Ho Hup Soya Bean: Can Bean Curd Ever Be Too Soft?

Can Bean Curd ever be too soft? I have heard many bean curd lovers say that the quality that they always look for to determine a good bean curd is its texture. No doubt, the most well known bean curd in Singapore, namely Rochor Bean Curd has got bean curd which is super smooth and soft. But my usual complaint is that they have sacrificed taste for texture ie it tastes watered down.

This particular bean curd was recommended by BC who used to frequent the stall when they were still at Changi Airport. When they moved out, he was quite devastated and thought that he had lost his favourite bean curd forever. (I am being a little melodramatic here). Until one day he chanced upon the stall again at Old Airport Road.... (music in the background).....(girl and boy meets and runs around coconut tree)..... Quite boldly he proclaimed that this bean curd was better than Rochor's. Phwa, you willing to risk your neck? Ok lah go try try.

The Bean Curd is indeed super-soft and I would dare say softer than Rochor's. They make their bean curd on the premises with soy milk that is procured from the factory. This is because the beancurd is so soft that it would disintegrate during transportation. This also explains why so many factory produced beancurds are necessarily firmer. Now the thing that I am still unable to decide is whether it is TOO soft. I always thought that Bean Curd should be soft and smooth but still have a little of that gelatine like consistency. You know, such that it can "chip off" and leave a smooth surface. This one is soft to the extent that it is almost like the consistency of cold porridge or almost like yoghurt. Certainly one bean curd you have to try for yourself to decide if you like it! For me it is mysterious enough for a repeat visit. 4.25/5

Now what I am really impressed with is the Ah Balling. These are also handmade. I must tell you that this is one Ah Balling that stands out from the rest. The skin is superduper smooth and soft and I was taken aback with my first bite. I never thought that I would ever be able to come across an Ah Balling that I can really rave about, but here it is! Just make sure that its the old lady who is preparing it as I think a lot of it depends on the cooking time as well. 4.75/5



I find that a lot of the time, you can really appreciate something only after someone has given you some frame of reference to assess its quality. Take for instance this longan drink. If you had just ordered it to go with your Hokkien Mee, you would probably think "its really nice and refreshing". But this auntie was telling me that it is special because the longans still maintained a level of crunchiness in them. Once you know what to look out for, suddenly you find that you are able to appreciate it more. The longans were indeed crunchy which is quite different from your run of the mill longan drink! 4.5/5

Conclusion

So, can Bean Curd be too soft? Do go try it an let us know what you think. Whatever it is, you won't regret trying the Ah Balling there. I can't think how it can get any better.

Update: Jun 2008

The stall has closed

Update: Sep 2008

Update 21 Sep 2008

Ho Hup has closed the Old Airport Road Stall. It now has 2 branches:

Haig road food centre
stall number 01-59
operation hour: ard 10am-10pm

and

Bedok North St 3 Blk 538 market
unit number #01-19
4am-2pm

Ho Hup Soya Bean
Blk 51 Old Airport Road Hawker Centre
#01-162
96820462
9am to 9pm Closed on Mondays
This stall has been closed permenantly

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Poll Results: Are you a Kopi or Coffee person?

The Poll Results are in! Thanks to all 1013 people who polled!

It seems that the majority of readers (46.7%) still prefer to good old cup of Kopi brewed in the sock! About a third of readers (32.5%) like their cup of Western Style coffee and 20.8% don't drink coffee at all.

Some people have complaint that I should have added Teh C as well. Maybe next time eh?

In the meantime, I am still thinking about the next poll question. If you have any ideas let me know ok?

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ieat on 938Live!

Just to let you all know that I will be doing a short interview on F cube, Food, Fun and Feel Good on 938Live! today at 12.15pm. So if you have your radio on, do listen out for it and let me know how I sound on radio ok?

Oh and if someone can help me record it on MP3 and send the file to me, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

A very warm welcome to all our new readers from 938Live! If you would like to find out more about the blog, do read the introduction to ieatishootipost! Thanks for reading and hope you find something good to eat.

