$9 Chicken Cordon Bleu & Seafood Risotto Available Till 2am Draw Crowds At Hougang Coffeeshop (2024)

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Kopitiam boss encouraged him to be an entrepreneur

Chef Shaun, who has a higher Nitec certificate in Western Culinary Arts and a diploma from Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, did short stints at several restaurants and hotels. He later joined the KPT Kopitiam group as the head chef and cooked at Chow Hound, which has three western food stalls around the island. After seven years, his boss offered him the opportunity to take up a stall and become his own towkay. (“There’s no ‘good friend discount’ for the rental,” quips Shaun.) 5dot7 is named after his birthdate (on the fifth) and his wife Carmen Chan’s birth month (July).

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Inspired by lecturers and mentors to sell fancier western fare

“Western stalls are very common in many coffeeshops, so I’d like to have something special that will make customers think of us. I thought about what I was taught by my lecturers and my mentors from my previous workplaces, and came out with something different from other western stalls – Chicken Cordon Bleu, Seafood Risotto and Vongole,” he explains, adding that he thinks his might be the only coffeeshop western stall offering these fancier items.

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The Singaporean chef cooks at his stall daily (except on his day off) with the help of two other cooks. Carmen, a PR hailing from Malaysia who has a full-time job in hotel housekeeping, helps out occasionally after work. Other than the unusual offerings, he offers regular Western fare like his signature Chicken Chop and crispy fried chicken wings, his cheapest item at $1.70 each (minimum two pieces). Prices are a little steeper than at your usual western food stalls but so far, Shaun says he hasn’t had any complaints.

Wakes up at 8am; sleeps at 3am

Depending on the shift he takes, Shaun can wake up at 8am, work till midnight, and get into bed only at 3am. Does he regret becoming his own boss? “Hahahah, yes! It’s stressful but ‘wan shi qi tou nan’ (Mandarin for ‘it’s always tough when you start anything’). I’ll take it as a challenge and learn from it as it goes.”

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Chicken Cordon Bleu, $9 (8 Days Pick!)

We can see why this is their most popular item. The chicken breast is stuffed with ham and sliced cheddar cheese.

Breaded, freshly fried and cut into half before serving, the thick, juicy chunk oozing cheese makes a tantalising sight. It’s served atop buttery mashed potato and with cheesy corn kernels. Eat it plain or smothered with the house-made creamy mushroom sauce; we like it either way.

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Seafood Risotto, $9 (8 Days Pick!)

Having paid at least double in a restaurant for risotto, we think this is an amazing deal. Risotto usually takes at least 15 minutes to allow the rice to fully absorb the broth. To speed things up during orders, Chef Shaun first pre-cooks Italian arborio rice in an umami broth that includes white wine. It is then prepared a la minute by sautéeing the seafood, followed by the rice, pureed tomatoes, parmesan and parsley. This creamy dish retains a nice bite. We counted four prawns, two baby octopus and four clams – pretty generous for $9.

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Signature Chicken Chop, $8.50

A crowd favourite despite being pricier than other Western stalls’. This levelled-up version features a thick, nicely charred boneless chicken thigh marinated with his secret sauce, which includes white wine.

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Vongole, $9

Cooked with house-made anchovy paste and white wine, the al dente and garlicky spaghetti is well tossed with the briny-sweet Asari clams and cherry tomatoes. It’s competently executed though not our favourite dish here.

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Pan-Seared Salmon, $12

The basic Fish & Chips go for $9 here but it’s worth paying more for the salmon. For $12, you get a 200g fillet, the usual mashed potato, and a tomato-based vegetable stew. We appreciate the crispy skin but would’ve preferred it to be served slightly pink in the middle. Still, it pairs beautifully with the yummy lemon butter sauce.

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Bottom line

The wallet-friendly, cafe-quality Chicken Cordon Bleu and Seafood Risotto here are definitely worth a try. The dinner crowd is apparently quite relentless – we saw a queue forming at the stall before 6pm. Come during lunchtime when it’s quieter. Or pop by for a late dinner or sinful supper since it opens till 2am.

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The details

5dot7 is at #01-1158, Blk 401 Hougang Ave 10, KPT Kopitiam, S530401. Open daily 11am to 2am. More info via Facebook.

Photos: Aik Chen.

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