Hai Kee Teochew Cha Kua Teow, Margaret Drive, Singapore

You know that a place is pretty decent when you rock up half an hour before they're opened and you're still not the first one in queue. This place was Hai Kee Teochew Cha Kua Teow at unit1-550 in the Commonwealth Avenue Cooked Food Center. I have been asked repeatedly by a colleague to check out this joint and finally found the time to do so. I'm damn glad I did.

If a hawker's only decor is a solitary lightbulb under his sign, it can only mean that he channels the rest of his efforts into honing his art. Then again, maybe the lightbulb is a visual representation of an idea, an idea to create one badass Cha Kua Teow.

This guy is almost a purist when it comes to his version of cha kua teow. The only ingredients used are blood cockles (extremely fresh here), chinese sausage, eggs and beansprouts (hence making it healthy and balanced). His generous use of pork lard in conjuring up this dish is most appreciated. I bit into a crunchy piece of lard that I reckon was as huge as a fifty-cent coin. I ordered the upsized version at SGD3.50 and it was sufficient for two to share. He doesn't mind custom-orders as well, so don't be afraid to ask for less or more chilli, garlic, sweet sauce, oil (don't kid yourself) etc. Lastly, for the health freaks, he does have a "B" score for his store, so this is healthy eating. Then again, I'll still join the queue even if he's got a "F".

D