Jewels of the East, part 2

I think that the region that you grew up in is an important factor in shaping your attitude to hawker food, and perhaps even food in general. People from the East generally have more elevated standards for hawker fare because there is so much good food in the East; and they tend to be creatures of habit, picking their favourites and sticking to them. People who grew up in the Central or downtown area have no idea of what good hawker food is because there rarely is any around them. People who live in the North are typically indifferent between a version here or a version there because the standards are all about the same wherever you go in the North. (The exception to this is Toa Payoh, which does have a lot of good food and produces the kind of foodie that is so rare in the North). Also, the people in the North are shocked at what people elsewhere pay for food, because everything is cheaper up there. And the people in the West? Well, nobody really cares what the people in the West think anyway.

Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee

It is hard not to take it personally when you recommend something to someone and they do not like it. When they actively dislike it, then it cuts even deeper. I recently took Karen and Victor to Seng Kee to try this bak chor mee, which I had been raving about to anyone who would listen. I had it too, so I didn't think it was an off day. It was just as piquant, just as distinctively tasty as it normally was. But Victor scrunched his nose in disgust and if not for the fact that he is as greedy as I am, would not have finished his plate. I struggled to understand this but finally chalked it up to the heavy use of vinegar and liver - both of which he does not like.


Still, I am a huge fan of this bak chor mee. It is right down the street from the Golden City chye tow kuay, and it is quite difficult not to patronise just one at a time. I usually succumb to the temptation of having two meals, one after the other.

Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee


I absolutely love lor mee. Taste-wise it is everything that I like - noodles, braised meats, reduced sauces, liberal use of black vinegar and sliced chilies. But in addition to that it is also an adventure to eat, texture-wise. The sauce is reduced to a gummy, starchy consistency so the dish is not quite a "soup" dish, but not quite a "dry" dish either. Also, there will typically be some ingredient that is deep-fried and added as a topping. Most times it is fish slices that have been battered and deep-fried, fritter-style. There is a stall at Tiong Bahru Market (which coincidentally has very good version of lor mee) that deep-fries shark meat and tops their dish off with it. So you bring together the gummy sauce, the crispy fritters, the ngoh hiang (which is wrapped in a thin beancurd sheet), the slippery noodles sliding from your chopsticks - and you have a wonderfully nuanced dish in terms of texture.

This version is from Xin Mei Xiang at Old Airport Road, which was very very good. The problem with lor mee is that there are a lot of bad versions of it, so when you find a good one it is extra special.

Actually the real problem with it is that it is an extremely unhealthy dish.


One of the prerequisites for lor mee is that - like I said - the sauce be of a consistency that sticks to the lining of your mouth as you slurp it down. You can see how it sticks to the spoon here.

Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodles


One of the better versions of hae mee in Singapore - originally from Whitley Road and now at the Old Airport Road hawker centre. (Other contenders include Noo Cheng at Zion Rd Hawker Centre and Wah Kee at Pek Kio Market). We tried this in the afternoon and while still amazing the soup was not as fragrant as it was the last time I had it. Perhaps the trick is to go at night - after the soup has been simmering for the entire day. But then you run the risk of them running out early. Oh, decisions, decisions.

Cho Kee Wonton Noodles


Hong Kongers will complain that what we call "wonton noodles" is a gross deviation from the original dish. There are at least three major differences (that I can think of). In the Hong Kong version of the dish, the noodles are usually served in soup; whereas in Singapore they are more often than not served dry, tossed with a combination of chili oil, ketchup and oyster sauce - with the soup served on the side. Also, what Hong Kongers refer to as wontons usually have shrimp in them whereas the Singapore version is usually made only with ground pork. And finally, Hong Kongers do not add char siew to wonton noodles, but in Singapore what started as an innovation has gradually become the norm - and now almost all versions of wonton noodles are topped with slices of char siew.

The version here is from Cho Kee at Old Airport Road. Cho Kee is one of two famous wonton noodle stalls on the front row at Old Airport Road (the other being Hua Kee), both of which typically involve a wait. Neither of these are that amazing in my opinion - you can see the char siew looks a bit dry here, and the soup was just water and bouillon which just smacks of a lack of effort. The noodles were quite outstanding though - their signature sauce was a blend of fiery and fragrant and the noodles cooked to al dente perfection.