02

October
2009

Zhen Zhen Porridge

category: restaurants
by Yun,

This is my first blog after my four-month absence. Hehehe… I’m currently in Singapore for almost a week. It’s time to make a good use of the opportunity for eating Singaporean hawker foods. Yippee!

zhen1n

Early this week, I revisited Maxwell Road Food Center at Singapore for the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. When I was there in the food center, I was surprised to see that the queue in front of Zhen Zhen Porridge food stall was very long during lunch hour, making me wonder: “Why are many Singaporeans so crazy about Zhen Zhen Porridge? Can a bowl of porridge be that good?”. My perception on porridge/congee is that it’s merely a breakfast or late supper food made from rice boiled with a large quantity of water for a long time until it becomes a fairly viscous white porridge, which is often served with many condiments, such as green onions, fried shallots and soy sauce. I personally think there is nothing so special about porridge/congee, but the very long queue at Zhen Zhen Porridge stall really caught my attention and enticed my curiosity.

zhen3n

Though quite skeptical at the beginning, A and I finally decided to try their porridge. We spent approximately 45 minutes on the slowly-moving long queue. My order was a $2.50 bowl of chicken congee, whereas A’s order was a $3 large bowl of fish congee. The congee was loaded with tons of spring onions, crispy fried shallots, sliced gingers, chai poh (preserved turnip) and a dash of soy sauce. I also ordered the congee to be mixed with century eggs (or “Pitan” eggs). The porridge just had the right texture, viscosity and consistency and was full of flavors and ingredients in every scoop. The rice was cooked until all rice grains were completely dissolved. The taste of the porridge was way above my expectation, and it flawlessly defined the real meaning of the word “congee”. Also, it was a great value for the money. Both A and I agree that it’s the best porridge we’ve ever eaten.

zhen4n

A’s orders also included a $3 plate of Yu Sheng (slices of raw fish). The raw fish was very fresh and came in a generous portion. Almost similarly to the congee,  the Yu Sheng was also garnished with loads of spring onions, sesame seeds, fried shallots, ginger slices, chillis and a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce. Four sides of key limes were also served to add freshness to the fish. The sesame seeds and oil gave enhanced fragrance to the dish. A could not slightly sense any oily taste from the fish. It was so delicious and healthy. Make sure to also include Yu Sheng in your order. Must try!

zhen5n

So, the verdict is that, although the wait at Zhen Zhen Porridge typically takes at least 30 minutes, it is still worth the wait. Considering many Singaporeans claiming in the internet that Zhen Zhen Porridge is the best porridge stall in Singapore, no wonder that their porridge is superbly delicious and their Yu Sheng is equally good and fresh. One minor downside is that the lady owner is quite grumbling. Hehehe…

zhen2n

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Maxwell Road Food Center, Stall 54
Singapore
Opening hours: 5:30 am – 2:30 pm (closed on Tuesday)

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11 Comments so far

  1. Vera | 02 October 2009, 09:24

    Wah yun…ngak pernah tau elo jago nulis blog makanan
    very good writting & good photo….excellent might be the correct word :)

    Masih in progress and in process of learning nih Ver… after months not blogging I forgot how to write a blog already hehehe….Thank you Ver:-)

  2. veny | 02 October 2009, 09:34

    Yun
    g seneng banget lo dah nulis lagi , wawww lama banget yah lo absent , skrg tiba2 post perdana Bubur Zhen2 …gilee jadi antri 45 mnt ga sia2 ha22
    g baru tau itu Raw Fish >> YU Sheng kae gitu , kalo ke Spore lagi g penasaran mau cobain Zhen2 Porridge
    g tunggu postingan yg laen yah !

    Hi Ven…iya it’s been a while gue ga blogging and bw… sorry ga bisa visit your blog juga kemarin2 ini… gue ketinggalan banyak deh cerita2 serunya…

  3. Sinar | 02 October 2009, 13:50

    Yun…
    as always, I love your photos and the way you describe things and write your adventures…
    Surly next time to S’pore, I will try that darn yummy looking porridge!

    Thanks you mb.Sinar… if you are a fan of porridge you should try Zhen Zhen porridge when you stop by at Singapore. Be patient for the wait though!

  4. Im3th | 03 October 2009, 01:09

    Eh lo update juga akhirnya hahahahaha
    welcome (back) to blog word again Yun hahahaha
    Yun, udah di USA? nanti kalo udah gak cape n sempat update cerita2 yang lain yaaaa…
    buryamnya sepertinya menarik..tapi gw kadang males makan buryam ..abis bubur mengingatkan gw akan sakit , setiap sakit pasti gw disuruh makan bubur hahahaha

    iya met, kemarin emang badan gue jg lagi kaya mo masuk angin jadi pas banget buat moment makan bubur hehehe… kalo lagi sehat emang kadang males ya makan bubur, I fully understand :)

  5. uc | 03 October 2009, 02:22

    go back here soon my sista..dun play around too much!! envy u…

    Hi naughty sister, How’s NY? I want to go there tooo! Ugh… eating, eating and eating…..

  6. V | 04 October 2009, 05:00

    hahaha, yes. We were similarly enticed by the queue :) ). I think queue is the best indicator of good food in hawker centres.

    Yoi Ven, there are couple more food that have long queue at Maxwell Food center but I got no time to try them all. :(

  7. rina | 05 October 2009, 04:11

    Padahal cuma bubur, tapi kenapa terlihat begitu enak kalau lo yang foto ya Yun? ;-)

    hehe karena bubur yg ini emang enak rin….

  8. Lilian | 05 October 2009, 08:38

    Yun… aku jadi pengen nih… btw, sayang kita ga bisa ketemuan yaa….
    aku yang di SIngapore malah belum pernah coba2 in makanan macem2 niii…hehehe

    Hi Li….iya sayang yah kemarin ga sempet ketemuan.. cobain aja li kalo wiken pas nganggur ke Maxwell Food Center, banyak mknan2 menarik kok disana :)

  9. Jiewa | 06 October 2009, 21:33

    hmm… penampilannya lebih kalem dibanding bubur ayam ala bandung yg lebih bombastis taburan ayamnya..

    stall sekecil itu dengan antrian 45 menit.. wow.. amazed. must try ya berarti kalo ke sgp ^^

    Yes,..Must try next time you visit sg ^-^

  10. Pepy @ Indonesia Eats | 29 October 2009, 18:04

    Were those key limes or calamansis? They look like calamansi more

    I think they are calamansis….

  11. Turis Indie | 07 July 2010, 12:55

    Wah saya belum pernah coba zhen2, karena tidak kuat antrinya (maklum dateng pas lunch juga). Bikin kepingin nih