Not only is Geylang Road home to the yearly Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, but it’s also home to Haig Road Market & Food Centre! If you don’t already know, Haig Road Market & Food Centre hides some of the best eats. From putu piring to mee rebus, let me share with you a few of the stalls that you have to try here!

• Afandi Hawa & Family
• V2 Claypot Corner
• Warong Sudi Mampir
• 林玉梅 Lin Yu Mei Kolo Mee
• HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki
• 正光云吞面 Zhenguang Wantan Noodles
• Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring
• Chin Heng Desserts
• Tong Kee Traditional Braised Duck Rice

1. Afandi Hawa & Family

If you’ve never had the Mee Rebus ($3) at Afandi Hawa & Family, you have to try it ASAP. With springy yellow noodles, extremely thick and robust gravy and green chilli, this is no doubt one of the best mee rebus I’ve had!

2. V2 Claypot Corner

V2 Claypot Corner will not disappoint claypot rice lovers.

At $4 a portion, the claypot rice consists of chicken morsels, vegetables, and thin slices of Chinese sausage. On the first bite, a subtle smokiness hit my sense. The smokiness was not only present in the rice, but in the morsels of chicken as well! Note that there isn’t the usual thick layer of burnt rice at the bottom of the pot.

V2 Claypot Rice serves other claypot dishes as well.

3. Warong Sudi Mampir

If satay is on your mind, then let satay specialist Warong Sudi Mampir wow you.

I ordered 5 sticks ($0.60/stick) of beef satay and 5 sticks of mutton satay. I had to wait for a while (20 minutes, to be exact) to have my order fulfilled because there was a queue! Let me tell you, the satay was worth ALL the wait. The satay was smoky, tender and not one bit tough nor dry. The satay also had this perfect charred caramelised exterior which I loved.

And what would satay be without some peanut gravy? The peanut gravy was thick and super SHIOK! It was also mildly spicy which I thought complemented the sweet and savoury satay.

Apart from chicken, mutton and beef satays, Warong Sudi Mampir also sells babat (tripe) & hati (beef heart) satay, which are very popular as well.

4. 林玉梅 Lin Yu Mei Kolo Mee

林玉梅 Lin Yu Mei Kolo Mee serves two dishes: Kolo Mee ($4/small and $5/large) & Sarawak Laksa ($6). But let’s focus on the kolo mee.

The Kolo Mee is different from the one I usually have back in Sibu. Apart from the usual meaty char siew, the bowl has crispy pork lard and simmered minced meat!

Of course, the heart of a bowl of kolo mee is its noodles. At first glance, the noodles may look plain and dry, but looks are indeed deceiving! The fragrant lard used made the bowl of noodles incredibly aromatic.

5. HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki

Among all the dishes served at HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki, the Soto Ayam ($3) is most worthy of a mention.

The Soto Ayam, which was light and flavourful, was garnished with chicken shreds and chunks of lontong. I’m a big eater, so the Soto Ayam was not enough for me. I added a bergedil (fried potato cutlet) to carb up my meal, and I’ll definitely recommend that you do that too.

6. 正光云吞面 Zhenguang Wantan Noodles

The first time that I queued for Zhenguang’s wanton noodles was on a weekday afternoon, and the wantons were sold out. Hence, I decided to come back earlier the next day to get a plate of wanton noodles!

The meaty char siew was darker and more “porky” that what I’m used to but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The dark sauce coated the springy noodles well, and every bite was satisfying.

While the wanton was small, the well-marinated minced pork in the wanton made the wanton very addictive!

7. Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring

I’ve never tried putu piring before but the queue that formed during lunchtime and the orders by some of the customers spoke volumes about the putt piring here. A guy in front of me bought 7 packets of putu piring — that’s 35 pieces of kueh!

Feature on Netflix’s “Street Food“, Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring sells its putu piring at $2.50 (5pcs). Made of rice flour, gulu melaka, grated coconut & “garnished” with strips of pandan, the putu piring was simple, yet very delicious!

While it retained its shape when picked up, the putu piring was crumbly and fell apart immediately in my mouth! The pandan leaves imparted a lovely fragrance and sweetness to the kueh.

8. Chin Heng Desserts

If you are looking for a comforting bowl of dessert after your meal, head to Chin Heng Desserts.

There’s a good variety of hot and cold desserts here. I went for the Red Ruby ($2) and Green Bean Soup with Coconut Milk ($1.50).

Made with shaved ice, coconut cream, coconut milk and “red rubies”, the Red Ruby is perfect for a hot day.

I really felt that the auntie was quite generous with the portion. The “rubies”, which are actually water chestnuts soaked in red food colouring, were crunchy and great with the coconut cream.

If the Red Ruby is perfect for a hot day, then the Green Bean Soup with Coconut Milk is perfect for a cold day.

Made with green bean (obviously), sago, and a touch of coconut cream, the great bean soup was creamy and rich. So comforting and heartwarming, especially on a rainy day.

9. Tong Kee Traditional Braised Duck Rice

The duck rice at Tong Kee Traditional Braised Duck Rice is superbly good! The duck carried light herbal flavours and was not too heavily braised.

The irresistible fatty skin soaked in the chup had me hooked. The duck is just so delicious! This is definitely the one stall that I’ll visit every time I’m here!

Was your favourite stall featured? What do you like about Haig Road Market & Food Centre? Share with us your favourite stalls!

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

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

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What are some things synonymous with Singapore?  You may think of the Merlion, Gardens By The Bay, and, of course, hawker food. And when we think of hawker food, a couple of popular food centres will naturally pop into mind — Maxwell Food Centre is definitely one of them.

Maxwell Food Centre is home to some of Singapore’s best hawker stalls. It’s lauded by both locals and tourists as THE hawker centre to go to if you want to savour true blue Singaporean food. We don’t have to say much, because the queues at some of these stalls speak volumes! Follow us as we show you 11 stalls in Maxwell Food Centre you should not miss!

Jin Hua Fish Soup

A long-time tenant in Maxwell Food Centre, Jin Hua has been serving up hot bowls of fish soup for over 20 years. While you are here, why not order the Grouper Fish Head Noodles ($8)?

The Grouper Fish Head is naturally more flavourful. The soup was fishier but I  could really taste the goodness of the grouper! The sharp punch of ginger cut through the fishiness. Even without the addition of milk, the soup was still rather cloudy, thick and rich!

Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake

This simple looking piece of oyster cake ($2 a piece) is by no means easy to make! One of the last remaining Fuzhou Oyster Cake stalls which still makes it the traditional way, Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cakes sends out some of the best oyster cakes.

Each oyster cake is painstakingly made by hand. In each oyster cake, you can find cilantro, minced meat, fresh prawns and oysters studded in a rice batter. The oyster cake was crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Don’t forget to add some chilli sauce to it!

Xing Xing Ondeh-Ondeh Tapioca Cake

Xing Xing Ondeh-Ondeh Tapioca Cake only sells Ondeh-Ondeh ($3/box) and Tapioca Cake ($6/box).

