Kim's Kueh : traditional Teochew Kueh

This stall is started by Kim, a generation X hawker and there used to be another stall serving traditional Teochew kueh at Jalan Berseh Food Centre by another generation X hawker but it has already closed down. Both stalls cited the same reason for wanting to preserve the recipes handed down by their mother and grandmother for that traditional handmade kueh. Many of such stalls that started by the earlier generation have not been surviving mainly due to there is no one to take over. I usually come here for the traditional Png Kueh ($1.20) and Soon Kueh ($1.20). There are also Gu Chai Kueh ($1.20), Mixed Kueh ($1.20), Cabbage Kueh ($1.20) and Glutinous Rice ($1.50), the pan-fried ones are $0.10 extra per piece. 

While waiting for the order of Fried Hokkien Mee, I ordered one of each to share with my dining companion and bought another 4 more Png Kueh to pan-fry at home. The lady was kind enough to separate the dark sauce and chilli in a saucer when I told her that my dining companion prefers to have it plain. He tried the Png Kueh and said, "The glutinous rice is not as fragrance as I liked it. There is no taste of dried shrimp." I guess the main reason for omitting the dried shrimp is the cost. The price has to be kept affordable to survive in an aging residential estate. 

KIM'S KUEH

Block 18 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-232 SINGAPORE 310018

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

Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee : amongst the best

Xavier Neo, 43, the owner, is a Hokkien man and he started this humble stall serving Fried Hokkien Mee in a coffee shop at Toa Payoh on 10 August 2019. He is running the stall with his wife, Alice Lai, 46. The yellow signboard printed with "Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee" and a portrait of Xavier on it is quite a catchy one. A friend told me about this stall and he urged me to try. I heard about the long waiting time and was a bit reluctant to queue. He sent me a message just a couple of days ago, telling me that the standard dropped a bit and there is no more queue. The waiting time used to be about 1.5 hours during lunch when they just started. 

Xavier was formerly a sous chef of Les Amis, a two-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant at Shaw Centre and he left in 2007. He also worked with Billy Bombers, White Rabbit, Novus as well as Resorts World Sentosa. Alice used to be an Administration Manager at the National University of Singapore. Xavier went around eating Fried Hokkien Mee from different stalls before coming up with his own recipe. He put in special efforts to source for the ingredients, from the yellow noodles to prawns and squid. Alice acquired the recipe for the chilli from her auntie that used to run a Nasi Lemak stall at Holland Drive and she tweaked it slightly. The prawn stock is made using prawn heads and pork bone then slow-cooked for at least 3 hours. His usual day starts as early as 5 am and ended around 7 pm. 

Alice was at the counter, taking and managing the orders When I was there during lunch on Friday. I asked, "How long is the waiting time?" She replied, "About 15 minutes or so." There are 3 sizes, priced at $5, $6 and the largest portion at $8. I decided to go with the $6 portion and a  handmade wooden number tag is given after paying. The number will be displayed on the electronic number board system when it is ready for collection. Please note that the queue numbers displayed are not in the running sequence. 

I waited for slightly more than 10 minutes before seeing the number flashed to indicate it is ready. It was served on a disposable styrofoam plate with calamansi and sambal chilli at the side. My dining companion tasted the chilli before mixing it into the noodles, he said, "The chilli is quite good, not too spicy and there is a slight hint of sweetness." The well-simmered noodles were cooked in a mixture of lard oil and vegetable oil and it was less oily. 

The texture was not as gooey as compared to the Geylang Lorong 29 Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee and not much eggy taste. The Fried Hokkien Mee was nicely braised to be slightly wetter, consisting of the yellow noodles and thick bee hoon with ingredients like sliced pork belly, prawns, egg, beansprouts, and chives. My dining companion said, "The flavor of lard oil is there but no wok fragrance though." I think the frying technique is still somehow lacking thus it did not manage to infuse the noodles with the desired smokiness. He also said, "This is definitely better than that Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle at Serangoon North." 

I heard that you can call in to order it in advance for taking away as well as dining in. The queue is much shorter now so there is actually no need to place an advance order. Though this is a simple plate of Fried Hokkien Mee, it is a familiar dish that most of us grew up eating. It was overall quite tasty as the prawn broth was noticeably good but it will take a little longer to actually perfect it and it is getting there. It definitely has the potential to be the best. 

