Eating is one of our national pastimes, as is talking about it.

And almost invariably, friends, colleagues and cabbies would enthuse to me about char kway teow, chilli crab or some other sinfully fatty, wickedly tasty indulgence. In other words, not the type of food you should risk every day.

Weeks ago, however, I met a taxi driver who made a different kind of food confession.

He told me of how he would drive to Bukit Batok just about every day to have the same thing: rice with four vegetable dishes and a meat dish from the same chye png (dishes and rice) stall.

Intrigued, I went to the Ming Li Economy Rice stall the other day to find out what the attraction might be.

At first sight, hawker H’ng Meng Gway’s selection did not seem unusual or earth-shaking in any way. There were the usual dishes such as pork chop, vegetable curry, stir-fried bitter gourd and stir-fried pumpkin (prices from $2.70, for rice with two vegetable dishes and a meat dish).

Except that they did not appear as shiny – and as greasy – as those at other chye png stalls.

I liked how the bitter gourd rings were crisp and still bitter, the pumpkin squares powdery and the pork stir-fried in dark soya sauce crunchy.

So the pork chop was not crispy enough and the char siew too sweet for me and not charred enough.

But, on the whole, the dishes by Ms H’ng, who has helmed the stall for more than 20 years, were homely, simple and wholesome.

And nothing left an oil slick in my mouth, which is more than I can say of the fare from most chye png stalls.

This isn’t food that transports you to new levels of bliss (unlike, for instance, a foie gras creme brulee by French pastry chef Pierre Herme).

But this food may take you right back to your mother’s kitchen.
 
MING LI ECONOMY RICE
217 Eating House, 01-365 Block 217
Bukit Batok Street 21
Open: 11am - 7pm
(weekdays), 11am - 6pm (Saturdays), closed on Sundays
Rating: ***

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Apr 20, 2008.