Chinatown Sun Seng Gourmet’s Corner: Cantonese zi char stall with 80 years of history, open only 4 days a week
Zi char has always been one of my go-to comfort foods. Apart from getting a variety of dishes to choose from, some of my fondest childhood memories were always in a good zi char stall. Sitting at those big round tables with my family and stuffing my face full; before running off and burning it all away at whatever playground was nearby.
So when my colleague Aaron recommended Chinatown Sun Seng Gourmet’s Corner for its long-rooted history – we’re talking since the 1940s – I knew I had to make this my next place to visit. Located in the Green Zone of Chinatown Complex, this stall is a pretty far walk in the hawker centre, so just keep your eyes peeled because I nearly missed it my first time in.
What I tried at Chinatown Sun Seng Gourmet’s Corner
I guess I was so used to eating only a handful of basic zi char dishes growing up that I was scratching my head, figuring out what to eat when looking at the menu.
I started off with the Beef Hor Fun (S$6++). This wasn’t the gravy kind; it was more of the dried stir-fried kind. While on first impressions, it didn’t strike me as the most appetising of hor fun dishes, the minute I took my first bite, I regretted making that snap judgment.
It was incredibly flavourful, with an insane amount of wok hei. The beef slices were also nice and chewy – cooked to perfection. Needless to say, this staple dish had me licking my plate clean because it was just that good!
Next, I decided to try something I’d never had before: their Bean Sauce Fried Fish Head (S$15++).
While an intriguing cut, the fish head has always intimidated me because, well, you’re essentially eating a head. However, I’ve always been a fan of anything with black bean sauce, so I figured, what the heck?
The fish head was incredibly soft and buttery, and the sauce coated every piece well. Once again, the sauce delivered an incredible amount of wok hei on top of the sweet-salty balanced flavour profile. The fish itself didn’t possess a strong fishy taste, which I also appreciated.
However, be wary of the amount of bones in this dish. Almost every piece I ate had a couple of bones in it, which is pretty common in fish heads. Just don’t give this to your little ones, given that an adult such as myself nearly swallowed a couple of bones.
The dish also contained copious amounts of bitter gourd, which I was dreading. Growing up, I detested bitter gourd with a passion. I mean, it has the word ‘bitter’ in it— clearly, that can’t taste good despite the number of health benefits my elders would tell me it has.
My original plan was to eat the proteins and ditch the greens. However, that wouldn’t be a fair review, so I hesitantly decided to take a bite out of one bitter gourd at the very least. It was safe to say that that was the first time I actually enjoyed bitter gourd in a dish.
I’m not sure if it’s the way it was prepared or the fact that it was well coated in the black bean sauce, but while the bitter flavour profile was still there, it was a milder version instead of the overpowering bitter taste I’m used to detecting in bitter gourds. Surprisingly, I could digest a couple of pieces before calling it a day.
Final thoughts
This zi char hidden gem has been around for decades, but I’m ashamed to admit that it only recently showed up on my radar. Needless to say, I’m willing to take the trip out and visit again just to try more of their dishes – and to get more of that Beef Hor Fun definitely. Just take note that they’re only open 4 days a week, so plan your visits accordingly.
Expected damage: S$6 – S$20 per pax
The post Chinatown Sun Seng Gourmet’s Corner: Cantonese zi char stall with 80 years of history, open only 4 days a week appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
