Nan Xiang Chicken Rice : personal touch makes memorable

This is another popular chicken rice stall apart from Loy Kee Chicken Rice in this food centre. There was just another customer in front of me and she ordered half a chicken to be taken away. Nancy Lim, the lady boss was giving her specific instructions on keeping the chicken for dinner. I ordered the chicken drumstick with a braised egg and rice for $4.50 if I remember correctly. The lady boss behind the chopping board was extremely friendly, she greeted me with a smile followed by thank you when I was picking up the tray. While queuing, I noticed that 陈澍城, the veteran actor was there, eating their chicken rice. He walked towards the stall when he finished eating and bidding goodbye to the lady boss.

The chicken was nicely deboned and served in a pool of sauce together with the braised egg on a plate, serving along with a good portion of rice was given. The chicken was moist and flavorful but the rice was slightly too dry to my liking. The chilli and ginger sauce complemented the chicken well.

I do not think this is amongst the best chicken rice that I had eaten but sometimes, it is not so much about food but the personal touch, which often left a deep impression. 

NAN XIANG CHICKEN RICE

Block 90 Whampoa Drive #01-21 Whampoa Food Centre SINGAPORE 320090

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Big Boys Western Sizzling Hotplate : so so Western food

This Western food stall is started by an ex-chef from The Ritz Carlton in the food centre at Beauty World Plaza that opened on 8 December 2018. I have been waiting for the hype to die down before trying it. We decided to go for lunch on a Friday. We were there at about 1pm. There were some customers waiting to collect their orders at their stall. I asked, "Do I need to join the queue to order?" The friendly chap replied, "We are not taking orders now as the waiting time is about 1 hour 30 minutes." We went to eat Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle and Wanton Soup from Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle Rice while waiting. My dining companion went back about 30 minutes later and he managed to order the CornFlake Chicken ($7.50) and Grilled Chicken Steak ($6.90). Each main is accompanied with a choice of side, the selection includes fries, rice or pasta. There is also black pepper and mushroom sauce to choose. A buzzer was given for collection and it buzzed in 10 minutes. It looked exactly like those not quite appetizing pictures that were circulating on social media. 

The CornFlake Chicken is one of their signature dishes and probably one of the most popular choices. The size was much smaller, not as massive as shown in those pictures on social media. My dining companion took a bite and said, "It actually tasted better than its look, even so, it is just average tasting." He added, "The texture of the fried chicken was nice but not much flavor." The fried chicken was coated with a layer of batter added with cornflakes and deep-fried to the desired crispiness, though special but not quite memorable. The turmeric rice was served with black pepper sauce, I neither love or hate it.

This is amongst one of the worst chicken chop that I had eaten. It was served sizzling hot on the hotplate but it had not been char-grilled long enough to char it and to allow the smoky flavor to be infused, it tasted quite bland with soggy skin. That might be the likely reason why it was served so fast? It tasted quite mediocre, just like those from the usual Western food stalls. The mushroom sauce was a little runny with not much flavor. My dining companion said, "I like the fries though, it is quite crispy." Those fries were coated with a layer of batter before deep-frying for a crispier texture.

My dining companion said, "The only thing that reminded me of The Ritz Carlton is the level of service. The chef is quite friendly though and he even made an effort to apologize for keeping me waiting for the food. I had recently dined at Colony, a cafe in The Ritz Carlton and its attentive service is part of the memorable experiences."

I did not like both dishes, in fact, it is as disappointing as Chef Choo's Signature at Golden Mile Food Centre that I have tried recently. 

BIG BOYS SIZZLING WESTERN HOTEPLATE

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-25 Beauty World Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)

No Signboard Braised Duck . Rice . Noodle . Porridge

It was sold out when I was there about a week ago so when I returned to this food centre on a Sunday, this was the first stall that we went to queue. This is amongst the popular stalls in this quiet food centre. It was one of those stalls that were from the now-defunct Margaret Drive Food Centre, serving traditional braised duck. The elderly uncle is behind the chopping board and the auntie is taking the orders, collecting payments and serving it.

