Havelock Road Covent Garden Kway Chap. Probably the Oldest Kway Chap Stall in Singapore

The busiest stall at Havelock Road Food Centre serving probably the cheapest kway chap by one of the oldest hawkers in Singapore.

TongKang, TwaKow & Bumboats of Singapore River. What's the Difference?

From 1819 to 1983, Singapore River was chock a block with boats of all kinds - tongkang, twakow, and bumboats. These terms are often used interchangeably but they refer to different types of river craft. There were also sampans.

History of Read Bridge ● Cha Chun Tau ● Singapore River's Party Bridge 柴船头

 Read Bridge 2006

Read Bridge which spans the Singapore River connecting the north and south banks at Clarke Quay, is truth be told, not a pretty bridge nor any architectural marvel. Neither is it the oldest, youngest, longest or anything. The 280 metres short bridge's only credential is it is at Singapore River's most happening place, the party central of Singapore River since the turn of the century till today 💃

Rahim Muslim Food. Mee Rebus vs Mee Soto. Which One More Power?

We came here drawn by the hype stellar online reputation of Rahim Muslim Food's Mee Rebus Power in Ang Mo Kio's Chong Boon Market. It was nice but we thought their Mee Soto is a sort of unsung hero. Truth be told, their mee soto is my number one choice at Rahim Muslim Food.

Whampoa KuoTie XiaoLongBao Menu & Review @ Hong Fu Ling 81 Eating House 黄浦锅贴小笼包

Humble Chinese dumpling stall in a Whampoa kopitiam that probably serves the best cheap and good xiao long bao, pot sticker (kuotie) and wantons in Singapore. The corner stall run by a couple from Qingdao, China had been here under the social media radar for over 6 years.

Elgin Bridge. History of the First Bridge of Singapore

 Elgin Bridge 2020

Elgin Bridge which spans Singapore River linking South Bridge Road and North Bridge Road is the first bridge of Singapore. First completed in 1820 as a timber foot bridge, Elgin Bridge was rebuilt five times before its present form in 1929.

Kwai Luck Mee Siam @ Chong Boon Market. 40 Years Perfecting 1 Dish

Kwai Luck Cook Food serves an excellent mee siam kuah with a rich, well balanced sauce full of savoury, umami, sweet, sour and underlying spice flavours. The sauce has a lot of flavours, all in "a bit, a bit" portions playing hide and seek with your tastebuds, if you are attentive. I really enjoyed this little traditional treat.

Wai Hai Lou Casual Chinese Restaurant Menu & Review. Satisfying Simple Staples 外海楼

I was blown away by the depth of savoury beefy sweet flavours of this soup. The beef brisket was soft, juicy and beefy sweet. The noodles had a nice light crunch to the bite. This ranks in my mind in the top band of beef noodles in Singapore.

Honest Review of Lee's Confectionary. HDB Cafe & French Patisserie Worth a Journey to the West until Jurong

Lee's Confectionary is a walk-pass kind of nondescript HDB shop lot place but once you discovered it, you will want to tell your friends, if not jio them to go over. The decor is bare bones minimalist, the coffee is pretty good but the stars here are the fine handcrafted French style cakes. If you are a cake person like me, you will be making excuses to journey to the west until Jurong.

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang Menu & Review @ Geylang Serai Market. Good but Pricey

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang at Geylang Serai really needs no introduction. It is one of the most famous Nasi Padang stalls in Singapore and the busiest stall at Geylang Serai Market. It has a wide range of Nasi Padang dishes including all the classics like rendang meats. Spice use is comprehensive (no missing spices) and their flavours, aromas and intensity are finely tuned for balance. Delicious but prices are higher than average hawker centre levels.

Famous Mat Noh & Rose Ginger Fried Chicken @ Whampoa Market

This Halal fried chicken rice at Whampoa Market serving crispy outside, juicy inside fried chicken enveloped with aromatic spices and mild ginger heat rivals KFC, Arnold's and their ubiquitous Hainanese counterparts. Crispy deep fried chicken offal, neck and skin add to the allure of Mat Noh & Rose Ginger Fried Chicken stall. The rice is nice too with the requisite chicky savoury sweet flavours infused in the soft grains. Its a busy stall often with huge takeaway orders.... ouch..., if you in the queue.

