Rong Ji : homely comfort food

This stall has been around for the longest time, it was recommended by some of their regular customers on certain Facebook groups. I was there for lunch. There were just a few tables occupied in this quiet coffee shop. I decided to order a Seafood Horfun ($4) and Sweet & Sour Pork ($8) with rice ($0.50). The wait was a short one, it was delivered to our table in about 15 minutes, the Sweet & Sour Pork came first then the plate of rice and followed by the Seafood Horfun. 

I actually enjoyed the Sweet & Sour Pork quite a bit. It was better than most that I have tasted. The sauce was slightly tangy with a hint of sweetness and a well-balanced sourish taste. The piece of deep-fried meat though not as crispy as expected to be but it was not soggy as well, it was served together with chunks of cucumber, pineapple, tomato and red onion. It went really well with the rice. 

The Seafood Horfun was just average. Though the flat rice noodles were dark in color, it did not have much wok flavor. The gravy was not starchy but rather watery and not as flavorful. It was served with ingredients like sliced fish, lean meat, and prawns. 

We enjoyed the Sweet & Sour Pork so we decided to come back for dinner. It was quite crowded during the dinner. Most of the tables in the coffee shop were occupied at that time. When ordering, I asked, "Do I have to wait long?" The lady taking my order replied, "No. Not very long." I decided to go with Prawn Paste Chicken ($8) and Curry Fish Head ($22) with 2 plates of rice. We waited for about 30 minutes before it was served. 

My dining companion compared the Prawn Paste Chicken with the one served by the Hong Kong Street Long Ji and felt that it was just not as good. Though it was quite crispy, the flavor of prawn paste was rather mild thus not as flavorful. 

The Curry Fish Head seemed to be one of their popular dishes as a few other tables also ordered that. The Fish Head was quite a small one, served in a clay pot with brinjal, ladyfinger, and dried beancurd sheets. The taste was towards Indian style curry and its level of spiciness was quite mild, it is good even for my dining companion that has a low tolerance for spicy food.

It might not be the best tasting but these homely comfort foods are keeping their customers to come back.

RONG JI

Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560159

Ah Tan Wings at Yishun Park Hawker Centre : Har Cheong Gai - must-try

Tan Yu Yan, 28, started this stall with her brother, Tan Wee Yang, 25 and they are one of the 25 recipients of Tiger Beer Street Food Support Fund. Their menu consists of mainly Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken) based on a recipe that they have spent more than a year in perfecting it. And, that was after experimented up to 800 variations of the recipe which demonstrated great dedication. Though the process was rather challenging but fruitful, it was a journey that filled with many ups and downs. They used to be at different pop-up events while hunting for a permanent location. They kept on improving their recipe and doing online marketing at the same time before finally settling at Yishun Park Hawker Centre. The entire process was quite a struggle.  Their vision is simple, they want to introduce a shatteringly-crispy Har Cheong Gai that you will never forget. 

We were there at about 6 pm when they just opened but there was already a short queue in front of the stall with some customers waiting for their takeaway orders. Other than Har Cheong Gai, there is also Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) on their menu. I was told to wait for a little while for my order to be taken as the gentleman at the counter was trying to clear some of the earlier orders. We decided to go with Ah Tan Atas Cutlet ($7.00) and Okonomiyaki ($8.50), an extra $1.00 is added as tray deposit. After payment, I was told to come back in about 10 to 15 minutes to collect it. It was ready and waited at the counter when I went back at about 15 minutes. I was asked even offered an extra saucer of chili.

The Ah Tan Atas Cutlet consists of 2 pieces of prawn paste chicken cutlets serving with shaker fries and salad. They marinated those chicken pieces in the har cheong gai paste for 2 days and coated in their specially made batter before deep-frying. How they managed in resulting such a crispy crust has remained to be their secret. The unparalleled crispy skin and the deep satisfaction when you crunch down on those chicken cutlets were just so unforgettable. 

The Okonomiyaki is not commonly found in Singapore and I was glad that they served it too. It is grilled Japanese pancakes embedded with prawn and bacon then topped with bonito flakes and oko sauce. There is an option to add Tobiko (flying roe) and oozing torched cheese for $1.50. It was nice though not particularly memorable. I would rather skip this and go for the Har Cheong Gai.

They are currently short-handed and their operating hours will be from 6.00 pm till sold out for the time being. I asked about their operating hours on their Facebook which they replied and I did not quite expect to receive their private message to inform me of the changes. I was amazed by such personal touch.

They are doing their part to be a part of the street food culture in Singapore and hawker centre is where it started and where they will belong.

AH TAN WINGS

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-40 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)