Hawker Hunts

Another bak chor mee with a modern twist helmed by young hawkerpreneurs in the scene, Mr Meepok. Although the daily noodle, which resembles a Japanese mazesoba, looked tempting, I decided to go for the signature minced meat noodle on a first visit.

At $4.80, the bowl of bak chor mee comes with minced pork, braised mushrooms, meatballs, mock abalone slices and a fish cake roll. While you might not get the traditional vinegar taste here, I thought the presence of an onsen egg was pretty interesting to add more silliness to the noodles. The only downside was the portion seemed to be slightly small for the price, compared to an usual bowl of bak chor mee.

The excitement that got to me after seeing @cweizhi ‘s story of Poh preserved vegetable hor fun spurred a weekend trip to Chinatown Complex Food Centre, where they have reopened after shutting their stall at Empress Market. It was a regret back then when I brought my mum along wanting to try, only to realise that they have closed down.

As the chef whipped up a wok of high heat, we could already smell the sweet aroma of the chye por. It was joy sparking to watch him in action as he seared the hor fun before pressing it flat into a pancake or perhaps more like an omelette as it is slowly blanketed over by the egg layer. The strong wok hei game is real; even before digging in, the slightly charred rice noodles were already exuding smokiness from some strong flames. With bits of chye por and pork lard encompassed within, you could probably imagine the aroma, coupled with a light seasoning of soy sauce and fish sauce. How flavorful! Topped with prawns and spring onions. Recommended for sharing to avoid jelak-ness.

Located within the 155 Bukit Batok coffeeshop, Qiang traditional claypot curry offers not just a selection of claypot curry dishes such as curry vegetable, curry chicken wing, curry chicken noodles and curry lala, they also have claypot sesame chicken and claypot chicken rice on the menu!

The curry here is of a Chinese style, where it’s milder in spices but not paling in aroma nor flavour. Less spicy, but contrastingly creamy, somewhat reminded me of the kind I used to have in Primary school where I first started my curry expedition, homely and heartwarming. The claypot curry chicken drumstick boasts of a relatively huge chicken drumstick that’s pretty tender, and several potato chunks. The curry consistency is one that you could probably just have a plate of rice to mop everything clean.

Do you know there’s white/red/black when it comes to Sarawak Kolo Mee and what do each of this color mean? Thanks to Sarawakian friends who introduced us to this stall selling authentic Sarawak food, we came to know that the white is the original flavor of Kolo Mee where the noodles are tossed in shallot oil; red being char siew oil from marinating the pork and black being soy sauce. From a recommendation, one should start with the white. Not knowing this prior, we ordered the black which was heavier on the palate. We liked the noodles for its bouncy texture and light on the alkaline taste, which many stalls that claimed to be selling Kolo mee fail to really deliver. The char siew is roasted at the stall and served in slices along with minced pork, some glorious fried pork lard and shallots which enhances the sweet crispiness. The soup is also light in taste. For someone who doesn’t usually prefer Kolo Mee, I would say this truly deserves a try.

One of my favourite stalls in this coffeeshop. Chef Kin Hk Wanton Noodle has sprung up a few outlets islandwide, and I am so glad there’s a few in the west! These Hong Kong styled dumplings are made plump, generously wrapping pork, prawns, black fungus and water chestnut within, for a fresh and crunch taste. It’s a comforting soup that I would crave for on rainy days, except that it’s a tad too salty although the umaminess was right. Limited items on the menu including beef brisket noodles. Don’t expect to see char siew in the wanton noodles served here.

I finally understood why 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist is a popular hunt for many when they are craving for char siew and roast pork, even if I wasn’t at the main outlet.

Known for their biscuity roast pork, the ultra crispy roast pork skin crackles differently from many others out there. However, what I personally didn’t really like though, was the chunk of fat in each piece that made it too oily and jelak. Perhaps the next time I should request for leaner meat. On the other hand, I found the char siew here pretty memorable and unique. The extreme caramelic skin was one to die for, as it also comes with a touch of smokiness. I really like how sweet caramelic it was, but the downside is that the skin could get stuck to your teeth easily. Again, the meat could come across slightly fatty.