On first bite, the steamed tapioca cake was absolutely delightful and lovely! Made by hand, and definitely from scratch, the tapioca cakes are steamed, and served with grated coconut. The cakes had an amazing texture and were not very sticky, as compared to the ones you might find elsewhere.

Popo & Nana’s Delights

I guarantee that if you visit Popo & Nana’s Delight, you will be returning for more.

The food served here is particularly homey. At Popo & Nana’s Delight, each set comes with white or brown rice, your choice of vegetables and meat, and soup of the day. I especially loved the Chicken Rendang ($6/set)! The well-marinated chicken was moist and tender, and the thick rendang sauce was very addictive. Mind you, the stallowner purchases her meats daily so no frozen meats are ever used!

China Street Fritters

Traditional handmade ngoh hiang is a rare find these days. That’s why I am so glad there is a stall like China Street Fritters!

I love the super crispy ngoh hiang ($0.80) from China Street Fritters. The stallowners of China Street Fritters follow time-tested recipes to produce their super ngoh hiang, so you know that you are getting the real deal. I tried the ngoh hiang after dipping it into the starchy sweet sauce and watery chilli sauce and oh my, it was perfect. This is a must-order when you’re here!

Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue

The Chicken Cutlet ($8) at Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue was pretty remarkable. For $8, you get a huge slab of crunchy and fragrant chicken cutlet, a side of mixed vegetables, crinkle-cut fries and a fluffy sweet bun. You will definitely be getting your money’s worth!

The sweet house-made sauce that came with the fried cutlet complemented the dish flawlessly, it was so irresistible that I went back for more. I absolutely adored the soft and chewy bun, which I also used to wipe up any remaining sauce!

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

No Maxwell Food Centre listicle is ever complete without the award-winning Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. Seriously, the fact that it spans across the space of 2 stalls bears testament to its popularity.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice chicken rice comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. I enjoyed digging into the succulent and moist pieces of chicken breast meat that were doused in a savoury sauce. The chicken, together with the perfectly-cooked fragrant rice, and thick and spicy chilli, screams “SHIOK”.

P.S. There’s always a queue at Tian Tian so try to avoid the peak lunch hour if you can!

Hainanese Curry Rice

If you crave a comforting plate of curry png, allow 中国街咖喱饭 Hainanese Curry Rice to curry your favour.

The pork chop that came with the Hainanese Curry Rice with Chap Chye ($3) was crispy, tender and not too oily. The curry that covered every inch of the plate had a mild spiciness and was not overpowering. Get a little of everything in a spoonful, and you’ll have yourself a little party in your mouth.

Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia

Looking for great roast meats at affordable prices? Then you better join the line at Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia!

Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia’s forte is roast meats. I ordered the 叉火面, or Mixed Meat Noodles ($3.50), and I was quite blown away by not just the price, but by how generous the portion was. The sio bak’s skin possessed the perfect crunch and had just the right amount of saltiness, and the meat was moist and tender — it’s tough to find a sio bak done this flawlessly. Honestly, this is the best sio bak I’ve ever had! I also have to give credit to the char siew because it carried a bit of that delightful char, and was more on the savoury side.

Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice

Starting at $2.50 a plate, Ah-Tai Chicken Rice’s chicken is unbelievably tender, juicy and smooth! The rice was grainy and fragrant, though it was a little on the dry side. The most important aspect, the chilli, was thick and spicy which is definitely a bonus!

一家潮州鱼粥鱼汤 Yi Jia Chao Zhou Yu Zhou Yu Tang

When it comes to fish soup, or fish porridge, Yi Jia Chao Zhou Yu Zhou Yu Tang is the expert. This is one of the few stalls which commands a snaking queue during lunch time. They serve Teochew-style porridge ($3/small) and fish soup with batang fish or pomfret (the latter being slightly more expensive, of course).

For $3, I got a bowl of fish porridge that was filled with slices of fresh sweet batang fish. The soup was murky and every bit flavourful. There was no hint of fishiness! As the porridge is Teochew-style, you can expect firm grainy rice steeped in the soup. The inclusion of cilantro and fried shallots definitely enhanced the flavours of the porridge.

Hum Jin Pang

Feeling peckish and want to fry your own dough fritters? You can pop by Hum Jin Pang to do just that!

Hum Jin Pang serves fried dough fritters in 2 variations — Five Spice Salt and Sweet Red Bean ($1/6 pieces). We had both variations of the Hum Jin Pang. They were soft and chewy, just how I like it! The savoury red bean hum jin peng was coated in sugar and filled with a red bean filling that was not overly sweet. I noticed that the aunty rolled the dough in sesame seeds before frying it. This gave the dough fritter a toasty aroma and flavour!

Special Shanghai Tim Sum

Regular patrons of the now defunct Queenstown Magaret Drive Food Centre will be glad that to know that Special Shanghai Tim Sum still lives on in Maxwell Food Centre!

Run by a fourth-generation hawker, Special Shanghai Tim Sum prides itself on making its own dumplings fresh daily. Sink your teeth into the Guo Tie, or Fried Dumplings ($4 for 8pcs) for yourselves and see what I mean! The dumplings are fried to order so ready yourselves to a mix of well-marinated minced meat and chopped chives encased within a crispy crackling exterior. Pair that with the vinegar sauce that it’s served with and it’s a match made in heaven!

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Maxwell Food Centre is home to so much more! Was your favourite stall listed here? What do you like about Maxwell Food Centre? Let us know in the comments!

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

The post Brace Yourself for Maxwell Food Centre’s 13 Finest Hawker Stalls! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Just a stone’s throw away from Tai Seng MRT is GLC Restaurant, a popular lunch spot which serves tze char-style dishes. Best part? It’s Halal, so it’s perfect for everyone and anyone!

As it is situated in an office area, GLC Restaurant welcomes throngs of patrons during lunch hours. The menu is extensive but here are a few dishes which stood out.

I had the highly recommended Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Dice Rice ($5.80) which comprises rice, a fried egg and salted egg yolk chicken!

This goes onto my list of Best Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Rice. The sauce is packed with all the salted egg yolk goodness and yet was not one bit cloying! My guess is that they must have used evaporated milk in the concoction. Grab yourself a small piece of egg, some rice, and a chunk of chicken coated in the decadent sauce, and you have yourself a piece of heaven!

I also had the Prawn Hokkien Mee ($5.50). It was on the drier side, but every inch of this plate of Hokkien mee was so flavourful! There were pieces of sotong, sliced fish cake, and prawns in the mix. My only gripe was that there were more yellow noodles than rice noodles, hence resulting in a pretty strong alkaline taste present in the dish.

I tried the San Lou Horfun ($6.30) and KL Dai Lok Mee ($6.30) as well.

The San Lou Horfun came with a generous portion of sliced fish, beansprouts, and fried horfun drenched in a viscous gravy. I enjoyed every spoonful of the horfun! I would have loved for the wok hei to be stronger though.

I never had dai lok mee so this is a first! Compared to the Prawn Hokkien Mee, the KL Dai Lok Mee uses a flatter version of egg noodles. The dish has an interesting mix of sweet and savoury flavours. Similar, to the San Lou Horfun, the wok hei was a tad too weak for my liking.

