The Prata Place - The Ultimate Murtabak & Murtaburger

You all remember the time we reported on The Prata Place participating in Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 right? Remember that awesome Prata with Poached Egg and Indian Hollandaise Sauce?
Yeah! That's the one!

Well, while we were doing research on that dish, we found out that The Prata Place had also created 2 special dishes for the previous editions of Ultimate Hawker Fest in the past years. And the best news is that those dishes are still available when you visit their joint!!

Let's start with something that is as awesome as it sounds.
Let's start with... The Ultimate!!

The Ultimate Murtabak ($12.00)

That thing is so huge that it can barely fit onto the tray!! Whoa!
Well, when you call something Ultimate, it's gotta be something amazing am I right?

So what's in The Ultimate Murtabak anyways?

We've got specialty premium ingredients like Tandoori Chicken and Portobello Mushrooms in there! Top it all off with Mozzarella cheese!!

Quite surprising because these are not usually things you'd get in a murtabak. The murtabak was crispy on the outside but nice and steaming on the inside with all those yummy fillings.

And I know some of you might be saying that $12 seems like a lot to pay for a murtabak. But think about it, this price is not much different from what you'd be paying for an average mutton or chicken murtabak elsewhere but here you are getting super premium fillings!

Plus, it REALLY is a big as it looks in the picture!

Murtaburger ($7.00)

If you're looking for something a little smaller in size but still big on flavour then you might want to try taking on the Murtaburger! (Who comes up with these great names anyways LOL)

So is this what you get when you combine a burger and a murtabak? It would seem so!

ZOMG just look at that and tell me you're not drooling like us now!

Oh yeah our favourite friend Mozzarella Cheese makes a very important appearance here (guess it's a Cheeseburger after all) along with a special chilli/mayonnaise sauce concoction specially mixed up for this special dish.

The meat filling is actually a lamb patty that is made on-site which means it's not those ready-made meat fillings stuff. This is the real deal so you know that they are gonna make it extra tasty!

Adam's Verdict: The Ultimate Murtabak 2.5/5 -- Murtaburger 3.5/5

Call me biased but the more meat there is, that's probably gonna be what I'll lean towards. LOL
But hey, where there's cheese, I'm still okay!

Anyways check out the skills of the prata guy!



Anyways don't worry they still have your expected spread like all kinds of prata (OVER 40 TYPES in all kinds of combinations!!), Thosai, all the Mee Gorengs and the gang so you're gonna be spoiled for choice for sure.

But don't forget to wash it all down with a Teh Tarik okay!

GREAT NEWS! The 2nd outlet at Jalan Tua Kong (Siglap) is now open!! 7am til 11pm!

The Prata Place

1 Thong Soon Avenue

Tel: 6459 5670
www.theprataplace.com.sg

Operating Hours: 7.00am til Midnight Daily

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014

Hoy hoy! Great news everyone! Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 is coming up soon (this weekend!!) and we're gonna run down some Halal options for you to head down and check out!

This is the 3rd year the event is running and this year promises to be even bigger and better. We're talking about some of the best hawker fare out there and great to see that there are some Halal options featured which look set to be big hits!!

And best of all - everyone can do their part for charity!
All profits will go to 32,000 beneficiaries under Touch Community Service!!

So what exactly can we expect in terms of Halal fare at the festival?

Prata with Poached Egg and Indian Hollandaise Sauce ($10.00)

The Ultimate Hawker Fest is not just about showcasing the bestest and most power hawker food in our beloved Singapore but also a chance for the masters to showcase their skill and creativity by incorporating new and unique ingredients and cooking methods to create fantastic spin-offs of our favourite dishes.

The masters at The Prata Place - one of the most popular prata joints in Singapore - have truly outdone themselves with this dish which will remind you of Eggs Benedict or Eggs Royale when you take a look at it.

So you have a Prata Kosong as your base (and yes, it's still good ol' crispy prata!) and on top of that you have a slice of turkey ham for an extra bite and some savoury flavour. Next, you have a poached egg which is super power when you break into it and the yolk runs all over the shop. *drool*
If that's not enough, they top it off with an Indian Hollandaise Sauce which incorporates curry and spices and gives you a unique flavour kick like no other!

And just how power is the poached egg???

ZOMG DAMN POWER RIGHT!!!!
You know we have a thing for poached eggs and this one does not disappoint at all!!
And the finished product when you're about to dig in?

Looks like a big yummy mess! I am sure some of you are going ZOINKS just about now.
We had our doubts when we first heard the idea but we hail to this excellent food invention!
Don't be put off by the idea - just try and it and you'll know just how power it is!!

