A Taste of Hainanese Heritage at The Hainan Colony @ Tai Seng MRT

 Singapore - Today, I discovered another interesting little eatery near the Tai Seng MRT — The Hainan Colony, located at Tai Seng 18, a nine-storey mixed-use commercial and retail building.

This was my first visit to The Hainan Colony, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The restaurant is a simple, no-frills diner, but its story is what makes it interesting.

The menu features classic dishes prepared using family recipes, celebrating the unique fusion cuisine created by early Hainanese immigrants who came to Singapore and worked as chefs for British colonial families.

Over time, these Hainanese chefs adapted Western dishes using local ingredients and their own cooking techniques, creating a distinctive style of Singaporean Hainanese cuisine that many of us have grown up enjoying.

Looking through the menu, there were quite a number of tempting choices. After some consideration, I decided to try the Beef Stew Baguette.

And what a good choice it turned out to be!

The beef stew was rich and comforting, with tender pieces of beef braised together with carrots, potatoes and a blend of spices. The beef was soft and flavourful, and the sauce had that wonderful hearty taste you expect from a good slow-cooked stew.

But what really completed the dish was the baguette.

It was served warm, with a wonderfully crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. Dipping the crispy bread into the beef stew and soaking up the delicious gravy made every bite even more enjoyable.

It was a simple meal, but sometimes simple is exactly what you want.

My first visit to The Hainan Colony turned out to be a very pleasant discovery. Good food, interesting heritage and a relaxed, no-frills atmosphere — all at one small diner in Tai Seng.

I had a very good meal here, and I would definitely come back to try some of their other Hainanese-inspired dishes

Tora-San at Grantral Mall @ MacPherson

 Singapore - Today’s food adventure brought me to Tora-San, located at Grantral Mall @ MacPherson. Getting there was easy and it was just a short five-minute walk from Tai Seng MRT Station.

Tora-San offers around eight different set meals, ranging from sashimi selections to cooked dishes. After looking through the choices, I decided to try the Bara-Chirashi Don.

The bowl came generously topped with fresh sashimi, including salmon, tuna and yellowtail, all cut into small cubes. The sashimi tasted fresh and delicious, and the combination of different fish gave every mouthful a nice variety of flavours and textures.

What made the meal even more worthwhile was the set that came with it. Besides the Bara-Chirashi Don, I also received miso soup, sesame tofu, hot green tea and mochi ice cream for dessert.

The total came to $26.13, which I thought was quite reasonable considering the amount of food included in the set. It was a satisfying Japanese meal without feeling overly expensive.

After lunch, I decided to explore the mall, which was my first visit to Grantral Mall @ MacPherson. The mall opened in late 2024 and is a relatively mid-sized neighbourhood shopping mall.

The 1st floor has various restaurants and eateries, while the 2nd floor houses Scarlett Supermarket, which focuses mainly on Chinese groceries, fresh vegetables, snacks and other food products. The 3rd floor is largely dedicated to children's enrichment centres, while the 4th floor consists mainly of offices.

It was also interesting to learn more about the ownership behind the mall. Grantral Mall @ MacPherson is part of the Grantral portfolio under Elegant Group, which is associated with Guangzhou-based Grantral Group. The group has been expanding its presence in Singapore's retail property scene.

Its Singapore mall portfolio includes The Clementi Mall, Grantral Mall @ Clementi, Grantral Mall @ MacPherson, Changi City Point, KINEX and Tanjong Katong Complex.

All in all, it was a worthwhile trip — good sashimi, a value-for-money Japanese set meal, and a new Singapore mall discovered!

Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre

 Singapore - My food adventures around Singapore’s hawker centres continue!

Today, I decided to visit Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, taking the Circle Line MRT to Caldecott MRT Station. From the station, it was about a 10-minute walk to the food centre.

I arrived around 11am, and the heat was already scorching!  Thankfully, most of the walk was sheltered, so I didn’t have to battle the full force of the Singapore sun. By the time I reached the food centre, I was definitely ready for something to eat.

Interestingly, this was my second day exploring hawker food in the area. Yesterday, I had tried the Bak Chor Mee at MacPherson Teochew Minced Meat Noodles, and that bowl left quite an impression on me.

