What’s so special about Yong Huat Delight is that the owner, Ms Liang Yuan, grinds her own rice in order to make her rice slurry, compared to using rice flour and water which is how it’s normally done. She will come back to the stall at night to soak the rice for around six to eight hours. She will then return again in the morning to grind the soaked rice.

A former beautician looking for a more active job, Ms Liang Yuan decided to sell one of Guangzhou’s most popular snacks. She even returned to Guangzhou just to learn how to make it. That’s some dedication right there!

We ordered three different flavours — Gu Cai (Leeks) ($2.50), Dried Shrimp Bang Kwang ($3), and Prawns ($3). For the gu cai version, Miss Liang recommended adding chai poh for an extra crunch and salty punch.

The chee cheong fun was smooth and silky. The texture kind of reminded me of hor fun. Also, it didn’t break easily. You can use your chopsticks to unwrap the whole roll and it will still be in one piece. That, Ms Liang explained, is why she grinds her own rice. It helps to maintain the firmness of the chee cheong fun.

The chai poh did in fact improve the taste of the gu cai chee cheong fun. The saltiness of the chai poh brought out the freshness of the gu cai.

Next, we tried the bang kwang cheong fun. It is such an unusual ingredient to add into a rice roll but it worked surprisingly well. Imagine a po piah, but with chee cheong fun as the wrapping instead. The bang kwang was really juicy and the dried shrimp inside added a chewiness and savouriness. Highly recommended!

Last but not least, we had the prawn chee cheong fun. Can I just take a moment to share with you how fresh the prawns were? They were so fresh, so springy and had such a clean taste. The size of the prawns were bigger than average as well. What a simple but delicious breakfast.

Trust me, the texture of the chee cheong fun here is different from that of the usual chee cheong fun we get. It is definitely worth making a special trip for!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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Warung Selera Masakan Kampung in Joo Chiat Complex is known for their nasi campur/padang.

The moment we got here, our eyes lit up! We were incredibly spoilt for choice. There were just so many things to choose from! My eyes were darting back and forth as I tried to guess what the many interesting dishes they had were. In the end, we decided to pick the dishes that we were more familiar with. What we ordered was only a small portion of what they had though.

I tried the Sayur Lodeh first. The gravy was a little bland but the vegetables were crunchy. This is not a spicy dish so it’s perfect for those who are here but can’t really take spicy food!

Next up, I had the Sotong Hitam. When we were ordering our food, there were many people who were getting this as well. This was my first time trying it and I fell in love with it. You can taste hints of the squid ink in the slightly sweet black sauce. The squid itself was soft and fresh, and had a lovely bite. I highly recommend this.

The Sambal Terung (brinjal) is lightly fried before being smothered in sambal. While the really red sambal and the numerous chilli seeds scared me at first, the dish turned out to be manageable. I was surprised that it wasn’t overwhelmingly spicy! I enjoyed the savoury brinjal which carried notes of lime.

Then, I moved on to the curry dishes. The flavourful and lemak Curry Ayam contained tender pieces of chicken. You can tell by its taste that lots of coconut milk was put into it. I’m not complaining. I doused my plate of rice with it. It was honestly one of my favourite dishes out of all that we ordered.

Last but not least, the Curry Ikan. Please get a drink ready before eating this. If the spiciness level of the curry ayam was at a 4.5 out of 10, the fish was at least a 7.5. You can see pieces of chilli padi swimming in there. One mouthful and it’ll definitely make you shout, PEDAS! Despite the heat, the flavour was so so good, even better than the curry chicken. The fish itself was soft and juicy.

We only tried 5 dishes, but they were enough to make us want to come back for more. So, if you want to try authentic Malay food, you should definitely come here. And from what I learnt from this experience, the spicier the dish, the better it tastes.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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Somewhere deep inside Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 is a stall selling Lor Mee. Previously located at Ang Mo Kio Block 133, the stall moved to their current location in Yi Jia Food Centre two years ago. However, it was only one year ago that the owner started selling her lor mee again. Of course, her loyal customers were thrilled.

The owner sells four variations of Lor Mee. The difference lies in the ingredients each bowl is packed with. We got the original lor mee ($3), chicken cutlet lor mee ($3.50), and fried fish lor mee ($3.50).

Even for someone who doesn’t have lor mee often, I could tell that the flavour of the gravy wasn’t that strong. I suggest adding more garlic and vinegar to boost the flavours a little. The gravy was really thick though. Each strand of the egg noodle was coated with the gravy.

The pork was quite small in my opinion, but it certainly was tender and still quite delightful.

The fried wantons were really crispy and I enjoyed the crunchy skin. I felt that they could be a little more generous with the filling though.

The chicken cutlet really impressed me. The rather thick crust was crunchy and the meat was juicy. Wow! I’ll definitely recommend that you get the chicken cutlet lor mee.

The fried fish was nicely fried as well. The battered fish was fluffy and flaky. It kind of reminded me of a mini version of fish and chips. I still prefer the chicken, but this was really good as well!

