Ang Mo Kio 453 Wanton Mee : my new favourite

I did not actually take note of this newest stall in the food centre till my dining companion pointed out. He said, "Is this a new stall? Look at that long queue!" This stall has a bright yellow signboard and it stated "Ang Mo Kio 453 Wanton Mee". My guess is they are likely moved from Chong Boon Food Centre at Block 453 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 to here. I went for a late lunch on a weekday, it was near 2 pm at that time with a short queue of about 4 people in front of the stall. When it was my turn, I wanted to go with Wanton Mee ($3.00) and Dumpling Soup ($3) but was told that the Prawn Dumpling Soup has already sold out. I asked, "Closing soon?" and the Auntie replied, "No, not yet. We usually close at 2ish." I decided to add extra wanton. She asked, "Add another $1 for wanton ah?" I nodded. I also requested to have an extra amount of chilli to be added. While waiting for my order to be ready and I asked the Auntie, "This stall moved from Block 453 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10?" Aunties replied, "Yeah, that food centre." 

There are 2 sizes for Wanton Mee, the smallest portion is at $3 and the largest portion is at $4. There are also Prawn Dumpling Noodle, Shredded Chicken Noodle and Chicken Feet Noodle on their menu. Their Wanton Mee is different from most others. The mee kia is only mixed with chilli and no sauce beneath. It served along with ingredients like a few slices of char siew and vegetable then topped with fried lard with pickled green chilli by the side. Auntie asked, "Do you want your green chilli with the noodles or by itself?", which I opted to have it together with the noodles. To start, tossed it well with the chilli and you could see almost every strand of the mee kia was nicely coated with it. It is the chilli that set it apart from the others, it has a comforting level of spiciness which brought forth the flavor. 

I added $1 for extra 4 pieces of wanton together with the other 3 that are included in the $3 portion.The wanton has an old-school taste, the filling which consists of minced meat was lightly marinated with a light peppery taste.

There is always a queue and the waiting time is usually about 15 minutes or so, it will be longer if some of the customers in front take away a couple of orders. 

AMK 453 WANTON MEE
Block 162 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-28 Mayflower Food Centre SINGAPORE 560162
Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 2.30 pm

Ming Mun 名门 : the authentic Hong Kong taste

Chef Rex Lam, 42, the founder, came to Singapore from Hong Kong about 3 months ago and brought along his recipe as well as 18 years of experience in roasted meat. The recipe has been adjusted to better suit the taste buds of the locals. The stall has been around for a while but they have been really low key and so, even though it is near to where I stay but I know nothing about them until someone posted it on Facebook.

They are likely to be the only hawker stall that is known for serving Roast Goose, they imported the frozen goose from Hungary as those from China are not approved. It is only available by ordering in advance and on certain days, particularly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was reported recently in the newspaper that half of their roasted goose costs $128 as there is an increase in the price of frozen goose, from the initial $80 to $150 per bird, to actually justify it. The availability of Roast Goose is quite indefinite as the source of supply is not reliable for now.

The roast goose was not available when We were there on a Sunday for lunch. We decided to go with a quarter Roast Duck ($13.00) with Char Siew ($4.00) for 2 pax together with 2 plates of rice ($0.50 cents each). I ordered the Roasted Pork too, but they did not get the order as I could not communicate well in Cantonese when I ordered through Chef Lam. As it is self-service, I waited there for it to be served. When Chef Lam handed the plate of roasted meat to me, he said, "慢慢食" in Cantonese, which means "enjoy your meal."

The skin was slightly crisp with a slight smokiness and still retained its moisture within, it was so tender and juicy. My dining companion got pretty excited over it. He exclaimed, "It tasted just like what I had eaten in Hong Kong." It has a pretty authentic taste as Chef Lam insists on using a classic blend of spices and herbs as the marinade, providing a savory flavor and not as sweet as some of the others roasted ducks in Singapore. 

The Char Siew was really good, and its standard is even close to Roast Paradise which is known for their amazingly good Char Siew. It had a perfect lean-to-fat ratio and nicely caramelized with charred edges but still tender within.

As a frequent traveler to Hong Kong, I can attest that this is one of the closest choices that you can get without flying to Hong Kong.

MING MUN 名门

Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560159

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Ah Poh BBQ Seafood : the better BBQ Stingray

It was rather chaotic when we were there for a late dinner on a Saturday, as most of the tables were taken up at that time and the only empty table was right in front of the satay stall, that very much explained why it was the only table available. 

