Old World Bakuteh : Mixed Pig's Organ Fried Porridge, must try

Chef Jemmy Yeo, the co-owner, started this stall with his partner in November 2019 at a coffee shop near Yishun MRT. He is a Peranakan chef that has been based in Singapore for the past 2 decades. He started cooking after getting inspired by his grandmother. Other than Bak Kut Teh ($6.00), the Mixed Pig's Organ Fried Porridge ($5.00) is another popular item. Fried Porridge is not commonly found in Singapore, the other one is by Dynasty Fried Porridge at Foch Road. I ordered the Fried Porridge with Braised Small Intestines ($5.00). Jemmy was there to take my order.

The porridge was already cooked with the dark soya sauce. He would then fried the porridge to infusing the flavor of dried shrimps and fried shallots upon order, adding in the ingredients like minced pork, leaned pork, small intestines, big intestines, liver, tau kwa cubes to the porridge then topped with fried shallots, chopped spring onions and a dash of white pepper to serve. The porridge was served hot and remained hot even after I took those pictures. This is a better Fried Porridge, a cheaper and tastier alternative as compared to the other one that I mentioned. 

The Braised Small Intestines were nicely done too, the texture was soft and not too chewy. 

I went back for the second time in a week to eat their Fried Porridge and Braised Small Intestines.

OLD WORLD BAKUTEH

Block 747 Yishun Street 72 Hiap Hoe Eating House SINGAPORE 760747

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm

Weng Kiang Kee Porridge : comfort food

Charlie Chang, 58, a regular of Joe Pork Porridge took over the stall once it was vacated by bidding for it and started selling porridge too. Joe, the owner of Joe Pork Porridge retired and sold its business to a Chinese Pr but things just did not work out and it has already closed last year. Charlie has about 30 years of kitchen experiences, working in Ritz Carlton, Raffles Hotel, Crown Prince Hotel, Oriental Hotel, Fullerton Hotel and also working in Beijing and Miami, USA. He was the Executive Chef in the Grand Millennium Hotel in Beijing before returning to Singapore. He set up the stall with Philomena, his wife, and Stephen Sim, his partner, a supplier of produce and meats that source for ingredients for the stall. He is hoping to preserve the food culture despite having to endure the long hours and also demanding customers. 

I wanted to try his Premium Porridge ($5) and the Triple Egg Porridge ($3.50) at the same time. The pieces are kept low despite using premium ingredients. When ordering, I asked, "Can I order the Premium Porridge and added the triple egg to it?" His wife asked him and he suggested I should order the Triple Egg Porridge and added lean meat or minced pork balls. I decided to heed his suggestion and ordered Triple Egg Porridge with minced pork balls. I was given a number tag and asked to come back in about 25 minutes.

The Triple Egg Porridge is cooked using the premium Jasmine rice and it is served with century egg, salted egg, and poached egg. The salted egg is nicely flattened to look like a disc. To start, drizzled with a little soya sauce and a dash of white pepper as it is purposely underseasoned as some of the customers are those elderly folks and they usually want it less salty. 

The porridge was rich, smooth and the right thickness, it tasted towards the traditional Hainanese style porridge, its texture is slightly more grainy. Each bowl is cooked individually to achieve the right texture.

Go early if you are interested to try as they usually sold out before 1 pm. 

WENG KIANG KEE PORRIDGE

335 Smith Street #02-082 Chinatown Complex Food Centre SINGAPORE 050335

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Sin Heng Kee Porridge in Ang Mo Kio

The popular Sin Heng Kee Porridge from Hougang has opened a stall in a coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio. I happened to be there on their opening day. When I stood in front of the stall, the stall assistant asked, "Have you eaten before?" I replied, "This is the same one from Hougang?" She pointed to an elderly lady seated at the table in front of the stall and said, "Do you recognize her? She is the cashier at Hougang." 

This is confirmed by Kash Chee according to Raymond Chua, a friend of Lian Huat Seafood that this is indeed the new stall though not directly managed by him. He is managing the outlets at Junction Nine and Chong Pang and the outlet at Junction Nine has since closed. They started their first outlet in Hougang then expanded to include Junction 9 and Chong Pang followed by this stall. The usual waiting time at Hougang is about 30 minutes or longer. My regular order is their Signature Porridge ($5.00) with egg ($0.50) or with You Tiao ($1.00). I was given a number tag and asked to take a seat.

The stall is currently managed by an elderly uncle. The Signature Porridge consists of a ton of ingredients like the meatballs, small intestine, liver, meatballs, sliced fish, sliced meat, and century egg topped with chopped spring onion and dried shallots. I stirred a little, to mix the egg with the porridge then added in the light soy sauce and a dash of pepper. It tasted like the classic Cantonese style porridge, the portion was generous and the texture was gooey, smooth with a light fragrance of sesame oil. This is one of the better ones around.

