Hi Makan Kakis, some of you might find the name Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck familiar because the original (and famous) stall can be found at Golden Mile Market & Food Centre along Beach Road. This one in Bendeemer is run by the couple’s son and enjoys equally brisk business, so be prepared for long lines. I arrived just after opening at 10.30am on a Sunday morning and found several others already in the queue – one gentleman told me he’d arrived before 10am and he was still waiting. I was informed my wait time would be more than 30 minutes, so I prepared myself to kill time. All this, because Chef Petrina Loh of Morsels, our Foodie Friend and self-confessed lover of all things braised and Teochew recommended I try it!
HEAR:
SEE:
Chef Petrina describes the braised duck here as very Teochew and very traditional. It’s a favourite of her mother’s and keeping things in the culinary family, Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck at Bendeemer happens to be run by one of her former Morsels chefs, so the connection is strong! Personal relationship aside though, this is braised duck with really high standards.
Greetings Greedies! This week, our Makan Kaki, Judge of Masterchef SG Damian D’Silva returns with a brilliant breakfast recommendation that’s hearty, satisfying & very local! Chef Damian loves kaya – that luscious South East Asian spread of coconut, egg and pandan – and there are many different iterations, from Malaysian to Nyonya to Hainanese style. It’s the jam of the tropics! And kaya comes in many different colours, from brown to bright green (thanks to pandan leaves and truth be told, food colouring) to today’s more yellowish version. Hainanese-style kaya generally gets its golden hues from the brown caramelization of sugar and Hainan Kaya Toast at Geylang Serai Food Centre serves up a wonderful version.
HEAR:
SEE:
Get an early AM fix of kaya toast with a twist – Chef Damian orders kaya with French loaf instead! At Hainan Kaya Toast, the husband-and-wife tag team efficiently burnish breads on their grill before slathering on their yellow-brown kaya and loads of butter on to the hot bakes.
All of that goodness tastes even better on a lightly charred French loaf, or “jiam tao lor ti” (尖头面包 “pointy bread”), as Chef Damian refers to it colloquially.
Hello Makan Kakis! Eager to get to know our new foodie friend and freshly-crowned champion of MasterChef Singapore Season 4 Inderpal Singh, I invited him back for a fun chat and of course, got him talking about some of his hawker favourites. Inderpal is as comfortable whipping up stunning fine-dining creations as he is keeping things down-to-earth & local. The self-proclaimed “proud Northe-sider” takes us to his Yishun ‘hood with today’s dessert recommendation – traditional Melaka-style cendol!
HEAR:
SEE:
Inderpal jokes about how Yishun has a reputation for being the most dangerous place in Singapore though the only thing you would risk getting there is “delicious food because we’ve got so much of it”. Yishun Central 1 in particular is “the Holy Grail of Asian food”, with the famous 928 Laksa & Yishun 925 Chicken Rice bringing in the crowds. But there’s something else at Block 925 Inderpal thinks more people should know about – a stall at the halal Kedai Kopi foodcourt that serves outstanding cendol.
If you’re on the hunt for good vadai to try, give this a go! Gordon’s Vadai is the brainchild of founder Gordon Koh, who has led a colourful life as a military man, magician, pub owner & passionate home cook. He perfected his vadai recipe based on his memories of the old school pushcart ones those sold around Farrer Park during football matches in his youth. He even ran a stall in Katong for 6 years & has even catered for the Prime Minister.
Gordon’s Vadai has now re-launched as a home-based set up, with the made-to-order, freshly-fried snacks available for pick up. There are 4 different types to choose from: plain, prawn, premium & pure vegetarian.
HEAR:
SEE:
Ordering online was simple and I went with the fancier, latter two, noting that there’s a minimum order of 5 each. At $2 each, the Premium Vadai was packed with umami prawn flavour thanks to the ample addition of prawns inside the batter & whole crunchy crustaceans on the outside.
The same crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside texture was front & centre for the Pure Vegetarian Vadai, which are also suitable for vegans & cost $1.30 each. These are cooked separately and filled with carrots, peas and corn. I’m not vegetarian, so these were the surprise winners in flavour as well as light & airy texture. Do note though, these need to be pre-ordered 1 day in advance.
In this final Makan Kakis x CNA Lifestyle instalment featuring drivers and their good food recommendations, I chatted over chaat with my friend & occasional private hire driver Oliver Pang.
As I drove us to Oliver’s choice for Indian street food, we talked about how the theatre performer/drama teacher/yoga instructor got into private hire driving. As with many gig economy workers, it was to cover costs while he was between jobs for two months.
