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There's this notion that typical Singaporeans love to queue because of their "kia su"(afraid of losing) attitude. Be it freebies, food or hello kitties, the queue goes on and on and on.
For me, I simply love food more than queuing. Thankfully, there's man! I've always been fortunate to have them queuing for me willingly. :D IL was gentleman enough to offer standing in the line for Ah Lo's yam and carrot cake at Chinatown Market just to satisfy my curiosity.
The stall sells only yam cake, carrot cake and peanut porridge. While queuing, IL learnt from a friendly lady in front of him that the stall owners used to be very arrogant. They would not sell the peanut porridge alone. It was like a side. I think the old couple mellowed down with age over the years. 
Twenty minutes of much anticipated wait later, it was finally his turn. IL got us a plate of yam cake and a plate of carrot cake($2.00 per plate) to share. The yam cake was sprinkled with sesame seeds and spring onions on top of the sweet sauce.
I was expecting to bite into bits of mushrooms, yam and shrimps but I could only taste the silky smooth spongy texture of the cakes. No, don't get me wrong. It didn't feel like biting into flour. This was Cantonese-style as I was told. The chilli sauce was very nice and complemented the plain looking cakes. You have to pay an extra $0.20 for more chilli sauce!
I prefer the carrot cake as no one beats the yam cake my sister's MIL made. Hokkien-style.
While we were eating, an uncle asked us if it was worth queuing. Yes, if you have the time. Since we were already half-filled, we decided to look around the labyrinth of stalls for other good food. We spotted a queue in front of Heng Ji Chicken Rice stall.
The line wasn't as long and we decided to join in the queue. It didn't take too long to get to our turn. Around ten minutes.The chicken was smooth and very tender. 
The thing that was different was the chilli sauce. It wasn't the usual garlic chilli sauce with a hint of lime but something a tad sweet. I love chicken rice chilli and that was a letdown.
The rice was very fragrant but the serving was really small. I think any guy could have easily gobbled down three bowls at a go.
We had this mixed feelings about Heng Ji's chicken rice as we tucked in. It tasted like Yet Con's. After finishing our meal, we decided it wasn't bad. It just wasn't our plate of chicken rice.
In the end, we spent more than an hour queuing and eating which means we could have waited for the famous claypot chicken rice we wanted to have initially. But I'm glad I got to taste other good food I haven't tried before.
And I'm thankful for the great choices of food here that we Singaporeans get to queue for.
@IL: I didn't forget the super bitter chrysanthemum and luo han guo drink! :P
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street
I'm glad the truth is finally out in the papers.
I've been wanting to blog about this since the opening of the other "copy crabs". Because I'm related to the crab chef, Mr Tan Yau Heng, I've received many calls from friends asking me if Mr Tan has left First Grade Seafood in Joo Chiat Place.
The answer is no. Just like the The Sunday Times(11 Jan 09) has clarified.
House of Seafood@180 in Yio Chu Kang claimed to be 'formerly known at Joo Chiat Place', is obviously a marketing ploy to mislead the customers. The Chef who once worked at First Grade Seafood Palace was in charge of cooking other dishes, not its signature crabs.
Then came the Chef's Crab Seafood Restaurant which declared that the "famous black pepper crab from the Joo Chiat area has made its way to Katong" in an ad they put up. This is even more ludicrous because the chef was only responsible for killing crabs and slicing the ingredients back at First Grade Seafood Palace.
The chefs may have worked at First Grade Seafood Palace at some point but never the key chef for crabs. Yes, they may have picked up a trick of two but experience is something they can never possess overnight.
Having said that, I'm not jumping to conclusion that the copy crabs are not as good. Perhaps not everyone bothers who's the real McCoy or can taste the difference. But the fact that the one and only crab chef, Mr Tan, who has worked at First Grade Seafood for over 20 years, is still cooking up a storm in Joo Chiat Place remains a fact. The customers should have the rights to make their own choice and not be misled by ambiguous declarations.
So if you want the good old authentic Joo Chiat Place black pepper crabs, head nowhere else but Joo Chiat Place.
Here are some exclusive photos of Mr Tan at work. :)
Besides black pepper crabs, they serve Singapore's favourite chilli crabs too.
