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Check in to sunlight, sea breeze, and a sea view as you tuck into some really good food. Like many, I just can't get enough of seaside dining. That's because it offers a totally different sensual experience compared to dining indoors in a temperature-controlled environment with piped music. And it is probably safe to say that there aren't many such dining options here in Singapore, and Stella Seaside Lounge is one hangout not to be missed. Tucked away at the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre, this secluded spot offers not just good food and drinks, but also front-row seats to a fantastic sunset view. "Fusion" is probably the right word to describe the food here, as the menu brings together delectable Western grilled cuisine as well as Italian, Mexican, and Thai food elements. Being a seaside restaurant, seafood is naturally a bestseller here — and what can be fresher than live seafood that's served to order? The restaurant also offers a range of tropical-style signature cocktails and alcoholic beverages that are a blend of different cultures. On my visit, I decided to go easy on my calorie intake and went ahead to order just a simple seafood linguine and Thai grilled pork skewers (a.k.a. Moo Ping), plus an ice-cold beer to wash down all the good food. Simple as these dishes sound, they didn't disappoint me at all. The pasta was done just al dente and the prawns and squid were super fresh and springy as I sank my teeth into them. Thai grilled pork skewers tasted authentically as they should, and it went really well with my pint of Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc beer. Truly, the sea view, sunset, and sea breeze only made it better. If sunlight isn't your friend at any time of the day, fret not. Just let the friendly servers know beforehand, and there are plenty of shaded spots where you can comfortably enjoy your meal. I'm sure I'll be back with some friends soon, as I am eagerly waiting to tuck into the range of grilled seafood options this place has to offer. Locate it Address: Stella Seaside Lounge NSRCC Sea Sports Centre 11 Changi Coast Walk, Singapore 499740 Operating Hours: Monday - Friday, 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & public holidays, 12 noon - 10 p.m. Call: 6214 9168 (Reservation is recommended) Website: stella.com.sg

Prawn noodles shop with a young crew that serves up old flavours. I've got to be honest. When I first stumbled upon this prawn noodle restaurant and took a peek into it, I was kinda disappointed. That's because all of its staff, including the chef, are youngsters — a very young crew indeed. And I thought to myself that there is no way that they are going to serve up prawn noodles that will taste much better than my heart's favourite. But I was wrong. In fact, this has got to be one of the tastiest prawn noodles I've savoured so far. Like I always say, soup's the soul of prawn soup noodles, and that's really what sets One Prawn & Co. apart from the rest of its fraternity. On this trip, I ordered the prawn soup noodles with pork ribs. And the interesting thing here is that the soup noodles were served in a separate bowl from the prawns with pork ribs, which were served in small claypot with a thicker soup that's probably three times more flavourful than that of the soup noodles. The sheer orangey soup in the claypot is evidence of a blissful marriage of prawn roe and the already lip-smacking prawn soup — a sure sign of a delicious soup that I know I will finish the last drop of — and I did. And that scored a big "wow" from me! The noodles were well cooked and bouncy to bite, and simply enjoyable with the delish soup. Prawns were very fresh too — another hallmark of an excellent rendition of prawn noodles. But it's not perfect, yet. For one, the pork ribs were not cooked long enough to fall off the bones when I tucked into it — a surprise that's not so pleasant. The prawn fritter and ngoh hiang I ordered as side dishes were good, but didn't blow me away. But I guess those are probably not meant to be the protagonists. For sure, this is a prawn noodle restaurant that I know I will return for more. It could even qualify as one of my new comfort food pit-stops. And I really hope that when I'm there the next time, my teeth won't have to work that hard anymore, as I chew away at the pork ribs. Locate it Address: One Prawn & Co. 458 MacPherson Rd, Singapore 368176 Operating Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays) Call: 9878 8897 Website: oneprawnnoodle.com

