The Great Indian Food Fest & Great Soya Sauce Chicken Rice

Hello Makan Kakis! Meet our new Foodie Friend S. Mahenthiran, Honorary Secretary of Indian Restaurants Association Singapore, organizers of The Great Indian Food Fest (from July 19-28 ), to celebrate the rich history, culture and evolution of Little India and its diverse cuisine.

Sixteen food carts have been set up along Campbell Lane for the public to indulge in little seen or heard of Indian, as well as Chinese and Malay, dishes from the 1960s, like Putu Bola and Kuli Paniyaram (which you can have savoury & spicy, or as a sweet dessert). Visitors can also take part in a guided heritage food trail through Tekka Centre involving food tasting and interaction with hawkers. Free activities like the parrot fortune teller, snake charmer and henna art have also been brought in to enhance the experience. Look out also for Singapore’s only authentic kacang puteh man, who usually can be seen at Peace Centre – he makes his appearance at the Great Indian Food Festival too! So if you’re hankering after a cherished taste of flavours from the past, or looking for a fun, tasty & educational experience for the younger ones in your family, this is the place to be! You still have time to head on over to the Great Indian Food Fest on Campbell Lane. It’s on daily till Sunday, 10am – 10pm.

HEAR:

• Click to listen/ download podcast – Part 1 of The Great Indian Food Fest.
• Click to listen/ download podcast – Part 2 of The Great Indian Food Fest.
• Click to listen/ download podcast of this week’s Chicken Rice recommendation!

SEE:

Mahen also happens to come from a proud culinary heritage – his family owns & runs Gayatri Restaurants, which was started by his father 23 years ago in 1996. From the age of 14, after starting to help out at the restaurant and really getting involved in the nitty gritty – washing dishes & scrubbing pots in the kitchen – his passion for food and the family business was sparked. Today, Mahen is the Director of Gayatri Restaurant and when he’s got a Sunday off from his busy job, he usually ends up at a place he’s been eating at with his parents since he was a kid.

For a consistently good, comforting family meal, you can’t go wrong with Hainanese Chicken Rice. Mahen’s go-to place is in Toa Payoh and coincidentally, is also a family-run business. Lee Fun Nam Kee has been around since 1968, serving up fragrant platters of their signature Soya Sauce Chicken for the last 50 years. But for Mahen, what really stands out for him is their chilli sauce, which is not too spicy, with just the right amount of garlic and tang. He doesn’t know what secret ingredients are in the chilli, but it’s what keeps him going back for more. It goes perfectly with their rice and  Soya Sauce Chicken.

If you prefer the more typical Hainanese-style steamed chicken, Lee Fun Nam Kee has got it too, along with roast duck and other tasty treats. So Chicken Rice lovers, this is definitely a place to try if you haven’t already!

TASTE:
Lee Fun Nam Kee
94, Lor 4 Toa Payoh, #01-04, Singapore 310094
Open Daily: 11am – 3pm
Tel: +65 62550891