Singaporeans love their zi char, and Enjoy Eating House probably falls into a category that has a mix of zi char, comforting home cooking, and even a touch of Thai cuisine all at the same time.

Good news: they have opened a NEW outlet at Hotel Mercure on Stevens, and diners can experience a more modern ambience with extensive menu here.

The food stays true to its concept – traditional yet innovative Singaporean food courtesy of head chef and owner Joel Ong.

Some of the regular favourites such as Chef Joel’s XO White Fish Soup ($10), Peranakan Bakwan Kepiting Soup ($8), Shiok Minced Prawn Patties ($12), Hainanese Chicken Satay ($10), Singapore Style Chilli Prawns ($22), and signature BBQ Pork Cheek ($18) can still be found.

I have ‘followed’ Chef Joel for quite a while, after I first wrote about his Thai restaurant back in 2012.

He previously spent a year in Thailand living with the locals and studying its culinary art, and aims to serve food that “taste, strong-flavoured yet well-balanced.”

He then opened Enjoy Eating House within a charming boutique hotel at Jalan Besar, and the humble eatery got quite known through word of mouth.

Operating since 2018, Enjoy Eating House has been serving many hearty recipes inherited from Chef Joel’s grandma. Popular zi char delights packed with a powerful wok hei are given a contemporary take here.

If you are looking to try the food that is near to town, they have opened a new flagship outlet at Mercure on Stevens (which is kind of in between Orchard Road and Bukit Timah) – also keeping things fresh with its new revamped menu with 10 new dishes.

This is a bigger space with seating capacity of up to 60 pax, and has a colourful and retro 1990s vibes (including their choice of music playlist). Plus, a spot relatively near town with free parking.

Ready to move out of the old and into the new? Here are some of Enjoy Eating House’s signature and spanking new dishes to get you in the mood:

Signature Salt Baked Whole Barramundi ($40)
If you come in a group, then get that Salt Baked Fish – which is exactly what it sounds like — fish crusted in salt and slid into the oven.

The salt-coated skin protects the fish as it cooks evenly, and also traps the moisture, resulting in a moist and tender meat.

Locally sourced from Pulau Ubin, the barramundi used is farmed without the use of antibiotics or chemical additives.

You can taste how fresh it is, as it is delivered within hours of harvest. Simply baked in salt, the fish keeps its natural freshness and sweetness and you take bites of the chunks of white meat.

I enjoy eating fish on its own, but you can always use sprinkle more of that salt, or dip into a Thai-inspired spicy sauce dip.

Signature White Pepper Alaskan King Crab (500g) ($88)
Make this signature dish your center piece, especially if you love the succulence of naturally sweet Alaskan King Crabs. This is our table’s favourite dish, snapped up in minutes.

This divine crustacean’s colossal legs are first flash-fried, then tossed in a local classic, white pepper sauce. The dish also includes ample amount of spring onions and ginger, great for those who love ”jiang cong” style of zi char food.

Unlike the more common black pepper sauce, the white pepper’s distinct fragrance and taste do not overpower the sweetness of the crab meat.

Use the chopsticks to give a slight push on the meat, then savour the sweetness of the crabs with a slight punch of the peppers.

Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras($30)
A dish hard to resist featuring Black Angus beef tenderloin cubes and pan-seared foie gras.

Oozing with melt-in-your-mouth textures, the foie gras complements the tender, juicy chunks of beef wok-fried with red and green bell peppers, onion, and garlic.

A zingy home-made black pepper sauce – a combination of both Western and Asian style of black peppers, wraps everything together in this one-bowl dish. Overall, this East-meets-West dish is towards the rich side.

Ugly Cabbage in Fish Sauce ($13)
Don’t belittle this dish’s simple, unassuming appearance. Within the torn, crunchy pieces of cabbage lies a strong, wok hei-infused flavour.

Chef shared that there is no major secret in the ingredients, ”Just cabbage, garlic, fish sauce and sugar…”. It is all about the skills of the wok-frying.

It was indeed a good smoky aroma to this sweet cabbage dish, recommended as a side to your beef or fish entrée.

Grandma’s “Te Kah” Bee Hoon ($14 for S, $34 for L)
Made from Chef Joel’s Grandma’s secret recipe, this is the dish to order when dining with family.

Slurp-worthy for all that soupy brown gravy, this enticing dish features braised pork trotters so tender the fat jiggles in your mouth. Not the canned type and braised from scratch by the way.

The meat is served with greens and mushrooms to balance the flavour.

I believe every grandma has a different recipe to this classic old-school comfort dish. This version is the zhup zhup (saucy kind) in which the flavours are infused in the vermicelli.

What some would describe as ”zhong kou wei” (rich flavours) as well – I like.

Classic “Yu Sheng” Ceviche ($18)
Since CNY 2021 (12 Feb) is fast approaching, you can also try Chef Joel’s contemporary take on Yu Sheng, the classic Cantonese-style raw fish salad.

Instead of the sauces being poured around and lo-hei, the sauce (a mixture of plum sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, sesame oil and more) is piped around which you can use as a dip.

Enjoy Four Treasure Soup ($23)
Take a moment and sip with leisure and reverence this Four Treasure Soup.

Made with four key ingredients – abalone, scallop, fish maw, and crab meat – this rich and flavourful soup has a pumpkin base and also prepared using chicken stock cooked for many hours.

“Popiah” Garden ($14)
Yes, if you been enough to Taiwanese street markets, you can tell that this dessert dish is inspired by the ice-cream “popiah” wrap with fresh peanut candy shavings.

A beautiful and edible garden served on a plate, featuring a handmade popiah skin lawn landscaped with a foliage of house-made blue pea pandan lemongrass, sea salt Horlicks and soursop gelato.

Completing the “garden” is traditional peanut candy sands and edible flowers.

There is no specific way to having this – you can eat the gelato on its own (the lemongrass is my favourite, while I though the Horlicks was on the saltier side), or tear a piece of the skin to wrap it around.

Chendol Panna Cotta ($8)
This popular Asian iced dessert chendol sports a European flair by having panna cotta for a base.

Dig into the coconut-flavoured luxuriously-textured Italian cooked cream thickened by gelatine.

But before that, you got to scoop out the green pandan-flavoured jelly noodles sitting on fragrant gula melaka syrup. A not-bad, delightful meal-ender.

If you need a thirst-quencher, #SupportLocalSG with the featured locally-brewed craft beers from Lion Brewery Co., and an expanded range of alcoholic beverages including wines and spirit.

Special mention to the Brewery’s Straits Pale Ale with lychee and citrus fruits notes; Singaporean-inspired alcoholic beverages like the Compendium Chendol Gin and Compendium & Made Cold’s collaboration of Kopi-O Liqueur.

Can’t decide what to have?

Enjoy Eating House also offers their own local version of “Omakase” with the “Huat Ah Set” ($88 per person, min 2 to dine) and “Sui Bian Set” ($58 per person, min 2 to dine).

If you are the anything also can personality type, order the “Sui Bian Set” features best-selling items such as Chef Joel’s Signature XO White Fish Soup, Signature BBQ Pork Cheek and Singapore-style Chilli Prawns with Mantou, and “Enjoy Sweets”.

Won’t regret because the food is not so “Sui Bian” here.

Enjoy Eating House & Bar – Stevens
30 Stevens Rd #01-07, Mercure on Stevens, Singapore 257840
Tel: +65 8511 1478
Reservations: https://wa.me/6585111478
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/EnjoyEatingHouse/

Enjoy Eating House & Bar – Jalan Besar
383 Jalan Besar, Kam Leng Hotel, Singapore 209001
Tel: +65 9299 1601
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Enjoy Eating House.

I was rather intrigued to see a new space which has sprouted on Level 3 of Tampines 1 shopping mall.

It was decked in turquoise green metal grills and white marble tables, located next to Gochi-So Shokudo ごち惣食堂 – which specialises in charcoal grilled Iberico pork Japanese dishes.

Such nostalgic-hip environment serving comfort fares with a local twist are gaining traction as of late.

Some good examples are like Downstairs 楼下 (Suntec City), The Hainan Story (Hillion Mall), Moments’ 木萌 (Serangoon) and Banchong Café (Kallang).

“Tun” (豚) generally refers to pig; while “Xiang” (香) means fragrant.

A casual eatery focuses on using Iberico black pork as core ingredient in their dishes, Tun Xiang 豚香南洋馆 prides themselves in bringing the taste of the premium meat to the masses at a reasonable price point.

The menu is straightforward and features their three key roasts – Iberico Pork Belly Char Siew ($8.90/$11.90), Iberico Pork Collar Char Siew ($9.90/$12.90) and Roasted Chestnut pork ($8.90/$11.90).

Available with a choice of staples like white rice or noodles.

For those who cannot get enough of meat, the roasts are also available as a sharing dish from $12 onwards.

I had the Iberico Pork Belly Char Siew with Noodles, and liked how its tender soft char siew had a good fat-to-meat ratio that almost melted in my mouth.

Add that caramelized glistering layer of roasted skin for a candied-charred aromatic flavour.

Also worthy of mention is their springy noodles tossed in sweet-savoury black sauce, topped with a half-boiled egg for a delightful creamy finish.

The Roasted Chestnut Pork on Rice unfortunately paled in comparison.

I wasn’t particularly impressed with their roasted pork as the crispy skin portion was rather minimal and missing the crackling bite sensation.

There are better roasted pork sellers out there in market…

The ricebowl itself also lacked ‘flavour-oomph’. Perhaps it needed more accompanying sauce to bestow some magic.

Tun Xiang also serves a range of side dishes all made using Iberico pork.

Interestingly, there are offerings of Iberico Pork Glutinous Rice ($4.80), Steamed Iberico Pork with Yellowtail Fishcake ($5.80), Deep-fried Iberico Pork with Fried Beancurd.

Even my Curry Zhap Chye (Mixed Vegetables) also came with slices of Iberico Pork Collar ($4.80).

I also took a liking to their version of Iberico Prawn Roll ($6.80) which came deep-fried till crisp, with crunchy chopped onions mixed with minced pork and prawn for the additional bite texture.

Complementing their mains are Nanyang-style Milk Tea and Coffee (Hot $2, Cold $2.50).

I found their milk tea smooth and robust, which also bear a distinctive tea aftertaste, akin to what we usually get at neighbourhood coffeeshop but less sweet.

While the brand is relatively new, it has already expanded to 3 outlets and you can also find Tun Xiang at Bedok Mall #01-76 and Hougang 1 #01-23.

Tun Xiang 豚香南洋馆
10 Tampines Central 1, #03-K1, Singapore 529536
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm (Sun – Thu), 11.30am – 10pm (Fri – Sat)

Other Related Entries
Downstairs (Suntec City)
Moments’ 木萌 (Serangoon)
The Hainan Story (Hillion Mall)
Laifabar (Erskine Road)
Banchong (Kallang)

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Let’s head Downstairs 楼下 for a meal!”

With this premise, famous Bak Kut Teh brand Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has launched Downstairs 楼下 offering local favourites with a twist – think Nasi Lemak with Salted Egg Chicken.

The local café is literally located “downstairs” now, at the basement of Suntec City (at the Fountain Court). Good news for me as it is at a more convenient location. It was previously piloted at Changi Business Park.

One thing that may strike you is their interior design, inspired with the feel of a HDB block void deck.

The centre round table is like the chess table; and there are also decorations of old-school items such as an orange coin phone, tear-off calendar, Good Morning towels, and a row of letter-box (check out the numbers when you are there).

Brings back fond memories of the good-old days.

In line with the spirit of heading downstairs for a quick comforting meal, what you can find are familiar favourites at different times of the day.

For early-risers or those heading to office, start with a plate of Downstairs Bee Hoon, Kaya Butter Toast Bun or Chicken Chop Hor Fun available from 8:30am (9am during weekends); then move on to heartier choices of Chicken Cutlet Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Pork Cutlet Rice to Char Siew Rice with Lava Egg and more.

Here are 12 signature items you can find Downstairs 楼下:

Lu Rou Fan or Mian ($6.00, available 10am onwards)
The Lu Rou Fan is one of the top-sellers and definitely my favourite. It now also comes with a noodle option.

Slow braised for many hours, the pork belly with alternating meat and fat is towards the saucier side, and achieves the right tenderness that make it fork-tender.

The sweetish-savoury taste reminded me slight of the fillings of a Nonya dumpling.

Interesting, the bowl also comes with generous portion of salted pickled vegetables on the side, and a lava egg to mix with the rice.

You don’t often find kiam chye in Lu Rou Fan, and slightly vinegary taste helps balance out any greasiness from the braised meats.

Salted Egg Chicken Nasi Lemak ($8.90, available 10am onwards)
There are three different toppings for the Nasi Lemak found here – with salted egg chicken, prawn paste chicken wings, and chicken cutlet.

The salted egg chicken is the most well-received, with crispy chicken pieces coated in a house-specialty creamy salted egg sauce and curry leaves.

The sauce is not the rich and grainy type, but tends to be smooth and buttery-milk. I wished there was more sauce though.

As for the rice, it was light and fluffy, and carried that distinctive fragrance from the infusion of coconut milk.

My favourite element was the sambal chilli sauce, with the right level of spice and smokiness coming from the ikan billis.

Har Cheong Gai Nasi Lemak ($7.90, available 10am onwards)
Another variant is the Nasi Lemak with Har Cheong Gai, a Singaporean fried chicken dish made with battered-then-fried chicken mid wings with fermented shrimp paste (har cheong) and other seasonings.

Mid-joint wings are used in consideration that this is a favourite among office workers, and having smaller parts allow for easier consumption and less mess.

So much so that you can eat the dish without using hands.

Char Siew Rice ($6.00, available 10am onwards)
If you are still craving for pork, try their Honey Glazed BBQ Pork served with rice then drizzled with sweet char siew sauce.

The sweet, sticky, saucy glaze of the pork inevitably blends with the rice for that added flavour.

The meat is delightfully tender and has that wonderful smoky flavour. Served with accompanying pickled veggies and the delicious ooze from a halved, runny lava egg.

Curry Pork or Chicken Cutlet Rice ($7.00 / $6.50, available 10am onwards)
Downstairs’ very contains crunchy chicken or pork cutlet served with sunny side egg over rice and smothered in a creamy curry sauce.

The curry sauce was only mildly sweet and thick, reminding me of a cross between Hainanese and Japanese style curries.

Hainanese Pork Cutlet Rice ($7.60, available 10am onwards)
The East meets West dish of crispy breaded pork cutlet and fries, accompanied with tangy-sweet tomato gravy.

I wished that there were the crumbs were cream cracker for more authenticity, though the pork cutlet was of a sizable slab and quite tender.

Downstairs Wanton Mee ($6.50)
To be fair, I thought that the Wanton Mee here is not bad, and the springiness of the noodles made it different from the typical styles.

You get a serving of egg noodles tossed with dark sauce, topped with tender slices of barbecued pork glazed with honey, and pieces of wanton dumplings in a bowl of accompanying soup on the side.

Instead of the usual thinly sliced char siew, you do get substantial slices of the roast pork, with a beautiful char on the outside.

Chicken Chop Hor Fun ($6.80)
A hawker dish almost synonymous with Changi Village Food Centre, you can have this right here with succulent deep-fried chicken chop on a bed of Ipoh-style horfun.

I enjoy that savoury brown braised sauce that was mixed with the slippery-smooth rice noodles.

Macaroni or Mee Tai Mak Soup ($5.00)
If you would prefer something lighter, warm yourself up with a comforting bowl of Macaroni or Mee Tai Mak soup. Ah, that belly-warming bowl of silver needle noodles aka loh see fun.

Prepared with a home-made chicken-based recipe broth and predominantly seasoned with peppers, the broth adds a zing to your taste buds and some smoky notes.

Downstairs Bee Hoon ($4.00, available during breakfast hours)
A fuss-free plate of Bee Hoon included with a slice of luncheon meat, omelette and fishcake.

Luncheon Meat & Egg Toast Bun Set ($3 ala carte, $3.90 for set, available during breakfast hours)
Rather than the toasty crisp type, the Toast Buns here are served burger-style, available with kaya butter ($2.40), peanut butter ($2.40) or luncheon meat and an egg ($3).

Pair them with a tea or coffee, affordably priced at $3.90 for a set. The first two set comes with two soft boiled eggs.

Downstairs 楼下
Suntec City #B1-132, 3 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038983
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 9pm (Sat, Sun, PH)
https://www.facebook.com/Downstairs_SG-1129111627286500/
* Due to current Covid-19 situation, operating hours may vary. Please check Downstairs 楼下’s social media for latest operating hours.

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Downstairs 楼下.

Craving for that flavourful rich broth Hae Mee?

Zion Riverside Food Centre’s famous Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodles has opened a full-fledged eatery at South Bridge Road – of walking distance from Maxwell Food Centre and a few shops away from Tong Heng Egg Tarts.

Prawn Noodles restaurants are not uncommon in Singapore, such as Chef Kang Prawn Noodle House at Toa Payoh, Prawn Noodle Bar at Duxton Hill, Da Shi Jia at Killiney Road and Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle which previously had an air-conditioned shop at Esplanade.

Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodles previously known as “Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Mee” gained bigger fame after it was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

In case you are wondering, yes, it is related to the Noo Cheng Big Prawn Mee at Adam Road Food Centre.

On its menu are offerings of Prawn Noodles ($10, $16), Prawn Noodle with Sliced Pork ($10, $16), Sliced Pork & Ribs Noodle ($10), and more atas bowls of Lobster Ramen with Sliced Pork ($26) and Lobster Ramen with Lala ($28).

If your mind is going ”so expensive”, its prices at the Zion Riverside Food Centre stall was not cheap to begin with, at $6, $8, $12, $16, $20, and $25.

Many regulars do order the higher priced bowls.

