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 Have you ever had one of those experiences when you eat something and suddenly felt as if you were being transported back in time to a scene from a distant past? I am sure you have. Actually taste and smell can help trigger memories which are hidden in the subconscious mind. For example, there is one particular smell that I sometimes still come across that would invoke memories of my days at the PAP kindergarten in Toa Payoh Lor 1. It might have been the mixture of dilute red bean soup, mildew, sweat and dried urine but I haven't come across the exact same sort of smell in kindergartens nowadays.
When it comes to food, there is one that really transports me back to my primary school days at St Andrew's Junior School. I wrote about this before in my previous post on Rajis Indian food. It is a really simple dish of Indian Mee Siam which is simply Orangey Beehoon in a sweet gravy served with hard boiled eggs, but the taste is distinctive and very unlike the more common Nonya and Malay version of the dish. We used to buy a plate for 30 cents and the old man gave us a quarter of an egg cut with a piece of string hanging from the handle of the pot which I am sure was not changed for the 10 years I was in school. In fact, I think I might have eaten eggs cut from the same string as my seniors for who knows how many generations. Wierd thought that we might all be united by the same string.
 Anyway, I know I am not the only one reminiscing about this type of mee siam as I did come across a lady who was asking me for exactly this Indian Mee Siam. It's just one of those fast dissappearing heritage foods that you might like to try before it's too late.
Tastewise, its sort of sweeter than the other versions of Mee Siam but savoury at the same time. In case you are wondering, the principal ingredients that go into the Mee Siam is Tau Cheo (Bean Sauce), Candlenuts and dried whitebait. This is actually my favourite version of mee siam and I wonder why it is not readily available. Maybe I am one of the few that likes it because I grew up eating it in school? 4.5/5
I don't know if Indian rojak is also losing popularity or not, but it seems to me that you don't really see a lot of this nowadays except in 24 hour joints where the rojak is procured from a supplier. Sajis still insist on making their own fresh daily and it is a tradition that I hope will enjoy a renaissance. To say that it is losing popularity simply because it is FRIED FOOD would not make that much sense since we are all enjoying deep fried stuff like Tempura and Donuts. Perhaps the dish needs to have a little makeover to appeal to the younger generation?
Conclusion
This is in all sense of the word, "Old School" Mee Siam!
Post Script:
What new flavours of Indian Rojak would you like to see? Maybe something more healthy? More vegetables perhaps? Or maybe something more fusion like cheese or salami? Or perhaps it is something that you used to enjoy that is not available nowadays? This stall owner is quite open to exploring new ideas so write in and let us know!
 Sajis Indian Food
Blk 262 Waterloo St
#01-29 Nan Tai Eating House
9am - 7pm
Closed: Last Monday of the month
Sabeek 81395647
 One of the things that really frustrates me every time I visit East Coast Lagoon FC is the fact that I never really know which of the 10 Malay style satay stalls is really the best. I always end up ordering randomly from whoever does the best touting that night. Sure, there is Haron 30 satay (Stall 55) which is the one that a lot of people recommend, but having tasted it a few times, I remain unconvinced that it is really the best one there. I have this niggly feeling that there is a better Satay around just waiting to be discovered. So, being a Scienty Fienty(as opposed to Arty Farty) type of a guy, there was only one solution to the problem and that is to do an experiment -- A Randomised, Double Blinded, Controlled Trial (yeah right) to find out which Satay is indeed the best. Test DesignWhat I did was to mobilize a dozen test subjects, order Satays from every stall there and taste test each one to find out whether there is a clear favourite. Our unwitting but intrepid test subjects are all experts in their own rights, each with at least 20 years of experience in eating. Of course that's just counting biological age. The true "eating" age of some of them far exceeds their biological age as evidenced from the subcutaneous storage of unused calories. Unfortunately for us, 3 of the stalls were closed that night, so we sampled Satays only from the following stalls: 49, 50,51, 55, 56, 58, 60. We decided only to taste test Chicken Satays since that is the most popular choice. 