Choon Hoy Parlor

Deconstructed chendol in layer format (Top to bottom): Corn puree, coconut ice cream, butter cake, durian puree, pandan mung bean jelly & kidney beans, with grilled corn at the side; love the layering of taste from each ingredients to the harmonious union of flavors in each mouth; sweet, fragrant & savory; worth a try..

Upgraded version of the usual dessert with addition of yuzu citron; came with red dates, sea coconut, longan, white fungus, wolfberries & dried malva nuts; sweet & refreshing with distinct yuzu taste..

KAMPONG CHICKEN: Poached chicken is tender, drizzled with soy sauce, topped with fragrant scallions & ginger; quite salty..
FRIED POMFRET: Baby pomfret deep-fried till crispy but not oily; drizzled with plum taucheong sauce which balance out the greasiness..
WHITE PEPPER PIG STOMACH SOUP: White pepper soup with chicken, pig stomach & winter melon; soup is robust with flavors but tad salty; comforting bowl of soup..

TEOCHEW BRAISED DUCK: Meat is well-braised to tender & fall off the bones; sauce is with distinct spices taste but tad salty; comes with an Ajitama egg..
ROJAK: Twist to the usual rojak; with rojak ice cream, fried beancurd puff, fried fritters, cucumbers, turnip, apple, starfruit, pineapple, century egg, ginger flower & peanuts; refreshing & appetizing, especially love the rojak sauce in ice cream form; unique & worth a try..
CHAP CHYE: Braised Chinese cabbage with black fungus, mushrooms, vermicelli, dried shrimps, sea cucumber & pork belly; ingredients are cooked till soft & the tastes complement well with one another..
SOUP OF THE DAY: Carrots, radish, corn & tomato soup; homely soup with natural sweetness..

Have been looking forward to the launch of Choon Hoy Parlour ever since we have came across information about it on social media. For those whom are unaware, Choon Hoy Parlour takes over the former premises of The Masses at 85 Beach Road; The Masses itself having moved to its brand new premises within Capitol Singapore. Still a concept by Chef Dylan whom also brought us The Masses, Choon Hoy Parlour is a new concept that is named after the maiden name of his mother — also a concept that is dedicated to “preserve, conserve and expand upon the legacy”of his mother’s cooking heritage considering that she is a hawker as well. Along with Chef Dylan, the team of Choon Hoy Parlour also includes Chef Renee Tang and Chef Benji; some would recall Chef Renee Tang behind the branding of Jelebu Dry Laksa which she has created. The interior of Choon Hoy Parlour has retained much of the looks of The Masses though the dining furniture does see a more retro vibe — the use of cushioned, metallic foldable chairs being particularly old-school, while the signage also reflects the new branding as well. Interestingly, Choon Hoy Parlour also plays in Chinese / Chinese dialects songs – something that adds on to the vibe further. Choon Hoy Palrour describes itself to serve up “Singapore Soul Food, and offers an ala-carte menu during both lunch and dinner hours that is designed more for communal dining experience — this menu comprises of sections dedicated to Cold / Hot Appetisers, Soups / Vegetables, Meat / Seafood, Rice / Noodles and Dessert. That being said, it also offers a 三菜一汤 Set Lunch menu during lunch service — for $18.90++ patrons get a Soup of the Day, a Rice / Noodle dish of their choice, a Hot / Cold Appetiser of their choice, a Meat / Seafood dish of their choice, a Vegetable dish and a complimentary serving of hot tea.

Visiting Choon Hoy Parlour during weekday lunch hours, we found that going for the 三菜一汤 Set Lunch is the best way to try out what they have to offer as a single diner — this is considering how the 三菜一汤 Set Lunch comprises of various dishes across several sections of their regular menu, and are all served in portion sizes suitable for the single diner to enjoy without overloading one-self. Given how we are able to chose from a selection of dishes that one can opt as part of the set lunch, the choices we have made for the Rice / Noodle dish, Hot / Cold Appetiser and Meat / Seafood dish were the Jelebu Dry Laksa V2.0 (supplement $3++), Yam
& Pumpkin Fritter and the Roasted Pork Belly respectively. Unlike most business set lunches where the dishes comes served in courses one-by-one, all the dishes arrives the table together on a single tray at Choon Hoy Parlour in a way that is more associated to local-style dining. Digging into our choice of the Hot Appetisers, the Yam & Pumpkin Fritter felt like their very own interpretation of the fried snacks that one can find at hawker centres — the sphere-shaped fritter comes wrapped with Kataifi; the texture being light and crisp, reminiscent of a Kunafe. A peanut is hidden within the yam paste and sweet potato paste encased within; the former providing an earthy and more neutral note while the latter adds a naturally sweet finish. The Soup of the Day was more of a classic ABC soup that came with daikon, carrots and an entire pork rib amongst others; the soup naturally sweet from the disintegration of the root vegetables after being stewed into the soup for an extended period of time and was especially homely. Equally homely was the Wok-Fried Hispi Cabbage; the only vegetable dish that is listed in the 三菜一汤 Set Lunch menu that includes elements such as dried shrimp and dried chilli. Much like the usual braised vegetables that accompanies Hainanese-style curry rice, these vegetables are kept crunchy despite coming in some form of a gravy — also came with a light smoky note from the wok-frying for a bit of flavoural contrast.

When it came to the Jelebu Dry Laksa V2.0, it does feel like the team at Choon Hoy Parlour had taken Chef Renee’s Jelebu Dry Laksa to yet another level — having tried the rendition of dry laksa when Jelebu Dry Laksa was still at VivoCity, there is likely some tweaks made to the Renee Secret Rempah used in the preparation of the dish to up the umami-ness and provide a punchier flavour for the dish. Other elements included in the Jelebu Dry Laksa V2.0 as described in the menu includes Taugay (i.e. beansprouts), two kind of noodles, fresh cockles, fish cake, taupok (i.e. beancurd puffs). Our choice of Meat / Seafood was the Roasted Pork Belly; seemingly a crowd pleaser especially considering how safe of an item it is, the Roasted Pork Belly comes sliced in really thick chunks here — there is a good proportion of fatty cuts and leaner parts here that provides ample chew and meatiness amidst the crispy skin that adds a crackling texture. It also comes without being overly salty, and came with a dense and sticky plum lemon sauce that is sweet with a dull zing to go along. Choon Hoy Parlour is a spot that is unmistakably Chef Dylan in its roots when one takes look at its offerings — The Masses has always been known as a place serving up Franco-Asian fare and there has always been traces of a Singaporean influence in a number of its dishes over time as the menu evolved. In the case of Choon Hoy Parlour, one can see the modern twists used by the team behind the brand without involving the use of European elements — instead, the familiar dishes are simply spruced up using familiar techniques and also retaining an undoubtedly local / Chinese flair at heart. At $18.90 for their 三菜一汤 Set Lunch does present as a great option for office folks in the area considering how it gives just enough exposure of their menu to patrons on what they are all about — all whilst being well-sized to feed their patrons well. Looking forward to giving their other items from their ala-carte menu a go in time to come!