Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

When I was working at Novena yesterday, I had the craving for chicken rice and was contemplating between Wee Nam Kee opposite Novena Square and Boon Tong Kee in Balestier. After all, these are two famous Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore which I have not tried.


I finally settled for Wee Nam Kee because of proximity and it was indeed impressive. Reasonably priced at $4, the chicken rice set for one person comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. The authentic chilli paste, which is sufficiently savory and spicy, is definitely one of the best chicken rice chilli I have tasted. It complements the golden yellow chicken rice which is delightfully fragrant and flavorful. The steamed white chicken, though tasty and tender, would have been more appetizing if it were more fatty and fleshy. Filled with the essence of chicken broth and the sweetness of yellow beans, the delicious soup readily quenches the flames of the scorching chilli paste.

Along the likes of Five Star, Sin Kee and Pow Sing, Wee Nam Kee certainly qualifies as one of the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. Besides chicken rice, Wee Nam Kee also has a variety of cze char dishes that are worth trying.

7.5/10

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
275 Thomson Road
#01-05 Novena Ville

Cai Ji Boneless Duck Rice

Cai Ji Boneless Duck Rice often caught my attention when I patronised Seah Im Food Centre for dinner because of its long queue. Although I am not a fan of braised duck rice, I still felt curious enough to try it.


I ordered a plate of braised duck rice and a braised egg which cost only $3 in total. The delicious yam rice is remarkably fragrant and flavorful. The braised duck is tender, tasty and truly boneless as its name suggests. What is most impressive about Cai Ji Duck Rice that it comes with a bowl of savory herbal soup which complements the yam rice really well.

Cai Ji Boneless Duck Rice is not only impressive in quality but also value for money. It is definitely worthwhile queuing up for.

7.5/10

Cai Ji Boneless Duck Rice
Seah Im Food Centre
2 Seah Im Road #01-58

Lai Ji Fried Kway Teow

Having tried and blogged about almost all the famous fried kway teow in Singapore eg Hill Street fried kway teow at Bedok North, Outram fried kway teow at Hong Lim, Zion fried kway teow at Riverside, Apollo fried kway teow at Marine Parade and Newton Circus fried kway teow at Serangoon Gardens, I now look forward to trying the less-known neighborhood fried kway teow that are delicious and have the potential to become famous one day. Lai Ji fried kway teow at Kovan Food Centre is one of them.


A plate of Lai Ji fried kway teow which costs $3, comes in a satisfactory portion. Marvellously fried to a slightly wet consistency, the flavorful kway teow is coated with a layer of sweet and savory gravy. Enjoy the tasty kway teow with delightful servings of sausage, fish cake and fresh cockles.

Despite its impressive standard, Lai Ji's business does not seem as outstanding as expected. Perhaps Kovan Food Centre just has too many stalls with delicious food eg fish ball noodles, chicken rice, economic rice etc. Nevertheless don't miss this fantastic fried kway teow.

7.5/10

Lai Ji Fried Kway Teow
Kovan Food Centre
Blk 209 Hougang St 21
#01-39

Wang Wang Curry Seafood Soup

I first read about this stall named Wang Wang which serves sumptuous set meals at economical prices on the Sunday Times but never had the opportunity to try it. When I finally went down to Beauty World Centre to try it last weekend, it certainly didn't disappoint.


I ordered the curry seafood soup which costs $5.50. I was puzzled by the actual name of the dish which is 'curry seafood monster' but after trying it, I guess I can understand why. Served piping hot in a mini wok, the curry seafood soup comes with an impressive variety of dishes, ranging from prawns to fish, sotong, mussels and clams. Shimmering with the distinctive aroma of coconut milk and topped with generous servings of potato, the mouthwatering gravy is sufficiently thick, spicy and flavorful. Seafood lovers like me will be extremely delighted by the tasty prawns, sweet mussels and fresh clams.

This is definitely the best seafood curry soup that I have tasted in Singapore. I will certainly return to try the other recommended dishes of Wang Wang eg fish soup, herbal chicken soup etc.

8/10

Wang Wang Curry Seafood Soup
Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-65

Sing Ho Hainan Chicken Rice

Short of Boon Tong Kee, Loy Kee and Sing Ho, I have tried and blogged on almost all the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. Today I decided to try Sing Ho Hainan chicken rice located at Middle Road.


I ordered the $6.50 chicken rice set which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a plate of oyster sauce vegetables, a bowl of rice and a bowl of dumpling soup. Fragrant and flavorful, the golden yellow rice goes very well with the savory chilli sauce and tasty white steamed chicken. What is most impressive about the chicken rice set is the delicious dumpling soup with two delightfully large and fresh prawn dumplings.

