Sunday, November 12, 2006

Hawkers' Galore

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Small Talk: Congrats to Des on her winning in 98.7FM DJ control contest!!!

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To all my avid readers, sorry for the lacked of updates recently, due to the sheer amount of work from the upcoming events I am dealing with. So in order to reward you guys for your unwavering support, I have decided to do multiple write-ups on the recent hawkers’ galore I have tasted. Right before I started on my new job, I headed back to Maxwell Food Centre for the famous Zhen Zhen Porridge for breakfast before an interview. Usually long queue will be formed during lunchtime; therefore I was not surprised to see that the queue was already forming at 9am for breakfast as well.

The value of this Cantonese congee stall is that the workers are not stingy with their condiments in their food. More so, the amount of chicken pieces I get from the chicken congee was bounteous.

The Yu Sheng, or raw fish (Chinese Style Sashimi) was also fresh and plentiful for a $2 portion.

Mixed well with the generous helping of sesame, spring onion, ginger, garlic, and a drizzle of lime juice, you have the perfect supplement for your congee.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 2.5/5
Ambience: 2.5/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 13/20
Maxwell Centre #01-54

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Another interview the following week took me to Tekka Market for lunch.

This time round, I spotted another long queue forming at the first stall – Heng Gi Roasted Goose and Duck Rice. Without any hesitation, I spent the next 20 minutes queuing for my roast duck drumstick with rice.

Distinctively, the rice is served in a bowl instead of plate. Although some will complain that the duck is roasted for too long, and thus too salty, and the gravy too oily, I find that the meat does goes well with my rice, and the meat was luscious and full of flavour.

And if you happen to be one of those who love roasted duck wings, they are sold at $2 each and get sold out real quickly (I know because the lady in front of me bought 20 portions for takeaway).

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 13/20
Block 665 Buffalo Road
#01-406 Tekka Food Centre

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The last location was a Sunday lunch, and I was brought to the temporary site of “Old Kallang Airport Food Centre”. And whenever I am there, a stall I would certainly not miss would be that of Nam Sing Fried Hokkien Mee.

The stall can be easily spotted as the elder brother who is the chef wears a protective goggle to fry his noodles.

The difference in his fried hokkien mee is that he uses normal rice vermicelli (Bee Hoon) instead of the usual thick ones (Chor Bee Hoon) used by many. I notice that these bee hoon are not soaked for too long and thus when fried along with the yellow noodles, it doesn’t break easily and the gives it a ‘springy’ texture.

Also, with a hint of ‘Wok Hei’ before the stock of prawn head is added, the hokkien mee is simply aromatic and delicious. The generous serving of squids and prawns also make the 30 minutes waiting time seemed insignificant. The stall also stood by it’s principle of not serving sambal chilli to their customers and only cut chilli is dished out.

Rating
Food: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 15.5/20
Old Kallang Airport Food Centre

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So while waiting for the hokkien mee to arrive, I was quick to spot that another long queue forming outside Sin Bee Hiong Hokkien Lor Mee.

Due to the easier preparation of the dish, I was able to get my Lor Mee within 10 minutes. However, had I been any slower in my decision to sample that stall, I would have missed it, as I was their last customer of the day – to the disappointment of many behind me.

The good thing about being the last customer is the liberal serving of the Deep Fried Fish Meat at $4. With a hint of black vinegar in the gravy, the noodle is simply excellent. The gravy is not too thick and starchy compared to many others, but yet it still manages to retain the strong flavour.

Rating

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 14.5/20
Old Kallang Airport Food Centre

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