Highly recommended to pair the meat with their thin egg noodles that doesn’t have any alkaline taste. Tossed in lard oil, the bowl of noodles came really aromatic, but also remember to ask for their chili because the flavorful though slight fiery chili was a perfect pairing.

Truth be told, I have never tried Sarawak Laksa before, until my 2 Teachers from Sarawak recommended this one by Tasty Sarawak Kolo Mee which happened to be a stone’s throw away from my house. Surely, it has to be authentic since it has been validated and seems like it’s the closest to what they get back home of all those they have tried in Singapore.

Not to discuss authenticity for us, but more of finding out how Sarawak laksa tastes like and how different it is from its Penang counterpart. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as spicy as I thought although the red broth appeared fiery. In fact, it exuded aroma of a complex spice blend which could well contain turmeric. Lip-smacking even if it wasn’t the thick, creamy consistency that we are familiar with. The thin Beehoon used here reminded of a firm texture somewhat like the 过桥米线, which goes pretty well with the broth. Some side toppings such as prawns and shredded omelette that characterise this dish can also be spotted. Happy to hear from more Sarawakians if this is comforting to satisfy any cravings for a taste of home!

Took me a while to try Jiak Song out simply because of their infamous long queue when they first opened. But as more and more outlets open islandwide, it has become easier to land your hands on a bowl of their Mee Hoon Kway.

Although there aren’t many options on the menu, everything looked good that I took a while to decide but for first timers, I would recommend the signature all-in combo mee hoon kway. In addition to vegetables and fried ikan bilis, there was a myriad of ingredients such as minced pork, pork slices, pork ball, and prawn ball. Like people around me who have tried (at different outlets), we agreed that the minced pork was exceptionally tender. The handmade pork and prawn balls were really bouncy. But what left the deepest impression has got to be the soup broth which had an egg mixed in it. It was not just about having a rich pork flavour but the unique smokiness that I have never tasted in any mee hoon kway before. Each bowl of mee hoon kway is made to order, with the kway being machine-sliced. The next time I will probably try the soup version!

Zheng Xing desserts’ tau suan has got to be one of my all-time favourite tau suans around and it is definitely a must-get when you are at Beauty World Food Centre! Affordably priced at $1.80, the texture and consistency of mung beans are just right; firm and not overly starchy. If you noticed, the tau suan here is of a darker brown color than many others, and that probably explains why I found their tau suan more caramelic than usual. Delightfully, the youtiao (fried dough fritters) retained their crispiness even after a long time.

If you are not as adventurous and seek for some familiar flavours, how about trying the shrimp rice noodle roll? Not only is Happy Congee generous with the rice noodle roll portion, but also the pieces of sweet prawn in each roll and the amount of sweet savoury soy sauce. Pair it together with the sambal belacan for an extra oomph of umaminess!

This is a literal fire bomb but definitely perfect for a rainy day. It might look harmless, but the pool of chili oil that the rice noodle rolls are soaked in, is not one to be belittled. Imagine eating mala the chee cheong fun way, with shredded chicken and white sesame seeds. Strong oriental twist on the rice noodle rolls. If it’s too spicy to handle, consider getting one of the smooth congee to pair with the mala shredded chicken. Definitely comforting while toning down on the spiciness!

With the opening of several outlets islandwide, it made me curious how good the congee and rice noodle rolls or chee cheong fun as we affectionately know as, are. I was extremely excited to know that one of the relatively new outlets is now in Jurong East, and walking distance from home!

One of the must tries has definitely gotta be this rice noodle roll with dough sticks, or zha liang, as the Cantonese calls it. You will be pleased, just like I did, to know that the rice noodle rolls here are made to order, hence the chunky dough sticks remain crispy and toasty when served. Definitely worth the waiting time! After the dough sticks are deep fried, the rice noodle rolls are then wrapped tightly around them in a thin layer before sprinkling some white sesame seeds above. They are then served in a light sweet savory sauce, such that as you give it a light dip, the entire roll will be slightly moist and with enhanced flavour. Don’t miss out the sambal chili here as it’s bound to give an extra kick! Indeed, one of the best zha liangs that I can ever find. At such an affordable price of $4, you get 12 pieces of quality delicious rice noodle rolls with dough sticks. I can eat it again and again!

#BurppleTakeaways