[CLOSED] Big Brother Yummy Chicken

Had heard about Big Brother — a former Pasar Malam stall which had settled in Tastebud Foodcourt at Blk 218 Sumang Walk within Punggol for quite a while now; the stall had found new digs in the aforementioned coffeeshop for at least a year now, and was a spot that I was meant to visit following the nation’s re-opening after the Circuit Breaker last year. Apart from serving up Taiwanese-style fried chicken, the stall also serves up other Taiwanese-style snacks such as Enoki Mushroom, Crispy Plum Sweet Potato, and also offers mains such as Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua and Taiwanese Pork Belly Rice.

We made our visit for the Taiwanese Pork Belly Rice; while no doubt we found their rendition to be better than what some other stalls can offer (their version came with ample sauce, a mix of lean and fatty meat, and was well-sized for an individual for $4.80), but it was the Big Brother Yummy Chicken that left even a stronger impression for us. Essentially a Taiwanese-style fried chicken cutlet, I liked how their rendition was simple yet satisfying — served piping hot, the chicken cutlet features an immensely crisp and fried golden-brown batter, juicy and tender flesh, all dusted with paprika and pepper for that slight kick of spiciness. Whilst being nothing out of this world, their rendition perhaps comparable to some of the more stellar ones served up by other chains operating kiosks in malls.

Given how Pasar Malams hadn’t been a thing ever since the ongoing pandemic, it’s pretty heartening to see how some of the stalls had managed to settle down as a takeaway kiosk or a coffeeshop stall during this period of time — it’s certainly a difficult period for these operators especially, considering the lack of a permanent presence at a single location previously and many of such stalls mainly relied on word-of-mouth for its marketing. That being said, Big Brother is a hidden gem amidst the inner neighbourhoods of Punggol — it serves up pretty decent Taiwanese fare that is worth exploring especially if one stays somewhat close to the area. Don’t forget to also grab a portion of the Big Brother Yummy Chicken while at it — makes for a great snack to share around the table!