WADA rating: 38.5+22= 60+ pts
QPI: 6 ($15-$40 per pax)
WFI: C+ (Free corkage, Ikea stemware, staff have basic knowledge but can't differentiate a rose from red)
Tasted twice - 9 course dinner for my granny's bdae today!
Was introduced to this teochew restaurant quite recently by DBF , who in turn was introduced to it by her colleague. Heard they just had renovations done and am really quite impressed by their decor given its at a HDB flat. You would think it'd just be an aircon zi-char coffeeshop but are awed by the "atas"-ness of this place. Quite impressive.
What's Hot?
Fried Cod Fish with Soy Sauce and Fried Garlic
Full of burnt garlic on the nose which i like. The fish is fried to a light crispness... exihibiting the
teochew forte of elegant non-oily dishes. The 5 cent-sized slices of fried garlic really enhances the clean soy sauce flavours and integrates perfectly with each mouth of the juicy white meat of the cod fish. Good stuff that I would gladly have with some plain porridge ...and maybe a glass of aust riesling.
Braised Duck with Chestnuts in Lotus Leaf
The aromas score big with me. Fresh steamed lotus with scents of chestnuts. It does remind me a lot of ba-chang (rice dumplings). The glue-like thick dark brownish sauce is quite delicate, v teochew-styled ...not so salty and bordering bland ..BUT taste hard enough to get the sweetness that has seaped into the sauce from the chestnuts. The duck meat is firm and pretty delectable except that it cld have been slightly too overcooked. This dish must be ordered in advance.
Fried Homestyle Tofu
Simple tofu enhanced with tasty meat sauce and a sprinkling of fried crispy strips...i think its a
root vegetable..not sure which though. What can I say... a simple dish that punches just above its weight. Again i am thinking of have a bowl of plain porridge.Yam Paste (Orh-Ni) with Pumpkin
I don't really fancy Orh-Ni cos its supposed to be fattening with lard mixed in. But this is special .Not overly sweet and the bits of natural sweet pumpkin mixed into the solid, firm. dense milky, purple yam paste makes the difference between Kellog Frosties and the Cornflakes. ..the extra icing on the cake. Aftertaste is not oily but quite refreshing...amazingly so ...
What's Not?
The roasted suckling pig was just above average and slightly too porky....a little salty too. Not something i would specially pre-order for. The coffee pork ribs are so-so , v standard like in your face new world shiraz...not much character. Maybe, they should stick to the teochew forte of fish dishes.
Other Dishes Tasted:
Braised Chicken with Chestnuts, some stir fried vegetables (forgettable) , Fried Mee Suah (pretty decent stringy oodles), Cold Dish Combi.
Comments:
They are too crowded for their own good. Staff seem truly wanting to serve well but they could be overwhelmed by the full house this place draws during weekends. Food is better than decent and prices are fair. Do pop by for a meal or two...try it for yourself. And if you are not satisfied, just cross the road to the Bedok Hawker Center for their famous Ba Chor Mee.
Wine Pairings done:
"Around the World in 80 mins" wine pairing done for Granny's birthday bash!
2004 Babich Gimblett Gravels Gurwurtztraminer, NZ
WADA rated 79pts
Light golden. Canned lychees with a bitterness on the finish.
2005 GH Von Mumm Classic Riesling, Germany
WADA rated 72pts
Faint light lemons with some interesting kerosene and small white flowers trying to peek thru. Could do with a little more acid and sugars on the palate. A standard german riesling without much soul.
2006 Libalis Rosado , Spain
WADA rated 74pts
Ribena-ish inits colour, nose and palate. Good light acidity. Delightful but standard.
2004 J Cacheux Les Champs D’ Argent
WADA rated 72+pts
Pale diluted blood red. Some earth and cherries on the nose and palate with a Chinese hawthorne flake (San-Char) finish. Drink and go wine.
2004 Barone Ricasoli, Chianti
Wine was corked. A pity this italian part of the trip had to be poured away.
2004 Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Chile (WS91, rated top 250 great values)
WADA rated 82+pts
Dark purple turning black. Dark plums and mint with dark coffee on the second smells. Big oak. Dark cherries and plums with slight spice notes. Good body with chewy tannins. Seem to get better in the glass. Might have a lil prob on the oak though.
2004 Pondolowie Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Bendigo (JH96)
WADA rated 81+pts
Deep purplish. Milky coffee with dark sweet plums. A little bitter coffee bean on the finish too.
Pairing Suggestions
Suggest heavy-light to medium bodied wines here as the food is less intense than cantonese cuisine but this is no teochew "muay". Certain dishes are pretty cantonese-styled in its taste direction. Therefore, preferably new world pinots or a denser cote-de-nuit bourgogne. Less oaky cabernet / merlots would do fine too.
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