Mamasita

Mamasita is one of the renowned Mexican restaurants in Melbourne and has always been a hot topic among the circle of foodies I know. It is famous for its reasonably priced and delicious food and infamous for the sheer difficulty to get seats and the long waits.

The first time I visited Mamasita was with Kaili, Jeremy and Jojo. We arrived at the restaurant at 6.10 p.m. and the friendly lady at the door told us they had an opening at 10:30 p.m. That was when my jaw dropped in utter disbelief and the Italian hand sign came up. We decided to head somewhere else for a dinner before returning later for supper.

After having dinner at Rosati, Mamasita called and said they had an opening at nine and we rushed there without pausing for doubt despite being a bit full from dinner.

I was there for a second time with Kaili another Saturday but at five, and we got seats immediately.

The range of food we ordered both times overlap so I will lump them together into one review.

Tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa.

Lightly salted and crispy, the tortilla chips are an absolute delight to start a meal with. The guacamole definitely blew all of us away. It was a rich and creamy dip with a bit chunky onions and the refreshing burst of sourness from the onions and lime and the creaminess of the avocado complement the chips perfectly. The salsa, on the other hand, paled in comparison to the guacamole but it was by no means bad. The watery texture made it less appealing and impressive than the guacamole. However, the mild spiciness made it a nice alternative to the guacamole.

Elotes callejeros.

Described in the menu as "Street Style" chargrilled corn, queso, chipotle mayonnaise and lime, this unassuming dish is one of the star attractions of Mamasita, a fact which we did not learn about until after the first meal. At first I thought the white shavings on the corn were grated coconut so I did not order that. After talking to V Vien, she insisted that "you must order the corn" in the hypnotised voice and the second time round, that was what we did.

I would have to say it is the best corn I have ever tasted, hands down. The corn was still juicy and sweet despite being chargrilled and black on some parts. The sweetness of the corn is balanced with the sourness of the lime and chipotle mayonnaise and the saltiness of the queso (cheese). When it comes to texture, this dish shines as well due to the melted cheese which added more bite to the crunchy corn as well as the mayonnaise which added moisture. This dish is simple but absolutely brilliant.

Tostaditas de pollo (chicken).

Chargrilled chicken, avocado, queso fresco (cheese) and chipotle mayonnaise on four 2.5 inch tostaditas. These supposedly bite-sized snacks are not really bite-sized, unless jaw dislocation comes naturally. The chicken was shredded into strands and was a bit too dry for me. However, it was saved by the avocado base which gave a creamy texture to the dish. The chipotle mayonnaise packed a light punch with its spiciness which was slightly cured by the avocado. I was also fond of the smoky flavour in the chicken.

Tostaditas de cangrejos (crabs).

This dish is tostaditas, like the one above but with crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tamarind, mayonnaise and red chilli. We are not really fans of this dish. The amount of crab meat in the dish is rather pathetic and any taste of crab is masked by that of the cucumber, tamarind and mayonnaise. I would forgo this dish for something else.

Taco de pescado (fish) y taco de chorizo.

The first time in Mamasita, we had the tacos de camarones (prawns) and the tacos de chorizo and the second time we had the tacos de chorizo again and tried the tacos de pescado (fish).

The taco de camarones consists of marinated prawns, habanero chillies and chipotle almond salsa. I was pretty impressed by the dish due to the size and freshness of the prawns. They were crunchy and succulent, how prawns are supposed to be. The chilli and chipotle almond salsa gave it a sourish and spicy taste which balanced the savoury prawns perfectly. Definitely something I would order again.

There is something about chorizos that appeal to me, maybe it is just because it is made from meat and it sounds more exotic than "sausage". Thus, it was imperative that we ordered the taco de chorizo. Made from chorizo, obviously, cabbage, chipotle, coriander and onion, this dish is not for anyone without a tongue resistant to pungent food. During my first visit, the chorizo and the chipotle were just nice in terms of spiciness. However, during my second visit, the spiciness was multiplied by a factor of ten, or somewhere around there. It was stinging the tongue with every bite. I wish there was more consistency with the spiciness. If the first one's spiciness was normal, I would order this dish every time; if the second one was normal, I would probably only opt for it whenever an act of self-punishment is necessary.

Last of the taco trio, the taco de pescado, which has grilled fish, lime, achiote paste and red onion salsa. Basically, this dish reminded me of ikan bakar (grilled fish) in Malaysia, except it was wrapped in a taco. The fish was cooked to perfection and was still moist and soft on the inside. Other than that, there was really nothing spectacular about it.

Quesadilla de cordero (lamb).

Apparently the quesadilla de cordero is not on the online menu so I cannot list out the ingredients. As far as I can tell, there's queso, lamb and mint sauce. Surprisingly, the lamb was still gamy, the way I like it as the mint sauce was rather mild and did not mask the gaminess. The cheese gave the quesadilla an interesting texture, something like a pie with cheese and chunky meat. There was certainly a lot of bite in the thin slices of the quesadilla.

I have also sampled the quesadilla de pollo, which is quesadilla containing chargrilled chicken with pico de gallo (salsa fresca), coriander and queso fresco. The chicken in the quesadilla is juicier and more moist than that of the tostaditas. The pico de gallo which is a fresh, uncooked salsa gave the dish a refreshing touch of sour and spicy which balanced the smoky, savoury flavour of the chicken. To provide texture, melted cheese is thrown into the fray creating a simple but delicious dish. Personally, I prefer the chicken to the lamb.

Camarones gigantes al ajillo.

The only main we have ever ordered, the grilled prawns, toasted garlic and green almond sauce. The grilled prawns were fresh, succulent and crunchy like those of the taco de camarones. They had the charred flavour as well which added depth to the dish. The toasted garlic oil and the green almond sauce were rather subtle in the sense that they did not kill the natural flavours of the prawns. They do, however, add texture to the dish as there were chunks of almond and slices of toasted garlic in the sauce. Together, the saltiness of the prawn and the garlic oil, the slightly burnt taste of the fragrant toasted garlic were in a perfect ensemble with the accompaniment of light hints of almond and herbs from the green almond sauce. It was an assault on the senses, in a good way. A very flavourful dish but beware of the garlic breath that follows. Nevertheless, this dish is well worth the money and the risk of chasing people away.

Frituras de manzana.

The apple fritters and vanilla pear sorbet were rather disappointing. The apple fritters were crispy but had a strong taste of oil in the batter. That alone was enough to put all of us off. The apple was also too tough and required much effort in cutting with the fork.

The vanilla pear sorbet was decent but could not salvage the dish on its own. It was reasonably sweet but due to the apple fritters being too sweet, the sorbet was a bit tasteless in comparison.

Helado de maiz.

Sweet corn ice-cream cone with caramalised popcorn. This dessert is simple yet wonderful. The ice-cream had a nice consistency and the amazing part was the resemblance of its flavour to sweet corn, unlike most sweet corn ice-creams which just taste artificial. This was the real deal! The ice-cream was not excessively sweet but gets a bit sweeter when eaten with the caramalised popcorn. The flavour of caramel and sweet corn dancing in the mouth together with the sensation of the cold ice-cream and the warm popcorn is an absolute delight.

Unfortunately, the second time we had the ice-cream, the sweet corn fragrance was completely gone. It is a real shame.

Mamasita is a restaurant which deserves its fame. The long queue outside the shop and in the stairway is a testament to that. However, the fact that the inconsistency in the taste of the food makes me doubt whether I would put Mamasita up with the other restaurants in my list of favourites. That being said, I will probably still return to the restaurant for a few more times before deciding.

1/11 Collins Street,

Melbourne,

3000 VIC.

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Rosati

I have not posted in a very long time. If there is anyone out there who anticipates my posts, well, I would have to call you the biggest dumbass on the planet and then apologise for my language and also for not posting.

Not posting does not mean I have not been out hunting for food. On the contrary, I have never been so actively and enthusiastically hopping from one restaurant to another before.

Rosati.

