Big Boys Western Sizzling Hotplate : so so Western food

This Western food stall is started by an ex-chef from The Ritz Carlton in the food centre at Beauty World Plaza that opened on 8 December 2018. I have been waiting for the hype to die down before trying it. We decided to go for lunch on a Friday. We were there at about 1pm. There were some customers waiting to collect their orders at their stall. I asked, "Do I need to join the queue to order?" The friendly chap replied, "We are not taking orders now as the waiting time is about 1 hour 30 minutes." We went to eat Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle and Wanton Soup from Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice while waiting. My dining companion went back about 30 minutes later and he managed to order the CornFlake Chicken ($7.50) and Grilled Chicken Steak ($6.90). Each main is accompanied with a choice of side, the selection includes fries, rice or pasta. There is also black pepper and mushroom sauce to choose. A buzzer was given for collection and it buzzed in 10 minutes. It looked exactly like those not quite appetizing pictures that were circulating on social media. 

The CornFlake Chicken is one of their signature dishes and probably one of the most popular choices. The size was much smaller, not as massive as shown in those pictures on social media. My dining companion took a bite and said, "It actually tasted better than its look, even so, it is just average tasting." He added, "The texture of the fried chicken was nice but not much flavor." The fried chicken was coated with a layer of batter added with cornflakes and deep-fried to the desired crispiness, though special but not quite memorable. The turmeric rice was served with black pepper sauce, I neither love or hate it.

This is amongst one of the worst chicken chop that I had eaten. It was served sizzling hot on the hotplate but it had not been char-grilled long enough to char it and to allow the smoky flavor to be infused, it tasted quite bland with soggy skin. That might be the likely reason why it was served so fast? It tasted quite mediocre, just like those from the usual Western food stalls. The mushroom sauce was a little runny with not much flavor. My dining companion said, "I like the fries though, it is quite crispy." Those fries were coated with a layer of batter before deep-frying for a crispier texture.

My dining companion said, "The only thing that reminded me of The Ritz Carlton is the level of service. The chef is quite friendly though and he even made an effort to apologize for keeping me waiting for the food. I had recently dined at Colony, a cafe in The Ritz Carlton and its attentive service is part of the memorable experiences."

I did not like both dishes, in fact, it is as disappointing as Chef Choo's Signature at Golden Mile Food Centre that I have tried recently. 

BIG BOYS SIZZLING WESTERN HOTEPLATE

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-25 Beauty World Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)

Ah Poh BBQ Seafood : the better BBQ Stingray

It was rather chaotic when we were there for a late dinner on a Saturday, as most of the tables were taken up at that time and the only empty table was right in front of the satay stall, that very much explained why it was the only table available. 

There are 2 stalls serving BBQ seafood, but we decided to order from Ah Poh BBQ Seafood, the most popular stall amongst them. There was another customer ordering when I was there. I decided to go with BBQ Stingray, Sotong and 2 bowls of rice. I was asking Auntie that took my order, "How long would it be? about 30 minutes?" She replied, "No, not that long, should be shorter." I went back to wait at the table. A friendly Uncle came by with chopsticks, spoons and 2 saucers of dipping sauce. 

The Uncle came over with Sotong and the rice. I was expecting the BBQ Sotong, but it turned out to be the Sambal Sotong, the smallest portion is priced at $12. It was my fault as I did not specify that I want BBQ Sotong when ordering, the Auntie did not ask me as well, so I assumed it. It was stir-fried with shredded onion, green pepper, and some chilli but it did not taste too spicy, the sauce reminded me of those that usually for Chilli Crab which was unexpectedly appetising. 

We had waited for another 5 minutes before the same Auntie came over with the BBQ Stingray. And, I said, "Really less than 30 minutes." Auntie replied, "It is usually quite fast as we "long pang" and cook the orders together."

After our first mouthfuls, my dining companion and I agreed that this has to be one of the better-barbecued Stingray that we have ever eaten, it is much better than the famous BBQ Stingray by Hong Chang Eating House along Braddell Road. The smallest portion is reasonably priced at $12 which consists of 2 slices of nicely barbecued stingray; the medium portion is at $15 and the large one at $18. 

The surface was nicely seared to give a slight crisp but still retained its moisture within then smeared with the chilli to serve. I liked the chilli that has a mild level of spiciness and I wished there were more of it; perhaps I could try to request for more when I visit again.

