How would you define “Unique Hawker Food?”
There’s a fine line between unique and bizarre. Would the unique interpretations deter too far away from the quintessential hawker food that we all grew up on and love?
Partly, I agree that all hawkers are unique in their own ways –unless they are exact duplicates. But, tremendous uniqueness comes from something that’s innovative and out of the box, standing out from the rest –something that intrigues and leaves an impression.
I never thought I’d encounter something so truly unique, but this bowl of Fruit Juice Mee Siam from Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa emerges as so.
Fruit Juice Mee Siam with Crayfish ($6)
The owner takes pride in cooking the gravy from scratch, insisting on using only the freshest ingredients he obtains from the wet market daily.
What sets this Mee Siam apart from others is the secret blend, of several fruit juices that yields a light and refreshing taste. The commixture of fruit juices imparts a familiar tangy flavour that we associate Mee Siam with, but without the heaviness, oiliness and cloyingness of the accustomed version. There’s also a subtle sweetness coming through the tangy notes, which I suspect comes pineapple juice. I couldn’t discern the other ingredients he’d added, but the grittiness commonly encountered in Mee Siam (from the addition of shrimp paste) is not present. Continue reading
