Hong Chang Eating House

Eatery Review: 

Hong Chang Eating House

Renown for: 

Frog Porridge, Sambal Stingray, Zi Char

Cuisine: 

Chinese (Cantonese); Local Fare

Getting there: 

Bus services 28, 93 and 153 stop on the same side as the establishment. The closest MRT station is Serangoon. Dismal amount of public parking space along Somerville Walk; better luck trying to find a space among the private houses. 

When to go: 

Dinner’s the only time you should have a meal here. As it’s comically adjacent to vehicle tuning workshops, lunch here could mean you’ll probably be inhaling petrol fumes with your sambal sting ray!

Food Waiting Time: 
7 Mins

Ambience: 

Coffee shop by the road with outdoor seating. Somewhat ample seats available, both indoors and out. Might get the occasional drag racer speeding through Upper Serangoon Road to distract you from the meal, but other than that, not much of a scenery to clap eyes on. 

First Impressions: 

Reading about this place in a magazine featuring underrated hawkers inspired me to check it out for myself. I’ve always been one to support the underdogs of any craft because they tend to do something that might just surprise you, and in this case, they surely didn't disappoint. A word of caution, this place doesn't have a traditional menu - less the signboard for porridge and stingray - so make sure you know what you want when ordering.  

Hong Chang Eating House @ 2 Braddell Road

The crux: 

Fried Rice

The food came in staggered but in reasonable time. First to come was the Fried Rice, and it came in smelling absolutely tantalising! It had a significant dose of wok hei which perfumed thru the entire dish. It was very simple, but properly done, all fried rice should take after this one! The addition of freshly, crisp Ikan Bilis was a good touch. Not only was it functional as a garnish, it worked well together with the smoky wok hei-ness of the dish to add a different contrast of savouriness.  

Frog Leg Porridge

Next was the Frog Leg Porridge. By far the best I’ve had in a very long time! Starting with the plain porridge, it was thick, really thick, just how I like my Cantonese-style porridge. It had to be thick to hold the kung-pao sauce from the frog legs. The porridge was lightly seasoned so as to accommodate the more savoury sauce from the frog legs. However, it was good enough to have it on its own. The frog legs were perfectly cooked as well, extremely tender with just a little bite to the meat. Frog being mild tasting in itself - some say they even taste like chicken - has to go with a substantial sauce to bring out its natural flavour or use it as a vehicle to carry the sauce. In this case, the sauce was heavily seasoned with ginger, spring onions and dried chilli. Coupled with a luscious, lip-smacking, savoury sauce made from cooking the frogs in it, with the bolster of oyster and soy sauce to back it up, made it an extremely enjoyable and tasty dish to finish. This was definitely the star, and something not to be missed. 

Sambal Kang Kong & Onion Omelette

The Sambal Kang Kong and Onion Omelette came not long after. The kang kong was tender and well seasoned with hei bi hiam and sambal. Personally, the sambal could have been spicer but others might not feel so. However, this dish was just average, in the sense that you can find one at any decent hawker centre. 

The omelette was a tad on the oily side but was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Soft and pillowy eggs carrying a slight fresh crunch from the onions. Again, similar with the kang kong, average dish - many replicators. 

Sambal Stingray

Lastly, Sambal Stingray - what we’re here for! The stingray was perfectly cooked! Tough to get the timing right on such irregular cuts of fish, with varying thicknesses. The stingray was somewhat fresh tasting, but felt ‘old’ in regards to the age of the stingray. Similar logic to veal and beef. Again, the sambal could have been spicer. Cincalok always goes as a complement to Sambal Stingray as it cuts through the richness and spiciness of the sambal. This was no different, however, the cincalok could have had more acidity and more fermented shrimp flavour. Other than that, this was pretty well done Sambal Stingray. 

A final note on the service you might get. Our drinks took almost 30mins to come! Even after reminding the staff 3 times about our drink orders. Getting hold of their attention also requires some guts to either stand up and call for one, or wave your arm frantically like an insaniac.         

Price & Value for money: 

$39 for dinner for 2 and eating to our heart’s content. Good value for money. 

The verdict: 

Overall, a clear win for the underdogs on this occasion. Coming here - even if it is out of the way -  just for the Frog Leg Porridge will see you leaving thoroughly satisfied, but do not neglect the fact they still have a pretty noteworthy Sambal Stingray hiding in the back. This place will surely be my go-to place for well-priced Frog Leg Porridge. I’ll be back for more!

Final Score: 

8/10

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Two Fat Men

Restaurant Review 

Two Fat Men

Renown for: 

Thai Green Chicken Curry, Burgers, Thai Iced Tea, Basil Chicken Fried Rice, Beers

Cuisine: 

Thai Street Food; Western (Burgers); Bar/Pub 

Getting there: 

Buses coming from both Bedok Interchange and Paya Lebar make it somewhat convenient; travelling time might still take awhile to get here by bus. Some public parking around the area, but park in the rear where all the landed properties are and walk over; save the parking money for the food.

