Meng Meng Roasted Duck : Malaysia style roasted duck

This stall in a coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio is opened by the popular roasted duck chain in Malaysia. This is their first outlet in Singapore, opened on 29 October 2021 in partnership with a Singapore-based management consultancy company. Their original outlet in Johor Jaya was started in 2003 and there are 4 outlets in Johor Bahru, Malaysia now. 

The ducks are imported from Malaysia together with the marinades and sauces from their central kitchen in Johor Bahru. The ducks are roasted right at their stall in Ang Mo Kio. Other than their signature Dang Gui Roasted Duck, there are also Char Siew and Roasted Pork. 

I ordered a whole duck for $45, the price is much higher as compared to their outlets in Johor Bahru. Their ducks are marinated in dang gui, also known as Chinese angelica root with other herbs. There was a slight taste of dang gui in the duck but the taste was slightly stronger in the accompanying sauce. The meat though not as flavorful but the tenderness and juiciness were detected. 

I tried during their opening phase and the demand was overwhelming then and their standard might be compromised at that time. It did not taste as good as compared to the Dan Xiao Er or even the popular Ya Wang Restoran in Johor Bahru. I did not get to try their outlets in Johor Bahru so not able to do a comparison. 

MENG MENG ROASTED DUCK

Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-2823 SINGAPORE 560721

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

EL Carbon Grill House : newly opened in Ang Mo Kio

This Western food stall has just opened on 7 October 2019 in Food Loft, the newly opened coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio Central, directly facing the Ang Mo Kio MRT station. There was an article by The Straits Times featuring Chef Syahir Bin Osman, 23 and the Mibrasa oven at Elfuego, an eatery by Collin's at Jewel Changi Airport dated 9 September 2019. There was also another article on the Facebook page of Elfuego on 17 October 2019, mentioning this young chef is trained in Mibrasa oven. He was there when we were there on both occasions. 

My dining companion asked, "Did you see that special oven in their kitchen?" And, that is a Mibrasa oven. It is a closed barbecue grill oven that allows the user to control the flow of air accurately through the grill changing the intensity of the embers. It can be done through the hot charcoal by shifting the ashtray and the damper. The ashes of the charcoal are contained in the tightly closed catchment and doors to retain the charcoal flavor that would infuse the process of food grilling in the oven. It is different from the normal convection oven.

We ordered the Crispy Chicken Cutlet ($7.50) and Charbroiled Chicken Chop ($7.50). I was given a buzzer for collection later. The Crispy Chicken Cutlet consists of a piece of fried chicken with a portion of mesclun salad, corn on the cob and fries together with cheese sauce and possibly Garlic Aioli though it did not have much garlic taste. The chicken was coated with herb seasoning and deep-fried to the perfect crispiness. This is the signature dish on the menu of Collin's with exactly the same presentation at a higher price. 

 My dining companion said, "The taste of the herb seasoning is quite mild as you did not taste much of it. It is still quite worth it as compared to those choices at the other hawker Western stalls." He also said, "I would rather have it with the Aglio e Olio then fries." We did manage to change the fries to pasta when we went back for a second time. 

The Charbroiled Chicken Chop was served on a pile of Aglio e Olio with corn on the cob and mesclun salad. It was slightly too charred but it managed to crisp the skin, the crispiness lasted even till the last bite, it was moist within. 

I liked it so much and ordered it again when we went back and hopefully, this will be their usual standard.

This is a cheaper alternative to Collin's by a group of young and energetic chefs. They are in the midst of getting the Halal certification. 

EL CARBON GRILL HOUSE
Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-2823 Food Loft SINGAPORE 560721
Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 11.00 pm (Daily)

Ah Hoe Mee Pok : their new outlet in Ang Mo Kio

Eric Chia, the founder, just started this new stall in a coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio Central on 7 October 2019. I got to know about this from their Facebook. This will be the other outlet apart from their main one located near the Ayer Rajah Food Centre in West Coast Drive. He started a joint venture with some friends in 1999 and with Ah Guan Mee Pok later on before setting up Ah Hoe Mee Pok as his own brand in 2012 in the same coffee shop at Block 501 West Coast Drive before moving to Block 710 Clementi West after the change in ownership of that coffee shop. He was there for about 5 months before moving back to the same coffee shop again.

He taught a few peoples that were interested in this business and they had set up their own stalls with a different name. Amongst them is Mr Naoji Kuribara, a Japanese man. He worked as an apprentice for 6 months before closing his Japanese stall and took over the noodle stall in January 2015 under the same brand name but rebranded to Li Yuan Mee Pok later.

