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As greatly respected as he is feared by many professional chefs, Wong Ah Yoke is one of Singapore's leading food critics. His regular reviews in The Straits Times have become a report card for many new restaurants opening up on the island's thriving dining scene. Negative remarks about the sub-par quality of an outlet's choice of cuts, or the way it was prepared, have wrecked havoc on the preformance of several restaurants in the past, prompting them to strive to improve their offerings. Similarly, Ah Yoke's glowing feedback has also helped many restaurants here to become iconic food destinations that have since been packed to the brim.
Needless to say, Ah Yoke spends a large amount of his time eating out. But when quizzed about his comfort food, Ah Yoke says that what he really likes are his homemade meals for one.
What's comfort food to you?
That would be the meals I make for myself when I'm not reviewing a restaurant.
What kinds of food do you like to cook at home?
Simple Chinese fare. Nothing too complicated or that requires too many steps. When you have good ingredients you tend to not want to do too much to it anyway, just let the original flavours do the work.
What do you have in your fridge?
I use the fridge like my store room actually. That's where I keep my dried ingredients like chinese herbs, scallops and vegetables. I like bean sprouts, so I always have them in my fridge. It can get messy in there and I'm always running out of space. (Click here to learn about organising your fridge.)
What's your go-to dish on weekends?
On weekends I like to make congee. You can put anything into congee and it will taste great. Personally, I like to add handmade porkballs or salted pork cubes.
Why salted pork cubes?
When you marinate pork in salt, it brings out the flavour of the meat and changes its texture. The tip here is to leave the fats on the pork, don't trim it off, because the fat also helps to make the texture of the congee smooth and rich.
What else do you add to your congee?
When I prefer a stronger flavour I add salted egg and dried oysters.
Slow cookers are the ideal kitchen appliance for preparing congee and soups. Here's a look at the different types of slow cookers on the market and things to consider when selecting one.
Recipe for cordyceps congee with dried scallops
Ingredients (serves two)
10g
Cordyceps
20g
Lean pork or chicken breast
Half-cup
Rice
1l
Water
2pcs
Dried scallop
1tbsp
White wine, salt to taste
Directions
l. Rinse cordyceps. Rinse and soak scallops.
2. Wash rice and place cordyceps, meat and soaked scallops into the pot and add water.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn to low heat and simmer till porridge is ready.
4. Add wine and salt into porridge, then mix well.
5. Dish out and serve.
(Recipe courtesy of Natura, image courtesy of Eu Yan Sang.)