This time, the hunt took me to Rosati, a rather large Italian restaurant somewhere on Flinders Lane. Actually, we went over to Mamasita first, but they only had an opening for dinner at 10:30 so we decided to go somewhere else first and Rosati just happened to look appealing at the time.

Somewhere around a week later, I went back again. Yes, it was that good.

Without further ado, allow me to proceed to the food.

Pork belly.

The pork belly looked interesting to me when it was served. The first thing that came to mind was, "where is the pork belly?" Apparently Rosati's version of pork belly is not the usual slab of roast with crispy skin; instead it was sliced into half-inch thick pieces and dressed with balsamic vinegar and almost completely covered in currants, pomegranate and pine nuts.

I would say I was completely surprised when I took a bite into a piece of the pork belly. Firstly, to tick off all the criteria for good pork belly. Crispy skin, tick; copious amounts of fat, tick; tender and juicy meat, tick; refreshing sourness, what?! The sourness is not from the pork going stale, but it was from the balsamic vinegar, currants and pomegranate which actually balances the fattiness of the pork belly really well. The crunchiness of the pine nuts, the currants and the pomegranate also adds texture to the otherwise monotonous softness of the layers of fat. Those elements make it an ease to continue munching on the pork belly, whereas the conventional pork belly gives eaters a headache after the initial excitement. In fact, the pork belly was so addictive that Kaili and I craved for it from time to time.

Unfortunately when we were back to appease our stomachs, the pork belly was nowhere near as good anymore. The pieces were too thinly sliced and just too dry such that the layer of fat lost all its appeal. I hope Rosati improves on their pork belly and their consistency as this dish is one of the most recommended dishes.

Calamari with baby cress and almond aioli.

Nothing really worth mentioning here. It is just a typical deep fried calamari resembling those found in most restaurants in Melbourne. The batter was not really flavourful and a bit too much of it was coated onto the calamari. The almond aioli was just so-so. In fact, I could not really decide whether the calamari was better with or without the aioli. It did not make such a significant difference to the taste. It is not a dish I would order again at Rosati.

Polpette or Sicilian meatballs.

I would have to say that I thought the meatballs were rather good, but to be fair, how bad can meatballs get?  Also, the meatballs are not just typical balls of minced meat, instead, the fat content in the meatballs lived up to my expectations and (if I am correct), there was also cheese in the mix, which gave the meatballs added flavour and complexity. 

The sauce, which seems like napolitana to me, was just about right. It was not intensely sour as to kill the taste of beef and was not too bland either. I do wish that it could be a bit thicker though.

Button mushroom with garlic cream and breadcrumbs.

To be honest I was really anticipating something amazing when I ordered this dish. Italians are after all the masters of mushroom. Again, this dish really disappointed me. The mushrooms were soggy due to the the garlic cream which was so dilute that I would not even call it a cream, and worst of all, it was rather tasteless. The breadcrumbs could not save the dish from being abysmal. It being in the dish is just like adding breadcrumbs into water. 

Gnocchi with lamb.

The gnocchi with lamb was a special for the day, which is not in the menu, during our second visit. As such, I do not know what was the cheese that was in the dish. I had another gnocchi dish the first time we were there. For both occasions, the gnocchi was almost perfect. It had a soft puffiness to it and a creamy texture inside. The gnocchi just disintegrates without much chewing yet offers a bit of bite before that. I also appreciate the fact that the lamb was cooked to perfection and was tender such that there was no strong contrast between the texture of the meat and the gnocchi.

The lamb and the gravy were adequately seasoned with a tangy, tomato-like flavour. The cheese scattered on the dish had an intense saltiness but when eaten with the lamb and gnocchi, it created a rich amalgam of taste and texture which I found quite hard to resist.

Done with the mains, it is time to move on to the desserts. 

Chocolate pudding, citrus and vanilla ice-cream.

Rosati is quite famous for their chocolate pudding and when you are out dining with women, it is rather hard not to go into desserts. However, the chocolate pudding did not live up to expectations. Although the core was molten and flowed out like a heavenly chocolate dream when we cut the cross section, the pudding itself did not taste as good as I pictured it to be. The pudding just tasted awfully floury and did not have a significant chocolate taste.

