Teochew Fish Ball Noodles (Wiseng Food Place)

Fishballs Noodle $3

This Teochew Fish Ball Noodles stall located at Wiseng Food Place coffee shop tucked away at a corner of Crawford Lane is a hidden gem. Although it is located a couple of blocks away from more well known Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, this stall has its own group of loyal followers too. 

Teochew Fish Ball Noodles is manned by an elderly man with more than 50 years of experience. He first operated the stall at Selegie Road before moving to Kitchener complex and subsequently to its current location at Crawford Lane. Each time, his followers will follow him to his new location.

During lunch time, the waiting time would be around 20 to 30 minutes long. The fishball noodles now cost between $3 to $4, compared to $2.50 to $3 previously. 

Fishballs Noodle $3

This is the dry version of the Fishballs Noodles (mee pok) $3 with chilli.

Fishballs Noodle $3

It is served with sliced fishcakes, fishballs, meatball, minced meat, lean meat and topped with pork lard bits, fried garlic and sliced spring onions. I love this bowl of noodles as it is a simple no frills fishball noodles with fresh ingredients. I just cannot fault the ingredients or the taste of it. It is so simple yet so delicious. I also love the yummy well balance mixture of sauce which consisted of chilli, chilli oil and vinegar. The chilli used is different from those else where. 

Teochew Fish Ball Noodles (Wiseng Food Place)

#01-29 Wiseng Food Place
Block 462 Crawford Lane
Singapore 190462
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat from 8am to 3pm

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Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle 吊桥头大华猪肉粿条面 (Lavendar)

Bak Chor Mee $8

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has been in operation for over 75 years. This stall is extremely famous for its Pork Noodle also know as Bak Chor Mee (BCM) / Minced Pork Noodle. The owner of this stall, Mr Tang Chay Seng, first selling minced meat noodles 1936 at Hill Street before shifting to Marina Square in 1986, its present location is now at Crawford Lane. Located 5 minutes away from Lavendar MRT station, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle can be found in a coffee shop (the coffee shop is called Tai Hwa Eating House) at the back of Immigration & Checkpoint Authority of Singapore (ICA).

I first got to know of this Bak Chor Mee stall in 2006. Since then, this has always been my favourite Bak Chor Mee. Long queues were a norm during lunch and dinner period with queues stretching out of the coffee shop (which means 45 minutes to 1 hour wait)! In the recent years, queues are frequent even during non-peak hours (e.g. 11am, 5pm). 

The prices of the food have increased significantly. From $3 in 2006 to  $4,$5,$6 in 2011 to $5,$6,$8,$10 in 2015 The owner is smart, as many customers including myself goes for the $8/$10 version after queuing for such a long duration, we just want to make our wait worthwhile (may as well right)? In addition, this is the kiasu Singaporean mentality. 

Bak Chor Mee $8

This is the $8 Bak Chor Mee.

Bak Chor Mee $8

Look at the amount of ingredients given. This Teochew style Bak Chor Mee was perfect. The ingredients were so fresh and cooked to perfection. The Pork Liver which was cooked just right deserved a mention; soft and tender with no unpleasant taste or smell. Can't find any fault with their meatballs, minced meat, dumplings, fried crispy fish and pork lard. They were all so good. Toss everything up with the mixture of chilli and vinegar sauce. The vinegar they used intensified the oomph factor of this dish. Irresistible!

Dumplings and Meatballs Soup $6

We also ordered a bowl of Dumplings and Meatballs Soup $6 for sharing.

Dumplings and Meatballs Soup $6

It consisted of pork slices, minced meat, liver, meatballs, dumplings and seaweed! So tasty! The soup is full of essence of pork flavour that can only be achieve through hours of boiling pork meat and bones. I drank every single drop. 

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle's Bak Chor Mee is still (and will be) my favourite Bak Chor Mee after all these years. In fact, its the best (die die must try!) Bak Chor Mee in Singapore. Fresh quality food that is well worth the money spent and time queuing. This is one food worth the wait and money! Can't wait to have more of this! This is the one and only Hill Street Tai Hwa! There are no other outlets!