While there were hits and misses, GLC Restaurant still makes an excellent lunch spot! If you are here, I highly recommend the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Dice Rice!

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Regular patrons of the now defunct Queenstown Magaret Drive Food Centre will be glad to know that Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum still lives on in Maxwell Food Centre!

Run by fourth-generation hawker Sebastian Hu, Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum serves a limited mix of Shanghai-style dishes. What makes this stall so interesting is that it prides itself on making its own dumplings fresh daily!

Sink your teeth into the Guo Tie, or Fried Dumplings ($4 for 8pcs) and see what I mean for yourself! The dumplings are fried on order, so ready yourselves for a crispy parcel of juicy well-marinated minced meat and chopped chives. Pair the guo tie with the homemade vinegar and you have a match made in heaven!

If you’re feeling a little healthy, you should go for the Steamed Dumplings ($4 for 8pcs). It’s essentially the same as the fried dumplings, just steamed.

If you want authentic Chinese soup, then you need to try the Hot and Sour Soup ($3/4/5). Viscous and loaded with slivers of sliced pork and fish cake, the soup has a consistency that is reminiscent of an egg drop soup. While I found the Hot and Sour Soup palatable and appreciated its especially sour taste, it might be a hit or miss for you, due to its particularly strong sourness.

Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum also serves Shanghai Rice Cakes ($3/4/5) which I thought was a nice surprise! It’s rare to have rice cakes in a hawker setting. However, that surprise is shortlived when I realised that it was bland.

There must be a reason why regulars still frequent the stall even after its relocation to Maxwell Food Centre. I applaud their strict adherence to making limited batches of fresh dumplings daily. If you are at Maxwell Food Centre, do give Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum a try.

<em>MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.</em>

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When the owner-cum-chef of a dim sum establishment is from Hong Kong, you know that the dim sum is the real deal. Ho Yun (Hong Kong) Tim Sum’s friendly owner has been a PR in Singapore for more than 20 years. His humble dim sum truly did not disappoint.

I had multiple food hunts lined up after this so I told myself to just get a sufficient taste of everything. However, I wasn’t able to heed my own advice. From the very first dish, I couldn’t help but finish everything! Ho Yun’s flavoursome Century Egg with Lean Pork Porridge ($2.70) was thick, and had the right gooeyness. The crispy crackers made the whole dish even more irresistible! Indeed, an unassuming bowl of goodness!

This Cantonese version of Siew Mai ($2.70) has no shrimps within but it was still delicious. Don’t forget to pair the plump siew mai with the sweet chilli sauce!

The Pork Spare Ribs in black bean sauce was above average too! The meat absorbed the fermented black soybeans thoroughly so it was packed with umami. The meat wasn’t the most tender but I polished the entire dish off in minutes.

While the chicken feet was not the best in taste, the skin was adequately soft and  fell off the bone easily. The exterior of the fried shrimp dumpling was relatively crispy and savoury, while the content was sweet and chewy. I hoped that the mayonnaise accompanying the dumplings was less watery though.

Something unique about Ho Yun is that it offers dim sum rice bowls ($3.20 each), such as pork spare ribs with rice, in Hong Kong style metal bowls. Fried dim sum cost $0.90 each, and 4 pieces go for $3.50. All in all, the prices are extremely affordable. And you know for sure that you’ll be getting great dim sum here. I will be back for more!

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

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Ho Yun (Hong Kong) Tim Sum. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Ho Yun (Hong Kong) Tim Sum – Affordable Authentic Hong Kong Dim Sum appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Toa Payoh has its fair share of delicious eats and we’ve found another spot to add to the list. Heading over at 9:30am on a Tuesday morning, I was expecting the coffee shop to be relatively quiet but boy, was I wrong. Every single table, but one, was occupied by aunties and uncles tucking into the very bowl of deliciousness that brought me all the way here.

While it didn’t have a snaking long queue, there was a constant and steady stream of people waiting to get their hands on this glorious bowl. Evidently, this stall was very popular with the local residents, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my own. Unlike most fishball noodle places that offer more variety, their menu only has two things — Fishball Noodles(Dry or Soup). You can order the standard bowl which costs $4, or choose to get a smaller or larger portion for $3 and $5 respectively. Despite the slim menu, the stall has been operating since 1967 so they must be doing something right!

There’s only one person manning the entire stall and I was amazed at how he managed to churn out bowl after bowl without stopping. After about a 15-minute wait, we finally received our food. We went with both the soup and dry options, but opted for different noodles in each. For the dry version, we ordered the standard mee pok (flat yellow noodles), and for the soup version, we got a combination of kway teow (flat rice noodles) and yellow noodles.

I was expecting a bowl with the standard fishballs and fishcake, and maybe some minced pork on top, but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of ingredients. While it definitely had all the standard accompaniments, there was also a meatball, deep-fried wanton, and even braised mushrooms! I love both fishball noodles and bak chor mee, but my gripe with the former was always the lack of mushrooms that bak chor mee has, so imagine my happiness when this bowl came with it!

I prefer dry noodles to soup noodles so, naturally, I was more inclined towards the dry noodles here. However, the soup was honestly pretty tasty as well. The surprise star of the show, though, was the meatball which looked unassuming but turned out to be really good! It even had bits of water chestnut which gave it a better texture.

While I would have preferred the noodles to be a tad spicier and more vinegar-y, this is definitely worth trying if you’re in the Toa Payoh area.

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

The post Cai Ji Fishball Noodle – Underrated Stall in Toa Payoh appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Do you love Din Tai Fung’s pork chop fried rice? Well have I got a place for you. Quietly located in the basement of Golden Mile Tower, King of Fried Rice serves up these delicious plates at a steal. Like their name suggests, they only sell fried rice, which comes in four different flavours ($5++) — original egg, XO, tom yum, and mala. If you’re feeling a little fancy, you can also add on extra ingredients such as tobiko, shimeji or a sunny side up for $1 per item. Unfortunately, they were already sold out of the tom yum and mala when we’d arrived. And this was just an hour after their opening!

Despite limited online reviews, there was a huge number of customers hoping to get their hands on this plate of eggy goodness. Although there were only less than five people ahead of us in the queue, we waited for a total of thirty minutes because there were plenty of orders. My mouth kept watering as I watched others tuck into their fried rice. The chef only fries a maximum of two plates at a time to maintain the quality. Despite being a two man show, the chef, and his wife, delivered each and every plate superbly.

Deliciously savoury with bits of egg in every bite, the rice was absolutely worth the wait. Each grain of rice was almost buttery. I also loved the amount of wok hei present in the dish, proving that they are indeed the king of fried rice.

While the fried rice was amazing, what really stole the show was the pork chop. It was perfectly marinated and tender. Some pork chops tend to be dry and hard, but this was definitely not the case here! In fact, I can honestly say that this is the best fried rice I’ve tasted.

