Lao Ban Soya Beancurd

Even though there are a few stalls selling soya beancurd in Old Airport Road Food Centre, only Lao Ban Soya Beancurd had a queue when I was there at 8pm on a Saturday and the queue seemed perpetually long.


After queuing for more than 10 minutes, I got my bowl of original soya beancurd which costs $1.50. My first impression when I tried the beancurd was that it seemed to taste like soya pudding instead because it does not come with syrup and it is so soft and smooth that it "dissolves" effortlessly in the mouth. Unlike the typical soya beancurd, it has a unique malt sweetness that lingers on the taste buds.

I believe the reason why Lao Ban soya beancurd is so appealing to the crowds because it is so special and different. However, if you are a fan of traditional soya beancurd like me, Lao Ban will probably not impress you enough to return for more.

7.5/10

Lao Ban Soya Beancurd
Old Airport Road Food Centre
51 Old Airport Road, #01-127

Xi Xiang Feng Curry Yong Tau Foo

Having been out of action for two months, I am finally back to try the famous Xi Xiang Feng yong tau foo in Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 Food Centre which has a long queue when I was there at 515pm.


With a wide variety of steamed and deep fried dishes, vegetables and beancurd whose prices range from 30 cents to 1 dollar per piece, I chose 6 pieces of yong tau foo to go with noodle and laksa gravy which cost $4.20 in total.

I was most impressed with the special laksa gravy that is remarkably thick and flavorful yet not overly concentrated or spicy. In terms of the yong tau foo, I like the steamed homemade meat ball best. The sweet sauce is fragrant and savory and goes well with the yong tau foo.

Although it is slightly more expensive than some neighborhood yong tau foo, I have to agree that Xi Xiang Feng is one of the most delicious in Singapore. If you haven't tried it before, come down to Ang Mo Kio central and decide for yourself.

8/10

Xi Xiang Feng Yong Tau Foo
Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 Food Centre
Blk 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6
#01-23
Closed on Sundays

Top 1 Home Made Noodle

The odds of finding two delicious home made noodle within a month must be very low. Yet, soon after featuring Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle in City Plaza, I came across Top 1 home made noodle in Chinatown.


I ordered a bowl of prawn ban mian which costs $3. Topped with prawn, minced meat, mushroom, vegetable and fried anchovy, the homemade noodle is smooth and tasty. Filled with delightful seafood broth, the soup is remarkably sweet and flavorful.

Certainly better than the home made noodle from Poon Nah City, what Top 1 lacked is a special chilli paste to go along with the noodle. Nevertheless it impresses with its outstanding seafood broth. Come down and try it for yourself.

7.5/10

Top 1 Home Made Noodle
Chinatown Branch
? Address
Bukit Timah Branch
Beauty World Centre
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#04-44

Cai Li Seafood Soup

I came across this stall named Cai Li Fish Head Steamboat in Blk 90 Whampoa Drive Food Centre one day when the more famous one in Blk 91 Whampoa Drive Market was closed and was surprised to find that its fish head steamboat is just as good, if not better. Hence I returned today to try its seafood soup.


A bowl of seafood soup which costs $4, comes with 3 medium sized deshelled prawns, a few pieces of sotong and several huge chunks of fresh fish. Unlike the bland broth which other stalls use for their seafood soup, Cai Li's winning point lies in its superior quality soup which is indeed as thick and flavorful as the one it uses for its fish head steamboat. And unlike cheapstake ingredients eg fish cake, fish balls, crab stick which other stalls use for their seafood soup, Cai Li uses fresh fish, prawn and sotong which I am willing to pay slightly more for.

Impressed by its outstanding fish head steamboat and seafood soup, I will definitely return for back. However Cai Li is a relatively small stall with few helpers hence its service can sometimes be rather slow, so please be prepared to wait.

8/10

Cai Li Fish Head Steamboat
Blk 90 Whampoa Drive
Whampoa Drive Food Centre
#01-70

Sin Chie Toke Huan Pork Porridge

Whenever I have the craving for delicious porridge, I will think of Zhen Zhen in Maxwell Food Centre. Unfortunately, Zhen Zhen only opens in the morning and the queues are invariably long. Recently I found this porridge stall inside a coffee shop along Upper Serangoon Road well-known for its curry rice but I was impressed by its porridge instead.


