No. 1 Western Food 驰名西餐 (Tanglin Halt Food Centre)

No. 1 Western Food 驰名西餐  is a popular stall which serves Chinese old-school style western food. This stall is located at Tanglin Halt Food Centre, a relatively ulu place (for me). I did not know about this stall until I read it about it on The Hungry Bunny, who highly recommend this stall (Thanks for the recommendation!).

No. 1 Western Food is operated by Mr Ong Choon Chiang, who is now 68 years old, with his wife (it is no mean feat to stand for hours and cook at the age of 68 in front of the hot grills and wok of oil). He first started selling western food more than 40 years ago before the days of McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).  In 1981, he shifted to Tanglin Halt Food Centre and has continued to ply his trade at this food centre till today. No. 1 Western Food is one of the more popular stall in this food centre and is well-known among residents in Tanglin Halt for its crispy Chicken Cutlets. A key differentiation / USP (unique selling point) is his very own special (secret) sauce which I shall elaborate on further below.

Special Sauce

This unique tomato-based barbecue special sauce, whipped by Mr Ong is added onto all the food served. Whether it is Chicken Cutlet, Chicken Chop, Pork Chop, Lamp Chop, Beef Steak or Fish & Chips, this special sauce is added on top! This special sauce is what made it stand out among other western stalls. It is no surprise that the recipe for this sauce remains a secret (During past interviews with The Straits Times interview, Mr Ong did not divulge any details of the ingredients other than the fact that it was made of tomato.).

Pork Chop and Chicken Chop

On certain days, they can sell as many as 100 plates of Chicken Cutlet. This explains why there are so many pieces of Pork Chop and Chicken Chop at the side of the gas griddle.

I ordered Pork Chop and Chicken Cutlet on two different occasions. In the photo above, you can see that my pork chops are being cooked on the gas griddle.

After a while, taken out from the gas griddle and grilled over an electric grill before being served.

Pork Chop $5

The Pork Chop $5 consisted of 2 pieces of pork chop served with baked beans, slices of cucumber and tomato, and fries. The special sauce was added on top of the pork chop.

Pork Chop $5

Pork Chop $5

Although the two slices of Pork Chop were quite thin, they were quite well executed. The exterior of the pork chop was slightly crisp and had a slight hint of smokey aroma (probably both were achieved because the pork chops were put onto the electric grill just before being served). The pork chop was not tough and was well marinated (you have to try the part of the pork chop without the sauce to taste the original flavour).

As for the special sauce, it was addictive and well...special. It had a fine balance of delicately sweet and salty with a hint of tomato flavour. It made a whole world of difference to the taste if you were to add it on the pork chop. The sauce goes very well with the fries and cucumber too! I had a great time dipping them into the sauce.

The Pork Chop was quite decent and worth a try.

On another occasion, I ordered the famous Chicken Cutlet. My chicken cutlet was deep fried in the wok filled with oil at the extreme right of the above photo.

Chicken Cutlet $5

The Chicken Cutlet $5 consisted of a piece of crispy breaded chicken cutlet served with baked beans, slices of cucumber and tomato, and fries. The special sauce was added at the side. I was greedy and requested for more sauce.

Chicken Cutlet $5

Look at how thick the Chicken Cutlet is!

Chicken Cutlet $5

The Chicken Cutlet coated with a thin layer of bread crumbs on the outside was so crispy. The interior was incredibly juicy, tender and tasty (even without the special sauce)! I tried hard to recall, but can't remember when was the last time I tasted such a tasty chicken chop. The Chicken Cutlet was perfectly executed; the flavours and moisture were all locked in! I must emphasis that I have not eaten such a delicious piece of Chicken Cutlet before and this is really out of this world, in a league of its own. I was glad that the special sauce was not added on top of the Chicken Cutlet as it allowed me to savour the original flavour of this piece of Chicken Cutlet. This Chicken Cutlet is the best I ever had in a hawker centre! It is a must order! As for the sauce, it did not go wasted as I dipped all my fries into it! Shiok!

I can't believe that I have not heard of this stall before (so much for being a foodie. But well, its never too late!). Price wise, it was reasonable! If you have not tried this, I would highly recommend for you to try this soon. Do note, unlike most western stalls, this one is self-service. During peak hours, you can expect to wait (queue) for more than half an hour. During my visits, I noticed that some customers would order and come back later to collect their food.

ps: Tanglin Halt Food Centre is about 10 minutes walk away from Commonwealth MRT station.

No. 1 Western Food 驰名西餐 (Tanglin Halt Food Centre)

Blk 1A Commonwealth Drive

#01-13 Tanglin Halt Food Centre 

Singapore 141001

Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Sataturday 4pm to 930pm

                         Sunday 1pm to 930pm

                         Closed on Tuesday

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