Best thing I ate this week: Oxtail stew at British Hainan

Best thing I ate this week: Oxtail stew at British Hainan

'Best thing I ate' is a series where we share the best things we have eaten around Singapore. Read more here.


What: Oxtail Stew ($27.90)

Where: British Hainan, 75 Carpmael Road, Singapore 429812

Here's a heartwarming stew with gelatin-packed meat that's tender, except for some stubborn parts.

Perhaps, the chunky oxtail needs to spend a bit more time over the stove. Or maybe not, as everything might just fall apart in a mess.

With the prized tendons so yieldingly soft and the sauce tasting delectably rich and beefy, you know you've got a mighty stew already.

It's one of its top favourites at British Hainan, a quirky shophouse restaurant with vintage bric-a-brac threatening to spill onto Crane Road, which meets Carpmael Road at the junction in the quieter part of Joo Chiat neighbourhood.

Although the cook seems generous with tomato puree, which has turned the stew into an orange-brown, it's the meaty richness of the beef stock that makes it a bull run here. Mop up the remaining sauce with the French loaf - and even the fries taste so good with it.

It's one of a handful of eateries featuring dishes inspired by those whipped up by Hainanese cooks for their colonial British masters in the old days. Also popular with diners are the beer battered fish and chip, lamb shank and pork chop.

Soon, it will offer something truly Hainanese - beef noodles. Let's see how it fares.

chenj@sph.com.sg

The writer paid for the meal reviewed.

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