Teochew Street Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle: A Most Elaborate Mee Pok Tah

Mee Pok Tar with the Works $4

I have alluded many times to the fact that us Teochews are really very fussy about the freshness. It is part and parcel of the cultural trait of being Teochew that everything must be "Chnee Chnee" (Fresh).

If you want to see an extreme example of this in action, you must come to this Mee Pok Stall in Smith Street Food Centre. But you have to be prepared to queue for at least 20 minutes even in the middle of the afternoon in order to partake of this particular Hawker's dish, nay, I would say, his passion.



His bowl of Mee Pok Tar with the works is just $4, but it is packed with many quality ingredients many of which he prepares on the spot. When I say "On the spot", I really mean literally "on the spot". The uncle will turn aside while waiting for the noodles to cook to make some dumplings (Giao), then turn back to toss his noodles a few times before turning to his chopping board to slice a few pieces of meat. I also notice that he would pinch the noodles every time he cooks a batch in order to see if they are cooked perfectly. All these things really slow down the process of producing one bowl of noodle which definitely contributes the the length of the queue.



There is no doubt that his ingredients are fresh and for $4 you really do get quite a few goodies. There is one medium sized peeled prawn which tastes like it is a sea prawn rather than the farmed ones, several slivers of crispy sole fish, one dumpling, one pork ball, slices of lean meat and minced meat, braised mushrooms and unique to this stall, a piece of braised pork skin. All the ingredients are excellent but I can't give them top marks because I felt the noodles and sauce lacked a bit of flavour. 4.25/5

Conclusion

This is probably the best value, most elaborate and freshly made Bak Chor Mee that I have ever come across. It really is frustrating that there never seems to be a lull period where the queue is less than 15 mins! But then again, I guess everybody knows a good deal when they see one.

Teochew Street Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle
Chinatown Smith Street Food Centre
#02-023
Closed Mon - Tues
12.30pm to 9pm

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Ah Seng Eating House: Braised Duck, Teochew Style

My dad used to braise duck when I was a kid. He still does it now occasionally. There are few things that my dad does cook and one of them is braised duck. Unfortunately, I never learnt how to braise duck from him. My cooking skills all come from mom. Maybe its time I asked him to teach me the age old Teochew tradition that has been handed down the Swatow Tay line for generations!

Anyway, as you already know, Braised Duck comes in two different styles. The Teochew style has a braising sauce which has the consistency of water while the Hokkien style sauce is thick and gooey. Being a Teochew, I guess I am obligated to say that I prefer the Teochew version. But you know, gooey loh does taste better with rice....



If you are after a nice Teochew version of Braised Duck, then this is certainly one stall that is quite popular. It is just next to the Bakery which that sells the luncheonmeat buns which I blogged about earlier and I think they are probably the same family. The braising sauce is nice and the duck is tender. Lots of people rave about it. I thought it was good enough to be included in this blog, but difficult to rave about. 4/5

Conclusion

Another place to go if you have the craving for braised duck.

Check out the other places to eat at Serangoon Way Food Centre!
Read about other places for Braised Duck.
Did you realise I have a tag specifically for Teochew stalls?

Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice
Stall No. 44 Serangoon Garden Way FC
Mon to Sat 11am to 9pm
Sunday 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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House of Bamboo Noodles: The Mullet - Love it or Hate it?

Mullet in Banana Leaf $15

There is nothing particularly sexy about a Mullet. In fact, the word "Mullet" is one of those soft core derogatory words that just sounds cute enough not to be overly vicious. So calling someone a "Mullet" in the US is akin to calling him a "Sotong" (squid) here which refers to a person, for example, an NS boy, who wouldn't know that he should throw the grenade after he pulls out the retaining pin. Then of course, we had those Mullet hairstyles which Billy Ray Cyrus used to wear of which I am sure would make your hair stand on end.

But there is one group of people for whom the word "Mullet" conjures up some gastronomic excitement. My father falls into this group. That is part of the reason why I am writing this post which is dedicated to my dear old dad. He is a typical Teochew Ah Hia who just loves this fish which we Teochews call "O Her" lit "Black Fish". I still remember how excited he would get when he gets back from the market with his prized Mullet. Within the hour, the fish would be steamed and he would sit down with mom, the Mullet, and a saucer of "Tau Cheo" (fermented bean sauce) and start extolling the wondrous chunk of "fat" that is found in the stomach of the fish. Needless to say, we three boys have not been properly introduced to this extraordinarily ordinary fish, so to my Dad, the Mullet is Max Ooomph, but to me, it's like Phewweee! Fishy sia!



