Petai King – New Stink Beans Specialty Stall in Tanjong Pagar

https://youtu.be/Z-DGUevolDA

Petai – you either love it or hate it. These little green pods are also called stink beans and are slightly bitter and pungent. But, petai is packed with a lot of nutrients and it is one of the favourite dishes of many of my Malaysian friends.

Strictly for stink-bean fans, the newly opened Petai King in Tanjong Pagar is a spot for satisfyingly aromatic petai dishes. The brand was started by Eric in Kuala Lumpur last August. He picked up his culinary skills from his mother, and started cooking petai dishes for himself since he was a young boy. His brother-in-law, Steven, fell in love with his petai dishes and decided to help out at his shop for a few months. Last week, Steven opened Petai King in Singapore.

Petai often plays a small role on dinner tables. But at Petai King, petai is the main character and star. Expect dishes such as Sambal Petai King Rice ($5.90), Sambal Petai King Rice with Prawns ($7.90), Sambal Petai King with Roti Prata ($6.90), Petai King Fried Rice ($5.90), and more. I am not too sure about the portions though — I thought it was a little pricey. I think the addition of a fried egg might be a good idea.

Even though I am not a fan of frozen roti prata, I thought the sambal petai went well with the prata. The petai was perfectly cooked and coated with a spicy, flavourful sambal. The brilliant homemade sambal chilli was savoury and sweet. The fragrance of the dried shrimp really shone through, giving the dish a beautiful depth of flavours. You can also pre-order their sambal petai king cake for special occasions.

There are also a la carte dishes such as assam stingray ($6.50), curry chicken ($5.50), vinegar pork trotter ($6.50) and sambal fried fish ($5) available. I tried the vinegar pork trotter, which I thought would taste better if the sweetness and tanginess of the vinegar had been more prominent.

Petai King does justice to petai. I went on their opening day so things were a little messy, and they were still unfamiliar with the portioning. But I am sure that they will be better once operations are stabilised!

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may wish to check out our article on Pranakorn, a Thai eatery in Changi Village that does not serve Pad Thai or Pineapple Rice!

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