Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette: At long last!

With Taukwa

Oyster Omelette $4

I have been waiting 3 years to eat at this stall. No kidding. The last 5 times that I visited Toa Payoh Lor 7 food centre, it was either on a day when he was closed, not yet opened or on holidays in China.

When I first starting blogging back in 2006, one of the first group of hawkers that I targeted were the Hawker Legends listed by Makansutra. This was the first batch of hawkers who won the award and I think that most of them deserved the honour. Three years on, I have almost completed the list. After Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette, there is only one more left and that is Mattar Road Seafood BBQ. Ok, must press on to finish what I started three years ago!


Ah Chuan: The most important thing is to control the fire

I have been largely disappointed with this particular dish the last few times I have eaten it. Mind you, this is a high calorie, high cholesterol kind of dish, so when you eat it, you really want to make sure that the calories are worth it. From my point of view, this is a dish with simple ingredients so it is really dependent on skill and experience to get it right. The flavour comes basically from eggs, oil, oyster and fish sauce and I feel a good oyster omelette should not even need to be bathed in chilli to taste good. But even if you prefer it with chilli, the chilli sauce here is well balanced and has the right amount of sourness to cut through the oil.

The texture on the other hand is a bit more complex. There's got to be just the right balance of crispy starchy bits, crispy brown egg bits, chewy starcy bits and sticky starchy bits. And of course it is a given that the oysters must be fresh.

I must say that this is the most satisfactory Oyster Omelette I have eaten since I started blogging. The oysters are big, juicy and fresh and the texture of the dish is just perfect. The only thing I can think of that would make it even better is if he fried it in pork lard. 4.75/5

Conclusion

Oyster Omelette is one of those dishes that I try to avoid eating too much of because it really isn't all that healthy. So if I were to have the craving for oyster omelette, this is the one stall that I will head to gurantee that my calories are not wasted.

What to do next:

After eating the Oyster Omelette, go for Chendol at Dove Dessert!
If you still have the stomach, you must not miss Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Kway Teow.
Check out the rest of the Hawker Legends.
Where else to eat Oyster Omelette.

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette
Toa Payoh Lor 7 Food Centre
Stall #01-25
3pm to 9pm
cloosed on Tuesdays

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Garden Kway Chap: At least this Famous stall is going to last another generation

The hawker scene in Singapore is undergoing a change much like the rest of our society. Not enough Singaporeans want to clean tables and serve food anymore, so we have to hire people from China to help us. Not enough Singaporeans want to work in retail, so we have to hire people from the Philippines to help us. The same thing is happening in our hawker centres. Not many people want to carry on their parent's stall and you really can't blame them. Being a hawker is hard work and only a handful of stalls achieve that status where IRAS would come knocking at the door.

So in twenty years' time, you would be hard pressed to find stalls like this one where there is a proud family tradition of cooking and serving good hearty hawker fare. One way that hawker tradition is going to be preserved is if the stalls go the way of places like Beach Road Prawn Mee or Kim's Hokkien Mee. That means that we have to recognize and reward good hawkers by allowing them to charge more for a better bowl of noodles. Then they will expand, take over a whole coffeeshop and make it like a restaurant. The younger generation would then find that being the CEO of a the restaurant attractive enough to want to carry on the family recipe.



Fortunately, for this stall at least, there will be Kway Chap for us to enjoy for one more generation as the son has taken over from the dad. I think this might be the most famous stall at this particular food centre and perhaps it is the father's legendary status that makes it attractive enough for the son to continue the family business. But I can only postulate.

Anyway, the Kway Chap here is very good, but I did not find it to be that exceptional. Then again, I have not found any Kway Chap to be exceptional. The braising sauce was good, the kway was smooth, no one item stood out, but everything was above average. I wonder if the 6 chopsticks awarded by Makansutra was given when the Dad was still selling the Kway Chap? 4/5

Conclusion

So are there any fans of this stall who think that my rating is too low?

