Singapore Food Journalism - Distinguishing Authentic and Legitimate Food Views

Whether you like it or not, food marketing is everywhere these days. On main media and especially, on social media platforms.

You might be just an individual, taking food pictures for the fun of it. But once you establish a following, invitations from food establishments will invariably start to come.

Hidden Hawker Gems - Lim Hokkien Fried Mee at Kembangan

Hokkien fried mee is, in my opinion, the hardest hawker dish to master. The recipe has been out in the wild, barring some minor differences. But the real test and quality of this dish lies in the person frying this dish.

With the same ingredients and base, this plate of seafood infused noodles can turn out very differently.

Hidden Hawker Gems - Sheng Kee Cooked Food and Soya Chicken

While lavish attention has been put on the French tyre starred soya chicken place in Chinatown, there is another soya chicken stall in Kallang Bahru that has been wowing its local audience for years.

The lady owner, Mrs See, started this place 36 years back with her husband. Now, it is a popular haunt for the residents around this area. But very little media attention has been given to them, save for a few blog posts here and there.

Hidden Hawker Gems - Jia Xiang Mee Siam at Redhill Market

Somehow, finding a good mee siam these days is proving increasingly difficult. Most renditions are watery moats with diluted flavours and half hearted cooking.

There is one, however, in Redhill Market that might just surprise you. It's a half century old stall, and it is hardly talked about in the culinary media scene.

Hidden Hawker Gems - The Original Nan Xiang Chicken Rice

Seriously, when you talk about the best char siew places in Singapore, you should avoid fine dining restaurants. Instead, look for authentic hawkers using old school methods for their classic roasting goodness.

And before discovering this, my only other two "go to" char siew stalls are Foong Kee and Fu Shi. The former is as classic as it gets, and the latter, a newer entry that has similar traits to the KL's Ming Kee which I still hold as the gold standard for char siew.

Hidden Hawker Gems - Blanco Court Traditional Hainan Beef Noodles

Instead of perpetually showcasing fine dining food, this is gonna be the start of a new series to showcase hidden hawker gems.

The idea behind this is that we are far too familiar with the STB favoured hawkers for too long. In addition, blogs and other publications tend to only write about the ones that are already having too much attention, or hawkers that have become media savvy.

Pollen at Gardens by the Bay - Immaculate Cooking

Pollen has a new head chef and his name is Steve Allen. The Briton's resume includes stints with Gordon Ramsay and in person, he looks like a slimmed down version of the famous loud-mouthed celebrity.

Talking to him, however, is a totally different ball game. He's actually quite unassuming, though when engaged on the subject of cooking, he will light up immediately and is rather animated to talk about the stories behind his dishes.

2017 Yusheng Round Up - Lan Ting

Seriously, if you really want to celebrate Lunar New Year, you should be cooking at home for your family as there is a true spirit of bonding at work.

But I do acknowledge that the majority of Singaporeans would prefer their matriarchs to take a breather for once and dine out. So here is my round up for the coming rooster year.