AromaCookery – A scent-suous Singapore food blog

The event: YES 933FM’s 美食鉴定团 (season 3, episode 4)

Destination: Swatow Seafood Restaurant @ Toa Payoh

Tasting panel: DJs Jiafa & Weibin + 4 lucky winners and their family members

Kampong Chicken 豆酱鸡

And so, lucky me got to tag along for another delicious foodie outing, courtesy of Y.E.S. 93.3FM! This time, it was lunch at Swatow Seafood Restaurant (previously Fortunate Restaurant).

Teochew/Swatow cuisine 潮汕菜肴 is known for light and clean-tasting flavors. We sampled a variety of cold cuts and appetizers. My favorite was this cold-cut steamed chicken. The meat was oh-so smooth and succulent! Crunchy and piquant, the cubes of pickles underneath were an excellent complement to the tender chicken.

Chilled Pig's Head 猪头粽 & Chilled Pork Knuckles in Jelly 猪脚冻

These are two very traditional Teochew dishes. As ancient villagers were loath to waste food, they cleverly chopped up the meat from the pig head (the part that no one wanted to touch!) and transformed it into a tasty aspic.

In the olden days, there was no refrigeration. So pork knuckle jelly — also a kind of terrine — was a winter dish that was invented to make meats last longer.

Braised Sliced Goose Meat Teochew-style 卤鹅片

Having soaked up the flavors of the braising sauce, the sliced goose was deliciously tender and flavorful.

Crispy Pork Liver Roll 肝花 & Crispy Prawn Roll 虾枣

Look at the pair of goldfish! They look so lively. Can you guess what vegetable was used to carve them? If you guessed yam/taro, you’re right!

Steamed Pomfret Teochew-style 潮蒸鲳鱼

Another classic Teochew dish, this steamed pomfret was fresh and meaty. The fish stock was refreshingly light and sweet.

Teochew-style Oyster Omelette 蚝烙

Interestingly, many of us thought the starchy bits of this oyster omelette tasted like chai tow kway!

Crispy Pork Knuckle 炸元蹄

Ah, if you like crispy pork trotter, this is a must-try! With tender meat and amazingly thin, crispy skin, we all agreed that this dish was wonderfully executed.

Braised Eight Treasure Vegetables 八宝素菜

Although this was mostly vegetarian, it was no less satisfying than the meat dishes. A variety of mushrooms, dried scallop, as well as kailan stems were stewed till they were soft and had totally absorbed the robust flavors of the stock.

Steamed Crystal Buns 水晶包

Although this isn’t the classic version of Teochew crystal buns, it was worth a try. Each petite bun was bursting with juicy turnip and vegetables, encased in soft, translucent skin that melted in the mouth.

Fried Kway Teow with Kailan & Preserved Radish 潮州芥兰菜脯粿条

This is the traditional way in which Teochew kway teow is fried, although this version has been updated to reflect a healthier cooking style.

Sugar-coated Yam Bars 反沙芋条

Now, my mom used to make this at home, so I know how tricky it is to get it right! It looks simple, but most people don’t know that the process to transform the sugar syrup into powdery sugar requires much skill and experience.

What makes this version special is the addition of sesame seed and spring onion for extra fragrance. Another winner that got the thumbs-up from everyone!

"My steamed Teochew pomfret is just as good!"

This outing felt like a big family gathering! Four lucky YES 933FM listeners got to bring along a family member for our foodie feast.

"I think my cute daughter gets her good looks from me!"

We also had a most adorable little princess as a participant!

Thumbs up for Teochew cuisine!

To listen to more of our thoughts on Swatow Seafood Restaurant, tune in to Y.E.S. 93.3FM on Wednesday, 22 September 2010 from 6pm onwards. Live radio is available on the official website. You could also win a chance to participate in the next outing!

Many thanks to YES 93.3FM for the invite, as well as Mr Ang and staff of Swatow Seafood for the warm hospitality.

Swatow Seafood Restaurant
Blk 181 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
#02-602 (next to Toa Payoh Library)
Singapore 310181
Tel: +65 6363 1717