This plate of economy rice is anything but economical. It is luxurious, indulgent, even bourgeois. It is possibly the single most expensive cai fan order in history. And it was created at 666 Cai Fan, a new hawker stall in Toa Payoh.
Perhaps we were being a bit hyperbolic there. But how can you blame us, when the plate cost us a whole $26.40? This inflated price was the result of several premium items rarely found at cai fan stalls—some you may have spotted in the headline or photos. Let’s have a closer look at each of them.
Fish is often the most expensive cai fan dish, and here that title goes to Unagi ($7.50). It impressed us with its freshness, size, and sweet-savoury glaze. However, being left out too long on the cai fan display left it dry on the inside.
Our reckless spending saw us get two fish items, the second being the Salmon ($4.50). This deep-fried piece of salmon was drizzled with pesto sauce, lending a herby, aromatic lift to each bite.
Cai fan stalls usually don’t offer mutton, let alone the Lamb Rack ($4.50) you see in this picture. It was so nice just biting this off the bone and finding that it was succulent, and not overly gamey.
As if our plate couldn’t get more atas, we also got the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin ($5), neatly chopped into cubes for easy consumption. Again, being left out on the display meant it arrived cold on our plate, yet it remained surprisingly tender. It also used a brown sauce that lent a sweet, peppery note to each bite.
Though Prawns are common at cai fan stalls, the ones here really stood out. Plump, sweet, crunchy, and coated in an addictive sambal, we loved these so much that we forgot they cost us $3.50.
Who in their right mind is going to spend more than $20 on cai fan? We can hear you asking. Well, 666 Cai Fan also offers your usual cai fan dishes, most of which are rather affordable. Savvy diners might opt for one premium item alongside a mix of staples, building a zhnged-up plate of economical rice without breaking the bank.
Check out our full video review above!
For wallet-friendly alternatives, read our cheap cai fan in Singapore guide. For Korean cai fan with free-flow sides, read our Koggii coverage.
Address: 125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-523, Singapore 310125
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 8pm
Tel: 8466 8831
Website
666 Cai Fan is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Jordan Ong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.