I have always taken a liking to the strong wok hei aroma — plates of fried rice or noodles that have been wok-fried to perfection and come with a slightly charred flavour. My favourite zi char dish is Hor Fun and as long as it is done well, that particular store becomes a favourite.
Tucked away in Hougang Ave 2 is Fu Man Seafood Zi Char (福满海鲜) that does hor fun in quite an unconventional style. With a choice of varying spice levels (less spicy, spicy or spicier), you can have the dish cooked in a claypot and with tons of seafood.
The dish comes in small ($10), medium ($18) and large ($25). The medium-sized portion was just right for two hungry ladies and the large portion is recommended for four to six people.
Served sizzling hot in a claypot with an array of seafood stacked on top, I couldn’t help but salivate at the sight of it. The chef recommends that we crack the raw eggs immediately into the claypot and give it a good mix.
Adding in the eggs immediately upon serving created a creamy consistency in the broth and complemented the spiciness of the stock well.
We had ours with ‘extra spiciness’ that was evident with the abundance of chilli padi in our dish.
If the highest spice level still isn’t challenging enough for you, add a generous spoon of the signature zi char chilli that not only gives the dish an extra kick but also adds a tinge of tangy-ness to the hor fun.
The stock was rich with seafood flavours and the generous portion of seafood such as prawns, mussels, clams. It was definitely a steal for the price that we paid.
Though my lips were swelling up, I could still thoroughly enjoy the flavours of the claypot hor fun.
As mentioned earlier, my love for wok hei style food was also satisfied with this claypot dish. The best thing about claypot dishes is that it is sharing-friendly and no matter how long you take to savour your food, it will still remain warm.
If claypot hor fun isn’t enough to complete your meal, try the Honey Milk Pork Cubes ($10). Three-layered pork cubes that have been deep fried then drenched in a honey milk sauce sounds like the perfect finger-licking combination.
As sinful as it sounds, it is definitely worth a try since we’ve yet to find other zi char places offering this variation. The dish wasn’t too salty and I loved the hint of chilli padi and curry leaves that enhanced the overall flavour.
Though rather hard to locate, this hawker stall definitely has something to satisfy all the crazy spice lovers out there. The claypot hor fun is an unconventional and interesting take on the traditional san lor hor fun. It really makes for the perfect dish to gather all your family members or friends for on a Sunday night.
If you happen to be visiting in a big group, do also try out the Crab In Da Bag Imperial Pot for $79.90!
Expected damage: $10 – $25 per person
