It was morning and I woke up peckish for some good food. Then I recalled a friend recommending this unique hawker dish. So off I go to check out this dish that everyone all over Singapore had been gushing about on social media - Fried Porridge Image Credit: sethlui.com
The concept of frying porridge first started in Malaysia where porridge was often fried by families to give life to leftover porridge. It was when many realised that the frying process not only brought out its original flavours but further enhanced the dish with a unique layer of smokiness, it then led to the creation of Fried Porridge. Its rare to find this dish in Singapore and as far as I know, this is the only stall that sells it.
Old World Bakuteh is located at Hiap Hoe Eating House and instead of it’s Bak Kut Teh being the star, it’s more well known for its Fried Porridge. The stall is within walking distance from the Yishun MRT Station. The star on its menu is undoubtedly the Mixed Pig’s Organ Fried Porridge. (If you don’t like offals, you can opt to have it with just pork slices).
The basic porridge is already pre-cooked, flavoured with dark soy sauce. When the kitchen receives an order, chef Jemmy would finish the porridge with a few final critical steps. First, he fries shallot, Hae-Bee (dried shrimp) & tau-kua (bean-curd) cubes in a pan to extract their flavours. He then fries the porridge in the pan to infuse the ‘hae-bee’ and fried shallot flavours and aromas into the porridge.
As the porridge dries up a little during frying, the chef splashes in some ‘bak kut teh’ (peppering pork rib soup) stock to provide more robust flavour. Other ingredients like mince pork, lean meat slices, liver, intestines, stomach etc are then added into the porridge. The porridge is then served piping hot in a huge ceramic bowl and garnished with fried shallots and chopped scallions.
If you had not seen how it’s cooked, first glance at the brown and mundane exterior of the brown porridge may not seem impressive. But once you start to dig in, you will uncover s kaleidoscope of taste & texture, something bold, potent and far from anything you might have encountered before.
Dig in and your mouth will be greeted with layers upon layers of umami, savoury and sweet flavours from the the soft and pillowy broken rice gains, fried ‘hae bee’, shallots, tau kua, pork, intestines and liver. You can taste hints of pepper from the white pepper dusted onto the porridge prior to serving.
The liver and lean meat slices were nicely done, tenderly & juicy with their natural flavours intact. Savor the slightly burnt ‘wok-hei’ flavours with every mouthful of porridge and enjoy the zing from the added fried shallots and spring onions.
My accompanying side dish of braised big intestine was also flavourful and provides a springy texture with every bite. My bowl of Mixed Pork Organ soup was also yummy, especially when the various pieces are dipped into a mix of dark soy sauce, raw garlic and Chili Padi.
Would I go back there again?
Definitely !!!
So for those who happen to be in the area, do drop by and try this unique dish.
a. 747 Yishun Street 72, Hiap Hoe Eating House, Singapore 760747
