Lu rou fan hawkers sell good-value S$6.30 set and high SES S$11.30 Iberico pork cheek rice
When 8days.sg stumbled upon a new braised pork rice (lu rou fan) joint called SHY Kitchen at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, we were intrigued by its cute storefront.
The stall opened in mid September this year, and is run by Chinese national Tina Song, 51, and her Singaporean husband, Ken Ong, 56, who was “born and raised in Singapore”, but is of Taiwanese descent. The name SHY Kitchen has nothing to do with its owners being shy - instead, Tina says it’s just an abbreviation of her Chinese name.
Tina has yet to obtain her PR status since relocating to Singapore 13 years ago to marry Ken. Prior to opening SHY Kitchen, she worked at a noodle shop here for four years, and a Korean restaurant for two years, where she learned how to cook and tend the shop. Meanwhile, Ken used to work as a mechanical engineer, but has since quit to work full-time as a hawker.
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The duo, who work at the stall full-time, say they’ve “been wanting to open a hawker stall since a few years ago, but the timing was always wrong, and they couldn’t secure a spot with a suitable location till now”.
The couple explain that they decided to sell the popular Taiwanese dish because “Ken shuttled in and out of Taiwan for work for over 10 years, so [they] have an affinity for Taiwanese food”. Naturally, it helps that Ken is also of Taiwanese descent.
Grandmother’s recipe tweaked to “fit Singaporean taste buds”
Tina does most of the cooking, though she got the recipe from Ken, who says it was inspired by his late Taiwanese grandmother’s rendition of the dish.
Ken has fond memories “growing up eating his grandmother’s cooking”. As a child, he’d “observe his grandmother cooking when he wasn’t outside playing”. While granny didn’t teach him the recipe per se, Ken “remembers the different ingredients his grandmother used” to make her braised pork rice.
He passed his recipe to Tina, who “practiced cooking at home daily for two months”, and combined granny’s recipe with tips she found online.
Uses less fatty cuts of meat
In comparison to the OG Taiwanese dish, Tina’s is healthier and uses less fatty cuts of meat. She explains that “the braised pork rice in Taiwan may be a bit sweeter, oilier and fattier, but Singaporeans may not want to eat it with so much fats, especially since a lot of customers here are younger office ladies who don’t dare to eat [calorific food]”.
The menu
SHY Kitchen’s best-sellers are their Braised Pork Set ($6.30) and Braised Pork Shank Set ($7.30). Besides these, they also offer a Braised Pork Ribs Set ($8.30) and the more luxe Iberico Pig’s Cheek Set ($11.30), while non-pork options include the Chicken Over Rice Set ($6.30) and Braised Cabbage Set ($6.30).
8days.sg tried the classic Braised Pork Set, as well as a sample portion of the Braised Pork Shank.
Braised Pork Set, $6.30 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Our bowl of braised pork rice was savoury and a tad sweet. It came with a generous portion of fresh pork chunks doused in a rich soy-based gravy. The pork was melt-in-the-mouth and tender. Though the hawkers say they use leaner meat, our dish wasn’t noticeably ‘healthier’ and was still quite fatty. While it’s not the cheapest bowl of hawker-style lu rou fan around, this hearty portion comes with bok choy, half a slightly gooey-yolked boiled egg and a side dish of braised cabbage, carrots and tau pok to make it a filling meal. Pretty good value for money.
Braised Pork Shank
We sampled a petite portion of the braised pork shank (pictured above, you get a larger portion with rice in the actual set). The fat-streaked pork shanks capped with skin were soft and gelatinous, though less flavourful than the gravy-soaked braised pork chunks.
‘High SES’ Iberico Pig’s Cheek Set, $11.30
Pity we didn’t get to taste this more atas Iberico pork bowl cooked with slices of “fresh black pork” from Spain, something you’ll see more often in restaurants than hawker stalls. Though the meat is pricier, Tina says she decided to include it on her menu as she “really likes this dish, and wants more people to be able to try it”.
The details
SHY Kitchen is located at 02-38 Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, S081006. Open Mon - Sat 11am - 7pm, closed Sun.
Photos: Gwyn Lim
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