What's New Restaurants: PEK-SG Koo Kee Restaurant

When you think of Singapore, your mind is likely to center on the vibrancy of the mixture of Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures, which makes the city state one of the world’s best spots for food tourism, or focus on the strict adherence to rules that makes Singapore so safe, if ultimately a tad dull. 

Dull is certainly what you might think on entering Koo Kee. The dim lighting left the fairly drab décor (and pictures highlighting its parent brand’s storied history in Singapore) to fight a losing battle with the colorful menus and your reason for being there. 
Anyone who has lived in Singapore seems to become obsessed with its national dishes – Laksa, curry chicken, Bak Kut Teh, Hainan chicken and chilli crab – and misses them terribly. Those people will be delighted to find all of those dishes with the exception of our delicious ten-legged friends.  

We opted for the more Chinese-influenced side of the menu, choosing curry chicken (RMB 48), Bak Kut Teh (RMB 58) and Hainan chicken (RMB 38), plus a braised egg (RMB 5). The Hainan chicken is worth the subway ride alone. The meat was succulent, the skin a chilled counterpoint brought to life by the ground chilli and ginger sauces. It’s safe to say that the Singapore Tourism Board recommendation of the dish on the menu was not artistic license. 

The curry chicken could have been stewed for longer but the Bak Kut Teh slipped off the rib, living up to its name of meat bone tea. We chose not to add other options – of which there were many – to the simmering of herbs and spices, but we had no complaints. 

All in all, Koo Kee is a breath of fresh air in a city lacking Singaporean options. 

Photo: Sui