HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki – Heartwarming Malay Food at Haig Road

Many Singaporeans pay pilgrimage to Geylang Serai for the annual Ramadan Bazaar. Aside from the festivities and celebrations, there are also gems to be found at the nearby Haig Road Market & Hawker Centre. Malay Muslim food is its speciality as it is situated in the neighbourhood of Singapore’s oldest Malay settlement. HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki is a 50-year-old shop tucked in a corner directly opposite the famous Afandi Hawa & Family. The nondescript storefront features several photos of carb-based Malay dishes such as Mee Rebus, Mee Soto and Burbur Ayam.

We tried the Mee Rebus ($3) and Soto Ayam ($3) with the top-up of begedil (potato cutlet) for an additional 50 cents at HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki. The friendly macik reminded me to add dollops of chilli to both dishes.

The Mee Rebus was a familiar rendition with key aspects done right: sweet, thick gravy coating the generous portion of firm noodles and accompanied by hard-boiled egg, green chilli, bean sprouts and fried shallots.

The green chilli was largely masked by the much stronger gravy but its crunch contrasted nicely with the noodles, giving it a spicy kick. It might just be me but I thought there was even a hint of mutton in the gravy.

The Soto Ayam was my personal favourite. Do not be deceived by the looks of this plain and unassuming dish. The yellow chicken broth was light and flavourful, garnished with chicken shreds and chunks of lontong. By itself, the Soto Ayam might not be enough for most. Top up with a fried potato cutler for a more filling meal. Its texture is similar to hash brown, albeit more crumbly and less crispy. Do finish it quickly to avoid over-soaking the fried cutlet and making it soggy.

The highlight of this Soto Ayam lies in the chilli padi kicap (small spicy red chilli with soy sauce) which elevated the taste of broth and gave it robustness and depth. Similar to belacan, the chilli was oily and potent which spiced up the broth, making it extremely addictive and almost impossible to stop slurping up the soup.

Overall, HJ Waliti HJ Mazuki is a good place to get your fix of Malay food. Its shorter queue and waiting time also makes it more attractive when you’re in a rush during lunch hour. The food is simple yet heartwarming, with its strong soup broth and gravy capable of lifting one’s spirits after a long day.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may want to also check out our article on Raimah Eating House that serves halal western food or head to #MakanBoleh at Seah Im Food Centre for some epok epok?