Zi Char

It's really hard to manage your expectations for JB Ah Meng because everything around the experience, from the Michelin love to the enormous crowd queuing for a table to the happy faces chomping away at tables practically bowing under the weight of generous platters of colorful shiny food, collectively projects one thing: the food is most likely awesome! And​ luckily, it really lives up to the hype!

So throw caution to the winds, order recklessly, and don't miss this delicious crab, wonderfully firm and sweet and enhanced by the white pepper sauce!

No doubt that the seafood here is pretty good, but I will say, go for the Pork Ribs with Pepper and Salt (S$15.00).

If you want something different from the popular salted egg yolk gravy, the pork ribs is first deep fried, then wok fried with salt and pepper. Unlike the Prawn Paste Chicken which boasts a more fragrant and savoury flavour, this way of cooking actually brings out the authentic and unpretentious taste of pork. And while it's good on its own without additional chilli or soy sauce, I would say that it complements the vegetable dishes with your bowl of plain rice.

This Crown Prince Spicy Mee Hoon was lightly spiced with some amount of wok hei, but was too dry and not as flavourful as it looked. I would recommend to head to JB Ah Meng for their char bee hoon but stick to the more impressive La La Hokkien Mee here!

This was actually pretty good for its price ($9 per serving)! The scallop and egg white were cut and mixed so well that one cannot tell which is which until you put it in your mouth.

Despite relocating from Sin Ming to Hillview, the new location has not deterred loyal fans of New Ubin Seafood from going the extra mile(s) for their favourite dishes. The sprawling space that doubles up as a canteen during the day can accommodate 280 seats, which makes this ideal for large gatherings. If you're headed here on weekends, make a reservation in advance. First on the list to order: the juicy US Black Angus Ribeye Steak ($14 for 100g) that comes complete with wedges, caramelised onions and beef fried rice (rice fried in beef fat) on the side. It's sinful, but incredibly tasty and a definite winner in our books! As for the standard zi char items, our Burpple community loves the tasty Har Cheong Gai (from $15), Salted Egg Squid (from $16) and, if your wallet can afford it, the Chilli Crab (from $42)!
Avg Price: $25 per person
Photo by Burppler Sarah L

This eatery in Geylang ranked number five on our Hot 100 (Hawker Edition) 2016 opens till 3am daily, making it the perfect place for a late dinner with your colleagues. Its always crowded, so be prepared to wait in line. Portions are big and great for sharing, like the signature JB San Lou Bee Hoon (from $7 for small). Despite its lackluster appearance, the bee hoon is expertly fried and flattened, resulting in a 'pancake' of silky soft vermicelli with perfectly charred bits on either sides — simple but so good! They also do wicked Salted Egg Prawn Balls (from $20 for small), Fried Garlic Chilli Clams (from $16 for small) and White Pepper Crabs (market price) slicked in an unusual garlicky white pepper sauce that allows the natural sweetness of the crabs to shine through.
Avg Price: $25 per person
Photo by Burppler Veronica Phua