( Hong Kong Jin Tian ) : they are back but not with Arp Geok Pau (鸭脚包)

Simon, their customer left a comment on the post that I wrote about Hong Kong Jin Tian, to inform that they are back in a coffee shop at Ubi about a week ago. I decided to go follow up. Mr Yip Kowk Ching, 62 and Mrs Yip moved from Hong Kong to Singapore about 30 years ago, they started Hong Kong Jin Tian (香港錦田) at Tiong Bahru, a popular eatery serving Hong Kong style roast meat and their speciality is Arp Geok Pau (Duck Leg Wrap) or 鸭脚包, in Chinese, is hardly found in Singapore though it used to be a popular dish in the 70s and 80s. The eatery was shut down on 27 April 2014. They re-opened on 15 July 2014 in one of those shops along Zion Road but was closed in 2015. I visited them there and wrote an article on Makansutra at that time. 

This time, they started as a hawker stall in a coffee shop. I was there at about 11 am on a weekday and went around looking for the signboard that spelt 'Hong Kong Jin Tian" but I did not see it there and I thought that information might be incorrect. Then, I spotted a man that resembled Mr Yip and went to ask, "This, used to be Hong Kong Jin Tian?". He nodded and then he replied in Cantonese but I only understand little Cantonese. He was trying to tell me that they could not use 'Hong Kong Jin Tian' as their signboard and they will be taxed heavily for doing so. Their new stall does not have a name and with just a generic signboard. 

And then, I saw Mrs Yip in the kitchen. I waved at her and said, "I recognise her, she is 叶太 (Mrs Yip)." That was how she like to be addressed when I met her about 2.5 years ago. She asked, "Do you purposely make a trip here?". I nodded. She then said, "你们很有心." She also mentioned that some of their regular customers visited and managed to recognise them. 

I ordered a plate of Roasted Duck and Sio Bak rice ($4) with their Soup of the Day ($3), which was Yamaimo Soup. The overall standard of their roasted meat is still as good. They are not able to make Arp Geok Pau now as their current kitchen is quite small and they will need a long table to lay out all the ingredients when making that delicate dish. They are still able to do suckling pig through an advance order. Their business was better when they started last week but a bit quieter this week and she thought it should be due to the school holidays. Mr Yip mentioned that they have to travel an hour from Tiong Bahru to their stall now. They used to own a stall at the Tiong Bahru Food Centre but have since given up as they planned to retire at that time. 

Mrs Yip joined me at the table and we chatted, it left me feeling heavy-hearted after hearing her story. She said in her heavily Cantonese accent Chinese, "We were left with no choice but to close our shop in Zion Road because my younger son decided to quit quite suddenly." She shared about what happened then. I remember she told me then that they actually wanted to retire but opened that shop for their sons as they have already mastered the required skills and interested in carrying on the trade. 

She also talked about the main reason for starting this food stall as they are hoping their younger son will join them later. Mrs Yip, said, "I have a feeling that it is going to happen very soon. No matter what happens, he is still my son." Apparently, it is all about a mother's love. 

I left my number with her so she could contact me if they decide to relocate again.

(HONG KONG JIN TIAN)

Block 3014B Ubi Road 1 Stall Number 11 SINGAPORE 408722

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm (Monday to Friday)

Soon Heng Food Delights : Lor Mee, my kind of comfort food

This might not be the best Lor Mee but it is my personal favourite as I literally grew up eating this. This stall is one of the longest surviving stalls at Tanjong Pagar Food Centre. It was there when I started working as a recruiter in one of those office buildings nearby and it is still there after all these years. There was no queue at 11 am on a weekday. The stall is manned by an elderly couple. The auntie was a bit grumpy on that day as she was nagging at the uncle, heartwarmingly. It reminded me of my late Grandma as she always nagged at my late Grandpa over little things. 

I always go for their Fried Shark Fish Lor Mee and I usually go for the $4 portion and added $1 for an extra serving of fried shark fish nuggets. There is also the $5 portion available. 

Other than those fried shark fish nuggets, it is also served with ingredients like braised meat, braised egg, fried dumpling and slices of fried ngor hiang. The braising sauce was slightly thin, not as gooey and not quite flavorful but it was enhanced by mixing in the chilli and garlic paste.  I am a big fan of those big chunks of fried shark fish nuggets even though it was not freshly fried but it was particularly tasty when soaked it with the braising sauce. Nonetheless, that simple taste has always been my comfort food. 

