An Dessert : a new dessert stall at Sembawang Hills Food Centre

This is one of the newest stalls in this food centre manned by a mother and daughter team. They have been around for slightly more than a month. I decided to order a Chendol after finished a plate of Beef Horfun from the other new stall in this food centre. While waiting, I chatted with the mother. She saw me taking a picture of their stall and asked, "Do you think you can tell others about our stall?" I replied, "I will tell my friends and ask them to support."

She said, "The business is slow, we are just getting by. The rental itself is already $3,000 and the cleaning fee is $450, there is also the utility bill that we have to pay." She continued to say, "If the business is so good then why would the previous stall decided to quit after been here for more than 20 years?" She was referring to the fish soup stall that has been around for a long while and there was usually a queue during lunch. She also said, "We woke up early and took long hours in doing preparation. Almost everything is handmade at the stall. "

The Chendol is priced at $2 each. It is served in a nice plastic bowl with a metal spoon. The coconut milk is thick and creamy, served with Gula Melaka together with red beans and those droplets of green rice flour jellies. The level of sweetness was well-balanced but I actually prefer to have it slightly sweeter. It would be perfect if the shaved ice is finer and smoother. 

This is not the best Chendol that I have tried so far but it is good enough to taste the amount of effort in making it. 

AN DESSERT

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-36 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 6.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Sembawang Hills Food Centre : What to eat?

Sembawang Hills Food Centre is located along Upper Thomson Road and within close proximity to Ang Mo Kio. The nearest MRT station is Yio Chu Kang though there is no direct bus from there. The easiest way to get to this food centre is to go to Ang Mo Kio MRT station and take bus 269 and change to bus 855 or 163 along Yio Chu Kang Road. 

This food centre is an ideal choice if you are looking for a quiet place to have lunch. It is not crowded during lunch as it is not near to any office buildings and factories. You hardly see a queue in this food centre during weekdays but it is usually busier on the weekends. This food centre is just a stone's throw from where I stay and here are some of the stalls that I have been patronizing regularly. 

SENG HUAT DUCK RICE (#01-07)
Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 12.30 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

This is one of the popular stalls that usually sold out quite early. The options available are Braised Duck Rice at $3.50, Braised Duck Rice set at $4.50 or the Duck Porridge at $2.80. The Char Siew Roasted Pork Rice on their signboard is not available. I usually go for the Braised Duck Rice set with a braised egg for 0.60 cents and duck liver for 0.70 cents. You could choose to go with porridge if you do not want to have it with rice. 

The braising sauce was lighter and not as salty with a notable cinnamon and star anise flavor. The duck meat was flavorful with the desired tenderness. The chilli was good, its mild spiciness has brought forth the flavor. They usually sold out by 12.30 pm or earlier, this is a cheap and good choice if you happen to be in this food centre for an early lunch. 

FRIED CARROT CAKE (#01-14)
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 11.30 am (Tue to Fri) / 7.00 am to 6.00 pm (Sat & Sun)

This is another stall that usually closed quite early during weekdays but not so on the weekends. It has been around for 35 years selling just fried carrot cake. The current stall owner took over the stall from his father that started it from a pushcart. Unlike most of the other stalls, they are still handmade the carrot cake though no longer using the wood fire but gas to steam them. There are 3 sizes available at $3.00, $3.50 and $4.00. It was served on a disposable plate with a plastic fork. 

The carrot cake was smashed into smaller pieces then fried with egg. The texture of the carrot cake was delightfully soft and not greasy, with a well-balanced level of sweetness and saltiness and a light eggy flavor. 

JIA JIA XING PIG'S ORGAN SOUP (#01-10)
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm (Daily)

The stall is run by a friendly auntie single-handedly, this is usually one of the stalls that often has a short queue particularly during the weekends. There are only 4 items on their menu, Pig's Organ Soup ($4.50), Pig's Stomach Soup ($4.50), Pig's Trotter ($5.50/$7.00) and Vegetable. Rice is available at 0.50 cents per serving, there are the usual white rice and the soy sauce rice. 

