To have one of the best, proceed to Fu Yuan Can Shi coffeeshop at the junction of Bangkit Road and Bukit Panjang. It is one of two kopitiams that are right next to each other, the other one being at the location where there was previously a McDonalds. There are other goodies to be found in Fu Yuan Can Shi kopitiam in Bangkit Road, but a must try is their very good braised duck kway teow. I usually go for the dry version since I prefer having my noodles drenched in the black and gooey braised duck sauce with a generous serving of chili. Mix it together well and this is traditional duck noodles in its best form.

One other factor that is really great and attractive about Fu Yuan Can Shi’s braised duck mee is that it’s cheap! Cheap and good food in Singapore is becoming a rarity just like cheap but good Singapore chicken rice, but you have it right here in the West side of the country. This fantastic dish costs only $2.50 and it is enough to fill your hungry stomach! The noodles are firm yet soft, and they are smooth and slide down your throat in a manner that is hard to describe but heavenly all the same. An important part of the mix is the chili, so ask for more of it to make the whole dish really tasty.

How about the braised duck that comes with it? The servings are generous, at least 5 slices of the most tender braised duck breast that you will ever get. Most braised duck noodles in Singapore do not come with great duck meat, but the one served by Fu Yuan Can Shi is an exception. It always tastes well marinated and they are not too thick nor too thin. You can taste the tender juices seeping through it and it adds to the overall flavour.

So if you are craving for traditional local food and not just excellent Japanese Baikohken ramen, you can get some of the best braised duck noodles or kway teow to be found in Singapore, there is no need to travel too far within the Lion City. Just make a quick trip to the West at Bangkit Road and Fu Yuan Can Shi will have what you need. The block where it is situated at is very near the Bukit Panjang exit along BKE, so it is hard to miss. In fact, once you enter Bukit Panjang Road from the expressway, it will be the after the first junction on your right.

What is chee cheong fun? It is simply a steamed rice noodle roll that is very soft and silky in texture and often mixed with a sweet sauce (and chili) and sesame seeds. According to my sources, this dish originated from China and Hong Kong where the Cantonese often have it for dim sum. The version which has filling in it ranging from char siew to prawns is often known as cheong fun. Another interesting anecdote is that chee cheong fun when translated literally from Chinese, means pig’s intestine noodles which is probably named thus since they look like distant cousins to a pig’s intestines (but of course tasting much better for those from Western shores).

And then we have yam cake. What is it? Apparently it is most often seen, sold and eaten in Singapore and Malaysia. Misleadingly, yam cake is not made from yam, but taro. If you wish to know how to cook it, this is how you do it. You have it made together with rice flour, salt, water, small chopping of carrots and then once steamed, dried pieces of prawn (hei bi), spring onion, shallots, sesame seeds are sprinkled over it. Sometimes you have sweet sauce layered over yam cake (as is the case with Jia Ji Mei Shi’s version), other times people just eat it as it is with chopped red chili.

So what is so good about Jia Ji Mei Shi’s chee cheong fun and yam cake that makes it the best in Singapore? First, you can mix both together or have them separately. I usually go for the total package and want it all, so my friendly advice is to order their mix of chee cheong fun and yam cake on a platter. The friendly lady staff at Jia Ji will then heap generous doses of sesame oil, sesame seeds and the mandatory sweet black sauce over it. The final result might be a huge mess of black blocks and springly rolls buried deep in an oily mess but once you put them in your mouth the sensation and taste are both heavenly.

I don’t normally go for yam cake (or taro since it’s not really made from yam) due to diet. However, Jia Ji Mei Shi’s yam cake is something I cannot avoid and there is just something special about it. It is all home made and fresh from the steam oven every morning. Needless to say it would be best to have it when the stall has opened (7.30am) but they also make extras throughout the day. The texture is extremely soft yet firm, and is not overly sweet, which thus enhances the mixture when the sweet back sauce is added.

