Once every few weeks, I start to really crave fish soup, and that’s when I head to Zion Road Blk 91 Seafood Soup (安顺海鲜汤). They were previously located at Zion Road, hence its name, for around 9 years, before they moved to its current location at 206 Toa Payoh almost 8 years ago. I first came across this stall when I was eating dinner at Don Signature Crab with my family. The storefront looked ordinary, and I wouldn’t have given it a second thought had my mother not mention how popular it is!

I visited the stall a little after their opening time, around 10:45am, and even then, there was already a short line! The stall is so popular that during lunch hour, the queue stretched more than halfway across the length of the coffee shop. Thankfully, I had arrived a little earlier and managed to avoid the crazy queue. Almost immediately after I sat down with my piping bowls of soup, a throng of people descended upon the coffee shop and started lining up.

I ordered two bowls — Fried Fish Beehoon Soup with milk ($5.50), and Sliced Fish Beehoon Soup ($5). Being a fried fish soup fan, I’d only ever gotten their fried fish. I decided to finally try the sliced fish version for the very first time on this day, and let’s just say I might now be a convert.

If you’re getting the sliced fish soup, definitely get it without milk so you can taste the natural sweetness of the broth. I was told that they don’t use MSG in the broth at all, and all the flavour comes from boiling good quality fish bones! Although I usually like my fish soup with evaporated milk, I actually prefer the clear version here much more. Every ingredient used was extremely fresh, and there wasn’t a hint of fishiness that you sometimes may encounter.

Even if you’re getting the fresh fish version, do get a side of fried fish as well! It’s honestly the best, if not one of the best fried fishes I’ve had. Not only do they fry the fish in small batches to ensure it’s always crispy and piping hot, they also serve it in a separate bowl so that the fish doesn’t get soggy in the broth. What makes it even better is the batter! It’s unlike any other fried fish from fish soup stalls. My companion said it reminded her a little of fish and chips!

For all the fish soup fans out there, this is one stall that you must visit!

The post Zion Road Blk 91 Seafood Soup – Must-Try Fish Soup in Hidden Coffee Shop! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Tucked away in a little corner on 85 Dawson Road is Banting Traditional Noodles. You know those places that you instantly fall in love with the moment you take a bite of their food? This is one of those places for me.

You can get ban mian at almost every food court or coffee shop, but to stand out among the rest is no easy feat. Ban mian is something I get when I’m craving for comfort food, or some piping hot soup on a rainy day. I’ll say it’s a dish that usually can’t go wrong, unless you get undercooked noodles of course, but that’s also the reason why it’s hard to find one that’s exceptionally amazing.

Banting is special because they make almost everything by hand themselves! This means the chillis, noodles, fried shallots and ikan bilis are all done or fried by them right at the stall. You can even see the noodle making in action if you’re lucky!

The stall is around three years old, and is run by a friendly couple from Kuala Lumpur. When they told me that they actually switched lines completely to open up this stall three years ago (the wife had been doing sales), I couldn’t believe my ears! The quality of the noodles was so good that I’d assumed they already had years of experience.

Their specialty is the Hot & Spicy Handmade Noodles ($5), a dry KL-style pan mee that exploded in popularity recently. Each bowl is topped with an egg, fried fish bean curd, three meatballs, anchovies, braised minced meat, and of course, the special chilli. I also got a regular Ban Mian soup with an added egg ($3.50 + $0.50), and Mee Hoon Kueh dry ($3.50).

The ratio of sauce to noodle was perfect, and each strand was coated with the wonderful sweet and spicy goodness. The chilli had a good kick to it, and complemented the slightly braised sauce to the T. The egg yolk was not super runny, but I actually enjoyed taking a mouthful of noodles with the well done yolk (especially when it’s coated in the sauce)! Make sure you get some ikan bilis, which they fry themselves, in too! I’ll say this is officially my favourite dry chilli pan mee now.

Many ban mian stalls use MSG in their soups to add more flavour, but Banting only uses anchovies and some simple seasoning (absolutely no MSG goes into their soup)! The soup tasted extremely clean, and the flavour of anchovies was very pronounced. I wonder how much anchovies they had to use to get it that concentrated. It might be a little overwhelming on its own, but it goes very well with noodles!

On top of the regular offerings, Banting has two special noodle flavours! The first is a special Black Pepper Noodle ($5.50) which combines Japanese, Chinese and Western flavours, and comes with their rendition of chicken yakitori, while the second is a dry Thai-style noodle ($5.50) (only available on Friday and Saturday).

Although I only managed to try their signature dishes on this visit, I’ll 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 Banting Traditional Cuisine. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Banting Traditional Cuisine 萬津古早味 – This Chilli Ban Mian Will Leave You Banting More appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I always believe that every part of Singapore, even places as ulu as Tai Seng or Ubi, is bound to have good food. This list is not exhaustive but if you’re working or living in these areas, this guide will come in very handy!

BELOW $10

DA SHENG MINCED MEAT NOODLE

The authentic Teochew Bak Chor Mee (minced meat noodle, $5.50) comes with minced meat (marinated with powdered sole fish), braised mushrooms, meatballs, pork slices and liver, and 2 crispy wantons! The portion is crazy huge (even the guys in the team think so)!

A relatively new dish is the Fried Chicken Chop Noodles ($5.50) which is another must-try. The succulent chicken thigh chunks were extremely savoury and juicy.

MEI MEI ROAST

Mei Mei Roast Meat is actually operated by the younger sister of the former owner of Kay Lee. Madam Lee takes care of the roasting and chopping while her assistant takes orders. Roasted traditionally with charcoal, the duck sports a reddish-brown skin which had a hint of smokiness. The meat was full of flavour.