This lor mee might just be the perfect breakfast for you. You may be tempted to get the economical bee hoon when you’re here, so bring along a friend or two so you guys can share the spread!

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Opened only in July 2019, HoYeah Nasi Lemak has been raved about by many who’ve patronised the stall.  From the fried chicken and ikan bills, to the sambal, everything is made from scratch. I heard a lot of good things about their fried chicken, so I was raring to try it.

We bought two of the chef’s recommendations — the Special Nasi Lemak + Fried Chicken Drumstick ($5) and the Special Nasi Lemak + Curry Chicken ($5). The difference between the special and traditional nasi lemak lies in the egg. The traditional version comes with a hard boiled egg while the special version has its rice wrapped in an omelette. Kinda like an omurice!

Just from the appearance alone, I must say I was impressed. The length of the fried chicken drumstick was the same as the entire straw basket. They gave a substantial amount of rice and a huge dollop of sambal. It also came with thick pieces of cucumber.

The ikan bilis was crispy and the lightly salted roasted peanuts gave a good crunch. They’ve certainly nailed the basic but most crucial ingredients of nasi lemak.

The rice was fluffy and soft. While not the most fragrant, the rice carried hints of coconut. The rice was slightly oily, which reminded me of chicken rice. The omelette was a good accompaniment to the rice and sambal. Now, the star of the show, the fried chicken, was great. It was really crispy and the batter wasn’t too thick. The meat was juicy and tender. It was, regretfully, a little bland. But don’t get me wrong, I still liked it very much. Just make sure you get a bite with some of that sweet sambal!

The curry chicken gravy was really thick, like that of a rendang. It was slightly spicy, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Surprisingly, the chicken was drier than the fried chicken. Usually, it would be the other way around.

HoYeah Nasi Lemak is definitely worth a try. For $5, you are getting more that you can ask for!

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From a humble hawker stall in Mei Ling Market and Food Centre in 1969 to winning the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for 4 years straight (2016 – 2019), SHI HUI YUAN has bravely weathered the passage of time while sending out delicious plates of Hor Fun. SHI HUI YUAN has recently opened their new flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat Festival Market to bring the uniquely Singapore Hor Fun to the financial district.

I met the owners of SHI HUI YUAN, Mr Fong Pak Thim and his daughter, Lyne, at their new flagship stall in Lau Pa Sat to hear their story.

“Why did I become a hawker? For my livelihood. I was working then but I heard someone applied for a hawker stall, so I went to apply too. I was lucky to get it, so we opened a stall at the Mei Ling Market & Food Centre in 1969,” said Mr Fong.

Back in the old days, Hor Fun was an expensive dish served only in restaurants. Mr Fong and his wife wanted to create their own version of Singapore Hor Fun that is affordable and nutritional, hence the name 實惠園.

To be very honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect because I always had the impression that it was another Ipoh-style Hor Fun that’s tossed with some soy sauce gravy. But I was wrong. This is nothing like Ipoh Hor Fun. I’ll consider this a uniquely Singaporean Hor Fun.

Mr Fong added, “We didn’t call it Ipoh Hor Fun, because it is not. Hor Fun itself is tasteless. But when we cook it, we can’t treat it as just Hor Fun. We treat it as our children and “groom” them. In order to be successful (tasty), it depends on what ingredients I add to “groom” this plate of Hor Fun so that we are responsible to our customers.”

Passionately, Mr Fong’s wife developed a recipe using over 30 herbs which include Dang Shen, Yang Shen Xu and Luo Han Guo. The Hor Fun gravy is the embodiment of their Cantonese cooking philosophy of “Food as Medicine”. The herb-based braising sauce is continuously stewed with chicken and duck meat and bones for over 30 years. And each plate is packed with more than 1500mg of rice collagen. Wow!

The first item to arrive on our table was the Blissful set 温馨河伴 ($7.80). It has a beautiful Chinese name. Lyne said, “My father has literary talent and he is able to create beautiful sentences and spin a stunning metaphor. He named this plate of Hor Fun “温馨河伴” because there are a lot of ingredients accompanying it, just like our happy family.”

Indeed, this silky plate of Hor Fun is garnished with a delectable medley of chicken drumstick, duck drumstick, spare ribs, braised egg, mushrooms and vegetables. The ingredients are soaked in a savoury broth that carry a novel and complex blend of herbal flavours.

I hope you are not squirmish about chicken feet because SHI HUI YUAN does it really well. This collagen-rich ingredient is stewed in their signature gravy for a long time and every bite has deep herbal notes. I like the gelatinous and chewy texture of the chicken feet a lot! You must not miss the Braised Chicken Feet Hor Fun 凤爪留香 ($6 regular / $7 large).

I’ve never really been a Hor Fun person (except those thick stir-fried Hor Fun in zi char stall) but this changed me. The gravy was nothing like what I’d tasted before and I really enjoyed it. When I dipped the chicken feet into the tangy chilli sauce, I was blown away! It was so easy to finish the entire bowl on my own!

If you come in a big group, you can order the Combination Platter 幸福拼盘 ($16.80 for 3-4 pax) to share. The mushrooms were succulent and very satisfying.

