✍17 Dec 2024. Kok Sen the iconic Cantonese sup kam 什锦 restaurant of Keong Saik Road just opened a branch at level 4 City Square Mall Singapore (at Farrer Park MRT station).
什锦 sup kam is the Cantonese phrase, the equivalent of the Hokkien phrase zhi cha 煮炒 which is more commonly used in Singapore. (Sup kam means "assorted" whereas zhi cha means "cook & fry".) I always remember it as sup kam as a child and have not heard the Cantonese phrase for a very long time. Feels so good to hear it again 😊
Congratulations Kok Sen on your new endeavour. The humble Keong Saik Road eatery is in the third generation now. You can read their story by scrolling down to my archived article below.
The City Square Mall restaurant is actually bigger than the Keong Saik Road shop. Simply furnished, it retained the no frills eatery ambiance of its Keong Saik Road shop.
I forgot to take a picture of the menu - it's printed sheets slipped into clear pocket folder type, commonly found in coffee shop zhi cha restaurants.
All the old Kok Sen staples like this 大虾粗米汤 big prawn thick rice vermicelli were there.
This is actually Kok Sen's must order signature, in my opinion. To me, it's their unique interpretation of Hokkien prawn mee, you know...., the soupy kind.
The "soup" is some kind of alchemy with complex deep stacks of crustacean umami savoury, aromatics (shallots, etc) and spice flavours.
(I feel it is the same genre as Zhup Zhup but they are quite different in taste profile - Zhup Zhup's has a lot more pork flavour.)
The thick rice vermicelli held up well stewing in the power packed prawn soup.
I am a big fan of Kok Sean's prawn noodle when it is not too salty. Today, it was perfect for me. I was scooping it up and drinking it like a tasty soup.
The prawns while huge and meaty didn't really have that subtle sweetness I like in crustaceans. And, the shallots were not house fried.
But, the prawn soup is a winner and I will come back for it.
Kok Sen's 大虾旦河 big prawn hor fun was good too.
It's the broad rice sheets I like (not kway teow noodles). Seared with a subtle char outside for that coveted smokey wok hei flavour and smell.
Complemented by the prawny soup, starch and egg thickened for more texture, velvet smoothness and flavour.
Chef Marion Grasby's take on Kok Sen's big prawn hor fun.
脆皮金龙鸡 Crispy Skin Golden Dragon Chicken. With a dish name like that, you know it is a Cantonese dish 🤭
The chicken meat was removed and replaced by a prawn and squid mix paste. I always wondered what happened to the chicken meat 🤔
Each bite size piece was a mix of crisp thin skin with soft tender prawn and squid paste. The crispy skin was savoury while the seafood paste was mildly savoury sweet.
This boneless dish is a staple in old school Cantonese banquet restaurants and a favourite among children. Seniors like it too 🤭
酱茶鸭 literally tea sauce duck. It's a fried bird presumably marinated in a tea sauce. Meat was tender, skin crisp, flavour was mostly savoury without duck gaminess (wish there was a little) nor tea fragrance.
韵瓜豉汁鱼鸡 Bitter gourd and fish with black bean sauce.
Nothing much to see, this old dish is from an era when dishes were designed to taste good rather than look good for social media.
Tasted mostly savoury salty with a bit of sweetness from the thick meaty chunks of fish.
Fried fish paste stuffed pieces served with a savoury sweet sauce, which tasted mainly savoury salty.
Fans of Kok Sen, now we have a different, bigger place and longer hours to enjoy our favourite 什锦 dishes.
Restaurant name: Kok Sen @ City Square Mall 国成
Address: 180 Kitchener Rd, #04-31/32 City Square Mall, Singapore 208539
Nearest MRT: At Farrer Park station
Tel: 96244244
Hours: 11:30am - 9pm
Written by Tony Boey on 17 Dec 2024
✍16 Apr 2018. Dinner at the legendary Kok Sen 国成 restaurant at Singapore Chinatown's Keong Saik Road.
Restaurant name: Kok Sen 国成
Address: 2/4 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089110
Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Outram Park station / 10 minutes walk from Chinatown station
Tel: 6223 2005
Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm | 5:00pm - 11:00pm
The bright, simply furnished restaurant occupying two narrow shop lots was full house this Sunday evening. Many families and groups of friends eating together. The atmosphere was cosy, casual, and filled with warm camaraderie. I like it that as busy as Kok Seng is, it still has the laid back feel of old 1960s Singapore.
