Punggol Seafood @ The Punggol Settlement

Punggol end has always been a part of my childhood memory. It is where my dad brought us for dinner during special occasions when young. We thought it was appropriate to bring our dad but to the re-developed punggol end, renamed as The Punggol Settlement, to celebrate our dad's birthday. Together with the re-developed, Hock Kee Punggol Seafood has also moved back to where they all started.

Baby Squid 3.5/5

The Deep Fried Baby Squid ($24) seems to be a delight for young and ladies. The enjoyed the crispiness of the deep fried baby squid coated with a layer of sweet sauce.

Fish Maw Soup 3/5

I find the the Fish Maw Soup ($30) was rather expensive with the sort of quality. The fish maw was rather dry and did not have that spongy texture. The soup was quite starchy too.

Asparagus with Scallop 3/5

The Asparagus with Scallop ($40) was quite bland in the sense that it lacked the garlicky aroma of stir frying. The consolation was that the greens were sweet and cooked to a nice crunch.

La La Bee Hoon 4/5

I am actually quite excited when I saw that the restaurant offers the La La Bee Hoon ($28.80). The version at Punggol Seafood is different from the one I had at Diamond Kitchen. The la la been hoon here used a different type of bee hoon which is brown in colour and has a more firmer texture. The gravy itself is more cloudy. If I am not wrong milk is added, quite similar to those fish soup stall.

Mee Goreng 2/5

The other noodle dish on the menu, Mee Goreng ($12) was unfortunately very disappointing. The whole dish simply lacked any wok hei or flavours. It was so bad that the whole table of us left it untouched after just a mouth bite.

Gong Gong 4.5/5

Another dish that is very well executed is the Gong Gong ($12). The dish is actually flamed at table side, allowing the Chinese wine to be infused. What made this event more enjoyable is the gravy that tasted of a mixture of butter and chinese wine that is used to cook the sea snail. I was so good that I actually gone back for a couple more sips of the gravy.

Steamed Soon Hock 4.2/5

Punggol Seafood serves live seafood which is quite in their fish tanks. My dad actually chose and catch the Steamed Soon Hock ($38.50) himself. Timed perfectly in steaming the fish, I like the simplicity of just using salted vegetables and sour plums, allowing the freshness of the fish to shine.

Chilli Crab 4.2/5

The mud crab used at Punggol seafood is really huge. It should be more than 2.5kg per crab. The freshness of the Chilli Crab ($88) can be tasted in its firmness and sweetness. For the gravy, I thought it can be more robust and spicier. It is actually not bad, it is just that it felt slightly short of my expectation.

Overall there were some hits and misses at Punggol Seafood. It seems that they are better on their seafood dishes. The la la bee hoon is recommendable too.


Punggol Seafood
The Punggol Settlement
3 Punggol Point Road
#01-08/09
Singapore 828694
Tel: +65 64488511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PonggolSeafoodHockKee
Website: http://www.ponggolseafood.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Punggol (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Punggol MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Punggol temporary Bus Interchange (Stop ID 65009). Take bus number 84. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

O'nya Sayang @ Paya Lebar Square

If not for opening of the new Paya Lebar Square, I would not have known about O'nya Sayang, a peranakan restaurant that started its flagship store back in 2011 at Tampines Mall by founder and chef Zan Ho. Coming from a Peranakan family, the young entrepreneur traces its roots back to the 90s when Mdm Khoo Pong Tee started her first Peranakan specific restaurant Dulukala.

Ayam Keluak Fried Rice 3/5

One thing I noticed at the Paya Lebar Square outlet is the offering of set meal. I think it is a smart move considering the office crowd around the vicinity. Take for example the Ayam Keluak Fried Rice Set ($14.90) is quite a valuable for money set with keluak fried rice, a bowl of chicken keluak and achar. The chicken keluak was pretty good with the chicken infused with he acquire and nutty flavour of keluak. The achar was pretty good too. Unfortunately the fried rice was lacking the unique fragrant flavour of the keluak. I have had better one elsewhere.

Lor Bak Noodles 4/5

Another of the many sets available at O'nya Sayang is the Lor Bak Noodles Set ($12.90) that comes with a plate of noodle, achar, lor bak and otah. I find this extremely value for money. The lor bak was braised and cooked to a nice tender. It was a delight biting into the otah that comes with chunky fish meat.

Bakwan Kepeting 3/5

Next is the Bakwan Kepeting ($12.90) or Homemade Crab and Pork Meatball Soup. The meatball was really good, firm but yet moist. However I thought the soup was lacking the natural sweetness of the cabbage. I tasted a lot of seasoning instead.

Chap Chye 4.5/5

The highlight among the dishes I tried has to be the Chap Chye ($10.90). Cooked using fermented bean paste imported from Malacca, the vegetable has an acquire sweetness that I really enjoyed. The vegetables were also cooked to a delectable softness but yet still retained a crunch.

Babi Pongteh 4/5

Babi Pongteh ($13.90) is another dish that I will usually order whether I visit any peranakan restaurant. The lighter in colour appearance suggested that the version here is lighter in flavour compare to some I have tried. This brings me to wonder what is authentic? As it seems every household has their own version. Back to the food itself, putting aside the lighter taste, the pork belly literally melted in the mouth.

Beef Rendang Bread Bowl 3/5

I personally do not like the concept of the Beef Rendang Bread Bowl ($12.90). I find it too troublesome. The beef rendang is stuffed inside the bread bowl and baked. Hence the rendang has became dry inside the bread. That is probably why a bowl of gravy is served on the side. I rather keeping it simple with the rendang in a bowl as the bread as a side for those who wants to dunk it to soak up the delicious gravy.

Sambal Seafood 3.5/5

Moving on to something more spicy is the Sambal Seafood ($17.90). While it may look greasy, it did come with a nice spicy kick, bringing out the fragrance of the spices. However the seafood was not of the best quality but this is understandable to keep the pricing affordable and reasonable.

Assam Fish 3.5/5

The other spicy dish on the menu is the Assam Fish ($16.90). As I can take spicy, I did find the gravy too sweet. It was lacking that punch that will make one breaks into a sweat. Nevertheless, the fish was moist and goes well with the assam.

Chendol 3/5, Sago Gula Melaka Ice Cream 4.5/5, Chendol Ice Cream 4.5/5, Oneh Oneh 2/5

How can we not try the desserts before leaving the restaurant. We tried a couple of desserts on the menu such as the Oneh Oneh, Chendol ($4.90), Sago Gula Melaka Ice Cream ($5.90) and Chendol Ice Cream ($5.90). Most memorable for me is the Sago Gula Melaka Ice Cream and Chendol Ice Cream. Using premium coconut ice cream from Thailand,  these are the two desserts I would highly recommend.

I couldn't say O'nya Sayang serves the best authentic Peranakan food but it definitely serves some affordable and reasonable priced set meal. I think it is s a smart strategy by the restaurant. I would recommend having the lor bak noodles set, chap chye, babi pongteh, finishing the meal with the sago gula melaka ice cream and chendol ice cream.


O'nya Sayang
Paya Lebar Square
60 Paya Lebar Road
#B1-30/31
Singapore 409051
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onyasayang
Website: http://www.onyasayang.com/
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]