Hock Lee Fishball Noodle (Albert Centre Market & Food Centre)

Fishball Noodles (dry with no chilli) $3.50

If you are working around Bugis area and are looking for a good breakfast, give Hock Lee Fishball Noodle a try! This stall is located at Albert Centre Market and Food Centre. It opens only in the morning and start selling their noodles at 6.30 am onwards.

 So what is so unique about Hock Lee? Well, it sells handmade fishballs, not factory-made fishballs.

The fishball noodles comes at different prices, ranging from $3.50 to $5. There is always a short queue at this shop, but they clear them quite fast. Another point to note is that although the shop closes at 12 pm, sometimes they sell out by 11 am. So if you are an office worker, it is nearly impossible to try this during lunch time as they would be closed by then. 

Fishball Noodles (dry with no chilli) $3.50

The Fishball Noodles (dry with no chilli) $3.50 came with 6 pieces of fishball. The star of this is definitely their handmaded fishballs. The fishballs, of different sizes as they were handmade, were firm and springy, and slightly smooth!

Fishball Noodles (dry with chilli) $3.50

As their signboard mention about their special chilli, I had to give it a try. Hence, on another occasion, I ordered the Fishball Noodles (dry with chilli) $3.50. Personally, I thought that it was just average. Maybe it was because I felt that there was too much chilli oil. I prefer the version without chilli. 

To conclude, this is worth a try! Priced at $3.50, you get 6 pieces of fishballs along with noodles. That is effectively $0.50 for each piece of fishball and the bowl of noodles! Definitely worth it!

Hock Lee Fishball Noodle (Albert Centre Market & Food Centre)

270 Queen Street 

#01-02 Albert Centre Food Centre

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 6.30 am - 12 pm 

                           Closed on Mon

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Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (Bras Basah Complex)

Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles $4.30

Bras Basah Complex is a place frequent by art students from nearby art schools as it houses old-school bookstores and a full range of printing shops with different services. At a corner of the complex at level 1, it is home to Coffee Express 2000 Food Court. 

There is hidden gem within this food court and that is the stall selling minced meat noodles - Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. If you frequent this food court, you will notice that this is one of the stalls with the longest queue. This stall used to be located at Paradiz Centre (now renamed as POMO) which is 10 minutes walk away. Judging from the queue, their loyal customers might have followed them to Bras Basah Complex.

Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles $4.30

For $4.30, the Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles came with noodles, minced pork, slices of fish cake, beans sprouts, lettuce, a fishball, two meatballs, a Teochew dumpling and pork lard. Taste wise, this was decent and in fact taste better than other bak chor mee stall. The addition of vinegar was a plus point for me. Also, the dumpling was flavourful. At $4.30, this bowl of noodles was relatively value for money.

Parklane Teochew Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (Bras Basah Complex)

Coffee Express 2000 Food Court 

Blk 231 Bain Street 

#01-79 Bras Basah Complex 

Singapore 180231

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Tracy Juice Culture (Fortune Centre)

Tracy's Special Udon $6.90

Tracy Juice Culture is a small vegetatrian eatery located at the first level of Fortune Centre. The eatery offers a variety of healthy drinks ranging from Apple Wheat, Creamy Beetroot to Sunflower Carrot. It does not offer much solid food other than the Udon and Wild Rice Congee. They also sell Thunder Tea Rice on certain days. The Thunder Tea Rice availability can be found via their Facebook.

Tracy Juice Culture has a small seating capacity of around 25. Most of the days when I pass by during dinner/lunch time, the eatery is packed. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and the eatery was packed as usual.

Tracy’s Special Udon is something which I had always wanted to try. Whenever I walk pass the eatery, I always smell the aromatic fragrance.  This is a dish which nearly everyone orders.

Tracy's Special Udon $6.90

The Tracy’s Special Udon $6.90 consist of Japanese Udon served with mushrooms, broccoli, mock meat, and cherry tomatoes in a soup base that is made from tomatoes and parsley blended with mushrooms. The highlight is the soup which is so (souperlicious) delicious! It was so good that I drank every single bit, till the bowl was sparkling clean (everyone does that too). As for the rest of the ingredients they were average. They could have cooked the broccoli a little long as they were a tad too hard and the mushrooms were hard and dry. A pity the mushrooms did not adsorb the essence of the soup, else it would have been fantastic. Nevertheless, the wonderfully executed soup made up for it.