I was there for lunch on their second operation day. I asked, "This stall is not franchised?" The chap at the stall replied, "No. Ah Hoe was here earlier and he just left, went back to the other stall at West Coast Drive." I could not decide what to eat. I said, "I want it with braised mushroom." He replied, "Then, you should take the No 2 on the menu." It stated as Special Mushroom Mee Pok for $6, $8 and $10. I replied, "I will go for the $8 portion." The female assistant suggested I should go for $10 so there will be more ingredients. Some of the items on the menu are not available.

I paid with a $10 note but was given $2.50 as a change. I waited for a while to collect it. I noticed that there was no braised mushroom added to my mee pok. There were only 3 pieces of shell scallops and a few pieces of slices of canned king top. It was served along with a bowl of their special soup.

The first impression of this bowl of noodles was the portion is small and not too filling as compared to what I was served over at Li Yuan Mee Pok. I tossed the mee pok lightly with the chilli and the sauce, the taste did not quite stand out though the mee pok was nicely cooked to the desired texture. I prefer the $5 portion of Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle from Li Yuan Mee Pok to this. A good bowl of mee pok does not need premium ingredients to enhance its taste.

The soup consists of 2 pieces of Teochew dumplings, sliced meat, and cabbage. 

The flavor of the soup was quite light as compared to the one by Li Yuan Mee Pok, I did not quite enjoy it. The Teochew dumplings were much nicer though, the filling was nicely seasoned and not over peppery, encased in smooth and elastic skin.

I am not likely to go back soon as the overall taste is not quite memorable. I actually wonder is this their usual standard? The portion was not too filling. 

AH HOE MEE POK

Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 Food Loft Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 560721

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

AMK Curry Puff : they are back to Ang Mo Kio

They are back. They are back to where they first started. Mr Leo Chin Sang, founder of the AMK Curry Puff was part of the team that started Tip Top Curry Puff in 1979 before incorporating the ABR Group. He went to start AMK Curry Puff in July 2013 at a coffee shop at Toa Payoh Central before passing away about 2 years ago. I talked to Mr Leo then but he did not really want to elaborate on what happened. The Tip Top Curry Puff has renamed to Tip Top The Puff Factory after the incorporation and has remained in the coffee shop before moving to occupy the corner shop at Jubilee Square recently. I wrote an article for Makansutra in 2014 on this.

I asked, "The stall at Toa Payoh still around?" That lady nodded and said, "This is our second outlet. We have just opened about a week ago." I said, "I was told that the elderly Uncle has already passed away." She replied, "He was my Uncle." I also said, "I grew up in Ang Mo Kio and I remember there used to be a group of Aunties making curry puffs here." She pointed to the side of the stall and said, "Yeah. Right there." 

She added, "We decided to come back to Ang Mo Kio when they moved out." She said, "Hope to see you again." I decided to order a Sardine Puff and a Curry Puff at $1.50 each. Those puffs are still handmade and serve fresh. 

The Curry Puff was a pure disappointment. I could not taste any chicken chunks in it, the filling that mainly consists of potato was not as packed, not fragrant and not spicy. The crust tasted a little too dry, lacking the distinctive butter taste with a different texture. 

The Sardine Puff was equally disappointing. I did not like the crust as well, the filling that consists bits of sardine and shredded onion was very little, enclosed in a thick crust. 

Something is just different, it is smaller in size at a higher price. It just used to be much better but not so now. It left me feeling disappointed. 

AMK CURRY PUFF

Block 722 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 SINGAPORE 560722

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.00 pm

Coffee Tribe : a cosy cafe in Ang Mo Kio

This cafe is located at 51 @ Ang Mo Kio, previously known as the Big Mac Centre, next to AMK Hub and near the popular Takagi Ramen. It is at the corner, could easily be missed out though the yellow signboard is quite prominent. Their menu is extensive, their signature Braised Chicken and Braised Pork Belly with Yam are amongst the most popular choices.

I came by twice to take away their Braised Pork Belly with Yam before asking my dining companion to have lunch there. I ordered Mee Siam ($3.90) and Braised Pork Belly ($5.50) for him, together with an Iced Coffee ($1.80). There seems to be a lunch promotion going on but the counter staff did not mention nor made a recommendation for the past few times when I was there.

