It's been almost 4 years since So Good Char Chan Tang first set root in Singapore. Since then, I've been visiting their various outlets rather frequently, as they do offer food of good standard at reasonable prices.
In terms of ambience, I would say that the setting here is closer to casual modern-chic rather than an authentic HK char chan tang. Friends Cafe HK at Springside in the north would resemble that more closely (you can check out my review of Friends Cafe HK here). They have in place an automated order process where you'd have to pay and scan a buzzer first - you could check out how the place looks like and the order process in my TikTok here. Most So Good outlets have an adjacent bakery where you can grab their freshly-baked treats if you are in a hurry.
 |
| HK-Style Milk Tea ($2.50) |
For breakfast, they have both Oriental and Western value sets ranging from $6.90 (for most) to $8 (for the all-day western breakfast set). For the Oriental sets, you get a congee & drink plus one of the following 4: carrot cake, bee hoon, glutinous rice or rice roll. For Western sets, you could choose a macaroni soup with a choice of meat & drink, or a sandwich with drink, or a butter polo bun with drink.
 |
| Polo Bun with Butter ($2.60) |
My wife is a huge fan of polo buns and we were impressed by the sweet, crusty exterior with a slightly fluffy interior. The generously-thick slice of good quality butter was a bonus. At $2.60, it's quite a steal and an ideal tea-time snack that will not just pacify but satisfy a hungry tummy. It is also available at their bakery next door.
 |
| Luncheon Meat & Egg Sandwich ($3.90) |
We also tried the luncheon meat and egg sandwich. The scrambled egg was visually impressive, but otherwise it's the kind of sandwich that fills one up but nothing much else.
 |
| Macaroni Soup with Luncheon Meat ($5.60) |
Macaroni soup is a common item in a Hong Kong char chan tang, and can be very comforting when eaten on a cold, wet morning. It's my daughter's must-order here, even if it's essentially macaroni in chicken stock served with a slice of luncheon meat - simple fare that caters to simple tastes.
 |
| Condensed Milk & Butter Thick Toast ($2.60) |
A signature item on the menu, this is an aromatic crispy bun with melted butter and a douse of condensed milk on top, giving a nicely savoury-sweet flavor - perfect when washed down with a cup of their classic Hongkong-Style milk tea.
 |
| Egg Tarts |
By far the most popular baked pastry here, the egg tarts have a buttery, flaky exterior that are filled with smooth and eggy custard. Again, they are available for sale at the bakery beside, so you can pick them up on-the-go. The turnover rate is extremely high for the tarts, so more often than not, they are fresh and warm to the bite and taste absolutely heavenly. So good, I must say.
 |
| Steamed Rice Flat Noodles with Beef Brisket ($7.60) |
The Steamed Rice Flat Noodles with Beef Brisket sounded like an interesting proposition - and indeed it was. It is essentially a broader version of the chee cheong fun that we are used to here, paired with braised beef brisket (a mix of tendons, lean and fatty meat).
Not many places, if any, offer this combination, and I wonder why. The savory braise sauce was an ideal complement to the plain-tasting flat noodles; the gelatinous tendons and lean meat providing a contrast to the silky-smooth flat noodles. It's a pairing which I enjoyed to the last spoon. I'd definitely recommend this.
 |
| Pan-fried Carrot Cake ($6.90 with congee & drink) |
Another dish that I like here is the pan-fried carrot cake. From the way the carrot cake fell apart after picking it up from the plate, you can tell that this version had a lower flour-to-radish ratio unlike the ones in many dim sum eateries. True enough, I was pleased with the thick strips of juicy radish and bits of chinese sausages it contained. Just lightly pan-fried, there's not too much grease to the dish too. Again, something I would recommend here.
 |
| Glutinous Rice ($6.90 with congee & drink) |
The glutinous rice was about the size of one's palm and comes wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf. It doesn't look particularly outstanding at first sight, but the filling of chicken bits and salted egg lent a good balance to the glutinous rice. Pair this with the chilli oil that you can self-serve at the collection counter. The smaller serving size also means that you wouldn't find it too cloying if you were having this on your own.
 |
| Century Egg & Lean Meat Congee ($7.50) |
 |
| Fried Hor Fun with Prawns in Scrambled Egg Sauce ($12.80) |
While you are here, you'd probably see patrons bringing this back to the table fairly often. I did, and the aroma of the wok hei wafted through the air as they walked past, which was enough to entice me to order it. It's an eggy mess when it arrives, and it tastes as beautiful as it looks. The hor fun had been well-seared by the wok and the gravy was delicious. One of the better stir-fried hor fun I've had in recent times. A little pricy I must say, though the crystal prawns were quite plentiful.
So Good Char Chan Teng offers food at reasonable prices, making it an affordable place for a quick luncheon with friends. Their timed sets (Oriental & Western Breakfast Sets between 9am to 11am, Afternoon Tea Sets between 2.30pm to 5.30pm) are quite wallet-friendly too. Service may not be the best around, though, so you may have to temper your expectations on that front. But it's a no-frills dining experience, and that's as authentic Hong Kong as you can get.
Address: 111 Somerset Rd, TripleOne Somerset #01-16
(Other outlets at Midview City, Capitol Piazza, 100AM & i12 Katong. There is a bakery at Republic Plaza)
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Mon to Fri), 9am – 9pm (Sat to Sun)
Hours differ depending on outlet. You can refer to https://sogood.sg/#contact
Date of Last Visit: 3rd May 2023 (Prices indicated based on date of visit)
Comments
Post a Comment