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

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)

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)

Fragrant Garden : is there a drop in the standard?

Fragrant Garden has a long history. They began in Geylang Serai Village in the 1950s when Mr Koh Ah Liang, the boss, was a teenager in his secondary school days. Madam Yeo, his mother, a native from Shantou in China, decided to earn an extra income by making authentic Teochew rice cakes and kueh tiao to sell and Mr Koh would help to deliver it on a bicycle to their customers in the neighbourhood. Mr Koh mastered the art of making these Teochew food items from his mother and he founded the Sing Siang Yuan Catering Services in 1988, a humble Zhi Char stall located in Tai Seng Avenue industrial park for about 25 years. They also operated a kitchen in Defu Lane for food catering from 2001 to 2006. In 2006, Mr Koh took over a shop space in Teck Chye Terrace and converted it into a Teochew restaurant serving Teochew delicacies and local delights. It was renamed as Fragrant Garden at that time. In May 2012, they relocated to Serangoon Shopping Centre. 

I was at Serangoon Shopping Centre to visit the newest outlet of Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee and decided to have dinner at Fragrant Garden thereafter. The tables were quickly filling up when nearer to dinner time and I was even asked whether I have made a reservation. We were ushered to a table for 4 right at the corner, just outside of their kitchen. The service was attentive, the menu was presented together with a plate of prawn crackers and a plate of azchar with Belachan Chilli. 

This was our first visit so we went for their signature dishes like Fried Kuay Tiao with Chai Por ($5), Oyster Omelette ($14), Liver Roll & Prawn Roll ($12) and Braised Pork with Steamed Bun ($12). All of the items came too quickly at almost the same time and that left us with not enough time to finish the prawn crackers and azchar. We enjoyed the prawn crackers and we even think that was the best dish of the night, even better than those signature dishes that we ordered. 

The Braised Pork with Steamed Bun came with 6 pieces of braised pork and 6 steamed buns. We did not like it as much as we felt the 5-spice flavour was a little overwhelming but even so, the meat was cooked well to achieve the right tenderness. 

Their Oyster Omelette was not bad if it is eaten with the chilli but was slightly plain if eaten on its own. It is quite similar to what we usually get at the food centre. It was not too starchy and is served with generous amount of eggs together with a handful of rather plump and fresh tasting oysters. We were told that chilli is added but we can choose to go without it, we went ahead with it nonetheless. It turned out the level of spiciness was rather manageable though and even my dining companion that does not eat chill has no issue eating it. 

We also ordered the combo of their ngor hiang and liver roll. We did not like either of it as the flavor for both rolls were dominated by the extreme saltiness. 

The most disappointed have to be their Fried Kuay Tiao with Chai Por. It was quite dry and the chai por was lacking in flavour and what we could taste was just the saltiness. 

Since this was my first visit, I would not be able to tell is this their usual standard or is there a drop in the standard? Overall, it is quite disappointing.

FRAGRANT GARDEN

756 Upper Serangoon Road #01-15/16 Serangoon Shopping Centre SINGAPORE 534626

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm / 5.30 pm to 10.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee : a cafe at Serangoon Shopping Centre

Mr Alan Ng, 63, the founder, started the first outlet of Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee in a coffee shop along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 in March 2013 followed by the second outlet at Jurong East in April 2016. Then, the third outlet opened on 24 April 2017, an air-conditioned cafe at Serangoon Shopping Centre. Apparently, this location is chosen for its practicality as the rental there is amongst the cheapest in the area. They set up their central kitchen here as they want to ensure the consistency of its food quality of all the outlets. This is also where they do their delivery service. And no, they are not related to the Sabx2 Wanton Noodles located at Soi Petchuri 19 in Bangkok.

I came across the article that I wrote about them on Makansutra in June 2014 near the entrance, amongst the others. 

There are 4 choices for their signature wanton mee, there are the Regular ($4), Regular Extra ($5), Large ($5) and Jumbo ($6). I always go for the large size for a more substantial portion. There is even a dark sauce version for those that are not used to eating the Thai style wanton mee. There is also Pig Trotter Rice ($6) on their menu together with drink options like Iced Thai Milk Tea ($2.50), Iced Thai Coffee ($2.50) as well as Homemade Barley ($1.20 for hot / $1.80 for cold) and Coffee / Tea ($1.20).

Iced Thai Coffee was not available on the day that I visited so I went for the Iced Thai Milk Tea with a large portion of wanton mee. I was told to take a seat and it will be served to the table when is ready though there is a 'Self-Service' sign displayed at the counter. 

Their egg noodles are different, it is light as well as springy and served with ingredients like the fried wanton, slices of char siew, waxed sausage and fried pork lard, tossed in a bit of oil and with a dash of fish sauce then added in the dried chilli flakes and preserved green chillies to complete it. It was also served with 2 pieces of wanton in the soup. The dried chilli flakes and preserved green chilli are available at the counter for self-service. The fried pork lards are not free-flow over here, it is available at $0.50 per saucer or $3.00 for a small plastic container.

It was generally nice though not quite as memorable as my very first bowl of their wanton mee that I had about 2 years ago. 

SOI 19 THAI WANTON MEE

756 Upper Serangoon Road #04-26 Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre SINGAPORE 534626

Operating Hours: 9.15 am to 8.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Block 130 Jurong Gateway #01-211 SINGAPORE 600130

Operating Hours: 7.15 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Block 151 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 #01-3030 SINGAPORE 560151

Operating Hours: 7.15 am to 3.30 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

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)

Song Kee Fishball Noodle: their handmade fish dumplings are so good

This is the famous supper spot along Upper Serangoon Road and it operates from 7.00 pm to around midnight or till sold out.

I was there on the eve of Christmas slightly 8 pm and it was not as crowded as expected as i was told the waiting time would be just 30 minutes, it is known for its long waiting time and it is usually at least 45 minutes or it could be even longer than that. You are advised to order first, take a number tag then wait for a table. Even if you come early, you are expected to wait as well as there is usually a queue waiting for them to start at around 7.00 pm. I picked up the number tag and found a table rather quickly right after. You are also expected to help yourself with those drinks in the fridge and it will be charged together when they delivered the noodles. 

The noodles came slightly after 30 minutes and is served by a friendly Auntie. There are 2 sizes, the small and the larger portion with different types of noodles of your choice. When ordering a bigger portion, you will get to choose whether you want it with extra ingredients or extra noodles. 

I do like to have an extra amount of chilli added but it will usually accumulated a pool of oil at the base. The spiciness of the chilli is not distinctive but it added layer to the flavor. 

The larger portion of noodles came with 2 different types of fish balls and their signature handmade fish dumplings that are not commonly available these days, in fact, they are one of the 2 that are still doing it. The skin of these fish dumplings are handmade using the fresh of the fish and it is nicely made to give it just the right thickness for a elasticity that provides an enjoyable chewiness when you bite on it. Their fish dumplings are one of the reasons that gotten their customers to keep coming back and patiently waiting to be served.

Their noodles were cooked just right to give it the delightful texture and a desired softness. Though simple but it was highly satisfying.

I felt it is not just the food but also the attentive and accommodating service that keep their customers to keep coming and patiently waiting to be served each time.

SONG KEE FISH BALL NOODLE

532 Upper Serangoon Road SINGAPORE 534547

Operating Hours: 7.00 pm to 12.00 am (Closed on Wednesdays)