Teochew Muay- a Vanishing Act
She is all of 82 and still going strong in the Maxwell kitchen
We stroll so casually around a food centre and eat whatever we feel like, as if it will forever fall down from food heaven to please us and take for granted. But on closer inspection, realisation and with a stark admission, I predict more than a few dishes will fade into oblivion or go the way of the robotic kitchen factories in the near future. This occasional series will touch on some of such dishes and I detail the harsh realities behind their fade. I sound out, in this new year, the eventual demise of artisanal made-with-love and well-loved humble Teochew Muay.
Whether they offer a dozen or 50 plus iconic and culturally correct items does not matter today. The worrisome fact (if you love this comforting porridge meal) is, no one in the horizon in coming on board to carry on the mantle of the old Teochew masters of this game. Seriously, to put out on average 20 items on brightly lit bain marie food warmers, is not an easy feat. Even if the dishes look simple (the hallmark of Teochew muay dishes) it is hard work and curating the menu is an art in itself. There’s nothing creative and every Teochew muay lover know exactly what they want and expect. I don’t see new faces in this space nor are there decent local makan academies churning them out. It is easier to learn French food than local makan here. I cite two of my favorite, soon to fade Teochew Muay spots.
The little old lady manning the wok, who churns out at least 15 dishes, ready by 11am each day they open, is a phenomena. The matriarch of this Seah family is already 82 and hunches over the wok, singlehandedly to get some comfortingly simple dishes out. Her braised ter ka, has the correct doneness and the “fattier” verision comes with skin, fat and collagen that lovingly withers in the mouth. Her fried leeks is intentionally wok charred at some edges as the bitter sweet umami sensation it delivers is so adorable with the porridge. Her traditional shark meat with chili taucheo is a must-order item. Even the taupok is braised till soft and gives in to the soy stock and absorbs all those goodness. When she retires, no one will continue as her son who mans the counter, does not cook.
Serving up the most comforting Teochew porridge in town
I was shuffling about the very busy lunch hour crowd looking for another stall to try and feature when I stumbled upon a Teochew muay (Teochew porridge) legend. Amid the fancy donburi bowls, truffles and bespoke noodles, roasted almond lattes and fancy millennial chow Amoy Street Food Centre is known for, Teo Heng Teochew Porridge still holds its own.
Mr Teo Heng started in a coffee shop in Chulia Street, and has relocated around the Central Business District where he continues running the stall to this day. It is a 65-year-old icon, but I feel this uber comforting meal is slowly fading into oblivion for so many reasons.
For starters, cooking more than a dozen items is not something the new generation of hawkers or cooks are capable of these days. Because they are so iconic and embedded in our makan ecology, the dishes have to meet the high standards of even the casual Teochew muay fan.
Singapore hawker dishes: Teochew porridge
What differentiates Teochew porridge from the regular economy rice? The latter usually comes with rich tasting dishes, such as curry chicken and braised meats with heavy gravies, which go well with dry rice and are very filling. Porridge Teochew-style is usually very watery and light, so it goes well with steamed, dry dishes that are cooked simply to bring out the best in the fresh ingredients. The dishes are often very salty or fermented to make up for the blandness of porridge — think salty mustard greens, salted egg, salted fried anchovies and pickles.
Protein options usually involve steaming — steamed squid, fish, tofu and fishcake are some typical finds, and these can help balance out the salt from the other preserved side dishes. Beyond the pickled ones, vegetable dishes of the leafy green variety are not commonly found. Good Teochew porridge stalls are popular in the mornings for breakfast, and the meal, by hawker stall standards, does not come cheap. If one chooses premium ingredients like seafood, which is usually very fresh given that there is no gravy to mask it, a Teochew porridge meal can cost upward of S$20 for two people. Some stalls even offer crayfish and crab (you guessed it, steamed).
10 Best Teochew Porridge 潮 洲 粥 Stalls in Singapore You Have to Hunt Down Now
Teochew porridge, also known in colloquial dialect as ‘Teochew Mui’ 糜 to foreigners is a really strange and peculiar dish to say the least as it is nothing like the mushy rice porridge or al dente risotto in any shape or form. Neither is it gooey like the typical Asian congee. So what exactly is it?
Teochew porridge is quite simply cooked rice grains swimming in a soupy broth (might be flavoured or plain) and consumed with a selection of Chinese side dishes like nasi padang. It refers more to a style of serving rather than a particular dish. Typical items a Teochew porridge stall will have include fried or steamed fish, minced pork meat, braised duck, pork intestines, eggs, boiled vegetables, fish cake, squid, tofu or tau pok and many more. A popular breakfast as well as supper option amongst Singaporeans, Teochew porridge is comforting and delicious.
Here’s my list of the 10 places you should go for the best Teochew porridge around the island:
- Joo Seng Teochew Porridge & Rice
- Joo Chiat Teochew Porridge (formerly Teck Teochew Porridge)
- Choon Seng Teochew Porridge
- Curry Rice & Porridge (咖 喱 饭 粥)
- Soon Soon Teochew Porridge
- Ah Seah Teochew Porridge
- Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge
- Soon Kee Teochew Porridge
- Lim Joo Hin Eating House
- Heng Long Teochew Porridge
Best Teochew Porridge In Singapore
Whether you are a local or just visiting Singapore, there is one dish that everyone has to try at least once and that is Teochew Porridge. However, like with most dishes, every place has their own unique recipe and flavor. So it is important that you can find a restaurant that serves a porridge that your taste buds will not forget. But where should you go to try this distinctive dish? To make your life easier, we narrowed down the almost endless restaurants and stalls that serve Teochew Porridge down to the 10 best of the best. Regardless of which restaurant you choose on this list, we know that you will go home satisfied.
But before we begin with this list, what even is Teochew Porridge? It’s a soup or broth dish that is usually accompanied by a variety of other dishes that allow you to mix and combine flavors to your liking. Common ingredients include fish eggs, meat, vegetables, and rice. This dish originated in Chaozhou, China but made popular in places such as Singapore and Malaysia.
So let’s jump into this list:
- Joo Seng Teochew Porridge & Rice
- Choon Seng Teochew Porridge
- Ah Seah Teochew Porridge
- Heng Long Teochew Porridge Rice
- House of Teochew
- Soon Soon Teochew Porridge
- Lim Joo Hin Eating House
- Soon Kee Teochew Porridge
- Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge
- Curry Rice & Porridge (咖喱饭粥)
12 Teochew Porridge Spots In Singapore Including 24 Hour Stalls
Dim sum supper joints are great for an array of nibbles in baskets, but Teochew muay (porridge) are for times you and your kakis need a feast. Gulp down hot porridge with a mouthful of salty tau kee for warmth and comfort. Here’s a list of the best Teochew porridge supper places for a banquet to feel like a king while keeping your wallet intact!
Best Teochew porridge in Singapore:
Teochew Porridge Side Dishes & Rice 裕 成 潮 州 糜 饭 店
潮 州 糜 (Teochew Muay) or Teochew Rice Gruel is rice porridge that is not entirely broken down like the creamy smooth rich tasting Cantonese congee (明 火 白 粥) .
糜 (Muay – Teochew word) is very different from 粥 (Jook – Cantonese word for slow simmered rice porridge). Muay is basically whole rice grains fast boiled with lots of water (not stock) and we do not eat this with Youtiao (stir fried dough strips a.k.a. as You Char Kueh). The water and rice ratio can be anything starting from 3:1 adding more water along the cooking process if you wish but once the rice is split at both ends, the cooking stops. It is also not advisable to cover the pot while cooking as it renders the rice gruel starchy and mushy.
Traditionally, grainy Teochew Muay is cooked in huge clay urns. In local terms, Muay is the porridge itself and Teochew Muay means the meal. It’s been a long time since I had Teochew style Muay and last Friday (Saturday morning actually), my macro kakis and I went for supper at this 10-year-old shop after a gruelling (no pun intended) session in a tunnel full of geckos! There are as many as 30 plus dishes to choose from.
10 Finest Teochew Gruel in Singapore
Teochew Gruel 潮 州 糜 or ‘Teochew Muay or Mui‘ is a kind of rice soup comparable to the Chinese congee however in a non-mushy and also non-gooey means. Contrasted to the Cantonese-style congee, it has a waterier appearance.