The pig's trotter was braised to a perfect softness, the braising sauce was slightly sweet with a right balance of saltiness and not too thick in texture. It tasted homey and comforting.

The Pig's Organ Soup is a popular choice amongst its regular customers. It consists of meatballs, sliced meat, tofu, pig's stomach and liver with salted vegetable and coriander. The soup was not as peppery but rather light and flavorful. This is one of the better Pig's Organ Soup that I have tasted. 

MING JI CLAM PRAWN MEE (#01-05)
Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 1.00 pm

This stall is manned by an elderly couple and Prawn Mee is the only item on their menu. There is an option for dry or soup at $3 or $4 and also to choose whether to have it with canned razor clams for $4 or $5. You could choose the types of noodles to go with it. It is usually served with ingredients like sliced meat and prawns. I usually requested to have an extra amount of chilli added but its level of spiciness is still quite mild. The soup that is served along has a nice prawny sweet taste. 

Please go early as they usually sold out before 12.30 pm and their off-day is indefinite.

SEMBAWANG TEOCHEW MINCED PORK NOODLE (#01-29)
Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 2.00 pm (Daily)

The elderly stall owner used to work at the Michelin-starred Tai Hwa Pork Noodle at Crawford Lane. He started this stall together with his wife in 2015. There are 3 different sizes, the $4.00, $5.00 and $6.00. The smallest portion is usually enough if you are not too hungry. It is served with the ingredient like minced meat, sliced lean meat, pork liver, meatball, dumpling together with the dried sole fish. The noodles were cooked just right to the desired springiness with a hint of the vinegar taste, not as overwhelmed as compared to the one served by the Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. There is a certain similarity in taste and this is a good alternative.

MAKAN FOOD STALL (#01-17)
Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 7.00 pm (Daily)

This is the only Muslim-owned stall in this food centre, serving Nasi Padang, Mee Rebus, Mee Siam and Lotong. Their Mee Siam has been voted as one of the top 10 in Singapore. They do not just serve Mee Siam but also Mee Rebus, Nasi Lemak, and Nasi Padang.

I have tried the Mee Rebus and Mee Siam, both are reasonably priced at $2.50 and I actually prefer Mee Siam a bit more. The Mee Siam has a well-balanced sourish and sweetness, a little different than the usual Malay style Mee Siam. The Mee Rebus is another popular choice, it is a little too starchy to my liking though. You could also add Fried Chicken Wing or Begedil at an extra cost. 

SIN SIN NGOR HIANG PRAWN CRACKER (#01-21)
Operating Hours: 1.30 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

This stall is manned by an elderly couple. Most of the items are handmade and one of the interesting items is the prawn fritter, it is slightly thicker in size as there is a piece of hard-boiled egg in it. There are also the regular items like Ngor Hiang, Prawn Roll, Prawn Cracker that are quite tasty and go well with the accompanying dipping sauce. 

Their fried bee hoon is a must-order, it is mildly seasoned with light soya sauce and with bean sprouts that added a textural contrast. 

SAN BA WANG GUO ZHI SHU SHI (#01-06)
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 12.00 pm (Closed on Fridays)

This is another stall that is sold out rather early. Kway Chap is the only item on their menu, nothing else. There are 2 sizes for selection, the $3.50 and the $4.00. It is served with the standard ingredients like the braised skin, braised meat, small intestine, big intestine, fish cake, tau pok and braised egg together with a bowl of flat rice sheets that is known as "kway". The flavor though light but quite comforting and most of the items were nicely braised. 

The bowl of flat rice sheets was nice, it was quite thin, smooth and cooked to the right texture in served in the braising sauce then topped with the dried shallots. 

