3 Local Condiments That You Will Want to Stock Up On

There is no doubt chicken rice is one of the popular local dishes in Singapore. This iconic dish of silky smooth and succulent chicken, flavourful rice, a light soup and various condiments is an immediate crowd pleaser.

One eatery that is known for its excellent chicken rice is Boon Tong Kee. It was founded in 1979 by Mr Thian Boon Hua who set up a stall in Chinatown. His delicious Cantonese style chicken rice was so popular that he went on to open his first standalone Boon Tong Kee restaurant at Balestier Road in 1983. Today, there are eight outlets around the country serving you one of Singaporeans’ favourite dish.

In addition to its signature chicken rice, since 1999, Boon Tong Kee has also diversified to offer a wide range of zi char (local home-style cooked food) dishes such as paper wrapped chicken, imperial pork ribs and fried eggplant. This winning menu, which allows customers to feast on different local specialties all under one roof, has made Boon Tong Kee a hit among Singaporeans and tourists alike.

Another important but sometimes underrated aspect of local cuisine is to pair your dishes with the right condiments to further enhance the flavours of one’s meal. For instance, it is common for eateries to have a few different types of chilli sauce, ranging from freshly cut red chilli in soy sauce to sambal (cooked chilli paste) and garlic chilli sauce to complement different dishes. To allow you to enjoy their special in-house sauces conveniently, Boon Tong Kee now gives you the option to take them home! Here’s how you can use them to take your next meal to another level.

Spice lovers will agree that a plate of chicken rice is not complete without a generous dash of garlicky chilli sauce to add some heat to the meal. If you’re one that needs that spice, check out Boon Tong Kee’s chilli sauce. Blended from ginger, garlic and chilli padi into a coarse texture, their chilli sauce adds just right amount of spiciness to complement a tender boiled chicken for an added kick of flavour.

Besides complementing chicken rice, there is more that can you do with this versatile chilli. Its punchy flavours also work well as a dip for cooked hotpot ingredients such as vegetables and seafood. For a simple dish you can whip up at home, simply make a slit in the side of a whole fish such as mackerel, fill it with the chilli sauce and pop it into an oven toaster for about 25 minutes. You’ll be greeted with an aroma of that you can’t resist!

Those who enjoy the aromatic flavours of ginger will appreciate this conveniently grated ginger paste all bottled up and ready to use. Like chilli sauce, smooth ginger dip is commonly served with chicken rice to bring out the succulent taste of the chicken. When using this at home, you can even stir in chopped spring onion to further enhance the dip’s flavours.

Boon Tong Kee’s ginger paste can also be used as a seasoning when you cook. Simply coat diced chicken or prawns with generous amounts of paste before steaming it to get a flavourful dish that will pair deliciously with steamed white rice.

Mildly spicy and made with dried scallops, shrimp and other spices, this seafood sauce is great for adding an umami punch to your dishes. At many local restaurants, XO sauce is stir fried with French beans, with a choice of adding shrimps or scallops to the dish too. Take inspiration from this zi char dish and add a scoop of XO sauce to vegetables such as French beans or Kang Kong (Water spinach) at home. You can also cook a seafood-inspired fried rice or noodles by using this hearty sauce as the main seasoning ingredient.

And if you really enjoy the rich flavours of this sauce, you can even nibble on a small amount of XO sauce on its own as an appetiser before a meal – just like how it is served at some traditional zi char eateries such as Boon Tong Kee.

If you're one to stock up on sauces for your own meals at home, Boon Tong Kee's range of take home sauces are sure to impress! Specially formulated to fit the local tastebud, you can incorporate them into your daily meals to enhance its flavours.