If you are a fan of Hor Fun, this is the ONE place that you need to visit. Lyne hopes that more people can try this traditional dish, hence the opening of the flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat. “Mei Ling Street is a mature estate. We hope the younger generation can try this traditional taste that will continue for generations to come. At Lau Pa Sat, the office crowd and tourists can try our food without travelling to Mei Ling Street.”

While the dishes left a deep impression, what was even more memorable was my conversation with Mr Fong. He is about my grandfather’s age. Even though he doesn’t do much cooking nowadays, he speaks with so much pride about his food. A lot of times, it is about the stories behind the food that make the dining experience so memorable. Mr Fong even sang a tune for me to explain the name of one of his dishes. Watch the video to find out more.

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Residents staying around Hong Fu Ling 81 Eating House all know about Tian Cheng Charcoal Roasted which sells smoky roast meats. The prices of the meats are rather affordable, which is a plus point! We had the Char Siew Roasted Pork Noodle ($4.50), and the Roasted Duck Rice ($3.50).

The roast pork was amazing. I especially love how crispy the skin was. The meat was tender and oh-so-flavourful. However, it wasn’t as fatty as I thought it would be. But, that means I can stuff my face with it without feeling super guilty.

The char siew definitely had that distinctive smokiness of charcoal. I felt that the meat was a little dry though. It was definitely a lot leaner than expected. Maybe it’s because we visited the stall later in the day, and most of the fattier cuts have been sold.

The Roasted Duck Rice featured cuts of duck that were glistening. The skin, especially, looked so enticing. The meat was again, quite a lean cut. I really enjoyed the natural flavours of the duck that have been enhanced by the smokiness of charcoal. The sambal chilli complemented it all very well. On the side of the plate sat a small serving of pickled vegetables, instead of the usual raw cucumbers. I think that’s really smart as the slightly sour vegetables help to cut through the richness of the meat and at the same time, cleanse your palate.

I definitely recommend the roast pork here. And, if you come earlier in the day, the smoky char siew will be worth a try as well.

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My group of makan kakis who are also big fans of nasi biryani arranged for another lunch gathering at this newly-opened Cafe Mariam in Joo Chiat. One of us who tried it previously was raving so much about it so we all decided to check it out this week.

We met at 10.30am at Cafe Mariam, which is located in a small shop house along Changi Road, for lunch (yes for lunch because our friend said it would get crowded during lunch time). But guess we came too early. In there, Chef Hassan was still busy cooking nasi mandi.

“I only sell two things here — Nasi Biryani or Nasi Mandi. Mandi is the Arabic version of biryani and many people consider it a healthier version. My kitchen is small, so I come up with my own technique of smoking it.”

Having worked with Gordon Ramsay before, Chef Hussan is definitely not a newbie in the kitchen. He showed me how he cooked his Nasi Mandi and I was impressed. No, the rice was not smoked in some expensive Josper oven. He uses a clever trick to give his Nasi Mandi its characteristic smoky flavour and taste. This small cafe already smells wonderful even before the food is ready.

There is Chicken Dum Briyani ($6.50), Mutton Briyani ($7.50) and the Arab-style Mandi Briyani (price depends on size) on the menu. Since there were 5 of us, we shared a huge platter of Dum and Mandi with chicken, mutton and lamb shank.

The hallmark of an excellent biryani is the fluffy rice grains. Layers of meat and rice are added to a heavy-bottomed pot which is sealed tightly so the flavors and steam do not escape. “No saffron, no biryani,” Chef Hussain said. The fluffy basmati rice in biryani has a hint of saffron.

My friends and I were raving about the nasi mandi which had a very distinct smokiness that we love. The accompanying meats are spiced and stewed in a pot till soft. Upon order, Chef Hussan starts his fire guns and torches the meat surface till it’s slightly charred on the outside. The meats are paired with green chilli chutney and yogurt. If you ask me, I’ll very much love to combine both nasi briyani and nasi mandi, and savour them together. It’s so good.

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Having decided to carry on her father’s legacy of selling Nasi Lemak, Charlene (on the left), 24, opened Tree Coconut with her father. Charlene studied biomedical science in University of Queensland, prior to taking the huge step to becoming a hawker. Yuting (on the right), 26, left her insurance job when Charlene needed help running the stall. The rest, as they say, is history.

At around 5am, the team prepares the marinade and ingredients for the day.

Watching the rice being cooked, chicken being fried, and otah being grilled, I became really hungry. A nasi lemak set($2.50) consists of rice, a fried egg and chicken wing. If you desire ikan bilis and peanuts, you have to add on $0.50. I added another otah ($1) to complete my meal.

The rice was quite fragrant and fluffy. At the same time, it was quite light and refreshing, which is something many other customers have noticed. The sweet sambal gave the rice a nice heat, and great flavours. The ikan bilis was super crispy and had that saltiness that complemented all the components in the dish.

The crispy chicken, which was marinated with five-spice powder, was tender and juicy. I was sad when I finished the chicken wing, all too quickly. I should have gotten another one!