The char siew stole the show. Slightly charred, the char siew had a thin layer of fat and tender lean meat. I also love their Cantonese-style boiled soups.

TOOK LAE DEE

Looking for quick and affordable Thai food in Taiseng? Took Lae Dee is the place to go! Its name ‘Took Lae Dee’ literally translates to ‘Cheap and Good’. But Took Lae Dee is not only that, it serves really authentic restaurant-quality Thai food. The Pad Krapow (pictured above) is only $3.80! You may choose either minced chicken or pork with a crispy yet runny fried egg on rice.

Your order is cooked only upon order, so you can be assured that your dish comes immediately from the wok. Took Lae Dee also offers other must-try Thai classics such as Thai Tom Yum Spicy and Sour Soup ($6.80), Kang Keaw Wan Thai Green Curry ($7.00), Yum Woon Sen (Spicy Vermicelli Salad) and Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad) at $6.00 each.

PANCAKE KING

Pancake King uses only fresh ingredients such as banana, carrot, pumpkin, walnuts, raisin and prunes, and the best quality butter from New Zealand or Australia to make their pancakes.

Adequately crispy, spongy and moist, the pancake is actually made with no oil at all. Pancake King has been offering a “Money Back Guarantee” since 1998 because it is very confident of its pancakes ($0.90 each). Grab some for tea break, you won’t regret it!

THUNDERBOLT TEA BY BOON LAY TRADITIONAL HAKKA LUI CHA

The rice bowl($4 for white rice, $4.50 for brown rice) here is filled with leeks, white cabbage, long beans, sayur manis (sweet leaves), firm beancurd, chye poh (pickled radish), dried shrimps and a special tea soup paste. It’s a hearty and earthy dish which resembles a healthy bowl of fried rice with lots of crunchy vegetables! If you’re on a clean diet, the rice bowl here is perfect for you.

INDONESIA DELIGHT GANDIS

It’s not difficult to spot Indonesia Delight Gandis because there’s always a long queue. Annie, the owner, who is from Bandung, recommended its signature dish Ayam Penyet ($5.50). Marinated with several herbs and spices, the tender chicken thigh is smashed before being deep-fried. It was not as oily as I had expected and the skin was crisp. Remember to pair it with the chilli. They have other dishes such as Ikan Penyet ($6), which we absolutely love too, and Mee Rebus ($3)!

UE PRINT FOOD COURT – BAN MIAN

Apart from the usual minced meat, sliced fish, and fried fish noodles, the stall offers seafood, and tom yum noodles. You’ll need multiple visits to try all the different combinations! The dish that we loved the most was the Koka noodles because it was springy and cooked just right.

QUAN LAI KWAY CHAP

Quan Lai Kway Chap’s braised sauce is not too thick, and their duck meat is pretty delicious. We loved the intestines which are deep-fried, and the incorporation of pineapples in the sauce.  Although all the ingredients were cooked well, the meal was quite pricey($28/2 pax).

YONG LAI FA JI SHU SHI

The MSG-free fish head soup ($5) is boiled with fish bones and chicken for more than 8 hours. Mr. Peh selects the best fish at 11pm, washes and chops them in the wee hours to prepare for business. You’ve got to be patient because each order is cooked individually. The meat on the fish head fell off easily and the sweetness of the fresh fish was very evident.

MR LORBAK

The only dish sold at Mr Lorbak is the Braised Pork Belly Rice ($3.50) which comes with a braised egg and crunchy black fungus. The pork belly sits in a stock of about 20 types of herbs and spices for 3 hours before it is braised for 14 hours. You can expect the pork belly to have a good proportion of meat and fat.

CRISPY ROTI PRATA

The prata here is always sold out by the end of the day! You can request for either fish or mutton curry to go with your crispy prata.

HIPPO FAMILY RESTAURANT

Hippo Family Restaurant’s curry fish head($19) was bigger and meatier than we expected. It came with a generous amount of ingredients such as taupok, cabbage, long bean, eggplant and lady’s finger. We really enjoyed the curry and the shrimp paste chicken($6.50/7 pieces)!

LAM BEE CHICKEN RICE

Wanting to try everything, I ordered a serving of roasted pork, char siew, roasted chicken and steamed chicken to go with my fragrant rice (all for $6). The roasted chicken was succulent and its skin was lightly savoury. My colleague preferred the steamed chicken as it tasted fresher. Complete your meal with a bowl of Cantonese-style soup which starts from $3.

JULAIHA MUSLIM RESTAURANT

The Indian rojak ($5) won me over with its sweet and slightly spicy peanut sauce. Every ingredient that I chose was fried well too. My favourite ingredient was the fried vegetable-cake which was crispy and savoury. It was also the first thing to be gone from the plate! Since Julaiha Muslim Restaurant is open 24/7, it is a relatively hot spot for supper. The crowd sure loves the prata here.

HUAY KWANG WANTON MEE

A must-order is the Fried Wantons ($3)! It’s a really simple snack, but it’s so satisfying when done right! Huay Kwang’s handmade Dumplings ($5) were huge and plump! Look forward to well-marinated minced meat, crunchy water chestnut, and sweet firm prawns in each dumpling. The Thai-style wanton mee was pretty decent but the dumplings and fried wanton stole the show!

