Revisiting an old favourite with good friends: Meng Kee Seafood

I did once almost crown Meng Kee as the new king of crab bee hoon...dethroning the venerable Sin Huat...and indeed, if you wish for a nice meal, without being harrassed by the owner/chef/cashier (all rolled into one) or for the meal to take 3 hours, or to eat in air conditioned comfort, Meng Kee was the alternative. Almost, because if the taste of the crab bee hoon was the be all and end all, then Danny's creations (at Sin Huat) still reigns.

I recently re-visited with some friends from Switzerland, and they were amazed with the food, as I was...all over again...rediscovering the wonderful seafood...



The crab was quite large...luscious, I would say. The bee hoon, infused...every single strand...with the beautiful crab flavour was outstanding. The dish was all at once rich, bursting with umami, savoury and tantalising to the taste buds. Truly excellent.

But we started not with such a aural sensation, but with another...my friends have never eaten fish skin. Westerners usually fillet their fish, and throw away the skin...but they were adventurous enough to try.



Aromatic, crunchy, tasty...were the words that come to mind. I imagined the skin to have been deep fried, but amongst the 3 of us, we could not find any trace of grease, or fat. Very good.

We also had steamed scallops with heaps and heaps of garlic



Gorgeous, fat, succulent scallops, lightly steamed, with some soy sauce, and loaded with heaps of garlic makes a wonderful dish...unless you are not the garlicky type...this is magnificent.

The crayfish was also quite good...



The shellfish was very fresh. The meat was firm, with a crunch, but yielded to a sweetness that only shellfish can provide...a blend of sweetness which is not sugary coyness, but from deep within the meat, mixed with a touch of salt and chilli to spice things up.

And we rounded the meal with ohr nee...



My friends had a ginko tree growing in their parent's house in Vaud (province in Switzerland), and they never thought to eat the nuts. Indeed, I am told ginko nuts are poisonous, and only with careful preparation will render the poison harmless...but also bring out a wonderful flavour I so love. And complements the beautiful yam paste which has been lovingly prepared. The dish required 20 minutes of preparation time...to steam the yam paste which is judiciously mixed with lard. The final concoction, laced with pumpkin and ginko nuts, and often with a drizzle of coconut milk. Too many calories? Yes. Tasty? YES!!!

Meng Kee is still a wonderful restaurant to satisfy shellfish and seafood cravings.




556 Macpherson Road
6747 4075
12noon - 2pm
5pm - 11pm