I love chee cheong fun and used to have it very often during my tender growing years before I started developing my big fat belly due to eating too much good food (what else can a Singaporean do?) and lack of exercise. But it is still something that I recommend anyone to try when they are in Singapore. Now that I have rediscovered Jia Ji Mei Shi (which incidentally had temporarily relocated to Chinatown Street Market during Smith Street Market’s renovation before moving back) and their specialty, I find it very hard to ignore its calling. The best chee cheong fun in Singapore hands down and I will credit it not only for its texture, but also the dosages of sesame oil, sweet black sauce, chili and sesame seeds that are added. Simply lip smacking delicious! I seldom get the same high that I get from eating the best ramen in Singapore, but this chee cheong fun definitely gives me the same joy that I experienced as a child.

So how much does the most delicious chee cheong fun and yam cake in Singapore set you back by? You can have them both at only $2, and trust me, once you are done, you might have to skip one or two meals because they are simply filling. The aftertaste lingers on and makes you want to go back for more. There’s nothing quite as cheap and good as Jia Ji Mei Shi’s yam cake and chee cheong fun and if you are up for it, why not soak in the authentic local hawker centre that is Smith Street Market that is a must visit for any tourist and even our locals frequent it. Try out the other local hawker fare available in the market which I will try to introduce more in future columns.

Jia Ji Mei Shi opens at 7.30am in the morning and closes in the late afternoon or till they are sold out for the day. They have other great local food such as the delicious rice dumplings (bak zang), economy bee hoon or mee noodles, and fish porridge with raw fish (yee sang) if you order the latter too. Staff are friendly and be prepared for long queues, especially during peak hours such as breakfast and lunch.

There will no doubt be disputes over which stores and restaurants serve the best chicken rice in Singapore (and we will continue to bring other great chicken rice hawkers to you), but frankly, the one available at the humble Kopitiam All Time Favourites in IMM at Jurong East must rank as one of the best, if not the best, chicken rice available country-wide. It is surprisingly not well known, and some have described their signature dish to be slightly salty, but not many can beat the fragrant rice and tender chicken meat served to thousands of customers daily.

The All Time Favourite Kopitiam in IMM can be located on the first floor, among the cluster of food stalls situated near the car park exit. The chicken rice options include the all important white chicken rice, as well as soya sauce chicken rice. Both are just as superb, with the rice being an important feature of the whole dish. It adds to the flavour of the sweet chicken meat, and if you consider how tender the chicken breasts are as well, it all makes for a wonderful gastronomical experience.

Do not forget the essential garlic chilli that must be added to make the best chicken rice in Singapore even more heavenly. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but in Singapore, eating chicken rice without garlic chilli is like eating char kway teow without soya sauce.

If having the best chicken rice in Singapore isn’t enough for a meal, there are other fantastic dishes on the All Time Favourite Kopitiam in IMM too. Part of their secret is extra tender chickens they have, so if rice is too heavy for you, why not consider one of the best chicken noodles in Singapore as well? Their noodles are done just right, al dente, and coupled with the chicken and yummy stock, the All Time Favourite Kopitiam in IMM has two best Singaporean dishes covered just right! Reminds me so much of the fantastic authentic Japanese ramen I’ve had at Baikohken Singapore.

There’s also prawn dumpling noodles, mee rebus, mee siam, and an assortment of other chicken and pork dishes, from baked chicken rice to pork cutlets. But why waste valuable space in your tummy on them, when the best and most delicious chicken rice in Singapore is waiting for your consumption?

With chicken and rice being a common diet for people from all over the world as well, chicken rice is definitely one of the most popular Singaporean dishes with our foreign guests and expats living here. Most of the chicken rice served in Singapore originates from Chinese cooks and chefs, as it is with the delicious ones from IMM’s All Time Favourites Kopitiam. But our Malay and Indian countrymen have also their own versions of the signature dish, and not any less tasty either. I can still remember the beeline we made for the Malay chicken rice prepared by our pal’s mom when we were students, with the crunchy fried chickens being the best in Singapore, and better than whatever KFC can come up with.

So if ginseng chicken soup from the restaurant in Singapore serving some of the best Korean food might be too potent for your tastebuds, why not stick to the safe, trusted and unforgettable best chicken rice in Singapore? You can hardly go wrong with IMM’s All Time Favourites’ chicken rice. And to prove it, they are always packed during lunch and dinner hours, so be there early to queue up, or they might even run out of chicken meat. It’ll be too late for regrets then!

