Changi Teochew Kitchen: From Simple Teochew Mueh to Teochew Banquet

With Fashionfoodie,Cactuskit, Jencooks, Wahcow, Toothfairy and BossConan


Now, this Teochew Kitchen was recommended by Fashionfoodie who, if you all remember, is one of our Teochew Ah Hias who really loves his Peh Dou Her. So when he started going on about the Braised Duck and Tua Terng (Large intestines) here, I could feel a strong Swatow wind blowing me towards Changi Village.

Changi Village is one of those last few places in Singapore that still has that "outback" charm. When I was a kid, Changi used to be the end of the earth. A day out at Changi beach was a big thing and almost like going on a road trip to Malaysia. But then along came Changi Airport and suddenly a lot of the mystery of Changi was lost. But Changi Village itself has still got a bit of that "ulu" flavour and a great place to go for supper. And if you are hankering for some hot Teochew Porridge on a cold rainy evening, you'd be happy to know that a new Teochew Kitchen has just opened there to transport you to Swatow.

This place was opened by a couple of Teochew Ah Hias who wanted to bring the concept of Swatow dining to Singapore. So when you walk into the restaurant itself, you will see the food being displayed like what they are in Swatow (or China in general). They even went to the extent of hiring two chefs from Swatow to be in charge of the food there. The restaurant has two sections, an aircon area with private rooms and an Al Fresco area. The best thing is that you can actually come here and have a choice of whether you want to eat simple Teochew Porridge for a few bucks a head or go for a banquet of Teochew favourites like steamed shark's head and Orh Nee.


Salted Egg Roll $12 for 8

Our first dish was something new for me. The salted egg rolls are made from dried persimmons wrapped in a crispy dough made from salted egg yolks. Somehow they struck me as something very typically Teochew as we do like to mix sweet with salty flavours. Just take the Teochew Bak Chang for example, which characteristically has a ball of sweet bean paste in it. I don't think it is something for everyone which is why it is not a popular Bak Chang. But for this Teochew Ah Hia, I found it quite pleasing. 4/5


Cold Crabs $20 per Crab (small)

The cold crabs are served with a bit of vinegar here instead of sweet plum sauce. I find it as difficult to rave about cold crabs as I do about sashimi, since you don't really "cook" the dish so the comments are limited to how fresh the produce is. So okay, will it make a big difference if I said the crabs were fresh, very fresh or very very fresh? I mean, how much fresher can a crab get since they are all live crabs? For me cold crabs are simply crabs which are steamed and put in a fridge. Of course they have to be full of roe or sperm, but other than getting a good supplier, is there any other secret in the preparation of cold crabs? 4/5


Braised Platter $18

Everyone was quite pleased with the braised platter, especially Fashionfoodie who highly recomended this dish. The braising sauce is very nice and balanced and the duck was tender and flavourful. Those who like "Tua Terng" (large intestine) would be very pleased with the Tua Terng here as it doesn't have any smell and the texture was very good. 4.25/5


Pork Aspic $15

Fans of Pork Aspic will be happy to see the photo of this fast dissappearing dish! Though Mom never purposely made this dish at home, I remember digging the jelly out of a Tupperware of overnight Braised Pork as a kid. I guess that was where the idea for the dish originated from. I haven't tasted enough Pork Aspic to tell you if this one is a good one, but I would just say that I am not a fan yet. Much prefer to eat Mom's cold Lor Bak! 3.5/5


Shark Head $5 per kg

Steamed shark head is very much like Sea Cucumber in that it is essentially a tasteless gooey substance that has the ability to absorb the flavours of the sauce it is cooked in. Actually the texture of soft collagen is very similar to pork fat so it really is quite shiok when it slides down your throat. The sauce is made from Chai Poh and little cubes of Pork Lard, so you can just imagine how shiok it is! 4/5

Conclusion

I think a lot of people are looking for a place to go for a nice bowl of Teochew porridge and being in Changi Village, the "ulu" atmosphere does add to the whole experience. This is a good place to go with the family to enjoy a few typically Teochew dishes and decide if you would like to burn a hole in your pocket or keep your pants intact.