The lady at the stall has left quite an impression as she is particularly attentive. I handed her a $10 note and she used both hands to receive it. And, when she handing back the change, she placed it firmly in your palm especially those coins to make sure you would not drop it. I ever saw her talking to an elderly lady in a wheelchair. She went to her table to take the order, though the table is a distance from the stall. She stood close to her, bent a little, talking softly close to her ears and making suggestions to help decide on what she wants to eat. Such a service is so heartwarming. 

UPDATE: A friend shared about their porridge on 17 December 2020 and the link to this post is included there. Kash spotted it and he left messages on my Facebook even though I included an email on the blog for contact purposes. He sounded rather unpleasant there. He claimed in a FB post posted in a private group that this stall in Ang Mo Kio is started by the friends of his father. And, they only supply stocks to the stall on the condition that they do not use their signage. He also mentioned that they are separate entities and establishments. They did so as the in-charge of this stall in Ang Mo Kio refused to undergo the training. 

SIN HENG KEE PORRIDGE

Block 122 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 SINGAPORE 560122
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 3.00 pm

Hong Kee Porridge : the homely taste

This is a popular porridge stall in this food centre and they used to serve raw fish but have since stopped. There are choices of Pork Porridge, Century Egg Porridge, Cuttlefish Porridge, Fish Porridge, and Fish Head Porridge at just $3. There were another 2 customers waiting for their takeaway orders and I stood there, waiting to order. The uncle looked up in the midst of cooking at my direction. I told him that I would want to order Pork Porridge, he nodded and asked for my table number, they still deliver it right to the table. 

I waited for about 10 minutes before receiving it, it was served along a saucer of cut chilli. The texture of porridge was smooth with minced pork, sliced pork and liver, garnished with chopped spring onion and a dash of white pepper for a light flavor. It was good though still not comparable to what I had eaten in Hong Kong.

My dining companion took a mouthful and he said it tasted better than the chicken rice and carrot cake that we also ordered. I enjoyed that homely taste, it is a good choice for breakfast or a light lunch. 

HONG KEE PORRIDGE

31 Commonwealth Crescent #02-83 Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre SINGAPORE 149644

Operating Hours: 6.30 am to 5.00 pm (Daily)

Tian Tian Porridge : homely comfort food

It was the day after the spring cleaning in this food centre and most of the stalls were still closed including some of my regular choices thus the options were quite limited. This porridge stall is amongst the pioneer stalls in this food centre and it is still cooked by the white-haired elderly stall owner assisted by an elderly auntie that reminded me of my late Grandma. There are 2 choices on their menu, the Cantonese style Fish Porridge and Pork Porridge, available in 3 sizes, the smaller at $3, the medium at $4 and the large portion at $5. They used to serve raw fish but no longer now. The noodle stall beside is related, run by the family members. 

There was just another customer in front of me at about 11 am. The middle-aged Uncle took my order. He talked with me in Cantonese but when I replied in Mandarin, he started talking with me in a not-so-fluent Mandarin, though not too difficult for me to understand. I wanted to order Pork Porridge, I did not specify the size so it is the smaller portion by default. He asked me, "Everything in?". I nodded. He asked me to take a seat but I offered to wait at the stall for it to be ready. It was ready in about 5 minutes. 

The texture of the porridge was smooth and not too runny with ingredients like minced pork balls, sliced lean meat and pork liver with you tiao. There is something homely and welcoming about this bowl of porridge and I enjoyed it. 

TIAN TIAN PORRIDGE

Block 335 Smith Street #02-185 Chinatown Complex Food Centre SINGAPORE 050335

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Xiang Rui Gourmet at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre

This was one of the stalls that got a queue during lunch so I decided to join in. I went ahead to order a Century Egg Porridge ($3) added with an egg ($0.50) and You Tiao ($0.60). I also ordered the small portion of Spring Onion & Ginger Pork Liver at $5, the larger portion is available at $8. While waiting, there were more people joining the queue to order. 

The Century Egg Porridge was ready first, it was garnished with chopped spring onions and fried shallots with pieces of you tiao. I waited for another few minutes for the Spring Onion & Ginger Pork Liver to be ready.

The porridge was rather grainy, not quite smooth but it was quite comforting. 

The Spring Onion & Ginger Pork Liver was quite tasty. I wish those slices of pork liver were in bigger and thicker pieces. Those pork liver were sliced a little too thin and that might be the likely reason that caused it to be overcooked. 

This is a good choice for lunch when the choices are quite limited in this food centre.

