A trip here always includes a meal at the in-store restaurant. The range is good and the prices are inexpensive, from the $1 coffees and teas, the $5.50 daily specials, to the $3 desserts.

Dining here is a self-service, no-frills affair, although finding a seat can be a chore when the restaurant is packed. You wait in line and get your tray, cups and cutlery, then push your tray along a metal railing to get your food. The fun part is when you get to select your food from the coolers and freezers (salmon salads, desserts, etc) and order the hot dishes like meatballs!

Swedish meatballs
SGD2.90 for 5 (kid’s meal), SGD6.50 for 10

Thanks to the ambassadorship of IKEA, Swedish meatballs are perhaps the most famous Swedish dish in the world today. These are made with ground beef and pork and served alongside freshly boiled potatoes, cream sauce, and lingonberry jam. The jam tastes very much like cranberry sauce. I would never imagine that jam can go well with meat, but in the case of the Swedish meatballs, it somehow works!

How many meatballs do you usually go for? A quick look around the tables show that people generally order the default 10-piece, which seems quite hefty especially with those potatoes. The kid’s meal of 5 meatballs may be just nice if you also want to have a taste of other dishes and desserts.

Chicken wings
SGD2.80 for 2; SGD7.50 for 6

My friend highly recommends the chicken wings. Man, these are finger-licking good! The seasoning is quite tasty, and the thin crispy skin is to die for. My only gripe is that there is little meat on the bones. Something fleshier would be perfect! Next time round we’re so going for that 6-piece (each)!

Chocolate mousse
SGD2.50

The chocolate mousse is a favorite dessert of mine. I remember falling in love with this years ago when IKEA first came to our sunny shores. Since then, I would have it every single meal at the restaurant. The chocolate is very rich and has just the right degree of sweetness. It is even topped with a dollop of whipped cream!

Daim cake
SGD3.20

The Daim cake is another popular must-try dessert. It is covered in chopped Daim candy and milk chocolate. Sweet, rich and extremely satisfying!

Have Your Say!

What are your favorite dishes and desserts at IKEA? Is it the ever popular Swedish meatballs? What other dishes would you recommend? Share with us below!

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, dessert, Swedish, Tampines, Western

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Those of you who have drank avocado milkshake before would know how heavenly good it is. But do you know that this milky dessert drink is power-packed with 14 kinds of minerals and nutrients such as potassium and vitamins? Avocado is probably the most “complete” fruit there is. So while you are tucking into this little treat, you are also filling your body with all kinds of good stuff!

A great place to get your avocado milkshake is Mr. Avocado at Alexandra Village Margaret Drive Food Centre. The boss has been making the drink for 18 years. Wow! With that much experience, you have to believe that his milkshake is good!

Avocado Milkshake
SGD2.50

The avocado milkshake here is a blended mixture of the fruit, fresh milk and evaporated milk. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it tastes super good, and is simply perfect as a nice, healthy, yummy after-meal dessert. It totally had me right from my very first sip!

The boss takes pride in the fact that he only uses low-fat milk and top-grade avocados imported from Australia. The fruit itself is pretty pricey, so $2.50 is certainly a very reasonable price for such a thick and rich mixture.

Mr. Avocado is also the first avocado milkshake stall at Alexandra Village. When you’re doing well at something, there are bound to be people wanting to emulate your success. True enough, the stall has spawned several copycats at the food centre, with one just two stalls away! But if you were to ask me, nothing beats the original.

Look out for the stall with the avocado green signage that has a cute avocado cartoon character and a big pile of plastic avocados at the front. Incidentally it sits right beside Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck, which sells duck rice to die for. So a good combination would be to order a plate of duck rice, and wash it down with an avocado milkshake. Ahh… Life is good again :)

Update: Mr. Avocado has moved to Commonwealth Avenue Food Centre, more popularly known as Margaret Drive Food Centre.

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, dessert, hawker stall

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Craving for juicy bits of meat, dipped in a delicious gravy? Head to Old Punggol Satay at Alexandra Village ABC Market. If I may use a Singapore slang to sum up the satay experience here, the word is “shiok”!