Changi Teochew Kitchen
Blk 5 Changi Village Road
#01-2--1 S500005
65465482
Open for lunch, dinner and supper
Recommended by Fashionfoodie

....Read more!

Guan Kee Chai Tau Kway: Still steaming it themselves!

All is not gloom and doom in the hawker front.

We all complain that it is going downhill and that everything is getting outsourced such that hawkers are now more like traders rather than cooks but there is a glimmer of hope over the horizon. I guess with all things, it is a cycle we are talking about. We go from handmade to factory made and then when it looks like everyone is selling the factory made stuff, the handmade stuff suddenly becomes a unique proposition for consumers which some clever hawkers will capitalize to their advantage.

So this is the story with Carrot Cake. Just when you thought that all Carrot Cake is being outsourced, some stalls see the opportunity to differentiate themselves by steaming their own Carrot Cake. Somehow, it gives the stall a feeling of authenticity.



And the strategy works. Everytime I chance upon a stall that bothers to steam their own Carrot Cake, I will stop and order a plate. That's half the battle won. The other half boils down to the taste.

I guess when it comes to the taste of the Carrot Cake itself, one should be able to taste the difference with the white version since it is not masked by the black sauce. I must honestly tell you that the white version is not that great, which is a bit of a dissappointment. However, the black version of the Carrot Cake is well worth wasting a few Calories for. The Uncle fries it till it has all that wonderfull caramelized charred bits which is oh so heavenly! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Now, I wonder if there is really any point in steaming your own Carrot Cake if you can't really taste the difference in the white version. It's the black version here that is really good, but that has more to do with the frying technique and the recipe behind the sweet sauce.
So tell us, does your favourite Carrot Cake stall steam their own Carrot Cake? And do you think it makes a big difference?

Guan Kee Changi Village Food Centre
#01-02
11am to 11pm
Closed on Mondays

....Read more!

Lai Hua Porridge Cheong Fun: Found my Zhar Leong at last!

I finally found a stall in a hawker centre that sells Zhar Leong (Chee Cheong Fun with You Tiao)!

For those who haven't yet tried this Hong Kong Dim Sum dish, it is essentially deep fried flour wrapped in steamed flour and drenched in a slightly sweet and savoury soy sauce. A very simple dish which uses the most basic of ingredients but it really hits the spot and can be quite addictive.

Zhar Leong isn't quite considered a top dim sum dish in Singapore, but in Hong Kong it is found in every self respecting Dim Sum restaurant. I must say that it is my favourite form of Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Rolls) and I would always ask for Zhar Leong first and settle with Char Siew Cheong Fun if it wasn't available. It isn't easy to find Zhar Leong even in a lot of fancy Dim Sim restaurants which is why I am quite excited to find this stall that sells it for $2.50 in Changi Village Food Centre.

I thought that it was very smart of Chef Tham to include this dish in his newly opened stall. It really does differentiate his stall from the others. It certainly caught my attention. Chef Tham used to be the head Dim Sum Chef of Goodwood Park Hotel, before he decided to venture out to start his own business, so he certainly has good credentials backing him up.

The Cheong Fun is made fresh when you order and was quite good though I expected it to be just that bit more soft and silky since it is handmade. Otherwise, for $2.50 it did satisfy my craving for Zhar Leong.  4/5

For those who like the Hong Kong style congee, you can also order a bowl of congee from the stall. For me, the Hong Kong style congee is less robust than the Hainanese style. The porridge here reminded me of congee that Crystal Jade serves. The pork balls are a little different from the usual local version where minced meat are rolled into balls. These are a little more bouncy and have a texture somewhere between the commercially available pork balls and the ones you make yourself at home. Great if you are looking for Hong Kong style porridge. 3.75/5



Conclusion

Not many places where you can just sit down and order a plate of Zhar Leong in Singapore so it is well worth a visit if you are after a tasty snack.

