Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

 Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is a top pick on my BCM list and a go-to in Toa Payoh. While visiting the coffee shop for other stalls, I couldn't help but notice a group dressed in striking orange, with numbers being called out in the background. It was hard not to take a second look, only to realize it was the famous BCM stall in action.

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

We ordered a medium and a small portion of dry noodles, though my preferred noodle type was unavailable. Tossed in chili and seasonings, the bowl came topped with mushrooms, beansprouts, minced meat, and liver.

BCM

However, the first bite didn’t bring back the nostalgic old-school taste I remembered. The chili, once powerful enough to create a "washing machine" effect in the stomach, lacked its former punch.

BCM Dry - $5

Overall, it felt lackluster and wouldn’t be worth queuing for. In my opinion, the West Side offers better BCM than this.

Rating: 3 / 5

Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle
Location: Blk 73  Toa Payoh Lor 4, #01-611 Singapore 310073

Woodlands Claypot Prawn (Toa Payoh)

Congrats Woodlands Claypot Prawn for having their 3rd Outlet in Toa Payoh Industrial. Before this, I visited their 1st & 2nd outlets in

Woodlands Claypot Prawn (Masiling)

Woodlands Claypot Prawn (Tampines)

Steamboat Charcoal Claypot

The procedure goes the same in every of their branch. Take the menu card, and indicate the table number and items for the prawn broth. 

Mark your choices

Already set with a table of ingredients, waiting for the speciality prawn broth and prawns to be cooked under the charcoal fire. We had shabu shabu (both pork and beef), fish slices, sea urchin balls, Tofu, Hotdog etc.

Ingredients we had chosen

Here's their speciality prawn broth, filling up the entire claypot with full of prawns. Look at these bright striking orange-coloured prawns, we were all ready to feast on them.

Speciality Prawn Broth

As usual, we took out the prawns from the claypot to prevent them from overboiling as we wanted to enjoy these plump juicy prawns with a good biting texture.

Prawns

The Sea Urchin Balls were pretty unique in their appearance, containing tobiko. 

Sea Urchin Balls

Slurp these pots of "prawny goodness". Sweet tasting with the flavours of the assorted ingredients that we had placed in.

Charcoal Fire

Enjoy a plate of big and succulent Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Scallop

With Woodlands Claypot Prawn expanding fast and launching their 4th outlet in the West at Pioneer, we will definitely make a trip down to the industrial to support them again.

Woodlands Claypot Prawn (Toa Payoh)
Location: 9 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, Singapore 319061

Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee

In the search of Hokkien Mee and sometimes back, we heard about a formerly sous chef at three Michelin-starred Les Amis had opened a stall on his own, whipping out our local dish, Hokkien Mee, in a coffeeshop.

Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee

A plate of hokkien mee is priced at $6, $12, $18. The noodles were a mixture of yellow noodles and thick Bee hoon.  The stock was robust and definitely rich in flavours. No doubt that the chilli was not very "powerful", this "wet" style of cooking Hokkien Mee fits me. It was not too oily.

Hokkien Mee - $6

Each mouthful had a tad "wok hei" aroma, and I like that the stock did not carry a heady prawn taste.

Ingredient

We can top up our serving with ingredients such as abalone, noodles, ingredients or fried egg. We opted for a fried egg as we were impressed by what other diners had. The fried egg was fluffy and to my liking.

Topping up Hokkien Mee with Fried Egg for $1

To be honest, they are generous with the ingredients. For just a small plate, we were served with a few tender big rings.

Ingredients

Overall, I find that the plate of Hokkien Mee was satisfying but not to die for. 

Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee
Location: Sing Hiap Huat Coffee Shop, 19 Lor 7 Toa Payoh, Block 19, Singapore 310019

Chef Kang's Noodle House

No doubt that Chef Kang's Noodle House is located in the industrial area, so we were pretty surprised that there were quite a handful of patrons visiting the stall during a Public Holiday.

While there is only a dry version and no soup version, we ordered 2 similar portions. The noodle was cooked to Al Dente Perfection with a good texture and not soggy. Besides the use of a good Mee Kia without too much of the "Yellow Noodle" taste, it was tossed in their fragrant sauce enhanced by the generous usage of pork lards.

Wanton Noodle - $7

The Char Siew was caramelized and charred on the outer layer with a balance of sweet and savoury elements, coupled with the smoky, charred notes from roasting, making it a standout dish that appeals to a wide range of palates. I see that some of the patrons had ordered a plate of it too.

Char Siew

We ordered a bowl of additional Wanton for sharing. The soup was tasty with vegetables and spring onion.