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant Menu & Review. Traditional Teochew @ 115 Bukit Merah Singapore

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant is a household name in Singapore with a multi-generational following, especially in the Teochew community (the only people you should trust to pick a Teochew restaurant 😄 ). It is the go-to place for many to savour traditional Teochew classics like steamed fish, cold crab, pork aspic, braised duck, oyster omelette, orh nee, etc. Ah Orh is a family friendly restaurant with reasonable prices. When you are here, you will hear most people around you banter in Teochew language 😄 Although I am not a Teochew (I am Cantonese), it feels so heartwarming to hear mother tongue spoken.

Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge & History of Johore Road

Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge is one of the oldest and most popular pork porridge stalls in Singapore. I love its lumpy texture and deep layers of full blown sweet savoury flavours from fresh ingredients. This is one of the best porridge stalls in Singapore that I've tasted.

Kok Kee versus Koung's 👑 Which is the Best Wanton Mee in Singapore?

Let me state right off the bat that facing off Kok Kee and Koung's wanton mee isn't going to be meaningful - because it is a case of comparing apples and oranges - they are different things. Kok Kee and Koung's are similar as wanton mee in the same way as apples and oranges are both fruits.

But, I am doing this show down anyway because many people have asked me "which is the best?". Singaporeans...... 🙄

Gandhi Restaurant. Traditional Indian Banana Leaf Joint Serve Dishes Dim Sum Style in Singapore

We met up at Gandhi Restaurant at Chander Road. It is hugely popular but not much mentioned in social media. This was my first time here and is now at the top of my mind for "go eat banana leaf" places in Singapore.

Update 2 Aug 2021

Gandhi Restaurant is now owned by Casuarina Restaurant.

Westlake Restaurant Review @ Queen's Road 西湖小吃

Can't remember how but buddy Eva mentioned in passing that Westlake (at Farrer Road MRT station) is one of her family's favourite eating places. Suddenly memories of this old place flooded my mind. I had eaten here in the 1980s as I lived and worked nearby briefly. My last time here was in 2005.

(Yeah..., this picture isn't the most photogenic but this is their signature braised pork belly with steamed buns or kong bak pau.)

Hwee Kee Kway Chap & Teochew Pork Jelly Aspic. Singapore River Hawker @ Hong Lim Food Centre 辉记

I am looking for the old hawker stalls of Singapore River and was tipped off about Hwee Kee kuey chap at Hong Lim Food Centre. I like the taste of Hwee Kee's kway chap and pork aspic - the stall is a little under the social media radar even though it has a loyal following of long time regulars.

Koung's Wan Tan Mee in Geylang · King Koung of Singapore Wanton Noodles

Koung's in Geylang is touted as one of Singapore's top wanton mee. This was my first time tasting Koung's wan tan mee.

Nankin Street Bak Kut Teh ● Maxwell Food Centre ● Last Bastion of Hokkien BKT in Singapore 南京街肉骨茶

Today, Teochew clear soup peppery bak kut teh is synonymous with Singapore BKT. But, dark herbal Hokkien bak kut teh was holding its own till the 1980s. The standard bearer of Hokkien BKT was 李旺世 Ong Say bak kut teh of Nankin Street.

Memories of Hock Lam Street · A Lost Forever Food Haven of Singapore

Hock Lam Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

"Youngsters" among us will remember Hock Lam Street 福南街, a buzzing foodie haunt in downtown Singapore. It was Singapore's shopping street before Orchard Road was a thing. However, Hock Lam Street doesn't exist anymore, not even its name.

Hallpike Street. The Lost Food Places of Singapore

Map of Singapore 1984. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Once upon a time there was a foodie haven at Hallpike Street (between North Boat Quay Road and High Street) which was demolished in the 1990s. The street no longer exists and its existence is mostly forgotten.

