Cherry Gardens: Dim Sum for that special occasion

Crystal pacific grouper dumpling

If you ever need to find a place to impress your future mother-in-law and pop the question to your future father-in-law, then bringing them to Cherry Gardens for Dim Sum might make it a bit more difficult for them to say no.

Afterall, a future son-in-law who is willing to splurge over $100 just for ONE dim sum dish can't be all bad, especially if he has just started on a new job after completing NS.

Yes, this is the type of Dim Sum place for that special occasion or business lunch where you need to impress. And the way to impress them is to order their symphony of live pacific grouper which will be prepared in three ways. The first course is the crystal dumpling where the fish fillets are wrapped in crystal skin, then steamed with soy sauce and ginger. How much you have to pay is dependent on how big a fish you order and how big a fish you order will depend on how desperate you are to impress.

But I jest.... or maybe not.

You don't really have to order the live pacific grouper. It can still be quite impressive if you just brought them here for the normal Dim Sum as the rest of the dishes are also very good. (You just have to make sure that the future in-laws don't already know that there is the special live pacific grouper dumpling or else, not ordering it might still make you look like a stingy fella).



They have quite a wide variety here, but one of the items that impressed me most was the Kurobuta Charsiew bao. They are probably one of the best Hong Kong style Charsiew Baos I have come across. 4.5/5 I heard their Kurobuta Sio Bak and Charsiew here are also well worth the calories, so that is on my next "to eat" list.



The other impressive dumpling is the Teochew crystal dumpling. Actually, it is the skin of the dumpling which impressed me most. Beautifully transparent yet with an excellent level of chewiness, it perfectly complemented the crunchy vegetables in the dumpling. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Great place for Dim Sum for that special occasion.

Cherry Gardens
5 Raffles Avenue
5F Mandarin Oriental
Singapore Tel: 6885 3538

First recommended to me by Damien
I was invited to give my opinion of this Dim Sum by Cuisine & Wine Asia magazine whose article was published in their June issue.

Weekend ala carte dim sum buffet $45++

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Si Chuan Tea House: Tian Fu Tea House High Tea Video Log

I have started to develop an interest in Chinese Tea appreciation and was happy to find a restaurant that serves Chinese High Tea which pairs dim sum with different types of Chinese Tea. In the video, I interview Linda of Tian Fu Teahouse which is located at the top UOB Plaza. She will be introducing some aspects of the tea ceremony and talk about some unique dim sum dishes served at Tian Fu Teahouse.



Our tea lady that day was a Chinese lady who actually spent three years learning about Tea and the tea ceremony. There sure is a lot to learn when it comes to this centuries old tradition!


Carrot cake wrapped in poh piah skin 4.5/5

Special Promotion for Ieatishootipost readers!

Print out this article and give the answer to this question: "Name two types of Teas featured in the video." Present this to the restaurant and for every three high tea set ordered, the fourth person dines free. This offer is valid until the end of July 2009.

Tian Fu Teahouse is located at the top of UOB Plaza and also at Parkroyal along Beach Road. The 8 course Dim Sum High Tea set is $18++ and is from 2.30pm to 6pm.

For more information, you can check out their website here

Thanks very much to Linda of Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurant for helping us with the video.


Pork Floss in Sesame Bun 4.25/5

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Eng Cheong Pau: Improving the standard of Kopitiam Paus

There was a period of time when the standard of our Paus really went downhill. A lot of the commercially available paus that are still being sold in our coffeeshops are very much still at the bottom of the hill, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

There is a resurgence of the handmade pau as opposed to the factory made ones. Somehow they still haven't been able to built a machine that can make random folds on the bun as good as the Pau Uncle or Aunty. That is a relief, cos if the day ever comes that we can't differentiate handmade and machine made paus but its outward appearance, we are all in trouble.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the fact that there is an emergence of small scale handmade paus that are being shipped to our coffeeshops which I hope will improve things for all pau lovers out there.



