[CLOSED] 私房菜 by MJS Food Culture

Thought we would take a break from the usual roasted meat options and go for something lighter with the fried rice; ended up with the Salted Fish Steamed Meatloaf which seems pretty generous for $9.

Not a fan of Chinese meatloaves for how dense and overcooked they can get (especially those from Chinese economical rice stalls); the one here is actually pretty palatable for how tender it was without carrying a prominent porky stench; well-balanced with the light soy sauce especially when it is still steaming hot. Diced water chestnuts had been included for a bit of crunch while chopped mushrooms added a bit of bite; the only thing that could be improved was probably how they could have deboned the salted fish and separating the salted fish further away from the centre — not that I mind salted fish especially when it is this soft, but the way it was scattered in the middle just provided an overwhelmingly saltiness especially after the edges have been cleared. Still, a dish that was seemingly pretty homely and comforting overall.

Being one of the newer items on the menu at 私房菜 by MJS Food Culture, the Hae Bee Hiam Fried Rice is not being mentioned on the menu though one could politely ask the nice folks here about it.

I really liked how the fried rice tasted; sure, it lacks of the immense wok hei that some tzechar places are able to deliver. That being said, the Hae Bee Hiam makes up for all of that; it's not spicy, but it gives a sweetness and savouriness similar to waxed meat that goes so well with that glistening rice whilst delivering a good bite with every spoonful. The dish was also pretty light in spiciness despite being the sort where it builds up over time; pretty manageable I would say. Easily the dish that I really liked here for how umami the entire dish came up to be.

From 私房菜 by MJS Food Culture; a newly-opened concept at Upper Weld Road that is a stone's throw away from Jalan Besar MRT Station — the concept features both Chinese (mainly local tzechar offerings) and Western dishes under one roof; the interior featuring and eclectic mix of styles that doesn't sit very comfortably with me but still pretty plush overall.

Didn't really expect much from here but the Fish & Chips were definitely above average and came pretty presentable even. The fries here are more in the thick, soft and fluffy side rather than the crisp, criss-cut ones that I would prefer; that being said, the fries are well-seasoned with salt nonetheless. The fried fish were actually pretty decent; though the batter was slightly thicker, it was crisp with the Fish being flaky and smooth — pretty fresh I would say. What was the most intriguing would have been the salad dressing; it features a slight sweet yet tart flavour reminiscent to mango — quite refreshing overall.