Yong Zhen Lor Mee . Prawn Mee : a comforting taste

I used to patronise this stall quite often when i stayed in Holland area and that was about more than 10 years ago. I remember this stall used to be manned by an elderly couple then, the elderly auntie was doing the cooking while the elderly uncle served it. I did not get to patronise as often after i moved away though i still come back as and when whenever i happened to be in the vicinity. I have stopped seeing the elderly Uncle around about a few years ago, the elderly auntie was working alone then. There was a middle-aged couple helping her when i visited a few days ago, the middle-aged lady was doing the cooking, the elderly auntie was still there but mainly to help with taking orders and collecting payments. 

I was the other customer waiting in queue when i was there slightly after 11 am. I was a little surprised to find out that most of the stalls were still not ready yet at that time in the food centre. This stall serves only Prawn Mee and Lor Mee but i usually just go with the Lor Mee, i do not actually remember that i ever tried their Prawn Mee before. I might have done so but it must be a really long time ago as i do not have even a slight impression of it. In fact, most of their regular customers go with the Lor Mee too as it is a more popular choice.

It is priced at $3.00 for a bowl serving with ingredients like slices of fish cake and pieces of braised meat with some crispy bits. If i remember correctly, they used to serve it with fried fish nuggets too but i did not find anything in my bowl this time. I even added $1 for extra ingredients but the amount added did not quite justify the value of that extra dollar. The braised egg is available at 0.50 cents per piece.

I was asked whether i want to have minced garlic added and as for the chilli sauce as well as vinegar and red cut chillies are available for self-service. Apparently, it seemed to be a little different in taste, the gravy seemed lighter and not as gooey. Or, perhaps, i might have tried other better Lor Mee thus i did not find it as good as it used to be. It is still a comforting taste nonetheless.

YONG ZHEN LOR MEE . PRAWN MEE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-40 ABC Brickworks Market Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 5.30 pm (Closed on Wednesdays & Thursdays)

Jin Jin Hot / Cold Dessert

Tried the Gangster Ice, Red Rubies and Chendol. My personal favourite has to be the Red Rubies, it even tasted as good or even better than those offered by the Thai eateries out there. 

I never expect the Gangster Ice to come with a scope of fresh durian. And, i never did expect the combination of durian and mango to be so harmonious. A great choice and definitely worth trying. 

JIN JIN HOT / COLD DESSERT

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-20 ABC Brickworks Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

One of the better Chicken Chop eaten.

Their prices might have increased but their grilled chicken chop is still amongst the best in Singapore. I am more than willing to pay $6 for such a massive piece of perfectly grilled chicken chop served with a generous portion of fries and coleslaw. 

WOW WOW WEST

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-133 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Bibimap at Food Centre

There was a queue of few people right in front of this stall when i was there for lunch. I stood there looking at their menu board and seemingly indecisive. Then, it happened when was one of their customers right in front walked past with the nicely presented bibimbap placed on her tray. At that moment, i wanted to try it too for just $5.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean mixed rice. It is served as a bowl of warm rice topped with namul consisting seasoned vegetables and gochujang (chili pepper paste).

A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

The one is a simplified version of bibimbap. The rice was served in a sizzling stone pot topped with handfuls of bean sprouts, carrot, shredded lettuce, seaweed, raw egg and thin slices of beef. I was asked whether i want it with chilli when it was placed on my tray.

It was served with a saucer consisting few pieces of ikan belis and kimchi.

A bowl of seaweed soup came along too.  Pictures were taken quickly then i started mixing it well excitedly. This was my first time having a bibimbap and i did not know what to expect of its taste. Seemingly, the first mouthful was a pleasant one.

Though a large amount of chilli pepper paste added but i could not taste much of its spiciness. I would think the overall taste was not quite distinguished. The crunchiness derived from the vegetables added was delighted though.

It was generally a pleasant experience as there is no prior experience in comparison. I would think it is worth trying for fan of Korean Cuisine given the reasonable prices of most items on their menu board.

KOREAN CUISINE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-108 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Creo Dessert

There was supposedly a 1-for-1 promotion going on from 11 November 2013 to 15 November 2013.

The poster for the 1-for-1 promotion was displayed right there. The Uncle smiled at me when he spotted me looking at the menu board. I finally settled for Double Pudding Milk Ice with Assorted Tapioca Balls (C6) and Mandarin orange, Pearls with Aiyu Jelly (H1). Both are for $2.50 each.

I was prepared to pay only $2.50 though a $5 note was given as i taken for granted that it should be 1-for-1 as stated in their promotional poster. I waited for my change of $2.50 but the Uncle was not giving it to me. It gotten me to wonder a bit so i asked. Uncle was telling me the 1-for-1 offer is only applicable to that particular one shown on their poster. I studied the poster again but there was no indication of so there. Uncle did ask me whether i want to change it. I went ahead with my choices as one of the desserts has already prepared and placed on my tray.

I felt the Uncle should have highlighted it when i placed my order. Anyway, what you see on the menu board is not what you will get.

The presentation of Mandarin Orange, Pearls with Aiyu Jelly was nicely illustrated as a pile of cone shaped shaved ice topped with slices of mandarin orange and pearls served on a plate on their menu board. What i actually got was a portion of Aiyu Jelly served in a big paper cup topped with a few slices of mandarin orange together with pearls.

When i dug further, the pile of shaved ice was right below the Aiyu Jelly. Those slices of Mandarin Orange were a little too sour to my liking. The pearls have got the desired softness with just the right chewiness.

The texture of Aiyu Jelly was delightfully soft too. Somehow, i do not quite appreciate the combination of Aiyu Jelly and Mandarin Orange though.

