Lucky Seafood Catering @ Geylang Lorong 17 - You Do Not Need To Travel To Ipoh For Handmade Lai Fun & Hakka Yong Tau Foo

My last overseas travel was to Ipoh with a group of foodie friends to explore the food there. One of the places we visited is Dai Shu Geok (大树脚) Yong Tau Foo. That is when I get to know the local likes to have their Yong Tau Foo with a bowl of assam laksa. For those that are unable to travel to Ipoh during this pandemic period, I am glad to say that Lucky Seafood Catering at Geylang Lorong 17 offers a similar experience. They even handmade their own Lai Fun noodle at the stall. I have to give credit to Miss Tam Chiak for discovering and sharing the place.

Approaching the stall, you will see a variety of fried Yong Tau Foo in the display for you to pick and choose. If you look beyond the display shelf, you will probably find some staffs making and frying the Yong Tau Foo on the spot.

Yong Tau Foo 3.5/5

The Yong Tau Foo that you have chosen and picked will be served in a bowl of soup. 

Sak Kok Liew 4.5/5

A must-have is the Fried Jicama or better known as Sak Kok Liew in Cantonese. The mang or turnip is wrapped with dried shrimps and rolled into a circular shape with beancurd skin. This is then deep-fried to golden brown, giving it an enjoyable crispy bite on the exterior with a crunchy interior. 

Fried Tofu Skin 3/5

I am not a fan of Fried Tofu Skin if it is to be eaten plain. Over here, it is served with an accompanying dipping sauce. My recommendation is to dip it into the Assam Laksa, allowing the fried tofu skin to soak up the savoury broth.

Assam Laksa 3/5

The highlight at Lucky Seafood Catering is their handmade Lai Fun noodle which is used in the Assam Laksa. I really love the freshness and the delectable texture. However, the assam laksa lacks the consistency from my friend's previous visit. We spoke to the owner, and it seems that he is continually adjusting his recipe to suit the customers' feedback. My advice is to keep to his original recipe, which makes him different from others.

Lai Fun Soup 4/5

The best way to enjoy the freshly handmade Lai Fun Soup is to have it plain with some beansprouts and spring onion. 

Kon Loh Mee 3.8/5

If you not into spicy or plain, there is a third way to appreciate the Lai Fun in Kon Loh Mee style. The noodle is tossed in a dark savoury sauce and topped with minced meat.

Curry Chee Cheong Fun 2.8/5

Besides the Yong Tau Foo, you can also order Curry Chee Cheong Fun here. This is a staple dish in Ipoh that comes with pigskin and long beans in a pool of curry sauce. I thought there was too much curry powder in the sauce for my liking. By the way, the cheong fun is sourced from a supplier. They do not make it themselves.

Lucky Seafood Catering

134 Sims Avenue (Geylang Lorong 17)

Singapore 387456

Tel: +65 84049266

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Nearest MRT: Kallang (EW Line), Aljunied (EW Line)

Opening Hours:

Daily: 5pm - 12midnight

Direction: 

1) Alight at Kallang MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Kallang MRT station (Stop ID 80031). Take bus number 2, 13, 51, 63, 67, 80 or 100. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Aljunied MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to overhead bright. Cross the road and walk Sims Place. Walk along the MRT track to Geylang Lorong 17. Turn left onto Geylang Lorong 17. Walk to Sims Avenue. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

White Rose Cafe @ York Hotel Singapore - Malaysia Street Food Fiesta 21 June To 7 July 2019

If you are a fan of Malaysia street food, head down to White Rose Cafe at York Hotel Singapore for its Malaysia Street Food Fiesta promotion. Taking place from 21 June to 7 July 2019, the Fiesta will feature a range of Malaysian street food, all prepared a la minute by the hawkers from Malaysia.

Apom Manis 4/5

With the sides as thin as tuile and the middle soft and fluffy, these freshly made Apom Manis will have you gobbling a few in one sitting. It will be wiser to start off your buffet with this before the queue gets longer towards the end of the buffet.

Klang Bak Kut Teh 4.5/5

I had 2 bowls of Klang Bak Kut Teh, and I regretted not going for a third serving! The soup was similar to a clear and deep-coloured herbal consomme that was richly flavoured by Chinese herbs, spices and pork bones. The pork ribs were tender, and the addition of pig's skins was a bonus.

Char Koay Kat 4/5

Char Koay Kat is a crowd pleaser with its dark, caramelised sauce that flavoured each and every element on the plate. The charred bits of chye poh and garlic were dangerously addictive, and especially so when fish sauce and garlic were added to boost its flavours. Lots of eggs in each plate, which made it even more satisfying.

Penang White Curry Mee 4/5

It was quite a rare opportunity to be able to try this Penang White Curry Mee. The coconut broth on its own surprised me with its depth of flavour. The chilli paste at the side was meant to be mixed in to complete the curry, but it was loaded with so much oomph that I used it as a dip for the ingredients instead, to enjoy it thoroughly.

Nasi Kandar 3.5/5

Nasi Kandar is a northern Malaysian staple originating from Penang, and my favourite element in this dish was the blend of fish and squid curry that was served over the perfectly steamed rice. From the look of it, I knew it would not be overly creamy, and I like how robust it was, with a gentle fieriness only kicking in at the end.

Ipoh Yong Tau Foo 3/5

Ipoh Yong Tau Foo is usually a simple dish that speaks volume with a broth that one craves every now and then. But the chilli here is quite different from the flavour that we are more familiar with. I reckon having the dry version with the soup at the side will give you the best of both worlds.

KL Hokkien Mee 2.8/5

Another dish that we are more familiar with is KL Hokkien Mee. It didn't have that alluring black coat of dark soy sauce, perhaps that was why it wasn't as satisfying as expected. But the chilli was superb.

Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun 3/5

I was elated to find Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun because I wanted to try it again after my visit to Ipoh. You could have it 2 ways - either with minced meat mushroom sauce or curry sauce. But I feel the best way to appreciate the lovely steamed rice noodle rolls is to have it with just the fried shallots and sesame.

Burbur Chacha 2.8/5

Nonya Kueh 2.8/5

For desserts, there are Burbur Chacha, Iced Jelly, an assortment of Nonya Kueh and Fruit Skewers. But nothing beats the freshly made Apom Manis!

Malaysia Street Food Fiesta
Date: 21 June to 7 July 2019
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 10pm

Price
Weekdays (lunch and dinner): S$25 per adult | S$15 per child
Weekends (lunch and dinner): S$28 per adult | S$18 per child

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


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

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

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]

Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle @ Pandan Gardens - Best Fishball Noodle In The West

I have known about Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle at Pandan Gardens for a while, but I simply can't find the time to visit it even though it is quite near my home. Excuses aside I finally made my way to the quiet neighbourhood to check out the hidden gem that has received raving reviews even from fellow hawkers, chefs and influencers. The more reason I have to check it out myself.

Mee Pok Dry 4.2/5

I have the Fishball Mee Pok Dry ($3). The noodle was cooked to a delightful al dente bite complemented by the excellent chilli sauce which has been made in-house. I had the small bowl, which also comes with three fishballs and some slices of fish cakes.

Mixed Soup 4.5/5

Meatball 4.5/5, Fish Dumpling 4.8/5

Knowing that the stall handmade most of the ingredients, I could not resist ordering a bowl of Mixed Soup ($5/$6) that comes with all these handmade goodness. Besides the bouncy handmade fishballs, the highlight has to be their Fish Dumpling. Unlike those doughy, factory-made type, the fish dumpling here has a silky texture with a crunchy bite. It is like wrapping it with real fish skin. The handmade meatball here is as good too. I was surprised by its soft texture with the aroma of dried sole fish.

Yong Tau Foo 4.2/5

If you don't feel like have fishball noodle, you can also go for the Yong Tau Foo ($4). For the price, the portion is really decent with stuffed beancurd, beancurd skin, fish cake, fish dumpling and meatball. You can choose to have it together with noodle or rice.

I am really great that I have finally tried Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle and now I understand why it has been getting good reviews from fellow foodies. The best part it is near my home. In fact, I have already gone back a couple of times already.


Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle
Blk 415 Pandan Gardens
#01-117
Singapore 600415
Tel: 65 90027330
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Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 7am - 3pm
Sun: 7am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Jurong East Bus Interchange (Stop ID 28009). Take bus number 51. Alight 7 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

Rasa Hakka Restaurant @ Taman Sri Tebrau [Johor Bahru, Malaysia] - My Go To Place For Thunder Tea

A decade ago, I chanced upon Rasa Hakka Restaurant when visiting our neighbour across the causeway, and since then, whenever possible it will be one of the pit stops for my meals. Years back, when someone asked what would be my last meal on earth, I was never certain. As I age and settle into myself, the answer found its way to me. It would be Ham Cha. Most of you probably know it as Lei Cha aka Thunder Rice Tea, terms that I got acquainted with much later in life. It's a dish filled with memories of me helping my mum with the pounding and grinding of the tea leaves, peanuts, in a round wooden vessel with a wooden pestle before we proceeded to a more conventional stone bowl and grinder, then to the current blender. Trust me, the taste is not the same. Anyway, I don't remember a moment that I have never like it, even as a kid and it just satisfies me so much to have a real good one.

Rice Wine Chicken 3.5/5

I brought my parents there this time round to have a taste of their other dishes. My dad chose the Rice Wine Chicken (RM$18 small) straight away. The soul lies with the rice wine of course, and for those who have not ever tasted homemade rice wine before, I must say you are truly lucky. It is a lost trade, at least, till I learn it from my mum. Soon I hope. My dad's instant response towards this dish was "your grandma's one is more fragrant". It was decent enough to satisfy our cravings but the flaw I guess comes from the fact that the dish was not prepared a la minute, and so the flavours of the chicken and the wine didn't fully bind together.

Yong Tau Foo 3/5

I grew up in a family where Yong Tau Foo is made from scratch. Mum will painstakingly scrap the fish meat off from the skin and bones and fill in the ingredients one by one. Those ready-made with white fish paste that shriveled under heat, my mum basically scorns them. At Rasa Hakka, you can pick and choose the Yong Tau Foo at RM$1.80 per piece , coupled with rice or noodles. I would suggest choosing noodles over rice when having Yong Tau Foo in Malaysia for a change. The handmade noodles with the minced meat is really quite delicious. I find the soup here one of the better ones. For the past few times I came, it was consistently sweet with a depth of savouriness. I thought it was even tastier this time round but the Yong Tau Foo itself sadly was less enjoyable. Although they were made of real meat, the meat was too compact and lacked juiciness from elements like water chestnut bits. The saving grace was the add-on noodles.

Thunder Rice Tea 4/5

And of course, my favourite Lei Cha. There are 3 options - White Rice, Brown Rice and Full Vegetables, small or large. I always go for the Full vegetables (RM$12 large) which comes with a bigger bowl of tea too. I don't think the taste of it has changed much over the 10 years, just that they no longer served black-eye peas. Perhaps you could share with me which stalls still serve that. The vegetables here are neither too salty or bland, nor oily. The cai pok has a balanced of sweet and saltiness, hence even though it may seem quite a big scoop, it flavours the entire bowl just right. My favourite part is the generous portion of mani cai, which to me is one of the leading characters to an authentic bowl of Lei Cha, next to peanuts and cai pok. Because it is such a laborious task to prep this vegetables, you will only see this mani cai in independent food stalls in Singapore. I love their tea too, nicely seasoned and rich enough with tea leaves and herbs.

Other everyday Hakka dishes include Deep Fried Pork Belly, Steamed Pork with Preserved Mustard. Within walking distance from KSL shopping mall, Rasa Hakka Restaurant serves well as a fuss-free dining option and a good alternative if you want to take a break from your usual pit stops.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Rasa Hakka Restaurant
No 93, Jalan Keris 1
Taman Sri Tebrau
80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Tel: +60 127071449
[Map]

Maxwell Hakka Handmade Yong Tau Foo @ Maxwell Food Centre - Go Early Before Their Chee Cheong Fun Yong Tau Foo Gets Sold Out

Maxwell Hakka Handmade Yong Tau Foo has recently set foot at Maxwell Food Centre, specialising in Hakka style Yong Tau Foo. Ingredients are handmade, notably their special fish paste with carrot slices and the soup broth prepared with pork bones, radish, ikan bilis and soy beans.

