Yue Lai Xiang Cuttle Fish KangKong: Grandma's recipe since 1939: Bedok Corner FC Part 3 of 3

With holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


So many people were afraid that I would miss out on this stall! Well, I don't like to dissappoint people, so here it is!

The enterprising Granny of Yue Lai Xiang actually started off selling Jiu Her Eng Chye (Cuttlefish KangKong) before diversifying to Cheng Tng (See previous blog). Stall owner Mr Jason Lim claims that his Grandma is probably the first to come up with the dish if not one of the first. In the past, the dish was much more popular, but nowadays it is something not commonly found in any food centre. This begs the question why?

Economic theory tells us that in a free market economy, if there is market for the product, then there will be entry of competitors until equilibrium is achieved. So if there are not many stalls around selling Cuttlefish Kangkong, it must mean that the dish is not that popular amongst the average Singaporean. But then, this stall still pulls quite a crowd and is often sold out by 8pm everyday. So why are there no new competitors in the market? This dish, afterall seems simple enough. Or is it?



For the uninitiated (like myself), this dish is very much like rojak. The cuttlefish is first soaked and boiled and cut into pieces, mixed with cucumber, tau pok, lettuce, pineapple and doused with a sweet sauce and chilli sauce.



Jason stressed that it is important that the cuttlefish is of good quality. Here they only use Korean Cuttlefish which is supposed to be the best. The texture of the cuttlefish is springy and non fibrous. If you like sweet stuff, the chilli and sweet sauce will not dissappoint. It is still made from the same recipe handed down by Grandma. I found this to be a refreshing dish good more for an appetizer or side dish rather than a main meal. 4/5

Conclusion

Don't eat much Cuttlefish Kangkong, so my opinion may not be the most trustworthy. If you are a fan of this place, do write in and share with us how to appreciate this dish!

Yue Lai Xiang CuttleFish Kangkong
Stall 32 Bedok Corner Food Centre
Open 12pm to 8pm
Closed Mondays

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Halal Orh Luak! Bedok Corner FC Part 2 of 3

I admit that I am a very poor Orh Luak (Oyster Omelette) Afficianado. I don't actually enjoy the oyster that much. What I like, horror of horrors, is actually the egg and the sticky gooey paste! So Orh Luak has not been a regular item on my list of foods to eat.



I am including this particular stall because it is first of all Halal, which is quite uncommon and secondly because this is Orh Luak that is not too oily and finally it actually tastes quite good. What I like is that they managed to get the paste to be really nice and crispy. The oysters are a tad tiny so our Orh Luak afficianados would probably not look favourably on it. 3.75/5

Conclusion

Good for those who take Halal food and also those like me who like just the egg and paste and at the same time trying to limit their cholesterol intake.

No Name Stall
Bedok Corner Food Centre

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Yue Lai Xiang Cheng Tng: This is One Special Cheng Tng: Bedok Corner FC Part 1 of 3

With holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


When it comes to Cheng Tng, I only know of one that really stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Yue Lai Xiang has been around since Bedok Corner Hawker Centre was still by the beach. Started by Grandma, the secret recipe has been handed down for 3 generations and it seems like no one else has been able to crack the secret.



This Cheng Tng is really Cheng (Clear) and has got 11 different ingredients in it. The soup is constructed from soups from 2 different troughs. One has got dried longan, pandan leaves and rock sugar in it and the other trough contains a "secret ingredient" which Mr Lim prefers to keep secret. Whatever it was, the soup here tastes very Liang (Cooling) and though you can make out the sweetness of the rock sugar and the longan, there was just that extra something else that makes it very special. They have several rather special ingredients in the mix too that really stands out. One is the dried persimmon you can see in the picture above and the other is the dried winter melon strips. 4.5/5



Here is another hawker who is very proud of his craft. Mr Lim was sharing with me how he used to watch Grandma making the Cheng Tng and how he used to ask her why some bowls had more ingredients and others less. She simply replied that the fingers on her hand are also not all of equal lengths!

Conclusion

There are many Cheng Tngs around, but I don't know any that are like the one here. I just love fishing out the pieces of dried wintermelon and persimmon. The feeling is like finding that piece of chicken in your curry puff!

