Pork Chop!

Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice
Hock Lian Hin Eating House
Blk 116 Bukit Merah View #01-253
Closed on Alternate Tuesdays



Hainanese pork chops. Dusted with a fluffy coat of breadcrumbs, the end result is a crisp casing that protects a succulent slice of pork inside. Straight out of the hot oil, the crunchy pieces of pork of first cut into thin strips and then dressed with a mixture of savoury sauces such as curry sauce and a soy sauce based sauce.

I think fusion food has taken place longer than we have figured. The Hainanese chefs that served the British the past were masters at marrying local and foreign flavours and created a range of Chinese-styled western food. One creation in particular that I really like is the Hainanese pork chops.







What better way to enjoy this locally concocted dish than at a kopitiam (coffee shop), with plates of lavishly multi-curry covered rice. This stall take their curries seriously, I watched them as they plated out rice. The lady in charge of the rice and curry station first scoops out the rice then lowers her ladles into all the different pots of curries in front of her in varying proportions. How the curries differ, the proportions or the sequence that they should be ladled on, still eludes me. I reckon I would have to dine here everyday for a month before they would be willing to share with me some Hainanese family secrets, or they might simply remained tight-lipped. Although we ordered a whole load of dishes alongside the pork chops, the pork chops are the superstar, it was the only thing I remembered eating from that meal. It is so good that I got tired of simultaneously eating and keeping my eye on the rapidly depleting slices of pork chops on our communal plate of that I went back to the stall and ordered another plate. When they asked me what size I wanted, “small or large?” needless to say I promptly said, “large, please”.

Singapore my home, chicken rice our dish

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice & Restaurant
275 Thomson Road
#01-05 Novena Ville
Tel: 62556396



While some Singaporeans were at the polls last Saturday deciding the future of our nation, I decided to perform a patriotic deed by eating our national dish, chicken rice. When it comes to chicken rice, fat is flavour. The only (damn) reason that the fragrant rice is so tasty is because of the rendered chicken fat that is added to the rice cooking liquid. Low-fat and healthier options such as white rice are now available but in my opinion, if you do so, the whole meal is a little as tak shiok. Part of the whole ritual in eating this dish is smothering your cream-coloured chicken fat laced rice with ribbons of sweet dark soy sauce, chilli sauce and pounded ginger and to mix it all together, matching flavour for flavour. Imagine if you opted for white rice, all you will have then is rice + dark soy sauce + chilli sauce + pounded ginger that’s just not as fun (really, I’ve tried the healthy route and I’ve backtracked).





I, who would usually shun chicken rice because of the garlic-ginger taste that lingers and lingers and lingers, liked it so much that I’ve been there twice in 7 days (I’m not sure if I’m a convert yet) and so I would go out on a limb and say that this is one of the top 5 chicken rice stalls on our island. Other than the good chilli and the succulent chicken, the shui jiao (water dumpling with minced pork and prawns) is also a must have when I dine here, although don’t bother too much with the soup, just zero on for the bobbing dumplings in the soup. Another tip, if you aren’t too much of a rice fan, you can order a plate of noodles that will be dressed with the savoury chicken sauce, which are great to slurp on with the shui jiao and chicken.