When to go: 

Dinner or supper is the only meal time here, as open from 5pm to 3am daily. Expect it to get crowded over the weekends when there are football games going on with drunk fans cheering for their teams. Any other time during the week would most certainly get you a seat. No reservations required.

Waiting Time: 

15 Mins

Ambience: 

Quaint and cosy pub with sports channels playing on the TVs. Soft wood and brick colours to complement the pub atmosphere. Music choice was questionably too ‘Pop’ for a pub.

First Impressions: 

I have been here twice before coming up with this blog, and on both occasions the food has not disappointed. I came here tonight just cause I wanted some good quality comfort food, which this place does well. Beer enthusiast will love this place as well, this being the only place I know to have Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc - My favourite beer! - on tap! They do have an extensive beer list for you to choose from with some brands I never knew existed. Being a repeat guest, I knew what to expect and what I wanted. With that I sat down with my dining buddy, ‘Big Ben’ and ordered away, secretly hoping that consistency was their strong suit.

Thai food menu

Western food menu

Alcoholic Beverages menu

The crux: 

Basil Chicken Fried Rice

This was the first dish to arrive, and my word was it smelling good! The saltiness from the fish sauce and soy sauce got to you first, then came the sweet, citrusy thai basil. This - being thai - didn’t have your typical wok hei that you’ll get from zi char styled fried rice. However, it still had the standard characteristics of thai food - sweet, spicy, sour and salty - which meant it was properly done. The bits of diced chicken were also cooked well in this dish, soft, tender and tasting of fresh thai basil. What was a bit of a pet peeve about this dish was that it wasn’t very hot and the egg on top was pre-cooked and left out for way too long - turning it almost into rubber.

Fish and Chips

This was probably the disappointment of the meal. It was pretty standard fish and chips that you can and probably should do at home instead. The fries and Tartare Sauce were store bought and the fish was so bland they could have just used the frozen stuff and they wouldn't have tasted any different. The batter was crispy - yes - but still drenched with the cooking oil. Ultimately, at $8.50, its still pretty well priced for fish and chips at a restaurant, even though I wouldn't get it again.  

Grilled Pork Neck with Tamarind Spicy Sauce

&

Grilled Squid with Thai Chilli Sauce

These 2 are simply the must haves at Two Fat Men. No matter what you’re drinking, pair it with either of these 2 and you can’t go wrong. The pork neck was great! Delightfully well cooked, tender yet still holding itself together, grilled properly and seasoned well. The squid was good too, albeit a bit over cooked - taken off the grill 30 secs too late - but still al dente. It could have been more moist as well, they should’ve basted it while it was cooking to give it more of a shine and character, moreover, I felt the portion could have been a little bigger for the price. The taste profile of the sauces were very similar and very interchangeable as well. So don't be afraid to mix it up! 

Bacon and Egg Beef Burger

It’s difficult to get really good, consistent burgers at most restaurants, the best I’ve had was the Piggy Burger at DB Bistro Moderne (thats a review for another time). So when ‘Big Ben’ asked me where I would get my burger fix from, Carl’s Jr came right out. They are able to be extremely consistent in their quality of their burgers, and prices aren’t that steep too! (Again, another time) The first time I tried this burger, I fell immediately in love with it. It was able to be juicy, tender and flavourful all at very good price! Seemed like this was going to be my new ‘go-to’ place for good burgers, but a subsequent visit and tonight proved it wrong. The quality just seemed to be dwindling, it wasn’t as juicy before, the temperature was unbearably luke warm. Hopefully, the guys in the back will realise this and make some changes, but as of now, I shall give them another chance to win my patronage back; till next time!

Chicken Green Curry

Finally! Another favourite of mine. Digging into this just takes me back to when I was vacationing with friends in Thailand and eating street food right out of the food truck along the streets. Ah… the nostalgia! The curry was served pipping hot - perfect for a night where it was pouring just hours before. The curry hit all the right notes, it was spicy, salty, tartiness from the green eggplant and sweetness from the oh-so-tender chicken pieces. Accompany this dish with the fried rice, ‘nuff said.

Thai Ice Tea

&

Korenbourg 1664 Blanc on tap!

One of the most unique tasting of drinks is the thai iced tea. It has a remarkably fresh, herby, tea-like bitter sweetness to it that you just can’t find anywhere else. A must-try! For all the beer aficionados out there, this is another good spot for beer tasting in the east. With the multitude of labels they carry, I challenge you to finish every single one. 

Price & Value for money: 

$70 for 2 big buys to eat to their heart’s content. Best thing about this place, NO GST & SERVICE CHARGE! Reasonable value for money.

The verdict: 

Fantastic place to hang out and meet up with friends with a laid back atmosphere. Great food and drinks to complement as well. Though there are some pit falls, there are other signature dishes which help even out the bad with the good they have to offer. All you have to do is just order the right ones and you’ll have yourself one of the better meals in the east.

Final Score: 

7.5/10

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