Hai Seng Ah Balling: Makan Legend Chinatown Complex Temp Market Part 5 of 5
You are looking at an culinary artform that is closer to extinction than an impotent Panda. This is the last stall in Singapore that still sells traditional Teochew style Ah Balling that is made by hand when you order. Teochew Ah Balling, like many other Teochew dishes, tend to be more Cheng (Less complicated flavours). So unlike the Hokkien Version that serves the Ah Balling in peanut soup, in the Teochew version, the soup is a simple sugar syrup flavoured with Pandan Leaves.
Except for the upgrading to plastic containers, everything here is still done the traditional way when his father first started selling Ah Balling from a push cart over 45 years ago. Mom even remembered Mr Loh when he was still a teenager helping his father along Ellenbourough St.
His hands are so fast that I had to ask him to slow down in order to take this particular shot. (Believe it or not this is the slow motion shot) Each Ah Balling takes barely 3 seconds to make!
In my previous Ah Balling post, I suggested that the name Ah Balling was derived from the Teochew phrase for the unhatched duck egg. Well, this uncle told me another story. He said that when the Ah Balling is first thrown into the boiling water, it sinks to the bottom. Then, when it is cooked, it floats to the top and looks like an Ah Bor (Mother Duck) floating on the water. Ling is the Teochew word that describes the motion of the Ah Balling bobbing around in the water. Which version to believe? You decide for yourself! But this latter version came from the Emeritus Professor of Ah Balling himself!
Conclusion
Its more about texture then taste. The Ah Balling is super smooth and chewy. However, if you like peanut soup, you might find the clear soup a bit bland for you (Like I did). Mom really loved it, I loved it more for the texture and tradition than the taste. 4.25/5
At any rate, this hawker legend still deserves his title for his dogged persistence in perserving our culinary heritage.
Updated 25 June 2008
The stall has returned to its permanent location
Hai Seng Ah Balling
Stall 02-059
Chinatown Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street
Singapore 050335
12pm to 9pm
Thursday 12pm to 6pm
Closed on Monday
1 comment:
Recently discovered one good cantonese Zi Char stall at Chinatown Complex Temp Market - 01-195 if I'm not wrong. No menu, just a lady rattling off what they have. Chef's name is Chef Huang De Ming on the signage - an old, experiences man at the wok. Stir-fried dishes had a really fragrant wok hei flavour - which is extremely rare among the common Zi Char stalls today. My family enjoyed the Garlic Steamed Fish Head which is his specialty. It's pretty value for money and one of the better Zi Char stalls there. Worth trying, in my opinion.
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