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

The post King of Fried Rice – Hidden Gem in Golden Mile Tower appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

What do you usually order when you have zi char? Salted egg pork ribs is one of the standard dishes I always order. However, I remember the countless times I was met with disappointment when I bit into dry and hard chunks of meat with barely enough sauce to go around. Well, I’m happy to report that I only have good things to say after dining at Yong Kwang Yummy Seafood that’s helmed by 24-year-old Chris Eng.

Chris’ passion for cooking started when he was just 10 years old. He was juggling his studies and helping out at his family’s stall, when he decided to leave school and take the path less travelled — he pursued a career in the hawker industry.

Together with his wife, Chris has been running his own hawker stall for 4 months now. Yong Kwang Yummy Seafood is a personal venture that he started after a 14-year long apprenticeship under his father at Star Yong Kwang BBQ Seafood, Alexandra.

 Chris recommended his signature dish — salted egg pork ribs! I kept my expectations low. However, the very first mouthful of the ribs were so good that I made a pact with myself to never settle for less again!

The skin was great, and the meat was tender, but the sauce…was a show stopper. The sauce spilt over every piece of meat in lavish abundance, coating each morsel lavishly. The thick and robust sauce was extremely flavourful, but not too creamy. Overall, both the sauce and meat complemented one another to the T. It may get quite jelak though, so it’s best to be eaten with rice!

On a side note, maybe it’s just me, but I especially appreciated the effort Chris put into the presentation of the dish. I mean, how many hawker stalls put flowers in their dishes?!

Next, we dived into the san lou hor fun and baby kai lan! Being 90% carnivorous, I sometimes find it hard to eat vegetables on its own, but the baby kai lan was bright and fresh! It wasn’t till halfway through the meal that I realized I was munching on those little babies on their own.

There is nothing more comforting than the hot and silky gravy that accompanies hor fun! Although I would have preferred the kway teow noodles to be slightly thinner, the luscious gravy and large slices of fish saved the day!

If you happen to be looking for a place to dine at in Golden Mile Food Centre, do check out Yong Kwang Yummy Seafood at B1-55!

The post Yong Kwang Yummy Seafood – More Than Just Seafood appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Team Tam Chiak decided to find out who has the best pie in Singapore so we conducted a blind taste test! Our opinions and scores for each pie were recorded. We graded the pies based on appearance, taste, and texture of the crust. Read on to find out where to get the best pie in Singapore!

KEMONO CHICKEN

Known for its healthy and delectable Japanese roasted chicken (and iconic rubber chicken), Kemono also offers Japanese bento sets, healthy salads and unique pies! One thing that I’ve always loved about Kemono is that it offers islandwide delivery till 12 midnight daily. So whenever I crave good quality savoury meals for supper, I go to Kemono! Every order is freshly prepared and delivered as soon as possible.

This blind taste test gave me the opportunity to try Kemono’s pies. Each pie was filled generously with ingredients, and we were seriously surprised by how much ingredients were packed into the pies.

The Baked Chicken Mushroom Pie ($8.90) had an even ratio of chicken chunks and mushrooms. Each bite promises a good mixture of both ingredients! The creamy sauce took this pie up a notch. The creaminess complemented the natural sweetness of the chicken chunks, and earthiness of the mushrooms.

My favourite of ALL the pies we’ve tasted is the Hokkaido Truffle Prawn and Scallop Pie ($10.90). As a seafood-lover, I was impressed by the sizeable wholesome scallop and there were at least 3 firm prawns buried within the pie. Last but not least, the truffle aroma lingered after each bite and accentuated the natural flavours of the seafood. And if you do not yet know, the combination of truffle oil and seafood is a match made in heaven!

On the very first bite, someone from Team Tam Chiak exclaimed: “WAH, this is good eh.” The Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu Pie ($9.90) was sweet, rich, savory and just oh so good!

GROUP THERAPY DUXTON

Group Therapy has been around for years, and they serve a mean pie. Their Black Truffle Chicken Pie ($18) caused an uproar in the office! (Note that Black Truffle Chicken Pie is only available at the Duxton outlet.) Initially, we were impressed by its appearance since it came with crinkle-cut chips and salad. Now, that’s a complete meal. Some of us thought that both the buttery crust and smoked chicken were a tad tough. But some fell in love with the pie because of the addictive and aromatic truffle cream. However, after knowing that it costs $18, we weren’t so sure if we were in love anymore.

OVEN MARVEL

Previously known as Delicious Muffins, Oven Marvel was rebranded to be more focused on chicken pies and curry puffs. Oven Marvel’s Chicken Pie ($4) looked flat and the paper bag that it was sitting in was drenched in oil. That’s not a good look for sure. However, the taste of the pie swept us off our feet! The crust was buttery and fragrant while the inner layers have sufficiently soaked up the peppery gravy. Sweet peas, tender chicken thighs and a peppery homemade béchamel sauce rest in the pie. We know that if we had it the very second it came out of the oven, we would fall head over heels in love with it.

Don Pie

Don Pie has come a long way. A bank officer took a loan to kick-start his first bakery in 2000 and Donpie Club was born. Don Pie’s pies are baked fresh daily and its Signature Chicken Pie ($7.50) is filled with juicy chicken and potato cubes. Slicing into the pie reveals a hard-boiled egg right in the centre. We would have enjoyed the pie more if there were more flaky layers. They were certainly generous with the filling!

POLAR PUFFS & CAKES

Polar Puffs & Cakes’ classic Chicken Pie ($2.40) can be expected to be decent at the very least. Indeed, the crust was flaky and its taste was familiar and comforting. It’s not a pie that’s going to blow your mind, but it’s good enough for a mid day snack of breakfast for sure.

COTTAGE PIES CAFE

In 1996, Dennis ceased his electronic business to go to New Zealand to become a professional baker of country-style pies. His business partner, Kenneth, manages the daily operations of Cottage Pies Café. Onion-lovers will fancy the Black Pepper Steak Pie ($5.50) since the sweetness of onions was very pronounced. The Chicken Ham & Egg Pie ($5.10) did not garner any praise or complaints., I have to give Cottage Pies Café credit for the crispy and addictive pie crust. It reminded me of those long oval sugary Japanese biscuits sold in neighbourhood bakeries.

BALMORAL BAKERY

Located in Sunset Way, Balmoral Bakery is one of the few traditional bakeries left in Singapore. Team Tam Chiak felt that both the filling of the Beef Pie ($2.80) and Chicken Pie ($1.60) were slightly on the dry side. The pies tasted more like buns actually. The crust was really fragrant though.

Team Tam Chiak’s Top Pick: Kemono
The majority of us voted Kemono’s pies to be the best. I can totally understand why. The pies are creative, value-for-money, and scrumptious. All of the pies were so substantial that each pie was more like a dish on its own, than a snack. ‘真材实料’ will be a good summary of Kemono’s pies. You can be assured that no msg was added to any of their pies. They even have a Gluten Free Veggie Pie! Do try their other pies such as Okinawa Stewed Duck Pie, Baked Beef & Cheese Pie and Baked Chicken Curry Pie as well!

Of course, taste is very subjective. Let us know what you think of the pies listed above, and also share with us your favourite pies!

