10 dishes to try at hipster hawker centre Timbre+
Timbre+ is one of the hottest food places in Singapore at the moment. And in more ways than one.
The three-week-old eating place is packed at lunch and dinner. You have to go early if you want a seat or wish to avoid the long queues for food. That means 11am if you are going for lunch or before 6pm for dinner.
The place is also sweltering at all times of day and night. There is no air-conditioning and ventilation is poor, leading to soaring temperatures, especially in the centre seating area.
Dancing Crab Shack
Unit 01-29
This seafood-in-a-bag concept from the chain by TungLok sells basically the same dishes as its older siblings at The Grandstand, Orchard Central and VivoCity - such as seafood combos in sauces such as Zesty Garlic Butter and Beurre Blanc.
But the Dancing Crab chef has created some items just for this outlet too. The standout new dish is Crab Fried Rice ($10), which boasts good wok hei (wok heat) and is packed with sweet crabmeat and pieces of corn, carrot and raisins. This is restaurant-standard fare and worth the price.
Add $2 for a Fizzy Lemonade, one of the carbonated lemonades that Dancing Crab is known for.
HAWKER STALLS
Wong Kee Noodles
Unit 01-06
To be honest, I had never heard of this wonton mee from Maxwell Market, but it is really good.
No wonder, then, that this stall has one of the longest queues in the hawker centre.
But that could also be because owner Kelly Wong takes a bit of time cooking the noodles with a helper arranging the char siew piece by piece so that each plate is Instagram-worthy.
The noodles not only look good, but they are also springy and do not clump.
I tried the Spinach Wanton Noodles ($4), which come drenched in a delicious sauce. The wontons - two deep-fried and two boiled - are above average with plump fillings of pork and shrimp, and I like that the char siew is sliced thick.
But I think it would be even better if there is a bit of fat in the pork.
The Fishball Story
Unit 01-14
I first tried young hawker Douglas Ng's fishball noodles when he was still at Golden Mile Food Centre and liked it.
But it is even better now, as the freshly made fishballs have a slightly more springy texture and still boast a distinct flavour of fish. The sliced fried fishcake, too, is unmistakably handmade.
Mix in some good-quality egg noodles and a decent chilli sauce and you have a winning bowl of fishball noodles.
It's not the best I've eaten - those are in Kuala Lumpur - but it won't be easy to find a better version in Singapore. Definitely worth the $4.50 price tag.
Be prepared to queue though.
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http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyl...02#xtor=CS1-10