Yue Lai Xiang
Hot and Cold Cheng Tng
Bedok Corner Food Centre Stall 31
aka Bedok Food Court
Junction of Bedok Rd and Bedok Junction
Open 12pm to 8pm
Closed on Mondays

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Prince Taiwan Porridge: It's 2am and I need something to warm my tummy!

With ieatFamily and skinnyfoodie


Do you know what is the difference between Taiwan Porridge and Teochew Porridge? No I don't mean the dishes, I mean the porridge itself. I just found out that aside from the addition of sweet potatoes, Taiwan porridge is cooked from Japanese Short Grain rice (Zhen Zhu Rice) whilst the Teochew version is made from jasmine rice. So real Taiwanese porridge is very much stickier than Teochew porridge. However, because Singaporeans are more used to the Teochew version, this stall makes its porridge from a mixture of short grain and jasmine rice.



Whenever I eat Taiwan Porridge, I usually order the same stuff. I think most of us tend to be that way. Either because we are creatures of habit or we are Kiasu and not wanting to waste our calories on something that is not nice. So, the cold tofu is quite a standard dish for me.

I found this particular sauce a bit too salty and less sweet then others. I did not like it but ieatMrs and skinnyfoodie did. But since I am rating it, it gets 3/5 $4



The Kong Bak Pau was good. The buns here are specially made to order and were really very big and fluffy. One of the best ones (the buns that is) I have tried. The Kong Bak was tasty and really tender. It was good but it lacked that OOmph factor to make it a die die must try. $12 for a set that makes 6. 4/5. Still, it is well worth trying if you are yearning for a good KBP in the area.



The chicken in wine sauce was ok. When you eat it, you know that the chicken was prefried and the sauce was added just prior to serving. It would have been better if the chicken was freshly fried. $6 3.5/5



A good Chye Poh ommelette should be really fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. To do that, you need skill, a really hot wok and hot oil. The one was good, but tasted like something you could make at home. 3/5

Conclusion

Some dishes were good, some not so, but all is not lost. This place is opened till 3am daily, it is air-conditioned and they don't charge GST and service charge. So it is still a great and comfortable place to get something nice to eat in and warm the tummy if you are working the late night shift!

7/10 (T2+V2+S2+E1)

Prince Taiwan Porridge
9 Cheong Chin Nam Road
64670289
11am - 3pm
5.30pm - 3am Daily

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Yong He Eating House: Taiwanese Snacks 24 hours a Day

Feeling peckish in the middle of the night and not wanting to eat something too rich that would give you a glutton's hangover the next day? Well this might be the thing for you.

Situated in the middle of all the action at Geylang is this 24 hour place selling Tau Huay and You Char Kway. The Tau Hway may not be as smooth as Rochor Tau Hway over the other side of Geylang, but this stall does offer a few interesting and less common Taiwanese style snacks.



One is the the Omelette "Biskuit" which is a light pastry (like Pong Piah) cut open with egg omelette and pork floss in it. Not particularly die die must try, but light and satisfying when eaten together with Tau Huay. 3.5/5



Another is the You Char Kway with Pork Floss wrapped in Glutinous Rice. Some foods you can imagine the taste by what you see. This is one of them. Yes it tastes like You Char Kway and Pork Floss and Glutinous rice. Again light and satisfying. 3.5/5

Conclusion

More comfort food than shiok food. It is the sort of stuff you eat to feel comfortable in the tummy. This stall has been around for 20 years before the current wave of new Taiwanese eateries in Singapore offering street food and the menu is a bit of a hodge podge of Taiwanese and current favourites like Xiao Long Bao and Tea Eggs.

Yong He Eating House
239-241 Geylang Road
67455682
Open 24 hours Daily

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Qi Ji Poh Piah: Prince of Poh Piahs: Sim Lim Food Centre Part 3 of 3

With yummydummies, PK, smart, liverpool, iwatch_ueat and tamago


Oh yes! I think I have found my perfect Poh Piah! I remember eating these few years ago when someone ordered it for a lunch meeting. But at that time I was not blogging yet, so I did not bother to take down details of the Poh Piah. Now I can photo archive it for posterity!



