Local Delight

Succulent black Char Siew at $10-20. Char caramelised on the edge, with well balance of moist fats and lean sweetness.

We ordered the Gems of 3 States Kopi ($4.60) – a serving of 3 flavours in small jars. The
flavours of kopi are determined by the restaurant. The 3 jars are labeled on a serving tray with 2 gem biscuits and marie alike biscuits, and a glass of water. The flavours of the month are Pulau Pinang, Johor & Melaka. They look different and each has a distinctive aroma. The Johor is light and milky smooth. The Melaka is medium bodied and tads of margarine fragrance. The Pulau Pinang (Penang) is intense and strong. All are good and we each have our own pick. I prefer Pulau Pinang more and such "3 in 1" serving style certainly helps me to choose my kopi in my next visit.

There are 7 types of chicken rice set in the main menu and yes, 13 Stages serves only chicken legs; there is no breast meat option.
We ordered the Samsui, Sesame and Assam Chicken Rice ($8.90 each) and snacks of chwee kueh (4pcs at $2.90) Samsui Chee Cheong Fun with chicken bits ($4.90), the not a bitsa crispy duck wrap ($6.50), a delightful serving of chicken floss wrap($4.90), with a side dish of imperial salad ($5.50). The prices are inclusive of GST and there is no service charge.
The Chicken sets are all served in bamboo baskets and came with a plate of chicken rice and a bowl of soup. Basically they are all steamed chicken top with different sauces, garnishing and gravy. I like the assam more, which came with vegetables and a generous amount of tangy assam gravy. The chicken is very tender and juicy. The assam gravy is slightly sweet and not spicy.