Thursday, November 29, 2012
An unfortunate turn of events
I received some unfortunate news some time last week. Hence, I think I might not be able to finish reviewing all the stalls at Bukit Merah Food Centre. Nevertheless, I'll carry on food blogging and look around for places to eat and review them whenever possible!
Lai Hin Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee *potential favourite*
Lai Hin Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee
#02-11
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
- Fish ball noodles
I was super looking forward to review this stall! Why? Because I tried it before I thought of reviewing the whole food centre, and I really really really really liked it!
I reviewed 2 other fish ball noodles stalls prior to re-trying this again, and I have mentioned before the stalls that I like, so I'm not gonna re-mention those again.
But this stall is definitely a potential favourite!! I was really glad to have found this stall!
I think the stall owner either has superbly dry skin or may have some skin conditions; her skin was a little flaking. But I have no issues with that. In fact, the successor of my favourite satay bee hoon stall has some skin problems too if i recall correctly.
Oh, the first time I visited this stall was about 11.30am. I think they just opened, I was 2nd in queue, but I was not the 2nd to be served. Why? Because apparently, there were like 6 people who were queuing even before this stall opened!! That really made me curious about it. And boy, I wasn't disappointed!!!
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Yes, from the picture, because of the minced meat, you might mistaken it as bak chor mee. But no. It is fishball noodles. And it tastes like the type that I love.
If my food is served with soup, I do have a habit of tasting the soup first before eating the dish.
So, the soup for this is great! It was super tasty! A little oily for my liking, but I'm not complaining! There were bits of fried onion in the soup too! Nice!!
Traditionally, fishball noodles were served with the sauce below the noodles, and you have to flip/mix the noodles yourself. I don't remember who or when it started where the cook will help you flip/mix the noodles with the sauce, but regardless, I still do it myself. Not only to create a more even mix, but also to separate the noodles.
And for this stall, the vinegar smell rose up when I was flipping the noodles. And was it fragrant!! Ok, I do detest stalls that have excessive vinegar, but this was ok!
The mee kia was excellent too!! Dry and cooked well!! So much so that it even reminded me of the Joo Seng Fish ball noodles that I grew up eating!
The chilli wasn't that spicy, and was good. So goes for the minced meat. That I thought I could even enjoy a bowl of minced meat on its own!
The fish ravioli even tasted similar to the one at joo seng!!! I always thought the one at joo seng was hand made though, so for all I know, both might be getting from the same supplier haha!
Finally, the only disappointing part about this meal was that I felt that the fishball was a little bland. Not tasty enough.
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Overall, this stall is definitely a potential favourite. I would highly recommend this to people who love fish ball noodles!!
And if my favourite stalls start retiring one by one, this might well become my favourite fish ball noodles stall!!
#02-11
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
- Fish ball noodles
I was super looking forward to review this stall! Why? Because I tried it before I thought of reviewing the whole food centre, and I really really really really liked it!
I reviewed 2 other fish ball noodles stalls prior to re-trying this again, and I have mentioned before the stalls that I like, so I'm not gonna re-mention those again.
But this stall is definitely a potential favourite!! I was really glad to have found this stall!
I think the stall owner either has superbly dry skin or may have some skin conditions; her skin was a little flaking. But I have no issues with that. In fact, the successor of my favourite satay bee hoon stall has some skin problems too if i recall correctly.
Oh, the first time I visited this stall was about 11.30am. I think they just opened, I was 2nd in queue, but I was not the 2nd to be served. Why? Because apparently, there were like 6 people who were queuing even before this stall opened!! That really made me curious about it. And boy, I wasn't disappointed!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.jpeg)
Yes, from the picture, because of the minced meat, you might mistaken it as bak chor mee. But no. It is fishball noodles. And it tastes like the type that I love.
If my food is served with soup, I do have a habit of tasting the soup first before eating the dish.
So, the soup for this is great! It was super tasty! A little oily for my liking, but I'm not complaining! There were bits of fried onion in the soup too! Nice!!
Traditionally, fishball noodles were served with the sauce below the noodles, and you have to flip/mix the noodles yourself. I don't remember who or when it started where the cook will help you flip/mix the noodles with the sauce, but regardless, I still do it myself. Not only to create a more even mix, but also to separate the noodles.
And for this stall, the vinegar smell rose up when I was flipping the noodles. And was it fragrant!! Ok, I do detest stalls that have excessive vinegar, but this was ok!
The mee kia was excellent too!! Dry and cooked well!! So much so that it even reminded me of the Joo Seng Fish ball noodles that I grew up eating!
The chilli wasn't that spicy, and was good. So goes for the minced meat. That I thought I could even enjoy a bowl of minced meat on its own!
The fish ravioli even tasted similar to the one at joo seng!!! I always thought the one at joo seng was hand made though, so for all I know, both might be getting from the same supplier haha!
Finally, the only disappointing part about this meal was that I felt that the fishball was a little bland. Not tasty enough.
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Overall, this stall is definitely a potential favourite. I would highly recommend this to people who love fish ball noodles!!
And if my favourite stalls start retiring one by one, this might well become my favourite fish ball noodles stall!!
Lim Soon Li *not bad*
Lim Soon Li
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
#02-31
- Nasi Lemak
- Laksa
- Prawn Noodle
- Mee Siam
I think it's pretty obvious to us Singaporeans that Nasi Lemak in Singapore is divided into three types.
1. Traditional, banana leaf wrapped nasi lemak.
2. Chinese style nasi lemak.
3. Malay nasi lemak.
I'm not going to explain too much into the difference; I'm assuming people reading this are Singaporeans.
And as a reference: I've never been into the traditional type. Yes, it does remind me of the good ol days, but that's about it.
