Day 4: Crispy Tau Pok

Uncle, Mee Siam mai hiam, ai tau pok...

Today I went back to my old friendly Bukit Timah district after one of its tiny food stalls made it into the newspapers again. Located @ Coronation Plaza, you must definitely have eaten their Japanese food if you are those who once donned brown, grey or white uniforms and enjoy the student-rate food here under comfortable air-conditioned environment. My Cosy Corner is one of the main anchors here, although it is much smaller in size & students are always seen sitting on the floor at the nearby empty corner eating. I tried their Japanese food a few times & liked the Rice w/ topping (Donburi) best. However the price would be more expensive than a signature plate of lemon chicken rice available upstairs.

They are actually famous for their Nonya recipes also. I've always heard their Popiah is good but at $2 per piece, I didn't try it. After receiving confirmation from Lifestyle food guide, I decided it's a go.

So it was a sunny afternoon & I was awfully late, thus the booming black clouds that await me. Students were already streaming in from the nearby schools. We managed to get a seat while the shop was buzzing with afternoon crowd. Many elderly & "tai-tai" came over to takeaway.

Yummy Popiah.

So our main star for the day arrived 1st. The auntie just "threw" the plate over because we were sitting on the inside & there was a student couple sitting outside. She was really busy. Anyways, we took a bite & hey, it tasted good. It was also then when I realised what the Lifestyle food guide meant when she said "The difference between each Popiah was so great we could rank them in order of merit." My Cosy Corner is placed No. 3, below Qi Ji; & I've tasted Qi Ji before. I can't imagine what No. 4 & below would taste like.

The Popiah is nice, the radish do not have a washed out taste (like if they are soaked in water too long or overcooked & soggy), and the skin is indeed soft but tasty. I like the crispy rice bits too. However, there isn't anything "heavenly" or special about this offering. I may be asking for too much, but to have out-tasted others & ruled the charts (in Top 3), I would have expected a taste more enlightening.

If we put the "high hope = disappointment" issue aside, & I will recommend this Popiah, but without the Chilli please. The Chilli is strong & overpowering, and nothing can be worse than a spoonful of Chilli not spread out but clumped at one end of the Popiah. I was the fateful one to have that piece of the Popiah, & as I chewed my first bite, the fiery taste immediately overwhelmed my jaw mechanisms & sent a shockwave to my brain. O_O

Tasty Mee Siam.

I ordered the Mee Siam, & it looked pretty much standard. I spotted my new-found enemy at the top of the plate... that lump of seductive deep red Chilli sauce. Argh! I quickly scooped it off to one side. & so I took my 1st bite... & got another surprise. A pleasant one, this time. The Tau Pok bits are very crispy! I think they are fried until dried, as they remain crispy even when soaked in the Mee Siam sauce. Very nice! This is definitely recommended.

Yummy Laksa.

Their Laksa tastes milder, although you can still see lots of Chilli oil floating on top. It tastes unique & doesn't focus on spiciness to bring out its flavour. I would recommend it to those who do not prefer the normal hot & spicy offering, as this one doesn't taste bland either.

The dishes come with student pricing (except the Popiah), so remember to specify on the order list.

After a filling lunch, we took a short walk down the street to the row of shophouses beside Serene Centre. Too long have I missed my favourite ice-cream of all time...

Awfully Good!

No prizes for guessing. They boast the best service for over-the-counter style food shops. Walk into their artistically contrasted shop of white walls with black decorations, & there are sofa seats around a table, with a full jug of water, glasses & serviettes on it. A small opening to the kitchen behind hides in the wall behind their counter, which is flushed against a corner of the whole shop. Spatially, they have given most of the shop space to customers, which is empty except for the table & seats, & occasional festive decorations like a Christmas Tree. The 1st time inside presents some phobia, but it is immediately dissolved by the warm cheerful greeting of the counter staff. It may be just my luck, but both outlets that I have visited have beautiful girls behind the counter. Their cake business is definitely busy with all the phone calls & discussions going on. So we went in & ordered a double scoop of their chocolate ice-cream. I wish I can buy a whole tub home. One scoop sells for $3, but two scoops go for $5. That is cheaper than Swensen's, & what more, Haagen Dazs. This chocolate is heavenly, I need not say more than: come & taste it for yourself. But only for Chocolate connoisseurs who love the deep aftertaste of cocoa bitter. Eat it bite by bite, slowly savour & you will taste it; although they gave a nice sturdy big green spoon (it's for easier scooping, their ice-cream are kept intact at nice cold temperatures). After which, admire the little artwork of the "Chinese food takeaway box" before disposing of it, with much heartpain.