“I really enjoyed driving. It’s really fun. I love having conversations with people. To be honest, I’ve been very blessed. I’ve not had any bad experiences. It always starts off not-so-nice but ends very beautifully. If someone is not happy, my aim is to make sure that they leave feeling good,” Oliver shared.
Having worked with him on several stage productions in the past, I noticed the similarity between his approach to theatre and driving. Oliver thrives in situations that allow for temporary, but meaningful connections. To be an actor is to be open and adaptable – traits that also helped him own and operate a successful cafe and yoga studio for more than a decade.
After returning from his studies in England, he went on a soul-searching, life-changing trip to Nepal. Inspired by how simple the Nepali way of life was, he envisioned a cafe in Singapore where he could recreate the same peaceful, grounding atmosphere. However, after 14 years in business, the cafe (Going Om in Haji Lane) became a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Oliver has no regrets, recognising that the time and labour invested went beyond a mere business venture. It was a conduit for cultural understanding and human connection, with food as the common language.
To relive his past culinary adventures with me, Oliver chose Singapore’s Little India as our makan destination. The enclave is one he frequents, to wander the little lanes, soak in the bustling atmosphere and sample a snack or two. Case in point: Dwaraka Restaurant’s street food kiosk, strategically located opposite the famous Mustafa Centre.
According to Oliver, it has become quite the Little India trend for dine-in restaurants to set up storefront takeaway counters. While Dwaraka Restaurant serves an array of North and South Indian dishes as well as unique Indian-Chinese cuisine, we were there for a quick and convenient chaat experience. The outdoor kiosk, situated along the five-foot way of the Dwaraka Restaurant shophouse, featured a colourful menu of 12 Indian street snacks (chaat) to-go, or to eat perched at the outdoor table.
“This is as close as we can possibly get to an authentic Indian street food experience in Singapore,” Oliver informed me, as we ordered a chaat we have both enjoyed on our travels to India – pani puri. Puri refers to a small, crispy wheat shell containing a spiced filling, while pani refers to the accompanying flavoured water.
In this Makan Kakis series in collaboration with CNA Lifestyle, featuring the best eats recommended by cabbies and private hire drivers, I tried a steaming bowl of special comfort with my second female foodie friend of the series!
After several delays due to laryngitis (on my part), meeting up with my next Makan Kaki was an exercise in planning and patience (on her part). But private hire driver Alice Kee is used to handling such situations, having worked in logistics and inflight catering previously.
Even though she was under the weather when we finally met, she was excited to show me her go-to stall for comfort food. And as I later discovered at Whampoa Makan Place, handmade noodle soup was the perfect meal for two ailing foodies.
Alice shared why she made the career switch, after making a living in Malaysia and Indonesia for 20 years. “It’s about the elders at home needing us, so in 2016 my husband and I came back. I was retired, but being in such a precise, high-tension job previously, I was very bored at home, so I took up driving,” she explained, crediting her brother for the job suggestion.
Clocking in 12 hours on a full day, excluding breaks at 10am and 4pm with her husband, who is also a private hire driver, the gung-ho driving enthusiast thrives on Singapore’s roads. Being a private hire driver also suits Alice’s personality and interests. She said: “What I’m looking for is a bit different. Not to really stress out. I’m basically a very curious person and I love people, places, food. And being my own boss, I have the time to do things I like.”
Quite the poster girl for lifelong learning, Alice’s latest pursuit brings together all her passions – she’s currently training to be a tour guide. To her, the joy and challenge is to showcase the multi-cultural Singaporean identity to visitors and one of the most accessible ways is through food. It was a surprise to me then, that instead of famous chilli crab or chicken rice, she selected a very humble dish to represent her love for Singapore.
“This is one of my top, top, top, top picks, especially when it comes to comfort food,” Alice said in reference to China Whampoa Home Made Noodles at Block 91 Whampoa Drive (residents call it the “morning market”).
She ordered us her usual – Number 1 on the signboard – meatballs and prawns in soup (S$5, S$6 or S$7) with a choice of noodles – ban mian (straight-cut and flat), mee hoon kueh (hand torn pieces) or you mian (thin and circular). The latter is always Alice’s pick for its chewy snap and the way it handles when pulled from the soup.
This is Part 6 of our series featuring taxi and private hire drivers who show us where to find the best eats across Singapore. Just for a little twist on this food hunt, the drivers get a break and I drive them instead! This week, private hire driver Vincent Lee recommended we give Green Chilli Chicken Rice at Sims Vista Food Centre a try. It’s dish I’d heard of and even seen in pictures he sent me, but that I hadn’t tasted before.
