Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice: Who started deboning Chicken?

With Tag, carnineviand, iwatch_ueat, Bashful Hunter and iwatch_ueat


I wish I know just who it was that started this trend of deboning chicken? It was a brilliant move. Suddenly you have another type of chicken rice in the market. But then, like any other great idea, the copycats stepped in and usurped it for their own. Now we don't even know who started the trend. Perhaps some of our more informed foodies can enlighten us on this?



This chicken rice is NOT for those who consider themselves the religious guardians of the Chicken Rice Code. I am talking about people like my friend VB who insists that none of the Chicken Rice in Singapore is worth eating. According to Chicken Rice Purists, authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice Chicken is never put into cold water after cooking and never hung because it will drain out all the precious juices. Also the Chicken MUST be an Old Mother Hen who had laid eggs twice. No more, no less. The chicken must be served plain without the drizzling of sauce of any kind. To do it would be to violate the Hainanese Chicken Rice Code. So given all the commandments of the code, this stall does not qualify to call itself "Hainanese Chicken Rice" at all!

But for those heathen amongst us, the pariah of Chicken Rice eaters, this is one pretty shiok chicken rice. The timing of the chicken is perfect, so the flesh is still tender but the bone is cooked right through. Being scared of Salmonella food poisoning, I am always wary of eating chicken that is still pink. I tried the chicken by itself without the sauce and it was "Chickeny" enough but not overly so such that you feel like you are eating chicken that has just been running around you in a Kampung. (I find it hard to eat chicken that I have just been chasing!). Being a Hainanese Chicken Rice pariah, I actually like my chicken with the yummy savoury soy sauce that they drizzle over the chicken. And the sauce here is the BEST I have tasted so far. It has got the right balance of sweet, salty and umami that I find suited my tastebuds best.

To top off the list of transgressions, might I just add the final nail in the coffin. While speaking to the stall owner, I found out that he was not even Hainanese! He is Hokkien!

The rice on that day was unfortunately freshly cooked and was a little too soft to the bite. Tastewise it was fragrant enough though it was not any more memorable than others I have tasted. The chilli was good, but again not head above the rest, especially compared to the sample of chicken rice chilli that VB gave us to sample.

Conclusion

Let the true believers be forewarned, this is anything but a true Hainanese Chicken Rice. But for this Hainanese Chicken Rice Liberal, this is currently my favourite Chicken Rice stall! 4.6/5

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
Alexandra Village Hawker Centre
Stall 01-15
10am to 8pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Hols

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Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa: Thick and Rich for those with Strong Stomachs!

With Bashful Hunter, Tag, carnineviand, iwatch_ueat and liverpool


So this is the famous Depot Road Laksa! I can see why people rave about it so much. This is a "no holds barred, gimme your best shot" kind of laksa that would infuriate the people over at the Health Promotion Board. The day this laksa gets a "healthier choice award" would be the day that Singapore wins the World Cup. Not that it is impossible, but it may take a very very long time.

So for those who are young and fit and do not have any problems with indigestion or cholesterol, this is a bowl of heaven. For me it was a too much of a good thing. I managed only to have a small helping before my stomach began to protest and had to stop because I know that I am going to have regrets later. 4/5

Conclusion

Great for people like NS guys who have just spent 2 weeks eating combat ration! Guaranteed to quickly replenish your cholesterol deficit!

Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-75
Alexandra Village
90889203
8.30am to 3.30pm

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Mr Avocado Exotic Juice: Liquid Gold!

With carnineviand, Tag, liverpool, iwatch_ueat and Bashful Hunter

I love Avocado! I love it simply halved with cold lobster meat and thousand island dressing. I first learnt to eat Avocado when I was studying in Sydney. A lot of people have the misconception that Avocado is high in cholesterol. It is not. It may be high in fat (mostly monounsaturated) but it is not high in cholesterol. In fact, there is none at all since cholesterol is found only in animal fats. No vegetable fats contain cholesterol. Being high in monounsaturated fats explains why it is so creamy and yummy!