AH POH BBQ SEAFOOD

51 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-119/120 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm (Daily)

Ah Song Noodle House : so so Lor Mee

I came for Hambaobao, a burger stall in this food centre but the waiting time was 1 hour after placing the order. And, just like a few of other customers, I decided not to wait. After walking around, I settled for this noodle stall that is at the quiet corner of Beauty World Food Centre. There was no other customer when I visited on a Sunday for lunch. Their menu is simple, there are Fish Ball Soup ($3), Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle ($3), Fish Ball Minced Meat Noodle ($3) and Lor Mee (3) which I ordered. 

The portion was substantial and served with braised egg, fried dumpling, slices of ngor hiang and lean meat. I was asked to help myself to the sambal chilli, garlic paste and vinegar.

The sauce was a bit too light and not gooey enough to coat the noodles well. It tasted slightly better after mixing in the garlic paste and sambal chilli. They served it with the poached meat rather than the usual braised meat which did not have much taste, it might be a healthier choice or simply serve it out of convenience. I did not like it. 

AH SONG NOODLE HOUSE

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-59 Beauty World Food Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Buta Kin : hawker-style ramen

It opened on 14 December 2015 in Beauty World Food Centre but was shut down in early 2017 as the food centre is supposed to be converted into an air-conditioned food court after the acquisition but the plan had fallen through. Most of the stalls that have moved out earlier started to move back, Buta Kin is one of them and the other is Hambaobao.

I am still on the look out for the best Ramen in Singapore. I have tried Tsuta but I did not like it as much as compared to what I had eaten in their original shop in Japan. I used to like the Tonkotsu Ramen Summer from Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons but it just did not seem as good as it used to be. I do not know whether it is a drop in their standard or my taste buds are getting more refined after my recent trip to Japan.

Buta Kin is one of those hawker stalls serving affordable Japanese Fare. They serve 5 different types of ramen and udon dishes with another 3 different choices of Japanese curry dishes. There are other such stalls around, like Takagi Ramen and Konomi Zen, both are in Ang Mo Kio and I have been patronising them regularly, though their standard is not comparable to the restaurant.

Some of the items on their menu are Tonkotsu Original Ramen / Udon ($5.00), Tonkotsu Black Ramen / Udon ($6.00), Tonkotsu Red Ramen / Udon ($6.00) and Tonkotsu Vegetable ($5.00) with the options to add a soft-boiled egg ($1.00), chashu ($1.80), black fungus ($0.80), seaweed ($0.80), vegetable ($1.00) or extra noodles ($1.00). They also serve Spicy Miso Pork Don ($5.00), Ebi Fry Curry Rice ($5.50), Tonkotsu Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($6.00), Tonkotsu Pork Cutlet Curry Rice ($6.00) and also Cold Tofu with Sesame Dressing ($2.00). 

I ordered their Tonkotsu Black Ramen and added a soft-boiled egg for $7.00. The broth was a bit light in flavour and the black garlic sauce was not as fragrant as expected to be but the noodles were cooked just right though. The chashu was tender but not much flavour. The soft-boiled egg was done right with a gooey egg yolk. I should have gone for their Special Tonkotsu Ramen for $6.90 that consists of 3 slices of chashu, black fungus, soft-boiled egg with seaweed, which offers a better value. 

BUTA KIN

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-28 Beauty World Food Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)

Fresh Generation : Premium Seafood Soup

Fresh Generation is the newest hawker stall at Bukit Timah Food Centre that has recently opened in March, it is near to Beauty World MRT station. They serve seafood soup in various sizes with different types of seafood including crayfish and lobster at premium prices. It seems this is the current food trend as there are many such stalls mushrooming and they are serving similar items.

And, they are related to Woon Woon Pek Bee Hoon at Changi Village Food Centre, in fact, it is an expansion based on the success of their popular white bee hoon after 8 months. The chef, Ah Soon, 62, is a former restaurant head chef that has decades of culinary experience under his belt. Now, you can expect a certain standard of their seafood soup. He is also the father of Reece Wong, the co-owner of the stalls and Javien, is the other owner. They used to be corporate business partners but sold away their companies then venturing into the food business. 

The menu features the Original Seafood Soup ($6 for 1 pax and $16 for 3 pax), Crayfish Seafood Soup ($10 for 1 pax and $28 for 3 pax), Scallop Seafood Soup ($10 for 1 pax and $28 for 3 pax), Lobster Seafood Soup ($28 for 1 pax and $58 for 3 pax) and their Signature Seafood Platter ($28 for 3 pax). There is the option to go with either rice or noodles for 0.50 cents. It is prepared upon order, the ingredients are wok-fried first before adding in the soup to bring forth the wok fragrance. The soup base comprises of clams and flower crabs simmered for a relatively long period to bring out the flavour, it is used for all the soups.

