I love soupy stuff. Stuff like prawn noodles, yong tau foo, fishhead beehoon and the works. There’s just something warm and fuzzy about tugging into a pipping hot bowl of soupy hawker fare on a cold day. It works especially well too with all these 28-days-later-like influenza pandemic going around.

There’s this place to satisfy such cravings, located in the heart of Bedok where all the action is. Here inside the Bedok Food Centre beside the bus interchange, rows and rows of foodstalls packed side by side with an immense lineup to choose and pick from. One can’t help but feel the agony and dilemma of wasting time on food that cannot make it. One handy trick I’ll usually employ during such times of uncertainty is by walking round, taking a quick browse at the tables to see what everybody else is having. Somewhat akin to browsing the weekly billboard ranking to see whats currently up to the mark. Soon enough, you’ll realized that you’ve wandered into a corner where folks at almost every table slurping noodles from green melamine bowls. That a clear indication that we’ve loitered into the domain of the famous Soto Ayam shrine, Inspirasi Stall.

Soto Ayam, a local malay fare (originating from Indonesia by Javanese migrants) consist of compressed rice cakes (ketupat or buras), bean sprouts, bergerdil (potato and fish cutlet), shredded chicken and an extremely hearty consommé. Another subset, Mee Soto, is prepared by merely substituting the ketupat rice cubes with yellow noodles. Unknown to many folks, there are actually many variations of soto which differs in the kind of meat used to compose the stock and in Indonesia, its not uncommon find Soto Daging (beef) and Soto Lamongan (chicken and offal) at their street stalls.

Inspirasi has been serving out Soto Ayam for as long as I can remember and what has not changed after so many years is their generous serving of ingredients. For just $2, I dont know where else can you get such a big bowl of great tasting Soto Ayam. Queuing is inevitable if you come by during standard meal times but if its not the Hello Kitty kinda queue, it’s not gonna kill you. Presented in a non-descript bowl, the aroma of cumin is distinct. With luscious chicken shreds placed on top the neatly sliced ketupat covered in yellowish semi clear soup with a piece of bergerdil and a dash of chilli sauce by the side, garnished with coriander leaves and fried crispy shallots …… (I needed to buy time and wipe my saliva for folks wondering what the extra dots were all about). The soto stock (made with chicken, cumin seeds, turmeric plus a host of other spices) by itself was very flavourful but mixed with the soften bergidil and it brings the dish to a whole new level, from the taste to the texture. Very fragrant and balanced tasting stock not heavily encumbered by the many spices used with an authentic chilli to boot. Taste wise, what they have here is beyond the charts and you’ve gotta try it to know what’s going on.

The Soto at Inspirasi is a sure shot without a shadow of doubt and you wont wanna miss it if you’re round the corner. To avoid a boxing competition in the middle of Bedok, its my responsibility to inform readers that their Soto Ayam usually sells out before dinner and only serves Mee Soto there after.

-Darth Sidtoh

O’right folks, as promised in our previous radio session here’s a feature article on this Curry Chicken Noodle place I was referring to on our recent Meshradio sets.

Curry Chicken Noodle, a rather unusual fusion of yellow noodles, curry soup base and steamed white chicken. This distinctive hybrid of a dish grew to become a widely loved fare in Singapore as well as Malaysia. Apart from slight differences in the preparation style, folks who have tasted this laksa-like dish would concur that it makes a truly fulfilling and hearty meal.

Once again, we revisit one of my favourite makan locales near the central district. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” has long been a catchphrase i’ve used to describe hawker centres and coffeeshop enliven by an assembly of hawkers who can dish out proper chow and Hong Lim Food Centre is amongst these glorious food havens. With the likes of Ah Kow Minced Pork Noodles (highlighted in our previous review), Outram Park Char Kway Teow, Morning Bah Kut Teh, The Old Stall Prawn Noodles and many other unsung maestros congregated here, we roughly have a gist of the high standards expected. For Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee, their strive for foothold becomes twofold with the presence of another famous Curry Chicken Noodle (Heng Kee) vendor situated on the ground level, right beneath their booth. The situation is somewhat like the Spartans fending the Persians, except with bolsters. From the way I look at it, stimulating healthy competition would likely increase the desire to excel and in such situation, foodies alike can dine without subjecting themselves to sloppy food standards.

