SG Food on Foot - Best Eats In 2021

I didn't put together a list for 2020 as we were hit by the Covid restriction and was not able to dine-in most of the calendar year. Since the restriction has been somewhat relaxed for 2020, I was able to check out a number of places. With that, I will bring back the annual tradition to recap my food journey for the past one year. Here is my best eats for 2021.

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Ah Five Hainanese Chicken Rice

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One of my best discovery for 2021 is Ah Five Hainanese Chicken Rice near Mayflower MRT station exit 3. What caught my attention was a petite young lady behind the chopping board. It is a rare sight in the hawker scene. The stall, run by a sister and brother team, is inside a coffeeshop at block 158 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4. They are the children of Mr Lee Tai Keng, the founder of Five Star Chicken Rice.

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Firangi Superstar

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Firangi Superstar at Craig Road is born out of love and memories of the country India. Stepping into the restaurant is a cinematic journey, transporting diners to an Officer's Club, Old Railway Room, Elephant Palace and Jungle Lodge. Here, the food takes classic Indian cuisine in unexpected forms in Head Chef Thiru Gunasakaran's hand, giving it a modern approach.

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Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow

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All of us probably has our own favourite char kway teow stall, and mine is Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre. I am glad to discover an underrated Char Kway Teow stall at Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow. It is located in a corner coffeeshop along Joo Chiat Place. In my opinion, it is comparable to Outram Park Fried Kway Teow.

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Ju95

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JU95 is a modern izakaya restaurant located at Boat Quay opened for about 3 months. From what I understand, the kitchen is helmed by Chef Louis who supposed to follow a 2 Michelin starred chef to Belgium which was put off due to the pandemic. I am impressed with the food at Ju95. The dishes I tried are creative and tasty with touches of finesse, giving a modern take of traditional izakaya. Ju95 is one of the best restaurants I have eaten this year, and I recommend you check it out.

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Rempapa

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I have been following Chef Damian D'Silva heritage cooking when he had a stall at Timbre+ Ayer Rajah, followed by Folklore and Restaurant Kin. But, unfortunately, he didn't stay long at any one place. Hence I was glad to hear he is making a come back with a new restaurant - Rempapa at Park Place Residences at PLQ. Rempapa offers an all-day dining concept where the eclectic menu caters for different times of day - Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner.

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Revolver

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Revolver is the latest and hottest restaurant to be opened at the bustling Tras Street. The restaurant embraces the fire of Indian cooking sensibilities, world-class premium produce and carefully selected global spices to create a progressive and exciting dining experience. There is three tasting menus - Discovery Menu ($139++), Experience Menu ($179++) and Vegetarian Menu ($129++).

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Ristorante Pietrasanta

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I could not believe this was my first time visiting Ristorante Pietrasanta until it recently relocated to Connexis Tower, Fusionpolis. It moved from Portsdown Road to the current location, which is more accessible. It is so much accessible now located just beside the One-North MRT station. A must-have is the pasta dishes at Ristorante Pietrasanta. They handmade all their pasta daily.

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Tai Er Chinese Sauerkraut Fish

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Popular Tai Er Chinese Sauerkraut Fish, with nearly 300 stores in China, has opened its first outlet in Singapore at Changi Jewel Singapore. The restaurant is known for its Chinese Sauerkraut Fish seeing daily queues at the stores to savour the fish fillets in a spicy and sour broth. A must have is the Chinese Sauerkraut Fish ($48/$68/$88) that comes in a huge plate with the tender fish slices swimming in a pool of soup, brimming with red chillis, Sichuan peppercorn and pickled cabbage. If I am not wrong, they use tilapia fish for the dish. The combination of mala, spicy and sour flavours is super shiok. I can understand why it is so popular in China now.

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Teochew Fish Ball Noodle

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I have heard about an excellent Teochew fishball noodle stall at Crawford Lane. Still, I always end up going to the one Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles. So finally, I got a chance to visit the area and took the opportunity to check out Teochew Fish Ball Noodle, located inside a coffeeshop at block 462 Crawford Lane. Between the mee pok and mee kia, we find the mee kia goes better with the concoction of sambal chilli and vinegar. Though the vinegar is not as punchy compared to Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles, you still get that sourish kick balanced with the sambal for that slurping goodness. Overall, Teochew Fish Ball Noodle offers a good bowl of fishball noodles. However, if you find the queue at Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles is too long, you may consider making a slight detour to try the fishball noodle just a few blocks away.