XIANG RUI GOURMET

110 Pasir Ris Central #01-08 Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 519641

The Famous Zhou 粥出名 : a porridge stall in Ang Mo Kio

This porridge stall is set up by Chew Chor Meng (周初明) and Dennis Chew (周崇庆), this is their new venture after setting up 3 outlets of 888 Mookata at Hougang, Bishan and Bukit Batok, serving Thai-style barbecue steamboat in the coffee shop. This stall is named "The Famous Zhou" and the "Zhou" here is 周, their surname, it also means 粥 in Chinese. It is 粥出名 in Chinese, sounded like 周初明 and it also means the famous porridge. The Taiwanese chef Huang Ching Biao is behind the recipes of their porridges. It is their friend, an ex-engineer that is doing the cooking together with a Malaysian cook at the stall. There are 8 different types of porridge on their menu starting from $3.50 to $12.80, adding an egg is $0.50 and $0.80 cents for extra you tiao (fried dough fritters). 

I was there at about 12.30 pm on a Sunday and I did not see a queue at that time. Chew Chor Meng was there though, sitting at a table near the stall. I wanted the Happy Belly Chok, a fish porridge at $5 but was told they run out of fish. I decided to go with A Smart Scholar Chok at $4, a mixed pork porridge, added an egg and you tiao. I was given a buzzer after paying, it buzzed in about 8 minutes. When I stood up and walking towards the stall, the friendly auntie was holding the bowl of porridge and looking around for me. I handed the buzzer to her when she passed that bowl of porridge to me. The light of their signboard went off at this time, indicating they have already sold out. I must be really lucky to order the last few bowls of the porridge.

The texture of this Cantonese style porridge was rather smooth but a little too runny. It consists of pork slices and liver but there is no intestine in it. Those slices of liver were a bit too thin and it ended up overcooked thus a little tough. And, some you tiao was crispy and the other was soggy. 

They will need more time to work at improving its standard. 

THE FAMOUS ZHOU  粥出名

Block 421 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 Tian Tian Lai Food Place SINGAPORE 560421

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays) 

Soon Lee Porridge : my comfort food

This stall has been one of the oldest stalls in this food centre for the longest time. I used to stay in Clementi for a while and this used to be one of those stalls that I patronized regularly at that time. If you ask for a recommendation when visiting this food centre, this Hainanese porridge stall is always amongst one of those stalls recommended. This stall is in the good hands of the next generation now and they are still serving the porridge in the traditional Hainanese-style. 

There are a total of 3 choices, the pork porridge, the chicken porridge and the fish porridge. You could choose between the $3.00 and $4.00, if you want it with an egg then it will be 0.30 cents extra. You just need to give your table number and they will serve it to you when it is ready. You are required to pay first though. 

I ordered through the Uncle that wore an old-fashioned singlet standing outside the stall. I wanted a small pork porridge with egg for $3.30. Uncle asked, "Do you eat pork liver?" which I replied, "I do." I pointed at the table where my dining companion at and said, "I sit right there." I waited for about 15 minutes for it to be delivered. 

There is a difference between the Hainanese-style and Cantonese-style porridge. As for the Hainanese-style, the texture of porridge is more grainy and not completely broken down whereas the Cantonese-style, the rice is usually boiled for a longer time to a smooth paste. The Hainanese-style porridge is only flavored upon order, a portion is then scooped from the bigger pot and cooked in an individual pot and then added the ingredients. A raw egg is cracked into an empty bowl, the cooked porridge is poured into the same bowl then garnished with chopped coriander, preserved vegetable (dong cai) and shallot oil. To start, give it a good mix and stir in the raw egg. The flavor could be adjusted by adding in the white pepper and light soya sauce that they usually bring along with the porridge. 

The porridge is thick and warm serving with fresh ingredients. What more could I ask? This is just the something that I would want to have on a cold day.

SOON LEE PORRIDGE

Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-50 Clementi Food Centre SINGAPORE 120448

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 7.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Teck Kee Cooked Food : Simple Goodness

Kebun Baru Food Centre is located near Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and not too far from the Ang Mo Kio Bishan Park. There are a few popular stalls in this food stall and this stall is one of them. There used to be another stall selling similar items but closed it down quite a while ago. There is always a queue and the queue usually longer when during lunch. Most of their regular customers will go for the sheng mian, which they specially order from the factory. Its texture is different from most noodles as it is springier, and it would not clump together even after left it for a while and it is usually sold out quite early. That is the reason why i usually ended up ordering their dry version of kway teow with extra chilli added. Each bowl starts from $3.00 to $3.50, and it is $4.00 if with extra ingredients. Pork Porridge is available too, at just $3.00.

It is simple homely taste with fresh ingredients used and little MSG is added. The stock is lightly flavored, i would have prefer the soup from the other stall that has closed down. It did not quite taste like Bak Chor Mee (Minced Pork Mushroom Noodle) though is quite similar. The ingredients like minced meat, lean meat, pork liver, fishcake and fish balls are served in the soup and not with the noodles. Most customers would just go for the soup version but the younger customers would actually prefer the dry one.  

