Katong Jago Seafood – Nice Overall Zhi Char

Signature Seafood Fish Head Steamboat

It started when LD saw a video clip of this Seafood Fishhead Steamboat and share it on my FB page. This led to makan session with R & K. Katong Jago Seafood (‘KJS’) is located at a coffee shop at Jago Close (off East Coast Road), which also house delicious Char Kway Teow and Western Food stalls. 

Signature Seafood Fish Head Steamboat ($58) is a must-order here. Served in a traditional charcoal steamboat pot, the milky broth looks irresistible. The broth is robust, peppery and infused with the essence of seafood and fish head. 

Signature Seafood Fish Head Steamboat

The fillings inside the steamboat include tiger prawns, clams, garoupa fish head and vegetables. For the milky white colour in the broth, the chef uses fresh milk instead of the carnation milk for a more natural flavour. A generous dash of cooking wine also added to give it the extra OMPH in this dish. Not forgetting, this steamboat comes with free flow of the soup. Yum Yum. 

Clams

Prawn

Garoupa Fish Head

We started our meal with Chilled Prawns (FOC for orders above $70). First time I ever get prawns FOC. They are sweet, fresh and crunchy. It is actually worth ordering on its own. 

Chilled Prawns

Deep-Fried Baby Squid ($14 – S, $20 – M, $26 – L). Deep-fried baby squid, tossed with a combination of sweet and savoury sauce. The diced veggies of onion, pineapple and cucumber accompanied the crispy baby squid nicely. Nice with a glass of cold beer! 

Deep-Fried Baby Squid - Small

White Pepper Frog ($18). Unlike the black sauce version that you normally see with the frog porridge, the frog dish here looks very clean. The frog meat is tender and succulent, while the jus from the frog together with the white pepper created appetizing sweet and peppery flavour. 

White Pepper Frog

Mee Tai Bak. This slippery rice noodle delivers a unique taste on its own. Instead of the thick sweet black sauce commonly found in zhi char place, the KJS version added ketchup into the sauce. The sweet and tangy combination, together with crunchy bean sprout feels like a party in your mouth. 

Mee Tai Bak

Imperial Pork Ribs ($10 – S, $15 – M, $20 – L). Fork tender pork ribs coated with sweet aromatic sauce. The combination of oyster sauce, plum sauce, vinegar is just uplifting and perfect savoury ending to the meal here. Those who like fried garlic will appreciate the bitter sweetness deep fried garlic accompanying the pork. 

Imperial Pork Ribs

Service is fast, warm and friendly. They don’t try to upsell you on their seafood and recommend the portion appropriate to your group size. Plus, the service staff keep refilling the soup automatically. 

Menu 1

Menu 2

CBK verdict a good place to come for the Seafood Fishhead Steamboat. Not forgetting, the rest of the dishes that we order are very nice too. We’ll definitely come back for more. Cheers!! 

Food & Drinks: 8/10 

Value: 7.75/10 

Service: 7.5/10 

Ambiance: N/A (Coffee Shop) 

Budget per Person: $11 - $25, $26 - $50. 

Katong Jago Seafood 

228 East Coast Road 

Singapore 428925 

T: +65 8332 9369 

F: https://www.facebook.com/KatongJagoSeafood/

IG: @Katongjagoseafood 

OH: Daily 12.00 – 21.45

Ah Orh – Traditional Teochew Cuisine

Teochew Steam Pomfret

My first introduction with of Ah Orh Teochew Restaurant was back in 2006. This was before my foray in food blogging. At that time, Ah Orh runs like a neighbourhood restaurant, operated with no printed menu and most of the customers are regulars.

Menu Page 1

We kind of stop going to Ah Orh for no particular reasons and only start to visit them last year. Amazingly, the restaurant still looks the same, but now they have a printed menu and the service staff seems to be friendlier compared to the last time.

Menu Page 2

Appetizer here is Crispy Silverfish ($5). Crispy, salty and addictive. Good to eat on its own or as umami booster for a bland dish.