The otah wasn’t grilled over charcoal and was not very fragrant, but it was very soft, and extremely delicious.

The next item we got was the Chicken cutlet set ($3.60), with an additional fishcake ($0.70). Only regulars know about the cutlet ($1.60)!

The breaded chicken cutlet was still really crispy by the time I got to it. It was coated in the same seasoning that was used for the fried chicken wing. The chicken was really juicy too. You can dip it in the runny yolk of the sunny side up if you like.

It’s definitely heartening to see the younger generation taking the road less travelled. The standard of the food here is pretty good to be honest, and I’ll say that Tree Coconut is definitely worth a try.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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Opened in 1955, Shi Xiang Satay has seen generations of customers come and go. Now, it is run by Young, the original owner’s son. He learnt how to make satay from his mother, who learnt the craft from her husband.

Shi Xiang Satay first started out by on the streets. No matter how things changed, the stall always stayed in chinatown. They didn’t have a name back then, so their customers helped them come up with one.

It took us a while to find the stall as it was quite hidden on the second level. Once you go up the escalator, walk straight towards the stalls and turn right. You’ll see a sign on the wall that says “More stalls here”. Follow the sign and you should be able to find Shi Xiang Satay. You should be able to catch a whiff of the satay once you are near enough.

Every satay is marinated for at least 24 hours to ensure that they’re tasty. Usually, a new batch is made every one and a half days. We got 5 sticks of chicken and 5 sticks of pork ($0.60 per stick, 10 sticks minimum). You can also get rice cubes for ($0.60) to make it a more complete meal, but we were quite full that day so we didn’t buy any.

The plate of satay comes with chunks of cucumber and a small bowl of peanut sauce. Usually there are sliced red onions as well, but I think maybe the owner forgot to give us some.

To distinguish between the pork and chicken satay, all you have to do is see which stick has a piece of fat in the middle, and that would be the pork satay. The layer of fat helped to moisten the nicely grilled meat and added a soft crunch. There were some charred bits that give it a sweet smokiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet and savoury morsel.

The chicken was leaner than the pork, so if you want something that’s not too fatty, opt for the chicken satay. It’s still as delicious, but just a tad tougher.

Young told us that the pork satay is the preferred choice for Chinese, while the chicken satay is favoured by tourists.

The key difference between other types of satay and Hainanese satay is the sauce. The peanut sauce usually comes with a small dollop of pineapple puree which adds a slight acidity and sweetness to the peanut sauce.

Because of some medical issues, Young will be running Shi Xiang Satay for another 5 years at most. He isn’t planning on passing the business down to his children, so it might come to an end once he retires.

Come try this famous satay while you still can! I heard it pairs really well with a pint of cold beer.

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If you live in Clementi, you would have definitely heard of Fong Dee’s Curry Puff, or at least tried it before. It is THE curry puff stall in Clementi.

I’ve been eating them ever since I was a wee child. My grandmother would always buy some after her trips to the market and we’ll have them for tea time. I remember struggling to finish the whole puff because I couldn’t handle the spiciness. I can easily take it on now of course.

The owner learnt how to make the curry puffs from his mother since he was 10. He has since used the same recipe to make his famous pastries. Everything, from the dough, to the curried potatoes and chicken, are all handmade and made fresh daily.

Appearance-wise, it isn’t the prettiest curry puff, but it has a sort of rustic look. It always reminded me of a small rugby ball.

The crust is crispy, yet soft at the same time. It’s less like a biscuit, but more like a pie shell. There’s nothing quite like it. The crust is one of the unique parts of Fong’s Dee curry puff.

Each puff ($1.20) is filled generously with curried potatoes, chicken, and a slice of egg. It’s best eaten 5-10 minutes out of the fryer, when it is still hot. You’ll get that burst of flavour and a spicy kick from the rempah. (Like I said, I can totally handle it now.) When we had it that day, it was a little bland. But, they’re still really addictive. After devouring one, you would feel like having another, and then another.

Fong’s Dee Curry Puff only sells potato curry puffs, among some other fried goodies, such as goreng pisang and spring rolls. I have yet to try them, but I might give them a go if I don’t get tempted by the curry puffs first.

So, if you’re ever around Clementi, make sure you get your hands on these delicious curry puffs!

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Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre is home to many delicious food and famous stalls. One of them is Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh. Opened for 18 years, the stall has gained a reputation for making one of the best Teochew kuehs in Singapore.

The owner wakes up at 1 am every day to prepare the ingredients for the day. He will then spend the morning filling and folding the kuehs.

One of the interesting things about the stall is that they sell both steamed and pan-fried kuehs. It takes about 10-15 minutes to steam the kueh, but only a few minutes to fry them.

It intrigued us so much that we bought all four types of kueh, both steamed and pan fried.

The soon kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $0.80 for fried) is a crowd favourite, and also the owner’s personal favourite. Honestly, I can tell why. I actually wasn’t too keen on soon kueh, as my impression of it is this translucent gelatinous blob with stuffing inside. The thick skin always turned me off, and the bang kuang is always not up to par.

