Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
CEOs’
Hawker
Guide
The Business Times & Knight Frank
a note from
Alvin Tay
Editor, The Business Times
a note from
how it worked AS CEO of SPH, Alan Chan knows a lot about the
media industry. But ask him about hawker food and
it turns out he’s quite the expert on that too. Says the
Before the CEOs in The Business Times’ newsman: “Singapore hawker food is unique because
1,000-strong database were asked to vote for it comes from all regions of Asia, from Guangdong to
their favourite hawker stalls, a panel of food Beijing, from Punjab to Tamil Nadu and from Java to
lovers was tasked with creating a shortlist of Sumatra.”
the 10 top stalls in 26 hawker food categories. It’s also a type of cuisine to be enjoyed by
everyone, CEOs included, believes Mr Chan. Which is
The list was then passed to the CEOs
why, together with Knight Frank chairman Tan Tiong
for voting, and the four or five stalls in each
Cheng and The Business Times editor Alvin Tay, he
category that received the most votes were
mooted the idea to have a CEOs’ guide to the best
profiled by BT’s food writers. The results hawker food stalls in Singapore, at a BT function
can be found in this book and in the CEOs’ last year. “Hawker food is the quintessential food of
Hawker Guide that was published in BT Singaporeans. Given the CEOs’ need to entertain,
between August 2009 and February 2010. they would have tasted some of the best food in
Singapore. So we thought it would be interesting
to find out which hawker stalls they frequent,”
rationalises Mr Chan.
While the SPH CEO – who loves yong tau foo,
Indian rojak, nasi padang, fish head bee hoon, chilli
Alan Chan
Chief executive officer,
Singapore Press Holdings
12 | the panel the panel | 13
Jackson Yap
Chief executive officer,
United Engineers Ltd
18 | the panel the panel | 19
Lynette Leong
Chief executive officer,
CapitaCommercial Trust
20 | the panel the panel | 21
Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs rejection, says owner Ng Ah Sio, was he opened Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Eating Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh
because the stall had simply run out of House at its current premises.
Soup Eating House pork ribs for the day, and there was no Recently, he decided to give it #01-01 Isetan Office Building
208 Rangoon Road way of getting more in time. In fact, he a major makeover, so the shop now 593 Havelock Road
☎ 6291 4537 had apologised to Mr Tsang’s aides for has quaint marble-topped tables and ☎ 6235 7716
Open 7am to 3pm; closed Monday not being able to accommodate him. wooden stools in place of its grimy Open daily from 11am to 2am
Such quality control is the reason old fixtures. Birdcage lamps hang
It seems the biggest question the stall achieves peppery perfection overhead, and near each table, there Ya Hua is without doubt the bak
concerning Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Eating with its bak kut teh, a process that are cute little “water stations”, where kut teh stall with the most colourful
House in recent times is not whether it begins with a delivery of fresh pork you can fill silver teapots with water clientele, a result of its proximity to
does good bak kut teh (that’s a given, at 5am daily. The soup, made with from brass taps and boil it to make tea. several prominent nightclubs. And that
judging by the perpetually full house), pork bones, is boiled in small batches Admittedly, the bak kut teh may be why its bak kut teh recipe suits
but whether the stall really turned throughout the day, and the meat portions here (from $5.50 for two intoxicated taste buds particularly well.
Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald cooked to a crunchy-squishy finish pieces of spare ribs; $7.50 for two Here, the steaming hot broth – which
Tsang down when he requested a meal rather than a fall-off-the-bone texture. prime ribs; or $6.80 for one type of serves as a good sober-upper – is done
there in 2006. Mr Ng, who is also a director at each rib) are on the small side, but the the peppery way, the chief ingredient
And the answer is: Yes. But not Jumbo Seafood, started out in the emphasis is clearly on quality rather being white pepper that the stall buys
in an arrogant, I-don’t-care-who-you- business by helping out at his father’s than quantity, and the spiffed up as whole peppercorns, then fries until
are kind of way; the reason for the bak kut teh stall in the 1950s. In 1988, environment does justify the prices. fragrant and grinds in-house, says
26 | bak kut teh bak kut teh | 27
owner Gwee Peck Hua. It’s very robust its premises stretch nearly across the
and may be a bit too salty for some, building’s breadth.
but the tender pork ribs are easy to Here, it doesn’t matter if you’re
chew on and the salted vegetables are seated right on the stall’s boundaries
also good. or behind a pillar: Even the least
Ms Gwee is bak kut teh pedigree visible tables get prompt service, not to
– she was the right-hand man (or mention regular refills of soup without
woman, rather) of Ng Ah Sio’s father, having to ask for it.
Ng Mui Sng, years ago. When he Of course, the bigger part of
passed away, she was encouraged by Outram Park’s success comes from
regular customers to set up her own the fact that it serves up delicious bak
shop, and thus opened Ya Hua at kut teh – tender pork ribs in a nicely
Outram Park in 1992. The shop moved balanced soup ($7 per portion) with
to Havelock in 1995, and expanded a peppery kick that hits you seconds
with the opening of another branch at after you swallow it.
Keppel Road in 2001 (more on that in Also on the menu are the usual Sin Heng for nearly as long as it takes to finish
the following review). bak kut teh-related dishes such as a meal, and both the peppery Teochew-
Prices start from $6 for an braised pig trotters, organ meat soup,
Claypot Bak Koot Teh style and soya-sauce-based Hokkien-
individual portion of bak kut teh salted vegetables, you tiao, stewed 439 Joo Chiat Road style versions are available (from $6 for
with about three pieces of spare ribs peanuts and dried bean curd, but ☎ 6345 8754 an individual portion with spare ribs,
and $7 for a serving with prime ribs, what’s more unusual is the fact that Open 24 hours daily and $7 for one with prime ribs).
and portions are more generous as you can choose to have your meat Owners Tey Sue Hua, Tey Chui Hua
compared with most of the other either lean or fatty – just indicate your It’s not just meat lovers who flock to and Tey Siew Hua, who are sisters, say
well-known bak kut teh places. preference on the order form provided Sin Heng, but fans of seafood and that what makes their recipe unique is
at each table. There is also quite a tasty innards too. That’s because the store – the fact that they put plenty of Chinese
sliced fish soup on the list for non- which opened in 1983 and is located herbs and spices into their two versions
meat lovers. in a row of shophouses next to Joo of bak kut teh; about 10 types, in fact.
“We also add a lot of ingredients such
Outram Park The shop, which opened in 2001, Chiat Community Club – not only
is managed by Frankie Gwee, brother does good bak kut teh, but a couple of as tau kee (bean curd skin), mushrooms
Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha of Havelock Ya Hua’s Ms Gwee. Both other delicious items as well. and fungus into our Hokkien version,
#01-05 Tanjong Pagar Complex stalls apparently use the same family There’s a dish of pig innards that’s and you can even request abalone if
7 Keppel Road recipe, but somehow turn out slightly cooked in a really fragrant sesame you wish,” says Chui Hua.
☎ 6222 9610 different versions, with Mr Gwee’s oil and Chinese wine-based gravy, The recipes, she adds, have
Open 7am to 3pm and 6pm to 4am; punchier version just edging out his for instance, as well as one of glass remained unchanged since 1983, and
closed Monday sister’s in the flavour stakes. noodles fried with very fresh jumbo – unlike at many other hawker stalls –
The secret’s in the painstakingly prawns that lend a delicate sweetness they’re not in danger of dying out with
Good bak kut teh and great service – prepared broth, believes Mr Gwee. to the noodles. the current owners’ generation: The
that’s what Outram Park Ya Hua serves “We boil the soup for five hours But the item that tops Sin Heng’s sisters’ three sons volunteered to take
up at this coffee shop on the ground every day after the fresh pork ribs are list of signature dishes has to be the on the trade some years ago, and are
floor of Tanjong Pagar Complex. And delivered to the stall in the early hours bak kut teh. Here, it’s cooked in currently running the graveyard shift
that’s no mean feat, considering that of the morning,” he says. claypots that keep the heat in nicely of this round-the-clock business.
beef noodles | 29
beef noodles
BEEF and noodles – how many ways can one cook them?
Plenty, it seems, although all styles are said to have originated
from China’s Hui tribe, a Chinese-Muslim ethnic group,
during the Tang Dynasty.
