Pek Kio Food Market Delights - Good Spice Carrot Cake and Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun

This was the second time that I have been to Pek Kio to savor the infamous Wah Kee Prawn Noodles, something which seemingly had a reputation far larger than it could contain.

And again, it was closed. After perusing the web, I realised that I was not the only one who is having this same issue. It seems that this most notorious of prawn noodle stalls is never opened, at least not for the regular patron who wants to try.

Simple Bacon in Brown Butter Pasta - The Best Instant Noodles You Can Make at Home

It really perplexes me whenever I am queuing at a supermarket to pay, to see the people around me stocking up on cartons after cartons of instant mee in their trolleys.

Instant noodles has become the "go to" food for the majority of Singaporeans, it seems. And that is a bad sign. We have become so complacent when it comes to food and cooking that we are so willing to settle for cup noodles that we are seriously losing the ability to cook our own fresh food at home.

iBake at The Star Vista - A Prima Bakery Cafe

Gone are the days when Delifrance used to be the bakery cafe that everyone would go to for a meal or a quick bite. When they were at their height of their popularity, it was hard to even get a seat, and you would have to brave long queues just to get your food.

Unfortunately, these days, when you talk about European styled bakery cafes, there are hardly any around, while Delifrance is still around, it has changed quite a bit and even gone upmarket, with mixed results.

Prawn Mee at 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10

After my discovery of Zhen Ming Prawn Noodles in Ang Mo Kio, I was pleasantly surprised to find another wonderful prawn mee stall in another part of Ang Mo Kio, this time in a food centre in Avenue 10.

The stall's name is simply Prawn Mee, which is kind of appropriate as it looked inconspicuous, but they actually served up a delicious and comforting bowl of classic prawn noodles.

Hong Chang Wanton Noodles at Ang Mo Kio

Wanton noodles is one of those hawker dishes that exemplifies our hawker culture to the fullest, as it is meant to be a simple dish, made by heartlanders for the heartlanders.

After all, it is basically well cooked noodles, served with a bowl of soup dumplings and garnished with barbecued pork slices and some chinese greens. Yet, it is not always easy to get everything right.

Shrimp and Chicken Surf and Turf - Making Good Use of Prawn Heads

Those who are good cooks will know how to make use of parts of ingredients that a number of people will discard, and when I see folks cook prawns, the first thing that come to mind is if they do peel their prawns, they will chuck the shells and heads into the garbage bin.

Which is a waste. And most other times, especially in Chines cooking, they will simply cook the prawns shell on, with the belief that the flavors will come through better.

Bar Roque Grill at Amara - A Promising Beginning

It is interesting to note that with the increasing population, there seems to be an equally increasing amount of food joints mushrooming out in Singapore in recent times, though most have been quite forgettable and some really bordering on mediocre.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when I was privileged to be invited to a food tasting to discover a brand new establishment that strives to go back to some classic French roots cooking. That place is Bar Roque Grill, situated at a corner in Amara Hotel.

456 Mian Fen Guo - Comforting Ban Mian in Bedok

It's a bit sad and kinda disappointing that local food blogs are now focusing less and less on featuring hidden hawker gems in Singapore.

And what with the mockery of a hawker challenge with Gordon Ramsay, attention is given only to those who are famous and have actually moved away from their so-called hawker origins into air-conditioned restaurants and cafes.