Wok this way in Geylang Simple Pleasures From the humble village chicken to the wonderful XO tofu, this restaurant's family recipes have strengthened with time By Wong Ah Yoke The Business Times, 21 November 1999 FANCY restaurants are fine but it is when he discovers a good frills-free eatery that the true Singaporean foodie gets truly excited. Perhaps, most of us are slummers at heart, for we do crave simple pleasures. And it does not have anything to do with whether one is rich or poor: Just look at the army of Mercedes Benz cars parked outside humble but popular coffeeshop eateries if you need any convincing. There are exceptions, of course. I have met people who actually exclaimed in horror at the idea of eating in a non-airconditioned outlet. That was before al-fresco cafes became hip here. Well, to them, I would just say it is their loss if they miss out on down-to-earth good cooking. One of the latest places offering this -- at equally down-to-earth prices -- is Village Wok Restaurant in Geylang. It looks unpretentious, with tables covered in plastic sheets, but a look at the menu reveals that it is no ordinary neighbourhood cooked food stall. Humble village chicken is the house speciality at the family-run Village Wok Restaurant in Geylang.   The dishes have the same feel of home cooking but, at the same time, are unique. That is because they are based on recipes passed down the generations in Mrs Jane Kong's family. The Kongs opened the restaurant about two months ago as a family business. Their culinary history began two generations ago in China with Mrs Kong's grandfather-in-law, who was apparently good at the wok. But the man with the recipes was her father-in-law, Mr Kong Hiong. He left his home in Xinhui in China's Guangdong province to seek his fortunes as a cook in Hongkong. He returned home later, and left again subsequently, with a family this time, for Singapore during the '40s. They settled here and he continued working as a cook. Certainly a forward-looking man, he wrote down his recipes, which are kept by the family even though his son, Mrs Kong's husband, who does not want to be named, did not follow in his footsteps.   Fresh from the farm is this pa-ting fish. But it seems the family cannot keep away from the food business. They opened Village Wok more than two months ago and the old recipes now form the backbone of the menu -- with some newer contributions from Mrs Kong's husband, a civil servant who has inherited his father's love of cooking. The basis of the cooking is Cantonese. But instead of the kind of fare you get in Hongkong-styled outlets, star dishes here are a more humble village smoked chicken and village BBQ pork. The chicken is a must if you like smoked flavours -- tender and juicy, though parts of it could be a trifle salty if you are not eating it with rice. The BBQ pork or char siew is the authentic Cantonese stuff, with a dark and slightly crisp coat and none of that red colouring that characterises most char siew here. There is a nod to Hongkong fancifulness, though, in a dish called deep fried XO tofu. As in other dishes with the XO tag, this does not have any cognac in it. XO is used by Hongkongers to describe anything that is of superior quality, whether it is chilli sauce or, in this base, simple beancurd. And it is a simple dish -- plain beancurd cut into cubes and deepfried till golden brown. But what a wonderful creation too, especially when dipped into an accompanying dish of piquant chilli sauce. The newer recipes have influences from the region as well. The village fresh oyster noodle, for example, is like Malaysian-style fried Hokkien mee. The egg noodles are cooked in a tasty stock with fragrant dark soya sauce until most of the stock is soaked up. What is unique is the generous amount of fresh oysters stirred into it. You can also try a fish from Malaysia which I have yet to see in any other restaurant here. Called pa-ting, the ones served here come from the Kongs' own fish farm in Kota Tinggi in Johor. Thus, they have none of the muddy taste that characterises the fresh-water fish that are caught in the wild. The fish is pretty fatty and has smooth flesh, a lovely combination when steamed with soya sauce and garnished with plenty of Chinese parsley. This is also the rare restaurant where you can order half a fish. Village Wok has food that is so close to the heart that you want togo back again and again.And the good thing is, you will not break your bank if you do. Village Wok Restaurant No.10, Lorong 3 Geylang Tel:547-1938 Opening hours:11.30 am-2.30 pm, 6 - 9.30 pm Closed on Mondays