Spotted this stall on Google Maps and have been wanting to try it for the longest time. Just that you know, Kranji is not exactly a place that is near anything except the Zoo and Johor Bahru. Stall is operated by mother and son tag team. Took over the stall from someone else but made it better under her charge. At least for most of the food that I’ve tried. Check out my vid for my reviews!
Hawkers who are relentless in their offerings always inspire me. Better still, fall, pick up and reinvent.
Kenny used to operate this stall as an Italian pasta place but realise the spending power in Ghim Moh is not high and as usual manpower is seriously hard to find. So he revamped the whole stall into a Herbal Soup stall and business definitely improved from what I witnessed. At least this stall, he can manage it himself.
Love the steam minced pork with pumpkin ($2.50), a different approach to the usual style. He also offers brown rice ($0.80) which was very apt for me. Soup wise is pleasant. Not as rich as what I’ve tried before but was good enough for the $4.50 price tag. Different soups have different purposes, so go try it and let me know if you liked it too.
We have zillions of such snack and kueh stores in the neighborhoods in Singapore but this one is a little more special. They actually have makeshift seats and tables for customers dining in. Chai Chee is not short of coffeeshops cos there are already 2 full sized ones round the corner but this one is always crowded. And I found out the reason why. See my food pic below for answer.
Only $3 including coffee!
Rating: 4/5.
Taste: The fried beehoon and mee was good. Made me wanna eat more but my will power was stronger. Coffee lacks punch but it’s prolly only $1 or less. They have chee cheong fun, yam cake, carrot cake, lor mai kai, sometimes mee siam, etc. Neighbourhood gems like these keeps inflationary prices away. Love them!
Portion: Normal.
Price: $3 with my kopi-c kosong.
Service: Self-service
Ambience: Messy. Eat house in a shop kinda concept.
This stall has been around ever since Shunfu Mart renovated. Moved from their origin place at Lakeview, this stall has quite a following. And I learnt that this uncle has been a hawker since he was 19 years old and now he’s 65. Respect. So I decided to give it a try by order both the prawn noodles and the fried prawn mee.
Rating: 4/5.
Portion: Normal
Price: $4 for fried, $3 for dry.
Service: Self-service
Ambience: Hawker Centre with very tight seating. My tummy was rubbing on the table.
Taste: Dry version has an old school taste to it with ketchup. Soup that came with it looked rich but tasted not too rich. I would prefer a little more umami richness to the broth cos that will affect the taste for the fried one as well. Fried one is well fried with the eggs fried in from the beginning to create the broth that simmers the noodles. By right the noodles should be good on its own but you need to mix in the sambal and squeeze the lime to get the taste they created.
RTE: Given the limited time I have, I’ll come if I’m around the area.
Sorry for not writing much lately cos most quick updates are done on my Instagram account @eatwithroy. You guys can follow me there too. Work has been tiring cos a lot of stuffs to do at the beginning and hope operations will smooth out soon.
Wanted a nice local brekkie yesterday and I thought I should visit a coffeeshop which I haven't visited for the longest time. The coffeeshop has renovated and there are many stalls there now with pretty impressive offerings. However, they have adopted the self-service mode and everyone has to queue to get their food. Gone are the days when you can order and find a seat. So it's quite tough for one person to find a seat during peak periods, hence have to share table. I waited for like 15 mins as there were some orders before me:
Rate: 4.5/5.
Taste: Got the old school taste and although it looks plain, it's very tasty! Love the suppleness of the noodles. Damn yums!
I first came to know Denise through Instagram and she told me about her plans to set up a Prawn Noodle stall and some more a halal one! I thought the idea was interesting and told her I’ll definitely be there when she opens.
So today is the day she started her dream. And as promised, I was there to lend her my support. See my reviews below and please support young hawkerprenuers and support local!
Congrats on your opening!!!Prawn Noodles with Crayfish $12.50Denise fries her own shallots, which makes a whole lot of difference to the taste!Cray cray cray crayfish!Prawns are left in their shells to lock in the sweetness!Got Kang Kong and bean sprouts. Those don’t like bean sprouts better tell her in advance not to put!#worldcleanplate #damnyummylah #morebrothpleaseSo considerate got wet towels for me cos need to deshell the prawnsDenise and me Rating: 5/5.
