ChuHuang - Hong Kong Royal Chicken

What is Hong Kong Royal Chicken (Gui Fei Chicken)? I first saw it in Hong Kong / Chinese ancient martial art show. The chicken is usually served during a big celebration or the last meal for prisoners on the death sentence. The glistening yellow colour is very attractive and they all eat it with gusto. So, on my first visit to Hong Kong, it was on my “Must Eat List”. The HK Royal Chicken is very easy to find in Hong Kong as most of the Roast shops or Cha Chan Teng will have it. I like the bouncy texture of the skin, succulent meat and the strong flavour of the chicken, combine it with ginger and spring onion mix, it is just yummy.

Since Hong Kong is no longer on our itinerary, I always keep a lookout for Gui Fei Chicken in Malaysia and Singapore. Once ChuHuang Hong Kong Royal Chicken (“ChuHuang”) came to my attention, I planned to visit them and it come to fruition in 2023.

ChuHuang Hong Kong Royal Chicken

ChuHuang is located on the first floor of People’s Park Centre, facing Ya Kun. The set-up is similar to most Cha Chan Teng, Cashier in front, dining area and the kitchen at the back. You can clearly see the Hong Kong Royal Chicken hanging from the display window near the kitchen. The SOP here is to find a seat, check out the menu, place your order at the counter and make payment first.

The Chickens on Display

Hong Kong Royal Chicken ($19.50 half, $38 whole). So far, I only managed to order half chicken, as my makan kakis are limited in the afternoon. When the Royal Chicken arrives at your table, the yellow colour (from turmeric and galanga powder) of the skin will just catch your attention.

Hong Kong Royal Chicken (Gui Fei Chicken) - Half

The skin is smooth, silky and bouncy. The meat is tender, with a nice chewiness and packed with chicken flavour. The thigh meat is more succulent, while the breast meat is tender but not dry. Unlike our regular chicken rice that uses broiler chicken, ChuHuang uses Kampong Chicken from Southern Malaysia with 120-days growth cycle. This explains why the chicken is so tasty.

Hong Kong Royal Chicken (Gui Fei Chicken) - Half

The rice ($1) is fragrant, tasty and not sticky. However, it is not as fragrant and robust compared to the top chicken rice shops in Singapore. The ginger-scallion mix is a must-have, as it elevates the flavour of the chicken. Since I do not try the Chilli sauce, I can’t comment on it.

The Rice

Each of the diners will be served chicken soup. It is from the broth that boils the chicken, so you can expect a robust chicken soup.

Our Order

Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken ($12.50, lower part). Cooked in Soy Sauce mix, the chicken is juicy, succulent and infused with the soy sauce. The skin is smooth and carries a stronger soy sauce flavour. I feel the chicken is a bit overcooked thus it is not as tender, I like to see the bone a bit reddish and will also translate to juicier chicken meat.

Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken - Lower Half

Trio Treasure Combo ($5). Giblets, soy sauce egg and tofu. It is a good companion for your rice. The beancurd is the traditional firm type and the exterior is coated with soy sauce concoction. The giblets are crunchy, while the egg is firm and tasty.

Trio Treasure Combo

Bean Sprout ($6). The beansprout is crunchy, topped with crispy fried garlic and bask with soy sauce. It is tasty and refreshing.

Bean Sprout

Giant Grouper Soup ($10.90). Clean and robust broth, filled with firm, slightly chewy and bouncy grouper.

Giant Grouper Soup

The décor is simple and fuss-free. Tables and Chairs (Stools) bring back the nostalgic feel of a traditional tea house. Most of the space on the wall is filled with photos of the dishes and photos of Chef Wu Hai Feng with celebrities and international leaders. Service is friendly and helpful.

Menu

Overall, ChuHuang satisfy my cravings for Hong Kong Royal Chicken. It is unique, tasty and flavourful. I have not had a chance to try other dishes, I will be aiming for the noodles, braised chicken feet and prawn roll next time. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 6.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

ChuHuang Hong Kong Royal Chicken

厨皇香港贵妃鸡

101 Upper Cross Street.

#01-05L, People’s Park Centre

Singapore 058357

T: +65 6532 0380

F: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063968653511

OH: Daily, 11.00 – 20.00

Pi Food – The Good, OK ONLY and Die Die Must Improve

Steamed Kwei Fei Chicken - One Serving 

It all started when a photo of Steamed Kwei Fei Chicken （贵妃鸡）pop up on LD’s IG, making it an open invitation to visit Pi Food. I first tried it in Hong Kong and it become a must order dish when I am there. So, when a new place opens up in Singapore serving Kwei Fei Chicken, I must give it a try. This led to our 1st visit to Pi Food in August.

Pi Food

The Good

The Steamed Kwei Fei Chicken is served in three sizes; one serving, half and whole ($13.80 / $18.80 / $35). Our first impression was WOW, the version here is one of the closest versions compare to those that we ate in Hong Kong.

