Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Signs a Taste of Vietnam Pho: by a hearing-impaired couple

Anthony and Angela, the owners, the hearing-impaired couple behind this newly opened hole-in-the-wall eatery at the corner of the basement in Midpoint Orchard. Angela originated from Vietnam and she has been living in Singapore for 8 years. It is definitely a great challenge for Angela to open this shop. And, why did she decide to embark on it? Angela started to cook since she was 8 years old as her mother told her that she must learn how to cook. She kept on practicing till her cooking skills have improved. She often cooked dishes for friends visiting her house and these friends commented that those dishes are delicious. Their compliments encouraged her and planted a thought in her mind of starting a business. She discussed with Anthony but he asked her to wait first as he needed time to think. Eventually, he agreed and they opened this eatery.

Angela is at the shop as early as 9 am to start the preparation process. Their operating hours are long, they operate from 11 am to 9 pm on a daily basis and even so, it is still not as tiring to Angela as she grew up working on the farm, her life was much tougher then. 


Their friend was there when I went for lunch. I was given an order-chit to go through. The menu is simple, there is a selection of different types of Pho, Noodle Salad, and Fresh Spring Rolls and beverages like milkshakes, coffee, juices, and soda. I decided to go with Beef Feast Combo ($8.00), Fresh Spring Roll with Prawns, Chicken & Egg (2 pieces for $5) and a canned of coke ($1.50). I brought along the order-chit to the counter and handed it to that friendly lady. She suggested I should try the Vietnamese smoothie and she recommended Red Dragon Milkshake ($3) but I decided to go with Avocado Milkshake ($4.00). She said, "It is quite different from those out there as no water is added here so the texture is quite thick."

Anthony came out to say hello, he waved at me and gave a big smile.


There are a few choices for Pho and Beef Feast Combo is the most expensive amongst them. It consists of sliced beef Ribeye, sliced beef shin, and beef balls. The broth was lightly flavored and those slices of beef were cooked well to the right texture. It has a comforting taste. 


I was asked, "How did you get to know about us?" I said, "A friend told me about it and urged me to go quickly before they become famous."

Anthony asked me, through sign language, whether I like the food or not. I do not understand sign language but it was easy enough to guess. I gave him a big thumb up, he smiled and nodded his head. I said, "It tasted good, much better than those that I tasted at those popular Vietnamese eateries." Through their friend that helped to translate, Angela said, "The difference between a good pho and the bad one is the use of MSG and that spoilt the taste. We do not use MSG and oil here."

Anthony mentioned that one of their customers came by to try their pho and after tasting it, he liked it so much and he brought along his wife. His wife has never really enjoyed eating pho but fallen in love after she tasted their pho. 


The Vietnamese rolls are freshly made upon order. It has a very clean taste. The roll was packed quite tightly with fresh tasting ingredients like vegetables, vermicelli, chicken, prawn, and egg. Vietnamese dishes are mostly lightly flavored so it is not as fattening as they use mainly vegetables particularly lemon. 


Through their friend, Anthony asked, "Where are you from?" as he saw me taking pictures of the food earlier. I said, "I keep a food blog." Their friend translated and communicated to him through sign language." Through the friend, he said, "I hope you will tell more people about our shop, get them to come by and try it." I asked, "The rental here is expensive." Anthony nodded his head.

I could sense the love that he has for Angela, he is really proud of her and her cooking.


There are many post-it stickers on the wall written by their customers with encouraging messages to Anthony and Angela. These customers have all fallen in love with the unpretentious homely food and their heart-warming service. 

They are trying out for 3 months to determine whether they can make it or not. Please go and support them as they deserve a chance to live their dream.


I can see the joy on their faces. Happiness can be so simple. 


SIGNS A TASTE OF VIETNAM PHO
220 Orchard Road #B1-07 Midpoint Orchard SINGAPORE 238852
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Teo Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle : Braised Pork Ribs, a must-try

It is difficult to miss this stall as you can see the long queue from afar. This stall has the longest queue amongst the other popular stalls in this food centre and they usually sold out by 1.30 pm or earlier. I was there at about 1 pm, the Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle ($3/$4) has already sold out at that time. I went with the smaller portion of Pork Ribs Noodle at $3.50, the larger portion is available at $4.50. I added a braised egg for $0.50 and braised chicken wings for $1.00. There are also Chicken Feet Noodle ($3/$4), Chicken Wing Noodle ($3/$4) and also Dumpling Soup ($3/$4) on the menu. You could choose between the dry and the soup version.


