Rahim Muslim Food: Power Mee Rebus!

With smart


There is something about the way how our Malay friends use the English language that is very unique. In particular there are several English words that somehow resonate with the Malay culture. I am talking about words such as "Power" and "Relac"(Relax). Somehow, they managed to take very ordinary words and turn them into superlatives with a cool edge to it.

On the other hand, we Chinese use Malay words to express our superlatives. So we adopt Malay words such as "Shiok" and "Lawar" to convey extremes in expression. Somehow, Malay seems to be a language that is quite capable in conveying "coolness" much better than say, my own dialect, Teochew. The expression "Jing Hor Jia" (very nice to eat) just does doesn't sound as delicious as "Shiok Man!" or "Power!". There are of course ways of emphasizing superlatives in Teochew, but they involve invoking one's parent's, so it should not be encouraged.

Anyway, this Mee Rebus is called "Power" Mee Rebus. I am reminded that our SuperSatayMan also calls his satay, "Power" satay. Evey wonder how a certain dish can have "Power"? Power to do what? Power to boost the excitement levels perhaps? Or some sort of mysterious Power that will mesmerize you into a subtle addiction? Or maybe it just refers to the fact that this particular Mee Rebus has got a whole chicken thigh in it and a whole ladle full of Satay Sauce sitting on top of the chicken and noodles? How to describe such a dish? Perhaps the word that comes to mind is -- Power!

This is one Mee Rebus to behold. The peanut sauce really gives the Mee Rebus sauce a big boost in ooomph and the chicken also makes it a real treat. Not bad for a $3 plate of mee rebus! 4.25/5



If the Mee Rebus is Power! Then I am sad to report the Soto Ayam is lack of Power. Good bowl of soup but lack that extra something to make it stand out from the crowd. 3.5/5

Conclusion

Mee Rebus with chicken and Satay Sauce. Doesn't something inside you just want to shout out "Power!" as well?

Rahim Muslim Food
Kovan Centre
Ah Seah Eating House
9 Yio Chu Kang Road
97867362

Koon Kee: Wok Hei Hor Fun with Paul McCartney!

With ieatfamily

Hor Fun $4

There are some places which I just fall in love with at first sight. Koon Kee is one of them. ChinChyeGuy's dad told me about this place which sells a pretty mean Hor Fun and since I have been searching for a Hor Fun with wok hei, I simply had to pay the place a visit. But it wasn't the food that got me at first. It was ambience of the place. Situated in a row of old shophouses opposite Serangoon Stadium, stepping into Koon Kee is like stepping into a time machine back into the sixties. I am not saying that it feels like a old Cze Char coffee shop. No, it's just that the owner of Koon Kee happens to be an antique collector, so the place is filled with old metal toys, Beetles records, bulky one door fridges and the like. Its just got that old "Hole in the Wall" rustic feel to it that I haven't felt in Singapore since I came back from Bangkok.

Koon Kee has been around for a long time. They started at the Civil Service Club, then moved to Hwa Chong JC for a while before Mr Lim decided to retire. After a restful retirement for 2 years, his younger son decided to resurrect his father's restaurant and they found themselves at this lovely little hole-in-the-wall.

My first plate of Hor Fun was a bit of a letdown as it did not have the wok hei flavour which I was eagerly anticipating. When I complained about it, the chef told me that a lot of people nowadays did not want the charred flavour so they had to cut back. So I had them fry another plate of hor fun for me with wok hei.

The state of Hor Fun in Singapore is pretty lack lustre nowadays and this one stands out as one of the best one I have eaten so far. However, I still felt that it still lacked that special something from the past. Perhaps I need to persuade the "old hand" to come out of retirement to fry one for me?

The Hor Fun here is sold out everyday because they order fresh Hor Fun daily and never keep it overnight. An expertly fried fresh Hor Fun is smokey with chewy charred bits at the edges and soft and slurpy at the same time. The sauce is pretty good and they do have fresh and good quality seafood although they do lack the more traditional pork tripe. 4.25/5



The other item which was recommended to me was the fried chicken. It is supposed to be Har Cheong Kai, but I think it tastes better if you don't call it that. It's a really tasty fried chicken but a mediocre Har Cheong Kai. I felt that day that it had just spend a minute too long in the oil so it was not as juicy as it should be. 4/5

Conclusion

Judging from the standard of the two dishes I had and the fact that dining here is really like eating in someone's home, I have already decided that I will be coming back to try their other dishes. I was told that the red wine chicken is really good as are some of their Thai food since the Lau Ban Niang is Thai. The Hor Fun was very good and one of the few places which I would recommend for Hor Fun, but is this really the best a Hor Fun can get nowadays?

Koon Kee
66 Yio Chu Kang Road
Opp Serangoon Stadium
12 - 2.30pm
6pm to 9.30pm
Closed Thursdays
62881206, 92718875

717 Trading: No Money Don't Learn to Eat Durian!

With smart


I think it was my brother-in-law who told me this account of him going up to the Durian Seller when he was still a kid, enquiring about the Durians he was selling. The Durian Seller asked him whether he had any money, to which he replied "No". The Durian Seller then scolded him in Hokkien: "bor lui ai orh jia liu lian?" (No money want to learn to eat Durian?!).

According to a Harris Poll, the least trusted occupations in the US are actors, lawyers and stockbrokers. I think in the Singapore context, Durian sellers must be one of the top three. How many of us have been tricked by a Durian Seller before? Oh yes, I have heard of and experienced first hand, how they switch Durians, rig the scales, try selling you the ones with the worms in it, and trick you into thinking that a Thai Durian is a D24. Thankfully, there are some reliable ones around and when you find one, people tend to stick with them. So I am sure that many serious Durian lovers out there have their own personal Durian broker.