Taste: If I can invent a new word, it would be ‘Sumami’… which means Super Umami. The broth is really really good and I really hope she keeps up the standard. Imagine this is not even using any pork bones. Really old school recipe which everyone should try!
Portion: Average
Service: Self-service
Ambience: Hawker centre.
Price: Starts from as low as $3.50 to $12.50.
RTE: Yes!!
Location: 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh #02-25. Check out their website for opening hours.
Sorry took me a while to tabulate all these info and pictures together. Only manage 30 items but trust me, there are more than 30 items easily in Medan to savour on. Hope you enjoy the gastronomical read and perhaps attract you to visit Medan one day!
1. Indomie/Ifumie Goreng
Indomie Goreng Indomie Goreng Basa – The wet versionThis is something like our Maggie Goreng except that Indomie/Ifumie most of the time they would use the seasoning that comes with the instant noodle pack. It is probably the staple in whole of Indonesia, reason is it is affordable for everyone. However different stalls/locations have their own special sauce or chilli paste which makes customers come back for more. 2. Kueh Kueh
Look at the colours of the kueh kuehs! Yam Cake This glutinous rice thing with sri kaya is really damn good…
Lemper Ayam. One of my favourites and will tapao a lot for mum. Just too many varietiesKueh kueh is available in most Asian countries and in Medan, they are very important as some of these kuehs are used for praying to the Gods or Ancestors. There are a lot of kueh kueh varieties here and it’ll take some more one to try them all. My favourites are shown below. 3. Martabak
Martabak Piring… That’s how they cook it! To be honest, I prefer the ones below… Comes in a slab like this Look at the amount of cheese! This one we ordered the first night. It has all the works inside… Nutella, grounded peanuts, choc rice, cheese! Last slab we had for our trip. Damn good. Loads of cheese and butter. Yums! Heavenly! Probably the best now in Medan, Martabak Yurich!This is prolly trending very much now in Medan. Not to be confused with the martabak we have here in Singapore, there are basically 2 types of martabak in Medan; The thin or the thick one. Personally I prefer the thick one cos it comes with a lot of fillings and coated with loads of butter. I would highly recommend Martabak Yurich because theirs are really yummy!
4. Bihun Bebek (Duck Beehoon)
Me and boss of Asie Bihun Bebek, showing how much ducks he use for his broth. Bihun Bebek served dry and a bowl of soup on the side. Broth is super rich and tasty, result of boiling with a lot of ducks in it. Another Bihun Bebek place I visit which belongs to my Medan mummy. Bihun Bebek Akien has their followers and to be honest, has a different touch from the one at Asie. Akien’s Bihun Bebek comes with veg, home made shrimp balls and a chunk of braised pork belly. I really miss this right now. Specially reserved this bowl of goodness for me…. Finished!This is prolly the first stop everytime I’m in Medan. A must eat and it’s truly da bomb! There are 2 types in Medan; the strong herbal or light herbal one. However, either or is damn rich in broth and really a great way to start the day with! My favourite stalls are Bihun Bebek Kumango (Asie) and my god mother’s stall Bihun Bebek Akien!