Here's tucking into a flaky curry puff with a selection of deliciously satisfying filling. Without a doubt, curry puffs are an iconic national favourite enjoyed by many Singaporeans. Not many may be aware of it, but this common snack has its roots in the fusion of Asian and European food cultures, which traces back to the colonial past of old Malaya, back in the 1800s. From the earliest rendition that's purportedly inspired by the Cornish pie or the Portuguese empanada, to the version Polar Café created in the 1920s, followed by the Malay epok-epok and triangular Indian curry puffs popularised in the 1970s, as well as the other versions of Chinese curry puffs that won the hearts of many till this day — the humble curry puff has come a long way. And Wang Wang's Teochew mooncake-inspired crispy, layered, flaky version of the curry puff is one such Chinese curry puff that's in a class of its own. Among the four flavours to choose from — black pepper chicken; chicken curry; sardines; and yam — my all-time favourite will always be the black pepper chicken puff. Black pepper chicken puff: my all-time favourite It never fails to get messy when I try to tuck into one of these puffs, simply because I'd always want to slurp up all the delish "juices" gluttonously while it's still piping hot, but will usually end up scalding part of my lips or palate. And inevitably, some of the filling would just end up somewhere on my shirt. It's a conundrum, but also a happy problem. One bite into this black pepper chicken puff and you can expect a piquant waft of crushed black pepper kernels to rush through your nose and hit your olfactory nerve in almost no time. And as you bite into the extremely well-seasoned tender chunks of chicken with caramelised chopped onions, sweetness follows. Some sliced chilli is also added for an extra kick of spiciness, and that is right up my alley. The crispy, flaky, layered pastry cover that encases the delicious filling is perfectly deep-fried till golden and just adds an amazing buttery crunch to this delectable snack on-the-go! Above: Black pepper chicken puff Chicken curry puff: no eggs but comes with chunky chicken Different from other chicken curry puff you'd find elsewhere, Wang Wang's version comes with no eggs but you'll be well compensated by delicious, tender chunks of chicken. In case you were wondering, the largest chunk in the filling you see in the photo below is chicken, not a potato cube. Like the black pepper chicken version, the chicken curry puff's filling is also super moist and perfectly seasoned, without an overkill of curry flavours — only to be made perfect by the crispy, flaky pastry cover. It's the best way to eat curry, if you ask me. And this is easily my second-favourite choice at Wang Wang! Above: Chicken curry puff Sardine puff: bite into sardine pâté If you haven't tasted sardine pâté, here's your chance. Different from the typical sardine puff, which usually contains chunks of sardines with sauce from the can, Wang Wang's sardine puff comes with a sardine filling so smooth that you'll wonder if you're actually eating sardine pâté. And it tastes nothing like what you get from the can, as it's obvious that an extra loving touch of additional seasoning has been added to the concoction. Above: Sardine puff Not an all-rounder Wang Wang's yam puff is probably the only proposition that did not resonate with me. The filling is too dry for my liking and not the Teochew yam paste (known as "oh-nee") that some of you may be wondering. If I had a choice, I would gladly go for a Teochew mooncake instead — just that these mooncakes aren't usually available outside the festive season. By the way, one of the specialties of Wang Wang's boss is actually the Teochew yam paste mooncake, and he used to be a Chinese pastry chef at Pan Pacific Singapore's Hai Tien Lo. In fact, his crispy, layered, flaky curry puffs are an inspiration he took from the Teochew mooncakes he used to make. And usually, in the month that leads up to the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, Wang Wang will pause selling curry puffs and only focus on making Teochew mooncakes, for which they have an impressive fan base. Locate it Address: Wang Wang Crispy Curry Puff Old Airport Road Food Centre 51 Old Airport Rd, #01-126, Singapore 390051 Operating Hours: Tuesday - Sundays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays) Call: 9090 7009 (Call to reserve your curry puffs before you head down to collect them)