But this? The steamed skin was chewy, QQ, and wasn’t too thick. The bang kuang inside was so soft and flavourful. The crisp pan fried skin took it up a notch. I am now a convert.

The png kueh ($0.90 for steamed, $1 for fried), unfortunately, didn’t impress me as much. The glutinous rice inside was a little dry, and it made the kueh difficult to chew and swallow. The fried version tasted a little better, but not by much. Maybe if you added the chilli sauce, it would be easier to eat.

The chives kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $$0.80 for fried) is a hit or miss for most as the taste of chives doesn’t appeal to everyone. Surprisingly, it was a home run for me. The chives were soft, and I couldn’t really taste the light garlicky onion flavour it usually has. It was juicy too. Needless to say, the whole kueh disappeared in a flash. The fried version was gone just as quickly.

To differentiate the cabbage kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $0.80 for fried) from the others, just look for the pink dot on top of the white skin. The cabbage was cooked to a soft texture like the chives, but it was a lot saltier. Maybe it’s because it was made with hei bi. It was flavourful, but you can only have so many at a time.

I was sceptical at first, given my bad history with soon kueh. But, Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh really deserves its reputation for amazing Teochew kuehs. I preferred the pan fried versions compared to the steamed ones, as I really liked the crunchy skin. But hey, that’s just me. Many like the traditional steamed versions more. They’re both delicious and I know I’ll be craving for them in a few days time.

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Nowadays, handmade fishballs are very rare. Stalls that sell them are treasured finds indeed. Thye Hong Fishball Noodle is one such stall. There is another stall in Ghim Moh that goes by the same name. That’s because the owners of both stalls are siblings. The younger brother is helming the stall here in Bukit Batok.

The fishballs and fishcake are made from yellowtail. The whole family gets the same fish from the same supplier. The results are these little white balls of goodness.

You can choose from a few different types of noodles, and whether you want the dry or soup version. We got the Mee Pok dry ($3.50) and Kway Teow Soup ($3.50). They come with spring onions and a few pieces of lard.

The noodles were eggy, chewy and slightly spicy from the addition of chilli.

Now for the star of the dish, the fishballs. They were incredibly bouncy and supple. If only I could show you. I’ll bet they can bounce a few times if I threw them. They’re soft enough so you can sink your teeth in all the way through. You can taste the yellowtail, but it’s not fishy at all — a testament to how good these are. The sizes are all relatively uniformed too, even though they’re homemade.

Order the kway teow soup if you feel a little under the weather, or if it’s a cold day. A nice, warm, comforting bowl of fishball noodles will chase any blues away. The soup had a light and clean taste. They don’t use MSG in their soup, which must explain why. Be warned that the noodles soak up the soup really quickly.

I preferred the dry version to the soup version. For someone who doesn’t really fancy fishball noodles, the fishballs really blew me away. I guess there really is a difference between handmade fishballs and mass produced ones. If you love fishball noodles, you must give this a go.

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Whenever you’re feeling under the weather, the first food you would think of eating would be noodle soup, or a nice bowl of porridge.

One of the stalls in Clementi that everyone recommends is Soon Lee Porridge. This 79-year-old stall has been selling authentic Hainanese porridge in Clementi since 1980. They moved here from their first location in Bukit Timah.

The 3rd-gen owner (on the left) has been learning the craft since he was 9, but officially started working at the stall when he was 20.

Every morning, his father makes a huge pot of plain porridge which they will then make individual portions from. It takes up to one and a half hours to make the porridge. The recipe of the ingredients such as the minced pork, pork balls, and porridge have not changed much since his grandfather’s time. However, some tweaks have been made to cater to the tastebuds of consumers.

Upon receiving each order, they will scoop a portion of plain porridge, and a spoonful of secret sauce into a small pot, before adding the rest of the ingredients.

We got the Pork Porridge, Chicken Porridge, and Fish Porridge. Every bowl is ($3), and you can add $0.30 for an egg.

What sets Hainanese porridge apart from other types of porridges, is that the porridge is thick, but you can still see the broken rice grains. It’s made by using a mixture of old rice and new rice.

The pork porridge comes with pork slices, pork balls, and pork liver. The pork balls were absolutely delicious. They were savoury and meaty. They taste like sausages, but without the casing. It was a comforting bowl of porridge. I can see why this is their signature.

Each bowl is topped with salted vegetables, spring onion, and fried shallot oil. You can also add as much white pepper and soy sauce as you want.

If you add an egg into your porridge like we did, don’t stir the porridge too much as it will get watery. Just stir a few times, then scoop the porridge from the top and work your way down. That way, the surface of the porridge, which is cooler, would be easier to eat.

The chicken porridge was delicious too but the chicken itself didn’t leave much of an impression like the pork did.

The fish porridge comes with fresh slices of batang fish. It came a close second to the pork porridge in my opinion. Taste is subjective, of course, so feel free to try them and tell us what you think.