Here's the link to the Crab Tang Hoon
mentioned in the program

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Happy Pot: Romantic Bak Koot Teh Steamboat for two

With SCS Butter, Happi Mummi, Amagada and the kids


Can't stand it. This scene just makes me want to sing this famous Hokkien Song:

Wa neng lang, (Both of us)
Jit ta qio tio jit kee shio hor sua (Both grabbed the one little umbrella)
Hor jing tua (In the heavy rain)
Wa lai jiao gor lee, (I lookie after you,)
Lee lai jiao gor wa. (You lookie after me)

Best sung with a Chee-Koh (Sleezy, Frankie Fu) look



Anyway, this stall at Gluttons Bay offers a very novel steamboat experience and is especially good for couples and small family gatherings. The thing that I always complain about with steamboats is the bland and unexciting chicken soup stock. Which is why I was very happy to find that they offer three interesting soup bases here (Tom Yum, Bak Kut Teh and Herbal Chicken) with which you can create your very own "Super Soup".

Augustine and Raphael, the two brothers who own this stall tell me that this concept was inspired by their travels in Bangkok's Chinatown (Yaowarat) and it is their vision to offer something that is unique for Singaporean's to enjoy. There is a lot of passion and enthusiasm that went into the stall's concept. For one, they have a on-going competition for the best soup recipe. Anyone who eats at the stall has the opportunity to win $50 if they can share a really good soup recipe with them. The recipe can then be used by other patrons of the stall who might want try it out.

Now these are what I call a new breed of Gen Y hawkers! Well, actually they can't really be described as hawkers since one is a property agent and the other is an expert in bioinformatics. This stall is more like a hobby with which they can explore new eating concepts.



Aside from the three interesting soup bases, they have also injected a lot of personality in the ingredients that they provide. The handmade fishballs for instance were specially sourced from a well known fishball maker who still produces everything by hand. They even went through around 30 different types of instant noodles before finally choosing one that best reminds them of the noodles they had in Thailand! I was very impressed with their chilli sauce which tastes exactly like the chilli sauce that I had at MK restaurant (one of our regular haunts while living in Thailand). According to my Thai friends, it is this sweet and tangy chilli sauce is what makes MK the favourite "suki" restaurant in Thailand.



For those who prefer to grill their food, you can also opt to get another charcoal stove with a wire mesh over it and start grilling your meats. They have a very interesting "Bak Kut Teh" flavoured pork ribs which are quite novel. It might be a tad frivolous to say this, but the pork ribs really tastes like Bak Kut Teh!

Conclusion

Overall, we had an enjoyable experience. I like the idea of getting a small bowl of soup and creating your very own "masterpiece" with it. I did my killer "Tom Yum Mamak" (Tom Yum soup with instant noodles) for Amagada who loves this particular Thai street dish. I think it is a great place for couples because of the small portions. And if it rains, there is always the possibility of snuggling under a small umbrella.....wink wink. 4.25/5

Post Script:

I suggested to the brothers that they should look into some Korean Style thin sliced Belly Pork which is one of my favourite BBQ meats. I am happy to report that they are now serving it at the stall. So give it a go and let us know how it is! It should be pretty darn shiok!

Happy Pot
Makansutra's Glutton Bay
Stall nearest the bay
5pm to 12 mn
www.sbestfood.com/happypot.htm
I was invited to review this stall by the brothers who are readers of the blog.

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Ieat Charity Dinner: Registration Closed

Thanks to all who have so generously supported the Charity Dinner! It is so heartening to see that Singaporeans are so big hearted when it comes to supporting a good cause.

So here are some admin things to note:

Happi Mummi (Tracy) will be contacting all those who have reserved their seats. If you don't hear from her by the end of the week, please make sure you email her at tracychia@gmail.com. If Indigo is reading this, we need your contact please.

There may be some who would pull out last minute, so if you wish to be put on the waiting list, do also write to tracychia@gmail.com so that we can let you know when the seats become available.

Once again, thanks to all the kind donors and sponsors who have supported the event!

Link to Dinner details

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Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee: The difference between Hokkien Mee and Rochor Mee

You know about Rochor Mee? (or Lohchor Mee depending on whether you pronounce your Rs) Ever wondered what is the difference between Rochor Mee and Hokkien Mee? There are many explanations that I have come across. One says that Hokkien Mee was originally called Rochor Mee because the Hokkien Coolies would gather around the noodle factories in Rochor and fry the noodles with prawn stock for dinner. Someone else says that Rochor Mee is simply a darker, more gooey version of Hokkien Mee.

