We haven’t covered much of Bukit Merah View Food Centre except the black and white carrot cake, famous mutton soup that is in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, and yong tau foo that only opens at midnight. Last week I decided to drop by to try the lor mee which everyone is raving about. Alas, it was already closed. So we settled for something healthier –– Wen Xin Fish Soup • Lu Wei.

This seems to be a popular stall for lunch. The clear soup contained lettuce, tofu and fish slices. You can choose between red grouper or batang fish. Soup is delightfully light and clear, with a few slices of fresh and firm fish. All you get is just natural flavours from the tender white flesh with no fishy smell. Prices start from $3. You can also order fish head if you know how to eat it. Such a comforting lunch!

If you are early enough, you can also order their pig trotter and preserved vegetables. The gravy is light, sweet, and had the faintest herbal aroma which kicked in only at the end. Drench a bowl of fluffy steamed rice with the braising gravy, and you’re in for a treat. This is the perfect comfort food, I only wished that there were more trotters!

This is a really satisfying meal. If you are planning to go on a diet, this is a good place to start.

The post Wen Xin Fish Soup • Lu Wei – Homey and Comforting Fish Soup at Bukit Merah View appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant is a familiar name to many Singaporeans. This family-run restaurant has been in business since 1919. Their main outlet in Jalan Bukit Merah serves a wide variety of fresh seafood prepared in old-fashioned Teochew style. I have good news for fans of Ah Orh! They have recently opened a zi-char stall selling Teochew fish head steamboat in Bedok (same coffeeshop as one of our favourite Nasi Padang stall).

The Pomfret Steamboat ($58) is an umami bomb, thanks to the addition of dried flatfish (ti-po) which makes the broth extremely tasty. Simmered over charcoal, the natural flavours of the fresh ingredients shine, and the rich broth has a distinct and robust smokiness that you can’t find at many fish head steamboat places. Even though the price is slightly on the high side, you get a generous portion of fresh pomfret slices, yam and cabbage. If you prefer something meatier, go for the Red Grouper Steamboat ($48).

Get some of their other well-liked zi char dishes, such as Sambal Lala ($12 / $18), Yam Ring ($18) and Prawn Roll ($12 / $18). I love their deceptively simple Teochew Style Cold Prawns ($18 / $28). They are so fresh, sweet and crunchy!

I loved the Oyster Omelette ($13 / $18) at their original outlet. Unfortunately, it was disappointing when I had it at Bedok Reservoir. The oysters were not as plump and juicy, and the large fried omelette wasn’t as puffy as it should be. The gravy was a little bland but I believe it could be a teething issue and they will get better.

On the other hand, I fell in love with their Minced Meat Tofu ($12 / $18). It was intense and packed with umami (probably from the addition of preserved vegetables). It tasted so good with rice and even as I am typing this, I am salivating.

Another dish I would recommend is the Teochew Fried Kway Teow with chopped Kailan and preserved chye poh. Cooked with a splash of their savoury soy sauce, the slippery kway teow was full of wok hei.

We went on the third day of their opening and waited close to 45 minutes for the food to arrive. But it was definitely worth the wait because the food sure did not disappoint in terms of flavour.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Ah Orh Teochew Fish Head Steamboat Opens in Bedok Reservoir Road appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

The best way to explore Singapore and understand our culture is to visit our hawker centres and kopitiams. That is where I would bring my tourists to when I conduct food tours because they serve uniquely Singaporean coffee and really cheap comfort food.

There are not many old school coffeeshops left. The more popular ones include Heap Seng Leong and Tong Ah Eating House. Sadly, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery along East Coast Road has already closed down for good.

There is another old school coffee shop that I frequent too. And that is Keng Wah Sung (琼华昌). This is one of the oldest coffee shops in Singapore and has been family-run for more than 70 years. It’s a real blast from the past, with the original signboard and weathered tables. You’ll even spot regulars enjoying hot cups of kopi or teh and chatting away. I often bring my tourists to this coffee shop to experience the old school charm. The kopi uncle is always welcoming, allowing us to take photos and even talking to us when he is free.

Their traditional coffee really hits the spot and it is amongst the best in town. It’s strong and aromatic, and regulars will buy their coffee powder too! There was once I was doing a workshop nearby and I walked 3 streets just to buy a cup of coffee from him. That’s how much I love their kopi.

Their Breakfast Set comes with coffee, kaya toast and two half-boiled eggs and, at $3.60, is one of the cheapest around. The perfectly crisp toast is served with slices of butter and a generous spread of their kaya jam. You may think that eggs are just eggs, but at least when I come here, I can expect perfectly soft-boiled eggs. Dip the kaya toast into the eggs or pair it with kopi. It’s perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.

If you’re looking for a reasonably-priced and traditional local breakfast, this is the place for you. Oh, if you have space in your stomach, order a plate of wanton mee too!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Keng Wah Sung Coffee Shop – One of the Oldest Coffee Shops With Great Kopi & Kaya Toast! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Oyster Cake, or some calls it Meat Puff or UFO Cake, is a disappearing snack in Singapore. You can find a stall in Maxwell, and the other in Jalan Besar.

There is another popular one called Teochew Meat Puffs, which was a roving stall that could be found at pasar malams. The queue is always long and fans would follow them to the different pasar malams  just to have a taste of their meat puffs. Now, you don’t have to travel around to hunt them down anymore(no pasar malam is operating now anyway)! Because Teochew Meat Puff has just opened a permanent stall in Woodlands!

The owner, Keith, kindly let us into his kitchen to see the cooking process. He first pours some rice batter on a shallow metal spatula. Then the ingredients are added before he pours in more batter to cover the ingredients. Peanuts are sprinkled on top. Now, those peanuts are important because it helps to identify the flavour of the meat puff. For example, the prawn meat puff has about 5 peanuts in the middle, while the scallop one has 2 peanuts on the side. The spatula is then lowered into hot oil and deep-fried till golden brown.

This is probably the biggest and fullest meat puff I have ever eaten. We love how thin and crispy the exterior is. Each UFO-shaped fritter is loaded with well-marinated minced meat, celery and a choice of your favourite seafood. You can choose from Oyster ($3.50), Prawn ($3.50), Octopus ($3.50), Crab ($3.50), Scallop ($4) or Vegetable ($2).

Each mouthful gives a burst of savoury flavours and different textures – crispiness from the peanuts to juiciness from the meat. We love the oyster version the most because you get not only one, but two plump and fresh oysters. The scallop and prawn versions both have one piece of seafood(rather big piece) in each puff, while the crab version comes with crab stick. Even though it is deep-fried, it is not greasy at all. Do yourself a favour and eat this with the chilli sauce on the side.