Crispy Silverfish

Cold Crab (Seasonal Price). One of the signature dishes here. Female crabs are used for this particular dish as it has sweeter meat and the roe is just delicious, especially when you dip it with the sweet orange sauce. I recommend that you pre-order this dish during your reservation, price about $75 per kg.

Cold Crab

The Roe

Chilled Jelly Pork ($12, $18, $25). One of the almost extinct Teochew dishes and you can only find this in a selected Teochew restaurant. Served chilled, you can taste the braising sauce and the crunchiness in the jelly. It is served with a tangy chilli sauce to help reduce the richness of the dish.

Chilled Jelly Pork - Large

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup ($35). We had this during my Mother in Law’s birthday celebration. It is one of LD’s favourite soup. Double-boiled with seafood and pork stock, the sweetness from the winter melon just rendered into the soup. Each serving is good for 6 to 8 pax, but don’t expect lots of broth.

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup

Sliced Braised Duck ($13, $18, $25). Tender and succulent duck meat, well infused with the braising sauce. One thing for sure, the fats from the skin helps the meat to retain its juiciness. It served with braised pork belly and braised beancurd, they are equally delicious.  One of the best braised duck dishes in the market.

Sliced Braised Duck - Large

Prawn Roll ($13, $18, $25). Crispy with generous fillings. The prawns are fresh, together with the chestnuts give crunchiness to this dish. The pork fillings are generous; however, I find the texture a bit mushy.

Prawn Roll - Medium

Prawn Roll Fillings

Crispy Chicken with Sotong Paste ($18, $32). Ah Orh only makes small batches of this dish every day. So better place your order during reservation. It required superb skill to remove the chicken skin without breaking it. It is then spread with thick sotong paste and deep fried. The result is a paper-thin crispy skin, chewy yet tender sotong flesh and an awesome presentation. According to LD, this dish is very traditional and will slowly disappear as not many chefs are able to acquire the knife skills and it is very labour intensive.

Crispy Chicken with Sotong Paste

The Paper Thin Skin

Teochew Steam Fish (Seasonal Price). Perfectly steamed Pomfret in Teochew style. The fish is fresh and I like the firmness of the pomfret flesh. The broth from the plum, tomato, spring onion and chilli make the tangy broth an appetizing proposition. One of the must order dish in Ah Orh.

Teochew Steam Pomfret

The fish option is not limited to the above version, Ah Orh also offers different type of fish, such as grouper, red snapper, mullet, seabass, song fish and threadfin. For the cooking style, they have Hong Kong steam, deep fried, sweet and sour, and braised fried.

Teochew Kway Teow ($10, $13, $18). The thick silky hor fun exudes a solid dose of wok hei. It is fried with a top grade of soy sauce, together with chai poh (preserved turnip) and garlic, making this dish very appetizing.

Teochew Kway Teow

If you still have some space for desserts, order the Orh Nee / Yam Paste w Gingko Nuts ($13, $18, $25). The texture of the yam is slightly rough and dense. You can taste the fibre from the yam in each bite together with the gingko. The sweetness level is medium. It is good but not the best version of the Orh Nee.

Orh Nee / Yam Paste w Gingko Nuts  - Large

The décor of the restaurant is simple and aged. It seems the priority is given to the food instead of the décor. Service is friendly and efficient.

Overall, I am glad that we have made a few visits to Arh Oh in this past one year. As more of the traditional restaurant closing its door, it is time to enjoy those remaining few. The Teochew Food here is delicious and it uses the freshest ingredients. The price is value for money. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a Teochew Restaurant. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 8.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: 6.25/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant

115 Jalan Bukit Merah

#01-1627, Singapore 160115

T: +65 6275 7575

OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 22.00

[CLOSED] No Milk – Teochew Fish Soup or Tagliatelle [MEDIA INVITE]

Mixed Fish Soup 

No Milk at 18 Pahang Street is a new outlet of Famous Traditional Fish Soup from Bedok, who first open in 1992. Distinguishing themselves from the Clifford Centre outlet, this outlet serves traditional Teochew Fish Soup and Fusion European Cuisine as well.  It seems that this trend has been happening in Singapore, combining traditional cuisine with modern cuisine or location that serve different concepts during day and night.

