Hooked on Heads

Hooked on Heads is one of the old shops who have been dishing out delights for quite a while...I am not sure when they began operations, but from as long ago as 2007 I have been visiting this place.

Originally, cooked and served with passion, but my latest experience falls short of all the other visits. Not only did the quality of the cooking falter, but also, and perhaps more dangerously, the attitude of the owner. It is a sad when an old faithful fails. Sad indeed.

We ordered our usual fish fillet curry. Usually this was a beautiful piece of fish, fresh, cooked just so in the wonderfully fragrant curry. The curry was still rather good, but the fish had a foul smell. 

Unfortunate, and these things sometimes happen. But when we told the owner, his reaction rather surprised me, and told me that the passion has left, and the days of the restaurant are numbered. He said, "oh, its the fish belly...if you don't like, don't eat.", and got his server to take back the curry. I am saddened. No apology, no offer to replace with another dish. No interest from him at all.

I have had a taste of the curry, it was still rather good, but not class leading anymore. Happy Fish, a stall in a Food Court is very similar, and I can see the owner of that stall takes great pride in the freshness and the quality of his fish. 

The other dishes were also not class leading...the baby kailan

Was good, but the vegetable was not peak freshness. It lacked the crunch, and sweetness that a good baby kailan has. I will introduce a small cze char stall who does this particularly well soon...and who also does the next dish extremely well...the venerable har cheong kai, But that is another story for another blog post. We push on with Hooked's har cheong kai.

The har cheong kai at Hooked was very good. Crisp, juicy. It was well seasoned, with nam yu and other condiments, giving it a red hue. It remained the saving grace for Hooked this evening. Still very good. 

And we used to love the hae cho

Still quite decent. But a bit lacking...I cannot quite put my finger on any one single component that this dish is lacking a bit. It was perhaps only good...but why eat good deep fried food, when you can get excellent ones? Especially with the attendant health risks associated with deep frying. 

So it is with a bit of sadness, that I see the passing of a great place to eat...at least for me...I probably won't be visiting again soon. Sigh.

Hooked on Heads

#01-01, Tower 2, 6 Sin Ming Road

64554948 

Daily: 10:30 - 14:30

Daily: 17:30 - 21:30

Star Yong Kwang Seafood

Some Cze Char hawkers gain a notoriety because the food they cook is amazingly good. Sin Huat in Geylang is one of them. And I am begining to think so is Star Yong Kwang.

I understand this cze char stall has been around for a long time. And now being run by second generation, possibly third generation of the original founders. The stall occupies some 4 stalls at one corner of the Alexandra Food Centre. Orange T-shirted assistants hang around the stall, and they are rather ruthlessly efficient, unceremoniously plonking down the plate ordered, and demanding payment when the last of the dishes is served, even when one is in the middle of eating...a practice I find to be rude. They should either collect up front, or after one has had the chance to enjoy one's meal. Sigh, but we do put up with these kind of hawkers, especially if the food is good.

So is the food good? Well, kinda. The sambal sting ray, is rather superlative.

The fish is very fresh, beautifully barbecued, with a touch of charring on the thinner parts of the fish, and a light crisp finish to the skin, while the thick flesh of the stingray is wonderfully moist and tender. But the star is not the fish, but the fantastically hot and tasty chilli sauce which smothers the fish. And the slice of lime with cliced onions accompanies the dish perfectly.

I find this sambal stingray to be quite exceptional. And certainly one of the best I have eaten.

The sambal kangkong was also quite excellent, the cook exhibiting mastry of the control of his fire and wok.

However, the hae cho was pittiful

Even with a cursory inspection, the lightness of the tone of the hae cho was suspect. It did have a crisp skin though. The insides were a bit hard...I hesitate to say tough, because it is not, but neither is it soft, tender nor juicy. The pork within was packed tightly. Tastewise it was nothing to talk about. Not good.

I saw many people ordering the salted egg yolk pork ribs, perhaps that's for another day. As there were only 2 of us for this dinner, we could not have ordered any more. The sambal stingray is certainly worth it, as was the sambal kangkong. But avoid the hae cho. For only the stingray, I highly recommend it.

