The Carving Board : Good Quality Western Food

It was listed in my article that published on MAKANSUTRA as one of the noteworthy western hawker stalls in Singapore. 

We came early this time, we were there slightly before 5 pm and did not quite expect them to be already ready then. I ended up waited for close to 1 hour to order during my last visit when i came around 6.30 pm. We were their first batch of customers of the day this time. We were presented with the menu to go through, most of the items on there are about the same but they are no longer serving Chicken Chop, which has been my usual favorite. 

I decided to order Mix Grill to share. I was asked whether i want the Premium Mix Grill for $22.00 which included a piece of lamb or the Mix Grill at $19.00 which includes the sausage instead, both are served with a choice of side dish. I have also ordered their signature Curry Pork Burger which serves with a portion of fries as well as Grilled Chicken Leg that is served along with fries and garden salad. 

Mix Grill ($22.00) consists of garlic bread and garden salad with perfectly grilled beef, chicken and lamb and potato salad as side with rosemary sauce.

Curry Pork Burger ($9.50) which consists of a piece of pork patty with a pineapple ring, bacon, tomato and lettuce on toasted buns then garnished with curry mayo sauce.

Grilled Chicken Leg ($8.50) was nicely char-grilled to a ideal tenderness serving with a good portion of fries and garden salad.

Please take note that they are currently undergoing renovation and will only be back on 21 June 2015 (Tuesday).

THE CARVING BOARD

Block 252 Jurong East Street 24 #01-107 SINGAPORE 600252

Operating Hours: 5.00 pm to 10.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

115 Tang Sui : Traditional Desserts

It is getting difficult to find such a traditional dessert even in a food centre and this is one of those remaining stalls that was founded on 1 June 1966. They are serving mainly traditional Cantonese style desserts and the flavors have left unchanged for the past 46 years. They are using their recipes that have been handed down from the past generation and is still preparing them the traditional way even using a 42 years old stone grinder. 

I went for the Black Glutinous Rice for $1.50. The friendly lady at the stall asked me whether i want it with coconut milk. I nodded my head. She then said, "We are very generous when giving it the coconut milk. And, i will keep pouring it until you say stop." And, she really meant it. She went ahead to pour it and even almost caused it to overflow but i managed to stop just before that happened. She said, "We know that it tastes better with more coconut milk and we do not want to deprive our customers from having it."

Some of the desserts that they serve are Sesame Paste, Peanut Paste, Almond Paste and Walnut Paste. Other than those pastes, there are also Green Bean with Herbal Grass, Red Bean with Peanut and Gingko Barley. They also serve Sweet Potato with Ginger on Thursdays & Sundays, Six Flavors Chng Tng on Mondays & Wednesdays, Pumpkin Corn on Wednesdays and Sundays, Bobo Chacha on Fridays and also White Sesame or Roasted Peanut Tang Yuen on everyday except Fridays & Saturdays. 

I enjoyed what i had tasted and definitely will go back for more.

115 TANG SHUI

Block 335 Smith Street #02-206 Chinatown Complex Food Centre SINGAPORE 050336

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 5.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

ABC Popiah : A Healthier Choice

This stall has been around for quite a long while. It has clearly stated on a poster right in front of the stall that they are using less oil for a healthier alternative and there is no pork nor lard added though they are not halal certified. 

The stall owner is an elderly uncle which did not seem to be particularly chatty and not too smiling as well. The business seem to be quite good as there was a constant flow of customers when i was there for lunch though there is no queue. This stall is only serving Popiah at $1.50 each and nothing else.

I just had lunch so i only got a piece to try. The overall taste was quite different and it tasted relatively healthier with a rather light but well-balanced flavor. The braised turnip was soft but not mushy with bits of grounded peanuts and handful of beansprouts that have added a desired crunchiness, there was also bits of mushroom amongst other ingredients, nicely wrapped in a piece of moist wrapper.

ABC POPIAH

Block 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-34 SINGAPORE 310093
Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 10.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

328 Katong Laksa : It is a pure disappointment

Now, when walking along the stretch of East Coast Road, you do not longer see the war of Katong Laksa going on, in fact, 328 Katong Laksa is the only surviving one right there though there is another one at Roxy Square, which is directly opposite.

The shop has already lost its rustic charm as it went through a renovation and is air-conditioned now though there are a few tables outdoor. When entering, i proceeded straight to the counter and ordered right there, just like in a Fast Food Restaurant, then paid and waited for the order there. There are 2 options for their Laksa, the smaller portion at $5.50 or the bigger portion at $7.50. I went for the bigger portion and ordered a Luo Han Drink at $1.95 to go along. A small packet of sambal chilli was given with it.