Garden Street Kway Chap
Serangoon Gardens Food Centre
8am to 3pm
Closed on Mondays

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Meng Kee Char Kway Teow: A Char Kway Teow that's worth the Calories

Char Kway Teow is almost a bad word in Singapore. Ask anyone to name you the most unhealthy hawker food and Char Kway Teow will probably be one of the dishes mentioned. It is afterall, nothing more than starch fried in lard and flavoured with fish sauce and sweet black sauce. And then there is the fear of contracting Hepatitis A from eating partially cooked cockles which really puts another nail in the coffin. Not only is it unhealthy, you can potentially get Hep A from eating it as well! (You should get vaccinated against Hep A if you really love your cockles)

Because of this, the popularity of Char Kway Teow has waned over the years and now you can hardly name ten good Char Kway Teow stalls in Singapore. That is a real shame because a well fried plate of Char Kway Teow is one of those things that really hit the spot when you've just come back from a 3 month holiday in Europe.

So the thing with Char Kway Teow is never to waste those precious calories on a plate of mediocre Char Kway Teow. When you have that Char Kway Teow craving, make sure you Hantam (Whack) one that has the most Satisfaction per Calorie (S/C). And if you happen to be around Beo Crescent, this is certainly one stall that has a high S/C rating.

For me, the test of a good Char Kway Teow is the fact that I actually finish the dish. I hardly ever eat a whole dish of Char Kway Teow by myself nowadays (for health reasons), but I find myself finishing off this one. I guess the most important aspect about a good Char Kway Teow, apart from the taste, is the texture and fluidity of the Kway Teow. By fluidity, I mean, that it has got to be lively and smooth when you slurp it rather than just being limp. 4.5/5

This stall is manned by a father and daughter team. I was there in the afternoon when the daughter was frying. You'd be surprised to know that she is already married with young kid cos she looked quite young. From what I hear, unlike a lot of other stalls where the "old hand" is still champion, the father has been quite successful in imparting his skills to his daughter. I haven't eaten the father's version, but I am told that the father's version is more oily while the daughter's version has more water. Perhaps one of their regulars can confirm if this is true?

Conclusion

Good Char Kway Teow is getting hard to find. Here is another one that is worth some of your calories.

Meng Kee Char Kway Teow
Blk 22, Havelock Road
Beo Crescent
Mon to Sat 10.30am to 7pm
Sundays 10.30am to 4pm

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Hillstreet Char Kway Teow: I have eaten the rest, this is still the best

It is good to know that some things never change.

Almost 2 years ago, I blogged about Hillstreet Char Kway Teow and even in the early days of the blog, I already gave this old man a 4.75/5 for his Char Kway Teow. I think it was the very first time I awarded a 4.75/5 to any hawker. Now, two years later it is time to post some new pictures of the Char Kway Teow and let some of our newer readers know about this CKT legend.

I think that any self confessed Char Kway Teow fan will need to eat this Char Kway Teow at least once in their lives. After reviewing several other Char Kway Teow stalls, I still haven't really found any stall that could surpass this old man's plate. Since Char Kway Teow isn't exactly Cardiac Friendly Food, I always tend to tell myself that I shall only eat half a plate so that I can enjoy the flavour but not feel too guilty after that. But I need to confess that every time I come here, I always end up with an empty plate! Really can't help it. 4.75/5

Mr Ng still looks as feisty as before and now even with 46 years of frying experience under his belt, he still looks like he's got a few more years in him. Unfortunately, there is no successor to the throne, so it is only a matter of time before another great hawker name becomes just a distant memory.

Conclusion

I have heard some people complain that they don't want to travel from the West all the way to Bedok to eat a plate of Char Kway Teow. Well, you can't really call yourself a serious foodie in that case can you?