The Uncle, while cooking, looked up occasionally when he recognized some of his regular customers. He asked one of them, said, "You have not been here for a while."


The mee pok though nicely cooked, it did not have much sauce underneath the pile of noodles thus it was a bit dry. The chilli has a very slight spiciness and it did not enhance the flavor much, it was also garnished with fried shallots.


It was served separately, the noodles by itself and the rest on the plate. Their pork ribs are the must-try, it is the usual favorite of their regular customers that got them to queue up for. It was nicely braised to the desired softness with a slight sweetness. The braised chicken wings were pretty flavorful too, it reminded me of the braised chicken wings that I had at Bing Kee, an open-air food stall that is known as dai pang tong in Hong Kong. 


TEO KEE MUSHROOM MINCED PORK NOODLE
Block 137 Tampines Street 11 #01-05 Tampines Round Market & Food Centre SINGAPORE 521137
Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.00 pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Friday, January 26, 2018

Guan Hin Homemade Carrot Cake at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

This is one of the popular stalls in the newly opened Geylang Bahru Food Centre. The light of their signboard was off when I was there at about 1 pm. I thought that they have already sold out and closing. When I was back after having lunch at one of the coffee shops nearby, the light of their signboard was on and there was a long queue in front of the stall. They moved to the Chinatown Complex Food Centre for a short while when this food centre was undergoing renovation. I joined in the queue and waited for about 15 minutes before ordering. 

When I was asked whether to have it with chilli which I replied, "How spicy is the chilli?" The auntie replied, "Not very spicy, can put it on the side and not add it." I decided to go with the dark version at $4. I waited for another 5 minutes to collect it. There is a choice between the dark and the white version of carrot cake at $3.00 and $4.00. It is cooked by an elderly Uncle.


Those huge round aluminum trays nicely stacked on the shelves behind the stall are not a common sight as most of the other stalls are not making their carrot cake these days but using those from factory made. This elderly couple is still painstakingly making it at the stall. 


I did not like it as much as I thought I would. I felt it is better than the Song Zhou Fried Carrot Cake at Bedok Interchange Food Centre though. I could taste the distinct taste of dark sweet sauce with garlic and preserved radish, a generous amount of beaten egg was also added. The texture of the carrot cake was soft and moist. My dining companion said, "I actually prefer the black carrot cake by Hua Li Fried Carrot Cake at Marsiling Mall Food Centre to this." He also said, "Those pieces are too chunky and with a slightly charred flavor, also not crispy enough." 

Nonetheless, this is a better than average, rather old-school handmade fried carrot cake that you do not get to find it often in this fast-changing Singapore. 


GUAN HIN HOMEMADE CARROT CAKE
69 Geylang Bahru #01-45 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Thursday, January 25, 2018

San Lor Bak Png : cheap and good Braised Pork Rice set

I got to know about this stall through Martin Goh, a friend on Facebook. He went on their opening day and he enjoyed what he tasted, he then shared it on the Facebook. This newly opened stall is run by the same folks behind Chop Chop  Western Grill just right next to it, in the same coffee shop.

The lady at the stall came out when she saw me taking pictures. She asked, "You are taking pictures of the stall?" I smiled then said, "A friend recommended your stall on the Facebook." She asked, "Do you want to try?" She pointed to a poster and said, "We have this super value meal for just $6.80." This is the set that recommended by Martin and I decided to go with it. I was given a buzzer for collection later. The set consists of a bowl of braised pork rice, a plate of stir-fried long beans and fried tomato egg with a bowl of ABC soup. 

The braised pork rice came with a good portion of rice with tasty braised pork belly and a handful of chopped spring onions was sprinkled on it. It was accompanied by a piece of mushroom and half of a braised egg with slices of pickled cucumber. I was told by the same lady at the counter to try having it with the chilli as she said some of their customers think it brings forth the flavor.  I tried it without the chilli first then added a bit of it to the braised pork and rice, I actually prefer to have it without. The braised egg did not have much flavor. 


The long beans were deep-fried then stir-fried with minced garlic, the texture was slightly hard but was acceptable to my dining companion. The fried tomato egg was nicely done too, those pieces of tomato were soft and added flavor to the egg. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.


The soup was specially mentioned by Martin, he said it was quite good which I agreed. The flavor was quite intense, I would think it was much better than those available at the stalls serving soup. It must have been simmered for a relatively long time to be that flavorful. You could find chunks of carrot, potato and sweet corn in it, there was also a piece of meat. 


