Our Fave National Eats Revisted (Part 2)

HEAR:
Click to listen/ download podcast of this week’s deliciously patriotic encore episode featuring Indian Rojak & Hokkien Mee!

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Hello Makan Kakis, in the lead-up to National Day, we’re continue special feature by revisiting your favourite local dishes. On this week’s menu, we start with Indian Rojak! An excellent one to try at at Ayer Rajah Food Centre has become quite the household name. Started in the 1960s by Mr Akber Ali, his legacy continues under the management of the stall’s namesake. Formally trained as an electrical engineer, Mr Abdhus Salam is the son of the late Mr Akber. After a stint in the corporate world, he decided to fulfil his father’s dream and stepped in to take charge of the business he’d been helping out at since he was sixteen.  

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the mind-boggling array of deep fried things on display. Battered, golden-brown and stacked high in tightly packed piles, they beckoned. Relieved I’d come armed with a very empty stomach, I grabbed a large plate, tongs and picked one of everything. Yes, all NINETEEN items – crispy prawn fritter, big prawn fritter, two-in-one tofu and prawn fritter, vegetable flour fritter, plain flour fritter, egg flour fritter (battered hard-boiled egg), potato flour fritter (battered boiled potato), coconut fritter, battered tempeh, lentil fritters (dhal vadai), hotdog sausage, hard-boiled egg, fried firm tofu, fried fish cake, breaded fish fillet, boiled potatoes, fried beef lung (paru), cuttlefish and squid.

Everything was sizzled in a giant wok of hot oil, then chopped into bite-sized pieces and arranged like a mini mountain, its patchwork of browns and oranges only broken up by the green of fresh chillies, cucumber and the purple of raw onions. These garnishes were a wise addition, just to freshen everything up and cut through all the oil and sugar.

Two tubs of warm, thick, syrupy sauce accompanied the platter of deep fried wonders. Personally, I would have liked the neon orange, sweet and spicy sauce to be saltier and spicier, but the sweetness seemed to be real highlight for customers, seen blanketing their platters with the viscous, glossy gravy. The chatty cook was happy to let me in on a few ingredients that go into their signature Indian rojak sauce, but stopped short of giving away trade secrets. A blend of sweet potato, peanuts, chillies and sesame seeds, the roasty nuttiness of the sauce came across in both fragrance and flavour.

Overall, Abdhus Salam Indian rojak was very exciting for the whole palate because of those contrasting tastes and textures. An extragavanza of fat, carbs and sugar that delivered ultimate comfort and indulgence, this was a dish that encourages glorious gluttony, especially if you’re indecisive, hungry, or want to share. I encourage all of the above, so go with your family or friends (remember, no more than five people!) and share the calories. You’ll get friendly service from the youthful, energetic staff and you’ll be spoilt for choice by the sheer variety of delicious ingredients.

TASTE:
Abdhus Salam Indian rojak is located at 503 West Coast Drive, Ayer Rajah Food Centre, #01-73, Singapore 120503.
Open from 11am to 9.30pm Sundays to Fridays, 12 noon to 9.30pm Saturdays.
Available on Grabfood, Foodpanda, Bungkus apps for delivery.

SEE HOKKIEN MEE:

Our encore celebration of the top local eats (as voted by Gold 905 listeners) must also include quinessential South-China noodle dish, Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee. Two stalls worth a visit are Come Daily in Toa Payoh & Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee in Whampoa. For belly-busting details, click the link below:

National Day Special: Top Local Eats (Hokkien Mee)

 

Double Prawn Power – Hae Mee & Fried Hokkien Mee

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Click to listen/ download podcast of this week’s prawn-powered episode!

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Hi Makan Kakis, this week our foodie friend, Fly Entertainment CEO and owner of Bar NKD, Fry Bistro & Soi Candy Thai Noodle and Seafood Bar, Irene Ang returns with another solid makan place for us to check out. Last time she was with us, she recommended her favourite old school laksa lemak, which often sees long queues. But if youdon’t fancy the wait, you must try another stall in the same Mayflower Food Centre – 3 Sisters Prawn Noodle. Irene says their specialties are also very good!