Mr Tan handles four woks at a time. The orders for crabs alone are enough to kept him busy throughout the night.
The Mee Goreng is also one of their specialties. It's very spicy and yummy, unlike the sweet Indian version which I don't prefer.
I love the crispy Seafood You Tiao too.
All I can say is only the original gets copied.
For those who are interested to read the above article, drop me a note. :)
First Grade Seafood Palace
247 Joo Chiat Place
6440 5560
(Closed on Wednesday)
As a curry puff lover, it is only natural that I was quick to try out the black pepper, chilli crab and other new flavours the puff makers came up with. Still, nothing beats the original.
Lately, Old Chang Kee introduces the Chicken and Mushroom Puff($1.20). Not too exciting. Sounds like a regular chicken pie in shape of a curry puff. But being greedy and always keen to give new flavours a try, I bought one.
To my surprise, it tasted good. Could have been better if it was a little peppery though. It was oozing with chunks of mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and chicken. Another plus point was that it was piping hot. Not warm, not hot but piping hot. That explains why you can always feel the heat when you pass by an OCK stall. I didn't feel gelak after eating which always happens when I have their huge curry puff with super thick skin.
Overall, worth a try but bring your own pepper. ;)
It just so happened that K had to go down to Sunshine Plaza(somewhere we don't frequent) in the morning to deliver his work, we ended up at Victor's Kitchen for brunch. While he was away, I had a good one hour deciding what I wanted to eat. It was between the Fried Wanton Mee and Dim Sum. Since there are so many Parklane Fried Wanton Mee around Singapore, both of us agreed on Victor's. I always love having dim sum for breakfast. Nothing beats a fulfilling breakfast to kick-start your day.
The "restaurant" is pretty small with maybe seating for less than 25. Getting a seat for two is however not a problem at that hour when most people have started work.
The must-order dish is prawn dumplings(har kau). And Victor's king prawn har kau is filled with royal goodness.
The steamed carrot cake didn't look as appetizing as the those fried ones I love, was served with this interesting mixture of chilli, fried shallot, dried shrimp and oil.
K thinks the char siew pau was good but the ones from 找到食 at Geylang are still the best.
This is something with quail's egg. Can't remember the exact name but yes, they are something nice and different from the regular siew mai I don't quite fancy.
Being hungry and greedy, we also ordered porridge and prawn chee cheong fan. The skin was not too thick and the prawns were fresh. It was a tad oily but chee cheong fan is most of the time.
Only after I told M about my hearty breakfast that I realized Chubby Hubby has highly recommended Victor's Kitchen.
"Victor Leung and his wife moved here from Hong Kong only last year. And they moved for one of the best reasons I can imagine—so that their kids can take advantage of Singapore’s public education system, which is one of the best if not the best in the region. I really admire this incredibly friendly couple. They picked up, moved here and have started from scratch for the sake of their kids. Victor has 20 years experience as a dim sum chef, and has worked in several countries. His last job, before coming here, was in the dim sum kitchen at the New World Hotel in Kowloon. If you’re a dim sum fan, you must, must, must check out this tiny, inexpensive and simply fantastic find. Even if you’re not, I urge you to visit, for no other reason than to support Victor and his wife." - Chubby Hubby
Victor's Kitchen
91 Bencoolen St Sunshine Plaza #01-21
Opens Tues-Sun, 10am to 9pm
9838 2851 (He also does catering)
Like M said, who doesn't like chicken wings. I'm of no exception. Fried, BBQ, Grill. Buffalo, teriyaki, prawn paste, I love them all. And when W told me she was bringing me to try this famous fried chicken wing, I was elated.
Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings is located at a block away from Two Chefs Eating Place. There was still a line when we went there after dinner at about 9ish. Be mindful that the queue can get really long during dinner time.
The stall does not sell fried chicken wings solely but economic fried bee hoon with a variety of dishes I usually eat for breakfast. As its name suggests, they specialise in fried chicken wings. Still, many ordered bee hoon and other dishes for a complete meal.
One interesting thing we noticed about the uncle was that he would make an effort to pack the food nicely. You know how some economic rice hawker will simply pile everything on the rice or dump the whole lot on the plate and serve. This uncle sure knows a thing about presentation.