This set is definitely value for money.


SAN BRAISED PORK RICE
Block 63 Geylang Bahru Food Cheery Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 330063
Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 9.30 pm

Monday, January 22, 2018

Sing's : the former Sing HK Cafe

This hawker stall used to be known as Sing HK Cafe when they first started at Everton Park. They were there for about a year or so before closing down. They have made a comeback in this coffee shop at Jurong East for slightly more than a month. Alfred Mo, the owner, was there when I visited on a Sunday for lunch. He said, "Our signature is the Hong Kong style Salt Baked Chicken." The dishes are prepared and cooked by him daily. I could not quite tell that Alfred is originated from Hong Kong as he did not speak with a Hong Kong accent when I talked with him in Mandarin. He has been living in Singapore for more than 15 years. He used to be working in the private banking sector after obtained his Master's degree. He always has the passion for cooking and that prompted him to open Sing HK Cafe about 2 years ago as he has wanted to serve Hong Kong style comfort food in Singapore.

I decided to go with the Signature Salt Baked Chicken Noodle ($6.50) and Classic Braised Pork Belly Rice ($5.80). There are also Signature Salt Baked Chicken Rice ($5.80), Dry Mixed Noodle with Soft Boiled Egg ($3.80), Dry Mixed Noodle with Braised Pork Belly ($4.50), Dry Mixed Noodle with Shredded Chicken ($4.50) on their menu. It is served along with the free flow of soup.

He asked, "You got to know about us from our Facebook page?" I nodded. He said, "We are going to have new items on our menu and we will announce it on there." As I was the only customer at that time, I did not have to wait too long to receive my orders. Alfred said, "Whether you like it or not, do leave us a feedback."


As a frequent traveler to Hong Kong, I have yet to try Salt Baked Chicken, also known as Yim Guk Gai in Cantonese, right there. It is a classic dish that is done using parchment paper to wrap up the chicken then bury in a pot of coarse salt and simmer. The modern way of cooking this is to boil or steam the chicken. This dish is not as common as I thought, I could not get much information on where to eat it in Hong Kong when googled.

The Salt Baked Chicken did not taste like what we have here. It did not have much saltiness. My dining companion said, "It tasted more like a braised chicken and there is a slight sweetness."  The noodles were tossed in the sauce then topped with some minced meat and a handful of ikan belis as well as sliced cucumber. Those slices of preserved cucumber were a bit too sourish with a strong taste of vinegar which I did not like.


Classic Braised Pork Belly Rice was served with chunks of braised meat, sous vide egg together with steamed sweet corn and sliced cucumber on the rice. The rice was slightly drizzled with braised sauce. The braised pork belly is done using the slow-cooked method to absorb the full flavor. The texture was meltingly soft but was not as flavorful as expected. 


SING'S
Block 134 Jurong Gateway Road Fu Chan Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 600134
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Mon to Sat) / 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (Sun)

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Mei Meng Taiwan Delicacy : the first 大肠包小肠 in Singapore

Zen Tan, 30s, the owner, started this stall in January 2018. I was the only customer when I went for early lunch. Zen seated at the table in front of his stall and stood up immediately when he saw me. I asked, "Are you a Taiwanese?", which he replied, "No." That is quite obvious actually as he does not speak with the Taiwanese accent. There are currently only 2 items on the menu, 卤肉饭 ($3.80), humble Braised Pork Rice, and 大肠包小肠 ($6.60), a popular street snack. I decided to try both. I have been a big fan of the Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice and it got me really excited when I got to know about this stall in Ang Mo Kio, they are located in a coffee shop near Mayflower Food Centre. 

Zen was telling me that he is in the midst of launching some braised items. He said, "These braised items are just like those that can be found at the night markets throughout Taiwan." He mentioned that he tried the 卤肉饭 at Macpherson and in AMK Hub before starting this stall. He said, "An elderly couple at Tainan taught me how to cook 卤肉饭." I asked, "What were you doing before starting this stall?" He said, "I was in the construction industry." He continued to say, "My friends were surprised when I decided to set up this stall as they did not expect it."


While eating, he came over and asked, "How was it?" I replied, "It is not saltish enough." He said, "I adjusted the level of saltiness a little as most of the customers find it to be too salty." I also mentioned that the rice was a bit too mushy. He said, "I am already using good quality rice and if I go any better then I would be left with little benefits." It is a common challenge amongst the hawkers to stay competitive by keeping the costs low. 

