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

Ang Mo Kio Curry Chicken Noodle

Ang Mo Kio Central S11 Food Centre has many delicious food eg BBQ seafood, western food, lor mee and ban mian. Recently I discovered that its curry chicken noodle is very tasty too.


For only $3, you get a large bowl of sumptuous noodles with generous pieces of white chicken. Delightfully thick with a distinctive coconut milk fragrance, the mouthwatering gravy complements the noodles very well. The steamed chicken is extremely fresh and tender.

If you are a curry lover, you must have noticed that there is a recent increase in curry chicken noodle franchises in neighborhood food centres. Ang Mo Kio Curry Chicken Noodle is certainly the most impressive of these.

7.5/10

Ang Mo Kio Curry Chicken Noodle
Blk 450 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10
S-11 Food Centre
S560450

Pow Sing Chicken Rice

If you have visited Serangoon Gardens before at night, you would not have missed the brightly-lit signboard of Pow Sing Restaurant with its crimson-red chicken mascot. What is more well-known about Pow Sing is its famous chicken rice that is supposedly very expensive.


I ordered a chicken rice set meal which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a plate of pickles. Thoroughly coated with savory chicken broth, the delicious rice is extremely fragrant and flavorful. Delightfully thick and spicy, the special chilli sauce complements the rice very well. The steamed white chicken is fresh, tender and tasty.

The sumptuous dinner costs around $9 in total, inclusive of lime juice and service charge. The prices are definitely comparable to other famous chicken rice restaurants eg Five Star and Boon Tong Kee. For the quality of the food and the comfort of dining under air conditioning, I am certainly willing to pay that price.

7.5/10

Pow Sing Chicken Rice
65 Serangoon Garden Way

Leon Kee Claypot Big Prawn Noodles

Located at Alexandra Village Food Centre, Leon Kee is better known for its ba kut teh (herbal pork rib soup). I wouldn't have noticed its claypot big prawn noodles if not for a reader who mentioned that it has one of the best prawn mee in Singapore.


Served piping hot in a claypot, a bowl of Leon Kee prawn noodles costs $5. In case you are wondering if it is worthwhile to pay the price, the delicious prawn mee comes with one and a half gigantic prawns which will probably cost at least $8 for other famous big prawn noodles. Brimming with the concentrated essence of prawns, the mouthwatering soup is the thickest of all the prawn mee soup I have ever tasted. The enormous halved prawns are fresh and sweet and complement the tasty noodles very well.

Yet to try Leon Kee pork rib soup, I was already very impressed with its claypot big prawn noodles. If you too are a prawn mee lover, do make a trip down to Alexandra Village and try it for yourself.

7.5/10

Leon Kee Claypot Big Prawn Noodles
Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-18

He Jia Huan Ban Mian

The best ban mian (handmade noodle) in Singapore used to be Qiu Lian Ban Mian. However, over the past few years, with the opening of multiple franchises, its impressive standard seemed to have deteriorated tremendously. Recently, after reading about the ban mian at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Staff Canteen which some bloggers described as the best in Singapore, I decided to go and try it for myself.

Finding the well-concealed Staff Canteen at Terminal 2 was no easy task. It was located at Level 3M and I went into a few wrong lift lobbies and staircase exits before I finally found it.


A bowl of He Jia Huan ban mian costs $3 for public and $2.20 for staff. Topped with generous servings of ikan bilis (fried anchovies), the delicious ban mian comes with a small saucer of chilli sauce. The thick and savory gravy complements the smooth noodles very well. The highlight of the ban mian is the exceptionally spicy chilli sauce made with fresh chilli padi that burns incessantly in the mouth.

I couldn't help noticing the similarities between He Jia Huan and Qiu Lian Ban Mian eg the texture of the noodles, the taste of the soup and the quality of the chilli sauce. Overall I didn't feel that He Jia Huan ban mian is the best in Singapore but it is certainly delicious and definitely worth a try. Happy searching for Terminal 2 Staff Canteen.

7/10

He Jia Huan Ban Mian
Changi Airport Terminal 2 Staff Canteen

Lau Goh Teochew Fried Carrot Cake

There is a heartwarming story behind Lau Goh Teochew Fried Carrot Cake at Zion Riverside Food Centre. This stall is run by a partially-deaf man who takes your order by reading your lips. Over the years, he has been working hard to perfect the art of frying carrot cake and making Lau Goh one of the best in Singapore.

Lau Goh's fried carrot cake comes in the white version (fried with light soya sauce) and the black version (fried with dark soya sauce). My friend who is a fan of this carrot cake recommended the black version.


I ordered a plate of black fried carrot cake which costs $4. Well-fried to a delightfully crispy consistency, the delicious carrot cake is thoroughly coated with fried egg and a layer of sweet soya sauce and chilli.