Durians are just such an interesting topic that I could write quite a few blogs on them. From the way they make your throat sore, to the urban legend that one can die from eating Durian together with whiskey. In fact, there people have been documented to have died from eating too much Durian as in the case of a kidney failure patient who died of high potassium levels. (Durians are high in potassium). I am not sure if there has been cases of diabetics slipping into diabetic coma due to sugar high sugar levels, but I won't be surprised.

One of those things that have always puzzled me in my medical profession is how Durians can cause sore throats. Of course the Chinese attribute it to heatiness, but I have yet to settle on a satisfactory physiological explanation for it. Our western medical textbooks certainly don't have a chapter on "Durianitis" (Sore throat caused by Durian). I suspect it may have something to do with how the smell can linger on your fingers for such a long time. The same tenacious substance must also linger at the back of your throat for a prolonged period of time, thus causing inflammation. Funnily, in my years of practice, very few people have ever consulted me for a Durianitis. I guess it is because the remedy is already quite well known. At any rate, there isn't a Anti-Durianotic for Durianitis and I have never had to issue an MC for a Durian sore throat. (At least nobody ever admitted to it)

I guess when it comes to Durian, the D24 is perhaps the best known brand around. But this one is getting so common that our very smart Malaysian neighbours have come up with hybrids in order to get Singaporeans to dig deeper into their pockets. So nowadays, D24 is no longer the best. You've got Mao Shan Wang (Cat Mountain King), XO and a list of D numbers from 1 to infinity. I bet you that in 20 years' time, we will be dealing with D8878 or something like that. So I thought it would be interesting to actually blog a few of these money grabbers.


Mao Shan Wang $18 per kg

First up is the popular Mao Shan Wang (Cat Mountain King) which is the current hot favourite. The flesh is a deep golden colour and is sweet and creamy with very little fibre. Quite a safe bet if you are trying to impress someone. But be wary. The deep yellow colour indicates a high sulphur* content and you might want to make sure that you are not caught in a lift with your boss or your first date for a prolonged period of time after eating this! Even though opinions on the smell of fresh Durians is equivocal, you can be certain that the reaction to the smell of Durians after they have been processed by the body is quite universal. 4.5/5

*Sulphur is the main ingredient for hydrogen sulfide which is what makes fart smelly


D1 $10 per kg

The D1 is good for those who don't like things too sweet. Yes, the same people who order Kopi "C" Siu Dai (White coffee with less sugar) also ask for "Liu Lian Siu Dai". This one has a pastey, dry texture and a milky taste to it. I was told that the milky taste appeals to a lot of kids. I guess as parents, we would like to think we are doing our kids a favour by feeding them something that has milk associated with it, kinda like giving them Kinder Buenos eh? 4/5


Golden Phoenix $18 per kg

The Golden Phoenix is good for those who are going for a really good Durian which is still relatively good value for money. The Durian in the picture is actually quite small, about the size of my hand and only weighs 0.5 kg. However it is very fleshy and the seeds are all tiny. So you get quite a bit of flesh for a such a small Durian.


Golden Phoenix

The taste of the Golden Phoenix is actually quite good. It is sweet and creamy, perhaps just slightly less pungent than the Mao Shan Wang. It is the most "value for money" amongst the $18 per kg Durians. 4.25/5


D100 $18 per kg

As always, I've kept the best for last! The D100 is a new hybrid of Durian which is just hitting the market, so it is still relatively uncommon. Durian lovers who like Durian which have a bitter bite will be very pleased when they see the slightly grey tones in the yellow flesh.



Its flesh is thick and super creamy and the slightly bitter taste that is darn shiok! It's got my vote for best Durian of the lot! 4.75/5 However, because it is a new cultivar, stocks are limited, so you will have to call up first if you want to go specially to try this one.

717 Trading is probably one of the most renown Durian sellers in Singapore. Rumour has it that SM Goh actually procures his Durian from here as well as many Mediacorp artistes and Hong Kong stars. Their autographed Durian gloves line the wall of the stall.

Owner, Mr Goh has built up a reputation for himself over 30 years because of his integrity when it comes to selling Durians. It does go to show that honesty is the best policy over the long term. Besides that, he is also involved in the yellow ribbon project by getting all his Durian pastries baked by prisoners so that they can learn a useful trade in preparation for their release back into society.



For those who don't like to get their fingers dirty, but still want to enjoy Durians, the Durian puff might be a good alternative. The Choux pastry is competent, but not as soft and fluffy as I would like. However, this is made up by the rich and creamy D24 Durian cream filling. For me, I still prefer to eat the fruit rather than all the other derivations, be it ice cream, cakes, etc etc. But if you are into Durian puffs, this one is not bad and certainly has one of the best Durian fillings I have come across. Not surprising since it comes from a Durian seller. 4/5

Conclusion

I am no Durian expert and in the past, I was usually quite happy just eating the $5 Durians during peak season. However, now that I know better, life might not be quite the same again! As they say, ignorance is bliss. Aiyah, remember hoh, "No Money Don't Learn to Eat Durian!"

717 Trading
22 Yio Chu Kang Road
#01-01 Highland Centre
HP 96751821
www.717trading.com
Mr Goh Kwee Leng
Call first to check if stocks are in!