Kway chap has always been a supper food to me (my fellow Bishan residents will understand why). However, I had to get up bright and early for this one that is unofficially known as 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap.
Located along 45 Sims Drive in the heartlands of Aljunied, this stall doesn’t have a proper name, as one might be able to tell. The stall banner only states ‘Kway Zhap · Pig’s Organ Soup’.
Occupying just a tiny half-stall in Sheng Hui Coffeeshop, it’s run by a friendly husband-and-wife duo who have been in business for almost 20 years. Despite so, 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap has zero social media presence. You have to live around the area to probably even know of its existence.
With that said, when we visited on a rainy weekday morning, there were many diners—presumably nearby residents, eating from the stall. It was a heartening sight and a positive sign, if anything.
What I tried
Upon approaching the stall, the auntie asked us what we wanted and how many persons we were getting for. As we wanted to try everything—as usual—we went for a Mixed Platter (S$10) for two.
Within five minutes or so, the friendly uncle from the stall delivered the food to our table in a large tray. He then left us to our meal after collecting “one thousand” (i.e., S$10) from us, much to our amusement.
Right off the bat, the generous amount of Small Intestines on the plate intrigued us. For such a large amount, S$10 for the entire plate with other ingredients plus two bowls of kway chap was a complete steal, we thought.
Texture-wise, the intestines were tender with a good, chewy bite. They also looked and tasted clean, which was a huge plus.
There was only a subtle gaminess that is a typical characteristic of pig organs. However, this was a non-issue as the chilli sauce managed to mask all of it.
Tangy and sweet with only a slight kick of heat, the chilli at 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap injected much flavour into the otherwise relatively plain-tasting intestines.
It was such a great complement that it was no wonder the uncle asked if we had wanted more chilli when he first brought us our food. Lesson learned; always listen to the locals.
Next, we tried the Pork Belly.
As self-proclaimed pork connoisseurs, my dining companion and I agreed that there was nothing much to critique about 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap’s pork belly—if at all. We loved how juicy it was and its decent meat-to-fat ratio.
On the platter also came other quintessential kway chap ingredients, which happened to all be my childhood favourites.
Think Fish Cakes, Braised Egg, Beancurd, and Beancurd Puffs. Of the lot, the Beancurd Puffs were my favourite. They were a great vessel for the slightly salty gravy in which the whole plate was doused.
Last but certainly not least, we had the Kway Chap itself. Again, for total damage of S$10, the portion that came in each bowl was enormous, but that wasn’t all.
With the perfect wideness and thinness, the rice noodles were impeccably springy. This was even after we left it soaking in the broth for a considerable time.
Together with the crispy fried shallots, they made for an all-rounded bite. Unfortunately, the broth fell short of our expectations as it was rather bland. The saving grace was once again the chilli sauce which provided a much-needed flavour boost.
Though they didn’t come with our platter, Large Intestines are also available. Hence, if you’re big on these, remember to request them when you’re here at 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap.
Final thoughts
For the price and amount of food we got, I would say 45 Sims Drive Kway Chap is worth returning for if you enjoy simple hawker food in a no-frills environment. Their Kway Chap broth, however, could be enjoyed better elsewhere.
Fun fact: the owners arrive at the stall at 3.30am every morning to prepare their dishes. Eating here on a rainy morning only made my waking up early all the more worthwhile.
Expected damage: S$3.50 – S$5 per pax
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Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
45 Sims Drive Kway Chap
45 Sims Drive, #01-150, Singapore 380045
45 Sims Drive Kway Chap
45 Sims Drive, #01-150, Singapore 380045