GRILL & PASTA (#01-34)
Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 2.00 pm / 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

This stall has been in this food centre for the longest time and is likely to be the first stall serving pasta dishes in the hawker centre. There are a total of 15 pasta dishes on their menu and amongst those, one of the most popular choices is Grilled Chicken ($6.50). It consists of a piece of boneless chicken leg served with penne pasta and vegetable. You could also order other pasta dishes like the comforting Marinara ($7.20) and added a piece of grilled chicken at an extra cost. There were dried chill flakes and dried parsley at the counter for self-service. Parmesan Cheese is available at 0.80 cents per serving. 

KHOON'S KATONG LAKSA & SEAFOOD SOUP (#01-26)
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 7.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Though not as popular as the 328 Katong Laksa, this is a better and cheaper alternative. There are 3 sizes for the laksa, the smallest portion at $4 followed by $5 and the largest portion is $6.00. The coconut milk infused gravy is not too rich not too spicy but rather tasty. It is served a portion of thick bee hoon together with slices of fishcake, prawns and a handful of cockles then garnished with chopped laksa leaves and sambal chilli. This stall does not just serves the Katong Laksa but also Fish Soup and Seafood Soup. 

PING KEE POPIAH (#01-32)
Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Fridays)

This is another stall that has been in this food centre for a long time, manned by a friendly couple and serving only Popiah. It used to be cheaper but it is $1.50 for each piece and $2.00 with added ingredients as of now. The ingredients used were really fresh. The braised turnip was lightly flavored and served along with a handful of crunchy beansprouts, thin slices of chinese sausage, eggs, grounded peanuts and some crunchy bits, firmly wrapped together. 

DOE (#01-22)
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 3.00 pm (Thursday to Sunday)

This stall is the best-kept secret of this food centre, it is solely manned by a friendly lady single-handedly. It served one of the nicest fruit cakes that I have ever eaten. It is much better than most of the other choices out there. Their other signature item is Cempedak Cake, this is likely to be the only place for such a cake and it is only available on the seasonal basis. Some of the other choices are Coffee Walnut Cake, Butter Cake, Chocolate Cake, Marble Cake, Banana Walnut Cake, Green Tea Chiffon, Black Sesame Chiffon, Cream Cheese Chiffon and more. 

Seng Huat Duck Rice : cheap & good

This is one of the stalls at Sembawang Hills Food Centre that I have been wanting to try but usually sold out when I was there for lunch. I made an effort to come early today and there were another 2 customers right in front of me when I was there at 11.00 am. I decided to go with the set meal for $4.50 and added a braised egg for 0.60 cents and duck liver for 0.70 cents.

I was given a nicely chopped up duck leg that well presented on a plate accompanied by slices of cucumber. The braising sauce was lighter and not as salty with a notable cinnamon and star anise flavor. The duck meat was flavorful with the desired tenderness. It was served with white rice lightly drizzled with braised sauce. The chilli was good, its mild spiciness has brought forth the flavor.

I did not actually like the soup that much. It had a light herbal-ish taste with its flavor further enhanced by the addition of coriander and though there was a garlic in it, it did not taste too garlicky.

SENG HUAT DUCK RICE

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-07 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 12.30 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Fried Carrot Cake : the old-school taste

The stall has no name, it only has "Fried Carrot Cake" on the signboard and the stall owner is a friendly Uncle. He started helping his father since young before eventually took over the stall from him. He is still making the carrot cake though no longer using the wood fire but gas to steam them. Though there is a difference in taste and texture, however, the standard is still well up kept and not changed since yesteryear. The secret to a good carrot cake is none other than the control of the proportion of water and temperature. When it is cut, the texture is firm and not mushy with a fragrance of radish, soft and bouncy, not sticky. The fried garlic is also painstakingly handmade.

There is the selection of white and black carrot cake for $3.00, $3.50 and $4.00. I decided to go with the black version at $3.50 and requested to have it with extra chilli. While waiting for my order, I said, "This is my first time that came across your stall in operation and I have been here on a regular basis." He said, "I usually closed early during the weekdays. It is always quiet after the morning in this food centre but I will open for longer hours during the weekends." While cooking, the Uncle asked, "with extra chilli?" I nodded then asked, "Is it going to be very spicy?" He answered, "I would think so." And, I said, "In this case, just go easy with the chilli." Uncle replied, "I have been here for 35 years and you have not eaten before?" I smiled and nodded my head again. I asked, "Most of your customers are regular?" Uncle smiled and said, "Mostly". 

