Chinese Charmers

@victorskitchensg has always had a reputation as a modest & highly affordable dim sum shop. However, the years have flown by, and the GST has gone up, and Victor may not have a reputation for being insanely affordable anymore. First I’ll start off with the most value for money item I ordered: the Queen Size Siew Mai ($5.80 nett).⠀
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The Queen Size does live up to its billing, they are larger than usual, and each piece of siew mai is surprisingly delicious. The superbly seasoned minced pork is moulded into a cylinder, wrapped in a delicate skin, and steamed in the bamboo basket. The siew mai has a delightful density to it, and chomping down on each bouncy siew mai yields an addictive springiness. These siew mais are certainly fit for royalty, and they are fit for you too.⠀
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The Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling ($6.20++) was the most expensive item I ordered, and although I appreciated the crunchy golden exterior and the bouncy shrimp filling within, other places do it for cheaper with comparable or better quality. The same could be said about the Steamed Pork Rib Rice ($5.50), which features fatty, juicy & tender pork on a bed of white rice. The pork ribs were adequately seasoned and tremendously tender, but the portion is kind of on the small side.⠀
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Although Victor’s Kitchen is still decently priced, the years have passed us by and it is certainly no longer the most value for money dim sum joint in town.

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) Guess what goes well with that fabulous fried rice? That’s right, @yupavilionsg Fish Tail Curry! To be more precise, it’s their Fish Tail ($28.80++) cooked in curry, which is one of four ways to enjoy the fish tail. The other flavour options for the fish tail are Sour & Spicy Sauce, Deep Fried with Diced Chili & Garlic, and steamed Hong Kong Style. Personally I’d say that the curry is the one you go for when maximising your money, because look at the size of it!⠀
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The curry itself is quite decent, with a subtle but unmistakable spiciness, a weighty creaminess from the coconut milk used and salted sufficiently. I haven’t got a clue what kind of fish is used, but it’s pretty meaty with a firm flaky flesh. It’s flawlessly fresh as well, which is essential for making sure that the fish flesh can withstand being immersed in the tasty curry. Besides the fish, the curry conceals a bounty of assorted vegetables like eggplant, ladyfingers, and tomatoes, along with fruit (pineapple chunks to be precise) and beancurd skin. It’s a fully laden pot of fish curry, and that’s why I recommend ordering the fish tail in curry if you’re looking for maximum bang for your buck.⠀
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Thank you for the invite @scalemicroinfluencers, and thanks for having us @yupavilionsg!

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED)
With carbs & protein aplenty, we had to get some fibre for a balanced meal. Yu Pavilion’s Prawns & Asparagus with XO Sauce ($24.80++ small) fit the bill perfectly, with the asparagus being unexpectedly fresh. No offensively inedible fibrous bits here, not at all! The asparagus was fresh & easy to chew with just a little snap for a satisfying texture, and it was a fantastic fit for the subtly spicy & supremely savoury XO sauce. The prawns were flawlessly fresh, and each bite was snappy & texturally perfect.⠀
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Thank you for the invite @scalemicroinfluencers, and thanks for hosting us @yupavilionsg!⠀

It’s a tale of two noods here at @fattchoyeatinghouse, and the second nood was the Fatt Choy Dry Laksa ($20++), which is the new dry version of the Roxy Laksa that I’ve raved about back when The Kongsee was still in operation. The same incendiary yet indulgent laksa broth has been reduced in volume by way of stir frying the laksa with all the other ingredients, and the flavours are concentrated and made even more intense. The spice is a lurker, instead of hitting you in the face, it stays in the back of your throat before jumping you with its surprising spiciness.⠀
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The tiger prawns were just as fresh as the ones from the Hokkien mee, and there some slices of tau pok to really make it feel like a laksa. The noodles were unfortunately overcooked, and if left for a few more moments they would’ve turned to mush. Still, I ain’t worried about that, because I believe that Fatt Choy will rapidly remedy this shortcoming.⠀
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For the final time for now, thank you for the delicious hospitality @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

It’s a tale of two noods here at @fattchoyeatinghouse, and we’re kicking things off with their Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee ($18++). A mouthwatering mess of egg, pork belly cubes, tiger prawns, squid and noodles are simmered together in a savoury stock and then fried in the same wok for that desired smoky sensation. ⠀
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This Hokkien Mee was pretty delicious, with the stock sufficiently seasoning everything present on this plate. The prawns & squid were sufficiently fresh & cooked just right, while the natural odour of the pork belly was kept on the down low. The noodles were on the softer side, but they did absorb a lot of the savoury stock and that turns this noodle plate into a pretty palatable one. The sambal was fabulously fiery & salty, and I wish there was more of it.⠀
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For the final time for now, thank you for the delicious hospitality @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

Chili crabcakes & mala kaarage are great, but what if I told you that they could be even better? Order a couple of carb dishes off @fattchoyeatinghouse Specials section to savour along with those small bites, and always get the Signature Pork Lard Fried Rice ($12++).

