After having been travelling so often, it is nice to have meals in local restaurants for a change. Local as in Singapore. Here are some local restaurants that I have visited in the months in 2013. Some are good, some not so good.
Owen Seafood Restaurant
For the Lunar New Year reunion dinner, we booked a table at the Owen Seafood Restaurant at Turf City. It was already packed when we arrived. Service was fast and reasonable under the circumstances. However, the food felt like being mass produced to meet the demand. For the price we paid, the food was quite adequate. Besides the set menu of "Fatt Choy" Yu Sheng, Deep Fried Soon Hock, Cereal Prawns,Scallops with Vegetables, Shark's Fin Soup and Noodles, we also ordered an extra dish of Black Pepper Crabs.
I found the julienne carrots and raddish strips too thick and dry, making the Yu Sheng dish nothing special. The pepper crab was tasty and by far the best dish that evening. The prawns were quite small. I would have preferred less prawns but bigger ones.
Capital Restaurant
On the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, we dined at the Capital Restaurant, which is now located along New Bridge Road (near Exit H of the Outram Park MRT Station). When they were situated at Cantonment Road, they used to be famous for their paperwrapped chicken, and now they are known for the Shanghai Hairy Crabs.
Their version of the "Fatt Choy" Yu Sheng used the original wolf herring fish meat instead of salmon, just like in the old days. I enjoyed the dish very much. Other dishes worth a try if the steamed fish and the braised duck with sea cucumber. But the dish I liked the best is still the Kwei Fua Shark's Fin, a dish where the individual strands of shark's fin is fried with scrambled eggs and bean sprouts and eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce.
West Coast Seafood
This restaurant is hidden in the basement of the West Coast Recreation Centre at West Coast Walk next to the Clementi Stadium.
The food is quite mediocre, nothing to rave about. The Shark's Fin Soup tasted like shark's fin soup and the Fried Scallops with Vegetable was quite tender, while the Crispy Skin Chicken came with a thin pancake skin wrap similar to Peking Duck. Other than that, the Mee Goreng was bland and not fried enough (not enough "wok hei") while the recommended Lobster in Curry Sauce was a disappointment. The sauce was bland and the lobster was overcooked. The Black Pepper Crab was scrawny and with hardly any meat. The dessert dish of Orh Nee (steamed taro paste with gingko nuts) was not sweet enough and lacked the coconut milk fragrance.
Astons Specialties
Heard so much about Astons and having seen the long queues outside their outlets, I have wanted to try their food for a very long time. Finally when the new outlet opened at SAFRA Toa Payoh, I went with my son.
There was no queue there and we easily found seats at a booth. Service was quite slack, only a few service staff around and they tended to look the other way every time you try to call for them. The beef steaks were quite ordinary, I really don't know what all the hype is about. One thing in their favour is the mushroom sauce is served separately and not poured onto the meat like other restaurants. However, the mushroom sauce looked suspiciously the same (even tasted the same) was the mushroom soup.
Each main dish comes with two side orders which we could choose. Some of the side dishes were quite good, especially the coleslaw. The baked potato did not come with sour cream and when asked, they did not have any. The macaroni and cheese was not macaroni at all, but shell-shaped conchiglie instead. As for the potato wedges, I had to wait for more than 25 minutes for my serving. By the time it came, I was already more than half way through my steak.
Another thing I found quite puzzling is that the restaurant does not serve dessert at all. When I asked the manager on duty, the answer was "I don't know".
Red Star Restaurant
Have not been to Red Star (located in Chin Swee Road) for a long time, so one morning went with a good friend for breakfast. At around 8am, the restaurant was quite empty, only about 2 to 3 table occupied. We found out soon enough why. The food was quite bad. Every dish tasted the same. The Rice Flour Rolls were so thick and starchy, the Har Kau did not taste fresh, the Char Siew Pau tasted mostly of starch only, and even the Braised Chicken Feet was below par. The rest were not even worth mentioning. Very sad indeed. The standard has dropped by so much. It used to be a place for good dim sum. Totally disappointed.
Crystal Jade Jiang Nan
We were actually heading for Crystal Jade for dim sum brunch at Vivocity but they were full, so we detoured to Crystal Jade Jiang Nan, just a short walk away on the same level, which was relatively empty. The crowd did build up as we ate.
Worth mentioning is the polished and shiny tea pot, a refreshing and eye-catching idea. The appetizer Marinated Pig's Ear with Cucumber was excellent. Just the right amount of sesame oil brought out the flavour of the sliced pig's ear in chilli oil.
Their specialty, the Multi-flavoured Xiao Long Bao, was very pretty to look at. Although each of them is supposed to have a unique flavour which includes spicy beef, foie gras, cheese and black truffle, the difference in taste was too slight to be noticeable. It was hard to tell which is which.
The other dishes were also satisfying, although they did not stand out for special mention. The Szechuan Hot and Sour soup with tofu is an interesting twist to the norm. The soft tofu gave a counterbalance to the crunchy bamboo shoots. Also worth a mention is Fried Sheng Mian which was crisp and light despite the gravy.
The desserts were also quite creative. The Almond Jelly with Mint was refreshing, while the Pumpkin Cake with red bean and salted egg yolk was pretty to look at and quite delicious. The Japanese Moochi was filled with fruit and cream, another variation that worked.