10 sticks of Satays were ordered from each stall and each judge graded both the Satay and the quality of the peanut sauce.  Here then are our panel of Satay judges: From the far left: who, jems, khim, Melbournite, TeochewHKer, carnineviand, khim(again!), holydrummer, holybunny, holybro, J-star and Dodo. Big round of applause for them who unselfishly sacrificed their calories so that you can save yours! Clap clap clap clap!  The AftermathYou would think that with 10 Satay stalls all competing for the same customers, that competition would be stiff. But the unfortunate truth is that a lot of them taste quite similar and most of them were quite lack lustre. Our judges were penning down more phrases like "terrible, no taste at all, not marinated enough", than adoring accolades.  There was however a real difference in the quality and style of the Satay gravy that was provided. These ranged from "watery, burnt nutty taste to "consistent" and "can taste peanut" You can appreciate from the picture just how wide a difference there was. Three of the seven stalls sampled procured their Satays from suppliers, but some make it a point to cook their own peanut sauce. It seemed to me that the sellers are trying to differentiate their products with their sauces rather then on the Satay itself.  Chicken Satay from the winning stallThe good news is that there was a clear winner that night (with only a minority opposing). Our judges rated this Satay as "Tender and plump, grill taste good and can taste the chicken".  The accompanying peanut sauce was thick and chunky with generous amount of coarsely ground peanuts. The interesting thing is that the Satay from this stall comes from a supplier, but they do cook their own peanut sauce. And the other interesting thing is they are actually an Ikan Bakar cum Satay stall rather than a specialised Satay stall! So, without much ado, let me present Musa Ikan Bakar Stall -- winner of the ieatishootipost East Coast Lagoon Satay Challenge . 4/5 Musa Ikan Bakar Stall
51 East Coast Lagoon FC
Open 4pm till late
Closed on Mondays
64422976Post MortemPersonally, I still feel that the overall standard of the Satay here can and should have been better. The problem is that there are so many stalls and no clear favourite, each stall does well enough just by enticing the passersby with their perfunctory "Satay sir?". They don't see the need to put in effort on their part to improve their Satay. Think about it, every stall we ate at literally serves the same chunky thigh meat Satay. No one thought about maybe adding the chicken skin, or even doing Chicken Mince like the legendary Fat Man Satay of the old esplanade Satay club. It is just complacency mixed with contentment - a lethal concoction for blah food. Then, there is this funny thing amongst Singaporeans about not wanting chicken skin in their Satay. I am not saying that eating chicken skin is good for you. You should not eat too much of it especially if you have high cholesterol levels or are overweight. What I am saying is that the same people who frown at eating chicken skin in Satay are also happily munching away at BBQ chicken wings, chicken rice and wagyu beef . It's a form of gastronomic hypocrisy that has permeated our society. I think that is what most Satay sellers assume. As a result, you don't see any chicken skin in Satays in Singapore whereas they are still widely available in Malaysia. And then we all complain that the Satay is better across the causeway. Satay is one of the "must try" dishes in the minds of many tourist that visit Singapore. Yet I can't even name one great Satay in any of the "Satay Clubs" at East Coast Lagoon or Lau Pa Sat! It is truly a great disappointment, but also a great opportunity for some enterprising young entrepreneur to rise to the challenge and give us a "die die must try" Satay for us all to enjoy.
