This place (#01-09 Hotel Boss, 500 Jalan Sultan, tel : +65 6291 1969) used to be one of the Founder Bak Kut Teh branches until it wasn't anymore. Not that I was sad to see them go. I wasn't. Not the slightest bit. It's now The Hainan Story Chapter One, a multiple food stall in one location restaurant which purports to celebrate the love of Hainanese food. We came over to pig out.
Ordered their white kway chap set with salted duck.
Kway came in a white broth unlike the usual brown one. A more prominently sweet and not as savoury white broth which was quite delicious. Not so herbal tasting but I couldn't otherwise put a finger into what was inside.
The salted duck was marinated in spices which contained sugar - that much we could tell from the sweetness in the meat. Not bad tasting. That marinated egg had a robust soya sauce flavour.
We had pumpkin porridge. This one was with three eggs and pork meatballs. Those eggs (raw, salted and century) added flavour and richness to the porridge which had a light pumpkin flavour. It wasn't just colouring. Meatballs were tender, porky and good quality. Wouldn't mind getting this again.
Their pork satays were hefty. Meaty and had that bit of scorched fat in between the chunks of meat. But at $15 for 10, it was also more expensive than many. Flavour of the marinate was nice - reminded me of the satay I had eons ago.
Satay came with two sauces. Left was the regular peanut satay sauce - the peanuts were more finely crushed and it had enough peanuts for the flavour to be good. Consistency was also properly thick so it clung on well to the satay when you dipped. Right dip was a pineapple puree and tamarind which was also delicious. Flavour was sweet and tangy. Different from the old Hainanese stalls that used to give just fresh pineapple puree.
Barbequed stingray was not bad. The meat was super firm (for stingrays that is) and less tender than what I had imagined because it wasn't so easy to scrape them off the cartilage. Flavour from the sambal was not bad - in a way that it reminded me of the better ones I've had in Newton Food Centre many years ago. I haven't had good barbequed stingray for many years though.
We kinda let ourselves loose with the desserts. Tried their coconut pandan Swiss roll. Wasn't bad and I think many people who have tried the ones from Rich & Good Cake Shop would compare. The Rich & Good Cake Shop ones are a slight notch better in my opinion.
I wanted to know how they would fare with their durian Swiss roll since they had the testicular fortitude to mention the use of old tree mao shan wang. I think it needs a lot more durian pulp; say like the amount that is desserts stalls that make proper durian desserts. I couldn't with any certainty at all tell that this Swiss roll even used msw. Wouldn't get it again. It's more expensive than the other Swiss rolls.
Tried their rum & raisin butter cake. Rum flavour was present and obviously so for the raisins as well. I've previously mentioned what I had thought about commercial butter cakes today and I think the one from Little House of Dreams is nicer.
This was kaya toast with butter. Kaya was infused with gula melaka. Nice! Bread was soft.
I think they did well with their coffee. It's Hainanese styled coffee if anyone was still wondering at this point. I had it di lo and they offer the option for them to be butter-ized. I made up the last word but you get the point. No need to scramble for seats with Instagrammers at Heap Seng Leong anymore.
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