Jiang Ji Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice : next generation of Sergeant Kiang

I heard about the opening of this stall from a friend on Facebook. They opened on 20 June 2020 by Susan, Raymond, and Alvin using a recipe handed down by their 81 years old father, Sergeant Kiang. Sergeant Kiang founded Sergeant Chicken Rice before it was acquired by the Food Republic. He was also one of the pioneer chefs that created the famous Chicken Rice in Chatterbox, a cafe in the former Mandarin Hotel.

I went on a weekday for lunch. I took a picture of the stall before joining the queue. Susan spotted me and when it was my turn to order, she asked, "You are?" I replied, "I am just one of the fans of Sergeant Kiang's chicken rice. I met him before and I met you too at the stall in Havelock." She chuckled and said, "That was very long ago." I decided to order half of the poached chicken with 2 plates of rice to share it with my dining companion. I was asked to take a seat as it will be sent over. Alvin brought over. He asked, "Remember me? I was at the Jiang Ji in Havelock." He also asked, "How is the taste? still the same."

I could actually taste the similarity. I said, "The same. The chicken is still tender. The rice is so fragrance. The chilli and ginger paste are still good." It is still that familiar taste. Their specialty is always the poached chicken. The texture was tender and still retained its juiciness. I still think their rice was amongst the better that I have tasted. The fragrance was quite distinctive and the texture was grainy and not overly greasy. 

Susan came over when we were about done eating. She said, "We set up this stall to force our dad to retire. He is staying at the next block and he always asked our helper to come over and bring back for him to sample. He is still making sure that everything is still up to his standard." She further said, "And, he wanted to hand on but we do not allow him to do so." I said, "I remember Sergeant Kiang ever shared that he decided to throw away the whole tub of chilli after tasting it as it is just not up to his standard." I continued to say, "I asked him then whether he is passing the recipe to his children and he replied that their cooking is not up to his standard yet." I said, "I have been going around eating Chicken Rice but this is still amongst the best, much better than most of those out there." What actually defines good chicken rice? It is everything, from the chicken to the rice and the chilli to the ginger paste. Everything has to be good. And, I think I have found the perfect combination here. 

It is heartwarming to see a family comes together for a common goal. Unity is indeed strength. I will definitely be back for more of their chicken rice. 

JIANG JI TRADITIONAL HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

780 Yishun Ring Road SINGAPORE 760780

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Old World Bakuteh : Mixed Pig's Organ Fried Porridge, must try

Chef Jemmy Yeo, the co-owner, started this stall with his partner in November 2019 at a coffee shop near Yishun MRT. He is a Peranakan chef that has been based in Singapore for the past 2 decades. He started cooking after getting inspired by his grandmother. Other than Bak Kut Teh ($6.00), the Mixed Pig's Organ Fried Porridge ($5.00) is another popular item. Fried Porridge is not commonly found in Singapore, the other one is by Dynasty Fried Porridge at Foch Road. I ordered the Fried Porridge with Braised Small Intestines ($5.00). Jemmy was there to take my order.

The porridge was already cooked with the dark soya sauce. He would then fried the porridge to infusing the flavor of dried shrimps and fried shallots upon order, adding in the ingredients like minced pork, leaned pork, small intestines, big intestines, liver, tau kwa cubes to the porridge then topped with fried shallots, chopped spring onions and a dash of white pepper to serve. The porridge was served hot and remained hot even after I took those pictures. This is a better Fried Porridge, a cheaper and tastier alternative as compared to the other one that I mentioned. 

The Braised Small Intestines were nicely done too, the texture was soft and not too chewy. 

I went back for the second time in a week to eat their Fried Porridge and Braised Small Intestines.

OLD WORLD BAKUTEH

Block 747 Yishun Street 72 Hiap Hoe Eating House SINGAPORE 760747

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm

Shaker Lakers : East meets West

The stall is started by Gillian Pua, 43, a former technologist that used to be in the IT industry for more than 18 years. Her business partner is Michael Quinn, 42, an Irish national and a permanent resident in Singapore. He has been working in New York for more than 12 years and is married to a Singaporean. Both of them met at Marche at VivoCity. Michael was the Restaurant Manager then and Gillian was working there whilst in between jobs. They started talking about running a hawker stall for about 8 months before realizing it on 9 August 2019 after experimenting with the recipes. They decided on starting a hawker stall as it is an economical choice as compared to operating a cafe. The stall is based on the East meets West concept serving the Western and also the local dishes. They hope to create a new food concept using Asian flavors with Western cooking techniques. 

The main menu consists of Beef Burger ($7.50), Fish and Chips ($9) and Aglio Olio with Bacon and Mushroom ($7.50). There are also interesting choices like Lakers Chicken Merah with rice ($6.50), Hainanese Pork Chop with Rice and Egg ($6.30) and Sambal Prawn Linguine ($8). The prices are kept affordable and everything is made from scratch at the stall. 

