White Fungus Tea (雪耳桂肉鸡蛋茶)

Ingredients

I don't usually take notice of the many herbal soups or cooling tea, which mum cooked for us. But this time it's different. Because once i gulped a mouthful of it, i felt my entire respiratory system being nourished! I really feel it. So i went back to the kitchen to ask for more to drink, and the recipe for you too.

When i asked for the recipe, mum showed me an old recipe book, dictated in olden Chinese. There's a translation in English. Do email me if you need the copy in Chinese.

The benefits are: Moisten complexion, brain feeding, calming effect for quality sleep, improve memory, tinnitus due to weakening kidney, cold and cough, easing constipation.

INGREDIENTS:

A handful of White Fungus, and Dried Longan.

4 Eggs

Water

Rock Sugar (optional)

STEPS:

1. Soak the white fungus in water. Wait for it to soften up, as in the above picture. Wash and remove any silt/ sand from it.

2. Cook your hard boiled eggs and remove the shells.

3. Add all ingredients, including the dried longan into soup pot and cover with water.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 mins, or more if you like a syrupy texture. We do. If you have a thermal pot, leave it in for half a day before serving. 

5. After removing from heat, add rock sugar to taste.

稳稳白米粉, Woon Woon Pek Bee Hoon

LaLa + Clayfish White Bee Hoon (M, $15)

This is supposedly our first 'white bee hoon' - where vermicelli was stir fried to achieve that wok-hei fragrance before cooking in a seafood broth. A signature dish that is fast gaining popularity in Singapore's many hawker centres.

The soup first hit us as being a little fishy, but was soon forgotten as we got used to it, and were busy slurping everything up! 3 crayfishes, 6 clams (with 1 being spoiled), lots of white cabbages and crispy pork lard was satisfying. We had wished they could be a little generous with their serving of the vermicelli, which was done with a good wok hei.

If you like what you see here, this is Woon Woon (#01-54) at the Changi Village Food Centre. Our first, and it certainly makes me fall for this thing called 'white bee hoon'.

Within the week, we went back for their LaLa and prawns set.

LaLa + Prawns White Bee Hoon (M, $9)

Pancake King @ Serangoon Garden

Peanut, Coconut Pancake ($1.10 each)

We first noticed Pancake King when it opened in the Serangoon Garden Market few years back, and we didn't patronise them - but good stalls survive right? Lovely chocolate cakes, cupcakes, brownies, egg tarts and puffs decorated their display cabinet, yet we were only craving for traditional min chiang kueh, the pancake.

Obviously, their pricing is higher than average, but i thought the coconut filling is worth it. Because we could taste Gula Melaka, a type of palm sugar in it. This is some good pancake indeed.

呀侖街粿汁, Garden Street Kway Chap since 1950s

Braised Platter for 2 - Braised Bean Curd, Fried Fishcake, Braised Pork, Braised Intestines,

Pig's Skin, Pig's Stomach, Braised Egg. ($6.50)

Flavor of old food. I believe it is not simply by following a certain recipe that you could concoct the taste of old food. It can be a secret ingredient, the use of certain kitchen utensils, or even a decade old braising sauce. Such taste is priceless.

This is what Garden Street Kway Chap in Serangoon Garden Market offers - the taste of nostalgia. We can't describe it, we just knew it. Its Teochew fried fish cake, flavorsome braised meat and the uncommon braised pig's stomach. I thoroughly enjoy this seemingly simple meal.

Their rice kway chap is the softest, and most delicate we've tried. And i thought grandma would find it so easy to eat this.

北胜, Bei Sheng Seafood/ Taste of Thailand

Baby Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce (S, $5)

Thai Deep Fried Fish Delight (M, $17)

Some 20 years ago, a branch outlet of Bei Sheng Seafood, named 'Taste of Thailand' operates a food stall from the basement food court of the Sembawang Shopping Centre. Business was really brisk then, and it became famous islandwide.

On the other hand, Bei Sheng Seafood never moved out of Yishun. It is still a comfortable air-conditioned cze char place, offering some of their dishes at lower than kopitiam's prices! Food wasn't eye popping great, nor authentic Thai, but it was decent - and there is no GST or service charges here.

A very friendly place, both on service and on your pocket.

Chicken with Honey Sauce (S, $8)

Pineapple Fried Rice (M, $5)

韩家肉骨茶, Han's Bak Kut Teh

Braised Pork Knuckle ($6)

Our last visit to Han Jia was in Sept 2008. During those years, we used to drop by the East Coast Lagoon Food Village just to eat the braised pig's leg and make takeaway home. They were really good, and of course, even till today. I was really tempted to make pack away today (but we are not on the way).

What surprises me today is their Bak Kut Teh. I didn't use to appreciate their soup, but I have changed my opinion now. And look at the giant prime ribs they serve! It was both tender and flavorsome. We will definitely come by soon.

Bak Kut Teh ($6)