Lao Shen A Ma Teochew Kueh

Lao Shen A Ma Teochew Kueh is a pillar. It is one of the many pillars and pilings of the pier upon which the bright boardwalk of the contemporary Singaporean culinary scene rests. Like the pilings of a pier, Lao Shen is grounded in the bedrock of an ethnic culinary tradition. And like the pilings of a pier, it sees the gradual erosion of this foundation with the passage of time and tide.
For the foodie curious about Singapore’s culinary roots, here’s an interesting factoid: there is a cavalcade of slowly fading nuggets of Singaporean cuisine, the slow passage of less popular foods out of popular consciousness. These foods should be sampled before they vanish forever. Take «Than Pia» for example, for me, this will always be remembered fondly as a childhood treat, something my grandmother would indulgently spend 20 cents on for two of these greasy, piping hot dough cakes. Somewhat like a doughnut, but savory, and embedded in the pillowy dough would be pygmy mussels and other bits of chopped up shellfish. The earthy, somewhat muddy aroma of freshwater shellfish borne on the steam of freshly fried dough would waft up into my face when I broke one of these treats open. You can still find «Than Pia» at Maxwell Food Centre, made by an aging master hawker. There’s no line and likely not much demand for this dinosaur of a treat. It is quite likely that when the si fu retires, «Than Pia» will disappear from the menu and the Singapore culinary landscape. Quite simply, foods like this have ceased to be cool. I hope with this narrative to be able to ignite a spark of curiosity about Singapore’s dying food and I hope to provide you with the context to appreciate the humble charms of the offerings at Lao Shen.
Lao Shen is a family business, essentially serving only one specialty item and doing this one thing over and over and superbly for decades. The store front is nondescript and just another in a row of storefronts, tucked in next to a picture framer. You understand almost instantaneously that Lao Shen must be kept afloat by a league of loyal fans, because it certainly isn’t because of walk-​in custom. Customers at Lao Shen are usually like me, 2^nd or in some cases 3^rd generation patrons. Likely like me, most patrons remember Lao Shen being part of a family gathering, like having your homework interrupted in the evening by a pleasant call to supper, where there’d be a plateful of greasy, creamy-​skinned, paper-​thin pockets of Soon Kueh. You’ve been at work for a few hours, you’re tired and having your numbed senses awakened by the bite of shrimp chili and the delightful crunch of bamboo shoots is, oh so welcome! You smile through a mouthful of Soon Kueh when you see the same earnest blissed-​out expressions on the faces of your assembled extended family, all basking in the collective experience of supper with Lao Shen. No wonder, that the simple Soon Kueh, has come to assume a character and presence in my consciousness much larger than the simple dish of bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, black fungus and other simple yet magical ingredients.
Ok, brass tacks for those of you eating machines unimpressed and unencumbered by sentimentality:
Park in the public carpark behind Lao Shen. You have to enter from Bukit Merah Lane 1, either entrance will work, depending on whether you’re on Jalan Bukit Merah or Alexandra Road.
Bus stop is almost right in front of Lao Shen. Stop ID is 11 519. «Opp Queensway Shopping Ctr». 14, 33, 51, 61, 93, 100, 195, 197.
Specialties (in case you skipped all the «boring» bits above):
Soon Kueh (definitely ask for the special chili, but don’t be boorish about it, I have to come back here and I don’t want to get on the naughty list for bringing in demanding, pretentious types)
Ang Koo Kueh. A special treat presented as a thin covering of crimson skin concealing the dollop of sugary, crunchy, chewy peanut paste. I’m partial to the peanut and so will recommend only this, but the gold standard with sweet mung bean paste is also special.
Koo Chai Kueh. Savory confection featuring Chinese Chives. I like this, but it gives me gas. Always has and always will. So usually a special treat for when I’m flying solo.