Their Iced Coffee is affordably priced at $1.80, much more affordable as compared to the coffee by Toast Box which is at $2.70. My dining companion said, "It is actually quite cheap to pay $1.80 for such a big cup of Iced Coffee, the coffee shop is already charging $1.50 for a small cup."

Their Braised Pork with Yam is a personal favorite. Each bowl is consists of 3 to 4 pieces of braised meat served along with a handful of sweet corn, sliced cucumber, and a braised egg. It tasted like homecooked, though not the best, it is good enough. Those slices of pork belly were nicely braised to the desired softness and quite flavorful.

I tried the Mee Siam for the first time. I was told that the key ingredients to this seemingly simple dish are patience and love as those steps to cooking a good nonya Mee Siam are quite laborious. The gravy was quite thick and flavorful, topped with dried beancurd puffs, dried shallots, bean sprouts, chopped chive with a lime. It is usually less sweet and not as spicy with a slightly sourish taste, different from the Malay and even Indian style Mee Siam. I actually enjoyed the Mee Siam here.

I went back after this to take away their signature Braised Chicken and it was served with a boiled egg and not a braised egg together with 4 pieces of braised mid-wings. I did not like it as much and would actually prefer their Braised Pork Belly much more.

COFFEE TRIBE

51 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #01-01A SINGAPORE 569922

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

The Chinese Kitchen : Taste of Taiwan

Chen Shucheng (陈澍城), 72, after launching Teochew City, his Teochew restaurant,  he then partnered chef Austen Ong, 51 to start a stall in the S-11 coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio central serving contemporary Taiwanese food. Chef Ong previously worked as chef de cuisine at Grand Hyatt Singapore for 16 years before opening The Chinese Kitchen, a modern Chinese restaurant at Cavan Road in October 2017.

Their aim is to offer restaurant standard food at hawker prices. Chef Ong tasted a lot of recipes to come out with the menu which includes 8 set meals, priced under $10. The 8 sets are Passion Fruit Sweet & Sour Pork, Pearl Rice ($6.80), Grilled Salmon Fish Fillet, Mild Spicy Coriander Sauce, Pearl Rice ($9.80), Pan-seared Beef Sirloin, Orange Juice Pineapple Sauce, Pearl Rice ($9.80), Grilled Lemongrass Chicken, Green Chilli Marmalade Pearl Rice ($6.80), Soft Shell Crab, Thai Garlicky Dip, Lu Rou Fan ($9.80), Miso Lu Rou Fan ($4.50), 13 Spices Crisp-Fried Tofu, Lu Rou Fan ($5.80) and Miso-Chilli-Garlic Organic Okra & Mushroom, Lu Rou Fan ($6.80). Chef Ong will be based at the stall for the time being while he is looking to hire and train a new chef. 

I ordered the Soft Shell Crab with Lu Rou Fan that served with the Thai Garlicky Dip. There is a number on the receipt and it is served according to that number. The set consists of a braised egg with a small side of kimchi and preserved cucumber as well as a bowl of soup. The braised pork is braised with Japanese red miso paste instead of the usual Chinese fermented bean sauce. It is more savory and not as sweet as the Lu Rou Fan found in Taiwan. It would be nice if a bigger portion of braised pork is given as I left with a lot of rice after the first few mouthfuls. The short-grained pear rice was cooked to a fluffy texture. 

The soft shell crab was perfectly fried to the desired crispiness and it remained so till the very last bite. It is nice to eat it on its own. The Thai Garlicky Dip is not spicy, not as garlicky as it was overwhelmed by the sourness and tanginess from the plum sauce and lime juice. It did not really go well with the fried soft shell crab. 

The braised egg tasted quite bland, did not have much of the soya sauce and 5-spice powder that supposed to be a part of the marinade as mentioned during their interview with the 8 DAYS Magazine. I would rather have more preserved cucumber then kimchi as it seemed quite out of place and did not go too well with the set. They might want to consider replacing it with salted vegetable or even braised cabbage. 

The creamy soup somewhat reminded me of the broth for ramen, there was kombu in it. 

Other than the Miso Lu Rou Fan at $4.50, the rest of the sets are priced on the high side and not as pocket-friendly. It might be a challenge for such a stall to actually survive in the heartland. 

