Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture · History

Adventurous Culinary Traveler's Blog with 66 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Two Basket Hawkers of Singapore & Vanishing Heritage Hawker Food


Growing up in 1960s Singapore, I was fortunate to see the last legs of Singapore's two-basket hawkers before they disappeared.

Private Chef Dinner @ The Riverhouse @ Clarke Quay

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The Riverhouse @ Clarke Quay houses three concepts - Yin Bar, Yang Club and MiMi Restaurant. Now we can call Jeremy 📞 9726 8082, The Riverhouse's operations manager to arrange private dinners by MiMi Restaurant's chef Sam Chong.

Tony Boey Johor Kaki Food Blogger Connects People, Places & Cuisines with History 梅天成

✍️ 6 Apr 2024. Who is Tony Boey, Johor Kaki?

Tony Boey is my name, Johor Kaki is my social media platforms. My main efforts are in my blog, and I also have Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Tony Cafe Famous Fried Chicken Wing & Meat Ball @ The Adelphi near City Hall MRT Station

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Tony Cafe have been on my eat-list since reading buddy Jill's hilarious post about how Tony Cafe's boss won't let her have more than one fried meat ball even though she was a long time regular 😄 

Remember Empress Place Food Centre @ Singapore River? Opened 1973, Demolished 1993



Empress Place Food Centre opened in 1973 and was demolished in 1993 to make way for development at Singapore River. (Image courtesy of NAS.)

(Note: This is not the Empress Road Market & Food Centre near Farrer Road MRT station which still exists.)

Geylang Laksa Prawn Noodles @ 45 Sims Drive, Sheng Hui Coffee Shop

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We were on a food trail at block 45 Sims Drive, Sheng Hui coffee shop. Geylang Laksa Prawn Noodles (Since 1964) stall wasn't on our eat-list but we bumped into another buddy Kwok Peng who pointed it out to us. Turned out that this was the most memorable dish I had at this stop 😄

Super Loco Mexican Restaurant & Bar @ Robertson Quay. Brunch in Singapore

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We had a nice chill out Saturday morning brunch at Super Loco Mexican restaurant at Robertson Quay of Singapore River.

Dumplings RU. One & Only Russian Restaurant in Singapore. Menu & Review

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Today, I joined the Russians in indulging in their comfort food and vodka in the only Russian restaurant in Singapore.

Singapore River Fengshui ● Belly of the Carp & Dragon Gate 鲤鱼跳龙门

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When you look at a map of Singapore River, you will see the shape of a fish with Boat Quay looking like the bulging belly of a fully laden female carp. 
Image courtesy of Flickr.

Nasi Briyani Dubai Express @ Sims Vista near Aljunid MRT Station

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Thanks to buddy Tony Tan for introducing me to this under-the-radar nasi biryani stall - Dubai Express at Sims Vista Market & Food Centre.

Origin & Father of Bak Chor Mee. Singapore Hawker Culture Heritage 新加坡肉脞面的历史.驼背面

Singapore_Bak_Chor_Mee_Minced_Pork_Noodle

Bak chor mee or minced meat noodle stalls are everywhere in Singapore, yet are less heralded than chicken rice, bak kut teh, Nyonya laksa etc. The humble bak chor mee has been in Singapore for nearly 100 years though its present forms have evolved much from its original version. The original, that "father of bak chor mee" is a uniquely Singapore dish, a truly intangible cultural heritage.

Amazing Her Kiao Fish Dumplings @ Chao Yang Fishball Noodle · Eunos MRT Hawker Centre

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I am excited to share with you a new find I stumbled upon today at Eunos Crescent Hawker Centre - Chao Yang Fishball Noodle 潮阳手工鱼丸粿条面汤.

Pure Prawn Noodle • Back to Basics Wee's Prawn Mee @ Wee's Family Coffee Shop near Kaki Bukit MRT Station 🦐

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In today's Singapore, prawn noodle is a popular dish but there seems to be an obsession with big, big, big. Big prawns, big umami kick, big portions. I love today's big, big, big style too but find going back to basics sometimes refreshing and just as satisfying. For a delicious, down-to-earth prawn mee, I go to Wee's Family Coffeeshop at block 117, Bedok Reservoir Road. Price $3.90 a serving in 2022.