The citrus, on the other hand, tasted really like citrus and excessively so. It was so sour that all of us cringed after having it. Not something I would look forward to the next time I go to Rosati, if I ever still want to return.

The vanilla ice-cream was just decent, like any vanilla ice-cream one can find in Italian restaurants in Melboune. Nothing special there.

Layer cake with strawberry and raspberry sauce.

This dessert is a daily special, as such, I do not really know the exact name as the waitress read out the name at the speed of sound. Anyway, on to the review.

The first thing that came to mind with this dish, I mean cup, was the difficulty to eat it. When we drove the spoon down to the bottom, the cake escapes the spoon and all we got was thick strawberry and raspberry sauce, which was a sugar overload. That being said, the sauce was the real thing. It had loads of crushed berries in it and it hits that sweet spot in an instant when eaten. As we ate, the ratio of cake to sauce increased and the sweetness got to a saner level. 

For the sugar addicts and the insane, this dessert would certainly satisfy; for diabetics, it would send you straight up to heaven.

Chocolate mousse with orange sorbet.

Being a sucker for chocolate mousse, I might be a bit biased with this, but Kaili can vouch for me. We loved  this dessert to bits. The chocolate mousse had the right consistency and complexity. It was airy and smooth with a bit of bite and had a nutty flavour to it instead of just being purely cocoa and sugar. The sorbet did wonders to the dish as well. Balancing the thick, sweet mousse with a touch of ice cold, tangy orange made the dish surprisingly refreshing. 

I would recommend this to everyone who visits Rosati, but there is one slight problem, it is a daily special so it really depends on your luck whether you get to sample this wonder when you are there to dine.

All in all, Rosati is a decent restaurant. The first dinner at Rosati gave me a really good impression. The food was superb and the waiters and waitresses were really friendly. The second time round, some dishes were just plain weird and off-putting. Will we return to Rosati? Perhaps to satisfy that sporadic craving for the pork belly, otherwise, there are better places in town.

95, Flinders Lane,
Melbourne,
VIC 3000.

03 9654 7772

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Happy Birthday, Anthony! (Burmese House)

Birthday boy Anthony.

It was not really Anthony's birthday on Friday, but it was decided that we celebrate on a day convenient for everyone. This time, we went to Burmese House which, of course, serves Burmese food. I was quite intrigued by the idea of Burmese food, having never tried it before.

The menu.

Looking at the menu, it seems that we were at a mamak stall, just a fancier, more posh and more expensive version. There were the usual curries and masalas, even roti canai. Considering that Myanmar is so close to India, a strong Indian influence on the cuisine is not at the very least surprising.

Pumpkin curry.

Probably the best dish of the night for me. The curry was not as flavourful and pungent as those typically found in Malaysia. However, the pumpkin was perfectly cooked. It was tender and not overly mushy.

Beef masala.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the dish was the ridiculously small portion for the price. The dish costs about AUD 20 and it has no more than ten chunks of beef. As though that is not bad enough, the beef was not that good at all. The gravy was rather bland. It was almost devoid of the spicy fragrance typical of masala dishes. The texture of the meat was fine, but with a slow cooked dish, how bad can it get?

Chicken salad.

The chicken salad was nothing to shout about either. The roasted chicken was very dry and tough, not surprising as they used breast meat. Definitely not a dish I would pay for.

Chilli crab.

Probably the worst dish for me. That is not because I do not like crabs. On the contrary, I love crabs to bits. However, I must, at least, applaud Burmese House for being able to cook such an awful dish out of such a wonderful ingredient.

First of all, the crabs were not something I, or anyone in the right mind, would associate with the word "fresh". The flesh reminded me of frozen shelled crab meat in packets.

The cooking was nowhere near fantastic either. The sambal was just pungent without any fragrance. It was also too oily and soggy. Personally, I take this version of chilli crab as an insult to the much exalted dish in Malaysia and Singapore.

Chicken masala.

