Flocking to the food

WHAT'S a World Street Food Congress (WSFC) without the food? The promise of the good and yummy served by 25 food vendors from Manila, around the Philippines and the world has been drawing thousands to the WSFC jamboree at Federacion Drive in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila since Wednesday.

Among the traditional hawker foods of Singapore and Malaysia are satay beehoon (by Alhambra Satay from Geylang Serai), carrot cake (by Chey Sua from Toa Payoh), and duck rice from Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck Rice and Kway Chap (Chinatown). HK Street Old Chun Kee marinated a chicken patty with prawn paste to give a har cheong kai spin to a fried chicken burger, while KEK created a seafood tempura platter with three dips for Filipinos to have a taste of chilli crab sauce, black pepper and salted egg sauces.

Donald & Lily's gravy-less mee siam from Malacca was a tangy, tasty surprise, while Wan Dao Tou's asam laksa from Penang had a homemade taste to it, with plenty of fish flakes, and still enough umami oomph despite the lack of authentic Penang heh ko (prawn paste). Sunset Warung Bali's BBQ ribs had a delicious mix of herbs deeply marinated into the tender meat, but mellow so it's not in your face. Fushan's (in Guangdong) 102 Private Kitchen's Zhu Hou chicken was also tender and moist to the bite with its sweetish sauce going well with white rice.