Zhen Zhen Porridge: Silky Smooth

I finally managed to eat the famous Zhen Zhen porridge!

The distinctive feature about this porridge is that they cook the grains until it has all but dissolved. Lots of people actually rave about this porridge and even they even got 6 chopsticks from Makansutra which is full marks. I was however a little ambivalent about it as I felt it was almost like eating a bowl of thickened cream soup.



Granted, for $3, you actually get a chockful of ingredients in the porridge. I ordered the mixed porridge which had pork, slice fish and century eggs. It is really value for money and the fish was very fresh. But I have to admit that I still prefer my porridge to have a few grains in it. Nonetheless it is certainly a very unique bowl of porridge which is well worth a try. 4/5

Conclusion

Good bowl of porridge but I don't think that I am all out sold on the idea of cooking the rice till it all dissolves. Too much like eating pure starch to me.

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Stall 54
5.30am to 2.30pm
Closed Tuesdays

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Fried Sweet Potato Dumplings: I think of it as fried Ondeh Ondeh

If you take an Ondeh Ondeh and put it into a vat of hot oil, you would probably get something similar to this particular dessert. Of course, instead of gula melaka, the inside is filled with peanuts or coconut.

My first impression of it was how incredibly oily it is. Pick it up with a piece of brown paper and you the whole thing turns translucent. It's a bit too oily even for this particular foodie. It's no wonder that such desserts are hard to come by nowadays. With the increased emphasis on healthier diets, such delicacies are facing an inevitable demise.



But if you are young and still enjoy free flowing coronaries, you can certainly sink your teeth into one of these sinful desserts. The flavour I like best was the pandan coconut. The sweet and flowery fragrance really surprises you as you bite into its chewy shell. 3.75/4

Conclusion

Try it before it disappears!



Fried Sweet Potato Dumpling
Stall 76 Maxwell Road Food Centre
1pm to 8pm

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Lim Kee Banana Fritters: Lost and Found!

With Damien and smart


Those of you who wonder whatever happened to the goreng pisang (Banana Fritters) at Somerset House will be happy to know that they are right here in Maxwell Food Centre. Yep, I even checked the newspaper cutting on the wall and it is the same person frying the goreng pisang albeit with a few more white hairs.

There used to be 3 branches of this stall but now this is the only one left. I guess with the increased emphasis on healthy eating, stuff that are deep fried have sort of been out of vogue. But then again that does not explain the recent doughnut fad. It could just be that the humble goreng pisang needs a makeover in marketing in order to spruce up renewed interest in this very traditional local snack.

Actually what would be great with goreng pisang is to eat it with Maple Syrup and Vanilla Ice Cream. Whooooooooahhh! Perhaps that should be the next stage in the evolution of the pisang goreng?

The pisang goreng here is still very good. The owner insists on using only Pisang Raja so you get a nice creamy and sweet caramelized banana within a light crispy coat of batter. 4/5 Come to think of it, cooked banana is the only other "creamy" fruit aside from durian and avocado. Are there any more, you think?

Conclusion

Anyone out there also want to see Goreng Pisang with ice cream and maple syrup?

Lim Kee (Orchard) Banana Fritters
Stall 61 Maxwell Food Centre
11am to 8pm
67327492

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Jing Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon: Ooommmph!

With Damien and smart


This is simply the most delicious fish soup I have had this year. I had my doubts at first when smart was lining up for the fish soup, but my first taste of it was quite a Holy Grail experience. OK I admit it, even though I have always called myself a Teochew Ah Hia, I think that I prefer the Cantonese Style milky fish soup to the Teochew version. Oops! I think I can hear my ancestors all turning in their graves.

Forget all that hype about XO, if you've got a tasty fish soup, you don't need to hide behind the veil of XO brandy. Plus the best thing is that you don't have to pay a bomb for the fish soup because it comes in individual servings. The only problem with it is the long queue even in off peak periods. But there is a good reason why there is a queue and it is because each bowl of soup is made individually. But take it from me, the queue is worth it especially when it is someone else who doing the queueing (Thanks Uncle Smart). 4.75/5



Conclusion

It's really shiok. This one I am certain that many will agree.

Jing Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon Stall
77 Maxwell Road Food Centre
11am to 8.30pm
Thursday Closed

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Peanuts Soup: Gotta be good if you serve only 3 soups!

Yes, in this day and age where dessert stalls are offering a wide variety of desserts, it takes a really special stall to offer just 3 flavours of soup. In fact the stall only has 3 troughs in the display cabinet offering Peanut soup, Red Bean with Brown Rice soup and Tau Suan. You can also add glutinous rice balls if you like.