Their Prawn Noodles (soup & dry), as well as Fried Hokkien Mee boast old-school flavours too. And in case there was any doubt, the stall is really run by 3 sisters! According to Irene, there you’ll see the eldest sister in charge, taking orders, a 2nd sister cooking prawn noodles and a 3rd sister frying the Hokkien Mee.

You have to admit, it’s a brilliant idea to sell both types. The same fragrant prawn stock from the prawn noodles is used in the making of their hokkien mee, which brings a lovely synergy to both dishes, whether you enjoy your noodles soup, dry or drenched in gravy!

Succulent, Smoky, Charcoal-grilled Pork Belly Satay

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Click here to listen/ download podcast of this week’s charcoal grilled episode!

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Hey Makan Kakis! Our foodie friend Lyn Lee of Awfully Chocolate & Sinpopo Brand joins us to recommend an incredible accompaniament to awesome Fried Hokkien Mee – SATAY. Not just your regular grilled meats on a stick, but luscious, decadent, chargoal-grilled PORK BELLY SATAY! Served side-by-side to the folks behind the famous Geylang Lorong 29 Hokkien Mee, which we’ve previously featured here.

Said Hokkien Mee is charcoal-fried for that deliciously smoky wok hei and the same charcoal-smokiness is front and centre in the pork belly satay, which comes with gorgeous charred marks seared in stripes across the succulent meat.

MAKAN KAKIS SALUTES HAWKERS FOR UNESCO RECOGNITION

CONGRATULATIONS, SINGAPORE!

Our hawker culture has officially been added to the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! In celebration, let’s go back and explore some of our best-loved hawker dishes, as voted by GOLD 905 listeners earlier this year. Simply scroll through & click on the list I’ve conveniently compiled for you below.

With sincere thanks to all the hawkers past, present and future, for all your hard work, expertise and contributions to Singapore’s unique food heritage. We salute you!

For more, come back often and explore my entire archive of delicious Makan Kakis recommendations!

x denise

1. Click the pic below for Chicken Rice options:

2. Click the pic below for Laksa options:

3. Click the pic below for Chilli Crab options:

4. Click the pic below for Hokkien Mee options:

5. Click the pic below for Rojak options:

HOKKIEN MEE WITH KILLER SAMBAL

Hello Makan Kakis!

In the labyrinth of stalls at ABC Brickworks Food Centre, one man has been quietly serving up outstanding hokkien mee since the 1980s. Only recently have his noodles been making a bigger noise, thanks to a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention. My Makan Kaki Koh Han Jie, Head Chef of Elfuego and quite the gourmand himself, recommended that I get in line despite the longer queues, to try Mr Toh Seng Wang’s expertly fried noodles. Which got me thinking – what makes this hokkien mee so special that people are willing to queue for a taste of it? You’re about to find out…

Click the links below for more on the perfectly fried hokkien mee from Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng:

• LISTEN: & download the podcast of this week’s wokaliciously seafoody episode!
• READ: the full story at CNA Lifestyle.
• WATCH: Denise try this makan recommendation on GOLD 905’s facebook page.

TASTE:
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Hokkien Prawn Mee is located at ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-13, Singapore 150006.
It’s open Thursdays to Tuesdays, 3pm to 10.45pm. Closed on Wednesdays.
Tel: +65 98629296
*NOTE: ABC Brickworks Food Centre was closed for Renovation Works From 16 March till 20 June 2020. But hurray! They’re back in business, so you can hurry down for your hokkien mee fix!

National Day Special: Top Local Eats (Hokkien Mee)

HEAR:
Click here to listen/ download podcast of this week’s saucy, slurpy episode!

SEE:
Hello Makan Kakis! Our celebration of the top local eats (as voted by Gold 905 listeners) continues with that quinessential South-China noodle dish, Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee. A rich stock made from prawns and pork is key for the making of a great plate of Hokkien Mee, wok-fried with a mix of seafood, meat, yellow and rice noodles, with chilli sauce and calamansi lime on the side. Personal preferences run the gamut – some prefer a wetter consistency, some expect lots of wok hei (breath of the wok), some think pork belly is essential. But everything pivots around that delicious saucy stew the noodles are sautéed in.