I said, "It would be nice if there is more flavor from fried shallots." He shared that the elderly couple was really patient when they taught him how to fry the shallots. I mentioned, "There is a popular stall at Seah Im Food Centre serving 卤肉饭. I think you should give it a try as their 卤肉饭 is the closest to what I had eaten in Taiwan."


When preparing the 大肠包小肠, he said, "You would not be able to get this in Singapore other than here. I handmade those glutinous rice rolls and it is very time-consuming. I have to be here as early as 6 am to get it going."  He asked whether I want to have it cut into smaller pieces. I replied, "No. I am taking pictures." He made an effort to wrap it nicely in the wrapper before handed it to me. 


I only tried 大肠包小肠 once at Feng Jia Night Market in Taichung but it was not quite memorable. I mentioned to Zen that the price seemed a bit on the high side. The grilled glutinous rice roll was sliced at the centre, it was topped with ground peanuts, salted vegetable, shredded carrot and slices of cucumber before placing the grilled Taiwanese-style hot dog on it then garnished with coriander. You could choose to have it plain, or with sauces. As mentioned by Zen, this is likely to be the only one that you could get in Singapore. 


Zen is still in the midst of perfecting the taste for both items. We should give him more time to work on that. Nonetheless, it is heartening to see a new hawker in doing his part to preserving our hawker culture.


MEI MENG TAIWAN DELICACY
Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560159
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Master Chicken : not bad but not quite the master yet

I visited for the first time when the stall was still at Old Airport Road Food Centre, it was known as Chuan Yit Lai Hainanese Chicken Rice at that time. It was changed to Master Chicken after moving to Kim Keat Palm Food Centre in April 2015. I visited once at that time and the third time was about a month ago. This stall was recently featured in the newest series of "Buzzing Hawker", under the mentorship of chef Robin Ho, which took place in August 2017. They have started to use the new recipe since then. 

Jason, the owner, was not there when I visited last month. I chatted with the friendly assistant and he confirmed that they have started using the recipe by chef Robin Ho. I ordered a quarter chicken with a plate of rice for $7 if I remember correctly. 


There was actually a queue at their stall when they just moved to this food centre but it somehow die-off. We took notice of the new "Dong Feng Fa Hainanese Chicken Rice" stall just a couple of stalls away and we speculated that is the likely reason. Jason used to be working for them before starting his own stall. I could imagine the similarity in the taste and the latter is a familiar name in Hainanese Chicken Rice and so, Master Chicken is somewhat losing out. 


After watching the episode of Buzzing Hawker that featured the stall, I wonder what is the possibility of them falling back on using the old recipe? That could possibly be the reason why we could not tell apart? I could not quite taste the difference and I would not have suspected it is a new recipe if it is not for their new signboard with the "Buzzing Hawker" on it. 

The ginger paste is supposed to be a new recipe but my dining companion did not actually find it to be impressive. The chicken was moist, tender and smooth. The rice was fragrant, grainy and not too greasy, slightly hard though. The level of spiciness for the chili was quite manageable with a hint of tanginess. Overall, it was not bad actually though not amongst the best yet. 


MASTER CHICKEN
Block 22 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-18 Kim Keat Palm Food Centre SINGAPORE 310022
Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Mon to Sat) / 9.00 am to 3.00 pm (Sun) (Closed on Mondays)

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Kakak Kentang : giant fried potato ball

Started by the Dapur Ummi Abdullah Dining Group headed by Chef Ummi in November 2017, this stall at FOMO, serving jumbo fried mashed potato balls. This is the most popular stall in this latest hipster food court at Sultan Gate, in the heart of Kampung Glam. 

There are 2 choices, Bombistik and Chikabom, the regular-sized at $6.90 and the large-sized at $9.90. The Bombistik is stuffed with minced beef in tomato bistik gravy and Chikabom is filled with minced chicken, served with chicken soup soto gravy. They are also serving snacks like Abang Popiah for $2 and if you get 3, it will be only for $5, there is also Adik Char Kuay for $5.90.



When ordering, I asked, pointing at the pictures of Bombistik and Chikabom just beside the counter, "Which one would you recommend?" The lady at the counter, replied, "Both are nice." I then decided to go with Chikabom but could not quite make up my mind whether to go for the regular-sized or the large-sized. There was another customer collecting her order. I pointed to her bowls and asked, "This is regular-sized or large-sized?", the same lady replied, "That's regular.". And, I said, "Regular-sized for me then, the large one is a bit too much." I was told to just wait at the counter as I was the only customer at that time as they were already in the midst of preparing the order. While waiting, I took notice of the sample on display to show the actual size of the potato balls. 


