Singapore, January 10, 2010 - Chef R. Rathakrishnan, 40, chef-owner of casual French restaurant The Black Sheep Cafe in Mayo Street calls Joo Seng Vegetable Supplier in Shunfu Mart a “hidden gem” of a wet market vegetable stall.
The compact stall in Shunfu Road sells beyond the usual range of Asian vegetables such as chye sim and bok choy. You can find parsnip, Swiss chard, fresh dill and mesclun greens.
Unlike most wet market vegetable stalls, organic products such as fresh alfalfa sprouts, brown rice and bottled fruit juices are also available.
Chef Rathakrishnan, who has been patronising the stall since 2006 after his mother told him about it, says: “They have a wide range of vegetables, including organic produce and they handle the vegetables with care so it is always fresh. The prices are also very reasonable.”
When LifeStyle asked more than 60 avid home cooks, culinary instructors, chefs and restaurateurs for their favourite wet market stalls, the ones that made the list had three things in common: they offer personalised service and fresh produce, their prices are competitive and they are veterans with many years in the business.
Mr Dennis Wee, 57, chairman of Dennis Wee Realty who frequents the New Upper Changi Road Block 58 Market, echoes the sentiment among foodies who shop at wet markets when he says: “I have been going there for more than 12 years and I have become friends with the stall owners there. They are polite, they charge reasonable prices and they sometimes throw in freebies such as extra spring onion at the vegetable store.
“The food they sell is also fresh and they always have good recommendations on what to buy and how to cook it.”
Others such as chef Armin Leitgeb, 33, chef de cuisine of contemporary French restaurant Les Amis in Shaw Centre, frequent wet markets for culinary inspiration.
Chef Leitgeb, who visits the Tiong Bahru Market every fortnight, says: “The restaurant gets most of its ingredients from suppliers but it is interesting to walk around the wet market to see if anything new is available. Seeing all the fresh produce also sometimes inspires me to come up with new dishes.”
For wet market stall holders, offering friendly, reliable service and a wide range of produce are ways of fighting stiff competition from rapidly expanding supermarket chains.
Mr David Johari, 55, owner of Joe’s Butchery in Tekka Market which sells prime cuts of beef, says: “I give my name card to customers who ask for it. If they have questions about the meat they buy from us, they can call me directly.
“That way, they know they can trust us.”
Additional reporting by Eunice Quek and Kezia Toh
FRUITS
Who: Ms Tan Buay Kee (top), 46
What: Fruit stall (no name)
Where: Tanjong Pagar Market, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, 01-98, open: 7am to 9pm (Mondays to Saturdays), 7am to 3pm (Sundays)
Premium fruits more commonly sold at gourmet supermarkets, such as Spanish melons, donut peaches and yellow cherries, are on sale at this wet market fruit stall.
Ms Tan, who runs the stall with her mother, Madam Koh Ah Kim, 81, and older sister, Guek Hoon, 56, says in Mandarin: “People these days want the good stuff and they are willing to pay for it.”
Its selection of unusual fruits has delighted restaurateurs such as Oscar and Tracy Pasinato, owners of the Italian restaurant Buko Nero in Tanjong Pagar Road, who chanced upon the fruit stall in the neighbourhood.
Mrs Pasinato, 36, says: “We have been frequenting the stall for about 10 years. Oscar likes to incorporate fresh seasonal fruits in our food and the stall sometimes sells fruits that we have never seen before, which we like to try.”
She adds: “We have also sent diners who were impressed with the taste of the fruits to the stall.”
Taking a leaf from supermarkets, Ms Tan packs fruits such as grapes and apples in perforated clear plastic bags for hygiene and convenience, so busy office workers in the area can grab and go during their lunch break.
Ms Tan, who has been helping at the stall since she was 12, has also won customers with her honesty.
She says: “Fruits are sold everywhere and usually for about the same price. But you cannot always be sure that they taste good. I only recommend fruits that are sweet to customers so they keep coming back because they trust me.”
She adds candidly: “If customers ask about a batch of fruit that is not as sweet, I will just say ‘it is okay’.”
Guide to the best stalls:
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| Guide to the best stalls: Vegetables |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Meat |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Tofu and Noodles |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Fish |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Spices |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Eggs |
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