Jiak Hawker!

If there's one place I would travel to satisfy my cravings for old-school Western food, it would be Rasa Sayang Western Food! The lunch crowd here would usually go for their thicc & crispy Chicken Cutlet or the also generously portioned Chicken Chop. But I'd always gravitate towards the latter for the mushroom sauce. It's well-balanced, not overly salty and has a subtle hint of sweetness that goes well with the tender chicken chop. The meat portions were definitely not as huge as they used to be before, but still bang for your buck given that it's also adorned with a selection of 4 sides like garlic bread and fries. While the crinkle-cut fries were average and didn't impress, the garlic bread was crumbly & buttery enough to mop up the rest of the sauce!
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📍 Address: 347 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-2142, Singapore 560347. Closed on Wednesdays.

New year, old favourites at Chinatown Complex Food Center! Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken 瑪莉亞處女雞⁣ remains one of my favourite soy sauce chicken stalls in Chinatown, and I personally rate it slightly higher than a certain former Michelin Bib Gourmand stall within the same hawker centre. 🐔 The meat under the glistening soya-sauce glazed skin is firmer than those from other stalls but it remains juicy & tender, and a subtle rose wine aroma permeates through each bite. The only gripe I have is that the rice can be served warmer, though I can look past it because of how good the chicken was.

Highly recommend trying their braised tofu at $1.60 apiece before they are sold out for the day! Soaked in the same braising sauce as the chicken, the silky soft tofu melts in the mouth like a pudding!

I love HUGE DUMPLINGS, and couldn't resist getting their 红油抄手 Poached Sichuan Dumplings in Spicy Sauce despite being full. The wrapper might be a lil thick, but these wontons are packed to the brim with flavourful chives and pork filling & bathed in the spicy and tangy concoction of Lao Gan Ma/vinegar.

IS THIS LIKE BISHAN'S BEST (not-so) HIDDEN GEM? Heard rave reviews on the handmade noodles Shi Xiang Ge 食香阁 @shixiangge on the 2nd floor of Bishan Bus Interchange and decided to try their Braised Pork Knife Shaved Noodles 刀削面. The portions here are HUGE, but these freshly made knife-shaved noodles are springy with a beautiful chew! Even on 小辣, their mala broth was numbingly spicy and addictive enough to get me slurping together with their noodles on a rainy afternoon. If you are more spice tolerant, there's more lao gan ma at the counter for that extra heat.🔥🍜 There are other variations like the Tomato and Egg version (which Friend A ordered), but I prefer having these thicc cut noodles with soup.

Dropped by Kuey Chap 大佬粿汁 as recommended by a friend and was surprised by the long queue even at 8pm! Added more meat & pig skin and a side of salted vegetables to my single portion, and everything costs ONLY $6.30! Their braising sauce is the deliciously savoury, old-school type I have been craving for! The innards and pork belly are flavourful yet clean-tasting without the weird gamey funk, but my favourite would be their pig skin, stripped clean of fat and braised to a QQ toothsome texture.👍🏻 I think it makes sense that the accompanying kway is plainer in taste, so you can enjoy slurping the smooth & delicate rice sheets with the braised flavours of the ingredients! ⁣
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The chilli here is a 10/10, with the mild heat and extra tang satisfying your kway chap cravings even more! And the auntie is super polite and friendly - she will take her time to explain to each customer which ingredients are sold out ("对不起，今天没有**") rather than your usual curt "没有"(NO).⁣
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📍Address: 93 Lor 4 Toa Payoh, #01-40, Singapore 310093. Open 5.30-11pm. Closed on Mondays and Thursdays.⁣

Their Sesame Oil Chicken was decent, but we felt the characteristic sesame oil aroma was too subtle for our liking. 😅 The boneless chicken chunks were tender and savoury - saucy enough to pair with the generous amount of scorched rice crispies (锅巴) from the claypot rice towards the end!

