Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant - Almost Teochew

Hello Readers,

I know, I am not as prompt as I would like to and be on schedule to post a blog on a weekly basis, as I have set out to do, however you see, there is a lot going on right now in my life and some of the on going events may be life and even character changing.

For instance, there is work, work and more work, coupled with hoping to have a baby with my ever loving missy, and also the life long desire to want to lose weight and look just like Andy Lau or even George Clooney.

One good looking man, but I am not gay yet

Just look at THAT man, for I am almost there but yet there.

However, there are several other factors happening in my life as well, for one, I want to be truly HAPPY for the better, as friends of mine will tell you that I am very much a competitive person in nature, be it driving on the streets of Singapore where I will be driving like a F1 driver "which I have heard tons of time" when I could have left the house earlier just to avoid this unwanted or required stress, or how I always wanted to win every competition / contract that I have set my eyes on, even if it means having to work 25 hours a day, 7 days a week just so to WIN and beat the hell out of my ever friendly competitors. Just like what my elder brother, Desmond quoted "Winning is a habit", I guess I always have the self belief that I was a born to win and was meant to win everyday, everything, everywhere.

Therefore, these few months have been a good time to reflect and review what I really want to be or hope to become, which draws me to the conclusion that I have HOPE to be a BETTER person who has time for family, friends and work, all in the right spirit and attitude, thought money is important but it should never been the center of one's life which I am struggling to come to term to yet, but hope I will attain NIRVANA one day, any day, some day before I kick my bucket.

It can be full-ER... obviously

Talking about bucket, this is one good read that I would recommended to all my readers, for its talk about how one can be happy and be a positive influence to the people around you which in turn will make you happy, I must admit that I am not 100% sure if this theory does work, but it did make me a happy person just because I wanted to look at things more positively and have a happier outlook in life than I would have otherwise.

For one that strike me, was that this book mentioned about attitude, especially good attitude that support my belief that it can be cultivated and mastered, with time, lots of patience and of course, encouragement from loved ones is essential to make it work, as you see, I am one with what people may called a bad attitude, with a short fuse, and being patience is not my strongest strength.

Nevertheless, I BELIEVE like the good looks which some said is god given, I said give ME time and I will be the prettiest thing you will lay your eyes on.  

Like this blog, it was meant to be a space to let go some stream and be as fun as hell (Russell Peters style of BE THE MAN), but I believe my readers will also appreciated the HUMAN side in me and take a moment to reflect what's important to oneself in life, for money can buy tons of things in life, however it cannot buy health (definitely), happiness (maybe) and some say true love (what is the definition of true love again ?).

Maybe, my MOJO has evolved and changed over time, or maybe I am just tired from the rat race for a while.

So in order to be a happy person, we need to have happy comfort food, so we decided to visit this famous or once famous Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant located at 115 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-1627 Singapore 160115, seems to be more politically correct which came highly recommended by one of my Malaysian customers.

Just an old fashion restaurant or eater, no flashy dress code, just me, my camera and slipper

Guess what, I was pleasantly surprised to see Fiona Xie there dinning too, and if she is reason enough for you to go to this restaurant, please don't bother to read any further and just give it a 5 star rating.

For the record this is what I thought had happened when we met, we greeted, hugged, kissed each other like old friends and I "THINK" she tried to hit on me not once but several times so that she can come home with me to do my laundry, cook and bath me too, this may what the HEAD wanted to believe since she was in awe of an almost famous food blogger, but nevertheless, I am sticking to my version at least, for boys will be boys and men will still be boys.

Boys, we know you want some, don't you ? Just don't tell my missy about it.

So being Teochew myself and growing up with all the Teochew dishes that my mom used to cook, this is definitely one place where I just had to bring my 100% Teochew parents to sample and have their take and views.

Educational content: "The Chaozhou people (commonly known as Teochew) are Han people, native to the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong province of China who speak the Teochew dialect." So please do not say that my blog does not offer any benefit or useful information :P 

So if you are a Teochew too, you will know that we always start with a standard entrée dish comprising of not 2 but 3 layer pork, braised duck and chinese tofu.

Oh... Pork, Duck, Tofu... friends for life

I can't stress enough, for this dish is so important if one is to open a Teochew restaurant, get it wrong and your days in the business is numbered, thus to the credit of Ah Orh, they got it right and never underestimated the work behind to get this humble looking dish looking the role and tasting just prefect, its take hours every day and with a doubt years of experiences to get it "PREFECT" which I can't stressed enough.

Why did they get it PREFECT you may asked, for the 3 layer pork tasted 3 layer and each layer is so perfectly defined that there is no mistaken which part you are eating, and the FATs between the first and second layer are so chewy that you are not simply chewing on FATs unlike some of the other pork that I have the unpleasant experience with.