Wantons Soup 

It was a surprised to me that the Wantons were more like Shrimp Dumplings as their ingredients were generous with black fungus, minced meat, dice water chestnut and juicy shrimp.

Worth the Buy

The biting texture was good with the shreds of black fungus. I love such style.

Texture

No regrets travelling all the way down for this as its quite worth the price paid considering the quality of food.

Our Meal

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Chef Kang's Noodle House
Location: 11 Lor 3 Toa Payoh, Block B Jackson Square, Singapore 319579

Pure Soya Bean 纯香豆浆

While being around in the area, we visited Toa Payoh West Market & Food Center and decided to have Bean Curd Dessert despite looking at the long queue.

The Bean Curd was wobbly, silky and smooth, not too sweet. Easily got us addicted. 

Bean Curd

We had another version of the Bean Curd with Grass Jelly. The Grass Jelly was smooth and very bouncy. Its kind of satisfying having the cooling dessert.

Bean Curd with Grass Jelly

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Pure Soya Bean 纯香豆浆
Location: Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh, #02-28, Singapore 310127

Song Kee Kway Teow Noodle Soup

 For those who have been to Blk 75 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Center, Song Kee Kway Teow Noodle Soup is no stranger to the patrons there for they are known for their bouncy homemade fishballs.

Song Kee Kway Teow Noodle Soup

As usual, if not for its popularity, I would have shown no interest in fishball noodles. Upon the first bite of the Fish Balls, I was kind was disappointed, there was no wow factor and the only consolation was that the noodles were tossed in an addictive chilli paste with fragrant shallot oil as well as some chopped spring onions.

Even the soup that accompanied my bowl of noodles was lacking of flavour.

Mee Pok Dry - $4

Fishballs

The bowl of noodles came with 4 fishballs and 1 meat balls. The meat ball tasted pretty ordinary but was tender and springy.

Meatball

All in all, if you ask if I would travel all the way down there again for a bowl of Fishball Noodle, I would say there are better players out there with a similar taste of chilli too.

Rating: 3.25 / 5 

Song Kee Kway Teow Noodle Soup
Location: Blk 75 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre, 75 Lor. 5 Toa Payoh, #01-20, Singapore 310075

Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights

How about getting your roasted meats fix at Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights? This unassuming yet aromatic corner of gastronomic delight has captured the attention and appetites of discerning food lovers, promising an unparalleled journey into the realm of succulent flavours and masterfully roasted meats.

Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights

Our Orders

Everything was roasted quite nicely.

Char Siew was well caramelized and tender. Roasted duck skin was quite tasty.  For the savoury gravy that is supposed to be drenched and paired with our rice, they had it served in a separate bowl so we can pour the amount we preferred. 

Roasted Duck Char Siew with Roasted Pork Rice - $7.30

The skin achieves a perfect crispness, a harmonious contrast to the tender and juicy meat beneath. 

Roasted Duck

Though Caramelised, the Char Siew was not overly sweet.

Char Siew

Roasted pork had a crispy crackle and a good crunch in the bite while the roasted chicken was not dry and surprisingly juicy. The Chilli sauce was sweet and slightly spicy. Good for dipping the roast items in it.

Roasted Chicken Roasted Pork Rice - $6.30

Beside the yummy roasted meal, I’m very glad to see a good selection of Soups available. We had the salted vegetables duck and the sweet corn pork ribs soup, they were tasty and perfect pairing for the meal.

It has a robust and savoury profile. The broth was infused with the richness of duck and had a well balanced of saltiness from the preserved vegetables. The saltiness level was just right, enhancing the overall taste without overwhelming the palate. It was hearty and a satisfying bowl of soup together with the plates of Roasted Delights.

Salted Veg Duck Soup - $3.30

A heartwarming delight that skillfully balances sweetness and savoury notes. Love this homestyle bowl of soup that has the sweetness from the corn kernels complemented by the pork ribs, making it both comforting and savoury.

Sweet Corn & Pork Rib Soup - $3.30

Besides this stall in Toa Payoh North, they have one located in Serangoon Avenue 4 and 21 Seng Kang West Ave.

Thank you Scale Micro-Influencers & Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights for the invitation.

Kim Heng (HK) Roasted Delights
Location: Blk 203 Toa Payoh North, #01-1121, Singapore 310203

96 Oriental Broth [Media Invite]

If you are in Toa Payoh, you may want to check out this Speciality Hot Pot hidden among the industrial for your dinner. You can enjoy quality hotpot without burning a hole in your wallet.