I really appreciated the traditional Teochew-style bak chor mee. The noodles were cooked beautifully and tossed in a savoury mixture of chilli and vinegar, giving every bite that wonderful combination of tangy, slightly spicy and savoury flavours. The crispy wanton was another highlight, adding a lovely crunch to the noodles.

Today, however, I was at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre again and fortunately, many of the stalls were opened. 

My first meal was pork ball and century egg porridge with youtiao from Congee88 (#02-29).

At $6.50, I found the porridge rather expensive for what I received. Perhaps I was expecting something more memorable, but honestly, nothing really stood out about this bowl of porridge. 

The pork balls and century egg were alright, and the youtiao added the familiar crispy texture, but overall, it was just an ordinary bowl of porridge — especially considering the price.

But thankfully, the day got much better when I discovered Uggli Muffins (#02-34).

This is an award-winning muffin stall, and the owner was having a promotion — 10 + 2 free for $16. I wasn't looking to buy 12 muffins, though. I simply wanted to try a couple.

I ordered two muffins for $3.20, but the friendly owner gave me three! What a pleasant surprise. I tried three flavours: hazelnut, chocolate and cranberry.  And I have to say — they were really delicious! 

The muffins were moist, flavourful and satisfying. Sometimes, the best discoveries on a food trip are the unexpected ones, and Uggli Muffins certainly turned out to be one of mine.

To finish off my food adventure, I had a hot soya bean drink from Pure Soya Bean (#02-28) for $1.90.

I have to admit, $1.90 for a small bowl of hot soya bean felt like one of the more expensive soya bean drinks I've had at a hawker centre. It was pleasant enough, but at that price and portion, I wasn't particularly impressed.

Another hawker centre explored, another few dishes tasted, and another Singapore food adventure added to the memories.

Kebun Bahru Hawker Centre @ AMK 7th Hawker Centre

 Singapore - Another day, another heartland food adventure!

Today, I made my way to Kebun Bahru Hawker Centre @ AMK, just about a 30-minute bus ride followed by a short walk into this quiet heartland precinct in Ang Mo Kio. I always enjoy exploring these neighbourhood hawker centres because you never quite know what delicious discovery is waiting for you.

As soon as I arrived, one stall caught my attention — Hong Heng Beef Noodle Soup & Laksa at #01-16. I saw their beef noodles and thought, I have to try this! 

I ordered their $5.50 beef noodle, and what a good decision it turned out to be. The bowl came with a generous combination of sliced beef, beef balls and beef tendon, together with mustard vegetables and a sprinkling of Chinese celery. 

I opted for the thick bee hoon, which was quite different from the usual bee hoon. It was smoother and slightly thinner, almost resembling spaghetti. The savoury dark gravy was not as thick as I expected, but it complemented the tender beef nicely. The mustard vegetables added a subtle tang, while the chilli with cincalok gave the dish an extra punch.

The accompanying beef broth was clean-tasting and comforting. Overall, this was one of the better beef noodles I have tried, and at $5.50, I thought it was excellent value. Definitely a bowl that hit the spot!

Feeling adventurous, I decided to try another stall — 226 Boneless Chicken Rice.

Unfortunately, this was where my food adventure took a wrong turn. 

The only thing I really liked was that the chicken was boneless. The chicken itself wasn't particularly tender, and the rice had a rather hard texture. With two chicken rice stalls available, I had chosen this one — and unfortunately, I made the wrong choice this time!

Still, that's part of the fun of exploring Singapore's hawker centres. Not every dish will be a winner, but discovering a great bowl of beef noodles makes the journey worthwhile.

Godmama @ Funan Centre - One of Top Peranakan restaurant

 Singapore - Today’s food adventure brought me to Godmama at Funan, a modern Peranakan restaurant known for giving traditional flavours a contemporary twist. Located on the 4th floor of Funan, Godmama celebrates Peranakan heritage through both its food and its warm, modern setting.

I was seated outdoor and in Singapore's hot weather it was very warm and uncomfortable. For my meal, I decided to try something a little different — the Hae Bee Hiam Aglio Olio.

