Ayam Gepok Anakmak 📍 215 Ang Mo Kio ☎️ 89510912

Ayam gepuk craze has been raging in Java Indonesia, Malaysia and now in Singapore. The only ayam gepuk I could find in Singapore, at the moment, is Ayam Gepok Anakmak📍215 Ang Mo Kio, Sinfoodie coffeeshop.

Lien Ying Chow Unsung Hawker Hero • Legendary Mandarin Chatterbox Chicken Rice • International Launch of Singapore Hawker Culture

In the world of Singapore chicken rice, Swee Kee is at the level of mythology with no equal in its aura - though Swee Kee closed in 1997, its presence and influence are still felt today in the signboards of emulators from Singapore, to Malaysia and even Taiwan as well as in the minds of its multi-generational fans.

If Swee Kee is credited for popularising chicken rice in Singapore and regional countries, Mandarin Hotel's Chatterbox Chicken Rice is the one that put the humble chicken rice dish on the world map.

Boss Ayam Gepuk 📍Jalan Ibrahim 10 Minutes Walk from JB CIQ

I thought I was done ayam gepuk hunting for the day, my tummy was so full 😅 Then, I stumbled upon Boss Ayam Gepuk at Jalan Ibrahim just before heading back across the Causeway to Singapore. Struggled a bit before I decided to give it a try - I am glad that I did.

Boss Ayam Gepuk is the proverbial hidden gem.

Ayam Gepuk Republik 📍Bandar Dato Onn Johor Bahru ☎ +6012 268 9775

Johor Kaki also follow trend 🫢 I've been watching the ayam gepuk craze raged from Yogjakarta, Java in Indonesia, to Kuala Lumpur, Batam, Johor Bahru and finally making inroads into Singapore.

MacKenzie Rex Halal Chicken Rice📍Prinsep Street ☎ 6336 1702

When I asked Muslim friends where they go for Halal Hainanese chicken rice, MacKenzie Rex restaurant gets mentioned often.

So, I went to check it out 😁

Chicken Rice Rating System by Johor Kaki • Significantly Improve your Chicken Rice Experience • Effective 2 May 2026

Chicken rice is everywhere in Singapore. Most coffeeshops have one, many hawker centres have more than two, and sometimes even more than five (like at Maxwell Food Centre).

Most would agree that the standard of chicken rice in Singapore is high - it is very hard to find a bad chicken rice stall 🤣

Swee Kee • Original Most Famous Singapore Chicken Rice Ever & Forever 瑞记鸡饭的神话

There are and will be many famous chicken rice brands in Singapore and around the world but none will be or will ever be as famous as the original Swee Kee 瑞记.

Many brands can be famous, some even legendary, but only rarely will one reach a mythical level like Swee Kee 瑞记.

Father of Singapore Chicken Rice • Uncle Commie Wong Yi Guan 共产鸡饭王义元 • 新加坡鸡饭之父

Today, chicken rice stalls and even restaurants are ubiquitous in Singapore. Most coffee shops have at least one chicken rice stall, and hawker centres often have two or even more. 

Heng Kui Tampoi Laksa📍Restoran Lee Heng Taman Daya 兴贵淡杯叻沙 福林园 利興美食中心

Stalking Taman Daya for good food, Restoran Lee Heng was one of a few busy coffee shops popular with locals.

Singapore Immigrant History in a Cup of Hainanese Coffee • Nanyang Kopi 南洋咖啡 • 海南咖啡

Coffee or kopi as it is known in Malay in Singapore is like our lingua franca - the beverage that binds the diverse ethnic communities of Singapore (and also Malaysia).

Hawkers Omakase by Maybank & Makansutra 2026 • Dulukala Peranakan • 戚師傅 Chef Chik

Maybank with Makansutra have just launched the world's first Hawkers Omakase. 

Running from 23rd April to 30th June 2026, it is a ground breaking celebration of Singapore hawker culture involving six handpicked hawker stalls across the island. 

Inaugural stalls are Dulukala Peranakan at Jalan Silat by chef Zan and 戚師傅 at Haig Road Food Centre by chef Chik.

Foshan Shunde Jindeng Village Restaurant 顺德金登饭店 · 乡村私房菜 📞 27799223 📞 18934308391

This is the kind of dining experience I willingly to fly hours for. I am told that in Guangdong (and around China) there are many such village type eating places 乡村私房菜. I would love to come back for itineraries made up entirely of eateries like 金登饭店 Jindeng Village Restaurant. You know...., others cafe or bar hop, I love village restaurant hopping.

