Fatty Cheong's Char Siew: To get good Charsiew, you need to know a little pig anatomy!

With Wahcow, Taukwa and Liverpool

"Bu Jian Tian" Charsiew

Our Kakis have been raving about Meng Kee Charsiew which Wahcow brought back from KL and were lamenting why we can't get Charsiew which is as good here. The main characteristic of Meng Kee's Charsiew is that it is really fatty and they managed to roast it till the fats just melts in your mouth, so you really get a great flavourful and tender Charsiew. But Singaporeans tend to be more health conscious, so many of the stalls here sell very lean Charsiew.

According to Wahcow, the lean charsiew from Meng Kee tasted as ordinary as the Charsiew we have here. So, he felt that if we could get someone here to roast a more marbled piece of pork, we might be able to have a delicious Charsiew without having travel all the way to KL.

I immdiately thought of Fatty Cheong and called him to see if he could do for us a no holds barred Charsiew using the best cut of pork that he could get his hands on.


Closeup view of "Bu Jian Tian" cut

Now, Charsiew is not made from one specific part of the pig. It is not like Sio Bak (Roast Pork) where you have to use Belly Pork. So in order to have a really satisfying Char Siew experience, you need to know some basic pig anatomy.

Most Charsiew is made from Pork Shoulder which is the part just behind the neck. In Singapore this part of the meat is commonly known as Wu Hua Rou (five flower/pattern pork). But it is not so straightforward. For some people (especially the Cantonese), Wu Hua Rou actually refers to Belly Pork. Their explanation is that there are five layers of meat and fat in Belly Pork.

After searching through the internet and also talking to the local butchers here, I have come to the conclusion that Wu Hua Rou refers to Pork which has a significant amount of fat and can refer to belly, shoulder or collar. I think it is called five pattern not because there are five layers of meat and fat but because when you look at the cross section of the meat, the white of the fats vaguely resembles the ancient Chinese character "five".

At any rate, Pork Belly has more than five layers. There are three layers of muscle and three layers of fat plus the skin. So it is actually seven layers, not five. We Teochews refer to this cut as Sar Cham Bak (3 layer pork) which refers to the three layers of muscle. For students of anatomy, these refer to the external and internal oblique, and transversus abdominis muscles. Yes, our anatomy is quite similar to pigs and especially so if you eat a lot and don't excercise.

According to Fatty Cheong, the most prized Charsiew is from the "pig armpit" which is also known as "Bu Jian Tian" (Never sees the sky). Technically, this is the part between the shoulder and belly and so the meat is nicely layered like belly meat. The meat here is tender and springy at the same time and really full of flavour.


Pork Shoulder Charsiew

For those who are more health conscious, the pork shoulder is leaner, but it depends on how the meat is cut. Shoulder and collar have more fats than other parts of the pig, but depending on how it is cut, you will be able to get a lean piece of Charsiew. I find the lean cuts a little too dry, but for our resident metrosexual, Taukwa, this is his preferred cut for everyday eating, but he admits that the "Bu Jian Tian" is much tastier.


Really fatty Charsiew

It might be shocking, but there are some people who actually request for Charsiew which is essentially fats with a sliver of meat in it. According to Fatty Cheong, these tend to be men of the baby boomer generation. We all felt it was just too rich and not something we would dare to order again.

Fatty Cheong's "Bu Jian Tian" was excellent. I had almost the same level of excitement as when I ate my first piece of Meng Kee's Charsiew. There are two points of difference however. Fatty Cheong doesn't make his Charsiew as charred as Meng Kee's because most Singaporeans do not like to eat too much of the charred bits, and he uses Brazilian pork which he himself admits is not as great as Malaysian pork. Unfortunately, Malaysian pork is still banned in Singapore, so we won't be able to do a proper comparison. Meng Kee's scores a 4.75 for me and Fatty Cheong's scores a 4.6/5, but we all felt that it is still the best one we have come across in Singapore.

Oh btw, there has been discussions in our forum that there is a even better Charsiew which is a stone's throw away from Meng Kee's called Overseas Restaurant. If you are in KL, you might want to check it out.

Conclusion

Fatty's Cheong's "Bu Jian Tian" is best Charsiew we have had in Singapore so far. Unfortunately, the Charsiew across the border just has that little extra ommph that can't be found here.

For more pictures of Meng Kee Charsiew check out PChong's blog entry here.

