|
 |
Comforting Food EVER had one of those moments when you felt a sudden craving for a comforting, homely meal? Well, I was hankering for exactly that on the day of my visit to Peach Garden. And I got more than I expected. The restaurant didn't serve just homespun comfort food; quite a few dishes came with a dash of flair and innovativeness as well. Thrown in, too, was a good dose of motherly cosseting from business partners Veronica Tan and Angela Ho, former managers of Orchard Hotel's Hua Ting. After working for more than a decade in the food and beverage industry, they decided to strike out on their own. Undaunted by the bleak economy, they mustered their courage and established this cosy restaurant and another in Eastwood Centre. Both have since developed a good following. Their forte is to make you feel right at home and to provide fantastic recommendations. I was spoilt for choice with a host of fabulously prepared dishes. Addictive and oh-so-wonderful was the julienned eggplant (akin to crispy French fries) - coated with paper-thin dough, deep-fried to crispiness and topped with pork floss. According to Ms Tan, kids love this dish - definitely a creative way to get them to eat veggies. Fancy dim sum with a twist? Munch on fried carrot cake whose flavour metre is kept high with a melding of homemade XO sauce. Fried with the sauce until it becomes fragrant, the chunks of carrot cake are topped with crunchy beansprouts and spring onion. The deep-fried bean skin roll, teamed with prawns and chives and tied into a parcel with nori, earns praises for its crisp, oil-free skin and the juiciness of the prawns. Ms Tan highly recommends the restaurant's variety of cold cuts and barbecued meats. Such as the siew yoke: thickly-sliced, sinfully-fat roast pork with crackling skin. I particularly liked the succulent, roasted crispy goose served with plum sauce - apparently rarely featured in most restaurants nowadays.
You can also opt for the signature double-boiled shark's fin and Chinese cabbage in shark's bone stock if you enjoy thick milky soup made from shark cartilage. Health-conscious diners will adore the homemade beancurd dish brimming with fresh crab meat, egg white and spinach. The art of steaming is important to get a silky-smooth beancurd, said Ms Tan. If you enjoy noodles, there is the ngao lam mien, or beef noodle. The beef is braised a day before and left to rest before serving. But although there were generous beef chunks and soft tendons, overall I felt that the meat was a little too salty for my liking. One word to describe the desserts: Refreshing. The black glutinous rice is tempered with coconut ice cream and grass jelly, and the chilled mango and sago with pomelo is akin to an invigorating shower on a scorching day. I don't normally enjoy almond-flavoured desserts but the almond cream mousse with homemade beancurd was velvety and, thankfully, didn't have that overwhelming almond essence. Having had my craving appeased and expectations met, I was one happy soul after the meal. Good flavours, decent pricing, pleasant service - what's not to like? Just remember to ask for recommendations as a lot of specialties are not listed on the menu. |
A
speciality here is the deep-fried prawn salad coated with wasabi
and peppered with orange roe.