5. Mie Pangsit
Mie TiongsimThis is prolly the wanton mee of Medan. Everywhere cooks differently like the wanton mee in SG. My favourite so far is Mie Tiongsim at Jln Selat Panjang. Still good even though they are super popular. 6. Mie Hokkien
Mie Hokkien at Jln Selat Panjang Friend’s parents’ Mie Hokkien. See the lard and amount of ingredients. Yums!The distinct difference between Mie Pangsit and Mie Hokkien is Mie Pangsit has char siew and wantons, while Mie Hokkien has braised egg, prawns, fish balls and prawn balls. 7. Coffees Locals vs Specialty
Latte from Pilastro Cafe Latte from Geodang Latte from Macehat Latte from The Thirty SixCoffee is grown in most parts of Indonesia and North Sumatra is one of the places. The presence of local coffee is definitely a hindrance to the growth of specialty coffee stores such as Pilastro and The Thirty Six. So while you’re there, go support these business, and enjoy some really good local single origins! 8. Nasi Ayam
Nasi Ayam from Nasi Ayam SP3 of Jalan Selat Panjang. With the owners of Nasi Ayam SP3Chicken Rice here in Medan is really different. Again, every stall has different side dishes. I like the one at Jalan Selat Panjang, Nasi Ayam SP3, their chicken rice comes with sides like braised egg, sambal shrimps, veg, etc. Owner couple are very nice people and you can literally order anything just sitting at their stall. 9. Big R Burger
The Big ‘R’ Burger Big Roy eyeing on Big R Burger hahaHaha I placed this as a must eat because this burger is created in my name! Thick 200g beef patty with steak slices and beef bacon laid on top of it and topped it off with a runny sunny-side-up! Really yummy this one! Only at The Thirty Six! 10. Putu Bambu
Steamed bamboo kueh Very yummy Miss this!This is something like our tutu kueh but it’s longish and steamed inside a bamboo, giving it a distinctive bamboo fragrance. You can get this everywhere. 11. Kweu Tiau
The Legend GLORIOUS DUCKS EGGS!!! Fry until the wok also got hole… imagine how many years is that gonna take?!?!! Try making her smile, anyone can do that let me know and prove it with a selfie! Tapao best cos the banana leaf gives off a different taste! Damn I miss this so much! Using duck eggs! Add your own pork lard at Kwetiau Ahong Kwetiau AhongKweu Tiau is actually Fried Kway Teow and they only have the light coloured portion which is very similar to Penang ones. I totally love the Fried Kway Teow here cos some of the Kway Teow like Kwetiau Ong’s is homemade! Best of all, they use duck eggs!!! Makes a lot of difference to the dish! Kwetiau Ong is definitely my favourite stall, which is a Golden Legendary stall since 1914… that’s 103 years of history!!! Close to this will prolly be Kwetiau Ahong’s. 12. Sate Padang
Legendary stall beside Bata. Sate Padang from the Bata stall. The chicken one is definitely better cos mutton is tough Had this at one of the markets… tough like mad This one looks promising Chicken sate is very nice and tender… Love how much fried shallots they used! So good we ordered round 2! Burp!Sate Padang is literally satay in SG. The satay here is not as tender as what we have back home but definitely flavourful. Sauce wise is a little more on the savoury side instead of the sweeter version in SG. This is a must have when you’re at any food street at night. You can order like 5 sticks if you’re alone. 13. Nasi Padang
Usually laid on the table like that and you only have to pay for what you eat… The rest of the dishes they will put back… Love the fried chicken here! How locals would eat, pack in a banana pack and then eat it after 5 mins. The fragrance of the leaf will surface. Yummy! Garuda’s Padang Serdahana’s PadangNasi Padang is big business in Medan! So many places for good Nasi Padang and some big brands like Garuda is already in Singapore. The best thing about this Nasi Padang is that the variety is huge and they will place loads of dishes on the table. You’ll only be charged for what you eat, not what you’ve touched. So you can take the curry sauce but not eat the chicken…then they will put back the chicken to the main display pot. Hygiene is definitely questionable here… but no one seems to care. Love most of the outlets here, Muay orders are the beef rendang, ayam goreng and ayam pop. 14. He Ci
He Ci is the same as the Ngoh Hiang stalls in Singapore with the crispy prawn crackers and the floury prawn cakes. Except that the items offered differs from ours.
15. Tok Tok
Tok Tok stall Pig’s blood… no more in SG Intestines…. still got a little smell…A very local dish of pig’s blood and intestines. Not everyone’s cup of tea and the taste is really acquired. Worth a try if you encounter this. 16. Popia
Atak Popia or rather more known as Popia Jose Rizal, opens only in the evening. All handmade on the spot upon orders. Steam or fried? I like the steam one better! So yummy!In our context, it’s Popiah. I only know one place that has this and they sell by the thousands daily! Check out the stall at Jose Rizal and you can choose from the steam or deep fried ones. I definitely preferred the steamed ones! Not cheap at 7000 rupiah each but it has crab meat inside and extremely tasty! 17. Avocado Shake
Regular Avocado juice Avocado juice with espresso shots at MacehatAvocado is grown locally in Brastagi region and naturally drinks are made out of these. Avocado shake with chocolate sauce is truly yummy here and a must drink when in Indonesia. You may wanna check out the Avocado Juice with Espresso shots at Macehat. Their signature drink there. 18. Curry Chicken & Beef Bihun/Rice
The famous curry at Tabona Curry Chicken… The gravy is very watery but never lacks of flavour. Beef is damn yummy. Love the brisket parts Bihun texture so different from ours in Singapore Featured on a local magazine lately. Boss and meRumah Makan Tabona. This is a household brand that has been selling this for decades. Love the curry chicken and beef to go with the beehoon. Very yummy! Some Medanese said do not leave Medan if you haven’t tried this! I must say it’s not bad, and their business is blardy good! 19. Chee Cheong Fun
This is how the chee cheong fun is laid out Then chopped into pieces upon orders and drench with a little sauce and fried shallots.This is one of my favourites. Simple, plain looking but damn yummy! The secret is in the sauce and all the fried onions on top. The best I’ve tried so far is from Jalan Selat Panjang from the big guy’s stall.
20. Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng Petai See the fire they use… power!There are many places for fried rice. I kinda like the Nasi Goreng Petai at 134A Jalan Singa. The fire is damn power, hence wok heat is amazingly good! 21. Goreng Pisang
Goreng Pisang with a whole lot of cheese and chocolate at Geodang Pilastro’s version of Goreng PisangIn most cafes, they usually have Goreng Pisang for sides that is drouse with loads of chocolate rice and cheese! Good to try but too much a little jelak! 22. Durian
The man, Ucok Durian piled up here for selectionYes, durians do grow in Medan. But the seeds are big and flesh not as much. But at the price of 35k and 50k rupiah, it’s ok to try the taste of it. Ucok durian is the biggest player in the durian market which operates 24/7! So if you’re craving for durians at 4am, you can get some by taking a Grab car there! 23. BPK
Babi Panggang Karo… If they BBQ the pork well, the meat will be tender. If not, good luck to your teeth. Blood gravy to go with your riceBabi Panggang Karo is a traditional Karo tribe cuisine of BBQ pork slices which is usually served with rice and a bowl of blood mixture spicy sauce thingy. At some places, the meat can get really tough… the better ones are in the mountains so branded doesn’t mean good. 24. Kueh Lapis/Ambon
With chocolate chips Yummy plain onesHome of Kueh Lapis and more likely the Kueh Ambon. Indonesians generally agree the Kueh Ambon in Medan is the best in the whole of Indonesia. But I kinda like the Kueh Lapis, very good souvenir gift to bring back for family and friends. There is a street full of kueh lapis, just go sample all of them and tell me which ones you like! 25. Teh Susu Telor
Da eggy teh tarik drink,… not bad but damn sweet This street has loads of different styles of indomie goreng and the egg tehThis is a very local drink. Egg is added to the milk tea and seriously damn sweet. But the egg adds a nice fragrance to the drink. Dunno if there are any medical boost drinking this but it’s worth a try! 26. Snake Meat
Snake meat… Taste like chickenSnake meat is available at food streets like Jalan Semarang. Fried in some rempah and seriously taste like chicken. Quite appetising! 27. Chao Lo
Spicy but acquired taste…This is a typical before dinner snack in Medan which actually are snails cook in some spicy soup. Totally an acquired taste dish, not many people can take it. 28. Badak
Sarsi made in Medan. Medanese pride and joy. Has Sarsi taste definitely but with some herbal tones too. Not bad, interesting. 29. Es Campur
Literally like our ice kacang but the ice is a lot coarser and helluva lot more sweet! But they are super generous with the ingredients too! 30. Corn Rojak Keju
This is an interesting snack which I found at Brastagi market area. They slice the corn off the cob and then mix in butter, salt and pepper before topping with shredded cheese. Quite yummy actually.
Actually there are a lot more food to feature in Medan but this list is taking just too long. But I have included some of the pictures for you all to see below. Happy munching!
Nasi Tim… Basically steamed rice with the ingredients… like our Fan Choy or Lor Mai Kai. Available at Nasi Ayam SP3 Sio bak available at Jalan Semarang. Yummy! A drink I swear by everywhere I go… plain ice tea no sugar and it’s cheap I think these are called Apom… Served with kaya-like gravy. Simple stall like this is long queue every morning at the market Yummy porridge with intestines Market has interesting foods too! Nasi Campur but the rice was a little cold. A little like our sayur lodeh not bad.
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