Candlenut

So before Malcolm Lee became all Michelin fame famous, I had the opportunity to visit his restaurant when he first opened at Cantonment Road. Good wholesome Peranakan food was what he was known for. I remember having good impressions of his cooking, very tasty, wholesome, “home cooked” food.

Now that his cooking has been recognized by the Michelin inspectors, it’s no surprise that he has since packed up and moved to more lavish digs at Dempsey and his prices have certainly increased as well. However, I trusted that the quality of the cooking would still remain and when J suggested visiting, I was all for it. 

Hong Xing handmade Fishball / Meatball noodle

Recently, I’ve been visiting Hong Lim Food Centre a lot. I think that it is quite the treasure trove for good food in Singapore. Maxwell? Hmmm…. I’m really not sure about that one.

In any case, B works really nearby and told me about this fishball noodle shop which was really good. The next time I went down, I told M that I wanted to eat at that stall. 

Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

“Laksa without laksa leaves is just curry noodles”

I laughed when M made this remark to me. Then, the more I thought about it… was there a possibility that there might be some truth to this statement?

A generic statement to describe laksa is “coconut based curry soup”. Yes, there are variations, depending on the ingredients and the ratio of coconut milk used. However, if there was a unique ingredient that was used, yes, laksa leaves would be it.

Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice

Had the opportunity to visit Serangoon Garden Market for lunch last week. I usually come for dinner when most stalls are closed. Finally got a chance to try Ah Seng braised duck rice which had a pretty long lunch queue when I was there. Thankfully, the queue moves pretty fast. 

Tuck Kee (Ipoh) Sar Hor Fun

I guess you know that you’ve been frequenting a hawker centre too often when the drink stall owner starts recognising you and questions why he has not seen you in a while. O_O

In truth, it’s probably a valid statement to make. Due to the proximity of Hong Lim Food Centre from my classes and my recent discovery of the food gem that Hong Lim Food Centre is, I’ve been frequenting the place quite a bit. 

Kok Sen Restaurant

Kok Sen is one of those old school zi char coffeeshops which has been at Keong Saik road for many years. It continued to stay popular even while the atmosphere of Keong Saik changed and numerous hip restaurants and wine / cocktail bars rose up around it. 

Original Katong Laksa / Janggut Laksa / Marine Parade Laksa

I was in the mood for laksa and when M let me choose the lunch spot, I gave her two choices. Either we head back to Hong Lim centre for Sungei Road laksa or to East Coast Road for 328 Katong Laksa. She chose the later to avoid ERP…. figures… 

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist

Now that half of my lessons are in Chinatown, I’ve been having early dinners at Hong Lim food centre just before classes start. Honestly, it’s not the best place to have dinner. The majority of stalls just open for the lunch period and most are closed by 4pm in the afternoon. It is a noticeable few that stay open for in the evening and they don’t stay open till that late either. 

Tai Wah Pork Noodle (Hong Lim Food Centre)

Now that the hype around Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has ballooned to 2 hour queues (no thanks to Mr Michelin), it’s a good time to point out that the Hill Street/Crawford Lane stall is not the only Tai Hwa Pork Noodle Stall.

Kim Keat Hokkien Mee

I do so love inspirational stories.

Part of the motivation for wanting to visit this stall came after reading about the background story of the owner on several websites such as ieatishootipost.