Ah Lim : Mee Poh . Noodle Soup . Dumpling Soup

This stall is in the coffee shop at the junction of Jalan Tua Kong, along the East Coast Road is by the disciple from the original stall. The original Ah Lim is at Marine Parade, the stall is taken over by the son as the elderly Uncle has retired. There is a stall in the coffee shop at the corner of Simpang Bedok by the former helper and there is also a shop directly opposite, near the coffee shop, there are also other stalls in other parts of Singapore that has "Ah Lim" as part of their signboard. It is difficult to really tell whether are they actually related and the authenticity of the recipe used. 

I was there after 2 pm but the coffee shop was still crowded with most of the tables occupied. When ordering, I was told that the waiting time is quite long. I ordered the smallest portion of mee pok for $4. The auntie asked me for the table number and collected the payment. I waited for about 20 minutes before receiving it. 

It consists of a good portion of nicely cooked mee pok with fishballs, minced meat, slices of fish cake and lean meat. My dining companion said, "This is not bad but not the best that I have eaten." 

My dining companion said, "Do you know why I know this is a popular stall?" He pointed to those wooden clippers at the stall and said, "When you see those, that is a good sight." Though not too common, you still get to see those clippers at most of the Ah Lim's stalls. You do not see it often these days but it used to be a common practice at some of those older hawker stalls. My great grandfather used to run a noodle stall at Chia Keng as told by my Grandpa.

AH LIM
15 Upper East Coast Road SINGAPORE 455207
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 5.00 pm (Daily)

Geylang Lorong 29 Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee at East Coast

This stall is located in a coffee shop along East Coast Road, their Fried Hokkien Mee is amongst one of the most recommended choices.  The menu also includes Fried Carrot Cake, Fried Oyster, and Fried Oyster Omelette. I was there for the first time on a Sunday for lunch. Despite the name, this stall is not originally from Geylang Lorong 29 even though the father of Alex See, the owner, started Swee Guan Hokkien Mee at Geylang Lorong 29 and is currently manned by his brothers.

There are 4 sizes for the Fried Hokkien Mee, the smallest portion at $6, followed by $10, $15 and $20. I ordered the smallest portion to share with my dining companion, it was delivered to our table within 5 minutes.

I squeezed the lime then mixed it well with the sambal chilli before partaking the first mouthful and I actually enjoyed it. The texture was gooey, moist and quite flavorful with ingredients like prawns, squid, and egg, fried well with a mixture of yellow noodles and thick bee hoon, accompanied by their homemade chilli. I did not exactly taste the wok flavor amidst it though. This was my first time eating it and it was good but I was told that their standard can be quite inconsistent. 

If I am to base on this particular experience to do a comparison, I would prefer this to the Fried Hokkien Mee by Swee Guan Hokkien Mee as the last experience there was not quite a memorable one. I remembered that the waiting time was quite long, the texture of their noodles was slightly drier with an unpleasant charcoal taste and I did not manage to finish it.

GEYLANG LORONG 29 

CHARCOAL FRIED HOKKIEN MEE

396E East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428994

Operating Hours: 11.45 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Chendol Melaka : probably the best Chendol in the east

When I posted a picture of the popular Old Amoy Chendol on Facebook, a friend commented that his preferred choice for Chendol is in a popular coffee shop at the junction of Jalan Tua Kong, along East Coast Road. This humble looking stall is serving Nasi Ulam and Chendol only. There are choices of Chendol ($2.30) and XO Durian Chendol ($3.30), Nasi Ulam is priced at $5.30. I decided to go with Chendol and while waiting, I said, "My friend told me about your Chendol and he said, it is the best Chendol in Singapore. The Chinese owner replied, "OK only. There are better ones than mines." He asked, "This is your first time having it?" I nodded. He said, "Welcome to Siglap." 

I shared it with my dining companion. He enjoyed it, he does not usually eat Chendol as he is not a fan of Gula Melaka. He said, "The taste of Gula Melaka is not overwhelming and it also has the right level of sweetness."

This Chendol is probably the best in the east, it is excellent and not too sweet, those chendol stripes are handmade with a distinct pandan taste and those red beans are at just the right softness, the fresh coconut milk has the desired creaminess. 

We decided to order another one to share. My dining companion went to order but he came back telling me that the owner will deliver it as there were 2 other customers waiting for their orders. The friendly owner delivered the Chendol to our table in about 5 minutes. I said, "We liked it so much to order another one." He asked, "Would there be the 3rd bowl?" 

