Pork Trotters
Pork Trotters are one of my weaknesses – especially if it is cooked until it is juicy and soft and oozing with collagen goodness.
I don’t eat it a lot but will get my fix 2 to 3 times a year.
The places I typically get my pork Trotters fix is at the Shanghainese restaurant at the basement of Balmoral Plaza (Pu Dong Kitchen) but more often than not, it is at the Bak Kut Tei stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village (Han Jia Bak Kut Tei).
Those Pork Trotters at Lagoon is legit. I like it because they use the fattest part of the Trotters with skin and it is sticky and soft and just sickeningly rich and unctuous.
The “Pork Trotters stall “
I’ve been eating at Weng Kiang Kee porridge (02- 82) at Chinatown Complex Food Centre for a while now.
It is one of my favourite porridge places.
One or two stalls next to Weng Kiang Kee is Fatty Ox HK Kitchen (#02-84) and I like that stall as well.
I have tried their Beef Brisket Noodles and I think it’s good.
I’ve noticed that immediately next to Fatty Ox is a stall with an attractive looking picture of Pork Trotters.
Each time I see it, I tell myself one day I am going to try this stall.
Johor Kaki Blog
Recently I read one of Tony Boey’s Johor Kaki blogs. Tony is a veteran in the F&B scene and I thoroughly enjoy every one of his food blogs.
His blogs are always extremely well researched and every post he makes are purposeful and informative.
No comment is superfluous but instead, there is a always a raw and insightful analysis he makes about the food, be it positive or negative.
I started reading his blog about this stall called Fragrance Sauce Chicken and lo and behold, it turned out to be this stall I have been eyeing.
The second part of his blog talks about Chef Randy selling “Nam Yue Pork Trotters” ie Pork Trotters braised with fermented beancurd.
As usual, I throughly enjoyed his blog and took that as a sign that it’s time to visit that stall.
The Nam Yue Pork Trotter
I arrived about 230pm post the lunch time crowd.
Chef Randy declared to me – all his chickens are sold and even the oil rice is finished leaving only white rice.
I felt a stab of disappointment as I was psyched to try both this white poached chicken and his soya sauce chicken.
A poster caught my eye entitled Soya Sauce Chicken: The Battle in Chinatown.
I have eaten at both the Michelin started Hawker Chan Soy Sauce Chicken (#02- 126) and Maria Virgin Chicken (#02- 189) which are both good and would have liked to try Chef Randy’ version to compare his with the other two.
Sigh – but it was not to be.
I was pleased though when Chef Randy told me he still had Beef Brisket Noodles and the Fermented Bean Curd Pork Trotters.
Pork Trotters
The sauce was nice but alas, I think my mind had already been fixed on a sticky braised black sauced collagen infused Trotters.
So the fermented bean curd version didn’t work for me.
And while the Trotters were soft enough, it still had a firm bite and was not soft, sticky and gelatinous the way I liked it.
So I apologise if I’m not comparing apples with apples but the Trotters did not bowl me over.
The Beef Brisket Noodles
This was so good.
A fragrant robust beefy essence enveloped my senses. I was transported back to HongKong where I have tasted some of the best beef brisket and tendon noodles I have tried in my life.
The beef and tendons were soft and tender. Noodles were al dente and sat in a tasty sauce.
If anything, I would have liked the sauce to be less watery and be a little thicker and stickier, but that’s a matter of personal preference.
I think Chef Randy‘s version is even better than his neighbour Fatty Ox’s.
Old Amoy Chendol
My lunch companion and I finished the meal with the chendol at Old Amoy Chendol.
A delicious old school Chendol with the right amount of coconut cream and a sweet Gula Melaka topping.
A sweet finish to a sleepy Friday.
Fragrant Sauce Chicken 色香味
Blk 335, Smith Street #02-85, Chinatown Food Complex, Singapore 050335
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Mon & Thurs off)
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