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Blk 16, Bedok South Road, #01-187
Opened for lunch till about 4pm. Then around 6pm till all he runs out of food.
Closed on Mondays

Mr Ng 90421312

Read the last blog post here

What to do next:
Go around the corner to visit Big D's Grill
Check out the other acclaimed Char Kway Teow Stalls

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Updated: Nam Sing Legendary Hokkien Mee: Old Airport Road Food Centre Part 1 of 9

Updated pics at the new Old Airport Road Food Centre


I think it is appropriate to start this nine part series on the Old Airport Road Food Centre with the very famous Nam Sing Hokkien Mee which is regarded as the best Hokkien Mee in many a makankakis' books. Old Airport Road Food Centre is an amazing Food Centre that has many good things to eat. I had a list of 16 stalls that are recommended by the forummers!

I was a little apprehensive that day because I had tasted this Hokkien Mee before and it did not leave me any lasting impression. BUT on the day that it mattered most, I am happy to report that the Hokkien Mee came through with flying colours!



Oh yes, all four of us felt the Hokkien Mee was exceptionally good on that day! Nam Sing Style of Hokkien Mee is the dry type with much of the thin gravy being absorbed by the Noodles and the thin Bee Hoon. Some say that the best way to eat the noodles is to Tar Pau (doggy bag) because by the time you reach home, the noodles would have absorbed all the gravy.

The noodles and bee hoon were Al Dente and had a very pang (savoury) taste with each bite. It was so good I was tempted to finish the whole plate, but I had to remind myself that we had other things to eat.



If you ever wondered what a Hokkien Mee uncle likes to eat for lunch, the answer is Fish Porridge. He told me that he was Hokkien but his mother is Teochew when I remarked that his Teochew was very Peh (Pure). Other hawkers told me he is actually Teochew because you can't rent a stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre unless you are Teochew. (As you will find out later, most of the famous hawkers featured in this Food Centre happen to be Teochew)

Anyway, I asked Uncle what was the secret of his Hokkien Mee. Did he use very special prawns? Nope, just good prawns and ikan bilis (Anchovies) in the stock, he said. He told me that it boils down to good control of the wok fire. The trick is to quickly seal the noodles or else there will be a bad Kee smell to the noodles!


New pic taken at the renovated Old Airport Road FC

Update: 11 Jul 2007
It's been a while since my post on Nam Sing Hokkien Mee and in that time I had the opportunity to taste a few other famous Hokkien Mees. With the opening of the New Old Airport Road Food Centre, I had in mind to review the ratings for this particular Hokkien Mee stall because it does stand out from the rest. I have been back to eat the Hokkien Mee a few times between the 2 posts and it has been one cut above the rest.

At yesterday's tasting session however, the quality faltered a little. Perhaps the uncle is getting used to his new environment. It was still a wonderful plate of Hokkien Mee but it just lacked the extra special taste that day. However, despite the occasional inconsistency, I feel it is fair to up the rating for this stall to 4.6/5 for being a cut above the rest.

Conclusion

There is a reason why he is the Makansutra Legend for Hokkien Mee and why some people really put out their necks to say his is the best. After almost one year and many different Hokkien Mees later, I am now one of them!

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee
Old Airport Road Food Centre (Renovated)
#01-32
7am to about 8pm when everything sold out
Closed as and when Uncle feels tired

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Leng Heng BBQ Seafood Revisited: East Coast Lagoon Food Village Supplemental

After my first visit to this Makansutra Legends, it was inevitable that I had to go back to try their seafood as well.

If you like your pepper crabs fiery and peppery hot, then you will enjoy their version of the pepper crab. I suspect that Uncle (more affectionately known as Ah Lao) puts chilli padi into everything he cooks! 4/5



Please don't even think about eating this if you are scheduled for your cholesterol check next week. The crabs are excellent, very solid and some of them full of roe!