A bowl of pork porridge from Sin Chie Toke Huan costs $2.50 (add $0.50 for egg) and comes with sliced lean meat, minced meat balls and pig liver. Remarkably soft and silky in consistency, the piping hot porridge is fragrant and flavorful. The minced meat balls are very well-marinated with a delightful tinge of pepper.

The key to an outstanding porridge lies in two factors: its textile and its taste. But although it sounds simple, many porridge that I have tried seem to get one or the other wrong. Sin Chie Toke Huan has got both right, hence this is one porridge that you must definitely try.

7.5/10

Sin Chie Toke Huan
1018 Upper Serangoon Road
S534756
Closed on Tuesday

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle

When I was taking photos of the Hari Raya bazaar in Geylang Serai, I stumbled upon Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle inside a coffee shop on the 5th storey of City Plaza. Surprised to see many people ordering from this stall when I didn't even know that this coffee shop exists, I couldn't resist but try it myself.

Upon seeing the wide variety of home made noodles eg prawn, fish, clam, abalone etc that Poon Nah City has and the thick chilli paste that it sells, I immediately noticed the striking resemblance between this stall and China Whampoa Home Made Noodle in Whampoa Drive Market.


I ordered a bowl of prawn ban mian which costs $3 and was served within 15 minutes. Topped with prawns, minced meat, vegetables and sliced mushroom, the home made noodle is thick and tasty and the piping hot soup is filled with delightful seafood essence. The special chilli paste is remarkably spicy and burns inside the mouth.

Although I have to admit that Poon Nah City home made noodle is one of the best in Singapore, I still prefer China Whampoa home made Noodle as the latter comes with more flavorful soup and deshelled prawns. However Poon Nah City home made noodle is open till 830pm on Monday to Saturday hence there is ample opportunity for you to come down to City Plaza to try it.

8/10

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle
City Plaza
810 Geylang Road
#05-02
S409286

Ai Xin Lor Mee

On a day when I had the sudden craving for lor mee, I coincidentally found this new stall in Bendemeer Food Centre named Ai Xin Lor Mee.


A bowl of lor mee which costs $3 comes with braised meat, ngor hiang, braised egg and fried fish. Pleasantly thick and savory with the subtle fragrance of herbs and spices, the tasty gravy goes very well with the noodles. The use of traditional ingredients like braised egg and braised meat accentuates the old school flavour of this lor mee, something which is missing in most lor mee nowadays.

A simple lor mee, like what it was in the good old days, warms my heart more than any other. Perhaps this is where Ai Xin lor mee derives its name from.

7.5/10

Ai Xin Lor Mee
Bendemeer Market And Food Centre,
29 Bendemeer Road
#01-39

Dunman Duck Rice

Having read great reviews of this duck rice on the first storey of Dunman Food Centre, I went with high expectations to try it.


I ordered a plate of $3 braised duck rice and a braised egg which cost $3.50 in total. Thinking that the dark colored rice was traditional yam rice, I was rather disappointed to find out that it was actually plain rice coated with braised gravy . However, Dunman duck rice makes it up with its well-marinated braised duck which is remarkably tender and tasty. The herbal soup is fragrant and savory.

Besides duck rice, Dunman Duck Rice also has duck porridge and duck kway chap which I will return to try someday.

7/10

Dunman Duck Rice
Dunman Food Centre
271 Onan Road
#01-10
S424768

Zhong Hua Mian Zhuang Stewed Beef Noodle

I recently discovered that People's Park Food Center in Chinatown has a number of stalls selling traditional cuisine from Mainland China. After much hesitation, I decided to try the stall with the longest queue - Zhong Hua Mian Zhuang which has cuisine from the Henan province.


I ordered a bowl of stewed beef noodle which costs $4. What immediately impressed me was the huge chunks of stewed beef which are fleshy and tasty. Filled with the delightful sweetness of meat and spices, the flavorful soup goes very well with the handmade noodle which is soft and silky.

Zhong Hua Mian Zhuang certainly has one of the more impressive Chinese beef noodle in Singapore, comparable in terms of standard to those in restaurants like Crystal Jade yet available at coffee shop prices.

7.5/10

Zhong Hua Mian Zhuang
People's Park Food Centre
32 New Market Road
#01-1052

88 Mixed Vegetables Curry Rice

Located inside an inconspicuous Kopitiam in Kovan, just beside Eddy Western Delights which I frequently patronize, I did not have a lasting impression of 88 mixed vegetables rice when I first tried it some years back. Nevertheless when I had the craving for vegetables and curry last week, I decided to try it again and this time, I was very impressed.


