Original (正宗) @ Geylang East Centre Food Centre - Old School Claypot Delights

My recent visit to Geylang East Centre Food Centre introduces me to Original (正宗) which sells claypot delights such as Laksa, Pork Ribs Noodle Soup, Pig Tail Prawn Noodle, Prawn Noodle and Curry Chicken, all serve in claypot.

Claypot Prawn Noodle 2.8/5

The Claypot Prawn Noodle ($3) comes with fresh peeled prawns, bean sprouts and pork slices. For the price, the portion is quite reasonable, served piping hot in a claypot. The old school style prawn noodle lacked the rich crustacean flavour in the soup. Hence it did not quite manage to win over my palate. It was decent but not wow.

Claypot Laksa 3/5

Like the prawn noodle, the Claypot Laksa ($3) is served piping hot in a claypot. The laksa comes with cockles, fishcake and prawn. The laksa broth has a light creamy consistency. However I felt it lacked the depth of a good laksa broth to complement the rice noodle. It is missing the richness of the coconut milk as well as the aroma of the dried shrimps.

Although I felt the food is rather average here, I did observe that the stall had a constant stream of customers during my visit. I will assume either the customers are attracted by the reasonable pricing or the old school taste of their claypot dishes.


Original (正宗)
Geylang East Centre Food Centre
Blk 117 Aljunied Ave 2
#01-02
Singapore 380117
Nearest MRT: Aljunied (EW Line), Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
TBA

Direction:
1) Alight at Aljunied MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk towards Aljunied Road. Take the overhead bridge. Cross the road and walk to bus stop opposite Aljunied MRT station (Stop ID 81081). Take bus number 80. Alight 2 stops later. Cut through the housing estate. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

 2) Alight at Aljunied MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn right and walk to Geylang East Ave 1. On Geylang East Ave 1, turn left and continue to the end of the road. Cross the road and continue on Aljunied Crescent. Walk down Aljunied Crescent and turn right onto Aljunied Ave 2. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Paya Lebar MRT station (Stop ID 81119). Take bus number 134 or 155. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Cut through the housing estate and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Island Penang Kitchen @ Clementi West Street 2 - Good Penang Food In The West

Just like life, you probably have to give a restaurant a second chance. I remembered when I first moved to the West Coast about 3 years ago, I tried Island Penang Kitchen which has moved from Chinatown to Clementi West Street 2. I did not enjoy the food and hence I did not write about it. However, recently I have been hearing good  reviews about the place from my friends, so I made a trip back to find out for myself.

Penang Fried Kway Teow 4/5

Our plate of Penang Fried Kway Teow ($6) comes with Chinese sausage, pork lard, egg, beansprouts, prawn and fishcake. The savoury plate of rice noodle has a hint of smokiness and I like how the egg is still a bit runny coating the noodles. The beansprout provided the extra crunchy texture while the Chinese sausage and pork lard accentuated the flavours.

Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle with Pork Rib 4.2/5

My favourite among the 3 mains we ordered is the Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle with Pork Rib ($7). The robustness of the prawn broth, with a hint of spiciness was balanced and work harmoniously with the different ingredients and noodles. In the bowl, you will get half an egg, kang kong, prawns, lean pork slices, pork ribs and pig skins. The pork rib was so soft that it literally melted in your mouth. What surprises me is the addition of pig skin in the bowl of noodle, this is a bonus to me.

Penang Assam Laksa 4/5

Island Penang Kitchen serves a decent bowl of Penang Assam Laksa ($5) too. It has a nice balance of sour, sweet and spicy, topped with onions, cucumbers, pineapple and greens I also applauded the effort of using the authentic type of noodle served in Penang and not those thick beehoon. My only disappointment was that I could not find much minced fish in the assam laksa, another characteristic of assam laka.

Chendol 3.8/5

Last but not least, we wrapped up or lunch with a bowl of Chendol ($3). It didn't seen that the restaurant uses fresh coconut milk but I can make do will it. It was still a refreshing bowl of dessert to wash down a satisfying meal.


Island Penang Kitchen
Blk 721 Clementi West Street 2
#01-126
Singapore 120721
Tel: +65 68730163
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 930pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 11am - 930pm
(Closed on alternate Tue)

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 2 stops later. Cross the road. Walk towards West Coast Community Centre. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Zhen Jie Seafood (珍姐海鲜大虾面) @ Bukit Merah - Not All Lobster Seafood Prawn Noodle Is Good

Lobster seems to be the trend in 2017 making its way into the local hawker scene. The whole viral thing probably started with Sumo Big Prawn Noodle when they started offering lobster for the prawn noodle. Soon many copycats followed and even we have lobster nasi lemak now. Upon coming across the news that Zhen Jie Seafood has opened at Bukit Merah, I decided to make my way down to the stall to check it out.

