SG Nasi Lemak: Sedap!

UPDATE: SG Nasi Lemak has relocated to Ang Mo Kio. (Refer to address at bottom of post.)

Situated next to the famous Chomp Chomp Food Centre where all scout for tasty food, the Serangoon Market seems to contain wonderful hidden finds too.

A humble-looking Nasi Lemak stall at the corner caught our eye as we see a queue forming as early as 6pm.

Ayam Merah,   S$3.30 nett (+S$1 Chicken Wing),   

The spotlight of Ayam Merah (their signature dish) is the chicken. It had been deep fried then further cooked together with their special homemade gravy which complemented perfectly. Despite being cooked twice, the chicken remained tender, and even eating the gravy by itself is an indulgence - the sweetness is excellent and the spiciness level totally flatters our local taste. As for the rice, we do find the coconut flavour slightly bland.

VERDICT
Overall, price is reasonable and portion is great. Do give it a try.

SG Nasi Lemak
#01-1565, Blk 339, 339 Restaurant
Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, (S)560339
(+65) 8128 5997
Tue - Sun: 7 a.m. - 8.30 p.m.
Mon: Closed

Food:
Value:

Cheok Kee Duck Rice: Quack Like Never Before

With all the newspaper / magazine articles and clipplings, plus all the good words coming from peers and fellow food lovers, this duck rice stall deserve its right reputation.

Duck Rice,   S$3 nett,   

"With great Lor comes great Duck Rice." To start off, the ducks, by their appearance, are tempting already - with wholes of them hanging high up at the stall, drawing visibly long queues of regulars.

Duck meat were soft and exceptionally well braised, and with the addition of the sticky sweet Lor (gravy), we need not explain further. You just have to try this for yourself!

But since the Duck Rice is so flawless, why rate 'four-and-a-half hearts' then? That's when we compare to the even heavenly Duck Porridge!

Duck Porridge,   S$3 nett,   

Better be early, else end up in disappointment if you want to try this Duck Porridge, as it would usually be sold out by 8 p.m. Such silky tasty porridge can never fail to get you craving for more. The Braised Duck slices blended in perfectly with this thick goo which melts seamlessly in your mouth.

VERDICT
A place you would not want to miss if you're a duck fanatic. Ducks can't taste any better than this.

Cheok Kee Duck Rice - East Coast
Stall 29, East Coast Lagoon Food Village
1220 East Coast Parkway, (S)468960
(+65) 6445 4222
Mon - Sun: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Food:
Value:

Killiney Chee Cheong Fun: Exotic Flavours

Along the stretch of shophouses in Killiney Road, lies the famous Chee Cheong Fun stall most of you have heard of. Decided to check it out one fine afternoon, and before I knew it, I was already returning back time and again for more!

Staff were speedy and attentive. The very instant we sat ourselves down, we received our menu almost at the same instant.

Fresh Prawn Chee Cheong Fun,   S$4.20 nett,   

Chose the Fresh Prawn Chee Cheong Fun, cause we thought that it was a traditional and most common filling which many people would go for. This plate of plain looking rice roll doesn't look exactly appealing without its dressing of sesame seeds (my friend didn't like sesame). However, don't be too quick to judge until you try your first mouthful.

Thin silky folded sheets of rice flour slip quickly into our mouths, and together with the company of soya sauce, it was simply indescribably shiok.


Prawns were full of crunchiness, but they weren't exactly the super fresh and juicy kind. Because the fillings were laid in big sheets of rice flour before cutting, you might find up to three prawns in some (cutted) portions, and in some, you find none.

Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun,   S$3.20 nett,   

Now now, another traditional flavour, and this, I swear, was seriously heavenly.


The Char Siew (barbecued pork) was lean, yet with the appropriate amount of springyness and moisture. And the thing is, the meat blended in so flawlessly with the rice roll and the sauce, making it a perfect combination. We were pratically raving about it from the very first bite, till the last bite.

Mushroom Chee Cheong Fun,   S$3.20 nett,   

It was a mere personal liking for mushrooms that made me ordered this.


It turned out to be just mediocre - not anywhere near bad, but not extraoridnary either. The mushrooms were a bit too hard.

What makes this Chee Cheong Fun stall stands out from the rest, is their assortment of innovative fillings to choose from. There is the savoury type served with soya sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds - Cheese Lobster (S$12), Tom Yam Seafood (S$8), Braised Intestines (S$6.50), Abalone (S$6), Otar (S$6), Fresh Scallop (S$6), Unagi(S$5), Crab Meat Stick (S$3.20), Chicken (S$3.20), Mixed Vegetables (S$3.20), Fritters (S$3.20), plus the three reviewed flavours on top.

For the sweet-toothed, there is also the dessert variant served with crushed peanuts. The fillings include XO Durian (S$4.20), Mango (S$3.20), Strawberry (S$3.20), Banana (S$3.20), Apple (S$3.20), Yam (S$3.20), and Green Tea (S$3.80).

