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Chinatown Complex Market: Chang Ji Cooked Food – They Got Their Stingray Right!

Rating:

By Veron Ang

There’s really nothing quite like the experience of eating an awesome barbecued stingray. What are the two things that distinguish the good from the bad? Answer: The sambal chilli and the freshness of the fish.

Very often, I come across a barbecued stingray that is covered with the most delicious sambal chilli paste. But alas, the flesh of the stingray is overcooked and stiff! At other times, the stingray may be grilled perfectly, but the sambal chilli simply lacks punch.

When it comes to these two principles, Chang Ji Cooked Food at Chinatown Complex Market certainly have got both things right.

Sambal stingray

Sambal stingray
S$7 onwards
Rating:

Served on banana leaf, the portion above may look skimpy, but that’s only because we ordered the smallest portion. Come to think of it, most of the barbecued seafood stalls these days sell their stingray from $8 onwards. We seldom see anything cheaper than that.

The stingray is soft, tender and fresh, and comes with a vast amount of that flavourful sambal chilli paste! Don’t you just hate it when sellers are stingy with their chilli? So when a stingray is served drenched in a heap of yummy sambal, it really perks me up. For me, this is what I call “shiok“!

Oh don’t worry. Despite being caked in a thick layer of the chilli, it’s certainly not the tear-inducing hot. Most people would be quite comfortable with the spice level.

My only complaint is that the chilli is very oily and really ups the guilt factor when indulging in this dish. Any less oily and it would have been perfect!

Sambal sotong (calamari)

Sambal sotong (calamari)
S$7 onwards
Rating:

Similarly drenched in the delightful sambal is the sotong (calamari). Again, prices start from $7. For that low price, we got a surprisingly ample portion!

It’s a shame that the sotong is slightly tough. If it had been softer and less rubbery, it would have scored a worthy five drumsticks!

Lime

Of course, sambal seafood is always served with lime and the pinkish mixture that I don’t know the name for. Some people stay away from it. But for me personally, it completes the whole stingray-eating ritual. I love soaking a slice of the sambal-drenched stingray into that sweet and sour pink mixture before putting it in my mouth.

There’s really nothing quite like the experience of eating an awesome barbecued stingray :)

Chang Ji Cooked Food
Chinatown Complex Market
335 Smith Street #02-197
Singapore 050335

Bus services: 2, 12, 33, 54, 61, 63, 80, 124, 145, 166, 143, 147, 190, 197, 851, 961, 970, 961C
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 5pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Tags: Chinatown, Chinatown Complex Market, Chinese, dinner, hawker centre, lunch, seafood

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

vinsion
14 comments

wow.. the sambal chilli looks so good.
if the sambal chilli fails, the stingray will be just soso..
im so gonna try it. =)
Reply
Posted February 24, 2009 at 12:25 am
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Exactly! The sambal is the real star of the dish :)
  Reply
  Posted February 24, 2009 at 8:09 pm
m3n9z
2 comments

ohhh…. my mouth is watering now!! Even though i’ve just eaten breakfast..
Yummy yummy!!
Reply
Posted February 24, 2009 at 8:40 am
stormscape
2 comments

Hey Veron, the pinkish mixture is Chinchalok. Aka fermented shrimp.
Reply
Posted March 9, 2009 at 1:22 am
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Shrimp?? I never would have thought! Those little black dots must be the eyes! *shudders*
  Reply
  Posted March 10, 2009 at 8:43 pm
casual cutie
1 comment

wow…so delicious…
Reply
Posted March 24, 2009 at 8:06 pm
JC
1 comment

the pinkish thing is cincaluk i think..fermented shrimps
Reply
Posted April 24, 2009 at 4:11 am
Hao
3 comments

Stumbled upon your website when I wanted to search for what to eat as the claypot rice stall (suprising it was just next door) was closed on Thu >”< Great to say it was an excellent recommendation!
Anyway the pinkish thing is known as cincalok in Malay aka fermented shrimps. It's not the typical salty version as I would have expected and it is not too sourish as well.
Reply
Posted April 30, 2010 at 9:00 am
- Hao
  3 comments
  
  spelling error: suprisingly (=
  Reply
  Posted April 30, 2010 at 9:02 am
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Yay! Glad you enjoyed the food. I think this stall sells the cheapest stingray around and the food is yummy, too! I like the cincalok to be sweet and slightly sour, as that goes very well with the sambal stingray. Another recommendation for good stingray (and the same type of cincalok) is Rong Guang at Alexandra Village (temporarily at Blk 127 due to the revamp of the food centre).
  Reply
  Posted April 30, 2010 at 1:05 pm
  - Hao
    3 comments
    
    Try to go during weekdays for dinner as the place is almost empty – the owner told us this was due to two ERP gantry that costs $5 altogether @.@
    Reply
    Posted April 30, 2010 at 5:29 pm
maisie
2 comments

This has been one of my fave bbq seafood stall for more than 15 years! yum..
btw, Rongguang has increased their price by quite a bit after the reno.. :(
You can try a stall at block 503 west coast drive for yummy bbq seafood. The stall name is Tokyo, I can’t remember if it is Tokyo seafood, but you can’t miss it =)
Reply
Posted February 17, 2011 at 5:08 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Thanks for the recommendation on Tokyo :) Will be sure to keep that in mind.
  As for Rong Guang, what are their prices for stingray these days? It used to range from $8 onwards. Would be a pity if the price increment is really drastic, because their sambal is really good!
  Reply
  Posted February 17, 2011 at 5:15 pm
suzie lee
1 comment

how big is the serving of each $8.00 stingray?
Reply
Posted May 23, 2011 at 11:34 am
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  That’s the smallest portion available. lol sorry I don’t know how to describe the size.
  Reply
  Posted May 23, 2011 at 7:29 pm