The Dead Cockroach: Fatty Ox HK Kitchen - Soy Sauce Chicken Noodle @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

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Soy sauce chicken are a dime a dozen at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre. At last count, there are at least five such stalls here within this complex and that's not including the lesser known ones.

The most famous one of them all - Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle - is the world's first hawker to be awarded one Michelin star. I was a fan of theirs prior their award days but ever since then, I can only shake my head in disappointment at the outrageous queue.

That is when I decided to seek out the other soy sauce chicken located within the food centre.

Cue Fatty Ox HK Kitchen.

The chef, Mr Cheung, is a Hong Konger who moved to Singapore during the 1980s. In 1986, he started his first stall inside a coffee shop at Pagoda Street. Then, in 1991, he moved to Murray Street and operated there for 16 years. Subsequently, he moved to a coffee shop at North Bridge Road for about two years before settling down at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

I have tried their soy sauce chicken ($11/half, $22/whole) a very long time ago but did not write about them then. This time, I decided to order the soy sauce chicken noodle and added on char siew (bbq pork) since I have heard nothing but good reviews about them.

The soy sauce chicken noodle ($3/$4) with char siew costs $5. My order came with a generous mound of thin noodles, a chicken wing and a portion of well-roasted char siew.

What makes Fatty Ox's soy sauce chicken stand out is their ginger and scallion oil dressing (see photos above) which is not found in the other stalls. The succulent chicken wing is flavorful with a slight hint of Chinese herbs however, the thicker part of the drumette is a little bland.

I find their char siew more impressive than the chicken. It comes nicely caramelized with the charred exterior I was looking for while the ratio of fat and meat gave it that heavenly texture. I wished the marinade is sweeter though.

Their thin noodle is almost angel hair-liked. It has a good bite and is tossed in a nice, savory sauce. Do mix in some of their sambal chili for a more umami flavor. I also added in some white vinegar from the pickled green chili for the tang.

Many have wondered why is Fatty Ox HK Kitchen named as such when they do not sell beef? Well, they DO. According to sources, they do a mean ngau lam (beef brisket) and I am keen to try but that is another visit for another day at another time.