Zhen Zhen Porridge

The queue shapes up in early morning and lasts through lunch. Zhen Zhen’s smooth-textured rice porridge comes dressed with chopped spring onions, fried shallots, preserved radish, and, at the diner’s option, an egg. Orders can also incorporate the likes of chicken, century egg, frog, or sliced fish, or one can opt for basic porridge with a plate of raw fish salad (all told, S$4.50, about US$3.35 at the time). Also shown: one of Zhen Zhen’s trays, marked with a ribbon so it returns to the right stall.

Zhen Zhen Porridge, Maxwell Food Centre, stall 54, Singapore. Closed after lunch and all day Tuesday.