HOKKIEN MAN HOKKIEN MEE

Block 18 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 1913 Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 310018

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 2.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

UPDATE: They have moved to Block 19 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-264 SINGAPORE 310019 from 19 January 2019. 

Triio's Corner : Pork Burger, worth a try

We were there for lunch on a Sunday. We decided to try the Pork Burger ($6.50) and Chicken Burger ($5.50). Luke was there, manning the stall all by himself. He sent the food over when it was ready. He came over and joined us at the table later. He asked, "You are a food blogger? I saw you taking pictures." I nodded my head and said, "I have a food blog."

He told us that he is working with his friends and they are his bosses. He asked, "How was the food?" My dining companion replied, "I think a bit too much sauce. You could not really taste the flavor of the patty. The pork patty is actually quite nice though." Luke told us that mayonnaise is used and the other sauce is their homemade honey sauce. Luke said, "Some customers actually preferred to have it with more sauce so it is a little difficult on our part." 

I said, "Pork Burger is not too common in Singapore." Luke replied, "Actually not many know that we serve Pork Burger." He pointed at the standing banner outside the coffee shop and said, "Our friends suggested we should make a banner to promote the Pork Burger." I also said, "The food presentation is impressive." And, Luke replied, "We managed to get those trays online and they even provide the engraving of our stall name for free. The previous owner actually left us some plates which we did not like."

I asked, "There is no beef burger here?" He replied, "We have actually working on the beef burger but have yet to launch it." He also said, "There are another 2 Western food stalls in the food centre so business here is quite competitive. But we have been around for about 1 year and it has been sustainable so far." He also mentioned, "We have very little control of the quality of the burger buns as we get them from the supplier, it can be inconsistent at times."

I said, "Paying $4.50 for an extra patty is a little on the high side but again, the rental in the coffee shop is usually higher as compared to running a stall in the hawker centre." Luke said, "We usually recommend to go for the double patties as you could actually taste the flavor better." He also said, "We actually made everything from scratch and we could only make so many at one time, it is very much for the efforts rendered." 

He mentioned, "We are in the midst to revamp the menu. We might replace the baked beans and garlic bread with rice. We might also reduce the prices further to make it more affordable." My dining companion said, "The pricing is reasonable and the portion is quite filling too." Luke said, "Our Chicken Cutlet is quite popular and its size is actually bigger than my face."

Their burgers might not be amongst the best that I have eaten but I could taste the sincerity amidst these.

TRIIO'S CORNER

Block 19 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-264 SINGAPORE 310019

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Beef Up : Halal-certified Taiwanese food

This stall is started by Jeremy, Ronald, and Rohaizzatd using a recipe from Jeremy's mother who is a Taiwanese. This is probably the only halal-certified Taiwanese food in Singapore. It is located at Grains & Hops Food Court Bistro in the industrial area of Toa Payoh North. I ordered the Beef Noodle ($6.50/$8.00) and I was asked to choose between the 2 different types of handmade noodles, the thinner type and the broader type like those noodles at the ban mian stalls. I also ordered Chicken Cutlet Rice Set ($7.00) and Chicken Bits ($3.00). I was asked to choose between Black Pepper, Seaweed and Plum which I opted for Seaweed. I am not adventurous enough to try their Braised Chicken Lu Rou Fan, which is different from the traditional Lu Rou Fan that is using the pork belly.

I was not informed that I will have to look out for the number on LED panel and match it against the number on the receipt for collection. I actually waited at the counter for a bit before realizing it. I waited for close to 25 minutes before the Beef Noodle was ready. I was told to come back later for the Chicken Cutlet Bento and the Chicken Bits. I waited for another 10 minutes or so and it is still not ready. I chatted with another customer that has also waited quite long for her order. There was only 2 of them manning the stall, one was doing the cooking and the other was attending to the customers. 

Those beef chunks were a bit too lean thus it did not taste as soft as I liked it. My dining companion used to work in Taiwan and he felt that the Beef Noodle has a certain resemblance to what he used to eat there. He said, "It is quite nice. It would be even nicer if the beef is slightly fattier." 

The Chicken Cutlet Rice Set was quite disappointing. The chicken cutlet tasted quite bland. My dining companion, said, "I would expect them to sprinkle some chilli powder like how it usually served the chicken cutlet in Taiwan." He also said, "They are using the normal rice and not the more expensive pearl rice." It was served with pieces of carrot and cucumber together with preserved radish that did not have much taste. 