Keith mentioned that this will be their permanent location and they will not be doing anymore pasar malam. Be prepared to wait for these meat puffs, as the wait can go up to an hour. Note that they do not do delivery nor take pre-order or online order. Good news is, there is no limit on the number of puffs you can purchase!

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Teochew Meat Puff – Your Favourite Pasar Malam Stall Has Opened a Permanent Stall in Woodlands! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

With social distancing measures in place, the last thing you want to do is to spend the day jostling with the crowd. If you’re looking to skip the queues, consider Aperia Mall, a lifestyle destination located at the fringe of Singapore’s business district. And with a slew of delicious food and beverage offerings, Aperia Mall offers a quiet, gourmet escape – sweetened with one-for-one deals on weekends and free parking. Here’s a sampling of the delicious variety the mall has to offer.

Ichiho Donburi & Sushi (#02-07/08)

Armed with over 40 years of experience, head chef Patrick Png has cut his teeth at various Japanese restaurants. Now, he has set up shop at Ichiho, carving slivers of sashimi and rolling up hearty maki for all to enjoy. Ingredients and fresh seafood are flown in from Japan at least twice a week, and used to create dishes including a premium kaisen sashimi don ($20.50), where seasonal seafood comes delicately arranged atop a bed of sushi rice; or rolled into the popular aburi salmon avocado mentai maki ($14), a well-stuffed creation that’s perfumed with the heady aroma of truffle. It then gets slathered with mentai mayonnaise, a sauce that’s specially made in-house, and torched to finish. The restaurant also serves an impressive Ichiho special tendon ($18.50), where river eel, shrimp, and mixed vegetable tempura comes served with your choice of sweet tendon sauce or salted egg yolk sauce.

My Spice Affair (#02-11)

It can be hard to decide on what to eat at My Spice Affair. After all, the well-stocked display comes filled with over 20 side dishes – from chicken merah ($3.60) to mutton curry ($4.20) – all whipped up using the same traditional recipe that owner Ivan Lek picked up from his mother-in-law. The business might have started some 20 years ago as a street hawker, but until today, Ivan insists on keeping to the same recipe and time-honoured methods of cooking. The result: an authentic version of nasi padang that tastes “no different from home”. There’s the usual chicken merah ($3.50) and mutton curry ($4.50), but Ivan’s personal favourite is the beef rendang ($3.80) that packs a fiery punch.

You’ll also find the uncommon nasi ambeng here – a celebratory Javanese dish that’s usually served as an impressive, giant platter. It’s served communal-style, and can feed multiple people. Indulge in My Spice Affair’s version of this dish, Premium Ambeng ($28), that’s a treat for both the eyes and tummy. The party platter, which is good for three, comes lavished with fix-ins of beef rendang, chicken curry, bergedil, sambal goreng, and more. Dining solo? There’s also an individual ambeng ($12), along with specials of lontong kering ($9.80), dry mee siam ($5), nasi lemak ($5.50), ayam penyet ($6.50), and mutton biryani ($7.20) that’s worth making a repeat visit for.

Nature Café (#02-14/15)

Looking to embark on a healthier diet? Nature Café is a vegetarian outfit with affordable, plant-based variants of your favourite food. There’s the soy chicken rice ($5.50), a meatless alternative to the hawker classic that’s worth a try. Up your veggie intake with the braised bean paste cabbage with rice set ($7.90), a mildly spicy stew chocked full with healthy ingredients of leafy greens, carrots, and mushrooms. And for some guilt-free indulgence, consider the spicy satay burger ($16.90) which comes made with Beyond Meat and a fragrant peanut sauce served at the side. Have it with the burger, or as a dip with the accompanying wedges. Either way, you’ll leave Nature Café feeling healthy and satisfied.

Cucina Italian Restaurant (#02-10)

Don’t be fooled by its name; Cucina Italian Restaurant serves more than just classic plates of pasta and pizza. The international menu covers an extensive selection: from Western cuisine of fish and chips ($12.90) to local dishes of beef rendang ($14.90) in its takeaway bento set. But the menu remains rooted in its hearty Italian flavours, with highlights that include the mushroom stew ($10.90) and beef stroganoff ($12.90). The restaurant also switches things up, with innovative options of a slurp-worthy lobster pasta ($29.90) and its version of a spicy-sweet chilli crab meat pizza ($12.90) that’s worth a try.

Dragon Bowl Restaurant (#02-09)

There’s something comforting about Dragon Bowl Restaurant. It could be its old-school interior, with Lazy Susans and traditional Chinese murals that mimic a banquet-style setting. It could also be the menu, a colourful collection of traditional Cantonese dishes. But either way, a meal at Dragon Bowl Restaurant will prove to satisfy both the young and the old. Start off with the deep-fried salted egg prawn roll (from $22), a quintessential snack that comes coated with creamy, umami-packed sauce. There’s also the stir-fried tenderloin cube with red wine and black pepper (from $24), with tender meat and a flavourful sauce that you’ll want to lap it all up with a bowl of rice. It’ll come in handy too, serving as a base for the luscious seafood sauce from the braised bamboo charcoal beancurd with conpoy (from $14).

Of course, it isn’t a Cantonese meal without some fish, and Dragon Bowl Restaurant offers a seasonal selection of cooked up in various methods. Red garoupa, firm yet tender, can come baked with ginger and onion, or steamed with assam. But we’ll recommend keeping it simple, and having it come stir-fried with huai shan or Chinese yam root for the natural flavours to shine best.

Daily Grind by Spinelli (#01-34)

Daily Grind by Spinelli is the coffee chain’s latest concept to shake things up from its usual offerings. Beyond aromatic brews, you’ll also find a good selection of wines and spirits at DG by Spinelli. By day, this cosy café has a range of espresso-based drinks, from the usual flat white (from $6.20) to vanilla latte (from $6.80). Come lunchtime, it also stocks a hearty selection of mains available either as a warm meal, or a fuss-free grab-and-go option. Stand-outs include the mala chicken salad ($10.80) complete with spiced slices of chicken and the requisite wood ear mushrooms to lend an Asian slant to the usual bowl of greens, and the hearty Caesar chicken wrap ($8.90). Those watching their calories can also opt for the falafel and tahini wrap ($7.50) that’s scented with Mediterranean spices in every bite. Come evening, start the happy hour drinks early with your choice of poison: there’s beer on tap, wine by the bottle at under $40, and even one-for-one spirits.

Au Croissant (#01-35)

Looking for a quaint spot to while the afternoon away? Consider Au Croissant which offers freshly baked pastries and warm cuppas – and has a quaint seating area reminiscent of Parisian terraces. The high tea set, which runs from 3pm to 9pm every day, lets you enjoy a slice of cake ($6.90) and coffee for an additional $3. Choose from options of carrot walnut, chocolate truffle, sea salt caramel, or honey earl grey hazelnut. Of course, no trip to this bakery is complete without grabbing a few of its namesake buttery pastry. Butter ($3.60), chocolate ($3.80), and almond ($3.80) variants are some popular options, but we’ll recommend dropping by after 5.30pm to take advantage of its closing sale. Bakes, depending on its corresponding coloured tag, go for $10 for three, four or six pieces.