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Yang Ming Seafood

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Having seen a lot of postings from my foodie friends, I have to make my way to Yang Ming Seafood (扬名海鲜) at Bishan Street 11. The zichar place is located in a coffeeshop among the HDB estate. You will notice we ordered mostly seafood dishes because this is their forte. The highlight for the night has to be the Lobster Chee Cheong Fan ($88). It is a dish my friend shared with the owner what he had in Hong Kong, and after much R&D, the chef created this dish which becomes a hit with a lot of foodies. The highlight is the silky chee cheong fan accentuated by the fried shallot, fried garlic and premium soya sauce.

With this, I present to you my Best Eat In 2021. I also like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and followers for the supports all these years. After two years of Covid, I hope things will get better and we can resume things back to norm. Last but at least, wishing everyone a safe, healthy and wonderful 2022.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee @ Hong Lim Food Centre - A Messy Plate Of Goodness That Is Worth The Long Queue

What is your favourite local street food? Mine is Char Kway Teow among the many. Where is the best in Singapore then? I feel that everyone has their own best since local street food is something that one grown up with. However, there are also those popular ones that have gotten the recognition from fellow Singaporean. This can be seen from the daily long queue at the stalls. One such stall is Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee at Hong Lim Food Centre which is also recognised in Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore 2018 and 2019 edition.

Char Kway Teow 4.8/5

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, people are going out less, and hence I took the opportunity to check out Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee since the queue is not as long as usual. By the way, I was really looking forward to the plate of hot piping fried rice noodles, as this is my first time trying it. Yes, I have been put off by the long queues all these years, and this is my first time having it.

I was blown away when I took the first mouthful. First, you get the wok hei smokiness, follow by the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. What I like most is the coat of beaten egg that is still a bit runny, and the noodle is cooked to a delicious semi-wet texture. For $5, this portion is quite generous too. It comes with bean sprouts, fish cakes and cockles. You can also add extra cockles for additional $2. If I am to be particular, I feel that the addition of Chinese sausage will further elevate the delicious plate of rice noodle. Nevertheless, this is still my top 3 char kway teow in Singapore.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Cross Street
#02-17
Singapore 051531
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (NE Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 6am - 330pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit E. Cut cross Chinatown Point. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit F. Journey time about 5 minutes. Cut across Hong Lim Complex. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

SG Food on Foot - Best Eats In 2019

As an annual tradition, I will recap my food journey for the past one year. Looking back at 2019, it is another delicious yearn with good food as well as getting to know new friends over a meal. The bubble tea craze continued to boom with more oversea brands landing on our shore. Several new ramen restaurants also opened in 2019. Unfortunately, none of these made it to my Best Eat In 2019 list. Without further ado, let me unveil my best eats for 2019.

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Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle

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Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle is a stall run by a father and daughter team in the quiet neighbourhood in pandan gardens. The highlight of the stall is their handmade fishball dumpling and meatball. The fish dumpling has a silky texture with a crunchy bite, wrapped in real fish skin. The handmade meatball is soft and flavourful packed with the aroma of dried sole fish.

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Artichoke

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Having been around for nine years and still standing tall is Artichoke. The restaurant offers Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine, which is the least authentic Middle Eastern restaurant. The funky take of the cuisine draws inspiration from Middle Eastern flavours and ingredients while injecting the element of fun and creativity into the dish.

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Chef Kang Noodle House

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Winning Michelin Bib Gourmand 2019 in less than a year of its opening is Chef Kang Noodle House by Michelin starred Chef Ang Song Kang of Chef Kang's Kitchen. For five dollars, you get a plate of noodle with fatty char siew, pork lard, greens and wantons. What impresses me at Chef Kang Noodle House is down to each component on the plate of wanton mee. The char siew is fatty with a nice char on the exterior that comes with a beautiful layer of fats and lean meat. The noodle is springy with a delightful bite, complemented by the delicious dark sauce. The wanton was plump and generous filling such as prawn, minced pork, black fungus and water chestnut.

