Whenever I am deciding which eatery to review next, I always check my list of recommendations that my readers give to me. Recently, I was contacted by an individual urging me to head to Hougang to try this forgotten vegetarian stall. If you're thinking of visiting, it is best to go during the day. The founding uncles son takes over at night, and rumour has it his dishes can't reach the levels in quality that his fathers can. The name of this stall in Chinese is 長清齋, which translates roughly to mean 'forever clear vegetarian'. This stall has been in existence for a staggering 25+ years now. The coffee shop is located a stones throw away from Serangoon Junior College.
Chang Qing Zai Vegetarian
Location: Blk 703 Hougang Avenue 2
Contact: 97255020 Opening Hours: Daily 6.30am-9.00pm. Closed on alternative Mondays and Wednesdays (call in advance) Here is a look at the dishes available. This stall is particularly well-known for their char kway teow.
I heard a lot of good things about the
Char Kway Teow from this stall, so it was only natural that I would order it. What attracted to me to this dish was the rumours that this dish had high amounts of wok hei (the aroma of the wok being absorbed into the food). It is important to differentiate between being served wok hei food and 'chao da' (burnt) food. A good chef doesn't need to char or burn the ingredients to get wok hei. This version of char kway teow was definitely delicious, and had lots of smokey aroma - But the ingredients were more 'chao da' opposed to cooked with wok hei. Nevertheless, a fully satisfying meal and a huge portion, so certainly worth the price.
Price: $4.00. 7/10I wanted to test the uncles ability to cook with wok hei one more time, so I also ordered the
Fried Rice. Frankly speaking, even as a vegan, I must concede that fried rice just isn't the same without egg. Since turning vegan, I can't recall consuming an eggless fried rice that I felt was good. Out of all the eggless fried rice that I've eaten, this would probably be one of the best. I do have to mark the dish down for two reasons though. Firstly, like I mentioned earlier, the food is chao da, not wok hei. Secondly, there were quite a number of white rice clumps lurking inside. Having said that, everything else about this dish I absolutely adored - Worth ordering.
Price: $4.00. 8/10Conclusion - I'm hoping after this review, Hougang's 'secret' vegetarian stall will no longer be a secret. Definitely this is a stall that is worth visiting. The shy softly-spoken uncle who runs this stall has a sweet and gentle nature, and without doubt he can cook up a pretty mean fried rice. Go down and support this stall!Overall RatingFood - 7/10Ambiance- 6/10 Service - 8/10 Value - 7/10