The handmade carrot cake was poured into the big frying pan from the metal tin. The Uncle quickly smashed it up using the spatula and spread it out evenly to lightly charred those small pieces of carrot cake before added in the beaten egg. It was then served on a disposable plate with a plastic fork. The first mouthful was delightful, it was soft and not greasy, with a well-balanced level of sweetness and saltiness as well as a slight eggy flavor. It did not even serve with the chopped spring onions like the others out there. It is served the traditional way, the same way that it has been served since decades ago.

FRIED CARROT CAKE

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-14 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 11.30 am (Mon to Fri) / 7.00 am to 6.00 pm (Sat & Sun)

Jia Jia Xing Pig's Organ Soup at Sembawang Hills Food Centre

I joined the queue when I was there on a Saturday for lunch. The stall is manned by an auntie all by herself. There are only 4 items featured on their menu, Pig's Organ Soup ($4.50), Pig's Stomach Soup ($4.50), Pig's Trotter ($5.50/$7.00) and Vegetable. Rice is available at 0.50 cents per serving. I waited for about 10 minutes before ordering. I decided to go with Pig's Organ Soup as this seemed to be the popular choice amongst the other customers. I added $1 for extra slices of liver. There are 2 types of rice for selection, the usual white rice, and the soy sauce rice. I opted for the soy sauce rice. Auntie was scoping from a pot and it was finishing. I asked, "Closing soon?". And, she replied, "No, not yet. I usually closed around 7 pm." I asked, "Open every day?" She said, "Yeah. Every day."

While waiting, I said, "I heard that your braised pig's trotter is good." And, she answered, "Eat la", to which I replied, "I will come back soon to try it." 

It was served in those traditional porcelain bowls that you do not get to see it often these days. The food just seemed to be tastier serving in such a bowl as compared to those plastic and disposable bowls. It consists of meatballs, sliced meat, tofu, pig's stomach and liver with salted vegetable and coriander. The soup was not as peppery but rather light and flavorful. This is one of the better Pig's Organ Soup that I have tasted. 

The rice did not have a distinct flavor actually.

I went back for their braised Pig's Trotter on the following Monday. Most of the stalls in this food centre closed on Monday. I ordered the smaller portion at $5.50, a larger portion is available at $7.00. While waiting for it to be served, I asked, "You run this stall daily and not feeling tired?" She answered cheerfully, "No la. I do it for money so I don't feel tired at all."

The pig's trotter was braised to a perfect softness, the braising sauce was slightly sweet with a right balance of saltiness and not too thick in texture. This tasted homey and comforting though not as flavorful as the one that I tasted at Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh near Lakeview MRT in Jurong.

This is going to be one of my favorite stalls in this food centre that I will be patronizing regularly and this is one of the stalls that remain open during the evening.

JIA JIA XING PIG'S ORGAN SOUP

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-10 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm (Daily)

Ming Ji Clam Prawn Mee : with canned razor clams

The stall owner is an elderly couple. The Auntie might not be the friendlier and she is also not too smiley. She often randomly asked whether are you sitting nearby and if so, she will offer to bring it over or else it is self-service. Prawn Mee is the only item on their menu, you could choose to have it dry or in the soup, for $3 or $4 and you could also choose to have it with their canned razor clams for $4 or $5. There are a few types of noodles like the usual mee pok or mee kia, kway teow and also the yellow noodles for selection.

This stall is closed most of the times. I asked the Auntie once, "When is the usual off-day?" And, she replied, "Indefinitely". I said, "It is usually closed when I was here for lunch." She replied, "We usually sold out quite early." I guess that must be the reason why it was always closed when I was there for lunch. It was also mostly closed even I made an effort to be there early.