With smart and liverpool Lontong $2.50At the rate the NEA are going with the upgrading of food centres, we will soon have nothing good left to eat! Just take the venerable Tiong Bahru Market for example. Tiong Bahru used to stand tall and proud as the place to eat. Now it seems like it needs a double dose of Viagara to restore its vitality. Somehow, the upgrading of the premises usually means the tastiness of the food somehow goes downhill. It seems that over the last few years, the NEA has been busy upgrading food centres. Of course, progress is good and new facilities mean better hygiene and working environment for Singaporeans. However, it also means that some hawkers take it as a signal to retire and returning to the new premises means higher rents and for many it may mean they have to cut corners in order to remain viable. So as a food lover, I lament whenever I hear that another hawker centre is slated to be upgraded. It's almost like it has been passed the death sentence. I just wish that some of the good old hawker centres can be put on the heritage list so that they can be preserved for our future generations. Just take tiny row of hawker stalls along Labrador Villa Road. It kind of reminds me of the good old hawker centre outside of the botanic gardens years ago. Serving mainly Malay and Indian Muslim food, it is probably the last of its kind in Singapore. When I look at it, I think "Wha, sure got good food", but I am sure when the NEA officers look at it, they are thinking "Hmmm, put on upgrade list!" Perhaps the only way to preserve these places is to have them in opposition constituencies!   Anyway, ranting about it isn't going to change its inevitable fate, so let's talk about the food. Damien has been telling us about this wonderful Lontong that is being made by this Mak Cik who looks like she fits right in with the antique environment. So we had to make a trip down to see just how good it really is. The stall is actually No. 5 but when we got there it had already sold out. So instead, we bought tried the lontong from the stall next door (No. 6). One thing about the food here is that it is still very cheap. We got a whole bowl of lontong with the works for $2.50. And it was actually quite good. The soup was lemak without being over jialat. 4/5. Perhaps if you manage to get down there, compare No. 5 with No. 6 and let us know.  Damien also recommended the Nasi Briyani being sold at the far end of the row of shops. We found the Chicken curry was very good, but the rice was found lacking. Maybe because of the increase in the price of rice, they reverted to poorer quality rice. Still not a bad briyani if you are having the briyani craving 3.75/5ConclusionThis place really has a nice Kampung atmosphere to it. Come in the afternoon and you will see lots of people drinking Teh Tarik and eating Epok Epok. One of the last places of its kind in Singapore! If you are a part of the Y Gen, you have to visit this place at least once to experience what Singapore was really like in the good old days before it gets handed the NEA Death Warrant!  Labrador Villa Road Food Centre
Jn of Alexandra and Pasir Panjang Road
Stall No 5 and 6 for Lontong
Opens 6.30am to 10pm daily
With smart There is something about the way how our Malay friends use the English language that is very unique. In particular there are several English words that somehow resonate with the Malay culture. I am talking about words such as "Power" and "Relac"(Relax). Somehow, they managed to take very ordinary words and turn them into superlatives with a cool edge to it. On the other hand, we Chinese use Malay words to express our superlatives. So we adopt Malay words such as "Shiok" and "Lawar" to convey extremes in expression. Somehow, Malay seems to be a language that is quite capable in conveying "coolness" much better than say, my own dialect, Teochew. The expression "Jing Hor Jia" (very nice to eat) just does doesn't sound as delicious as "Shiok Man!" or "Power!". There are of course ways of emphasizing superlatives in Teochew, but they involve invoking one's parent's, so it should not be encouraged. Anyway, this Mee Rebus is called "Power" Mee Rebus. I am reminded that our SuperSatayMan also calls his satay, "Power" satay. Evey wonder how a certain dish can have "Power"? Power to do what? Power to boost the excitement levels perhaps? Or some sort of mysterious Power that will mesmerize you into a subtle addiction? Or maybe it just refers to the fact that this particular Mee Rebus has got a whole chicken thigh in it and a whole ladle full of Satay Sauce sitting on top of the chicken and noodles? How to describe such a dish? Perhaps the word that comes to mind is -- Power! This is one Mee Rebus to behold. The peanut sauce really gives the Mee Rebus sauce a big boost in ooomph and the chicken also makes it a real treat. Not bad for a $3 plate of mee rebus! 4.25/5
 If the Mee Rebus is Power! Then I am sad to report the Soto Ayam is lack of Power. Good bowl of soup but lack that extra something to make it stand out from the crowd. 3.5/5ConclusionMee Rebus with chicken and Satay Sauce. Doesn't something inside you just want to shout out "Power!" as well?  Rahim Muslim Food
