[CLOSED] Teow Chew Meng

Unlike my first visit, this was an experience that had both good and not-so-good.
I thought the Steamed Seasonal Vegetables ($8) with dried shrimp and fried garlic, as well as the signature Braised Oyster Noodle ($10) to be only average. The latter's slightly starchy gravy had a nice oyster flavour but it didn't wow me. As for the Prawn Roll or "hae chor" ($8), it tasted rather bland. Being overfried probably didn't help. I did enjoy the Apple Beancurd Salad ($8) though. The crunchiness of the julienned apples and the sweet chilli sauce went well with the deep-fried firm beancurd.
I would return here but will stick to ordering the Mee Sua Tow, Fried Rice, Steamed Baby Octopus and the Apple Beancurd Salad.

"Teow Chew Meng" is a well-known eatery from Penang that has been covered extensively in press and online for their unique cooking. And "Mee Sua Tow" is one of the dishes everyone orders when they come by here. For the smallest serving of $8, you get a large bowl of "mee sua" cooked in a slightly starchy soup that has vegetarian "shark's fin", prawns, slices of garoupa fish, fish maw and mushrooms in it. I personally like the generous heap of coriander, spring onion and fried garlic bits as they help to enhance the flavours even more. This dish is a good representation of comfort food done well, which I know I will crave again for more. There are other items on the menu that I am keen to try as well, so it looks like I'll be coming back here very soon to 259 Tanjong Katong Road.

Originating from Penang, "Teow Chew Meng" is a famous brand in Malaysia known for its delicious and rather light cooking. The branch in Singapore (located at 259 Tanjong Katong Road) is a stylish, air-conditioned "zhi char" place. Anyway, this baby octopus dish is one of their signatures and is as good as the one I've had in Malaysia. Lightly crunchy from being steamed, the baby octopus is loaded with plenty of golden fried garlic bits. If you like it spicy, there's a bowl of chilli sauce with ground peanuts and more garlic for you to dip as well.

A simply but satisfying $6 fried rice with strong "wok hei" aroma. I especially like the addition of tiny pieces of chopped long beans as they add a lively crunchy texture. Reminds me of how my grandma use to serve hers with cubes of raw cucumber for the same reason.

Both the Cucumber and Buah Kedondong drinks ($3.50 and $4.50 respectively) contain "sng buay" (preserved plums). Equally refreshing, the cucumber one in the foreground, tastes lighter while the one with the sweet and sour "kedondong" fruit, was more strong tasting. They both go very well with the food here at Teow Chew Meng; palette-cleansing almost.

seasoned vegetables