Reservist Training: Top Ten Blogs Flashback!

Ok, I will be donning my Camouflage Uniform and be playing Army Doc in a Top Secret part of Singapore for the next few days so there will not be any new posts since I will have to battle the mosquitos, eat bad food, go without bathing, not pass motion and have no internet access for a couple of nights.

I should be posting again later part of the week. But in the meantime, I am going to do what all good TV serials do and that is to show some flashbacks or highlights of the past year. What I would like to do is to get a list of what our readers will consider the Top Ten Posts of the year. In fact there can be different categories eg Best Photos, Funniest Post, Most Interesting, Overall Best Post etc. You decide. Hopefully, by the end of the week, I can consolidate the Top Ten Posts for the year. So I am going to take a backseat (of the Rover) and let you all do some work for a change!

To get things going here are some personal favourites:

Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant: Inside the mind of a Nazi

Special Feature: Food Pics in 3D

Astons Super Burger is on the Menu

Godzilla Pau: Size Does Matter

Eighteen Chefs: Baked Chilli Crabs, Jamie Oliver, Drugs and New Beginnings

Merpatih Putih Epok Epok Love

Ya Kwang Dai Pai Dong: Cze Char Lobster Noodles

Kiam Chye Ah: Chicken Soup for the Soul

Hope to hear lots of comments when I get back!

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Jie Bakery & Confectionery: Nostalgia is a Loaf of Sliced Bread

I just couldn't help taking pictures of these traditional loaves of bread which were the bread we used to have before the advent of "Gardenia" bread. I still remember standing at the Kek Huay Tiam (Grocery Shop) while the lady sliced the load of bread for me. These were the days when grocery shops still grated coconuts on the spot and the money was kept in a plastic bucket that was hung off the ceiling.

The way I see it, there are two things that we use these loaves for which cannot be replaced by the square loaves. The first is to make Kaya Toast and the second is for wrapping ice cream. Somehow using "Gardenia" just doesn't seem right for these two things.

But the fact is that Gardenia was so nice that it (and other brands of square loaves) soon took over the staple bread scene in Singapore. I even remember their ad campaign that Gardenia was "so good, you could even eat it on its own". When I had my first bite of a slice of Gardenia, that was exactly what we thought. "Wow, it is really so good that I can eat it on its own!" Soon, the good old sliced bread started dissappearing from the local grocery stall, together with freshly grated coconut.



Conclusion

Practically, the modern square loaves tastes better and keeps longer but these loaves provide a slice of childhood memories that is hard to replace.

Jie Bakery & Confectionery
123 Upper Paya Lebar Road
62811377
Open 24 hours
Closed Friday mornings

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Ya Kwang Dai Pai Dong: Cze Char Lobster Noodles!

700g Live Maine Lobster Noodle $60

This is a Dream come true!

I finally managed to persuade a Cze Char Hawker to do a Lobster Noodle for me. And it is not just any Lobster, it's a Maine Lobster as well. And the best thing is that this large plate of Lobster only costs $60! This is great value considering my last Lobster Noodle cost $80++ for a half lobster!



The Lobster Noodle idea was already simmering since my first meeting with Jason, whom I would describe as a New Age, Service Oriented Cze Char Hawker. Just like how the IBM changed from a maker of computer hardware to a provider of business solutions, Jason's Cze Char does not just provide Cze Char dishes, he is there to satisfy your Cze Char cravings.

He has recently re-branded his stall from selling mainly Kway Chap to what is known as a "Dai Pai Dong", which is a popular concept in Hong Kong. Essentially, what that means is that he will cook for you whatever you want, subject to availability of ingredients. Think of it has having your very own Cze Char Chef whom you can get to satisfy your whims and fancies.



I can't tell you how excited I was when I received the SMS reply early Sunday morning that Jason had managed to procure a Live Maine Lobster for me! I was so excited that I had to really struggle to keep the thought of the Lobster Noodles out of my mind during Church Service that morning. (Come on, don't tell me you never think of lunch during Church Service before!)

If you are wondering how the Lobster can be so cheap, let me just let you in on the secret. Just across the road from his restaurant is a Live Seafood Supplier. So instead of Jason keeping the Lobsters alive in his own shop, he just hops across the road to buy the Lobster! That way he saves on the cost of keeping the water tanks and also curbs potential wastage!