I decided to find a Professor of Hokkien Meeology to get the facts straight.

Having been in the Hokkien Mee business for over 40 years, Mr Alex See, one of the Street Hawkers featured in Yeo's Street Hawker Masters 2007, might just be the person who can help me.

According to Prof See, the Rochor Mee is the Nonya interpretation of the traditional Hokkien Mee. Traditional Hokkien Mee is fried until it is dry and eaten with sliced chillies. It was the Nonyas that came along and made the noodles with more gravy and used sambal to spice up the dish.

So I asked him how come he serves his Hokkien Mee with sambal? To which he quipped that he had no choice since many Singaporeans have grown used to having sambal with their Hokkien Mee. But he gave me a few slices of chilli and told me to eat it with just the sliced chilli if I wanted to taste the original Hokkien Mee. Hmmmm.. the taste is indeed very different.

Prof See boasts that his Hokkien Mee is fried in a style that is the same as in the fifties. The emphasis is on having a really hot wok and frying the noodles until you get rid of the "Kee" smell. He explains that a charcoal fire heats up the entire wok and that he uses a special charcoal fire wok which is half the thickness of the normal gas fire woks. This way he can really swirl the noodles around to make sure that every strand gets it fair attention from the wok. Hence his Hokkien Mee is really "fried" and not simply "stewed".



I have been eating here since he opened the stall at East Coast 7 years ago and this has always been one of my top Hokkien Mee spots. The noodles are really darn shiok but can be a little oily. I usually have to control myself as so that I don't overeat and end up filling really full for the rest of the day. 4.5/5

Conclusion

One of the best Hokkien Mees around. The noodles are very well fried and the lard is crispy. I am sure there are already many fans of this particular Hokkien Mee amongst our readers.

Updated on 18 Sep 2008

They have relocated to 1 Joo Chiat Place. Read the lastest update here.

Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Road
11.30am to 9.30pm
Closed on Mondays

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Saravana Bhavan: Intentionally Vegetarian

With iwatch_ueat, Nuffthing and davienne

Ghee Roast "Rocket" Dosa Masala $3

I have said it before and I will repeat it again. Of all the different vegetarian cuisines, the one that would come closest to converting me into a herbivore has to be Indian vegetarian. Yes, it comes closest but I am still far from chanting "Fish are friends, not food"!

Very far.

But you know, the day may come when I finally have to succumb to having to lower my cholesterol levels and protecting my heart. Thankfully, I have not reached that stage just yet.

If you have been to Chennai, you will know of this very famous restaurant chain. If you have not, you might not -- but now you do, like I did. This restaurant was recommended by one of our readers, Raihana Starbuck, who quite kindly shared her family's favourite eating spot with all of us. She said that "this is the only place in Singapore which has food like what it does in India". Having never had the opportunity to visit India, I thought I might go try it out and get a taste of some "real" Indian food.

What struck me most about the place is the apparent mismatch between the prices and the environment. For $3, you could sit down and enjoy the Ghee Roast Masala Dosa in air-conditioned comfort. And the Dosa was excellent, crispy and thin on the outside with a soft fluffy centre. The coconut and onion tomato chutneys tasted fresh and had a nice bite to it. The addition of the Ghee to the Dosa really gave it even more ooompph, which of course does not help if you are eating this to cut down on your cholesterol intake. The only drawback was the (potato) masala which could have been more tasty. 4.25/5


Idli $2.80

Nuffthing asked what this dish was. So I described it to him as "Wha Kor Kueh" in curry, which I thought came quite close. Idlis are steamed rice cakes which is what Wha Kor Kueh is. In retrospect, I think I should have likened it to Putu Piring without the gula melaka. At any rate, the idli is served in their standard dhal and drizzled with ghee which as I mentioned earlier, always adds oommmph to any dish like how pork lard does to Chinese dishes. 4/5


Vadai $2.20 for 2

The Vadais were served fresh and were nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy and savoury within. My only complaint by this stage is that they seem to serve the same dhal for every dish. I was kinda hoping to taste something different. But I guess it is my own fault for not knowing what to order. 4/5


