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Chui Huay Lim
this is to me the mother of all Teochew restaurants in Singapore, one that the towkays (bosses) i know swear by and i guess being located within the compound of the Teochew Gentlemen's Club since the colonial days speaks well of its authentic association. Today, the restaurant is refurbished and is operated by the listed Jumbo Group. If there were any lingering worries of a dip in standards once a restaurant comes under any IPO setup, it all came to naught once we visited this age-old institution.
Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine prides itself for serving Teochew dishes in its most traditional form. The food selections also include the most exquisite ones, which were popular with the Club's members since its early days. Following the culture of the dialect group, all patrons were served with the strong "kung fu" tea at the start of the meal. a great way to whet our appetite and wash down any other tastes that somehow remained from earlier. with that, we got straight into the restaurant's specialities. 
Good quality steamed fish is one dish that the Teochews would always love to have. most commonly, though not cheap, many would go for steamed pomfret. However, as our group was small, the restaurant staff recommended that we tried the Threadfin instead. it was a good choice as well, the fish was delicately de-boned by the chef and cut into bite-sized portions so that we could pick them up with our chopsticks. the fish was fresh, well-steamed and very juicy, a good recommendation indeed. 
Teochew braised duck is almost always a must-have. Served with Tau Kwa and a generous serving of braised sauce, we gave the dish a big thumbs up for its tender meat, good marination and reasonable portions. For the more adventurous ones, it is useful to note that Chui Huay Lim is one of the few places that serve braised goose meat as well, it would be interesting to try one day how they would fare with the tougher poultry meat. instead of noodles, the restaurant is also popular for Mee Sua (thin wheat flour noodles), stir fried in seafood. a refreshing change from the other Chinese restaurants where people usually end their meals with Ee-fu noodles. 
There are also other dishes that are rather uncommon in other Teochew restaurants that patrons ought to try here. this dish of pig's trotter jelly is a unique dish served cold, the meat is soft and melt-in-your-mouth, certainly no smell of pig organs that may put some off. All in all, our visit to Chui Huay Lim confirmed its reputation as one of the best Teochew restaurants in Singapore, and certainly one place to bring parents and parents-in-law, especially if they're Teochew. 
Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine 190 Keng Lee Road, #01-02 Chui Huay Lim Club Singapore 308409 Opening Hours Mondays to Thursdays: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 11 pm Fridays to Sundays: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 5.30 pm to 11 pm a Swatow-based food consultant was engaged by the restaurant to attest to the authencity of the dishes.. Labels: #braisedduck, #chineserestaurant, #chuihuaylim, #kengleeroad, #steamedfish, #teochewcuisine, #teochewfood Chye Seng Huat Hardware
this cafe is probably one of Singapore's originators of the third wave coffee movement for artisanal brews. with their name sounding like a scrap metal workshop, Chye Seng Huat Hardware was probably one of the pioneers of the hipster cafe scene here. interestingly, more than half a decade on, the crowds are still streaming in. and if anything were to come by, this place has evolved to a place with even more offering.
but for the who hasn't been here, it is not too late to visit and capture the essence of this place. The exterior still looks the same way, like a 1970s style hardware shop, with the interior concept of a circular bar counter in the middle, allowing all to watch the baristas at work. the cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a periodically changing menu of brunch food, desserts and various coffee brews. 
the unique selling point beyond the aesthetics would certainly be the coffee. The bottled cold brews have been well documented to be the signatures of this cafe. together with a white cold brew, we tried one of their hand-brewed drip coffee blends. We went for Hartmann Estate, a brew made of fruity notes with cherries and roasted beans from Panama. watching the barista hand-drip the coffee through a filter into a decanter was a spectacle in itself, one of the pleasures of taking up a bar counter seat. if you're one for aromatic coffee brews, then Chye Seng Huat ranks amongst the top dogs for this aspect. 
the menu is a mesh up of standard brunch classics with a distinctly local influence. The Papa's breakfast dish (a tribute to part owners Papa Palheta) carries a mixture of sausages, scramble eggs drizzled with spring onions, mashed potatoes, tomatoes and a croissant. a very hearty serving of comfort fare. For the slightly more adventurous ones, we tried the Salmon Teriyaki Pizza, which was actually more of a local prata prepared with salmon, shredded seaweed, bonito flakes and teriyaki mayo sauce. very crispy and flavourful, more importantly, managed to address a recent craving we had for prata. 
Other sharing sliders for breakfast bites include this Curry seafood pockets, a mix of breaded beancurd skin, crab meat, squid paste, water chestnut and curry seasoning, making it a very appetizing combination. those who visit at lunch can also check out their pan-Asian menu for mains. in all, whether you are here for a coffee, a brunch outing or even to check out the drinks bar at night, Chye Seng Huat Hardware lives on as an experiential dining concept that reshaped the early wave of local cafes. 
Chye Seng Huat Hardware 150 Tyrwhitt Road Singapore 207563 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Thursdays: 9 am to 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays: 9 am to 12 am Sundays: 9 am to 10 pm (closed on Mondays) a one of its kind coffee experience with a 360-degree view of the bar... Labels: #brunchcafe, #chyesenghuathardware, #coffeeplace, #coffeeroasters, #handdripcoffee, #jalanbesar, #tyrwhittroad |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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