Chwee kueh 水粿

This was Tuesday’s breakfast, but I only had time to post it today. On Monday, I had lunch at Golden Mile Food Centre. Just as I was fretting over next day’s breakfast (very tired of eating bread again!), I stumbled upon this chwee kueh stall.

Steamed soft round rice cakes topped with salted radish

And so I bought 10 pieces (S$3.00) of chwee kueh for takeaway, with the chai poh (萝卜干/salted radish) and chilli sauce separately packed.

Compared to other chwee kuehs I’ve bought, the rice cakes here seem to have a higher proportion of rice flour to water. They’re more opaque and slightly firmer than Jian Bo Shui Kueh‘s. But the texture is still smooth and tender. The taste is rather old-school. I like!

What I don’t really like is the topping. It’s a bit too fine and soft for my preference. Could also be more fragrant with extra shallot and garlic. But hubby likes that it’s not too salty.

Now I remember why we don’t often have chwee kueh for breakfast. They’re mini grease bombs!

New Golden Chwee Kway 黃金水粿
505 Beach Road
#01-77 Golden Mile Food Centre
Singapore 199583

Daily: 8.30am — 9pm (closed 2 days a month on ad hoc basis)

Braised duck with additional order of egg and tau kwa (beancurd), S$4.50

The good: Rich, dark gravy, obviously made with a good quality dark soy sauce. This is the old-fashioned, Teochew home-style kind of sauce. What I like is that they didn’t overwhelm the braising sauce with herbs and spices like star anise and cinnamon. The sauce is flavorful without being too salty. They are also very generous with the rice.

The not-so-good: Not aromatic enough. Perhaps I’m used to my mom’s style where she uses plenty of galangal (blue ginger) and shallots. Also, the meat could have been more tender.

Overall, a very respectable old-school braised duck. However, my gold standard for Teochew braised duck is still Lek Kee.

Be prepared to queue during lunchtime

If you decide to swing by this food centre, don’t miss the tau huay at Tan Soon Mui (#01-41). Also, grab some old-school buns and cakes from Serangoon Garden Bakery (#01-45/46, just next to Ah Seng Braised Duck).

Another well-known stall at this food centre is Shukor Stall. They are the famous roti john stall from now-defunct Taman Serasi Botanic Gardens food centre. But it was closed the day I was there, so no chance to try their legendary roti john.

Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice 亚盛卤鸭饭
49A Serangoon Garden Way
#01-44 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre
Singapore 555945

Mon to Sat: 11am – 8pm (earlier if sold out)
Closed on Sundays

Teriyaki chicken, S$5.50.

This was Rick’s choice when we were lunching at Old Airport Road Food Centre. He was browsing the stalls when one of the signboards caught his attention: Holy Grill.

Holy smokes, what a witty name! Amused, he ordered the teriyaki chicken.

Morale of story: Use a catchy and memorable name for your business to stand out from the crowd!

I stole some of his food to sample. Mmm…Hallelujah! Although the boneless chicken leg was grilled till crisp and slightly charred, the meat was very succulent. The teriyaki sauce was just right; not too sweet and not too starchy.

You can also pick your own side dishes. There’s both fresh and hot selections, like pasta salad, house salad, baked potato, mashed potato, corn, rice, etc.

Hubby picked coleslaw and potato salad. Both tasted fantastic! Ingredients were super fresh, and the seasoning faultless. We were very impressed.

Other items on the menu sound enticing too: NZ prime sirloin, pork chop (from France!), Australian lamb chop loin, grilled salmon, hickory BBQ chicken, and more!

If Old Airport Road weren’t so far from our home, we’d definitely be back soon to check out the rest of the menu!

The holy grail of grill?

Holy Grill Authentic Western Cuisine
51 Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-27
Singapore 390051
Tel: 9009 7762 (Johnny Quek), 9009 7763 (Grace Wee)

Mon-Sat: 12pm – 9.30pm
Sun: 2pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Thursdays

We were supposed to leave our hotel at 3pm to catch our flight back to Singapore. Because we had a late, big breakfast, we still weren’t hungry by 2pm. However, I was determined to squeeze in one more meal before leaving Penang!

Plate of fried fritters (3 pieces for RM2.20) & red bean soup, RM1.00

The day before, based on CK Lam’s recommendation, we went to an alley along Magazine Road. It’s at the traffic light junction opposite Trader’s Hotel. However, it was already evening, and the stalls had already closed. This time, we were lucky. All the stalls were open!

Lor bak, prawn fritter, and spring roll

The first stall sells fried fritters and dessert soups. We ordered a plate of lor bak 卤肉 (meat roll), spring roll, and prawn fritter. All were delicious, much nicer than the one we had at Lorong Selamat! The red bean soup was also lovely.