Masala Tea $1.30

Don't forget to wash the whole meal down with some Masala Tea. Masala Tea, like Teh Halia is a wonderful way to finish off the meal as it serves to wash down all that spice and oil and aids in the digestion of the food. Aside from that, the four of us had some fun practicing our Teh Tarik skills on the table. Some Masala Teas can go a little too heavy on the spices, but I found this one just nice. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Well, I really enjoyed the whole experience and managed to save a few chickens in the process. Truth be said, I don't think I have ever had bad Indian vegetarian food. Then again I haven't really looked. Actually I wouldn't mind going on an Indian vegetarian trail to find the best Indian vegetarian food in Singapore. Perhaps you all can write in and let me know?

Update: 7 Sep 2008

Update: 30 Nov 2008

TKY has informed us that the restaurant is now situated at 86 Syed Alwi Road Singapore 207663.

Saravana Bhavan
86 Syed Alwi Road
207663
62977755
7.30am to 11pm daily

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Prince Coffee House: Retro Beef Hor Fun

Beef Hor Fun $8.80

They should make this little Hainanese Coffeeshop in Coronation Plaze a Heritage Site! If you really want to re-live the good old days, this is the place to be. It was good that pchong wrote in to tell me about this Beef Hor Fun or I would have really missed the gem of a find!

Now, this is very unusual, but the best Wok Hei flavoured Hor Fun is not found in a Kopitiam, but a good old Hainanese Coffee House! No kidding. I have been lamenting about the lack of Wok Hei Flavour in Hor Fun since the start of this blog and was surprised that I finally managed to find what I was looking for in the most unusual of places.



The beef was very nicely flavoured and wonderfully tender without being too spongy. This restaurant sells US Airflown Beef Steaks, so I was wondering if they used US Beef for the Hor Fun as well. It certainly tasted very good. 4.5/5

Students have it good here as they serve $6 set lunches which I have not heard of since the good old Silver Spoon days. However, don't expect to be greeted with a big smile here. No, the lady reminded my RJC librarian back in the days when RJC was still at Mount Sinai. I felt the compulsion not to talk too loud or use my camera too wantonly at this place. Perhaps the school disciplinarian atmosphere is due to the fact that they serve many students here, such that the lady boss has assume a matron-like persona.

Conclusion

My only real complain (all the stuff about the library atmosphere was quite fun actually) is with the price of my plate of Beef Hor Fun. At $8.80++ it is not cheap. Scanning through the rest of the Chinese menu, I also felt the prices could be more compatible with the environment we were in. A Hainanese pork chop with 2 slices of pork costs $13++ for instance. Nevertheless, it is probably the most impressive plate of Beef Hor Fun I have had in ages and the whole experience is definitely not to be missed.

Prince Coffee House
587 Bukit Timah Road
Coronation Plaza #02-15
64682088
Recommended by pchong (he wrote in twice - persistence pays off)

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ieat Charity Dinner: Will you be coming?

Thanks for being patient.

Here are the details of the ieat Charity Dinner!

Date and Time: 15 September, 7.30pm

Venue: Aston Prime, 467 Joo Chiat Road (Former Casa Bom Vento)

About Aston Prime:

Aston Prime is the newly opened upmarket version of the hugely successful Astons Specialities. The highlight of Aston Prime is the Prime Rib which is served on a Cart. Aston Prime's Full Menu serves other items such as Crab Cakes, Berkeley Rack of Lamb and Wild Salmon fillet, stuff that you would expect to find in a Steak House.

Aston is very generously sponsoring the event which means every cent you donate goes to Charity! This is also a great opportunity for you to sample the dishes and give Aston your feedback as well!

Menu

Starters: Zesty Shrimp Cocktail or Astons Classic Caesar Salad

Soup: Clam Chowder or Minestrone Soup

Mains: Burgandy Prime Rib of Beef 300g or Wild King Salmon Fillet or Half Roast Chicken with Herbs

Desserts: Provided by AG Cafe

Wines: A selection of fine wines will be served and there will also be a short Wine Appreciation Talk. The Wines are also sponsored.