The fried chicken wings($1.20 each) looked ordinary but they were extraordinary! OK, I'm exaggerating. But, they tasted really good! Unpretentious and authentic. Crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The skin was very flavourful which complemented the not-so-salty meat. I was a tad disappointed with the chilli sauce because it was sweet. However, it didn't bother me much because it was so good I can eat it on its own. :D
Eng Kee Fried Chicken Wings
117 Commonwealth Drive #01-711
Since you're bound to find a chicken rice stall at almost every coffee shop, foodcourt and hawker center, there must be one best chicken rice stall around your neighbourhood.
I believed Bishan-ians will agree that the best chicken rice in Bishan goes to (Bugis St) Ming Kee Chicken Rice. There's always a long queue and a slow-moving one because most people order portion to feed the whole family. Some time last year, Ming Kee Chicken Rice was featured on Channel U's Where The Queue Starts (排排站.查查看). The hosts of this programme went around Singapore to check out stalls with long queues and find out whether it's worth your time. Apparently, the Ming Kee was awarded 5 thumbs up.
It cost $5 for a plate of 鸡尾饭! However, the serving was quite generous. The regular breast meat($3 per plate) wasn't dry but juicy and tender. The rice was fragrant and fluffy. I actually finished up the mountain of rice which also proved that it wasn't too oily. Soup tasted like salted vegetable soup instead of the regular chicken soup. Chilli sauce was watery but spicy enough. Downside is it wasn't accompanied by minced ginger. :(
Another interesting fact is that while queuing(it's the first time I queued myself :P ), I couldn't help but notice a plastic container beside the chopping board. Chunks of chicken were submerged in the container filled with ice water right before chopping into smaller pieces. Oh and you'll realize there isn't any chicken hanging like other chicken rice stalls because they are all swimming in ice water.
This is Bishan (or Bugis?) best chicken rice stall. :)
So share with me, where's the best chicken rice in your neighbourhood?
(Bugis St) Ming Kee Chicken Rice
Blk 511 Bishan St 13, #01-522
Kim San Leng Food Centre
Oftentimes, my photos don't do justice to the mouthwatering food I blog about.
Reasons being:
1. I felt bad having everyone wait while they were salivating at the food.
2. I like to eat it hot like mum always orders.
3. Everyone was starving.
4. The food smelled so good we couldn't resist.
5. The lighting was poor.
6. My hp camera didn't do a good job(because I didn't bring my other camera).
These are really not excuses. Especially when everyone is starving, I can't be 'styling' the food and taking my own sweet time to find the best angle for the perfect shot. However, having picture-perfect-not pictures gives me an excuse to revisit the place if the food is worth recommending.
Two Chefs Eating Place is definitely one of the places I'm revisiting for better photos because of the first four reasons.
As the name suggests, this eating place was opened by 2 brothers from Ipoh. I didn't get to meet either of them but the auntie who served us was very helpful and friendly. As it was our first time here, K & I pretty much left the menu to W. Commonwealth Drive sounds like a complete foreign country to me.
To start off, the cold cockles were really good appetiser. Soaked in some garlic and chilli padi laced vinegar and wine sauce and sprinkled with spring onions, the cockles were fresh and juicy. For extra kick, eat it with the chilli!
Another must-try is their signature Butter Pork Ribs. The deep fried pork ribs were covered with their golden magic powder and curry leaves. The powder is actually milk powder fried with butter and other secret ingredients.
The pork chop to be exact was tender and very fragrant. However, the meat hardened when it turned cold. Slightly sweet but savoury in general, it reminded me of cereal chicken. Best part was, it didn't taste porky at all. Thumbs up!
The Three Eggs Spinach is something I was introduced only a years ago. The first time I tried it was at a Cantonese cze char place along Keong Siak Street. And I later discovered Dian Xiao Er's really nice. This was a bit bland and too watery(which K preferred because he doesn't fancy salted egg).
The Golden Mushroom Tofu though another signature dish, wasn't a favourite of mine. The homemade tofu was buried in the Enokitake and swimming in a brown gravy. The tofu was smooth and nice but perhaps the overall taste was too expect. I much prefer the good old hotplate version complemented with egg.
We wanted to order Herbal Prawns but it was sold out! Auntie recommended Pepper Salt Prawns which turned out nothing like what the name suggests. It was wet and sweet. :( The prawns were however, fresh. :)
The bill totalled up to $58 for 4 persons. Good food at great value! I'm definitely going back with my friends.
