Bukit Merah View Teochew Porridge: Will the Real Teochew Ah Hia please stand up?

With FashionFoodie, smart, liverpool, tag, iwatch_ueat and damien


Today was the day I found out I did not qualify to be a True Blue Teochew Ah Hia! Oh, don't misunderstand me. I am pure bred. Both sets of Grandparents came direct from Swatow. However, I failed the ultimate test of the Teochew Ah Hia. I failed to appreciate freshly steamed Peh Dou Her (Rabbit Fish).

My idea of a perfect Teochew porridge lunch was porridge with stuff like Chye Poh (preserved veg) Omelette, Braised Pork, Sliced Lup Cheong (Chinese sausages) and Braised peanuts. But I found out that that only qualifies me to be an entry level Teochew Ah Hia. The True Blue, Hard Core, Fair Dinkum, No Play Play Teochew Ah Hia loves stuff like steamed Peh Dou Her, steamed mullet and steamed baby squid dipped in Tau Jnior (fermented bean sauce) and chilli.


Peh Dou Her (Rabbit Fish) $4 each

Peh Dou Her is especially prized during the Chinese New Year period when they are about half the size and full of roe. Teochew Ah Hias like Fashionfoodie tell me that the stomach is bitter and when taken with the roe, it is supposed to bring you to the heavenly Swatow. (Area where the Teochews come from)

Here is where I failed. I never did like all the steamed fish that my parents love. In fact it was the fishiness of fish like Peh Dou Her that put me off steamed fish for most of my younger life. But I was game to see if my tastebuds are indeed as Teochew as I thought. Perhaps, as I get older, I might actually like fishy fish?

Not.

Even as the Teochew Ah Hias are attacking the fish with gusto, I found the fish to be too fishy for me. I tried my best but only finished a few mouthfuls. I guess it really is an acquired taste. So, are there many Peh Dou Her afficianados out there?

My rating would be 2.5/5 whereas the other guys rate it 4.5/5



Similarly with the steamed squid. My first bite of it was ok. But it wasn't something I would rave about. So I asked Fashiofoodie again just how to appreciate the dish. He told me that not many people can actually steam it until it was just so soft and tender. Ok. My rating 3/5, his rating 4.5/5.



I was told the beauty of these baby squids is that they are full of roe. Smart especially liked it and kept raving about it. Again for me, it was plain steamed squid. I still prefer it deeped fried till crispy with black sweet sauce. My rating 3/5, Smart's 4.5/5

Conclusion

So will you pass the True Blue Teochew Ah Hia test? My three Teochew Ah Hia friends certainly passed with flying colours. That's not to say that people of other dialect groups would not like Peh Dou Her, it's just that if you claim to be a Teochew Ah Hia, you should pass the Peh Dou Her test. Agree or not?

Bukit Merah View Economic Teochew Porridge
#01-377/379
115 Bukit Merah View
10am to 7pm
Closed on Sunday
Recommended by FashionFoodie

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Golden Horse Roast Meats: More like Golden Pegasus!

I don't know about you, but I don't really think much of the typical BBQ chicken wings. I generally feel that most of them are too conservative. What I look for in a good BBQ chicken wings is that sticky sweet and spicy caramelized glaze that gives you that eye opening oooomph when you bite into it. A few years back, there was this particular stall along Zion Road which sells the most shiokalicious wings and Char Siew. But sadly, they moved out and last I heard, they have retired. I have since been searching high and low for beloved BBQ chicken wings.

That is why I am so excited to have found this "undecorated" stall while searching for something to eat at Bukit Merah View Food Centre. They don't seem to have a lot of wings or Char Siew on display but the wings looked so good, I just had to give one a try. Phwa! Phwa phwa phwa! I found it, I found it! These spicy sweet chicken wings will sure hit the spot if you have just spent the last week preparing for your cholesterol test and have just gotten a good result. The glaze is sticky and sweet and has just the right amount of spiciness to give you that zing when you bite into the juicy and succulent meat. Of course I had the fortune of eating it when it was just taken out of the oven! I could easily down half a dozen of these before going for the Char Siew! 4.5/5

Now, this little shop is what I would call a boutique Roast Meat stall. By "boutique" I mean that they only make a small amount everyday and the owner lovingly glazes each item till it is cooked till perfection. It was just a thrill to see how much effort went into glazing the few strips of Char Siew and then putting it back into the oven, then pulling out the wings, glazing them, putting them back in the oven, then taking out the Char Siew again...........



The Char Siew is unsurprisingly, also very very shiok. Apart from the sticky glaze, the texture of the meat is also very different. By using pork collar meat and controlling the roasting process to perfection, they managed to get the texture of the meat to almost a "fishball" like consistency. The meat is really chewy and tender at the same time! Excellent Char Siew! 4.5/5



Conclusion

Totally and unexpectedly delighted. This stall has been around for over 20 years, but there is hardly any write-ups displayed on their stall front. Just looking at the one white chicken, 2 roast chicken, 4 charsiew and one rack of chicken wings, one can be forgiven to just pass on by. But boy was I sure glad I took the chance and tried one of their chicken wings. It's a real gem of a find!