I have already mentioned about the Lobster Anticlimax Phenomenon in an earlier blog so I was a little apprehensive just before I took my first mouthful of the noodles. The last thing I want was to be disappointed yet again.

God not only forgave me for thinking of Lobster during Church, but He really blessed me with a treat that day! This is exactly what I was looking for! Phwa Sayah! I was in Heaven.

Jason had modified the recipe a little by using Handmade Noodles instead of egg noodles. These are noodles he makes himself on the premises. The Handmade Noodles were excellent at absorbing the taste of the Lobster but still maintaining its chewy and gummy texture. The Maine Lobster was superbly sweet and succulent. This is definitely one of those significant life changing moments for me. 4.8/5



Now if you have to feed 7 people, you will need to share your plate of Lobster Noodles and eat something else to fill the stomach. Besides the Kway Chap and the Kong Bak which are both excellent here, you should also try a plate of Jason's Char Kway Teow which is the best Penang Style Char Kway Teow I have had in Singapore. It has that wonderful savoury wok hei flavour and the Kway Teow was lively and slippery. 4.5/5 Another dish that you might like to try is his Mild Curry Fried Chicken Wings. The taste is very unique and you can hardly make out the taste of the curry, but its really got that ooommph! 4.5/5

Conclusion

This must be THE DISCOVERY of the blog!

You will have to order your lobster earlier in the day so that Jason can hop across the road to secure one for you. Jason will continue to offer it at this promotional price for a limited period of time only and it is also dependent on the Lobster season, so make sure you go soon. And, if you just happen to see someone carrying a big camera there, make sure you come over and say hi!

Ya Kwang Dai Pai Dong
709 Geylang Road (Lor 37)
11am to 11pm daily
98170006
Order your Lobster before 7 pm but the earlier the better!

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Soon Heng Silver Stream Rojak: Two bucks and they still include cuttlefish!

I find rojak to be the most difficult hawker food to take pictures of. It's well......it's rojak. It isn't colourful and very messy and I always find it difficult to take an appetizing picture. If you look at my rojak photos, I think you would agree that they are pretty hum drum.

Anyway this rojak was recommended by many readers from the last rojak post disputing my claim that Lau Hong Ser was the pre-eminent rojak in Singapore. Ok, so I had to taste it for myself.

I was a bit apprehensive when I found out that they toast their You Char Kway in an ovenette and use commercially procured ground peanuts. How can they compete against my other rojak entries most of whom toast their YCK over charcoal and grind their own peanuts? Can this rojak be even on par with the others, let alone be superior?

Well, I did find that it was a very nice plate of rojak. The balance between sweet and sour was perfect and the Hae Gor (Prawn Paste) was very good. But I found the peanuts a little dry though they were generous with it. It just did not meet up to the standard of peanuts which are fried and ground daily by the hawkers themselves. For $2, this was a generous plate of rojak which included cuttlefish as well. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Very good rojak and very good value for money. The peanuts are the major stumbling block preventing it from being the undisputed rojak champion.

Soon Heng Silver Stream Rojak
480 Toa Payoh Central
HDB Hub B1-23
11am to 8pm

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Gideon 300: Freshly Baked Traditional Hainanese Buns

Butter Buns: 2 for $1

There ain't nothing better than a freshly baked bun straight out from the oven..... except maybe a Hainanese freshly baked bun straight from the oven!

The bread culture in Singapore is alive and well and many are cashing in on the market for breads. You can find freshly baked soft buns in every neighbourhood centre in Singapore, so why am I so excited about these ones?

Most of the buns found in our neighbourhood bakeries have quite a standard bread dough. I suspect there must be a standard recipe or pre-mix that are supplied to these bakeries and then it is just a matter of adding different fillings. The buns are typically, very soft and very light. Have you tried squishing one of these buns before? You can basically reduce them to one third of its original size!

The buns here are different. If you remember my blog on Chin Mee Chin, I made mention of one of our Singapore Heritage institutions which is the Hainanese Coffeeshop that makes its own confectionery. Not many are left in Singapore. That is why I am so excited to find this typical Hainanese Bakery in a modern Food Court! At least someone is bucking the trend in order to provide us with an easily accessible piece of tradition.


