Lao San Kway Chap

For all the times I've eaten at Uncle Leong (back when it was still at Ang Mo Kio), or Mellben, I never thought to hit up "the other coffeeshop" in the estate, a sad-looking eating house devoid of customers that's on the furthest end of Mellben, and directly opposite where Uncle Leong used to stand.

Apparently, there's a worthwhile kway chap stall in said coffeeshop, one that attracts out-of-towners, and not just the immediate heartland.  

For the uninitiated, kway chap is more than braised pig innards, which many are, naturally, averse to. I wouldn't consider myself a fan of innards either, but I love kway chap, because, it is possible to enjoy kway chap even if I balk at the idea of innards. I love the thick flat rice noodles, the delicate braising sauce-based broth, and assortment of braises like beancurd, eggs, and pork belly, all of which are perfectly "normal" and "regular" things to eat. In fact, if you stick to just picking the beancurd and eggs, you could have a vegetarian-friendly meal.

Lao San Kway Chap is one of the best, if not The Best, kway chups I've ever had, rustic and hearty but balanced, and not too heavy on the herbal elements so I don't end up with that "heaty headache" (it's a Chinese TCM concept: where foods are accorded "heaty" or "cooling" attributes). We love Lao San so much we takeout from them every fortnight or so (it travels well if u request that the rice noodles are separated from the soup)

We've massive appetites, so we typically order a 3-person portion ($14). We adore the chilli sauce, the piquancy of which was a delightful contrast to the dark soy overtones of the dish.

We had the beancurd puff (tau pok), firm beancurd (tau kwa), soy-marinated hard-boiled egg, meltingly tender pork belly, and large intestines, all braised to perfection, and the innards were of particular note. They were squeaky clean, scoured of all pungency and wonderfully chewy. Absolutely fantastic stuff.

The kway teow wasn't the most refined, but it was smooth and slippery, a textural slamdunk.


Lao San Kway Chap
#01-1222 Kebun Baru Palm View
232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 (if you're driving, access through Ave 1 instead of taking a detour through Ave 3)
Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 6am to 3pm;
Closed on Mondays

Comments

lazypigcess said…
closed on every Thursday , open about 8am

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