I decided to have dry kway teow with a portion of duck meat and added braised intestine to go along.  Many of their customers added the braised intestine too so I am expecting it to be of a certain standard. I waited for about 10 minutes to order and a few more minutes before receiving it. Everything was sold out right after.

My dining companion tried the duck meat, he said, "It is good though not really the best that I have eaten. I still very much prefer the braised duck from Hup Kee Duck Rice at Sin Ming." And, I agreed. It was not as flavorful as I expected it to be and it will be nicer if the texture is slightly softer. Those braised intestines were done just right but still not as good as those from Lau San Kway Chap in Ang Mo Kio. 

I enjoyed the dry kway teow though, it is something that I used to eat with my late Grandpa. It was served with braising sauce and a handful of bean sprouts. I started by giving it a good mix. The braising sauce was a little saltier but acceptable. The bowl of soup that came along has got a rather light herbal flavor. 

I might just eat it again only if there is no queue.

NO SIGNBOARD BRAISED DUCK . RICE . 
NOODLE . PORRIDGE
159 Mei Chin Road #02-04 Mei Ling Food Centre SINGAPORE 140159
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 2.00 pm

Hong Kee Porridge : the homely taste

This is a popular porridge stall in this food centre and they used to serve raw fish but have since stopped. There are choices of Pork Porridge, Century Egg Porridge, Cuttlefish Porridge, Fish Porridge, and Fish Head Porridge at just $3. There were another 2 customers waiting for their takeaway orders and I stood there, waiting to order. The uncle looked up in the midst of cooking at my direction. I told him that I would want to order Pork Porridge, he nodded and asked for my table number, they still deliver it right to the table. 

I waited for about 10 minutes before receiving it, it was served along a saucer of cut chilli. The texture of porridge was smooth with minced pork, sliced pork and liver, garnished with chopped spring onion and a dash of white pepper for a light flavor. It was good though still not comparable to what I had eaten in Hong Kong.

My dining companion took a mouthful and he said it tasted better than the chicken rice and carrot cake that we also ordered. I enjoyed that homely taste, it is a good choice for breakfast or a light lunch. 

HONG KEE PORRIDGE

31 Commonwealth Crescent #02-83 Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre SINGAPORE 149644

Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 5.00 pm (Daily)

名厨车老板 : Beef Brisket Noodle, must-try

This Hong Kong eatery is located at Casuarina, along Sembawang Road. The boss is originated from Hong Kong and he is always ready to greet his customers, chatting with them in his strong Cantonese accent Chinese. It is like the usual Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong as they serve mostly the Cantonese fare. A lady came over to take our orders upon seated. Their Beef Brisket Noodle ($5) is a must-try which I ordered together with their Wanton Noodle ($4.50), Carrot Cake ($4) and Chee Cheong Fun ($4). 

The Beef Brisket Noodle consists of a good portion of nicely cooked thin noodles with a few chunks of braised beef brisket with just a piece of tendon. The beef was quite lean but rather soft and flavorful. This is still one of the best Beef Brisket Noodle that I have tasted in Singapore. The soup that came along has got a distinct dried shrimp flavor like those that I tasted in Hong Kong. 

I have recently tasted a really good Beef Brisket Noodle from Lao Jie Fang Braised Beef Noodles at Mei Chin Food Centre. I also got to try the same dish from One Mouth Noodle at Yishun Park Hawker Centre which I did not quite like it. 

The Wanton Noodle was good though not amongst the best that I had tried. It was served with a few slices of char siew and 3 pieces of wanton. The char siew was slightly tough but the wanton was good, the tasty filling was in a thin layer of wrapper. My dining companion said, "I would come back for just the wanton."

My dining companion did not like the carrot cake though. He said, "I could taste a bit of OX sauce in it but the texture was too mushy,  it will be nicer if it is firmer."

