With smart, Mr.YaKwang and SporeGirl
Har Kao $3.20, Steam Prawns $4, Fried Oysters $6, Char Siew Bao $3.20
I just love Dim Sum, Tapas and Degustations. The idea is that you get to titillate your tastebuds as much and as long as possible before it becomes uncomfortable to your stomach. Yes, it is part and parcel of getting older. Having a full stomach just isn’t as pleasant as it was when I was younger. In the past, buffets were the way to go to get the bang for the buck. Nowadays buffets are just a waste of money because I would just get full too quickly to feel that I got my money’s worth.
Unfortunately, the Dim Sum scene in Singapore just isn’t that happening and I can’t understand why. I really miss those push carts where the Auntie’s would come right up to the table and you get to choose what you want to eat. Why is it that so few places still have them even though I think most Singaporeans still wish they were around? I would like to see a Hong Kong Street Style Dim Sum place in Singapore. No fancy restaurant, just a nice Kopi Tiam atmosphere where the carts are pushed out and people all get to rush for their steaming Har Kow and Siew Mai. I am sure you all would like to have one around, wouldn’t you?
However, before some smart entreprenuer would venture to give us what we really want, there is this little place in Geylang that comes close. Set in the unsavoury part of Singapore, this little shop dishes out out quite savoury Dim Sums in an atmosphere that is quintessentially Geylang. If there are any URA directors out there reading this, Please, please, please, please…. don’t ever upgrade Geylang, but do get someone from the other Ministry to start regulating the Sex Shops and foreign talent there!
How does one do a review of Dim Sum? If I gave you a review on every item that I ate there I think you would just scroll down to the conclusion. So I would say this: A good Dim Sum to me means that most items are good, some are excellent and some are unique and difficult to find anywhere else. That just about sums it up for Wan Dou Sek.
So what I will do is to draw your attention to some of the more interesting items. First is the deep fried oysters. Simple and sinful, the oyster fritters are juicy and shiok. Too bad there wasn’t any tartare or bluecheese sauce to go with it! 4.5/5
Fried Fish Maw $4
Another dish that caught my attention was this fried fish maw with Thai style chilli sauce. Its just something you don’t see very often and SporeGirl really loved it. The chilli sauce is more on the sourish side, reminiscent of Thai style seafood dipping sauce. 4.25/5
We were actually here because we were told that the Lo Mai Kai here was something to behold. Since I am currently on my quest for the ultimate Lo Mai Kai, I had to check it out. They use only midwings for the Lo Mai Kai here and the taste was alright, but ultimate it was not. The glutinous rice was not soft enough. For me a great Lo Mai Kai should have glutinous rice which is soft and gooey and saturated with the chicken juices. 3.75/5
Fried Yam Cakes 8 pieces $3.20
The yam cake is one of the best I have tasted in Singapore. The yam is generous and powdery (Teochews describe it as Sang Sang) and the cake itself is full of Hae Bee (dried prawn) flavour. They deep fry instead of pan frying them here and its good! 4.5/5
Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun $4
I put up this picture of the Curry Chee Cheong Fun just to show you that you can find quite interesting things in the bamboo steamers. So aside from the usual, you can be adventurous and try something new. Taste wise, this one was not quite there. The curry was a bit powdery but if you are the type that like find the typical Dim Sum too tame and want to spice it up, you can pick this one up as well as their steamed seafood otah dish. 3/5
Conclusion
Not exactly restaurant dining, but that’s how I like it. Rustic and chaotic with no table cloths to soak up the spilled tea, the food is here dares to be adventurous so you can expect a few surprises. It’s unpretentious, straightforward tongue titillating satisfaction and best of all you can enjoy it even if you are reading this at 3am in the morning of the eve of a public holiday! We should have more stalls like this across Singapore!
