Thai Village – Thai Teochew Cuisine

Thai Village is a Chinese restaurant in Singapore serving Thai Teochew Cuisine. Those frequent visitors to Bangkok will be very familiar with the Chinese cuisine served in Yaowarat (Chinatown in Bangkok) or any Chinese restaurants in Bangkok. There are 3 branches of Thai Village in Singapore, this one is located in the Goodwood Park Hotel Estate.

Thai Village Restaurant @Goodwood Park Hotel

Since we (plus 2 other “makan kakis”) are having a staycation at Goodwood Park Hotel, we decided to visit Thai Village for late dinner. We came in about 8+ and the restaurant is packed.

We kicked off the dinner with the signature dish of Thai Village. Braised Superior Shark’s Fin with Crab Meat ($68 for small). Basically, a shark’s fin is almost tasteless or likely to be fishy, with a chewy and crunchy texture. It requires a superb and robust stock to infuse the flavour into the fin and overall dish. In Thai Village, their stock is just absolutely amazing. It is thick, robust, filled with collagen and delivers the ultimate umami flavour. The crab meat added a touch of natural sweetness to the dish. Although the portion is small, it is good for 2 pax.

Braised Superior Shark’s Fin with Crab Meat

The shark’s fin soup is served with beansprout, Chinese parsley and black vinegar.

Beansprout & Chinese Parsley

Braised Superior Shark’s Fin with Crab Meat
with Beansprout and Chinese Parsley

If you are not a shark’s fin fan, you can order the fish maw soup instead. They still use the same stock base, delivering the superb and umami fish maw. I can attest to eat as I tried it at their Singapore Indoor Stadium Branch.

Crispy Beancurd in Thai Style ($18). Deep-fried egg tofu, topped with julienne young mango, chopped big shallots and Thai sweet chilli sauce. The beancurd has a crisp exterior followed by a smooth and silky interior. The young mango is crunchy and tangy, paired with spicy shallot and sweet chilli sauce. A nice dish to balance the heavy soup at the start.

Crispy Beancurd in Thai Style 

Baked Duck Web ($20). The original version of this dish is supposed to be braised goose web. However, due to the restriction of goose meat in Singapore, duck webs are used as a substitute. Presentation-wise, it does not look very appetising. However, do not judge the dish by the look. It packs of flavours and has a resilient texture. The duck web is gelatinous but not as good as the goose web.

Baked Duck Web

Salt Baked Chicken Drumsticks ($20). Kind of reminds me of the dish called 3 cups chicken. Tender and succulent chicken meat, with a nice charred aroma and flavour. You can taste the salt seasoning in the skin and the flesh. The strong flavour of this dish together with the gravy is best enjoyed with a bowl of white rice ($1.20). A perfect “rice thief” dish.

Salt Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Baked King Prawns with Vermicelli ($34 for small). A dish that I will normally order in a Thai Restaurant. The vermicelli is silky and bouncy, while the prawns are fresh and crunchy. Although this dish also comes in the crab version, I always prefer the prawns as they give a better umami flavour.

Baked King Prawns with Vermicelli

The décor of the place is outdated, seems like it is stuck in the 1990s. However, the ambience and the service staff bring this restaurant to life. Good service from the captain and service crew, friendly and with motherly care.

The Wine Chiller

Overall, a great place to satisfy your cravings for luxurious Thai Teochew Cuisine. Their Braised Shark’s Fin Soup / Fish Maw soup or anything that is cooked with their Golden stock is a must-order here. The price is on the high side, but you are paying for quality. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: 7.25/10

Ambiance: 6.75/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 & Above

Thai Village

22 Scotts Road

Goodwood Park Hotel

Singapore 228221

T: +65 6440 8251

W: https://thaivillagerestaurant.com.sg/

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

IG: @Thaivillagerestaurantsg

OH: Daily 11.30 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00

For Other Branches, click here.

Lau Ah Tee BKT – Old Style Teochew Bak Kut Teh

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh @ Lau Ah Tee BKT

LD and I chance upon Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh (“Ah Tee”) last year when we were looking for Boon Tong Kee at Whampoa. We noticed the shop is filled with diners eating Bak Kut Teh (‘BKT’) and steamed fish, so we remind ourselves to give it a try.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh

During lunchtime, this place is usually packed. However, not too worried, as they occupied a sizeable eating house, the waiting time will be minimum. Apparently, Lau Ah Tee BKT has been operating for more than 30 years and most of their customers are regulars.

The Menu

The menu is simple with two-third of it is filled with a different type of fishes and seafood on offer. Withstanding that, I think you should just take a quick peep at the fridge in the middle to see the catch of the day.

