Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
While scrolling through social media, I came across a post raving about a new curry rice stall, Dong Lai Shun Signature Curry Chicken in Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, opened by a former 5-star hotel chef.
The term “ex-hotel chef” and its synonyms have become diluted through endless use by clickbait social media pages, but the optimistic part of my brain told me to give the stall a fair shot. So I packed my bags and headed down to check it out.
Dong Lai Shun is a relatively new addition to the hawker centre. While you’ll find 2 middle-aged ladies operating the stall, there’s a third, elusive figure behind the scenes.
It turns out that Dong Lai Shun’s curry is made by the owner’s husband, who has over 40 years of culinary experience working in hotels, restaurants, and curry rice stalls. He arrives at 1am every day to cook the curry, then hands the stall over to his wife to manage daily operations. So that’s where the ex-hotel chef label came from!
What I tried at Dong Lai Shun Signature Curry Chicken
Dong Lai Shun has been making headlines with their Curry Five Spice Chee Cheong Fun (S$3 for Small, S$5 for Large). Since I knew that I’d be trying more than one dish, I opted for the small version.
Despite the label, this bowl of chee cheong fun was well-portioned and did not feel like a “small” at all. If you’re a light eater, I’d recommend this dish.
When I took my first sip of the curry, I immediately understood the buzz around this stall. It was milky and lightly starchy, with a prickling heat that was just enough to get my tongue tingling.
The combination of these 3 factors gave the curry a nostalgic feeling, like a curry your mother would cook during rainy days. I was left speechless.
The slices of chee cheong fun were cut into fairly even pieces, numerous enough to fill the bowl. It’s a little softer and silkier than other cheong fun you can find in hawker centres, but still holds itself together well.
The dish came with 2 generously sized balls of ngoh hiang. Dong Lai Shun serves a chewier variant of ngoh hiang, which I very much prefer. I think this style suits curry much better than the tubed-shaped ngoh hiang rolls that come apart easily.
Don’t let looks deceive you. Despite only having a single fried wanton, it’s more than worth it. The wanton was big, the size of those giant wantons you can find in high-end dim sum places and hotel restaurants. Now, you get it in a hawker setting.
Curry Cafe: Secluded HDB void deck eatery with over 60 dishes like curry chicken & $1.20 prata
Unfortunately, the potatoes were the weak link in the chain. I was given 2 big potatoes, but both of them were tough to chew. Potatoes in curry are usually soft enough to mush with a fork and spoon, so this was a bit jarring.
Perhaps the chef could boil the potatoes separately first, then mix them into the curry?
I also tried Dong Lai Shun’s Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice (S$5). I love talking about affordable meals, and this plate is a prime example of just that. A steaming plate of soft white rice doused in bright orange curry, topped off by a large chicken cutlet. For S$5, I couldn’t ask for more.
The rice grains were well-separated and firm, absorbing and coating each grain with the milky curry. The curry’s distribution was fairly even, but I did notice a dry patch right below the cutlet, which indicated that the curry was poured around the rice instead of directly on it.
The cutlet is honestly perfect, that’s the best way I can describe it. The skin was super crispy, with just enough oil under the skin. Each bite of the tender chicken filled my mouth with a savoury delight, with a texture resembling a McSpicy patty.
I also found the potato served to be much softer, so maybe it was a consistency issue instead of a cooking one.
Final thoughts
Despite only being open for a few months, Dong Lai Shun has already made a name for itself and has just earned another fan (me). The nostalgic curry and generous ingredients hit me with a one-two punch I won’t soon forget. Now, if only the elusive ex-hotel chef can reveal himself.
Expected damage: S$3 – S$5 per pax
