Hawker Gems

Another brand that has been mushrooming around the island, Penang Chiak seems well on its way to building an empire in Food Republic. Its offerings at Westgate's outlet are pretty extensive, bringing you a slice of Penang with signatures such as Char Koay Teow, Curry Mee, Fried Hor Fun, Hokkien Mee, and Lor Bak.

I found Penang Chiak's Assam Laksa to be enjoyable. Although the broth here is on the lighter side (they go easy on the prawn paste), but it was by no means bland or one-dimensional. It's got that lovely tamarind tanginess, as well as a fiery heat that got me tearing up within a few sips. And they sure are generous with the ingredients—chunks of mackerel, ginger flower, fresh pineapple, julienned mango and cucumber, and mint sprigs littered the bowl. Threw in a boiled egg ($1) as well, just because :)

Or loosely translated as Hot Sour Noodles, if you will. I've been wanting to try this stall that specialises in Chinese noodles like Zha Jiang Mian, Braised Beef Noodles, Dongbei Cold Noodles as well as boiled & pan-fried dumplings, and I'm glad I finally did! The 酸辣粉 here is essentially 酸辣汤 (a mildly hot & sour broth) with thick vermicelli strands. The broth itself was tangy and flavourful, and it packed a good punch of heat; it was also slightly viscuous, with the consistency similar to Taiwanese meesua. Topped with whole roasted peanuts, minced meat, and a heap of crunchy beansprouts, this is a mighty fine meal to satiate that tummy at a grand total of 5 bucks. Need more? Choose from any of the other appetiser dishes (picked spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, beancurd skin etc) - all at $1 per huge serving.

Interesting textures in this bowl of Knife Shaved Noodles ($6): Shaved from a block of noodle dough at a certain angle to yield chewy strands that are thicker in the middle and thinner on the sides, crunchy black fungus, and meaty braised beef chunks that were perhaps a little too lean for my liking. These were complemented by a full-flavoured broth that was beefy with a mellow end note—satisfying to the last drop.

Complete the meal with a variety of sides ($2.90)—choose from guotie (pan-fried dumplings), chives/radish/sweet potato/red bean pancake, and deep fried mantous. #burpple

A new entrant to the hip hawkers scene is this little coffeeshop stall specialising in Japanese rice bowls with a modern slant. $9.90 gets you a hearty bowl of sous vide mentaiko salmon (with the perfect, succulent, semi-raw texture), onsen egg, and furikake-specked Japanese rice. Love the addition of pickles to refresh the palate.

Until this new stall in Star Vista's food court opened up. They offer a wide variety of options including Yakitori, Tuna, Smoked Duck, Unagi, and even a Jumbo Seafood option ($19.80) which looked so yum. Each set comes with an appetiser (potato salad) and a perfectly molten ajitama tamago. You can also choose to have it dry or ochazuke-style, which is to pour in ocha (hence the name) and dashi stock from a tea pot into the steamed rice. The umami broth was just oishii, and you can even go back for more refills :) Great for a light yet flavourful option! #burpple

Have always wanted to try ochazuke but never really got the chance to do so. Until this new stall in Star Vista's food court opened up. They offer a wide variety of options including Yakitori, Tuna, Smoked Duck, Unagi, and even a Jumbo Seafood option ($19.80) which looked so yum. Each set comes with an appetiser (potato salad) and a perfectly molten ajitama tamago. You can also choose to have it dry or ochazuke-style, which is to pour in ocha (hence the name) and dashi stock from a tea pot into the steamed rice. The umami broth was just oishii, and you can even go back for more refills :) Great for a light yet flavourful option!

Had wanted to try the popular Poached Cod with White Wine Broth & Truffle Oil, but it was sold out when I arrived at 1pm on a weekday. Well, this turned out to be a delightful option as well. Two big slabs of salmon inked with gorgeous sear marks, boasting succulent flesh inside. Saffron wasn't very distinct, but the cream sauce complemented the fish pretty well. Options of two sides include potato mash (pretty scrummy), salad, homemade salsa, and aglio olio. Really enjoyed the refreshing and flavourful salsa, I'll probably go for two portions of it next time.

Word has it that the ubiquitous "ramen egg" was the brainchild of the owner's grandfather, and the Japanese after the Occupation brought it back and made it their own. Okay, back to the taste test. Everything was really agreeable with my half-Teochew tastebuds - from the soft, naturally flavourful squid (do pair it with the plum sauce), succulent fish steamed with chye buay, handmade fish cakes, braised tau pok, simmered cabbage to the legendary runny yolk braised eggs. Psst, they have another branch in Hong Lim Market that's managed by a relative.

We ordered the small bowl ($4) as it was just the both of us and we wanted to try more side dishes. Even then, it was a generous serving of delicious cloudy broth brimming with various anatomical parts of the hog, my favourites being the soft stomach and liver.
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The side dishes were equally competent too. I loved the Steamed Meat Patty with water chestnuts & salted fish, Rice Wine Chicken, and Braised Eggs in black sweet vinegar; the latter I practically drowned my rice in it. We polished them all in record time and reckoned that it won't be long before we return. So much happiness for just $15. #burpple #cheapandgood

A generous serving of al dente linguine, mushrooms tossed in aromatic basil pesto and topped with Parmesan shavings and pine nuts. For quality pasta priced at just $8, this is a total steal.

Brimming with goodies -- the fish cakes, ngoh hiong, meat balls, prawn balls, and meat-stuffed bitter gourd (additional $1) are all handmade before your eyes as you wait for your bowl. The broth isn't at all oily, and carries a delicate sweetness and the umami-ness just builds with every sip. I'll happily get in line for this anytime.
P.S. Had this at the People's Park Food Centre branch but can't seem to find its geotag.

Totally craving for these velvety thin parcels (thick and floury ones are such a turn-off for me) encasing fresh pork and prawns with a hint of pepper, doused in a piquant reservoir of red chili oil and black vinegar now. It also doesn't hurt that it's incredibly affordable, at only $4.50 for 10 ping pong-sized dumplings.

They also serve up a mean rendition of xiao long bao, skillfully folded into thin, yet resilient vessels containing a magical broth & pork filling. Try also their delicious Zha Jiang Mian (Minced Pork Handmade Noodles) and Hot & Sour soup (they are so generous with their ingredients)! #burpple #hawkergems #foodspotting #cheapandgood