I tried both the Peanut Soup and the Red Bean Soup and they were both excellent. The Peanuts were fantastically soft and the soup was smooth and full of nutty aroma. One of the best I have tasted. 4.5/5 According to Damien, the Tau Suan also one of the best around. It was too bad they sold out that day.

Conclusion

Got to be really good if you only sold 3 flavours of soup!

Peanuts Soup Stall
75 Maxwell Food Centre
7.30am to 4pm daily
Monday Closed

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Thunder Tea Rice: One for the Ladies?

With Damien and smart


Thunder Tea Rice or Lei Cha Fun is one of those dishes that are bound to get very mixed responses. My two makankakis that day wouldn't even spare a calorie to eat it spewing expletives like "It's like prison food" and "Hospital food tastes heaps better". Others are actually hooked on the dish and expound on its wonderful virtues of being able to lower cholesterol, detoxify the body, relieve stress, aid digestion, combat flu, boost the immune system etc etc etc. (With food like this, who would need a doctor?)

OK, so it is a dish which polarizes seemingly homogeneous Singaporeans into two opposing camps just like supporters of Liverpool and Man U. Another assertion made by my makankaki (I shall not reveal which one) is that Thunder Tea Rice is a dish for health conscious ladies. Such statements only serve to ruffle the leg hair of women libbers. Hey some women like their Pork Lard too, OK!



For those in the DON'T know, Thunder Tea Rice is called Thunder Tea Rice because of the bowl of Tea which accompanies the rice. The Tea is made from a mix of Green Tea, Basil, Mint and another herb called Yomogi. These are all ground up in a special bowl and then made into a tea which is to be added into your rice. The other ingredients such as pickled radishes, long beans, peanuts, dried shrimps, fried tofu are all prepared and topped onto the rice.

For those who have not eaten this before, I think your reaction would be similar to my two makankakis. How can pouring a bowl of slightly bitter and astringent Tea into rice be nice? Plus its all veggies man! And it ain't even fried rice!

OK, it wasn't all bad. It was quite ok and tastes even better when you think to yourself "Detox, lower cholesterol, lose weight, unclog arteries, clear complexion.......". Ohhh yum yum. But seriously, peanuts and pickled radishes do go quite well with rice and you do get your carbo rush. But for me, tea in rice really is an acquired taste which I found no absolute need to acquire. 3.5/5

Conclusion

I will think about eating this whenever I am in one of my health conscious moods or when I am out to play a prank on some unsuspecting foreigner looking for "die die must try" Singapore food. But seriously (again), for those who really are looking for healthier choice hawker food, this is really not bad.

Thunder Tea Rice
Stall 86 Maxwell Road Food Centre
10.30am to 3.30pm daily

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Hum Jin Pang: Ikea style Food: Do it yourself and pay less! Maxwell Food Centre Part 8 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


We almost gave this one a miss. At 7 Hum Chim Pangs for a dollar, I assumed that the people who are lining up were just all very Gian Chia (Love a good deal). The HCPs all looked so small, oily and black that it hardly looked appetizing.



The queue was about 5 persons long, so like Vultures, we just looked, went somewhere else and circled back. There was this lady who was hogging the wok for like more than 20 minutes. You would think she was one of the workers there, except for the fact that she had makeup on and was wearing a 1 color suit. Aiya, sister, you want to fry so badly, you can always buy some oil and do this at home what!! Apparently she bought $10 worth of HCP!! Things people do for a good deal!!



So anyway, I gave up waiting. But fortunately for me, some of my other makankakis were more patient and waited in line.

Unlike most other HCPs, the five spice salt on this one is on the outside of the HCP and the oil in the wok was all black because of all the five spice salt in the oil. After frying, the HCP was dipped into sugar. Phwaaa, the my first bite was like hitting a hole in one! How come nobody else does it this way? The sweet sugar crystals combined with the crispy savoury skin followed by the fragrant soft HCP inside was to die for! Phwaa Lao Ay!! My makankakis who had been waiting in line for so long ended up buying only $1 worth of HCP! What were you all thinking!!

Conclusion

Not just cheap, very cheap. Not just good, very good! And, I am willing to wait the next time I come to Maxwell FC. I think that says it all. 4.5/5

Hum Jin Pang
Maxwell Food Centre
Open 1pm to 8pm









Update 26 Nov 2006: Today I stood in line and waited 20 mins, holding my daughter and shouting at my son to get my $2 worth of HCP!! Still loving it!