This time round we tried their cereal prawns. The cereal was done just right for me, except I had to pick out the chilli padi. But I ended up just nibbling and finishing all that marvellous cereal! Really very shiok. Actually, I had a plate of You Char Kway Rojak as well and mixing the peanut, heh gor (prawn paste) and cereal together is probably one of the best tongue tingling, lip smacking experience you can get! 4.25/5 I have decided that it is a waste to deep fry such nice prawns and next time I will get them steamed.



I really want to tell you about the Giant King Prawns at this place. You won't believe it BUT these prawns are actually from the sea that you can see! I couldn't believe that amidst the oil tankers and freighters there exists such a wonderful bounty of seafood!

Oh yes, that's Lao Ma holding up the prawns. She is quite a character who is the marketing and purchasing arm of Leng Heng Seafood. Make sure you sit near the stall when you order, cos you will invariably come by to chit chat with you. Full of energy, this lady only sleeps 2-3 hours a day. The rest of the time she is talking non-stop. Quite different from Ah Lao (her husband) who barely speaks at all!


Leng Heng BBQ Seafood & Claypot Deluxe
East Coast Lagoon Village Stall No. 6 (Near the beach)
64450513 Lao Ma
Opened 3.30pm till 11pm
Closed on Thursdays

NB: The pics were taken a few months back but the information contained in the blog should be still current

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Warong Sudi Mampir: Satay Legend!

This is one of those satay stalls that don't need to open at night and closes 2 days a week. I think that says it all. At 3pm in the afternoon, almost every table in front of the stall has a plate of satay in front of them and they they BBQ satays non-stop to fulfill the take home orders of hundred sticks or more.

Curious? I certainly was. It is my first time at the stall, and I was keen to give my tastebuds a treat.

I asked the Pak Cik which type of Satay was the "die die must try" one, to which he answered without even a split second of hesitation, "Tripe"

Ooohhh, never tried that either. Sometimes it is good to have had a deprived foodie childhood. I still get to try things for the very first time!



What I like about this satay is the marinade and the good thing about tripe is that it really absorbs the marinade very well, so that you can taste the zesty lemon grass and other spices in the meat. 4.5/5 What I don't like is the fact that they use chicken breast meat for the chicken satay. 3.5/5 It would have been a killer if they used thigh meat and dare I say, some chicken skin. I found the mutton a little on the tough side but still very yummy. 4/5 The satay sauce was also very commendable. Lots of chunky peanuts and very sedap (tasty)!

Conclusion

Really nice marinade and satay sauce. For me it would have been better if they used chicken thigh meat instead of breast, but I feel that the nature of breast meat does allow the flavour of the marinade to come through more than thigh meat.

Warong Sudi Mampir
Blk 14 Haig Road Food Centre
#01-19
64440167
Weekdays 10.30am to 7pm
Weekends 10.30am to 5pm
Closed Wed & Thursdays

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Lau Hong Ser Rojak: The Undisputed Rojak Champion?

With iwatch_ueat and holydrummer


PASSION.....

One word that separates the good from the great. Passion is what makes this man fry and grind his own peanuts whiles other get theirs from a factory. It makes him insist on using only the best Heh Gor from Penang and making his own chilli. It causes him to continue toasting his You Char Kway over a small charcoal fire even though there is a queue an hour long waiting to eat his fare. It causes him to continue to treat each plate of Rojak as if it were his last. Oh yes, I love passion people.

Now people with passion can sometimes be perceived to be eccentric. The difference between someone who is eccentric and someone who is a downright obnoxious fusspot is that we admire what the eccentric one does. So when this stallowner insists on opening his stall from 4.38pm to 1.38am, we forgive him because he is a genius. It takes a real "Hou Lian Teochew Ah Hia" (Proud Teochew Man - and I mean it in a good sense) to be able to pull off a stunt like this and still have people calling up an hour ahead to place their orders.



So much for philosophising. Let's get down to the rojak.

