Singapore Discovery Vacation 2011: Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre

Lau Pa Sat, literally translated as Old Market in Hokkien dialect, was the very first wet market in Singapore. It is now the largest hawker centre in the country and serves a variety of Singapore hawker food and delicacies. Needless to say, the well-known gourmet paradise is the best place to savour the real taste of Singapore.

  

Famous xiao loong pao stall at Lau Pa Sat hawker centre

Shark's fin xiao loong pao @ SGD4

Lai Heng fried noodles stall

Singapore Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle @ SGD4

Fried Kuey Teow @ SGD 3

Toast set @ SGD 3.00

Stack of butter kaya toast

Hot coffee and half-boiled eggs

Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre

18 Raffles Quay, 

Singapore 048582

Ah Leng Char Kuey Teow @ Jalan Dato Keramat

I used to have the preconceptions that Penang Char Kuey Teow is always being overrated by bloggers, resulting from my curse-and-swear Char Kuey Teow experience with the 'aunty in goggles' @ Lorong Selamat. I was however lucky to have found this stall when I chanced along Jalan Dato' Keramat yesterday. The kuey teow vendor magnetized both my parents with his CKT which is definitely full of 'wok hei'.

Ah Leng Char Kuey Teow @ Kafe Khoon Hiang

Ah Leng

The Special CKT with extra toppings:-

huge shrimps, mantis shrimps, cockles and duck egg

@ RM10.50

Cholesterol...

More cholesterol

More and more cholesterol coming your way

Ah Leng Char Kuey Teow

Kafe Khoon Hiang

Jalan Dato' Keramat

Penang

Penang Famous Char Kuay Teow @ Lorong Selamat

Lorong Selamat's Char Kuay Teow requires no introduction. In short, the kuey teow is EXPENSIVE, the kuay teow lady is SNOBBISH, and the kuay teow is NOT SO TASTY!!!

The most expensive char kuay teow @ RM7.00 !!!

Side order: Or chien (fried oyster omelette) @ RM9.00

Breakfast at Nam Heong

Where can you get the best white coffee in Ipoh? Sin Yoon Loong or Nam Heong? Both Hainanese coffee shops have been serving aromatic, robust coffee for many decades.

I guess I'm not in the position to decide who serves the best coffee but I myself prefer Nam Heong's simply because it is smoother and frothier. What about your choice of coffee?

I ordered a plate of CKT from one of the stalls in Nam Heong and it came with 3 medium-sized prawns. This is definitely not the best CKT in Ipoh but it is still better than many other stalls in town.

I was a bit disappointed with the coffee this time as it didn't look as frothy as it used to be.

I didn't buy these tarts from the dim sum stall in Nam Heong. Instead, I packed them from Kampung Simee. The best egg tarts must go with the best coffee.

The yam puff was from the dim sum stall in Nam Heong. Frankly speaking, I wouldn't want to order anything from that stall if I had more choice as almost none of their pastries is good.

Nam Heong Coffee Shop
Jalan Bijih Timah
Ipoh

Wonderful Hawker Fare at Kimberley Street

Hunting high and low for a plate of decent char keuy tiau but was always dissapointed by the so called 'best char kuey tiau in town'. I had wanted to try this stall long ago but was kind of lazy to drive myself to Georgetown as I always leave USM right away after my night classes. Moreover, other car-poolers are always very eager to go home. Came alone today as I had to sit for a test , I drove myself all the way to Kimberley Street to savour this highly-acclaimed char kuey tiau in Penang. When I finally arrived at Kimberley Street, I was welcomed by the fragrant smell of CKT along the street. Looks like I'd come to the right place, at last! The CKT man whom I saw from the magazine is no longer the cook. Instead, his job is taken over by his daughter (the successor, I guess) who can also fry the noodles furiously like the father.

Her fried kuey tiau is more fragrant than the others because she uses a seafood-infused oil which has earlier been used to fry prawns and mantis prawns. She first fries a big batch of noodles over a charcoal fire with seasonings such as soy sauce. Then she fries each order individually, taking what they need from the heap of pre-fried noodles. My plate of char KT with special toppings (mantis prawns and big prawns) is very fragrant, dry and not oily at all. I must say that this is definitely one of the best in Penang, compared to the one opposite Pulau Tikus Police Station and the other at Jalan Selamat (lady in goggle).

As for drinks, I ordered Leng Chee Kang (also known as See Ko Teng). Hmm... nothing special about their dessert despite having been branded as the best at Swatow Lane.