Nature’s Nutrition (#01-52)

You’ll find a menu powered by nature at this little eatery. Customisable quinoa bowls are the main draw here, and hungry diners can put together a hearty, healthy meal with options that include buffalo chicken ($8.40), baked salmon ($10.40), and portobello with cheese ($8.90). Dress things up with sides of refreshing apple cucumber pickles, honey glazed carrots, spicy broccoli, seaweed-roasted cabbage, along with sauces of tomato salsa, lemon yoghurt, and more. And to complete your square meal, grab a bottle of its gut-friendly kombucha ($3 with every meal ordered), brewed in-house in flavours of lemongrass ginger, hibiscus cinnamon, and original.

Grains & Greens (#01-37)

Grains & Greens isn’t just your regular salad joint; it offers choices of toppings and dressings that aren’t easily found anywhere else. Start by choosing a base – nourishing grains ($7.80), made with a special in-house blend of quinoa, lentils, millet, and barley; mixed greens ($7.30); or tortilla wraps (from $6.90) – and fill it various toppings and sides. Beyond the usual chicken breast and garden veggies, Grains & Greens offers a line-up of skewers to top your bowls with. There’s honey lemongrass chicken ($2), sriracha chicken ($2), and tandoori paneer ($2) – unique creations to jazz up the meal. And as a final touch to round off the meal, skip the common sauces of goma sesame or olive oil. Opt instead for the eatery’s Asian-inspired homemade dressing, including a spicy kicap manis, Vietnamese dressing, and the herb-based butterfly pea-infused olive oil.

Mini Fashion Pot (#01-38)

Mala fanatics and spice fiends should bookmark Mini Fashion Pot. This little eatery might have paused its steamboat offerings, but it still offers mala xiang guo for those looking for a tongue-numbing meal. Assemble your own bowl by choosing from a wide variety of meats ($2 to $3) , mushrooms ($1.50), and vegetables ($1 to $1.50). There’s also grilled fish ($28.80) – smothered with spicy sauce, sour and spicy sauce, or tomato sauce – that can make a filling meal for three. But not everyone can take the heat, so beyond the usual tongue-numbing dishes, Mini Fashion Pot also cooks up different soup bases: chicken, mushroom, and more. All are prepped fresh by the owners daily. The tomato soup base, in particular, is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. “Better than Hai Di Lao,” quips the owner.

Ortus by Grind Coffee (#01-40)

Stepping into Ortus by Grind Coffee feels like entering a time machine. Vintage coffee grinder, restored record player, and typewriters from the yesteryear help decorate the cosy space. They are all from owner Frankie Lee’s personal collection. Even the food served is designed to evoke nostalgia. “We often forget about the comfort food we have,” shares Frankie. The menu takes quintessential local favourites – nasi lemak, mee pok, and the likes – and puts a modern, inventive spin on them. Must-order includes the Ortus nasi lemak set, served with an uncommon addition: crispy duck leg ($18.80). Its incredibly tender and juicy, and pairs well with the accompanying sambal that packs loads of heat and flavour. Egg, anchovies, and homemade achar complete this dish. And to push this nasi lemak to the next level, consider throwing in an order of its house-made otah ($6) or the special ‘Ah Ma’ fried fish ($10), tender and brimming with fragrance from the homemade chilli. Equally impressive is the masala pork chop mee pok ($10), where succulent cutlet comes marinated in Ortus’ own blend of masala spice.

The drinks section, similarly, shines a spotlight on Asia. Only single-origin beans are used, with particular emphasis given to those sourced from “underrated” regional countries like Chang Mai, Thailand. Sample the aromatic brew in form of its signature iced coffee ($6.50), sweetened with caramel milk syrup, or as classic espresso-based beverages (from $5.50). Not a fan of caffeine? There’s also the ginger latte ($4.50) that’s worth a try. Made using a blend of three different ginger, sipping the drink feels like a warm, soothing hug for the tummy. And to pair with the drinks, nibble on some ‘Ah Ma’ png kueh ($4), a well-stuffed, inch-thick variant of the humble kueh that’s literally bursting with ingredients, or the egg and toast ($6) where sous vide egg is served alongside toasted sourdough that comes slathered with a layer of deeply aromatic homemade kaya.

Warung Kampung (#01-42)

Warung Kampung prides itself on serving up authentic Indonesian cuisine. Spices, a core pillar of the food, are carefully sourced and turned into sauces and curries that make up its colourful menu. To start, choose from various set meals which come with rice and an egg. We like the rendang chicken ($6.40), a whole tender leg stewed in slick, flavourful curry with gentle heat. Rendang beef ($6.90) is also a safe option, while the grilled sweet chicken ($6.40) is coated in a rich sauce that pairs great with the rice. Side dishes of chilli long beans, eggplant, and sayur lodeh are also available for just $1.20, and there’s even the option to change up the usual base to healthier brown rice or fried beehoon.

Sweet deals

Planning to head down to Aperia Mall? From now to 1 November 2020, take advantage of its attractive one-for-one deal happening every weekend. A total of 100 vouchers are up for grabs at the information counter. Check out its website for the full list of participating tenants. It’s fastest fingers first, so head you’ll want to head down quick to enjoy this attractive promotion. Parking is also free for the first three hours on weekends and public holidays, making it a great destination to head down with the family.

This post is brought to you by Aperia Mall.

The post The Ultimate Foodies’ Guide to Aperia Mall – over 12 Exciting Eateries to Fill Your Hungry Tummy appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

We have all gone for hotel buffets before, but to enjoy local zi-char buffet at Gluttons Bay along the breezy Marina Bay… That is my first time.

The Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee brand is one of those that have been around for decades. It is where many Singaporeans go to when in search of good Zi Char that ignites the tastebuds. Their Singapore Chinese inspired dishes carry Indian, Muslim, Western, and, of course, Chinese flavours. Starting from this Wednesday, their stall at Makansutra Gluttons Bay will launch its first ever zi-char buffet. ONLY $19 NETT!

The buffet consists of 10 items in total, cooked a la minute. Expect your zi-char favourites, including Mongolian Pork Ribs, Sweet & Sour Pork, Lemongrass Chicken, Har Cheong Gai Chop, Seafood Fried Tofu, Onion Omelette, Cereal Fried Rice, Hong Kong Noodles, Oyster Kailan and Sambal Kang Kong.

Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee is synonymous with Har Cheong Gai (deep fried prawn paste chicken) which is familiarly regarded as a family favourite amongst Singaporeans. Each piece of chicken is painstakingly marinated a day before with their secret concoction of fermented prawn paste and a mixture of spices to create intensely flavorful, juicy, and crispy chicken. Don’t forget to order their boneless Har Cheong Gai Chop during the buffet. There is no need to dirty your hands with these thick and tender slices of har cheong chicken.

One classic zi-char dish which I always order is sweet and sour pork. The batter-coated chunks of pork are deep-fried till crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. As usual, it is mixed with a bright red, sticky, sweet and sour sauce, and cucumber. Another of my favourite is lemongrass chicken. The deep fried chicken is well coated with a lovely kecap manis sauce. It worked out really well and I enjoyed it, especially the caramelized sweet taste. These dishes are paired with delicious plates of cereal fried rice or Hong Kong noodles.

This is truly a local kitchen offering firm favourites. Get your family or friends down to Gluttons bay to enjoy the zi-char buffet. They will be introducing seafood dishes into the buffet menu in the future. Don’t forget to pair the food with some cold beer or ice kachang in this lovely Marina Bay location.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Makansutra Gluttons Bay Launches $19 Zi-Char Buffet Every Wednesday! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

We had plans to travel to New York this year but everything came to a halt when the pandemic happened. I was already planning the itinerary and a visit to Luke’s Lobster was part of it. Hence, I was excited about Luke’s coming to Singapore. They have opened in Isetan Scotts today and we queued 2 hours for it! Yes, we stood in the line since 12pm and only got a seat at 2pm.

This is Luke’s Lobster’s first foray into Southeast Asia. They already have 26 food trucks and full-service restaurants across America and 10 locations in Japan.

Located on the ground floor of Isetan Scotts, it is a very small open-concept restaurant where you can choose from regular dining tables, or perch yourselves onto a counter-top seat set against a feature wall dotted with decorative lobster buoys and watch the world buzz by on Singapore’s famed shopping strip.

The menu is very simple and it stays true to the core products of Luke’s Lobster. They use wild-caught Maine lobsters, top quality Jonah crabs that inhabit waters along the east coast of North America, and shrimp from Eastern Canadian fisheries—all sustainably sourced.

The seafood is then procured by their own seafood company at the dock, which is then steamed, picked, flash-frozen with nitrogen, packed and sent straight to Singapore. This ensures that the seafood remains in pristine condition.

The Signature Lobster, Crab and Shrimp Rolls are served in U.S. regular size (4 oz, $25.50 lobster; $23.50 crab; $21.50 shrimp). If you can’t decide, go for Luke’s Trio ($33.50) – the perfect sampler set of all three rolls. A more affordable Japan size (two-thirds of the 4oz roll) will be made available at a later stage.

Each Maine-style roll is served with chilled seafood atop a buttered, griddled split-top bun with a swipe of mayo, a coating of lemon butter, and a light sprinkle of the brand’s secret seasoning.

The lobster meat does taste fresh and flavours are very clean. If you’re looking for a rich, creamy, decadent lobster roll, this is not for you. The crab roll is not bad too, with sweet, tender chunks of meat! In terms of pricing, they are less expensive than Burger & Lobster and Pince & Pints.

I also ordered the Lobster Bisque ($12.90) that purees lobster, cream, sweet potato, and onion for a velvety base. It was underwhelming, I wish it was stronger in flavour. I prefer the chunkier Clam Chowder (S$11.50) that combines potatoes, clam juice, Worcester sauce and heavy cream cooked down to a simmer, finished with fresh clams. Wash it all down with quenchers such as Luke’s Homemade Lemonade ($6.50), Garden of Eden Cold Brew Tea ($7) or Green Pomegranate Cold Brew Tea ($7).

Come December, they will be launching Lobster or Crab Grilled Cheese and Lobster Mac & Cheese.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Luke’s Lobster – Famous New York Lobster Roll Opens in Singapore appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I first tried MacPherson Minced Meat Noodles last year when I was filming CHIAK LOCAL web series as this is one of Minister Tan Chuan Jin’s favourite hawker stalls. Used to be located in a coffee shop along Upper Serangoon Road where Tian Wai Tian Fish Head Steamboat is, they have recently moved to Marsiling Mall!

So happy to see Uncle Yap again! It is like meeting old friends! I thought he has retired but not so soon, I guess we are still able to enjoy his bak chor mee! Whenever I see him at Upper Serangoon coffeeshop, he is always very tensed up because there are too many orders he has to fulfill. Here at Marsiling, he is so cheery and I even had the chance to make conversation with him!

As usual, Uncle Yap makes everything from scratch. His stall opens at 7am in the morning so he is here in the market in the wee hours to boil the soup and prepare ingredients. His broth is boiled with old hens, soybeans and anchovies for 3 to 4 hours. No wonder that bowl of rich and cloudy soup is so tasty with a hint of sweetness. Oomph…

When it comes to noodle options, common varieties include either mee pok or mee kia. I usually order mee kia dry so the thin noodles can soak up all the sauces. Cooked till al dente, each bowl of minced meat noodles ($4.50) is served with sliced pork, minced meat, pork liver, braised mushroom, and slices of fishcake. Though the combination of ingredients is simple, they work terrifically well.

Uncle Yap adds his braised mushroom sauce at the end before serving to customers. His mushroom sauce is like his secret weapon, which makes his minced pork noodles outstanding.

When I visited him that day, he decided to cook me a bowl of mee sua instead. This has become my favourite.

The mee sua looked seemingly plain but packs a punch. Tossed around in a vinegar and chilli mixture, every bite was a flavourful hit of comforting savouriness with a prominent sourish piquancy. We liked that the Mee Suah was cooked just right (similar to what you find in zi char stalls) unlike many others which tend to be soggy and overcooked.

If you have stomach space, order the 小碗面 for $6.50 where you get all the ingredients in the soup with a bowl of dry noodles. Now, it’s time to head over for your BCM fix!

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel!

Join us on our Telegram channel!

The post MacPherson Minced Meat Noodles Has Moved to Woodlands! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

It is not easy to make a good plate of char siew. I like mine fattier. Yes, it is definitely sinful but it is juicier. Besides choosing a good cut, marinating and roasting play a big part too. My makan buddies are great at finding ho-liao. Last week they jio-ed us to go to this coffee shop in North Bridge Road for char siew, we got really excited about it.

The Char Siew was superb. That char siew sauce that they used in their roast is simply too wicked. Pork belly which had a good balance of fats to meat ratio was used. The well-roasted meat is tender and succulent with almost-melted layers of fat, yet it is not greasy. It has a lovely caramselised coat and is perfectly charred. The meat is so addictive and smoky, I feel like I am eating thick slices of bak kwa. If you know what I mean.

The Roasted Chicken Wings were beautiful too. They are soaked in the thick char siew sauce. It is so rare to see such wings now. The wings come glistening with a lovely sheen, I didn’t actually want to dirty my hands but I just had to.

