|
|
With Cactuskit, Sumosumo and Wahcow Hokkien Mee special big plate $10One thing that I have observed about most of the Famous Hawkers around is the fact that they are famous not just because their food is good, but it also has a lot to do with their personality and PR skills. Take for instance this Hokkien Mee uncle who was handpicked to represent Singapore Hokkien Mee in New York during the Singapore Day Festivities in April. Although I use the word "handpicked" it doesn't really mean that he fries the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore which is why he was "handpicked". But more like a combination of his Hokkien Mee frying expertise as well as enough EQ to understand the marketing potential of taking part in such an event. Why else would someone be persuaded to close the stall for 2 weeks in order to travel to New York?
So the fact is that a lot of the famous hawkers are famous because they understand the 4Ps of marketing, viz product, pricing, placement and promotion. A lot of the time, the thing that makes the difference between a great hawker and a famous one is his ability to promote himself.
Flambuoyant Frying Style coupled with Straw Hat and Colourful Shirt
And this is one Hokkien Mee man who is pretty savvy when it comes to marketing himself. You just can't walk past his stall without noticing his floral Hawaii shirt and his straw hat plus a photo of a San Francisco Trams on his signboard. That tram represented the time when he was part of a delegation to promote Singapore food in the Napa Valley in 2004. Whatever it is, I'd bet you will not be able to walk past the stall without having a second look.
Now, apart from the superficial differences, there was also differences in the actual preparation of the Hokkien Mee that caught my attention. He is the only Hokkien Mee man that I know of that adds uncooked prawns to fry together with the noodles. He explained that this imparts and extra sweetness to the noodles and also that the prawns are more tender because they have not been overcooked.
The final product was something to behold. The noodles were suitably untidy and the charred black bits in the gravy really gave the hint of a rustic and untamed Hokkien Mee harkening back to the days of pushcart hawkers. I wish I could tell you that the taste was phenomenal but alas after all that anticipation, we all felt that it looked better than it tasted. Still better than your average Hokkien Mee but on that night, the gravy just lacked that ooomph to make it taste as good as it looks. 4/5
Conclusion
Probably one of Singapore's most well travelled and well known hawkers. His stall at Republic Food Court at Wisma Atria has had some really good reviews, but strangly not many people talk about the original stall at Newton Food Centre. Perhaps he too is a victim of our prejudice against Newton Food Centre?
 Thye Hong
Newton Food Centre
Stall 58
5 pm to 1am daily
96181221
With Cactuskit, Wahcow and Sumosumo Judging from the comments so far, it is quite clear that many of our readers regard Newton Food Centre as a place for tourists which was my perception as well. However, I must say that Newton Food Centre actually turned out to be better than we expected. Both Cactuskit and I haven't been back here for awhile, but we both felt that there was quite an air of expectation about the whole place. I was interested to see just how bad the touting really is, but after trying to get myself touted for awhile, I would say that the touting problem is about the same as the Satay sellers at East Coast Lagoon. This place does indeed have Singapore's greatest concentration of BBQ seafood stalls though, which I guess is so because the hawkers want to cash in on high priced items. However it would be unfair to say that all the hawkers there are out to make a quick buck from the tourists. In fact, I think the hawkers there know that they still have to cater to the locals in order to survive, especially those that are selling the less touristy items like Seafood BBQ.   Now, if you are one of those who shun Newton Food Centre then you might just miss out on this Carrot Cake which was surprisingly quite good. They have been there since Newton Food Centre was first built in 1971 and are still steaming their own Carrot Cake because they insist that home made carrot cake still tastes better. Their efforts are quite evident in the white version. The texture of the carrot cake was just nice. It is softer and more "wobbly" than the commercial version and you can make out the strips of radish in it. It is fried till crispy on the outside but moist and soft on the inside and was very tasty. It definitely is not the best a carrot cake can get, since they avoid the use of lard, but it is certainly one of the best ones I have tasted. The black version is also very good and they managed to fry it till it is nice can caramalized. This might be one of the rare occasions where I find that both the white and black versions are just as good. 4.25/5ConclusionVery good homemade Carrot Cake and though it is in Newton, they still sell it at $3 per plate which I think is quite reasonable. It is certainly one stall which I would go to Newton Food Centre for.  Heng Carrot Cake
Newton Food Centre
Stall 28
Opened in the Evenings only
With Wahcow, Sumosumo and Cactuskit I know that a lot of Singaporeans avoid going to Newton Food Centre as it is often seen as a tourist trap. Furthermore, many foodies also lament the fact that the food there is not outstanding and that there are nicer hawker food elsewhere at lower prices. That's is a bit of a shame because I think that this is the most well known hawker centre amongst our tourists.
