It seems that Singaporeans can’t get enough of kaya toast. Just look at the recent mushrooming of kopi (coffee) and kaya toast chains! For the latest Tried & Tested mission, we taste-test a mix of established kaya toast chains as well as independent shops. How do they measure up against each other? Read on to find out!

I’m very happy to report that there’s no lack of superb bak chor mee stalls to be found in Singapore! Too bad we could only feature 5 of them. Click here to find out where to find some of the best bak chor mee in Singapore.

Rice dumplings from Hiong Kee

Mom-in-law had warned me that this year’s Bak Chang Price Index is higher than last year’s, but I hadn’t quite bargained for jaw-dropping price hikes. Hiong Kee is selling their signature Hokkien meat dumpling with salted egg yolk at S$3.80, up from last year’s S$2.50.

That’s a whopping 52% increase! Phwar!

Even then, people were still queuing to buy bak chang (rice dumplings) by the dozens. I joined the queue cos my backside was itchy it’s been ages since I last ate Hiong Kee’s salted egg yolk dumpling so I was craving for one.

Nonya dumpling, S$3.10

This is my first time trying Hiong Kee’s Nonya dumpling. It tasted like what a respectable Nonya dumpling should taste like. Very nice, I like!

Hokkien meat dumpling with salted egg yolk, S$3.80

Last year, I wrote a Tried & Tested: Bak chang (published in May 2009) for inSing.com. I remember Hiong Kee’s salted egg yolk dumpling tasted much better then. This time, it wasn’t as outstanding. Part of the glutinous rice wasn’t thoroughly cooked and the meat was a bit dry. But I still like the overall flavor very much.

I’m guessing that quality control was a tad lacking given the bulk orders to be fulfilled during this busy festive period. Am willing to give it another chance, but only if the price comes down. S$3.80 is just ridiculous!

Hiong Kee Dumplings
#01-09 Hong Lim Temporary Food Centre
Hong Lim Park

After working there for more than 30 years, Chef Han left this year to open his own chicken rice stall at Centrepoint’s new basement foodcourt, which is a mere 5-minute walk from Mandarin Hotel.

Hainanese chicken rice, S$4.50

Naturally, Chef Han’s connection to Chatterbox proved to be an irresistible draw. During their opening promotion in March, response was overwhelming. I know cos I went there to recce. The queue was so long it s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d- to the carpark!

Since then, the curious crowds have dispersed. I’ve eaten at Chef Han’s twice, both times during lunch hour on weekdays. There’s a steady stream of customers, but no queue.

The standard was consistent both times I ate there.

The rice: The grains were plump and had good texture. Well-rounded flavors with pleasant taste of chicken stock.

The chicken: Quite disappointing. Although the breast portion was tender, the meat lacked flavor and was too “wet” (maybe it was soaked in ice for too long after cooking?). But the skin had a nice bounciness. Also, they flattened the meat with flat side of the cleaver, a practice I personally dislike.

Chilli sauce: Hot and zingy! Very shiok, but I’d prefer a touch more tangy lime. The ginger sauce was also not bad.

Soup: Surprisingly, this was my favorite part. The soup was really tasty, not like the usual plain, tasteless type you get at other chicken rice stalls. This one had bits of radish, cabbage, and wolfberry. Nice!

Presentation: More posh than the usual hawker or foodcourt-style chicken rice. The meat was placed over a bed of shredded lettuce, and adorned with a cherry tomato on the side. This is perhaps the strongest resemblance to Chatterbox’s version.

At a quarter the price of Chatterbox’s posh chicken rice, I wouldn’t expect the same quality or quantity. However, if I had eaten this at a blind taste test, I wouldn’t have guessed this was connected to Chatterbox.

On the whole, it was ok, but they seriously need to improve on the chicken.

Chef Han Chicken Rice
176 Orchard Road
#B2-101, Centrepoint
Stall 13, Foodcourt @ The Basement
Singapore 238843

Daily: 10am to 10pm

Chwee kueh 水粿

This was Tuesday’s breakfast, but I only had time to post it today. On Monday, I had lunch at Golden Mile Food Centre. Just as I was fretting over next day’s breakfast (very tired of eating bread again!), I stumbled upon this chwee kueh stall.

Steamed soft round rice cakes topped with salted radish

And so I bought 10 pieces (S$3.00) of chwee kueh for takeaway, with the chai poh (萝卜干/salted radish) and chilli sauce separately packed.

Compared to other chwee kuehs I’ve bought, the rice cakes here seem to have a higher proportion of rice flour to water. They’re more opaque and slightly firmer than Jian Bo Shui Kueh‘s. But the texture is still smooth and tender. The taste is rather old-school. I like!

What I don’t really like is the topping. It’s a bit too fine and soft for my preference. Could also be more fragrant with extra shallot and garlic. But hubby likes that it’s not too salty.

Now I remember why we don’t often have chwee kueh for breakfast. They’re mini grease bombs!

New Golden Chwee Kway 黃金水粿
505 Beach Road
#01-77 Golden Mile Food Centre
Singapore 199583

Daily: 8.30am — 9pm (closed 2 days a month on ad hoc basis)

Braised duck with additional order of egg and tau kwa (beancurd), S$4.50

The good: Rich, dark gravy, obviously made with a good quality dark soy sauce. This is the old-fashioned, Teochew home-style kind of sauce. What I like is that they didn’t overwhelm the braising sauce with herbs and spices like star anise and cinnamon. The sauce is flavorful without being too salty. They are also very generous with the rice.

The not-so-good: Not aromatic enough. Perhaps I’m used to my mom’s style where she uses plenty of galangal (blue ginger) and shallots. Also, the meat could have been more tender.