Lobster Seafood Prawn Noodle Soup 2.5/5

I had the Lobster Seafood Prawn Noodle Soup ($16/$24) which comes with a whole lobster and some clams. Compared to other stalls, the bowl of noodle is rather lackluster with the dinky ingredients. The noodles were also overcooked, which was too soft for enjoyment. The prawn came across as a normal prawn broth which was average but I was expecting more robustness in the broth for the price I am paying.

Crayfish Seafood Noodle Dry 2.8/5

I also ordered the Crayfish Seafood Noodle Dry ($10/$15) to try. The stall owner has ran out of the big crayfish and offered me 3 smaller ones in place of 2 big ones. I accepted the offer but was a bit disappointed when he took out 3 frozen one from the fridge. Once again, the noodle was overcooked. The saving grace is the chilli sauce which managed to give some lift to the disappointment bowl of noodle.

Unfortunately I left disappointed after trying the noodles. It felt like the stall just try to jump onto the bandwagon by simply putting luscious ingredients into their bowl of prawn noodle, instead of fine tuning their bowl of noodle to suit the different ingredients.


Zhen Jie Seafood (珍姐海鲜大虾面)
Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central
Singapore 150161
Tel: +65 98344880
Facebook 
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line), Outram Park (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 8pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza (Stop ID 10161). Take bus number 5. Alight 3 stops later at Bukit Merah Central Bus Interchange. Take the overhead bridge across the road. Walk along Bukit Merah Central (opp mulit-storey carpark) towards the post office. At the junction at the post office, cross the right and turn right. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza (Stop ID 10161). Take bus number 16 and 851. Alight 4 stops later at Bukit Merah Central Bus Interchange. Walk along Bukit Merah Central (opp mulit-storey carpark) towards the post office. At the junction at the post office, cross the right and turn right. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Outram MRT Station. Take Exit H. Walk to bus stop at Outram Park MRT Station along New Bridge Road (Stop ID 05069). Take bus number 147 or 961. Alight 8 stops later. Continue walk along Jalan Bukit Merah towards Bukit Merah Public Library. Take a left at Bukit Merah Central and walk to destination. Journey time about 22 minutes. [Map]

STREAT 2017 @ Clifford Square - Kickstarts Singapore Food Festival 2017

This year's Singapore Food Festival 2017 has lined up a series of events around island happening from 14 to 30 July 2017. Kick-starting this year's Singapore Food Festival is STREAT. The two day event from 14 to 15 July 2017 takes place at Clifford Square.

This year Singapore Food Festival has rooted in Peranakan Chef Malcolm Lee of Michelin-starred restaurant Candlenut and Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket to helm  a pop-up restaurant where the 2 chefs present contemporary interpretations of local dishes, through a 3-course mod-sin and modern Peranakan Tok Panjang menu. Diners will get to sample a variety of 3 appetizers and 3 mains served communal style, capped off with individual desserts for $50 nett.

Among the dishes prepared by Chef Malcolm and Chef Willin, my favourite dishes are the Valrhona Dark Chocolate Rojak and Buah Keluak Chye Tow Kway. I thought I have already seen the last of what can be done with the local hawker fare but both chefs have proven me wrong.

Buah Keluak Chye Tow Kway

Valrhona Dark Chocolate Rojak

In addition, the 2 chefs have also curated 9 stalls, each helmed by a line-up of young hawkerpreneurs and chefs. Each stall will present a unique spin on quintessentially local dishes. The 9 stalls are,
1. The Masses
2. KEK x Good Chance Popiah
3. New Ubin Seafood
4. Khek (Dessert)
5. Whampoa Prawn Noodle
6. Madam Tan's Nasi Lemak
7. Olympics Team
8. One Kueh At A Time
9 Native x Sunday Punch (beverage)

KEK - Coffee Pork Burger 

Good Chance Popiah - Tempura Kimchi Popiah

New Ubin Seafood - USDA Ribeye Heart Attack Fried Rice

Madam Tan's Crispy Pork Nasi Lemak

Whampoa Prawn Noodles - Spicy Prawn Pasta

To make a booking at the pop-up restaurant by Chef Willin Low and Malcolm Lee, please do not hesitate to email wildnuts2017@gmail.com. For those who do not manage to reserve a table, fret not as there is also a takeaway counter of the pop-up restaurant’s menu.

More information of the Singapore Food Festival can be found at the link here.


STREAT 2017 
(Beside Fullerton Bay Hotel)
Clifford Square
80 Collyer Square
Singapore 049326

Opening Hours:
14-15 July 2017
5pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Clifford Centre. Cut across the building. Go to 2nd floor, take the overhead bridge link across the road. Turn left at the base of the overhead bridge. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Fei Zai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle (肥仔排骨虾面) @ Pasir Panjang - Popular Prawn Noodle In The West

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.

Pork Rib Big Prawn Noodle Dry 4.2/5

I ordered the Pork Rib Big Prawn Noodle ($8) which comes with a big prawn, a medium size prawn and 3 pieces of pork ribs. I felt sort of short changed because the stall never gives me 2 big prawns but instead a big and medium.

Putting the size of the prawns aside, this is actually quite a tasty 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 also 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.

If you are in the vicinity, this is definitely a bowl of prawn noodle that is worth the queue. Do be early if you do not want to make a waste trip cos the prawn noodle is very popular and it is sold out quite early.


Fei Zai Pork Rib Prawn Noodle

(肥仔排骨虾面)

114 Pasir Panjang Road
Singapore 118539
Nearest MRT: Pasir Panjang (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 6am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Pasir Panjang MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Turn right and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

White Rose Cafe @ York Hotel Singapore - Popular Penang Hawkers' Fare Buffet Is Back To Delight Gourmands From 10 March to 26 March 2017

The popular Penang Hawkers' Fare buffet at York Hotel Singapore is back for another edition from 10 March to 26 March 2017. Diners will get to savour unlimited helpings of the street food specially prepared by 12 hawkers specially flown in from Penang to recreate their dishes.

Char Kway Teow 4.2/5

My advice is to hit straight to the Char Kway Teow station because the queue is the longest here. Fried under high intense heat, the plate of thin rice noodles imparted a smoky wok hei to the dish. Do note each person is only allow 2 plates each time so get more people to queue if you have a big group.

Penang Prawn Mee 4/5

The soup of the Penang Prawn Mee is painstaking made from prawn heads, shells and pork ribs boiled for hours to achieve the robustness and rich flavours.

Kway Teow Soup 4/5

The Kway Teow Soup comes with smooth rice noodles and bouncy fish cakes and fish balls. What I enjoy most is the light but yet flavourful soup. It comes in both soup and dry version.

Penang Laksa 4/5

A sip of the tangy tamarind fish based broth woke up my sensitives, hitting the right spot. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed that the Penang Laksa uses the thick rice noodles instead of authentic type used in Penang. If the serving has more of the fish meat, it would be better.

Lor Bak 3/5

The plate of fried snack comprises of five spice meat rolls, prawn fritters, deep fried beancurd and more. The highlight has to be meaty and tender Lor Bak which is well marinated and painstakingly hand rolled into shape.

Cuttlefish Kang Kong 3.5/5

A dish not commonly seen nowadays is the Cuttlefish Kang Kong. Although it is a simple dish, the quality prawn paste sauce has elevated the enjoyment of the crunchy cuttlefishand water convolvulus.

Oyster Omelette 4.2/5

The combination of rice flour batter, eggs and oysters are fried to wok fragrant crispiness. For a more fulfilling enjoyment, have it together with the tangy spicy sauce.

Duck Porridge 4.5/5

The star of the latest edition of Penang Hawkers' Fare is the Duck Porridge. The porridge comes with braised duck meat, pig's innards, ginger strips and spring onions. What makes me gone back for a second bowl is the fragrant and flavourful braising sauce that is drizzled over the comforting bowl of duck porridge.

Chendol and Ice Kachang 4/5

For a sweet ending to the hawker fare, there is the Chendol and Ice Kachang. However the not to be missed item is the Ban Chang Kueh which is made freshly on the spot. The crispy pancake is topped with ground peanuts and sugar for a sweet and nutty finish.

Ban Chang Kueh 4.5/5

Dine at White Rose Cafe during the Penang Hawkers' Fare to stand a chance to win a complimentary two-night’s weekend stay in a Premier Room inclusive of a $100 dining voucher for use at White Rose Cafe; one-night weekend stay in a Deluxe Room inclusive of a $50 dining voucher for use at White Rose Cafe for two persons; ‘Treasured Flavours of Singapore’ daily à la carte Buffet Lunch at White Rose Cafe for six persons.

