Changi Lorong 108 Fei Lao Seafood at Bedok North

I have heard so much of this Horfun and so, made an effort to travel all the way to the east for lunch. The coffee shop was quite quiet when I was there. I heard they were really famous at one time when Fei Lao was still around at Changi Lorong 108. They were famous for their charcoal fried horfun at that time. They stopped using charcoal after moving to the current location as restricted by the National Environmental Agency (NEA). Fei Lao has since passed away bringing along his 40 years of wok skills. The stall is taken over by his nephew.

It was good though wok hei was not as distinctive as I expected it to be. This might be the only horfun that is serving with pork liver. It used to be a common ingredient for horfun but most have stopped doing so. Overall, it was tasty and memorable, this is definitely one of the special ones but though I still prefer the eggy horfun by Hoy Yong Seafood Restaurant at Clementi a little more. Nonetheless, the search for a good horfun is still on.

I also ordered the Fried Rice to share which I actually enjoyed but my dining companion did not think much of it. I think they have done it well, nicely seasoned with a slight smokiness, this is a much better Fried Rice as compared to most. 

I wanted to order Prawn Paste Chicken but I was told that they only serve the normal fried chicken mid-wings. My dining companion said, "I won't actually pay for normal chicken wings at cze cha stall." It does make sense.

I am likely to drop by again if I happen to be in the vicinity.

CHANGI LORONG 108 FEI LAO SEAFOOD

Block 86 Bedok North Street 4 #01-165 SINGAPORE 460086

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian : the soup Bak Chor Mee

This soup version of Bak Chor Mee is a popular choice, particularly in Bedok. There are only a handful of stalls serving this type of Bak Chor Mee and 3 of them are in Feng Shan Food Centre, this is one of the stalls. This stall has been around since 1968 and is amongst the most famous ones. Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee, their direct competitor is just beside but it was closed on that day. There is also Ah Poh Minced Meat Noodles in the same food centre. At this stall, there is a selection of $3.00 and $4.00.

My dining companion asked, "Which is the best amongst them?" I tried the one from Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee once and it tasted quite alike. I did not try the Ah Poh Minced Meat Noodles though. 

This is a simplified version of Bak Chor Mee with just a portion of thin egg noodles with minced pok and meatballs served in the lightly flavored pork broth. It is just no-frills comfort food.

XING JI ROU CUO MIAN

Block 85 Bedok North Street 4 #01-07 Feng Shan Food Centre SINGAPORE 460085

Operating Hours: 12.30 pm to 12.30 am (Closed on Thursdays)

Siang Siang Chwee Kueh : not Singapore's Best

When we walked past this past, my dining companion said, "See! There is a queue." It is indicated on their signboard that they are Singapore's Best. I joined the queue and ordered 4 pieces of chwee kueh for $1.60. I did not ask for chilli. And, the middle-aged man that was manning the stall asked, "You do not want chilli, right?" I thought the usual question should be, "Do you want chilli or not?" I replied, "No chilli." I wanted to share with my dining companion and he does not take chilli. 

He took a bite and said, "The chwee kueh is soft and tasted not bad. I do not like the chye poh though." I did not like it as well. Unlike some of the other, the coarsely chopped chye poh was not soaked in oil thus not greasy but it has the unappealing raw chye poh taste though. It tasted light and not particularly salty but lacking in fragrance. It might taste better if chilli is added. 

There was also a slight confusion. I remember clearly that I handed over a $10 note but I was only given $0.40 as change. When asked, he insisted that he did not receive the $10. I decided to leave it as it is. 

SIANG SIANG CHWEE KUEH

Block 85 Bedok North Street 4 #01-31 Feng Shan Food Centre SINGAPORE 460085

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 9.00 pm

Hao Lai Ke 好莱客 : by an ex-Din Tai Feng chef

This unassuming stall is run by a chef that used to work with Din Tai Feng, a Taiwanese chain restaurant. It is located in a coffee shop within walking distance from Bedok MRT station. The queue was unexpectedly long on a Sunday during lunch but I still joined in the queue nonetheless and waited for about 40 minutes before ordering. The signature Pork Chop Fried Rice of Din Tai Feng is also available right here at just $6, much cheaper and they named it Pork Ribs Fried Rice instead and it is a must-order right here. I also ordered the Dan Dan Noodle ($4.50) and Fried Dumplings ($5 for 10 pieces). The items under the Fried Noodle were not available on that day. 

I was given a buzzer and waited for about 15 minutes before the Fried Dumplings were ready. I went back a few minutes later to collect the Pork Ribs Fried Rice and the extra portion of Pork Ribs, waited another few minutes for the Dan Dan Noodle. 

The Fried Dumplings is not on their menu. I tried looking for it initially but did not find it there. It was featured in a poster on the counter though. Those fried dumplings were quite tasty.

