2 Sep 2007, ST
By Thng Lay Teen
ON MY days off, I try out new food at different hawker centres. That was how I discovered Wong Hing Kitchenette at the Changi Village & Food Centre, which serves an intriguing dish: fried mee with bittergourd and pork ribs.
Bittergourd and ribs cooked with fermented black beans is normally eaten with rice. But the noodle version is new, and already one of stall-owner Wong Hing's bestsellers.
A former chef from Hong Kong who used to work in various restaurants here and abroad, Wong says the dish is quite common in Hong Kong, but not everyone can do it well.
He lists three factors that are important: The gravy must taste good, the mee must be crispy enough, and the ribs must be done right.
The 59-year-old hawker passes his own test. The brownish gravy speckled with garlic bits and finely blended fermented black beans is tasty, and fresh chilli slices give it a nice kick.
The noodles are nice and crisp. Adding more bite are pork ribs that are so tender they melt in the mouth. Served with quite a few chunks of meaty ribs, this $3.50 dish is value for money.
The chatty chef would only say that the secret to his dish is good ingredients. For example, the fermented black beans are imported from China.
Apart from noodles, customers can also have the dish with hor fun or rice.
What I like most about this dish are the thin but crunchy bittergourd slices that are done so well there is no hint of bitterness. If you're not a bittergourd fan, you can opt for other vegetables.
I had intended to eat only half of the fairly big serving, but ended up finishing everything. Unfortunately, I had no room for his bean sauce beef hor fun ($3.50), which he says is also one of his bestsellers. I may try that on my next day off.
WONG HING KITCHENETTE
01-14, Changi Village Market & Food Centre, Block 2 Changi Village Road
Opening hours: 11am to 3pm and 5 to 9pm, closed on Thursdays
Rating: ***
By Thng Lay Teen
ON MY days off, I try out new food at different hawker centres. That was how I discovered Wong Hing Kitchenette at the Changi Village & Food Centre, which serves an intriguing dish: fried mee with bittergourd and pork ribs.
Bittergourd and ribs cooked with fermented black beans is normally eaten with rice. But the noodle version is new, and already one of stall-owner Wong Hing's bestsellers.
A former chef from Hong Kong who used to work in various restaurants here and abroad, Wong says the dish is quite common in Hong Kong, but not everyone can do it well.
He lists three factors that are important: The gravy must taste good, the mee must be crispy enough, and the ribs must be done right.
The 59-year-old hawker passes his own test. The brownish gravy speckled with garlic bits and finely blended fermented black beans is tasty, and fresh chilli slices give it a nice kick.
The noodles are nice and crisp. Adding more bite are pork ribs that are so tender they melt in the mouth. Served with quite a few chunks of meaty ribs, this $3.50 dish is value for money.
The chatty chef would only say that the secret to his dish is good ingredients. For example, the fermented black beans are imported from China.
Apart from noodles, customers can also have the dish with hor fun or rice.
What I like most about this dish are the thin but crunchy bittergourd slices that are done so well there is no hint of bitterness. If you're not a bittergourd fan, you can opt for other vegetables.
I had intended to eat only half of the fairly big serving, but ended up finishing everything. Unfortunately, I had no room for his bean sauce beef hor fun ($3.50), which he says is also one of his bestsellers. I may try that on my next day off.
WONG HING KITCHENETTE
01-14, Changi Village Market & Food Centre, Block 2 Changi Village Road
Opening hours: 11am to 3pm and 5 to 9pm, closed on Thursdays
Rating: ***
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