Chee cheong fun 猪肠粉 (steamed rice roll)

The second stall sells chee cheong fun, curry chee cheong fun, and curry mee. We didn’t try the curry chee cheong fun.

If you look closely, there’s three sauces above: hae ko, dark sweet sauce, and chilli sauce. Penang is the home of the best hae ko 虾膏 (fermented prawn paste), and it’s used liberally in many dishes here, from rojak to assam laksa to chee cheong fun.

Penang curry mee (noodles)

Finally, my first taste of Penang curry mee! Underneath the toppings is yellow Hokkien noodles. I was surprised that the curry gravy is “white”. How spicy you want it to be depends on the amount of sambal chilli (in the spoon) you stir and mix into the gravy.

This was delicious! It’s actually similar to Singapore laksa, but there’s no dried shrimp in the curry gravy, and the herbs and spices come through as being more subtle. However, the curry gravy is very smooth and fragrant. The flavors are beautifully balanced, and the toppings are fresh and tasty.

Underneath the toppings is yellow Hokkien noodles. The toppings include coagulated pig blood (the maroon cube on the left of the bowl). FYI, coagulated pig blood is tasteless, with a texture similar to tofu. It used to be available in Singapore, but not anymore. I didn’t eat it, but Rick did. He’s a more adventurous eater than I am!

Delicious food in the most unlikely place.

Although some people might question the hygiene of street food, this was never an issue with us throughout our entire time in Penang. Rick ate street food every day for a week in Penang, and I for four days, and we were fine.

With a heavy heart, I unwillingly bade goodbye to the beautiful island of Penang. Besides delicious food and charming historical sights, what made this trip so unforgettable was the warm and helpful locals who made us feel so welcome. We definitely want to return to Penang some day.

Also read:
Penang Day 1 – Supper from street stalls along Lorong Baru (New Lane)
Penang Day 2 – Hotel breakfast, Toh Soon Cafe, and tang yuen for supper
Penang Day 3 – Char koay kak
Penang Day 3 – Lunch at Lorong Selamat
Penang Day 3 – The Great Penang Cendol Face-off!
Last day in Penang: Dimsum at De Tai Tong Cafe

Fried oyster egg, S$5.00

I was here to review their signature fried Hokkien prawn mee, but couldn’t resist trying the oyster egg 蚝煎 as well.

Overall, it was very likeable, which means a lot considering I’m not a fan of oyster omelette. The eggs are fried till crisp, and the starch mixture isn’t too gooey. There’s about 4 plump oysters for the cheapest order of S$5. The seasoning is a wee bit spicy, and if you dip it into the accompanying piquant chilli sauce, it’s even more appetizing.

I actually enjoyed their oyster egg more than their fried Hokkien prawn mee, which was tasty but too salty for my liking. They also have oyster omelette, which doesn’t have the starch mixture. Good for those for don’t like the sticky starch and prefer more eggs.

Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Road
Singapore 428994

Tue to Sun: 11:30am – 9pm
Closed on Mondays

Fried Hokkien mee, S$3.00

Anyway, back to the food. I rather enjoyed it. It’s the dark sauce stewed type of fried Hokkien mee. I think the selling point is the noodles. The texture is unique, different from the usual flat Hokkien yellow noodles. It’s soft but QQ (al dente) and bouncy at the same time. There’s also no strong alkaline taste. Quite similar to udon, actually. This kind of noodle isn’t commonly found; mentor chef Eric Teo made special arrangements for it to be supplied to this stall.

As for the sauce, it’s sweet and savoury, but more sweet than savoury. It’s tasty but not artificially so. The flavors are well-balanced. The prawn and clams were fresh and sweet (but one clam had sand in it), and the cabbage tender. It’d be better if there’s more fragrance. Overall, I think it was very pleasant; not fantastic, but more than decent. It’s a nice change from the usual fried kway teow and other hawker noodle items.

The stall

It was close to 3pm when I ordered my food. There was no queue, just a steady trickle of customers. I think the initial crowds after the feature of this stall on tv (maybe about a month ago) has died down. There were negative comments on Mediacorp forum that the food wasn’t up to standard. The production team had to remind the stall to buck up.

To be fair, the stallowner probably couldn’t cope with the sudden increase in business. When I was there, there were 3 other people helping out at the stall. The lady stallowner was looking relaxed and confident, and this was reflected in the food. I think she just needed more time to figure out the workflow and hone her cooking skill.

19 Cooked Food
127, Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#02-19
Singapore 310127

Open:
Tuesdays to Sundays, 8am to 8pm

Cheap but yummy yong tau foo.

People say there’s no such thing as cheap and good. Guess what? There’s this famous yong tau foo stall in Bedok South Food Centre that’s really cheap and good! Where else can you buy yong tau foo that starts from $1.50 an order?