History of Fort Canning ⛰️ From Forbidden Hill to Bastion of Empire to Historic Park of Singapore

Image credit: Wikipedia

The history of Fort Canning Park is also the story of Singapore and Singapore River.

Bulletproof Coffee @ Heap Seng Leong Kopitiam ☕ Singapore's Time Warp Coffee Shop

Decadent kopi gu you (butter coffee). Image credit: With thanks to Edde Edeleden Chan

Kopitiam or coffee shops are ubiquitous in the Singapore heartland (and in Malaysia). In Singapore, almost all have kept up with the times except for a precious few like Heap Seng Leong 協勝隆 (at Blk 10 North Bridge Road) that exists in a strange time warp.

Ah Pui Pork Satay @ 28 Smith Street 🚚 From Tiong Bahru Illegal Push Cart to Chinatown Food Street Restaurant

And so, from now onwards, I shall measure all pork satay against Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay at 195 Pearl's Hill Cafe. It's not that I am a satay bigot, but it's just that I cannot un-taste what I had tasted 😂

Prawnaholic Prawn Mee Porno Menu & Review @ Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre

Buddy DJ is a big fan of Prawnaholic stall at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, so we met up there this morning. DJ was right, I was quite blown away by Prawnaholic's modern prawnographic take on our humble old prawn noodle.

Casa Bom Vento Express Nyonya Dry Laksa & Nasi Ulam @ Xin Tekka Singapore CLOSED

Today, went to check out the newly opened Xin Tekka food court which is just steps from Rochor MRT station. I like the 3 Nyonya dishes I tried at Casa Bom Vento Express including one of Singapore's rare nasi ulam, and it was a good one 😋.

Honest Review Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh in Jurong East Singapore West

Over a decade ago, we used to go trekking at Bukit Timah Hill on weekends and then reward ourselves with a hearty good lunch. One of the most enjoyable places to replenish our energies was Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh at Yuhua Market & Hawker Centre. That was long before I started Johor Kaki blog, so this post is to make up for not recording one of my favourite old lunch haunts.

3 Top Pick Kolo Mee & Sarawak Laksa by Sarawakians in Singapore. National Day Lucky Draw by STATOS

As there is a sizeable Sarawakian community in Singapore, we can get authentic Sarawak cuisine here. I checked out 3 popular Sarawak food stalls for kolo mee and Sarawak laksa picked by Sarawakians in Singapore.

TASTE OF SARAWAK NATIONAL DAY LUCKY DRAW

From today (3 Aug) till 9 Aug, these 3 stalls are celebrating Singapore National Day with a lucky draw organised by Sarawak Trade and Tourism Co. Pte. Ltd. (STATOS) with prizes of up to $1,000 Sheng Siong shopping vouchers.

Honest Geylang Durian 36 Singapore. Don't Sell Cheap but Won't Cheat You

After bak kut teh and a round of cafe coffee & cakes, Jen said "let's go for durian". This durian season is coming to a close and Jen just had to have another round at his favourite Durian 36 shop at 608, Lorong 36, Geylang.

$2 Million Kok Kee Wanton Mee @ Jurong West 505 Hawker Centre (Now Known as Wai Kee)

Buddy Ben is a big fan of Kok Kee wanton mee. I heard him mentioned it so many times. So, when we happened to be around Jurong West 505 Market & Hawker Centre, Ben pulled me to taste the legendary Kok Kee wanton mee. (Update: The stall is now known as Wai Kee since the brand Kok Kee has been sold to Jumbo Group in Nov 2020.)

JJ Sarawak Noodle Kolo Mee @ Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre

Today, I stumbled upon JJ Sarawak Noodle Kolo Mee at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre. I blogged about JJ Sarawak before when they were at Blk 504, Jurong West coffee shop. They just shifted here two months ago. Haven't tried them at this new location but updating this post for your convenience.

Stall name: JJ Sarawak Noodle

Address (since Aug 2021): Stall #03-127, Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499

Tel: 8245 1991

Hours: 7:00am - 6:00pm