Feng Xiang BKT – Klang Style Claypot Bak Kut Teh + Zi Char Delights [MEDIA INVITE]

Feng Xiang is a Klang-style Claypot Bak Kut Teh born during the pandemic 2 years ago. It started when Mr Harvey Ang, the co-founder was yearning for the robust flavour of his hometown Klang’s Bak Kut Teh and he was unable to “balik kampung” (go back home). Created with family heirloom recipes passed down through generations and the skilful use of 16 premium ingredients and herbs, Feng Xiang BKT evokes memories Klang’s signature taste. As Feng Xiang is well received by the customers, they have expanded to nine outlets around Singapore.

Feng Xiang @ Vivo City

We had our tasting at Feng Xiang Food Republic @ Vivocity. It is a restaurant within the Food Republic, with up to 60 seats.

The Menu Board

The Drink Menu

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) Regular $8.50. Served in a claypot, the ingredients include pork ribs, sliced pork, tau pok, enoki mushroom, shiitake mushroom and topped with fried beancurd skin. The broth is dark, robust and infused with herbs. The short pork ribs are juicy, succulent and infused with the essence of the broth. For a Klang-style BKT, I like the herbs to be very strong, however, the version at Feng Xiang is milder and can be easily acceptable by everyone.

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) 

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) - The Ingredients 

The Pork Rib

Bak Kut Teh (Dry) Regular $9.50. It is a sweet and savoury dish, cooked with string-thin cuttlefish strips, dried chilli and covered in the sweet dark sauce. The combination of caramelised sweet dark soy sauce, cuttlefish and dried chilli cooked in high heat, push that delicious and irresistible flavour into the pork ribs. What a “Flavour Bomb” and the best dry bak kut teh in Singapore.

Bak Kut Teh (Dry) 

Feng Xiang Pork Cutlet Fried Porridge $8.50. Signature fried porridge at Feng Xiang. The porridge is infused with shallots and hae bee (dried prawns), cooked at a very high heat. You can see the “fire show” when the chef cooks the fried porridge. The toppings include fried pork cutlet, pork lard, fried shallots and spring onion. The porridge is fragrant, smooth, creamy and not oily. The fried pork cutlet and pork lard provided a contrasting texture to the dish, and the generous portion can easily satisfy 2 persons.

Feng Xiang Pork Cutlet Fried Porridge 

Starting on 1st March 2024, Feng Xiang is introducing Zi Char favourites chosen by the Malaysian-born Chefs.

Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken Mid Wings), promotional price $4.90*, (original price $7.90) & Har Cheong Crispy Chicken Skin promotional price $2.90*, (original price $4.90). Har Cheong Gai is probably the most ordered dish in Singapore and Malaysia’s Zi Char scene. The version at Feng Xiang is well marinated, packed with umami flavour and crisp externally.

Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken Mid Wings) 

Since we always like the crispy texture of the Har Cheong Gai, Feng Xiang is offering the Har Cheong Crispy Chicken skin as well. It is super crispy and such umami overload. I like it as a snack, but it is also good to eat with the fried porridge. Yum Yum.

Har Cheong Crispy Chicken Skin 

Salad You Tiao, promotional price $3.90* (original price $5.90). It has a crunchy exterior, followed by bouncy and tasty squid paste. It is served with mayonnaise dip. Being adventurous, I dipped mine with dry BKT gravy and it was just amazing.

Salad You Tiao

Steamed Fresh Baby Squid, promotional price $6.90*, (original price $9.90). Steamed to perfection, the baby squid is fresh, tender and bouncy. The soy sauce, fried garlic and spring onion paired nicely with the squid. A must-order dish here.

Steamed Fresh Baby Squid

Promotion

With the purchase of Bak Kut Teh Soup, Bak Kut Teh Dry, or Fried Porridge, you are entitled to enjoy any of the 4 zi char dishes at the promotional price throughout March and April 2024.

Overall, it was an enjoyable meal at Feng Xiang. The Dry Bak Kut Teh, Har Cheong Gai Crispy Skin and Steamed Fresh Baby Squid are our picks from the delicious food. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Ambiance: N/A (Food Court)

Budget per Person: $0 – $10; $11 - $25.

Feng Xiang Bak Kut Teh @Vivo City

1 HarbourFront Walk

#03-01 Food Republic @VivoCity

Singapore 098585

W: https://fengxiang.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/fengxiangbkt/

IG: @fengxiangbkt

OH: Daily 10.00 – 21.00 Full detail of all Feng Xiang locations are available on their website or click here.

Dignity Kitchen – Good Food for Good Cause

Fish'N'Chips

During this stabilisation period, I saw frequent posts in FB Group calling for support of this makan place. Dignity Kitchen by Project Dignity is a food court run by people with disabilities (physical and intellectual) and disadvantaged (social and mental).