Baikohken has a huge picture of its first ever shop in Japan on one of its walls, and that tells you the whole story. The menu serves the three common types – Miso, Shio and Shoyu. All three are great, although I have a soft spot for Shoyu. Singaporeans might enjoy Baikohken ramen more, as I found it less salty compared to those available from other ramen joints that offer authentic Japanese ramen, such as Ramen Santouka Singapore.

The serving size of Baikohken ramen in Singapore is amazing. It is perhaps one of the largest servings of authentic Japanese ramen that you will ever find in Singapore, and at comparably cheaper prices compared to other ramen joints. If you cannot stomach too much of a good thing, there is always the option of having a smaller serving at about half the price.

Baikohken ramen also has an interesting addition to your choice if desired – you can opt for butter and sweet corn to be added to your stock. The butter will bring out the sweetness and fresh pork taste of the stock even more, regardless of Shoyu, Shio or Mison ramen of your choice.

The ramen from Baikohken is just about perfect. They are served ad dente and remain so for quite a while during your meal there, even with the soup piping hot. Baikohken ramen in Singapore is curly, which is a trademark of the Asahikawa ramen.

For chashu lovers, there is no shortage of that at Baikohken. In fact, Baikohken serves perhaps the largest pieces of pork chashu of all ramen shops in Singapore, authentic of not. They come in large pieces and very thick, about 3mm in thickness at least. And you can typically get at least three to five pieces of chashu in Baikohken’s ramen, depending on which particular type you order from the menu. For those wanting more sinful pleasures, you can also order extra slices. Baikohken ramen’s pork chashu is quite an experience, chewy yet melts in your mouth. The fatty portions are definitely completely of the latter melt in your mouth variety.

On top of that, Baikohken ramen in Singapore also has excellent ajitama which is made perfect. The egg white is firm, yet the interior yolk is soft at the same time.

At the end of the whole meal, you would just want to slurp up all the soup from Baikohken’s ramen straight off the bowl. It is a fantastic eat, meal and experience all rolled into one. And at the prices offered, Baikohken is definitely one of the best authentic Japanese ramen shops in Singapore.

Baikohken ramen’s opening hours are from 11am – 3pm and 5pm – 10pm (last orders 9.30pm), and they open everyday. For a taste of one of the best authentic Japanese ramen available in Singapore, you cannot go wrong dropping by Baikohken.

Ramen Santouka is one such ramen joint, and they hail from Hokkaido, Japan. They are a common sight in Japan itself, and have also been cooking up a storm in California, USA. Not bad, considering that they are what you would call a franchise. Fortunately, the quality of the ramen is high, and in Singapore, Ramen Santouka can easily be considered one of the best, if not the best, ramen shop that can be found here.

You can find Ramen Santouka in The Central, and contrary to what some may claim, they can be easily found on the second floor, in the left corner at the front portion of the building. The joint is pretty small, but that contributes to the authenticity of the place, together with the decor. They have a solid view of Clarke Quay if you are sat by the window, especially at night. Outside the shop, you can find the standard plastic displays of what they offer on the menu – good enough previews in case you are a ramen newbie.

Creating their reputation of having the best and most delicious ramen in Singapore, Ramen Santouka have their prized dish of the Tokusen Toroniku Ramen, which is basically Pork Cheek Ramen. What is so special about this? First of all, if you want to get a taste of Ramen Santouka’s Tokusen Toroniku Ramen, you had better arrive at the shop early. The pork cheeks come in limited supply, enough for about 60 servings a day. This prized meat cut is so soft and tender that they literally melt in your mouth when consumed. The pork is also marinated in shoyu and is just heavenly. If you were to mix it with the ramen broth, it also brings out more flavour that might have been hidden for less discerning tastebuds.

There have also been comments that the various broths (especially the shio and shoyu) offered with your choice of ramen at Santouka can be rather salty. If you want authentic Japanese ramen in Singapore, and tasty to boot, then this is exactly what you will get if you were in Japan itself. The fat or grease level in their broths are also moderate, and again, you will get the same experience if you were to have ramen in Japan. Afterall, the Japanese live longer than a Singaporean on average, so health concerns here are taken to extreme levels. If you want healthy ramen, try making it at home. For authentic and absolutely lip-smacking, noodle slurping, broth guzzling quality Japanese ramen to be had here in Singapore, try Ramen Santouka.

