Food Picks: Cantonese-style chicken steals the show at The Teochew Kitchenette @ Keong Saik

SINGAPORE – Bak kut teh may be the signature dish at The Teochew Kitchenette @ Keong Saik, but the real crown jewel at the 60-seat zi char eatery – which opened in November 2024 – is the Crispy Spring Chicken ($42). Never mind that it is a Cantonese dish and must be ordered three days in advance – it is worth the wait.

No artificial colouring is used in the marinade. The chicken is seasoned with salt for a day, then carefully bathed in oil. The skin is thin, crisp and tinged red from maltose, while the meat is satisfyingly juicy. Dipped in a housemade mix of five spice powder, salt and pepper, each bite delivers.

The only letdown: The accompanying prawn crackers are soft and lack crunch.

A slurp-worthy staple is the Seafood White Bee Hoon ($9 for regular, $13.50 for large). A medley of prawns, clams, cai xin, egg and bee hoon arrives in a pool of flavourful gravy.

A bestseller is Granny’s Tofu ($11 for regular, $16 for large). Deep-fried oblongs of tau kwa are blanketed in a minced pork sauce lifted with fermented black beans and dried sole.

For vegetables, try the Sambal Kang Kong ($11 for regular, $16 for large). The greens are deftly stir-fried – crisp yet coated in spicy sambal with the briny punch of dried prawns.

A zi char standard, the Sweet & Sour Pork ($14 for regular, $20 for large) has a bright tang from a mix of black and white vinegar and tomato sauce.

The eatery offers two versions of steamed red grouper: Cantonese- and Teochew-style. Prices are $60 for a regular fish (550g to 600g) and $80 for a large (700g to 800g).

I opt for the Cantonese-style Steamed Red Grouper ($60).

The garnish of deep-fried ginger strips is overbrowned and the housemade steam sauce – heavy on dang gui – overpowers the fish, which is also slightly overdone.

Where: 26 Keong Saik Road
MRT: Outram
Open: 11am to 3.30pm and 5 to 9.30pm (Mondays to Saturdays), 11am to 3.30pm and 5 to 9pm (Sundays)
Tel: 8338-7106