SINGAPORE: For most people, Pasir Ris is the last housing estate in the east of Singapore. It is pretty far for some. However, it has one of the best eco-parks around, attracting runners, cyclists and birders, but one will least expect to find good food around.
Here are my top 5 picks for Fareground, Level Two of Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, which will make your trip worthwhile!
Click here to check out what's on Level One of Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre: What to eat at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre (burgernbacon.com)
Pawnaholic
Pawnaholic sells the deluxe version of prawn noodles. It has taken a traditional dish and amp it up with premium ingredients. As a result, it is not an ordinary prawn mee, consisting of torched Kurobuta pork belly, special handmade meatballs, and fantastic chilli. You can order the regular bowl at S$6.50 or the large prawns for S$13. Add sous vide egg if you love runny yolk coating your noodle.
While many will focus on the char pork belly, handmade meatballs, or chilli, I noticed how unique the bowl of soup is. It is a dark and flavourful bowl filled with the sweetness of the prawns. For every mouth full of noodles, chase it with a spoon of soup. Of course, you get to choose to have udon if Hokkien yellow noddle is not your thing.
Wild Olives
They started their business in the Changi Airport staff canteen. They serve very cheap western food, from sirloin steak, chicken chop to simple pasta and meatballs. Every lunchtime, you can see a queue forming even before they open. It seems like all the savvy diners are here for a western meal. Fortunately, the line does move pretty fast.
You get to choose two sides of every main you pick: mushroom rice, herb potatoes, Mash Potatoes, fries, coleslaw, or salad. Prices start from S$5.90, and the sirloin steak is at a very affordable S$10.90. This is a great option to complement food from other stalls.
Tian Tian Xiang Shang (Mala xiang guo 麻辣香锅)
I do find that Tian Tian Xiang Shang deserves a shoutout. I think it is compatible with a better know Mala stall (aka L.B.L). I prefer my Mala not to have too much Sichuan peppercorn, not too oily and not loaded with MSG; Tian Tian Xiang Shang meets all my definitions of being a good Mala Xiang Guo.
Mala Xiang Guo 麻辣香锅, roughly translated into English as "spicy stir-fry hot pot", is a Chinese dish prepared by stir-frying using strong chilli for the heat and Sichuan peppercorn for the numbness. You stand in front of the fridge, tell the lovely lady what you want, and she will help you to get it into a metal bowl. Instant noodles and sodium loaded luncheon meat is a must! A good serving of coriander and roasted peanut make the dish complete.
Frankly, I do not know how she charges. However, the bowl I had here was less than S$10, which I couldn't finish. Very affordable. I walked away with a happy belly.
Daburu
The first thing that this reminds me of is Taiwan Night Market! Daburu sells Taiwanese style hot plates and hot sandwiches. I love to see the meat sizzling on the hot plate when you pour the brown sauce over it. With the simple spaghetti in red sauce, it just feels like happy food. The food is excellent, but the nostalgic value or the fond memories of travelling in Taiwan is greater.
Reimondo Seafood Congee
To many people, rice porridge or congee reminds you that it is eaten when you are ill. This is how we were brought up knowing. It is a simple dish that is easy to digest. Hence, it is like a "sick man food".
Reimondo is known for serving seafood porridge. Their uniqueness is how they wok-fried the ingredients before putting them into the rice porridge. This allows them to get the wok hei (smokiness) we all love. The rice porridge is cooked with miso and bonito, and you get your scallops, salmon and crab stick. The Japanese ingredients make this into a luxury bowl.
Have it with Tea smoked salmon with wasabi mayo and round-shaped wanton UFO to complete the meal. This will set you back by more than a luxurious S$20.
Address: 110 Pasir Ris Central, Singapore 519641