There are also side dishes of Dou Miao with Garlic Sauce ($8), Baked Prawn with Mayonnaise Sauce ($8 per pc, min 2 pc), Stir-Fried Clams ($10), Crispy Prawn Roll ($8), and Fragrant Pork with Crushed Garlic ($6) – which the server highly recommended again, and again.

Ordering is at a small space near the entrance, which can get pretty awkward when other customers start to Safe-Entry and get temperatures taken at the same area.

I had the Prawn Noodle with Sliced Pork ($10), and inevitably I would compare this to the hawker stall’s.

Previously, wild sea prawns were served cut into half down the centre. This time, whole prawns are included – reason given that it looks more presentable.

Instead of the usual sliced pork, the meats resembled Japanese cha siu served in ramen bowls, and were soft and tender. Add that conspicuous crispy pork lard, and it is bliss.

The moment of truth… the soup.

I have to say I preferred the version at the hawker stall’s, which was thicker and richer from the long boiling of the pork bones.

This soup was slightly lighter with a sweet tinge. (Boss says give him a day or two more to get used to the new kitchen space and it shall be done. He doesn’t know who I am by the way.)

I also ordered the Dry Prawn Noodles with Pork Ribs ($10) to compare, and my friend commented ”Almost the same as the old one.”

The specialty chilli base with a mix of dried shrimps and peanut, had a stronger aroma previously. Perhaps, say 90% there?

Would he return to Zion Riverside Food Centre when renovations are completed?

Good news, the answer is “Yes”. At least we get two choices now.

Zion Road Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle
291 South Bridge Road Singapore 058836
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Beach Road Prawn Noodle House (East Coast Road)
Da Shi Jia 大食家大大大虾面 (Killiney Road)
Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle (Pek Kio Food Centre)
Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee (Geylang)
Whitley Road Prawn Noodles (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Taking over the shop space previously occupied by Saturday House (it has relocated to 55 Ubi Ave 3) is Clickafood – a multi-concept bistro and kitchen.

It houses not one, two but five concepts under its belt (which may remind some of Culture Spoon at River Valley)

Diners can expect an array of iconic dishes from Korean (Korean Mama), Thai (Thaitanium), Local (168 Huat), Western (Fig & Fiddle) to Beverages (He 喝); each branded under a different concept.

Positioned as a commercialized kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised to see their dining space interior decked in vibrant shades of pastels such as turquoise green and flamingo pink.

There is even an iconic grass wall installed with their signage catered for those who love their #OOTD shots.

From the Korean department, of course you would expect familiar favourites such as Korean Fried Chicken (3pcs $9.90, 6pcs $16.90, 9pcs $22.90), Army Stew ($19.90 for 2pax) and Jajangmyeon ($9.90).

Their KFC is available in two type of sauces – Spicy Garlic or Bulgogi, and I went for the former.

The wings came generously coated with spicy garlic dressing and sprinkled with sesame seeds. While the sauce visually looks fiery red, the spice level was more manageable than I had expected.

Another dish less commonly seen now is Andong Jjimdak ($9.90), and I miss the comforting flavours of soy sauce braised chicken stew with chunky potatoes, carrots and sweet potato noodles.

CAF version came sweet and savoury.

But I vividly remembered the famous one that I had in Korea has spiciness imbued into the dish as well.

The only dish on local menu is Nasi Lemak ($8.90) which came with butterfly pea-infused coconut rice, home-made sambal chilli, ikan bilis, peanuts, fried chicken wings and topped with sunny-side-up egg.

I generally enjoyed this plate of nasi lemak with all the crunchy condiments.

My only qualm was that the sambal chilli could use a bit more spiciness for the oomph.

By the way, I preferred the fried chicken wings on this plate compared to the saucy version as it had the light golden crisp.

What caught my attention on the Thai menu was their Pad Thai Bomb ($12.90) which came with wok-fried rice noodles topped with fluffy deep-fried omelette, Thai-style.

I thought the texture of noodles were rather on point to my liking; not too mushy. I have tried places that cannot even get Pad Thai noodles texture right.

For beverages, one can also expect Boba Milk Tea ($3.90), Oolong Macchiato ($3.90), Cheese Foam Black Tea ($4.50) or even house concoctions like Mango Coconut ($5.50) and Red Bean Love ($5.50).

Speciality coffee is also available and supplied by PPP Coffee.

While the food here are generally decent, perhaps the taste of the dishes is more accustomed to local palates and fell short of authenticity flavours from various cuisines.

Nevertheless, its an ideal dining spot for those who wishes to have the convenience of satisfying their taste buds at a go to curb the travel pang.

CAF Clickafood
339 Upper Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 534953
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Culture Spoon (River Valley)
Bonding Kitchen (Orchard Gateway)
Seng Coffee Bar (Changi Road)
The Garden Slug Petite (Kovan)
Downstairs 楼下 (Suntec City)

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

In a Roti Prata lovin’-country like Singapore, some of our favourite stalls include Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata, Springleaf Prata Place, Casuarina Curry, and Chindamani Indian Food Stall.

Sin Ming Roti Prata near Upper Thomson counts as one of my favourites, and therefore I made it a point to visit its new outlet at Jalan Leban.

It is of a short walking distance from Sembawang Hills Food Centre.

Sin Ming Roti Prata started with an unassuming presence with a small corner area of a Jin Fa kopitiam, and it still holds its own when it comes to popularity and a dedicated customer base. (Actually, there are many other good stalls here such as the Chicken Rice and Popiah found at this same coffee shop.)

Run by father and son team Aziz and Faisal, it is one of those places happens to get both its prata and curries done well, so I would be happy to name this one of my favourite Prata stalls in Singapore.

Be ready to stand in tediously long queues for the most part during peak hours, but some fans feel it is quite worth the wait.

However, I must add a disclaimer: due to the configuration of this new eatery along Upper Thomson, waiting time can be very long (almost not moving at times) and may seem slightly disorganised.

Plus, it is not that well ventilated if you sit indoors, and thus may end up smelling slightly greasy.

This outlet has a more extensive menu, offering Prata of various fillings, Murtabak, Briyani, Mee Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Ala Carte dishes such as Chicken Curry, Masala Chicken, Fish Curry and Sambal Udang.

There must be at least a hundred permutations of the Prata, with choices of Banana Milk Prata ($3.50), Cheese Sausage ($4), Plaster Mushroom ($2.70), Garlic Egg Onion Chilli ($4.80), Cashew Prata ($3), Chicken Floss ($4), Strawberry ($3) to Kaya Prata ($3, only during PH).

Both the Plain ($1.20 and Egg Prata ($1.80) had different merits, but were crispy, slightly chewy and fluffy at the same time.

They use the traditional methods of making the dough with no ghee or milk, using just the basic ingredients of flour, egg, sugar and salt.

The dough is mixed, kneaded by hand, then let to rest for an hour before being moulded into dough balls.

Given the choice, I would say go for the Plain as it allows you to experience that light crispiness on the edges and fluffiness; while the Egg Prata’s texture felt more doughy and there would be comparable ones elsewhere.

Their signature Coin Prata set ($4 for 6 pieces) shaped like mini-crispy pancakes has a bit of a complicated preparation and they make it fresh on order.

I really enjoyed this because you could even experience more crispiness, without the pieces being overly oily.

Give it a dip on the absolutely-delicious fish curry with a tinge of sourness. This curry had the ”oomph”.

Sin Ming Roti Prata
2 Jalan Leban, Singapore 577547
Opening Hours: 7am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Sin Ming Roti Prata
#01-51, 24 Sin Ming Road, 51 Jin Fa Kopitiam, Singapore 570024
Tel: +65 6453 3893
Opening Hours: 7am – 6:30pm (Mon – Thurs, Sat – Sun), Closed Alternate Fri

Other Related Entries
10 ROTI PRATA In Singapore
Springleaf Prata Place (Thong Soon Avenue)
Y.R.A Rasool Fatimah (ABC Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

It may not occur to you that the 7th day of the Chinese New Year is quite a special one.

“Renri” 人日 is celebrated in the Chinese culture as the day human beings were created, thus there are Singaporean Chinese who choose to eat “Ang Ku Kueh” on this special day.

“Ang Ku Kueh” or “Red Tortoise Cake” is an oval-shaped pastry made of sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre.

Molded to resemble a tortoise shell and traditionally red in colour, they symbolise longevity and good fortune (because tortoises have long life).

Therefore, they are often given as gifts during festivals such as Chinese New Year, baby’s first month and birthdays.

However, there are also people who just treat them like a nostalgic, delicious snack.

One of the most popular places to get Ang Ku Kueh in Singapore is Ji Xiang Confectionery at Everton Park (“Ji” means “luck”, while “xiang” means “prosperity”).

It is also opening a new outlet at Bugis Street on the 19 February. (One of their collaborating vendors also has an outlet at 190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh Central #01-574, available from 11am till sold out.)

The family-run business started out from a kitchen in a HDB flat, and its popularity led them to this space at Everton Park in 1988.

(Photo credit: Ji Xiang Confectionery)

While the shop isn’t the easiest to find for non-regulars, a far walk from the nearest MRT station (Outram MRT) and hidden under a block of flats.

