Gu Zao Rojak : my favourite Uncle and his rojak

This has been my favorite rojak. The owner is an elderly Uncle, he is friendly and always chatty, and is passionate about making the rojak. His stall is right at the corner of the first coffee shop at Block 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, just a stone's throw from AMK Hub and within walking distance from Ang Mo Kio MRT. 

I have been eating his rojak regularly for quite a while. I used to stay with my Grandpa at Block 343 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and this coffee shop is near there. When ordering, I always tell Uncle that I want it to be spicy and he has the special chill for that extra kick. He said, "This chilli is for those that like it extra spicy, and not all are able to take this level of spiciness."

I went on a Sunday for his rojak. There were few customers in front of his stall. I told Uncle, "I want the $5 version to share with a friend and no chilli for this." He remembered my special order and asked, "So, no chilli ah? not even a bit?". And, I replied, "No. My friend cannot take chilli so not even a bit." I waited there, he served a few of the other orders before signaling me to move forward. He passed the plate to me and said, "I made half with chilli and the other half without chilli so both of you can share." 

Uncle is taking pride in serving his rojak. He made an effort to grill the youtiao and tau pok before cutting them up and adding to the rojak. He then mixed well with his special prawn paste and sprinkled a generous amount of crushed peanuts before serving it. 

The coffee shop that the stall is in will be undergoing renovation from 14 March 2022 to 31 March 2022. 

GU ZAO ROJAK

Block 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #01-2150 SINGAPORE 560347

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Teochew Kway Teow Soup : This is Goodbye

The Uncle and Auntie will be retiring on 13 March 2022. This humble stall has been in the same coffee shop for more than 30 years but is closing down. This coffee shop is near to my late Grandpa's house and I used to stay with him. I literally grew up eating from this stall. And, Auntie is like 看着我长大的. This might not be the best Teochew style Fishball Noodle but the taste is alluring as it is a part of my growing up memories. I really enjoyed the taste for sentimental reasons. I am 重感情.

I went back one last time to say goodbye by tasting it for the last time. The stall has always been there so it is quite shockingly sad to know that I will have to part with this decades-old familiar taste. I am definitely going to miss it.

TEOCHEW KWAY TEOW SOUP

Block 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 301-2150 SINGAPORE 560347

Ah Five Hainanese Chicken Rice/Fried Rice/Porridge by 2nd-gen hawkers

Natalie and Lex, are the owners of this chicken rice stall in the coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio. Their father, Lee Tai Keng, founded the popular Five Star Chicken Rice about 6 decades ago before entering into a partnership and later on, selling its share and is no longer associated with the brand.

Natalie is behind the chopping board and Lex is taking care of the cooking process. The chickens used here are the free-range chicken usually known as Kampung Chicken, which is firmer and leaner. 

The menu consists of Half Chicken ($15) and Whole Chicken ($30) served with fragrance rice ($1) or porridge ($1). The regular portion of Chicken Rice is $5. Shredded Chicken Porridge ($3) is also available. There are also 1-Person-Set ($5) and 2-Person-Set ($10) for selection. Special Chicken Fried Rice ($7) is a unique dish that is not found elsewhere. The fried chicken rice consists of diced prawns with minced pork then topped with slices of the poached chicken. 

The chicken was perfectly chopped by the 29 years old Natalie. She held a Master of Intellectual Property and used to be in that line before learning the trade and opening this hawker stall with her brother. The accompanying condiments include the chilli, ginger paste, and dark soy sauce. The chilli went well with the poached chilli as it got a good balance of spiciness and tanginess. The chicken reminded me of those served by Kampong Chicken Rice at Upper Thomson Road as it is almost as good. This poached chicken is definitely amongst the better ones that I have tasted, it is done perfectly done to detain its tenderness and juiciness. Their father should be proud of them for mastering his techniques in bringing forth the perfectly done chicken and rice. 

AH FIVE HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE 

/ FRIED RICE / PORRIDGE

Block 158 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560158

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 2.30 pm (Monday to Friday) / 7.30 am to 3.30 pm (Saturday to Sunday)

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)

Rayben King of Seafood Soup at Sin Ming

The owners, Ray and Benson started this stall in the midst of December 2020 serving seafood soup, There are only 3 choices on their menu, the smallest portion at $8.00 followed by $18.00, and then at $38. Ben was there taking the order. He recommended that we should try the $18.80 as it is good to be shared amongst 2 pax. 