Suggested Donation: $100 per head (All to be donated to AG Home)

If you cannot make it but would still like to donate, please make your cheques to:

"Presbyterian Community Services - AG Home"

And send the cheques to the following address:

Karri Family Clinic
866A Tampines St 83
#03-05
Singapore 521866

We will present the Cheques to Pastor Andrew on the night of the dinner.

If you want to get tax exemption from the donation, please write down your address and particulars on the back of the cheques

If you do not have a Cheque Book, a good idea is to give Vouchers from NTUC or Popular Bookshop or similar outlets and send the vouchers to the above address. Please include your particulars and address so that a receipt can be sent to you.

There have been companies who have written to me wanting to support the Dinner through donation of door gifts and lucky draw prizes. So we are really going to have a bit of fun at the dinner! If you also can contribute something to the AG Home or the Dinner, do write to me at leslie.tay@gmail.com and let me know.

What to Do

If you would like to come for the dinner, please write to me, leslie.tay@gmail.com with your name, pen name (if you have one) and contact number and indicate whether you are going for the beef, fish or chicken.

The restaurant can only hold 40 pax, so it is on a first come first served basis.

Closing Date: 1 Sep 2007 or when full house

Click here to read about Andrew and Grace Home

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Sabar Menanti II: Good things come to those who wait patiently

Ayam Opor $2

Sabar Menanti roughly means "Good things come to those who wait patiently". This is quite misleading because one hardly has to wait patiently for a plate of Nasi Padang unless of course the queue is very long. Even though the stall is called Sabar Menanti II, it is quite different from the original Sabar Menanti just across the road at Kandahar Street. Having tasted the food from both stalls, I would say that this is one restaurant where the offshoot is better than the original.

Now, let's get back to my Chicken Korma trail.

The problem with Chicken Korma is that there are several names attached to this dish so there is a bit of confusion over whether you are really ordering the right stuff. This stall calls the dish Opor Ayam but the gravy tastes like the Ayam Korma that I was expecting. The one at Warong Pariman is simply known as Ayam Pangang. Would our Nasi Padang specialists please enlighten us on the finer aspects of this dish?

Whatever you might call it, I call this dish SHIOK! Oh yes, the gravy here is great and almost like the one I remember at the original Rendezvous Restaurant. Oooohhhh, spoon the gravy over the Bergedil and I would gladly trade my Ribeye steak with you. (NZ Ribeye but not Wagyu yeah?) The creamy, green chilli and tumeric scented gravy is definitely one of the top ten yummiest tastes in my books! 4.5/5


Beef Rendang $2

Now Beef Rendang also comes in many different styles. This one is the dry type with chunks of tender beef coated with a fragrant spicy paste spiked by Kaffir Lime and Tumeric leaves that gives it a nice spicy-citrus flavour. This is great with rice but you get even more ooomph out of it if you put it in pita bread with cucumber raita. 4.25/5



Bergedil 50cent each

Bergedil is one of my favourite food and I can down half a dozen of these especially when I have the Ayam Opor gravy to drown it in. Mak Cik uses the yellow and creamy Holland potatoes to make the Bergedil, so it's real sweet and creamy. Simple dish it may be, but it delivers maximum satisfaction especially if they are served freshly fried. 4.5/5

Conclusion

A plate of rice, half a dozen bergedil and a big plate of Ayam Opor equals max-oooomph for me!

Sabar Menanti II
747 North Bridge Road
(Jn Jln Kledek)
6am to 5pm
Closed on Sundays and PH

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Mei Shi Mei Ge: Celebrating our Heritage Food

Orchard Road Hup Kee Hokkien Mee Prices starting from $4

It is a shame that a lot of kids who are growing up nowadays cannot speak their own dialects. It is especially true for most dialects except for Cantonese which is preserved because of the movies and music coming out from Hong Kong. Sadly, my own kids can't even say "Teochew Nang Kah Chng Ang Ang" (Teochew people have red backsides). Well they can but they do it with an English intonation. While we have done a great job at promoting Mandarin as the unifying language amongst the Chinese people, I think it came at the expense of losing the rich Heritage of the different Dialect groups.