You may find often a short queue of people lining up, facing rather ‘hurried’ service. Come after later, and several of the limited flavours would be sold out. Usually when I head down, there are just two or three types left.

Ji Xiang sells a total of eight Ang Ku Kueh flavours ($0.90 per pc) which include peanut, sweet bean, salty bean paste, corn, coconut, yam ($1) and the seasonal durian ($1.80).

Each is distinguished by the different colour of the skin.

What I liked about their Ang Ku Kueh was their warm (especially when you eat it fresh), soft, slightly sticky skin that won’t stick to the teeth.

Also, the peanut and mung bean fillings were fragrant, yet not too sweet.

Look out for the new Bugis Street outlet which is certainly more convenient for many, though note that only the Peanut and Sweet Bean would be offered for now.

Will update this post after I head down (I texted them but they did not confirm the opening hours. :|)

Ji Xiang Confectionery – Everton
Block 1 #01-33 Everton Park, Singapore 081001
Tel: +65 6223 1631
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun, PH

Ji Xiang Confectionery – Bugis
Bugis Street, 235 Victoria Street Singapore 188027
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (TBC)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Penang Assam Laksa, Fried Kway Teow, Hokkien Prawn Noodles, White Curry Mee, Cendol… Hungry already? While a trip to Penang is still not quite possible now, you can satisfy those street food cravings at Penang Culture.

Penang Culture is recognised as the first Penang-themed Halal restaurant in Singapore, offering a range of street food favourites at value-for-money prices in a comfortable environment.

There are now 5 outlets islandwide, at JEM, NEX Shopping Mall, Compass One, White Sands and VivoCity.

Here, you’ll experience satisfying Penang cuisine as conceptualised by Penangite Head Chef Wong Thin Lipp. With a culinary career that began in the streets of Penang, he is able to deliver a fresh take on traditional favourites.

Do you know that Penang Culture has been around for 10 years already?

To celebrate this decade milestone and to thank customers (many of them turned regulars) for their support, Penang Culture is introducing three new original dishes – all at 50% OFF.

Each dish is available for a limited period from 9 March till 31 May, and represents the leading food states in Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and of course, Penang.

Here’s more on the 3 Penang Culture new dishes and best-selling classics:

Malacca Golden King Prawn Seafood Bee Hoon ($24.90 after 50% OFF)
This noodle dish actually originated from the historic state of Malacca. What makes this seafood noodle dish indulgent is the rich and thick gravy cooked with milk and cheese.

The thin bee hoon noodles are cooked and tossed in a medley of sweet and succulent King prawns, clams and squid.

Its savoury flavour complements the natural sweetness of the seafood to create this appetising and flavourful golden-yellow gravy.

Though Penang Culture’s rendition sounds potentially very cheesy (it is made with three types of cheeses: nacho cheese, gouda, and parmesan), I thought it captured the essence quite well – flavourful yet not overly rich.

Served in a claypot, the bee hoon stayed warm and tasted even more scrumptious after a while as the strands absorbed some of the seafood stock. Generous portion too, good for sharing among 2 to 3 diners.

Penang Fragrant Kam Heong Clams ($9.90 after 50% OFF)
What is “Kam Heong”? From the Cantonese words 金香 literally meaning “golden fragrance”, this is a signature Malaysian stir-fry style that is renowned for the fragrance imparted during the cooking process.

The fragrance of this clam dish comes from wok-frying them with an intensely-flavoured special paste.

This base is made of hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimps – quite trending now), curry leaves, chili padi, shallots, and a special curry powder from Thailand faithfully following the Chef’s family recipe.

Seasoned with oyster sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, the paste transforms into a caramel-like sauce that coats the clams, making this as savoury dish worth trying. Can be very addictive.

KL Crispy Breaded Chicken Cutlet ($8.90 after 50% OFF)
Reflecting the modern metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, the flavours of this crispy breaded chicken is a blend of Western and Asian influences.

A whole piece of chicken thigh is breaded and deep fried to golden perfection. Outside was a crisp, golden crust while inside the chicken remained tender.

Served with an accompanying creamy housemade curry mayo dip that was actually not too spicy.

I would personally wished for more succulence as the meat slices were prepared till thin, but think this would be a hit for families with young children.

Penang Rojak ($5.90)
For your side dish, order a serving of Penang Rojak, a mix of fresh fruits, vegetables, and of course crunchy you tiao tossed in Penang Culture’s signature rojak prawn paste.

This version included with quite a good proportion of fresh fruits and veggies was refreshing, complemented with the crunch from crushed peanuts generously sprinkled on top.

The hei ko specially imported from Penang was not as pungent as I would have expected, rather pleasant-tasting with sweet and savoury flavours and slight stickiness.

Penang Premium Nasi Lemak ($14.90)
If you want a meatier Nasi Lemak, this dish is for you. This premium version of Malaysia’s national dish translates to an entire quarter ayam penyet or chicken thigh fried to a crisp.

Served accompanied with coconut-flavoured steamed rice, hard-boiled egg, sambal prawns, and the can’t-do-without authentic Penang sambal chili sauce.

Penang Assam Laksa ($7.90)
If you been around to try various versions of Penang Assam Laksa and was disappointed, perhaps this could strike a chord as the dish is made with noodles specially imported from Penang.

The strands are like fresh lai fun, looking similar to short and thicker rice noodles which would go well with the gravy.

The flavour powerhouse lies in the traditional Assam gravy, a blend of assam (tamarind), fermented shrimp paste, sardine, galangal, turmeric, laksa leaves, ginger flower, and lemongrass.

Together these are cooked to form the tasty gravy that was spicy, sweet, sour and savoury at the same time.

I also liked that the base was thick with quite a bit of the mashed mackerel fish.

Penang Fried Kway Teow ($9.90)
A spicy wok-fried noodle dish using fresh rice noodles tossed in with prawns, cockles, chili paste, bean sprouts, egg, and chives.

The spiciness is mellowed with the savoury-sweet stir-fry sauce which includes soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and oyster sauce.

You may request to hold the chilies for a non-spicy version.

Should you prefer the texture and taste of crab over prawns, do try their crab variants like the Premium Crab Meat ($13.90) and Premium Crab Meat with Salted Eggs ($15.90).

King of Cendol ($6.90)
The classic shaved ice dessert cendol gets an upgrade to become the King of Cendol.

A version fit for royalty, King of Cendol is still served with red beans, green cendol jelly noodles, coconut milk and shaved ice sweetened with a drizzle of gula melaka syrup.

What makes it extra special is the topping of fresh premium D24 Sultan durian puree. Compared to other durians, D24 has a higher fat content which gives it that luxurious mouthfeel.

Penang Culture Celebrates 10 Years in Singapore with the Debut of Three Original Dishes
Enjoy 50% OFF the three new dishes – Malacca Golden King Prawn Seafood Bee Hoon, KL Crispy Breaded Chicken Cutlet & Penang Fragrant Kam Heong Clams, at Penang Culture from 9th March to 31st May 2021.

Penang Culture – JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road, #04-27, Singapore 608549
Tel: +65 6734 8006
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Penang Culture – NEX Shopping Mall
23 Serangoon Central, #B1-76, Singapore 556083
Tel: +65 6634 0667
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Penang Culture – Compass One
1 Sengkang Square, #03-13, Singapore 545078
Tel: +65 6385 2820
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10pm, Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Penang Culture – White Sands
1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3, #03-21, Singapore 518457
Tel: +65 6585 4877
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Penang Culture – VivoCity
1 HarbourFront Walk, #B2-23E, Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 6962 7172
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Penang Culture.

While this eatery is known as “Prince Noodles” 王子面, it does not sell the Taiwanese “Little Prince Noodles” but KL Handmade Noodles instead.

Prince Noodles is located at ARC380 Lavender – the building got a little attention of late due to Happy Congee (滿粥了) at Bgain foodcourt.

Owner Liang Kwan learnt the recipe of the KL handmade noodles from a Malaysian friend of his.

There are currently only two items on the menu – Handmade Noodles ($5, $6) in dry of soup versions. There are choices of Ban Mian, You Mian or Mee Hoon Kueh.

Additional onsen egg cost $1 extra. The owner intends to include shiitake mushroom, prawn, meatball, and clams sometime in the future.

The Soup You Mian I had was included with minced meat, star gooseberry leaves, and anchovies served separately so that they can remain crispy.

The broth came across as rather light (some would describe as “qing”, in fact one of the lightest I had – which some customers may prefer if they do not want something salty or rich.

The sweetness of the mani chye came across more obviously when you take sips, and in fact made the overall soup taste ‘healthy’.

Actually, one of the reasons why is because the typical saltiness of the ikan bilis do not seep into the broth.

Comparatively, the dry Mee Hoon Kueh was the more impressionable of the two, with the pulled noodles having a soft and slightly chewy texture and a good bite that didn’t feel too heavy overall.

Give it a toss of the black sauce with a sweetish-savoury balance (really the star of the dish) and some chilli mixed in, which made the bowl a lot more appetising.

