A Plaza Called Lucky

I read that they had wanted to revamp Little India so that the place becomes and looks neater and more orderly perhaps. Horrors! What is with these people and planners? Why are they obsessed with so much tidiness? Don't they know anything about soul? Why make everything the same? Our Chinatown has lost its colours, smell and noise. Please spare Little India.

The in place during my youth was like Peninsula Shopping Centre where we got our cheaper jeans and other clothes such as Lee, Lea, Texwood and Wrangler. Even Giordano started from there. Now the Peninsula area is like Little Myanmar and Golden Mile is our Little Thailand. Meanwhile Singapore remains little Singapore as China confiscated little Singapore's toys.

All the above being the case, Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road is Pinoyland. I hardly go to Lucky Plaza and have never really seen or known what they have inside until recently. Few buildings in SG has such a name and actually there are people with this name. Business is actually thriving there. There are many Filipino shops there mixed with some local. Even the food scene has a high rate of food from the Philippines. On the fifth floor, the medical scene is also thriving.

Unbeknownst to many , there are some surprisingly good local food at Lucky Plaza. Starting with As-Shifaa Cafe. Tucked away at a corner just next to the escalator on the sixth floor, they are very popular for the Ayam Penyet. Though they serve other Malay/Muslim food, most people in the queue are having the ayam penyet despite another popular ayam penyet restaurant nearby.

There is an old lady and another woman serving but the order is often taken and served by a tall, burly, muscular and stern looking guy with a moustache. You had better behave and give your order smoothly as there is often a queue there. The only reason why you are not seeing his photo here is because he was carrying a chopper and I have witnessed how he chopped the chicken so cleanly but I still took the risk by asking him for more chilli. 

He obliged. The rice is fragrant but a little salty and it comes with a bowl of soup which is similar to those served to you when you are eating the malay/muslim chicken rice stall. 

The chicken is fabulous. Tender and juicy inside with a golden brown crispy skin on the outside. You will certainly love it especially with more chilli to go with the chicken. 

If the ayam penyet was good, wait till you see the queue on the opposite side. You have to be really early before peak hour lunch time. Seats are often all taken and you will see a snaking queue at this Yong Tau Fu (niang dou fu) stall. So good meh?

First of all, the stall has variety. The dishes you could select are not standard factory sourced type. 

They are always so fresh and taste like home made.

If your order is the dry version with bee hoon, they actually lace your vermicelli with shallot oil. This is how you do it in the old days. 

Amazingly, the woman boss will allocate you  as seat if it is quite a full house. Once I was there early and stood there waiting and she said you can sit anywhere. From the main stall she will look where you are seated and probably indicate it on the order slip. This Yong Tau Fu is very fresh and like home made and that explains the queue. I was lucky to have found good food at Lucky Plaza.