Anyway, if you happen to be a Mullet lover, you will be happy to see this prized piece of "fat" in the belly of the Mullet. Now, anatomically speaking, you don't just get a piece of fat in the middle of your abdominal cavity, so what I figured out is that this "fat" actually refers to the Mullet roe or the male Mullet's milt sac. Perhaps the Mullet maestros can confirm this for us?

Anyway if the Mullet is famous for anything, it must be for its roe. The Teochews love it, as do the Italians who sun dry and cure it to make Bottarga which I actually don't mind eating. A bit of shaved Bottarga with pasta is a real treat as it does taste a bit like caviar. Perhaps my dad was right all along....

If you like Mullet, the House of Bamboo Noodles is dishing out fresh Mullet which is simply wrapped in Banana Leaves and pan fried. The owner happens to be Teochew and loves the fish. For me, sorry lah Pa, I tried it again but still cannot fully appreciate it. It's still a bit too fishy. It's a 3/5 for me but a 4.5/5 for others like Cactuskit who was the one who alerted me to this dish.

Conclusion

So, are you a Mullet connoisseur or do you shun Mullet like moi?

Tai Shek Hai House of Bamboo Noodles
283/285 Joo Chiat Road
Jn of Koon Seng and Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427539
63455095
10.30am to 11pm daily

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Lim Joo Hin Eating House:Do Stars have good Tastebuds?

Whenever you walk into an eatery and see photos of stars adorning the walls, what is your first reaction? Well, I guess mine is the same as many others, which is "Ay this stall is frequented by all these movie stars, must be quite good". But you know, the stars are just like anyone else. There are some who are very discerning and others who just eat to live.

If you had caught the episode of Makan Lost and Found on Seng Kee's Bak Chor Mee recently, you might have caught my brief cameo appearance. I was on the set that day and had the opportunity to talk to both Gurmit and Michelle. So I popped the most logical question to them. "Are you really foodies or is this just your job?" Well, Gurmit was very honest and admitted that Michelle was the real foodie, but he just eats whatever. So, based on this, I would be more confident if I walked into a restaurant which has a photo of the Lao Ban standing next to Michelle rather than Gurmit.

When you walk into this Teochew restaurant, you are immediately greeted by photos of Andy Lau and Chow Yuen Fatt which are probably taken a few years after his role in "Man in the Net". (Nowadays that might be taken to mean "internet" but in those days, "Net" had a different meaning). So, the real question is, "How much of a Foodie is Chow Yuen Fatt?" He seemed to have adorned the walls of a few eating estblishments around Singapore. Anyone knows?



Anyway, based on the food in this restaurant, I would say that Mr Chow's tastebuds are not bad, or at least they are as not bad as mine, because I actually found the food here to be quite good.

But of course, good is relative. And in this case, it is good relative to the last couple of Teochew Muey's which I had which were quite bad (which is why they are not mentioned in the blog). So it is refreshing to find one where most of the dishes are quite ok.

One of the dishes here that I can recommend is the Lor Bak. Tender and savoury, it is certainly not the best I have eaten, but something I would be happy to order when I come back to eat again. 4.25/5



One of the dishes which was quite outstanding was this very simple peanut with ikan bilis which had some really addictive crunchy bits which I found out later was a mixture of chilli with sugar crystals. We had second helpings of these. 4.5/5



The other dishes were all generally quite good. Other dishes that I would order again were the Hae Bee Hiam and the Gu Rou Yoke (Sweet and sour pork). The porridge could have been hotter and I wouldn't order their braised peanuts again.

Conclusion

One of the better Teochew Porridge that I have had in recent days and one that is opened in the wee hours of the morning if you happened to have those hunger pangs in the middle of the night.