Sausage Rolls: 80 cents

The buns here may appear smaller but they are more substance than form. The butter buns may only fit the size of your palm, but when you pick one up, you realize that it is quite substantial. The aroma of the freshly baked butter bun immediately triggered black and white images of marble tabletops with cups of Kopi served in traditional ceramic cups with saucers so deep that they used to decant the whole cup of kopi into the saucer to cool it down before sipping off its rim.

But nostalgia aside, the buns are really simple and delectalicious. For me, nothing beats having a few of these buns with a cup of Kopi or Teh C. Of course, what is a Hainanese confectionery without the custard puffs? Oohh, creamy light and fluffy custard puffs and Teh C........... Only problem is that these are tiny one mouthful ones so you need more than a couple to satisfy that craving.

Now a bakery like this doesn't just spring out of nowhere. There is a legacy behind it. The patriarch of the store is none other than the famous Ah Peh who runs the Keng Wah Sung Kopitiam in Geylang Lor 41. His son, who is a certified Baker decided to make their Hainanese Bun available to a wider audience by opening a shop in the Toa Payoh heartland.


Tuna on a freshly baked roll $1

Conclusion

Like the good old Kopi C, this is a piece of Hainanese Tradition that will never go away because it is just so good. This is rustic confectionery and I really hope to see more branches springing up across the island!

Gideon 300
HDB Hub
Gourmet Paradise Food Court #B1-24
8.30am to 7.30pm
Closed on Sun and PH
91901431

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House of Lobster: The most expensive bowl of Porridge in my life!

Lobster Porridge $50++ with two 350g baby lobsters

Lobsters are one of the most photogenic of food subjects. They are a real visual feast. In fact, for every $100 you spend on Lobsters, I think you are paying $50 just for the visual excitement, $30 for the taste that you extract from the shell and the flesh itself is only worth about $20 cos there is really not much of it. So photographers actually get maximum value from a Lobster since we derive enjoyment from taking the pics and spending hours admiring the vibrant colours and intricate design of this Culinary King of Crustaceans!

Lobsters have a very special place in my heart ever I ate my first one in Phuket with my then fiancee. At that time, I was still a medical student while my fiancee was already working. So when she suggested we have a Lobster for dinner, my first reaction was that it was way too expensive. When you are a student, paying $40 (1000 baht) for a meal was a big deal. Anyway, she convinced me that she had the money to "Yang Lao Kong" (Keep a Husband) so we ordered a Lobster Thermidor. From that day on, the Lobster Thermidor was top of my list of things to eat on special occasions like my birthday.

Anyway, the thing I enjoyed most about the lobster is not really the meat, but the extract from the shell which when combined with the cream sauce is just heavenly as a dip for freshly baked bread. Same goes with stuff like Lobster Bisque which has that wonderful crustacean taste. I recall the first time I had Stir Fried Lobster with Ginger and Shallots in Sydney. After all the meat was gone, I was left licking and sucking on the shell and using rice to wipe up all traces of the sauce. Don't get me wrong, if we share a lobster, I am not going to give you the meat and lick the shell. What I am saying is that the shell of the Lobster is not only beautiful to look at, it has a heavenly taste that is unbeatable and I would even go so far to say that I would really consider trading a piece of Matsuzaka Beef for a Maine Lobster Thermidor.

So with that lengthy preamble, the stage is set for the first of several Lobster Blogs. What better place to start than with a restaurant that calls itself the House of Lobster?

This restaurant caught my attention because it specialises in Lobster, which very few restaurants do, and it is situated in the most unlikely of places, an ITE! So my first thought was, "Have I finally found an affordable place to eat Lobster?" That would be very exciting indeed!

The signature dish here is the Lobster Porridge which caught my imagination immediately when I read about it on AsiaOne Wine and Dine. Now bear in mind what I told you in the first paragraph about the visual excitement of the sight of a Lobster? Well, it's a double edged sword with which I have been cut before. The sight and price of a Lobster often raises expectations so high that there have been many a time that the actual taste of the Lobster turned out to be the greates Anticlimax. This has happened to me on a few occasions especially with the local variety of lobsters (more correctly known as crayfish) whose flesh are less sweet than a true Lobster.

