Happy Chef Western Foods Review: Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu At $10 At Lavender

Happy Chef Western Foods at Crawford Lane

As a food enthusiast on a budget, I’ve always been on the lookout for cheap eats in hawker centres around Singapore. After hearing about Happy Chef Western Foods, a Western hawker stall selling tasty cafe-style dishes along Crawford Lane for over 10 years, a few of us decided to head down to try the food out for ourselves.

Food at Happy Chef Western Foods

We ordered a plate of Chicken Kiev ($10), which they are best known for. We went a little wild over the food when it arrived – the picture displayed on the menu simply didn’t do the cheesy chicken any justice. The chicken cordon bleu had a crispy, battered exterior, with a layer of ham and a core stuffed with mozzarella.

To see whether the cheese was ooey, gooey and soft, we gave it a nice, long pull and were pleased with the results. The chicken, ham and cheese combined delivered an explosion of umami flavour. The dish was also served with a side of brown mushroom gravy, which elevated the flavour of the decadent dish.

Beef lovers, you will enjoy their Sirloin Steak ($9). We requested for medium rare, and the slab of meat featured a pink interior that did not bleed, with a charred exterior. It was really juicy and very well-marinated.

Lastly, we dug into our Happy Chef Chicken ($7), which was slathered with barbecue sauce. Sadly, it did not taste as good as it looked. Not only did it lack seasoning, but it was really dry too. The deep red BBQ sauce was also sickly sweet, with little heat.

To go with your main is a slice of garlic bread and a choice of two sides, with options such as rice, mashed potatoes, potato salad, spaghetti, sunny-side up egg, and fries. The potato salad was very appetising, and was speckled with dots of black pepper.

While the french fries were thick and evenly salted, I’m uncertain if the mashed potatoes ladled with gravy were house-made, as it sure did taste like something out of an instant mix. The spaghetti, too, was a disappointment, as it tasted rather cheap. Each main also comes with a complimentary slice of garlic bread.

Ambience at Happy Chef Western Foods

The stall is located beside Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles in Tai Hwa Eating House. My first impression of Happy Chef Western Foods was that it looked nothing out of the ordinary, easily mistakable for just another hawker stall serving your usual coffee shop Western food.

The verdict

Overall, I found the food served at Happy Chef Western Foods very value-for-money. For a steak to cost only $9, I considered it quite a steal. Moreover, I had never tried anything like the Chicken Kiev before, and my first tasting was a delightful experience. I probably wouldn’t order the chicken chop again though, as it was pretty run-of-the-mill.

For more Western delights, check out these affordable kopitiam Western stalls and our review of The Pasta Boutique, which serves chilli crab chicken chop!

Address: 466 Crawford Lane, #01-12, Tai Hwa Eating House, Singapore 190466
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10:30pm
Tel: 6398 0773
Website
Happy Chef Western Foods is not a halal eatery.

This is an independent review by Eatbook.sg.