Cantonese Double-boiled Soup . Steamed Fish : good value for money

We were there on a Sunday for a late lunch. I wanted to order the Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Steamed Rice ($3.30) but it was sold out. I decided to go with Salted Fish Steamed Minced Meat ($6), Sliced Fish Steamed Egg ($6) and Si Chuan Vegetable Stewed Pork Ribs Soup ($3.50) to go along with 2 bowls of rice at 0.50 cents each. I pointed to the table right in front of the stall when I was asked where do I sit. I waited for about 10 minutes before it was served. 

Salted Fish Steamed Minced Meat ($6). My dining companion commented that the texture was a bit too soft and not too much taste of salted fish in it. There was a piece of salted fish right at the corner though. The minced meat was of a generous portion for the price, garnished with chopped spring onions, coriander, and fried shallots. 

Sliced Fish Steamed Egg ($6). We prefer this to Salted Fish Steamed Minced Meat. The texture of the steamed egg was smooth and soft. I did not expect the sliced fish to go so well with it. It was served with light soy sauce and garnished with chopped spring onions as well as dried shallots. 

Si Chuan Vegetable Stewed Pork Ribs Soup ($3.50) was a good choice too. It consists of a few pieces of preserved vegetable with few chunks of pork ribs, slices of tomato and red dates. It was unexpectedly flavorful with nicely cooked pork ribs. 

This stall is definitely worth a try if you are here for lunch, not fanciful but homely and satisfying.

CANTONESE DOUBLE-BOILED SOUP . STEAMED FISH

69 Geylang Bahru #01-27 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Bang Bang Mushroom Bak Chor Mee at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

There were a few people waited in the queue in front of this stall when I was walking around the food centre on a Sunday looking for a lunch option. I joined in the queue and waited for about 5 minutes before ordering. I decided to go with the Pig's Trotter Minced Meat Noodle listed at item 4 on their menu. I went with the smaller portion at $5 and the larger portion is at $6. 

My order was served in just a while and its presentation looked rather promising. I tossed it well and was eager to have the first mouthful. The noodles were cooked well but it was mild tasting with a slight hint of vinegar. Other than the braised pig's trotter, it was also served with ingredients like sliced fish cake, lean meat, minced meat, meatball, braised mushroom. When I looked closely at those pieces of pig's trotter, there were pesky little hairs on most of part of it. That was quite a turnoff and I left it untouched.  

If I do go back, I would just go for the Mushroom Bak Chor Mee which is supposedly their signature. 

BANG BANG MUSHROOM BAK CHOR MEE

69 Geylang Bahru #01-25 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 8.00 pm

Sheng Ji Soya Sauce Chicken Rice / Noodle

This is amongst those stalls that has a consistent queue in this food centre. It was so even after 2 pm on a Saturday. Most of these customers ordered the Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle and some have it with rice. Their Soya Sauce Chicken must be good since it is their signature item and they even stated it on their signboard. The stall is manned by an elderly couple. It was sold out at 2 pm when I re-visited on a Sunday. 

For just $3, I was given a chicken wing with some breast meat together with a good portion of noodles and some green. The chilli was added to the side. The noodles were cooked nicely to the perfect texture, slightly springy and not too soft. To start, tossed it lightly to mix the noodles with the braised sauce underneath as well as the chilli. The level of spiciness for the chilli was quite mild. 

The Soya Sauce Chicken was not the best that I have eaten but if to compare to that Michelin starred Soya Suace Chicken, I would think this is better. It was quite flavorful and rather tender. I did not like it as much but my dining companion thought it was quite good. 

SHENG JI SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN RICE / NOODLE

69 Geylang Bahru #01-13 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm

Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

This was one of the stalls that with a queue when I visited on a Sunday for lunch. This is one of the stalls originally from this food centre before the renovation and they moved to Toa Payoh for a while before moving back to here again. The options on the menu include Fuzhou Fishball Noodle ($3.50/$5.00), Meatball Handmade Noodle ($3.50/$5.00), Abalone Clam La Mian ($5.00/$7.00), Seafood Tom Yum La Mian ($4.50/$6.00), Mee Hoon Kueh ($4.00/$6.00), Signature Chilli Ban Mian ($4.00/$6.00), Signature Soup ($12.00) and more. 