The Chicken Bits have already turned cold when it was served. It tasted equally bland as I could not taste the seaweed seasoning that it was supposed to have.

I do not think I liked it enough to come back again soon.

BEEF UP
Block 978 Toa Payoh North #02-01 SINGAPORE 319001
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Potong Curry Rice . Porridge . Fish Head

There was still a queue even after 2 pm and I decided to join in. When it was my turn to order, I opted to have fried pork chop, curry chicken and stir-fried shark fish for $5.50. The choices were nothing fanciful, the taste was simple yet satisfying that reminded me of home.

Though not like the best tasting curry rice that I have tasted, I find comfort in it. 

PATONG CURRY RICE . PORRIDGE . FISH HEAD

Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 #01-58 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre SINGAPORE 310210

Hai Kee Seafood : comfort food

This was one of the stalls with a long queue during lunch on a weekday. Most of these customers were likely to be the office workers working nearby. Though the queue was quite long, it moved rather quickly. I did not wait for too long to order the 2 Combination Soup ($4.00) that listed as item number 6 on their signboard and I wanted it with rice ($0.50). I was asked to try this stall by a friend after I posted a review on another stall serving seafood soup at Eunos Crescent Food Centre. 

Most of the tables were taken up during lunch. As I was alone, I had to carry the tray and walked to the other end of the food centre to find a table. 

The 2 Combination Soup consists of sliced fish together with the fried ones and a generous amount of lettuce. The clear soup was lightly flavored and those slices of fish tasted relatively fresh, it went well with rice. I would likely eat it again when I am in the vicinity. 

HAI KEE SEAFOOD

Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 #01-18 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh Food Centre SINGAPORE 310210

Xin Heng Hong Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle : a new found favorite

A friend told me about the Bak Chor Mee from this particular stall and it reminded him of the already closed Joo Heng Mushroom Minced Pork Mee at AMK 628 Food Centre when he first tried it. The stall is manned by an Auntie solely. She looked up while cooking and asked for my order. I told her that I wanted the larger portion of Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle ($3/$4) with additional braised mushroom and liver for $6. There were another 2 customers in front of me and both of them ordered the Pork Ribs Noodle ($3/$5). I decided to order a portion of Pork Ribs for $3 and I asked to have it served separately. There are also choices of Fishball Noodle ($2.50/$3.00) and Mini Pot Noodle ($4/$5). I opted to have it with mee pok. 

While waiting for my order to be ready, I said, "A friend recommended your Bak Chor Mee so I travelled from Ang Mo Kio to here. He mentioned that the liver is nicely cooked. Most stalls usually sliced it too thin and cooked it for too long so it is not nice." I asked, "What time do you usually closed?" She replied, "I usually close around 2 pm but often earlier on weekends." She also said, "I am here as early as 4 am to start the preparation so I can open at 7 am. My husband usually sends me here from Seng Kang and he will come over to fetch me when I am done." She continued to say, "This stall is handed down to me and it has been around for more than 20 years."

It tasted close to Joo Heng Mushroom Minced Pork Mee but not as saucy. I will try having it with extra chilli next time. The perfectly cooked noodles were served with minced meat, fishball, liver, braised mushroom and a handful of bean sprouts, topped it with some shredded lettuce and red leaf lettuce. My dining companion said, "Wow, they actually served it with the "atas" lettuce that normally uses for salad, this is quite unusual." He then took a mouthful, nodded his head and said, "This is nice." I particularly enjoyed the braised mushroom and liver. 

The pork ribs were soft and it was served with branched beansprouts. My dining companion said, "I took notice that most of their customers actually ordered the Pork Ribs Noodle when I was here the previous times."

It was also served along with a bowl of lightly flavored soup that garnished with chopped spring onions.

Though not as popular but this is definitely better than the Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. The best thing is I do not have to wait for 45 minutes just to eat it. 

XIN HENG HONG MUSHROOM MINCED PORK NOODLE
Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 #01-19 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh Food Centre SINGAPORE 310210
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on alternate Tuesdays)

Sweet Heart Dessert : Sardine Puff and Potato Puff, must-try

A friend recommended the Sardine Puff and Curry Puff from a dessert stall at Toa Payoh Lorong 5 Food Centre. He did not recommend any of those desserts on the menu but just the puffs. I was there at about 1 pm on a Friday but the Sardine Puff have already sold out, left with the Potato Puff and Fried Popiah. The homemade Curry Puff and Sardine Puff are 3 pieces for $2, the homemade Popiah is $1 each. I was asked to self-service when the lady noticed me. I took 3 Potato Puffs and 1 Popiah for $3.00. The same friend mentioned that Sardine Puff is actually much better. 