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle (Lavendar)
Block 466 Crawford Lane
#01-12 Tai Hwa Eating House
Tel 6292-7477
Open from 9.30am to 9pm; closed on the first and third Monday of each month
Website

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Sungei Road Laksa 结霜桥叻沙 (Jalan Besar)

Laksa $2

Sungei Road Laksa 结霜桥叻沙 (Jalan Besar) is a famous Laksa stall located at a coffee shop in Jalan Besar. It is around 10 minutes walk away from Lavendar MRT station and is located opposite Jalan Besar Food Centre.

Unlike most laksa stalls, Sungei Road Laksa occupies a large unit of the coffee shop. It was manned by 4 persons. 1 person took the orders and collect the money, 1 person cooks the Laksa while the remaining 2 persons prepare the ingredients.

Look at how systematic they are. Everything is arranged neatly.

Interestingly, the Laksa gravy is cooked using charcoal stove. Each bowl of Laksa cost $2. The version with more ngredients cost $3. Most people would order a few bowls of the $2 version. There would typically be a long queue at this stall. When I visited recently, there was 3 persons in front.

Laksa $2

The Laksa $2 is served with thick rice noodles, beansprouts, slices fish cakes and cockles. The cost of Laksa may seems cheap, but well, to me it was not value for money. The bowl is small and the ingredients are far from generous. 

Worst of all, the laksa gravy was thin and lacking in flavour, especially the shrimp flavour. Frankly, I do not know why this is so popular. 928 Yishun Laksa tastes way nicer and at $2.80 comes with more than double the amount of ingredients.

Sungei Road Laksa 结霜桥叻沙 (Jalan Besar)
#01-100 Jin Shui Kopitiam
Block 27 Jalan Berseh 
Singapore 200027
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 5.30pm
                         Closed on 1st and 3rd Wed of the month

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Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 海南福建炒虾面 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles $3

Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 海南福建炒虾面  is another popular stall at the hawker centre. It is located next to the famous chicken rice stall; Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 海南起骨鸡饭.

As its name suggest, Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 海南福建炒虾面  sells Hokkien Prawn Noodles.

The version here is different from elsewhere, it is dry (very dry). The owner would allow the stock to simmer till it has evaporated and the flavours are adsorbed in the yellow noodles and beehoon. He would not be able to fry too many plates at any one time as he would need to keep stirring the noodles under intense heat to prevent them from being burnt and also seal the flavours and wok hei in.

During peak period, the waiting time maybe as long as half an hour as frying the Hokkien Prawn Noodles take time.

Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles $3

This plate of Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles $3 was delicious! It well executed and fried. I have never tried such a dry verison before. It was so dry that I am sure it would have been charred if he still left them in the work. The yellow noodles and beehoon were well coated with immense flavours and smokey fragrance. It was served with slices of pork belly, squid, small prawns, sambal chilli, cut chilli and lime. A must try! 

Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 海南福建炒虾面 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

#B 1-34 Golden Mile Food Centre

505 Beach Road

Singapore 199583

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 8am - 230pm
                           Closed on Mon

Tel: +65 6294 6798

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Fishball Story 鱼缘 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Fishball Noodles (Mee Pok) $3.50

Fishball Story 鱼缘 is a hawker stall manned by a young hawker, Douglas Ng, 24, specialising in serving fishball noodles. The stall is located at level one of Golden Mile Hawker Centre at Lavendar. 

So what is so unique about Fishball Story other than the fact that it is manned by a 'young hawker'? Or in marketing terms, its called USP (Unique Selling Point). Well, unlike other (most) fishball stalls, the fishballs and chilli-scallion fishcakes are all handmade! He would arrive as early as 4am to blend the fish paste. The fishballs are made entirely from yellow tail fish with no flour.

