A group of ah peks are sat behind us, huddled around a large wooden table draped over with a cloth the colour of an ang pow and covered with a transparent plastic sheet, a prophylactic against stains, grease, and cigarette ash. The ah peks are arguing with the lone woman in the group, a Filipina, about the number of airports in Cebu.
Somewhere at the front of the kopitiam is a very angry man yelling about an umbrella. He curses in Hokkien and warns an unseen someone, “don’t play play”. The tables of shirt-clad office workers on their lunch breaks turn to watch the fight between mouthfuls of lunch. They seem nonplussed, like they’ve seen it all before. Later on, the police arrive to take statements from the kopi hands.
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1/131/13New kid on the block -
2/132/13Zi char dishes from the past with a modern twist -
3/133/13Mysterious recipes -
4/134/13Sixties Fish Head Charcoal Steamboat, $15 to $35 for grouper; $10 to $24 for snapper -
5/135/13Grandma’s Recipe Pork Belly, $9 to $15 -
6/136/13Deep-Fried Teochew Duck Fritter, $8 to $12 (8 DAYS Pick!) -
7/137/13Old School Sweet & Sour Pork, $8 to $12 -
8/138/13Lai Bao Crisp Fried Aubergine & Pork Floss $8 to $12 (8 DAYS Pick!) -
9/139/13Lai Bao Wok Fried Fine Bean, $7 to $11 (8 DAYS Pick!) -
10/1310/13Seafood Lala Ying Yang Hor Fun, $5 to $10 (8 DAYS Pick!) -
11/1311/13Ginger Spring Chicken, $6 half; $12 whole -
12/1312/13Bottom line -
13/1313/13The details