DadPizza : Salted Egg Cream Chicken Pizza is a must-try

I chanced upon DadPizza when I was heading to have my favorite Lor Mee at Circuit Road Food Centre. Hans Chan, the owner, started this stall, offering different types of Italian thin crust pizza and pasta dishes at affordable prices. He grew up in the neighborhood, and his family could not quite afford to eat pizza during his younger days, and that prompted him to open this stall after working in an Italian restaurant. It is located in a coffee shop, a most unlikely and least expected place. This coffee shop is located along Circuit Road and is directly behind a bus stop.

I came by with my dining companion on a Friday during lunch and I was their only customer at that time. Hans was there. I asked, "How big is the large pizza? Can 2 persons finish 2 large pizza?" He replied, "Most of my customers can do so." I decided to go with a large Seafood Pizza ($12.80) and a Salted Egg Cream Chicken Pizza ($13.80). This is likely to be the cheapest hard crust pizza that you would ever get. The dough is hand stretched on the spot then adding the toppings and baking it in a proper pizza oven. It is self-service, Hans will press the bell to indicate a pickup when it is ready. We had waited for about 10 minutes before we heard the bell rung. We got the Seafood Pizza first and waited for another 5 minutes before the bell rung the second time to collect the Salted Egg Cream Chicken Pizza.

The Seafood Pizza was nice but not of much surprises and not the tastiest pizza as well. The crust was paper-thin and crispy with ingredients like squid rings, prawns, and mussels. 

The Salted Egg Cream Chicken Pizza was a pleasant surprise. I could smell the fragrance of salted egg even before eating it. This was the first ever salted egg pizza that I have ever eaten, and I think Hans has made this combination works. 

There was a generous bit of salted egg under the layer of melted cheese together with slices of grilled chicken breast. For $13.80, this is not only nice but of a good value. 

We liked it so much that we decided to order a large Meaty Pizza ($12.80) and a large Tom Yam Pizza ($13.80) to take away. I was told that I would have to pay 0.70 cents for the box which I have no issue. Hans brought it to our table when it was ready. I told him that, "The Salted Egg Cream Chicken Pizza is really nice. Did you use the real salted egg in it?" He replied, "Yeah." I said, "We will come back again." And, he said, "Thank you." 

The Meaty Pizza was a bit disappointing. I am expecting toppings like minced beef or even chicken, but instead, it is sliced hot dog and ham. It did not have the "meaty" feel at all when eating it. My dining companion cheekily suggested that perhaps it should be renamed to "Processed Meat Pizza" instead. 

The Tom Yam Pizza is another interesting creation that I came across for the first time. It is quite similar to the Seafood Pizza but with just a hint of spiciness. I would think this is a better choice than the Seafood Pizza. 

I did not get to chat much with Hans as he seems a little reserved, but I truly appreciate his efforts in wanting to serve good pizza at lower prices and it is homemade with love.

DADPIZZA

Block 78 Circuit Road #01-470 SINGAPORE 

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Pasta & Donburi by Kenny : just so-so

Pasta & Donburi by Kenny is one of the newest stalls in this food centre that has re-opened after renovation about a year ago. This stall is helmed by Kenny Hew, 32, a new generation hawker who used to work as a chef in Western and Japanese fine-dining restaurants for about 12 years. He is serving Italian and Japanese cuisines consisting a combination of pasta and Japanese rice bowls known as Donburi, there are a total of 9 dishes on the menu, priced from $5.00 to $7.50. His stall is located right next to his father-in-law's stall, the famous Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh that has been around for 57 years.

While standing there and deciding what to order, I asked, "What do you recommend?". The assistant there replied, "Each has its own fan." I decided to go with Fried Chicken & Mushroom Pasta with Tomato Sauce ($6.50) and Chicken Donburi ($6.50) which I paid after ordering. There is an LCD panel but I have not been issued a number for collection so I just waited there. When collecting it, I was telling the assistant, "My friend tried it and he liked the pasta." Kenny overheard and he replied, "Thank you." He said, "Everything is made from scratch including those sauces." There is also no MSG added.

Fried Chicken & Mushroom Pasta with Tomato Sauce which comprises a good portion of spaghetti with a piece of deep-fried crumbed chicken cutlet with mushroom slices in tomato sauce then garnished with chopped parsley with some vegetable that tasted like spinach. The spaghetti was cooked just right. The chicken cutlet was done well to have a slight crispiness on its surface and still moist within. I did not like it as much as expected, in fact, I would prefer what I have tasted at Grill & Pasta in Sembawang Hill Food Centre for the same price. 

The Chicken Donburi is the Japanese rice bowl that consists of a piece of deep-fried crumbed chicken cutlet that is sliced into strips then served with shredded onions and eggs in dashi-based sauce on Japanese short-grain rice along with a bowl of Miso soup. It was garnished with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds. The portion was generous but not the best tasting as Konomi Zen, the Japanese food stall at the food centre in Ang Mo Kio is serving a better version at a cheaper price. 

Miso Carbonara with Onsen Egg ($7.00) seems to be highly recommended from those reviews online and I am interested to try it if I happen to be there again. 

PASTA & DONBURI by KENNY

20 Ghim Moh Raod #01-53 Ghim Moh Food Centre SINGAPORE 

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.30 pm (Monday)

11.00 am to 2.30 pm / 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

Grazie : Hawker Italian Food made fresh

'Grazie' which means 'Thank You' in Italian is the name of this unassuming hawker stall at Serangoon Garden Food Centre. This stall has been serving Italian food using the fresh ingredients with no MSG and preservative added as indicated and they have been around since April 2012.

Though they are supposedly famous for their pasta dishes but i decided to go with Pork Chop with apple sauce for $8.80. This dish is created to commemorate SG 50 and have been on their menu on a permanent basis since August 2015. I made an order and paid, i was asked to come back in 8 minutes to collect it. When i went back at 7 minutes, it was already done and left waiting at the counter. 

That 2 slices of thinly sliced Pork Chop were nicely marinated and cooked well to a desired tenderness. It was served with apple sauce though i felt the sweetness of the apple sauce did not do much to enhance its flavor. It came along with a portion of fries and garden salads that included a handful of chickpeas which is not quite common. The overall standard is pretty good and i would think it is definitely value for money as i could taste the freshness of those ingredients used.

Perhaps i would come back for their pasta dishes next time since this is supposedly their signature dishes.

GRAZIE

49A Serangoon Garden Way #01-01 Serangoon Garden Food Centre SINGAPORE 555945

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