Update:  16 Sep 2008

My apologies, the Changi Village Food Centre is closed for renovations till 7 Oct 2008.  Thanks to our readers who highlighted this to us.

Lai Hua Porridge Cheong Fun 

Changi Village Food Centre 

8am to 9pm 

Closed on Wed 

96526038



What to do next:

Check out another place to eat Zhar Leong: Victor's Kitchen
Must try the Ipoh Hor Fun opposite this stall!
As well as the Beef Kway Teow beside it!

....Read more!

Sri Sujana: Nasi Lemak Contender #2 Changi Village Hawker Centre Part 6 of 6

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


Sri Sujana is right next to Mizzy's and they are selling the set at $2. As far as I can see, the only difference is that Mizzy's uses a deeper plate.

The rice here has a stronger pandan flavour which I enjoyed. Again the rice would have been so much better if they used a better grade of rice. The chicken wings were fresh out of the wok and tasted great! The chilli was a letdown. It was sort of homogenous, did not have that nice layer of chilli oil on top and tasted as if it had been burnt that day. 3.5/5

Conclusion

There is no perfect Nasi Lemak at Changi Village! We have all tasted International before so we know that the standard of the Nasi Lemak is about the same. The best strategy is to go for the one with the high turnover, especially when it comes to the chicken wings which are all great when taken fresh!

Sri Sujana
Changi Village Hawker Centre
#01-54
7am to 1am
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

....Read more!

Mizzy's Corner: Which Nasi Lemak Stall? Changi Village Hawker Centre Part 5 of 6

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat

Shown here with an extra chicken wing

Can't get away from a Changi Village series without blogging about the Nasi Lemak. I guess the main question on everybody's mind is NOT "which one is the most popular" because International Nasi Lemak is the one with the longest queue. The real question is, "which one should I go for if I can't be bothered to queue up at International Nasi Lemak!" Am I right? Huh? Huh?

So the ieisip review team ventured to taste test 2 stalls there which are also quite popular.

The first one is Mizzy's, which like International is now selling a set for $2.50. I felt the rice here was nice but like most of the stalls here, they don't use jasmine rice so the rice all comes out broken, light and dry. I liked the Sambal here. It was sweet and very savoury. The chicken wings here are yummy and well marinated, but they were fried maybe half an hour ago and not so crispy. 3.5/5

Conclusion

Good chilli and the chicken wings would have been great if they were fresh. The rice would be good if they used a better grade rice.

Mizzy's Corner
Changi Village Hawker Centre
#01-55
7am to 4am daily

....Read more!

Beef Kway Teow: Flavour that you can See! Changi Village Hawker Centre Part 4 of 6

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


I find it the most satisfying to discover stalls which sell really great food, BUT which still does not have any newspaper cuttings or pictures of Mediacorp Stars on them! Don't let the simple, unadorned frontage of the stall fool you. Within this unassuming cubicle lies a pot of gravy so good that I gurantee you can SEE the FLAVOUR in the picture!

Before we get to that. Let's just talk a bit about the soup version. We found the soup to be sweet and robust and all the meats to be tender and flavoursome. On of the better beef soups around. 4/5



OK, let's get down to the exciting part. The dry version is the one to die for. Seriously, this is the best gravy I have ever seen and tasted! Savoury and full of bovine goodness!



Just LOOK at it! See what I mean by FLAVOUR that you can SEE? The beef strands floating in the gravy is your preview of what is going to happen when you scoop a spoonful of the gravy to put in your mouth. Think of it as Sharksfin soup but with beef instead of crabmeat! 4.5/5

Conclusion

You really call yourself a lover of Beef Kway Teow until you have tried this!


Beef Kway Teow
Changi Village Hawker Centre
#01-19
11am-11pm daily

....Read more!

