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There are so many ‘go-to’ spots in hawker centres around Singapore that it’s difficult to parse what’s the best, and what’s just a social media craze. Enter Shen Li Restaurant in Tampines Round Market & Food Centre, the supposed ‘go-to’ spot for zi char in the Tampines area.
The stall has a legacy spanning 53 years, first opening in 1972. It’s run by two generations of a single family, and has quietly established itself as one of the greats through word-of-mouth alone. Despite the stall’s history, it barely has any social media presence, and only 66 reviews on Google (averaging at 4.3/5 stars).
It was time for me to don my investigative hat and find out if Shen Li Restaurant truly deserved its ‘go-to’ title. Plus, it was a good opportunity to share a meal with my family.
What I tried at Shen Li Restaurant
Among Shen Li Restaurant’s spread of dishes, the first that caught my eye was their Blueberry Chicken (S$12/18/24). The name alone invoked a sense of mystery and intrigue, because I had seen or heard about such a dish in my entire life. My initial assumption was that the chicken would have been fried with blueberry jam or an equivalent, but the chicken is actually fried, then slathered with thick pinkish blueberry sauce.
The blueberry sauce was like a sweeter, thinner mayo. It was hard to parse the sweetness from the blueberries at first, with a mild mayo-esque taste filling my mouth. Eventually, it took on the identity of something akin to blueberry yoghurt, which was quite novel.
It paired well with the chicken, which was slightly dry. The dryness wasn’t so bad that it made me cough, but it certainly did affect my impression of the dish. Overall, it was quite the creative spin on your run-of-the-mill fried chicken, but the blueberry sauce’s sweetness could have been more prominent, and the chicken juicier.
Moving from one meat dish to another, their Coffee Pork (S$15/21/27) was up next. One reason why Shen Li Restaurant is well-known may be because of this dish, as the pleasant aroma of coffee wafts in the air every time they prepare it. The scent was mildly strong, mostly sweet, which was a green flag for me.
Among the dishes I ordered, the Coffee Pork was probably my favourite. It tasted milky, sweet, and just the right amount of bitter. They likely use some brand of 3-in-1 coffee while cooking the dish, but it’s honestly a good thing. It allowed for a much more balanced flavour profile, compared to other coffee pork dishes I’ve tried in the past.
The pork itself was also soft and tender, which made the dish a pleasure to chew instead of a chore.
I sipped their Wolfberry Leaves Soup (S$5/7/9) to wash the chicken and pork down. I’ve heard of this soup before, but haven’t actually tried it till now. It admittedly looked a bit messy and plain to me, but appearances are subjective. Usually, the messiest plates are the best tasting, so perhaps it had something special?
My feelings were mixed. The soup was plain, but the vegetables were so soft that I mistook them for the eggs, which is honestly a very good way of getting kids to eat their veggies. It didn’t have that slightly bitter, minty taste of wolfberries I was looking for, and I nearly assumed it was just a plain bowl of vegetable and egg soup.
I left their Sambal Half Shell Mussels (S$18/27/36) for last, as I never really liked clams or mussels. They always felt like a scam to me, as you had to put in so much effort prying the shell open, only to eat a tiny blob for your troubles. Thankfully, Shen Li Restaurant cooked the mussels long enough for about three-quarters of them to fully open.
Despite my aversion to mussels, I actually quite liked these. Even though the mussel meat was unfortunately a bit small, it still tasted fresh. The sambal was pretty watery and mild, not as strong and garlic-like as I expected. Perhaps it was because of the juices seeping out of the mussels.
Final thoughts
So, does Shen Li Restaurant deserve the title of ‘go-to’ zi char spot in Tampines? Yes. While each dish had its own minor shortcomings, it still came together in a nice, complete package. Order a few small-sized dishes and plates of rice, and you have a full meal for a family of 4 to 5.
I’d love to stop by again if I’m in the area and try more dishes, as their menu is just so big.
Expected damage: S$6 – S$12 per pax
18 delicious zi char spots in Singapore that won’t hurt your wallet [Oct 2024 update]
