Min Ji Laksa @ Bendemeer Food Centre - Old School, Nostalgic Laksa

I got to know about Min Ji Laksa at Bendemeer Food Centre from fellow foodie Leroy, The Hungry Cow who used to stay at the area during his childhood day. Apparently the stall has been around for more than 17 years. The stall sells only two items, Laksa and Mee Rebus.

Laksa 3.5/5

The bowl of Laksa ($3) comes with egg, fish cakes, tau pok and cockles. The laksa broth is not those creamy and lemak type, but it comes with an old school, nostalgic flavour that triggered the childhood memory of mine. It reminded me of the same laksa taste that my mum used to buy my weekend breakfast from the downstair coffeeshop.

Laksa 3.5/5

I can't say this is the best laksa I have tasted but it definitely brings a warm and comforting feel to the hearty bowl of laksa. A tip from Leroy is to purchase the youtiao from next door to soak up the laksa broth.

Min Ji Laksa
Bendemeer Food Centre
Blk 29 Bendemeer Road
#01-09
Singapore 330029
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 3pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

One Ton Noodle @ Bendemeer Food Centre - Very Shiok Chilli Sauce Wanton Mee

During our last visit to Bendemeer Food Centre, we noticed a very interesting stall signboard, One Ton Noodle. Needless to say, the stall sells wanton mee. From the exterior look of the stall, it seems that the owner has just only joined the neighourhood.

Wanton Mee 4/5

The Wanton Mee ($3/$4) at One Ton Noodle is the tomato based type. The good thing is that it is not those overly sweet type but just enough to give it a subtle sweet finishing. What stood out for the wanton mee at One Ton Noodle is the chilli sauce that delivers a spicy shiokness while not numbing the senses.

The noodle is not the springy that but it still has a good bite to it. The char siew may not be the best but it is good enough with its texture.

Sarawak Kolo Mee 3/5

Besides wanton mee, the stall also sells Sarawak Kolo Mee ($3.50/$4.50). The bowl of noodle comes with minced meat, fried wanton, char siew and some vegetables. If not for the fragrant shallot oil, it would be just an ordinary bowl of noodle.

I would recommend trying the wanton mee with chilli sauce. The chilli sauce is really shiok with a good spicy kick. For the cost, I find that the amount of noodle is also very generous.


One Ton Noodle
Bendemeer Food Centre
Blk 29 Bendemeer Road
#01-09
Singapore 330029
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Yong Xiang Carrot Cake @ Bendemeer Food Centre - Have You Tried Fried Png Kueh That Is Served Like Fried Carrot Cake?

It seems like this is one of the best hidden secrets in the hawker scene. It is common to see fried white or black carrot cake but have you heard of Yong Xiang Carrot Cake at Bendemeer Food Centre who does your Teochew Png Kueh, Soon Kueh and Ku Chai Kueh the fried carrot cake style. Unique isn't it?

Fried White Carrot Cake 4/5

Fried White Carrot Cake 4/5

The stall does both the black and white carrot cake. While I was in the queue, I noticed all the patrons in front of me ordered the White Carrot Cake ($3), so I changed my mind and followed the crowd. The stall does quite a good plate of fried carrot cake with a generous amount of egg fried to aromatic crispiness.

Fried Png Kueh and Soon Kueh 4/5

The main reason why I am here is for the Fried Png Kueh. It was only heard said until I see it for myself while in the queue. Not only Png Kueh, the stall also sells Soon Kueh and Ku Chai Kueh. Once you tell the stall uncle what you want, the auntie behind the frying with pan fried the kuehs to an exterior crispiness before adding eggs onto the chopped kuehs. This is my first time having Fried Png Kueh and Soon Kueh ($3.50) in fried carrot cake style and I really like the extra layer of crispiness with a coating of fragrant egg on top of the kueh.

I have opted for my fried png kueh and soon kueh to be without the black sauce. I understand you can also asked for the black sauce, if you like it to sweeter, like you black carrot cake. I am glad my curiosity brought me to Bendemeer Food Centre to unearth this rare find.


Yong Xiang Carrot Cake
Bendemeer Food Centre
29 Bendemeer Road
#01-35
Singapore 330029
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 4pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Oh My Tian @ Whampoa West

Oh my god did you hear the latest news, the folk behind Hatter Street has opened another new concept call Oh My Tian at Whampoa West. Inspired by the 16th century European design, the team has created the cafe to look somewhat like a carnival, fulfilling their internal fantasy.

Whoaffles 4.5/5

At Oh My Tian, guests will get to enjoy the signature Whoaffles ($5.50) from Hatter Street. It is still as good as I last remembered. Crispy on the exterior and dense inside. Add a scoop of ice cream for $9 with additional $3 for double scoops. Sauces such as salted caramel, chocolate, espresso butterscotch, maple & butter are available at an additional $0.50

Carrot Cake 3/5

The cafe also offers some bakes on their menu such as the Carrot Cake ($6.80). The cake has a nice dense texture. I like my carrot cake to be more nutty as I am not a big fan of cinnamon. Unfortunately this is the opposite.

Donut Burger 3.8/5

If we can have ramen burger, why not a Donut Burger ($13) which comes with a choice of beef or chicken patty, hashbrown, mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheddar, dressed with bbq sauce. I would not say this is the best burger but the gimmicky creation using the extremely soft donut turned out rather good considering cafe standard.

When I visited the cafe, it was only opened for a couple of days. I understand the cafe progressively will be introducing new creation, pushing the boundaries that will be based on their journey around the world.


Oh My Tian
34 Whampoa West
#01-79
Singapore 330034
Tel: +65 66121166
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 12pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant (亮记潮州餐馆) @ Whampoa West

This year to celebrate mum's birthday, we decided to go to Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant (亮记潮州餐馆) at Whampoa West. I finally have the opportunity to drag my lazy feet to check out one of the traditional Teochew Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

Braised Duck Platter 4.2/5

A must order in every Teochew restaurant is the braised duck. I had the Braised Duck Platter that comes with cleanly sliced braised duck, braised tofu and duck wings. The texture of the braised duck was perfectly tender and soft. However I find the sauce on the salty side and the herbal taste was quite mild.

Oyster Omelette 4/5

When the Oyster Omelette was served, my heart sunk. I felt kind of cheated. It was not what I imaged. The version I had at Ah Orh Seafood restaurant is topped with huge oysters but here there was no oysters in sight. Wait a minute,  the oysters are actually hidden underneath the bed of egg omelette. I wonder why the restaurant served in this way compare to the other restaurants. Is there a purpose of doing so?

Fish Maw Soup 3.5/5

The Fish Maw Soup was comforting and homely. Add a dash of vinegar and pepper to further accentuated the taste with pieces of the crunchy fish maws swimming in the soup.

Sambal Crayfish 3/5

I wanted to try their cold crabs but unfortunately it was not available. Hence we chose to try the Sambal Crayfish instead. First of all, I don't enjoy how the crayfish was chopped into small pieces. Second I doubt it is the best way to appreciate the fresh sweetness of the crayfish.

Prawn Roll 4.5/5

The Prawn Roll is one of the better ones I have eaten for a long while. Unlike most places, the prawn roll has more ratio of minced prawn to minced pork. And it is huge!

Cereal Prawn 4/5

Deep fried to a nice crisp is the Cereal Prawn. It is quite good that it can be eaten together with the shell.

Steamed Promfret 4.5/5

The Teochew style Steamed Promfret was cooked to perfection.The flesh was moist and sweet. It came with hints of sourness fand spiciness from salted vegetables, the chilli and ginger giving it a lift in taste and flavour.

Orh Nee 4.8/5

A must order before leaving Liang Kee is the Orh Nee or Yam Paste. Comes with pumpkin and gingko nuts, this is a delicious bowl of dessert. I like the fact that the yam paste still has a coarse texture which comes with a distinct yam flavour.

There are 3 Liang Kee restaurants in Singapore namely Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant, G7 Liang Kee and Mu Liang Zai Liang Kee. So which is the original? Well the original one is Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant now located at Whampoa West, run by former Ng Bak Liang's 3rd son, Ng Siang Lin. Closely related is Mu Liang Zai Liang Kee opened by the 5th son. Mr Ng Bak Liang started the original restaurant at New Market (Xin Par Sat) in 1974. When Liang Kee relocated from New Market to Havelock Road, the partnership with a Taiwanese partner eventually turned sour and the brothers moved to Roberston Quay. The taiwanese took over the restaurant and renamed it G7 Liang Kee. The original Liang eventually moved into the Whampoa West when the rental got too high.


