Foodie Story : Briyani by a young Chinese lady

Yishi Lam, a 20+ Chinese lady is the owner of this newly opened hawker stall serving Briyani. Now, you do not just get a handsome Indian man cooking Bak Chor Mee but also a young Chinese lady cooking Briyani. She seated at the table in front of her stall and was having lunch.

She stood up and asked, "What do you want to eat?" I asked, "What do you recommend?" She said, "Most of the customers would go for the Chicken Briyani ($4.50) or Mutton Briyani ($5.50)." I asked, "I would like to have both. How much would that be?" She replied, "It will be $3 to add on 1 meat." I paid $9.50 in total. I said, "I gotta know about your stall from Martin. Why did you decide to sell Briyani?" She said, "A Malay auntie taught me how to make Briyani."

My dining companion tried it and said, "This is good. I did not expect it to be cooked by a young Chinese lady. It is as good as some of those by Malay stalls. The chicken and mutton were cooked to the desired softness. If I have to choose, the mutton is slightly more flavorful." It was served with a piece of papadum and achar.

This stall is only slightly more than a month at a quiet corner of Circuit Road Food Centre. There are also Breaded Chicken Cutlet Briyani ($5.00), Crispy Fried Chicken Briyani ($5.00) and Beef Briyani ($5.50) on the menu. Go support her if you happen to be there for lunch.

FOODIE STORY

79 Circuit Road #01-106 Circuit Road Food Centre SINGAPORE 371079

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

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)

Victory Restaurant : A Disappointing Experience

Though went with little expectation but i still ended up feeling disappointed. I ordered exactly the same items that i had tried at their competitor next door. I tried the Chicken Briyani and Beef Murtabak, both failed to impress. 

The Chicken Briyani served with very little sauce to go with the rice though it was accompanied by 2 different types of curry sauce. The Beef Murtabak though with quite a generous minced beef filling but it was rather soggy and not crispy at all. Given such a standard, Zam Zam is definitely the obvious choice for the same items.

VICTORY RESTAURANT

701 North Bridge Road SINGAPORE 198677

Opening Hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm

SINGAPORE ZAM ZAM : Where One of the Best Murtabak is Found

I have heard so much how good about their murtabak and i could not quite verify this till recently. I happened to be around there for dinner so their murtabak is a default choice. It was not too crowded when i was there. Our orders were taken almost immediately upon seated. We decided to go with a Beef Murtabak ($8.00) and Chicken Briyani ($6.50). 

SINGAPORE ZAM ZAM RESTAURANT

697 North Bridge Road Singapore 198675

Muthiah Restaurant.

I was lucky to be amongst the few winners chosen on their recent facebook contest for $30 voucher given by Muthiah Restaurant. They are an authentic South Indian Chettinad Restaurant in Changi Business Park.

Though they are located near to Expo MRT station but that area is under heavily construction now so it required a certain effort to locate it. Their location is at the corner of the Hotel Tower. If you happen to be there, look out for NTUC Xtra, when you see it, make a left turn, the restaurant is right at the corner.

I was there at about 2 pm. It was quite crowded there with their usual lunch crowd. I presented my voucher and asked to order at the counter. The gentleman right at the counter waited patiently while i went through their menu. After some consideration, i decided to go with Half Tandoori Chicken ($13.50), Chettinad Chick ($9.00), Butter Naan ($3.00), Garlic Naan ($3.50) and Lemon Honey ($2.50).

A number tag was given then proceed to look for a table.

When seated down, we were given 2 metal cups to help ourselves with the water served in a metal jar placed on every table.  The water served in that jar was of room temperature. It would be ideal if it is served with ice cubes added and served together with the cups upon customers seated.

Lemon Honey ($2.50) served first. It was a rather refreshing drink with a slight sourish taste of preserved plums with a hint of sweetness derived from the honey added. It was served chilled with no ice cubes added to further dilute its taste.

The Butter Naan ($3.00) and Garlic Naan ($3.50) served next.

It was sliced and served in a basket and placed on the square metal plate with 2 metal containers of curry sauce and a metal spoon on a piece of banana leaf.

Another empty metal plate with banana leaf served with 2 metal containers of curry sauce is presented to allow sharing with my lunch partner. Such thoughtfulness is commendable.

I guess we are expected to eat with our hands so no fork is presented.

First, to tear the naan apart then dipped it into the curry sauce before eating it. I tried the Garlic Naan first and liked it. I enjoyed the Butter Naan as well. If i have to choose between both, i would prefer the Garlic Naan a little more.

