You’ve
heard it said a million times…in Singapore things change very fast. And, if
anything, this rate of change seems to be accelerating.
For a
sentimental foodie hooked on nostalgia -- like me; it gets pretty rough,
because everything you savored and remembered and held dear as a child would be
gone someplace else, or gone altogether. So when I sniff something I recognize
from way back, it’s understandable that my already high blood pressure gets
even higher!
Ren Ji
Food Store is a place I have been coming back to for more than 40 years. It
serves mainly Teochew braised duck and offal. Back in the 70s, they were
located at the crossing of Smith Street and Sago Street. Business was brisk
then; the owner and her team of at least 10 workers would serve hundreds of
customers in a single day. My favourite dish was braised duck heads. My cousins
and I would buy ten or more heads for our afternoon snack, and if we couldn’t
finish them, we would throw the remainder into plain porridge for extra flavor.
He Wu
Mei, the current owner, is in her early 80s, yet runs the stall near
single-handedly save for a helper. The crowds have dwindled at her present shop
at Chinatown Complex, but she refuses to retire as the business keeps her going
in life.
The
food still tastes exactly as I remembered: the braised duck succulent and
tender, the sauce light. I also remember Ms He’s ‘treasure box’ sitting in
front of her stall -- a couple of containers half-filled with the braising
sauce. Pick up a pair of chopsticks and dig into the dark, almost black,
liquid; you will find ducks’ webs, gizzards, livers, pigs’ intestines, eggs --
a veritable witches’ brew. To me, this stuff alone is worth the trip to the
stall.
The
plain rice always came with hae bee hiam
– a spicy fried powder made of dried shrimps and shallots -- spooned on top. Not many places
serves this anymore, let alone free of charge with rice. The chilli sauce is
not for the faint hearted; it’s garlicky, sour and hot. But it enhances the braised
meat and sauce.
The
average cost of a meal is about S$6 a person. For me, it’s worth every cent,
because it not only it tastes good but it’s also a trip down memory lane.
Ren Ji Food Store
#02-140, Chinatown Complex
335 Smith Street
Singapore