Tips for making fried rice that’s not soggy.
1. Be generous with the oil
2. Fry the eggs first. Makes sure they are thoroughly cooked and not moist before you fry the other ingredients.
3. Do not add liquids. Use Hao Chi seasoning powder.

There is an inherent conflict of interest that prevents hawkers from providing the best possible food for the customer. You want the best ingredients. The hawker’s main focus is minimum cost and maximum returns.

In my char bee hoon, I use the best and most expensive fish cake from the supermarket. I’m also generous with the vegetables. The eggs I use are also the highest quality, low cholesterol eggs. The bee hoon is soaked in cold water, not in hot water which swells the bee hoon and makes it soggy.

For me, the bee hoon must be uncooked when it enters the wok. Cooking it this way give the bee hoon a nice chew and texture while soggy, even slushy stuff is often sold outside.

Protein is expensive and often lacking in the food sold outside – especially at budget eateries. When you cook at home, you control the ingredients and get what you deserve.

I’ve first tasted baked fish done this way in Myanmar. Over the years, I’ve experimented with this cooking method and come up with my own style. Ingredients here include salted bean (the non-spicy type), ginger, lime slices, lime leaves and chilli padi slices.

If you have minced ginger, use minced ginger. Lime slices should preferably be as thin as possible. Parts of the fish may end up uncooked if your slices are too thick.

For how long do we bake this? This would depend on the size of the fish. Remember that as liquids gravitate to the bottom, that side will cook faster while the dry side facing up may be under-cooked. You may want to turn the fish over after half time.