Lau Sim Shredded Chicken Noodle @ Toa Payoh Lorong 1

While curating for the hawkers stalls for the Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014, I come across this stall at Toa Payoh Blk 127 Market & Food Centre. Richard the second generation of Teochew Handmade Pau told me about Lau Sim Chicken Shredded Noodle which made one of the best Teochew fish dumpling. I even met my friend's family who visit the stall every weekend just to have his fish dumpling. So what is so good about Lau Sim's fish dumpling or Her Giao that everyone is raving about? The only way is to join the queue and put the taste buds to test.

Fishball Noodle Soup 3.8/5

First up, I tried the Fishball Noodle Soup ($3) which comes with two ping pong size fishballs, some shredded chicken, minced pork and mushrooms. The soup itself was quite rustic in taste, not heavily flavoured. The highlight has to be the springy and bouncy fishballs which are made by the stall owner himself.

Fishball Noodle Dry  3/5

The stall also offers dry version. The Fishball Noodle Dry ($3) with chilli was pretty pedestrian. The fishballs are probably the reason why I would queue for it.

Fishball and Fish Dumpling 4.2/5

To enjoy the Fish Dumpling or Her Giao, you have to either order the Fish Dumpling Noodle ($3.50) or the All-In (Fishballs + Fish Dumplings) Noodle ($4.50). I had the later which comes with two fishballs and two fish dumplings. Putting the noodle aside, the star definitely is the handmade fish dumplings. This is the real stuff painstaking made from fish meat to get that chewy, springy skin texture wrapped in a mixture of minced pork and sole fish.

Fish Dumpling 4.8/5

Making these delicious fish dumplings is extremely labour intensive and the owner can only make a limited amount each time. Hence the stall goes by a strict policy not allowing one to order more of the fish dumplings so that every customers who made the long journey to the stall are not disappointed.

If you think you have tried the best fish dumpling, wait until you tried this at Lau Sim Shredded Chicken Noodle. I promise that you will never regret it and set the par so high that you probably felt those served elsewhere is rubbish.


Lau Sim Shredded Chicken Noodle
Toa Payoh Blk 127 Market & Food Centre
Blk 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#02-01
Singapore 310217
Nearest MRT: Braddell (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 730am - 2pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit B. Follow the blue sheltered walkway and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点) @ Toa Payoh Lorong 1

In this modern days, not many hawkers would still continue the tradition of painstakingly handmade their food. I mentioned Chey Sua Carrot Cake in my earlier post whereby they still steamed their own radish cake for their fried carrot cake. Just a few stalls away at the same food centre is Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点) which is started by Mr Yeow Eu Tiew in 1993, still continues to handmade their Teochew Pau.

Richard Yeoh is the 2nd generation of Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点). He has given up his mechanical engineering job to help out his dad. As he shared with us, things were not smooth in the beginning. There was a clash of the old ways and his new methods to quantify the recipes. Richard has also started a central kitchen to supply a small quantity of paus to the hawker stall. He explained that having a central quality does not mean using machines to make their paus. The Paus are all still handmade at the central kitchen. One advantage of having a central kitchen is better quality control and consistency. For example, a pau will be exacty 30gram in weight so as a consumer you will not be felt cheated too.

Teochew Handmade Pau offers a variety of their delightful steamed bun but one of my favourite is their Big Pork Bun. The flavourful and juicy pork filling together with the soft fluffy skin is a winner for me. I understand from the owner a lot of efforts are put into ensuring the texture of the skin is soft and fluffy, such as the type of sugar used, the proportional of water and flour.

The different types of Teochew Paus sold at the stall are smaller in size compared to most that you see at coffeeshops. This means you can enjoy more and a variety of the delightful bite size snack. Another difference at Teochew Handmade Pau is their Char Siew Bun and Stewed Pork Bun (Kou Rou Pau). The fillings are minced and leaner instead of the usual Cantonese style buns where you still can find small pieces of meat inside. On top of that, the Siew Mai is also substituted with fish instead of the usual prawn.

