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“No, no, no need to feature us!” Wow. This was certainly a first— the lady behind the counter at Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice, Bee Hoon and Mee in Bendemeer Market and Food Centre was telling me not to write about her stall.
It wasn’t fake modesty on her part, either. I had been watching from a spot nearby for 30 minutes and my watch read 2.30pm, way past lunch hour. The queue. Just. Wouldn’t. End. At times, it was 20-odd people long. The hawker lady seemed quite genuine in her desire to get some rest and didn’t want to be featured.
No stranger to disobeying my elders, here I am, happily typing away.
Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice, Bee Hoon and Mee must be doing something right for so many people to want to eat there. I really wanted to know what that was.
What I tried at Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice
At first glance, Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice is your typical ‘choose your dishes’ Economy Rice stall. One difference I noticed was that there are no little signboards telling you the prices of combos.
Everyone ahead of me seemed to know exactly what they wanted but I had to peer through the glass and chose whatever looked the most appetising. I ended up with a Pork Chop, Tofu, Long Beans, and Pork Sausage and Potatoes, all served with an average-sized amount of rice. It cost me S$6.
The Pork Chop was a decent size and came slathered in a light layer of sauce. It was conveniently cut into thin strips but I found the meat slightly more chewy than I like. Flavour-wise though, it was pleasant and I enjoyed the sweetish sauce. This dish made an okay addition to a meal but I would have preferred a better texture and probably won’t order this again when I visit next time.
By contrast, the Tofu was a hit. Supremely silky and soft, this is what well-prepared bean curd should taste like. The magic here wasn’t just the tofu itself but the dressing it came in that was generously peppered with sesame seeds.
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The coup de grâce was the addition of sliced onion, strips of cucumber and, most of all, semi-ripe mango. The tangy sourness of the crunchy mango, the crispness of the fresh cucumber, and the flavour from the onion made every chew a wonderful explosion of taste and texture. You must try this!
Completely surprising me was the Pork Sausage and Potatoes. I chose it, naturally, for the meat but it was the potatoes that actually made it especially delicious. I cannot even begin to describe how soft and tender the potato was. It amazes me that someone can prepare every morsel of one ingredient of a dish to perfection when they are cooking in such large batches.
Combine the tender potatoes with the pleasantly savoury pork and the sweetish sauce and you get the perfect accompaniment to your rice.
“No veggie, ah?” came the hawker lady’s prompt. Her concern for ensuring I had a balanced meal was cute, so I had to relent. She must be a mum, guaranteed. I pointed sheepishly at the tray of Long Beans and she happily added it to my plate.
There were no fireworks but the greens tasted fresh and had the nice crisp texture we associate with well-cooked long beans. They went well with the rice and I just might ask for this dish myself when I return.
Final thoughts
I am quite torn writing this review. While the meal I had was definitely quite satisfying and the hawker lady was very nice, I don’t understand the reason behind the Queue-That-has-No-End at Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice. There seem to be better options at Bendemeer Market and Food Centre where you don’t have to wait this long.
On the other hand, the Tofu really was divine and, even now, remembering the crisp-firm-soft contrast between the cucumber, mango and tofu makes me want to eat it again. Like, on its own. And maybe two or three servings.
Cost-wise, there were no surprises. For S$6, I had a pleasant, filling meal and a nice experience. My advice is to visit outside of peak meal times to get the best of both worlds.
If you are ever at Bendemeer Market and Food Centre, make your way to this stall. Just look for the never-ending queue.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7 per pax
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