The Place
You know you’ve entered a family-run, home-style Singaporean eatery when a pungent yet enticing aroma of chicken, lemongrass and garlic hits your nose in all the right places. Walking inside, you’ll spot a small white Merlion at the far end of the room, flanked by Polaroids of famous Hong Kong TV stars, inspirational messages and picture frames on the wall.
Just as you’ve found a comfortable place to sit down, the elderly ‘uncle’ and ‘aunty’ featured in said pictures will appear, gushing over you and welcoming you to their humble abode.
The Food
The BBC has called it “the kind of dish you’d cross continents to try.” An ensemble of four parts, the humble Hainanese chicken rice may look terribly boring and unsophisticated on paper, yet it’s extremely difficult to make. Cooked two ways – steamed and roasted – it comes served whole (RMB198), half (RMB108) or as a set with fragrant rice (RMB48), clear soup and a trio of homemade condiments.
Homegrown experts will tell you the most important part is the rice: it must be good enough to eat on its own. Whilst Master Leung’s soy-sesame drizzled meat itself is noteworthy, the rice falls flat, appearing slightly mushy and overcooked and lacking an aromatic smack.
The remaining dishes, however, stay true to local heritage. Laksa (RMB48) packs a serious punch: this traditional rendition of the chili pepper-flecked broth is creamy and piquant, with strong overtones of freshly pounded galangal, lemongrass, shrimp paste and coconut milk. Choose from chicken, prawn, meatball, cuttlefish ball or seafood, and opt for a mix of both rice noodles and vermicelli for maximum taste and texture.
Bah kut teh (RMB48/large, 28/small) must be ordered: the warm, dark liquid is stewed for hours, with rich, chewy pork bits (on the bone) that go down well. Noteworthy is also the sambal belacan vegetables (RMB25), stir-fried water spinach with shrimp paste that’s modest yet delicious.
The Vibe
It’s simple, homey and welcoming. Both floors offer comfortable space for a maximum capacity of 80, and you can expect to be in and out in a jiffy. All in all, a very decent attempt at local Singaporean fare, and plenty of time for uncle and aunty to get their rice just right.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: homesick Singaporeans (and Malaysians)
Good for: local hawker stall favorites, learning Singlish
Nearest Metro: Taojin (Exit A), 8 minutes
Open daily, 11am to 10pm; see listing for Master Leung Mandarin Chicken Rice.
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