It was raining cats and dogs when we went to Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant at Joo Chiat Rd yesterday to celebrate Dad’s 61th birthday. The heavy rain probably dampened dad’s mood and after some coaxing from me, everything was back to normal again.
As the oldest Peranakan restaurant established since 1953 in Singapore, the ambience is pleasant though a bit cramped as this outlet wasn’t big. Their recipes rated authentic Peranakan cuisine. We decided to place our palates on their specialities.
Sambal Timun – Served as an appetizer. Crunchy with lots of dried shrimps!
Ayam Buah Keluak – Dad commented that the chicken doesn’t tasted fresh though.
Ikan Kepala Assam Curry – Quite a big half fish head. This dish we savoured till the last bones.
Otak-Otak – Strong coconut flavor. We loved the bites, with pieces of fish meat in it!
Nogh Hiang – Crispy enough not best though.
Another dish worth mentioning was the roast pork with picked vegetables. It’s crispy and aromatic! Thumbs up for this one. Udang sambal is average as I expect more kick from the chilli. Crab foo yong is slippery like scrambled egg. A little disappointment is the nonya chap chye which tasted quite bland. Sambal kangkong is a better choice for me.
With reasonable price (no gst, no service charge – what else can I ask for?) and good food, It’s definitely a nice place to gather families.
