Alexandra Village Food Centre which was established in 1970, has been a mainstay of the local food scene for over 50 years.
While I still find it slightly under-the-radar in terms of media mentions, there are quite many worthy stalls to mention there.
These include Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken, Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Pau, Zi Jin Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 紫金城, and Hong Kong Yummy Soup 香港靚湯.
Zhang Ji Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao 上海拉面小笼包 is another noteworthy stall, always attracting long queues during meal times.
It is also newly included in the Michelin Guide Singapore.
Managed by husband-and-wife team, the Zhangs came from Nanjing and make their food freshly on-the-spot in the small stall.
On the menu are Steamed Xiao Long Bao ($5), Pan-Fried Dumplings ($7), Sichuan Spicy Wanton aka Hong You Chao Shou ($6).
There are also La Mian dishes including Beef Noodles ($5), Lamian with Fried Bean Sauce ($4.50), Szechuan Spicy Noodles ($4.50), Dumpling Noodles ($4.60), and Wanton Noodles ($4.50).
One of the secrets to Zhang Ji’s success is their commitment to using only the freshest ingredients.
Their Xiao Long Bao ($5) uses fresh dumpling skin and filled with pork in store.
They may not look as refined as those in the restaurants, and skin considered slightly thick for some.
The dumplings were juicy with soup inside – flavourful and slightly sweet.
I reckon that the star of the show is really the Pan-Fried Dumplings aka Guo Tie ($7).
They are expertly fried on one side on a pan, so that you get the crisp outer layer. (I have seen many customers da-bao this back, and wondered if it would be the same.)
The result is succulent dumplings that are bursting with flavours.
I had the Zha Jiang Noodles ($4.50) which was pretty satisfying as well with thin and chewy noodles, though the base sauce was slightly on the sweet sauce.
The stall’s quality popularity can be seen from the long queues that form during peak hours, but do not let that deter you, as the wait can be worth it.
Zhang Ji Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Alexandra Village Food Centre #01-56, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 8pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon, Tues
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Other Related Entries
Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Pau (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
Zi Jin Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 紫金城 (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
Hong Kong Yummy Soup 香港靚湯 (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Laksa (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
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