UBI DMQ EATING HOUSE – HANDMADE NOODLES

The Dry Mee Hoon Kueh ($4) may look plain but it’s anything but. Just mix it well with the dark sauce hidden beneath the noodles, and the runny egg yolk sitting in a separate bowl of soup! There’s even a Lala ban mian($5) ! The Fish & Prawn ban mian($6.50) was a flavour bomb and my favourite dish here!

UBI 325 FRIED CHICKEN & WESTERN FOOD

If there is only one thing I’ll travel from my office to this Ubi coffeeshop for, it is Ubi 325’s Chicken Cutlet ($6.50)! The breaded exterior, which was golden brown and crisp, gave way with an audible crunch, when I cut into it. The Codfish Fillet ($7), which consisted of 2 long fillets of sweet and soft cod, was super value-for-money! It has a better texture than dory and I like that the batter was not too thick.

NIU ZOU LA MIAN MUSLIM FOOD

Niu Zou La Mian Muslim Food does not just serve noodles, it serves handmade Halal noodles! Lan Zhou Beef Ramen ($5) is the signature dish and consists of a decent portion of beef and a flavoursome beefy broth laced with chilli oil. Surprisingly, the dish was not too spicy. It was extremely palatable and I downed the broth really quickly. Other must-tries include the Beef Stewed Noodles ($8) and Beef Cold Ramen ($7). Come after 12pm because that’s when the full menu will be available!

ZAOLEK MALA X LOK LOK

Here comes the first Mala Xiang Guo in Tai Seng! Zaolek Mala X Lok Lok is known for its Malacca Lok Lok steamboat buffet, and now offers mala xiang guo (only $5 for an individual set) in a humble food court. Fans of Zaolek will be pleased to know that they are bringing their famous Lok Lok steamboat buffet back!

THAI SENG FISH SOUP

Many label Thai Seng Fish Soup as THE “Tai Seng Fish Soup” because it is also located in Tai Seng. You should try the Double Sliced Fish Soup Beehoon ($5.50) and Tom yam Soup ($5.50)! Light, milky, and sweet, the fish soup was addictive and was swimming with tender Batang fish. I like the fried egg strips which soak up the broth well. The Tom Yam Soup was light, sour, sweet, and spicy. It was very palatable, if you ask me!

PONDOK PANTAI TIMUR

Pondok Pantai Timur is known for their Ayam Penyet ($5.50) and Ikan Penyet ($6-6.50). They use chicken rice instead of white rice here. The chicken is deep-fried without any batter, while the fish is coated with batter before being deep-fried. I prefer chicken usually but I love the fried fish more!

BELOW $30

WHALE LALA CAFE

Whale Lala Cafe is one of those cafes that not only filled my stomach, but my heart too. The cafe is trying to save the whales through the use of paper straws instead of plastic straws! I know, it’s only a very small gesture, but a small action can still go a long way. I recommend the Chicken Karaage Don ($8.80) which comes with brown-red rice, garlic soy chicken karaage, onsen egg, edamame and cherry tomatoes. The chicken karaage was slightly crispy, and juicy. The marinade hit all the right spots!

ONE BAR CAFE

Previously known as ’23 Jumpin’, One Bar Cafe’ offers innovative and delicious Asian-Western food such as Mentaiko Pasta ($14) and Lak & Roll ($10 for 4 pieces/ $18 for 8 pieces). There are live performances occasionally.

KNOTS CAFE AND LIVING

Knots Cafe and Living is the place to spend a lazy afternoon! I was excited to try the Coriander Prawn Pasta ($17.90), which came with four succulent prawns, coriander, and asparagus in a garlic butter sauce. The taste of coriander wasn’t very pronounced, and could use some work, but the aesthetically pleasing cafe made up for it.

FUZE BY BLEND IT UP

FUZE does a really good Roasted Pork Belly ($23)! I loved the crackling skin and well-marinated meat! FUZE often have 1-for-1 promotions for main courses so don’t miss out!

SATURDAY HOUSE

Saturday House is suitable for all days, not just Saturdays. The Cheesy Baked Mushroom Toast ($12.90), served with snail sausage and greens, promises a thick brioche packed with mushrooms and two kinds of cheeses. Hang out at Saturday House with a bottle of beer because everyday can be a Friday night if you want it to be.

PRODIGAL CAFE

Prodigal Cafe may be a little hard to locate, but the affordable food items make the search worth it. I loved how every single dish was aesthetically pleasing, and delivered in terms of taste too. Go for the Grilled Cheese ($10) and Miso Cheese Tart ($6) if you’re a cheese-lover!

YU CUN CLAYPOT CURRY FISH HEAD

As the name suggests, its signature dish is, of course, the Curry Fish Head ($24 small/ $26 big). The tender sea bream is cooked in a thick and creamy curry. Please don’t stop at only the curry fish head because Yu Cun sends out other yummy dishes too! Go for the Rice Wine Chicken ($10.80) and Mongolian Pork Ribs ($7.80)!

BELOW $50

THE BOILER

Perfect for sharing, the Boiler’s Bombdiggity Bag ($139), which holds a Dungeness crab, prawns, mussels, clams, sausages, corn and bun, comes with 3 sauces (Signature ‘The Works’, Garlic Butter Peppa’ Butter, Sauce of the Month).

The Boiler’s Fish & Chips ($12.90) is voted the best in Singapore by BBC Good Food. And it is still my favourite Fish & Chips in Singapore today!

At times, our team has trouble deciding what to eat when we get to lunch together because there are just so many options in the area. We are sure that there are more than 29 places with good food, but here are the 29 that you should really try!

