Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant in operation for more than 50 years is a well-known dim sum restaurant which is extremely popular among Singaporeans and tourist. It has been featured on many newspapers, magazines as well as food shows. Unlike most other dim sum restaurants, Swee Choon's operating hours are from 6pm to 6am catering ensuring that Singaporeans have an extra option for supper and are well-fed throughout the night. Lucky for us, now we can all have dim sum even at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning! 

Swee Choon located at Jalan Besar opposite Berseh Food Centre is so popular that it occupy 5 units of shophouses along this stretch of road. It is in the between both Farrer Park and Lavendar MRT stations, a good 10 to 15 minutes walk away from either stations.

Occupying 5 units, Swee Choon offers both alfresco dining and air-conditioned (indoor) dining. In addition, it has a unit which cater only to walk-in customers who order takeaways. 

As we already knew that there would be a long queue if we arrived late, we made it a point to arrive at 630pm on a Friday for dinner. Luckily for us, we got the last available table at the indoor (air-conditioned) dining area. 

Menu

Menu

Menu

The menu with the prices. As you can see, Swee Choon offers a wide variety of Hong Kong and Shanghai dim sum, and local zi char dishes. 

Chrysantheum Tea $1.30 per pax

For drinks, we ordered their Chrysantheum Tea which cost $1.30 per pax. It was served in a metal pot and is refillable. They mixed the tea bags themselves. The Chrysantheum Tea was quite good as it was light, refreshing, fragrant and help to wash down the grease. 

Century Egg Porridge $2.50

The Century Egg Porridge $2.50 was served in a small bowl. It was decent, but not the best. There were chunks of century egg and chicken meat in it. 

Mee Suah Kueh $2

Swee Choon's signature Mee Suah Kueh $2; deep-fried vermicelli cake (mee sua) which can only be found at Swee Choon. Show this kueh to anyone and they would associate it with Swee Choon. Almost every table ordered this. I thought that this was unique and not bad. But  I will not rate it as a die die must try as the standard seemed to be inconsistent and it was a little too greasy. One of the kueh could have been fried a little longer. The texture was unique. Crisp, rough texture on the outside while the interior was moist. 

Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50

This Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50 was surprisingly good. Despite the simplicity, it was well executed. The tofu was fried till it was crispy on the outside. The addition of the pork floss at the top was the icing on the cake.

Carrot Cake $2

The Carrot Cake $2 was not bad too. There were a good mix of radish, dried shrimps and chinese sauages in it. It was also a little too greasy. 

Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4

The Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4 was pan fried till it was so crispy. In addition, they were so generous fillings. Dipping it into the vinegar along with slices of ginger made this just so delectable. 

Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80

The Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80 with minced meat and prawns in it was ordinary.

Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50

The Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50 was a let down. The part of the pork served was not pork rib and it was either too fatty or was all bones.

Overall, Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant is worth a try. There were hits and misses in the dishes we ordered. Service wise, despite the restaurant being full, the staff were efficient. It was easy getting the attention of the staff. Do note that this restaurant only accepts cash or nets. They do not accept credit card. Also, they do not take any reservation. 

As we left Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant at close to 8pm, we saw a queue! It was very thoughtful of the restaurant owner to provide chairs outside. If you are planning to visit this restaurant during dinner time, do remember to come early. 

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
183/ 185/ 187/ 189/ 191 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62257788
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6 pm - 6 am 
                          Close on Tuesday
Website

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵 (Pek Kio Food Centre)

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵  has reopened again!!

If you are a prawn noodle fanatic, you would have probably hear of Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵. I heard so much about it that I knew I had to give it a try one day. Previously, I made two trips to Pek Kio Food Centre (where this stall is located) for this. However, on both occasions the stall was closed indefinitely as the owner had went for an eye operation. A few weeks ago, I heard that the stall had reopened! Hence, I made another trip down just for this. 

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵 specialises in serving prawn noodles. The Prawn Noodles were available in $3, $5, $8 and $10. Big (Jumbo) prawns are served for the $8 and $10 versions.

When I got there at 930am on a weekday, I was surprised to see a short queue of just 6 person in front of me. I have read so much about the slow moving queue and mentally prepared to wait patiently. Thankfully, two persons in front of me dropped off. Hence, I just had to waited for around 20 minutes (4 person in front) before it was my turn. 

Prawn Noodles $10

I ordered the $10 Prawn Noodles with Mee Pok. It came with a packet of tissue paper. The jumbo prawns were served separately in a metal dish. 

Mee Pok (dry)

The owners were very generous with the fried shallots and pork lard. As a result, the Mee Pok (dry) was so tasty. In addition, the beansprouts at the bottom added a nice crunch. I understand that the owners fried the shallots and pork lard themselves as they wanted to ensure quality was not compromised. 

Jumbo Prawns

Three jumbo prawns were served together with the soup in a metal dish. 

