Ex-Eggslut cooks whip up HK-inspired scrambled egg rice bowls at Maxwell Food Centre

When we speak about hawker centres which can be usually packed to the brim with CBD people throughout lunch time, Maxwell Food Centre involves thoughts. Though this hawker centre is dwelling to loads of historic meals stalls just like the ever-famous Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon, there appears to be a latest inflow of younger blood, akin to Nian Nian You Yu, and most lately, Danlao.

Run by 4 younger hawkers (2 of whom are ex-chefs at Eggslut), Danlao is the latest child on the block, having solely began operations on 5 Dec 2022.

Danlao 蛋佬 actually means “guy who does eggs” in Mandarin, and that ought to offer you a touch as to what this humble hawker stall specialises in— eggs. Specifically, Danlao sells Hong Kong-inspired scrambled egg rice bowls, with easy but comforting toppings akin to luncheon meat cubes and tomatoes.

With a lot of the components akin to its char siew and hen cutlet being made in-house, in addition to every little thing being cooked to order, I had no doubts as to why this stall garnered such an enormous hype. I couldn’t wait to attempt it for myself!

What I attempted at Danlao

Danlao’s menu is likely one of the most concise I’ve ever seen. It solely provides 5 sorts of scrambled egg rice bowls— Tomato (S$4.50), Luncheon Meat (S$5), Chicken Cutlet (S$6), Char Siew (S$6) and Prawn (S$7). Hooray for indecisive eaters like me!

In a bid to attempt as a lot of Danlao’s menu as potential, I made a decision to get a bowl of Tomato (S$4.50) scrambled egg rice, and added on extra Luncheon Meat at S$2.

Just wanting on the bowl of meals made my mouth water. Peeking by way of the pool of do-it-yourself tomato gravy had been silky, shiny scrambled eggs, and topping all of it off had been massive, sq. chunks of pan-fried luncheon meat. 

I swear to you, I’ve by no means taken my photographs this shortly! I hoped that the tomato gravy wouldn’t prepare dinner my silky scrambled eggs any additional, and that by the point I dug in, it’ll nonetheless be at its optimum situation.

Not certain as as to if I must be mixing every little thing collectively or consuming every aspect individually, I made a decision to seize a chunk of the stewed tomatoes first.

This was executed fantastically nicely, and immediately jogged my memory of my mum’s stir-fried home-cooked tomato and egg dish. The tomatoes had been comfortable, heat and comforting, with a barely tangy but savoury kick that solely made me wish to return in for extra. 

Not to say, Danlao used a mix of standard and cherry tomatoes for the gravy, leading to various textures— one bursts in your mouth, whereas one other is available in massive, tender chunks.

I used to be most excited to attempt Danlao’s scrambled eggs, after listening to raving opinions about it.

My largest pet peeve with scrambled eggs is that it’s both too agency or too watery. Danlao’s rendition was completely in-between— comfortable and silky, but not too runny. I cherished that it was seasoned nicely sufficient by itself, such that you may truly eat the egg as it’s. 

This is what I’d think about would go on prime of avocados and toast, albeit slightly thinner in quantity because it’s extra of a blanket reasonably than a stack of scrambled eggs.

I completely adored how Danlao’s luncheon meat got here in thick, sizeable sq. chunks. Each facet was nicely grilled, making a crispiness to it, and its iconic saltiness was a welcome addition to the bowl.

Though this bowl of Tomato with Luncheon Meat was fairly easy, I discovered myself completely having fun with it. Youv’e received juicy sauce from the tomatoes, saltiness from the luncheon meat, and a silky softness from the egg, all of which contributed to a comforting home-style but totally satisfying meal.

I moved onto my second bowl: Chicken Cutlet (S$6).

Without any extra gravy from the tomatoes, I puzzled if the rice could be overly dry or plain. Thankfully, Danlao’s white rice was cooked nicely, and had been drizzled with sauce previous to being blanketed with the scrambled eggs.

The hen cutlet immediately jogged my memory of har cheong gai, with savoury and smoky notes. I might style the aromatic, umami-filled prawn paste, in addition to different spices. More importantly, I genuinely appreciated how beneficiant Danlao was with the hen cutlet— I counted 7 to eight slices which assorted from meaty chunks to pure crispy pores and skin.

A should whenever you’re eating right here is to pair your hen cutlet with Danlao’s do-it-yourself chilli oil. Though barely oilier than I’d have preferred, the chilli oil added splendidly roasted notes to every chunk. I reckon you’ll be able to even combine the chilli instantly into your rice for that additional savoury and spicy kick!

Final ideas

This might be one of the vital no-fuss meals I’ve had (I imply, it’s scrambled eggs on rice), however every aspect is executed so nicely that it’s onerous to establish areas of enchancment! Not to say, every little thing is priced so affordably, and also you get beneficiant parts besides.

Most of the time, it’s simple for me to choose a transparent favorite. This time, I couldn’t— I cherished Danlao’s Tomato with Luncheon Meat due to its tangy, appetising sauciness and enormous meaty bites, however the Chicken Cutlet amazed me with its har cheong gai-like marinade.

Danlao is a spot I’d undoubtedly advocate, particularly in the event you’re in search of home-style and comforting meals that fill you up. My solely suggestion? Include extra greens, maybe, simply to stability out the carbs and protein.

Expected injury: S$4.50 – S$8 per pax

Other articles you may like:

Grandfather Food Empire Bak Chor Mee: Tasty Siglap mee pok with large parts strikes to Bugis

15 finest meals spots in Chinatown set alongside its heritage streets