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Chuan Hung

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Chuan Hung is a noodle bar that specialises in Mian Yang rice noodles with a choice of different broths, and a variety of toppings such as braised beef and pig intestines. The thin, slippery noodles here are specially sourced from a particular artisan who lives in a village deep in Sichuan. It took close to a year and dozen of personal trips to convince the artisan to supply the noodles. Fast forward, the noodles now served in Chuan Hung are found nowhere else in Singapore or South East Asia. The specially sourced noodle made from rice, is smooth and silky, almost like mee sua. Perfect for soaking up the delicious broth.

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La Dame de Pic

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With Raffles Hotel Singapore reopening after its restoration work, the hotel welcomes La Dame De Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic, one of the world's top female chefs with a total of seven Michelin stars under her belt. This is also her debut into Asia. This is probably one of the most exciting restaurants to be opened in 2019, and it has great potential to get at least a Michelin star next year. Hence do visit the restaurant before the price goes up after their Michelin star next year.

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Lee's Confectionery

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A hidden gem in the West, Lee's Confectionery caught the attention of social media with its beautiful plated dainty cakes and tarts. Most importantly, they tasted delicious. The coffee at ee's Confectionery is worthy of a shout out. Although the coffee does not come with elegant latte arts, they are quality coffee using the beans from Tiong Hoe.

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Izy Fook

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This is a hard one. I was torn between picking Fook Kin or Izy Fook in which I enjoyed the roasted meats from Roasted Paradise. I decided to pick the latter as the menu has a wider variety of dishes that is not just focused on the roasts from Roasted Paradise. The izakaya centric menu includes other delicious items such as the cereal soft shell prawns, wagyu 2gr oyster blade, superior prawn mee pok and more.

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Red Lips

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With over 40 outlets in China within five years of its establishment, Red Lips is the largest new-age mala tang chain from Shanghai. Customers can customise their hotpot-in-a-bowl choosing from over 45 food items, authentic hotpot base and secret spices. The ingredients include seafood, meat and vegetables, noodles and other speciality offerings, selected for their freshness, quality and taste. Unlike most mala fragrant pot stalls that serve frozen ingredients. What holds everything together is the secret spicy sauce that comprises of peppercorns, and a blend of over 20 ingredients and spices. It has a bold, full-bodied flavour with depth, leaving a pleasing and lingering aftertaste. I would recommend mixing it up with the creamy sesame sauce which kicks up the flavours by several notches. The sauces really go well with the ingredients and its very convenient for takeaway.

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Soon Heng Pork Noodles

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If you like the Bedok 85 style of Bak Chor Mee, then you are in for some great news. Soon Heng Pork Noodles at Neil Road serves a good bowl of the soupy style bar chor mee. Unlike other bak chor mee stalls, the broth here is almost like a ramen broth that is rich and intense. This is achieved by simmering pork bones overnight for that heavenly flavour.

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Yun Nans

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Yun Nans (云海肴), the world's biggest Yunnan F&B chain with over 150 outlets in China specialises in 高原料理 or highland cuisine, featuring the ingredients in Yunnan's natural highland terrain that is free from pollution. Singaporean's only knowledge of Yunnan cuisine probably is the 过桥米线 (Cross Bridge Vermicelli). What Yun Nans has given Singaporean is a whole new array of Yun Nans dishes foreign but yet close to our palate.

With this, I present to you my Best Eat In 2019. I also like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and followers for the supports all these years. Last but at least, wishing everyone a wonderful 2020.

Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee @ Clementi Ave 3 (Clementi Central) - Great To Have My Favourite Lor Mee Back

The popular Lor Mee in Clementi is back again. After moving out from Blk 443 Clementi Ave 3, it was temporary re-located to West Coast Drive. Glad to inform you that Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee is once again back at the same coffee shop at Blk 443 Clementi Ave 3.

The stall still maintains the same pricing of $4 and $5 for a bowl of Lor Mee. It comes with braised pork belly, deep fried dumpling, ngor hiang and fried fish nugget. I remembered back in West Coast Drive, they added crunchy flour bits but back at its root, it has decided to remove them. Customers still can help themselves to their preference of chilli, ginger and black vinegar.

Why I like Sheng Yi Fa's lor mee is because of its gravy. Unlike other stalls which is starchy and gooey, their version is more like a drinkable braising sauce, packet with depth and robustness.