Here is a video of Teochew Handmade Pau done by Republic Polytechnic's Diploma in Mass Communication students winning them the too prize in the City Hawker Food Hunt Video Competition 2013. It captures the heartfelt story of continuing the heritage of Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点).

I am very glad to announce that Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点) has agreed to take part in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014. They will be selling an assortment of their handmade buns to raise fund for charity. The assortment with consider Small Pork Bun with Egg, Salted Egg Yolk Longevity Bun, Char Siew Bun, Siew Mai and Stewed Pork Bun (Kou Rou Pau).

The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons is required to purchase the food from the various hawkers and can be purchased at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. While the hawkers sacrifice their time and some even a day's income to do a part for the needy and disadvantaged, I hope you can support them and do a part for charity too. See you at the Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Teochew Handmade Pau (潮洲自制包点)
Toa Payoh Blk 127 Market & Food Centre
Blk 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#02-02
Singapore 310217
Tel: +65 62542053/66595786
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teochew-Hand-Made-Pau/115358958476616
Website: http://teochewhandmadepau.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Braddel (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 6am - 2pm
Sun: 6am - 12pm
(Closed on Mon and Alt Tues)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit B. Follow the blue sheltered walkway and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Chey Sua Carrot Cake (青山菜头果) @ Toa Payoh Lorong 1

What do Singaporean likes to eat for breakfast? One of my favourite local breakfast item is Fried Carrot Cake. Commonly served in Singapore is the white and black carrot cakes. I personally prefers the white over the black because it allows me to appreciate the original taste of the radish cake. One such stall that still insists on only cooking the white carrot cake is Chey Sua Carrot Cake (青山菜头果) at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Court.

Currently Chey Sua Carrot Cake is run by two sisters, Shirley and Grace who has helmed the stall and skill from their mother with over 50 years of culinary heritage. The radish cakes are still painstakingly steamed and prepared at the stall freshly everyday unlike most stalls that source their ingredients from factory nowadays.

White Carrot Cake 4/5

At Chey Sua, the stall only sells the White Carrot Cake. The carrot cake is fried to crisp on one side with a nice coating of eggs. Unlike other stalls out there, the carrot cakes at Chey Sua is cooked into square cube shape and each plate comes with about five pieces of them.

White Carrot Cake with Chilli 4/5

If you like your carrot cake to be spicy then you still need to try the White Carrot Cake with Chilli at Chey Sua. Once again the stall has its unique way of cooking it. Instead of servicing the chilli at the side or mixing it with the radish cake, the chilli is coated on the exterior of the crisp side. The spicy sweet chilli gives the carrot cake another lift in taste in enjoyment.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake will be taking part in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 cooking that traditional white carrot cake with the ultimate original recipe of more than 50 years passed down by the mother using their homemade steamed radish cake.

The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons is required to purchase the food from the various hawkers and can be purchased at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. While the hawkers sacrifice their time and some even a day's income to do a part for the needy and disadvantaged, I hope you can support them and do a part for charity too. See you at the Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Toa Payoh Blk 127 Market & Food Centre
Blk 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#02-30
Singapore 310127
Nearest MRT: Braddell (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 6am - 1pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit B. Follow the blue sheltered walkway and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Shrove Tuesday @ Toa Payoh Lorong 4

Initially the group of us wanted to visit Creamier at Toa Payoh Lorong 1 but it was so crowded that we  have to abort our plan. Remembering that there is a new cafe that has recently opened in the vicinity, we made our way to Shrove Tuesday cafe around the corner at Toa Payoh Lorong 4.

Caffe Latte 3.5/5

Using some sort of award winning Italian coffee beans, the Caffe Latte ($4.50) was smooth, light on the palate and easy to drink. The body is on the weaker side but it is still a decent cup of coffee I would go back for. Of course, the latte art has rooms for improvement.

