I believe how we feel about food is profoundly influenced by the people who brought us up. Our preferences, how open we are to different flavours and tastes are pretty much shaped early on in our lives. That's why I have my late maternal grandmother to thank for my appreciation of Teochew-style beef "kway teow" soup. Specifically the one from the "Empress Place" stall.
I remember she wasn't one to eat much red meat but for this dish, she would make an exception. Clearly, it was the concentrated, sweet broth that delighted her because her bowl would be drained dry each time. Especially when the hawker obliged her with an extra helping of finely sliced "kiam chye" (preserved salted vegetables).
When she first introduced the dish to us grandkids decades ago, the stall operated at its namesake location. Now run by the son of the original owner, it can be found at LTN Eating House at Siglap where it moved to a few years back. The quality of the food however, remains unchanged through the generations, with the fragrant beefy soup still as potent as ever. Because the present hawker also takes pains to cook each order with care, I know every component in my bowl of "mixed beef kway teow", will unerringly taste good. I have never not had the satisfaction of sinking my teeth into still-pink slices of juicy beef, slender strips of tender tripe, bouncy beefballs and silky-smooth rice noodles.
In my opinion, the one here is in a league of its own. And for cultivating the opinionated foodie in me, I have to give my grandmother credit. 😊 #Hawkerpedia