Tag: Bak Chor Mee

6 Dishes Crazy Rich Asians Should Have Tried At Newton Food Centre Instead Of Satay

If the sheer number of articles, videos and opinion pieces showing up on our news feeds in the past week are any indication, it’s clear that we’ve reached peak Crazy Rich Asians hype.

There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding the movie, and while we’re generally okay with how Singapore was portrayed, one scene that did irk us was when the main characters visit Newton Food Centre and declared its satay as the best in Singapore.

Uh…no. We’re not calling ourselves the ultimate authority on food, but we’re pretty sure that we’ve had better ones at East Coast and Lau Pa Sat, at the very least.

While it might not have the best satay, it *is* true that Newton Circus is home to some really good eats. If you’re planning to head down to this iconic hawker centre to channel your inner Rachel Chu, here are the six dishes that you should be trying out instead:

Bee Heng Popiah

If you’re looking for an appetiser before going all-out, then Bee Heng Popiah ($4.40 for a minimum order of 2) is pretty much the only right choice here.

The generous amount of shredded turnip is probably enough to warrant a place on this list, but it’s the skin that’s the real star of the show. Unlike other Popiah’s it has a light, sweet taste of its own, which blends well with the other ingredients of egg, nuts and shrimp.

The soft skin makes for a weak foundation, however, and there’s about a 60% chance that the abundance of ingredients will spill out before you can bring it to your mouth.

Some might prefer more structurally sound Popiah’s, but if you’re willing to put up with the mess you’ll be treated to one of the tastiest versions of this beloved dish that we’ve had.

Bee Heng
Unit: #01-12

XO Bak Chor Mee

There’s Bak Chor Mee…and then there’s XO Bak Chor Mee ($4.50).

If you’re a fan of minced meat noodles and haven’t tried this variant, you owe it to yourself to. Thanks to the addition of…well, XO, the noodles don’t dry out as fast, and quite literally add a new layer of savoury taste to it.

The “meat” part of the dish isn’t anything to scoff at, either — the pork was extremely lean and pretty much melted in our mouths, and the minced meat was so abundant that we had enough to put in every spoonful.

The best part of the dish, however, is still the Fuzhou fish ball, which might honestly be the best Fuzhou fish ball that we’ve ever eaten. There’s only one per bowl, which is probably a good thing because any more would lead to a full-blown addiction.

XO Minced Meat Noodle
Unit: #01-10

Kwee Heng Duck Noodle

On their own, the ingredients of Kwee Heng’s Duck Noodles ($4) aren’t anything to write home about — the noodles and soup are standard prawn noodle fare, and the duck strangely enough tastes a bit like chicken.

When eaten as a whole, however, the flavour profile is flipped on its head in the best of ways. The saltiness of the soup is perfectly complimented by the lighter taste of the meat, creating a balanced taste that’s just the right amount of savoury.

And if for some reason that isn’t enough, adding a hint of chilli further enhances the flavour with an extra kick of sweet spiciness. We admittedly weren’t expecting much from this dish, but it quickly grew to become one of our favourites.

Kwee Heng
Unit: #01-13

Stall 51 Hokkien Mee

With the use of thinner noodles, Stall 51’s Hokkien Mee ($5) is reminiscent of those served at Old Airport Road or Serangoon Gardens’ Chomp Chomp, and taste just as good as well.

The dish has just the right amount of wetness, and retained its consistency even after being left on the table while we got our other dishes (the hallmark of a good Hokkien Mee). The amount of seafood is decent enough, but its the generous serving of egg that really puts this on a whole other level.

And what’s Hokkien Mee without some good chilli? The owner jokingly warned us about how spicy his blend was, but despite its belachan-esque appearance we found it to be more sweet and spicy, and added a new dimension to the dish’s flavour. Needless to say, we wiped the plate clean.

Stall 51
Unit: #01-51

Alliance Seafood

Being awarded the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand for two years straight is no small feat, but we can totally see why the folks at Alliance Seafood managed to do so. The stall is probably best known for their Chilli Crab and Cereal Prawns, but we decided to go for the other crowd-favourite choice of stingray ($12) instead.

the meat was well-cooked throughout, and flaked off the bone as soon as we applied the slightest amount of pressure with our chopsticks. The dish is also lathered with sambal, and while it wasn’t as spicy as we would have wanted it to be, has a rather sweet taste that grows on you.

