ALL ABOUT CEIL: Soon Kee Teochew Porridge : Simple & Satisfying Lunch

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Soon Kee Teochew Porridge : Simple & Satisfying Lunch

I came here just about 2 days ago to have a Nacho Burger and Triple Threat Krusty Crust Quesadilla by REM'N.NIS, a muslim-owned stall in the same coffee shop serving Tex-Mex food. I took notice of a Teochew porridge stall there but it was closed on Sunday. I made an effort to come back on purpose just to try it. I was told this is a popular stall, i was even advised to come early to avoid the crowd and also, most of the dishes would have been sold out by 1 pm. I came around 10.30 am on a Tuesday and it was still quite quiet at that time.

As it was still early, there were an extensive range of dishes for selection including a few selections of steamed fish dishes and it is amongst their most popular choices, almost like a must-order dish. I was eating alone so i did not go for it. Their other popular dish is the braised meat which i ordered together with fried pork chop, brinja and also salted egg with a bowl of plain porridge. I was told to take a seat and it will be served to the table. I said, '谢谢 (thank you)'. He replied, "不用客气 (don't mention it)". It seems he did not quite expect that i will say thank you. It is always good to show appreciation particularly to our hawkers that have put in enormous efforts in serving such comfort food.

It was served by the friendly lady in just a bit, she lined all the dishes neatly on the table with the bowl of porridge right in front of me. I presented a $10 note for payment without asking the exact amount for all these dishes and porridge. If i recall correctly based on the amount of change that i have received, it should be about $6.00 for everything.

This braised meat is strongly recommended by their regular customers. Its texture was extremely soft, so soft that you did not need much effort to chew it. Though there was a good amount of fat in those pork belly but it was not as oily as expected. It was served in a pool of tasty braised sauce that went really well with the plain porridge.

The fried pork chop was served with a saucer of chilli as dipping sauce. It was nicely marinated then coated with a thick layer of batter and deep-fried to a perfect crispiness that lasted even after it was left it for a while. The slight spiciness of the chilli actually enhanced its flavor for just a bit.

This brinja is a simple dish, it was cooked the same way that my late Grandpa used to cook for me. It was stir-fried with just a bit of chilli powder to give it the flavor.

Salted egg is a must-have whenever i have porridge. I like to dig it out from the shell and meshed it slightly inside the porridge. This is something that i have been doing it since young.