Waffle 3.5/5

We also tried the Waffles ($5) at Shrove Tuesday. The waffle was very crispy on the exterior but too airy inside. We also added two scoops of ice cream ($2.50/$3.20 per scoop) to go with the waffle. The gelato was actually quite limited and not very exciting compare to many other ice cream parlours.

I welcome the entrepreneur spirit of cafe owners in the third wave coffee movement cafes bringing these artisan coffee culture into the neighbourhood. While Shrove Tuesday still has rooms for improvement, I do not mind dropping by the cafe for my daily dosage of caffeine if I am around the vicinity.


Shrove Tuesday
Blk 94 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
#01-32
Singapore 310094
Tel: +65 62582254
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShroveTuesdaySG
Website: http://shrovetuesday.sg/
Nearest MRT: Braddell (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 10am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 10am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to block 103. Cut across the carpark to block 100. Continue walking to destination at block 94. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup @ Kim Keat Palm Food Centre

After breakfast at Uncle Kun's Delicacies, Ian, Philip and me took a stroll to Toa Payoh Lorong 7 where they introduced me to Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup. So where and who is Ivy? Well I did not get to meet Ivy but instead the stall owner Mr Max Ng. Apparently there is a love story behind this bowl of Hainanese herbal mutton soup. Max was wooing Ivy and knowing she likes the dish, learnt to cook the dish, winning both her palate and heart. Ivy is now his wife and he has name the stall after her.

When we arrived at the stall, Max was busy at work preparing the mutton for the day. The mutton was marinated with fermented beancurd and seared in hot oil to remove the gaminess.

Herbal Mutton Soup 4.5/5

I was quite taken back when the bowl of Herbal Mutton Soup ($7-$9) was served. A sip of the soup I could taste the different from most mutton soup. Most stalls uses a lot of ginger to reduce the gaminess but in this bowl of mutton soup, I could taste the bittersweet of the herbs, a good body but not overpowering. The price may sounds a bit expensive but it was brimming with generous serving of fish maws, black fungus, tau pok and mutton.

Herbal Mutton Soup 4.5/5

Patron can enjoy this potent and hearty bowl of herbal mutton soup without the worry of gaminess. The painstaking process to marinate, prepare the mutton and cooked in a herbal broth helps to remove that unpleasant taste. Also worth mentioning is the specially homemade chilli sauce. Dip the tender mutton with it to fully enjoyed the flavour of the mutton. Without doubt this is one of the best herbal mutton soup that I have eaten and definitely my favourite now. No wonder Max was able to win Ivy's hand with this delish bowl of herbal mutton soup.


[MOVED]
Ivy's Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup
Kim Keat Palm Food Centre
Blk 22 Toa Payoh Lorong 7
#01-16
Singapore 310022
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivysmuttonsoup
Nearest MRT: Braddell (NS Line), Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am - 8pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop opposite Braddell MRT station (Stop ID 52171). Take bus number 232. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Walk to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (Stop ID 52009). Take bus number 238. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Hock Kee Lorong 8 Bak Kut Teh (福记八巷肉骨茶) @ Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre

This stall at the refurbished Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre is run by an old lady alone. When I was there for dinner, there was already a queue form at the stall.

The pork rib was tender and came off the bone easily. Unfortunately the soup was lacklustre. I could not get the peppery kick I was looking for.

Bak Kut Teh 3.8/5

I got a shock when the lady boss picked up a gigantic braised pig leg from one of the pot. I am not joking, it was huge! Handling the gigantic pig leg like a season baseball batter, the lady boss used a scissors to cut the ordered portion accordingly.

The skin was the highlight. Tender and soft. However the meat was a bit dry.

