Ding Gua Gua Fried Rice – Affordable Din Tai Fung-Style Pork Chop Fried Rice in Bedok

The fried rice craze is still alive and well, with yet another fairly fresh face popping up in a coffee shop in Bedok earlier this year. Opened by a former Din Tai Fung chef who was with the internationally popular franchise for 13 years and an ex-Din Tai Fung restaurant manager, Ding Gua Gua Fried Rice aims to deliver true-blue Din Tai Fung-style pork chop fried rice along with a few variations of their own. 

There are four different types of fried rice you can choose from as your base: Signature Egg Fried Rice ($4), Garlic Fried Rice ($4), DGG Egg Fried Rice ($4.40) and Sambal Fried Rice ($4.50). From there, you can opt complement your carbs pork chop, shrimp, Taiwanese sausage, or luncheon meat at varying prices. 

While fried rice remains as the star of the stall, Ding Gua Gua Fried Rice also offers up snacks reminiscent of the sides you can find at Din Tai Fung as well — think Spicy and Sour Soup ($5), Fried Dumpling ($3.80) and Crunchy Cucumber in Spicy Sauce ($3.80). 

I opted for the Signature Egg Fried Rice with Pork Chop ($6.50), which is a well-known Din Tai Fung favourite. The mound of egg fried rice was topped with hearty slices of pork chop and served with a dollop of dried chilli oil in a little saucer on the side. The tender pork chop, having been marinated in a mix of spices that included five-spice powder, easily stole the show with its divine texture and flavours. 

Unfortunately, the fried rice itself fell short of expectations. The simple egg fried rice (perhaps too simple?) tasted fairly bland with minimal seasoning, which is a shame considering the pork chop was a stellar accompaniment. 

I also decided to give the Sambal Fried Rice with Luncheon Meat ($5.50) a go. The rice had been fried thoroughly and evenly tossed with sambal paste so each grain was well-coated. The spicy kick hit me from the first bite and the saltiness of the cubes of luncheon meat melded well with the slight sweetness of the sambal. 

I was completely taken by the Handmade Crispy Prawn Cake ($8). Made from scratch everyday in the kitchens, the prawn paste is wrapped in beancurd skin before being fried. While the outer layer of the beancurd skin wasn’t as crispy as I would have liked, the prawn paste was deliciously sweet and meaty. It was already plenty good on its own, but pair it with the robust dried chilli oil for a whole new palatable experience! 

The egg fried rice might be lacking but their stellar use of ingredients when it comes to toppings and sides definitely stand out. I’m also curious to see how their DGG Egg Fried Rice, which is an in-house creation, fares so I might just pop by Ding Gua Gua Fried Rice again if I’m in the area!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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