The second part of our dinner last night included silky bee hoon cooked in an intoxicating milky broth, crispy prawn paste chicken and slippery fish horfun. They might not look very fancy but my first visit to Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon (what a mouthful) was all about their signature items. Creamy and sweet, the steamy bowl of XO Fish Bee Hoon was brimming with ingredient - sliced ginger, fresh fish chunks, cabbage and thick rice vermicelli that soak up all the subtle aroma of XO.

However, well-known for their XO fish broth, I preferred the humble San Lo Hor Fun (三捞河粉). A little garlic and soy sauce can definitely go a long way, as the combination of smooth flat rice noodles, crunchy bean sprouts and firm fish slices was surprisingly flavourful. The Har Cheong Kai was not to be missed as well, the batter was light and crispy while the meat on the inside remained moist. With a squeeze of lime over the wings, the deep-fried babies tasted even better and were less ‘gelat”.