Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice : the continuity

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice started at the already demolished Commonwealth Avenue Food Centre, off Margaret Drive by Mr Leong Fook Wing in 1971. Niven and Benson, his sons, continue his legacy after his passing. Niven started a stall at Ubi in July 2020. He used to man Uncle Chicken Rice in Alexandra Village Food Centre before moving to The Bedok Place. Benson, his brother has a stall in a coffee shop at Holland Drive.

We were there on a Sunday and there was a short queue during lunch. We decided to go with a set meal for 2 at $14 which includes 2 bowls of rice, a bowl of soup, a plate of vegetables, and the steamed chicken. There are also set meal for 1 pax at $4.50, set meal for 3 at $24, and set meal for 4 at $36.  

The chicken is chopped into chunky pieces with the bone still intact and drizzled lightly with their special sauce which complimented the natural flavor of the chicken. The chicken is nicely cooked to the desired tenderness and there is a nice jelly-like layer in between the skin and the meat. 

We did not like the fermented fried pork belly, the texture was not as tender as we liked it. It was recommended by the stall assistant and so decided to try it. The other option is the braised pork belly. 

The texture of the rice was grainy and not too greasy with a light chicken stock flavor. The chicken stock is used to cook the rice thus no soup is served. They also serve crispy lard upon request and the recommended way is to eat it is with dark soy sauce on rice. I did not like the chilli as much, it was not as spicy and slightly tangy. Their ginger paste is the drier version mixed with chopped scallion. My dining companion said, "This is better than that from Jiang Ji's. In fact, this is the only thing that is better."

Watercress Soup was alright but I would actually prefer the recommended Chicken Feet soup but was not available on that day. 

After tasting this and Jiang Ji Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice, my choice is the latter if they continue to maintain the standard. 

SIN KEE FAMOUS CHICKEN RICE

Block 304 Ubi Avenue 1 #01-95 Ubi DMQ Eating House SINGAPORE 400304

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Da Sheng Minced Pork Noodle : my old favorite Bak Chor Mee

Bai Yong Sheng, 36, the 4th generation owner, started helping out at his father's stall since 15 years old before eventually taking over the stall, using a recipe from his grandfather that used to operate a pushcart. They used to be at Plaza Singapura from 1997 to 2012 then moved to Block 739 Bedok Reservoir Road before moving to this canteen at Ubi Avenue 1 in May 2018. He is serving the traditional Teochew style Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle, commonly known as Bak Chor Mee. Black vinegar, braised mushroom sauce, and lard are used as part of the sauce mixture in his secret recipe. He is hoping to provide better Bak Chor Mee using quality ingredients as the current rental is lower. 

There was a short queue when I came for lunch on the last day of 2018. When it was my turn to order, I decided to go with Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle and I wanted it with Chicken Chop. The friendly lady boss asked, "Do you want the $4.50 or $5.50 bowl?" I asked, "What is the difference?" She replied, "The $5.50 portion is served with 2 fried dumplings." I went with the $5.50 selection. She also asked, "Do you want it with chilli?" As I will be sharing it with my dining companion and he could not handle spiciness so I asked, "Is it going to be really spicy?". She replied, "Not really for normal spiciness." I wanted to give her $10.50 as it stated that Chicken Chop is available at $5 as a side order. She said, "It is only $7.50. I do not think you can finish it so just an added-on option will be good enough." While waiting for my order, I said, "I used to be eating this regularly when it was still at Plaza Singapura." She smiled and said, "That was 7 years ago." Yong Sheng looked up while cooking the noodles and gave me a smile when he overheard it. I used to have it for lunch and even dinner when working near Plaza Singapura more than a decade ago.

The noodles were cooked well, serving with ingredients like minced meat, meatballs, liver, braised mushroom and 2 pieces of fried dumplings. The amount of black vinegar was not overpowering and the level of spiciness is quite acceptable. The fried dumplings were quite tasty, they replaced the water chestnuts with turnip, it did not have the crunchiness though there was still a slight sweetness. It can be ordered as a side dish in 10 pieces for $5. I actually liked the nicely seasoned chicken chop.

There are also Chicken Chop Noodle ($5.50), Fried Dumpling Noodle ($4.50/$5.50), Teochew Dumpling Soup ($4.50/$5.00) and Fishball Noodle ($4.00/$5.00) on their menu.

My dining companion tasted the lightly flavored soup and said, "This is better than the Lotus with Pork Ribs Soup from Mei Mei Roast." And, he actually finished the whole bowl of soup later. 