As for Chinese style, I do like Chong Pang Nasi Lemak for the ingredients that they serve, especially the chicken wings. Also, I do like Punggol Nasi Lemak for the fragrant rice and their chilli. Finally, a special mention to Hong Ni Kitchen. I like that place, though I've only been once. And would definitely want to go back again for more!.
As for Malay style, there are two places I like. The Adam Road, stall no. 2 Nasi Lemak, for its rice! Also, Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, not because it is good or what, but because it accompanied me for a good 6 months.
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This stall, well, I'd say there's nothing much to rave about. The rice is ok, as it has the coconut taste, though I found it abit bland.
The chilli had a more after-taste type of feel. A little spicy initially, but felt more and more spicy after awhile. A little like wasabi, where you don't taste much initially, but after awhile it gets to you.
The ngoh hiang was acceptable by my standards.
No comments on the fried chicken though. Seemed like it was seasoned with the yellow thing, I'm not sure what it is called. But I'm sure people will understand when I mention that the seasoning is the same as that being used for the fried fish in the traditional banan leaf wrapped nasi lemak.
Finally, the luncheon meat was surprisingly nice!! It may have looked dry, but it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside!
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For now, I'd rate this a not bad. Of course, I'd review it again once I have tried the other foods that this stall offers.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
#02-31
- Nasi Lemak
- Laksa
- Prawn Noodle
- Mee Siam
I think it's pretty obvious to us Singaporeans that Nasi Lemak in Singapore is divided into three types.
1. Traditional, banana leaf wrapped nasi lemak.
2. Chinese style nasi lemak.
3. Malay nasi lemak.
I'm not going to explain too much into the difference; I'm assuming people reading this are Singaporeans.
And as a reference: I've never been into the traditional type. Yes, it does remind me of the good ol days, but that's about it.
As for Chinese style, I do like Chong Pang Nasi Lemak for the ingredients that they serve, especially the chicken wings. Also, I do like Punggol Nasi Lemak for the fragrant rice and their chilli. Finally, a special mention to Hong Ni Kitchen. I like that place, though I've only been once. And would definitely want to go back again for more!.
As for Malay style, there are two places I like. The Adam Road, stall no. 2 Nasi Lemak, for its rice! Also, Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, not because it is good or what, but because it accompanied me for a good 6 months.
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.jpeg)
This stall, well, I'd say there's nothing much to rave about. The rice is ok, as it has the coconut taste, though I found it abit bland.
The chilli had a more after-taste type of feel. A little spicy initially, but felt more and more spicy after awhile. A little like wasabi, where you don't taste much initially, but after awhile it gets to you.
The ngoh hiang was acceptable by my standards.
No comments on the fried chicken though. Seemed like it was seasoned with the yellow thing, I'm not sure what it is called. But I'm sure people will understand when I mention that the seasoning is the same as that being used for the fried fish in the traditional banan leaf wrapped nasi lemak.
Finally, the luncheon meat was surprisingly nice!! It may have looked dry, but it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside!
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For now, I'd rate this a not bad. Of course, I'd review it again once I have tried the other foods that this stall offers.
Hehehe
Obviously, personal friends know that I'm enjoying my time with my special someone now. That's why I'm not posting much nowadays hehehehehe.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Lim Kee Part 2 *WTF IS THIS SH*T"
Lim Kee Part 2
Click here for the original post, and the address for Lim Kee
I usually don't blog immediately after trying out a stall.
But today, I have to.
I tried Lim Kee white version chai tao kway some 2 weeks ago, and decided to publish the post on how much I liked it. And while typing, I thought, why not go for the black version tomorrow?
And so I did.
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This is the black version.
And a repost of the white version.
WTF IS THIS SH*T????
I was shocked. I totally did not expect this...I would say, lack of effort.
To the extent that I even asked "Is this the black one?" when I was served.
If anyone did read what I posted previously, I have said that the black should be sweet, while the white should be salty.
And obviously, it was because both are cooked differently!
But look at this piece of "sh*t! I don't know what to say!
It's so obvious that it was fried the white version way, and then added with a few drops of sweet sauce, and ta da.
Fail. Epic fail.
And there wasn't even the need to write how it tasted like. Because it tasted exactly like the white version. With some sweet sauce. Period. End of story.
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Yes. The black version is graded as WTF IS THIS SH*T.
And I'll downgrade this stall to not bad. I still like the white version. But that's about it.
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On a side note, there's something that I'm wondering. About looks vs taste vs how it is supposed to be. I'm biased. I like things in a certain way. But that does not mean that I am not acceptable to new stuff, new taste, and new style of presentation. But that's worth another post altogether, and I'm not going to dwell on it anytime soon.
Click here for the original post, and the address for Lim Kee
I usually don't blog immediately after trying out a stall.
But today, I have to.
I tried Lim Kee white version chai tao kway some 2 weeks ago, and decided to publish the post on how much I liked it. And while typing, I thought, why not go for the black version tomorrow?
And so I did.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the black version.
And a repost of the white version.
WTF IS THIS SH*T????
I was shocked. I totally did not expect this...I would say, lack of effort.
To the extent that I even asked "Is this the black one?" when I was served.
If anyone did read what I posted previously, I have said that the black should be sweet, while the white should be salty.
And obviously, it was because both are cooked differently!
But look at this piece of "sh*t! I don't know what to say!
It's so obvious that it was fried the white version way, and then added with a few drops of sweet sauce, and ta da.
Fail. Epic fail.
And there wasn't even the need to write how it tasted like. Because it tasted exactly like the white version. With some sweet sauce. Period. End of story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. The black version is graded as WTF IS THIS SH*T.
