Happy Hawkers

Long ago when I once lived in Toa Payoh, it felt almost like the centre of the universe even though we are in a little red dot. It is convenient to go almost anywhere. Bus stops are all within short walking distance and provisions and food from the market stalls, coffee shops and hawker centres surrounded us. When it is really late, some hawkers opened till way late too.

I used to work till way too late those days and got home by 10 pm to 12 am. There is a popular Tze Char stall at the next block, so on the way home I would order my food first, took a shower and then went back to collect my ''wat tan hor fun''. Incredible convenience.

If you reside in Australia or New Zealand, you get beautiful houses, big and cheap cars, your own apple trees in the backyard, scenic landscape and perhaps a river or stream behind the house but you could never have this super convenience. 

These days the new neighbourhood that is getting old has not much to offer unless you do not mind run of the mill food. Recently, I discovered a nearby coffee shop across the street which was not quite happening until now. Most stalls were vacant, they seemed to be failing and then suddenly they hit the right notes.

My first discovery was after one of my weekend runs, I wanted just to have half-boiled eggs and I saw a constant queue forming at this stall with a sign board that says ''nasi lemak'' and so I joined the line since I was early and had some time. I have visited this stall umpteen times since and never looked back. Till now, I have not tried nasi lemak but always the fried bee hoon. The people behind the stall know jolly well about cooking because you could see from the way they fry their eggs for example and their very lovely chicken wings, the aroma that comes out of it.

Other than chicken wings and chilli, I always order two servings of their French beans. I want to find out the way it was cooked leaving the vegetable crunchy, sweet and juicy. Mmm..., am thinking of having it for tomorrow's breakfast. Unfortunately, they do not do dinners. In the afternoon, they will closed when everything is sold.

Next, I found a secret of another hawker that just set up shop. I saw the old man. Then I saw the logo and the name - Borshch Steakhouse. How many of you know them? The Hainanese people have been amazing! Do you know that there was once a very famous and popular Russian restaurant in town? It was called Troika, a favourite with the well-heeled. Troika called it a day many years ago and some of the staff came together and started a restaurant called ''Shashlik''. (More about Shashlik another day). 

Well, a similar type of restaurant was once found at Serangoon Gardens and where the once bus interchange was (now a car park), there was a restaurant called Borshch Steakhouse in one of the shop houses. 

The boss of Borshch Steakhouse has decided to call it quits as a restaurant and now operates Borshch Steakhouse as a stall in a coffee shop.  Restaurant food at hawker prices? Well, the quality may not be entirely the same but if it taste good it taste good. 

Chicken chop,

Lamb or beef steaks. 

And of course the Borshch soup! You will find borshch soup in Russian families, popular in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.

This old man, he play one...no, he even plays with another stall selling chicken rice. It is no wonder at the end of a busy day, he sits down for a beer with friends. I first tried his roast chicken drumstick and was impressed.

I tried it again some other days and again some days and found that it is a very good chicken rice. Fragrant rice and succulent chicken. Good roasted taste and yet tender.

I have even tested him on his white chicken wings. Passed with flying colours all!

While I feasted on the above, I never knew that by night there was something else happening. There is this quite new kid on the block with people queueing continuously for ''Bak Chor Mee''.

The signs said fish ball noodle but I have never tried their fish ball noodle because I got hooked on the bak chor mee.

I know my bak chor mee. I have eaten the Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee even before they got famous and now you may have to pay $5 for a small bowl or $8 for a bigger one after a long queue? Also there is a very popular one at Balestier Road where the neighbourhood was one I grew up in.

The sign here says only Balestier Noodle. 

I think it is a husband and wife team. They appeared clean and tidy.

They do not use run of the mill factory made chilli. See the pot here. I could feel steam and perspiration forming. Imagine what a big teaspoon of it could do the the noodles and people.

A regular or the smaller bowl cost $3.40, it appeared $0.10 cheaper than others but this simple looking food here tastes a dollar or two more than others.

Pay a dollar more and you get a little more noodles and ingredients.

Not everyone who does mee pok well, will do his kway teow mee well and vice versa. I tested him and they were outstanding!

This man is friendly and reasonable. He is certainly proud of his food. There is magic in his vinegar and chilli. His concoction is very good such that I do not miss the other two bak chor mee and that is saying a fair bit. This is the real deal!

I finally got to try his laksa one day. It is not the best in town but it is okay. I like the quality of the noodle they use which has taste of rice. The laksa gravy is lightly done, not out to kill type.

The stall operates only from dinner time till late and is closed on Sunday.

Ah, there are renamed Happy Hawkers. Rightly so. They should be proud and happy. It is getting more crowded now.

I am sharing with you this so that if  you are living in and around the area and you struggle to find good food, you could make this a visit once in awhile but do not come too often as I hate to queue a long time for a simple meal. 

If you are living in Jurong, Clementi or a long way from here, please do not come. You have your own good food near you. It is okay if you are a friend, you can always buy me a nice meal here.

Sometimes you dream of living abroad. Landed houses, big cars, your own apple trees, a river behind where you could go fishing, lots of greenery but you will never get such convenience. So how? What is your preference?