Stall of 96 Oriental Broth

We ordered the Prosperity Ribeye set with a variety of items like Iberian Pork, Lala, Scallop, Peppercorn Prawn Paste, Fried Yam, Cheese Tofu, Money Bag, Fish Paste Taukee, Fresh Handmade Meatball, Pork and Prawn Kiao with 96 Oriental Broth and Mala Level 1 to match our base. 

Our Orders

Do note that they have only 2 broths available. However, you can also customize the level of spiciness in the Mala if you are looking for something spicier.

Not to worry about dipping sauces, just head over to the tables in front of the stall to grab their free flow of homemade sauces. 

96 Oriental Broth and Mala Level 1

We love their homemade ingredients such as the fresh handmade meatballs. They have special items like Money Bag and Fish Paste Taukee which i seldom see.

Our Spread of Food

We had their prawn paste too. Scrap them down into the broth according to the portion that you like!

Prawn Paste

Do add on their Iberico Pork too. They are thinly sliced and you can do your shabu shabu.

Dipping into Mala

We enjoyed every thin pieces of the Iberico Pork in the broth.

Iberico Pork

I'm glad that the prawns are fresh and succulent.

Prawns

Thank you Lao Niang Agency and 96 Oriental Broth for the Invitation

96 Oriental Broth
Location: 9 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, #01-1209 Singapore 319061

Toa Payoh 94 Laksa

 While the media has been showing this one-woman show Laksa Stall in Toa Payoh, I quickly brought the one who was talking about this almost daily to fix her Laksa carvings.

Toa Payoh 94 Laksa

While I'm thinking what's the rave about this bowl of laksa that made us travel all the way down to Toa Payoh for it, the queue is slowly piling up. The Laksa is slightly creamy in its gravy, bringing out the aroma and sweetness together with a tad spiciness. 

Laksa - $4.80 & $5.80 (Small & Big)

Prawns were deveined and halved. Together with other ingredients like blood cockles, Tau Pok, Fish Cakes, chilli paste, boiled egg and minced laksa leaves, I would say this beat any average bowl of laksa in the hawker stalls.

Ingredients

While getting my gravy mostly consumed, what makes this bowl of laksa so special is perhaps the generous use of dried shrimp.  Overall, we had well spent our calories here!

Dried Shrimp

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Toa Payoh 94 Laksa
Location: 94 Lor 4 Toa Payoh, #01-30, Singapore 310094

Lee Fun Nam Kee

Another piece of news broke out recently that the popular Lee Fun Nam Kee had decided to close its doors permanently on 13 September 2023 which is within a short span of notice. While many had been asking why the short notice, there had been careful consideration, numerous family discussions and evaluation of various factors that they came to the conclusion that it was time to bid farewell to this chapter.

The Scene when we left the place

The restaurant is open air and diners can usually walk. However, due to the breakout of news about their closure, it had drawn lots of attention and now crowd control has to be done to the place.

Before the opening hours

Their Brand Story will be a history.  Here's another local food business going into history in Singapore. What a pity.

A history soon

Like what we often seen in Hong Kong Roasted Meat Stall, we get to observed the staff cutting the meat and preparing our orders through this open concept kitchen.

Where our food are prepared

We had the meat platter served with char siew and roast pork. The Char Siew is lean and has a unique aroma that reminds me of Chinese sausage. The Roast Pork aka Sio Bak was absolutely yummy with its crispy skin and was not salty. This meat platter was not greasy too.

Roast Pork & Char Siew - $10

While the origin of soya sauce chicken in Singapore has been hotly debated for decades, they have proclaimed itself as the first original brand adapted for local palates since 1968. Let's have a try. The chicken was poached and well-infused with the rich flavours of the marinade. The meat was tender and we had this Soy Sauce Chicken served with their fragrant steamed rice. The gravy that was served along on the plate of Soy Sauce Chicken was delicious and good to drench them onto our plate of rice too.

Soy Sauce Chicken - $15

A simple yet flavourful dish with vegetables coated in savoury oyster sauce and topped with crispy fried pork lard. The sauce added a rich umami flavour that complements the natural sweetness of the vegetables.

Oyster Sauce Vegetable - $7

The bowl of soup contained 6 dumplings. Dumplings were plump and quite springy. The soup was a tad on the salty side for me.

Shrimp Dumpling Soup - $6

To be honest, since it will be closing down in 2 weeks' time, this will be my first and also my last trip to Lee Fun Nam Kee.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Lee Fun Nam Kee
Location: 94 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-04, Singapore 310094
Website