Tucked away in a corner all the way to the back of Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, Man Man Chi 慢慢吃 is one of those accidental finds that I had the pleasure of discovering on one of my weekend food hunts.
The food stall was started in 2019 by 44-year-old Mr Cheah Kok Hean, who hails from Ipoh. The bulk of the dishes and handmade kueh sold at Man Man Chi are from recipes which have been passed down from his ancestors.
When Mr Cheah began his operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was challenging to get business and introduce Malaysian cuisine to Singaporeans. Thankfully, during the circuit breaker period, he managed to tide through with delivery orders with the help of social media coverage.
He even managed to be nominated at the 2022 Singapore Hawkers Awards under the heritage category— 3 cheers for Mr Cheah!
Mr Cheah’s mother-in-law helps out at the stall. I could feel the warmth as she recommended some dishes and the condiments to pair them with— I felt as if I was a guest dining at her home.
What I tried at Man Man Chi 慢慢吃
The crowd-favourite here is Curry Chee Cheong Fun (S$4), but when I spotted Curry Chwee Kueh (S$4) on the menu, I just had to try it!
According to the aunty, the people of Ipoh usually add some fried items to their curry. And so I ordered a fried Prawn Cracker (+S$1.30). The luxurious plate had 4 pieces of chwee kueh (cut in half), a sprinkling of sesame seeds, and vegetables doused in a rich curry gravy.
The pieces of chwee kueh were like silky pillows in my mouth. They were extremely soft and fine. I could have eaten 50 of them!
The curry was seasoned perfectly. Slightly smoky, spicy and possessing creamy coconutty notes all at the same time. Ladies and gentlemen, this was liquid gold!
The curry vegetables consisted of long beans, carrots and cabbage. They were braised till soft (just the way I like it). The Prawn Cracker was extremely crispy and tasty, which raised the bar higher on my satisfaction metre. Shiok!
I gave their homemade snacks a try as well. I ordered the Pan Fried Png Kueh (S$1.50) as well as the Steamed Yam Cake (S$1.30). I’d usually go for the steamed version of png kueh, so this pan-fried rendition was something different.
The crust was slightly crispy and the glutinous rice within was nice and chewy. However, the peanuts, mushrooms and dried shrimps were so fine that I had the impression of eating a plain glutinous rice filling— I wished they were chunkier.
Jalan Kukoh Teochew Kueh: Traditional hand-made kuehs by siblings at hidden hawker centre
Dipping it into the black sweet sauce salvaged it a little bit, though.
The Steamed Yam Cake was topped with chai poh and served with spring onions and red chilli strips. The cake was velvety and smooth, and had tiny bits of textural yam within. The chai poh added a tangy and crunchy touch to the dish.
The chilli was well-balanced and had just the right amount of heat. It was the perfect accompaniment to the yam cake.
The last dish I tried was the Glutinous Rice (S$3). The recipe was passed down by Mr Cheah’s aunty, who has been selling it on the streets of Ipoh even before he was born, and still does it until today— impressive!
It was a scrumptious mound of brownish glutinous rice filled with black mushrooms, dried shrimp, chai poh, and garnished with spring onions and red chilli.
Unlike our local version which has peanuts, the Ipoh version uses chai poh instead. It gave a unique texture to the rice, and provided subtle salty and acidic punches to it as well.
I’ve always loved this old-school dish and it definitely hit the spot for me.
Final thoughts
Having a Malaysian-style breakfast definitely was a great start to my morning. I’m definitely recommending the super unique Curry Chwee Kueh to my family, friends and colleagues.
I’m excited to return here to try their other offerings, like the Fried Pumpkin (S$1.50) and Mushroom Chicken Chee Cheong Fun (S$4).
Expected damage: S$1.50 – S$5.50 per pax
Order Delivery: Deliveroo
Da Chang Jin Handmade Chee Cheong Fun: Unique chee cheong fun with Japanese unagi at Holland Drive
Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
Man Man Chi 慢慢吃
51 Hougang Avenue 9, Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, #01-38, Singapore 538776
Man Man Chi 慢慢吃
51 Hougang Avenue 9, Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, #01-38, Singapore 538776