Despite many encouraging reviews of the XO Durian Chee Cheong Fun, which was also what this eatery is famous for specializing in, we were still quite reluctant to try. Went ahead with something safer to 'test out' first.

Mango Chee Cheong Fun,   S$3.20 nett,   

Sad to say, the Mango one wasn't very impactful on us, and we conveniently skipped the XO Durian one as well. Even with slight exuding juice from the mango cubes, the Chee Cheong Fun still felt rather dry, and the crushed peanuts worsened it. Then again, it might be a biased view, because I don't like peanuts.

Green Tea Glutinous Rice Balls,   S$3 nett,   

Four pieces of Green Tea Glutinous Rice Balls served in a bowl of traditional sweet peanut soup. (Peanuts again!) Green Tea paste was gooey and sticky, and Rice Balls were a tad hard.

VERDICT
Whack any of these Chee Cheong Fun flavours in random, and you are sure to find your hidden favourite here. If you need something more substantial, try the porridge which also comes in a variety of ingredients. Or, you could also order from its special selection menu for sharing in a group, with dishes like Stir-fried Vegetables, Jelly Fish, Drunken Chicken, Frog Legs (just to quote a few examples).

House of Rice Roll and Porridge
75 Killiney Road, S(239529)
(+65) 6736 1355
Mon - Sun: 8.30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Food:
Value:
Service:

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup: Highly Addictive

Start your day right with a bowl hot steaming Bah Kut Teh from the famous Ng Ah Sio stall. As early as 6 a.m. in the morning, you'd be surprised to see crowds bustling at this eatery.

Situated at Rangoon Road (near CTE), it wasn't exactly the most accessible spot unless you have your own private transportation. Of course you could always walk from Farrer Park MRT or take a bus in (if you know the way), but most of the customers here were often families and regulars from the older generation (we're an exception).

Service here was speedy and efficient. The moment you got your butts seated, Ng Ah Sio's staff would come over to you with a PDA in their hands, ready to take your order anytime. And within a few minutes, your order (once entered into their system) would be sent straight to your table hot from the kitchen. Thereafter, the bill would also come along, printed nicely and inserted into a black bill holder, those typical ones you would encounter in a restaurant.

Pork Ribs Soup,   S$5.50+ (+ S$2 You Tiao, +S$2 Tea),   

Bah Kut (pork ribs) were so tender - one bite and everything slipped off from the bone. The soup was a huge pepperish sensation, which would send spicy tingles to your taste buds. And as you drain the soup to the last bit, you could actually find garlic and crushed peppercorns residue at the bottom. One bowl surely wouldn't be enough, and the good news is, the soup was free flow.

Best companions to along with the Pork Ribs Soup were none other than traditional Teh (tea) and You Tiao (deep fried dough sticks). There are six different types of Chinese tea for you to choose from, and we ordered the Xiao Yue Gan - soothing to the after effects of the pepperish soup.

VERDICT
It was the "Lao Zi Hao" (old brand name) that Ng Ah Sio carried, which kept them maintaining their food quality and thriving business. We recalled when we were kids, our parents used to bring us here, and we would always stick out our tongues and fan them wearing a frown on our faces, because we couldn't take the spciyness. Now, this Ng Ah Sio had becomed one of our personal favourite Bah Kut Teh stalls.

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House
208 Rangoon Road, S(218453)
(+65) 6294 7545
Tue - Sun: 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Mon: Closed

Food:
Value:
Service:

A* Joe Curry: Best Curry Chicken

Thick curry, tender chicken, crisp bread - rounds up the best of A* Joe Curry.

Curry Chicken,   S$4.00 nett (+S$0.60 Bread each),   

In this bowl of curry, you'll find the best balance of ingredients: curry powder, coconut milk, and even oil. The spicyness level is also well taken care of - just nice for the general.


Just like the potatoes, the chicken was soft, and a pleasure to eat. The meat was easily separated from the bones, without going through any huge curry splattering struggles. And, you wouldn't want to miss the french loaves here. Warm, crusty, and thinly sliced, they went perfectly well with every dip of the curry gravy.

VERDICT
One of the best curry chickens we ever had, but a point to note - the price. We noticed that they always ask for the number of people sharing the curry, and if you ever tell them, you are into a big rip-off. They could charge up to S$16 for two bowls of curry, four loaves of bread, for a total four people. While S$4 per pax sounds reasonable, one bowl of curry only costs (at most) S$5, and a loaf of bread costs S$0.60, which amounts to only (at most) S$12.40. So, always INSIST on specifying the amount of curry you want.
- "A bowl of S$4 curry and two loaves of bread please."

A* Joe Curry Cuisine
Level 1, Blk 153a
Serangoon North Ave 1, S(551153)
Mon - Sun: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Food:
Value: