This famous rojak store at Whampoa Makan Place started as a pushcart opposite Hoover Theatre at Balestier Road. The founder, Mr Lim Ngak Chew, has since passed on, but his legacy lives on till today in the snaking queues you're likely to find at the hawker store. Balestier Road Hoover Rojak uses unique ingredients like jellyfish, century egg and ginger flower. But what really takes it to the next level is the sweet-savoury sauce that carries a deep shrimp paste fragrance.
Rojak, the dish that best represents Singapore's mishmash of cultures. In a single plate, you get crispy fried fritters and a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables like pineapple, turnips, cucumbers and beansprouts. The star is the thick, black sauce – an addictive mix of tamarind, sugar, chilli paste, shrimp paste and crushed peanuts.
This is just one version of the rojak. Said to be a Javanese dish, there are multiple variations of rojak across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore too. On the little red dot alone, there's the ubiquitous rojak buah (fruits), rojak bandung (cuttlefish) and rojak mamak (typically prepared by Indian Muslims). And fun fact: the sweet-sour salad used to be served in a folded leaf with toothpicks as forks.
Of course, such an iconic Singaporean dish would inspire modern takes and spin-offs. We round up where to get the best traditional Chinese rojak, and suss out some interesting variations too.
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