SUKA MAKAN: LUCKY STAR KITCHEN 118 @ COMMONWEALTH CRESCENT

We've returned to the unlucky Block 118 of Commonwealth Crescent. That's the corner that has such a great turnover of restaurants that it's difficult to keep up with. It's latest occupant is Lucky Star Kitchen 118, which other than its signs and displays, is identical to its predecessor Chuan Ye Seafood Zichar. Even the menu is the same, with no change in name. The serving staff are also the same.

The prices are for real,
unaffected by the Straits of Hormuz blockades

Can we expect the same high quality of cooking? Fortunately, yes. This time, my parents are present, so we decide to splurge a little by ordering my father's other favourite dish - crab. So, we get two Sri Lankan crabs, about 1 kg in weight, and have it in black pepper. The crabs are quite small, but the taste is right up there, befitting the status of Singapore's national dish.

As tasty as it looks

In addition, we also got White Beehoon, Prawns in Garlic sauce and one vegetable, as Janet always insists in greens. There are prawns and Asari clams in the white beehoon, and there's tanghoon (clear noodles) in the garlic prawns, so it's a duplication of sorts. However, the flavours of both dishes are different, so there's little chance of palate fatigue. My parents are more than satisfied, and this looks like a place to return, unless it closes down for the next turnover. So keep fingers crossed.

White beehoon is a classic dish

Lots of prawns here

LUCKY STAR KITCHEN 118

Block 118 Commonwealth Crescent

Singapore 140118

Update: The restaurant at Block 118 has changed hands yet again. It's now called Huo Hai Xian (Fresh Seafood). Good luck, you'll need it! (1 May 2026) 

SINGAPORE'S VINTAGE EATING PLACES: COMMONWEALTH CORNERS III: BLOCK 118

We've come to the third of four corners at Commonwealth Crescent. That's Block 118 (think of Brahms' Sechs Klavierstucke) or "hard luck corner". There has always been a restaurant / coffee shop here but the turnover is so rapid one can scarcely remember what restaurant occupies this spot. 

The latest occupant is Chuan Ye Seafood Zichar, and before that was Yat Yat Fat (118) which had a short-lived Moo Moo Mookata, and before that was Seafood Village (or Seafood Palace I cannot remember), where we had dim sum meals under $10. D'Life vegetarian restaurant was here a couple of years, and before that it was a bunch of hawker stalls which had been a good place for breakfast. And that was more than ten years ago.

This corner also has the only caifan (economy rice) stall in the four corners of Commonwealth Crescent, which does brisk business before closing at dusk. Although Chuan Ye does decent meals, I think its days are numbered, judging by the low traffic. Its footfall comes from old people having caifan meals, beer drinkers and the occasional horse-racing punters. Even the bookie uncle does not visit often, and the tattooed loner is no longer employed to do cleaning up. 

This restaurant has the neatest kitchen area,
which means it doesn't do much cooking.

Only memories, seafood white beehoon and har cheong kai (prawn paste fried chicken) bring us back, which may be paid with CDC vouchers. The F&B competition in these parts is awfully stiff, and to think its neighbours are the well-established Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee and Two Chefs Eating Place. It's sad to see this one go, and its back to "here we go again", wondering what the next restaurant will be all about. 

Empty chairs at empty tables,
so says a Les Miserables song,
 are a worrying sign.

Update: As sure as night follows day, the restaurant has again changed hands. The restaurant space of Block 118 is now occupied by Lucky Star Kitchen 118. (28 March 2026) Good luck! 

The latest restaurant in Blk 118.

We've tried the new restaurant Lucky Star Kitchen 118, and the verdict is: rather nice! The menu is still the old one, and we tried some new dishes, and we enjoyed the taste and the helpings were generous considering these was "small". (1 April 2026)

Fried Hokkien yellow noodles,
very soupy but delicious,
thanks to the pork lard!

