Rubbish

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Serangoon Garden Food Centre

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery
49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-45 Serangoon Garden Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Opening Hours: 6am – 4pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

再来，再来，再来！Zai lai, zai lai. I love, love, love this stall, though the sounds of uncle opening and closing the plastic shelves (if you sit too near) may drive you nuts sometimes.

There’s no better way to start your morning than grabbing a piece of freshly baked bread or bun to go with your coffee. At this bakery, you get the best homemade goods at a fraction of the price, and there are a lot of great options to choose from.

There is something to satiate every palate, with airy and light savoury and sweet treats.

People go for their famous Banana Cake ($0.90) which is really old-school with perfect balance of sweetness with a moist and airy consistency

Also try out their savoury options, such as the best-selling Luncheon Meat Buns and Hae Bee Hiam Buns (spicy dried shrimps).

I find that you must have one there, where it is fresh out of the oven (smell the buttery aroma), and you can feel the softness and warm in your hands before taking that bite.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Serangoon Garden Food Centre

Bossi Ban Mian
49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-18 Serangoon Garden Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Tel: +65 8833 8118
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

The owner and cook who is originally from Ipoh uses a recipe passed down by his mother. Taking the origin and heritage of the dish very seriously, this stall serves delicious variations of the dish with authentic and traditional flavours.

There are choices of prawn, sliced fish, clam, sliced abalone (priced at $4, $5 or $6), with choices of ban mian, U-mian, mian fen guo, or yee mian.

Their dry Ban Mian ($4) comes in a disposable container (strange) with minced pork, crispy ikan billis, tossed in a homemade green chili padi dip along with some vinegar and garlic to enhance the flavours.

The noodles, while ordered from a factory, was made to specification and had an al dente bite.

I also enjoyed the lightness of the soup served separately, included with egg with mani cai (sweet potato leaf) which added unique texture to the soup with a subtle and sweet flavour.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Serangoon Garden Food Centre

Serangoon Garden Carrot Cake & Wanton Noodle
49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-13 Serangoon Garden Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Opening Hours: 7am – 4pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

I have previously gave this stall a miss because I wasn’t sure if it was good in Carrot Cake, Wanton Noodles or none.

But a friend who stayed Serangoon Garden his whole life recommended this as ”one of the two stalls I still go to”.

If you are wondering what there are a number of “Ang Sa Li” around, this is the other unofficial name of “Serangoon Garden”.

Although this stall serves a variety of dishes from Wanton Noodle ($3.50), Shredded Chicken Hor Fun ($3.50) and Spinach Noodles ($4), they are most famous for their Carrot Cake – both white and black variety. Though the black seems to be the more popular one.

The Black Carrot Cake ($3, $4, $5), and the black carrot cake stood out for its soft texture with strong taste of the sweet sauce and chai poh. Not too greasy or oily as well.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Serangoon Garden Food Centre

Pancake King
49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-25 Serangoon Garden Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Tel: +65 9137 9722
Opening Hours: 7am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Who doesn’t love a good old stack of pancakes for breakfast? They are so confident in their pancakes that they have a money back guarantee at the stall. Yah, supposedly they will give you a full refund if you do not like their food. Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

There is an assortment of local delights such as Carrot Cake, Curry Puff, Yam Cake, Pink Rice Kueh, Spring Rolls and Sesame Balls sold.

But people come here for the pancakes which are crispy on the outside, spongy on the inside. They use butter from New Zealand and Australia instead of magarine.

The middle was delectably chewy and thick, and the coconut sugar and peanuts went well with the soft texture.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Serangoon Garden Food Centre

Shui Guo
49A Serangoon Garden Way #01-22 Serangoon Garden Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 8:30pm (Mon – Sun)

This appears to be the Serangoon Garden branch of the famous Bedok Chwee Kueh (I am still one who find that the outlet at Bedok Interchange somehow taste the best.)

The Chwee Kueh is sold at $0.50 per piece, which you can buy in 2, 3, or 4 pieces.

If you want to buy chwee kueh with the chai poh separate, a minimum of 4 pieces is required. For takeaway, add $0.30.

