Ming Kee Fuzhou Fish Balls:

It was reported that a recent poll done by Shin Min newspaper voted Tampines Round Market the Best Hawker Centre in Singapore. OK, I agree Tampines Round Market has got a pretty good selection of Hawkers but I was suprised that it was voted the best. If you ask me, I think Old Airport Road Food Centre should be one of the contenders for Best Hawker Centre. The other contenders in my books would be Maxwell Road and Golden Mile Food Centres.

How would you judge a great food centre? For me it is mainly based on the number of great stalls around and the variety of food that you can find there. So, on one of those "Don't know what to eat days" you should be able to just pop down to the Food Centre, have a look around, and end up with a table full of great eats. And for me, Old Airport Road Food Centre is just one of those places. There are lots of good stalls around and I think you can find almost any hawker dish there, even uncommon ones like this Fuzhou Fish Ball noodle. And it is not just that it is available, this particular stall also happens to be quite popular and there is almost a perpetual queue till around 11pm when they close.



If you are looking for something warm for a light supper, this Fuzhou Fishball and Meatball soup might just do the trick and it is quite good value too! For $3, we counted at least 4 of each type of ball. The Meatball is a bit unusual and is sort of like a big Wanton that is filled with a pork filling. It has quite a special taste and is something you don't come across very often because it is imported from China (which might not be a good thing nowadays, but I still quite like it).



The Fuzhou Fishball is specially made in their factory and for those who might not have come across it yet, it is basically a fishball filled with meat. Fuzhou style fishball has quite a different texture to Teochew fishball as there is a higher ratio of flour to fish meat. So it is more doughy rather than springy to the bite. The soup is tasty (?msg++) and full of protein precipitate. 4/5

Unfortunately, most of our kakis found the Bak Chor Mee so so only. Nothing exceptional but an above average Bak Chor Mee which you can find late at night if you are hankering for this dish. 3.75/5

Conclusion

I am not really familiar with Fuzhou food. Any Fuzhou people out there who would like to recommend other Fuzhou places to eat?

Meng Kee Foo Chow Fish Balls
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Stall 103 (Facing Main Road)
7am to 11pm daily
Closed on Sundays

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Ng Tong Shan Herbal Tea: Cooling the System

One of the things that I often get asked during consultations is whether the condition they are suffering from is a result of "heatiness" (Juah). And it is not just the elderly who ask me this question, I also get asked by teenagers at times.

Now, we never learnt about the antidote for "heatiness" in medical school, so I must admit that I don't know the intricacies of Chinese Medicine. Suffice to say that there are now 1.3 billion Chinese in the world so even if I don't understand how it all works, at least I have to admit that it has somehow helped in the successful propogation of the Chinese race.

Anyway, what I know is that if one is striken by a condition caused by "heatiness", then the remedy is to take something that is "cooling" (liang). I guess everyone knows that. Unfortunately, there is nothing in my dispensary that can be prescribed as "cooling" medicine, although if one is suffering from, say, a bacterial sorethroat, I would prescribe a suitable antibiotic to remedy the ailment. So, can antibiotics be also called "cooling" medicine? On the other hand, we often try to do the reverse and understand Chinese Medicine in the context of having anti-inflammatory ingredients and antibiotic effects. So maybe calling an antibiotic a "cooling medicine" might make sense to those who practise Chinese Medicine.

Back to this "Cooling" tea that Cactuskit told me about. As you all know, our roving food photographer eats quite a lot of hawker food, so every now and then, he feels a bit "heaty" and needs to cool down. That is when he pays this particular stall a visit to get his dose of "Bitter First Sweet Last" (Xian Ku Hou Tian) Cooling Tea.

For $3, you get a bowl of powdered bitter herbs mixed with a tonic which you have drink first and then counter the bitterness you follow with another sweet concoction. Like all medicines it is bad to take but good for you. Like I said, I don't know how it works but at least you feel that you have taken something that will enable you to continue eating all that yummy food at Old Airport Road FC!

Conclusion

So are you a fan of herbal tea?

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Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee: Taste IS subjective

There are several phrases which I think are overused when it comes to discussion about food. One is "Overated" and the other is "Taste is subjective". I have always prided myself to be a bit of a rebel (ok a soft core rebel) so I steer clear from using those phrases.

However, today I seem to have no other recourse. You see, everyone says this place has got a fantastic Lor Mee and the last time I was here, it was sold out. What's more they were even featured in the 2007 Makansutra Street Food Masters. So my level of expectation was very high.