A plate of plain rice with fried beansprouts, cabbage and curry chicken drumstick cost only $3.50. Concentrated with the delightful sweetness of coconut milk and the subtle aroma of spices, the curry gravy is extremely thick and savory. The fried beansprouts and cabbage are juicy and tasty and the chicken drumstick is huge and fleshy.

What I enjoyed most about 88 mixed vegetables curry rice is the traditional home-cooked flavour of the dishes which is missing in most economic rice in Singapore.

7.5/10

88 Curry Fish Head
Kopitiam
Blk 210 Hougang St 21

9-11 Teochew Fish Soup

While having dinner at Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Food Centre last week, I discovered 3 things.
(1) Chi Hao Liao which is famous for its $10 signature hor fun has closed down.
(2) Ocean economic rice which was previously located at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 has shifted to Toa Payoh Lorong 4.
(3) There is a kway chap stall in the food centre with an extremely long queue.
Not a fan of kway chap, I decided to try the seafood soup from 9-11 Teochew Fish Soup instead.


A bowl of seafood soup which costs $3 comes with a generous variety of ingredients including 2 medium sized prawns, sotong, sliced fish, vegetables, tomato, seaweed and bittergourd. Filled with the natural sweetness of fish, the mouthwatering soup is very flavorful even without the addition of evaporated milk. What distinguishes this fish soup from the others is the remarkable freshness of its ingredients.

9-11 Teochew fish soup is the perfect example of a healthy yet delicious fish soup. I will certainly return for more whenever I come to Toa Payoh for sunset photography.

7.5/10

9-11 Teochew Fish Soup
Blk 93 Food Centre
Toa Payoh Lorong 4
#01-44

Chai Chee Prawn Noodle

Previously whenever I had the craving for delicious prawn mee soup, I would travel all the way to the Eastern part of Singapore as there is none in the Northeast region where I live. Until I found Chai Chee Prawn Noodle in Kovan Food Centre located just beside Kovan MRT station.


A bowl of Chai Chee prawn mee soup, which is reasonably priced at $3, comes with fresh prawns, lean meat and fish cake. The flavorful soup is filled with the sweet essence of prawn and pork rib and with the addition of pork lard, further accentuates its remarkable fragrance.

Besides prawn noodle, Chai Chee also has pork rib prawn noodle at $4. This is certainly one of the more outstanding prawn mee soup in the heartlands.

7/10

Chai Chee Prawn Noodle
Kovan Food Centre
209 Hougang Street 21
#01-03

Dunman 28 Fried Kway Teow

Better known as Stall No 28 on the second storey of Dunman Food Centre, this stall with no signboard has won several culinary awards for its fried kway teow. Ironically I only tried it this evening because the prawn mee soup stall was closed, the duck rice was sold out and I just had the wanton mee yesterday.


A plate of fried kway teow which costs $2.50 comes in a reasonable portion. Superbly fried with a rich wok hei flavour, the delicious kway teow is remarkably savory and sweet. While some other hawkers cut costs by using small cockles, this fried kway teow is served with large juicy cockles.

Certainly praiseworthy for its outstanding culinary standards, this stall also sells a variety of local cooked food eg fried hokkien mee, fried carrot cake, fried oyster, oyster omelette etc. Come down to Dunman Food Centre and try.

7.5/10

28 Fried Kway Teow
Dunman Food Centre
271 Onan Road
#02-28
Singapore 424768

Paradise Inn Braised Hor Fun With Venison In Black Bean Sauce

Reminscent of the famous Geylang Lorong 9 beef hor fun, the braised hor fun with venison in black bean sauce from Paradise Inn Restaurant left me a lasting impression when I had dinner there.


A small plate of braised venison hor fun which costs $12++ comes in a satisfactory portion for 2 persons. Extraordinarily thick and flavorful, the savory black bean sauce gravy complements the well-fried hor fun with an irresistable wok hei fragrance. The marinated venison is extremely tender and tasty.

Beside braised venison hor fun, we also tried the coffee pork ribs and sambal kang kong which were also very impressive. Come down to Paradise Inn Restaurant and try for yourself.