Much like Kwee Heng’s Duck Noodles, the two ingredients are okay on their own, but produce an entirely new taste when eaten together. We’d recommend flaking all the meat and giving it a good mix before eating to achieve the maximum effect.

Alliance Seafood
Unit: #01-27

Bangkok Express

When you think of “good Thai food”, the usual suspects like Nakhon Kitchen and…well, the entire Golden Mile Complex are usually the first places that come to mind.

Don’t let the rather random location of Bangkok Express fool you, though — with food prepared by an actual Thai chef, this unassuming stall will give your favourite haunts a run for their money, and is one of the best-kept secrets of those working around the Newton area.

Their extensive menu offers everything from Phad Thai to Basil Chicken, and with so much food already on our plates we decided to go for the Seafood Tom Yum Soup ($6).

While most Tom Yum dishes will have you ordering another cup of sugar cane, this iteration is surprisingly light on the spiciness, while still packing a strong, sweet flavour at the same time. They’re pretty generous with the seafood part as well, with squids and prawns appearing in pretty much every spoonful.

Bangkok Express
Unit: #01-04

Also Read 5 Must-Order Dishes At Hougang’s Hainanese Village For $4 And Under

(Header Image Source: Discover SG)

8 Hawker Food Haunts That Are Tried, Tasted, And Recommended By True Blue S’poreans

Sometimes, with so many food options available in Singapore, I tend to forget what my favourite food is. It’s Mee Hoon Kueh.

Everyone has like, 3 favourites so it’s really hard to choose one. But here are some favourites that I’ve managed to source from my friends, with their favourite place to go for that particular dish.

Here we go.

Bak Chor Mee

1. Meng Kitchen

Meng Kitchen has been around since 1946, serving up bowls of fishball noodles and mushroom minced pork noodle (bak chor mee).

They’re better known for their Bak Chor Mee. For just $4, you get a bowl of minced pork, meatball, springy mee pok coated with chilli, vinegar, and garnished with crispy pork lard.

Meng Kitchen used to be 24 hours though now they close from 5am. It still remains a popular supper spot for many.

Meng Kitchen
Address: 246B Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Garden Estate, Singapore 574370
Opening Hours: Daily: 9am – 5am
Contact no.: 6455 4890

Fish Soup

2. Blanco Court Fish Soup

Blanco Court Fried Fish Soup is one of the old greats that used to reside in the now-demolished Blanco Court Food Centre.

The broth here is flavourful though some find the soup too salty.

The fried fish is crispy and chunky and the broth is served with plenty of deep fried egg batter.

They also use spinach in their soup (we LOVE spinach), which imparts a different texture and taste to the dish compared to the more bitter chye sim variants.

They’ve moved to a new standalone shophouse at Beach Road and they added other dishes such as Black Bean Fish Head with Bittergourd, Prawn Rolls and Chicken Wings besides their signature Fried Fish Soup.

Blanco Court Fried Fish Soup
Address: 325 Beach Road, Singapore, 199559
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 7.30pm
Contact no.: 9151 2401

3. Yong Lai Fa Ji Shu Shi

Yong Lai Fa Ji Shu Shi looks like a run-of-the-mill fish soup stall, but the queues are always long – a clear indicator of good food.

The fish is always freshly picked every morning by the stall owner, and each bowl of fish soup is cooked only upon order.

For $4, you get a no-frills bowl of fresh sliced fish soup with lettuce, seaweed and white tofu. Add on 50 cents for a bowl of rice to go with your soup for a more substantial meal.

Do expect a bit of a wait though.

Yong Lai Fa Ji Shu Shi
Address: Circuit Road Food Centre #01-66, 79A Circuit Road, Singapore 370079
Opening Hours: Fri – Wed: 12pm – 8pm, Thu: Closed

Ban Mian

4. Qiu Lian Ban Mee

Qiu Lian Ban Mian first started in Bishan and has since expanded, with multiple outlets all over the island.

They’re known for their Ban Mian ($4.50), I mean it’s in the name after all.

If you love your Ban Mian, this is one that you need try. There’s really nothing much to say about this except that it’s really good Ban Mian.

The ingredients are pretty standard – egg, minced pork, vegetables, and their handmade ban mian in the signature broth.

You can find the full list of Qiu Lian Ban Mian below.

Qiu Lian Ban Mee
Website

5. Yumen Hut

Yumen Hut is the only place I know of that sells halal Ban Mian and Mee Hoon Kueh.

