Tong Tai Hainanese Scissors Curry Rice : homely feel

I was there for a late lunch and most of the dishes have already finished and even so, there was still a short queue, a few customers in front of me and another few customers right after. I went with whatever choices that were left. I opted for the fried pork chop, braised pork and also, the braised cabbage for just $4.00. The whole plate of rice was nicely drenched in curry gravy, exactly how I liked it. 

The braised pork was nicely cooked to desired softness. The thinly sliced breaded pork chop still retained a slight crisp and tasted tender. The braised cabbage was soft but not mushy. The curry sauce was a combination of 2 different types of sauces, it was rather thick and flavorful. It might not look like it but it was actually quite appetizing. All the dishes have a homely feel.

TONG TAI HAINANESE SCISSORS CURRY RICE

17 Upper Boon Keng Road #01-31 Upper Boon Keng Food Centre SINGAPORE 380017

Yong Fa Hainanese Curry Rice & Curry Fish Head : homely taste

This stall is amongst those that have the longest queue in this food centre. I was there at about 1.30 pm on a weekday and there was still a short queue, I joined in and waited for about 15 minutes before ordering. The waiting time is expected to be longer during the peak period. They serve Hainanese-style curry rice, Curry Fish Head, Sambal Squid, Pork Chop and Braised Meat are their popular dishes. You would not need to queue if you are ordering their Fish Head.

I decided to go with Sambal Sotong. The young chap that was taking the order said, "Not cheap." I smiled and replied, "I still remember the article in the newspaper that someone complained about the price of the sotong at this stall." He nodded. It is actually good that they made an effort to inform you that certain items are more expensive at its seasonal prices.

I wanted to order Curry Vegetable but was told that they only have it on certain days and he suggested to go with the Braised Cabbage instead. I also added the Long Bean Omelette for $8.90 in total. I was asked whether I want to have gravy to be drizzled over the rice. I nodded. He asked, "You want the spicy or non-spicy gravy?" which I replied, "Spicy, please."

I was deciding in between Curry Fish and Sambal Sotong when ordering but decided to go with Sambal Sotong as the customer in front of me ordered it. I regretted it the moment when I took my first bite as its texture was too chewy for my liking, even my dining companion agreed so. The sambal sauce was nice though, slightly spicy but thick and fragrant. 

The Long Bean Omelette was another simple but done well. The Braised Cabbage was nicely stir-fried with black fungus and glass noodles. Both dishes have a homely taste that reminded me of my late Grandpa, he used to cook them at home. 

I could not find their operating hours on the net so if you do know, please leave me a comment. Sometimes I was there at about 3.30 pm, though the light of the signboard was still on, they did not want to serve.

This is the place to go for homely cooking, it has a motherly taste in it though simple but is so satisfying. 

YONG FA HAINANESE CURRY RICE & 

CURRY FISH HEAD

Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-25 Clementi Central Food Centre SINGAPORE 120448

Mariners' Corner Restaurant & Steak House : Oxtail Stew is a must-try

Time has come to a standstill at this decades-old steak house. It opened in 1984 and is serving traditional Anglo-Hainanese cuisine. This is one of the remaining, the others are the Ship Restaurant and Shashlik Restaurant, in an ambience that reminiscent of the popular steakhouses from late 1970. There are posters of James Dean and Elvis Presley on their wall to bring you back to the yesteryear and a perfect trip down memory lane.

If you are there, look out for their daily set lunches which are available on the weekdays and weekends. The prices are different, though, it is slightly more expensive on the weekends. The set lunches for the weekends include their signature Hainanese Oxtail Stew ($18.50) and Sirloin Steak with Black Pepper Sauce ($18.50) which I ordered. Each set includes Soup of the Day, Garlic Bread, Today's Dessert with Coffee or Tea and also free-flow from the Salad Bar.

The choices though limited but it tasted fresh at the old-fashioned salad bar that resembled the one at Ponderosa. 

The Soup of the Day was Cream of Chicken Soup served along with a piece of garlic bread. The croutons were from the Salad Bar. 

Their signature Hainanese Oxtail Stew was served in a claypot, which helped to keep its warm till the last bit. It came with quite a few chunks of tail meat in the braising sauce that was slowly cooked to the desired consistency. This rich, oozy oxtail stew is a classic comfy food, it is filling and also delicious. It is as good as the one that is served by Shashlik Restaurant and is better than Werner's Oven.

It was served with mashed potato and poached vegetables. The mashed potato did not have much of the buttery taste, it was a bit plain if eaten on its own and it did not go too well with the stew. I would rather that they serve it with garlic bread. 

Sirloin Steak with Black Pepper Sauce was served on an old-school hotplate that you do not get to see it often these days. The nicely grilled Sirloin Steak was placed on a pile of shredded onion, served with potato wedges and poached long beans with carrots. There is an option to add a piece of baked potato for $1.50.