If you have never tasted Avocado Shake before, you don't know what you are missing. I did not know what I was missing till last week. The first sip put that "Phwaa Say" look on my face that got all my makankakis excited. This is seriously good stuff! The Avocado shake tasted nothing like Avocado. It tasted like liquid white chocolate mixed with chendol! Shiokfully surprised and delightfully delicious! Anyone with a sweet tooth will love this! 4.75/5

Conclusion

Abosolutely delightful. If you like chendol and chocolates you will love this stuff!

Exotic Juice
Cathay
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
Alexandra Village Hawker Centre
Stall 01-19
9.30am to 9.30pm
Closed on Saturdays

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Lau Phua Chay Roasted Duck: Teochew Style Roast Meat Anyone?

With Tag, Carnineviand, iwatch_ueat and Bashful Hunter


If there is one thing the Teochews are not well known for is Roasted Duck. We are more famous for our Braised Duck. So when this Teochew Ah Hia told me that his Char Siew and Roast Duck is Teochew Style it threw me absolutely off balance.

So what is so special about Teochew style Roast Meat? I am seriously wondering if you can find this type of Char Siew if you went to Swatow today! Did this man invent his own style of Roast Meat or does this style of Char Siew really exist in Swatow? Will some Teochew Ah Zhek (uncle) please let us know?

The stallowner explained that Teochews love sweet things. (Think Orh Nee and Teochew Bak Chang which has sweet bean paste inside) So the Char Siew is much sweeter then usual. He shared that his marinade has got bean paste and malt in it. Certainly the sauce that he liberally pours over the rice is unique. It was pretty lumpy and was quite sweet which suited my palate very well.



Undoubtedly the Char Siew here is the star of the show. Don't be alarmed, he does serve leaner cuts, but when asked which bits are the best bits, he joyfully cut up the sample shown in the picture. Oooooh, I feel my tongue tingling and my coronary vessels stiffening up at the same time! There is nothing more sinful and shiok than burnt fat with caramelised sugar! 4.5/5

Both Sio Bak and Roast Duck here are competent but not as outstanding as the Char Siew. So I will give it a 4/5 and say no more.

Conclusion

Have to add Teochew Style Char Siew into your Char Siew resume, don't you think? Worth travelling all the way from Tampines for.

Lau Phua Chay Roasted Duck
Alexandra Village Hawker Centre
Stall 01-20
11am to 7pm
Saturday closed

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Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant: Inside the Mind of a Food Nazi

With Amagada

Crab Bee Hoon $63 One big crab

I finally plucked up the courage to visit Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant! It was an appointment with inevitability. How can any self-professed foodie not visit this infamous restaurant at least once in his lifetime? For those of you who don't know of its infamy, let me just give you a quick backgrounder.

I first heard of this restaurant a few years ago when Anthony Bourdain featured it in his tour of Singapore. Then, a doctor friend of mine told me how he brought a group of his junior doctors there and the meal cost $800! Being an "Old School" Doc, he paid the bill since it is the privilege for the Senior Docs to pay for the Juniors.... a great tradition which I hope will continue to be practised. After a while I also heard over the forum that the owner was a bit of a Food Nazi who insists on taking orders for the food himself and refusing to serve food to people who have ordered food from a nearby store! So it was a combination of exorbitant prices and the chance to be abused that prevented me from eating there for such a long time.

However, curiosity continue to haunt me until finally an anonymous commenter wrote in to say that he paid $58 for the crab and it was seriously shiok. That was the last straw! I had to experience this infamous crab bee hoon for myself!


Scallops 8 pieces $25

When we got to the restaurant, a young lady instructed us to have a seat and wait for the owner to come out to take orders. Of course, we obeyed her orders without questioning. After 15 mins, the owner, Danny finally came out and took our orders. I had already been cautioned beforehand to order only the crab bee hoon as they have fish here that cost $200 per kg. So I told Danny I wanted the crab bee hoon only since this was our supper. But he told us that we should also order the scallops to "eat for fun". Not wanting invoke his anger, I Kuai Kuai (obediently) agreed.