There are 2 stalls serving BBQ seafood, but we decided to order from Ah Poh BBQ Seafood, the most popular stall amongst them. There was another customer ordering when I was there. I decided to go with BBQ Stingray, Sotong and 2 bowls of rice. I was asking Auntie that took my order, "How long would it be? about 30 minutes?" She replied, "No, not that long, should be shorter." I went back to wait at the table. A friendly Uncle came by with chopsticks, spoons and 2 saucers of dipping sauce. 

The Uncle came over with Sotong and the rice. I was expecting the BBQ Sotong, but it turned out to be the Sambal Sotong, the smallest portion is priced at $12. It was my fault as I did not specify that I want BBQ Sotong when ordering, the Auntie did not ask me as well, so I assumed it. It was stir-fried with shredded onion, green pepper, and some chilli but it did not taste too spicy, the sauce reminded me of those that usually for Chilli Crab which was unexpectedly appetising. 

We had waited for another 5 minutes before the same Auntie came over with the BBQ Stingray. And, I said, "Really less than 30 minutes." Auntie replied, "It is usually quite fast as we "long pang" and cook the orders together."

After our first mouthfuls, my dining companion and I agreed that this has to be one of the better-barbecued Stingray that we have ever eaten, it is much better than the famous BBQ Stingray by Hong Chang Eating House along Braddell Road. The smallest portion is reasonably priced at $12 which consists of 2 slices of nicely barbecued stingray; the medium portion is at $15 and the large one at $18. 

The surface was nicely seared to give a slight crisp but still retained its moisture within then smeared with the chilli to serve. I liked the chilli that has a mild level of spiciness and I wished there were more of it; perhaps I could try to request for more when I visit again.

AH POH BBQ SEAFOOD

51 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-119/120 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm (Daily)

Keong Saik Bakery : a East-meets-West cafe

Yu Zhong, 29 and Soon, 29, both of them used to work at Baker & Cook prior to starting this bakery. All the bread and pastries are made in-house daily with no preservatives added. The bakery is located along Keong Saik Street and is directly opposite of the famous Kok Sen Restaurant. 

Sor Hei ($3.20) was recommended when I asked for a recommendation. Another recommended item is XO Lup Cheong ($2.40). I was also offered some sample of Sour Dough bread to try, but I was just too full to eat it right after dinner at Kok Sen Restaurant before walking over. I asked, "Do you have iced coffee?". And, I was served Kopi Susu with ice ($3.30). A pager was given after proceeding with the payment, the 2 buns were warmed up before serving it. 

Sor Hei, a black and white danish pastry is one of their signature items. It is named after the Cantonese name for a traditional ceremony held for the Ma Jie (妈姐), which is known as 梳起 in Chinese. Ma Jie, a group of women who worked as domestic helpers usually in expatriate or wealthy families, between the 1930s and 1970s in Singapore. They were easily identified by their plaited hair or hair bun and their distinctive black and white samfu outfit. This group of women had taken a vow never to marry. One of the former owners of the shop house that they occupy happened to be a Ma Jie. 

The chocolate chips that embedded in between those layers were nicely melted, giving it a chocolaty taste with a mild sweetness. Its texture is light with a buttery flavor, it was crispy on the outside and airy within. Charcoal powder is added to give the pastry the shade of black. It was warmed up before serving to me and it tasted particularly good. 

The XO Lup Cheong is an interesting creation, the slices of lup cheong and mozzarella cheese are served on french bread. We did not like this as much, somehow those lup cheong slices tasted a bit out of place but the bread was nice though. 

The Kopi Susu was served in a nostalgic metal cup with just enough ice cubes to chill it without diluting the taste. Their coffee is brewed using traditional coffee beans, the same type that is for the local coffee. It is freshly ground and is brewed using an espresso machine upon order. And, they are using milk instead of condensed milk for a robust yet familiar flavor. 

There is an All-Day-Breakfast set at $5 which consists of 2 soft-boiled eggs with Kopi coffee O or Teh O and a choice of the bun like Oyster Mushroom, Sardine Cheese, XO Lup Cheong, etc.

This is an interesting place to check out for their coffee and fusionised cakes as well as pastries.