The rice grains are typically steamed and also softened in water, and also continue to be entire and also not in a starchy state. It is a preferred kind of rice soup that came from Chaozhou– a location abundant in fish and shellfish and also frequently consumed with numerous tiny plates of salted enhancement. As Teochew food is understood for its fish and shellfish and also vegan recipes, the gruel is normally coupled with steamed or steamed fish, shellfish, shellfish, kiam chai (salty veggies), chai por (maintained radish), and also several others.
Most effective Teochew gruel in Singapore:
- Choon Seng Teochew Gruel
- Heng Long Teochew Gruel
- Tian Tian Fatt Teochew Gruel
- Joo Seng Teochew Gruel
- Zai Shun Curry Fish Head
- Ye Lai Xiang Teochew Gruel 夜 来 香 潮 州 粥
- Teo Heng Teochew Gruel
- Kheng Nan Lee Consuming Home
- Quickly Quickly Teochew Gruel Dining Establishment 顺 顺 潮 州 粥
- Ah Seah Consuming Home
“I’m Very Tired”: Ah Seah Teochew Porridge’s Owner Closes Popular Stall Shocking Regulars
Most people hope to knock off at 6pm, but a typical work day for Carol Lee starts from 6am and ends after midnight, six days a week. The 55-year-old is the second-gen owner of Ah Seah Teochew Porridge in Hougang, which her parents founded in 1955.
The old-school joint is popular for its Teochew muay with a myriad of side dishes like braised intestines, steamed fish and stewed chicken feet. It also has a long list of celeb fans like Pierre Png, Xiang Yun, Edmund Chen, Zheng Geping and Terence Cao. “Andy Lau came by a few times, many years ago when my shop was still [at the old location] across the road,” Carol shares. So it came as a shock to Carol's regulars when she announced that she was closing her longtime business for good. The eatery’s last day of operation is on June 19, 2022, just before its lease expires on June 30.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Carol says the main reason for the closure is manpower shortage, which took a toll on her and her family members who are helping her to run the eatery. “I’m very tired. It’s seriously very tiring. It’s a busy job,” she tells us wearily. Due to the local manpower quota, Carol struggled with hiring staff. “In the future manpower is going to be an issue. Youngsters don’t want [the job] and the elderly can’t cope. It’s not a glamourous job. In the future it’s quite difficult to be in this line. This is labour-intensive work, you cannot do everything on your own,” she shares. It was a further blow to her when "two aunties” working at her shop resigned. “They said they cannot manage ’cos they are too old,” Carol says. “One of them, her back was bent almost 45 degrees after two years of working. One day she said she cannot already and wanted to leave, so I had to let her go. The other auntie’s husband had a heart attack, so she had to go look after him.”
Ah Seah Teochew Porridge at Kovan closed down on June 19, 2022 after 58 years
Institution and eatery Ah Seah Teochew Porridge closed down on Sunday, June 19, 2022, having been in operation for 58 years. News of its pending closure was put up on Facebook on May 26. No reasons were given.
The announcement thanked its customers who have patronised the business over the years. However, the notice ended with a note on the possibility the eatery will make a comeback. It read: "We look forward to the day that we may serve you again." Ah Seah Teochew Porridge has been described as a family-run business that serves Teochew porridge.
Its founder set up his first stall in the former Lim Tua Tow market in 1964. Over the years, the business relocated several times before settling in its premise at Teck Chye Terrace. The second generation of the family has taken over the business. Teochew porridge is a well-loved staple in the Teochew enclave of Hougang. Its staple dishes include stir-fried vegetables, braised meats, and steamed fish, besides the well-loved classic fares such as salted egg and preserved vegetables.
AH SEAH TEOCHEW PORRIDGE – TRADITIONAL TEOCHEW PORRIDGE EATERY IN SERANGOON CLOSED IN JUNE
Ah Seah Teochew Porridge, a popular Teochew Porridge eatery at Teck Chye Terrace (near Serangoon and Kovan), closed on 19 June 2022. The founder, Ah Seah, first started his Teochew porridge stall at the now-defunct Lim Tua Tow market in the 1950s and they relocated several times over the years before settling at the current location at Teck Chye Terrace for the past 11 years.