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

The post Tai Seng Food Guide – 29 Hidden Food Gems in Tai Seng / Ubi / Macpherson appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Maxwell Food Centre is known to house some of the most legendary stalls that are no stranger to snaking queues formed especially during lunch time. I am glad to say that joining its collection of legendary stalls is none other than the famed Empress Place Beef Kway Teow!

Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow has been serving comforting bowls of beef kway teow to the masses for a long time. It recently made the move to Maxwell Food Centre from LTN Eating House at East Coast Road. At the helm is David Lim, who is accompanied by his daughter, Melissa, who recently joined her dad in running the stall. She recently left a decade long career in teaching to learn and wield the tools of the trade from her father.

As I don’t usually eat beef kway teow, I asked David to recommend a couple of dishes. My colleague and I got the Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon (Dry) ($6/Large) and the Beef Kway Teow (Soup) ($6/Large). I first tried the Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon.

The Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon comes with a fine mix of beef parts. For $6, you get a bit of the flavourful tripe (stomach), soft chewy gelatinous morsels of beef tendon, a beef ball, some thinly sliced beef brisket and beef slices scalded to a pinkish-grey hue. A few slices of  salted vegetables and a dollop of chilli sauce are then added. All of these sit atop a mound of kway teow doused in soy sauce and sesame oil.

To get the best out of this bowl, I first tossed everything together.

With each slurp of the kway teow noodles and beef parts, I was met with a satisfying clash of beefiness tamed by the spiciness and tang from the chilli! Adding a few spoonfuls of the beef broth into the bowl of noodles certainly did mellow the chilli out a little, but the intensity and richness of this bowl of bovine goodness was still very pronounced. The slices of salted vegetables was the cherry on top because it help to cut through the beefiness of the dish.

I also thought that Empress Place’s chilli was sublime. David told me (and showed me) that he adds finely minced pineapple and lime to his chilli. The result is a piquant chilli which pairs very well with the beef.

We then moved on to the Beef Kway Teow soup.

If the Mixed Beef Kway Teow dry version is a bouncer trying to strong-arm me into submission, then the Beef Kway Teow soup is a mother’s loving caress.

Unlike the dry version, the soup version of Empress Place’s Beef Kway Teow feels like comfort food. The soup version evoked a sense of nostalgia in me, coupled with the warm fuzzy feelings and happy thoughts that homecooked food elicits.

The beef slices were pink and soft, and I absolutely loved the added texture from the blanched beansprouts. Every bite was so flavourful.

Because I had never tasted beef broth with this depth of flavour ever before, I enquired further. David told me that the secret to his broth is by using the same exact broth “as a base” to build from. Everyday, he “feeds” it fresh beef bones and cooks the brisket and tripe in that same exact broth to allow the flavours to build up over the course of the day.

With a dish that has withstood the test of time(over four generations), David and Melissa are carrying on the legacy of sending out comforting bowls of beef kway teow the Hock Lam way. I have more reason to frequent Maxwell Food Centre now.

The post Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow – Comforting Bowls of Bovine Goodness! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

This is probably the most affordable western food you can find along Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Jansen, 31, once worked in The Ritz-Carlton as a chef. He went through lots of ups and downs before getting to where he is today. At Big Boys Sizzling Hotplate, he promises good quality Western food at affordable prices. The most expensive dish in the stall is only $13.90!

You should definitely try the Air-flown Australia Sirloin Beef ($13.90) which is cooked evenly with a special technique.

The beef was not tough to cut through, and beautifully cooked it was. The lightly-seasoned steak was lean but decently juicy. To be honest, this won’t be something that I will always order at Big Boys because the price tag is a tad steep for someone popping by the hawker centre for a simple meal. But if you’ll like to treat yourself, definitely go for it!

Next, we had the Big Boys’ best seller — the Signature Cornflake Chicken ($7.90). I requested for the mentaiko sauce (additional $1.50) to be on the fries. Even though I only had it after awhile, the exterior was still extremely crispy and the chicken was very tender and juicy. I would totally be back for this!

Jansen revealed that for everything that requires frying, it must be coated with this outstanding batter which he took 6 months to perfect. So yes, the cornflake chicken and fries are coated with the same batter. These were the best fries I’ve eaten recently. Incorporating touches from 3 different cultures (Western, Myanmarese and Indian) in his R&D process, Jansen found the method to ensure his fries still remain incredibly crispy even after hours.

As someone who is constantly trying to innovate and improve his products, Jansen believes that he has to continue this process to better his menu.

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 BIG BOYS SIZZLING HOTPLATE. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Big Boys Sizzling Hotplate – Air-flown Australia Sirloin Beef in a Hawker Centre?! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Just when I thought that there is no place where I can get my Teochew-style beef kway teow fix but at Maxwell Food Centre, I was proven wrong by MooTeow Chilli Beef Kway Teow.

Meet 37-year-old Ruben, the man behind MooTeow. If you have not noticed, MooTeow serves dishes similar to what Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow churns out. There is a mention of Empress Place Beef in its signboard as well. That’s because Ruben took an apprenticeship under David, the owner of Empress Place, to learn the intricacies of making Teochew-style beef kway teow.

So how does MooTeow’s beef kway teow fare against Empress Place’s? How similar are they? With the memory of eating Empress Place’s beef kway teow still fresh in my mind, I tucked right into Ruben’s rendition of Teochew-style beef kway teow.

The Mixed Beef w/ Tendon ($8) was up first.

Suffice to say, it really did hit the spot for me.

MooTeow’s Mixed Beef w/ Tendon sports flavourful slivers of beef tripe, beef brisket, soft beef tendon and a couple of beef balls. Just like Empress Place’s version, all the ingredients sit on a mound of kway teow that’s drenched with soy sauce and sesame oil, accompanied with a dollop of tangy chilli sauce at the side.