KEONG SAIK BAKERY

41 Keong Saik Road SINGAPORE 089146

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

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)

Shitamatchi Tendon Akimitsu : as good as those in Japan

Shitamatchi Tendon Akimitsu is an award-winning tempura and tendon restaurant from Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan and is owned by Chef Tanihara Akimitsu, the founder, using a recipe that has been around for 128 years. He is also the 5th generation owner and head chef of Dote No Iseya. It has expanded to Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and recently landed in Singapore, brought in by Japan Food Holdings Group. This group also owned brands like Menya Musashi, Osaka Osho, Ajisen Ramen and New Man Lee Bak Kut Teh. 

There was already a long queue when we were there at about 11.45 pm before they open at 12.00 pm. The Godaime Tendon that is at the discounted price of $24.90 was not available as only 10 sets available per day, the original price of the set is $49.80. 

As part of their opening promotion, you have the option to choose between the Matcha Ice-cream Puff or Oi Ocha if you like their Facebook page. 

The menu features different types of Tendon as well as Tempura Rice Sets and Tencha with side dishes and desserts. The must-order has to be the Akimitsu Signature Tendon ($14.90), it consists of prawn, white fish, golden mushroom, seaweed, assorted vegetables, and egg. You could choose the original sauce or the spicy sauce to go with the tendon. We also ordered the Mixed Tempura Rice Set ($15.90) that comprises of prawn, white fish, golden mushroom, seaweed and assorted vegetables. The menu also includes the Ebi Tendon ($17.90), Kakiage Tendon ($15.90), Vegetable Tendon ($12.90) and Kakiage Tencha ($17.90).

I enjoyed the single serving of Chawanmushi that is part of the set, it was silky smooth with a custard-like texture that was so soft that will melt in your mouth. The flavor was so subtle with a complexity of the dashi that came through with mushroom and shrimp embedded in it. 

Each order that inclusive of a main is also served with complimentary free-flow of pickles and a bowl of Miso Soup. 

The Akimitsu Signature Tendon came first. My dining companion and I agreed that the Tendon is almost as good as those that are served in Japan. Those Tempura pieces were lightly battered and deep fried to the desired crispiness and no greasiness to it. 

The Tempura Egg was done perfectly with a runny egg yolk. I remembered dining at one of the oldest tempura restaurants in Tokyo and they are supposed to be famous for their Tempura Egg but it ended up overcooked, it was a disappointing experience then. 

When we were almost done sharing the Akimitsu Signature Tendon, the Mixed Tempura Rice Set is still not served. We informed the service staff and the recovering service was prompt though, they served it in just a bit, and the lady that seemed to be in charge apologized for mixing up the order.

The Mixed Tempura Rice Set came with a bowl of rice with Miso Soup and their specially curated Tempura Sauce together with Sesame Salt and Matcha Salt. It was as good as the previous set, and we enjoyed it totally.

They are in the midst of opening another outlet at Vivocity soon. 

SHITAMATCHI TENDON AKIMITSU

68 Orchard Road #04-65/68 Plaza Singapura SINGAPORE 238839

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Ming's Prawn Noodle by a Gen-Y Hawker

Cai Jiaming, 26, started this hawker stall after graduated from At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy serving prawn noodle. He heads to Jurong Fishery Port almost every day as early as 3 am to select the freshest prawns before proceeding to the wet market to get the pork ribs then to his stall to start preparing the master stock to be used for the prawn noodle. Their menu is kept simple, there are prawn noodle and pork ribs noodles at $3.50 each, for dry and for soup version. There is also an option to have both the prawns and pork ribs at $5 per portion. 

I decided to go with the Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle. It was ready in just a bit, and I was asked to help myself with the fried lard, ground chilli powder, and the sliced red chilli. A packet of wet tissue was placed together with the bowls of noodles and soup on the tray. I requested for an extra amount of chilli to be added, and I topped it with 2 spoonfuls of the ground chilli powder together with a handful of fried lard.

The soup served hot, it tasted light and even so it was still flavorful with a slight prawny taste. As for the prawn noodle, it came with a good portion of yellow noodles that were cooked to the right texture, with 3 pieces of medium-sized prawns and 3 pieces of pork ribs together with bean sprouts and kang kong. The pork ribs were not as fatty, it has a thin layer of meat that was cooked to the desired tenderness. The prawns were rather plump and it tasted really fresh. 

It is heartening to see such a passionate young hawker in doing his part to contribute and preserve our hawker culture. 

MING'S PRAWN NOODLE

120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-01 Alexandra Village Food Centre SINGAPORE 150120

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)