Showing posts with label .Station: Commonwealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label .Station: Commonwealth. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Aw's Signature Minced Pork Noodles @ Tanglin Halt Food Centre - A Bowl Of Slurping Goodness by Gen Y Hawker

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Aw's Signature Minced Pork Noodles is a rather unknown stall selling a very different type of bak chor mee at Tanglin Halt Food Centre. Besides the bak chor mee, it also sells other noodle dishes such as their signature noodle, fish maw beehoon, braised pork noodle and shredded chicken hor fun. The most exciting part in the discovering of this stall is that it is run by Gen-Y stall owner.

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Signature Noodle Dry 4.2/5

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I had the Signature Noodle Dry ($5) which comes with a generous portion topped with ingredients such as abalone slices, fish ball, fried meatball, fish maw, pig liver, minced pork, fish dumpling, prawn and quail egg. Unlike the usual bak chor mee sauce, it tasted like the stall owner has added some braising sauce into the concoction of vinegar and chilli. It's tasted different in a good way from the usual bak chor mee. If you like you noodle to be packed with the spicy kick then this is not the type for you. It is more like a braising sauce noodle.

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Fish Maw Beehoon 4.5/5

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The highlight for me is actually the Fish Maw Beehoon ($4). At first glance, it looks like a bowl of lor mee but it is not. The sauce is not gooey or starchy. Instead the braised sauce gravy complemented the silky beehoon excellently. The star is the soupcon of orange coloured looking chilli that elevated the whole experience to the next level. It definitely packed a punch. I will definitely asked for more in my next visit. Similar to the signature noodle, the bowl of beehoon comes with generous serving of fried meatball, quail egg, shredded chicken, fish maw and minced pork.

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Unfortunately during my visit, they are not selling the braised pork noodle. It is only available on Monday to Friday. I read that their braised pork is pretty good, hence I was looking forward to try it. While I did not get to try it, I am glad to discover the stall and I will definitely be back for more.


Aw's Signature Minced Pork Noodles
Tanglin Halt Food Centre
Blk 1A Commonwealth Drive
#01-08
Singapore 141001
Tel: +65 98276502
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 730am - 2pm, 5pm - 8pm
Fri-Sat: 730am - 3pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tanglin Halt Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Monday, December 19, 2016

Hansa Thai @ Commonwealth Drive - Cheap Thai Food At Commonwealth

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I got to know of a cheap Thai food place near my place at Commonwealth Drive for a while but did not have the chance to visit the place until recent. We visited Hansa Thai which is a stall located inside a coffee shop. It was rather quiet for a Saturday evening.

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Sambal Kangkong 3.8/5

The Sambal Kangkong ($6) was pretty generous in portion for the price. It was not overcooked and still had a good crunchy bite. However I thought it can be slightly more spicy.

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Spicy Chicken Holy Basil 3.5/5

Like the earlier sambal kangkong, the Spicy Chicken Holy Basil ($7) was lacking in the heat. It felt like they have toned down the spiciness to suit the local palate. Saying that, the dish was actually quite tasty, especially with the lovely scent of basil in each bite.

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Tom Yam Seafood Soup 4/5

A must order for me in every Thai meal is their Tom Yam soup. I tried the Tom Yam Seafood Soup ($5.50) which comes with chunky pieces of fish fillet, squid, prawns and mushroom. For a coffeeshop stall, this is pretty decent with the kick of tom yam heading up the nostrils.

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Steamed Whole Seabass 3/5

I actually wanted to order the spicy and sour steamed fish but somehow ended up with the Steamed Whole Seabass ($25). While the timing of steaming the fish was spot on, the sauce and flavour were rather lackluster.

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I would not say the Thai food here is top notch but the reasonable pricing should more than make up for it.


Hansa Thai
Blk115B Commonwealth Drive
#01-697
Singapore 149597
Tel: +65 65555834
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk towards Commonwealth Drive. Turn right onto Commonwealth Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶) @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre - Crispy Pandan Waffle With 5 Different Spread

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Located at ABC Brickworks Food Centre is an unassuming hawker stall by the name Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶). Not known to many people, this stall sells their special Crispy Pandan Waffle with five different spreads. As per their facebook page, no artificial coloring or preservative are used. The stall extract the green coloring of the waffle 100% naturally from pandan leaves. No wonder there was a fragrant pandan smell when I approached the stall.

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Crispy Pandan Waffle with Peanut and Blueberry 4/5

I ordered the Crispy Pandan Waffle with Peanut and Blueberry ($1.50 each). Other spreads that are available on the menu are chocolate, kaya and cheese. The waffle here is very crispy on the outside while the interior is fluffy and has a beautiful pandan scent.

