STI: Fritters to fancy

March 8, 2009

Cheap & Good

Fritters to fancy

By Thng Lay Teen

 

This stall selling grilled youtiao (dough fritters), rojak and satay at Bukit Merah View market does not even have a signboard.

 

Owner Fong Chin Wah, 50, is so confident of his food that he says he does not need one.

 

Regular patrons of the stall, which has been in the area for more than 30 years, include those who have moved to as far as Sengkang and Pasir Ris.

 

I was a regular when Mr Fong's mother, Madam Cheah Mew Kai, was operating the stall 25 years ago, when I lived in nearby Henderson Crescent.

 

She has since retired but the food is still as good.

 

The grilled cuttlefish is the star dish at this stall, where almost everything is done the old-fashioned way.

 

For example, instead of being flattened with a roller, the dried cuttlefish is beaten repeatedly with a hammer into a thin layer, to get a softer texture.

 

It is then slowly grilled over a charcoal fire till it is crispy. And it stays crisp for hours.

 

Mr Fong says patience and controlling the charcoal fire are crucial in the grilling process. If the heat is too high, the cuttlefish will be burnt; too low, and it will not be crispy.

 

The youtiao is also well done. The dough fritter is dipped in a sugar solution before grilling, coming out crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.

 

For $2.20, you get two tau pok (soya bean puff) and one youtiao drizzled with hae ko (prawn paste). If you like cuttlefish, go for the $3 set which comes with one tau pok, one youtiao and one piece of cuttlefish.

 

The hae ko, a fresh batch of which is made daily, is just a little sweet - the way I like it - and not too runny. You can also opt for it to be served as a dip.

 

Also check out the rojak (from $2) generously covered with coarsely ground peanuts. For a dollar more onwards, you get crunchy cuttlefish slices from Argentina which are worth paying for.

 

I also can't resist the chicken and pork satay (40 cents a stick).

 

The well-marinated meat is grilled until little charred bits emerge, and easily slides off the stick. The meat is juicy and tender.

 

Mop up the thick peanut gravy with ketupat (50 cents).

 

The stall's dollop of blended pineapple, which is found in few stalls now, and a slight drizzle of groundnuts on top, are a nice touch.

 

Block 115, Bukit Merah View 01-341 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre

Open: 3 to 10.30pm, closed alternate Tuesdays

Food: *** 1/2