Price
Mon-Fri: $29 adult, $20 child (aged 12 yrs and below)
Sat-Sun, PH: $33 adult, $23 child (aged 12 yrs and below)


White Rose Cafe
York Hotel
21 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228516
Tel: +65 68301156
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 230pm
Dinner: 630pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road towards Goodwood Park Hotel. At Goodwood Park, turn right and walk to the end of the carpark. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles @ Tekka Food Centre - A Taste Of Nostalgia By Pretty Hawker

In my previous post, we had fish ball noodle by a handsome hawker. Today we are going to Tekka Food Centre to have prawn noodle by a pretty hawker, Ruifang. Ruifang is a third generation hawker who runs the Tekka branch while her aunts run the Whampoa stall.

The history of the prawn noodle dated back to 1950s when Ruifang's grandfather was selling the dish along the street of Whampoa. Her dad and grandmother opened their very first physical stall at the Whampoa Market in 1973 when it was first built.

Dry Prawn Noodle 4.2/5

I tried both the Dry Prawn Noodle and Prawn Noodle Soup. My preference is the dry version for the shiok sambal sauce that complements the noodles perfectly. The addition of deep fried shallots and pork lard elevated the flavour further. Have it together with the peeled prawns and pork slice for a taste of nostalgia cooked using a recipe that has been passed down for three generations.

Prawn Noodle Soup 4/5

Perfect for the rainy days is the Prawn Noodle Soup which comes in a thick brown broth that is packed with the crustacean's essence. I could also tasted hints of sweetness probably from the used of some other seafood such as clams to sweeten it. Overall it is a hearty and comforting bowl of prawn noodle.

I read that Ruifang starts her day at 2am preparing for the day's ingredients and soup. I could not imagine the finance graduate would leave her office job to be a hawker. This is really hard work just to be ready for the day to serve a bowl of prawn noodle. So next time, don't forget to show a little bit of appreciation to the hawkers, especially when it is a pretty lady.


545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles
Tekka Food Centre
665 Buffalo Road
#01-326
Singapore 210665
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Little India (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 630am - 2pm (or until sold out)
(Closed on Sat-Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Little India MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Wah Kee @ Esplanade - Popular Hawker Stall Opens First Ever Restaurant

The launching of Wah Kee at Esplanade is like a fairy tale came true. A popular hawker centre at Pek Kio Food Centre for its prawn noodles since 1951, has opened its first ever air conditioned 60 seater restaurant. Fans of the popular Wah Kee prawn noodles, can now enjoy it at either the flagship stall at Pek Kio food centre or at the Esplanade restaurant.

Wah Kee Prawn Noodle with Large Sized Prawn Dry 4.5/5

Wah Kee at Esplanade offers for sizes of the prawn noodle on the menu, ranging from regular to extra large sized prawn. I had the Wah Kee Prawn Noodle with Large Sized Prawn Dry ($20) which comes with 3 fresh and huge prawns swimming in a sea of red. This is actually the same price as what is being sold at Pek Kio food centre. Wow! same price but more cosy dining environment.

The first thing I did is to take a sip of the soup. It was sweet and garlicky with the robustness of prawn shells and seafood flavours. I was told that no pork bones were used in making the of delicious broth. Besides the usual type of noodles that are used for prawn noodle, the other highlight is their Mee Kia noodle that is specially customized made for Wah Kee. The mee kia has a nice biting texture that goes very well with the chilli sauce. When I had it, the first thought that came to my mind was that all the other stalls selling the dish have used the wrong type of noodle for the prawn noodles all these time. This should be the perfect noodle for it.

Clam Soup 4/5

Besides the prawn noodle, Wah Kee at Esplanade also offers other dishes on the menu to complete your meal. One of these items that I tried is the Clam Soup ($12). Compare to the prawn noodle, the clam soup is cleaner in taste and has a sweeter clam flavour. The clam was also fat and juicy.

The only difference is the slight increase in price of $1 or $2 depend on the size of the prawn noodle you order. I don't find paying that extra dollar or two for the air conditioning and not needing to join the long queue at the flagship outlet.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Wah Kee
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-13C
Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63279187
Facebook
Nearest MRT:

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 2pm, 5pm - 1030pm
Fri-Sat & Eve of PH: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 1130pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Raffles Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]