Sri Bastari: Is my Ayam Penyet? Changi Village Hawker Centre Part 3 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


For those who go to Changi Village Hawker Centre but never bother to venture across to the market side..... well you have been missing out on quite a gem! Ok, I am really talking about the biggest Sua Gu (Mountain Tortoise) which is myself!

Ayam Penyet is the healther alternative to Nasi Lemak. The rice is made from Chicken stock instead of coconut and taste very much like Hainanese chicken rice, rice. The rice here is delicious. They use good quality jasmine rice, so that each grain is lovely, fluffy and flavoursome!

Penyet means to flatten. Each piece of chicken is deep fried then flattened with a wooden mallet. Poor chicken, kenna slaughtered, dismembered and dunked in hot oil still not enough, after that still kenna whacked some more! Si Gao Si Si (Dead, really really Dead) I love Indonesian/Malay style grilled chicken. The lovely lemongrass, tumeric, cumin and coriander spices really goes so well with chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken that day just missed that extra kick I was expecting. 4/5 In all fairness, smart who brought us there said that they were really much better the last few times he visited.

The chilli lovers will love the big dollop of chilli sauce they provide with the set. The chilli is roughly cut and stewed till soft and has a sweetish tangy taste. Very unique indeed!

Conclusion

If you have not tried this, you should. My gut feel is that the chicken might very well taste much better when I return. The good news is that they now have another stall over at the food centre side next to the famous Nasi Lemak stalls. But if you want to eat from the original stall, then you have to cross to the market side.

Sri Bistari
Blk 3 #01-40
Changi Village Road (On the Wet Market side)
10.30am to 1am Daily




Acknowledgement: Another good recommendation by smart!

....Read more!

Amigo: Bak Chor Mee my Friend: Changi Village Hawker Centre Part 2 of 6

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


This is one of the better Bak Chor Mees around and I actually like the chilli here more than many other stalls. For me, the balance of the chilli and vinegar is just right and the combination of the mince pork and the sauce was really shiok.



The only thing that is preventing it from getting a "must try" grading is the quality of the noodle which was quite ordinary. It is still al dente and better than most, but pales in comparison to the other more famous Bak Chor Mee stores. Still, if you are in Changi Village Food Centre and yearning for Mee Poh, you won't regret having this one. 4/5 The soup, however, did not have the robustness of a good stock and the Shui Gaos (dumplings) were ordinary. 3/5

Amigo Changi Village Food Centre
Blk 2 #01-05 Changi Village Road
94553631
11am to 11pm Closed on Tuesdays

....Read more!

Wing Kee Ipoh Hor Fun: Ipoh is right here in Changi! Changi Village Food Centre Part 1 of 7

With smart, holydrummer and iwatch_ueat


Most people come to Changi Village Hawker Centre to eat the Nasi Lemak. I WAS one of them. But I think I just found a stall which is so Shiok! that I would travel by bus, MRT, bus and bus all the way from Tuas to Changi just to eat it then do the B,B,M&B all the way back and be satisfied. (Actually I live in the East and I have a car, so this is what we call a poetic license OK?)



Now this is a seriously darn enjoyable, tongue tingling, lip smacking experience that is worth the trip to the end of Singapore (Well, when I was young, Changi used to be the uncharted frontier of Singapore). The Hor Fun was really smooth and the chicken cutlet was Crispy on the outside and oh so juicy and savoury on the inside. Combined with that SAUCE, oooohhh that SAUCE... simply shiokadoodledoolicious. Did I mention that this is one special SAUCE? I found out later that, traditional Ipoh hor fun is served with this Chicken Sauce which is made from boiling Old Mother Hens for many many hours! I guess Geriatric Chickens have just got that special Kanna Bee (Special Geriatric Smell)!

Conclusion

This is the real star of Changi Village Hawker Centre and I have been dreaming about when to go back again! 4.6/5

Wing Kee Ipoh Hor Fun
Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2 #01-04
65456425
10.30am to 11pm Mon-Fri
8am to 12mn Sat-Sun

....Read more!