Based on the comments so far, it looks like Singapore's favourite Crab dish is no longer Black Pepper Crab or Chilli Crab. I am predicting that Crab Bee Hoon might be the current National Crab Dish. Only one way to find out and that is to conduct a poll!
So the poll booth is opened! Tell us which is your favourite crab dish! You get to pick two of your favourite crab dishes.
Ramly burger stall at Ampang Jaya 7-11
One of the things that the venerable Malaysian Tourism Minister should have claimed as truly Malaysian is the Ramly Burger. Nobody will ever dispute that the Ramly Burger is a Malaysian invention. In fact, I would go on to say that it is one of the Shiokest things that Malaysia has ever produced. In case Mr Ramly has not been conferred a Datukship, I think he should. Datuk Ramly has created a burger that can hit the spot where many an expensive gourmet burger have missed.
Now, if you have only tried Ramly burgers from the Pasar Malams in Singapore, then you really have not tried a Ramly burger. It really is not the same. The thing that makes a Ramly a Ramly is not the Ramly wrapper, but the Ramly meat pattie. That pattie is made from a very special animal called the Malaysian cow. That's right, they are the ones you see chewing on cow grass by the roadside whenever you drive up north. That cow (or at least the parts of it that don't make it to the butcher), together with the Ramly spices make for one heck of a delicious pattie. Unfortunately, our AVA have doubts about the palatability of their patties, so they are banned from being imported into Singapore. So the Ramly Burgers here are only Ramly on the outside but Aussie on the inside, much like a Porsche with a Kia engine.
Shallow frying an egg with the double patties in margarine
Not everyone wants to maintain a food blog but I know that there are a lot of foodies amongst our readers who are really good at recommending a good place to eat every now and again.
So, what I thought would be interesting is if our facebook group wall can be made into a community food blog where everyone recommend something good to eat. Even if you don't like to write a review, you can still join in the fun by commenting or even just clicking that you like the particular review. I think it can be a place where our foodies can interact and find something good to eat.
Just to make things a little more interesting and to get things going, I am running a competition where the best review will win a prize. This week's prize is a dinner for two at Cugini restaurant worth $150.
You can read about Cugini here:
Here is what you need to do:
Post a review with at least one photo of something you think is worth recommending on the ieatishootipost facebook group wall. You can see it here.
Rules:
1. Your review must not exceed 250 words (not including the address)
2. You must have at least one photo
3. It can be about any stall or restaurant in Singapore
4. You must include the address of the restaurant
5. You can submit as many reviews as you want
Judging Criteria
1. The quality of the review (50)
2. The photo (10)
3. The level of interest it generates (20)
4. The number of "Likes" it generates (20)
Prize:
1. Dinner at Cugini worth $150
2. Inclusion of member to " Foodie of the Week" list
Please Note:
1. Have fun! Don't take it too seriously.
2. The judge's decision is final
3. Closing date for entry: 15 November
4. Winner will be announced on 22nd November
5. Dates are subject to changes
6.. This is quite a new idea so please understand that there will be bumps along the way, but hopefully I can streamline it so that it becomes a regular feature where everyone can benefit from each other's review with the bonus possibility of winning a prize along the way.
So what are you waiting for? Let's eat, shoot and post!
To go straight to the Facebook Wall click here
Roast Duck $15 for half
I think it is unfortunate that a lot of eateries fail to appreciate how much Singaporeans value the value of value. Kia Su (Afraid to lose out) is one of the key cultural pillars of our society and a major aspect of being Kia Su is the compulsion to make sure that we get the best value out of everything that we buy. This Singaporean characteristic is so ingrained that sometimes it can be quite embarassing especially when you are on holidays to see a fellow Singaporean bargaining at the top of the voice and refusing to buy something just because the stall owner won't lower the price by 50 baht ($2). I think this is because the last thing they want is to find out that their friends managed to get the same thing cheaper than them when they do the post shopping evaluation later in the evening. This is Kiasuism in action.
Not that I condone it, change it we must if we want to live in a more gracious society. But like it or not, eateries that fail to realise how important the price point is when designing their menu might have to learn it the hard way. That is how our friend Aston managed to go from a hawker stall to a chain of Steakhouses in such a short time. There is no secret to his strategy really. He just sells a good quality steak at the rock bottom price. It will come as no surprise to you that his profit margins are much lower than a lot of other places but he makes it up with volume. Other eateries like Cugini had to learn this the hard way, but I am glad that now that they understand the Singaporean culture better, they have revamped their menu prices such that they are now 30% less than when they started without compromising on quality.
