Teochew steamed pomfret fish
Cantonese and Teochew restaurants are dime and a dozen in Singapore but Hokkien cuisine rarely ever feature on Chinese restaurants¡¯ suzy turn tables. The lack of Hokkien restaurants is ironic given that Hokkiens account for a good 43% of the Chinese population in the country (source: 2010 Singapore census).
So you can imagine the spurt of excitement when I realized that the grand dame of Hokkien cuisine, Beng Thin Hoon Kee, was planting an outlet at Toa Payoh, just a few steps away from Shop & Save supermarket.
The seniors amongst us will know that Beng Thin Hoon Kee, reportedly Singapore¡¯s oldest Hokkien restaurant, started life humbly in year 1949. Since year 1979, however, the restaurant started operating from OCBC Centre and it wasn¡¯t until 31 years later before it branched out. This much I discovered from perusing the restaurant¡¯s history clearly recorded in the menu during a recent visit.
The same menu, where I expected to uncover nostalgic Hokkien delights, also harbours the trappings of modern Cantonese cuisine including credit card-denting sharksfin and abalone delicacies. And not surprisingly, some Teochew dishes like the ubiquitous or nee (yam paste dessert) and oyster omelette also make star appearances on the menu, greying the purported Hokkien cuisine in question.
Kong bak bao
But all that matters is the food on the plate and Beng Thin Hoo Kee mostly does not disappoint, not least with the kong bak bao, tiles of fatty braised pork belly drenched in a savoury, star anise-scented dark sauce with heavenly garlic notes served alongside plain buns ($32 for large serving); or the plump fried oysters ensconced in thin sheets of crisp fried egg ($35 for large serving), a handsome departure from the gooey mass tossed up at hawker stalls. The decidedly Teochew steamed pomfret fish ($7.50 per 100g) in a clear consomm¨¦ too won our thumbs up for the delicate flavours spiked with lashings of julienne ginger and salted vegetables.
Fried oysters ensconced in thin sheets of crisp fried egg
But the courses that followed were at best lackluster. Crabmeat fish maw soup ($6 each), a restaurant signature, arrived chock-a-block with crabmeat shreds, julienne carrots, mushrooms, bits of water chestnut and, oddly enough, slivers of silky pork skin that was peasantry as it was pedestrian. Another classic, shrimps in yam basket ($38), that we often tuck into at Chinese wedding dinners, broke to reveal an avalanche of celery that tasted like they¡¯ve been blanched rather than wok-fried. I don¡¯t know about you C I much prefer the more fragrant, albeit mass-produced, yam basket at Chinese wedding banquets.
Crabmeat fish maw soup
Not withstanding these, Beng Thin Hoon Kee¡¯s outpost at Toa Payoh brings convenient Hokkien dining to the suburbs. But with serious competition from the bigger and C in my opinion C the better Swatow Seafood Restaurant upstairs, Beng Thin Hoon Keen will be wise to take its cooking in the Hokkien department a little more seriously to lure Singapore¡¯s Hokkien-heavy crowd.
Rating: Food: 3/5; Service: 3/5; Ambience: 3/5; Value: 3/5
#01-06/07/09/10, 600 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
Tel: 62505000
