The Lunch That Wasn't

Had cravings for noodles today. But not just any noodles (mee) though... wanted kon loh mee - as distinct from wantan mee. Although both are noodles tossed in special sauces and topped with slices of char siew (roast pork), they taste completely different. Not sure what the exact differences are in the sauces used, but the texture of the noodles used is very different too. The noodles used in the Hong Kong style wantan mee is a lot more chewy or springy, due to the large amounts of alkaline water used in the making of the noodles. The noodles used in the Malaysian-style kon loh mee are slightly thicker and have a much softer bite. I personally am more partial to the Malaysian-styled noodle, whilst most Singaporeans prefer the so-called "Q-Q" texture of the Hong Kong noodles. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a true authentic Malaysian-style kon loh mee in Singapore in all these years. It's usually the Hong Kong version that is served in all the hawker centres, food courts and restaurants. But all this changed last week...

Last week, my mum ta-powed (bought takeaway) from the market hawker centre, and lo and behold! the noodles tasted just like the Malaysian kon loh mee! Stole a couple of mouthfuls from her, and it tasted really good! The sauce tasted right, the noodle texture was right. Wow!

And today, I just had to have that noodle... but alas, it was not to be. Found the stall all shuttered and locked up. The owner was off on a week-long vacation. Sigh!

And so it was back to our regular chye tow kueh stall. This is small chunks of steamed radish cake fried with eggs and chye poh (preserved radish). It comes in a black or white version, with the former being fried with dark sweet sauce and the latter with just light soy sauce.

This particular stall - Red Hill Carrot Cake (#01-380 Red Hill Market Food Centre, Blk 85 Red Hill Close) - is our favorite*. I think it serves a very good version of this dish. The radish or carrot cake have a good balance between the cripsy exterior and soft insides. It's run by a mother and daughter team, with the father helping out with the serving. Personally, I have a preference for the mother's version - which has more of the "chau-ta" or burnt/crispy bits, making it that extra bit more tasty ; )

It was the daughter manning the stove today, but we are such regulars of the stall that they know exactly how we like the dish. The father was thoroughly bemused that I had shown up with my digital camera and was taking snapshots of them and the food. He was so facinated with the camera that he ended up watching me take the shots, and wanting to play with the camera, rather than serving his customers! LoL!

That's the very young looking father in blue in the foreground, and the daughter in her regular "protective gear" of cap, long-sleeved polo tee and gloves, cooking up plates and plates of the carrot cake. Why the "protective gear"? To protect her skin and hair from the grease and intense heat! Cute, huh?

Unfortunately, none of the pics of the carrot cake turned out. For some unknown reason, the food in all the pics came out with eery red hues, similar to the bright red color of the plate it was being served on! Alien food! Hmmm... what happened there?

But here is a pic of the plate of char kuay teow we also ordered. Flat rice noodles fried with egg, beansprouts, fishcake and very often, clams. (S$2 for regular; S$2.50 with an additional egg). Again, it comes in either the black of white version. This is the white version. I sneaked a few mouths, but found this version from a previously un-tried stall rather too oily for my liking.

In case some of you are wondering what a hawker centre is... it is a customized, non-airconditioned building with rows and rows of small stalls. Each specializes in just one or two dishes, such as chicken rice, or noodles etc. This is where one can find some of the best and most authentic local Singaporean dishes. And it is very, very cheap. For S$2-5 (~US$1.20-3.00) one can have a delicious meal. And so it is a common sight to see professionals in their business shirts and ties, or suits lunching in these centres. It can get sweltering hot and humid in these places, but the food is really good!

Almost all of these stalls are family-run, with the owners being true specialists in the dishes they sell. Many of them have been cooking just that particular dish for 10, 20 and even 30+ years! Unfortunately, when many of these hawkers retire, their dishes disappear with them, as their children are often unwilling to continue the business. They are open 7 days a week, for 8-12 hours a day. No breaks... maybe only 1 week off during Chinese New Year, and for some, no break at all for as long as 10 or more years!

These were originally itinerant hawkers, plying their trade from mobile push-carts in the streets in the 50s and 60s. Then, for hygiene and health reasons, the Government relocated them to specially built buildings with running water and proper waste disposal. And now these hawker centres are found in every residential neighbourhood and even right in the heart of the business and financial district.

[*Update 29 May 2025: The old Redhill Market has been closed for renovations and many of the food stalls, along with the market stalls, have moved across the road into temporary premises. Unfortunately, with this move, both the elderly lady and her daughter have "retired" and no longer cook at this carrot cake stall, which is now manned by the son. When we tried his version of the carrot cake 3-4 weeks back, we were sorely disappointed. And sad to say, I don't think we will be returning to the stall again.
The closure of the original market has also seen many of the more popular food stalls disappear, as the owners took the opportunity to retire or simply to take a long hiatus. It's sad.]

Copyright © 2003 Renee Kho. All rights reserved.
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