Lau Hong Ser likes to serve his rojak freshly toasted with the thick, fragrant, chockful of peanuts sauce by the side. The sauce was as good as a Rojak Sauce can be. The You Tiao and Tau Pock were well toasted and crispy. What else can one ask for in a plate of rojak except for a shorter waiting time? 4.75.5

Conclusion

Who am I to argue with an hour long wait?

Lau Hong Ser Rojak
Dunman Road Food Centre
Stall #02-14
63466519
4.38pm to 1.38am
Closed every Sunday
Call 1 hour in advance to place your order

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Shukor Stall: On the Makansutra Legend trail

Save as Draft

I was planning for a long time to try this legendary Roti John which used to be from Taman Serasi. This is arguably the most famous Roti John stall as it is one of the Makansutra Legends. However, on that fateful afternoon, I found out that the famous lady who was responsible for the fame of the Roti John only runs the stall on weekends. As a result (I guess) the dish we got was a little lack lustre. It was ok, but tasted like any other Roti John. 3.5/5

Conclusion

I am only blogging this since it is famous. Perhaps those who have had the Roti John here can attest to its quality on weekends?

Shukor Stall
Serangoon Garden Way Food Centre
Stall 30
9.30am to 9pm
Closed one Thursday every month

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Ah Kow Bak Chor Mee: Another champion BCM?: Hong Lim Food Centre 4 of 7

With liverpool, Damien, iwatch_ueat and smart


I serendipitously stumbled upon this stall which had a big Makansutra Legend poster stuck onto the front of the glass display. Oh I knew that there was a really good Bak Chor Mee stall in the food centre, but no one mentioned that they were also a Makansutra Legend. Those of you who have been following my blog would know that I have been hunting these legends down one by one to post their pics here. Ah, the joy of unexpected discoveries!



The one characteristic of good BCM is freshness (Teochew: Chnee - Fresh) of the ingredients and this bowl of piping hot BCM tastes really fresh. Those who like their BCM with a bit more vinegar will appreciate their unbridled use of black vinegar which is reportedly a special brand of traditional black vinegar from China. The noodles were QQ and were complemented very well by the sauce. They were generous with the Ti Po (Crispy fried sole) which was a bonus cos I love the stuff. As far as I am concerned, this was an excellent BCM but some of my makankakis still pay homage to Tai Hwa as the Chumpion BCM. 4.5/5

Conclusion

I am frankly undecided as to the best BCM in Singapore. This one was, to me, as good as a BCM can get, but real BCM afficianados may be able to tell us who they think the real champ is.

Ah Kow Mushroom Mince Pork Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
#02-43
Daily: 9am to 7pm

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Inspirasi Stall: Inspiring Soto Ayam: Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 1 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


There are very very few places left in Singapore where you can get something tasty that you can rave about for $1.50 and still be full after that. This is one of those few places, which is why there is still a long queue when we got there in the afternoon.



Right in the middle of this small family run stall is a boiling cauldron of really tasty chicken soup. There was hardly any room left to move around!

We all agreed that the soto ayam (Cubed rice, chicken, bean sprouts and a pototo cake in a spicy chicken broth) was really good. The soup was sweet and savoury and the portion was really generous for $2.00. According to iwatch_ueat, our Malay food expert, this is about as good as soto ayam gets. (She wasn't all that impressed with this one, just that she does not know anywhere else with better soto ayam - so is this really as good as it gets?). Others have insisted that this one is quite ordinary and the word "overated" have been used by some. Still no one could tell me where to find the ultimate Soto Ayam. Until we find the World's Best Soto Ayam, I will give this one a 4.25/5

Inspirasi has been around for a good 30 years. It was started by the late husband of the friendly MaCik (Aunty) who arrived from Indonesia and started this stall. We only tried the Soto Ayam since this was the dish featured in the Makansutra Legends. Some people say their mee rebus is also quite good. If you have tasted it before, let us know ok?

