Dapur 3A Power Kacang Pool in Singapore

That kacang pool stall out at Ayer Rajah Food Centre (503 West Coast Drive #01-64) was finally open when I went there this afternoon! It was pretty, but also quite different from many of the other stalls. That was not only in how the texture was very smooth with an occasional full bean in there, but also in that it was a little sweet and even a tad tangy, which was unexpected.

It was still earthy though, and the garnishes were fresh enough to make it easy to clean that plate with the bread. Another thing that made this place different was that they had an option for meat to be added, but I didn't try that. Well, my preferences are still for the Eunos stall, but I would like to come by to this hawker center because there were quite a number other number of other stalls that looked promising.

Some Packaged Goods from India

Cool, the Nissin Foods subsidiary in India does localized flavors! The Chilli Chilli Chilli Super Hot with Chilli Toppings version on the left caught my eye first. It was indeed pretty spicy, and was covered in a bright red powder inside. It wasn't so hot that it was inedible, but it also wasn't savory enough to make me want to drink the soup either. Perhaps more notable was the fact that it kinda tasted like American taco meat mix. Apparently the Mazedaar Masala flavor on the right is the most popular; I should try that next.



I also grabbed that bag of Saffola masala oats on the left, and they were pretty good. Basically, just think of a softer oatmeal and millet mixture seasoned with a spicy MSG mixture that one would get with instant noodles (LOL, I just realized that I tried this ten years ago). I also grabbed those Akash millet noodles in the center, which required boiling for just two minutes before throwing them into a pan with oil, onions, tomatoes, and a salty yellow curry powder sachet, making it taste a bit like "Singapore Noodles."

The Organic Shoyu Ramen from Mensho X Sentosa

So the Sentosa outlet of Mensho X has a slightly different menu than the Raffles Place outlet, like that organic shoyu bowl above. The broth was very crisp and savory with an impressive amount of depth, and even came topped with both pork and chicken-based chashu, the latter of which was moist and carried a pronounced yuzu aroma.

But I didn't care much for those skinny noodles, which was kinda disappointing since their noodle quality was one of the most memorable things from their main outlet. On that note, next time I should try their "mochimen," which is apparently different from the "mochi mochi" mazemen noodles at Raffles Place. I am not entirely sure if there is that much of a difference, but I guess the point is that they would be chewy.

Hitting Up Geylang Serai Market Again

I'm back at Geylang Serai Market today, mainly because it's a public holiday when Fhoul Madinah Istimewa finally serves its shakshuka (i.e., it's only on weekends and public holidays). Yes, I liked it. It's quite different from the tomato-ey red egg-centric version that one normally thinks of, as this one was brown with bits of meat and earthy grilled onions mixed in. There were some diced tomatoes that gave it some acidity too, but only a bit. I liked it either way, and am very curious to know how this rendition came about. Presumably it's similar to how kacang pool is a Southeast Asian adaptation, but I hardly see shakshuka sold like this, so maybe it is unique to this stall.



I also made my way over to Iqbal Soup Kambing at stall 128, and it was awesome. He had a giant vat right at the front of the stall that was full of various goat parts inside like ribs, leg, and tongue, which he scoops out when you order. I only went for the novice "meat" version, and yet it was still tender, fatty, and easy to eat. I liked it better than Bahrakath given how unapologetically thick and greasy the broth is, all while being accentuated with bright pieces of celery leaves. I also liked how one could skip past the usual bread accompaniment for a long grain rice option, which was firmly cooked and came complete with a brown chili paste on the side that was more garlic than chili.



Finally, I had a chance to try Haig Road Putu Piring, which had a couple of outlets nearby. These little gems were filled with grainy gula melaka and were steamed to order. The loose and fluffy texture was a nice change from their denser relative kueh tutu, and I loved how they come topped with fluffy coconut shavings that were accentuated with salt (yay!). I am not sure how this chain compares to other vendors, but presumably they do a decent job if they have expanded to so many outlets. I'll get these again.

Kacang Pool Mustafa at Geylang Serai Market

I didn't realize this until I was leaving the market this morning, but there is another kacang pool stall at Geylang Serai called Mustafa at stall #142, and it seems that this one is even older than Fhoul Madinah Istimewa. The dish was also a bit more elaborate, with a chunkier texture that reminded me a bit of split pea soup, plus an occasional full bean lurking in there. They had a double egg option that many folks were getting, plus pepper and coriander (?) powder available on the countertop. I still like the Eunos stall the best, but I want to try a new one at Ayer Rajah Market soon; it was closed when I went there yesterday.

