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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 Paradise Teochew
I guess we can't quite take the Paradise Group as seriously as before, especially as they get more mainstream and somewhat produces en-masse. But since the family is half-Teochew, we decided to give their Teochew concept restaurant at the Chinese Swimming Club a shot. we kind of braced ourselves that this is no Huat Kee or Chui Huay Lim (renowned Teochew eating institutions in Singapore), but we were still somewhat curious at what the group could conjure.
Teochew Paradise now has 2 outlets in Singapore, with the latest opening at Scotts Square. sticking to traditions, we started the meal with a classic tea appreciation appetizer that the restaurant serves by default. actually this is a unique selling point, we all loved the deep fried fish skin chips that they served with the tea! nothing beats a good start. the staff were helpful and offered us suggestions on some Teochew classics that were suitable for a small group. 
The first dish came and it was Sauteed scallops with asparagus in XO sauce. perhaps due to the group size, the portions were somewhat meagre, but having said that, the scallops were actually fresh and the dish was aromatic due to the condiments added to stir-fry this dish. we also ordered the popular Teochew fish maw soup to go with our dishes, so far so good. 
the fundamental dish that most visitors would note when they come to Teochew Paradise is their offering of a combination of popular Teochew dishes. this setup is ideal for small groups who would like to try a wider selection but would struggle to finish full servings typically offered at other restaurants. We went for the Teochew four varieties combination set which came in small servings just enough for each of us. there was pork roll, braised slice duck with tofu, prawn ball and pan fried scallops. these dishes are typically somewhat salty and strong in flavour. a few hits and misses here, but perhaps 1 piece per person is taking the interpretation a little too literally. 
and so alas, we had to order some carbs to have our fill. This crispy sweet and sour noodle (Teochew style) is actually a winner. firstly a unique dish that is rarely found elsewhere, the pancake style noodles are usually eaten with sugar or vinegar. the noodles are warm, but very crispy even after they are drizzled with vinegar and when eaten with sugar, it tastes more like a pastry that a carb dish. Probably the highlight of our visit. In all, we felt that this concept is a welcome change from the typical Paradise Group restaurants, the menu serves up several authentic Teochew classics and although a tad pricey, isn't lacking in quality. Perhaps a good place for a family gathering or an office team lunch. 
Paradise Teochew 21 Amber Road, #03-01 Chinese Swimming Club Singapore 439870 Opening Hours Mondays to Fridays: 11.30 am to 3.30 pm; 6 pm to 10.30 pm Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 10.30 am to 3.30 pm; 6 pm to 10.30 pm Embracing the roots of Teochew cuisine with an emphasis on natural flavours, light seasonings and fresh ingredients.. Labels: #chineseswimmingclub, #crispysweetandsournoodles, #paradisegroup, #paradiseteochew, #teochewcuisine, #teochewfood |
..ThE lEgEnD..
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Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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