Singapore - Teo Heng

One of the oldest Teochew/Chiu Chow stalls around serving good old fashioned home-styled dishes like steamed fish, squids, braised pork and intestines, fried fish cake, etc., this gem had relocated from the old Lau Pa Sat (and I mean old - remember the hawker centre on Robinson Road with a big open car park by Robina House). I was elated to find it after all these years and got my fix only for the second time this week. And it is still wholesome goodness as Gramma (bless her soul) used to make.

I had the staple steamed fish for one - the only size that fit me was a "boon tong" from Malaysia - so says the friendly owner who sat with me for a short while after he was done entertaining his rich businessmen clientele who like me beat the crowd by lunching at 2. The "boon tong" looks like a "seklar" (a local mackeral whose flesh can sometimes border on tough cotton) but this "boon tong" was oh so tender and of course, uplifted by the braised salted vegetables on top of it.

I also ordered the fried fish cake which tasted every bit manually beaten (none of that machine stuff) and was tender yet bouncy, and very fresh. The nice owner also threw in some stir fried cabbage, probably figuring out that I needed the fiber. Even the rice was just the way I like it - (well defined grains, not mushy, and excellent when the soya sauce gravy where the belly pork has been braising for a while, was lathered over it).

What an excellent way to load up before hitting the road for China again..