I remember eating Chilli Ban Mian when I was in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia and so I decided to go with the smaller portion of their Signature Ban Mian. A substantial portion of ban mian was served with meatballs, braised minced meat, poached egg accompanied with ikan belis, fried shallots, and lard. I tossed it lightly to mix the nicely cooked noodles with the dark sauce and chilli. And, the spiciness of the chilli is not to be underestimated and so, go easy with it.

HUI WEI CHILLI BAN MIAN

Block 69 Geylang Bahru #01-58 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Wen Wen Pork Rib Prawn Noodle at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

Uncle Richard started this stall with his wife at Geylang Bahru Food Centre about 5 years ago when he was 49 years after he left the printing industry. They moved to Old Airport Road Food Centre temporarily when this food centre was undergoing renovation. Their stall is famous for their prawn noodle but also the seafood hotpot, a popular choice amongst their customers, it is served with ingredients like pigtails, pork ribs, prawns, la la, crab and even canned abalone. Customers are also allowed to bring their own ingredients to add it in. 

There was no queue when I was there for lunch. I stood back a little, took a picture of the stall before proceeding to order. Uncle Richard seated at the table in front of the stall and he smiled at me when he saw me taking the pictures. I pointed at the picture of Big Prawn Noodle on their menu board and said, "This one". Auntie replied, "That will be $12. Is it okay for you?" It is indicated as $10 and $12 beside the picture of the Big Prawn Noodle on their menu board. This is probably charged accordingly to the size of their available prawns, these prawns were fresh and not frozen. The regular Prawn noodle is priced at $4 with ingredients like average-sized prawns and sliced pork. Cold crab is a unique dish that is on their menu at a seasonal price. 

The friendly Uncle cooked those prawns and pork ribs in a pot over an induction stove. He then poured it into the bowl of yellow noodles. When Uncle handed it to me, he said, "If the prawns are not good enough, come back and tell me." He said, "I gave you 2 big pieces of pork ribs."

I did not like the soup as much when I first tasted it but I began to like it more and more along the way. The soup though was lightly flavored but it had a pleasing notable natural sweetness. I could not help but compared it with the supposedly popular Sumo Big Prawn Noodle at Ang Mo Kio which I tried only once and did not like it as the sweetness of their soup was kind of artificially enhanced.

Those big prawns were relatively fresh and the pork ribs were cooked to desired tenderness and there were also a few pieces of la la with a good portion of nicely cooked yellow noodles. It was an enjoyable bowl of prawn noodle.

WEN WEN PORK RIB PRAWN NOODLE

Block 69 Geylang Bahru #01-22 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 2.00 pm / 5.30 pm to 10.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Guan Hin Homemade Carrot Cake at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

This is one of the popular stalls in the newly opened Geylang Bahru Food Centre. The light of their signboard was off when I was there at about 1 pm. I thought that they have already sold out and closing. When I was back after having lunch at one of the coffee shops nearby, the light of their signboard was on and there was a long queue in front of the stall. They moved to the Chinatown Complex Food Centre for a short while when this food centre was undergoing renovation. I joined in the queue and waited for about 15 minutes before ordering. 

When I was asked whether to have it with chilli which I replied, "How spicy is the chilli?" The auntie replied, "Not very spicy, can put it on the side and not add it." I decided to go with the dark version at $4. I waited for another 5 minutes to collect it. There is a choice between the dark and the white version of carrot cake at $3.00 and $4.00. It is cooked by an elderly Uncle.

Those huge round aluminum trays nicely stacked on the shelves behind the stall are not a common sight as most of the other stalls are not making their carrot cake these days but using those from factory made. This elderly couple is still painstakingly making it at the stall. 

I did not like it as much as I thought I would. I felt it is better than the Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake at Bedok Interchange Food Centre though. I could taste the distinct taste of dark sweet sauce with garlic and preserved radish, a generous amount of beaten egg was also added. The texture of the carrot cake was soft and moist. My dining companion said, "I actually prefer the black carrot cake by Hua Li Fried Carrot Cake at Marsiling Mall Food Centre to this." He also said, "Those pieces are too chunky and with a slightly charred flavor, also not crispy enough." 

