Lee Fun Nam Kee originated from a small hawker stall in Toa Payoh back in 1968. It was at about the same period when soya sauce chicken rice, with its Hong Kong origins, began to catch on among Singaporeans back then. It is said that Mr Lee Nam, the founder of Lee Fun Nam Kee, tweaked his recipe which he believed would appeal more to local palettes.
So here I was to check out their shop at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, sat snugly at the end of block 94 just beside the road. Here's a little trivia - the bosses of Lee Fun Nam Kee and Wee Nam Kee were one-time business partners under a Nam Kee name in Novena, before they subsequently went their separate ways. They are, however, independent of Nam Kee Chicken Rice, whose main branch is in Upper Thomson Road. Currently, it is run by Mr Lee's son, David, whose daughter Genevieve co-owns Sourbombe Bakery in Penang Road, famous for their Bombolini/doughnuts.
They are famed for their soya sauce chicken, and when I tasted it, it is obvious why. The meat was slippery and succulent, and whichever part of the chicken I tried, they were tender and smooth. The braise sauce, though done using a concoction of herbs, had only a subtle herbal hint, such that it didn't overwhelm the natural fragrance of the chicken. The texture of the sauce was also thicker than the Cantonese style of soya sauce chicken that we are probably more familiar with.
We also tried out the steamed white version of their chicken ($18 for half a bird). It, too, was good - though less outstanding in comparison to the signature soya sauce chicken.
The char siew was admittedly ordinary, but all of us at the table loved the roasted pork. We requested for a fattier cut (do note that the request depends on availability, as they allow advanced orders via phone), and the slab of meat we got was meaty yet juicy, complemented with a wickedly crackling skin. I made a mental note that I must quickly return for a second tasting of their roasted pork in the near future to confirm its consistency and quality.
The 5 spice shrimp ngoh hiang ($8 per roll) didn't come pretty - part of it had come loose and crumbled after cutting. Still it was plump and meaty, each piece thickly-sliced and fried to a perfect crisp on the outside.
The Thai-style fried tofu ($10) was lightly-fried with crisp edges, but just wasn't "Thai" enough for us. So I'd give this a miss and save my calories for their chicken dishes.
Lee Fun Nam Kee serves excellent soya sauce chicken and it'd rank among the top in that category, for me at least. Their roast pork is quite outstanding as well, and I'd gladly return for both any day.
Opening Hours: Opens 11 am to 3pm, 5pm to 9 pm. Closed on Thursdays.
Date of Last Visit: 30th October 2022
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