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In my opinion, most zi char stalls serve pretty standard fare. Perhaps that’s the reason why I’m always on the lookout for establishments that have their own unique spin and offer something fresh and exciting. One such place that I discovered was Hei Kitchen at 26 New Upper Changi Road, a stone’s throw away from Bedok town centre.
Meet the Hao brothers, fondly known as Da Hao and Hao Zai, aged 48 and 38 respectively. The siblings are the main two chefs behind all the preparation and cooking in the kitchen, and both hail from Ipoh, Malaysia. With both chefs bringing over 15 years of kitchen experience to the table, your meal is in exceptionally capable hands.
If you’re like me and love beancurd, the tofu at Hei Kitchen is a must-try. It’s made from scratch in-house daily, nothing store-bought. There are 6 varieties offered on the menu and we savoured the Silken Tofu with Crabmeat (S$14). A rectangular, golden-brown slab of fried beancurd was slathered in a luscious thick egg gravy crowned with crabmeat.
The beancurd was extra rich, with egg added, evident from its pale yellow hue. Its texture was firm, but what surprised me most was that despite being deep-fried, it wasn’t oily at all. Even my non-beancurd-loving dining partner enjoyed the dish, so that says a lot.
For a lip-smacking spicy treat, why not try the Classic “Kung Pao” Wild Eel Claypot (S$28)? Though the eel wasn’t the most tender, I loved the sweet, spicy, and savoury notes of the kung pao gravy.
I really enjoyed slurping up the Signature Lala Soup (S$14), and boy, were the Venus clams juicy and plump. It was steeped in a rich, almost collagen-like soup that was so tasty with the fragrance of Chinese wine, teeming with wolfberries, sliced mushrooms, red dates, and sliced ginger.
The Osmanthus Golden Prawn (S$24) was a unique dish of fried prawns enveloped in citrusy orange mayo and a sprinkling of osmanthus flowers. The prawns were succulent and fried to a perfect crisp while the tangy mayo coupled with the flowery petals made it refreshing and aromatic — you’ll be struggling to stop at just 1 piece!
I don’t know about you, but to me, pork lard, though sinful, takes most dishes to the next level. We enjoyed the unctuousness of the Dad’s Favourite Lard Fried Rice (S$8) and their new 1-week-old (at time of writing) Heritage Pork Lard Kang Kong (S$10).
I also relished the Herbal Frog in Claypot (S$28) with tender pieces of meat that fell off the bone with ease. This broth will be absolutely comforting on a cold, rainy day.
If you’re looking for a new zi char spot that you’ve never tried, then Hei Kitchen is a great place to swing by.
18 delicious zi char spots in Singapore that won’t hurt your wallet [Oct 2024 update]