I ordered Lakers Chicken Merah with rice for myself and Beef Burger for my dining companion. I was told to come back in 10 minutes for collection. 

Beef Burger consists of a thick patty with cheese, served together with tomato and lettuce, accompanied by potato wedges.  The barbeque sauce was served in a saucer and my dining companion assumed it was tomato sauce so he just left it alone. While eating his burger, he said, "The beef patty though thick and juicy but it did not have much taste." He only realized that saucer was barbeque sauce after he finished the burger, he said, "It should be tastier after added that in." 

He continued to say, "The best burger from a hawker stall is still those from Hammee's at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre."

Lakers Chicken Merah is based on a Peranakan recipe from Gillian's family. It is a homely dish of simmering fried chicken in spicy tomato sauce. The sauce tasted more like the sambal chilli that is usually for the barbeque stingray and it was different from the usual Ayam Masak Merah. There was a subtle heat from the chillies but not much of sweet and sourish taste.

Interestingly, it was served with 2 pieces of ladyfinger coated in batter then deep-fried. The rice was slightly dry.

This is an interesting stall that is worth revisiting. There are other dishes listed under the "Chef Recommendation" on a standing whiteboard displayed in front of the stall. 

SHAKER LAKERS
51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-24 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867
Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.00 pm / 5.00 pm to 8.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Kalsom Kuih Muih Curry Puff at Yishun Park Hawker Centre

Zaidi Zainal and Kalsom Kamis, his wife, have been running a stall at Yishun Park Hawker Centre for over a year. This stall was in the news when 6 youths stole $1,064 from the cash register. That sum is equivalent to selling 600 pieces of those handmade curry puffs. The couple was forced to raise the prices of each curry from $1.20 to $1.50 trying to recoup the losses. 

I ordered the Curry Puff and Sardine Puff, the size is bigger than the usual puffs out there. 

My dining companion tried both and said, "I would prefer the Curry Puff to Sardine Puff. The Sardine Puff is too tomato-ish and with too much onion." 

I would also prefer the Curry Puff a bit more. It consists of a generous amount of potato with a piece of a boiled egg at the right level of spiciness.

KALSOM KUIH MUIH CURRY PUFF

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-01 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

51 Minced Meat Noodles : fusion Bak Chor Mee

This stall has recently opened on 1 May and they took over the stall where Fishball Story used to be. They serve fusion Minced Meat Noodles, there are choices of basic Minced Meat Noodles for $3, Signature Minced Meat Noodles for $5/$6, Braised Pork Noodles for $6.50 and Meatball Soup for $3.50. There was no queue when I went for lunch on Sunday. There was an auntie taking the order and a younger man cooking it. I decided to have the larger portion of Signature Minced Meat Noodle at $6. 

It was cooked using a timer for noodles but the ingredients were cooked together with the earlier order and it was then separated into the different bowls when done. This process might have been a little slow and the customers have to wait slightly longer. My dining companion said, "They should consider to cook them separately."

The highlight is the Japanese Chasu. My dining companion said, "It is soft but not quite flavorful." It did not manage to stay in shape after a quick toss as it had broken into smaller pieces. Those pieces of liver were cooked a little too long thus a bit tough. Those meatballs were quite forgettable. 

The soup had a distinct shoyu taste, tasted a bit like the broth for ramen.

I would rather have a bowl of traditional Bak Chor Mee like the one by Jimmy Teo of 黄大福 at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre. It is still one of the cheap and good options around. 

51 MINCED MEAT NOODLES

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-27 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 7.30 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Nanyang Curry : Curry Mutton is good

This is one of the new stalls at Yishun Park Hawker Centre and I decided to give it a try. The Curry Mutton ($6.00) stood out amongst the other pictures on their menu board so I ordered it. Plain rice is available at $0.50 and baguette at $0.80.

There was a generous amount of mutton, nicely cooked to the desired tenderness with no gamey flavor. I could also taste a certain similarity between this curry and that of Nana Homemade Curry, it is almost as spicy, thick and rich, too. I do not usually eat mutton but I actually enjoyed it. 

I went back to talk with the Auntie. I asked, "Do you happen to be related to Nana Homemade Curry?" The auntie laughed and said, "Actually, many have asked that question." She added, "No. We are not related to Nana Homemade Curry."

I took away their Curry Chicken ($4.50), Curry Pork Rib ($5.00), and Vegetable Curry ($3.00) to have it for dinner at home. Those were nice but I think Curry Mutton tasted better. 