A satay bee hoon that comes with chicken instead of pork, and feels surprisingly guiltless to indulge in. Very candidly, I'd like to think that the business name of this chain hawker stall that sells curry chicken noodles and satay bee hoon is a real misnomer. Contrary to what it suggests, it's obviously much better at its satay bee hoon craft than otherwise. And I suspect that I'm already addicted to their satay bee hoon — which probably explains why I'm eating it twice a week these days. In fact, I'd even go further to proclaim that this is now my new comfort food. For most people, it's easy to discount a hawker dish that comes with a thick sauce or gravy as a "heavy" or "hard to digest" meal and just shut off the option. But believe me, this is one satay bee hoon that feels so light that I feel almost guiltless to eat — more often than I initially thought I would. A standard version of this satay bee hoon comes with cockle flesh and a few cuts of a springy poached cuttlefish, but I personally prefer to have it with just the tender chicken shreds, deep-fried bean curd puffs, fresh bean sprouts, and of course — the must-have poached water spinach. That may well be why my version of this dish tastes so light on the palate. By the way, pork isn't an option at this stall at all, although it isn't certified Halal. In my opinion, Hock Hai's satay bee hoon is essentially the Chinese equivalent of the Malay noodle dish of Mee Rebus, just that the satay bee hoon sauce isn't as gooey and tastes more savoury than sweet (it actually struck a perfect balance between sweet and savoury tastes), thanks to the deep-fried sole fish powder added to its proprietary satay bee hoon sauce mix. Plus, the main carbs aren't yellow noodles but easier-to-digest rice vermicelli. So, in comparison, it's less of a burden on the digestive system and I don't end up feeling stuffed even after wiping off a full plate of this delish fare. While I can't say that this is healthful food, I definitely think that this is highly therapeutic comfort food that you should consider escaping into, on some of your cheat days. Locate it Address: Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle Fernvale Community Club / Hawker Centre & Market 1 Sengkang West Ave, #03-14, Singapore 797650 Operating Hours: Opens Daily, 8 a.m. - 8:15 p.m.

Plump, juicy, and generous with fillings, these sheng jian baos are a delight that totally stands out at this humble stall. On a quick glance at the signboard and the incessantly long queue, most first-time visitors to this stall would unknowingly think that xiao long bao is the must-order item on the menu. While "xiao long bao" is indeed on the menu, there is no such thing as a "fried xiao long bao". And neither is xiao long bao the key attraction of this Chinese food stall. Confusing? In reality, the "fried xiao long bao" in the name of the stall actually refers to what is known as a "sheng jian bao" instead, which is a type of pan-fried Chinese bun or "baozi" astute foodies queue up for at this stall. And that is the real scene-stealer here. Hope that clarifies. "Sheng jian bao" or "shen jian man tou" is a specialty of Suzhou, China, which has been popularised and commonly sold in Shanghai over time. If you like xiao long bao, you won't want to miss the sheng jian bao, as it sports a chewier wrapper with a somewhat sweet aftertaste that wraps around a bigger lump of marinated minced pork or minced prawn that is fused with intensely flavoured pork gelatin that melts on heat to become yummy gravy. Of course, the sheng jian bao won't be complete without the baptism of hot oil in a heated pan, which adds that unmistakable scorched flavour to it. Expect to be squirted with some seriously delish gravy if you are not careful, as you bite excitedly into that crispy, juicy, oil-bathed sheng jian bao. Pure goodness that melts my heart, so good! Above: Prawn sheng jian bao Above: Pork sheng jian bao Among the two options — minced pork and minced prawn — I will always choose the latter, simply because its flavours beat the pork version hands-down. Don't get me wrong, the pork version tastes great too, just not as fantastic as the prawn version. And no, you need no condiments like Chinese-style chilli paste or black vinegar with julienned ginger. Just eat it on its own — that's the best way to enjoy the sheng jian bao. Trust me. The xiao long bao and zha jiang mian here are the main draws too. And I would say that they taste well above the average of what I have savoured elsewhere so far. But until I try the rest of the menu's items, the sheng jian bao will still be my favourite and the reason for me to revisit this place! Locate it Address: Shanghai Fried Xiao Long Bao Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre 335 Smith St, #02-104, Singapore 050335 Operating Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (closed on Wednesdays and Fridays)

Try out this unique rendition of the Teochew classic dish, cai poh kway teo. Sometimes, the simplest ingredients can create some of the most impactful flavours, given a boost from the Maillard reaction. The cai poh hor fun here at Poh is a case-in-point. You may be surprised that only a few simple and inexpensive ingredients go into this classic Teochew dish: hor fun; cai poh; eggs; and pork lard. And shrimps are probably the priciest ingredient in this dish, which only adds a tasty facet to its flavours. But trust me, this cai por hor fun is bursting with flavours and "wok hei", despite the nondescript ingredients. And if you ask me, I would readily label this as a "comfort food" — a real pick-me-up when you need a quick boost on a bad day, and just makes you happier on an already exhilarating day. One recommendation, though, is to skip the factory-made chilli paste if you can, as it doesn't enhance the flavours of this dish and may potentially do it injustice. In my view, this dish is already super delish on its own. So, head down to Poh Preserved Veg Hor Fun for a 'cheap thrill' today, for just $6. I am sure that you won't be disappointed. Take my word and stamp of approval for it. Locate it Address: Preserved Veg Hor Fun Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre Blk 335 Smith St, #02-011, Singapore 050335 Operating Hours: Wednesday - Monday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays)