I will come by next time to try the Nasi Ulam together with the Chendol. Nasi Ulam is a traditional dish of steamed rice dish mixed with various herbs that usually serve during the special occasions in most Peranakan households. It is usually sold out quite early.

CHENDOL MELAKA

15 Upper East Coast Road Soy Eu Tua Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 455207

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm (Tue to Fri) / 9.00 am to 5.00 pm (Sat & Sun)

Corner Burger : Wagyu Beef & Cheese Burger in coffee shop

Silas Lim, 29, started this food stall last October with Desmond Yong, his business partner and Ophelia Lim, his girlfriend and also his business partner. He has worked eight years in marketing for a restaurant and then as a bartender at Tippling Club and Smoke & Mirrors followed by head bartender at Ding Dong. The stall is located in Brunners Coffeeshop at the corner of Jago Lane along East Coast Road, this is one of the remaining coffee shops in this area, there used to be another one at the junction of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road but has closed down. They have also founded another stall by the name of Kampung Bowl right next to their current stall in the same coffee shop, serving homely Asian-style rice bowls.

Silas has grown to love burgers during his exchange program in Oregon, America when he was doing an arts degree at NUS. He felt it is difficult to find a good and affordable burger in Singapore thus he decided to start this stall to serve great burgers that he would eat it himself at reasonable prices. He is also one of the recipients of $10,000 grant from the Tiger Street Food Support Fund and he shared part of it with his neighbours at the coffee shop and the rest in equipment. He decided to become a hawker as he is hoping to bring forth a positive change though running a hawker stall is challenging but he perceives this as a starting point. His late grandmother is the inspiration behind this stall as he used to cook and experiment recipes with her at home, most of his recipes are influenced by her cooking.

There are 6 types of burgers on the menu and the most popular has to be their signature Wagyu Beef & Cheese Burger ($13), there are also "Nan Ru" Tonkatsu Burger ($8), Black Pepper Chicken Burger ($7.00), Breakfast Burger ($7), Luncheon Meat & Egg Burger ($6.00) and Canteen Burger ($4.00). Other than burgers, the menu includes Tiger Beer Fish & Chips ($8.00), Pork Chop ($8.00), Chicken Chop ($7.00) and Fries ($3.00). The burgers are served along with thick-cut fries. 

The Wagyu Beef & Cheese Burger ($13) consisting a well-seasoned and firm patty that is made of Australian wagyu chuck and sirloin. It served together with melted cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato sandwiched in between lightly toasted artisan buns from Enjoue Bakery, an artisan styled bakery at Joo Chiat. The enamelware bowl that it came with brought forth a wave of nostalgia. The patty was nicely charred to give it a slight crisp and still tasted juicy. Those fries were lightly salted and it did not turn soggy even after left it for a while.

Apparently, I did not like their "Nan Ru" Tonkatsu Burger ($8) as much. The pork collar fillets were marinated in the 'nan ru' (fermented tofu) first then breaded and deep-fried, the texture was a bit too hard for my liking and the 'nan' ru' flavor was a little overpowering as well. 

I am looking forward to trying the Breakfast Burger ($7) which consists of harsh brown, luncheon meat, bacon with egg and I will order something from Kampung Bowl when I return.  

CORNER BURGER

228 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428925

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 2.30 pm / 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery : The Forgotten

I was there near lunch but there was just another table at that time. This was the first time that i did not have to wait for a table as it has always been crowded whenever i visited. The Auntie that was serving a couple at the other table did not seem to be too friendly. I went to her when she was done taking their orders to give mines. I ordered an Iced Coffee, 2 Soft-boiled Eggs and a Kaya-Butter Bun then i went to the display shelf right in front of the shop to help myself to an Egg Tart.

When the Auntie served the Iced Coffee to my table, i asked, "I did not see any Sausage Roll. Do you still serve them?' She replied, "We have stopped serving it." I did not get to ask her the reason as she walked away right after. I overheard when one of their regular customers asking her a similar question. That Auntie was telling her, "We are shortage of manpower so we are not able to bake most of the items now." She did not mention whether it is permanently or just for a while. 

I travelled from the northern part of Singapore to here for their Sausage Rolls as it used to be a part of my growing up memories. I was feeling disappointed that i did not get to eat it. It is getting difficult to find Sausage Rolls these days in those modern bakeries. Another bakery that is known to be still serving them is Balmoral Bakery at Sunset Way and i went to get some last month but i did not like it at all.

The Egg Tart, though not the best but it is still better than most out there. The shell is slightly thicker but fragrant and crumbly, the custard is smooth and soft.