SOON HENG FOOD DELIGHTS

6 Tanjong Pagar Road #02-19 Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre SINGAPORE 081006

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Saturdays)

Kueh Ho Jiak : Handmade Sweet Potatoes Ang Ku Kueh

This stall has recently opened at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre on 7 May 2017. They used to be at Ci Yuan Food Centre for a while before moving here. This is an unassuming stall serving the good old-fashioned handmade Peranakan kueh. They are freshly made with quality ingredients laboriously without using artificial colouring and preservatives with recipes created by Chef Sandy Hannah Tan, the founder. And, Sandy is working along with Elizabeth Elisha Chan, her daughter. 

Elizabeth was manning the stall all by herself when I was there. She said, "Our Kuehs are made of sweet potatoes and they are very healthy." She then said, heartwarmingly, "你可以放心吃!", which means "you can eat without worry!". They handcrafted every piece painstakingly, with a great amount of patience, demonstrating the love for handmade and this is what differentiate theirs from the others. 

They serve not just Ang Ku Kueh and also Pumpkin Yam Cake ($1.60), Sweet Potatoes Rice Kueh ($1.60), Rice Kueh with Salted Egg ($2.20), Soon Kueh ($0.80), Ubi Kayu ($2.20) and Glutinous Rice ($3.00).

I decided to go with one of each flavour of their Ang Ku Kueh and there was a total of 7 flavours on that day, starting from Hae Bee Hiam ($1.60), Mung Bean ($1.20), Yam ($1.60), Red Bean ($1.20), Peanuts ($1.20), Coconut ($1.20) and Durian was at a discounted price of $1.00. Elizabeth packed them neatly in a plastic box and held it for me to take a picture. Those Ang Ku Kueh came in different shapes and sizes, there was a hello kitty, a bear, 2 flowers, a heart with the 爱 (love) in the centre and a round shaped one with a 囍 (double happiness) on it. The skin is made of purple sweet potatoes, it is very thin and firm with a delightful chewiness and not greasy as well. And, why did they choose to use sweet potatoes? The main reason has to be it is different from those regular sweet potatoes in flavour and texture, it is denser and has a richer taste with a well-balanced sweetness. Overall, it strikes a good balance between the intensity, flavour and texture. Those were one of the nicest Ang Ku Kuehs that I have ever eaten.

When I was about to walk away, Elizabeth asked me to wait for a bit. She was serving other customers at that time. She placed a piece of Pumpkin Yam Cake and a Sweet Potato Rice Kueh on a disposable boat shaped bowl then drizzled some dark sweet sauce on it with chilli by the side and handed it to me. She said, "请你吃!" which I happily obliged. It tasted different from the usual Yam Cake and Rice Kueh, it is the healthier version and with a good amount of ingredients embedded in it. Though slightly expensive, the level of thoughtfulness behind each of it is worth the value. 

This was in one of their posts on the Facebook page, "There is no love, more sincere than the love of food. Food is a passion, food is love. Cook with Love & Passion." 

KUEH HO JIAK

6 Tanjong Pagar Road #02-20 Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre SINGAPORE 081006

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Buta Kin : hawker-style ramen

It opened on 14 December 2015 in Beauty World Food Centre but was shut down in early 2017 as the food centre is supposed to be converted into an air-conditioned food court after the acquisition but the plan had fallen through. Most of the stalls that have moved out earlier started to move back, Buta Kin is one of them and the other is Hambaobao.

I am still on the look out for the best Ramen in Singapore. I have tried Tsuta but I did not like it as much as compared to what I had eaten in their original shop in Japan. I used to like the Tonkotsu Ramen Summer from Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons but it just did not seem as good as it used to be. I do not know whether it is a drop in their standard or my taste buds are getting more refined after my recent trip to Japan.

Buta Kin is one of those hawker stalls serving affordable Japanese Fare. They serve 5 different types of ramen and udon dishes with another 3 different choices of Japanese curry dishes. There are other such stalls around, like Takagi Ramen and Konomi Zen, both are in Ang Mo Kio and I have been patronising them regularly, though their standard is not comparable to the restaurant.

