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I’ve visited only a couple of really affordable hawker stalls in Singapore — The $2.50 Shop (now temporarily closed) and Chang Ji Gourmet. Now, I’m about to add a third to my repertoire and dragged my colleague, Rachel to check out V1 Jia Chang Cai (家常菜) at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.
Based on Google Reviews, this stall has raised its prices by only S$0.50 in a period of 4 years — charging S$2.50 back in 2022 and S$2.80 in 2023. Even so, S$3 for a plate of cai fan with rice and 3 dishes is considered to be insanely cheap, going by Singapore standards. We approached the stall and there were a few people in front of us. There was a tape covering the word ‘Any’ in front of the 3 items + rice $3 on the signboard, which made us wonder if certain dishes were slightly more expensive.
Having skipped breakfast, the sight of the 18 or s0 dishes on display looked enticing and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Rachel and I got our own plate of rice and chose 3 dishes and… guess what? It was indeed S$3 per plate. I spotted clams and fish, so those might cost a little more.
Curious, I approached the friendly stall owner and asked how he could make money charging so little. He replied, “Many old folks have financial difficulties, so I don’t mind charging just S$3. I even let some people order for FREE, but there’s one condition: they must be senior citizens, haha!”
What to order at V1 Jia Chang Cai
For our first plate, we ordered sweet and sour pork, steamed egg, long beans, and white rice with curry slathered over it. Portion-wise, it was not the biggest but it wasn’t measly either. For S$3, it felt just about right, in my opinion.
No Japanese short-grain or basmati rice here, obviously. Just good ol’ jasmine rice. It’s decent enough, slightly clumpy in parts, but nothing a good ladle of curry can’t fix.
I was slightly taken aback by the sweet and sour pork. We were served about 7 to 8 morsels of pork without the usual pineapple, cucumber, and onion cubes, which felt generous to me. The meat was tender and its exterior retained a little crisp while the sauce was seasoned perfectly.
The steamed egg jiggled as I lifted it up with my spoon, an indication of its immaculate consistency. The first bite proved my theory right — it was silky smooth and dissolved in my mouth.
We then moved on to the second dish and selected the ‘beef’, spinach and fried fish fillet.
And now for the silly reason for the single quotation marks on the beef. It was 10am on a Monday, and neither of us had quite recovered from the weekend. We only realised later that the ‘beef’ dish was actually stir-fried pork liver — talk about being blind and ‘sotong’. Since Rachel doesn’t eat innards, they were all MINE!
The slices of pork liver were paired with ginger slices. Though the liver wasn’t cooked to a medium doneness, each piece remained tender and tasty enough for me to wipe the plate clean within 5 minutes — paired with white rice, of course. The ginger wasn’t overly spicy, and helped cut down the richness of the iron-y liver.
The fried fish fillet wasn’t mind-blowingly good or particularly special — it was simply how it ought to be. Or perhaps Rachel and I were such klutzes that we initially thought it was a fried chicken cutlet.
Who V1 Jia Chang Cai is best for
It’s great for people on a budget who are looking for a satisfying and substantial plate of cai fan for breakfast or lunch. Do note that the stall closes by 2pm and doesn’t open for dinner.
How to get there?
You can take the train and alight at Chinatown MRT Station (NE4/DT19) exit Eis the closest to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. Alternatively, you can take a bus to the following bus stops: Opp One Upp Pickering or Chinatown Station Exit E.
Do we recommend V1 Jia Chang Cai?
Yes, I do! Initially, I arrived without any expectations, thinking that S$3 will probably get you miserable portions and underwhelming dishes. I’m glad I was proven wrong with decent tasting dishes and portions that felt like humble, home-cooked goodness, staying true to their stall name ‘家常菜’.
With no social media presence, this friendly stall owner with a heart of gold definitely needs more exposure and I’m glad I can do my part to help.
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