Keng Eng Kee: Skip the Chili Crab
Keng Eng Kee was featured both in the travel vlogs of Marion Grasby and Erwan Heussaff so I made it a point to add it to my food itinerary in my last visit to Singapore.
Keng Eng Kee’s interiors reflect that of a traditional hawker center; but fortunately, unlike normal hawker centers, it does accept table reservations! We opted to dine there for dinner to escape the Singapore heat.
COFFEE PORK RIBS (SGD19.8)
The Coffee Pork Ribs were served within 5 minutes upon placing our orders; so I thought it was just an old batch that they served on a plate – but boy, was I pleasantly wrong! Piping-hot and insanely crunchy, the coffee pork ribs were definitely the best I’ve ever had! These were so addictive! Definitely, the best way to kick-start your meal.
SIGNATURE MOONLIGHT HORFUN (SGD10.8)
The Signature Moonlight Horfun was a beauty to behold – I’ve eaten quite a number of hofan noodles in my lifetime but it’s the first time I ate it with a raw egg on top. This was wonderfully smoky and came with quality ingredients – crunchy vegetables and tasty Chinese sausages – but disregarding the egg-factor, you’ll easily get a comparable one in your favorite hawker center - so this is a good but not a must-try addition.
SIGNATURE CHILLI CRAB (MARKET PRICE)
It was so hard to choose which sauce to order for our crab as the vlogs highlighted Black Pepper and Salted Egg as stand-outs, but since it was our first time in Keng Eng Kee, it felt like we had to go with the classic Chili Crab. Unfortunately, it was far from the best we had. The sauce was quite underwhelming; but the quality of the crab itself made up for it. It was insanely fresh that you can really taste the natural sweetness of the meat. Definitely would be going for Black Pepper or Salted Egg next time.
STEAMED BUN (SGD 2.1/pc)
We ordered the Steamed Bun to help wipe clean the Chili Crab sauce – personally, I still prefer to use Mantou Buns – but these Steamed Buns (reminiscent of what’s use in siopao) were wonderfully fluffy and warm (and generally healthier than its deep-fried alternative).
SALTED EGG PRAWNS (SGD 27.8)
Next visit, I’m definitely opting to have the Salted Egg Crab variant - salted egg sauce can be a hit and miss, but Keng Eng Kee does it perfectly – just the right amount of richness with a kick of heat. You's definitely won’t tire of scooping out this delectable sauce! The Salted Egg Prawns may not look picture-worthy, but boy the crunch you get from its insanely plump shrimps is unbeatable!
CHINESE SPINACH WITH EGGS OF 3 KINDS (SGD16.8)
The Chinese Spinach with Eggs of Three Kinds is a delightfully lighter dish that acts as a nice contrast to the incredibly rich and immensely flavorful dishes we had. This vegetable dish has more subtle flavors; but rest assured, this is equally delicious! The crunchy spinach comes served with egg white, slices of century egg and topped with salted egg crumble. This is delightful atop a bowl of plain rice!
Keng Eng Kee
124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-136, Singapore, 150124
Date of Visit: June 17, 2023 with Lily Chua, Peter Soh and Guat Hua Soh
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