They are still serving it with just spoon and without the chopsticks. I stirred in the sambal chilli with the thick bee hoon, a few cockles and some small prawns together with a handful of beansprouts. After tasting it, i did not like it much as the the gravy was rather diluted with not much of coconut flavor. Honestly, it just did not make much sense to pay $7.50 for such a bowl of mediocre Laksa as there are many better and cheaper options out there.

And, i wonder how did they manage to beat Gordon Ramsay in the Hawker Heroes Challenge orangised by Singtel with such a standard? I remember it did not taste too bad then so perhaps there might be a drop in the standard? I have a feeling that most of their customers are the tourists and they are not likely to be able to tell a good bowl of laksa from a mediocre or even a bad one. 

It was so disappointing that i did not even finish it, i left about half of bowl unfinished and walked away, likely not returning anymore. 

KATONG LAKSA

51 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428770

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Lad & Dad : The Passion of a Father & Son

Keith Loh, the 'Lad' used to study then worked in London before coming back to Singapore and started this hawker stall with Desmond Koh, his dad, they aim to serve affordable British-inspired classics with a local twist as comfort food. I was there on a Sunday slightly after 12 pm. Keith was there, manning the stall all by himself. I was told that if i want to have the Yorkshire Pudding, i would have to come back at 12.30 pm as they were not ready yet. I was given the choice to have the other side dishes or come back much later which i did. 

Their menu is pretty limited, the main dish is the Lancashire Hotpot, you could choose between Beef and Mutton at $8 as a-la-crate dish or $12.00 as a set that is served with 3 side dishes. In total, there are 4 side dishes to choose from, mainly Hand-mashed Potato, Seasonal Salad, Fragrant Rice and Yorkshire Pudding baked from scratch, each serving is at $2. Their version of Lancashire Hotpot is slightly different from those that is done traditionally which is usually baked in the oven. Instead, they slow-cooked for hours in a metal pot added with celery, carrot and potato.

I ordered the Beef Stew set and i was asked to choose 3 side dishes. I asked for a recommendation and Keith suggested i should go with their Hand-mashed Potato, Fragrant Rice and their signature Yorkshire Pudding. After done with payment, i was asked to come back in 5 minutes to collect it. Before it was due, i spotted Keith waving at me from far. When collecting it, i asked him, 'How is the business so far?'. I asked as i realised i was their first customer at 12.30 pm on a Sunday. 

Keith said, "We have been around for almost a year and the business is picking up but is a bit quiet lately. It is even so for some of those popular stalls like Ah Seng Duck Rice, their queue is much shorter now."

They serve it using a metal tray with a oval baking dish to contain the Stew Beef that consists of chunky pieces of perfectly braised beef shin, celery, carrot and potato, it was served pipping hot. It has been slow-cooked for 8 hours till it is fork-tender and with a rather thick and strong-flavored gravy. This is no doubt one of the better Beef Stews that i have eaten in Singapore so far.

The Yorkshire Pudding is a traditional English dish that is made from batter consisting of eggs, flour with milk or water and it is usually served with beef and gravy, or served as a dessert. The one served here has puffed up beautifully, not too greasy but with a crusty outer layer and is still moist and light right within. 

The texture of Hand-mashed Potato is smooth and slightly coarsened and garnished with a dash of black pepper to enhance its flavor and it makes a perfect pair with the gravy from the Beef Stew.

The Fragrant Rice has somewhat reminded me of the indian style rice that is cooked for their biryani which i did not quite enjoy but my lunch companion thought it was good.

There are 2 desserts on the menu, the butter poundcake with custard or pudding with ice-cream and maple syrup at $3 each.

LAD & DAD

49A Serangoon Garden Way #01-32 Serangoon Garden Food Centre SINGAPORE 555945

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Wednesday to Sunday)

[UPDATE: Moved to 1 Kadayanallur Street #01-79 Maxwell Food Centre SINGAPORE 069184]

Hui Ji Fish Ball Noodle . Yong Tau Foo : Is there a drop in standard?

The last visit to this stall was about a year or so ago, i remember rather well that there used to be an elderly Auntie helping out there. She was not at the stall today and i found out from the stall assistant that she would not be coming anymore. The stall is left with the Uncle to take charge of the cooking with that assistant to do the rest.

I was there at about 11.30 pm and there was a short queue at the stall. I joined in and waited, there were more people joining in but some left the queue after waited for a while. The lady behind me commented that the elderly Uncle was too short in cooking thus prolong the waiting time. We chatted for a bit before she left, she said, "It's getting difficult to find such an old noodle stall as most of those stalls in the food courts are by foreigners that are employed to do the cooking". After she left, I waited nonetheless. I waited for another 5 minutes to make my order and another 8 minutes to receive it.