Yan Palace Restaurant
Looking at the crowd at Yan Palace, now located at Hong Lim Complex, it's testimony to continued good food there. I have not been there for a couple of years, but the food standard has been maintained.
The dim sum variety here is quite diverse. Besides the usual shrimp dumplings and siew mai to rice flour rolls and century eggs congee, from char siew pao and steamed taro cake to glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf and fried raddish cake, there are also deep fried salmon skin, yam and pumpkin dumplings, shark's fin dumpling and even Pig Trotters in Black Vinegar. Well worth a visit.
Ootoya Japanese Restaurant
My wife brought me there for lunch. I hadn't even noticed this restaurant hidden in a corner of Clementi Mall. Walking in, it gave me a feeling of emptiness, even though all the tables were occupied by diners. There is much wasted empty space between tables and the bare concrete flooring made it look like renovations were not yet completed.
The food, however, is quite decent for the price. We each got a chawanmushi (steamed egg) as appetizer. My wife ordered the Siokouji Teishoku (grilled salted pork loin) Set while I opted for the Tara Kurozu (deep fried cod fish with sweet and sour black vinegar sauce) set. We also opted for the Gokoku Rice to go with our meal. The Gokoku rice is a combination of brown rice, barley, black sesame, white sesame and corn, which makes it full of nutrition and fibre.
I especially liked the Tara Kurozu. The black vinegar sauce was very fragrant and the slightly sweet sauce perfectly balanced the sourness of the vinegar, making the dish very appetizing. The accompanying vegetables which included green capsicum, carrots, potatoes, eggplant and lotus root, was cooked just right maintaining the crunchiness without tasting raw. The cod fish was well mixed in the sauce and was a joy to bite into, firm yet soft and melted in your mouth.
The grilled pork was good too. Not burnt but with the char-grilled flavour and still succulent and tender to the bite. And surprisingly, the Gokoku rice was quite flavourful and not difficult to swallow at all.
The 2 desserts that we ordered took some time to arrive, and owing to the open kitchen concept, we could see that they were ready but not served immediately. When the Anmitu Maccha (green tea ice cream with soya milk syrup) and Tamago Pudding (egg pudding with caramel sauce with a hint of burnt say sauce) arrived, the ice cream was half melted. Still I enjoyed the desserts. All in all, a pleasant meal.
Señor Taco
Searching for a cozy place for dinner at the newly opened Star Vista in Buona Vista, we stumbled across Señor Taco on the top level. The ambience was very condusive for a quiet evening. The night view was also very pretty to look at.
We ordered a frozen margarita each, hers a Lime Margarita and mine a Mango Margarita. They were good and very refreshing, not too strong and just right for a warm evening.
For starters, we had the Nopalitos Guisados (pan-fried air-flown Mexican cactus with tomato, onion, chilli and coriander) served with corn tortillas which we shared. My wife had the Sopa De Tortilla (famous Mexican soup served with pasilla chilli, cream, fresh cheese, avocado and chicharron. I especially liked the chicharron bits which were crispy and fragrant. For myself, I ordered the Tacos De Bistec (rump beef cubes served with chiles toreado). The servings were just right, and the meat was not overcooked.
Do becareful with the sauces provided. The green one is guacamole which is quite mild, the dark one is chipotle made of smoked dried jalapenos which is slightly spicy, but the cream coloured one is super spicy hot and burns the tongue.
Rochor Thai
This newly opened Thai Restaurant serves Fusion Thai food with ingredients freshly prepared and without MSG. I liked the food there so much that I had frequently brought friends there.
The Cha Yen (Thai Iced Tea) is very refreshing and is a must try. Other appetizers such as Tod Man Pla (Thai Fish Cake with Achar) and Yam Ma Muang (Mango Salad) are also very good. Another dish that I like very much is the Kor Moo (Grilled Pork Neck). The meat is well grilled and yet retain its moistness and tenderness. Another dish worth mentioning is the Pak Boong Pad Fai Daeng (Stir Fried Kang Kong), which is so fragrant and the vegetable is cooked just right, remaining crunchy and green.
Their specialties, Pad Thai Talay (Pad Thai Seafood) and Gaeng Kaew Wan Gai (Green Curry Chicken), are simply excellent. The Pad Thai is cooked so well, yet not dripping with oil. You can taste the individual strand of rice noodles coated with sauce. The Green Curry is one of the best I have ever eaten. The texture is smooth and slightly sweet from the fresh coconut milk, and the chicken pieces are tender and full of flavour.
Finally, to end the meal, you must try the Khao Niaow Ma Muang (Mango with Sticky Rice Pudding) where the sticky rice is steamed with coconut milk to give it extra fragrance. Another very good dessert is the Tub Tim Krob (Red Rubies served with Coconut Ice Cream) where the red rubies are homemade and filled with large crunchy waterchestnut. And the best dessert of all is the Durian Spring Rolls. You have to eat them to know how good they are.
Unfortunately, Rochor Thai had some problems with the landlord and are currently relocating. They will re-open for business in the new location of 340 Joo Chiat Road some time end of July 2013.
P.S. - Rochor Thai is re-opened for business in Joo Chiat Road with effect from Sunday 4 August 2013.