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The crispiness of the waffle felt like eating a toasted focaccia sandwiched with your preferred spread. Of the two I tried, I preferred the peanut spread more than the blueberry spread. Ok I admit I am biased here as I like peanut butter. Basically there is a choice for everyone. You can also top up fifty cents for a scoop of ice cream.

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Grass Jelly 3.8/5

For a light and refreshing dessert, there is the Homemade Grass Jelly ($1.50). The wobbly and tender grass jelly is made from the extract of aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis after long hours of boiling. The only thing I dislike is the ice cubes. I would prefer shaved ice instead.

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Do drop by the stall to try their crispy pandan waffle. It is something different for a change. This is probably a hidden find that is not known to many yet.


Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶)
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-52
Singapore 150006
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 10am - 9pm
Sun: 10am - 5pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Commonwealth MRT station (Stop ID 11169). Take bus number 147, 196 or 198. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Hakka Thunder Tea (客家佬擂茶) @ Tanglin Halt Food Centre

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I have known about Hakka Thunder Tea (客家佬擂茶) at Tanglin Halt Food Centre for years but I have never thought of trying it because I am not a big fan of thunder tea. I always think that it is a weird idea to have rice with tea. Anyway I decided give the stall a try as I noticed that they also sells Hakka Yong Tau Foo.

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Hakka Yong Tau Foo 4/5

The greedy me picked almost all the different varieties available. All the Yong Tau Foo comes stuffed with fish paste. There are items such as brinjal, bitter gourd, chilli, mushroom, beancurd, tau gwa, lady finger etc. I am not sure but I suspect these yong tau foo is homemade as you can see the inconsistency in the ingredients.

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Hakka Yong Tau Foo 4/5

The yong tau foo comes in either dry or soup version. I decided to go for the dry version for the reason that almost all the ingredients are deep fried stuff. It will be good if they offer a mix of non deep fried stuff.

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Pardon m but I could not remember the exact price. I think it is sold at sixty to eighty cents per piece.
For those that likes Thunder Tea, it seems that the stall is quite popular with it. Basically most of the people in the queue is ordering that, and I was the odd one out.


Hakka Thunder Tea (客家佬擂茶)
Tanglin Halt Food Centre
Blk 3A Commonwealth Drive
#01-31
Singapore 140003
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 10am - 8pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tanglin Halt Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings (榮記炸鷄翅膀) @ Commonwealth Drive

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Mentioned Commonwealth Drive, the first thing that comes to my mine is Two Chefs. But now there is another reason for me to visit the place, Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings (榮記炸鷄翅膀). The current owner took over the stall about 3 years ago together with the brand and recipe. What is so special about Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings? I can only say this is somewhat associated with the popular Redhill Chicken Wings which Prime Minister Lee queued for, using the same recipe. This is definitely the next best fried chicken wings after Two Wings.

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Chicken Wings 4.2/5

If Two Wings is the "Ang Mo" style fried chicken wings, then Eng Kee Chicken Wings ($1.20 each) is the Chinese style. Lightly marinated, this chicken wings are freshly fried in batch of 30 in a big wok each time. The technique and marinade maybe different but I found similarity in both Two Wings and Eng Kee's chicken wings. Both are lightly marinated,  focusing on the natural flavour and juiciness of the wings. There was also hardly any traces of oil on the plate of chicken wings.

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Fried Noodle and Beehoon

Besides the popular chicken wings, the stall also sells other stuff such as fried noodle and beehoon. Having chicken wings alone is kind of boring so while the noodles were just average, they are a good company for the fried chicken wings.

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The previous owner only sold a couple of items to go with their chicken wings. Now the place has added many more varieties and selections. While the ingredients were not homemade but sourced, they were still quite decent.

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While I was there at the stall, I noticed there was a constant queue for their chicken wings and economic noodle and beehoon. There is also a free order hotline for order of 20 chicken wings or more.


Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings (榮記炸鷄翅膀)
117 Commonwealth Drive
Singapore 140117
Tel: +65 92339330 or 96367362
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line), Queenstown (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat & PH: 12pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Cut across the soccer field towards Commonwealth Close. Cut across the cluster of HDB flats and walk towards destinations. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Commonwealth MRT station (Stop ID 11169). Take bus number 105. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Queenstown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Queenstown MRT station. (Stop ID 11141). Take bus number 186. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Sek Tong Gai (食通街) @ Tanglin Halt

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When I heard from a friend that even Les Amis chefs like to visit Sek Tong Gai (食通街) to eat after a late night service, I was eager to visit the restaurant and check out the food there. I had a foodies meetup session with Nat, Elaine and Elle so I took the opportunity to suggest checking out the restaurant. Armed with my camera and a group of friends, we headed down to the Sek Tong Gai which was formerly known as Sin Lee Chinese Cuisine in Tiong Bahru.