Price List

The Premium Rib ($6 each). Surprisingly, for these premium ribs, you can order just one piece instead of the usual two pieces. The soup is clear, robust, peppery, plus well infused with the essence of the pork and a touch of sweetness from the garlic. The taste that LD and I like.

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh

The meat from the prime ribs is succulent, juicy with a good bite to it. The first time I tried it, I find the meat a bit hard. On the second visit, we asked for the fatty prime ribs and the meat is just perfect. We also notice that the first batch of the broth that comes with the BKT is usually sweeter. The top-up broth is a bit more peppery.

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh - The Fatty Version

A must order companion for our BKT is the fried youtiao ($2). The version here has a super crispy texture. Though it is good to bite on its own, the trade-off is that the youtiao does not soak up the broth as well as the softer, pillowy you tiao.

Fried Youtiao

Liver and kidney mixed ($5). It is cooked to perfection. The kidney is plump and juicy, while the liver is pinkish, velvety and melts in your mouth. One of the best BKT liver around.

Pig Liver

Pig Kidney

During our first visit, we notice people around us is ordering the braised Tofu Knots ($5), not in the menu. We decided to give it a try. It is just delicious, the tofu knots are soft, moist and absorbs the solid braising liquid. Usually, some the knots part can be undercooked or hard, however, you will not have that issue here. It is cooked thoroughly.

Braised Tofu Knot 

Tang oh vegetable ($3) is highly recommended for the vegs here or should I say the only soup vegetables on offer. It is crunchy and minty. There is a slight bitterness in the vegetables to balance any fattiness on the meat.

Tang Oh

Big intestines ($5). It is braised over a long period, resulting in a soft and fatty intestine. I feel it is not clean properly, as I can taste a slight foul and smelly flavour at the background.

Big Intestines

On another visit, there were three of us. So, we ordered their steam prawns and steam fish. The chilled prawn ($-Market Price) is sweet, crunchy and fresh.

Prawns - Small

Meanwhile, the steamed Red Snapper ($28 for this piece / Market Price) is done Teochew style. The fillet portion is good for 3 pax and you can see it comes from a big fish. The freshness of the fish just shines, with its flaky and bouncy flesh. Both LD and I were drinking the jus from the fish like a soup broth. Even my MIL that hardly eats steam fish nowadays had a few bites.

Steam Red Snapper

The service here is efficient, friendly, with a warm neighbourhood touch. We realise that most of the diners are regulars and it can span over three generations. The price is very reasonable, compare to those famous BKT with branches.

Overall, I am glad we found this place. The BKT and steamed seafood are just superb. It is an old school delight and I hope it remains open till the next generations. Cheers!!

Note: If you are interested in the Singapore History of Bak Kut Teh and how Mr Sim Choon Lian started Lau Ah Tee BKT, read it at IeatIshootIpost blog or Miss Tham Chiak.

Food & Drinks: 8.5/10

Value: 8.75/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: Eating House / Coffee Shop

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh Eating House

Blk 34 Whampoa West

#01-67 Singapore 330034

(Near Boon Keng MRT Station Exit B)

T: +65 9755 5250

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

OH:

Wed, 07.00 – 15.00

Thu – Tue, 07.00 – 21.00

Chaoniu HotPot – Teochew Beef Hotpot

Teochew Beef Hotpot

Teochew Beef Hotpot is one of the must-try dishes in Chaozhou and Shantou area. I tried it during my maiden trip to Shantou and I love it.

Chaoniu Beef Hotpot

The first thing that I notice when having Teochew Beef Hotpot is clear broth soup base. Next is the freshness of the beef. In Shantou, they only use fresh beef they get daily from the abattoir, unlike the frozen stuff that we normally get. The master cutter in each restaurant will only slice the beef upon order. The freshness of the beef together with the knife skills deliver a #beefgasm experience not to be missed when you are in Chaozhou and Shantou.

To our surprise, a few days after we return to Singapore, we saw Chaoniu Hot Pot. We posted in on FB and “jio” a few “makan kakis” to check out this place. In total there was 5 of us.

The Menu - Part 1
Image Credit: Chaoniu Hot Pot

The Menu - Part 2
Image Credit: Chaoniu Hot Pot

We ordered Beef Feast Set ($168). This includes the neck, sirloin, tongue, topside, flank, blade, leg, beef ball, burdock, beef organ, tripe, tendon, vegetable platter and beancurd platter. For the soup base, we choose the ChaoShan Beef Broth ($15).

ChaoShan Beef Broth

While we are waiting for the order to come, we went to choose our sauce. Once the soup is boiled, you need to have a plain bowl of soup first topped with spring onion and coriander to warm up the tummy.

