Law Koon Tai, founder of Wong Chiew, hails from Yuen Long in the New Territory. Before coming to Singapore, she was running a successful fashion business yet she made the very brave decision to leave home for a new life in a foreign land. Such is the character of Mdm Law, full of determination, tenacity and perseverance. To prepare herself for the new venture, she learned a new trade and received a diploma in the art of roasting duck - a Hong Kong specialty.
Mdm Law single-handedly set up the original dim sum stall more than 10 years ago when she first arrived in Singapore. The business has since grown from its humble beginning as a dim sum stall to what it is today - a 3-unit Cantonese cuisine cze char restaurant.
Besides its dim sum, it is also famous for its roasted duck and other roasted meats like BBQ char siew and roasted pork belly. A plate of char siew and roasted pork mix with rice makes for an excellent afternoon lunch at $5.00 per portion.
But if you are in the mood for an more lavish lunch, their menu offers some very interesting Chef Recommendations like Bucket Kampung Chicken and Lotus Root with Squid deep fried in salted egg yolk.
My favourite dish, hands down, is the Bucket Kampung Chicken. Served in a metal plate placed in a wooden container, the succulent chicken pieces (on bone, thankfully) are topped with a generous helping of ginger and healthily garnished with scallions and cilantro. Thick slices of cucumber add a dash of freshness to the dish. The ginger is prepared using secret ingredients put together by the stall's founder. When asked how she came up with the recipe, her daughter explained that it was all through experimentation.
When Mdm Law first arrived in Singapore in 1999, she was intrigued by some of our local dishes. However, they were too spicy for her palate. As such, she tweaked the recipe and came up with her own rendition of popular Singapore dishes like curry fish-head and black pepper crab.
She made the dishes less hot and spicy with an added sweetness with the use of natural ingredients instead of sugar. Thus, you can actually taste the natural sweetness of thick santan (coconut milk) in Mdm Law's version of curry fish head. What she did also was to add more vegetables in the curry. You will find string beans, okra, eggplants and tomatoes floating around the thick gravy.
The Lotus Root with Squid deep fried in salted egg yolk is a unique dish. I particularly like this dish and enjoyed the crunch of the root with each bite. The coating looked a tad too rich at first glance but the taste was not at all overpowering. In fact, it was sublime. Definitely a 'must try' when you dine at Wong Chiew's.
Special mention has to be made of their Hong Kong-style roasted duck. Looking at the duck lined up in the show case, one would not be able to tell any difference from the Singapore version. However, as the saying goes - test of the pudding is in its eating! The skin is roasted to a perfect crisp but the meat within remains moist and tender. In many other stalls, the duck tends to get over-roasted and its meat becomes dry and tough.
For festive occasions, you may want to try Mdm Law's Poon Choy. It is a family tradition to prepare this dish for the annual reunion dinner during the Spring Festival. Apparently, it is Mdm Law's husband who is the expert at this dish.
Wash down the meal with Mdm Law's own concoction of a herbal tea made from Lohan fruit and other Chinese herbs.
Wong Chiew is a happy marriage of two different food cultures. At this 24-hour restaurant, you can savour some of Singapore's popular dishes prepared by the deft hands of a Hong Kong chef.
Wong Chiew Roasted Meat Rice
19 Sembawang Road
Singapore 779075
http://www.streetdirectory.com/wong-chiew/
http://www.streetdirectory.com/asiatravel/singaporemap/business/175521/364293/
Food: 8
Service: 6.5
Pricing: $$
Recommended Dishes - Bucket Kampung Chicken, Lotus Roots with Squid in salted egg yolk, Curry fish head, Black pepper crab, Roasted duck.
Mdm Law single-handedly set up the original dim sum stall more than 10 years ago when she first arrived in Singapore. The business has since grown from its humble beginning as a dim sum stall to what it is today - a 3-unit Cantonese cuisine cze char restaurant.
Besides its dim sum, it is also famous for its roasted duck and other roasted meats like BBQ char siew and roasted pork belly. A plate of char siew and roasted pork mix with rice makes for an excellent afternoon lunch at $5.00 per portion.
But if you are in the mood for an more lavish lunch, their menu offers some very interesting Chef Recommendations like Bucket Kampung Chicken and Lotus Root with Squid deep fried in salted egg yolk.
My favourite dish, hands down, is the Bucket Kampung Chicken. Served in a metal plate placed in a wooden container, the succulent chicken pieces (on bone, thankfully) are topped with a generous helping of ginger and healthily garnished with scallions and cilantro. Thick slices of cucumber add a dash of freshness to the dish. The ginger is prepared using secret ingredients put together by the stall's founder. When asked how she came up with the recipe, her daughter explained that it was all through experimentation.
 |
| Bucket Kampung Chicken |
When Mdm Law first arrived in Singapore in 1999, she was intrigued by some of our local dishes. However, they were too spicy for her palate. As such, she tweaked the recipe and came up with her own rendition of popular Singapore dishes like curry fish-head and black pepper crab.
 |
| Black Pepper Crab |
She made the dishes less hot and spicy with an added sweetness with the use of natural ingredients instead of sugar. Thus, you can actually taste the natural sweetness of thick santan (coconut milk) in Mdm Law's version of curry fish head. What she did also was to add more vegetables in the curry. You will find string beans, okra, eggplants and tomatoes floating around the thick gravy.
 |
| Fish head curry |
The Lotus Root with Squid deep fried in salted egg yolk is a unique dish. I particularly like this dish and enjoyed the crunch of the root with each bite. The coating looked a tad too rich at first glance but the taste was not at all overpowering. In fact, it was sublime. Definitely a 'must try' when you dine at Wong Chiew's.
 |
| Lotus roots with squid in salted egg yolk |
Special mention has to be made of their Hong Kong-style roasted duck. Looking at the duck lined up in the show case, one would not be able to tell any difference from the Singapore version. However, as the saying goes - test of the pudding is in its eating! The skin is roasted to a perfect crisp but the meat within remains moist and tender. In many other stalls, the duck tends to get over-roasted and its meat becomes dry and tough.
 |
| Roasted crispy duck - roasted to perfection |
For festive occasions, you may want to try Mdm Law's Poon Choy. It is a family tradition to prepare this dish for the annual reunion dinner during the Spring Festival. Apparently, it is Mdm Law's husband who is the expert at this dish.
Wash down the meal with Mdm Law's own concoction of a herbal tea made from Lohan fruit and other Chinese herbs.
Wong Chiew is a happy marriage of two different food cultures. At this 24-hour restaurant, you can savour some of Singapore's popular dishes prepared by the deft hands of a Hong Kong chef.
Wong Chiew Roasted Meat Rice
19 Sembawang Road
Singapore 779075
http://www.streetdirectory.com/wong-chiew/
http://www.streetdirectory.com/asiatravel/singaporemap/business/175521/364293/
Food: 8
Service: 6.5
Pricing: $$
Recommended Dishes - Bucket Kampung Chicken, Lotus Roots with Squid in salted egg yolk, Curry fish head, Black pepper crab, Roasted duck.
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