Due to the portion of the food being so small, we were unsatisfied after we finished the food from the first order and we ordered chicken and lamb masalas. I suppose I could compliment them for their consistency in serving equally appalling beef, lamb and chicken masalas.

Fried noodles.

The fried noodles was probably one of the better dishes for the night. It tasted very much like tom yam, but I have never encountered such a dish in Thailand or Thai restaurants. The Thai influence on the dish is undeniable though. My complaint for this dish is probably the overly moist noodles. Had it been drier it would have been my favourite dish for the night.

Overall, the food was just decent if price is not taken into account. The quality of the food is just tantamount to those of simple home cooked food. Minimal effort is put into the presentation of the dishes. Therefore, I can safely conclude that the food is very much overpriced.

However, there are many online reviews of Burmese House which paint a really good picture. Shockingly, there are even Malaysians who claim that the food is spectacular. I have no comments on that (that would be safe for publishing).

If I were given two words to describe the food there, it would be "crappy mamak".

I would like to apologise to anyone who finds this review offensive. The descriptions of the food are merely my opinion.

I would also like to apologise to Anthony for writing such a short review for his birthday dinner, but if I were to go any longer, things would only get worse. Once again, sorry, and happy birthday.

303 Bridge Road,
Richmond,
VIC 3121.

03 94212861


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The Fitz

My food journey in Melbourne continues after a month-long break. This time, Kaili and I paid a visit to The Fitz in Fitzroy. Previously, I had boldly proclaimed that there is no good food in Fitzroy and Kaili, a fan of the suburb, did not rebut, only giving in by saying her expectation in food is not as high as mine. Hence, by choosing to dine in Fitzroy, I was laying my pride on the line. Fortunately, and unfortunately today, not only did I get to eat a fantastic meal, I had to eat my words as well.

I already had a main in mind before going to the restaurant after checking out the restaurant menu online. Of course, I stuck to my course but also ordered an entree, because I can.

Salt and pepper calamari with lemon cheeks and aioli.

When this dish was served, both Kaili and I were rather puzzled, as we expected the usual calamari in thick batter and bombarded with cheap salt and pepper. Instead, we got something that looks rather classy. The layer of batter around the calamari rings were so thin that I doubted there was any batter used at all.

Nonetheless, one bite into the first calamari ring and I was proven wrong. The batter was light but surprisingly crispy and not oily at all. It was also not bombarded with salt but had a hint of sea salt and a strong punch from the black pepper. The calamari was cooked perfectly, offering some bite yet not requiring us to wrestle with it. When eaten with the aioli and lemon, the acidity of the lemon balances well with the rich eggy taste of the aioli to give the dish a really potent taste.

The aioli went perfectly with the roquette as well.

Aged rib eye with mash, green beans and mushroom ragu in red wine sauce.

My jaw dropped when I saw the dish. A big slab of rib eye with a fistful of mushroom on top resting on a generous bed of mash and green beans, what more can one ask for?

Medium rare.

The first thing to do with any steak is to cut a cross section to check the rarity. I asked for medium rare and I got medium rare. I was not impressed yet, that was just the minimum requirement. However, the overwhelming sensation of happiness when seeing the reddish pink flesh revealed while blood oozes out is one I still experience although I have eaten far more steaks that I should.

One cut of the rib eye into my mouth was all that was needed to bring out the smile which I wore for three hours straight after that. It was packed with beefy goodness and the strong beefiness just exploded into my mouth upon chewing. It had been far too long since I tasted beef that good. To complement the beef was a well reduced red wine jus, which was very mildly seasoned, thus preserving the flavour of the beef while adding the hint of fragrance of red wine. The mushroom ragu was a tad too salty for me, but when eaten with the beef, it was just right.

I was too preoccupied with the steak that I completely forgotten about the mash and green beans. Eventually, I started sampling them. The mash was very creamy and buttery with a slightly cheesy taste, just how I like my mash; the beans were tender yet crunchy. Everything was cooked to perfection.

After experimenting with various ways of enjoying the dish, I ended up eating all four elements of the dish together, which resulted in a well balanced amalgam of flavours and textures. The tender and bloody beef, the silky and milky mash, the salty and chewy mushrooms and the crunchy beans came together in an ensemble that blew my mind.