We tried a bowl of porridge without the egg, and I must say that it had more flavour. Maybe the egg yolk mellows out the flavour of the meat, or it makes the porridge more watery. Nevertheless, Soon Lee Porridge makes a really good, hearty bowl of porridge, and you should definitely give it a try one day.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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Whenever I ask someone about their top picks for chicken rice in Singapore, I’m always greeted with the name “Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice”. So, I decided to head to Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre to see how good the chicken rice really is.

Here, they serve only white (steamed) chicken. Not a single roasted bird in sight. Doesn’t matter, because I prefer steamed over roasted chicken anyway. We got one regular plate of chicken rice ($2.50), and one with thigh meat ($3.50).

Each plate comes with a slice of tomato and pineapple, and one strip of cucumber hiding beneath the chicken. This plate of the normal chicken rice might look a little drab and plain at first glance, but it was surprisingly good. The chicken was juicy despite it being breast meat, and the rice was savoury, fragrant, but not too oily.

For just an additional dollar,  you can have juicy and succulent thigh meat instead of breast meat.

Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice drizzles a special sauce over their chicken rice. It’s so tasty that I almost wished my whole plate was covered with it. Some dabao their chicken rice just so that the sauce would infuse into the rice even more.

I recommend dipping the chicken in as much of the chilli as possible. Spicy, garlicky, and gingery, the chilli pairs so well with the chicken. Can you see the chicken glistening?

Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is definitely one of the better chicken rice in Singapore. Considering the price point as well, their chicken rice is definitely worth your money, and the calories.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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Our good friend, Paul, has been raving about this popular braised duck stall in Alexandra Village Hawker Centre. I didn’t pay much attention until one day, Paul’s father said to me in all seriousness, “You must eat this duck rice and watch how the uncle slices the meat with precision. It looks exactly like how restaurants would serve. If he wants to accept disciple, I would want to learn from him.”

Mind you, Paul’s father has been cooking for half a century and opens one of the most famous zi-char eateries in Singapore. For such an experienced chef to rave about this braised duck stall, it must be really something.

That intrigued me, and the following week, we arranged for lunch at New Market Teochew Braised Duck Rice (新巴刹潮州卤鸭饭) and met the 60-year-old owner, Mr Chan. I heard the queue starts forming way before the stall opens, so we decided to go for a late lunch. Thankfully, we managed to get the last few plates of braised duck rice (just not a lot of gizzard left).

Most people probably don’t know that this famous duck rice stall was once operating at Ellenborough Market by the Singapore River (near Clarke Quay). It was also called the Teochew Market, because the area was a Teochew enclave. It was also introduced as New Market, which gave the name to New Market Road. After the building was demolished, Mr Chan moved to Alexandra Village Hawker Centre and named the stall “New Market Teochew Braised Duck Rice”.

Mr Chan learnt the art of braising from his relative who started a pushcart stall selling braised duck rice in the 1950s. He has been doing this for 33 years. “The old school braised duck is a lot more savoury, oily and sweet. But now customers prefer something healthier, so we have to fine-tune the recipe to suit everyone’s palate.”

Their braised duck has indeed captivated many foodies’ hearts. The sauce was very fragrant and flavourful, and not starchy. We were still feeling full from our late breakfast when we visited the stall. But to our surprise, we managed to finish a bowl of plain rice, with nothing but the braised sauce, each.

The duck was incredibly tender and would have been awesome on its own, but the braising sauce just made it even more delicious. Mr Chan is a talented hawker with incredible knife skills. Each slice of duck meat is uniformly cut and even when there is a queue, he doesn’t rush through it. He takes a lot of pride in cutting the duck. Watching him prepare your dish is part of the experience.

Be sure to dip each slice of the duck meat into their homemade chilli sauce. It was moderately spicy with a hint of tanginess. We also shared a plate of Mixed Braised Duck platter which comes with intestines, braised tofu, braised egg and pigskin. Mr Chan used to sell kway chap but it was too much work for the couple, so they focus on duck rice. The intestines were clean and tasted great with the braising sauce which had a mild herbal flavour.

I am probably still too young to talk about nostalgia but our meal at New Market Teochew Braised Duck Rice was so satisfying!

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Uncle Dough might be new, but it has been warmly welcomed by the regulars of Yishun Park hawker centre. Owned by 3 close buddies who love to experiment with food, Uncle Dough offers more than just your typical you tiao (fried breadsticks). Noorman (far right) who is already an owner of another stall in Yishun Park Hawker Centre, recommended Irsyad (middle) to set up a stall when Timbre and National Youth Council (NYC) introduced a 6-month incubation programme offering a $1,300 all-in rental fee per month with no service charge. They are brothers-in-law and Hairul came in as a co-founder of Uncle Dough as well.

Every dish on their menu is handmade daily. When I came at 3pm, some of the items have already been sold out. It was amazing watching the skinny dough expand into thick sticks of you tiao after being deep-fried! I managed to try an original you tiao and boy, the handmade dough really made all the difference! Fried to a perfect golden brown, the you tiao has a light crisp exterior and a fluffy core. I shared the rest with my colleagues and the you tiao was gone in minutes.

Here’s their latest creation, Nutella & Nuts You Tiao ($2.20)! Slathered generously with Nutella and topped with crunchy nutty bits, this new creation will drive your tastebuds crazy. It was both savoury and sweet — what an ingenious combination!

