Hit the ro-jak,
and then come back for more, for more,
for more, for more!
Hit the ro-jak,
and then come back for more...
What You Say?
No,
rojak is not a new exciting
action hero created from
combining the best of
Rambo and
Kojak; instead, it's a rather
bizarre
salad of sorts, these days mostly associated with
Singapore.
Malay/Indonesian Style
The original rojak (also seen spelled as
rujak and
rudjak) comes
from
Indonesia, and consists of fresh
fruit and
vegetables
doused in a spicy
peanut sauce, the same as that used to flavor
sticks of
satay. The discerning
gourmand may note a resemblance
to the better-known
gado gado, which differs primarily in cooking
the vegetables instead.
Chinese Style
But in Singapore the Indo-Malay version is hard to find; the most common
form these days is the
Chinese style, created in
Penang by the simple
expedient of adding
hay kor, black shrimp paste, to the mix.
And instead of just veggies and fruit, other Chinese favorites were added in as well:
cuttlefish,
tofu,
you char kueh, etc. The end result looks
strange, to say the least, but can be very tasty indeed.
Try it here
Toa Payoh Rojak
Blk 51 Old Airport Rd
#01-125D Old Airport Road Emporium & Cooked Food Centre
A husband and wife team serve up Singapore's best rojak. Made to order,
and that's why it takes half an hour to prepare, but worth the wait --
and the measly $2-3 you'll pay.
Indian Style
And then of course Singapore's
third big ethnic group had to get
in on the act as
well. Out went the fruits and veggies, in came everything fried:
prawn fritters, eggs, and not a few of the above Chinese favorites
like
tofu as well. The sauce, now with less shrimp, is served on
the side, so that diners can dip one piece at a time and everything
stays crispy.
Try it here
Sajis Indian Food
Blk 262 Waterloo St
#01-29 Nan Tai Eating House
A Singaporean institution (the Indian version was invented here), and
it still gets the full 3 chopsticks from Makansutra. A short walk from
Bugis MRT station, down past Albert Mall. A heaping dish will set
you back less than S$4.
References
Personal experience
Makansutra 2003/4 edition
http://food.asia1.com.sg/gdfd/hawker/gdfd_hawker_20010604a.shtml