The ritualistic mixing of kway teow, sauces and chilli, followed.

One slurp of the noodles and a bite of the beef parts confirmed that my fond memory of eating David’s beef kway teow has not been defiled. MooTeow’s chilli is piquant and provides a satisfying kick to whatever beef part it coats. I also enjoyed the crunch of the lightly blanched beansprouts.

While the beef tendon was soft and easy to bite into, I noticed that its size pales in comparison to that of Empress Place’s. Not a dealbreaker in my books though. Moving on!

I had the Mixed Beef Soup ($7) next.

A spoonful of the slightly murky beef broth revealed a savoury and lingering sweetness that I knew could only be achieved by boiling a mixture of beef parts continuously for hours! Letting the beef parts steep in the beef broth also helped to bolster the overall flavours of this comforting bowl of noodles.

While MooTeow’s beef broth was good, I felt that the beef broth served was slightly lacking in terms of depth of flavour. Of course, this is in comparison to Empress Place’s beef broth which is in a league of its own.

There was the Sliced Beef Dry ($6) as well.

Ruben cooks the sliced beef quickly, to a greyish-pink hue, in the boiling pot of beef broth. He makes sure that the sliced beef are of the perfect doneness! I can’t stop emphasising this, but don’t forget to toss the kway teow and chilli together!

While MooTeow’s beef kway teow dishes reminded me of Empress Place’s beef kway teow, it certainly wasn’t the same and didn’t evoke the exact same feelings in me as Empress Place’s version did. But it doesn’t mean that MooTeow’s rendition is not good. Ruben is trying to modernise the Teochew-style beef kway teow and make this dish his own, and that’s very commendable!Ruben shared that another outlet is in the works and is set to open later this year!

If you want to have yourself a comforting bowl of Teochew-style beef kway teow but don’t want to make the trip down to Maxwell Food Centre, let MooTeow at Wild Market serve you a bowl!

The post MooTeow – Teochew-Style Beef Kway Teow at Wild Market? Teow Me More! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Hai Nan Hometown Curry moved into Ghim Moh Food Centre a few years ago, and my family has become a big fan of their curry ever since. True to its name, the stall whips up curry that has a very homey taste. I guess this is what attracts people to their stall.

The Curry Chicken($5) is a fan favourite! The chicken drumsticks were really big and they were cooked perfectly. Even though we got the smaller bowl, a generous amount of ingredients and gravy were given.

You could choose either bread ($1) or a bowl of rice ($0.50) to pair with your curry. I prefer dunking the thickly sliced bread in the gravy to fully enjoy the flavours. The spiciness is quite manageable, so you definitely can soak up as much curry with your bread as you want, without feeling the need to get a drink.

While the curry chicken is the bestseller, the curry pork ribs ($5.50) is my family’s favourite. It tastes really similar to how my ah ma cooks her pork rib curry, and that alone entices us to go back for it again and again.

The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. That’s how you know they were done right. I thoroughly enjoyed eating this fatty piece of pork with my bowl of rice.

The gravy was THICK, creamy, flavourful, and packed a subtle heat. I am not ashamed to say that I drink this curry like it’s soup every time I get it. Children, please do not learn from me.

If you ever miss the taste of home-cooked curry, pop by Ghim Moh Food Centre to get yourself a nice warm bowl from Hai Nan Hometown Curry.

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 Hai Nan Hometown Curry. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Hai Nan Hometown Curry – A Taste Of Nostalgia & Home appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Shortly after Taiwanese comedian Nono’s Monga Fried Chicken opened in Singapore, well known Taiwanese fried chicken brand, Devil Evolution’s Fried Chicken, entered the scene as well. The last time the pop up store appeared in Shilin Night Market, there was a four-hour long queue. So, imagine my surprise when I saw just a short line at the store. I’m definitely not complaining though. This means I can get my hands on the famous chicken quicker.

Currently, these thick cutlets are available in two flavours(Original, and Spicy) and three levels of spiciness(mild, normal, and extra spicy). Each cutlet is retailing at $7.90. For the soft opening period from 4th October to 13th October, each customer can only buy a maximum of 2 pieces each. This is to ensure that everyone would have a chance to try it! They only accept cash payment.

The freshly fried chicken smelled so good. The area around the store was dominated by that distinctive smell. When I finally received my cutlet, I dug in immediately.

And in that very moment, I knew it lived up to the hype. The big, juicy piece of breast meat was coated in a crispy, salted batter. From crust to bone, everything was so well seasoned. The meat was slightly sweet. I couldn’t tell if it came from the natural flavours of the chicken, or the batter. The point is, it was just too good. Sinful too, judging from the amount of grease the paper soaked up.

The spicy seasoning on the spicy chicken certainly has a kick to it. If I got the extra spicy one, I would not have survived. The mild one, however, gave the perfect amount of heat to enhance the flavour of the chicken. If I were to choose the one I prefer, I would say it’s the mild spicy chicken.

In the blink of an eye, both cutlets were gone. However, as a Westie, I’m comforted by the fact that another outlet will be opening in JEM soon. It will be situated near Monga, which means double the options for us Westies!

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Usually, you will think of school food as meh. They’re not necessarily bad, but they don’t excite your palate. However, in Nanyang Polytechnic, there’s a stall that sells an Ibérico pork(one of the best breeds of pork in the world) rice bowl for just $5! If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is. Apart from the pork bowl, we also got the Unagi Bowl ($5.50), yet another premium ingredient, and the Roast Beef Bowl ($5.50).

