[CLOSED] Straits Express Restaurant & Bar

When I heard they bake the apple pie in-house, it perked my interest to give it a try. Although it wasn't served warm, the soft buttery crust and mushy, slightly tart apple slices of this old-school style of pastry tasted decent. It was good to have a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream (not the real type that I like unfortunately) and chocolate sauce come along for the ride.

What a sight for sore eyes! This sumptuous spread of Peranakan dishes included brinjal with sambal and onion, beef rendang, "chap chye", "lor bak", "udang masak nanas" (prawn cooked with pineapple) and "babi pongteh".
Deserving more than a mention is the beef rendang ($15++). Recommended by the waitress who said her other customers love it and have returned often for the dish, I am happy to confirm it made the grade. The meat's very tender and saturated through and through with spices. Love that the dry gravy wasn't oily either.
As for the "udang masak nanas", I found the soup a little too sweet for my liking but my dining companions enjoyed it a lot and slurped with enthusiasm. I have to say that the chef didn't stinge on the "rempah" (spice paste) which is a problem at a few Peranakan restaurants, so the soup here had "power". The prawns (de-shelled save for the head and tail for easy eating) were large and very fresh with a nice firm flesh.

For my Mee Siam, I prefer a concentrated gravy that packs in enough sourness, sweetness and spiciness. This one ticks all the boxes 👌 But it's still a bit pricey in my opinion.

If you like super rich stock, this Penang style Hokkien Prawn Mee will not disappoint. The portion of beehoon and mee is generous too. For a spicy kick, you can also add on the chilli sambal that's served separately.

I confess I may be slightly obsessed with Straits Express Restaurant + Bar. Within the space of four days, I have been there three times. My excuse is their menu is extensive with so many dishes I want to try! So, on my third visit tonight, not counting the dishes we had to order again because we liked them a lot on our previous trip, here're four new ones (shown clockwise from top left):
Achar: I loved this because it's sour, crunchy and fragrant enough to (almost) match the one my Peranakan maternal grandma use to make.
Brinjal with Pork Floss: The big wedges of battered and deepfried brinjal were surprisingly not oily. Instead, they were light, crunchy and very aromatic from the generous amount of curry leaves.
Penang Curry Chicken: This was spicy but had a different smell and taste from our Singapore style of curry chicken. It did not seem to have any coconut milk despite the thick texture of the curry. I liked it but not everyone was a fan.
Babi Pongteh: This deserves to be Burppled again because it's THAT GOOD. Voted top dish of the night by our group of diners.

How could we not try the desserts after enjoying the main courses here.
Although I wasn't too keen on the coarsely shaved ice in the Chendol ($5++), everyone agreed the remarkably fragrant "gula melaka" used, was of superb quality.
To be honest, all of us were taken aback by the petite portions of both the Durian Pengat ($4.50++) and the Pulot Hitam with Dried Longan ($3++) when they were brought to the table. However, what they lacked in size, they more than made up in taste. The Durian Pengat drew raves from the durian-lovers I was dining with. They praised its exceedingly smooth, thick texture and concentrated durian richness. The Pulot Hitam got mixed reviews, with me giving it a thumbs-up while the addition of dried longan left one of my dining companions perplexed at the sour note it added.