Can you think of any food in Singapore that have no more than 20 stalls selling it? Off the top of my head, I can only think of one and it is 猪脚冻 or pork jelly(aspic). Not sure if I’m a suah ku here but I only know of 3 stalls selling it in Singapore.

Then there are other food like Turtle Soup or Beef Noodles which I believe to have no more than 50 stalls each around the island. And these stalls are usually serving food with tastes that are pretty authentic.

I guess that’s one way to validate the authenticity of a food because such stalls are usually family businesses with recipes passed from generation to generation.

So what other symptoms do you think can be used to authenticate a stall’s long history? For me another sign is a signboard without the need for a name. Take for instance this stall in Whampoa Hawker Centre. It’s signboard just reads “Curry Rice”.

Curry Rice at Whampoa Market

And if you think that’s not funny enough, this stall which is selling Hainanese Curry Rice opens only from 7am to 10:30am 6 days a week. Not sure what you’re thinking but I’m just thinking that they’re not really keen to make all the money they can make in the world but just happy to provide a Hainanese Curry fix to those who needs it in the morning!

Truth be told, it took me almost 3 weeks to eat at this stall because I’ve been going there at the wrong time.

Curry on rice: 8/10  

Stewed cabbage: 9/10  

The food here is indeed quite authentic. The outstanding dish for me has got to be the stewed cabbage. This is really being stewed for a long time so it is very very soft but the gravy that came with it is seriously quite delicious with a very very unique taste. This is definitely good enough to make me empty 2 bowl of rice!

Pork belly: 8/10  

The lor bak is also quite delicious though it didn’t exactly possess that melting effect. The texture was pretty unique in the sense that it’s chewy but yet doesn’t melt in your mouth. You gotta try this to know exactly what I’m talking about. The flavour of the lor(gravy)adds that personal charm and it’s got to be one of the best lor bak you can find in a Hainanese Curry Rice stall.

Pork chop: 7/10  

The pork chops were served in some kind of sweet gravy which had flavours which were good though it was slightly too sweet for my liking. The onions flavour ran rampant so if you like onions, this will do very well for you. Not the best for me but definitely a cut above the average ones.

Sotong: 8/10  

Another die die must try item here has got to be the sotong. I’m not sure how to call this sotong because I can’t figure how they cooked it. It is slightly sweet and a little spicy. The overall flavour is definitely not something I can express with a single word. But I enjoyed it a lot. The intensity of the taste is completely well balanced, so much so that even the tang of the individual flavours which is the spiciness and the sweetness were only subtle. I seriously enjoy this a lot and it is definitely something genuinely unique and probably the only stall in Singapore selling sotong cooked in this way.

It was quite a good meal of Hainanese Curry Rice for me. The curry here is also the gooey type and so it did very well for me. I can also imagine throwing all the items in a pack and let it be soaked to a complete somewhat chaotic looking pack of food but yet can be eaten smoothly with rich stewed flavours from the meat and vegetables with the wetness from the curry.

Price: $4.20

Recommendation: Sotong, lor bak and cabbage. Pork chop if you like some kind of sweet mysterious sauce on it.

Conclusion: Not bad at all. I think the quality here is just slightly below my favourite one at Jalan Besar. The flavours complemented each other very well and for $4+ with 4 items, this must be one of the better value ones around too.

Likes: Flavours have a style of it’s own..

Dislikes: Pork chop a little on the sweet side..

Next Up: A wrap up post to conclude the Hainanese Curry Rice Challenge!

Address		Overall Rating
Curry Rice Blk 91 #01-13 Whampoa Drive Whampoa Market & Food Centre Off: Monday		Food: 9/10   Value: 9/10   Authenticity: 8/10   Service: 7/10   Ambience: 7/10   Cleanliness: 7/10   Overall: 7.75/10