Kacang Pool📍Kedai Kak Nur Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Kacang Pool appeared in Singapore hawker centres only a few decades ago but never became mainstream. Today, only a handful of hawker stalls (less than 10) serve this dish.

Foshan Pork Organ Porridge · Haiji Zhou Gong Zhou Po · Congee Grandpa Grandma 佛山海记粥公粥婆 ☎ 13129199628

Well...., we didn't plan to come here. We actually wanted to have pork kidney at the famous Tiande 天德 but were turned away on arrival because their kidneys were sold out (even before opening for dinner service 🙄🥹 ).

Foshan Juhao Food Review · Goose, Raw Fish · Quality Ingredients, Authentic Yue Cuisine, Great Flavours · 聚豪园林美食(桃园店) 佛山 ☎ 0757-85222666

During our Foshan 佛山 food trip, one of the highlights was Juhao Food restaurant 聚豪酒家. The dishes (we tasted many) were good to excellent, and I was amazed by the scale of the enterprise as well as the inspiring story of the boss, chef Feng Zanbo 冯赞波.

Foshan Tiande Famous Pork Kidney Soup 佛山天德美食 猪腰王 ☎ +86 757 8212 1805

Kaki kaki Daniel had been raving about this pork kidney place weeks before our foodie tour to Foshan, Guangdong, China.

Foshan 102 House Restaurant 佛山 壹零贰小馆 ☎ +86 132 8843 2145

Kaki kaki Clarence had a memorable experience with Chef Xu Jingye 徐涇業 during his last visit to Foshan in 2018. Chef Xu, protégé of Cantonese master Chen Daben* went on to win many accolades including the Black Pearl Young Chef Award. 

Now based in Shanghai, chef Xu's 102 House Restaurant at the House of Roosevelt at The Bund in Shanghai is Michelin 2-Starred ☆☆ and in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list.

*I love this Tatler article about the source of chef Xu's inspiration.

Port Asam Pedas by Sang • Johor Style Sour Spicy Fish & Seafood📍Beletime Danga Bay JB ☎️ +6019-735 7556

I am a big asam pedas fish fan, so I am always on the look out for good places for this delicious National Heritage Dish of Malaysia. Went to Beletime Mall Danga Bay to hunt for the best at Port Asam Pedas by Sang.

History of Asam Pedas · Legacy of Malacca Sultanate Melting Pot

Asam Pedas is one of my favourite dishes. In Malay, asam means sour and pedas means spicy (hot) - sour and spicy hot accurately describes this dish's taste profile.

Palates & Bagels by T.A.M.📍Jalan Dhoby Johor Bahru 🥯 Beautiful Halal Cafe Walking Distance from JB CIQ

I love, love bagels 🥯 It's one of my favourite breads. Today, we visited Palates & Bagels at Jalan Dhoby, JB's undisputed favourite bagel hangout.

Ming Jii Chee Cheong Fun Kampar Style📍Johor Jaya Dedap 19 明记金宝猪肠粉 ☏ +6018 219 1962

Ming Jii Chee Cheong Fun in Taman Johor Jaya has a steady following of local folks. It is a comfort rice noodle dish with options for sauces and eaten with a variety of small bite size sides.

Ah Hua Kway Teow • Taste of Old JB • Little Swatow 亚华 • 小汕头粿条 • 老新山的味道

Johor Bahru is sometimes referred to as "Little Swatow" 小汕头 because the main Chinese community, most old JB folks 老新山 here are Teochew. Swatow or Shantou is a major city in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province where Teochew people came from in China.

SJ60 Commemorative Matcha Sling Celebrates 60 Years of Singapore - Japan Relations · SJ60特別記念 抹茶カクテル

✍ 26 Mar 2026. Presenting the SJ60 Commemorative Matcha Sling.

Yang's Epok Epok Singapore

So we finished a heavy lunch at Haig Road hawker centre. Kaki kaki suggested going to the basement of KINEX Mall for epok epok and kopi.

Food Guide to Pudu Wai Sek Kai Glutton Street • 4 Eyes Fried Chicken 半山芭 • 为食街 • 四眼仔胜利炸

4 Eyes Fried Chicken is perhaps the most popular stall in Pudu's legendary glutton street or Wai Sek Kai. WSK is a side street off Jalan Pudu and its official name is Jalan Sayur (which means Vegetable Street in Malay). 