The Prata Place has been at the festival for 3 years straight and has always been a big hit.
First it was The Ultimate Murtabak and then it was The Murta-burger (which we will review separatelt very very soon!) and this year they have come up with yet another sure hit!

Look out for another Halal choice too!
Asam Tree Cafe will be there at the festival with their offering - 'Longtong!!

Well, trust us - the Prata with Poached Egg and Indian Hollandaise Sauce is more than enough reason to go! We still can't get over how surprisingly power this dish was! LOL

A unique twist on classic dishes and so delicious - that's what Ultimate Hawker Fest is all about!!

The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 will be held this weekend, Saturday 22 November 2014 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre Halls 401-402. Festival will run between 11am til 5pm but take this tip from us - head down early to grab some of this prata fast because it's confirmed gonna sell out fast we tell you!!

Entry is free but you'll need to buy coupons to get your hands on the food.
Coupons can be purchased at www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg and you can collect them at TOUCH Community Services at Bukit Merah Central or at the event booth at Suntec on the day itself.
You can also make a donation at the site! Let's do our part to help out while enjoying some makan!!

Special thanks to one of our idols, Ms Maureen Ow aka Miss Tam Chiak and also Derrick Tan from SGFoodOnFoot and Ian Low from The Silver Chef who happen to be curators of this year's festival. With these names involved, you can confirm it's gonna be power!

And a special hearty thanks to Mr Guna from The Prata Place for blowing our minds with the prata!!

See you all at  Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 this weekend okay!! YES YOU!!

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014

Saturday 22 November 2014
Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre Halls 401-402
11.00am til 5.00pm

www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg

Mohamed Arafat Indian Rojak

So we found ourselves in the Harbourfront area again and looking for something good to eat.
We had the Chicken Rice from Aspirasi already and also the power Mee Rebus from Haji Daliman so how about something else...

Indian Rojak

We chanced upon a stall selling Indian Rojak and suddenly we found ourselves being led (by our stomachs) towards it... They had other typical Mamak fare like Mee Goreng, Sop Kambing and Roti Prata but we decided to go for the Indian Rojak instead.

Quite a big selection to choose from actually and several different pricing levels of course.
Things like Egg Dough fritters, Plain dough fritters, hotdogs and Coconut fritters cost $0.80 each.
Fish cake, Potatoes, Ngoh Hiang, Fish Fillet and Wadeh go for between $1.00-$1.30.

Like I said... lots to choose from!
And we were lucky because they'd just opened and a lot of it was fresh out of the fryer!!
There's also Sotong too! But didn't fit it into the picture... Hehehehe

As always, the kuah plays a major part for Indian Rojak and luckily the kuah at Mohamed Arafat does not fall short. It would have been such a waste since their rojak items were nice and fresh!

The kuah was really tasty and not too watery at all. In fact, it's got quite a spicy kick to it!!

The plate of Rojak you see above cost us about $6.50 and was more than enough to share between 2 people. We took Fish Fillet, Fish Cake, Potato, Hot dog, Sotong, Wadeh and Egg Dough fritter. Nice and fresh and crispy. A great plate of Indian Rojak!

Adam's Verdict:
Indian Rojak 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Indian Rojak 4/5

The signage at the stall says 'Waterlook Street Indian Rojak'.
I'm not sure because I've never heard of Indian Rojak from Waterloo Street being the bomb but I can tell you that the Indian Rojak at Seah Im also quite power!!

Mohamed Arafat Muslim Food

Seah Im Food Centre
2 Seah Im Road
#01-48

Operating Hours: 5am til 9pm Tuesdays to Sundays
Closed on Mondays

Haji Daliman Korner - Mee Rebus

So it was one of those days where we happened to wander a little further than usual...
Found ourselves in the area of Vivo City and Harbourfront when hunger pangs suddenly struck and boy were we ready for a big ol' meal!

But what to eat?! So many choices?
Vivo? Harbourfront? Wait, let's go across to Seah Im!

So I go off to find my food and my darling wife returns with a right grin on her face...
Hmmmm....

Mee Rebus ($3.00)

No wonder she was grinning... One of her faves!

So the Mee Rebus actually comes on its own by the way... Adding on the Bagedil and keropok brought it up to $3.00 for the whole bowl. The Mee Rebus alone was $2.50. I'm not really sure how they counted but this was a very good price for all the goodies we got!

The Mee Rebus was apparently excellent. The kuah was tasty and a nice consistency. Not at all watery. "Very sedap!!" says my darling wife.

I guess Mee Rebus is one of those dishes that can be either really good or really bad.
Taste is one thing but consistency of the gravy is also an important factor and Haji Daliman seems to pass the test.

Maryah's Verdict:
Mee Rebus 4/5

So many goodies at Seah Im and apparently Mee Rebus is one of them.
I would never have thought to buy it and it's a good thing my wife bought or we would have missed out!!

Haji Daliman Korner

Seah Im Food Centre 2 Seah Im Road
Stall 786 #01-33

Operating Hours: 8am til 9pm Daily
Closed on one day of the week (Not fixed so try your luck!)

East Coast Lagoon Food Village Reopens!

In August 2013, East Coast Lagoon Food Village boarded up and underwent  a "major renovation" to revamp one of Singapore favourite makan places.

East Coast Lagoon Food Village is a favourite haunt for people from all walks of life. Be it weekdays or (especially) weekends, people flock from all over to get their fill of seafood and satay while enjoying a nice alfresco dining experience by the seaside.

Well, as of 22 November, East Coast Lagoon Food Village has finally re-opened!

A $1.5 million revamp about a decade after its last major renovation.
There was a fire which affected 3 or 4 stalls (including my beloved Satay Haron) a few weeks before the reno. This was surely a factor in the decision to undergo the 3-month revamp but not the main reason.
Apparently, the decision to revamp was made before the incident with the fire. I guess it just sped up the process.

So what exactly did they change?
Not much to be perfectly honest.

One of the main differences you will see is that pretty much all the ground area is now tiled up.
Even the seating area heading towards the seaside is all tiled up instead of the sandy paths.
The covered walkway in the middle is also tiled instead of the wooden walkway.

But other than that, there really wasn't much else.
Maybe a fresh coat of paint or two? They changed the tables and chairs out for new ones. And the car park is now a gantry so no more parking coupon worries.

Unfortunately, they did nothing to solve the problem of the rain.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village is one of those places which is pretty much out of the question if it rains.
Only certain seating areas are covered and even then, you're still probably gonna be affected if there are strong winds and the seating/tables are going to be wet.

It just so happens that it rained heavily when we visited over the weekend and saw first-hand how the rain easily  took out half of the available seating areas.

The stalls are pretty much the same and only the stalls affected by the recent fire seems to have new signboards. Everyone else is pretty much status quo. Which is a good thing because your favourite stalls are still around. I know mine are!

Haron Satay

Ahmad Spring

Wah if got these 2 stalls means okay for me already.

Satay and chicken wings = SETTLED!

I guess when they said "revamp" and "major renovation", I expected them to really re-do, and improve the whole place. They should have just said they were going to touch up.

Whatever your favourite stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, take solace in the fact that you can now head down again and tuck in just like you used to. So bring the whole family for a feast but look out for the weather and go early on weekends!

Farewell Tong Seng Coffeeshop - Chicken Feet Noodles

So I'm sure you've heard by now. And if you haven't heard before this then I'm guessing it's too late...
Tong Seng Coffeeshop in Bugis will officially close its doors on 15th October 2013.
After more than a decade of being a crowd favourite, Tong Seng will finally be calling it a day.

Apparently, the boss has decided it was time to retire. We hear the building has been sold to new owners which is the current hawkers have to vacate the premises. No news yet on any plans for relocation or even if the premises will be used for a new makan place in future.

I remember first going to Tong Seng in my teens. I'd say some time probably around 2003 maybe? And acoording to some people, I joined the party pretty late!

I didn't know much back then but I knew that Tong Seng was already popular by then most probably it was one of the few places which offered Chinese-style hawker food like Wanton Noodles and was certified Halal. We are talking about a time when it was actually pretty tough to find such stalls around compared to today where you can find Halal-certified eateries for any style of cuisine around any corner.

And since my first visit, I found myself visiting more and more often most of the time with friends or classmates because Tong Seng was one of those places people loved to go to for hang-out sessions.
The food was affordable and the location in Bugis was pretty central so it was a win-win for everyone.

You'll probably hear some mixed reviews about Tong Seng. Some will say the food is so-so and the service below standard. Some will say it was great back in the day but the standards have really dropped over the years. Some will tell you that they have the some of the best Chicken Rice and Fish Soup Noodles on the island while others may say that it's just a convenient lunchtime place. Or maybe like me, you go back and have the same dish over and over again.

