Hong Kong - Mui Kee Congee at Fa Yuen St Market, Mongkok (妹記生滾粥品）

Not unfamiliar to Singaporeans is the concept of a hawker center- many independent food stalls are housed in the same complex and seats are free for all regardless of the stall you patronize. We were pleased to find such an establishment at Fa Yuen Street in Hong Kong, and even more pleased to join the crowd gathered at the fourth storey of the market. Everyone, amidst the buzz of the place, was cuddled around a bowl of hot, steamy congee from Mui Kee Congee.

Mui Kee Congee is located on the fourth storey of the Fa Yuen Street Market. The first two levels are for fresh produce, the third for cooked food. Mui Kee Congee offers many combination of meat and seafood in its thick, white congee, freshly prepared only upon your order. Menu comes in English and Japanese too, but the crowd at Mui Kee was definitely not just tourists. Locals were also here for their breakfast- the working class, the retirees with the newspapers- and we were sharing table with an OL and an elderly couple.

We had the pork visceral congee that was recommended by the stall owner. The congee was a beautiful, pure white paste- we could not longer see the rice grains in it. The texture of the congee at Mui Kee was very, very smooth and the taste was amazing. Mui Kee was very generous with the ingredients used in the congee. The pork liver and meatballs were among the nicest we have ever tasted in pork visceral congee or soup. The pork liver was still crunchy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside, and the meatballs had the right proportion of lean meat and fats in it, and was very well-marinated. If pork visceral is not the thing for you, then the pork meatball congee at Mui Kee is a must-try.

What is congee without some youtiao (fried dough stick)? These crispy little things were amazing with the hot steamy congee. We would have loved the youtiao to be a little more crispy and less dough-y in the middle.

The portions at Mui Kee was generous but so hearty and yummy that it did not stop the elderly couple sitting opposite us to order a third bowl to share among themselves. Mui Kee was a delight to both locals and us alike, and Mui Kee warmed both our tummies and our hearts.

Hong Kong Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Mui Kee Congee (妹記生滾粥品)

4/F Fa Yuen Street Market

Mongkok Hong Kong

7am to 3pm daily

ps: Check out our ultimate food guide to Kowloon for more goodies in Hong Kong!

Brothers Ramen at Tanjong Pagar Plaza

Japanese ramen at a coffeeshop. How authentic can it be? Ramen made and cooked by 2 engineer-brothers. How good can it be? Brothers ramen at Tanjong Pagar Plaza is both authentic and good, and it is definitely an additional bonus that the 2 engineer-brothers are good looking too.

Brothers ramen is housed in Teck Kee Coffeeshop on the second level of Tanjong Pagar Plaza. It used to be known as Homebaked Dough, and changed its name to Brother ramen only in 2013 to concentrate on their specialisation in ramen. Crowds are aplenty at this coffeeshop during lunch time. Many, clad in their neatly pressed business shirts and dresses, brave the queues and the heat for a bowl of hot and piping Japanese ramen.

Brothers ramen specialises in Kyushu styled ramen. The shoyu ramen ($6) was a beautiful ensemble of medium thickness noodles, chewy black fungus, crunchy beansprouts, and topped with an artfully grilled chashu in a pretty white broth. Noodles were well-cooked, and the pork broth was thick and creamy, yet not overwhelming. The grilled chashu was a clear winner - well marinated, well grilled - simply lip-smacking!

The spicy ramen ($6.50) resembled laksa, and indeed, the pork broth was infused with both spiciness and creaminess that left us wanting for more. The spicy ramen was served with just noodles and a slice of the very well marinated and grilled chashu. The soup was hot, hearty and very, very well flavoured. It sorta left us hanging at the end of the meal, and (desperately) craving for more. 

At hawker prices of between $6 to $7, Brothers ramen is very value for money. Top notch quality broth, well cooked noodles and nicely grilled chashu. Everything worked very well together. Although we would love it even more if the bowl comes with an egg (or maybe even half) and a big piece of seaweed. However, the portion is just enough for lunch (which minimises the food coma in the afternoon to come), and will definitely leave you craving for more and planning your next trip to Tanjong Pagar Plaza very soon.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Brothers Ramen

#02-04 Tanjong Pagar Plaza Singapore

1130am to 3pm (Mon to Fri); Closed on weekends

9437 7267

www.bro-ramen.com

Fei Fei Wanton Mee at Joo Chiat Place

Wanton mee is our default breakfast for many of our weekends in Clementi (we have a favourite stall in Clementi that is worthy of another post). Springy noodles coated with chili and lard, chewy charsiew with smooth wanton - what other ways to welcome the best days of the week?

I enticed Galen to make the (arduous) journey to the East for breakfast one special weekend. Okay, not me, but Fei Fei did. Nestled among the pastel shophouses along Joo Chiat Place, Fei Fei Wanton Mee is a landmark by itself. The traditional coffeeshop with tables just by the road; the special springy egg noodles; the chili with some secret ingredient - now, aren't you also enticed already?

For variety, we had Fei Fei's wanton mee, and Fei Fei's dumpling noodles. Both bowls were exploding with such vibrant colours that the sight of them immediately perked us up that morning.

Fei Fei wanton mee's noodle is the key to our hearts. It is very unlike the usual noodles used in other wanton mee- it's eggy, it's springy, it's like a cross between spaghetti and yellow noodles. I went wide-eyed when I popped the first spoonful into my mouth. Absolutely heavenly. To nitpick, I would have love the wantons- both boiled and fried- to be a little hotter.