Some of the items on their menu are Tonkotsu Original Ramen / Udon ($5.00), Tonkotsu Black Ramen / Udon ($6.00), Tonkotsu Red Ramen / Udon ($6.00) and Tonkotsu Vegetable ($5.00) with the options to add a soft-boiled egg ($1.00), chashu ($1.80), black fungus ($0.80), seaweed ($0.80), vegetable ($1.00) or extra noodles ($1.00). They also serve Spicy Miso Pork Don ($5.00), Ebi Fry Curry Rice ($5.50), Tonkotsu Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($6.00), Tonkotsu Pork Cutlet Curry Rice ($6.00) and also Cold Tofu with Sesame Dressing ($2.00). 

I ordered their Tonkotsu Black Ramen and added a soft-boiled egg for $7.00. The broth was a bit light in flavour and the black garlic sauce was not as fragrant as expected to be but the noodles were cooked just right though. The chashu was tender but not much flavour. The soft-boiled egg was done right with a gooey egg yolk. I should have gone for their Special Tonkotsu Ramen for $6.90 that consists of 3 slices of chashu, black fungus, soft-boiled egg with seaweed, which offers a better value. 

BUTA KIN

144 Upper Bukit Timah Road #04-28 Beauty World Food Centre SINGAPORE 588177

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm (Daily)

Song Kee Fishball Noodle : back with their handmade fish dumpling

It all started in 1966 when Mr Chua Keok Sip opened the first stall in Toa Payoh. He opened another stall in Simei but has since closed down after his passing. There is also a Song Kee Fishball Noodle in Ang Mo Kio and another Song Kee Fishball Noodle in Eunos, both run by their relatives. There was also a Song Kee Fishball Noodle at Upper Serangoon Road started by the children of the late Mr Chua Keok Sip but was shut down in July 2016. The shop space is taken over by Finest Songkee's Fishball Noodle, run by a cousin that is also the owner of the original Song Kee Fishball Noodle in the food centre at Toa Payoh Lorong 5. 

The Song Kee Fishball Noodle that used to be at Upper Serangoon Road resurfaced after 8 months in a spacious coffee shop at Tembeling Road in Joo Chiat and is directly opposite Haig Girls' School, not too far from Dunman Food Centre. It is opened by Chua Soo Meng, 48, the elder brother, Chua Soo Chai, 47, the second brother and Chua Poh Seng, 45, the youngest of the brothers with Chua Mui Khim, 37, their younger sister and together, they wanted to keep their family tradition alive. 

The brothers and sister play a different role in running the business, their wives are in charge of taking orders and serving the food to the customers. Chua Soo Meng is mainly serving the food and making the drinks, Chua Soo Chai is the resident noodle chef and will be cooking along with Chua Mui Khim. Chua Poh Seng is the one making the 'herh keow' (fish dumpling). He has started making them at 21 years old at his late father's old stall. He insists that the skin has to be handmade as the quality would be compromised if making it using the machine, the skin might end up being too thick and it might even tear during the process. The fishballs are machine-made though.

It still tasted the same and it is, in my opinion, better than the Finest Songkee's Fishball Noodle that took over their vacated shop space along Upper Serangoon Road. The perfectly cooked noodles will then tossed together with their special chilli mix that is made of dried shrimp and buah keluak paste. A basic bowl of noodles is priced at $4 followed by $6 and then the $8 portion. A number tag will be given when you place your order and it will be served to the table later.

There is an ice cream counter at the corner of the coffee shop, it is named "Sng Gor", which means "ice cream" in Teochew and it is manned by Norman Chan, 42, their cousin. He used to run a catering central kitchen in Beijing and he was taught how to make ice cream by his Italian neighbour. A supplier is sourced to make those 25 flavours of ice cream based on his recipes. Some of the popular choices are Salted Caramel and D24 Durian, each scoop is priced between $3.80 to $2.80. You can have the option to have it with the waffle or their house-made cone. Local coffee and cafe style coffee are also available there. 

There is also a change in their operating hours, it is from 11.30 am to 9.30 pm and no longer from 6.00 pm to 1.00 am. They are still in the midst of monitoring the crowd levels and might adjust the operating hours if need be. Apparently, the parking is still an issue at this new location.