Next up is the MayoTako You Tiao ($2.20). The youtiao was meant to taste like tako balls. Fans of the popular Japanese street snack will enjoy this!

Finally, a you tiao stall that has you tiao for just anybody! Uncle Dough even has Cheesy You Tiao and Milo Dinosaur You Tiao ($2.20 each). The kid in me just screamed”Yippeeeee!”

Another popular dish is the You Tiao Rojak Semarang ($3 / $5). This dish took inspiration from a spicy sauce that originated in Semarang (southern part of Indonesia). When Uncle Dough first introduced this dish, many couldn’t take how spicy it was. Hence, the owners decided to reduce the level of spiciness.

If you’re not into spicy food, you may be interested in the You Tiao Rojak Satay Madura ($3/ $5; not in the picture) which is inspired by a sweet sauce with roots in Madura (eastern part of Indonesia). 

Seeing this dish reminds me of pasar malams in Malaysia. Do you know that appam originated in India? Just as I was ordering this, another patron requested for it too, but was politely rejected as my order was the last one of the day (how lucky!). Seeing his disappointed face, I knew this was going to be good!

The batter is made with rice, coconut and other secret ingredients, before it is left to ferment for about a day. Noorman shared that the original recipe requires longer hours of fermentation but that equates to a stronger sour flavour which many of the customers could not accept. 

Indeed, there was a hint of sourness in the appam. The bright orange sugar and coconut shreds added some sweetness. As everything is made upon order, you should eat it immediately so that it’s still crisp and fluffy. So simple, but so good!

Uncle Dough has created an Onde Onde Appam ($2) too! Surprisingly, this is more sour than the traditional appam. My colleague actually preferred this to the traditional one because it was more sour!

These young owners used up 25kg of rice before successfully producing a decent appam. Kudos to them!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Uncle Dough. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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I often have a long curated list of food places to visit when I visit Johor Bahru (JB), and Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh is one of them.

The good news is, Singaporeans will get to have a taste of it without having to travel to Johor because Kota Zheng Zong has opened at Holland Village.

While waiting for Singapore’s outlet to open, we decided to drive to JB just to have a taste of it. Kota Zheng Zong is a popular family-run restaurant specializing in claypot herbal bak kut teh since 1980. The owner, Mr Pang Kow, started selling bak kut teh from a roadside pushcart in Kampung Kelantan. He later handed his business over to his son, Mr. Pang Kong Pee, who partnered with local Johorean Dato’ Lai Sing Yai to open the eatery in JB in 2018.

Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh currently has two outlets in JB – Taman Nusa Bestari and Taman Sentosa. Many Singaporeans who are looking for a bak kut teh fix will head to one of the outlets, which explains the steady flow of regular patrons from early morning. At about 12pm, the place was packed with people.

Bak kut teh was created for Chinese labourers in the early 20th century but it has become a beloved dish for many Chinese businessmen. “I eat bak kut teh. Every week. Sometimes twice a week,” Dato’ Lai announced proudly. He and his friends meet for bak kut teh and spend hours doing pretty much what he was doing at that moment – eating, drinking tea, talking business, welcoming friends and pausing now and then to chat on cell phones.

The second generation Mr Pang is very particular about using only fresh and quality ingredients. He still follows his father’s special recipe and cooking techniques to provide the authentic taste of bak kut teh. Here at Kota Zheng Zong, different chunks of meat are first cooked in a herbal broth over charcoal fire, before they are heated up again upon every order.

We simply couldn’t wait for the hot, bubbling pot of meaty pork ribs. Boiled for at least an hour and a half with 18 Chinese herbs, the signature Claypot Bak Kut Teh (RM14 per pax) comes with beancurd sheets and spring onions. Customers can choose from various types of meat such as pork ribs, pork belly, pork tail or pork trotter.

I love my bak kut teh dark, concentrated and strong. The soup was dark and flavourful, and the taste of herbs was not overpowering. There is just something about this bak kut teh that clears my sinuses and jolts me out of my zombie state.

You can amp up your bak kut teh with premium Spanish Iberico pork (RM 38). Note that it requires 40 minutes to cook. We also ordered the Three Mix Pot (RM12) consisting of pig’s kidneys, liver and intestines. If you want extra flavour, you can request to add a drizzle of Hua Diao wine or Martell cognac to your claypot.

The White Pepper Pig’s Stomach Soup (RM12) is another top seller at Kota Zheng Zong. The white pepper is specially imported from Sarawak and boiled in-house for at least 2 hours with local fresh pig’s stomach. The pig stomach was boiled to the right tenderness. The clear and delicately sweet broth had a distinct peppery flavour which added more depth. It had given me a case of warm soup belly.

Bak kut teh is best enjoyed with a medley of sides that includes salty preserved vegetables, fried dough fritters, Braised Pork Trotter and Otah. Prepared according to a traditional recipe, the pork trotter promises fresh trotters that have been braised for at least 2 hours. Just look at that chewy collagen-rich pig’s skin! We also had a plate of Otah made from Spanish Mackerel Fish.