Braised Pig Trotter 4/5

Hock Kee Lorong 8 Bak Kut Teh (福记八巷肉骨茶)
Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre
Blk 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8
#01-64
Singapore 310210
Nearest MRT: Braddell, Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop opposite Braddell MRT station (Stop ID 52171). Take bus no. 59. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 9 mins.

2) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit A. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop opposite Braddell MRT station (Stop ID 52171). Take bus no. 232. Alight 2 stops later. Cut across Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Park. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 10 mins.

3) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station Take Exit D. Walk to bus stop opposite Toa Payoh station (Stop ID 52181). Take bus no. 153 or 105. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 15 mins.

B for Beancurd @ Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre

After going through 11 month of facelift under the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme, the newly furbished market and food centre at Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 reopened for business on 01 October 2011.

Following the phenomenon of Bubble Tea in Singapore, the new version of chilled beancurd has followed. This type of beancurd is unlike your tradition beancurd. It is sweeter, smoother and has a pudding texture. The chilled beancurd was invented by Lao Ban Soya Beancurd at Old Airport Road Food Centre. It was so popular that it opened another stall at Maxwell Food Centre.

Lately, many stalls have also followed Lao Ban Soya Beancurd and started selling the chilled version. In fact, chilled beancurd can now be founded at almost every corner of Singapore. At Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre, I noticed 2 stalls selling it during my visit.

After my dinner at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre, I bought 4 tubs of chilled beancurd home from B for Beancurd. The stall uses 100% organic soya beancurd for their beancurd. What interests me is they have different flavours of the chilled beancurd. I bought the strawberry, chocolate, yam and original flavours. They also have almond, peanut, green tea and blueberry flavours.

The chilled beancurd was nice and smooth comparable to Lao Ban Soya Beancurd. I felt that it was not as sweet though. Among the 4, I still prefer the original flavour. The strawberry and yam flavours were not distinct while the chocolate version tasted more like Milo.


B for Beancurd
Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Food Centre
Blk 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8
#01-62
Singapore 310210
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bforbeancurd
Nearest MRT: Braddell, Toa Payoh (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop opposite Braddell MRT station (Stop ID 52171). Take bus no. 59. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 9 mins.

2) Alight at Braddell MRT station. Take Exit A. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop opposite Braddell MRT station (Stop ID 52171). Take bus no. 232. Alight 2 stops later. Cut across Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Park. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 10 mins.

3) Alight at Toa Payoh MRT station Take Exit D. Walk to bus stop opposite Toa Payoh station (Stop ID 52181). Take bus no. 153 or 105. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk towards block 210. Journey time about 15 mins.

Ocean Curry Fish Head @ Toa Payoh Lorong 4

If you are craving for Curry Fish Head, you can check out Ocean Curry Fish Head at the Toa Payoh Lorong 4. It also has other branches at Telok Ayer Street, Bedok North St 2, Toa Payoh Lorong 8 and Joo Chiat Road.

Ocean Curry Fish Head is actually a Mixed Rice (Za Cai Fan) stall selling their signature Claypot Curry Fish Head. A lot of patrons also ordered other food from the Mixed Rice dishes spread.

I enjoyed the Curry Fish Head, it was pretty good. The curry was spicy, creamy and yummy. The Red Snapper Fish Head was also meaty. The claypot also packed with ingredients like lady fingers and eggplant.

Curry Fish Head 4.2/5

Da Bai Cai 3.5/5

To get here, you can either alight at Toa Payoh or Braddell MRT Station.

From Toa Payoh MRT station,
a) Go to bus stop opposite the station and take bus 153, 56 or 105 and alight 2 stops later, about 8 to minutes or
b) Walk about 15 minutes to Ocean Curry Fish Head.

From Braddell MRT station,
a) Go to bus stop at Blk 111, take bus 231 and alight 3 stops later, about 8 minutes or
b) Walk about 10 minutes to Ocean Curry Fish Head


Ocean Curry Fish Head
Blk 92 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh, Braddell (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 9pm
(Closed on Alt Mon)