Da Shi Xi - Geylang

Ta Si Xi has three branches in Johor Bahru and is famous for its dim sum. However, when Chef Eric Teo, the celebrity chef who has appeared in a number of TV shows in Singapore, and his Malaysian partners decided to open a new branch in Singapore, they decided to offer cze char instead. Listed on the menu, you can find cze char items of Malaysian influence.

One of the signature dishes here is the Crab Claypot Rice. There are two options available (1 crab @ $50, 2 crabs @ $90). The amount of rice you will get for these two options are the same, so they differ only in terms of the number of crabs which are around 800g each. The rice is first stir fried with bacon until fragrant, and boiled with superior broth. The crab(s) and dried sole pieces are then added into claypot. At this point, all the sweet juices will start to flow and infused into the rice. When you open the claypot cover, the aroma will just fill the whole place! The rice is sweet and fragrant, and don't forget to scrap the bottom of claypot for the slightly burnt rice grain. On the other hand, the crab(s) has lost much of its flavour, sacrificing to the rice.

Another nice dish is the JB Curry Fish Head. Most of the ingredients are usual ones, though you will notice the generous addition of deep fried beancurd skin. What I like is the gravy, which is not as thick as typical, but is surprisingly "drinkable" and as a result very additive.

Also worth mentioning is the Deep Fried Pork Belly Hakka Style. Marinated with fermented red beancurd and other seasoning, the tender pork belly is deeped fried with flour to create crispy and tasty outer layer.

I have tried several other dishes, and found them to be quite nice as well.

Chef Eric also has partnership in The Red Chef, a family-styled restaurant at Bukit Batok Civil Service Club as well as Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant at Balestier. Will pay a visit to these two eateries one of these days.

Budget : $ $

Rating : 8.5 / 10