Despite my over the top praises, the dish is not yet perfect. However, there was only one thing I had a problem with which was sinew. There was way too much sinew in the steak. Otherwise, it was pretty much flawless.

Seafood linguine with salmon, mussels, scallops, prawns and olives.

Kaili ordered a seafood linguine which was one of the specials. I was quite taken aback by the size of the dish when it was served. It was almost like a cornucopia of seafood, a treasure trove of salmon, mussels, scallops and prawns. We were both very excited when the dish came in sight and might I say we were thoroughly impressed after tasting it.

The linguine was cooked for the right amount of time and was neither too chewy nor too mushy. It was drenched in a flavourful olive oil infused with chilli and a herb I failed to identify. The olive oil did not give the nauseating feeling that one gets after a big plate of pasta. Instead, it was light, tangy and the black pepper and chilli gave a strong kick.

At first I thought the linguine could steal the limelight from the seafood, that could not be further from the truth after I sampled a mussel. It was the freshest, most delicious mussel I have ever tasted. Past experiences with mussels always resulted in disappointment due to the mussels being overcooked and rubbery with foul smelling and tasting juices. This mussel, on the other hand, was completely the opposite. It was tender and succulent. One bite into it and the rich, gravy-like juice flowed into my mouth. I never knew mussels could taste so good!

The scallops were very fresh as well. They were perfectly cooked so the orange part of the meat stayed soft and juicy while the white part was a bit chewy. Perhaps not the best scallops I have ever tasted, but definitely one of the better ones.

The salmon was a bit too fatty for me. I supposed they used salmon belly, which is the expensive part but also the part with highest fat content. I love salmon belly for sashimi but in a pasta dish, that was a bit overwhelming.

Last but not least, the prawns. There is nothing much to comment here. Most restaurants in Melbourne can cook prawns to such standards so there is really no point in making a comparison. However that does not mean the prawns were just decent. They were perfect.

Kaili happily devouring.

At this point we were satisfied and extremely impressed by the food. To put it into perspective, we were smiling uncontrollably for the next hour or so. Also, we thought that since the food was so amazing, we could not go wrong with ordering desserts.

Crème brûlée.

I was looking at dessert menu on the wall before Kaili pointed out and cried, "crème brûlée!" That moment on I knew I had to order it.

Unfortunately, the crème brûlée was nowhere near as impressive as the entree and mains. The hard caramel on top was slightly burnt which resulted in a slight bitter taste. The custard was a bit too liquid for me, but not as bad as the one at Giraffe Cafe. Minor improvements and it could make it into my list of favourites.

The crème brûlée was served with what looks like a berry and pear compote. It was rather sour but definitely light and refreshing which provided some contrast to the richness of the crème brûlée. If they went easier on flavouring the compote, it would be better.

Sticky date pudding with ice-cream.

Kaili went for the sticky date pudding, which I thought of as a bizarre choice. Later on she explained that it was puasa (fasting) month, which I thought was even more bizarre.

Anyway, the sticky date pudding was very sticky, but not sticky enough that it gets stuck in your mouth or throat. It was quite a pleasure to chew the warm, moist pudding together with the cold ice-cream and the chocolate sauce. It was a very dulcet combination although one would think that it would be overly sweet. I actually preferred this dish to my crème brûlée.

All in all, the dinner was the best dinner Kaili and I have ever had (in Melbourne) in ages. Even after finishing our three courses, we were still floating away in a dreamy sensation that the food gave us.

Dreaming.

347 Brunswick St, 

Fitzroy, VIC 3065.

03 9417 5794

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Back to Business Again

I am back in Melbourne again after a month in Malaysia, from the oven back into the refrigerator. Melbourne's winter is particularly harsh this year. It was six degrees when I arrived at Tullamarine.

I am no longer that reluctant to leave Malaysia anymore. Perhaps it is the growing disappointment in the path where my beloved home is heading; perhaps one grows out of being sentimental after being away for too long; perhaps after leaving home six times, the effect wears off; perhaps it is the brand new lens that Cherry bought from Hong Kong for me that made me anxious to return; perhaps there is more to it than I know of.