This little stall in Upper Paya Lebar Road sells the paus at the premises but also sells them in several coffeeshops around Singapore. The interesting little background is that they used to be owned by the people from Tangjong Rhu pau who sold the business to the current owner with the assurance that they will pass on their recipe to them. As a result the meat filling is quite similar to Tanjong Rhu pau which is still the best pau in Singapore in my books. (The only complaint is that for $1, the large pau is the same size as most small paus)

There is however one drawback. Because the paus have to be displayed in a steamer for the whole day, the skin is made necessarily more resilient which means they are not as soft and supple as the ones sold at Tanjong Rhu. No matter, they still beat thost horrible K___ G____ paus handsdown anyday! 4/5

Conclusion

If you happen to be looking for Paus in a Coffeeshop, look for the Eng Cheong label. It's one of the better "outsourced" paus around. Have a taste of the filling, doesn't it remind you of Tanjong Rhu's?

Eng Cheong Pau
416 Upper Paya Lebar Road
S534995
7am to 7pm daily
68583652

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Wan Dou Sek: Found Something to Eat!

With smart, Mr.YaKwang and SporeGirl

Har Kao $3.20, Steam Prawns $4, Fried Oysters $6, Char Siew Bao $3.20

I just love Dim Sum, Tapas and Degustations. The idea is that you get to titillate your tastebuds as much and as long as possible before it becomes uncomfortable to your stomach. Yes, it is part and parcel of getting older. Having a full stomach just isn't as pleasant as it was when I was younger. In the past, buffets were the way to go to get the bang for the buck. Nowadays buffets are just a waste of money because I would just get full too quickly to feel that I got my money's worth.

Unfortunately, the Dim Sum scene in Singapore just isn't that happening and I can't understand why. I really miss those push carts where the Auntie's would come right up to the table and you get to choose what you want to eat. Why is it that so few places still have them even though I think most Singaporeans still wish they were around? I would like to see a Hong Kong Street Style Dim Sum place in Singapore. No fancy restaurant, just a nice Kopi Tiam atmosphere where the carts are pushed out and people all get to rush for their steaming Har Kow and Siew Mai. I am sure you all would like to have one around, wouldn't you?

However, before some smart entreprenuer would venture to give us what we really want, there is this little place in Geylang that comes close. Set in the unsavoury part of Singapore, this little shop dishes out out quite savoury Dim Sums in an atmosphere that is quintessentially Geylang. If there are any URA directors out there reading this, Please, please, please, please.... don't ever upgrade Geylang, but do get someone from the other Ministry to start regulating the Sex Shops and foreign talent there!

How does one do a review of Dim Sum? If I gave you a review on every item that I ate there I think you would just scroll down to the conclusion. So I would say this: A good Dim Sum to me means that most items are good, some are excellent and some are unique and difficult to find anywhere else. That just about sums it up for Wan Dou Sek.

So what I will do is to draw your attention to some of the more interesting items. First is the deep fried oysters. Simple and sinful, the oyster fritters are juicy and shiok. Too bad there wasn't any tartare or bluecheese sauce to go with it! 4.5/5


Fried Fish Maw $4

Another dish that caught my attention was this fried fish maw with Thai style chilli sauce. Its just something you don't see very often and SporeGirl really loved it. The chilli sauce is more on the sourish side, reminiscent of Thai style seafood dipping sauce. 4.25/5


Lo Mai Kai $1.80

We were actually here because we were told that the Lo Mai Kai here was something to behold. Since I am currently on my quest for the ultimate Lo Mai Kai, I had to check it out. They use only midwings for the Lo Mai Kai here and the taste was alright, but ultimate it was not. The glutinous rice was not soft enough. For me a great Lo Mai Kai should have glutinous rice which is soft and gooey and saturated with the chicken juices. 3.75/5


Fried Yam Cakes 8 pieces $3.20

The yam cake is one of the best I have tasted in Singapore. The yam is generous and powdery (Teochews describe it as Sang Sang) and the cake itself is full of Hae Bee (dried prawn) flavour. They deep fry instead of pan frying them here and its good! 4.5/5


Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun $4

I put up this picture of the Curry Chee Cheong Fun just to show you that you can find quite interesting things in the bamboo steamers. So aside from the usual, you can be adventurous and try something new. Taste wise, this one was not quite there. The curry was a bit powdery but if you are the type that like find the typical Dim Sum too tame and want to spice it up, you can pick this one up as well as their steamed seafood otah dish. 3/5

Conclusion

Not exactly restaurant dining, but that's how I like it. Rustic and chaotic with no table cloths to soak up the spilled tea, the food is here dares to be adventurous so you can expect a few surprises. It's unpretentious, straightforward tongue titillating satisfaction and best of all you can enjoy it even if you are reading this at 3am in the morning of the eve of a public holiday! We should have more stalls like this across Singapore!