The Teochews, for one, start with a good stock,
brewed with enough beef bones to render a robust
meaty flavour. Rice noodles are added, along with
sliced beef or innards, then the dish is topped with
salted vegetables and served with a sharp chilli
sauce. Meanwhile, the Hainanese swear by
“dry” beef noodles swimming in a thick gravy
anointed with a squeeze of fresh lime. Cincaluk
(fermented shrimp) is a key flavour enhancer
in this variation, and it’s added either to the
completed dish or to a side of chilli sauce.
The Cantonese, in turn, rely on their wok
frying skills, cooking the noodles to infuse
them with that distinctive smoky flavour
known as wok hei (which literally translates
to “wok’s breath”).
Whatever the style though, it’s all good –
particularly if you get your fix from the CEOs’
picks in this chapter.
30 | beef noodles beef noodles | 31
Blk 233 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1194 recipes such as beef noodles ($4),
Open 7.30am to 3pm; closed Tuesday mixed beef soup ($4) and beef ball
soup ($4), the latter of which he is the
Owner Lim Jui Hong’s namecard most proud of – it’s a dry Hainanese-
proudly proclaims him to be the “Beef style version that comes with a chilli
Noodle King”, and for good reason. cincaluk sauce. There’s even beef laksa
He’s been featured on numerous TV ($5), because fans of laksa – which he
programmes and in a multitude of also sells at his stall – asked him if he
publications; a number of photographs could combine an element of beef into
of himself with celebrity customers the dish, and he duly obliged.
also adorn his stall. What goes into the recipes to
Then again, Mr Lim’s experience make them such a success? All Mr Lim
includes being a chef at The Adelphi would say is that they contain many
Hotel. He traded in his chef whites “secret ingredients”. And he adds, as
for casual hawker togs in 1983, when the longest-staying tenant of the coffee
he leased a stall in a coffeeshop and shop: “Customers need only try once.
began selling beef noodles. They will always come back again.”
Kway Teow still turns out beef noodles in the airy, comfortable surroundings
that have a decent claim to fame. of its flagship shop (nor at its two
other branches in Upper Serangoon
and Bukit Panjang).
The company even has quite a
spiffy website that tells visitors about
Hock Lam Beef the stall’s history (it claims to be
#01-01 Far East Square the oldest in Singapore) plus how to
22 China Street spot a good bowl of beef noodles –
☎ 6220 9290 innovations that can be credited to
www.hocklambeef.com fourth-generation family member and
Open 9.30am to 8pm from Monday to owner Tina Tan.
Friday, and 10.30am to 5pm on weekends Those modern concepts haven’t
and public holidays wiped out tradition, however. Up until
today, the beef is sliced by hand, and
Where branding is concerned, Hock every bowl comes generously topped
Lam Beef has it all worked out. For with salted vegetables and groundnuts
one, you don’t have to suffer the – the hallmark of authentic Teochew
temperament of Singapore’s weather beef noodles.
char kway teow | 35
char
kway teow
CHAR kway teow comprises flat rice noodles
blackened with soya sauce and stir-fried with chilli
and bean sprouts over very high heat. Served “wet” or
“dry”, depending on the amount of soya sauce used,
and accompanied traditionally by cockles and Chinese
sausage, or gussied up with prawns and slices of squid,
the recipes can vary quite a bit depending on who’s
doing the cooking.
The dish started off as one peddled by part-time
hawkers – fishermen and cockle-gatherers who made
it to sell after their day’s work – and those who ate
it were mostly labourers because char kway teow was
a cheap source of energy and nutrients. These days,
however, it is a quintessential favourite of local foodies,
though it isn’t the healthiest of options because of the
high fat content.
If you’re going to go against your doctor’s advice,
then, it had better be for good reason – and in these
pages you’ll find several such reasons. Enjoy!
36 | char kway teow char kway teow | 37
The dish strikes a fine balance – dish’s flavours are these days a little controlled), he switched from using
it’s not too savoury or sweet; not too different from the old days – that’s pork lard to cooking oil when there was
wet or dry; and it’s mixed well with a because it’s now fried with cooking oil the outbreak of swine flu.
medley of crunchy bean sprouts, slices instead of lard to accommodate the If you need more convincing to
of Chinese sausage, chives, cockles requests of health-conscious customers, make a trip to Chomp Chomp, note:
and scrambled eggs. To ensure that the says Mr Tay. However, for those who still A significant proportion of Mr Chew’s
noodles are of the right texture, Mr Ng prefer the traditional taste, just ask, and customers today have been buying
specially orders his kway teow from a this father-daughter team will be more char kway teow from the stall since his
supplier who produces it for him to his than happy to oblige. father’s time. What a vote of confidence.
desired thickness.
The hawker whipped up his
signature dish at Singapore Day
in London in 2009, and his stall is Chomp Chomp No 18 Fried Kway Teow
plastered with awards, but fame and
recognition have not changed anything
Fried Kway Teow #01-17 Riverside Food Centre
for him. “I’ll still cook until I am tired #01-35 Chomp Chomp Food Centre 70 Zion Road
of it,” he says. 20 Kensington Park Road Open noon to 2.30pm and 6.30pm
Open 4pm to midnight; to 11pm; closed every other Monday
closed every other Thursday
On a good day, you may be greeted by
Tiong Bahru It’s no wonder that many foodies Ho Kian Tat singing along to blaring
regard this stall as an institution – it Hokkien music as he fries plate after
Fried Kway Teow has stayed for more than 40 years in plate of char kway teow at his corner
#02-11 Tiong Bahru Market its current premises, survived the food stall at Riverside Food Centre. Most
30 Seng Poh Road centre’s many renovations and most days, however, he just looks pretty
Open 11am to 10.30pm; importantly, maintained its quality. stern – but that’s merely his way of
closed Wednesday Run by Chew Boon Teck and his focusing on his craft, he apologetically
wife, you can request various versions tells regulars.
The char kway teow at Tay Hoon of char kway teow here – white, pale Smile or frown, queues at this
Ran’s stall is different from most, brown or dark, though they’re all done stall are a permanent fixture. Mr Ho
perhaps because Mr Tay has no “formal in the “wet” style and are slightly is essentially a one-man-show, but he
training”, as it were – he developed his sweeter than the norm. There’s also a does have a helper to take orders – for
recipe “just by watching hawkers and fair amount of vegetables that add a his $3, $4 or $5 plates of char kway
coming up with something of my own”, – who’s always dressed in a uniform nice bite to the dish. teow – during peak hours.
he says. Priced at $2, $3 or $4 a plate, of threadbare white T-shirt and belted Mr Chew has been frying char What are the queues for? Other
it’s a lighter-coloured, drier, savoury bermuda shorts – did the cooking, but kway teow since he was a 14-year-old than the smooth, slippery noodles,
style that’s stir-fried with sliced fish cake he’s since passed on the mantle to his helping his father out at the family’s Mr Ho’s fastidiously-picked ingredients
and cockles. daughter, Tay Li Hwa. street-side stall. While he still professes pack a punch flavour-wise – he only
For most of the 50 years or so that Ms Tay has followed her father’s to stick to the traditional recipe (the uses the freshest cockles, Chinese
the stall has been in existence, Mr Tay recipe closely, but you’ll find that the secret, he says, is in how the fire is sausage, chives and bean sprouts.
chicken rice | 41
chicken rice
WHEN it comes to local food, everyone’s a critic –
particularly if you’re referring to Singapore’s so-
called National Food, chicken rice. This dish
– which originated in Hainan, China, using
Wenchang chicken, a type of specially-bred
poultry not unlike France’s poulet de Bresse
– consists of poached, steamed or roasted
chicken served with rice cooked in chicken
stock, as well as an all-important side dip
of chilli sauce and, sometimes, ginger.
Thanks to a few local modifications,
however, chicken rice is now more
commonly associated with Singaporean
cuisine than Chinese fare, and nothing
hits the culinary spot or defines Singapore
quite like a plate of the stuff.
Old standbys such as Chatterbox,
Chin Chin, Yet Con, Swee Kee, Loy Kee,
Wee Nam Kee and Boon Tong Kee are
typically in the mix during any discussion
about chicken rice (plus you can pull up all
the necessary details on them on Google), so
here are a few less obvious but equally finger-
lickin’ good choices.
