Jia Le Chicken Hot Pot: Dumplings, pickled fish & 5 claypot-style dishes by native Chinese chef from Shandong
On 1 Oct 2024, when Old Airport Road Food Centre reopened after its 4-month renovation, Jia Le Chicken Hot Pot was one of the fresh faces to join the sea of over 160 food stalls.
For the past 20 years, 52-year-old Chen Yanjun has been working in Singapore, honing his skills as a native Chinese chef. He hails from Shandong, a province in Eastern China.
After months of planning, he decided to open his first hawker stall serving up Dumplings (S$6) and various types of claypot-style dishes including Tomato Beef Hot Pot (S$7/S$10/S$14) and Pork Rib Hot Pot (S$6/S$9/S$12).
Yanjun exclaimed, “To suit the palate of Singaporeans and appeal to a wider audience, I modified all my recipes.” Similar to a mala stall, customers are allowed to choose their spiciness level.
What I tried at Jia Le Chicken Hot Pot
I decided to cut back on eating too much meat and started with the Pickled Fish (S$7 for small). It contained 5 pieces of fried barramundi with a generous serving of Chinese napa cabbage, doused in a clear broth.
While scooping up the soup, I uncovered other elements that contributed to its character: local pickled mustard greens, pickled red chilli peppers and sour plum.
The broth reminded me of my grandmother’s Nyonya kiam chye ark (salted vegetable duck soup), but with a spicier twist.
It was tangy and instantly invigorated my senses. Within seconds, a gradual fiery heat crept onto my tongue. Since I had chosen the 小辣 (least spicy) option, it didn’t overwhelm my taste buds.
Prior to eating this, I’ve had similar sauerkraut fish dishes that utilised boiled slices of fish. However, deep-frying the fish in this dish enhanced both its fragrance and flavour. My only gripe was that the fish was slightly over-fried, leaving it a bit dry.
The pieces of cabbage were nicely braised and went perfectly with my bowl of Rice (S$0.70). However, don’t be silly like me and attempt to try the sour plum. It instantly made my face cringe (exposing all my wrinkles), just like when you bite into a lemon.
I then turned my attention to the Chicken Hot Pot (S$6 for small). Visually, it bore a striking resemblance to our local sesame oil chicken. It had 5 pieces of chicken, along with large cubes of onion, green capsicum, and celery, all smothered in a viscous brown gravy.
The gravy was aromatic and ‘gao’ with flavours as multilayered as the ruins of ancient Troy. With hints of Chinese wine, it was perfect for adding a ton of personality to my bowl of plain rice. A subtle tinge of spice also revealed itself after a few seconds.
The pieces of chicken were well-seasoned and braised to a tender finish, making them the perfect accompaniment with rice. The cubes of celery and onions also added crunchy textures, enhancing the overall experience.
Final thoughts
The next time you’re at Old Airport Road Food Centre and have no idea what to eat, don’t worry— you’re not alone! Jia Le Chicken Hot Pot is a great place to start for a heartwarming, satisfying meal that’s bursting with flavour. If it rains, even better!
Expected damage: S$5 – S$14.70 per pax
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