Unfortunately, the phenomenon of the Lobster Anticlimax happened to us that day. The porridge is like your Fish Porridge where the Lobster broth is poured over rice. It tasted very good, but the Lobster taste was not strong enough. It could well have been a very good Seafood Porridge and we would not have known the difference. Still it was quite enjoyable albeit expensive for a bowl of porridge. However, I did derive half the value of the Lobster by taking some really nice pictures! 4/5

Lobster Mee Sua $50++

The Lobster Mee Sua did not save the day either. The gravy was nice but again it did not adequately capture that Crustacean flavour that I so crave for. The Mee Sua also tasted a bit "floury" that day. 3.5/5

Conclusion

The restaurant's Head Chef has won several Gold Medals at the Singapore Food Festival and the restaurant has garnered several rave reviews from the newspapers, so I still suspect that the Lobster porridge and Mee Sua could be much better. However, with the four of us paying $170 for the two Lobster dishes, two meat dishes and one Tofu dish, it is certainly not something that we would like to try again at a whim. Still the Restaurant made it to this blog because, well, it is about Lobsters and they have a very special place in my heart.

Perhaps our readers who have had good experiences there can share their positive experiences with us?

House of Lobsters
ITE College East
10 Simei Ave
#01-33 Business Block
67862777

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Grains: Shiok and Healthy Restaurant Food at Cze Char Prices!

Grains 8 Treasure Tea Health Tea $5++

The words healthy and shiok seldom go together. Not in the context of Singapore Cuisine anyway. So when my friend, PowerAunty arranged for me to review this restaurant, I was expecting this blog to go under my "Healthier Stuff" label. But boy was I mistaken. I was unexpectedly delighted that the healthier stuff like the Fried Brown Rice was actually quite good, but even more delighted that they actually have a few less healthy stuff here that is quite shiok!

Guys, do you know what that means? It means that you can bring your pre-girlfriend, steady girlfriend, fiancee or wife here and they can enjoy the "healthier stuff" while you order some of the shiok shiok stuff!


Chicken & Ginseng Clear Broth in Yunnan Steam Pot $5++

The most surprising thing about the Chicken & Ginseng Soup is that it is only $5 which is only slightly more expensive than your food court steam soup. The Broth was excellent and the Ginseng, being a stimulant, will definitely give you a bit of pick up for a lazy afternoon. Incidentally, Ginseng can potentially raise blood pressure, so you should avoid this if you are suffer from hypertension. 4/5

I could not resist ordering the Tiger Beer Stewed Duck! (Pic right) See guys, I told you this is the place to bring your lady friends right? I never had Tiger Beer Soup before, so I just had to see what this is all about. The taste is so alien that I can't really decide if I like it or not. There is just no frame of reference. It does not taste like Tiger Beer, neither does it taste like Duck. I think this may be one of those tastes that grows on you after a while. Anyway, worth trying just so I can tell you I had it. 3.5/5



Spinach Tofu w Shimeiji Mushroom $ Dried Scallop $8++

They make their own tofu here daily from organic soy beans, so the quality and taste of this Spinach Tofu with Shimeiji Mushroom is excellent. The addition of spinach on top of the tofu gave it a bit of fibre as well as making it more attractive. The combination of the XO sauce with shredded scallop combined with the deep fried tofu skin had that extra something that resonated well with my taste buds. 4.5/5


Crispy Sea Perch $12

This has got to be my best fish discovery of the year. I am a guy who orders fish only when I feel that I need to lower my cholesterol levels. But I am raving about this one. The Sea Perch was excellent and I would go as far to say that I would trade a Sirloin Steak for it. (But not a Wagyu Ribeye!) The flesh was smooth, delicate and very tasty, very much like Black Cod but a bit lighter. For $12 you get quite a descent sized piece of fish and it is much better value for money then having the usual Cream Dory Fish and Chips at a restaurant. The reaction from everyone on the table was the typical Singaporean furrowing of the eyebrows, pursing of the lips and shaking of the head denoting "Phwa, how can something so good be so cheap?". The taste of the Sea Perch is so good, it really doesn't matter how you cook it. We also had the steamed version with Mushroom Sauce and the taste of the fish was just as distinctively delightful. Excellent and such good value that I am even bringing my in-laws here! (Joking lah! I love my in-laws) 4.75/5


