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Gu Zao Ren is a Taiwanese porridge establishment that started out at Lao Pa Sat in 1996 and now operates 2 outlets in Singapore. Owner, Ah Seng wanted to further deepen his connection and passion for Hainanese cuisine, and has started Le Cheng Hainanese Chicken Rice, located just next door to his 391 Changi Road branch.
The fairly-new eatery, which recently launched in Jun 2024 features kampung Chicken Rice (S$5.50) as the main highlight of the menu along with a wide variety of Hainanese dishes.
As soon as you enter, you’ll be greeted by the enticing display of golden-yellow skinned kampung chickens.
I was blown away by how chewy and jelly-like the skin of the chicken was. The flesh was also tender and juicy. Be sure to pair it with the holy trinity of condiments: dark soya, ginger and chilli.
There’s also a selection of noteworthy soups from the Hainanese Claypot Series in the menu such as the Hainanese Mutton Soup (S$23/S$35/S$45) and White Pepper Claypot Chicken Soup (S$25/S$45).
The former is simmered for 2 nights using a blend of 15 herbs. The soup had chunks of mutton, tau kee, red dates and wolfberries. I was impressed by how soft the mutton flesh was and there wasn’t any unpleasant gamey taste.
The Hainanese Mutton Soup doubles up as a hotpot, and so we ordered a few Add Ons (S$3 each) such as White Tofu, Spinach and Vermicelli to complement it.
As Gu Zao Ren is located just next door, we were able to order from their menu, too. The Fried Bean Sprout with Salted Fish (S$8.80) might seem to be a really basic dish to some, but despite its simplicity, it was delicious and I enjoyed how fragrant the wok hei was— I couldn’t stop eating!
The Fried Fermented Pork (S$12) was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Each bite possessed the unique flavours of the fermented red beancurd which enhanced its aroma. The Chai-Poh Omelette (S$8) was lusciously moist and filled with fun-sized bits of preserved radish.
Each mouthful flooded my taste buds with tiny bursts of savouriness and crunch, adding a ton of personality to the otherwise plain omelette.
So if you’re craving for lip-smacking Hainanese dishes or even Taiwanese porridge, head over to Le Cheng Hainanese Chicken Rice.
