4-time Michelin Bib Gourmand SHI HUI YUAN Original Singapore Hor Fun opens flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat

From a humble hawker stall in Mei Ling Market and Food Centre in 1969 to winning the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for 4 years straight (2016 – 2019), SHI HUI YUAN has bravely weathered the passage of time while sending out delicious plates of Hor Fun. SHI HUI YUAN has recently opened their new flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat Festival Market to bring the uniquely Singapore Hor Fun to the financial district.

I met the owners of SHI HUI YUAN, Mr Fong Pak Thim and his daughter, Lyne, at their new flagship stall in Lau Pa Sat to hear their story.

“Why did I become a hawker? For my livelihood. I was working then but I heard someone applied for a hawker stall, so I went to apply too. I was lucky to get it, so we opened a stall at the Mei Ling Market & Food Centre in 1969,” said Mr Fong.

Back in the old days, Hor Fun was an expensive dish served only in restaurants. Mr Fong and his wife wanted to create their own version of Singapore Hor Fun that is affordable and nutritional, hence the name 實惠園.

To be very honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect because I always had the impression that it was another Ipoh-style Hor Fun that’s tossed with some soy sauce gravy. But I was wrong. This is nothing like Ipoh Hor Fun. I’ll consider this a uniquely Singaporean Hor Fun.

Mr Fong added, “We didn’t call it Ipoh Hor Fun, because it is not. Hor Fun itself is tasteless. But when we cook it, we can’t treat it as just Hor Fun. We treat it as our children and “groom” them. In order to be successful (tasty), it depends on what ingredients I add to “groom” this plate of Hor Fun so that we are responsible to our customers.”

Passionately, Mr Fong’s wife developed a recipe using over 30 herbs which include Dang Shen, Yang Shen Xu and Luo Han Guo. The Hor Fun gravy is the embodiment of their Cantonese cooking philosophy of “Food as Medicine”. The herb-based braising sauce is continuously stewed with chicken and duck meat and bones for over 30 years. And each plate is packed with more than 1500mg of rice collagen. Wow!

The first item to arrive on our table was the Blissful set 温馨河伴 ($7.80). It has a beautiful Chinese name. Lyne said, “My father has literary talent and he is able to create beautiful sentences and spin a stunning metaphor. He named this plate of Hor Fun “温馨河伴” because there are a lot of ingredients accompanying it, just like our happy family.”

Indeed, this silky plate of Hor Fun is garnished with a delectable medley of chicken drumstick, duck drumstick, spare ribs, braised egg, mushrooms and vegetables. The ingredients are soaked in a savoury broth that carry a novel and complex blend of herbal flavours.

I hope you are not squirmish about chicken feet because SHI HUI YUAN does it really well. This collagen-rich ingredient is stewed in their signature gravy for a long time and every bite has deep herbal notes. I like the gelatinous and chewy texture of the chicken feet a lot! You must not miss the Braised Chicken Feet Hor Fun 凤爪留香 ($6 regular / $7 large).

I’ve never really been a Hor Fun person (except those thick stir-fried Hor Fun in zi char stall) but this changed me. The gravy was nothing like what I’d tasted before and I really enjoyed it. When I dipped the chicken feet into the tangy chilli sauce, I was blown away! It was so easy to finish the entire bowl on my own!

If you come in a big group, you can order the Combination Platter 幸福拼盘 ($16.80 for 3-4 pax) to share. The mushrooms were succulent and very satisfying.

If you are a fan of Hor Fun, this is the ONE place that you need to visit. Lyne hopes that more people can try this traditional dish, hence the opening of the flagship stall at Lau Pa Sat. “Mei Ling Street is a mature estate. We hope the younger generation can try this traditional taste that will continue for generations to come. At Lau Pa Sat, the office crowd and tourists can try our food without travelling to Mei Ling Street.”

While the dishes left a deep impression, what was even more memorable was my conversation with Mr Fong. He is about my grandfather’s age. Even though he doesn’t do much cooking nowadays, he speaks with so much pride about his food. A lot of times, it is about the stories behind the food that make the dining experience so memorable. Mr Fong even sang a tune for me to explain the name of one of his dishes. Watch the video to find out more.