I must admit that I haven't been to Newton Food Centre for at least 18 years since I left to pursue my degree in Sydney. In those days I remembered Newton as a great place to eat. I wasn't really into documenting great eats then, so I can't really tell you which stall was good. It was still a tourist trap to be sure, but at least I remember that the food was good. When I got back, it seemed that Newton had become a place that is more well known for its touts and exorbitant prices which is why I haven't even thought of going there for a meal.
Well, I think that this blog will not be complete without the mention of our most famous Hawker Centre so I decided that I need at least give it a chance. Fortunately, it turns out that one of our regular kakis (Wahcow) was quite a regular at the place and had a few things which he felt could be recommended. I am sure there are many readers out there who have their own favourites at the food centre to recommend so I am going to start with a couple of stalls and see if there are other worthy mentionables to bring us back for a repeat visit.
Let's start with Bee Heng Poh Piah because it is the one facing the car park and it claims to have been around since 1930. First thing that caught my eye was the price: $1.80 each with minimum order of 2 rolls. Hmmm.... it is beginning to look like Newton is living up to its infamy.
The Poh Piah was pretty decent though, so it wasn't a complete waste of $3.60. The filling was pretty good and the crispy bits were quite nice. But for me, I like my Poh Piahs really turgid and looking like it is going to burst at the seams like the ones at Kway Guan Huat, so it wasn't something I would go out of my way to eat. But if you are at Newton, it is quite an acceptable side dish to order along with your other dishes. 4/5
Conclusion
So what do you all think of Newton Food Centre? With so many BBQ seafood stalls around, I am sure there must be one that is good and reasonably priced that can be recommended. Or do you all think that Newton Food Centre really is just a place which is set up specifically to cater to Tourists and that locals should avoid it?
 Bee Heng Newton Food Centre
Stall 12 (Facing Car Park)
12am to 12pm
Closed Thursday
With my Teochew Ah Di, Wahcow Mee Pok Tah $3 Here's another one of those stalls that you better be quick to taste because the original hawker is already past 72 and even though he still looks like a "Lao Yankee", and behaves like one, he himself admits that at most he has 10 years of Mee Pok Tak left in him. Actually, he still looks quite good for a 72 year old. When I asked him why he wears a long sleeved shirt while he cooks his Mee Pok, he simply replied, "Cos I want to look good!"
Talking about the subject of aging, I know for most of our readers, hitting the eighth decade might still be quite a long time away. For us who are hitting middle age, it is like "Oh my, I am more than half way there, and the 2nd half is going to go quicker than the first half". I once heard a preacher (An Anglican Bishop in his 70's) say that every morning when he wakes up he goes, "Ay! I am still around!". It is almost as if after you cross the life expectancy age (78 for men, 82.8 for women), every day is a bonus. Are there anyone here that fall into this category?
Anyway, if you do have the fortune of passing the life expectancy age, then it really does give you the passport to do whatever you want, right? I mean, who cares if your Doctor tells you to stop smoking? "Ay, Doc, been smoking for 50 years and my bus still arrive at the interchange. You asking me to stop now?" Well, if you are in that category, then when it comes to food, I guess you can also just indulge in a bit of Mee Pok Tar which has a chilli made with good old Pork Lard.
