Do not expect it being located in some glamourous mall with lots of people coming and going. This mall is literally looking somewhat neglected and old, but not decrepit. Lots of old shops but by dinner time on a Sunday, all shops are closed except for the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. This means the restaurant will not be expecting any passers by from outside either.
There is a rather wide menu for a small restaurant. The unit's seating capacity spills over to the concourse and that sort of sums up its popularity. Being with a family of 8, we managed to order quite a range of dishes:
Oyster Omelette
Spinach with Two Variety Eggs
Salted Egg Yolk Crayfish
Prawn and Liver Roll
Fragrant's Special Ribs
Steamed Prawns with Garlic
Pork Jelly
Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken
Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts
Oyster Omelette:
If you like your oysters plump with chilli sauce generously poured over the dish, this is something you may like. The omelette is not fried till crispy neither is it soggy. There is no trace of cornflour mixed with the egg so you get undiluted eggs in this dish with a very generous helping of oysters that are fresh.
Spinach with Two Variety Eggs
This is so tastefully done and just right of slat level even with the salted eggs and century eggs thrown in. The spinach is smooth and goes well with the gravy that is not too watery and eggs chopped up tiny enough for you to know its there, complementing the vegetables giving the whole dish a good balance of taste.
Salted Egg Yolk Crayfish
I wished I had more gravy: That was my conclusion. All the gravy stuck to the shells of the crayfish and I found myself licking it off the shells like a kid. The flesh is fresh and is a good change if you are sick of eating this dish usually reserved for crabs. Besides, you do not have to grapple with the legs of the crabs. Less messy experience. The taste of the salted egg yolk gravy is a match for Kimly Restaurant but of course the latter fares better in presentation.
(Sorry, only remembered to take pic after everyone has eaten. Note the roe bits covered with salted egg yolk)
Prawn and Liver Rolls
This is similar sort of rolls mentioned in previous blog named Le Chasseur - ngoh hiang. This time there is more minced prawns over minced pork in the Prawn Roll deep fried to a good tenderness and crispiness. So was the Liver Roll mixed with the minced pork but the taste of liver is cenrtainly not overpowered by liver nor its spices. I did not mention these rolls were of liver ingredients, my kids thought they were more burnt then the rest of the prawn rolls. IF they knew, they would eat with apprehension. My father devoured them.
Fragrant's Special Ribs
Being a pork fan (he can eat pork everyday), my father said this is a winner. It came drenched in some alcohol sitting in foil, and lit up with a flame and presented to the table. The taste of the pork meat will perk up your appetite even more. One bite sends your tongue into a dance of sour sweetness that is hard to copy unless I know the sauces they used. Heh Heh. The pork is tender enough to bite for those wearing dentures. If still too big for smaller mouths, it will not be difficult to cut them up with your fork and spoon. You will not need to convince your kids to eat this dish.
Steamed Prawns with Garlic
This is rather ordinary but the freshness of the prawns made the difference. Not spectacular but a good combination to the rest of the dishes if the rest are relatively rich in taste already.
Pork Jelly
Do not cringe by just the name of it. Angmohs will call this pork terrine. It is a cold dish with bits of pork chunks encased in gelatine made of its black soy sauce mix. Best eaten if you choose this as an appetiser or hors deurve. Dipping it in its special chilli sauce is a must to give this dish its maximum experience. The chili sauce is like the kind you eat with Kuay Chap (Braised Pork Innards). To the traditional diners of senior age, most will not like it. It is something they cannot accept. To the younger generation exposed to angmoh terrine, this is ok but not totally outstanding in taste. Full marks though for being adventurous of the owner to include this in the menu.
Fried Paste Shrimp Chicken
Now this is a winner with the kids of course. If you do not mind the typical shrimp paste odour, this can be rather delicious and make you want to eat a whole tub of it. The wings are crispy, no smell of ammonia like in some of those local zichar stalls (local non airconditioned outfits that cook a variety of dishes). The shrimp paste fragrance is not overpowering either and the wings are not coloured an unnatural red.
Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts
The whole family is a fan of Orni (local lingo for the above) so when the dish arrived piping hot with the fried onion bits and gingko nuts peeking through, we knew this is going to be enjoyable. Fortunately the yam is blended finely and smoothly. No lumpy bits, not dry, enough oil integrated into the yam. I did not quite see or taste the mashed pumpkin though. Wished there were more of it. It is not overly sweet and this restaurant cooks it the Teochew way, not using any coconut milk I believe. If you are seriously watching your weight, do not try this. Sorry no photo because the waitress stirred the mixture as soon as it arrived and distributed into the bowls.
Would I come back to this restaurant?
When we were there on a Sunday, they were sort of short of staff. The kitchen staff seems maxed out but the food still came out beautifully. It was a long wait for us and the drinks took a very long time to arrive. The boss's wife explained if you want to eat on weekends, call and pre-order. If not, be prepared for a long wait. The boss is a nice humble guy who helps out front line too. With drinks for 7 pax and towelettes and the food, the bill came up to around $240. That also depends on the size of the dishes too of course.
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