42 | chicken rice chicken rice | 43
the time you arrive so you can skip the Delicious Boneless
queue and still have your fix.
Chicken Rice
#B1-85 Katong Shopping Centre
865 Mountbatten Road
Lucky Chicken Rice ☎ 9789 6073
Open daily from 9am to 8pm
#02-110 Lucky Plaza
304 Orchard Road Located within the delightfully
☎ 6738 4175 euphemistic confines of the Katong
Open daily from 10.30am to 7pm Gourmet Centre – which is actually a
basement food court – the Delicious
Tucked away in a corner shop on the Boneless Chicken Rice stall serves a
second floor of Lucky Plaza and within pretty mean version that is all its own.
shouting distance of Chatterbox at the The stall, run by Goh Boon Hua and
Meritus Mandarin (the pioneering – if his wife, has been at the same location
absurdly pricey – hotel coffeeshop for the past 20 years, and it’s got a few
that launched chicken rice onto the distinguishing features in the chicken
international food map), Lucky Chicken rice it serves. (Mr Goh previously had
Rice is a good value alternative along a stall selling curry fish head and, once
Tian Tian Hainanese only the steamed kind here, which you the Orchard Road stretch. upon a time, he worked for a tow truck
can have with separate side orders of In addition to both steamed and service – which goes to show just how
Chicken Rice bean sprouts or cuttlefish) is moist and roasted boneless chicken versions, adaptable he is.)
Stall No 10 Maxwell Food Centre tender, and the al dente-style rice is served with a generous helping of First, there are the deep-fried garlic
Maxwell Road all plump grains coated in chicken fat light soya sauce, you can also order a chips sprinkled over the meat, and
☎ 9691 4852 fried with gobs of garlic and ginger. plate of stir-fried bean sprouts or kai the subsequent crunchiness makes an
Open 11am to 8pm; closed Monday But is it the best, or even worth lan and a bowl of dumpling soup to interesting difference. Every order also
a 20-minute wait? The flavour of the accompany the main event. The chilli comes with a plate of cucumber and
To queue or not to queue? That is the chicken itself can be lacklustre, and the and ginger sauces are better than pineapple salad as well as a sizeable
question when it comes to Tian Tian. lime-infused chilli sauce is flat. The rice decent, though you’d do well to ask bowl of carrot and chicken bone
Many of those who do – workers from could do with a little more fragrance too. them to hold the soya sauce on soup at no extra charge – not bad
around the area who spend precious At $2.80 for a small serving and the chicken. at $4 per serving. Despite its name
minutes of their lunchtime in line; $3.30 for a large one, though, Tian The place is usually heaving at though, there’s no automatic boneless
sweaty tourists clutching guidebooks Tian doesn’t gobble up the pocket as it lunchtime, but there’s something here, and a sign informs customers to
that have pointed them there – find it does your time. And there’s no doubt reassuringly old-fashioned about a “please tell me if you want boneless
worth their while for a helping of what overall quality is more than decent. meal at this no-frills place – perhaps chicken”.
celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Perhaps the best solution, then, is to because the first-generation shopping The rice is a bit of a letdown and
Tetsuya Wakuda have christened the call the lady boss Mrs Loi and do a centre it’s in is the antithesis of the the soya sauce served with the chicken
best chicken rice in the world. takeaway if you have more than six anonymous malls that line most of is extremely salty but somehow, taken
And indeed, the chicken (there’s orders – she’ll have it ready for you by Orchard Road. together, it’s just fine.
claypot rice | 47
claypot rice
CLAYPOTS, to be sure, are to cooking what black is to
fashion. That is to say, they’re classic (culinary) gear that
has remained in vogue through the ages: These vessels were
one of the earliest used for cooking – they’ve been around
since ancient Roman times, at least – and are still very much
present on tables today.
Part of the enduring popularity of claypots is the fact
that they’re excellent for slow cooking. Food cooked inside
an unglazed claypot that’s been soaked in water loses little
moisture in the process because it’s enveloped in steam and
thus comes out tender and flavourful.
That food could be a stew in a tagine with a conical
lid in Morocco or a broth in a lidless cazuela in Spain, but
in Singapore, claypots – usually designed like squat
saucepans with stout handles – are most commonly
used to cook claypot rice, a dish which originated in
Canton, China.
While the Chinese version is traditionally a pot of rice
cooked with one main ingredient (roast meat, waxed meat or
waxed duck) that changes with the seasons, Singapore claypot
rice has been tweaked in accordance with the local climate.
It’s an all-in-one combination of lap cheong, liver sausage,
waxed duck, waxed meat, fresh chicken and vegetables, with
the added flavour enhancer of salted fish.
The best stalls fire their claypot rice over charcoal at
some point during cooking so that the dish acquires a smoky
aroma and the rice gets nicely charred and crisped on the
sides. Understandably, this is a time-consuming process, but
if you call to place an advance order before you visit, you
won’t have to wait that long for your food. Here’s the CEOs’
list of top-pot places.
48 | claypot rice claypot rice | 49
crabs
THERE are no secrets when it comes to crabs
– at least not in regard to finding the creme
de la creme of cooked versions. After all, the
best crab dishes are fresh ones, and that’s
something that can be guaranteed only when
a stall has a high turnover rate.
So it is that all of the crab places in this
chapter are bustling, well-known eateries,
most of which specialise in cooking crabs one
of two uniquely Singapore ways: In a spicy-
sweet chilli sauce flecked with egg; or in a
fiery black pepper dressing. Both were created
decades ago by local hawkers who were
looking for fresh ways to offer mud crabs, a
popular kind of seafood in this region.
You’ll have to queue at a couple of
these places and be subjected to slow and
sometimes brusque service at one or two, but
the end result is worth it: Sweet, succulent
and firm flesh that’s as consistent as Mother
PHOTO: NO SIG Nature can manage it, done in a shell-full
NBOARD SEAFOOD
of ways.
54 | crabs crabs | 55
PHOTO: TNP
The crustaceans here are priced by
the kilogram (they average around $38
per kg) and not by the way you want
yours done. In regard to that, most
Ban Leong Wah Hoe
House of Seafood lies in using quality ingredients: opt for the speciality
House of Seafood, which opened in 122 Casuarina Road
@ 180 2008, apparently only uses top-grade ☎ 6452 2824
180 Yio Chu Kang Road stuff for its dishes. It also has 10 crab Open daily from 4pm
☎ 6282 7180 suppliers so as to ensure good crab to 1.30am
Open daily from 5pm to 11pm quality all year round, and is doing
so well that Mr Ng opened another Despite its tucked-
House of Seafood may only have one branch in Bedok three months after away location at
of the assistant chefs from the famous the first. He’s also planning to add two the end of a row
Eng Seng black pepper crab coffee more outlets in Changi to his stable. of greenery-
shop at Joo Chiat in its employment, That commercial-ness may not surrounded
but its version of the dish definitely appeal to those who enjoy Eng Seng’s shophouses at
matches up to the older shop’s. The nostalgic atmosphere, but House of Upper Thomson,
crabs ($38 per kg) are large and sweet, Seafood does have a few of its own Ban Leong Wah
and the liquid-enough-to-dip-your- cute touches: Every crab, for instance, Hoe has been
mantou-in sauce is very peppery with comes branded with a lucky four-digit cooking up a storm
a hint of caramelised sugar and burnt number. Considering the number of since it opened in the area
butter. 4D-mad Singaporeans, that may just in 1976. Its specialities are
The secret, says owner Francis Ng, tip the balance in its favour. chilli crab and black pepper
56 | crabs crabs | 57
crab, which aren’t of the fiery variety than Sin Huat’s grubby environment – doing black pepper versions at that
but are mild enough for the whole think about $80 per head. time,” says Mr Lim. “Also, the black
family to enjoy with its large, sweet pepper version tends to make your
mantou. taste buds numb and you won’t be
The family-run business is owned able to taste the freshness of the crab,
by Teh Chor Joo (who does the cooking No Signboard Seafood unlike white pepper which is more
and comes up with the recipes) and his subtle.”
414 Geylang Road
wife Tan Ai Leng, and they’re helped Another distinctive dish here is
out by their two sons.
☎ 6842 3415 the chilli crab, which is very eggy, a
Open daily from noon to 1am
“We do everything ourselves,” tad briny, and cooked with the store’s
says Mr Teh’s son, Dextre Teh, when own blend of chilli sauce – “not just
asked the secret of Ban Leong’s success. the usual Maggi sauce”, says Mr Lim.
That includes shopping for the best Meanwhile, those hankering after
ingredients daily, making sauces from other types of crab than mud crab
PHOTO: ST
scratch and even importing their will find it here as well: No Signboard
own seafood. “We’re also a seafood stocks flower crabs, Alaskan crabs and
distributor,” adds the younger Mr Teh. snow crabs, among other varieties.
Ban Leong offers two types of crab: an ultra-grimy place to eat, it says
Sri Lankan ($38 per kg), for those who something about the food. In the
prefer their crustaceans meaty; and case of Sin Huat, diners brave filthy
Indonesian ($28), for those who prefer floors, weathered furniture and the
Yummy Crab
“the sweetness of the meat”. sight of algae-encrusted tanks of live 351 Changi Road
But that’s not all that’s available seafood, all for the sake of chef Danny
here. Crabs aside, the shop does other
☎ 6749 2925
Lee’s fried crab bee hoon. Here, the Open daily from noon to 11pm
dishes well too – the clams ($10 per crustacean, stuffed full of roe, is piled
serving for four persons) that come atop a mound of garlicky noodles that This crab outlet, owned by chicken rice
piping hot in a clear, chilli-speckled are sticky with crab juice and have a Back in the 1980s, when Sam Lim’s brand Boon Tong Kee, may not be in
broth, for instance, are not to be slightly smoky flavour. grandmother started No Signboard, the top five when it comes to crabs (its
missed. It’s not done any other way, though selling 10kg of crabs took almost a chilli crab, for instance, lacks punch),
a small list of other dishes is available week. These days, he says, the six- but it deserves a mention for its fried
(the steamed prawns are equally good outlet chain sells “close to a tonne of rice with crab meat ($15 for a serving
but also very garlicky), because Mr Lee crabs a day”, or about 200kgs’ worth for two persons).
Sin Huat Eating House is famously finicky about his menu. per outlet per day. The mound of firm grains is chock-
659 Geylang Road The downside (apart from the Many of those crustaceans (priced full of chunks of crab meat, barbecued
☎ 6744 9755 dirtiness) is that the food takes ages at $40 per kg) go out dressed in the pork and prawns, all succulent and
Open daily from 11am to 3.30pm and to come, because a rather inefficient shop’s distinctive white pepper sauce, juicy, and the rice isn’t clumpy or too
6.30pm to 1am ordering system is in place: The which comprises several types of greasy. It’s perfect for when you’re on
hawker takes and cooks all orders white pepper and is No Signboard’s your own, craving crab and don’t want
When normally fastidious-about- himself, table by table. And prices are speciality. “My grandmother came up to look greedy eating a whole crab
cleanliness Singaporeans flock to more suited to a proper restaurant with the recipe because everyone was by yourself.
cuttlefish kang kong & satay bee hoon | 59
cuttlefish kang
kong & satay
bee hoon
CUTTLEFISH kang kong and satay bee hoon are two
examples of Malay-Chinese fusion dishes that can only
be found in a melting-pot landscape such as Singapore.
The former comprises a combination of poached
cuttlefish and water spinach dressed in a spicy-tangy
sauce that’s topped with a sprinkling of peanuts, while
satay bee hoon is a dish of fine rice noodles drenched in
a satay-sauce-inspired peanut gravy and accompanied
by cuttlefish as well as cockles.
Both have a history that goes back decades,
to Singapore’s early days, but they are also fast
disappearing from the local culinary landscape – in
recent years, more than a few well-known stalls have
closed down. According to Peter Lim, the owner of Ye
Lai Xiang Cuttlefish Kang Kong in Bedok, survival is
tough because “the youngsters don’t appreciate dishes
like these”.
The good news is that if you have a craving for cuttlefish
kang kong and satay bee hoon, there are still enough stalls
around dishing up delicious versions that will satisfy it. But for
how long – now that’s another story.
60 | cuttlefish kang kong & satay bee hoon cuttlefish kang kong & satay bee hoon | 61
Centre Satay Bee Hoon says contains “secret ingredients”. Chomp Chomp He Xing Cooked Food
She’s a bit more forthcoming about
Block 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, #01-12 the preparation process, however:
Satay Bee Hoon Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8, #01-135
Open 11am to 9pm; closed Tuesday According to the hawker, the sauce has #01-17 Chomp Chomp Food Centre Open 12pm to 10pm;
(unless it’s a public holiday) to be cooked for one whole day and 20 Kensington Park Road closed Tuesday
the peanuts dry-roasted before they are Open 4pm to 11pm;
The dearth of hawkers selling satay added to the thick liquid. This is done closed every other Monday This nondescript stall is run by a
bee hoon was what spurred Lily Tan once a week – enough is made for the woman who only wants to be known
to master the recipe and set up shop week each time – and the process is so Discuss satay bee hoon with any local, as Mrs Liew. Her signature dish of
some 20 years ago, with the help of laborious that it’s difficult to get extra and Chomp Chomp Satay Bee Hoon cuttlefish kang kong, however, is far
a friend who shared the tricks of the portions if you want any. will likely be mentioned. After all, less restrained than she is. Bite into
trade with her. Today, she’s reaping Recently another dish was added this stall has been around for nearly the warm bee hoon topped with a
the benefits of her efforts – her Ang to Centre’s repertoire: Cuttlefish 40 years, owned and operated by the generous serving of tender cuttlefish,
Mo Kio stall is one of the top-rated kang kong. And what goes into it? Quek family. crunchy jellyfish, kang kong, sliced
ones for satay bee hoon in Singapore, It’s another secret, says Ms Tan. She Third-generation owner Quek bean curd and pickled vegetables,
and she owns another branch at adds: “I am quite sure no one else has Hang Mong, who now runs the stall and a powerful marriage of flavours
Sembawang Hill Food Centre. thought of it, other than the person with a friend of his, says he’s kept explodes in the mouth. Add to that
Both stalls dish up tasty satay who taught me.” One can only try it the recipe as original as possible, the special sauce that is tangy, sweet
bee hoon in a sauce that Ms Tan and guess. but admits that modern times have and savoury all at once, plus chopped
62 | cuttlefish kang kong & satay bee hoon cuttlefish kang kong & satay bee hoon | 63
roasted peanuts, and you get a 100 per Singapore’s satay bee hoon pioneers:
cent enjoyable dish. The stall started in 1961 in the
He Xing has been in this Toa Payoh MacPherson-Upper Serangoon area
hawker centre for more than 20 years, and is now run by third-generation
and along with the cuttlefish kang owner Ng Siaw Meng and his brother.
kong it also sells different variations of The siblings are extremely precise
cuttlefish porridge, such as sliced fish about the amount of ingredients that
and cuttlefish porridge or cuttlefish go into each dish, which is probably
with shredded chicken porridge. why it takes so long to prepare a
For something different, Mrs Liew plateful, but still the crowds keep
recommends that you skip the bee queuing.
hoon in the cuttlefish kang kong and
order porridge in its place. It may
sound a little odd, but it’s actually a
perfect match. Ye Lai Xiang
Cuttlefish Kang Kong
#01-32 Bedok Food Centre
Meng Kee 1 Bedok Road
Open noon to 9pm;
Satay Bee Hoon closed Monday and some Tuesdays
#01-17 East Coast Lagoon Food Village
1220 East Coast Parkway
☎ 6441 4830
Open 5.30pm to 1am; to bring up her children”. Since then, ingredients tossed together.”
closed Tuesday the business has stayed within the The cheapest order here is $5,
Lim clan, and Mr Lim is still using his which is a bit more than elsewhere,
If you are in a hurry for your satay grandmother’s recipe for the dish. but the heftier price tag is for a reason
bee hoon, then Meng Kee is not the What makes the cuttlefish kang – Mr Lim insists on using Korean
place to go – here, you have to be kong stand out here is the generous cuttlefish, which has a better texture.
prepared to wait at least 20 minutes amount of cuttlefish in it. The tender, Once you’re done with your main
to get your fix. It’s worth joining the soft pieces are piled atop a bed of course, order dessert from the stall next
queue though, if you have the time kang kong then topped with a sweet- to Ye Lai Xiang Cuttlefish Kang Kong.
