ST PHOTOS: Tan Hsueh Yun
Although Sembawang is not far to go for a delicious plate of fried beehoon, I get excited when I hear there is another version of Bai Mifen in Toa Payoh, right near the office.
If you remember, I wrote about the one at You Huak Restaurant in Sembawang in September, luscious, lardy and just plain good.
So off I go to try the other one at Hong Yun Seafood in Toa Payoh Lorong 1.
The servers push the Bai Mifen ($10) fairly hard and when it arrives, I have to admit it looks good. Aside from prawns, squid and egg, there are also bits of crispy lard, which the Sembawang version doesn't have.
But one taste and, well, the Sembawang one is superior. The stock there is more flavourful and there is more of it on the plate, so the noodles don't dry out as the dish sits on the table.
Hong Yun's version gets most of its flavour from the lard bits, which is not a bad thing, but it just isn't the same.
ST PHOTOS: Tan Hsueh Yun
Fortunately for me, there are other good things on on the menu. Kau Kee Soup ($5) is a classic, made with wolfberry leaves plucked from thorny branches, minced pork and bright red wolfberries. The soups at several zi char places I have tried tend to be lacking in body, with not much depth of flavour. This version is good for the $5 price. The slightly bitter greens and sweet wolfberries play a good balancing act.
Steamed Fish Head Teochew Style ($20) does not boast as meaty a fish head as at Mun Ee Seafood, which I reviewed last week. But the fish is perfectly done, and comes with tofu, salted vegetables and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.
The clear broth is not too salty, like Ah Orh's in Sin Ming.
ST PHOTOS: Tan Hsueh Yun
Butter Squid ($10) is another good dish, as good as Hong Kong Street in Potong Pasir, which I reviewed some weeks ago. The batter is not as crispy here but the flavour is excellent, and the wok hei is a nice surprise.
Instead of the usual Sambal Kangkong, Hong Yun offers Sweet Potato Leaves ($6) fried with sambal and this, too has good wok hei. What's even better - the almost whole dried shrimp. The sambal could be spicier but that might numb the palate to the other flavours in the dish.
Two dishes I will not order again:
The first is fried eggplant with floss ($8), which is totally lacking in character. The Prawn & Pork Rolls ($6) come fried very aggressively so the insides are rather dry. No amount of sweet soy sauce will rescue them.
This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on December 2, 2012. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.