River Valley Nasi Padang

When I went to Zion Riverside Food Centre for lunch last week, I happened to walk past this small restaurant packed with customers eating nasi padang. Only after searching on the Internet that I realised it is the famous River Valley Nasi Padang that is supposedly one of the best nasi padang in Singapore.

Nasi padang is an Indonesian dish of steamed rice served with a wide choice of meat and vegetable dishes ranging from fried chicken to curry vegetables.


When I went for lunch today, I was impressed by the great variety of dishes available. After much hesitation, I finally ordered a plate of plain rice with sambal goreng and curry chicken which cost $3.50 in total.

Sambal goreng is a mixed vegetable dish which consists of long beans, bean curd and tempeh fried with sambal chilli.

In my opinion, sambal goreng is the best dish to gauge the culinary standard of nasi padang and in this case, River Valley Nasi Padang passed with flying colours. Well-fried with a delightful kaleidoscope of flavours, the sambal goreng is indeed the best that I have tasted so far. The curry chicken is spicy and delicious with thick savory gravy that complements the plain rice really well.

It was indeed a sumptuous and satisfying lunch experience and I have to admit that River Valley Nasi Padang is the best nasi padang that I have tasted so far.

8/10

River Valley Nasi Padang
54 Zion Road
Opens from 9am to 9pm
Closed on Public Holidays

Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok

As the famous Jalan Tua Kong mee pok war raged along the streets of Siglap and Simpang Bedok, I read with interest as readers discussed about which is the original mee pok stall, who is the shifu (master), who are the disciples and who are the copycats. And when my friend mentioned that the noodles at one of the stalls (132 Mee Pok at 53 Upper East Coast Road) is better than Hong Mao, I knew that I just had to try it for myself.

Unfortunately when I visited 132 Mee Pok a few Tuesdays ago, it was closed for an extended Chinese New Year holiday. So I went to Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok at Simpang Bedok instead. Even though it was a Tuesday morning, Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok was packed with customers and I had to wait for half an hour before I got my noodles.


I ordered the $3 bowl of mee pok which comes with fishcake, minced meat, pork slices and fish balls. Well-cooked with a remarkably springy consistency, the delicious mee pok is coated with savory chilli sauce that accentuates its authentic flavour. Delightfully rich with fresh fish meat, the handmade fishballs are exceptionally tasty.

Although it was a fairly sumptuous breakfast, I must admit that I am not a mee pok fan and certainly not convinced that Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim is one of the best mee pok in Singapore.

6.5/10

Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok
308 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok)
Bedok Shopping Complex
Closed on Mondays

Hai Kee Teochew Fried Kway Teow

If the rating of fried kway teow is based on how much fervency the kway teow is fried with, how late it starts business, how much egg is added or how big the cockles are, Hai Kee Teochew Fried Kway Teow would definitely come up top.

For this fried kway teow at Margaret Drive Food Centre starts selling only at 5pm, invariably with a long queue of customers. The man running the stall alone, fries the kway teow with so much vigor, it appears as if the wok may break into pieces anytime. A $3 plate of kway teow is fried with two eggs and ten huge cockles, it is impossible to find another that is more value-for-money.


Impressively fried with a distinctive charred aroma, the delicious kway teow is delightfully sweet and flavorful, coated with so much fried egg, it should be called fried egg kway teow. The exceptionally huge cockles are fresh and juicy, complementing the kway teow wonderfully.

As I mentioned earlier, this is one fried kway teow that truly deserves a high rating and is definitely worthwhile queuing up for.

7.5/10

Hai Kee Teochew Fried Kway Teow
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Block 40A #01-550
Commonwealth Avenue
Opening hours 5pm to 10pm
Closed on Sundays

71 Beef Hor Fun

This stall on the second storey of Golden Mile Food Centre sells a variety of Chinese cooked food eg seafood hor fun, beef hor fun, fried hokkien mee, mee goreng and fried rice. Yet it is named 71 Beef Hor Fun. I just could not help wondering if there is something special about its beef hor fun, hence I decided to give it a try.