126 Eating House (Wan Tou Sek)
126 Sims Ave
67464757, 67454869
Open 24 hours daily

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Jacky Chan's Cafe: Kung Fu Cappuccinno and Dim Sum!

I still remember my very first Jacky Chan movie. It was none other than "Drunken Monkey", the good olde Kung Fu movie back in 1978 with a predictable storyline which only serves as a backdrop for the Kung Fu actors to display their Kung Fu skills.

You know the story........ young disciple's master gets killed by bad guy, big headed young disciple seeks revenge but gets beaten up real bad, learns his lesson on humility, learns a new fighting skill, goes up against the bad guy again, almost gets killed, but last minute gets flashback from old deceased master, suddenly gets extra power boost and kills bad guy....

Yeah, I remember trying to do the Jui Chuen (Drunken Kungfu) just like Jacky when I was a kid! C'mon, you guys have done it too lah!

Anyway, fast forward 30 years, Jacky Chan is now a household name even in the Western world. There is even a Jacky Chan cartoon series. So why would a guy with such fame and fortune want to open a cafe?

That was the question I posed to Simon, the man in charge of Jacky Chan's cafe in Singapore. By the way, the one in Singapore is the very first Jacky Chan cafe which is quite interesting as you would have expected it to have started in Hong Kong instead. According to Simon it is all about the Hong Kong people's mindset of starting businesses. So Jacky, being a good Hong Konger is just doing it because it is in his genes.



So, if you were Jacky Chan, what kind of cafe would you like to open? One that serves Cappuccino with Dim Sum seems to be the answer. And I think it is a great idea as well.

You know how Dim Sum always seems to be something you eat with more than 2 friends? Yeah, everything comes in threes. So it is difficult for 2 people to have a casual dim sum meal. So the good thing with the cafe is that everything comes in twos. Just right for you and a friend.

The other way to think of it is that whenever you have coffee, don't you wish you had something nice and savoury like a Char Siew Shou or some Springrolls? Since this is such a great idea, why does it take someone like Jacky Chan to come up with it first, I wonder? Some other enterprising entrepreneur should have thought about it long ago, right?



Anyway, the Dim Sum here is from Imperial Treasure, so the quality is very good. They have several steamed items like teochew dumplings and lotus leaf glutinous rice but most of the items are the baked and deep fried ones like Wu Kok (Fried Yam dumplings), Char Siew Shou (Char Siew Puffs), egg tarts and this particular Yam Puff which I thought was the best of the lot.

The Yam Puff filled with a sweet Yam Paste and salted egg yolk. The pastry is light and flaky and I think you can imagine that it would taste really good. I give this one a 4.5/5.

Conclusion

Great place to chill out with a friend over coffee and dim sum. I think there would be more cafes serving dim sum popping up in Singapore real soon.

Jackie Chan's Cafe
1 Nassim Road, #01-01
Opp Tanglin Shopping Centre
7.30am to 10pm daily

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Kam Boat: Crab Roe Porridge for Those who need a Cholesterol Boost!

The Dim Sum is perfect for a 3 generation family lunch. You will always find something that the kids will eat. My son in particular used to love only Har Kow Skin. Then he moved on to Char Siew Cheong and then Char Siew Pao. So it is not only a good place for lunch, it is a great place to introduce your finicky kids to new foods as well. Now that my son is onto a lot more different Dim Sum, my daughter is just starting. She's only eating porridge and Pao Skin at the moment.

When it comes to Dim Sum, we all lament the fact that Singapore Dim Sum pales when compared to Hong Kong Dim Sum. But as a consolation, at least Singapore Dim Sum is better than Bangkok Dim Sum. I lived in Bangkok for 2 years and have not found a Dim Sum that is at least as good as our average Dim Sum here. So, always count your blessing eh?

The Dim Sum here is pretty above average. Most items are competent though nothing is absolutely outstanding. There were several other items here that I found worth mentioning though.



