Braised Pork Rice, also known as Lu Rou Fan 滷肉飯, is a popular Taiwanese dish that is known for its simplicity and affordability. Braised pork belly, egg, rice and braised sauce. Whenever I would go on a Taiwan trip, I would need to eat at least a bowl of Lu Rou fan to satisfy my cravings.
I was at Chinatown Complex hawker center looking for lunch after my workout session and I came across this interesting stall named 非同小可 (Fei Tong Xiao Ke) Really Something selling Taiwanese dishes like Lu Rou fan, Taiwan Fried Chicken etc.
The stall owner, Mr Li, operates the stall solely and is also a true blue Taiwanese who grew up in Chiayi, a county in the Southern part of Taiwan. Before being a hawker, Mr Li used to work in the restaurant industry, working almost 12 almost per day. Wanting more time and flexibility, he decided to start his hawker stall.
Mr Li's hometown Chiayi the foods are generally on the sweeter side, so his dishes have been tweaked to suit Singaporean's tastebuds based on customer feedback.
What I ordered
Braised Pork Rice, Lu Rou Fan 滷肉飯 (SGD 4.5)
Simple presentation: Rice, braised meat and egg.
Many lu rou fan stalls outside tend to braise the meat until very salty. However, The meat here is not only well braised but the saltiness is done right on point. The pork belly was used for the meat and was chopped to bite sizes, giving the texture of a firm and tender bite with fats.
The braised sauce is slightly thick but complements well the mild sweetness of the pearl rice. The rice also helps to absorb the sauces and fatty meats, making the dish less greasy and more palatable. The braised egg was pretty normal
Thoughts
I would say Mr Li has done a great job tweaking his lu rou fan to suit Singaporean tastebud. It's a well-balanced and great lu rou fan, that was done right on the flavours where as per the Chinese saying "点到为止" (Stop where it should stop). Although the meat was tender and nice to bite, I would prefer my meat to be the melt-in-your-mouth version.
Portion wise would be an ideal fit for a lady however big eaters like me would need two 2 bowls for it. Nevertheless, I would revisit this stall again to try other dishes!
Rating: 4 out of 5 forks
Location:
Do check out their Facebook Page for updates and operating hours!
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