Well, whatever you may have heard about Tong Seng, one thing is for sure - Tong Seng remains a favourite to many many people and judging for the reaction to the news we posted about Tong Seng closing, it's very obvious that a lot of people feel the same way about Tong Seng as we do.

Well, all things must pass and good food will come and go. And whether you hate them of love them, let's give credit where credit is due to an icon.


Many a makan session with friends and family over the years.
Thanks for the memories and the food, Tong Seng.

Chicken Feet Noodles ($3.50)

For one of my last meals at Tong Seng, I decided to break away from my normal routine.

When I do visit Tong Seng, I normally order one particular dish - Wanton Noodles.
Don't ask me why but it's just a given. (Maybe something to do with my fave Ajinomoto Soup?)

A friend of mine, Amimah, has been hounding me for years and year to try the Chicken Feet Noodles at Tong Seng and I have never ever tried it there not even once in 10 years of visiting. Most likely because the best Chicken Feet I've ever had (and will probably ever have) is cooked by my Dad at home. It's a special homemade recipe which always hits the spot for me and I guess I just find it hard to believe that anything is going to beat my Dad's version.

Well since it's already the end of the road, I decided to have it once and for all before the chance goes away.

The noodles is pretty much the same as if you were to order any of the other noodle dishes (i.e. Wanton Noodles, Shredded Chicken Noodles etc) which means you can have it as spicy as you like (they'll just add more chili base for you).

I expected the noodles to have some of the herbal broth from the chicken feet but there was none of that except for some mushrooms. The chicken feet were actually really quite big so you'll definitely get your fill if you're a fan of chicken feet.

Fried Wanton ($3.00)

And as always, I had an order of Fried Wanton (so much for breaking from routine).

Since the last time I had Fried Wantons, I can really see and feel the difference. The chicken meat filling has definitely gotten lesser and the wantons were a tad over-fried so they had a slightly burnt taste.
No doubt they were still deep-fried crispy goodness but I guess it's this kind of thing that make people say that the standards have dropped over the years.

But hey, I still got my Ajinomoto Soup!

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Feet Noodles 3/5 -- Fried Wanton 2/5

If you haven't had your last plate of Chicken Rice (whatever it is you fancy at Tong Seng) yet, make your way down this weekend because Monday 14th October 2013 is the last day of operations!

Good prices. Good location. Good times with Good people. Good soup. Goodbye.
May Tong Seng Coffeeshop lives on in our hearts and our stomachs!

 Tong Seng Coffeshop

496 North Beach Road
Tel: 6338 0163

Operating Hours: 6.00am til 11.00pm Daily

Larkin Bus Terminal: Mee Bandung

Mee Bandung (RM4.00)

So my darling wife and I headed down to Larkin again with my parents in tow.
After we settled our errands, it was makan time!

Everyone was having Nasi Campur but I wasn't in the mood for rice.
In the end, I settled on some Mee Bandung.

I've actually never had Mee Bandung outside before as in I've never ordered it when eating out.
In fact, the only other time I've had it is when my darling wife cooked it for me at home once.
I really wasn't sure why I ordered it other than I didn't know what else to have. Was it going to be yummy?

YES!

This was definitely a tasty serving of Mee Bandung!
The gravy was really tasty and the shrimp taste was  not overpowering at all.
And they definitely were not stingy with the topping either. Chicken, egg, fishcake and vegetables galore!

One thing I have to point out is the big serving of noodles that comes along.
I do like my noodles but I got tired of it after awhile and ended up scooping the remainder out while I finished up the delicious gravy.


According to checks on the internet, Mee Bandung originated from Muar which is in Johor.
I'm not sure if the people are from Muar but they sure know how to make a decent bowl of Mee Bandung.

Adam's Verdict:
Mee Bandung 3/5

This is the 2nd best Mee Bandung I've ever had.
My wife's version still wins :)

Gerai Mak Milah (MS24)

Kompleks Pengangkutan Awam Larkin (3rd Level)

Operating Hours:
9.00am til - 9.00pm Daily

Kacang Pool Special

I love Kacang Pool.

But because it can be.. well.. a little on the unhealthy side (with all the ghee and the egg and the what-nots), it's best eaten in moderation. So that means that it'd better be a damn nice serving.

When I was a kid growing up in Eunos, the original Eunos market had some of the best food ever.
There was this one stall that sold only 2 things - Rojak Buah and Kacang Pool.
But it was for some reason, closed most of the time.

Well that stall stuck it out after the fire at the old marketplace and shifted to the new Eunos Market.