Another 15 mins later, the scallops were served. Ohhhh, they were good. The sauce was very shiok and they use live scallops which you don't readily see in seafood restaurants. Amagada loved it! 4.5/5



After still another 15 mins, the Crabs finally arrived! The verdict: Shiok. Best crab bee hoon so far! Aside from the smaller claw being slightly atrophied, the rest of the crab was solid. The Bee Hoon was not too dry nor too wet and had wonderfully soaked in the flavours of the crab, ginger and that mysterious stock. It was excellent BUT, I had expected it to be even more mind blowing after all the hype. Can't give it a 4.75, but certainly a very strong 4.6/5



After we finished up the crab, the Lao Ban Niang actually came up to chat with us. For the wife of a Food Nazi, she actually turned out to be very nice! She started showing us a video of Anthony Bourdain when he came back to the stall to eat when he was not filming. So that's how I managed to get a pic of the Bourdain in the shop! Sitting at the table where he sat might be as close as I ever get to the Bourdain!

When I started to ask the Lao Ban Niang a bit more about the history of the store, she asked if I wanted to talk to the Danny instead?

A conversation with the Food Nazi himself? Was it possible? Heck, I have already eaten the crab bee hoon, so the most he could do to me was ban me from the restaurant for life and charge me a huge bill for my meal. Oh well, I guess I will have to offer myself as a sacrificial lamb for the sake of a good story.

I think Danny must have been in a good mood that day.

It turned out that our Food Nazi started life as a humble pig farmer and was forced to open a restaurant when the Goverment shut down the last of the local pig farms in Punggol in the early nineties. Out of desparation, he opened a restaurant and proceeded to learn how to cook. He started by doing the usual Cze Char stuff and was soon attracting a good following. One day, a patron told him that he did not want to order both a crab dish as well as a Hor Fun and asked if he could just combine the two together. I think you can guess the rest.

Our pig farmer perfected his recipe and submitted it for the AsiaFood competition in 1997. Thus was born the legendary Crab Bee Hoon.

Well, the Food Nazi turned out to be quite a nice guy after all! Feeling the positive vibes, I asked why he had such a bad reputation. It turned out that he has had his share of Customer Nazis as well. He told me that sometimes they had customers who offer to pay $300 for a $400 bill because they did not have enough money and they needed to take a taxi home. The reason he refused to sell his food to customers who have ordered from other stalls was that there had been occasions when customers would cancel their orders after eating the other food since they had to wait for his.

Conclusion

The hype and infamy really added extra value to an already very tasty dish! It just goes to show that even bad service can sometimes become a positive marketing strategy! At least it did for this blogger!

Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant
659/661 Geylang Road
Junction of Geylang Lor 35
67449755
Open for dinner 6pm to 12 midnight

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Ampang Yong Tau Foo: Just what makes a Yong Tau Foo "Ampang"?

How is Ampang Yong Tau Foo different from normal Yong Tau Foo?

Is it because you don't get to choose the items you want, or is it the fact that it gets served in a plate rather then in a bowl with noodles or bee hoon? Or is there any real difference in the items? So what really is the most important characteristic that qualifies a Yong Tau Foo as "Ampang"?

Certainly, it seems that the word "Ampang" confers a certain amount of privilege on a Yong Tau Foo. Instead of paying $3 for a bowl of Yong Tau Foo, suddenly you are paying $5 to eat a portion. As you probably know, "Ampang" refers to this famous village in KL where there are 3 shops selling similar style Yong Tau Foo. So the name "Ampang" describes a certain style of Yong Tau Foo in the same way as the name "Katong" describes a certain style of Laksa.

I don't know why I keep writing about Yong Tau Foo when it is really one of those things that don't excite me that much. Funny that. I guess I tend to eat Yong Tau Foo when I want to have something that has less cholesterol. BUT having said that, the Yong Tau Foo here is pretty good though I am finding it very difficult to rave about something that is so plain. Apart from fish paste and the sweet sauce, all the rest of the ingredients are pretty standard, know what I mean? Chillies are chillies, brinjal is brinjal and I find it hard to differentiate between a good ladies finger and a bad one. So it boils down to fish paste and sweet sauce. Both are good. Don't know what else to say. I'll leave it to the Yong Tau Foo experts to explain the finer details of appreciating Yong Tau Foo to us. 4/5

Conclusion

Place I come to to get something tasty and low cholesterol so that I can hop over to Chin Mee Chin the other side to have my kopi and kaya toast with a thick slice of butter!

Ampang Niang Tou Fu
225, East Coast Road
Singapore 428922
11.30am - 8.30pm
63453289

Special thanks to KL boy Russ for his inputs to the blog!