As the margins between the different dialect groups slowly become blurred, the foods associated with the different dialect groups also become less distinct. Thus we have Hokkiens selling Hainanese Chicken rice for instance. Interestingly, the phenomenon of fusion never really made its appearance across the dishes. I don't think I have ever seen a Teochew man selling Hokkien Mee who would try a fusion Hokkien Char Kway Teow Mee. The closest I got was a Teochew Man frying Char Kway Teow who addes a Seafood stock to his Char Kway Teow just like a Hokkien Mee. But the dish is still distinctively a Char Kway Teow.

I am glad that the good people at Kopitiam also feel the need (as I do) to preserve the heritage of our dialect groups when they set up their latest Food Court. The new Mei Shi Mei Ke Food Court at Hougang Mall endeavours to embrace the local dialects and highlight the origins of our local favourites.

The first thing that impresses you as you approach the Food Court is the decor. They have Chinese style tables and chairs and calligraphy decorating the walls featuring nursery rhymes from the five common dialect groups. The uniforms that adorn the hawkers also hint of the past. Not quite Samsui Woman, but the association is not difficult to make.

Aside from the outward appearance, Kopitiam has also made the effort to resurrect some of the less common hawker fare that are novel even for a Gen X guy like myself.


Hainanese Coconut Leaf Dumpling $3

Take for instance the Hainanese Coconut Leaf Dumpling which was a first for me. This seems like a cross between a Bak Chang and a Ketupat. I was told this is a very traditional Hainanese dish. The Glutinous rice is dry and has bits of dried shrimp mixed into the rice and filled with Kong Bak and mushrooms. It's not moist like the more familiar Lotus Leaf Dumpling but dry and savoury like the Pulut Pangang. Quite an interesting dish to try. 4/5


Hokkien Fried Pork Stuffing $5

Both carnineviand and I were especially delighted by the Hokkien Fried Pork Stuffing (Ngor Hiang) which was being sold at the Mini Wok stall. It was one of those long lost tastes which suddenly triggers that sense of nostalgia that I had difficulty identifying at first. Even doing a Google search in my long term memory failed to produce any results until carnineviand suddenly said "Swimming Pool", and then it all came back to me. It was that Ngor Hiang that I used to eat after swimming at Toa Payoh Swimming Pool almost thirty years ago! Carnineviand's eyes also lit up and we were both celebrating the fact that we were at the same swimming pool at around the same time!

This might sound very unusual, but that cheap, 30 cent, Swimming Pool canteen Ngor Hiang was the absolute tastiest pseudo-meat morsel that can really satisfy a palate that is thoroughly cleansed by chlorine. Since then, I have never really found a Ngor Hiang that had that particular taste, that is, up till now! 4.5/5.



Perhaps the most decorated stall that they managed to attract is Orchard Road Hup Kee which is famous for its iconic straw hat which serves their Hokkien Mee and Char Kway Teow on Opeh leaves.

The Hokkien Mee was certainly one of the better ones around. However I am of the opionion that Hokkien Mee is very much an operator dependent dish unlike Laksa where the gravy can be prepared beforehand, in Hokkien Mee there is the element of frying that is operator dependent. Thus, no matter how good the stock is, it boils down to the control of the wok fire and the timing of the stir fry. This is the single element that separates the good from the great. Having said that, both Hokkien Mee and Char Kway Teow here are very good but just lacks that final element to make it great. 4.25/5


Pu Tien Fried Bee Hoon $4

Those looking for something a little different to tingle the tastebuds would be very happy to find an outlet dishing out Pu Tian Xing Hwa cuisine. Pu Tian cuisine is gaining popularity in Singapore with many new restaurants opening around the island in recent years and it is good to see that we can now enjoy the food without having to go to a restaurant. The Pu Tian Fried Bee Hoon uses a very thin Bee Hoon, typical of the dish and is cooked in a very mild stock and topped with seaweed and peanuts. Quite a good dish where you can appreciate the taste of the Bee Hoon as the flavours are not overpowering. 4/5



I remember eating these Fen Yuan when I was a kid. Mom used to make them to celebrate Dong Zhi which marks the beginning of Winter (in China of course) and used to tell me that I would be one year older when I eat it. Nowadays it is more common to see Tang Yuan which is filled with peanuts, red beans or sesame paste. So I was very intrigued to see that the dessert stall here is making the Fen Yuan by hand. Aside from the pink and white ones they also have yam and sweet potato flavoured Fen Yuan. It is certainly a blast from the past. 4/5

Conclusion

This is certainly a food court with some character! Kopitiam has managed to create an environment where parents might feel the urge to teach their kids a little about the past, ala "Tan Ah Teck": "Long long time ago, when your father was still your age..... we used to eat this Fen Yuan during the Dong Zhi festival......" It would be great to see more food courts like these and to have the concept extended to include our Malay and Indian heritage foods!

