The Taiwanese eatery Din Tai Fung (DTF) seems to be the standard bearer for egg fried rice. Many eateries seem to model their egg fried rice after DTF, from its pairing with their signature pork chop right down to the presentation of the dish. The very first time I had an egg fried rice in a hawker setting that was similar to DTF was back in 2021. It was at Taste of Jiang Nan 江南味道 in Maxwell Food Centre and I had marveled about how one could get DTF-style egg fried rice at half the price in a Facebook group (check it out here), garnering a lot of online traction.
These days, similar fried rice eateries are a dime a dozen; there are Hao Lai Ke, King of Fried Rice, Chef Wang Fried Rice and the ubiquitous Wok Hey outlets - and these are just the better-known ones alone. Coincidentally, more than a few of these eateries were started by owners who've had experience in the kitchen of bigger restaurants such as DTF or the Paradise Group and hence probably know more than enough to have the confidence (or some may call it audacity) to strike it out on their own.
Fire Rice 火饭 charts a similar lineage - its owners were assistant chefs at DTF before they decided to set up their own stall at Yishun back in December 2021. They did well enough to set up a second outlet in Toa Payoh, where I am here today. Set up 6 months ago, they serve wok-fried rice with a good variety of toppings of your choice. The style and presentation is understandably similar to DTF, but prices are approximately half of what you'd have to fork out at DTF for the same serving size.
But the most important consideration for any eatery still boils down to taste, and I was about to find that out. The soft-spoken but friendly chef Tommy helms the kitchen at this outlet, and I was happy to have him whip up his signature dishes for me.
The Food
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| Black Pepper Pork Chop Fried Rice ($7) |
What strikes you when the food first arrives is how big the portion is - each plate is almost entirely covered by the food. I could barely see the rice under my Black Pepper Pork Chop Fried Rice as it blanketed over the plate. Sitting near the stall, I could see how most first-time customers walked away from the food collection point with glee at the generous portion they were receiving.
But back to the food. The fried rice itself had an eggy fragrance while the Taiwanese pearl rice grains were light and moist. The wok hei wasn't particularly pronounced - which was okay for me as I prefer my egg fried rice done this way (I expect my Yang Zhou fried rice to have that smoky aroma, and my egg fried rice to have an eggy 蛋香味 instead).
The pork chop itself was sliced to an appropriate thickness, and tender to the bite. It is little wonder, as I had noticed how Chef Tommy times the duration of each item in the fryer and how he moves fast to ensure that they are removed promptly so that they are not overcooked. My dining partners all agreed that the taste of the pork chop was very close to what you'd get at DTF, though one of them claims she'd be able to tell the difference. I am thinking of doing a blind test for her soon. Stay tuned to my FB Page!
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| Brown Shimeji Shrimp Fried Rice ($7.50) |
We also tried out the Brown Shimeji Mushroom Shrimp Fried Rice, which I found to have a slightly different taste profile thanks to the presence of the shimeji mushrooms. There's a subtle fragrance from the shrooms infused into the rice, which is also well-complemented by a generous serving of crunchy shrimps (I counted at least 8). You don't get this on many other menus out there, so I'd recommend you to try this on your visit.
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| Taiwanese Chicken Cutlet Fried Rice ($6.50) |
I was pretty impressed with the Taiwanese-style Chicken Cutlet Fried Rice. For me, the key to a good Taiwanese-style fried chicken cutlet is for the meat to be tender and flavourful with a batter that is not overly thick. The version here is like that, not unlike the ones you get in Taiwanese night markets. I detected five-spice powder, garlic and some cooking wine in the marinade, with the end-product given a dash of paprika, white pepper and salt, among others. Nice, though I still prefer the signature pepper pork chop fried rice.
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| Prawn Paste Chicken Wings ($1.70 each) |
While you’re here, don’t forget to add-on a portion of their Prawn Paste Chicken Wings. Prepared only upon order, the frying of the well-marinated wings are again timed to the minute, leaving it crisp but still juicy - a great way to round off a satisfying meal.
They also have a range of sambal fried rice, which I would like to try out the next time I am back.
Fire Rice Peng Xiang offers value-for-money egg fried rice in a coffeeshop setting that is certainly bang for your buck. Located at a coffeeshop near Braddell MRT Station, do swing by to try them out the next time you are in the Toa Payoh vicinity!
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| With Chef Tommy |
You can also check out the reel below to have a closer look at the food we tried:
Outlets:
Blk 125 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-523
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, closed on TuesdaysBlk 732 Yishun Ave 5 coffeshop
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, closed on Wednesdays
Date of Last Visit: 8th June 2023
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