They also have roast pork and duck which were not bad too. Apparently, they got these two items from the supplier. But the sio bak was not too salty and I love the crackling skin. Pork ribs were sold out during my visit.

We paired the noodles with our roast meat. They were QQ egg noodles tossed in lard oil. It is best to go before lunchtime as the meats are freshly roasted and ready just in time for the lunch crowd.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Incredible Roasted Meat – The Roasted Chicken Wings & Char Siew Are Pretty Incredible! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I am starting to explore my neighbourhood a little more these days. Just over the weekend, a chef-friend brought me to a nearby coffeeshop stall (where Ranggung LRT station is) named “Happy Go Nasi” which sells great bee hoon and nasi lemak for breakfast.

I have my own favourite stall when it comes to fried bee hoon. It is not a difficult dish to cook and most of the items are fried items that do not need much cooking skills. But the consistently long queue for simple nasi lemak and economical bee hoon tells you that this is not your average breakfast stall.

The bee hoon was fragrant and not too dry. Because of the snaking queue, you can expect constant hot sides to go with your bee hoon. The most popular side dish is the chicken wings. It was deep fried till crispy and the meat was juicy! Another dish I love is the stir-fried cabbage. A simple side dish that pairs well with the noodles.

Initially, all of us wanted to order the fried bee hoon but there were many people ordering their nasi lemak, so I decided to give it a try too and it didn’t disappoint. It was a generous plate of delightfully light coconut rice which came with a lovely splash of sambal that had a moderate punch.

For me, this has to be one of the nicer breakfast fix Sengkang has to offer! But I wouldn’t tell you to travel all the way from Jurong to Sengkang for their nasi lemak and bee hoon, because I believe there are good stalls in your neighbourhood too.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out and subscribe to our official YouTube channel!

Stay up to date with our recommendations by joining us on our Telegram channel!

The post Happy Go Nasi – Sengkang Residents Queue Up for Their Tasty Bee Hoon and Nasi Lemak appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

If you have been to Phuket, I am sure you have tried Go Benz. This popular street food spot is famous for their Khao Tom Haeng (dry rice porridge) and has received a ‘Bib Gourmand’ rating in the Phuket Michelin Guide. Now you can enjoy this dish at Pratunam by Soi Thai Soi Nice. This new express joint has just hit the market with its first outlet at Westgate!

Keeping everything super delicious at crazy affordable prices, the menu features a delectable array of rice and noodle mains, appetizing small bites as well as everyone’s favorite Thai milk teas!

The Signature Dry Porridge ($7) comes with all kinds of porky goodness which include homemade pork balls, pork intestines, pork liver, crunchy roast pork, and a tumble of crispy golden deep-fried garlic. This unique dish is served with a peppery pork bone soup on the side that is simmered for hours for the rich flavourful slurp.

Some people like to dip spoonfuls of rice into the soup. I prefer to go the other way, pour all the soup straight into the rice bowl. That spoonful of fragrant fried garlic completes the dish.

For a fiery spicy meal, opt for the Tom Yum Kway Tiao Moo ($6). Starring the much-raved Tom Yum soup from Pratunam’s sister restaurant Soi Thai Soi Nice alongside homemade pork balls, pork slices, minced meat and fried dumpling, the popular street dish is available in noodle, kway teow or bee hoon choices. The soup is packed with a fiery punch but we just can’t stop eating.

Looking for a comforting and equally delicious meal? Try Braised Pork Knuckle Rice ($7) boasting generous slabs of slow-braised melt-in-your-mouth pork knuckle for the comforting bites. The sauce here isn’t too sweet, but still extremely flavoursome. The meat is so tender and served with braised tofu and egg.

Do not miss out on their Thai Wanton Noodle ($6). The tasty bowl of QQ chewy egg noodles comes with both boiled and fried wontons. In addition, they also serve some unique dishes such as Claypot Prawn Vermicelli ($10) and Yen Ta Fo ($6). Yes, so much “liao” in a bowl of pink noodle soup. If you wish to share the meal with your friend, go for the Thai Hotpot ($26) overflowing with so much ingredients in a classic home-made Tom Yam broth.

Apart from the mains, check out Pratunam’s small bites such as Signature Pig Organ Soup ($7), Thai Fish Cakes ($5), Glass Noodle Salad ($5), Deep Fried Small Intestine ($6), Fragrant Fried Pork Belly ($6) and Deep Fried Chicken Wings ($6) that are sure to whet your appetites. The crispy pork is so good you’ll want to splurge on a whole plate of it. Do it.

Get ready for the weekly Thirsty Tuesdays promotion as their Red and Green Thai Milk Tea drinks go on a price-diet at only $1. Pratunam by Soi Thai Soi Nice will open its flagship outlet opening Bugis+ in November.

The post Pratunam by Soi Thai Soi Nice Brings Phuket-Style Dry Porridge to Singapore appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I know the pandemic is far from over and leisure travel is not possible at this moment. I was just reminiscing our holiday memories with my husband and we really miss Hong Kong. And we receive the news today that one of Japan’s most beloved and iconic pancake chains, Flipper’s, is coming to Singapore!

*screams*

I AM SO EXCITED OKAY!

This brand started in Tokyo in 2014 and has become a cult favourite that trailblazed the soufflé pancake trend in Japan and around the world. They have also opened in New York, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Seoul. I love it so much that I think I ate twice in Hong Kong and once in Japan.

This November, Flipper’s will be making its debut in Southeast Asia with a flagship store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City. I will never forget its utterly fluffy, pillow-soft and melt-in-the-mouth soufflé pancake. They are so delicate that they are served with two forks as part of Flipper’s signature experience.

The Singapore flagship store will offer both sweet and savoury favourites from Flipper’s classic menu.

The opening date is not fixed yet. Follow them on their Facebook page for more updates.

The post Flipper’s Singapore – Japan’s Famous Souffle Pancake is coming to Singapore this November! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Mediacorp celebrity Ben Yeo is no stranger to F&B. He graduated from SHATEC and used to run eatery Hawkerman and fried chicken chain Tenderfresh. He sold his shares last year, but he has never stopped looking for opportunities in F&B.

Recently, he started Singapore Chee Cheong Fun online with heritage brand Kwong Woh Hing. And the chee cheong fun was sold out within minutes of its launch.

Their chee cheong fun kit includes 10 handmade rice rolls, a packet of toasted sesame seeds, and five artisanal sauces — soya sauce, sweet sauce, peanut sauce, fragrant oil, and sambal chilli.

The price? $28 for a set. Wow.

Honestly, it tasted different from our usual kopitiam chee cheong fun lah. The rice rolls are silkier and thinner. I would categorize it as an “atas” chee cheong fun.

“The rice rolls are made fresh daily and only in small batches,” Ben explained. I guess that’s why it is artisanal.

