You know, the first time I tasted Geylang Serai Chee Kong's cheng tng, it was free of charge 😄 I was sharing a table with a Malay uncle and naturally, we had an unker to unker talk about what to eat. He went to buy cheng tng, and belanja (Malay for treat) me one 😄 The kampong spirit is alive and well in Geylang Serai 💪
Pakcik was one of Geylang Serai Chee Kong's many life long fans. Now, they added this Chinese unker.
Geylang Serai Chee Kong is the only Chinese stall in Geylang Serai food centre - the rest are Malay or Indian Muslim food stalls.
Anyway, "chee kong" is the Malay word in Singapore and Johor for cheng tng 清汤. I actually don't know how this came about and wondered if it is a corruption of the Cantonese way of saying 清汤 which sounds like cheng tong. I hope someone can enlighten me 🙏
Mdm Lee, her brother and sister-in-law are second generation owners of Geylang Serai Chee Kong stall. Mdm Lee's uncle runs the famous Ye Lai Xiang cheng tng stall, #31 at Bedok Corner (so, you can get a similar cheng tng there).
Mdm Lee and sister-in-law (in 2005) at the old Geylang Serai Market before it was demolished. See how they used to pack the cheng tng in plastic bags. Today, the cheng tng are packed in vacuum sealed cups.
Geylang Serai Chee Kong was founded by Mdm Lee's father in the 1950s. His stall was at the Marine Parade beach near to where Joo Chiat Community Club is today. The stall was later upgraded to a mobile stall on tricycle and it plied along Onan Road. Mdm Lee worked at the stall since she was a child.
Cheng tng is a traditional "cooling" dessert served hot or cold (with ice).
I like Geylang Serai Chee Kong's cheng tng because it is not overly sweet. I can taste a bit of pandan leaf flavour and fragrance in the cheng tng.
It is loaded with ingredients. I spotted more than 10 - barley, green beans, white fungus, gingko nut, dried longan, dried persimmon, sweet potato, lotus seed, pang da hai (malva nut), sago, candied melon, etc. The ingredients are all expertly prepared, so they retain their unique textures and bite.
There's just so many textures and layers of sweetness dancing on our tastebuds, all for a princely sum of $2.50.
Next time you are at Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre, check out Geylang Serai Chee Kong's cheng tng and their other desserts. Your stomach will
Written by Tony Boey on 14 Sep 2021
Fans of Geylang Serai Chee Kong
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments submitted with genuine identities are published