Teochew Kway Teow Soup : This is Goodbye

The Uncle and Auntie will be retiring on 13 March 2022. This humble stall has been in the same coffee shop for more than 30 years but is closing down. This coffee shop is near to my late Grandpa's house and I used to stay with him. I literally grew up eating from this stall. And, Auntie is like 看着我长大的. This might not be the best Teochew style Fishball Noodle but the taste is alluring as it is a part of my growing up memories. I really enjoyed the taste for sentimental reasons. I am 重感情.

I went back one last time to say goodbye by tasting it for the last time. The stall has always been there so it is quite shockingly sad to know that I will have to part with this decades-old familiar taste. I am definitely going to miss it.

TEOCHEW KWAY TEOW SOUP

Block 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 301-2150 SINGAPORE 560347

Kim's Kueh : traditional Teochew Kueh

This stall is started by Kim, a generation X hawker and there used to be another stall serving traditional Teochew kueh at Jalan Berseh Food Centre by another generation X hawker but it has already closed down. Both stalls cited the same reason for wanting to preserve the recipes handed down by their mother and grandmother for that traditional handmade kueh. Many of such stalls that started by the earlier generation have not been surviving mainly due to there is no one to take over. I usually come here for the traditional Png Kueh ($1.20) and Soon Kueh ($1.20). There are also Gu Chai Kueh ($1.20), Mixed Kueh ($1.20), Cabbage Kueh ($1.20) and Glutinous Rice ($1.50), the pan-fried ones are $0.10 extra per piece. 

While waiting for the order of Fried Hokkien Mee, I ordered one of each to share with my dining companion and bought another 4 more Png Kueh to pan-fry at home. The lady was kind enough to separate the dark sauce and chilli in a saucer when I told her that my dining companion prefers to have it plain. He tried the Png Kueh and said, "The glutinous rice is not as fragrance as I liked it. There is no taste of dried shrimp." I guess the main reason for omitting the dried shrimp is the cost. The price has to be kept affordable to survive in an aging residential estate. 

KIM'S KUEH

Block 18 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-232 SINGAPORE 310018

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Yoon's Traditional Teochew Kueh : deliciously handmade with love

I could not quite remember how did I come across their Facebook page and how did I end up liking their page. I was tempted by their delicious looking handmade kuehs for a while and have been wanting to order it. It is a home-based business founded on 12 November 2016. 

I managed to send a message across on their Facebook page stating my orders, which consists of a box of 10 normal-sized Png Kueh ($18) and a box of Pumpkin Kueh ($12). There are also Gu Cai Kueh, Cikak Kueh, Muah Chee and  Nian Gao available for ordering, they are available in different sizes. I received a reply from Qara soon after. I was informed that their delivery is only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for the order that is $30 and above. Self-collection is also available at Eunos area after 2 pm on those days. These kuehs are freshly made in the morning. 

I was asked whether I would be interested to try Gu Cai Kueh or Cikak Kueh since it is going to be delivered right to my door-steps. I decided to go with a box of 10 pieces of Cikak Kueh for $15.00, adding on to the earlier orders for a total of $45. I was asked to choose the flavor and I could not decide between the peanut and green beans filling. I asked whether I could have both flavors but was told only a single flavor is allowed. Qara was kind enough to make an exception by accommodating my request as She wanted me to try both flavors. 

I have to settle the payment first before she could confirm my orders. I made a transfer using an ATM and I took a picture of the transaction slip and sent it to Qara. She got back pretty fast, acknowledging receipt of the payment and confirmed the orders. I received a private message on the delivery day when she was on her way to my house. I was still out at that time and I asked her to just left it outside my house. She sent me a picture after doing so. 

I could not wait to try all of them when I collected where it was left and brought it inside the house. I tried the traditionally handmade Png Kueh first, the skin was delicately thin and soft and its filling consists of glutinous rice with peanuts and bits of dried shrimps in it. I pan-fried it later and it tasted just as good, it was still good when I left it in the fridge and had it the next day. Those were amongst the nicest Png Kuehs that I have ever eaten.

Cikak Kueh is a very traditional Teochew kueh that are not commonly found in Singapore, it is quite similar to Ang Ku Kueh but different. The skin is made of Cikak that give it its name as well as the distinctive flavor, a little difficult to describe it. The green beans paste was not too sweet. It reminded me of something that I had eaten in Taiwan, this was my first time eating it in Singapore though.

I sent a feedback to Qara to tell her that I enjoyed all the kuehs. She replied, "Thanks for the support once again, Cecilia! And, so glad to know that you enjoyed our kuehs. Chef Mum got put love into each one of them." I can actually taste that little bit of love in it. To order, go to their Facebook and send them a message. 

YOON'S TRADITIONAL TEOCHEW KUEH

www.facebook.com/YoonsTraditionalTeochewKueh

Fragrant Garden : is there a drop in the standard?

