Singapore, Januray 10, 2010
MEAT
Who: Mr David Johari, 55
What: Joe’s Butchery
Where: Tekka Market, 665 Buffalo Road, 01-111, open: 6am to 6pm daily
If you do not know what you are talking about when it comes to beef or lamb, and you are too proud to learn, there is a good chance Mr Johari might not want you as a customer.
Mr Willin Low, 37, owner of modern Singaporean restaurant Wild Rocket in Upper Wilkie Road, said when he met the butcher in 2005, he was told off after he questioned the price of a rack of lamb.
“When I asked why his rack of lamb costs more than the one I bought at another stall in the same market previously, Joe told me he did not want to serve me any more because I did not know anything about meat.
“So I told him, ‘If you say I don’t know anything, then teach me.’”
Mr Johari, who has more than 40 years of butchering experience, explained that Mr Low was likely to have been sold mutton, meat from a sheep that is more than one year old, instead of lamb, which is younger, more tender and tastier.
Mr Low adds that Mr Johari taught him about different cuts of meat and ways to improve his cooking to bring out the best flavour in the meat.
Without mincing his words, Mr Johari, who is married to a housewife with four teenage children, says: “When customers do not want to listen to us, there is no way we can help them and they are better off shopping elsewhere.”
He adds that for customers who are willing to learn, however, he is passionate about sharing his knowledge on various ways of cooking different types of meat.
Mr Johari started out helping at his brother-in-law’s now defunct butchery in MacPherson Road as a child. After a stint as a dancer at the now defunct Neptune Theatre restaurant in Collyer Quay, he worked as a butcher with supermarket chains Cold Storage and NTUC Fair-Price. As part of his training at Cold Storage, he spent a month at a butchery in Perth, Australia, in the late 1980s, honing his skills.
A desire to be his own boss led him to set up shop at Tekka Market in 2001. To differentiate his stall, he sells a wide range of cuts of beef, including prime cuts such as prime rib and porterhouse, and usually for a few dollars a kilo cheaper than similar cuts sold at supermarkets.
Who: Mr Tan Yong Seng (above), 55
What: Chicken stall (no name)
Where: Empress Market, 7 Empress Road, 01-06/07, open: 7am to 1pm daily, tel: 6472-1389
Mr Tan Yong Seng, who delivers to restaurants, started a home-delivery service a year ago to keep his long-time customers.
He explains that many of his customers were from Farrer Court estate which was sold in an en bloc sale in 2007. “Since Farrer Court was sold, we lost a lot of business, so having a home-delivery service keeps the business afloat.”
Order one day in advance and he will deliver the chicken meat to your house, for a minimum spending of $30, every day except Mondays.
For housewife Janice Tan, who lives in Bukit Timah, the good service is what keeps her going to Mr Tan for more than 20 years.
She says: “I have always found the chicken to be very fresh. He also allows you to buy just the breast bone for chicken stock, without having to buy the back bone.”
Mr Tan, who took over the business from his mother, has been selling chickens for over 30 years. He also sells Halal-certified chickens.
Mrs Tan, who is in her 60s, says: “He can give you good advice, be it a chicken for chicken rice or for chicken curry.”
Who: Mr Quek Seow Chuah, 55, and Madam Ang Swee Har, 47 (both above)
What: Quek Frozen Food Stall
Where: Toa Payoh Vista Market, 74 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, 02-09/10, open: 4am to 1pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)
Mr Jolly Wee, 83, has been buying fresh pork from Mr Quek for the past 18 years.
He says that the owners have given him tips on how to clean the meat and how best to cook it, and this has helped him in his job as a food consultant.
Owner Mr Quek mans the stall with his wife and they have been in the business for 30 years. The steady stream of customers on a weekday morning attests to its popularity.
Customers praise the personal service and the attention to details.
Housewife Eileen Lau, 62, says: “I buy meat to prepare baby food for my granddaughter, so they will grind the meat twice to make sure it is soft enough.”
The Queks have customers who come from all parts of Singapore, including Bukit Timah and Hougang.
Mr Lee Ah Chyu, 62, who has been patronising the stall for a year, says in Mandarin: “Here, they will remember that I like meat with more fat, so they will leave it in for me. And they are very honest and charge reasonably.
“It is not the same when you buy from the supermarket.”
Guide to the best stalls:
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| Guide to the best stalls: Fruits |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Vegetables |
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| Guide to the best stalls: Tofu & 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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