Based on the second level of Hong Lim Food Centre (or Hock Hai to some of the old geezers out there), Ah Heng is set at the far corner of the complex. Approaching the venue, I was met with a steady stream of customers leading to a rather inconspicuous stall, queuing up fervently for the steaming bowl of curry chicken noodle. Earlier on, I had a bit of a trouble trying to capture a proper stallfront photo due to the constant flow of clients who kept blocking my shot, as illustrated in the photo. Guess the only time I can grab a decent shot would be one when the shutters are down.

Returning with the noodles, after a melee of jostling with the hungry mob, I found a quiet corner to revel in my bounty, a mouthwatering bowl of beehoon in a tantalising bright orange curry soup base, topped with succulent steamed chicken prepared separately from the curry with lavish servings of tau pok and potatoes. The curry base prepared from fresh chicken stock has a slight umami sweetness, very palatable much like laksa except the absence of dried shrimps (hae bee) and minimal use of coconut milk. The steamed chicken that came with the beehoon can easily rival those from good chicken rice stalls, dabbed and eaten with the special piquant dark chilli sauce it was simply impeccable. Ah Heng’s Curry Chicken Noodles comes in forms of both thick and thin beehoon, thick yellow noodles and orders of $4.50 and above are entitled to choice parts like drumstick.

Compared to its rather popular counterpart, Heng Kee, I would favor Ah Heng’s Curry Chicken Bee Hoon more due to its lighter curry stock and generous servings. Speaking of which, Heng Kee also have the tendency to prepare and present their food in a slightly coarse manner resulting in fragments of chicken bone sprinkled all over.

Do stop over at Hong Lim to testify the taste for yourself. And after that, like R Kelly, you’ll start believing in alot of things.

PS: Remember to arm yourself with a pack of tissue less you wanna end up with a red oily moustache. Happens to me all the time.

-Darth Sidtoh

I feel that local fare can be abit paradoxical at times and like molecular gastronomy, their looks can differ vastly from taste. Take a classic example of the Hainanese Curry Rice which most first-timers would have a bit of trouble convincing themselves that a dish fashioned like sludge would actually taste heavenly. As a kid who grew up in the 80s, years of hogging the television, watching countless episodes of the Transformer cartoon had me chanting that cheesy slogan, “More than meets the Eye”.

Our tour today brings us to the busy intersection of Jalan Besar and Kitchener Road. Positioned at the corner of the junction just one meter away from the traffic light post is today’s recommended venue, Lau Di Fang, a mandarin cliche for “the usual haunt”. As seen in the photos, this rundown coffeeshop that has been in operation as early as 60s. Also observe that the owner doesn’t give a flying duck about presentation whatsoever. There’s only two stalls within, one serving drinks and the other serving the famous Beach Road Scissor-Cut (Jian Dao Jian in chinese) hainanese curry rice hence the modus operandi of having a meal is pretty simple. Either you walk in and order curry rice with an optional drink or you walk out, cross the road to take a bus back home and then contemplate on what you’ve just missed.

Legend has it that the original stall previously managed by a hainanese gentlemen was established 40 years ago. The jolly chap peddled his wares off Beach Road which explains the stall name’s association. The chump was known for his penchant of scooping rice out of a wooden barrel with his bare hands (Yes, bare hands, less mimicking the sound of an excavator though) and pounding the chops with a wooden mallet. Back then, the dishes was only limited to pork chop, braised pork belly, fried eggs and stewed cabbages, none of those fancy schmancy dishes available today.

The present day Scissor Cut Curry Rice being a household name, is common yardstick for curry rice. Any proclaimed devotee of curry rice not aware of its existence is pretty much a taboo. Stockpile of sambal ikan bilis, fried eggs, braised cabbage, pork chop, chicken chop, fried prawn fritters, braised pork belly, sotong and many more variety are jammed into this nondescript coffeeshop kiosk where they scoop and snip your choices of dishes into bite size pieces with the iconic ol skool scissors (which was probably how they derived the stall name). The plate of laden rice is then handed over to an adjacent gravy station where it would be drenched in a combination of curry gravy, braised sauces and some tasty starchy concoction with a consistency almost equivalent to those cheap fluorescent pink hair gel. You then proceed to pay for the plate of mess they created at the cashier and move on to scout for an empty table just like any self-serve kopitiam environment.

To be honest, this dish basically has got zero visual appeal. It looks like the work of a deranged painter left with only brown and orange paint. Taste wise, its as chronicled in the lyrics of Fantasy by Earth Wind and Fire. This dish will take you to Fantasia with its splendid gamut of flavours. The crunch of the pork chop, melt-in-your-mouth stewed cabbage, savoury pork belly braised in dark sauce, gravy drenched rice, all combine into a perfect amalgamation which is very very palatable.

Although April’s around the corner, avoid offering this recommendation to a foreign guest from abroad and getting a broken arm in return for offering them pig’s swill. Else go for the kill if dishes loaded with thick sauce rocks your boat. Its bound to hit a sweet spot!

-Darth Sidtoh

Gong Hei Fatt Choy to all the folks out there whose been keeping tabs on our segment. Its the Chinese Spring Festival once again and what a more better time to start out the Lunar New Year by getting in tune with some flaming red hot makan. Auspicious and Prosperous, very in-line with the festive cheer ain’t it?

Today’s entry nominates this joint which I’ll usually patronize on those sluggish “dunno what to eat” days. Its like my wild card and I’d play it when i feel like a relak jack kicking back. Situated beside the Bedok Interchange, this little stall is manned by a crew of well-coordinated aunties who deliver these little spicy stews systematically. One to take orders, one to scoop the curry and another to bring em’ to the tables. If at anytime, any of the aunties go missing, I think they’ll be seriously confused and the whole production line will come to a standstill. Speaking of confusion, do not be fooled by their cute and whimsical store name, taste their fare and you’ll understand that its not something to be trifled with. According to the local chatter, Na Na seems to be an offspring of the famous Marina South Fish Head Curry.

The choices available here is pretty straightforward, Curry Fish Head, Curry Chicken, Curry Mutton, Curry Vegetables and you can only eat it with the 2 “R”s, roti or rice. As you can see, everything they serve has got curry in it and I bet they’ll include Curry Parfait if there’s a demand.

Na Na’s curry is not overly thick yet remarkably tasty and rather adequate in the lemak department. With an appetizing bright red and orange hue, the piquant gravy compliments the rice very nicely. Its equally delightful dipping the curry with the lightly toasted jiam tao roti (Hokkien for Baguette). Though their Curry Mutton can be a tad more spicier compared to the other selections, I personally feel that its the best of the lot as I enjoy it’s richness more. If you’re dinning with a group, have a go at their Curry Fish Head which is slightly lighter with a sourish note, loaded with an assortment of vegetables (tomato, lady’s fingers, brinjal, green chilli). Folks here walk the extra mile by ensuring usage of fresh chicken, mutton and fish head for their dishes. Frauds who claims frozen meat taste all the same in TV ads are likely Sith Lords. Na Na Curry is essentially comfort food with a tinge of zest. Addictive, gratifying and hard hitting all at once.

How hard hitting, you’ll probably wonder. Saw that famous 1 versus 10 man scene in Ip Man with that Japanese karate newbie who was singled out by Donnie Yen for dunno what reason? Now that’s Na Na Curry in your mouth, hitting all the spots in a satisfying manner, of course. Incidentally, I witnessed an uncle finished his rice ahead of his curry and ended up slurping down the remaining gravy like soup.