I was their only customer at 11 am, I ordered directly with the Uncle as Auntie was not there but seated at the table in front of their stall. I went with the $5 portion of dry mee kia and requested for an extra amount of chilli added. This is unlike the others that usually serve it with pork ribs. Here, they include the canned razor clams as part of the ingredients together with slices of fishcake and lean meat together with peeled halved prawns, it is served along with a bowl of soup that has a mild prawn flavour. 

It is a bowl of hearty and no-frills Prawn Mee that I am always looking forward to eating it again.

MING JI CLAM PRAWN MEE

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-05 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419
Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 1.00 pm

San Ba Wang Guo Zhi Shu Shi : Kway Chap Set

This stall serves only kway chap and is usually sold out near noon, it was so when i visited the last few times. I made an effort to go early this time. I got to choose between $3.50 and $4.00 portion and I decided to go with the bigger portion. I pointed to a table nearby then walked away and it was delivered to my table in less than 5 minutes.

The Kway Chap set came with a plate of standard ingredients that consists of braised skin, braised meat, small intestine, big intestine, fish cake, tau pok and braised egg together with a bowl of flat rice sheets. It was served along with a saucer of chilli sauce for dipping. I went for the small intestine first, it was not as soft as I liked it to be as it was too chewy. The rest was nicely braised and those intestines were clean quite thoroughly without leaving much smell behind. The savory flavor though light but was quite enticing even though not particularly memorable. 

That bowl of flat rice sheets was alright, it was quite thin, smooth and cooked just right then served in the braising sauce before topped with dried shallots to enhance its flavor.

Though it might not be the best kway chap around, its nostalgic taste is quite comforting.

SAN BA WANG GUO ZHI SHU SHI 三巴旺粿汁熟食

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-06 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 12.00 pm (Daily)

Ping Kee Popiah : a satisfying choice

This stall has been in this food centre for the longest time, it is manned by a friendly couple and they are only serving Popiah. It used to be cheaper but it is at $1.50 for each piece and $2.00 with added ingredients. There is another stall by the same name at Jalan Berseh Food Centre manned by the third brother of the stall owner. The smiling Auntie is always the one taking the order and her husband is making it. It was not as crowded as expected even during lunch.

The ingredients used were really fresh. The braised turnip was nicely seasoned with a rather light flavor and served along with a handful of crunchy beansprouts, thin slices of chinese sausage, eggs, grounded peanuts and some crunchy bits. I asked for extra chilli to be added but the level of spiciness was still quite mild. The wrapper was soft but a bit thick and it turned a little dry when left it for too long, though thick but it is able to hold the ingredients firmly without breaking apart too easily when picking up with chopsticks.

It might not be the best Popiah in town but it has a simple and comforting taste that most of their regular customers would have agreed. Most importantly, the taste has been consistent for the past 30 years or so, this is definitely amongst the better ones if it is not the best in Thomson and Sembawang area.

PING KEE POPIAH 平记薄饼

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-32 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Fridays)

Tai Hwa Pork Noodle at Sembawang Hill Food Centre

The former worker of the famous Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has opened his stall at Sembawang Hill Food Centre with the blessing of his previous boss, Mr Tang Chay Seng. It is operated by an elderly couple. The auntie mentioned that Mr Tang is an old friend and he was at the stall on their opening day.

The noodle is available at $4, $5 and $6, much cheaper as compared to Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle and a shorter queue. A standard bowl of noodle consists of sliced pork and liver with wantons and meatballs as well as a handful of minced meat.

I ordered mee kia for the Soup and the Dry version.

The soup version was quite disappointing, the soup tasted rather bland though the ingredients were quite fresh.

I requested to have extra chilli added to the dry version and it tasted quite familiar but not quite yet. The taste of vinegar was a bit overpowering to my liking.

However, this could be a good choice if you do not want to travel to town and not wanting to queue.

TAI HWA PORK NOODLE

590 Upper Thomson Road Sembawang Hill Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419