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I’m a sucker for good zi char dishes because that’s what my family used to have every Sunday. So when I found out that Tang Kay Kee at Chinatown is selling modernised zi char bowls during the day, I couldn’t wait to try it.
Located at Hong Lim Food Centre, they have been selling Fish Head Bee Hoon for four generations since 1978. Now, they offer a small range of zi char bowls for the lunch crowd in Chinatown, including hor fun, fried rice and mui fan.
The first dish we tried was their Black Bean Beef Hor Fun (S$7). Tang Kay Kee took the common dish up a notch by adding sous vide egg and a side of crispy enoki mushroom.
The consistency of the Black Bean Hor Fun remained the same as their traditional version. Its savoury black bean sauce also has a spicy kick from the chilli padi, so there’s no need for extra chilli on the side to spice it up!
As we stirred in the sous vide egg, the gravy became creamier and the spiciness became a little less prominent than before. Despite the eggy taste, the dish still retained its wok hei flavour.
I thought that the beef might be chewy but as I had another piece, I realised that the meat was somewhat tender and infused with a smoked peppery flavour.
The crispy enoki, on the other hand, gave the dish a crunchy texture. It complemented the soft hor fun noodles, and gives it a nice bite. I would order an extra portion of enoki just for its savoury crunch.
Tang Kay Kee has a variety of fried rice dishes to choose from. We went for the Cai Po Fried Rice (S$5.50), because who doesn’t love the sweet-savoury crunch from the cai po (preserved turnip)?
The wok hei came through very strongly with this dish, and we could taste the char even in our very first mouthful.
Filled with ingredients such as Chinese sausages, cai po and crab meat sticks, each mouthful was just full of savoury sweetness. Upon stirring in the sous vide egg, the fried rice instantly became buttery and creamy.
Before we knew it, we polished off the bowl of fried rice, with left nothing but specks of green onion. This hearty and wholesome bowl was our favourite!
Speaking of hearty and wholesome, one cannot leave without trying their Mixed Mui Fan (S$5) that comes with sliced fish, pork, and a savoury gravy that drenched the bed of warm white rice. This dish felt homely and filled with love.
My grandma would cook mui fan when there’s only two of us for dinner, as it’s an easy-to-prepare dish. Tang Kay Kee managed to recreate this simple dish that’s filled with love and warmth.
The dish came with a generous portion of rice. Surprisingly light on the palate, the mui fan was easy to finish and not too creamy with the sous vide egg.
The fried enoki paired extremely well with it, adding an earthy flavour and a tasteful touch to the dish.
The last item we tried was Tang Kay Kee’s signature Fish Head Bee Hoon (S$6). Passed down for four generations, the same method and ingredients are still used to create this soupy noodles.
To achieve the creamy consistency of the fish soup, fish bones are boiled and simmered for long hours to fully extract its flavours. The broth was deeply umami as I slurped up thick bee hoon with a spoonful of soup.
For tasty, affordably priced bowls, you should definitely give Tang Kay Kee a try. Go ahead and get something hearty and sumptuous for lunch!
Expected Damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax
