Pen Pen Xiang

Popular among Chinese nationals and locals working and living in the vicinity of Serangoon North, Pen Pen Xiang attracts a long queue at lunchtime for its homely Chinese salads and Shandong fare.

The stall is located in the foodcourt on the second storey of Serangoon North Amenity Centre in Serangoon Avenue 5.

Stall owner and head cook Zhou Guo, 47, who is from Shandong and came to Singapore in 2007, says business is brisk despite the stall’s lack of social media presence.

The Singapore permanent resident runs the stall with his wife Qi Feng, 48, who is also from his home town.

Most of the dishes are available from 7am.

The top draw is the Jiu Cai He (leek pancake, $1.50 each). The folded pancake is packed with garlic chives and savoury bits of fried egg.

Madam Qi prepares the dough from scratch daily and shapes each pancake by hand.

She pan-fries the pancakes in small batches, so customers have a better chance of enjoying them piping hot.

The pancake has a crispy exterior, with a fluffy and chewy interior. Mr Zhou uses premium-grade wheat flour for optimal texture. 

The stall offers some 30 dishes daily, most of which are Chinese-style salads, with a few choices of meat. Some dishes are rotated day to day, depending on the availability of ingredients and to give regulars variety.

Prices are affordable. A combination of either three types of vegetables or one type of vegetable and one chicken dish is $3.50, while two vegetable dishes and one chicken dish costs $4.50.

The prices will increase by 50 cents from Feb 18.

Go for the Mouthwatering Chicken, now priced at $2.50 a serving.

Chicken thigh meat is expertly blanched such that it is tender but with bite. I like the spicy dressing, which has a slight mala flavour that is not overpoweringly numbing. Premium sesame oil and sesame paste impart a rich nuttiness to the dish.

Mr Zhou prepares his own blend of chilli oil. It has 15 ingredients, including spices such as fennel and cumin.

He then uses the chilli oil with a separate blend of spices and seasoning for each dish.

My must-order is the Da Dou Ya (soya beansprout salad, $1.50 a portion), which comes with sweet red bell pepper, garlic and leek. There are dried chillies in the mix, but the dish is not spicy.

Another popular dish that gets sold out quickly is the Lotus Root Salad ($1.50 a portion). Lotus root, celery and carrot make a crunchy and refreshing combination. 

If you like beancurd skin, try the Mock Chicken Wing Salad ($1.50 a portion). The beancurd skin is machine-cut into small L-shaped pieces to resemble chicken wings.

Tossed in a spicy dressing together with celery and carrot, the dish is appetising. It goes well with the Mung Bean Vermicelli Salad ($1.50 a portion), which is adorned with Japanese cucumber, shredded carrot and chilli padi. A touch of white vinegar in the dressing zings up the dish. 

I notice many regulars buy millet porridge ($1 a bowl) during the lunch rush hour. Some eat two bowls at a go, with the accompanying side dishes. The yellow viscous porridge has a slight sweetness from red dates. 

Where: Pen Pen Xiang, 02-03 Food Master Food Court, Serangoon North Amenity Centre, 19 Serangoon North Avenue 5
MRT: Kovan
Open: Sundays to Fridays, 6am to 8pm; closed on Saturdays

The People’s Nasi Padang

Opened in July 2023, Muslim-owned stall The People’s Nasi Padang aims to serve up affordable and tasty meals. 

Stall owner Ismail Didih Ibrahim, 38, started selling nasi padang to fully utilise the same stall space occupied by his other business, Ryo Yakiniku, which operates daily in the evenings. 

Mr Ismail, whose family runs Hjh Maimunah, says his stall operates on a different concept from the popular nasi padang chain, but most of his chilli and spice pastes come from the same central kitchen.

At his stall, the dishes are plated together with the rice for individual diners. Unlike at Hjh Maimunah, the stall does not offer family-style dining, where dishes are served separately and meant for sharing. 

Prices are displayed at the front of the stall. Rice is 50 cents a serving. Side dishes range from $1 to $1.50; fish is from $3.50 to $4, depending on the size; chicken costs $3 a piece; and beef is $4 a serving. Mr Ismail does not intend to raise the prices in 2024.

The stall opens at 8am with a few dishes, but the best time to go is at 11am, when the full selection of dishes is displayed. 

Every day, diners have at least 30 dishes to choose from.

My top pick is the Tempe Madu (honey tempe, $1.50 a portion). The combination of nutty tempe and crispy ikan bilis is coated in a flavoursome sweet and spicy sauce.

The Terung Belado (spicy eggplant, $1) is another choice pick. The shiny brinjal is fried till tender. The addictive belado – a mix of fried chilli, garlic and onion – used for cooking the brinjal is available at the front of the stall, for customers who want more of it to go with their rice. 

One of the stall’s signature dishes is the Sotong Hitam ($4), a dish of squid cooked in squid ink and spices. For this dish, which uses large squid sliced into rings, the spice paste is prepared at the stall. The perfectly blanched squid rings, stained with turmeric, turn out tender but have a springy texture. 

Ayam Masak Merah ($3) is also a popular dish at the stall. Tomato puree, not ketchup, is used to prop up the gravy with tangy sweetness. Flavour penetrates the large-sized chicken drumstick, but it could do with more tenderness.

The thick wedge of Malay-style Omelette ($1.50 a piece), which has a crispy exterior, is packed with red onion, red chilli and garlic chives.

Another side dish to go for is the Sambal Goreng ($1.50), a trio of tau kwa, tempe and long beans cooked in a mildly spicy mix of tamarind and coconut milk, with dried shrimp for added flavour.

The Ayam Goreng (fried chicken, $3 a piece) is another main dish worth splurging your calories on.

The battered chicken retains some measure of crispness even after it cools down, and is packed with flavour from spices such as cumin and coriander. The boneless chicken thigh meat is marinated overnight in the spiced batter. One bite and it takes much self-control to quit munching on it. 

Where: The People’s Nasi Padang, B1-02 Print Media Hub, 61 Tai Seng Avenue
MRT: Tai Seng
Open: Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 3pm; closed on Saturdays