This is the epitome of an excellent oyster omelette that every foodie should not miss. This has got to be the stall cooking up one of the best orh-luak (fried oyster omelette) and hare-luak (fried prawn omelette) I've had in years! The perfectly fried eggs in my hare-luak blended in so well with the crispy fried batter, and sealed in all the umami flavours of the sizzling fish sauce under high frying heat. 100 marks for wok-hei! Fresh, sweet prawns just made it better, and the superb vinegary garlic chilli sauce brought the dish to a whole new level. Pow wow! In the similarly crispy and delectable orh-luak, there were at least 8 plump oysters, large and small. Super fresh and creamy in texture, there's absolutely no fishy aftertaste in the oysters at all. For someone like me who's totally not a fan of oysters, this was really a pleasant surprise to my tastebuds! The char kway teow was good too, but it was just that. Tucked away in a sleepy HDB estate in Hougang Ave 8, and operated by a friendly old couple, this is quite a surprise find for me! On a side note, I wouldn't say that orh-luak is an omelette by strict definition as it comes with a batter made of various types of flour. There is a similar dish in Teochew cuisine that is a bona fide oyster omelette though, and that's known as the "orh-neng". Locate it Address: Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow 435A Hougang Ave 8, Singapore 531435 Operating Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) Call: 9111 0702

Although the minced pork noodles here don't exactly taste traditional, they are really a class of their own. I've always known that many of Singapore's industrial estates house some of the best hawker fare. If you know where to look. Da Sheng's bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) is one such hidden gem. For most dry bak chor mee, the soup usually tastes bland and totally lacks flavour. One sip and that's it for me. But the soup here was in fact the first thing that really impressed me. So full of flavour with an intense taste of crispy deep-fried dried sole fish (tee poh). And it actually tastes very much like my late mom's homemade soup! That scored a big wow from me! Noodles were perfectly cooked and they were really springy and a real pleasure to chew on, but just a tad too dry. Adding some more of that flavourful soup to the noodles should make it a lot more palatable. Seasoning was good, but I thought that the chilli sauce could be more flavourful and the crispy pork lard could be fried crispier to release even more flavours and aromas. And I like their fried Teochew dumplings a lot. Crispy on the outside and bursting with umaminess from the fresh minced pork and tee poh filling on the inside. Yummy yum yum! Friendly folks and a notably good bak chor mee with super tasty soup, I'm sure I will return for more of this good grub! Locate it Address: Da Sheng Bak Chor Mee Kampong Ubi Industrial Estate Ubi Rd 1, Blk 3014, Singapore 408702 Operating Hours: Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.; Saturday, 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. (closed on Sundays) Call: 9150 6877

A traditional noodle dish made fancier. It's not hard to notice that Minced Pork Bros, just a few stalls away from Roast Paradise, sports a somewhat similar signboard as the latter. That's because this bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) stall is a spin-off from its popular roast meats big bro that has been around in the same food centre for years. The proposition of this new bak chor mee stall is clear: to reinvent this classic Singaporean noodle dish and make it even better. And somehow it did. Along with the seafood bak chor mee I ordered (I thought why have the usual bak chor mee when I can have a special version of it?), I chose to upscale this dish by adding some deep-fried dried sole fish for just an extra $1. And trust me, you'll want to do this too, cos that added so much more flavour to it. The seafood bak chor mee was really good. Noodles were springy and well seasoned, and that scoop of salmon roe was a differentiator. Not only did it add a pleasant tinge of saltiness and umaminess to the noodles, but also a playful mouthfeel when I pressed my tongue against them to "pop" them in my mouth. And of course, the salmon roe also made the entire bowl of noodles more "Instagrammable". Love the plump fish dumpling too, as lots of yummy fish paste oozed out when I eagerly sank my teeth into it. Yummy yum yum! And the soup that came with the noodles was very good too. My only grouse is the tiny, cutesy scallop... I mean, I would pay more for a bigger scallop, if I'm given the option. And I'm pretty sure that that would be the icing on the cake, if it happens. This is an excellent bak chor mee on many counts. But I really do hope that they will upsize the scallop by the next time I'm there. I promise, I'll pay for it! Locate it Address: Minced Pork Bros Old Airport Road Food Centre 51 Old Airport Rd, #01-113 Food Centre, Singapore Operating Hours: Wednesday - Monday, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays) Call: 9786 7396

