” I like it plain because the food I grew up with make me happy.” It’s similar to Philip Starck the custom in that it has straightforward models but is very difficult to achieve. The same is true of foods. Additionally, he added,” I don’t like to complicate things because, as chefs, we do that on a daily basis.
They definitely keep things simple and pure at Low Ah Hee, a barn that Delon physically frequents at least once per month for their popiah. A wheat flour wrapper is used to roll bangkuang( Foreign turnip or jicama ), lettuce, diced hardboiled egg, bean sprouts, raw garlic paste, special sauce, additional chili sauce and spicy dough pieces for garnish.
There are many different versions, so you can dress the popiah however you like, but this one is truly as straightforward as it gets. Delon said,” No shrimp, no features or embellishments.”
Ace Foo, a second-generation hawker, claims that his popiah has that” gu zao wei” ( Mandarin for nostalgic taste from the past ) and is named after his 76-year-old mother. His parents opened their stall 20 years ago at Bukit Timpoh Food Centre and Market. As it sounds like” old aunt” in Chinese, Low Ah Hee is also a joke, adding to the sense of tradition. Tarryn, Ace’s family, helps out at the barn and keeps everything in the family.
Delon placed an order for us to sample a spicy and non-spicy popiah( S$ 2.10 each, or S$ 6 for three ). The garlic aroma made my lips water when they arrived comfortable and nicely made. Each substantial move was divided into four orderly pieces, each of which displayed its graciously stuffed cross-sections. The fact that the popiah skins remained intact — not a split could be seen— was impressive and demonstrated Ace’s skill.
” When I first started out, many buyers complained that it wasn’t good. I prepared all of the elements, so I questioned what was wrong. My mother therefore explained that it is how I wrap. Each popiah’s body is unique. To know how to level the elements and how much to apply, you must be familiar with the body. But it took me a while to figure out how to spin the ideal popiah, he said.
The raw ingredients inside were able to shine thanks to the slender, translucent popiah skin that Ace obtains from a supplier friend who makes them in accordance with his family’s recipe. The ratios were perfectly balanced, with the chicken adding creaminess to the bangkuang’s juiciness and the squeeze of the crunchy batter bits. Ace referred to the latter as” basically deep-fried flour, made in – house to our own recipe ,” or golden flakes. They provided the food with the necessary flavorful, sensory contrast.