Nonetheless, this is a better than average, rather old-school handmade fried carrot cake that you do not get to find it often in this fast-changing Singapore. 

GUAN HIN HOMEMADE CARROT CAKE

69 Geylang Bahru #01-45 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

San Lor Bak Png : cheap and good Braised Pork Rice set

I got to know about this stall through Martin Goh, a friend on Facebook. He went on their opening day and he enjoyed what he tasted, he then shared it on the Facebook. This newly opened stall is run by the same folks behind Chop Chop  Western Grill just right next to it, in the same coffee shop.

The lady at the stall came out when she saw me taking pictures. She asked, "You are taking pictures of the stall?" I smiled then said, "A friend recommended your stall on the Facebook." She asked, "Do you want to try?" She pointed to a poster and said, "We have this super value meal for just $6.80." This is the set that recommended by Martin and I decided to go with it. I was given a buzzer for collection later. The set consists of a bowl of braised pork rice, a plate of stir-fried long beans and fried tomato egg with a bowl of ABC soup. 

The braised pork rice came with a good portion of rice with tasty braised pork belly and a handful of chopped spring onions was sprinkled on it. It was accompanied by a piece of mushroom and half of a braised egg with slices of pickled cucumber. I was told by the same lady at the counter to try having it with the chilli as she said some of their customers think it brings forth the flavor.  I tried it without the chilli first then added a bit of it to the braised pork and rice, I actually prefer to have it without. The braised egg did not have much flavor. 

The long beans were deep-fried then stir-fried with minced garlic, the texture was slightly hard but was acceptable to my dining companion. The fried tomato egg was nicely done too, those pieces of tomato were soft and added flavor to the egg. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

The soup was specially mentioned by Martin, he said it was quite good which I agreed. The flavor was quite intense, I would think it was much better than those available at the stalls serving soup. It must have been simmered for a relatively long time to be that flavorful. You could find chunks of carrot, potato and sweet corn in it, there was also a piece of meat. 

This set is definitely value for money.

SAN BRAISED PORK RICE

Block 63 Geylang Bahru Food Cheery Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 330063
Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.30 pm

That Simple Taste.

It was the rather small sized elderly man sitting right in front of the stall that caught my attention. He should be the owner of the stall and most probably with years of experience in frying a mean plate of carrot cake. I decided to take my chance by ordering a $2.00 plate for tasting purpose. There is the selection of $2.50 and $3.00 too.

You could also order 4 pieces of Chwee Kuey for $1.00.

I waited while he was at work. He pan fried those pieces of unevenly cut carrot cake first then added in the preserved radish and continued to pan frying it. He added in the dark sweet sauce. He then finished it off by adding in the beaten egg and pan fried it for a little longer. He removed it from the wok, served it on the plate then topped it with bits of chopped green onions before handled it to me.

I was happy to receive my plate of fried carrot cake. I could smell the distinctive aromatic smell while walking back to my table. I used the plastic fork to pick up a piece of carrot cake with bits of egg and had the first mouthful. The texture of the steamed carrot cake was moist with a desired softness. 

It has got a good amount of egg added to give it a likeable eggy taste that nicely complemented the taste of dark sweet sauce as well as the preserved radish to give it the perfect flavour.

Though it might not be the best tasting fried carrot cake that i ever eaten but that old school taste is indeed memorable. I really enjoyed the simple taste. Such nostalgia taste somewhat brought back the fond memories of those growing up days.

CHWEE KUEH . FRIED CARROT CAKE

69 Geylang Bahru

#01-2953 Geylang Bahru Food Centre

SINGAPORE 330069.

Bak Chor Mee.

It was that queue that gotten my attention to this noodle stall. This was the only stall that gotten a queue when i was there for lunch. I was curious enough to join in the queue to check out the stall.

