I've had these two picture in my file for quite some time. It captures the way the common folks used to eat their Teochew Porridge. Remember that these are mostly the working class as YG have mentioned in his blog http://ivyidaong4.blogspot.com/ and Teochew Muay was something that's most affordable to them. It's not such a common sight nowadays. You can say they are a dying breed. If my memory serves me right, my father told me that in the 50's each bowl of porridge cost just two cents.
frankie, this looks like a habit they cannot get rid off; they must have been eating in this way since their younger days.
ReplyDeleteyg, I agree, old habits die hard. BTW are you by any chance a Teochew ah hia?.. haha
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge at Blk 116 Bukit Merah View (Henderson) Coffee Shop. Expect a perpetual long queue. Though the queue is always long, the waiting time isn't. They are very organised. You place your order, go to your table and the food will be served by a helper soon after with change ready in hand. The organisation structure is:
- Cooking dept at the back of the stall
- Order taking in front of the counter
- Servers, scoop porridge and deliver.
- Cashier (usually the Boss)
Prices are probably the most competitive of the many TCM I know. Taxi drivers like to frequent the coffee shop for their meals. On weekends the night birds, me included go there for their supper.
Searching for the address the coffee shop I found out that there is another one at the Hawker Centre, Block 115 located behind the coffee shop which is very popular; featured in a number of Blogs. Perhaps I never discovered it till now because they closed at 7pm. Too early for me.
Hi. My eldest brother Chun Chew wrote about an eating place near his office in the 60's. You may want to check out this place called Tian Lye Street here and here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chun See : ) I can't quite make out where that is. It's near Palmer Rd?
ReplyDelete