Very affordable and full of traditional flavours — it's no wonder I always crave for this. Sometimes, the most nonedescript of things leaves you with the deepest impressions. Call it kismet. I was wandering around Chinatown's food centre to look for some simple breakfast, and totally bedazzled by the array of food stalls there. Somehow, this plain stall with just three food items on the menu, but sports a long queue, drew me towards it. And it turned out to be a really pleasant surprise! What looked like an unspectacular bowl of congee actually packs a punch of umami flavours that kept me asking for more - and I actually had a second filling. This yummy bonito and peanut congee practically tastes like a really flavourful bowl of seafood soup with very fine and smooth rice gruel and übersoft peanuts. And its best friend: the equally delicious fried bee hoon. These are truly flavours that stood still in time, since my childhood. What probably also froze in time were the prices. I mean, how many places in Singapore can we expect to deliver such amazing flavours for a super affordable price of $1.20 each? It's great taste and value for money! Truly "economical" as the names of the food items suggest. No wonder this is one of the most popular food stalls in the food centre that consistently attracts a long line of elderly fans, who seem to be regular customers from the way they interacted with the boss. Two thumbs up! Locate it Address: Chang Ji Gourmet Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre 335 Smith St, #02-110, Singapore 050335 Operating Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)

This is easily the wettest wonton mee experience I've ever had. Kok Kee's wonton mee is one of a kind. I can't say that I'm a wonton mee fan, but I've tried enough to know that it's certainly a better-than-average wonton mee. The only problem is: it's way too wet for me... But believe it or not, it's this very wetness that gives it its unique flavours. That's because the noodles are generously drenched in this unique, intensely flavoured sauce right before they are served. But this wetness may have been a little overdone and it made the noodles' texture somewhat soggy. The dumplings taste good, fried or otherwise. But the char siew was a tad too sweet for my liking. And the good splash of sauce did make the char siew taste a little mushy. Wet wonton mee may not be up my alley just yet. While the sauce defines the uniqueness of this noodles dish, I think wonton mee is still best enjoyed drier and springier than this. But then again, that's just how I prefer it to be. Locate it Address: Kok Kee Wanton Noodle 30 Foch Rd, #01-02, Singapore 209276 Operating Hours: Opens daily, 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Call: 8940 3543 Website: https://kokkeewontonnoodle.com.sg/

The Chinese roast pork with a "char siew liquid candy effect". Without a doubt, Roast Paradise will always be my go-to place for char siew (Chinese roast pork) in Singapore. And that's coming from a char siew gastronome who's run the gamut of some of the best char siew in our little island-state. What truly impresses me is the char siew's perfectly charred, caramelised top layer that's savoury-sweet but without a trace of bitterness. And there is just the right amount of fat underneath the charred layer that readily melts and fuses with it to create what I call a "char siew liquid candy effect". Take a bite into the super tender and moist meat, and this char siew liquid candy immediately becomes the perfect condiment for the meat. One must-order item every time I visit the stall would be its char siew noodles, which is a dry noodles dish made of broad Hakka noodles that's seasoned with the char siew drippings collected while the meat is being roasted — the "char siew juice", if you will. Always say "yes" when you are offered a dollop of chilli paste to go with the noodles, simply because it truly adds another delicious dimension of flavour to this dish. Trust me on this. While this stall also offers sio bak, or cripsy roast pork belly, I have to say that it is still not one of my favourite sio bak, yet. Nine years in business, I must say that the young bosses who have learnt their craft from a master in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have taken the art of char siew to a whole new level. While I wouldn't say that their prices are cheap by hawker centre standards, it was definitely worth it. I found out that they also own a restaurant on Killiney Road called Fook Kin (in partnership with The Muttons from Class 95 FM), which serves up a wider range of dishes, on top of what they offer at their stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre and other outlets. Time for me to check that out soon! Locate it Address: Roast Paradise Old Airport Road Food Centre 51 Old Airport Rd, #01-121, Singapore 390051 Operating Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (closed on Mondays) Call: 9786 7396