The Chee Cheong Fun was unexpectedly good. It was steamed then pan-fried before serving it in a pool of sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped spring onion. There are 3 types of fillings for selection, the char siew, the prawn and also the filling. We ordered the char siew and we enjoyed it. 

名厨车老板

134 Casuarina Road SINGAPORE 579522

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 12.00 am

Henry's Chicken Rice : the chilli is good

This chicken rice stall is amongst those popular ones in this food centre. The stall has been around since 1985 and it is manned by an elderly couple, they serve the poached chicken and the roasted chicken, which is their signature. They were taught by Sergeant Kiang of Chicky Fun, he was one of the pioneer chefs that created the famous chicken rice for Chatterbox, a cafe in Mandarin Orchard Hotel.

There was always a queue during my last few visits. I decided to try it for the first time on a Sunday for lunch. There was already a few people in the queue and I joined in, waited for about 5 minutes before ordering. I wanted the roasted chicken drumstick with rice for $3.50. 

I was not particularly amazed by the chicken, the rice and the soup as it just did not quite stand out the chilli is really good. It tasted fresh with a hint of ginger at just the right level of spiciness. You should try if chilli is the most component of chicken rice but please come early though as it usually sold out right after lunch. 

I read about their bad service but I did not encounter it even though the Uncle is not particularly friendly.

HENRY'S CHICKEN RICE

117 Commonwealth Crescent #02-84 Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre SINGAPORE 140117

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

Chuan Kee Fried Kway Teow : that nostalgic feel

This is one of those stalls with a queue during lunch in this food centre. I was curious and decided to join in the queue. The stall is manned by an elderly Uncle all by himself and it serves only Fried Kway Teow at $3. It is not difficult to tell that most of these customers are their regulars. They ordered in Hokkien and giving specific instructions on how they will like Fried Kway Teow to be done. 

The elderly Uncle stir-fried the mixture of kway teow and yellow noodles in batches before frying them plate by plate. When it was my turn, I tried ordering it in Hokkien too and he replied, "Chilli?". I nodded. I waited for a while before receiving it. I was told that this Uncle learned from his father before taking over the stall. The operation hours are usually short and it closes before 3 pm. Sometimes, he only operates at night. 

If you look at the pair of decades-old chopsticks, it brings out a sense of nostalgic feel.  I wonder how many plates of fried kway teow have these chopsticks served? I used to find them at Grandpa's house when I was little.

Those noodles were nicely fried to infuse a slight smokiness with ingredients like Chinese sausage, fishcake, cockles, bean sprouts and green. It tasted a bit like Penang Fried Kway Teow, it is more savory and less sweet. It might not be the best Fried Kway Teow but it definitely has got a certain standard. 

CHUAN KEE FRIED KWAY TEOW
Block 90 Whampoa Drive #01-41 Whampoa Food Centre SINGAPORE 320091

Famous Amoy Street Lor Mee : comfort food

It is stated on their signboard that this is the "Best Lu Mian In Town". I am curious and have been wanting to try. Lor Mee is the only item on their menu, it is available at $3 and $4. There were a few other customers in the queue when I was there on a weekday for an early lunch. They used to be at Amoy Street Food Centre from 1982 to 1997 before resurfacing at its current location about 12 years ago. The owner is using a recipe that has been handed down from his father. 

While queuing, the boss asked, "$3 or $4?" I decided to have a larger portion. It consists of a good portion of flat yellow noodles with ingredients like prawn roll, fried batang, battered fish and lor bak. The chilli, garlic, and vinegar are available for self-service. My first mouthful did not exactly wow me but I liked it enough to keep eating. The braising sauce was nicely complemented by the amount of chilli and garlic added, it was quite thick and not too starchy. It is nice though not quite the best Lor Mee in town but is definitely amongst the best.  

My dining companion asked, "I thought you just had Lor Mee yesterday and why are you eating it so soon?" I can actually eat it every day as I am quite a fan of Lor Mee and have been going around eating this dish from different stalls. It is simply my kind of comfort food. I will come back soon for another bowl of their Lor Mee and this time, I will go for extra ingredients. 

