Curry puff is one of Singaporeans’ favourite teatime snacks.

Sitting in the basement of Golden Mile Tower, ErJie Curry Puff (娥姐咖喱卟) sells very good handmade curry puffs. The stall is extremely popular with the office crowd in the area, but has been kept a secret from the “outside world”.

What started as a dessert place has evolved to an eatery selling chap chye peng for lunch; and curry puffs and coffee for tea break. Owner, Er Jie, who is known for her signature chicken curry puff, is friendly and soft spoken and always greets customers with a smile.

Er Jie loves to eat curry puffs and always make it at home for her family. It has received nods of approval so she started selling it at her stall after 3.30pm every day. Everything here is made from scratch. She makes the skin at least one day before, and after the lunch crowd clears, she will start wrapping the curry puffs.

There was a unanimous chorus of approval from our team — we couldn’t stop praising the filling as well as the pastry. The filling is made with a mix of potatoes, as well as chicken and egg. Er Jie doesn’t cook the rempah together with the chicken cubes. Instead, she cooks the chicken separately and adds it to the curry in small batches so as to ensure that every puff gets a good amount of chicken cubes.

Making about 200 curry puffs a day and with only a small deep-fryer at the side, Er Jie fries the curry puffs in small batches. As with every deep-fried curry puff, the worry is always about biting into an oil-filled curry puff. You can be assured that Er Jie’s version is nothing of that sort. Deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown, the flaky and buttery pastry crumbles easily with each bite.

I couldn’t resist tucking into a fresh, piping hot puff. The rempah was fragrant and moderately spicy. This was a curry puff that I couldn’t get enough of.

The post Er Jie Curry Puff – Spicing Things Up in the Basement of Golden Mile Tower appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Maxwell Food Centre is known to house some of the most legendary stalls that are no stranger to snaking queues formed especially during lunch time. I am glad to say that joining its collection of legendary stalls is none other than the famed Empress Place Beef Kway Teow!

Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow has been serving comforting bowls of beef kway teow to the masses for a long time. It recently made the move to Maxwell Food Centre from LTN Eating House at East Coast Road. At the helm is David Lim, who is accompanied by his daughter, Melissa, who recently joined her dad in running the stall. She recently left a decade long career in teaching to learn and wield the tools of the trade from her father.

As I don’t usually eat beef kway teow, I asked David to recommend a couple of dishes. My colleague and I got the Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon (Dry) ($6/Large) and the Beef Kway Teow (Soup) ($6/Large). I first tried the Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon.

The Mixed Beef Kway Teow with Tendon comes with a fine mix of beef parts. For $6, you get a bit of the flavourful tripe (stomach), soft chewy gelatinous morsels of beef tendon, a beef ball, some thinly sliced beef brisket and beef slices scalded to a pinkish-grey hue. A few slices of  salted vegetables and a dollop of chilli sauce are then added. All of these sit atop a mound of kway teow doused in soy sauce and sesame oil.

To get the best out of this bowl, I first tossed everything together.

With each slurp of the kway teow noodles and beef parts, I was met with a satisfying clash of beefiness tamed by the spiciness and tang from the chilli! Adding a few spoonfuls of the beef broth into the bowl of noodles certainly did mellow the chilli out a little, but the intensity and richness of this bowl of bovine goodness was still very pronounced. The slices of salted vegetables was the cherry on top because it help to cut through the beefiness of the dish.

I also thought that Empress Place’s chilli was sublime. David told me (and showed me) that he adds finely minced pineapple and lime to his chilli. The result is a piquant chilli which pairs very well with the beef.

We then moved on to the Beef Kway Teow soup.

If the Mixed Beef Kway Teow dry version is a bouncer trying to strong-arm me into submission, then the Beef Kway Teow soup is a mother’s loving caress.

Unlike the dry version, the soup version of Empress Place’s Beef Kway Teow feels like comfort food. The soup version evoked a sense of nostalgia in me, coupled with the warm fuzzy feelings and happy thoughts that homecooked food elicits.

The beef slices were pink and soft, and I absolutely loved the added texture from the blanched beansprouts. Every bite was so flavourful.

Because I had never tasted beef broth with this depth of flavour ever before, I enquired further. David told me that the secret to his broth is by using the same exact broth “as a base” to build from. Everyday, he “feeds” it fresh beef bones and cooks the brisket and tripe in that same exact broth to allow the flavours to build up over the course of the day.

With a dish that has withstood the test of time(over four generations), David and Melissa are carrying on the legacy of sending out comforting bowls of beef kway teow the Hock Lam way. I have more reason to frequent Maxwell Food Centre now.

The post Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow – Comforting Bowls of Bovine Goodness! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Just when I thought that there is no place where I can get my Teochew-style beef kway teow fix but at Maxwell Food Centre, I was proven wrong by MooTeow Chilli Beef Kway Teow.

Meet 37-year-old Ruben, the man behind MooTeow. If you have not noticed, MooTeow serves dishes similar to what Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow churns out. There is a mention of Empress Place Beef in its signboard as well. That’s because Ruben took an apprenticeship under David, the owner of Empress Place, to learn the intricacies of making Teochew-style beef kway teow.

So how does MooTeow’s beef kway teow fare against Empress Place’s? How similar are they? With the memory of eating Empress Place’s beef kway teow still fresh in my mind, I tucked right into Ruben’s rendition of Teochew-style beef kway teow.

The Mixed Beef w/ Tendon ($8) was up first.

Suffice to say, it really did hit the spot for me.

MooTeow’s Mixed Beef w/ Tendon sports flavourful slivers of beef tripe, beef brisket, soft beef tendon and a couple of beef balls. Just like Empress Place’s version, all the ingredients sit on a mound of kway teow that’s drenched with soy sauce and sesame oil, accompanied with a dollop of tangy chilli sauce at the side.

The ritualistic mixing of kway teow, sauces and chilli, followed.

One slurp of the noodles and a bite of the beef parts confirmed that my fond memory of eating David’s beef kway teow has not been defiled. MooTeow’s chilli is piquant and provides a satisfying kick to whatever beef part it coats. I also enjoyed the crunch of the lightly blanched beansprouts.

While the beef tendon was soft and easy to bite into, I noticed that its size pales in comparison to that of Empress Place’s. Not a dealbreaker in my books though. Moving on!

I had the Mixed Beef Soup ($7) next.

A spoonful of the slightly murky beef broth revealed a savoury and lingering sweetness that I knew could only be achieved by boiling a mixture of beef parts continuously for hours! Letting the beef parts steep in the beef broth also helped to bolster the overall flavours of this comforting bowl of noodles.