Inspirisi Stall
Bedok Interchange FC #01-11
11am - 11pm daily
Closed only during Hari Raya
The Mee Rebus and Mee Soto are $1.50
Soto Ayam is $2

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Hai Seng Ah Balling: Makan Legend Chinatown Complex Temp Market Part 5 of 5

You are looking at an culinary artform that is closer to extinction than an impotent Panda. This is the last stall in Singapore that still sells traditional Teochew style Ah Balling that is made by hand when you order. Teochew Ah Balling, like many other Teochew dishes, tend to be more Cheng (Less complicated flavours). So unlike the Hokkien Version that serves the Ah Balling in peanut soup, in the Teochew version, the soup is a simple sugar syrup flavoured with Pandan Leaves.



Except for the upgrading to plastic containers, everything here is still done the traditional way when his father first started selling Ah Balling from a push cart over 45 years ago. Mom even remembered Mr Loh when he was still a teenager helping his father along Ellenbourough St.



His hands are so fast that I had to ask him to slow down in order to take this particular shot. (Believe it or not this is the slow motion shot) Each Ah Balling takes barely 3 seconds to make!

In my previous Ah Balling post, I suggested that the name Ah Balling was derived from the Teochew phrase for the unhatched duck egg. Well, this uncle told me another story. He said that when the Ah Balling is first thrown into the boiling water, it sinks to the bottom. Then, when it is cooked, it floats to the top and looks like an Ah Bor (Mother Duck) floating on the water. Ling is the Teochew word that describes the motion of the Ah Balling bobbing around in the water. Which version to believe? You decide for yourself! But this latter version came from the Emeritus Professor of Ah Balling himself!




Conclusion

Its more about texture then taste. The Ah Balling is super smooth and chewy. However, if you like peanut soup, you might find the clear soup a bit bland for you (Like I did). Mom really loved it, I loved it more for the texture and tradition than the taste. 4.25/5

At any rate, this hawker legend still deserves his title for his dogged persistence in perserving our culinary heritage.

Updated 25 June 2008
The stall has returned to its permanent location

Hai Seng Ah Balling
Stall 02-059
Chinatown Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street
Singapore 050335
12pm to 9pm
Thursday 12pm to 6pm
Closed on Monday

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Haji Kadir Sup Tulang: Golden Mile FC Part 4 of 8, The Anthony Bourdain Trail 2 of 8

How not to try something that is both a Makansutra Legend as well as a place where the Bourdain was taken to when he was in Singapore?

It's my first time trying Sup Tulang (Mutton Bone Marrow Soup). Oh, I have heard of it before, but somehow the thought of sucking out bone marrow did not quite thrill me. I mean, the only time I hear about bone marrow is when a diagnosis of Leukaemia is suspected and a Bone Marrow Trephine (A large bore needle is introduced into the hip bone and the marrow sucked out for investigation) is performed to confirm the diagnosis. Not a very savoury picture. Now, my friends who are Gastro-Intestinal Surgeons would always long for a nice bowl of Kway Chap (Pork Innards) after performing surgery, but I have never heard of Haematologists craving for Sup Tulang after performing Bone Marrow Trephine.

I must say I did not think much of it. The taste was a bit like Soup Kambing (Mutton Soup) but a bit sweeter and thicker and it was really red in color such that you get all your fingers stained while eating it. I agree with Bourdain that the plastic fork they provided was absolutely useless (I mean these guys eat with their hands, the fork is probably only a nice gesture for us other folks who use utensils)

Well, what's there to say? Been there, done that and still left wondering what the fuss was all about! Maybe it was fasting month and the cook did not manage to taste the food or maybe its just that I did not like to perform a Bone Marrow Trephine with my mouth. Don't know.



Conclusion

Maybe one of these days I would learn to like this stuff. Until then I give it 3.5/5. But since it is both a Legend and something the Bourdain ate, you might just want to try it yourself, if only to prove me wrong.

Haji Kadir & M Baharudeen
Stall B1-15, Golden Mile Food Centre
12.30pm to 1.30am
Closed alternate Wednesdays

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