Wang Ji Fried Tau Kwa: Only one in Singapore?

With Taukwa and Cactuskit


Do you all remember "The Count?" from Sesame Street? They call him "The Count" because he loves to count things.

Now, guess why Taukwa is called Taukwa? Well, it is not a trick question. He is called Taukwa because he loves to eat Taukwa. And so this stall which sells fried Taukwa (the only one of its kind as far as we know) literally has got his name on it.



How anyone can be so enamoured with a block of Beancurd simply fried till it is crisp on the outside and eaten with a simple chilli sauce is something of a conandrum. If this was Tauhu Goreng (The Malay version which is served with a spicy sweet peanut sauce), at least I can understand. But this stall simply pan fries Taukwa and sells it. It seems like something any person can do right? And the Taukwa is not any special handmade from organic soy beans type Taukwa. It is simply Taukwa which you can buy at a fraction of the price at the wet market next door. But then again, people do buy Milo from the Kopi Tiam too when they can simply do it themselves at home.

Anyway, the Taukwa is very nice. I guess if you are a Taukwa lover, this has got to be one of those places which you will need to do a pilgrimage to. I like Taukwa but not so much as to drive all the way to Redhill simply to eat it. But it is good enough to order if I were eating something else there. 4/5

Conclusion

Taukwa is nice and healthy. It has got no cholesterol and it's full of protein. Eat more Taukwa, it is good for you.

Wang Ji Fried Taukwa
Redhill Food Centre
10am to 6pm
Monday Closed

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Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon: Why is there so few Satay Bee Hoon stalls?

With Taukwa and Cactuskit


Ever wonder why there are so few Satay Bee Hoon stalls in Singapore? Is it because there is little demand for this dish or is it because there just aren't enough hawkers passionate enough to want to serve it?

According to the uncle who mans this particular stall, which has been around for over 30 years, the reason is because Satay Bee Hoon is a lot of work. There is a lot of ingredients that you need to prepare and also you have to cook that pot of peanut gravy. So I guess selling something like Kway Teow soup might be simpler. But hey, I can't imagine that Satay Bee Hoon can be more trouble to make than say Nasi Padang. Afterall, aside from the peanut gravy, the rest of the stuff needs little preparation right? But this is not the only Satay Bee Hoon seller that told me this. The uncle over at East Coast Lagoon also told me the same thing.



Our kaki, Taukwa as been eating at this stall since he was only a Tauhoo and he loves it so much that as long as the stall is still around, he will continue to patronize the stall until he becomes a Taukee.

After my first taste of the Satay sauce, I can see why. The gravy is very addictive and unlike the East Coast version, this one is more grainy and robust so you can actually bite into the peanuts. It is not overly spicy or sweet so the balance is just right. Satay Bee Hoon is not something I automatically look for when I am at the hawker centre, but if I come to Redhill Food Centre, this is definitely on my list of things to order. 4.5/5



If you want to make Satay Bee Hoon at home, they have ready made sauces direct from their own factory so all you have to do is add water and heat up! Just imagine what great ingredients you can pour the gravy over!

Conclusion

You can count the number of good Satay Bee Hoon stall using one hand even if you are missing a finger. With Satay Bee Hoon being so shiok, why are there so few around?

Bak Kee Satay Bee Hoon
2nd last row of stalls
12pm - 8pm
Closed on Wednesdays

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Ming Yun Fried Hokkien Mee: Everyone loves the Underdog!

With Cactuskit and Taukwa

Hokkien Mee $3

Everyone loves an underdog right? One of our kakis, Champagne recently shared this video with me which was a real inspiration. In case you still have not heard about Susan Boyle, she is this 47 year old lady who managed to put a big smile on Simon Cowell's face. When she rocked up on stage, no one would ever imagine that this lady was going to bring the house down. Just watch this, it will really brighten up your day.

This relatively unknown Hokkien Mee in Redhill is just such an underdog. None of the usual accolades pasted on the front of the stall except one self proclaimed story of long snaking lines when the stall was still at Bedok Blk 85 more than 10 years ago. According to the owner, he moved to somewhere near Tampines Round Market where he used to only open for 1 and a half hours in the evening before he was sold out. How true this is, I do not know. Perhaps some of our readers might be able to shed some light on this stall?

Anyway the owner who is in his fifties now says that he had been frying Hokkien Mee since he was in his teens. He moved to Redhill after he took a break to have an operation and has been here for four months. Since no one talks about his stall in our forum or on the internet, we would have easily missed this stall except for the fact that Cactuskit had the sixth sense to give them a try.

