Mango sago with pomelo, S$3.50
Mango sago with pomelo! Mango sago with pomelo! Try saying that as fast as you can 10 times! It's like a tongue twister, isn't it?
I much prefer its Chinese name 杨枝甘露. Literally "honeyed dew drops falling from a willow tree branch", doesn't that sound so much more poetic?
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Yong tau foo set (S$3.00)
In People's Park Food Centre, there are 3 yong tau foo stalls, all very well-known. They sell the traditional kind, not the modern version where you pick from a whole buffet of factory-made stuff. And since when did thawed chicken franks become part of yong tau foo (YTF)?
Anyway, years ago when I worked in the area, Koo Kee was the market leader. There was another popular one, opposite Koo Kee, but they sold YTF minus noodles, so I didn't think that would fill me up for lunch. Besides, they opened after 1pm, by which time I'd have died of hunger.
So I preferred to patronize the underdog, Poy Kee. In fact, I ate their YTF at least once a week. Sometimes, underdogs actually serve better food. Because of lack of publicity, they are compelled to make their food good to attract more business.
Fishball kway teow soup (S$2.50)
Whenever I'm under the weather, I hanker for non-greasy, soupy stuff, like the Teochew fishball kway teow soup above. In hawker centers, it's quite standard to find at least a stall selling fishball noodles, where you can choose from a variety of noodles and have them prepared dry-tossed or in soup.
This was from a stall at Tanjong Pagar food centre. Didn't take down the unit number, but it's a corner unit on the second floor facing the main road. It's been there for ages; the fishballs are firm and bouncy, the stock fairly sweet and light. Not long ago, this same bowl cost S$2.00, but with recent inflation, it's now S$2.50. Nevertheless, it's an inexpensive and wholesome light meal!
Happy Fathers' Day to all fathers! How did you celebrate this day? Today, sister-in-law suggested treating my father-in-law to dinner at Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant.
Achar and fried anchovies
At Palm Beach, there's no view of palms or the beach. In fact, if dining indoors, there's not even the view of the marina because of renovation works going on. But if you dine al fresco, you can still enjoy watching the Merlion spew water into the bay.
Chicken chop (S$5.50)
Most hawker center or coffee shop "western food" are pretty forgettable, but I'm impressed with Uno Beef House. Their signature dish is, naturally, the steak (choose from sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin), which spectacularly arrives on a sizzingly hot plate and looks absolutely scrumptious.
I try to stay away from beef, so can't comment on the steaks. But I'm impressed enough with the other offerings. Like the chicken chop (comes with fries or rice) which is a thick, juicy slab of boneless leg pan-fried till the edges turn crispy brown and then slathered in a tasty, brown gravy.
Sweet and sour pork, S$10.00
This zi-char (Chinese stir-fries) stall has been around for as long as I can remember. My late father, who had a business nearby, favored them over other zi-char stalls in the same food centre for their fresh ingredients and tasty, consistent cooking. For the two years I worked at the family business, my dad frequently tar-powed (bought take-out) their Hainanese chicken rice and stir-fried hor-fun for our lunch.
So, on Saturday evening, when Ricky had an errand to run in Chinatown, I jumped at the chance to revisit See Sean (say "see sin", not "see Shawn").
Popiah set for 6 pieces (S$12.00).
The first time I ate here, I was unimpressed, finding the popiah too simple for my taste. But subsequently, I began to appreciate the homey style of Good Chance's traditional Hokkien popiah.
Previously located at Telok Ayer Street, this family-run eatery has made a name serving roll-it-yourself popiah. In the old days, preparing popiah at home for extended family gatherings was a laborious, communal affair! All the prepared fillings and condiments are then laid out, and everyone would DIY and eat nothing else but big, fat rolls of popiah!
In Singapore, "economic rice" stalls are extremely popular. A mind-boggling spread of stir-fried, stewed, deep-fried, and steamed dishes, economic rice or "chap chye png" has an everlasting appeal because it's quick, it's affordable, there's variety (on average, there are 20 twenty dishes to choose from!), and it's as close to Mom's cooking as you can get. Well, if Mom's not such a great cook, the last reason might turn you off!
Cheap and delicious Singaporean-Chinese economic rice.
There are stalls like this all over the island, mostly in foodcourts, factory canteens, schools, and especially in HDB heartland (densely populated suburban housing areas) hawker centers and coffee shops. The dishes are cooked and laid out (some in bain maries to keep warm) in clear display. You pick 2 to 4 dishes to go with rice (most folks pick 3), and the final price depends on what dishes you chose. Vegetable dishes are the cheapest; going up the scale are chicken and pork, with the most expensive being seafood.
Half fried spring chicken (S$4.50).
This was a quick dinner we had. Located at a coffee shop next to Clementi Book Store, Golden Rooster is one of the stalls in an HDB coffee shop named VariNice (not a typo). Since there was a respectable queue, we thought, "Hey, why not?"
Wonton mee (S$2.20).
Why is wonton noodles (char siew noodles with wonton dumplings) seldom on my "to-eat" list? I asked myself. For too many disappointing encounters, I suppose.
To be fair, it's not easy to create the perfect wonton noodles. Mess up just one of the elements that make up this dish, and that's it. Call me fussy, but I haven't had one that's got all the variables right: the noodles, the sauce, the char siew, the dumplings, and the broth. And to be really pedantic, yes, even the sorry amount of choy sum (are vegetables very expensive, Mr/Madam Noodle Seller?).
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