CAKE STRIP NOODLES

Yesterday the book seller and I discussed stinky tofu. He knows what it smells like, I don't remember, though it's probably entered my nostrils along with other putrid things. We agree that we do not, even for intellectual curiosity, ever have to eat it. The word 'faugh' comes to mind. Which made me remember Brother Lim, who died in his sleep over a decade ago, whose culinary inquisitiveness took us down some dark alleys when I was still at the computer company.

An entire platter of hot spiced rotten cabbage, for instance.

He once detailed having to eat a whole durian in a park because it wasn't allowed on the transit system in Singapore. Or, it turns out, into the hotel. Which disappointed his mom because she had lugged three or four of them from the market.

Please imagine two stuffed and distraught overseas Chinese sitting on a bench with too much extremely smelly fruit beside them. Good thing Singapore is a safe place.

I, personally, am not "unfond" of durian. Positive apathy.
Tastes like custard. Smells like a sewer.
Imagine unenthusiasm.

CHAR KWAY TEOW

There is a lot of exceptionally good stuff to eat in Singapore besides durian. Or stinky tofu.

Stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, ketjap manis, slices of lap cheung or charsiu, chopped chives, bean sprouts, garlic, ginger, and trassi. Not suprisingly, it goes great with sambal, a squeeze of lime, and a glass of something pink and cold, with little jelly squiggles.


It used to be prepared street-side, often by someone named ah-Kiong or Ah-Bek. Nowadays more likely found in a clean and well-regulated hawker centre, and there may be a jar of sambal cabai hijau (green chili sauce) on the table, in addition to the everpresent sambal belacan (stinky fishpaste and chilies) or sambal badjak. The pink cold stuff with squiggles was similar to dawet, but I have no clue what it's called in English.

[Teck Ghee Market & Food Centre (德義廣場), located in Ang Mo Kio (宏茂橋): you can also find good bak kut teh (肉骨茶 there, as well as excellent fried shrimp noodles (炒蝦麵 char hae mi).]

Here in San Francisco I make my own sambals -- the ingredients are fairly easy to find in Chinatown -- and kway teow noodles (粿條粉 'gwo tiu fan') may be replaced with broad flat rice stick (河粉 'ho fan'; hofoen in Dutch). There will be slight difference in texture and taste, as kway teow noodles are made with mixed regular rice flour and glutinous rice flour, and some tapioca starch. They are different to the teeth.


Huy Fong used to make sambal badjak, but they eventually realized that most of us who like sambal badjak will often make our own, using sambal oelek as one of the building blocks for a shortcut. You can still find imported jars of Koningsvogel brand sambal at a few specialty stores. Too expensive.


Cockles are often included in char kway teow. But clams (蜆 'hin') are a perfectly fine replacement, and more easily found here.



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