Cheap&Good

Cheap char kway teow and fried carrot cake at Father & Son

Char kway teow with lard, fish cake, lap cheong and cockles for $2.70. PHOTO: EUNICE QUEK

After three weeks overseas, I've been on a local food binge. Yes, I need hawker food, teh and kopi badly.

So besides going to my favourite stalls in my neighbourhood, I also return to Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre & Market.

I gave it a miss in January when it opened, as it was frighteningly crowded. Plus, there were other good eats in the area.

Now, the food centre is not as packed, but the stall I had my eye on still draws a steady queue.

Don't be misled by the stall's name, Father & Son. It isn't like the hip Lad & Dad stall at Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, which serves British comfort food.

Instead, Father & Son serves classic fried dishes - char kway teow, Hokkien mee and fried carrot cake (black and white).

  • FATHER & SON

  • Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre
    & Market, 259 Bukit Panjang
    Ring Road, 01-23, open: 5am to
    5pm (or until sold out) daily
    except Thursday

    Rating: 3/5 stars

My homesick stomach rumbles in delight.

I am told that Hokkien mee is served on Fridays, so I'll have to go back for it.

For $2.70, I get a lard-laden dish of char kway teow with sliced fish cake, sliced lap cheong (Chinese sausage), beansprouts, bits of fried egg and cockles.

The cockles, though small, are juicy and not overcooked.

It may not be the most mind-blowing char kway teow I've had, but it still hits the spot for the portion and price.

Some greens would also have been good with the noodles, but, hey, then I should have just gone with a salad, right?

I also try the carrot cake ($2.30 or $3), which is not too oily and has just the right amount of fried egg and chunks of carrot cake. I like mine black, and it comes nicely coated in sweet black soya sauce.

The hawker centre, managed by NTUC Foodfare, has an ongoing competition for diners to vote for their favourite stalls.

After my satisfying meal, I know who I'm voting for.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on May 22, 2016, with the headline Cheap char kway teow and fried carrot cake at Father & Son . Subscribe