I am a big fan of Bak Chor Mee and this is definitely one of the better bowls of Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. 

DA SHENG MINCED PORK NOODLE

Block 3014 Ubi Road 1 SINGAPORE 408702

Operating Hours: 6.45 am to 3.30 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Mr Lorbak : impressively good Braised Pork Belly Rice

William Liou, 30, is also known as Mr Lorbak, the owner of this unassuming hawker stall, located in a coffee shop at Ubi. It used to be in Bedok North Street 3 but forced to relocate when the owner of that coffee shop wanted to close it. He has a Diploma from SHATEC with a background in culinary arts and he was a former General Manager of a restaurant group prior to starting this stall. He used to manage the now-defunct Kite, a restaurant in Craig Road and also worked in Princess Terrace Cafe at Copthorne King as well as in Swissotel The Stamford. 

I asked, "Have you ever regretted in making such a decision?" He replied, "Not at all. I am happy in doing what I am doing now." It has always been his childhood dream to run a hawker stall. His mother used to run a stall selling rojak in Tampines and she is always the inspiration that prompted him to start a hawker stall. 

There is only one dish on the menu, which is the Braised Pork Belly Rice ($3.50) braised for a relatively long period of 14 hours using about 20 types of herbs and spices based on a recipe that has handed down from his mother. Each bowl comprises of lor bak and a hard-boiled egg with pieces of black cloud ear fungus and there is the option to add braised mushroom, preserved vegetable and tau pok at $0.50 each.

I ordered a portion with braised mushroom, preserved vegetable and tau pok added for $5. The flavour of lor bak is rich and wonderfully simple, its texture is meltingly tender and this is what will get you hooked on. It is cheap, filling and delicious. It is every bit as good as expected, perhaps better. The chilli reminded me of Kway Chap as it tasted quite alike, just like those that is usually served along with it. In fact, the dish itself has certain resemblances but instead of serving it with the rice noodles, it came with rice. The braised egg, preserved vegetables, tau pork and black fungus were nice accompaniments. 

It is pure, pull-no-punches comfort food and it is just the kind of thing that you want to eat, this keeps people coming back.  And not forgetting, the service is absolutely welcoming. 

MR LORBAK

Block 350 Ubi Avenue 1 SINGAPORE 400350

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

( Hong Kong Jin Tian ) : they are back but not with Arp Geok Pau (鸭脚包)

Simon, their customer left a comment on the post that I wrote about Hong Kong Jin Tian, to inform that they are back in a coffee shop at Ubi about a week ago. I decided to go follow up. Mr Yip Kowk Ching, 62 and Mrs Yip moved from Hong Kong to Singapore about 30 years ago, they started Hong Kong Jin Tian (香港錦田) at Tiong Bahru, a popular eatery serving Hong Kong style roast meat and their speciality is Arp Geok Pau (Duck Leg Wrap) or 鸭脚包, in Chinese, is hardly found in Singapore though it used to be a popular dish in the 70s and 80s. The eatery was shut down on 27 April 2014. They re-opened on 15 July 2014 in one of those shops along Zion Road but was closed in 2015. I visited them there and wrote an article on Makansutra at that time. 

This time, they started as a hawker stall in a coffee shop. I was there at about 11 am on a weekday and went around looking for the signboard that spelt 'Hong Kong Jin Tian" but I did not see it there and I thought that information might be incorrect. Then, I spotted a man that resembled Mr Yip and went to ask, "This, used to be Hong Kong Jin Tian?". He nodded and then he replied in Cantonese but I only understand little Cantonese. He was trying to tell me that they could not use 'Hong Kong Jin Tian' as their signboard and they will be taxed heavily for doing so. Their new stall does not have a name and with just a generic signboard. 

And then, I saw Mrs Yip in the kitchen. I waved at her and said, "I recognise her, she is 叶太 (Mrs Yip)." That was how she like to be addressed when I met her about 2.5 years ago. She asked, "Do you purposely make a trip here?". I nodded. She then said, "你们很有心." She also mentioned that some of their regular customers visited and managed to recognise them. 