As the main star, the Iberico pork bowl did not disappoint. The thinly sliced pork is simmered in a savoury sweet sauce along with onions, which adds a natural sweetness to the dish. The pork slices were tender and had soaked up the flavour of the sauce fully, which had a very homey taste. Don’t forget to break the yolk of the onsen egg and dip the pork in it! The golden yolk mellows out the sweetness of the sauce but added a richness to the pork. I highly recommend this.

Grilled eel, or Unagi, is something you will find in restaurants at much higher prices. So, you’re telling me I can get one of my favourite fish at just $5.50? Count me in!! Even though there were only three pieces of eel, they were quite big chunks. The taste however, is a little off somehow. Maybe the fish wasn’t the freshest, or the sauce used to grill the eels was a tad too sweet. The texture was fantastic though. Soft fluffy flesh, with a gelatinous skin. Overall, it was not bad for its price point.

Last but not least, the roast beef bowl. I must say I was quite disappointed with this bowl considering the quality of the other two. The beef disintegrated in my mouth with a mushy mouthfeel. The beef itself didn’t have much flavour as well. Not even the onsen egg could save it. But as my colleague said, this portion of beef is good for hungry students.

After a hearty rice bowl, it’s good to finish the meal off with a nice refreshing piece of fruit, which is what we got along with our rice bowls. The watermelon was especially welcomed in this hot weather.

The Iberico Pork bowl is a huge bang for the buck. If I were a student at Nanyang Polytechnic, I would buy it every day.

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Ashes officially opened on 16 September 2019. After working for five to six years in various hotels, Lee Syafiq(first from the left) decided to open his own stall. To him, having people like the food he creates is a very rewarding feeling and it motivates him to continue on in the food industry.

Ashes, like a typical cafe, does main courses, side dishes, and desserts. How often will you find a hawker stall selling all three? They specialise in burgers, mac and cheese, and froissants (ice cream filled croissants).

To start things off with a bang, we dug into the Best of Both World burger ($9)! It was created because the owner really liked mac and cheese, and burgers. So, why not put them together? Sandwiched between their homemade charcoal buns are smoked cheddar, turkey bacon, their signature sauces, and breadcrumbs. It is meant to be a messy burger that oozes with cheese once you bite into it. The flavours of the mac and cheese and beef patty melded really well. I felt that the patty was a little too salty though.

The Ashes Smash Cheese burger ($5.90) is another one of their signatures. Their beef patties are grilled American style — smashed onto the hot grill. This is usually not seen in a hawker setting either. It is a standard beef burger complete with a nice crunch from the inclusion of fried shallots. The patty was juicy and very flavourful. Like the previous burger, the patty was a tad on the salty side.

The thick fries were crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. The outer crust had a bit of texture to it, which reminded me of potato wedges. As with all fries, they’re best eaten when they’re hot!

To spice things up, we added some grilled chicken to the Mushroom Mac and Cheese ($8) The mac and cheese is made with three types of cheeses — mozzarella, smoked cheddar, and parmesan. The earthy flavour of the sautéed mushrooms was properly infused into the sauce. As much as I love mushrooms, the taste got a little too overpowering for me. I wished the taste of the cheese was more prominent. The tender pieces of grilled chicken were really well seasoned. Ashes marinates the chicken for more than a day with fresh garlic and cajun spices. That explains why it’s so tasty!

Now, the moment my sweet tooth had been waiting for, the froissants. We had the strawberry froissant and milk tea froissant ($4 each). Baked fresh daily, the croissants are filled with a mix of cream, and ice cream. They are then coated with a layer of chocolate ganache. My companions said it reminded them of doughnuts. The strawberry cream was fresh and bright. The milk tea cream was light and carried just a hint of tea. Both froissants were not too sweet.

One thing to note is that the size of the froissants was inconsistent. The strawberry froissant was a lot bigger. But the size doesn’t change how delightful they were to tuck into.

Ashes might be new, but they definitely are very promising. Can’t wait to see what else they come up with in the future!

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Fortune centre is a paradise for vegetarians. The whole mall is filled with restaurants selling vegetarian food. Vege Pot is one of them. Vege Pot offers a slew of dishes ranging from Korean bibimbap and Japanese udon, to Thai green curry. The menu is extensive and you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice here.

Before Siew Ling, the owner, opened Vege Pot with her chef, they were running a massage parlour. However, after opening the business and deliberating for awhile, they decided to change it to a restaurant because “people don’t need massages everyday. They need food.”

Siew Ling first became a vegetarian after she had some health issues. She went to Penang to change her lifestyle, and found her chef who later helped her recover from her ailments. They returned to Singapore after to start a business together. The restaurant started as a way to prove to people that vegetarian food can be delicious too. And boy, are they right.

Red Yeast Mee Sua ($6), which is a common postpartum confinement food, is usually cooked with chicken. However, even without the meat, Vege Pot’s version was delicious. The broth was a lot sweeter than it was sour, and carried a hint of wine. The mee sua was soft, but not mushy. I really liked this.

Next up is the Handmade Dumpling With Dry Ramen ($6). The soft and springy noodles are drenched in a savoury dark sauce. The dumplings are filled with different ingredients such as black fungus, carrots, and cilantro. The noodles came with a bland bowl of soup which contained spinach and tofu. There’s nothing to shout about, in my opinion.