And I'll downgrade this stall to not bad. I still like the white version. But that's about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, there's something that I'm wondering. About looks vs taste vs how it is supposed to be. I'm biased. I like things in a certain way. But that does not mean that I am not acceptable to new stuff, new taste, and new style of presentation. But that's worth another post altogether, and I'm not going to dwell on it anytime soon.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls *not bad*
Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
#02-06
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
- Hainanese Mutton Soup
I won't say I have always loved chicken rice. Well, I do remember when I was young, my family would always have sunday brunch at a particular chicken rice stall at Lim Ah Pin Road.
And during the days when I exploded, I would have half a chicken plus a packet of rice. Just for dinner.
Anyways, chicken rice to me was something I do like, but not love. And I have ever tried searching for the "best chicken rice" in Singapore, leading me to Far East Plaza, where there were two stalls, to Lucky Plaza, where I thought it was the best for awhile, then to Peace Centre, where I thought Sing Ho chicken rice was second to none, and finally settling at the Kovan Food Centre one, where I just ate and ate and ate.
Looking back, there definitely wasn't a best. It was just my preference. And my preferences shifted as I grew.
And that's another story altogether.
The first time I tried chicken rice balls was in Malacca, one of the two famous stalls. I do remember liking the balls, but the chicken wasn't like Singapore-style, so I thought it was just ok.
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I had originally intended to order chicken rice balls along with chicken meat and innards. But the moment I realised that they sold mutton soup, I couldn't resist the temptation.
I thought the mutton soup was nice. It had the herbal flavour, no smelly mutton smell. Plus the wolfberries did not cover the taste of the soup! Meat tasted a bit braised, and was a little too touch for my liking. Had to chew a little harder for the taste to come out.
The issue with this though, was that I thought it lacked in the after taste department. Flavourful, yes. But when I finished it I really did wonder where had the soup gone to.
I thought the rice balls tasted just nice. It was served abit cold though - the rice balls were prepared and kept at room temperature instead of being served in those rice buckets. It was not too strong in the garlic and ginger department.
The dark soy sauce (yes, it's extremely important to me. More important than the chilli LOL) was too salty for my liking. I prefer it thicker and sweeter.
Finally, the sauce of the chicken had some sesame oil taste, and I can't exactly say I like this combination despite my preference for sesame oil in some of my food. Meat texture was pretty much standard. Otherwise, I'd say that the sauce was quite bland, and was definitely the weakest of the meal.
Personally, I have always thought that the chicken meat is usually bland, and it is the soy sauce/oil/whatever combination aka sauce of the chicken rice that gives it the taste, hence my emphasis on the sauces.
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This stall is definitely interesting. The soup's good, the rice balls were nice, but it was at room temperature, hence a little cold. Perhaps the normal rice would fare much better since it was stored in the rice buckets.
Overall, I'd say its not bad.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road
S(150163)
#02-06
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
- Hainanese Mutton Soup
I won't say I have always loved chicken rice. Well, I do remember when I was young, my family would always have sunday brunch at a particular chicken rice stall at Lim Ah Pin Road.
And during the days when I exploded, I would have half a chicken plus a packet of rice. Just for dinner.
Anyways, chicken rice to me was something I do like, but not love. And I have ever tried searching for the "best chicken rice" in Singapore, leading me to Far East Plaza, where there were two stalls, to Lucky Plaza, where I thought it was the best for awhile, then to Peace Centre, where I thought Sing Ho chicken rice was second to none, and finally settling at the Kovan Food Centre one, where I just ate and ate and ate.
Looking back, there definitely wasn't a best. It was just my preference. And my preferences shifted as I grew.
And that's another story altogether.
The first time I tried chicken rice balls was in Malacca, one of the two famous stalls. I do remember liking the balls, but the chicken wasn't like Singapore-style, so I thought it was just ok.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had originally intended to order chicken rice balls along with chicken meat and innards. But the moment I realised that they sold mutton soup, I couldn't resist the temptation.
I thought the mutton soup was nice. It had the herbal flavour, no smelly mutton smell. Plus the wolfberries did not cover the taste of the soup! Meat tasted a bit braised, and was a little too touch for my liking. Had to chew a little harder for the taste to come out.
The issue with this though, was that I thought it lacked in the after taste department. Flavourful, yes. But when I finished it I really did wonder where had the soup gone to.
I thought the rice balls tasted just nice. It was served abit cold though - the rice balls were prepared and kept at room temperature instead of being served in those rice buckets. It was not too strong in the garlic and ginger department.
The dark soy sauce (yes, it's extremely important to me. More important than the chilli LOL) was too salty for my liking. I prefer it thicker and sweeter.
Finally, the sauce of the chicken had some sesame oil taste, and I can't exactly say I like this combination despite my preference for sesame oil in some of my food. Meat texture was pretty much standard. Otherwise, I'd say that the sauce was quite bland, and was definitely the weakest of the meal.
Personally, I have always thought that the chicken meat is usually bland, and it is the soy sauce/oil/whatever combination aka sauce of the chicken rice that gives it the taste, hence my emphasis on the sauces.
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This stall is definitely interesting. The soup's good, the rice balls were nice, but it was at room temperature, hence a little cold. Perhaps the normal rice would fare much better since it was stored in the rice buckets.
Overall, I'd say its not bad.
Lim Kee *not bad* EDITED
Lim Kee
Bukit Merah Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-49
- fried carrot cake (white)
- fried carrot cake (black)
- chwee kuey
- soon kuey
- Char kway teow
- I think this stall closes after lunch time.
Long time ago, I had a conversation regarding fried carrot cake with my father. I don't exactly remember how and what, but I remember back then (and it was a long..long...time ago), I preferred the black version while my dad preferred the white. And I do vaguely remember why the conversation begun was because we had a plate of chai tou kway that looked like the black version yet tasted a little salty.
And it was then I concluded that IMO, black chai tao kway should be sweet, and white chai tao kway should be salty.