King Pork Ribs (Pai gu wang)

A meal for two at $18,
payable by CDC vouchers.
We'll be back!

Update: There has yet been another change of management. This new corner restaurant is now known as Huo Hai Xian (Fresh Seafood). Let's see how this one fares (1 May 2026).

SINGAPORE'S VINTAGE EATING PLACES: COMMONWEALTH CRESCENT CORNERS II: TWO CHEFS EATING PLACE

We're back at the corner eating places of Commonwealth Crescent. There are four corners, and we're at the opposite corner from the last one. This is occupied by the very popular Two Chefs Eating Place, which has another outlet in the Sin Ming Avenue area. There used to be long queues waiting for the limited tables before the pandemic, but it still does brisk business. It is usually patronised by diners who come from a long way rather than Queenstown residents. And for good reason too.

Its most famous speciality is the chilled cockles in a light garlic-laden seasoning. This is a special favourite of Janet's, who cannot resist hum-ful dishes. Given that cockles are farmed these days, rather than allowed to grow near sewers before harvest, the risk of severe gastroenteritis and viral hepatitis is much less now. My trick is to order the wok-fried hor fun and pretend I'm having char kway teow with cockles. Hey, it works too!

The vegetable soup (zhicai tang) here is very savoury and filling (since it also has meat) as well, so it's quite easy to get well-filled here. All under $20, which could be paid with those handy CDC vouchers. A brilliant way to use government (actually taxpayers') money to patronise local food outlets and keep the stomach from starving. 

The photographic evidence that
everything was delicious.

TWO CHEFS EATING PLACE

Blk 116 Commonwealth Crescent

#01-129, Singapore 140116

Tel: 6472-5361

SINGAPORE'S VINTAGE EATING PLACES: COMMONWEALTH CRESCENT MARKET & FOOD CENTRE

This is the most frequented of all our eating places over the past two decades. Commonwealth Crescent Market and Food Centre is as old as the neighbourhood (dating from the 1960s) but the building has been transformed from a single-storey set of huts to a modern two-storey complex with the wet market on the ground floor and food centre above it. It has a great variety of food to be had.

The oldest and long-lived stall has to be Hong Kee Porridge, run by Mr Hui and his family for many years. He arrived from Guangzhou in the 1950s, bringing with him the hallowed tradition of Cantonese-styled rice porridge, which is silky smooth as opposed to the Teochew variety. He and a brother set up shop in Chinatown before moving to Queenstown where he never left. He still lives in an apartment across the street from where he toils and slaves. There is never a day where he is not found at his stall, closing only during the Chinese New Year period.

Our favourite is his century egg and sliced pork porridge (皮蛋瘦肉粥) where his generous portions (a whole egg) and tender and chunky meat slices are a pleasure. He has also kept his prices low, far better value than those well-known dim sum places in town. 

There have been rumours of Mr Hui's impending retirement in 2026 (when he turns 80) but thanks to Mr Makansutra K.F.Seetoh's pleading, these plans have been delayed, for now. 

New to the food centre is Northern VN Cuisine, which has become one of my new favourites. Run by Hanoi-native Anna Nguyen and her Singaporean husband Christopher Leck, its offerings are both healthy and delicious. They do not serve Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) but has Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup), but my favourite is the dry pork noodle and Bun Cha served with pork belly and minced pork balls. The spring rolls (fresh and fried varieties) with sweet sauce are also excellent.

Dry pork noodles.

Fried spring rolls. Take it with sweet sauce.

For beef noodles, the Hainanese variety with thick black sauce is available just behind at Ah Kee Beef Noodle. The portions are generous and the soup simply delicious. The standard bowl is $5 but one can supersize it to $8 with added ingredients.

Just a couple of stalls away is the classic Chye Tow Kuay (fried carrot cake) at Liang Liang Fried Carrot Cake, available in both "white" and "black" varieties.

This is the "black" variety,
sweeter and totally sinful!