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Hong Seng Curry Rice

Hong Seng Curry Rice was founded in 1995 at Redhill Hawker Centre by the matriarch of the Lim family as a means to feed a household of 7. The humble stall has survived the generations by endeavoring to present the best quality of food to their loyal patrons. 3 generations of lasting operation is a testament to the quality of the fare served.

On Oct 2014, Lim Jia Han, fresh with a Degree in Banking and Finance, took over the helms of the stall and apprenticed under the watchful eye of his father and uncle as a 3rd generation hawkerpreneur.  Under the watchful eye of Master Chef Lim Gee Kiat, Jia Han honed his craft at the traditional stall for a full year before being granted full management of the business allowing Master Chef Lim to focus solely on quality control. This ensured that the quality is maintained as the recipes and cooking technique is passed down from one generation to another.

Under the helms of a Gen Y hawkerpreneur, Hong Seng Curry Rice recognises that the Gen Y population has growth for greater consumption of traditional hawker fare such as Hainanese curry rice and therefore course has been set to achieve this goal through the active rebranding of Hong Seng Curry Rice. Another stall right in the heart of town in District 9 is in the pipeline so check back often to find out more!

Strategically located at Redhill Hawker Centre, Hong Seng has long enjoyed the loyal support of patrons to the centrally located hawker centre and the good name of Hong Seng has generally been spread by the word of mouth. To achieve the goal of getting the attention of the younger generation, word of mouth alone is not enough and as such, an online presence is critical. An online presence also allows Hong Seng to provide more information to the greater public and launch online promotions in tandem with on-site discounts.

Jia Han’s addition to the business has been a thoroughly modern input. He’s taken a leaf out of Ford Motor Company and has done a Henry Ford on Hong Seng Curry Rice. All tasks are streamlined so it is easy for someone to step in when another worker is away. Automation has also been introduced to cut down on manual labour. However, the sourcing of ingredients is one aspect where no short cuts can be entertained to ensure that the freshest ingredients are delivered daily to ensure the food is always of the highest quality. All these improvements are achieved through the gradual acquisition of machinery and the most recent and investment heavy acquisition of a cargo van.

[/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]It has not been a completely smooth road, as Jia Han’s parents discouraged him from working in the stall as they did not want him to live the strenuous life that they lived. But once Jia Han sat them down and pitched his strategy to them which consisted of using machines to cut down on laborious work and the provision of catering and delivery options for the food, they quickly came round to the idea.

Passion for the industry and having a goal in sight motivates Jia Han to wake up each day before the sun rises to whip up 22 dishes before the stall opens at 10 a.m. His team of assistants arrives just before 10 a.m. to help open the stall and to ready themselves to face the lunch crowd. Having travelled extensively during his schooling days, Jia Han has experienced exemplary service standards that he wishes to emulate at his stall and therefore each staff has been given pointers on customer management to bring up the service standards of Hong Seng Curry Rice therefore leaving a pleasant taste not only on the tastebuds but on the minds of his customers as well.

The unadulterated Hainanese curry gravy is thick and full of spices prepared from scratch and spread over chicken, fish and squid. As a unique twist, pig trotters are used instead of the more common pork belly for a tender dish that features meat that falls off the bone.

If you’re looking for a homely dish of curry rice for lunch or dinner, head on over to Redhill Hawker Centre to fill your belly with an affordable yet delicious meal of Hong Seng Curry Rice.

Hong Seng Curry Rice has received positive affirmative from prominent food bloggers such as Dr Leslie Tay, Daniel Ang and Catherine Ling; KF Seetoh, CEO of Makansutra; as well as news outlets Channel News Asia, The New Paper, Shin Min Daily News and Yahoo News Singapore.
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Hainanese Curry Rice

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Hainanese Curry Rice in Singapore

Hainanese curry rice is a uniquely Singaporean cuisine characterised by a combination of Curry Chicken, Porkchop, Chap Chye (Braise Cabbage) and Kong Bak (Braise Pork).

The origin of Hainanese Curry Rice itself is a melting pot of multi-racial, multi-ethnic fusion. The British and Peranakans engaged the talented Hainanese chefs known for their culinary prowess to prepare Pork Chop borrowed from the British and Curry Chicken, Chap Chye and Braise Pork from the Peranakans.

The selection of these four key dishes, together with the skilful cooking techniques of the Hainanese created a plate of flavorsome dish that has delighted the taste buds of Singaporeans for generations and for generations to come.

The four classic dishes accompanied by a generous serving of thickened curry gravy sets the Hainanese Curry Rice apart from economic rice stalls which are a dime a dozen.

It has been said that the origin of the dish stems back to the end of the second world war between the Japanese occupation of Singapore and the city’s return to British colonial rule. The British colonials and the wealthy Chinese Peranakans living in Singapore after the war engaged the services of talented chefs from the Chinese province of Hainan. These chefs are well known for their culinary expertise and their lighter and more delicate cooking styles. Borrowing from these three cultures and cuisines, Hainanese curry rice was born.

What is Hainanese curry rice?

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Simply explained, Hainanese curry rice is generally four classic dishes with many variations which include seafood and tofu accompanied with a generous serving of comforting and thick curry gravy. However, the Hainanese curry rice is far from a simple dish. It is actually a complex unification of cultures and cuisine, held together by a secret signature curry recipe.

Each Hainanese curry rice stall has its own protected curry recipe. Often, the curry sauce recipe has been handed down over generations and the curry sauce can take several days to prepare. Some Hainanese curry rice stall holders use different curry gravies for different dishes while others, like Hong Seng Curry Rice, uses just one very closely guarded curry sauce recipe for all of their dishes.
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Authentic Hainanese Curry Rice Dishes

The four key dishes for an authentic Hainanese Curry Rice include:

Crispy fried pork cutlet

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The inclusion of pork cutlet is a British influence. The cutlet is crumbed, fried till golden brown then sliced into portions and served. The cutlet should be crispy and crunchy. In former times, crushed crackers were used to crumb the cutlets.

Curry chicken

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When the Chinese migrated to Malaysia and Singapore in the 15th and 16th century, the meeting of cultures gave birth to a new one, known as Nyonya or Peranakan. Nyonya cuisine is abundantly popular in Singapore for its fusion flavours and the Nyonya style chicken curry sauce served as part of a Hainanese curry rice plate should be slightly rich and aromatic.

Chap Chye (braised cabbage)

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This is another dish originating from Nyonya and Peranakan cuisine. The braised Chinese cabbage is served as a vegetable side dish to add sweetness and contrast to the saucy curries.

Babi Ponteh (braised pork)

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Pig trotters is traditionally a Hokkien dish. However, the pig trotters served at Hong Seng is a fusion of Peranakan and Hokkien flavour as the 2nd generation chef of Hong Seng was handed the recipe from a retiring Hokkien chef. The recipe handed down by the Hokkien chef was adapted with the original Peranakan recipe to create the current dish of pig trotter served at Hong Seng to this day.

Please request at the stall to taste this flavourful fusion of Peranakan and Hokkien dish with a robust and satisfactory herbal aroma as this dish is not displayed and is by request only. This is also an ideal substitute for those who prefer not to have anything spicy.

The selection of these four key dishes, combined with the skilful cooking technique of the Hainanese chefs, created a flavoursome combination that has delighted the tastebuds of Singaporeans for generations and will continue to delight for generations to come.

To enjoy an authentic Hainanese curry rice in Singapore, head down to Hong Seng Curry Rice at 85 Redhill Lane #01-74, Singapore 150085 from 10am to 11pm. Closed Thursdays. Follow us on Facebook.com/hongsengcurryrice.[/wpsm_column]