I’d just had a plate of fried kway teow at the famous FKT stall in the same hawker centre, so I only tried a few items. Despite being so cheap, the quality of the yong tau foo is surprisingly decent. There’s a reasonable amount of fish paste stuffing, and the soup is tasty with the natural flavors of ikan bilis and soy bean. The yong tau foo is really fresh, too. What’s more, there’s a great variety of items to choose from. Expect long queues during lunch time.

The usual practice at pick-your-own yong tau foo is your selection is re-heated by being blanched in boiling water. Here, what’s great is that they separately deep-fry and serve the fried items so that they are hot and crispy. They also give mayonnaise for fried items. Yums!

Take your pick!

$1.50 Per Bowl Yong Tau Foo
Blk 16 Bedok South Road
#01-145
Bedok South Market and Food Centre
Singapore 460016

6am – 9pm daily
$0.30 per piece, min 5 pieces ($1.50)
$1.50 for 4 pieces + noodle

]]> http://aromacookery.com/2009/08/23/s1-50-per-bowl-yong-tau-foo/feed/ 15 http://aromacookery.com/2009/07/07/penang-day-3-the-great-penang-cendol-face-off/ http://aromacookery.com/2009/07/07/penang-day-3-the-great-penang-cendol-face-off/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:34:11 +0000 Julia Khoo http://aromacookery.com/?p=1384

Penang Road's famous Teochew cendol!

Folks, this is THE most famous cendol stall in Penang! Many proclaim it to be the best on the island. Just remember, it’s located in Penang Road in Penang!

Technically, it’s in Keng Kwee Street off Penang Road. But no worries, just ask and the friendly locals will point you to the right direction!

Interestingly, directly opposite the No.1 stall is another cendol stall. They claim to be just as good as the original!

So how will the clueless out-of-towner know which is which? Easy!

The original stall…

The original...

…is perpetually crowded…

...and the imposter.

…while its rival has a trickling stream of customers, like these two motorcyclists who find it more convenient to just grab and go at the less crowded stall.

Some Penangites say that the original stall’s standard has dropped due to ridiculously good business. Like any self-respecting foodie, I did a taste-test of the two!

*drumroll* Without further ado, let the Great Penang Cendol Face-Off begin!

Cendol from the famous stall, RM1.70

The first slurp had me gushing, “Mmm…what kind of gula melaka did they use? It’s out of this world!” Now I know why people swoon over Penang cendol. It’s the top-grade gula melaka they use that make it so special. So rich, smooth, and complex!

Cendol from the rival stall, RM1.70

The rival’s cendol is also excellent, but if you compare closely, they’re slightly different. Let’s do a detailed analysis.

The cendol from both stalls are similarly made out of four main elements: gula melaka, fresh coconut milk, green bean noodles, and red bean.

Gula melaka:
Both stalls use top-grade gula melaka.

Coconut milk:
Both stalls use fresh coconut milk. Very fragrant and smooth. However, Rival Stall’s coconut milk is more lemak (creamy); Original Stall’s is more diluted.

If you like your cendol more lemak, go for Rival Stall. But because Original Stall’s coconut milk is less overwhelming, you can taste the more of that fabulous gula melaka.

Green bean noodles:
Original Stall’s noodles are softer and melt-in-the-mouth. Rival Stall’s noodles are fatter and firmer, plus they give a bigger portion.

Red beans:
Although cooked till fragrant and powdery, Original Stall gives too little of the beans. Rival Stall boasts better beans. Generous amount of big, fat red beans and kidney beans. They retain their shape, but give way to sweet, powdery goodness!

Conclusion:
If you like your cendol rich with coconut milk with lots of green pea noodles and big, fat beans, head to Rival Stall.

Personally, I prefer the Original Stall. For Rival Stall, at first the richness of the coconut milk was nice, but after a while, it got rather jelak (cloying). I prefer Original Stall’s coconut milk-gula melaka ratio, because you get the fragrance of coconut milk without overpowering the lovely notes of the gula melaka. It’s lighter and more refreshing. Plus the green pea noodles are softer and more slippery. If only they were more generous with the green pea noodles and red bean!

Also read:
Penang Day 1
Penang Day 2: Hotel breakfast, Toh Soon Cafe, and tang yuen for supper
Penang Day 3: Char koay kak
Penang Day 3: Lunch at Lorong Selamat

The famous Penang char koay teow stall in Lorong Selamat.

It’s already Day 3, but I’d yet to try the most acclaimed Penang dishes like assam laksa and char koay teow! Well, this was going to be THE day! Our friendly taxi driver “uncle” took us to Lorong Selamat for the famous char koay teow in front of Cafe Heng Huat. Apparently, Lorong Selamat is one of the popular food streets in Penang. There are several roadside stalls and coffee shops that operate there in the day.

The larger-than-life char koay teow lady in her signature red beret and goggles.