– Meng Kee’s coveted plates of satay For Ye Lai Xiang Cuttlefish Kang spicy sauce, chopped lettuce, crushed Called Ye Lai Xiang Hot & Cold Cheng
bee hoon have lashings of rich, creamy Kong, the secret to success is family. peanuts and slices of bean curd, Tng, it’s run by Mr Lim’s brother, who
satay sauce made from more than 30 The stall started when current owner pineapple and cucumber. Says prepares the delicious homestyle cheng
herbs and spices, as well as plenty of Peter Lim’s grandfather passed away, Mr Lim: “We use fresh cucumber slices tng – a traditional Chinese dessert
bean sprouts, sliced pork and poached leaving his grandmother to work as a instead of the usual achar because we soup made with dried longans, barley
cuttlefish. street peddler selling cuttlefish kang think of cuttlefish kang kong as a dish and lotus seeds – according to his
Owners the Ng family are among kong “in order to earn enough money like rojak – a combination of fresh grandmother’s recipe too.
duck rice | 65
duck rice
DUCKS are among the more versatile creatures in
the Singapore food chain and play a highly significant
role in the local diet. Evidence of this can be found
in the hundreds of hawker stalls and coffee shops
around town displaying Cantonese-style roasts and
Teochew-style braised ducks in glass counters at the
front of their shops – a traditional practice designed
to attract customers and still the most effective way
to showcase the product.
The meat is usually served with plain rice or
with noodles along with a signature sauce to seal the
deal, and the best versions, judging from the CEOs’
picks, are done by stalls that have been in business
for two decades and longer. It just goes to prove that
there’s simply no substitute for experience.
66 | duck rice duck rice | 67
Hua Fong Kee sesame and several other ingredients, smaller birds that weigh an average get any more classic than Toh Kee.
it really is instantly recognisable, and of 2.7kg each. He also hasn’t grown Even by the standards of long-lasting
Roasted Duck it has found favour with many diners: tired of eating his own cuisine and family-run food stalls, Toh Kee is a
Block 116 Toa Payoh Lorong 2, #01-140 Hua Fong Kee has built up a substantial has at least one meal of duck or some senior citizen, having started off in
☎ 6253 2884 fan base since it opened in 1989. other roasted meat from his stall Chinatown in 1923, according to the
Open 8am to 8pm; closed Thursday A single portion of duck – served every day. That’s just about the best descendants of Ng Chow Hong, the
with rice or Hong Kong-style noodles endorsement any establishment man who started what must be one of
According to Johnny Teo and Jessie – goes for $3 here, while a whole could have. the oldest hawker businesses in town.
Sim, the husband-and-wife owners duck sells for $32. Mr Ng, who arrived in Singapore
of Hua Fong Kee Roasted Duck, The couple has also received from Canton in the early 1900s,
the secret to their roast duck is in offers to open a branch in an Orchard passed away in 1971 at the age of 73.
the sauce. Sure, the duck is tender, Road mall, but have resisted so far. The roast meats at Toh Kee, however,
juicy and not too fatty – courtesy As Mr Teo puts it: “The duck doesn’t
Toh Kee are still going strong and have retained
of the free-range birds from Perak, taste the same when it is in an air- #01-1016A People’s Park Food Centre their quality and consistency over
where there is plenty of water for conditioned place.” They also feel it Block 32 New Market Road the decades; that explains why the
them to swim around in – but it’s the would be more difficult to maintain ☎ 6323 3368 business, which occupies a row of
sauce, created and refined by Ms Sim standards once they move out of their Open 10am to 7pm; closed Monday three stalls in People’s Park, has
over the years, that makes the dish Toa Payoh comfort zone. legions of fans.
distinctive, they reckon. Mr Teo adds that he is very When it comes to old-fashioned Duck is still the star performer at
With a ginger-plum base plus selective with the ducks, preferring Cantonese-style roast duck, you can’t Toh Kee – the meat is flavourful and
68 | duck rice duck rice | 69
of which are also popular. But the might be slightly different, but the meat splash liberally on the plates of duck
premium is worth it because there is similarly tender. Unlike Lim Seng and bowls of white rice. Its vinegary
Lim Seng Lee is something truly satisfying about Lee, however, the opening times tend chilli sauce also works well with
chewing on tender, thinly-sliced duck, to be rather erratic, so if you have a the dish.
Duck Rice safe in the knowledge that there sudden craving for this particular style This corner stall facing Rochor
38 South Buona Vista Road are no difficult bones to negotiate. of Teochew duck rice, it’s safer to head Canal Road is patronised by a steady
☎ 6475 9908 Alternatively, you can order a single for Buona Vista. flow of customers from the moment
Open 10am to 8.30pm; closed Sunday portion of braised duck ($5) in the it opens until the duck runs out
stall’s signature dark brown gravy – sometime around 2pm. Even if all
This corner coffee shop in South sweetish, slightly sticky – which is that remains in the stall are just a few
Buona Vista is dedicated to the art of a perfect accompaniment to rice Heng Gi Roasted Goose random bits of meat, eager customers
boneless duck, which it pioneered in or porridge. can be seen lining up to polish it
1968. The dish was the creation of Lim The business now includes the
& Duck Rice off. There is a steady rhythm to the
Ah Too, who discovered the virtues second generation as well as assorted #01-335 Tekka Food Centre chopping and serving, and nothing is
of going boneless at a young age and relatives, but the routine is still pretty 665 Buffalo Road rushed, even when the line is long.
now, more than four decades later, much the same as it has always been: Open 10am to 2pm; According to the owners, who
remains an active member of the duck- ducks hanging at the front, Mr Lim closed Monday and Tuesday have been in business for almost 50
chopping brigade. chopping away furiously, and long-time years, not much has changed in the
Each duck here costs $40, and a staffers shouting orders from various Heng Gi is another popular local preparation – only the prices ($3.50
meal will likely add up because most parts of the coffee shop. institution for Teochew-style duck. per portion) are different now. It’s still
diners tend to order other dishes to Meanwhile, another popular The meat is thick-cut, plump and pretty good value however, and Heng
complement it, such as tofu, sambal practitioner of boneless duck is Sia Kee juicy, and complemented by a thin, Gi remains a dependable source of
kang kong and sambal squid, all in Geylang, where the presentation delicious dark gravy that the owners tasty, traditional braised duck.
fishball noodles & bak chor mee | 71
fishball noodles
& bak chor mee
JUST as pasta is a dish that many Italians cannot go without, so
Singapore’s version – fishball noodles and minced meat noodles
also known as bak chor mee, served “dry” or in soup with chilli
and vinegar – is a local staple. And judging by CEOs’ votes, the
best places to get these dishes are run mostly by hawkers who have
been boiling and blanching for decades.
But that’s not to say recipes haven’t changed. Back in the days
when a bowl of each cost just 20 cents, hawkers used to make their
own noodles and throw in ingredients that wouldn’t earn your
doctor’s approval, such as pigs’ kidneys. Subsequently, as technology
and palates morphed with the times, so too did production methods
and recipes.
Still, tucking into a bowl or two at one of the top-rated hawker
stalls listed in this chapter is bound to evoke some memories – many
of them continue to hand-make at least a few of their own ingredients,
and most still use good old-fashioned lard in their cooking. Dig in!
72 | fishball noodles & bak chor mee fishball noodles & bak chor mee | 73
PHOTO: ST
Hill Street Tai Hwa Here, the springy mee kia and
a Tai Wah at Bestway Building and Ah Poh Meat Noodles
a Dai Hua at VivoCity, which are in
mee pok are served with lots of fresh
Pork Noodle pork slices, bouncy pork balls and
fact run by his brother and nephew, #01-245 Fengshan Market & Food Centre
respectively. But they don’t share the Block 85 Bedok North St 4
#01-12 Tai Hwa Eating House pork liver, with all the goodies bound Open daily from 6pm to 11.30pm
same recipes, he says. And, judging by
Block 466 Crawford Lane together by a potent tangy, spicy
the food, not quite the same level of
☎ 6292 7477 dressing made with vinegar and chilli. MOST versions of the bak chor mee
quality either.