I was lucky to be able to make some small talk with the stall uncle. Apparently the uncle is asked to come out of retirement (ya once again) by the coffeeshop owner. It is a collaboration between the coffeeshop owner and the uncle. He is imparting his skill to the coffeeshop staffs, hence you can see them preparing and cooking your bowl of lor mee. However uncle is still around for the time being to oversee the consistency.

Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee
Blk 443 Clementi Ave 3
Singapore 120443
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 7am - 2pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the end of block 443 facing Clementi Ave 3. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

SG Food on Foot - Best Eats In 2018

We have come to the end of the year and it is another delicious year with lots of food. Year 2018 has been a year where we saw the boom of bubble tea and the emerge of private home dining scene. I will take this opportunity to do a wrap up for 2018, recapping the top ten places I have dined in 2018.

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Tinoq Private Dining

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I have the privileged to have a group of like-minded foodies who have been my greatest companions to check out a number of private home dinning places that have sprung up in recent time. One of them is Tinoq Private Dining by celebrity make-up artist, Tinoq Russell Goh. Tinoq is my opinion is my best private dining experience offering the full package. He i a good cook, preparing everything very scratch, as well as a entertaining host.

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Mustard Seed Pop Up

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Another private dining spot that make into my best eat for 2018 is Mustard Seed Pop Up. It is a Kaiseki style private home dining by Chef Ming Kiat. The food at most private home dining places are more homely style while Mustard Seed offers a more refine and restaurant style. I also like the chef's take of incorporating local ingredients into his kaiseki style dining.

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Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen

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Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen is probably the hottest private home dining spot in Singapore now. I heard that it is fully booked until October 2019. That is 10 months waiting list, probably longer than any other Michelin starred restaurants. I am lucky to score two seating in 2018 at Chef Sam Wong's home before he gets some popular that it is impossible to get a reservation. What I enjoyed here it is rustic cooking using natural seasoning, charcoal cooking, allowing the fresh ingredients to shine.

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The Spot

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One of the newest restaurant in 2018, The Spot at Marina One impresses me with the creative and mastery in fusing modern European cuisine with Southeast Asian ingredients by Chef Lee Boon Seng. And what makes me look forward to in each dish, is the unique sauce that is paired with the food. It's like embarking a discovery tour on the different type of sauces he will be using to pair with the mains.

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Origin Grill

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It has been a while since I have a good piece of steak, I am lucky enough to be able to check out Origin Grill at Shangri La Singapore, another new restaurant in 2018. Over here, I was able to indulge in the priced meat such as the John Stone Grass-fed Dry-aged for 35 days, Snow-aged Full Blood Wagyu A4 and Shiro Kin Full Blood Wagyu.

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The Chinese Kitchen (厨神私房菜)

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Probably under the radar is The Chinese Kitchen (厨神私房菜) in Lavender. It is opened by opened by local renowned Chef Austen Ong, the former president of society of Chinese cuisine Chef (Singapore). He is also dubbed the 厨神 (God of the Kitchen) by the culinary industry, probably from his numerous achievement such as winning the Gold medalist of Asian Cuisine in the 8th FHA International Salon Culinaire, Most Creative award in the 4th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine and Champion of Taipei's World Culinary Contest in both 2005 and 2007. The food here is reasonable priced, comfort traditional dishes with a touch of fineness.

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Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant

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Being a Teochew, I always have a soft spot for good Teochew Cuisine. Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant makes it into the list because it is a new discovery for 2018. I have not known of its existence until I visited back in September 2018. It is located inside the historical 170-year-old Chui Huay Lim Club at Keng Lee Road, in the Newton area. The restaurant under Jumbo Group has been around for 7 years.

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Folklore

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I have lost count the number of times I have visited Folklore at Destination Singapore. I never get tired of the food here. There is always something new on the menu. Chef Damian seems to have a magic hat where he will consistently put on the menu heritage dishes that is lost or rarely served in restaurant anymore.

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L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles

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There are also a couple of hawker stalls that make it into my best eat in 2018. One of them is L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles at Geylang Road. In 2018, I managed to visit a number of ban mian stalls but this stall stood out for me as it gets the ticks for the noodle, soup and chilli. It has everything that I am looking for in a bowl of good ban mian.

