Keng Eng Kee Seafood 瓊榮記海鮮 pronounced as qióng róng jì, also known as KEK, is one of the Michelin starred restaurant that is located in a quiet Bukit Merah area, beside Alexandra Village Hawker Centre. KEK has started their family business since 1970, from a Hainanese Chicken Rice stall to the current 3rd generation Zi Char operation. KEK has an interesting family love story between the eldest daughter of the 1st gen owner and their employed full-time chef, which more information can be found on their menu.
We were there at 6pm on a Sunday, and many tables outside the coffee shop were already occupied with a big crowd.
Some of the KEK's signature dishes are Coffee Pork Ribs, Salted Egg Yolk Crab and of course the Chilli Crab.
Interesting history of KEK can be found on the menu.
The first dish served to us was KEK's signature Coffee Pork Ribs. This is definitely a must order dish for all coffee lovers. Rich and strong aroma Coffee scent, mixed with sugar and oyster sauce - the Coffee Pork Ribs is really a good dish to mix with white rice. Some of the zi char stalls tend to overcook their sauce, which would make the Coffee Pork Ribs tough and bitter. However, the Coffee Pork Ribs served here was exactly the opposite. Tender and boneless, the meat from the Pork Ribs was soft and chewy with the coffee aroma.
The next dish that came up was KEK's signature salted egg crab. Creamy sauce with the combination of salted egg yolk and the right amount of evaporated milk used, the sauce itself is already the star of the dish. We were told that at KEK, the owner will ensure that all the crabs used are fresh and up to a certain standard. The crab meat was fresh and thick, and the sauce served was enough for you to scoop and eat it on its own.
Next came was the stir-fried brinjal. This dish has good wok hei taste, which makes me went for a few more pieces.
Next came was the "Choy Hiang" tofu, which the staff recommended. Deep fried homemade tofu with stir-fried minced pork & canned vegetable, this dish is good to mix with white rice! The tofu was smooth on the inside and crispy on the outside, it is definitely a good try.
Up next is their homemade Hay Chor (prawn roll)! The beancurd skin was filled with minced pork, prawns, carrots and water chestnut. It was then deep fried until golden crispy. For the price ($2 each piece) and the amount of good stuff inside, it is really worth it though it is still a little more pricey as compared to other zi char stalls. I prefer to eat my hay chor without any sweet sauce as it is flavorful enough.
A whole load of good stuff in a piece of Hay Chor.
The last dish that came was their signature Chilli Crab. By then, we were all having high expectation on this last dish, especially after we have tasted the salted egg crab. The Chilli crab, of course, did not disappoint us as well. The gravy is da bomb! The best method of eating the sauce is, of course, to eat it together with fried mantou. It is such a pity that at KEK, they don't serve fried mantou, but served Chinese steam pau instead. For those who would like to have an extra serving of the chili crab sauce, you will have to pay an extra $4.
All in all, KEK Seafood is definitely up to the Michelin star standard. All the dishes that we ordered are suitable for our liking. It is definitely one of the zi char places I would keep returning.
What I like about KEK is their fast service. The first dish was served just 5 minutes after we order. All the dishes were also subsequently served within 30 minutes. Despite our indecisiveness on what to order (due to a big group with 8 of us), the staff at KEK did not stress us to order, which to us, they are very customer friendly. Most importantly, despite their constant good business with many patrons, the food quality at KEK is up to standard as they have their own system in place to prepare the food. I would definitely recommend KEK to anyone who wants quality and affordable food.
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