The first is the Sio Bak. The Sio Bak here is probably 90% the standard of what I had in Hong Kong in my most recent trip. The skin is crispy like a Violet Crumble and the meat is wonderfully tender and infused with a flowery fragrance what reminds you of a meadow in spring. Easily the best Sio Bak I had in Singapore (Tied with Peach Garden) 4.5/5


Crab Roe Porridge $18 feeds 6 (Seasonal)

For those who need to boost your cholesterol levels, you might want to try this seasonal dish which is Crab Roe Porridge. Super creamy porridge mixed with a generous portion of Crab Roe. It's probably the most unique and yummy porridge I have had for a long long time. But "long long time once" only ok? 4.25/5

Conclusion

Good Dim Sum place with reasonable prices. The Sio Bak is definitely worth coming for.

Kam Boat Chinese Cuisine
1 Scotts Road,
#05-14 Shaw Centre

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Hua Nam: Old Style Coffeeshop Atmosphere

I walked pass this stall several times before deciding to actually order something from them. The thing that attracted me to the stall was the sense of nostalgia. The stall looked like it had been around for awhile and any stall that has a signboard that is handpainted must have something that has been keeping it around all this time right? The other thing that was interesting was that they seem to want to do everything. They have Cze Char, Tim Sum and Roasted Meats all in the same shop!

So I walked in and asked them what is their die die must try signature dish. I found that this question seldom works very well in small eateries as they invariably would say that everything is nice depending on your preference. So I had to be more specific. Since I was searching for a good KL Hokkien Mee, I asked if they can do a really shiok KL Hokkien Mee. They assured me that their cook is from KL, so his Hokkien Mee is good. I mean what kind of assurance is that? It's like saying all Chinese people are good in Kung Fu right?

When the Hokkien Mee arrived, I was surprised to find that was actually quite descent. The noodles were of the right type and the sauce quite robust and they do have pork lard (ok I did not eat that many this time. You realize I am doing this all for you, my dear readers, don't you?) I had initially wanted only to eat a third of it but ended up eating two thirds before I forced myself to stop. (Over spent on Calories that day already) Quite a commendable KL Hokkien Mee. 4/5



As I mentioned before, this restaurant seems to serve everything. So I tried a Char Siew Bao. It was a tad dry and unexciting for me. 3/5

Conclusion

I just love the nostalgia of the place and the fact that you can drop in and just about order something for everyone. My son would have loved the Tim Sum, while me and my wife would go for the Cze Char and my mother-in-law would have gone for Roast Duck. Judging from the standard of the HKM, the Cze Char could be somewhere convenient for a nightcap every now and again if you live around the area.

Hwa Nam Restaurant
244F Upper Thomson Road
64533645
7am to 11.45pm
Closed Monday except Public Holiday

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Shanghai RenJia: Shen Jian Pao Surprise!

Xiao Long Bao $4.80 for 5

I don't remember ever eating Xiao Long Bao (XLB) when I was a kid. I think it is something that has taken Singapore by storm in the last decade. The beauty of the XLB is the spoonful of soup that you get in each dumpling.

I have always wondered how they managed to get the soup in the dumpling. Was it from the meat or do they somehow add it in. Well it happens that there are many ways of getting the soup in the dumpling. The shortcut way is to add more oil into the meat filling. This would make the dumpling very rich. The proper way is to prepare the soup before hand, chill it such that it has a jelly like consistency and mix it into the meat filling. The soup in the dumpling is thus very light and tasty after having extracted the flavors from the meat filling.

Since we were sitting in a restaurant where the hosts were Shanghainese, I asked them what the proper way to eat XLB was. There are a couple of ways I could think of. I used to dip the whole thing in the vinegar, put a few strands of ginger on top and put the whole thing in my mouth. This way, the dumpling bursts like a balloon in your mouth releasing all that wonderful soup and meaty flavours. (Have to make sure its not too hot) The Lao Ban Niang suggested that one should put the dumpling in the soup spoon, bite a little hole and suck out the soup first, then dip the dumpling in the vinegar and eat the rest. This way you get to savour the beautiful soup first. My son likes to break the whole dumpling open in the bowl, eat the skin first, the meat second and drink the soup from the bowl last. (Talk about menu deconstruction!) So pray tell, how do YOU savour your XLB? (Tell us by taking part in the latest poll!)

The XLB here is very good. There is a good amount of soup in each dumpling and the skin is resilient so that it does not break easily. The Lao Ban had been in the flour business all his life and is very knowledgeable about all sorts of different flours. So the skin of the baos here are excellent. I felt though that it would have been perfect if the skin was a fraction thinner and the filling had more ooomph. Nonetheless it is a XLB that I would rate as one of the best in Singapore. 4.25/5


Shen Jian Pau $7.20 for 6

The Shen Jian Pao (SJP) on the other hand is an item that I would drive all the way from Siglap to eat again tomorrow! This is seriously a delightful and exciting discovery. I would even go so far to say that it is most special Pao one can ever savour.

