Cheap Eats @ Alexandra Village

Alexandra Village (120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore)

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you mention AV? I bet its the avocado shake (which I don’t know what the big hoo-ha is about by the way). Besides that, I would like to point out 3 other stalls (for today) which stands out based on  a combi of my personal observations + foodie-friend’s recommendations after visiting this popular spot on numerous occasions over the past couple of weeks.

Putian Delights (#01-83)

I was famished when I visited and this store didn’t have a queue. The 3 uncles manning it were an odd lot (in a funny way) and when I asked if I had to wait long , I got a “不用不用” as my answer. Well, I waited a good 10-12 minutes for it in the end as it seems that they had a healthy pipeline of orders and delivered to nearby tables (which is why there wasn’t a substantial queue in the first place).

Lesson learnt: Believe no one when you are hungry.

Wait time aside, this was a pretty decent plate of Xing Hua/Heng Hua mi fen. The fact that its only $3.50  makes it even more attractive (move over Putien!). It had the ‘wok hei’ awesomeness to it. 2 prawns  + 2 clams, bean sprouts, pork belly, xiao bai cai and peanuts + seaweed as garnishes gave the meal some colour and added some interesting textures. The only downside to me was the nondescript seaweed they used instead of the authentic Xing Hua crunchy ones. Still worth a try!

Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao (#01-56)

You can’t miss this one. There is always a lengthy queue at any time of the day. Manned by true blue Chinese, the hardworking pair dishes out freshly pan-fried 饺子 (jiao zi) and steamed 小笼包 (xiao long bao). The 饺子s were unique in that they packed in lots of chinese chives/koo chye. The skin was pan-fried to perfection leaving an outler layer of crispy goodness and an inner mash of flavourful juiciness .Their 红油抄手 (wantons in chilli oil) are great too, though it might be too spicy for some.  Again, all at a terribly affordable price. 7 小笼包 for $4 and the plate of 10 饺子 did not cost more than $6.

There is a high chance they might be close if you visit them over the Chinese New Year period though.

Seng Heng Carrot Cake (#01-24)

This stall is sited on the opposite side of  Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao. Just the right amounts of cai-por and seasoning, not too greasy too. The distinguishing part is the kuey – totally tender and moist. You have to try it to understand!

Thats it for now!