Cai (財): Rumoured $5 hor fun with the richest wok hei in the West

My brother is my biggest partner-in-crime when it comes to food. Lately, he’d been urging me to visit Cai, a hor fun stall in Yuhua Village Food Centre that was recommended to him by his wing chun instructor.

He pestered me about it, not once, not twice, but four times within the past month. Curiosity finally got the better of me because I gave in to his persistent requests. I love hor fun, but what’s the big deal about this stall? (No offence, Shifu…)

A slight problem we faced was deciding when to make our trip. I’d visited Yuhua Village Food Centre a few times on days when Cai was supposed to be open, only to find it shut. This time, we were lucky to arrive when it was actually open for business.

I’d clearly underestimated the stall’s popularity and was surprised by the queue that greeted us upon arrival. It wasn’t the longest I’ve seen but did give me an idea of the quality of the food. 

Every item on the menu cost S$5, which in my opinion isn’t too bad given how expensive things are these days. My companion begged to differ; he thought it too pricey for a hawker meal.

 What I tried at Cai (財)

Without much deliberation, we selected the Beef Hor Fun (S$5) for our lunch. Who am I to deny my sibling one of his favourite dishes? 

Right off the bat, I was met with a strong waft of wok hei from the piping hot dish. The generous serving of beef slices was the first to catch my eye; they were layered on the surface of the thick gravy.

The velvetiness of the beef caught me by surprise, though in hindsight, I should’ve seen it coming. Incredibly soft, the meat tasted amazing, and I suspect the “cornstarch and egg white method” had been used to tenderise it. Thus began my liking for the dish; it was good to see that the slices weren’t overcooked and tough.

Now for the real deal – Cai’s hor fun noodles. They were soft but still springy, with a slight visible char that was reflected in their smokey taste. It was the kind of wok hei that would make you scream “HEY, this is quite nice eh!” to no one in particular. (mentally, of course – want me to lose my face in public is it?)

Thick gravy, translucent with egg drop slivers and leafy chye sim bits, was the component that tied the dish together. My guess was that Cai might not have used so much dark sauce in their hor fun recipe. In comparison to previous eateries I’ve visited in the area, the gravy wasn’t very dark-coloured, yet it arguably packed a lot more flavour. 

Cai’s menu consisted of two carbohydrate bases, hor fun and rice. Knowing that one dish wouldn’t be enough to feed us both, I also ordered the Supreme Pork Ribs Rice (S$5).

“A good ratio of meat to rice,” I thought to myself as I examined the second plate. The absence of any other secondary ingredients was underwhelming, not counting the poor limp leaves squashed from sight beneath the meat—a tragic sight indeed, for a vegetable lover like myself.

Despite this, I was still left impressed. Thick, chewy and juicy, the deep fried pork ribs contained no bones, making them very easy to eat. Each meaty slice left a taste of heaven in my mouth, and I gave myself a pat on the back for the excellent (well, “Supreme”) choice. 

There wasn’t much of the thin sweet and sour sauce, with only enough to coat half the serving of rice. Despite this, it was still a good complement to the fragrant and perfectly cooked jasmine white rice and the succulent pork ribs.  

Final Thoughts

Did I just find my favourite hawker stall? Cai’s hor fun might’ve been the best I’ve had in a while! It’s too bad that their opening hours, especially for evenings, are inconsistent; you don’t know when they might suddenly be closed for the day.

I must’ve underestimated the addictiveness of the Beef Hor Fun. While the portion itself would have usually been sufficient, there didn’t seem to be enough because it was so good! In fact, I almost regretted not buying a second plate just so that I could savour the deliciousness a little longer. Maybe I should return to Cai to try a different hor fun dish next time?

Shifu has good taste! Perhaps this is also my cue to squeeze more foodie recommendations out of the boy, too; he’s got some pretty solid tastebuds himself.

Expected damage: S$5 per pax

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