"Vegetable Street" was the original wet market of Pudu before it moved to its present location (at Pasar Pudu Baharu). Cooked food stalls replaced vegetable stalls after the latter moved to Pasar Pudu Baharu but the name Jalan Sayur remained.

Leong Kei Tai Bu Hakka Noodle 📍 Pudu Wei Sek Kai Glutton Street 📍 Jalan Sayur 半山芭 为食街 亮记大埔面 ☎ +6016 607 9983

I always love Hakka noodles - so simple - egg noodles sauced with lard and soy sauce topped with fried minced pork and eat with wanton soup. So comforting, tasty, filling and affordable.

Chop Pun Heong Dim Sum · Taste of Old Kulai 📍 Indahpura 古来品香茶室点心 ☎ +607 663 1279

Stalking Indahpura in Kulai for good food, I stumbled upon Chop Pun Heong dim sum. 

Hien Kee Fish Ball Noodle📍Pudu Flats off Jalan Loke Yew 馨記正宗西刀鱼丸粉 • 新義豐茶餐室 ☎ +6017 252 5012

Fish ball places ain't that common in Kuala Lumpur, compared to say Johor Bahru and Singapore.

Hung Kee Wanton Noodle📍Pudu KL 亨記飯店•馳名雲吞麵炒粉麵食•各式燉品•燒鴨燒臘 ☎ 011-28 391388

Hung Kee at Jalan Loke Yew is over 60 years old now (founded in the 1960s). 

Piman Terrace x Chez Sonia Italian Cuisine📍Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club Khaoyai ☎ +66 4 475 6210

This was our sumptuous dinner at Piman Terrace at Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club before calling it a day in Khao Yai, and returning to Bangkok the next morning 😄 It was a nice capping stone to an interesting 3 day, 2 night trip to Khao Yai.

I will write a separate article of our Khao Yai itinerary. Khao Yai is like "Little Europe" as it has cool "Alpine climate". hills (national park), waterfalls, flower gardens, European themed aesthetic cafes, restaurants, bars and homestays / hotels. 

Casa Ricca Pool Villa Khaoyai • Ideal for Families Affordable Stay ☎ +66 62 812 5629

During our recent trip to Khaoyai, we stayed at Casa Ricca Pool Villa. 

Girl & Mommy Cockle Mania Curry Mee📍33 Jalan Emas, Chan Sow Lin • 烧肉 Siham 咖喱面 ☎️ +6018 321 3606

Finally found my way to the famous Girl & Mommy Curry Mee in Chan Sow Lin, KL.

Herbal Chicken Soup in Coconut • Keong Kee & Fatt Kee📍Pudu Kuala Lumpur 椰子燉药材雞湯

Herbal chicken soup in coconut shell is worth a try if you are a fan of Chinese herbal soups.

Pudu Pak Lock Wanton Noodle📍Kuala Lumpur • Menu & Review 百樂茶餐室•順友麵食•全蛋麵•燒臘飯 ☎ +6016 250 0094

Most wanton mee lovers and foodies in Kuala Lumpur know Pak Lock wanton mee (founded in 1987).

Pudu Kun Kee Chicken & Fish Porridge 📍Jalan Seladang outside RHB Bank 坤记鸡鱼粥

Kun Kee is a popular street side porridge stall in Pudu.

Alternate History on the Origin of Japanese Curry • Spoiler Alert - Oldest Recipe that wasn't from Britain or India

Curry rice or kare raisu カレーライス is relatively new in Japanese food culture but is already considered one of her national dishes, up there with ramen, sushi, tempura and other culinary icons.

Eng Seng Famous Joo Chiat Still Road Black Pepper Crab now at 9007 Tampines • Menu & Review 永成餐室 黑胡椒螃蟹 ☎️ 8611 2247

Yeah..., when it comes to black pepper crab, the first that come to my mind is "the one at Still Road there".

Decades ago, we used to queue at least an hour for a table for "Still Road pepper crab".

Harappa Brinjal Mango Curry • World Oldest Vankaya Mamidikaya Dish that Crossed 5000 Years & Continents

Did you know that the brinjal and mango curry you ate at the Indian restaurant, your friend's house, or learnt to cook from cookbooks / social media go back over 5000 years? It can be traced back to the Indus Valley, one of the cradles of human civilisation along with contemporaries at the Nile River Delta and the Yellow River Basin. 