THE CHINESE KITCHEN : TASTE OF TAIWAN

Block 711 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 S-11 Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 560711

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Sun to Thu) / 11.00 am to 9.30 pm (Fri & Sat)

Zhong Crayfish Seafood Soup at Ang Mo Kio Central

Henry Tay, 38, the owner of this stall serving mainly the Crayfish Seafood Soup at the coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio central, directly facing the MRT station. His stall was featured in the recent episode of Buzzing Hawker. Henry has about 20 years of cooking experiences. He worked in a Western restaurant after his national service before starting his hawker stall. He created his own recipe for the seafood soup using 8 different types of ingredients before Chef Michael Lau, his mentor chef adjusted it by adding flower crabs as part of the ingredients for making the soup. I was there close to 2 pm for a late lunch. There was another customer right in front of me, waiting for her order to be ready. I waited for a few minutes to order. This was before the particular episode that featured the stall was aired on TV. 

The menu includes Seafood Soup ($4.00/$6.00), Fish Soup ($4.00/$6.00), Fish Head Soup ($5.00) and Tom Yum Seafood Soup ($4.50). Other than rice, the other choices are fresh mee sua, thick bee hoon, porridge, bee hoon, ban mian and mee kia for $0.50. I decided to go with the large portion of Seafood soup and opted to have it with the fresh mee sua for $0.50. 

It consists of a substantial portion of mee sua with fresh tasting ingredients like the sliced fish, prawns, handmade meatballs, tofu, sliced tomato, vegetable and a piece of dried beancurd skin.  It was garnished with fried garlic and chopped coriander. The soup was much lighter as compared to the famous Yan Ji Seafood Soup at Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre with a hint of natural sweetness. The fresh mee sua is different than the usual mee sua, it was slightly thicker and not as mushy which I liked. 

It was rather comforting though not the tastiest choice. 

ZHONG CRAYFISH SEAFOOD SOUP

Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-2823 SINGAPORE 560721

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Ang Mo Kio 453 Wanton Mee : my new favourite

I did not actually take note of this newest stall in the food centre till my dining companion pointed out. He said, "Is this a new stall? Look at that long queue!" This stall has a bright yellow signboard and it stated "Ang Mo Kio 453 Wanton Mee". My guess is they are likely moved from Chong Boon Food Centre at Block 453 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 to here. I went for a late lunch on a weekday, it was near 2 pm at that time with a short queue of about 4 people in front of the stall. When it was my turn, I wanted to go with Wanton Mee ($3.00) and Dumpling Soup ($3) but was told that the Prawn Dumpling Soup has already sold out. I asked, "Closing soon?" and the Auntie replied, "No, not yet. We usually close at 2ish." I decided to add extra wanton. She asked, "Add another $1 for wanton ah?" I nodded. I also requested to have an extra amount of chilli to be added. While waiting for my order to be ready and I asked the Auntie, "This stall moved from Block 453 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10?" Aunties replied, "Yeah, that food centre." 

There are 2 sizes for Wanton Mee, the smallest portion is at $3 and the largest portion is at $4. There are also Prawn Dumpling Noodle, Shredded Chicken Noodle and Chicken Feet Noodle on their menu. Their Wanton Mee is different from most others. The mee kia is only mixed with chilli and no sauce beneath. It served along with ingredients like a few slices of char siew and vegetable then topped with fried lard with pickled green chilli by the side. Auntie asked, "Do you want your green chilli with the noodles or by itself?", which I opted to have it together with the noodles. To start, tossed it well with the chilli and you could see almost every strand of the mee kia was nicely coated with it. It is the chilli that set it apart from the others, it has a comforting level of spiciness which brought forth the flavor. 

I added $1 for extra 4 pieces of wanton together with the other 3 that are included in the $3 portion.The wanton has an old-school taste, the filling which consists of minced meat was lightly marinated with a light peppery taste.

There is always a queue and the waiting time is usually about 15 minutes or so, it will be longer if some of the customers in front take away a couple of orders. 

AMK 453 WANTON MEE
Block 162 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-28 Mayflower Food Centre SINGAPORE 560162
Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 2.30 pm

Mr Prawnie : Fried Hokkien Big Prawn Mee

Mr Pang Biau Juan, 39, the owner of this Fried Hokkien Mee stall which started in October 2016 in a coffee shop directly opposite Ang Mo Kio MRT station. He started his first chicken rice stall at the tender age of 22 but closed it down a year later due to misspending that led to massive debts. He ended up working for other hawker stalls. He started again at 27 years old and he opened 8 stalls bearing the name Heng Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice but he closed all the stalls when he was 31. He then returned to work at other Chicken Rice stalls and he partnered a hawker at 32 to run a Fried Hokkien Mee and Fried Kway Teow Stall but they split due to some disagreements. He became a runner for loan sharks to settle his debts, he was caught for unlicensed money lending and ended up in jail for 21 months. After his release, he worked different types of jobs before starting Mr Prawnie in October 2016, serving Fried Hokkien Mee. The prices start at $5 for a single serving to $26 for a combo platter with lobster, crayfish and big prawns for 4 pax. He is one of the recipients of $10,000 grant from the Tiger Street Food Support Fund. 

