Sometimes, there’s nothing more satisfying than chomping down on a giant piece of spicy, juicy and crispy fried chicken, and Mrs Hen offers just that.
Donning a vibrant red storefront and an adorable icon of a cartoon chicken, Mrs Hen is a Halal-certified Indonesian eatery specialising in fiery-hot ayam geprek, a fried chicken dish that is crushed and mixed with sambal.
Mrs Hen opened its first outlet in East Village in October 2021, and its Telok Ayer outlet, located within a coffee shop, opened soon after. I paid a visit to their Sunshine Plaza outlet, which opened in 2022.
Though the store was vacant when I first arrived around 11am on a weekday, at noon, the quaint space quickly filled up with hungry office-workers on their lunch break, so be sure to come at an earlier or later timing to avoid the lunch crowd.
What I tried at Mrs Hen
The ordering process at Mrs Hen was simple. I started by choosing a protein, then a base, and finally, a topping, which consisted of seven different types of sambal. Protein options included the signature Ayam Geprek, Tahu Geprek (fried tofu), Ikan Geprek (fish fillet) and Terong Geprek (fried eggplant), while the base options were Nasi (white rice), Nasi Kucing (yellow rice), Indomie (instant noodles) and Salad.
Given the array of sambal options, I was spoilt for choice. Hence, I decided to go for the Ayam Geprek Sambal Platter with Indomie (S$10.70), featuring a piece of smashed fried chicken topped with three different kinds of sambal: Sambal Signature, Sambal Matah and Sambal Hijau.
The ayam geprek itself was crispy and juicy with a satisfying crunch and a delightfully tender meat. I first tried the Sambal Signature, made with a classic mixture of red chillies. The Sambal Signature came with four customisable spice levels (10, 20, 30 and DANGER!), of which I was given level 10.
The Sambal Signature had a satisfying level of spice that made me break a sweat, but was still tolerable. Spice lovers definitely won’t be disappointed by the kick provided by the Sambal Signature.
The Sambal Hijau, made with green chillies, was slightly lower in its spice level. It was slightly more bitter than the Sambal Signature, but was still shiok and delivered a spicy kick.
Finally, the Sambal Matah, made with fresh chillies and lemongrass, was my favourite of the three sambals. It was aromatic and saltier than the previous two, and I could taste the fragrance of shallots.
The Indomie base was tasty and springy, albeit a little on the oilier side, but I thoroughly enjoyed slurping up the delicious noodles.
Altogether, Mrs Hen’s Ayam Geprek Sambal Platter with Indomie was a satisfying dish that offered a diverse range of flavours. While the price was a little steep, it was still relatively reasonable for the portion size.
As an avid salted egg lover, I had to try Mrs Hen’s Ayam Geprek Salted Egg (S$9.20). I decided to pick nasi as my base. The dish also came with a side of achar.
Like the Ayam Geprek Sambal Platter, the ayam geprek in this dish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The salted egg sauce coated the surface of the chicken nicely. It had a creamy texture with a strong salted egg profile, and there were bits of curry leaves and chopped chillies scattered throughout.
The nasi was soft and fluffy, and the achar provided the entire dish with a slightly sour flavour and a refreshing, delicious crunch.
The richness of the salted egg sauce did cause the dish to get a little jelak after a while, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
Final thoughts
I enjoyed my meal at Mrs Hen, and liked how it offered a convenient and relatively affordable Indonesian fix. I especially liked the versatility of the dishes, with a variety of customisable options to choose from. I would likely return in the future to try out their other sambal offerings!
Expected damage: S$7.50 – S$12 per pax
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Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
Mrs Hen
91 Bencoolen Street, Sunshine Plaza, #01-55, Singapore 189652
Mrs Hen
91 Bencoolen Street, Sunshine Plaza, #01-55, Singapore 189652