Tai Weng Hainanese Chicken Rice (大榮海南鸡饭), Smith Street Food Centre

Half chicken and some livers/hearts from Tai Weng Hainanese Chicken Rice (Yellow Zone, #02-039 Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre, 335 Smith Street).

Roast chicken was competent. This one had a different sauce though - it wasn't the usual dousing of sesame oil and light soya sauce. It was something darker. Wondering if they might be similar used in soya sauce chicken.

Serving of livers with some slivers of hearts.

Soup's pretty good; one can taste the chicken in the broth. The only thing I haven't quite decided on was the rice which was dry and grainy - something I don't normally gravitate to. That rice however was adequately flavoured if not salted sufficiently, and was pretty good with their prickly chilli. We'll see about coming back.

Sergeant Chicken Rice, Food Republic @ Breadtalk IHQ

Remember the chicken rice I had at the Food Republic @ Breadtalk IHQ previously? Just found out that they're Sergeant Chicken Rice. A branch of the very same one at Food Opera. Have been back a couple of time since.

They've a Duo Style Chicken Rice which includes both the 白 & 烧 going at $8.50. Eggs cost extra. Not bad but just kinda pricey for an additional serving of protein.

What came across as a better deal was the $7.90 Power Up Chicken Set. Only available at this branch if I'm not mistaken. Extra portion of meat and a choice of either greens or bean sprouts on the side.

Another dessert idea at HaiDiLao (海底捞)

White fungus and their tau huay from their dessert station. The former's hot and latter is cold so you kinda are still going get that hot and cold with a fresh bowl.

Revisiting Paradise Classic

Back at Paradise Classic for more of their "classic" zi char. Started with a pretty smoky braised bee hoon with assorted seafood. One could see those scorch marks in the noodles and also the gossamer of eggs from the decently done up 滑蛋 in the gravy. 

Egg with sliced bitter gourd. Competent, a little greasy.

Kung bao chicken was sadly disappointing. The flavour leaned towards tangy and was missing body - not so much sweet, dark and assertive with heat like how I like kung bao sauce. 

Rising heat and another single serving bowl from Gong Yuan Ma La Tang (宫源麻辣烫)

We upgraded the heat from 小辣 to 中辣 previously at Gong Yuan Ma La Tang because we enjoy a bit of heat and I mean...this was mala tang. Recently, the heat has been seriously cranked up. This was apparent even at Zhang Liang. Is there a 麻辣 association that I didn't know about cracking the whip on what's acceptable heat standards in the local shops. We're now settling for 小小辣 because it's already packing as much heat if not spicier than what the 中辣 used to. 🥵

Revisiting Choon Hoy Parlor (春花馆)

Came back to Choon Hoy Parlor because I wanted to try their chye ber which we missed the last time.

But first some spicy hot old ginger & red date tea.

That's the chye ber. The menu mentioned offcuts of the day with mustard greens. Pretty sure the pork trotters in there weren't offcuts. Not complaining though. The broth was delicious and tangy with loads of tender softened mustard greens. That and those trotters with meat and skin that's fall off the bone tender. Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover...🕺🏻😂. Rice thieves!

More of their dou miao and tau gey. Mind still trying to wrap around the fact that these vegetables were dou miao because I kept thinking that we were eating kailan. 

Soup we had today was white pepper pig stomach collagen soup. There's winter melon, tau kee and goji berries in it. Tasted like how I thought it would but not as gao as I imagined. 

This, their claypot dry bak kut teh. The dried cuttlefish infused dark soya sauce was rich and kickass umami coupled with characteristical sweet & savoury. That and some heat from dried chillis. Ribs were meaty. Wished there was more lady's finger than those token few slices. Another rice thief!

Rice for the rice thieves!

You Yi Minced Meat Noodle (友谊肉脞面), Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre

Came across You Yi Minced Meat Noodle (#01-84 Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre, 115 Bukit Merah View) a couple of units from Lee Shan recently and got a bowl of their signature minced meat noodle. 

This was $7 and the portion was pretty huge. Not to mention the load of toppings like sliced pork, minced pork, some ti poh and fried lard all over a huge ball of mee pok. Nice clean heat from their sambal. Gotta ask for more next time.

Soup on the side has some forgettable fish maw, a couple of fish dumpling and non-stinky meatballs. Soup's decent. Will go with the smaller bowl in the future.