Service at Ramen Santouka is also quite adequate. Staff are polite and not overdone, unlike at other wanna be Japanese restaurants in Singapore. They provide a full jug of cold water at each table, no doubt for those who cannot stomach the saltiness of Japanese food. So, service-wise, they are definitely better than what you get from other local eating joints, which are basically not excluded from the poor service standards that are pervasive throughout Singapore.

Ramen Santouka’s Tokusen Toroniku Ramen was the first on the menu I tried. I will be going back for more, needless to say, and the quality of the other types of ramen they offer will be recorded here with time. But for the excellent dish that it already is, it would be a worthwhile trip to Ramen Santouka for some pork cheek ramen! They also have Sapporo beer and sake on the menu, handy to be had with your ramen. Unfortunately, the effect would have been better if Singapore had some cold weather. Of their other menu items, others have spoken highly of their gyoza, so they will be next on my must try list.

Ramen Santouka
#02-76, The Central

Having a craving for Korean food for a couple of weeks, I decided to finally head down to Han Fung Korean Restaurant yesterday for an early dinner. Fortunately for me, I arrived on the dot when the place opened for weekday evenings (Mon – Fri : 1130 – 1430, 1730 – 2300, Sat – Sun : 1100 – 2300), and promptly went through the menu. Since I was by myself, there was no way I could try their barbecue dishes, but will be making a trip back soon for that. I have heard quite a fair bit of glowing reviews on those. In the end I had to decide between my favourite SamGyeTang (Ginseng Chicken soup rice), and Seol Lang Tang (Noodles with Ox Bone Soup), and went for the latter. Even I had to admit it was a good choice, after tasting it.

There was obviously no crowd at Han Fung Korean Restaurant at that time since most people would have still been making their way off work, and I enjoyed decent, polite service. After laying out the customary side dishes, of which there were four, I sat waiting for my main dish. The side dishes were not too bad, and personally my first gauge for a good Korean restaurant in Singapore would be their kimchi. Many Korean restaurants in Singapore serve poor kimchi, but Han Fung Korean Restaurant had theirs rather fresh. The anchovies were not the best, but still sweet enough to tickle my tastebuds before I set into the main dish.

The Seol Lang Tang arrived and looked quite enticing. The soup had a milky texture and seemed the right mix of thickness. My first spoonful had me really excited, as it had the balanced creamy thin feel to it. You could also taste the ox/beef bone that the soup must have been cooked in hours with. The only downside to the dish was the low quantity of beef slices it contained – I could count in one hand the number and they were rather small, smaller than a Go playing card. However, I was enjoying the tasty soup and slurped down the noodles before dumping my bowl of rice in it to mix it up. The Han Fung Korean Restaurant lady who served me was also nice enough to suggest adding some salt if I did not find the taste right. There was no need for that, except for my habit of dipping the meat slices with salt and pepper.

So while this review is based solely on their Seol Lang Tang, which was really delicious, it was enough to make me want to go back for the barbecue dishes. My meal set me back about $18, including a drink. The portion was large enough to satisfy my hunger the rest of the day, which is what I expect from eating at Korean restaurants and paying that kind of money, and not many local Korean restaurants can do that for me. I could still taste the soup later that night and have nothing but good things to say about it. It might have been silly of me not to have tried their barbecue meats since it is their specialty, but that cannot be done alone so it will have to wait for now.

For those who also value the look and feel of the restaurant before they are inclined to visit it, there is nothing extra special about Han Fung Korean Restaurant’s setup or decor. It looks like your typical Korean restaurant that you might see anywhere along the streets of Korea, except with a much larger space. You can eat inside if you prefer the air condition and want to watch TV, but the outside sitting area was windy enough for me to enjoy my hot tasty Seol Lang Tang. The Han Fung Korean Restaurant staff were also approachable and polite. This is usually an area which completes my eating experience and fortunately it was quite positive on the first visit.

