Wednesday lockdown lunch — cai png delivery for the four-dish $5.20 set. Today’s mix had two protein dishes plus the vegetable side, a slightly fancier rotation than usual.

We ordered:

Stir-fried plum chicken with tomato sauce
Coriander fried fish
Garlic broccoli
Steamed rice

Total: $5.20 (cai png combo).

Stir-fried plum chicken was the headliner. Diced chicken thigh stir-fried with plum sauce, tomato sauce, garlic and a touch of soy. The combination of fruity plum acidity, the tomato’s slight sweet-tartness, and the savoury chicken makes for a glossy sauce that clings to each piece. Vibrant red colour, sweet-and-sour leaning rather than spicy.

Coriander fried fish was the surprise upgrade. Dory fillet cut into pieces, battered lightly, deep-fried until crispy, then tossed with chopped coriander, garlic, and a salt-and-pepper seasoning. The coriander’s fresh herbaceous aroma against the crispy battered fish was a more refined combination than most cai png stalls attempt.

Garlic broccoli was the green side. Florets blanched quickly to keep them bright green, then tossed with smashed garlic, salt and a sesame-oil finish. Tender-crisp stems, broccoli florets still firm enough to hold their shape.

Steamed rice was the standard hot fluffy jasmine base.

The four components together cover sweet (plum chicken), savoury-fresh (coriander fish), green-clean (broccoli), and neutral (rice). A proper rotation across the plate.

$5.20 for this kind of variety during lockdown is honest value pricing.

Overall: 4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid cai png lunch — would re-order.

Original IG post