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Nestled within an unassuming residential coffeeshop is an old school Western food stall. The appearance of the stall and the prices may make you think twice about order from here initially, but you’ll definitely find that you’re getting your money’s worth. The portion is huge and the food is good!

Ubi 325’s classic Black Pepper Chicken Chop ($6.50) will never go wrong. The charcoal grill lent a lovely smokiness to the meat, and the black pepper sauce was not too overpowering. Its perfect for me because I don’t really like black pepper. I love the chicken thigh which was juicy and tender! The side were all pretty average, your standard Western stall side dishes, but the portions were more than adequate. Four sides and a huge slab of chicken chop for just $6.50? I’m sold.

If there is only one thing that will make me travel from my office to this Ubi coffeeshop, it will be Ubi 325’s chicken cutlet! The breaded exterior, which was golden brown and crisp, gave way with an audible crunch, when I cut into it. I do not know what was used to marinate the meat, but it was flavoursome!

Wow, codfish! This is my first time coming across a hawker Western food stall offering codfish, because the cost of codfish is much higher than a typical dory fish. Ubi 325’s Codfish Fillet, which consisted of 2 long fillets of sweet and soft cod, ($7) was super value-for-money! It has a better texture than dory, in my opinion, and I like that batter was not too thick.

There are actually quite a handful of old school Western food stalls all over Singapore, but it’s rare to find one that scores above average for most of its dishes. Ubi 325 would score even higher if the fries were crisp. So glad I manage to find this hidden gem, and I actually have cravings for at least once a fortnight! The stall offers an extensive amount of fried finger food on its menu too. If you’ve tried it, let us know which is your favourite dish!

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

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Ubi 325 Fried Chicken & Western Food. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

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I’m sure many of us despaired when we found out that Plum & Rice, the delightful Japanese fusion stall, was ceasing its operations after 2 years. But not to worry! They’ve rebranded, and are back serving up bowls of prawn noodles instead. Curious, we asked why, and it turns out that it was to cater more to the crowd there. Apparently, noodles are a more popular choice at this particular market, and so they’d made this difficult decision.

Another change I noticed is the absence of their third partner, Eric, who has left the business. It’s nice to see that both of them are still as friendly as ever! The stall now only sells two classic items — Prawn Noodles, and Pork Rib Prawn Noodles. Both items come in soup and dry versions, and are priced at $4, $6, or $8.

Their broth is painstakingly boiled overnight with pork bones, before prawn shells are added in the morning. At first glance, their broth was noticeably darker than what’s served at other stalls. The soup was overly salty to me, and the saltiness overpowered all the other flavours present in the soup. Surprisingly, I was told that customers tend to say it’s not salty enough.

Fortunately, the pork ribs and prawns were great, and made up for the broth. The pork ribs were extremely tender and fell right off the bone. It had a slight sweetness, and there was no strong porky smell. You know how some prawn noodle stalls have prawns that are mushy, and make you wonder why it’s even in there? It’s definitely not the case here! The prawns were springy, and had a lovely crustacean sweetness. I’m utterly lazy at peeling prawns, so when I saw that they even peel off the shells for you beforehand, I couldn’t be happier!

The dry noodles looked rather normal at first, but it carried a subtle hei bi (dried shrimp) flavour. It would’ve been better if it was spicier, but that’s just my personal preference.

While I wouldn’t say it’s the best prawn noodles I’ve had, I would say its worth a try. After all, it’s not easy for them to have changed their entire concept and to have make it work. Do support them if you’re in the vicinity!

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

The post Prawn & Mee – Plum & Rice has Rebranded, They Now Serve Prawn Mee! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

It’s been a long time since % Arabica first announced their first outlet in Singapore. Originally slated to open a few months back, the store was unfortunately faced with numerous delays. But the wait is finally over! At long last, they’ve opened their doors on 28 June, and received a warm welcome (both figuratively and literally). I headed down around 2pm and despite the sweltering sun, there was a snaking queue outside the door.

For those who are hearing about % Arabica for the first time, they are a world-renowned coffee shop from Kyoto. While the brand was founded in 2012, their flagship store in Kyoto was only opened in 2014. The founder Kenneth Shoji’s philosophy was to create the best coffee possible, and even invested in his very own coffee farm in Hawaii. As word spread, they quickly gathered a large fanbase for the high quality of their beans and coffee. Fast forward to 2019, and they now have 38 outlets in 12 different countries.

Each cafe is equipped with a roastery, and roasts the coffee beans in-house to ensure fresh cuppas every time. This provides the top notch quality they’re known for, and the beautiful aesthetics of the brand are a huge plus. The space at Arab Street keeps to % Arabica’s signature minimalist style – clean white walls and simple decor. If there were less people, it would definitely be perfect for an Instagram shot. Although the seating inside is more limited, they also have additional tables outside the store for those who can brave the heat.

Given how popular they are, I was resigned to my fate of having to wait at least an hour. But thankfully, I’d only waited about half an hour for my coffee after ordering! I ordered an Iced Latte (Blend) ($9) and an Iced Americano (Single Origin) ($7). To be honest, I’m usually more of a tea person, but I quite enjoyed their coffees. The latte was milkier than other places I’ve tried, and helped to mask the bitterness of the beans. I would say that their coffee is actually one of the less bitter ones I’ve had! It’s good for those who find pure coffee too bitter, but coffee purists might find it too milky.

The Americano was nice and smooth, with an acidity that was not too overwhelming. I tasted some fruity notes to the drink, and although I’m not a fan of sour coffee, I found this quite easy to drink.

The roastery here is located at the back, and you can purchase the coffee beans itself too! This might be a more worthwhile option as the drinks do lean towards the expensive side.

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

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I still remember the first time I heard about Nayuki — it was at the end of last year, when they opened their first overseas outlet in VivoCity. Their concept was so simple, and yet, no one had thought of it before. For those who are hearing of Nayuki for the first time, they are an established tea and bakery lifestyle brand having opened over 200 stores in China, something the Chinese media dubbed as “Nayuki Veloci-tea”!

Specialising in fruit-based cheese teas and Euro-style bakes that complement the beverages, Nayuki brought a whole new experience to the bubble tea scene. To say I was excited is an understatement, and I dragged my friend there within the first few weeks of their opening at VivoCity.

Most people I know have shared only good things about Nayuki, and now the famous cheese tea brand just opened a new outlet at the revitalised Funan, and is opening another at Takashimaya Shopping Centre on 12 July.

We headed to their Funan outlet for a sneak peak. Similar to the outlet at VivoCity, this new store was very aesthetically pleasing. The space at Funan is much bigger and brighter, and offers a larger seating area as well.

To elevate the entire experience, Nayuki even has recommended pairings that help to enhance the flavours of the drinks and breads! The best-selling breads are, no doubt, from the Mystique range.The Strawberry Blush Mystique ($6.80), which is a fresh cream strawberry bread, is amazing! It rocks a pretty shade of pink that had us gushing a little, and is so delightful that we simply couldn’t get enough of it.

If you like Nayuki’s Supreme Cheese Strawberry, you’ll most likely enjoy their newest addition, the Supreme Cheese Mixed Berries ($8.50)! It’s berries galore here, with fresh strawberries and blueberries blended into their signature Jasmine Tippy Tea. It’s ultimately topped off with their delicious milk cheese foam. What can I say? I’m definitely a fan. Their cheese foam is one of my favourite — perfectly creamy and sweet, with a hint of saltiness. For the ultimate berry experience, get the Strawberry Blush Mystique which goes perfectly with either the Supreme Cheese Strawberry or the Supreme Cheese Mixed Berries.

Another popular drink is the Supreme Orange ($6.50), which is a fresh fruit tea that’s perfect for those who are not big on cheese. Packed with two whole oranges, one sliced, and one juiced in, this beverage is healthy and delicious. The light orange tea promises a refreshing zesty burst and is great as a thirst quencher at anytime of the day.

Fans of the King of Fruits must try the MSW Durian Supreme ($7.80), a bake filled with Mao Shan Wang durian! To balance out the richer flavours of this bread, it’s recommended to pair it with the Supreme Orange.

Fans of savoury breads can go for A Farmer’s Harvest ($5.50) — a delightful ham, bacon and cheese bake! This is best paired with the Cheese Ali Mountain Dew ($5.50), Nayuki’s award-winning tea topped with cheese foam.

Pure tea fans can also get their hands on the cold brew which comes in three different flavours — Green Oolong ($4.20), Frosted Cap Oolong ($4.20), Golden Cicada Oolong ($3.90). The teas are steeped for 8 hours to extract more flavour without incorporating too much of its distinct bitterness. My favourite was the Frosted Cap! It was such a palate pleaser!

Sitting at the top of my choices is the QQ Pearly Choco Bear ($3.30). We all love adorable bears but this cute little chocolate bear has to be the best! The core holds a yummy surprise consisting of custard, raisins, and chewy pearls! This adorable little thing is paired with the Frosted Cap Oolong Black Pearl ($5.20) – a perfectly classic and fragrant milk tea! I was a little skeptical about pearls in bread at first, but after I tried it, I was a convert. The texture of the pearls reminded me a little of nian gao (a Chinese New Year cake made from glutinous rice). I love that the pearls had a hint of brown sugar, and that the puffy bear was chock full of yummy ingredients!

Don’t miss the Magic Mango Mystique ($6.50), Nayuki’s latest creation, which is filled with fresh cream and mangoes! If you love anything mango, definitely go for the Magic Mango Mystique and Supreme Cheese Mango!

I love bread and bubble tea, so I’m definitely excited that Nayuki is opening more outlets in Singapore! Remember to pair any of their drinks with their fluffy bakes for a complete treat. There, you have yourself a nice afternoon tea!

This post is brought to you by Nayuki.

The post Nayuki – Revolutionary Tea & Bakery Cafe Opens Two New Outlets! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

In our nation that’s full of cafe lovers, brunch spots and other specialty coffee cafes are a dime a dozen. However, specialty tea houses are more of a rarity. Enter Antea Social — a brand new specialty tea house specialising in oriental teas! As a tea-lover, I’d first learnt of them through a friend who’d bought their teas online. So, when I saw that they were opening a physical store, I was overjoyed to say the least.

Before I even entered, I was already mesmerised by the exterior of the store. The walls are a beautiful blush pink, and there’s a large circular window at the side, giving passers-by a brief glance into the even prettier interior. It’s a simple set-up inside, with limited seating, but it manages to give off a very cosy vibe. I loved it, and honestly wouldn’t mind spending an entire afternoon here with just some tea and a book.

We managed to speak to the founder, Jolene Seow, and learnt that she works with a special tea master in Taipei to curate most of their teas. Their signature would be the Oolong collection, which uses a special tea making method to produce. Primarily fruit and floral based, these teas are slowly infused with the aroma over a two month long drying process.

Jolene takes the traditional Chinese tea-making procedure and simplifies it, letting customers enjoy the process without too many steps. Instead of the whole shebang, you only have to wait three minutes for the tea to steep, and then pour it into a special tea cup of your choosing! This isn’t seen at most places, and was definitely a nice touch.

Make sure you take a whiff of the tea before you drink it as the aroma was simply wonderful! We ordered the Peach and Lychee Oolongs, both of which were extremely fragrant. Hints of peach and lychee shone through. These teas have officially entered my list of favourite teas! Having traditional peanut candy with the teas just made the entire experience even more complete and exceptional. As I was leaving, I was already thinking of my next visit!

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Whale Lala Cafe initially sounded queer to me. I didn’t think there was a story behind the name. Stepping into the cafe, I immediately noticed how sweet and pleasant the cafe looked. And maybe because the cafe wasn’t busy when I popped by, the quiet setting, together with the unicorns and whales plushies, gave me a sense of peace! I was greeted by a friendly staff and she shared her recommendations with me readily. Whale Lala Cafe offers Japanese-Western fusion food and vegetarian options too!

Sitting in a corner using her laptop was one of the owners of Whale Lala Cafe, Jeslyn, who is also the chef. A relatively shy but easy-going character, Jeslyn excitedly shared about some of the new dishes that she’s experimenting with.

Curious, I asked her, “Why Whale Lala?” She shyly replied: “Because I love whales and I wanna raise environmental awareness for the whales.” How cool is that! The menu is quite extensive, and you may be surprised by the standard of the food!

I was intrigued by the meatless (vegetarian) mains so I got myself the Cold Soba & Katsu ($14.80) which consists of cha soba and a meatless chicken cheese katsu which looked exactly like a chicken fillet! I was impressed by the taste of the katsu — it tasted like real chicken breast meat! In addition, the garlic cheese and crunchy batter were made the katsu even more addictive! The cold soba (healthier option) was meant to be bland, thus I will encourage you to eat it with the katsu and sweet teriyaki sauce! I secretly wished the katsu was larger.

Next, we had the Chicken Karaage Don ($8.80) which comes with brown-red rice, garlic soy chicken karaage, onsen egg, edamame and cherry tomatoes. Don’t you think that the don is priced very reasonably? After finishing the soba and meatless katsu, I felt just a tad “healthier” and very pleased with my new diet. Seems like Jeslyn is not only raising awareness for whales, she is advocating healthy diets too! I am not a fan of garlic soy because of previous bad experiences with garlic soy wings, but I accepted Jeslyn’s recommendation since she was very confident about their house-made garlic soy.

Well, I’m certainly glad that I heeded her recommendation because the garlic soy sauce was AWESOME! The chicken karaage was slightly crispy, yet juicy within. The marinade hit all the right spots! The cherry tomatoes and edamame were fresh as well. Breaking and mixing the onsen egg helped to “soften” the brown-red rice. You can be sure that this bowl will fill you up.

The Cheesy Bonito Fries ($8), though not the healthiest, tasted really similar to that from a certain fast food chain, just with bonito flakes. The bonito flakes added a touch of savouriness which we welcomed.

I was not intending to take photos of the Passionfruit Soda ($4.50) but I realised that Whale Lala Cafe uses pretty paper straws! Things made more sense now as I understood what Jeslyn meant by raising environmental awareness for the whales. I know, it’s only a very small gesture, but a small action can still go a long way.

