When I was growing up, I used to wonder when I would be ready to eat the curry noodles that my older brother would order from time to time.
Back then, I could barely eat spicy food, but I would still ask for a mouthful of his noodles and he would willingly oblige.
I liked how the noodles would become plump with flavour from the rich and spicy curried soup.
These days, Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee at Golden Shoe Car Park in Raffles Place is one of my go-to places for curry noodles whenever I am in the Central Business District and have a craving for it.
And if you go at off-peak times, there isn't a queue.
Here, my eyes are always drawn to the large tofu puffs that dance in the bubbling pot of the curry gravy- soup at the front of the stall.
At $5.50 a bowl, a serving here is probably one of the pricier ones in town, but I think it is worth it because each bowl comes out piping hot with large pieces of Hainanese-style poached chicken and no fewer than five juicy, curry-soaked tofu puffs.
Oh, and there's half a potato and some fishcake too.
Ah Heng's gravy is full, robust and pleasurable, and does not have that powdery, uncooked curry flavour.
It is truly slurp-worthy.
You can also add some of its signature sambal for an extra kick.
I always opt for bee hoon-mee, a mix of rice vermicelli and yellow Hokkien noodles, for a variation of textures.
Unlike some other stalls, the chicken here no matter which part you get is tender and succulent.
The stall has two other outlets - one at Hong Lim Food Centre and another at a coffeeshop in Queen Street, but the one at Golden Shoe is the only one I have been to.
If my brother wanted a mouthful of these curry noodles, I would oblige, although, I think after the first spoonful, he would probably want a whole bowl to himself.