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Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot 4.2/5

Usually I will order the 3 eggs with vegetables whenever I eat at Chinese restaurant. The Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot ($21) is a delicious alternative. Cooked in a tasty broth together with dried scallops and dried shrimps, the claypot is jam packed with flavours and textures with the silky smooth tang hoon infused with the rich flavours.

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Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish 4.2/5

This may look like three cups chicken but no it is actually Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish ($18). While the chicken may not be very tender, the savoury sauce marriage the chicken perfectly with the salted fish lifting the flavour to a whole new level of enjoyment.

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Steamed Pork Ribs 4.2/5

I have to admit I was not very keen to order the Steamed Pork Ribs ($21) initially as I thought it would be just an ordinary home cooked dish. I was glad that the rest of group persisted or I would have missed savouring this delicious dish. While the timing of cooking the pork ribs can be a bit better, what impressed me most is the sauce used. It was so good and flavourful that I had to resist ordering a bowl of rice to go with it as I am cutting down on my carbo intake.

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Soon Hock in Claypot 4.5/5

For me the star of the dinner is the Claypot Soon Hock (market price) cooked with beancurd, minced meat, mushroom and brinjal. For the size of the fish we had that night, it cost us $97. The beancurd was silky smooth and the brinjal was not too mushy that still had a crunch. Lastly the fresh soon hock was moist and tender.

I am glad that I have finally try the Cantonese cuisine at Sek Tong Gai (食通街). I left feeling not only satisfied but impressed with the dishes I had. It may seen like some ordinary zichar dishes but I can tell that there were many thoughts in each dish especially how they were beautifully paired with the different sauces.


Sek Tong Gai
47 Tanglin Halt Road
Singapore 141047
Tel: +65 64744547
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sektonggai.sg
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 6pm - 2am
Wed-Sun: 6pm - 2am
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to Sheng Siong. Turn right and walk towards Tanglin Halt Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Havelock Road Blk 50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee @ ABC Brickworks Food Centre

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If you are looking for a plate of good fried hokkien mee at ABC Brickworks Food Centre, my recommendation would be this stall hidden right at the corner of the food centre. Havelock Road Blk 50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is run by an old couple with the 70 plus years old uncle helming the wok. He has over 50 years of experience woking up plate after plate of delicious fried hokkien mee since the day at the old premises at block 50 Havelock Road.

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Fried Hokkien Mee 4/5

The plate of Fried Hokkien Mee ($3.50/$4/$5) comes with slices of squid, pork belly and a fee pieces of prawn. The stall uses almost fifty fifty proportion of yellow noodles and beehoon. The fried hokkien mee is fried in a stock mixture of pork bone, pig skin and prawn head for the aromatic flavour, that is well simmered and absorbed by the noodles.

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Fried Hokkien Mee 4/5

The plate of fried hokkien mee is neither too wet or dry which is well balanced. With a squeeze of the lime plus the chilli sauce, this further accentuate the enjoyment to the fullest. The fried hokkien mee may not be the best but definitely among the better ones. My favourite is still Xiao Di at Serangoon North.


Havelock Road Blk 50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-100
Singapore 150006
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 1030pm
(Close on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Commonwealth MRT station (Stop ID 11169). Take bus number 147, 196 or 198. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Monday, October 14, 2013

Wei Yi Laksa & Prawn Noodle @ Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre

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Laksa is one of my favourite local dish and when I was told there is a popular Laksa stall at Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre, I just have to make my way down to check out the stall. Arriving at the food centre around 10am, a long queue has already formed at Wei Yi Laksa & Prawn Noodle. The uncle worked quite fast, so after waiting for about 20 minutes, I got my sumptuous looking bowl of laksa.

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Laksa 3.5/5

A bowl of laksa at Wei Yi ranges from $3 to $5 depending on the combination of ingredients you preferred. The breakdown of the different combination is readily pasted at the stall. Do note that if you prefer prawn over cockle, go for the prawn combination or else you will get smaller sized prawns. I decided to go for the Laksa ($5) which comes with everything such as poached chicken meat, tao pok, prawns and cockles. While I was delighted that there is chicken in Wei Yi's laksa, I also missed having fishcake in it.

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Laksa 3.5/5

So what is so good about Wei Yi's laksa? The noodle and tao pok stood out for me in their bowl of laksa. The noodle which was thinner was firm and springy. The tao pok also managed to soaked up the broth and had a delightful bite to it.

