Showing posts with label Cantonese Congee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cantonese Congee. Show all posts

Sunday, 2 June 2024

Hey Kee – HK Style Seafood in Singapore

Hey Kee HK Seafood (“Hey Kee”) is a Retro HK Dai Pai Dong-style live seafood restaurant located in Guillemard Village in Geylang. Hey Kee occupied the ground floor of the main building, setting a lively retro Hong Kong theme complete with fish tanks filled with live seafood such as lobsters, crabs, prawns, clams and fish.

Hey Kee
The restaurant dining area is divided into “Indoor” and outdoor. Although you are seated indoors, it is decorated like you are seated outdoors, just like a Dai Pai Dong in Hong Kong. Filled with bright lights, signboard and they even include a barber shop for the fun of it. The outdoor seating is simpler, filled with round tables and red foldable chairs. There are huge air conditioners and retractable awnings to the diners cool and dry.

Outdoor Dining Area
This review is based on our two visits to Hey Kee.

Menu P1
Menu P2
Double Boiled Pig Stomach Chicken Soup with White Pepper [$36.80]. Hongkongers are known for their love of the soup. Therefore, we decided to order one to start our meal. The pig stomach soup is robust, sweet and with a hint of pepper. Unlike the Singapore version, the pepper taste is very mild, it is more soothing than spicy awakening. Meanwhile, the pig stomach is soft with a bit of chewiness.

Double Boiled Pig Stomach Chicken Soup with White Pepper 
Live Clam Black Bean Sauce [$25]. The clams are fresh, plump and juicy, while the medley of cut chilli, onion and a generous dollop of black bean sauce infused a familiar flavour in this dish.

Live Clam Black Bean Sauce 
Deep Fried Cuttlefish with Salt & Pepper [$20.80]. This is probably the dish that I associated closely with Hong Kong’s style of food. The cuttlefish is tender, brownish, and coated with aromatic salt and pepper that almost looks like a curry powder. The version here is very good

Deep Fried Cuttlefish with Salt & Pepper 
HK Street Style Shark Fin [$12.80]. A very generous portion of the HK Street Style Shark Fin. Don’t expect to be served real shark fin here, but the robust and gooey soup is very comforting. LD enjoyed this dish.

HK Street Style Shark Fin 
Signature Braised Lamb Stew with Beancurd Skin [$42.80]. A dish commonly served during the cold season in HK. The lamb is tender, not gamy and fork tender. I like the fermented taste in the gravy, the aroma and it blends nicely with thick cuts of radish. This beancurd stick is still a bit though, it needs more braising time to soften it and absorb the gravy.

Signature Braised Lamb Stew with Beancurd Skin
Temple Street Crispy Roast Chicken (L) [$39.80]. It is one of the dishes that you need to pre-order during reservations. The skin is paper thin, super crispy and coated with crispy garlic. The flesh is tender and succulent, even for the breast. It is one of the yummiest roast chickens I ever tried.

Temple Street Crispy Roast Chicken (L)
Steamed Fish with Chopped Yellow Chilli - Turbot [$108]. This is the first time I have a turbot for steamed fish. The fish is very fat and covered with the chopped yellow chilli. Surprisingly, the yellow chilli tasted sweet and tangy, almost pickled-like. Together with soy sauce, it infused sweet, savoury and umami flavour to the fish.

Steamed Fish with Chopped Yellow Chilli - Turbot 
Red Grouper – Steamed Hong Kong Style. The red grouper is different compared to the turbot. The flesh is firm and bouncy and it did not absorb much of the superior soy sauce.

Red Grouper – Steamed Hong Kong Style
HK Style Sauteed Chives with Dried Shrimp [$23.80] & Sizzling Kai Lan with Dried Prawns in Claypot [$23.80]. Two types of vegetables we tried at Hey Kee. They both have the same characteristics, crunchy and a bit oily. The dried prawns were supposed to add more flavour, but it seemed to be an overkill for me.

HK Style Sauteed Chives with Dried Shrimp 
Sizzling Kai Lan with Dried Prawns in Claypot 
Stir-Fried Lobster with Potato Noodles in Superior Broth – Australia Lobster [$148/kg]. This was a treat from our Thai Friends. The noodle is smooth, silky coated in rich and creamy superior stock. The lobster flesh is firm and bouncy. Well, I enjoy the noodle and the gravy, instead of the flesh of the lobster.

Stir-Fried Lobster with Potato Noodles in Superior Broth –
Australia Lobster
 
To the carbs, we tried Supreme Soy Sauce Fried HK Noodles (S) [$12.80] and Signature “Wok Hei” Hor Fun with Beef [$12.80]. Both of them are excellent. The fried HK noodles are thin, silky and loaded with umami flavours from the Supreme Soy Sauce.