Compared with the other Hainanese chicken rice, I still prefer Five Star and Sin Kee over Sing Ho. Nevertheless the fantastic prawn dumpling soup is the highlight of Sing Ho Hainanese chicken rice and will certainly keep customers coming back for more.

7/10

Sing Ho Hainan Chicken Rice
266 Middle Road Singapore 188991

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

According to wikipedia, bak kut teh (which is literally translated as "meat bone tea") is a complex broth of herbs and spices boiled with pork ribs for hours. Thus the essence of this dish lies in the flavour of the soup and the fingerlicking goodness of the pork ribs.

The famous Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is located directly opposite The Central at Clarke Quay. When I went there on a Saturday night, the place was filled with customers.


I ordered a bowl of bak kut teh and a bowl of rice which cost $6 together. Concentrated with the distinctive aroma of spices and the delightful sweetness of pork ribs, the mouthwatering soup is savory but not overly spicy or bitter. The pork ribs, though not the highlight of the dish, could have been more meaty and tasty.

My mum makes delicious bak kut teh too but of course, compared with the famous Song Fa, hers is less savory, more peppery and more bitter. Nevertheless, since I am not a big fan of bak kut teh, I really don't mind the difference.

7/10

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
11 New Bridge Road
#01-01

Sims Place Prawn Noodle

If you prefer the traditional kind of prawn noodle soup with simple deshelled prawns, Sims Place prawn noodle, located in Bendemeer Market and Food Centre, will definitely appeal to you.


A bowl of pork rib prawn noodles which comes with 2 pieces of pork ribs and 3 halved deshelled prawns, costs only $3. The special soup, which is sufficiently flavorful with the essence of prawn and pork rib, goes very well with the noodles.

Compared with the famous prawn noodles eg Wah Kee, Hoe Nam and Adam Road, Sims Place prawn noodle may not have giant prawns but is certainly authentic and tasty enough to draw you back for more.

7/10

Sims Place Prawn Noodle
Bendemeer Market and Food Centre
Blk 29 Bendemeer Road
#01-39

Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant Seafood Hor Fun

Not to be mistaken for Hong Kong Street Chun Kee which has multiple restaurants and franchises all over the island, Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant has only 3 restaurants in Singapore. I tried the one in Novena Gardens after it was recommended on a forum to have one of the best hor fun in Singapore.


A small plate of seafood hor fun which costs $6 comes in a portion that is satisfactory for two persons. Well-fried with rich wok hei aroma, the delicious hor fun is topped with thick savory gravy that is reminiscent of the black bean gravy of beef hor fun. Enjoy the flavorful hor fun with delightful servings of fresh prawns, sotong and meat.

The seafood hor fun from Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant is certainly outstanding for its unique black bean gravy and wok hei. Do come down and try its other signature dishes too eg san lao hor fun and prawn paste chicken.

7/10

Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant Seafood Hor Fun
Novena Gardens
273 Thomson Road #01-01
S(307644)

Chin Chin Hainanese Chicken Rice

The second part of the chicken rice war at Purvis Street brought me to Chin Chin which is located directly opposite the famous Yet Con. Both restaurants serve Hainanese chicken rice and cze char (Chinese cooked dishes): Yet Con is air-conditioned but Chin Chin is not.


I ordered the chicken drumstick rice set which costs $4. The flavorful rice is thoroughly coated with irresistable chicken essence and blends delightfully with the savory chilli sauce. Sprinkled with light soya sauce, the steamed white chicken is tender and tasty but not overly fat or oily. What is most outstanding about Chin Chin is the mouthwatering soup which is highly addictive.

Compared with Yet Con, Chin Chin's chicken and soup are impressive but Yet Con's rice is more fragrant. However I still prefer Chin Chin because it is more value-for-money.

7.5/10

Chin Chin Hainanese Chicken Rice
19 Purvis Street

Jiang Nan Salmon Rice

Being a fan of salmon teriyaki, I was delighted when I found out that this cze char stall at Hougang by the name of Jiang Nan has salmon rice set.


Reasonably priced at $5, the salmon rice set comes with plain rice, fried egg and fried salmon pieces. Expertly fried to a crispy consistency on the outside, the tasty salmon is topped with mouthwatering teriyaki sauce which accentuates its irresistable flavour.

Besides salmon rice set, Jiang Nan also has a wide variety of cze char dishes which I will certainly return to try someday.

7.5/10

Jiang Nan Seafood
Blk 681 Hougang Ave 8
#01-853
Singapore 530681

Shun Xing Qing Tian Desserts

Located at the old Tanglin Halt Food Centre behind Commonwealth MRT station, Shun Xing Qing Tian Desserts has the cheapest desserts in Singapore.


Common desserts like cheng tng, chendol, ice kachang, ice jelly, green bean soup, sweet potato soup etc cost only 80 cents. If you prefer something more delightful, you can try dessert combinations eg ice jelly with cocktail, ice cocktail with sea coconut, ice cocktail with nata de coco etc at only $1.

After a sumptuous lunch at Tanglin Halt Food Centre, a bowl of refreshing Shun Xing Qing Tian dessert is certainly thirst-quenching.

8/10

Shun Xing Qing Tian Desserts
Tanglin Halt Food Centre (Old)
Blk 3 Commonwealth Drive
#01-324

Song Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

Lavender Food Centre is well-known for its wanton mee which some food critics commented that it has recently deteriorated in standard. Today when I was there for dinner, I decided to try Song Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle instead.


I ordered the mini wok noodle (xiao wan mian) which costs $4. The mini wok comes with a generous variety of dishes eg minced meat, sliced meat, meat balls, pig's liver, fish cake and egg. The flavorful soup is filled with the delightful essence of minced meat and complements the tasty noodles very well. Cooked to a semi-wet consistency, the delicious noodles are coated with savory chilli sauce and topped with fresh mushrooms.

Compared with other mini wok noodles, I was very impressed with Song Kee for the wide range of ingredients and the superior flavour of the soup. Do try it for yourself today.

7.5/10

Song Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle
Lavender Food Square #01-02
380 Jalan Besar

Zhen Zhen Porridge

A friend once told me that Zhen Zhen Porridge at Maxwell Food Centre is the best that she has tasted in Singapore. When I went there and queued for half an hour, I thought to myself that she better be right.


A bowl of mixed porridge with egg, chicken, fish and century egg costs only $3. Well-cooked to a paste-like consistency where the grains are indistinguishable, the mouthwatering porridge is sprinkled with chye poh, spring onions, fried shallots and sesame seeds to further enhance its flavour. The most impressive feature of Zhen Zhen porridge is its generous servings of ingredients. There is so much fish, chicken and century egg to satisfy the appetite of any porridge lover.

Although I am not an avid porridge lover, I still feel that Zhen Zhen is the best porridge in Singapore. Come down to Maxwell Food Centre and try it today.

8/10

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Centre
#01-54
Closed on Tuesdays

Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice

Located at Purvis Street near Raffles Hotel are two famous chicken rice eateries directly facing each other. Yet Con versus Chin Chin. It must be here that the chicken rice war began. I decided to try Yet Con first.

When I entered the air-conditioned restaurant on a Sunday evening, it was already full of people having chicken rice and steamboat. The nostalgic atmosphere was somewhat similar to that of Thien Kee Steamboat at Golden Mile Tower.


I ordered the chicken rice set for one which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. Coated with a layer of chicken broth, every grain of rice is delightfully fragrant and tasty. Gently topped with light soya sauce, the steamed white chicken appears plain and mediocre but tastes flavorful and delicious. The savory chilli sauce tastes more salty than spicy, lacking in the scorching aftertaste that is characteristic of other famous chicken rice chilli.

For a meal that costs around $5, Yet Con Hainanese chicken rice may not be the best but certainly worthwhile trying. Besides chicken rice, you can try its sumptuous steamboat too.

7.5/10

Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice
25 Purvis St
Singapore 188602

Xin Sheng Huo Seafood Hor Fun

Better known as the hor fun stall in the middle of Alexandra Village Food Centre, I never noticed Xin Sheng Huo until I read about it on the Makansutra forum.


A plate of seafood hor fun which costs only $3 comes with a generous variety of ingredients eg prawns, sotong, fish and mussels. The delicious hor fun is marvellously fried with a distinctive wok hei flavour. The mouthwatering gravy is remarkably savory and complements the tasty hor fun very well. What is most special is its fresh sotong and juicy mussels makes Xin Sheng Huo seafood truly outstanding.

To all hor fun lovers in Singapore, this is certainly one of the best seafood hor fun I have ever tasted. Even the seafood hor fun from famous restaurants and cze char stalls somehow pale in comparison with Xin Sheng Huo. Come down and try it for yourself today.

8/10

Xin Sheng Huo Seafood Hor Fun
Alexandra Village Food Centre
#01-26

Update 19/5/2009 - This stall has closed down.

Golden Shoe Nasi Lemak

Even before I knew where Golden Shoe Car Park was, I already read about this nasi lemak that was described as cheap and delicious on our local food blogs.


