Economy Chinese dishes and rice

It's amazing how one fellow can cook so many dishes (20) and not just for one day but everyday. The guy is a Malaysian Chinese and he is a cook. There are many like him in Singapore. They are relatively young, perhaps around 35 years old but they are good cooks of Chinese and local dishes.

They are paid around S$2,500 or MYR 7,500 per month and that's quite a tidy sum for a Malaysian cook. In Malaysia they do not earn more than S$1,200, I was told.

Do you know why it is called "Economy Rice"? It is because the dishes are supposed to be sold cheap  or affordable to the heartlanders. The set meals like a plate of white rice with 1 meat and 1 vegetable cost $2, 2 veggies and 1 meat is $2.50, 2 meat and 1 veggie is $3.50 etc. However, one may also order a' la carte dishes which cost a bit more. The bottom picture was my a' la carte order. It is a plate of rice with sambal sting ray, some pieces of pork chop and a portion of towgay or beam sprouts. My order cost $6.50c. The sting ray itself was $3.50c.

Overall, the food is quite good considering the reasonable prices. Usually, there will be a long queue during the lunch and dinner periods.

Malay rice at Kaki Bukit

This morning I sent my vehicle for general servicing at a workshop around Kaki Bukit area. While waiting for the job to complete, I tried the Malay food at the canteen. Above was a plate of rice with a piece of mutton rendang, sambal goreng and sambal mussels and it cost $6 which is equivalent to MYR 18+ (Malaysian Ringgit exchange rate is S$1 = MYR 3.10). The food wasn't that good. The mutton was tough, the mussels had some sands in them but the sambal goreng was not too bad.
I won't recommend this stall to any of my readers.
The tea was $1 which is 10c less than in other coffee shops in SG.

Tosai for my dinner

Had this tosai or dosa, a Southern Indian pancake for dinner. Nothing spectacular about this dish except it is low in calories ($1.40)

Assam Laksa at Hougang Mall

This is one of the best Penang laksa in SG. It is being sold at Hougang Mall along Hougang Avenue 10, a stone's throw from the Hougang MRT Station. This is a take away joint and if you want to eat then bring the laksa up to the 4 level of the mall where there is a foodcourt.
The laksa cost $3.50c and the taste is delightfully spicy. Service may be a bit slow and the queue wasn't long but it's worthwhile waiting.
After the laksa, I had a piece of durain kueh and a kueh salat from the famous Bengawan Solo. These kueh made a sensible dessert after that spicy laksa.
Incidentally, I had a $10 haircut from a Malay barber. Nearby is a hairdresser shop where one could get a haircut for $3.80c. I do not like the $3.80 cheap haircut as the women hairdressers are not proficient in cutting men's hair.
                

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Malay home cooked food

Today my wife decided to cook ikan assam pedas and sambal goreng which are the Malay dishes for lunch. She is really a superb cook that her 2 dishes are the best I've ever tasted in my entire life. Mind you I used to live a Malay kampong and know exactly how those Malay dishes are.
Sadly, these days we can't find a good stall or restaurant selling authentic and yummy Malay food. Perhaps, in Malaysia you may be able to eat good Malay food.

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No drinking and eating in the train

Got this Whatsapp message regarding the restriction of drinking and eating in the train (MRT). Watch the video and you will be surprise how strict is the rule and a commuter was taken to task for eating a sweet.

Mee rebus set at Food Junction

For exactly set, Food Junction charges $5 whereas Toast Box $7.30. They are equally good but the price difference is wide. From now I will resist visiting Toast Box since it is seen as openly profiteering.

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang

We read  so much about Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang that we decided to pay it a visit. It is a Malay stall selling Malay/Indonesian food at the Geylang Serai hawker center.
When we arrived at about 11:30 am there was already a long queue. There were also many other stalls selling the same type of food but had shorter or no queue at all.
We agreed that the food was of a high standard. The black-ink cuttle fish, sambal goreng, assam fish cutlet, young Jack fruit in lemak gravy were delicious and spicy. However, we were disappointed the beef rendang was salty just like the one we had at Warong along Kandahar Street last Saturday.
It is difficult to find a place selling really good beef rendang. When I was a kid, the rendang even at the road side stall was of better quality. Well, we do not expect the cooks of present era are as good as their parents and grandparents.
The teh halia or ginger tea sold a few doors away was also a let-down.
The 2 plates of  meal cost $24 and teh halia was $1.20 a glass.