NANYANG CURRY

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-26 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.30 pm (Daily)

One Mouth Noodle : handmade Wanton noodle

Jim Yeow, 37, the owner, a former interior designer that started in a coffee shop at Geylang Lorong 27 but closed down in December 2017 and reopened at Yishun Park Hawker Centre on 1 April 2019. His father, Mr Yeow Lok Meng, 68, used to run a stall in Chinatown for decades but has already retired for almost 20 years, he learned the art of making noodles from a master from Guang Zhou in 1965. Their noodles are handmade at the stall using the same technique for making Cantonese noodles with just eggs and flour based on a recipe that has been handed down. It is very challenging in making the noodles, it requires the right technique and adequate amount of strength to do it right. Not many are making their noodles these days.

I was there on a Sunday slightly after 12 pm. There were another 2 customers in front of the stall. I wanted to have their Hong Kong style Beef Brisket Noodle ($5.50) but was told that it has finished. I decided to go for their Char Siew Wanton Noodle ($4.50) and Shrimp Dumpling Soup ($4.50) then. I was told that they only left the last 2 pieces of Shrimp Dumplings and I can choose to just add on. I wanted to add extra wanton but Jim said, "Don't want la. I do not have enough."

Another customer was also waiting for his order to be ready. He also requested to add extra wanton to his noodles but was also told not to do so. He said, "Their wanton noodle is very nice, particularly like their Char Siew." He sounded like a regular customer. I replied, "You are staying nearby?" He pointed at the block behind. He also said, "Their dumplings are also very good." I overheard when he asked for dumplings earlier. I laughed then said, "I am the one that took the last 2 dumplings." We were waiting for the char siew to be ready. 

Their thinly-pulled noodles are kneaded by hand and its texture is quite similar to those served in Hong Kong, it is lighter and springier, almost no lye is tasted. My dining companion said, "The noodles are very nice. The char siew though tasty but not tender enough, the cut is a bit too lean. "

The wantons and shrimp dumplings were quite nice though particularly the shrimp dumpling. The shrimp dumpling consists of a piece of shrimp with minced meat nicely wrapped in a piece of thin wrapper. 

As I was just seated near the stall, I overheard that the noodles were ran out and they have to halt the operation while making a new batch for dinner. 

Jim is striving hard to preserve the originality of the authentic wanton mee founded by his father. 

ONE MOUTH NOODLE

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-12 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 9.00 pm

Chicky Fun : it could be better if the consistency is there

This is a chicken rice chain owned by the Kopitiam Group and this outlet is located at Bagus food court in Northpoint City, overseen by Chef Kiang. Chef Kiang, 81, is better known as Sergeant Kiang, he is a renowned Hainanese chef that started as a cook with the British Army. After discharge from the Army, he worked with The American Club before joining the Mandarin Hotel and was part of the pioneer team that created the most talked about Chatterbox Chicken Rice. He shared how did he convince the German boss to start selling the chicken rice in the 70s when I met him a few years ago.

Subsequently, he started Sergeant Chicken Rice at the Rasa Singapura and moved to a few places including Chevron before he sold it off to the BreakTalk Group that owned the Food Republic food courts. He worked as a Consultant to train the chefs in cooking the chicken and the rice with them. He even traveled to Taiwan and stayed there for 3 months when the food court first opened there. He left to start Jiang Ji Traditional Chicken Rice in a coffee shop along Havelock Road but was closed down when the coffee shop underwent renovation. He was invited by the Banquet Group to open Sergeant Kiang Kitchen at Jurong Point in December 2011 but closed in April 2012, he then started Chicky Fun chain with the Kopitiam Group. 

The friendly lady at the counter asked, "Roasted or poached chicken?" and I replied, "I like to have half of each." She said, "That will be an addition of $3." 

The chicken was nicely cooked, the meat was tender and smooth. Both portions were from the breast part and I would prefer the poached chicken to the roasted one as the latter was slightly dry. It did not serve with any sauce. 

The chilli is made using the chilli, lime, garlic and ginger. Sergeant Kiang ever mentioned no preservative is used in making the chilli. It is slightly spicier than the chilli from other chicken rice stalls. The most important factor to determine a good chicken rice is none other than the chilli. The ginger paste is finely grated, it is well-balanced and not overpowering. 

The rice was grainy and moist with a light chicken stock flavor. The lightly flavored soup is served with cabbage and garnished chopped scallion and fried shallots. 

There are more than 30 stalls of Chicky Fun in different Kopitiam food court and the standard can be quite inconsistent. 

Sergeant Kiang is one of the surviving legends. I still remember how his eyes sparkled when he talked about cooking and chicken rice. There are not many like him these days and he will always have my utmost respect.