Food on a stick is always fun to eat! That’s why satay (meat skewers) is one of my most favorite food. Most of the time I would satisfy my satay cravings at stalls #7 and #8 in Lau Pa Sat, which I have raved about over and over again. In my opinion, that particular stall is where you would find the best satay in Singapore.

But today, I highlight a different satay stall that is slightly away from town. Old Punggol Satay is run by Chinese folks. Muslims would have to skip this one, sorry! The food is strictly non-halal, with pork being offered as well.

Satay
SGD0.50 per stick

For 50 cents a stick, you get a good-sized portion of diced meat on the skewer, with options of chicken, mutton or pork. The tender meat slides off the stick easily, so you need not overwork those jaw muscles. Most importantly, the meat is nicely marinaded and perfectly grilled — neither too burned nor too underdone.

Even the ketupat (rice cake, also 50 cents each) is beautifully wrapped in pandan leaves, with the sweet fragrance permeating through.

The one key factor that distinguishes Old Punggol Satay from your run of the mill satay stalls is the peanut gravy dip. The special gravy is served with a large dollop of mashed pineapple sauce atop, resulting in an additional and much welcomed layer of flavor.

Very shiok!

Posted by Veron in Food category | ABC Market, Alexandra Village, hawker stall, Malay, Satay, Singaporean

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For as long as I can remember, my Mom always buys the roasted duck from this stall at Alexandra Village for our Sunday lunches, a whole duck each time. She says it’s because I love it, but I think it’s her secret indulgence too.

The dark sauce is the clincher here and those of you who have tasted it before would know exactly why. Seriously, it’s the sauce that makes this duck rice stand out from the crowd and easily one of the best in town!

Roasted Duck Rice
SGD3.50

The sauce is more like a thick paste, with the most delicious sweetness. The hawker would normally drizzle it generously over each plate of rice, covering it like a sheet of blanket. But we had asked for a more “photogenic” plate of duck rice so he gave us a separate bowl for the sauce instead hehe. No complaints there — we get a whole bowl of sauce!

But of course, the duck meat itself is juicy and tender too, char-roasted to perfection. It is served deboned and cut into thick slices. Look carefully and you would notice the layers of fat that are unashamedly attached. A little sin does add to the taste.

Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice
SGD3

Despite the roasted duck being the signature dish, the sidekick of char siew (sweetened barbecued pork) is good too. The burnt caramelized pieces of meat are totally yummy and flavorsome! (though, of course, I remain loyal to Fatty Cheong, who holds the unofficial title for the best char siew in town.)

Don’t worry about missing out on the awesome sauce. You also get it with the char siew rice!

Roasted Duck & Char Siew Rice
SGD3.50

If you ask me, I would want the best of both worlds any day and go for a plate of rice with both duck meat AND char siew. To people that are not too bothered with health, this plate is sheer bliss :)

Well, roasted duck is probably a difficult dish to master. Ask about the best chicken rice in town, and anyone can easily rattle off a whole list of names. But when it comes to excellent duck rice, it becomes more of a challenge. Can you come up with any other good ones?

Update: With the revamp of Alexandra Village Food Centre, the stall has relocated to the neighboring Block 119.

The dark sauce is the clincher here and those of you who have tasted it before would know exactly why. Seriously, it’s the sauce that makes this duck rice stand out from the crowd and easily one of the best in town!

Roasted Duck Rice
SGD3.50

The sauce is more like a thick paste, with the most delicious sweetness. The hawker would normally drizzle it generously over each plate of rice, covering it like a sheet of blanket. But we had asked for a more “photogenic” plate of duck rice so he gave us a separate bowl for the sauce instead hehe. No complaints there — we get a whole bowl of sauce!

But of course, the duck meat itself is juicy and tender too, char-roasted to perfection. It is served deboned and cut into thick slices. Look carefully and you would notice the layers of fat that are unashamedly attached. A little sin does add to the taste.

Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice
SGD3

Despite the roasted duck being the signature dish, the sidekick of char siew (sweetened barbecued pork) is good too. The burnt caramelized pieces of meat are totally yummy and flavorsome! (though, of course, I remain loyal to Fatty Cheong, who holds the unofficial title for the best char siew in town.)

Don’t worry about missing out on the awesome sauce. You also get it with the char siew rice!

Roasted Duck & Char Siew Rice
SGD3.50

If you ask me, I would want the best of both worlds any day and go for a plate of rice with both duck meat AND char siew. To people that are not too bothered with health, this plate is sheer bliss :)

Well, roasted duck is probably a difficult dish to master. Ask about the best chicken rice in town, and anyone can easily rattle off a whole list of names. But when it comes to excellent duck rice, it becomes more of a challenge. Can you come up with any other good ones?

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, Chinese, hawker stall

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Even more recently, I stumbled upon my newest find of these little buns of heaven at Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao — crystal dumplings! (if you’re wondering about the name, this stall used to be at Tiong Bahru Food Centre.)

Crystal dumplings are so called because the filling is encased in a delicate translucent skin, through which the color of the contents shows through clearly. Each dumpling has a glossy texture. Here, you have 3 options for the filling — yam paste, sweet bean or vegetables, no doubt the bestseller.

Crystal Dumpling
SGD0.60 per piece

The steamed crystal dumplings here sell out so quickly, new batches have to be made every hour. Business is so brisk, they even had to put up a sign written in Chinese, “please order in advance”! I got a first-hand experience when I, along with many eager customers, was told I had to make a reservation for my dumplings and come back in an hour for the new batch to be ready (!!).

Not that I minded much; the dumplings were good! Served with a tasty chili paste, these bite-sized buns go really easy on the tummy. And because they are so yummy, it’s really hard to resist popping these bite-sized buns one after another! I like the vegetable filling that is crunchy and fragrant with a nice shrimp flavor. The skin is not too thick, with a chewy texture that doesn’t get rubbery.

Sweet Bean Crystal Dumpling
SGD0.70 per piece

Though being labeled as secondary offerings, the sweet bean and yam paste fillings fare very well too. They aren’t too sweet, and make good desserts after a big meal.

If you are looking for a nice and economy breakfast meal, check out these crystal dumplings. Just be sure to go early lest these babies are sold out!

Know of any similar nice and cheap breakfast? Let us know!

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, Chinese, Dumpling, hawker stall

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This air-conditioned shop is run by an elderly madam chia siew yin, who oversees that all her kueh are freshly handmade daily.

A crowd favorite is the ang ku kueh that comes in a dazzling array of more than a dozen flavors with attractive colors to match.

Ang Ku Kueh
SGD0.60 per piece

With popular flavors that include green tea, coconut, peanut and even durian, each priced at an affordable 60 cents, it’s no wonder that customers are buying these pastries by the dozen! I like that the kueh isn’t too sweet, and I can eat a few of these at one go without getting tired of the taste.

Soon Kueh
SGD6.50 for a box of 5

soon kueh is a form of a steamed Chinese dumpling made of rice flour skin. It is eaten with sweet dark soy sauce and chili paste. Most modern renditions of the dumpling have chopped turnip strips as filling. But at kuehs and snacks, the soon kueh is made the traditional way with soon (bamboo shoots) as filling.

At $6.50 for a box of 5, the soon kueh here tends towards the pricey side. But you do get your money’s worth. Each one is a chunky piece overloaded with delicious filling. Even with the ample ingredients, the chewy and elastic thin skin is somehow able to hold the generous filling without breaking.

Peng Kueh (Glutinous rice snack)
SGD0.90 per piece

When it comes to Teochew kueh, the beautiful pink peng kueh is a staple. Stuffed with glutinous rice, this kueh is normally eaten with the same sweet dark soy sauce and chili paste as the soon kueh.

I find the peng kueh here to be rather dull though. While I have no complaints about the texture which is soft and just nice, the ingredients are rather bland with just a wee bit of peanuts and nothing else.