Kovan CentreAh Seah Eating House
9 Yio Chu Kang Road97867362
With smart and Mr.YaKwang Epok Epok with egg 50 cents eachThe most surprising thing about this Epok Epok is NOT that it is one of the most addictive things I have eaten recently, but the fact that the hands that make them belong to an exclusive breed of Hawkers whom I have created a new tag for --- Hawker Hunks. Now, its been commented in the blog that one of the most attractive things about a man is the fact that he can cook. I challenge that statement.  I think that what women actually find attractive is a man that looks as if he would have women falling at his feet AND he can also cook at the same time. I think that women view the domestic ability of the male as an indicator of his domesticability. In other words, if he can cook, I can probably get him around my fingers. Anyway, I don't want to detract you from the Epok Epok, so ladies, please avert your gaze from this fine specimen of manhood back to the picture on top. Today we are talking about Epok Epok. The type that Nenek used to make. It was Mr.YaKwang (aka Jason) who alerted me to this particular Epok Epok. Now, Mr.YaKwang is one of the most fussy (almost obnoxiously fussy) foodies I know. Nine out of ten things recommended on the blog cannot make the grade for him. So he ends up eating his own food most of the time. So when Mr. YaKwang told me about how much he likes this Epok Epok, it got my attention straight away.  If you stare long enough, you too might be transported back to your childhood!Do you remember the scene from Ratatouille when the food critic Anton was transported back to his childhood with one taste of the Ratatouille? Well, its sort of like that for Mr.YaKwang. He said that this was the type of Epok Epok he remember eating when he was a kid. So after taking the first few pictures, I gingerly held the Epok Epok in my hand and prepared myself to be transported into a surrealistic dream sequence as I bit into the Epok Epok........ nothing. Not surprising since the curry puffs I was used to were those from my school tuckshop and they are a little different. That's not to say that the Epok Epok here was not good. They were excellent. The crust was thin and crispy and combined with the freshly boiled egg and buttery curried potatoes, I downed about five of them before I knew it! 4.25/5The thing I felt was missing is one or two pieces of savoury chicken meat in the Epok Epok. I know it is not so common in Epok Epok as it is with the Chinese version, but nevertheless I love the joy of finding that savoury piece of meat hidden among the potatoes! I am also dreaming of a minced beef Epok Epok which Lokman promised he will make soon.  Nasi Lemak with the works $2.50There has been some discussion over at the forum about Nasi Lemak and more specifically, where to find a good Malay style one. Well, look no further! All I needed to do was just have a whiff of the steaming rice to know that this is a good one. The sambal belacan here is also very shiok and it is on the sweetish side which I feel should be the case with Nasi Lemak. The sambal also has that wonderful savoury taste of the belacan which hits the Umami Spot. You can buy the ready packed ones for $1.20 which comes with rice, ikan bilis and choice of egg or ikan kuning. They put in the special effort of sandwiching the chilli between two pieces of banana leaves for that added fragrance. Sedap lah brudder! 4.25/5 The chicken wings here are well marinated with lots of tumeric and ginger so they were very good, but I would advise you to be there around lunch time in order to get them freshly cooked. ConclusionThe simple things in life are often the best. Personally, my idea of the perfect breakfast is a cup of Teh Tarik, a plate of Epok Epok and Nasi Lemak. That is what I miss most when I was overseas. Oh, back to the Hawker Hunks issue, I don't want to be sexist, so I was actually going to name the Tag "Hawker Hunks and _____ Babes" but I can't really think of an adjective that begins with B to describe girls who operate hawker stalls who look like they should be on the catwalk instead. Let me know if you have any ideas. And don't forget to check out the other Hawker Hunks in the blog.  Epok Epok CentralBlk 4A Eunos CrescentEunos Crescent Hawker Centre#01-09Lokman 969588897am to 7pm dailyClosed on Mondays
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. ConclusionTo 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 Kitchen2 Jalan Masjid90373623Opened till very late for now
Open 24hrs soon
Disclosure: This was an invited review
With smart, PK and PowerAunty Tom Yum Soup $10I think its best that I make clear my position on vegetarianism before I plunge headlong into my philosophical dissertation on this subject. - I believe that vegetarianism is a healthy lifestyle choice and that eating more veggies and less (or no) meat is beneficial in combating chronic diseases like high cholesterol and hypertension.
- I respect vegetarians and their choice not to partake of animal foods although I do not have any religious/moral convictions about not eating meat.
