Tasty, Homely Chicken Rice With Ramen Egg By Culinary Grad Turned Hawker
Ah Keat Chicken Rice is opened by a young Culinary Institute of America grad who apprenticed under a chicken rice hawker with over 30 years of experience.
As a young chef fresh out of culinary school, Lim Wei Keat is on a different path from his peers. “For most of my classmates, the common goal is to become an executive chef in a restaurant. My goal is to start my own business. As a hawker, the start-up capital is lower. I thought, if Covid is gonna be [prevalent for] another three to five years, plus two years of National Service, that’s seven years out of my prime [years]. Why don’t I start from something small first, like a hawker stall?” says the 27-year-old.
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America’s Singapore campus in 2020, Wei Keat spent a year working as chef de partie (a line cook) at Panamericana, a chic grill restaurant in Sentosa Golf Club before enrolling in the National Environment Agency’s Hawkers’ Development Programme. He opened Ah Keat Chicken Rice at Bukit Merah Central Food Centre in early January.
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Off to a good start
As part of the hawker initiative, Wei Keat apprenticed at Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice located at Shunfu Mart Food Centre. He credits his mentor, Neo Cheng Leong, 62, for being a selfless teacher. The veteran hawker has been selling chicken rice for over thirty years. “I asked him why he was so willing to teach me… he didn’t hold back on any ‘secret recipe’. He told me since his sons didn’t want to take over [the stall], he’s willing to let go and share his knowledge.”
For example, Wei Keat is using the same Malaysian chicken supplier as Mr Neo, and employs a similar selection process. Each bird is carefully chosen to weigh around 1.8kg, so the meat is plump and supple. “It was eye-opening learning [how to pick chickens] from my mentor. He can tell the texture of the meat based on the shape of the bird alone,” he says.
It also helps that he has friends in the hawker game. Duke of Congee owner Tien Jia Chen (unfortunately, the stall closed last December — they declined to share why when we approached them) and Jofa Mee Pok owner Joel Tan are fellow CIA graduates. “It’s easier to talk to people my age like JC [what he calls Jia Chen] and Joel. Some of the older hawkers may not want to share their secrets. I can talk to JC about suppliers and he’d be willing to share his costings with me.”
Chicken rice calling
Despite his formal training in Western cuisine and few months of experience working as a commis chef at Les Amis before embarking on his diploma, Wei Keat picked an iconic local dish when he decided to open his stall. His reasoning is pretty straightforward. “Not many people are cooking heritage food [now]. I really love chicken rice. I opened the stall with a vision to preserve our local heritage and for it to continue to appeal to all ages,” he says.
His culinary education came in handy while he was mastering the recipe. “It was easier to learn. There are certain techniques that are similar, like poaching and cooking meat using a low and slow method, which is similar to sous vide. My mentor allowed me to start cooking the chickens on my third day of training.”
Family is helping out
Service at the stall is warm and friendly, thanks to Wei Keat’s camera-shy mum and younger brother, Wei Kang, 19 (right in pic). “My mum is assisting me full-time. My brother just started helping out occasionally as he’s on school holidays now,” he says. “We’re a family-run stall. I’m slowly teaching them how to cook the chicken.”
A (slightly) modern look
The hawker stall has a millennial vibe – the minimalist signboard features an adorable illustrated chicken logo bearing his Chinese name. “I wanted our stall front and logo to have a fresher look. The design is done by a friend who’s a self-taught designer. I like the friendly style. I hope our branding stands out [in the large Bukit Merah Central Food Centre].”
Chicken Rice, $4 (8 DAYS Pick!)
The chunky white chook is poached just right, maintaining its tender and juicy texture and our order of thigh meat comes with a delicious layer of gelatin under the skin. Meanwhile, the rice is fragrant, chewy and not too oily or salty. If you judge the success of chicken rice by its dip, you’d be pleased with the sharp, zingy house-made chilli-ginger sauce offered here.
Add-ons: Ramen Egg, $1; Organs, $1; Vegetables, $2
Instead of the typical braised egg, the stall offers “ramen egg” (soft-boiled egg with a jammy yolk) as Wei Keat is not a fan of the former’s “rubbery yolk”. We’re a fan of the swap, but found the egg too salty and the yolk slightly overcooked. The offal – a mix of liver and gizzard – was decent and clean-tasting.
Signature Porridge, $6
We think the porridge could do with a bit more piquancy – there was a lovely ginger fragrance but we would’ve enjoyed more depth of flavour. Besides chicken, you’ll get a side of tender braised peanuts and soft-boiled egg. Fried shallot and spring onion complete the comforting bowl.
Bottom line
A wholesome plate of chicken rice with a slightly messy but home-cooked feel that we enjoy. The main elements are well-executed – tender meat, fragrant rice and a punchy chilli dip. We hope the consistency of the “ramen egg” improves with more practice. Prices are slightly higher than at other hawker stalls (most plates start from $3 - $3.50), but it’s still worth a try to support the young, earnest hawker.
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