Tastemaker Food Guide: Neighbourhood Takeaways

Vegan Set ($9.90)

Time to indulge in Chef Shen Tan's signature Twice-Steamed Nasi Lemak that’s made with, get this, eleven ingredients.
I chose the Vegan Set ($9.90), a first by her, and enjoyed it very much. For me, the star was undoubtedly the rice - it was as light, fluffy and aromatic as I recall. But that’s not to say I didn’t relish every bite of the beancurd, two sambal stir-fries of crunchy sambal goreng and mushy-soft brinjal, because I most certainly did. There were also the fried pieces of tempeh, fresh cucumber slices and a very appetising spicy and tangy chilli sambal that rounded off my vibrant-coloured serving.

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Veronica Phua

Dry Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle ($6)

Go for the Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (Dry) if you want something spicy with an umami-overloaded bowl of soup. The noodles are well coated with (not too spicy) chilli, pork ribs are soft, tender and fall off the bone. I also like the fried shallots used here which are slightly burnt while retaining the crunch and of course not forgetting the highlight of this dish - A bowl of very “gao” (thick) soup filled with umami goodness that lingers around and left me wanting more!

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Triffany Lim

Signature Teochew Kway Teow ($10)

Visited the new Teochew restaurant near home, and ordered their signature Teochew Kway Teow ($10). It’s really good with a nice char outside but the noodles were still springy with wok-hei! The kway teow was stir-fried with chai poh, giving it an extra texture and flavour.

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Cecil Dulam

Ganjang Boneless Whole Chicken ($34)

Crisp, crunchy, moist and utterly flavourful, their Ganjang Boneless Whole Chicken ($34) was really toothsome and morish. Perfect for my K-drama marathons, each chunk was also bursting with the natural flavour of chicken and great with the lick of savoury-sweetness from the coating of soy! The glaze was slightly sticky but well-balanced while the batter was not greasy, tasted light even with the sauce It retained its crunchiness hours later. I can once again say "West side best side"!

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Vanessa Kou

Ribeye Steak with Garlic Merlot Butter ($16.90)

The Garlic Merlot Butter was indeed da bomb here tho — sinfully buttery yet carrying a pungent garlicky flavour for there were chunks of garlic within (which I love!); slather the butter above the various parts of the meat or just simply wait for it to melted enjoy with the steak to get the full-on flavour — kinda artery-clogging but totally worth it."

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Xing Wei Chua

Red Bean Min Jiang Kueh ($0.80), Peanut & Peanut Butter ($0.90)

I observed the lady boss cutting each slice upon order and checking if she had to fill each with extra ingredients, I couldn’t help but think how unfazed, without any rush, she dealt with a building queue. I guess she’s all about the quality for her Chinese pancakes, which are delicious and worth every penny.

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker timtam_tum ✨

Penang Char Kway Teow ($6)

As with any Penang food, the go-to includes Penang Char Kway Teow ($6), Assam Laksa ($5) or Chendol ($3). The first comes with a whiff (not that I'm complaining) of “wok-hey”, making you salivate and gets you excited before you dive in for the first bite. The chewy “QQ” noodles were fried to perfection with charred bits at the edges.⁠
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Pro-tip: join the queue early (6pm or earlier) to reduce waiting time!⁠

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Amanda Liu

Salted Egg Calamari Hokkien Mee ($5.50/$7.50)

This store offers an unconventional take on one of our favourite local dishes - Fried Hokkien Mee. Expect a plate of wet, slightly sticky Fried Hokkien Mee that has gravy stock well-seeped into, the portion was reasonable, with the usual Hokkien Mee ingredients and a whole spoonful of deep-fried pork lard served on the side (!!). Having the salted egg calamari doesn’t interfere with the Hokkien Mee’s original flavour, instead, it was a piquant addition! The calamari rings were deliciously coated with a thin batter of salted egg - flavourful but not overpowering.

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Miss Ha ~

Drunken Noodles ($6.20)

This would make perfect drunk food - chewy, umami-laden noodles wok-tossed with tender pork belly slices, kailan, long beans, carrot and heaps of chilli padi for a painfully good amount of heat sure to wake anyone's tastebuds. A real throwback to Bangkok for me and addictive eating till the last strand has been slurped.

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Jason Wong

Roast Duck Rice ($6.60)

This is a stall that my family patronises very often, I must say that the roasted duck is done pretty well - fragrant roasted skin with a thin layer of juicy fats, together with tender but firm meat, this is such a treat!
The magic lies in the drizzling of that addictive gravy & a spoonful of roast duck oil that they collected from the roasting process - the ultimate essence! Makes both the meats & rice so irresistible!

📸 & ✍🏻 by Tastemaker Serene Goh