For those curious enough to make a trip to Han Fung Korean Restaurant, here is their address:

Han Fung Korean Restaurant
16 Cheong Chin Nam Road
Singapore 599740

They are located opposite (the quite empty) Bukit Timah Shopping Centre along the row of eating outlets at Cheong Chin Nam Road. Do take note of their opening hours on weekdays – I was not aware of that when reading about them elsewhere.

Coming at $1.50 per slice, Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake does not come cheap. Packing three on the go, the first thing that struck me was the really strong chocolate aroma. It was aromatic as well, and being a chocolate pig, I could feel my saliva glands going into overdrive at once. Immediately, my excitement started shaping in my head what Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake was going to taste like. And they were going to taste like heaven before they had landed in my mouth.

I had a look at the three slices of Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake in my hands, and they were a pretty sight. Something about the mix of chocolate brown and striking pandan green slices grabbed me and drew me in. It was all setting up something really grand once they were placed in your mouth, and it certainly had me really eager to chomp them all down immediately.

Unfortunately, they say that the greatest expectations can lead to absolute disappointment. And, true to the saying, Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake was a real letdown once I took my first bite. There was no doubting the strong chocolate aroma that was a real draw, but it set me up so much that what happened after when you started eating could perhaps be what junkies feel when they go cold turkey. Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake must have tried to go really light, because I could not really taste anything. Sure, there was the light chocolate and pandan mix, but maybe I expected too much, and it all tasted… ordinary.

Do not misunderstand, Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake was not bad – it was not as heavy as some of the mass produced pandan cakes you would buy from any confectionery or bakery, but there was certainly nothing special that set it apart from the rest either, except the slightly interesting mix of flavours. And when you look back at it, the price of Little Jerry’s Cookies’ Chocolate Pandan chiffon cake makes it even worth less the money given the taste of it. Nice cake overall, but at $1.50 per slice, perhaps spending it on their cookies might have been a better bet.

Missy Donut came to our Singaporean shores from Japan, after they spotted a good opportunity for the revival of donut consumption and sales in the island country. They were not wrong in their decision and pretty soon you now have four Missy Donut outlets in Singapore, all of which opened to long queues and fanfare. The donuts are made in front of all to see, and come in over 20 different tastes and designs, including special ones made to suit local tastes such as the Kaya donut. When I tried it on the first day the Bukit Panjang Plaza outlet opened, the Missy Donut donuts were really fresh, soft and as with all donuts, when eaten warm, were simply lip smacking. What I really liked about these donuts was that they were not too sweet, yet did not lack any of that sugar boost that donuts traditionally provided.

For a couple of times after that first taste, I had to participate in long queues before getting my fill of Missy Donut. Now, months after the height of the donut craze in Singapore, the queues have disappeared mostly and apart from the Plaza Singapura outlet, the traffic at the other Missy Donut branches have basically died. This is not wholly unexpected given that it was not called the donut fad for nothing. It would be interesting to see how long the chain can survive here in Singapore, given that despite having a huge array of designs, the Missy Donut selections are not the best in uniqueness and often end up looking quite bland, compared to the more interesting donuts that the Donut Factory has produced.

On top of that, the service provided by Missy Donut in the Bukit Panjang outlet is pretty standard of customer service in Singapore – unsmiling, cold and sometimes rude. The person serving you anytime looks disinterested, as if they cannot wait for you to disappear so that they could resume their chats with co-workers. The donuts made by Missy Donut also do not hold up to taste quality an hour or two after they are made, as they turn cold and hard. Now, donuts always come with a disclaimer that you should heat them up in a microwave to enjoy them soft and delicious, but if the ones from Donut Factory and Krispy Kreme can remain soft and delicious after a day without a need to reheat, then surely Missy Donut can come up with a way to do the same. They have been around since 2000 in Japan and that is quite a long time in terms of surviving in the donut business.

So, is Missy Donut worth your time? They certainly are, if you intend to consume them fresh and piping hot after they have been made and immediately after you have purchased them. Perhaps just before that movie at Golden Village in Plaza Singapura, or during a family day out in Compass Point. But they do not last well, and while they are not bad, the standards have dropped somewhat since they opened, and I am still undecided as to them being considered the second best tasting donuts available in Singapore after the Donut Factory.