I guess the gold standThe gravy was good but was not the kind of "Holy Grail" experience that I was led to believe. The ingredients was also good but not tongue tingling great. The fried snapper that they put on top was generous but tasted a bit fishy that day. Also they ran out of Ngoh Hiang which did not help. One thing that was good though was the black vinegar which was really smooth and piquant. So, much as I hate to say it, this stall is "overated" but then again "taste is subjective". 3.75/5

Conclusion

Any fans out there who would beg to differ?

Xin Mei Xiang
Blk 51 #01-116
Old Airport Road Hawker Centre
7am to 2.30pm
Closed on Thursdays

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Whitley Big Prawn Noodle: Remember the Hawker Centre under the flyover?

Do you all still remember the hawker centre that used to be below the Whitley Road Flyover? I used to live near there 20 years ago during my NS days and it used to be my usual haunt to get great hawker food. My wife (my girlfriend then) never ceases to remind me of one particular eating spree where I went amok after having just recovered from my wisdom tooth extraction. I was on soft diet for a week and when they finally removed the stitches, all hell broke loose.

I don't actually remember any particular stalls there. All I remember was that there was a lot of good food. Pity that they had to relocate. I guess eating under a flyover is hardly very sanitary with all that exhaust smoke and soot.

This is one of the stalls that traces its roots from the old Whitley flyover Hawker centre and it is one of those Prawn Noodle stalls that often make it to top ten list of prawn mees in Singapore, so I am sure there are many fans. This is a good bowl of prawn mee but the soup that day lacked ooomph. 4/5

Conclusion

I heard they have another stall over at Novena. I wonder if both are of the same standards?

Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee
Blk 51 Old Airport Rd Hawker Centre
#01-98
Tues-Fri 9am to 8pm
Sat-Sun 9am to 9pm
Mon closed except Public Holiday

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Chuan Kee Satay: Authentic Hainanese Pork Satay!

After over a year of blogging, I must admit that I am getting a little spoilt. It is getting harder and harder to find dishes that really make me go "Phwa Say!!" I guess the threshold to delight keeps getting higher and higher because once you have tested the best, the rest just don't thrill anymore.

Fortunately, there are still many gems out there just waiting to be found. And finding this satay was a "Holy Grail" experience after quite a long lull period.



The elderly couple manning this stall told me that they have been dishing out their satay for almost 50 years. The uncle started out by helping his father sell satay when he was just 5 years old along the streets of Geylang. Back then, satays were 5 cents per stick and they were not as popular as they are now.

This is traditional Hainanese style satay which means Pork Satay served with a peanut gravy that comes with a pineapple slush. The flowery bouquet from the freshly grilled skewers was too much of an unbearable tease and the first bite of the satay was like getting infatuated all over again. The meat is really tender and coated with spicy golden syrup that hinted strongly of lemongrass and coriander. Fantastic. 4.75/5



I remembered as a kid, pork satay used to come in 5 sections. Meat, fat, meat, fat, meat. This one only had 3 sections. Meat, fat, meat. I thought it might be because they cut down on the fat because of health concerns, but the uncle told me that this is the "pattern" that they have kept for as long as he can remember. Ok, the fat makes the satay really juicy and delicious but do remember to always eat in moderation ok?

Conclusion

Heavenly pork satay. I must admit that I have not eaten such tasty Pork Satay, at least not for a very long time. Now before I get carried away, I must warn you that the waiting time on the weekend is around 45 minutes and while I was queuing, a young lady was bitterly complaining that the chicken satay she just had was not worth the wait. OK, so I am only vouching for the Pork Satay not the chicken. My advice is to head straight for the stall, order your satay and go eat other stuff while you wait. And make sure you order more than enough. It was so good, I came back to reorder some more and that meant more waiting!

Chuan Kee Satay
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-85
6pm until sold out around 10pm
Closed Mon and Thurs
Sunday opened at 1pm

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Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun: The Secret Weapon for Finicky Kids!

Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun $2 each

My five year old daughter is really picky about food and often would take an hour just to finish a meal (if she even finishes it!). But when she took her first bite of this Chee Cheong Fun, she couldn't stop eating it and I had to go back to buy an extra one just for her! Are there any parents out there who are reading this?