Crispy Golden Prawn with Salted Egg $12

The Crispy Golden Prawn with Salted Egg was also another of those dishes that we are going to order again when we bring our families back to eat. Don't kid yourself, there is no way this can be healthy for you, but you can just imagine just how savoury, creamed salted eggs can taste with crispy battered prawns can't you? 4/5

Grains is set up more like a "Kitchen" than a full fledged restaurant. Most of the tables are arranged for 4 persons though they do have a few large round tables to cater for family dinners. The good thing about this is that you get nice portions for 2 people which is excellent for a business lunch. Most of the dishes here are costs up to $12 although they do have a handful of special items like the Shark's Fin Soup which costs $30.

Most of the Dim Sum items here cost $3.50 to $4. We tried the Fresh Scallop with Mashed Yam Dumplings here which was excellent. The yam was smooth and what really delighted us was that beneath the scallop was a filling made from pork and mushrooms. It was like a Wu Kok with scallops. 4.5/5




BBQ Duck and Soya Sauce Chicken Combination

The head chef here is a Hong Konger so you can expect the BBQ duck and Soy Sauce Chicken to be of a certain standard. I especially liked the soy sauce chicken here. They use Sakura Chicken which the manager, Terrence tells me is a "Chicken that is bred with a Japanese techniques in Malaysia". The flesh was succulent and tasty and it was heavenly with the ginger and shallot dip. 4.5/5

Now before I get your expectations too high, let me just say that there were two items that were really not quite up to standard that day. Both were deep fried items which were over-fried such that the meat was dry. The Pork Ribs with Champagne and Roast Chicken with Grains sauce were too dry although the sauces were great. Might be a case of oversight that day.

Conclusion

This is one of those restaurants that I walk away wanting to come back because there are certain items I want my family to try and it is easy on the wallet at the same time.

There is just one more gem that I need to let you know about and it is the Organic Soy Bean Milk. This is the best Soy Bean Milk I have tasted. It's thick and rich and its one Soy Bean drink with enough kick. Don't gulp it all down, sip it slowly and savor the rich nutty taste of the Soy Bean. If all the other Soy Milk are Long Blacks, this would be an Expresso!

Grains
CENTRAL
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-92
65347707
http://www.grains.com.sg/

Disclosure: PowerAunty made the arrangements with the manager to review the restaurant. The food was provided free of charge.

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Ah Peng Bak Koot Teh: History of Bak Kut Teh Part 2

I think Bak Kut Teh really stands out amongst the hawker foods of Singapore in the amount of history and folklore that surrounds this simple dish. In my previous post I penned down Mr Frankie Gwee's version of the BKT story which invited some armchair historians to protest that BKT actually originated from the Klang Valley. Well, I think that that story came from a Wikipedia article which I think propagated several other articles.

If you want to know what really happened, you just have to talk to people who have been there or at least are close to the actual events in History. Ah Peng, now in his 60's, is one such person.

He recalls how, when growing up in the 50's, Bak Kut Teh was sold primarily in two markets. One was in the Teochew enclave of Zhu Zai Chang (New Market) and the other in the Hokkien enclave of Tie Ba Sar in Beach Road. In those days the coolies came off the boats from Southern China and they had to join the Gangs (Hei Ser Hui) to be able to get work and a place to live.

I had initially thought that Bak Kut Teh in those days was food for the poor, so there must have been lots of pork bones with little meat. Not so, says Ah Peng. Bak Kut Teh then, as it is now, is a premium hawker dish. The Coolies needed energy to do their back breaking work so they needed a nutritious source of energy. What really surprised me was the fact that Coolies in those days were paid better than office workers. So they could actually pay the 70 cents for a bowl of BKT, 10 cents for the cup of tea and 10 cents for the bowl of rice. On top of that, some even splurge on a cup of rice wine after the whole meal, smacking their lips loudly as they finish the cup to show the world that they have indeed "arrived".



