Por Kee – A Name That Had Run Its Course

Por Kee Eating House closed its shutters for the last time on 30 September 2013.

That brought to an end another chapter of my childhood. I will miss it much, not so much for its food which was very pedestrian in its early years, but because I had patronized the eatery since the 60s.

The Chinatown that I remember from back then was abuzz with activity. Smith Street -- on which Por Kee was first located -- was a street market by day and sold all manner of exotic animals. Yes, in those days, pythons, monitor lizards, civet cats, and anteaters were displayed in cages and slaughtered live just like chickens and ducks. By night Smith Street was lined with food stalls, many well known even then, and some of which have survived until today, such as Heng Ji Chicken Rice, Run Ji Braised Duck, Tong Heng Confectionery and etc.

Por Kee occupied the ground floor of a two-unit shop house at No. 76 Smith Street. On the street in front of the shop sat a long aluminium table, above which hung a variety of roast meat. On the tabletop were metal trays displaying fried spring rolls, carrot cakes and buns. There was also a row of huge pots that contained cooked food such as braised pork, steamed chicken, and steamed ribs. These constituted the “one-dish” meals popular with working men who lived without families.

As Por Kee’s premises were at the building corner, a side lane ran next to it, and at its the mouth were placed steamers holding bamboo baskets stacked high with dim sum. There were additional tables along the side lane where patrons could sit and watch rats scamper past.

For me, Por Kee became a favourite place to grab a quick snack of fried spring roll or siew mai before heading off to meet friends. I remember in particular a one-dish meal unique to Por Kee called “smooth chicken rice” or “滑鸡饭”.  From its inception Por Kee was never known for the tastiness of its food, but as a convenient and affordable stop to grab a bite to fill the stomach before heading off somewhere.

Still, it was a pity that the final night of this half-century-old eating establishment should end with such disappointment for me. I had seen first-hand the ups and downs of their business over the years. And after eating there on their “farewell” night, I understood why they failed to grow or keep up with the competition. Their attitude was abysmal. One incident from many that night should suffice: when I mildly rebuked the waitress for the inexcusably poor fried rice that we were served, she snorted, “You complain now also no use, we last day already.”

I went away from the dinner with a heavy heart and actually felt glad that they had gone at last.

“Smooth” Chicken Rice

Chicken chop                         4

Chicken stock                         ½ cup

Salt                                          ¼ tsp

Corn flour                               1 tbsp, mixed with 2 tbsp of water

Cooked rice                            12 cups

Chye sim                                 50 gm, blanched

White pepper                         a dash

Marinate:

Ginger juice                            2 tbsp

Oyster sauce                          2 tbsp

Soy sauce                               ¼ tsp

Chinese wine                          1 tbsp

Sugar                                       ¼ tsp

Method:

1. Marinate chicken chops for 30 minutes.
2. Steam chicken until cooked.
3. Divide rice into 4 portions. Slice chicken chops and distribute evenly into 4 portions. Place chicken and chye sim on top of the rice.
4. Pour steamed chicken juice in a small pot. Add chicken stock and stir thoroughly. Simmer and season with salt.
5. Thicken gravy with corn starch.
6. Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with pepper.
7. Serve hot.

Show Some Skin

When I was a kid, I would know Mid-Autumn Festival was around the corner because my relatives would send huge paper lanterns to our home. These lanterns were about 1.5 metres tall, wrapped with painted cellophane paper and decorated with tassels. Inside the lantern, and driven by hot air from the candle, a ring of painted scenic and calligraphic images would rotate. It was gorgeous! Such lanterns are sadly extinct from Singapore; but the moon cake, fortunately, is still around.

I’ve never been greatly enamored of moon cakes; I find their fillings too sweet to like. But there is a fruit I always associate with Mid-Autumn Festival -- the pomelo. I love it and could literally eat it non-stop, until one day I discovered that excessive quantities of it upset my digestion. 

However, the fruit was useful in other ways. My cousins and I would make our own lanterns with pomelo skins. Using a pointed knife, we would cut holes through the skin so the light would cast graphic shadows on the wall. The grown-ups of the family, who prized the discarded skins as an ingredient for certain dishes, would try to hide them from the kids.

When treated as described in the recipe below, the pomelo skin behaves like a sponge; so specially prepared stocks are often used to braise it. In fact, I used superior stock that is good enough for abalone and other delicacies. The texture of skin that I got out of it can be compared to a savory bread pudding.

Braised Pomelo with Prawn Roe

Pomelo skin                           ½ fruit, quartered

Lard                                         5 tbsp

Young ginger                         4 slices

Roast pork                              200 g

Superior stock                        4 cups

Superior abalone sauce         2 tbsp

Prawn roe                               3 tbsp

Dark soy sauce                       1 tbsp

Brown sugar                           ½ tbsp

Salt                                          2 tsp

Sesame oil                              ½ tsp

Method:
1.         Grill the pomelo skin (the green outer side only) over fire till it is charred all over.

2.         Soak the charred pomelo skin under water. Peel off the charred surface until the skin is totally clean of burnt surfaces.

3.         Rinse skin thoroughly, and soak in clean water for 2 days. During this period, change water periodically.

4.         Squeeze pomelo skin dry and boil it for 5 minutes.

5.         Remove and submerge in cold water.

6.         Squeeze out all liquid and repeat Step 5 twice.

7.         Pan fry pomelo skin in a dry pan until all liquid evaporates. Remove and set aside.

8.         Saute ginger and roast pork with lard. Sprinkle Chinese wine. Add stock and reduce the sauce slightly.

9.         Season it with prawn roe (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce, brown sugar and salt.

10.      Add pomelo skin and braise for 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken by now.

11.      Serve pomelo skin on a serving plate. Pour gravy over the skin.

12.      Add a dash of sesame oil and sprinkle the remaining prawn roe over the dish.

13.      Serve hot.

Scholarly Moon Cakes

In the past, Hokkien moon cakes came in a box of 63 pieces; and they were called zhuang yuan bing or Scholarly Cakes for an interesting reason. During dynastic times in China, scholars sat for the Imperial Examination to fill administrative positions in the imperial court ranging from the most senior to the most minor. Likewise, the moon cakes in the box were arranged in groups of descending weight and size that corresponded to the actual number of positions in each imperial grade. The largest moon cake could weigh as much as 750 grams.

While anyone would baulk at the thought of wolfing down ¾ of a kilogram of sugared paste and pastry at one go, Hokkien moon cakes were actually made of savory minced meat and candied winter melon. But these moon cakes began to lose popularity after WW II, and their traditional savory fillings gave way to a sweet Teochew-influenced filling of red bean paste cooked in lard. Their appearance – that of a white moon -- remained.

The Tan Hock Seng Cake Shop on Telok Ayer Street was established some 63 years ago. Its current owner, Tan Boon Chai, continues to preserve and perpetuate the traditions of Hokkien-style pastry making, like his father and grandfather before him. The production of the moon cake involves painstaking labor. The dough is thoroughly mixed and kneaded until it turns pure white. The filling is a mix of candied winter melon, candied tangerine peel, melon seeds, sugar and lard. And before baking, additional sesame seeds are sprinkled at the base of the cake to give it a distinctive fragrance.

It is easy to distinguish the Hokkien moon cake: it is the one shaped in a white disc with a red “fu” stamped on it.

TAN HOCK SENG CAKE SHOP

86 Telok Ayer Street

Singapore 048469

Telephone: 65331798