I decided to go with the Crayfish Seafood Soup and I opted to go with rice. I added 3 pieces of Lobster Balls for $2.00. There are also options to add clams for $2.00, sliced fish for $3.00, scallop for $5.00, crayfish for $5.00 and lobster for $22. The Crayfish Seafood Soup came with fresh tasting prawns, clams, sliced threadfin fish, lobster balls and crayfish. The soup though lightly flavoured but it was full of natural sweetness, this is definitely a healthier choice. 

The lobster balls are forgettable though, it tasted just like those that are readily available in the supermarkets and only order if you want more varieties.

You should try it if you are in the vicinity. 

FRESH GENERATION

51 Bukit Timah Road #02-164 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice : soon to be gone

I came to bid farewell to Hambaobao as their last day will be on the 5 February 2017, their license cannot be renewed. In fact, not just their license but also for the other stalls in this food centre. It has been brought over by a mystery buyer for the sum of $17.5 million and it is to be converted into an air-conditioned food court.

I was there slightly after 1 pm, there was no queue at Hambaobao and even so,  I was informed by Ryan that the expected waiting time then will be at least 1 hour. I did not want to wait but thought of coming back the next day. Ryan said, "Even if you come at 12 pm, you will have to make sure that you are amongst the first few to avoid long waiting time." I guess it is just not meant to eat it one last time before they cease to operate. They have no plan for relocation at this moment.

I walked around the food centre to look for an alternative and this stall has caught my attention. The queue was long there but it moved quickly, I decided to join in nonetheless. I have tried their Stewed Beef Brisket Noodle once and I liked it but it is only available during the weekends. I went for their Soya Sauce Chicken Horfun ($4) together with a bowl of Wanton Soup ($3) this time.

The Soya Sauce Chicken was noticeably flavorful, tender and is, therefore, better-than-expected. In fact, it is comparable to the Michelin-starred Soya Sauce Chicken in Chinatown. I thought that Michelin-starred Soya Sauce Chicken is overrated and is not worth queuing, even though it is cheap but really not the best. My current favourite is Lee Nam Fun Kee in Toa Payoh. 

The Wanton Soup came with 5 pieces of plump wanton serving with some green in a lightly flavoured soup. Their tasty wanton is bigger in size with prawn and minced meat as filling. 

I did not get to ask how long more would they still be around in this food centre but a good guess is they would not be around for too long. Most of the other stalls are already in the midst of vacating or have already vacated their stalls. It is really sad to see the food centre go. 

HONG KONG SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN NOODLE RICE

44 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-51 Beauty World Food Centre SINGAPORE 588177
Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 6.00 pm

Narco Taco : probably the only Singa-Mex (Singapore-Mexico) taco in SG

Sean, the owner, started a stall to serve taco in the food centre at Beauty World Centre. He is not serving the usual Tex-Mex (Texas-Mexico) but what he has created that is based on his very own recipe, he called it Singa-Mex (Singapore-Mexico) taco. 

His stall stood out amongst the others, he kept it really simple, it does not even have a proper signboard but a piece of printed paper that displayed a logo and 'Narco Taco' on it, together with some lightings. I happened to walk past and was standing in front of the poster that is inserted in a clear plastic holder and prominently displayed right in front of the stall. Sean quickly walked to the front at the very moment when he spotted me. He is bespectacled, rather tall with a scholarly look and is soft-spoken. He told me that he is in his early 30s.

I asked, "Is this the only thing that is on the menu?" He replied, 'Yes. It is Chicken Tacos.". Then I said, "I shall have the Chicken Tacos then". It is served in a pair for just $5 and he called it the 'Singaporean Tacos". It is stated as part of the description that it consists 'melt in your mouth pulled chicken that has been slow-cooked with local spices and is served on soft and fluffy tortillas and topped with fresh Salsa Picante'. 

And, I asked further, "This food centre is closing down. Are you moving to elsewhere?". He replied that there is no intention to relocate. I continued to ask, "Why did you pick this location since it is about to close down?". He answered, "I am waiting to start a new job." When I was about to walk away with my tacos, he said, "Hope you will like it." 

Apart from the tortillas, everything else is freshly handmade daily. The tacos were served with chicken chunks and not pulled chicken as indicated in the description, it was topped with bits of green pepper with the Salsa Picante. Though not particularly impressive but the effort in creating it is worth commendable. 

Do take note that they will only be open until 10 February 2017, just another couple of days more before they cease to operate. The food centre is undergoing an extensive upgrading to convert into an air-conditioned food court. 

