Fu Yuan Teochew Dining

 Fu Yuan is conveniently located in Clarke Quay, nestled among a vibrant cluster of eateries. The interior exudes a modern yet comforting vibe, making it a welcoming space for diners. 

Fu Yuan Teochew Dining

Spread across two levels, the dining area offers ample seating, including four private rooms—perfect for intimate gatherings or special occasions.

Interior Furnishing

As we made our way to our table, we passed by an impressive display of live seafood tanks that immediately caught our attention. The tanks were filled with an array of fresh seafood, from lively crabs and lobsters to vibrant fish, showcasing the restaurant’s commitment to quality and freshness. 

Live Seafood Tanks

The clear glass and bubbling water created a captivating scene, giving diners a glimpse of the premium ingredients that would soon grace their plates. It added an interactive and lively touch to the dining experience, setting the tone for the feast ahead.

Lobster

While waiting for our dishes to be served, we enjoyed a soothing cup of Chinese tea. Presented in an elegant teacup with intricate patterns and a gold-accented handle, the tea was warm and aromatic, setting a relaxed and refined tone for the meal ahead. It was the perfect way to start our dining experience at Fu Yuan.

Chinese Tea

This dish had us guessing when it was served at the table. The Crispy 'Bing Chuan' Brinjal is made using brinjal sourced from high-altitude, cool-climate regions, known for producing firmer, low-moisture vegetables. Their unique growing conditions result in a denser texture, setting these brinjals apart from the usual varieties we're accustomed to. The crunchy bite, which retains the brinjal's natural sweetness, was truly commendable.

Crispy 'Bing Chuan' Brinjal 脆皮冰川茄子 - $20

In addition to the marinated raw crab on the menu, the chilled drunken yellow roe crab is another classic Teochew dish. Prepared exclusively with live female crabs to ensure peak freshness and flavour, this dish is served chilled. It showcases the natural sweetness of the crab and the richness of its roe, offering an authentic taste of traditional Teochew cuisine.

Chilled Drunken Yellow Roe Crab 冻醉黄膏蟹 - $88

The Red Wine Snow Pear offers a delightful balance of sweetness and subtle acidity, making it the perfect complement to the rich, smoky flavours of the Grilled Black Char Siew. The pear’s texture is crisp and juicy, with each bite offering a refreshing contrast to the tender char siew. Its delicate red wine infusion adds a sophisticated depth, enhancing the pear’s natural fruitiness while infusing a gentle warmth. This pairing creates a harmonious dance of flavours that brings a fresh, slightly tart note to the otherwise savoury dish, elevating the overall dining experience.

Red Wine Snow Pear

While dining in a Teochew restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised to see Fu Yuan embracing Cantonese flavours with their Grilled Black Char Siew dish. The uniformly cut, glossy slices of meat were expertly charcoal-grilled to perfection, resulting in a caramelized crust and tender, flavorful meat. This dish is a true delight for anyone who appreciates the rich and robust tastes of classic Cantonese cuisine.

Grilled Black Char Siew 秘制黑叉烧 - $22

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For more details, visit: https://linktr.ee/fuyuandining.sg

Creamy Pumpkin Live Lobster 金瓜奶油或龙虾

This dish is one of my favourites, as the soup delivers a perfect harmony of rich and savoury flavours. 

Double-Boiled Salted Vegetable Pig's Stomach Soup Stuffed with French Poulet
潮式咸菜猪肚炖安心鸡汤 - $108 Per Sharing Pot

The French poulet provides tender, juicy bites with a subtle sweetness, beautifully complemented by the umami depth of the salted vegetables. 

Soup with chicken

The pig's stomach adds a hearty texture, while the double-boiling process results in a broth brimming with complex, layered flavors.

With Chicken and pig's stomach

One of the quintessential Teochew dishes showcasing the chef's skill, this plate of Hor Fun was irresistibly addictive. I found myself going back for more, even at a sharing table! Each bite was bursting with the smoky Wok Hey aroma, while the sweetness of the egg perfectly balanced the savoury notes of the preserved radish. The addition of finely chopped Kai Lan brought a delightful crunch that elevated the dish further. To top it all off, the use of fragrant, crispy pork lard added an indulgent richness, making this dish absolutely unforgettable.

Wok-Fried Preserved Radish ‘Hor Fun' 潮州菜脯河粉 - $24 / $48

The Teochew-Style Pan-Fried Oyster Omelette is a timeless classic that beautifully reflects the rich heritage of Teochew cuisine. Its perfectly crisp exterior is skillfully crafted into a round shape, delicately cradling the plump oysters beneath. 

