Porridge Master @ Blk 442 Jurong West Ave 1

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While checking out the chicken rice balls from Qi Lin Xuan Kitchen at Blk 442 Jurong West Ave 1, I found out about this porridge stall called Porridge Master from the coffee shop next door.

A search revealed that this porridge stall does not have much online presence. According to whatever little information I could gather, the stall owner purportedly dishes out fantabulous bowls of porridges.

Upon my arrival at around 10am, the stall owner was sitting outside his stall, having porridge with canned sardines.

I felt bad for disrupting his breakfast but I did it anyway and ordered the signature mixed pig's organ porridge ($4.50). He did not immediately respond to me but took his time to put down the spoon and slowly make his way into the kitchen without a word.

Nearly five minutes later, he brought out the piping hot bowl of porridge and a couple of things took me by surprise.

To begin with, porridge stalls elsewhere normally serve their porridges in mid-sized bowls but, the bowl of porridge served here is the largest I have seen to date. Not only that, the porridge was filled to the brim.

As I carried the bowl in my hands, the unmistakable fragrance of sesame oil wafted to my nose. I could not recall coming across any other porridge stalls that seasoned their porridge with sesame oil as well. Or perhaps they did, but did not put enough to leave an impression.

Then, the youtiao.

We know how the usual youtiao is crispy on the outside while fluffy on the inside but this one is crispy inside out.

I have never seen youtiao like this before. I supposed they were cut up and deep fried once more till dehydrated to achieve the crispness. It is truly in a league of its own.

While stirring the porridge, the ingredients below such as the little knobs of minced pork, intestines, liver and stomach surfaced to the top. At the same time, the youtiao on top sank to the bottom.

I suggest not to stir in all the youtiao at once as they turned soggy instantly. Leave them on the surface of the porridge and it will stay crisp until you are ready to have them.

The porridge is flavorful on its own without the need for more seasonings.

Texture wise, the grains of rice are still visible thus it is not the smoothest nor creamiest. I am not too fond of porridges that are starchy like glue or when the rice grains have totally disintegrated therefore this is perfect for me.

The ingredients are fresh and plentiful so there is bound to be something with every bite.

I took a long time finishing my porridge as I do not cope too well with hot food. I had to deploy my USB fan to help make the eating more comfortable. By the last mouthful, the viscosity remained the same as the first mouth and did not turn watery.

I am not exactly sure of the business hours but your best bet is to come after 9am. I only managed to have this bowl of porridge on my sixth visit to the stall. When I came at about 7am during the previous five visits, the stall was not opened yet. The disappointments led me to wonder if all these wasted trips are worth the effort? After all, I needed to take three buses to get here.

After tasting the porridge today, however, I can assure you the affirmative. Porridge Master serves a competent bowl of porridge that is well-worth not just your time, but your money as well.

This porridge stall is truly a well-kept secret of Jurong West.

Here is a word of caution: the stall owner is a man of few words and appeared to be quite aloof. I am just making an assumption here but he could be an introvert like myself.

Do not take it personally if he does not respond the way you expected him to but that is mostly how introverts function. Personally, I do not talk much as well and I at times became lost in my own world. Due to this, I often find myself in situations of being misunderstood.

I do not speak for all introverts but I could empathize with him.

Anyway, you are there to eat, not to make friends so do bear with him.