Don't worry though, it will be back by 1st quarter of 2013. It's the construction at the back of the sign in the picture above. I hope it doesn't mean that they will raise their prices. Fingers crossed.
A little Singaporean terminology 101 first before I start presenting to you my gastronomic adventure: Hawker Centre means an open-air complexes that has stalls of different foods. There are hawker centres in Malaysia and HongKong too.
Presenting Blk 85 (temporary) Food Centre:
I am so happy that I was brought to this locals' favourite hawker centre because I enjoyed every bit of food introduced to me. In a span of 1 week and a half, I went back there with other friends three times! Hahaha!
1. Fried Oyster Omelette
I first tried fried oyster omelette at Seafood Paradise at the Singapore Flyer. I instantly love it. Same goes to this dish in Blk 85. The mix of egg and oyster is just right and it doesn't have that starchy taste. You dip it in the chilli sauce if you want a bit of spice.
2. Satay
Satay is a dish that originated in Indonesia. In the Philippines, its our barbecue. So this dish will definitely be a hit to Filipinos. You have choices of grilled pork, chicken or mutton. It comes with a peanut sauce that is not too sweet but just right. In the peanut sauce, a piece of pineapple is dipped to give off a bit of sweet and sour taste. The minimum order of satay should be 8 sticks. It comes with a glutinous rice that is a bit like our puto. But nothing beats the good 'ol rice, hehe....
3. BBQ Chicken Wings
These babies are tender, juicy and finger-licking good. Did I just used the tagline of Purefoods & KFC in one sentence? Haha! But its the best way to describe it. It gets to be a bit oily. So I hope you wouldn't minds your fingers to get a bit greasy.
4. Stingray
I am not a fan of stingray but I like choosing interesting foods. I tried the stingray in the Philippines cooked in coconut milk and it tasted a bit weird & with a spanking odor. But i realised maybe that time it was just how it was cooked by the chef. But Blk 85 made me change my mind in my reservations for stingray.
In Blk 85, it can be cooked in two ways and I tried both. And this comes with a disclaimer that I ate the two stingrays in separate occasion, alright.
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| Sambal Stringray |
Does that look yummy? This is a stingray with hot sambal sauce poured over it. I couldn't take very spicy foods but I wanted to eat it anyway. The meat is so tender and delicious. But then after awhile the sambal sauce got a bit too hot for my tongue to handle.
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| Garlic Stingray |
It looks like fish and taste like fish but it is actually stingray. There are crunchy garlic layering on top of the fresh fat stingray. It is more friendly to my sensitive tongue. It is perfect for "sumsuman". It is very fresh and succulent that you can't help but dig in more.
5. Porridge
This is one of the favourites in this food centre. It has another local name that sounds like "Chok". I am sure if that is the correct spelling or I just didn't hear it right but to be safe just say porridge. It is like a congee and you can have it with egg or no egg. And you have this deep friend thingies floating on top of the beautiful cloud of deliciousness. In it are small pork balls too, like surprise gift to your mouth. When I tasted it at first, I thought it doesn't have a taste at all because it was way too hot. But as it got cooler and as I stir more, I tasted its yummy goodness.
6. Sugarcane Juice
To drown the delectable food you are eating, stall vendors will approach you in the table and ask if you will buy sugarcane juice. I remember trying sugarcane juice when I was here in Singapore years ago but I didn't remember it to be this good. Very refreshing and thirst-quenching indeed. Downside is that it makes me really full quickly and it makes me not finish my food even if I wanted to eat more. It ruins my full gastronomic experience so best take it after food.
7. Bak Chor Mee
I saved the best for last. The Bak Chor Mee is the reason why Blk 85 Food Centre has been a food pilgrimage for local Singaporeans. Bak Chor Mee is a minced pork noodles. Again, Bak Chor Mee can be cooked in two ways: the soupy or the dry. Which do I like better? Let me show you the two contenders.
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| Soupy Bak Chor Mee |
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| Dry Bak Chor Mee |
Bak Chor Mee has this nicely cooked egg noodles with crunchy heaps of minced pok that is just divine and several pork balls and greens. It also comes with chilli to spice it up a bit. You can ask them to put it in the spoon so you can gauge how much chilli to put. The soup has this sweet-salty taste that reminds me a lot of our batchoy.
And so for winner is of the best way to eat Bak Chor Mee is the Soupy Bak Chor Mee! I am also surprise of my choice because I am not fond of soups and noodles. I am more of a pancit canton-kind-of-girl. But apparently in this one, the soup wins over dry hands down. And I know most locals would agree with me. I thought I would enjoy the dry more but I realise the secret is in the soup. I end up pouring all the soup in my noodles. It was so satisfying in my happy belly. I also secretly believe that maybe a potion in being poured unto this dish because I could help but crave for it, haha. It hunts my lunchbreak and dinner time with thoughts of Bak Chor Mee. I am even craving just now after seeing again the pictures. Ayayay!
How to get here:
Some say u go down Tanah Merah met and walk 20 minutes. Or use the bus 12 going there. But what I do to go there is to ride the MRT and go down Bedok. In the Bedok interchange, take the Bus 222. Go down on the 4th stop, it is just a few steps then it is the the left side if you are facing the street.
See you soon, Bak Chor Mee!
wow, i can't wait to try all the dishes you have shown. how much would you say should one spend for a group of three? mejo nagba budget na ng expenses, ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteHi! Roughly around 30dollars would be more than sufficient. The sugarcane juice is $1.50, Bak Chor Mee & Porridge $3.00 -$3.50, Stringray $10-12 dollars... This place is a bit hard to find though but the prices are very affordable.... :)
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