Trick & Treat to Charsiew & Roasted Duck

Like many in the world, I am enjoying my long Easter weekend.

Yesterday, Chup and I went to the famous Tiong Bahru Food Centre for lunch. This food centre is well known for the nation's (Singapore) famous food like carrot cake, chwee kuey, tiong bahru pao etc etc...

Our visit there was to satisfy my craving for Tiong Bahru char siew pao.

As usual, it would be difficult to find parking among those parallel parking lots adjacent to the blocks consisting of wet market and 2 blocks of food stalls. We had to park at the multi storey carpark which is some 5 minutes walk away. And the Tiong Bahru pao had to be the stall furthest away from the carpark! But of course the walk was all worth it :)


As I munched on my pao, a char siew rice stall attracted my attention. I think the stall is called "Lee Yung Kee". It was displaying some very delicious-looking roasted ducks, char siew and roasted pork among others.

In addition, the stall is also endorsed by "City Beat" or something to that effect. When hawker stalls in Singapore display such stickers from TV variety programmes, diners would have a good indication that the food they sell would be quite commendable. Photo is borrowed from this site.

I was very tempted to try.
In fact, I was very tempted to try all charsiew, roasted duck as well as roasted pork. I wonder if the Uncle would sell all that to me without the rice for $2? They can give me less, I just wanted to try. As a guide, a plate of char siew rice costs $3.

I asked Chup if Uncle would scold me.

Chup said, "What's a little bit of scolding".

So here's the story.

Chup's right. What's a little bit of scolding. So I approached the Uncle.

Me: Uncle, can I buy roasted pork and roasted duck for $2?
Uncle: (looking at me with a ridiculed expression)
No lah... can't sell like that
Me: (Why am I not surprised...) Because I just feel like trying as I already had my lunch. Is there any way?
Uncle: No way lah...
Me: Then how can I buy?
Uncle: You gotta pay $7

(Not so much of the price, but more like the quantity which I wouldn't be able to finish. So I gave up and walked back to my table)

Then I had another idea. So I went to the Uncle again.

Me: Uncle, if I buy roasted pork & roasted duck rice, is it ok?
Uncle: Yah, sure.
Me: How much?
Uncle: $4
Me: Oh, ok! Give me that then. But you don't have to give me the rice.
Uncle: Oh, then I can't sell you.
Me: Huh? Why? I don't want the rice cos I am full.
Uncle: No, you still must have the rice. I can give you a little bit only.
Me: Alright, then. Give me roasted pork & roasted duck with 2 teaspoons of rice.

And the deal is concluded :)

Their food is not bad but not fantastic either.
I would give it ***1/2. Give it a try if you have time.
Don't forget to use my trick if you happen to be quite full that day.

.... the one who's cleaning up the house with Chup today