Kok Sen has re-opened in their new location on 8 Nov 2022 just 100 metres from here. The new location is air conditioned, simply but comfortably furnished. The food is exactly the same as the whole crew from kitchen to front office, lock, stock and barrel are the same folks.
Kok Sen has been located on Keong Saik Road, the former brothel strip of Singapore Chinatown, since the 1950s (when it was known as Kau Kee 球记). For decades, brothel clients and workers had been Kok Sen's regular customers (until the red light district was rezoned from the 1990s). Third generation Kok Sen has a wider clientele now, especially since clinching the Bib Gourmand Award in the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide 2016.
According to legend, the founder of Kok Sen was a gambler. One day, he lost all his money and could not buy any supplies of meat, fish, poultry, etc. But, his hungry regulars showed up as usual, waiting to be served.
In his desperation, he whipped up a dish with hor fun, eggs and small dried shrimps 蝦銀 i.e. whatever there was in the pantry. 滑蛋蝦銀炒粉 was an instant hit and many customers came to Kok Sen just for it. It was the dish that launched the legend of Kok Sen.
I came looking for this humble hor fun with small dried shrimps. Sadly for me, it was no longer on the menu. (A created in Singapore heritage dish disappeared, now existing only in food lore.)
The in-thing they have now instead, is Big Prawn Thick Bee Hoon Soup 大蝦粗米湯 - a much more well endowed, much gentrified dish reflecting Kok Sen's prosperity and clients' affluence. It was a big bowl of thick rice vermicelli with indulgent big prawns and some greens in thick savoury spicy stock.
The stock was thick and heavy with robust savoury salty spicy taste. It reminded me of savoury spicy Sarawak laksa but with a lot more grounded dried prawns for more body. The umami from the dried prawns was pronounced.
Mind blowing, actually.
There were several large fresh prawns in the bowl, served halved with shell and head on. I am not sure how many prawns there were, but three of us couldn't finish this.
The prawns were fresh, the meat had a soft crunch. But, I couldn't really taste the prawns' natural delicate flavours as it was overwhelmed by the robust savoury slightly spicy stock.
The generic thick bee hoon went well with the robust savoury salty spicy stock. This 大蝦粗米湯 is an interesting dish which is unique to Kok Sen but I will be a
蝦醬雞 Har Cheong Gai.
The chunks of chicken deeply infused with fermented prawn paste flavour was deep fried till it was brown outside. It was stiff outside and dry inside. The taste was a flat saltiness.
Deep Fried Frog with Ginger.
The fresh (live?) frogs were marinated with a savoury sauce and deep fried till browned outside. The slightly crisp outside sealed the juices inside. The savouriness was moderate and I was still able to taste a bit of the frog's natural delicate sweetness.
Seafood Hor Fun.
There was some toasty wok hei but not much. Buddy who is a weekly Kok Sen regular said they were a bit off form today.
But, I actually enjoyed this hor fun. I like the mild savoury sweetish eggy taste of the thick smooth sauce. I like it that they use broad rice sheets i.e. hor fun instead of kway teow. The hor fun's gentler flavours actually provided me some relief from the robust savoury spicy flavours of the other dishes we had that evening.
👉 Kok Sen is a restaurant with a long and colourful history as it is located in one of Singapore's most storied streets. I need to come back to try more dishes and suss out the lores of this historic eatery.
Have you tried Kok Sen? Which dishes do you recommend here? Do you have any Kok Sen story to share?
Johor Kaki list of Singapore Best 👈 click
Restaurant name: Kok Sen 国成球记餐室
Address:
Waze: Kok sen restaurant
Tel: 6223 2005 (reservations is advised)
Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm | 5:00pm - 11:00pm
Non Halal
Written by Tony Boey on 15 Apr 2018 | Reviewed on 7 Nov 2022
Jill Chua said on Johor Kaki FB: "I always eat the same signature dishes there. Claypot YTF, Kum Hiang Prawns, Fuyu Yau Mak and Fish belly with bittergourd. Always nicely executed with its signature culinary finesse."
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