SONG KEE FISHBALL NOODLE

128 Tembeling Road SINGAPORE 423638

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.30 pm (Daily)

Kar Soh Wanton Noodle : Handmade Hakka Noodle

There was a short queue of a few people when I came here for lunch on a rainy Wednesday. It is a coffee shop at the block just opposite Toa Payoh Vista Food Centre. I was looking for the stall serving Hakka Noodle as posted by a friend on Facebook. There are 2 stalls under the same name and manned by an elderly Auntie all by herself. One of the stalls is serving Hakka Yong Tau Fu, the Yong Tau Fu set is at $3.00 which consists of 5 pieces of Yong Tau Fu items with noodles and every additional piece is priced at 0.50 cents, there is a choice of dry or soup version with an option for Curry Laksa Yong Tau Fu at $3.50.  The other stall is serving Wanton Noodle ($2.50/$3), Ipoh Hor Fun ($2.50/$3), Homemade Hakka Noodle ($3), Century Egg Porridge ($2.50), Shredded Chicken Porridge ($2.50) and Lean Meat Cuttlefish Porridge ($2.50). 

The queue was at the Yong Tau Fu stall and I did not know whether I should join in so I just stood there and waited. The Auntie spotted me and she asked, "What do you want, Miss?". I pointed at the Hakka Noodle on the picture and said, "Hakka Noodle." She did not ask me whether I want the dry or soup version. The picture showed the soup version but I remember seeing the picture posted by my friend was the dry one. I just stood there and waited. The other 2 customers have collected their orders then the Auntie placed a bowl of soup noodle on the tray and called out to me, "Miss, your order is ready."

I collected it and went to one of the tables along the walkway and seated down. It was raining rather heavily at that time so the soup Hakka Noodle is a better option. It consists of a good portion of noodles with ingredients like fried beancurd, skin, handmade meatballs and meat wantons. The noodles were nicely cooked and served with a lightly flavoured hot soup. 

It was a comforting choice and I would definitely go back for their dry one soon. This stall might be moving to the Toa Payoh Vista Food Centre and is in the midst of getting the approval, it is likely to happen in May or early June. 

KAR SOH WANTON NOODLE . PORRIDGE

Block 66 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Yong Liang Food Centre SINGAPORE 310066

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.30 pm (Daily) (Closed on last Wednesday of every month)

Rahmath Cheese Prata : skip the cheese prata, go for the plain one

It was a rainy Wednesday when I came specifically to look for this stall in this food centre. I was expecting a queue but there was none at 12.40 pm. This is a stall located at Toa Payoh Vista Food Centre, near Toa Payoh MRT station and is directly opposite Church of the Risen Christ. It is in the same food centre with the famous Gen Shu Mei Shi Shi Jia (根叔美食世家). They serve Prata in the morning and Mee Goreng from 1.30 pm to closing, at about 4.00 pm. 

A Makansutra award of 5-chopsticks was given to their Apom in 2013, it could be easily overlooked and mistaken that award is for their prata. Ali, the owner, acquired the skill in making prata from a friend and started off with his first shop in Ang Mo Kio before moving to Toa Payoh about 11 years ago. Ali named the stall as 'Rahmath Cheese Prata" using the name of his grandfather and also to include their signature prata on the signboard. 

I initially ordered 2 pieces of plain prata for $1.80 but decided to change a piece to cheese prata since it is their signature. Their prata is usually freshly made upon order. A piece of cheese prata is priced at $2.00, which is slightly expensive for just a piece of normal cheese to be added. It was served on a piece of brown paper placed on a tray and curry sauce in a small disposable bowl. 

I was looking forward to tasting the cheese prata but it did not quite meet my expectations. Perhaps, I am just expecting too much? I would actually prefer the plain prata to the cheese one as the cheese has not much effect in enhancing its flavour and it did not go quite well with the curry sauce, too. It might taste better if eat it with just sugar, the rather old-school way of enjoying prata. You should, in my opinion, skip the cheese prata and just go for the plain ones as it does not quite make sense to pay extra for that piece of cheese. It might not be the best prata but its texture was fluffy and slightly crispy on the surface. The accompanied mutton curry sauce was not as diluted as compared with some of the other stalls out there. 

