Nyonya Pok Pok Kay: I’m definitely going back for their Ayam Curry Kapitan

Only a few weeks ago was I whining to a friend about the sparsity of Peranakan food in Pasir Ris, and she snapped back with, “What are you on about? There’s a Peranakan stall in Pasir Ris Hawker Centre”. So, like an excited school child, I pitched the idea of covering Nyonya Pok Pok Kay to Seth, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Located on the second floor of Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, home to plenty of ‘hipster’ stalls, the cheeky Peranakan stall stands out—with its bright yellow signboard and illustrations of chicken dishes. I mean, it’s only apt for a stall that sells chicken to be named ‘pok pok kay’, right?

What I tried 

With a lean menu to choose from, they only serve two dishes: Ayam Curry Kapitan (S$6.20 ) and Ayam Sioh (S$5.20). If you purchase them à la carte, they both come with a choice of blue pea rice or French loaf. I decided to splurge for a Set Meal (additional S$2) to have two additional sides with my mains—a vegetable and an egg dish. 

The Ayam Curry Kapitan set comes with a hot bowl of chicken curry, a beautiful plate of blue pea rice, fiery-looking sambal egg, and a small bowl of chap chye—cabbage mixed with carrots, topped with crispy bits of fried beancurd skin. 

Let’s get down to it; Ayam Curry Kapitan is as nonya as it gets—it has hints of Malay, Chinese, and Indian flavours all in a bowl; a hodgepodge of cultures if you will.

However, unlike other curries, it’s light and flavourful—akin to the consistency of sayur lodeh. It’s also not as spicy as Indian chicken curry or filled with heaps of coconut like a Malay or Chinese curry, but it does consist of a medley of similar herbs and spices. 

I took one spoonful and was greeted with a burst of lemongrass amid other spices, only for it to go down with ease while leaving behind a slight kick from the chillies. The curry not only had the light consistency of ayam lemak cili padi but tasted like it too. I’ve never had Ayam Curry Kapitan before but I was loving it already.

But enough about the gravy; the main star of the dish was tender, juicy, and well-cooked—just like how it should be in a curry. No complaints there. 

The fiery-looking sambal egg consists of a hardboiled egg sitting in a pool of sweet and spicy sambal. Like the curry, the sambal has hints of lemongrass, but leaned on the sweeter side. As flavourful as it was, I’m not a fan of sweet sambal, however, my colleague enjoyed it so much she didn’t just stop at one bowl.

I tend to avoid ordering stir-fried cabbages because they either end up too soggy or raw, with a bitter aftertaste. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when the chap chye served by Nonya Pok Pok Kay exceeded my expectations.

The al dente cabbage and julienned carrots topped with the fried beancurd skins produced a nutty and crunchy combination that helped ease out the lingering sweetness from the sambal egg. 

Like the Ayam Curry Kapitan, it was my virgin taste of Ayam Sioh so I was looking forward to this one. Akin to every gravy dish, I immediately scooped a spoonful of gravy and was instantly reminded of the familiar tastes of ayam masak kicap.

Ayam Sioh—chicken with coriander and tamarind—is definitely a tangier version of ayam masak kicap, in my opinion. Unlike the well-loved Malay soy-based chicken dish, this dish has a sweet and sour appeal to it sans any form of heat. This dish is for those of you who religiously avoid chillies in your food. 

This set also comes with a side of pickled radish omelette and French beans with hae bee. The fluffy omelette was perfectly cooked and loaded with crunchy onions—just the way I like it. Personally, the French beans could do with more dried shrimps to balance out the sweet and salty essence of the Ayam Sioh. 

A special shoutout goes out to the owners of the shop who fry and package their own Keropok (S$1.50). There are two different types of Keropok for you to choose from—the classic fish crackers and the bitter belinjo crackers. 

Final thoughts 

Nyonya Pok Pok Kay is definitely stealing the hearts of many with their tasty chicken-based dishes, and they’ve also managed to capture the authentic essence of Peranakan cuisine by keeping affordability in mind.

If you’re looking for a homely nonya meal in Pasir Ris, I’d recommend that you make your way down here to satisfy your cravings. Additionally, you’ll be in for a visual treat for the owners are clad in lovely Peranakan outfits daily. However, I wish they added more dishes to the menu for variety, but for now, I’m more than content with returning for their tasty bowl of Ayam Curry Kapitan. 

Expected damage: S$5.20 – S$8.20 per pax 

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