Stall name: Wee's Family Coffee Shop 黄家咖啡店


Address: 117 Bedok Reservoir Road, #01-50, Singapore 470117


Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Kaki Bukit station


Tel: 6743 7482


Hours: 8:15am till sold out (prawn noodle)

Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau. Rare Singapore Hawker Dish #2 生成豆干包


Today, Sylvia my avid foodie friend showed me her long time favourite Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau. It is a vanishing Singapore hawker dish and it would be a pity if it disappears as it is so delicious.

What is the Difference between Singapore & Johor Teochew Bak Kut Teh?

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Clear peppery, Teochew bak kut teh is synonymous with Singapore bak kut teh. Across the Causeway in "小汕頭 Little Swatow" or Johor Bahru, Teochew bak kut teh soup is brownish savoury herbal. Looking at the two bak kut teh, some people may be surprised to hear that they are both Teochew bak kut teh sharing the same roots.

How did the siblings turned out so differently? 🤷‍♂️

Famous Eunos BCM Bak Chor Mee. 100 Years of Soup Minced Pork Noodles in Singapore

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Today, I stuffed myself with delicious Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee and listened in rapture about minced pork noodle's one hundred year history in Singapore. (I got more research to do, but here's the first instalment.)

Mystery of Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah @ Fort Canning Park. Oldest Religious Monument in Singapore

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Keramat Iskandar Shah at Fort Canning Park is a shrine dedicated to Sultan Iskandar Shah who was the last king of Singapura and the first Sultan of the Malacca Sultanate.

Rare Singapore Hawker Dish #1. Lo Kai Yik 南乳卤鸡翼

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Nam Yue Lo Kai Yik which means "Blue Bean Curd Stewed Chicken Wing" in Cantonese is sold at only 2, yes T. W. O., 2 ✌ hawker stalls in Singapore. Most locals go to Charlie's Peranakan Food stall at the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre for their Lo Kai Yik fix. (Another Lo Kai Yik stall is Lo Mei Specialist at People's Park Food Centre.)

Honolulu Cafe Egg Tart & Milk Tea @ Centrepoint Orchard Road

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After a heavy lunch and some shopping, we went to Honolulu Cafe at Centrepoint for the obligatory pit stop. I can never resist a good Hong Kong milk tea and egg tart, but this was my first time at Honolulu Cafe.

Singapore Treaty 1819. Nine Days that Changed the Fate of Singapore

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In 1819, Raffles signed the Singapore Treaty with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul Rahman of the Johor Sultanate which changed the fate of Singapore forever.

Samsui Chicken & Signatures @ Keng Eng Kee Seafood. Legacy of Singapore's Samsui Women

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Samsui chicken is a seldom seen variant of the ubiquitous chicken rice in Singapore. Only the Soup Restaurant chain has Samsui chicken on its regular menu, while Keng Eng Kee Seafood at Bukit Merah Lane 1 have it on pre-order basis ☎ 6272 1038.

Little Bangladesh Food Trail @ Desker Road Singapore

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Today, we had a most interesting day in Singapore's unofficial "Little Bangladesh" with Jason and Alexandra (known to her friends as Alex).

Jade Palace Restaurant @ Forum The Shopping Mall. Hong Kong Cuisine in the Heart of Singapore

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You know, when we want to find a nice restaurant nowadays, we instinctively reach for our phones (how did relying on a digital sidekick become a human instinct so quickly?🤔). I've often heard it said that in this day and age, if something is not on the worldwide web, it doesn't exist.

Well, today I am reminded again that we haven't quite reached that stage yet - but heading there. There still exist nice restaurants and places that people in the know, know...., but have a low social media or internet presence. Jade Palace @ Forum is one such fine restaurant.