Monday, January 14, 2013

Western Food 85 - German Pork Knuckles in Hawker Center

It is not often you get German pork knuckles in a hawker center environment, but this was exactly what I found out last week when an experienced foodie brought me to this quite remarkable little stall in Bedok.

Serving a mixture of western and Peranakan cuisine, this stall actually has been relocated a couple of times, and is only back at its present location only this year.

Despite that, the stall seems to have quite a following, and pre-ordering the pork knuckles in advance is usually recommended as it is one of bestsellers here.

Run by Mr Tay and his wife, Mr Tay has actually worked in a few other well known establishments before coming here to run his own business, and we are quite fortunate to have him do so as getting great cafe food at hawker prices is a rarity these days.

German Pork Knuckles

I have had pork knuckles in zhe char places here and in pubs before, but I must say, to find such fantastic fare in a hawker center is literally a first for me. Not only that, it was really incredible.

First of all, it was not as greasy as most places, and the pork knuckles were well fried with bags full of flavors. The meat was not as dry as others and still retained quite a lot of flavor as well. All in all, this would be the perfect beer dish.

Belachan Fish

One of their other bestsellers is this relatively inexpensive belachan fish. The fish is stuffed with a spicy belachan mixture and then pan grilled over a flat stove and finished off with a touch of lime.

This is one of those simple dishes where the flavors are all nicely balanced. The sweetness of the fish, coupled with the spice of the belachan and the acid of the lime just came together perfectly.

Curry Mixed Vegetables

Their curry mixed vegetables tasted like a very good version of saya lodeh you find in most nasi padang stalls, and it was quite a surprise to see this here amongst the fried pork knuckles and fisn n chips.

Despite that, it was rich and tasty, and it provided a nice accompaniment to the more western fare on offer.

Mutton Tomato

The highlight for me was this amazing $2 mutton tomato dish. It could not have been simpler. Just mutton pieces stewed in a delicious tomato sauces for what I assumed for hours.

The meat was beautifully tender and moist, and the flavorsome tomato sauce with its tartness just brought out the flavors of the meat so incredibly. Literally, one of the best dishes I have tasted in a hawker center.

Besides the above dishes, Mr Tay also serves classics like fish and chips as well, but if you are venturing into Bedok anytime soon, and is looking to try something more adventurous, you will be well rewarded with this fantastic little stall of food goodies!

Western Food 85
Blk 416 #01-53
Bedok North Ave 2

2 comments:

  1. Tomato mutton for $2 is incredibly unbelievable. Btw, I love the photo of the fish...

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  2. Thanks, and yeah the tomato mutton is ridiculously cheap, considering how good it is :)

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