In our hot and tropical country Singapore, no one would have thought of us having Xmas dinner in a spicy flavoured Nasi Padang restaurant! We did! And it was Restaurant Hock Lock Kee at Hotel Rendevous that we went! It was a fantastic dinner with superb flavours of spices and chilli!
The current frenzy over the Channel 8 TV drama serial "The Little Nonya" depicting the heartwrenching story of a girl and her ups & downs in life in a Peranankan family has got everyone interested in the lifestyles, food, desserts, chilli spices and flavours of a Straits nonya-baba & their Peranankan dishes again! Failing to find a Peranakan restaurant nearby Dhoby Ghaut area, we settled for a close Nasi Padang Restaurant.. at Hotel Rendevous.
This restaurant was established since 6 decades ago and is famous for its delicious Western Sumatran Nasi Padang. Even our Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong had patronized them. They had quite a few shifts in their restaurant location previously from a modest coffeeshop along Bras Basah to Raffles City to finally being here at Hotel Rendezvous. The simple yet tasteful decor of the Straits kopitiam (coffeeshop) sums up the atmosphere and quality of food you expect there.
Big bro joined us this time for dinner. The three of us ordered the Assam Pedas Fish-Head @ S$23. The fish was tender and fresh. The dish was also spicy hot and correctly soured with the Assam spices. One of the rare few well cooked Assam dish you can find!
We added on with dishes of salad appetisers (of cucumber, onion and chilli), fried batang fish slices and fried mashed potatoes. The staff also served us with big plates of chicken curry gravy and green curry gravy to go with the rice and food. I tell you - the gravies are all I need! They are simply heavenly delicious and spicy. The food like the decor of the restaurant - are simple yet tasteful! You also got to try the icy cold and sweet colourful dessert, Chendol laden with thick coconut milk with sweet brown sugar. This dessert is a simply wonderful end to your dinner!
You have to visit this place to try their food if you love chilli, spices and Chendol! Restaurant Hock Lock Kee is at #02-02/03, Hotel Rendezvous Gourmet Gallery, 9 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189559 Tel: (65) 6339 7508.
No comments:
Post a Comment