But is this exactly KL style Pan Mee? Perhaps I was expecting the iconic fragrant dry chilli some where.

Prince Noodles
380 Jalan Besar, #01-10 ARC380, Singapore 209000
Opening Hours: 9am – 3pm, 5pm – 12am (Mon – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

After the 5-in-1 multi-brand Hainanese restaurant in Hillion Mall, The Hainan Story is opening its 2nd outpost at Hotel Boss along Jalan Sultan. Official opening date is this Friday, 16 April 2021.

It is of short walking distance from Lavender MRT, quite near to the hip Jalan Besar area.

Good news for both early risers and supper-goers, The Hainan Story is a 24-hour concept with brand-new offerings.

They call this the “instagrammable coffeehouse”, branded like a Singapore-style cha chan teng serving comforting Hainanese-style favourites.

There are colourful splashes of red and green, tables done in the traditional kopitiam fashion, and a feature wall tiled to look like a Hainanese stage opera for #OOTD at the back of the restaurant.

There are 7 brands under this umbrella, including The Hainan Story Bakery, The Hainan Story Coffee & Toast, Newspaper Hainanese Curry Rice, Uncle Robert Hainanese Western & BBQ, Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice; along with new concepts of Jin Jin Golden Porridge and Whole Street White Kway Chap.

What I was looking forward to most are the NEW items of Swiss Rolls and Cookies by ex-Antoinette Chef Pang Kok Keong, along with grilled dishes by ‘God of Kitchen’ Chef Austen Ong. Here’s more:

The Hainan Story Bakery
British Hainanese Swiss Roll ($12.80 per roll, $3.80 per slice, available till 5pm daily or sold out)
For those of you familiar with Antoinette, then you would know Chef Pang Kok Keong has certain ‘magic’ working with desserts and pastry products.

There are five Swiss Rolls available here, with flavours of Hainanese Coconut Pandan Roll, Premium Belgium Chocolate Roll, Premium Old Tree MSW Durian Roll, Sea Salt Gula Melaka Kaya Roll, and Nanyang Yam Orh Nee Roll.

Most are priced at $12.80 per roll, except the MSW at $28.80 (and $6.80 for a slice). The shape and appearance may just remind you of the other famous brand, and so comparison is inevitable.

My favourite was the Hainanese Coconut Pandan Roll (reminding me of a Kaya Roll) with soft pillow-like outer layer and creamy fudgy centre that was not too sweet. Great to pair with a hot kopi.

The other attention-catcher was the Premium Old Tree MSW Durian Roll with creamy filling and light tinge of blue on the sponge – courtesy of blue pea flowers.

Traditional Asian-Inspired Cookies ($12 or $13 per jar)
While CNY may be over, these delectable cookies still work for gifts or when you are craving for nibbles.

Also brought to you by Chef Pang, the five offerings are Hae Bee Hian Cookies, Ondeh Ondeh Cookies, Chocolate Snowballs, Cashew Nut Biscotti, and Hainanese Kopi Guyou Cookies.

Go for the orange Hae Bee Hiam Cookies which had a delightful and distinct spicy-sweet savour of housemade hae bee hiam (spicy shrimps); and melt-in-the-mouth Hainanese Kopi Guyou Cookies made using the house coffee powder served in The Hainan Story.

The Hainan Story Coffee & Toast
Bagel Spam & Egg Burger ($5.80 ala carte, $7.30 set with Kopi or Teh)
While they call this a “bagel”, there was some old-school Hainanese flavour with the bread. I found out that the bread is sourced from traditional Sing Hon Loong Bakery at Whampoa.

Eat this like a sandwich, with spam luncheon meat and choice of sunny side up or scrambled egg.

Gula Melaka Kaya with Butter Toast ($1.80 ala carte, $4.80 for set)
Instead of the usual thin flat options found elsewhere, this breakfast toast takes the form of a pillow-soft bun lightly toasted – with a slight crust yet remain fluffy on the touch.

Kopi Gu You ($1.80 for Kopi, $1.60 for Kopi O, $2 for Kopi C, $0.60 add butter)
“Bulletproof coffee” has become rather trendy these recent years, but the Hainanese have their own form of “Kopi Gu You” which has been in Singapore coffeeshops since the 1930s.

Get your Kopi, Kopi O or Kopi C with butter (additional $0.60). Adding butter gives the kopi a more aromatic and full-bodied, along with a texture that goes down very smoothly. Or for those on keto diet.

Hainanese Yuan Yang Satay with Peanut Sauce & Pineapple Sauce ($15.00 for 10 sticks)
Of all the newly-introduced savoury dishes, this would be my go-to. The satay skewers are available in pork and chicken options, and I enjoyed the chicken for that tender bite, along with slight smoky char and lovely spiced flavour.

This is then to be dipped into a mixture of peanut and pineapple sauce, though I would have preferred if the proportion of the peanut could be brought up.

Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew ($11.80 with Rice, $12.80 with Crispy Noodles)
A comforting stew of spar ribs cooked in claypot with spongy tau kee beancurd, black fungus, carrot and broccoli.

The mixture of herbs and spices including star anise, shallots and preserved beans imparted a fragrant aroma. Choose to have this with rice ($11.80) or with crispy noodles ($12.80).

Claypot Prawn with Glass Vermicelli in Green Chilli Chicken Broth ($14.90)
Green chilli food items seems to be getting ‘IN’ of late, found in Chicken Rice (recently trending again) and Crabs.

This is the first time I have seen it cooked with whole prawns and glass vermicelli in a chicken broth base. Overall on the spicier side, I wished there could be some sour notes and better balance and to further bring out the wholesome goodness.

White Street Hainanese Kway Chap
The Hainanese Claypot Braised Pork Belly Set ($13.80)
They call this “White” not because of the kway but because the base is a light version cooked with chicken and pork white broth. I did wish there was more body, to better complement the sheets.

The other part was quite sumptuous though, a claypot of Hainanese braised pork belly with black fungus, bean curd stick and lava egg done ramen style.

The pork was not too fatty, yet the slow-braising made the piece immensely-soft, with robust savoury flavours.

Uncle Robert Western & BBQ
Hainanese Father-In-Law’s Banana Leaf Grilled Stingray ($18.80)
You don’t often find BBQ Stingrays in restaurants (usually in hawker centres), and so was surprised to find this here. The man behind the grill is Chef Austen Ong who spent 16 years with the Grand Hyatt group as chef de cuisine.

Do be prepared to wait for a while, as you get is a juicy and rather ‘meaty’ slab of Stingray (about 200g) served on banana leaf.

The star to me was the housemade sambal, with that slight dried-shrimp taste that worked wondrously with that smoky char.

Hainanese Fried Pork Cutlet Coated with Potato Chips Crumbs ($15.80)
The pork loin is marinated in a special mixture of celery, carrot, spring onions and seasoning to better bring out its natural flavours.

The pork came in a rather huge slab, even good for two to share; served with corn kernel salad and onion rings. Choice of traditional brown sauce or white BBQ sauce.

Old English Oxtail Stew ($18.80)
Braised for hours with fresh tomatoes, spices and onions, this classic comfort dish features succulent meat paired with house-made mashed potatoes.

Newspaper Hainanese Curry Rice
Mama Wee’s Hainanese ‘Kou Rou’ Set ($8.80)
There are five sets to choose from, priced between $7.80 and $9.80. The main ingredients in each are the Curry Chicken Drumstick, “Kou Rou” (pork belly), Fried Pork, Prawn Fritters and Crispy Fried Silver Dory Fish.

All sets are accompanied by freshly steamed rice, prawn crackers, sambal tempeh, sambal belacan and your choice of a homemade vegetable and egg dish.

This is the most popular of the lot, featuring tender braised pork belly.

Nanyang Flavour Fried Chicken Drumstick Set ($7.80)
The Hainanese curry was light and complex; overall the sauces were not the rich and gooey kind, and I wished there was more so that the rice grains would get ‘drenched’. The sambal chilli belacan with the punch was the other highlight.

 
Jin Jin Golden Porridge
Pork Meat Ball Trio Egg Pumpkin Porridge ($9.80, served with crispy fried golden ‘you tiao’)
NEW to this concept is Jin Jin Golden Porridge, and you may wonder about the golden-yellow hue.

Rather than pumpkin slices, you get the addition of pumpkin puree, which includes that sweet nuance throughout the nourishing bowl.

For egg lovers, this comes with a trio of salted egg, century egg, and egg, plus hand-kneaded pork balls. A heart-warming bowl best to have early mornings or cooling suppertime.

Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (available 7am – 10pm daily)
For individual diners, you can go for the Steamed or Roasted Single Chicken with Rice ($5.20, $5.70 for drumstick), Vegetable Set ($7.50), Dumpling Set ($8.30), or Vegetable & Dumpling Set ($10.90).

If you come in a group, available are the Quarter Chicken ($8.90), Half Chicken ($17.20) or Whole Chicken ($34.40).

The fresh chickens used are simmered in premium chicken bone stock along with a selection of ingredients at a carefully controlled temperature, so that the poached chicken is more succulent and flavourful.