Their Kaya-Butter Bun has always been the must-order whenever i am here. It is usually served slightly toasted with kaya evenly spread at both side of the buns and a small piece of butter. A butter knife is served along with it so you could use it to spread the butter over the kaya on the warm buns. It just did not taste as nice as i remember this time, there seemed to be something missing which i could not quite say what is that. 

The Soft-boiled eggs are always comforting, it is best eaten with a dash of white pepper and drizzled with a bit of dark soya sauce then mixed it a bit before partaking it.

I could not help but wonder how much longer would this place still be around?

CHIN MEE CHIN CONFECTIONERY

204 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428903

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 4.00 pm

328 Katong Laksa : It is a pure disappointment

Now, when walking along the stretch of East Coast Road, you do not longer see the war of Katong Laksa going on, in fact, 328 Katong Laksa is the only surviving one right there though there is another one at Roxy Square, which is directly opposite.

The shop has already lost its rustic charm as it went through a renovation and is air-conditioned now though there are a few tables outdoor. When entering, i proceeded straight to the counter and ordered right there, just like in a Fast Food Restaurant, then paid and waited for the order there. There are 2 options for their Laksa, the smaller portion at $5.50 or the bigger portion at $7.50. I went for the bigger portion and ordered a Luo Han Drink at $1.95 to go along. A small packet of sambal chilli was given with it.

They are still serving it with just spoon and without the chopsticks. I stirred in the sambal chilli with the thick bee hoon, a few cockles and some small prawns together with a handful of beansprouts. After tasting it, i did not like it much as the the gravy was rather diluted with not much of coconut flavor. Honestly, it just did not make much sense to pay $7.50 for such a bowl of mediocre Laksa as there are many better and cheaper options out there.

And, i wonder how did they manage to beat Gordon Ramsay in the Hawker Heroes Challenge orangised by Singtel with such a standard? I remember it did not taste too bad then so perhaps there might be a drop in the standard? I have a feeling that most of their customers are the tourists and they are not likely to be able to tell a good bowl of laksa from a mediocre or even a bad one. 

It was so disappointing that i did not even finish it, i left about half of bowl unfinished and walked away, likely not returning anymore. 

KATONG LAKSA

51 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428770

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Peach Fantasia at Azzura Gelato Bar

AZZURA GELATO BAR

30 East Coast Road #01-01/02 Katong V SINGAPORE 428751.

Bei-Ing Yun Tuen (Wanton) Noodle at Roxy Square

I spotted this noodle stall when ordering the Katong Laksa right beside. The smallest portion is at $3.00 then followed by $3.50, $4.00 and $5.00. I was asked to come by in a bit to collect it. I was their only customer then so i gotten it pretty quickly. 

It came with 2 pieces of fried wantons and another 2 pieces of soup wantons together with quite a few pieces of thinly sliced Char Siew. I tossed the noodle lightly in the pool of dark sauce then had my first mouthful. The noodle was nicely cooked though lacking in eggy taste. I requested to have chilli added but i could not quite taste any spiciness in it. The texture of char siew was slightly dry and not too flavorful.

The soup that served along with the noodle was rather bland with just a rather light peppery taste.

This is not amongst the best wanton noodle that i eaten so not quite likely to come back. 

BEI-ING YUN TUEN NOODLE

50 East Coast Road #01-64 Roxy Square SINGAPORE 428769.

Janggut Laksa - the Original Katong Laksa.

I came purposely to have this supposedly famous Katong Laksa. Though they might not be the most popular amongst other choices for Katong Laksa but they claimed to be the original Katong Laksa that founded more than 50 years ago. This stall is located in a food court at a not so prominent corner of Roxy Square. You might want to take note that there is another food court located at the basement so as not to mix them up. 

I was there during lunch though the food court was rather packed but i was the only customer right at this stall. There is the $4, $5 and $6 portion for selection. I decided to go with the $5 portion with cockles added. I was asked to take a seat as it shall be served to the table.

It was served rather quickly by the Uncle to the table. First impression was the portion did not quite justify the amount of $5 paid. It was rather little served with 3 pieces of halved prawns with bits of fish cake and beansprouts. I took notice that the spoon used has got bits of dark stains and it did turn me off quite a bit.

Generally, the taste was rather good with a distinctive taste of coconut milk. The chilli tasted slightly sweet and rather mild in level of spiciness. The ingredients including the cockles somewhat tasted fresh.

Overall, it was a nice bowl of Laksa though not particularly impressive.

JANGGUT LAKSA - THE ORIGINAL KATONG LAKSA

50 East Coast Road #01-64 Roxy Square SINGAPORE 428769.