Zhu Chao

The prawns are fresh and you not have to peel any shells unlike most prawn dishes. The sauce somehow does not taste like pumpkin but it tastes good and has a slight pepper-rish touch. This dish gets a 4.5 rating too!

Serving affordable and authentic heng hwa cuisine, this small eatery dishes out orders after orders of Putien Lor Mee ($4) and Sweet Potato Noodles ($4) to almost all of the tables. You can find the usual ingredients of prawns, clams, sliced pork belly, mushrooms and chopped vegetables in the dish. The magic lies in the chilli, mild spicy with a touch of tanginess, albeit not as distinct as the ones from Putien Restaurant. Besides the mains, there are other classic heng hwa dishes such as Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychees that you've got to order.

Address: 121, Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 530121

The distinctive scissors clanking sound is clearly audible as you are nearing the shop, music to my ears, as the attendant taking your orders collects each item you have picked before cutting them up into smaller pieces and piling them on top of the rice. He then proceeds to add the finishing touch of 4 kinds of sauces; curry, braised gravy, chilli oil and chilli sauce on the mountain of food. If there's ever a Singaporean soulful food nomination, this definitely ranks high up the charts. Recommended items to get include the braised cabbage, pork belly and ngor hiang.

Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice
Address: 229, Jalan Besar, Singapore 208905

Can't go wrong at this place. Strong quick fire fire up, make their dishes, cooked just right. The chicken is nice and tender, isn't dry or do not have the overcooked/undercooked texture. The sesame sauce, is a bit saucier and thicker that most stall I have eaten. The aroma of the sesame oil is present, and it is not oily at all. Best eaten with white rice. Slurp-worthy. The ladyfingers are still crunchy til the last bite. The sauce is a lot milder than I expected. The present of hei bi is notable, and overall addictive. Do note the evening crowd that stretch til 9.30pm, the place will still be packed. So either have some during lunch or pre/after dinner slots.

Dining with a small group of friends? Plan your next catch up at YangZhou Fried Rice Restaurant. Located within East Village (next to WatSub), this cosy Chinese restaurant offers generous portions of zi char dishes at pocket-friendly prices — perfect for sharing! Fill your table with the flavourful Yangzhou Fried Rice ($3) that will easily feed two, crispy Salted Egg Chicken ($6) and Yu Xiang Brinjal ($5) in spicy garlic sauce. You'll walk out stuffed, happy and with barely a dent in your pocket.
Avg price: $10 per person
Photo by Burppler Jayson Yeo