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Charlie's Peranakan Food

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My last spot in the list is reserved for Charlie's Peranakan Food at Golden Mile Food Centre. Charlie is a baba chef who comes out of retirement after 8 years to open the stall selling Peranakan food. I am glad that I have the chance to try his cooking and dishes. Who says we can't find cheap and delicious Peranakan cuisine in the hawker centre.

With this I present to you my Best Eat In 2018. I am also like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and followers for the supports all this years. Last but at least, wishing everyone a wonderful 2019.

Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore 2018 - 50 Restaurants and Hawkers. Who Is In and Who Is Out?

Michelin has released its Bib Gourmand Singapore 2018 awardees. A total of 50 restaurants and hawkers made it into this year's list. There are a total of 17 new entrants. Similar to what happened in the release of 2017 bib gourmand list, 5 of last year's winner has been dropped from the list, one hawker and 4 restaurants.

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Michelin Bib Gourmand Awardees 2018

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A Noodle Story 超好⾯
Alliance Seafood 联合海鲜烧烤
Ah Er Soup (ABC Brickworks Food Centre) 阿2⽼⽕汤
Balestier Road Hoover Rojak 豪华罗杂
Bar-Roque Grill European 欧陆菜
Bismillah Biryani Street Food 街头⼩吃
Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang (Bukit Merah View Food Centre) 柴船头⽺⾁汤
Chey Sua Carrot Cake 青⼭菜头粿
Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck (Ghim Moh Market &Food Centre) 全記
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa 德普路真善美驰名砂煲叻沙
Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (Geylang Road Lorong 19) 明辉⽥鸡粥海鮮煮炒店
Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa 驰名结霜桥三轮
Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle 知味鮮⼤蝦⾯
Heng 兴
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee 鸿兴炒苏东虾⾯
Hong Kee Beef Noodle 桐记⽜⾁粿条
Hong Kong Yummy Soup 真之味⾹港靚汤
Hong Kee Bak Chang 和记⾁粽
J2 Famous Crispy Puff 驰名⾹脆咖喱⼘
Ka-Soh (Outram Park) 家嫂 (欧南园)
Kok Sen Restaurant 国成球记餐室
Lagnaa
Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (Old Airport Road Food Centre) ⽼夫⼦炒粿条
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (Chinatown Complex) 联合本记煲饭
Liao Fan Hawker Chan (78 Smith Street) 了凡⾹港油鸡饭.⾯
Man Man (Tanjong Pagar) 鰻满 (丹戎巴葛)
Muthu’s Curry (Little India)
Na Na Homemade Curry (Bukit Merah) 南南家咖哩
New Lucky Claypot Rice 新鸿运⽡煲饭
New Ubin Seafood (Bukit Batok)
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Market & Food Centre) 欧南园炒粿条⾯
Rolina Traditional Hainanese Curry Puff (Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre)
Shi Hui Yuan (Queenstown) 实惠园
Shi Wei Da (Fengshan Market and Food Centre) ⾷为⼤潮州糜
Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation) 吃饱先
Sin Huat Eating House 新发餐厅
Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (Holland Drive) 新记
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (New Bridge Road) 松发⾁⾻茶 (新桥路)
Tai Wah Pork Noodle (Hong Lim Market & Food Centre) ⼤华⾁脞⾯
The Blue Ginger Peranakan 娘惹菜
The Coconut Club N 椰⼦俱乐部
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice 天天海南鸡饭
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 中峇鲁海南起⾻鸡饭
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 中峇鲁益⽣炒福建虾⾯
Shirokane Tori-tama ⾣⽟⽩⾦
True Blue Cuisine Peranakan 娘惹菜
Whole Earth 环界
Yhingthai Palace 银泰
Zaffron Kitchen (East Coast)
Zai Shun Curry Fish Head 载顺咖喱鱼头

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Michelin Bib Gourmand 2018 - New Entrants

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Congratulations to the new winners for 2018. I am surprises that there are so many new hawkers getting into the list. Great to see Char Kway Teow finally manages to make it to the bib gourmand listing.