It is a hearty choice for breakfast and even for lunch, it is definitely worth the time to queuing up.

TECK KEE COOKED FOOD 德记熟食

Block 226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22 #01-23 Kebun Baru Food Centre SINGAPORE 560226

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

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.

This new found love is just about 10 minutes away from where i stay so this is going to be a new lunch spot that will get me to come back often.

SOON KEE TEOWCHEW PORRIDGE

33 Sembawang Road #01-04/07 Hong Heng Garden SINGAPORE 779084

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge : a 60 years old Porridge stall

What is more comforting particularly on those rainy days or when you are just feeling sick is none other than a bowl of porridge. At this coffee coffee shop in Veerasamy Road, together with the famous Victor's Fried Chicken Wing Rice and Hainanese Chicken Rice, is Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge, a Hainanese porridge stall that has been around for at least 6 decades. They started from a pushcart along Johor Road before moving to the Veerasamy Road, the stall has already handed over to the 2nd generation owners.

Their porridge is prepared using pork bone and simmered for hours till the grains are softened then set aside, it will then cook together with the desired ingredients upon order. On their menu, there are Pork Porridge ($2.50/$3.00), Pork with Cuttlefish Porridge ($3.00), Pork with Sliced Fish Porridge ($3), Pork with Chicken Porridge ($3), Sliced Fish with Cuttlefish Porridge ($2.50/$3.00), Chicken with Cuttlefish Porridge ($2.50/$3.00) and Chicken with Sliced Fish Porridge ($3). And, to add 0.50 cents for an egg or with century egg. 

Upon placing the order, a number will be allocated and it will be flashed on their LED panel when it is ready for pick up. I usually order their Pork Porridge whenever i am there. It is served with ingredients like pig stomach, liver, sliced pork, minced meat and you tiao then topped with chopped spring onions, preserved salted vegetable (tang chye) and shallot oil to serve.

It is perfectly cooked to have a slightly grainy and thick texture. The minced pork and sliced meat were lightly flavored and together with those slices of liver were cooked just right. It is simple, filling yet so satisfying.

JOHOR ROAD BOON KEE PORK PORRIDGE

Block 638 Veerasamy Road Yi He Eating House Stall 6 SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 6.45 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

That Comforting Taste.

I just happened to be there on a rainy day and wanting something comforting like a hot bowl of porridge. There was a queue of few people right there at this stall and it prompted me to give it a try for the first time.

Some of the choices available are Century Egg & Lean Meat Congee ($3.50), Pork Congee ($3.50), Meatball Congee ($3.50), Mixed Pork Congee ($4.00), Pig's Liver Congee ($3.50), Chicken Congee ($3.50), Sliced Fish Congee ($3.50), Congee in Boat Style ($5.00) and Mixed Scallop Congee ($5.00). Frog's Leg Congee in claypot are at $7.00 and $12.00. 

The side dishes for selection are Frog's Leg ($8 and $14) and Pig's Liver ($5 and $8) served with Dried Chilli, Ginger and Onion in claypot. There are Raw Fish at $3, $5 and $8 together with Homemade Beancurd at $3 and Beancurd with Spicy Sauce at $3.

I decided to go with Mixed Pork Congee with the smallest serving of Raw Fish.

A good portion of porridge garnished with a handful of chopped spring Onion and dried shallots served with a single piece of You Tiao. 

The You Tiao that came along was still warm with a crispy texture unlike most of the stalls out there that did not bother to make such an effort. The best way to enjoy the You Tiao is to dip it into the congee slightly then eat it. It is as good as dipping it into the coffee, the rather old school way of enjoying it taught by my dearest Grandpa. 

The Congee is the typical Cantonese style with the rice grains nicely broken up made by a long cooking process. 

I was delightful to find generous amount of ingredients like slices of liver, small intestine and lean meat in it. This is indeed a value for money bowl of Congee that so hard to find these days. 

Though it was the smallest serving Raw Fish but it came with a good amount of sliced fish together with shredded ginger, shredded lettuce, coriander leaf then garnised with dried shallots served along with cut chilli by the side. 

To start is to mix all the ingredients well with the sesame oil and the sesame seeds to give it the desired flavor. 

The raw fish was sliced perfectly to give it the nicely thin texture. It tasted delightfully when it was tossed well to coat with the bits of sesame seeds and dash of sesame oil. The taste was further enhancing by squeezing and mixing in the lime.

It tasted even better when it was eaten with bits of shredded ginger and shredded lettuce with the coriander leaf. 

I dare say this is the hidden gem right at this Food Centre. Simple fare but served with passion to ensure the delivery of best quality coupled with fresh ingredients. 

I know i will definitely be back to try the others on their menu. 

XIANG RUI GOURMET 祥瑞粥品

Block 209 Hougang Street 21 #01-28 Kovan Food Centre SINGAPORE 530209.