Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat
It is so difficult to find Pig Trotter Jelly (or Pork Aspic) nowadays because this traditional teochew cold meat is very labour intensive that very few places are willing to do it. I am so glad to have visited Lao Liang because it is one of the very few hawker stalls that sell only pig trotter jelly and shark meat now.
Lao Liang has been around for more than 50 years. Stall owner said, making pig trotter jelly is a complicated procedure. They have to first remove the fats and bones from the pig trotter, before marinating it with a variety of spices and stew for more than 10 hours to bring out the gelatin from the trotter. It is then refrigerated to until it becomes jelly. Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly is best eaten with their homemade chili sauce, which is sour and spicy.
Teochew people are very particular about the freshness of food. Hence, you can assure the quality of this plate of shark meat. It is served unseasoned but the meat is very fresh with no stench at all. Most importantly, don’t forget to dip the shark meat into their homemade plum sauce for the extra oomph. The lady boss says they used preserved plums to make into plum sauce and it takes 2-3 years for it to turn into plum sauce! This is a dish that is expected to be “extinct” very soon. If you have never try it before, visit this stall quickly before it’s gone! Each plate costs $5 onwards.
Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat - Serving rare traditional Teochew dishes
A huge part of why Berseh Food Centre feels so much like a slice of history is because of decades-old stalls like Lao Liang, which are still selling half-forgotten delicacies like pig’s trotters aspic jelly and the much harder-to-find shark version. Old-timers used to be able to get shark meat there too, but they’ve stopped selling it in recent years.
I’m quite fond of aspic, usually chicken, but they’re not that readily available outside of banquet restaurants. Shark aspic is rarer still; I’d never encountered it until today. The dish is made by boiling collagen-rich shark skin, and setting it into jelly. Even though the signboard says it’s made with “white tooth” shark in Chinese, I had no luck finding what species it was exactly. The flesh, like most bigger fish, was firm and somewhat flaky.
Pleasingly, there was no unpleasant ammonium flavour (sharks pee through their skin, apparently); it was subtle and clean-tasting - a tribute to Lao Liang’s skilled preparation techniques. Served with ice so it holds its shape in Singapore’s warm tropical climate, it also slightly mutes the flavours. As it warms in the mouth, you start to taste more of its natural sweetness. The chilli sauce adds a bit of oomph, but too much will overwhelm it. I didn’t try it this time, but I overheard the proprietress mention to another customer that her kway chap was very good as well. “Better than the other stall!” Guess I’ll have to come back soon and see if her claims are true.
Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat (Berseh Food Centre)
Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat is a popular restaurant located in Berseh Food Centre in Singapore. It is renowned for its unique and delicious dishes, such as the signature Pig Trotter Jelly and Shark Meat. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, from traditional Chinese cuisine to modern fusion dishes. The restaurant also offers a variety of drinks, including beer, wine, and soft drinks.
The restaurant is known for its friendly and attentive service. The staff are always willing to help customers with their orders and provide helpful advice. The restaurant also offers a variety of promotions and discounts, making it a great place to visit for a budget-friendly meal. The restaurant is also known for its clean and comfortable atmosphere. The tables and chairs are well-maintained and the restaurant is kept clean and tidy. The restaurant also has a spacious outdoor seating area, perfect for enjoying a meal in the fresh air.
Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat is a great place to visit for a delicious and unique meal. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a full meal, Lao Liang Pig Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat is the perfect place to go.
Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat: Traditional pork aspic & fresh shark meat at Berseh Food Centre
How often do you come across a hawker stall or restaurant in Singapore that sells pork trotter jelly (also known as de kar tang in Teochew)? It’s so rare that you can probably count with one hand. Lao Liang Pork Trotter Jelly & Shark Meat located at Berseh Food Centre is one of the few battle warriors remaining which still practices the laborious task of making this traditional old-school Teochew pork aspic dish.
I headed down on a gloomy Sunday morning around 11am, and was pretty stoked about dining here for the very first time despite passing by this hawker centre countless of times. I began searching for the stall on the second floor, and had to do a double take before my mind registered that it was the stall I was looking for.
The signage of the stall was all written in mandarin, so I could only decipher half of it with my half-past-six Chinese. The stall has been around for the past 50+ years and is operated by an elderly couple.
Pig Trotters Jelly & Shark Meat @ Xing Fu Chao Zhou Xiao Shi 幸福潮州小食
Besides Lao Liang @ Jalan Berseh Food Centre, this is probably the 2nd place I know that sells pig trotters jelly and poached shark meat. It is such a rare find in Singapore and I really wonder if such a traditional culinary art will actually survive in the years to come. Though I’ve grown up in a Teochew family (my late Great-Grandma was from Swatow and she made the world’s best png kueh), no one had ever attempted to make these dishes. When I came across this stall at Whampoa Makan Place, I just had to check out the Teochew delicacies it had to offer. Getting in touch and back to my roots so I wouldn’t regret for not having tried true-blue Teochew cuisine.
The Pig Trotters Jelly ($5.50) was also served cold. Very unique. It was like having a braised pig trotter in an agar-agar form. The jelly-like exterior tasted like a light braising sauce and I enjoyed the textures of the chopped up pig trotter – meat, fats, skin and all. I actually liked this better than the shark meat as this was more flavoursome.
The Poached Shark Meat ($7) that was served cold came in bite-sized pieces of meat with skin and fin with boney cartilage. The shark meat was fresh with no fishy smell and had a slightly natural sweetness in them. They weren’t seasoned in any way so I had to dip them in the two chilli sauces that were given. One was extremely sweet and the other was tangy sweet like the chilli sauce from oyster omelette stalls. I preferred the latter that lifted the flavour of the shark meat so it didn’t taste too bland. The stall also sells Shark Meat Jelly which is pretty unusual.
Overall, it was an interesting experience to have tried these two dishes. I wouldn’t say I was wowed over by them because I’d very much prefer a hot Chinese dish to a cold one as a meal but they made a good snack or light bite nonetheless. If you’re seeking out something new to try, can definitely consider this.
Xing Fu Chao Zhou Xiao Shi @ Whampoa Market – Old-school Teochew classics
This stall is all about traditional Teochew dishes like fish soup, bitter gourd omelette, and braised pig trotters.
The Chilled Pig Trotter’s Jelly is one of their most popular dishes as it’s pretty hard to find these days. Jellied trotters are not hard to make but more time-consuming as they are usually slow-cooked for half a day before being chilled for another full day.
For $6, you get a big serving of cold jelly slabs, brimming with savoury bits of pork meat and chopped trotters and garnished with a healthy helping of coriander. The clear jelly is made with the boiled broth and gelatin, and is full of collagen. Dip the trotters in chilli sauce, which is on the sour and tangy side and takes the meaty edge off the dish. Jellied pig trotters are usually eaten as a snack or an appetiser.
