Street Food Warms Your Heart: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

928 Yi He Coffee Shop - Ampang Yueng Tow Fu at 928 Upper Thomson Road (III)

To feed our hungry stomach, I order the set for two.

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928 Yi He Coffee Shop - Ampang Yueng Tow Fu at 928 Upper Thomson Road Part 2

Want to know how the Ampang Yueng Tow Fu ingredients are cooked before being served to the patrons ? Check out the video below.

Just an inside scoop.

The two 928 Coffeeshop are owned by the Pang family and is a freehold property.

Due to differences, the youngest sister of the Pang family went to set up shop just two shops away selling exactly the same Ampang Yong Tow Fu, with recipe that closely resemble that of 928.

For the record though 928 is touted as the Original Ampang Yueng Tow Fu Stall and has been featured in many of Mediacorp's TV programs on food, and has received much accolades.

On a personal note : if you were to ask me which Ampang Yong Tow Fu stall tastes better to my liking ?

Has you ask me the same question back in 2003 - 2004 when I used to frequent it religiously every week,I'd say it had to be 928 Upp Thomson.

But my visit last night to 928 goes to prove one thing : consistency is the key to success in every food business. I realised the gravy was way too diluted.

My verdict : I actually preferred the youngest sister stall just next door, the gravy still maintains the consistency and not diluted, plus, there is very little MSG.

Xing Long Food Stall at Smith Street Food Centre

After visiting Dad at SGH, Bob & I together with Grouch Two & Stanley headed for Smith Street Food Centre at Chinatown for a delicious dinner.

It was a breathtaking experience as we waited for the ERP lights to turn off as the clock strike 8pm. Just right after the ERP lights were off, the traffic light turn green and off we set off for Smith Street Food Centre.

I headed for Heng Ji Chicken Rice Stall to order a whole white chicken for S$20. Mrs Tan was very generous with the portion. I ask for more sesame seed oil in Cantonese to give the chicken the extra fragrant and Mrs Tan's assistant gleefully obliged.

Then I went over to Mr Ngoh's Xing Long Food Stall in the next row to order his stall's Specialty Song Fish Head Steamed in Hong Kong Style. I also ordered the Garlic Kang Kong.

Song Fish Head is doused in a sweet savoury sauce - I believe the Chef do use plum sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil to prepare the gravy. On top of it, the fish head is generously drizzled in lard to give it that fragrant taste.

Garlic Stir Fry Kang Kong

Generally people always ordered Sambal Kang Kong. But I choose to order garlic stir fry Kang Kong as Stanley had a weak stomach and any thing spicy or curry like will see him visiting the "bank" to deposit soon right after devouring the food. So to save him from such agony we decided it should be the stomach friendly garlic Kang Kong instead. Part of the enjoyment of eating with your loved ones is when you consider their body constitution and you order food that in no way aggravate their condition.

Some tables away a family of three was devouring the Hey Zhor & Nai Bai & Cuttlefish Kang Kong , I had their consent to film it for your viewing pleasure.

Hey Zhor

Cuttlefish Kang Kong

Stir Fry Garlic Nai Bai

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Garlic Ginger Honey Chicken

Mr Ngoh is the 2nd generation to helm this business. His stall consists of two units merged into one, and another 3rd unit just two doors away.

Source : http://streetfoodwarmsyourheart.blogspot.com/

The Chefs he employs are very experienced Chefs - I had the utmost respect for men who can cook. Here are the unsung heroes below.

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928 Yi He Coffee Shop - Ampang Yueng Tow Fu at 928 Upper Thomson Road Part 1

Bob picked me up from work on 30 Dec 2011 as it was the last working day of the year 2011. I suggested to Bob that we visit the Ampang Yeung Tow Fu at 928 Upper Thomson Road.

This was the same coffee shop that Mum & I used to frequent during her last year on earth back in 2003- 2004. I was still driving her around in my mini Daihatsu van and every day I'd drive her to different parts of Singapore to savour good food.

