No.1 Western Food

Beef Steak (SGD $7) @ No.1 Western Food. . This old-school stall has been quietly serving lip-smacking Hainanese Western fare for over 50 years, though the stall itself was only setup in 1981 when the 'hawker centre' concept was implemented. Prior to this, founder Ong Choon Chiang used to peddle out of a pushcart. . I have faint recollections of visiting as a kid; my grandparents saw western food as a sort of reward for good behaviour, though in hindsight, they probably enjoyed it just as much, being English educated. . The cut of beef is medium sized but thin, though it's well seasoned with black pepper. Grills almost instantly to a medium well, but is juicy and tender with silvers of fat, having a bold meaty savoury peppery spice flavour. . The sliced cucumbers and tomatoes are fresh and juicy vegetal sweet, while the soft baked beans with sweet savoury notes are kept warm by their beef blanket. The English crinkle cut chips are fluffy and crisp with a nice savoury salty flavour. . But the star is their thick, luscious, tomato-based barbecue gravy, rich with piquant sweet savoury flavour. A 50-year old family recipe that remains a secret to this day, it's deliciously addictive, creating repeat diners of most everyone. Can't get enough of it. . . . Chicken Chop (SGD $6) @ No.1 Western Food. . Nostalgic as my grandparents used to bring me here as a treat; though sadly I'd only rediscovered it a few years back. The stall has been around for over 50 years, and is slated to close in July 2022. . Their secret sauce is the star, a tomato and barbecue sauce base that is rich with piquant sweet savoury flavour, deliciously addictive. . The medium thick slab of boneless chicken is perfectly grilled, tender with a succulent chew and bold meaty smoky sweet savoury salty flavour. . Sides of juicy cucumbers and tomatoes with vegetal sweet flavour, soft baked beans with sweet savoury notes, fluffy crisp English crinkle chips with savoury salty flavour, complete this.

The chicken cutlet are of a breaded kind. The size is enormous, almost covering the plate. Very crispy and tender which is such a joy to eat. Baked beans and crinkled fries with a tomato-like gravy to go with it. I saw the lady pounding a slab of beef steak and slathering some Worcester sauce before putting it on a hotplate. The bang for buck is excellent and a must-try if you are in the vicinity. These old school western food stalls are a dying breed.

Chicken cutlet $6. The star of the dish is the cutlet which is well fried, crispy crust envelopes a thick juicy tender chicken. Its served with a tomato based gravy which you can request to have it poured on the side instead of over your cutlet. My favourite dish at this stall. The side dishes are your standard fare.