I ordered a plate of Roasted Duck and Sio Bak rice ($4) with their Soup of the Day ($3), which was Yamaimo Soup. The overall standard of their roasted meat is still as good. They are not able to make Arp Geok Pau now as their current kitchen is quite small and they will need a long table to lay out all the ingredients when making that delicate dish. They are still able to do suckling pig through an advance order. Their business was better when they started last week but a bit quieter this week and she thought it should be due to the school holidays. Mr Yip mentioned that they have to travel an hour from Tiong Bahru to their stall now. They used to own a stall at the Tiong Bahru Food Centre but have since given up as they planned to retire at that time. 

Mrs Yip joined me at the table and we chatted, it left me feeling heavy-hearted after hearing her story. She said in her heavily Cantonese accent Chinese, "We were left with no choice but to close our shop in Zion Road because my younger son decided to quit quite suddenly." She shared about what happened then. I remember she told me then that they actually wanted to retire but opened that shop for their sons as they have already mastered the required skills and interested in carrying on the trade. 

She also talked about the main reason for starting this food stall as they are hoping their younger son will join them later. Mrs Yip, said, "I have a feeling that it is going to happen very soon. No matter what happens, he is still my son." Apparently, it is all about a mother's love. 

I left my number with her so she could contact me if they decide to relocate again.

(HONG KONG JIN TIAN)

Block 3014B Ubi Road 1 Stall Number 11 SINGAPORE 408722

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm (Monday to Friday)

Ding Hao Yong Tau Fu : Good Hakka style Yong Tau Fu, Must-try!

This shop is nestled amongst the others in this housing estate, it is located near the end of Block 304 after passing by 3 coffee shops just to get there and it has been around for more than a year. The owner inherited a secret recipe from Ya Rong Yong Tau Fu in Johor Bahru, Malaysia for Yong Tau Fu as mentioned on their Facebook page. They serve it the Hakka style with specially marinated minced pork together with a small proportion of fish paste instead of with just the fish paste like the Cantonese style that is commonly available. 

They minced the pork by themselves and to maintain its freshness, they added in the ice cubes in the blending process. Those pieces of Yong Tau Fu are handmade daily just 2 hours before their opening and are available at 0.60 cents per piece. You could choose to have it with soup or dry or with the curry sauce, they even have it with bean paste or go with the chee cheong fun or try their house special, the stir-fry Yong Tau Foo. There are different versions of stir-fry Yong Tau Foo like Kapitan Yong Tau Foo, Gan Xiang Yong Tau Foo, Sweet & Sour Yong Tau Foo, Marmite Yong Tau Foo, Gong Bao Yong Tau Foo, Lemon Yong Tau Foo, Rendang Yong Tau Foo and Thai Sauce Yong Tau Foo. And, their broth is simmered using prime ribs and mushroom. 

The number on the receipt will be called out when it is ready for collection which is not as effective. It happened when I heard my number was called by the lady serving at the counter. When I was at the counter, another customer thought it should be his order as he heard it wrongly. 

Apparently, they actually mixed up the order. We ordered 2 portions, the first portion is to go with the curry sauce and thick bee hoon, the second portion is to go with chee cheong fun and minced meat sauce but they mixed it up.

The Curry Yong Tau Fu is a popular item on their menu. The curry gravy was not too thick nor too diluted with a comforting level of spiciness. It went well with the thick bee hoon and also those pieces of Yong Tau Fu. The highlight has to be the fresh-tasting handmade Yong Tau Fu items and every piece of it is equally enjoyable. 

The minced meat gravy though looked uninterestingly but it was quite tasty and not overly saltish. It somewhat reminded me of Jason Niang Dou Fu at Beach Road and if you are a fan of that particular Yong Tau Fu then you would also enjoy this one, too.

The Uncle that manned the counter came over to clear the table next to us and he asked, "How was it?" I said, " I liked it. I could actually taste a mixture of minced meat and fish paste." He then said, "We added in to give it a bite of fish taste." And, I said, "The location is not very good though" which he agreed and said, "Most people would not walk all the way to the end and they will usually miss our shop." Before he walked away and he said, "Do come back more often since you liked it."

They strive to bring their customers a unique and pleasant dining experience by offering variety on their menu as stated on their card. They have a royalty card programme for their regular customers and a stamp is received for every $5.00 spent and to accumulate 8 stamps in exchange for a free set meal. 

This Yong Tau Fu is quite similar to the famous Hakka Yong Tau Foo at Ghim Moh Food Centre, both are good but in a different style. Nonetheless, this is worth a try. 

DING HAO YONG TAU FU

Block 304 Ubi Avenue 1 #01-85 SINGAPORE 400304

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 9.30 pm (Closed on Public Holidays)