Hwee Kee Kway Chap & Teochew Pork Jelly Aspic. Singapore River Hawker @ Hong Lim Food Centre 辉记

I am looking for the old hawker stalls of Singapore River and was tipped off about Hwee Kee kuey chap at Hong Lim Food Centre. I like the taste of Hwee Kee's kway chap and pork aspic - the stall is a little under the social media radar even though it has a loyal following of long time regulars.

Today, Hwee Kee is run by friendly Mr. Tan and wife Mdm 丁. The stall was founded by Mr. Tan's father in 1958 - the young Tan had been working at the stall since he was 5 years old.

Boat Quay 1960. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeMr. Tan's father started as a mobile street hawker along Boat Quay. Hwee Kee was famous for their stewed wild boar meat.

Keng Cheow Street 1977. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThey later moved to Keng Cheow Street at Kampung Malacca.

Masjid Omar. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeMasjid Omar Kampung Melaka founded in 1820 is the oldest mosque in Singapore. It is also at Keng Cheow Street.

Ellenborough Market 1980. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeTheir next stop was the hawker centre on the third level of Ellenborough Market at Boat Quay. When Ellenborough Market was demolished in the 1990s, Hwee Kee was relocated to Hong Lim Food Centre where they remained till today. In the foreground are twakows, the workhorse of Singapore River. Twakows with red bows belong to Hokkiens and those with red & green bows belong to Teochews. The Tans come to the stall at 6am to prepare their food and opens for business shortly before 12 noon. They have pork belly, ribs, skin, trotter, intestines, stomach, tau pok, and eggs stewed in soy sauce and herbs. They also have pork aspic. They used to serve steamed shark meat but very rarely nowadays due to lack of supply.

We had a mixed plate of various cuts. I like the tender moist texture of the braised meats and intestines. The braised skin was on the soft side today. I also enjoyed the well balanced savoury and subtly herbal flavours which allowed me to taste the natural pork sweetness. The intestines were very well cleaned - I tasted only natural sweetness of pork with infused savoury herbal flavours.

This chili sauce tastes savoury spicy and went well with the braised meats.

Hwee Kee is one of the last few places left in Singapore that still serves traditional Teochew pork aspic 猪脚冻. It is pork skin boiled till the collagen becomes a thicken liquid and then chilled into a jelly. Hwee Kee uses a little jelling agent to help jellify the aspic.

The jelly holds suspended pieces of chopped boiled pork and pig skin. I like the texture of the jelly which melts in the warmth of the mouth and it tastes gently savoury sweet. The savoury sweet bits of pork and skin were tender and added layers of flavour to the jelly.

I love this nutty sweet dip that goes very well with the savoury sweet pork aspic. The braised pork and pork aspic are eaten with kway which are blanched rice sheets in a bowl of water with a splash of savoury braising stock and aromatic garlic oil. Hwee Kee also serves yam rice which is rice cooked with dark soy sauce and yam. Another hawker stall where you can get pork aspic 👈 click As mentioned, Hwee Kee doesn't have a high social media profile but both times I am here, I met their long time customers. They said they love the taste of Hwee Kee's food and that it has not changed all these years. The Tans told me that they have customers who have emigrated and they will visit them whenever they are back in Singapore. Hawker stays true to their original recipe, customers stay loyal to the heritage hawker. Please share with us other old hawker stalls from around the old Singapore River 🙏 Restaurant name: Hwee Kee 辉记Address: Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, stall No #02-33, 538 Upper Cross St, Singapore 050538Hours: 11:00am - 5:00pm (off days irregular - check Hwee Kee Kuey Chap Facebook page for updates) Non Halal Date visited: 17 Aug 2020