One look, and I knew this is a master at work. Look closely! Deep in concentration, the char koay teow lady silently channels all her energy. Beneath the heavy cast-iron wok are roaring flames fueled by burning charcoal. With her spatula as a natural extension of her arm, she sears and swishes the rice noodles with a mastery that leaves you in awe!

Because there are also many other orders, and only small batches are cooked each time to ensure quality, we were told that it was at least a 20-minute wait. So we ordered food from other stalls outside. Yes, you’re allowed to order from the roadside stalls and bring the food into Cafe Heng Huat.

Laksa stall

Our taxi uncle told us this assam laksa is also very good.

Penang assam laksa, RM4.00 ≈ S$1.65

Doesn’t look very attractive, right?

Mix it all up!

But looks are deceiving! Penang assam laksa is totally different from Singapore laksa. There’s no coconut milk involved.

First, the broth is made by simmering mackerel for an hour until it disintegrates and creates a rich stock. Then, tamarind is added for that tangy taste. The end result is a sweet, tangy, and spicy broth!

This was my first authentic Penang laksa, so I’ve no benchmark to compare. But I found the broth sufficiently rich and thick with fish, and the overall flavours very pleasing! Hae ko 虾膏 (prawn paste), fresh pineapple, cucumber, and mint leaves make it even more appetizing. The thick rice noodles are cooked till soft and swollen, which kinda reminds me of udon.

Lorbak stall

We also ordered lor bak. Penang lor bak = Singapore ngoh hiang. Usually, lor bak is sold alongside fried spring rolls and prawn fritters.

Mixed platter, RM7.00 ≈ S$2.90

Penang lor bak is slightly different from our ngoh hiang. It’s braised pork which is chopped then rolled in beancurd skin and deep-fried. Sliced lor bak is served with braising sauce and chilli dip. I actually prefer lor bak cos there’s no 5-spice powder, unlike in ngoh hiang. Texturally, it’s also more meaty.

For this stall, I thought the items we tried were so-so only. Besides lor bak, there’s also fish (the yellow strips), prawn fritter (behind the fish), beancurd, and braised egg.

Char koay teow, RM8.50 ≈ S$3.50

Finally, after an agonizing 30-minute wait, this was our reward. We ordered the most expensive version, which comes with 5 unimaginably sweet, crunchy and juicy prawns! The prawns are seared till just cooked. Absolutely perfect timing! The cockles are just as fresh and succulent.

As for the koay teow, man, it had me weeping tears of joy. Fiery and smoking hot, it’s as if the noodles had come alive! Each chopstickful of koay teow was breathing with smouldering steam. And the charred noodles were slick but not oily. I’ve never eaten char koay teow with so much character!

The char koay teow is pricey by local standards, but I think it’s absolutely worth it!

Also read:
Penang Day 1
Penang Day 2: Hotel breakfast, Toh Soon Cafe, and tang yuen for supper
Penang Day 3: Char koay kak

Char koay kak, RM2.30 ≈ S$0.95

So here’s what really good char koay kak tastes like! The sad, soggy version I had on the first night is nothing like the real deal!

This was an unexpected find. Ricky and I were walking back to Traders Hotel after breakfast at Toh Soon Cafe. From Campbell Street (Lebuh Campbell), we walked down Cintra Street (Lebuh Cintra). When we reached Kimberley Street (perpendicular to Cintra St.), I spotted two pushcarts selling food.

The friendly auntie and her helper.

My foodie radar told me we were on to something great, so I insisted on checking them out! One was making ban chien koay 慢煎糕, the other was a lady frying char koay kak with gusto! Luckily I only had kaya bread and milk tea earlier. Breakfast Part 2, here I come!

Char koay kak is the Penang counterpart of Singapore’s chai tow kway 菜头粿 (fried radish cake). Actually, our chai tow kway is a farce, ‘cos there’s no chai tow (radish) in the kway (cake), only seasoning and MSG. In Penang, they simply call it char koay kak 炒粿角 (fried rice cake chunks).

One's frying the koay, the other's cutting fresh pieces into the wok, which is fired by charcoal and wood.

Because the taxi we hired was waiting to pick us up at the hotel, we packed our char koay kak to go. The steamed rice cakes are fried with chai po 菜脯, beansprout, Chinese chives, garlic, egg, and dark soy sauce.

The seasoning isn’t as thick and sweet as the Singapore “black” chai tow kway. The taste is more savoury and just mildly sweet. But it’s delicious in its own style, and the crunchy beansprouts are so refreshing! There’s plenty of wok hei too! Gosh, it’s really scrumptious! I’m now drooling at the memory…

I wonder if the Singapore XO-sauce fried radish cake with beansprout was inspired by Penang char koay kak?

Also read: Penang Day 1, Penang Day 2