As for the Egg Fried Rice ($10++), it simply couldn’t compete against the hedonistic high of the sinful Signature Pork Lard Fried Rice, but it was excellent in its own right. Slick, fluffy grains of Taiwanese pearl rice are wok fried with lots of egg and fire, and the wok hei was certainly palpable with every grain of rice & bit of egg. That’s all there is to it and it’s really that simple, but in this case simplicity is sumptuous.⠀
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Truth be told, I think Fatt Choy Eating House is missing out on big time by not offering smaller add on portions of either the kaarage or pork collar to both fried rices, making them individual meals. I fully understand & embrace the sharing plate concept that Fatt Choy is doing, but sometimes a man needs his own space. You feel me?⠀
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Thank you so much for the hospitality, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!⠀

Chili crabcakes & mala kaarage are great, but what if I told you that they could be even better? Order a couple of carb dishes off @fattchoyeatinghouse Specials section to savour along with those small bites, and always get the Signature Pork Lard Fried Rice ($12++). This fried rice is surprisingly egg free, and is rice that’s been fried in a wok with an unholy amount of pork lard. The result is a super slick and sufficiently salty rice that’s smoky and studded with enough fried pork lard cubes to give an every nutritionist & dietitian in Singapore a heart attack. Top that off with a flow-y fried egg, and you have the REAL heart attack fried rice. Now, all I need with this Signature Pork Lard Fried Rice is some of that majestic mala sauce that went on the Sichuan dumplings.⠀

Truth be told, I think Fatt Choy Eating House is missing out on big time by not offering smaller add on portions of either the kaarage or pork collar to both fried rices, making them individual meals. I fully understand & embrace the sharing plate concept that Fatt Choy is doing, but sometimes a man needs his own space. You feel me?⠀
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Thank you so much for the hospitality, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!⠀

This here Chili Crab Cake isn’t on @fattchoyeatinghouse regular menu but it should be. A pair of absolutely stuffed crab cakes are doused in an eggy chili gravy and topped with a sizeable spoonful of ikura (salmon roe). The crab cake is stuffed full of shredded crabmeat that smelled and tasted clean, and all that mildly seasoned crab flesh was wrapped in a tastefully thin layer of breading. However, the crab cakes were a little too close to getting burnt and it started to taste a little like it. ⠀
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Fortunately, the chili gravy was there to salvage the situation with its egg-cellent egginess. This eggy chili gravy was more vinegary than usual, and it’s one of the sharper renditions of chili crab I’ve tried. It’s also subtly spicy & sweet with a decent dash of saltiness, and the thickness on the gravy ensures that it sticks to whatever you spread it on. The ikura provides delectable pops of briny savouriness, and enhances the flavours of the crab cake & gravy with its umami.⠀

Thanks for having us, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

Once you’ve had your fill of the carrot cake, cleanse your palate with some Wagyu Beef Noodles ($16++). Despite the lavish use of wagyu shabu shabu, this beef noodle is surprisingly simple and homely yet tasty. The house made beef broth reminds me of pho due to its heartily herbal flavours, and the broth manages to strike a balance between light and easy to imbibe and rich & savoury. It’s the perfect dish to cheer you up, as that delightful broth is made lavish by the inclusion of the thicker than usual wagyu shabu shabu. These wagyu beef slices were tremendously tender and felicitously fatty, injecting a marvellous meatiness into the bedazzling beef noodles.⠀
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Thanks for hosting us, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

Carrot cake is a treasured hawker classic, so I was quite surprised to see it on the menu at @fattchoyeatinghouse. Their XO Carrot Cake ($15++) features cubes of radish stir fried with egg, beansprouts & eggs. Fatt Choy’s carrot cake is right up there with some of the best hawkers, as this eggy pile of deliciousness was full of wok hei, and seasoned superbly with the XO sauce & dark soy sauce. Due to the massive portion & the carrot cake being a tad oily, this is definitely a dish made for sharing.

Thanks for hosting us, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

The other veggie starter we had is the definition of ‘ugly delicious’. The Kou Shui Oyster Mushroom ($10++) is Fatt Choy’s vegetarian version of the beloved China classic kou shui ji, or poached chicken drowned in mala chili crisp. Fatt Choy’s rendition uses tempura oyster mushrooms doused in mala chili oil & chili crisp, and is every bit as delicious as its meaty counterpart. ⠀
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The tempura batter is different from what we’re used to, as Fatt Choy’s kitchen crew have settled on a more watery batter to better suit the texture of the oyster mushrooms after extensive experimentation. It’s less crispy, but it certainly suits the softer texture of the mushrooms. The flavour comes from the house made chili oil dressing, which consists of a copious amount of Lao Gan Ma & mala chili oil. The result is a spicy, numbing and stunningly savoury sensation that will make even carnivores forgo meat for a meal there.⠀
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Thanks for the invite, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!

@fattchoyeatinghouse has a few superb vegetarian options when it comes to starters, and the Fried Silken Tofu & Omelette with Gochujang ($12++) is a mouthful both in name and in taste. Cubes of impossibly delicate tofu are coated in a thin batter and deep fried, and then stacked like a jiggly jenga tower on top of an omelette before getting drizzled with some gochujang sauce. ⠀
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I don’t know how, but the silken tofu is almost molten in texture, and one wrong move would cause it to completely fall apart. The tremendously thin batter crust was equally fragile, but its crisp was in direct contrast to the softness of the tofu. The omelette was serviceable, and you can wrap a cube of tofu in a strip of omelette if you’re so inclined. Almost all the flavour is supplied by the gochujang sauce, which oddly tastes a lot like the sweet sauce you’d get with yong tau foo. It’s pretty delicious though, and even as a tofu hater, I still enjoyed this appetiser.

Thanks for the invite, @kevin._.ngan & @fattchoyeatinghouse!