CNA938: Foodie Friday - cheap & good or unique food in SG (#1)

I have been giving food recommendations on radio CNA938: Foodie Friday (catch it at 7:10pm Fridays), mostly focusing on cheap and good eats in Singapore, or unusual treats to look forward to on the weekend. 

I thought this would be a good place to list them with photos! Google map links are in the addresses to help you pinpoint these joints. There have been more than 10 episodes so far, and I will be putting them up in the coming days. Enjoy! If you have other recommendations or hidden gems, please share them in the comments!

Here are the items from my first episode:

Traditional Malay Muslim Cuisine - The $2.50 Shop

Blk 1 Jalan Kukoh #01-16, Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, S161001

Open 3:30am to 2:30pm daily (but hours may vary depending on family circumstances) 

Owner Hani Isnin has a double degree in law and econs from NUS but she left a cushy corporate job to help her hawker parents. Not only that, she priced everything at S$2.50 to help disadvantaged families  and rental flat residents. What a big heart! You can feed a family of four for $10! Notable dishes include lontong, mee rebus, and nasi lemak. There's also nasi padang a la carte, mee siam, mee soto, mee/bihun goreng and tauhu goreng. 

Photo from their Facebook page where you can see updates on opening hours etc.

There are also some stalls at the Jalan Kukoh Food Centre worth checking out if you're there: 

• Jalan Kukoh Teochew Kueh: handmade glutinous rice cakes, order in advance (min 10 pcs)
• Teochew Fish Soup: fish and prawn soup (S$5) limited to 3 per customer
• Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig Organ Soup: S$5 bowl is full of ingredients, not much MSG taste
• Jalan Kukoh Porridge: pork, chicken fish, cuttlefish, century egg (from S$2.50)

Beng Hiang Dim Sum Buffet Lunch

135 Jurong Gateway Road #02-337, S600135

11:30am to 2:30pm for lunch

This is an old school Hokkien legend! They're now in the far west but worth the trip for dim sum. Especially popular are the big plump juicy fresh prawns in the dumplings. There's also prawn paste chicken wings, BBQ pork buns, Sichuan dumplings in chili oil, fried fish fillet in Thai sauce, pot stickers, pork ribs, and so on. Each guest also gets a serving of fish maw thick soup with crab meat. Prices: 

S$26.80 (adult, weekday); S$30.80 (adult, weekend)

S$15.80 (child, weekday); S$18.80 (child, weekend)

Mosella

10 Claymore Road, L2 Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel, S229540

Opens daily 6:30am to 10pm (til 10:30pm Fridays and Saturdays)

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This beautiful restaurant is shaped like a longhouse over a waterfall, nestled within lush greenery of Pan Pacific Orchard. It marries Mediterranean and Peruvian flavours with the magic of the Josper grill. You must try the Hamachi Tiradito and the Lamb Chops of Aji Panca (red Peruvian peppers).

S17 Community Kitchen

57 Lengkok Bahru, #01-489, Singapore 151057

Opens daily 8am to 9pm (Sundays 11am to 9pm)

What a love-filled Saturday Movement aiming to provide sustenance, companionship, and solace to those struggling in low-​income areas, Restauranteur and philanthropist Raymond Khoo set up this S17 Community Kitchen as a social enterprise serving Nasi Padang to help the underprivileged and elderly around the neighbourhood. The food is both hearty and heartwarmingly good. 

Cha Chaan Teng: Tapas and Cocktails

Cha Chaan Teng at 284 Lavender Street is a hidden speakeasy easily missed if not for its green wall and a peekaboo window glowing red from the neon lighting within. Step inside and you'll be greeted by a well-stocked bar and an open kitchen.

  Founders BK and Mirul along with Chef Aiman have given Hong Kong cafe classics a Singapore twist and also designed cocktails based on beloved dishes.

   

We tried their dinner menu. The food is beautifully presented, like this Cha Siu 叉燒 (S$14.90) served with a salsa verde. This is a generous portion of tender, well-caramelised meat that really bore the signs of having been marinated a full 8 hours. You can't help but be wowed. However, the sweetness was a bit overwhelming for my threshold (me and my "zero sugar" preference). 

  But let's start from the beginning; we had a few things from the "Snacks" section. The star of the show were these Tong Cou So Coo 糖醋蔬菜 (S$10.90): Mashed sweet potato, chopped coriander, deep fried macaroni bits, chopped peanuts, pani puri shell, hot and sour water. I don't even like pani puri, but these were so moreish, we nearly went for a second helping.

 

Wu Tao Gou 芋頭糕 (S$10.90) also stood out as an addictive snack. You're given the thick yam fries in a shaker bag along with a saucer of seasoning. These were gone in a flash.

Spring rolls? That's what Chun Gyun 春捲 (S$11.90) are, but these are the prettiest ones we have seen. Shredded carrot and turnip, kueh pie tee shell, sweet chilli, mayonnaise, chives, chilli oil, chlorophyll oil. The five pieces are too easy to eat. Tastewise, they're more muted than the first two. 

  

There's also a medley of dim sum even at dinner time. The normal serving size is five pieces. We just wanted to sample everything. Clockwise from top: Haa Gaau 蝦餃, Siu Lung Baau 小籠包. Siu Maai 燒賣 (S$13.90 for five pieces)

 

Siu Ngaap 燒鴨 (S$17.90): 24-hr air-dried roasted duck breast, chives, house-made XO plum sauce, sweet lime vinaigrette dressed house salad. This is a full meal on its own, and you can tell a lot of effort went into this dish.

 

Siu Yuk 燒肉 (S$14.90) is a dish no cha chaan teng would be caught without. This is 12-hr air-dried roasted pork belly, served with dijon mustard and sugar on the side for dipping. This roast pork seems more like the Western kind, though, as it doesn't quite sport the signature Chinese-style brittle crust on top. 

 

If you must have carbs, there are two choices, both S$3.90. 

Jyu Jau Bun Faan 豬油拌飯: Jasmine rice, signature claypot sauce, crispy pork lard, spring onions, fried shallots. This was a little dry. 

Leung Mein Wong 港式煎麵: Crispy ee-mian noodles in a really slurpable seaweed mushroom broth. I think I took too long with photos, so it got cold. So eat fast!

 

There are only two desserts and we opted for the Yan Yan Syut Gou 欣欣雪糕 (S$11.90) as it featured an unusual homemade cream cracker-flavoured ice cream. This is fashioned after the Yan Yan biscuit snack, so it is layered with biscuit crunch, and topped with a choice of chocolate or strawberry espuma foam. 

More than half their menu is creative drinks and cocktails. Themes like Song Faai highballs, Yum Cha cocktails and even a claypot based signature drink will pique interest. The ABV (alcohol by volume) is conveniently listed, so you know how strong each one will be. I picked one of the lowest (11.5%) and thankfully it was tolerable. That's the Joeng Zi Gam Lou Mango Sago 楊枝甘露 (S$18) based on the popular Mango Sago dessert. 

 

The ambiance is moody and dark but the place is bathed in sections of colourful lighting. Nostalgic floor tiles and old school wooden booths, tables and chairs complete the retro look. On the whole, a cosy place for gatherings and dates. The concept of a retro Hong Kong style cha chaan teng as a tapas bar and speakeasy is pretty quaint. There are a couple of standout snacks and dishes, but the highlight I am guessing is probably more the drinks. 

CHA CHAAN TENG

284 Lavender St, Singapore 338802

Tel: https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=6589148984

Open Wed - Mon (Closed on Tue)

Lunch: 11am - 3pm, Dinner: 5pm - Late

https://www.instagram.com/cct.sg/