As its name implies, Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken at Alexandra Village Food Centre specializes in soya sauce chicken which you can have with either rice or noodle. For the latter, you have the option of mee kia, mee pok or hor fun.
I went to join in the queue but realized the service is rather slow as there is only one staff inside the stall chopping chicken and preparing the noodles. A lady outside the stall is taking orders and relaying instructions to the man inside.
Even though the queue is not long, it took about 15 minutes for me to reach the lady. I ordered a plate of soya sauce chicken noodle ($4) and added two pieces of sui kow (80¢ each) ala carte.
I suspect the stall owners are from Hong Kong because firstly, they speak Cantonese. Okay, this might be a bit far fetched since there are many non natives speaking the dialect too. Secondly, the dish they sell, in this case - si yau gai or soya sauce chicken - has Cantonese origins. Thirdly, their choice of vegetable in my plate of hor fun is kai lan. Not sure if you would agree with me, Hong Kong hawkers tend to use kai lan while locals uses chye sim. Lastly, their stall's name "Xiang Jiang" is another name for Hong Kong, just like how Singapura is to Singapore. The pronunciation of "Xiang Jiang" in Cantonese is "Heong Keung" and "Heong Keung" sounds similar to Hong Kong.
Well, this is just my deduction for fun only. When you are in the queue with nothing to do, you have to find something to keep yourself occupied. If you really want to know, just go ask them!
Anyway, I did not request for a specific chicken part so I got a chicken breast and a wing. The skinless chicken breast chopped in thick chunks exhibited a tender and fleshy texture but taste wise, does not exude that soya fragrance.
I could have sworn I was having poached chicken if I am having this in a blindfold test.
I distinctively asked for si yau gai meen (soya sauce chicken noodle) which they should have given me mee kia by default but I am not sure why I got the hor fun instead? Well, I like hor fun too so it is alright.
However, I find there is not quite enough sauce to coat the hor fun which is not as slippery and smooth as I like. In fact, the hor fun felt sticky and clumpy I had to add in some soup to help loosen them up to make the tossing easier.
Honestly, I do not find the soya sauce very memorable as the flavor is not very distinct to me.
Their jumbo-sized sui kow is packed with marinated minced pork, water chestnut, prawn and black fungus. I am wondering where did they get such a big wanton skin to wrap all that goodness in? They were quite lovely to have.
The soup from most noodle stalls usually come as an afterthought but not the one here. There is a strong umami flavor from a certain dried Chinese seafood product which I highly suspected to be conpoy. You can even taste it in the sui kow filling.
But whatever it is, due to the addition of this mysterious ingredient, the soup is as Cantonese as it can get.
Simply irresistible!
Although this stall specializes in soya sauce chicken, it is their sui kow and soup that impresses me more. Not that their chicken is bad. The texture is done right but for the flavor, let's just say I had better ones elsewhere although I still do not mind having theirs if I am at this food centre.
The next time I come, I shall order the chicken drumstick with rice and a bowl of sui kow soup.
The full extended menu for your perusal.
XIANG JIANG SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN 香江豉油鸡
Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-77
Singapore 150120
Business Hours
Wed - Mon: 7am - 2pm
Closed: Tue
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fLqMJhMfSPmeddb8A
Even though the queue is not long, it took about 15 minutes for me to reach the lady. I ordered a plate of soya sauce chicken noodle ($4) and added two pieces of sui kow (80¢ each) ala carte.
I suspect the stall owners are from Hong Kong because firstly, they speak Cantonese. Okay, this might be a bit far fetched since there are many non natives speaking the dialect too. Secondly, the dish they sell, in this case - si yau gai or soya sauce chicken - has Cantonese origins. Thirdly, their choice of vegetable in my plate of hor fun is kai lan. Not sure if you would agree with me, Hong Kong hawkers tend to use kai lan while locals uses chye sim. Lastly, their stall's name "Xiang Jiang" is another name for Hong Kong, just like how Singapura is to Singapore. The pronunciation of "Xiang Jiang" in Cantonese is "Heong Keung" and "Heong Keung" sounds similar to Hong Kong.
Well, this is just my deduction for fun only. When you are in the queue with nothing to do, you have to find something to keep yourself occupied. If you really want to know, just go ask them!
Anyway, I did not request for a specific chicken part so I got a chicken breast and a wing. The skinless chicken breast chopped in thick chunks exhibited a tender and fleshy texture but taste wise, does not exude that soya fragrance.
I could have sworn I was having poached chicken if I am having this in a blindfold test.
I distinctively asked for si yau gai meen (soya sauce chicken noodle) which they should have given me mee kia by default but I am not sure why I got the hor fun instead? Well, I like hor fun too so it is alright.
However, I find there is not quite enough sauce to coat the hor fun which is not as slippery and smooth as I like. In fact, the hor fun felt sticky and clumpy I had to add in some soup to help loosen them up to make the tossing easier.
Honestly, I do not find the soya sauce very memorable as the flavor is not very distinct to me.
Their jumbo-sized sui kow is packed with marinated minced pork, water chestnut, prawn and black fungus. I am wondering where did they get such a big wanton skin to wrap all that goodness in? They were quite lovely to have.
The soup from most noodle stalls usually come as an afterthought but not the one here. There is a strong umami flavor from a certain dried Chinese seafood product which I highly suspected to be conpoy. You can even taste it in the sui kow filling.
But whatever it is, due to the addition of this mysterious ingredient, the soup is as Cantonese as it can get.
Simply irresistible!
Although this stall specializes in soya sauce chicken, it is their sui kow and soup that impresses me more. Not that their chicken is bad. The texture is done right but for the flavor, let's just say I had better ones elsewhere although I still do not mind having theirs if I am at this food centre.
The next time I come, I shall order the chicken drumstick with rice and a bowl of sui kow soup.
The full extended menu for your perusal.
XIANG JIANG SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN 香江豉油鸡
Alexandra Village Food Centre
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-77
Singapore 150120
Business Hours
Wed - Mon: 7am - 2pm
Closed: Tue
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fLqMJhMfSPmeddb8A
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