We were unexpectedly surprised by how good this Hokkien Mee was. It is the thick bee hoon with gravy version but it is fried till the gravy is just nice and greyish brown. That grey brown colour might sound a bit dreary but for Hokkien Mee lovers, it is a sign of a tasty gravy. For $3 a plate it is probably the best tasting plate of Hokkien Mee at that price. 4.5/5

Conclusion

Always nice to be able to find a stall which not many people are talking about yet. Give it a try and see if you agree with us.

Ming Yun Fried Hokkien Mee
Redhill Food Centre Stall
11am to 2pm and 5pm till 9.30pm
Monday closed
They fry Mee Goreng from 5am till 10.30am
9798 0133

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Green Sky Dessert: The Disco Dancing Dessert Man!

As dusk sets in, the disco music starts up and Finding Nemo starts playing on the LCD screen in front of the stall. The audience start lining up as this Ice Kachang Man starts his nightly breakdancing routine. Oh yes, some stalls have got good food, some stalls have good service, but this stall has all the above plus entertainment at no extra charge.

Looking at the queue of people lining up behind him, I can see why this guy is dancing. It sort of reminds me of the dancing traffic policemen that direct traffic in Thailand. It is heartening to see that some people simply do enjoy their work!

So is this dessert stall really worth all the lights and music?

Being really full already, I only managed to try the Tau Suan which the man himself said was the best selling item in the stall.

And the Tau Suan was good! I especially liked the strong pandan fragrance of the soup and it was not overly thick and sweet. The mung beans were of the right texture and firm to the bite. Only one small complain that perhaps they could be just a little more generous with the mung beans. 4.25/5

Conclusion

It is just one of those stalls that you have to visit to catch the action for yourself. The Tau Suan was very good and judging from the queue, the other stuff should be quite good as well.

Green Sky Dessert
Redhill Food Centre
Blk 85, #01-60 Red Hill Lane
3pm to 11pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

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Redhill Curry Rice: Everything is good!

With iwatch_ueat, liverpool and SCS Butter


I am so glad that SCS Butter recommended this Curry Rice stall to me. When I eat at an economic rice stall, I usually order the same old dishes, namely Egg Tofu, Sweet and Sour Pork, Vegetables and maybe the curry chicken. Humans are such creatures of habit, or is it that we simply prefer to stick with what we know rather then venture into untested territory?

Anyway, I am so enamored with this particular Curry Rice stall because their selection of dishes are a little different from the rest and almost every dish here is really shiok! Seriously, if you arrange just a bit of each dish on a single plate and decorated it nicely, you could have a 10 course degustation menu!

The first thing that got my eyes wide open was the sambal which you scoop for yourself. My first taste of it was that "What the heck did they put in this" holy grail experience. After that, I was sold on the rest of the dishes. The sambal was sweet and tasted like its got chye poh inside, but the stall owner assured me that there isn't any in it. I could simply have the rice and the sambal and be really happy. 4.75/5 (Because it is not spicy, may people may not even consider this sambal and may disagree with this rating. But for me, it was sweet, savoury and super shiok)

Then there was the crispy pork which are almost like eating chewy Keropok (Fish Crackers). The contrast between the crispy pork and the soft rice drenched in savoury curry must be one of those "ahhh, I needed that" experience when you are really hungry. 4.25/5



This might look like Tau Pok (Fried Bean Curd) but it is not. It is their homemade fish paste wrapped in Tau Kee (Dried Bean Sheets) braised in a soy based sauce. The homemade fish paste is made from Batang fish and has excellent flavour and texture. I just loved the way the Deep Fried Tau Kee soaks up that tasty gravy! 4.5/5



Although this Curry Rice stall reminded me somewhat of the Hainanese Style Curry Rice, the owners are Teochew, not Hainanese and the food is not typically Teochew either. Except for maybe this Braised Pork which was one of the best I ever tasted. The texture was "melt in your mouth" perfect and the "Kiam Pang" flavour of the Pork really lingers at the back of your tongue after you swallow the tasty morsel. If only three layer pork was not bad for you! I could just savour a few slices of these with Steamed Buns! 4.5/5



Finally, the Fish Rolls. As I said earlier, their fish paste is made from Batang Fish which has a different taste from many places that use Yellowtail. The texture is soft but bouncy at the same time. They also added a bit of minced meat into the paste. Very very good. Must try this! 4.5/5

Conclusion

Everything is good! No Kidding! I'll be back again and again and again!

Redhill Curry Rice
Redhill Market and Food Centre
Blk 85 Red Hill Close
#01-95 (Facing Main Road)
10.30am to 9.30pm
Sunday Closed
96523471
Recommended by SCS Butter

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