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| Pig Trotter Jelly, $16 per portion |
Our meal started off with one of my favourite Teochew delicacies - Pig Trotter Jelly (猪脚冻). This is a dish which originated from Shantou in China, where the Teochews in Singapore originated from. It makes use of what is considered the lower grade parts of the pig, such as the skin and the trotter, which are then boiled with certain traditional spices over low heat to turn the collagen into a gelatinous texture. Being a time-consuming process, not many eateries here do it anymore. It is said that some add in gelatine to quicken the process as a short-cut.
The texture here is just right for me and goes perfectly with the accompanying vinegar-chilli dip. It’s done so well that you can see exactly what you are eating, rather than a jumbled mess like how some places do it.
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| Cold Crab, $15 per 100g |
Next we had another Teochew favourite - cold crabs. Fresh, sweet and firm. Thick and creamy roe too. I like the sweet plum sauce as it brings back childhood memories, as I had found the vinegary garlic-chilli dip too overwhelming for me as a kid. These days, I can’t do without it, but still find the plum sauce comforting. Do note that the quality of the crab depends on the season. Why are they so expensive? That's because the good eateries pay a good price to get crabs with the best roe, hence consumers have to fork out a premium price.
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| Deep Fried Prawn Balls, $26 |
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| Braised Duck with Beancurd ($35 for half) |
How could we come here without trying out the braised duck? Traditionally, the authentic Teochew braise sauce is more watery and not thickened. Here, it was exactly as such. Well-braised with a subtle herbal scent without being overly salty, and the meat was oh-so-tender. It may sound frivolous, but I actually liked the beancurd more than the duck. Wobbly soft - superb.
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| Deep Fried Ngoh Hiang, $18 |
The ngor hiang came next, and it's pretty amazing how they fried it till it was crispy on the outside and yet retain its juiciness on the inside. You get to enjoy the contrast between the crunch from the bits of water chestnuts versus the tenderness of the minced meat.
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| Braised Fish Maw Soup with Crab Meat ($40 for small, $60 for medium) |
Next came my wife’s favourite - fish maw soup with crab meat. The texture is thick but not starchy, slightly akin to the sharks' fin soup we are perhaps more accustomed to. I don’t normally add any vinegar so that I get to taste the original flavours that the chef concocts.
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| Teochew Oyster Omelette, $18 |
This is more gooey than crispy, and I am told this is how it should be traditionally. Dry and crisp on the outside with a bit of chew - a little different from the orh jian that we are more accustomed to in food centres, which also uses more oil.
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| Australian Lobster, $24.80 per 100g |
Our most extravagant order for the night. No, we don't normally eat like this - but it's a birthday celebration after all! When it's so fresh like this, all you need to do is to lightly steam it with minimal seasoning, and let the natural sweetness of the lobster shine through.
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| Teochew Roasted Suckling Pig Marinated with Five Spices ($308) |
This was another dish I looked forward to but it turned out slightly anti-climatic as I felt that some parts of the pig was a little too porky. Otherwise, the skin was roasted very well, with a consistent crisp throughout the pig. A grand dish to round off the course.
We were too filled up for more, otherwise we would definitely have gone for the Conpoy Braised with Eight Vegetarian Treasures. It's essentially braised vegetables with an awesome savoury sauce that goes so well with white rice. I could come here alone and just order that with rice and leave a happy man. But that is reason enough for me to come back soon to get my fix of Teochew cuisine again.
190 Keng Lee Road # 01-02
Opening Hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm
Date of Last Visit: 1st June 2023
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