This stall is mainly serving Fishball Noodle at $2.50 and $3.00 but you could choose to add in their handmade yong tau foo items. You could choose between their default items that has arranged placed in a bowl or to pick them yourself. I added fishcake, ngor hiang, tau kwa and dried beancurd skin to my fishball kwa teow mee for a total of $4.00. 

While waiting for my order, i overheard the other customers requested to have extra fried pork lards added to their noodles. I came across a particular review that said it is their chilli and fried pork lards that actually made their noodles stood out. 

Their no-frills presentation looked a little messy, the portion of kwa teow and mee was topped with ingredients then with sweet sauce and chilli, garnished with chopped spring onions. My first mouthful was a bit disappointing, it just did not taste as good as i remember. Though i requested for extra chilli to be added but its spiciness was not distinctive but it tasted better when i had it with those bits of fried pork lards, indeed, its taste has been enhanced by the fragrance of those bits of tasty pork lards. 

The supposedly handmade fishballs did not taste quite like it, the texture was not as springy and bouncy as expected. I wonder whether, perhaps it has to do with my expectation as it did not actually taste too bad but just not as good. 

I wonder how much longer would this stall be around? That elderly Uncle was looking tired, perhaps due to the long working hours that he put in to run this hawker stall and age is catching up with him. 

HUI JI FISH BALL NOODLE . YONG TAU FU
30 Seng Poh Road #02-44 Tiong Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 168898
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Fish & Chicks : Fish & Chips with salted egg sauce & chilli crab sauce

This unassuming western food stall is helmed by Justin Lim, 26 and Albert Tan, 29 at the corner of a coffee shop, a stone's throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT. Justin has no prior F & B experience unlike his partner, Albert who used to be working as an Assistant Chef at Pasta Mania as well as Outback Steakhouse. 

You could choose to order Salted Egg Fish & Chips at $9.90 or the Chilli Crab Fish & Chips at $9.90 or to have the Best of Both World at $12.90 which consists of 2 pieces of Fish & Chips that came with salted egg sauce and other piece with chilli crab sauce. You could also have their Fish & Chips without their special sauce at $6.90 or a Fish Burger at $6.90. 

I ordered the Best of Both World at the counter, paid up and was given a buzzer. I was also asked to choice another side in addition to the fries, i opted for coleslaw amongst their other choices like potato salad, cheese pasta and tom yam fried rice.

I waited for about 15 minutes before it buzzed, i walked toward the 'Collect Here' counter, my order was already waiting there. I was expected to collect the culinary and also to dispense chilli sauce from the dispenser into the saucer.

They handmade their salted egg sauce and chilli crab sauce daily. Thus, i am convinced that both of them are indeed passionate in what they are doing as i could taste the amount of effort that they put in making the both sauces which made their Fish & Chips to be special. 

I could still taste the crispiness of the fried fish fillet even after i was done taking pictures though it was a bit too soft within but still tasted good.

I started with the piece that doused with chilli crab sauce first. The sauce has a tinge of sweetness with a rather slight spiciness but it is so mild that could even be overlooked. 

The other piece that is served with the salted egg sauce was quite a surprise as well. The sauce was quite thick and creamy, i could even taste bits of salted egg yolk in it. And, it actually went well with the fried fish fillet.

The cajun flavored fries were pretty good, it was still have its crispiness even after left it for a while. 

I would likely to be back real soon to try their chicken dishes only if there is no queue and waiting time is short.

FISH & CHICKS

Block 531 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 Happy Hawkers SINGAPORE 560531

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Balmoral Bakery : Hate it or love it

This is one of those old-school bakeries that are still existing, they have been in operation since 1965 when they started to sell English style cakes and pastries. It was founded by a group of Hainanese 'big brothers' as a complement to the famed Balmoral Steak House at Holland Village that was patronized by the British and Australian armed forces that was stationed in Singapore then.

I tried some of the pastries like Chicken Pie, Beef Pie, Curry Chicken Puff, Curry Beef Puff, Samosa and Sausage Rolls. Apparently, none of these pastries have tasted as good as it supposed to be. The puff pastry did not have much buttery taste and it was rather thick, in fact too much of it and with a rather minimum filling. I would actually suggest to try the Curry Chicken Puff ($1.80) from the Swisslink Bakery & Cafe nearby instead as those are surprisingly good and much better in standard in comparison. 

