My friends at the office are crazy about food. They introduced me to the legendary Sin Huat, an open-air eating house along Geylang road known for outstanding seafood and exorbitant prices.
"It's endorsed by Anthony Bourdain!" J added to the buzz as the office sprang alive with conversation.
The funny thing though was that none of them had actually eaten at Sin Huat. But I suppose that is what makes it the stuff of fairy-tales - a lot of mighty, flighty hearsay with Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' and Makansutra's Seetoh to ground it in a bit of reality.
Like all good netizens, I scoured the net for articles, write-ups and blog posts. And a few hours later, my heart was set firmly on becoming a part of this legend. I even had a ready volunteer to boot!
"It's endorsed by Anthony Bourdain!" J added to the buzz as the office sprang alive with conversation.
The funny thing though was that none of them had actually eaten at Sin Huat. But I suppose that is what makes it the stuff of fairy-tales - a lot of mighty, flighty hearsay with Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' and Makansutra's Seetoh to ground it in a bit of reality.
Like all good netizens, I scoured the net for articles, write-ups and blog posts. And a few hours later, my heart was set firmly on becoming a part of this legend. I even had a ready volunteer to boot!
The coffee shop was empty when we arrived, which was a good thing because it meant that we did not have to jostle with the crowds, that according to other savvy foodies, arrive at 8pm. Mr. Danny, the "Nazi Chef" is the owner and chef of Sin Huat. He is known to be a man of no-nonsense - there is no menu, and he orders on your behalf.
So I was very afraid of offending him. But as it tuned out, there was no need to. He was cordial, and he asked us what we were here for.
"Frog legs, Crabs, and Steamed Gong Going, right?" I replied a little uncertainly, looking to A for some assurance, only to have her shrug me off.
The Nazi man simply gruntled a little and even broke into a half-smile before diving back into the kitchen leaving no trace of his so-called "nazism".
These are gong gongs (as the Singaporeans call it) or escargots (by the french). They were tender and flavorsome and must have been steamed in garlic for just about the right amount of time so they were juicy but not chewy. I literally almost went crazy over the wonderful chili dip, but had its spiciness keep me in check. Apparently, our food nazi spends an entire day pounding spices and other ingredients to create this dip!
I'm not a fan of frog legs. But this hard to resist! Cooked in lots of garlic, the legs were thick and meaty, plus I really liked how it went along so well with the Brands Essence of Chicken. Who knew!
And finally, the dish I had waited all evening for, our nazi's specialty - the crab beehoon! The crab was a huge meaty Sri Lankan crab (aye, always dependable) but it was the beehoon that took the cream of the cake. It was flavoured really nicely (probably with crab juices) and had the 'wok hey' taste - the mark of a cheap but well-used wok (according to my mother). I lapped it up as best as I could and wished that I had not stuffed myself with so much food before.
As I burped satisfactorily, I braced myself for the large bill I had expected.
phew! Only 130SGD for two people.
Slightly cheaper than a Universal Studios experience.
Not so bad for something legendary after all!
Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant
Geylang Road Lorong 35, Singapore 389589, Singapore. Tel: 6744 9755.
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