Ah Peng has been brewing BKT since 1978 and has changed location several times. Although he doesn't attract as much attention as Ng Ah Sio, he does get his fair share of celebrities. Amongst them is Chow Yuen Fatt, whom he described as a traditional Chinaman when it comes to eating. Mr Chow would have a bowl of rice firmly fixed in his left hand and would use his chopsticks to scoop the rice into his mouth, never putting the bowl of rice down until it is empty.

The Bak Kut Teh here is good for those who like their BKT soup less peppery. The soup is mild, sweet with only a slight hint of herbs. The pork ribs are tender and tasty as they use chilled pork instead of frozen pork. Really shiok with You Char Kway! 4.25/5

When asked about he thought of Klang style Bak Kut Teh, Ah Peng simply laughed and said that they use a lot of herbs including Tang Kuei which is traditionally used to boost women's reproductive health and to ease pre-menstrual syndrome. I had no rebuttal for that!

Conclusion

Another day, another Bak Kut Teh Story. I am really growing more and more confident that Bak Kut Teh is indeed part of our Singapore Story. Let's get it straight for the sake of posterity.

Update: 3 Sep 2008

Unfortunately, Ah Peng has closed the shop and am now in retirement.

Ah Peng Bak Koot Teh
No. 3 Seng Poh Road
Soon Soon Huat Eating House
62225434
7.30am to 2.30pm Open Daily

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Warm welcome to our new Readers!

I realise that there are some 50% of new readers today on the blog. A very warm welcome to all of you. I am just wondering how you found out about this blog? Was there a new writeup on the print media or announcement over the radio or something? It's not from referrals from the internet and the jump cannot be just from word of mouth.

So will the new readers who have just tuned in let me know please?

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Cafe Oliv: Three Mini Burgers, All in a Row

Burger Trio: $14.90

Now this is what I call a balanced meal. You have your Beef, your Pork and your Fish all on the one plate.

Cafe Oliv's Burger Trio is best for people who:

1. Can't make up their minds what to eat
2. Want their Burgers in manageable portions
3. Love to buy a dish to share with their friends
4. Prefer to taste different things rather than stuffing a hungry stomach

Three Burgers means three reviews, so here we go:

Starting with the Beef. This is 2 slices of tenderloin beef, with bacon, cheese and lettuce in a tennis ball sized bun. Though I love beef, tenderloin is not my favourite cut as it lacks a beefy flavour. But, I know lots of ladies who love it because it is tender and has less fat. Personally, I would prefer a nice thick hamburger pattie instead. 3.75/5


Kong Bak Burger

Next up is the Kong Bak. I actually quite like this one. The Kong Bak was braised till it is tender, well caramelised with just a hint of the five spices. The Kong Bak is much better than many of the Kong Bak from franchised Kong Bak Pau outlets. Worth spending some calories on this one. 4.25/5


Black Cod with Shitake Mushrooms

I have left the best course for last. The Teriyaki Cod Fish with Shitake Mushrooms burger is worth the trip and I wouldn't mind having all three as Cod Fish burgers. They use Canadian Black Cod here so the flesh is oily and smooth and it was fried till there was a crust of caramel on the flesh. It was really juicy and the combination of the Shitake, Teriyaki sauce and salad really worked. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a full sized Cod Fish Burger! 4.5/5

Conclusion

The concept of the mini burger has been tried elsewhere but I think this is the first time that it has come in three different flavors. Personally it would have been perfect if they provided a juicy burger pattie instead of tenderloin, but I think the tenderloin would appeal to a lot of ladies out there.

Cafe Oliv
220 East Coast Road
63443114
11.30am to 12mn daily
Sunday: 8am to 12mn

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One Million Hits! Thank You very much for reading!

I just realized this morning that we have achieved over 1 Million hits! So I really want to say a big THANK YOU! for reading this blog.

I started this blog because I love both food and photography and was frustrated whenever someone recommended something in the forums but I could never see what was being recommended. So is the Hokkien Mee a wet one, dry one, thin bee hoon type or thick bee hoon type? All it takes is one picture and ...... Game Over.

