Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room

Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room
2 Jurong East Street 21
#03-51 IMM Building

21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
#B1-10 Lot One

9 Bishan Place
#01-49 Junction 8

2 Tampines Central 5
#B1-27 Century Square

1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3
#02-01 White Sands

604 Sembawang Road
#03-12 Sembawang Shopping Centre

http://www.wanchai.sg/

Beef Brisket Noodles Soup (SGD $9.20)

Tasty Soup Noodles & Baked Rice

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 5
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $12 per person.

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Established since July 2006 by founder John Lim Hong Heng, Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room is a quick casual Hong Kong style teahouse eatery that eschews dim sum, in order to specialise in Chinese Cantonese soup noodles and baked rice. Strategically located in the far flung parts of Singapore in heartland shopping malls, Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room is usually bustling with a short queue at all hours of the day.

Ambience at Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room resembles the tea houses it draws inspiration from. The harsh bright florescent light gleams off the white and green tiles, while the sturdy marble-topped wooden tables are flanked by vibrant green and orange cushioned chairs, offset by wood panelled pillars. The open space is usually noisy and bustling, while steam wafts out from the partially open kitchen.

Service at Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room is partially self-service. Staff will allocate seats, you then order, pay, and collect your beverages over the counter, with staff serving dishes to your table after a short wait. Interaction is transactional, and there's little need or opportunity for staff to display their knowledge of the menu. I note they clean up efficiently when diners leave, turning around tables quickly to accomodate those in queue.

Food at Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room is Chinese Cantonese cuisine, with a focus on soup noodles and baked rice, done Hong Kong style. Dishes are simple and comforting, meant for everyday casual dining. It's not uncommon to see groups tucking into fresh stir-frys and delectable desserts here. Portions are sized for individuals. Prices are reflective of a casual eatery, budget about SGD $12 per person.

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Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room Signage

Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room Seating

Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room Menu

A straightforward Soya Milk (SGD $2.80), served either warm or chilled. While it's pre-mixed, the soya bean milk isn't overly sweet, having a lovely grainy milky sweet flavour. Worth ordering!

Soya Milk (SGD $2.80)

A typical traditional Hong Kong Coffee (SGD $2.20), served either warm or chilled. Has a decent strength of body, with a fragrant aroma of roasted coffee beans, bitter sweet but pleasant in taste. Worth ordering!

Hong Kong Coffee (SGD $2.20)

The traditional Hong Kong Milk Tea (SGD $2.60) is only served warm. This has a decent strength of body, with earthy bitter sweet milky flavour from the blend of black tea, sugar, and condensed milk. Worth ordering!

Hong Kong Milk Tea (SGD $2.60)

The Honey Citron Tea (SGD $3.20) is served in your choice of warm or chilled. It has water infused with lemon slice, orange peel, and honey, resulting in a floral fruity sweet flavour. Worth ordering!

Honey Citron Tea (SGD $3.20)

The Black Cow (SGD $3.80) is just an unusual name for a typical root beer float. Served over ice, the root beer soft drink is completed with a scoop of creamy smooth vanilla ice cream, which frothes beautifully when the beverage is poured in. Has lovely floral milky herbal sweet flavour. Good!

Black Cow (SGD $3.80)

The vibrant Aloe Vera Pink Lemonade (SGD $4) is nicely refreshing, with chunks of juicy gelatinous aloe vera and a slice of lemon within. Has a tangy sweet sour zesty herbal flavour, rather in-between a beverage and dessert. Worth ordering!

Aloe Vera Pink Lemonade (SGD $4)

The classic Egg Toast With Butter, Sugar, Maple Syrup (SGD $3.90) is nice. Warm with a crisp exterior that crunches lightly before you get the fluffy soft interior, the toast bread is coated with egg, white sugar crystals, and drizzled with maple syrup. Slather some butter across. Bite in, and you get a bold eggy savoury sweet floral buttery flavour, so enticing. Good!

Egg Toast With Butter, Sugar, Maple Syrup (SGD $3.90)

Egg Toast With Butter, Sugar, Maple Syrup

The classic Hong Kong style Toasted Bun With Butter & Condensed Milk (SGD $3.30) features a small halved baguette bread, spread with luscious butter, then toasted till crisp. Gently laced with thick condensed milk before serving, which gets absorbed by the warm bread / bun. Each bite has a light crisp crunch to texture, with mild milky sweet bready flavour, and stronger buttery notes. Compared to elsewhere, you get more of the natural taste of the bread and butter, given the condensed milk isn't liberally drizzled over here. Good!