The Hainan Story – Hotel Boss
500 Jalan Sultan, Hotel Boss, #01-09, Singapore 199020
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours Daily (except for Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice 7am – 10pm daily; Swiss Rolls till 5pm or sold out Official opening date is this Friday, 16 April 2021.

The Hainan Story – Hillion Mall
17 Petir Road, #01-15/16 Hillion Mall, Singapore 678278
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

* The entry is brought to you in partnership with The Hainan Story.

The almost-erratic part-hot part-rainy weather of late makes me crave for zi char beehoon (like soupy White Beehoon), so much so that my search led me to this “Food King Good” Beehoon stall at Jalan Sultan.

No, this is NOT exactly White Beehoon, and it has a straight forward name of “Try Fresh XO Seafood Noodles”.

A direct translation of its Chinese name 长鲜 should be “Long Fresh”.

The stall is hidden within a non-descript food-court that also houses the Famous Pao Fan 一泡而红 by actor Chew Chor Meng.

Try Fresh XO Seafood Noodles actually first originated from Kepong, Kuala Lumpur with a name of “Hennessy XO Seafood Beehoon”.

On its menu are XO Seafood Bee Hoon Soup ($8.90), HuaDiao Seafood Bee Hoon Soup ($6.90), Salted Egg Seafood Bee Hoon ($8.90), Curry Seafood Beef Hoon ($6.90), to even Curry Otah Ball Bee Hoon ($5.00). What?!

There are also the highly rated Hai Huang Mee Sua ($5.00), and an all-in-one Seafood Combination bowl meant for 2 to 3 pax that cost a whopping $30.

Technically, the “XO” Seafood Bee Hoon Soup is spiked with Hennessy VSOP Cognac, also wok-fried with seafood such as clams, prawns and cuttlefish.

I tell you, you do not even need to taste the liquor to see it coming, because when served piping-hot that alcoholic aroma would just hit your nose.

However, I didn’t totally go ”wow” at the broth, as the liquor kick probably overwhelmed the sweetness of the seafood and ocean flavours of the broth cooked with blue swimmer crabs and lala.

Slightly overwhelming on the cognac side, but I suppose that is why people like it.

The draw really is the “crystal beehoon” specially imported from Malaysia.

While the local vermicelli is towards the long, straight and soft side, these translucent strands had a wavy appearance and springy-crunchier bite.

Would say it is a cross between bee hoon, tang hoon and perhaps konjac noodles, and with curls.

The good thing is the noodles did not absorb the broth that much, so they didn’t turn overly soggy and retained a pleasant bite.

Surprise, surprise. I enjoyed the Salted Egg Seafood Bee Hoon ($8.90) version much better, topped with conspicuous pieces of crunchy pork lard.

When you think of “salted egg”, you may imagine this to be creamy, grainy, and jelak, but this was a lot more soupy.

Also, they managed to tone down the richness while still delivering the salted egg nuances across.

Try Fresh XO Seafood Noodles
100 Jalan Sultan, Singapore 199001
Opening Hours: 10am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

While MasterChef Singapore S2 winner Derek Cheong and 2nd runner-up Trish Yee were competitors on the show, they have collaborated for a series of home deliveries from Donburi to Pao Fan.

Derek initially started “Twelve Flavours” as a private dining concept with fellow MasterChef contestant Ryan Tay (Top 24), but have pivoted to start this series of “Twelve Flavours at Home”.

It is his way of starting to become an owner of his very own restaurant. (Also read about MasterChef runner-up Leon Lim’s Chilli Crab Burger )

As Trish was known to be good with execution of fish dishes on the show, it is no surprise that she is selling “Yu Pian Pao Fan”, but not just any ordinary fish. (Also read: 12 Comforting PAO FAN 泡饭 In Singapore)

It is Kinmedai Pao Fan.

So yeah, I ordered via https://www.twelveflavours.com/shop for the Seafood Pao Fan 海鲜泡饭 ($30).

Delivery till 6 June 2021 only though, so fastest fingers first. (Derek is taking a short break due to his upcoming stint at the Mirazur pop-up in Singapore.)

The Seafood Pao Fan consists of 3 separate parts – the premium seafood box with broth, rice box, and “crispies box”.

I was wondering how they ‘make money’ from the luxurious ingredients found within, from tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallops, clams to fish.

The type of fish incorporated are either premium local snapper or Kinmedai depending on the shipment.

The last time I had Kinmedai (金目鯛) was in a fine-dining Japanese restaurant, and the red fish with large eyes is known for its sweet-clean white flesh, fairly high fat content and balanced flavour. The two were also possibly inspired by the fish challenge on MasterChef.

Customers would just need to simply to heat up the seafood broth (say microwave for a minute), pour in the rice, and add in crispy egg floss and puffed rice as and when to keep this component crunchy.

The seafood broth cooked with bones of four different types of fishes is what I would call an umami bomb – rich-tasting and gao gao, sweet with seafood goodness, yet not overly heavy.

I finished till the last drop, and certainly look forward to their tasty, flavourful Pao Fan making a return in future.

Seafood components were fresh-tasting, especially the plump Hokkaido scallops.

Worthy to mention is Trish’s sauces (can order from https://shop.dopenkitchen.com.sg/stores/doohlala/) of D’ooh Lala’s XO Chilli Sauce and Grandma’s Spicy Garlic Chilli.

The D’ooh Lala’s XO Chilli Sauce ($10.90 per bottle if you want to get) is freshly hand-made and fried with premium dried seafood.

Just add a little to the Pao Fan, or your own noodles or congee, to make it more elevated – a word they love to use on MasterChef.

Also available for order from Twelve Flavours is the Lava Cookies & Ice Cream ($25) which features a caramelised almond chocolate lava cookie with almond praline, coffee infused butter and homemade burnt Madagascar vanilla ice cream.

Twelve Flavours: https://www.twelveflavours.com/shop
D’ooh Lala: http://shop.dopenkitchen.com.sg

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

When I was looking out for Ipoh Horfun to feature in Singapore last year, a Malaysian friend recommended me to a ‘secret’ place that he claimed to be very authentic and reminded him of home.

I was half-sceptical at first, because while there are many Ipoh Horfun stalls in Singapore, not all are Ipoh-Ipoh in style.

The humble eatery is located at the Level 2 of City Plaza at Paya Lebar, not quite the most accessible of places. (Yes, Arnold’s Fried Chicken and Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle is found in the same building).

Named Chiderful 吃淂福 which literally means “eating with blessings”, the eatery is opened after the “Circuit Breaker” by a couple who originated from Ipoh.

The Chef used to work at Sessions Restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa, and he mentioned his famed dish there was the Chilli Crabs. Coincidentally, it was the dish I ordered the last time I dined at Sessions.

The menu has a mish-mash of Ipoh delights and zi char fare. In terms of Ipoh offerings, there are the Chicken Rice ($5), Ipoh Hor Fun in dry or soup ($5) and Drunken Chicken ($16 for half, $30 for whole).

The strength of their Ipoh Horfun ($5) was in the chicken meat, poached so well so that it was both tender and flavourful – plus it was a little on the cold side which some may just like.

The rice noodles used was also thin and slippery, while not quite totally ‘Ipoh-smooth’, this was good enough to satisfy cravings.

I only wished that the base could have been saucier, though the owners say that Singaporean customers generally did prefer something that is more “zhong kou wei” (heavier in flavours).

So you can let them know if you prefer slightly more sauce in your rice noodles beforehand.

The Chicken Rice ($5) was obviously fragrant, and I especially like the crispy fried shallots and housemade ginger paste which complemented well with the fluffy rice grains.

Unfortunately, bean sprouts were not available as a side order, which is what I would typically order with my Chicken Rice.

Some zi char available at my time of visit included Crispy Prawn Paste Chicken Wings ($6 for 6 pcs), Crispy Nan Ru Pork Belly ($9), Sweet & Sour Pork ($15), Bamboo Clams ($12 to $14 per piece), Braised Homemade Beancurd with Seafood ($22), and Stewed Beef with Red Wine ($30).

Note that the dishes rotate depending on availability of fresh ingredients in the market, and some items would require one-day advance pre-order.

Chiderful is not on any delivery platform currently as they have no extra help to coordinate, but hopefully they will do well enough soon.

Chiderful 吃淂福
City Plaza #02-73, 810 Geylang Road, Singapore 409286
Tel: +65 9895 9972
Opening Hours: 12pm – 7pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Located at one other end of Orchard Road, Far East Plaza may have lost some of its retail fame from the good-old days, but people do head there for the many inexpensive fuss-free eateries.

This particular eatery Greenview Café tucked on corner of Level 4, is the food fix you need if you love Mee Hoon Kueh. (Also read: 10 Delicious DRY BAN MIAN In Singapore)

Mee Hoon Kueh generally refers to hand-torn noodles. “Mee Hoon” would mean “wheat flour” in Hokkien, while “Kueh” generally refers to “cake”.

A bowl of Mee Hoon Kueh is typically served with an anchovies-based soup, included with minced pork, fried anchovies, mani vegetables and egg (not note: no eggs added here).