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Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee: Fantastic Chilli and Lard!

Did you know that you can't actually register a company name with the word Singapore anymore? I guess it makes sense since everything is already Singapore this and Singapore that. I reckon they should do the same with "Raffles". (or have they?)

Anyway I think the name Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee is very apt since Hokkien Mee is very uniquely Singaporean. You can of course find it in other countries nowadays but they are never as good or as varied as the ones here. I have been on record (Sunday Times) to say that Hokkien Mee is grossly underated in Singapore and that it is my first hawker dish I would eat when I get back from overseas.

To be completely honest, my first spoonful of this Hokkien Mee was pretty unmemorable. BUT that was before I added the sambal chilli and a piece of the crispy pork lard. Boooom! Phwah Sayah! Shiok lah! For a guy who does not usually take chilli, that is a big complement. The sambal here is very tasty and not overly spicy. And the pork lard, oh the pork lard, one of the best I have ever tasted. Light and crispy and oh so pang (fragrant). Why, oh why, do you tempt me so! Oh heavenly pork lard? The combination of the noodles, chilli and pork lard really made my day! 4.5/5



Lovers of Chinese Style Mee Goreng will be very happy to know that this stall also fries a pretty mean Mee Goreng. Actually if you think about it, the ingredients are almost identical except for the addition of Tomato Ketchup. So any HKM stall should be able to fry a Mee Goreng. The Mee Goreng was a bit dry that day but I felt it could be easily fixed. Tastewise is as good as the ones that I usually eat at seafood restaurants, but at a fraction of the price. 4/5 Please note that Mee Goreng is only available at off peak periods ie in the afternoons at around 4 to 6 pm as they get too busy frying HKM during the peak periods.

Conclusion

If you like to eat your HKM with sambal, this is your place to be. If you don't then maybe this is the place where that will all change!

Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee
Whampoa Food Centre
4pm to 1.30am

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Blogger's Choice Awards!

I met with eastcoastlife last night and found out she was entered in the Hottest Mommy Blogger competition! Then I found out they also had a Best Food Blog category, so I decided to join in the fun!

The current Number 1 Food Blog has 379 votes. If all the people bothered to do the polls could give me a vote, this blog can be in the running for #1 spot!

So I hope to get your vote and your support! Thanks very much!

Click HERE to vote for me!

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Ruby Poh Piah: Double Skinned Poh Piah

With PK, smart, iwatch_ueat, Tag and VB


When you eat Poh Piah, what do you go for? For me the skin is paramount. The skin must be hand made, chewy and leave that carbo rush at the back of your palate. Then it must have the shiok shiok crunchy sweet stuff and of course they have to be generous with the lup cheong and other ingredients.

This Popiah is quite well known amongst my group of kakis so we gave it a try. The thing that differentiates it from the rest is that the lady uses 2 pieces of Popiah skin to wrap the Popiah and the skin is quite good. The ingredients are generous except for the ever important crunchy stuff. So, quite a good Popiah to eat while you are at Whampoa Temp Mkt but not something I'd drive all the way to Whampoa for. 4/5

Conclusion

Good value popiah with double skin which is quite yummy. The lack of crunchy stuff is the big stumbling block for me.

Ruby Popiah
Whampoa Temp Mkt

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Santa Fe Tex Mex Grill: All Aboard! The Steword's RiverBoat Unique Dining Experience

With Amagada and the kids

Fajitas half pound $26.65 Full pound $41.65

My recent discovery of the Riverboat came as a very pleasant surprise for the whole family. I am sure you all agree that it is increasingly difficult to find special places with character and charm to dine in in Singapore where there is a constant push to renovate and renew. When I look back, most of the places that my wife and I used to Pak Tor (go dating) are now only a memory or a picture in the Singapore archives. So our visit to the Stewards Riverboat floating restaurant came as a real delight, especially for the kids.

For those who remember, this boat was first built in 1991 and originally housed the A&W restaurant at Sentosa. Most people around my generation who where kids when A&W were still around can probably still remember the familiar jingle "A&W, A&W, A&W..... is where, root bear floaters, burgers sizzlers, coney dogs, french fries, ice cream toooooo"

Since then, the Riverboat was taken over by Santa Fe Tex Mex Grill for 6 years while it was still in Sentosa. With the new developments at Sentosa, the Riverboat has been relocated to the brand spanking new Marina South Pier and has undergone a makeover as well.

