Charred squid legs, crispy skin-on chicken thigh, and a fragrant chilli with distinctive lemongrass, Belacan flavour. These three items have been a mainstay on my plate when ordering from the Nasi Padang store for over a decade. After a brief break during the COVID lockdown, the stall moved from Bishan over to a neighbouring estate in Sin Ming, occupying a larger corner unit. The new location can be found within a stretch of three hawker centres amidst industrial buildings and a scattering of HDBs.
From 7 am, lights are switched on and the kitchen bursts into a flurry of activity. Ingredients are brought in, the area is cleaned, and the cooking begins.
Fried eggs and omelettes are churned out without stopping with the staff handling a wok and flat top with practiced ease.
The team is divided into two. Uncle Tan handles the cooking, ensuring everything tastes just the way he wants while Auntie Cheong largely stays at the front, making sure the rice is prepared, handling orders, and doing miscellaneous prep work during lull periods.
Having chicken thighs that are crispy and flavourful throughout or curry vegetables that are tender to the bite takes effort.
The kitchen remains a hot spot with all the stoves now on. On one end, their signature chilli is scooped into a pot and mixed with curry powder and a handful of other spices. Eggs continue to be fried.
In my conversations with Uncle Tan, he highlights that for dishes to come out well, one cannot skimp on the work needed. Meats are marinated the day before, with a need to flip the batch often to ensure the marinade does not stay at the bottom.
One of the first tasks Uncle Tan starts is the preparation of vegetables. They come first thing in the morning, bundled up at the stall’s entrance from the market. Orders have to be placed the day before, explained Uncle Tan. He further mentioned that he orders them whole from the vendor instead of having them pre-prepared and sliced up. As I looked on, the batch of vegetables went through Uncle Tan’s hands and inspection before being served, with discoloured strands that did not pass his muster discarded.
The corner stall features several specialities. My favourites are the Otah, grilled chicken and squid (Sotong). The Otah, made with their own blend of spices utilises chunks of fish instead of having the meat minced into a fine paste.
My other two favourites also reflect the changes made to the kitchen. Standing conspicuously in one corner is a large combi-oven. This tool enables the team to grill, steam, or bake with precision. Throughout the preparation, trays of chicken and squid are shuffled through the oven.
Before the oven arrived, these two dishes were prepared on a long griddle, a long arduous, and often painful experience. Oil splatter will result in burns on Uncle Tan’s arms as he watches over the array of meats, ensuring a crispy skin while the flesh remains tender. This requires experience and poses a problem with the newer staff resulting in inconsistent quality. Nowadays, the cooking is down to a science, with each batch of chicken coming out perfect. Of course, they taste best fresh.
While the stall officially opens at 9 am, dishes are ready even earlier around 8.30 am and Auntie Cheong starts to serve curious customers who come by the storefront, attracted even by the limited selection. While the main stall is located in an industrial estate, Eugene, their son who helms their marketing efforts has plans to open up a branch at Junction 8, albeit with a tighter selection to cater to the fast-moving office crowd.