The chai poh is not mushy but has a light crunch, and the toasted sesame seeds add a nice aroma and flavour. Add a bit of the sambal chili with a pronounced dried shrimp taste for some gentle heat.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon
#01-40 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 7pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Fri), 9:30am – 1pm (Sun) Closed Wed, Sat

Satay Bee Hoon is a fast-disappearing dish in Singapore, and you cannot find it in many food centres already.

Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon is worthy of mention for its warm and comforting peanut sauce which got the consistency just right.

The stalls serves up Satay Bee Hoon, Cuttle Fish Kang Kong and Cuttle Fish Kang Kong Bee Hoon.

Even if you are not a big fan of this dish, you may be a convert after trying their version, with many customers queuing up to 15 to 20 minutes to get their hands on a plate.

Their Satay Bee Hoon ($3, $4, $5) peanut sauce was fresh and fragrant with the aroma of peanuts, sweetness not overpowering with just a tad of spiciness. While some of the other stalls have sauces that have that nuttier texture, this feels just right and coats the thin vermicelli evenly.

The portion size is quite generous with cuttlefish, liver, tender pork slices, tau pok, blood clams and strands of kang kong.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Hua Kee Chicken Rice
#01-72 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 8am – 3pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Funny that there are so many “best chicken rice in Singapore” but not many actually listed Hua Kee. I would reckon its fans would rate this as the Number 1 stall, above those highly raved and famous ones.

Hua Kee Chicken Rice stall has been running successfully for over 30 years with their special family recipe made with a lot of heart and attention.

The stall is always packed with people and the queue is long if you come in peak afternoon hours. (Note: the stall is often closed, even during stipulated hours and so do be prepared.)

I got my plate of chicken rice after queuing for about half an hour.

The Chicken Rice ($4, $5) was quite tasty with chunks of tender, succulent chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock. The poached chicken was not overly greasy or saucy, in fact still tasted slightly ‘cold’, but had this smoothness which was quite alluring.

The rice while fluffy, was not that greasy as well, and some people may find the need to drizzle more chilli sauce and dark sauce over. Simple but worth queueing for.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Hong Seng Curry Rice
#01-74 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 10:30pm (Sat – Sun)

This cheap and good food stall is run by 2nd gen hawker whose family has been in the same business for over 20 years.

The choices at this stall make it stand out, as there are 20 plus different dishes cooked on a daily basis.

Recommended dishes include Pork Chop, Char Siew, Braised Pig’s Trotters, Dong Po Pork, Boneless Curry Chicken, Curry Sotong, and Prawn Fritters. Pork Chop – must get.

If you are hungry for more, there are also the Pork Meatballs, Ikan Billis, Cabbage, Stir-Fried Long Bean, and Chye Poh Omelette. Prices go from $0.70 per portion to say $4 – $6 for the fish.

Come in a group, order a small variety, and when you add everything up, you really this rice stall is really quite economical.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Yan Fried Bee Hoon 焱
#01-09 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 6pm (Sat), Closed Sun

This was the famous chicken wings that PM Lee Hsien Loong stood in queue for. However, do note that the previous owner has stopped selling some years back, and the stall has been taken over by Eng Kee Chicken Wings.

While standard may not be quite the same as before, these crisp and somewhat oily chicken wings ($1.20) are still worth it for an indulgent supper treat.

Pair this up with some Bee Hoon ($0.60), which I would always pour some sweet chilli sauce over, added with other deep fried items of luncheon meat, fish cakes and sausages ($0.50 – $1).

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Fei Zai Xiang Roasted Meat
#01-91 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Their Char Siew is quite the bomb. When you are in the mood for roasted meat, the Fei Zai Xiang is the stall you should head, located facing the side road.

Even though there is usually a short queue, the stall is quite fast and get your orders out quick. They serve up a variety of Hong Kong roast rice and noodle dishes, such as Char Siew Rice, Roasted Duck Rice, Roasted Meat Rice, Wanton Noodles and Dumpling Noodles. Priced between $3 to $5.

The Wanton Noodles ($3.50) had noodles that were the thin, springy Hong Kong style, topped with caramelized char siew slices that were quite thick, rich and fatty.

Not super famous, but worth a mention for its portion and well-charred meats.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Seng Heng Braised Duck Noodles
#01-28 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 9:30am (Sun – Tues), 7:30am – 10:30pm (Wed – Sat)

This is one of those breakfast-only places, and I would suggest going early as they usually run out by 9am plus. The stall opens at 7:30am.