Open 9.30am to 9pm; Prices start from $4 a bowl. at this market are in hot soup, and we
closed on the first and third Monday Owner Tang Chay Seng, who mean that literally. Fengshan Market
of each month took over the original Hill Street stall is Singapore’s “headquarters” for
(established in 1932) from his father Hokkien-style soupy bak chor mee
To paraphrase the proverb: Good more than 40 years ago, says the Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian (all starting from $2 a bowl), which is
things come to those who wait ... and secret is in Tai Hwa’s vinegar, which #01-07 Fengshan Market & Food Centre turned out by three stalls in the food
wait ... and wait, at Tai Hwa. The bak his team produces once a week in an Block 85 Bedok North Street 4 centre – Xing Ji, its neighbour Seng
chor mee stall at Crawford Lane is hours-long process. The noodles are Open daily from 5.30pm to 3am Hiang, and Ah Poh Meat Noodles a
notorious for its long queues (dining custom-made to a special recipe, and couple of rows away.
companions who order from other each order is cooked individually to Those who want a taste of the
ensure quality, which accounts for the
Seng Hiang Food Stall original recipe should head to Xing Ji,
stalls are likely to finish their food
before their friends have reached the long queues. #01-08 Fengshan Market & Food Centre whose owner Sim Chee Huat was the
head of the line), but it’s also well- Many confuse Mr Tang’s stall with Block 85 Bedok North Street 4 first on the Fengshan Market scene. He
known for its delicious fare. others bearing similar names – there’s Open daily from 6pm to 3am took over the business from his father
74 | fishball noodles & bak chor mee fishball noodles & bak chor mee | 75
more than 20 years ago. Ah Poh, That results in a light spicy-sour Soon Wah Fish Ball
on the other hand, is operated by chilli that really perks up the noodles,
Mr Sim’s younger sister, while Seng which start from $3 for a bowl of kway
Kway Teow Mee
Hiang is not related to either. teow or mee pok served with tasty #01-69 Newton Food Centre
Both Xing Ji and Seng Hiang serve soup, juicy pork slices, mushrooms, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North
their nearly indistinguishable minced- fishballs and slices of fish cake. It’s Open 5.30pm to 11.30pm;
meat-laced soup with a generous worth ordering an extra portion of the closed Wednesday and Sunday
amount of pork balls, cut chilli and latter for $2 too, if you appreciate a
thin, wavy noodles, while Ah Poh’s good fish cake, because the one here It’s not just a good main ingredient
noodles have less curl but more bite is hand-made with quality fish and that goes into Soon Wah’s flavourful
as well as a less chemical taste – freshly fried by Madam Lim daily. and sweet fishballs, but a whole lot of
which makes it the best version at While Chia Keng’s been around effort too. Each bouncy sphere has its
the market. for so long that Madam Lim cannot beginnings in an early-morning trip to
recall when it started (“it was 50-over the market, where owner Eio Ah Seng
years ago; we were originally at a small and his younger brother Eio Soon
market near Lim Tua Tow Road”), what Teck personally pick fresh yellowtail
Chia Keng she remembers is that the stall moved fish. They spend late morning till early
to Chong Boon Market in 1983. With afternoon hand-forming the fish meat
Kway Teow Mee that far-reaching history, it’s no wonder into fishballs and dumplings, then take
#01-11 Chong Boon Market & she and her husband turn out fishball a short break. Come 3.30pm, they’re
Food Centre noodles as rich in flavour as the same name at Simpang Bedok but at their stall preparing the light, clear
Block 453A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 business is in experience. that it has no dealings with Jalan Tua soup that accompanies their noodles,
☎ 9644 6338 Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok Kway Teow along with a few other things, before
Open 5.30am to 2pm; Mee, located at Simpang Bedok as opening at 5.30pm.
closed Monday and Friday well. The latter is apparently owned It’s a punishing routine, but the
Ah Lim Mee Pok You by someone who used to work for the elder Eio says he’s used to it. “I’ve been
Owner Lee Ti Ti’s fishball noodles stall owner of Ah Lim. doing this since I took over the stall
is closed two days a week, but the
Mian Kway Teow Mee But on to the food. There’s some from my father more than 40 years
hawker and his team have actually only Soy Eu Tua Coffee Shop old-fashioned charm in a name like Ah ago,” explains the affable man. “We
got one day off: Monday. “We spend 15 Upper East Coast Road Lim, and the stall does do traditional were located in the old Orchard Road
Fridays making all the ingredients we Open 7am to 5pm; mee pok fired up with an explosive carpark before, but moved to Newton
need for the week ahead,” says his wife, closed every other Monday chilli sauce that has chilli seeds in it. in 1977 when that closed.”
Lim Siew Hoong. For $3, you get a generous bowlful With so many years of experience
The bulk of the effort goes into This is one of several stalls embroiled of soft-cooked noodles tossed with under its belt, it’s no wonder Soon
making the stall’s signature chilli sauce, in a mee pok war in the East Coast/ minced meat, fishballs, slices of fish Wah offers one of the more refined
which costs “more than $100 for five Bedok area, which is perhaps why the cake and crunchy lard. There are also versions of fishball noodles around –
days’ worth”. In it go kilograms of owner doesn’t do interviews. What fresh prawns and a light, fairly tasty it’s cooked with a light hand and isn’t
prawns, chillies and shallots, among his helpers would say, however, is soup, which make this one of the more too oily, plus portions are daintily
other items, and the ingredients are then that their business – which opened value-for-money versions of fishball presented in petite bowls. Prices start
cooked together for “a few hours”. in 2004 – is related to a stall of the noodles around. from $4 for a small serving.
fish soup/porridge & fish head noodles | 77
fish soup/
porridge &
fish head
noodles
IF there were a recipe that has emerged undiluted from the wave
of health-conscious eating that has swept over modern times,
it would have to be that for fish soup.After all, to begin with,
this one-dish-meal – that has Teochew origins and consists
of slices of boiled or fried fish in a clear broth – is as non-
fattening a food as you can get (which explains why the
chief clientele of fish-soup stalls seems to be weight-
conscious females; just observe the queues that form
at these stalls in the CBD during lunch time).
The best shops use fresh fish from around the
region, usually of the snakehead or batang variety;
several offer pomfret at a premium. The fish is served
in a broth made from fish stock that can include
anything from fried ginger to shreds of omelette, then
topped with coriander or chopped spring onions for a
splash of colour.
Also from the same family of food is fish head bee
hoon, which is essentially meaty chunks of fish head cooked
in a broth that’s almost creamy from being boiled with fish
bones for hours. This is usually served in zi char fashion with a
number of other dishes.
Preparation styles for these fish dishes differ only slightly
across the island, but don’t be fooled by how similar the end
results look – every stall’s version has a distinctly different taste.
In this chapter you’ll find a list of the best.
78 | fish soup/porridge & fish head noodles fish soup/porridge & fish head noodles | 79
Ms Woon says is made with a “secret competition. “All those places use
seasoning inside the eggs”. cheap XO,” he says. “To make it taste
The couple used to have several good, you must use top quality XO
branches in the 1990s but have since and that’s what we do.”
closed them down due to the fact The stall isn’t stingy with the cognac
that they are getting older, and also either – each rich pot of fish head bee
so that they have better control over hoon is heady with XO and comprises
the quality of their food. Don’t, then, thick chunks of toman fish (the largest
mistake this original for a certain other of the world’s snakeheads; Mr Lau says
fish-soup shop that bears the Blanco he only uses fresh ones from Malaysia
Court name as well. instead of frozen fish from Thailand) in
a broth that has been boiled for three
hours with fish bones. Prices range from
$5 for a single portion.
Holland Village Holland Village XO Fish Head
Bee Hun also does a good har cheong
XO Fish Head Bee Hun gai, which you’ll see on nearly every
#01-05 Jumbo Coffee Hub table, but what’s even better is the old-
9A Dover Crescent fashioned sweet and sour pork, which
☎ 6778 3691 has tender, slightly fatty meat fried in
Open daily from 11.30am to 2pm and a light, crisp batter that’s coated with a
5pm to 11pm nicely balanced sweet-tangy sauce.
