Goldhill Family Restaurant in Hougang. Top Value Chup Cai Png Economic Rice with Best Chicken Wing for $1 金華美食店

I have eaten Goldhill Family Restaurant's chup chai png or Chinese economic rice a few times. It didn't blow my mind right away but it's an affinity that grew on me slowly - I am sold on its homely flavours, generous portions and affordable pricing. I also enjoyed mingling with Goldhill's friendly staff and easy going customers (mostly busy working people getting their affordable lunch fix).

Restaurant name: Goldhill Family Restaurant 金華美食店

Address: 6 Hougang Ave 3, #01-78, Singapore 530006

Hours: 7:30am - 7:30pm (close at 2:30pm on Sunday)

There is always a queue at Goldhill Family Restaurant during meal times, lunch or dinner. The staff works fast but the queue often gets held up with people taking away dozens of packets 😱 

Normally, chup chai png, vegetable rice or economic rice is served by stalls in a hawker centre, food court or coffee shop. But, Goldhill is a family restaurant occupying a whole shop lot space in a quiet (somewhat obscure) corner of Hougang. Seats are limited, maybe just enough for 10 people. Most customers take away their food (even during pre-Covid 19 days).

Goldhill have both cooked on order dishes as well as pre-cooked chup cai png dishes. So far, I've only had their chup cai png dishes which is what most people are here for.

The vegetables are well cleaned and cooked to just the right doneness, retaining their texture and juices. I found Goldhill's vegetables clean tasting.

Common banes of average economic rice places are not thoroughly cleaned vegetables (with gritty sand sometimes), and vegetables that are over done with too much grease and salt.

Braised pork belly and dory fish fillet in ketchup. Both nicely done.

The plain white rice is fluffy, at the correct moistness and clean tasting. We can splash old school chicken curry or braise pork sauce to give the sweetish rice a little more flavour. I like it that the curry and braising sauce are both mild tasting and well balanced. Not overly salty which I dislike.

Goldhill's most popular items are clearly their freshly fried chicken wings and fried ngoh hiang (meat roll). Both are fried to a golden brown crisp outside. Slightly chewy outside, nice mild flavours, moist tender inside and none of that overpowering saltiness. Complements the vegetables and rice well.

The fried chicken wing, in particular, at $1 a piece (whole wing with tip, mid joint and drumlet) is Goldhill's top draw. 

Nice, quick, no frills pitstop to fuel up on homely, clean, familiar comfort dishes, at an affordable price. Nothing exquisite but for economic rice in its literal sense, this is hard to beat. Worth checking out, if you are hungry in the Hougang area.

While you are here, do check out Ang Mo Kio Nyonya Kueh which is just around the corner, a few steps away. Actually, I have to thank the kueh shop boss for introducing me to Goldhill 🙏

       

                     

             

             

               

               

             

           

           

           

                         

           

             

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            A post shared by Tony Boey Johor Kaki (@johorkaki)          

       

     

           

Written by Tony Boey on 26 July 2021