In terms of culinary standard, Lau Goh Teochew fried carrot cake is certainly fantastic. But in terms of ingredients, it would be perfect if it comes with shrimps. I remembered when I was a child, I loved the carrot cake from Tampines which was fried with plenty of shrimps. But with the rising costs of ingredients, it has become extremely rare to find carrot cake fried with shrimps today. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of carrot cake, you must not miss Lau Goh Teochew Fried Carrot Cake.

7/10

Lau Goh Teochew Fried Carrot Cake
Zion Riverside Food Centre
86 Zion Road
Stall No 26

Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee

There are a few stalls in Hainanese Village Food Centre at Lorong Ah Soo that are well-known for their long queues especially during weekends. I have previously tried and introduced Yi Liu Xiang Nasi Lemak during my last visit there. Today I decided to try the famous Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee.


Indeed value for money, a bowl of $3 lor mee comes with an fabulous variety of ingredients like ngor hiang, fried wanton, fish cake, braised duck and braised egg. The delicious gravy is savory and complementary to the noodles but not overly sticky or starchy. I was most impressed by the fried wanton which were filled with abundant crunchy chestnut. The shredded braised duck serves as a healthier alternative to the usual braised fatty meat. If you feel that lor mee can never be complete without braised egg, you will be delighted that this lor mee comes with one whole braised egg which I usually save for the last.

One of the more delicious lor mee in the heartlands of Singapore, Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee just lacks the distinguishing factor present in other famous lor mee eg Bukit Purmei. Nevertheless, this value-for-money lor mee with generous servings of ingredients is still worthwhile queuing up for.

7/10

Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee
Hainanese Village Food Centre
Blk 105 Hougang Ave 1
#02-12
Closed on Mondays

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow

Described by some food bloggers as one of the best fried kway teow in Singapore, I was disappointed to find it closed during the last 2 times when I was there. I finally managed to try Hill Street fried kway teow for lunch today after waiting for around 20 minutes.


A plate of savory fried kway teow, topped with cockles, pork lard and slices of Taiwanese sausages, costs only $2.50. The delicious kway teow is slightly wet in consistency and coated with thick flavorful gravy. The pork lard pieces accentuate the delightful fragrance of the fried kway teow, every mouthful is indeed heavenly.

This is certainly one of the more fantastic fried kway teow in Singapore. Do come down to Bedok South and experience it for yourself today.

8/10

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Blk 16 Bedok South Road #01-187
Closed on Mondays

Don Crab Bee Hoon

Better known for its famous pies, I was surprised to know that Don at Far East Square also has crab bee hoon. Tempted by the posters pasted outside the restaurant which read "Crab Bee Hoon with Sri Lankan crab for only $16", I decided to try it for myself.


Somewhat reminiscent of Uncle Leong's crab bee hoon, Don crab bee hoon is the soupy version that is served in a claypot. Brimming with the concentrated essence of crabs and a gentle tinge of spices, the mouthwatering gravy is exceptionally savory, giving every strand of bee hoon a delicate coat of irresistable flavour. The medium sized crab is indeed fresh and tasty with robust flesh that is sweet and appetizing.

Compared with Uncle Leong's famous crab bee hoon which costs at least $30, Don crab bee hoon is smaller and less costly priced at $16. But it is definitely sufficient to satisfy one's craving for crabs.

7.5/10

Don - Your Personal Pie Club
25 China Street
Far East Square
#01-01
Singapore 048422

Guang Zhou Wanton Noodle

Despite being a wanton mee lover, it took me quite a while to try Guang Zhou Wanton Noodle even though I frequently patronise Tanglin Halt Market for lunch. Maybe because there were already two stalls namely the duck noodle and laksa featured on Makansutra, I really didn't expect the wanton mee to be so fantastic too.


A $3 plate of wanton mee comes with a satisfactory portion of noodles topped with generous servings of char siew and a bowl of savory wanton soup. The two distinguishing factors of Guang Zhou wanton mee are its special chilli sauce and its exceptionally fresh char siew. Splendidly cooked to the right consistency, the mouthwatering noodles are thoroughly coated with a layer of flavorful chilli sauce that is irresistably spicy. The crimson char siew slices are remarkably fresh and tasty, the best I have ever tasted in wanton mee. The impressive dumplings complement the noodles very well and the savory anchovy-flavoured soup readily extinguishes the scorching flames of the spicy chilli.

Guang Zhou is undoubtedly one of the best wanton mee in Singapore, along the likes of Hong Mao, Fei Fei and Koka wanton mee. Calling all wanton mee enthusiasts, come down to Tanglin Halt Market and try it for yourself if you haven't.

8/10

Guang Zhou Wanton Noodle
Tanglin Halt Market
Blk 46 Commonwealth Drive