Hawker Food Around Office

For once I'll have to say: sorry Anthony Bourdain, but you should've crossed the Ann Siang Hill.

There's a lot of hype around the chicken rice establishments at Maxwell, which works for me, as it keeps my hidden treasure at Amoy away from hungry crowds. Stall #02-94, Min Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice is an authentic purveyor of culinary happiness, perfectly balancing the richness of the fragrant rice with the sweet tenderness of the chicken meat and bite of their fantastic chilli sauce.

Both roasted and Hainanese, the chicken meat is flavorful and juicy with each bite. What's even more remarkable is that the skin is not fatty at all, yet tender and tasty, making every lunch break at Min Kee a real treat.

(Shhh...don't tell the Maxwell crowd)

Even though there was a queue at 1:00pm, I didn’t have to wait long as bowls of ban mien was served to diners at a fast rate. Naturally, I went for their signature, the Dry Chilli Ban Mee ($5), and I was clearly satisfied at the end of it. The dry chili mixture brought a slight spicy kick and after mixing it together with the poached egg, black fungus, fried shallots, minced meat and anchovies, you are in for a comforting lunch. The choice of these simple ingredients complimented with each other, and in the process, able to make the entire bowl shine brightly in the spotlight.
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Grandma Ban Mee
Address: 7, Maxwell Road, Amoy Street Food Centre, Unit 01-07, Singapore 069111

The best part of this was its flavourful rempah, packing a robustly spicy punch, but somehow let down by the limp, slightly overcooked noodles, which could also have benefited from a little wok hei. Get the dry mee siam (so good) instead, or if laksa is more your thing, the dry laksa at Violet Oon Singapore still wins hands down. Points given for using fresh, non-frozen prawns tho.

Now, this was the last to arrive, and was undisputedly the best of the lot. Like the feisty yet charming sister of the robust Dry Laksa, this Dry Mee Siam instantly won us over with its tangy flavours, perked up with tamarind and infused into the springy strands of beehoon. Simple, yet mouthwateringly good.