Drop in if you skali need curry in a hurry.

-Darth Sidtoh

“Laksa in the Bahasa Indonesia means 10 thousand (sepuluh ribu) , reference to the many strands of white vermicelli noodles in the dish. Alternatively, the expression could also be derived from the Chinese word “La Sha” or “Lat Sa” meaning spicy sand, perhaps the sandy texture of the gravy is attributed from the grounded hae bi (dried shrimps) sediments”

Wah lao ay, today we’ll be talking about the big “L”, the all time national favorite and much talked about Laksa. I too have an overbearing passion for laksa and feels that those who don’t should be caned, lactose intolerant or not. For the past 2 decade, news of the infamous laksa war along East Coast and Ceylon Road was like major media fodder in papers and on the TV. The entire intersection was infested by stalls after stalls of laksa shop, armed with all sorts of newspaper and magazine cutting, dubious certificates and photos taken with famous peeps while proclaiming their version to be the original. Stories of the feverish fiasco was like a chapter from The Empire Strikes Back loaded with tales of squabbles, greed, betrayal and probably food fights. Though things have pretty much simmered down after most bootleg versions succumbing to the trials of time and taste, many folks are left scratching their head, still wondering as to which is the authentic store.

Being the center of this drama mama spectacle, Janggut Laksa (Previously known as Marine Parade Laksa) is commonly regarded as an archetype of the famous Katong Laksa. Helmed by Madam Ng and her brothers who acquired the nyonya laksa recipe from their father, affectionately known as Janggut (spot bearded), the originator or basically the James Brown of Katong Laksa. Armed with belachan, buah keras (candlenuts), turmeric, lemongrass, fresh coconut milk ( Apparently there’re some frauds out there who tries to pull a fast one with condense milk, I think they should be caned too), ginger and dried shrimps, you can definitely trust the Peranakans to conjure up a wicked unification of spices. Currently Janggut Laksa operates from Roxy Square after shifting away from Celyon Road which has already been typecast as a laksa joint.

Typically, Laksa comes in two permutations; the tamarind-based assam laksa and the coconut-based laksa lemak with the latter being the better received version which Janggut Laksa serves. Moments after placing your order, you’ll get the dish served in a ceramic rooster bowl with a soup spoon. The thick beehoon is thoughtfully cut to allow easy scooping with a spoon, hence the lack of chopsticks. (All these prepared with a homemade coconut husk spatula used to sieve the vermicelli and ladling the gravy. Maybe they cast the metal gravy urn themselves and probably built the shop front with their bare hands.) Topped with sliced prawns and fishcakes, the fare is drenched in thick savory pale yellow gravy with even traces of orangey chilli oil. Its then complete with a dollop of chilli and a sprinkle of daun kesom (water pepper plant) or simply laksa leaves. Compared to its other famous laksa siblings like Sungei Road Laksa and the Depot Road Claypot Laksa, Janggut’s style is more luscious and definitely lemak. For those of you whose wondering when the cockles are coming in, there aren’t any by default. Upon request, the cockles would be lightly blanched separately (to avoid tainting the whole urn of laksa gravy with see hum stock) and placed by the corner of the bowl.

Considering the celebrity-like status of Katong Laksa, I’m sure most folks have savored the awesomeness of this dish and some pirated version along the way. Else, take a trip down Roxy Square and appreciate this heavenly goodness. Unless you’re still stuck at the Singapore Flyer.

PS: Other branch at Blk 128 Bedok North Street 2, #01-02, Singapore 460128 and 1 Queensway Shopping Centre, #01-59, Singapore 149053

-Darth Sidtoh

For decades, countless arguments and disputes have been raised as to which stall serves the best Bak Chor Mee in town. Almost every foodie is guilty of the controversial “there is this stall I know that’s really good” syndrome which would usually escalate into some kinda fist fight. Let us join in the fray by recommending Ah Kow Mushroom Mince Pork Mee; an old timer who’s been in the BCM business even before Luke got his first lightsaber.

