West Coast 503 Teochew Fishball Noodle (潮洲魚圓麵) - $2.50 Bowl Of Noodle With Gigantic Fish Balls

West Coast 503 Teochew Fishball Noodle (潮洲魚圓麵), located in the quiet neighbourhood of Teban Garden, is an unassuming stall inside a coffeeshop on the second floor of the HDB block above the Sheng Siong Supermarket. It is my first time venturing into the area, and I decided to try the stall as it looks promising.

Teochew Fish Ball Noodle 4/5

The stall sells a good variety of noodle dishes. If I didn't count wrongly, it has fourteen noodle dishes on the menu with interesting options such as Snow Crab Noodle, Abalone Noodle and more. On top of that, it also sells other ala carte items such as fishcake and Wu Xiang.

What is remarkable is I can still find a bowl of noodles for $2.50. I have the Teochew Fish Ball Noodle, which comes with fishballs, fish cake slices, fish dumpling, pork slices, and minced pork.

I decided to go for mee pok, cooked to a nice bite. The chilli sauce and vinegar mixture goes well with the noodle, but I prefer it to be more piquant. The highlight goes to the fish ball, which is gigantic and super springy.

Overall, West Coast 503 Teochew Fishball Noodle sells an above average bowl of noodles, and for $2.50 I am not complaining. I don't mind returning if it is nearer to my home.


West Coast 503 Teochew Fishball Noodle
61 Teban Gardens Road
Singapore 600061
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn Left and walk to Jurong Gateway Road. Cross the road. Turn right and walk to bus stop at block 131 (Stop ID 28301). Take bus number 79 or 143. Alight 9 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

Poh Preserved Veg Hor Fun (菜莆河) @ Chinatown Complex Food Centre - The Return Of The Teochew Chai Poh Hor Fun

Poh Preserved Veg Hor Fun (菜莆河) is back at Chinatown Complex Food Centre after abruptly closing its Empress Road Food Centre. The stall currently offers only four items on the menu, a reduction he used to sell at his last stall. From what I read online, Mr Ng, the stall owner, has 20 years of experience working at Shangri-La and Kim Huat Restaurant. He was running the stall alone during my visit.

Preserved Veg Hor Fun 4/5

We had the signature Preserved Veg Hor Fun ($6). I observed how Mr Ng heated up the wok and stir-fried the flat rice noodles in the high heat, infusing them with the wok's breathe (smokiness). After that, beaten egg is poured into the wok, wrapping and sealing the smokiness in the golden egg coat. When one tucks into the plate of noodles, the first thing that hit me was the release of the smokey aroma, followed by the egg's fragrant. It is like having a plate of fried white carrot cake, not getting the crunchy bites of sweet chai poh.

Oyster Preserved Veg Hor Fun 3.8/5

We also had the Oyster Preserved Veg Hor Fun ($6), which is not much different from the original version. However, I find the addition of prawns is better than oysters. The sweetness from the prawns gave the plate of noodles an additional boost in taste profile.

Egg Fried Rice 3/5

The Egg Fried Rice ($5.50) was rather ordinary. The rice texture has a bite, so if you prefer the soft and moist type, this is not for you.

Prawn Paste Chicken 4.2/5

To complement your plate of hor fun or fried rice, I would highly recommend the Prawn Paste Chicken ($10). Deep-fried to golden brown, it was crispy and juicy. The fried chicken was packed with the rich prawn paste flavour, rich and prominent.


Poh Preserved Veg Hor Fun (菜莆河)
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street
#02-206
Singapore 050336
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 10am - 3pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Pagoda Street. Turn right onto Trengganu Street and walk to the end of the street. Cross Smith Street and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 2. Walk to Sago Lane. Turn left and walk down Sago Lane. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. Map]

Kwee Zeen @ Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort - Limited-Time Hawker Buffet On Magnifique Hawker Nights

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa has collaborated with some of the best and well-loved local hawkers and brands to create a one-stop destination for the best local food across Singapore. In celebration of National Day, the Hawker buffet ($74++/pax) runs from 5 to 9 August 2022, featuring free-flow food from 15 hawkers, including:

1) Ah Ma Lor Mee
2) Jian Bo Shui Kueh
3) Legendary Bak Kut Teh
4) Janggut Laksa
5) Lee Wee & Brothers
6) Hock Lian Huat
7) Nam Kee Chicken Rice
8) Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles
9) Kim Choo Kueh Chang
10) Old Amoy Chendol
11) Hong Seng Curry Rice
12) Mr Popiah
13) Rochor Original Beancurd
14) Du Du Cooked Food
15) Old Original Serangoon Hokkien Mee

While the Taste of Singapore will end on 9 August 2022, the stalls included in the hotel's Magnifique Hawker Nights Buffet line-up are still operating every Friday and Saturday from 12 August.

Each hawker stall has its own booth, and dishes are assembled on-site by the hotel's chefs with ingredients catered from respective hawker stalls. The booths span from the indoors to the outdoor area of Kwee Zeen restaurant.

We kickstart the buffet with a piping hot bowl of goodness from Legendary Bak kut Teh. The pork ribs are soft and fork tender, stewed in a robust broth of fragrant herbs and spices.

Next, we moved on to the Traditional Hainanese Curry Rice from Hong Seng Curry Rice. Messy but delicious, we piled the plate with the quintessential Pork Chop, Boneless Curry Chicken, Pork Belly and Cabbage before topping off everything with thick and luscious curry sauce.

One of my favourites is the laksa from Janggut Laksa. The trademark of the Original Katong Laksa was that the noodles were cut short and eaten with a spoon for the sake of convenience. As for the laksa broth, it was comforting, flavourful and light, even though it is not too spicy.

The Lor Mee from Ah Ma Lor Mee was also satisfying, with a flavourful and viscous gravy packed with a good amount of lor bak, white fish flakes, egg and fried meatball.

We had a bowl of dry meepok noodles from Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles. It is a comforting bowl of noodles with a springy texture. You can opt for the soup version as well.

The Nasi Lemak from Lee Wee & Brothers had all the quintessential ingredients fried chicken wings, otah, roasted peanuts, cucumber slices, ikan bilis and sambal chilli.

For beverages, we had the soya bean milk from Rochor Original Beancurd. It was cold, refreshing, and as good as I remembered it to be. While you are there, grab some of their traditional beancurd as well.

The buffet also includes other local delights such as the satay and chilli crab with mantou.

Dive into favourites such as the Sambal Squid, Braised Pork Knuckle, and Chef Nelson's rendition of the tender beef cheek rendang.

There is also small seafood on ice selection, including prawns, clams, black, gong gong, mussels, scallops, and yabby.

End your meal on a sweet note with a wide array of traditional Nyonya kuehs and desserts, such as the Kueh Lapis, Rainbow kueh and ondeh ondeh.

Not to be missed is the chendol from Old Amoy Chendol, which comes with shaved ice, red beans, pandan jelly, coconut milk and gula melaka. As it was a DIY station, we topped off our bowl with extra coconut milk, which has a strong taste but is not too overpowering, and gula melaka, which was fragrant and rich.

While $74++ may be pretty steep price to pay for free-flow hawker food, it is a great solution to sample the best of Singapore's hawker culture in one place without having the hassle of travelling to the outlets one by one. Moreover, with the hotel's aim to give featured hawkers a "platform to earn a sustained income with a long-term partnership", which allowed the hawker buffet to run from 12 August to the end of the year, we absolutely love the cause and support for our local hawker heroes!

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kwee Zeen
Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
2 Bukit Manis Road
Singapore 099891
Tel: +65 67088310
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Harbourfont MRT (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at HarbourFront MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to pick up point at Exit D. Wait for the complimentary shuttle bus service. The shuttle service is available every 30 minutes of the hour. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭) @ Yuhua Food Centre - Popular Hainanese Chicken Rice In The West With Snaking Queue

Whenever you ask Singaporeans where is the best Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore, you probably get different answers. I am not surprised because best is subjective, especially in a food paradise like Singapore, where you can get Hainanese Chicken Rice almost anywhere around the island. Everyone has their favourite, and one popular stall in the West is Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭) at Yuhua Food Centre. It always has a long snaking queue at its stall.

Hainanese Chicken Rice 4.5/5

I ordered Half a Steamed Chicken ($12) and chicken liver which is deboned and drizzled in a sweet and savoury brown sauce. It also came with a few slices of pineapple and tomato. The chicken is slightly cold, suggesting it has been dunked in cold water. The meat is tender and juicy too. I can understand why there is always a long queue to savour their chicken rice.

The rice at Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is of the firmer type, which is the texture I like. It is also not greasy, but I thought the flavour was a bit too subtle, lacking the fragrance of a good plate of chicken rice.

Another essential component for any chicken rice stall is the chilli. The chilli is really shiok, complementing the chicken and rice excellently. It is spicy, tangy and garlicky. Unfortunately, the ginger sauce was too watery for my liking.

Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭)
Yuhua Food Centre
Blk 347 Jurong East Ave 1
Singapore 600347
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 7am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Boon Lay Way. Turn left and walk to the overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Fish & Chicks @ Clementi West Street 2 - Salted Egg And Chilli Crab Fish & Chips

Fish & Chicks has recently opened a new outlet in Clementi West Street 2. It has eleven outlets around the island. The western food stall is known for its array of Asian-infused western food, pairing Asian spices with classic western dishes, served in generous portions.

Salted Egg Fish & Chips 3.8/5

I had the Salted Egg Fish & Chips ($11.80). It comes in an enormous piece of moist fish fillet coated in a crispy and light batter. I was sceptical whether the salt egg yolk sauce complements the fried fish, and it turned out the sauce was legit yummy, which goes very well with the fried fish. For the sides, we have coleslaw and french fries.

Chilli Crab Fish & Chips 3.5/5

My partner has the Chilli Crab Fish & Chips ($11.80), which comes with the same coleslaw and french fries for the sides. However, the chilli crab sauce fell short of my expectation. It lacks the punchy taste profile that makes the chilli crab a national dish both locals and foreigners love.