FAMOUS AMOY STREET LOR MEE

Block 91 Whampoa Drive #01-19 Whampoa Food Centre SINGAPORE 320091

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 2.00 pm (Daily)

Chef Choo Signature : affordable Western hawker food

Chef Choo Siew Leong, 32, the owner, used to be working in Regent Hotel and Grand Hyatt before starting this stall. He is experienced in Western and Italian cuisine. His dishes are supposed to be of the same standard and quality that are comparable to those by 5-star hotels and restaurants but at affordable prices.

I happened to go during lunch and there was already a crowd gathered in front of this newly opened Western hawker stall. There are a total of 11 items on their menu. There are 4 different types of pasta dishes, the Sizzling Seafood Spaghetti ($6.90 for 1 pax and $12.90 for 2 pax), Spaghetti Carbonara ($5.50), Spaghetti Bolognese ($5.50) and Spaghetti Agli-olio ($4.00) followed by Chicken Chop ($4.90), Norwegian Salmon ($5.90), Pork Chop ($5.90) and Hot Plate Seared Beef ($5.90). I decided to try Chicken Chop with garlic rice and Hot Plate Seared Beef with Onion & Garlic Rice. I was told to come back in between 20 to 30 minutes to collect. I went back 30 minutes later but it was not ready yet. Chef Choo looked up while cooking and said, "好吃的东西是值得等的" (good food is worth waiting). I said, "I will come back later." I happened to be seated at a table near the stall and a few minutes later, the white-haired lady signaled me to come over. Both dishes were ready.

My dining companion had the Chicken Chop with garlic rice, it was served with a sunny-side-up egg. He said, "It actually tasted quite average, the rice was just plain rice served with the garlic sauce. The underneath of the egg was rather charred though it did not affect the taste. The chicken did not have much flavor." The presentation did not look quite appetizing. 

I was not impressed with the Hot Plate Seared Beef with onion and garlic rice too. Those slices of beef were tender with a rather slight smoky flavor. The sauce tasted just like the garlic sauce that was served with Chicken Chop.

I tasted a similar but better dish by chef Sebastian Ho when he was still running Sebastian Fusion, a hawker stall in a coffee shop. He is currently the owner of At The Myo, a cafe nestled in Everton Park. 

CHEF CHOO SIGNATURE

505 Beach Road #B1-45 Golden Mile Food Centre SINGAPORE 199583

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

51 Minced Meat Noodles : fusion Bak Chor Mee

This stall has recently opened on 1 May and they took over the stall where Fishball Story used to be. They serve fusion Minced Meat Noodles, there are choices of basic Minced Meat Noodles for $3, Signature Minced Meat Noodles for $5/$6, Braised Pork Noodles for $6.50 and Meatball Soup for $3.50. There was no queue when I went for lunch on Sunday. There was an auntie taking the order and a younger man cooking it. I decided to have the larger portion of Signature Minced Meat Noodle at $6. 

It was cooked using a timer for noodles but the ingredients were cooked together with the earlier order and it was then separated into the different bowls when done. This process might have been a little slow and the customers have to wait slightly longer. My dining companion said, "They should consider to cook them separately."

The highlight is the Japanese Chasu. My dining companion said, "It is soft but not quite flavorful." It did not manage to stay in shape after a quick toss as it had broken into smaller pieces. Those pieces of liver were cooked a little too long thus a bit tough. Those meatballs were quite forgettable. 

The soup had a distinct shoyu taste, tasted a bit like the broth for ramen.

I would rather have a bowl of traditional Bak Chor Mee like the one by Jimmy Teo of 黄大福 at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre. It is still one of the cheap and good options around. 

