Anything Considered

I had lunch at Teochew Garden Restaurant in Concourse. It's the first time in maybe 6 months since I've eaten in these big-group chinese places, and it certainly wasn't a let-down.

We had a big spread: cold crab, braised goose, steamed pomfret, sea cucumber, baby kai lan, or lua, and some teochew kway teow which I've never seen or heard of before. Finished off with a wonderful yam paste (+pumpkin and ginkgo nuts yum!) dessert.

I must admit the crab was kinda small, but it tasted alright. I'm no judge of crabs though. The highlight for me, surprisingly, was the sea cucumber dish. Served hot in a claypot with mushrooms and assorted vegetables in a delicious brown sauce, it was simply delightful. The sauce didn't come across as too sweet or too thick, and it went well with just about everything else.

The goose was so-so. The meat wasn't overly dry, which is good, but it was a tad on the tough side, and came across as slightly too bland for my tastes. I would expect more from something like this.

The pomfret was a tasty relief though not memorable. The or lua was delicious, with giant or and a not-too-oily omelette. The baby kai lan, I'm afraid, was overcooked and lost its taste.

It wasn't a perfect meal, but these chinese family lunches bear greater significance than the taste of the food. It's the eating and talking together that stands out, I suppose. Teochew Garden isn't fantastic, but I'd consider it an option when you can't think of anything else.

Off to SA gathering now! Haha. I hope it'll be fun.