Star Yong Kwang Seafood
Alexandra Village Food Centre
120 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-04

Comfort food: Cze Char by Kok Sen ...best of the traditional Cantonese eateries?

More comfort food, as I am still withdrawing from the overload of very good European food...today, the quintessential Singaporean table, with Cze Char, also variously spelled Zi Char, Tzu Chao...etc.

Kok Sen, the subject of today's review is an old stalward of the craft of the ferocious fire, and the wok. Food is typically Cantonese styled, and indeed very good...one of the best in the trade.

We begin with the less good...so to speak...yee mee with fish slices

Slightly less successful than the other dishes which I will introduce in a moment...but throughly enjoyable still. The yee mee is a bit bland. The fish was nice and fresh, and the gravy also a bit on the mild side. But this slight disappointment was completely overwhelmed by the black bean beef hor fun, which was next:

Redemption indeed. Bursting with flavours, deep dark...very tasty. The wok hei was powerful, charring parts of the hor fun and the vegetables, but yet the beef remained tender...juicy and very very nice.

The yong taufu was also superb

The gravy was rich, and very tasty, the yong taufu itself was home made, fresh, and very flavourful...superb with just plain steamed rice.

The standard cze char dishes are also done nicely, the hae cho

Nice and non greasy, great flavours. Crispy outside due to the deep frying and crispy bits of water chestnuts within which are fresh and almost raw. The prawn paste stuffing was perfectly cooked, and the flavour of the prawn was evident and very nice. Proof that the cook has great control over his fire.

As was the har cheong kai

Beautifully fried, the seasoning was nice too. Though in the case of the HCK, not the best I have eaten.

We also tried the sambal fish, which was also superb

The fresh fish slices deep fried till crispy outside but still very nice and juicy within, coated with a wonderful aromatic, piquant sambal sauce.

And the obligatory vegetables, spinach in a soup of 3 kinds of egg

Quite standard as was the sambal kangkong we ordered.

Overall, an excellent place for great tasting meal. The place is rather crowded during lunch time, but this kind of restaurant is not for lounging around to enjoy the ambience. But purely for the great tasting food. Service was swift, efficient, and polite, but not pampering. Highly recommended.

Kok Sen Restaurant
30B Keong Saik Road
62232005
Daily: 11:30 - 22:30

Whampoa Keng Fish Steamboat Restaurant

Fish Head Steamboat, or yee tau lor is one of the healthier dishes on our staple diet of hawker foods.

And Whampoa Keng is one of the better ones around. The main restaurant is in Balestier, but a little bird told me that their outlet in Rangoon Road is better, so we went to sample the restaurant, and found it to be quite excellent.

Located in a quieter part of Rangoon Road, with quite a few parking spaces available when we arrived for a late dinner at about 10pm, the restaurant was rather large, but almost full when we got there, though most of the diners were at the end of their meals, as we were about to start ours.

We began with the hae cho

This was truly superb. The deep fried prawn/pork/crab/tofu ball wrapped in a thin bean curd skin had no hint of grease, and the skin was supremely crisp. While the inside was succulent, juicy, and wonderfully tasty, with the intermigling of the flavours of the ingredients culmulating in a delicious whole. Ho Chiak!

We also had the har cheong kai, or prawn paste deep fried chicken

Much has been written about this dish in the blogosphere, especially prominent blogger Leslie's recommendation. I found the chicken to be good, but not spectacular. All the ticks are in the right places. Crispy and light, ungreasy batter: check. Nice succulent meat: check. Flavourful chicken: check. But some I found the balance of spices, herbs to be a bit out...only very slightly, mind you...so still a very good and enjoyable, but I think the chef has to seek to find that balance to make it spectacular for me.

And to the piece de resistance, the fish head steamboat

A very traditional steamboat pot, heated with glowing charcoal was served. The fragrance as it landed on our table was superb. The bubbling soup was very good. The broth had a very robust savoury flavour, full of umami, and yet had a light, slight creamy mouthfeel with a touch of spice. Magnificent.

The chunks of garoupa slices, of which there were more than chunks of fish head, despite the name of the dish was truly spectacular.

