Porridge is usually seen as the food of the working people, or even sick people food, but @wanhelou has elevated it into a luxury with their Signature Lobster Porridge at sixty nine dollars for a 700 gram lobster. The price is nice (69 ehehehe), but the lobster porridge is even nicer.⠀
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So as legend has it, Wan He Lou’s head chef caught a lobster on a fishing trip one day, and all he could find was some rice. Necessity is the mother of all invention, and so with the lobster, the rice and some seawater, the first lobster porridge was created. The porridge is done Teochew style, which means loose rice grains in a broth as opposed to the silky smooth Cantonese congee.⠀
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As one might expect, the lobster broth is the superstar here. It’s slightly sweet and briny, and undeniably umami. It’s satisfyingly savoury without being overly salty, and the light yet luscious broth is so addictive that you’ll be gulping down every last drop of broth with gusto. Besides lobsters, the lobster broth is enhanced with lobster roe, and I suspect that there may be crab added into the mix. Lobster isn’t notably flavourful, but crab is, and the broth’s balance of briny, sweet & umami definitely tastes like that of fresh crab.⠀
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The lobster was fresh, but just a touch overcooked as the firm flesh was beginning to turn just a little rubbery. Minor nitpick aside, this sixty nine dollar lobster porridge is a lush, luxurious update on porridge, and I can definitely see myself heading to Maude Road more often for more of this piquant porridge.⠀
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Thank you to @wanhelou for hosting us, and to @thestephaniebenedetti for organising this tasting!