Golden Horse Roast Meats
Bukit Merah View Food Centre
#01-283
10.30am to 10pm
Closed on Sun and Pub Hols

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Wow Wow West: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree!

Chicken Chop $4

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

This song was based on an actual incident in 1973 where a recently released convict was on the bus home after serving a prison term. He wasn't quite sure if his wife still wanted him back after three long years. He said in his letter that if she had chosen to move on with her life, he would understand. But if she wanted him back, she should tie a yellow ribbon round the Old Oak Tree as a sign that he should get off the bus and come home.

As, the bus approached his home town, he was so afraid of disappointment that he asked the bus driver to look out for the yellow ribbon for him instead. When they finally saw the Oak Tree, it didn't just have a single ribbon, the tree was full of yellow ribbons! His wife wanted him to know, without the shadow of a doubt that he had been forgiven and he had a family to come home to!

We all know about the power of forgiveness. How many times have we done something wrong and needed to seek forgiveness from someone? Remember the sense of relief when the person you wronged eventually smiles and accepts your apology?

But here we are talking about a bigger wrong. Someone who has committed a crime against society and has been put in Prison for a period of time. Having paid the price for his transgressions, is he now accepted back into society?

So what does all this have to do with a Wow Wow West? Well, quite a lot really.

Eric Ng (that's his car on the right), the owner of Wow Wow West wasn't an quite an ex-convict himself, but he did spend some time at Boys Town when he was younger. He started attending Church after Boy's Town and began his career in the food and beverage industry working at places like the Raffles Hotel. He still does catering for the Istana (I was told that his honey baked ham was a favourite dish amongst the big wigs there). But he recalls that there was a time in his life when he was not serious about his faith and his family life was not exactly smooth sailing.


Pork Chop $5

Things came to a head one day when his eldest daughter ran away from home. It was at this time of trouble that he realized he really needed to get right with God. He made a deal with God that if his daughter would return home, he would dedicate his life to serving him as a counselor with the halfway house.

Well, you can guess what happened. His daughter did come home, so Eric made good his promise to God.

Now he employs ex-offenders (fully salaried) who work daily at his Western Food Shop up till 11pm. He then sits down with them and counsels them, sometimes till 2am in the morning. Although most of these men have already turned their backs on their previous lives, it still takes time to work out some of the issues which still haunt them.

It was such a joy to talk to Eric who tells me that though it can be very trying at times to work with the ex-offenders, he feels that his rewards have been bountiful. His whole family now helps out at the stall whenever possible and the business is brisk. His stall is easily one of the busiest at the Food Center, a testament to God's Blessings, says Eric.


Fish and Chips $5

I realise that there are really two styles of Hawker "Western" Food nowadays. The traditional ones have that local flavour as most of them would incorporate Asian ingredients like MSG and soy sauce in their marinade. However, there are those like Wow Wow West whose food taste more "Western" as they use mostly herbs like basil and tarragon and avoid the use of MSG.

The thing that struck me most about the food was the generous amount you get for the price. The first dish we were served was the Fish n Chips which was HUGE for only $5. Seriously, it was the size of a Ping Pong bat and it was thick! The bread crumb crust was also executed well so it was crisp but not oily. Now the only thing is that they use Cream Dory which can sometimes taste a bit muddy. I was impressed with the homemade coleslaw here which is cold and crisp and easily better than KFC's. The tartare sauce could be a little more tangy and have more pickles, but hey at $5, one should not complain too much. 4/5

The other best selling items here are the Chicken Chop and Pork Chops. Both are seasoned with western herbs which was alright for me. But you know, sometimes I still like the more traditional marinade with the MSG oomph. Again the portions are generous. For $5, you get 2 thick slices of pork loin the size of your hand (lady's) and a whole Chicken Maryland only costs $4. I like the way the meat is pan fried till there is a nice crust on the outside. 4/5

Conclusion

Value for money, "Western" Style western food with a great story to boot! Their foot long Pork Cheese sausage is just $3 and $5 if you get the set. They sell Beef Steaks here for $5 (did not try). The food is well executed and pretty decent. Definitely one for those looking to satisfy a big appetite for a few bucks!

Update: May 2008

The owner Eric has moved over to ABC brickworks food centre and given the ownership of the original stall at Bukit Merah View to the former inmate that he helped to train. I haven't got the number of the stall but it is just a few stalls away from the Pao store that I recommended.

Wow Wow West
#01-301 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre,
Block 115 Bukit Merah View
Open 10am to 11pm
Catering available: Call 93808571
Link to Breakthrough Missions Website

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