Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tung Lok Signatures, Singapore

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Wild Fungus & Conpoy Crisp

Whoa - I was not expecting that at all, especially given my aversion toward chains like rival Crystal Jade. This fancy place, with locations at VivoCity and the Central, was supposed to showcase dishes from across the Tung Lok Group's restaurants. So I was surprised to find myself enjoying nearly everything that we had tonight, be it some simple fried tofu starter, a side of sauteed string beans, or this big stone pot rice with beef and egg that we closed with.

Of particular note was the tofu dish above, which was made to look like fish but tasted like neither fish nor tofu. Its smooth texture and light taste went nicely with that crispy shredded scallop topping. They had a baked Japanese cod dish whose rich caramelized flavor was better than some of my gindara experiences at Nijumaru. I guess I didn't mind Tung Lok as much as I thought.

Next time someone suggests that we go to Crystal Jade, I'm going to counter with Tung Lok Signatures instead. I just have to remember that the name is not pronounced like the fleshy muscular organ in your mouth combined with a key-operated mechanism, but rather like the rapper behind Funky Cold Medina ("Sheena was a man!").

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I've long held a begrudging respect for you and your efforts. But today, with your quoting of Tone Loc, you have won me over. May I call you Sensei?

Anonymous said...

Hello THBoy,
With relevance to your post on cantonese cuisine, I have tried this place which is not luxurious but the quality of the food is excellent. Wo Peng at Macpherson Road. Its not a posh place or anything like that, it just serves simple good food. I have tried the following and do recommend steamed chicken, braised pork in pumpkin, steamed crab over glutinous rice. Hope you enjoy!