Mr Liang proudly tells me that his chilli is made from Pork Lard, Buah Keluak, Hae Bee and Dried Chilli. For a person who always orders Mee Pok Tar mai Hiam (no chilli), I can tell you that this is one stall that I would ask for extra chilli. You see the main problem I have with Chilli is that most stalls just want to make their chilli hot hot. However, the chilli here is not overly spicy but the flavour is oh so addictive that you can just sit there and just pick on it with your chopsticks.
The other "champion" item is the Fish Dumplings (Her Giao) which Mr Liang still proudly makes himself. The slightly gooey texture of the meat filling is very good and it is one of the most memorable Her Giao that I have had.
Too bad the Mee Pok itself was not as QQ as I would like it to be. Otherwise it would have scored a higher rating. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Very good bowl of Mee Pok Tar and you get quite a big bowl for $3! Do yourself a favour and order a bowl of Giao Soup and try the chilli especially if you are the type who don't usually take chilli. It might just make you change your mind.
Mr Liang, 72 and still wants to look good!
 Ah Hor Teochew Kway Teow Mee
12 Verdun Road
Bet Sam Leong and Syed Alwi Roads
7am to 4pm
Wed closed
81274249
Mr Liang
Recommended by ice. Read her review here
 Kopi $1.10 I was told that if you wanted the best cup of Kopi from Killiney Kopitiam, you still had to go back to the original shop at Killiney Road where the coffee is brewed by an old Hainanese gentleman who has been making the Kopi there for the longest time. Now, I have always enjoyed the Kopi and Teh from Killiney Kopitiam, but never really blogged them because, well, they are everywhere and everyone knows about them already. But when I heard about the old man, I decided that I must pay the original kopitiam a visit.
"Ah Gong"
As it turns out, I was a little late. Four years too late as a matter of fact. The old man in question, affectionately known as "Ah Gong", retired in 2004. (Now who was it in the forum that told me about him?) Anyway, I was unfortunate not to have ever tasted the Kopi from this legendary "Barista" who had spent 54 years of his life brewing Kopi in the very same shop till he retired. Such was his dedication that he never had time to start a family and thus on retirement, he did what a Salmon would do and went back to Hainan island. Unfortunately, "Ah Gong" died last year at the age of 86 after having served close to a million cups of Kopi. (Assuming he makes 500 cups a day for 54 years with 2 weeks break each year)
You don't get people like "Ah Gong" anymore, so here's a little tribute to him for his contribution to our Singapore food Heritage. I am very sure that some of our readers will remember him fondly. Do write in and let us know yeah?
Kaya Toast
According to the Singapore Book of Records, this original shop at 67 Killiney Road is Singapore's oldest existing Hainanese Coffeeshop, having been around since 1919. The shop used to be known as Qiong Xin He and was a typical Hainanese Coffeeshop which served really good Kopi and Kaya Toast. It was only in 1993 that the shop was bought over by Mr Woon who then changed the name to Killiney Kopitiam and started expanding its operations. Fortunately, when Mr Woon took over Killiney Kopitiam, he managed to persuade "Ah Gong" and two other Hainanese men to continue serving the Kopi and Kaya toast.
Now, I used to think that franchising and expansion was a bad thing for our Singapore food heritage. There are some franchises out there which I feel have deviated too far from the original recipe. However, with Killiney, somehow they managed to still preserve a part of our heritage that would have otherwise been lost back in 1993. Now at least, I can still get a good cup of Kopi accompanied by Kaya Toast that is made to a certain standard at several locations around Singapore.
Whether it is a placebo effect or not, both Amagada and I felt that the Kopi C that day was about the best cup of Hainanese style Kopi compared to the rest of the other Killiney stores that we frequent. It was smooth, aromatic and very fragrant with only a slight tinge of bitterness and acidity. 4.75/5
French Toast
This issue about vanishing Heritage Hawkers is something that we should be concerned about. The good old hawkers of yesteryear who, like "Ah Gong" consider their jobs their life's calling are getting very rare. For many Heritage Hawkers their craft ends the moment they retire because for a lot of them, their kids have been educated and are not willing to carry on the family business. Over the next 10 years, we will be seeing hawkers from the post war "Baby Boomer" generation dissappear from our food scene. I think something has to be done to preserve some of these famous names.
