From father to son, but unlike ah hock, the carrot cake uncle’s son learnt the ropes from his father well. tastes almost exactly how it did 10 years ago.

Chomp Chomp @ Serangoon Gardens

I grew up in Chomps and so believe me when I say I know which are the authentic Chomp Chomp stalls and which is best for what. Chomps used to be a real chimney with lots of smoke and it was hardlyconducive. After renovation, the popular stalls remained and some new tenants arrived. With the many choices of hokkien mee, stingray, la-la, carrot cake and chicken wings, how does one know which stall to patronise?

1. Stingray/La-La

Facing chomps, the FIRST stall on the left. The La-La here is single-handedly the BEST in Singapore. First of all, you can be assured that 99% of the la-la are open and easy to eat. Second of all, it’s served in generous portions. Lastly and most importantly, the gravy it is cooked in is absolute heaven! Served with onions is unique chilli crab-sambal-ish type sauce, the la-la here is unforgettable and undisputably the best I have had so far.

The stingray whilst to me the best in chomps is relatively consistent although I have eaten it during its “off” moments. There is a distinct bbq taste and seasoning is not just blatant sambal as with many stingrays I have had. It is usually well barbequed and has a subtle taste of grill.

2. Hokkien Mee

I used to be a loyalist of Ah Hock Hokkien Mee. For those of you who enjoy your hokkien mee dry (not the kind that is served by Thye Hong at Republic Food Court, Wisma), you will love the Ah Hock Hokkien mee served here. Unfortunately standard has dropped somewhat. Ah Hock can be found, facing chomps, the lorong to the right – 3rd or 4th last stall. When the queue there is too long, my alternative is the hokkien mee stall in the left lorong, beside the wanton mee stall. Similar in style, it packs quite a punch with a different type of chilli used.

3. Chicken Wings

Although the original chicken wings stall is the one out front, trust me when I tell you the one beside ah hock hokkien mee, serves one of the best bbq chicken wings around. Facing chomps, right lorong, 2nd or 3rd last stall at the back. It is well barbequed and well seasoned. Love the flavour of it.

4. Satay

The best pork satay and the only pork satay I eat is the one from the stall with the white signboard in the lorong to the right of chomps. The satay is well done, slightly burnt and with a nice layer of fat to give it that sweet satisfying finish. YUM.

5. Carrot Cake

This has been here in the exact same spot since the times of the old chomps. A father and son team (now just the son I think), the carrot cake is amazing. I think it’s because of the generous serving of “cai-po” and spring onions. Have it done white or black, yummy all the same. Facing chomps, first stall on the left.

SIGH. I love chomps. I don’t think I can ever move out of Singapore. I’ll miss the local fare too much.

 

Pig’s Trotters Bee Hoon

Commonly known as “Zhu Jiao Chang Fen“, the first time I had this was actually after clubbing at Zouk. We had it at the Sin Hoi San Food Centre off Tiong Bahru road, near the Outram CTE exit. It was amazing. In fact, I think I blogged about one of my Pig Trotter Bee Hoon tastings in one of my earlier entries. I don’t take pig trotters, hate pork, so the Bee Hoon and vegetables is really all I eat. The gravy is just awesome! I can’t quite describe the taste except that it is very different from the usual “Sum Lou Hor Fun”, or Seafood/Beef Hor Fun, etc. The gravy is not too thick, but just right, dark with an addictive flavour.  I usually throw in some green chilli for that extra kick, but on it’s own, this dish is FINE…

I recently had this again, this time at another similar Food Centre off Old Holland Road. Guess what, it wasn’t bad here either! For those of you who have yet to try this dish, I am not sure if it is the same everywhere but so far the standard at these 2 places is pretty good, so you might wanna have your virgin experience at either of these places.

So go check it and let me know what you think! Cheers.

By the way, the pork floss brinjals at the Old Holland Road places is YUMMY! I don’t usually like brinjals/eggplant, whatever you call it, but this one is GOOD!! Try it!

Awful :(

Went to Woodlands to watch S play soccer one Sunday and after the match, we headed to a nearby coffee shop for the usual post-soccer chill. I ordered a plate of carrot cake which tasted HORRID. I have forgotten the name of the coffee shop, but boy, the carrot cake was probably the worst tasting, wait, rephrase, complete lack of taste is more like it. There was no “cai po” and the carrot cake was dull. I could barely taste the chilli and there didn’t seem to have any egg or spring onions, or anything. Seemed like the guy just fried the carrot. Here’s a pic of my tasteless Carrot Cake.

A simple affair

After a late night, S and I headed to the Rail Mall for a late lunch. We had been spending a lot lately on comfort food (GUILTY!) and such so for today, we decided on some simple chinese food – Fishball Mee Pok and Minced Meat Mee Kia (Ba Cor Mee) @ EAT - a  mini-food court with just one stall, snuggled in the middle of a row of shops and eateries at the Rail Mall.

I must say that Bukit Timah’s answer to the coffee shops in the heartlands isn’t half bad. Except for the limited variety, the fishball noodles was really quite good. And it wasn’t very exhorbitantly priced. About $3.50? Comparable to a food court but more authentic tasting. Shao’s minced meat noodles seemed kinda dry but it was otherwise alright. Don’t expect something WOW but if you have a fishball mee pok craving in the middle of the day and you are away at bukit timah, you should check out the Rail Mall’s EAT.

After lunch, S and I headed to the Cold Storage slightly further down to do some ammenities shopping. It was interesting how in Bukit Timah we head to the likes of EAT for some simple local delights and Cold Storage for daily needs whilst in Gardens, you can find a food centre/coffee shop selling a variety of local food with every turn of your head. Shopping for daily supplies is just a stone’s throw away at NTUC Fair Price…

Hans for breakfast anyone?

Located at the basement of Park Mall, Hans to me has always been overly oily fried western food. I am happy to say that I have been proven wrong.

Came here a couple of days ago and was introduced to their seafood hor fun, aglio olio pasta, and beef hor fun. I’ll be honest, I only tasted the seafood hor fun but according to my friends, the aglio olio past and beef hor fun are very good. The seafood hor fun was served with a generous portion of seafood. The hor fun was a little charred just the way I like it. Not too pale but slightly burnt and dark. The gravy was tasty and the green chilli just added more oomph. The Ice Lemon Tea we ordered was home made and done to perfection. Not too sweet and with a stronge taste of lemon and tea. Absolutly thirst quenching and addictive.

Thumbs up to Hans on their revamp. No idea how long it’s been this way but kudos nonetheless!

Yong Heng Hokkien Mee

I finally remembered to take a shot before eating! Also took a picture of the stall so you will be able to recognise it better. Suntec Convention Centre – Food Republic

Chomps

 

 

 

 

Post Clubbing

Everyone seems to head to SPICE at River  Valley for supper after clubbing. Well, I am tired of prata all the time. So here’s something for you to consider: Sin Hoi San food centre off Tiong Bahru. This is near the HK Cafe just at the CTE Outram exit. What to try? Well their crabs are good but for post clubbing supper, their chrysenthemum tea is really quite a good detox and the pig trotters bee hoon is HEAVENLY. I love it!!! The gravy is extremly tasty!!

After Butter and Over Easy we gobbled up the dish so quickly I didn’t get a shot till mid-way through. Perhaps I’ll do an entry recommending supper places post clubbing…hmmm…yah, think I’ll do that. Stay tuned!!