The Penang Bah Gu Teh ($6) could have had me fooled for actual bak kut teh with meat. Unfortunately, the flavour was quite mild. Just a little stronger and they would have nailed it! As no meat was used, the broth was not oily at all, and was actually quite clear. The texture of the fake meat was almost like that of real meat, albeit a little harder. I could tell that it was made with mushrooms. I’m just not sure how they did it, but what a splendid imitation! And I don’t say that about faux meat often.

Other than main dishes, they have side dishes as well. We tried the Handmade Unagi ($6). The seaweed wrap, which was topped with a smattering of sesame seeds, was so crispy. The glaze on the seaweed, which tasted like teriyaki sauce, added a nice umami to the dish. The filling tasted like fish paste, to be very honest. I could gobble up the whole plate in less than five minutes if you let me.

Vege pot has such a huge menu and I really want to try everything they have to offer. All of the dishes sound really delicious and I would like to see how this restaurant manages to pull off vegetarian renditions of popular dishes. You can bet that I’ll be back!

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Owners Zac and Cassandra first opened their flagship store in Toa Payoh Central Koufu Food Court. Seeing their success there, the couple decided to open a second outlet at golden mile tower. Their original concept of serving set meals changed when they realised that office workers around the area prefer a more cai png style. Hence, they changed the concept to suit the location. 

Both Cassandra and Zac are still quite young, so for them to be serving Peranakan food seems quite unusual. 

Turns out, after Cassandra and Zac got married, Cassandra learnt Peranakan cooking from Zac’s zor zor, a nyonya. The learning process was tough as Peranakan cooking is very strict. To add on the challenge, there are over 10 to 20 herbs and spices in each Peranakan dish. And zor zor always agak agak the ingredients required, making it harder for Cassandra to get the taste she wanted. So, when she was learning from zor zor, Cassandra had to stop her every now and then to measure the exact amount of ingredients she was using.

In the Peranakan culture, the guys normally wouldn’t step into the kitchen. Because both of them decided to venture into the food industry to share zor zor’s recipes, Zac had a chance to experience and learn Peranakan cooking too. Not an easy route as he claimed, especially when he has no background in cooking at all.

Peranakan food is near and dear to my heart, as I grew up eating my grandma’s nyonya food. So, you could say that I had high expectations before coming here. As you know, each family has their own recipes and versions of various nyonya dishes, and we will always say that our own recipes are the best. So, let’s see how Nyonya Flavours fared against this inherent bias. 

We started off with the Blue Pea Nasi Lemak. This is one of their specialties which is exclusively available at the Golden Mile branch. The nasi lemak was savoury, fragrant, and carried a distinct fragrance of coconut. It was definitely good enough to be eaten on its own, and even better when paired with the other dishes. The blue rice is really pretty as well, which makes it very instagrammable.

We got the Assam Pedas, another one of their specialties. They use only two types of fish, ang zhor (John’s snapper), and the ang koli (sea bream), which they get fresh from Jurong Port. The sea bream steak was tender, and the assam gravy had the right amount of acidity and kick. You can order the assam pedas with a bowl of rice as a set as well. 

Next, I tried the Sambal Petai, also known as stink beans. This was my first time trying petai and I was wary of its notorious pungency. However, that was not the case with Nyonya Flavours’s petai. I would say that it was fragrant even. I love its crunch and the distinctive flavours that it added to the mix of vegetables. The sweet sambal that the vegetables were tossed in was just perfect.

The Nyonya Curry Chicken is, of course, not to be missed! Think huge, tender, and juicy cuts of chicken sitting in a rich and smooth curry. They are certainly very generous with the amount of chicken, and I was really amazed at how tender the chicken was! The curry was a little on the sweeter side, so if you’re not such a huge fan of spicy food, this will be ideal for you.

Last but not least, my absolute favourite dish — Ayam Buah Keluak!! It is a must-have when you eat Peranakan food. To eat it, all you have to do is to scoop out the flesh from the inside of the nut using a small teaspoon. 

Nyonya Flavours’s rendition of Ayam Buah Keluah was savoury and a tad sour, making it more appetizing. The gravy was thick and super flavourful. Needless to say, it’s heavenly with just a bowl of white rice. The buah keluak flesh has a very sweet, intense flavour, and just a hint of bitterness. This was absolutely delicious and I relished every bit of it!

And the icing on the cake? It only costs $2.50 to add on buah keluak to your rice. Usually, in restaurants, they would charge a lot more than that. So, this is extremely worth it and a total bang for your buck. 

Nyonya Flavours has nailed the classic Peranakan dishes, and revolutionalize Peranakan cuisine. If you are craving for authentic, yet affordable, Peranakan food, or want to try Peranakan cai png, make a trip here! 

But be sure to be here on weekday lunch as they are opened till 3pm only. We asked them if they would consider extending their operating hours till dinner time or operating over the weekends. They told us they are considering these alternatives. Hopefully they will! 

This post was brought to you by Nyonya Flavours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Located in Leng Kee Community Centre, The Living Room is a family-run cafe that is perfect for social gatherings and study sessions. I’m not going to lie, my first impression of this simple but pretty cafe was that they were going to offer the standard fare of waffles and pasta. However, I was wrong. They serve up many different local delights at relatively affordable prices! The menu features dishes such as Bee Hoon (from $1.20), Nasi Lemak (from $3.80), and Mee Siam ($4).

The Porkrib Prawn Noodle ($8/$10) is one of their pricier options, but for a good reason. They use premium ingredients to make the broth and the final product. They use fresh Ang Kar prawns that are juicy and perfectly cooked. These prawns are quite substantial in size too. The soup had the rich flavour of prawns, and was a little on the sweeter side. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pork ribs were tender and fell off the bone easily. The bee hoon and egg noodles were chewy and springy.

