Hong Kong Porridge: No You Tiao Never Mind

What is the difference between Singapore Porridge and Hong Kong Porridge? You Tiao. You get no You Tiao in Hong Kong Porridge but instead you get these bits of deep fried crispy Bee Hoon which is really only for Pai Sui (For show only) cos a few measly sprinkling of bee hoon hardly does anything for the porridge.

That aside, I was actually quite happy eating the porridge here. I was first attracted to the stall because of the brown rice porridge that they served and the stall vendor was happy enough to let me try a spoonful of the brown rice porridge. Ok, its healthy stuff, but I was not so health conscious that day, so I opted for their normal porridge.

I was pleasantly surprised by the savoury smooth porridge. Ok, it may not be as great as Zhen Zhen in Maxwell Road FC, but somehow I was quite pleased with the taste. I also really enjoyed the wonderfully marinated pork slices which were tasty and quite addictive. Quite a satisfying bowl of porridge! 4/5

Conclusion

Its doesn't have the ooomph or wow factor, but it was certainly endearing.

Hongkong Porridge
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
Open 7am to 11pm

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Bedok Chwee Kueh: Simple, Comfort Food

Every wondered why Chwee Kueh is called Chwee Kueh? I have, and I don't have the answer for you. Chwee Kueh literally means Water Cakes. Perhaps they have a high proportion of water in the mix? Maybe some of our readers can enlighten us.

Anyone who frequents Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre will know about this famous Chwee Kueh Stall. OK, I am not a big fan of Chwee Kueh, so for me this one is pretty good. In fact, I don't really know how much better Chwee Kueh can get.

The texture of the Kueh is very smooth and the Chye Poh (Preserved Veg) is savoury and yummy. That is all I can say about the Chwee Kueh. Rave about it? Not really. Crave? Nope. But should you happen to take a bite of your friend's pack of Chwee Kueh, I'll bet you won't just stop at one. 4/5

Bedok Chwee Kueh
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-53
7am to 11pm daily

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Hollywood Chendol: Kojak sells Chendol!

This is one of the more famous Chendols around. I gave it a miss the last time I was in Bedok Interchange because there have been some comments that the standard of the Chendol has dropped. However, this time round, curiosity got the better of me and I had to find out for myself just what the story was with this Chendol.

As I was busy taking pics of the Chendol, the curious stallowner came by to see what I was doing. (I was a few stall away from his and he had walked up behind me) He asked the same question most hawkers always ask me: "Are you a journalist?" in which case I always give the same answer: "If I were, does that mean I get a discount?" It never fails to draw out a chuckle and break the ice. Then suddenly his eyes lit up and he remarked that he recognized me as the guy who came by to take pictures of the laksa and the goreng pisang stalls which are just adjacent to his.

He proceeded to tell me about Hollywood Chendol, and how they use only the best red beans, freshly squeezed coconut milk and the biggest chunkiest gula melaka to make their famous Chendol. He also pointed out that the ice shaver they used was specially imported from Taiwan which was able to make extremely fine shaved ice. He was quite a good PR man and a very friendly uncle though he looked like quite a tough guy if he didn't smile!

Anyway, the Chendol is indeed very refreshing and the quality ingredients do set it apart from the other Chendols around. What stood out for me were the red beans which were perfectly done such that they were still whole but soft and mushy when you bite into it. He told me they make the green Chendol stuff themselves, but I was unable to differentiate it from the commercially available ones. The gula melaka/coconut was good. Some stalls like to make their coconut cream really rich and thick which can be quite jialat (cause indigestion), I prefer it lighter, so this suits me fine. 4.25/5




Aside from the Chendol, the other 2 stars are the Ice Jelly and the Ice Kachang. They also have Durian Chendol which I did not try. According to him, the Durian puree is made from D24 durians. I interviewed a Mak Cik who was tucking into hers and she gave me an enthusiastic nod of approval!

Conclusion

One of the more memorable Chendols around. I especially like the generous serving of yummy red beans. Lots of people say the standards have dropped. I thought it was alright. What do you think?

Hollywood
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
Stall 66
Open 12pm to 12am
Closed alt Wednesday

PS: How many of our younger readers actually know about Kojak?

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Lee Kee Goreng Pisang: Save up your Calories! Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 7 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


I don't usually eat Goreng Pisang because I try to avoid deep fried, carbo rich food whenever I can. (The worse is the fried Mars Bar which I heard can now be found in Singapore!) However, when I find one as good as this one, I will make an exception!



I always liked my banana cooked. Every tried BBQing a banana? All the sugars inside caramelises and the banana becomes really smooth, creamy and sweet like a custard! Well the same thing happens when you deep fry the banana, except that you get a really crispy outside enclosing that creamy interior. The batter at this store is crispy and thin (which is good as you don't let all the flour) and they use Pisang Rajah which is nice and sweet. 4.25/5

Oh, BTW, iwatch_ueat specially bought the cheaper one (50 cents) and showed us that the smaller bananas were actually much sweeter!



Then we discovered a real gem! These Sweet Potato balls were made of Sweetened Mashed Sweet Potato with Coconut and Gula Melaka inside!! Almost like eating a deep fried Onde Onde! Yummy yum yum! (If they could somehow make the coconut filling wet it would be even more awesomer! sic) 4.5/5

Conclusion

Gotta give the sweet potato balls a try!