- I would opt to be a vegetarian for health reasons, but I just love my Beef Burgers too much.
OK, with that out of the way, let's get on to this very interesting question that was being discussed during our vegetarian makan session: Was Jesus a Vegetarian? My first response was: "What a preposterous question! Of course he was NOT!" For me, saying that Jesus was a vegetarian would be in the same league as saying that the Holocaust did not happen. It is quite straightforward, is it not? Ah, but you'd be surprised that there are people who have written whole books and websites to "prove" that he really was a vegetarian! Some of the arguments that were given was that it was his nature to be compassionate and so he must have been compassionate to animals as well. Aside from that, they also gave many references to historical resources outside of the Bible to substantiate their claims. Just google "Is Jesus a vegetarian?" and you would be amazed at how much material there is out there!  Monkey Head Mushroom Satay $9I guess, it would make a compelling case for vegetarianism if it could be shown that the founder of one of the major religions of the world was vegetarian, even though the religion he founded does not actually require its adherents to practice vegetarianism. Or perhaps, they argue, it was in fact a practice that has been conveniently overlooked. For me, this sort of argument is easy to debunk. It is the same sort of True/False question that we used to get in school. I always remember this very simple principle when it comes to answering True/False questions. If the statement has the word "ALWAYS" in it, then it is most likely to be false. That is because "ALWAYS" does not allow for even a single non-qualifying event. This is especially true for medical exams. Questions such as "Breast Cancer ALWAYS occur in women" are most likely to be False because it only takes one case of Breast Cancer occurring in one man to make the statement false. (The fact is that men are affected in 1% of all breast cancer cases).  TWE Olive Fried Rice $5So when it comes to the argument of whether Jesus was vegetarian, rather then going convoluted philosophical arguments that imply that he was vegetarian, the simple thing is to answer the question: "Did Jesus ALWAYS eat only vegetables?" meaning that if I can show that he ate meat, then the argument is debunked. So consider this passage is Luke 24:41-43: This scene occurred after his death and resurrection which means that it occurred after he had been with his disciples for three years: ".........he (Jesus) asked them, "Do you have anything to eat?" They (his disciples) gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence." For me it showed three things. First, Jesus ate fish and he ate it without hesitation. Second, the disciples who had been his companions for three years gave him fish when he asked for something to eat. If he had been vegetarian, then it would be the ultimate insult to their master whose habits they should know after spending such a long time with him. Thirdly, the disciples would not have been much of disciples if after three years they have not modeled to follow their master's vegetarian practice. Case closed. Back to the food.  TWE Sweet and Sour Delight $12If you have been reading my other vegetarian posts, you would know that I would opt to go veg whenever I feel I have eaten too much meat. The problem is that vegetarian food is not readily available and the ones that you often see in the food courts usually serve lots of deep fried gluten disguised to look like common Cze Char meat dishes. They all have that particular taste about them that I don't quite like. PK (a part time vegetarian) also remarked that it seemed hypocritical that one would still try to eat something that looks and tastes like the animal when the whole point was to protect them. So when I found out that this vegetarian restaurant served Peranakan/Thai cuisine, it really got my attention as it is something I have yet to try.  Summer Shitake Mushrooms $15For starters we had the Monkeyhead Mushroom Satay which was surprisingly quite good even though the only things that makes it a Satay are the peanut sauce and the skewers. The marinade is not your usual Satay marinade and they are deep fried, not grilled. It would have been even better for a meat eater like me to have the Satay marinated and grilled like Satay with pieces of Water Chestnuts in between the Mushrooms! That aside, the Monkey Head mushrooms have that chewability and taste about them that gives you that umami satisfaction that comes from eating meat. 4/5Another dish that was quite commendable was the TWE Olive Fried Rice which we all felt was pretty good. They made a little concession and added a small amount of veg ham in it. The main taste still came from the liberal use