Ex-zi char head chef sells velvety collagen pao fan in Pasir Ris

There’s a brand new addition to Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre that’ll make it value travelling to Pasir Ris for. Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan & Ramen is run by a husband-and-wife workforce, and this humble hawker stall specialises in soup-erb collagen pao fan that’s filled with recent components.

Collagen appears to be the in-thing these days. There’s collagen bak chor mee, collagen fish soup, and now, it looks as if it’s time so as to add collagen pao fan to the checklist.

I struck up a dialog with Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan’s house owners, Mr Wong and his spouse, and discovered that Mr Wong is an skilled chef, having been working in kitchens since he was 15-years-old! He even helmed his personal zi char stall at 201 Tampines Street 21 for 21 years earlier than deciding to take a break as a result of Covid-19.

Feeling compelled to get again into the enterprise, Mr Wong determined to open Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan in June 2022 together with his spouse, Yan. The greatest draw of the stall? Its golden broth, which is boiled for at the least 10 hours, with shark and deep-sea fish bones, previous hens (aka 老母鸡), lean pork and pumpkin.

For the file, I completely love Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre. It’s a fantastic place to go to for a meal. Its second flooring alone homes 21 stalls, serving a mix of hawker and hipster meals. You’ve bought your cult favourites like Wild Olives, Prawnaholic and Reimondo Seafood Congee.

The atmosphere is on a complete different stage. Large and spacious, the hawker centre is extremely windy and is all the time full of pure gentle. It’s most likely one of many cleaner hawker centres round, and I like how vibrant and fashionable it appears.

What I attempted at Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan & Ramen

But after all, I needed to get Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan’s hottest dish: Signature Collagen Golden Broth Rice Combo (S$9.80 for rice, S$10.80 for ramen).

It is perhaps value noting that this is likely one of the priciest pao fan on its menu, because it accommodates all varieties of components equivalent to lala, prawns, sliced and fried fish, and pork belly-wrapped enoki.

If you’d prefer to go for a much less loaded bowl, different choices embrace Fried Fish Collagen Golden Broth Rice (S$6.80 for rice, S$7.80 for ramen) and Fresh Short-Neck Clams Golden Broth Rice (S$6.50 for rice, S$7.50 for ramen).

While the value tag of S$9.80 threw me off, particularly because the velvety golden broth had coated all the things and the bowl of pao fan appeared fairly common at first look, it solely took a single combine with my spoon for all apprehension to fly out the window.

This was one loaded bowl! Every scoop held one thing completely different. You’ve bought common white rice, deep-fried puffed rice, prawns, lala, sliced fish, fried fish, pork belly-wrapped enoki, and shredded deep-fried egg floss.

Before I knew it, I used to be shovelling spoonful after spoonful of pao fan into my mouth.

Most collagen soups I do know resemble Beauty within the Pot’s iconic rendition— lip-smackingly easy broth that’ll depart your lips sticky with collagen. While Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan’s collagen soup didn’t coat my lips in that sense, it was extremely wealthy and silky in texture. 

Hearty and full-bodied, this soup had a robust trace of pure briny sweetness from the quantity of deep-sea and shark bones that had been used within the broth. The greatest praise I can provide it’s that it’s wealthy with out being oily within the slightest. You know that’s the true mark of a very good, sincere boiled soup: when its full-bodied savouriness doesn’t depart you thirsty.

Out of all of the components within the Signature Collagen Golden Broth Rice Combo, my favorite was the deep-fried egg floss. It added a roasted saltiness to the pao fan and elevated the already wealthy soup to a different stage. It turned so extremely addictive that I discovered myself digging for soaked items of deep-fried egg floss.

Fun truth: you’ll be able to add on extra parts of Egg Floss for simply S$0.70. You can wager I’ll try this subsequent time.

Out of all the opposite dishes on Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan & Ramen’s menu, one merchandise caught out to me— Braised Pork Rice with Egg (S$5.30 for primary, S$6.30 for combo with peanuts & beancurd).

Mr Wong and Yan revealed that they’re big lovers of lu rou fan and determined to promote it as a further dish. Because why not, proper?

“At a previous restaurant I worked at, there was a Taiwanese chef who would always cook lu rou fan for us,” Mr Wong stated. “The lou rou fan I sell today is inspired and based on his recipe.”

Comprising 70% lean meat and 30% fatty meat, Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan’s Braised Pork Rice was completely improbable. The pork stomach, which had been sliced sufficiently thick, was tremendous gentle and tender, whereas retaining only a contact of meatiness that gave it a satisfying chew.

Similar to the Signature Collagen Golden Broth Rice Combo, the Braised Pork Rice managed to remain aromatic and savoury with out being the least salty. Because it had been braised for greater than 3 hours, the preserved mustard greens (aka 梅菜 or mei cai) had basically disintegrated into the sauce, including a slight trace of musky tanginess to every chew.

Final ideas

Despite being an Eastie myself, travelling to Pasir Ris isn’t an on a regular basis affair. Yet, for Liang Liang Pao Fan & Ramen, I’d gladly make the journey.

Its Signature Collagen Golden Broth Rice Combo is an actual marvel, with soup that’ll nourish you from the within out and heat your tummy. This is a dish I’d come again for, no matter rain or shine, due to how sincere, good and comforting it’s. It’s real meals for the soul, and I cherished it.

Not to say, Mr Wong and Yan’s story is a good one, and I like how the pair determined to come back out on their very own to start out their very own hawker stall. Not solely does the independence give them extra flexibility by way of working hours, Mr Wong additionally cheekily talked about that this enables him to spend extra time together with his spouse. 

Thanks, Mr Wong and Yan, for this bowl of liquid gold. I’ll see you quickly!

Expected injury: S$6 – S$10 per pax

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