Kacang Pool ($3.00)

Well the stall sells a few more than 2 things now but Kacang Pools seems to remain a firm favourite.

Along with your piping hot kacang pool (made up of mashed fava or broad beans), you get a fried egg (which has a slightly runny yolk) and of course the usual garnishes like chilli and onions plus some bread.

A lot of people have a lot of differing preferences when it comes to their Kacang Pool I'm sure.

Some people like theirs to be on the chunky side which means the beans are not mashed or blended too finely. You'll still have a pretty thick consistency that way.

On the other hand, you have the people who like theirs to be runny and smooth. This means the beans are blended till extremely fine and I guess you say a little more of a fluid consistency.

For me - not fussy when it comes to this.
Thick or fluid I'm still gonna whack until finish.

And as you can see from the picture on the left, this stall has it just in the middle. You can scoop it up or soak it up with the french loaf that comes with it or you can just have it with the egg and garnishes. It's gonna be delicious either way. Oh, and you'll still a few whole beans that missed the blender.

Salt and Lime for additional seasoning

This stall goes the healthy route and does not seem to include any ghee.
There's definitely a good dose of oil but not much or no ghee and minimal additives.

They'll give you some salt and lime to add as you please.

Now that's what I call comfort food.
And when that runny yolk breaks and starts running all over the place, grab some bread, mop it up and shove it in your mouth and go "Mmmmm".

And for the record, I cleaned the plate. Literally. (I used the bread)

Adam's Verdict:
Kacang Pool 4.5/5

My old neighbourhood market may have relocated but some of the old stalls definitely followed suit and I'm so happy that they did and this stall is one fine example.

Kacang Pool Special

Eunos Crescent Food Market & Food Centre
Blk 4A Eunos Crescent #01-03

Operating Hours:
7.00am til 9.30pm (or til the food finishes)
Closed on Wednesdays

Changi Village Hawker Centre Reopens!

Well it's been more than a year since the old Changi Village Food Centre started their refurbishment project (but it seems like so much longer to be honest). Well, they just re-opened last week (I think) to the public so everyone could flock back there to get their fix of Nasi Lemak (among other things).

Firstly, let me say that the new layout makes the whole place seem kinda crampy.
They have replaced the big round tables with smaller rectangular shaped ones which seem to be a bit of a waste of space to be honest.

Anyways, the answer is yes.
Yes. Your favourite Nasi Lemak stalls are still definitely in business. But don't be confused.

Sri Sujana is still in roughly about the same location.
But International Nasi Lemak (the one with the long snaking queue) has moved to a new section which is facing the bus terminus (this area used to be the back of the stalls with a toilet at the end).
Mizzy Nasi Lemak has now taken over that stall space and the long snaking queue is now in front of Mizzy!

So the question now is - is it the location that is drawing the crowd?
Do people realize that the stall has changed? Well, maybe a review of the stalls (maybe a Makan vs Makan) might help to solve the mystery.

So if they made more space means there has to be more stalls for us to enjoy right?

Well if you remember correctly, the first section stretch used to be ALL Halal stalls and these stalls even stretched across at the back end and also the annex at the back (which is connected to the market).
Well there's only like 3/4 of the 1st stretch occupied by Halal stalls.

You'll still see some familiar favourites there like Ramiza Bryani, TakDeNama, Bismillah Sarabat Stall, Hjh Salbiah, Hassan Stall and few others you'll recognize. Ah Nam Seafood has moved back to the hawker centre. Sari Bestari Ayam Penyet has moved to the back annex which definitely has lesser Halal stalls than before. In fact, I'm willing to say that at least 65%-70% of the stalls between both buildings are most Chinese stalls.

Some of the stalls are still not occupied so I'm not sure what kind of stalls are going to open up.
Someone should open up a Satay stall because it's definitely missing based on my walk-around.

One good thing is that they place these posts at regular intervals which have rather effective (while they're brand new) fans to cool everyone down while they enjoy their meal.

And I'm not sure if it's just because it's still new and they are short of staff or maybe it was the weekend or something but the cleaning up situation was not very good at all. I'm talking about tables being left dirty and unattended. Some people take the easy way out and put everything on this table in the corner. I'm talking about plates and bowls and utensil piling up and causing quite a mess (and a bad smell).

I didn't even snap a picture because I don't want to ruin your appetite. Seriously.
Hopefully things will improve soon.

And some tips for you - 1) the POSB ATM is still at the same location so if you need to withdraw money it's still okay (hope the ATM is not out of order or out of money) and 2) most of the stalls close on Monday I think so best double check before you head all the way down.