of shredded olives and it was not too oily. 4/5The Sweet and Sour delight is another dish that I would come back to order again. Instead of gluten, they use a Soy based protein "meat" which was nice and chewy and actually has that "Can't stop eating this" quality about it. Given that it does not have any cholesterol in it, I can say that I wouldn't mind substituting this for the usual sweet and sour pork. 4.25/5 Buah Keluak $15In terms of the Peranakan/Thai food, I would say that they were a good attempt and definitely a nice departure from the usual but more work needs to be done before they would impress Peranakophiles like PowerAunty. The Buah Keluak could have been a hit since the main star of the dish is the Buah Keluak and not the meat. The gravy needed to be a little thicker, spicier and nuttier. However, I did like enjoy the Soya "meat" which was braised in the gravy. 3/5The Tom Yam Mushroom soup is almost there but lacks that extra kick that comes from the use of Fish Sauce as well as a good stock base. But I think this can be tweaked by the addition of some Vegetarian fish sauce. 3.75/5. What I think could work really well is Tom Kha soup which is not on the menu. We all liked the Summer Shitake Mushrooms which featured nice juicy Shitake Mushrooms simmered in a piquant sauce. The only thing we can't understand is why it is called a Thai dish since I really haven't come across this dish before even having lived in Thailand for two years. But still worth trying even if it isn't your classical Thai dish. 4/5 Oatmeal Tofu $15ConclusionThe Whole Earth just underwent a change in the management and the new menu looks promising. The really good thing about the place is that you can actually bring anyone with food restrictionse. Not only don't they have meats, they also don't use garlic and onions. So they can actually appeal to people who are Vegans or Jains and to those who eat Halal and Kosher foods. Overall, the food is not bad, but for a carnivore like myself it still only appeals to the health aspect. What I would really like to see is a vegetarian dish that is so good that I would crave to eat it despite it being vegetarian. Now that for me would be the "Holy Grail" of vegetarian food.  The Whole Earth
593 Geylang Road
Between Lor 29 and 3168413319
11am to 3pm5.30pm to 10pm
www.thewholearth.com
Disclosure: This was an invited review.
With Amagada My wife insists that I need to blog this particular lontong because it is in her words "to die for". Yeah, she's been going on about this lontong for months. She has it for breakfast almost every Saturday without fail just before doing her weekly grocery shopping. She even brought mum there and mum ended up going there mid-week to get her lontong fix. So, like any good husband, I followed my wife's instructions and brought my camera to blog the place.......after much incessant "persuading". So what's lontong anyway? I see it as a sort of reverse rice dish. The usual way to eat rice is to have the rice on a plate and put the gravy on top. In lontong, you have the gravy on a plate and you put the rice on top. Ok it may be a stretch of the imagination, but lontong is essentially compressed rice in a spicy coconut gravy yah? Anyway the lontong here is really quite good. I haven't really been big on lontong but I would have to say that this one is pretty darn good. The gravy is just about right. Not too spicy or too rich, such that you can really drink it all up. The best part is the way the soft rice blends with the gravy and the kerisik (fried grated coconut). My wife insists that it is a 4.5/5 and all you husbands out there (who wish to enjoy a peaceful existence) would agree with me that it is best to just give a nod and say "Yes Dear".   Anyway, apart from the lontong, the stall also sells a variety of homemade, traditional kuihs which are quite good. They have tapioca cakes, kuih kosui, doughnuts and many others. The kuih kosui was specially good. It had just the right texture, springy yet creamy at the same time and just about the right amount of sweetness. ConclusionHave not really looked into Singapore's most famous and tastiest lontong but I have to say that this one is good enough to be included in such a list.  Malay KuihBanquet Food CourtBlk 217 Bedok North St 18.30am to 10pm daily
