The Hainan Story
17 Petir Road
#01-15 Hillion Mall
500 Jalan Sultan
#01-09 Hotel Boss
https://www.facebook.com/thehainanstory/
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Traditional Edition (SGD $15.80) |
The Best Of Chinese Hainanese Cuisine
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $23 per person.
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Opening in December 2020, The Hainan Story is a 5-in-1 multi-concept modern casual dining eatery specialising in traditional Chinese Hainanese cuisine. While Chicken Rice might be the most famous of such dishes (and is available here), The Hainan Story brings to the forefront other traditional heritage Chinese Hainanese dishes, prepared using treasured family recipes; a tribute to the early Singapore settlers.
Ambience at The Hainan Story resembles a modern coffee shop; bright lit and clean, with heritage-inspired furnishings of eclectic coloured wooden chairs and marble-topped tables, spaced neatly apart within the air-conditioned interior. The kitchen facade is designed to visually resemble the streetside shophouses of old. Eye-catching artwork murals and green walls complete the decor. Note there is usually a queue to enter the premises, with waiting times of up to 30 minutes.
Service at The Hainan Story is nothing like a coffee shop; staff greet and seat guests expeditiously when tables become available, and they helpfully offer guidance with the electronic ordering process. Menu descriptions are clear and supported with pictures, so staff product knowledge usually isn't tested. Payment is made electronically, and dishes are usually prepared within 10 minutes, with staff serving them to your table. I note they also clean up quickly when diners are finished.
Food at The Hainan Story is as if the place was a Chinese Hainanese coffee shop, offering heritage dishes under 5 different brands. From classics like Chicken Rice, Hainanese Pork Chop, and Satay, to uncommon favourites like Pumpkin Porridge, English Oxtail Stew, and Salt Baked Chicken, dishes are as authentic and delicious as they come. Served in large individual portions, also suitable for sharing. Prices are comparable to a cafe, budget about SGD $23 per person for a meal here.
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| The Hainan Story Signage |
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| The Hainan Story Exterior |
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| The Hainan Story Interior |
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| Seating |
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| Seating |
The Home Made Lemonade (SGD $2.80) has a proper zesty sour sweet tangy flavour, with the lemonade itself having a cloudy appearance and a smooth refreshing texture. Good!
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| Home Made Lemonade (SGD $2.80) |
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| Home Made Lemonade |
The Hainanese Coffee & Bun Set (SGD $5) is a traditional Singaporean breakfast meal. The Butter & Sugar Toast features thick yet soft moist spongy slices of toasted white bread, layered with luscious creamy butter and crunchy sugar crystals, having a lovely smoky buttery bready sweet flavour. The Gula Melaka Kaya & Butter Toast has thick yet soft moist spongy slices of toasted white bread, layered with rich sticky gula melaka pandan kaya / palm sugar screwpine leaf coconut egg jam paste and creamy butter, having a beautiful smoky buttery earthy floral sweet flavour. The runny Soft Boiled Eggs, enhanced with dark soy sauce and white pepper, has bold eggy sweet savoury salty peppery spice flavour. The Kopi C Siew Dai is a cup of aromatic coffee with evaporated milk and reduced sugar, fragrant with toasty earthy milky sweet flavour. The Teh O is a cup of fragrant black tea with reduced sugar, enticing with earthy sweet flavour. Good!
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| Hainanese Coffee & Bun Set (SGD $5) |
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| Butter & Sugar Toast |
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| Butter & Sugar Toast |
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| Gula Melaka Kaya & Butter Toast |
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| Gula Melaka Kaya & Butter Toast |
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| Soft Boiled Eggs |
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| Soft Boiled Eggs |
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| Soft Boiled Eggs |
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| Soft Boiled Eggs |
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| Kopi C Siew Dai |
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| Kopi C Siew Dai |
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| Teh O |
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| Teh O |
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| Hainanese Coffee & Bun Set |
The Yuan Yang Satay With Peanut Sauce & Pineapple Sauce (SGD $15 for 10 sticks) has skewers of medium thick, chunky yet tender pork or chicken meat, grilled nicely. Comes clean off the skewer with a succulent juicy chew, and has robust savoury salty spice flavour. Served with crunchy cucumbers with vegetal sweet flavour, crisp red onions with sharp vegetal sour spice flavour, and juicy pineapple with fruity sweet sour flavour. There's 2 dipping sauces, a thick chunky peanut gravy with nutty salty savoury flavour, and a spiced pineapple gravy with bright fruity sweet spice notes. I wish there was more peanut sauce though, as the portion is insufficient. Overall, above average quality. Worth ordering!
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| Yuan Yang Satay With Peanut Sauce & Pineapple Sauce (SGD $15 for 10 sticks) |
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| Yuan Yang Satay With Peanut Sauce & Pineapple Sauce |
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| Yuan Yang Satay With Peanut Sauce & Pineapple Sauce |
The unique Pork Meat Ball Trio Egg Pumpkin Porridge (SGD $9.80) is more congee than porridge. This has a base of pumpkin puree infused congee, thick and silky with a lovely pronounced vegetal earthy grainy sweet flavour. Garnished with tender juicy hand-kneaded pork meat balls with meaty sweet savoury flavour, and a trio of eggs (century, regular, salted) with eggy sweet salty herbal flavour. Completed with crisp spring onions for a light crunch, and airy spongy you tiao / fried dough fritters with bready sweet savoury flavour that picks up the congee so well. Good!
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| Pork Meat Ball Trio Egg Pumpkin Porridge (SGD $9.80) |
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| Pork Meat Ball Trio Egg Pumpkin Porridge |
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| Pork Meat Ball Trio Egg Pumpkin Porridge |
Parents enjoyed the Old English Oxtail Stew (SGD $18.80), with its oh-so-tender, fall-off-the-bone beef oxtail meat. The rich tomato and beef stock gravy lends well to the meaty savoury salty flavour of the oxtail, while the creamy smooth mashed potato holds mild starchy savoury sweet flavour. Yummy comfort dish. Highly recommended!
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| Old English Oxtail Stew (SGD $18.80) |
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| Old English Oxtail Stew |
The 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Traditional Edition (SGD $15.80) is a Chinese Hainanese staple, an early fusion dish inspired by British English cuisine. The medium thick pork chop is coated in a potato chip batter, crisp crunchy on the outside, tender moist on the inside, with succulent meaty sweet savoury grainy flavour. Dressed with soft caramelised white onions with vegetal sweet flavour, juicy green peas with bright vegetal earthy grassy sweet notes, and tender diced potatoes with starchy salty savoury flavour. Served with a chilled cucumber and cherry tomato salad with bright vegetal sweet flavour and crunchy juicy textures, as well as warm baked beans in tomato sauce with mild vegetal grainy sweet flavour and soft tender textures. Completed with more of the house tomato ketchup gravy. It was most excellent. Highly recommended!
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Traditional Edition (SGD $15.80) |
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Traditional Edition |
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Traditional Edition |
Alternatively, you can DIY your own side dishes if you don't want the 'standard' sides, as we did with the 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Buttered Carrot & Broccoli, Asian Slaw (SGD $15.80).
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Buttered Carrot & Broccoli, Asian Slaw (SGD $15.80) |
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Buttered Carrot & Broccoli, Asian Slaw |
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Buttered Carrot & Broccoli, Asian Slaw |
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| 1980s Hainanese Pork Cutlet, Buttered Carrot & Broccoli, Asian Slaw |
Loved the Laksa With Hainanese Poached Chicken (SGD $8.50). Filled with slippery chor bee hoon / thick rice vermicelli noodles, tender juicy poached chicken, soft fish cake, wobbly hard boiled egg, crisp bean sprouts, spongy tau pok / dried tofu puffs, and crunchy pork skin crackling. The laksa gravy is rich with rempah / spice paste, infusing the dish with bold savoury spice sweet herbal flavour. Good!
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| Laksa With Hainanese Poached Chicken (SGD $8.50) |
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| Laksa With Hainanese Poached Chicken |
An uncommon dish, the Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew (SGD $11.80) was well executed, without any gamey taste. The lamb is tender with a light chew, and picks up the rich gravy with its meaty savoury salty herbal flavours so well. Completed with tender broccoli and carrots with vegetal sweet flavour, crunchy black fungus / cloud ear fungus with vegetal earthy flavour, and silky dried beancurd sheets with grainy savoury flavour. Best paired with a bowl of white rice. Good!
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| Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew (SGD $11.80) |
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| Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew |
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| Ah Kor Hainanese Lamb Stew |
The Newspaper Hainanese Kou Rou Curry Rice Set (SGD $8.80) is a large, filling, value-for-money set, where every component was well executed. I love that they're generous with the curry, pouring it over the fluffy white rice before any other ingredients are added, which causes it to be nicely absorbed. The curry is rich with milky earthy floral savoury spicy flavour, and a mild fiery kick. The Hainanese stewed vegetables of cabbage and black fungus / cloud ear fungus are soft and moist, with mild vegetal earthy sweet flavour. The slabs of braised pork belly were thick cut, juicy, and tender, with bold salty herbal sweet savoury flavour. The egg omelette is studded with spring onions, and yields eggy savoury sweet vegetal flavour. Completed with crisp prawn crackers, grainy tempeh / fermented soy bean cake, and a spicy chili. Good!
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| Newspaper Hainanese Kou Rou Curry Rice Set (SGD $8.80) |
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| Newspaper Hainanese Kou Rou Curry Rice Set |
The Hainanese Father-In-Law Banana Leaf Grilled Stingray (SGD $18.80 for 200g) was the weakest link during our visit. The sambal belachan chili wasn't as spicy savoury as we would have liked, being oddly towards the sweet side, making this overall dish rather tame. That said, the stingray was meaty and well portioned. Could be improved.
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| Hainanese Father-In-Law Banana Leaf Grilled Stingray (SGD $18.80 for 200g) |
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| Hainanese Father-In-Law Banana Leaf Grilled Stingray |
The Rum & Raisin Butter Cake (SGD $2.80) is a classic British English pound cake, light and airy moist, studded with juicy rum infused raisins. Each bite releases a pleasant fruity sweet boozy buttery bready flavour, delicious. Highly recommended!
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| Rum & Raisin Butter Cake (SGD $2.80) |
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| Rum & Raisin Butter Cake |
The Nanyang Yam Taro Orh Nee Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) has a soft airy light sponge cake, layered with smooth yam / taro cream. Has a mild earthy sweet flavour, yum. I like that it's fairly light on the palate, and not overly sweet or cloying. Good!
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| Nanyang Yam Taro Orh Nee Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) |
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| Nanyang Yam Taro Orh Nee Swiss Roll |
The Hainanese Coconut Pandan Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) has a soft airy light sponge cake, layered with smooth coconut pandan / screwpine leaf cream. Has an enticing floral earthy sweet flavour, tasty. I like that it's fairly light on the palate, rather addictive. Good!
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| Hainanese Coconut Pandan Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) |
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| Hainanese Coconut Pandan Swiss Roll |
The Sea Salt Gula Melaka Kaya Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) has a soft airy light sponge cake, layered with sticky gula melaka kaya / palm sugar coconut egg jam, sprinkled with sea salt. Has a pronounced floral earthy savoury sweet salty flavour, nice. I like that it's fairly light on the palate, with a super fluffy soft feel. Good!
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| Sea Salt Gula Melaka Kaya Swiss Roll (SGD $3.80) |
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| Sea Salt Gula Melaka Kaya Swiss Roll |
The unique Hainanese Gula Melaka Egg Tart (SGD $4) is certainly interesting. A crumbly pastry tart shell holds wobbly soft egg custard, with a center of gula melaka / palm sugar paste. Bite into the crust and it shatters satisfyingly with buttery sweet notes, then you get the smooth eggy sweet flavour of the custard, followed by the deep floral earthy sweet flavour of the paste. Didn't have high hopes for this, but it's decently tasty. Worth ordering!
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| Hainanese Gula Melaka Egg Tart (SGD $4) |
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| Hainanese Gula Melaka Egg Tart |
Got a tin of Ondeh Ondeh Cookies (SGD $12). These little round cookies have a firm yet satisfying crunch to texture, and I can see the rough uneven surface studded with walnuts and grated coconut. Has a lovely floral earthy sweet nutty flavour, from the infused gula melaka / palm sugar, coconut, pandan / screwpine leaf, and walnuts. Can't stop at just a single piece! Good!
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| Ondeh Ondeh Cookies (SGD $12) |
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| Ondeh Ondeh Cookies |
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CONVERSATION