The name “Greenview” has been passed down from the original business some 30 years ago.

Out of simplicity and the fact that the founders Aunty and the late Uncle Choy took up the name “Greenview”, the new owners continue to use this name as it established a good following.

In terms of noodles alone, there are choices of Minced Pork Mee Hoon Kuey ($5), Herbal Soup Mee Hoon Kway ($6), Fried Mee Hoon Kuey ($5.60), Prawn Mee Hoon Kuey ($6.50), Fishball Mee Hoon Kuey ($5), Sliced Fish Mee Hoon Kuey ($6.00), and Tom Yum Mee Hoon Kuey ($7).

There are some appetisers of Fried Stick Cake ($1.80), Crispy Prawn Fritter ($1.80); along with fried dishes of Chinese Fried Rice ($5), Salted Fish Fried Rice ($5.50) and Pig Liver Mee Sua ($6).

Affordable pricing, considering town area.

Their Mee Hoon Kueh ($5) is probably the version that came with the most irregularly shaped pieces – confirmed hand-torn.

The soup that was cooked using a combination of pork bone and chicken broth had some natural sweetness though was slightly on the mild side for me.

Interesting, I also once tried the other recommended Herbal Soup Mee Hoon Kway ($6). While it had a lovely herbal aroma and was delicately sweet, the soup could be a tad salty overall.

Note that unless typical ban mian stalls, there is no egg added (so you may feel like something is missing), but you can request at additional cost. (Though they mentioned actually not many customers ask for that.)

The star item here is the Dry Mee Hoon Kueh ($5), made with a special concoction of house-made sambal mixed with premium dark and light soy sauce.

Indeed, you would experience those soft chewy hand-torn noodles (lovely texture) tossed evenly in this savoury and spicy sauce, contrasted with crispy ikan bilis.

I wished there was more minced pork, for this is probably as good as it gets for the price.

Greenview Café
14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza #04-96, Singapore 228213
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

This is not the case of seeing double.

There is a new Old Shifu Charcoal Porridge opened at Tiong Bahru’s Seng Poh Road by Chef Cher Kee CHIANG, a few minutes’ walk away from the famous Ah Chiang Porridge. (Also read: 10 Comforting Porridge 粥 In Singapore)

This new porridge eatery is conveniently located across the popular Tiong Bahru Food Centre, at the unit that has changed hands frequently enough in the last few years.

Old Shifu Charcoal Porridge’s co-owner and chef is previously the 2nd generation of “Ah Chiang Porridge”.

He sold the business years reportedly for a six-figure sum in 2005, but remained behind the kitchen at the Tiong Bahru outlet. He has recently decided to strike out on his own.

To be honest, I have eaten at Ah Chiang no less than 10 times across the years, but less during recent times as I noted that my favourite meatballs have shrank in size and didn’t quite have the same bite.

The menu over at Old Shifu is strikingly similar, with various combinations of porridge such as Mixed Pork ($5), Sliced Pork ($5), Pork Ball ($5.50), Sliced Fish ($6), Fish Belly ($6), Century Egg Minced Meat ($5), Shrimp Ball Porridge ($8), and Chicken Porridge ($5).

Pretty affordable considering an air-conditioned space. Added egg is at $0.60 extra.

If you need some side dishes for accompaniment, there are Salted Fish with Beansprouts ($7, $10, $12), Stir-Fried Frog Leg with Ginger ($16, $26, $36), Stir-Fried Pig Liver with Ginger ($7, $10, $12), and Stir-Fried Vegetables of the Day ($6, $8, $10).

The recommended is the Mixed Pork Porridge ($5) which includes minced pork, intestines, mixed lived, and sliced pork. There are no handmade pork balls added, but you can opt for a top-up.

Ingredients used are fresh, not frozen.

Surprisingly, the texture was not as starchy and thick as what I remembered it to be, a tad more watery comparatively and not-as-strong on the flavours.

I found myself having to add some of the specially-blended soy sauce.

The benefit of the cooking porridge via charcoal is that the heat remained even throughout the bowl, and relatively warm after consumption to the last few spoonfuls.

Handmade pork balls made all that difference, with uneven shapes, succulent and bouncy bite.

Unfortunately, the small intestines were not that well-cleaned and had that strange bitter taste.

The other bowl that I enjoyed was the Shrimp Ball Porridge ($8) – no ‘balls’ per se, but shrimps which were crunchy, bouncy, and sweet.

All in all, I have ordered four various bowls (via takeaways and dine-in) and there were slight inconsistencies, but I think they have improved in my most recent visit.

Worthy of mention is the crispy You Tiao ($2) fried fresh in-house so it retained some of the fluffiness, without the case of double-frying or lukewarm sticks.

What customers would love is the ”gu zao wei” or that traditional taste of ‘homemade’ porridge.

Old Shifu Charcoal Porridge
Seng Poh Road, #01-17 Block 58, Singapore 160058
Opening Hours: 7am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The elusive “Ah Pui Satay” has gone from a wooden pushcart around the Tiong Bahru Estate, previously settled at 195 Pearl Hill Café, and now with a full-fledged eatery at Chinatown. (Also read: 10 Famous SATAY Stalls In Singapore)

Ah Pui is well-known for grilling smoky old-school Hainanese satay on his push cart at Tiong Bahru since the 1970s.

Of course the other street hawkers have mostly moved on to food centres, while his satay also ‘disappeared’ for a number of years due to the hefty repeated fines from operating in such a manner.

During growing up years, I used to stay near Tiong Bahru on a low-storey flat, and remembering lowering the Milo tin from the second level with a raffia rope to the satay seller downstairs.

The satay man on the pushcart will collect the money within the tin, and place the grilled satay and sauces within. Gone are those days, but these are fond memories that would stay with me.

The new Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay is a stand-alone shop along Smith Street next to Chinatown Food Street.

Word has it that this was opened with previous staff members from 195 Pearl Hill Café. (While they parted ways, the café still serves up satay.)

Other than the AhPui’s Famous Satay ($1.10 per stick, min 10 sticks), other food items include Grilled Prawn with Thai Seafood Sauce ($2.40 per stick, min 3 sticks), Grilled Pork Rice ($8.50), Vietnamese Chicken Wing Rice ($8.50), Chicken Cutlet Rice ($8.50) and Fish & Chips ($8.50).

There are also other snacks of AhPui’s Meat Ball ($6.80), Lemongrass Wing with House Chili Sauce ($6.80), Thai Special Wing ($6.80), Fried Chicken Skin ($6.80), Nacho’s Cheese Fries ($6.80), and Edamame ($6.80).

While there were reports that there was “no more waiting list”, this was short-lived. The last I checked (few days ago), the wait-list for pre-orders is till August 2021.

The eatery has also catered satay for walk-in customers. However, they are also limited by manpower and making the sticks are labour-intensive.

When I checked, Ah Pui and team can make and grill up to 1000 satays per day for walk-in customers and those who reserved.

There is easily a 10 – 20-person queue outside the shop even before opening hours. With each customer buying 20 sticks (which is a conservative estimation), you can do the Maths.

Most items are sold out just slightly after lunch hours.

Here’s why the satay is so sought-after: all the pork meat is still hand-sliced, marinated with spices and secret ingredients, skewered alternating with fats on the wooden stick, then grilled skilfully over charcoal.

Even though each stick is more expensive than the usual at $1.10, the size of the meats are also 20-30% larger.

I can understand why Ah Pui’s Satay is so well-loved – you really don’t get many such beautifully charred satay with aromatic hints and sweetness in the meat anymore.

The magic to me was the ‘block’ of fats in between, with that thin layer of crisp and could burst with juices within your mouth.

The sauce was also very tasty, warm with lovely nuttiness and sweet-fruitiness from grated pineapples. It reminded what I used to have during childhood days.

However, I do need to say that they (both the satay and sauce) tasted best when freshly out.

After the satay was left there for a while (say 20 minutes), the texture turned tougher and also lost some of the sweet juices. So some customers who takeaway may prefer something more tender.

To be fair, the other dishes were not bad choices as well. The Vietnamese Chicken Wing Rice ($8.50) came with Thai-style and sized wings, covered liberally with an addictive chilli sauce with that kick and tanginess.

It would have been made more perfect if they serve chicken rice style rice, rather than the plainer style.

Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay 阿肥中峇魯沙爹
28 Smith Street, Singapore 058942
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun), or till sold out

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

If you have missed the famous Chin Mee Chin Confectionery 真美珍茶室 at East Coast Road, it has made a return with a refurnished look and revamped menu.

Another to add to your East Coast Plan.

The opening date has been pushed back several times (from the original March) due to the “P2HA”, and the team needed additional time for increased research and development of recipes.

They are determined to ensure traditional techniques and tastes are retained, all while working closely with the family behind the business to do so.

It has been more than 2 years that Chin Mee Chin has closed (time flies), and yes, it is back at its original location at 204 East Coast Road.

It has found a new business partner in Ebb & Flow Group, which is behind restaurants such as The Dragon Chamber, Sommer Dining, and 8ASH at Ann Siang Hill, and the popular Tigerlily Patisserie at Joo Chiat.