Very fresh, so the flesh was firm, with a slightly springy texture as one sinks one's teeth into it, with the skin a bit more than the meat. Very sweet, and excellent fish.

Definitely one of the best fish steamboat I have eaten. I at the original store in Balestier some years ago, and left unimpressed, but this visit left me wanting more and yearning to return. Soon.

Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant
116/118 Rangoon Road

Beng Hiang Hokkien Restaurant

Hokkiens form a large part of the dialect group in Singapore. I believe, with the Teochews, Hokkiens form up to 70%+ of the Chinese population here. As a result, the lingua franca in Singapore when speaking dialect is most usually Hokkien.

The cuisine is also follows suit, though being in the South East Asia, our infuences from the region with hot, spicy food is apparent, many of the origins of the cuisine is derived from old recipes from China.

Beng Hiang is one such old guardian of authentic Hokkien cuisine here. Their restaurant in Amoy Street (Amoy is a dialect of the Fujian Province, where Hokkiens are from).

We ordered a typical Hokkien meal for lunch one Saturday...as we have done countless of times before.

Starters: Fish Maw Soup



This is a thick (thickened usually with tapioca) soup, with deep fried, dried fish maw, scallop shreads, crab meat. Tasty and hearty soup. Today's serving was let down by the use of frozen crab, which tasted flat and dull, instead of being sweet, fat and rich that fresh crab will provide. But nonetheless, still tasty.

Hae Choe is another typical dish.



Filled with minced prawns, sometimes crab meat, and filled with finely diced chestnuts, radish and other vegetables, then deep fried, the hae choe is another Hokkien favourite. This version served by Beng Hiang is excellent. The rich savoury, and juicy tender insides are encased in a crunchy, crispy skin. Great texture contrasts, as well as a very beautiful taste.

The way vegetables are done in Hokkien are also simple:



Simply flash fried in a hot wok with garlic, the dou miao is soft, rich, silky. There is a slight sweet/salty aftertaste with just a tinge of bitterness to round up the vegetable. Complements very wel with the slightly salty, dried fish, which also provides umami power and flavour. Excellent vegetable dish.

Beng Hiang is also famous for their Khong Bak Pau:



Pork belly is stewed in a black sauce for hours...tens of hours to render them soft, super tender. The pork absorbs the braising liquid for hours and becomes especially flavourful. The steamed dumplings are light and fluffly, and served together, sometimes is a slice of heaven. Sinfully fat and cholesterol laden...note layer of oil, from rendered fat, on which the pork sits on. But wonderful on the palate. Sweet and salty all at once. The immense umami of the rich pork is irresistable. Very very good. But my favourite is actually served by Westlake Restaurant which I reviewed here. Westlake's version is a bit saltier (negative for me), but the braising liquid is much more flavourful and packs more taste triggers...edges out Beng Hiang's very good rendition. Close, but edge goes to Westlake.

But the Hokkien Char is par excellence.



The sauce, brown, thick, rich, fullfilling coats every strand of noodle. The seafood is reasonably fresh...if I nitpicked, I would have wanted fresher and crunchier prawns, fresher fish and cuttlefish...but as it stands this dish is excellent. Really good. The sauce is outstanding, and powers the dish very well.



One of the best to be found in Singapore. Reminiscent of the old Hokkien restaurants I used to eat in Penang.

Overall, this is a treasure for Hokkiens. Beng Hiang holds up traditional values well. The restaurant is large enough to be the venues of large celebrations, like traditional Chinese weddings with ease. During a typicaly lunch, it gets fairly busy.





Beng Hiang Restaurant
112 - 116 Amoy Street
Singapore 069932
Tel: (65) 6221 6695
Fax: (65) 6220 2906

Mon - Sun
Lunch 11:30am - 2:30pm (last order)
Dinner 6:00pm - 9:30pm (last order)

The Forgotten Teochew? Tai Seng: still serves excellent food

with Larry, Prof. Horolographer, SJX

Another interesting joint introduced by Larry, this time acting as the perfect Teochew Ah Hiah, and recommended a Teochew restaurant.

Tai Seng, hidden in a corner of People's Park Centre, this restaurant is a gem of Teochew cuisine. Run by 3 brothers, we met with the eldest sibling - Johnny. Johnny is a veritable encyclopedia of all things Teochew foodie...he was able to wax lyrical of the ingredients of the dishes he served that afternoon.