A plate of Golden Shoe Nasi Lemak which comes with a fried chicken drumstick, fried egg and fried cabbage, costs only $2.50. The pandan flavoured rice appears really appetizing but lacking in coconut fragrance. The fried chicken drumstick is impressive, crispy and fingerlicking good.

Golden Shoe Nasi Lemak is certainly a hot favorite for the lunch time crowd in CBD with its inexpensive prices and delicious side dishes.

7/10

Golden Shoe Nasi Lemak
Golden Shoe Food Centre
50 Market Street
S(048940)

Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee

Located at Whampoa Drive Food Centre, Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee vaguely reminds me of Hainan Fried Hokkien Mee at Golden Mile Food Centre and Nam Sing Fried Hokkien Mee at Old Airport Road Food Centre.


A plate of Singapore fried hokkien mee which costs $3 comes in a reasonable portion fried with prawns, sotong and egg. Fragrantly fried to a semi-dry consistency, the delicious noodles absorb the savory gravy very well. The remarkable feature about this fried hokkien mee is its authentic chilli paste which is spicy, sweet and subtly bitter.

Besides fried hokkien mee, Whampoa Food Centre also has other delicious foodstuff eg fried oyster and steamboat. Don't miss them.

7.5/10

Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee
Whampoa Food Market
Block 90 Whampoa Drive

Thiam Seng Seafood Hor Fun

If not for bobafett81's recommendation on the Makansutra forum, I have missed this stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre. After all, there are so many delicious food stalls there, it would take me ages to try them all.


Generously served with a wide variety of fresh ingredients eg prawns, sotong, fish, pork, pig's liver and vegetables, a plate of Thiam Seng seafood hor fun costs only $3.50. Expertly fried to a rich wok hei flavour, the special hor fun is tasty and fragrant yet not overly oily. The gravy is thick and savory and complements the hor fun very well.

Despite facing fierce competition from the neighboring cze char stalls, Thiam Seng seafood hor fun certainly impresses with its great spread of ingredients.

7.5/10

Thiam Seng Seafood
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-152
51 Old Airport Road
Singapore 390051

Yummy Sarawak Kolo Mee

Even though I am a fan of wanton mee, this is the first time I tasted Sarawak kolo mee. I have initially wanted to have the curry pork rib noodles at Tampines Blk 137 Market but it was sold out, so I settled for Yummy Sarawak kolo mee instead.


A bowl of kolo mee which costs $3 comes with an impressive array of ingredients eg one fried wanton, two steamed wanton, one prawn dumpling, one piece of pork rib and several slices of char siew. The springy noodles with a distinctive egg flavour somewhat reminds me of instant noodles. Compared with the sweet and spicy sauce of traditional Cantonese wanton mee, the authentic sauce of the Sarawak kolo mee is more savory and salty. I was very impressed with the large prawn dumpling which is extremely flavorful and the tasty pork rib which is fingerlicking good.

Even though it was a wonderful experience eating Yummy Sarawak kolo mee, I still prefer the Cantonese wanton mee because I feel that the sauce blends better with the noodles. But judging by the queue in front of the stall, I guess my opinion is biased and many people like it better than I do. Come down and try it for yourself today.

7.5/10

Yummy Sarawak Kolo Mee
Blk 137 Tampines Food Centre
#01-45

Chef Hainanese Grilled Steak

I always wondered if this stall at the old Tanglin Halt Food Centre had permanently closed down. After all, it was closed when I walked past on several occasions during lunch and in the evening.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Chef Hainanese Western Food open when I went there at 7pm today. Finally I had the opportunity to taste its $4 grilled steak and it was indeed impressive.


Served with baked potato, baked beans, salad and french fries, the $4 steak comes in a reasonably satisfactory portion. Topped with savory black pepper sauce, the mouthwatering steak is fresh, tender and flavorful.

No where else in Singapore can you find another steak that is as cheap as Chef Hainanese's. I will certainly return for its grilled lamb chop and its grilled chicken chop which cost $4 too.

7.5/10

Chef Hainanese Western Food
Tanglin Halt Food Centre (Old)
Blk 3 Commonwealth Drive
#01-242

Geylang Lorong 9 Seafood Hor Fun

Few food enthusiasts will disagree that Geylang Lorong 9 has the best beef hor fun in Singapore. The heavenly experience of eating charcoal-scented hor fun fried with mouthwatering black-bean flavored gravy and irresistably tenderised beef is simply unforgettable. Today I decided to try the seafood hor fun instead to determine if it can match the high standard of the beef hor fun.