Overall, a very respectable old-school braised duck. However, my gold standard for Teochew braised duck is still Lek Kee.

Be prepared to queue during lunchtime

If you decide to swing by this food centre, don’t miss the tau huay at Tan Soon Mui (#01-41). Also, grab some old-school buns and cakes from Serangoon Garden Bakery (#01-45/46, just next to Ah Seng Braised Duck).

Another well-known stall at this food centre is Shukor Stall. They are the famous roti john stall from now-defunct Taman Serasi Botanic Gardens food centre. But it was closed the day I was there, so no chance to try their legendary roti john.

Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice 亚盛卤鸭饭
49A Serangoon Garden Way
#01-44 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre
Singapore 555945

Mon to Sat: 11am – 8pm (earlier if sold out)
Closed on Sundays

In other parts of Asia, soft beancurd is enjoyed both as a savoury or sweet dish. But in Singapore, we know it as a sweet dessert. More commonly referred to by its Hokkien name “tau huay” or “dou hua 豆花” in Mandarin, this wholesome dessert is one of our most popular local desserts.

Where should we head to for some of the best tau huay in Singapore? Read this week’s Tried & Tested: Beancurd to find out!

Minced pork noodle (dry),S$4.50

Anyway, back in January, together with D, we went back for a proper taste test of Seng Kee’s famous bak chor mee. I know, this is a very backdated post!

Seng Kee certainly dishes up a unique style of bak chor mee. What makes it different is its thick, rich sauce. It coats and clings to the noodles, which makes for a very satisfying experience. Love the braised mushroom as well. You can tell it’s a premium grade of mushroom, stewed till very flavorful and juicy.

The rest of the toppings include minced pork (ok), liver (overcooked), fried lard (so sinful). Overall, the dry-tossed noodles are very well-executed, with the noodles staying nicely QQ (springy) to the end without any alkaline taste. However, the rich sauce (I’m quite sure there’s lard oil in it) was too unctuous for me. I’d prefer a bigger dash of black vinegar to cut through the richness.

The accompanying soup was also very thick, but I didn’t quite like the excessive use of ti poh.

Minced pork noodle (soup), S$4.50

We also ordered the soup version to compare. Once again, the stock was very rich, but I think I prefer something lighter. I appreciate the chef’s good intentions, but some subtlety would be appreciated.

Mee pok noodles

For the rest of the afternoon, I was downing water rather frequently. Hmm, a case of MSG overload?

Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodles
316 Changi Road
Singapore
Tel: (65) 6345 7561

Daily: 8am – 9.30pm
Closed on alternate Mondays

Mackerel otah bun

“What shall we have for breakfast tomorrow?” I asked Rick on Saturday evening. “Let’s go to SGH for otah buns!” was the instant and eager reply.

Before you think we’re madder than the Mad Hatter to go all the way to a hospital for breakfast, allow me to clarify. Singapore General Hospital is a leisurely 10-minute stroll from our home. And ever since our chance encounter with Kaffe & Toast’s otah bun, Rick just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Between you and me, I was secretly craving for it too. It’s ridiculously simple fare: otah and bread. But the magic was in pairing lightly toasted soft buns with a good quality banana leaf mackerel otah.

Our walk up the hill was not in vain; the second time was just as good as the first. Delightfully airy buns + tasty, tingly otah = unforgettable!

Soft-boiled eggs, Teh-C, and Kopi*

Besides otah buns, the soft-boiled eggs were also worthy of praise. The whites were set but wobbly, while the yolks were lusciously runny.

A pity their coffee and tea were on the weak side; they were respectable but could definitely be more robust in flavour.

*Teh-C = tea with evaporated milk, Kopi = coffee with condensed milk

Kaya toast

We also tried their kaya toast. The bread was unevenly toasted; some parts were crisp, but some weren’t. Next time, we might try the kaya bun instead.

Various combos

This is their combo set menu. For this meal, we ordered Set A and Set E. There’s also an ala carte menu.

Local delights

On weekdays, this Kaffe & Toast outlet does a roaring business. As today was a Sunday , it was much quieter since the specialist outpatient clinics were closed, hence we could easily get a table and linger. They also serve more substantial one-dish meals that are reasonably priced (akin to food court prices).

Does anyone know if Kaffe & Toast has other outlets? One of the staff told me they have another branch in Raffles Place area, but she didn’t know exactly where.

Kaffe & Toast
Singapore General Hospital
Blk 4, Level 1 (next to Retail Pharmacy)

Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 8pm
Weekends/PH: 7.30am – 6pm

Kway chap set, S$3.50

Now, I don’t usually eat kway chap. This was hubby’s lunch order, but it was so yummy I ended up eating half of it!

Apparently, this stall has a long history. Now operating in Amoy Food Centre, it was previously located in Ellenborough Market & Food Centre, nicknamed “Teochew Market”. Here’s an informative summary on the history of Ellenborough Market.

An assortment of porcine parts and kiam chye.

Pig offal and skin are off-limit items for me, so I only tried the braised pork belly, tau kwa (pressed beancurd), egg, and kiam chye (salted mustard).

The pork was tender and thinly sliced, and the tau kwa had soaked up the flavors of the braising sauce. The kiam chye was cooked till soft but retained some bite, and its tartness was a nice counterfoil to the fatty meat.

Although the kway (rice flour sheets) wasn’t as thin or slippery as I’d like, the dark soy broth was very satisfying. It wasn’t too herbal, and was flavorful without being too salty. Overall, the kway chap here has a very traditional and rustic taste. Next time, I’m gonna order myself a portion without offal and skin!

Look for this signboard

Teochew Kway Chap
7 Maxwell Road
#02-117, Amoy Street Food Centre
Singapore 069111

Mon-Sat: 10am to 2pm