What a dish this was. An otherwise bland combination of poached bee hoon, pork, bean sprouts, cuttlefish, cockles, dried bean curd skins, liver and kangkung was given a robust lift with thick, creamy and spicy peanut gravy. Neither too heavy nor too sweet (a letdown with some stick satay gravy), the sauce here – crunchy bean sprouts with crushed peanuts – was a gentle counterpoint to the chewiness of the poached cuttlefish, while the short bee hoon strands added heft with every mouthful. Celine Asril
INTERVIEW WITH THE HAWKER: Ng Siaw Meng, 61
They’ve been around for 50 years. Mr Ng and his brother are also performing harmonica players – a lot of their regulars turn up to support their shows. Their next performance will be staged outdoors at the Esplanade at 8pm on 8 June.
You’ve been cooking this since you were 11, how did you get started?
My father used to sell this, but he died when he was young. I did this to support the family.
The satay sauce is his recipe then?
Yes, he brought it with him from China, but the original recipe was brought to China from Nanyang [an old Mandarin name for Singapore and Malaysia], so it’s come full circle!
Why are you only open for dinner?
We must sell everything within five to six hours or the dish won’t be fresh. It amazes me how some establishments can have continuous service for 24 hours.
Like this? Try these...
• Bak Kee Satay Bee Hoon, #01-40 Redhill Food Centre, 85 Redhill Ln
• Sin Chew Satay Bee Hoon, Stall 162, Bukit Timah Food Centre, 116 Upper Bukit Timah Rd
This story first appeared in 'Step up to the plate' (TOS Apr 2010)