Mei Shi Mei Ke Food Court
Level 4 Hougang Mall

This review was commissioned by AsiaOne Wine & Dine
This was first recommended by wei

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Wow Doc, these Traditional Pills really work!

Just read some info about how some "Herbal" remedies have been found to contain Viagara. To find out more please click here

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Hong Ho Phang Pau: The Man who went in search of a Char Siew Pau but Came Back with a Fan Choy

Char Siew Pau 50cents

Here's another recommendation by our friend Liverpool whose neck I will put on the chopping board again. He had been telling me about this fantastic Char Siew Pau in Clementi that can beat the Tangjung Rhu Char Siew Pao and Bao Zai Char Siew Pao anytime. When I went down to the stall, it was unfortunately closed, but I found out that they had a branch nearer the East in Telok Kurau.

I finally found the quiet little coffee shop along Changi Road selling these innocent looking Char Siew Paus. Could they really be the "shiok shiok die die blow my mind out of the sky" Char Siew Pau that Liverpool described?

Unfortunately not.

This place is actually the Central Kitchen that roasts the Char Siew before preparing it as the filling for the Clementi Branch and they assured me the filling is the same but the skin is made at each location following a standard recipe. That being the case, if the Char Siew filling is the same as the Clementi one, then I must say it was good but certainly did not meet up with the description Liverpool gave.

BUT don't despair, while I did not find a Char Siew Pau to recommend, I found this......


Fan Choy $1.50

I don't think many people go around looking specifically for Fan Choy. At least I am not one of them. To me Fan Choy was just something I ate when someone Tar Paued back home or if I had no other choice. If I searched my memory banks, I cannot even point out one significant Fan Choy in my life. Now there is the ONE.

The photo perfectly mirrors my feelings for the Fan Choy as I hope it does yours. This is one outstanding Fan Choy. The first time I laid eyes on it, I was mesmerized. It wasn't the dry, unexciting, "eat me because there is nothing else" kind of stuff. This one really screamed out "Come on! Eat me! You can do it! Eat me!".

OK, just to moderate your expectations, a Fan Choy is a Fan Choy. So don't expect a Fan Choy to give you as much buzz as a good Laksa. But this is the first Fan Choy I can honestly say that left me thinking about going back to eat it again very soon. The rice was moist with the savoury sweet sauce which was quite a delight on the palate. 4.5/5


Lo Mei Kai $1.20

The Lo Mei Kai here is also quite commendable. It is one of those that are still made in an aluminum bowl not the disposable plastic ones. I always felt the aluminum bowls were better for the steaming process and ensures that the glutinous rice remains moist and full of the meat gravy. For me the Lo Mei Kai yardstick has been set by the one I had in Petaling Jaya and unfortunately, no Lo Mei Kai has ever come close to that one. However, the one is is about as good a Lo Mei Kai I have found in Singapore. The meat is quite generous, moist and tender and the rice has a consistency that I like. I don't know about you, but I really enjoy it when some clumps of rice are so full of the juices that they have lost their original shapes and are sort of like morsels of melt-in-your-mouth starch. 4.25/5



For those who need to cut down on cholesterol, you would be pleased to know that they have a vegetable pao here that even I would enjoy. The filling is made of Turnip and Hae Bee and is quite satisfying even when you need that "meat trip". 4/5

Conclusion

I went to look for a Char Siew Pau, but came back with a Fan Choy discovery. Certainly not a wasted trip. But I can't help but wonder what all the fuss was about the Char Siew Pau, or is the Clementi one really that much better?

Hong Ho Phang Hong Kong Pau
Junction of Telok Kurau Road & Changi Road
7.30am to around 4pm or until sold out
Closed on Mondays

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Andrew and Grace Home: The ieat Charity Makan Session

E is a teenaged girl who has been run but now she has found a real purpose for running.

