HOLLAND VILLAGE FOOD GUIDE: BLANCO COURT KWAY CHAP
My first encounter with Blanco Court Kway Chap was in the 1990s.
Blanco Court, located at the junction of North Bridge Road and Ophir Road, was a go-to place for stationery and party goods.
In that building, there were two levels of food centre which were super-packed with lunchtime crowds. In 1997, Raffles Medical Group and Pidemco Land acquired the building and developed it into Raffles Hospital.
Back then, in Blanco Court, two kway chap stalls each claimed their territories. Today, the one on 3rd storey had moved to Old Airport Road Food Centre, known as “Blanco Court Food Centre (3rd Storey)” aka “To-Ricos Guo Shi”. The one located on 4th storey, now known as Blanco Court Kueh Chap, is at Holland Drive Food Centre.
Kway Chap is a Teochew dish. It is a bowl of thin flat sheets of rice noodle, much like over-size kway teow, served in broth.
The dish usually includes pig innards, pork belly, pig skins, pig trotter, tau pok (fried beancurd), tau kwa (firm beancurd), braised eggs and kiam chye (preserved vegetables).
My order of a bowl of kway chap with a plate of lean braised meat, tau pok, tau kwa and braised egg cost me $4.50.
Though pig innards are indispensable for true kway chap lovers, I chose to opt out because I couldn’t afford the cholesterol. My foodie partner felt sorry for me lol. But I was careful to avoid a moment of joy on my lip but stay forever on my hip!
What I Like About Blanco Court Kway Chap
I like the thin, smooth kway chap at Blanco Court. The important thing was they don’t stick together. The broth, with use of less dark soya sauce, was lightly flavoured and savoury. The fried shallot further enhanced the taste.
I love their braised pork. Though lean, it was tender and tasty. The chilli was tangy and slightly sourish, which went very well with the kway chap and the ingredients.
One notable feature of Blanco Court Kway Chap is it appeals to those who prefer a taste that is not too intense and heavy on dark soya sauce.
Location: 44 Holland Drive #02-02 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044
My overall verdict: 4.25/5
Danny Han is a licensed property agent since 2005.
As a kampong (village) boy growing up in Holland Village, he has so many fond memories. He grew up with pigsty (yuk!), cemetery, swamp and communal-living (with 10 families under one roof). His childhood games were gasing (spinning top), marbles, kites, spider-fighting and tree-climbing. An open-air cinema was his source of entertainment. 7th-month Hungry Ghost wayang (Chinese opera) and getai (concert) was a once-a-year event that brought the entire village together.
What Danny is passionate about is not just about showing clients properties around Holland Village, but also enjoys sharing anecdotes and nuggets of information that are part of his growing up years.
Danny is an avid hiker and passionate foodie. He has covered most of the nature trails in Singapore, including some that are off the beaten track. Living up to his motto, “walk to eat,” he enjoys going out with his wife, a retired academician, on a food hunt across the island. He also has some foodie kakis who mix work with food. They then share their gastronomic experiences through food blogs. So do watch out, because every time he shows you a property, he will tell you what is the best food nearby!
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