What I have yet to try is this novelty item, the black kueh. It resembles the peng kueh, except that it has an uncommon black skin like its name suggests. Made with a special Chinese herb, this is perhaps one of the most unusual kueh you would find! If you have tried this, let me know what it’s like. I’m quite curious about the taste.

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, Chinese, pastry, Singaporean, takeout, Teochew

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Most of the time the laksa you buy at hawker centres comes in a plastic bowl. But the one here is served in a claypot that not only keeps the laksa piping hot, but at the same time also seals in the moisture and fragrance of the gravy.

Some people are skeptical as to whether this really is the original claypot laksa from depot road. Word has it that the original owners sold their namesake and recipe to its present owners (a young Chinese couple). So basically the laksa here should taste as good as the original. I certainly am hooked!

Claypot Laksa
SGD3.50/4.50/5.50

The claypots come in three sizes — small, medium, large. Because the laksa gravy is so thick and filling, the small portion is already more than enough for me. And mind you, “small” is actually quite big.

When ordering, you would be asked whether you want hum (cockles) as well. Personally I can’t stand the stench of it so I always say no. But I know a lot of people love it.

The gravy here is surely one of the thickest and richest laksa gravies you would find. It is robust with savory flavors, thanks to the coconut milk, chicken shreds and prawns. On its own, the gravy is already pretty spicy, so exercise caution when adding in more chili sauce.

Even the otherwise ordinary noodle tastes extra delicious when layered with the gravy!

Being more health-conscious lately, I had told myself that I would finish just half the pot for this review. I ended up slurping down every last mouthful of the gravy. Though calorific, the gravy sure is hard to resist!

On weekdays, most of the the people patronising the food centre are workers from the nearby office buildings. To my surprise, there’s a pretty long queue of eager customers even on a Sunday afternoon! That speaks volumes about its popularity, don’t you think? I queued 15 minutes before I got my reward of laksa goodness.

And trust me, it was well worth the wait.

Update: With the revamp of Alexandra Village Food Centre, the stall has relocated to the neighboring Block 119.

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, hawker stall, Laksa, Singaporean

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Sambal Stingray
SGD8-14 dependent upon serving size

Sambal stingray is their must-try dish. For a while over the past few months their standards seemed to have dipped as the sambal chili they used was not as fragrant or robust as previously. When we were there yesterday, I was delighted to find that the chili I have loved so much is finally back! Served on banana leaf, the stingray was as usual soft, tender and fresh, as though it had just been caught from the sea. I only wished it had come with more chili!

Sambal Kang Kong (Chinese Kale)
SGD5-8 dependent upon serving size

As most of my friends (and blog readers) would know by now, I’m someone who hates eating vegetables. Whenever I go to any zi char (home-cooked fare) stall, the only vegetable dish I would order, if any, is sambal kang kong. Needless to say, I have eaten a good number of this dish at various stalls. But at Rong Guang, it was only my first time. And I absolutely loved it! The belachan (fermented ground shrimp) was so delicious you could still taste the shrimp!

This would be the second best sambal kang kong I have ever eaten. The absolute best comes from Gu Zao Ren Seafood Taiwan Porridge. I’m gonna review that place as soon as ABC Market finishes revamping, and the porridge stall moves back to where it belongs.

Sambal Sotong (Calamari)
SGD8-12 dependent upon serving size

As long as the sotong (calamari) is fresh, this would be a five-star dish. But more often than not, the sotong tends to be a little stiffer than what I desire. The sambal chili used for this dish is different from that of the sambal stingray. It’s a little sweeter, a little yummier. Come to think of it, different kinds of sambal chili are used for all three sambal dishes. Each one has its own distinctive taste and tastes just as good, if not better than the previous.

Except on Tuesdays when the stall closes, it is always full house at Rong Guang. But somehow the friendly lady always magically finds a table for her customers. The customers range from families, to white-collar workers coming after work, to large groups of Caucasian tourists. Yeah the food is that good!

Update: With the revamp of the Alexandra Village Food Centre, the stall has relocated to the neighboring Block 127.

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Nominated for “Best Hawker Stall”

Posted by Veron in Food category | Alexandra Village, hawker stall, seafood

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