I asked, "Why do you choose such a location? How is the business so far?" He said, "We wanted somewhere to start and the rental here is reasonable. And, we have been doing good so far. We even have customers coming from as far as Jurong." Ray mentioned competing against a popular stall and wanting to serve the best. I asked out of curiosity, "Who is this competitor? Do not tell me it is one of those that serve Pao Fan as I do not like." He replied, "I think Pao Fan is gimmicky. The texture of rice after soaked in the broth usually was too soggy." He later mentioned that this stall is the popular Yan Ji Fish Soup at Marsiling Mall Food Centre. 

We were given a buzzer after done with the payment. The medium portion consists of half a rock lobster, half a flower crab, 2 tiger prawns, Batang fish, squid, la la, and pacific clams. It came with choices of rice as well as thick bee hoon and we opted for rice. 

My dining companion tasted the soup and said, "The soup is quite tasty, naturally flavored." He said, "I could taste there is milk added." Benson happened to walk past and he asked, "How was it?" I said, "You added milk into it?" He replied, "I added just a bit of milk for a smoother texture."

My dining companion also said, "It is not the usual coffee shop pricing and is not quite worth the value. I would actually prefer a simple bowl of seafood soup without those premium ingredients added like the one by Yan Ji though they use Dory fish. I enjoyed their chunky handmade meatballs."

I did not try to ask for more soup though it was suggested in a review posted on their Facebook as someone tried but was declined. It is also not a practice to refill soup at Yan Ji Seafood Soup. The soup is supposed to serve concentrated and if they allowed refilling of soup then they would have to dilute the soup to make it more which does not quite make sense. 

I would just go for their basic bowl of seafood soup if I do come back.

RAYBEN KING OF SEAFOOD SOUP

39 Sin Ming Drive SINGAPORE 575713

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Quan Xing Mei Shi : old school Laksa

This stall has been in this food centre for decades, it used to run by an elderly couple but it left only the elderly Uncle with his son. There is only Laska on their menu for $3.00 per bowl. Most of their customers are the residents staying nearby and have been patronizing the stall for the longest time.

It usually sold out quite early and that is why I was quite surprised to see the light of the signboard was still on at 11 am and quickly, I joined in the queue. There are choices of thick bee hoon, thin bee hoon, and yellow noodles. I opted for the yellow noodles, it was topped with chopped laksa leaves and sambal chilli to serve. The portion of yellow noodles was quite substantial, serving with ingredients like slices of fishcake and pieces of tau pok with a handful of cockles and beansprouts. 

It tasted old school, no-frills and purely comforting. This simple Laksa is good enough, it does not need premium ingredients to make it tastier. 

QUAN XING MEI SHI

162 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-26  Mayflower Food Centre SINGAPORE 560162

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 1.00 pm

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)

Big Prawn Noodle : a better Prawn Noodle in Ang Mo Kio

A friend on Facebook mentioned this particular stall in quite a remote part of Ang Mo Kio, serving prawn noodle in Ang Mo Kio. I went with my dining companion on a Monday for lunch. There were just another 2 customers in front of us at that time. Bryan, the owner, came from Tanjung Piandang, Malaysia. He started working in a mixed economic rice stall before starting this stall. 

We decided to order the smaller portion of Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle for $5, went for the dry and also the soup option. There is a larger portion for $6. For $5, each bowl is served with 3 pieces of halved average-sized prawn and 3 pieces of pork ribs then topped with fried shallots, served with bean sprouts and kang kong. The prawns tasted relatively fresh. The chill though looked fiery, it was not spicy as expected. 

My dining companion said, "It tasted as good as Joo Chiat Prawn Mee at Ayer Rajah Food Centre, more value for money too." This is definitely better than the once-popular Sumo Big Prawn at AMK 628 Food Centre. 

We went back the second time within a week. After trying the dry and the soup prawn mee, my dining companion said, "I actually prefer the dry one more." I enjoyed the soup one a bit more though. I would think the soup is pretty good, it has an intensified prawn flavor with a slightly sweet taste. It did not taste as good when I was there for the second time. 

This is easier one of the better Prawn Noodles in Ang Mo Kio. I took notice that the coffee shop is usually quiet even during lunchtime. 

BIG PRAWN NOODLE

Block 443 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 AMK 443 Eating House SINGAPORE 560443

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 8.00 pm

Quan Ji : Teochew noodle in Ang Mo Kio

Ivan and Chun Siang, both are 25 years old and they are the owners of this a month old noodle stall in Ang Mo Kio. They met at Singapore Polytechnic when doing a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Ivan, took a year off from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to start this noodle stall with Chun Siang, a fresh graduate from NTU. The recipe is based on the grandfather of Ivan's wife that started selling the noodles in 1965. The original stall is still located at Bedok Interchange. 