While MooTeow’s beef broth was good, I felt that the beef broth served was slightly lacking in terms of depth of flavour. Of course, this is in comparison to Empress Place’s beef broth which is in a league of its own.

There was the Sliced Beef Dry ($6) as well.

Ruben cooks the sliced beef quickly, to a greyish-pink hue, in the boiling pot of beef broth. He makes sure that the sliced beef are of the perfect doneness! I can’t stop emphasising this, but don’t forget to toss the kway teow and chilli together!

While MooTeow’s beef kway teow dishes reminded me of Empress Place’s beef kway teow, it certainly wasn’t the same and didn’t evoke the exact same feelings in me as Empress Place’s version did. But it doesn’t mean that MooTeow’s rendition is not good. Ruben is trying to modernise the Teochew-style beef kway teow and make this dish his own, and that’s very commendable!Ruben shared that another outlet is in the works and is set to open later this year!

If you want to have yourself a comforting bowl of Teochew-style beef kway teow but don’t want to make the trip down to Maxwell Food Centre, let MooTeow at Wild Market serve you a bowl!

The post MooTeow – Teochew-Style Beef Kway Teow at Wild Market? Teow Me More! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Stepping through this huge rustic gate of Medan Lebuh Campbell made me feel like I’ve entered a different part of Penang. Tourists are great in number here, especially at Toh Soon Cafe.

Although hidden in a narrow alley, Toh Soon cafe is flooded with people so it’s impossible to miss. The queue never stops. The ordering system is very messy. Thus, even when people are seated, they may not have their orders taken until one of the staff notices them. And the orders are sometimes mixed up. So, the ordering system does not help the queue at all. Fortunately, the food compensates for all the waiting, provided your orders are delivered correctly to you, of course.

When a Penang friend brought me to Toh Soon Cafe, I was amazed the moment I reached the open kitchen area. A staff toasts the white bread, 6 slices at a time(no wonder need to wait so long). It is definitely not an easy job having to squat beside the charcoal, flipping the toasts occasionally to prevent them from getting too burnt.

The crisp toast, together with the fragrant kaya, was a small slice of heaven. I love the charred bits especially!

This is Toh Soon Cafe’s specialty. Lightly overcooked soft-boiled eggs lying atop charcoal grilled buttery toasts — what a combination! This is a simple, yet utterly satisfying, treat. We need this in Singapore!

Do the eggs look especially good to you? Toh Soon only uses eggs from kampung chickens! The egg yolk was rich and carried this lovely taste that made me fall head over heels in love with it.

Packs of nasi lemak(1 RM) can be spotted on every table. I decided to devour this while waiting for my toast and eggs. I finished this within minutes! It was a really small portion but the appetising sambal, fried ikan bilis, hard-boiled egg and fragrant rice made a winning combo. I can’t believe it’s just 1RM! What a steal?

The mural along the corridor accurately depicted the operations in the kitchen. Our orders were mixed up and not everything came, but we made do with what was served and we just paid whatever amount we were told to pay. They only churn out 6 toasts every 10 minutes, so the wait can be really long and frustrating. Recently, Toh Soon opened a second outlet with a proper operation system, so I’ll probably pop by the next time I’m in Penang.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to TOH SOON CAFE. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Toh Soon Cafe – All About Charcoal Grilled Toast & Kampung Chicken Eggs appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

If you have been to the restaurant previously, you probably remember their robatayaki counter where seasonal produce is displayed beautifully. Unfortunately, that has been removed. Head into the newly-renovated Tamashii and immerse yourself in an intimate Kappo dining experience. You can still watch the chef prepare fresh seasonal ingredients and cook them in front of you.

During our invited dinner tasting, we had the chance to try the Chef Tasting Menu ($128 for 6 Course / $168 for 8 Course). We kicked off our meal with a trio of snacks which includes Hokkaido King Crab tossed with Honey Miso and served in charcoal cone, Tuna with Yuzu Sesame, and Lady Finger with Wasabi Vinaigrette.

I slurped down the creamy oyster from Okayama which is served with balsamic vinegar pearl and sea grapes. The freshest sashimi, which is flown in directly from Japan, is sliced and plated at the sashimi counter. We had the Tuna Belly, Flounder, Saba and Sea Water Uni. The flounder was marinated with salt and konbu for a day while the lightly seared saba fish was marinated with salt and vinegar.

It was really the next few courses that shone. Chef Patrick serves the popular foie gras monaka — an airy, crisp Japanese biscuit filled with creamy foie gras and served with pickled radish and 15-year-old balsamic vinegar. The refreshing radish and tangy vinegar help to cut through the heaviness of foie gras. I love their homemade Satsuma Age where the fish cake is made using a mixture of white fish paste, prawn and squid. Biting into bouncy deep-fried fish cake revealed a layer of seasonal clams. It’s such a beautiful dish with distinct crustacean flavours. I was hoping for a second serving of this.

Another highlight was the grilled beef tongue. The especially tender parts of the tongue are selected, sous vide, and lightly salted before being grilled. It’s superb.  The smokiness and flavor of beef grilled over charcoal are hard to beat.

If you come in a group of 4 or more, share a plate of Bincho-Grilled Blue Fin Tuna Char Kama ($138). Remember to order in advance. If you get a tuna collar, you’re in for an even bigger treat! Just a tiny squeeze of lemon is all it needed to be perfect. All that fatty, gelatinous goodness is going to make you crave for more. Even the bones release their juices. Every slice of meat is so soft and flavorful (but don’t be greedy and order the beef tongue as well because it may be too oily for you).

Focusing on the freshness of the ingredients, Tamashii only lightly seasons the ingredients to bring out their original flavours. Besides the beef tongue and tuna collar that are lightly salted and grilled to perfection, another recommended dish is the Spanish Carabinero Prawn. Similar to ebi fry style, this striking red deep-sea prawn is coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried. You start off by removing the prawn head, and pouring out the roe onto the meat. Then, savour it. It’s so good!

Before fruits are served, we had the Abalone Rice. Cooked in a pot similar to claypot, the rice has that crispy charred layer at the bottom of the pot. The rice is mixed with abalone liver sauce and served with shaved truffle.

Rather than sticking to elegant, refined Japanese food, Tamashii has come up with a new menu that’s more like an elevated, and deeply personal take on Japanese home cooking. I really like the fish cake and beef tongue! But with the new open kitchen concept, it also means that your shirt is going to smell, so get your fabric refresher spray ready!

Note: This was an invited tasting.

The post Tamashii Opens After Months of Renovation, Offering An Intimate Kappo Experience appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

The famous Fukuoka ramen restaurant has finally made its way to Singapore! For a limited time from 3rd October to 20th October, Ichiran will be serving their famous ramen at a pop up store in Takashimaya. And only 700 bowls of ramen will be dished out daily. Ichiran will be selling their New York Limited instant ramen which comes with just spring onions, kikurage mushrooms (wood ear mushrooms), their Original Spicy Red Seasoning, and noodles. There will be no eggs or meat unfortunately. Still, this does not deter fans from queuing even before the mall opens. Even though we were there quite early ourselves, we had to wait for a good one hour before we could try the famous ramen.

You can enjoy your ramen at the standing area or in the Ramen Focus Booths, which is a replica of the original booths at a typical Ichiran restaurant. Ichiran believes in providing their customers with an experience that’s as authentic as possible.

Each bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen retails at $12. Even though it’s supposed to be a bowl of instant ramen, it looked like restaurant-quality ramen. The specialty tonkotsu (pork bone) broth was thick, rich, and oily. Every spoonful I took was full of umami.

If the amount of spicy seasoning isn’t enough for you, you can add more with the individual chilli powder packs. Boy, does the seasoning pack a punch. The spiciness will linger at the back of your throat, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself coughing a little to clear your throat.

If you don’t feel like having the ramen right there and then, you can take home a box of three packs of instant ramen($35). Only 200 boxes are available each day. They also sell their Original Spicy Red Seasoning($16/per can). To purchase these, you’ll have to join the queue.

So, if you’re a huge fan of Ichiran, or if you’ve never had a taste of the world famous ramen, hurry over for a taste of it before they’re gone! Just be prepared for a crazy long queue!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Ichiran. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Ichiran – Popular Japanese Ramen Restaurant Makes a Stop in Singapore! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Warung Selera Masakan Kampung in Joo Chiat Complex is known for their nasi campur/padang.

The moment we got here, our eyes lit up! We were incredibly spoilt for choice. There were just so many things to choose from! My eyes were darting back and forth as I tried to guess what the many interesting dishes they had were. In the end, we decided to pick the dishes that we were more familiar with. What we ordered was only a small portion of what they had though.

I tried the Sayur Lodeh first. The gravy was a little bland but the vegetables were crunchy. This is not a spicy dish so it’s perfect for those who are here but can’t really take spicy food!

Next up, I had the Sotong Hitam. When we were ordering our food, there were many people who were getting this as well. This was my first time trying it and I fell in love with it. You can taste hints of the squid ink in the slightly sweet black sauce. The squid itself was soft and fresh, and had a lovely bite. I highly recommend this.

The Sambal Terung (brinjal) is lightly fried before being smothered in sambal. While the really red sambal and the numerous chilli seeds scared me at first, the dish turned out to be manageable. I was surprised that it wasn’t overwhelmingly spicy! I enjoyed the savoury brinjal which carried notes of lime.

Then, I moved on to the curry dishes. The flavourful and lemak Curry Ayam contained tender pieces of chicken. You can tell by its taste that lots of coconut milk was put into it. I’m not complaining. I doused my plate of rice with it. It was honestly one of my favourite dishes out of all that we ordered.

Last but not least, the Curry Ikan. Please get a drink ready before eating this. If the spiciness level of the curry ayam was at a 4.5 out of 10, the fish was at least a 7.5. You can see pieces of chilli padi swimming in there. One mouthful and it’ll definitely make you shout, PEDAS! Despite the heat, the flavour was so so good, even better than the curry chicken. The fish itself was soft and juicy.

We only tried 5 dishes, but they were enough to make us want to come back for more. So, if you want to try authentic Malay food, you should definitely come here. And from what I learnt from this experience, the spicier the dish, the better it tastes.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Warung Selera Masakan Kampung. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Warung Selera Masakan Kampung – The Nasi Campur is So Good! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Shortly after Taiwanese comedian Nono’s Monga Fried Chicken opened in Singapore, well known Taiwanese fried chicken brand, Devil Evolution’s Fried Chicken, entered the scene as well. The last time the pop up store appeared in Shilin Night Market, there was a four-hour long queue. So, imagine my surprise when I saw just a short line at the store. I’m definitely not complaining though. This means I can get my hands on the famous chicken quicker.

Currently, these thick cutlets are available in two flavours(Original, and Spicy) and three levels of spiciness(mild, normal, and extra spicy). Each cutlet is retailing at $7.90. For the soft opening period from 4th October to 13th October, each customer can only buy a maximum of 2 pieces each. This is to ensure that everyone would have a chance to try it! They only accept cash payment.

The freshly fried chicken smelled so good. The area around the store was dominated by that distinctive smell. When I finally received my cutlet, I dug in immediately.

And in that very moment, I knew it lived up to the hype. The big, juicy piece of breast meat was coated in a crispy, salted batter. From crust to bone, everything was so well seasoned. The meat was slightly sweet. I couldn’t tell if it came from the natural flavours of the chicken, or the batter. The point is, it was just too good. Sinful too, judging from the amount of grease the paper soaked up.

The spicy seasoning on the spicy chicken certainly has a kick to it. If I got the extra spicy one, I would not have survived. The mild one, however, gave the perfect amount of heat to enhance the flavour of the chicken. If I were to choose the one I prefer, I would say it’s the mild spicy chicken.

In the blink of an eye, both cutlets were gone. However, as a Westie, I’m comforted by the fact that another outlet will be opening in JEM soon. It will be situated near Monga, which means double the options for us Westies!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to 恶魔鸡排 Devil Evolution’s Chicken. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post 恶魔鸡排 Devil Evolution’s Chicken – Taiwan’s Most Famous Fried Chicken is Now in Singapore! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Wok In Burger is a zichar-burger concept founded by the 3rd generation of Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood Restaurant. They started as a coffeeshop stall in the same premise as KEK. Recently, they opened an outlet at JCube!

It’s not the first time I ate at Wok In Burger. I had previously tried their signature Coffee Pork Burger and Chilli Soft Shell Crab Burger. So this time round, we went for something different – Fish Skin Salted Egg Burger ($15, choice of pork or chicken).

This is a tall burger holding different textures. On one hand, there is a golden-brown pork cutlet which is fried to perfection. On the other, there is a piece of crunchy fish skin that is even bigger than the charcoal burger bun.