The Sauces

The Sauces

Each portion of the meat served comes with a coin. This coin will tell you the cuts of the beef and how long it should be cook to get the optimum flavours. The beef parts, tripe, beef ball, vegetable platter and beancurd patters did not come with the timing so you cook base on your liking.

The Cheek

It is best to cook one type of cut at a time. The process is that you put the meat in the big strainer and dip it base on the suggested time. While the meat is swimming on the hot broth, stir it with your chopsticks so it is evenly cooked. Once cooked, lift it and portion it with your makan kakis. Repeat the same process for the other cuts of beef.

How to Cook The Beef

The Leg

The neck and sirloin are our favourites cut due to the nice marbling and fattiness in the meat. We ordered extra plates of these. Flank has a nice fattiness, but the meat texture is a bit chewy.

 

The Neck

Sirloin

The blade provides us with a crunchy texture of the soft bone when you bit into the meat, while topside is the lean part of the cuts.

The Blade

We notice the beef is not the same as those we tasted in Shantou. In Chaoniu, the source of the beef are mainly from the US and it came frozen, before it is thawed for cutting and serving. Due to the conditions in Singapore, it is not possible to get fresh beef like in Shantou.

Topside

The meatballs are bouncy, crunchy with a slight chewiness. Tasted like tendon meatballs you commonly found in “Bakso” in Indonesia. The offcuts like tendon and liver are surprisingly good, though I find the tripe is chewier to my liking.

Tripe, Burdock, Beef Organs, Beef Balls and Tendon

Beef Balls

Beef Organs

Tripe

The beancurd platter and vegetable platter provided a great variety. We like seaweed and black fungus.

Beancurd Platter & Vegetables Platter

For the finale, you should order their glass noodle. It is served with their special homemade sauce and topped with pork lard. Yummy!!  I don’t recommend their knife sliced noodles as it is hard to cook and become lumpy.

Glass Noodle

Glass Noodle with Special Sauce and Pork Lard

At the end of the hotpot, the service staff will serve you desserts FOC. On that night it was white fungus with wolfberries.

Desserts

The décor is simple and function orientated. The dining area is spacious, but the sauce area is congested. You have to take turns to take get the sauce. Our service staff was friendly and very helpful and show us how to cook the beef and even help us cooked the glass noodle. Don’t expect HDL standard of service, but they are good enough.

Overall, it was nice to found Teochew Beef Hotpot in Singapore. For those who never been to Shantou, this will be a good experience. Beef lovers, this is place is a must-visit but leave your non-beef eater friends at home as they will only able to see you eat. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7.25/10

Service: 7.75/10

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Chaoniu Hot Pot

195 East Coast Road

Singapore 428900

T: +65 6909 8783

W: https://chaoniu-hot-pot.business.site/

F: http://bit.ly/FB-Chaoniu

IG: @Chaoniu_hot_pot

OH: Daily 11.00 – Midnight

Famous Treasure – Authentic Nanyang Cuisine [MEDIA INVITE]

Marble Goby steamed with Preserved Vegetables on Hot Plate

Famous Treasure is an offshoot of The Famous Kitchen, a popular casual restaurant located in Sembawang. Leveraging on some of the speciality dishes from Famous Kitchen, Famous Treasure presents Nanyang heritage cuisine (nostalgic dishes of Teochew, Hokkien and Cantonese descent with influences from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) plus extensive roast selections.

Famous Treasure

The Nanyang heritage cuisines can be found in the Famous Treasure Signatures. Highlights of the Famous Treasures Signatures are:

Marinated Cockles Teochew Style ($12). Raw cockles marinated in homemade chilli sauce. The “garang” presentation already put diners on notice that this dish is super fiery. The plump and juicy fresh cockles absorb the numbing and spicy marinate, it sure opens up the appetite for diners who enjoy a spicy dish.

Marinated Cockles Teochew Style

Marinated Cockles Teochew Style

Deep-fried Pork Belly with Fermented Beancurd (S$20, M$30, L$40). The pork belly is marinated with fermented beancurd and deep-fried. The pungent aroma of the fermented beancurd will entice your palate before you bit into the pork belly. The exterior is crispy, while the interior is fat, juicy and succulent. It is served with green colour sauce, made from chilli padi, green chilli and other secret ingredients. The garlic gave a touch of sweetness in this dish.

Deep-fried Pork Belly with Fermented Beancurd

Deep-fried Pork Belly with Fermented Beancurd

Wok-fried Squid with Chinchalok and Lady's Finger (S$18, M$28, L36). A unique dish that can be traced from the Peranakan heritage. The squid is juicy and springy, while the ladyfingers are nicely cooked. However, LD feels that this dish needs to be bolder, a couple more dollops of chinchalok and chilli will make this dish stands out.

