To-Ricos Guo Shi: Popular Kway Chap at Old Airport Road Food Centre!

One of the more popular stalls at the sprawling Old Airport Road Food Centre, To-Ricos Guo Shi sells kway chap (broad rice sheets in a dark soy sauce soup, served with pig offal) and they made their name at the food centre of the now-defunct Blanco Court before moving to its present location in 1994 where it continues to see long queues daily.

The stall was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019.

Phua Gek Sia, now 58, started To-Ricos in the 1980s upon seeing the success of Garden Street Kway Chap, also in Blanco Court back then. The two stalls gave Blanco Court the reputation for having the best kway chap in Singapore.

It is easy to see why — To-Ricos’ kway chap sheets are delicately smooth, pork belly slices nicely tender and their big, small and head intestines are well-stewed, very clean and there are no offensive pig smells.

It’s drenched in a rounded, savoury lor (gravy) that is on the lighter side and there is no heavy use of herbs or spices.

These are the reasons why it attracts a big crowd, but that said, hardcore kway chap aficionados might find the execution a little too bland and prefer something a little bolder and in-your-face.

The business used to have another branch at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre which was run by the owner’s three sons but closed down in late 2018.

An interesting bit of trivia: before selling kway chap, the owner used to sell fried chicken and the Brazilian chicken brand he used was called To-Ricos. It explains the stall’s rather peculiar name.