Fast forward years to now, I'm a convert. Given a choice, I'd choose the white one any day. Having said that, I guess I can partly blame the Bukit Timah Chai Tao Kway for popularising the white version . Plus its really quite hard to find a good black version.
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So, Lim Kee Chai Tao Kway. Touted as 10 best Chai Tao Kway, as displayed by some certificate at the stall.
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The moment I saw it I was impressed. It totally differed from the contemporary chai tao kway! Contemporary chai tao kway somehow is cooked like omelette style, where its chopped kway fried with stirred eggs into big chunks.
But this isn't!!! And I thought this is how chai tao kway should traditionally look like!!! Win!
.JPG)
Take a closer look! Win!
I like the taste. It just feels traditional.
For the first time too, I could really taste how the carrot cake felt like. But then again I rarely attempt to take note of the taste LOL. And *disclaimer* I meant I could really taste how the white chunks of carrot cake tasted like. Not how the whole plate tasted like. Argh I'm not making sense, am I?
The cake tasted nice, it felt a little tough and wasn't soggy. Full of flavour that is!
The overall combination was just good. I have no idea what the green vegetables used was, but I felt that it blended well! Probably that was why I thought it felt traditional!
As I said, this wasn't the contemporary type, where it was omelette style and where the egg was fried till crispy.
My first bite, I first tasted the chilli, which wasn't too spicy. Then the fried egg. Then the texture of the egg. Then the chye poh that was used. And finally, the flavour of the cake.
With a tinge of after taste making you crave for more.
Personally, I've never really liked to eat the cake chunks without the eggs. But for this, I was actually looking forward to consuming the cake chunks alone. Just so I can get to experience the taste again!
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Overall, I'd say this would be a potential favourite for the white version.
Not only because of the fact that it was more traditional, but also the overall taste.
I'll definitely try the black version soon!
*edited. I have downgraded this stall to an overall *not bad*.
Click here for the reason why I downgraded it.
Bukit Merah Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-49
- fried carrot cake (white)
- fried carrot cake (black)
- chwee kuey
- soon kuey
- Char kway teow
- I think this stall closes after lunch time.
Long time ago, I had a conversation regarding fried carrot cake with my father. I don't exactly remember how and what, but I remember back then (and it was a long..long...time ago), I preferred the black version while my dad preferred the white. And I do vaguely remember why the conversation begun was because we had a plate of chai tou kway that looked like the black version yet tasted a little salty.
And it was then I concluded that IMO, black chai tao kway should be sweet, and white chai tao kway should be salty.
Fast forward years to now, I'm a convert. Given a choice, I'd choose the white one any day. Having said that, I guess I can partly blame the Bukit Timah Chai Tao Kway for popularising the white version . Plus its really quite hard to find a good black version.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, Lim Kee Chai Tao Kway. Touted as 10 best Chai Tao Kway, as displayed by some certificate at the stall.
.JPG)
The moment I saw it I was impressed. It totally differed from the contemporary chai tao kway! Contemporary chai tao kway somehow is cooked like omelette style, where its chopped kway fried with stirred eggs into big chunks.
But this isn't!!! And I thought this is how chai tao kway should traditionally look like!!! Win!
.JPG)
Take a closer look! Win!
I like the taste. It just feels traditional.
For the first time too, I could really taste how the carrot cake felt like. But then again I rarely attempt to take note of the taste LOL. And *disclaimer* I meant I could really taste how the white chunks of carrot cake tasted like. Not how the whole plate tasted like. Argh I'm not making sense, am I?
The cake tasted nice, it felt a little tough and wasn't soggy. Full of flavour that is!
The overall combination was just good. I have no idea what the green vegetables used was, but I felt that it blended well! Probably that was why I thought it felt traditional!
As I said, this wasn't the contemporary type, where it was omelette style and where the egg was fried till crispy.
My first bite, I first tasted the chilli, which wasn't too spicy. Then the fried egg. Then the texture of the egg. Then the chye poh that was used. And finally, the flavour of the cake.
With a tinge of after taste making you crave for more.
Personally, I've never really liked to eat the cake chunks without the eggs. But for this, I was actually looking forward to consuming the cake chunks alone. Just so I can get to experience the taste again!
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Overall, I'd say this would be a potential favourite for the white version.
Not only because of the fact that it was more traditional, but also the overall taste.
I'll definitely try the black version soon!
*edited. I have downgraded this stall to an overall *not bad*.
Click here for the reason why I downgraded it.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Ling Heng Roasted Duck Stall *not bad*
Ling Heng Roasted Duck Stall
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-05
- roast duck
- roast pork
- char siew
- watercress soup
- melon soup
I'm not too sure if everyone agrees, but nowadays I have observed that it is not too difficult to get a roasted duck/meat stall going.
Well, perhaps not in Eastern Singapore.
But in Western Singapore, roast meat stalls seem to be doing quite well.
Hence, I find that when I try roast duck/roast meat/char siew stalls, I tend to be abit stringent.
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I ordered roast duck drumstick, roast meat and char siew. My holy trio when it comes to having roast meats ^_^ yes, it is a lot of calories, thus I don't do this too often nowadays.
While queuing up, the stall was just emitting the traditional roast duck smell, and kinda make me "crave" for it!
The Auntie was super friendly, and felt quite chatty. She even asked if I wanted to add sauce for my rice. Of course I want! I simply love my rice to be covered in sauces!
The rice felt like normal plain rice, but the sauce was good. You could taste the herbs that were used to make the sauce.
The skin of the roast meat was pretty crispy, and I find that overall it was quite well done. I was able to taste the fats and the meat. I prefer crunchier meats/fats (no, I'm not referring to the skin, I'm referring to the meat overall). This wasn't that crunchy, but I find it not bad.
The char siew had the chao tar parts, that I simply love. It was quite fatty too! Overall it tasted good, but I thought there was a teeny weeny tinge of pork smell.
Finally, the roast duck. The meat felt about tough, and lacked the oily/juicy feel. The colour of the skin looked pretty good though, and the taste was passable.
I'm not a fan of soups, so I gave it a miss.
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Overall I'd say it's not bad. They roast their own meats I think, which is probably a plus!
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-05
- roast duck
- roast pork
- char siew
- watercress soup
- melon soup
I'm not too sure if everyone agrees, but nowadays I have observed that it is not too difficult to get a roasted duck/meat stall going.
Well, perhaps not in Eastern Singapore.
But in Western Singapore, roast meat stalls seem to be doing quite well.
Hence, I find that when I try roast duck/roast meat/char siew stalls, I tend to be abit stringent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.JPG)
While queuing up, the stall was just emitting the traditional roast duck smell, and kinda make me "crave" for it!
The Auntie was super friendly, and felt quite chatty. She even asked if I wanted to add sauce for my rice. Of course I want! I simply love my rice to be covered in sauces!
The rice felt like normal plain rice, but the sauce was good. You could taste the herbs that were used to make the sauce.
The skin of the roast meat was pretty crispy, and I find that overall it was quite well done. I was able to taste the fats and the meat. I prefer crunchier meats/fats (no, I'm not referring to the skin, I'm referring to the meat overall). This wasn't that crunchy, but I find it not bad.
The char siew had the chao tar parts, that I simply love. It was quite fatty too! Overall it tasted good, but I thought there was a teeny weeny tinge of pork smell.
Finally, the roast duck. The meat felt about tough, and lacked the oily/juicy feel. The colour of the skin looked pretty good though, and the taste was passable.
I'm not a fan of soups, so I gave it a miss.
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Overall I'd say it's not bad. They roast their own meats I think, which is probably a plus!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Shun Xing *not bad*
Shun Xing
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-46
- Fried Fritters
- Butterfly biscuits
- Hum Chee Peng (I think its more right to call it Hum Chin Peng as it should be cantonese to begin with?)
- comes in traditional flavours (salted, sweet) and their own flavours (coffee, pandan bean, red bean etc)
How do you like your you tiao?
Do you like it crispy? Hard? Soft? Oily?
How I like mine? I like it a little crispy on the outside, generally soft on the inside, with a little of the flour taste. Of course, freshly fried ones will definitely fare better than those that have been kept for a while. Thats a given for most for 99% of the foods available.
And how do you eat it? Dipped into soya bean? Add to your porridge? Or add to your kopo-i? Or with your bak kut teh?
I used to dip into my soya bean, until my dad said the best way to eat it is to dip into your kopi-o. Back then, I never appreciated coffee, so I paid no attention. But during the first few seasons of makansutra, the host said it was the best way to eat you tiao.
And some 4 years ago, I realised I needed coffee to not fall asleep during work, thus my preferences had changed.
Anyways, the whole food centre only had one stall selling you tiao, and this was it.
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First thing I noticed was the peppery looking thing in the middle of the you tiao. Now, I'm not sure if it was done on purpose, but I'll probably go back there soon enough to find out.
Unfortunately, the you tiao was crispier than what I'd like. Perhaps it was freshly made. It also lacked the dough/flour taste that I like.
The thing about the crispy-ness was that after dipping the you tiao into my coffee, the whole thing just didnt taste right. I mean, dipping it into liquid was to make it soggier, let the you tiao absorb the liquid, and then consume it, appreciating the you tiao, the sogginess, and the liquid flowing out from the you tiao.
This, unfortunately, did not feel that way. The outside was still crisp, and it felt like the you tiao was unable to absorb the liquid.
.JPG)
The hum chin peng fared much much better!! It was definitely salty!! And had the taste of the dough! Hum chin pengs don't need to be crispy in my opinion, and this held true for this stall.
Oh, the stall owners did not ask if I was taking away or having it here, so they just put their food into the plastic bag. I don't think it mattered much, though I'd definitely have preferred the traditional brown bag hehe.
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Overall, it's not bad! While the fried fritters aren't what I like, the hum chin peng fared much better, and I'm thinking if the hum chin peng is where the strengths of the stall is, given that they have so much unique flavours for their hum chin peng.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-46
- Fried Fritters
- Butterfly biscuits
- Hum Chee Peng (I think its more right to call it Hum Chin Peng as it should be cantonese to begin with?)
- comes in traditional flavours (salted, sweet) and their own flavours (coffee, pandan bean, red bean etc)
How do you like your you tiao?
Do you like it crispy? Hard? Soft? Oily?
How I like mine? I like it a little crispy on the outside, generally soft on the inside, with a little of the flour taste. Of course, freshly fried ones will definitely fare better than those that have been kept for a while. Thats a given for most for 99% of the foods available.
And how do you eat it? Dipped into soya bean? Add to your porridge? Or add to your kopo-i? Or with your bak kut teh?
I used to dip into my soya bean, until my dad said the best way to eat it is to dip into your kopi-o. Back then, I never appreciated coffee, so I paid no attention. But during the first few seasons of makansutra, the host said it was the best way to eat you tiao.
And some 4 years ago, I realised I needed coffee to not fall asleep during work, thus my preferences had changed.
Anyways, the whole food centre only had one stall selling you tiao, and this was it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.JPG)
First thing I noticed was the peppery looking thing in the middle of the you tiao. Now, I'm not sure if it was done on purpose, but I'll probably go back there soon enough to find out.
Unfortunately, the you tiao was crispier than what I'd like. Perhaps it was freshly made. It also lacked the dough/flour taste that I like.