No Milk @ 18 Pahang Street

Transport Drivers Promotion

The Fish Soup Boutique at level one. The décor is very simple and functional, just like the shops selling local Singapore food. It opens from 11.00 – 22.00 from Monday to Saturday.

The Ordering Counter - Level 1

Part of the Dining Area - Level 1

We tried the Mixed Fish Soup ($7). True to its name, no milk is added to the fish soup, so they only serve the clear broth version. No Milk uses two types of fishes: mackerel (for sliced fish) and sea bass (for fried fish version). The consommé like broth is clear, yet filled with the delicate flavour from the fish. The mackerel is fresh, smooth and delicate while the fried sea bass has a crisp exterior but moist internally. The tofu, tomato and ramen style seaweed round up the texture and flavour of this humble dish.

Mixed Fish Soup 

Close up with Tofu, Slice Mackerel and Fried Sea Bass

There are two types of chilli to go with the fish soup, normal and belacan. For carbo, there are 8 different types of noodles and rice that you can choose from to complete your No Milk Fish Soup Experience.

Noodles and Rice
Image Credit: No Milk

Side dishes include Grilled Pork Belly, Black Char Siew, and Homemade Ngor Hiang. The black char siew has a nice caramelisation externally, while tender internally. For those who worried about burnt flavour, it does not have a burnt smell or flavour. More like charcoal seasoning.

Grilled Pork Belly, Homemade Ngor Hiang and Black Char Siew, (Top to Bottom)
Same arrangement for the chillis [TASTING PORTION]

The pork belly has a very strong five spice seasoning. I personally like my pork belly to be thick and fatty, not thin as it is not shiok. The ngor hiang is delicious indeed. Juicy, packed with fillings and have balance seasoning. Each of the side dishes come with different chilli, like a typical Teochew cuisine.

Level 1 Menu

Spicy Fragrant Handmade Egg Noodles with Fish Belly Mala Style. Springy and al-dente handmade egg noodle topped with mala chilli. Look a bit like KL Chilli Ban Mee, but served with handmade egg noodle instead. The fish belly is crisp and bursting with flavour with you bit into it. To put off the fire, the noodle comes with robust mushroom broth.

Spicy Fragrant Handmade Egg Noodles with Fish Belly Mala Style [TASTING PORTION]

Moving to the Rooftop Bistro at Level 2, you can expect European infused with local cuisine to pair with your alcohol. The second level is decorated pub-like, where the lights are dimmed and the bar with alcohol are the main attractions. It opens from 17.30 to midnight daily.

The Bar at Level 2

Part of the Dining Area - Level 2

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. The tagliatelle is freshly made, cooked with Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. It is served with two types of prawns, pan seared with the Thai Red Curry and fried Ebi style. The Thai Red Curry has a solid coconut richness and spices, plus super spicy as well. I actually need to drink some Yakult to put off the fire.  

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. [TASTING PORTION]

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Beef Rendang is definitely a dish that I will come back for. The tagliatelle is al-dente, and the width of the pasta helps to soak up the rich and creamy beef rendang. The spiciness level is moderate and the tenderness of the beef in each bite sure make this dish enjoyable.

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Beef Rendang [TASTING PORTION]

The Hidden Rendang

Tequila Marinated Angus Beef Served with Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico de gallo and handmade mash potatoes. Nicely marinated with tequila, the beef is then cooked perfectly. Although it uses a leaner part of the meat, it is still tender and succulent. The tequila not only helps to tenderise the meat, but it also gave the steak bitter taste at the end. The beef should be eaten with a tortilla wrap, sour cream and pico de gallo. Not to be miss, is the creamy and velvety mash potatoes, that can be a dish on its own.

Tequila Marinated Angus Beef Served with Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico de gallo and handmade mash potatoes.
[TASTING PORTION]

The second level is a good setting to pair your food with alcohol. Although I’m unable to drink, I noticed the Yakult and grape soju looks like an interesting pairing.

