Happiness, Deep-Fried.

In the wee hours of the morning, which food do you crave the most? Some friends recently brought me to Sin Hoi Sai Eating House in the Tiong Bahru area of Singapore and introduced me to “salad you tiao,” a Singaporean-spin on the traditional youtiao (油 条) or yaojagwai ( 油炸鬼). It was truly a moment of reckoning, as I have had ravenous post-midnight desires for these little pieces of heaven ever since (If you know me personally, you know I am not even kidding).

Youtiao (油 条) is deep-fried strips of dough typically eaten with porridge. Salad youtiao, a pimped version of the former, is stuffed with either fish cake or squid, tossed into mayonnaise, and seasoned with sesame seeds. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this has nothing to do with salad, I am convinced the term was there to make you feel better about yourself, after all, this is a heart-attack on a stick. That’s right folks, deep-fried and covered in mayonnaise. How could you go wrong?

It’s Cantonese name, yaojagwai ( 油炸鬼) literally translates to oil-fried devil. No kidding, since a few pieces of these will probably require a good hour in the gym to work off. But I promise you, nothing beats these little pieces of heaven, especially after a heavy night of drinking.

To accompany, I usually order a plate of beef kway teow. Ladies and gentleman, my life is now complete. What about yours?

Sin Hoi Sai Eating House
Blk. 55 Tiong Bahru, #01-59
Tel: (+65) 6223 0180
Hours: All week, 5pm-5am