My order was ready in few minutes. Chikabom is actually the upgraded version of bergedil, a Malay-style fried potato patty, in a bigger size and served in chicken soup soto gravy topped with shredded carrot and radish with dried shallots. The fried potato ball turned soggy rather quickly after soaked in the gravy for a while. 



It tasted just like the usual bergedil, that is available at those Malay stalls, to go with Mee Siam or Mee Rebus, or as part of the selection for Nasi Padang, at a smaller size and cheaper in price. 


KAKAK KENTANG
38 Sultan Gate FOMO Singapore 198486
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Mon to Thu) / 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Fri)
12.00 pm to 12.00 am (Sat & Sun)

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Fatty Thai : Thai Wanton Mee

Edmund, Darryll and Wei Zhe, are the owners of this stall and all of them are 22 years old. They met during their school days and decided to start this stall after their national service in this coffee shop along Beach Road. Almost everything is handmade including their char siew which is done in-house based on a recipe that they obtained online.

I ordered Ba Mee Kiao Moo Dang, the Thai style wanton mee, the smallest portion is at $3, followed by $4 and $5. Another item on their menu is Khao Ka Moo at $5 and $7, rice is 0.50 cents per portion. When I was asked whether to go chili, I replied, "How spicy is it?". Edmund replied, "Very spicy. I will just add a little and leave it by the side."

Edmund was in-charge of cooking, assisted by Wei Zhe and Darryll was taking the orders. Though it is stated as "self-service", Darryll offered to serve it to our table.


The smallest portion that I ordered came with a good portion of noodles with slices of char siew and some green, garnished with dried chili flakes and preserved green chili.


Their wantons tasted a bit different, there was a distinct sourish taste and got my dining companion to wonder what it is. I suspected it might be caused by adding in lemongrass as part of the ingredients, which is common for making Thai style wantons. 


There was a strong flavor of lard oil, other than the usual fish sauce and sugar as the base. It is different from the regular wanton mee as it is much drier with no sauce. The noodles were thinner and rather springy. The lards were not as crunchy and fragrant as expected though. 

What left an impression was their friendly service. If I am going to compare this with the popular Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee, I would still think the latter fared a bit better. 


FATTY THAI
341 Beach Road Lim Si Mi Cafe SINGAPORE 199567
Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Friday, January 12, 2018

Local Delights : my favorite Fried Prawn Fritter

I have been patronising this stall quite regularly ever since there is a new bus service to travel from Ang Mo Kio to Yishun. I am such a regular until a particular auntie is able to recognize me and often, she will freshly made those prawn fritters for me, the only item that I have been ordering. Each prawn fritter is reasonably priced at 0.90 cents. There are other snacks like the fried yam cake, glutinous rice cake, dumpling, chee cheong fun and even chwee kway available, too. If you are there for prawn fritter, please go before 3 pm as it will usually be sold out by then or earlier.

This stall has been in this coffee shop for the longest time. My first visit was about 5 years ago and they happened to open a stall in Ang Mo Kio shortly after that but it was only there for about a year or so. I happened to meet the lady boss once and we talked about it. She said the reason for closing down was the unreasonably raise in the rental.


Prawn fritter is not as commonly available as before though you could still find them at those stalls serving traditional snacks or at the Ngor Hiang Guan Qiang stalls, but most of these are pre-made. This one is better, it is made in batches to ensure its crispiness, it has also added bean sprouts for a softer texture and not as thick. When you ordered to have it there, the auntie will cut it into smaller pieces and served it on the plate with the chili by the side.

I was told there is another outlet in another part of Yishun, somewhere in Khatib and not too far from the MRT station.


LOCAL DELIGHTS
414 Yishun Ring Road Broadway Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 760414
Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 5.00 pm (Daily)

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Noods & Meats : a Muslim-owned Western food stall at Yishun

This is a Muslim-owned Western food stall located in the coffee shop near Yishun Park Hawker Centre, it started by Chef Fidauz Nasir, a former Executive Chef of Arteastiq on 17 December 2017. They are specialized in handmade noodles and in-house smoked meats. 