I bought a six pack the other evening from Donut Factory, partly again because no one was in the queue, and picked out the following six types of donuts – Dark Chocolate Raspberry, two Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, Kaya White Chocolate, Hazelnut Chocolate and another which had white chocolate topping with chocolate mousse filling. I might have gotten the exact names wrong because honestly who really remembers the names of donuts, they just want to eat them. Apologies to the Donut Factory but it is not difficult to differentiate them when placed in front of you anyway.

Actually I had been craving to try out the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate donut for a while since I walked by the Donut Factory branch in Suntec City. Naturally I thought the combination of peanut butter with chocolate would be fabulous. After trying it out, the donut itself was not too bad in fact it was similar to Krispy Kreme in texture and sweetness levels, but I was disappointed that you could hardly taste the peanut butter. There were just strips over the chocolate layer of course, which would explain it.

I then moved on to the donut with the Raspberry filling and it was my favourite hands down. Donut Factory got this one right and it was a simple formula really. I never forgot a similar donut I had when I was in England many years back, and have loved jam filled donuts ever since. This was not the most unique design from Donut Factory, but a clear winner in my books, and the best of the lot I bought.

The rest were really nothing to shout about and common donuts found from the various donut shops in Singapore. Most of them I just chose them for lack of something more interesting. I am not sure how many kaya based donuts or buns or confectionary that Singaporean restaurants, bakeries and cafes need to come up with before they realise that everyone’s sick of it. But I still enjoyed the Kaya White Chocolate donut from Donut Factory, mainly because it was not so sweet that you could not taste the kaya.

Overall, I would say that return servings for the Raspberry Dark Chocolate donut from Donut Factory would be on the cards for me and I should taste it when it’s fresh out of the ovens. The cafe concept at Donut Factory would be ideal for this instead of getting a pack and having them on the go as you really need to eat your donuts fresh and warm. I am not too sure about the other flavours they have – they seem too ordinary, and certainly I could do away with the queue, but Raspberry Dark Chocolate donuts from the Donut Factory is the best donut I have had in Singapore so far.

If you are looking to spend less on Valentine’s Day flowers, why not take a walk through the many gardens and parks in Singapore, where you can actually sneak a stalk of flower or two and bundle them up into a bouquet for your other half? Of course, this is a little risky but if it is just a stalk or two of roses, it should not be too much of a problem. In any case, drop by any florist in Singapore and get your three rose bouquet, which is more than sufficient to let your significant other know that you love her.

Most Singaporeans love to eat, and it should not be a surprise that this is a common and popular choice for us to spend our Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, it also means that most restaurants and eating places would be fully booked, not to mention highly expensive if you decide to bring your date out for a romantic meal. On a budget, you could actually have a sumptuous meal in a coffeeshop where there are many zi char stalls (where you can order cooked dishes just like you do in a restaurant, but at a much lower price and equally good quality). Why not show your love and dedication by preparing a meal for your Valentine’s Day date, in the comfort of your own home? It would be even cheaper and the effort taken to prepare the meal would literally seal your Valentine’s Day night!

Personally, I always prefer to drop by a restaurant for a Valentine’s Day dinner date. The important thing is a place where they have a dish on the menu which my date loves. If it is crab, I make an advance booking for Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, where they have the famous chili crab and hot fried buns which you can dip into their delicious chili gravy. If it is steak that my date prefers, then off to Dan Ryan’s Steak and Grillhouse we will go. If it happens that she has a craving for sashimi, I would actually opt for a Japanese buffet where we can have our fill of the freshest and best sashimi on offer (a favourite of ours is the coffee house restaurant at Plaza Hotel along Beach Road). All these, of course, are costly, but it is only once a year and we then restrict our spending for the most part.

Do not forget the many parks in Singapore such as the Botanic Gardens, where you can enjoy a nice day out in a picnic or gentle stroll with your date on Valentine’s Day. There are a zillion ways in which you can spend Valentine’s Day on a shoestring budget in Singapore – you just need to use some imagination and a lot of heart. After all, that is what Valentine’s Day is all about!