“You won’t regret it,” was Vincent’s promise, as he explained his personal rule for food recommendations. “It must be nice, only then I will take a photo and share.” And share he does, frequently, in various group chats on his phone.
The avid home cook and foodie became a private hire driver when he turned 60 last March, enjoying it as “something to do” in semi-retirement. Vincent’s conversations with passengers usually centre around his favourite subject. “When I pick them up or go to a new place, I always ask ‘where’s the good food here?’,” he said.
The confident cook also often whips up fried bee hoon, assam pedas and Hainanese chicken rice for frequent gatherings with friends and family. Fried Hokkien mee is his children’s favourite and his go-to comfort food is Teochew porridge.
“I’m definitely a party guy,” he declared. Indeed, fun is an almost daily affair for Vincent and his friends who gather after work for “happy hour”. He joked, “Actually, my favorite pastime is drinking beer!”
Sims Vista Food Centre is one of Vincent’s regular mid-morning stops, just a stone’s throw from where he grew up. “Before I got married, I stayed at Geylang Lorong 16 for 25 years,” he said, happy to be back in his old neighbourhood.
Parked and primed for our meal, we met with the “founder of Green Chilli since 1999” Mr Mustajab Ibrahim (Uncle Jab), 74. “My own invention. Others may copy but they are not the same,” he told me proudly.
He used to sell nasi lemak and various types of biryani before creating his signature dish. But on his wife’s advice, he finally decided to focus on green chilli chicken rice. Settling at Sims Vista about 10 years ago, it took a while to gain the interest of customers.
“When I started, nobody knew. They would ask me, ‘Apa? Apa?’ (‘what is this’ in Malay),” Uncle Jab recounted. Now, the stall sees long queues forming each day, which was what first attracted Vincent to the stall – he joined the line to see what the fuss was about. Since then, he returns at least twice a month for his fix because “the green chili is so beautiful and fragrant”.
Each signature $6 set consists of rice, a whole, bone-in chicken leg slathered in green chilli sambal, fish keropok, two carved cucumber slices, a side dollop of red chilli sambal and soup.
We’ve got wheels and we’re taking you for meals as recommended by drivers in this new Makan Kakis series. This week, I met with cabbie Agus Safwan, 48, for breakfast on a stormy morning.
The former chef and seafood supplier had a calm and cool demeanour, which he developed through a passion for fishing. His affinity with the sea often takes him on trips to Malaysia and Indonesia.
“With fishing, you gotta be patient, just like driving a cab. Because you never know when you’re gonna get the next one. There are trips when nothing bites the whole day. Just like sometimes we may end up driving around without any calls or passengers, so patience is a virtue. You just have to think positively and things will change,” he shared.
I was getting schooled by Agus’ fisherman philosophy in life. It was how he got through the COVID-19 pandemic, which went full force just a few months after he started driving his taxi. “It’s an honest living, I learn a lot of things and I want more free time for my family. That’s something no money can buy. I don’t have to be so stressed by work. The moment I park my car, that’s it. More free time also means I’ve got time to find food!” he quipped.
Case in point, the lontong stall he discovered along a quiet stretch of Stirling Road at Block 49. After a few meals there and comparing notes with friends, he confirmed it was one of the best lontong in Singapore “taste-wise and price-wise”. Also, it’s very popular with fellow taxi drivers in the know.
Housed in a charmingly rustic kopitiam called Khong Guan Restaurant, Java Corner is its one and only food stall serving up a staggering array of dishes including nasi padang, mee rebus, tahu goreng, nasi lemak and our targeted lontong. All of which are “very traditional, homecooked style” foods Agus craves on cold, wet mornings. “Trust me – this lontong, in this weather, is something to warm up your stomach and give you ‘oomph’ for the day,” he laughed.
Agus made haste in ordering us each a portion of lontong and an extra from the nasi padang side of the stall – his favourite sambal sotong (squid). As the rain poured down, the steam rose up from each piping-hot plate of lontong, piled high with ingredients and topped liberally with sambal as well as serunding (spiced, toasted coconut flakes).
At just S$3.50 for each generous portion, we had a hearty, value-for-money meal packed with vegetables like cabbage, French beans, carrot and bangkuang (Chinese turnip); as well as a hard-boiled egg and tauhu goreng (fried beancurd). All were drenched in a luscious coconut curry and enhanced by rich pops of toasty texture from the serunding.
All of that goodness tastes even better on a lightly charred French loaf, or “jiam tao lor ti” (尖头面包 “pointy bread”), as Chef Damian refers to it colloquially. 
Makan Kakis on Gold 905 