Apparently, the Double Pudding Milk Ice with Assorted Tapioca Balls did not fare too impressively as well. There were 2 types of puddings added in it. The brownish color one tasted a bit like Milo. The other has got a milky taste.

It was served with assorted tapioca balls including those with filling but i could only differentiate the one with red bean filling and the rest tasted just the same.  

The texture of both types of pudding was a tad too soft.  Their standard is comparable to Blackball though cheaper in prices but i do not like it enough to go back soon.

CREO DESSERTS

6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-30 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Roasted Meats Rice

I was rather amazed when i came across the long queue right in front of this stall. I have never really heard of this stall so this is definitely not amongst one of those famous stalls. Then, what gotten these people willingly queuing up for? Possible reasons are their foods must be good and the prices must be cheap. I could not think of the third reason to justify such a queue. This queue right there is easily the longest in this food centre.

The realistic way to find out is to join the queue and try it out. I waited for a good 20 minutes to order and waited for another few minutes to get it. I decided to have the roasted meat and char siew rice for $3.00. I would think $3.00 is considered rather cheap for such a plate of rice. A good portion of braised sauce covered rice was served on a plate with dividers. Substantial portion of roasted meat served along with equally good portion of char siew together with a bowl of cabbage soup.

I tried the char siew first. It tasted good though not outstanding nor memorable. It was nicely caramelised to give it a slight sweetness without compromising the taste and its texture.

The roasted meat tasted just fine. It has got a good balance of lean and fat proportion to give it the desired texture. It was nicely roasted to give its skin a rather slight crispiness coupled with a distinctive saltiness and desired tenderness within.

The soup served with cabbage in it. It has got the sweetness and intense flavor derived from the cabbage.

I would think the char siew tasted a little better in comparison but still not quite worth the queue though as there is another stall serving comparably or better roasted meats in the same food centre.

SIN HENG KEE HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE . 

CHAR SIEW ROASTED MEAT & ROAST DUCK RICE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-34 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Fishball Noodle

This was one of the stalls with no queue when i was there for lunch.

I went ahead with a bowl of mee pok tar for an affordable price of $2.50.

This was a basic bowl of mee pok that came with a few slices of fishcake, 2 fishballs and a fish dumpling. The portion of mee pok was good for a light lunch.

The mee pok was cooked well to give it the desired springiness and right softness. The level of spiciness was pretty mild. It would definitely be nicer if is slightly spicier. The overall taste was rather mediocre but it was slightly enhanced by the bits of fried pork lards added. The handful of beansprouts added was a good addition too.

A worthy consideration for a quick lunch.

BEE LOCK TING FISHBALL NOODLE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-110 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Traditional Coffee & Toasts.

This is one of the newest stalls in this food centre. And, there was a queue of few people when i went for lunch.

These people were queuing up for their  coffee and toasts. It just got me to wonder what is so special about their coffee and toasts? I noticed it has stated on their signboard that they grind the coffee powder on the spot. I observed the elderly Uncle took out the coffee beans from a container underneath the counter and threw it into the Coffee Grinder right behind him. He waited for the coffee beans to grind into the powder and collected it from the container that he placed slightly underneath the Coffee Grinder.

He was then threw it in the traditional coffee pot then poured in the water and stirred for a bit. Next step was to filter out the coffee grounds using the coffee sock. The coffee is then served in a traditional way by using the warm porcelain cup with saucer. He then prepared it by putting in the condensed milk and sugar into the porcelain cup. He poured the coffee and the hot water in at the same time. He then served it to me. My order of thick toasts was prepared at the same time by the lady.

My coffee was served in a porcelain cup that got their stall name printed on. The strong undeniable scent of coffee was simply irresistible. First sip.

The coffee has got a perfect balance of coffee powder, the condensed milk and the sugar coupled with a slight bitterness. I would think this was a good cup of hainanese style coffee that has done right. It is reasonably priced at $1.

The freshly prepared Butter Kaya Toast paired with the coffee perfectly.

The toasted were lightly toasted then applied a layer of Kaya before placed the cut pieces of butter on it.

It was then covered by another piece of toast and cut into 2 pieces.

The butter was nicely melted. The Kaya has got just the right level of sweetness to complement. The toasts are priced at $1 too. They serve the coffee / tea, toasts and 2 half boiled eggs as a set for $2.70.

An good choice for a simple yet enjoyable breakfast.

HYLAM STREET OLD COFFEE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-53 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre SINGAPORE 150006.

Bibimbap at Food Centre

There was a queue of few people right in front of this stall when i was there for lunch. I stood there looking at their menu board and seemingly indecisive. Then, it happened when was one of their customers right in front walked past with the nicely presented bibimbap placed on her tray. At that moment, i wanted to try it too for just $5.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean mixed rice. It is served as a bowl of warm rice topped with namul consisting seasoned vegetables and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

The one is a simplified version of bibimbap. The rice was served in a sizzling stone pot topped with handfuls of bean sprouts, carrot, shredded lettuce, seaweed, raw egg and thin slices of beef.

I was asked whether i want it with chilli when it was placed on my tray.

It was served with a saucer consisting few pieces of ikan belis and kimchi.

A bowl of seaweed soup came along too.

Pictures were taken quickly then i started mixing it well excitedly. This was my first time having a bibimbap and i did not know what to expect of its taste. Seemingly, the first mouthful was a pleasant one.

Though a large amount of chilli pepper paste added but i could not taste much of its spiciness. I would think the overall taste was not quite distinguished. The crunchiness derived from the vegetables added was delighted though.

It was generally a pleasant experience as there is no prior experience in comparison. I would think it is worth trying for fan of Korean Cuisine given the reasonable prices of most items on their menu board.

KOREAN CUISINE

Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah

#01-108 ABC Brickwoods Food Centre

SINGAPORE 150006.