I like that the homemade salted egg sauce coated the meat more than adequately. They made the salted egg sauce from scratch. It was aromatic and grainy, not like the usual ones in the market.

This is very good attempt at bringing local flavours into a Western item without being overly pretentious. The burgers are also absolutely value-for-money here —$9.80 nett with fries, coleslaw and water chestnut drink on the side. The fries were crisp and well-seasoned with salt, while the coleslaw came with crunchy apples. This is something I’ll crave for again!

When I took my first bite of the Green Apple Curry Burger ($15.80, choice of pork or chicken), I immediately thought of the curry sauce from a famous fast-food chain (you know which one). I don’t think it is a bad thing because many of us grew up eating this particular curry sauce. It’s definitely a unique burger, and I especially enjoyed the addition of apple slices which offered a refreshing crunch.

Then there was the Sambal Fish Burger ($12.80). Watch out for the keropok beside this bangin’ burger! Add the keropok into your burger, and give it a lil squish in order to crush it. I am sure you will love this!

We all know that for three generations, KEK Seafood has tickled many taste buds with their Zi Char dishes that are pepped up with “wok hei”. To be honest, it is difficult to infuse wok hei into spaghetti but I think that Chef Wayne has managed to do it.

The Marmite Chicken Aglio Olio ($10.80) features deep-fried chicken chunks with a sticky, beautiful marmite glaze. For something with a spicy kick, the Black Pepper Beef Spaghetti ($12.80) may be what you’re looking for.

The Strawberry Cereal Fried Rice ($12.80) is popular among ladies. Freshly fried, the fried rice is topped with crunchy cereal and strawberries for a tinge of sweetness and sourness. Every dish is prepared with the freshest ingredients, the perfect balance of flavours and, most importantly, the fiery taste of wok.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Wok In Burger – Perfect Union of Your Favourite Zi Char dishes & Burgers appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Bacha Coffee is a newly opened coffeehouse located in ION Orchard. In the age of cafe culture, this cafe from Morocco promises a unique cafe experience that’s different from what we’re used to.

Stepping into this coffeehouse, which is inspired by the Dar el Bacha palace in Marrakech, is like entering a different world. Dressed in orange and blue, the cafe is filled with Moroccan influences. Tins of coffee beans from all across the globe lined the shelves, and the cafe is completed with foreign jazzy music in the background.

If you look through the smaller, individual shelves, you will notice coffee beans and even the cups that the cafe uses are all available for purchase.

Near the entrance lies the pastry showcase. It certainly is a feast for the eyes. There were so many different delicious looking coffee-infused pastries, desserts, and cakes. They even have a whole shelf of croissants — one of their specialties.

Bacha Coffee boasts a collection of more than two hundred coffees from 30 different coffee producing countries. Looking at the coffee menu alone, my colleague and I were extremely overwhelmed. Thankfully, Bacha Coffee is filled with helpful staff just waiting to assist you in choosing that one coffee that will suit your taste and palate.

To get the most out of our budget, we decided to get one of the afternoon coffee sets. We chose the Moka set ($36++) which included a choice of hot or iced coffee from their massive selection (supplement for coffees over $9), a chicken japaleno sandwich, and a choice of two croissants/two cakes/one pastry. After much deliberation, we chose the orange croissant and pistachio croissant. As for coffee, a waitress recommended the Volcán Azul Coffee from Costa Rica, and we gladly heeded her recommendation.

Each coffee comes with a pot of fresh vanilla bean Chantilly cream. Raw sugar is provided at every table as well as a small vanilla grinder. Our waitress explained that raw sugar is used as it sweetens the coffee and yet it doesn’t distract you from enjoying the true flavours of the coffee.

The coffee will be served to you in a brass kettle with a long spindly spout. Pour your coffee up to about three quarters of the cup. If you’re like me and cannot handle black coffee, add two dollops of the chantilly cream(recommended amount for a nice creamy coffee).

You can choose to boost the coffee flavours with a hint of grated vanilla. Not enough? Then, feel free to add as much sugar as you desire.

Before I added the extra ingredients, I tasted the coffee on its own. I must say I was shocked by the intense flavours. As it went down my throat, it left a tinge of acidity. The aftertaste was surprisingly pleasant. After adding the cream and sugar, it was definitely a lot easier to drink.

After eyeing the croissants for so long, we couldn’t take it anymore and dug in. The thin, flaky, buttery layers were stuffed with delicious fillings. I tasted a hint of marzipan mixed in for both the orange and pistachio croissant. The orange flavour wasn’t overwhelming at all, contrary to usual orange-flavoured desserts. There was a light marmalade taste to it. The pistachio flavour, regrettably, wasn’t strong enough. I still enjoyed it though, especially with the added pistachios on top.

Before the chicken jalapeño sandwich is served, you’re given the option of having coffee infused pepper cracked onto your salad. The sandwich was made with French toast which is freshly made every morning. The juicy pieces of chicken is flanked by jalapeños and French cream cheese. The jalapeños gave this momentary heat that paired really well with the creamy cheese. It was scrumptious!

You certainly will need a higher budget if you decide to come here. However, it is definitely worth every cent, especially for coffee lovers. The insane coffee selection is something you don’t want to miss out on. If you simply adore gorgeous interior design, this place is for you as well. A Moroccan-inspired coffeehouse is not something you see often.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the cafe featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Bacha Coffee. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Bacha Coffee – Enjoy Your Cup of Coffee Like a Royal Here appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

From a humble hawker stall in Mei Ling Market and Food Centre in 1969 to winning the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for 4 years straight (2016 – 2019), SHI HUI YUAN has bravely weathered the passage of time while sending out delicious plates of Hor Fun. SHI HUI YUAN has recently opened their new flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat Festival Market to bring the uniquely Singapore Hor Fun to the financial district.

I met the owners of SHI HUI YUAN, Mr Fong Pak Thim and his daughter, Lyne, at their new flagship stall in Lau Pa Sat to hear their story.

“Why did I become a hawker? For my livelihood. I was working then but I heard someone applied for a hawker stall, so I went to apply too. I was lucky to get it, so we opened a stall at the Mei Ling Market & Food Centre in 1969,” said Mr Fong.

Back in the old days, Hor Fun was an expensive dish served only in restaurants. Mr Fong and his wife wanted to create their own version of Singapore Hor Fun that is affordable and nutritional, hence the name 實惠園.

To be very honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect because I always had the impression that it was another Ipoh-style Hor Fun that’s tossed with some soy sauce gravy. But I was wrong. This is nothing like Ipoh Hor Fun. I’ll consider this a uniquely Singaporean Hor Fun.

Mr Fong added, “We didn’t call it Ipoh Hor Fun, because it is not. Hor Fun itself is tasteless. But when we cook it, we can’t treat it as just Hor Fun. We treat it as our children and “groom” them. In order to be successful (tasty), it depends on what ingredients I add to “groom” this plate of Hor Fun so that we are responsible to our customers.”

Passionately, Mr Fong’s wife developed a recipe using over 30 herbs which include Dang Shen, Yang Shen Xu and Luo Han Guo. The Hor Fun gravy is the embodiment of their Cantonese cooking philosophy of “Food as Medicine”. The herb-based braising sauce is continuously stewed with chicken and duck meat and bones for over 30 years. And each plate is packed with more than 1500mg of rice collagen. Wow!

The first item to arrive on our table was the Blissful set 温馨河伴 ($7.80). It has a beautiful Chinese name. Lyne said, “My father has literary talent and he is able to create beautiful sentences and spin a stunning metaphor. He named this plate of Hor Fun “温馨河伴” because there are a lot of ingredients accompanying it, just like our happy family.”

Indeed, this silky plate of Hor Fun is garnished with a delectable medley of chicken drumstick, duck drumstick, spare ribs, braised egg, mushrooms and vegetables. The ingredients are soaked in a savoury broth that carry a novel and complex blend of herbal flavours.

I hope you are not squirmish about chicken feet because SHI HUI YUAN does it really well. This collagen-rich ingredient is stewed in their signature gravy for a long time and every bite has deep herbal notes. I like the gelatinous and chewy texture of the chicken feet a lot! You must not miss the Braised Chicken Feet Hor Fun 凤爪留香 ($6 regular / $7 large).

I’ve never really been a Hor Fun person (except those thick stir-fried Hor Fun in zi char stall) but this changed me. The gravy was nothing like what I’d tasted before and I really enjoyed it. When I dipped the chicken feet into the tangy chilli sauce, I was blown away! It was so easy to finish the entire bowl on my own!

If you come in a big group, you can order the Combination Platter 幸福拼盘 ($16.80 for 3-4 pax) to share. The mushrooms were succulent and very satisfying.

If you are a fan of Hor Fun, this is the ONE place that you need to visit. Lyne hopes that more people can try this traditional dish, hence the opening of the flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat. “Mei Ling Street is a mature estate. We hope the younger generation can try this traditional taste that will continue for generations to come. At Lau Pa Sat, the office crowd and tourists can try our food without travelling to Mei Ling Street.”

While the dishes left a deep impression, what was even more memorable was my conversation with Mr Fong. He is about my grandfather’s age. Even though he doesn’t do much cooking nowadays, he speaks with so much pride about his food. A lot of times, it is about the stories behind the food that make the dining experience so memorable. Mr Fong even sang a tune for me to explain the name of one of his dishes. Watch the video to find out more.

The post 4-time Michelin Bib Gourmand SHI HUI YUAN Original Singapore Hor Fun opens flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

My group of makan kakis who are also big fans of nasi biryani arranged for another lunch gathering at this newly-opened Cafe Mariam in Joo Chiat. One of us who tried it previously was raving so much about it so we all decided to check it out this week.

We met at 10.30am at Cafe Mariam, which is located in a small shop house along Changi Road, for lunch (yes for lunch because our friend said it would get crowded during lunch time). But guess we came too early. In there, Chef Hassan was still busy cooking nasi mandi.

“I only sell two things here — Nasi Biryani or Nasi Mandi. Mandi is the Arabic version of biryani and many people consider it a healthier version. My kitchen is small, so I come up with my own technique of smoking it.”

Having worked with Gordon Ramsay before, Chef Hussan is definitely not a newbie in the kitchen. He showed me how he cooked his Nasi Mandi and I was impressed. No, the rice was not smoked in some expensive Josper oven. He uses a clever trick to give his Nasi Mandi its characteristic smoky flavour and taste. This small cafe already smells wonderful even before the food is ready.

There is Chicken Dum Briyani ($6.50), Mutton Briyani ($7.50) and the Arab-style Mandi Briyani (price depends on size) on the menu. Since there were 5 of us, we shared a huge platter of Dum and Mandi with chicken, mutton and lamb shank.

The hallmark of an excellent biryani is the fluffy rice grains. Layers of meat and rice are added to a heavy-bottomed pot which is sealed tightly so the flavors and steam do not escape. “No saffron, no biryani,” Chef Hussain said. The fluffy basmati rice in biryani has a hint of saffron.

My friends and I were raving about the nasi mandi which had a very distinct smokiness that we love. The accompanying meats are spiced and stewed in a pot till soft. Upon order, Chef Hussan starts his fire guns and torches the meat surface till it’s slightly charred on the outside. The meats are paired with green chilli chutney and yogurt. If you ask me, I’ll very much love to combine both nasi briyani and nasi mandi, and savour them together. It’s so good.

The post Cafe Mariam – Smoky and Fragrant Nasi Briyani in the East appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Fortune centre is a paradise for vegetarians. The whole mall is filled with restaurants selling vegetarian food. Vege Pot is one of them. Vege Pot offers a slew of dishes ranging from Korean bibimbap and Japanese udon, to Thai green curry. The menu is extensive and you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice here.

Before Siew Ling, the owner, opened Vege Pot with her chef, they were running a massage parlour. However, after opening the business and deliberating for awhile, they decided to change it to a restaurant because “people don’t need massages everyday. They need food.”

Siew Ling first became a vegetarian after she had some health issues. She went to Penang to change her lifestyle, and found her chef who later helped her recover from her ailments. They returned to Singapore after to start a business together. The restaurant started as a way to prove to people that vegetarian food can be delicious too. And boy, are they right.

Red Yeast Mee Sua ($6), which is a common postpartum confinement food, is usually cooked with chicken. However, even without the meat, Vege Pot’s version was delicious. The broth was a lot sweeter than it was sour, and carried a hint of wine. The mee sua was soft, but not mushy. I really liked this.

Next up is the Handmade Dumpling With Dry Ramen ($6). The soft and springy noodles are drenched in a savoury dark sauce. The dumplings are filled with different ingredients such as black fungus, carrots, and cilantro. The noodles came with a bland bowl of soup which contained spinach and tofu. There’s nothing to shout about, in my opinion.

