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It goes without saying that it’s impossible for us to try every single hawker stall in Singapore, seeing as our options are varied and endless. I always opt for my favourite comfort foods during my hawker visits, but this job comes with a welcome push out of my comfort zone.
Today’s venture led me to Tee Kitchen at Golden Mile Food Centre. This hawker stall is our sunny island’s first and only one selling Columbian chicken.
What I tried at Tee Kitchen
The menu here is simple — they’ve got their one signature dish of Columbian Chicken (S$5.50), along with an Apple Crumble (S$2.50) for you to tapau or polish off then and there if you’re particularly ravenous.
While it’s not rare for hawkers to boast of a smaller menu range than restaurants, I was surprised by Tee Kitchen. If anything, their scant menu demonstrated that they’ve truly mastered the preparation of their one shining star — the Columbian Chicken.
Every platter of Columbian Chicken comes with a generous helping of homemade salsa. I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a salsa connoisseur, though I’d have to give the folks at Tee Kitchen a pat on the back for theirs.
They were light-handed on the cilantro, which scored points with me because I’ve always been on team nay when it comes to that peppery green herb.
Aptly named ‘Special Rice’, the rice in question isn’t just plain white rice. Lightly savoury and fragrant, I’d recommend that you pair your spoonful of butter rice with a bite of their salsa for a piquant kick.
Of course, their magnum opus is the Columbian chicken, and it goes without saying that the folks at Tee Kitchen have mastered their recipe. Served in a thick, aromatic stew, this chicken was so tender that every bite melted in my mouth.
My only gripe with this was that the food bordered on lukewarm, and hawkers usually have a spotless track record when it comes to serving up piping hot food in record time. It might’ve been just an unlucky day for me, but I liked my first try enough to go back a second time.
Make sure you wear your best elastic waist pants because the heaping portions of rice and chicken at Tee Kitchen will guarantee the best bang for your buck.
Finish it all off with their homemade Apple Crumble — fresh out of the oven and in the inviting golden shade that had me salivating all the way. It’s an affordable option for dessert, and scored an extra point from me — and my fellow other cinnamon-averse friends — because they were extremely light-handed with the spice.
I found that it was far from the level of moist and oozy decadence characteristic of a good apple crumble and cinnamon fans may lament at the lack of flavour. However, if you’re in the mood for something sweet, this is a decent shot worth S$2.50.
Final thoughts
They’ve got their thing, and they do it well. I never thought I’d associate Columbian chicken with hawker food, but if you’re in the area, go and give Tee Kitchen a shot! It’d be a great way for you to explore non-traditional hawker food without breaking the bank—a sure-win for foodies everywhere.
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