Locally we have got 2 breeds of BCM, namely the kind served with fishballs or the other type that’s laced with minced meat (bak chor) and stewed mushrooms. They’re further broken down into two variants; served either in soup (usually referred as ‘terng’) or tossed in chilli and sauce (often called dry or ‘tah’ in Hokkien). Ah Kow serves the latter stewed mushrooms version with both formats, in ol’ skool teochew style.

Rule of the thumb to good BCM is usually distinguished by the following characteristics: The texture of the noodles; the base sauce; the chilli and freshness of ingredients. All these qualities play a pivotal role (very much like the folks from Easy Company in Band of Brothers) in making a bowl of great tasting BCM. Screwing up this definitive checklist will probably be as good as getting shot in the butt.

Located in a bustling Hong Lim Food Centre, Ah Kow’s BCM stall has come a long way, hailing from the old Wayang Street hawker days during the early 70s and has since garnered a loyal bunch of fanboys, some of whom have purportedly been eating here for two decades or more. To have supporters eating for that long, you’re either dishing out some frickin good shite or you’re selling some extremely funky brownies.

What makes the BCM stands out from the regular bunch is the traditional teochew signature style which includes the unbridled use of black vinegar (some unique brand that can be found only in China) and servings of ‘Keow’ (teochew dumpling) that comes with the dish. Choices of Mee Poh (flat yellow noodles), Kway Teow (flat rice noodles), Mee Kiah (thin yellow noodles) and Mee Tai Mak (mouse tail shaped rice noodles) are available. The sumptuous noodles arrive topped with a generous amount of minced pork and braised mushrooms. Every bowl comes with a piece of tasty ‘Ti Po’ (deep fried sole), some teochew ‘Keows’ and a bowl of soup. The noodles are nicely tossed in a mixture of braised sauce, vinegar, chilli, crispy pork lard and oil delivering a whole new magnitude of awesomeness that I never fail to relish in every single time I drop by. The texture of the noodles are springy and yet not soggy, synergized wonderfully with the sauce, the lean pork and liver that accompanies the dish – really tender and cooked to perfection. All these spiced up by the excellent chilli that sets this BCM apart from the rest. And for another few more bucks, you can indulge in their dumpling with soup, sliced pork, minced meat and ‘Tang O’ (Garland Chrysanthemum).

Ah Kow’s BCM maintains the right balance in every aspect of the dish, from the preparation of the ingredients to the point of delivery. Not sure how long this old guard is gonna continue running the stall but do stop over and try it before he calls it quits. You’ll be steamed to the brim if you know what I mean.

-Darth Sidtoh

Everybody knows what constitute to a bowl of great tasting Prawn Noodles or “Hae Mee” in Hokkien, a favourite local cuisine well loved by many. The soul of this dish, as we all know is the prawn stock which is so fundamental that it’ll either make or break the whole dish. Today we’ll be checking in on one of the true masters at work with their killer prawn broth.

Hoe Nam has been in the prawn noodle business for decades though little has changed from the way they operate the stall to preparing their signature noodles. Helmed by two sisters by day and their brothers by night, the stall is situated inside a coffeeshop near Macpherson Road where old Jackson Centre used to be. Its hard to expect anything less from the rigorous process taken to churn out gallons after gallons of this glorious consommé. Stock made from fried prawn shells, pork bones, soy sauce with some krazy KFC styled spice mix being thrown in and then simmered for 24 hours straight. In fact for most prawn noodle stallowners, the full details of their recipe is known to be a jealously and carefully watched secret (Probably guarded by some 18 bronze shaolin monks and Imperial Royal Guards too).