I also got to try a few of their swiss rolls, buttercake, cream horns and coconut tart but none actually left an impression. The buttercream used was those old-fashioned type, which is rather oily and dense with not much flavor, it tasted of low quality.

It has stated on their website that 'We still make our items by hand, maintaining generation old tradition and ensuring quality and tastiness in our products. Our butter cakes, rum balls, cream horns, samosas, chicken pies and curry puffs still taste how they did so long ago.'

Still, i could not help but wonder what have actually gone wrong and there is such a drop in their standard? I felt that they do not longer serving 'delicious, crusty, golden pastries and moist, flavorful cakes' that were mentioned in 'Our Story' on their website. Perhaps due to certain reason that they are no longer doing that 'something right' as claimed on their website in their kitchen that they used to? Though they have been around for decades but sadly, the taste and standard have somewhat did not stay the same anymore.

Are there any of their fans out there? Perhaps you might want to share your thoughts on their standard now as compared to that of yesteryear. I did not get to try it first but this is definitely not something that i am expecting from a more than 50 years bakery.

BALMORAL BAKERY

Block 105 Clementi Street 12 #01-06 SINGAPORE 120105

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Lik Ming Toa Payoh Laksa : Homely Laksa

This is one of those popular stalls in this Food Centre serving only a single item on their menu which is Laksa at $2.50, $3.00 and the largest portion at $4.00. The friendly Auntie spotted me when i was approaching the stall, she smiled and asked, 'Laksa ah?' And, i asked, 'How big is the $4 portion?'. The Uncle overheard and he said, 'The $3.00 is already enough as it is quite a lot". I said, "Most of the stalls are giving rather small portion for that price and it is not filling." Uncle replied, 'We do not do that here." Auntie then asked me to take a seat as it will be served to me. The Auntie and Uncle are already the second generation serving this old school Laksa. 

Auntie walked over to my table in less than 5 minutes, carrying my bowl of Laksa and a plastic container that stored their special dried shrimp chilli, commonly known as Hae Bee Hiam. She asked whether i want it to be added and i nodded my head, she then added a big spoon of it to the Laksa. It also came with a bit of chopped laksa leaves to enhance its flavor.

I stirred it slightly to mix the dried shrimp chilli and dried laksa leaves into the gravy before tasting it. It consists of a substantial portion of thick bee hoon with a few pieces of tau pok and a few slices of fishcake together with a handful of cockles and 2 pieces of halved prawns. The gravy was quite light with a hint of coconut milk and its level of spiciness was rather mild. It has a homely feel and comforting taste which i liked.

LIK MING TOA PAYOH LAKSA

Block 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-48 SINGAPORE 310093

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 3.00 pm (Daily)

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)

Seng Kee The Black Seed by Chef Benny : the modern Kopitiam

This recently opened coffee place is a brainchild of Chef Benny that founded Eighteen Chefs, it is located at Bugis Junction, right in front of the taxi stand along North Bridge Road. It is a modern kopitiam serving Eggs & Toasts, Chee Cheong Fun, Sandwiches and Curries in Bread Bowl together with drinks like Kopi and Teh in cold and hot versions, Grass Jelly Bandung and Milo T-Rex. The menu includes desserts like Sour Plum Sng Pao and Soursop Sng Pao that are quite interesting.

It was not as crowded as i expected to be when i was there slightly after 12 pm on a weekday. I was expected to order at the counter then paid and wait for my drink there then wait for my order no to be flashed on the LED panel to collect food at the other counter. 

As i just had lunch, i decided to have their 63 degrees eggs (2 for $2.50 and 1 for $1.50) and Iced Pandan Teh ($4.00).

The sous-vide eggs were slowly cooked at 63 degrees to give the yolk a runny texture, the temperature and timing are really mattered for a perfect soft-boiled egg that has such a desired degree of tenderness. 

Their Iced Pandan Teh at $4.00 is a bit steep for just a glass of normal tea that is infused with a rather slight pandan taste and served with crushed ice. Again, if it is going to be compared with some of those atas cafes out there, their menu prices are considered as quite affordable and in fact, it is slightly lower.

Their customer service was not as attentive, the service staff that took my order did not inform me that there is an ongoing opening promotion that offer set meals that are of better value. And, i do not quite remember seeing any indication about the opening promotion. 

If i do visit again, i would probably like to try their Curry Chicken with Chee Cheong Fun or in a Bread Bowl and also Singaporean-inspired Ciabatta and Focaccia sandwiches if i do visit again. 

SENG KEE The Black Seed by Chef Benny

200 Victoria Street #01-71/72 Bugis Junction SINGAPORE 188021

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 10.30 pm (Daily)

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)