Ben got to know Dickson Woo, a third-generation family member of Kwong Woh Hing, when Dickson offered to send Ben some chee cheong fun and sauces to try during Circuit Breaker. “I played around with the sauces and got a few really good ones. Very soon after, Singapore Chee Cheong Fun was born.”

The sauces are made in small batches to ensure freshness. The creamy peanut paste is from Li Kwong Agencies, while the premium sweet sauce and sambal chilli are from Kwong Woh Hing’s existing line. Artisan Kitchen Food’s fragrant oil is in the kit too. I really love it as it has got a mix of crispy fried shallots and ikan bilis.

All you have to do is mix the sauces together and add some tasty sambal to get a balance of sweet and savoury flavours. The chee cheong fun can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and it takes a minute to steam or microwave.

Visit www.sgcheecheongfun.com for details.

The post Celebrity Ben Yeo Launches $28 Chee Cheong Fun Kit! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

What better way to end the day than bonding with your best pals over a steaming mookata platter. Grab your mates and head down to this new mookata stall in Sembawang Hills Food Centre for some savoury steamboat nosh.

Noshkata serves affordable and fresh mookata sets at affordable prices. To kick off your meal, you will first be served a slice of garlic bread ($1.90) which you can toast on the hotplate. Incredibly delicious, the bread is loaded with a herb and garlic butter. This tasty starter is guaranteed to get that tummy rumbling for what’s coming up next.

If you’re looking for something that is both straightforward and satisfying, try the platter for 2-3pax ($29.90) or 4-5pax ($49.90). You get a good mix of seafood, meat and vegetables.

If you know what you like or want, get your ingredients a la carte. Some popular choices include garlic chicken, pork belly, pork collar, and bacon enoki wrap. Prices start from $1.90. I like that the meats are served in big slices and the special marinade is slathered on generously to ensure they are packed with flavour.

We loaded the hotplate with lots of sliced meat and pork lard. As the meat cooked, the fat and juices slowly dripped into the soup, enriching the flavours of the stock. We salivated while watching the meats sizzle as they were grilled to perfection. The meats were succulent and tender after grilling. But note that a lot of the meats have punchy flavour of garlic, so this meal is not date-friendly.

Diners will find unorthodox mookata additions like the cheese dip ($3.90). The dip is grilled in a separate compartment on the hotplate, and all you have to do is dip the meat into the cheese sauce to achieve that luscious cheese pull!

Noshkata’s winning formula has to be their house-made dipping sauces, similar to Nam Pla Prik. It is a bright sauce with the perfect balance of heat, sweetness, tanginess and saltiness, which makes it a good accompaniment to all sorts of meat. They also have a non-spicy option with a strong presence of fish sauce and tantalising garlic aroma.

If you are looking for a sinful treat on your cheat day, Noshkata might just be the thing you are looking for. Considering that the hawker centre has limited choices in the evening, you probably have no problem finding a table.

The post Noshkata – Tantalising Mookata in Sembawang Hills Food Centre appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I know we have been raving about Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wings for a while. Here’s another new found favourite stall for me – Da Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice.

And the good news is, they are open for dinner till sold out. If you are lucky, you might be able to eat it for supper too.

Don’t be surprised to see a long queue – their chicken rice is hugely popular. Oh wait, let me be specific. Their fried chicken wing is the star here.

It’s always a two-man show here and the lady boss takes the order, scoops the rice onto the plates, and is the only one frying the chicken wings. Talk about multi-tasking, I think I need to learn from her.

We ordered their Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice ($3.30) and as I stuffed the whole drumstick into my mouth, my eyes literally lit up.

Look at these golden brown juicy chicken wings. They are encrusted in a crispy  batter and were exploding with savoury juices. They were so addictive that even the wingtips were polished clean by is. I like that the meat was tender, well-marinated, and not too oily. Please don’t ask me to compare it to Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing, it’s really a difficult choice.

But these deep-fried chicken wings are certainly worth making a trip down for. They remind me of the old school carona chicken wings. And they taste even better when eaten with the addictive chilli sauce, which not only elevates the flavour of the wings but also gives them a nice spicy twist.

Here’s a tip – have the wings with the rice and order extra wings ($1.40 each). Because one is never enough.

As usual, my husband dove straight into the steamed chicken rice. The succulent chicken meat, which was gloriously plump, was drizzled with light soya sauce and fragrant sesame oil. No big surprises for their steamed chicken, it paired nicely with their chicken rice.

On our day of visit, the rice had a broken-grain look with a slightly brown hue. I guess all the stock from cooking the chicken also goes into flavouring the rice which gave it a pleasant aroma. It wasn’t as fluffy as I wish it would be, but it had that inexplicable old school charm. And surprisingly, I finished off the whole plate of rice.

This is a good spot if you are craving for fried chicken at night. It won’t disappoint.

If you reside in Toa Payoh, you’ll likely have come across this popular stall at least once. Although their main offering is chicken rice, you’ll come to find that that isn’t what causes the snaking queues.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

The post Da Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice – Their Fried Chicken Wings Are So Addictive! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

On a hot Wednesday afternoon, we visited Que in 111Somerset which is just about a few minutes walk away from Somerset MRT. It’s easy to spot the kiosk because it sports a bright orange signboard.

I first learnt about them when they were still a kopitiam stall in Toa Payoh. They have recently moved to 111Somerset. It might be a kiosk, but there are seats for us to enjoy our dinner. And if you are lucky enough to sit at the counter, you get to see the open kitchen where your food is prepared freshly upon each order.

You can opt for their fresh Spring Rolls ($5.50), or the fried version ($6.50). The fresh spring rolls come in 3 variations — signature pork, prawn or mixed (1 prawn and 1 pork). It has an addictively springy bite, due to the thin rice paper wrapping. The lettuce adds a refreshing crunch, which is complemented by the soft rice vermicelli. The home-made soya sauce on the side lends a lovely sweetness to the spring rolls.

I love the rice paper fried spring rolls wrapped with ground pork and served with lime on the side. It is handmade in limited quantity in-house. This deliciously crispy snack is the perfect accompaniment to their signature pho.

Phở

When it comes to comfort food, there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of pho. Pho is the sacred noodle soup of Vietnam. But where do we get a bowl of good pho? Judging from the number of Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore, the search for authentic and delicious pho can be overwhelming.

Que is definitely a wonderful choice as they have been dishing out great bowls of pho day and night to eager patrons since a while ago. The fragrant broth, tender meat and silky noodles keep the loyal fans coming back.

The menu consists of a selection of Pho – Original Mixed Beef Pho ($10.90), or Special Que’s Grilled Pork Pho ($11.50). The beef pho is a crowd favourite and the bestseller. It features super fresh rice noodles and thinly sliced beef in a deeply earthy broth flavoured with traditional herbs.