The man with the dyed curly hairdo, Swee Kee is a rather grubby looking The dish is served with fresh fish that
designer tee and loafers at this stall store in a row of shophouses that’s isn’t in chunks but cut thinly into more
looks more like a prosperous Chinese becoming increasingly fashionable, refined portions and, as a result, there’s
businessman from the 1990s than a but – as evidenced by its walls which no fishy smell.
hawker, and in fact he does have some are plastered with photographs of Also good is the mildly-flavoured
of that in his background. Ricky Lau celebrity customers – what it offers har cheong gai that’s very crispy on
was an XO salesman before he hit upon draws the stars much more than any of the outside and juicy inside, as well as
the idea of pouring the premium stuff its glam neighbours do. the pai gu wang which, unlike at other
into fish head bee hoon and decided to The speciality here is fish bee hoon places, is lean, deboned pieces of pork
open his own stall selling it. in an ivory-coloured broth that gets fried to salty, savoury goodness.
Today, the dish is so popular that Swee Kee Fishhead its hue not from the shortcut addition Those who miss the footloose
the stall – which is named after its
original location at Holland Drive – has
Noodle House of milk, but from the sheer number and fancy-free days of less health-
of hours that the soup has been conscious times, however, will perhaps
another outlet at Smith Street and 96 Amoy Street boiled with fish bones, says second- best enjoy the contents of the saucer
the concept has spawned imitators, ☎ 6224 9920 generation owner Tang Tat Cheong, that every table is presented with at
but Mr Lau pooh-poohs the idea of Open daily from 11.45am to 2.30pm who now manages the business that the start of a meal: Bits of pure, melt-
those other businesses being real and 5.30pm to 2am his father set up some 70 years ago. in-the-mouth lard.
fried carrot cake & oyster omelette | 83
fried carrot
cake & oyster
omelette
THERE are some things that can only be seen in black or
white, and one of them is fried carrot cake. Also known
locally as chai tow kway, this Asian version of carrot cake
(which originated in China and is not to be confused with
the very different American variety) isn’t actually made
of carrot but white radish, which is steamed with
rice flour in trays to produce slabs of soft, jelly-
like dough that is then cut into strips and fried.
The “white” version – that is, sans soya
sauce – is stir-fried with beaten egg to achieve
a crispy exterior that’s topped with pickled
radish, while the “black” sort is made with
the addition of sweet black soya sauce.
Hawkers who dish up carrot cake
usually serve oyster omelette, or or luak,
as well, since ingredients-wise it is a
close cousin of chai tow kway. Or luak is
essentially an omelette made of eggs, sweet
potato flour (which renders a slightly glutinous
texture) and small local oysters, that’s served
with a tangy chilli sauce. If you’re not an oyster
fan, you can ask for shrimps instead – most hawkers
will be happy to do the swap.
84 | fried carrot cake & oyster omelette fried carrot cake & oyster omelette | 85
Bugis Street the stall has been open for about 30 the menu here: Ang Sa Lee serves only
years and has plenty of regulars. oyster omelette and nothing else.
Fried Kway Teow Here, Mr Tan himself takes the
#01-09 Longhouse Food Centre orders instead of cooking behind the
183 Upper Thomson Road stove – he’s trained his staff to turn
☎ 9174 7666 out the sort of oyster omelette that Hai Sheng Carrot Cake
Open 9am to 11pm; his father used to do in the 1950s;
closed every other Tuesday the “traditional style”, as he calls it.
(Ang Mo Kio)
Which leaves him free to handle all the Block 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, #01-09
A designer hawker stall may sound different requests and make sure that ☎ 9003 5259
like an oxymoron, but Bugis Street customers get what they want, whether Open daily from 8am to 3pm
Fried Kway Teow comes pretty close. it be Ang Sa Lee’s signature soft oyster and 7pm to 8pm
On its glass frontage is a huge logo of omelette made with sweet potato
a prawn, and small design elements flour, or modern-day health-focused Jenny Lim is a full-time hawker,
elsewhere contribute towards spiffying requests such as oyster omelette sometime engineer. When she took
up the stall too. without the omelette. That request over the carrot cake stall established
As you might expect, the owner was “a bit strange”, he admits, but by her father some 30 years ago, she
is a youngish man – Andy Poh, who adds with a smile and a shrug: “I guess developed a long, flat pan that allows
used to cook at several other hawker times have changed.” her to fry carrot cake in much larger
stalls but was inspired to go solo after as a noodle dish with Pacific clams ($6). What hasn’t changed, though, is quantities than is possible in the
his most recent stint at a well-known There’s also the fried oyster noodles traditional wok.
purveyor of fried kway teow. At his ($5), which is a combination of two of She’s also come up with a very
own stall, then, he offers that, plus his signature dishes: Oyster omelette efficient way to cook the dish (only the
Hokkien noodles, oyster omelette and Hokkien noodles. white version is served here; from $2
(from $4 per plate) and fried carrot per plate) – that is, she first fries the
cake (from $3 per plate) as well. carrot cake, then pours over beaten
While his noodle dishes are the egg before spraying seasoning from a
top sellers, the carrot cake comes a bottle over the entire thing. This makes
Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster a sort of massive omelette, which she
close second. It’s very tasty and made
by frying the chopped pieces of radish #01-33 Chomp Chomp Food Centre subsequently cuts into squares and
cake slowly over a mild fire. 20 Kensington Park Road flips over to ensure they’re crispy on
Bugis Street – whose name Mr Poh Open 5pm to 11pm; both sides.
adopted from the previous owner – closed every other Wednesday This super systematic method of
also has a number of other “creative cooking enables Ms Lim to run the
dishes” that the savvy entrepreneur Owner of Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster, stall singlehandedly. But that’s not
introduced in 2009 to draw more Tan Ah Piang, attributes his success enough for the entrepreneur – she’s
customers when business was hit by to customer service, in particular even started a small production facility
the economic recession. These include a remembering what style of oyster to make carrot cake according to
more luxe version of Hokkien noodles omelettes his customers prefer. And her family recipe, which aside from
that contains fried limpets ($8), as well that’s no mean feat, considering that using at her stall she also supplies to
86 | fried carrot cake & oyster omelette fried carrot cake & oyster omelette | 87
a selected number of hawkers, whom black and white versions are served; It’s a combination of Korean oysters, a family business can last only for
she then coaches on her cooking the latter version, in particular, is good, starch and chilli, minus the egg, and is three generations, but the stars seem
method. These hawkers are allowed to with plenty of fragrant salted radish quite the indulgence. Then there are to be shining on Mr Tan. His stall has
use the Hai Sheng name and leverage and just the right proportion of carrot the China-style fried oysters, which been frequently featured in television
on her reputation but it is not, she cake and egg. are a modern tribute to the traditional and radio programmes and is still
stresses, a franchise. oyster omelette. They’re cooked with going strong. “My generation
sweet potato flour made from old has been lucky,”
sweet potatoes – supposedly the best he says.
Ah Hock sort of flour to make oyster omelette,
if Mr Tan is to be believed.
Carrot Cake Fried Oyster Hougang Also impressive is the hawker’s
#01-36 Chomp Chomp Food Centre #01-54 Whampoa Drive Food Centre chilli sauce – he cooks with two
20 Kensington Park Road Block 90 Whampoa Drive types, a spicy-sour version
Open 5.30pm to midnight; Open noon to 11pm; for dipping cooked oyster
closed every other Tuesday closed every other Wednesday omelette in, and chilli
with belacan for
Singaporeans are known for grumbling Raymond Tan is a third-generation frying.
about the slightest hint of bad service in owner of his family’s business, whose There is an
restaurants, but when it comes to bad history – in the form of a “since 1952” old Chinese
hawker service, they somehow instantly signage – is proudly displayed above saying that
develop high levels of tolerance. For the stall. Back in those early days,
some reason, cranky service at hawker Mr Tan’s grandfather, a food peddler,
stalls is seen as but a small price to pay used to set up makeshift stalls wherever
for good hawker food. street opera troupes performed.