Coffee or Tea is included in the set and it was served along with a piece of butter cake. The butter cake has an old-school taste, like those that homemade by our mothers or even grandmothers, it was slightly dry but with a nice eggy taste. 

This is a place for a good lunch or dinner, it is hearty, warm and no-frill.

MARINERS' CORNER RESTAURANT & STEAK HOUSE

120 Cantonment Road #01-02 SINGAPORE 089760

Operating Hours: 8.15 am to 10.15 am /11.30 am to 3.00 pm / 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge : a 60 years old Porridge stall

What is more comforting particularly on those rainy days or when you are just feeling sick is none other than a bowl of porridge. At this coffee coffee shop in Veerasamy Road, together with the famous Victor's Fried Chicken Wing Rice and Hainanese Chicken Rice, is Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge, a Hainanese porridge stall that has been around for at least 6 decades. They started from a pushcart along Johor Road before moving to the Veerasamy Road, the stall has already handed over to the 2nd generation owners.

Their porridge is prepared using pork bone and simmered for hours till the grains are softened then set aside, it will then cook together with the desired ingredients upon order. On their menu, there are Pork Porridge ($2.50/$3.00), Pork with Cuttlefish Porridge ($3.00), Pork with Sliced Fish Porridge ($3), Pork with Chicken Porridge ($3), Sliced Fish with Cuttlefish Porridge ($2.50/$3.00), Chicken with Cuttlefish Porridge ($2.50/$3.00) and Chicken with Sliced Fish Porridge ($3). And, to add 0.50 cents for an egg or with century egg. 

Upon placing the order, a number will be allocated and it will be flashed on their LED panel when it is ready for pick up. I usually order their Pork Porridge whenever i am there. It is served with ingredients like pig stomach, liver, sliced pork, minced meat and you tiao then topped with chopped spring onions, preserved salted vegetable (tang chye) and shallot oil to serve.

It is perfectly cooked to have a slightly grainy and thick texture. The minced pork and sliced meat were lightly flavored and together with those slices of liver were cooked just right. It is simple, filling yet so satisfying.

JOHOR ROAD BOON KEE PORK PORRIDGE

Block 638 Veerasamy Road Yi He Eating House Stall 6 SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 6.45 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Prince Coffee House : that nostalgic feeling

This 40 years old coffee house used to be located at Shaw Tower and is named after the now-defunct Prince Cinema where they stayed for 13 years. They then moved to Coronation Plaza at Bukit Timah for 22 years before moving to the current location for about 5 years now.

I was their only customer at 11.15 am and i was greeted by the elderly Jimmy Lim, 72, he is one of the owners that has been with the coffee house since 1977. He used to be the Head Waiter before he bought the business with his partners when the original owner retired. Though i have not been here for a while but it is still the same familiar coziness that is so welcoming. The last time when i visited was for my article on Makansutra.

Set lunches serve here on the weekdays from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. Chicken Cutlet is served on Monday, Pork Chop is on Tuesday, Grilled Fish on Wednesday, Chicken Chop on Thursday and Fish & Chips on Friday for only $8.80+. Alternatively, they also serve air flown Sirlion Steak at $13.80+ from Monday to Friday during lunch. You could also choose a al-crate dish and then add on $4.00 to make it a meal. Their lunch sets include a soup of the day, drink and dessert. Their prices have not changed in the last couple of years. 

I opted to have Ice Lemon Tea to go with the set lunch. It came rather quickly followed by the soup of the day, which was Cream of Chicken that is served along with a piece of garlic bread.

Next, came along the Sirlion Steak with fries, carrot and long beans on their decades old Pyrex plate. The steak was nicely done at medium to medium-well that still have its tenderness and is served with their signature brown sauce.

When a serving staff came over to clear my plate, i asked to take away 2 Chicken Pies with a Yam Cake. While waiting for the orders to be packed, Uncle Jimmy came over with a tray of different types of desserts consisting grass jelly and cut fruits. I picked the cut papaya from there. When leaving, he was waiting by the entrance just to say thank you and followed by 谢谢 in Chinese. 

It is that feeling of such old school heartwarming service that is always leaves an impression. And, this is often missing in most modern eateries that is usually focus too much on efficiency and quick services thus ended up becoming cold and impersonal.

PRINCE COFFEE HOUSE

249 Beach Road SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Sin Chie Toke Huan : Comforting Hainanese Curry Rice

There was already a long queue right outside the closed shutter, patiently waiting for the shop to be opened at 6.00 pm. I know there is a famous Hainanese Curry Rice stall in this coffee shop but i have never get to try it. I decided to join in the queue as i was told to come back later by that curly hair Auntie selling satay at the corner coffee shop. She could not quite cope with the massive amount of orders at that time when i wanted to order earlier. When the roller shutter raised, the assistants started to arrange tables and chairs along the pathway. Some of those in the queue moved away leaving their friend or family member to be in the queue to do the ordering later and they went to sit at one of those tables. 