NARCO TACO

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-49 Beauty World Food Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Operating Hours: 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Monday to Friday)

12.00 pm to 3.00 pm / 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Saturday & Sunday)

133 Penang Authentic : Prawn Noodle is just so so

It was a Monday and this stall happened to be one of those stalls that were opened. This stall has been in this food centre for a few years, serving Penang Fried Kway Teow and Penang Prawn Noodle, both items are equally popular. There is usually a long queue if you come during lunch on weekends, and the waiting time could be quite a while as most of their customers are here for their Penang Fried Kway Teow as it is done by batches. Some of these customers could not wait and actually gave up queuing and walked away. 

There are 2 different types of Prawn Noodle on their menu, the Penang Prawn Noodle that is served in the soup version and the local style Prawn Noodle that is served in the dry and soup version. I ordered the dry Prawn Noodle with extra chilli which is offered at $3.50 and larger portion at $4.50. I was there just before lunch so no queue at that time.

The portion at $3.50 came with a good portion of yellow noodles along with a few slices of fish cake and lean meat with 2 pieces of prawns and some greens, garnished with a handful of dried shallots and fried pork lards. Though with extra amount of chilli added, it did not taste as spicy as i would like it to be. Its overall taste was just average and not quite memorable. Their Penang Prawn Noodle might actually be a better option since this is what they are supposedly famous for.

I have eaten their Penang Fried Kway Teow before though it is not too bad but i would not bother to queue for it as there is actually a better Penang Fried Kway Teow at Yu Hua Food Centre at Jurong East Avenue 1 by Simei Penang Laksa Specialty which i enjoyed much more.

133 PENANG AUTHENTIC

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-193 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 3.00 pm / 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm (Daily)

Yong Seng Satay : Get your Pork Satay here

This stall has been around for about 80 years and they are one of those stalls that are serving Pork Satay which is not quite commonly available these days. They also serve Chicken and Mutton Satay, all are at 0.50 cents a stick. Like most stalls, it is prepared upon order and it took a good 10 minutes when it was served to my table even though i was the only customer at that time. 

You could spot the chunks of fat in between the well-marinated pieces of meat to give it the desired tenderness but the meat was a bit too lean thus a little too chewy. It was served slightly charred for a rather light smoky flavor, it would be nicer if it is more charred for a more intense flavor.

It was served with a chunky peanut sauce, its level of spiciness is somewhat reduced by the sweetness of pineapple puree added, a typical Hainanese way of serving their satay and it is not a common find these days. 

Though these traditional Satay might not be the best that i ever tasted but it is good enough to satisfy a crazy crave.

YONG SENG SATAY

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-123 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 11.30 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Penang Signature : Assam Laksa

This stall is the newest kid on the block amongst the other stalls in this food centre. They have only been around for about 3 weeks and there is only one item on their menu, which is Assam Laksa for $3.50. You could smell the rather distinctive flavor of Assam Laksa from far. The stall is manned by a young chap all by himself. Though he is not too chatty but quite friendly, i was told that he is a local and his wife is from Ipoh, that is why he gotten the recipe of Assam Laksa from. He mentioned that he is using 2 types of fish, he acknowledged that one of them is Sardine but he refused to reveal the other type of fish listed in his recipe which is likely to be Mackerel or Kembung, he said it is their secret. Assam Laksa is also known as Penang Laksa over in Penang.

Their business seemed to be slow even though it was lunch time then with no queue. There was no customer when i went back after eating to talk with the young owner. I guess perhaps not too many locals are able to appreciate the special flavor of Assam Laksa which is distinctly different from the local laksa. It is not as spicy as expected but tangier, it could be quite a refreshing choice if you like it but you might hate if it is not your cup of tea. As compared to the other Assam Laksa i have tasted so far, this one somewhat reminded me of what i had when i was in Penang. This has to be one of the better ones that i have came across in Singapore.

Their choice of noodles is really close to those served in Penang. It looks a bit like thick bee hoon that normally use for our version of Laksa and also for those Fish Head Bee Hoon but the texture is different, it is more chewier and springer. I was told by the owner that they have it specially made to give their Assam Laksa a more authentic feel. The soup has a well-balanced sourish taste, with bits of shredded fish and chunks of pineapple also slices of tamarind, onion and cucumber, it was then topped with a thick sweet prawn paste to serve.

When i told the young owmer that his Assam Laksa is really nice and i could see his face brighten up. I wish him all the best and hopefully his stall is able to survive well and still around when i visit again.

PENANG SIGNATURE

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-28 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Daily)