"Food must be delicious. Pricing cannot be too high. Must have air-con because we don't want to sweat. Must be in a centralized location for everyone's convenience. Good if directly connected to a mrt station. Even better if parking is easy. Takes reservation because nobody has time to wait in queue. Place must be quite new."
You can imagine our long where-to-meet, where-to-eat conversation in our whatsapp group chat. Anyone else also experienced the moment when you woke up to 100+ unread messages? Lol!
But finally, a place which fits all the above criteria! Soon Huat Dining House 順發美食之家 is the place! The casual dining restaurant has recently opened (December 2016) on level 2 of Chinatown Point.
If the name Soon Huat sounds familar, you might have known it for its bak kut teh offerings, available at various branches in Simpang Bedok, OneKM Mall and Timbre+.
Soon Huat Dining House at Chinatown Point is an extension of the brand, serving up local signature dishes such as Curry Fish Head, Claypot Rice, and White Mee Hoon besides their best-selling, signature Bak Kut Teh.
So many tempting new dishes as we flipped though the menu pages!
First thing first, we quickly asked for servings of Bak Kut Teh in both Soup ($7.90) and Dry ($8.90) versions. These are the "default" must-haves whenever I visit Soon Huat!
While the bak kut teh soup remained as enjoyable with its unique hybrid of pepper and herbal flavors, it was the pieces of dry pork ribs cooked in a slightly spicy, bak kut teh-reduced gravy that stirred our appetite to greater heights. We all love the slivers of dried cuttlefish which provided a gentle layer of texture and aromatics to the tender pork meat.
The crispy Fried Tow Ki ($5.20) or beancurd sheets doused in savory sauce was still as addictive as how I remembered it. If you're a fan of pig offal like my friend, the Pork Liver ($$6.90) would probably make you as happy as it made her. She practically finished the whole pot herself! Haha!
Can we trust a bak kut teh restaurant to serve up a delicious plate of zhi char favorite, har cheong gai? As we found out at Soon Huat, it's a "Yes"! The chicken wings were exactly how we like it!
Using the mid-joint part, the Prawn Paste Chicken ($8.90) was well-infused with piquant flavors from the fermented shrimp paste. Balance was just right without being too overwhelming. That skin crackling and burst of juiciness from the meat upon each bite was so delightful!
The Prawn Prawn Rolls ($9.90) also got a thumbs-up from us for its simple, homemade taste. "Just like how my grandmother makes it", my friend said as she popped another of the moreish morsel into her mouth.
Another highlight of our evening was undoubtedly the Seafood White Mee Hoon ($9.90).
Though the braised rice vermicelli dish is not too uncommon nowadays after being made popular by Sembawang's White Bee Hoon, it has now evolved with a renewed lease of excitement as Soon Huat's version has bak kut teh broth added!
The ambrosial level is certainly up, with herbal and peppery notes permeating the slurpilicious "zhup zhup" eggy gravy. Seafood pieces were fresh and mee hoon itself was of the right bite. The entire plate came together all so beautifully.
This is a must-order!
The fare at Soon Huat Dining House is nothing fancy but we thoroughly enjoyed the sincere, straightforward goodness prepared by a dedicated team lead by Soon Huat's founder, Jabez Tan.
His experience in prison kitchen has become of great value to him, and he has put it to good use in this business of second chance where ex-offenders can start their life anew with a meaningful career.
New lease of life for them, highly-satisfying meal for us. What a win-win situation for everyone! :D
Related Post: Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶 @ Simpang Bedok ~ Chock Full Of Heartwarming Grace
Soon Huat Dining House 順發美食之家
Address: 133 New Bridge Road, #02-38 Chinatown Point, Singapore 059413
Contact: +65 6677 6286
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soonhuatdininghouse/
Opening Hours: Daily 11am-1pm
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶
Outlets: 302 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok), 257 Jalan Kayu, OneKM Mall #B1-K6, and Timbre+ #01-34
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soonhuatbakkutteh
Prices are (1) Stated in Singapore dollars (2) Subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST (3) Correct at point of published date.
Follow PinkyPiggu on Facebook and Instagram for daily delicious updates!
No comments:
Post a Comment