Chocolate Origin

Dark Gelato Cup (1 scoop at $4.50)

Video of viscous chocolate syrup, and knife cutting sleeky through layers of sponge-like chocolate cakes. It freezes our footsteps at the stall.

For a start, we shared their chocolate cuppa lava cake ($5.50) between us. It was gratifying. The warm chocolate cake sits on top of a thick layer of good vanilla ice-cream. You break through them, tasting the bitter dark and cool vanilla together; the warm lava oozing. (picture)

On our second trip, we had their dark chocolate gelato. A dessert that is subtly sweet, and all you remember is its perfected bitterness after finishing the entire scoop by yourself.

That video is intriguing, Chocolate Orgin. We are coming for your chocolate cake next.

实里达, Seletar Sheng Mian. Mian Fen Guo

Stall #01-05

It's near 2pm. Yet the perpetual queue at this mee hoon kway stall in Toa Payoh Lor 8 Food Centre continues! If such common food commands a wait, it can't be a walkover.

Sheng Mian, soup ($3)

True enough. The hawker offers some good chewy handmade noodles and mee hoon kway. So good, the mee hoon kway is sold out. Will surely make an effort to come back early for it. Besides the usual ingredients of minced meat, raw egg, anchovies and vegetable, the minimum order includes 2 good sized fresh prawn too!

For the rare occasion, i actually enjoy their ultra flavorsome broth, with Ric being the only one complaining today. He finds the taste too heavy for our liking, preferring their springy noodles tossed over black savoury sauce, chili and shallot oil instead.

This is our virgin visit to the Lor 8 food centre. And i hope to cover some of the interesting stalls here; that is if we don’t crumple to the bee hoon kway again! It’s tough. This stall has now overtaken my favourite, the He Jia Huan Ban Mian at Jurong West.

Sheng Mian, dry ($3)

Babas Peranakan, 娘惹小吃

Stall #02-225

We are the early birds, no? But it was already hustle and bustle at this back lane stall in the Chinatown Market and Food Centre. The fried omelet and fried chicken racks were already emptied! It was no surprise. Quoting the uncle behind us, "This is always long queue. Everyday. Everyday it's like this."

The Teochew Baba hawker serves a delicious twist of Chinese Peranakan fare. Spices and dried shrimps were prominent in the vegetables and curries we ate. And everything was freshly cooked. When we reached the front of the line, the fried chicken was just up, from the hot wok.

I can eat this every day.

Long beans, Sambal Goreng, Ayam Goreng ($4.50)

Sayur Lemak, Sambal Brinjal, Fried Bittergourd with Fish Paste ($3)

YUSMAR Aneka Selera

Lontong ($2.50), Nasi Lemak ($2.50)

$2.50 dishes are hard to come by these days. And it has to taste good. In the lift at the Taman Jurong Market Food Centre, we heard a family asking one another if they want mee rebus or mee siam. That gave us the idea to go for some Malay cuisine this breakfast.

Brisk business at stall #02-99 helps Ric decide on them. Every of their dishes are at $2.50. It's a steal. Notice the correction plasters over their price menu? Yes, they were selling at $2 previously!

On this cold and wet morning, our favourite has to be their hot spicy Lontong! And fresh fried chicken wings on the nasi. Nothing fanciful. Just authentic food that satisfy.

Mee Rebus ($2.50)

韩江, Hung Kang (Bedok) Fish Soup

Sliced Fish Soup ($4.50), Rice ($0.50)

Just when we thought the Blk 16, Bedok South Hawker Centre holds no more surprises for us, it presents a significant queue at this late lunch hour.

Without a doubt, it is a satisfying bowl of fresh Batang fish soup. We actually emptied the bowl, slurping in many chunks of dried sole fillet (flat fish) found within! The real surprise here is their side dish of stewed duck. Savory meat aside, i ladled on the dark braised sauce lavishly and finished the whole bowl of rice!

Stewed Duck ($3.50)

阿嬷老字號, Ah Mah Homemade Egg Sponge Cake

Egg Sponge Cake, original ($8)

The silly man couldn't resist the aroma of freshly baked cakes when he passes by Ah Mah's outlet at the Bukit Panjang Shopping Mall. Especially when he was told the wait is only 20 mins.

Nostalgia? No. The egg sponge cakes we used to have are much sweeter and drier. They can be kept for days, and are definitely not fresh baked. These are the atas version. Taste of really nice eggy aroma with each bite, without the lingering sweetness of overdose sugar in your mouth.

We could have this everyday. If someone could offer a more economical sale, of an equal product.

牛车水 祖传肉骨茶

Stall #02-124

While we hurried our steps towards famous food stalls in the Chinatown Market and Food Centre, whiff of delicious cooking often hits us. This hidden (by the column) bak kut teh stall is one. I often enjoy its herbal aroma and witness customers lugging trays of their purchase from the stall. Tonight we came specially for them.

Braised Pork Leg ($5)

It was as good as it gets. The meat falls off the ribs, the savoury pork trotters were tender and almost boneless! Superb value for the generous serving. The salted vegetable adds a delightful crunch to the all-meat meal. We wished the herbal soup can be less salted, else it was good. Made a mental note to return for their vinegary pork trotters ($6) too!

After meal, we immediately does a pack away for Dad.

Bak Kut Teh ($4)

Salted Vegetable ($1)