Centerpoint

Traveling back in time to Monday, I met with Mum and Dad for lunch. Last time we went to the nonya place downstairs in the basement. Their Teochew Popiah is rather good. I don't remember the other dishes we ordered last time, but I do recall Mum and Dad liked the place. I remember my Dad going to the toilet and on his way back, he forgot where we were. I spotted him wandering in the Soup Restaurant opposite looking for us. Now I know where I get my excellent sense of direction.

What did we order for lunch, you might be saying? The claypot fish head was quite a dish at SGD$26.00 - it was a huge fish head, fried until very crispy, with lots of meat and lovely skin. The sauce is a combination of mange tout, carrots, chinese lettuce, yam and mushrooms in an eggy corn flour sauce. There were too many vegetables in the claypot and adding yam does not add to the dish. It is a shame, and the dish was over-priced.

The chicken steamed with herbs and brocolli was well-executed. The chicken was moist and tender with lots of flavour. The wolfberries were sweet and the white fungus was a nice texture. At SGD$16.00, it was good value for money.

We did order the appetizer - a selection of kueh pie tie, "lor mie fan" and savoury nonya kuehs (yam, carrot cake, etc) served with red chilli sauce and black sweet sauce with sesame seeds. A good appetizer at SGD$13.80 which I would order again if I returned. I think that the restaurant can reduce prices to attract more customers. It was practically empty and I suspect this would not be much different in the evening.

My mum is such a typical Aquarian. Almost immediately after finishing lunch, she pointed to the Samsui Chicken offered by the Soup Restaurant and indicated she would have liked to try it. It is an old habit of the chinese - not to say what they really want, and once the moment has passed, to admit to something else that took their fancy. I have been guilty of this myself - it is like instinct. It is counter-intuitive to say what we want - why is that?