With Queues Now Gone, Chef Wang Fried Rice Still Expands With New Hawker Stall In Potong Pasir

[The_King]

Chef Wang Fried Rice – which drew two-hour-long queues for its Din Tai Fung-style pork chop fried rice when it opened in May this year at Beo Crescent Market – has quietly opened another branch in a Potong Pasir kopitiam. Don’t expect to see hotel chef-turned-hawker Wang Jingjun, 41, whipping up the food at this new stall though – the Potong Pasir outpost is a franchised outlet which will shares its space with an existing mala xiang guo shop that the franchisee also owns. 

 

The rice will be whipped up by “experienced chefs” who’ve been trained for “at least a week” at the HQ stall in Beo Crescent Market, where Jingjun will also remain. He will check up on them “when he has the time”, he adds.

The former chef at Cantonese fine-diner Shang Palace in Shangri-La Singapore and Din Tai Fung tells us that queues at the HQ stall have since dissipated. Even during peak periods, it now only takes around 20 minutes to get your meal at the Beo Crescent outlet. According to Jingjun, the Potong Pasir outlet also doesn’t see much of a queue.

All photos cannot be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg

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  Supplier issues and growing competition contributed to drop in biz

  So what happened to the crazy queues? Jingjun tells us that the queues abated after “around two months”. Now, these snaking queues are entirely gone. The hawker offers two explanations: “Firstly, the competitiveness in the fried rice market has grown tremendously.” We can see what he means – we’ve covered no less than five other DTF-style fried rice hawker joints this year.

  However, he also candidly admits that the loss in “around two-thirds” customers might have to do with food quality: “Second and more importantly, the quality of our food wasn’t consistent due to supplier issues. But we changed the supplier and adjusted our operating procedures, so we’d say that the food quality we insisted on is back,” he says. He declines to share which of his ingredients were affected, nor specific complaints, adding, “Every business gets complaints. You can’t please everyone, but we try to pay attention to complaints and make adjustments.”

  When we asked him why he expanded the biz amid such issues, he explains: “The basic market demand for fried rice is still there. We’re continuing with confidence [that it will work].”

   
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  Deep-fried chicken cutlet sold at new Chef Wang Fried Rice outlet

  Expect the same eggy Din Tai Fung-style fried rice – along with a sambal belacan-laden version – and your choice of toppings. These range from classics like shrimp or pork chop, to fancier canned Australian abalones. Chicken cutlet, battered and crispy, is a new addition to the menu that you won’t be able to get at the original outlet. And yes, senior citizens still enjoy a $0.50 discount at both outlets.

  The chicken cutlet will also be featured on the menu at future stalls – Jingjun tells us that plans for a third outlet in Chinatown are in the works, but can’t confirm any details except that it may be in a coffeeshop or standalone space. 

   
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  Chicken Cutlet Egg Fried Rice, $6.50

  A new offering at the Potong Pasir stall. 

   
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  Chicken Cutlet Sambal Egg Fried Rice, $7

  Top up $0.50 to get sambal with your fried rice.

   
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  The details

  Chef Wang Fried Rice’s second branch is at #01-93 Blk 147 Potong Pasir Ave 1, S350147. Tel: 9655-1905. Open daily 11am – 9pm. Delivery available via Deliveroo.

  The original outlet is at #01-171, Beo Crescent Market, 38A Beo Crescent, S169982. Tel: 9655-1905. Open daily 10am - 8pm. Delivery available via Grabfood, Foodpanda & website.

[chamfer]

Tried his fried rice which is tabao from beo market. Nothing special still lose to king of fried rice (golden mile)

 

Not going to buy again.

[XianGe]

8 hours ago, chamfer said:

Tried his fried rice which is tabao from beo market. Nothing special still lose to king of fried rice (golden mile)

 

Not going to buy again.

 

Me eat bedok branch of KoFR. Gud enuff liao

[aaur4man]

too much carbs

[socrates469bc]

18 hours ago, chamfer said:

Tried his fried rice which is tabao from beo market. Nothing special still lose to king of fried rice (golden mile)

 

Not going to buy again.

 

10 hours ago, XianGe said:

 

Me eat bedok branch of KoFR. Gud enuff liao

 

jin kumgong

 

u smelly peasants really expecting real shang palace quality at hawker's price?????

 

former shang palace chef not so kumgong to use shang palace quality ingredients?????

 

wahahahahahaha