The Dead Cockroach: Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh @ Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre

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Mention Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre and Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh is bound to come to mind.

Sixty years into the business, Mr Lee began helping his mother peddle chwee kueh from a push cart outside Alexandra Hospital in 1959.

Now, a permanent fixture at the food centre since its opening in the 1970s, he and his wife has been selling chwee kueh to a faithful following with a sixty year old recipe that was passed down by his mother.

Unlike most other chwee kueh stalls, they simmer their chye poh (pickled radish) with pork lard instead of vegetable oil atop a charcoal stove. And that is not the only difference which sets them apart from the others; Mr Lee's chye poh does not contain sesame seeds nor dried shrimps and leans more on the salty side since no sugar are added.

For those raised on Bedok Chwee Kueh and Jian Bo Shuih Kueh, you might find this very different.

But, the most impressive factor is that their chwee kueh are not the usual run of the mill kind supplied by factories but made from scratch where the batter is mixed and poured into aluminium moulds to be steamed right at the stall. They are still using the old-school steamer where you have to use the rope and pulley system to lift up the cover!

The ready chwee kueh would then be scooped from the aluminium moulds and topped with the chye poh, ready to serve.

Some might feel that the stall could have been more generous with the chye poh but because theirs is the salty type, a little bit goes a long way.

There is a minimum order of four pieces for $2. There have been a slight increase in price (it used to be $1.60 for four pieces three years ago) but consider the fact that these are freshly handmade daily and the laborious work involved for a 80-ish years old uncle, this is a small price to pay.

In fact, with a little over half a century history behind it, Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh should be nominated for a heritage food award of sorts for keeping true to traditions.

My only problem with the chwee kueh is the bamboo skewer. When you try picking one up, the entire chwee kueh will flip over, throwing all the chye poh off it. Do not even bother picking up the chye poh with the stick.

Luckily, I always do my homework and came prepared with a fork.