The Hokkien-style braised duck has a very authentic taste and flavor, with just the right blend of spices.

The meat while slightly on the lean side with a bit of gaminess, still had tender texture and succulent flavor. The chili really spikes up the taste of noodles and compliments the whole dish quite well.

As for the soup, it had the essence of the duck bones and some herbals which gave it added richness.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Shi Le Yuan
#01-82 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 7:30am – 1:30pm (Sat – Sun)

Shi Le Yuan 實叻園 can be one of the best Kway Chap you can find in Singapore – the kway (rice noodles) was so smooth. (Note: There is also a Shi Le Yuan Teochew Muay in the same food centre.)

This stall was listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore in 2017, fell off the ranks, and was relisted again 2019.

The Kway Chap is priced at $3 or $4 for individual portion, $6 or $7 if you intend to share.

It is accompanied with an assortment of ingredients like pig’s intestine and skin, fish cake, hard-boiled eggs, tau pok, and tofu, all braised together in the sauce. I enjoyed that the intestines were soft and without that wonky after-taste.

Also available are Pig’s Organ Soup and Meat Ball Soup. The couple-hawkers were friendly and sincere as well. Shi Le Yuan (Redhill Food Centre)

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Fu Ming Carrot Cake
#01-49 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Tel: +65 9641 0565
Opening Hours: 10am – 8:30pm (Tues, Thurs – Sat), 10am – 3am (Sun), Closed Mon, Wed

Fu Ming Carrot Cake is quite surprisingly listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore Guide 2019. (Do note that there opening hours change quite frequently.)

I usually head over here for supper, and when not worried about counting calories. To look out for the stall, find the “Mickey Mouse” on their signboard.

Fu Ming Cooked Food is quite popular as a supper treat for its Fried Carrot Cakes ($3, $4, $5), available in both white or black versions.

Good to know that this stall still steams their own carrot cake, and thus you would find it softer and more watery, compared to many others who simply get their supply from factories.

Usually I would go for the white versions in most stall, but somehow I prefer the black here.

There is this soft texture and flavor along with hint of radishes, some pieces of eggs, dribbled with sweet black sauce which was added twice for extra sweetness. You may find it slightly salty and greasy though. Fu Ming Carrot Cake (Redhill Food Centre)

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Jia Xiang Mee Siam
#01-35 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon, Thurs – Sun), 11am – 6pm (Tues – Wed)

Two words – old school!

There is usually a steady queue for the Mee Siam ($3), Lontong ($3) and Nasi Lemak ($3). All of which were reasonably priced considering the portion size.

The owner has been serving up Mee Siam for more than 50 years, having learnt the recipe from her mother. Don’t be fooled by the faded signboard, because it is the food that really matters.

You get a myriad of ingredients spread atop the orange bee hoon such as hard-boiled eggs, tau pok, tiny fried crouton-like flour puffs (which makes this really different), a thin piece eggs, fried ikan billis, and finished with a dollop of chilli and self-made shallot oil.

Once you taste the gravy, you know where the magic is – the right proportion of sourness with that zing. Some people may find this more sour and tangy than the average version, but I find this is where the allure is.

Also, this is one of the few Mee Siam stalls in which you can ‘upgrade’ your plate with other ingredients such as ngor hiang, fish cakes, fried omelette and tau kwa.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Lan Xin Delight
#01-87 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 10am – 2pm (Mon – Sun)

It is not difficult to spot a queue here even before lunch time (do practice your social distancing).

Lan Xing Delight serves up cai fan with one meat and two vegetables for an astonishing $2.50. And it can be pretty filling.

Alternatively, you can get a plate with 3 vegetables for $2, or 2 meats at $3.00. $2 chye peng!

You can expect dishes such as curry chicken and potatoes, pork belly, fried pork chop, sweet and sour pork, fried kuning fish, chap chye, bean sprouts, omelette and more.

Well, there is a home-cooked taste to it. While the dishes are not exceptional, you can’t really complain for this price.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Fatimah Muslim Food
#01-78 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11pm – 12am (Mon – Fri), 7am – 12am (Sat), 10am – 12am (Sun)

Previously from West Coast, this stall is known for affordable Pratas that are available even till late nights, known for its slight-fluffy texture.