The dish is garnished with a medley of herbs including spring onion, white onion slice, coriander, culantro, sweet basil, and comes with lime. Feel free to add in the fresh red cut chilli, as you please! The clear broth which is simmered with real bone and meat for more than 8hrs lets its ingredients speak for themself. The ribeye beef slices are tender and the noodles are soft with a delicate chew.You can also treat yourself to an unforgettable bowl of pho by upgrading to wagyu slices(+$9).

Bún Chả Quê

The star of the menu in my opinion is definitely the Bun Cha Que. Feel free to impress the owner by pronouncing its full name Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò Quê if you could when placing an order. No, it’s not the same as Bun Cha Ha Noi in case you wonder. The “short form” of the dish was lovingly created for their loyal fans to help them order the right item before the self ordering kiosk took over back when they were still in Toa Payoh.

If you are to use only 1 word to describe Viet food, that would be “balanced”. You can taste sweetness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness and saltiness all in a dish. In terms of presentation, there’s red, green, yellow, white and black colours present in a dish. In terms of nutrition, each dish strikes a balance with carbs, fat, protein, minerals and water. Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò possesses all the named balances.

For this item, Que has three options – Grilled Pork Bun Cha (starting from $8.90), Grilled Beef Bun Cha (starting from $13.90) and Vegan Bun Cha (starting from $8.50), and close to 10 optional items including fried egg, fried spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, broccoli, more meat etc. For the base, you can choose from bún tươi, rice, or salad. They make sure you go home belly-happy!

Expect European pork collar with the right amount of fat and lean meat, handmade fried spring rolls, bún tươi, fried shallot, crushed peanut, fresh herbs and vegetables. But it is the Nước Mắm Pha at Que as nước chấm (dipping sauce) that brings it all together. The most important element of this dish is the amber-colored fish sauce. Vietnam makes fish sauce of the highest quality, and Que’s nước chấm obviously uses one of the best fish sauces out there as base. Adding nước chấm onto my Grilled Pork Bun Cha makes it a clean and bright bowl of the famed oriental salad. Served over thin fresh Vietnamese noodles, the phenomenally-flavorful grilled pork was tender, hot, juicy, and bustling with the right flavors while hitting all the right notes. Even now as I am sitting in my room typing this, I find myself craving for it.

Meats are traditionally used as the main ingredients in Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò. If you are up for something new and healthier, try their new seasonal fish Bun Cha with Salmon. Add on Smoked Salmon to experience the perfect marriage of East and West.

Bánh Mì

One of my most memorable moments in Vietnam was getting lost in the ancient town of Hoi An. I eventually missed my cooking class but ended up at the best Vietnamese banh mi shop, as featured on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain.

If you haven’t tried a classic banh mi, imagine the savouriness and crunch of a bacon sandwich, topped off with a generous sprinkling of fresh coriander, which cleanses your palate and leaves a stinging sensation all at once.

Que’s banh mi might look like a cultural revolution based on its presentation, but in actual fact, it is still the classic street-vendor Vietnamese-French sandwich, with additional wedges (+ $3.50) on the side if you like. I love the Banh Mi Pork ($8.90) which sees a slim baguette stacked with intensely flavoured grilled pork, cucumber, carrot and coriander.

Que gets its bread from a local bakery and toasts it briefly, without fracturing it into a thousand shards. It has a right balance of crackle and chew, and is so complex in flavour that I would choose this over any other sandwiches any time.

There are other options as well. Beef lovers should go for the Banh Mi Premium Beef ($9.90) and kids will love the Banh Mi Egg with Chicken Floss ($8.50).

You just can’t leave a Vietnamese eatery without having a creamy, smooth, and rich cup of Vietnamese coffee. The sweet coffee was a nice end to our Vietnamese dinner. The coffee slowly drips from a small metal filter into a cup lined with just the right amount of sweetened condensed milk.

Started out as traditionally as possible in a humble coffeeshop setting, Que has continuously evolved since its inception in 2017 to bring its owner’s personal interpretation of modern Vietnamese food to the locals while still staying true to its authentic core. If you find yourself craving for a different and tasty Vietnamese meal, you know where to go!

The post QUE – Modern Vietnamese Food in Orchard Road appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Fried porridge is like the porridge version of fried rice where you literally fry porridge with an assortment of ingredients and seasonings. I first tried it back in 2017 when a chef from Ipoh served it at his coffeeshop stall. He has then hopped around and opened so many different zi-char stalls until I don’t even know where exactly he is now. But the good news is, you can now get fried porridge at Old World!

You have probably heard of Old World Bakuteh in Yishun which is well, not famous for their bak kut teh, but more for their fried porridge. They have just opened another outlet in T-Space!

One of the signatures is definitely Mixed Pig Organ Fried Porridge ($5). Owner Jemmy Yeo first cooks the porridge with his secret seasoning and only fry the porridge upon order. He adds a generous amount of intestines, liver, and sliced pork into the porridge and literally “fry” the rice until it is filled with wok-hei. I like that the intestines are well-cleaned and the meat is tender. If you are not a fan of innards, you can opt for Sliced Pork Fried Porridge ($5) instead.

The fried porridge is thick and starchy, so it gets heavy for me after just half a bowl. Hence, I prefer their Mixed Pig Organ Brised Mee Sua ($5). The silky smooth vermicelli never falls apart or stick together. It is garnished with plenty of coriander, minced garlic and fried shallots. Don’t forget to add some black vinegar to go with the mee sua. Every mouthful is full of flavour! It reminded me of the intestine mee sua I had in Taiwan.

The outlet at T-space does not serve bak kut teh, but you can enjoy their Mixed Pig’s Organ Soup ($4) or Pig Stomach Soup ($4). It is a very clean-tasting bowl of soup. Besides pairing the soup with rice, you can also pair it with fried mee sua.

The sides are excellent, though. I like the Braised Pig Trotter ($5) with meltingly tender meat and rich gelatinous skin. And the Fried Intestines ($6) which are crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside.

The post Old World – Savoury Fried Porridge and Mee Sua in Tampines appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Throughout the years, we have always been talking about how to keep Singapore’s hawker culture alive. Of course, manpower is always the biggest issue here. As our elderly hawkers retire, there are far fewer young people willing to carry on Singapore’s street food tradition. A good example is the recent closure of famous hokkien mee stall Yong Huat. Some hawkers are luckier because their children are willing to quit their jobs to help out at the stalls. And there are other veteran hawkers who prefer to withhold knowledge from the younger generation which means that no one gets to benefits in the end.

