Fong Seng Nasi Lemak: Haven for hungry Uni Students!

Which NUS Alumni hasn't been to Fong Seng Nasi Lemak? Some places just have the best location. I am not a NUS Alumni, but I can imagine the scenario. You live in the Hostel and have been mugging for an exam. Suddenly you feel your tummy rumbling. You look up and its 2am in the morning. No worries, there is always Fong Seng Nasi Lemak down the road! Hurrah.

With such a great location, all you really need to do is to provide a hearty meal, not charge too much for it and it's "Game Over".



Fong Seng's Nasi Lemak is not bad but I feel that if they had been in a worse location, they would put in more effort to be better. The selection of additional stuff to put onto the Nasi Lemak is impressive, but the rice was really quite hum drum with nothing to rave about. They use the cheaper grade of rice which doesn't have a good bite and you have to close your eyes and shut out all other distractions in order to taste the coconut. What I did enjoy was the chilli which I felt was nice and sweet. Just the way I like it. The wings were not freshly fried, so again was pretty ordinary. (Maybe I have to come during the peak period).

Conclusion

Overall I give it a 3.75/5. But as I mentioned earlier, you really don't have to be all that excellent to be successful when you have such a great location. The place does have a rustic charm about it and I would return again when I in the area looking for something to eat late at night.

Update:  10 Sep 2008

Due to the overwhelming consensus of the state of the food there, the ratings have been adjusted down to 3.25/5. 

Fong Seng Nasi Lemak
22A Clementi Road S(129751)
Open almost 24 hours.
Closed between 4 to 6 am daily

Wan Dou Sek: Found Something to Eat!

With smart, Mr.YaKwang and SporeGirl

Har Kao $3.20, Steam Prawns $4, Fried Oysters $6, Char Siew Bao $3.20

I just love Dim Sum, Tapas and Degustations. The idea is that you get to titillate your tastebuds as much and as long as possible before it becomes uncomfortable to your stomach. Yes, it is part and parcel of getting older. Having a full stomach just isn't as pleasant as it was when I was younger. In the past, buffets were the way to go to get the bang for the buck. Nowadays buffets are just a waste of money because I would just get full too quickly to feel that I got my money's worth.

Unfortunately, the Dim Sum scene in Singapore just isn't that happening and I can't understand why. I really miss those push carts where the Auntie's would come right up to the table and you get to choose what you want to eat. Why is it that so few places still have them even though I think most Singaporeans still wish they were around? I would like to see a Hong Kong Street Style Dim Sum place in Singapore. No fancy restaurant, just a nice Kopi Tiam atmosphere where the carts are pushed out and people all get to rush for their steaming Har Kow and Siew Mai. I am sure you all would like to have one around, wouldn't you?

However, before some smart entreprenuer would venture to give us what we really want, there is this little place in Geylang that comes close. Set in the unsavoury part of Singapore, this little shop dishes out out quite savoury Dim Sums in an atmosphere that is quintessentially Geylang. If there are any URA directors out there reading this, Please, please, please, please.... don't ever upgrade Geylang, but do get someone from the other Ministry to start regulating the Sex Shops and foreign talent there!

How does one do a review of Dim Sum? If I gave you a review on every item that I ate there I think you would just scroll down to the conclusion. So I would say this: A good Dim Sum to me means that most items are good, some are excellent and some are unique and difficult to find anywhere else. That just about sums it up for Wan Dou Sek.

So what I will do is to draw your attention to some of the more interesting items. First is the deep fried oysters. Simple and sinful, the oyster fritters are juicy and shiok. Too bad there wasn't any tartare or bluecheese sauce to go with it! 4.5/5


Fried Fish Maw $4

Another dish that caught my attention was this fried fish maw with Thai style chilli sauce. Its just something you don't see very often and SporeGirl really loved it. The chilli sauce is more on the sourish side, reminiscent of Thai style seafood dipping sauce. 4.25/5


Lo Mai Kai $1.80

We were actually here because we were told that the Lo Mai Kai here was something to behold. Since I am currently on my quest for the ultimate Lo Mai Kai, I had to check it out. They use only midwings for the Lo Mai Kai here and the taste was alright, but ultimate it was not. The glutinous rice was not soft enough. For me a great Lo Mai Kai should have glutinous rice which is soft and gooey and saturated with the chicken juices. 3.75/5


