Brostern: Wallet-friendly Western Asian fusion food with massive chicken chops

Having been spoilt by more modern hawker stalls that offer gourmet burgers and restaurant-quality Western food, I’ve elected to go back to basics and try out Brostern, a Western stall located at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre.

Brostern was founded in 2020 by 4 “bros” who knew each other ever since primary school. It started when 2 of them were jobless due to the development of COVID-19 whilst the others were on the fringes of losing their jobs for the same reason. With a contribution of S$3,000 each, they successfully opened Brostern.

In an interview with Berita Harian, the 4 friends explained that their goal to keep Brostern as affordable as possible stemmed from wanting to give the young and unemployed a chance to get good Western food, and also those who are affected by the pandemic as they themselves have gone through.

What I tried at Brostern 

Unsurprisingly, Brostern’s menu is more varied than your standard hawker centre Western affair. It has the expected Chicken Chop (S$6.50), Chicken Cutlet (S$6.50) and Fish & Chips (S$7). 

However, a large part of the menu also consists of Western Asian fusion dishes such as Lemak Chili Padi Pasta (S$7) and Tom Yum Pasta (S$7). There are also other dishes like their very own take on roti john with flavours like Creamy Mushroom (S$7) and John Tarik (S$7.50).

Based on the cashier’s recommendation, I opted for the Chicken Chop and the Volcano (S$7.50) sliders. After my meal, I had the Seafood Aglio Olio (S$7) as a takeaway.

The Chicken Chop looked exactly like any other hawker centre’s chicken chop with one massive difference. The size of the chicken was absurd — it was almost as long as the plate! The sauce was also thicker than expected with slices of onion and visible peppercorns. The french fries and the coleslaw on the other hand were status quo.

There was a fair bit of waiting time of around 15 minutes for both of my orders. It wasn’t particularly packed that afternoon and some online reviews have reported waiting for 45 mins. But if the food is good (spoilers: it is) then let patience be a virtue.

Does size matter if it tastes good (referring to the chicken)? Brostern’s Chicken Chop effortlessly answers the age-old question, with tender and juicy chicken that could easily be passed off as two separate portions for most Western stalls. 

The viscous black pepper sauce also had a welcome heat and some sweetness to place you in a hypnotic state where you wouldn’t want to put your utensils down. Gone are the days of watery and murky brown sauce that tasted of literal salt.

The fries were just okay — crispy but lacking in salt. A splash of that black pepper sauce would have made a world of a difference. I was never a fan of coleslaw to begin with, and after having a nibble of it, my opinion still stands.

Up next was the Volcano slider but they should really call them burgers at this point. The bun and patty were covered in nacho cheese with sprinkles of chilli flakes on top. I had the homemade beef patty, though chicken and fish options were available. It was accompanied by the same dull fries.

To be frank, the patty was overcooked but not to the point of being charred— it was just really dry. Thankfully, the generous helpings of cheese sauce somewhat rectified it. It tasted like watered-down store-bought nacho cheese sauce (which I love). The chilli flakes also added a touch of heat to the saucy affair. 

Usually, the Seafood Aglio Olio would contain clams and mussels, but they were out of clams so I opted for grilled fish instead, as I wasn’t a fan of shellfish myself. The garlic flavours were strong enough to deter the neighbourhood vampire, though I felt it could’ve used another sprinkling of salt to fulfill the full potential of the flavours.

Unfortunately, the grilled fish had a mushy texture by the time I had it, but at least it was seasoned much better than the pasta. Speaking of which, I would have liked (and expected) a larger portion of it since it’s generally a cheaper source of carbs.

Final thoughts

Brostern’s noble goal to serve good and affordable for everyone is well and truly met. It is definitely a few steps up from your basic Western stall and arguably even cheaper. This is exactly the type of food you can have daily for lunch without breaking the piggy bank. 

As they have future plans to open Brostern at every corner of Singapore, I eagerly await their outlet in the North.

Expected damage: S$6.50 – S$21 per pax

Other articles you might like:

The Flying Pan: Big portions of Western food with 3 sides for $5.50 at Hougang kopitiam

17 best-kept secret kopitiam Western stalls in Singapore