Now, if we can draw upon what we learn from Killiney Kopitiam, it would seem apparent to me that one of the ways to preserve some of these Heritage Hawkers is for their businesses to be acquired with plans for expansion. Purists may baulk at the notion, but it is either we do that or we can just enjoy them in their current state for the next few years before they fade into history. I think for a lot of these hawkers in their 60's who do not have an heir apparent, an attractive retirement plan might be a good way of getting them to part with their skills. I feel that if they have been building up their "Brand" for the last 40 years, that this brand as value and this value can be repackaged into a sort of pension for the hawker so that he can still have some steady income, go into semi retirement and act as consultant to ensure that their recipes and skills are passed onto the next generation. This idea is not new and there are some other people who have already taken on the task of preserving our Heritage Hawker Brands, but this needs to be accelerated over the next 10 years in order to preserve some of these famous stalls. I must admit that not all of them work out well, but for those that do, like in the case of Killiney, it is a piece of tradition that has been preserved for posterity.
Fresh Bread with Butter and Kaya
Here's a little something from the regular customers of the kopitiam which you might want to try. Rather than ordering the usual Kaya Toast, get there first thing in the morning and try their fresh bread with butter and their fragrant Kaya which incidentally is still hand made with freshly squeezed coconut milk. You will have to get there early in the morning because by the afternoon these traditional bread would have already become a little stale. If you think about it, the real reason for us to toast bread or make french toast is because stale bread doesn't taste good. But freshly sliced bread is super soft and you can really savour the taste of the butter and Kaya while you enjoy nibbling on the soft texture of the bread. 4.25/5
Conclusion
Great Kopi and Kaya Toast and a legacy of an old Hainanese man preserved for future generations to enjoy.
 67 Killiney Road
Singapore 239525
Tel: 6734 9648 / 6734 3910
Mon, Wed to Sat - 6am to 11pm
Tues, Sun & PH - 6am to 6 pm
What to do next?
Check out the other stalls where you can get a great cup of kopi
See where else you can get traditional Hainanese food
Remember to vote for the dialect group you are in!
 Minipot Shabu Shabu sets starting from $15 (All proceeds donated to Operation Smile)I recently complained to a TV producer that she should not continue to make TV shows that glamourise $2 hawker meals. I mean, do we really want to encourage more hawkers to compete just price rather than to focus on quality?
With food prices going up, our hawkers are all suffering from lower profit margins but at the same time still under pressure to provide meals at cheap cheap prices. Our friend Liverpool of
Good Morning Nanyang Cafe is still forced to sell his cup of Kopi for $1.10 just because he is selling "Kopi" (Ya Kun already increased to $1.50 btw) while the same people won't even blink an eye to pay $5 for a cup of cappuccino at a cafe.
What we need is to change our mentality and reward hawkers who are willing to give us quality stuff rather than cheap cheap stuff. Either we do that or we risk all the good hawkers not being able to pass down their skills to the next generation. In the end we will all lose out.
I have made it my personal mission to support hawkers who are opened to new ideas and to providing better quality hawker food for us all. The fact is that even if they increase their prices, it is still cheaper than eating at a restaurant, but you derive more shiokness out of it.
So I am very happy to announce that Tina from Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow and taken on my suggestion of introducing a Shabu Shabu style Beef Kway Teow which I hope will do for Beef Kway Teow what Big Prawns had done for Prawn Noodles.
The premise is very simple. We like Beef Kway Teow, we like good beef and we also like our beef not too well cooked. So the solution to this is to provide nice Sukiyaki Grade Beef with a Mini Hotpot of stewed beef tendon, balls, tripe and you can cook your sliced beef yourself!
How often have you eaten Beef Kway Teow and wished the beef could be better?
