茂盛潮洲糜 . 饭 : cheap and good

It was rather quiet during dinner in this food centre and almost 80% of the stalls were already closed for the day. This stall was amongst those that were opened, it is located right at the corner of the first row and there were other customers waiting to order. As it was an early dinner, some of their dishes were not ready yet. 

I decided to go with steamed fishcake, sliced meat with ginger, braised brinjal, and Stingray with salted vegetable together with 2 bowls of porridge and a bowl of rice for only $10.50. This is definitely cheap. It is self-service, the Uncle arranged everything neatly on a big tray for me.

Our favorite dish has to be the sliced meat with ginger. My dining companion said, "It has an old-school taste".

The steamed fishcake was another comforting choice, it tasted good when eaten with the fermented bean sauce and chilli that served along. 

The stingray with salted vegetable has got a rather strong fermented bean taste which my dining companion did not like. I enjoyed it though, it tasted like a similar dish that my dearest Grandpa used to cook for me. The braised brinjal is another homely dish that my Grandpa used to cook. 

There was a queue forming when we were about to leave. I applaud their efforts in keeping the prices affordable, this stall is worth supporting. 

茂盛潮洲糜 . 饭

Block 105 Hougang Avenue 1 #02-02 Hainanese VillageFood Centre SINGAPORE 530105

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)

Ann Hoo Teochew Porridge : Cheap & Comforting Fare

I have met a group of residents staying in Ang Mo Kio quite recently and we ended up talking about food choices in this area. This is one of the stalls that is strongly recommended and this is quite well expected as this is a rather famous Teochew porridge in this part of Singapore. I had eaten at this stall  a few times before and i enjoyed it. 

I was there at about 1 pm on a weekday and there was a queue about 6 people at at that time. I joined in the queue quickly and waited for about 15 minutes to order. This stall is well-known for their affordable yet fresh tasting steamed fish dishes so it is definitely a must-order. The next must-order item has to be their handmade fishcake then followed by my usual favourites like braised cabbage and sliced pork in soya & sesame sauce with preserved pickles. And, i usually ordered an extra bowl of porridge to go with the dishes. I was expected to give the table number and go right back to wait for it to be delivered and then paid.

I could not quite believe that all these dishes together with 2 bowl of porridges only cost $13.80. 

The average-sized red snapper was steamed with bits of carrots, preserved vegetable and tomato to bring out its natural sweetness and freshness. It tasted even better if eaten with their fermented bean sauce. Such a steamed fish is usually expected to cost much more but i was told it is only in between $6 to $7 when placing order.

Their braised cabbage is an usual favourite that i would order. Though simple tasting but it reminded me of my late Grandpa as this is a homely dish that he used to cook when i stayed with him. Their braised cabbage is amongst one of the better ones that i ever tasted. They managed to cook it just right to give it a slight crunch and lightly flavored with bits of dried shrimps added to enhance the taste.

Their steamed fish cake is a popular choice and almost every table there ordered it. It was moulded from the fish paste with bits of chilli and chopped spring onions added before they steamed it. It went really well with their special chilli.

Another regular choice has to be their sliced pork cooked with soya and sesame sauce together with preserved pickles. This is a perfect dish to go with the plain porridge and i usually poured the sauce into the porridge to flavor it. I absolutely enjoyed this comforting taste.

Their constant long queues are the good indication of their popularity. You should try it if you happen to be this food centre. 

ANN HOO TEOCHEW PORRIDGE

Block 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-126/127 Cheng San Food Centre SINGAPORE 560527

Operating Hours: 9.00 to 10.00 pm (Saturday to Thursday) (Closed on Fridays)

Teochew Porridge

It was a raining afternoon and we wanted something warm and i thought of this teochew porridge.

I was there at about 11.45 am when they just opened. There was already a queue of about 6 people in the line and i decided to join in. Most of the customers seemed to be their regulars as they do know what to order. This was my first time eating there so i decided to follow suit.

I waited for about 10 minutes to place my order. I ordered 2 bowls of white porridge, a plate of braised meat, a platte of tau kwa and tau pork, a plate of minced meat with fermented beans as well as a plate of braised cabbage. All the dishes were for 2 pax. When done ordering, i left them with my table number then helped myself with the spoons and chopsticks. If you do not like porridge, they do have rice as an option as well. I only paid a total of $7.00 for all the dishes and the 2 bowls of porridge. 

All the dishes and the porridge were served by a nice auntie right after i seated down at my table.

The braised meat was very well-braised to give it the right texture and the flavor. It might looked rather fat but it did not taste too oily at all but rather soft and tender. The portion give was rather generous. 

The tua kwa and tau pok seemed to be a popular choice as almost every customer ordered it. Though it tasted just average but it went really went with the plain porridge. 

My favourite amongst all the dishes gotta be the mined meat cooked with fermented beans. It is a very homely dish, something that most families will cooked at home to go with the porridge. It was a little saltish if eat it on its own but the saltiness tasted just right when have it with porridge. And that dish alone was good enough to finish 2 bowls of porridge. My partner went back to get another bowl of porridge for 0.50 cents.

The braised cabbage was my another favourite and i had it all by myself as my partner does not like eating cabbage at all. The cabbage was well-braised to obtain the desired softness with a distinctive taste of dried shrimps. Some people like it if they prefer a crunchier version.

It was a satisfying lunch and i will definitely be back more often.

Strongly recommended.

ECONOMIC MIXED VEGETABLE RICE

Block 341 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-13 SINGAPORE 560341.

The Homely Taste

This cooked stall is a hidden gem in my neighborhood. There is always a constant long queue right at this stall during lunch and dinner. I wanted to try before but turned off by the long queue but i made up my mind to try it this time. I was there at about 7.30 pm and there was already a long queue of more than 10 people as expected. I queued and waited for about 10 minutes to order the foods and waited for another 15 minutes for the foods to be served to our table. 

The dishes that i ordered were Squids with Thai Chilli, Stir-fried Cabbage, Sweet & Sour Pork and Steamed Fish with 3 bowls of porridge for only $10.20. It is cheaper than we expected. I think that is most probably the reason to explain the constant long queue of customers. 

My favourite has got to be the Steamed Fish. Almost every table ordered it and some tables even ordered 2 or more. The fish was of an average sized and nicely steamed with salted vegetable. It tasted really fresh. The fish was tender and juicy with no fishy smell. 

Though Stir-fried cabbage is a simple but they cooked it quite well. They have gotten the texture of the cabbage just right.

The Steamed Squids with Thai Chilli was chosen over the braised meat and it has been proven to be a better choice. The thai chilli sauce a difference in this dish. 

The Sweet & Sour Pork is another must try dish. The pork used has gotten a good balance of fat and lean meat and well seasoned. They fried it well before stir-fried with the sweet & sour sauce together with ingredients like onion, pineapple and cucumber. 

There are fermented bean sauce and chilli sauce available for self-service. The saltiness of the fermented bean sauce complemented the Steamed Fish and plain porridge really went.

I really enjoyed the homely taste of these dishes with porridge. I will definitely be back soon.

ANN HOO COOKED FOOD

Block 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 Cheng San Food Centre SINGAPORE 560527.

Teochew Porridge - Homely Taste

I have been wanting to try it but turned off by the forever long queue. I came on a Saturday evening and waited in queue for about 20 minutes to order. Some of the dishes that i ordered were Steamed Squids with Thai Chilli, Stir-fried Cabbage, Sweet & Sour Pork and Steamed Fish.

ANN HOO COOKED FOOD

Block 527 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10

#01-126

SINGAPORE 560527

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm

Closed on Friday