I guess we might be heading to Changi Village a bit more often since this place has re-opened and there are definitely some stalls worth reviewing. Let us know if you think anything is worth checking-out!

And whatever your favourite is, I hope it's still located at the Changi Village Hawker Centre.

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
www.myhawkers.sg/index.php?m=place&c=view&id=61

Operating Hours: Breakfast til Supper

Epok Epok Central

I grew up in the Eunos Crescent neighbourhood.
Back then, the Eunos Crescent Market was in full swing and the adjoining food centre was just as popular.
From early morning breakfast til evening dinner. Everyone cam to get something.

And there was something for everyone too.
There were two whole sections of Chinese (Non-Halal) hawkers and only one section of Malay/Indian (Halal) hawkers. But that one section alone has so many treasures. And there was something for everyone.

Abu Bakar stall was famous for its Nasi Jenganan and Nasi Rawan.
Ali Baba stall famous for Roti Prata. Arifin stall for its Chicken Rice. Then there was the 'no sign' Kacang Pool' stall which also sold a pretty mean Rojak Buah. Then there was 'Mee Kak Tik'.
And so many more I can hardly remember.

The old market burned down some years ago and it took awhile for the new one to be built.
In that time, some of the hawkers probably moved on and decided not to wait for the new market to be built. But some of them returned to the old neighbourhood with a brand new market place.

One of those that was a staple back in the day and still stayed on - Epok Epok Central.

People would queue up for the fresh and hot epok-epok which seemed to come out in endless batches.
If there was one place for epok-epok then Epok Epok Central was it.

Potato, Sardine & Egg Epok-Epok

Just like before, you can get 3 types of epok-epok.
There's the default Potato & Sardine epok-epok ($0.40 each) and there's the Egg epok-epok ($0.60).
The Egg epok-epok has some potato filling in it as well.

The first thing I have to pint out is that I don't remember the epok-epok being so expensive in the past.
Of course, we are talking about the 90s when I was a kid so definitely the prices were lower back then.
But even in today's modern times, I'm guessing a few people would raise an eyebrow or two when the hear the price of $0.40 or $0.60 for an epok-epok.

What's that you say? The price seems reasonable?
Well, that depends on how you relate the price to the size of the product.

Yes that is my hand. And yes that is the epok-epok.
Now do you see what I was talking about when I mentioned the size?

The epok-epok is definitely bite-sized which I'm guessing some people (like my Mum) will appreciate.
Because this means that the pastry will be nice a crispy. Which it definitely is. Love that crisp!
The pastry has a nice bite to it and is not oily at all. They have definitely mastered the art of frying the epok-epok to ensure that it's a nice crispy golden brown.

The filling itself is also quite tasty. But....

(From left to right) Potato, Sardine, Egg

For those of you whole love your filling, then there might be some issue.

The filling itself is very tasty. The taste of the potato filling is especially tasty to me.
However, the sardine epok-epok seemed to have more onions than anything else. And that is simply something that I despise in my Sardine epok-epok.

Why call it Sardine if you're just going to pack it with onions? If you're worried about your sardine mixture being fishy then work on your mixture instead of taking the short-cut of piling on the onions I say.

To be honest the potato mixture also had its fair share of onions but at least I could get some potato chunks.
For the Egg version, you get about 1/5 of an egg stuffed in with the potato mixture.

Adam's Verdict:
Potato 3/5 -- Sardine 2/5 -- Egg 3.5/5

Epok Epok Central remains a familiar name when it comes to the tasty snack we all love.
Nowadays with places like Old Chang Kee offering fat oily currypuffs at a bargain price of $1.20, I guess it's easy to see how old-school places like this are on the losing end.

In fact, the long queue at the stall when I went was actually for the Nasi Lemak which they also seem to sell.
The old stall used to sell just epok-epok. Nothing else.
Maybe the Nasi Lemak is damn nice? I might check it out next time.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe Epok Epok Central's standards have really dropped.
But I'll never forget the excitement as a kid when Mum & Dad brought home some epok-epok.

 Epok Epok Central

Eunos Crescent Food Market & Food Centre
Blk 4A Eunos Crescent #01-09

Operating Hours:
9am -10pm Tuesday til Sunday
Closed on Monday

Makan vs Makan --- Indian Rojak

When I first started this blog, I had this idea where I would have what I referred to as 'Battles'.
That's right. Say it with me people - BATTLE!!! (Sounds very the Iron Chef right?)