Needless to say, the longer you cook the soup, the more "Tok Kong" (addictive) it is going to get and the slices of beef that you cook yourself just melts in your mouth and is even more shiok with Hock Lam's famous chilli sauce! 4.5/5
I prefer the soup version to the original dry version here. But you should try Tina's new "Gorn Lor" Hor Fun which is fragrant and the kway teow just leaps into your mouth. 4/5
Hock Lam will be introducing their Minipot Beef set on their 97th anniversary which is on 1 Oct (Hari Raya). And to commemorate their anniversary, they will be donating all the proceeds of the day to Operation Smile which is a worldwide movement to fix cleft palates in kids. So that is an added incentive to go down and try this very special way of enjoying one of Singapore's truly heritage foods. And, if it is well received, they might even put it on their menu!
Conclusion
I have tried very hard to convince Tina that there will be a market for better quality beef, but she is worried that consumers might not want to pay for it. How do you all feel about it? Would you like to see Wagyu beef or Karubi on the menu? Or do you want to just stick to the traditional $4 Bowl of Beef Kway Teow?
Please Note:
This special dish is only available on 1 Oct 2008 to commemorate their anniversary. However, if the feedback is good, they might decide to put it on the menu.The ieat kakis will be going there for lunch at around 1.30pm, do come and join us and at the same time support Operation Smile!
They will be opening from 10am to 3pm on that day itself.
 Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow
22 China St, #01-01
Far East Square
62209290
90180508 (Tina Tan)
What to do next:
Read what others have to say about Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow! Very heated indeed!
See which other kakis are coming in our Forum.
 Normal Chicken $26 whole, $13 halfI dare say that the legendary Swee Kee Chicken Rice served the "World Best" Chicken rice in their heyday. Actually, it is not that hard to be "World Best" since this style of Chicken Rice is typically Singaporean and if you are the best in Singapore, you would probably be the best in the world. But then, the rest of the world may not know how to appreciate it so there really is no point in calling it "World Best" in the first place. I guess it is just quite satisfying to say "World Best" just as it is quite shiok to say "Shiok"(It's so tasty) and "Wah lao eh!" (Oh my goodness!). Anyway, a stall calling itself "Old Swee Kee" is bound to attract the attention of chicken rice lovers who are today still reminiscing the "Golden Age" of Chicken Rice when Swee Kee was still around. There was no competition back then. If a tourist was in town and you wanted to showcase the best that Singapore had to offer, you brought them to Swee Kee. Of course, if your guest is very high class and you had a company account, you would bring him to Mandarin's Chatterbox. But for the typical kiasu, every want cheap-and-good Singaporean, Swee Kee was the place to go.
So when Cactuskit SMSed me excitedly one day (don't ask me how I can tell he is excited from an SMS - one just knows) that Swee Kee is back, it did not take me too long to go down to see for myself if indeed the legend has been resurrected.
To cut a long story short rather than prolonging the agony like Ryan Seacrest in American Idol and risk getting "Pui Chao Nua"(spat at in disgust), let me tell you that Swee Kee is sort of back but perhaps not in the way that is going to create the same excitement as when our Table Tennis Team beat South Korea and eventually won the Silver medal. Well done, Team Singapore! Ah Roo, Ah Roo, Ah Rooooooo!
OK, back to my story. Remember there was a stall I blogged before called Rui Kee at North Bridge Road who also claimed to have some Swee Kee Roots? Well, Rui Kee closed the North Bridge Road stall and reopened here in Joo Chiat under the new brand name "Old Swee Kee". Ooooohhhhh......... I hear you say. But all is not bad. The fact is that the Lao Ban Niang's husband used to work in the original Swee Kee and is the cousin of the owner. And, the last remnant of the Swee Kee brand up till now is the restaurant near Senai Airport also called Swee Kee Chicken Rice. This stall is actually run by the husband while his wife runs this new stall in Joo Chiat. So yes, Swee Kee is back but it is not really a "Resurrection from the Dead" like that of Chin Chin.
But that does not mean that you are not getting a great chicken rice experience. I was there within a week of their opening and even though they are still ironing out some operational details, I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken rice there which had that touch of old world authenticity.