We started with a superb hae cho.



The dish was very fragrant...whifts of prawns and pork in the very crispy bean curd skin made my mouth water. The pieces were somewhat larger than the regular hae cho at the usual cze char stall. These huge balls were the size of golf balls.



Cutting one open, reveals even more intense fragrance. The insides were made from a mixture of minced pork and prawns. Wrapped in bean curd skin, the balls were deep fried in very hot fat, rendering the bean curd skin very crispy, and the insides very juicy and tasty.

As I mentioned before, the hae cho standard in Singapore is very high...many establishments serve excellent samples. Tai Seng's was a bit special...hints of crab were detected, and the prawns and pork mix were very tasty.

One does not eat Teochew without eating Braised Goose.



Tai Seng's braised goose was excellent. Carefully braised, the meat was soft, tender, and still retains the juices. The skin provided some umami support with a thin layer of fat, but not too much. The entire ensemble was meant to be eaten with a Teochew style chilli...called sng-nee, it is a concoction comprising of garlic, vinegar and chilli.

Soo Chye, a typical Teochew dish was up next:



Johnny was particularly proud of this Soo Chye. He told us that in versions of this, up to seven ingredients are steamed together, including button and Chinese mushrooms, seaweed or fatt choy, kai lan or kar nar in teochew, mustard greens and pek chye or wongbok. The version we had today had some 5 vegetables. And being close to Chinese New Year, the fatt choy was particularly relevant...in the hopes of raising the prosperity index in what some have forecasted as a tough ox year.

But one taste, and one's spirits are lifted. Perhaps its the mild, tasty sauce that provides this solace. But also the different vegetables are expertly blended into one cohesive whole...each complementing the other. I enjoyed this dish very much.

Then, all broke loose with the Teochew Char Kway Teow with kar nar (kai lan)



Kin and I often reminisce about the superb Teochew CKT served by the now defunct Swatow Garden restaurant at the Golden Shoe Carpark at Market Street. Since the restaurant closed, nowhere could we find a similarly tasty CKT. Fried dry, with kai lan (the Teochews and Hokkiens call kar nar), and using a semi-transparent kway teow...I don't know if it is the case, but I imagine the kway teow to be dry rice sticks like those used in Thai Kway Teow. The dry sticks are soaked in some warm water just before frying, rehydrating in the process, and gaining a springy texture, and a translucent appearance. This kway teow is not as greasy as the wet type used in the hawker CKT, but had a tougher texture.

The kar nar was not bitter, but provided crunchy accompaniment to the CKT. Excellent2.

Larry also recommended a special siew mai...



Made in the premises (in horology speak...inhouse!!) the pork is wrapped by hand in a skin made of rice flour, instead of the more typical Cantonese version which uses wheat flour skin. The skin was softer, and had no flavours of its own. I did not find this better than the Cantonese version, but Larry and SJX loved this dish.

Finally, a piéce de resistance...ohr nee



They were generous with the ingredients - yam, finely ground, and still very fragrant and light...pumpkin, ginko nuts...stirred incessantly whilst being steamed with pork lard. This was smooth...indicating the lard was generous...the lard also provided for superior taste, and provided the anchor for the yam to break free from being absorbent and dry to being smooth and creamy. The pumpkin fortified the creamy mouth feel, and the ginko nuts provided some crunch. Very good ohr nee.

Great Teochew restaurants in Singapore are not many. Hang Kang used to be excellent, but for me, it lost something along the way when they moved a few doors to their own building some years back. Swatow is sadly no more. Huat Kee in Amoy has gone upmarket, and even offers wine pairings. I find the food good, but not excellent. Tai Seng, on the other hand offers a taste of tradition. And keeps on the traditional taste. Larry suggests that the lobster noodles is another killer dish...to be tried for another lunch. We didn't order the classical Teochew steam fish as we had wanted space in the stomachs to taste the interesting dishes Larry suggested...I am sure the steamed fish would be good.




101 Upper Cross Street
#03-32 People's Park Centre

Tel: 6220 3830