Adding to the growing number of beloved Hong Kong chain eateries making their way to Singapore, Tsui Wah officially opened its doors last Friday at Clarke Quay, taking over the ground floor space vacated by Attica (don’t worry, the nightclub’s still going strong on the second level, celebrating its 14th anniversary this month).
With more than 140 indoor and alfresco seats, the casual restaurant operates for lunch, tea time, and dinner, serving up several dishes that apparently still adhere to the original Tsui Wah recipes, some of which were created in the 1960s.
The brand is well-known for its milk tea ($3.50/hot, $4/cold), and this Tsui Wah outpost is using tea leaves imported from the HK branch — so consider this one a must-try, even though condensed milk isn’t the healthiest thing around. But since you’re going down that route, you might as well get the HK classic, crispy bun with (more) condensed milk ($4), since its golden brown crust is probably calling out to you. Don’t deny it.
As for those aforementioned original recipes, these make an appearance in dishes like borscht with thick toast ($5.50), where chunks of beef and veggies swim around in a stew that’s been simmered for three hours; braised abalone rice with diced chicken and kale ($14) — although the abalone mentioned here is just the sauce; and Tsui Wah’s signature pork chop bun ($7.50), which doesn’t really require any explanation.
Other options on the menu include king prawns in XO sauce with noodles ($11), lamb chop curry with steamed rice ($29), and Kagoshima-style pork cartilage in fish soup with mixian — a traditional Chinese rice noodle ($8.50).
And as any proper cha chaan teng should have, there’s that HK-style French toast. Here, it’s presented as cubes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($9.50).
The brand’s first venture in Southeast Asia sees it tossed into the buzzing nightlife scene of Singapore, amidst the clubs, bars, and karaoke joints in the area — though, sadly, it’s only open until 11pm daily. Those pork chop buns and noods would’ve been great late-night supper grub for drunken revelers.
FIND IT:
Tsui Wah is at #01-03 Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Rd.
Daily 11am-11pm
MRT: Clarke Quay
