Chomp Chomp (Serangoon Gardens)

Met up with a friend this long weekend for dinner at Chomp Chomp - my idea, as I've been craving for good Singaporean hawker cuisine for a long time already, and this was the most accessible 'good' hawker centre (Maxwell will have to wait... It's too far away!)

Between just the 2 of us, we ordered quite a lot of food. The old couple sitting next to us must be thinking - wow, this girl really can eat! But while I did eat my fair share, most of it was done (and finished) by my friend. I would love to have a male's appetite and metabolism! 

First up was the Sambal Stingray ($10 for a small portion), from Lucy BBQ Seafood, was more than enough for the 2 of us. The sambal sauce slathered upon the fish was moreish and went very well with the sweet, fresh flesh, such that we didn't need the accompanying sauces very much. 

Barbequed Chicken Wings ($1.20 for one) from Daily Fresh Chicken Wings - we ordered 2, as my friend wasn't the biggest fan of chicken wings (ordering this was my idea!). This was lip-smacking, juicy and very well marinated, though personally I like my chicken wings less 'fatty' and more 'crispy', even though it might compromise the juiciness. 

The usual carrot cake stall we always order from (the one at the entrance) was closed that day, sadly, so we ordered this White Carrot Cake ($3 for a small portion) from Ang Mo Kio Fried Carrot Cake. While a little less fragrant (and spicy) than the one we usually order, this was good, especially the crispy, slight charred parts. This portion came with 2 fresh small prawns. 

I arrived late for our appointment, and 15 minutes before my arrival, my friend took the liberty of ordering Fried Hokkien Mee ($5 for a big portion) from Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles. An extremely smart decision, for it took around 45-60 minutes after ordering before our noodles arrived. Although some may not like this version of the Singaporean favorite due to it's dryness, it was exactly that (together with the fact that there was a lot of beehoon in the dish compared to the fat yellow noodles, which I don't like) which makes this one of my favorite Hokkien Mee in Singapore. I loved mixing up the sambal chilli sauce with the noodles in every spoonful I took. 

While waiting for the rest of our food to arrive, after finishing the Stingray and Chicken Wings, my hungry friend ordered Char Kway Tiao ($3 for a small portion). Wanting to save stomach space, I took only a few bites of this. I actually much prefer the Penang way of cooking this dish, but I found the few spoonfuls I took to be moist, slightly smokey and with 'wok hei'. 

Tom Yum Kungfu (Boat Quay)

My friend kept raving to me about this Thai BBQ/Steamboat place she always went to, and finally, one day after school she brought me and another friend there for dinner.

We chose the $38 set for 2-3 pax, which would have consisted of pork slices, pork belly, scallops and prawns. However as my friend was not big on seafood, we changed everything to just pork. The pot was 'steamboat' style, with a platform in the middle for us to barbecue the meat. We were served some vegetables to go with the steamboat soap, like golden mushrooms, beancurd skin, and cabbage. Pork lard was provided for 'grease' (or at least that's what we used it for at the beginning), and they were guilty pleasures at the end of the meal when it was fried to a crisp.

The meat was wonderful - fresh and succulent and marinated so that it was full of flavor. It went especially well with the chilli sauce provided at the side of every table, which was slightly tangy and piquant, and really appetizing. The soup was tasty enough, but the real star was the meat. 

A great meal, just that it left us all smelling of barbecue when we left the restaurant. I would go back there again and again, and maybe try the seafood the next time I go.