A plate of beef hor fun costs only $3, though cheaper than Geylang Lor 9 and Bee Kia, comes in a reasonable and satisfactory portion. Well-fried with a distinct charred aroma, the delicious kway teow is thoroughly coated with flavorful gravy that is more salty and sweet than spicy compared with Geylang Lor 9 and Bee Kia. If you dislike the heavily tenderised beef of Geylang Lor 9, you will be delighted by 71's beef slices which are tough and tasty. The addition of fresh xiao bai cai complements the flavour and texture of the beef hor fun very well.

This is one beef hor fun that is both sumptuous and value for money. I will definitely be coming back for more.

7.5/10

71 Beef Hor Fun
Golden Mile Food Centre
#01-71
Closed on Fridays

Ya Kwang Da Pai Dang Crab Tang Hoon

Having read about the delicious $25 crab tang hoon at Geylang Lorong 37, I finally went there last month to try it for myself.

Worried that I might not be able to finish the $25 crab tang hoon all by myself, I tried to bargain for a smaller portion but unfortunately, there were no smaller crabs left. Nevertheless the boss was friendly, the service was efficient and I was served within 10 minutes after ordering.


The huge plate of crab tang hoon with thick savory gravy looks really mouthwatering and I just can't wait to finish taking pictures and start eating. Cooked in an extraordinary gravy that is exceptionally flavorful with the concentrated sweetness of crab, the irresistable tang hoon is smooth and delicate, absorbing the special gravy extremely well. The crab is remarkably fresh, delightfully sweet and fairly fleshy.

The secret of Ya Kwang Da Pai Dang Crab Tang Hoon lies in the wonderful combination of its fabulous tang hoon with its complementary gravy. However the problem with having tang hoon so fantastic that it can be eaten on its own, is that the crab, which accounts for the expensive price of the dish, tends to appear mediocre in comparison. Even though I have to admit that having the crab tang hoon was an experience no less than heavenly, I certainly loved the tang hoon much more than the crab and will probably think twice about spending $25 on the dish next time.

7.5/10

Ya Kwang Da Pai Dang Crab Tang Hoon
709 Geylang Lorong 37

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle was recommended by a fellow blogger Drew who described it as "the best so far". I did not try the one at Adam Road but instead the one at Zion Riverside Food Centre.


A bowl of $5 prawn mee comes with four big prawns and one piece of pork rib which is indeed value for money. Brewed with the concentrated essence of prawns and pork ribs, the mouthwatering soup is delightfully flavorful and complements the delicious noodles really well. The four full large prawns are fresh, fleshy and tasty and would have been perfect if they were de-shelled.

I agree with Drew that Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle is one of most delicious prawn mee. In fact I would rank it as the top 3 prawn mee in Singapore along with Wah Kee and River South prawn noodles. Come down to Zion Riverside Food Centre and try it for yourself today.

8/10

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle
Zion Riverside Food Centre
Stall No 4

Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

I have read about the $3 fried hokkien mee at Golden Mile Food Centre that is always so excellently fried but comes in a portion so small it can be finished in a few mouthfuls. As a food enthusiast, quality is definitely more important than quantity hence I decided to try if Hainan Fried Hokkien Mee really lives up to its reputation.


When I went to Golden Mile Food Centre last month, I had to wait for 20 minutes before I got my noodles. My first impression of Hainan fried hokkien mee is that it is the dry version without any gravy. However the flavorful noodles are impressively fried with a characteristic charred fragrance. The savory sambal chilli accentuates the remarkable taste of the noodles, making every mouthful seem really irresistable. Although the fried hokkien mee comes with only a few small prawns and slices of sotong, it is so fantastic that it can be eaten without any ingredients.

Hainan is undoubtedly one of the best fried hokkien mee in Singapore. Even though its serving is rather small, it is still worthwhile to pay $3 for.

8/10

Hainan Fried Hokkien Mee
Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road #01-34
Singapore 199583
Closed on Wednesdays

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice

When I went to Margaret Drive Food Centre for lunch today, I had no difficulty finding Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice because almost everyone on the second storey was having it.