Fried Yam Cakes 8 pieces $3.20

The yam cake is one of the best I have tasted in Singapore. The yam is generous and powdery (Teochews describe it as Sang Sang) and the cake itself is full of Hae Bee (dried prawn) flavour. They deep fry instead of pan frying them here and its good! 4.5/5


Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun $4

I put up this picture of the Curry Chee Cheong Fun just to show you that you can find quite interesting things in the bamboo steamers. So aside from the usual, you can be adventurous and try something new. Taste wise, this one was not quite there. The curry was a bit powdery but if you are the type that like find the typical Dim Sum too tame and want to spice it up, you can pick this one up as well as their steamed seafood otah dish. 3/5

Conclusion

Not exactly restaurant dining, but that's how I like it. Rustic and chaotic with no table cloths to soak up the spilled tea, the food is here dares to be adventurous so you can expect a few surprises. It's unpretentious, straightforward tongue titillating satisfaction and best of all you can enjoy it even if you are reading this at 3am in the morning of the eve of a public holiday! We should have more stalls like this across Singapore!

126 Eating House (Wan Tou Sek)
126 Sims Ave
67464757, 67454869
Open 24 hours daily

Noor Jannah's Kitchen: Bone Steak Hor Fun Anyone?

With fashionfoodie, bashful hunter, carnineviand, khim and friends


The good people from Noor Jannah's who were responsible for the Prata Bomb, have just moved to their new location at Jalan Masjid. As you would recall in the previous post, the neighbours were complaining about the smoke from the BBQ pit and as a result they couldn't grill their satay outside anymore. So they actually moved to another location and starting doing this Bone Steak Hor Fun which became a big hit after it was featured in the Suria Channel. When the owners of the coffeeshop saw how successful they were, they decided to take back the coffeeshop and run it themselves. As a result, this nice Malay couple found themselves having to move again. So now they have settled in Jalan Masjid, a place where they can panggang their Satay in the open and lead a Kampung like existence, hopefully for a long time.

I really enjoy eating at Noor Jannah's because they are not afraid of experimenting with new things. The raisin bomb, cheese bomb came into existence because of our zany experimentations and the bone steak hor fun became a reality because of the Satay Man's (Sha) secret fantasies.

This is my very first review of a Malay Cze Char. In fact, it is the first time I am eating Malay Cze Char. With all due respect to our Muslim readers, I have never really thought of eating Halal Cze Char because I had always assumed that there was no way Halal Cze Char can be that good since they don't use any pork to cook. However, I was proved wrong as the Hor Fun turned out to be quite tasty and I dare say better than a lot of Chinese Cze Char Hor Fun. Our group felt that the Hor Fun deserved a 4/5 even though it still lacked that elusive wok hei flavour. We were however not quite sure about the combination of Bone Steak and Hor Fun. The taste was just too jarring for our liking. However, it might appeal to people who love the strong taste of mutton. Guess it's something you will have to try for yourself!



If you like Malay Style Mee Goreng, then we would recommend you this particular one. Before this, I only know of Indian and Chinese Mee Goreng. Fashionfoodie told me that this version is the Malay version, which was more like the Chinese version but is more savoury than sweet. He gave the Mee Goreng a 4.25/5.



We confirm that you can now find the raisin and cheese bomb here and the good olde prata man from Malaysia is also resident. So this is going to be my regular prata spot since it is close to home. They have also introduce coin pratas which are mini pratas the size of a drink coaster. At six pieces for $2, it's great for the kids but a heck of a lot of work for $2 if you ask me. 4.25/5



Finally, my favourite (Malay) satay has found a home in the East. Not just I say, but the rest of my makankakis who are tasting the satays for the very first time also agree that the satays here are really good. Sha uses only thigh meat and they are big enough to remain juicy after grilling. We all agreed that it deserved a 4.5/5 You can also get beef tripe satay here, though it was a little too soft that evening and only scored a 3/5. However, Sha has informed me that he has already rectified the problem, so it should be much better now.

Like most Muslim 24 hour joints, the coffeeshop also serves a lot of other stuff. Frizz grill is also here for those looking for western food in the middle of the night. They also have a stalls selling Naan Bread and Ayam Penyat. Located in close proximity to two other 24 hour Muslim eateries, this stretch along Upper Changi Road is fast becoming a hub for those looking to satisfy their hunger 24/7.

