STI: Great zhi-char in this Wok

Oct 26, 2004

Great zhi-char in this Wok
by Wong Ah Yoke

MOST people would expect a well-known chef who is opening his own eatery to look for a space in the latest trendy spot or a posh hotel.

But if he is really smart, he will open a zhi-char or stir-fry stall in an HDB estate.

Rentals are affordable and renovation costs are minimal. And once word spreads that the food is good, business is constant.

Also, while it is cheaper to eat in a coffee shop than in a restaurant, the difference may not be as big as you think. And with only cash payments, there is no commission to pay to credit card companies.

Chef Ang Song Kang probably had those sums worked out when he opened Canton Wok by Chef Kang in 2002 in Havelock Road.

The eatery moved to Serangoon Central 10 months ago where it retains its no-frills coffee shop setting. The white-tiled walls are left bare and tables spill out onto the pavement like your average zhi-char stall.

But the 40-year-old chef is no ordinary zhi-char cook. A Singaporean, he had learnt his craft in Sai Kung Seafood Restaurant in Hong Kong before coming home to work in Lei Garden and East Ocean here.

Canton Wok's menu reflects his Hong Kong-style restaurant training. Instead of the usual sweet and sour pork or prawn paste chicken, you find dishes that would have been more at home in an air-conditioned Cantonese restaurant.

The fried eggplant with pork floss ($10) is a signature dish that you should not miss. The vegetable is cut into strips and deep-fried in a light batter like tempura. It is then tossed with pork floss to add flavour to the bland eggplant. The result is excellent, and goes especially well with beer.

I also really like the homemade beancurd with dried scallop and mushroom ($10). The beancurd is so soft and smooth that it simply melts in the mouth. The oyster sauce-based gravy gives it just the right flavour.

Another signature dish is the red wine chicken ($10). Contrary to the wet dish I had envisioned, the small pieces of meat come totally without gravy. The fragrance of the wine has been infused completely into the chicken, which is juicy and tender.

Another dish that Chef Kang recommended - pork chop in Portuguese sauce ($10) - however, was disappointing. It is deep-fried pork chop that is further baked in a cheesy sauce. The meat itself tastes fine, but the sauce has a strong taste that reminds me of canned creamy soups.

Still, Canton Wok is a good place for dishes that you do not find anywhere else. And what you see on the menu, which is rather limited, is not all. The affable chef, who takes orders himself, has a lot more dishes up his sleeve.

If you have trouble recognising him, he is the one with the smile.

CANTON WOK
By Chef Kang
Block 204 Serangoon Central #01-112, Tel: 6286-2070
Opening hours: 10am to 3pm, 5.30 to 11pm.Closed on Mondays
Price: At about $25 per head, it is not cheap considering its ambience