Consistently Good Zi Char with Grilled Steaks!
Eastern House of Seafood has been one of our regular go-to zi char places since I first wrote about them in 2014. Back then, they were operating from a coffeeshop in Chai Chee.
Since then, they’ve relocated twice. First to Geylang and then to their current home in Bishan. Despite the moves, their food has remained consistently good, and the current chef has been with them for many years.
Owner Alvin is also quite the BBQ enthusiast. If you visit in the evenings, you can order steaks grilled over charcoal. It’s a great spot for wine lovers to gather, open a bottle, and enjoy it with some local dishes. We recently held our Mid-Week Makan session there to try a few of the new creations the chef has come up with.
New Items on the Menu
Crispy Prawn Cake
The crispy prawn cakes are a new item and are well worth ordering. The prawn paste filling has that unmistakable hand-chopped prawn texture, and the crust is super crisp. 4.25/5
Claypot Hokkien Mee with Crispy Pork Belly
I’ve written about their Hokkien Mee in previous posts, and it has always been a reliable item on the menu. For its latest iteration, the chef has tweaked the recipe by serving it in a claypot and topping it with crispy fried pork belly. While I didn’t feel that this made the Hokkien Mee better, the pork belly itself was quite tasty. 4/5
Beef Tripe and Tendon Stew
If you like ngou lam, (beef brisket) you will enjoy their beef tripe and tendon stew. It carries the familiar, comforting flavours of classic Cantonese stewed beef brisket.
That said, the brisket was just a little too lean. Perhaps we happened to get the flat rather than the point end. If it were more marbled, it would have been excellent! 4/5
Fish Maw with Kailan
This is the first time I’ve come across kailan stir-fried with fish maw. The contrast between the crunchy kailan and spongy fish maw makes for an interesting texture. It’s actually quite enjoyable – well worth ordering if you’re after a vegetable dish. 4/5
Claypot Pork Belly with Peppercorn
I have to say that the first time I tasted this dish, I was impressed. However, when it was served again during our Mid-Week Makan session, it didn’t quite have the same impact.
What made it special was the addition of Sichuan peppercorns. It’s not enough to turn it into a Sichuan dish, but just enough to give it a subtle twist from the usual zi char style. This dish has good potential but it has to be done done right. 3.5/5
Our All Time Favourites
These are the two dishes that we always order since Chai Chee days!
Tea Smoke Chicken
Their tea-smoked chicken never fails to impress. The kampung chicken is first steamed, then smoked over tea leaves, which gives it a rich, smoky flavor. Chef actually shared the recipe with me, so if you want to make this at home, just have a look at my recipe: https://ieatishootipost.sg/tea-smoked-chicken/ 4.5/5
Dry Roasted Sotong
Their dry-roasted squid is also a must-order whenever we visit. The tentacles are always the first ones to be snapped up before the body of the squid! 4.5/5
Assam Grouper
We usually order the Assam Fish Head when we visit. But for our makan session, Alvin swapped the red snapper head for a whole grouper. The sauce was well-balanced and delicious, as always. But I felt it was a bit of a shame to use it on the grouper. The fish’s natural flavor would shine more with a simple Cantonese style soy sauce. If you like a dish that is sour, sweet and spicy, order their Assam Fish Head instead! 4/5
Conclusion
Always reliable and one of the few Zi Char places we return to regularly. Parking is very convenient. Just drive to the basement carpark and walk straight into the restaurant.
In the evenings, you can also order steaks and chops grilled personally by Alvin. The restaurant is also a favourite amongst golfers who often gather there for wine pairing dinners.
