This Woodleigh Stall Has Donburi Bowls From $5.50 With Caramelised Char Siew And Unagi—Is It Worth A Try? 

Liu Kou Shui is a donburi stall at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a fair number of fusion stalls set up at hawker centres in Singapore. Liu Kou Shui is one such stall, serving up Japanese rice bowls with a local twist. Their wallet-friendly donburi bowls piqued our interest, so we decided to visit the stall one weekday to give them a try. 

Food at Liu Kou Shui

The stall has two outlets, one in Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre and another in Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. We visited the latter. Upon glancing at the menu, I noticed that certain items that were featured in other online reviews seemed to have been removed. But I was still willing to see what they had to offer, and if they could put a creative spin on Japanese rice bowls.

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First up, we tried their Caramelised Char Siew Don ($7). This rice bowl is paired alongside green veggies, a sous vide egg, and a caramelised char siew pork belly. I was looking forward to trying the stall’s highly raved mala-spiced char siew, but unfortunately, it seemed to have been removed from the menu, so I settled for this main instead.

The pork was marinated in a sticky-sweet sauce overnight before it was grilled, giving each piece a rich, smoky flavour. The meat was slightly fattier than the standard char siew you would get at most roasted meats stalls, which I appreciated. I felt that it struck the right balance between lean and fatty meat, so it did not end up being too overly cloying. 

After a few mouthfuls of the meat, I broke into the egg and mixed it with the rice for extra creaminess. Unfortunately, the veggies tasted rather stale. They seemed slightly undercooked too.

Next, we went for the Green Chilli Chicken Don ($5.50). This bowl sees fried chicken pieces coated in a creamy green chilli-spiced sauce, smothered in onions, a sous vide egg, and green leafy vegetables. 

I am a firm believer that creaminess has to be accompanied by a little bit of spice or tang to cut through the heavy flavours. Thankfully, this ticked all the right boxes. The sauce was delightfully creamy, savoury, and spicy. My dining companion also mentioned that it boasted similar flavours to  salted egg sauce. 

A big complaint I had with this dish, however, was that the green chilli flavour was not pronounced enough. I also felt that the portion of the chicken was rather small, but I would close one eye considering the low price point. Once again, the veggies in this bowl were lacklustre.

Out of the three bowls we tried, our favourite was the Unagi Don ($9). The components of this bowl were slightly different from the others; you get sesame-dressed cabbage salad and a heap of corn adorning the bowl. It was also the priciest of the lot, so we had higher expectations for the dish.

As soon as I took my first bite of the unagi, it dissolved in my mouth without much effort. It was surprisingly melt-in-the-mouth tender, with a nice touch of sweetness from the teriyaki sauce. Though it wasn’t anything outstanding,  when paired with the corn, the cabbage salad, and the rice, it made for a satisfying meal. 

To end off, we got a side of their Mentaiko Fries ($4.50) to share. This Japanese-Western staple came with generous amounts of creamy mentaiko mayo sauce, which I appreciated considering its wallet-friendly price.

Other moreish sides on the menu include the Fried King Oyster Mushroom ($3.50) and Spam Fries ($4.50). 

Ambience at Liu Kou Shui

Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre went through a refurbishment not too long ago, so you can expect a clean, well-ventilated space. It is also relatively spacious, which means you don’t have to worry about seating even during peak periods. The hawker centre is a short walk away from Woodleigh MRT Station, making it easy to get to. 

The verdict

Running a hawker stall serving fusion food is not easy, so kudos to Liu Kou Shui for the attempt. Their menu is more extensive than what many Japanese hawker stalls have to offer, with a large variety of protein options to choose from. They also managed to keep their menu affordable, with nothing above $10. 

Unfortunately, I was expecting a more innovative spin on certain dishes, but it seemed that their menu did not offer anything far off from what you would expect at any other donburi stall. 

Some of their signature dishes, including their ramen and mala char siew,  which they were initially known for when they first opened, were unavailable. Nonetheless, if you are craving no-frills, affordable Japanese-inspired dishes in the area, they are worth checking out! 

For more good hawker recommendations in Singapore, check out 1030 Breakfast Shop for affordable Taiwanese breakfast fare in Chinatown! Else, check out Knead Kopi, a home-based cafe in Bukit Timah serving delicious old-school breakfast.

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Address: 202C Woodleigh Link, #01-32, Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, Singapore 363202
Opening hours: Mon-Tue, Thurs-Fri 11am to 9pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am to 9pm
Website
Liu Kou Shui is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Tao Zhi Tan.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg