Origins of Nanyang Cuisine Part One. Foodprints of Traders, Emissaries & Pilgrims (206 BC to 1368 AD)

This is the first of a series of four articles that trace the origins and influences that shape Chinese Nanyang cuisine of modern day Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines (maritime Southeast Asia).

Meng Kee Fried Kway Teow @ Havelock Food Centre. Popular with People who Like CKT Sweet

Meng Kee Fried Kway Teow is a popular char kway teow with many loyal fans who swear by it for its wok hei and robust sweet-savoury flavours.

Stall name: Meng Kee Fried Kway Teow

Address: 22A Havelock Road, stall #01-07, Singapore 161022 (Havelock Road Food Centre)

Hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm (Sun off)

Peranakan Dinner with Chef Lionel Chee @ Tom, Dick & Hillary's in Singapore Chinatown

Caught up with chef Lionel Chee at his new location at Tom, Dick & Hillary's in Chinatown. I've always enjoyed Lionel's Peranakan and Eurasian cuisine. Lionel is an artisan - at his best, his Peranakan and Eurasian dishes are among the most delicious I've tasted.

Restaurant name: Tom, Dick & Hillary's

Address: 11 Mosque St, Singapore 059491

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Chinatown station

Tel: +65 6260 0767 (reservation suggested)

Hours: 3:00pm - 10:30pm (Sun & PH off)

Russel Wong in Kyoto | Life in Edo @ Asian Civilisations Museum 16 Apr to 19 Sep 2021

I've been to the Russel Wong in Kyoto | Life in Edo show twice already, so far. It's a fascinating exhibition showcasing masterworks of Japanese woodblock printing from Edo-period Japan (1603 - 1868) alongside photographs of today's Japan by renowned photographer Russel Wong.

The show runs from 16 Apr to 19 Sep 2021, so I will be there many more times, as each time I gain different insights from the exhibits. The woodblock prints are displayed on rotation, so I'll also be seeing new exhibits.

Asian Civilisations Museum

Address: 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555

Hours: 10:00am - 7:00pm

Hawker Gems of Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre to Save You Wasted Calories

Ghim Moh Food Centre with some 50 stalls is popular with local residents and also with workers from office blocks nearby because it has many good food stalls. Here are local people's top choices (in ascending order of stall number).

Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre

Address: 20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore 270020

Nearest MRT: 10 minutes walk from Buona Vista station

Thye Hong Handmade Fishball Noodle 🐟 Ghim Moh People's Favourite 太豐鱼圆面

Popular old fishball noodle stall in Ghim Moh Food Centre. Their springy noodles and lardy sauce are nice. I especially like their handmade fishball and fish cake as its savoury sweetness is among the best balanced of all that I've tried so far, anywhere in Singapore and Malaysia.

Stall name: Thye Hong Handmade Fishball Noodle 太豐鱼圆面

Address: 20 Ghim Moh Road, stall #01-36, Singapore 270020 (stall inside Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre)

Hours: 6:00am - 11:00am (Mon, Weds, Thurs off)

Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh. Last & Only Handmade Teochew Water Cake Stall in Singapore 李老三传统水粿

Trays of freshly steamed chwee kueh - a scene you can only see at Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh, the last and only water cake stall that still make and steam their cakes at the stall. It feels and tastes different from central kitchen supplied chwee kwee, so public reactions to it are mixed.

Stall name: Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh 李老三传统水粿

Address: 20 Ghim Moh Road, stall #01-54, Singapore 270020 (Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre)

Nearest MRT station: Buona Vista

Hours: 6:30am - 6:30pm

Elusive Guan Kee aka Famous Ghim Moh Fried Kway Teow. I Waited 20 Years for this 🤔 源记炒粿条

The last time I tasted Guan Kee char kway teow was some 20 yeas ago. Since then, I faced only closed shutters, until this morning. It was a special joy as I had been waiting to taste this CKT again for a very long time, one of Singapore's most famous fried kway teow.

Stall name: Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow 源记炒粿条

Address: 20 Ghim Moh Road, stall #01-19, Singapore 270020 (Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre)

Nearest MRT station: Buona Vista

Hours: 7:30am - 1:00pm (Thurs, Fri, Sun, Mon off) i.e. open on Tues, Weds, Sat only

TOM's City Zoom Mee Pok Tar @ Ghim Moh F C 🐟 Fish Chor Mee? 🤔 乡城鱼脞面

Ghim Moh folks' favourite, a nice re-interpretation of the old staple minced pork noodle by a young hawker. The signboard in Chinese says 鱼脞面 Fish Chor Mee or minced fish noodle.

Stall name: TOM's City Zoom Mee Pok Tar 乡城鱼脞面

Address: 20 Ghim Moh Road, stall #01-11, Singapore 270020

Hours: 6:00am - 1:00pm (Tues & Fri off)

Chao Xiang Cooked Food. Kway Chap @ Hougang Hainanese Village Centre 潮香熟食

Chao Xing Cooked Food serve kway chap popular with regulars at Hainanese Village Centre in Hougang, judging by the long queue at the stall everyday. It's one of the hundreds of food stalls that epitomises Singapore hawker culture upholding tradition, taste, affordability and community.

Stall name: Chao Xiang Cooked Food 潮香熟食

Address: 105, stall #02-27 Hougang Ave 1, Hainanese Village Food Centre, Singapore 530105

Hours: 7:00am - 12:00 noon

Hunters Kitchen 🇮🇩 Lovingly Home Cooked Authentic Indonesian & Peranakan Cuisine

Thanks to arrangements by Andrew Ong and Benny Se Teo, we enjoyed a most scrumptious feast of Indonesian and Peranakan cuisine graciously hosted by well known home chef Christina Hunter and hubby Nick at their beautiful home in Singapore.

First Class Fragrance Yi Liu Xiang Nasi Lemak 🐠 The Hottest Stall @ Hougang Hainanese Village Centre 一流香

If you go by how long are the queues, Yi Liu Xiang Nasi Lemak is the most popular stall at Hainanese Village Centre in Hougang. I love their simple but delicious package of coconut rice, fried fish fillet, fried ikan selar fish, fried whitebait and sambal chili - all that deliciousness for $3.

Stall name: Yi Liu Xiang 一流香 

Address: 105 Hougang Ave 1, stall #02-30 Hainanese Village Centre, Singapore 530105 (also known as Lorong Ah Soo Market & Food Centre)

Hours: 6:30am - 12:00 noon (Weds & Thurs off)

Good Food Guide to Hainanese Village Centre (Hougang Lor Ah Soo) ❤️ Feel the Heart in this Heartland Hawker Centre

Hainanese Village (Lor Ah Soo) Centre is a relatively small market & food centre but it is well loved as there are several good food stalls and warm kampung spirit here. Every day, families, neighbours, friends etc., come here to have a tasty, affordable meal and la kopi (stir coffee i.e. hang out over coffee).

Hainanese Village Centre (also known as Lor Ah Soo Market & Food Centre)

Address: 105 Hougang Ave 1, Singapore 530105

Nearest MRT: 10 minutes walk from Kovan station

Wang Jiao Shu Shi @ Hougang Hainanese Village. Can't Get Enough of this Old School Wanton Noodle 旺角熟食

This neighbourhood wanton mee stall has one of the most addictive noodles and sauce in the WTM business in Singapore.

Stall name: Wang Jiao Shu Shi 旺角熟食

Address: 105, stall #02-41 Hougang Ave 1, Hainanese Village Food Centre, Singapore 530105

Hours: 8:00am - 2:00pm (Sun off)

Ming Fa Duck Rice @ Hainanese Village Centre Hougang 🦆 One of my Fav Teochew Braised Duck 明发鸭饭

This is one of my favourite braised duck rice stalls now. The meat texture, taste of the duck and sauce, rice, soup, the pricing and even the sambal chili all ticked the right boxes for me ✅ 

Stall name: Ming Fa Duck Rice 明发鸭饭

Address: 105, stall #02-01 Hougang Ave 1, Hainanese Village Food Centre, Singapore 530105

Hours: 7:00am - 12:00 noon (Sun & Mon off)

Hup Huat White Carrot Cake @ Hainanese Village Centre Hougang. I Like this House Made Carrot Cake

Lovely, comforting fried carrot cake in a homely feel hawker centre with kampung spirit.