Fragrant Garden has a long history. They began in Geylang Serai Village in the 1950s when Mr Koh Ah Liang, the boss, was a teenager in his secondary school days. Madam Yeo, his mother, a native from Shantou in China, decided to earn an extra income by making authentic Teochew rice cakes and kueh tiao to sell and Mr Koh would help to deliver it on a bicycle to their customers in the neighbourhood. Mr Koh mastered the art of making these Teochew food items from his mother and he founded the Sing Siang Yuan Catering Services in 1988, a humble Zhi Char stall located in Tai Seng Avenue industrial park for about 25 years. They also operated a kitchen in Defu Lane for food catering from 2001 to 2006. In 2006, Mr Koh took over a shop space in Teck Chye Terrace and converted it into a Teochew restaurant serving Teochew delicacies and local delights. It was renamed as Fragrant Garden at that time. In May 2012, they relocated to Serangoon Shopping Centre. 

I was at Serangoon Shopping Centre to visit the newest outlet of Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee and decided to have dinner at Fragrant Garden thereafter. The tables were quickly filling up when nearer to dinner time and I was even asked whether I have made a reservation. We were ushered to a table for 4 right at the corner, just outside of their kitchen. The service was attentive, the menu was presented together with a plate of prawn crackers and a plate of azchar with Belachan Chilli. 

This was our first visit so we went for their signature dishes like Fried Kuay Tiao with Chai Por ($5), Oyster Omelette ($14), Liver Roll & Prawn Roll ($12) and Braised Pork with Steamed Bun ($12). All of the items came too quickly at almost the same time and that left us with not enough time to finish the prawn crackers and azchar. We enjoyed the prawn crackers and we even think that was the best dish of the night, even better than those signature dishes that we ordered. 

The Braised Pork with Steamed Bun came with 6 pieces of braised pork and 6 steamed buns. We did not like it as much as we felt the 5-spice flavour was a little overwhelming but even so, the meat was cooked well to achieve the right tenderness. 

Their Oyster Omelette was not bad if it is eaten with the chilli but was slightly plain if eaten on its own. It is quite similar to what we usually get at the food centre. It was not too starchy and is served with generous amount of eggs together with a handful of rather plump and fresh tasting oysters. We were told that chilli is added but we can choose to go without it, we went ahead with it nonetheless. It turned out the level of spiciness was rather manageable though and even my dining companion that does not eat chill has no issue eating it. 

We also ordered the combo of their ngor hiang and liver roll. We did not like either of it as the flavor for both rolls were dominated by the extreme saltiness. 

The most disappointed have to be their Fried Kuay Tiao with Chai Por. It was quite dry and the chai por was lacking in flavour and what we could taste was just the saltiness. 

Since this was my first visit, I would not be able to tell is this their usual standard or is there a drop in the standard? Overall, it is quite disappointing.

FRAGRANT GARDEN

756 Upper Serangoon Road #01-15/16 Serangoon Shopping Centre SINGAPORE 534626

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm / 5.30 pm to 10.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Ah Ho Teochew Kway Teow Mee : a Taste of the Yesteryear

This stall has been around for 4 decades in a small coffee shop at the junction of Verdun Road and Sam Leong Road, serving Teochew style noodles. Mr Liang, the elderly owner in his 70s, is not cooking when I was there, it was cooked by an Auntie while a younger girl was taking the orders. The noodles are priced in between $3 to $5 and the fish dumpling soup is at $4, this is so much cheaper and better tasting than most of the others out there. There was no queue during lunch on a Saturday but with a constant flow of customers while I was there.

It is served with ingredients like slices of lean pork and fish cake, braised mushroom, fishball, minced pork, fish dumpling and dried sole fish, which is also known as tee por.

Their secret ingredient is nonetheless the house-made aromatic chilli, it is made with pork lard and buah keluak, dried chillies and dried shrimp (hak bee), though flavourful but not overly spicy and extremely addictive, it complemented the noodles well. The dried sole fish and crispy pork lards have added crunch as well as the extra flavour.

It was added with well-braised and flavorful sliced mushroom to bring forth the flavours. 

The taste of those fishballs was generic and likely to be factory-made. 

The fish dumplings have a slightly gooey texture and a little slippery with seasoned fish and meat paste wrapped in slightly thick but resilient skin, it is the classic Teochew-style fish dumpling that you do not usually get these days. The pork-based soup was lightly flavoured, without a hint of MSG together with bits of minced pork and fried garlic.

It is a simple pleasure to enjoy such a bowl of noodles but how much longer would such a taste of the yesteryear be around?

AH HO TEOCHEW KWAY TEOW MEE

12 Verdun Road, Kim San Lee Coffee Shop, SINGAPORE 207278

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 4.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)