Teochew Style Pan-Fried Oyster Omelette 潮州蚝煎 - $18

Generously filled, each bite bursts with the oysters' briny sweetness. Simply awesome!

Revealing the Oysters

No Teochew meal is complete without ending on a sweet note with the traditional dessert, Orh Nee. This rendition was delightfully smooth and creamy, striking the perfect balance without being overly sweet. Served on a soft bed of yam paste, it was beautifully topped with ginkgo nuts and pumpkin, adding a subtle nuttiness and a hint of natural sweetness. A classic dessert done just right!

Mashed Taro 'Orh Nee' 潮州芋泥  - $7

Another dessert we tried was the Peach Gum with Hokkaido Milk—a unique combination that was entirely new to me. The delicate sweetness of the peach gum paired with the creamy richness of Hokkaido milk made for an intriguing and enjoyable treat. A refreshing twist to round off the meal!

Peach Gum with Hokkaido Milk 桃胶炖北海道奶 - $8 

To end on a high note, Fu Yuan Teochew Dining truly shines with its impeccable attention to detail and the balance of flavors that define their menu. From the fresh ingredients to the thoughtful pairings, each dish offers a unique experience that highlights the restaurant's commitment to quality. Whether you’re a regular or a first-time visitor, Fu Yuan ensures a dining experience that’s both satisfying and memorable, leaving you eager to return for more.

Fu Yuan Teochew Dining
Location: 3A River Valley Road #01-01C/01D Clarke Quay Singapore 179020

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lee Kee

Every time we passed by Rendezvous Restaurant in The Central, the overwhelming crowd of people enjoying their spread of food had never failed to attract my attention. Located at the 2nd level corner of The Central, they offer Singapore's Famous Authentic Nasi Padang since the 50s.

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lee Kee

For so many years it had been on my "To Eat List", now it's time to experience myself and get a taste of the gastronomic array of Western Sumatran cuisine which was brought into Singapore in the 1950s.

Looking through the glass shelves, Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lee Kee offers a wide spread of specialities of Rendevous in the 50s & 60s, such as sambal prawns, sotong, brinjal, beef rendang, chicken rendang, korma chicken etc. These dishes are still popular among the young and old today.

Delicious Food Spread

While at this corner, the gravy was drenched onto the respective dishes after we took our order. Isn't the meal tempting?

Gravy

It will be then placed into a big tray and served to the customers.

Preparation Counter

Even the interior needs no additional lavish decorations. Its simplicity, neat and clean environment provided a comfortable place to dine in.

Dining Area

We get to see a clear day view of the Singapore River as we dine.

A look Out of the Dining Window

Fiery and kicking great dish that best go with our plates of white rice. We even ordered 2 portions for this.

Sambal Tempeh

The beef rendang was cooked to a perfect texture. Soft and tastily covered with the sauce. However, we felt that its on the saltier side but if you were to pair them with the rice. they tasted alright.

Beef Rendang

The Chicken Rendang was great too.

Chicken Rendang

The tender and chewy fresh texture of sotong with Sambal chilli was addictive. 

Sambal Sotong

Curry Fish on the other hand was popular among us too. The Curry fish was fresh and spices of curry was rather prominent. 

Curry Fish

While for the non-spicy dishes, we order Sayur Lodeh. The gravy was good and not too "gelat" or overcloying with coconut. Vegetables include carrots, cabbages, lady fingers etc.

Sayur Lodeh

The Bagedils were big in size and definitely looked appetizing that we ordered 3 potatoes, with each enjoying one portion despite the dishes we ordered.

Bagedil - $2.90

As many commented, food was served warm and it will be good to have it served pipping hot.

Our Spread

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lock Kee's history began more than 7 decades ago when it started as a coffee shop in Bras Basah Road. It was then a very popular meeting place for the thousands of British troops stationed in Singapore.

Take a trip down memory lane with them and savour the scrumptious aromatic spread of Nasi Padang!

Rating: 4 / 5

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lee Kee
Location: The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Sreet, #02-72 to 75/77/92 Singapore 059817

Website

Porta

We had our dining location changed at the eleventh hour when I noticed the sponsored Instagram feed showing up Pappardelle from Porta while I was browsing. Well, advertising works sometimes afterall ~ they attracted diners like me. Ha Ha Ha.

Porta

Porta is located in Park Hotel Clark Quay serving modern European cuisine. Unlike majority of other hotel dining restaurant, Porta is located at the ground level of the hotel with a Al Fresco dining section.

