Impressive Seafood Paella, Fish & Chips At Hawker Stall By Ex-Sous Chef Of Michelin-Starred Restaurant

Why kopitiam stall and not a café?

“After serving so many years in big organisations, I decided to take a break and serve decent food [in the heartlands],” explains David. He’d stumbled across the Bedok stall and spotting a gap for a good western stall in the ’hood, decided to sign the lease almost immediately. It has been a good two to three years since he last cooked in the kitchen. “I’m enjoying it! It’s more lively and fun to be cooking alongside my guys, instead of doing paperwork in the office [as executive chef]!” says David.

Opened new Serangoon outlet after this review 

Parents owned a zi char eatery

David first honed his Asian cooking chops at his parents’ now-defunct zi char restaurant, where his dad taught him to prepare veggies and crack eggs at the tender age of eight. By the time the restaurant closed when David was 14, he was bitten by the cooking bug but decided to train in western food instead.

The menu

The stall name ‘Fin-ery Kitchen’ references signature seafood dishes like fish & chips. However, they sell a lot more than that. There are about 30 items, including pasta and cauliflower rice for those on a keto diet. David uses a mix of frozen ingredients such as fish and prawns, but insists on only chilled beef, such as Australian Angus rib-eye MB3+ steak.

Halibut Fish & Chips, $12.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Choose from three options: $10.50 for the basic barramundi; $11.50 for Alaska pollock; and $12.50  for the halibut. Our sizeable strip of halibut undergoes David’s secret combination of Chinese and Western style marination and cooking techniques before it is deep-fried. The firm, flaky flesh is moist and swathed in a light batter, made up of four types of flour including wheat and rice. The batter is created with the help of a carbon dioxide-charged siphon so it has the same mouthfeel as a fizzy beer batter without using alcohol. The effervescence helps it to stay airy and crispy even when cold.

It’s served with chips, house-made coleslaw and – the highlight for us – an addictive tartare sauce. Made using a 20-year-old recipe that David learned from a guest chef during his Raffles Hotel days, it’s tangy and just a tad spicy. Delish.

Spanish Garlic Prawns, $8 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Six large-ish prawns are conveniently deshelled, leaving the heads on so you can suck up all the umami juices. They are flambéd dramatically in oil and seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and parsley flakes. Served with a slice of garlic bread, this dish is smoky, tasty, and good value for money.

Seafood Paella, $12 individual portion; $30 family size (pictured, 8 DAYS Pick!)

Philly Cheese Steak, $9

This is David’s personal fave, which he cooks using 120g of beef short rib slices, grilled capsicum and cheddar cheese sauce, stuffed into a brioche roll. You get your choice of sides. Our accompanying mash is sinfully buttery. We like the tender slices of beef though we wish the capsicum had stayed longer on the grill so it’s softer and sweeter. Even better if there were caramelised onions, just like the one we tucked into at a food truck in Philadelphia.

Tomahawk Steak, market price ($100 to $130 for 1.2kg to 1.5kg)

David reverse sears his Australian Angus Tomahawk in the broiler for 45 minutes, rests it for 30 minutes and finally sears it on a hotplate to caramelise. “We add thyme and garlic when we are searing it and baste it with butter every 10 minutes,” shares David. He seasons it with just salt and pepper to retain its beefy flavour. Every mouthful is drenched in herbed butter and is juicy while still offering a good bite.

Douse it liberally with mushroom sauce made using dried European forest mushrooms, or the more ordinary pepper sauce. It comes with garlic bread and your choice of two sides. The roasted pumpkin is good; the mac and cheese serviceable. Though some may baulk at paying a hundred bucks for a dish at a kopitiam, we think this sizeable hunk of meat – GST and service charge-free, unlike at a fancier steak restaurant – makes a decent value weekend treat for three to four people. Best to pre-order if you’re coming specially for this.

Bottom line

Elevated western fare that’s pricier than your usual hawker offerings. But at this level of quality and flavour, Fin-ery Kitchen offers quite a bargain — definitely worth a try. North-siders can look forward to upcoming exclusive dishes at the Serangoon stall: seafood in a bag with lobster and Belgian waffles with savoury or sweet toppings, such as buttermilk fried chicken and house-made ice cream.

The details

Fin-ery Kitchen is at #01-01 Rong Yuan Coffeeshop (pictured above), 475 Upp Serangoon Crescent, S530475. The second outlet is at #01-886 Nam Wah Coffeeshop, Blk 631 Bedok Reservoir Rd, Eunos Grove, S470631. Open daily 11am to 10.30pm. Bedok Reservoir branch closed on Mon. More info via Facebook & Instagram.

Photos: Kelvin Chia

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