Food Picks: Nostalgic min jiang kueh in Bedok, comforting noodles in Punggol

Vegetarian Pancake

Operating out of a small nondescript coffee-shop stall called Vegetarian Pancake in Bedok North Street 4, Mr Lui Shiu Sam sells a tight selection of min jiang kueh that I find myself going out of my way for on an early Sunday morning.

The 73-year-old has been plying his pancakes there for over a decade without needing a flashy name for his stall, which is located next to the drinks stall.

True to the stall’s name, the pancakes are indeed vegetarian and made without eggs.

Mr Lui, a reticent man with a kindly demeanour, sells the traditional min jiang kueh packed with crushed peanuts at $1.10 a piece. If there are not many customers, he may ask you which slab of the pancake you prefer. The slices with the crispy edges are the best ones. 

He takes his time to let the batter cook over super-low heat on his cast-iron pan. 

The pancake is worth waiting for. The crispy edges are the vegetarian pancake equivalent of pork crackling, sans the guilt after ingesting. 

The snack is gorgeously springy, spongy and oh-so-tasty, even before you sink your teeth into the parts with the fragrant filling of crushed peanuts.  

Mr Lui upped his pancake prices by 10 cents in 2024, but he still delivers plenty of value. 

Here, you will not find skinny pancakes half-heartedly padded with filling. Mr Lui conscientiously stuffs his versions until they are plump and near bursting.

The puff-shaped pancakes come in three other flavours other than crushed peanuts – red bean, coconut and cheese – and are also priced at $1.10 a piece.

An expert at cooking his pancakes, Mr Lui prepares them freehand, ladling batter onto his large flat pan to form evenly round pancakes. Each fluffy pancake is then placed on a mould – similar to the type used by soon kueh makers, but larger – stuffed with filling and folded into a puff-shaped snack. 

The cheese puff pancake is an option for young customers who may not like the traditional flavours. The slice of melted cheese filling gives the pancake puff a savoury edge. 

My favourite is red bean. The paste is lush and smooth, with a yielding texture. Low in sugar, it packs sufficient sweetness. 

Mr Lui’s secret is that he seasons the batter with the tiniest bit of salt, which lends an appetising savouriness to the pancake. The mix of slightly salted pancake with a sweet filling is a winning combination of back-to-basics goodness.

The peanut pancake, brimming with crushed peanuts, is another hit at the stall patronised by mostly regulars. The generous filling is tightly packed and does not spill when you bite into the snack.

While I do not usually enjoy coconut filling for min jiang kueh, Mr Lui’s one changes my mind. The grated coconut cooked in orange sugar is not overly sweet, but has an outstandingly crisp and crunchy texture. 

While min jiang kueh is best consumed on the spot, Mr Lui also offers Crispy Biscuit ($1.50 a piece), a thin wafer-like pancake filled with both peanut butter and crushed peanuts. This can keep for three days.

Where: Vegetarian Pancake, 01-191, Block 87 Bedok North Street 4
MRT: Bedok
Open: 5am to 12.30pm daily (closed on July 25 for a vacation)

Guo Qin Noodle

Those used to the flavours at Guo Qin Noodle’s original outlet at a Hougang coffee shop may find the seasoning of the noodle and soup lighter in flavour at its outlet at One Punggol Hawker Centre.

Stall co-owner Andrea Goh has tweaked the recipe after receiving feedback from customers in Punggol that they prefer lighter seasoning for their noodles.

But 10kg of meat and bones go into making the broth, which is also how it is done at the Hougang outlet.

He also cooks the noodles slightly longer to cater to the majority of his customers, who prefer softer noodles.

For those who prefer springy, chewy noodles, you can ask for them to be cooked al dente when you order. This is not necessary at the original outlet, which doles out perfectly springy noodles.

The Punggol outlet, which opened in November 2022, offers three choices of noodle: mee kia, mee pok and hor fun. 

There are also three choices of sauces: tomato ketchup, dark soya sauce and chilli.

As I do not like ketchup in local noodles, I request my noodles to be seasoned with dark soya sauce and chilli.

The pork ribs, dumplings and chicken feet are prepared by Mr Goh’s parents-in-law, who run the Hougang outlet. 

Mr Goh’s father-in-law Frederick Lee, 54, co-owns the Punggol outlet with him. Mr Goh’s sister-in-law Jasmine Lee, 23, is also stationed at the Punggol outlet. 

Go for the signature item, Pork Rib Noodle ($5). It comes with three to four pieces of incredibly tender braised pork ribs. They are so well-cooked that the slippery smooth tendons are tender and jelly-like. The texture reminds one of canned stewed pork, but with homely flavours. 

The braised chicken feet in the Chicken Feet Noodle ($5) are prepared from scratch – a treat to be savoured as some stalls use factory-supplied ones.

It is best to order this nearer to noon, when the chicken feet have been braised until deliciously gelatinous. But at times, they have a slightly overpowering taste of star anise. My choice of hor fun goes well with the chicken feet. 

Fans of large-sized dumplings will like the ones here. The Dumpling Noodle ($5) comes with the dumplings served separately in a small bowl of soup. The filling of minced meat is bouncy and best of all are the crunchy pieces of water chestnut in it. 

To fully enjoy the noodles and avoid having to make tough decisions, make your own bowl. Order the pork rib noodle and top up with dumplings ($2 for add-on) and chicken feet ($3 for add-on). It is a hefty $10, but it is so satisfying and worth splurging on.

Where: Guo Qin Noodle, 02-25 One Punggol Hawker Centre, 1 Punggol Drive
MRT: Punggol
Open: 8am to 4pm, Wednesdays to Mondays; closed on Tuesdays