 In case you are wondering, the queue here is short. The most number of people i have seen queuing here is around 5. Sometimes, there is no queue.

Fishball Noodles (Mee Pok) $3.50

I ordered Mee Pok Fishball Noodles (dry) $3.50.

Fishball Noodles (Mee Pok) $3.50

It comes fishballs, chilli-scallion fishcakes, fish dumpling (herh qiao), mee pok, pork lard, shallots, lettuce and sambal chilli sauce!

Fishball Noodles (Mee Pok) $3.50

What was fantastic to me was the mee pok and the sambal chilli sauce. The mee pok was cooked perfectly; just nice! As for the sambal chilli sauce which was cooked with hae bi (dried shrimps), it was so fragrant and addictive; outstanding! When mixed with the noodles, it complemented the noodles perfectly; lip smacking! Just the noodles and the sambal chilli sauce itself would suffice for me!

Frankly speaking, when I first tried the handmade fishballs, I was surprised. I did not like the initial taste. The exterior of the fishball was firm, but the interior was tough, not bouncy and not spongy. I am probably too used to factory made fishballs and was not used to this version of handmade fishballs with no flour.

I went back again two weeks later as I really missed the noodles and sambal chilli noodles (no joke!). It was still as good. This time I got used to the fishballs and enjoyed them more. This is a case of the more you have it the more you will love it.

I can forsee myself coming back for more fishball noodles (especially the sambal chilli)! Going to rate this as a die die must try!

Fishball Story 鱼缘 (Golden Mile Food Centre)
#01-85 Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road
Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: Daily 1030am to 5pm
Tel: +65 9800 5036
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Heap Seng Leong Coffeeshop (Lavendar)

Coffee with Butter (Kopi Gu You) $1.10, Kaya Toast $1.20 and Soft Boiled Eggs $1

Heap Seng Leong Coffeeshop (Lavendar) is located at Lavendar at the back of ICA behind Lavendar MRT station. It is 5 minutes walk away from the famous Tai Wah Minced Pork Noodles (Bak Chor Mee).

When I first stepped into the coffeeshop, it felt as though I had stepped into a time machine and travelled back to the past! 

It is as if time has stood still in this coffeeshop while everything else outside becomes modernise. The white tiles are brown, ceiling fans, no false ceiling, orange coin operated payphone and even abacus! 

This is the 78 year old owner. He is wearing a singlet and old style pyjamas pants which seems out of place in today's context. But this was the way people wore in the past. Most of the customers in the coffeeshop were elderly folks who are reading Chinese newspapers while sipping their coffee. Only the owner's son and I were using smartphones!

Coffee with Butter (Kopi Gu You) $1.10 and Kaya Toast $1.20

Coffee with Butter (Kopi Gu You) $1.10 

I have never tried Kopi Gu You (Coffee with Butter) before. Yes, if you are wondering, it is literally coffee with a thin piece of butter floating on top! The butter would then melt and form a layer of grease on top. Give it a good stir before drinking it. 

Surprisingly, I did not hate this! I was initially worry that it would be greasy/oily. It was not! Taste wise it was rich and complex with a salty caramel taste. Moreover at $1.10, this is so affordable. 

 Kaya Toast $1.20

The Kaya Toast $1.20 was quite well executed too!

 Kaya Toast $1.20

 Interestingly, the owner would use the top of a milk can to scrap off the charred parts of the toast. 

Soft Boiled Eggs $1

I was initially worried the Soft Boiled Eggs would be under or overcooked. Hence, when the Soft Boiled Eggs $1 arrived, I was thrilled that it was cooked perfectly! Do note, the eggs are cooked only upon order. Hence, there is a need to wait around 6 to 8 minutes for this.

At the counter, there are many plastic containers filled with local confectionery (snacks). There was also a orange coin operated payphone which was a common sight in the past! Now, with the high mobilephone penetration rate in Singapore, I cannot even find such phones anymore. Do you spot another item from the past?

Abacus

Yes, its the abacus!