One look at the ingredients stuffed with their special fish paste and you will know they are indeed different from the commercial 'snowwhite' version. They are prepared fresh daily to ensure quality, mostly done by the owner, Vincent himself with a bit of help from his aunt on weekdays and co-owner Alex will be around on weekends to share the load as well. He learnt the skills from his uncle and took him about a year before coming out on this own. Although stories of giving corporate jobs and switching to hawkerpreneurship are not new these days but they are still very much inspiring to listen to, especially when it is not big and fancy about dreams and what not, but very much rooted to changing a source of livelihood, like how hawkers started off back then. I also like to see how their loved ones root for them and support them in different ways. Kindness makes the world go round.

Back to the food. Another key aspect of Yong Tau Foo is the sauces. At Maxwell Hakka Handmade Yong Tau Foo, their chilli sauce and sweet sauce are concocted with their own recipes as well, including the sesame oil drizzled on the dry Yong Tau Foo.

Chee Cheong Fun Yong Tau Foo 3.8/5

The most popular item here that often gets sold out is the freshly steamed Chee Cheong Fun Yong Tau Foo ($4) and I can see why is that so. The chilli and sweet sauce go naturally well with chee cheong fun and when served alongside with other ingredients. This bowl of 'chunky' ingredients of different textures and bites is quite satisfying to eat. I would imagine for somebody who often have chee cheong fun as breakfast or snack, this is a perfect combination for a brunch. And for such a hearty bowl, it is only $4.

Dry Yong Tau Foo 3.8/5

The Dry Yong Tau Foo comes with their special sesame oil, giving a dash of flavour to the plain Bee Hoon. Hence, I do suggest having your bee hoon or noodles at the side for the extra enjoyment.

One of Alex's own creations is the Fried Egg in which he halved the egg, laid the fish paste and fried it. The usual ones would be frying the entire egg without any stuffing, this definitely takes more effort.

Yong Tau Foo Soup 3.8/5

The soup here is really tasty - light but has the depth and sweetness. Hence the Yong Tau Foo Soup ($3.80) is what I will go for. As for the ingredients, I enjoy both the non-fried and fried beancurd with fish paste, as well as the brinjal and bitterguord. The sliced carrots in the fish paste stood out in most of the ingredients, adding texture and sweetness to the well seasoned stuffing. Both the brinjal and bittergourd could be better if they were of thicker slices. One could appreciate the fish paste more as the ingredients tend to shrink and get abit oily when fried. The Green Chilli YTF is quite yummy too, as the sweetness of the carrot does help to ease the sharpness of the chilli.

Growing up eating my mum's Yong Tau Foo and seeing her making each ingredient from scratch, like any hawker dish, dishing out a bowl of a decent Yong Tau Foo is not easy. They have done a pretty good job, with quality ingredients and conviction to get it right. Maxwell Hakka Handmade Yong Tau Foo is quite secluded at the last row near to the construction side hence do keep a look out for it if you often get your lunch from Maxwell Food Centre. They are open on weekends too.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Maxwell Hakka Handmade Yong Tau Foo
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 3
1 Kadayanallur Street
Singapore 069184
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pager (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 4pm

Direction:
1) Alighat at Tanjong Pager MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left onto Maxwell Road. Walk down Maxwell Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Mustard Seed Pop Up @ Potong Pasir - Kaiseki Style Private Dining That Is Worthy For The Long Waiting List

Lately I have been checking out a number of private dining places such as Lucky House and Fat Fuku with my foodie friends. We are lucky to score a table at Mustard Seed Pop Up in August because a group cancelled their booking. Currently Mustard Seed is already booked out for the year. The private kitchen is helmed by Chef Ming Kiat who has worked and learned his craft at Goto and Candlenut. He left Singapore to work as a chef at the Singapore High Commission in Australia before returning home to start Mustard Seed.

Watercress Chawanmushi 4.2/5

We were given a glimpse of Chef Ming Kiat's culinary philosophy starting from the first dish, using local ingredients to create Japanese Kaiseki style dishes. Instead of dashi, he cleverly uses watercress broth to make the smooth and silky Watercress Chawanmushi. In it, there are also mushroom, tender chicken cubes and junsai (a kind of perennial water plant that grows in shallow ponds and swamps).

Fried Frog Legs Hakka Style 4.8/5

The aroma of the Fried Frog Legs already makes me drool even before they are served. The lightly  battered frog legs are inspired from the local Har Cheong Gai. The fermented shrimp paste works beautifully with the tender frog leg meat. Squeeze a bit of the calamansi to liven the whole flavour.