Grape Soju with Yakult

Lime Juice

Roof Top Bistro Menu

Overall, No Milk sure delivers an interesting concept. The first floor focused on Traditional Teochew Fish Soup, while the second floor on modern fusion cuisine. However, don’t let the different level stop you from ordering dishes from different floors. Basically, you can have traditional fish soup, handmade pasta and grape soju with Yakult on the same table. WOW, definitely worth to check out and there is something for everyone. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Event)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

No Milk

18 Pahang Street

Singapore 198615

T: +65 6291 5854

F: 

IG: @Nomilksg

OH:

Mon – Fri:

1^st floor restaurant: 11.00 – 22.00

2^nd floor bistro: 17.00 – Midnight

Sat:

1^st floor restaurant: 17.30 – 22.00

2^nd floor bistro: 17.30 – Midnight

Closed on Sunday

Swee Kee (Ka-Soh) Fishead Noodle House – Fishhead Noodle Institution

This restaurant has a humble beginning from a Cantonese Zi Char joint in the 1940s. In 1970, it moves to its current establishment in Amoy Street. Many generations of Singaporeans grew up tasting their famous snakehead fish noodle soup, pork chop and their generous condiments of fried pork lards. The most interesting part, this restaurant is popularly known as Ka-Soh instead of Swee Kee.

My first encounter with this place was in 2003, a good friend of my in-laws, Uncle E, who brought us here for lunch. Till today, I still vaguely remember the yummyness of their soup. Unlike many fish soup restaurant that add milk into their soup base, Swee Kee broth are made from lots of fresh snakehead bones and simmer over a long period creating the creamy milky colour in the robust soup.

This time around, we stop by for a unplanned quick lunch. For 2 person, we had Fish slices with noodle soup (Signature fish) ($7.50), Hor Fun with dark sauce ($7.50) and Hong Kong Kailan Beef ($8.50).

While waiting for our order to come, we were served some condiments to accompany our dishes such as Acar (Peranakan spicy pickled vegetables), red chilli, green chilli and pork lard.

Condiments: Acar, red chilli, green chilli and pork lard.

Yummy Pork Lard

The noodle soup is as good as I remembered. The soup is milky and robust. You can tell from the taste, it is due to long cooking process that extract the goodness from the bones of the fish. The thick bee hoon is springy in texture while the fish tasted very fresh. The best part, it goes well with the pork lard he..he..he..

Fish slices with noodle soup 

The presentation of the Hor Fun simple yet effective. Topped with raw egg on top, this will ensure the fried hor fun will be smooth for consumption. Stir-fried the traditional way, it might seems slightly oily but it is fragrant, delicious and strong wok-hei presence in the dish.

Hor Fun with dark sauce

Hong Kong Kailan Beef is supposed to be a combination of tender beef with crunchy Kailan. Although the beef already coated with flour, it is still slightly chewy. A simple complimentary dish.

 Hong Kong Kailan Beef

Simple and slightly ageing is the decoration of this place. Marble tables are the standard table during that time and still serve them well until today. Service staff is efficient. Cantonese is the main language here, but not to worry they understand Chinese and English as well.

Overall, Swee Kee or famously known as Ka-Soh serve a traditional cantonese cuisine. It is simple, unpretentious and follow the old ways of cooking. Price is very reasonable. So if you feel like traditional cantonese fish head soup or hor fun, do drop by at Ka-Soh. Cheers!!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Swee Kee (Ka-Soh) Fishhead Noodle House
Alumni Medical Centre
2 College Road
Singapore 169850

T: +65 6473 6686

W: https://ka-soh.com.sg/ 

W: http://www.ka-soh.com.sg/ 
F:https://www.facebook.com/KaSohSG
IG: @Kasohsg

OH: 

Wed - Mon: 11.30 - 14.00; 17.30 - 21.00

Closed on Tuesday. 

Other Branches:
Ka-Soh (Greenwood)

22 Greenwood Ave

Singapore 289218

T: +65 8754 7481

OH: 

Tue - Sun: 11.30 - 14.00; 17.30 - 21.00

Closed on Monday. 

Previous Location:

96A Amoy Street
Singapore 069916