Is the $5 orh luak from this hawker stall that small to warrant complaints online?
On 19 Sep 2024, I came across a post on Stomp about a S$5 plate of orh luak (oyster omelette) from the 50-year-old Huat Heng Fried Oyster that wasn’t enough for a particular customer.
Facebook user Freddy Ho, had posted a picture of his S$5 plate with a lighter for size comparison, highlighting the lesser-than-usual portion on Complaint Singapore. The stall hasn’t increased its prices in 5 years.
He commented that he strongly understands F&B and personally thought that it was too much. His post garnered a total of 68 comments and 13 shares (at the time of writing).
Netizens were divided, with some commenting that it looked pathetic and resembled leftovers, while others said that the stall needs to survive from rising electricity bills and rent.
As usual, my curious side urged me to check it out for myself. With that, I headed down to Blk 90 of Whampoa Makan Place on a Saturday afternoon to search for the hao jian stall.
From the online posts, the person doing the cooking appears to be a lady with a ponytail, who is actually the daughter-in-law of the owner. When I arrived there, I spotted the owner (an elderly uncle) behind the wok instead. A lady who resembled the one in the article was the one taking orders at the front. Maybe the owner drops by only on weekends?
As I stood waiting for my order, many passers-by stopped to say hi to the friendly uncle, who took his time to expertly fry the oyster omelette with finesse, cooking it to a perfect golden-brown.
When I received my S$5 order, the portion looked slightly fuller than the one posted online. However, I have to agree that it seemed smaller than usual. Just look at my tiny hand next to it— if it were a regular guy’s hand, the size difference would be even more obvious.
According to what the daughter-in-law had told Shin Min Daily News on the Stomp article, the S$5 portion contains 3 oysters; my plate contained 5. Either the owner is more generous (usually the case for the older generation) or he had mistakenly given me more.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of Huat Heng Fried Oyster before. I was also unaware that it has been featured in the Michelin Guide Singapore. Looks like I’ve got to visit Whampoa more often!
Now let’s talk about the taste of the orh luak. The egg to flour ratio was well balanced. Though a tad oily, it was crispy and delicious and the oysters were fresh enough for me. Even the chilli dip was well balanced.
That being said, I came with an empty stomach and still craved more food after devouring it. Would this be enough for a senior citizen, though? I don’t think so.
To be fair, I’ve always regarded oyster omelette as a side dish, not a main meal. So If I had ordered a bowl of noodles to supplement the orh luak, I would been fine.
So to conclude, the portion here is definitely lesser than usual. For me, the taste is good enough to return to try out their bigger portions— but only if the owner is the one cooking.
Regulars of Huat Heng Fried Oyster, has the portion size dropped over the years? Do you think it’s really not worth it for S$5? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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