China Street Hainanese Curry Rice (Maxwell Food Centre) 2nd Post

I am always in a dilemma whenever I am in Tanjong Pagar. There are so choices when it comes to food. This time, I decided to visit the newly renovated Maxwell Food Centre. Even then, there are so many types of food to to eat such as Ah Tai Chicken Rice, Tian Tian Chicken Rice, Zhen Zhen Porridge, Xing Xing Tapioca Kueh, Hum Jin Pang, or Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff. 

During a weekday lunch, I decided to have Hainanese Curry Rice. Although there are several stalls selling curry rice, I  prefer the one from China Street Hainanese Curry Rice. I have posted on this stall before and you can read about it here. 

Taken from previous post

I joined the queue which was more than 10 person long. The good thing is that the turnover here is fast as the food are all cooked already. There are the usual choices you get to see in a curry rice stall such as bitter gourd, curry chicken, fried pork chop, cabbage, squid and eggs. I already knew what to order before hand. As you many have noticed, I ordered exactly the same items as what I ordered in the previous post which was 1.5 years back. I really should change and try their other items! 

Bittergourd, curry chicken wings and fried pork chop (which is a must for any curry rice), along with curry drizzled all over the items and rice. This time, the bittergourd was cooked was still hard, a little more time on the wok would have been ideal. The chicken wing was nicely cooked. The meat in it was soft, firm and tender. The pork chop fared the best. Well marinated meat with thin, crisp fragrant batter, it was fried perfectly. It was delicious! Worth the queue and braving the heat in the food centre. Although the food centre has been renovated, it was still quite warm. 

If you like Hainainese curry rice, I would also recommend the curry rice at Bugis called Eleven Finger (Eu Kee) Scissors Curry Rice. 

China Street Hainanese Curry Rice (Maxwell Food Centre)

Maxwell Road #01-68 

Maxwell Food Centre

Opening Hours: Sat - Thurs 1130am - 730pm

                         Closed on Fri & PH

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Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff (Maxwell Food Centre)

It has been 2 years since I last visited Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff at Maxwell Food Centre. I still remember how this stall caught my attention back then in 2011- the man making curry puff at his stall. The chance to enjoy and support another freshly made curry puff stall instead of factory made was too good an opportunity to forgo. 

Comparing the appearance of the stall over the 2 years, nothing much has changed. The stall appearance is still the same, even the man making the curry puff is wearing the same clothes and he still looks the same! Well, almost everything was the same. The only difference was that there was an increase in price in the curry puffs by 20 cents each. 

The man hard at work preparing the ingredients for the chicken curry puff. 

Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff sells three types of curry puffs; namely, Chicken Curry Puffs, Sardine Curry Puffs and Fish Otah Curry Puffs. The freshly prepared and cooked curry puffs are are still pipping hot are displayed at the stall front. Looks inviting? 

The Chicken Curry Puff and Sardine Curry Puff cost $1.40 each while the Fish Otah Curry Puff cost $1.60 each. Previously, the curry puffs used to cost $1.20 and $1.40 respectively. 

The ingredients mixed together to form the fillings in the curry puff.

In the background, each piece of curry puffs looked so identical as if they were factory made. But in reality, they were hand made - made (shape) to perfection. 

Chicken Curry Puff $1.40 (using old photo from previous post)

Chicken Curry Puff $1.40 (using old photo from previous post)

The Chicken Curry Puff was warm and plump. The crust thin, crisp and flaky had a slight buttery fragrance. The fillings comprised of moist mashed potatoes with chicken bits mixed with a blend of aromatic curry powder.  In addition, a small piece of hard boiled egg in the curry puff. Overall, the Chicken Curry Puff was quite decent.

This time, I also tried the Otah Curry Puff. It was executed differently and was surprisingly good. Instead of moist potatoes, it was filled with generous amount of fresh succulent fish chunks mixed with curry powder. It was a pleasure savouring such a curry puff.

If you are at Maxwell Food Centre or at Tanjong Pagar, this is a snack worth trying. Try it immediately upon purchase as curry puffs taste best when they are freshly cooked.

Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff (Maxwell Food Centre)

1 Kadayanallur Street

#01-06 Maxwell Food Centre

Tel: 9740 8408
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 7pm

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Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 (Maxwell Food Centre) 2nd Post

This marks my second visit to Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 since its inception, my first since it's license was suspended for two weeks. As I have posted about this before, I shall not dive into it again.

As mentioned, Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice had it's license suspended by NEA for two weeks as it had accumulated 12 demerit points in the last 12 months for issues related to keep the premise pest free and preparation of food. (I wonder who rat on them.. I smell a rat. No rewards for guessing who I suspect.) Since the stall has opened for business, with NEA strict guidelines, checks and hygiene levels, I was confident that the food was safe to eat. As the saying goes, 'the safest place is the most dangerous place'. I am quite sure that the food is very clean and safe for consumption! Anyway, a side note is that this is a hawker centre not a restaurant, what more do you expect?

If you thought that the NEA suspension of Ah Tai would have affected their business, then you are wrong. There was a long queue of more than 10 people queuing to order their chicken rice. One of the other reason for the queue could be because Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was closed on that day. 

Chicken Rice $3 + Gizzard $0.50

Bean Sprouts $2

Order my usual stuff, Chicken Rice $3 with Gizzard $0.50. In addition, I also ordered a plate of Bean Sprouts that cost $2. The Bean Sprouts served with sliced chillies, shallots and spring onions were drizzled with a combination of light soy sauce mixed with sesame oil.  The Bean Sprouts were  so crunchy and tasty that they were highly addictive. A good match for the Chicken Rice. 

Chicken Rice $3 + Gizzard $0.50

The standard of Ah Tai's Chicken Rice seemed to have improved compared to the version I had on my first visit.

During the previous visit, although the rice was fragrant and flavourful, it was hard and dry. However, during this recent visit, the it was moist and soft. Couple with fact that it had just the right mix of fragrance and flavour, it was easy to indulge the rice on its own.

This time, the meat (chicken) was cut properly and was as tasty and tender as before.

Overall, I would say that the Chicken Rice at Ah Tai has improved! It was delish and certainly tasted much better than before!  

Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 (Maxwell Food Centre)

1 Kadayayanallur Street

#01-07 Maxwell Food Centre

Tel: 8137 6559 

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 11am to 730pm

                         Closed on Tue
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Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun (Tanjong Pagar)

Funan Weng first started out as a noodles stall in 1950s at Hock Lam Street which was then a re-owned food street. Subsequently, the owner Mr Ho Weng switched to serving Ipoh Hor Fun as it was not a commonly available dish back then. He perfected the dish and he recipe has remained the same since then. In the 80s, Funan Digital Mall was built on Hock Lam Street and Mr Ho Weng moved his business to the  food court at the 7th level of the mall and officially started his business using the name 'Funan Weng'. When Funan underwent a renovation, Funan Weng moved to Ghim Moh Market. In 2009, it moved out of the Hawker Centre scene and opened a restaurant in Maxwell Chambers.

The Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun in Maxwell Chambers next  to Red Dot Traffic Building, is located across the road from Exit B of Tanjong Pagar MRT station. It is situated near to many government offices/buildings such as CPF, MND and URA. 

Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun at Maxwell Chambers, was modern and classy. We had the opportunity to enjoy the whole place to ourselves as there was no one else in the restaurant on a weekday night except for some customers who were waiting to takeaway their food.

Order form

Customers are required to fill in the dishes which they would like to order and bring this order form to the counter to order and make payment. The dishes would be served by the serving staff.

Executive Set Menu

They had the Executive Set Menu. After pondering for sometime, we decided to order Set 3 and Set 4. 

Homemade Luo Han Guo (warm) $1.80

The Homemade Luo Han Guo $1.80 (warm) had a bitter taste, was the perfect remedy for the partner's sore throat. 

Vegetable & Mushroom

The Set 3 - Crayfish & Chicken Ipoh Ho Fun was served with Vegetable & Mushroom. The Vegetable & Mushroom was average, nothing great to shout about. Just one piece of half a mushroom was given.

Crayfish & Chicken Ipoh Ho Fun $8.80

The Crayfish & Chicken Ipoh Ho Fun was quite good. It was a pity the crayfish was not fresh and tasted fishy. The Hor Fun sauce was oh-so-yummy. It complemented the Hor Fun perfectly. Not overly salty yet fragrant with a unique mushroom, herbal and spices taste. In addition, the Hor Fun seems to be smoother, softer and thinner compared to those sold else where. 

Crispy Wanton

Set 4 - Prawn with Chicken & Mushroom Ipoh Ho Fun served with Crispy Wanton.

Prawn with Chicken & Mushroom Ipoh Ho Fun $8.80

The Prawn with Chicken & Mushroom Ipoh Ho Fun was also decently executed. The soft mushroom soaked in the Hor Fun sauce fully absorbed the essence of the sauce and was so fragrant! The prawns on the other hand was disappointing. Similar comments to the crayfish, they were not fresh.

The Hor Fun Sauce and the Hor Fun were delicious. However, it would have been a better foodie experience if good quality ingredients especially seafood were used. It was a real pity else this would have been one of the better Hor Fun in Singapore. Ambience wise, it was perfect! It was as if we had booked the whole restaurant to ourselves. It was so quiet that we could talk softly and if a pin drop I am sure we would have heard it!

Funan Weng Ipoh Ho Fun (Flagship Restaurant)
Maxwell Chambers
32 Maxwell Chambers
#01-07 @ Tanjong Pagar
Tel: 6238 5038
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am to 930pm
                         Closed on Sat, Sun and PH
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Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar) 2nd Post

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, is just a few units away from 2D1N Soju Bang. It is essentially a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve chinese cuisines and dim sum too. 

Yet again, we were surprised that we were the only one! Not a single customer except for the two of us. 

This time, we noticed the decorations on the ceiling. Quite nice and fits the oriental theme of this eatery. 

Menu Cover

As you may recall, we were quite please with the foodie experience during our first visit. This time, we decided to try different dishes while still sticking to ordering Carrot Cake again.

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cakes was steamed before serving. Most probably to make it hot, as it would be quite impossible for them to make from scratch only upon customers' orders. The Carrot Cakes were not oily or salty. They were topped with lots of spring onions and scallions that enhanced the taste further. $3 for only 3 pieces, this was so value for money. 

Steamed Chicken Rice $5

The Steamed Chicken Rice would be sufficient for one person. Marinated chicken, sausages and mushroom were added on top of the rice and steamed. It was also drizzled with chicken sauce. It was an average dish with nothing great in particular. 

Mee Sua $6

The Mee Sua on the other hand was well executed. The taste of the different ingredients were extracted out into the Mee Sua. And the vegetables provided a different texture to this dish. Delicious! Thumbs up! 

Soup of the Day $5

The Soup of the Day was Watercress Soup. It came in a small bowl that did not justify the price tag. Moreover, the watercress stems were hard, could have been cooked for a long period.

Overall, still a positive dining experience. We had the whole place to ourselves again! Food-wise, it was delicious! Service was good and the staff brought out extra smaller plates for us so that we could share the dishes. In addition, they had actually  use 2 plates to hold the carrot cakes. This was because, they had steamed the carrot cakes with the plate. Hence, when they served this dish, they added another plate so that customers will not be scalded when they shift the plate. To add the icing on the cake, there was no service charge or GST. The prices shown on the menu are all NETT. So affordable considering the quality and taste of the food. 

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

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Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 (Maxwell Food Centre)

Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 is a chicken rice stall set up by Mr Wong Liang Tai, more commonly known as Ah Tai. Ah Tai was actually the former chef of the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and has been working there for the past 20 years. He had differences with the owners' daughter who took over the management of the business in 2010. After several incidents and heated arguments, Ah Tai was sacked in October 2011 (Both Ah Tai and the owners are relatives). Subsequently, he and a partner (who was a key helper in Tian Tian) set up a chicken rice stall just 3 stalls away from his former employer (Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice) at Maxwell Food Centre. 

Chicken Rice is a de facto national dish of Singapore. If you still have doubts, visit Maxwell Food Centre, and you will notice that there are already so many chicken rice stalls. One will be spoilt for choice when it comes to chicken rice as there are more than 6 such stalls in this food centre. With Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice being the new kid in the block, the chicken rice war at Maxwell has escalated. Several other chicken rice stall owners have expressed their unhappiness as they were concerned about their business. The least they need now is for another strong competitor next to them.  