The Pork Ribs Fried Rice looks identical to that of Din Tai Feng. My dining companion had a mouthful and said, "They are using the short grain rice, a slightly more expensive choice." The short grain rice is also known as Pearl Rice, its texture is more starchy. He said, "The fried rice is very good, it has a noticeable eggy taste. The pork chop is not as flavorful though there was a hint of black pepper. Maybe the long queue affected its standard? The texture is soft and tender though." The pork chop is slightly thinner and lesser egg is used to cook the dish but still rather good value in comparison. 

I ordered an extra portion of Pork Chop at $4.

The Dan Dan Noodle (担担面) is their signature dish. The handmade noodles served with braised minced meat garnished with grounded peanuts, chopped spring onions, and lettuce. Though the color of the soup was fiery red, it did not taste too spicy, there was a slight sourish though. My dining companion that has little tolerance to spicy foods took a mouthful too. The noodles were cooked just right, though soft but still retained its chewiness.

I would likely be back to try the other dishes only if the queue is shorter.

HAO LAI KE 好莱客

Block 204 Bedok North Street 1 #01-393 SINGAPORE 460204

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Hai Kee Soya Sauce Chicken : impressively good

There are many noteworthy Soya Sauce Chicken, some of the popular choices are Fragrant Soya Sauce Chicken and Fatty Ox Hong Kong Kitchen at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Chiew Kee and Chew Kee at Upper Cross Street and Lee Fun Nam Kee at Toa Payoh Lorong 4.

Hai Kee Soya Sauce Chicken is another established brand for Soya Sauce Chicken. It was first started by Mr Wong Si Han in 1959 at Upper Cross Street before relocating to Katong in 2000 when Mr Wang Kia Jeck took over the business. The business expanded to include 8 outlets islandwide but it started to decline during the bird flu epidemic, it started to shut down one after another and finally ended it. They reopened in 2010 at Eunos Crescent and then another one in Changi in 2013 followed by the one in East Coast Road in 2015.

Joseph Wang, decided to take over the family business when he was 21, right after completing his National Service and is currently working along with James Wang, his brother. Now, they left with the stall at Changi but opened a new one at Bedok North, manned by James and Mr Wang Kia Jeck, their father. Their menu is broadened to include roasted pork and char siew. 

The well-marinated Soya Sauce Chicken was tender and smooth with a light fragrance of the soy sauce, it went well with the accompanying chili sauce and the coarse ginger paste. The texture of the rice was grainy, fragrant and not overly oily. My dining companion prefers the one from Lee Fun Nam Kee to this though. 

This might not be the best Soya Sauce Chicken but it is definitely much better than Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle that has been awarded Michelin star but failed to live up to the hype. 

HAI KEE SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN

Block 217 Bedok North Street 1 Food Loft Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 460217

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on alternate Tuesdays)

324T Changi Road Kim San Leng Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 419799
Operating Hours: 9.30 am to 6.30 pm (Closed on Fridays)

Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake : it used to be better

This was my second visit to this new food centre at the Bedok Interchange that replaced the demolished one. It was unexpectedly crowded at about 2.30 pm on a weekday with most tables occupied at that time. My all time favorite stall in this food centre has to be Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake. I used to like it so much that I would travel from Ang Mo Kio just for it. I tried it once after they moved to this food centre and it was still good then, that was more than a year ago. 

The choices on the menu include the $3.00 portion, the $3.50 with extra egg added, also the $4.00 with prawn and $5.00  with prawn as well as squid. I decided to go with the black version at $3.50. There was just another customer in front of me when ordering. I was asked whether to have it with chili and before deciding, I asked, "How spicy is the chili?". The young man looked up while cooking, he said, "It is quite spicy." I decided to go without it since my dining companion has little tolerance towards spiciness. The young chap handed the plate to me when it was done and he remembered that I mentioned it was to be shared with a friend so 2 forks were given. Such thoughtfulness is much appreciated. 

I was excited when I had the first mouthful but it left me feeling disappointed as it just did not taste as good this time. It used to be fried by an elderly Uncle when they were at the old food centre and perhaps that explained why there is a difference in taste. It did not have enough sweet dark sauce added to give it the sweet-savory flavor that a good black carrot cake should have. There was also not much garlic and preserved radish (chye poh) flavor, though the amount of egg was quite generous. Though they are no longer making the carrot cake, its texture was still noticeably soft. 

It used to be amongst the best but not so now. I would prefer the black carrot cake by Hua Li Fried Carrot Cake at the newly opened Marsiling Mall Food Centre that I just had quite recently. 

