3 Nollar ... 3 Dollar Treats !

Penang Jiak Ho Liao
02-182

I’d finally had time to come try the “ Penang” style nasi lemak that I had been eyeing since my last visit to the stall.

Really a picture perfect nasi lemak but someone something seemed to be missing . . .

The various elements were done well but when all out together they didn’t seem to harmonise for some reason . The rice was slightly greasy and a little soft and lacked the light aromatic coconut flavour I was looking for . The chilli was evidently home made but lacked the spiciness that I would have liked. The chicken wing had a nice ginger tinge to it but and was perhaps the more noteworthy part of the meal .

I still prefer the nasi lemak from one bowl 🍲 at sultan hotel 😊

I love the Saturday morning vibes at Ghim Moh market .

You see young parents taking their children from stall to stall and wait for them to give their nods of approval to what catches their eyes and you see families with their elderly parents queuing up together for the all time favourite chee kueh .

Breakfast for me today were rice rolls sans the chilli ( because of my gastric flu) . You will see Long queues forming at teck hin for their porridge and rice rolls . I would say that both items are pretty good and very affordable.

The rice rolls are smooth but my only gripe is the way they were prepared - they were a little “ over - steamed” . Rice rolls need to be heated at slightly lower temperatures so that they do not become overly sticky and I would say for that , duo ji at Chinatown smith street Hawker and or you ji at Tiong Bahru Hawker does it the best .

Having said that , these were good enough 😊 for my chee cheong fun craving .

I call this the “green fish “ but it’s actually a matcha obanyaki .

This stall has been around at the Takashimaya food market since the beginning of times :) and I’d always swing by to get my share of obanyaki.

I particularly like this matcha red bean obanyaki because it not only looks cute , it is also very delicious ( especially when it has just been freshly made).

The matcha batter is well made with good hints of natural green tea flavour without being too bitter. Slightly crisp but still chewy and soft on the inside and when accompanied with generous red bean filling that’s not too sweet , this is a nice afternoon tea time treat ;)

It is one of the reasons why I would visit the Taka food hall time and again 😊

This nasi lemak stall has been here since the beginning of times and the star is really in the sambal.

I particularly like the Long beans with sambal because they are cooked so well. Elsewhere they are either overcooked , too greasy or worst still, undercooked .

Given that the really good nasi lemak stalls are in the Far East of Singapore , this location at holland is perfect for a west- tee like me.

Since my last try , the rice quality has improved quite a bit - they used to use rice that was so poor in quality , it tasted like plastic . The rice is now featherlight and has a soft coconut aroma.

Having said that - I kept coming back because of the yummy condiments that they serve and that they are open throughout the day so there is no fuss about rushing in early to get my nasi lemak fix.

I recalled that donuts used to be my default choice in a bakery when I was a child .

Progressively I stopped eating donuts simply because the standards of donuts have fallen so much and most are prepared at central kitchens so much so that what you get is a greasy bread with loads of melted icing sugar.

At Y Y , it’s completely different . They have brought back the real thing by making their donuts fresh in house every day . The donuts are so fresh and tender with a good flavour suggesting that the dough has rested well .

They are ready at about lunchtime ( ie 12.15 ) and you will see How the OLs grab them in batches of 10 .

Go try and revive your childhood donut fantasy 🍩 again .

Being a bread lover, I can spend an entire time admiring breads in bakeries.

Provence is one such bakery that I never get tired of visiting because of the pretty good variety of breads they have .

Sometimes I would opt for a petit croissant 🥐 and sometimes a milk bun and other times, just a plain walnut flower bun with a cup of coffee.

This time round I had the tomato cheese pizza bread studded with black sesame. The cafe staff was nice to help warm up my pizza bread for me .
The combination of the Savory melted cheese and sweet tomato slices against the slightly tart pizza sauce and the chewy pizza bread was truly enjoyable.

This makes for a quick lunch and a good pizza alternative since this pizza bread is good for one and extremely affordable at 2.50.

So Good Bakery
( previously known as Imperial treasures bakery)

These buttery egg tarts still steal my heart .
I am more of a fan of these “ western” egg tarts than the flaky egg tarts.

The egg custard is smooth without being overly sweet and the tart base is so fragrant with a buttery , oat-ty flavour .

Mei Wei Xiao Chi

This is one of the rare places that you can find a pretty good and affordable white breakfast bee hoon for dinner / supper.

For 1.80 you get a pretty huge plate of bee hoon and a side serving of balanced vegetables.

The chilli served is pretty addictive and pairs well with the bee hoon.

The best part is that this market is so accessible as it is just a 3 min walk from Commonwealth mrt ( on the side of sheng song ).

TOP up with a steaming bowl of peanut porridge which is garnished generously with fried white bait.

There are the usual choices of fried chicken wings , ngoh hiang and handmade fishballs , fried egg and beancurd for variety.

Second chance

I was craving for a bowl of hot peanut soup and instinctively I thought of the stall at the Army market .

It is true that the standards have gone down based on my last try but with much hope and anticipation , I give it a second shot simply because there was no other option .

I must say that the peanut soup is much more fragrant this time round with visibly more peanuts ( almost double the amount since my last visit ) and the soup was also much less sweet.

The ah balling skin was as thick and the fillings ( red bean , yam ) ( though yummy ) were still little .

I must say though that the skin was a little more crystal clear and gooey ( instead of doughy ) as compared to the tang yuans you would get outside . Maybe its high time that I get used to this sort of ah balling😊

Having said that , the peanut soup really comforted my growling tummy and met my expectations .

I used to love the ah ballings from hai sing at Chinatown . The couple has since retired which is sad 😔 because you can’t get such high quality ah ballings anymore.

Old school Wanton horfun

I like all things traditional including my wanton noodles 😊 but better still if there is a horfun option :)

Nice QQ horfun with a traditional garlicky chilli sauce , lean cuts of char siew ( the way I like it ! ) and plump wantons :)

My default place to go when I need a quick wanton noodle fix in the evening or for supper .

I must add that their soup is delicious ! Full of umami :)

You ji food stall
Unit 02-10

I love the old school QQ chee cheong fun ( rice rolls) from this stall in Tiong Bahru market.

For ease of navigating , this is about 2 to 3 stalls away from the famous Tiong Bahru chee kweh stall.

The combination of the home made savoury chilli 🌶 with the classic black sweet sauce is just a match make in heaven.

The ginkgo nut porridge ( which is almost extinct these days ) is also exceptional - something so simple but so satisfying.

Go early to avoid disappointment 😀

Cranberry scones

I used to patronise regent hotel for their afternoon tea and scones but after some while spending xxxx dollars didn’t seem that worthwhile and the food standards were not as good .

When I have a scone craving these days , Cedele’s scones are the best for me . Best bought home and lightly toasted in the oven before eating , these scones are perfect - probably one of the best scones I have eaten and maybe even better than the regent ones.

A light crusty outer layer with a moist and tender interior and a delectable high quality buttery fragrance , this is so so so so good .

This time , I had my scones with homemade kaya instead of the usual jam and clotted cream. Try yours with kaya next time and you may be in for a surprise at good they both fit together .

At 2.20 , this is really a value for money breakfast / afternoon snack 😊