There is a saying “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. This type of food are usually the ones that have very pungent smell or taste. I can think of two foods that fall into this category, one is durian and the other is stinky tofu. Durian is known as the “king of fruits”, you either love the pungent smell or you hate it. Stinky tofu is a Chinese form of fermented beancurd that is popular in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
I won’t say that I love stinky tofu, but I do crave for it from time to time. Stinky tofu is not popular in Singapore and I couldn’t find any restaurant that sells this snack, until my girlfriend brought me to Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd.
Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd has apparently been around since 1997, which means it has been around for more than 20 years.
Located in a small shop about 10-minute walk from Paya Lebar MRT station, Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd has the typical Hong Kong-style decor.
The top half of the walls are painted yellow, filled with framed newspaper cuttings. The lower half of the wall are lined with white square tiles and covered with menu items. The tables are covered with fruit tablecloths.
Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd not only has fermented beancurd, there are also many other snacks, side dishes, porridge, soups, noodles & bee hoon dishes, rice dishes and desserts.
If you want to eat fermented beancurd or stinky tofu, you have three choices. You can either get the usual Fermented Beancurd (2 pcs) 臭豆腐（2个）[S$4] or the Crispy Fermented Beancurd Slices 香脆臭豆腐片（薄片）[S$4]. Have them with the accompanying chilli sauce and it is every bit as good as the ones I had in Hong Kong and Taiwan. If you like spicy food, you can also opt for Xian Hua Ma La Fermented Beancurd [S$6].
If you have no problem eating offals (animal intestines), you will like Fried Pig Intestines 煎大肠 [S$4]. The chopped pig intestines are deep-fried so they are crispy on the outside. I think this will make a great side dish with a bottle or cold beer.
Hong Kong Curry Fish Balls + Cuttlefish 香港咖喱鱼丸鱿鱼 [S$8] is a popular snack that can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. The curry is a little spicy for me but the taste pretty authentic.
I have always liked shishamo fish (smelt) so this dish of Fried Shishamo (Eggs Fish) 炸多春鱼 [S$5] is right up my alley. There are 5 pieces of fish, each coated with batter and deep-fried till crispy.
Cantonese porridge have a distinctive almost-grainless texture from hours of cooking. Century Egg and Pork Porridge 皮蛋瘦肉粥 [S$4] is a classic Cantonese porridge that is a favorite among many Singaporeans too. The porridge here is silky smooth and the century egg gives it enough flavor that you don’t need any additional condiments.
Sweet Steamed Egg 香滑炖蛋（现叫现炖）[S$2.50] is a traditional Hong Kong dessert that old Hong Kongers are familiar with. The egg custard here is made upon order and is served with aluminum covering. It is a little too sweet for my liking, but I think children will like it.
Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd is about the only place to have authentic Hong Kong snacks such as fermented beancurd in Singapore. The price are very affordable, cash is the preferred mode of payment but they do accept PayNow.
Mini Star (HK) Fermented Beancurd
Address: 795 Geylang Road, Singapore 389678
Telephone: 67441353
Opening Hours: Monday 5pm – 12.30am, Tuesday – Saturday 12.30pm – 12.30am, Saturday 12pm – 2.30pm