I waited for a good 10 minutes before the smiling Auntie asked for my order. I told her i wanted the larger portion of the mushroom minced meat noodle for $3. I paid her then waited for a few minutes for it to be ready.This stall offers Fishball Noodle, Macaroni, Laksa and Tang Hoon for the selection of $2.50 and $3.00.

A good portion of noodle is served with 3 pieces of meatballs, braised mushroom, slices of lean meat and a handful of minced meat. It was served in a bigger porcelain bowl that have got their stall name printed for the $3 portion.

A brunch of beansprouts was added too to add the desired crunchiness to the noodle as well as to make it a slightly healthier choice. It was then garnished with chopped spring onion and dried shallots to enhance its flavour further.

A bowl of hot soup was served along with the noodle in a small porcelain bowl that gotten their stall name, too. It tasted rather light with just a bit of peppery taste with chopped spring onion added to it.

I actually loved the porcelain spoon with the porcelain saucer that we do not usually get to see these days. Most of the hawker stalls are using the plastic spoon with plastic saucer. Some of these hawker stalls are using the disposable spoon, disposable saucer with disposable chopsticks or even have it served in a disposable bowl even for dining there.

I personally did not find those disposable wares to be appealing.

Bits of red cut chilli in the light soya sauce served in the saucer came together with the bowl of noodle.

I tossed the noodle well with the sauce underneath. Then, i was eager to have the first mouthful I totally in love with the taste. Though the chilli did not taste particularly spicy but it complemented the noodle with the ingredients well. The ingredients used have got a distinct freshness. I liked the meatballs the most. It is just the taste that i like.

The texture of the noodle has got a delightful springiness with just the right chewiness to make it desirable.

This bowl of noodle is worth coming back for more.

The queue was still there when i done eating the noodle and i guess many are probably the regular customers that have been supporting this stall. This is likely to be another hawker passionately serving good quality food at an affordable price. This is a great find indeed.

MUI KEE FISH BALL NOODLE

69 Geylang Bahru

Geylang Bahru Food Centre #01-2817

SINGAPORE 330069.

Tasty Rojak

I have already eaten lunch when i came across this stall. The owner of this particular stall is a friendly elderly Uncle in his 60s. He looked rather eager when he spotted me walking towards his stall.

He asked, '$3?'. I said, 'No. I just want the $2.50.'

I seated at the table right in front of his stall. The Uncle served the rojak in a few minutes.

He stood beside the table and started chatting with me. He said this stall has been around for 30 years. Honestly, i never quite expect this stall to be around for decades as the signboard looks pretty clean to me. Uncle said he has been painstakingly in maintaining it. And, he said most of the stalls in this food centre are new and these new stalls usually last only a few months.

He started his stall with his Sister and Brother but both of them decided to call it quit and left him alone. He said he has to wake up very early to get all his ingredients then prepared it. He said he usually has to work from morning to about 10.30 pm or slightly earlier.

While chatting with Uncle, i took a bite of the tau pok. Both the you tiao and tau pok have got a delightful crispiness. I told the Uncle so. He said, he toasted it before he served it. He said the only secret to keeping its crispiness is not to serve it immediately after toasted.

He said he insisted in using the freshest ingredients to serve. He told me that he has been using the Prawn Paste from Penang to mix his rojak. He actually proudly having it stated on his signboard, too. The other ingredients found in the rojak were the fresh tasting cucumber, pineapple, turnip and lots of beansprouts to add the desired crunchiness to the texture. It was topped with bits of freshly grounded peanuts to enhance the flavor. The portion was rather good for $2.50. The taste is actually comparable to those famous ones out there. I could tell the prawn paste is of a good quality as it is rather thick with a rather distinctive taste.

I would have invited Uncle to pose for my picture but he is a bit shy to do so. He is the type of hawker that deserved my respect. He is passionate in serving quality food at an affordable price. Uncle shared that the business is not as good as it used to be after the closure of the cinema. I do hope his stall is still around when i am here the next time. I hope his stall is able to survive for another decade or longer.

I enjoyed the chat with the Uncle and his rojak.

TIAN TIAN XIANG ROJAK

69 Geylang Bahru

#01-2735 Geylang Bahru Food Centre

SINGAPORE 330069.