Tiong Bahru Porridge

Tiong Bahru Porridge has a branch in Parkway Parade! I have no idea when they set up, but I just had to try their famous pigs organ porridge (zhu zha zhou) when I passed by just now. The fried intestines were so crispy and tasty, I even added extra ($2.20 more) mmmmmmm!!!! Two thumbs up!

When I was young I always had pigs organ porridge at Tiong Bahru market every sunday when we visited my grandpa. Unfortunately he has passed away and we never really went there since. The old geezer who manned the stall was very grumpy one! He only opens late in the evening and when he's in a good mood. And for a long time it was only a one man show. Well, I heard his sons have taken over and made it a chain with a few branches, while the old man has passed away recently (may his soul rest in peace). The other good stuff from Tiong Bahru market is the juee kuei, which has coincidentally also become a chain! But I think their other branches aren't doing that well, Telok Blangah branch closed down after a few months.

Okay, I'm not really a foodie I confess. But the top 2 places for pigs organ porridge are Tiong Bahru porridge (any branch) and Tiong Shan (chang cheng) porridge in Chinatown at the corner of Keong Saik and Eu Tong Sen. Tiong Shan is more popular because it has like 20 other kinds of porridge also, the most popular being the frogs legs one. However, there's other shady business going on along Keong Saik road so perhaps you wouldn't stay there too late haha.... And it's a pain getting seating during dinner because its just so crowded man! Very hot and squeezy, definitely not as comfy as the new Tiong Bahru market or Parkway Parade (aircon)!

So why did my family grow up eating porridge? Well, my late grandpa once said that it was popular during the war, though they did not have tasty intestines during that time. Porridge makes your stomach feel full (shiok) though you aren't exactly eating much food, which is perfect during the war when food was scarce. I guess porridge has gone a long way since then......