Wok-fried Squid with Chinchalok and Lady's Finger

Traditional Fish Head Curry (Half $35, Whole $65). A perennial favourite in the Nanyang area. The curry is closer to the Nyonya version. The curry is rich, creamy and packs with “lemak” that absorbs nicely into the fresh fishhead. The lady’s finger, tomato, eggplant and tau pork (dried bean curd puff) round up this “rice thief” dish nicely.

Traditional Fish Head Curry 

Traditional Fish Head Curry - The Fish

Marble Goby steamed with Preserved Vegetables on Hot Plate (Seasonal Price). My first time trying this dish. The Marble Goby fish is covered with salted vegetables, chilli padi, pork belly and delicious thick gravy. Though the salted vegetables are strong it flavours, it complements the fish nicely instead of overpowering it.

Marble Goby steamed with Preserved Vegetables on Hot Plate

Live Flower Crab baked with Rock Salt (Seasonal Price). The flesh of the flower crabs is solid. The freshness of the crabs really shines in this dish and baking it with rock salt seems to accentuate the natural sweetness in the flower crab.

Live Flower Crab baked with Rock Salt

Live Flower Crab baked with Rock Salt

KL Style Hokkien Mee (S$18, M$28 and L$36). The noodle dish that made famous in Kuala Lumpur. The noodle is thick and springy, coated with thick and sweet sauce. As the noodle is fried with pork lard and pork oil, it exudes an appetizing aroma plus the crispiness of the pork lard is just enticing for foodies like us. One of the better KL Hokkien Mee that I ever have in Singapore. #Noodleporn.

KL Style Hokkien Mee 

From Famous Treasure roast selections, we tried:

BBQ Duo Combination Platter (S$24, M$36, L$48). Combination platter of Roasted Crispy Pork Belly and BBQ Honey Glazed Pork (Char Siew). The char siew has a nice caramelisation externally with sweet and a touch of bitterness. The flesh is juicy and melts in your mouth. Meanwhile, the crispy pork has a paper crunchy skin, with juicy and succulent meat. Dual #Porkgasm. I will definitely order this combo platter anytime.

BBQ Honey Glazed Pork (Char Siew)

Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

Irish Duck ($38 for half, $68 for whole). The famous “Silver Hill” duck is roasted to perfection. The skin is crispy, juicy with a nice fattiness under the skin. The flesh is juicy, succulent without any gaminess at all from breast meat to the thigh meat. We always feel that roast Irish Duck is the closest version to roast goose that we usually eat in Hong Kong. Yummy.

Irish Duck

Another appetizer that we tried is Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk ($10). Crispy and crunchy fish skin, coated with salted egg sauce. A delicious treat for the dishes to come. Also don’t miss out on the pickled cherry tomatoes. It is bursting with juicy sweet and sour liquid that will awaken your appetite.

Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk 

Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

For dessert, LD and I ordered Chilled Mango Puree with Pomelo and Sago ($8) and Glutinous Rice Ball in Ginger Soup ($8).  The mango puree is thick, creamy and packed with sweet mango flavour. The citrusy pomelo and sago supposed to balance this sweetness of this dish.

Chilled Mango Puree with Pomelo and Sago 

The glutinous rice ball come with a strong ginger soup, that warms up your stomach. The rice ball is average, as the skin of the ball is very thick and the fillings are plain.

Glutinous Rice Ball in Ginger Soup

The décor of Famous Treasure is elegant with contemporary interior. The restaurant can accommodate up to 150 diners, with four private rooms available for private events and celebrations. Famous Treasure is well known for events showcasing the pairing of Nanyang cuisine with wine, whiskey and other liquors.

Part of Dining Area

Overall, it was indeed a pleasure to taste the Nanyang cuisine at Famous Treasure. Most of the dishes here are well executed, especially the signature Curry Fish Head, Marble Goby steamed with Preserved Vegetables on Hot Plate, Live Flower Crab baked with Rock Salt and Roast Irish Duck. Cheers!!

Thank you very much, Jennifer and Famous Treasure team for hosting the media tasting. Please check out the lunch menu below. We find it value for money, especially for this delicious food.

Please note: Due to limited quantity, please place your order for the Marinated Cockles Teochew Style, Fatty Char Siew and Irish Duck when you make your reservation. 

Set Lunch Menu
Image Credit: Famous Treasure

Food: 8.25/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80; $81 & Above

Famous Treasure

13 Stamford Road

#02-28 Capitol Piazza

Singapore 178905

T: +65 6881 6688 / +65 9730 7548

W: http://www.thefamoustreasure.com/

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

IG: @Famoustreasure

OH:

Daily

Lunch - 11.30 – 15.00 (LO 14.30)

Dinner – 18.00 – 22.30 (LO 22.00)

Menu Available Online