51 MINCED MEAT NOODLES

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-27 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

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

Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao at Alexandra Village Food Centre

Zhang You Zhu, the owner and Zhao Guilan, his wife, came from Nanjing and have been in Singapore for more than 10 years. Her husband was a chef in Nan Jing before moving to Singapore and worked in a restaurant for about 10 years before starting their stall in 2011.

The queue started to form even before the stall was ready as their operating hours start from 11.30 am. I joined the queue and waited for a while ordering. I decided to go with Xiao Long Bao ($4.50) and Szechuan Spicy Wanton ($10 pieces for $4.50). 

Xiao Long Bao, typically means Little Dragon Bun, is supposed to be originated from Nan Jing. It is a steamed pork dumpling with minced pork as filling and encased in the handmade skin. We were served lukewarm dumplings that might have already steamed ahead to get them ready for the order. We did not like it as we were expecting it to be better after spotted the article from KF Seetoh of Makansutra dated 7 October 2013.

Szechuan Spicy Wanton is none other than poached dumplings served in chilli oil, it tasted more sourish than spicy but quite light and not too oily. It is quite good value for such a dish from a hawker stall. 

SHANGHAI LA MIAN XIAO LONG BAO

Block 120 Bukit Merah Lane #01-56 Alexandra Village Food Centre SINGAPORE 150123

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Goldhill Hakka Restaurant (1997) : decades old Hakka Yong Tau Foo

This is a humble Hakka restaurant located along Changi Road for 22 years. Steven Lee, the owner, started helping his father at about 8 years old on a trishaw in Katong. He eventually moved into the shop and named it Goldhill, which means Jin Shan (金山), this is none other than his Chinese name. He has been making Yong Tau Foo for more than 40 years and Wen Long, his son, has started helping out but not too sure whether is he in the process of taking over the business.

Their signature is Hakka style Yong Tau Foo that consists of a limited selection of just 7 items. These 7 items are Tau Hu, Square Tau Pok, Triangular Tau Pok, Fishball, Tau Gi, Better Gourd and Chilli that are stuffed with fish paste. There is the selection small portion at $6 (10 pieces), the medium portion is available at $8 (15 pieces) and the large portion at $12 (20 pieces). There are also Yam Abacus Seeds ($4, $6 and $8), Steamed Lala Venus Clams ($12/$24), Vegetables with Oyster Sauce ($6/$12) and Steamed Fish at market value. There are only a total of 6 items on their menu.

I was there on a Public Holiday, the restaurant was almost full and there were still customers kept coming in, most of these customers are regulars and they came as a family. Wen Long was at the counter and he signaled to me when I was wondering how should I order so I walked towards the counter. I said, "This is my first visit." He pointed to the menu and said, "This is what we have. We do not serve rice and noodle." I replied, "There are two of us." He said, "You can order the individual set of Yong Tau Foo or a medium set to share." I ordered the medium portion of Yong Tau Foo and a small serving of Yam Abacus Seeds. He recommended to try the Steamed Lala but I did not order. 

The Yam Abacus Seeds is also one of the must order items, it is the Hakka version of Yam Cake. It is still made using the traditional laborious method and more yam than rice flour is added for a firmer yet softer texture. It is served with a concoction of dried shrimp, shredded cuttlefish, and minced salted fish then garnished with chopped spring onion, which is different from the others.

Those pieces of handmade Yong Tau Foo were stuffed with fish paste, the fish paste is freshly made using fish, a little flour and other ingredients based on the recipe passed down by his father. My dining companion said, "Every piece is so fresh but it is a bit plain if you do not eat it with the sweet sauce and chilli." 

It was steamed then served with just a drizzle of sesame oil and garnished with coriander, served together with the sweet sauce and chilli for dipping. The texture of the fish paste was quite firm. The soup that served along was lightly flavored with a slight hint of ikan belis. 

Payment is made at the counter after done eating. Wen Long saw me taking pictures of the menu. He said, "Like our FB page, the menu is there."

GOLDHILL HAKKA RESTAURANT (1997)

299A Changi Road SINGAPORE 419777

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)