Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle : so so Fried Hokkien Mee

Terence Chee, 28, the owner, affectionately known as "Xiao Di", which means "little brother", a term used for small boy. He started this stall in a coffee shop at Serangoon North in 2013. There are 2 sizes for the Fried Hokkien Mee, the $4 and the $5 for selection. I decided to go with the $5 portion and was told that the waiting time is about 30 minutes. I was given a buzzer and about to walk away but the lady boss said in a slightly irritated tone, "I will need to collect the $5 first." I handed it to her and said, "Sorry. This is my first time here." Though there were not too many customers in the coffee shop at that time, the waiting time was still long as the Fried Hokkien Mee actually takes time to cook in batches.

For $5, it came with 3 pieces of prawns, sotong, strips of pork belly and crispy lard. The noodles were soaked in stock for flavor, this is the usual basis for a good plate of Fried Hokkien Mee. Though flavorful, it did not have much smoky flavor but it was nicely braised for a gooier texture. There was a slight eggy taste but the egg did not fry long enough to char it before adding into the stock. The chilli has a mild spiciness. 

My dining companion said, "Not bad. I expected it to be better though." I asked, "How is this comparable to Tian Tian Lai Hokkien Mee in Toa Payoh? Some said this is better." He replied, "Tian Tian Lai Hokkien Mee is definitely better, it is wetter and more flavorful."

There were many comments left on their Facebook page mainly about the encounter of bad attitude and lousy service. Apparently, cooking with a good amount of passion does make a difference but having a good attitude and coupled with positive customer service are equally important.

XIAO DI FRIED PRAWN NOODLE

Block 153 Serangoon North Avenue 1 #01-512 Guan Hock Tiong Eating House Singapore 550153

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Pin Ji Fishball Minced Meat Noodles : a sincere bowl of noodles

Keith and Michelle, the owners, are the young couple behind this two-month-old stall. They used to be in the recruitment industry before starting this stall. The recipe is obtained from a childhood friend, and this same friend is also the supplier of those handmade fish dumplings, fishballs, and meatballs, using yellowtail fish to make them. 

There are 3 sizes for selection, the $3, the $4 and the $5 but only the $5 is served with the fish dumpling. I decided to go with the $5 portion and opted for dry mee pok. Michelle asked, "Do you want it with meatball or fishball as we have run out of fish dumpling." I replied, "Meatball then." Michelle actually made an effort to smile and looked at you when she was taking the order. When I was attempting to take out a tray from the stack of trays, She said, "Let me help you." When I was picking up the tray after Keith placed the bowl of noodles along with the bowl of soup on it. Michelle turned and said, "Thank you." And, that actually left an impression when compared to a not so pleasant encounter when ordering the popular Xiao Di Fried Hokkien Mee in the same coffee shop. 

My dining companion tried it first, he took a few mouthfuls and said, "This is quite good." I tried it and asked, "Does that remind you of Song Kee Fishball?" He replied, "A little. I find the taste of the meatballs to be quite familiar but could not actually recall where did I taste it." The noodles were nicely cooked and the texture of those fishballs is good, it has the desired springiness, different from those that are commercially mass-produced. The meatballs consist of pork and yellowtail fish paste and we liked it. The crispy lard and chilli are also handmade by them. 

The wait is slightly longer when I was there on a Sunday but the wait is quite worthwhile for this simple goodness. I could sense the high amount of passion and sincerity behind this bowl of noodles. 

PIN JI FISHBALL MINCED MEAT NOODLES

Block 153 Serangoon North Avenue 1 #01-512 Guan Hock Tiong Eating House Singapore 550153

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 1.30 pm

Ah Seng Duck Rice : Kway Chap available at Serangoon Central stall only

Mr Ng Kim Seng, the founder, came up with a recipe on Teochew braised duck in 1965. He started the stall at Lim Tua Tow Market along Upper Serangoon Road. His children, Wendy Ng and Ng Teck Siah, helped out after their school, from taking orders, serving and learning the recipe. He moved the stall to Serangoon Garden Food Centre after the demolition of Lim Tua Tow Market. Wendy went to work as a Secretary and Teck Siah started a Satay stall but he decided to return when Mr Ng suffered a mild stroke. During the renovation of Serangoon Garden Food Centre, he moved the stall temporarily to a coffee shop in Serangoon Central in 2002. Wendy decided to take over this stall when it was time to move the main stall back to Serangoon Garden Food Centre.

There was no queue when I was there on a weekday but when I approached the stall, Wendy was there. She said, "15 minutes. Can you wait or not?" I ordered a set of Kway Chap and added a duck drumstick for $10.50. I waited. When a few minutes before the 15 minutes were up, I saw Wendy waving at me from a distance. I walked over to collect it.

The Kway Chap set came with nicely braised big intestine, braised egg, fish cake, braised tau pok and the braised duck that I added. The flat rice sheets were thin and smooth served with braising sauce then enhanced with fried shallots and coriander. The chilli is different, its level of spiciness is manageable with a hint of tanginess and enhanced by the garlic paste added to it. 