The Penang Bah Gu Teh ($6) could have had me fooled for actual bak kut teh with meat. Unfortunately, the flavour was quite mild. Just a little stronger and they would have nailed it! As no meat was used, the broth was not oily at all, and was actually quite clear. The texture of the fake meat was almost like that of real meat, albeit a little harder. I could tell that it was made with mushrooms. I’m just not sure how they did it, but what a splendid imitation! And I don’t say that about faux meat often.

Other than main dishes, they have side dishes as well. We tried the Handmade Unagi ($6). The seaweed wrap, which was topped with a smattering of sesame seeds, was so crispy. The glaze on the seaweed, which tasted like teriyaki sauce, added a nice umami to the dish. The filling tasted like fish paste, to be very honest. I could gobble up the whole plate in less than five minutes if you let me.

Vege pot has such a huge menu and I really want to try everything they have to offer. All of the dishes sound really delicious and I would like to see how this restaurant manages to pull off vegetarian renditions of popular dishes. You can bet that I’ll be back!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Vege Pot. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance

The post Vege Pot – Delicious Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh & Handmade Unagi! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Before Chef Chik opened his hawker stall, he was the executive chef of Wan Hao Cantonese restaurant in Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. He served a short sentence for receiving kickbacks from a seafood supplier in exchange for buying their seafood.

After his incarceration, Chef Chik opened this stall with his wife, Joanne. In the beginning, life was hard for both of them. Because they only had each other, it made running the stall even more challenging.

Every day, they would reach the stall at 6 am to prepare the food. Chef Chik will cook non-stop until 7.30 pm. Then, they would have to clean up till 9 pm. Sometimes, his wife would break down from fatigue after washing bowl after bowl.

Being this busy every single day, they had no choice but to let their children go to school by themselves.

Even though their situation now has become a lot better, Chef Chik still teared up while telling us his story. He feels sorry for having put his family through that.

Chef Chik’s passion for cooking shows in his dishes. Chef Chik personally makes his own sauces for all his dishes — a fact that he is very proud of, and rightfully so. He also gets his fish fresh from the market every morning before he opens his stall. You wouldn’t expect such well-plated sumptuous restaurant-quality dishes in a hawker centre but you definitely can at Chef Chik.

The Steamed Threadfin Belly (seasonal price) was so soft and delicate. The whole piece just melted in my mouth. The minced garlic atop each slice of fish gave a good burst of garlicky flavour. Together with the savoury soy gingery sauce, the threadfin belly captured my heart.

If you grew up eating Cantonese food, you would know that chicken and black fungus go together. Chef Chik took this dish and made it his own. The Black Fungus Steamed Chicken ($8) was bathing in a house-made sauce. The well-marinated chicken was juicy and firm. The black fungus had been soaked long enough to be soft, but still crunchy — just how I like it.

Even though the Claypot Sausage Chicken Rice ($8) was cooked over a gas stove, it was full of flavours. The bottom of the claypot was covered in crispy rice. The rice was infused with flavours of dark soy sauce, Chinese sausage, liver sausage, cured pork belly, chicken, and salted fish. The pork belly is not a commonly found ingredient for claypot rice, but it was very much welcomed. You definitely have to order this when you come here.

We were recommended the Cordyceps White Fungus Chicken Drumstick Soup ($6). All the flavours of chicken and cordyceps were combined beautifully into the golden broth. The chicken drumstick was fall-off-the-bone tender. My colleague said it tasted like home. And I agree. I would drink this any day.

The salted fish meat patty ($3.50) tasted exactly like what and how it’s supposed to —salted fish-infused meat. The texture of the patty was soft yet firm. It was quite salty though, so be sure to eat it with rice.

Taking a break from all the meaty dishes, we had the Oyster Sauce Veg ($3). The lightly blanched kai lan was dressed in oyster sauce, and had a good bite Even with the oyster sauce, it was still a little bland to me.

Chef Chik has some off-menu items which require you to place an order in advance. This Black Bean Steamed Red Snapper is one of them. Two elderly gentlemen visit his stall every time it’s open to have their usual order of red snapper, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of soup. While they were eating, they told us all about Chef Chik’s different dishes, both on-menu and off-menu items with proud looks on their faces. It was like watching a father show off his son. It was heartwarming, to say the least.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Chef Chik. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Chef Chik – Restaurant Quality Hawker Food at Haig Road Hawker Centre! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Hidden in Joo Chiat Road is a little bakery which just opened in September. Even though they’re so new, they have become quite popular with the office workers around the area, who stop by for a snack.

The simply decorated space is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Because of the space constraint, there were only two sets of tables and chairs on one end of the bakery, and two benches on the other side. Thankfully, we came when the bakery was not too busy so we managed to nab one of the tables.

I can definitely smell and tell why this place has been raved about so much. The aroma of freshly baked pastries just hits you the moment you walk in.

First on the menu is the Classic Croissant ($3), a pastry that takes 3 days of hard work to be crafted. On the first day, the team will mix the dough, and let it ferment overnight. On the second day, they will shape the croissant and let it rest again. Only on the third day, will they bake them.

I must say, this might be the crispiest croissant that I have ever had. It was so fragile that a single touch could cause the crust to fall apart. The inside was just layers upon layers of buttery goodness. Crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, the croissant was sooo good.

The Pain Au Chocolat ($3.50) had a darker crust on the outside, which might make you think that it’s burnt. But, let me assure you, it was not. The parcel contained a layer of gooey chocolate wrapped in croissant dough. It was a slightly different, yet equally delicious rendition of the croissant.

Just an anecdote, I brought my pain au chocolat back with me and left it in the fridge for a while. When I took it out, the chocolate hardened and the pastry had softened a bit. But let me tell you, it was still tasty even though it was cold. The thin layer of chocolate formed into a chocolate bar that gave a nice snap each time I took a bite. Yum!

The Apple Danish ($3.80) was brimming with a green apple filling. There were even chunks of apple inside! The tart apple went really well with the sprinkling of ceylon cinnamon sugar. The sugary layer was especially fragile and crumbly.

As we were about to leave, a tray of Shiitake ($4.50) bread was brought out. As if we could resist the allure of freshly baked bread?! The piping hot flatbread had that notorious cheese pull when we broke it apart. This was one of their savoury bread options that they only bake in the afternoon.

The owners, Mark and Regina, pride themselves on baking simple but good quality breads. Their breads are free of improvers, preservatives and artificial flavours. The baked goods are made in small batches, and they are snapped up really quickly.