Both are prepared the same way but the Garlic Naan has bits of garlic added to enhance its flavor and both Naan are butter based.

Chettinad Chick ($9.00) came next. I wanted to order Chicken Briyani but could not find it on the menu. I asked the gentleman at the counter whether they do serve it. He nodded and keyed in 'Chettinad Chick' to the cash register.

It was served in a metal pot with a piece of hard-boiled egg placed in the centre together with a metal container of curry sauce and another metal container of cream salad with bits of cucumber and others in it.

To start, give it a good mix. There was a whole piece of chicken hidden in the basmati rice, the long-grain rice that commonly used to prepare the dish. The rice was served warm with a delightful fluffy texture and a noticeable fragrance. The color was not the usual orangey color but a lighter yellow. The best way to enjoy it is to have it with the accompanied curry sauce.

The star of this meal got to be the Half Tandoori Chicken ($13.50). It came in 4 pieces. It was freshly prepared and served piping hot to the table together with shredded onion and mint sauce. The chicken pieces were nicely marinated in yoghurt and tandoori masala to give it the desired flavor.

It might be fiery red in color but the level of spiciness was just comforting.  It tasted as good as the one that i had in Penang and pretty close to my favourite in Malacca too. I am convinced that their Tandoori Chicken might possibly be the best in Singapore as i have yet to try something as good so far.

The mint sauce enhanced the flavor a little but it tasted good on its own too. The perfect way to enjoy it is to have it with those shredded onion.

I took the picture when i was done eating at about 3 pm. The lunch crowd has left and it was only our table and another at that time. The restaurant has bright lighting, cosy interiors and comfortable leather seats to complement the dining experience.

The total amount of the bill was $33.70 minus the $30 value of the voucher. GST is included but not the service charge. The freshly prepared food served was definitely authentic and heart-warming at an affordable prices.

I totally enjoyed my lunch.

Thank you, Muthiah Restaurant.

MUTHIAH RESTAURANT

2 Changi Business Park #01-05 UE Biz Hub Hotel Tower SINGAPORE 486015.

Super Prata House

Prata has always been a delightful choice for breakfast. My personal preference has to be the plain prata. I felt it tasted better when eaten with the curry provided.

This was my first time trying the prata from this stall. I ordered 2 pieces of plain prata for $1.60. A pretty economical choice for breakfast.

I was asked to take a seat as this was to be served to my table. I waited for about 5 minutes or so when the Uncle served it.  The 2 pieces of plain prata were prepared upon order and that explained why it was not served on the spot. I could taste the warmth and the slight crispiness when i had my first bite. The texture of the prata was light and not greasy.

The accompanied curry sauce has got an aromatic curry taste with a rather minimum level of spiciness. It was rather thick and complemented the plain prata perfectly.

Though it was a simple breakfast but i enjoyed it.

SUPER PRATA HOUSE

Block 338 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 CHOICE @ 338 SINGAPORE 560338.

Mami Midah Briyani

MAMI MIDAH BRIYANI

Block 4A Eunos Crescent

Eunos Crescent Food Centre #01-14

SINGAPORE 402004.

Not quite the same.

This famous indian rojak is located right beside my favourite chicken rice in a coffee shop along Waterloo Street within walking distance from Bras Basah MRT Station. 

They have been in this coffee shop for more than a decade long. I used to come by regularly when i worked in bugis area a long time ago. Their relative has got another stall at Albert Street Food Centre selling indian rojak too. This other stall is famous for their prawn fritter too.

That day, i was in the area looking for lunch and decided to come by for the indian rojak. There was a few people waiting to order right in front of the stall. I waited for 10 minutes to order. I selected the usual favourite items like prawn fritters, the potato and other fried items. 

Perhaps my expectation was set a little higher as the taste this time seemed a little disappointing. It did not taste as nice as i used to remember. The items selected were re-fried before served. The items still got its sight crispiness but most items were pretty oily including my used to be favourite prawn fritters. It was served with slices of cucumber, green chilli and onion. I paid a total of $5.60 for it.

The sauce was served warm. It got a slight sweetness with a little sourness and zero level of spiciness. It complemented and enhanced the flavor of the fried items rather well.

It was a pleasant lunch but i am not likely to be back soon. 

The standard is not quite the same any longer. 

SABEENA'S INDIAN CUISINE

261 Waterloo Street

#01-28 Waterloo Centre

SINGAPORE 180261.