Tracy Juice Culture (Fortune Centre) 

190 Middle Road #01-34 Singapore 188978
Tel: +65 6224 0701 / +65 6336 0754

Opening Hours: Daily 9 am to 7.30 pm

Website

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Minced Meat Noodles (Sim Lim Square Food Court) 2nd Post

Abalone Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle $4

With the recent Sim Lim Square Saga on customers being scammed, most people (locals and foreigners) are avoiding the shopping mall. Most of us would have forgotten that there is a food court at Sim Lim Square basement. What I would like to highlight is that the Minced Meat Noodles at Sim Lim Square is worth a try. Delicious and value for money. (no hidden cost, no warranty charges, no need to sign any contract!)

It has been around 2.5 years since I last visited this stall.  Some of the food items remained at the same price while others were increased by $0.30 to $0.50. There was a queue of around 5 persons when I visited during lunch time on a weekday. 

The bowl of pork lard which used to be placed at the front of the counter was now placed at the back of the counter. Nevertheless, I am sure if you require more pork lard you can request for it.

Abalone Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle $4, Dumpling Soup $1

I ordered a bowl of Abalone Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle $4 and added a bowl of Dumpling Soup $1. 

Abalone Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle $4

Look at the variety of ingredients (mushrooms, fishball, meatball, minced meat, prawn, bean sprouts, fish cake, dumpling, lettuce, scallion) given in this bowl of Abalone Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle which is priced at just $4. Value for money and delicious! 

Dumpling Soup $1

There were 3 pieces of dumplings in the Dumpling Soup. The dumplings were decent and at $1 it was so value for money too!

Mini Pot Noodle $5

 On another visit, I ordered the Mini Pot Noodle which cost $5.

Mini Pot Noodle $5

The bowl of noodles stole the limelight from the mini pot. Look at the ingredients in this bowl of noodles. Normally when such a dish is order, the noodles be accompanied by only beansprouts. But in this case, it was accompanied with braised mushrooms, dumpling and even a slice of abalone!

Mini Pot Noodle $5

In the mini pot, the ingredients were quite usual with the likes of minced meat, prawn, fish ball, meat ball, fisk cake, dumpling and an egg. The mini pot tasted was so-so.

Minced Meat Noodles (Sim Lim Square Food Court)

1 Rochor Canal Road Basement 1

Stall 23, Sim Lim Square 

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 11pm

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Saveur (Purvis Street)

Saveur's Pasta $4.90

Saveur is a restaurant serving affordable French Cuisine. The owners of the restaurant first the business in a coffeeshop before moving to its present location at Purvis Street. Today, the restaurant occupies 2 units at Purvis Street (side by side) and has a second outlet at Far East Plaza.

Saveur located at Purvis Street is directly opposite the National Library. It is around 10 minutes walk from either Bugis or City Hall MRT station.

There used to be long queues at the restaurant but now that the hype has died down and it has 2 units (larger seating capacity), there was no need to wait or queue for a table despite it being a weekend evening. Outside its entrance, there was even a small kiosk for customers to key in their mobile number to enter the queue. I guess there's no need for this now.

The restaurant was around 70% full during our time of visit. Looking at its kitchen counter, it still looks so classy and modern despite its pricing.

French Onion Soup $8.90

The French Onion Soup $8.90 with served with a slice of toasted french loaf was probably the most 'not-for-value' dish. It comes with a pricey price tag and in addition, it failed in the taste department. There was a weird after taste.

Potato au Gratin $3

For sides, we ordered the Potato au Gratin $3. I wonder if it was me, but the word 'Gratin' typically means that the dish is baked and comes with (top) layer of light brown crust. This was not the Potato au Gratin I was expecting. Nevertheless, at $3 this was a decent dish in terms of taste. Maybe they should rename this dish.

Saveur's Pasta $4.90

We also ordered their signature Saveur's Pasta $4.90 for sharing. It consisted of Angel’s Hair Pasta with minced pork sauce, sakura ebi, kombu and chilli oil. Tossing everything together, the taste was amazing with hints of sweetness, saltiness and just a slight hint of spiciness at times. I wonder how come it was not spicy if chilli oil was added. Priced at $4.90 this was a real steal, I could not have expected more in terms of taste at such pricing. It even came nicely plated.

Duck Confit $12.90

I ordered the Duck Confit $12.90. The Duck Confit was served on top of a bed of mashed potato with sauteed shitake with parsley and garlic at the side.

Duck Confit $12.90

The Duck Confit, typically prepared by roasting the leg of the duck till it is crispy was on the skinny side. It was not meaty enough. Moreover, some parts of the duck leg was not even cooked and hence was not crisp. Those parts that were crisp were very well executed. The mashed potato at the bottom was delicious. I was scrapping the empty plate to ensure that none were wasted.

Seabass $14.90

The partner ordered the Seabass $14.90 which was pan-seared. It was served with sauteed potato and french beans.

Seabass $14.90

The Seabass was incredibly fresh with no fishy after taste and its skin was pan-seared till it was so crisp. What puzzled us was that the french beans were layered (i.e. sliced in-between to make it 2 halves). The crunchiness was lost as a result.  

The french food at Saveur is quite affordable and value for money. Other than the French Onion Soup, it would be hard to find such prices at anywhere else. If you are on a budget, this is a place to consider. In terms of ambience, the restaurant was crowded and noisy. It was hard to strike a conversation at times.  

Saveur (Purvis Street)

5 Purvis Street #01-05/06

Singapore 188584

Tel: 6333 3121​

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 12pm - 215pm, 6pm - 915pm

                          Sun 12pm - 215pm, 6pm - 9pm

Website 

Saveur (Far East Plaza) 

14 Scotts Road

#01-07B Far East Plaza

Singapore 228213

Tel: 6736 1121

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 1130am - 930pm

                          Sun 1130 - 9pm

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Cafe Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza)

*Edited on 24 Sep 2014: Closed*

Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90

Cafe Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza) is a small humble eatery located at a quiet corner of the exterior of Sunshine Plaza along Prinsep Street. Inclusive of its exterior and interior seating, this eatery can sit around 20 people. 

I have eaten at least five times at Cafe Sneakery and was impressed with their food. Through these visits, I tried all 3 of their  Noodles; Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles, Noodles Soup and Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles.

Besides selling Noodles, they have Sandwiches, Toasts, Wraps, Ice Cream and Beverages available.

Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles $5.50

Their signature Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles with sesame oil and special sauce is my favourite dish!

Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles $5.50

The noodles was very well executed. Cooked to perfect timing, the texture was so soft while the taste was so savoury. The smoked duck was a pleasant surprise. It was well smoked and was tender and springy. This dish is a die die must try!

Noodles Soup $4.90

The Noodles Soup $4.90 cooked with chicken, prawns, mushrooms and vegetables was another gem.

Noodles Soup $4.90

This bowl of Noodles Soup was so forgiving, comforting with a warmly feel.

The broth was flavourful and the essence from boiling the vegetables (probably radish) and meat was extracted out into the broth. With the addition of the ingredients, this dish was just so health. There was definitely no MSG added in it, as I drank all the soup and did not felt thirsty at all. A homely dish, perfect dish on a rainy, cold day or if you are not feeling well.

Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90

The Creamy Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama Noodles $4.90 did not exactly wow me as I felt that the balance of the sourness and spiciness could be improved. In addition, the mushroom used did not really suit the tom yum soup.

This small cafe called Cafe Sneakery is highly recommended. If it can overcome its small seating capacity, this hidden gem could be the next big thing and add itself into the list of established players nearby such as Victor's Kitchen, Oven Marvel and Aroy Dee Thai Cafe. This cafe is a family run business, I hope that they continue to operate despite the challenges (labour, rental, etc). I will definitely be back for more of their Smoked Duck with Organic Noodles and Noodles Soup. Give this a try, you will not regret it.

ps: do note that you might have to wait for half and hour during their peak hour (i.e. lunch time) as the place would be full. They do not take short cuts and rush through their cooking as the quality of food is important to them.

Anyway from what I heard, their shop is up for lease and if someone takes up the lease this shop would likely cease operation. If you want to try this, you have got to be fast. 