This strength of the Poh Piah lies in the skin.... literally. Although it is super thin, it is amazingly resilient. Even when you Tar Pow it, it doesn't get soggy, but retains its chewy, slightly gummy texture. I derive a lot of pleasure chewing on the skin which is almost like chewing gum (but not quite). The filling is marvellous too. The layer of crunchy stuff remains crunchy while the turnips are still moist and sweet. If you put in XO Lup Cheong, King Prawns and maybe even some freshly peeled Crab Meat, this could be transformed into my vision of a Dream Poh Piah! 4.5/5

Conclusion

So far the best Poh Piah I have eaten! The magic is really in the skin. I will need to try the famous Joo Chiat Poh Piah one of these days in order to see if this one can be topped!

Hock Kee/Qi Ji Poh Piah
Stall 4 Sim Lim Food Centre

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Parklane Abalone Bak Chor Mee: Sim Lim Food Centre Part 2 of 3

With PK, yummiedummies, smart, liverpool, iwatch_ueat and tamago


Some people have recommended this Bak Chor Mee, so I have included it into this series. What makes it a bit special is the piece of Abalone that is thrown in. That's about it. The noodles were good but not exceptional. Some of our makankakis even commented that they managed to smell the alkaline in the noodles. Better than your run of the mill Bak Chor Mee and definitely can eat if you are craving for Bak Chor Mee while shopping for your computer peripherals. 3.5/5

Conclusion

One of the more famous ones around. I felt it could be better but perhaps you disagree?


Parklane Abalone Bak Chor Mee
Stall 1 Sim Lim Food Centre
10am to 10pm

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Shanghai Delights: Delightful Indeed: Sim Lim Square Food Centre Part 1 of 3

With PK, smart, liverpool, tamago, yummydummies and iwatch_ueat


Next time you are at Sim Lim Square and are feeling peckish after all that shopping for computer stuff, make sure you visit this Shanghai Delights stall at the food court. I guarantee (Did I say guarantee? I take it back. No guarantee, no refunds!) that you are going to be delighted! Just look at how big and juicy the Guo Tie is! At 50 cents a piece, it is a real bargain.



The skin is nice and crisp and the filling is generous and juicy. I felt the filling could do with a bit more ooomph though. 4/5



The one dish that you really MUST TRY is the Stir Fried Beef with rice. Yes, when I was recommended the Stir Fried Beef with rice, my first reaction was also: "Huh? Sure or not?" How good can this be? BUT it was GOOD! There was some flavour in the Beef that triggered that part of my brain that archives tastes. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something in the Beef that triggered a brief flashback to my childhood days. It tasted like some sort of really tasty canned meat, like Ma Ling Kong Bak or something like that. It got me tasting it again and again to try to retrieve the info from the deep storage archives of my temporal lobes. Unfortunately I still could not positively identify the flavour, but boy was it pleasurable. 4.5/5



The other signature dish is the SzeChuan La Mian. Not bad if you like Hot and Sour soup. The gravy was full of chucky chicken pieces and the bowl was very generous. Quite shiok on a cold rainy day! 4/5

Conclusion

Great food and very generous portions! Though there are an increasing number of Shanghainese food places springing up in Food Centres, this has got to be one of the best ones around for affordable and shiok Shanghainese Food.

Shanghai Delights
Stall 14 Sim Lim Square Food Centre
10am to 10pm

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Pasta Manna: Great stuff I missed the last round

With holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


This is an accidental blog since I had blogged about Pasta Manna a few months ago, I never had the intention of blogging them again. But it so happened that I received a call from David asking if I could take some pictures for him to use for his menu board and after taking pictures of 8 of his menu items and sampling them, I realised that I had actually missed out on a few gems. It would be an injustice to them, as well as to you if I did not tell you about some really good stuff which I missed the last round.