I might just come back for their Apom someday as I am curious how good it is. 

RAHMATH CHEESE PRATA

74 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-08 Toa Payoh Vista Food Centre SINGAPORE 310074

Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Eat 3 Bowls : Taiwanese fare in Food Centre

They started off as a mobile stall in February 2015 at the street market, which is commonly known as Pasar Malam, at different locations before moving to Seah Im Food Centre on 15 January 2016. Lim Pei Tang and Ng Jie Wei, both at 30, are the 2 earnest owners and they named their stall as "呷三碗" in Taiwanese Hokkien, it simply means "eat 3 bowls". Their menu includes Braised Pork Rice ($2.50) and Intestine Mee Sua ($3.50) with sides like Fried Fish Fillet ($4.50), Fried Intestine ($4.00), Salted Crispy Chicken ($4.00), Fried Squid ($4.50), Braised Intestine ($3.50), Braised Chinese Cabbage ($3.00), Boiled Vegetable ($3.00), Bittergourd Pork Ribs Soup ($3.00) and Braised Egg (0.60 cents).

Their signature dish is the Lu Rou Fan, which is also known as Braised Pork Rice or Minced Pork Rice. This is a Taiwanese-style rice dish commonly seen throughout Taiwan, particularly at those night markets. This particular one consists of diced pork belly that is first stir-fried then braised in soy sauce and served on top of steamed rice. If you have ever tried the famous Jin Feng Minced Meat Rice (金峰卤肉饭) in Taipei, the taste is quite close though. The braising sauce was a little light and not as fragrant but the texture of the meat was meltingly tender. They are using Japanese premium short grain rice with rice wine and black vinegar from Taiwan. This is one of the best in Singapore and its authenticity is unquestionable. 

Their Intestine Mee Sua is a must-try. It tasted like the famous Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle (阿宗面线) at Xi Men Ting (西门町) but they only serve it with braised big intestines and not the oysters. They are using the special "red mee sua" that is commonly used in the Taiwan. The "red mee sua" is developed through steaming the white mee sua over a long period of time to cause it to lose its springiness and elasticity thus become tolerant to subsequent cooking. It has rather good texture and consistency, its taste is enhanced by drizzled a dash of the Kong Yen Black Vinegar from Taiwan. 

Their Salted Crispy Chicken (盐酥鸡) is another must-try dish. This Taiwanese salted & pepper chicken is a popular Taiwanese street food that can be found at their night markets. The well-seasoned chicken pieces were lightly coated with a layer of flour for deep-frying and when it is ready, mixed it with the fried basil leaves then sprinkled with pepper salt and dried chilli powder before serving. The basil leaves are part of the key ingredients and if without it, the taste would somehow be compromised and will not taste quite right and authentic. This dish can be quite addictive. 

EAT 3 BOWLS

2 Seah Im Road #01-21 Seah Im Food Centre SINGAPORE 099114

Operating Hours: 9.30 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Kopi More : Cafe quality coffee at hawker price

Lawrence Tan, 43, the owner, used to be in petroleum broker business but was retrenched about a year ago. He spent a few months researching before setting up this stall at Golden Mile Food Centre. Coffee is an integral part of the daily routine of most people and that urged Lawrence to set up this coffee stall, purely for practicality.

Right here, you do not get to see those traditional steel coffee pots with coffee socks but rather, you will see a European espresso machine. He is using a mixture of Robusta and Arabica coffee powder roasted with sugar and margarine for a richer taste. It is ground right at the stall in small batches to ensure its freshness.

It tasted just like the expensive coffee from those cafes but at a much cheaper price, it is just $1.50 per cup though. Though it is slightly more expensive than the usual coffee from the coffee shop and food centre but the quality is worth it. There are already a group of regular customers supporting his stall.

They serve Coffee ($1.50), Tea ($1.20), Iced Coffee ($1.80), Iced Milk Tea ($1.50) and Salted Egg Custard Bun ($1.60). 