Steamed Kwei Fei Chicken - One Serving 

The chicken has a bouncy skin, marinated with turmeric and ginger powder, followed by succulent flesh. The thigh meat is juicy and even the breast meat is very tender. You will also notice the layer of chicken fats jelly in between the cuts. Yummy!

The Jelly Fats

The ginger and scallion dipping sauce is very powerful here. It complements the chicken nicely, or you can mix it with white rice or noodle. For us, the chicken is cooked to perfection. Meaning, you can see a bit of blood near or in the bones.

Steamed Kwei Fei Chicken - Half Chicken (return visit)  

The positive impression on the first visit led to a return visit in September. This time around, we notice the quality drop in this dish. It was served colder than the last time and it is missing the layer of the jelly fats on the chicken. What happen? Something wrong with the SOP? Hopefully, the team take notice of this and improve on its consistency.

Cold and No Fats (return visit)

Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice ($13.80). The fried rice impresses us with the generosity of the ingredients and the perfectly executed wok skills. The rice is al-dente, light, fragrant and tasty. You can taste the egg white, shredded conpoy and scallops in each bite.

Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice

Steam Rice Pork Ribs with Black Bean ($10.80). This huge bowl of steam rice can easily satisfy 2 pax. The pork ribs are tender and succulent, while the black bean sauce comes with a bit of spicy kick. Steamed together, they infused the aroma and flavours into the rice.

Steam Rice Pork Ribs with Black Bean 

The Rice

The OK Only

HK Fresh Shrimp Wanton Noodle ($10.80). It has a similar look and feels to the one served in Crystal Jade Kitchen and Imperial Treasure Kitchen. The broth is made from prawn stock, light in flavour. While the egg noodle is thin and slim, but it is on the softer side instead of springy. Luckily the solid and crunchy shrimp wantons carry this dish crossing the acceptable line.

HK Fresh Shrimp Wanton Noodle

The Egg Noodle

Kailan in Oyster Sauce ($4.80). It is thick and crunchy. Not much can go wrong with this dish, except this time around it is excessively bitter plus missing the OMPH from the oyster sauce.

Kailan in Oyster Sauce

Milk Tea. I tried both the hot and the cold versions of the milk tea. For the hot version, the portion of the tea and milk is almost right, although I feel the tea can be stronger. Since they also use the same measurement for the cold milk tea, it does not take into account the water content from the ice, resulting in weak and watery iced milk tea. Better to order the hot version on the safe side. I won’t be happy paying $3 / $3.50 for watery iced milk tea.

Milk Tea - Cold

Milk Tea - Hot

The Bad (Die Die Must Improve)

Any 3 Combination Platter ($25.80), we choose Char Siew, Crispy Pork Belly & Roast Duck. It is one of the worst meat platters we ever had. The roast pork is so gamy / porky, we left half of it untouched. We know that restaurants sometimes reheat the meat with microwave, however, this time the heat on the roast pork is inconsistent. Some part hot, some part cold.

Any 3 Combination Platter ($25.80)
Char Siew, Crispy Pork Belly & Roast Duck

The roast duck and Iberico char siew (supposed to be signature) barely passed. The char siew is lacked of flavour and characters; it is just disappointing. I think they need to get a better-quality supplier for their roast meat. Seriously, I tried a better “Ready to Eat” char siew, than the one served here.

PI French Toast ($5.80). Their attempt to create an up-market version of the French Toast, feels like a secondary school kids home economic final project. The bread is sliced too thin and the heat control is just amateurish. Instead of a crispy exterior, the toast soaks up the frying oil like a sponge. Tasted like eating a peanut butter sandwich that passed its expiry date. Yucks!! They need to get back to basic on this, use a “THICK TOAST”, be generous with the eggs and use a thermometer and timer to ensure the correct temperature and cooking time.

PI French Toast

PI French Toast - Soggy 

The service staff at Pi Food is hospitable. Do take note that this is not a full-service restaurant. You need to place your order at the counter and make payment first. Unlike most Cha Chan Teng in Singapore paying tribute to nostalgic Hong Kong in the 80s and 90s, PI Food décor is modern, simplistic and fun. I like the full-length windows, allowing abundance of natural lights to brighten the restaurant. Also, a plus point for the train making its rounds at the ceiling of the restaurant.

Menu 1

Menu 2

Overall, we find the gap between the best and the worst food here is just too wide. A lot of work needs to be done to improve their overall food standard and consistency. Luckily, Pi Food is still in the infancy stage, hopefully, they can learn and improve. Just observe and learn from the more popular Hong Kong brands that are doing well and expanding in Singapore recently. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 6/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

Pi Food

9 Penang Road

#01-18

Singapore 238459

T:+65 9239 0686

W: https://pi-food.business.site/ (in Chinese Only)

F: https://www.facebook.com/pifood.sg

IG: @Pifood.sg

OH: Daily 11.00 – 22.00