The thing about the crispy-ness was that after dipping the you tiao into my coffee, the whole thing just didnt taste right. I mean, dipping it into liquid was to make it soggier, let the you tiao absorb the liquid, and then consume it, appreciating the you tiao, the sogginess, and the liquid flowing out from the you tiao.
This, unfortunately, did not feel that way. The outside was still crisp, and it felt like the you tiao was unable to absorb the liquid.
.JPG)
The hum chin peng fared much much better!! It was definitely salty!! And had the taste of the dough! Hum chin pengs don't need to be crispy in my opinion, and this held true for this stall.
Oh, the stall owners did not ask if I was taking away or having it here, so they just put their food into the plastic bag. I don't think it mattered much, though I'd definitely have preferred the traditional brown bag hehe.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall, it's not bad! While the fried fritters aren't what I like, the hum chin peng fared much better, and I'm thinking if the hum chin peng is where the strengths of the stall is, given that they have so much unique flavours for their hum chin peng.
Choon Kee Fish Ball Noodle *nice*
Choon Kee Fish Ball Noodle
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-43
Fish ball noodles again!
LOL!!
To be honest, this isn't the 2nd fish ball noodles I've had at this food centre. In fact, it's the third. And the fact that the very first stall I had, and no, its not Mei Ji that I covered previously, by default added beansprouts, I was super cautious in ordering. I'd go "mee kia dry with chilli. Got beansprouts? I do not want beansprouts!"
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Alas! It came with one strand of beansprouts! :(
Look at the photo, and it should be quite obvious that you can see the sauces. I think cause they added soup to the sauce? It was really quite a lot, and the mee kia felt slippery.
The first bite, I thought I tasted a chao tar taste in the chilli. No it's not that the chilli came chao tar, but it's a taste that I have never been able to pin-point. People who grew up eating the fish ball noodles at Kovan Food Centre (the two that used to be side by side each other) will probably understand what I'm trying to say. My parents did explain that it was the usage of vinegar in the chilli though, and I remember my relatives love the taste.
In fact, the chilli was somewhat spicy, as compared to most fishball noodles stall.
Argh! Fish cakes -_-"
The chao tar taste grew weaker and weaker the more I ate, and I thought it was mostly covered by the spiciness of it.
The ingredients were quite good, the fish ravioli thing (called geow according to wikipedia's mee pok article) was juicy. Fishballs are what I'd like - juicy, some saltiness to it, and a bit of the fish taste. The texture wasn't good, but the taste made up for it.
No comments on pork slices and of course, fish cakes.
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Overall, I do find myself liking the taste, thus I'd say it is nice due to my preference.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-43
Fish ball noodles again!
LOL!!
To be honest, this isn't the 2nd fish ball noodles I've had at this food centre. In fact, it's the third. And the fact that the very first stall I had, and no, its not Mei Ji that I covered previously, by default added beansprouts, I was super cautious in ordering. I'd go "mee kia dry with chilli. Got beansprouts? I do not want beansprouts!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.JPG)
Alas! It came with one strand of beansprouts! :(
Look at the photo, and it should be quite obvious that you can see the sauces. I think cause they added soup to the sauce? It was really quite a lot, and the mee kia felt slippery.
The first bite, I thought I tasted a chao tar taste in the chilli. No it's not that the chilli came chao tar, but it's a taste that I have never been able to pin-point. People who grew up eating the fish ball noodles at Kovan Food Centre (the two that used to be side by side each other) will probably understand what I'm trying to say. My parents did explain that it was the usage of vinegar in the chilli though, and I remember my relatives love the taste.
In fact, the chilli was somewhat spicy, as compared to most fishball noodles stall.
Argh! Fish cakes -_-"
The chao tar taste grew weaker and weaker the more I ate, and I thought it was mostly covered by the spiciness of it.
The ingredients were quite good, the fish ravioli thing (called geow according to wikipedia's mee pok article) was juicy. Fishballs are what I'd like - juicy, some saltiness to it, and a bit of the fish taste. The texture wasn't good, but the taste made up for it.
No comments on pork slices and of course, fish cakes.
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Overall, I do find myself liking the taste, thus I'd say it is nice due to my preference.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Liang Seng Mushroom Meat Pork Noodle *.....*
Liang Seng Mushroom Meat Pork Noodles
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-21
Well, as I previously mentioned, I don't exactly like bak chor mee. However, the commercialised version at .EAT is something that I've kinda gotten used to, despite the small servings and heavy vinegar taste.
Anyways, I felt like having noodles for breakfast, and I noticed a fair number of people having their noodles from this stall, so I decided to try it out first!
(In case, not all stalls are open for breakfast. Probably around 25%?)
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The first look at this made me thought "wow! Generous on the ingredients!!!"
Second thought was "wow! The sauce so watery!"
.JPG)
To clarify, the 2nd photo was my super weak attempt to take a photo of the mushrooms, which is the black portion at the bottom left hand corner of the photo.
Anyways, my habit would be to have a taste of the soup first before I consume the noodles. The soup felt quite tasty initially, but gave me the feeling that it was a litte, just a little, pepperish. From normal white pepper of course. And after awhile, perhaps due to the taste of the noodles (which I'll touch on a little later), the soup just went tasteless. Or bland, if you would prefer.
As mentioned, the sauce was like WOAH! And it felt abit oily. Hence the noodles turned out to be quite wet and slippery.
The sauce and the noodles tasted a bit on the weak side. Totally lacked the vinegar taste, and wasnt didn't even feel like they added any salt or soy sauce. Its similar to the soup. Flavourful while chewing, but the flavour gradually disappears once you swallow. And to top that off, there was no aftertaste.
