A new (Western) challenger appears in Chinatown Complex
If your business has a catchy name, people are likely to take notice and remember it. Such is the case with a new arrival to Chinatown Complex serving Western fare: Hello! Jipai (Hello! 鸡排). The latter half of the stall’s name, which means chicken chop or chicken steak, is also a tongue-in-cheek homonym to words I can’t pen down as they are a little, ahem, rude.
The stall took over its current location from another Western food stall known as Not Your Grandpa’s Grill, which went viral on Tiktok in 2023. That stall previously replaced yet another Western food stall, called Oikos Western Delight.
The menu is straightforward – there are no newfangled inventions or fusion dishes, just simple Western-style food. It’s divided into 5 sections, featuring chicken, pork, fish, sides and bites. Every main dish comes with fries, a bun, and a choice of either coleslaw or baked beans.
The star of their menu is arguably their Chicken Chop (S$7.50), with a choice of either black pepper or mushroom sauce. The chicken chop is a juicy skin-on affair, seasoned well and grilled till the skin has crisped up with a slightly smoky char.
Another hit item is the Chicken Wings (S$1.50 each, minimum 2 pieces per order). The wings are crispy without being greasy, and the meat is moist and tender enough to slide off the bone. Their Homemade Mushroom Soup (S$3.50) is also a must-try – it’s described as comforting and homely, with chunky mushroom bits inside.
Many new hawkers often try to put a spin on dishes by introducing novel concepts, but sometimes what you want is just the classics done well.
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