SINGAPORE - I had been wanting to try the food from Heng Long Teochew Porridge since I came across it on the foodpanda website recently.
It delivers islandwide and its menu, comprising mainly braised meats with a few claypot dishes, looks very enticing. Also, this is the kind of food that you know will travel very well.
The problem, however, was that the shop - which has several outlets, but delivers to my address from its MacPherson Road branch - did not have slots every day. A couple of times, I found I could order food for only two days later.
But last week, I decided to try my luck again and it was available for immediate delivery. Not only that, the food arrived just 20 minutes after I put in my order.
I had been eyeing the braised large intestine, which is available as part of a Braised Single Set Meal ($10.90) with porridge, congee or rice, plus a side dish and a drink.
The Braised Shuangpin Set Meal ($11.90), which offers an extra braised item like pork or duck, is a better deal, but the intestines are not always an option. And there is no side dish included, just a drink, such as a can of Coca-Cola or oolong tea. Options may differ if deliveries are made from other outlets.
Luckily for me, the intestines were available that day and they made for a good combo with the pork, even though I would have liked the braising sauce to have more aromatic spices.
Both the meat and the intestines were cooked to the right tenderness, with just enough bite. I do not like braised meat to be too soft because the flavours come out when you chew on it. Of course, neither should it be so tough that it wears out your jaw.
I liked, too, that the dish included crunchy beansprout stems (the white middle section), which provided variety in taste and texture. What was missing, though, was a vinegary and garlicky chilli sauce that would have gone perfectly with the braises.
I paired the dish with congee instead of the usual Teochew porridge for a change. But it turned out to be something in between the two, and not the smooth rice gruel that the Cantonese are known for.
Not only were the grains still visibly whole, but I could also feel them in my mouth - which was odd. It was very thick, however, and I got used to it after a while. What was good was that, because it got to me so quickly, it was still hot.
Another dish I could not resist was Blood Cockles ($12), marinated with soya sauce and red chillies. The salty and spicy taste went well with the congee, and even though the shellfish were rather small, they were juicy and satisfying.
Heng Long Teochew Porridge (Macpherson)
Where: 456 MacPherson Road
To order: Go to foodpanda's website for islandwide delivery. There is a minimum order of $18 or $20, depending on the time you make the purchase.
Delivery fee: Calculated on checkout. I paid $8.40
3.5 stars out of 5