My dining companion took a bite of the Potato Puff and he nodded his head, said, "This is simple and nice. It tasted warm and the crust was crispy."  He actually prefers this to those by Epok Epok Central at Eunos Crescent Food Centre. 

This is easily one of the better Potato Puff that I have eaten. It does not need to have egg or some fanciful fillings, this is good enough for me.

I went back for the Sardine Puff today. There were some left at 1.30 pm and also some Potato Puffs but no more popiah. I decided to go with 3 Sardine Puffs and 3 Potato Puffs. There were some customers ordering their hot desserts at that time.

My dining companion took a bite of the Sardine Puff and said, "I still prefer the Potato Puff a bit more. The puff is value for money though, it is packed with sardine filling. I do not think you can get another at this price elsewhere." I actually liked the Sardine Puff though, the filling was generous with a very mild spiciness, which is nice.

SWEET HEART DESSERT

Block 75 Toa Payoh Lorong 5 #01-06 Toa Payoh Lorong 5 Food Centre SINGAPORE 310075

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle at Toa Payoh

They have recently moved from Block 51 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 to the current location. I was there slightly after 1 pm on a weekday for lunch. I was told that their mee pok and mee kia have already sold out and left with just mee tai mak, bee hoon and yellow noodles. Almost all of the tables at that coffee shop were taken up at that time. I decided to go with the $5 portion of yellow noodles. There is also the $4 and $6 portion available. I was given a number tag after making the payment. I waited for more than 35 minutes before seeing my number displayed on the LED panel.

Each bowl is served with pieces of lean meat, liver, minced meat and a handful of braised mushroom. The presentation reminded me of Joo Heng Mushroom Minced Pork Mee at AMK 628 Food Centre that I used to queue for 30 minutes or so for 3 to 4 times per week before that stall closed down quite suddenly. A friend mentioned that the Uncle retired due to injuries to his hands. I have tried some of those famous Bak Chor Mee including the Michelin starred Tai Hwa Pork Noodle and Seng Kee Minced Meat Noodle but I have yet to find another one that is as good. 

After tossing it, the pool of watery sauce consisting the chilli and vinegar beneath the pile of yellow noodles was still there. Apparently, the sauce was too thin to be able to coat the noodles well. My dining companion took a mouthful and pushed it away right after. He said, "No. I do not like it. The yellow noodles do not go well with the sauce and it was also a little too spicy for me." I did not request for extra chilli to be added when ordering. The ingredients were relatively fresh, particularly the nicely cooked liver and the braised mushroom.

That bowl of soup was from the pot that they used to blanch the minced meat, lean meat and liver. 

The average tasting of this Bak Chor Mee somehow did not quite justify the long waiting time. Amongst the many reasons behind the long queue of such a stall, it might not be just the food or even the service, it might also be the sentimental attachment. Another possible reason is this could be the best alternative for Bak Chor Mee in this area. There were some suggestions found online, someone recommended that should try the Kway Teow Soup instead and other suggested ordering mee tai mak with an extra amount of chilli. I might just try it again if the waiting time is much shorter as I liked the braised mushroom.

LAI HENG MUSHROOM MINCED MEAT NOODLE

Block 73 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-611 SINGAPORE 310073

Operating Hours: 8.00 to 4.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Chef Kang's Noodle House : the "atas" wanton mee

Chef Ang Song Kang, better known as Chef Kang, the owner of 1-Michelin-starred Chef Kang at Mackenzie Road has opened Chef Kang's Noodle House, a hawker stall in Toa Payoh in September. The stall is located in the canteen of Jackson Square selling Wanton Mee. He is working along with Winson Moo, 28 and Frankie Moo, 24, both of them are brothers, from Ipoh, a city in northwestern Malaysia and has been working in Chef Kang for a while. The menu is simple and there are only 3 items on it, Noodle with Char Siew & Wanton ($5), Noodle with Shredded Abalone, Char Siew & Wanton ($10) and Char Siew ($10). There is only the dry and no soup version.

