tesss

I found myself heading to the parents' favourite hang out for ban mian one day because Lorong 32 was closed (why so suay!). Nested in the top floor food court and the only stall that has neverending orders, I made mine all in 5 minutes but definitely waited more than 15 for the food to be cooked. Strangely, my side orders arrived first. Fried till so crisp, these ngor hiangs were closer to chips than meat rolls. And a barely better popiah roll. These were missing out on prawn and hae bee, and mostly filled with turnip which rendered it too sweet. When faced with a choice of dry or soup, I always cave into dry. My bowl came with a dash of sweet sauce, a handful of handmade noodles, ikan bilis, prawns, minced meat and some greens. This is what tossing together gets you. A black delicious mess. I loved the springy noodles and ingredients but the same grouse stayed - too sweet and the spiciness was not able to camouflage any of the sweetness. Turns out the soup version ...

Jin Hua is a household name for fish soup in CBD , very much so that I have joined the relentless queues during lunch just for a bowl of steaming hot goodness. Hurray to this franchise which also sports queues but more forgiving ones! Even way past 2 pm, the queues were neverending. Sliced Fish Soup ($5) Bland broth in comparison to Hougang Hai Zhen Yuan's, the sliced fish slices made it worse since they were barely seasoned too.   It may problems with a franchise but I still prefer their fried fish version over sliced. Given now I have found an alternative, I'd probably be switching camps.  Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon (金华鱼头米粉) Old Airport Food Center #01-120

Old Airport Hawker Center ranks as one of my favourite ones around - a foodie's haven literally with each district's best featured all at once. Hougang Hai Zhen Yuan is one of those, located right smack next to Jin Hua's franchise from Maxwell Market - fiesty move but it prodded us to try. Mixed Fish Soup ($5) Batang Fish The broth at first glance already looks richer than the other fish soups attempted and with the addition of fried scallions and seaweed, it smelt just too good for further snaps. Uber fresh batang fish slices in a broth so flavourful, this is one for the those who prefer a strong flavoured broth  possibly derived from hours of simmering and plenty of bones. Get a bowl of rice and be ready for a delightful meal. Judge the stall not for the crowds for I think I've found my idea of best mixed fish soup in town! Plus, their menu specialises in just fish soup - think fish head and sliced fish too! 后港海珍圆 Old Airport Hawker Center #01-121

Since getting on the bandwagon of thunder tea rice, I have been scouring the island for the best thunder tea rice and it has definitely brought me to places! Featured today is a stall located in the bustling hawker center of Tanjong Pagar Market. The first visit rendered me a closed shop on a week long's break and finally when I returned again, the queue at any one point dragged for a good 20 people. Patience, I learnt is the key to good food. As I progressed closer to the stall, the number of items getting sold out were increasing. Worse come to worst, I still had my thunder tea rice without additional orders to satisfy the curiosity and hunger. Thunder Tea Rice ($3.50) Meatballs ($0.50 each) $3.50 for white rice and an additional 50 cents for brown rice, incredible value for CBD standards. I never quite had a packed styrofoam box lunch so fragrant till now, it must have been the extra sprinkling of fried shrimp that made all the difference. My thunder tea rice comprised of long b...

Tanglin Halt is a baffling area for me, there are two districts with hawker centers, one with a wet market and the other stands alone - all within walking distance anyhow. This visit was purely meant for Thunder Tea Rice that by my own unfortunate stoke of luck decided to close its shutters for "personal matters". And without many other choices, we opted for one with the longest queue. Opening at 530pm till 930pm, this curry rice stall gets constant snaking queues. Truth be told, I am partial towards curry rice, it is not one of my top favourite local dishes neither do I have cravings about it much - if anything a curry laden nasi padang meal would have won my vote in a heartbeat. Pork chops fried till so crisp, these could pass off as keropok with its almost non-existent meat content. Ask for a side of curry to dunk them in if this is too dry for comfort. Assam fish with a watery gravy and thankfully fresh fish. Vegetable dishes were pretty ordinary, similar to what one can ...

Oyster cakes are pasar malam food for me, strangely. I don't remember growing up with a specific stall in mind but they all taste just as good - anything deep fried and eaten hot hardly tastes as bad anyway. Between our local variations of oyster omelette and cake, I stand firm by the latter for satisfaction. Chanced upon Poh Hwa Oyster Cake after the first misadventure with One Kueh At A Time, heck the 1030am time stamp, anything is a good time for oyster cake. Fried on demand and by piece, it is no simple feat - as back breaking as frying doughsticks methinks. Each piece gets lovingly placed into the wok ful of boiling oil and carefully watched over as it turns a beautiful golden brown. $1.80 for the cake of crispy gold, loved the crunchy exterior and smushy innards. A mixture of chopped greens, minced meat, a single prawn and perfectly cooked oyster - nah, who needs Master Chef for such fancy pancy culinary skills? I'm not sure how the cook makes sure each oyster is not ov...