Food Picks: Traditional rojak, char kway teow and chirashi sushi
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Traditional Rojak at Mei Jie Rojak.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Mei Jie Rojak
Rojak is not an uncommon dish, but it is increasingly difficult to find one that is worth going out of my way for.
I am delighted to stumble upon Mei Jie Rojak in New Upper Changi Road while dining at zi char stall Fatty Fong Seafood Restaurant, which is located at the same coffee shop.
The stall’s Traditional Rojak starts at $4 a plate, but I suggest ordering the $6 version because you get more ingredients, and it is suitable for two to three diners to share.
I add cuttlefish ($1.50) and a century egg ($1.30).
The stall is named after Madam Tan Siew Mooi, 67, known among her friends as Mei Jie. She is assisted by her 70-year-old husband, Mr Goh Hoo Kheng.
They are fastidious about the details, such as using their toaster oven to toast the tau pok and cuttlefish until crispy.
Toasted, the you tiao has a crusty exterior but its interior remains soft and chewy.
Instead of the mouth-puckering half-ripe pineapple commonly used in rojak, Madam Tan uses honey pineapple that is sweet and delectable.
Along with bangkwang (jicama) and cucumber, you get slices of red apple, which lend sweetness, and green apple, which add slight tartness to the fruit salad.
What I like most about the rojak is the viscous savoury-sweet prawn paste sauce. Madam Tan mixes in assam juice and sour plum paste for extra zing.
Zesty slices of lime peel lift the mix with their citrusy perfume. Madam Tan takes care to remove the lime seeds before squeezing the juice into the sauce.
She is also generous with the crushed peanut topping.
She “fries” the fruit salad in her rojak clay bowl, one plate at a time, so be prepared to wait if there is a crowd.
Opened in 2020, Madam Tan plans to move out of the current stall unit towards end-November, when its lease ends. She is still looking for another suitable location to move to.
In the meantime, head down to enjoy the rojak before the stall closes.
Where: Mei Jie Rojak, Stall 4, 01-1300, 56 New Upper Changi Road
MRT: Tanah Merah
Open: 4 to 9pm daily; closed irregularly
Tel: 9059-4444
Wang Wang
Wang Wang’s Fried Kway Teow at Chinatown Complex.
Though he is frying up less than healthy hawker food, 63-year-old stall owner Lim Hwee Huat strikes a compromise by cooking his char kway teow and oyster omelette with less oil.
The Fried Kway Teow, which comes with lashings of pork lard, starts at $4 a plate.
On a recent visit, I order a $6 plate with an extra $2 worth of cockles.
The plate comes packed with succulent cockles, prawns, fat bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, fish cake and koo chye.
The mix of yellow noodles and kway teow is slightly wet and incredibly tasty. The version here is not overly sweet and tastes more savoury because Mr Lim does not like his food too sweet.
The Oyster Omelette starts at $5. I order that, with an additional $2 worth of juicy South Korean oysters. The egg, fried with batter, has a tender chewy interior. Fish sauce adds a toothsome oomph.
Wang Wang’s Oyster Omelette at Chinatown Complex.
The vinegar-based chilli dip provides more zing.
Where: Wang Wang, 02–015 Chinatown Complex, 335 Smith Street
MRT: Chinatown
Open: Noon to 10.30pm, Thursdays to Tuesdays; closed on Wednesdays
Info: Accepts CDC Vouchers
Tampopo Grand
Opened in November 2010, Tampopo Grand at Ngee Ann City is worth revisiting as it serves up more than decent chirashi sushi.
The majority of the fish used for sashimi and sushi at the 67-seat restaurant is from the southern region of Japan, primarily sourced from Otsuki, a town in Kochi prefecture, while the salmon is imported from Norway.
Tokusen 11 Kinds Chirashi at Tampopo Grand.
Go for the value-for-money Tokusen 11 Kinds Chirashi Sushi ($55++), which offers plenty of thickly sliced, fresh-tasting raw fish.
Among the selection used for the premium chirashi sushi are otoro and chutoro (both prime cuts of tuna belly), akami (lean tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), tai (sea bream), shima aji (striped jack) and a generous dollop of uni (sea urchin). Other seafood depends on the season and availability.
The restaurant uses Akita komachi rice from Akita prefecture. The pearl-like short grains are fat and firm.
The chirashi sushi is enjoyable. My only gripe is that the crockery has seen better days. It is high time the restaurant replaces the chipped and worn-out lacquer bowls with new ones.
Salmon Sashimi Salad at Tampopo Grand.
Another dish to try is the Salmon Sashimi Salad ($18++), which comes with crunchy salmon skin that is fried daily. The tangy wafu dressing of shoyu and vinegar is prepared in-house.
The Chawan Mushi is pricey at $9++, but the silky smooth and wobbly texture of the steamed egg custard is a joy to slurp up.
Much of its flavour comes from the housemade dashi. Each cup comes with chicken, edamame, prawn, Japanese fish cake and mushroom.
Chawan Mushi at Tampopo Grand.
Where: Tampopo Grand, 04-28 Ngee Ann City, 391A Orchard Road
MRT: Orchard
Open: 11am to 9pm daily
Tel: 6735-2959