Tsui Wah Singapore: The Menu Hits And Misses
Prices here are 10 per cent higher than at its Hong Kong outlets — but is the food here of the same standard?
Prices of the food at Tsui Wah’s Clarke Quay outlet (most of the menu items from Hong Kong are served here, except for the popular fish balls) are about 10 per cent higher than in HK. But at least you don’t have to take a plane to visit this cha chaan teng chain. We tell you what’s worth ordering — and what’s not. PHOTOS: EALBERT HO
Tsui Wah Singapore's Main Entrance
It takes over the space formerly occupied by club Attica.
The Singapore Outlet At Clarke Quay
More swish than the ones in Hong Kong.
Kitchen Confidential
Tsui Wah's local kitchen staff were trained by the company's Hong Kong team. However, a few chefs from the HK outlets are also stationed at the Singapore shop permanently.
Borscht with Thick Toast, $5.50 (Order this!)
A Hong Kong cha chaan teng favourite — thick tomato-based stew loaded with beef chunks, onions, carrots and cabbage — is cooked for three hours till it’s comfortingly rich, flavourful and tangy. Yummy with with accompanying toast.
King Prawns in XO Sauce with Tossed Noodles, $11 (Order this!)
Maybe it’s ’cos Tsui Wah teamed up with seafood specialist Jumbo Group, but for $11, you get six fat, springy prawns on eggy, QQ mee kia. Good deal. The noodles dry up fast, but you can fix it by mixing in a few spoonfuls of the accompanying fish-based soup and the shiok XO sauce thick with dried shrimp.
Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk, $4 (Order this!)
Tsui Wah does this HK cha chaan teng classic well; while airy and crispy, the bun's pillowy centre is drenched in a tasty blend of gooey condensed milk and melted butter.
Tsui Wah Signature Pork Chop Bun, $7.50 (Order this!)
A juicy slab of pork chop wedged between crispy, fragrant toasted buns along with tomatoes, tangy pickles, lettuce and a drizzle of Thousand Island dressing. Moreish.
Iced/Hot Milk Tea, $3.50/$4 (Skip this!)
Tsui Wah is known for its milk tea, but we’ve never found it particularly memorable, even in Hong Kong (it’s always slightly sour, with barely any of the floral fragrance found in good HK naicha). Sadly, it’s the same story here. Made from a blend of three types of leaves including Ceylon tea, we found the hot milk tea a tad too tannic, yet insipid. If you still insist on having some, get the iced version — at least it’s more refreshing.
Braised Abalone Rice with Diced Chicken and Kale, $14 (Order this!)
Despite its name, this dish contains no abalone, just abalone sauce lah. But it’s still pretty delish, cooked to a risotto-like consistency with tender chicken chunks and chopped kale. Tip: add some chilli oil imported from HK) for extra oomph.
Lamb Chop Curry with Steamed Rice, $29 (Order this!)
For folks who can’t deal with spicy curries, this one is pleasantly piquant and hearty without being fiery, especially when drizzled over warm jasmine rice (you can swap the rice for mantou or, er, prata). The Australian lamb rack is also tender.
Kagoshima-style Pork Cartilage in Fish Soup with Mixian, $8.50 (Skip this!)
The pork cartilage melts in the mouth with silky strands of rice noodles, but too bad we found the fish soup here rather bland, compared to the one served in Tsui Wah HK’s version.
Savoury French Toast Bites With Vanilla Ice Cream, $9.50 (Skip this!)
While nicely crispy, the French toast here served with nondescript vanilla ice cream pales in comparison to the other more exciting dishes worthier of your calories.
Bottom Line
Despite a few misses (like the tea), we find most of the dishes here even better than those we've tried in Tsui Wah Hong Kong outlets. We hope it's not just a pre-opening fluke. We predict long queues since many Singaporeans love this mod cha chaan teng chain, so we’ll probably wait till the hype dies down before popping by again.
Tsui Wah Singapore is at #01-03 Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Rd, S179020. Tel: 6250-9270. Open daily 11am to 11pm; from 1pm on 15 June. Last orders at 10.30pm. www.facebook.com/TsuiwahSingapore
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