Stall name: Hup Huat (White) Carrot Cake 合发白箩卜糕

Address: 105, stall #02-35 Hougang Ave 1, Hainanese Village Food Centre, Singapore 530105

Hours: 7:00am - 2:00pm (Mon & Thurs off)

Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken @ Alexandra Village F C. Like their Noodles, Soup & Sui Kow 香江豉油鸡

Xiang Jiang serve a popular Hong Kong style wanton noodle, HK style soya sauce chicken, and huge prawn dumplings (sui kow). It's one of the most popular stalls at Alexandra Village (judging by the constant queue), touted by influencers as the best soya sauce chicken in Singapore, awarded the Michelin Plate, owned by ex-Raffles Hotel chef and all.

Stall name: Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken 香江豉油鸡

Address: Stall #01-77, Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120

Hours: 8:00am - 2:00pm (Mon & Tues off)

Shu Heng Bi Tai Mak @ Kebun Baru Food Centre. Johor Bahru Style Rat Tail Noodle in Ang Mo Kio

If you miss the lou shi fun or mee tai mak at JB's Kimdo restaurant, now you can your fix at Shu Heng Bi Tai Mak. The three month old stall also have a "dry" version with a savoury tangy spicy lardy sauce which I like a lot. The queue is building up at the stall as word is getting around fast about their delicious mee tai mak. 

Stall name: Shu Heng Bi Tai Mak 數興老鼠粉

Address: 226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22, stall #01-25, Kebun Bahru Market and Hawker Centre, Singapore 568226

Hours: 7:00am - 12:00 noon (Tues off)

When Pigs Can Fly ✈️ Bu Jian Tian Char Siew Wanton Noodle in Singapore 🐷

Many wanton noodle enthusiasts are crazy about char siew made with "bu jian tian" or the "armpit" cut of pork. Like other bu jian tian fans, I also prefer this special cut over the usual lean meat / pork belly char siew. Out of hundreds of wanton mee stalls in Singapore, the number serving bu jian tian char siew can be counted with the fingers on one hand.

Ponggol Noodles @ Hougang Hainanese Village Centre. One Arm Noodle Man & a Different Take on Bak Chor Mee

Ponggol Noodles serve a different kind of bak chor mee or minced pork noodle which many come to love. The popular stall at Hougang's Hainanese Village Centre (market & food centre) is transiting into the third generation now, from grandfather to father (in 1995), and now to daughter. I love their slurpy noodles, special sweet savoury sauce and handmade pork balls.

Stall name: Punggol Noodles 榜鵝乾麵

Address: 105 Hougang Ave 1, stall #02-24 Hainanese Village Centre, Singapore 530105 (also known as Lorong Ah Soo Market & Food Centre)

Tel: +65 9722 5590

Hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm (Mon & Fri off)

Fatty Cheong @ ABC Market 🐷 Bu Jian Tian Char Siew Noodle with Butcher's Secret Cut

In Singapore, Fatty Cheong at ABC Market is synonymous with "bu jian tian" 不见天 char siew to go with their egg noodles or plain rice. They were the pioneers that make char siew with this cut of pork popular with Singaporeans

Stall name: Fatty Cheong 肥仔详烧腊云吞面

Address: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-120, Singapore 150006, ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre

Hours: 11:30am - 8:00pm (Thurs off)

Hong Xing Handmade Fishball Meatball Noodle @ Hong LIm F C. Breakfast in Chinatown

Popular early breakfast option at Hong Lim Food Centre serving traditional Teochew handmade fishball and meatball with spicy noodles.

Stall name: Hong Xing Handmade Fishball Meatball Noodle 鴻興手工魚圓 . 肉圓麵

Address: Hong Lim Food Centre, #02-30, 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531  

Hours: 7:00am - 2:00pm (Weds off)

Yong Xiang Carrot Cake Stall Famous for their Fried Teochew Kueh @ Bendemeer F C

Yong Xiang Carrot Cake serve a unique take on Teochew kueh that I've not seen anywhere else. Love it or loathe it, it's interesting and I recommend that you give it a try when you are at Bendemeer Food Centre.