Supreme Soy Sauce Fried HK Noodles (S) 
The Hor Fun is just heavenly. Solid “Wok Hei”, yummy seasoning, while the egg, beansprout and sliced beef complement the silky rice sheets nicely.

Signature “Wok Hei” Hor Fun with Beef
Signature Claypot Seafood Porridge [Market Price]. A signature Hong Kong Congee. The porridge is smooth, silky and infused with the sweetness of the seafood. The prawns and clams are fresh. It is a very comforting dish, though it is missing the you tiao.

Signature Claypot Seafood Porridge 
Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple [$22.80 Large]. We ordered this as the finale during our second visit. The deep-fried pork is crispy, while the sauce is sweet and tangy. The use of hawthorn in the sauce shows that they are not messing around with this dish.

Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple 
Service is good, friendly and efficient. However, once all your dishes are served, it can be difficult to get their attention. The boss also comes out to check on the quality of the food and to get feedback from the customers.

Menu P3
CBK verdict: Hey Key serves solid Hong Kong Dai Pai Dong dishes, plus the overall quality of the food is very good and very close to the taste that we get in Hong Kong. Don’t miss out on their Signature Claypot Seafood Porridge, Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple, Steamed Fish with Chopped Yellow Chilli, Temple Street Roast Chicken and the Supreme Soy Sauce Fried HK Noodles. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Menu P4

Food & Drink: 8.25/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Hey Kee HK Seafood
102 Guillemard Road
#01-01, Guillemard Village
Singapore 399719

T: +65 9891 0950
OH:
Daily 11.30 – 15.00; 17.30 – 22.30

Thursday, 2 January 2020

Golden Peony – Gastronomic Reunion Experience at Conrad Centennial Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

New Bedford Scallop, Butternut Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs

As we enter the year 2020, Chinese New Year celebration is almost upon us. At Conrad Centennial Singapore, Golden Peony’s Master Chef Ku Keung skilfully weaves his magic ladle to create the sumptuous dishes to welcome the year of the Golden Mouse

Golden Peony’s Master Chef Ku Keung

Fortune Yu Sheng - Part 1

Fortune Yu Sheng - Part 2

Fortune Yu Sheng - Part 3

The huge fortune Yu Sheng that can feed more than 30 people are assembled before our arrival. While shaved carrot, radish and cucumber are the most commonly used vegetables, Master Chef Ku Keung added some fresh greens to the yu sheng mix. The topping includes abalone and salmon, it created a crunchy, refreshing and well-balanced yu sheng.

CCS CNY Yu Sheng
Image Credit: Conrad Centennial Singapore

Fortune Yu Sheng

New Bedford Scallop, Butternut Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs. Beautifully plated on ocean them decorated plates. The scallop is nicely seared, sweet, bouncy and delicate at the same time. The butternut sauce is packs of punch, together with the curry leaf can easily be mistaken for salted egg sauce. Meanwhile, the crispy potato crumbs added a different texture to the mix.

New Bedford Scallop, Butternut Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs.

Sous Vide Iberico Pork Collar ‘Char Siew’. The Iberico pork is marinated with char siew sauce and sous vide to perfection. It is then coated with melted sugar and torched for the finishing touch to give the char siew the additional sweetness, crystal look and crunchy exterior texture. The meat just melts in your mouth and it is absent the bitterness of the regular roast char siew.

Sous Vide Iberico Pork Collar ‘Char Siew’ - Finishing Touch

Sous Vide Iberico Pork Collar ‘Char Siew’.

Crispy Soft-Shell Crab, Parsnip Puree with Spiced Salt. It is light and crispy. The creamy parsnip puree feels like a healthy version of mayonnaise. Delicate and good for snacks

Crispy Soft-Shell Crab, Parsnip Puree with Spiced Salt.

Prosperity Eight Treasure Congee with Black Truffle. A comforting vegetarian dish at Golden Peony. The ingredients are nicely placed and the medley of flavours is just amazing. I nicknamed it Bibimbap from Golden Peony.  You can taste the robust broth used to cook the smooth and silky congee. Served with pickled vegetables and fried dough.  The final touch is the shaved truffle and truffle oil. I have this for the second year running and the taste still amazes me.

Prosperity Eight Treasure Congee with Black Truffle

Prosperity Eight Treasure Congee with Black Truffle

Steamed Sea Perch with Spiced Coconut Milk. A Nanyang inspired dish. The fish together with spiced coconut milk is poached inside a parchment pepper. The fish is firm, flaky and absorbs the curry-like gravy, while the vegetables retain its crunchy texture, especially the asparagus. Golden Peony version of Fish Curry.