This is not your usual Italian-style aglio olio. The spaghetti is tossed with fragrant hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp), garlic and olive oil, creating a wonderful combination of Italian pasta and bold Peranakan flavours. The dish is finished with savoury dried shrimp, giving it an extra layer of umami and a lovely seafood fragrance.

The spaghetti was nicely al dente, just the way I like it, with a pleasant bite. The hae bee hiam brought a spicy, savoury kick that worked surprisingly well with the pasta.

My only reservation was that I found the dish a little too salty for my taste. Perhaps slightly less salt would allow the hae bee hiam and garlic flavours to shine even more.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and interesting dish — a great example of how Peranakan flavours can be creatively incorporated into modern cuisine.

Ci Yuan Hawker Centre @ Hougang

 Singapore - Sometimes, visiting a hawker centre is not just about finding something delicious to eat. It is also about discovering the story behind the place.

Today, I made my way to Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, located within Ci Yuan Community Club at 51 Hougang Avenue 9.  This is the 3rd hawker centre in Hougang and was quite a unique place in Singapore because the hawker centre is actually integrated into a community club; one of those interesting co-location concepts that makes Singapore's community spaces so distinctive.

Ci Yuan Hawker Centre opened on 4 August 2015 and was the first new hawker centre built by the government since 1985. More interestingly, it was the first hawker centre to be co-located within a community club. The idea was to bring affordable food and community facilities together under one roof.

My first stop was HK Wanton Noodle at #01-06, where I ordered their Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodles for $4.50.   I have always enjoyed chicken feet, especially when they are braised until they become tender and absorb all that wonderful savoury sauce. This bowl did not disappoint.

The noodles had a nice texture, the mushrooms were flavourful, and the chicken feet were soft and delicious. It was a simple bowl of noodles, but one that really hit the spot. For just $4.50, I thought it was a very satisfying meal.

For my second meal, I headed over to Man Man Chi 慢慢吃 at #01-38 to try their handmade salty glutinous rice.

This was another pleasant surprise. The glutinous rice was nicely cooked with a good texture, and the savoury flavour made it a very enjoyable dish. There is something comforting about traditional handmade food with simple, filling and full of character.

By then, I was happily satisfied with my two meals.

Unfortunately, Singapore's weather had other plans for me. Just as I was getting ready to head home, it started to rain!  So, instead of rushing off, I had to find a sheltered spot and wait for the rain to stop. Eventually, the weather eased, and I made my way to the bus stop to catch the bus home.

Another food adventure completed!

What I enjoyed most about this visit to Ci Yuan was not only the food but also discovering another interesting corner of Singapore. From a unique community club and hawker centre combination to affordable and delicious local food, Ci Yuan is a reminder of what makes Singapore's neighbourhoods so special.

Mayflower Market & Food Centre @ AMK 6th Hawker Centre

 Singapore -  Some hawker food adventures begin with a long queue. Others begin with a long bus ride!

Today, I made my way to Mayflower Market & Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio. It took me about 30 minutes by bus to get there, all in search of one particular stall — Ho Ji Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles at #01-39.

When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. There was absolutely no queue! I thought, “Wow, maybe I’ve come at the right time.” But I soon discovered the secret — this stall uses an electronic queue system. You simply take a queue dongle, make your payment and wait for your number to be called.

And wait I did… almost 30 minutes! 

Interestingly, the lady boss had already warned customers that the waiting time was around 30 minutes. Yet people were still happily paying, taking their queue dongles and waiting patiently. That itself was a very good sign.

Finally, my plate of Hokkien mee arrived — and honestly, it was worth every minute of the wait!

The noodles were beautifully fried, moist without being soggy, with a wonderful depth of prawn-stock flavour and that unmistakable wok hei. The prawns were fresh and succulent, while the pork belly and crispy pork lard added another layer of richness. The sambal chilli gave the dish a fantastic spicy kick.

I have eaten plenty of Hokkien mee around Singapore, and I have to say this is one of the best I have tried so far.

I later discovered that the stall has been getting quite a bit of attention from Singapore food bloggers too. Leslie Tay of ieatishootipost recently featured Ho Ji and gave it 4.5/5, praising the skill of the hawker behind the wok.

As for the rest of Mayflower Market & Food Centre, I must admit I didn't find much else that really caught my attention during this visit.

But perhaps that's okay.