Don't even feel like commenting on the ingredients as it was just...ok...and of course, fish cakes :(
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I'm rating this ..... not because it is bad. It's because I can't find anything that I like about this stall. Perhaps, to others, it might taste ok, but it definitely isn't even not bad in my opinion.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-21
Well, as I previously mentioned, I don't exactly like bak chor mee. However, the commercialised version at .EAT is something that I've kinda gotten used to, despite the small servings and heavy vinegar taste.
Anyways, I felt like having noodles for breakfast, and I noticed a fair number of people having their noodles from this stall, so I decided to try it out first!
(In case, not all stalls are open for breakfast. Probably around 25%?)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.JPG)
The first look at this made me thought "wow! Generous on the ingredients!!!"
Second thought was "wow! The sauce so watery!"
.JPG)
To clarify, the 2nd photo was my super weak attempt to take a photo of the mushrooms, which is the black portion at the bottom left hand corner of the photo.
Anyways, my habit would be to have a taste of the soup first before I consume the noodles. The soup felt quite tasty initially, but gave me the feeling that it was a litte, just a little, pepperish. From normal white pepper of course. And after awhile, perhaps due to the taste of the noodles (which I'll touch on a little later), the soup just went tasteless. Or bland, if you would prefer.
As mentioned, the sauce was like WOAH! And it felt abit oily. Hence the noodles turned out to be quite wet and slippery.
The sauce and the noodles tasted a bit on the weak side. Totally lacked the vinegar taste, and wasnt didn't even feel like they added any salt or soy sauce. Its similar to the soup. Flavourful while chewing, but the flavour gradually disappears once you swallow. And to top that off, there was no aftertaste.
Don't even feel like commenting on the ingredients as it was just...ok...and of course, fish cakes :(
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I'm rating this ..... not because it is bad. It's because I can't find anything that I like about this stall. Perhaps, to others, it might taste ok, but it definitely isn't even not bad in my opinion.
Soon Huat Mixed Vegetable Rice *not bad*
Soon Huat Mixed Vegetable Rice
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-04
First off, I find it hard to judge mixed veg rice. I mean, how to? If the mixed veg rice sells sweet and sour pork, should I compare it to all sweet and sour pork? Or other mixed veg rice that sells sweet and sour pork?
Having said that, I'll just judge with regards to other mixed veg rice stalls.
Also, I generally avoid mixed veg rice stalls. Not that I don't eat at all, just that it will probably be the last option. Unless the food looks superbly great, or it is convenient, or it has minced meat balls (like those at hainanese curry rice stalls).
Well, because I do want to review every stall, and plus the fact that my friend loves mixed veg rice, and that she must have curry chicken, enough said.
One thing for sure, the queue is definitely there for this stall. I was like the 7th or 8th in queue despite going for lunch at 11.30am. So it kinda made me wonder if this stall was really good.
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I ordered 3 meat (normally 2, but deciced to try curry chicken, as influenced by my friend) and 1 vegetable, and it was $4. I have to say, the plate they use is unique! Unlike most stalls that just serve you on a round plate.
The rice was abit on the hard side, but I could live with it as they were generous with the curry. And I felt this way not because I ordered curry chicken and they gave me more curry. Everyone else had a fair amount of curry too!
And I like my rice more "wet", so this is a plus!
There are some mixed veg rice stalls that come across as not putting enough effort into cooking, and I'm glad to say this is not one of them.
The sweet and sour pork was pretty ok. Curry tasted standard, and slightly on the spicy side. The vegetables (erm, broccoli and cauliflower? Ok I'm super bad with my vegetables and I only started eating veg in my twenties.)
The ngoh hiang tasted nothing like what I'd like...but then again, I shouldn't compare to proper ngoh hiang stalls. Either way, I ate this a few days back and I can't remember how it taste like. So I guess it's not worth mentioning.
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Overall, it's really not bad. As I've mentioned, it's really hard to judge mixed veg rice, but I find that this, overall, is one of the better ones I've had. The other two better ones are at Boon Keng, and at Dover, the same coffee shop as the XO fish head bee hoon.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk 163 Bukit Merah Road S(150163)
#02-04
First off, I find it hard to judge mixed veg rice. I mean, how to? If the mixed veg rice sells sweet and sour pork, should I compare it to all sweet and sour pork? Or other mixed veg rice that sells sweet and sour pork?
Having said that, I'll just judge with regards to other mixed veg rice stalls.
Also, I generally avoid mixed veg rice stalls. Not that I don't eat at all, just that it will probably be the last option. Unless the food looks superbly great, or it is convenient, or it has minced meat balls (like those at hainanese curry rice stalls).
Well, because I do want to review every stall, and plus the fact that my friend loves mixed veg rice, and that she must have curry chicken, enough said.
One thing for sure, the queue is definitely there for this stall. I was like the 7th or 8th in queue despite going for lunch at 11.30am. So it kinda made me wonder if this stall was really good.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.JPG)
I ordered 3 meat (normally 2, but deciced to try curry chicken, as influenced by my friend) and 1 vegetable, and it was $4. I have to say, the plate they use is unique! Unlike most stalls that just serve you on a round plate.
The rice was abit on the hard side, but I could live with it as they were generous with the curry. And I felt this way not because I ordered curry chicken and they gave me more curry. Everyone else had a fair amount of curry too!
And I like my rice more "wet", so this is a plus!
There are some mixed veg rice stalls that come across as not putting enough effort into cooking, and I'm glad to say this is not one of them.
The sweet and sour pork was pretty ok. Curry tasted standard, and slightly on the spicy side. The vegetables (erm, broccoli and cauliflower? Ok I'm super bad with my vegetables and I only started eating veg in my twenties.)
The ngoh hiang tasted nothing like what I'd like...but then again, I shouldn't compare to proper ngoh hiang stalls. Either way, I ate this a few days back and I can't remember how it taste like. So I guess it's not worth mentioning.