Kota Zheng Zong has opened its first Singapore outlet at Holland Village. It’s going to be air-conditioned so you can enjoy their herbal bak kut teh in comfort. I am excited about it and hopefully I will get a chance to try the premium Iberico Bak Kut Teh.

Imagine having a piping hot bowl of bak kut teh on a rainy day. So comforting.

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Hwa Xing Bak Kut Teh is one of the remaining stalls that still serve tea along with their bak kut teh (delivering the teh in bak kut teh).

There are two versions of bak kut teh — the peppery version, and the herbal version. Hwa Xing Bak Kut Teh serves the former.

Oh, the bak kut teh ($5) was peppery alright. That intense spiciness just hit me and left that tingly sensation at the back of my throat. It will either make you go “SHIOK!” or your face will scrunch up. The soup was robust, and tasted several notches better than other peppery bak kut tehs that I’ve had. I loved that the meat fell off the bone very easily.

The pig’s trotters ($6) were fatty and the meat came apart from the bone quite easily. The gravy was a tad salty in my opinion, so do eat it with rice ($0.50/bowl). If you’re fan of pig’s trotters, you should definitely try this.

You can add on mui cai ($1) if you feel like jazzing up your bak kut teh a little.

You should definitely visit Hwa Xing Bak Kut Teh if you love peppery bak kut teh. It is a gem that still honours the old school way of serving bak kut teh with a pot of tea.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Hwa Xing Bak Kut Teh. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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Stepping into Seng Steam Fish Restaurant, we were expecting a menu to be provided since it’s a zichar eatery. Mdm Chin, the lady boss, then informed us that the menu is on the board. All we saw were huge pictures of the dishes without any prices labelled. On top of their famous fried fish, Ah Seng (the boss) recommended three other signature dishes.

When asked what type of fish was used, Mdm Chin said “Any fish of the day, as long as there’s no fish head with it!” The fish is first deboned, cut skilfully, coated with flour, and then fried. The fish was so aesthetically pleasing that nobody wanted to dig into it!

Accompanied with Thai-style sweet and spicy chilli sauce, the crispy savoury fried fish was moist and tender. The fresh fish was clean tasting and we loved that the sauce accentuated its natural sweetness.

Seng Steam Fish Restaurant’s braised pork belly with preserved vegetables was cooked just right. It was not extremely salty and complemented the braised pork belly to the T.

The ratio of lean meat to fat in the pork belly was quite proportionate. The braised sauce was well-absorbed by the tau kwa (bean curd) and pork belly. My colleague couldn’t stop reaching for more (we had prata before this by the way)!

Salted egg bitter gourd! This unassuming dish was so good. Although this was stir-fried, the bitter gourd was crunchy and a little juicy. I believe the salted egg masked some of the bitterness because the dish was not bitter but very fragrant. Just give me this and a bowl of white rice, and I’ll be more than happy!

They say that the camera eats first. However, when this lala dish arrived, I immediately dipped my spoon in to try the sauce. The first sip revealed a strong taste of wine. A kick of sweetness from the fresh lala followed after, before a slight punch of garlic hit my senses. My dad taught me that the best way to enjoy shellfish is with my hands. Picking up the lala with my hands and sucking the flesh and juice out from the shell directly was so satisfying.

All in all, we spent about 100 RM for the four dishes. Seng Steam Fish Restaurant is a great family lunch venue since they operate till 3pm only. The next time round, I will try the steam fish!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to SENG STEAM FISH RESTAURANT. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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Opened in 1980, Haron Satay is known to send out some of the best satays in Singapore. Named as one of Singapore’s Hawker Masters by The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, the title certainly isn’t just for show. Haron Satay used to supply their satay to Singapore Airline’s business and first class back when their founder was still around. The business was then passed down to the two daughters and they’ve been taking care of the business since.

Each satay is marinated for at least half an hour and cooked for around 7 minutes to get that slightly charred exterior we know and love. We got a plate of 15 sticks, 5 each of the golden trio of satay meats — chicken, beef, and mutton ($0.70 per stick).

The tender and moist chicken satay was sweet and savoury, and carried a hint of smokiness. It was also armed with a touch of spice that we enjoyed very much!

The beef and mutton satay are quite similar looking, so look out for the red-tip skewers — those will be the beef satay. The beef satay was slightly tougher than the chicken, but still tender enough for it to come off the skewer easily. The mutton was the toughest of the lot, but it was really tasty. Despite being tougher, the satay was still delicious. The flavourful marinade masked the gaminess of the mutton, and we relished every bite.

Haron makes their peanut dipping sauce in two batches daily. I don’t usually fancy peanut sauce but this one changed my mind. The sweet chunky sauce gave a bit of heat that paired really well with the satay. The peanut flavour wasn’t overpowering either, which is a good thing. As you can expect, the peanut sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the plain ketupat. I finished all the ketupat in a flash!

Haron Satay certainly serves one of the best satays you can get in Singapore. Pair the local delight with a pint of beer while you dine by the beach!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Haron Satay. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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