Dong Ji La Mian Xiao Long Bao – Another Good, Authentic Dumpling Stall!

ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre has a plethora of food choices, but I decided on Dong Ji La Mian Xiao Long Bao 东记拉面小笼包 (#01-19) because I had to buy some frozen dumplings home today.

Ordered their Dumplings 水饺 ($5.00 for 10) & Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 ($4.50 for 6, $6.00 for 10). The skin is on the thick side, which I’m not so used to.. Especially for the XLBs where I prefer the skin thinner.

But this made for a decent meal. The chives in the dumplings added good flavour, & the soup in the XLBs was delicious. I would eat these again.

Plus points for self service ginger & vinegar – I always load up on the ginger, with minimal vinegar. & yet another one: This stall accepts GrabPay, so yay for cashless transactions & earning Grab points!

Made my way home with frozen goodies in tow: Xiao Long Baos 小笼包 go for $10 a bag of 20 pieces, Dumplings 水饺 at $12 for a bag of 30 pieces.

Umami Prawn Mee Soup at ABC Brickworks’ Yong Zhen

I took a gamble on Yong Zhen Lor Mee Prawn Mee 永珍卤面虾面 (#01-40), not because there isn’t anything famous/worthy at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre (just Google), but because I came here for a late lunch & several lunch stalls had closed, & dinner stalls hadn’t opened.

My eyes lit up as I tasted the soup of the Prawn Mee ($3 nett). It was umami, slightly herbal, & very tasty. I slurped it again just to confirm – yep, it’s good.

Prawn Mee – soup & dry versions available

The noodles they use for the prawn mee is the lor mee noodles – the thick & flat yellow ones. I don’t actually like lor mee; I’ve never tried this combination before…. But I really like it! The silky smooth kuay teow mixed in upon auntie’s recommendation adds a nice texture variant, too.

Can’t complain about the ingredients in this dish. This bowl is priced affordably, & the prawns (only 2 pieces, wish there were more!), fishcake & pork slides were of decent quality. I finished everything in the bowl… Except the prawn tails. Mmmm yes I will be back for more.

Awesome Coffee at Hylam Street Old Coffee

Yesterday was International Coffee Day – I found this out only when the day was almost over! But perhaps it’s this special day that gave me the good luck I needed to uncover a great coffee stall at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.

My dad regularly orders coffee from Hylam Street Old Coffee 海南街老咖啡, after a friend introduced it to him & he got hooked. He then did the same to me, & now I’m hooked too.

We’re always here during off-peak hour (past 2pm on a weekday), so the queue is minimal if even there at all. During crowded times, the queues can get pretty snaking long, I’ve heard!

This is clearly for good reason. The amazing fragrance of roasted beans, superb taste, & affordability. When I walked forward to place my order, I could smell the beans immediately. That made me change my order of tea to a coffee before I blurted it out to the uncle.

In terms of taste, I really can’t ask for more. It has the socksy kopitiam taste that you want in a cup of hawker centre coffee. It’ll definitely give you that kick awake that you need in the morning/mid-day.

& the price? $2 total for this kopi & kopi C kosong. Who needs volume when you’ve got quality; want more, just buy 2 cups lor. Still cheaper than Starbucks.

Happy belated International Coffee Day!