Fatty Cheong
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jln Bukit Merah #01-120 (near POSB ATM)
Open 11am till about 8.30pm
Closed Thursdays
98824849, 94281983

*Eating excessive amounts of fat can be detrimental to your health especially if you suffer from chronic conditions such as high cholesterol and heart disease. So please eat in moderation and avoid altogether if you are under medical advise to avoid eating fats.

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Wow Wow West: Fills the Stomach, Warms the Heart

Chicken Chop $5 (medium sized piece)

There are two things that I can say about Wow Wow West. First, this is a place where the food really value for money and it is the best place outside of a buffet where you can guarantee that you will eat till you are full. Second, the generosity and the goodness of Eric the owner never fails to warm the heart.

Now, if I didn't have the second point to write about, I would have gone on to tell you about how big the portions are and how Eric looks at the customers to in order to decide how big a Chicken Chop he would give. So if he saw Holybro, he'd give the extra large piece and Holybro would have gone away with a big grin on his face. When he sees a petite office girl, he would give a smaller piece as most of them will not be able to finish a big piece. It works out well most of the time, unless he gives a small piece to a girl like Khim (or bottomless pit she is popularly known), then there will be trouble. The same $5 will buy a large, medium or small piece depending on how hungry you look. So if you are particularly famished, but look like Fiona Xie, do let him know you want an extra large piece of chicken!

But that is not really the story I want to talk about. I feel the bigger story is how faith and redemption can affect one man's life and how a changed man can in turn change the world. (or at least the world around him)

When I first met Eric, he was still running his highly popular stall at Bukit Merah. At that time, I wrote about how his own life had changed when he became a Christian and found his life's calling in helping ex-prisoners establish a new life back in society. (That story here) While they were still in the old stall at Bukit Merah, he had trained a total of nine ex-prisoners before he managed to find one who was capable of taking over the running of the stall. We all thought that what he was doing was great but what he did next was even more astounding. I learnt later that he actually gave the stall away to his disciple and then proceeded to open a brand new stall over here in ABC Food Centre to start building his business scratch!


Giant Cheese and Pork Bratwurst $3 each

Now what he has done is noble indeed, so noble that he has earned the respect of the Black Society bosses who all decreed that he and his family are not to be harmed in anyway even though he is actively trying to rehabilitate some of their brothers. I guess integrity, nobility and respect is something that the underworld values highly.

Just recently, I got hold of some DVDs showing that there is hope even for the most hard core of prisoners. I was very touched by the inspiring stories of the lives of two ex-convicts, Neville Tan and Kelvin Soh who eventually found God and made a complete change in their lives. These locally produced short movies are well produced and are very touching. During this Christmas season, you might be invited to someone's place to watch the DVDs and to learn more about the how the baby born on that first Christmas changed the lives of hard core prisoners like Neville Tan and Kelvin Soh. If there is hope for them, surely there is hope for everyone, whatever your situation might be. You read more about the movies here



Anyway, back to the food. There is no doubt that the food here good but I think what draws the crowd every night are the generous portions of nourishment for the stomach as well as the soul. Wahcow finished up the chickenchop even though he just had lunch followed by some really well marbled char siew at Fatty Cheong's (later post). That just means either that the food is really good or Wahcow is just greedy. The chicken chop scores a 4/5 from me.

Conclusion

Food is good and I doubt is anyone will ever complain that the portions are small. But it is his story of conviction and selflessness which I find most compelling. If you know of any other stall with such a strong social cause, do write in and let me know!

What to do next

Read more about "The ironman of Changi Prison", Neville Tan here
Read more about the drug addict turned Gospel Singer, Kelvin Soh here
The first post on Wow Wow West is here
Read about Benny, the ex-con who now runs 18 Chefs, here

Wow Wow West
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
#01-133
10.30am to 9pm
Closed on Sundays

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Hong Kong Wanton Mee: The Anderson JC Alumni Pilgrimage

This stall has shifted to Toa Payoh

Wanton Mee $2

I was at ABC Brickworks eating at Fatty Cheong's when I happen to bump into one of our blog readers, Tarzan (cos he's married to Jane) who also happened to be eating at Fatty's. However, I noticed that he had a plate of Wanton Mee which was from another stall, so I asked him if he thought it was good enough to be featured on the Blog. Not willing to put his Tarzan underpants on the line, he merely said it was the 2nd time he was eating there in a fortnight. OK Tarzan, let's see if this Wanton Mee has got that "Orh Yi Orh Yi Orh" or not.

