Hi Makan Kakis, some of you might find the name Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck familiar because the original (and famous) stall can be found at Golden Mile Market & Food Centre along Beach Road. This one in Bendeemer is run by the couple’s son and enjoys equally brisk business, so be prepared for long lines. I arrived just after opening at 10.30am on a Sunday morning and found several others already in the queue – one gentleman told me he’d arrived before 10am and he was still waiting. I was informed my wait time would be more than 30 minutes, so I prepared myself to kill time. All this, because Chef Petrina Loh of Morsels, our Foodie Friend and self-confessed lover of all things braised and Teochew recommended I try it!
HEAR:
SEE:
Chef Petrina describes the braised duck here as very Teochew and very traditional. It’s a favourite of her mother’s and keeping things in the culinary family, Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck at Bendeemer happens to be run by one of her former Morsels chefs, so the connection is strong! Personal relationship aside though, this is braised duck with really high standards.
Continue reading “Teochew Braised Duck – The Secret is in the Sauce!”
Firstly, remember this Joo Chiat stall we previously featured? 
Just like their unique rojak, this lohei set makes for a wonderful alternative to the usual. The chilled, colourful fruits and veg provide sweet and tart crunchy freshness, whilst the deep-fried toppings give irresistable crispiness and savoury, seafood umami. The slow-cooked prawn paste rojak sauce amplifies said umami and when drizzled sparingly, a lovely rounded sweetness and a touch of tamarind tang.
I love that unlike rojak which is already mixed for you, this lohei set allows you to control how much of each ingredient and sauce to add, for the perfect customisable experience according to personal preference. In fact, you can also Double Huat your order with an add-on of abalone ($48.80), or even opt for a vegetarian version. Each portion serves 4-6 comfortably.
Stall owner Leong Gwo Wei advised me to crown the entire platter with the large prawn fritter disc and together with family or friends, smash it first, before tossing with everything else. My family and I did, with a loud shout of “HUAT”! Of course, raucous & messy mixing ensued!
Yummyrollz’s Signature Ngoh Hiang are described as “bite-sized” (ok, maybe 2 bites!), flatter, rectangular beancurd skin parcels filled with an “almost an equal ratio portion of minced pork and chopped prawns (not minced)”. Water chestnut, carrot and a hint of celery add crunch and contrast to the softer textures of protein.
The Crunchy Hei Zho came cut into thick cubes, densely packed with chunks of prawns and water chestnuts. The savoury, seafood flavour was front and centre with these crispy, crustaceous nuggets.
Last, but not least, the special flavour that caught my attention: Tom Yum Ngoh Hiang. Purists might balk, but it totally worked! I loved the additional spicy, sour, salty notes the Tom Yum brought to the basic Ngoh Hiang recipe. This flavour twist was much punchier, yet was subtle enough not to overpower the original flavours of meat and vegetable filling.
Presented as slim little cylinders with extra-crispy crimped ends (almost like sweets), these rolls were shaped differently to avoid confusion. These were good enough to eat alone, but for sweetness, slather liberally with the golden elixir provided.
For these Thai-inspired treats, I skipped the sambal belacan to avoid interferring with the tom yum notes.
But it has to be said, eaten with the other snacks, their Hand Pounded Sambal Belacan Chilli was a winner. Rustically pounded in a traditional mortar & pestle, the chunky chilli paste was redolent with umami belacan and mouth-wateringly hot from both red and green chillis – seeds in! I only wished there was more to go round. That’s probably why 180g jars are available for purchase at $10.00!
For anyone who doesn’t like pork or seafood, look out for their Fried Satay Chicken Ngoh Hiang (18pcs for ) $25.00. A filling of sliced & minced chicken, big onions, cucumbers and chunky water chestnut, mixed with a homemade satay marinade, is enfolded in crispy beancurd skin and served with Satay sauce.
Apart from the Best of Trio, you can also opt for other order combos and even their Heng Hwa Fried Bee Hoon, made using Taiwan Hshinchu Vermicelli and seafood like clams (lala), prawns, dried scallops, mushrooms, fried beancurd and veggies ($16.00). Another home-cooked dish is their Hokkien-style Glutinous Rice with marinated pork belly, dried shrimps & mushrooms, topped with fried silver fish and chinese sausage ($10.00).
Fans might be more familiar with the stall at Beauty World Food Centre, but when I stopped by, they recommended I check out their branch instead, with the promise that both stalls were run by the same family, using the same recipe. I traipsed diagonally across the road to meet Mr Tan Voon Kui, 61, who told me they expanded the family business to Bukit Timah Food Centre around 8 years ago in 2013.
Makan Kakis on Gold 905 