CHICKY FUN

930 Yishun Avenue 2 #1-101/102/103 North City South Wing SINGAPORE 769098
Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Anson Town : Curry Mee & Nasi Lemak

We went on National Day for lunch, the cafe was unexpectedly crowded on a Public Holiday. They started at a shop along Changi Road and this is their new outlet. They are serving Malaysian dishes particularly those from Anson Town, a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia and is famous for Chee Cheong Fun. It is a different style from the usual Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun as it is served dry with some green pickled chili, the rice sheet is embedded with turnip, dried shrimps and minced meat.

When I was ordering at the counter, I was told that their Chee Cheong Fun has sold out. The friendly chap said, "There was an earlier order of 50 portions of Chee Cheong Fun for taking away." He continued to say, "This does not usually happen. We also did not expect." I have heard about their signature Chee Cheong Fun and is looking forward to trying it. I guess I will just have to come back another day for it.

We decided to have lunch there nonetheless. My dining companion went ahead with their Nasi Lemak, there are choices to have it with the chicken wing ($3.50) or chicken chop ($4.50). He wanted it with the chicken chop. I decided to go with the Curry Mee ($4.50). As for drinks, we ordered the Grass Jelly Drink ($1.20) and Iced Coffee ($1.60). After payment, a buzzer was given as it is self-service. They mixed up the Iced Coffee with the Hot Coffee so we collected without it. The Iced Coffee was sent over later. When collecting the utensils, the soup spoon was run out so we made do with the normal spoon. 

The Curry Mee consists of a substantial portion of yellow noodles with ingredients like tau pok and chicken. My dining companion took a sip of the curry gravy and commented that it was quite spicy. It was also thick and rich and it tasted nicer than expected. 

The Nasi Lemak did not taste too special, it consists of a big piece of chicken chop with cabbage, peanuts and ikan belis accompanied by the sambal chili on a slice of cucumber. The coconut rice was quite fragrant but the pre-fried chicken chop was a letdown. The chicken was quite bland and the batter was a little too thick. The sambal chili was good though, it reminded me of the traditional sambal chili that is usually a little sweet yet spicy. 

I am likely to go back for their Chee Cheong Fun.

ANSON TOWN

No 7 Gambas Crescent #01-07 ARK SINGAPORE 750787

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Chye Lye Curry Fish Head Restaurant at Sembawang

I got to know about this restaurant from their postings on Facebook. They have been around since 1967 serving the usual Zi Char fare. They are located in a coffee shop directly opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre. There are clusters of shophouses that given the uniquely old-school charm to this northern part of Singapore. Amongst their dishes, Curry Fish Head is the most popular. It must be of a certain standard if not, it would not be featured on their signboard. We were there for a late lunch. The coffee shop was rather quiet at that time and I actually thought they were not in operation. A lady walked out to greet us when we were there. 

We decided to go with their signature Curry Fish Head ($23) with 2 plates of rice at $0.80 each. Their Curry Fish Head was served with different types of vegetables and tau pok. The curry was in orange color, rich texture but not overpowering with a hint of tanginess and a mild spiciness. The red snapper head was rather substantial, tender and relatively fresh.

My dining companion compared it to the famous Kam Long Curry Fish Head in Johor Bahru and still think they serve a better Curry Fish Head. He is still hunting for a similar style Curry Fish Head that is as good. 

CHYE LYE CURRY FISH HEAD RESTAURANT

1 Jalan Legundi SINGAPORE 759263

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.30 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Hong Kong Stewed Soup . Zhong Zai Fan : is there a change of ownership?

I was there on a rainy Sunday, the coffee shop was not as crowded as expected at about 1 pm. I usually ordered from this particular stall manned by a couple originated from Hong Kong. There are different types of stewed soup and steamed rice on their menu. I decided to go with Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice ($3.50), Salted Fish Steamed Pork Rice ($3.50) and Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs ($4.00).

The Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice that has always been a personal favorite that I often order. I ever told the friendly auntie that, "Your Preserved Vegetable Braised Pork Rice is one of the best that I have ever eaten." She replied in a distinct Hong Kong accent Mandarin, "It has been steamed for many hours to have that kind of softness and flavor." It was disappointing this time, the first ever since I started eating at this stall more than a decade ago. 

The texture of the braised pork was not as soft as it used to be. There was a notable chewiness and not as flavorful. The blanched vegetable tasted bitter. It did not help even when I tried to pour soya sauce over it and tried eating it with the red cut chilli so I left it uneaten.

The Salted Fish Steamed Pork Rice was better. Those pieces of sliced meat were steamed together with shredded ginger together with the rice. The texture of the meat was tender and tasted quite flavorful. Somehow, it was not as good as I remember.

The Watercress Soup with Pork Ribs consists of a few pieces of rather tough pork ribs. 

Is there a change of ownership? I did not see the familiar auntie at the stall there.

HONG KONG STEWED SOUP .  ZHONG ZAI FAN

Block 925 Yishun Central 1 #01-249 SINGAPORE 760925

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Saturdays)