The Santa Fe Tex Mex Grill still occupies the main deck (shechem), while the upper deck (bethel) is a function hall that can be used to cater to functions like weddings and birthday parties. On Sundays there is even a Church service held there. The bridge deck (hebron) is an Al Fresco eatery that will house a brand new restaurant to be launched later next month. Right on the very top is the Captain's Wheelhouse which has a table for two set up for those very special occasions. I was told that 5 marriage proposals have been carried out there and they have a 100% success rate! They also have a private Jacuzzi up here which they even use to conduct Water Baptisms!


Baby Back Ribs $21.95 half rack, $29.25 full rack

Santa Fe restaurant serves Tex Mex style food which is all about beans, cheese, jalapeno peppers, tacos, nachos, fajitas..... Try saying that with a Mexican accent and you will invariably start sounding like Speedy Gonzales! "Ariba, Ariba, Andale, eh hah!"

The babyback ribs here are pretty good. The ribs have been smoked for a long time such that the meat separates from the bone easily and it's tender and smoky flavoured. The BBQ sauce is pretty good, though I would have liked it a bit sweeter (I usually go for the honey ribs at Tony Romas). 4/5


Chicken Chimichangas $10.95 3 pieces

The Chicken Chimichangas are something new for me. It's like chicken, beans, cheese and peppers wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried. Same concept as a Poh Piah, no? It was excellent with the avocado ranch sauce dip. 4/5 Incidentally, if you think the word "Chimichanga" sounds a little bit like it might be something a Mexican would say if he accidentally hits his thumb with a hammer, you are almost right. "Chimichanga" is the Mexican equivalent of "Thingamajig". According to the legend, this Mexican Lady accidentally dropped a Burrito into the deep fryer and she let out a curse word which she quickly edited to "Chimichanga". Hmmm, I wonder if that is how deep fried Poh Piah started as well?


Turkey Quesadillas $14.95

Another dish I would recommend is the Turkey Quesadillas. Can't really go wrong with smoked Turkey breast, cheese, sauteed onions and BBQ sauce. The Turkey breast gave it a very savoury taste which can be quite addictive. 4.5

The most Charasmatic of the dishes has to be the Sizzling Fajitas. (First Pic) The smell of sizzling beef wafting through the air is pretty hard to resist. I guarantee you that if you walked into the restaurant and one just happens to be served, it would be on your order as well. 4.25/5

I think that the real draw of the Riverboat must be the the venue itself. The food is very good but not really die die must try. However the Riverboat itself is a wonderful place for family and friends to gather for fellowship. Eric, the Chief Steward is unabashed about its Christian decor. The Riverboat represents more then just a business, he believes that it is a place where family bonds can be renewed, friendships can be deepened and faith can be found. Being a trainer with Family Life, courses on marriage renewal and family life programs are also held in the premises.

Conclusion

This has to be one of the most unique places to dine in Singapore. Great place for family and friends to gather. Those of you who are familiar with the "How to Host a Murder" games, you will agree with me that this would be an excellent venue to host a "Murder Night" where everyone gets dressed up and role play a classic whodunnit.

Santa Fe All American Tex Mex Grill
Stewords Riverboat
31 Marina Coastal Drive,
Berth 1 Marina South Pier
62785775
Click for Map


Disclosure: This review was done at the invitation of Stewards Riverboat and the meal was provided free of charge.

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Polls: What Generation Foodie are you?

Smart, who is an oldie but a foodie, commented that he'd like to know whether foodies who read food blogs are necessary the younger ones or are there other older folks like himself who actually have the time (and money) to go around finding great places to eat.

So in this week's polls, we try to see what generation you belong to!

Definition of generations can sometimes get complicated, so I have simplified it to 4 categories:

1. Vintage Foodies Those born before WWII. (<1944) In our context they are now 63 years and above. These are the ones who lived through the tough years of the Japanese occupation and still remember the good old days when eateries like Famous Islamic were still relatively new and did not have any TV to watch when they were kids.