The stall was operated by this friendly elderly couple (which I have a soft spot for) who have been operating the stall for over 20 years. They proudly showed off their trophy which they won for "Best Food Stall - Henderson Junior College". Since when was there a "Henderson" Junior College? After chatting with them for a while, I found out that they were at Anderson Junior College from 1985 to 1999, selling their wanton mee and also rice dishes. I think that AJC alumni should be quite glad to find your long lost Aunty and Uncle eh? Time to go back and pay them a visit, and tell them about how you all have progressed and how many kids you have!

Now, I remember that RJC used to have a killer Nasi Padang stall way back in the 80's. Anyone know where they went? The one Hawker that I would desperately like to find is that Char Kway Teow man from St Andrew's School in the 70s and 80s. That would really bring back fond memories!

So, if you all know about any of your favourite hawkers who have subsequently left your school canteen to set up their own stall, do write in to let us know!



This old couple still take pride in serving up quality noodles at School Canteen prices. No kidding, at $2 per plate, this has got to be one of the cheapest Wanton Mee in town. And they don't skimp on the quality or quantity either. They use a full egg noodle which are thinner than usual. It is the type that "Hong Kong" wanton mee is supposed to be. The Home-made charsiew is tender and quite generous and you get three good sized Wantons. Being "Hong Kong" style, they don't add tomato sauce, but instead have a specially brewed anchovy based sauce. The texture of the noodles were excellent, and although the Char Siew still cannot compare with Fatty Cheong's, they were still quite competent. 4/5

Conclusion

Great value for money Wanton Mee and a "Must Visit" for AJC alumni, I should think!

Hong Kong Wanton Mee
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
#01-41
97276492
5am to 2pm
Recommended by Tarzan

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Bao Zai: Char Siew Bao you gotta try ABC Food Centre Part 4 of 4

I just discovered this 30 year old handmade charsiew pau which I feel is just really shiok to eat. I could just buy a dozen of these and pop them into my mouth while watching Seinfeld. I have already mentioned how relieved I was that there has been a resurgence of the handmade pau in recent years, such that we don't have to be subjected to calorie wastage by factory made paus. But finding a 30 year old tradition is another thing altogether.



These hands have been making paus for over 30 years and it's amazing how fast you can make a pau after so much practise. Uncle orignally started when he was only in his teens and has not looked back since. He still roasts his own charsiew with a charcoal oven which is why his charsiew filling is so good. The other reason is that he used to sell Char Siew and Sio Bak before settling down to making paus.



I really liked his Charsiew Paus. The charsiew filling is juicy and sweet and you can taste the chargrilled flavor of the charsiew. 4.5/5 The big paus were also commendable but I think that it is the Charsiew Paus that really steal the show.


Bao Zai
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
Stall 01-135
Open 10am to 10pm
Closed Thursday

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Yong Kee Fish Ball Noodle: Fishball at 2am anyone? ABC Food Centre Part 3 of 4

It is good to know that the humble fishball is experiencing a revival. Years ago the NEA (Environment Agency) restricted hawkers from making their own fishball for the sake of hygiene, it almost marked the dissappearance of the homemade fishball. Thankfully, the decision has been reversed and now I am discovering more and more homemade fishball vendors.

This particular stall not only sells fishballs, they also sell an interesting meatball which is a mix of pork, fish, chillies and spring onions.



One thing that is really good when the stall makes its own fishball is the soup. That is because the soup is made from the water that is a byproduct of the fishball making process. So this soup is really tasty and clear. The fish balls were excellent. They was tasty and had a great bouncy texture. 4/5 I wasn't too overwhelmed by the meatballs however, and would just go for the fishballs next time. 3.5/5

I just need to mention that if you are craving for fishballs at an unearthly hour, you can come down to ABC Food Centre because this stall is opened till 2am!! It is run by a husband and wife team that rotate on 2 shifts and they still managed to have 4 kids! Funny. Some people work really hard so that people like us can have something to eat late at night!


Yong Kee Famous Fish Ball Noodle
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
#01-121
7am-2am daily

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Fatty Cheong's CharSiew: Power Char Siew! ABC Food Centre Part 2 of 4

Republished with Updated Pics
This is my idea of what a great char siew should be like. Thickly cut, tender, marbled and juicy meat with nicely charred and caramelised bits of fat on the outside. When you bite into the char siew, not only should it melt in your mouth, but, at the same time you should be able to appreciate the smell of smoking charcoal. Char Siew doesn't get better then this!

For those who are inversely horizontally challenged (ie watching your weight), do not despair as you can have a choice of both lean and marbled versions of char siew.

