Thursday 22 May 2014

Ah Hoi's Kitchen @Traders Hotel: Seafood Delight with Ah Hoi



This food review was based on invitation hosted by The Entertainer and Ah Hoi's Kitchen ('Ah Hoi') team, to celebrate their most recent collaboration.

Ah Hoi's Kitchen has been known in the Singapore food scene for serving authentic local dishes and seafood. My first visit to Ah Hoi was a few years back and I have first hand experience enjoying their Hor Fun and other local dishes. Currently helmed by Sous Chef Lam Loon Tuck, with the forte of local dishes from the wok.



Ah Hoi is located on the 4th floor of the Traders Hotel, walking through to the other side of the swimming pool after you exit the lift. The setup of Ah Hoi is an open concept. Although there are air-conditioners and fans, the atmosphere will be slightly better if the temp in the mid twenties. Otherwise, on a hot day you might want to keep the cold drinks coming to cool you down.

The Indoor Dining Area

The Watering Hole

Recently, Ah Hoi's just added 12 new Sri Lankan Crab dishes to their menu. Tonight we (Chubby Botak Koala & his friend 'M') tasted three of those dishes: Crab Bee Hoon, Salted Egg Crab, and Prickly Piquant Crab.

The Charcoal BBQ

Well, before we get to the crabs dishes, we savour some of the local dishes provided by Ah Hoi. From the charcoal BBQ, we have the local favourite of satay. The version here is slightly smaller, but sweet and well seasoned. It was well barbecued where it is nicely charred and caramelised. It is good to eat it while it's hot, however it easily becomes chewy when its cold. I prefer the meat on my satay to be thicker though.

Satay (6.5/10)

Also from the BBQ, we had combo surf and turf. King Prawns, Beef Steak, Pork Ribs and Calamari. All the meat and seafood are cooked to perfection. They are all tender, juicy and succulent. The calamari with asam sauce just opens up your appetite furthermore.

 King Prawns, Beef Steak, Pork Ribs and Calamari (8.5/10)
The first crab dish for the night was Crab Bee Hoon. This is the dry version, with a huge crab in it it. The meat of the crab are thick and filled the shell ('very solid'). The superior stock was a little subtle but you can feel it absorbed in the bee hoon and cabbage Watch out for the dried shrimp, which might surprise your taste buds. Good Crab Dish.

Crab Bee Hoon (8/10)

Crab Bee Hoon - My Portion

The second crab dish was Salted Egg Crab. Ah Hoi version has a thick salted egg gravy that coated the crabs evenly. The crabs they use was just solid, full of meat. The cooking time was just right, however the gravy can be too much on the sweet part, thus it is missing the savory salted egg taste. You can taste the slight fragrance of the kaffir lime leaves (a bit different from other salted egg crab dishes that I have tasted) and there are some mini bits of chilli padi to spice up the dish.

Salted Egg Crab (7.5/10)

The last crab dish served was Prickly Piquant Crab. Ah Hoi wok-fried the crab with sichuan pepper, pickled garlic and citrus salt. In short, this is the mala version of the crab dish. I personally find the seasoning are just to overpowering for the crab, as I prefer to taste the natural sweetness of the crab. It is not my cup of tea, however others that like sichuan pepper numbing spice will definitely love this dish.

 Prickly Piquant Crab (7/10)

From the three crab dishes, I like the crab bee hoon best and salted egg crab second. The best part of all the crab dishes, was that they are all very meaty and fresh. Definitely uses good quality Sri Lankan Crabs. In case you are wondering the price for the crabs, for crabs that weigh less than 1 kg are priced S$7.20++ per 100 grams. Those weighing more than one kilo are priced at S$9.20++ per 100 grams.  

Overall, Ah Hoi are very creative with their new crab dishes. Although it is not my number one place to go for crabs, they provide a good alternative. If crabs are not to your liking, make sure you try their BBQ selections. I truly enjoy it. Cheers!!

Thank you very much to Ah Hoi's Kitchen and The Entertainer for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: N/A
Service: N/A
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Ah Hoi's Kitchen @Traders Hotel
1A Cuscaden Road
Traders Hotel, Level 4.
Singapore 249716

T: 6831 4373
W: http://www.shangri-la.com/singapore/traders/dining/restaurants/ah-hois-kitchen/
Op Hours: Daily 12.00 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30



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