Lim Joo Hin Eating House
715/717, Havelock Road
Singapore 169643
62729871
Open 11am to 5am

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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

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Ah Hor Mee Pok Tah: Chilli and Giao Champion

With my Teochew Ah Di, Wahcow

Mee Pok Tah $3

Here's another one of those stalls that you better be quick to taste because the original hawker is already past 72 and even though he still looks like a "Lao Yankee", and behaves like one, he himself admits that at most he has 10 years of Mee Pok Tak left in him. Actually, he still looks quite good for a 72 year old. When I asked him why he wears a long sleeved shirt while he cooks his Mee Pok, he simply replied, "Cos I want to look good!"

Talking about the subject of aging, I know for most of our readers, hitting the eighth decade might still be quite a long time away. For us who are hitting middle age, it is like "Oh my, I am more than half way there, and the 2nd half is going to go quicker than the first half". I once heard a preacher (An Anglican Bishop in his 70's) say that every morning when he wakes up he goes, "Ay! I am still around!". It is almost as if after you cross the life expectancy age (78 for men, 82.8 for women), every day is a bonus. Are there anyone here that fall into this category?



Anyway, if you do have the fortune of passing the life expectancy age, then it really does give you the passport to do whatever you want, right? I mean, who cares if your Doctor tells you to stop smoking? "Ay, Doc, been smoking for 50 years and my bus still arrive at the interchange. You asking me to stop now?" Well, if you are in that category, then when it comes to food, I guess you can also just indulge in a bit of Mee Pok Tar which has a chilli made with good old Pork Lard.



Mr Liang proudly tells me that his chilli is made from Pork Lard, Buah Keluak, Hae Bee and Dried Chilli. For a person who always orders Mee Pok Tar mai Hiam (no chilli), I can tell you that this is one stall that I would ask for extra chilli. You see the main problem I have with Chilli is that most stalls just want to make their chilli hot hot. However, the chilli here is not overly spicy but the flavour is oh so addictive that you can just sit there and just pick on it with your chopsticks.

The other "champion" item is the Fish Dumplings (Her Giao) which Mr Liang still proudly makes himself. The slightly gooey texture of the meat filling is very good and it is one of the most memorable Her Giao that I have had.

Too bad the Mee Pok itself was not as QQ as I would like it to be. Otherwise it would have scored a higher rating. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Very good bowl of Mee Pok Tar and you get quite a big bowl for $3! Do yourself a favour and order a bowl of Giao Soup and try the chilli especially if you are the type who don't usually take chilli. It might just make you change your mind.


Mr Liang, 72 and still wants to look good!

Ah Hor Teochew Kway Teow Mee
12 Verdun Road
Bet Sam Leong and Syed Alwi Roads
7am to 4pm
Wed closed
81274249
Mr Liang
Recommended by ice. Read her review here

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Swa Gardens: We meet, We eat

Swa Gardens is one of those old world restaurants that are still faithfully churning out old favourites in the good old fashion way while the rest of Singapore keeps looking for novelty. From the good old aluminium glass doors to the conference chairs which have housed generations of dust mites, this authentic little Teochew restaurant continues to preserve the Teochew culture for a future generation of Singaporeans who don't even know what it means to be a red bottomed "Kah Cherng Ang Ang" (Red Buttocks - A classic Teochew phrase) Teochew. Yes, this sort of old establishment is my kind of place and thanks to sumosumo who suggested this eatery, we all got to spend a few hours together savouring cuisine which our grandfathers used to enjoy.



Teochew Cold Crabs

There isn't a more Teochew dish than cold crabs. My father used to tell me that the only way to eat crab was simply steamed. This is especially so when the crab is full of roe. Frying such excellent crabs in pepper or even worse, chilli sauce would be a plain waste of the roe. I guess it was akin to cooking caviar in curry!

Some people might think, "So what's the big deal? I could do this at home!" Well the big deal is that these people can actually get their hands on some really good crabs and they know how to choose the best ones for steaming. And if you don't think that is a big deal, then just consider that anyone can also put a chicken into hot water to make the White Chicken and yet how many of us can actually do it properly? Still go out and eat it right?

Anyway the Crabs that night were excellent. As Teochews would say, very "Chngi (fresh)" and and "Toi" (solid), full of the crab roe which is great if your doctor has just advised you that you need to raise your cholesterol levels! 4.25/5


Braised Goose

Another Teochew classic, Braised Goose if not done right can come out tough and dry as cardboard. We were discussing about the fact that the geese in Hong Kong were so much fatter and flavoursome than those in Singapore and that it could be something to do with the colder weather up north. Anyway the Braised Goose was very good that night. The meat was tender and the loh was very "pang" (savoury) and we thorougly enjoyed it. 4.25/5


Oyster Omelette

We conducted a vote for the favourite dish that night and the Oyster Omelette was one of the top three dishes. This is in effect a very simple dish of fresh oysters fried with eggs, but it was executed perfectly. The eggs were so wonderfully fluffy and flavourful that it made me realize how taken for granted the humble egg is. 4.5/5


Liver Rolls

I used to think that the only liver I ever liked was foie gras and pate. But after that night, I am adding the liver rolls into the short list. In fact, it was so good we didn't even think it had liver in it. We were all just enjoying the savoury rolls without realizing we were eating liver. If you don't like liver and are suffering from anaemia, this might be your answer to a source of iron. 4/5


Steamed Pomfret

The other star that night was the Pomfret, a fish that the Teochews prize more than any other fish. Come to think of it, I am not sure if any of the other dialect groups like this fish as much as we do? The only way that Pomfret is to be prepared -- when you have the most "Chngiest" (freshest) fish -- is to steam it with just a little sour plum and tomato. Any more and you won't get to enjoy the freshnest of the fish. It takes a lot of skill to steam such a big Pomfret perfectly so that it doesn't get overcooked and toughen up. Steamed Pomfret doesn't get any better than this! 4.5/5


Chye Poh Kway Teow

This ugly looking dish is probably food that my peasant forefathers used to eat after a hard day's work at the farm. A simple dish made from three of the cheapest ingredients of Chye Poh (preserved radish), Kway Teow (rice pasta) and chopped greens, it was the way the chef infused the smoky flavour of the wok into the Kway Teow that was magic. 4/5


Orh Nee (Yam paste)

Orh nee (yam paste) is one of Singapore's top three desserts as shown in our recent dessert poll. However, the sad fact is that there isn't a lot of places that does a really good Orh Nee. Traditional Teochew Orh Nee comes with caramelized pumpkin, lard and NO coconut milk. I really don't know how the coconut milk idea came about, I don't like it at all. The Orh Nee here is very good and was just a relief that they still do it the traditional way here albeit they probably have substituted vegetable oil for the lard. 4.25/5

Conclusion

It was great to meet up with everyone and especially some of the new kakis that have joined our blog and forum community recently. The food was great and this time round we have even started grooming the next generation of foodies by having a table for the kids. It was also quite amazing to host three friends from Down Under who were here on holidays and have signed up for the makan session while overseas! We even had a whole table of friends from Jurong who haven't even heard about the blog! I wonder if they will start reading it after that night?

Special thanks to sumosumo and khim for organizing the evening and look forward to seeing you at the next one!

There was an excess of funds as we collected a little bit more to cover GST and tips. We gave a $50 tip to the staff and the leftover $196 was donated to the Myanmar Cyclone Fund.

Swa Garden Restaurant
540 Macpherson Road
6744 5009

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Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck: Slice it Nice!

When you all order chicken or duck dishes, do you ever pay attention to who chops up your meat? I seldom, but I find that when it comes to a potentially tough meat like duck, the person who slices it really does make a difference.

This teochew braised duck was highly recommended by smart who claimed that it was one of the best in Singapore. It is the Teochew style braised duck meaning that the sauce is the thin, watery type and more savoury than sweet compared to the Hokkien version.



So I had really high hopes when the dish of duck came but surprisingly my first impression was that the meat was a little tough and a tad dry. Tastewise, the Teochew style braising sauce is not as sweet as the Hokkien version and was quite Pang (savoury). However, I was sitting there giving my muscles of mastication a good workout and wondering why smart would even recommend such a place.

When the Lao Ban Niang spotted me taking pictures of the plate of duck, she popped over with the usual "Are you a reporter?" question. When I complained that the duck was a bit tough, she immediately explained that her worker was not as adapt at slicing the meat as she was and offered to demonstrate how it should be done.