The reason she likes it so much is that the Chee Cheong Fun is really soft, smooth and slippery. That's because it is made on the spot. The sauce that goes with the Chee Cheong Fun is the type that you get when you go for Dim Sum. Ok, belay that, the Chee Cheong Fun IS the type that you get at Dim Sum Restaurants -- only better. It doesn't get fresher than having your face steamed by the very steam that steamed your Chee Cheong Fun.



Ok, I admit it. I had to buy my daughter some more Chee Cheong Fun because Daddy liked it so much that Daddy had finished it before she had enough. I am so enamored with freshly made Chee Cheong Fun that I don't think I would ever be satisfied with the usual pre-made ones anymore! Aside from the superly duperly soft-as-silk Chee Cheong Fun, I also found the Char Siew to be very good. Gimme two Char Siew Cheong and I am a very happy man! (Oh and two more for my little girl....and two more for my boy) 4.5/5


Hae Chor and Sui Gao $4

Besides the Chee Cheong Fun, the other item that you should try is the Hae Chor. It's handmade and contains lots of crunchy water chestnuts and they are freshly friend to order. Bit on the small side but it packs quite a crunch! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Definitely one of the best Char Siew Cheong Fun and great value for money too! From my daughter's point of view it would probably have rated close to a 5!


Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-155
8am to 10pm daily

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Kallang Wanton Noodles: Yellow Signboard Wanton Noodles

There are 3 famous Wanton Mees at Old Airport Road Food Centre and no clear winner yet. They are differentiated by the colour of their signboards which are very easy to remember. Red, yellow and green. I learnt about this from bobafett whose preference was Red, Yellow, Green. Now I don't think that there are many Wanton Mee lovers out there who actually go to the extent of trying all three and having an order of preference. Or maybe there are? Do identify yourselves please and let us know your personal preference.

I have already blogged about the Red one last time, so now its time for the Yellow Signboard.



This stall is the least "Tua Pai" (Showy) of the three stalls and the owner was very modest about her noodles. The Char Siew is procured from other sources and is good but not unremarkable. They also use a better quality noodle and the texture is good. The thing that I like about this wonton mee is the sauce that they put in it. It is a bit sweeter which agrees with my tastebuds. 4/5

Conclusion

One of the better Wontan Mees around but I between Red and Yellow, I really have no preference.

Kallang Wanton Noodle
Old Airport Road Hawker Centre
01-61
10am to 11.30pm
Closed on Tuesday

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Ho Hup Soya Bean: Can Bean Curd Ever Be Too Soft?

Can Bean Curd ever be too soft? I have heard many bean curd lovers say that the quality that they always look for to determine a good bean curd is its texture. No doubt, the most well known bean curd in Singapore, namely Rochor Bean Curd has got bean curd which is super smooth and soft. But my usual complaint is that they have sacrificed taste for texture ie it tastes watered down.

This particular bean curd was recommended by BC who used to frequent the stall when they were still at Changi Airport. When they moved out, he was quite devastated and thought that he had lost his favourite bean curd forever. (I am being a little melodramatic here). Until one day he chanced upon the stall again at Old Airport Road.... (music in the background).....(girl and boy meets and runs around coconut tree)..... Quite boldly he proclaimed that this bean curd was better than Rochor's. Phwa, you willing to risk your neck? Ok lah go try try.

The Bean Curd is indeed super-soft and I would dare say softer than Rochor's. They make their bean curd on the premises with soy milk that is procured from the factory. This is because the beancurd is so soft that it would disintegrate during transportation. This also explains why so many factory produced beancurds are necessarily firmer. Now the thing that I am still unable to decide is whether it is TOO soft. I always thought that Bean Curd should be soft and smooth but still have a little of that gelatine like consistency. You know, such that it can "chip off" and leave a smooth surface. This one is soft to the extent that it is almost like the consistency of cold porridge or almost like yoghurt. Certainly one bean curd you have to try for yourself to decide if you like it! For me it is mysterious enough for a repeat visit. 4.25/5

Now what I am really impressed with is the Ah Balling. These are also handmade. I must tell you that this is one Ah Balling that stands out from the rest. The skin is superduper smooth and soft and I was taken aback with my first bite. I never thought that I would ever be able to come across an Ah Balling that I can really rave about, but here it is! Just make sure that its the old lady who is preparing it as I think a lot of it depends on the cooking time as well. 4.75/5



I find that a lot of the time, you can really appreciate something only after someone has given you some frame of reference to assess its quality. Take for instance this longan drink. If you had just ordered it to go with your Hokkien Mee, you would probably think "its really nice and refreshing". But this auntie was telling me that it is special because the longans still maintained a level of crunchiness in them. Once you know what to look out for, suddenly you find that you are able to appreciate it more. The longans were indeed crunchy which is quite different from your run of the mill longan drink! 4.5/5

Conclusion

So, can Bean Curd be too soft? Do go try it an let us know what you think. Whatever it is, you won't regret trying the Ah Balling there. I can't think how it can get any better.