Café Sneakery (Sunshine Plaza)

91 Bencoolen Street 

#01-59 Sunshine Plaza 

Singapore 189652

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am to 5pm

                         Closed on Sat and Sun
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Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle 金喜来梅松肉脞面 (Rochor Centre)

*Closing on 31 Oct 2015
Shifted to 3791 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-03 E-Centre, Singapore 159471*

金喜来梅松肉脞面 Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle is a Minced Meat Noodle (Bak Chor Mee) stall located at Good Time Coffee Shop in Rochor Centre. I first chanced upon this stall 3 years ago and have been coming back frequently for it. I have been wanting to write on this but have not got the chance. Well, its never too late! 

I have only visited this stall during weekdays for lunch and on all occasions the waiting time varies from 20 minutes to 1 hour. That is how popular this stall! It would be ideal to ask how long the waiting time would be before ordering. They specialises in both Minced Meat Noodles (Bak Chor Mee) and Fishball Noodles. The former is more popular. The cost of each bowl ranges from $3 to $3.50. So affordable. Some customers would also add liver at an extra cost of $0.50 (reason for this? find out more below).\

Business at this stall is so good that they even occupy the next unit next to it to take orders and prepare the ingredients.

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 is what I normally order. Yes, I upsized it from $3 to $3.50. 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

Scallions and shallots were added on top of the Mee Pok. It was decent but not fantastic. 

Bak Chor Mee (Mee Pok) Dry $3.50 

As I upgraded to $3.50, my bowl of soup came in a bigger bowl. Ingredients such as fishball, fishcakes, minced meat, fishcakes and livers were put into the soup. The ingredients were all normal. But what I particularly like (and what made me keep coming back were two things). The livers and the soup.

The liver was perfectly cooked, not overcooked. It was soft and in terms of thickness and size was just perfect (not thinly sliced or in small pieces like what you would normally get elsewhere). The liver was also very fresh! If you like livers, this place would not disappoint!

As for the soup, it was very flavourful and tasty. There was a hint of smokey fragrant and tasted as if it was cooked using a charcoal stove, but they were probably using gas stove. I do not think that they added MSG as I always finish the soup and do not feel thirsty after that. 

Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3

I seldom order my Bak Chor Mee with soup. But I was curious how this stall would fare with it. Hence, I ordered the Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3. 

Bak Chor Mee (Kway Teow) Soup $3

Decent bowl of Kway Teow Soup, but I still prefer mined dry with chilli.

Overall, I would recommend this Minced Meat Noodle (Bak Chor Mee) stall. The price here is value for money and taste wise it beats most places. 

Jin Xi lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle 金喜来梅松肉脞面 (Rochor Centre)

Good Time Coffee Shop

Blk 1 Rochor Road 

Rochor Centre
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Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St Hainanese Chicken Rice 亮耀馳名四馬路海南鶏飯 (Bras Basah)

Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St Hainanese Chicken Rice 亮耀馳名四馬路海南鶏飯 is a famous chicken rice stall tucked away at a corner of Waterloo centre in a coffee shop. The nearest MRT station is Bras Basah (Circle Line).

 

During meal times, this stall nearly always garner the longest queue in the coffee shop. 

Steamed and Roasted Chicken Rice $5.70

As I could not decided whether to order steamed or roasted chicken, I decided to order both. Hence, my chicken rice cost $5.70.

The chicken rice was fragrant and not too oily. However, some parts of the rice were a little too dry.

Steam and Roasted Chicken

Once the chicken meat are cut onto the plate, they are drizzled with soy sauce and I suspect sesame oil was added too. 

Steam and Roasted Chicken

The Steamed Chicken with its succulent meat was decently executed. As for the Roasted Chicken, I thought it was even better executed. The exterior of the Roasted Chicken was yummilicious. Slightly crisp yet chewy skin, it was immense with aromatic blend of seasoning and flavour. Very addictive. The fragrant and flavour  penetrated into the meat. If certain part of the meat was less tough, this would have been perfect!

As with every chicken rice, the chilli sauce is a must! The chilli sauce at Leong Yeow was addictive. Very tangy and spicy. It complemented well with the chicken meat. Not for the fainted hearted, especially if you are one who can't take spicy food.

Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St Hainanese Chicken Rice 亮耀馳名四馬路海南鶏飯 (Bras Basah)

Blk 261 Waterloo Street

#01-29 Waterloo Centre

Singapore 180261

Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 830pm

                         Closed on ad-hoc (every 2 week)

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