Former ex-students of St Nicholas Girl’s School will fondly remember the crispy and juicy chicken wings that was sold by Madam Lim Meow Lang – or more fondly known as Auntie Meow Lang.
Generations of St Nicks girls have grown up eating the chicken wings fried by Auntie Meow Lang, who started the stall in 1972 when the school was still located at Victoria Street.
Sadly, Auntie Meow passed on in 2014 at the age of 82, closing the shutters shortly after the implementation of Healthy Meals in School Programme as selling chicken wings without the crispy skin was just not the same.
But Auntie Meow Lang’s 31-year-old grandson, Mr James Ngiam, is now keen to revive his family recipe and put their delicious chicken wings back on the menu.
40 Year Old History
Running his own Western food stall ‘Coal 3606‘ at The Lawn Food Court in Republic Polytechnic, James has been helping his family run the stall and learning the recipe of the chicken wings.
Armed with a background in Culinary Skills from Shatec and working as a chef in various restaurants, James grew up with a passion for cooking and it was only natural for him to continue the family’s business.
Now, we’ve all had our fair share of fried chicken wings. From undercooked chicken wings at BBQ gatherings to beautiful golden chicken wings from Old Chang Kee, they’re a snack that can never go wrong.
It’s a snack that’s loved by many. So if you’re wondering what’s so good about these supposedly mind-blowing fried chicken wings, let us tell you why.
“Last time, when my grandma fry the chicken, the whole canteen could smell it,” he laughed as he shared with us his fond memories of growing up in the canteen of St Nicks.
And we couldn’t deny it either. When James started frying a fresh batch of chicken wings for us, we couldn’t help but to stand near the stall just to catch a whiff of the fried chicken goodness.
Each piece of chicken wing is priced from $1.30 – $1.50 – depending on the weight of the wings. He has kept the prices of the chicken wings the same as those sold at his grandmother’s stall, just before it closed.
The chicken wings are only sold in one flavour to honour the original marinade passed down by Auntie Meow Lang. Although the recipe has tweaked slightly over the years as our elders only knew how to “agak-agak” the recipe then, it was never the same as the one made by his grandmother.
James shared how the chicken wings made by his grandmother were sweeter whereas his mother’s chicken wings were crispier. James eventually found the perfect balance to ensure that the current generation would love and appreciate the chicken wings without straying too far from the original recipe.
We were impressed by how fat and juicy the chicken wings were. Each wing was lightly battered and was of course, fried to a nice golden brown.
We also loved how the chicken wings easily tore apart and crackled at first bite. The wings were crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside – just like how we all like our wings.
But what truly shook us the most, was how well-balanced the flavours of the wings were. We love that the chicken wings had a hint of sweetness to it which made it completely addictive!
However, you can’t find these amazing chicken wings on the menu displayed at the stall. Now that you know this special item, grab your friends and order their wings if you’re ever looking for a quick snack.
They sell several other items on the menu such as Au Sirlion Steak which is cooked over a special griller that uses coal for just $5.80 and Grilled Chicken for only $3.80!
As part of the RP stall’s official opening on September 22, James hosted a special event for former and current St Nicks girls, as well as their friends and family. He was happy to learn that many former students were able to relive their childhood days through their favourite school snack.
After trying these wings for ourselves, we finally understood why our friends from St Nicks raved so much about them. If you’re a chicken wing junkie or simply want a taste of nostalgia for old times’ sake, check out the fried chicken wings from Coal 3606 to truly believe it!
Coal 3606
Address: Woodlands Avenue 9, Block W4/W6 Level 3, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore 738984
Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Contact No.: 9858 9792
Website
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(Header Image Source: Discover SG)