Other than Ah Seah Teochew Porridge, there are also several eateries located along Tech Chye Terrace and they include 8 degrees Taiwanese cafe, Yaowarat Seafood, Jangsu Korean BBQ Restaurant and Amika Cafe. Ah Seah Teochew Porridge offers more than 50 variety of dishes, including braised dishes, stir-fried vegetables and steamed fish. The signature dishes include minced pork, handmade fish cake, and stingray.
It is such a shame that a traditional Teochew porridge eatery is closing down and we hope that they will consider to make a comeback in the near future. Meanwhile, you have until 19 June 2022 to try their popular Teochew porridge.
Ah Seah Teochew Porridge
Ah Seah Teochew Porridge is a family-run business that has been serving Teochew porridge, a well-loved staple in the Teochew enclave of Hougang, since the 1960s. The founder set up his first stall in the former Lim Tua Tow market in 1964. Over the years, the business relocated several times before settling in its current premise at Teck Chye Terrace. Today, the second generation of the family has taken over the business.
From National Monuments to memories of diverse communities who call Hougang home, these three thematic trails are designed to bring you on a journey of discovery. Explore Hougang beyond its modern housing estates, trace its stories through its built heritage, and get to know how it transformed from kampongs into the suburb it is today.
Teochew Congee rice Porridge
Authentic Teochew Porridge That Even Grandma Would Approve of
The humble bowl of porridge Teochew Muay 糜 (蘪) and its accoutrements sit unassumingly on the table, akin to an earnest, honest everyday salary man that usually blends into the background and goes unnoticed. However, at “ChaoZhou Porridge”, porridge takes on a new life. It assumes a starring role. It is the pièce de résistance, perfected over 10 years of dedicated study.
ChaoZhou Porriage’s head chef devoted a decade of his life to teasing out every secret and nuance of its preparation. He pursued this consuming passion to the very source itself, seeking out various Teochew chefs in Chaoshan, China to learn from. On his travels, he picked up authentic recipes and honed his technique. Preparing the large spread of dishes requires consummate skill in all styles of cooking, from braising to steaming to deep frying. Now, back to Singapore, one can join him and discover the simple pleasure of tucking into a bowl of porridge and its accompanying assortment of tasty dishes.
The main course items are:
- Steamed Minced Meat with Salted Fish Set
- Fragrant Minced Meat Set
- Braised Delights Set
- Braided Duck Set
The side dishes are:
- Preserved Radish Omelette
- Stir Fried Broccoli
- Stir Fried Pumpkin with Preserved Radish
- Stir Fried Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable
- Fried Vermicelli with Cabbage and Golden Mushroom
- Braised Tau Pok
- Beancurd Fried Garlic
- Stir Fried Long Bean with Preserved Radish
Teochew porridge (Chinese: 潮州糜)
A Teochew rice porridge dish is often accompanied with various small plates of side dishes. Teochew porridge is served as a banquet of meats, fish egg, and vegetables that is eaten with plain rice porridge. It may be simply prepared plain (i.e. without toppings), or include sweet potatoes. The rice grains, while softened from cooking, are still whole and not in an overly starchy state. Because the porridge is served plain, it is suitable to accompany salty side dishes. The recipe originated in Chaozhou and was later modified by early immigrants prepared in Malaysia and Singapore over the generations to suit local tastes.
In Singapore, Teochew-style porridge is usually consumed with a selection of Singaporean Chinese side dishes like nasi Padang. There is no fixed list of side dishes, but in Singapore, accompaniments typically include lor bak (braised pork), steamed fish, stir-fried water spinach (kangkong goreng), salted egg, fish cake, tofu, omelet, minced meat, braised tau kway, Hei Bee Hiang (fried chili shrimp paste), and vegetables. Teochew porridge dishes emphasize simplicity and originality, and every dish is cooked with minimum seasoning to retain its original taste. Teochew is famous for steamed fish, which is usually only seasoned with light sauce, spring onion, slices of ginger and a sprinkle of freshly crushed red pepper, so that the freshness and sweetness of the seafood can be fully appreciated.
Teochew porridge is considered a comfort food that can be eaten for both breakfast as well as supper. Singapore Airlines has since 2016 introduced Teochew cuisine on board its flights, which includes Teochew porridge.