A prawn only bowl from Blanco Court Prawn Mee (白蘭閣街大蝦麵)

Haven't had hae mee from Blanco Court Prawn Mee in a while. Here's a bowl with just prawns. This was still as satisfying as we remember it. Great crustacean-y broth and texture from those firm thick bee hoon layered with the aroma/flavour of both fried lard and shallots. Umai!

Revisiting Dian Xiao Er Prestige (店小二臻选)

Back at Dian Xiao Er Prestige. The duck of choice today was the Ten Wonder Herb (十全药材烤鸭); a departure from our usual Angelica flavoured one. Flavour's different but had a similar herbal sweetness in the sauce. Couldn't say I didn't enjoy it but I have a feeling we'll probably end up choosing the Angelica again the next time. 

Pretty good tasting seafood bee hoon with fish sauce (海鲜鱼露米粉). But I'm not so sure about the fish sauce part because I'm not tasting it. Note to self: Gotta ask them to exclude the 芹菜. 

One week later......

Didn't get duck today. That's the claypot shrimp paste cauliflower (虾酱干锅花菜) - savoury and garlicky with a hint of ginger and a bit of heat flavoured by small dried shrimps and bits of pork lard. 

Sliced fish with soy sauce and fried shallots. Decent tasting but portions felt kinda tiny. The cooking method was simple and the dish was light that we inhaled those slices of fish with ease. 

Not bad Iberico char siew. Nice caramelization and one could taste the nam yu flavour on them. More savoury than sweet so they appeared to be more Hong Kong styled than local/Malaysian style.

Noticed their steamed white rice for the first time. The texture was grainy yet moist and tender. Nice.

Khoon Kee Tasty Prawn Mee (坤記大蝦排骨麵), Redhill Food Centre

Pretty good tasting hae mee from Khoon Kee Tasty Prawn Mee (#01-58, Redhill Food Centre, 85 Redhill Lane). Prawns were fleshy and sweet while the saucing was deliciously salty. Will come back again.

Traditional Rui Ji Chicken Rice & Laksa Chicken Noodle (瑞记正宗鸡饭 叻沙鸡面), Hong Lim Food Centre

Don't know if this stall (#02-27 Hong Lim Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street) has any relation with any of the Swee Kee chicken rice brands around. They're just next door to The Noodle Memories.

Chicken rice was serviceable but not memorable. Rice was light on flavour and not moreish. Chilli's watery and had a pretty run of the mill taste. The soup changes daily apparently and it's Sichuan mustard green today.

Boon Chiang Hainanese Chicken Rice (文昌海南雞飯), Ubi

A decent rendition to be had at Boon Chiang Hainanese Chicken Rice (302 Ubi Ave 1) which featured succulent cuts of dark meat (白尾) and creamy livers with some bits of toasty fried garlic bits. Soup on the side's lotus root - flavourful but not thick. What's not impressive was the rice. Beady textures and pretty mild flavouring. This one falls under the category of don't mind having if I'm in the vicinity, but wouldn't travel here specially for them.

Geylang Claypot Rice, Beach Road

Geylang Claypot Rice (361, 363, 365 Beach Road, tel : +65 6744 4574) has been on my radar a while. I've been asked if I've had it and if I hadn't, that I should give them try. We've been indifferent about it for reasons - while we enjoy claypot rice at times, we aren't that big on them. That and that we've never liked their brand of "socarrat" which many bird brains love gushing over.

One day, we came across their beef bone marrow claypot rice on social media. 😲 Nothing ignites a call to action like curiosity.

We finished a claypot kailan with prawn paste and pork lard while waiting for the claypot rice. Not bad tasting. There were adequate flavours from the prawn paste and lard (猪油) but the fried lard (猪油渣) were mostly soggy.

Like regular claypot rice, the beef bone marrow rendition was brought to the table for the final flourish.

Which included the adding of eggs yolk and bone marrow into the pot of beef short plate, spring onions and rice...

The ingredients are folded through the sizzle and crackle as the aromas emanate.

Not bad tasting. Not a fan of the burnt rice bits still. Apparently, one can request for less of the burnt rice which is something we will definitely ask for the next time. Will consider coming back to try other dishes.

Kuey teow 白 from 参香肉脞面 (San Xiang Bak Chor Mee)

Trying another configuration of kuey teow with vinegar and no sambal from San Xiang Bak Chor Mee.

Sliced red chilli and light soya sauce provided a clean heat. Nice.