We were there on a Sunday for lunch. Their menu is pretty extensive but some of the items were sold out, including the Bebek Meat listed as item A9 on their menu for $12.90, it is a duck confit served in their secret sauce with sous vide egg and vegetables that we wanted to order. We decided to go with item A11, listed as Chope Chicken for $10.90, it is a Chicken Leg Confit served with coleslaw, beans stew and sunny side up egg. I was given a choice to choose between the butter rice, fries, mashed potato and potato salad as a side dish but potato salad was not available then. We also went ahead to select item B1, listed as Burnt End for $6.90, it consists of in-house Beef Brisket that was smoked for 12 hours with their secret sauce and Thai asparagus. Every bun dish is served with french fries. 

After done with ordering and payment, I was told that they will call the number on the receipt when it is ready for collection. We were expected to hang around there as the coffee shop was quite crowded on a Sunday and there was quite a high chance that we might miss it if we seated too far. When it was ready, the assistant shouted really loud and shouted it twice. We collected both dishes at the same time. 


Burnt End, is none other than a pile of beef brisket served in a sweet bun and with Thai asparagus. The beef brisket was smoked in-house for a relatively long 12 hours. Every bun dish is served with french fries, it was quite a big pile of shoestring fries. Their secret "shiok" sauce did not taste as impressive as we expected it to be.


The presentation was indeed messy thus, not too appealing. My dining companion thought it actually tasted better than its look. The beef brisket was nicely flavored and it would be nicer if it is more tender. The bun was situated in a pool of sauce and its base turned slightly soggy. It was quite nice, as commented by my dining companion, in fact, it is the better one amongst the 2 dishes. 



Chope Chicken, not a whole chicken leg was used but the boneless one. It was suspected not done in confit method as described on their menu but grilled. What is confit? It is a method of cooking food in its own fat, oil or a water syrup at a low temperature, which is likely not in this case. It was confusing and misleading as well, it should be just called a grilled chicken chop and by calling it Chope Chicken, it did not quite make sense too. When googled for the meaning of "chope", it refers to reserve a place, such as a seat, sometimes by placing a packet of tissue paper on it. 


A sunny side up was placed on top of the chicken, accompanied by the coleslaw, mashed potato with a mixture of baked beans and green peas. After tasting it, my dining companion was saying he prefers the chicken chop served at the western food stall in Yishun Park Hawker Centre just a stone's throw away. He commented that the chicken, though nicely cooked but was a bit too thick, mildly flavored and with soggy skin. The mashed potato did not have much taste and the coleslaw was not as good too, it is also more expensive. The dish was garnished with chopped spring onions and some crispy bits, its presentation was quite messy.  


They are only in operation for about a month and perhaps, give it a bit more time and they will get better. 


NOODS & MEATS
414 Yishun Ring Road Broadway Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 760414
Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Monday, January 8, 2018

Hai Kee Soya Sauce Chicken : impressively good

There are many noteworthy Soya Sauce Chicken, some of the popular choices are Fragrant Soya Sauce Chicken and Fatty Ox Hong Kong Kitchen at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Chiew Kee and Chew Kee at Upper Cross Street and Lee Fun Nam Kee at Toa Payoh Lorong 4.

Hai Kee Soya Sauce Chicken is another established brand for Soya Sauce Chicken. It was first started by Mr Wong Si Han in 1959 at Upper Cross Street before relocating to Katong in 2000 when Mr Wang Kia Jeck took over the business. The business expanded to include 8 outlets islandwide but it started to decline during the bird flu epidemic, it started to shut down one after another and finally ended it. They reopened in 2010 at Eunos Crescent and then another one in Changi in 2013 followed by the one in East Coast Road in 2015.


Joseph Wang, decided to take over the family business when he was 21, right after completing his National Service and is currently working along with James Wang, his brother. Now, they left with the stall at Changi but opened a new one at Bedok North, manned by James and Mr Wang Kia Jeck, their father. Their menu is broadened to include roasted pork and char siew. 


The well-marinated Soya Sauce Chicken was tender and smooth with a light fragrance of the soy sauce, it went well with the accompanying chili sauce and the coarse ginger paste. The texture of the rice was grainy, fragrant and not overly oily. My dining companion prefers the one from Lee Fun Nam Kee to this though. 


This might not be the best Soya Sauce Chicken but it is definitely much better than Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle that has been awarded Michelin star but failed to live up to the hype. 


HAI KEE SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN
Block 217 Bedok North Street 1 Food Loft Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 460217
Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on alternate Tuesdays)

324T Changi Road Kim San Leng Coffeeshop SINGAPORE 419799
Operating Hours: 9.30 am to 6.30 pm (Closed on Fridays)