Next the braised duck are so well soaped and braised, which must have taken hours for the duck meat and the sauce to taste like they belong together as one and never to separate again, and finally, the tofu in my view plays the most important role of making one think you are actually eating healthy food which could also explains why there was a green grass on top of the dish, in addition to adding some color to this otherwise blend looking dish but nevertheless a PREFECT dish. 

Next up, crayfish in chilli sauce, very much like chilli crab, and each restaurant chilli taste a little different.

Can crayfish swim?

I personally feel that this is an overrated dish to begin with and it didn't help that Ah Orh didn't give the noble crayfish the death that they deserve, for one, the chilli sauce was not done close to any Teochew standard, for us people of the GREAT teochew clan like sauce that isn't too wet or too dry, not too sour or not too sweet and it must tasted that the sauce belong with the meat, like the movie "Tango and Cash" where they hated each other to the core, but can't live without one another.

If you are think we Teocheow are complex people who is easy hard to pleased, let me tell you this, YOU ARE RIGHT!!! BITCHES / MAN-WHORE / SLUT / ASSHOLE

On the chef recommendation, we also tried their fish maw soup.

Don't ask me what this look like @@

Was it good?

Was it worth the money and time?

Will I ever order this again?

NO, HELL NO... this was just wrong, the fish maw in it was decent at best, however the soup was different in a bad way, with some minced meat mixed within that was powered like it owed you, your brother, sister, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, aunty, cousins, and even some distant relatives that you don't even keep in touch with some a lot of money and you were never going to repay them EVER.

Life like a Fish

So you know how important entree are for a Teochew, now come the Fish which should be of the same importance or even more since this is the main dish that any decent Teochew will judge upon.

Ah Orh fish is decent, however have I tasted better fish in my life, you bet.

Now, don't get me wrong, for this fish was served fresh "enough", however its seems that it was not stream long enough to have absorb the individual ingredient such as the soar plum, the tomato, the ginger, etc which prove to be its downfall and if I were to be brutally honest about it, it also lack "THE" favor that one will associated with this dish despite being visually appealing to one's tummy, for the fish meat texture which was supposedly to melt in your mouth, struggled a little too much and have to worked overtime before it broke down and gave up to declare my mouth as the winner as it always should have been and most importantly, it was no way near as tasty as I would hope.

Like what's the mom and missy will order, veg is a must

Like most people especially my mom and missy, they would say that having vegetable is critical and essential, so we HAD to order, and this was an ORDER from a commander to a obedient solider, we did and all I am saying is that it was decent.

Unfortunately, I was convincing enough and my stomach was too full of the wrong stuff so we didn't manage to order the infamous Teochew favorite dessert, Yam Paste, which we may order one day, some day, some time, some how, some where, if we do return. 

Verdict Out of Five (5*):

1. Quality of Food: 2.5 (A decent meal)
2. Ambiances: 2.75 (Old school, reminds you of childhood sweethearts in a way)
3. Audiences: 2.5 (Mostly local and maybe some ex-TCS starlets)
4. Price: 2.5 (Not the cheapest, but affordable)
5. Services: 2.4 (Food got served on table, so don't complain too much)
6. Hygiene: 2.5 (Shouldn't be bother too much)

So my overall conclusion is 2.75*, and if I was there for their entree only as my one and only course, they may have scored a higher score, however the rest of the dishes was left with so much to desire, given that it has so much potential and history to do so well but didn't impress enough to make the final cut, however maybe I will return if Fiona Xie ask me out again, just maybe.

Quote of the day: "Trust, believe and a little more faith"

Bak Tu Teh 肉骨茶 - Where Pigs Do Fly

Greetings Earthlings...

This is another time for me, yours truly to BITCH speak about everything and anything that comes within sight and my mind.

Like always, before I start talking about food, let's us start this blog by taking a moment to what's currently evolving around our life.

Since 1st May being labour day, I have decided that today topic shall be on FT, FT and more FT

Abbreviation of FT can stands for several thing and just to give you a favor: Fuck Fxck Thing, Fake Tits Teeth, Full Time, Free Trade, Fault Tolerant, First Team and my personal favorite French Toast.

However, if you mentioned FT in the streets of Singapore today, most, if not all people will immediately associated it with Foreign Talents that we have come to learn to perhaps love and hate a little of each.

"If only everyone is a John Lennon"

Before we start the comparison, please read the above quote from John L and fill your heart with as much LOVE as possible, then perhaps with HATE if needed.

I/We must first acknowledged that Singapore was and still is just a tiny island and could be what it is today without all the immigrants from China, Malaysia, India and many more, whom have came here to settle, sweat and built a nation, else Singapore will never be like the Singapore today.

For that I, THANK all the forefathers & fore-mothers for the role(s) that they have played in mounting and shaping what Singapore has become, a modern, clean, safe and thriving city, and for many 2nd/3rd/4th generation like myself that we called HOME today and was proud of it.

