Tasty $2.80 Century Egg Pork Porridge, $1.20 Bee Hoon & Free Drink Draw Crowds At Cosy AMK Eatery - 8days Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Tasty $2.80 Century Egg Pork Porridge, $1.20 Bee Hoon & Free Drink Draw Crowds At Cosy AMK Eatery

This is not a limited-time promo. A philanthropic couple opened Li Jie De Dian to “give back to the community”. On top of serving affordable food, they also offer a free hot drink to all dine-in customers and free chwee kueh to seniors every Wednesday.
1_li_jie_de_dian

It’s a challenging time for F&B businesses. With inflation and the recent GST hike, many have had to raise prices or cut portions to compensate for rising costs. 

But not nine-month-old Ang Mo Kio eatery 李姐的店 Li Jie De Dian (translated as “Sis Li’s shop”). Located in a shophouse at the bottom of an HDB block at Avenue 10, the standalone eatery has not only been gaining attention online for its tasty, affordable fare, but also its generosity. 

李姐的店 at AMK really have heart. $2.80 minced pork porridge and free kopi… [Food is at] hawker price. Please support these amazing folks (sic),” wrote one netizen. Porridge plus free drink at $2.80? We had to check out this deal.

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.

Looks like a trendy cafe

Li Jie De Dian, which sits around 50 pax, looks like your typical millennial cafe with its pretty turquoise theme and terrazzo-print tables. There’s no air-conditioning, but there are enough ceiling fans to keep the area cool and well-ventilated. 

The self-service joint offers a variety of food such as herbal chicken soup, lu rou fan, as well as hawker favourites like laksa. Some value-for-money offerings include a plate of basic economic bee hoon (no toppings) at $1.20, $21.80 for Sichuan grilled fish (whole), and, of course, $2.80 minced pork with century porridge, which we ordered to try (more on that later).

Free hot drink for all dine-in customers

And if you dine in, you can enjoy a complimentary hot drink of your choice with every main course order. Yes, even if you are just getting a plate of kosong fried bee hoon. 

There are six beverages to choose from: Chinese tea, Milo, teh, teh si, kopi, and kopi O. Thinking that their coffee is the typical Nanyang-style kopi, which we’re not fans of, we opted for Chinese tea. Only to find out later that they serve premium “Arabica coffee from Korea” albeit the instant variety, just ’cos the lady boss enjoys it. It’s listed on the menu for $1 if you plan to buy a second cup.
You can get a free hot beverage even if you just order their no-frills fried bee hoon. Photo: LP Pua

Food court founders started Li Jie De Dian “not to make big profits” 

The eponymous joint is helmed by Fujian-born Li Xuee aka Li Jie. The 51-year-old, now a Singapore citizen, and her Singaporean husband John Ong, 62, are the founders of JJ Food Express which runs more than 30 food court stalls offering a variety of cuisines and brands like Wu Ming Hainanese Chicken Rice. They have been in F&B for 15 years.

The generous couple started Li Jie De Dian in April 2023 as they wanted to try a new concept and “give back to society” by offering affordable food to the residents. They set up shop in the thick of the heartlands, so more residents can benefit.

“We keep prices very affordable as there are a lot of elderly folks living in this part of Ang Mo Kio. We also offer free hot beverages, so customers don’t have to spend extra on drinks when they dine in,” Li Jie tells 8days.sg

“This shop is not about making big profits. As long as we can cover our expenses and operations, it is good enough.” She runs the shop with six other staff.

Li Jie’s rationale is simple. As she and her hubby regularly donate to philanthropic causes, instead of donating money elsewhere, “why not use that money to contribute to the community here” in the form of free meals and lower prices.

Photo: Seng Chye Lee

Free chwee kueh for seniors on Wednesdays

In addition to complimentary beverages, Li Ji De Dian also gives out free chwee kueh to seniors every Wednesday morning. Only 200 pieces are available, which is equivalent to 50 portions, while stocks last. A four-piece plate of chwee kueh, which is sourced from a supplier, is priced at $2.50 at the store. 

You don’t have to present your IC to prove that you are a senior, as long as you request for the chwee kueh, the staff will give it to you – no questions asked.

If you have all these terms and conditions, it’s like you lack compassion or are skeptical of customers. Some of these old folks might get angry,” explains Li Jie. 

Word has spread about the towkay’s generosity and queues for their chwee kueh start forming before they open their doors at 7.30am each week.

“We usually finish giving out the chwee kueh within an hour. But sometimes when we see old folks queueing for so long, we will make exceptions and give out extra,” shares Li Jie. “Customers have specially come over to thank us for the free drinks and food and tell us they enjoy it. They say nowadays businesses are all about earning profits and few do this anymore.”

Their kindness has also touched other diners, who have sponsored chwee kueh to be given out to the elderly.

Minced Pork With Century Egg Porridge, $2.80

The porridge is part of the breakfast menu which is available from 7.30am daily until sold out. Thick and flavoursome, its consistency is closer to that of velvety Cantonese-style jook. The porridge, cooked with broth made by simmering old hen, came with a good amount of well-seasoned minced pork and diced century egg, topped with fried shallots and spring onions. The portion might not be huge, but it’s good enough for breakfast or a light lunch.

Laksa, $4

We also enjoyed the laksa, which is lemak and savoury. Cooked with housemade rempah, the rich gravy is delish when eaten with their hae bee-spiked sambal. Give the gravy a good stir to agitate the umami dried shrimp bits at the bottom.    

A basic bowl ($4) comes with fixings like springy thick bee hoon, two pieces of tau pok, fish cake slices, half a hard-boiled egg and crunchy bean sprouts. If you want fresh blood cockles, top up $1, which gets you four plump 20-cent size pieces, or order the larger Signature Laksa ($6) which comes with hum and a large prawn.

Li Jie De Dian is at 01-1673, 447 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, S560447. Open daily, 7.30am to 9.30pm. More info via Facebook and Instagram.

Photos: 8days.sg, Li Jie De Dian

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Shopping

Want More? Check These Out

Watch

You May Also Like