Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Ah Orh – Traditional Teochew Cuisine

Teochew Steam Pomfret


My first introduction with of Ah Orh Teochew Restaurant was back in 2006. This was before my foray in food blogging. At that time, Ah Orh runs like a neighbourhood restaurant, operated with no printed menu and most of the customers are regulars.

Menu Page 1

We kind of stop going to Ah Orh for no particular reasons and only start to visit them last year. Amazingly, the restaurant still looks the same, but now they have a printed menu and the service staff seems to be friendlier compared to the last time.

Menu Page 2

Appetizer here is Crispy Silverfish ($5). Crispy, salty and addictive. Good to eat on its own or as umami booster for a bland dish.

Crispy Silverfish

Cold Crab (Seasonal Price). One of the signature dishes here. Female crabs are used for this particular dish as it has sweeter meat and the roe is just delicious, especially when you dip it with the sweet orange sauce. I recommend that you pre-order this dish during your reservation, price about $75 per kg.

Cold Crab

The Roe

Chilled Jelly Pork ($12, $18, $25). One of the almost extinct Teochew dishes and you can only find this in a selected Teochew restaurant. Served chilled, you can taste the braising sauce and the crunchiness in the jelly. It is served with a tangy chilli sauce to help reduce the richness of the dish.

Chilled Jelly Pork - Large

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup ($35). We had this during my Mother in Law’s birthday celebration. It is one of LD’s favourite soup. Double-boiled with seafood and pork stock, the sweetness from the winter melon just rendered into the soup. Each serving is good for 6 to 8 pax, but don’t expect lots of broth.

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup

Double-Boiled Winter Melon Soup

Sliced Braised Duck ($13, $18, $25). Tender and succulent duck meat, well infused with the braising sauce. One thing for sure, the fats from the skin helps the meat to retain its juiciness. It served with braised pork belly and braised beancurd, they are equally delicious.  One of the best braised duck dishes in the market.

Sliced Braised Duck - Large

Prawn Roll ($13, $18, $25). Crispy with generous fillings. The prawns are fresh, together with the chestnuts give crunchiness to this dish. The pork fillings are generous; however, I find the texture a bit mushy.

Prawn Roll - Medium
Prawn Roll Fillings

Crispy Chicken with Sotong Paste ($18, $32). Ah Orh only makes small batches of this dish every day. So better place your order during reservation. It required superb skill to remove the chicken skin without breaking it. It is then spread with thick sotong paste and deep fried. The result is a paper-thin crispy skin, chewy yet tender sotong flesh and an awesome presentation. According to LD, this dish is very traditional and will slowly disappear as not many chefs are able to acquire the knife skills and it is very labour intensive.

Crispy Chicken with Sotong Paste

The Paper Thin Skin

Teochew Steam Fish (Seasonal Price). Perfectly steamed Pomfret in Teochew style. The fish is fresh and I like the firmness of the pomfret flesh. The broth from the plum, tomato, spring onion and chilli make the tangy broth an appetizing proposition. One of the must order dish in Ah Orh.

Teochew Steam Pomfret

The fish option is not limited to the above version, Ah Orh also offers different type of fish, such as grouper, red snapper, mullet, seabass, song fish and threadfin. For the cooking style, they have Hong Kong steam, deep fried, sweet and sour, and braised fried.

Teochew Kway Teow ($10, $13, $18). The thick silky hor fun exudes a solid dose of wok hei. It is fried with a top grade of soy sauce, together with chai poh (preserved turnip) and garlic, making this dish very appetizing.

Teochew Kway Teow

If you still have some space for desserts, order the Orh Nee / Yam Paste w Gingko Nuts ($13, $18, $25). The texture of the yam is slightly rough and dense. You can taste the fibre from the yam in each bite together with the gingko. The sweetness level is medium. It is good but not the best version of the Orh Nee.

Orh Nee / Yam Paste w Gingko Nuts  - Large

The décor of the restaurant is simple and aged. It seems the priority is given to the food instead of the décor. Service is friendly and efficient.

Overall, I am glad that we have made a few visits to Arh Oh in this past one year. As more of the traditional restaurant closing its door, it is time to enjoy those remaining few. The Teochew Food here is delicious and it uses the freshest ingredients. The price is value for money. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a Teochew Restaurant. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 8.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Ambiance: 6.25/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant
115 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-1627, Singapore 160115

T: +65 6275 7575
OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 22.00



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