The Pao is fried in a covered saucepan. So the oil cooks the bottom half of the Pao skin so that it is crisp on the outside. The steam trapped in the saucepan steams the top part of the Pao to a nice fluffy consistency.

When you bite into the Pao, the juices just flow out and, if you are not careful, down onto your chin! So in one bite, you get a tender meat filling, an explosion of juices which is absorbed by the soft skin and lastly a crispy caramelised skin to tease your palate. It is such a joy to eat! I just crave to rave. Crave to rave, I say! Best SJP in Singapore, JB and maybe even Shanghai! 4.75/5


Special Ter Kah (not on the menu) $20

The restaurant serves a host of other Shanghainese favourites like drunken chicken, deep fried ribbon fish, la mian and so on. We were recommended this Shanghainese style Ter Kah which is excellent. Shanghainese Lor (Braising Sauce) is thick, gooey and sweet. The meat is soft and well caramelized. It is different from the Teochew and Hokkien style that we are used to but shiok nonetheless. 4.5/5

The lady in the middle was introduced to us as the Masterchef who taught the Masterchefs in Shanghai, before she came to Singapore. The Lao Ban said that he was extremely fortunate to get her to work in the restaurant. Both he and his wife lived in Singapore for almost 15 years before starting this restaurant out of a love to share their Shanghainese food with Singaporeans. They were passionate about their food and provided great service as well.

Conclusion

The Shen Jian Pao is the best I have ever eaten. Not only I say, my other 3 makankakis all concur that it deserves a 4.75 rating. There is only one potential problem. If you go on a weekend, you have to be prepared to wait a long time for your pao. It takes them quite a while to prepare each one!

Shanghai People
906B Upper Thomson Road
(Next to Han's)
64567752
12pm to 10pm daily

Recommended by Koolabee

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Tanjong Rhu Pao: Its Small, Its Expensive, But I still need to buy it!

With liverpool, iwatch_ueat and introducing Leon our latest makankaki


There is only one Pau in Singapore that has the audacity to call a small pau a Big Pau and charge you dollar for it. Yet there is a perpetual queue outside the stall around the clock. I have looked high and low for a cheaper alternative to this Pau but none have come close. It remains in a league of its own and as long as they remain there, suckers like me will continue to keep our mouths shut and obediently fork out our dollars for the tasty morsals.



There is just something inexplicable about the taste of the pau. The combination of the soft sweet skin and the juicy savoury meat just makes the tastebuds resonate with excitement with each bite and since you can finish one in 2 mouthfuls, one pau is never enough. Its heads and shoulders above all the rest. 4.6/5



Many people also like the Char Siew Paus here. I guess you can really call the Big Pau Big when compared to the Char Siew Pau which is only about one third of the size. Each costs 50 cents and you can finish it in one mouthful. Those with really big mouths can probably down 2 at one go. Fortunately, there are bigger alternatives to the Char Siew Pau such that one does not have to submit to its tyranny. 4/5

They also have the Yuan Yang Pau here which contains lotus paste, red bean paste and salted egg. This particular one did not have a salted egg which is too good, but it might have been a one off. Quite nice but again alternatives can be found elsewhere. $1 4/5

Conclusion

What to do? Like a good Singaporean, I complain and complain but in the end still Kwai Kwai submit to the inevitable fate of paying premium for the Pau. Why can't someone else offer something just as good but double the size half the price?

Tanjong Rhu Pau
Blk 7, Jalan Batu #01-113
63483817
12.30pm - 8pm
Closed on Sundays

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Victor's Kitchen: Authentic Hong Kong Tim Sum!

With liverpool, smart, yummydummies, tamago, iwatch_ueat and PK


Ignorance is bliss. It really is! If you don't know that there is something else better out there, you will be content with whatever you have. Before I had the Wagyu Grade 9 Ribeye at Aston's, I was quite happy with my USDA Prime Ribeye. Now when I eat the same US Ribeye, I don't get as much satisfaction knowing that Steak can be more tender and flavoursome! Same with Tim Sum. During my trip to Hong Kong last December, I managed to eat some really good Hong Kong Tim Sum and suddenly my yardstick for Tim Sum was raised another foot.