Like anywhere else, other then the choice of noodles, there’s gonna be only 2 ways the prawn noodles are coming in, Soup or Dry. You’ll not be entertained with funky requests like al dente Mee Tai Mak. On top of the standard prawn servings, you can choose to have extra condiments like pork ribs, pig’s tail, pig’s intestines and abalone added. Being a speciality stall, Hoe Nam serves the dish without the usual lean pork slices and water convolvulus (kang kong) but makes it up by having larger whole prawns instead. My order came swiftly in a big bowl of blanched noodles with soup ladled over, accompanied by large prawns and tender pork ribs garnished with fried onions and shards of lard. Simply heavenly … I’ll normally kickoff with a dash of the trademark prawn mee chilli powder, followed by a large mouthful of the rich, full bodied and sweet tasting broth before annihilating everything. The prawns were fresh, crunchy and well cooked. The pork ribs that came with it was soft to the bite and really tasty. But of course the soup tops everything combined, tasted really pure yet exudes an intensely rich seafood flavour. Very satisfying and a true gastronomic experience especially for the uninitiated.

More then one decade ago, I was inoculated to this brand of Mee Udang thru a recommendation by an old friend and have been coming back ever since. If you’ve never tried Hoe Nam before, this is seriously going to rock your socks. If there’s a word to sum it all, it has be Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

-Darth Sidtoh

Canton Wok is one of those many restaurants that we’re constantly reminding ourselves to come by every single time we pass Joo Chiat Road. I don’t know if its the enormous poster of Chef Kang plastered in front of the restaurant thats beckoning or the unusual allure of the eatery inside a bungalow but recently we managed to round up everyone for a wonderful dining experience. We decided to compose the dinner into somewhat like a degustation session so that we can sample as many dishes as possible, and boy did we chanced upon some wild gems.

Founded by Chef Ang Song “Kang”, Canton Wok began its humble cze char roots operating from Havelock Road, Serangoon Central and currently finds itself here along Joo Chiat Road. Dishing out classic Cantonese cuisine, Chef Kang is one of the few local members admitted into the respectable French Les Amis D’ Escoffier Society, a prestigious club where old fogies get together in their typical chef’s hat, wearing round the neck their golden medallion ala Flava Flav to celebrate and promote (pimp) the joy of eating. In a nutshell, y’all can assure that the dishes here are more or less given the okay by the fuddy-duddy folks from lux club. While not some celebrity connoisseur prima donna, most of us know good food when we taste it and by golly the dishes sampled here was excellente. We’ll do the usual run through on some of the noteworthy dishes we devoured.

1. Prawns wrapped in Bacon
My mates nearly fell off the chair right after savoring this. I mean, how can you go wrong with fried prawns, bacon and mayonnaise, sprinkled with toasted almond. Simple as it sounds, this is the work of a genius. We couldn’t sleep for days and kept wondering why haven’t this stuff been discovered earlier. We wasted no time and ordered a second serving shortly after annihilating the first. So good its obscene.

2. Black Pepper Deep Fried Lotus Roots
I didn’t gave much thought to this item until i tasted it and got seriously enlightened there on the spot. Until then, I was totally clueless how plain ol’ lotus roots could be so tasty. In retrospect, I believed that the well seasoned batter and pepper sauce could have attributed to the bold flavors. This dish is the perfect compliment to a bottle of ice cold beer. Extremely addictive.

3. Yuan Yang Pork Ribs
Being one of the more unusual dishes in the lineup that evening, the Yuan Yang Pork Ribs was presented in 2 flavors, Mixed Fruit Sauce and Coffee flavored. Although the Mixed Fruit Sauce version somewhat tasted like normal sweet & sour pork, what really caught our attention was the coffee pork ribs. I’m not sure what sort of blend was used but what I sure of, is the fragrance and aroma of freshly grounded coffee powder infused with tender and fragrant pork ribs. It was a enjoyable and exciting dish, a break from the conventional pork ribs variety you’ll find outside.