Lee Kee
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-70
10am-11pm daily

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Katong (Tong Kee) Laksa: Lemak and Shiok! Bedok Interchange Part 6 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


It used to be that Katong Laksa meant a specific shop in Katong serving a special laksa which you ate with a spoon. Nowadays, there are so many Katong Laksas around that it has come to mean a certain style of laksa which is meant to be eaten with just the spoon. And there are so many copies that you really don't know which one is good.



Well, we all say that this one in Bedok Interchange is really good. The gravy is full of that Hae Bee (dried shrimp) taste which I really liked and it is a tad less rich then the 328 Laksa which I frequent in Katong, which is good as you can enjoy the food without getting jerlak (indigestion). 4.25/5

Katong (Tong Kee) Laksa
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-64
7am-11pm Daily

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Xue Hua Fei Dessert: Wha Lao What a Watermelon! Bedok Interchange Part 5 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


When I was Studying in Australia, we used to go to this place called the great Australian Ice Creamery. The group of us would order the "Kitchen Sink" which was 30 scoops of Ice Cream in a (literally) kitchen sink, albeit a small one complete with the S shape drain at the bottom. Imagine a group of hungry youths all eating out of a common receptacle with the last guy slurping up all the melted ice cream! This is real GROUP BONDING!

Well thankfully, in Singapore the nearest thing you can get to the "Kitchen Sink" is the "earthquake" at Swensons which is more like a slight tremor registering 3 on the Richter Scale. Com'on it's so small, Swenson's should just call it the Tiny Tremor!

If you are looking for something great for a group bonding excercise, may I suggest you go down to Bedok Interchange and order THE WATERMELON!




This is an excellent way to end your group makanouting!! It's a scooped out watermelon with shaved ice sweetened with a very light syrup, topped with watermelon balls, longans, nata de coco and mixed fruit cocktail. Very very refreshing, low on calories and cholesterol and everybody gets to Chiong Ah!! (Rush). For $5, it can comfortably feed 5 adults or 10 kids! Yu Pee, Yu Chee, Mian Chao Lui Lah! (Cheap and Good, please keep the change!) 4/5

Xue Hua Fei Cold & Hot Drinks
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-56
12noon to 10pm Daily

Post Script:

This is specially for the reader who commented about the kitchen sink. Well this is what it looks like. And if that is not enough, they have a double sink too!

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Pontian Wanton Mee: You either love it or hate it! Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 4 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


One of the commonest feedback I get from readers is whether I ever blog overrated food, or food that is not a 4 or above. The simple answer is "Yes, but not too much!" (Reminds me of an old Ribena ad!). I try my best to scour the forums to find all the good stuff, 'cos I really don't need to waste my calories on untasty food and neither should you, especially when you are beginning to realise that your belt is starting to hold up your belly instead of your pants!

Now, I am very careful about saying that something is "bad" because, as they say, taste is very subjective. But when it comes to Pontian Wanton Mee, it seems to divide us all into those who love it and those who really think it is overrated. It like the "Durian Phenomenon", very few would really be found sitting on the fence.



The group of us were on the "don't really know what the fuss is about" side of the fence. I personally think that the only thing I do like about it is the noodles which are all made in house. The texture was very good and the noodles tasted quite good by itself. What really dissappointed us was the bright red, synthetic looking sauce, the dry and uninspiring Char Siew and the tiny wantons! One bowl shared among 4 persons and 3/4 bowl was left because we all did not want to waste our calories on it! 3/5

Hey if you really love it, please leave a comment and tell us why!

Pontian Wanton Noodles
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-20
4pm 0 11pm daily

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Selera: Doesn't Sound like a Roast Duck Stall! Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 3 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


There are a few Roasted Meat Stalls in Bedok Interchange competing for your attention. To be honest, they all look quite good. We selected Selera because someone on the forum mentioned them. Maybe some of our readers can comment on the other stalls around?



The Char Siew was ok. It was lean and tasty. Better then most 3.5/5. The real gem was the Roast Duck which we all liked. The meat was very tasty and it wasn't too fat. Only grouse was that it did not come with plum sauce. 4.25/5 The taste of the Sio Bak was very good and the meat was tender and smooth, but it was let down by the skin which wasn't crispy. 3.75/5

Selera
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
#01-36
11am to 9pm
Closed Tuesdays

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Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao: Are you a Black or White Carrot Cake Fan?: Bedok Interchange Food Centre Part 2 of 7

With holydrummer, smart and iwatch_ueat








How did that Michael Jackson song go again? ".....it doesn't matter if you're black or white..."

I beg to differ. When it comes to Carrot Cake there are 3 types of people in the world. There are those who love the BLACK one. There are those who love the WHITE one. And there are those who think that carrot cakes are supposed to have cream cheese icing.

I belong to the group who love the BLACK one. So I will just say that the white one was pretty good and that 2 of the 4 people in the group who belong to the white consortium liked it enough to give it a 4/5.



Now what I like about the BLACK one is the fact that they really chop up the carrot cake into small itsy bitsy little bits and coat it with a generous amount of sweet black sauce. That's the way, Ah Huh, Ah Huh, I like it Ah Huh Ah Huh!. Actually, sometimes I feel a bit silly raving about what really amounts to eating a sweet black sauce with oil, eggs and carbs. I mean, put in enough black sauce and they all should taste the same, shouldn't it? Still, I like it but I can't afford to eat too much of it. 4/5



Conclusion

Wouldn't mind going back for the black one again when I am at Bedok Interchange.

Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao
Bedok Interchange Food Centre
Blk 207 Upper Changi Road
#01-18
6.30am to 8pm Daily

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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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