Hungry Wok—New Zi Char Stall In Toa Payoh Helmed By A Young Hawker

Hungry Wok is a newly opened zi char stall situated in an unassuming coffee shop along the streets of Toa Payoh. Opened by a young entrepreneur, the menu comprises a mix of conventional zi char fare as well as innovative hawker food.

Whipping up almost a hundred dishes in total—from soups to fried rice dishes to creative dishes such as the Imperial Cereal Milk Pork—this place impressed us with the sheer number of dishes given that they opened less than a week ago.

We went straight for the Sambal Kang Kong (S$6 for small, S$8 for medium and S$12 for large) as well the Prawn Paste Chicken (S$8 for small, S$10 for medium and S$12 for large)—our go-to whenever we are having a meal at zi char stalls.

We thought that the Sambal Kang Kong had just the right amount of spiciness to it—the sambal was mild in flavour but just enough to give the dish an extra punch. However, we would have much preferred if it was less salty.

The har cheong gai was something that we looked forward to, but we were disappointed upon our first bite as it lacked in terms of fragrance and flavour. While the wings were nicely coated with a crispy skin and had succulent, juicy meat beneath, it didn’t make the cut as a good prawn paste chicken as it lacked a distinct prawn paste flavour.

This dish would have fared well if it was just a fried chicken dish, but as far as prawn paste chicken is concerned, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Having been opened by young entrepreneurs, it is not surprising to see dishes such as The Salted Egg Pork Rib (S$9 for small, S$12 for medium and S$15 for large) on the menu to cater to the refined local tastebuds. Unlike the previous two dishes, this dish did not disappoint although it isn’t the best around.

The tender pork ribs were nicely doused with a luscious and creamy salted egg yolk sauce. We liked how the sauce wasn’t overly rich which allowed the flavour of the pork ribs to shine through fairly well too.

The Mongolia Fried Diced Chicken (S$8 for small, S$10 for medium and S$12 for large) was probably the highlight of our meal. This interesting dish had a complex flavour—sweet, savoury and yet spicy—and we were surprised by how all the flavours were apparent even with so much going on in one sauce.

Hungry Wok
Blk 73 #01-585 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
Singapore 310073
Daily: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm
Tel: 83323133/ 82685449
Nearest Station: Toa Payoh