Steamed Sea Perch with Spiced Coconut Milk

Steamed Sea Perch with Spiced Coconut Milk

Roasted Suckling Pig filled with Portuguese Chicken Rice. Every year Master Chef Ku Keung has to come out with a creative stuffing for this signature suckling pig. This year, it is Portuguese Chicken Rice. The jasmine rice is cooked with turmeric powder, chicken, ground cumin and coconut milk. It is aromatic and delicious, infused nicely to the thin layer of pork meat. Covering those is the super crispy and crackling suckling pig skin. A dish that I always look forward to every year at Golden Peony. Yummy!!

Roasted Suckling Pig filled with Portuguese Chicken Rice

Roasted Suckling Pig filled with Portuguese Chicken Rice

Dessert is Chilled Dragon Fruit with Crystal Ball. Refreshing with a delicate combination of sweet and sour. A solid ending to the delicious meal.

Chilled Dragon Fruit with Crystal Ball

Overall, it is always a pleasure to taste the food created by Master Chef Ku Keung and his team. The Prosperity Eight Treasure Congee with Black Truffle, Roasted Suckling Pig filled with Portuguese Chicken Rice and Bedford Scallop, Butternut Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs are the highlights of this year dining experience. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Conrad Centennial Singapore for the tasting invitation.

After a Satisfying Meal

Blossoming Fortune – Chinese New Year Celebration at Conrad Centennial Singapore
When: 6th January to 8th February 2020
Where: Golden Peony and Festive Takeaway Conrad Centennial Singapore
Price: Lunar New Year Menu from $128++ per person or $1,398++ for table of 10 pax.
Reservation: www.connoisseur.sg or call Golden Peony at +65 6432 7482 / 88
For Festive Takeaway: Email: sinci.festive@conradhotels.com / call +65 6432 7489
The CNY Menu and Brochure are available at www.connoisseur.sg

Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 9/10
Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 and Above

Golden Peony
2 Temasek Boulevard
3F, Conrad Centennial Singapore
Singapore 038982

T: +65 6432 7482/88
OH:
Mon – Sat: 11.30 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30
Sun: 10.30 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30


Tuesday, 23 October 2018

[CLOSED] Mak’s Noodle Singapore – Yummy Boiled Pork Liver

Wanton Noodle Soup @ Mak's Noodle Singapore

The name Mak’s Noodle in HongKong has always been associated with wanton noodle. It is not surprising, as they are one of the top names in HK when it comes to wanton noodle. Currently, it has 5 branches and I have visited their branch in Jordan a few times.

Its Singapore outlet opens its door in July 2015 to much fanfare, however, the reviews so far was underwhelming so I did not take much notice of it. Only recently, LD and I gave it a visit.

Mak's Noodle Singapore @ The Centrepoint

A must try here is their Boiled Pork Liver ($15.20). Yes, no joke. When we are in HK, delicious boiled pork liver is abundance, not comparable to Singapore. The version here is plump, sweet, a bit of springy and juicy with the Oink Oink liver creaminess at the end. As taught by our HK friends, HK version of pork liver tasted better is because the chefs have taken the effort to washed off the irony taste in it; The soy sauce did a perfect job in enhancing the flavour of the pork liver. Absolutely delicious.

Boiled Pork Liver

Boiled Pork Liver

Their signature Wanton Noodle Soup ($7.40 for Regular, $9 for Large) has a super springy noodle. The consommé like broth is robust and filled with the essence of prawns. Meanwhile, the wanton is a slight let down, instead of crunchy and bouncy, it is firm and dense. A slight let down in comparison to the HK version.

Wanton Noodle Soup - Regular

Wanton Noodle Soup - Regular

Tossed Noodle with Shrimp Roe and Oysters Sauce ($8) is comparable to the HK outlet. The flavourful oyster sauce and shrimp roe gave the springy egg noodle a much-needed OMPH. Although I must say, I like the SG version better as the shrimp roe is not a pungent as the version in HK.

Tossed Noodle with Shrimp Roe and Oysters Sauce

Tossed Noodle with Shrimp Roe and Oysters Sauce

Mak’s An Congee ($12), the signature congee of Mak’s Noodle. The ingredients are generous, including pork liver, mushroom and chicken. The congee is velvety smooth with a subtle comforting flavour.

Mak’s An Congee

Mak’s An Congee

We visited the restaurant after the busy lunch period. The service is friendly, no fuss and efficient. Décor of the restaurant is simple and it has the same feel as Mak’s Noodle outlet in HongKong.

Overall, the quality of the wanton noodle is getting close to the version in HongKong. We will return for the Boiled Pork Liver, as it is just heavenly. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 6.75/10
Service: 6.5/10
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Mak’s Noodle
176 Orchard Road
#01-63/64, The Centrepoint
Singapore 238843

T: +65 6235 5778
W:  
F:  
IG: @Maksnoodlesg

OH: Daily 11.00 – 22.00

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