The really good Tim Sum in Singapore like those in Lei Garden or East Ocean are very expensive. I don't know about you but for me, food that is Shiok still loses out to food that is Shiok AND Cheap so that you can eat as much as you want and still have change left over. (Ai Pee Ai Chee Gor Ai Zhao Lui)



So with that lengthy preamble, let me just cut to the chase and just say that the Tim Sum at Victor's Kitchen is SHIOK AND CHEAP and the taste really reminded me of the stuff I had in Hong Kong! Most items are very good, but some really have that oooomph factor. The steamed radish cake is the first one that I will rave about. The texture is smooth and you can really appreciate the taste of the radish, dried prawns and lup cheong. One of the best version of this dish I have tasted. 4.5/5 The Za Leong (Doughstick in Rice Rolls) is also excellent. If you think about it, it is all made of flour, but the contrasting texture and tastes of the 2 flour based items combine so well to entice the tastebuds. My staple at every Tea House I visited in Hong Kong! 4.25/5



The other worthy mentions (there are lots) is the Her Yeh Fun (Lotus Leave Glutinous Rice). By soaking top grade glutinous rice overnight, Victor managed to get the texture of the rice so soft but at the same time so sticky and fragrant. It is noticeably different from the ones I am used to in Singapore. 4/5



Don't forget to order the Egg Cream Pau for dessert. The custard combined with salted egg is proof that Heaven really exists! 4.5/5

Conclusion

Be forewarned! After eating this, you might never derive the same pleasure eating Tim Sum at other ordinary Tim Sum joints again!

Victor's Kitchen
91 Bencoolen Street
Sunshine Plaza
#01-21
98382851
10.30am to 8pm
Closed on Mondays

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Rong Yi Hong Kong Tim Sum: Really Juicy Big Pao!

The ratings of the Chicken Pao have been adjusted to reflect other readers reviews!


I have been meaning to blog (and eat) this Pao for ages! I ate here a few months back upon the recommendation of one of the forummers and it was just as he described it! When you break open the pao, you got to be really careful because the juices simply flow out almost like a Xiao Long Bao. That was a few months ago and ever since then I have been yearning to go back again.



This time round the juices did not exactly burst out of the Pao, but the meat was still very sweet and juicy and the taste reminded me of the famous Tanjong Rhu Pao except this was at least 2 to 3 times bigger (I should say the Tanjong Rhu Pao is 2 - 3 times smaller then the standard Da pao). The skin was very fine, soft and fluffy but of the local variety rather then the Hong Kong style skin. Mmm... definitely one of the better Da Paos in Singapore. $1.20 4.25/5



Those looking for the uncommon would be pleased with this Yen Yang Pao which is Lotus Paste, Red Bean Paste and salted egg yolk. The paste was sweet and gooey and complemented the savoury salted yolk really well. $1 4/5

Conclusion

One of my favourite Da Paos! Oh, the Lo Mai Kai is also quite shiok. 4/5 The next time I am back I plan to buy 10 and leave it in the freezer, my son simply loves it!

Rong Yi Hong Kong Dim Sum
Block 1 Rochor Centre
#01-506
94528227
Open 8am to 10pm daily

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Hong Kong Tea House - 70's HK cuisine

Have you ever had a HongKonger look at you funny when you tell him that what he is eating is a a plate of Hong Kong Mee? They will vehemently insist there is no such thing in Hong Kong. Well, the time has come to get one back. Now you can head down to the Hong Kong Tea House and let him order you a plate of Singapore Bee Hoon (Xin Zhou Chao Fen) and return him the favour. Yep, the famous Singapore Bee Hoon which originated in Hong Kong can now be found right here, where it is supposed to belong. Funny, I still find the taste a bit hard to get used to. The yellow colour of the bee hoon is due to the use of a blend of mild curry powder (The type used to make Ang Mo Curry). Maybe the HongKong Chefs were trying to imitate our Mee Goreng. Alas, they lack the most critical ingredient, a true blue (dark brown really) Indian chef!