I can forsee more trips back to this coffeeshop. My breakfast consisting of Coffee with Butter (Kopi Gu You, Kaya Toast and Soft Boiled Eggs cost just $3.30! This is so affordable. Furthermore, it was delicious, what a bonus!

Heap Seng Leong Coffeeshop (Lavendar) 

Blk 10 North Bridge Road, #01-5109

Opening Hours: Daily 4 am to 8 pm

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Ah Balling Peanut Soup 花生汤圆 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

4 Glutinous Rice Balls for $1.70

If you are a fan of glutinous rice balls and peanut soup, you would probably have heard of Ah Balling Peanut Soup 花生汤圆. 

Whenever I visit Golden Mile Food Centre, I would drop by Ah Balling Peanut Soup for dessert. After all, this was the place where I was first introduced to this stall. Recently, I heard that there are Ah Balling Peanut Soup outlets in Chinatown, Bedok 85, Nex and Ghim Moh. Not sure how true, but it is (would be) great if there are other outlets elsewhere too!

This stall sells glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) with different savoury fillings (i.e. peanut, sesame, red bean, yam and green tea). They rice balls are served in either peanut or ginger soup. My personal favourite soup is the peanut soup! It is tasty and not overly sweet. The peanuts are cooked for so long till they are soft and all the flavour in it have been extracted! 

Peanut

Sesame

As for the rice ball, my favourite are the peanut and sesame versions. Each of rice balls are of similar size and are chewy. Be careful as the fillings would ooze out. The peanut and sesame fillings would provide a crunchy bite giving it a good contrast to the soft rice balls. Yummy!

Red bean

Yam

As for the yam and red bean, the fillings are soft and there is no contrast in texture. I do not fancy these two flavours.

I have been here so many times for this dessert that I already lost count of the number of times I have been here. Hard to get sick of such dessert. Try this, don't give this a miss! 

Ah Balling Peanut Soup 花生汤圆 (Golden Mile Food Centre)
#01-75 Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road
Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 9760 5710

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Golden Mile Special Yong Tau Foo 黄金特制酿豆腐 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Golden Mile Special Yong Tau Foo 黄金特制酿豆腐 (Golden Mile Food Centre) is located at the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre.

If you read the articles displayed at the stall, you would be able to find out that this stall has been around since 1958! In addition, the ingredients some of which are handmade would be sold out fairly quickly by 3pm!

The Yong Tau Foo ingredients on display were normal. In fact, if you are a Yong Tau Foo fan you would notice that the variety is limited compared to other stalls. But what made it fantastic is that the ingredients are all so fresh. The price is $0.40 for minimum of 8 ingredients, $0.50 for cuttlefish and $0.50 for bee hoon. This is so cheap!

Hence, despite the limited variety, this stall is very popular during lunch time. This is also partly because of its low and reasonable prices. During lunch time, you would need to wait for a minimum time of 25 minutes to 45 minutes.

Look at the number of bowls / orders waiting to be cooked. If you noticed, at the background of the photo, the ingredients such as tau pok, pork skin, fishball and tofu would be left simmering in the pot because they will not be overcooked. For such ingredients, normally, I will just inform the person that I want those items when ordering.

I have been to this stall so many times over the past 2 years. Always order eight to ten ingredients and they always cost less than $5 (if not$6). If I had ordered this much at food courts.. I think it would have been easily above $8!

Other than the freshness of the ingredients, the soup was unique. The soup comes with a mixture of bean and fish taste because it consisted of the water used to soak the fish paste and was also cooked with fish bones! The photo below shows the Yong Tau Foo I have eaten over different occasions. You would noticed that I always order the same items because of the limited ingredients.. yet I never get sick of this. Simple comfort food.

Golden Mile Special Yong Tau Foo 黄金特制酿豆腐 (Golden Mile Food Centre)

#B1-44 Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road
Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 1045am - 3 pm (or until sold out)
                          Closed on Sun

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