We were there at about 12.30 pm and there were just another 3 customers in front. We ordered 2 portions of the Noodle with Char Siew and Wanton for $5 each. The same dish is priced at $18 in his 1-Michelin starred restaurant. Chef Ang was there but it was cooked by Winson then handed over to the chef to top it with slices of char siew and some green before serving. A bowl of soup with 2 pieces of shrimp wantons is served along.

The jook-sing mian, also known as bamboo pole noodles are specially imported from Hong Kong. It is made using the traditional method of riding a bamboo log to press the eggs, flour and other ingredients together. It is not commonly found even in Hong Kong as there is only a handful still making their noodles in this traditional manner. The noodles are the best part of the dish, it was cooked al dente, contributing to its springiness and elasticity before tossing in the soy-based sauce. 

We did not like the char siew. My dining companion said, "It tasted a bit dry and slightly tough as it was quite lean but the fatter part was nice, though still not as nice as those from Roast Paradise." Though nicely-charred, somehow it was not as flavorful with not a bit of smokiness detected though they roasted it using a charcoal oven.

The flavor is quite monotonous and also a little overpowering. My dining companion that does not like chilli actually added a bit of it into his noodles. He said, "It tasted better with chilli. With just soy sauce, the taste was rather flat. Unlike some of the others that added sesame oil to enhance the flavor."

The 2 wantons were of the average-sized, it consists of the pork filling together with prawn, some black fungus and bits of water chestnut. The filling was not well-seasoned thus it tasted a little bland. The milky soup is pork-based and tasted a bit like the tonkatsu soup for ramen. 

When ordering, my dining companion actually requested for an extra amount of those pieces of crispy lard. He said, "They only gave me this much. It did not taste as fragrant and crispy as I liked it to be anyway."

Though not the best Wanton Mee that I have eaten, I would not mind eating it again if there is no queue. I am just glad that I did not queue 2 hours just to eat this.

CHEF KANG'S NOODLE HOUSE

11 Toa Payoh Lorong 3 Block A Jackson Square SINGAPORE 319579

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 4.00 pm (Mon to Fri) / 10.00 am to 2.00 pm (Sat & Sun)

Teoh Kee (Charcoal) Roast at Toa Payoh

I was there on a Friday during lunch. This stall caught my attention so I thought I should give it a try. There was no other customer at that time. I actually wanted roasted duck with roasted meat and char siew but auntie missed out the char siew and I paid $5 for that. I also ordered a Pork Ribs with Lotus Root and Peanuts Soup for $3.50. I was asked to have the chilli by the side as I am going to share it with my dining companion and he does not take chilli. Auntie offered to give me another plate so it is easier to share.

A good portion of roasted duck and roasted meat were placed on the rice, drizzled with the braising sauce and the dark sauce. My dining companion commented that it was not bad. I did not actually find it to be memorable though as it tasted just average. 

The pork ribs were quite tough and the soup tasted rather bland. 

TEOH KEE CHARCOAL ROAST

Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 #01-45 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre SINGAPORE 310210

Jin Fu Hainanese Chicken Rice : worth a try

I went on a Sunday to have chicken rice at this stall. The owner remembered me. He said, "You were sitting in front of my stall about 2 weeks ago and you were taking pictures then." I was amazed by his good memory. I replied, "I was actually looking for a Hainanese chicken rice stall by the name of 金福 with a red signboard but could not find and only realized much later that it might be your stall."  The owner said, "We are located just beside the bak kwa stall." That bak kwa stall is New Eastern Kim Tee Dried Pork & Minced Pork, I bought 500 grams of the original flavor for $24.00 after lunch.

I ordered half of the roasted chicken with liver and 2 plates of rice. While waiting for it to be ready, I told the owner that a friend recommended his roast chicken. I asked, "How long have you been running this stall?" He replied, "About 3 years now." I helped myself with the chilli, they do not have the minced ginger paste but the dark sauce is available. I paid a total of $14.00.

My dining companion said, "The skin is really flavorful, quite thin with a slight crispiness. The meat is moist but the breast part did not have much flavor." I do like the texture of the rice, it is grainy and not as greasy, it also has a nice fragrance. 

There was a constant flow of customers and most of these customers ordered the roast chicken too. The taste actually reminded me of another chicken rice stall at Toa Payoh Central which I have been eating quite often.

JIN FU HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 #01-68 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre SINGAPORE 310210
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm