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I’ve never thought of porridge as an indulgence, as porridge to me was deemed as ‘sick people’s food’. However, when I was pregnant, porridge soon became my bestfriend, and I found myself craving for it after a long time.
After exhausting all 12 porridge places from our list of 12 best porridges in Singapore, I turned to the internet for some help. I knew I was craving for thick, indulgent Hainanese-style porridge, and the moment I typed these words into Google search, the first hawker that caught my attention was Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge.
Known to be one of the longest-standing and most popular pork porridge stalls in Singapore, Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge is now helmed by its second generation. Upon reading online that the hawker is usually sold out by early afternoon, I forced myself out of bed early on a Wednesday morning and headed to Veerasamy Road to ensure that I get my hands on this legendary bowl of porridge.
What I tried at Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge
The offerings aren’t too complicated. Here, the congees are made based on four main ingredients—Pork, Chicken, Sliced Fish, and Cuttlefish. With it comes a series of combinations for you to mix and match according to your liking. Before you know it, you will be presented with steaming hot bowls of Cantonese congee bursting with ingredients, finished off with addictive slices of fried dough sticks.
I was greeted by a middle-aged lady who took my order while munching on chwee kueh. Impatiently, as if I’ve taken away precious breakfast time from her, she handed me a paper with my queue number and instructed me to come back to collect my porridge once my number flashed on the LED signboard.
It was at that moment that I realised that the other kopi drinkers were all, in fact, waiting for their bowl of Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge. As I glanced around, almost half of the diners in the hawker centre were eager diners fiddling with their phones. “This is going to be a long wait,” I thought to myself.
Despite the numerous choices I had, I knew I wanted to feature two distinctly contrasting porridges catering to readers with different palates. Naturally, the hawker’s Large Sliced Fish and Cuttle Fish Porridge (S$5) kick-started my meal on a lighter note with its clean, immaculate flavours.
For just S$5, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of ingredients I found in my bowl. Beneath goopy layers of congee, there were slices of batang fish and strips of fresh cuttlefish. Generous thin slices of ginger took away any remaining fishiness from the seafood. At the same time, its subtle spiciness enhanced the overall flavour of the porridge, resulting in addictive, wholesome mouthfuls best eaten first thing in the morning to warm your tummy.
The Large Pork Porridge with Egg and Century Egg (S$5.50) came as an indulgent treat.
The moment I laid my eyes on Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge’s Large Pork Porridge with Egg and Century Egg, I knew it was going to be good. There was the same velvety texture as the first bowl, but this time around it was made more robust and savoury from the liberal helpings of tender pork slices and century egg.
Let’s not forget to mention the addition of a freshly cracked egg to the already intoxicating mix. The semi-cooked egg boasts a creamy mouthfeel that coated my mouth salaciously. This was the kind of texture you can only get in restaurants—maybe even better. Truth be told, its flavour and texture could probably outshine those sold for twice or thrice its price.
Final thoughts
Porridge, by itself, has never made it onto my list of guilty pleasures, and I’m glad that I’ve discovered a newfound liking for this humble meal. I seldom finished an entire dish, let alone 2, but at Johor Road Boon Kee Pork Porridge, I cleaned both bowls of porridge without any difficulty. It has been a long time since I left a stall satiated, and with one happy tummy, I’m glad this time around, I did.
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