Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
A family member of mine who works at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has often mentioned how much she loves the vinegar pig trotters from Mama’s Kent Secret Recipe (formerly known as Mama’s Kent Penang Delights), a stall that used to inhabit one of the school’s canteens.
[The stall has relocated to: Block 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-04/05 4A, Singapore 082001]
Kent Cheong, the owner, learned his cooking skills from his mother, who hails from Penang. He named the stall Mama’s Kent in her honour and has since dedicated his time to serving good quality Penang food to his customers. It certainly shows – the stall has a 4.8-star Google Maps rating.
Arriving at 11am before the lunch queues formed, we placed our order with minimal hassle. It was a good thing we arrived when we did, as customers came streaming in soon after.
What I tried at Mama’s Kent Secret Recipe
The Vinegar Pig Trotter cost S$11 and came in a large serving.
Though the pieces of vinegar-braised pig trotter were generously thick, the consistency of each chunk seemed to vary. Some consisted of leaner, firmer meat, while others were mostly fat.
Thankfully, there was a redeeming factor – springy skin, jelly-like and rich in collagen. I separated the skin from the fat and ate it with the lean meat for a satisfying texture.
The acidic vinegar broth was chock full of ginger slices and dried chilli that had been simmered for hours. Sip it slowly; swallow too fast and you might feel it stinging your throat. The ginger provided a kick of heat to accompany the tanginess, and I found that dousing the fragrant white rice with the thick sauce was the best way to eat it.
Anyone who says they don’t douse their hard-boiled egg yolks in sauce is lying. It’s the best way to eat an egg, and that’s what I did; the powdery yolk soaked up the gravy’s rich character to create a vinegary flavour bomb.
The size of Mama’s Chilli Prawn (S$10) made my jaw drop. What a huge serving! It was a treat for the eyes, with its varying shapes and vibrant hues.
One thing that I noticed about Mama’s Kent was that they add fresh salad by default if a customer doesn’t choose to add on any of their cooked vegetables, possibly out of convenience. Both the Pig Trotter and Chilli Prawn were accompanied by raw endives and red lettuce, while the latter also came with additional cucumber and tomato.
How do you tell if an eatery puts effort into their work? Check their prawns – every one of Mama’s Kent’s large, bouncy prawns had been deveined before cooking! Chilli might be the main ingredient in its name, but ginger dominated my tastebuds here. These prawns were quite spicy, but so irresistible that I couldn’t get enough of them.
Slivers of banana flower topped off the prawn and provided fragrant, fruity notes that tasted like lemongrass. This was my first time trying it and as a self-proclaimed banana hater (sorry!), I was relieved to find that they did not taste alike at all. The orchid pink was a lovely addition to the overall colour palette, making it almost too pretty to eat.
What better ingredient to go with rice than rich egg yolk? Topping the white grains was a beautifully fried egg drizzled with kecap manis which, while not crispy, had the perfect oozing yolk consistency and fully cooked egg white.
I’m not a big fan of spice, so I was slightly intimidated when I heard that the homemade chilli padi sambal in both dishes packed a punch. Upon trying it, however, I discovered that it was just a little intense but not overly so.
Additionally, there was a strong onion aroma and a rich umami from the anchovy bits in the mixture. It’s an authentic Penang sambal recipe worth trying for the savoury spice lovers!
Final Thoughts
I would say that Mama’s Kent Secret Recipe is on the pricier side, but worth it for the high-quality ingredients and large portion sizes.
True to my companion’s word, the Vinegar Pig Trotter was amazing – the sweet, tangy, spicy vinegar did wonders to the soft meat, lending it a rich flavour. My only issue would be the pieces that were mostly fat , which I couldn’t bring myself to finish due to the oily, gelatinous texture.
Mama’s Chilli Prawn made a great impression as well, and I appreciate how the prawns were fully deveined for the best eating experience.
The amount of thought put into the ingredient preparation and cooking process is reflected in the stunning dishes. If you’re wandering in the area, Mama’s Kent Secret Recipe is worth a try for a fulfilling lunch feast!
Expected damage: S$10 – S$11 per pax