Conclusion

To my surprise, Malay Cze Char actually turned out to be quite good. You'll just have to try the bone steak Hor Fun out for yourself to determine if you like it. The place has got a laid back kampong charm to it and coupled with a very good Prata and Satay, I can see myself having supper here quite often.

Noor Jannah's Kitchen
2 Jalan Masjid
90373623
Opened till very late for now
Open 24hrs soon
Disclosure: This was an invited review

Taj Mahal Teh Halia: Who Invented Teh Halia?

With iwatch_ueat and Big MOG


Nothing quite like a cup of hot Teh Halia to wash down all that oil after eating stuff like Nasi Lemak and Nasi Briyani. The Tannin in Tea acts as an astringent to wash down the flavours, the fat in the milk binds to capsaicin (the substance in chilli that causes that burning sensation) which eases the heat, the sugar triggers release of substances from the tongue which also eases the burning sensation and the ginger helps to relief bloatedness and aids digestion. Wow! Which brilliant fellow came up with this wonder "after your spicy dinner" drink?

We don't know who, but we certainly can say that Teh Halia ultimately has its origins in China. Huh? Kidding right? No not really, I said ultimately because the origin of Tea is from China whiles ginger is native to both China and India.

Of course, it was the British traders that smuggled the Tea plant out of China to India to start their own tea plantation. Their attempt to ease the trade deficit caused by too many Britons liking Tea and too little Chinese liking anything English is the reason that Tea became a popular drink in India. However, the word Halia though has Indonesian origins. So it could be that somehow the concept of the milk tea made its way from India to Indonesia and ultimately to Singapore. This part I am only guessing, so maybe some experts can tell us the exact origins of Teh Halia?

Anyway I digress.

What got my attention was the continuous queue of people outside this Teh Halia stall at Adam Road Food Centre. So I decided to try it.

This particular Teh Halia was surprisingly refreshing. Unlike other Teh Halias I have tasted before, this one was not overly milky and had a good balance of ginger and tea flavours. Perfect for washing down all that oil and spices! 4.25

Conclusion

Pretty good cup of Teh Halia! So starts my search for the ultimate Teh Halia in Singapore. Your recommendations please!


Taj Mahal
Adam Road Food Centre Stall 15
Open 24 hours

R K House: Tasty, Buttery Prata!

With Tag Tag, iwatch_ueat and carnineviand


So this is the famous RK House Prata which does not sell any pork since they are a Halal restaurant. Those who don't know what it is all about can click here.

But anyway, I did not want to cause any problems so I ordered my usual "Double Dough Prata stretched thin and made thick and fluffy" Of course, that is the paraphrased version, I had to describe my request with my best Indian accent together with head rocking and animated hand motions!



When the prata arrived, it was not thick and fluffy as I would like it to be BUT boy it was tasty. The dough is crisp on the outside, soft and stretchy on the inside and it leaves a nice buttery, sweet taste at the back of your throat. Mmmmm lovely. People who take their prata with egg may miss the subtle flavour of the prata dough that can only be fully appreciated if you order the prata kosong (plain). 4.25/5

Conclusion

There is a lot of potential for this place to produce the ultimate Roti Prata. The dough has got a the right taste and texture. It remains for the prata man to really stretch it thin and really make it thick and fluffy. For those who love curry, you might be better off ordering the special curries rather then settling for the standard curry accompanying the prata. I am certainly planning to go back again to have another go at the ultimate prata soon.

R K Eating House
1 Kensington Park Road
24 Hours

AMK House Teochew Noodles: Round the Clock BCM

Ever been working hard till 3am in the morning and feeling hungry for a nice bowl of noodles? Well, in keeping with the mission statement of this blog "to provide 24 hour access to information that will help you satisfy that hunger or make you more hungry", I am proud to present for your consideration, this 24 hour Bak Chor Mee stall which is situated in the same coffeeshop as the famous Punggol Nasi Lemak.

Now this BCM is not bad, in fact it is quite good, though it does have a few shortcomings. I liked the Mee Kia which they use. It can either be called a flat mee kia or a narrow mee pok. Whatever it is, the texture is unique. It combines the bite of a mee kia with the slurpiness of a mee pok. The ingredients are fresh and the sauce for the noodles has got enough ooomph.



