There is something so cosy and kampong-spirited about Shunfu Market (Blk 320 Shunfu Road Hawker Centre, Singapore 570320) that we have gone there a few times, despite not living near it. You’ll see old men (and, we suspect, loansharks) taking up an entire row of tables – yeah, we love to live dangerously. These are three stalls with perpetual queues, and we answer, “Is it worth queuing?”

1. Fu Shi Traditional Roasted Wanton Mee 富市传统烧腊云吞面

Had this once, forgot how it tasted, and had it again. Still forgettable except for siew yok. The duck meat and char siew were nothing to write home about, but the siew yok was crackling and kickass tasty, marinated with nam yu (fermented bean curd). The rice was hard, perfect for sauce and siew yok.

Queuing Time: 8 mins
Is it worth queuing? Yes to siew yok. No to the rest.

2.  Mei Zhen Hakka Delicacies 美珍客家美食

I am Hakka and have eaten Mei Zhen several times before. My friend, originally from Ipoh, said the food tasted like home. Try soon kueh, abacus seeds 算盘子, and yam cake. The yam cake has secret ingredients–I suspect they add cinnamon and clove. The abacus seeds, though tasty and addictive, were nuah. The perfect ratio to make abacus seeds is 50% yam, 50% tapioca flour, and in this instance, there is more flour than yam to cut cost, making the seeds chewy.

Queuing Time: 6 mins
Is it worth queuing? Yes.

3. Chocolat N Spice

Blogged about Chocolat N’ Spice before but decided to give them a second chance – still the same. The quiches were no good, too crumbly, overly milky. But the muffins were not bad. I bought home a couple, including cheese muffin, and when I wanted to eat it, my dad already had it in his stomach. Alamak, why didn’t he eat the chocolate chip? At least I knew who moved my cheese muffin.

Queuing Time: 0 (I went when the queue was gone.)
Is it worth queuing? No to quiches. If there are more than 3 persons ahead of me, I won’t be bothered to queue for muffins. But then again, the queue goes very fast. 

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.