No Humans, No Soul • Is Singapore F & B Losing its Mojo? Why Independent Standalone Restaurants are Worst Hit by Manpower Crunch

F & B businesses serve through food, a combination of three things - value, convenience and experience.

Xiao Wang Zi 小王子 Nasi Lemak • Mee Siam📍Restoran New Fook Lim Taman Daya 福林茶室

This dry mee Siam is another of kaki kaki AW's favourites.

Actually, 小王子 Nasi Lemak stall's signature dish is their nasi lemak, that's why they are named that way 😁 And, I always prefer soupy mee Siam over dry mee Siam.

But anyway, kaki kaki recommend, so I go try with an open mind lo 🫢

ВаВа Мее Нun Кuеу📍Wan Chang Kopitiam Setia Indah Johor Bahru • Lovingly Hand Made Comfort Food 万昌美食阁

Kaki kaki AW spotted a mee hoon kway stall in Setia Indah, JB which she likes very much.

How to Walk from JB CIQ to JB Sentral Bus Interchange in 5 Minutes

After clearing immigration at JB CIQ, walk through customs and follow the signs / arrows out.

The signs / arrows will point you to turn left three times.

SANG Seafood • HALAL Johor Chinese Restaurant • Memories of Old Danga Bay • Menu & Review📍Damansara Aliff 尚海鲜 清真 ☏ +6019 737 7556

Alice invited me to lunch with a group of friends at SANG Seafood, a Halal certified Chinese seafood restaurant at Taman Damansara Aliff in Johor Bahru.

I rarely get to try Chinese Halal restaurants because there weren't that many in Johor, or even Malaysia.

The last one I went to was Mohd Chan in Ipoh. So I jumped at the opportunity to visit SANG Seafood at Damansara Aliff (which is at Singapore's doorstep).

1843 Chinese Laksa Recipe from Jakarta (Batavia) Indonesia • Kitab Masak Masakan India

Alright, this is so far the earliest known Chinese laksa on record.

All credit to De Tempoe Doeloe Koken (The Old Times) Youtube channel for sharing this 1843 recipe.

Khao San Sek by Chef Pam in Bangkok, Yaowarat • Refreshing New Look at Five Sacred Ingredients of Thai Cuisine ข้าวสารเสก ☎️ +669 7016 9824

I love the Bangkok food scene because it is so creative in modernising / re-interpreting traditional Thai cuisine while honouring its spirit and essence at the same time. 

It's a very fine balance between tradition and modernity which only the best chefs have been able to achieve. It's a very fine line between a heritage dish reborn and a fad that disappears with the next change of season.

Pang Cha Thai Tea & Bread Ice Dessert • Don't Leave Thailand without Tasting

I mean, I had Pang Cha before when it was served as an after dinner dessert at Luk Kai Thong restaurant two years ago.

Ajmir Briyani📍Admiralty MRT Overhead Bridge📍Woodlands MRT Ramadan Bazaar ☎️ 8787 1819

When you come to the Ramadan Bazaar at Causeway Point / Woodlands MRT, you will know that the busiest stall here, by far, is Ajmir Briyani.

Kuay Jab Mr. Joe • Crispy Fried Pork Organ Soup Rice Noodle Rolls📍313 Chan Road ก๋วยจั๊บมิสเตอร์โจ 📞 +66 2 213 3007

We had a quick coffee at the hotel, then dashed out to check out the famous Kuay Jab Mr Joe for breakfast.

Aunt Orn Stall outside Yak Thai Poshtel📍Wat Ratchabophit Temple ป้าอร ริมคลอง ☎ +66 85 294 9467

This place, only locals will know lah 🤭

Rent Traditional Thai Costume Bangkok📍Yak Thai Poshtel Cafe & Studio • Wat Ratchabophit วัดราชบพิธสถิตมหาสีมารามราชวรวิหาร 📞 +66 91 789 2152

In Bangkok, buddy Chai suggested I try dressing in traditional Thai costume for a photoshoot. He knows a good studio and a good photo spot.

I've seen people do it in Ayutthaya and at Wat Arun temple. Since, I have the opportunity now 来都来了, why not right?

An Kee Chicken & Roast Meat Rice • Ring Road Restaurant 📍 Pudu Kuala Lumpur 按记鸡肉烧肉饭 正宗菜园鸡 马草鸡

Two years ago while prowling around KL's Pudu neighborhood for good food, I stumbled upon An Kee Chicken & Roast Meat Rice stall. The royal yellow colour chicken in the window looked so enticing.