I was particularly impressed with the standard of the soup which was boiled long enough such that it was full of protein strands swirling around in it. The meat ball and fish ball is quite standard, nothing exceptional. BCM critiques may look upon this BCM like Simon Cowell and complain that it is not up to their standards, but for me it was good enough and at least it is a bowl of noodles I can get when the others are closed. 4/5

Conclusion

Round the clock BCM which is quite good. Mai Hiam Buay Pai (If you don't over critique it, it is actually not bad)

AMK House Teochew Noodles
965 Upper Serangoon Road
Open 24 Hours

The Roti Prata House: So Crispy you can use it as a Frisbee!

There are actually many variations of the ever popular Roti Prata in Singapore. One one end of the spectrum is the soft chewy type and on the other end, the super crispy type. All the rest fall in the middle of the spectrum somewhere. This prata would probably be very very close to the super crispy end of the spectrum.

I remember a few years ago, the super crispy prata became very popular and there emerged many stalls around Singapore selling what is known as "Jalan Kayu" prata. Of course they were referring to the famous Thesevi's whose prata is quite different from the version they are selling.

This is a "no holds barred, eat at your own risk" prata which I will only recommend to the younger people with no history of coronary heart disease. Starting with the rich yellow dough which is evidence of the amount of margarine used, to the fact that they literally deep fry the prata in "Vanaspati Butter Flavour Vegetable Oil", you know this prata is really good for your palate but bad for your heart!



The prata itself is very crispy and when you bite into it, it just dissolves in your mouth. It was heavenly together with the curry they provide. 4.5/5 The butter flavoured veg oil does make it very tasty but I can't believe for the life of me that an artificially flavoured palm oil product can be good for you, even if it is vegetable oil. I don't think the manufacturers of this oil care very much about Trans Fats!

Conclusion

Very tasty but very sinful. The little devil on one shoulder is telling me to eat it while the little angel on the other side is cautioning me not to. In the end, I listened to my angel..... but not until I finished most of it.

The Roti Prata House
246M Upper Thomson Road
64595260
Open 24 Hours

Al Ameen Eating House: 24 hour Naan Satisfaction

With Chicken Rice Man and Food Guru

Butter Chicken $6 and Palak Paneer $6

I have been trying to find a cheaper alternative to Tandoori Restaurant since I ate there last month. A fresh chewy naan with smooth and creamy butter chicken is one of my top 5 eats! But the $15 butter chicken over at Tandoori is not something that I can eat every week, delicious as it is. I needed to find a satisfying meal for less than $10.


Chicken Tikka $6

This place is one of the eating haunts of Ninja Hello Kitty, so it must be of a certain standard, although he did warn me that the standards have dropped a little since he blogged it. And it is one of the few places I can find Naan after 10pm in the evening. So I made the 30 min journey to the West to try it.

The butter chicken was delicious AND quite good value. At $6 per bowl, it was almost one third the price at Tandoori but good enough that I would eat it again. It is less creamy but nontheless still rich enough and was strong on the tomato paste. 4.25/5 The Palak Paneer (Pureed Spinach with Cottage Cheese) was however quite dissappointing. The cottage cheese was tasteless and hard and the gravy was only colour with little ooomph. 3/5

The chicken tikka was impressive on display but not very good in the mouth. It was a bit dry when it should have been oozing with juices if it was freshly grilled from the raw state rather than being double grilled. 3/5


Cheese Naan $2.50

The Naans on the other hand really saved the day. The cheese and plain Naans were excellent. Chewy, fresh and fragrant it was as good a Naan as any. And the best thing was it is only $2.50 for the Cheese and $1 for the plain, which means I can have 2 or 3 without having to break a $10 note! 4.5/5



Conclusion

Great place to eat but you must order the right stuff. I would go back and order the Naans and the Butter Chicken and maybe try some other stuff. For around one third the price of eating at Tandoori Restaurant, I can get 80% of the satisfaction. For me that means I eat here every month and eat at the restaurant twice a year!

Al-Ameen Eating House
No. 2,3,4 Cheong Chin Nam road
Opposite Beauty World Centre
64621996
Open 24 hours