I am very gratified that you have chosen to read this blog and I will continue to work at my ultimate goal to blog all the most famous hawker foods in Singapore, to document our Singapore Food Heritage and to honor our Hawker "Fathers" who worked hard to give Singaporeans something good to eat. It is a formidable task but I have many makankakis who would come and share the calories with me and spur me on.

Glory to God who has done
"exceedingly, abundantly,
above all that we can ask or think"
Eph 3:20

It is by His Grace and Favor that I experience all the blessings in life!

And by the way, I have been toying with the idea of our next Makan Session. Several Makankakis have suggested that we make this a Charity Event so that the proceeds can go to a worthy cause. This event will probably be sometime in late August to coincide with the first anniversary of the blog. Let me know what you all think yah?

Happy Makaning and when I Eat, I Shoot and I Post, I hope that U Read, U Eat and U Comment!

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Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow: Wet Wet Wet

To be very honest, this is the ugliest plate of Char Kway Teow I have ever laid eyes on. But it is also the most unique Char Kway Teow I have ever come across.

It is almost like a Hor Fun since the Kway Teow still white in colour and it is swimming in the sweet black sauce gravy. Although the stall's name is Apollo (probably named after the Apollo lunar missions of the 60's) it is better known as the Wet Char Kway Teow of Marine Parade Hawker Centre.

If you like sweet stuff, you will like this Char Kway Teow as the gravy is very much on the sweet side. As I said, the Kway Teow does not taste like it has had enough contact with the wok. But overall, a better than average plate of Char Kway Teow and certainly very unique. 3.75/5

Conclusion

Just gotta try it at least once to decide if you like it or not.


Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-174
11.30am to 9.30pm
Closed Tuesday

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Want a Painless Injection? Cough!

This should be of interest for those of you who are fearful of needles!

Click here to read

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Chao Zhou Fish Ball: Retro Next Gen Fishballs with Killer Chilli and Lard!

There are updates at the end of the blog
With AlecEe, smart, iwatch_ueat and bashful hunter


Does Retro, Next Gen Fishball sound like an oxymoron to you? Let me explain just what I mean. This newly opened Fishball stall is actually a branch of the famous stall in Toa Payoh Lor 7 which has been in existence since 1968. The "prodigal" son of the owner finally returned to run the family business after spending 15 years trying to do his own thing. And he is determined to stick to the traditional way his father has been selling his famous dish but with a Next Gen spin on marketing.

So what is so traditional about this Fishball noodles? Well, for one thing, they actually rented 2 stall so that one stall is used only to make the fishball, crispy pork lard and the chilli. The condiments for the noodles are a combination of their killer chilli sauce, lard, tomato ketchup and vinegar, the same recipe the father had been serving up for close to 40 years.



Eddie explained that the time of the day that you eat the fishball is very important to the characteristic of the fishball. In the mornings the fishballs tend to be tastier but the texture not as bouncy. In the evenings, the fishballs tend to be less tasty but the texture becomes very bouncy. They make their fishball entirely from Yellowtail with no addition of fillers. Because of this they tend to look rather big when they are being cooked but shrink in size when they are left in the soup for a while.



The fishballs here were bouncy and very tasty. They were very good by my standards. However our two uncles were divided in their opinions. Smart loved it while AlecEe said they were not bouncy enough. Ahh, taste is indeed subjective or is it anything to do with whether one has dentures or not?

The ravable item here must be the sauce that goes with the noodles. For a person who does not regularly take chilli sauce, I actually quite appreciate this one. The fiery chilli will make you cough when the noodles arrive piping hot but does not linger on your tongue such that you need a drink! This is indeed fascinating, you get the kick but not the heat..... like taking Wasabi. The combination of the tomato, chilli and lard oil mixed into the Mee Pok is just one of those things that really satisfies a hunger craving. Shiok! 4.5/5

Conclusion

The combination of the chilli, tomato and lard in the mee pok has been etched permanently into my temporal lobes. This is my current favourite place for fishball noodles.

Update 1
Our readers report that the stall has been closed

Chao Zhou Fishball Noodles
Old Airport Road Food Centre #01-143/144 (Right in the corner furthest from the city)
9.30am to 8pm
Closed on Friday

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