Stall name: Yong Xiang Carrot Cake

Address: Stall #01-35 Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, 29 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330029

Hours: 6:00am - 2:00pm (Mon, Weds, Fri off)

San Xi Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Bendemeer FC 🐔 三喜海南鸡饭

San Xi Chicken Rice popular with residents living around Bendemeer Food Centre serve a tender, juicy chicken with a sweet savoury sauce, nutty aromatic greasy rice, nice chili and ginger sauce, and excellent soup. All at an affordable, competitive price.

Stall name: San Xi Hainanese Chicken Rice 三喜海南鸡饭

Address: #01-53 Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, 29 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330029

Hours: 10:00am - 3:00pm

I am Wearing my Father's Watch ⏱️ Seiko 6139-7100 Darth Vader

I am now wearing my dad's Seiko 6139-7100 from the 1970s. I like the watch's unique, unorthodox design - it is chunky and thick but looks nice in a "cute" kind of way.

Hai Sheng Carrot Cake @ Bendemeer F C 😋 Choose Black or White, No Mixed, No Black & White 🤔

Hai Sheng is the most popular of at least three carrot cake stalls at Bendemeer Food Centre.

Stall name: Hai Sheng Carrot Cake 海盛菜頭粿

Address: 29 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330029. Bendemeer Market & Food Centre stall #01-85

Hours: 6:00am - 11:00am

Guide to Famous Hawkers & Hidden Gems @ Bendemeer Market & Food Centre

This is a very busy, gritty old market & food centre at the city fringe with many good hawker stalls. Most of the food stalls serve comfort dishes but there are a few surprising twists to the old school favourites worth checking out.

Bendemeer Market & Food Centre

Address: 29 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330029

Nearest MRT: At the doorstep of Boon Keng station

Singapore Bao. Lovely Siew Mai & Not Bad Lo Mai Gai @ Bendemeer Food Centre 新加坡包点

Singapore Bao doesn't sell buns but a good lo mai gai and an excellent siew mai. They're rather elusive and available only between 7am - 9am at Bendemeer Market & Food Centre. I only managed to get a taste of these on my third visit.

Stall name: Singapore Bao  新加坡包点

Address: 29 Bendemeer Road, stall #01-61 Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330029

Nearest MRT: At the doorstep of Boon Keng station

Hours: 7:00am - 9:00am or till sold out

Bendemeer Prawn Noodle 🦐 Residents' Fav @ Bendemeer Food Centre 明地迷亚虾面

Stumbled upon Bendemeer Prawn Noodle stall while stalking hawkers at Bendemeer Market & Food Centre. They serve an old school prawn noodle that appeal to the residents here at the mature HDB estate, hence the constant queue at the stall. I enjoy the comforting level of crustacean savoury flavours and punchy sambal chili though its soup lacks the thick gao gao body and extreme umami of in trend prawn mee of today. 

Stall name: Bendemeer Prawn Noodle

Address: 29 Bendemeer Road, #01-42, Singapore 330029 (Bendemeer Market & Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: At the doorstep of Boon Keng station

Tel: 9113 1386

Hours: 7:00am - 2:00pm

Tee Poh is Treasure of the Seabed & Kitchen 💎 地宝.比目鱼.大地鱼.扁魚.铁脯鱼.左口鱼

In Singapore, some people are obsessive about having tee poh in their food like in bak chor mee. For them, it is the defining ingredient - have tee poh 👍 good, no tee poh 👎 bad. I am also like that but often wondered what the words "Tee Poh" stand for 🤔

44 Bendemeer Prawn Mee 🦐 Reporting to CAN EAT! Hawker Food HQ

Finally made a trip to Blk 44 Bendemeer Road to taste the no name prawn mee stall at Foodprints Hoe Seng F & B kopitiam. Members of Can Eat! Hawker Food Facebook group know this as the group HQ - an icon of "can eat" hawker food in Singapore 😄  

Stall name: No name prawn mee

Address: Blk 44 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 331044. Stall inside Foodprints Hoe Seng F & B kopitiam 翮成餐饮室

Hours: 7:00am - 3:00pm (Mon off)