Two Chefs Eating Place
116 Commonwealth Drive #01-129 64725361, 94379712
11.30am - 2.30pm, 5pm - 11.30pm
Closed on Monday (Lunch)
I can still remember vividly that granny would buy me breakfast from the market before school when I was in primary school. One of my favourites got to be roti prata. My sisters and I would eat with our bare hands just like the Indians! The prata then was fluffy, chewy and irregular in shape. The curry was watery(not exactly dilluted) and I could only remember the taste of curry powder. Unappetizing as it may sound but I really miss those childhood days.
Roti prata is still one of my favourite food. But now, I eat them for supper. And they are crispy! No introduction needed, The Roti Prata House is best known for its crispy prata. Long gone the soggy prata, the western influenced crispy prata now comes in many different flavours like cheese, mushrooms, ice-cream, other than egg. I still prefer the original, kosong(plain) ones with fish curry. The prata has shrunk in size over the years so satu(one in malay) is never enough.
T likes it with sugar and I can never understand why. :P
I enjoy the teh tarik here because it's not too sweet.
Nasi Goreng Ikan Bilis is another dish I'd order if I need a full meal. Loaded with vegtables, beancurds, green chillies and ikan bilis, it's peppery and fragrant. Yum!
Roti Prata is really tasty but unhealthy not to mention having them for supper. Which is why M always insists we should go for cake and tea at McCafe instead. (Cake is very fattening too! It's just disguised in a nicer outlook.) :P
Blogging about this now reminds me that I have not visited the famous Jalan Kayu prata at Thesevi's for the longest time. Shall we, M? 246M Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574370
6459 5260
Opens 24 hours
As a teochew, I should like fish according to M. Yes, I do. But I think I'll pick grilled cod fish with herbs or pan-fried buttered dory or baked salmon with cheese or simply fish & chips... over teochew steamed fish or sliced fish soup. Still, I won't resist teochew styled fish when I feel like something light and healthy. It just so happened that P is on a healthy diet these days due to his poor health report and constant nagging from his mum(and also because of the rainy weather), we decided to opt for something we don't usually crave for, teochew fish head steamboat at 天外天 along Serangoon Road.
I heard that you've to wait for two hours during peak hours for your food to be served. Thank goodness that night wasn't that crowded though it was fully packed.
There's a variety of fish like pomfret, red garoupa and others depending on season for you to choose from. We ordered the medium pot for 5($32.00). Sinking in the sweet and potent soup are yam, lettuce, fried flatfish and thickly sliced fresh pomfret fish. You can even top up the soup for free. For those who can't stand the fishiness of certain fish(just to clarify, I don't find it fishy at all), you can dip the fish in the special garlic, chilli, lime and vinegar sauce. I like it with just freshly cut chillies in soya sauce.
I believe the fish head pot is not the only reason why customers are coming back to 天外天 even when waiting time can be ridiculous. Other dishes are equally delicious too. My favourite got to be the spicy prawn and tofu. It tasted like chilli crab but not as sweet. One can easily finish up a bowl of plain rice with just the thick and appetising gravy alone.
奶白 (nai bai) is like a mini version of 小白菜 and is not available at every cze-char stall. Stir-fried with garlic, crunchy and tasty.
You'll find this dish on almost every table. The crispy prawn roll was deep fried to perfection. Not too oily or dry. Unlike some that tasted like minced meat, you can actually taste the shrimp and crunchiness of the water chestnut. However, I still prefer those that are not coated with flour. Especially the ones my grandma used to make.
There are quite a few famous fish head steamboat restaurants around, especially 南华昌(Nan Hwa Chong) which is rated top by the local papers, I've yet tried so I can't really compare. And MM insisted 天外天 was really nothing fantastic because she has tasted better and I'm still waiting for her to bring me there. But 天外天 has enough drool factors to bring me back when I feel like having a warm family dinner. At least this is one meal you won't feel guilty after feasting.
Just a sidenote, there are apparently two similarly named Nan Hwa Chong Fishhead steamboat at Jalan Sultan. The so-called original restaurant is the one named 南华昌（亚秋）鱼头炉.
