Li Ji Cooked Food: Super cheap traditional Cantonese homestyle dishes with long history in Chinatown
This is definitely not your usual chap chye (mixed vegetable rice) fare. Li Ji Cooked Food is one of the best stalls in Chinatown serving up traditional Cantonese-style dishes at super cheap prices.
Some fans have noted that it’s a rare sight of homestyle cooked items in modernised Singapore.
Chinatown is home to countless famous hawker stalls. Li Ji Cooked Food is one spot that I have overlooked on too many occasions. There is always a long queue at their storefront even before the business opens. Their clientele consists mainly of old folks who crave a serving of homestyle cooked food.
The business is operated by a number of women who work closely to dish out orders at rapid speed. They often sell out in 3 hours which leaves late customers to purchase from more pricey stalls in the market.
What I tried at Li Ji Cooked Food
The most popular dish was the Fish Stomach. Almost every customer ahead of me ordered at least 1 portion of this item. However, I was informed that it contained many bones. As someone who has trouble deboning fish, I gave it a miss.
Most of the dishes were unknown to me, so I relied on the recommendations from my dad. The first item that I tried was the Spicy Fermented Shrimp Paste Sliced Pork (S$1.20).
Upon the first bite, the saltiness from the pork slices shocked my palate. There was a mild spiciness but I did not expect such a strong salty flavour at all! The fermented shrimp did taste similar to har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken wings). However, I preferred the deep fried chicken wings to this saucy version.
The gravy found in this dish was too starchy for my liking. I also felt that there was nothing much to shout about from the thin pork slices used. They were tender but not mind-blowingly succulent.
The second pork item that I tried was the Sliced Pork with Sweet Preserved Vegetables (S$1.20). The addition of preserved vegetables adequately seasoned the meat with salt. There was also a subtle sweetness and I liked the soft vegetables incorporated into the meat dish.
This pork rendition was significantly less salty than the first item I tried. However, the same pork slices were used here. This meant that it was another meat dish that I did not particularly enjoy.
Another item that was a popular choice among customers was the Bittergourd (S$0.80 per slice). Similar to the renditions found in yong tau foo stalls, the bitter vegetable was stuffed with fish paste before it was deep fried.
Unfortunately, I was not content with this item, either. The vegetable was one of the most bitter that I had ever eaten. The fish paste was also not seasoned enough and did not have a distinct bouncy texture.
The last item that I added to my already-packed container was the Cabbage (S$0.70). Seasoned with fermented beancurd, this item was the least salty of the lot. However, there was not much flavour to the dish overall.
I loved the size of these cabbage pieces. They held a crunchy texture despite being cooked thoroughly. I also loved the incorporation of tofu skin and black fungus as they introduced different textures to the dish.
Final thoughts
Generally, I felt that the items sold here are acquired tastes and perhaps more familiar to the older generation. My dad expressed his disappointment towards my comments on the dishes. In his words, it was ‘too bad’ that I was not able to appreciate this authentic Cantonese cuisine.
Nonetheless, the long queues in front of the stall clearly attest to its popularity. Head down to give them your support and an opportunity to try out these traditional Cantonese homestyle dishes for yourself!
Expected damage: S$3 – S$5 per pax
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