Seeing how popular their breads are, Petit Pain is looking to introduce new varieties of rustic breads soon. I can’t wait!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Petit Pain. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Petit Pain – Crispiest Croissants Ever?! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Owners Zac and Cassandra first opened their flagship store in Toa Payoh Central Koufu Food Court. Seeing their success there, the couple decided to open a second outlet at golden mile tower. Their original concept of serving set meals changed when they realised that office workers around the area prefer a more cai png style. Hence, they changed the concept to suit the location. 

Both Cassandra and Zac are still quite young, so for them to be serving Peranakan food seems quite unusual. 

Turns out, after Cassandra and Zac got married, Cassandra learnt Peranakan cooking from Zac’s zor zor, a nyonya. The learning process was tough as Peranakan cooking is very strict. To add on the challenge, there are over 10 to 20 herbs and spices in each Peranakan dish. And zor zor always agak agak the ingredients required, making it harder for Cassandra to get the taste she wanted. So, when she was learning from zor zor, Cassandra had to stop her every now and then to measure the exact amount of ingredients she was using.

In the Peranakan culture, the guys normally wouldn’t step into the kitchen. Because both of them decided to venture into the food industry to share zor zor’s recipes, Zac had a chance to experience and learn Peranakan cooking too. Not an easy route as he claimed, especially when he has no background in cooking at all.

Peranakan food is near and dear to my heart, as I grew up eating my grandma’s nyonya food. So, you could say that I had high expectations before coming here. As you know, each family has their own recipes and versions of various nyonya dishes, and we will always say that our own recipes are the best. So, let’s see how Nyonya Flavours fared against this inherent bias. 

We started off with the Blue Pea Nasi Lemak. This is one of their specialties which is exclusively available at the Golden Mile branch. The nasi lemak was savoury, fragrant, and carried a distinct fragrance of coconut. It was definitely good enough to be eaten on its own, and even better when paired with the other dishes. The blue rice is really pretty as well, which makes it very instagrammable.

We got the Assam Pedas, another one of their specialties. They use only two types of fish, ang zhor (John’s snapper), and the ang koli (sea bream), which they get fresh from Jurong Port. The sea bream steak was tender, and the assam gravy had the right amount of acidity and kick. You can order the assam pedas with a bowl of rice as a set as well. 

Next, I tried the Sambal Petai, also known as stink beans. This was my first time trying petai and I was wary of its notorious pungency. However, that was not the case with Nyonya Flavours’s petai. I would say that it was fragrant even. I love its crunch and the distinctive flavours that it added to the mix of vegetables. The sweet sambal that the vegetables were tossed in was just perfect.

Next, I tried the Sambal Petai, also known as stink beans. This was my first time trying petai and I was wary of its notorious pungency. However, that was not the case with Nyonya Flavours’s petai. I would say that it was fragrant even. I love its crunch and the distinctive flavours that it added to the mix of vegetables. The sweet sambal that the vegetables were tossed in was just perfect.

Last but not least, my absolute favourite dish — Ayam Buah Keluak!! It is a must-have when you eat Peranakan food. To eat it, all you have to do is to scoop out the flesh from the inside of the nut using a small teaspoon. 

Nyonya Flavours’s rendition of Ayam Buah Keluah was savoury and a tad sour, making it more appetizing. The gravy was thick and super flavourful. Needless to say, it’s heavenly with just a bowl of white rice. The buah keluak flesh has a very sweet, intense flavour, and just a hint of bitterness. This was absolutely delicious and I relished every bit of it!

And the icing on the cake? It only costs $2.50 to add on buah keluak to your rice. Usually, in restaurants, they would charge a lot more than that. So, this is extremely worth it and a total bang for your buck. 

Nyonya Flavours has nailed the classic Peranakan dishes, and revolutionalize Peranakan cuisine. If you are craving for authentic, yet affordable, Peranakan food, or want to try Peranakan cai png, make a trip here! 

But be sure to be here on weekday lunch as they are opened till 3pm only. We asked them if they would consider extending their operating hours till dinner time or operating over the weekends. They told us they are considering these alternatives. Hopefully they will! 

This post was brought to you by Nyonya Flavours.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Nyonya Flavours. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Nyonya Flavours – Authentic Nyonya Food at Golden Mile Tower! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

If you live in Clementi, you would have definitely heard of Fong Dee’s Curry Puff, or at least tried it before. It is THE curry puff stall in Clementi.

I’ve been eating them ever since I was a wee child. My grandmother would always buy some after her trips to the market and we’ll have them for tea time. I remember struggling to finish the whole puff because I couldn’t handle the spiciness. I can easily take it on now of course.

The owner learnt how to make the curry puffs from his mother since he was 10. He has since used the same recipe to make his famous pastries. Everything, from the dough, to the curried potatoes and chicken, are all handmade and made fresh daily.

Appearance-wise, it isn’t the prettiest curry puff, but it has a sort of rustic look. It always reminded me of a small rugby ball.

The crust is crispy, yet soft at the same time. It’s less like a biscuit, but more like a pie shell. There’s nothing quite like it. The crust is one of the unique parts of Fong’s Dee curry puff.

Each puff ($1.20) is filled generously with curried potatoes, chicken, and a slice of egg. It’s best eaten 5-10 minutes out of the fryer, when it is still hot. You’ll get that burst of flavour and a spicy kick from the rempah. (Like I said, I can totally handle it now.) When we had it that day, it was a little bland. But, they’re still really addictive. After devouring one, you would feel like having another, and then another.

Fong’s Dee Curry Puff only sells potato curry puffs, among some other fried goodies, such as goreng pisang and spring rolls. I have yet to try them, but I might give them a go if I don’t get tempted by the curry puffs first.

So, if you’re ever around Clementi, make sure you get your hands on these delicious curry puffs!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Fong’s Dee Curry Puff. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Fong’s Dee Curry Puff – Best Curry Puffs in Clementi! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

The old Serangoon Shopping Centre seems to be frozen in time — in the 70s to be specific. Surprisingly, the ground floor, which is where Fragrant Garden is located, was pretty crowded.

This traditional Teochew restaurant started from a humble zi-char stall in Geylang Serai village in the 1950s. They have withstood the test of time and gained popularity over the years. The restaurant serves authentic Teochew fare so you can expect dishes such as braised duck, steamed pomfret, Oyster Omelette, liver roll, pork trotter jelly, stuffed sea cucumber, Cai Por Kway Teow etc.