The portion was quite substantial serving with 2 pieces of medium-sized prawns, clams and squids, together with a portion of their house-made sambal chilli by the side. The texture was moist, a little gooey and flavorful, with a slight hint of wok flavour. It was served with a handful of fried pork lards and together with the sambal chilli that brought forth its flavour, though the level of spiciness is quite mild. 

Though not the best Fried Hokkien Mee but it is good enough to satisfy a craving.

MR PRAWNIE FRIED HOKKIEN BIG PRAWN MEE

Block 721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 SINGAPORE 560721

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Wet Market Zi Char : KL Hokkien Mee & San Lou Bee Hoon

This Zi Char stall has been around in this food centre for quite a while and I have only taken notice when I came across pictures of their dishes posted in a particular group on Facebook. I came to check it out on a Saturday for dinner and most of the tables were already taken at that time, these customers ordered from the 2 popular stalls that are serving Western and Penang dishes. When approaching this Zi Char stall, I was greeted by a friendly auntie. She asked, "What do you want to eat?". I did not bother to go through their menu as I have already decided on what to eat. I went ahead to order their KL Hokkien Mee and San Lou Bee Hoon for $14, which is more expensive that I have expected as such dishes are usually priced in between $5 to $6 at most Zi Char places.

I am a big fan of KL Hokkien Mee but it is difficult to find a particular one that is as good as what I had eaten in Kuala Lumper. My current favourite has been the one from Lin Da Qiang, a Zi Char stall at Smith Street Food Centre in Chinatown. The standard of this one here is pretty close though not quite as good. They are using KL style thick fat noodles and cooked it with ingredients like cabbage, slices of fish cake and lean meat with a handful of fried pork lard added to bring forth the flavour. 

San Lou Bee Hoon is also known Chao Ta Bee Hoon, this is a popular dish made famous in San Low Seafood Restaurant at Johor Bahru. JB Ah Meng serves the most popular version in Singapore followed by Yong Kee Seafood Restaurant. This dish is not too commonly available here.

After stir-fried, the bee hoon is further pressed onto the sizzling wok using a spatula to slightly charred it for the desired crispiness and also to absorb the intense wok flavour. It is served along with ingredients like slices of lean meat and fish cake, prawns and veggies underneath. I enjoyed it.

WET MARKET

Block 711 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-3501 S11 Food Centre SINGAPORE 560711

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm

Twenty Grammes : amidst the heartland

This cafe nestled in the heartland of Ang Mo Kio, near to Cheng San Food Centre and a stone's throw from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. They are currently at 2 locations, their main outlet at North Bridge Road and this outlet that opened in October 2015. They are famous for their waffles and handmade ice-cream, and this particular outlet is also known for its exclusive Yuan Yang Waffle ($15) which consists half of Charcoal waffle and other half is Belgian classic waffle with soft-serve ice-cream and hazelnut sauce.

The Charcoal waffle itself is priced at $8.50 and it is at $12.00 if with a single scoop of ice-cream. I opted to have it with the Seasalt Caramel ice-cream that is also served with their signature salted egg sauce. Subsequently, an additional scoop of ice-cream is at $3.00 each if I remember correctly.

I also ordered an Iced Cafe Latte ($6.00) to go with it and it was served in a couple of minutes upon seated down and waited for another 5 minutes more for the waffle to be served. The Iced Cafe Latte had a mild coffee flavor with just enough of milk taste to balance up the bitterness in the coffee and to give it the desired sweetness. 

Even though the Charcoal waffle though tasted just normal but it was fluffy and slightly crispy on the outer layer. The salted caramel ice-cream was rather creamy with a slight hint of saltiness which balanced up the level of sweetness. 

The salted egg sauce did not have much of the salted egg flavor and it also did not enhance the overall flavor as much. Or, maybe, it just did not go well with the salted caramel flavor.

TWENTY GRAMMES
Block 529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-2353 SINGAPORE 560529
Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Sun to Thu) / 12.00 pm to 1.00 am (Fri & Sat)