Jumbo Prawns

One reason why the queue was so slow moving was because the owner only prepares the prawns when customers orders to ensure that the prawns remained fresh. He would then proceed and deshell the middle portion of the prawn. Moreover, slice it partially in the middle to devein it. 

Jumbo Prawns

The star of the dish (i.e. the prawns) did not disappoint. They were oh-so extremely huge, fresh and succulent. Superb!

The soup was unique too. Besides being tasty and full of essence of the prawns, it was accompanied with a hint of sweet, spicy and garlic flavour. It was so good that I drank the whole bowl and brought the empty bowl requesting for a refill. I am sure they did not add any MSG in it as I did not feel thirsty after drinking two bowls of soup.

I left feeling satisfied and happy. Glad that I finally tried Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles.

As I was leaving, I was shocked to see that the queue had stretched to more than 10 persons long. I wonder how long they would need to wait. 

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵 (Pek Kio Food Centre)

Pek Kio Market & Food Centre

41A Cambridge Road #01-15

Singapore 211041

Tel: 96883633

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 730am - 2pm 

                         Closed on Mon

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee 来香肉骨虾面 (Pek Kio Food Centre)

I made yet another trip down to Pek Kio Food Centre just to try the prawn noodle from Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle 華記大蝦麵 (managed to visit on Dec 2013!). However, stall was closed. (It seems that the owner is not feeling well and has been advised by the doctor to rest indefinitely.)

As such, I decided to try Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee 来香肉骨虾面, the other prawn mee stall in Pek Kio Food Centre.

There was a long queue at the shop, around 8 people long. I waited slightly more than 15 minutes before I was able to order and collect my order (self-service). 

Prawn Noodle (Soup) $2.50

I ordered a bowl of Prawn Noodle (Soup) $4. 

Prawn Noodle ($2.50)

The Prawn Noodle was quite decent. I thought that the soup was excellent. It was light brown in colour, clear, sweet and rich in flavour. The plus points was that it was not salty. The ingredients were pretty average and the prawns a tad too small. At $2.50, I can't complain too much about the ingredients, but it was really a great bowl of prawn soup if you are someone who prefers your soup to be light and easy on the throat. 

Overall, the prawn noodle was not bad. However, I will not make a special trip down just for this. 

ps: if you are here, do try freshly made Chee Cheong Fun. Its cheap and good! 

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee 来香肉骨虾面 (Pek Kio Food Centre)

Pek Kio Market & Food Centre 

41A Cambridge Road #01-41 

Singapore 211041

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun 品味港式猪肠粉 (Pek Kio Food Centre)

I made two trips down to Pek Kio Market and Food Centre on a Saturday and Saturday for breakfast as I have been wanting to try the popular Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle 華記大蝦麵.

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle 華記大蝦麵

But however, the stall was closed on both days! Never mind, there are other food worth eating in this food centre too! 

Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun 品味港式猪肠粉

As I was walking around searching for another stall to patronise, I spotted this unique stall called Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun 品味港式猪肠粉. This stall is located directly opposite Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle.

What caught my attention was neither the queue nor was it the menu which offered Scallop ($4) and Abalone ($16.80) Chee Chong Fun. It was instead the fact that each piece of Chee Chong Fun was freshly made upon order, the traditional way (using a cloth)! Not factory made! 

The reason why there was a queue was because at anyone time, only two Chee Chong Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls) could be made. Standing there, observing the way the Chee Chong Fun was made, I must say that it was an enriching experience seeing the whole process of it and watching their nimble hands at work. The owner, the man in white shirt was friendly and approachable.

Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun $2.50

I ordered the Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun which cost $2.50. 

Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun $2.50

The owner does not stinge on the ingredients. For $2.50, I got a plate of Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun which was double the portion of what is served elsewhere with another layer of Chee Cheong Fun stacked on top. In addition, there were lots of Char Siew fillings.

The Chee Cheong Fun was served in a delectable well-balanced sauce that comprised of light soy sauce and sesame oil. Personally, I preferred this type of sauce compared to version with dark soy sauce. Fragrant sesame seeds were sprinkled on top to enhance the taste. This Chee Cheong Fun; steamed rice roll was soft, thin and smooth, it was also able to hold the fillings without breaking.  

Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun is certainly worth a try as it is of similar standard (or even better) to those served at restaurants and cheaper too! I can imagine myself having this for breakfast every weekend if I am staying at the block of flats next to it!

Life is interesting isn't? If Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle was not closed, I would not have discovered this Chee Cheong Fun Stall! Literally - "When one door closes, another opens."

ps: I noticed that more people ordered the Prawn Chee Chong Fun which cost $4.

Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun 品味港式猪肠粉 (Pek Kio Food Centre)
Pek Kio Market & Food Centre
41A Cambridge Road #01-25
Singapore 211041
Tel: 9855 4864 / 81802014
Opening Hours:  Mon to Fri 630am - 130pm
                          Sat to Sun 630am - 230pm
                          Closed on alternate Wed

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map