Toasted Bun With Butter & Condensed Milk (SGD $3.30)

Toasted Bun With Butter & Condensed Milk

Toasted Bun With Butter & Condensed Milk

The Soft Boiled Eggs Set (SGD $1.70) are served in a set of 2 eggs. Decently soft-boiled, though the egg yolks had began to cook slightly, these are slippery smooth and runny wet, with bold eggy sweet flavour. Per tradition, add some dark soya sauce and white pepper for added salty peppery spice kick to flavour. Yum. Highly recommended!

Soft Boiled Eggs Set (SGD $1.70)

Soft Boiled Eggs

Soft Boiled Eggs With Soya Sauce & White Pepper

Loved the excellent Deep-Fried Wanton Dumplings (SGD $8.60). These minced pork and dehelled prawn / shrimp wanton dumplings have a crisp crunchy exterior, a moist juicy interior, and hold lovely savoury salty sweet flavour. Served with creamy mayonnaise on the side, which lends milky sweet flavour. Tasty side dish that's good to pair with any meal here. Highly recommended!

Deep-Fried Wanton Dumplings (SGD $8.60)

Deep-Fried Wanton Dumplings

Deep-Fried Wanton Dumplings

By contrast, the Deep-Fried Shui Jiao Dumplings (SGD $8.60) are just decent. These minced pork, deshelled shrimp / prawns, and shiitake mushrooms shui jiao dumplings / water dumplings have a crisp crunchy exterior, a moist juicy interior, and hold mild sweet savoury earthy flavour. Served with creamy mayonnaise on the side, which lends milky sweet flavour. Worth ordering!

Deep-Fried Shui Jiao Dumplings (SGD $8.60)

Deep-Fried Shui Jiao Dumplings

Deep-Fried Shui Jiao Dumplings

Loved the Brinjal With Pork Floss (SGD $8.20). Unlike elsewhere, their version has thick-cut strips of brinjal / aubergine / eggplant, so you get a soft juicy chew with distinct mild vegetal sweet earthy flavour. The wispy chewy pork floss is generous, and lends savoury salty flavour. Very satisfying side dish. Highly recommended!

Brinjal With Pork Floss (SGD $8.20)

Brinjal With Pork Floss

The XO Sauce Fried Carrot Cake (SGD $8.80) has large soft moist cubes of daikon radish, tossed with crunchy bean sprouts, wispy egg, chewy preserved radish / chye poh / chai poh, and dark soy sauce. With deep savoury eggy sweet salty flavour, this was punchy and pleasing on the palate. Good!

XO Sauce Fried Carrot Cake (SGD $8.80)

XO Sauce Fried Carrot Cake

Tipped off that the Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (SGD $8.20) was excellent because every table during a peak dinner period had an order of it. It looks so good too. Piping hot, with crispy crunchy skin and juicy succulent tender chicken meat, each chicken wing has bold savoury sweet salty flavour with the distinct taste of prawn paste. Highly recommended!

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (SGD $8.20)

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings

An overall weak rendition of Macau Pork Chop Bun (SGD $6), where the pork chop was dry and thin with limp batter. The caramelised onions were beautifully smoky vegetal sweet in flavour, and the toasted crisp baguette bread buns have mild bready sweet buttery flavour, but couldn't save this dish. Could be improved.

Macau Pork Chop Bun (SGD $6)

Macau Pork Chop Bun

Get the soup version of the Yuan Yang Wanton & Shui Jiao Dumpling Noodles (SGD $8.60), as their speciality is soup. The dry version is lacklustre and clumpy, but the soup has a lovely savoury peppery spice note. The yellow egg noodles are springy with a grainy sweet flavour, while the blanched kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli is crunchy with vegetal sweet notes. The wanton dumplings are bouncy with a savoury salty sweet flavour from the filling of minced pork and deshelled shrimp / prawns, while the shui jiao dumplings / water dumplings are juicy with addictive sweet savoury earthy flavour from the filling of minced pork, deshelled shrimp / prawns, and shiitake mushrooms. Worth ordering!