After a few hours of baking with the guru, the sun had set and it's time for dinner! My sister and brother in law did some research and we decided to visit a restaurant at Yishun block 748 which was just a five-minute walk from my house!
It's not my first time to Heng Hua restaurant although the last visit was really quite a long time back (maybe about 10 years ago) and we didn't order much then. I didn't recall it was a positive experience but let's not be too quick to judge, especially when i didn't even blog about it.
The place was packed with customers and we waited for more than 30 minutes as it's hard to accommodate our group of 12 persons; 10 adults and two kids!
Ark Shells in Spicy Sauce (一等鮮蚶)
I had a strong aversion towards cockles and would definitely stay far away from this cold appetizer! The goading by Joyce succeeded and i dropped one into my mouth. OMG, the overpowering combination of minced garlic with chilli padi and soy sauce totally masked the disgusting flavour of cockles and it was so good; i had a second one.
Herbal Prawns in Bamboo (药膳竹筒虾)
For the benefits of friends who don't read Chinese, i usually would indicate the English translation for the dish in my blog and it's normally easier if the eatery has provided the translation. In this case, i have to change it as the original translation was the doesn't-make-sense "Herbs-Food Prawns in Bamboo Shoot"!
Prawns were fresh and of decent sized; i was more taken in by the herbal soup that the prawns were soaked in! Pity the weather that evening was too hot, too humid; if it was raining, i would have enjoyed the soup better.
Pan-fried Egg with Oyster (鲜蚝煎蛋)
Omelette form without the starch found at fried oysters stalls at hawker centres; i prefer fried oysters actually and thought this was more fuyong-egg style, which i wouldn't reject in any circumstance anyway.
Stir-fried Sliced Yam (酥炒香芋)
The one dish i would always order at the now michelin-starred Putien! Putien's version had a higher concentration of caramelisation even though this one at Heng Hua was as addictive! However, the best fried yam i had was in near Yangshuo, China!
Country Style Steamed Sea Bass (清蒸金目鲈)
When it comes to steamed fish, freshness is like the most important thing and this didn't disappoint; furthermore, it's a really good deal at only S$28.00.
Heng Hua Style Fried Bee Hoon (兴化米粉)
A signature dish for the heng hwa cuisine, i had shared before that it's drier than our normal fried bee hoon at tze char stalls although the lack of oil also means it's a healthier version. Mixed them up to get the amalgamated flavour of nuttiness, ocean (seaweed, clams, prawns) and vegetables; that combination tastes lip-smacking good.
Homemade Bean Curd with Prawns (自制豆腐虾仁)
Never a big fan of tofu; this was sufficient as a required protein intake by Jovyn; the spoilt darling in our family. Other than that, nothing on the extreme ends came to mind.
Fried Kangkong with Chilli (马来风光)
Enticingly spicy to the extent of numbing my lips, this was good and could be even better if pieces of freshly fried pork lard were sprinkled on the vegetables!
Stir-fried Jingdu Pork Ribs (京都排骨)
Un-amazing and too fatty for my liking; okay, correction, i do like my pork ribs to have a thick layer of fats but i would also like the fatty section to have a nice crisp. The ones here were just mushy and the marination failed to result in any improvement.
Steamed Heng Hua Cheng with Huadiao Wine (花雕酒蒸蛏)
This is a declaration; i will never ever order this dish in my life. The razor clams were downright fishy and can you imagine that upon biting through the meat, i literally stopped chewing as the foul juice was so repulsively strong! Never ever!
Heng Hua Bian Rou Soup (兴化扁肉汤)
I would have discounted this dish if i had just drunk the soup and eaten nothing else; it was bland and tasted just like some of the accompanied soups dispensed for free when you order wanton noodles.
Don't assume that the little wanton-lookalikes were as bad as those you get from wanton noodles; they are the bian rou that gives the dish its name and befitting its importance, it tasted pretty good and unlike the lousy ones we often have.
White Fungus Sweet Soup (冰糖雪耳糖水)
Complimentary from the restaurant and as a cold dessert, i definitely welcomed it given how hot it was that day! Taste wise, the soup had that hashima flavour which is unlikely as hashima has a very high price-tag!
Cold Trotters
Yet again another signature heng hwa dish, i didn't manage to have it as by the time i was convinced to try it, nothing has remained. :(
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Location
Block 748, Yishun Street 72,
#01-212, Singapore 760748
Map
As above.
Operating Hours
11.00 am to 11.00 pm
Reservation
Call 6757-1762
Menu
As above.
Pricing
Ark Shells in Spicy Sauce (L) - S$12.00
Herbal Prawns in Bamboo (L) - S$38.00
Pan-fried Egg with Oysters (L) - S$24.00
Stir-fried Sliced Yam (M) - S$15.00
Country Style Steamed Sea Bass - S$28.00
Heng Hua Style Fried Bee Hoon (M) - S$8.00
Homemade Bean Curd with Prawns (L) - S$20.00
Fried Kangkong with Chilli (L) - S$16.00
Stir-fried Jingdu Pork Ribs (L) - S$20.00
Steamed Heng Hua Cheng with Huadiao Wine - S$23.00
Heng Hua Bian Rou Soup (S) - S$8.00
Cold Trotters (S) - S$10.00
(No GST, No Service Charge)
Highly recommend anyone who is planning to come here to drop the idea. Service was terrible. Staffs were rude. Though the place might have a long queue and seems like a popular place but staffs were hostile to customers. Horrible experience.
ReplyDeleteservice was fine for me; they were busy but not rude. I took issue with the taste of the food though.
DeleteIf its that poor and lousy, I will go back to Ming Chung. Don't waste time and far.
ReplyDeletei should try Ming Chung then. Walked past a few years ago and i recall how crowded it was!
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