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Hup Kee Ngor Hiang Homemade Hokkien Style NH Maxwell Food Centre Part 7 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


Nowadays I am getting real spoilt. After having tasted homemade Ngor Hiang, I refuse to waste any more of my precious calories on factory made ones. Hey Ngor Hiang is made of pork fat, liver, eggs, msg, salt and all the other good stuff which can, unfortunately, clog your arteries. Surely, you don't want to clog your arteries with lousy Ngor Hiang, right?



Now this is one special Ngor Hiang. First time I have seen one that is red in color on the inside. Really tasty but a tad small. 4/5 The pink sausages were also hand made and they taste much better then the normal factory ones. The soft pink stuff was really tasty and the pork was shiok, one of the best I've tasted. 4.5/5



I don't usually go for liver, but this one was highly recommended by the forummers. It was actually quite good! The liver did not have too strong a livery taste and there was nice Koo Chai in it. 4/5

We also tried the egg slice which was decent but nothing to rave about. 3.5/5

Conclusion

A very good Hokkien type Ngor Hiang with a serious chilli sauce to boot.

Hup Kee Wu Siang Guan Chang
AKA China Sreet Ngor Hiang
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 97 (Facing the road)
12pm to 8pm
Closed Mondays






Update 26 Nov 2006: Went there with my family to try again. This time round I wasn't quite impressed with the Ngor Hiang and found the sweet sauce a bit bland! So I have revised the ratings downwards from 4.5 to 4 for the Ngor Hiang.

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Pancake: Pandan Flavoured Mee Chian Kuay: Maxwell Food Centre Part 6 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


If you like Mee Chian Kuay, you should give this one a try. This Mee Chian Kuey is different because of the pandan flavouring they used. The skin is soft but at the same time chewy and fragrant. The peanut is good, though I always liked my peanut more sticky than dry. What I like about this one is the nice aftertaste the pandan flavour leaves on your tongue. 4/5

Pan Cake
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 26
7am to 5pm Daily
7am to 3pm Sunday

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Hoe Kee Porridge: Perfect Porridge Anytime! Maxwell Food Centre Part 5 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


Hoe Kee has been rapidly expanding their stalls in the last few years. I am very apprehensive about the quality of food at big operators such as Hoe Kee. But SurprisePocket insisted that they were better than Zeng Zeng's (which is usually sold out by lunch anyway).

This handmade tofu looked too irresistible so we had to try it first. A simple dish, the tofu I suspect is made from soya bean milk and egg, steamed like a chawanmushi then deep fried. Add some shallots, spring onions and chilli and drench it in a soy sauce based gravy..... heavenly delight! 4/5



It is hard to take an interesting picture of porridge. So I decided to take a picture of the porridge after we stirred it up a bit. For $3 a bowl, I am sure you will agree that the amount of century eggs is generous!! The porridge was smooth and very tasty! It was seriously very very good. One day I must try the Zhen Zhen one to compare, cos I really don't know how much better Century Egg porridge can get. 4.5/5



I was amazed to see this machine with a huge tap head at the bottom. It is used for boiling the porridge of course!

Conclusion

The great thing about this place is that they are almost always opened! Currently the best (and most value for money) Century Egg Porridge in my books.


Hoe Kee Porridge Maxwell Food Centre
The corner at the junction of the 2 major Roads
6.30am to 4am Friday to Sunday
6.30am to 2.30 am Monday to Thursday

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Big Scissors Curry Rice: Maxwell Food Centre Part 4 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


What really catches your eye at this Stall is the variety of different dishes that you don't usually see at the usual Chap Chye Peng (Variety of dishes with rice) Stall. We already tasted food from 8 different stalls, so we were already quite full and have expended 2 days worth of calories. BUT, all the food here looks so nice....... just a little won't hurt.....



The problem with doing a review of a Chap Chye Peng stall is that there are so many different dishes that you really don't know where to start. That's where the other really good thing about the stall stepped in.

Aunty Elizabeth was this really pleasant looking lady who spoke such impeccable English that you suddenly realise that people in her generation were really taught proper English by proper Englishpeople (Politically incorrect to use Englishmen nowsadays sic). Anyway she was so nice to talk to that we just had to try her food.



Now, we only tried a few dishes like the tofu in the first picture and the black pepper chicken in the 2nd. But what really got us talking was this Assam Stingray. There was something about the sauce that kept me spooning the sauce into my mouth when my head is telling me that the stomach is begging him to tell my hand to stop! We give the Assam Fish a 4.5/5, but the other two dishes were quite ordinary 3.5/5.

Conclusion

Gotta come back another day to find more 4.5 dishes!

PS: Aunty keeps refusing to let me take a pic of her. I suspect she is either an ex CID agent or there is a Ah Long (loan shark) after her. When you go try it, just tease her a little about it!

Big Scissors Curry Rice
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 43
11am to 10.30pm Daily
Closed Saturdays

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UFO: Unidentified Frying Object: Maxwell Food Centre Part 3 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


UFOs always appear when you least expect it and this one certainly did. It wasn't on our list of places to eat. We were just prowling along searching for our next makan quarry when it just came out of nowhere and immobilised us with its tractor beam. Oh my! There was a picture of Anthony Bourdain on the front of the stall!! Like mesmerized ruminating cows, we were slowly drawn to the light.

The last time I had Fuzhou Oyster Cake (Its proper name) must have been 20 years ago in Clementi when I still did not have to worry about my cholesterol levels. I remembered savouring every bit of the two UFOs which was all that I could afford at the time. (My parents gave me limited pocket money, which was good as I would be very much fatter if I had more money). But I can still remember how I would crave for it after Junior College.



This is for those who are wondering how a UFO is made. Put half the batter in a ladle, add the coriander, minced pork, prawns and oysters and cover with some more batter. Throw a few peanuts on top and dunck it into a vat of hot oil. Voila!



Absolutely out of this world!! The outside is crispy, but just underneath that crunchy surface the batter is still moist and soft and so tasty, having absorbed that wonderful savoury flavour of the oyster, prawns and minced pork. It just shiokadoodledoooooolicious! 4.5/5

Conclusion

Save up your calories because Resistance is futile!

Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Stall 22
10am to 6pm Daily

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Guan Dong Wanton Mee: Braised Beef Doggy Style Maxwell Food Centre Part 2 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat



This is the most unique beef brisket that I have ever set my eyes on. Instead of the usual dark brown sauce, this one was a tan, creamy colour. I must admit that it did not look very delicious at all!



But, everything changed when I took my first sip. Marvelliciously creamy and tasty!! Hmmmm...... I can still remember the taste now as I write. Its got that Gnao Lum (Braised Beef Brisket) taste but with a little extra something. And that extra something, as Uncle shared with us, turns out to be Nam Joo (Fermented Bean Curd). The other little secret is that this 50 year old receipe which was passed down from father to son, was originally meant for Braised Dog!! I loved the sauce, but wished the beef could be more chunky and have more tendon and sinews. 4.5/5



The other item which you must try is the Shui Gao (pork dumplings). They were just excellent! Sweet, juicy and crunchy, why can't all Shui Gao be like this? The soup is really good and you will appreciate the sweet taste of ikan bilis in it!



Conclusion

I would happily just go to Maxwell FC just for this braised beef! And as Martianmuncher shared, the real pearl to be discovered is when you combine the soup from the Shui Gao with the Braised Beef sauce. Phwah Say!!! Not only I say, Everyone also say!

Guan Dong Wanton Mee
Maxwell Food Centre Stall 99
6.30am to 3pm daily
96378403 Delivery for 10 packets and above

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Tian Tian Chicken Rice: The chilli man, its the chilli Maxwell Food Centre Part 1 of 8

With smart, SurprisePocket, jezzz and iwatch_ueat


When you are as famous as Tian Tian Chicken Rice, you are bound to attract controvesy. Oh yes, when you are so famous that the name Tian Tian is synonymous with Maxwell Food Centre, arguably one of the greatest Food Centres in Singapore, AND, you are the one Chicken Rice that Anthony Bourdain tasted when he was here, THEN you are bound to have complaints when the chicken rice does not meet up with the high expectations. So it is with trepidation we taste tested the chicken rice.



I am happy to report that the chicken rice passed the taste test with flying colours that day! The chicken was tender and flavourful but I feel the real stars are the rice, the chilli and the mysterious sauce that they bathe the plate of chicken in.



You can see that the rice is beatifully presented. Each grain coated with savoury chicken broth. It is not too oily and the texture and flavour is excellent.



The chilli here is quite shiok and very different from other stalls. The "secret" to this, is, as Aunty tells us, her use of limejuice instead of vinegar! Imagine how many limes they had to squeeze to get this bottle of lime juice.

Conclusion

We all felt that the chicken rice lived up to expectations that day! 4.5/5 Phew!

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Maxwell Food Centre
Stall 10
11am to 8pm
Closed Monday

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