SONG ZHOU FRIED CARROT CAKE

207 New Upper Changi Road #01-37 Bedok Interchange Food Centre SINGAPORE 460207

Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

China La Mian : Cheap and nice Xiao Long Bao

I took notice of this stall when I was at this coffee shop to have duck rice. I decided to go with just the soup dumplings, more commonly known as Xiao Long Bao at 6 pieces for $4.00 as I was already half-full after having the duck rice and satay earlier. I placed my order in Chinese and was given a pager to come back later for collection. I waited for about for 5 minutes or so before collecting it. The 6 pieces of soup dumplings were served in the steamer basket. 

There are condiments provided at the counter for self-service. Go for the soy sauce and vinegar as well as the shredded ginger, place them in a saucer. There are steps on how to eat a soup dumpling correctly. First, take the soup dumpling and dip it into the sauce then place it on the spoon. Next step is to bite the tip of the soup dumpling off to release the soup, you could just suck it off but it is usually quite hot and finally eating it. It is best to eat the entire dumpling in a single bite. 

The soup dumplings were rather plumpish, its wrapper was thin and with well-seasoned minced pork as filling, the soup was light but flavorful. The flavor was nicely balanced by the shredded ginger and sour vinegar. It was quite good, almost as good as some of those restaurants but at a much affordable price.

I went back a week later on a Wednesday but it was closed then. I am interested to try the Pork Chop La Mian ($4), Shan Dong Fried Dumplings ($5.00 for 12 pieces) and the Red Oil Dumplings ($4.00 for 10 pieces). 

CHINA LA MIAN

Block 56 New Upper Changi Road #01-1314 Kopi Kia SINGAPORE 461056

Alhambra Padang Satay : Duck Satay

This is their new outlet at this coffee shop along New Upper Changi Road, apart from their original outlet at Makansutra Glutton Bay. They serve different types of satay and has taken part in food events like the Singapore Day as well as the World Street Food Congress. They first started a stall along the roadside near the Alhambra Theatre in Beach Road before relocating to the now-defunct Satay Club at Elizabeth Walk. They are still freshly made the satay using a recipe that has been passed down the first generation.

I ordered a set of Duck Satay for $10. I was asked to take a seat by Sam Hussin, the friendly owner, as it will be served to my table.

The Duck Satay is the most expensive on the menu, it consists of 10 sticks and a Katupat for $10.00. It was served in 10 minutes with 2 bowls of satay sauce with chunks of cucumber and onion. 

The texture was just right but we could not quite tell it was made of duck meat as the marination was slightly overwhelmed. My dining companion was saying, "If you did not tell me this is duck meat, I would think it is mutton."

The satay sauce was amongst the best that I have tasted. It was thick with bits of peanuts in it and a slight spiciness. 

ALHAMBRA PADANG SATAY

Block 56 New Upper Changi Road #01-1314 Kopi Kia SINGAPORE 461056 

Operating Hours: 3.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap at New Upper Changi Road

Melvin Chew, the owner, took over the stall and is running it with his mother after the passing of his father which happened quite suddenly. His parents started from a pushcart selling cut fruits before moving to Chinatown Complex Food Centre in 1983 to start serving Teochew style Braised Duck and Kway Chap. He has been helping out at the stall since young. And, he has recently opened another outlet in a coffee shop along New Upper Changi Road.

And, Kway Chap was the first dish that I tried and I did not like it as much then as the rice noodles were too thick to my liking. I went back to try the Braised Duck Rice Bento later, it was not too memorable as well. I was not even impressed by its creativity but deemed it to be gimmicky instead but even so, it is a good move in getting the younger customers.

I decided to go with The Quack Donburi Set at $5.00 this time. It consists of a portion of yam rice with braised duck, preserved vegetable, cucumber slices, half of a braised egg and a piece of daikon topped with hae bee hiam and fried garlic. The bowl of soup that served along with it has a light herbal flavor. 

My dining companion commented that the yam rice has a distinctive ham bee (dried shrimp) taste and he liked it. He said, "I do not remember it was this nice when I tasted the yam rice balls of the bento set. It was quite dry then with not much flavor." We both agreed that the braised duck was not as flavorful as we expected it to be and its texture was slightly tough as well. The ajitsuke tamago-inspired braised egg was done just right to have a soft and runny yolk. The chilli was quite good with just the right level of spiciness and a slight garlicky taste, which is quite nice.

Though their braised duck is not the best, the yam rice is amongst the nicest that I tried. 

JIN JI TEOCHEW BRAISED DUCK & KWAY CHAP

335 Smith Street #02-156 Chinatown Complex Food Centre SINGAPORE 050335

Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 6.30 pm (Closed on Friday)

Block 56 New Upper Changi Road #01-1314 Kopi Kia SINGAPORE 460156

Operating Hours: 10.30 am  to 6.30 pm (Closed on Friday)