Fei Fei wanton mee is also famous for their chili sauce used for their noodles. The chili certainly did not disappoint. A little spoon like this is power packed with the right balance of oil and spiciness. Drench it right into the noodles and you get such a soul satisfying meal.

I call dumplings 'goldfish'. I think they look like them. For me, the skin of the goldfish must be thin, and I must be able to see what is lovingly wrapped in them. Fei Fei wanton mee's dumplings fulfilled my criteria. The skin was soft and smooth, and the insides were generously filled with minced meat and prawn. A real tummy-warmer.

Fei Fei Wanton Mee is a good place to start the weekends. After a hearty bowl of springy noodles and exploding goldfishes, get lost amidst the beautiful shophouses in the area. After some walking, perhaps you'll find yourself at the doorstep of Penny University at East Coast Road. With a cup of muddy expresso in your hands, continue immersing in the charm of the East.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Fei Fei Wanton Mee (飞飞云吞面)

72 Joo Chiat Place Singapore

64405013

Yuan Fa Claypot Rice (源发瓦褒饭) at Chinatown Complex Market Smith Street

Chinatown Complex market at Smith Street houses many, many great hawker stalls. When my (relentless) craving for claypot rice struck again during lunch one day, I am thankful that this awesome hawker centre is just within walking distance from my office. I decided to give Yuan Fa Claypot Rice a try, since my favourite Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice is only opened at night for dinner.

The rice for the 2-person portion ($8) was too much for both of us. But it may be because the chicken chunks and chinese sausage were too little to share between us. The rice was a little on the soft side, and did not have the smokey flavour of rice cooked from scratch in a claypot. I guess there really is a difference between cooking the claypot rice using a gas stove and on a charcoal stove like Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice does.

The flavour of the claypot rice at Yuan Fa paled in comparison to the claypot rice at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice. The claypot rice here could have done better with more chinese sausage and salted fish. I thought adding in more dark soya sauce would help in enhancing the taste, but well, nothing could replace the flavours from the chinese sausage and salted fish.

The saving grace at Yuan Fa Claypot Rice is their watercress soup ($2). It was homely, and had well-balanced flavour. There was also a generous portion of watercress in it. And at $2, it is a very economical option as compared to the usual $4-$6 charged by other hawker stalls that are selling double-boiled soups.

I would still prefer the claypot rice at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice at Chinatown Complex market. The next time my claypot craving strikes me at lunch, I would be sure to hold it off until dinner time and I would go satisfy it at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Yuan Fa Claypot Rice 源发瓦褒饭

#02-222 Chinatown Complex Market Blk 335 Smith Street Singapore
9272 7868
Closed on Tues

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice at Chinatown (联合本记砂煲饭)

I have been having bouts of claypot rice craving ever since Galen's mummy fed us some one Sunday evening. It was a long and hard day at work, and I had a very strong craving for claypot rice out of a sudden as I was leaving office. I decided to walk to Chinatown Complex at Smith Street in search of a good one.

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot occupies 2 stalls on the second storey of the Chinatown Complex market and hawker centre. Prices starts at $5 for claypot rice, and $2.50 for a bowl of double boiled soup. The typical waiting time for the claypot rice is 20 to 30 minutes, and up to 45 minutes during peak hours as everything is cooked from scratch in the claypot on a charcoal stove. It is a good thing that the store is located at a breezy corner of the hawker centre, so it was still a bearable wait though my tummy was grumbling and the craving was getting stronger by the second. You could call and order in advance, but surely the wait is also part of the experience right?

I ordered at around 7.35pm and my food arrived at around 8pm. Such happy, tantalising sight!

I looooooove soup, especially lotus root soup, so I ordered one as a reward for myself after a draining day at work. Nothing beats soup in comforting an old and weary soul. Okay, not that old and not that weary but I love soup. Oh okay, I’ve said that already. The lotus root soup was packed with lotus root slices and tender pork ribs that slipped right off the bones. The soup was homely, and did not taste like it was laden with MSG.

Many claypot rice stalls have taken shortcuts but Lian He Ben Ji Claypot promises that everything is cooked from scratch on the charcoal stove. The rice has a tinge of yellow and not as fluffy or white like what you get when you cook rice in a rice cooker. The chicken meat was well marinated and was tender and juicy. There was also a generous portion of lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and lap yok (Chinese preserved meat), and of course, salted fish which enhanced the flavour of the whole pot. Everything worked together so well like a wonderful spell.

I’m usually not a rice person, I would prefer noodles or pasta over rice any time, but I finished the entire pot of claypot rice on my own. It was so tasty, I considered ordering a second portion (I know right, I’m horrible.). I managed to stop myself only after (much) persuasion that I would definitely come back very soon, with my mother perhaps. I know she would definitely love this.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (联合本记砂煲饭)

#02-198/199,Blk 335 Smith Street Chinatown Complex Market Singapore 

5pm-10pm (Closed on Thursday)

62272470 (For orders in advance)

P/S: If you happen to crave for claypot rice during lunch time, you could pay a visit to Yuan Fa Claypot Rice located at Chinatown Complex market too. But I'll highly advise you to hold the craving til dinner time and wait for the claypot goodness at Lian He Ben Ji.