Instead of pork, they use chicken. Which seems odd, but it works, surprisingly.

Apart from their Ban Mian and Mee Hoon Kueh, other bestsellers include their unique noodles made with different vegetables – pumpkin noodles, spinach noodles, and carrot noodles.

Yumen Hut
Address: 1 Pasir Ris Close, #02-113 Downtown East E!Hub, Singapore 519599
Opening Hours: Daily: 10am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6581 5191
Image Credit: iristansl[/caption]

And Mee Hoon Kueh should ALWAYS be hand-pulled. There’s just something about the texture that makes it that much better than the flat, uniform slices favoured by generic Mee Hoon Kueh stalls these days.

If you’re not a fan of Mee Hoon Kueh, the stall also has Pork Porridge and Koka Noodles available.

Ci Yuan Community Club Hawker Centre Mee Hoon Kueh
Address: 51 Hougang Avenue 9, Ci Yuan Community Club Hawker Centre #01-08, Singapore 530917
Opening Hours: Daily: 7am – 11pm

Chicken Rice

7. Katong Shopping Centre Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice

Every time Katong Shopping Centre is mentioned, I hear about this chicken rice stall. And as someone who shuns chicken rice because bone-in chicken is too much of a hassle for my liking, boneless chicken rice is a God-send.

[caption id="attachment_34511" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Nobelle Liew[/caption]

And that’s not all, their boneless chicken rice comes with complimentary soup and free-flow achar. One thing to note is that the soup they serve is not your generic MSG water – they actually cook proper soups to go with their chicken rice.

After all, good chicken rice should not overlook any aspect of the meal.

Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice
Address: 865 Mountbatten Road, #B1-85/87 Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 10.30am – 8pm, Mon: Closed
Contact no.: 9789 6073
Website

8. Tong Fong Fatt Boneless Chicken Rice

Tong Fong Fatt Boneless Chicken Rice is probably the ONLY chicken rice brand that’s primarily non-halal, but has a halal outlet at Bedok.

Good guy Tong Fong Fatt.

For $4.50, you get a plate of traditional Hainanese boneless chicken rice. The chicken is generously doused in their soya sauce, so you can be guaranteed that it’s not bland.

[caption id="attachment_36258" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler M[/caption]

The chilli sauce still has a spicy kick without being too overpowering. If you’re looking for another chicken rice spot to try, go for this.

Tong Fong Fatt Boneless Chicken Rice
Address: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-32 ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, Singapore 150006
Opening Hours: Thu – Tue: 10am – 9pm, Wed: Closed

Oyster Omelette

9. Hougang Fried Oyster

Oyster Omelette, or Orh Luah, is a dish that I usually avoid because I don’t understand what compels people to eat something as slimy as oysters.

Hougang Fried Oyster has been around for over 25 years, serving plate after plate of fried oyster omelette.

[caption id="attachment_36259" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Image Credit: Burppler Bryan Lee[/caption]

For $4, you get a crispy yet fluffy omelette cooked in lard with 4 oysters, fish sauce and sambal chilli.

There’s also a $5 option which gives you 6 oysters. The chilli here is homemade using fresh chilli, pork lard, and dried shrimp. Don’t underestimate this potent concoction because it packs a really strong punch.

Hougang Fried Oyster
Address: Blk 435 Hougang Ave 8, Singapore 530435
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 12pm – 9.30pm, Mon: Closed

Masala Thosai

10. Ananda Bhavan

“Ananda Bhavan has the BEST Masala Thosai in Singapore”, said my overenthusiastic friend.

And for good reason too. It’s the most popular South Indian recipe and Ananda Bhavan does it well.

[caption id="attachment_36260" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Image Credit: TripAdvisor[/caption]

Simple plain thosai is served with a side of mashed potatoes. No frills and extremely comforting.

If you’re craving for a prata, I suggest you give Masala Thosai a try instead. It might (will) become your new favourite.

Ananda Bhavan
Address: Find your nearest outlet here
Website

So there you have it. The food that Singaporeans cannot live without, and the best places for each dish.

We’ll keep expanding this list as we go on.

Do you have any you’d like to recommend? Let us know in the comments!

Also read I Paid $400 To Make My Own Watch From Scratch – And It Was Totally Worth The Price Tag

(Header Image Source: Burppler M and Burppler Casey Tan)