Ah Lee Curry : a hearty lunch

This is a new stall at this coffee shop together with The Famous Porridge and 祥仔虾面 by a group of friends. There are the options to have it with the bread or rice for $4.00. I choose to have it with baguette and it came in 3 slices with the bowl of curry chicken.

The color of the curry was orangy and not the usual bright red but it has got a subtle spicy undertone with a distinct coconut flavor and not too oily. The chicken was cooked well to just the right texture. 

It would be nicer if those slices of baguette were lightly toasted to serve warm. 

It was a hearty choice for a light lunch. 

AH LEE CURRY

Block 421 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-1149 SINGAPORE 560421
Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (Daily)

Midas Every Touch Is Gold at Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Sax Choa, the owner, named its stall after King Midas in Greek mythology which possessed a special power to turn everything that he touches into gold. He used to be an Operations Director with more than 25 years of experience in the Food & Beverage and hospitality industries. He wanted to recreate and share the curry experience when he started this stall at Jalan Kukoh Food Centre before moving to Yishun Park Hawker Centre. 

I was there on 23 September 2017, the opening day of the food centre. I was told that they ran out of curry. Sax suggested that I should try the Baked Croissant Murtabak Sardine Puff ($3.00) as it just came out of the oven which I agreed. You could also choose to go with Corn Beef as filling for $4.00 in a piece of oven-baked prata that resembled the texture of the croissant. I did not like it as much after I took my first bite, the filling consists of bits of sardine with too many corns and peas. 

I was there again on 26 September 2017 for dinner and this was one of those stalls with no queue at that time. I decided to go with the Set B on the menu, which is Master Touch Chicken Curry ($5.00) to go with a plain prata ($1.00) and a spring onion prata ($1.50). The prata is different, it is not pan-fried but baked in an oven with right temperature controls. This is the healthier version as it is less greasy but crispier and flakier in texture. The plain prata and the spring onion prata actually tasted quite alike. My dining companion commented that he would not pay the extra $0.50 for the spring onion prata and would just go with the plain one. 

The curry is different from the usual Chinese-style curry, it is thicker and rather creamery with a strong hint of spices, it tasted a little closer to the Indian-style curry. Mustard seed, lemongrass, and onions are some of the ingredients added to make it tastes differently. The level of spiciness is well-balanced, it is good even for my dining companion that has little tolerance towards spiciness. It consists of a boneless chicken thigh, potatoes, and a hard-boiled egg. 

I was curious enough to ask Sax on one of his posts on Facebook. I asked why did he choose to add a hard-boiled egg to his curry which he replied, "Egg itself goes well with curry more so when you break it and mix with the curry, the yolk enhances it and is extraordinary flavorsome." I could sense the amount of pride that he has in serving it this way.

If you are wondering what to eat in this recently opened hawker centre, I would suggest giving this stall a try, for something different. 

MIDAS EVERY TOUCH IS GOLD

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-31 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Thursdays)

Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodle

The stall owner has been at it for about 30 years serving Hainanese style Chicken Rice and Curry Chicken Noodle. Their Curry Chicken Noodle though quite good but did not seem to be as popular as the other 2 famous stalls in Hong Lim Food Centre. 

I was asked to choose between the $4 and $5 for Curry Chicken Noodle by the younger man that served me, there is also a $6 portion if you want a bigger portion. I had the $5 portion that came with a substantial portion of nicely cooked yellow noodles with fried tau pok, potato, slices of fishcake, a big piece of fried pork skin that tasted quite similar to fish maw and with a few chunky pieces of poached chicken, also with a handful of beansprouts. The freshness and tenderness of the chicken actually stood out and it was really nice. 

The curry gravy was rather rich and quite flavorful though not quite addictive with a distinctive spiciness, which is slightly spicier than the other 2 stalls in Hong Lim Food Centre. It has a light coconut taste and not overly oily, which is good.

The lady owner was particularly friendly and she even said thank you when i walked past the table where she seated with my bowl of Curry Chicken Noodle. 

DA PO HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE 

& CURRY CHICKEN NOODLE

505 Beach Road #B1-53 Golden Mile Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 9.30 pm (Closed on Alternate Mondays)

Sin Ming Roti Prata : Their Coin Prata is a Must-try!

This stall has been around for decades, they used to be at Cluny Road before moving to Sin Ming and it is in the hand of the 3rd generation now. Aziz and Faisal, the father and son team, are still doing it the traditional way by mixing sugar, eggs, salt and the flour without adding ghee or milk. It is then kneaded by hand, let it rested for a hour before moulded into those dough balls. The flipping of prata is another important act to determine the texture of prata and it takes years of practise to really master it.

Their prata is nicely crisp on the outside but still have its chewiness and fluffiness right beneath, not greasy too. They cook their Prata upon order but they will usually pre-cook them during weekends .

Their signature Coin Prata that is shaped like small, thick pancakes has a slightly crispier texture. They are always made fresh to ensure its crispiness, its texture is rather light and airy and it is priced at $3.50 for 6 pieces. 

Their curry is rather thick and slightly spicier but its level of spiciness is still manageable even for those that do not usually eat spicy stuff. Their Fish Curry is a more popular choice but i like the Chicken Curry a bit more. I always order a portion of it to eat with my Prata. I usually drenched them in curry gravy and let it soaked a little while before eating it.

They do serve Murtabak, Curry Fish Head, Mee Goreng and Nasi Briyani if you want something more substantial.

SIN MING ROTI PRATA

24 Sin Ming Road #01-51 Jin Fa Kopitiam SINGAPORE 570024

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 7.00 pm (Daily)

Curry Chicken Noodle

I was there on a Monday morning. About half of the stalls in the food centre were closed on that day. I left with limited choices to choose for lunch. 

My attention was apparently caught by this stall right at the corner. I approached the Auntie that seen taking the order. She said, the expected waiting time would be around 20 to 25 minutes. She said, if i sit around the stall then she will serve it when ready or else it would have to be self-service. I ordered the smaller serving of Curry Chicken Noodle for $2.50. There is the selection of larger portion at $3. I pointed at a table nearby to indicate where i would be sitting and offered to pay first but she asked me to pay when it is served. 

I waited for about 25 minutes before it was served to my table.

I was amazed that for $2.50, i got a chicken drumstick, a chicken mid-wing and 2 big pieces of potatoes. The taste of coconut milk infused curry was rather aromatic. It was rather creamy with a minimum level of spiciness. The texture of the chicken drumstick and mid-week was tender with a desirable softness.

The noodle was cooked nicely to achieve a noticeable springiness. It tasted good when evenly coated with the curry sauce.

I enjoyed it. I will likely come back to have the Curry Chicken Noodle at $3 and to try their Wanton Noodle too.

旺角熟食

Block 105 Hougang Avenue 1

#02-41 Hougang 105 Hainanese Village

SINGAPORE 530105.