KOPI  MORE

505 Beach Road #B1-49 Golden Mile Food Centre SINGAPORE 199583

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

BURGS by Project Warung : quality burgers at affordable prices @ Golden Mile Food Centre

BURGS is by Project Warung Pte Ltd, a Muslim-owned company created by Ridz Uan, Lee Syafiq and M Shah Indra, the 3 young chefs who want to change the halal culinary scene in Singapore. This is their first outlet located in the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre, it has just opened about a week ago on 13 May 2017. They aim to serve quality gourmet burgers at affordable prices to accommodate the growing needs of quality halal burgers. 

When I was there, the shutter was down with a notice on it to inform of their adjusted opening hours as they were away for their Friday prayer. I was happy to see their shutter up after 2 pm and I was told apologetically that they will only be ready at 2.30 pm and they even further explained that they went for their prayer earlier. I went back at 2.30 pm to place my orders. There are quite a few choices on their menu. For beef burgers, there are the Marinara Burger ($4.90), The Classic ($4.50), Mushroom Burger ($5.50), Burg's Breakfast Burger ($6.50) and Burg's Cheese Burger ($5.90). If you prefer the chicken burger, there are Teriyaki Chicken Burger ($5.50), Country Fried Chicken Burger ($5.00) and Burg's 'Seoul' Fried Chicken Burger ($4.50). There are also choices for the fish burger which includes Fish & Chips Burger ($4.50) and Nacho Fish & Chips Burger ($4.90). All the burgers are served with fries or upgrade to onion rings for an additional $1.00. There are also options for sides and add-ons on their menu. 

I went with Mushroom Burger ($5.50) and Country Fried Chicken Burger ($5.00). I wanted to change the fries to onion rings but I was told that it would not be available for the rest of the month as they could not get those quality onions for onion rings. Then, I was asked, "Do you want any side to go along?" I decided to get half a dozen of fried chicken wings for $4.90. I asked for a recommendation when come to choosing the flavour. Lee Syafiq that took my order, said, "I will recommend Honey Soy flavour for the fried chicken wings." The other option is the Korean style. I paid a total of $15.40 and was given a pager to collect the food later. 

When I was taking the picture of their menu, I was asked by M Shah Indra, "How did you get to find out about us?" I replied, "The stalls that I wanted to eat happened to be closed, I was just walking around and spotted your stall. I actually waited for your stall to open."

When collecting the food, I asked, "You buns look special. Do you custom made them?" Ridz Uan answered, "They are from an artisan bakery." They actually have their logo printed on those buns. They mentioned on their Facebook page that only the best ingredients are used for their burgers. 

The Mushroom Burger ($5.50) consists of an American cheese topped beef patty that was well-grilled to medium doneness and served on the artisan buns. It was garnished with a handful of caramelised onions together with a pile of crispy oyster mushroom that added a textural contrast and with nacho cheese sauce. The unique combination is a classic on its own. It was served with a good portion of hand-cut fries. 

The Country Fried Chicken Burger ($5.00) consists of spiced marinated chicken thigh, homemade coleslaw, a sunny-side-up egg and Sriracha Mayo. The fried chicken was nicely fried to the desired crispiness, though a slightly saltish but the homemade coleslaw brought upon a refreshing twist. The texture was further enhanced by the runny egg yolk and it has a slight hint of spiciness from the Sriracha Mayo. And, with the aforementioned ingredients as its toppings, it is one of their special burgers that is not available elsewhere. 

The half a dozen of Honey Soy Fried Chicken Wings ($4.90) was served slightly drizzled with the honey soy sauce then garnished with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Those parts that did not coat with the sauce was slightly bland as the chicken itself did not have much flavour. It was nicely fried and it still crispy even after leaving it for a while. 

Lee Syafiq came over to ask, "How was the food?". I said, "I prefer the Mushroom Burger more and the buns are really nice." My dining companion commented, "The fried chicken for the Country Fried Chicken Burger was slightly saltish." He acknowledged and replied, "The chicken patty might be slightly over marinated for today." He handed a copy of their name card and said, "Do check out our Facebook and Instagram."

And, right here, you are getting much better quality burgers at about the same prices with those burgers that are available at the fast food joints. So, which is a better choice? You choose.