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Overall, it's really not bad. As I've mentioned, it's really hard to judge mixed veg rice, but I find that this, overall, is one of the better ones I've had. The other two better ones are at Boon Keng, and at Dover, the same coffee shop as the XO fish head bee hoon.
Mei Ji Fishball Noodles *not bad*
Mei Ji Fish Ball Noodles
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk163 Bukit Merah Central S(150163)
#02-03
- fish ball noodles
- wholesale premium fish balls
- prawn ball soup
- fuzhou fish balls
Fish ball noodles have always been one of my favourite foods. No, not the bak chor mee, or stall that sells bak chor mee/fish ball noodles. I am quite particular about this. Must be a stall that only sells fish ball noodles.
I grew up eating fishball noodles, with my favourite at joo seng, then subsequently, toa payoh, some food republic food courts and lorong ah soo.
Why must only sell fish ball? Because I don't like too much vinegar.
Also, I am super particular about beansprouts with my noodles. I simply cannot stand having fish ball noodles with beansprouts. Don't get me wrong, I do eat beansprouts. But somehow I find that beansprouts add a certain raw taste to the noodles. And I think I am like the only person who is ok with beansprouts yet is particular about this.
Finally, I mostly eat mee kia dry. Some people might think, why mee kia? Why not mee pok? I used to not understand why too, but I've realised that mee kia is less susceptible to being overcooked and thus becoming soggy. Whereas mee pok generally turns out soggy, and is more slippery (no idea why, perhaps due to the way it is made, or maybe because the surface area bigger and thus more oil on it). Probably the only time when I'll have mee pok is when the place is famous for mee pok, ie. Ru Ji Kitchen at Holland Drive Market.
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This soup says it sells premium fish balls, prawn balls, and fuzhou fish balls. Well, if given a choice, its fish balls for me any day! But i'd definitely like to try the fuzhou versions one day.
.JPG)
For people who don't know, fuzhou fish balls are generally bigger than normal fish balls, and have some minced meat in the middle. So when you bite on the fish balls, you will get fish meat and of course, minced pork meat.
Anyways;
The stall owner got my order wrong. I was given mee pok instead of mee kia, thus minus points liao. Haha no la, im still quite fair. I didn't ask for a change though.
.JPG)
I thought that the soup was tasty. I'm sure it wasn't because of too much MSG, but the soup has a fried onion taste that I like. The soup also looks somewhat oily; I'm guessing some people can't stand it. But I can! ^_^
The noodles felt somewhat tasteless in my opinion. The chilli was spicy, but lacked the taste. I thought it might be they were weaker on the light soy sauce side.
The texture of the fish balls didn't meet my expectations too. The external texture felt rough. Personally, the most important part of the fish ball is the taste; it should feel slightly salty and have the taste of the fish (note, not the fishy taste). I think the stall lacked it in this department.
I am not commenting on fish cakes because I do not like fish cakes. I eat, but I just don't like it.
Finally, the Prawn Balls. It was nice!!! Everything I'd ask for! Had the taste and the texture! Like!
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Overall I'd rate this not bad. It's definitely alright, in my opinion. And if not for the prawn balls I think I would have prolly rated this ..... instead of not bad.
Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Blk163 Bukit Merah Central S(150163)
#02-03
- fish ball noodles
- wholesale premium fish balls
- prawn ball soup
- fuzhou fish balls
Fish ball noodles have always been one of my favourite foods. No, not the bak chor mee, or stall that sells bak chor mee/fish ball noodles. I am quite particular about this. Must be a stall that only sells fish ball noodles.
I grew up eating fishball noodles, with my favourite at joo seng, then subsequently, toa payoh, some food republic food courts and lorong ah soo.
Why must only sell fish ball? Because I don't like too much vinegar.
Also, I am super particular about beansprouts with my noodles. I simply cannot stand having fish ball noodles with beansprouts. Don't get me wrong, I do eat beansprouts. But somehow I find that beansprouts add a certain raw taste to the noodles. And I think I am like the only person who is ok with beansprouts yet is particular about this.
Finally, I mostly eat mee kia dry. Some people might think, why mee kia? Why not mee pok? I used to not understand why too, but I've realised that mee kia is less susceptible to being overcooked and thus becoming soggy. Whereas mee pok generally turns out soggy, and is more slippery (no idea why, perhaps due to the way it is made, or maybe because the surface area bigger and thus more oil on it). Probably the only time when I'll have mee pok is when the place is famous for mee pok, ie. Ru Ji Kitchen at Holland Drive Market.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This soup says it sells premium fish balls, prawn balls, and fuzhou fish balls. Well, if given a choice, its fish balls for me any day! But i'd definitely like to try the fuzhou versions one day.
.JPG)
The stall owner got my order wrong. I was given mee pok instead of mee kia, thus minus points liao. Haha no la, im still quite fair. I didn't ask for a change though.
.JPG)
I thought that the soup was tasty. I'm sure it wasn't because of too much MSG, but the soup has a fried onion taste that I like. The soup also looks somewhat oily; I'm guessing some people can't stand it. But I can! ^_^
The noodles felt somewhat tasteless in my opinion. The chilli was spicy, but lacked the taste. I thought it might be they were weaker on the light soy sauce side.
The texture of the fish balls didn't meet my expectations too. The external texture felt rough. Personally, the most important part of the fish ball is the taste; it should feel slightly salty and have the taste of the fish (note, not the fishy taste). I think the stall lacked it in this department.
I am not commenting on fish cakes because I do not like fish cakes. I eat, but I just don't like it.
Finally, the Prawn Balls. It was nice!!! Everything I'd ask for! Had the taste and the texture! Like!
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Overall I'd rate this not bad. It's definitely alright, in my opinion. And if not for the prawn balls I think I would have prolly rated this ..... instead of not bad.
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