That’s why this stall at Chomp Oyster omelette lovers who relish
Chomp is still in business, because if it variations will have a field day here.
were a restaurant, it would surely have There are four versions of the dish
been struck off every diner’s list by now. offered – all inspired by the many
Be prepared for rude mutterings and “special requests” Mr Tan has received
glares from the stall helpers when you over the years. Other than the usual
order, and woe betide you if you change fried oyster omelette (from $4 a plate),
your mind about anything. The man he also offers a version without starch
who owns the stall and fries the carrot (from $8). To properly cook the latter,
cake is a second-generation hawker the hawker has devised a different
(who must not have time to oversee his frying technique and has added more
harassed staff); his father used to sell oysters to the dish, which justifies the
carrot cake in the Philip Street area. higher price tag.
That said, however, the carrot cake Those who love to slurp up their
(from $3 per plate) from this stall is oysters, meanwhile, should try the
worth a little abuse. Here, both the fresh Korean sambal oysters (from $8).
kway chap & pig’s organ soup | 89
in the cooking technique, not the a bowl of noodles – that have been best-known kway chap stalls in
ingredient. Mr Seow carefully cooks braised, dried then deep-fried) – that Singapore, whose success, Mr Phua
the noodles in batches and blanches and braised duck and ngoh hiang, believes, is due to the “texture of
them for one to two minutes over a which are also on Sin Fong’s menu. the ingredients”. That’s why his pig
big fire, which results in the smooth These days, his son does most of the intestines, trotters and skins are all
texture. He would prefer to make the work and Mr Wong comes in later than cooked in smallish batches, so as to
noodles from scratch as hawkers used he used to. He considers himself retired, retain a slightly chewy texture. He
to do in the past, he says, but that’s not but can’t tear himself away from his also prefers to cook even the standard
possible today. “There’s just too little business. “I have spent my life running kway chap dish of soya sauce eggs
space in the hawker stalls to do much this stall and I wouldn’t know what – which many hawkers buy ready-
these days,” he explains. else to do if I wasn’t here,” he says. cooked – from scratch daily.
To-Ricos takes up a two-stall space,
but Mr Phua remains the only person
cooking. Unfortunately, there are no
Sin Fong Restaurant To-Ricos Guo Shi successors by his side, and none of his
children are interested in taking over
560 Macpherson Road #01-136 Old Airport Road Food Centre the business. “I may have to shut down
Open daily from 7.30am to 1.30am Block 51 Old Airport Road the business eventually,” he says. Eat
Open 11.30am to 3.30pm; while you can.
If Sin Fong owner Wong Lai Chong’s closed Monday and the day after
youthful looks are anything to go by, a public holiday
the secret to keeping young may just
lie in his slightly starchy kway chap Naming a kway chap stall after an
sauce, a special mixture of Chinese area in South America that’s known
herbs concocted by him. The reason he for its fried chicken may seem like a
puts them in? He worked in a Chinese mismatch, but for owner Phua Gek
medical hall for seven years, and Sia, it’s a reminder of how tough his
that’s convinced him of the healing early days in the food scene were. His
properties of Chinese herbs. the hawker uses in his cooking is his closed his first business – selling chicken
No surprise, then, that he believes own special blend. wings – after he realised that it wasn’t
his kway chap should not just be about Mr Wong, a Malaysia native, has sustainable, after which he switched to
taste, but should also be good for been cooking kway chap for more making kway chap. He opened his first
health, aid digestion and offer a range than 30 years, but his career has also kway chap stall at Blanco Court Food
of nutritional properties. As such, he’s taken him through everything from Centre in 1984, and served kway chap
careful to make most things himself chicken rice and wonton noodles, made from his own recipe. He then
and Sin Fong’s stall front is quite a to curry rice and dessert. He even conscientiously tweaked it according to
spectacle, with easily over 20 types opened a restaurant at one point. Now, customers’ feedback.
of dishes neatly stacked up in the however, he’s sticking to his special It’s been a long time since he’s
glass showcase or displayed in plastic kway chap (with its signature dish of had to change his recipe though.
containers. Even the five-spice powder pig intestines – priced at $8.50 with These days, To-Ricos is one of the
laksa | 95
laksa
WHERE laksa originated from exactly is
unclear – while one theory has it that this
dish of noodles in a coconutty curry has
Indian roots (the Hindi word lakhshah
refers to a type of vermicelli), another
suggests that laksa was created in
China because la sha in Mandarin
means spicy sand, which could refer
to the gritty dried ground prawns
often used in the dish.
Either way, what’s plain is that
since then, laksa has been adopted
by many countries who are now
turning out the dish with their own
spin on it. Singapore is of course
among them, and there’s even a sort
of laksa stronghold here in Katong, a
neighbourhood where there are more
than a few laksa stalls doing the dish the
distinctive Katong way – with short strands
of noodles that can be eaten with a spoon.
In this chapter, however, you’ll find a list of
stalls outside of that well-known area that serve
equally decent versions.
96 | laksa laksa | 97
appetite), you can sample Mr Lim’s to me and they tell me, you’re still from hardcore foodies to office Laksa Day, when the price drops to $6.
laksa, which has roots dating to 1952 the best”. workers and kids from nearby schools. As advertised, the laksa gravy
when his grandfather Lim Bok Seng A bowl of laksa is priced at $3.80 here is smooth, spicy and very tasty,
parked his cart outside the old Roxy ($4.50 with prawns). The rich, robust with mackerel, mint leaf, pineapple
Theatre. and well-balanced gravy is made fresh and chopped onions, plus of course
Later, the elder Lim took up a each morning and is notable enough, the cafe’s signature sweet prawn paste,
space inside the theatre’s canteen. In but according to Mr Leong, the popiah, all playing significant roles. Given the
the early 1970s, Mike Lim’s father mee siam and mee rebus are equally amount of work it takes to make this
Lim Eng Hock expanded the business popular – and that makes My Cosy from scratch, this is worth shelling out
to army camps and subsequently to Corner a one-stop shop to savour. the bucks for.
the old East Coast Lagoon in the late Penang Kitchen has undergone a
1970s, where the younger Lim learned few changes in ownership since it first
the business until a seamless transition landed at this location, but the original
was made. Penang Kitchen chef from Penang is still around. It
“The laksa is still the same, is now owned by three bankers who
#01-05 Coronation Arcade obviously appreciate their regular fixes
although I have improved it a little
5 Coronation Road of char kway teow, rojak – and, of
by using better basic ingredients and My Cosy Corner ☎ 6466 6193 course, laksa.
spices,” says Mr Lim. “Also the gravy
#02-02 Coronation Shopping Plaza Open 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 9pm;
is a bit thinner now because our
587 Bukit Timah Road closed Wednesday
customers are more health conscious,
but we continue to use fresh coconut ☎ 6463 8286
Open 10am to 7.30pm from Monday to A good version of the tamarind-based
to make it.”
Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday Penang version of laksa, or assam
The gravy is still lemak enough to
laksa, is a lot tougher to find in
satisfy most tastes though and Mr Lim
My Cosy Corner is not your typical Singapore than the coconut-
adheres to the traditional Peranakan
hawker stall or located in a food court based Peranakan sort, but
presentation – fish cake and prawns
somewhere – it’s a hole-in-the-wall joint Penang Kitchen, a tiny
only. He offers cockles as an optional
in a, well, cosy corner in a shopping cafe just next door
extra to keep some clients happy.
mall – but it qualifies because it serves to My Cosy Corner,
“When I started with my
a pretty decent laksa (along with a host dishes out an authentic
grandfather in the mid-1960s, the
of other dishes). bowl that packs a
price was about 50 cents a bowl, but
The place is owned by Leong solid punch. It may
profit margins were higher then,” says
Swee Meng, who worked in the auto be spicier than what
Mr Lim. “It’s not easy now because
industry until about 12 years ago when you are used to – and
the cost of ingredients has gone up.
he discovered that opening a little pricier too at $7.90
My grandfather used to make
corner shop and offering food made – but don’t let that
everything from scratch but it is
using recipes by his aunt, the late stop you. Those in
not possible these days.”
popular cookbook author Leong Yee the know will show
The hawker also shares that many
Soo, was a formula for success. Now, up on Thursdays,
of his customers have tried laksa stalls
the place is frequented by everyone which is designated
elsewhere, but “in the end, they come