On my last full day in Singapore, while I was at Yan Kee, I decided to try No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow in the same hawker centre. In fact, it was the first stall I noticed when I walked through the centre, mainly because it had the longest queue.
After I finished my Hainanese Chicken Rice, I walked over to No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow and noticed it had been recognised by Michelin and other organisations, so I figured it must be good.
I had to wait a little while to place my order, and then another 20 minutes or so for it to be cooked. Once I finally got my plate and found a seat, the first thing I noticed was the aroma coming from the noodles.
The dish was made mostly of rice noodles, with some chopped egg noodles mixed in, along with cockles, Chinese sausage, greens, and slices of fish cake.
On the first bite, you immediately notice the use of kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce. I actually like kecap manis, but when it becomes too overpowering, it doesn’t really do it for me. That said, the dish had some very good wok hei, and I particularly enjoyed the Chinese sausage and the slices of fish cake cooked into it.
To be brutally honest, though, I was disappointed. Given the stall’s reputation and the recognition it had received, I expected the dish to be better.
But that’s the thing with food, you can read all the reviews and see all the accolades, but you can only really know if something is for you by trying it yourself.
Address: 70 Zion Rd, Zion Riverside Food Centre, Singapore 247792