Do try the mushroom soup. It is freshly made from shitake and button mushrooms and at $2.50 is one of the cheapest mushroom soup around which actually tastes pretty good. There is a generous amount of mushrooms and the soup is really creamy. 4/5 The other item is the Creamy Mushroom pasta which is one of the cheapest way to really satisfy your craving for cream based pasta! $4 4/5

Those of you who like spicy stuff should try their Matriciana which really has that spicy and tangy kick to it 4/5 and for those Ah Peh's (GrandUncles) who still prefer stir fried stuff, their Stir Fried Pasta with Chilli Padi can really pack a punch! 3.5/5

Conclusion

Those living in the East don't need to travel all the way to the West to enjoy a Value for Money Pasta in the same style as Mien!

Pasta Manna
Old Airport Road Food Centre (Renovated)
#01-81
Open 12.30pm to 1o.30pm Closed Mondays
Disclosure: Phototaking Session for Pasta Manna. No fee was charged for the photos, no money was paid for the Pasta.

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Xing Hua Vegetarian: When you are tired of the same old stuff

With PK, smart, tamago, yummydummies, iwatch_ueat and liverpool

Here I go again with vegetarian food. You know I do this out of a guilty conscience more than anything else. No, I don't feel guilty eating meat, I feel guilty subjecting my body to too much meat. So every now and again, I venture to eat something without animal proteins in it so that I feel good about myself, reset the computer, so I can pig out again!

Anyway, Chinese vegetarian food can get quite repetitive in Singapore and most vegetarian stalls serve the same variety of mock meats and veg dishes. So this Heng Hwa vegetarian food offers something a little different.

The Heng Hwa Styled Bee Hoon is actually quite tasty and I wouldn't mind eating it again. This dish is perhaps one of the most iconic of Heng Hwa dishes and looks almost like the one I had at Pu Tien. The bee hoon (or is it Tang Hoon?) here is however a bit less fine than the one over at Pu Tien. 3.5/5



The fried la mien on the other hand is best avoided. 2.75/5

Conclusion

Like I said, I eat vegetarian food once in a while to redeem myself from a guilty conscience. I wouldn't mind coming back here for the bee hoon next time when I feel that way again.

Xing Hua Vegetarian Restaurant
180 Bencoolen St
The Bencoolen #01-02

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Problems with Recent Comments

You might have noticed that the dates on the recent comments feature are quite old. This is because of some problems with the latest Recent Comment Widget from Beautiful Beta. So I had to revert back to the old one which recorded all recent commments till 9 Feb. It should be working now!

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Happy Year of the PIG!

Here's wishing all our Chinese readers a very Happy and Prosperous Year of the Pig!

Will be taking a short break and start posting again after the holidays!

Thanks for reading and remember NOT TO WASTE YOUR CALORIES on yucky food! If the stuff is not nice, don't bother eating it. Better to save your calories for something really delicious. If the Bak Kwa not nice, Don't Eat it! If the Pineapple Tart's not nice, Don't Eat it! Every mouthful means you are storing up fats and cholesterol which are not worth it if the food is yucky. Then afterwards, you have to go on diet and excercise to lose the excess calories. Just Don't Eat it! Trust me, it is healthier and easier that way!

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Victor's Kitchen: Authentic Hong Kong Tim Sum!

With liverpool, smart, yummydummies, tamago, iwatch_ueat and PK


Ignorance is bliss. It really is! If you don't know that there is something else better out there, you will be content with whatever you have. Before I had the Wagyu Grade 9 Ribeye at Aston's, I was quite happy with my USDA Prime Ribeye. Now when I eat the same US Ribeye, I don't get as much satisfaction knowing that Steak can be more tender and flavoursome! Same with Tim Sum. During my trip to Hong Kong last December, I managed to eat some really good Hong Kong Tim Sum and suddenly my yardstick for Tim Sum was raised another foot.

