Good things come to those who wait. Especially when it comes to Old Airport Road's Toa Payoh Rojak. With more than 40 years of experience, they've mastered the art of making excellent rojak. The uncle attentively grills the yu char kueh to a crisp over charcoal, ensuring that you don't get soft, soggy pieces in your rojak. The combination of condiments is almost perfect, and the prawn paste they use is the star. Rojak is one of those dishes that you don't get bored of eating, because of the contrasting textures and flavours you get (sweet, sour, spicy, salty) with each bite.
Tian Tian needs no introduction. Serving arguably the best chicken rice in Singapore, you'll never not see a queue at this stall. From the rice to the chilli, everything is worth raving about. The chicken, delightfully tender and juicy, sits atop a bed of perfectly cooked, fragrant rice. Have it with the ginger and chilli, with the latter getting its brightness from calimansi juice and not vinegar. Tian Tian truly captures what hawker food should be: cheap and so, darn, good. Even Gordon Ramsay can't beat it.
You HAVE to go early to get your hands on their ondeh ondeh if you want to try it, because it sells out really quickly. And early means by lunch time at around 1230, which is a major bummer for those of us who are not early birds. Bite into the coconut-coated super soft ondeh ondeh and you get a burst of liquid gula melaka, which might tastes like liquid gold. They're handmade and addictive; it'll be surprising if you can stop at one. Their tapioca cake and muah chee (which is slightly different as they're filled with peanuts instead of coated) are superb as well.
Another stall at Maxwell that has gained a following is Jin Hua, serving bowl after bowl of steaming hot fish bee hoon. Whichever way you like your fish soup - milky or non-milky broth, sliced fish or fried fish - you'll be satisfied here. You can get fish head bee hoon here as well, if that's your thing. Tasty broth, a good serving of sliced or fried fish, noodles, complete with the addition of tofu, seaweed, vegetables, and tomatoes for slight sweetness make for a good, hearty meal.
Wrapped in pandan leaves and stuffed with a generous amount of ingredients, Hoo Kee sure makes one of the best rice dumplings. They're huge because they're packed with whole chestnuts and lean pork. If you're feeling extravagant, go for the one with the salted egg. If not, try the one with mushrooms! The glutinous rice is fragrant, moreish, and perfectly cooked. This is one kickass ba zhang. And no, it doesn't have to be dragon boat festival for you to enjoy these.
Photo by Hoo Kee Bak Chang
If you want claypot rice that's a cut above the rest, this is it. Cooked upon order, you'll get great traditional claypot rice cooked over charcoal, and the wait can stretch up to an hour. Tender chicken meat, salted fish, lup cheong, charred rice bits, excellent sweet sauce and chilli? Check. This is one of the best places you can get claypot rice at in Singapore, but don't go when you're ravenous because you might get really hangry!
Honestly, this stall makes us question why people are so obsessed about techniques like sous vide. When it comes to cooking perfect chicken, there is no need for all fancy techniques. The soy sauce chicken here is simply superb - succulent, flavourful, and extremely value-for-money ($7 for half chicken; $14 for whole). Paired with noodles tossed in a slightly sweet sauce, you'll need a moment with this dish. They also do really good char siew and sio bak! Make sure you order enough to make your 30 minute-long wait worth it, because you'll definitely want more.
An afternoon with their Cappuccinno and classic fluffy croissant. Been long since I last had a quality espresso base coffee. Just love this quiet little space though it's located in a mall.
