Gu Zao Ren Taiwan Porridge – Free Flow Porridge with Variety of Dishes

Once a poor man’s meal, it is now a delicacy eaten with side dishes like fried radish egg, stewed pork slices with salted vegetables, stir-fry venison with ginger and spring onions, fried black pomfret in black bean sauce and many others depending on your choices and taste. I was chatting with Chef Eric Neo one day and he recommended me to try Gu Zao Ren Taiwan Porridge (古早人台湾粥). We have since become their regular patrons. Located along Changi Road, Gu Zao Ren porridge serves a range of dishes cooked a la minute to go with your Teochew porridge.

For those who like pork liver will definitely love the slices of tender pork liver which have been perfectly sauteed and matched with a savoury ginger-onion sauce. Chai poh omelette reminds me of home. The chai poh is not very salty and gives a nice crunch to the omelette. The stir fried cabbage is never a miss when eating teochew porridge. Gu Zao Ren’s version is similar to the ones in Taiwan in that it still retains a crunch. However, the deep fried pork in fermented beancurd was a little tough during our visit.

When you eat Teochew porridge, do you pair it with fish? The deep fried pomfret with black bean sauce is so good with many bowls of porridge. The fried fish is drizzled in a black bean sauce and garnished with red chilli and spring onions. The result is a pleasantly sweet and salty balance of flavours that comes from the good combination of black beans, soya sauce and briny freshness of the fish.

The sambal clams is on the sweeter end of the spectrum and richly layered with eggs. Even though there was sand in some of the clams, we still find ourselves mopping up every last bit of gravy.

Gu Zao Ren Taiwan Porridge is a suitable meal if you want a light lunch, dinner or supper. However, the portion is small so you probably have to order more dishes to share.

FYI, porridge here is free flow, so you can eat as many bowls as you want!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may also want to check out Lim’s Hokkien Mee that is just nearby!