Muthu’s Curry (Little India)
The Coconut Club N 椰⼦俱乐部
Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang (Bukit Merah View Food Centre) 柴船头⽺⾁汤
Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck (Ghim Moh Market &Food Centre) 全記
Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (Geylang Road Lorong 19) 明辉⽥鸡粥海鮮煮炒店
Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle 知味鮮⼤蝦⾯
Heng 兴
Hong Kong Yummy Soup 真之味⾹港靚汤
Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (Old Airport Road Food Centre) ⽼夫⼦炒粿条
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (Chinatown Complex) 联合本记煲饭
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Market & Food Centre) 欧南园炒粿条⾯
Rolina Traditional Hainanese Curry Puff (Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre)
Shi Wei Da (Fengshan Market and Food Centre) ⾷为⼤潮州糜
Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation) 吃饱先
Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (Holland Drive) 新记
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 中峇鲁益⽣炒福建虾⾯
Tai Wah Pork Noodle (Hong Lim Market & Food Centre) ⼤华⾁脞⾯

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Dropouts

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A check against last year list, 5 of them has dropped out from this year list. While Liang Zhao Ji is dropped out, it is replaced by another braised duck stall, Chuan Kee at Ghim Moh. Noticeable missing in the list is Peony Jade Keppel Club and 328 Katong Laksa.

Peony Jade Keppel Club
Shish Mahal
328 Katong Laksa
Tsuta (Pacific Plaza)
Liang Zhao Ji


For for information and details. Check out Michelin Singapore Official Website at https://d3h1lg3ksw6i6b.cloudfront.net/media/pdf/MICHELIN_GUIDE_SINGAPORE_2018_BIB_GOURMAND_SELECTION.pdf

SG Food on Foot - Best Hawker Eats In 2017

Mentioned in the earlier post, I decided to have a separate list for my best hawker eats for 2017. Some of these stalls are not really new, in fact most of the them have been around for a while. Besides the travelling to different parts of the island, most hawker stalls only opens from morning to around 2-3pm. It is a bit hard to visit them when you have a day job, unless for the weekends. Guess this is probably why it told me so long to visit some of these household name hawker stalls. Anyway, below is the list based on my dining experience and the fact that these stalls are near to MRT stations.

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Aw's Signature Noodle

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Aw's Signature Minced Pork Noodles at Tanglin Halt Food Centre 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. 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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Claypot Delights

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Located inside Kallang Basin Industrial Estate is Yew Yi Hup Kee Eating House which housed a number of food stalls providing cheap and comfort food for the workers in the area. With the opening of the downtown line 3, I made my way down to Claypot Delights (砂煲小吃), a hidden gem in the industrial estate offering a variety of claypot dishes for only $4. A bowl of rice comes at additional cost of $0.50. My favourite goes to the Claypot Assam Fish ($4). I really enjoyed the sourish of the assam that I drowned my rice with it. I suspect the fish used is the frozen type but for the price, I am not complaining.

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Eat 3 Bowls

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Eat 3 Bowls (呷三碗) at Seah Im Food Centre is a new stall opened by 2 young men. The Braised Pork Rice ($2.50) or also known as Lu Rou Fan is top notch. The braised sauce is not overly sweet with hints of spices such as star anise and cinnamon. The minced pork literally melted in the mouth which has absorbed the essence of the braising sauce which complemented the soft and pearly rice excellently. Their signature Intestine Mee Sua ($3.50) is also not to be missed. Using the red mee sua, the rendition by the 2 young gentlemen reminded me of my Taiwan trip. This is probably the best and closest I have eaten by far. Add some garlic and vinegar to complete the full appreciation of the mee sua.

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Fei Zai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle

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Located inside a coffeeshop along Pasir Panjang road at the corner of Pepys Road is Fei Zai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle (肥仔排骨虾面). The stall only opens in the morning and its usually sold out by 1pm. During my visit on a Saturday morning, there was a snaking queue and it told me about 30 minutes to savour the bowl of prawn noodle. The highlight is the hae bee him or spicy dry shrimp sambal chilli sauce. It has a good punch in it which goes very well with the noodles. The pork ribs was cooked to folk tender without the porky taste. It fell off the bone with ease. The soup was also robust and sweet. I could taste the essence of the prawn shells that has been boiled for hours.