The really good Tim Sum in Singapore like those in Lei Garden or East Ocean are very expensive. I don't know about you but for me, food that is Shiok still loses out to food that is Shiok AND Cheap so that you can eat as much as you want and still have change left over. (Ai Pee Ai Chee Gor Ai Zhao Lui)



So with that lengthy preamble, let me just cut to the chase and just say that the Tim Sum at Victor's Kitchen is SHIOK AND CHEAP and the taste really reminded me of the stuff I had in Hong Kong! Most items are very good, but some really have that oooomph factor. The steamed radish cake is the first one that I will rave about. The texture is smooth and you can really appreciate the taste of the radish, dried prawns and lup cheong. One of the best version of this dish I have tasted. 4.5/5 The Za Leong (Doughstick in Rice Rolls) is also excellent. If you think about it, it is all made of flour, but the contrasting texture and tastes of the 2 flour based items combine so well to entice the tastebuds. My staple at every Tea House I visited in Hong Kong! 4.25/5



The other worthy mentions (there are lots) is the Her Yeh Fun (Lotus Leave Glutinous Rice). By soaking top grade glutinous rice overnight, Victor managed to get the texture of the rice so soft but at the same time so sticky and fragrant. It is noticeably different from the ones I am used to in Singapore. 4/5



Don't forget to order the Egg Cream Pau for dessert. The custard combined with salted egg is proof that Heaven really exists! 4.5/5

Conclusion

Be forewarned! After eating this, you might never derive the same pleasure eating Tim Sum at other ordinary Tim Sum joints again!

Victor's Kitchen
91 Bencoolen Street
Sunshine Plaza
#01-21
98382851
10.30am to 8pm
Closed on Mondays

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Rojak Geylang Serai: Indian Rojak: Geylang Serai Temp Mkt Supplemental

There has been an outbreak reported at this stall! Please beware.


I had initially decided not to blog this stall as I have too many blogs still waiting to be published. But since Aichiak had requested a review of the stall, I will just include it into this series on Geylang Serai Temp Mkt.



As we Teochews (& Hokkiens) would say, when it comes to Indian Rojak, "Lose-Win" is the sauce. I suspect that most of the Stuff is procured from the factory, but I could be wrong. The items all taste the same as any other Indian Rojak stall to me, but the sauce here is quite commendable. It is a little on the sweet side, but our resident Indian Rojak expert, liverpool commented that it was as good as the one in Waterloo St (I have never been there). Based on that recommendation, I give it a 4/5.

Conclusion

There are people who have recommended this stall and it is one of the few stalls with a queue at around 3pm in the afternoon. So it must be good for some people. As you can sense, I was not all that impressed, but as I said, it was commendable.

Rojak Geylang Serai
#01-320 Geylang Serai Temp Mkt
9am to 9pm daily
Closed Monday

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Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang; Bukit Tinggi Style Nasi Padang: Geylang Serai Temp Mkt Part 5 of 5

With liverpool and iwatch_ueat


I am no expert in Nasi Padang. For me Nasi Padang is the stuff that Rendesvous Restaurant used to dish out in the good old days. What I really liked about Nasi Padang is the yellow green curry chicken whose name can range from Chicken Korma to Opor Ayam depending on who you talk to. I remembered the curry had this particular taste that was really shiok.

Anyway while walking around the Geylang Serai Temp Mkt, we spied this stall with lots of recommendations stuck on the front, so we decided to try out the food on your behalf. ( : ) Yah like its such a big sacrifice!)

The Chicken Bumbu (Fried chicken with fried grated coconut aka Kerisik) was good but as with all fried chicken it needs to be taken fresh. The piece we got was one of the last pieces so it was a tad dry. The Kerisik was quite good though. 3.5/5



One of the dishes I would order again is the Chicken Rendang. The gravy has got that special oomph about it and went very well with the rice. Liverpool liked it immensely. 4/5



Begedil (mashed potato) is one of my favourite dishes. A good begedil is made from local potatoes which tend to be buttery and slightly sweet. The potatoes should roughly pound so that it is still a little chunky and it should be moist and savoury on the inside. This one fulfills the above criteria and is quite agreeable. 4/5



The stallowner was explaining to me that one of the the differences between Padang food and Malay food is difference in condiments used. This is their version of the Sambal. It is not as well fried as the Malay Sambal so it's tastes a bit lighter.

Conclusion

As I said, I am no Nasi Padang expert. I found the food delicious and nice enough to include in this series of blogs. So can I ask our Nasi Padang experts to write in your comments please!


Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang
#01-353 Geylang Serai Temp Mkt
9am-10.30pm daily
Off: Every fortnight on Mon and Thurs

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