It’s a hassle each time I break a racquet string in badminton, go to a sports shop and wait for it to get fixed. But then I’ve learned to use the waiting time to sneak out and eat.
When I broke another string last week, I went on a food trip in SM Megamall. Din Tai Fung is one of the few places I have yet to try.
But I also set my eyes on Makansutra Hawkers, the Singaporean street food stalls on the second floor.
Each stall has a different specialty: saté, laksa, Hainanese chicken, bak kut teh, chili crabs, and so on.
When Makansutra opened a few years back, I was so impressed with the place and, more importantly, the quality of the food. So, I found myself going back.
Before deciding which stall to order from, I asked two friends, chefs JJ Yulo and Him Uy de Baron—who incidentally own one of the stalls—for recommendations. They pointed me to a few, and I felt like surveying a buffet.
Alhambra Padang Satay and Muslim Food make an outstanding sate, with oily peanut sauce to go with it. Fantastic.
Then I sampled Grey Land Claypot Rice’s Stuffed and Fried Tofu Skin—crispy, savory filling with a sweet glaze sauce on top. Yummy!
Discovery of the day
The Prawn Paste Chicken at Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee was something I had never come across before. This was a crispy fried chicken in prawn-flavored coating and topped with crispy prawn flakes. This was my discovery of the day. Sarap!
I also ordered a Sambal Kangkong which was a bit too spicy but good nonetheless. And the Chili Crabs were comparable to the best in Singapore.
The Laksa at Donald and Lily was creamy, a bit spicy, but the soup was not as hot as I wanted it to be.
What some soup stalls do is pour hot water first into the bowl, just to heat the bowl, take out the water, and then pour the soup. The temperature in the bowl absorbs some of the heat of the soup.
For dessert, I went to the middle kiosk and ordered a Chendol. This colorful iced dessert has coconut milk, red and green pandan-flavored gelatin, and panucha or palm sugar. Very refreshing and perfect to end this meal.
I had such a good time that I hope to break another racquet string soon. There are still some stalls that I want to try.
Makansutra Hawkers is an authentic representation of Singaporean food. I know the beef brisket dish at chef JJ and Him’s Gooba Hia is also very good.
Happy eating!
Makansutra Hawkers is at 2/F, SM Megamall Building A, Mandaluyong City.
The first Fukuoka/Hiroshima food trip on March 22-27, is now fully booked. There are plans to have a second one sometime in April. Interested? I promise to break your diet.
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