4. Stir Fried Black Pepper Deer Meat
A cze char staple and a favorite white rice companion, we couldn’t have missed out on this. Done with excellent wok hei, garnished with garlic stems and drizzled with thick pepper sauce, this tender and great tasting dish was hard to top. Initially, we intended to save some morsels to accompany with rice but ended up staring at an empty plate with a guilty look on our faces. Really potent.

5. Steamed Crab with Glutinous Rice
The highlight and centerpiece of attraction was this huge hunk of Sri Lankan crab served on top of seasoned glutinous rice inside a bamboo dim sum basket steamer. The large crab was freshly steamed with its stock dripping and seeping into the glutinous rice sprinkled with garlic and chinese ham. We all know how liquid absorbent glutinous rice can be and this process optimize every drop of essence from the fleshy crustacean, accentuating the taste of the whole dish. Its like the Michael Jordon of crab dishes, done with style and a stroke of ingenuity. I don’t know how the recipe was conceived but can imagine Chef Kang with an intense look on his face (like in the poster) going through countless nights thinking what to put his steamed crabs on. Steamed crabs on mee pok, steamed crabs on garlic bread, steamed crabs on phonebook … and finally the signature steamed crabs on glutinous rice was incorporated into the menu. Make no mistake, if you have only one dish to order, this stellar platter is the choice. Make the wrong decision and you’ll risk being lynched by an angry and hungry mob.

Housed in a pre-war Peranakan bungalow, the interior retrofitting of Canton Wok resembles a 70s Cantonese family restaurant that most Singaporeans from the older generation would be well acquainted with. With beams and panels painted bright red, lined with steel chairs with synthetic leather paddings and big round tables for the usual chinese styled communal sharing of dishes, this place is literally trapped in the sands of time. A chinese version of Shaslik would be the best way to describe the ambience. The place was relatively packed when we arrived that evening with only our reserved table empty. In fact, those poor souls who arrived later had to dine beside the carpark facing the giant poster of Chef Kang (with a spatula), which should serve as a stoic reminder for you to make prior reservation especially for those of you coming in big groups.

On the whole, I find the cuisine from Canton Wok innovative and agreeable. Alot of traditional dishes are presented with a tinge of creativity, in style and in taste. Chef Kang’s cooking strays on the verge of the contemporary, yet it is not exactly fusion. From the way I see it, he basically has a fresh perspective and approach on even the most familiar food. I urge those of you who are always on the look out for rich and unique tasting fare to try out this lot. Remember to put on your seat belt when you taste the Prawn wrapped in Bacon, you wont want to embarrass yourself with some intensive knee-jerk reaction.
-Darth Sidtoh

Alright guys, this is a mini review on a wonderful eating spot I found near my office area at Aljunied Road. Located in the industrial area along Tannery Lane, this 80s style canteen serves up possibly one of the meanest Nasi Padang within the radius of 5 km. (Most industrial spots are known for their sparse selection of decent makan). Sporting a generic green signboard (Simply “Muslim Food”), this food stall offers a wide range of vegetable and meat dishes to go with your nasi. Their daily spread would include Mutton or Beef Rendang, Sambal Brinjal, Stir Fried Ladies Fingers or Bitter Gourd, Fried Chicken in Thick Curry, Sambal Cuttlefish, Fried Chicken Wings with Basil, Sambal Prawns and Mussels and occasionally Deep Fried Beef Lungs.

Most of the dishes are generously laced with dried shrimps and has a very piquant taste of mixed spices. The rendang is moderately complimented with spices and coconut, bringing out its natural aroma. I’d usually kick-start my lunch with an order of fresh fruit juice going at only $1.20 from the nearby drinks stall. My choice selection of the day consist of Fried Chicken Drumstick in Thick Curry with Stir Fried Ladies Fingers, Garlic Long Beans and a dash of belachan. Instant gratification for less then $4. Honestly the prices paid here is a steal for the kind of quality you’re getting. Try ordering sotong elsewhere and you’ll know what I mean. You probably need a cheque book or the likes to get by.