Having dropped out of school last year, the troubled teen got herself into a mess when she got hooked on glue sniffing. After several fallouts, her mother felt that she was beyond parental control and filed a police report. That is when she found herself in the Andrew and Grace Home.

The initial few months were not easy as she slowly adjusted to her new environment. After her initial confinement period, she did lapse back into glue sniffing twice but now she is confident that she has kicked the habit once and for all. That's because she has found a new love in long distance running.

It all happened one day when her training coach got her to go for a jog together. Something finally clicked and she finally found something that she was really good at! Now she runs from AG home to Bedok Jetty and back, a distance of 17km in under 2 hours and hopes to be able to run competitively in the future.

When I asked her what made the biggest difference in her life, she mentioned that it was the love showered upon her by Ah Pa (Andrew), Mommy Grace and the other volunteers at the home. Her sports coach, who is an employee of the centre even sleeps in the same bedroom with the girls on a mattress strewn upon the floor!

The Andrew and Grace Home (AG Home) has its beginnings in 1988 when Pastor Andrew took in two troubled teens into his new four foom flat in Yishun. There was only one little problem. He and his wife had just been newly married and for Grace it was a bit of a shock. She recalled that Andrew had given away her music room which was her favourite room in the whole house. It was a bit of a tough time for the newly married couple but after a while, Love broke through. To love the lovely is easy, but it takes a very special kind of compassion to love the unlovely. Twenty years later, the couple now have 2 sons and 50 "adopted" daughters living in a hostel in Telok Kurau.

The present AG Home was set up 9 years ago and provides a haven for teen aged girls between the ages of 12 to 16. These girls may come from difficult home circumstances, drug addiction or are delinquents. They also provide shelter and protection for moms and mothers-to-be and sees about 20 babies being born a year who are subsequently put up for adoption.

The home runs several programs to help the girls develop skills to enhance their employability upon discharge. One of the projects is the AG Cafe which trains the girls for the F & B industry. Food is of course closest to the heart this blog so I thought it was a good project for us to support.

This picture shows the kitchen which has been set up in the hostel. It functions both as the kitchen to prepare dinner for the girls as well as a training kitchen for them to conduct culinary skill courses. I hope that we will be able to hook up with some readers from the F&B industry to see how we can support this project.

Currently, it takes $500 to house each girl every month. Parents are asked to contribute whatever they can and the rest of the money has to be raised from elsewhere. The centre receives a monthly contribution from MCYS which covers about one third of the total running costs. Another third comes from pledges from individuals and companies and the remaining third has to be raised ad hoc every month.

As you all know, ieatishootipost is one year old and I have hinted that there will be a makan session to mark its first anniversary. Rather than just coming together to enjoy food and make new friends, I thought it would be meaningful if we can make it a charity dinner instead and be able to raise funds to support the AG Home.

The picture on the left shows a mural on the wall of the the lobby area. This mural was drawn by an ex-addict and depicts Andrew and Grace with four of the girls in the centre.

OK, the details of the ieat Charity Makan Session are being finalized, but let me just give you all an idea of what has been planned so far.

Date: 15 Sep 2007 (Saturday evening)

Venue and Menu: I have found a Restaurant Owner who is willing to sponsor the event! I am finalizing the menu (5 course) with him so I will release the details later. But in the meantime, this is one of the items that will be on the menu:



Other Highlights: Found a sponsor for Wine as well! We are in the process of finalizing the Wine list!

Price: This is to be finalized. (Around $100 per pax)

What you can do:

1. Come to the Makan Session! The money that you pay towards the food and wine will all go to AG Home.
2. If you feel that you want to contribute more, there's nothing to stop you from writing a check and supporting AG Home directly.
3. If you or your company can sponsor the event (Cheques direct to AG Home) or provide stuff that we can auction or use as door gifts do let me know by writing to leslie.tay@gmail.com. All sponsorship will be acknowledged on the blog.

I will provide final details later this week but if you are ready to reserve your seats, please write to me at leslie.tay@gmail.com

Hope to see you all at the Charity Makan Session!

More about AG Home can be found on their website: www.aghome.org.sg

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