7.5/10

Paradise Inn Restaurant
http://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/inn/index.html

Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice

Inside an old coffee shop along Beach Road lies an insconspicuous claypot chicken rice stall whose sign read "waiting time at least 15 minutes". I'm glad that I didn't give it a miss when I walked past because it was indeed worthwhile waiting for.


I ordered a bowl of claypot chicken rice for one which costs only $4. Unlike other traditional claypot rice, Fei Kee claypot rice is topped with generous pieces of fresh and crunchy cabbage which add a delightful sweetness to the distinctive charred flavour of the fragrant rice. If you dislike removing pieces of bones when having claypot rice, you will be happy to know that Fei Kee claypot rice uses boneless grade A chicken thigh meat which is remarkably fleshy and tasty.

With the use of superior quality ingredients eg boneless chicken meat, Fei Kee claypot chicken rice certainly impressed me as one of the best in Singapore. Open until 730pm daily except on Sunday, this will definitely make a satisfactory dinner for you and your family.

7.5/10

Fei Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
Luk Lu Eating House
341 Beach Road
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

Todai International Seafood And Sushi Buffet

Newly opened at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, I did not expect Todai Restaurant to be so crowded on a weekday evening when I was there to try its international buffet dinner. Fortunately, the service was remarkably efficient and we were able to start eating without much waiting.


Looking at the generous selection of mouthwatering dishes ranging from seafood on ice, sushi and sashimi to churrasco, pizza and pasta, salads, tempura, cold cuts, Korean snacks, desserts and cakes etc, I had a really hard time deciding what to try first.


A big fan of Brazilian churrasco, I was most impressed with the outstanding grilled steak that is exceptionally flavorful and succulent.


My partner enjoyed the special snow crabs which are sweet and fleshy as well as the fresh oysters which are huge and juicy.


She was also delighted by the assortment of sushi and sashimi available.


The cooked food section, on the other side of the spacious restaurant, greeted us with a wide variety of Chinese and Western cuisine which included dory fish with cream Mornay sauce, roast beef with Jalapeno Demi sauce, mushroom with Demi cheese sauce, clam stew, teriyaki parrot fish and local favorites like fried rice and our signature chilli crab with its irresistable gravy. The tempura prawns are cripsy and tasty.


We completed our sumptuous dinner with delectable cakes, pastries and Korean strawberries from the dessert section.


Although the prices of Todai International Buffet may seem rather exorbitant, the spectacular spread of food, sushi and dessert, as well as the excellent culinary standard, make every single dollar worthwhile. It was a very memorable dining experience and I will definitely return to try the other dishes that I have missed out.

8/10

Todai International Seafood And Sushi Buffet
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue B2-001
Singapore 018972

Lunch: 11.30am to 4.30pm (last order at 4.00pm)
Mondays to Thursdays – S$42++ (adult), S$22++ (child)
Fridays to Sundays, Public Holidays, Eve of Public Holidays – S$58++ (adult), S$26++ (child)

Dinner: 5.30pm to 11.00pm (last order at 10.30pm)
Mondays to Thursdays – S$54++ (adult), S$26++ (child)
Fridays to Sundays, Public Holidays, Eve of Public Holidays – S$58++ (adult), S$26++(child)

Blanco Court Fish Soup

Many foodies in Singapore have been searching for the original Blanco Court fish soup that was previously located at Blanco Court Food Centre but failed. I thought I found the answer when I saw a long queue in front of this stall along Beach Road but I was sadly mistaken.


I ordered a bowl of Blanco Court mixed fish soup and plain rice which cost $5.50 in total. Topped with spinach and fried egg, the tasty soup is served with numerous pieces of battered fried fish and thick slices of fresh fish. I was however disappointed that the flavours of the fish, evaporated milk and spinach somehow fail to blend with one another in the soup. Moreover, I felt that the fried egg could have been fresher and the chilli sauce less mediocre.

Looking at the long queues during lunch time despite its higher prices, I guess many will disagree with me that this Blanco Court fish soup is a far cry from the original. Come down to Beach Road and try it for yourself.

7/10

Blanco Court Sliced Fish Bee Hoon
Luk Lu Eating House
341 Beach Road
Closed on Sundays

Coffee Hut Coffee

Located in Jalan Berseh Food Centre just beside the famous black & white fish soup, Coffee Hut has the reputation of having one of the best coffee in Singapore. Hence I decided to kill two birds with one stone when I was there to have the sumptuous fish soup for lunch last week.