There is a touch of real authenticity in the Hong Kong Tea House, a brainchild of two Hong Kongers who just miss Hong Kong street food from the 70's. They've set up this restaurant in the old Joo Chiat Police Station whose heyday was also back in the 70's. (The colonial architecture really adds to the nostalgic feel) They probably also raided their old storeroom to find LPs of Hong Kong Pop Stars to adorn the walls. So get ready to see some really young "old" faces adorning wide collars and showing off their lack of chest hair. You'd also chuckle when you see all the "Sheena Easton" hairdo on the ladies.



The tea house offers over 300 items that reflect the fusion of British and Cantonese cuisines. What happened in the 70's was that the British set up lots of restaurants offering Western cuisine that was out of reach for the Hong Konger on the street. So the locals set up Tea Houses that offered their interpretation of Western Cuisine. As a result, you can find stuff like french toast, spaghetti, baked rice on the same menu as Hor Fun, Fried Noodles, Dim Sum and so on. What's really interesting is when you see them cook spaghetti in a wok. And, all the spaghetti dishes also have a stir fried version! (Spaghetti with Wok Hei! Mama Mia! Chee Xin Liao!) The real reason they have so much food is because the owners just sat down and listed all their childhood favourites and insisted the chef put it on the menu!



I have never been to a real Hong Kong Cafe in Hong Kong, so it is hard to say how authentic this is. But the owners insist that the food is exactly what it tastes like in Hong Kong. Well, if that is the case, then I must admit that Hong Kong food is a lot less spicy and robust then Singapore food. That is not to say it is bad, it is just different.

One of the dishes that I really like is their version of Pork Trotter in Vinegar. Theirs is a bit sweeter then the ones we get here, but I love the taste of the blue ginger infused into the creamy sweet and sour sauce. The sauce really gets your salivary glands working. Best thing is they give individiual servings. $3.80 per bowl. Shiokness Score: 4/5

I also sampled the SzeChuan hot and sour soup, which I found a little bland. Like I say, the Hong Kongers don't like it as robust as we do. $3.50 per bowl. 3/5



I like this Crispy Fried Lotus Root with Pork. First time I am having this. Really tasty and gives you that umami rush. $3.50 for 3 pieces - a bit expensive to eat a whole bunch but definitely worth trying. 4/5




The full name of the restaurant is Hong Kong Tea House and Dessert Paradise. So expect some serious desserts. The Mango Smoothie with Black Chin Chow is very refreshing and is made from fresh mangoes. $5.50 3.75/5 The house speciality is the Red Bean drink which you can have with or without ice cream $3.80 and $4.80 respectively. I had the one without ice cream and found it was not sweet enough though I like the generous serving of soft and mushy red beans. 3.5/5 The one with ice cream should be really good



The turnip cakes are pretty good. You can really bite into strands of turnip (or are they radishes?) and there is a nice amount of chinese sausages and dried prawns. As good a turnip cakes go. $3 for 3 pieces. 3.75/5



You must have spotted the Wok Hei (Flambe) in the earlier montage. Hor Fun is No Fun without Wok Hei. The Hor Fun was good especially with the crunchy bean sprouts but hei, Wok Hei no enough! (I expected more when I saw the explosion in the kitchen) Otherwise this could have been a winner. $6 per plate. 3.75/5




The really good thing about the Hong Kong Tea House is the fact that they offer so many varieties of Siao Chi, (Small dishes) that you can sit down and eat with a cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea (Teh Si - $2). I particularly like the Capsicum with minced pork. And for $3 a serving with no service charge, gst and tax it is actually quite good value given that each dish is prepared fresh. 4/5




Owners Elaine and Victoria infuse the place with their cheery personalities. They basically set this up because they felt nostalgic for 70's Hong Kong Street Food. (Isn't it cheaper just to fly to Hong Kong and eat all you want?) But we are thankful they have chosen to share their passion with us Singaporeans.




Conclusion

With so many Hong Kong Cafes around why choose this one? Well, the ambience is fantastic, the parking is easy, it is opened 24 Hours and it is close to my home. The food is good though I have not had anything that is "die-die-must-try". But there are so many interesting things offered that I just have to go back to try the rest. Plus for me, it is much better then the alternative which is to sit in a cafe and drink latte and eat cheesecake. (So boring).

8.25/10 (T2.75+V2.5+S2+E1) Nice alternative to Starbucks, enough novelty to keep you coming back, and, where else can you go eat a nice Dim Sum at 12 mn without +++?

Hong Kong Tea House
Katong Village #01-09/10
Tel: 63451932
Always opened never shut!

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