Residents of Katong and of a certain generation should be familiar with Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, otherwise known as CMC.

This is where you can get a taste of the old-styled coffee and bakes, and to take a step down the memory lane.

The Hainanese coffeeshop 真美珍茶室 along East Coast Road was founded by Mr Tan Hui Dong in 1925.

There was a certain nostalgic charm in this little shop, with mosaic blue and white tiles, marble top tables, a mixture of wooden chairs and ceiling fans.

We went there relatively early during opening day, at 7:30am (the café opens at 8am daily except Mondays), 8th in the queue. But when we received all the food ordered, it was slightly after 9am.

Expect major teething in the operations (similar to Tigerlily Patisserie when it first opened), and would recommend going down say months later when they finally settle down.

It won’t be too exaggerating to say that the average wait could be about 1-2 hours (for now).

Overheard: ”Isn’t it just toast, coffee and ready-bakes?”

We kind of concur that this is nowhere near to Yakun / Killiney / Toast Box speed, but would like to be more understanding to the operations team. Perhaps people were expecting the processes to be more ironed-out after the long delay.

On the breakfast menu are Kaya Toast ($2.20), Eggs ($1.60), or get the set with a drink ($4.90).

Other breads available include Luncheon Meat Bun ($2), Brown Bun ($2), Hae Bee Hiam Bun ($2.20), Otah Bun ($2.20), Sausage Bun ($2).

The Kaya Toast with the thick slab of butter remained my favourite item of the lot, with sweet aromatic kaya hand-made in traditional style on charcoal-roasted bun. In fact, the bun was soft and more delectable than how I remember it to be. Opps.

The soft-boil eggs were unfortunately quite run-of-the-mill average; while the kopi lacked the robust body and aroma you would have expected from a Nanyang-style coffee.

A disappointment was in the Luncheon Meat Bun ($2) which I was looking forward to after seeing photos of thick slab of luncheon meat in another online review.

In reality, it looked like it was half in thickness – either they have decided to scale back, or that was specially prepared only for photos. A pity really, as the buns’ texture was fluffy and tasty.

New additions or updates to previous bakes include pastries of Chocolate Cupcake ($1.80), Cream Horn ($2), Sugee Cake ($2.30), Cheesecake Brownie ($2.6), Gula Melaka Coffee Chiffon Cake ($2.20), and Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart ($2.20).

Many items were “sold out” when we made our orders at 8:30am (really? really.).

My vote would go to the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart ($2.20) which came in an easier-to-consume petite size, satisfying with rich chocolate with tinge of saltiness from the peanut butter.

Regulars would certainly miss that familiar smell of kaya, butter and coffee prominent in the air; and the sight of aunties at the back-kitchen rattle in Hainanese as they prepare the daily fix.

Not quite the same vibes anymore, but at least the charcoal-grilled Kaya Toast was delicious.

Chin Mee Chin
204 East Coast Road, Singapore 428903
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

After 20 years in the business, Chinatown Food Street has unfortunately closed.

It is another victim to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the lack of tourists who used to frequent the place, and restricted dine-in measures, among other reasons.

Located on Smith Street in the heart of Chinatown (a short walk from Chinatown Complex Food Centre Hawker the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum), Chinatown Food Street was revamped by Select Food Group in the late 20213 and used to attract crowds.

Remember the 50c fest that drew throngs of people?

Previously before the revamp, the major complaint previous was that street was too hot and messy. The 100-metre street then boosted of glass-canopy shelter with cooling system, and was fully pedestrianised.

Perhaps many do not know it featured stalls such as the famous King Of Fried Rice, Katong Keah Kee Fried Oysters, Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee, Tiong Bahru Meng Roast Duck, Siam Square Mookata, Ministry of Crab, Sultan of Satay, and Boon Tat BBQ Seafood.

According to the spokesperson of Select Group, they will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to explore options for the site.

Thank you for the memories.

Chinatown Food Street
41 Smith St, Singapore 058953

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

In search for some hearty and hot Claypot Rice to comfort the soul, I chanced upon Deng Wen Ji 鄧文记 at Haig Road.

The casual eatery is of walking distance from KINEX shopping Mall and Haig Road Market and Food Centre, a long walk from Paya Lebar MRT.

Deng Wen Ji is one of those interesting eateries that specialises in both Charcoal Claypot Rice and Wanton Mee in a single place, also selling food items such as Prawn Noodles, zi char dishes, and Roasted Duck. Everything also sell ah.

Therefore, you would even find dishes of Claypot Cai Pu Tofu ($12), Claypot Sweet and Sour Pork ($10), Prawn Paste Chicken ($8), Ngor Hiang ($15), Sambal Kang Kong ($8), Onion Omelette ($8), to Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves ($8).

Amazing how a small kitchen can dish out so many things.

As I was reading the menu, the Chinese name of the star dish called “Ah Ching Charcoal Claypot Rice” got me intrigued. ”Who is Ah Ching?”

Then I found out they have another outlet at East Village Upper Changi Road.

Apparently, the shop is helmed by Chef Chong Hoi Ching who was previously an ex-chef from the famed Geylang Claypot Rice, and he has more than 20 years of cooking experience.

As Claypot Rice requires time to prepare from scratch and cook under the charcoal fire, it is recommended to drop them a call (+65 6222 9096) for dine-ins or picking up your orders.

Otherwise, it would be about a 30 minutes or more wait.

The Claypot Rice came in $13 for regular, and $23 for large, cooked with thin fragrant rice which would absorb flavours from the ingredients better, included with fresh chicken, waxed meats cheong and salted fish.

The serving staff would actually help to pour the condiments such as dark soya sauce within, to let the saltiness of the sauce mix and penetrate better with the rice.

I loved the flavours of the rice which wasn’t so salty; and the guo ba at the base of the pot was just nice and not overly burnt or hard. Another winning element were the tender pieces of boneless chicken, soft and succulent.

Perhaps because I went during the opening days, I wished the pot overall could be more ”xiang” or fragrant.

Curious about their Wantan Mee ($4.50), I had an order and found tasting so like ENG’s. My suspicion was confirmed when I asked for chilli and they passed over that iconic spicy-chilli bottle.

Okay, here’s the thing: Just so you know, there are two different “ENGs” selling Wanton Noodles in Singapore which branched out from the famous wanton noodles stall at Dunman Food Centre known for its fiery chilli sauce.

There is ENG’s Wantan Noodle (chain stall with the green plates), while this is related to Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee.

If you are craving a good old-school bowl of Wanton Mee, then you can head over here. Give it a good toss, and you should enjoy the flavourful mix, pork lard fragrance, and of course the fiery chilli sauce.

Deng Wen Ji 鄧文记 – Haig Road
26 Haig Road Road Singapore 438735
+65 6222 9096
Opening Hours: 6am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Deng Wei Ji 鄧文记 – East Village
430 Upper Changi Road #01-08/09 (East Village) Singapore 487048
+65 8723 5099
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

For those craving for a nostalgic Singapore breakfast of Kaya Toast and Kopi, there are the local chains of Yakun, Killiney Kopitiam, and Toast Box. But sometimes, we like to find something different that brings us through the passage of time.

Places such as Heap Seng Leong, Chin Mee Chin, and YY Ka Fei Dian offer a bit more character as they are stand-alone shops.

There is also Keng Wah Sung Café 琼华昌 at 783 Geylang Road, which has been around for more than 70 years, serving customers from the wee hours of 5:30am in the morning.

When I visited early Saturday morning, there was a steady queue of customers but the line cleared quick.

The items are reasonably priced, offering Breakfast Set with kopi or teh ($3.60), Kaya Toast ($0.80), Soft Boiled Eggs ($0.70), and local beverages of coffee, Milo, and Horlicks ($1.20 – $1.80).

The Kaya Toast came in a thin layer with an agreeable crisp (though won’t say it would be as crispy as Yakun’s), with delightful slab of butter and kaya layer. Of the price of 80 cents, I am not complaining.

The proportion was managed just right, and this would please those who liked their bread soft enough with a touch of charcoal-grilled crisp.

While the eggs were pretty much average, the local kopi had a pleasurable fragrance and light lingering bitterness (but not over).

So overall, I enjoyed the coffee best, followed by the toast, then the eggs.

What’s the real draw to me was the old-school charm, while watching the hustle and bustle.

Then, I noticed many people also buying the local-style economic bee hoon, and I got tempted to order a plate with luncheon meat and fish fillet.

Oh… there was that feelin’ of nostalgia that hit me. It reminded me of those ‘swimming pool bee hoon’ I had during my childhood days. While the bee hoon wasn’t anything spectacular and could do with more seasoning, it was a taste that captured (say 70%) of the 80s and 90s.

The kopitiam is also relatively popular for its old-school style of wanton mee at Leong Hua Wan Ton Noodles, and Nasi Lemak. Leave your tummy empty behind you come.

Keng Wah Sung Café 琼华昌
783 Geylang Road, Singapore 389672
Opening Hours: 5:30am – 11pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.