Dignity Kitchen

Project Dignity has a mission to restore dignity to different-abled and disadvantaged through vocation with passion. Project Dignity provides sponsored training for unemployed adults with special needs and places them with our employment partners within the F&B, hospitality and retail sectors. Some of the graduates will be hired in their food court (Dignity Kitchen) and book retail stores (Dignity Mama). For more information on Project Dignity, you can check them out here.

Stalls 1

Dignity Kitchen is a food court concept, with the following stalls Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, Claypot Rice, Rojak, Noodle, Western, Bakery, Fruits and Nanyang Kopi. When you enter the food court, you just place all your orders at the cashier and wait for your number to be called on the screen. Afterwards, proceed to the designated stall for collection. All the stalls and cashier are manned by the differently-abled and disadvantaged crew.

Stalls 2

On my first visit to Dignity Kitchen with my regular makan kaki “K”. We ordered Signature Rojak ($4) to share. The portion is very generous, consisting of fruits, vegetables, youtiao, coated evenly with the rojak sauce and sprinkle with ground peanuts. The ingredients are fresh, the sauce is thick, however, it can be better if fermented prawn paste is stronger to give the sauce more OMPH.

Signature Rojak

Fish’N’Chips ($6.50). A huge place of fish and chips. The batter is crispy and the fish is flaky. I found out later that they use a higher-grade dory fish for the fish and chips. The crinkle fries are crisp externally and moist internally. There is fresh salad, lemon wedge on the side and mayonnaise as a dipping sauce instead of tartar sauce. The fish and chips here have the same standard as those in bistros or gastropubs.

Fish'N'Chips

Flaky Dory Fish

K decided to have Chicken Chop ($6.50). Since he is watching his carbo intake, he only has protein and vegs. I tried a bite of the chicken chop, it is juicy, succulent, with a touch of crispiness externally.

Chicken Chop

We also tried their Muffins ($2.50 each). There are moist, light and packs with flavour, especially the Oreo Chocolate Flavour Muffin.

Muffins

On the second visit, I had Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang ($4). Looking at the portion, you are likely to pay more outside. The rice is rich and fragrant, while the beef rendang is tasty and succulent. The achar is a bit spicy, yet refreshing.

Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang

LD ordered Prawn Laksa ($5). According to her, the broth is rich, lemak and packs a good spicy kick. The portion is generous and the prawns are fresh. A very good serving indeed.

Prawn Laksa

The environment at Dignity Kitchen is clean, tidy with simple furnishing and air-conditioned. While dining at Dignity Kitchen, you can also see the two training classes use to Train-and-Place programme for adults with special needs seeking employment; and for WSQ and SkillsFuture eligible hawker culinary courses for the public.

Menu 1

CBK Verdict: Although Dignity Kitchen main mission is a social enterprise, the food serves here are of a good standard. They are also tasty and generous with their portion. What better way to support a social cause with a happy tummy. Cheers!

Menu 2

Here are some ways you can contribute to the operation cost of the Dignity Project:

- Dine or Take Away on food from Dignity Kitchen

- Take a course at Dignity Learn. An inclusive training centre that provides WSQ and SkillsFuture eligible hawker culinary courses for the public. LD and I attended a Food Hygiene course, coinciding with our second visit to Dignity Kitchen.

- Purchase items from Dignity Mama stores, located in local hospitals.

- Dignity Outreach combines team bonding with impact, offering corporate and government entities an avenue to engage in corporate citizenship while achieving team building objectives.

For more details, visit https://projectdignity.sg/

Public Training Courses

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: N/A (Self Service)

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $0 - $10

Dignity Kitchen 

(by Project Dignity)

69 Boon Keng Road

Singapore 339772

T: +65 8189 7678

W: https://projectdignity.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/proj.dignity

IG: https://www.instagram.com/projectdignitysg/

OH:

Mon – Fri: 08.00 – 19.00

Sat & Sun: 08.00 – 14.00

[CLOSED] Ubi Chomp Chomp – Delicious Braised Duck

Braised Duck - Half

I was introduced to this place by A for a lunch meet up. The owner of the shop is someone who has been in F&B business in Singapore and China for more than 20 years. Since A is familiar with the food here, he takes charge of the ordering. 

Ubi Chomp Chomp

Ubi Chomp Chomp

Braised Duck ($14 half / $28 whole). The flesh is juicy, succulent and well infused with the braising stock. The skin of the duck is smooth and bouncy while the thick gooey sauce poured on top of the dish delivering the umami flavour that rounds up the dish. Yummy. 

Braised Duck - Half

Soy Chicken ($9 half / $18 whole). The thigh and drumstick meat are juicy and succulent, while the skin is just irresistible. However, I feel the breast meat is on the firm side and a bit dry. If they can improve the breast meat texture, it is something to keep a lookout for. Not as good as the duck. 

Soy Chicken - Half

Soy Chicken - Half

Mix plater of Tofu ($0.70), Egg ($0.50), Fish cake ($0.80), Tau pok ($0.50). A delicious combination of sides. I like the tofu best as it is smooth and infused with the braising stock. For those who like pigskin, you can give it a try as well. 