The chicken was prepared the traditional way, which means no soaking in ice water after cooking. Instead it is dunked quickly into a little salt water and left on the tray to make sure all that yummy chicken juices don't get drained out. The flesh was tender and tasty without being overly "chickeny". Of course the skin was not as perfect as the ice water dunked ones but I must say that I am beginning to appreciate this style of chicken more and more. 4.25/5
The rice was not as fragrant as I liked. But I found out later from the Lao Ban Niang that they are still working on the cooking equipment as they did not managed to get the fire hot enough to fry the oil. They told me that it would be fixed by next week. 4/5
For the chilli, they have 2 varieties. The standard one shown in the middle and the special reserve version (front) which regulars and those in the know (like you) can request for. The special version is made from chilli padi and packs an extra punch. The ginger sauce is very good. Roughly chopped so that you still get the nice fibre and has enough bite to it.
One last thing I have to say about Old Swee Kee. For those of you who always have problems with friends insisting on eating Kampung chicken, you would be pleased to know that Old Swee Kee sells both types of chicken, so that everyone will be satisfied. Just for the record, they sell three normal chickens for every kampung chicken. So most people still prefer the soft, tender, voluptuous chicken rather than the sinewy Kampung Chicken! But hey, you have your right to like Kampung Chicken and I defend your right to like it even though I don't.
Conclusion
It isn't really Swee Kee resurrected, but it is still a great place to eat chicken rice. So, if you are a self professed chicken rice lover, I am sure you will make a beeline to the restaurant very soon, won't you?
 Old Swee Kee
131 Joo Chiat Road
(Jn of Joo Chiat Place & Joo Chiat Road)
64409037
11am to 10pm daily
Closed fortnightly on Mondays
What to do next?
Go try some Presidential Poh Piah nearby
Buy some Char Siew Sio Bak Pau home
The Putu Piring place is also close by
There's an excellent Prawn Mee around there too.
Check out the rest of good eats by clicking on Joo Chiat label
Look at the rest of Singapore's best Chicken Rice
 There is Laksa and then there is "Katong" Laksa. I think most Singaporeans will immediately understand that "Katong" Laksa, refers to the style of Nonya Laksa that is eaten with just the spoon, and the most well known place to eat this is at the stalls around the junction of Ceylon and East Coast Road. Nowadays there are so many stalls calling themselves "Katong" laksa that you don't really know who is the original. But later in the post I will show you conclusive proof that I have found the one and only stall that has the right to call itself "Katong" laksa.
I remember the very first time I ate "Katong" Laksa. I was still in JC and dating my ex-girlfriend, Amagada then. It was one of those extreme epicurean epiphanic experiences (E4). It is so vivid that I can still almost taste the hae bee (dried shrimps) sediments on the tip of my tongue until today. Or maybe it was the combination of the wonderful laksa and the extra delectable company that made for the unforgettable experience?
Anyway, at that time, there weren't as many stalls as there are today. If I am not wrong, there was only the one stall and it was at No. 49 East Coast Road, (The one before Ceylon road) called Marine Parade Laksa. But Marine Parade Laksa wasn't the originator of the "Katong" laksa. The real granddaddy of this style of laksa was a legend of extraordinary propositions (in laksa lore anyway) by the name of Janggut, who used to peddle his Laksa at Marine Parade Jetty in the 50's. By the time he was nearing retirement, his son opened the stall at 49 East Coast Road and called it Marine Parade Laksa. Janggut himself sold his laksa there on weekends only.
It was around this time that George's (That's the man in the picture) father learnt the recipe from Janggut and started peddling his Laksa along the streets. Eventually he settled in Chai Chee and registered his stall as "Katong" Laksa in 1982. I guess at around that time, the name "Katong" Laksa wasn't as popular then. So strictly speaking, the only stall that can truly call itself "Katong" Laksa is this unassuming little stall sharing space with the Carrot Cake Aunty in a dilapidated old coffeeshop in Siglap. So now you know.
The laksa here is very popular with the locals though not as well known as the stalls at Ceylon road. The gravy is nice and savoury and as good (or some say better) as the other more famous stalls. Sure to satisfy your laksa craving. Best thing is that there is a Hainanaese Chicken Rice stall next to it, so you can order a plate of white chicken to dip in the gravy for extra Power! I met an old couple who had been eating at the stall since George's father's time and they swear it is the best laksa in Singapore. I thought it could do with a little more hae bee in the gravy, but then again, I don't think that there can be any laksa that can beat the one I ate over twenty years ago. Somehow nothing can ever replace nostalgia with a good sprinkling of puppy love. 4.25/5
Conclusion
If you haven't eaten here, you can't really say that you have officially eaten "Katong" Laksa before! And while you are there remember to order a plate of White Chicken from the stall on the right and a plate of carrot cake from the stall on the left. Happiness is assured.
 Katong Laksa
1 Telok Kurau Road
(Opp. SPC Petrol Station)
Open 8am to 3.30pm
Open Daily
64404585
98559401
PostScript
They are a real happy bunch of hawkers here! And the good news is that there will be a 3rd Generation of Katong Laksa as Gerald will be taking over his father's business. Too bad the carrot cake will not have a successor, so shiokness ends when the old aunty retires.
What to do next:
Check out the Fang Choy next door
Go down the road for Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee
Cross the road to find Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee
Check out the other laksa stalls
Listen to "Ode to Laksa" performed by Amagada: Here
Read about the Carrot Cake with Ikan Bilis next door
 Carrot Cake $3 portionI found it! I found it! The best carrot cake I have tasted is just a stone's throw away from home and it took me so long to find it!
 You know, I haven't eaten any outstanding carrot cake that I can really put my finger on until I came across this one. What makes it special is that not only does this lady fry the carrot cake until it is crispy on the outside, but she adds in these delightfully crispy Ikan Bilis and Pre-Fried Chye Poh as well. The Chye Poh is really like manna from heaven!
OK, classic carrot cake connoisseurs might cry foul over the use of ikan bilis in the carrot cake, but I am telling you that after tasting this one, I feel that everyone else should be adding ikan bilis as well.
Aunty buys really good quality ikan bilis and prepares it herself twice a week. She fries them till they are super crispy and flavoursome. The chye poh is also pre-fried and she adds a little bit of sugar into them to give them that extra edge. The combination of the crisp savoury ikan bilis with the sweetened chye poh, soft carrot cake and fried eggs is something I just can just sit there and slowly savour with my eyes closed.
This stall used to be selling fried Hokkien Mee when the Aunty's husband was still around. But since his passing, they don't sell fried Hokkien Mee anymore. In fact, it was her late husband who first suggested that she added the ikan bilis for extra kick!
Truth be told, the first time I met her, I almost thought she was a bit of a Food Nazi. You see, I ordered my carrot cake without chilli, but when it arrived with chilli, I made the excuse that my kids don't eat chilli, and she grumpily changed it for me. What to do? I was scared that if I said I don't take chilli, she might just ban me from the stall! (I did offer to pay for 2 plates of carrot cake in the end but she refused to take the money albeit still grumpy)
But luckily, she turned out to be quite a nice lady when you get to know her. Just be nice to her okay? And when you ask for extra chye poh (Power Up to get Max Ooomph!) offer to pay extra 50 cents for it and keep that smile on her face.
Conclusion
Best carrot cake I have had for as long as I can remember! It's a 4.5/5 for the standard plate but when you add the extra chye poh it becomes a 4.75/5
 Golden City Carrot Cake
1 Telok Kurau Road
Open 7.30am to 2pm
Closed Tuesdays
What to do next:
Check out the Fang Choy next door
Go down the road for Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee
There's a Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee opposite
Check out other Carrot Cake stalls
Check out other stalls run by little old ladies and gentlemen
With ieatjr This is reportedly the most successful hawker in Singapore with monthly sales of $139,200 or at least that is what Mr Lee declared in last year's newspaper report. So what is it that makes a hawker so successful? Your first response might be that the food must be out of this world. But in my experience that is not always the case. Other factors like location, ease of parking, service and price also have a big part to play.
The prawn noodle here is of course of a certain standard or else they wouldn't be as successful as they are. However, if you compare their taste with that of the stalls which also originated from the patriach, Mr Lee, viz Jalan Sultan and Joo Chiat Prawn Noodle, you would agree with me that the taste of the soup is quite similar. So the fact that this particular stall is doing so much better than the other two begs the question, why?