Porta Entrance

The cosy environment has a space for gourmet retail products used in their dishes. Besides having the products placed on the series of cabinets, there are more products displayed on their island counters.

Link Way to Hotel

Coaster for our drinks

Warm Butter buns were served swiftly after our orders. As it was a cold day I felt quite hungry, thus I quickly spread some of the butter and munch on it while waiting for our food.

Bread

We started our meal with the soup of the day as cream of potato and it was quite ordinary.

Soup of the day - $11

I have been looking around for nice Pappardelle since not many places have it. In fact its this dish that make my trip to Porta. Having tried its first taste, I was rather disappointed. 

Duck Ragout - $24

It was kind of lacking in oomph and was bland in taste though Parmesan sauce and herbs were used. Duck meat on the other hand were generous but too, lacking in taste.

Close Up

As I cut down the pork belly, the knife went through it like hot knife through butter. Maybe I was just exaggerating but certainly the piece of meat was more tender than a piece of Tau Kua. The fat was well rendered and could easily melt in my mouth. The pineapple puree and BBQ sauce had complemented the slab of belly.

Pork Belly - $26

Leaving room for desserts, we had ordered the Black Forest. The dessert served was presented in a creative manner. The dark chocolate lava cake was served with whipped cream topped with coconut shavings. Chocolate shavings has been used in part of the dessert's decoration. Maraschino Cherry was tucked by the side with some coco nibs. It was a bittersweet experience with some crunchy texture.

Black Forest - $14

Yes, its not our usual piece of tiramisu cake. Instead of having them in a whole piece, tiramisu was served in its deconstructed form. Every individual component of the cake was laid nicely on the plate, coffee, lady's finger, Kahlua and Mascarpone Cheese.

Not-Your-Usual Tiramisu - $12

Overall, food quality was not too bad. Apart from that, I find that their service was kind of lacking given a weekday evening. It was slow and perhaps, there is shortage of manpower.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Porta
Location: 1 Unity Street Level 1, Park Hotel Clarke Quay, Singapore 237983
Nearest MRT Station: Clarke Quay (NE5)

Tamoya

I'm not really a fan of Udon but was simply amazed by Tamoya's dining concept when my friend suggested that we should have this for dinner.

Tamoya's Udon has won awards for its distinctive chewiness smooth texture and its popular broth. Ingredients of making Udon is rather simple with 3 items, flour, water and salt. 3 types of flours are used and they took pride in making the udon to perfection such that the blending of 3 flours ratio changed by each season, the amount of salt and boiling time is carefully measure base on the temperature and humidity on daily basis.

Tamoya

Pick your choice of hot / cold dishes from the menu and once you are done, you can pick up your choice of tempura side including fried oysters, Tako Yaki or veggie to accompany your bowl of noodles.

New Menu

Once after heading to the payment counter, you will proceed to this station for utensils and toppings.
Grab your share of garnishing like tempura crumbs, spring onions, dipping sauce and seaweed.

Condiments Station

Tempura Crumbs

Seaweed (Self Serving)

Having it the basic and plain style with kake Udon just in its broth if you want to taste the quality and texture of the noodle.

Kake Udon

Mixing udon is interesting with a few ingredients in a bowl like minced pork, green onions, leek, garlic, bonito flakes, nori and an onsen egg. Toss them together and enjoy a riots of flavour.

Mixing Udon - $8.80

Beef was thinly sliced and brought a usual sweet salty beef taste complimenting the yummy broth well. In terms of quality as compared to the ones we had in Yoshinoya, this is much better.

Beef Udon - $10.80 (Free Upsize)

Mentai Butter Egg came in dry version and just mix them altogether to enjoy the little bits of mentai over the thick strands of Udon. It tasted yummy :) . However the butter smell was not too distinct or close to none here.

Mentai Butter Egg - $8.60

Close up on Butter Egg Mentai

You get to choose different kinds of tempura, however it might be a little disappointing here as it may not be as crispy as expected as items were left on the shelves for quite a bit of time. Nevertheless if you are soaking them into the Udon Broth, crispiness does not matter here.

Egg Plant - $1.20 / Pcs
Shitake Mushroom - $1.20 / Pcs
Fried Chicken - $1.80 / Pcs

Kakiage - $1.80

If you want some simple Japanese food in Liang Court over ramen, you may want to visit Tamoya for a different dining experience.

Rating: 3 / 5

Tamoya
Location: 177 River Valley Road, Liang Court Shopping Centre #01-32, 179030