Huat Kee Kway Chap – A Glorious Kway Chap Worth Waking Up For

Staying in the east, I never had the impression that there would be an abundance of good food in Yishun. Imagine my surprise when I found this gem along Yishun street 11! It seems that Huat Kee Kway Chap is popular amongst the Yishun residents – you’ll notice that everyone there is busy slurping down bowls of broad rice sheets and a medley of braised items. They only open in the morning and usually sell out by noon, hence it was a true struggle to beat the morning blues but I’m glad I did.

Huat kee kway chap has been operating in the current coffee shop for almost a decade but they’ve actually been in business since 1970! Wow almost half a century now. Kway chap is no chicken feet, it takes hours of hard work to clean the intestines thoroughly so that it doesn’t give off a nasty stench. Likewise, it takes hours and hours of preparation to simmer the broth that we all love. In order to start operations at 630am, the folks behind Huat Kee wake up at 3am, and continue preparing even after they are sold out for that day! It’s a family business started by the mum (the old lady sauntering around) who has since imparted all her techniques and recipes to her children. Now, it’s helmed by the oldest son who oversees everything in the kitchen. I like that they’re all really friendly; It doesn’t come as a surprise that they have throngs of loyal customers.

I reached the place at around 11.15am (Thursday morning) but they were already out of the more popular ingredients such as pig’s skin, tau pok and fishcakes! Ergo, I had higher expectations for my breakfast (more like brunch) but they didn’t disappoint. Just for this stall, the more ganchiong you are, the better; better be early than late. The Uncle told me that the best time to come is 7am – when there aren’t many people and all the items are available. However, this means I’ll have to wake up at 530am (#firstworldproblems)!

The kway chap consists of a platter of intestines and a comforting bowl of noodles. I always had an impression that they were bitter and didn’t understand why people loved pig’s intestines so much. Instead of intestines, I’m more of a tau pok tau kwa kind of guy. Unfortunately, there was no more tau pok, nor tau kwa..  Imagine my surprise when I realised that I actually finished all the intestines! I think a good hallmark of kway chap is the clean intestines and Huat Kee has definitely excelled in this area. Doused in their housemade gravy, the braised items had the right amount of sweetness and chewiness. The meats were especially tasty and rather tender. I enjoyed the homemade chilli which carried a refreshing sour twist. 

The bowl of broad rice sheets also hit all the right notes for me. The broth is light, but possessed a distinct herbal flavour. If you prefer a more robust broth then it may not appeal to you as much. Served warm, this makes for the perfect breakfast on a rainy morning. For $4.50, the portion is incredibly generous. 

Even as I was busy slurping away, there were a good number of people who came to ask if they were sold out. Seems like you really have to get up early to secure yourself a bowl of their famous kway chap. 

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

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