So when you see a stall with a long queue in Singapore, it is usually one of two reasons. The first one is of course that the food is very good, but sometimes there is a long queue because the food is not only good but cheap. I have seen this phenomenon on many occasions. Singaporeans do have a nose for a good deal and some stalls generate a queue because of competitive prices. Of course the food has to be of an acceptable quality as well.
I think this stall falls into the latter category. Both the charsiew and the sio bak is very good but not really good enough to generate a queue as long as what we usually see during lunch. I think that the queue is a combination of a very good product but also very competitive prices. Both Char Siew and Sio Bak gets a 4/5.
The Roast Duck is however very good and certainly one of the best ones I have tasted. The meat is fragrant and not gamey and is very tender. At $15 for half a duck, I think the price is very competitive as well and is certainly offers a compelling reason to join the queue. 4.5/5
Conclusion
If you are willing to join the queue, you would be rewarded with a very nice and reasonably priced roast duck! Guess everyone knows a good deal when they see one!
New Rong Ge Liang Hong Kong Roast
Blk 269B, #01-235 Queen St
Singapore 180269
9am to 8pm daily
Closed 1st Wed of the month
Braised Pork
If I were to open an Economical Rice Stall, I would open one that sells Hainanese Curry Rice. The reason is simple. With Hainanese Curry Rice, you only really need six dishes. A good Chicken Curry, Braised Pork, Chap Chye....... Ok, you only need three dishes. The rest can be side dishes which really don't need a lot of skill, like fried luncheon meat and eggs. Of course, having crispy fried pork would be another bonus but as long as you have the Hainanese trinity of dishes, you should be ok.
Our peculiar way of eating Hainanese Curry Rice might be a challenge for some foreigners. I mean, Curry mixed with Black Braising Sauce mixed with gooey stewed cabbage doesn't sound particularly appetizing does it? It's no wonder that Hainanese Curry Rice has never made it to the Tourism Board's list of things to eat in Singapore. It just takes too much effort to convince a tourist that it is a serious dish rather than a prank to poke some fun at an unsuspecting foreigner.
Chap Chye doused with Chicken Curry
But for Singaporeans, the unlikely combination is just heavenly. Somehow it works and it works at a level that really produces a Umami Bomb. I feel it everytime I eat Hainanese Rice. It is one of those dishes that really satisfies when you have just finished that 20km roadmarch.
This particular stall was recommended by SCS Butter, a man whose passion for food is as evident as the nose in front of your face. So everytime SCS Butter says something is good, my radar usually will zero in on the eatery. He is the same guy who recommended the Her Giao at Lau Sim, Northen Thai Tom Yum Fish Soup and Middle Road Pork Ribs Noodles which I am sure you all will agree are great finds.
Anyway, the dishes here, taken individually are a 4/5 at most. But when you combine the three together, it becomes a 4.25/5. I might have given them a higher mark if they had the crispy pork which is what makes the No Name Curry Rice at Beo Crescent my current favourite Hainanese Curry Rice.
Conclusion
If you are near the National Library and really hungry, this is a great place to satisfy that hunger with some really unattractive but extremely tasty grub.
Eleven Fingers Curry Rice
Blk 269B, #01-235 Queen St
Singapore 180269
Closed alternate Fridays
Wah Kee's Jumbo Prawn Noodles $10
Over the last 4 years, I have blogged a good number of prawn noodles and after reading all the comments from the ieat community, I have to say that the one prawn mee that is consistently getting the highest praises is Wah Kee Prawn Noodle.
So, I am starting a new label called " Best of the Best" which celebrates the best of each of category of Singapore's famous hawker dishes. Some of them, like Wah Kee is quite clear cut and I am sure the majority of the ieaters would concur that they deserve the award. However, others might not be so obvious, in which case we shall call for nominations and subsequently do a poll to find the champion.
Wah Kee's prawn noodles really are a cut over the rest. The Uncle here does not use any pork bones in his soup but insists that he uses only seafood to make his sweet prawn broth. He has one big advantage in that his son-in-law happens sell seafood at Tekka Market and so he always gets first pick of the best prawns. Take the freshest prawns and mixed them with a lot of passion and pride and you get one very special and potent prawn broth which you can confidently bring any overseas friend to eat in order to show off Singapore food! 4.8/5
So if there are no objections, may I present Wah Kee as the Best of the Best Prawn Noodles in Singapore.
You can read my previous post on Wah Kee as well as our kakis' comments here.
Wah Kee Prawn Noodles
Blk 41A Cambridge Road Hawker Centre (Pek Kio)
#01-15
96883633
7.30am to 2pm
Closed on Mondays
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