Address: 57 Eng Hoon Street, Tiong Bahru Estate, Singapore 160057

“yoz…on for tze cha?”
“of course, dude,” I replied, “where?”
“this place somewhere in Tiong Bahru.”
“ok, onz.” Thus the dinner date was set with four of my buddies. Wish things were that simple with the opposite sex.

The place was located in a sleepy part of Tiong Bahru estates. Quaint trees lined the sidewalks and the back alleys were formed from the backdoors of two-storey shophouses. The place echoed of a simpler time. No fancy decor here, no waitresses in matching uniforms, no pretensions…only basic amenities and the knowledge that comfort food will definitely be served.

“eat what ah?” our Maitre D’ barked in cantonese. I was totally non-conversant with this Chinese dialect (being more of a speaker of the cruder form of Hokkien). One of the dudes took over and quickly rattled off a string of gibberish which probably translated to “bring me your best swill and dog barf”.

Our beverage of choice was Tiger - a home brewed, Singapore beer. Our conversation quickly turned to how we disliked the ad campaign where Jessica Alba is used like a lifeless prop while a few dudes crowd around her in awe, conveniently holding bottles of Tiger. I mean wtf?! Come on…the money could have been put to better use….a few buxomy babes…some sand…spraying of water…and placement of the product…good old fashioned advertisement (I kid…I respect woman and will never treat them as sex objects…peace).

Our highly intellectual discourse was interrupted by the serving of our dinner. You Tiao (fried dough fritters), Fish with Black Bean Paste, Sweet & Sour Pork, Kangkong with garlic and the Hor Fun (not whore fun, hur hur…its Chinese for thick noodles with thick gravy).

The pork was mediocre. Though I liked the You Tiao, the fish, the vegetables and the Hor Fun. The You Tiao because its fried and I love fried food. The fish because it did not taste like fish but a derivative of pork drenched in sauce. The Kangkong was crunchy and anything will taste better than my mum’s vegetable dishes that are cooked with absolutely no oil (she is a firm believer that bad tasting food is good for her kids…). The Hor Fun provided the meal with volume plus the warmth that settled in my stomach gave me much satisfaction…ahh…(and at a total cost of S$60 for 3 bottles of Tiger and the food for 4 persons…no complaints there).

Our hunger satiated, we engaged in some coffeeshop talk. Politics, what it means to be Singaporean, National Service…food and fire in our bellies.