Despite our thriving local food scene, some dishes are gradually being forgotten. One of them is Fuzhou oyster cake, which these six stalls in Singapore offer the best of.
Hailing from the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, oyster cake is a savoury fritter made from a rice batter and shaped like a flying saucer. Typical ingredients include oyster, minced pork, Chinese celery, prawn, and peanuts, which is fried then rested before serving.
While the snack is still common in Fujian as well as Taiwan, it is slowly fading away from local diners’ consciousness. Thankfully, these stalls continue to keep the tradition alive while innovating it with new fillings.
(Hero and featured image credit: Sixth Floor Oyster Cake)
Located on the second floor of Berseh Food Centre, this stall is run by Ong Poh Hwa, who grew up helping her grandmother sell the snack during the 1950s. The batter is her grandmother’s recipe, and she offers two sizes, the regular studded with peanuts, and the upsize with double the ingredients and an additional whitebait garnish. Have them with Ong’s homemade chilli sauce, which has ample zest to complement the richness.
Regular: S$2.30
Upsize: S$2.80
Wednesdays to Mondays, 10.30am to 6pm
(Image credit: @fatdiemoi / Instagram)
Based in the popular Bedok 85 hawker centre, this stall sells a variety of fritters from the classic to the unconventional. Besides the original, they have options including vegetarian (seaweed, lettuce, and Chinese celery), salmon and pork, and scallop and pork. Feeling indulgent? Go for the Seafood Special, which combines scallop, crab, prawn, oyster, and of course, pork.
S$3.50 to S$4 per piece
Tuesdays to Sundays, 8am to 8pm
(Image credit: @crappysotong/Instagram)
This Maxwell Food Centre institution boasts plenty of accolades, notably one from the late Anthony Bourdain, who raves about it in his book “The Nasty Bits” – you can read the excerpt from a printout at the stall front. The brand was started by Pang Siew Ting in 1962 , who sold her hometown dish to support her five children. Now run by one of her daughters, it remains as popular as ever, with an ever-constant line of people waiting to enjoy the rich yet delicately crunchy snack.
S$2 per piece
Mondays to Saturdays, 9am to 8pm
(Image credit: @goodfomood / Instagram)
This stall started out as a home-based business by Khung Wai Yeen in his sixth-floor Punggol HDB flat. He eventually met his neighbour Calvin Lu, and they partnered to open a commercial location in Northshore Plaza I. Their Original contains Chinese oysters, minced pork, Chinese celery, and prawn, and they also serve other fillings such as kimchi and “huge-ass scallops.”
S$3 to S$3.80 per piece
Daily, 10am to 9pm
Despite the name, Teochew Meat Puff stays true to the spirit of the Fuzhou delicacy. They fill them with oysters, minced pork, Chinese celery, and prawn, and fry them to order – this usually means a 10- to 15-minute wait. The pasar malam-only business also has different flavours including octopus, squid ball, mushroom, and sweet potato. Find out where where they are popping up next by heading to their Facebook page.
S$2 to S$4 per piece
Also Teochew, and also born in a pasar malam, Teochew Traditional Oyster Puffs was started by Sharon Lee from her grandmother’s recipe, which involves the usual suspects of oysters, minced pork, prawn, and Chinese celery. Now run by Lee’s children, the brand has moved into a Sembawang coffee shop and sells other varieties from salted egg to abalone.
S$3 to S$3.50 per piece
Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am to 6pm
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