King of Cheong Fun: Silky CCF loaded with prawn, char siew & mushrooms with house-made sauce
Despite its popularity as a local breakfast staple, I’ve never been a big fan of chee cheong fun. Those slick, flat rice sheets have a hard time keeping up with my gluttonous appetite and I find myself needing more food after every CCF meal. Against all instinct, I embarked on a protracted cross-country journey to the East yet again. This time, it was to see if my notion would hold true against King of Cheong Fun, a recently opened stall at Bedok.
The coffeeshop is a few steps from Bedok 85 Market, so navigating was thankfully straightforward for this poor West-sider. As if I wasn’t feeling like a fish out of water enough, the skies opened as we were in the middle of our meal, unleashing a torrent of deafening gloom.
The stall is managed by a couple who have gone to great lengths to replicate Guangzhou-style cheong fun — everything from the equipment used to their recipe is authentic.
What I tried at King of Cheong Fun
There were a total of 7 filling options on the menu but the lady informed us that the Signature Family Combo Cheong Fun (S$8.50) came with all of them. We later found out that you tiao was not included.
Each piece of the family combo cheong fun was checkered with inky mushroom slices peeking through glossy white skin. The fillings gave each piece some bulk, some threatening to spill from the openings on each side. As the sauce had settled a fair bit by the time we got to work, some parts had been tinted a light brown.
I was left with a smooth savoury impression by the house-made sauce, having been largely accustomed to sweeter and thicker renditions. The velvety smooth skin of the cheong fun served as an unrivalled wrapping to the soft innards that offered a pleasantly gentle mouthfeel.
It was just unfortunate that the textures melded together so well that it became difficult to distinguish between the ingredients.
Inelegantly deconstructing one cheong fun, we made out prawns, char siew and eggs along with greens and mushroom within the silky layers. The prawn were notably fresh while the char siew possessed lighter sweet notes. I would say the enjoyment is derived not from any one element in particular but every filling as a whole.
King of Cheong Fun provides both chilli sauce and a rather fiery sambal to go with your cheong fun. While the sauce works just fine, I can imagine spice lovers would rather have the deep kicks of the latter to elevate the cheong fun’s mellower flavours.
We decided to have Plain Cheong Fun (S$3.40) to compare with its brimming counterpart. Unfortunately, against such bountiful competition, it paled completely. There’s little reason to opt for these empty vessels (save for the sauce) when an extra S$1.50 or S$2 can net you something more toothsome. If you just want to dip your toes in their rendition of cheong fun, it’s still a good starter.
King of Cheong Fun offers a number of dim sum options as well. The Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean sauce (S$3.40) were served in a small steaming basket.
The meat was tough, which made landing a good bite difficult with sauce slicked across its surface. When I eventually got around to chunking it, the well-seasoned meat returned a pleasant brine. With a few insistent dips, a stronger savoury hit and a subtle prickly element presented itself. Thankfully, the meat was a touch softer on the inside.
Of the dim sum selection we had, the Har Gow (S$3.80 for 3pcs) were the most enjoyable. Their skin was perfectly chewy and taut with a little stretch while the shrimp within added a gentle sweet meatiness.
The Siew Mai (S$3.50 for 4pcs) were very light on the palate. There was none of the delightful scent that follows when you take the first bite. A touch too dry and scant in flavour outside of the slightly savoury meat.
Final thoughts
I would recommend avoiding the Family Combo and picking specific cheong fun fillings if you want better bang for your buck as we were still hungry after finishing everything. We never got to try the Golden Carrot Cake (S$3.40 for 3pcs), purportedly made in-house, as they had run out. An interesting pick on a future visit would be the Steamed Bee Hoon (S$5).
Overall, the bold name inspires some confidence but as a non-CCF aficionado, I wasn’t all that swayed by the offerings. If you’re a die-hard CCF lover, they’re definitely worth trying.
Expected damage: S$3 – S$14 per pax
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