Update: Jun 2008

The stall has closed

Update: Sep 2008

Update 21 Sep 2008

Ho Hup has closed the Old Airport Road Stall. It now has 2 branches:

Haig road food centre
stall number 01-59
operation hour: ard 10am-10pm

and

Bedok North St 3 Blk 538 market
unit number #01-19
4am-2pm

Ho Hup Soya Bean
Blk 51 Old Airport Road Hawker Centre
#01-162
96820462
9am to 9pm Closed on Mondays
This stall has been closed permenantly

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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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Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow: Remember the old comic strip?

I wonder how many Gen Y readers know who Lao Fu Zi is? I haven't come across a Lao Fu Zi comic strip for years, so I don't know if they are still as popular today. When I was a kid, reading Lao Fu Zi was a matter of looking at the pictures and trying to make out the meaning since I could not read the Chinese script. I don't think much has changed if I were to pick up a Lao Fu Zi comic nowadays. In fact, I am having trouble even helping my son with his primary 2 chinese composition. My Lao Shi's would be very disappointed with me.

This is one of the more popular stalls in the newly revamped food centre which I missed in my last series, so it is time to add it into the blog.

Unfortunately the stall does not normally fry the CKT with lard unless you specially request. So our first plate of CKT was not that great. It was still quite flavoursome, but it lacked the oooomph of a well fried CKT. Not giving up, I went back to request that they try another "No holds barred" CKT using whatever it takes to make it the best plate of CKT on the earth. The result: A good plate of Char Kway Teow, but still not quite up to our expectations. 4/5

Conclusion

Good plate of Char Kway Teow. The queue is quite long, so there are many fans of it. However, the plate we had that day just failed to hit the sweet spot for us.


Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-12

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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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Pasta Manna: Great stuff I missed the last round

With holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


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



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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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Pasta Manna: Pasta at Hawker Prices Old Airport Road Food Centre Part 9 of 9

The great thing about Generation X is that this cohort of Singaporeans are bringing all great stuff that we grew up eating only in special restaurants to the hawker centre. We have already seen the likes of Basil Alcove, eBlackBoard and Astons, and we are bound to see more and more of such new generation hawkers springing up over the next few years. No longer will they offer a Chinaman's interpretation of Ang Moh food! No, these are guys who have lived overseas or have been trained in proper Western Restaurants and who are now bucking the system and providing authentic western cuisine at hawker centre prices!

At Pasta Manna, you can have a nice plate of stir fried spaghetti with meat balls in olive oil for just $3.90. And no, they have done away with pseudo Ang Moh stuff like sliced cheese and the $2 type chicken franks. They use real olive oil and real Italian style sausages!

Tastewise. Not bad. I would even venture to say that they are as good as the mid ranged Pasta restaurants like Pasta Fresca or Pasta Mania. 4/5




Meet David, your authentic Italian Chef!

Certainly worth a try the next time you are craving for some Pasta but only want to pay Hokkien Mee prices.



Pasta Manna
Old Airport Road Food Centre (Renovated)
01-81
Open 12.30pm to 1o.30pm
Closed Mondays

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Western BBQ Unique Garlic Sauce Old Airport Road Food Centre Part 8 of 9

It was a Saturday night and I was yearning for some western food. So we drove past Astons at about 8pm and found that there was a long queue of people waiting outside. Aiyah!! Where else can I get some cheap and good Western Food? Fortunately, I remembered someone mentioning the Western food stall over at Old Airport Road Food Centre.



We tried the pork chops and the chicken chops. The chicken chop is without a doubt, the star of the show. The other star is the red coloured Garlic Sauce that they serve. It's a little sweet and tastes like the sauce from the Baked Beans but mixed with fried Garlic. It went well with the chicken thigh fillet which was nicely seasoned and very tender. 4/5

The pork chop on the other hand was too heavily beaten to a pulp such that the meat fibres were almost like mince. The texture was more like the sausage from a McMuffin. The taste was alright though. 3.5/5


Western Barbeque
Old Airport Road Food Centre (Renovated)
Stall 0-53
64408934 William Lim

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