tze char 🧂

Most people would queue for Star Yong, but Soon Lai is a good alternative! I find the food a little more affordable with a shorter wait. The sambal stingray and garlic greens are a must order for us!

Popped by before the market closes for renovations, and decided to give this stall a try. This photo depicts just how dismal the experience was, though. Our order took over an hour to arrive, and dishes came in spurts. The portions were painfully small - even though we ordered medium/ large sizes! The flavours were also lacking, and saved only by the chilli. Our group of 6 paid $43!

A perennial favourite at the hawker centre! Portions here lean towards the small side for their price point, but make up for it with their flavour. My group of 4 paid $40. Each dish never fails to impress, and they do non-seafood items equally well. The sambal stingray is a must-order!

This coffee shop is perennially packed to the brim and the appeal is evident, given the quality of its dishes. I particularly liked the beans with minced meat and 3-egg spinach! It is, however, a tad pricey. These dishes (and rice) cost $80 for my group of 6!

Find myself craving these dishes often!! I’ve been a big fan for years. The eatery is simple, no-frills and often packed to the brim. My favourites are the sesame oil chicken, dark sauce eggplant and herbal fish soup! Every item is super flavourful and served piping hot in clay pots. This was slightly under $20 for two of us. Also highly recommend the luohanguo drink!!

One of those stores that has a perennial queue at Alexandra Village! They serve a whole array of seafood, but my favourite is the sambal stingray. It packs a real punch and there’s a lot of meat! The prawn paste chicken was also surprisingly good. Rounded it off with a simple vegetable dish and my group of 4 paid $40!

Back to one of my favourite tze char stores :-) tried their signature tofu, which came with a slightly spicy sauce and papadum crackers. The lady boss also highly recommended their pork knuckle, a seasonal promotional item. True to her word, the skin was perfectly crispy and the meat wasn’t too fatty! Total came up to $62 (3 medium, 1 small dish) for my group of 5.

My friends sing praises about Ban Leong, so I was really excited to finally try it! The harjeonggai is a tad different from most places, with spices directly on the chicken rather than on batter. Particularly loved the vegetables - both were well cooked and flavourful! The food is good, definitely, but it’s rather expensive for the portion (~$70 for 5 people) and out of the way. Doubt I’d make a trip back specially for this - I reckon that there are other tzechar options that are more accessible & affordable!

Have been patronising this coffee shop for years! Meals here are always satisfying. I highly recommend the salted egg sotong - crisp on the outside and delightfully chewy on the inside, stir fried with pieces of salted egg and onion. The har jeong gai is lightly battered and moist on the inside. And the sambal kangkong is a perennial crowd favourite! Total bill came up to $41.20 for my group of 4 :-) #oldisgold