Besides Fish and Chips, the stall sells many other western fares such as steak, pasta and even Japanese donburi. Fish & Chicks is a hawker stall; hence I can't expect restaurant quality for its fish and chips. However, it is affordable, and serving is generous. I don't mind going back to try the other items on the menu.


Fish & Chicks
Blk 713 Clementi West Street 2
#01-115
Singapore 120713
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 201. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Walk straight across the housing blocks to Clementi West Street 2. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Clementi Bus Interchange (Stop ID 17009). Take bus number 282. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice (源源砂煲饭) @ Bukit Batok - Claypot Rice with 40 Years of Heritage Opens New Stall

After 40 years, Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice has a new stall in the recently renovated and brightly-lit Mei De Coffeeshop in Bukit Batok. Founded initially by Uncle Seah at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre in Bukit Merah in 1982, his son and second-generation owner, Raymond Seah, officially took over in 2019. Raymond then explored an apprenticeship model intending to preserve his father's legacy.

Cooking with charcoal fire is not an easy skill, especially to master the different techniques required for cooking single pax claypots versus bigger claypots that serve 2 to 5 pax. Raymond focused on imparting the craft of cooking single pax claypots to his apprentices, and that is what you will find here in Bukit Batok, the first stall to be helmed by his trained apprentice chef. The chicken stock and homemade secret black sauce will continue to be made and supplied by Raymond.

Claypot Rice 砂锅饭 4/5

Each portion of Claypot Rice ($8) is served with a generous drizzle of the homemade black sauce and a classic mix of ingredients - marinated chicken, lup cheong, liver sausage, salted fish and vegetables. Please give it a good mix before digging in!

The result of cooking over charcoal fire shines through, as you get a lovely smokiness in terms of fragrance and taste. There was also a nicely-charred crust at the bottom of the pot, which is one of my favourite things about claypot rice.

I enjoyed how the black sauce is not too sweet so that while it adds on sweetness, it doesn't end up overwhelming the flavours of the other ingredients. The chicken chunks were tender and thoroughly marinated with a lingering hint of hua diao wine.

Deep Fried Prawn Rolls 五香虾枣 3.8/5

The Deep Fried Prawn Rolls ($8) was served piping hot as they are freshly fried upon order. Each of them had a thin, crunchy exterior that reminded us of fried wanton skins. The well-packed filling was perfectly seasoned with a distinct touch of star anise.

Seasonal Vegetables 油菜

If you need more greens to go with your claypot rice, the Seasonal Vegetables ($4/$6) are also available for order.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice
Blk 273 Bukit Batok East Ave 4
Mei De Coffee Shop
Singapore 650273
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bukit Batok MRT station. Walk to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 43009). Take bus number 177. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes [Map]

Wild Coco @ McNair Road - A Delicious Plate Of Nasi Lemak As Good As Dickson Nasi Lemak

Are you missing Dickson Nasi Lemak after it temporarily closed its shop upon Malaysia's live chicken export ban to Singapore? If you are, I have a piece of good news. I have discovered Wild Coco at McNair Road, which sells an excellent plate of Ayam Goreng Berempah that is comparable to Dickson Nasi Lemak. Furthermore, you can dine-in at Wild Coco, unlike Dickson Nasi Lemak, which only could takeaway.

Ayam Goreng Berempah 4.5/5

We had the Ayam Goreng Berempah ($9.80), which comes with a whole spiced chicken leg, fried egg, ikan bilis, peanuts and sambal chilli. The deep-fried whole chicken leg is crispy on the exterior and well-flavoured by the beautiful aroma of the various spices. On the other hand, the meat is tender and juicy. It is comparable to Dickson Nasi Lemak.

As for the rice, Wild Coco's version is more subtle, while Dickson Nasi Lemak's version is robust and rich. The sambal chilli is also better at Dickson Nasi Lemak, which is spicier and more fragrant.

However, Wild Coco fares better in other areas. First, their Ayam Goreng Berempah comes with a fried egg instead of a hard-boiled egg at Dickson Nasi Lemak. Second, you can dine-in at Wild Coco, meaning you can have your food fresh out of the kitchen while Dickson Nasi Lemak can only takeaway.

After comparing the Ayam Goreng Berempah at both Wild Coco and Dickson Nasi Lemak, I find both have pros and cons. However, Wild Coco has a slight edge because you can dine in, and there are more varieties such as Fried Sambal Fish Nasi Lemak and other side dishes.


[CLOSED]
Wild Coco
Blk 122 Mcnair Road
#01-45
Singapore 320122
Tel: +65 91193822
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NE Line), Farrer Park (CC Line), Novena (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 1030am - 3pm
Tue-Sat: 1030am - 830pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Boon Heng MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to Towner Road. Walk to traffic junction of Towner Road and McNair Road. Cross the road onto McNair Road and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk to bus stop at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (Stop ID 07211). Take bus number 21, 125, 130 and 139 . Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road and walk to McNair Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Novena MRT station (Stop ID 50038). Take bus number 21. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]