A plate of seafood hor fun which costs $5 comes with two medium-sized prawns, several slices of sotong and generous pieces of chicken. Coated with thick savory gravy, the tasty hor fun is expertly fried with a distinctive fragrance and a charred flavour. The delightful chicken pieces are tender and well-marinated and the prawns are sweet and fresh.

This is indeed one of the more delicious seafood hor fun in Singapore. My only dissatisfaction is that the gravy does not seem to complement well with the hor fun. Nevertheless Geylang Lorong 9 still has the best beef hor fun in Singapore.

7.5/10

Geylang Lorong 9 Seafood Hor Fun
237 Geylang Lor 9

Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow

Although I frequently patronise Marine Parade Food Centre for dinner, I have never eaten Apollo Fried Kway Teow for the past 5 years because I disliked its soggy consistency and its strong garlic odour. Nevertheless this stall continued to enjoy long queues which made me wonder if I have missed something great about this fried kway teow. Hence I decided to try it again today.


This time round, I was extremely impressed. A plate of fried kway teow which costs $3 is expertly fried to the right consistency and moisture with a distinctive charcoal fragrance. Sprinkled with generous servings of crispy pork lard, the flavorful kway teow is delightfully sweet and savory, every mouthful is simply irresistable. My only dissatisfaction is that there are too few fresh cockles which complement the fried kway teow really well.

No longer soggy with the unpleasant garlic odour, Apollo fried kway teow seems to have improved over the years. I have to admit that this is one of the best fried kway teow that I have eaten in Singapore for a long time.

8/10

Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-174
Closed on Tuesdays

Yummy Crab Fried Rice

Crab fried rice for only $10?

To the delight of crab lovers, the special crab fried rice at Yummy Crab is going at a promotional price of only $10.

Located at Changi Road between Lor Marzuki and Lor Marican, Yummy Crab is well-known for its signature crab dishes eg chilli crab, crab fried rice, crab bee hoon, crab ee mee etc, that are not only delicious but value for money.


A $10 plate of crab fried rice comes in a satisfactory portion for two people. Well-fried with a distinctive charred aroma, every grain of rice is irresistably flavorful and fragrant. What is remarkable about Yummy crab fried rice is the generous servings of fresh crab meat which are extremely chunky and tasty. Besides crab meat, the rice is delightfully fried with a variety of other ingredients eg egg, char siew and prawns.

In terms of both quality and quantity, this plate of crab fried rice is certainly worth much more than $10. I will definitely return to try the other recommended dishes of Yummy Crab. Do bring your family down to Changi Road and try it for yourself today.

8/10

Yummy Crab
No 351 Changi Road

Allan Mixed Vegetable Curry Rice

Most staff of Changi Airport will be familiar with Allan mixed vegetable rice. Previously located at Terminal 1 staff canteen before its renovation, Allan has shifted to Terminal 2 staff canteen. But regardless of its location, staff and even members of the public continued to describe Allan mixed vegetable rice as one of the most delicious economical rice in Singapore.

As mentioned in an earlier post, finding Terminal 2 staff canteen is like playing treasure hunt. For those of you who have no idea where it is, let me give you a simplified description of the directions. At any level, follow the signboard to carpark 2A. Once you reach there, you will see signboard to the lifts to staff canteen. Take the lift to level 3M and you will see the well-concealed staff canteen.


A plate of mixed vegetable rice with curry chicken, fried cabbage and egg omelette costs only $2.50 for non-staff, definitely cheap for dining in an air-conditioned food court.

Adequately concentrated with the distinctive aroma of coconut milk, the special curry gravy is thick and savory, giving every grain of rice a coat of irresistable flavour. The egg omelette is tasty and the fried cabbage is delightfully fragrant.

Allan mixed vegetable curry rice is undoubtedly one of most delicious economical rice in Singapore. It is also one of the most value-for-money as you get to enjoy your mixed vegetable rice in an air-conditioned food court yet pay a price lower than in most coffee shops.

7.5/10

Allan Mixed Vegetable Curry Rice
Changi Airport Terminal 2 Staff Canteen

Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

Located in a coffee shop on the void deck of an old housing estate called Beo Crescent is a delicious fried hokkien prawn mee that is little heard of.


When I found my way to the coffee shop, I realised that it was full of customers having Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Mee. Well-fried with a distinctive charred fragrance enhanced by the delightful aroma of pork lard, a plate of fried hokkien mee costs only $3. Enjoy the flavorful noodles with prawns and sotong.

Somewhere along the likes of the fried hokkien mee from Changi Road and Geylang Lor 29, Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is certainly impressive and worthwhile to go all the way to Beo Crescent for.

7/10

Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Blk 40 Beo Crescent
Closed on Fridays