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First Street Teochew Fish Soup

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I have grown up in Hougang but I did not know about this awesome fish soup stall near my home. It is only after I moved to the West then I know about its existence. I have to travel all the way back to the East to visit First Street Teochew Fish Soup (第一街潮州鱼汤) to find out for myself why the stall has a constant long queue of customer willing to wait up to 30-45 minutes, just to have their fish soup. The stall offers a variety of fishes for the fish soups such as batang (mackerel), promfret and red garoupa. Customers also have a choice to add rice, porridge or mee sua to go along with their fish soup. My favourite among the dishes I tried is the Mixed Soup ($5/$7$10) which comes with batang fish, greens, squid, fish maw, fish cake, prawn, salted vegetables, ginger, fried shallots and minced pork. The highlight is the minced pork with is mixed with tee poh (dried sole fish). The stock of the fish soup is all the same but the additional of the minced pork with tee poh gives the soup an extra punch, elevating the flavour to a new level.

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Hua Kee Chicken Rice

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Hua Kee Chicken Rice at Redhill Food Centre is one of those stalls that I wanted to visit the longest time. I have friends who even declare this as their number one chicken rice stall in Singapore. Hua Kee was founded over 30 years ago by Mdm Tan's husband. Now the stall is run by Mdm Tan and her son, Mr Jay Lim the 2nd generation. I like that the chicken here is chopped into chunky pieces which is tender and juicy. Most important I released what my friends meant that their chicken has that chicken taste while a lot of other places tasted rather bland. The other component for a good plate of chicken rice is the rice. I understand that the stall cooks their chicken rice with chicken oil and sesame oil in smaller batches using several smaller pots instead of one big pot. The chicken rice comes with a mild chicken aroma, fluffy, grainy and not greasy.

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Kopi More

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Kopi More at Golden Mile Food Centre is set up early in the year by 43 years old Lawrence who used to work in the petroleum industry. What makes Kopi More different is the introduction of espresso machine into the hawker scene. He used a blend of Indonesia Robusta and Columbian Arabica beans, roasted with sugar and margarine to achieve the Nanyang flavour. For freshness, a small batch of the coffee powder is grounded each time. Every cup of coffee is made like how a barista at a cafe will do so. Using the espresso machine, each cup of coffee is pressed out from machine instead of using those coffee sock to make them. The process of using the pressure gives the coffee a creamer texture as well as reducing the acidity. This is indeed a really good cup of Hot Coffee ($1.50). The full bodied coffee has a smooth and creamy texture. It also has a nutty and toasty flavour. The coffee is slightly expensive by a few cents compared to other drink stalls but you are getting a good cup of quality and robust coffee. Not forgetting this is much cheaper than those artisan coffee from cafe

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Mei Mei Roast

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I got to know about Mei Mei Roast at Ubi Road 1 when I came across a posting by my fellow foodie kaki, Uncle Bob. It got me even more excited to read that the stall is operated by Kay Lee's younger sister. Hence I decided to make my way down to the stall on a Sat to check it out since it is now more accessible with the new Downtown Line 3. My favourite is their Roasted Duck. The bird is given a coat of crispiness with a nice hint of charred smokiness. The meat was also tender and juicy.

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Rahim Muslim Food

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I manage to travel to Ang Mo Kio to try the legendary Power Mee Rebus from Rahim Muslim Food. It is understand that they have been around since 1960s and this is their fifth location. When I reached the stall on a Saturday afternoon, there was already a queue and it took me about half an hour to savour the bowl of noodle. I did not regret queuing up for the bowl of Mee Rebus ($3). It is indeed quite special. Not only does it come with the regular ingredients such as tau pok, bean sprouts and egg, there is also chunky pieces of poached chicken. Just before serving, satay sauce was ladled on top for a nutty finishing. Give the noodle a good toss in the gooey gravy which is neither too watery or starchy for a slurping shiokness. You probably would like to add more chicken for an additional 80 cents.

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Rahmath Cheese Prata

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Rahmath Cheese Prata is run by Mr Ali, who used to operate in Ang Mo Kio before relocating to the current place at Toa Payoh Lorong 4. He sells a total of 13 different types of prata, from savoury to sweet. We ordered both the Plain and Egg Prata which is freshly cooked upon. I disliked having prata that has already been pre-cooked which is cold and stale. A minimum order of 2 is required for the Plain Prata ($1.80 for 2pc). The prata had a nice buttery aroma which is fluffy, doughy and slight crispiness on the exterior. It is the type of prata texture that I enjoy, not those that is overly crispy. The Egg Prata ($1.50) is as good too. The egg gave the prata an additional layer of texture and bite. Not forgetting the curry, dip into it for a complete enjoyment of these fried flatbread.