These were just comparison posts where, instead of the usual format where each makan place or dish would have individual posts, 2 makan places would go head-to-head. But how will the winner be decided?
Well, that's where YOU come in!

It's actually very simple. Makan vs Makan. And we see who's the winner is.

The only hard and fast rule is that the makan being compared has got to be the same.
Meaning, if I'm reviewing Nasi Briyani, I'd have to compare the same type, like Mutton Briyani vs Mutton Briyani because it wouldn't be fair to compare Mutton Briyani vs Chicken Briyani you know what I mean?

And so without further ado, I present to you

MAKAN vs MAKAN -- INDIAN ROJAK!!!

ABDHUS SALAM ROJAK vs HABIB'S ROJAK

The weird thing is this was a totally unexpected development.
We had actually gone all the way to Ayer Rajah Food Centre based on some recommendations by some of our readers to try the Mee Kuah there. Bu when we arrived, I remember that @SarinaMohamed had told me about some Indian Rojak which was apparently the bomb.

And so we decided on the spur of the moment to have both. At the same time.

 Resident Reviewers - Maryah & Adam

Guest Reviewers - Azlan & Yana

So we went to place our orders at both stalls. And as per the rules, we chose all the same items from each stall so we could have an even review on the Indian Rojak.

We orders Hotdog, Paru (Beef Lung), Fish Cake, Fish Fillet, Potato, Wadeh, and Dough with Egg.
So that makes 7 items on each plate x 2 plates.

And this is what it looked like what they arrived.

Abdhus Salam Rojak ($11.00)

Habib's Rojak ($10.00)

Okay firstly, the orders were placed at the same time but they arrived separately.
Abdhus delivered the food after 15 minutes and Habib's only arrived another 10 minutes after that.
A sign of inefficiency? Or a sign that Habib had more orders to cope with signalling they were more popular?
Hmmmmm...

And another thing to note - for exactly the same items, Abdhus' plate of rojak costs $1.00 more.
A small amount I know and I surely wouldn't mind paying $1.00 more if the rojak is better.
But was it better?

Well for some of the items (Hotdog, Fish Cake and Dough with Egg) it was even down the middle with 2 votes each. And for some other items, it was a little more clear cut.

Abdhus won the round when it came to the Paru (Beef Lung) and it was obviously down to personal preference. Do you like your Paru thin and crispy or slight thicker cut? Well Abhus sliced their Paru a little thinner so that means it was a little less chewy (rubbery) than Habib's.

Habib seems to have swept most of the remaining items though!
The Potato from Habib was unanimously better than Abdhus.

Maryah was the only one who preferred the Wadeh from Abdhus because she says it didn't have such a "strong prawn-y smell) while the rest of us thought the one from Habib has a better dough.

But when it came to the Fish Fillet, I was the one who went the opposite direction.
I went for the Abdhus one while the rest were obviously smitten with the one from Habib.
And I guess one of the reasons was the batter that they used.

More Batter? Less Batter? Which is Better?

And by the way, Abdhus coated quite a number of their items with that batter you see above.
I guess in most cases, it rocks but some might find it a little bit too much after awhile.

And now, the part that some (or dare I say, most) people would consider an important part of Indian Rojak.
What about the Kuah?!?

Abdhus' Kuah

Habib's Kuah

Yana has no comment on the kuah because she preferred her Indian Rojak au naturel.
But what did the rest of us think? Well, Abdhus seemed to be the favourite.
Azlan liked Habib's better because it was sweeter while Maryah and me agreed that Abdhus' was tastier and I thought it was better because it had a little bit more of a spicy kick to it.

And as you can see, Abdhus' kuah is thicker so perhaps again down to preference?

The Final Verdict:

Adam's Choice - Abdhus Salam Rojak (Presentation plays a part)
Maryah's Choice - Abdhus Salam Rojak (Most steady Kuah)
Azlan's Choice - Habib's Rojak (Conflicted but Habib wins based on Kuah and price)
Yana's Choice - Habib's Rojak (Family always eats at this stall)

OMG! Couldn't the first ever BATTLE end in a draw? Well it sure seems like it.
Looks like I'm going to have to put this to a vote and hopefully the audience will help us decide...

And after a whole week, literally no one voted... Hmm I might to re-think that part.
Well I guess in that case there's only one outcome...

DRAW MATCH!!!

Well these two stalls were so closely matched I think this was a fair result.
It seems to be just minor differences in opinions mostly due to personal preferences.

So which one do you think you'll like better?