 Do you still remember my last post on our President's Teh Tarik? Well, I thought I would never have a chance to drink of the Presidential Brew since the "Michael Bolton" and I both share the same working shifts.  But yesterday was my lucky day! I happened to be down at Marine Parade Food Centre and lo and behold, the President's Teh Tarik Man was on duty! It so happened that the other Teh Tarik man had returned to Indonesia for the Hari Raya Holidays, so he was working an extended shift. The "Michael Bolton" was telling us that since the last post, he has had many new customers coming by asking for the President's Teh Tarik as well as questions like whether the President really came by in his shorts, T shirt and flip-flops on Sunday mornings to buy his Teh Tarik. Alamak, those readers who really asked this question, please own up. I already told you that that would have been a breach of Presidential protocol! Once you become a President, you must never be seen in flip-flops. Anyway, I was just over the moon that "Michael" (I still don't know his real name) was on duty that day. This time round, I did not need to haggle, all I needed to do was to order the President's Teh Halia Tarik and it was delivered to my table. Maybe its just psychological, but the brew was indeed befitting of royalty. Full bodied and fragrant with an excellent post-gustatory ginger punch. It really put the tiger in the tank. So good, I had to order a second cup. 4.6/5ConclusionOur President really knows his Teh Tarik!  Hilmi Sarabat Stall
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-146
5.30am to 11pm
Presidential Teh Tarik only available up till 12.30pm normally, but this month up to 3pm
With iwatch_ueat, Nuffthing and davienne Ghee Roast "Rocket" Dosa Masala $3I have said it before and I will repeat it again. Of all the different vegetarian cuisines, the one that would come closest to converting me into a herbivore has to be Indian vegetarian. Yes, it comes closest but I am still far from chanting "Fish are friends, not food"! Very far. But you know, the day may come when I finally have to succumb to having to lower my cholesterol levels and protecting my heart. Thankfully, I have not reached that stage just yet. If you have been to Chennai, you will know of this very famous restaurant chain. If you have not, you might not -- but now you do, like I did. This restaurant was recommended by one of our readers, Raihana Starbuck, who quite kindly shared her family's favourite eating spot with all of us. She said that "this is the only place in Singapore which has food like what it does in India". Having never had the opportunity to visit India, I thought I might go try it out and get a taste of some "real" Indian food. What struck me most about the place is the apparent mismatch between the prices and the environment. For $3, you could sit down and enjoy the Ghee Roast Masala Dosa in air-conditioned comfort. And the Dosa was excellent, crispy and thin on the outside with a soft fluffy centre. The coconut and onion tomato chutneys tasted fresh and had a nice bite to it. The addition of the Ghee to the Dosa really gave it even more ooompph, which of course does not help if you are eating this to cut down on your cholesterol intake. The only drawback was the (potato) masala which could have been more tasty. 4.25/5 Idli $2.80Nuffthing asked what this dish was. So I described it to him as "Wha Kor Kueh" in curry, which I thought came quite close. Idlis are steamed rice cakes which is what Wha Kor Kueh is. In retrospect, I think I should have likened it to Putu Piring without the gula melaka. At any rate, the idli is served in their standard dhal and drizzled with ghee which as I mentioned earlier, always adds oommmph to any dish like how pork lard does to Chinese dishes. 4/5 Vadai $2.20 for 2 The Vadais were served fresh and were nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy and savoury within. My only complaint by this stage is that they seem to serve the same dhal for every dish. I was kinda hoping to taste something different. But I guess it is my own fault for not knowing what to order. 4/5 Masala Tea $1.30 Don't forget to wash the whole meal down with some Masala Tea. Masala Tea, like Teh Halia is a wonderful way to finish off the meal as it serves to wash down all that spice and oil and aids in the digestion of the food. Aside from that, the four of us had some fun practicing our Teh Tarik skills on the table. Some Masala Teas can go a little too heavy on the spices, but I found this one just nice. 4.25/5ConclusionWell, I really enjoyed the whole experience and managed to save a few chickens in the process. Truth be said, I don't think I have ever had bad Indian vegetarian food. Then again I haven't really looked. Actually I wouldn't mind going on an Indian vegetarian trail to find the best Indian vegetarian food in Singapore. Perhaps you all can write in and let me know? Update: 7 Sep 2008The restaurant has closed.  Saravana Bhavan36 Belilios Lane629777557.30am to 11pm daily
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Anyway, I know I am not the only one reminiscing about this type of mee siam as I did come across a lady who was asking me for exactly this Indian Mee Siam. It's just one of those fast dissappearing heritage foods that you might like to try before it's too late.
Sajis Indian Food
