It is a little hard to believe that I only have three pictures of my meals here at Springleaf Jalan Tua Kong.
Have I been there only three times in the entire course of this half year?
I thought there had been more!
Could it be that I had gone there but hadn't managed to take pictures?
Then again that's very unlikely.
Springleaf is, after all, one of my favorite go-tos when it comes to prata.
When it was I began going there, I cannot remember, but it must have been at least a couple of years ago when we discovered that from Dunman Road there was a bus that took us direct to the place here at Siglap.
Fast forward to a year ahead and we're now actually closer to Springleaf and Jalan Tua Kong than we previously were before.
If there's something interesting about being here at Kembangan and the Lengkong Tiga area it is that- even if one doesn't realize it- Frankel Avenue and Siglap are literally down one single road.
Which is why these days we bike there, or if we're lazy, bus a 42 there.
Now you know why I'm surprised that out of all these months I only have pictures three?
I really thought I had had taken more.
I mean, the food's good.
Never has it been here at Springleaf- whether Jalan Tua Kong or Upper Thomson Road- that the food whetted my palate.
There have been times when we take the Mutton Murtabak- a huge rectangular piece of triple-layered thin crepe generously laid with crispy mutton bits, ketchup and mayonnaise.
There have been times when we take the kambing soup- a milder, less oily, but equally spicy soup with that distinctive boiled roundedness you can taste.
But most of the time we come here for the Prata Plaster, and the Murtaburger.
The Prata Plaster here is one of my favorites.
At first glance it doesn't look like much- a plain piece of prata kosong with a sunny side up egg slapped on top- but surprise of surprise, fried egg white and flour crepes go together very well for a nice savory chew, not to mention the smooth bright colors of the gooey, runny egg yolk flowing over and all about your prata.
If you thought regular egg prata zhnged up prata kosong, a fried egg on top of the crepe puts an added dimension of texture to the taste and makes it double the joy.
I'd be pretty happy with just the Prata Plaster but then there's the Murtaburger, which, can I say, is totally one of a kind when it comes to prata creativity here.
Their website says it is meant to be a variation of the Ramly burger, which in a way, is true.
Because if the first thought of Ramly burger isn't in the ingredients but in the sauce and the mushy mushy taste of meat melting together in one multi-textured bite, well, that's the same for Springleaf's Murtaburger as well.
One doesn't get the burger bun, of course.
But you get a very thick, very chewy prata that's got the looks of a cute bouncy pillow, has got lots and lots of beef bits, a generous slather of chili sauce, black pepper sauce, plus what I think is mozzarella cheese.
I don't know how they do it, but the sauces are well balanced.
There isn't that overwhelming taste of black pepper (which might have conked every other flavor out)
Neither is there the overwhelming presence of chili sauce that would spice you out.
But the star of this dish has to be the melted cheese.
It is the cheese that holds everything together.
It is the cheese that keeps everything sticky and chewy and irresistible.
And it is the cheese that gives you the taste of dairy right in your mouth with every bite.
Good enough for three, or four, the Murtaburger is a huge piece and I always find it hard to finish my shared portion when we share it between two.
But perhaps in that alone lies its charm.
You don't have to try this prata or that prata to figure out which one you like.
You just need to come have this one.
And if after eating it, you realize you only have space for one, well, this be it.
No need to look too far for another.