Singapore’s Top Ten Zi Char Dishes: The Ultimate Zi Char Trail
Previously I took you on a Food Trail for ten iconic hawker dishes, this time we are going to visit 10 zi char stalls for 10 signature dishes! These are some of the most memorable dishes that I have eaten over the last 12 years while writing this blog. If you wanted a whirlwind tour of the Singapore zi char scene, you could hop on a cab and just visit each stall for the one dish and it could all be done in a day!
Nam Sing Hokkien Mee: The History and Origins of Hokkien Mee!
In this year’s National Day Rally speech, our Prime Minister announced that our hawker culture being nominated for inscription into Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This, he says, will “help to safeguard and promote this unique culture for future generations”. Well, I am all for our hawker culture to be […]
Katong Sin Chew Confectionery: Old School Curry Buns!!
My friend, Cactuskit, has been wanting to introduce me to this old school bakery for the longest time! I don’t know why it took me so long before I finally got to visit, but when I finally held the soft, fluffy and warm buns in my hands, I knew I was holding something special. The […]
Beo Crescent Hainanese Curry Rice: Shiokness to the Max!
There are some eateries that are so shiok that you just have to write about them again. My last story was written in 2008, but at that time, I didn't manage to get the back story from the owner as they were just too busy. This time round, I managed to have nice chat with Mr Pang Tao Chin, 72 who has been serving his incredibly delicious curry rice at this old school coffeeshop for over three decades.
Shanghai Renjia: Chemically Engineered Exploding Shen Jian Bao
If you define “favourite restaurant” as the place that you eat at most often, then Shanghai Renjia would be our family’s favourite restaurant. My kids have literally grown up eating there and we would be there at least once or twice a month. I first discovered them in 2007 while on reservist at Nee Soon […]
Folklore: Damian D’Silva’s Homage to Singapore Cuisine
Our kakis meets each Wednesday to try out new places and, in short, Folklore is the best meal we have had this year. It is rare to find a restaurant where the kakis are unanimous in their praise and where each and every dish was greeted with mouths filled with food and eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
Tuan Yuan Bak Kut Teh: A Very Good Place for Bak Kut Teh!
There has been spate of bak kut teh restaurants opening up in recent years, no doubt buoyed by the success of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, who showed us how a humble coolie’s dish can be brought into the 21st century by repackaging it so that it will appeal to a younger generation of Singaporeans. […]
From Hokkien mee to Hainan chicken rice; murtabak to mee siam; you won't find a Singaporean who doesn't reminisce about our local hawker food. When we entertain guests from overseas, these are the dishes which we want them to experience so that they understand who we are.
Aunty Oh Bama’s Homecooked Indian Curries on HCOOK App
Now you don't have to be envious of anyone who likes to brag about their own mother's cooking! With the HCOOK App, you can have access to hundreds of other people's mother's and grandmother's cooking!
The Original Katong Laksa: It really is the Original!
We are living in the days of fake news, fake food, fake brands and fake accolades. I don't know about you, but it really irks me when new restaurants pop up claiming to trace their lineage back to the 60s or to be the original one from Tiong Bahru or Toa Payoh or Queenstown. But if you try to dig a little deeper, you hit bottom pretty soon, because the claims turn out to be as shallow as the soup in a fine dining establishment.
I have been a fan of Wah Kee since the earliest days of the blog. In those days, I was quite crazy and would identify all of Singapore's most famous prawn mee stalls and go blog about them. I was on a quest for the best and after the first round of tasting in 2007, I already felt that Wah Kee was the winner.
Have you ever been asked what would your last meal be? I have been asked this many times and I have also come across other people’s responses. I think that the given answer is not really what the questioner is after because most people would pick a dish of nostalgia; like the kueh that grandma used to make or the porridge that mum cooks on a rainy day.
