Goldhill Hakka Restaurant (1997) : decades old Hakka Yong Tau Foo

This is a humble Hakka restaurant located along Changi Road for 22 years. Steven Lee, the owner, started helping his father at about 8 years old on a trishaw in Katong. He eventually moved into the shop and named it Goldhill, which means Jin Shan (金山), this is none other than his Chinese name. He has been making Yong Tau Foo for more than 40 years and Wen Long, his son, has started helping out but not too sure whether is he in the process of taking over the business.

Their signature is Hakka style Yong Tau Foo that consists of a limited selection of just 7 items. These 7 items are Tau Hu, Square Tau Pok, Triangular Tau Pok, Fishball, Tau Gi, Better Gourd and Chilli that are stuffed with fish paste. There is the selection small portion at $6 (10 pieces), the medium portion is available at $8 (15 pieces) and the large portion at $12 (20 pieces). There are also Yam Abacus Seeds ($4, $6 and $8), Steamed Lala Venus Clams ($12/$24), Vegetables with Oyster Sauce ($6/$12) and Steamed Fish at market value. There are only a total of 6 items on their menu.

I was there on a Public Holiday, the restaurant was almost full and there were still customers kept coming in, most of these customers are regulars and they came as a family. Wen Long was at the counter and he signaled to me when I was wondering how should I order so I walked towards the counter. I said, "This is my first visit." He pointed to the menu and said, "This is what we have. We do not serve rice and noodle." I replied, "There are two of us." He said, "You can order the individual set of Yong Tau Foo or a medium set to share." I ordered the medium portion of Yong Tau Foo and a small serving of Yam Abacus Seeds. He recommended to try the Steamed Lala but I did not order. 

The Yam Abacus Seeds is also one of the must order items, it is the Hakka version of Yam Cake. It is still made using the traditional laborious method and more yam than rice flour is added for a firmer yet softer texture. It is served with a concoction of dried shrimp, shredded cuttlefish, and minced salted fish then garnished with chopped spring onion, which is different from the others.

Those pieces of handmade Yong Tau Foo were stuffed with fish paste, the fish paste is freshly made using fish, a little flour and other ingredients based on the recipe passed down by his father. My dining companion said, "Every piece is so fresh but it is a bit plain if you do not eat it with the sweet sauce and chilli." 

It was steamed then served with just a drizzle of sesame oil and garnished with coriander, served together with the sweet sauce and chilli for dipping. The texture of the fish paste was quite firm. The soup that served along was lightly flavored with a slight hint of ikan belis. 

Payment is made at the counter after done eating. Wen Long saw me taking pictures of the menu. He said, "Like our FB page, the menu is there."

GOLDHILL HAKKA RESTAURANT (1997)

299A Changi Road SINGAPORE 419777

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup : kidney mee sua

I have heard about their signature Kidney Mee Sua but have not been in that part of Singapore to try it. I was near there recently and managed to drop by for lunch. It is located within walking distance from Kembangan MRT. I was there for an early lunch and was told to go over to the shop next to it to order. There was a lady at the counter beside the menu board, busily taking orders.

I have already made up my mind to try their highly raved Kidney Mee Sua. The lady that was taking my order asked, "Do you want it with just the kidney?" I replied, "I want it with liver too." I was asked to take a seat as it will be served to the table later. While waiting, I ordered a Luo Han Guo Herbal Drink for $2.00. The mee sua was brought over by a man and the same lady came by a little while later to collect $5.50 as payment. 

It consists of a substantial portion of mee sua with ingredients like the kidney, liver and also pieces of lean meat. The mee sua was not mushy even after soaked in the soup for a while. The soup was light with a slight herbal taste. The kidney and liver were cooked just right too. I actually enjoyed this simple yet comfort dish. Their signature Black Chicken is another must-try dish and I would have ordered it if I was not eating alone. 

This is a popular place for supper as they operate till 4 am daily. 

SENG KEE BLACK CHICKEN HERBAL SOUP

467 Changi Road SINGAPORE 419887

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 4.00 am (Daily)

Rumah Baba Fred : homey Nonya dishes

This Peranakan cafe is located along Changi Road run by a passionate husband and wife team. It is quite small with limited seating capacity indoor and outdoor. It is cozy and welcoming, just like eating at a friend's house. 

I ordered a bundle of Nonya Kueh Chang on their Facebook and went to collect it on a Saturday. I waited in front of their counter, behind another customer. Baba Fred was serving that customer and his wife greeted me. She asked, "Collecting your chang?" I nodded then said, "I am having lunch too." She placed a piece of banana leaf on a plate then scooped some rice on it. I pointed to the Beef Rendang and the Curry Vegetable followed by a piece of Ngor Hiang. I also ordered a glass of Lemon Grass to go along. She said, "You go take a seat first, I will heat up the Ngor Hiang and bring it to you together with the Lemon Grass drink." I went to take a seat outside the shop. She brought the Ngor Hiang over first. She said, "If you could not finish the Ngor Hiang, I can pack them for you to take away." Baba Fred sent the Lemon Grass drink later. He asked, "You are collecting your chang too? It is under what name?" I mentioned it. His wife came over later with the Lemon Grass drink and also a bag of Nonya Kueh Chang. She counted them to make sure it is 10 pieces. She also presented a receipt that stated the amount to pay for the lunch. 

There were another 2 customers seated at the table beside me. The wife walked past with their orders. She smiled and said, "You managed to finish the Ngor Hiang." I replied, "It tasted different from others." She said, "We freshly made them with quite a few ingredients." I said, "It is very nice." These classic Nonya dishes were so comforting. 

Their Nonya Kueh Chang is only available upon advance order. It has already fully booked for the month of August. It is still prepared in the traditional method, the rice is first steamed then putting it with the filling to be wrapped in those bamboo leaves then steamed again. The intense blue color in the rice is derived from the Blue Pea. Each piece consists of a generous amount of filling, it is soft and moist. It is, in my humble opinion, better than those that I used to order from Kim Choo Kueh Chang.

RUMAN BABA FRED

116 Changi Road #01-01 WIS@Changi SINGAPORE 419718

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm (Saturday & Sunday)

Old Bibik's Famous Peranakan Rendang

Looking for a good place for some Peranakan dishes in the east? Check out my article on MAKANSUTRA.