There are certain things in Melbourne I have missed and will miss when I am somewhere else.

Friends.

Not Crown but beautiful architecture in general.

Coffee that actually tastes like coffee.

The amazing pink tint in the sky after sunset.

I love this place.

Orchid Live Seafood

Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant.

This leg of the journey in Singapore takes me to Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant with my parents and my dad's former schoolmate. The restaurant certainly looked impressive from outside with the parking assistants instructing customers on which parking space to take, and the illuminated signboard with its two lobster heads on both sides looked imposing as well. Still, to be truly impressive the food has to be top notch.

Cold crabs.

I have never sampled cold mud crabs before. The only cold crabs that I have eaten are flower crabs, which I am not such a fan of. Hence, I was a bit sceptical with this dish.

I went for the shells first due to the obscene amount of roe in them. A spoonful of roe into my mouth and I was delighted. The creaminess and fat in the roe just melts in the mouth. From what I could tell, the roe was seasoned with a bit of shao xing wine, which added a strong fragrance to the roe without getting rid of the roe's intense flavour.

The meat was rather fresh but had a tough layer of skin in between the meat and the shell. I think that was due to the crab being in the moulting stage. Nonetheless, cold crab meat is not too special to me although it does have its merits as an appetiser. There is something about crab meat that makes one turn hungry.

Unknown vegetable.

I am beginning to see the connection between Teochews and this vegetable. In every Teochew restaurant or restaurant with a Teochew influence, this dish was on plenty of the tables. Yet again, it was just another fried vegetable. Nothing special there. I did not quite fancy the soggy vegetables and the overpowering flavour of garlic.

Lobster congee.

I have always thought that cooking congee with lobster is a waste of a good ingredient. Orchid proved me wrong, so wrong in fact that now I think cooking lobster in congee is perhaps one of the best ways of preparing the shellfish.

Although lightly seasoned, the congee was sweetened by the lobsters. Despite that, the lobsters still retained their natural flavour. Also, the generous amount of shao xing wine in the congee complemented the sweetness of the lobsters well. The lack of robust flavours is made up for by the juicy, succulent texture of the lobsters. Another praise I have for the dish is the number of lobsters in the claypot. I swear there must have been more than ten halves in there. That kind of generosity is much appreciated when it comes to seafood.

Steamed fish.

Another steamed fish dish. Nothing to shout about here. The fish could have been fresher but by Singaporean standards, I am not complaining.

Steven chicken.

I did not know the name of this dish until a quick Google search. I am guessing that someone by the name of Steven invented this dish or is a known coward. However, the look of the dish definitely raises more questions than the name.

I suppose it could be called a semi-deboned chicken wing, or a semi-dechickened wing bone. The idea behind this technique I suppose is to expose more surface area to the batter to give more crisp and crunch to an otherwise boring friend chicken wing dish. Whatever it is for, it definitely worked for me.

The sauce that is used to lightly glaze the chicken wings was a sweet, tangy sauce which had a honey-like consistency, very much like those applied to honey glazed pork ribs. It was not too heavy in flavour, robust but not treacly and applied in a sensible amount such that it did not make the batter soggy. Very good balance between taste and texture.

Deep fried seafood tofu.

By the time this dish came I was stuffed to the brim, but still I could not resist deep fried goodies.

The fillings in the tofu I could not identify but it definitely tasted like a mix of seafood, most likely prawns, with pork. It tasted like the generic deep fried seafood tofu available in most seafood restaurants. Perhaps it due to me being so full that I could not really enjoy this dish and do it justice with my review.

Orchid Live Seafood Restaurant is the kind of place where you would think of going to every now and then for their famous dishes, but not to go so far as to call it your favourite seafood restaurant. However, one thing that left a great impression was the generosity in the portion of the food which is unknown to our region due to the culture of "frugality" among restaurant owners, especially when it comes to more pricey ingredients like seafood.

16 Jalan Kelulut, 

Singapore 809033.

9636 1909