Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant

Source: Keng Eng Kee website

Keeping The Food Culture In The Family

Keng Eng Kee is one Zichar restaurant that many Singaporeans actually grew up with. They came here with their parents as kids, and now bring their own children and grandchildren here. 

The restaurant itself is now run by third generation owners, Wayne, Paul and Jia Min Liew. The business had its humble beginnings in the 1970s at the now demolished Havelock Road Hawker Centre. Wayne and Paul’s grandparents were the ones who started selling all their signature dishes.

Since then, they have steadily grown, shifting from the old Havelock Road to other rented premises before purchasing their current location at Bukit Merah. 

With more than 50 years’ experience, Keng Eng Kee is a respected  culinary establishment in Singapore. Their clean, semi open air restaurant serves some of the most well known, authentic Singaporean seafood Zichar style.

What is Keng Eng Kee’s Menu Like?

Right now, Chef Wayne Liew runs the kitchen, while his siblings run the administrative side or the restaurant.He has introduced several additions to the family’s original Hainanese inspired offerings. 

Some of Keng Eng Kee’s signature dishes were developed or co-developed by him, with a modern twist. Many are also a nod to modern culinary trends, like the practice of adding salted egg to seafood. Here are some of their best selling dishes:

1. Signature Chilli Crab ($86)

Many would say that Keng Eng Kee (KEK) serves the best chili crab in Singapore. Chili crab is considered the national dish of Singapore, and is a mildly spicy dish of crabs cooked in a gravy made with tomato sauce, sambal and eggs.Keng Eng Kee prides itself by making everything from scratch. All the ingredients for the sambal are freshly picked and processed at KEK’s own kitchen.

Of course, you also get the most succulent crabs to go with the dish too. KEK serves their chili crabs with a helping of steamed fluffy Mantou. These soft buns are typically used to scoop up all that beautiful Chili crab sauce until the very last drop. Again, KEK takes no shortcuts and the Mantous are also freshly made in their kitchen.

2. Coffee Pork Ribs (From $20)

These glistening and golden pork ribs are a must have for any dinner table. Here, deep fried, crunchy pork ribs are coated in a savory sauce infused with coffee powder. The aroma is enough to make one feel hungry, even if one is not. The pork rib sauce mainly consists of oyster sauce and coffee, and is topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. It’s a popular dish among coffee lovers, as well as those who don’t usually drink coffee

Source: Keng Eng Kee website.

3. Mingzhu Rolls or Golden Pearl Rolls (From $16)

Mingzhu rolls were created and began being served during the time of the current owners’ parents. In fact, it was Chef Wayne’s mother that came up with this recipe. Hence, it has a touch of home made rustic goodness to it, paired with an elegance worthy of a luxurious Chinese fine dining restaurant.

Mingzhu rolls are tau fu poks or soft tofu puffs stuffed with salted egg yolk, prawns, ham, mushroom and parsley. They’re a great addition to any meal and complement the more soft and soupy textures of other dishes with their  crunchy exterior.

Source: Keng Eng Kee Website.

4. Signature Moonlight Horfun (From $9)

Hor Fun is a type of rice noodles, and here KEK has created a signature dish that is an interpretation of a Zichar classic. For any fried Hor Fun dish, the ‘wok hei ’ or smokiness of the wok should be perfectly infused into the fried noodles to bring it to another level.

KEK’s signature Hor Fun dish has all the hallmarks of a traditional wok-fried noodle dish and is combined here with seafood, bean sprouts, and lap cheong or Chinese sausage. It is served topped with a raw egg, and the presence of the yellow yolk is what gives it its name. 

The egg makes the noodles silkier, and therefore easier to slurp without any ‘rough edges’ or feelings of dryness. The Signature Moonlight Horfun is yet another house favorite among KEK’s diners. 

Source: Keng Eng Kee website.

Apart from all these wonderful signature dishes that are the most popular, KEK also offers other delicious offerings like claypot liver, Salted egg fried squid, butter cereal prawns and claypot seafood.

Deliveries are Available to the Whole of Singapore

Due to the circuit breaker, many Singaporeans may be keen to have their Zichar food delivered to them instead.  In order to accommodate the demand for more deliveries, KEK has enforced a flat delivery fee of $5 nationwide.

So no matter where you are, you can access the best chili crab Singapore hawker when the cravings hit. Pickup is available too. For those who want to dine in, KEK is opened every day of the week. Everyday, they are open for lunch from 11am-2pm and for dinner from 5pm-10pm.

To Conclude, KEK is a Quintessential Singaporean Zichar

Keng Eng Kee has won numerous awards, including winning the Michelin Plate three years in a row from 2016 to 2018. Additionally , they’ve also impressed many distinguished foreign chefs like James Martin and the late Anthony Bourdain. For a quintessential and authentic seafood Zichar experience, as well as to taste one of the best chili crab in Singapore, you can always patronize Keng Eng Kee.