[MOVED]
Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant (亮记潮州餐馆)
Blk 34 Whampoa West
#01-27
Singapore 330034
Tel: +65 62977789
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liang-Kee-Teochew-Restaurant/191557523036
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Blk to block 34. Walk to the end of the block. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) @ Whampoa West (Serangoon/Bendemeer)

Many people may not know or heard of Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) at Whampoa West along Upper Serangoon Road. Little did many know that the owner Mr Sim Choon Lian or more commonly known as Lau Ah Tee learnt his recipe from his uncle Ng Mui Song who is also the founder and father of Ng Ah Sio Bak Ku Teh. It was my great privilege to meet one of the pioneers in Teochew bak ku teh and who is so keen to share with me the heritage story of bak ku teh.

Mr Sim is now already 67 years old. He started working at his uncle stall when he was around 16 years old.
Previously he has worked in a Teochew porridge stall and  duck stall before working for his uncle. It is no turning back from him since then in the bak ku teh business.

Bak Ku Teh 4.2/5

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh uses Indonesian pork for their Bak Ku Teh and they are cooked only in water, pepper and garlic. The result surprisingly is a clear soup with the sweetness of the pork. The full bodied, garlicy and peppery soup was flavourful but not overpowering. We had the prime ribs or more commonly know as dragon bone (龙骨) which was tender and fell of the bone with ease. Mr Sim also shared with me that in the earlier days youtiao was not served. It was not after coolies brought their own youtiao to soak up the delectable broth that it was introduced at a later stage.

Tang Oh Soup 4.2/5

I love to have Tang Oh also known as Chrysanthemum Coronarium especially during steamboat. I am glad that I can get Tang Oh soup at the bak ku teh stall too. Some people find that the vegetable has a bitter earthy taste but that is exactly what I enjoyed.

Braised Tau Pok and Chai Buey 4.2/5

Besides bak ku teh, there are also some other side dishes offered at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh such as the Braised Tau Pok and Chai Buey.

Braised Pig Trotter 4.5/5

To be frank I find nowadays all bak ku teh stalla are too stingy with their serving portion of pork so I usually ended up ordering the Braised Pig Trotter. Maybe it is a scam after all to make us order and pay for more. Anyway I am not complaining as I love having braised pig trotter. The pig trotter at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh is well braised to a nice melted in the mouth texture with the light and savoury braising sauce.

Different at Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh compare to the other bak ku teh stalls elsewhere is the steamed fish and squid. These fresh catches are personally handpicked by Mr Sim from the market as early as 6am.

Steamed Squid 4.5/5

I was lost of words when the Steamed Squid was served. Don't fancy, just simple appreciation of the freshness. The squid was cooked perfectly having a very enjoyable springy bite. The jelly liked squid roe was a extra bonus completing the whole enjoyment.

Steamed Fish 4.8/5

Being a Teochew, I love my Steamed Fish. The fish tail was steamed exactly how my family will cooked it. Once again nothing fancy, just some ginger, tomato, chilli and sour plum to lift the sweetness of the flesh but it was so good. The fish is Ikan Kurac caught off Tanjung Balai.

When we mentioned Bak Ku Teh we must not forget the close bond between pork ribs soup and tea drinking. In the early days, bak ku teh was purely just pork ribs soup. When the coolies finished soup, tea is poured into their bowl for them to drink, washing down the greasiness. In addition, tea drinking is also part of our Chinese ancestor culture. As time gone by, the whole pork ribs soup and tea drinking evolves into what we now known as Bak Ku Teh, bak ku meaning pork ribs and teh meaning tea.

It was my honour to meet Kenry Pen the 4th generation owner of Pek Sin Choon since 1925. Pek Sin Choon is one of the oldest tea merchants in Singapore. You will find their paper wrapped tea packaging with the buffalo familiar as they supplied almost 80% of all the bak ku teh stalls around Singapore.