928 Ampang Yueng Tow Fu started when the elder Mr Pang learnt art of making Ampang Yong Tow Fu from an acquaintance who hails from Ampang. He has since passed away 11 years, and the business passed to his wife Mrs Pang who recently handed the baton over to the second generation to run. Between the elderly Mr Pang & his Mrs, they had 11 children : 6 girls & 5 boys.

Currently it is the 4th son, 5th son who is helming the business, with the 3rd daughter & 5th daughter, and 2nd daughter in law of Mrs Pang helping out at the stall.

4th son Mr Pang Ng Teck (below) has been helping his parents in the business since 1973, he brings with him almost 37 years of experience.

5th son Mr Pang Ng Chong started helping only in 1990.

The ingredients for the Ampang Yueng Tow Fu is made fresh daily and all sold out by about 7.30 - 8pm. Special ingredients such as Ti Bou (Fried Fish Skeleton) is carefully added to the special gravy used to drizzled on the Yong Tow Fu to give it an extra umph.

Here below is the selection of Ampang Yueng Tow Fu to delight the patrons.

Brinjal (Eggplant) stuffing with minced meat fillings in special ingredients

Okra (Lady's Fingers ) stuffed with special minced meat fillings then oil fried

Quail's egg hard boiled then deep fried

Tau Kee - deep fried

Bitter Gourd stuffed with special minced meat filling

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice at Marine Parade Food Centre

Prelude to the Roland's Restaurant, Grouch Two, Stanley, Dad & I went over to Marine Parade Food Centre to sample some of the hawker stall foods.

I managed to capture one Hainanese Chicken Rice stall that was doing pretty well, so well that all I saw was chicken head & spine hanging from the stall.

The rice is fragrant and the chicken is tender. They are served with ginger & chilli. Yummy!

In fact the business is so good the business owner Augustine Koh opened 12 outlets of which only 8 are listed in his Business Card.

Part I Roland's Restaurant - Thomson Road Baptist Church Christmas Dinner 25 Dec 2011

25 Dec 2011 Sunday evening I joined Dad & Grouch Two & Stanley for dinner at Roland's Restaurant at Marine Parade Central. Dad's Thomson Baptist Church organised a Christmas Dinner for the congregation and Dad sponsored the 3 tickets as he dines free.

I was at Roland's Restaurant 4 years ago when my church organised our church Anniversary here. I remembered the place was not that lavishly furnished yet. But 25 Dec 2011 was an eye opener. Roland's Restaurant really grew from strength to strength. Roland himself is a Christian but he attends another church not Thomson Road Baptist Church. The evening dinner each table costs S$350.

I manage to take photo shots of the food as they were served.

This is the traditional dish served at most Chinese Weddings : The Cold Dish Combination which usually has four or five different starters served in a platter. The starters are usually Salad Prawn, Japanese Octopus, Scallop, Ngor Hiong, Jellyfish.

This next dish tastes like shark's fin soup, but is likely crab meat soup made with the consistency like that of shark's fin.

Roland Restaurant is located at the East side of

Singapore right in the Heart of Marine Parade

Central -

Address :
Roland Restaurant Pte Ltd, Block 89, Marine Parade Central, # 06 - 750 Singapore 440089
Email: sales@RolandRestaurant.com.sg
Tel: 6440 8205

Operation Hours :
Weekdays - Monday to Saturday
Lunch : 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Last Order
Dinner : 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm Last Order

Sundays & Public Holidays :
Lunch : 11:00 am to 2:30 pm Last Order
Dinner : 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm Last Order

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Sat Dinner 9 Nov 2011 at Kimly Seafood at Yishun Ave 11 Block 418 Part 3

We also ordered the other specialty for the night : Mei Cai Kou Rou ( Braised Pork with Mui Chye) - the gravy is sweet savoury and the Mei Cai is surprisingly not that salty at all.