Abdhus Salam Rojak (Stall 73)

Blk 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent
#01-73

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 11.00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Habib's Rojak (Stall 68)

Blk 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent

#01-73

Operating Hours:

11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

K.S. Seeni Mohammed - Mee Goreng

So the lot of us (meaning my darling wife, my brother and his darling wife and myself) drove all the way to the other side of the island to try some Indian Rojak. In a surprising twist, we ended up getting our very first 'BATTLE' done (which you will see very soon) but something else came to light...

While doing some recce around the Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Yana ordered some Mee-teow Goreng (Kway Teow + Mee) from this stall which she says is a firm favourite when she and family is in the area.
And we found out why.

Mee Goreng ($3.50)

I'll be honest with you. I haven't had many cases where I can say that the Mee Goreng (Mamak style) is good. In fact, I would normally only swear by the Mee Goreng at Saffron's in Tampines because, quite simply, other places simply cannot cut it. So the "Damn Nice Mee Goreng List" is a pretty short one.

But now I can safely say - there is a new place on the list.

The noodles, the spice, the meat, the potatoes, the egg, the everything.
There's no simpler way for me to put it.

Some places have a problem when it comes to frying noodles. It either tastes horrible or ends up being too dry or even burnt. But they get it just right here! And for the very fair price of $3.50, definitely can see why Yana and family always order it when the go.

This is a simply MUST TRY!!
If you can be bothered to go all the way to Ayer Rajah that is.

Adam's Verdict:
Mee Goreng 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Mee Goreng 4.5/5 

Azlan's Verdict:
Mee Goreng 5/5 

Azlan's Verdict:
Mee Goreng 5/5

And in case you're wondering. I said earlier Yana ordered Mee-Teow Goreng then how come the picture shows Mee Goreng??? Because - we ordered a second plate. That's how good it is.

K.S. Seeni Mohammed (Stall #70)

Ayer Rajah Food Centre
Blk 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Adam Road Food Centre - Adam's Indian Rojak

Okay so I've heard SO MUCH about the "delicious" Indian Rojak at the Adam Road Food Centre that might actually be the best Indian Rojak in town. Supposedly.

I remember seeing one of those makan shows on TV when I was younger and they featured this famous stall at Adam Road Food Centre. It had this giant pot of Indian Rojak gravy that was on constant heat so you get it piping hot and thus ensuring you have a great serving of Indian Rojak.

And after years and year and years of saying I've simply got to try it, the time finally arrived.

Indian Rojak ($8.00)

Okay let me start of by saying that my darling wife and I went there on a Saturday evening at about 6pm.
Now, I'm not sure if this is the prime time for Indian Rojak but the selection at the stall was not very impressive to be honest.

Was it because we went at the wrong time?
Or is it because this Indian Rojak is so damn nice that the good stuff was all sold out by the time we arrived?
Hmmmmm.....

Well we still managed to get some of the usual like Fish Cake, Paru (BeefLung), Hotdog, Prawn Wadeh, Potato and Flour with Egg. The individual item range between $0.70 to $1.50 (Minimum Order $3.00) which is pretty normal for Indian Rojak I guess... But the problem with Indian Rojak is... no matter whatever you choose, in the end you just pay the guy whatever price he mentions. Like in this case - I don't think that plate above costs $8.00...

One thing that was good about this place is that they will quickly fry your items in a giant kuali of boiling oil ensuring a nice crisp to the rojak. Butt if you're looking for anything more than that, sorry. That's it.

And now - the most important part of Indian Rojak (in my humble opinion)

The kuah is oh so the important lah!!

And in this case, this is what you will encounter...
First - Sweet. Second - Spicy. Third - Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
And it definitely helps that it's served piping hot! One of the best Indian Rojak gravy ever!

And in case you were wondering, the sweetness isn't because of sugar.
Interestingly, it's because of little sultanas that they add into the gravy... Smart!

Last but not least I simply have to mention this.
The first time the guys passed me our plate of Rojak, it turned out to be the wrong one. Meaning some other dude also got the wrong plate. So we had to go back and tell them "We didn't take any Tahu".

Adam's Verdict:
Indian Rojak 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Indian Rojak 3/5

Okay to be perfectly honest, I really wasn't impressed. So much for the Best Rojak in Town?
But then again, it really might have been bad timing. So many reviews saying it rocks must count for something right? Right?
So i reckon we might go back for a 2nd try. Plus I saw some other stuff I wanna try too.

Adam's Indian Rojak

Adam Road Food Centre
No 2 Adam Road Stall #01-05

Operating Hours:
9.00am til 10.30pm Daily