I haven't been back here for almost a year I think and I have to admit that my latest visit left much to be desired. Firstly the price of a bowl of Prawn noodle has gone up. The smallest bowl now is $5.50. And for that price you are only getting one measly little prawn (split in half) and some pork ribs. The soup was still ok, though not as shiok as I remembered. Both Amagada and I have eaten here quite a few times and this latest visit was the most disappointing. 3.75/5 Hopefully this is a once off and they are not letting their success affect their standards.
Ngor Hiang seems to always go hand in hand with prawn noodles. This stall is located within the same restaurant and is operated by another relative. Most of the items are still handmade and some of the items like yam fritters and the lup cheong are quite good. The pork Ngoh Hiang was quite average though. This stall doesn't really need to be outstanding to do well since they just ride on the success of the prawn noodle. 4/5
Conclusion
Probably the most famous prawn noodle around but quite disappointed that the quality seems to have faltered. With the price increase, they are also one of the most expensive around now but that doesn't seem to have affected their business much. As I alluded to earlier, there are several factors involved in the success of any eatery and taste is but one of those factors.
 Beach Road Prawn Noodle House
370 East Coast Road
S428981 63457196
8am-4pm daily
Closed on Tuesdays
 I finally managed to eat the famous Zhen Zhen porridge! The distinctive feature about this porridge is that they cook the grains until it has all but dissolved. Lots of people actually rave about this porridge and even they even got 6 chopsticks from Makansutra which is full marks. I was however a little ambivalent about it as I felt it was almost like eating a bowl of thickened cream soup.
Granted, for $3, you actually get a chockful of ingredients in the porridge. I ordered the mixed porridge which had pork, slice fish and century eggs. It is really value for money and the fish was very fresh. But I have to admit that I still prefer my porridge to have a few grains in it. Nonetheless it is certainly a very unique bowl of porridge which is well worth a try. 4/5
Conclusion
Good bowl of porridge but I don't think that I am all out sold on the idea of cooking the rice till it all dissolves. Too much like eating pure starch to me.
 Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Stall 54
5.30am to 2.30pm
Closed Tuesdays
With the ieatfamily  I remember eating at Wee Nam Kee when I was still a kid. That was when they were still at Toa Payoh Lorong 4. I did not remember the taste of the chicken rice though. It was the psychedellic tables that I remember distinctly. The old premises used to have these green and yellow tables which look like they are covered with specks of gold dust. I wonder if there are any readers out there who know what I am talking about? Anyway Wee Nam Kee moved to the Novena locale for many years now. I remember in the past they used to market their chicken rice as one that is made with no garlic. I am not sure whether it is the case nowadays. However, they have been around since the days of Swee Kee, and being a Heritage Hawker, it has to appear on this blog sooner or later.  I acutally like the rice here although our seasoned makankaki, smart commented in the forum recently that it tasted bland. My experience was quite different. I would say the rice tasted quite rustic and has enough flavour without being over oily. Consistency in the quality of the rice is a problem that many chicken rice stalls are faced with. This was a similar problem with Yeo Keng Nam which I blogged recently. 4.25/5 Although the chicken at Wee Nam Kee is the tender Non-Kampung type, they aren't Battery Hens who need to be concerned about going on a diet. Still tender and juicy, but nowhere as voluptuous as the ones from Xin Ji over at Margaret Drive. Still it is good for those who enjoy tender chicken but are concerned the increasing convexity of their waistline. 4.25/5ConclusionBeing such a well known name, it is a wonder that Wee Nam Kee has not gone the route of expanding like many other Chicken Rice stalls. That really puts it in no-man's land unfortunately. For a stand-alone stall with such a long legacy, one would have expected it to have done much better than the chain stalls by providing a superlative chicken rice experience.  Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice275 Thomson Road#01-05 Novena VilleOpp Novena Church10am to 2am daily
|
|
2 ... 2 ...
Thye Hong