However, many would have observed over the recent years, we have seen a 2nd major wave of immigrants coming and competing with home breed Singaporean and suddenly "HOME" seems so distance and foreign to even oneself that have are raised and bleed here all our life, so home doesn't feel like home anymore, or home enough.

Let's start a list of what we love about FTs:

1. FTs bring along skills sets and technology that the average Singaporeans do no possess, in the upper tier
2. FTs allow our country to be an effective and competitive in the global market, given that this little red dot does not have its own resources and enough talent to be equal on the world stage. 
3. FTs are willing to perform tasks and take up jobs that Singaporean do not want, in the lower tier
4. FTs are willing to take a pay that Singaporean will not want to consider, in the lower sector
5. FTs women especially those from PRC, Russian, etc are pretty, flirtatious and some of them even rich, the best for being sugar mummy.

So you may question, what actually do we hate about FTs, let's us ponder and see if you agree with the list below:

1. FTs are competing for the same job in the middle and higher tier, and some are even pay higher than the locals
2. FTs competing for schools, home, cars and everything that moves or breathe
3. FTs coming into our this country and shitting in our its backyard or even in our its face like Pinoy new citizen Angelo Marc Jandugan whom made the following comments: "You have such a LOSER mentality. You have to wake up….We have people earning so much than you guys...Face the new reality, migrate somewhere else cause you can’t stop more of my people (from Philippines) from coming here.” or have you forgotten the beloved PRC NUS Scholar Sun Xu who called Singaporean dogs.
4. FTs preparing what used to be local delights, like Singapore or some say Malaysia Chilli Crabs, chicken rice, char kway teow in the food court, hawkers, cafes, eateries and restaurants.
5. FTs are everywhere I go...

Therefore, I sincerely hope that Singapore "current" PM Lee meant what he said: "While we must always be open to the world, let me be quite clear – Singaporeans will always be our priority. This is the purpose of all our policies, including on foreign workers and talent." Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, May Day Rally 2012

Please don't misunderstand me, for I have nothing against FTs, and like some of you may know my BETTER half is from Malaysia, all I am saying is, like most thing, it needs to be done in moderation with better QC and not have large in-flood of FTs that we have witnessed over the recent years, that one country citizens suddenly become the stranger/foreigner in their own country.

For I am only ONE man, and hope you will share my "LOVE".

Anyhow, for this non-halal blog, I have decided to talk about this Bak Tu Teh eatery known as "Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Char" located at No. 7 Keppel Road, #01-05/07 PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex that I have personally frequent for what must be over 10+ years now.

Just simple and efficient layout for optimum services and good food

Apparently, the boss Mr. Frankie Gwee was on 星期二特写 《人。情。味2》 last night and what a heart warming story to know that kind souls like him, still linger among us, in a society where only the top "dog" survive.

The only down side is to see that most of the servers are FTs, like in most of the other eateries today, but who can blame him if he wants to be cost effective and remain relative in this market, however the FTs that are working here are like no other, for they will provide good services with a smile, dressed neatly in uniform and long hair are tied up in a bun.

Use some imagination, and I would say that they are the Bak Tu Teh Girls of Singapore "Where Pigs Do Fly", similar to that of the Singapore Girls of the Singapore Airline "A Great Way to Fly"

Their menu, like their food, straight forward and no BS

Here, you can have also anything and everything that you could want to eat off a pig, from pork stomach, rigs to legs, except you will not find no tongue, no ears, no heart, no eyeballs, no nose, no blood and unfortunately, some vegetables to choose from too.

What a typical dinner for two looks like

The bak tu teh here has a peppery soup base, which one may take some time to grow accustom to if you are from the other side of the causeway like my missy who is from Klang, Malaysia and where famous and the original bak tu teh is rumored to be from, but she grew to love it over time, like she grew to love this FAT, short, Handsome man "ME"  : P

Nevertheless, do not be mistaken, for the meat is cooked and tender from the first bite to the last, be it be for the pork leg which is cooked in the dark soup or the pork ribs which is cooked in the clear soup, and how can one have good bak tu teh without fried youtiao 油条, it will be love affair without the love, or what is better known as sex only, no commitments required like a one night stand, however I am in for the long run and this is a marriage.

Verdict Out of Five (5*):

1. Quality of Food: 4 (Meat and more meat)
2. Ambiances: 3 (Love its simplicity)
3. Audiences: 3 (Mostly local)
4. Price: 2.5 (It is not the cheapest in town, but knowing what the boss does for the less fortunate, I don't mind it at all)
5. Services: 3 (Good services and attitude like the boss)
6. Hygiene: 4 (It is neat and tidy)

So my overall conclusion is 4*, and this place is worth visiting if you are a meat lover like myself especially pork, and maybe the next time I am there, I will ask Frankie for an autograph since he is a celebrity now, and if you didn't know, he may have the mobile number to Michelle Chia personal cell and will even hook me up, since I am a humble and yet to be famous food blogger.

Call me Michelle, call me, CALL ME NOW !!!