garden fare

In my earlier post, I lamented the lack of food in the Northwest. I was accused of being too extreme in my geography, but I think my point that there is no good food still stands because I have yet to receive a suggestion of any good eating places in that vicinity. To prove another point - that not all ulu places have no food - I have decided to come up with the paddychicken guide to food in Serangoon Garden. This is one extremely inaccessible place which has pretty decent food. There is good food for any time of day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, supper and drinks. Here are just a few of my personal favorites:

Breakfast
Soon Huat's Pig Organ Soup
Serangoon Garden Market Stall 42
This stall serves an excellent blend of pig organ soup, along with pig trotters and other offals. You can easily find it from the long lines during breakfast or lunch. Closed on Mondays and in the evenings.
Garden Street Kway Chup
Serangoon Garden Market Stall 21
Probably the best kway chup I've ever eaten, this moved here from Blanco Court after several years' hiatus, as attested b numerous articles on the wall. Labelled by Makansutra as a hawker legend. Closed on Mondays.
R. K. Eating House Prata
Farleigh Avenue
The normal range of mushroom, cheese or banana pratas, fried to a delightful crisp. Open 24 hours.

Lunch
Jeffrey Ho Char Kway Teow
Ban Heng Eating House, Farleigh Avenue
Not exceptional, but certainly very decent for lovers of fried oily stuff. He also has an equally good variation of char bee hoon. And the drinks stall also has a superb Teh Bing.
Po Sin Chicken Rice
Cardon Restaurant and Confectionary, 52 Serangoon Garden Way
My all time favorite roast chicken rice. The special marinade gives the skin a succulent and delicious flavor. And we all know the skin is the best part.

Dinner
Pow Sing Restaurant 65 Serangoon Garden Way Undoubtedly my family's favorite place for good value and better food. Reservations are a must for the weekends. Specialties include otah, shrimp-paste chicken, black pepper venison and deep fried tofu. (homepage)

Dessert
Ice3
11 Kensington Park
Decent homemade ice cream with alcoholic toppings and a delightful ambience. (picture)
Happy Daze Cafe
11 Maju Avenue
Bring your pets for 10% discount at this very chill al fresco cafe. Board games, video games and a big TV complete the set for an evening of relaxation.

Supper
Chomp Chomp
If you don't know where this is, you don't know where Serangoon Garden is.
My favorite stall is the Hokkien Mee located at the rear of the centre. Beware the hoax - if they can deliver your food in less than thirty minutes between 7pm and 10pm, you're at the wrong stall. The chicken wings, satay beehoon and bbq seafood are also very good.

Drinks
Happy Daze Bar
9 Maju Avenue
Happy Daze stands out from the more than 20 other bars/pub/ktv establishments with its urban class and imported liquors. It feels like town, except for the pets in the cafe next door. It also has prices like town. Also check out Ambarella, a new snack bar on the rooftop directly opposite Happy Daze.

This brief survey is just intended as a starting point for what I consider to be some of the best food in this area, for residents and visitors alike. I have purposely left out franchises such as Katong Laksa, Sushi Tei, Cafe Cartel or Coffee Bean because if you've tried one you've tried them all; so why don't you try something new? Enjoy!

And if anyone knows of good food in the Northwest, please leave a note. Makansutra 2003/4 lists about 40 recommended establishments in the Bukit Batok/Chua Chu Kang/Bukit Timah region. Most of them are in Bukit Timah, concentrated in the 6th Avenue and Adam Road areas. There is one place in Chua Chu Kang, and seven in Bukit Batok. Pretty damn sad.