The Char Siew is dipped intermittently during the roasting process in this marinade of soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and tau chio (salted bean paste) to ensure that a thick, translucent, caramelized layer coats the outside of the Char Siew. The importance of the cut and source of pork cannot be underestimated. Fatty Cheong uses only pork collar/shoulder meat from Brazil. This cut of meat has good marbling and level of fat to ensure that the Char Siew comes out tender and juicy.

Ever wondered what a Char Siew Sauna er.. Oven looks like? Charcoal ensures that the pork gets that characteristic flavour. Don't bother to do this at home in the oven, it is never the same. By the way, I learnt that the process of making Sio Bak is amazingly simple. Pork Belly is marinated in salt, sugar and five spice powder for just over an hour and placed into the oven. Mr Cheong assures me that that is all that is needed to make the skin crispy.

Ta Da! Beautifully charred Char Siew fit for any five star restaurant.


I love the charred bits best! (But please eat in moderation ok?)

Now you know why the shop is called Fatty Cheong? Well it turns out that it may be a case of self fulfilling prophecy. When Mr Cheong started his shop 14 years ago, he was still a slim young man. I think he must have chosen the name Fatty cos he used to be an apprentice of the famous Fatty Ox HongKong BBQ. Since then, he has tweaked his Char Siew formula to suit the local taste. I must say that the disciple has a better char siew then the master, although Fatty Ox's roast duck is still number one.

Conclusion

This is easily one of the best if not the best Char Siew in Singapore, and very reasonably priced. Certainly the current number one Char Siew in the ieatishootipost Char Siew Challenge. The Sio Bak and Roast Duck are both very good but it is the Char Siew that just has that extra something to keep you salivating while trying to get to bed.

4.5/5 Currently World's 2nd Best Char Siew (We are still looking for the World's Best).

PS: At this stage, I must say that I have tasted a couple of great Char Siew that all rank very close to the top five best Char Siews. My feel is that at the end of the day, there might be a few which would have to be crowned World's 2nd Best. We'll see. Another thing, to enjoy really good char siew, you need to have at least a little fat. If you take it lean, don't expect it to be that great.

Fatty Cheong
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jln Bukit Merah #01-120
Open 11am till about 8.30pm
Closed Thursdays
98824849, 94281983

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Yi Sheng Hokkien Mee ABC Food Centre Part 1 of 4

Remember eating Hokkien Mee when you were a kid? Assuming you are my age, then you might have been eating from this particular store which has been around for 40 years. What they say about practise makes perfect is very true. This is one excellent hokkien mee particularly if you like your hokkien mee with thin bee hoon and swimming in thick gravy.

And if you like chilli, this particular chilli will make sure you return again and again. Mr Toh tells me that there are dried anchovies and dried prawns in the chlli. A secret receipe handed down from father to son. In fact, uncle was so passionate about the chilli that at one stage I was wondering if he was selling chilli, with Hokkien Mee as the condiment. I usually don't take my hokkien mee with chilli, but today I was lapping it up.

Take note of the extra large wok which ensures that every strand of the mee gets its fair share of attention from the heat. He took over the business from his father in 1989. Oh, and by the way, here's a little secret, Mr Toh is Hainanese not Hokkien!!

What's better then a mouthful of shiokalicious Hokkien Mee? A mouthful of shiokalicious Hokkien Mee with a piece of perfectly grilled Sio Bak, that's what! If you have not tried this before, you are being deprived of one of the very simple (sinful) pleasures in life. When you put the noodles and the Sio Bak in your mouth, the first thing you that delights you is the crunch of the pork rind followed by a burst of flavour as the juices from the pork combine perfectly with the savoury gravy of the hokkien mee. And as you savour the taste, you can also appreciate the "pang" (tasty savoury smell) smell when you exhale through your nose. This excellent Sio Bak was purchased from Fatty Cheong's who are also in the same FC. (That's another blog)

Conclusion

Different style of Hokkien Mee from Kim's at Joo Chiat. Chilli definitely wins Kim's. Noodles wise, Kim's is a little more QQ and has less gravy then Yi Sheng. Hard fight. Both are good in their own ways but I just feel that Yi Sheng just lacks that knockout punch. For the chilli lovers, that knockout punch might just be the chilli.

Other blog entries on Hokkien Mee:
Hokkien Mee Riddle Solved Finally
Hokkien Mee Reloaded


4.25/5 Definitely one of the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore and definitely better then Nam Sing Hokkien Mee which made it in the Makansutra Hawker Legends list.

Yi Sheng Fried Prawn Mee, Satay
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jln Bukit Merah, #01-13

Daily from 11am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 10pm or when food runs out (it frequently does)
Closed on Wednesdays

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