They are available in many fillings. A Plain Prata ($1.80 for 2 pieces minimum order) can be enjoyed with their fish curry. Other varieties include with egg, onion, cheese, chocolate, strawberry, honey, tissue, mushroom and even milk prata.

There are also other more filling items such as Nasi Goreng Ikan Billis ($4), Noodle Goreng ($4), Bee Hoon Ikan Bilis Goreng (4), Roti John ($4) and Mutton Soup ($4).

The other well-received Prata stall here at Redhill Food Centre is Ali Fatimah Food Stall (#01-01) always spotted with long queue. Would recommend getting their crispy Prata early morning as they close by 10am on most days (closed Wed).

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Redhill Food Centre

Qing Tian Desserts 青天冷热甜品
#01-60 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 4pm – 11pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

The stall got enough more famous when PM Lee Hsien Loong was spotted queuing for it, with special note of the “dancing uncle” and techno music. (He said he would do an Instagram video the next time, which I think didn’t happen.)

While uncle didn’t dance when I was there, he was still very jovial and ‘moving around’.

This stall serves up quite a variety of both hot and cold desserts, from Cendol, Sea Coconut Iced Jelly, Ice Kachang, Cheng Tng, Red Bean Sauce To Mango Pudding Cocktail.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Pek Kio Food Centre

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Noodles
41A Cambridge Road, #01-41 Pek Kio Market & Food Centre Singapore 211041
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun), Closed Tues, Fri

There are two famous Prawn Noodles stalls here.

Interesting, customers at Pek Kio Food Centre also seem to gravitate towards Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee which has friendly service, huge portion and afforable pricing.

The stall is run by a husband and wife team for several years, even before the Pek Kio Market was renovated. They have gained a huge base of faithful customers and are always packed with hungry fans, and the queue can take up to 20 minutes or more.

Their Prawn Noodles start from $3 but I would recommend going for the more sizable $5 version.

A standard bowl of Pork Ribs Prawn Noodles has a generous portion size with well prepared, stringy noodles. The pork ribs to a succulent and juicy texture.

Between the dry and the soup, I thought that the dry is tastier, well-seasoned and doesn’t go overboard with flavours. The soup didn’t leave as big an impression as I preferred a more multi-layered taste.

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Pek Kio Food Centre

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles
41A Cambridge Road, #01-15, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 210041
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 2pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

It is slightly unfortunate that Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre has become more famous for a temperament owner, rather than what it serves.

Just have a scroll through various review websites, and you would find countless feedback on the auntie’s attitude, especially if you do not queue behind a red line or ordered the cheapest bowl.

But I find auntie becoming more ‘friendly’ (or mellowed down), especially in the last year.

If I were to recommend, get the mee kia (thin noodles) dry.

The noodles are specially made for Wah Kee, and all base sauces such as the sambal chilli sauce and special spicy sauce are made in-house daily, using Wah Kee’s 65-year recipe.

Interesting to note that they do not use pork in cooking the soup, and therefore the broth is lighter with an unique orange colour.

The prawns were large and fresh, soup was tasty and moderately robust in flavours – more intense than the average stall, but didn’t seem to be as rich and gao-gao (ie more diluted) as in the past. Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle (Pek Kio Food Centre)

 

[jw5]

What To Dabao From Pek Kio Food Centre

Soon Kee Wanton Mee
41A Cambridge Road, #01-44 Pek Kio Market & Food Centre, Singapore 211041
Opening Hours: 5am – 1:30pm (Mon, Thurs – Sun), Closed Tues, Wed

There is something I need to warn you about if you have never tried this stall before – the chilli sauce.

While old-school Wanton Noodles are a dime in a dozen, you may wonder about this long-queued stall which is hardly heard of outside of this area.

The stall serves up Wanton Noodles ($3.50) and Dumpling Noodle ($3.50). Ask for normal spiciness and you may be in for slight surprise.

There would be a shallow pool of oily sauce and sambal chilli included with shrimps, and for Wanton Mee standard it is considered ‘power’. In fact, it does mask the original taste of the noodles, but yet can get pretty addictive.

The noodles are not the typical Hong Kong style, slightly thick with a slight alkaline taste, yet delightfully springy and maintain their chewy texture until the last mouthful.

The handmade wonton and char siew are more ordinary, so some people may not understand the fuss.