As mentioned earlier, Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 located at Stall No. 7 is located 3 units away from Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice which is located at Stall No. 10.

I visited at around 630pm on a weekday for dinner. There was no queue then. (By the way Tian Tian was closed that day). Anyone knows if there's a queue during lunch hours? 

Chicken Rice $3.00 + Gizzard $0.50

Chicken Rice $3.00 + Gizzard $0.50

What makes a good Chicken Rice? Well, there are three factors; namely the rice, the meat (chicken) and the chilli. I can't help but compare using these three factors to compare Ah Tai's chicken rice to Tian Tian's chicken rice which I had previously. 

In terms of rice, Ah Tai's rice was indeed fragrant and flavourful. However, it was hard and very dry. I prefer Tian Tian's rice as it was softer and more moist. 

In terms of meat (chicken), Ah Tai's version was decent. The timing was grasped nicely as the chicken was tender and tasty, not tough. However, all the good work was undone by.. well the way the chicken was chopped. Yes, the chopping style does makes a difference (ask the older generation or professional chefs on the way to cut meat, be it chicken, duck or pork and you will know what I mean). I have not gotten to the point where by I am such a professional foodie that I can point out this is a wrong cooking style. What makes it so obvious in this case was that it was so terribly cut that there were small pieces of bones protruding out or small pieces of bones that came off and was mixed with the rice and chicken. When I mean small, a comparison will be the size smaller than a half of the rice grain (in the photo above). Seems trivial, but it matters. With that being said, Tian Tian's version was much better as their chopping style was better and their chicken was drizzled in their special sauce that made it more fragrant and tasty. (The gizzards given were hidden below the chicken.) 

In terms of chilli, Ah Tai's version fared better. It was more tangy with a stronger oomph of spiciness.

(For the sake of comparison) In terms of presentation, I am very sure that Ah Tai's version loses out to Tian Tian's. Just take a look at the above picture and compare it to Tian Tian's version. Ah Tai's version was more sloppily done considering the fact that there was no queue... hmm..

Personally, I still prefer Tian Tian's chicken rice. The chicken and rice are better than Ah Tai's version. But despite all these, I still prefer my chicken rice at Golden Mile Food Centre.

For the record, if the taste is good and the presentation is lousy, I certainly do not mind! After all, never judge a book by its cover, appearances can be deceiving. 

Ah-Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭 (Maxwell Food Centre)

1 Kadayayanallur Street

#01-07 Maxwell Food Centre

Tel: 8137 6559 

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 11am to 730pm

                         Closed on Tue
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Tai Seng Noodle House (Amoy Street Food Centre)

I have been to Amoy Street Food Centre several times during lunch time on weekdays. To say the place is crowded is an understatement. Wait till you see the queues that stretch more than 20 people long and the tables are not cleared as the cleaners could not cope with the crowd. 

This time, I came down for lunch at 140pm. The lunch crowd was starting to slowly disperse away and more than half of the tables in the level 2 food centre were empty. But the tables were full of plates, bowls, trays as the cleaners struggle to clear them. As you walk inwards, you will notice that some of the utensils including trays are on the floor as customers had to clear the tables themselves. 

I knew that this was a good opportunity to try out one of the stalls that always have a long queue during lunch. I decided to zoom straight to Tai Seng Noodle House as there was no queue and I was hungry. Normally, if you come during lunch time, there will be a long stretching queue. There were a couple manning the song. The uncle taking orders and collecting the cash while the lady boss prepares and cooks the food.

Not knowing what to order, I decided to order their Cha Shao Yun Tun Noodle (Char Siew Wanton Noodle). As usual (in fact I will say act smart..), I 'upsized' my order, ordering $4 instead of $3. 

I was quite shocked when the uncle gave me my order. It was messy and  big huge massive!

Cha Shao Yun Tun Noodles $4.00

This was the $4 Char Siew Wanton Noodle which was served with a bowl of wanton soup. They were extremely generous with the ingredients; char siew, noodles and even wantons. 