Raise your virtual hand if you enjoy a yummy CRACKLY CLAYPOT RICE like we do! 🙌🏻 Chanced upon this pretty solid Claypot Rice from Bao Fa Traditional Food 宝发传统小食 at Bukit Batok while running errands. Noticed that only drumstick meat was used here, so the chicken meat was tender and well-seasoned whilst mostly deboned (aside from some slight bony pieces). The rice was well-cooked, neither too dry nor too lumpy, punctuated with the smoky umami from the salted mackerel bits and sizable lup cheong slices. The chilli reminds me of chicken rice chilli, but it's punchy and spicy enough.👍🏻 There's a notice on their signboard saying that the waiting time can take up to 20 minutes, but good things are worth waiting for, right?

WHOLE STEAMED SEABASS ONLY AT $9?! Popped by Toa Payoh Palm Spring Market at Lorong 4 for lunch, and Hee Hee Hee Steamed Fish & Seafood caught my attention with its punny signboard (might have chuckled a lil hee hee) and affordable steamed fish/seafood sets! The portion of the fish is generous and value-for-money for one person but still sufficient if shared amongst 2 people with sides included! I liked the fish meat was supple and fresh without any 土味, enhanced by the fragrant and savoury aromatics drizzled on top. They also offer thai seafood dipping sauce, though not necessary (unless u want to add some tang and heat) given the freshness of the seafood. Depending on the catch available for the day, they have other options, such as Grouper and Golden Pomfret! ⁣
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You can pair your steamed fish sets with sides like Lala or Otah Steamed Egg!⁣
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📍 Address: 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4, Singapore 310093. 11am to 8pm, closed on Mondays. Other outlets include TPY Lorong 7 and Circuit Road.

🦐🍜Managed to reach before the long queue struck at 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles and got myself a dry version of Prawn Mee with $2 add on prawns! The noodles were cooked slightly softer than my preference, but still very shiok when eaten with their sambal & lard bits (asked for no ketchup so I can enjoy the savory and spicy homemade chili in its unadulterated form). I lazy to peel prawns, so I am always happy to have my prawns fully peeled and butterflied in half.😆

Got really excited when I saw the orangey hue of the broth as the owner poured into the bowl! It tasted as good as it looked, packed with distinct authentic sweetness from the prawns which I enjoyed - guess it’s a sign that I should order the soup version next time!

First time visiting People’s Park Food Center post-renovation and went back for the old favorite Yong Xiang Xing Dou Fu 永祥興豆腐! Despite the long queue formed way before it’s open for business, service was quick and you can get this simple bowl of comfort at $6.

While you can’t choose the ingredients unlike most yong tau foo stalls, the variety and loaded portion (10 pcs) here will leave your tummies satisfied. The clear soup base is flavorful yet light, complementing the deep fried items, bouncy QQ fishballs and tofu. Tofu can be hit & miss for YTF but I can guarantee theirs is fresh with a silken texture and accompanied by a decent portion of fish/meat paste - definitely my favorite item!

They do not come with carbs options like rice or noodles, so you’d have to order that from other stalls!

When cravings hit hard, you gotta satisfy them. 🤪 As with every visit to Meng Kee Fried Kway Teow, they have been pretty spot on with the wok hei and portion of ingredients of the Char Kway Teow - there's no denying me from the pronounced sweet-savoury flavour in this sinful mess. I like that the noodles/kway tiao mix leans towards the wetter side and is not too oily. Every strand is evenly coated with an eggy aroma & medium brown hue of the dark soy sauce, but not to the point of being chao ta. I prefer my blood cockles/hums to be cooked a little longer, but I can still taste how fresh & plump they are.

Also, this should be enjoyed as piping hot as possible for the best flavour profile! That explains why I only took a few quick shots before chowing down the entire plate. 🤭

Their Fish Maw Pig's Organ Soup was flavorful with a slight peppery kick. It's also generous with the porky ingredients, though I would appreciate more fish maw instead. 😅