Messina Eats: Keng Eng Kee

Overview

Fine dining be damned, hawker cuisine has increasingly earned its flowers from high-minded culinary perfectionists. That includes Keng Eng Kee, a 55-year-old Singaporean zi char stall-turned-restaurant whose home-style cooking has appeared in Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown and Netflix's Street Food Asia while winning recommendations in the Michelin Guide.

Having recently launched their first Singapore outpost, the ice cream experts at Gelato Messina have also taken note of Keng Eng Kee. Serving up an international collaboration for the first time as part of its Messina Eats series, the legendary hawker outfit will host a two-day car park feast from Friday, October 10–Saturday, October 11, at Messina's Marrickville HQ.

Featuring a tight, but tantalising menu, guests will discover Keng Eng Kee's coffee pork bites — tender pork wok-tossed in coffee, honey and apple jam sauce, then finished with roasted sesame seeds. There's also a chilli soft-shell crab burger, chilli crab meat served with golden fried mantou, and black pepper beef with garlic rice.

As expected, the sweets are also unmatched. Grab a Milo Dinosaur Sundae, layered and sprinkled with Australia's favourite malty treat. And for those who can't make the main event, a limited-run gelato — Goreng Pisang — is available for one week from Thursday, October 9, offering fried banana gelato with peanut praline and gula melaka caramel.