Mention “Bedok Bak Chor Mee” and I am sure what comes to your mind immediately is a soupy bowl of minced meat noodles with meatballs and minced pork. If you are a fan of Bedok-style bak chor mee or have been living in Bedok since childhood, you will probably recognize Mr Tan Poh Chye. His grandfather started the business in 1923 along the streets of Chai Chee and he inherited the trade from his father. This 65-year-old hawker has retired from his original stall Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle at Blk 511 Bedok North. His son and wife run the stall now.

But there is this saying — once a hawker, always a hawker. Even though Mr Tan has retired for a few years, he is still very much interested in the trade. While he was doing volunteer work, he got to know Mr David Tan who is the owner of this coffeeshop. David has been a fan of his bak chor mee and encouraged him to make a comeback to guide the younger generation. Now, you can enjoy the good old traditional Chai Chee Bak Chor Mee at a coffeeshop in MacPherson Lane!

As we progress, things change and a lot of things have been lost. For many of us, we probably cannot really understand how much flavours have changed. That’s why we always hear our parents telling us “taste is different already”. Mr Tan shared that they used to cook the soup over charcoal fire. But it is almost impossible to do it now. “I hope, we can still preserve what is being left. If not, the traditional taste will eventually be forgotten.”

While the challenge of scarcity of manpower for succession might not be easily solved, Mr Tan has managed to train a few young and aspiring hawkers to run the stall. “You mostly get to enjoy a soupy bowl of bak chor mee in the East, I hope I can train up more young hawkers to open more stalls around the island.”

The stall in MacPherson Lane offers the dry and soup version of bak chor mee. A bowl of bak chor mee soup starts from $3 (without meatballs). I recommend  the $4 or $5 portion where you get a combination of meatballs and dumplings floating in a bowl of pork bone broth.

I have eaten at Mr Tan’s original stall for many years. To be honest, I think it is still a work-in-progress in terms of the taste of the soup. Still lacks a bit of oomph, I wish they added more shallot oil into the soup. Their bak giao (meat dumpling) is made in the stall. It is similar to Mr Tan’s original stall’s. Fried sole fish is added to make it more tender & juicy. You can get quite full eating just the dumplings. For those who prefer the dry bak chor mee, it is available from $4 onwards.

I am really happy that at least the seeds are now being sowed. And I hope Mr Tan continues to share his skills with the younger generation and preserve his tradition. This, is what I consider the continuity of our precious street food culture. Or in Chinese, we called it “传承”.

The post Authentic Chai Chee Bak Chor Mee Opens in MacPherson Lane! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Singapore Food Masters 2020 has returned on its annual quest to honour our local food heroes! From now till 24 October 2020, 100 eateries from all over the island are in the running to be crowned this year’s Food Masters.

Participating eateries are categorised into one of four zones: North, Central, East and West. The top ten eateries in each zone will advance to the next stage of Singapore Food Masters 2020 when the voting ends on 24 October.
Time to start voting!

CENTRAL ZONE: For those working in the CBD area, you should be very familiar with some of the nominees in this zone. You can vote for The Tavern, Shrimp Prawn Seafood, Penguin’s Kitchen, Mariner’s Corner Restaurant, Ah Loy Thai, Go Noodle House and more. I am happy that HarriAnns Nonya Table, Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat, Uptown Malaysian Nasi Lemak and Tasty Loong by Chef Pung are in the list too!

NORTH ZONE: It seems to be a tough fight for the food masters in the North Zone as we have strong contenders such as Famous Kitchen, Swatow Garden, Takagi Ramen, Uncle Leong Seafood and Fragrant Garden contesting this year. We also have popular hawker stalls such as Lao San Kway Chap, Hup Chong Hakka Yong Tau Foo, Hoyeah Nasi Lemak and Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang. This is going to be exciting!

EAST ZONE: Easties, it’s time to vote for the dish that left your taste buds in awe! Some of the eateries that caught my eye include Ah Orh Teochew Fish Head Steamboat, Jia Yuan, Tan Ser Seng Herbs Restaurant and Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup. There are many other popular choices such as Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee, Kananda-Ya, Kwan Tzi Zhai Vegetarian Cuisine, Melben Downtown East, Monga Fried Chicken and TingKat PeraMakan.

WEST ZONE: Yes, we didn’t forget our westies. I am rooting for Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh, Yun Nans, Diamond Kitchen and Ban Heng Group of Restaurants. Of course, there are many local food nominees as well. Our favourite Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodles is joining the contest this year. There is also Le Xiao Chu, Kim Eng Chicken Rice, King of Prawn Noodles Kitchen, Hom Aroy Thai Food and more.

The full list of participating hawker stalls and restaurants and the zone codes to be used for voting will be available in the newspapers and can also be found online at www.sgfoodmasters.sg. The final 12 eateries of Singapore Food Masters 2020 will be announced on 28 November.

How to vote:

Votes can be submitted via SMS to +65 9118 8980 or online at sgfoodmasters.sg from now till 24 October 2020. You may vote for as many different stalls as possible, but you can only vote each stall once.

Readers who vote for the top 3 finalists in each zone will be entered into a lucky draw, and 12 lucky winners will each walk away with shopping vouchers worth $100.

The post Singapore Food Masters 2020 – Vote for your favourite food stalls and stand to win $100 vouchers appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Opened for a few months in the same coffee shop as my favourite satay stall, Pratunam Famous Thai Chicken & Pork Leg Rice offers comforting Thai dishes such as pork leg rice, chicken rice, moo ping and Thai fish cake!

Pork Leg Rice or Chicken Rice? If you cannot decide, just go for the Pratunam Chicken And Pork Leg Rice Combo ($8.90). There’s so much food in the bowl that I almost didn’t know where to start. I love that the pork leg was braised till tender, the generous servings of fried shallots and vegetables, and the lava egg on the side. No complaints about the chicken too, don’t expect it to be as flavourful as our local chicken rice. Mix both the meat and fragrant rice together to get a comforting combination of flavours.

If I were to come back again, I would definitely just order a single portion of pork leg rice. I love to drizzle their homemade chilli on the meat. It is packed with flavour and definitely spice up any average meal.

This coffeeshop stall caught my attention because they posted a video of their Jay Fai-inspired crab omelette on Hawkers United Facebook Page. I thought I can satisfy my craving without having to travel to Bangkok to eat at the 1-Michelin-Star street hawker. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed.

Yes, they had chunky Indonesian crab meat stuffed inside a huge omelette. But on my day of visit, the egg roll reeked of oil and wasn’t as fluffy as it should be. Paying $34.90, I was expecting generous chunks of sweet lump crab meat but I saw more eggs and the taste of the crab meat seemed to be a little off that day.

Please call 2 hours in advance to order their crab meat omelette.

We also ordered skewers (moo ping) that were grilled well. The skewers which were coated with a sweet sauce were chunky and very satisfying!

The post Pratunam Famous Thai Chicken & Pork Leg Rice – Geylang Coffeeshop Stall Sells Jay Fai-Inspired Crab Meat Omelette appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.