Saturday, August 19, 2006
Date: August 18, 2006
Venue : 15/17 Smith Street ( Chinatown)
A loyal Ka Soh fan , I would have never thought of trying this much talked about restaurant had David not suggested we check the place out for dinner last night. While the dinner experience was nothing much to scream about, the food was reasonably good and there was a little to regret about.
One thing I'd like to highlight here is NEVER visit this establishment on a blistering hot day. We dined around 7 in the evening and it was still unpleasantly warm. It did not help that the place lacked air-conditioning ( they actually had it but refused to turn it on) and we had to make do with fans.
That aside, service was neither bad nor was it excellent. What I liked about the place was that our meal came quick. We barely waited 15 minutes after ordering our four dishes : their signature XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup, Sum Lo Hor Fun (sliced fish Hor Fun stir fried with bean sprouts), stir friend chinese spinach, and Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken.
The first dish to arrive was the Sum Lo Hor Fun. Unlike other restaurants, the fish did not smell fishy and had a very clean taste. At the same time, the bean sprouts were not overcooked and remained crunchy, while soaking up the flavor of the dish. Overall, I enjoyed it very much because it was light, although some might find it a little bland for their tastes.
The second dish which arrived was the chinese spinach (or po choy) which was obviously poached before being stir fried with garlic. A brilliantly green dish, you'll be pleased to know that the garlic was not overpowering at all. Although it was simple and tasty, the dish was a tad bit salty for me.
Next in line was the restaurant's signature dish. By the time it had arrived, I was already brimming with much anticipation. I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Unlike the one at Ka Soh, the addition of XO to the broth gave the soup an extremely pale coffee color and sort of left a slightly herbal after taste. While tasty, the soup was a little sweet and towards the bottom of the bowl, it had a somewhat powdery texture.
Personally, the highlight of the meal was the Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken. Usually, I take my chicken skin-off but because this was so good, I ate it as it was. Unlike most places, the shrimp paste was not overpoweringly pungent and the lime juice did not much to enhance the flavor. Did I mention the meat was juicy too?
However, the biggest surprise came with the bill. For all that we ordered, we only paid $31.20 . It is extrememly cheap compared to Ka Soh and considering the quality of the food, it was real value for money.
At the end of the day, was the XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup worth all they hype? Frankly , no. But is it worthy enough to render another visit from me? Yes.