I ordered a cup of coffee which costs $1.10. Rich with the distinctive aroma of coffee beans, the outstanding coffee is delightfully thick and flavorful.

Certainly more impressive than most coffee from franchises and food centres, Coffee Hut's coffee gave me an unexpected caffeine boost, keeping me incredibly awake for the entire afternoon and evening.

7.5/10

Coffee Hut
Jalan Berseh Food Centre
#02-43
166 Jalan Besar
S208877

Rong Hua Milk Corn Shake

Previously blogged about its special teh cino, I decided, for a change, to try the milk corn shake from Rong Hua Hot and Cold Drinks at Golden Mile Food Centre last weekend.

Highly addictive with plenty of saccharine goodness, the milk corn shake, which costs $2.50, comes with smooth blended milk ice topped with fragrant cream and sweet corn.

If you have a sweet tooth, you must try Rong Hua's milk corn shake which will certainly keep you coming back for more.

7.5/10

Rong Hua Hot And Cold Drinks
Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road #B1-08
S199583

Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat

Having tried the various famous fish head steamboats in Singapore, I still like the one from Nan Hwa Chong along North Bridge Road most.


Reasonably priced at only $20, a small pomfret steamboat for two comes with satisfactory portions of fresh and tasty pomfret, vegetables and yam pieces. Filled with the concentrated sweetness of fish and the subtle aroma of herbs and spices, the mouthwatering soup is definitely the distinguishing factor for this fish head steamboat. However, please refrain from asking for a refill of the soup unless necessary as the refill is considerably diluted compared with the original.

Nan Hwa Chong fish head steamboat is certainly one of the best in Singapore. To beat the crowd which can be overwhelming during weekends, do try to reach there before 630pm.

7.5/10

Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat Corner
814 North Bridge Road

Dunman Road Char Siew Wanton Mee

What makes an outstanding wanton mee? I found the answer last weekend when I had Dunman Road Char Siew wanton mee at Dunman Food Centre.


A big plate of wanton mee which costs only $3 comes with a generous portion of handmade noodles topped with char siew (marinated roast pork) and wanton (meat dumplings). Unlike other wanton noodles, the special egg-flavoured noodle is so fragrant and tasty that you can eat it on its own. Not forgetting the extraordinary chilli sauce that is so unbelievably spicy that it actually burns inside the mouth, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste. Fortunately the owner never fails to oblige me whenever I ask for a bigger bowl of the anchovy-flavoured soup.

The interesting story behind Dunman Road Char Siew Wanton Mee is that it was started by a fellow worker of another wanton noodle stall in the same hawker centre. I shall not mention the name as the disciple has clearly surpassed the master, yet remaining humble and providing good service to customers. Come down and try Dunman Road Char Siew Wanton Mee if you haven't. It's definitely one of the best in Singapore.

8/10

Dunman Road Char Siew Wanton Mee
Dunman Food Centre
271 Onan Road
#02-19
S424768
Closed on Thursday

Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup

When I tasted the best fish soup that I ever had in my life, the first thought that came to my mind was to buy it back for my family. Unfortunately the sign in front of the stall read "Dine in only". It didn't take me long to figure out why. With an extraordinary fish soup like this, this stall can certainly afford to set its eccentric rules eg open at 10.12am, $0.30 for extra chilli, only mixed black and white fish soup etc and still keep its customers coming back for more.

Mei Xiang black & white fish soup comes in two sets: $7 for big and $5 for small, inclusive of rice and chilli. In case you wonder why this fish soup is so expensive, let me assure you that the amount of fish you find inside is worth every dollar you spend, if not more.



The fresh slices of "white" fish are remarkably thick and fleshy while the generous chunks of battered "black" fish are delightfully fragrant and flavorful. Filled with the concentrated sweetness of fish and spices, the mouthwatering soup is so irresistable that I could hardly stop drinking after having my first spoonful.

Undoubtedly the best fish soup in Singapore, Mei Xiang certainly lives up to every bit of its reputation. If you are looking for a special fish soup that will blow you off your feet, you must not miss Mei Xiang at Jalan Berseh Food Centre.

8.5/10

Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup
Jalan Berseh Food Centre
#02-44
166 Jalan Besar
S208877
Closed on weekends & public holidays