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Laksa 3.5/5

I usually will drink up the whole bowl of laksa gravy but I did not manage to do so this time. The bowl of laksa did look thick and creamy but in term of taste, it was lacking something. Something that gave that lemak satisfaction when you slurped into a bowl of laksa.

Overall Wei Yi's Laksa is value for money with their generous serving. The bowl of laksa did come with a rustic tradition taste that brought back memories of my childhood. For a short moment, the memory of my grandma and me having a bowl of laksa did flash across my mind. My grandma used to bring me to the coffeeshop downstair to have my favourite laksa during weekends.


Wei Yi Laksa & Prawn Noodle
Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre
48 Tanglin Halt Road
#01-20
Singapore 142048
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sat-Sun: 530am - 2pm
(Closed on Mon & Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Sheng Siong supermarket. Turn right at Sheng Siong supermarket. Cross the traffic light at Tanglin Halt Road and walk towards destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

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I was introduced to Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre about a month or two back when I embarked on a food trail organised by the Singapore Food & Beverage Alliance (SFBA) leading up to the Singapore Food Festival 2013. Remember to visit the Singapore Favourite Food Village (SFF Village) at Bayfront Avenue (Marina Bay) from 12 to 21 July 2013 to celebrate Singapore's unique food heritage and pay homage to our local culinary heroes.

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Red Ruby 4/5

The current Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert is a collaboration between 2 friends Calvin and Ewan back in 2004 when the previous owner decided to give up the business. With no experience when they started the business, the insurance agent and DJ nearly thrown in the towel. The stall upgrading was the turning point, allowing them to start afresh. Both went around the island tasting the different desserts as well as travelling afar in Asia to learn and bring back the country's signature dessert. After many trials and errors to perfect the desserts, Jin Jin started afresh and has never look back since.

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Gangster Ice (Durian Mango Ice) 4.5/5

The iconic dessert which is also their best seller is their Gangster Ice (Durian/Mango Ice). Gangster Durian Mango Ice is a playful take on how the Mandarin term for the dessert, Liu Lian Mang Guo, sounds like the word gangster when shortened to just Liu Mang. The name Gangster is now a registered trademark. The dessert of mango ice is laden with a generous scoop of durian puree and condensed milk.

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Mount Fuji 4/5

Mount Fuji is another unique creation at Jin Jin. The green tea ice (matcha ice) is topped with delectable red beans.

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Power Chendol 4.8/5

If you have the chance to visit Jin Jin, a Must Try is the Power Chendol. Everyone was raving that this is the best Chendol they have ever tasted. What so special about the chendol at Jin Jin is the gula melaka. The owner uses premium raw gula melaka from Indonesia and cook it painstaking everyday himself. The special gula melaka has a sticky texture like caramel and a hint of saltiness that enhanced the whole experience to another level.


Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-20
Singapore 150008
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JinJinDessertClub
Website: http://www.jinjindessertclub.com/home/index.php
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 12am

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Commonwealth MRT station (Stop ID 11169). Take bus number 147, 196 or 198. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 12 minutes.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tanglin Halt Delicious Duck Noodle @ Tanglin Halt Food Centre

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Located at one of the earliest HDB neighbourhood at Tanglin Halt, Tanglin Halt Delicious Duck Noodle has been around since 1969. Founded by Mr Chua's father in law since 1960s selling the braised duck noodle dish to coolies and workers at Teochew Street in Clark Quay. The stall is now run by Mr Chua and his wife. Having learnt the duck braising skill from his father in law, Mr Chua continues painstakingly braising the Teochew style duck at his stall in the early hour.

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Duck Noodle 3/5

After queuing for about 15-20 minutes, I got to order my bowl of Duck Noodle Dry ($4). I opted for kway teow instead of yellow noodle. After cooking the noodle, Mr Chua will topped the bowl of noodle with pre-sliced duck meats, duck gizzards and livers.

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Duck Noodle 3/5

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Duck Noodle 3/5

So how did I find the nostalgic flavour of 1960s? While the duck meat was flavourful but I felt it was a tad dry. The kway teow texture was a a bit too thick and not as smooth as I would like. Overall it was still a decent bowl of duck noodle that comes with a rustic taste that probably will bring back childhood memories for a lot of people.


Delicious Duck Noodle
Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre
48 Tanglin Halt Road
#01-23
Singapore 148813
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 4am - 2pm
(Closed on Mon & Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Sheng Siong supermarket. Turn right at Sheng Siong supermarket. Cross the traffic light at Tanglin Halt Road and walk towards destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]