Do pay a visit if you happen to be loitering around the vicinity. A word of caution though, try not to come by after 1 pm because you’re likely to only find scraps and limited serving of curry from their already long emptied trays.

PS: Couple of days back, I was at the canteen for my daily dose of kopi after lunchtime and I spotted a bloke having just rice with curry sauce and a satisfied look on his face.

-Darth Sidtoh

Okay, I know what most of you fellas are thinking. THIS IS NOT A SLEAZE JOINT ! Just so happens, the owner, Jimmy decided to name the Zi Cha place after one of their specialty, the Old Mother Hen Soup, hence the namesake. So stop getting frisky and all, I seriously don’t want readers turning up at the stall with a certain kind of look on their face. This hideout in Geylang is a well kept secret among food aficionados and talking about secret, I am somewhat at risk of having my fingers sliced off by my fellow foodies for revealing the outlet in this segment. As with many Zi Cha stalls, they offer a myriad of signature dishes, namely their famous Black Sauce Hokkien Mee which we’ll be featuring right about now.

This hokkien mee dish came about in the early 30s when coolies back then migrated from Mainland China to the South East Asia region to seek prospect, bringing along this ol skool Hokkien recipe. During those days, it was a simple dish of fried noodles, pork slices, vegetables and starch without the bells and whistles unlike nowadays. You get things like fishcake, crabstick, 20% discount voucher and what nots being added. The thick noodle then were made from basic ingredients like flour and probably more flour. Eggs were considered a privilege food, hence to derive a spongy texture from the noodles, alkaline water was added to substitute the eggs. At the same time, soy sauce factory was found all over the Straits Settlements, therefore, to counter the funky taste of alkaline water and at the same time used as a condiment, dark soy sauce was introduced. Along the way, the dish was further improvised by stewing it with a heartier stock and eggs added to the noodles. So there you have it, a rundown on the origins of this humble yet sumptuous dish.

The version dished out at Old Mother Hen is rather identical to the ones found in Zi Cha stores in Kuala Lumpur, which many claim to be the “original” Hokkien Mee. It is much darker, drier and the noodles are slightly thicker than the ones you get from our local Zi Cha outlets. The dish comes presented on a no-frills plastic oval plate, topped with plenty of spring onions and generous serving of pork lard. Accompanying the noodles is this special blend of KL styled belachan to go with the dish. The noodles are very well fried, thanks to the very good wok hei* executed by the chef. The stock is proportionally stewed into the noodles, which in turn looks and taste really succulent. Like very well marinated udon, you can taste the burst of umami and the crunch of pork lard in every mouthful. Seriously superb stuff !

Fellas who enjoy rich and flavorful cuisine should visit this eating place as Old Mother Hen has a wide spectrum of dishes that are of pretty outstanding standards compared to the regular Zi Cha stall. For newbies, the Black Sauce Hokkien Mee is a nice introduction to their mind boggling range available here. Their menu is a 5 cm thick photo album, so even your pet turtle will have a clear picture of what’s hot and what’s not. Adventurous blokes with an appetite for offal and reproductive organs can request for a serving of stir fried fallopian tubes. Less exotic but equally gorgeous is their house special tofu, claypot rice and signature soup.

Old Mother Hen is the kind of restaurant I would suggest going in groups. In this manner, you’ll get to savor a wider variety of dishes without having to worry about over-ordering. Go on and check out this joint, you’ll not be disappointed. As a matter fact, you’ll pity the fool who hasn’t done so.

* Wok hei, a hallmark of Cantonese Cuisine is a term that refers to the essence and flavor of food brought forth by the intense heat of the wok. In fact there is a whole frickin scientific theory behind this process which would probably include test tubes, periodic tables and a whole bunch of blokes with thick glasses in lab coats.

-Darth Sidtoh