When I asked Kenry why people drinks tea when they have bak ku teh, his reply enlightened me. Apart from washing down that greasiness, tea drinking is all about connecting people. It got me thinking. It is probably similar to why European drinks wine. And at that very moment, I am connecting with Kenry over a meal of Bak Ku Teh and Pek Sin Choon's tea. I am glad that food and tea has allowed me to get to know a new friend as well as learning more about the root of our food heritage.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶) may not be as popular compared to some of the Bak Ku Teh stalls out there but I can say that their bak ku teh is not second to these stalls. On top that, the offering of steamed fish and squid has given more varieties and choices to patron who wants something more or different.


Lau Ah Tee Bak Ku Teh (老亚弟肉骨茶)
Blk 34 Whampoa West
#01-67
Singapore 330034
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 3pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Whitley Road Fish Ball Noodle (天桥下) @ Lavender Food Square

Some people may hesitate stepping into a food court because of the varieties of choices and could not decide what to eat. The easy way out is of course to go for the shortest queue but that usually ends up walking away not feeling satisfied because you did not enjoy what you have just eaten. If you ever visit Lavender Food Square, my personal choice will be Whitley Road Fish Ball Noodle, Albert Street Prawn Noodle, Kok Kee Wanton Mee, Old Bibik's Nasi Rendang and Eminent Frog Porridge.

Fish Ball Noodle Set 4/5

Today I am going to queue for Whitley Road Fish Ball Noodle (天桥下). In order to try everything, I ordered the Fish Ball Noodle Set ($4.30) that comes with homemade fish balls and fish cake. I have read from reviews mentioning that the standard has dropped. This is my first time trying it so I will be basing on my first experience having it.

Fish Ball Noodle Set 4/5

Overall, I did not think there is anything really special about the noodles. Gave it a good mix with the chilli sauce, pork lard, fried shallots and browned garlic, it still came across rather fragrant and springy. The star of the stall has to go to the homemade fish ball and fish cakes. The generous fish paste was firm and bouncy.


[CLOSED]
Whitley Road Fish Ball Noodle (天桥下)
Lavender Food Square
380 Jalan Besar
#01-12
Singapore 209000
Tel: +65 62960611
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Lavendar Station (Stop ID 01311). Take bus number 133 or 145. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to bus stop at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road (Stop ID 60199). Take bus 21, 130 or 139. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Albert Street Prawn Noodle @ Lavender Food Square

Another popular stall at Lavendar Food Square is probably Albert Street Prawn Noodle. Besides the normal dry and soup prawn noodles, the stall also sells pigtails and pork ribs prawn noodles. There is another stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre and word is that this is opened by the current boss's relative.

Prawn Noodle Soup 4/5

The Prawn Noodle Soup ($5) was served in a claypot with 2 big prawns sliced into half. The prawns were fresh and crunchy. The soup was slurping good, robust and flavourful.

Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Dry 4/5

If you order the dry version, the noodle and ingredients will be served separately. I tried the Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Dry ($5). I preferred the dry version to the soup version because of the chilli sauce for the noodles.  In addition, the noodle will be soaky pretty fast in the soup.


Albert Street Prawn Noodle
Lavendar Food Square
380 Jalan Besar
#01-10
Singapore 209000
Tel: +65 62951340
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 3am
(Closed on alt Thursday)

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Lavendar Station (Stop ID 01311). Take bus number 133 or 145. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to bus stop at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road (Stop ID 60199). Take bus 21, 130 or 139. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.

Kok Kee Wanton Mee @ Lavender Food Square

If we are to name the popular Wanton Mee in Singapore, besides Eng Wanton Mee and Fei Fei Wanton Mee one name that probably will pop up by many is Kok Kee Wanton Mee at Lavendar Food Square. A long queue is always spotted in front of the stall and a wait up to 10-15 minutes is inevitable.

Wanton Mee 3.8/5

So how did the Wanton Mee ($4/$5) fare? The char siew and wanton were quite average, nothing astonishing. The reason why the Kok Kee has a faithful followers for their wanton mee all these years has to be the homemade springy noodles and the special sauce that was drenched onto the noodle before servicing. The fantastic harmony of the sauce with the noodles deserved my return again.


Kok Kee Wanton Mee
Lavender Food Square
380 Jalan Besar
Stall #01-06
Singapore 209000
Nearest MRT: Lavendar (EW Line), Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 2am
(Closed every 3 week on Wed & Thu)

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavendar MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Lavendar Station (Stop ID 01311). Take bus number 133 or 145. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to bus stop at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road (Stop ID 60199). Take bus 21, 130 or 139. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes