Chinatown Food Street is now home to two new Muslim-owned F&B brands that just opened up shop at the marketplace-like food destination.
They are Jio Makan, a stall specialising in affordable box noodles and chicken rice balls, and Balang Bros, a drinks stall.
Conveniently, the stalls are situated next to each other. Better yet, the prices of of both stalls’ menu items range from S$0.80 to S$4.50, with no added goods and services tax or service charge.
Note: Whilst the stalls had opened for business less than a week ago, they announced on Instagram stories today (Sep. 16) that they’re temporarily closed till Sep. 21 due to a Covid-19 cluster nearby, presumably at Chinatown Complex.
In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the items by Jio Makan first:
Jio Mee (S$4.50)
The stall’s signature dish is springy noodles in a box served with chicken cutlet, fishball and salad. Choice of three sauces with varying levels of heat complete the dish — Indo Kick, Tangy Thai and Flaming Korean.
Cluck Cluck Rice Ball (S$4.50)
Jio Makan’s take on one of Malacca’s most celebrated dishes feature chicken rice shaped into balls, fried boneless chicken, and served with sambal and soup.
Other items on the menu include Squid & Fwens (S$4), a fried tempura squid served with fishball and fish fillet, and Pratadaa! (S$4) which hides a jumbo chicken sausage inside a prata “bun”.
Check out the full menu below:
Cool off with a drink from Balang Bros
Spice seems to be a common factor in Jio Makan’s offerings, so you might need a cold drink to cool off.
Fortunately, customers don’t have to walk far to get a drink, as neighbouring stall Balang Bros sells a variety of drinks.
The stall’s signature drink is the Choco Biscoff Thai Milk Tea, a made-for-Instagram concoction of Thai milk tea, Biscoff biscuits and chocolate drizzle.
The drink is part of BalangBros Superdeck menu which includes presumably more premium drinks such as Rose Syrup Ice Cream, Blue Coral Longan and Bandung Soy Bean. All the drinks in this category are priced at S$3 for a Regular and S$4.50 for a Large.
If you prefer something less complicated, regular versions of Thai Milk Tea and Bandung (from S$2) are available, as are cups of hot coffee and Milo (S$0.80).
Check out the full menu below:
Where to find them
Both stalls are located on Trengganu Street where a line of F&B stalls are operating on. If you’re arriving my train, Chinatown MRT Exit A would be an ideal starting point.
From our understanding, only Balang Bros and Jio Makan are Muslim-owned, hence it’s safe to say that they food and drinks here are safe for Muslim consumption.
In any case, Chinatown is a treasure trove of culture and history, so if you’re making a trip down to visit, these two stalls are good options for sustenance while you explore the area.
Address: Trengganu St Market Stall 05 (Balang Bros) and Stall 06 (Jio Makan)
Halal status: Muslim-owned
Opening hours: 2pm – 10pm
Balang Bros Instagram | Jio Makan Instagram
Balang Bros Facebook | Jio Makan Facebook
Top photos by @belandbray.