I don’t know about you, but Whale Lala Cafe is one of those cafes that not only filled my stomach, but my heart too. We definitely can do with more of such cafes in Singapore.

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

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

The post Whale Lala Cafe – All About the Whales and Healthy Japanese-Western Food! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

As someone with a sweet tooth, I’m always ready to try new desserts that tout themselves as being healthier. A dessert that’s good for your body? Sign me up!

I first heard of Kefir sometime back, and have only tried it once. Kefir is a cultured dairy similar to yogurt, but the way it’s made is different. The “starter” used are kefir grains — a combination of yeasts, milk proteins and bacteria. What makes it special is the way it’s fermented, which results in a product that’s almost lactose-free! This means that most people who are lactose intolerant are able to have this too.

On top of Kefir drinks, Miss Kefir also offers fruit parfaits, Kefir bowls, soft serve and smoothies. I decided to give their Signature Parfait with honey, granola, and two fresh fruits ($5.20), Kefir Soft Serve with Two Toppings ($4.90), and Very Berry Smoothie ($5.20) a try. I went with fresh passionfruit and strawberry for my parfait.

The kefir was more sour than regular yogurt, so adding honey to it was a brilliant move. I enjoyed their homemade granola as it wasn’t as sweet as those sold commercially, and it also incorporated some texture into each mouthful. The smoothie was refreshing and light, with just the right amount of sweetness.

They infuse Butterfly Pea into the Soft Serve here to give it a beautiful baby blue hue. I paired my soft serve with some dragonfruit and blueberries. If you’re not into the tartness of Greek yogurt, this is a great choice. Still made with kefir, this makes for a delightful and light post-meal dessert.

Miss Kefir is pretty close to East Coast Park, so if you’re looking to cool yourself down after a day of fun there, this is perfect!

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

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

The post Miss Kefir – Delicious and Guilt-Free Dessert! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Thunder tea rice is much like the pineapple-on-pizza — people either love it or hate it. This is largely due to the green, almost strange-looking soup that comes with the dish. Not going to lie, when I was first introduced to it a few years back, I was turned off by just the appearance of the soup. However, I am now a big fan of this wholesome meal. The dish has Hakka origins, and key ingredients that make up the soup are ground green tea, nuts or seeds, basil and mint. Thunder tea rice is definitely an acquired taste, but it is packed with health benefits. Here are eight places that serve great thunder tea rice.

Thunder Tree

Thunder Tree may be one of the pricier stalls on the list ($7.80), but they use mainly organic ingredients, and the portions are huge. On top of that, they do not use any MSG and artificial flavouring or colouring in their dishes. What I like about Thunder Tree is the fried beancurd, which comes with some hijiki seaweed, and the fried black-eyed peas. Don’t forget to ask for some of their chilli paste if you like spicy food!

The soup is creamy, without being too herby or bitter, making it a good option if you’ve just been introduced to lei cha fan. Other than the rice, Thunder Tree also serves a variety of dishes such as kolo mee and handmade spring rolls. We visited the newer outlet in Raffles Hospital, but they also have one at People’s Park Centre!

Sunny Choice Cafe

Hands down my top, or second top choice on this list, Sunny Choice is a fully vegetarian cafe that was established in 2007. Run by five sisters, Sunny Choice currently has three different outlets in the west. At $9.50 a bowl, Sunny Choice’s thunder tea rice is the most expensive, but it also has more premium ingredients. Fried enoki mushrooms replace ikan bilis, cashew nuts are used instead of peanuts, and they also have mani chye. You hardly see mani chye being used now because of the hard work that goes into preparing the vegetable — it requires a lot of careful washing, squeezing and storage. Instead, most places replace mani chye with cai xin. The rice itself was flavourful, but what really made them stand out was the lei cha.

The lei cha was a lot darker than what I’m used to seeing, and I was told that the lady boss created her own secret recipe after a lot of trial and error. She uses ten ingredients (most places use five to seven), including cashew which gives the soup a nice creaminess. Slightly sweet and savoury, this was the most fragrant lei cha I’ve tasted!

Pine Tree Cafe

Pine Tree Cafe’s rendition definitely holds a spot in the top three thunder tea rice on my list. The soup was slightly savoury, and was one of the most flavourful soups on the list. For those who love drinking the lei cha, you’ll be happy to know that they serve a huge bowl here! Aromatic, without being bitter, the soup is great for mixing into the rice!

My order ($7) came with a large portion of brown rice, green beans, cai xin, fried beancurd, peanuts and dried cai po. Although the vegetables were on the blander side, it balanced out well with the saltiness of the cai po. I would’ve preferred a higher ratio of vegetables to rice but this was still a very satisfying meal, and I’ll go back for their lei cha for sure!

Tea Square

Located near the popular Albert Centre Market, Tea Square serves a yummy and classic bowl of lei cha fan. Unlike many stalls, the vegetables here are more seasoned and had more distinct flavours which I liked. I especially enjoyed the mani chye which had notes of sweetness. They also top the bowl off with some cilantro which added a refreshing burst of flavour.

Some lei cha fan can be a little dry or flavourless without the soup, but the rice here was just right. Note that this bowl is not suitable for vegetarians as the vegetable is fried with dried shrimp. They also have other dishes such as braised pork leg with vinegar which is said to be really good as well!

客家佬擂茶 Hakka Thunder Tea Rice

Competing with Sunny Choice for first place on my list is Hakka Thunder Tea Rice at Tanglin Halt Food Centre. When I’d arrived, there was a line of five to six people. A bowl is priced at $3.50(white rice), or $4(brown rice). Despite the extremely affordable pricing, each bowl was still topped with a liberal amount of ingredients. The cai po here is fried beforehand, and I was blown away by the amount of umami and smokiness. I’m not exaggerating when I say the cai po elevated the rice. Their brown rice option is also unique as it looks more like a bowl of red rice, a supposedly even healthier grain.

Another ingredient that I enjoyed was the fried leeks. Its mild sweetness balanced out the umami of the ikan bilis. As the tofu was not as fried and crispy, the ikan bilis and peanuts added a nice contrast in terms of texture. The soup was also deliciously creamy and I could understand why there was such a long queue! I would ask for less ikan bilis the next time as I prefer tasting more of the vegetables.

Living Wholesome Vegetarian

The stall owner of Living Wholesome Vegetarian is indeed living his best life. Watching him prepare my food was such an experience. After all, it’s not every day you see a hawker jamming to rock and pop music while preparing food. Observing him cook was like watching a performance, and his every action was done with a flourish.

Each bowl($6) comes with brown rice, cai xin, cabbage, fried tofu, black-eyed peas, cai po, peanuts and sesame seeds. It was, overall, a pretty tasty bowl, and my favourite parts were the beans and fried tofu. The tofu was seasoned with some salt, and was the crispiest tofu on this list. I would’ve preferred the soup to have a stronger basil and mint taste but it was still pretty decent.

Thunder Tea Rice

Probably the largest chain serving lei cha fan, Thunder Tea Rice has four outlets. I went to the one at Toa Payoh HDB Hub and was met with a queue. This was actually where I was introduced to lei cha fan. Although I’ve had the one at Lau Pa Sat not too long ago, it’s been a while since I visited this outlet at Toa Payoh. My bowl came exactly as I remembered, with all the regular toppings and ikan bilis.

I still believe that Thunder Tea Rice is one of the places that serve better lei cha fan, but I was somewhat disappointed by the soup on this visit. It had a more refreshing taste than the others, but was slightly too bitter and not as creamy as I remembered. Strangely, the outlet at Lau Pa Sat serves a soup that’s lot better and stronger tasting. If you get the chance to visit both outlets, do let us know what you think!

Thunderbolt Tea by Boon Lay Traditional Hakka Lui Cha

Thunderbolt Tea is set up by the team behind the popular Boon Lay Traditional Hakka Lui Cha. The original stall is helmed by the father, while Thunderbolt Tea in Tai Seng is taken care of by the son. The two stalls follow a recipe that’s withstood the test of time, and I can see why. Their version is filled with leeks, white cabbage, long beans, mani chye, fried beancurd, cai po and dried shrimps ($4.50 for brown rice, $4 for white). The vegetables were crunchy and went very well with the fluffy rice!

The lei cha was fragrant and slightly creamy with hints of peanut and sesame. I would’ve preferred it to be less savoury so the herbs could stand out more but it was still good! If you’ll like to treat yourself a little, do try the fried pork belly as well ($1.50).

Some might disagree with the names on this list, but these are just a few of my favourite thunder tea rice stalls! If you have a recommendation, please share it with us!

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

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

The post 8 Places That Will Change Your Mind About Thunder Tea Rice appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

When I feel like giving myself a treat, I indulge in a little French tart. The reason I don’t stuff myself silly with tarts all the time is how pricey they usually are. And so they remain a luxury to be eaten only occasionally. But now, I can get tarts at more affordable prices at Whiskit Bakery & Cafe.

Whiskit’s story began five years ago, when their baker enrolled in a course learning how to make pineapple tarts. This sparked his interest and passion for baking. Motivated by this desire to understand French pastries, he packed up and headed to Le Cordon Bleu Tokyo. When he returned, he set up an online shop named “Whiskit Patisserie”, which later expanded to a takeaway store at Kallang Bahru.

The store was pretty successful, and last December, the owner finally opened up Whiskit Bakery & Cafe with a friend. The cafe serves a small selection of entrees, but are still primarily focused on tarts and desserts. For a relatively small establishment, they offer a wide variety! Their specialty is infusing local flavours into classic French tarts. What’s most admirable is that they bake all the tarts fresh every day.

We tried a total of seven tarts (don’t worry, we didn’t finish them all in one shot) — the signature Kaya Ondeh and Orh Nee ($4.50), Grapefruit Orange Cheese ($8), Mocha Crunch ($6.50), Apricot Dacquoise ($6.50), Ruby Raspberry ($8), and finally, Hazelnut Speculoos ($5). Maybe it’s because I much prefer eating Ondeh Ondeh by itself, but I found the Kaya Ondeh tart slightly underwhelming, and the Kaya was a little watery in my opinion. I thought the the Orh Nee tart was pretty good though!

My favourite tart was definitely the Hazelnut Speculoos which had a smooth and decadent chocolate filling with hints of hazelnut. For a more refreshing tart, you should give the Grapefruit Orange Cheese a try! The citrusy fruit provided a burst of flavour which cut through the richness of the pastry and filling. My partner really enjoyed the Ruby Raspberry tart which wasn’t too sweet despite my initial thoughts.

Whiskit Bakery & Cafe serves some solid, and reasonably-priced sweet fixes. And I recommend that you give them a try if you’re in the Chinatown area! They rotate flavours so maybe you’ll like to give them a call to check if what you’re after is available, before you pop by.

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

The post Whiskit Bakery & Cafe – Pretty & Delicious Tarts for Less Than $8! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

With a stallfront that’s plastered with certificates and article reviews, Kheng Fatt is not unknown in Golden Mile Food Centre. Interestingly, it does not allow orders of beef soup or beef balls soup without noodles. Kheng Fatt is as authentic as it can be — their noodles are how Hainanese beef noodles are supposed to be.

I’ve been visiting Zheng Fatt for years and I’ve always enjoyed its dry beef noodles. However, this time, I decided to try the Beef Mixed Noodles soup ($6). The translucent broth packed a strong beefy flavour, but was not overpowering. The smooth slippery tendon and chewy beef stomach (perfect with its chilli and lime) were evidently clean and did not have any stench at all. The beef ribs were quite similar to pulled beef but more tender and slightly fatty. The ribs are braised like a stew beforehand, thus an additional savouriness becomes apparent as you bite into it. The beef slices were cooked to medium well and still slightly pinkish.

I still prefer the dry Beef Mixed Noodles ($6) to the soup version. The thick gooey gravy that coated every strand of the thick beehoon makes every mouthful slurp-worthy! There is also a nutty aftertaste from the addition of peanuts. What a hearty bowl! For the amount and variety of ingredients, I feel that $6 is reasonable. For those who love meatballs, you got to try their beef balls too! The beef balls are firm and just delicious!

Mr Cheng plans to impart all his skills, and leave the stall, to his daughter. I’m positive that Mr Cheng’s daughter will be able to whip up a good bowl of Hainanese beef noodles too.

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

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

The post Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles – An Authentic Bowl With Skilfully-Cooked Beef Slices appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

It wasn’t easy finding this fish soup stall when its name is just ‘Teochew Fish Porridge’. The 2 camera-shy staff who served me have been working for the lady boss for the longest time. At first glance, the menu seems pricey for a hawker setting.

The 3-in-1 fish soup with milk ($7) consists of fried fish, sliced fish and Thai-style fish cakes. The silky and sweet soup carried an aftertaste of ginger. The fish is procured from a supplier daily. The sliced fish was pretty decent, but the fried fish was quite mediocre, and I found the batter too thick.

With rice (additional $0.50), the set feels more complete. It’s my first time seeing Thai-style fish cake in a bowl of Teochew fish soup! The fish cake was slightly spicy, and was chewy despite its rough texture.

I guess the star was the bowl of flaky fried egg (additional $0.50). Batches of them kept coming from the wok, and they smelt incredible. The staff first cracks and stirs dozens of eggs before slowly pouring it into the wok full of hot oil. Mix the fried egg strips into your soup for an extra eggy taste, or sprinkle them onto your rice/fish for an extra crunch!

Actually, many recommended the sliced red garoupa soup (not featured in the pictures) which costs at least $8. It was fresh and sweet, and went well with the chilli provided. However, the number of fish slices was really too little. Will I come back again? Most probably not. But if I’m nearby, I will take away the fried egg and opt for the cheaper items such as Fried Fish Bee Hoon Soup ($4).

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

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

The post Teochew Fish Porridge – The Flaky Strips of Eggs are the Bomb! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.