As this was my first visit, i decided to order some of those dishes more commonly selected by their regular customers. After ordering, i was expected to pay then they handed over the 2 plates of rice to me to carry it together with an assistant that got the rest of the dishes on a tray and followed me to my table. 

First dish was sliced pork cooked in soya sauce and sesame oil with bits of shredded ginger, a homely dish that done well. It was nicely flavored and went rather well with the plain rice. I could finish my plate of rice just with this particular dish.

Braised cabbage has always been my favourite and my usual order whenever having Hainanese Curry Rice. It might not looked too appetising given its color but the texture was of the desired softness and it actually tasted alright with a hint of natural sweetness detected.

The steamed meatballs did not taste too memorable though, it was just pleasant tasting.

My favourite dish has to be these squids cooked in curry sauce. This dish reminded me of a similar dish that my dearest Grandpa used to cook. The texture of these squids was of the desired softness with a slight chewiness. It was tasty when had it with the curry sauce together with rice. I would likely to order this again.

All the dishes went rather well with the rice. This was a simple yet homely dinner that i really enjoyed. I could not quite remember the exact price that i paid but if i remember correctly, it should be less than $12 for all. 

There was still a long queue when i left. I was told that the pork porridge stall in this coffee shop is pretty good as well. Maybe i should just order a bowl of pork porridge to go with some of those dishes when i am there again.

SIN CHIE TOKE HUAN

1018 Upper Serangoon Road SINGAPORE 534756

Operating Hours: 6.00 pm to 5.00 am

Prince Coffee House

Read about my favourite Beef Horfun and Chicken Pie in my article on Makansutra.

PRINCE COFFEE HOUSE 

249 Beach Road SINGAPORE 189757

Heap Seng Leong : Butter Coffee, a New Found Love!

I never did expect to find such a old coffee shop amongst the modern buildings in not just this area but Singapore as a whole. Everything about this coffee shop has not changed. I spotted the elderly Uncle in his usual white t-shirt and his pocketless pull-string pants. The main reason for not having a pocket is to prevent the coffee boys during those olden days to steal the money collected. This elderly Uncle is running this coffee shop with his son from 4 am to 8 pm, daily. Time has come to a stand still. I could imagine sitting at one of those tables, enjoying a cup of coffee and toasts with my late Grandpa. I would love to bring him there if he is still around and i believe, this place brings back some memories of olden days for him. 

Heap Seng Leong is definitely a part of the history and i could not help but wonder how much longer would this place be around? i am glad that i made the effort to drop by before it is gone for good.

I went to the counter to place my order with the younger Uncle. My attention was caught by the rows of plastic containers that stored different types of sweets and biscuits. I remember it used to be a common sight when i was a kid but it has not been seen for a while as most of the older coffee shops and provision shops have closed down or renovated to give it a modern look. 

I am here for their Butter Kopi and i ordered some toasts to go along. Butter Kopi can only be found at those traditional Hainanese Coffee Shops but not many are still serving it these days as the younger generation is not able to appreciate the goodness of such traditional taste. 

The younger Uncle served the Butter Kopi first then came back with the toasts a couple of minutes later. The first look of the Butter Kopi was not an appetising one. The butter melted rather quickly in the hot coffee then left floating on the surface of the coffee. 

I stirred it slightly, to mix the melted butter with the condensed milk then took my first sip. Honestly, i never did expect myself to enjoy it. It did not taste too buttery, in fact, i could hardly taste any butter taste in it. But that piece of butter has added the extra bit of creaminess to the coffee to enhance its flavor quite a bit. It did not taste too acidity but rather smooth in general. This was my first time tasting the Butter Kopi and i have fallen in love with such an unique taste. 

It just got me to wonder if i am to try getting a block of butter and sliced it then have it with the coffee from my usual coffee stalls at the food centre near where i stay and whether would i get the similar taste?

The toasts with a piece of butter sandwiched in between and a thin layer of kaya did not taste any different from others that i have tried. Those pieces of bread were nicely toasted to give its texture a slight crisp. Though not too special but it complemented with the Butter Kopi perfectly and to make this as a perfect choice for afternoon tea. 

There is a stall serving Fried Hokkien Mee in this coffee shop by an elderly Auntie. I would just come here for lunch when i am back for the Butter Kopi again.

I do hope this old coffee shop is going be around for another few decades to able the younger generation to experience the Kopitiam culture during their grandparents or their parents' generation. 

HEAP SENG LEONG 協勝隆

10 North Bridge Road ＃01-5109 SINGAPORE 190010

Operating Hours: 4:00 am to 8:00 pm (Daily)