BURGS BY PROJECT WARUNG

505 Beach Road Golden Mile Food Centre #B1-24 SINGAPORE 199583

 Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.30 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Jin Chen Coffee Stall : 30 years of hawker business

This traditional old-school hawker stall has been around for more than 30 years. It is a really long time. All things in life change quickly in this rapidly changing environment and it will take more than just the willingness of heart for sustaining and surviving it through the years.  Interestingly, they are quite active on Facebook with the usual updates and sharing.

Darren Tay, 40, better known as Ah Boy, is running the stall with his mother.  The stall started in 1986 as a Vegetarian stall run by his mother, he was already started helping out at the stall then. They converted it to a drink stall in 2008. This is the all-time favourite drink stall of their many regular customers, not just in the food centre but also in Raffles Place. They also offer delivery service within Raffles Place. They serve traditional coffee and tea, canned drinks, homemade drinks, toast bread and bun, soft-boiled eggs, desserts and snacks like Chee Cheong Fun and chwee kueh as well. They are also selling ready packed traditional coffee powder at $5.80 for  250 grammes. 

Their coffee has the right proportional of coffee powder, sugar and condensed milk to give it just the right creaminess and sweetness and even so, after adding ice cubes to make iced coffee. Everything about this stall is just so down-to-earth. Apparently, traditional coffee is not just traditional coffee but it is also a part of our hawker culture and heritage. 

JIN CHEN COFFEE STALL

50 Market Street #02-30 Market Street Food Centre SINGAPORE 048940

Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 7.30 pm (Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays)

Aw's Signature Minced Pork Noodles : by a passionate Gen-Y Hawker

It was a rainy morning when I came by this food centre in the quiet estate of Tanglin Halt, near to Commonwealth MRT station. It is about 5 minutes' walk away and you will first come across Tanglin Halt Food Centre, a smaller one near to those old shop houses. This stall is at Commonwealth Drive Food Centre across the road, this food centre is an iconic building in this heritage estate. I used to be attending Blessed Sacrament Church nearby and always hung out with friends and drinking Teh Halia, a ginger tea, in this food centre.

I was there at about 11.30 am and I was their only customer at that time. The owner was seated at the table right beside his stall and his baby was in a baby chair just beside. He stood up when he saw me. I said, "Signature Noodle, eating here.". He asked, "Do you want mee pok or mee kia?" I replied, "Mee pok, extra chilli please." While waiting, I asked, "Can I add braised pork? It looks quite nice." He replied while cooking, "Thank you. You can. That's an extra $2." His wife came back and he said to her, "Signature Noodle with braised pork." Then, she looked at me and said, "The total is $7." I continued waiting for my order to be ready after done with the payment.

Under the "About" on their Facebook Page, it stated, "A Gen-Yper wishing to serve the public with cheap food." This next generation owner is passionate enough to want to make a difference in the hawker trade. 

The menu includes the different types of noodles, like Signature Noodle ($5/$8), Minced Pork Noodle ($3/$5), Handmade Fishball Noodle ($3/$5) and Shredded Chicken Hor fun ($3/$5).

If you like varieties then Signature Noodle is a good choice as it consists of ingredients like prawns, quail egg, meatball, sliced abalone, fish maw, fish dumpling and mushrooms. The noodles were cooked nicely to the right texture with no alkaline taste detected. Though I requested to have an extra amount of chilli to be added but its level of spiciness was still pretty mild. Apparently, the sauce seemingly did not have a distinctive taste thus, overall, it did not taste too memorable. 

It changed my opinion when I took a bite of that braised pork. It was perfectly braised to the right flavour and texture. When done right, such a simple dish could be the best thing that you ever eat. The braised pork is cooked based on a recipe that has passed down from his granny. I will be happy to just order the bigger portion of Braised Pork Noodle at $6, perhaps added with an extra portion of braised pork for another $2 next time.

It is heartening to see the young hawkers wanting to do their part in preserving our hawker heritage. This is particularly crucial as most of the pioneer hawkers are retiring and without the younger ones coming in, the hawker trade is at risk of dying out and might just be gone some day. 

AW'S SIGNATURE MINCED PORK NOODLES

Block 1A Commonwealth Drive #01-08 Commonwealth Drive Food Centre SINGAPORE 141001

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Mon to Thu) / 

7.30 am to 3.00 pm (Fri & Sat) (Closed on Sundays)