Three key things make sambal BBQ stingray what it is: the sambal, the ray and the cincalok (read: fermented small shrimps served as a condiment with chilis, shallots and the juice of a lime). And each component is not more important than the other. For many, supper at a hawker centre is incomplete without an order of the stingray. We're one of the said many.
Here are five late-night spots that serve a better-than-decent plate of the fish.
Here are five late-night spots that serve a better-than-decent plate of the fish.
Hai Wei Yuan BBQ
Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, #01-01
Opening hours: 5.30pm to midnight, daily. Closed on Mondays.
If you've paid Chomp Chomp Food Centre a visit, you'll notice an abundance of BBQ Seafood spots. They're all decent but Hai Wei Yuan BBQ, which occupies the first stall at the centre has won itself legions of fans for a good reason. The ray is cooked over a stove instead of coals, which allows for the fish to be cooked evenly throughout. The result is a succulent, beautifully cooked ray slathered with a spicy, aromatic sambal and accompanied by a tangy, funky cincalok dip.
Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, #01-01
Opening hours: 5.30pm to midnight, daily. Closed on Mondays.
If you've paid Chomp Chomp Food Centre a visit, you'll notice an abundance of BBQ Seafood spots. They're all decent but Hai Wei Yuan BBQ, which occupies the first stall at the centre has won itself legions of fans for a good reason. The ray is cooked over a stove instead of coals, which allows for the fish to be cooked evenly throughout. The result is a succulent, beautifully cooked ray slathered with a spicy, aromatic sambal and accompanied by a tangy, funky cincalok dip.
Fresh fermented shrimp, a key ingredient in the cincalok dip that's served with a plate of sambal stingray
Xin Fu Ji Seafood 新福记
Pasir Panjang Food Centre, 121 Pasir Panjang Road,#01-17
Opening hours: 5.30pm to 11.30pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
To cook good stingray, it takes timing. Too long and you run the risk of it being dry and rubbery. Too short and it'll be slimy; you'll find it hard to pull the flesh apart from the cartilage. The one at Paris Panjang's Xin Fu Ji is good. Perfectly cooked and slathered with a spicy, flavourful sambal. The cincalok that comes with the ray has more zip, which provides much-needed relief for the tastebuds from the spiciness of the sambal.
Tokyo 东京烧
Ayer Rajah Food Centre, 503 West Coast Drive, #01-07
Opening hours: 6pm to 11.30pm, daily
They've got a 30-year history and a reputation for dishing out one of the best plates of sambal stingray. Tokyo at Ayer Rajah Food Centre is an underrated institution. The hawker only serves the meatiest parts of the ray, which means customers won't have to be scraping off skin and the little bits of flesh off the ends. Every bite here counts. The sambal has more tang than the usual sweet variants but it's no less tasty.
Pasir Panjang Food Centre, 121 Pasir Panjang Road,#01-17
Opening hours: 5.30pm to 11.30pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
To cook good stingray, it takes timing. Too long and you run the risk of it being dry and rubbery. Too short and it'll be slimy; you'll find it hard to pull the flesh apart from the cartilage. The one at Paris Panjang's Xin Fu Ji is good. Perfectly cooked and slathered with a spicy, flavourful sambal. The cincalok that comes with the ray has more zip, which provides much-needed relief for the tastebuds from the spiciness of the sambal.
Tokyo 东京烧
Ayer Rajah Food Centre, 503 West Coast Drive, #01-07
Opening hours: 6pm to 11.30pm, daily
They've got a 30-year history and a reputation for dishing out one of the best plates of sambal stingray. Tokyo at Ayer Rajah Food Centre is an underrated institution. The hawker only serves the meatiest parts of the ray, which means customers won't have to be scraping off skin and the little bits of flesh off the ends. Every bite here counts. The sambal has more tang than the usual sweet variants but it's no less tasty.
The slices of red onions sprinkled over the sambal stingray provides a nice relief from the strong flavours of the sambal
Star Yong Kwang Seafood 荣光铁板烧鱼
Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-04
Opening hours: 4:30pm to 10pm, Mon to Fri. 4pm to 10pm, Sat & Sun.
Fans that have followed the hawker stall through the years will still know them as Rong Kwang BBQ Seafood even though the name has since been changed when the hawker's son joined him at the wok. And if you're still doubtful about their food, it's worth noting that business has been so good that they've expanded from one to three stalls at Alexandra Village Food Centre.
There have been gripes among regulars about the inflation of prices - the smallest serving of sambal stingray they have will set you back $16, a price most stalls charge for a large, and the large at Star Yong Kwang can go up to $22. But most customers still come back, lamenting that the sambal here is still the best.
Chan BBQ
Fengshang Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-24
Opening hours: 5pm to 1am, daily.
This one's for the night owls. Taking care of the late-night hunger pangs in the east is Fengshan Centre's Chan BBQ; although the food centre is more known among the locals as Bedok 85. The sambal stingray here is good. The star is its homemade sambal chili that's nutty, savoury and sweet. The funkiness of the hae bi (read: dried shrimp) really shines through, giving the dish a beautiful depth of flavours.
Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-04
Opening hours: 4:30pm to 10pm, Mon to Fri. 4pm to 10pm, Sat & Sun.
Fans that have followed the hawker stall through the years will still know them as Rong Kwang BBQ Seafood even though the name has since been changed when the hawker's son joined him at the wok. And if you're still doubtful about their food, it's worth noting that business has been so good that they've expanded from one to three stalls at Alexandra Village Food Centre.
There have been gripes among regulars about the inflation of prices - the smallest serving of sambal stingray they have will set you back $16, a price most stalls charge for a large, and the large at Star Yong Kwang can go up to $22. But most customers still come back, lamenting that the sambal here is still the best.
Chan BBQ
Fengshang Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-24
Opening hours: 5pm to 1am, daily.
This one's for the night owls. Taking care of the late-night hunger pangs in the east is Fengshan Centre's Chan BBQ; although the food centre is more known among the locals as Bedok 85. The sambal stingray here is good. The star is its homemade sambal chili that's nutty, savoury and sweet. The funkiness of the hae bi (read: dried shrimp) really shines through, giving the dish a beautiful depth of flavours.