2. Baby Boomers. These are people born after the war (1945 - 1959) Most of these people still remember when Singapore merged with Malaysia and subsequently gained independence. After the war there was a great explosion in the number of babies born. They are currently around 47 to 63 and many at at the top of their careers or just retired. They have lots of money to spend on yummy food!

3. Generation Xers: These are people born between 1960 to 1977. They are the generation born in the time when Singapore was struggling to find its footing. They grew up in the 80s and are deemed the generation with the short attention span. They are the first generation to grow up playing video games and watching MTV. But they still experienced the good old coffee shop before they started turning into food courts.

4. Generation Yers: These are people born from 1978 onwards. They were born using the internet and handphones. Some are young working adults and most are students. They may not even have eaten Hor Fun cooked with Charcoal fire or remember Changi Beach

So which generation foodie are you? Cast your votes!

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Poll Results: What do you think of Ode to Laksa (Songs about food)

OK, the results are in.

Unfortunately, I never figured out what is wrong with youtube on the blog, so the numbers who voted were down.

Only 163 people wanted to be idol judges

27.9% were Randy Jacksons. To you guys I say: I will try harder next time!

29.7% were Paula Abduls. To you guys I say: I love you too!

42.4% were Simon Cowell wannabes: To you guys I say the immortal words of William Hung:
"I have tried my best, I have no regrets!"

Thanks again for everyone who bothered to download the video and voted!

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Ah Hock Oyster Omelette: Crispy Gooey Shiokness!

With PK, smart, Tag, iwatch_ueat and introducing poledancer wannabe: VB


Its been a long time since I ate Orh Luak (oyster omelette). Too long. The last time I had a truely great Orh Luak was in Bangkok. Oyster Omelette is a Teochew dish and there is a thriving Teochew community in Bangkok (Swatow, where the Teochews live, is very close to Thailand) When I used to live there, we frequented this old Teochew eating house which had the best Orh Nee (Yam Paste), Orh Luak, Braised Duck and of course Ter Kah (Braised Pig trotter). Ooooh, its hard to find something as rustic in Singapore. The place would have been given a "D" rating by NEA but the food was darn shiok!



Anyway, back to this Orh Luak. It may not be as rustic but is seriously shiokadoodledoo. The owner is yet another Teochew Ah Hia who insists on using the best oysters from Korea, the best sweet potato flour from China, the best eggs from Swee Choon Egg farm in Choa Chu Kang, everything must be grade A. The only thing that he does not do himself is the lard, but he insists that he gets only the best ready made lard available.

What else do you get from frying the best oysters, sweet potato flour, eggs, fish sauce and homemade chilli sauce in a hot pan full of the best lard? The yummiest and most artery clogging concoction invented by man, that's what. 4.5/5

That is why this dish is something one takes only Gu Gu Jip Pai (long long time once) and if you ever ordered one that is mediocre, then it would be better to not eat it rather than trying to finish it just because mom always taught you never to waste food. In my opinion, sometimes it is better to waste the food in order to save on the medical costs later. (Of course in the first place you should not even order it if you know it is not good)



This stall fries several styles of oyster omelette. You must try the Orh Neng (Oyster Egg) which is fried without the sweet potato flour. This one was amazingly more shiokadelicious than the Orh Luak! It is wetter then Orh Luak and the fried eggs soaking in the juice created by the oysters, chilli and lard is absolutely (and literally) to die for. 4.75/5

Conclusion

Darn good but oh so sinful. Why is it that all the really tasty stuff like lard, oysters and eggs have to be bad for you? I'd eat this every week otherwise.

Ah Hock Fried Oyster
#01-111 Whampoa Drive
Temporary Hawker Centre (opp Blk 76)
11am to 12am
Closed Wed

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Sungei Road Laksa: The Last of the Mohicans?

With iwatch_ueat and The Butcher


If you still want to eat laksa that is cooked with charcoal fire, you better hurry down to this Sungei Road Laksa before it goes the way of the Dodo! This is probably one of the last few places where you can still see the traditional aluminium pot resting on top of a charcoal fire!

People say that this is the first stall to introduce the concept of eating laksa with only your spoon. Apparently, it was this uncle who first had the idea of cutting up the laksa bee hoon so that you can scoop it up only with a spoon. How true this is, I don't really know. Can some of our makangurus out there please confirm if this is true?