A plate of Sin Kee steamed chicken and a bowl of rice cost $4.40. Coated with irresistable chicken broth, every grain of rice is flavorful and fragrant. The delicious steamed chicken is extremely tender, tasty and fleshy but not overly greasy. The savory chilli sauce complements the rice and chicken very well, leaving a lingering spicy aftertaste on the taste buds.

Sin Kee is indeed one of the most sumptuous chicken rice in Singapore. No doubt it is really crowded during lunch time, the service is very prompt and satisfactory.

8/10

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Blk 40A #02-548
Commonwealth Avenue
Closed on Mondays

Tanjong Pagar Fried Kway Teow

Although I am a fried kway teow lover, I have not found the best fried kway teow in Singapore. Having reviewed and recommended the fried kway teow from Outram Park and Old Airport Road which I felt were very impressive, they were just lacking in that distinguishing factor.

I decided to try Tanjong Pagar Fried Kway Teow today, only because the famous nasi lemak beside it was sold out. Little did I expect it to be so delicious.


Tanjong Pagar fried kway teow uses the thinner version of kway teow which is more evenly coated with the gravy. The delicious kway teow is well-fried with the irresistable flavour of dark soya sauce and sweet sauce and the delightful aroma of pork lard. A $3 plate of fried kway teow is topped with abundant servings of cockles, I simply lost count of how many there were.

Just like the char kway teow at Outram Park and Old Airport Road, Tanjong Pagar fried kway teow is very sumptuous but just not the best in Singapore. Hence my search continues with the hope of finding the best fried kway teow in Singapore someday.

8/10

Tanjong Pagar Fried Kway Teow
Tanjong Pagar Food Centre
Blk 6 #02-09

The Garden Slug

When my friends first mentioned about going to a new restaurant in Telok Kurau named The Garden Slug for dinner, I immediately rejected their suggestion. With a distasteful name like the Garden Slug, I doubt if the food can be anything fantastic. Several months later, I happened to read the excellent reviews of the food online and realised that it might be a mistake to write it off.


When we finally went there for dinner last weekend, I ordered the recommended ribeye steak which costs $18.90. Evenly grilled to a medium doneness and lightly topped with savory sauce, the mouthwatering steak is extremely tender and juicy, every bite exudes a flavorful taste and a smoky fragrance. I must admit that this is one of the most impressive steaks I have eaten in Singapore.


We also ordered the Wasuga chicken wings which were well-marinated and well-grilled and the pan-tossed mushrooms & zucchini which were delightful and appetizing.


Apart from the delicious food, the beautiful ambience was soothing and the efficient service was commendable. The Garden Slug is certainly the ideal restaurant for a relaxing meal with family and friends.


7.5/10

The Garden Slug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau
#01-59/61 Bright Centre
Singapore 425500
Tel 63460504

Jin Hua Fried Fish Soup

There are two types of fish soup in Singapore: the clear Teochew fish soup which comes with slices of fresh fish and the milky Cantonese fish soup which comes with pieces of fried fish. I usually prefer the former as I was skeptical about how milk can blend well with the taste of fish. I finally found the answer after I tried Jin Hua fried fish soup.

Located at Maxwell Food Centre, this stall is well-known to have long queues during lunch time. A bowl of Jin Hua fried fish soup, which comes with numerous pieces of fried fish, costs $4. The creamy soup is exceptionally mouthwatering with a kaleidoscope of flavours that blend so impeccably, ranging from the sweetness of milk to the saltiness of fish with a subtle tinge of ginger spiciness. The generous pieces of fried fish are tasty and fragrant, coated by a thick layer of savory soup.


Of all the Cantonese fish soup that I have tasted before, Jin Hua is the first in which the milk is able to blend so well with the flavour of the fish. Come down to Maxwell Food Centre and try it for yourself today.

7.5/10

Jin Hua Fried Fish Soup
Maxwell Road Food Centre
12 Murray Street #01-77
Singapore 079519
11am to 8.30pm
Closed on Thursdays