JC Seafood by Jiao Cai Seafood at MBS

I had never heard of Jiao Cai Seafood, but apparently it's a Michelin-listed place up in Yishun, which I hardly get a chance to go to. So when I saw their halal spinoff at Rasapura Masters today (complete with a bazillion Michelin logos proudly displayed, not unlike the nearby Nana Curry and Da Shi Jia stalls), I figured that I would give it a try.

I don't eat stingray very much, so I am not in much of a position to make a proper comparison, but I was happy with how bright, spicy, and greasy that sambal was without being excessive. Of course, the sambal was the main thrust rather than then stingray itself, but that's the intention of the dish, which made for easy rice shoveling.

Minced Pork Bros at Old Airport Road Food Centre

I'd never heard of these guys until I walked by this morning and was amused by the name (51 Old Airport Road #01-113). They did a decent job of bak chor mee above, with firmly cooked noodles, an edgy amount of black vinegar, and even a piece of dried fish garnish, making it a bit like Tai Wah. But it also had rather plump herh keow dumplings that were savory and even a little slimy, in a good way. It's a solid bowl, even if those sliced fishcakes didn't really taste as different as that orange color suggested.

George's Katong Laksa in Singapore

To be sure, I don't think George is in this place's actual name, as this is apparently registered as Katong Laksa instead (307 Changi Road). But for practical purposes, it makes sense to call this place George's in order to distinguish it from the many other Katong laksa stalls around (i.e., the common noun rather than the proper noun).

This place claims to have been around since 1955, with the broth apparently developed after the founder spent time at Janggut. Their rendition is a thinner but easy-to-drink broth that is still reasonably rich and spicy. More importantly, they keep the rice noodles nice and firm, topping it with some fresh cockles. I would be happy to eat it again, but this place is basically only open in the mornings until they sell out.

Tahu Bergedil from Quicky Kota Singa

There is a pasar malam up at Sumang Walk in Punggol right now. I noticed that several stalls were offering tahu bergedil, or basically begedil shoved inside fried tofu with some crispy bits of egg batter around it. It's probably something that I've eaten before but never noticed; either way, this is apparently a popular thing at pasar malams these days, so I grabbed a portion from a stall called Quicky.

Yes, I liked it, even if it wasn't crispy nor warm, being served straight from a pre-cooked basket. I originally intended to just eat one or two as a taster but ended up eating the whole box given the hard-to-resist taste of starch and grease, not to mention that sweet and spicy sambal kicap that it came with. This would be even better if it hadn't been sitting around for so long. I wonder if they fry to order during busier periods?

Fhoul Madinah Istimewa in Singapore

Yay, here is another kacang pool stall, with this one claiming to have been around since 1960 (1 Geylang Serai #02-114). The texture was a little coarser than the Eunos stall, and seemed just a tad richer too. It was good in that sense, although I still like how refreshing the Eunos stall is. I'll be back either way, especially since the other item on the menu here was shakshuka, with a photo that looked quite different from what I would have otherwise expected. So I'm very curious to see if they are also doing a local adaptation.

Side note: there is an otak-otak guy down at stall 165 doing a brisk business here at Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre. The little packets feature quite a bit of rempah with coarser cuts of ginger that gave it some nice texture, although that also made it the complete opposite of the savory fish-centered version at the shop in Muar.

El Borracho Spanish Restaurant in Singapore

This place on the former grounds of Menya Sanji may look like a tapas bar on the surface, but it's actually a little izakaya run by a friendly Japanese couple. That means that it comes complete with mandatory drink requirements and a selection of nihonshu to go with your Padrón peppers and tortilla (1 Tras Link #01-14).

Most of the food is properly Spanish, although an occasional hint of Japanese popped in there, like the lamb tsukune above. I'm spoiled by regular runs to Spain for work, so my interest here isn't the Spanish food. What I do like here is the cozy and laid-back vibe; this place is fun for the same reasons why I like Al Solito.

Kuala Lumpur’s Hai Kah Lang in Singapore

Keisuke's former spot at Funan is now occupied by this chain from Malaysia, and it's a Michelin Bib Gourmand at that (107 North Bridge Road #1-15). They sell fish soup, and with a very impressive range of seafood available...so much that it literally smells like a wet market inside.

That might not sound too appealing to many, but the food was excellent, including not just that bowl of chopped fish heads in the upper left corner above, but also the broth, which was very savory from the fish, mildly rich from the milk, and delightfully fragrant from the huangjiu.

Plus, they had a stanky sambal belachan to go with it, and even provided a free bag of fish crackers for you to nibble on while you waited. Yes, this was better than a lot of the usual fish soups around town, and I plan to go back to try more of that big range of seafood on offer.