The other Ah Seng Duck Rice at Serangoon Garden Food Centre does not serve Kway Chap. 

AH SENG DUCK RICE

Block 204 Serangoon Central #01-104 SINGAPORE 550204

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

28 Noodles : enjoyable Bak Chor Mee

This is a popular stall in the same coffee shop with the other outlet of Ah Seng Duck Rice, within walking distance from Serangoon MRT. There was just another customer when I was there on a weekday for an early lunch.

I decided to go with the larger portion of the Minced Pork Noodle at $4.5, there is a smaller portion at $3.50. I opted to have kway teow with an extra amount of chilli. Thre are also choices of Fishball Minced Pork Noodle ($3.50/$4.50), Laska ($3.50/$4.50) and Liver Mee Sua ($4.50/$5.50). 

The portion of the nicely cooked kway teow was substantial serving along with ingredients like slices of fishcake, lean meat, and liver with fishballs, meatballs, fish dumpling, minced meat then topped with chopped spring onion. The level of spiciness was manageable even though I requested for an extra amount to be added. The bowl of soup that served along was lightly flavored. 

It is simple yet satisfying. It reminded me of the kway teow dry that I used to eat with my late Grandpa at a stall in Ang Mo Kio but that stall is no longer around. 

I will be back for their Laksa and Liver Mee Sua.

28 NOODLES

Block 204 Serangoon Central #01-104 SINGAPORE 550204

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Bee Kee Wanton Noodles : traditional flavor is still the best

This stall is in the coffee shop at Lorong Lew Lian, off Upper Serangoon Road and they started in March 2014. Their menu includes Original Wanton Noodle, Braised Pork Soft Bone Noodle (dry / soup), Braised Pork Soft Bone Rice and also side dishes like Fried Wantons, Wantons in Chilli Vinegar Sauce and Wanton Soup. There is a signage indicating "Truffle Wanton Noodle", which is their specialty at $6 per plate. There are 2 other stalls at Amoy Street Food Centre and Market Street Interim Food Centre. 

The stall was manned by an auntie with a younger man that does the cooking when I was there. I decided to go with their Original Wanton Noodle and added a portion of the braised pork soft bone for $5.00. When it was ready, I asked, "This one is without truffle oil, right?" The auntie replied, "No. We would not put it in if there is no request." I am never a fan of those truffle fries, the truffle oil actually reminded me of those engine oil which I did not like. I did not dare to go with the truffle oil version as I am afraid I might just leave it unfinished and walk away. And, it seems by adding truffle oil to just anything is a good reason to justify a higher price.

The noodles are different, it is slightly thinner than the usual mee kia with a springier texture and is without that alkaline flavor. It did not clump together even after leaving it for a while. The char siew is made using leaner meat so it is slightly drier. The braised pork soft bone was nicely done to the desired texture though not as flavorful as expected to be.

I have always thought the traditional flavor is still the best and that is the reason I do not usually go for the fusion dishes. I am an old soul and those are just not for me.

BEE KEE WANTON NOODLE

Block 2 Lorong Lew Lian Food Park SINGAPORE 048940

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Monday) / 7.00 am to 8.00 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)

Kenb's Fish & Chips : room for improvement

This hawker stall was first spotted when they were at their previous location in Sin Ming Drive at a coffee shop next to the bus stop. There was a prominent banner about them hung just outside the coffee shop. They then closed it down. I managed to track them down again when I came across their post on the Facebook. They have since moved to a coffee shop at Lorong Lew Lian close to Serangoon MRT station and a stone's throw away from NEX. 

I visited on a rainy evening. The coffee shop was rather quiet during dinner. My dining companion walked past and did not manage to locate the stall as it is located right at the corner, slightly hidden by a pillar. There was a friendly lady at the counter that took our orders. We decided to go with Signature & Bread Crumb Fish Mix at $6.80 and Junior Platter of Calamari, Oyster and Dory fish at $7.80. I was given a pager after paying up and it buzzed after waiting for 10 minutes. 

We collected the Junior Platter first. Those Fried Calamari were over-fried, it was hard with a rather chewy texture. My dining companion suspected that it might be the frozen ones. The Fried Oyster was as disappointing. There were 2 pieces, the first one was coated with a layer of thick batter that apparently was over-fried. It was greasy and the batter was hard. The second piece was a little better as I could at least taste the oyster in it. 

Those pieces of Fried Dory did not manage to stay crispy for too long as it turned soggy pretty quick. I did not manage to finish the Coleslaw as those shredded cabbages were rather soggy and not crunchy. My dining companion felt that such standard is still acceptable for the price charged and he thought it is value for money. 

The Signature & Bread Crumb Fish Mix did not fare any better. I tasted the piece that coated with breadcrumb and did not really like it as much as compared to their signature fried fillet. Maybe they did not change the oil often enough as it left quite a bad aftertaste in the mouth. 

I do not understand how could such a stall manages to survive this while when serving food at this standard? How did they manage to score 11 of 5-star reviews out of the 12 reviews left on their Facebook? It just did not quite tally as given such a standard. 

One of the nicer Fish & Chips eaten was from Seasalt - the seafood place and the sad news is they are closing on 31 May 2018. They are still looking for a good and comfortable location. Though the quality is important, it has to be cost-effective at the same time and the profit margin is usually quite thin.

KENB'S FISH & CHIPS

Block 2 Lorong Lew Lian #01-56 SINGAPORE 531002

Operating Hours: 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights : not as good as before

This stall is nicely tucked away in a cluster of HDB blocks, along Serangoon Avenue 4 and is directly opposite Serangoon Stadium. They have been around for more than 2 decades serving roast duck, roast pork, and char siew. It was quite memorable when I tasted it in 2012 and I have been wanting to come back all this while. I did when I went to collect the Christmas cookies at Plain Jane Cafe there. It was during lunch and a short queue was formed but it moved rather quickly though. I decided to go with the Char Siew and Sio Bak rice at $4.80, which is more expensive than most of the others. I also ordered Salted Vegetable Duck Soup for $2.50.  

During my last visit, the char siew had a good amount of fat with nicely charred edges and was flavorful. It was disappointing this time, it was very lean and slightly dry, not as flavorful, too. The crispy skin on the sio bak was quite good and the well-seasoned meat was tender. 

The Salted Vegetable Duck Soup came with chunks of tomato, salted vegetable and chopped pieces of duck wing. There was a slight sourish taste and quite flavorful but I remember it used to be better. 

KIM HENG (HK) ROASTED DELIGHTS

Block 214 Serangoon Avenue 4 #01-188 SINGAPORE 550214

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 7.00 pm (Daily)

Hong Chang Eating House : BBQ Sambal Stingray & Sambal Sotong

Hong Chang Eating House is located along Braddell Road at the junction of Serangoon Road. Prata and economic rice are served during the day; BBQ seafood and frog porridge in the evening. 

I visited during the Chinese New Year and I was given free packet drinks upon seated down. I was just told, "请你们喝!" and that person just walked away. I was presented with the menu quickly and the friendly staff stood by the table, waiting to take the order. I decided to go with the medium portion for BBQ Stingray ($17) and the smallest portion for Sambal Sotong ($10) with ladyfinger. When I wanted to order drinks, the friendly Auntie said, "你们有水了."

The BBQ Stingray came first followed by the 2 plates of rice and the Sambal Sotong came a few minutes later.

The Sambal Sotong was served not just ladyfinger but also long beans. Apparently, the texture of sotong was a bit too chewy to my liking as it required a certain effort to do so. 

Their BBQ stingray is strongly recommended and so, I expected it to be good. The level of spiciness of the sambal chilli is quite manageable, it is even so for my dining companion that has an almost zero tolerance of spicy food. The stingray was quite a thick piece and it tasted relatively fresh. It was moist within but not as crispy on the exterior. It was served along with cinchalok and calamansi lime by the side of the stingray, garnished with coriander and onion.

It was a pleasant dining experience though not quite good enough to get me to make that extra effort to travel there. 

HONG CHANG EATING HOUSE

2 Braddell Road SINGAPORE 359895

Operating Hours: 5.30 pm to 2.30 am (Closed on Mondays)

Papa Jones Bar-B-Q and Grill : No-frill western food at affordable prices

This unassuming western food stall is in a coffee shop, directly opposite Serangoon Stadium, along Yio Chu Kang Road. The owner, Chef Jackson Tan, used to work at Hog's Breath Cafe and Shangrila Hotel. They offer an extensive menu from Pasta dishes to the Grilled Chicken Chop, Grilled Pork Chop, Fish & Chips, Fried Breaded Chicken Cutlet, Fried Breaded Fish to Steak as well as Braised Lamb Shank.

The Ribeye Steak is priced at $15.90, you could choose amongst the Black Pepper Sauce, the BBQ Sauce, the Mushroom Sauce and Garlic Merlot Butter. I went with the choice of Garlic Merlot Butter and requested to have it done at medium. I also ordered the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Fish for $7.50 and a Soup of the Day at just $1.00. I paid and a pager was given. 

Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Fish was ready first. It was sent to our table by the female assistant, she said, "This is ready so sent over first". The pager was buzzed a few minutes later to pick up the rest.

It consists of a piece of fried breaded fish that is served with tartar sauce and a piece of fried breaded chicken cutlet with garlic butter together with fries, coleslaw and blanched broccoli. Both were nicely fried and not greasy, it went well with both sauces. 

The quality of the beef is quite good for that price but it was quite a thin slice of meat and a corner of it was slightly overcooked but the other part was alright though. You do not usually come across steak serving with garlic butter from western food stalls in coffee shop or hawker centre. There was bits of garlic after the butter melted down. It was served with fries, coleslaw and buttered sweet corn. 

The Soup of the Day is only for $1.00. It was quite a deal as it tasted good.

I am interested to come back for their grilled Chicken Chop and also to try the Lamb Shank. This is a perfect place for a no-frill but good quality western food at affordable prices.

PAPA JONES BAR-B-Q AND GRILL

Block 214 Serangoon Avenue 4 #01-88 SINGAPORE 550214

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm / 5.30 pm to 9.00 pm (Daily)