So when I was presented with the 2nd plate of braised duck, I must say it looked quite different from the first plate. This time it was sliced thinner and each slice was wider as she angled the cleaver more diagonally. And it yes the meat was more tender and juicy. So, if you are patronizing this stall, make sure you ask the Lau Ban Niang to slice it for you! 4/5

Conclusion

Who slices the meat does make a difference which is why other Lau Ban Niangs like the one from Yeo Keng Nam and Kay Lee insist on doing it themselves!

Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck
Geylang East Food Centre
#01-30
11.30am to 7.30pm
Monday Closed

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Update on Lao Zhong Zhong

Just a quick update on Lao Zhong Zhong's new location.

I was there last week. Maybe it is just psychological, but I felt that it wasn't as awesome as when they were back in the old place. I think psychologically I am programmed to think that food served from an old coffeeshop tend to taste nicer then food from a modern food court.

Anyway the Ngor Hiang was still quite good and definitely better than the commonly available factory manufactured variety. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Even though not as awesome, they still remain in my list of places to visit for my Ngor Hiang fix.

Link to previous article

Lao Zhong Zhong
Lao Zhong Zhong Eating House
Cnr Tai Thong Crescent and Siang Kuang Ave
11.30am to 11.30pm
Closed Alternate Mondays

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Empress Place Beef Kway Teow: Teochew Beef Kway Teow got no gravy one!

With SCS Butter


Did you realise that most of the hawker food that we are familiar with are less than a century old? It's true! A few of our most famous heritage stalls can trace their roots back to around the early 1900's. That makes it about 3 or 4 generations from then till now. There are a few very famous names which have span 3 or 4 generations and inevitably they would have created some sibling rivalry along the way. Names like Beach Road Prawn Noodle and Rochor Bean Curd immediately come to mind.

Then of course there is the famous Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow which is the subject of our discussion today. Yes, the man who made famous the Teochew style Beef Kway Teow bestowed the business to his 4th son, Anthony because he did not do so well in school. But later on the youngest son also wanted a piece of the "Hock Lam" name. So the only legitimate owner of the Hock Lam franchise is the one at China St whereas the "Popular" Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow at Purvis street is considered the illegitimate one though both are brothers and thus share in the family recipe.

But that is not all, the patriarch, Mr Tan Chin Sia also had a daughter who also decided to go into the Beef Kway Teow business, but she started selling it at Empress Place and called hers Empress Place Beef Kway Teow instead. It did very well, but unfortunately had to close down during the MadCow epidemic in the late eighties. Fortunately for us, the Brand was resurrected again in few years ago when her son decided to bring back the familiar Beef Kway Teow that he used to eat at his grandfather's stall.



So much for that little bit of Beef Kway Teow history, back to a more tasty subject.

Have you ever wondered why Beef Kway Teow is called Kway Teow even though most of the time you eat it with thick bee hoon? Well, there are really two types of Beef Kway Teow in the market, the Hainanese style and the Teochew Style. The familiar one with the thick bee hoon and thick sticky gravy is in fact Hainanese style. According to David, there are very few stalls apart from his that sells true blue Teochew style beef kway teow. True Teochew beef kway teow is never served with thick bee hoon and there is never any thick gravy. David said that his Grandfather will turn in his grave if he realised what had happened to his Hock Lam St beef kway teow.

Instead, Teochew style beef kway teow uses normal kway teow and the dry version is served with just a dash of sesame oil, soy sauce and chilli. Now I was skeptical at first, but with my first mouthful of the kway teow, I realised what I have been missing. The kway teow was indeed very fragrant and the slices of beef were cooked medium and were very tender. Unexpectedly good! My favourite was the cooked beef and the tendons which were very "pang" and had an uncomplicated beefy flavour. The soup was also sweet and robust which David attributes to having the bones simmer in the soup for over 2 days. 4.5/5

Conclusion

I tend to believe that Teochew beef kway teow was originally served this way because of the fact that kway teow is used and also that the Teochews in general prefer most of their food to be "cheng" (not heavy). So the sticky gravy I think is more likely to be Hainanese in origin. Any food historians amongst our readers who can shed more light on this?


Empress Place Beef Kway Teow
LTN Eating House
936 East Coast Road
11am to 11pm daily
Recommended by Damien

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