While there are several South-east Asian versions, this variety has its roots firmly in China’s Fujian (Hokkien) cuisine, but reached its evolutionary peak in Singapore, thanks to the culinary resourcefulness of early settlers. Before it got its current name, Hokkien Mee was known as Rochor Mee, for the stretch of road where the dish was first created and sold by Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province.

One origin story mentions Chinese sailors who congregated along Rochor Road and thriftly used excess noodles from factories in the area to create hokkien mee using flavours from home. Though this romantic historical account can’t be verified, most won’t dispute that Rochor Road was synonymous with the early days of hokkien mee. Such noodle stalls are now found all across the island, though only a few really stand out. Thanks to recommendations from Gold 905 listeners, we checked out two popular stalls. One brought the fat, one brought the fire, but both absolutely brought the flavour.

STAY HOME & EAT – Thai Stewed Beef Boat Noodles & More!

HEAR:
Click to listen/ download the podcast of this week’s beefy, brothy bowl of bliss!

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This circuit breaker season, as we all continue to stay home, I’m hunting down delicious food you can order in easily with a budget of around $20 including delivery fee & enough to feed 2 – 4 people. This week, I recommend a stall called Yuan at Ghim Moh Market that specialises in Thai stewed beef noodles. I went straight for their recommended signature beef combination boat noodles.

stewed beef noodles still in their delivery container

At just $8 for a hugely generous portion, you get a choice of thin or thick bee hoon, kway teow or tang hoon. I went with the latter and it was a wonderful choice. The food was delivered still hot, with the beef broth packed separately to prevent sogginess. The tang hoon, or glass vermicelli, travelled well and arrived slippery-smooth yet springy. And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it wasn’t plain, but rather, seasoned and stir fried – good enough to eat dry on its own.

stewed beef noodles in my serving bowl – presentation is key!

The great thing about a soupy dish is you can always reheat the broth for a piping hot meal. Pouring the hot soup over, I was rewarded with the mouthwatering mingling of rich beef broth, naturally sweetened with onion, dark soya sauce and spices. The soup was slightly herbal in flavour, which combined well with the garnish of  fragrant fried garlic, bean sprouts, shallots and spring onion. Topping it all off was a combo of tender stewed beef shank, lip-smackingly soft beef tendon, as well as slices of beef (beef balls are usually included, but due to Covid-19 affecting supplies, these are temporarily out of stock). Thai gun powder, or chilli flakes, is a must for added kick and I even mixed in a whole container of their chilli sauce which was awesome. Chillies and vinegar perfectly balanced heat, saltiness, sourness and a touch of sweetness to really brighten the whole bowl of beefy brothy bliss!

Margaret Drive Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee

HEAR:
Click here to listen or download the podcast to this week’s wet & wokalicious episode!

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Greetings Greedies! Boy, have we got a treat for you this week! Our Makan Kaki Chef Anthony Yeoh (Chef-owner of Summerhill) casts his culinary net once again around his Ghim Moh neighbourhood to bring us his recent discovery. Remember the good old Margaret Drive Hawker Centre?  Lots of delicious things were served there, but sadly it’s since been demolished and all that’s left is a barren field. All the hawkers disappeared, leaving many of us wondering where they went. Well, Chef Tony can tell you where at least one of those hawkers moved to – the fried Hokkien Mee stall is a quite a new to Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, but it always sees long queues and sells out quickly. Whenever Chef Tony visits at noon, everything’s been snapped up and the stall’s neon red CLOSED sign is all lit up.

When Denise paid them a visit just before dinner time at 5pm, sure enough, said neon sign was on, but delicious smells were wafting from within. The chef-owner was hard at work, prepping for dinner. At this point, there were already 5 people queuing in anticipation for the stall’s opening. When his wife finally arrived, the neon sign flipped from red to green and finally, it was OPEN for business!

So why is this stall so popular? Is it nostalgia? Possibly. But Chef Tony says this is really good stuff and it’s the broth that makes this Hokkien Mee so special. It has a natural sweetness from a combination of squid, prawn heads & pork bones bubbling away in a giant pot right next to the wok. The broth is rich, savoury and is what makes this Hokkien Mee so delightfully sloppy, wet and messy – exactly how Chef Tony likes it!