‘As Long As We Survive, That’s Enough,’ Says Boss Of One Of S’pore’s Cheapest Cai Png Stalls

“As long as we can survive, that’s enough for us” 

8days.sg caught up with the affable Mr Kok and Mdm Woo (they declined to share their full names) for a quick chat. Prior to setting up his own business, Mr Kok used to work with his mum at her now closed cai png stall at the hawker centre opposite Goldhill Family Restaurant.

“We rent [our shop] directly from HDB,” Mdm Woo reveals, adding that the rental price was reasonable. She declined to elaborate more as “it’s a sensitive topic”. Mr Kok chimed in: “A few years ago, three dishes with rice cost only $2 [at our stall]. Since then, we have not adjusted our prices excessively.” 

With prices kept this low, are they still able to make a profit? “Our profit margin isn’t big because we sell things cheap. But if we sell more [plates], then we can earn more. For now, we can still maintain [some profit],” Mdm Woo tells 8days.sg. 

Is business better or worse in this economy? “Same as before,” she replies simply. Mr Kok adds: “As long as we can survive, that’s enough for us.” 

Be prepared to queue most of the time

Although Goldhill is notorious for its snaking queues, we got lucky during our visit at 3pm on a Wednesday. The line was relatively short, and it only took us about ten minutes to order. However, after we finished our meal about 45 minutes later, the queue had swelled to 22 people. Clearly, waiting times vary, depending on your luck.

Who’s in line?

While queueing, we chatted with a few fellow customers. Joanne (who declined to share her full name and age) tells 8days.sg: “I actually stay in Jurong West, I just happened to pass by this area, so I dabao [food] back home for my family. I’ve been here three or four times, it’s cheap and nice, with a home-cooked taste”. 

“You cannot find cai png this cheap anywhere else”

How long does she normally queue for? “The last time I came, I queued less than ten minutes because it was around two to three plus. But the first time we visited, my husband queued for 45 minutes!” she laughs. Was it worth it? “Okay lah, if I pass by I’ll dabao but [I] won’t purposely come all the way.” Her go-to order? “I always order the chicken wing, it’s a must. Besides that, I also get the curry chicken, Sichuan cai (pickled mustard vegetables), and cabbage.” 

Another regular we spoke to (he preferred to remain anonymous) shared: “I’ve been a long-term customer, I grew up eating here. Look at my son, I’ve been bringing him here since young, now he’s nine. You cannot find cai png this cheap anywhere else.” He added: “For a family of five, if you buy five packets, it’s still cheaper than buying ingredients from [the] supermarket to cook.”

What’s on offer

When it was our turn to order, we were greeted with a two-tiered display of dishes. The bottom layer was mostly lined with braised meats, curries and stir-fried veggies while the upper tier showcased a range of fried items. At these prices, don’t expect an enormous selection. It’s mostly chicken cooked in a variety of ways, canned stuff like luncheon meat and sardines, eggs, and lots of stir-fried vegetables. However, we're told some of the dishes may rotate occasionally. 

On the day we visited, there were 11 dishes excluding fried foods: seven vegetables and four meats. Their fried selection included fried luncheon meat, fried wanton, and their popular chicken wings, which immediately caught our eye. In terms of seafood, canned sardines were the only option available when we popped by.

Easy to order set meals from $2 to $5

The beauty of this stall is how fuss-free and standardised everything is, as seen in the above menu. Essentially, there are 14 permutations of toppings you can order with rice, from one veg and one meat for $2, or three veg for the same price, all the way up to a 'splurge' plate of three meats and three veggies for a grand total of $5. There's something for almost every budget.

Mdm Woo tells us that the most popular plates here are the one meat, two veggies option for $2.50 and the two meats, one veg offering for $3.

Here’s what we tried:

1 Meat 1 Veg, $2

For this basic budget option, we went with curry chicken and celery stir-fried with firm cubes of tofu. We got about two modest pieces of tender chook packed with flavour, and drenched in a nicely thick curry. Meanwhile, the celery was cooked just right, and well-seasoned. We liked that the morsels of tofu added an extra boost of protein. Not the most filling plate, but yummy enough for two bucks.  

1 meat, 2 veg, $2.50

Alongside some braised chicken, we chose bean sprouts with tofu and stir-fried cabbage. Overall, the vegetable dishes at Goldhill were well executed: simple yet flavourful and comforting. The standout in this plate was the cabbage, cooked in a savoury gravy with strands of springy glass noodles. The braised chicken, sadly, was a little bland — skip. 

2 meat, 2 veg, $3.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Our favourite plate. For this baby, we picked long beans stir-fried with garlic and Sichuan cai, paired with deep-fried luncheon meat and a chicken wing. Is Goldhill’s famous fried chicken worth the hype? Yep. Think succulent meat swathed in a light, crispy batter that’s simply but expertly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a hint of spice. Also good: the Sichuan cai, with its savoury-sour punch and satisfying crunch. This option was filling enough for this 8days.sg writer and the sweet spot for most people on a budget, we imagine. However, if you’re absolutely famished, order the $5 plate instead (see below).

3 meat, 3 veg, $5 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Lastly, we tried this ‘deluxe’ $5 option. We went with long beans, cabbage, and stir-fried spinach, which we thoroughly enjoyed with its garlicky sauce. For meats, we picked curry chicken, a chicken wing, and braised pork belly (unfortunately hidden underneath the pile of cabbage in the above photo). The pork was soft, homely and tasty enough, if not as shiok as the fried chicken wings. A fried egg can also be substituted in place of a veg, if you prefer (Mr Kok sweetly gave us a complimentary egg for this story). We think this generously heaped, well-balanced dish will satisfy even big eaters. Fab value for $5.

The details

Goldhill Family Restaurant is at 6 Hougang Ave 3, #01-78, S530006. Open daily Mon to Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 8am-7pm & Sun 8am-2pm. 

Photos: Foo Hui Yann, Simone Chuah

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