For $2 a bowl, they are certainly generous with the amount of Haam (Cockles) so lovers of this mollusk would be very happy. The distinct characteristic of this laksa has to be the gravy which is much lighter than what I am used to. It has flavour without being too jialak (heavy). Personally, I felt that the bowl I had that day did not meet up to expectations befitting its legendary status. But that's me against the 10 or 20 other customers who had turned up to eat the laksa at 3pm in the afternoon . 4.25/5

Conclusion

One of the most well known laksa around and its still being heated over a charcoal fire (I notice they acutally use gas to cook but the pot in front is heated by charcoal). I felt the gravy could have had more ooomph but I am sure there are fans of this laksa out there who would beg to differ.

Sungei Road Laksa
Blk 27 Jalan Berseh,
#01-100 Jin Shui Kopitiam
9am - 6pm
(Closed: First Wed of each month)

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Sajis Indian Food: Indian Rojak: Singapore's very own

With Tag (He has eaten this since school days!)


I don't remember the last time that I was so excited about an Indian Rojak! I guess its been a while since I have come across one that is truly exceptional. When you come across one that has the credentials of Sajis it is hard to keep your saliva in your mouth!

For me it was the sight of the beautiful prawn fritters that really sealed the deal. Have you seen anything so magnificent before? It was really a feast for the eyes and a tease for the palate.

This stall traces its roots all the way back to the 60's when current stallowner, Sabeek's Grandfather started working for his Great Granduncle in the Sarabat stalls at Waterloo St near the old SJI. I was told that in those days (I was not even an idea then) that was where all the greatest Indian Food and Sarabat stalls could be found.



Here's an interesting bit of history that I learnt from Sabeek. Indian Rojak is a dish that was invented by the early migrants to Singapore. In those days, the Malays were selling all sorts of Kuehs by the roadside and the Indians wanted to get a piece of the action. So they also started to make their own Kuehs to sell. Instead of offering the usual chilli and tomato sauces, they developed their own sauce which has a unique combination of sweet, sour, savoury and spiciness.

The rojak here was really fantabulous. So good that we went for a second round of rojak even when we were so full from eating the chicken rice next door. All the stuff were fresh and the sauce was just perfect. Amongst my favourite was the Vadai. The quality was a little different from what I was used to. The Vadai here is really crumbly and very very pang (savoury). When you put it in your mouth, it just breaks apart, releasing the Umami flavours of the lentils and spices. Shiokalingam Nah! 4.75/5

The other stuff that got me real excited was the Mee Siam. I got there too late and the bee hoon was sold out. However, Tag managed to persuade the owner to give us a bowl of the mee siam gravy. He said that it was something I die die must try.

Now Indian Mee Siam is something I have not tasted for 20 years. The Indian Mee Siam that has been indelibly etched into my psyche is the one that I ate for 10 years in the St Andrew's School tuckshop. Oh yeah, for 30 cents the Indian Uncle throws some bee hoon into a small orange plastic plate and pours the sweet mee siam gravy over it. Then he cuts the egg with a string that is tied to the handle of the big aluminum pot. You know, I have eaten it for 10 years and I suspect that he has never ever changed the string!

Anyway after I left school I never came across another Indian Mee Siam again until last week. I always assumed that it was just a peculiar Tuckshop food. The first taste of the sauce brought back all the fond memories of my days at the old St Andrew's School. Back in the days when the highlight of school was playing football at recess time and marvelling at the tadpoles in the big puddle in front of the goal posts.

I don't know what was your experience with Tuckshop food, but St Andrew's Tuckshop in the 70s and 80s had some really shiok stuff. Aside from the Mee Siam, there was the Char Kway Teow which still tastes better than most of the Char Kway Teow we eat now. I would have given it a 4.5. I also remember the Chai Png stall where students used to scoop their own gravy to put on the rice. The curry gravy was really shiok and we used to fish out all the chicken wing tips from the bottom of the pot.

So was it just nostalgia or was the food really that great? Maybe you can share your own experience with Tuckshop food?

Conclusion

Seriously shiok Indian rojak! Is this the best or is there another?

Sajis Indian Food
Blk 262 Waterloo St
#01-29 Nan Tai Eating House
9am - 7pm
Closed: Last Monday of the month
Sabeek 81395647

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