Their signature noodle ($3.50/$4.50) is Minced Meat Fishball Noodle, it consists of noodles with minced meat, sliced meat, meatball, fishball and slices of fishcake. Vinegar is not commonly used in Teochew style noodles and it was omitted. The Mee Pok and Mee Kia were sold out when I was there for lunch so I decided to have Mee Tai Mak. I also ordered Laksa. I was given a number and it will be shouted out when it is ready for collection. We waited for about 15 minutes before it was ready.

The dry Mee Tai Mak was for my dining companion. He took a mouthful and asked, "Did you request for extra amount of chilli to be added? It is quite spicy." I did not request for extra chilli to be added. The chilli was surprisingly nice but it might be a bit too spicy for those that have little tolerance towards spiciness. 

The Laksa tasted just like any of those available at any hawker stalls that are serving this dish. The gravy was light and kind of diluted with little coconut taste, it did not taste too spicy.

It was served with prawns to replace the cockles together with other ingredients like slices of fishcake and tau pok. 

Apparently, the 2 young owners are not doing the cooking. It was cooked by their helper, an elderly lady that is hired to do the cooking. It reminded me of Douglas Ng of Fishball Story. It used to be good when he started his first stall at Golden Mile Food Centre but the standard dropped quite a bit when he started to hire cooks to man the stall. He went about franchising to expand the business but all these franchised stalls were only around for a while before closing down.

QUAN JI TEOCHEW MEE

Block 260 Ang Mo Kio Street 21 SINGAPORE 560260

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

An Dessert : a new dessert stall at Sembawang Hills Food Centre

This is one of the newest stalls in this food centre manned by a mother and daughter team. They have been around for slightly more than a month. I decided to order a Chendol after finished a plate of Beef Horfun from the other new stall in this food centre. While waiting, I chatted with the mother. She saw me taking a picture of their stall and asked, "Do you think you can tell others about our stall?" I replied, "I will tell my friends and ask them to support."

She said, "The business is slow, we are just getting by. The rental itself is already $3,000 and the cleaning fee is $450, there is also the utility bill that we have to pay." She continued to say, "If the business is so good then why would the previous stall decided to quit after been here for more than 20 years?" She was referring to the fish soup stall that has been around for a long while and there was usually a queue during lunch. She also said, "We woke up early and took long hours in doing preparation. Almost everything is handmade at the stall. "

The Chendol is priced at $2 each. It is served in a nice plastic bowl with a metal spoon. The coconut milk is thick and creamy, served with Gula Melaka together with red beans and those droplets of green rice flour jellies. The level of sweetness was well-balanced but I actually prefer to have it slightly sweeter. It would be perfect if the shaved ice is finer and smoother. 

This is not the best Chendol that I have tried so far but it is good enough to taste the amount of effort in making it. 

AN DESSERT

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-36 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

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

HoYeah Nasi Lemak in Ang Mo Kio

This is the new stall that opened on 17 July 2019, has replaced De Ar Western that was closed down recently, serving Nasi Lemak. We were there for lunch. The friendly owner asked, "With or without egg?" I replied, "2 Sets. Set 1 is with egg and Curry Chicken and the other is with Fried Chicken." The Fried Chicken Drumstick set is $4.50 and the Curry Chicken set with egg omelet is $5.00. There is also Fried Chicken Wing set is priced at $3.50 though. Every item is freshly made from scratch based on their recipes.  

My dining companion said, "It is not cheap particularly for the Fried Chicken Drumstick set. An option should be given to replace the hard-boiled egg with a fried egg." He said, "The rice has not much flavor though the texture is good." He then took a bite of the Fried Chicken Drumstick and said, "The flavor is very light, it will be nicer if it is saltier." It was served with steamed rice, its texture was fluffy with a slight hint of coconut taste.

The Fried Chicken, though mildly flavored but it was well-fried, it still retained its crispiness even after left it for a while. The rice was good but certain grains were slightly hard in the center. I also liked those chunks of cucumber, it still tasted crunchy and go well with the sambal chilli, a much better choice than those thinly sliced cucumbers. 

He also tried the Curry Chicken. He said, "The Curry Chicken is nice. I would have preferred to have it Curry Chicken than the Fried Chicken." He added, "The sambal chilli and curry chicken are nice." The sambal chilli is a little towards the sweet side though not as spicy but aromatic. There were bits of shredded onion in it with the taste of ikan belis. The Curry Chicken was pretty nice as well, the sauce was quite thick, fragrant and not too spicy but the chicken meat was a bit bland. 

It is simple and not fanciful, just like how Nasi Lemak was served in the past with just good sambal chilli and fragrant rice.

HOYEAH NASI LEMAK

Block 158 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560158

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)