Side Dishes

For the chilli, my makan kakis say “Got Power”. 

Side Dishes

Instead of regular white rice, I decided on Braised Pork Rice ($2.50). It is slightly different from the Taiwanese version. The version here uses long grain rice and loaded with chopped onions compare to the Taiwanese version. 

Braised Pork Rice

This bowl of rice and chopped pork belly are packed with flavours. The fats from the pork belly melt in your mouth and the chopped onions added a delicate sweetness to this dish. Don’t let the pale looking braised egg fooled you, it is well infused with the braising sauce. 

Picture Menu

Other than the dishes that I tried above, Ubi Chomp Chomp also offer mala duck (their own recipe). For breakfast, they have duck porridge and duck mee sua. Not a fan of mala stuff, but I will definitely return to try their breakfast menu in the future. 

Price List

It is an eating house setting, so it is all about the food. Place your order at the counter, make payment and they will deliver your order afterwards. 

CBK Verdict: The Braised pork a must-order dish here together with the braised duck. The soy sauce chicken is not as good as the braised duck but it is not too bad. If you are around Ubi area, give Ubi Chomp Chomp Braised Duck & Soy Chicken a try. Cheers! 

Thank you, A, for introducing this makan place. 

Food & Drinks: 7.25/10 

Value: 7.5/10 

Service: N/A 

Ambiance: 6/10 

Budget per Person: $0-$10 

Ubi Chomp Chomp Braised Duck & Soy Chicken 

Blk 301 Ubi Ave 1 

#01-273 S400301 

F: https://www.facebook.com/ubichompbraisedduck

IG: @Ubichompbraisedduck 

OH: 

Sat – Thu: 07.30 – 15.30 

Closed on Friday

Huay Kwang – Thai Wanton Mee and Fresh Prawn Dumpling

Wanton Mee - Large

I was introduced to Huay Kwang Wanton Mee (“Huay Kwang”) during the circuit breaker period by our friend C. At that time C was posting about the frozen wanton and prawn dumplings that he bought from Huay Kwang.

When Phase 2 started, LD and I decided to visit Huay Kwang and dabao the wanton noodles.

Huay Kwang Wanton Mee - The Stall

Huay Kwang served Thai style wanton mee with a signature twist on its own. There are two sizes of Thai Wanton Mee, $3.50 for small and $5 for large.

Wanton Mee - Large

Wanton Mee - Small

The egg noodle is thin, silky and al-dente. Each strand of the noodle is coated evenly with pork oil.  Patrick (the owner) cooked the noodle himself, then mixed the noodle with pork lard evenly using a scissor. Yes, instead of using chopsticks or tongs, he used a pair of scissors to mix the noodles and also to cut and distribute the noodles into individual bowl or container.

The Noodle

Toppings on each wanton mee include boiled wanton, char siew, pork lard, and boiled kai lan. The wanton is solid and well packed with minced pork. The char siew is sweet, with a crispy exterior and the meat is quite juicy, but it is definitely those fatty type of char siew. Through the pork oil enhance the flavour of the noodle, I find it is missing that extra umami flavour.

Boiled Wanton

For those who like it spicy, Huay Kwang offers their signature super spicy chilli flakes and pickled green chilli. According to LD, the spiciness rating is about 7.5/10.

The Char Siew

Not to be missed here is their Cantonese style Special Prawn Dumplings Soup ($5). Each of the prawn dumplings is filled with minced pork, a whole piece of fresh prawn and black fungus. It is crunchy, juicy and packs with flavours. The soup based is boiled with pork and radish, therefore the soup is naturally sweetened. If you ordered the dumpling soup, Huay Kwang will normally include a few slices of the radish as well.

Dumpling Soup

Fresh Prawn Dumpling

The Fillings

On my last visit, they run out of the prawn dumpling, so I ordered the fried wanton instead. It is very enjoyable, as the wanton skin is crispy and the fillings packs more punch compare to the boiled version. In the boiled wanton, the fillings are very dense. Meanwhile, the deep-frying process seems to loosen up the dense fillings and allowing the juiciness of the meat to shine. Yummy

The Menu
Image Credit: Huay Kwang Wanton Mee

One of the best things about Huay Kwang is their minimum usage of MSG. I tasted a few Thai Wanton Mee in Singapore usually I get MSG attack after the meal and need to neutralise it with coke zero. With Huay Kwang, LD and I did not encounter this. Kudos to them.

Overall, Huay Kwang served a delicious Thai wanton mee. On top of that, I highly recommend their dumpling soup and fried wanton, which is also available in the uncooked version. Cheers!!

The Wanton and Dumpling uncooked
Image Credit: Huay Kwang Wanton Mee

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: N/A (Coffee shop)

Budget per Person: $0 -$10

Huay Kwang Wanton Mee

Blk 3021 Ubi Avenue 2

#01-159

Singapore 408897

T: +65 9383 1597

F: https://www.facebook.com/huaykwang.wantonmee

OH: Mon – Sat, 07.30 – 15.00

Closed on Sunday