Chinatown: Dong Po and Harbin Beer

Note:

I selected this post to be featured on my blog’s page at Indian Food Blogs.

Hands down my favourite item on any menu in Chinatown: the Dong Po pork.

Dong Po pork and Harbin beer

The simplicity of it is what makes it a winner. All it is is slices of pork, with fat intact, soaked in vinegary soya sauce, served with a generous portion of kale leaves. But I don’t know why, Dong Po pork is one item I have devoured over and over and over again.

I think it’s the fat. The meat must be taken from a particularly chubby part, I’m not well acquainted with the anatomy. But you eventually forget about the calories, as the fatty taste totally dissolves into the tangy taste of the soya pool below. Yes, it must be the fat.

Or it could be the roasted outer layer of the pork. Man, they cook pork really well in Singapore. I’ve hardly ever tasted red meat in India that is actually tender; chewing becomes most of the experience. However, pork is very popular in Singapore, possibly the most commonly consumed of all the meats. Everywhere in Singapore that I have tried it, beef and pork are cooked to perfection. Either it is super tender, melting in your mouth, or it is just hard enough, so that you actually enjoy the chewy dance going on in your mouth.

Anyway, the Dong Po pork is a case in point. The entire slice is just a delight that melts in your mouth and leaves that wonderful vinegary aftertaste. The crunchy, plain and simple kale leaves complement it nicely by balancing out the flavours. If you’re looking for a spicy twist, then you’ll have to as for chilli sauce.

Adding a refreshing feel to the sitting-in-Chinatown-and-munching-on-succulent-roast-pork thing, was Harbin beer. Another Chinese brew, it again added to the pseudo-exotic setting of Chinatown. It’s a little more solid than Tsing Tao, but equally smooth. Combine it with some crispy snacks, and you are set for an evening of chill-out. Oh and did I mention the mugs filled chock block with ice? Yup, just like with Tsing Tao. I don’t know, I think the Chinese like it this way. I ain’t complaining, it’s as chilled out as can be :) If you know anything about the history of this practice, then let me know!

Harbin beer, served with ice cubes

Overall, eating in Chinatown turns out pretty affordable compared to the proper restaurants that you have to visit to try out the same kind of food. Items like the Dong Po pork and the shredded chilli pork come for S$ 8 - S$ 10, and a full bottle of Harbin / Tsing Tao / Tiger Beer will cost you around 5 – 7 Sing dollars. Two of us used to get away with a sumptuous meal at Chinatown for anything between 15 – 20 dollars. Of course that’s nothing compared to the famous food courts of Singapore, where you can have a brilliant dish and be happy for just 5 dollars. More on that coming up soon… stay tuned! Till then, do not miss the Dong Po pork :)