The Char Siew given was tough and mainly lean meat. If there was a better ratio of fats to lean meat, it would have been better. With such a generous portion of Char Siew given, I got quite tired of chewing the Char Siew. A very generous serving of noodles was given too. The noodles was well cooked, with springiness and not too soggy. It was delish when mixed with the sauce which ensures that each strand of noodles was well lubricated. 

Cha Shao Yun Tun Noodles $4.00

The Wanton Soup was normal, there might be some MSG added into the soup. It came with lots of wantons, more than 10 pieces. Although each piece of wanton was small, with such a generous amount given, it was very filling. I especially like the skin of the wanton which was smooth and thin with a chunk of meat fillings in it. (for the sake of comparison, the fillings of each wanton was slightly bigger than those given at Pontian Wanton).

I should not have 'upsized' my order and just order the $3 version. Although I finish the Wantons, I did not manage to finish the noodles and Char Siew. 

Tai Seng Noodle House may not serve the best food, but it certainly must be the most value for money food stall around. The portions given are huge. No wonder there is always a long snacking queue at this stall. I heard that the pork rib noodles at this stall are good. If I have another opportunity, I would be keen to try it. 

Tai Seng Noodle House (Amoy Street Food Centre) 

7 Maxwell Road

MND Building Annex B

#02-123 Amoy Street Food Centre

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 930am to 3pm

                         Closed on Sun
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Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, a few units from 2D1N Soju Bang is a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve food and dim sum too.

Located just outside a bus stop

2 units

As we happened to be in the area on a Friday evening at around 715pm, I suggested this place. However, when we stared through the glass of the 2 units of the tea house, we were shocked to see that there was no one! It was empty, not a single customer. Should we enter? How come there was no one on a Friday and also considering that the past few eateries we walked past was filled to the brim especially 2D1N Soju Bang which had a long stretching queue.

After standing outside for what must have been a good 5 minutes, we decided to enter. 

As mentioned earlier, we were the only one. There's another unit next door which was empty too. The teahouse had an Oriental theme decoration with Chinese music being played softly in the background. It provided a good ambience for a chat and unwind away from the fast paced life. 

Activities

The activities board full of tea appreciation and tasting that was conducted for students, exchange students, foreigners and organisations.

Tea pots and tea leaves

Tea pots

A wide range of tea pots and tea leaves available. 

White Tea $4

White Tea $4

White Tea (tea leaves) $4

The White Tea was classified under special Chinese tea together with the likes of Pu-er, Jasmine and Oolong tea. To be frank I have never heard of White Tea before. Nor have I seen such tea leaves (so much for a foodie).

The White Tea (refillable) had a fragrant subtle flavour and was slightly sweet. It seemed to be accompanied by a grassy after-taste. Best for you to try this yourself. The best part is that this is refillable; sit down relax and enjoy the tea.. Also, of all the teas, this has the least caffeine. 

Regular Chinese Tea $1

Regular Chinese Tea was well, average (note: this is not refillable).

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cake was soft, smooth and flavourful. It was steamed and was not oil or salty. Topped with shallots and dice spring onions, it was so savoury. At $3, this is well worth the price. We were told that they made the dim sum themselves (not factory made). 

Chicken Feet $3

The Chicken Feet was decent and was well marinated. 

Fried Rice $5

The Fried Rice was surprisingly good with generous amount of ingredients. Suitable for sharing with two person. It was well fried and not overly oily.

Special Pancake $6

Yixing Xuan's Special Pancake was indeed special. It is a dessert and will be served at the end of the meal. The appearance of this dish reminded me of Bak Kua (BBQ Pork Slices). Outside, the pastry mixed with green tea was incredibly crispy. Inside (in between the layer of pastry), it was filled with warm melted red bean paste. The sweetness of the red bean paste was just right. A must try.

If you want to learn more about tea and the authentic Chinese tea experience, this is the place. Moreover, Yixing Xuan Teahouse is not only a place for tea lovers, but also THE place for food lovers! I am quite impressed with the quality of food and dim sum and the fact that it is so value for money. If I pass by this area again, I am definitely coming back for more! Last but not least, all prices are in NETT! No plus plus (gst, service charge).

ps: if you are wondering, we were the only customers throughout our meal. Quite a number of people did peep through the glass and none entered.

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

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