The Dead Cockroach: Da Jia Shi - Deep-Fried Intestines Porridge @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

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Da Jia Shi at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre is very low profile without much social media presence. Managed by one elderly lady, the stall does not attract a lot of attention and is known only to their regulars.

Illuminated by a couple of fluorescent lights, the dim and unattractive store front did not give me the urge to want to check them out despite the numerous times that I walked past over the years.

I had no idea what they sell even though the photos of their menu is plastered on the glass window.

I only realize this is a porridge stall after someone posted about it on my social media timeline.

It was the photo in that post which made me sit up and pay attention enough to pay the stall a visit.

The stall serves several types of porridge including the signature ($4/$5), deep-fried intestines ($5/$6), ikan parang/saito fish ($6/$7), fish ($3.50/$4), sampan ($4), pork with century egg ($3.50/$4) and pork ($3.50/$4).

I asked for the 猪肠粥 (deep-fried intestine porridge) but I guess she misheard as 猪杂粥 (signature porridge) instead.

Thankfully, the signature porridge also come with some deep-fried intestines as well as other ingredients such as cuttlefish, tender pork slices and deep-fried vermicelli.

The porridge was garnished with chopped spring onions. I added a dash of white pepper and cut red chili.

I like my porridge with a thick consistency but not to the point whereby the rice grains have fully disintegrated as that would be too starchy for my liking.

The rice grains in this bowl have started to break down but not all the way yet so there is still some bite to it. I find this porridge much better than Tian Tian Porridge and Jiu Ji Porridge from the same hawker centre,

The porridge is seasoned enough that there it is unnecessary to add soy sauce

The highlight for me is their crispy deep-fried intestines whose umami flavor, upon the grind of my molars, is released and fills up my entire oral cavity.

For the price, I wish the ingredients can be more generous or include youtiao or an egg to make it more value for money.

The signboard states that they have been around since 1960 which means, they have been selling porridge for sixty-three long years! Take note that Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre was only completed in 1981.

That is to say, they have been hawking in the streets for twenty-one years before settling permanently at the food centre.

I can picture the elderly lady peddling in the streets during her younger days, moving from place to place with a bamboo pole over her shoulder, balancing two pots of porridge on each end. (cue Tofu Street theme song)

Da Jia Shi is a hidden gem that only those in the know, knows and I hope it stays that way so they will not run out of intestines (I think they only make limited amounts daily).