We started dinner on a high with the Pork Jelly ($10 / $15) and Combo Roll ($12 / $20). The former is an uncommon dish that requires a few hours of slow cooking. It’s especially appetite-whetting when eaten with the tangy chilli vinegar. The latter is a platter filled with prawn rolls and liver rolls. We don’t often see liver rolls in restaurants now. Deep-fried till perfection, they are full of the fragrance of five-spice powder and creamy liver.

How do you like your oyster omelette? I like mine gooey. Fragrant Garden’s Oyster Omelette ($14 / $20) is on the crispy side. You’ll get a pile of crispy eggs with big and juicy oysters.

Braised Duck in Teochew Style ($15 / $20) is a favourite among locals. Here at Fragrant Garden, each piece of finely-sliced duck is served with authentic Pu Ning tofu and topped with dark sauce and coriander. Look at that layer of skin! The duck was sliced uniformly and the tenderness of the meat was captivating. The braised soy sauce was fragrant as well.

Sea cucumber is a delicacy. It takes about 3 days for Fragrant’s Stuffed Sea Cucumber ($60 onwards) to obtain that slightly crunchy and soft texture. The special meat stuffing adds a textural difference to the sea cucumber.

When we dine at a Teochew restaurant, ordering pomfret is a norm for us. The restaurant handpicks its fish daily at the market so you can be sure that the fish here is always fresh. When steamed well, the fish will be moist and soft. When ordering pomfret, please remember to double confirm the price as it is charged by size. Our plate of pomfret in the picture cost $95.

After all the meat, we ended dinner with Braised Vegetables with Scallop ($12), Fried Kway Teow with Chai Po ($5 / $8 / $12) and Yam Paste ($4 / $20 / $30) served with gingko nuts, pumpkin and shallots. It’s not the best, but I enjoyed the Chye Poh Kway Teow which was full of ingredients such as chopped kai lan, egg, beansprouts and of course chye poh (preserved radish). Stir-fried with pork lard, the kway teow was packed with wok hei. Their orh nee is loaded with lots of shallot oil.

It was an enjoyable dinner because of the company. But I don’t like the pushy service as the waitress kept recommending the expensive stuff on the menu. I caught her rolling her eyes when we rejected her recommendation of Cold Crabs.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

The post Fragrant Garden – Authentic Teochew Dishes in Serangoon appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre is home to many delicious food and famous stalls. One of them is Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh. Opened for 18 years, the stall has gained a reputation for making one of the best Teochew kuehs in Singapore.

The owner wakes up at 1 am every day to prepare the ingredients for the day. He will then spend the morning filling and folding the kuehs.

One of the interesting things about the stall is that they sell both steamed and pan-fried kuehs. It takes about 10-15 minutes to steam the kueh, but only a few minutes to fry them.

It intrigued us so much that we bought all four types of kueh, both steamed and pan fried.

The soon kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $0.80 for fried) is a crowd favourite, and also the owner’s personal favourite. Honestly, I can tell why. I actually wasn’t too keen on soon kueh, as my impression of it is this translucent gelatinous blob with stuffing inside. The thick skin always turned me off, and the bang kuang is always not up to par.

But this? The steamed skin was chewy, QQ, and wasn’t too thick. The bang kuang inside was so soft and flavourful. The crisp pan fried skin took it up a notch. I am now a convert.

The png kueh ($0.90 for steamed, $1 for fried), unfortunately, didn’t impress me as much. The glutinous rice inside was a little dry, and it made the kueh difficult to chew and swallow. The fried version tasted a little better, but not by much. Maybe if you added the chilli sauce, it would be easier to eat.

The chives kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $$0.80 for fried) is a hit or miss for most as the taste of chives doesn’t appeal to everyone. Surprisingly, it was a home run for me. The chives were soft, and I couldn’t really taste the light garlicky onion flavour it usually has. It was juicy too. Needless to say, the whole kueh disappeared in a flash. The fried version was gone just as quickly.

To differentiate the cabbage kueh ($0.70 for steamed, $0.80 for fried) from the others, just look for the pink dot on top of the white skin. The cabbage was cooked to a soft texture like the chives, but it was a lot saltier. Maybe it’s because it was made with hei bi. It was flavourful, but you can only have so many at a time.

I was sceptical at first, given my bad history with soon kueh. But, Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh really deserves its reputation for amazing Teochew kuehs. I preferred the pan fried versions compared to the steamed ones, as I really liked the crunchy skin. But hey, that’s just me. Many like the traditional steamed versions more. They’re both delicious and I know I’ll be craving for them in a few days time.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

The post Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh – Yummy QQ Teochew Kueh at Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Chef Kang is very busy.

Besides managing his one Michelin Star private kitchen, he also has to take care of Chef Kang Noodle House in Toa Payoh. And recently, he opened Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House in Toa Payoh.

Coincidentally, both his wanton and prawn noodle outlets are in Toa Payoh. “Toa Payoh is my playground, I grew up here so I am very familiar with this place,” he said.

Chef Kang spends his afternoon at the prawn noodle house while he heads back to the restaurant to cook in the evening.

There are only two dishes on the menu. King Prawn Noodle Soup With Prawn Paste Spare Ribs ($10) is, of course, the signature dish.

The rich prawn broth, which Chef Kang personally makes each day, is boiled with prawn shells and heads, shrimps and chicken feet. Chef Kang starts boiling the broth a day before so that the stock will be full-bodied and robust when they open for lunch the next day. The mere aroma itself is enough to get you salivating.

Each bowl of noodles comes with medium-sized deep-sea king prawns with flesh that comes off the shell easily. Bite into the succulent prawn to uncover a sweetness and pleasant briny taste. Apart from prawns, you’ll also find tender and flavourful prawn paste spare ribs.

Chef Kang said, “During the olden days, we just mix rice with lard oil. That’s tasty enough.” Inspired by that, he came up with the Hot Stone Prawn Paste Spare Ribs Rice ($10). The hot stone pot is heated on the stove till 300°C before Chef Kang adds a generous portion of rice to it, and topped the rice with a prawn paste pork chop, fried lard cubes, spring onions, a raw egg yolk, and dark soy sauce.

The hot stone helps to crisp up some of the rice at the bottom, similar to claypot rice. That generous portion of pork lard won my heart, and the dish was well balanced with the delicious Prawn Paste Spare Ribs. The thin crust sealed in the juices of the pork while the fried shrimp paste batter packed a punch, with a burst of umami when you bite into it.

This is such a humble eatery serving simple yet homey dishes. Chef Kang said he will come up with new dishes in the near future. Word of advice : be prepared to queue.

The post Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House – Michelin-Starred Chef Sells Hei Mee in Toa Payoh appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.