FoodZee - Good Food in Singapore and beyond

If you want to try something different from the usual steamboat go to The Imperial Wok at 43 East Coast Road. Instead of the usual chicken stock, Imperial Wok offers a unique home-made thick black broth. The broth has a sweet and spicy taste. You can request for a non-spicy broth. Chicken was the first dish added in the hot pot followed by Japanese mushrooms, fish paste, tofu, cuttlefish, pak choy and udon. We like the fish paste. I was told it is made from a secret recipe by Ah Xiang. Throughout the entire meal the staff will pour a special light broth into the hot pot. A big pot (4-5 persons) costs $32 and a small pot (2-3 persons) costs $22. The number of side dishes is limited but you must try the top shell with mango and curry chicken. The curry chicken is very lemak and again I was told that it is prepared by Ah Chen from a family secret recipe. For dessert, try their durian ice cream. The staff at Imperial Wok are very friendly and we enjoyed our meal.

It is rare to find steamed bread in coffeeshops. Hence I was delighted to find this nice and clean stall in Holland Village Food Centre selling steamed bread. Steamed bread when eaten with cold butter is very shiok. Despite its good location prices are reasonable at Shan Quan Cafe. A cup of coffee/tea with milk costs $0.60. A piece of toasted/steamed bread costs $0.50.

This claypot rice is by far the best I have eaten in the Western part of Singapore. The rice is cooked to perfection. The rice is grainy and soft and the chicken, juicy and tender. The generous servings of lap cheong and the addition of a raw egg (you need to request for it) make the meal even more appealing. Not much oil is used so you can opt to add more oil and black sauce to suit you taste. A big pot of rice sufficient for three cost $12. Remember to order the home-style Yin Choy soup to go with the rice. It is very delicious and cost $2 a bowl. Xiang Zhiang Claypot Rice is located in Blk 498 Jurong West Street 41 #01-462.

If you are a Singaporean, I would be surprised if you have not eaten at this well known fried hokkien mee stall. This stall is listed in all the food guides and has been around for many years. The original cook is no longer active but the current cook is just as good. To really enjoy the hokkien mee, you must "ta pau" it in opal leaf. After an hour, the noodles and opal leaf have absorbed the prawn stock and the taste is out of this world. Minimum order with opal leaf wrapping is $5. Plastic box (forget it) is $4. Original Serangoon Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is located in Serangoon Road just before Beatty Road junction. Available for dinner only till about 10.30pm

This is one of Singapore's best roast meat stalls. It is so popular that all the tables are occupied by customers even before the stall is ready to serve. You have to be really patient. We were there at 11.30am on a weekday and waited one hour for our food. The roast pork (siew yoke), char siew and roast duck are all very well done. Fresh from the oven, it is still warm and juicy. You can eat your roast meat with rice or dry noodles and a bowl of delicious dumpling soup. Foong Kee is located in Keong Siak Street. Open for lunch only. A meal for three cost S$28 without drinks.

If the fried beehoon at Hai Ji (read posting below) was only so so, head for Holland Village. Here you will find a stall selling good fried beehoon. As I tucked into my plate of fried beehoon/mee, I found three small pieces of lard. No wonder the beehoon taste good. Holland V Fried Beehoon is located in the newly renovated Holland Village Food Centre. Available for breakfast.