I loved the Chicken Chop Curry Rice ($4.80) which came with curry, fried chicken cutlet, cabbage, and a sunny side up. The fried chicken cutlet was so good. It was crispy, despite bring soaked in the curry, and flavourful. I thought it was a tad salty. The curry was rich and creamy. The sunny side up was overcooked, so I couldn’t dip the chicken in the yolk. All in all, the whole plate was so worth it and delicious. I would definitely order it again.

The Signature Mee Sua ($6.50) was quite disappointing, to be honest. For that price, I expected more than just noodles and pork ribs and a bowl of soup. As someone who likes anything with mee sua in it, I have to say that there’s not much flavour or depth to it. I think there was prawn stock thrown into the noodles, but I couldn’t taste it. The pork too, was bland. Maybe it had been boiled for too long, because all the flavours had seeped out of it. It’s unfortunate, seeing how good the previous two dishes were.

They have a few interesting drinks on their menu. One of them is the Black Spider, which is a mix of kopi and milo. Think of it as an Asian mocha. They came up with the name themselves, as they wanted something unique. It tastes exactly like how you would expect it to taste — a chocolatey kopi. If you need a pick-me-up in the morning, this might just be the drink for you.

The Living Room started when a businesswoman (far left) wanted to introduce an F&B outlet to the CC. Now, it has become a family business with a few of her relatives helping out. The recipes come from the family, and the items on the menu are inspired by their favourite dishes.

Whether you need a hangout place, a place to study, or simply somewhere to grab a bite, The Living Room is the perfect place.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Downstairs is a newly opened cafe in UE BizHub East (it’s located in the south wing). Inspired by a HDB void deck, it offers local dishes with a slight twist.

They’ve taken key elements of a void deck, and incorporated them into a cafe setting. You have a choice of sitting at a normal table, or the famous blue-tiled tables that you used to see at the foot of HDB blocks. My favourite part was the old letterboxes.

Now, let’s see if the food can evoke feelings of nostalgia as well.

I’m going to cut to the chase. The Rice with Honey Glazed BBQ Pork and Lava Egg ($6) really impressed. The sweet and spectacularly charred meat was perfectly moist and had the right amount of fat. It is honestly one of the best char siews I’ve ever had.

The lava egg and its jammy center acted as a dip for the char siew. After you’ve finished the yolk, just pop the whole egg in your mouth for a hit of soy sauce infused egg white.

Next up is the Braised Pork Belly Rice w Lava Egg ($6). My rule of thumb when eating lu rou fan is if you could eat the rice with just the gravy, you know it’s good stuff. This bowl fell just slightly short of that, unfortunately. However, I really liked the tender pork belly which had been slow-cooked for a few hours. The fatty bits gave a nice moisture to the pork as well. I also liked how the pickled vegetables on the side cut through the richness of the pork.

Last but not least, we tried the Nasi Lemak w Salted Egg Chicken ($8.50). The star of the dish was the crispy fried chicken coated in a salty, eggy sauce. The sauce was creamy but wasn’t too rich, so you won’t feel jelak after eating the whole plate. The chicken remained crispy throughout the meal, down to the last bite. I can see why this is one of the favourites amongst office workers in the area.

The sweet sambal, which had ikan bills in it, paired really well with the rice, so make sure to pile on the sambal in between bites for a delightful sweetness and a touch of heat.

Bring your kakis over to lepak at this void deck-inspired cafe. For each main course that you order, you can top up a $1 for a drink. Come downstairs for some good food, won’t you?

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Uptown Nasi Lemak is opened by two foodies, Simon (pictured on the left) and Mervyn (pictured on the right), who grew up in Damansara Uptown, where it is Nasi Lemak galore. Since they were unable to find the same taste of Malaysian nasi lemak here in Singapore, they decided to bring it over for us to try. While they are not trained cooks, the duo spent a good six to nine months trying to recreate the taste that they love and serve it on a plate. The result? Uptown Nasi Lemak.

One of their specialties is Nasi Lemak w/ Ayam Goreng Berempah ($6.50) (spiced fried chicken), which is marinated for several hours in various spices. The lemongrass and ginger, when fried with the chicken, creates a nice crispy outer crust.

What you get is a juicy chicken that is wrapped in a flavourful crispy spiced skin. This has a unique flavour that I have personally never tried before. The rice too was savoury and fragrant- a key element in all nasi lemak.

Sambal is another important component of nasi lemak and they make it spicy here. For now, the duo is still adjusting the level of spice by upping it a notch every week, and getting their customers’ feedback. To me, it was definitely spicy enough. A big spoonful of sambal is given for every plate of rice, ensuring that you have more than enough to complete your meal. Do not forget to eat the ikan bilis with the sambal!

While achar is not a commonly found ingredient in nasi lemak, the owners themselves love Peranakan achar so they added it to their nasi lemak anyway. Personally, I do not mind it as I grew up eating Peranakan achar myself.

Another one of their specialties is Nasi Lemak w/ Rendang Beef ($7.50). The rendang beef is cooked overnight till tender but it also tasted gamier than expected. When paired with the thick curry, the overall combination got a little too overwhelming for me. Someone who enjoys rich flavours will certainly appreciate this dish.

They also have side dishes available such as Sambal Sotong ($2.50). The sotong was cooked perfectly and was not rubbery at all. The sambal also packed a nice punch and coated the sotong well.  This was the perfect accompaniment to our nasi lemak.

Uptown Nasi Lemak is certainly something different from our Singaporean nasi lemak. If you love nasi lemak, this is definitely worth a try!

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

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