Milk Bun 4.5/5

Grouper in White Curry 4.2/5

Next we have Grouper in Japanese White Curry with Milk Bun. The highlight is the soft and fluffy milk bun. It is so good that we asked for more. Unfortunately there was no extra. I was hoping for more bread to wipe up the delicious white curry.

Yong Tau Foo, Oden 4.8/5

Another favourite dish of mine is the Japanese twist of Oden, Yong Tau Foo style. The broth is made from boiling ikan bilis and yellow bean. In the bowl of light and refreshing soup, you can find radish, homemade ngoh hiang, eggplant with cuttlefish paste and tofu.

Pork Belly with Local Condiments 4.5/5

After the bowl of comforting oden, we are served Pork Belly with Local Condiments. The local condiments are homemade cincalok, achar and sambal chilli ikan bilis. This is to pair with the braised pork belly and have it together with the vegetable, like a wrap.

Duck Meatball Curry

Wrapping up our savoury dishes is the Duck Meatball Curry. The duck meatball is made from a mix of breast and thigh meat. Water chestnut is also added for the additional crunch. The tasty red curry which is mildly spiced, complements the duck meatball excellently, as well as the Koshihikon Rice.

Guava, Cucumber and Yuzu Sorbet 4.5/5

Before moving to dessert, we had the refreshing Guava, Cucumber and Yuzu Sorbet for palate cleanser.

Pulut Hitam with Sake Lees Ice Cream 4/5

Even for our dessert, Pulut Hitam with Sake Lees Ice Cream incorporates both local and Japanese influences. The sake lees ice cream is a fermented curd from the remnants of sake making. The sweetness of the sake lees ice cream replaces the vanilla ice cream or coconut milk that is usually used in the traditional dessert.

I understand Mustard Seed is fully booked until end of the year already. Do check out his website if you are planning to make a booking. Good luck in making a reservation.


Mustard Seed Pop Up
Blk 121 Potong Pasir Ave 1
Singapore 350121
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Potong Pasir (NE Line)

Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu (百年酿豆腐) @ Viva Business Park - Handmade Yong Tau Foo That Always Has A Long Queue

Bai Nian Niang Dou Fu (百年酿豆腐) which has its flagship stall at Albert Centre Food Centre has extended its business and opened branches at People's Park Food Centre and Viva Business Park in Chai Chee. The queue at their flagship stall has always been long, hence it is good that they have expanded their business allowing many patrons to try their handmade Niang Dou Fu. During my visit to the Viva Business Park branch, there was already a queue when I reached there.

Niang Dou Fu Soup 4.2/5

A bowl of the Niang Dou Fu Soup ($5.50) comes with 7 different pieces of bite size Niang Dou Fu and noodles. In it, you can find prawn ball, pork ball, bitter gourd, beancurd, white, black and gold beancurd rolls stuffed with pork, fish, prawn and squid filling. All these are freshly made and cooked on the spot. The highlight among the various ingredients is actually the prawn roll that is made from tiger prawn flesh. It has an enjoyable bouncy texture. The soup itself is light and tasty.

Niang Dou Fu Dry 4/5

Besides the soup version, the stall also offers the dry version. Similar to the soup version, the dry version comes with the 7 different handmade niang dou fu. Replacing the soup, is the sweet sauce and chilli sauce. Personally I prefer the soup version as the sweetness of the sauce kind of masked the appreciation of the ingredients.

Chicken Wing 3.5/5

You can complete your meal with the Chicken Wing ($6 for 4pc). I like the honesty that I get 4 drumette and 4 wingette. Some stalls probably only get you 2 of each, which is actually only 2 chicken wings. Over here, you get the 4 whole chicken wings for $6. The wings are big and juicy too. I can taste five spices in the crispy batter, which is quite flavourful. However the crust from the batter is a bit too tough.

Bai Nian (百年) Niang Dou Fu
Viva Business Park
750 Chai Chee Road
#01-25
Singapore 469000
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line), Kembangan (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Bedok MRT station (Stop ID 84039). Take bus number 222. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes [Map]

2) Alight at Kembangan MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Kembangan MRT station (Stop ID 83062). Take bus number 2, 7, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 33, 67 and 854. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]